Lord Greshh

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Tomar Rau

The Protectors exchange looks. With half of their numbers already down and their leader out of action, they decide its better to stand down and fight another day. They drop their weapons and lower their shields.

Jakito Twilight

“Everyone freeze!” I jump out, lightsabers ignited, only to discover that the fight is already over. Looking around at everyone, I strike an awkward casual pose. “Oh... guess I missed it.” I look at Zar’kun. “I’ll get em next time.”

Armond Organa

I step out from cover and give the two Jedi a polite clap. “Well done, my friends! Well done indeed... Though I’m sure that, given enough time, my men and I could have handled it ourselves. Your intervention is appreciated none the less though, of course.”

Xanthippe Naberrie

I roll my eyes. “Yes yes. We can all pat each other on the back later. In the meantime...” I hold up my shackled hands. “Please take these off me and I’ll consider being thankful.”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Xanthippe Naberrie

As expected, the Mandalorians don’t surrender, and instead turn their weapons against Armond and his guards. As a fire fight breaks out, I squirm over to Rau unconscious body, trying to find the key to my cuffs.

Korré

My eyes widen as I hear Xan’s voice. At that same time, Valkorion wakes up with a start and begins to cry, almost like he senses it too. “Senator Naberrie is in trouble!”

Jakito Twilight

“That explains why she isn’t here yet. I’ll go after her!” I grab my gear and run for the doors.

Korré

“Lowest level! Boiler room! Hurry!”

Becca Twilight

“And be careful!” I scoop Val up and begin trying to smooth him. Very perceptive child. It went without saying he would one day need an exceptionally powerful teacher to help him control his abilities... and hopefully control his darker feelings as well.”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Fallen

"Very well. I should make some preparations of my own." I look down at the floor, not wanting to look at HJ. "You should... probably go. We'll talk later... if you want."

HJ Twilight

"Yeah, maybe we will." I pat Hank on the arm. "Let's leave them alone. I need to sit down for a while."

EARLIER

Xanthippe Naberrie

I am thrown onto the hard floor of a boiler room in the lowermost levels of the hotel/command center. The Mandalorian Protectors stand over me, their leader aiming a blaster at my head. Through it is difficult, I manage to reach out with the Force to the first person that comes to mind. Korre... I'm sorry.

Armond Organa

Before Tomar Rau can pull the trigger, a stun bolt hits him in the back and knocks him to the ground. The remaining Protectors turn to see me, flanked by Organa soldiers. “Hold it! In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, I order you to drop your weapons and step away from the Senator immediately.”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Fallen

"Nor do I wish to kill you." I nod slowly. "Okay. We shall fight. If I win, then fate has decreed that I am worthy to remain Mand'alor, and I will spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes, and proving that I can be the leader I always wanted to be. But, if I lose, then I will renounce my title... and spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes by serving the NEW Mand'alor." I give Temari a mournful smile. "Name the arena."

HJ Twilight

It was admittedly a bit frightening to see Ava switch so easily between seemingly stable and completely unhinged. I'd underestimated just how strongly she'd been effected by stress and Sucal's dark taint. I cross my arms and stand with Hank. There was too much to say, and it would all come out messy if I tried. "Hank, my friend... Consider yourself lucky you aren't organic."

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

HJ Twilight

I rgive Cosen a sympathetic look. “Come on, Cosen. Hasn’t there been enough killing?” I reach out to put my hand on her shoulder.

Cosen Greshh

I slap his hand away. “Don’t touch me! You’ve made your position clear.” I take one last look towards Ava. “In failing to kill me, you have done something far worse; you have hurt me. By killing my twin, you have torn my soul in half... and that is something I can never forgive.” I speak calmly, but my hatred burns in the Force. “I’ll leave, and you will not see me again for many years at least. I advise you to enjoy those years, because when our paths cross again, I will turn whatever joy you have in your life to ash. That is a promise.” I turn and walk to the exit.

Mandalore the Fallen

Uncharacteristically, I don’t stop her. “Let her try.” To Temari, I say, “What’s the plan?”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Risen

“What are you proposing? A trial by combat?” I look cautious. “Are you... challenging me for my title?”

HJ Twilight

“Mand’alor, come on! Don’t you see it has to be this way? After what you’ve done, whether you believe it was necessary or not, is unforgivable to Mandalorian standards! You knew this once, but somehow, somewhere, you lost sight of yourself. Maybe it was the dark corruption of this planet, or maybe it was just the exhaustion of this war that made you unable to think clearly, but you’ve made mistakes. You killed loyal men and women - YOUNG men and women - who only wanted to serve you. They willingly kept your plan a secret from their Clan Chief because you told them to, and now most of them are dead or on the run. I hate to say it but... letting you walk away at all is far more than you deserve.”

Mandalore the Risen

I stay silent for a few seconds before I lower my head in shame. “You’re right. This was all a horrible mistake. I didn’t think so many lives would be affected. I let my hatred and paranoia get the better of me. I just... I didn’t want to prove I could lead. I wanted to be the one that conquered Coruscant, and bring about a new Golden Age for the Mando’ade. But... no matter how much I try to deny it, that was never my destiny. I’ve only fractured out people more, and continued dishonor the legacy of my family. My father worked hard to erase the treason of my grandfather... and here I’ve gone and undid all of that.”

HJ Twilight

“You can still fix this to an extent. Accept Temari’s terms, and you can walk away. You’ll have lost fairly, and you can preserve at least a smidge of honor, but disappear from the limelight. Go home, and just be Ava Cadera again. Please.”

Cosen Greshh

I look between the three of them. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing! That’s all that she gets? A slap on the wrist and the loss of her titles? My brother is DEAD because of her schemes! You expect me to stand down at let her walk free?”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Risen

“And what do you think will happen when you tell them? They will kill me, Temari! Your ‘honor’ would see you condemn your own protege to death?”

Mandalore the Risen

“It’s no more than you deserve! You killed my brother in cold blood! He was an ally and you killed him! You tried to kill me for mistakes I made over a year ago! You deserve no mercy!”

HJ Twilight

“No,” I say, stepping forward. “Mand’alor is right. We can’t tell anyone about this.”

Cosen Greshh

“WHAT!?!” I look at HJ flabbergasted. “Are you seriously siding with her!?”

HJ Twilight

“Of course not! But... the Allit’alor WILL kill her if we let them. Not to mention it will fracture the Mandalorians way more than they already are.” I turn to Temari. “Whose to say they’ll all believe you? You know how devoutly loyal your people are. Some might accuse you of being in league with Saxon. Those ones will point fingers at the one that believe you and want Mand’alor’s head. Guns will be pulled and more bodies will be added to the pile we already have here. There needs to be a valet yer way!”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Risen

“My father...” I turn away, walking towards the window. “He was the one who warned me Zarka would turn on me. He hated the man too. He won’t miss him...”

HJ Twilight

“But he wouldn’t have wanted you to have dishonored yourself by killing him like this! Without a fair fight! I thought you knew better.”

Mandalore the Risen

“I do know better! But I... I couldn’t fight Zarka. He’s a war veteran and I’m... “ I sigh. “I killed the old Mand’alor by sheer chance. I didn’t even do it fair; I blasted him with my flame thrower! If we fought as equals, he’d have wipes the floor with me!” I slump into my chair. “They all knew it too. They follow me because I hold the title, but I didn’t earn it. And my backstabbing proves that fact even more... but it’s too late now. If I step down, they’ll all know I wasn’t worthy, and I’ll become a joke! ‘Mandalore the Pretender’ will be my legacy.”

HJ Twilight

“It’s better than ‘Mandalore the Schemer’ or ‘Mandalore the Kinslayer’.”

Mandalore the Risen

I glare up at HJ. “You say that like they’re ever going to find out about this. They all think it was Zarka who betrayed me, and they’re going to remain that way!”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Mandalore the Risen

I hold my hands up to Temari. “I know, mentor. It was underhanded, but it needed to be done. The Sith would have turned on us in the end. Allowing them to live would have been too dangerous... though I would have preferred Gavin have survived. He, at least, was cooperative, and could have served as a continued ally after I’d avenged his sister for him.”

HJ Twilight

“Saxon.” I say quietly. “All this was... what? Just a ploy to kill Cosen and get Zarka Saxon out of the picture!?” I am dumbstruck. “Av... Mand’alor, how could you do this? Turn on your own people?”

Mandalore the Risen

“Saxon has already turned on me! He was sowing the seeds of doubt among the other Clan Chiefs. It was only a matter of time before he really did form a coup to oust me as Mand’alor. All I did was preform an preemptive strike.” I look back at Temari. “But now the Allit’alor have fallen back into line. Nobody will dare question me now. I have no need for dishonorable schemes now that my rule is absolute.”

A Galaxy in Twilight[Lord Gressh/Zarkun]

Duny Saxon

I keep my mouth shut tight, looking at Zar'kun with wide, fearful eyes. I try to stay strong to the end and keep my oath, but as the old Jetii comes towards me with his hand extended, and the thought of becoming a brain dead husk becomes more of a reality, I finally break. "Mand'alor!! It was Mand'alor! Please, don't! I give up! Please!"

Hunter Ordo

With a flash of anger, I grab the young Saxon by his collar. "Come again?! I'm not a violent person, but I've had enough of you disrespecting our Sole Ruler! First you betray her, then you mock her..."

Duny Saxon

"She gave the order! Mand'alor herself ordered us to kill the Greshh Twins, and a few of their supporters too for good measure. She didn't explain why; she didn't have to. When the Mand'alor gives an order, you follow it." I lower my head in shame. "We had no idea it was going to play out this way."

Mandalore the Risen

I look at Temari. "Why did you take off her collar? It would have been so much easier if you'd just left it on!"

Cosen Greshh

"You never planned to let me go, did you? The collar wasn't supposed to keep me in line... It was to ensure that I died no matter what."

Mandalore the Risen

I shake my head. "If the Republic troops didn't kill you, and Stoneheart didn't kill you, then I'd just flip the switch and zap you out of my misery. I wasn't expecting Temari to develop a soft spot and let you off the hook. So... I ordered a few of my men to take you out for me. But, like everything else, they managed to batch that up too."