Chapter Text
Starts during The Clone Wars, Season 3, "The Hunt for Ziro"
Panic in the Outer Rim! The closure of the SALIN CORRIDOR, a hyperspace lane needed to ensure the safe delivery of food and supplies to dozens of Neutral Systems, has stretched on for many months. Entire worlds have begun to starve and panic is setting in. The DUCHESS OF MANDALORE, knowing that the closing of the Salin Corridor is a veiled attempt to punish her for refusing to commit the resources of the Council of Neutral Systems to the Republic's war with the Separatists, returns to Coruscant to plead for the lives and livelihoods of the Mandalore system and the other sectors affected by this egregious act.
Chapter One
The Duchess of Mandalore breathed deeply and tried to drown out the cacophony around her.
In times like this, she often thought of the painting that still hung in the palace in Sundari. It was a painting of her world, but based on what it had looked like before centuries of war had turned a planet of beauty into a landscape of dust. There was a forest, with a lake and mountains in the distance, painted with large casual strokes—an artistic hallmark of her father's generation—that evoked a feeling of movement and life. In her mind, she conjured up the splotches of bright colors that dotted the canvas: blues and greens and scarlets that would never again be seen on the planet itself. Eyes closed, she focused on the feeling of her fingernails digging into her palms and centered herself.
But far from producing the calming effect the practice usually brought, the image blew away like sand on the wind. The uproarious noise enveloping her reminded Satine of the enormous swirling vortexes that periodically afflicted the desolate Mandalorian landscape. The blinding winds picked up mammoth amounts of sand and shifted valleys and plains. Sometimes they buried entire cities, which was—more than anything else—the reason why the beskar-enforced domes had been built so long ago. The vortexes were the stuff of nightmares, to be avoided at any and all costs.
And right now, Satine Kryze felt as if she were in the eye of the storm.
The angry voices of hundreds of opinionated politicians—a redundant phrase, she thought to herself —hurtled toward Satine's floating Senate pod. The cavernous room ate up the individual words being thrown at her, and for that she was grateful. She'd known that returning to Coruscant after her last visit would be controversial. She certainly hadn't expected to be well-received, and she'd been correct in her assessment.
Taking a deep breath, she pressed her palm against the display that once again activated her vocal amplifier.
"Members of the Senate, please! I ask you to focus on the matter at hand; my people, and those of so many other worlds, are starving!" She could hear her own voice ripple around the room and return to her, but it was her voice alone, which she hoped meant people were listening. "We have been unable to receive adequate food and supplies. The decision of this body to close the Salin Corridor and divert traffic away from the sector will cripple our region. I beg of you to reconsider, and reopen the hyperspace lane so that we may trade freely with the Republic again!"
"Traitoress!"
"We've all got problems!"
"Maybe you should have thought before stiffing the Republic!"
Satine heard several of the insults before the rattle of voices grew once again to a din. She should have expected it, considering she was unabashedly laying blame on the Senate for the current situation. But they deserved to hear it. They'd passed this legislation when all but one of the representatives of the region the bill would negatively affect had been absent. The representative of Mandalore—Ama Terac, who Satine herself had just appointed to serve the rest of Tal Merrik's term—hadn't even arrived on Coruscant to begin her service before the bill had been proposed and passed. Satine didn't think that had been an oversight. She pursed her lips and spoke again.
"I argued once before for the right of Republic systems to remain neutral in the ongoing war with the Separatists. With support from over a thousand worlds and confirmation from this assembly, I was assured that we had that right." The crowd wasn't listening anymore, and she found her words coming louder now, clipped with anger and indignation. "And yet now we find Mandalore and several nearby systems punished for that decision! We ask that—"
"Order! Order! I ask for order in the Senate." A resonant voice cut her off, and Satine turned to the supreme chancellor's pillar in the center of the room. Mas Amedda hit his staff against the metallic floor, presumably to silence the frenzied senators, though Satine didn't think he'd been very concerned about order when the voices had been directed at her earlier. He sat, and Chancellor Palpatine held up his hand.
"Duchess Satine, if I may," he said. "It's clear that tempers are already elevated. If we are to continue this conversation, we must have decorum in this chamber."
The comment was general, seemingly addressed to the assembly, but the tone was pointed. Satine chastised herself for letting her anger get the better of her even as she burned at being singled out. She tried to breathe deeply, but it came out as a huff. And then another one. Still, she swore that she wouldn't give them any more ammunition to mistake righteous indignation for the ramblings of a hysterical woman. Not again.
"Now, is there anyone else who would like to respond to the topic at hand?"
"Supreme Chancellor." Another pod, its occupant an ashen-faced man with white hair, floated into the center of the room.
"The chair recognizes the Senator from Umbara."
Satine only knew Senator Mee Deechi by name, but Padme had described him accurately enough for her to identify him on sight. His face was all angles, his gaunt skin pulled tight—like canvas overstretched on a frame—and the gray markings around his eyes gave the appearance of a living skull. Padme had called him a warmonger and complained of his fervent dispute of several proposals designed to de-escalate the war with the Separatists.
"Duchess Kryze, your people are in a difficult position, and for that, I am sympathetic." His voice was low and resonant, and in spite of his words, completely devoid of warmth. "However, this body's decision to pass the Gordian Reach Hyperspace Lane Fortification Act had nothing to do with barring Mandalore or the surrounding systems from galactic trading, and I, for one, find it curious that you are so quick to speak against all the good this legislation has done."
"Senator, a bill named for its positive intentions may still have negative effects." She'd almost said "unintended effects," but she still suspected they were anything but. "I am not ignorant of the reasoning behind this legislation. I understand that closing the Salin Corridor allowed the Republic to reassign security forces to the Junction Tierrel Loop, located further into the Outer Rim and closer to Separatist space. And also that that extra security is helping to protect traveling ships from dangers along that route."
Senator Deechi stretched one eyebrow. "And you understand that such a thing is ultimately a boon to your world as it is designed as a blockade to stop the spread of the Separatist armies into Mandalorian space."
"As I said, Senator Deechi, I am aware," Satine responded, images of Count Dooku's dreaded droid armies intruding into her mind. "However, while fortifying the Junction Tierrel Loop is admirable, it does not change the fact that the loss of the Salin Corridor has resulted in food shortages on Mandalore and many other worlds. If both routes could be open and maintained, we would all benefit."
"The Republic is involved in fighting a war that you have no interest in contributing to," Senator Deechi mused, "and you propose we devote more of the Republic's credits to keeping both lanes open?"
"In the interest of ensuring Mandalore will be able to contribute economically to the Republic, yes, that is what I am proposing."
The two pods rotated around the chamber as they floated freely. Ostensibly, it was to ensure that the entire assembly had a view of the parties in the discussion, but Satine felt as if she was circling an opponent in a sparring match.
"The economic benefit of neither Mandalore's imports nor exports is enough to justify the reopening of the Salin Corridor," Deechi demurred, steepling his long, bony fingers in front of him. "Not unless you are proposing something of more value ."
Satine narrowed her eyes. "I am proposing exactly that which the Republic has always been able to rely upon. Imports of food and a variety of supplies for Mandalore, and exports of the best crafts our system has to offer: the finest wine and ships from Kalevala, rugs from Harswee, lapis from Draboon."
"Luxury items have little relevance in the midst of war, Duchess," Deechi said. "These days our needs are a bit more ... practical."
A ball of irritation coalesced in her gut, but Satine bit her tongue and forced herself to play coy. Senator Deechi could allude all he wanted, but if he was talking about what she thought he was, he would have to say so explicitly before she said anything more. "Senator Deechi, I am not quite sure what you have in mind."
Had she blinked, she may have missed the Umbaran's colorless eyes darting toward the Supreme Chancellor, who almost imperceptibly inclined his head. "Beskar, Duchess Kryze. The Republic is in need of beskar, and you will be paid handsomely for it."
Satine clenched her fists and spoke pointedly enough that the underground denizens of Level 1313 would hear and understand. "I have made it clear that as long as there is war, our beskar will not be traded to either Republic or Separatist worlds."
"Not even so that we may bring a quick and decisive end to this fighting?"
"Decisiveness could come through negotiation and compromise." Or had he forgotten that she was a pacifist? "I will not allow beskar to be used in military technology in order to bolster either side in this conflict."
Senator Deechi gave an unfazed shrug. "Then it seems you will be finding your own method for providing for your people."
Satine's jaw dropped. The chamber erupted as the assembly reacted, but this time there seemed to be just as many voices expressing displeasure to Deechi's words as there were those that cheered in approval of the things he said.
Satine had suspected this had all been meant to punish her for remaining neutral, and for creating the Council of Neutral Systems, which allowed others to do the same. Her advisors had told her she was being cynical. Perhaps she hadn't been cynical enough.
Was this the whole point of the matter? Was this the reason the corridor had been closed? It was not hard to believe that the Republic Senate had unspoken motives for the legislation it enacted. But passing bills designed to starve her people out and force her to contribute to the war effort in spite of her neutral status? Even if the hyperspace lane fortification bill would protect other worlds in the Outer Rim, the motive behind its passage was unthinkable. Reprehensible. And Satine could think of nothing to say that wouldn't get her removed from the chamber for disorderly conduct.
She felt a presence at her side, and only when Korkie discretely took her hand did Satine realize she was shaking with fury. He gave a squeeze, and Satine focused solely on him. Concern for her shown in his deep, blue eyes, and he responded with a smile, small but genuine. She breathed deeply, already feeling more at peace in the midst of chaos. He would never know how much comfort he brought her. She hardly had to look down at him now. He'd gone through another growth spurt in the last several months and stood nearly as tall as her. Perhaps it was natural for her to still see him as the toddler who crawled in bed with her when he had a nightmare, but his stubbornly set jaw and furrowed brow reminded her that he wasn't a child anymore. There was a question in his look, and with an assenting nod and her own small squeeze, she stepped back to allow him to stand in front of the pod.
"Supreme Chancellor?" The microphone didn't immediately pick up his voice, so loud was the ambient noise coming from the rest of the Senate, but Korkie stepped closer and spoke again, louder this time. "Supreme Chancellor, may I speak?"
Mas Amedda struck the ground with his staff and called for order, but the crowd had already started to quiet at the sound of the unexpectedly youthful voice. Palpatine looked slightly surprised but recognized Korkie's legitimacy to speak. Satine worried her lip on his behalf.
"Members of the Senate. My name is Prince Kor Kryze of Mandalore. I am a student at the Royal Academy of Government in Sundari. Let me assure you that our situation is as dire as you have heard." His voice reverberated through the room with a confidence that filled Satine's heart with pride. "Mandalore's food has been rationed for months, and there are no alternatives to be found. None that are legal, in any case."
As Satine expected, there was a rumbling response to that, but Korkie seemed to anticipate it. He held up a hand and continued. Satine smiled. He was a natural.
"No doubt you have heard of the crimes against our now-former prime minister, Rel Almec." He placed a hand on his chest and swept his eyes over the assembly. "I was one of the students who helped to uncover that corruption within Mandalore's administration, a discovery which came from a desire to understand why our people were starving. What we found was a thriving black market, which Almec both participated in and cultivated. He has been removed from office for this act, and the other offenders have been rooted out.
"This action should convince you that we have no desire to feed our people through fraudulent means. However, if you will not vote to help us, you are sending a message that the only available options for survival are giving in to greed and corruption. We must continue this conversation and find a sustainable solution that will benefit both Mandalore and the Republic."
The senate responded again, but this time the sound was that of encouraging applause. Whether it was due to them still having allies in the Senate or politicians simply seeking to encourage a young speaker, Satine wasn't sure. And at the moment, she didn't care.
Chancellor Palpatine was applauding as well, a slow, respectful clap that conveyed an appreciation for more than Korkie's youth. Korkie had spoken well, and in spite of her misgivings toward the chancellor, Satine was proud that Palpatine recognized it.
"The Chair acknowledges the difficult situation that Mandalore and its surrounding sectors are in," Palpatine intoned. "We thank the representatives from Mandalore for bringing this issue to our attention. We will continue this conversation in the next session."
A light applause began again. Korkie turned to look at her, and Satine smiled more broadly than she had in weeks. She wished she'd had his composure when she'd first addressed the Republic Senate. Seeing her pride, Korkie sighed heavily—his slumped shoulders the only sign of how anxious he'd been—and Satine clapped along with the members of the Senate.