Changes

[Keira Zale]

Brentaal had been a formerly Sith planet that recently came over to the Republic. Sith to Republic planets were especially tough to handle, as most of them came with people that very much believed in the old ways of thinking around xenophobia and the old empire. There had been a lot of negative feedback on having an alien as Emperor, and it only compounded when the Empire dissolved.

Keira, as Chancellor, was often called in to settle issues from planets that carried over into the Republic. Today, she was sent to Brentaal to investigate on what to do with high profile prisoners that were captured by the Sith. She knew there were many citizens here who despised the move to a Republic, and there were rumors of affiliations with Jedi.

She had to ignore it all, and she made her way towards a maximum security prison. Keira had a few Republic guards with her, and she still felt more than uneasy walking through the halls. Most of the criminals made lewd gestures or comments at her, and she had to ignore it all.

A few criminals had already been released as they had been more in line with the rebellion. Keira made sure that the PR around that didn’t get out to the Mandalorians, as she didn’t need to step on any toes.

She arrived at a highly guarded cell, coming to a stop near it. Inside it, she saw a man that appeared as if he had been there a while. Keira looked to the guard next to her and nodded, and he began to open the door. Her heart was beating rapidly and she didn’t know what to expect.

Keira stepped in, noting that the man was already cuffed on his wrists and ankles, “Hello,” She said quietly. She felt more than a little awkward, and she had his file in her hands in a datapad.

 

[Vale Rau]

Vale had his fingers interlocked, both of his hands just resting above his heart as he continued to murmur to himself. There were sounds of clanging and shouting from the guards and inmates that surrounded him in the other cubes, nearly breaking his focus until he found his words once more. The Mandalorian had been sloppy and he paid for it, having been attacked by a group of people in a random alley until he was knocked out and woke up in a cell. Vale didn't go without a fight, at least by his count taking two or three lives or just making it so that they could never walk normally again. They had left him with various bruises and marks for payback as one his ribs hurt when he breathed but that was not the worst of it. They had taken his pride and his livelihood, his armor.

Vale currently sat there with just a simple shirt and pants, feeling completely naked even with the fabric covering him modestly. There was an anger that flowed through him that he never felt before in his life and the prayers he uttered were the only things keeping him from tearing his hair out. This was the first time that he had ever taken off his helmet and now even the walls seemed to have eyes and couldn't just stop staring at him, making him feel like an exposed book that anyone could just come up to and flip a page. Vale had even caught one of the guards trying to peek at a full Mandalorian without their helmet and he earned a broken nose for it, which earned Vale the chains around his wrists and ankles. The Mandalorian would rather take his own life before being put in chains once more.

Vale finally opened his eyes when he started hearing other inmates hooting and hollering. The only thing that could get them this riled up was someone from the opposite gender. His eyes followed the cheering through his cell wall, seeing that it began to get louder and louder and closer to Vale's cell. With a few seconds left, he dropped his hands and stepped away from where he prayed, not letting anyone but other Mandos witness his honoring.

When Keira would step in front of Vale's cell, she would find the man just sitting there. His lengthy hair covered his face and his eyes also stared down toward the ground while he was as quiet as a statue. The restraints around his hands and ankles were much tighter than most prisoners, the skin underneath chafing badly even though he didn't seem to notice or care. Keira would also see various religious symbols on the ground, arranged in some pattern only he could understand. After she gave her hello, Vale would be quiet long enough for her to consider the man was deaf until he spoke, "Why are you speaking to me?"

 

[Keira Zale]

When the man said nothing for a moment, Keira uncomfortably looked at the guard, “Does he speak Bas-” That was when the man spoke up. She felt slightly embarrassed, having assumed that he only spoke Mando’a and couldn’t understand even a simple hello. Naturally, the first words out of his mouth were gruff and reproachful. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Mandos.

“I’m Keira Zale, Chancellor of the Republic,” He likely hadn’t even heard any current events and didn’t know what the Republic was. She doubted he wanted a history lesson, and she wouldn’t waste either of their time, “The Sith no longer control this planet, so I’m pulling up records of criminals to identify which can be exonerated.”

Keira flipped down the lid of the toilet across from him and sat down on it, not finding anywhere else to sit. She waved off the guard that began to suggest they go somewhere else. She looked down at the datapad, and it appeared as if she were scrolling through a long list.

“Arson...property damage...murder of Sith…” She kept going down the list, “Destroying capital buildings….destroying communication towers...attacking Sith civilians…” She looked up at the man, “You have quite the list of crimes identified by the Sith.”

Keira sighed, “I am in a difficult position as you now fall under the Republic’s jurisdiction. A lot of your crimes are very destructive and violent in nature, and a few have been targeted at civilians. Can you explain your actions?”

 

[Vale Rau]

Chancellor of the Republic? That was a very-self important title. This was the first time that he had ever spoken to a chancellor before and it was probably going to be his last ever. She was right that he had no idea about the Republic, Vale barely showing a reaction until she told the guard to leave them and started to list his crimes. Twisting his head slightly, he could still hear the footsteps echoing down the hall and Vale counted them in his head until it reached a number where the man had to leave the room. It was just the two of them now and he returned his attention to the woman as she finished listing off his crimes to him.

When she was finished, Vale chuckled softly enough that Keira almost couldn't hear it, "Crimes, huh? Identified by the Sith? It seems a very reliable source." He couldn't even remember all these "crimes" that he had committed, none of what he did was criminal in his mind. This was payback and justice for his people and for the ones that had suffered the Sith's presence long enough in the galaxy. Vale had gone silent again, running a hand through his hair as the chains around his wrists jingled softly. A few seconds later, he had finally dropped his hands and lifted his head up to look at Keira for the first time, the small scars on his face now catching the light as he stared at her.

"I was there on Mandalore when the Sith attacked. I watched as the armada rained down fire and death on my people from above. Watched as flesh was burned off of the bone, children left motherless and crying as they breathed in sulfur and smoke, as history as old as our very people destroyed within a blink of an eye and gone forever." Vale's dark green eyes held their gaze with Keira's, a certain intensity burning underneath the ocean of green that would give the feeling that he would repeat everything he did again and again. "How to explain my actions? I simply returned the ferocity that was placed upon us."

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira winced slightly as he spoke, describing the details of the attack on Mandalore. She didn’t want to hear it, and he painted a very vivid image. She could never fathom what it must have been like to see so many of his brethren perish. It was where Raz Solus had died defending her people and countless Mandalorians had given their lives.

It was easy to get convinced this was all just, but she had to remind herself of her position of neutrality. Keira externally looked stoic, keeping her emotions out of her face. She let him finish before a pause hung in the air, her eyes still trained on the datapad.

“And is paying everyone back in kind always the answer?” Keira asked quietly, looking up to meet his gaze, “It was the same excuse the Sith used after they were originally exiles. They did it all to strike back against a galaxy that did them wrong. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

She knew he didn’t want to hear that, but he would have to if he were going to be released, “I’m looking into criminals that can be deemed safe for release. Wanton violence and murder are not things the Republic can condone regardless of the reason. While everything else can be justified as a part of war, the attacks on civilians is inexcusable.”

Keira chewed on her lip, wondering what to do. She could send him back to Mandalorians for them to try under their laws. Would they simply see it as a joke? They were so hellbent on crusade that they would likely laud him as a hero. Keira gazed back up at him after a moment.

“What do you want to do? What would you do if you were to be let go right now?”

 

[Vale Rau]

The Chancellor winced as he described what it was like at the glassing. She should have seen how he was when he was there during it, as if his heart was cut out of his chest with a dull knife and he was forced to watch. She asked him another question, making Vale's gaze lock with hers as he couldn't help but laugh while leaning back against the wall, "You learn quickly in this galaxy Chancellor, It's all wrong no matter what glass you look through." It was all perspective, his people saw themselves as right, this new Republic saw themselves as the right ones and he sure the Sith wasn't left out of that group. One person's trash is another's treasure and this galaxy was filled with gunk.

This was practically torture for Vale, just setting here and listening to crimes that weren't even crimes to him or his people. His fate was being decided by a pen of a woman who he had never met before. It infuriated him that he was stuck in this concrete cube while his brothers and sisters out there continued their work and service. Vale didn't say anything when she mentioned the attacks on the civilians, using them as bait to draw out the Imperials. He had placed the bombs in places where they couldn't cause collateral damage but to the Sith, that didn't mean a damn thing to them and this Chancellor wasn't going to believe his case even if he did explain it perfectly.

Vale could see her chew on her lip and think, causing him to tilt his head a few degrees as he watched her and waited on what she decided. From fighting on the battlefield to this, how it all changed so quickly. When she asked him her questions, Vale shrugged in response before answering truthfully to the second one, "I'd take a warm shower and find an actual bed with sheets." He smirked at her before leaning forward, his elbows now resting on his knees as the chains jingled once more. "What would you like to me to say? I hang up my armor and weapons, go to the nearest shelter and start feeding the homeless and taking care of the sick?" Vale then pointed at her datapad, "You seen my crimes and what transpired and know that's not possible. So really, what do you want? My life is now regrettably in your hands. The only thing I can offer is to blast someone or protect someone for you." Vale couldn't change his way of life but he could offer his service instead and that was the best he could offer out of all the belongings he owned.

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira listened to all his sarcasm and quirked an eyebrow, “Actually, that’s a good idea,” She switched off her datapad, sitting up straight. She looked at him, dead serious in the eye and it was clear she wasn’t joking around.

“You will be doing community service,” She explained, “You will feed the homeless and take care of the elderly. And you will help clear out some neighborhoods that have been taken over by thugs that the Sith have turned a blind eye to,” Keira was completely serious. Mandalorians liked to think they were above having to give back to the community, and she would make them realize they didn’t run the galaxy.

“You want to see a life outside of bars again? That’s what you’ll be doing,” Keira said firmly, “You need to show that you can be a productive member of society instead of being a trigger happy maniac,” She didn’t care what excuses he had as a Mando, none of that was going to fly here. Keira had dealt with enough Mandos acting tough, and she wouldn’t let any other bullshit fly.

“Do we have a deal?”

 

[Vale Rau]

It was Vale's turn to arch his eyebrow at the Chancellor, seeing a fire lit underneath her eyes as she ran with an idea she had suddenly thought of. She turned off the pad before staring at him, the Mandalorian continued having confusion spread across his face until she finally revealed what she came up with. Everything in Vale's face just dropped, "You're shitting me." The Chancellor didn't care, continuing on with her idea as she started to list different community services that he would participate in. "That's what you want? For me to help old men and women who can't wipe their ass?" If he didn't have the chains around his ankles, Vale was sure he would have stranged her right there. Keira would be able to sense the anger radiating off of him.

Vale held his gaze straight with Keira's, his fiery resolve clashing against her steel one. The only problem was that he's the one in chains and the cell while she still had control over her life and actions. And most importantly, she had control of his right now despite how embarrassed and enraged he was. She asked him if he wanted to see life outside of bars and that's all he dreamed of, hating the feeling of being caged in with trash he wouldn't even wipe off his boot. Vale exhaled loudly, the Chancellor able to see the gears turning within his head as he thought her proposition over and over in his head and every avenue of it.

But the woman held all the cards and could easily throw away the key if she wanted to. When she finished and asked if they had a deal, Vale went silent and thought it over before finally opening his mouth, "On one condition though." The Mandalorian held up his index finger as he spoke, "I want my armor. Every piece of it. You can even deactivate all the functions on it if you want but I need it." Vale leaned back against the wall as he crossed his arms the best he could with his cuffs, "If so, then you have a deal. If not, then don't let the door hit you on the way out." Maybe this would be an opportunity he couldn't afford to skip but Vale would rather bide his time, no matter how long, with his gear instead of leaving his second-skin behind. He assumed he would get it to deal with the thugs that terrorized neighborhoods, but he wanted it now instead of later.

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira blinked at him and it was the first time she smiled, “Of course,” She said, “That was already part of the deal. Though I’m surprised you want to represent being Mandalorian while you will be….'helping wipe old men’s asses', but whatever suits you,” Keira shrugged as she rose to her feet.

“I will be with you on many of these to monitor you and observe your progress,” Keira said as she prepared to leave, “The first assignment is a soup kitchen in the poorer districts of this planet. The holidays are around the corner, so you will be tasked with providing food and…” She had to bite her lip to keep a straight face, “Helping knit hats for children that can’t afford warm clothing for the season.”

The guard’s jaw had been hanging open the entire time, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing or hearing. Keira gave him a stern look to remind him to be professional. It was not her intent to humiliate the Mandalorian, especially as she would be joining him on these activities herself. He needed to get a taste of what it meant to give back to the community.

Keira smiled at him and nodded, “Get some sleep. We will start early tomorrow.”

 

[Vale Rau]

Vale figured it would have already been part of the deal but he wanted to make sure he would recover his armor. Kiera questioned why he would want the armor to represent his people through this but Vale had his reasons. The Chancellor rose from the toilet, then informing him that his activities would be to help a soup kitchen and to help knit hats for children for the winter. Vale didn’t say a word, he didn’t need to, Keira would clearly be able to see that the man wasn’t happy about his situation. His eyes were daggers and they were aimed at her as she barely contained her laugh when it came to the hats.

Even the guard couldn’t help with his reaction and both a combined look from the Chancellor and the Mandalorian was the only thing he needed to shut up right then and there. If this wasn’t to embarrass him then Vale couldn’t see it or Keira didn’t understand from his point of view. He was a warrior and now he was going to be a maid/cook for people who didn’t care for his and vice versa. The only thing that kept him down in his seat was the fact that he would be able to taste fresh air soon and that was almost a reward in itself.

The Chancellor offered him a smile which the man didn’t return before telling him to sleep. Vale barely gave a sign that he heard her request until she finally stepped out of cell. He would just sprawl out on the bench that he sat on as his gaze went straight to the ceiling and burnt a whole through with his eyes. The two guards outside of his door began to snicker once Keira would walk down the hall and leave Vale.

When Vale finally woke up to the sound of banging, it was one of the guards banging his stun stick between two bars. “Wake up sunshine. You ready to help? I’m sure you’ll love the quality time you’ll get to spend knitting.” The other guard laughed as Vale continued to just stare at the ceiling with taut lips. That’s when the door at the end of the hall opened and the two guards stood at attention. Vale just slowly sat up with a groan before leaning back against the wall , already knowing who it was gonna be.

 

[Keira Zale]

Vale would be led down through the prison and into a speeder that took him somewhere far from the cell. As it passed, he would see that they were rapidly going towards a shady district that was run down and much poorer than where he was coming from. Homeless people were everywhere, and the roads were broken down and dilapidated buildings were on all sides.

The speeder finally pulled up near a shelter where there was a line of homeless people with bowls. Vale would be escorted by the two guards towards the inside of the kitchen, and he would spot Keira there. She was wearing very plain clothing and had gloves on her hands and a holiday hat on her head. She looked up and smiled at Vale, “Perfect timing! Come here and peel some potatoes.”

It was risky giving him even a potato peeler, but she couldn’t get much use out of him otherwise. He would have to peel them and drop them into boiling water to prep for the meals. With his armor on, he was getting a lot of looks. A few people tried reaching up to touch his armor as he walked, as they had never seen something so expensive and shiny before.

Keira waved the guards away, looking at Vale, “I’m trusting you won’t do anything stupid, so please don’t prove me wrong.”

 

[Vale Rau]

It was just the captain of these quadrants of cells and they roughly picked up Vale before escorting him out of the prison and into the vehicle. Before they left, however, they let Vale put on his armor with another guard watching just in case. It didn't matter to Vale, once he slid the helmet back on and had his face masked from the galaxy once more, it felt like home to him and one that he never wanted to leave again. The guards loaded him back on the speeder before flying off, Vale able to look out the window to see the poor and run-down areas that he would be visiting with this Chancellor.

After a while, they would finally reach the shelter, the normal sound of busy people and street life filling his ears. It was much different from the prison and Vale didn't think he would actually miss a sound but this was one of them. Stepping out of the speeder, one of the guards pushed him forward as the other followed behind his other shoulder. He was now fully armored and the guards weren't going to take a chance with him. When they cut through the line and avoided touchy hands to make it inside, the trio was greeted by the Chancellor who was showing off her festive spirit and certainly didn't look like any politic that he had ever seen. Glancing to where she was gesturing, there were just baskets of potatoes and Keira holding the peeler for him. When she told him not to do anything stupid, Vale responded, "Of course."

The guards stared at the peeler as Vale used one hand to reach for it and flipped in his hand a few times. When she waved off the guards, one of them tapped him on the shoulder with the stun-stick, "We know you'll have fun." Vale didn't really know what happened, all he felt was just a sudden surge of anger before he violently whipped his helmeted head to the left and right onto the nose of the guard. He could hear the crunch and he knew he had broken the man's nose instantly, the guard falling to the ground as he tried to stop the bleeding. Vale took a step forward to Keira before spinning around to face the two guards, the other helping the injured one up as they both held up their stun-sticks. "You wanna get electrocuted?" The Mandalorian held up his potato peeler, not in a threatening manner but more of his weapon of choice, "I'd say we're on even ground now." The two guards stared him down slightly confused as it was clear he wasn't trying to run for it or anything else.

When the two noticed the homeless staring at them and waiting, they eventually just cursed to themselves before making their way outside and leaving the two like she originally requested but keeping an eye on him and still remaining ever close by. Vale looked back to the Chancellor, "He talked a lot." With that being said, the Mando just made his way to the baskets before picking out a potato. The other cutters took a step to the side away from him, seeing that he didn't need a peeler to cause some damage if he wanted.

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira groaned as she saw the bit of violence play out. She spoke loudly to the others in the kitchen, telling them there was nothing to see here. She smiled and waved, stepping to the side to block Vale out of view, but it was useless. When he turned to talk to her, she glared at him.

“You are no better than a rabid animal,” She angrily whispered at him as she watched him go over and pick up a potato. Keira saw the others shuffle away from him, and she sighed and shook her head. This was going to be quite the uphill battle, but she was determined to see this through.

People began to flood in, and they had to pick up the pace. Keira looked over at Vale, who looked as if he were pretending the potatoes were people’s faces. If that made him a more efficient peeler, then why not? She walked over after a while, potatoes in the pot. She helped drain the water and gave it over to someone else to mash, not trusting what Vale would do with a masher.

Keira pointed over to some trays that already had food on them, “Go and hand those out to people,” She turned to face him, “You have to be nice. Ask them how their day is going and wish them happy holidays,” Keira scowled at him, “And no breaking bones, or you’re back in solitary. Don’t ruin this for yourself.”

 

[Vale Rau]

When Vale saw the anger spill out across her face and heard her compare him to a rabid animal, she wouldn't be able to see it but a smirk happened underneath his T-visor. The others backed up from as he approached the potatoes but he didn't care in the slightest, preferring the space than before when everyone was attempting to touch his armor. When Vale started with the potatoes, he wasn't even looking down at what he was peeling, just dragging the peeler across the vegetable before a massive chunk would just fall off and leave the potato he was handling disfigured. He only did it a couple of times before looking up and realizing that there were children amongst the crowd of the homeless. It made Vale pause for a moment as he found one kid rush to one of his parents, both of them appearing as they rummaged through a dumpster before arriving. After that, his cuts were precise and slow, now not wanting to leave anything to waste.

When he heard footsteps behind and turned around, it was Keira pointing at a few trays and telling him to go hand them out and spread the holiday cheer. She laid out the ground rules as she told him no bone-breaking and telling him not to screw it up. Vale stared back at her for a few seconds as his response before snagging one of the trays with the peeler in his other hand. "Wouldn't dream of it, Chancellor."

Walking outside with food in hand, Vale instantly noticed that none of them were coming up of their own free will and he exhaled loudly. They weren't going to make this easy for him so he made his way to an elderly couple who almost looked scared to see him. Vale stood taller than both and with his fully black armor, he wasn't shocked they were a little terrified. "Happy..." He stopped halfway through, sighing as Vale shook his head while the two elders just stared at him. After a few seconds, he slowly crouched and swallowed his pride so he was down to their height before holding two fresh peeled potatoes in his gloved hand. "Happy holidays. Please, take it." The older woman was the first as a small smile crept on her face before she reached for her potatoes and her husband, "Thank you..." Vale gave her a slow nod, "It's the least I can do for you." Standing back up, the couple offered their thanks once more before he departed from then and went to another couple.

When he was about to pass out more potatoes that's when he noticed the group of men. They weren't exactly in a group, all of them spread out but they were dressed different from the normal crowd and approached differently. Before, the homeless who showed up walked with a sense of being directionless and hopeless. The group of men, however, walked with a sort of determination, like they were here for something specific. Vale couldn't see how many were there in total but he could see they were all heading straight to the shelter where Keira was as they pushed through the crowd. Peeling away from another elder, Vale started to catch up to the group of men, walking slowly behind them while still holding his tray.

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira was chewing nervously on her lip as she watched Vale walk over to hand out food. She half expected him to deck an old lady in the face, and she could see the hesitation from here. Keira didn’t even realize her knuckles had turned white from grasping a wooden spoon from watching this unfold.

In the end, he was actually nice and did as asked, and he even got some smiles in return. Keira heaved a sigh of relief and went back to what she was doing. Unlike Vale, she was not a trained soldier, and she was far less perceptive of her surroundings. She had no clue that a few men that were out of place had shuffled in.

Keira was in the middle of doling out some more food when one of the men pointed a gun at her, “Come with us quietly and no one else gets hurt,” He said, the gun pointed in her direction under a coat. No one else had noticed from the looks of it, “There doesn’t need to be any drama. Just start walking.”

She wanted to scream, but she didn’t react. Keira knew instantly that the others with him were his thugs. They were most likely armed and would start firing at everyone else here if she didn’t cooperate. Keira simply nodded and slowly set the spoon down, looking down at the ground as she walked from behind the counter she was at.

The men didn’t notice Vale just yet, and they tried to look discreet and as if Keira were simply joining them on a walk through the kitchen.

 

[Vale Rau]

A Mandalorian would be easy to spot in normal circumstances but there were too many people this time. Vale knew how to keep his distance enough so they wouldn't spot him and he did just that. The Chancellor's two guards seemed oblivious, just either chatting with each other or about other people. Vale just ignored them, knowing they would just get in the way and most likely throw away their lives needlessly. He could spot that one of them had a keen interest in Keira, Vale from his angle, able to see something pointing through the man's coat. So far, the only weapons the Mando had were a potato peeler and a metal tray and they would surely find their use today.

While Keira was being directed to the back of the kitchen, the thugs left two men at the side door, both of them just standing there casually while one pulled out a death-stick. Vale approached with the metal tray in hand and potatoes stacked to the brim on top of it. The two thugs studied the Mandalorian for a moment before they started laughing, the bigger one and the one directly in front of Vale speaking first, "Is this some kriffing joke?" The Mandalorian stared at them for a few seconds until he finally responded, "It is what it feels like." In a flash, all of the potatoes were chucked in the direction of the two thugs, both of them threw their arms up instinctively. Immediately afterward the metal tray came flying in, stabbing the big in the stomach with it to make his arms drop and knock the wind out of him. Vale brought the tray back and slammed it on the back of the massive thug's head, it leaving a huge indent as he fell to the ground immediately.

The other finally recollected his bearings and pulled out his blaster pistol to aim it directly at Vale's own head. The tray reacted instantly and came about to smack the gun right out of the man's hand, it clattering to the ground. The thug just threw a punch off reaction and Vale simply lifted the tray so it ate the strike, the punch almost fixing the original dent as the thug cursed in pain while shaking his hand. Vale just struck him across the face like the last one with the tray and he fell to the ground with little resistance to offer. Ditching the tray as he tossed it on the ground, Vale opened the door to the kitchen before stepping in after Keira.

When he stepped in, there was already a group of thugs already inside and the one who was directing Keira was almost by the exit door. They all turned around however to face Vale and silence just fell between them. The criminals stared at the Mandalorian for a few seconds, not knowing if they should break their cover as being homeless as they were only in the kitchen or immediately start firing. One of them just pulled out their blaster of choice and that's when everything went into motion. Vale instantly shot his left hand to grab one of the pots of boiling water, flinging the contents to the first man in front of him as he would scream in pain and try to cover his face with his hands.

Vale then pulled out the potato peeler, his other weapon besides the tray from earlier. The Mando moved fast for being in his armor, dodging strikes from the second man as he ducked and sidestepped before grabbing the man's arm and stabbing his bicep with the peeler and kept it there. Vale let go of peeler before slipping his arm underneath the caught one and gripping the man's collar, pulling down and slamming the thug's head on the counter with enough force to keep him out for days. When both of them were down he went after Keira and the other through the exit door.