My RepCom Musing: Vau’s knowledge about Jedi
The books give us a lot of hints that Vau has a wide spectrum of interests, be it technology or medical/anatomical knowledge (more to use in taking people apart than healing but still) or collecting data about living beings and/or their skills. The last one is especially true in regard to Jedi, especially in context of Vau’s personal dislike for Jedi for what happened on Galidraan - even if for a large part of the story the feeling does not disturb much his civil interaction with the force-sensitive characters around him.
Vau did learn a lot about Jedi and had some interesting insight about them through the course of three books.
(Witnessing Etain's method during interrogation of Orjul)
There was a sharp gasp from Orjul and Vau looked around. Whatever Etain was doing, she wasn't even touching him. Just staring.
"Kal, those people scare me more than Orjul does” Vau said.
(After an unfortunate meeting with agent Besanny and Gurlanin)
Etain and Jusik were kneeling on either side of the Gurlanin, hands flat on its flanks in some kind of Jedi healing process. Vau watched with interest. He was the anatomy expert, although he was more skilled at taking bodies apart than repairing them.
(Etain and Vau working together to eliminate a target)
"Could you choke him using the Force?" Vau said quietly.
"Just asking. Very handy."
"I was never trained to do that."
"Pity. All those fine combat skills wasted."
(Delta Squad and Jusik getting the needed information in search for Ko Sai)
"Yeah, the questions might be harmless, but you're not..." Leb now looked past Scorch and spotted Jusik jogging across the permacrete, Jedi robes flapping. "Oh yeah, now the Jedi's going to zap me with his Force powers, isn't he? Shove a lightsaber in..."
Jusik caught up with them. He always looked as if a strong breeze would knock him over. "No lightsaber necessary, my friend. You haven't got any reason to withhold information, have you?"
When Jusik used that especially quiet, reasonable tone - and he never raised his voice anyway - Sev wasn't sure if he was using Jedi mind influence or not. There was always something disturbing about Jedi, even the approachable ones like Jusik. Sergeant Vau said it was a good idea never to turn your back on one. They weren't like regular folks.
Would I know if he was using that mind stuff on me?
Sev thought about that more and more lately. He still liked Jusik, though.
(Jusik and Deltas while talking with Master Zey)
Jusik sat completely composed, fingers meshed as his hands rested on Zey's lovely blue desk. Sev, in I'll-wait-to-be-spoken-to mode like the rest of Delta Squad, sat to his right, helmet on lap, staring straight ahead, managing to feel that the conversation didn't involve him or his brothers at all. It was, Vau said, probably like a Jedi being in a state of meditation: aware, but not distracted. It was handy to be able to do that when your CO was getting a subtle roasting from his boss right in front of you.
(The Skirata gang meeting)
"How do you lie to a Jedi Master?" Laseema asked. "Without him sensing it, that is?"
"I didn't," said Vau. "I said I'd tell him if I found Kal doing anything to help the enemy. The minute that this little shabuire opens a comlink to any former Death Watch personnel, I shall gladly turn him in."
Skirata paused for a moment, then managed to laugh. "Do I know any?"
"No, but they're the only group I'd really call my enemy. So I didn't lie, and I was genuinely emotional enough for him to believe what his Force senses told him he wanted to believe."
Laseema applauded politely. "That's a very clever technique."
"Thank you, my dear. Mando'ade are trained to acquire certain states of mind for battle, so it's an easy switch."
(Zey confronting Vau why Kal was beaten up)
Zey clasped his hands in front of him in that Jedi way, looking slightly sideways at Vau.
"Trying to sense any dark side in me, General?" Vau asked.
"You don't feel remotely dark. Quite serene, actually."
"I've been told that before, and that should set off your warning bells, jetii. Your senses need recalibrating. None of you can feel darkness right under your noses."
Vau gave him a thumbs-up gesture and walked away toward the accommodation wing. So what did he know about a big assault? There was always one coming, and Vau was good at leaving everyone wondering just how much he knew, just enough revealed to make folks take notice of him.
He knew an awful lot about Jedi, that was for sure.
Scorch slapped down his own curiosity and told it to behave. He didn't care how Vau knew. He was just glad that he did and he trusted him, because Vau's words always came back to him from those first days on Kamino.
Everything I do from this moment on is to make sure you survive to fight. Even if I don't.
As Scorch noted, Vau knew an awful lot about Jedi - what shouldn’t be that surprising if the book series alone consistently showed the Mandalorian taking notes about force-sensitive people, either from asking them about their skills or observing said skills when used. Though Mandalorians have a rocky relationship with Jedi Order for millennials (and there is a great shift from Mandalorian Wars era to modern time in how Mando perceived them), the Galidraan was devastating event for True Mandalorians so Vau’s special interest in Jedi may come years before Clone Wars even started. Especially if we take into account how Walon Vau and Jango Fett had a much closer bond than Kal and Jango ever had:
Vau had been far closer to Jango Fett than Skirata ever had. He understood - perhaps too late, but eventually - the depth of Fett's loathing of the Jedi. [IC: 501st]
The gaining knowledge about “enemy” may be Vau’s way preparing for the worst - interestingly, Vau shared his knowledge/observations about Jedi with Delta Squad (although how much of those opinions were shared during the Kamino era and how much during war is sadly hard to determine), maybe even as to increase their chance of survival in the war.
