While Ky Narec on Rattatak was placing his hopes in a Chosen One named Asajj Ventress to turn the tide, Obi-Wan Kenobi was leading another possible Chosen One—Anakin Skywalker—toward the world next door to Rattatak: Batuu (star chart coordinates: G-15).
Max did not remain on Rattatak for long.
His plans for Rattatak were much the same as his plans for Ryloth.
Let the new recruits see some battle, spill a little blood, and harden their nerves. Still, that was all it would amount to. The training value was limited—the enemy was simply too weak.
Once the wars were ended and society stabilized, economic colonization could begin. A market of one billion beings was not especially vast, but neither was it small.
As for Ky Narec and Asajj Ventress, Max certainly had half a mind to turn their ten-year contract into a permanent one through careful indoctrination. But there was no need to rush that. It could be handled over time.
On August 27, Year 6 of the Galactic Standard Calendar, after transferring command of Bespin Mandalorian Armed Forces Marine Regiments 202 and 303, along with the Gale Wing and Westwind Wing of the Army Air Corps, to Ky Narec and Asajj Ventress, Max boarded the Kom'rk-class starfighter of the Mandalorian assault team and returned to the Golden Dragon battlecarrier, preparing to head back to Bespin.
That was when the unexpected happened.
A Republic Longbeam starship dropped out of hyperspace not far from the task force and transmitted an urgent distress signal. The ship claimed it had run into hyperspace turbulence and suffered a systems failure that left it without control, and it requested immediate assistance.
"Chief, this is a starship registered to a PMC called Ace Mando, but there are only two Jedi aboard. They identify themselves as Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker. They say they leased the ship while carrying out some classified emergency rescue mission."
Well now, what a remarkable twist of fate.
Max waved a hand.
"Help them. Help them."
"Yes, Chief."
The Golden Dragon took the disabled Longbeam in tow, and thus began a meeting of historic consequence.
"Master Kenobi." Max smiled and extended his right hand. "We meet again."
"Lord Vizsla?" Obi-Wan looked genuinely surprised as he hurried down the boarding ramp. "I never expected it would be you who rescued us."
"Hah." Max laughed as he shook Obi-Wan's hand. "Then thank Master Aayla Secura. If not for her, men like you—war criminals who meddled in the Mandalorian Civil War—should have been shot on sight."
At once, Obi-Wan's expression froze. He could only force out an awkward smile of his own.
"Haha..."
After letting go of Obi-Wan's hand, Max turned and exchanged greetings with Anakin Skywalker as well.
"Young Jedi, welcome aboard the Golden Dragon merchant vessel."
"Lord Vizsla, thank you for your aid."
"Think nothing of it, think nothing of it. Just don't blow up my ship—I hear you've done that sort of thing before."
"The ship I destroyed belonged to the Trade Federation. Is yours a warship too?"
"And if I said yes, would you blow this one up as well?" Max asked, staring directly into Anakin's eyes.
"N-no, my lord. That's not what I meant."
"This is an armed freighter registered with the Judicial Department of the Galactic Republic. If either of you has doubts, feel free to check the records yourselves." Max turned and gestured ahead. "Enough of this. The hangar is no place for conversation. Let's talk over a meal in the dining hall. Please."
"After you."
On the way to the dining hall, Anakin kept thinking about the word war criminal. Why hadn't his master denied it? Why had Obi-Wan reacted as though he were in the wrong?
"Order for yourselves." Once they were seated in the dining hall, Max gestured casually. "Big ship, big stores. We've got all the usual ingredients aboard."
"I'll have Crew Set A."
Ordinarily, Obi-Wan was a man of refined tastes and knew how to enjoy good food. But at that moment he felt as though he were sitting on needles. He had no mind for any of it.
"I'll have Crew Set A as well," Anakin said, choosing to match his master.
"One more of the same."
While they waited for the food to arrive, the engineering department of the Golden Dragon sent over the initial inspection report on the Longbeam.
"Patch it through to the dining hall," Max ordered. "Let the two Masters have a look."
"Your hyperdrive assembly is finished," Max said, pointing to the holoprojection. "We don't have the necessary parts aboard the Golden Dragon. It would have to be overhauled—or replaced outright—once we reach Bespin."
"Lord Vizsla," Obi-Wan asked, "how long would it take to reach Bespin from here?"
"About seven days."
"That means a round trip alone would take half a month, and that's without counting the repairs." Obi-Wan's face darkened. "Time is critical, Lord Vizsla. Could we borrow a ship from you and continue our mission?"
"What mission?" Max asked, lifting a brow.
After a brief hesitation, Obi-Wan chose honesty. He told Max that he and Anakin were tracking Captain Burda of the Judicial Forces, who had been bought from Zygerrian slavers by a mysterious individual.
At present, the clues were sparse. First: one of the Zygerrian slavers had overheard someone among the buyer's group calling out the name "Skywalker." Second: after an extensive investigation, Master and apprentice had learned that Batuu had records of activities involving "Skywalkers."
Batuu? Records of Skywalker activity? Has time gone sideways?
No... no, I see. It's that kind of Skywalker.
"Master Obi-Wan," Max said with a smile, "would you rather rescue Captain Burda with your own hands, or would you rather see him rescued as quickly as possible?"
"Obviously as quickly as possible," Obi-Wan answered without hesitation.
"Then have Coruscant bring pressure to bear on the Chiss Ascendancy. Captain Burda is in their hands."
PS: In current canon, the first meeting between Anakin Skywalker and Thrawn takes place in space near Batuu.
PPS: Several thousand years before the Battle of Yavin, a chain of supernova explosions filled the Unknown Regions with fast-moving celestial bodies and vast electromagnetic currents. From that point onward, any hyperspace travel through more than two or three systems in the Unknown Regions became extremely dangerous and required Force-sensitives to navigate safely.
To make travel through the Unknown Regions possible, the civilizations there jointly founded the Navigators' Guild. It is a neutral, multi-species institution that avoids all political entanglements and exists solely to provide navigation services for long-range starships.
The greatest power in the Unknown Regions, the Chiss Ascendancy, maintains its own navigators. These are Force-sensitive Chiss girls under the age of thirteen, known as sky-walkers. The existence of these sky-walkers is one of the Chiss Ascendancy's closely guarded secrets. Other states in the Unknown Regions do not know the Chiss possess an independent navigation corps of their own.
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