Star Wars Rebels: Skirting Around the Law

Chapter 11: Many Returns

"Son, come home. Someone's here you'll want to meet again."

- Kal Skirata, in a both-ways untraceable transmission to his son Ordo

Imperial Star Destroyer Harrower, fringes of the Mandalore system

The ship was a bustling hub of activity. Everything that could move was in movement; gunnery and deck officers, mouse droids transporting messages across the ship, pilots and infantrymen alike taking battle stations. Every cog and gear of the great Imperial war machine was in movement.

And Viliss stood in the center of it all, feeding, as it were. Feeding off of the fear, fear of death and failure from the crew. The hate, the hate for the rebels who sought to undermine the legitimate reign of the Empire. And the malice; the malice of soldiers who had been waiting on the edge of the Empire for the opportunity to slate their bloodlust.

She strode up to Pellaeon, who stood at the fore of the bridge, looking out the viewport to the planet Mandalore, growing in size as the ship grew closer.

"We'll be in planetary orbit momentarily, Inquisitor," Pellaeon reported.

"Excellent," Viliss replied. She inhaled, and looked upon the planet as well. Looking upon it she remembered her failure for not subduing the Mandalorians, her public shaming in front of the entire planet of Mandalore, and her master's disgust at her failure. She made a silent oath in her mind that she would annihilate the people of the planet, down to the last child, and that she would personally behead Fenn Shysa, her foe.

Pellaeon turned his head to look at her. "Is...something wrong, Inquisitor?"

"Nothing that need concern you, Captain," she assured him, slight venom lining her words. Pellaeon coughed into his hand, muttered "Right then," and turned to talk with an aide that had come forward.

"Beware, Shysa," Viliss murmured so softly no-one could hear, "the Menace of Mandalore has returned."

*

"So, how long has this Enclave been around?" Ezra asked.

"It has been around since the beginning of the dark times," Patreni informed him. "Originally Bardan made it so he could meditate when he had the time, and a place where Jedi who came here could stay before they were taken to another location. But some, like Sil and Daleem, preferred to stay, so the Enclave has slowly expanded ever since."

"Are many Jedi in the Enclave?" Kanan inquired.

"No," Patreni replied, "it's just the six of us. Others come every now and then, but they prefer to go to another location where Jedi survivors are kept."

"And where's that?"

Patreni stopped. "You don't already know?"

Kanan and Ezra shook their heads.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid Fulcrum's said the name and location are on a need-to-know basis," Patreni replied sincerely. Ezra scoffed. "Fulcrum and his secrets."

The three were silent for a moment. Then Patreni poked up. "But, as long as you're here, you may as well meet the others. Come, come." She gestured for them to follow her.

The Enclave was much on the interior than Kanan and Ezra had originally expected. The further they moved about the more room they found. Exotic plants grew that Kanan recalled from his memories at the Jedi Temple, and someone had made some fountains in facsimile to the Fountain Gardens. It was so uncannily similar that Kanan's eyes began to well up again.

Vokan, Horim, and Mathar had gone away whilst Kanan and Ezra conversed with Patreni. They found them sitting in stone chairs talking cheerily. When Patreni approached with Kanan and Ezra, they called out to them to join them. They used the Force to summon more stones that could double as seats, and they sat down.