"Ben—"
"Satine—"
Obi-Wan Kenobi jerked awake. He had dreamed of Satine Kryze for three nights in a row.
On September 14, Year 6 of the Galactic Standard Calendar, when the Longbeam starship—now fitted with a replacement hyperdrive assembly—was delivered to Batuu, Obi-Wan Kenobi all but fled the Pilot Whale with Anakin Skywalker in tow.
Max Vizsla's words were simply too incendiary. If Obi-Wan stayed aboard the Pilot Whale a few more days, he feared that not only Anakin Skywalker, but even he himself, might start wanting to leave the Jedi Order.
"Chief of the General Staff, the reconnaissance report has already been sent to you. I want Batuu taken before the end of this year. Any problems?"
In the holoprojection, Michael Saxon answered at once, voice ringing out.
"No problems!"
"Then go draw up the operational plan."
"Yes, Chief!"
As Batuu stood today, it was not especially valuable on its own. Taken as a single planet, its worth was fairly limited. The reason Max wanted it lay in two main considerations.
First, the Batuu Jedi Temple.
Max remembered that within the temple there was an ancient Sith runestone personally sealed away by Master Yoda. And there might well be other treasures inside that Max did not even know to expect. A fully preserved Jedi Temple was, without question, a trove beyond price.
The people revered the Jedi. Though the Batuu Jedi Temple had been abandoned for ages, the people of Batuu had never disturbed the empty sanctuary. Max, however, had no fear of old taboos. He intended to seize the temple and extract every useful resource he could.
The ancient Sith runestone could be traded to Mother Talzin. Any harmless resources could be kept for his own use. And once the temple had been thoroughly stripped of what mattered, the shell of it could still be presented to Ky Narec, to serve as the foundation for rebuilding a new Jedi Order after Order 66.
The second reason was Rattatak.
A world like Rattatak, which could sustain a population of a billion even through constant war, ought to be able to support two to three billion once the chaos ended. A planet with that kind of population, provided it was exploited in a sustainable manner, could still yield tremendous value.
The hyperspace journey from Bespin to Rattatak took seven days. Not impossibly long, but hardly short either. If Max could establish an outpost on neighboring Batuu, letting it stand in mutual support with Rattatak, then Rattatak's defensive flexibility would improve enormously.
On September 22, the Pilot Whale returned to Cloud City on Bespin.
That same day, Max went to Galen Erso's laboratory and presented him with Darth Maul's lightsaber crystal—the one Max had purified and healed. Asajj Ventress had chosen to forge her twin blades with Kohlen crystals instead, so the kyber crystal had come back into Max's possession.
"Professor Erso..."
Max had only just spoken when Galen Erso seized his hand and shook it vigorously. The professor's face was red with emotion. He looked so agitated he could barely get the words out.
"No rush, no rush." Max used his other hand to pat Galen Erso lightly on the back. "Take your time."
"Haa..." After catching his breath, Galen stared at Max with a complicated expression. "Lord Vizsla, I really ought to thank you for assigning me three part-time Force-sensitive assistants. But... but... but why are all three of them illiterate?! I... I... I..."
"There, there. Don't get worked up." Max kept patting him on the back. "Should I transfer them somewhere else?"
"No!"
Only after Max promised that he would make every effort to find Professor Galen Erso better-educated Force-sensitive assistants did the professor finally release his hand.
"This crystal is rather special. It's a kyber crystal that once bled and was then purified and healed. See whether science can detect any meaningful differences between it and ordinary kyber crystals."
After leaving Galen Erso's laboratory, Max went on to meet in succession with Michael Saxon, Billy Williams, and other senior military and political figures, giving them instructions for the work to come.
This time, Max intended to travel far.
From the Chu'unthor's onboard computer core and the Jedi holocrons, Max had obtained the exact coordinates of Ilum (star chart coordinates: G-7). Or rather, the exact coordinates as they had been two hundred years earlier.
Max intended to take Christopher Wren and a set of compact mining equipment, board a stealth-modified Kom'rk-class starfighter, and slip off to Ilum to poach kyber crystals. He did not need much. A few dozen tons would do.
And after Ilum, his next destination would be Csilla.
Of course, Max did not know the exact coordinates of Csilla, nor did he have any experience using the Force to navigate through the high-velocity celestial bodies and electromagnetic currents of the Unknown Regions. But he wanted to try.
If it failed, then he would turn back. A few dozen tons of kyber crystals would already make the trip worthwhile. But if it worked—if he could establish contact with the Chiss Ascendancy—then the rewards for both Max and Bespin would be immense.
On September 25, Max and Christopher Wren quietly departed Cloud City in the stealth-modified Kom'rk-class starfighter and set out on their treasure hunt into the Unknown Regions.
The next day, Maul reached Max by long-range holocall.
"Mandalore the Ultimate, you were right. My mother and Elder Old Daka both confirmed that Hell is real."
"I know," Max said. "What's the issue?"
"I remember you saying life in Hell is a hundred times worse—no, a thousand times worse—than life on Lotho Minor."
"I did say that, but I can't be certain." Max shrugged. "I've never been to Hell myself. I'm only repeating what I've heard."
"Mandalore the Ultimate, this may sound ridiculous, but life on Lotho Minor truly was unbearable. Even now, I still have nightmares. I can scarcely imagine suffering a hundred or a thousand times worse than that."
At that, Maul prostrated himself fully before Max in deep supplication.
"Mandalore the Ultimate, I know you are a man of great wisdom. You must know how a wielder of the dark side might avoid the torments of Hell. Mandalore the Ultimate, please save my mother. I cannot bear the thought of her suffering such a fate. If you can spare her from Hell, I will serve you for the rest of my life!"
Well now. Another one.
Before I came to this galaxy, why did I never realize Star Wars was so full of devoted sons?
"Rise, Maul. I do have a theory—one that may allow dark side Force-users to avoid the torments of Hell—but I can't be certain."
"Go ask Mother Talzin and Elder Old Daka whether the soul of the Sith Lord Darth Vectivus fell into Hell. If it did not, then I think I may know the way to avoid that fate."
PS: Darth Vectivus is a Legends character and has not yet been restored to current canon.
Among the Sith Lords, he was a unique case: lawful and genuinely benevolent. He studied the dark side purely to explore its mysteries and never used it to commit evil. He possessed real moral character and was widely respected by his family and friends. In the end, he passed peacefully into death surrounded by those who loved him.
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STAR WARS: THE RISE OF MANDALORE
🛡️🔥 STAR WARS: THE RISE OF MANDALORE 🔥🛡️
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📢 FOR MANDALORE! 📢
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In a galaxy filled with war, betrayal, ancient grudges, and rising factions…
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If you want Mandalorian honor, galactic conflict, brutal battles, and the return of a legendary people…
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