Obitine: Upholders of Peace

Chapter 5

The boy unconsciously gripped Plo's hand even tighter as they approached the Palace of Sundari. As a well-experienced Jedi, he had hidden behind a fallen wall relatively close to the entrance and watched, just in case if there were any dangers that might expose their position.

No guards...hmm... the Palace was certainly too important to just let anyone in... an idea suddenly struck him. He picked up some relatively heavy stones using the Force, then threw them at the clear ground in front of the Palace. They landed with some noise, but nothing happened.

No land mines...well, I suppose I can only go and trigger the trap, then. Plo walked towards the entrance with the boy, slowly but still carefully, in case there were any soldiers hiding. When he reached the entrance, the door opened for him without him touching it, sending another chill down his spine. He, too, unconsciously gripped the boy's hand tighter and kept the boy behind him.

Every door they walked towards seemed to open eerily for them without question, until they reached the last room: the throne room.

As Plo walked in, a picture of Mandalore's violent past greeted him on the left and a shattered picture of the Duchess met his gaze on the right. He spent quite some time staring at the picture on the left, not aware that the boy had been transfixed, looking at another thing that terrified him more: his father.

A slight tug of the child's hand, and Plo immediately snapped back to reality. He followed the boy's gaze to see--Pre Vizsla.

It all snapped too slowly in his mind: The unmanned entrance. The doors that opened for him. That's why they let him in: they were watching from the sky all along.

One snap of his finger, and ropes emerged from the sleeves of a dozen different Mandalorian warriors, bounding the Jedi and the boy tightly and separately.

***

Plo groaned at the continuous statics on his comm. He had been trying to use his comm for contact ever since he was shut in the cell. He swore that it must've been the thousandth time he had tried that already.

Deciding that this time would be his last--he put his every effort into pressing the contact button, willing the Force to let him through.

The statics on his comm cleared.

He was clear to start talking. Oh my Force.

Knowing this would probably last a very short time, he said immediately, "This is Master Koon. I am stranded in the Mandalorian prison and I need reinforcements. The Mandalorian Rebellion is led by Pre Vizsla-" the statics returned, and he knew the guards had found out about his contact already.

He could only hope the guard, now standing right outside his door, wasn't going to take him somewhere other than to Pre Vizsla.

***

The Jedi and the Duchess stood in a circle, listening to the cut-off recording. "This is Master Koon. I am stranded in the Mandalorian prison and I need reinforcements. The Mandalorian Rebellion is led by Pre Vizsla-"

"Death Watch," Obi-Wan and Satine said simultaneously after the message.

Obi-Wan gave her a slightly embarrassed look, silently urging her to speak first. As usual, the Duchess held her regal posture and spoke as calmly as she could. "Death Watch is an underground organisation in Mandalore and its orbiting moon, Concordia. Ever since the death of Jango Fett, they have become more and more active on Mandalore. Their belief is exactly what they are doing in this rebellion: to return Mandalore to its violent past."