After my audience had recovered from my transmutation of platinum into beskar, both Vi and her people looked at me in a considerably different light. I had backed up my claims at creating beskar, as close to a holy metal as they had, and suddenly my previous words did not seem quite as rambling or unbelievable.

  I could tell that some of them were at least hearing and taking in my words, while quite a few others disliked what I had said about their ancestors and tradition. Vi Galti was impossible to read beyond her immediate reactions, her deeper thoughts hidden, most likely purposely, by a well-controlled mask.

  By the time I left, about an hour after my performance, it was clear that convincing Vi and her people to join up would be an ongoing task, but one I was certain was possible, assuming that nothing spectacular went wrong. While they had been stuck in an extremely unfortunate scenario, they were actually considerably better off as a whole than Clan Syr had been. They had credits saved up, more warriors who could, in turn, make money, and more resources on hand. Clan Syr had had little more than the clothes and armor on their backs. Ultimately, that meant the decision to join Skyforge wouldn't be one of survival, but of pure merit.

  Not long after we had our little meeting, a handful of Vi's people happily dropped off the skeleton of the dark trooper armor. Immediately, Miru took all of them and disappeared into her workshop, bringing all of her team that had remained on the ship with her. She was very excited to break the whole thing down, and I was excited to see her results.

  Thankfully, the trip to the abandoned colony did not drag on, and once we arrived, we began ferrying the Mandalorians down to the surface. Once everyone was on the ground, save a team of four warriors who borrowed a hyperspace capable shuttle to go cash in some favors and saved up credits to buy ships for the clan, we began moving people into the abandoned structures. They were basic, rough, duracrete poured frames, but enough of them had intact doors and windows to keep the refugees out of the elements.

  The planet itself wasn't the most pleasant rock to live on, with most of it covered in a rough, cold tundra. Thankfully, though, it wasn't barren, with enough of an ecosystem to support the Mandalorians for a while, especially if they augmented their diets with shelf-stable rations. That, combined with the abandoned structures serving as perfectly adequate shelter from the elements, they had all the ingredients for a decent temporary home. Hell, most of the buildings had space for heaters and other equipment built in, making the setup relatively simple.

  After getting everyone moved in and donating a few speeders to help them survey the area, it was time for one more personal meeting with Vi Galti before I returned to Nirn. This time, she was located in one of the central buildings of the now reclaimed colony, which at one point had been a communications tower, meant to connect the colony to the holonet. Now it was simply a large building where Clan Galti could meet. When I arrived at the building with Tatnia, Corvak, and his second, we were brought to a decent-sized gathering area, where Vi and a large group of her people were waiting. When I approached, she stood, grasping my arm in a warrior handshake, before guiding us to a table near the center of the space.

  "Deacon Roy, Corvak Syr, my clan owes you and the Skyforged Vanguard our lives," She admitted, several of her people nodding in agreement. "When the rest of our people could do nothing, you came forth and fought great odds to rescue us."

  "When faced with tyrants like the Emperor, we are all allies, no matter what our history might be," I assured her as we took our seats. "Rescuing you, and eventually helping you pay the Empire back for the attack, was our genuine pleasure."

  She nodded in understanding, her face not betraying a single thought. After a moment, she continued.

  "Deacon, you have made no attempt to hide your wish to recruit us, for us to join your people and your mercenary company," she pointed out. "But despite having our entire clan in the palm of your hand, completely at your mercy, you made no move to... Encourage our joining. You simply dropped us off at a temporary home, offering us further aid to help us recover. I believe I know your game, but I would like to hear it from you."

  "I have no use for conscripts or forced labor," I explained, shaking my head. "They do poor work, and it always comes back to bite the people in charge in the ass. Usually, when it does the absolutely most damage to them it could possibly do. And I have no doubt that if I even thought about harming your people, you would make me regret it."

  Some chuckled, but Vi's serious expression told me I was absolutely correct.

  "If you do join, I want it to be because you want to, either because you agree with my sentiments on your people's past, or because you agree that change is what your people need to flourish once more. Or even because you like the way we kick ass and want to kick ass with us."

  That got several more chuckles from the people around us, and Vi nodded while holding her own smile.

  "I must admit, out of everything you have said, the truths you purport to reveal, it's your honesty and bluntness that has made the biggest impact," She explained. "Beyond, of course, the help you provide."

  "I have no patience for politics," I responded with a shrug. "It has its place, especially in times of peace, but I have no interest in wielding it myself."

  "When interacting with the Rebellion, he needed to find politicians to entreaty with theirs," Corvak said, cutting in with proof of my disregard for politics, a slight smirk on his face. "Rather than find trained diplomats, he sent a Jedi, a Republic clone, a freed slave, and one of my people."

  That silenced the room, before several people figured out what he had meant and snorted or laughed.

  "And these are your allies?" Vi asked, sounding shocked, clearly holding back her own laughter. "Well, I suppose I cannot say you don't know how to make a statement."

  "The Rebellion are our allies, but they are far from perfect," I admitted with a shrug. "Their fight against the Empire is just, but what they wish to do after… They wish to restart the Republic, as if nothing had happened. As if the galaxy hadn't tried to rip itself to pieces not twenty years ago for the Republic's failings. I felt having a few people around who understood what that meant better than anyone would do the Rebellion politics some good."

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  That got another round of appreciative chuckles and nods. It took a minute for the group to calm back down, Vi helping them along by raising her hand, calling for quiet.

  "Regardless of politics, or whatever may come next, you have Clan Galti's thanks and respect," She said. "The help you have provided, and continue to provide, will not be forgotten. We owe you a debt."

  For a moment, I almost opened my mouth to assure that no debt was required, that we had helped because it was the right thing to do, and so that we could build bonds with the clan. Thankfully, Corvak knew me well enough to shoot me a look, stopping me in my tracks.

  "We accept your debt, and promise to treat it with the seriousness it deserves," I said with a nod. "Thank you."

  "Good. I also have a gift for both of you, Deacon and Corvak."

  She gestured, and a pair of weapon cases were carried out, each over a meter long. They were placed on the table we had gathered around, the carriers retreating to retake their seats. Vi stood and unsealed one, reaching inside to pull out a sword, quite clearly made with beskar.

  "I gift to you, Corvak, a traditional," she said, handing him the machete-looking sword with a slight bow. "Wield it well."

  Corvak accepted the weapon silently, studying the blade closely as Vi Galti cracked open the second case. She silently, this one looking remarkably similar to a standard European sword, as far as I could call it, with a double-edged blade, a solid crossbar, a leather-bound handle, and a thick pommel, jeweled with a green polished rock. The cross bar was adorned with a, the standard on one side, while the other side bore Clan Galti's crest, a simple circle with small triangles around it, pointing away, representing a star. Despite the adornment, the sword was simple, and somehow more of a work of art because of it. The design almost looked out of place, but I couldn't bring myself to question it.

  "I gift to you, Deacon, a blade carried by one of my ancestors, one who favored fighting with the sword rather than the blaster," she explained, handing me the blade. "He designed it himself and wielded it to great effect. When you showed off your magic, the sword you summoned reminded me of this, so I must assume you know how to wield it well."

  I numbly nodded as I accepted the blade, bowing slightly, entirely at a loss for words. This sword felt good in my hands, even before I could hold it properly.

  "Both of these weapons were forged by the craftsman of my clan, many ages before the Night of a Thousand Tears," she explained, retaking her seat. "They have been in my clan's possession for generations, and now they are yours. I only ask that, should they somehow break, that you do not melt them down, but instead return them to us, or another clan, to be reforged."

  "I am honored to accept a weapon like this," I said, still examining the blade with wide eyes. "But I was under the impression that Mandalorians found beskar weapons distasteful."

  "To some, yes, but for many more, they are simply practical," She responded with a shrug. "However, be aware that to most, pulling a beskar blade on a Mandalorian is a declaration that you do not plan on taking prisoner."

  I nodded in understanding while still examining the blade. The actual blade itself rippled with the waves of beskar, while the crossguard and pommel shone with a different hue. It truly was an impressive blade, and would work seamlessly with my own abilities.

  "Also, be warned, any Mandalorian who follows The Way will likely do their best to take it from you, so it could be melted down and turned to armor," She explained. "There are worse fates for blades like these, but I would prefer you keep that from happening.

  "I assure you, we will," I said with a nod.

  "A prudent gift, given the dark troopers we faced," Corvak pointed out. "Thank you, Vi Galti."

  After the quasi ceremony was complete, Vi handed both of us sheaths for our new weapons, which I happily clipped into place on my uniform. It worked out pretty well because by clipping it to my left side, I could pull it out with my right hand, while also keeping my blaster pistol on the right, ready to be pulled when needed, since I coukld really only shoot with my right, and couldn't cross draw with a pistol.

  We talked for a bit longer, agreeing to leave a squadron of A-wings on the ground for a few weeks to defend the colony, at least until they could cobble together a halfway decent defense and some ships. After that, 2nd group would be by to pick up the squadron.

  We agreed to stay in contact and keep each other informed on the basics of what we were up to, though it was mostly so we could work with them to get their revenge when they were ready, and so we could pass on jobs they might be interested in working with us on. I fully intended to have our intelligence people working on finding tasks that would be useful in. The more we got them involved, showing off what we were capable of, the easier it would be to recruit them later.

  Besides, it was clear that Vi fully intended to pay back their debt, and what better way to do that than working with us on some jobs, which may or may not show off our skills and abilities, as well as the benefits of joining with us.

  When our business was finally done, we packed up our things and retreated to the There, after a few system checks and a thorough scan to make sure that the Mandalorians hadn't left any surprises for us, we made the jump to lightspeed, leaving the system behind. We had a two-day journey to a deep space resting stop, since we couldn't return to Nirn without clearing the Arquitens of tracking equipment.

  During the trip, I spent a few hours talking it over with the group leaders, and we ultimately decided that it was in our best interest to sell the Arquitens and keep the Guardian, even if it was slightly damaged. The larger ship was just too much with our current load, especially when looking at just how much of the Jabba heist income we had already spent. All of the free credit ingots and accounts were already gone, as well as a significant amount of the free jewels. Luckily, not only had we sold the TIE Hunters and their parts for three million, but we also had a few potential buyers for the Corusca gem. In fact, a few initial offers had already been made, ranging from six to eight million credits.

  Once the decision was made to sell, I contacted Admiral Ackbar. It took nearly four hours for him to get back in touch, but it was well worth it since he was such a straight shooter when it came to dealing with all of the politics and bullshit. After some negotiation, we agreed that, assuming there was nothing massively wrong with the ship, they would pay two and a half million credits for it, and another half million credits for all of the equipment inside, of which there was plenty.

  That brought the Rebellion's debt up to just about eight million in total. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

  I also spent some time talking to Miru and her people, asking them to design a weapon that we could easily distribute to take down Beskar-armored enemies. We discussed several options, with the goal of using as little beskar as possible while making sure that it was still an effective weapon. Miru was still busy working on the dark trooper armor skeleton, but she promised to have some of her people switch tracks and start spitballing ideas.

  With the ship sold and my orders passed on to Miru's team, I spent the remaining day and a half with Ahsoka, alternating between relaxing and sparing, which we included Corvak in, since he was concerned he had gotten rusty when it came to fighting with a beskad.