The Wolf Pack

Chapter 63

Kriari wasn't really sure she wanted to be there. It had been a while since she had done any kind of political work and she was no longer sure she was able to do it. She had changed a lot since the war had started, and so had her ideas.
Mandalore's dilemma was something that deeply perplexed her. On one hand, the newly republican elected leader, Duchess Satine, was trying to lead their once warrior planet into a new era of peace, where there would ideally be no conflict within or outside Mandalore. On the other hand, this very woman called the more traditional groups in Mandalore violent savages, which did not sit well with her.
Yes, Deathwatch was a terrorist group, but Mandalorians had a right to keep their culture even if it collided with the ideas of a new government. The lack of balance made Kriari's head hurt.
Why not allow people to keep their warrior ways and put them to good use, for example as a defense system for Mandalore instead of banning their practices altogether and banishing them to their moon Concordia? Yes, pacifism was a brilliant idea if it wasn't utopic. Violence existed in all living beings, it could never be erased, but it could be controlled and regulated in healthy ways.
All of this went through her mind as she listened to her master try to reason with a political leader that was under a lot of stress and very clearly on the defensive. She could understand why that would be the case though, Kriari would not have wanted the Republic interfering with Tusken matters and Force forbid they actually tried to have a military presence in the Dune Sea…
At this point, Kriari had decided to stay out of it as much as she could, after all she did have a personal bias and the Duchess' position was a very difficult one to be in, an 18 year old Jedi and War Commander would not be able to do justice to a woman who had been in peacefully oriented politics her entire life, sometimes it was just best to shut up.
Not that Obi-Wan was of the same mind, because he immediately directed one of Satine's questions at her when he felt like she had been silent for too long.

"Is reality what makes a Jedi abandon his ideals? Or is it just a response to political convenience?"

"Well, that depends on who you are asking, my Padawan believes in reality as much as I do, but she believes the Jedi council responds mostly to political pressure."

"And do you, as a realist pacifist, believe violence to be a proper response to confrontation?" Satine asked Kriari.

She realized Satine was trying to shame her into admitting her way of thinking was the right one, and Kriari hated high horses, she had made a habit of cutting them at the knees to put them at ground level and Obi-Wan knew that, the slimy little banta shit. Of course he was right, this would be no exception.

"I am no pacifist, Duchess, I am a peacekeeper. I do not make peace, I act to keep it. The peacemaking is left to people like you, it is when you fail that my work starts. I do not strike first, but I most certainly strike last "

And because the Force has an unbelievably dark sense of humor, of course a bomb would go off the second she finished saying that. Had she not been too concerned looking around for muddied Force signatures or running people, she would have felt deeply embarrassed. Big talk from someone who can't sense a terrorist attack.
Her hand was on her saber, but she didn't dare draw it with so many civilians around. So when she made sure the Duchess was safe -her master was seeing to that- she ran to the few Mandalore citizens she could see on the floor. As far as she could tell there had been no casualties, but two men had been wounded and one of them was in need of first aid.

Kriari had done this a million times, so she thought nothing of ripping her cloak to staunch a man's bleeding arm. She told someone she didn't recognize to hold the cloth while she took her belt off and used it as a torniquete.

Kriari sensed her master running quite hurriedly after someone and barely saw Mandalore's ruler running after him. They would be fine, and someone needed to organize the crime scene anyway.

When the guards and investigators arrived, Kriari had done most of the work already. All wounded had been taken to the hospital by the first responders and the crime scene had been sealed and declared off limits. Every witness had been politely and tactfully asked to stay behind and make declarations and a safe perimetre had been established.

By the time her master arrived, everything was under control.

"I've always known you to be a capable and efficient person, my Padawan, but still you find a way to impress me every time. Well done." Said Obi-wan as he patted her yellow shoulder plate.

"Then you are easily impressed, Master." She teased. " Have you got anything?"

Kriari's voice dropped a little as she did not trust the people around them. They were, after all, in enemy territory.

"The bomber was from Mandalor's moon, Concordia, he spoke some of their dialect, but I couldn't understand a word he said. At this point the only reason Satine is still speaking to us is because I wasn't the cause for his death."

"Rough spot to be in as a realist, huh, Master?"

"Impossibly rough.  We are being escorted to Concordia by the Duchess, the excuse is to return the body to their family. One of us will fulfill the theatrics and the other will investigate. I have a feeling we might find something bigger than we imagine."

"So, who will be the main actor in this wonderfully awful play? I'm not really good at lying, Master, you know that already."

"Oh, that I do, my young apprentice. You and Anakin both. I'll be accompanying Satine while you investigate, but we will keep in touch the entire time."

"Glad you believe in me that much, Master"

Obi-Wan's face turned suddenly sober. He put both his hands on Kriari's shoulders and looked in her eyes.

"Listen to me very carefully, Kriari. These are not droids, these are flesh and bone people, Mandalorians at that. They have been the only warriors who could keep up and even defeat Jedi on occasion. These were the template for the fearsome clones you have for brothers in arms. Do not underestimate them, that will be your downfall."

Kriari was so taken aback by this that she couldn't bring herself to respond.

Obi-Wan sighed.

"I'm sending you because I know you to be extremely skilled and quick thinking. I trust you to do this as I would trust Anakin. I believe someday you will make a fearsome warrior and an exemplary Jedi, but be careful. You have done much growing in a very short time, try to remember to act your age from time to time."

Kriari could see then how her experiences were weighing on her master, how he felt responsible for her safety but battled with the urge to underestimate her. He was trying his best to balance both, he was proud of her but he also worried for her health and safety.

Kriari smiled.

"You'll regret that, Master. I'm making Cody buy us some drinks as soon as we get back."