Several hours later...
"Heroism on Coruscant!" the HoloNet news anchor announced with practiced enthusiasm. "In a spectacular display of action and courage, the Avengers known as Quicksilver, Falcon, and Spiderman were witnessed today across the cityscape of Coruscant, assisting planetary security forces in apprehending a large criminal syndicate that had been terrorizing local citizens. Using their extraordinary abilities and teamwork, the three quickly helped restore order and prevented these dangerous criminals from continuing their rampage against the innocent population."
"This newscast is brought to you by Squid Lake Refreshments—"
"You boys have been keeping busy," Natasha observed dryly, crossing her arms as she studied the headlines scrolling across the HoloNet display. The Avengers were currently gathered in the private quarters.
"These two did most of the heavy lifting, to be honest," Pietro said, gesturing toward Sam and Peter with obvious respect. "I just showed up at the end to help clean up."
"Well, at least you're being... productive with your downtime," Matt said wryly, making Steve snort with amusement.
"How long did the whole operation take?" Steve asked Sam, who made a casual dismissive gesture.
"It was a bit of a challenge tracking them down initially, but once we caught up to the main group it didn't take very long," Sam explained. "Then Pietro arrived and the whole thing was wrapped up in seconds."
"Good to hear you handled it efficiently," Steve nodded approvingly.
"So what did you three get up to?" Pietro asked curiously.
The expressions on Matt's, Natasha's, and Steve's faces told the entire story.
"Oh boy..." Natasha began with obvious understatement.
"That bad, huh?" Sam asked with growing concern.
"Let's see—an assassination attempt on a major Republic official, battle droids attacking our transport," Natasha ticked off on her fingers.
"Anything else noteworthy?" Peter asked with trepidation.
"Durge showed up."
"...Are you serious?"
Natasha rolled up her left sleeve just enough to reveal severely bruised and damaged skin underneath.
"That was a lucky hit that didn't shatter my entire arm," Natasha said with a grimace, carefully rolling the sleeve back down.
"Damn," Sam muttered sympathetically.
"Well, at least we're all back in one piece for now. Let's just hope our Jedi allies and our newest... friends aren't going to be too busy over the next few days," Matt said pragmatically, glancing down at Natasha's injury with obvious concern.
Natasha suddenly felt something small brushing against her leg. Looking down, she discovered the Child—their tiny green houseguest—staring up at her with those enormous, expressive eyes.
"It's still surreal how he manages to sneak up on all of us."
"He does that to everyone," Pietro confirmed with a grin.
Natasha carefully picked up the Child and cradled him against her shoulder. As she did, she failed to notice that the little one closed his eyes and gently placed his small three-fingered hand directly over the bruised area of her left arm.
"What's wrong, little guy?"
The Child simply made a soft cooing sound and leaned forward slightly, his tiny clawed hands pressing themselves firmly against her injured arm through the fabric.
"Hey now—" She started to gently remove his hand, but a moment later she watched in amazement as the bruising slowly faded away, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Natasha stared in wonder, carefully adjusting the Child in her arms and pulling up her sleeve as far as she could manage.
Her eyes widened as she confirmed the bruises had completely vanished.
"Natasha?" Steve noticed that she was holding the Child motionless in her arms, and the little one now appeared to be completely exhausted. "What's happening—"
"It's gone."
"What's gone?"
"The bruising."
"What bruising?"
Natasha displayed her now-flawless skin where the damage had been moments before. "The little guy placed his hand on my arm and the bruises just... disappeared."
"Huh... Well, that's... remarkable. Must be another manifestation of Force abilities," Steve mused thoughtfully. "I remember Peter and Rhodey mentioning that Barriss possesses the ability to use the Force for accelerated healing. Apparently it's quite a rare talent among Jedi."
She looked down and gently stroked the sleeping Child's wrinkled head. "Thank you, little one."
It had been exactly one day since the Duchess of Mandalore had arrived on Coruscant. What had begun as a bright, clear morning had transformed into an ominous afternoon, with thick storm clouds gathering overhead like a dark omen. One might have interpreted this as rather foreboding, as if something momentous was stirring on the political horizon.
Inside the towering Senate building, an emergency session was currently underway with thousands of Senators and Representatives in attendance. The massive circular chamber with its floating repulsor pods was filled to capacity with delegates from every corner of known galactic space.
At the center of all these politicians and dignitaries, the Chancellor's platform rose majestically to allow the Supreme Chancellor to address the assembled thousands regarding the latest developments concerning the Mandalorian situation.
"It pains me deeply to report this, but Death Watch has become a significant and lethal threat to galactic stability," Palpatine announced solemnly, his voice carrying to every corner of the vast chamber.
As soon as he finished his opening remarks, Satine's repulsor pod gracefully floated upward and approached the central speaking platform.
"Mandalore has made considerable progress in locating the leadership of this terrorist movement," the Duchess declared with quiet dignity. "They are not sufficiently organized to destabilize our government. We will resolve this internal matter without outside intervention. If the Republic interferes in our sovereign affairs, it will only escalate the violence. Therefore, I must reaffirm Mandalore's commitment to neutrality."
"How idealistic," commented Mas Amedda, the blue-skinned Chagrian Vice Chancellor.
"No—these are the words of someone committed to pacifist principles and non-violent resolution," Satine replied firmly.
"That may well be true, Your Grace. However, this intelligence was transmitted to my staff just this morning," Palpatine said, gesturing for his Vice Chancellor to insert a data disk into the central console. "I believe you will find it most... illuminating."
Moments later, holographic images were projected simultaneously to every floating platform throughout the chamber. Satine's face immediately showed recognition and growing concern.
The recording featured a man speaking in measured but obviously worried tones as the message played before the entire Senate.
"The actions of our current government have driven us into a state of civil war. To acknowledge this publicly would invite widespread panic in our streets."
When the image reached Satine's platform, Padmé leaned over and asked quietly, "Duchess, do you recognize this individual?"
"Yes—Deputy Minister Jerec. He's been a trusted friend and advisor for years," Satine said with obvious disbelief in her voice.
"Therefore, we have concealed the truth from our people. Make no mistake—this government recognizes that this crisis is no longer a mere possibility. It is our present reality."
"Stop this transmission immediately!" Satine demanded angrily, causing Amedda to pause the holographic message. "Deputy Minister Jerec is an honorable man of unquestionable integrity. He would never fabricate such statements for the record. The Mandalorian government maintains complete transparency with its citizens."
"If only that were indeed the case," Palpatine said with apparent regret, nodding for his Vice Chancellor to resume the playback.
"Death Watch has proven far more powerful and well-organized than we initially estimated. If we are to combat them effectively, we must accept military assistance from the Republic. Instead, this administration continues to act out of stubborn pride by refusing the Jedi Council's repeated offers of aid."
"This is absolutely false! None of this is true!" Satine protested vehemently, her hands clenched into fists of frustrated rage.
"The Duchess Satine's policies will ultimately lead to our complete destruction. Make no mistake about this—Republic intervention has become absolutely essential for our survival."
As the damning message concluded, Satine stared directly at the Supreme Chancellor with barely controlled fury. "This recording is fraudulent. Something is terribly wrong here. I demand to speak with Jerec immediately."
If the situation wasn't dire enough already, what Palpatine revealed next made Satine's plea for continued neutrality infinitely more difficult to maintain.
"Tragically, Deputy Minister Jerec was killed this morning in a Death Watch bombing on Kalevala."
The Duchess felt her chest constrict painfully at Palpatine's words, her breathing becoming rapid and shallow.
"No..." It was the only word she could manage through her overwhelming grief and shock.
"Let us ensure that his sacrifice was not in vain. Let us deploy our military forces to defend the Mandalorian people," Palpatine declared with practiced solemnity.
Satine quickly fought through her anguish and summoned the courage to respond forcefully. "Defend? You mean occupy our sovereign territory. You would trample our fundamental right to self-determination."
"We seek only to preserve your people from annihilation."
"Your intervention would transform our peaceful world into a military target, bringing the very war we seek to avoid directly to our doorstep. Mandalore must and will remain neutral."
"To some degree, I find myself agreeing with our esteemed Duchess."
The entire Senate chamber fell into stunned silence as a new holographic projection suddenly materialized before them. The images showed three figures wearing the iconic Mandalorian armor recognized throughout the galaxy.
The trio all possessed similar base armor configurations, but each had unique modifications and designs that distinguished them from one another. The central figure wore a short cape draped over his right shoulder and arm, with the mythosaur skull symbol prominently displayed on his chest plate. To his left stood a warrior in more standard armor, though his shoulder guards and gauntlets appeared recently polished and maintained. The Mandalorian to the right wore plainer gear, but both his shoulder pieces supported distinctive curved mythosaur tusks.
They faced the crowd of politicians with their helmets concealing their identities from everyone present.
"Who are you? How did you penetrate our secured communications?" Palpatine demanded, clearly caught off guard by this unexpected intrusion.
"Honored ladies and gentlemen of the Republic," the central Mandalorian began, his electronically filtered voice carrying an oddly familiar cadence that some listeners almost recognized. "I apologize for this interruption, but I felt it necessary to introduce myself as a representative of the true Mandalorian people. Not the fanatical death cult, nor these misguided pacifists who have forgotten our heritage."
Satine's eyes widened in shock, and murmurs of confusion rippled throughout the Senate chamber. Clone troopers stationed at various entrances began exchanging uncertain glances.
That voice... it couldn't be possible...
"For millennia, we Mandalorians have been the guardians of ancient warrior traditions. These traditions have brought the Republic to its knees repeatedly throughout history, and have served as the last line of defense against galactic tyranny. We have been both your greatest enemies and your most valuable allies. This much is historically indisputable."
The atmosphere in the chamber grew increasingly tense and threatening, and even the most experienced senators couldn't ignore the palpable danger in the air.
"And yet," his voice rose to an echoing roar that reverberated off the chamber walls, "you would do well to remember exactly who reduced Mandalore to the barren wasteland it remains today. We remember. We preserve the songs commemorating the great devastation your precious Republic brought upon our ancient homeworld. You, Duchess, have the unmitigated audacity to call yourself a friend of the Republic. You dishonor the sacred traditions of our ancestors. We are not subjects to be ruled, but a proud people who can rise from nothing to become leaders of entire sectors. We are Mandalorian!"
Complete silence reigned as thousands of senators continued watching the transmission with growing unease.
"Understand this clearly: We, the true inheritors of Mandalorian legacy, will deal with Death Watch in our own time and according to our own methods. We will restore our people to their former glory through strength and honor. But if you dare to interfere with our sovereignty, we will resist you with every weapon at our disposal. Not your clone-bred armies, nor your Republic's Jedi, will be sufficient to subdue us. Mark our words carefully."
The three Mandalorian warriors stood motionless for several moments, allowing their ultimatum to sink in completely, then the transmission abruptly ended.
As the holographic images faded, an immediate uproar erupted throughout the Senate chamber. Numerous representatives loudly demanded immediate military action against this new Mandalorian threat, while an equal number of delegates argued vehemently against becoming entangled in what appeared to be an increasingly complex civil war.
Observing the chaos surrounding him, Palpatine found himself uncertain whether to savor this unexpected development or feel genuinely threatened by this new Mandalorian faction. Events had clearly spiraled beyond his original calculations and careful manipulations. All he could do now was maintain his political facade and attempt to guide the situation toward his ultimate objectives.
"The formal vote will be scheduled for our next session," the Supreme Chancellor announced over the continued tumult filling the Senate chamber.