A/N: Quick little context regarding Feral's attire, he's wearing what the Dark Apprentice clone of Starkiller is wearing in the dark side ending of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2. Also, this chapter is going to give closure on Korkie Kryze, something we didn't see in the Clone Wars, yes, he got knocked out by a Super Command in The Lawless but wasn't seen since. This chapter will show his story coming to an end. Anyway, story-wise, Korkie Kryze is going to lead a foolish and premature siege on Mandalore with the aid of an OC Jedi Master I've created— Shin Wen, in my mind's eye, she's a maverick Jedi, much like Quin-Gon Jinn, however, she's also a Jedi with a prestigious heritage within the Jedi Order. If this created character of mine was played by a live-action actress, it would be Michelle Yeoh. But anyway, with that little info out of the way, onwards to the next chapter!

(Coruscant)

Within the Jedi Temple, Grand Master Yoda, esteemed senators, Chancellor Padmé Amidala, along countless Jedi, including Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka were within the mausoleum, laying the slain Master Kit Fisto as well as Tiplee and Tiplar to rest.

"One with the Force, they are, and our job is to remember that we will in time also pass on. Luminous beings are we, but temporary vessels our bodies are, and we shall all find ourselves here, in time. A moment of silence I ask, to remember, and to move on," Yoda, who was walking, came to a stop and concluded. "Live for the living Jedi, we must. Live through us, forever they will." With a single tap of his cane, the three altars that held the three slain Jedi descended to their final resting place.

Eventually, the occupants in the mausoleum chamber began to disperse and go their separate ways, as Obi-Wan left the chambers, he once again felt the weight of failure resting on his shoulders, it was growing more burdensome than ever; had they moved quicker, they could've ended this cursed war and brought the Sith to justice. Despite dealing with the Zabrak brothers back on Florrum, Obi-Wan felt fear rising within him, both Maul and Savage had killed three esteemed Jedi with horrifying ease, and left unchecked, their powers would grow, and by the time the rest of the Jedi Order takes the threat of Maul seriously, it may be far too late.

"My condolences on the loss of your fellow Jedi, Master Kenobi,"

Turning to see Bo-Katan Kryze, Obi-Wan nodded in acknowledgment. "The longer this drags out, the more lives will be lost," shaking his head in frustration, the Jedi Master looked outside one of the nearby windows to see the city beyond the temple. "If the enemies of the Jedi and Republic are allowed to remain free, I fear what will transpire."

"Share your fears I do, Master Kenobi. Assisting you in this hunt for the Sith, Master Shin, and her Padawan will,"

Approaching his fellow Jedi and Mandalorian guest, Yoda was accompanied by one of the Jedi Order's most influential members-- Shin Wen. Her family has been part of the Jedi Order for ten generations, and she was not only flawless in every form of lightsaber combat but also in martial arts. Her brother, Zhou Wen is also one of the order's most powerful Jedi Masters, however, instead of living in the Jedi Temple, Zhou served as a warden for a secret prison known as The Prism, also known as the Ghost Prison, which contained fallen Jedi and other terrors that threaten the galaxy, yet were kept at bay by Master Zhou and a sizable number of clones that served both Wen siblings known as the Lotus Battalion, these clones were not only one of the first clone battalions to be created back on Kamino but every clone in this battalion was trained in Teräs Käsi, a form of hand-to-hand combat created to fight Force-sensitives.

"Master Wen, it's a privilege,"

"The privilege is mine, Master Kenobi," she replied with a smile.

"Destroy the Sith, we must. End the war, we must," Yoda turned to Bo-Katan. "Believe that Maul is on Mandalore, the Jedi Council does. Prove that this correct, we must."

"Agreed. But if we strip away Mandalore from Maul's grasp, then we will have dealt a serious blow to that monster's plans," Korkie Kryze, who finished speaking with Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano approached. "If Maul isn't stopped, he can assemble an army that will eclipse the Republic and Separatists even if they unite. I propose we combine our efforts to rid Mandalore of Maul and the traitors who follow him.

Stroking his beard, Obi-Wan looked down at Yoda, his face etched with concern as he looked back at Korkie. "If Republic forces aid you in what you're proposing, it will break treaties that are one hundred years old. We will effectively be drawn into yet another war."

"What's one more?"

Frowning at Bo's remark, Obi-Wan and Yoda shared a look before the Grand Master replied. "Advise the Jedi Council on this matter, we will—"

"We don't have time for that!" Korkie's sudden outburst caused those nearby to turn their heads at the young man. "Maul's influence on Mandalore will destroy our people. He murdered their ruler, my aunt." Looking at Obi-Wan, the young man glared daggers at him. "I thought she meant something to you." His words were a deep cut, they were also an incentive to drive the Jedi Master into action, however, despite Obi-Wan's clear wish to rid Mandalore of Maul before he destroyed Satine's legacy completely, he couldn't be allowed to give into his passions.

"She did. And still does. But I cannot allow my feelings to cloud my judgment. The Council will decide what our course of action will be."

Scoffing, Korkie gave the Jedi Master a look of disgust. "Then I will do what you are too afraid to do—"

"You are no match for Maul and his brother. Stop and think!"

"I am Mandalorian, Jedi, spare me the lecture," Korkie turned to his friends— Soniee, Amis, and Lagos and nodded at them. "Ready those who are of a like mind and wish to reclaim Mangalore from Maul."

"Korkie, stop!"

Bo pleaded as she grabbed his arm, but he ripped it violently from her grasp. "I would think you of all people would want to avenge your sister, but then again, you were part of the very terrorist group who not only tried murdering my aunt for years but ultimately overthrew her from power. You don't get to tell me what to do," Korkie gave his aunt's sister a heated glare before placing his helmet over his head. "Ret'urcye mhi! Aunt Bo." With his friends by his side, the young Mandalorians left, leaving Bo and her inner circle behind.

"It's no secret that your resistance is allied with the Republic, and if Korkie lays siege to Mandalore with those who wish to follow him, it could be seen as the Republic is backing them," Padmé approached, with Anakin and Ahsoka beside her. "Whether we like it or not, Korkie has forced our hand to act." Turning to Master Wen, the Republic's new leader gave her a hopeful look. "If it isn't too much trouble, Master Wen, would you mind ensuring that young Korkie doesn't do anything reckless? Well, in this case, anything more reckless."

"Of course, Chancellor Amidala," after bowing her head in acknowledgment, Master Wen turned to her clone commander— Sato. The commander of the Lotus battalion had a high fade with a mohawk hairstyle, his armor was dark grey and yellow. His helmet was combined with parts of his Phase I suit and with Phase II technology, much like Captain Rex and Commander Wolffe. "Commander Sato, prepare the Lotus battalion to depart to Mandalore."

"Yes, General Wen,"

As Obi-Wan watched his fellow Jedi and clone commander leave, ready to depart, he looked down at Yoda. "Do you believe they will be enough to bring Maul to justice,"

"Trust in the Force, we must, Master Kenobi," looking up at the worried Jedi Master, Yoda continued. "Uncertain the future is, regardless, trust in the Force, we must."

Pursing his lips together, Obi-Wan hoped that Master Wen and her clones would be able to bring a swift end to Maul and his brother. If not, then all the Jedi Order would be doing at this point is sending more of their order to be slaughtered by the Sith.

"May the Force be with you, Master Wen,"

(Mandalore)

With the Mandalorian people now reverting to their warrior roots, the former Death Watch members now Maul loyalists knew they needed to train as many of their people as they could to bolster the ranks of The Shadow Collective and soon-to-be Crimson Dawn. Many Mandalorian prisoners who were once Death Watch sympathizers or in favor of reverting Mandalore to its warrior ways yet were imprisoned by the now-late Duchess Satine were released and took on the armor of a warrior and color scheme of the planet's new dark ruler. Among these released prisoners were Prime Minister Almec's corrupt officers who had forged their armor and still retained the silver and black color scheme of their newly forged Mandalorian armor as they served as Almec's bodyguards as well as security forces throughout the Mandalorian capital. With Rook Kast in command of the entirety of the Super Commandos, Gar Saxon, however, was in command of all military operations and affairs on Mandalore; ever since Maul had won the Darksaber from Pre Vizsla, the Super Commandos and those who wished to return to their warrior roots had begun building bases underground throughout the planet which produced armor, weapons, Kom'rk fighters/transports, Fang Fighters, Basilisk war droids, as well as Mandalorian cruisers and Teroch-class cruisers for support.

Needless to say, Mandalore was preparing for an all-out war with those who dared challenge them.

Within the Mandalorian capital of Sundari, Prime Minister Almec was training with Gar Saxon, second in command of the Super Commandos and military leader of Mandalore. Like all those on Mandalore who submitted to Maul as their true ruler, they had armor forged to their liking and were then paired up with former members of Death Watch and were training with them. Naturally, Gar was the superior fighter, but Almec adapted and began to keep up with the Super Commando commander. However, he still needed training, as did many of the Mandalorians who wished to fight. Hand-to-hand combat is what made Mandalorians great warriors, especially since they were even able to go toe to toe with Jedi, however, learning how to apply weapons into combat was also essential. Although Almec wouldn't be deployed out on the front lines like the Super Commandos, he would still need to learn how to wield his blasters and gauntlet weaponry properly.

"How goes the old man's training, brother?"

Turning his head to see his younger brother, Tiber. Like most of the Super Commando leaders, Tiber was in command of producing advanced weaponry for the Mandalorians and producing weapons to specifically combat the Republic's clone army. His armor was entirely red and bore the black tattoo patterns of Maul, and his jumpsuit was entirely black, his helmet resembled the typical male Super Commando, however, his vizor was amber mixed with a tint of crimson and the claw handprint was crimson. The younger of the Saxon brothers was hovering in the air before descending into the palace courtyard as he approached his older brother and Mandalore's puppet ruler.

"It goes, nothing to report," Gar huffed in response to his brother's question after helping Almec to his feet, the older of the Saxon brothers gave his younger brother a curious look. "But you didn't come here to ask about the training of our forces. What do you have to report?"

"One of our spies embedded in the traitor Bo-Katan's ranks has reported that Korkie Kryze and half of Clan Kryze are going to lay siege to Mandalore, the Republic clones will be backing them in this brazen attack."

"The Republic's presence here would be a direct violation of our century-long treaty, which would effectively begin another war, between the Republic and Mandalore itself," Almec was shocked by this, however, understanding that the young Korkie was driven by his passions to see his late aunt avenged made this news unsurprising as well. "Have you informed Lord Maul of this?"

"No. I only just received the news not long ago," Tiber replied.

"Lord Maul is training his brothers, and he gave us and the syndicate crime bosses explicit instructions not to disturb him while occupied with his brother's training or other Sith affairs," Gar reminded.

Contacting their sworn lord via holo transmitter, Almec eyed both Saxon brothers and gave them a reassuring smile. "Under the circumstances, I believe this news will be of great interest to Lord Maul,"

(Unknown location)

In the days following his family being reunited, Maul took Savage and Feral across the galaxy to long-dead worlds of the Sith to learn more of the ways of the Sith Order and the dark side, not only that, Maul introduced his younger brother to his Mandalorian loyalists and syndicate allies so that they were all aware of who Feral was. Still engaged in the Kaggath with Count Dooku, Maul and Savage had improved their attires; the leader of The Shadow Collective now bore silver shoulder pauldrons and reinforced forearm braces in a way that Kage warriors present themselves. The red-skinned Zabrak's prosthetic legs were also reforged in the Mandalorian Beskar, making them impervious to lightsaber strikes and blaster bolts.

Like Maul, Savage too had his armor, shoulder pauldrons, forearm gauntlets, and left prosthetic arm reforged with Mandalorian Beskar which matched his hulking frame, however, this new arm came with improvements. It was equipped with a high-powered laser beam embedded in the palm of the prosthetic hand.

When the brothers were not leading The Shadow Collective in skirmishes against the Separatists, Maul took Savage and Feral across the galaxy to continue training. Shortly after their reunion on Dathomir and learning how to possess arcane abilities and powers from Mother Talzin and Merrin, Maul had taken them Malachor and had them breathe in the ashes of dead Sith warriors, just as Darth Sidious had him do when he was still his apprentice, and after experiencing the fierce visions of their predecessors being murdered by the Jedi, Savage and Feral's thirst to spill Jedi blood rivaled Maul's, however, he promised his brothers that they would kill the Jedi soon enough. During the weeks of training his brothers, Maul exposed Savage and Feral to physical strain, philosophical teachings, understanding of the Sith Code, and perfecting their combat prowess. The Sith training droids aboard Scimitar were able to capture the dueling prowess of the Jedi Maul and Savage had faced on Vizsla Keep 09 and the droids were then able to store each Jedi's skills in their memory banks and projected themselves as Jedi to further hone the brother's lightsaber skills.

Feral, who had yet to craft his lightsaber, for the time being, had created twin vibro-arbir blades that can be joined at the ends to form a single double-bladed polearm or wielded independently in each hand for the time being. The blades' metal edges are complemented by razor-sharp beams of crimson electro-plasma. Maul had taught his younger brother that the lightsaber of a Sith is not given, it is taken, and so he would need to slay a Jedi, claim the crystal within, and bleed it before creating his lightsaber. Impressed with his younger brother's weapons for the time being, Maul thought that when the time was right, he would have Crimson Dawn's army train in melee combat weapons such as the ones Feral wielded, he would also have the elite of the Nightbrothers train with such weapons and serve as his family's bodyguards.

Currently, the brother trio was treading through the thick, dense jungles of Dromand Kas, the former capital of the Sith Empire, now a destroyed and eroded memory of the Sith's greatness. They had departed from one of the tombs of the one Sith Lord whose lust for power and immortality rivaled any Sith in the history of the order— Darth Tenebrae, better known to the Old Sith Empire as Vitiate, his reconstituted Sith Empire as the Sith Emperor, and his Eternal Empire as the Immortal Emperor, Valkorion—was an ancient dark-side entity of enormous power who manipulated galactic affairs for nearly 1,500 years. It was within the tomb of this monster of a Sith Lord that the brothers gorged themselves on knowledge, holocrons, and artifacts of the dark side. Maul explained to his brother that Vitiate was a creature who would go beyond the boundaries of what is natural to secure his immortality, and how both Jedi and Sith have united in both the physical and spiritual realms to finally slay him.

Each of the brothers would devour leftover knowledge left behind from their Sith predecessors whether it was in the form of holocrons or otherwise. They were growing stronger thanks to delving into the ancient knowledge of their Sith predecessors whether it was improving their lightsaber techniques as well as growing stronger in the Force.

As the three were nearing Scimitar, however, Maul was receiving an incoming transmission, and the red-skinned Zabrak answered the transmission and was met with the holographic image of Prime Minister Almec.

"Yes?"

"My lord, I apologize for disturbing you, but I bring troubling news. The Republic has just declared war on Mandalore without warning,"

Maul, who was immersed in his thoughts soon began to chuckle in amusement. While he didn't care much for Mandalore or their ways, he saw political brilliance in this assault; this invasion of Mandalore could be perfect for his faction because the Republic had just declared war on the Mandalorians, Crimson Dawn could be seen as heroes for standing up for an independent system. The one key factor for Maul that always led him to stay interested in Mandalore was because the planet led the Neutral Systems Coalition, thanks to Satine. And although these neutral systems were out of the galactic conflict, if Mandalore could be openly attacked or invaded by the Republic after centuries of treaties, then what would stop them from invading any other system that wished to have no part of the war? Once Maul heard this report from Almec, he knew what needed to be done and the galaxy would see that Crimson Dawn stood for the little man; the independent planets who didn't rely on the corrupt Republic and Separatists for support.

"My lord? What would you have us do?"

Fixing his intense gaze at the holographic image of his puppet ruler, Maul satisfied Almec's curiosity. "Our enemy's brashness and overconfidence to reclaim Mandalore is why the Republic will crumble. Inform Kast and Saxon to mobilize the troops; have them hide in the Mandalorian Undercity for the time being, have additional troops evacuate the citizens and keep them out of harm's way, and inform the syndicate of this development. I will ensure that Chop'aa Notimo and his Mandalorian mercenaries will offer assistance on the ground. Inform Dagan and Val to lead our pilots and have them lead the syndicate mercenaries along with Drexl Roosh and his pirate fleet in space. Wait until the Republic fools and the renegade Mandalorians lower their guards and when they least expect it, we will strike. I will summon Dryden Vos and have him send for Durge and his army of mercenaries, my brothers and I will lead them upon arriving at Mandalore," narrowing his eyes at his puppet ruler, Maul bore his teeth. "I cannot overstate the importance of a victory here, Prime Minister Almec, see to it that the troops on Mandalore do as I have commanded them."

"Yes, Lord Maul. It shall be done,"

Ending the transmission, Maul nodded at his brothers and they entered their ship, blasting off and once they punched in the hyperspace coordinates for Mandalore, their ship made the jump. Maul then made contact with Dryden Vos, he would require his army of elite mercenaries to aid in this battle. Once the crime boss appeared via holoprojection, he bowed his head in greetings at the brother trio.

"My lords. How may I be of service?"

"Dryden Vos. I have just received news that the Republic will be aiding the Mandalorian resistance in a siege of Mandalore. I have already relayed my orders to Prime Minister Almec and my Super Commandos will be prepared to face the enemy. To secure victory in this battle, I require the use of your mercenary army."

"Of course, shall I send Durge to accompany them?"

"Yes. Dispatch them at once. After we have wiped the floor with the Republic's clones, Crimson Dawn will grow stronger," Maul gave his criminal ally an inquisitive look. "What of your next assignment? Have you and the other syndicate leaders arrived at Zygerria?"

"We just touched down on the planet, my lord. I understand that procuring slaves to build your ultimate weapon is critical. You need not worry, I will see to it that the Zygerrians are brought into the fold."

"Good. Inform me when a deal is struck with the Zygerrian's new ruler and dispatch Durge and your mercenaries to Mandalore."

"Yes, Lord Maul,"

(Mandalore)

Within the Mandalorian throne room, the Super Commandos were in small groups, each group bore the colors of each Zabrak brother as they all ultimately rallied to Almec so that he could relay their master's orders to them. The Republic invaders and the Mandalorian traitors led by Clan Kryze would be arriving soon and they needed to be prepared for the brazen siege their enemies were conducting. Once the high-ranking Super Commandos were present, Almec relayed Maul's orders to them.

"Saxon, prepare our forces and have them converge in the Undercity so that we can surprise the enemy when the time to strike arrives. Rook, inform the syndicate of the invasion. Bhai and Cato, evacuate our people from the city and see to it that your troops protect them from the renegade traitors and their clone allies. Dagan and Val, get yourselves and your pilots in the air and be ready to lead the syndicate mercenaries and pirates to attack the enemy fleet from their rear flank,"

Rook took off, placing her helmet over her head while two Super Commandos were beside her. Dagan Drist and Val Fost, like many of the Super Commandos, were former Death Watch, and they were not only vicious warriors but also excellent fighter pilots. They both wore silver, black, and orange painted armor to represent their loyalty to Feral and placed their helmets on while contacting their fellow pilots to board their fighters and transports and get into space. Bhai and Cato too placed their helmets on and had several commandos follow them as they rushed out of the throne room to begin evacuating the city.

"If we want to give our enemy the illusion that we're not present on Mandalore, you and your guards will need to retreat with the people, Almec," Gar said while placing his helmet over his head. He then turned to four Super Commando captains, one of them was Captain Triton. "Each of you takes a dozen commandos to aid in our people's protection." Nodding at their military leader, Triton, and the other captains left the room while taking their men and Almec with them.

When the Republic and Mandalorian resistance fighters arrived, they would be in for a very unpleasant surprise.

Hours would go by and suddenly, three Venator Star Destroyers emerged out of hyperspace as well as dozens of Kom'rk transports, arriving in the Mandalore system. As Republic gunships began pouring out of the Venators, Master Wen, along with Commander Sato were accompanied by clone assassins as their gunship entered the planet's atmosphere. Accompanying the Jedi Master was Korkie Kyrze and his friends, all of them in their Mandalorian armor and ready for a fight. As the gunship rattled, Master Wen could feel the young Kryze's anger swell like a typhoon, he was a passionate young man, however, such passion would not serve them well, especially if it put the lives of her troops and Mandalorian allies at risk.

"You must control your emotions, young Kryze,"

Turning to the Jedi Master, Korkie was quick to reply. "I'm fine—"

"On the contrary, your anger swells and boils like the lava rivers of Mustafar. You must control and steady your emotions, lest they be your downfall."

Grunting in response, Korkie contacted one of the Kom'rk pilots. "Any sign of the enemy?"

"Negative, sir. There's no sign of the enemy as of yet. No hostile craft are in the air,"

"Keep an eye out,"

The Republic gunships began to open their doors, the sun momentarily blinding the occupants before the crystal clear skies showed no enemy troops preventing them from landing. Mandalorians from Clan Kryze and other clans lending their support offloaded their warriors and they flew the rest of the way until they began touching down on the city docks, only to find no signs of life. Republic gunships offloaded their troops and as the combined force pushed deeper into the city, it was barren; it was as if nobody was living on the planet in the first place.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Erictia Pinwri murmured.

Hours had gone by and after an extensive, thorough search, there was no sign of anyone in the city. Not even the Mandalorian Undercity held any signs of life. After establishing a command center in the throne room, the Jedi and Korkie were approached by Soniee, Amis, Lagos, and dozens of Clan Kryze Mandalorians.

"We searched the entire city, there's no sign of Maul or the traitors supporting him," Soniee sighed while removing her helmet.

Amis removed his helmet and shook his head. "I don't get it. Where did they go? It's not like they just vanished into thin air,"

"Assuming they were even here in the first place," Lagos pointed out while removing her helmet and tucking it under her arm. "I have a feeling that our enemy anticipated our arrival and left."

Looking over holographic schematics of the entire city, Korkie pursed his lips and shook his head. "They must still be here. We should check again and leave no stone unturned—"

"Korkie, we already checked," Lagos replied, a frown on her face as Korkie slammed his fist into a nearby crate. Approaching her friend, and the man she had begun to develop feelings for, the blond beauty spoke soothingly. "You time to cool off. It does no one good if you burn yourself out." Korkie looked into her eyes, considering her words before nodding, he then left the throne room without another word.

Turning to the Jedi, Lagos gave them a nod. "In the meantime, we'll continue looking for Maul and see if he's hiding in the city," the three young Mandalorians placed their helmets back on and urged their fellow Mandalorians to follow them as they left the throne room.

Master Wen looked outside one of the many windows that overlooked the city before turning to Commander Sato. "I want you and your men to secure the docks. We must ensure Maul does not escape,"

"If he's here. If he's not, then all of this... plays right into his hands,"

Master Shin Wen pursed her lips, knowing full well how dire their current circumstances were, if Maul and his loyalists were here, they needed to not only expel them from the planet but also capture them so that they could face justice. But if they weren't even on the planet, then the Republic would have a nightmare of its own making by invading Mandalore for no reason, they would be at war with a warrior race of people who had been at odds with the Republic and the Jedi for centuries.

"Erictia,"

A young woman in her early twenties with flawless, ivory skin, silky brown hair, and enchanting amber eyes who was speaking with a group of clone troopers approached her master. She wielded two soft blue colored lightsabers and she was incredibly gifted in Force healing, she had saved many of her fellow Jedi and clone companion's lives throughout numerous battles throughout the war, and she was an exceptional duelist.

"Yes, Master?"

"Go with Sato, accompany him and his men as they lock down and secure the docks,"

Nodding in understanding, the young woman and the Lotus battalion commander walked side by side as they soon left the throne room, leaving Master Wen to look out the window and ponder what would come of the galaxy if Maul and his loyalists were not on the planet. How would the other neutral systems respond to this? Taking a deep breath, Master Wen banished the fear and worry that was creeping into her bones and placed her trust back in the Force.

Whatever transpired in the coming hours, it would be so by the will of the Force, and Master Wen had accepted that.

The three Venators in orbit, while ready to provide support if needed, were not fully alert; the majority of the crews on board the ships were sleeping, the campaign on Mandalore was considered over and done with, and there was no reason for the crews to be on alert. Many of the ship's crews were off duty in the mess halls or sleeping. Onboard The Endurance, the flagship of Master Wen, the ship's admiral was on the bridge and conversing with the Jedi general.

"We have still found no sign of Maul or The Shadow Collective on Mandalore, Admiral Wicdan, I fear we've been lured into a trap by our enemy,"

Pursing his lips together, the admiral replied. "That is most unfortunate news, Master Wen. There has been no sighting of hostile warships in orbit, we've been sitting up here for hours," the admiral then raised an eyebrow in question. "What are your orders?"

"I am going to have a conversation with young Korkie Kryze and suggest we withdraw from Mandalore. We should never have arrived here with an army, to begin with, and now that we have, I fear our enemy is watching us from the shadows will you use this as a means to declare war on the Republic,"

"Understood, Master Wen. I shall await you and our troops return in the meantime."

After ending transmission with the Jedi, Admiral Wicdan was about to retire to his quarters when he suddenly noticed the Venator on his left took a big hit and the following explosion caused The Endurance to rattle violently and trigger the alarms. Running to the bridge window, the admiral gasped in horror as dozens of Super Commando Kom'rk transports and Fang Fighter squadrons were conducting attack runs. These enemy ships were accompanied by Black Sun frigates and Sarisa-class gunships of the Pyke Syndicate. On top of that, there appeared to be a sizeable Rodian pirate fleet attacking the Venator from the right.

"All hands to battle stations! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! We are under attack!"

As the ship's alarms began blaring, Admiral Wicdan saw that a large Mandalorian cruiser had joined the battle and began offloading Kom'rk fighters while also raining down turbo laser fire on the hull of The Endurance. Because there had been no enemy presence, the ship's shields and weapons were down and would take time to get online and into position, unfortunately, time was not on the Republic force's side at this time.

Outside in the cold vacuum of space, Dagan and Val were in their respective Fang Fighters as they led the Super Commandos and syndicate space forces into battle. The two attack leaders broke off from each other and led their squadron to destroy each Venator while ordering Chop'aa and Drexl Roosh to focus their fire on The Endurance and destroy it. Because the Republic was not prepared for the sudden attack, Dagan and Val made sure they went in for the kill as they led their Super Commando squadrons to target the Venator's weak spots while ordering their syndicate and pirate allies to drop payloads of proton bombs along the hull and bridge of the enemy ships.

After several attack runs, two of the three Venators were reduced to stardust, leaving only The Endurance, which was in critical condition. With the threat in space all but neutralized, Dagan and Val ordered the Black Sun and Pyke mercenaries to begin their landing procedure on Mandalore and assist the Super Commandos and the mercenary army that Dryden Vos had sent to assist. The constant barrage of fire from the enemy fleet was too much for The Endurance to handle, and the crews who ejected into escape pods were blown to pieces by Super Commando pilots scouring the debris field for survivors. Eventually, the third and final Venator of Master Wen's fleet was obliterated, those who tried getting to escape pods were either killed in the explosions or sucked out into space.

"Heh, those Republic fools didn't stand a chance," Dagan chuckled.

"While we didn't take a single casualty," Val added before contacting the Rodian pirate lord via holo transmission. "As agreed upon, Drexl, you and your Rodian pirates can salvage anything of value in the debris field."

"Good. This fleet belonged to the Lotus battalion. Their clones are well-known for their martial prowess in Teräs Käsi," Drexl shrugged while fiddling with his vibrosword. "I'm sure we can use whatever we find in this debris field."

"I leave that to you," Val remarked as she ended transmission with the Rodian pirate lord and noted several landing craft vessels were emerging out of hyperspace, as well as Scimitar. "Heh, looks like the clones in the city are going to die with no support from their fleet."

"Too bad for them," Dagan laughed darkly.

As nightfall consumed Mandalore, the Republic forces and their Mandalorian allies were preparing to depart the planet. Korkie, however, wouldn't accept this, he suggested that they take Mandalore while it was unoccupied establish order, and ultimately rip it out of Maul's hands. With higher-ups of this operation debating what to do, clone troopers who were now off duty were sleeping on the many bridges throughout the city and within patrolling AT-TE Walkers, those not resting were on patrol, however, they were not expecting any attack whatsoever, especially since they had faced no resistance since their arrival.

That would change.

After receiving confirmation that the enemy ships in orbit were obliterated, Gar Saxon gave the order to the Super Commandos in the Undercity to begin their attack. Many of the Super Commandos emerged out of the sewers in their jetpacks while others were riding Basilisk war droids and ready to give the clones and renegade Mandalorians an unpleasant welcome party.

As the long, eerie night in the city continued, that all changed when an AT-TE Walker was ripped in half by a massive explosion. Clone troopers who were sleeping across the bridges awoke, only to be shot dead by the Super Commandos. Patroling clones who witnessed many of their sleeping brothers shot in their sleep by enemy Mandalorians informed their Jedi general and fellow brothers that they were under attack. As the clones tried to fight back, they were either shot in the back as they attempted to mount walkers and other combat vehicles or were killed waking up from their slumber. Basilisk war droids charged their minigun cannons and mowed down scores of clones, this ferocity was followed by the Super Commandos activating their war droids' missile systems, and soon the bridges were blanketed in a sea of explosions, fire, and death. The blood-curdling screams of clones echoed throughout the city as they were being slaughtered like livestock.

Clone troopers and members of Clan Kryze who were at the docks suddenly were caught off guard when Super Commandos led by the Suust siblings cut them down from above. Their Basilisk war droids shot down their gunships and transport ships, preventing them from escaping. As valiantly as the clones and their Mandalorian allies fought, they were caught completely off guard by the Super Commandos and their Basilisk war droids until the only warriors remaining on Sundari's main docks were Super Commandos loyal to the Zabrak brothers. Dozens of Black Sun frigates and Pyke gunships soon arrived, offloading their mercenaries to join the Super Commandos in battle. Many of these criminals were operating new toys, the Pykes, for example, some of them were operating mech suits with pod-shaped heads that allowed the operator to fit. These Pyke mercenaries had respirator masks on and connected to the mech suit's operating system, these Pykes would be inhaling spice that made them not only hyper-aggressive but also terrifyingly accurate in their shooting. Black Sun began offloading a series of B-1 Model Hoover tanks and heavy enforcers.

Scimitar soon approached the dock and made its landing, the brother trio soon disembarked, while the army of mercenaries Dryden Vos had dispatched were disembarking from their Atmospheric Assault Landers and charged into battle alongside the other syndicate mercenaries and Super Commandos. The Super Commandos bearing the colors and markings of Savage Opress provided these elite mercenaries crafts to enter the city while transporting their forces into the city.

"I've killed many Mandalorians in my lifetime, but I've never been to their home planet before,"

Turning to Durge, who emerged out of one of the AAL transports, Maul narrowed his eyes at the hulking Gen'Dai. "I trust that time has not made your skill against Mandalorians... dull,"

Barking out a laugh, Durge shook his head. "Don't worry about me, I just hope there's a warrior here who is worthy of fighting me," activating his jetpack, Durge turned to the mercenaries under his command. "Try and keep up." The Gen'Dai drew two of his blaster pistols and flew into battle, with his mercenary allies following him into the city as they boarded a skiff.

Maul and his brothers were then approached by the Suust siblings, who were operating a skiff. "My lords," both bowed their heads as they mentioned to the back of their skiff. "We received word that a Jedi Master and her Padawan are on the planet, along with Satine's nephew, Korkie Kryze. They're in the throne room."

"They will die, as will their slave army," Savage growled.

"Indeed," Maul agreed as he stepped onto the skiff and crossed his arms behind his back. "Let us away." As the brother boarded the transport, Bhai and Cato flew it into the city. Once inside the city, the brothers felt the fear, deaths, and agony of their enemies. The Super Commandos and mercenary allies showed no mercy as the clones were getting hit from all sides.

Upon reaching the palace, the brother trio was greeted by Rook Kast and Gar Saxon, both leaders of the Super Commandos who had dispatched clone assassins and then bowed their heads in greetings at their sworn lord and his brothers. Maul acknowledged his faithful servants and as the group entered the palace with the four Super Commando leaders by their side, they were ready to face the enemy command structure and be done with this intrusion.

Upon entering the throne room, the brothers laid eyes on Master Shin Wen and her Padawan. Bearing their teeth at the Jedi, the brothers drew their weapons, whilst Gar Saxon, Rook Kast, and the Suust twins engaged Korkie Kryze and his friends.

"Halt where you are, Maul. I am Master Shin Wen, of the Jedi Order. I was sent to oust you and your brother from Mandalore and end these people's suffering under your cruelty. Lay down your weapons and surrender, and the Jedi Order will consider that,"

Snorting softly, Maul remarked in a bored tone. "Did you practice that soliloquy all night long, Jedi?" Raising his crimson blade at the Jedi Master, he snarled. "It is you who should lay down your weapons. You are and your whelp are no match for the three of us."

Laying eyes on Feral, Master Shin tilted her head, confused. "There can only be two amongst the Sith. You now have another apprentice?"

"Feral is not an apprentice that I will discard. He is my flesh and blood, as is Savage. When I have completed their training, we three brothers will stand as the new Sith Triumvirate,"

Drawing her yellow lightsaber, Master Shin readied herself and replied with a soft smile. "The dark side shall fail you in the end, Maul, as it will fail your brothers and family. It may lead to power and riches, but in the end, you will lose everything you have,"

"Spare me your lecture, woman, and fight for your life," Maul advanced whirling his crimson blade and approaching slowly. Savage ignited both ends of his saber staff and was about to aid Feral in dealing with the Jedi Padawan, but Maul forbade it. "No. This is Feral's fight," turning to his younger brother, Maul nodded to him. "This is your first true test against a Jedi, my brother. Kill her, and claim her kyber crystals as your own." Maul and Savage then lunged at Master Shin, the two of them locked blades with her own before breaking off and engaging her as one.

Breaking the blade lock with Maul and Savage, Master Wen engaged the leader of this coalition of criminals and warriors. The fight was a blur of lightsaber strikes, Maul used his stamina and endurance to his advantage as he pressed his attack and landed a ferocious kick to the Jedi Master's stomach, knocking her back. Placing a hand over her belly, the Jedi Master took a moment to catch her breath and noticed that Savage's left arm began to pulse with crimson, as the hulking Zabrak lifted his prosthetic hand, a high-powered crimson laser beam nearly took her head off, but thanks to her training, Master Wen narrowly evaded the blast, the laser instead shattered one of the palace windows, causing glass to rain down on the ground.

While Maul and Savage continued to fight Master Wen, Feral drew his weapons and began to bombard the Jedi Padawan with ferocious strikes. Erictia, while she was a very accomplished Jedi Padawan, had yet to face a Zabrak Nightbrother who had given themselves to the dark side. Feral's vibro-arbir blades withstood the Jedi Padawan's lightsaber strikes and the two of them stood at a stalemate. As the two respective combatants of light and dark locked blades with each other, Erictia tried a different tactic.

"You don't have to follow your brothers down the path of the Sith, it is a path that leads to your death,"

Snarling, Feral bashed his head against Erictia's and then cut the young Jedi across the leg, causing her to scream in agony and fall to her knees while clutching her now bleeding leg. "Do you think I would betray my brothers and join the Jedi?" Whirling his blades in hand, Feral sneered at the wounded young Jedi. "I would rather be dead than join the Jedi!" Before he could land a killing blow, Feral was pushed back by Erictia and she was able to heal her wound thanks to the Force and summoned her lightsabers into her hands.

"If you refuse to surrender, I will have no choice but to strike you down," pointing one of her blades at the youngest of the brother trio, she spoke firmly. "Surrender or die."

"You first, Jedi," Feral replied as he lashed out with a ferocious cry, locking blades with his opponent once again.

As Korkie and his friends engaged the Super Commando leaders, they were easily overpowered and outmatched. These were former Death Watch members, after all, and they had been fighting far longer than these four young adults. Korkie engaged with Gar Saxon, and despite the young man's best efforts, he was no match for the military commander of Mandalore. While throwing several punches, Gar grabbed one of Korkie's arms and twisted it behind his back, causing the young man to howl in pain.

"A boy playing dress up. You are not worthy of wearing that armor, young Kryze, not after what your precious aunt tried to do to our traditions,"

Screaming in both pain and rage, Korkie bashed the back of his head against Gar's, causing him to release his arm. The young man pressed his attack as he then landed a sharp elbow into the military commander's throat and then landed a strong kick to his stomach, knocking him to the ground. "You dare speak of who is and who is not worthy of wearing Mandalorian armor, traitor? You and the other traitors have pledged allegiance to an outsider who would see our civilization come to ruin!"

Gar then lifted his left arm and unleashed his flame thrower at the young man, hitting him with a strong blast of fire and momentarily staggering the young man. With a snarl, Gar tackled the young man while activating his jetpack and flew to a window, all the while landing punch after punch into the young man's gut. After landing a final punch to Korkie's gut, Gar pulled out one of his WESTAR-35 blaster pistols and shot the young man in the chest. The beskar armor protected Korkie from being killed, but the impact of the shot was agonizing as was crashing into one of the windows and plummeting to the ground.

Ripping his helmet off of his head, Korkie coughed violently as he looked up at Gar, who was approaching like a predator who had its prey cornered. "Your life will soon end in the very same room where your traitor of an aunt met her end," grinning under his helmet, Gar goaded Korkie into doing something reckless. "I heard she begged and whimpered like a beaten dog begging for a reprieve, but she was ultimately gutted like a fish."

"ARGH!"

Lunging out at Gar with his gauntlet blade, Korkie once again was bested by the Super Commando's second in command and found himself in a fierce chokehold. "Don't struggle, young Kryze, now you can join your aunt in death," Korkie had no time to fight back as Gar snapped his neck like a twig, killing the young man instantly.

"Korkie!"

Lagos, who was engaging Rook Kast cried out in horror before drawing her blaster pistols and shooting at Gar. However, the Super Commando's second in command activated his jetpack while activating his wrist gauntlet plasma shield drawing one of his pistols and returning fire at Lagos. Rook, however, was able to disarm the enflamed blond pinned her face first to the ground, and shot her in the back of the head, killing her. Soniee and Amis would meet a similar fate at the hands of the Suust siblings, despite how far the four young cadets had come, they were simply no match for the four Super Commando leaders.

Maul and Savage were not messing around, they had defeated the most powerful Sith Lord here, and they would not allow this Jedi to stop them. The two brothers worked in duality to overpower the Jedi Master, and although she was losing to the brothers, she still had some fight left in her. Aside from her yellow lightsaber, she drew a Cortosis katana, passed on through her family for generations. Using her family sword to momentarily deactivate Maul's crimson blade, Master Wen sent the cyborg flying back with a powerful Force push. Crashing into a nearby window, Maul snarled in pain before falling to the ground.

"Die!"

Savage lunged at the Jedi Master with a flurry of fast and powerful strikes, ultimately severing her lightsaber in half. Bearing his teeth at the human woman, the hulking Zabrak struck, only for Master Wen to use her Cortosis katana to deactivate both ends of Savage's saber staff. Reaching out to take hold of the Jedi Master, Savage growled as Master Wen leaped over him and drove her katana through the back of his chest. An animalistic roar filled the throne room as Savage looked down to see a bloodied blade protruding from his chest. With a snarl, he severed the blade in half with his prosthetic hand and before Master Wen could react, the hulking monster landed a ferocious punch across her face and proceeded to grab her by the throat and bring her down until their faces were mere inches from each other. Master Wen had let out a choked gasp when Savage had used her blade to deliver a killing blow, blood soaked her elegant Jedi robes and she could feel blood filling her mouth as Savage relished in her agony.

"Master!"

Ripping the Jedi off of her blade, Savage discarded her as though she were trash before ripping out the blade in his chest with a snarl. Closing his eyes, Savage began to murmur as he performed a simple healing spell, a green mist both cauterized and sealed his wound completely, as though he had not been wounded in the first place. Summoning his lightsaber in his hand, Savage activated one end of his weapon and approached the wounded Jedi Master, who was bleeding out.

Looking at her fearful Padawan, Master Wen gave Erictia a sad smile, and with her last breath, she uttered silently. "I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me," accepting her fate, Master Wen closed her eyes as Savage drove his lightsaber through her heart, killing her instantly.

"NO!"

Erictia cried out in horror while tears streamed down her face. Turning to Feral, the Jedi Padawan screeched out. "Monsters. You're all monsters!" Her attacks became far more aggressive and wild, this caused Feral to laugh and Erictia to grow even more angry. "You find this amusing, monster?!"

"Quite. What would your master think of you giving in to your anger? She would be so disappointed in you,"

"How dare you presume how my master would think of me!" Bearing her teeth, Erictia struck to kill but was countered and parried by Feral with every strike. "Die, Sith scum!" Before the fuming Jedi Padawan could land a killing blow, Feral used both his blades to cut across her stomach, forcing his opponent to her knees. Dropping her lightsabers and clutching her bleeding stomach, Erictia looked up at Feral who loomed over her, ready to kill her. "Y-You... will never win. In the end, the Sith will fall, and the Jedi, will... bring peace to the galaxy."

"Wrong,"

Feral then decapitated the Jedi Padawan, her head rolling while her body fell limp on the ground. Severing both of the Jedi's lightsabers, the youngest of the brother trio took the kyber crystals and would bleed them at the earliest opportunity.

Maul, who had recovered from being pushed into the window was helped up by both Rook Kast. "My lord, are you wounded?" The leader of the Super Commandos inquired.

"I have become indifferent to pain, Lady Kast," Maul groaned as he bowed his head to her in thanks for her concern before turning to his brothers looming over the slain bodies of the Jedi and smiling at them. Turning back to the leader of his Super Commandos, Maul nodded at her. "Go. Finish the clones, and get me in contact with Prime Minister Almec."

"Yes, Lord Maul," giving a dismissive wave to Gar Saxon and the Suust siblings, Rook was able to contact Almec so that Maul could speak with him.

"My lord?"

"Prime Minister Almec, you will contact the Neutral Systems Coalition and inform them that the Republic has openly invaded Mandalore for no reason and convince these systems to pledge allegiance and support to our cause."

"Yes, of course, Lord Maul. I will see it done,"

As the brothers made their way out to the palace balcony, overlooking the battle, or rather, massacre outside, the trio fed off of the clone army's pain and fear as their forces wiped the floor with them. Commander Sato, a dozen clone assassins, and over fifty troopers were all that remained of the Lotus battalion here on Mandalore, and though they fought bravely, they were overwhelmed by the Super Commandos and syndicate mercenaries.

"Fight to the end, brothers!" Sato roared out while gunning down several syndicate mercenaries. "For the Republic!" As Sato and his clone assassins eviscerated any syndicate mercenary that pressed them, eventually, the last of the Lotus troopers were cut down by Basilisk war droids and the Super Commandos closed the gap, engaging the clone assassins in hand-to-hand combat. Sato drew an electro sword strapped behind his back, which crackled with yellow electricity while still wielding one of his blaster pistols. Fighting until his last breath, Sato was shot in the leg, forcing the clone commander to collapse on a single knee and then shot in the chest. As he faded, he looked into the face of a Black Sun mercenary who ripped off his helmet and shot him in the face.

"Commander Sato!"

One of the clone assassins, Blade cried out before moving like a whirlwind and cutting down several syndicate mercenaries, including the one who killed his commander. Unfortunately, he was wrapped in whip cords from Super Commandos flying overhead and then had crimson bolts fill his chest, killing him, and ultimately, the last of the Lotus battalion.

Chuckling as his forces killed the last of the clones, Maul was soon contacted by Almec, who had informed his sworn lord that he had gotten most of if not all the members of the Neutral Systems Coalition to join Crimson Dawn. Each of these two thousand neutral systems offered a well-trained militia force and supplies that would allow Crimson Dawn to increase tenfold.

Seating himself on his throne, Maul smiled in delight. Crimson Dawn was no longer just a criminal enterprise, it was now a third faction in the Clone Wars; a large enough faction to amass armies and fleets out of nowhere and have enough political persuasion to turn planets from the Republic and Separatists in favor of joining Crimson Dawn. Although it would take weeks to amass the thousands of soldiers, ships, and supplies these neutral systems would offer to Crimson Dawn, Maul knew that now was the time to end the competition between himself and Count Dooku. He would be the Dark Lord of the Sith, and his brothers would stand by his side as Sith Lords themselves, and the galaxy would belong to him and his family, as would his revenge against all his enemies.

Their time to claim the galaxy would begin once Count Dooku was dead.

A/N: The next chapter will be a duel of the dark side as Maul and his brothers face Count Dooku in a final battle for who will become the new Dark Lord of the Sith. Also, for a little context, the syndicate mercenaries sent by Dryden Vos wear the same helmets and wield the weapons his Hylobon enforcers in Solo have, but their wearing armor instead of looking like they're wearing suits. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and as always, leave feedback and suggestions, and I'll see you in the next update!