Chapter 82 - Royal Fight

Bubbles shuffled in the side hall, and the mon calamarians twitched and swam a few steps back. Dageer and Monnk weren't surprised, since it wasn't their first time seeing the Force in action. Yos Kolina also didn't seem fazed by that.

Having grabbed the attention of everyone, Kit Fisto smiled.

"Your Highness, generals, please listen to me. I am speaking in name of the Jedi Council when I say that we do not agree on that tactic."

The mon calamarians got angry, because their biggest backer was the Republic. If the jedi didn't want to help them, then they had zero chance of winning an argument with the king.

Monnk retreated slightly, and pulled Dageer while doing so. Using his comlink so only Dageer could hear, he uttered dangerous words.

"Be prepared. Those mon calamarians are too angry. I fear the general or their king won't be able to control them."

Dageer frowned, and unconsciously reached for his blaster. Meanwhile, Kit Fisto continued talking.

"While the clones here are under my command, the Republic will not take part in such inhuman attack."

One of the generals that was closer to the king whispered something to him. The king got angry, and ordered the general aside. Unhappy with the king's attitude, the general started whispering with some others, before speaking to Kit Fisto.

"Jedi, yooou say such things, but yooou never saw the horrors that the quarrens dooo tooo ooour peooople. Yooou have nooo right tooo say that here!"

Yos Kolina got up from his throne, his green face a shade darker.

"Yos Tivos!"

All the while, Kit Fisto smile never faded.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. His worries are perfectly understandable. You are right when you say I don't know what the quarrens did to your people, General Tivos. What I know, though, is what the mon calamarians can do to the quarrens. I've seen innocent quarrens being beaten and killed on the streets of Vernila, be they elders, women, men or children. And I know that you can't wait to bury thousands of quarrens because of an old feud."

Yos Tivos was speechless. Rumble filled the side hall once more. Dageer frowned even harder. He didn't like the way that things were going. The hall was splitting into two different factions, one taking the king's side, and the other echoing Yos Tivos words.

"Why shooould we respect the quarrens?! They are beasts!"

"We follooow the king!"

"Which side is the Republic? Are yooou even here tooo aid Mooon Cala? Ooor tooo give it tooo the Separatist?"

"Jedi, dooo yooou represent the Republic?! Are yooou just speaking yooour mind?!"

"SILENCE!!!"

When Yos Kolina spoke, everyone shut up. The king was still the king, even if he was going against the wishes of his subordinates.

"Jedi, finish speaking."

"Generals, if you wish, you can ask the Chancellor for another jedi or commander. But while I am here, we won't undermine those rocks. That is not the way the Republic fights."

...

Many hours later, only Yos Kolina, Dageer, Monnk, Kit Fisto and a few loyal aides of the king stayed in the hall. After the generals paid their respects to the king, in a not very respectful way, they stormed out of the hall, still angry with the decision. But they couldn't do anything, because without the help of the Republic they would be crushed.

"Master jedi, I am sooorry that my brooother behaved in such way. Ever since we were little, Tivos always was against the peace agreements that ooour father made with the quarrens."

"I wasn't offended, Your Highness. But if I could ask for your help."

"Gooo ahead."

"Please, send someone to keep an eye on General Yos Tivos. I am afraid that he might do something harsh."

"I already did that. But he is right abooout ooone thing. We can't delay much, ooor the side attacking will be the Separatist. Hooow aboout... WHAT?!"

While the king was speaking, one mon calamari came and said something in his ear, and that invoked a big reaction from him.

"Tivos, hooow can he...! That is unacceptable!"

"Your Highness, what happened."

"My brooother. He ignooored my oorders, and decided tooo bury the Separatist himself!"

Hearing that, Kit Fisto decisively turned around and swam out of the Red Palace. Dageer and Monnk followed him, and on the background, the king was barking orders at his subordinates.

Monnk and Dageer only caught up to the jedi when they reached their barracks. There, Kit Fisto was grabbing a thruster, and a battalion was already behind him. As soon as they arrived, Monnk and Dageer parted ways, each going to their respective men.

"Brain! Get everyone here now! Tech, Three-four, go with the support team, get them going, we catch up to you. Cell, Dab, you two go ahead, destination: Separatist base. However, your target isn't them, but a group of mon calamarians who are going there. They are going against the orders of King Yos Kolina and General Fisto. Don't kill anyone, but try your best to stop them without alerting the Separatist. You will probably meet a group of SCUBA troopers with the same mission."

"Sir, are we attacking?"

"I am not sure yet, but a odds are that we will have to attack, ready or not. It is up to General Fisto."

Dageer turned his comlink and spoke to every clone of the 303rd on direct channel with him.

"Aye boys! It is time for some action!"