章 29: Mandalore (II)
A.N: Back from vacations... off to work tomorrow... just finished writing this, didn't proof check it at all... maybe tomorrow... anyway, hope you guys enjoy it :)
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The silent stare-off between Lelouch and Duchess Satine stretched for what felt like an eternity. Her icy blue eyes held firm, meeting the sharp, unblinking gaze of Lelouch, as if her will alone could break the weight of his presence. But Lelouch's expression remained unreadable, his violet eyes giving away nothing.
"You won't find any ties to the Separatists on Mandalore," Satine said, her voice confident, though the tension behind it was palpable. "I've spent my life preserving Mandalore's neutrality. You may investigate all you wish, but you'll find no evidence of betrayal."
Lelouch didn't waver. "We'll see."
The Duchess exhaled, standing straighter as she turned away. "Come. I will show you that Mandalore has nothing to hide."
Kenobi nodded slightly, his eyes flicking to Lelouch as if silently communicating a plea for peace. But Lelouch remained still, his arms folded across his chest.
"I appreciate the invitation, Duchess," Lelouch said coolly, "but I am not here to be led on a guided tour. I came as a courtesy — to inform you of the investigation. That is all."
Without waiting for a response, Lelouch turned sharply on his heel and strode toward the exit, his white kama(cape starting at the waist, Lelouche's is longer than the arc clones' ending near his ankles.) billowing slightly as he moved with purpose. Fordo, silent and vigilant, followed immediately behind, and within moments, they were en route back to the LAAT.
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As the transport glided over the arid landscape of Mandalore, Lelouch sat in silence, his mind racing with the unfolding developments.
Fordo, ever alert, sat across from Lelouch, his helmet locked forward, but his senses sharp. "General," Fordo's voice crackled through the helmet's comms. "There's been an explosion. No casualties on Kenobi or Satine's side, but it's clear they were targeted."
Lelouch's eyes narrowed as he processed the news. The implications were vast. An attack on Kenobi and Satine meant someone wanted to ignite chaos, to push the conflict further.
"Any words on who was behind it?" Lelouch asked, his voice cold and calculating.
"No details yet," Fordo replied, his tone neutral but tense. "But this isn't a simple act of rebellion."
"No, it is. It's simply out of place and time."
"Sir?" Fordo asked...
"There are many aspects of this war that have been moving long before the first shot was ever fired. Events have been put to motion and some are still merely waiting. I asked you to put your life in my hands... but now I ask you to put your faith as well." Lelouch said as he looked at the soldiers in front of him.
*THUD*
There was no hesitation, as they all bumped their fists over their chest in unision.
As the LAAT's engines hummed, the pilot's voice crackled through the comms. "We're approaching Concordia now, General. We'll be landing shortly."
"Good," Lelouch replied. His mind was already considering the next step. He could feel the threads of a larger conspiracy tightening, and Concordia was at the heart of it.
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Concordia – Pre Vizsla's Compound
As the LAAT touched down on the moon of Concordia, Lelouch stepped off the ramp with Fordo flanking him, blasters drawn but held low. The rest of the squad stayed with the ship on Lelouch's command, maintaining a low but ready presence.
Pre Vizsla, the governor of Concordia and leader of the Death Watch, awaited them at the entrance to a large compound. He gave a thin smile as Lelouch approached, his hand resting casually on his blaster.
"High-General Lelouch," Vizsla greeted, his tone polite but with an undercurrent of tension. "It's an honor to host you here on Concordia."
Lelouch gave a small nod, his face unreadable as ever. "Governor Vizsla."
Vizsla gestured toward the large, open doors of the compound. "Come. We have much to discuss."
Lelouch followed without a word, his gaze sweeping the compound's interior as they walked. It was austere but militarized — the telltale signs of a man preparing for war under the guise of neutrality. Fordo moved closely behind Lelouch, every sense on high alert.
As they entered a dimly lit meeting room, the doors slid shut behind them with a soft hiss. Lelouch turned to face Vizsla, who took his place at the head of a long table, his posture more rigid now, his hand hovering dangerously close to his blaster.
Lelouch's cold, calculating eyes bored into Vizsla. "I've received disturbing reports about your recent actions, Vizsla. Death Watch's movements have drawn attention."
Vizsla sighed, his hand dropping from his blaster as he folded his arms. "I'm tired of waiting, Lelouch," he said, his voice carrying a hint of resignation. "For months, I've waited for you to give the order to tip the scales, to lead Mandalore away from Satine's pacifism. But you've delayed, and delayed."
Lelouch's eyes darkened, but his expression remained calm. "And you've grown impatient, I see."
Vizsla's gaze hardened. "I've decided that I see more eye to eye with the other side."
As his words hung in the air, there was a soft chime, barely noticeable at first, followed by the sharp sound of the doors locking with an audible click.
Lelouch's eyes flicked toward the sound, his body tensing only slightly as his mind rapidly assessed the situation. Before he could react, a massive form dropped from the ceiling behind Vizsla, landing with a heavy thud.
Slowly, the figure rose to its full height, over two meters of cold, gleaming metal. General Grievous, his yellow eyes glowing faintly beneath his mechanical faceplate, straightened, his skeletal arms flexing as he turned his head toward Lelouch with a low growl.
"General Lelouch," Grievous rasped, his voice dripping with menace. "I've been expecting you."
At that moment, the sound of jetpacks igniting filled the air as Death Watch soldiers descended from the ceiling, their dark armor gleaming in the low light. A handful of Vizsla's lieutenants stepped out from behind the room's pillars, their weapons drawn and aimed squarely at Lelouch and Fordo.
Fordo didn't flinch. In an instant, his blasters were out, one aimed at Grievous, the other at Vizsla. His stance was firm, his body positioned in front of Lelouch like a shield, ready to engage at a moment's notice.
Lelouch, for his part, merely regarded the gathering with a detached and cold gaze. His mind was already several steps ahead, calculating every possible outcome. The situation had escalated quickly, but Lelouch was no stranger to betrayal.
"I appreciate what you've done so far for Mandalore, and the vision for its future... but I'll have to take it from here... Fire." Vizsla ordered as he placed his elbows on the table and crossed his fingers in front of his face.
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Bo-Katan Kryze's POV
Bo-Katan stood at the far end of the room, her hands resting lightly on her holstered blasters as she watched the confrontation unfold. Pre Vizsla, as confident as ever, sat across from Lelouch, his elbows on the table and his fingers steepled in front of his face. His voice was measured, cold, and full of control.
"I appreciate what you've done so far for Mandalore, and the vision for its future... but I'll have to take it from here... Fire."
His command echoed through the chamber, but something was wrong. Bo-Katan's sharp instincts kicked in immediately. The air felt thick, heavy, as though something unseen was pressing down on her. Her hand twitched toward her blaster, but before she could act, she saw it—the soldiers in the room, Death Watch soldiers who had sworn loyalty to Pre Vizsla, suddenly stiffened. Not one blaster fired. Not one moved.
Instead, Lelouch smiled, a cold, calculating smile that sent a chill down her spine.
With a snap of his fingers, the room shifted. The soldiers, supposed to be Vizsla's loyal men, turned their weapons—not on Lelouch or his commander, but on Vizsla's lieutenants. Bo-Katan's eyes widened in shock as she saw the betrayal unfolding. The lieutenants barely had time to react before the soldiers moved in with quick, brutal precision. With well-timed strikes, the soldiers bashed the lieutenants behind their heads, dropping them to the ground in a swift and efficient manner. The crack of blasters striking armor echoed through the room, and in an instant, Vizsla's inner circle was subdued.
Bo-Katan, still dazed by the sudden turn of events, felt a sharp blow against her helmet, and her vision blurred. She staggered, dropping to her knees as the world tilted around her. The thud of armored bodies hitting the floor reverberated through the chamber, but when she finally regained her bearings, she lifted her head to see the chaos around her.
The lieutenants lay unconscious, their bodies sprawled across the floor like discarded pawns in a game she hadn't even realized they were playing.
Pre Vizsla remained in his seat, but the calculated confidence in his expression had shattered. His fists were clenched, his eyes darting from his subdued men to Lelouch. As Bo-Katan shifted, forcing herself to stand, she caught Lelouch's gaze. His violet eyes were as cold as ice, devoid of any empathy.
"I want him alive," Lelouch said, his voice casual, as if this massacre was nothing more than a routine part of his day.
Bo-Katan's gaze snapped back to Vizsla just in time to see the towering figure of General Grievous—who had been standing behind Vizsla all along—raise one of his massive arms. Before Vizsla could react, Grievous swung with mechanical precision, backhanding the Mandalorian leader across the head. The impact sent Vizsla flying from his chair, landing hard on the floor with a groan.
Bo-Katan stared, disbelief coursing through her. Grievous—one of the greatest enemies of the Republic, the Separatist's feared general—was not only working with Lelouch but had been standing there, playing a role in this farce all along. Everything she thought she knew about this war, about who stood where, was unraveling before her eyes.
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Fordo's POV
Fordo stood at Lelouch's side, his twin blasters drawn, though he hadn't fired a shot. The moment Vizsla had issued his command, Fordo had known something was wrong. There was no hesitation from the Death Watch soldiers—not the kind born from confusion, but from something far more sinister.
As the soldiers turned on their own, subduing Vizsla's lieutenants with brutal efficiency, Fordo's eyes narrowed. He could hear the sickening thuds of helmets cracking against the soldiers' weapons, but his attention remained fixed on Grievous.
Grievous, Fordo thought, his mind racing to make sense of it. How in the blazes does someone of his position end up serving Lelouch?
There were many things Fordo didn't understand about this war. From the moment he had pledged his loyalty to General Lelouch, the lines between friend and foe had blurred. Lelouch operated in the shadows, his methods as unconventional as they were effective. Fordo had seen firsthand how Lelouch could manipulate events and people, and turn battles with a single calculated move. But this—Grievous, the leader of the droid army, standing here on Lelouch's command—this was something else.
As Grievous backhanded Vizsla with casual strength...
"Fucking hell…" Fordo muttered under his breath.
"Fordo?" Lelouch's voice was soft, almost playful.
"Yes, sir." Fordo straightened, his blasters still ready and at his sides, but his posture slightly tense.
"Any issues?"
"Negative, sir."
As Fordo replied, he made his way towards the collapsed body of the Death Watch leader, grabbing him by his collar and dragging him in front of Lelouch.
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