Marvel crosses Star Wars, and everyone attacks the galaxy

“I imagine you’ve been busy on Mandalore,” Steve said as he and Matt Murdock stood in the storage room of the Crown, the new Mandalorian ship they were currently aboard.

Matt shrugged. "I thought it would get busy, though not to that extent.

"Well, when you're dealing with people who are totally into the warrior lifestyle..." Natasha didn't finish the sentence, although it was enough.

"What can you tell us about this Duchess of Sardinia?" Steve asked, leaning against a large trunk in the ship's storage room.

"She has her own opinions and beliefs," Matt said bluntly. "And isn't afraid to challenge them. A total pacifist.

"Ah, the ones who want to put us out of work." Natasha joked; nudging the mocking Captain America with a smug smile on her face.

Then Matt cocked his head to the side. "Mr. Skywalker."

Natasha and Steve looked towards Anakin who was walking towards them.

"You don't have to call me that, Murdoch." Anakin smiled. "Just call me Anakin."

Matt just nodded in acceptance.

"What's wrong, Anakin?" Steve asked.

"The boys just reported back to me." Anakin gave a thumbs-up to the clone behind him. "Let Echo take care of this. The last thing I need is for the Heavy to get at all of us.

Steve smiled, knowing full well the Heavy's tendency to charge into battle with gunfire at this point. What really "itched" him, as people now say, was the shield mark on the Heavy's left shoulder. Telling him, it would undoubtedly protect him from anything.

The group heard several beeps and whistles and looked down at Anakin's personal astromech droid, R2-D2.

"Yes, continue R2, you can begin your patrol." Anakin said. "Come on, the Duchess has requested to meet with us."

"This should be fun," Black Widow said, walking into the elevator where Kenobi, Rex, and Cody were waiting for them.

"It's good to have you with us, Steve, Natasha." Kenobi looked them both in the eye.

"Ah, I guess I'm not good enough, I'll take it," Matt said blankly, causing Obi-Wan to smirk at the lawyer for a moment before an idea crossed his mind and he crossed his arms, stroking his beard.

"Everything alright, Obi-Wan?" Steve asked, easily picking up on the Jedi's change in demeanor. "You seem worried."

"Is it about the Duchess?" Matt asked, and Obi-Wan's silence almost confirmed it for them.

"The Duchess couldn't be safer," Anakin assured.

"Yes, I know," Kenobi said calmly, causing the others to exchange glances.

"Then why..." Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"It's alright," the Jedi Master said quickly. "It's all in the past."

"Oh? So you're close to her?" Anakin said.

"I knew her. A long time ago," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin was confused by his Master's reaction, but when he saw the looks on the Avengers' faces, it clicked in an instant. Natasha gave him a mischievous smile, and Steve rolled his eyes amiably.

Matt remained silent, listening to the strange noises coming from below, but he couldn't identify them.

All these sounds were new to him and he needed more time to get used to them and to discern what he was hearing.

Meanwhile, in the ship's lounge area, the Duchess of Satine sat on a raised platform, looking at the senators in front of her.

“War cannot be tolerated!” said Duchess Mandalore. “We have been deceived into thinking we have to be a part of it. I say that the moment we commit to fighting, we have already lost.

Tal Merick, one of Sardin's senators, took a drink from his tray before addressing the Duchess. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, are you suggesting that we oppose the war on humanitarian grounds?"

"I oppose it because it is an insult to life itself," Sardin said vehemently. "As the designated head of 1500 star systems, I speak on behalf of thousands of worlds who urge me to allow them to remain neutral in this war."

“However, some might argue that the strongest defense is a swift and decisive offense.

Everyone turned to the new Jedi and Avengers who had now entered the room.

Obi-Wan walked up the steps, Sadine's eyes locked with his, and he nodded respectfully.

"You are a master now, aren't you, Master Kenobi?" Sadin said calmly.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Your Highness. I meant no disrespect."

"Really? Senators, I assume you are familiar with the collection of half-truths and exaggerations known as Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Sardin said in a slightly condescending tone.

"Your Highness is very polite." Kenobi said friendly.

"You're right. I am." Sardin said gloomily.

Anakin and the Avengers glanced back and forth several times between the Duchess and the Jedi Master without realizing it. They could tell that there was something more going on between them.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and gestured to his companions behind him.

"Allow me to introduce my fellow Jedi, Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin stepped forward and bowed slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Duchess."

"Accompanying us are the Avengers Natasha Romanoff, Captain Steve Rogers, and Matt Murdock."

"I'm already familiar with you, Mr. Murdoch," said Sardin amiably. "But as for your colleagues. If I were to judge, these are the Avengers I hear most often."

Steve and Natasha exchanged glances.

"What have you heard about us, Princess?" Natasha asked politely.

"You are different from anything that has come before. You all possess a set of skills and abilities that rival or even exceed those of the Jedi Knights. Sardin curled his lips, "Is it true that one of you can enlarge yourself to the size of a building?"

"Scott?" Steve named the Avengers she was referring to. "Yeah, that's...quite something to watch.

"So this is true?" Sardin was obviously interested. "Excuse me, what do you do with these amazing abilities?"

"To protect others." Steve said with a determined look in his eyes. "We as a team fight battles that no one person could possibly do. We fight so that others don't have to.

The other senators gazed at Steve and the other two Avengers with a sense of impressed approval, a sentiment shared to some extent by Satine.

"What exactly are you fighting to protect people from?" Satine asked challengingly.

"Tyrants, demagogues, crazy gods from other planets intent on conquering our planet, evil super robots who want to end our planet." Natasha said casually. "You know, that kind of thing. Sort of like the Jedi, but different.

The others in the room could only stare in mild confusion, save for one Twi'lek Senator, who smiled approvingly at the trio. Steve spotted him, recognized the man, and nodded.

Anakin hummed silently, but Sadine was slightly unresponsive.

"I remember a time when Jedi Knights were not generals, but peacekeepers." Sadin said this more like he was speaking to Obi-Wan.

"We are protectors, your highness," Anakin pointed out. "We fight for peace."

Satine scoffed softly. "What an interesting contradiction."

"That is not a contradiction, Duchess Sardin," the Twi'lek Senator began. "I am all too familiar with the concept myself."

"Whatever, Syndulla," Satine said with a slight frown. "Don't you believe that if the Jedi are peacekeepers, then why would they resort to war for that belief?"

"Master Skywalker is saying that we are acting on orders from your Highness to protect you from the Death Watch and Separatists who disagree with your views on neutrality," Kenobi interjected.

"I asked for no such thing," Sardin said sharply, glaring slightly.

"That may be so, but most of your members do," Obi-Wan countered.

To say the atmosphere is tense right now would be an understatement.

"I don't remember you being a person who hides behind excuses." Sardin sneered.

"I don't remember you being a shirker of responsibility," Kenobi shot back, with a hint of pain in his tone.

In an effort to defuse the situation, Cham Syndulla stepped in between the two arguing men. "That's enough. We are not here to start a fruitless heated argument. The Duchess of Sardin and General Kenobi have proven that there are two sides to every dilemma. Let's leave it at that and leave it to the Senate for a vote."

“I think a lot of people are going to create disharmony. Sartin said, and Chaim laughed a lot.

"You don't know how right you are, Duchess," said Chaim. "Nevertheless, we must give politicians something to do in their free time.

Obi-Wan muttered his opinions to Anakin and the Avengers behind Cham.

“There are probably two sides to every dilemma, but the Duchess seems to favor only her view.”

"Really?" Black Widow said with a wry smile. "I can't tell."