章 31: Mandalore (IV) - The Pieces Change

A.N: Would you like more elaborate titles? I kinda like them at more critical moments, like end of the Mandalor shadow conflict here but also putting one in each chapter would make it redundant i think.... Anyway, here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy :)

Lelouch stood in the dimly lit war room aboard his flagship, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the live feed from Concordia. Obi-Wan's panicked movements played across the holoscreen as he rushed to Satine's side, her body crumpled on the cold floor, the Darksaber lying just a few feet away. The flickering, black-edged weapon pulsed with a dark energy even from the grainy holofeed.

Lelouch's violet eyes glimmered with a cold detachment. The entire sequence had unfolded precisely as he had foreseen, down to the anguished look on Kenobi's face as he cradled the dying Duchess in his arms.

'Pitiful, isn't it?' a voice crooned from the shadows behind Lelouch. It was oily, mocking, and filled with ancient power. 'The Jedi Knight... so noble, so unwilling to do what must be done. He clings to hope, even now, when all that's left is dust.'

Lelouch didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking. Tzeentch, the ancient god of manipulation and change, materialized in a swirl of colors and shifting forms. His multi-faceted eyes gleamed with a malevolent amusement, peering through time itself to savor the scene unfolding below.

"I gave him every chance to act decisively," Lelouch said quietly, his voice edged with disdain. "Kenobi's inability to finish the job will cost him dearly. Satine was always a loose end, one I had hoped would cut herself off from the galaxy. I might have arranged for a different ending had I known about their relationship years ago. But now?" He waved a hand, dismissing the notion. "She was far too much of a liability."

Tzeentch chuckled darkly, his ever-shifting face briefly settling into a grotesque smile. 'Ah, yes... you have your hands full with one peace nut already, don't you? What was her name again?' He mocked. 'Padmé Amidala. She burns brightly in your plans, doesn't she? Always so righteous, so full of conviction. Yet, you can't touch her. Not with her precious connection to the Force.'

Lelouch's eyes flickered briefly, his frustration hidden beneath the calm façade. "Padmé remains... untouchable for now," he admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Her influence spreads like a virus, rallying systems to her cause for peace. She complicates matters at every turn, but I can't afford to eliminate her. Not yet. Thankfully, her influence only continues to spread to those with too many dreams and too little influence. The moment she dies, it will die with her."

Tzeentch's many eyes blinked in unison, his laugh like nails on glass. 'Ah, the power of the Force, limiting even you, my Demon Emperor. But one peacekeeper is more than enough to manage.'

Lelouch nodded, his gaze shifting back to the holofeed. "Exactly... She was too close to Obi-Wan, and that bond could have disrupted the balance I'm carefully maintaining between the Republic and the Separatists."

Tzeentch tilted his head, his form shifting into something avian and serpentine all at once. 'Perhaps... but imagine if you had known about her and Kenobi's... attachment earlier. The possibilities, Lelouch! You could have twisted that bond, used it to manipulate Kenobi long before this. The great Jedi might have fallen into your grasp without ever realizing it.'

Lelouch's lips curled into a cold smile. "Yes, a missed opportunity, I admit. Had I known, I could have exploited their relationship in ways that would have been... far more beneficial to our cause. I could have broken Kenobi long before he becomes a potential thorn in my side. But as it stands now, this will serve a different purpose. Satine's death will test his limits. It could be the spark that begins his fall, or merely another wound that forges him into a more... perfect servant of the Light."

'Or,'Tzeentch interjected, his voice low and conspiratorial, 'he may become something else entirely. Something more powerful than you've accounted for, Lelouch. The Jedi are resilient in their suffering. They grow stronger in adversity. Kenobi may surprise you yet.'

Lelouch's eyes glinted with a dangerous light. "Only if the Force deems it necessary, otherwise he'll remain a mere cog in a machine he has no knowledge of... and that is precisely why Satine must die. She cannot be allowed to interfere any longer, as she is the only variable outside of the established peramaters that may promote a new player to our game. I've already sent Bo-Katan to finish the job."

Tzeentch cackled, his laughter filling the room like a storm of glass shards. 'Ah, yes... Bo-Katan, the ever-loyal sister, now bound to you as her new master. It's poetic, don't you think? One sister slays the other, and all because you've wrapped them both in chains of your design.'

Lelouch nodded, his smile returning. "Bo-Katan will serve me well in the aftermath. She'll be the new face of Mandalore, a warrior queen who bends the knee to my will. And Kenobi... well, he will learn to bear this new pain, or it will destroy him. Either way, I win."

As the conversation unfolded, Tzeentch's attention drifted toward the Darksaber, still lying on the ground. His eyes gleamed with interest. 'Speaking of... the Darksaber. It is quite a fascinating weapon, wouldn't you agree? Its unique shape, its history... it has been a symbol of power for the Mandalorians for generations. We should take it, Lelouch. Study it. Who knows what uses it may hold?'

Lelouch glanced at the weapon, its black blade still crackling with malevolent energy. "The Darksaber is a relic, a symbol of authority among the Mandalorians. It could be useful, yes... though I doubt its power is anything beyond mere symbolism. But it is worth further study. Perhaps it will hold some uses, as you suggest."

Tzeentch's grin widened, his serpentine form slithering around Lelouch in a mockery of affection, his voice, changing together with his form as a woman took form, clad in massive clear blue power armor glinting with blue ethereal flames at its edges. 'We are starting a new era. Our order will require new weapons to wield, and the technology included in shaping the energy of the Kyber crystals will be most useful.'

As the ancient god's words echoed in his mind, Lelouch returned his gaze to the screen. The camera zoomed in on Satine, lying in Obi-Wan's arms, her breaths shallow and ragged. He watched with cold detachment as her life slipped away, her fingers twitching slightly as she fought to hold on. The Darksaber remained on the ground, untouched, its dark light dimming as Satine's own light began to fade.

Lelouch let out a soft sigh, as if to acknowledge the finality of it all. "And so, the Duchess of Mandalore takes her final breath. A tragic ending, but a necessary one."

Tzeentch chuckled one last time, an armored hand pointing its sharp finger at Lelouch as it slightly pushed him right above his heart. 'Oh, Lelouch... the game NEVER ends. Only the pieces change.'

And with that, Satine Kryze exhaled her last breath. The weight of her death rippled through the Force, sending out a wave of sorrow that Obi-Wan could feel deep within his soul. But for Lelouch, it was just another step in the grand design, another moves in a game that only he could see.

---------------------------

Obi-Wan's boots echoed through the empty corridors of the Concordia facility, his mind racing with a flood of conflicting emotions. Satine's lifeless body, the Darksaber beside her — the sight had shaken him to his core. He had hoped to protect her, to shield her from the chaos and violence that had overtaken the galaxy. Yet here she lay, a victim of the very conflict she had sworn to avoid. And deep within, Obi-Wan knew that Lelouch had something to do with it.

As he approached the war room aboard the Excalibur, the door slid open, revealing Lelouch standing with his back turned, studying the vast array of holographic reports. His face was calm, unreadable, as though the events that had just transpired were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

"Kenobi," Lelouch acknowledged without turning around, sensing the Jedi's presence before he even spoke. "I assume you have questions."

Obi-Wan's fists clenched at his sides, the weight of Satine's death hanging heavy on his shoulders. "You knew," he accused, his voice hard. "You knew exactly what was going on, didn't you? Satine… her irrational behavior. And you just stood by and let it happen!"

Lelouch turned slowly, his face composed, eyes cold as he regarded Obi-Wan. "Yes," he said simply, not bothering to deny it. "I knew. And I acted in the best interests of the Republic. I don't know whether one of your ex-Jedi had played some tricks on her mind... but that hardly matters to me, does it?"

"The best interests of the Republic?" Obi-Wan's voice cracked with disbelief. "You let her die, Lelouch! You manipulated this entire situation, playing with lives—Satine's life—as if it were all some game. All for what? To gain political leverage?"

Lelouch's expression remained unmoved, his tone neutral and detached. "It was necessary," he replied, as if the answer was self-evident. "The situation was already volatile. Satine was a threat to stability. Her influence over Mandalore and the Neutral Systems posed a risk to the Republic. She would never have aligned with the war effort, and that neutrality was actively being exploited by the Separatists."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed as he took a step forward, his voice rising in anger. "Satine was Mandalore. Her leadership kept the peace. She refused to let her people get dragged into this war, and you… you allowed her to be killed."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp. "The Mandalorians are warriors, Kenobi. Their history is steeped in conflict. Satine's pacifism was never going to last. You knew that. And now, with her gone, the transfer of power falls back on old traditions. Pre Vizsla's death sealed that. By right of combat, the Darksaber passes on, from Pre Vizsla to Satine… and now, to Bo-Katan."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he pieced together Lelouch's cold logic. "Bo-Katan… you've orchestrated this entire thing. You allowed a proxy conflict between the Republic and the Separatists to play out in the shadows, didn't you?"

Lelouch's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "Bo-Katan is now the rightful heir to the leadership of Mandalore. And she is endorsed by the Republic, by proxy of me. Mandalore and its allied systems will now join the war effort under the Republic's banner. A significant victory, wouldn't you agree?"

Obi-Wan stood speechless, his mind reeling. Everything had fallen into place, precisely as Lelouch had intended. Satine's death, Pre Vizsla's assassination, and Bo-Katan's rise to power—it was all part of a larger plan. Lelouch had manipulated the Mandalorians into conflict, knowing full well that it would strengthen the Republic's position in the war.

"You allowed all this to happen just to secure Mandalore's allegiance?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "You used their traditions, their people… you used Satine, knowing what would happen."

Lelouch's gaze darkened, his voice edged with finality. "I didn't allow anything to happen, Kenobi. I ensured that the Republic got what it needed. The Neutral Systems, led by Mandalore, represent over fifteen hundred worlds. Even passive support from those systems will mean an exponential increase in the Republic's war effort. Supplies, reinforcements, manpower—all critical to countering the endless droid armies of the Separatists."

Obi-Wan shook his head, disbelief clouding his thoughts. "You let this war consume everything. Even those who sought peace. Satine believed in a better way, a way without conflict."

Lelouch's expression softened, but his eyes remained cold. "Peace was never an option in this war, Kenobi. The galaxy is at a tipping point, and compromises must be made. I couldn't afford to let Satine—or her ideals—jeopardize the Republic's survival."

Obi-Wan's hands trembled at his sides, his anger and grief boiling over. "You played with her life! You let her die so you could claim Mandalore's power for the Republic!"

Lelouch stepped closer, his voice low and controlled. "Yes, I did. Because Mandalore is crucial to ending this war. And if a few sacrifices must be made along the way, so be it. I act in the interests of the Republic, Kenobi. Always."

The weight of Lelouch's words settled heavily on Obi-Wan's shoulders. Satine's death hadn't been an accident or an unforeseen tragedy—it had been planned. And now, with Mandalore under Bo-Katan's rule, Lelouch had secured yet another powerful ally for the Republic's cause.

But the cost had been too high.

Obi-Wan's voice shook as he spoke again, the pain evident. "She didn't deserve this. None of them did."

Lelouch's eyes gleamed as he turned his back to Obi-Wan, dismissing the conversation with a wave of his hand. "Deserve? No one deserves anything, Kenobi. In war, there is no fairness. Do the millions dying every moment we spend talking about how wronged you feel that one person you were close to died deserve it? No, but those are the cards they were dealt... and these are ours."

Obi-Wan stood frozen, the weight of Lelouch's ruthlessness sinking in. Every word Lelouch spoke was a testament to the cold, calculated way he viewed the galaxy. To Lelouch, the end always justified the means. Sacrifice was inevitable, and compassion—a weakness.