"How are you handling these guests?" Max asked.
"Outside the restricted military zones, we're letting them move freely—under escort. They're not allowed to go anywhere without one of our people with them," Samuel Elda replied.
"Good." Max nodded. "You've done well. Appreciate it."
"This is the Way."
"Now that the Bespin Mandalorian Autonomy is public knowledge, more Mandalorians will keep coming to us as things improve. That's a good problem to have." Max raised a finger, emphasizing the point. "But I'm worried my dear big brother will use this as cover to slip Death Watch agents in with the refugees."
"Sir!" Samuel Elda snapped to attention. "Intelligence will tighten screening and vetting. We'll protect you and Bespin."
"This is the Way." Max returned the salute.
From the Deep Core to the Unknown Regions, there were tens of thousands of Mandalorian bounty hunters and mercs scattered across the galaxy.
The older ones had been in the trade since before the Mandalorian civil war. When the New Mandalorians won and took Mandalore, those veterans effectively became homeless.
The ones who weren't quite that old had walked away later—after the militant faction was exiled to Concordia—because they couldn't stomach Death Watch's extremism. So they self-exiled into bounty work.
If these battle-hardened veterans came over, they could ease Bespin's current manpower shortage—at least a little.
But every advantage comes with a cost.
Even setting aside the infiltration risk, these bounty hunters and mercs were a mixed bag. Discipline and unit cohesion were often a mess. And they were all veterans—hard to throw them into boot camp like fresh recruits.
How to place and use them without poisoning the force structure… not a crisis, but it was a thorny one. Max shelved it for later. Once Ryloth was handled, he'd circle back.
He'd barely ended the call with the Intelligence Director when another urgent call came in—this time from the Bespin office on Coruscant.
"Commander, this morning the Galactic Senate passed an emergency resolution. They say they're deeply concerned about the bloodshed on Ryloth, and they'll dispatch a Judicial Forces fleet to the area as soon as possible to conduct peacekeeping operations."
"Understood. Thanks—good work over there."
Pirates tear up the Outer Rim and the Judicial Forces are 'too busy.' I clean house on Ryloth and suddenly they have time. Max shook his head. The Republic really is rotting out, he thought.
As he was still shaking his head, his commlink buzzed again—Aayla Secura.
"Yeah, Mentor. What's up?"
"At the Senate's request, the Jedi Order has decided to send a diplomatic envoy to Ryloth to mediate the conflict and preserve peace."
"Shit." Max blurted it out before he could stop himself.
"Watch your language, my student."
"I didn't say it at anyone, Mentor." Max forced his tone back under control. "But you're already there—if the Temple sends someone else anyway, that's a slap in the face. It's disrespect. It means they don't trust you—"
"Enough." Aayla cut him off. "My student, don't start acting like a Sith and stirring people up with cheap wedges. When you're done, come see me."
"Yes, Mentor."
Everything has a downside—and an upside, Max told himself. With this news, the Zygerrians might grow a little hope… which meant the Rishi recruits might finally get their live-fire experience.
He left the conference room, returned to the command bridge, and gave an order to the comms officer.
"Send this to the Zygerrian slavers: the Judicial Forces are coming with a 'peacekeeping' fleet, and the Jedi are sending a diplomatic envoy. Tell them to hold the line. If they keep their nerve, they still have a way out. No surrender unless there's absolutely no other option."
"Yes, sir."
"Admiral," Max said to the Pathfinder's captain—Rear Admiral Lai Vizsla, commander of Navy Second Fleet. "I'm transferring fourteen Kimogila heavy starfighters from the Dragon to your operational control. New orders: accelerate the mop-up. In three days, I want the remaining enemy ships and aircraft wiped out. After three days, I want to see Rishi troops launching the ground offensive."
"Yes, sir."
Max turned to another comms officer. "Get me Cham Syndulla."
"Yes, sir."
...
"Hail, Commander." Cham's orange-skinned face appeared in the holo.
"Cham." Max lifted a hand in greeting. "I'm calling with bad news—very bad news."
"Bad news?" Cham's brow furrowed. "What kind?"
"The criminals used money and influence to buy votes." Max's voice went colder. "The Senate passed an emergency resolution on Ryloth. They're sending a peacekeeping fleet to stop the fighting and 'restore Ryloth's original peace.'"
"A peacekeeping fleet—Judicial Forces?"
"Yes."
Cham looked genuinely puzzled. "Is that really a major problem? People say the Judicial Forces are weak—more noise than bite."
Max gave a humorless laugh. "Cham, even if they're weak, they're still stronger than your resistance."
"Not my resistance," Cham corrected sharply. "The Twi'lek people's. And what about the Corellian fleet? They're running a blockade in orbit."
"Corellia won't burn bridges with Coruscant over Ryloth." Max didn't sugarcoat it. "Odds are the Corellian fleet pulls back before the Judicial Forces arrive."
"How long until the Judicial Forces reach us?"
"Normally? Over twenty days." Max tapped the holo console with a gloved finger. "But assume fifteen. Plan pessimistically. That window is tight—once it's gone, it's gone. If your people can't wipe out the Pykes on Ryloth within half a month, you'd better prepare to live with drugs here for the long term."
"I understand." Cham's jaw set. "Thanks for the warning."
Hit them harder, Max thought after he ended the call. Take out more leadership. Forge more veterans who've been through real fights.
...
"Why hasn't that ridge been taken yet?" Cham lowered his macrobinoculars, irritated.
"Commander—General Glie says the Pykes have the high ground and a crossfire network set up. We're taking heavy losses."
Cham slammed his fist into the wall. "Tell Gobi Glie I don't want casualty numbers—I want that ridge. If he can't take it, pull him back. I'll lead the assault myself."
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