Petyr is at his desk dealing with paperwork. Unlike 99% of people doing paperwork, he has no problems with it. It's a simple matter for him and a way to pass the time. His plans are set, and he only needs to wait for the specific events to play out, or for the galaxy to try and do something to surprise him. He has become Force-sensitive now, and it has been going rather well. He copied the powers of several Jedi, including Count Dooku, as well as his Padawan. Usually, copying powers is not very smart, as the powers come with weaknesses as well. That's also why Petyr first copied the powers of the Kung Fu Panda world, to build up his mental and spiritual strength before anything else. Chi is a significant cheat in those terms and has allowed him to master his mind over his body truly.
He will not fall to either side of the Force, whether light or dark, as he uses it without caring for good or evil and the like. In his opinion, the only reason why the Dark Side tempts Jedi is that it offers power which they want or need. But why would you limit yourself in that regard? Petyr can get more power whenever he pleases, so that falls out of the window.
On the side, several utensils are floating in the air and moving into his hand as soon as he needs them. He has been practising to use the Force in ways that suited him. He is now a glorified secretary, his own. Much to the displeasure of Arla, who stands next to him at all times. She has continued to train under Petyr and has grown very proficient in different styles of Kung Fu and the use of Chi. As soon as she masters that, which might take a very long time, he will teach her something else. Petyr sparred with her every day, to keep her sharp and make her grow. She seems to enjoy that a lot. They have also started to spent more time apart from the professional lives as well.
"Petyr."
"Yes, Arla?"
"When was the last time you did something that didn't have anything to do with planning and politics?" she asks.
"Does tra-"
"No training me doesn't count. You are preparing me for something after all."
They couldn't grow closer in certain ways. Petyr turns to Arla and looks at her.
"You believe I am training you because of a grand plan of mine?" he asks.
"Of course."
Petyr is surprised because he remembers the words of Master Oogway. He has this unbelievable ability, gets to travel through time and dimensions, can amass power and has limitless resources... but he's still effectively alone. He looks at Arla, whom he raised and trained for years now, and who seems to be concerned. Not about him, but for him. He has been planning and plotting since he woke up as Petyr Baelish. Would he stop that? Not a chance, but a bit of indulgence couldn't hurt.
"Say, Arla, would you like to eat dinner with me tonight?" he asks her.
"Do we have a mission tonight?"
"No. Just dinner. No missions, no training," he says.
For a moment, Arla looks surprised and confused. But then she starts to smile.
"Yes!"
"Good then-"
*knock knock*
"Yes?"
The door opens, and a young man enters the room. He is one of the young men and women from various clans who have begun to learn from the Mand'alor.
"Greetings, Mand'alor. Duke Adonai Kryze has arrived. He wishes to have an audience with you," the man says.
*Sigh*
"Well, what do you think, Arla?" Petyr asks, since he knows that if he meets with the man, he might not get to have free time this evening.
"Your duty comes first, Mand'alor," she says.
"Very well. Have them enter."
"As you command," the man says and moves back out to let the chief inside.
Duke Adonai Kryze is part of House Kryze, considered the somewhat royal family of Kalevala, where they are based. Adonai, though, lives in Sundari on Mandalore. House Kryze occupies a leading position among the Mandalorian clans, with the Duke of Kalevala being the leader of the New Mandalorians during this time. And as such, he was opposed to Petyr's ideals more than anyone else. The New Mandalorians were a joke in Petyr's eyes, and he had made speeches to the public of Mandalore about it. He kept everything relatively mild without pointing fingers. But the situation had changed, and Petyr's warnings had proven correct.
A new conflict has arisen on Mandalore and throughout the entire Mandalorian System this year, referred to as the Mandalorian Civil War or the Great Clan Wars. The civil war arose from clan disputes that escalated into full-scale hostilities in the wake of the Mandalorian Civil War. Clans and even families have found themselves at odds, sparking many battles that threaten to devastate Mandalore. Those Chieftans and Chieftanesses who at first approved of Petyr as Mand'alor, now saw him as a threat to them and their families' interests. They called back their members from Petyr's service, but only some returned, making Petyr one of the primary targets in the Creat Clan Wars.
The door opens again, and the Duke walks in, dressed in his royal robes that have been added to his armour. And behind him follow two of his men also dressed in armour and his two daughters, Satine and Bo-Katan Kryze. Both of them are Adonai's pride. Petyr hides a smile seeing the scene and stands up.
"Greetings, Duke. I am happy to see you well," Petyr says.
"Greetings to you, Lord Baelish. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Adonai says.
"That's Mand'alor to you, Kryze," Arla says and takes a step forward, looking at the Duke.
Her armour is hiding it, but Petyr can feel her narrowing her eyes and her muscles tense as she prepares to reach for her weapons. As his student, bodyguard, and potentially even more, Petyr has gifted Arla with some rather powerful armoury.
"We of the New Mandalorians recognise Lord Petyr's position as a True Mandalorian and respect his martial prowess, which granted him the position of Mand'alor in your eyes. But we don't accept him to represent the values of all of Mandalore. The New Mandalorians don't want anything to do with your brutal ways," Duke Adonai says.
"Amusing to hear you say that, Duke. When you arrive in my office wearing your war gear, this is not a forceful takeover, I hope?" Petyr says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Please don't insult my intelligence, Lord-"
"That's Mand'alor to you, Duke. If I give you the honour of calling you by your title in these times, then you can have the decency to do the same," Petyr interrupts Adonai.
Behind him, Adonai's men and his daughters look uneasy about the situation. Everyone on Mandalore know Petyr's martial prowess as he has defeated every Chieftan and Chieftaness who challenged him. And his presence goes along with that. Bo-Katan Kryze looks between Petyr and her father, while Satine looks at her father with worry and concern.
"Very well, Mand'alor. If we could move on from petty titles?" Adonai suggests.
"Please, have a seat," Petyr invites them.
At that moment, the door opens and his secretary carries several chairs for everyone to sit down. Arla doesn't sit down, and neither do the New Mandalorian guards.
"What can I help you with, Duke?" Petyr asks.
"The Great Clan War, as it is already being called, has been going on for a few years now and has forced us to join the fighting and protect Sundari. But not only is Sundari attacked and involved in this war, but all of Mandalore and the Mandalor Sector are affected. I have gotten word from Kalevala that my House, House Kryze, has split into three factions," Adonai states.
"Three?"
"Yes. Some follow my example of the New Mandalorians, valuing peace and the absence of fighting, while others follow you as Mand'alor of the True Mandalorians. Finally,... a small group has joined the Death Watch. The Death Watch splinter group has also just entered the war, intending to topple our dominant New Mandalorian regime, but has been unable to do so at this time."
"That is troubling news. I was aware that some Death Watch stragglers still existed, but to come here is bold. However, I do wonder why you still call yourself as spearheading the New Mandalorians in their pursuit of non-violence. Didn't you gain a reputation as a warlord of House Kryze and gain respect from your enemies?" Petyr asks.
"My view hasn't changed. Constant fighting will not help us resolve this conflict, and what I do now, I do out of necessity, not pleasure."
"I understand. So, in a way, our ideologies align..." Petyr says, surprising Adonai.
For a moment, no one says anything. Petyr has masterfully brought Adonai where he wanted. He didn't lift a finger and made him see the error of the New Mandalorian ways. A while longer, and Petyr is certain that Adonai will join his True Mandalorians and see him as the true Mand'alor of all the Mando'ade. But that would take a while longer.
"Haha, alright. What is it that you came here for, Duke Adonai? I'm sure it's not to give me updates, is it?"
"No. I can tell that this war will take longer than expected. Your inability to act will pull this war into the future, and I fear another Mandalorian Civil War, which we just came out of," Adonai says.
"Inability to act? In what way am I unable to act, Duke? As far as I'm concerned, I'm the primary target of most parties in this war. The Clans who first supported me now view me as an obstacle and have recalled their men who were here to help and learn. Keldabe is attacked almost daily, and I am doing what I can to keep the peace inside the city at least. Organising a responsive force wouldn't help my cause or the people. Right now, I am more of a pacifist than you are," Petyr responds.
"Whatever the case may be, I don't see a rise in prosperity for Mandalore at the end of this war, no matter the outcome. I am sending my daughter, Satine, to the Galactic Republic's capital, Coruscant, to study diplomacy," Adonai declares.
"Only Satine? What about Bo-Katan?" Petyr asks.
"Bo has refused my orders to leave. She seems to like the Mandalorian path a bit too much, don't you?" Adonai says and looks at Bo-Katan.
"Yes!" she says.
"Ah, haha, the irony. I heard about you taking the Mandalorian Creed. I am impressed that a daughter of Adonai Kryze is allowed to do that," Petyr says.
"Just because I believe in non-violence rather than our warring ways, doesn't mean I will ignore our Mandalorian customs. I am a Mandalorian first, how I conduct myself is a personal matter," Adonai says.
"I see. So, how was it, Bo-Katan? Did you enjoy it?"
"The ritual is just theatre for my father's subjects and part of stories for children. I don't believe there was anything magical about the Living Waters at all," the young woman says.
Bo-Katan inherited a set of Mandalorian armour that had been passed down through several generations of their family. She took the Mandalorian Creed by performing a Mandalorian initiation ritual in the Living Waters in the Mines of Mandalore in front of her father Adonai and the subjects of the Mandalorian royal family. She was showered with gifts and made her father proud at that time, but it wasn't what she imagined it would be. Bo-Katan was a truly proud Mandalorian woman, and she differed from Satine in that regard. Satine was constantly worried about her father, while Bo-Katan thought he was a great man for standing up and protecting his ideals.
"Indeed. But I can promise you that the Mythosaur is no myth. The mythical properties that the Living Water is supposed to represent might be better answered by a Jedi, though. Very well. So, Duke Adonai, if you wish to send your daughter off-world, I don't see how you would have to come and visit me," Petyr says, coming back to their topic at hand.
"I wish for you to send Satine to Coruscant with a delegation. Our spaceport is being monitored by the Death Watch and other clans, which makes it too dangerous to send her. I also don't want others to know about her leaving Mandalore, as she would only be used against me. If something were to happen to me-"
"Father!" Satine says, holding his arm.
"...If something happens to me, I want to know that my family is safe. Satine would inherit my position and would be targeted even more than she is now. I can't allow that to happen," Adonai says.
"So instead you come to me, the Mand'alor, who you see as your opposition, to do it instead?" Petyr asks.
"I might see you as a member of a different faction, but you hold the Mandalorian honours in high regard, I know that. Otherwise, you would have done far more to strengthen your rule over Mandalore than you have. I know that you have weapons and resources that no one knows about, allowing you to take on all other plants at once, most likely, but you refrain from doing so. You fight with honour, and I respect that. So I trust that you won't use this knowledge against me," Adonai finishes.
"How observant and how foolish. But you're correct. Very well, Duke Adonai, let us get detailed here."