A Modest Proposal (From an immodest man)

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Ch'iscati Vamci(Hammer Home) - In Space above Keldabe, Mandalore​

Ijaat stood back as he waited for the smaller craft to dock in the hold of his newly commissioned ship,dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans type attire. It wasn't 100% operational yet,his ship, features were being added and expanded daily thanks to his new union with Geoffery. Once it was fly worthy, he intended to have a christening with his vode. Being able to have the A.I. ride in a corner of his mind was almost unparalleled in terms of flexibility and ability. Their conversations were instantaneous, brilliant, and frankly he was on the verge of making marvelous things. But he lacked capital. So it was time to secure an investor.

During his captivity, one particular soldier had risen to prominence to fill his void, in a way. He operated a lot more with phrik than beskar, which struck the old fashion smith as odd and new fangled, but it certainly was by no means and inferior metal. And he also operated on a much, much larger scaled than Ijaat really had a mind to. Ijaat stuck with the one offs and customs mostly, and truth be told it was a tradition as strong as the suit he now wore under his clothes.

With a reach and a touch, and a sudden hiss and grimace, Ijaat's hand was covered for a moment in a yellow-gold sheen, and he laid a gold sheathed hand on the console next to him, and a literal 'red carpet' rolled out across the hangar, red flooring light tiles activated at a thought to light up the path from the newly arrived ship to where Ijaat sat at, an ancient sword leaning against his armchair, a crystal decanter of finely wafting tihaar, and a couple of simple glasses with a silvered bucket of ice between the armchair vacant and the one Ijaat now sat in, one leg casually tossed over the knee of the next, bouncing up and down slightly like an excited kid. One would never know he could probably easily kill almost any foe short of a Sith Lord before they even got to him, even in such a state as he was now.

He had called Armatech, and this Draco Vereen, and it looked as if he had answered in some form. Now they would talk credits and clauses, and fine whiskey, and see where things went.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I arrived at the ship, rather unfinished as it was, it was capable of supporting life and a crew. I had sent a quick message to [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] in hopes she wouldn't mind coming and seeing another master smith. She had said she was interested in learning the skill of Beskar Smithing, and there was none better than [member="Ijaat Akun"] . Quite literally, there was no better beskarsmith in the known galaxy. He may not have known, but ArmaTech had started as a Republic Mirror to his own company, and by necessity had grown to significant size and influence, teetering on the edge of expansion again.

With the young Cernun possibly joining us, I had taken it slow during transit. I wanted her to have the opportunity to arrive about the same time as me, so she could have the most amount of time with the beskarsmith, hopefully being allowed to learn his trade and complete the business we were here for. Gotel'Veman before Ijaat's disappearance had been the premiere manufacturer of Beskar Armor for the Mandalorians, and I myself had not been able to buckle down and learn that particular skill, though there wasn't time for that now. Now there was only time for making this deal and returning to training my abilities. I was so close, on the verge of slipping between Dark and Neutral. I needed guidance, purpose. I needed someone to count on me to be there for them...

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Standing, Ijaat smiled broadly, a grin of perfect white teeth and raised a glass of clear tihaar to the arrival, tipping it in a toast. He touched a console in the arm of the chair he rose from and a fanfare played almost uproariously and the grin broadened at the joke. They both knew the roles would likely be reversed if it hadn't been for his disappearance. But Ijaat was grateful the man had showed, and not just sent some lackey. It showed a certain essence of character and respect for the beskarsmith that he quite liked. It spoke of a certain old fashion business mind too.

"Welcome, Draco, to my soon to be home. She's not much at current.... Geoffery keeps fiddling with the design and..."

Suddenly there was a flicker from a table next to the chairs, and a blue skinned apparition appeared from a holo-projector wagging it's finger at Ijaat. Oddly enough, the hologram was dressed like a traditional english butler.

"Sir, that is hardly fair... You start the ideas... I merely have the technical expertise to make them realized... I still say you should be checked for attention hyper deficit disorder..."

Shaking his head, Ijaat merely touched the holo-projector, very obviously from a point nowhere near the control, and a flicker of his eyes later and the device shut off with a hum. A flicker of gold was seen at his fingertips, but little else.

"Sorry... Geoff can be a little intrusive.... Come... Sit... We have business to attend to, I believe.... We can grab a drink, talk, and then tour the ship."

Again, with a hand wave as he touched the console and the lights around them burst bright revealing a full bar behind them, along with a good selection of light dinner fare. All traditional mandalorian food cooked by Ijaat himself, though Draco wouldn't think or know of the man's history owning a Cantina in his younger years. The tihaar was made by him as well.


[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha]

Coming out of hyperspace she let out a slight sigh, spreading herself a little thin but it was all worth it after all, to meet a real Beskar smith was quite the honor as it had been the focus of her research into Mandalorian culture. She wore her armor but given the situation she left all weapons besides her blood swords as well as the helmet for her armor behind in her private room. "This is The VoidStrider captained by Zreame Zeibitha of Armatech, requesting docking clearance. I came at the behest of [member="Draco Vereen"]" Zreame said into the comlink as she looked over the ship, it was a magnificent piece of engineering and it wasn't even complete yet either.

She piloted the ship so it hovered a little way away from Ch'iscati Vamci as she made sure that she could pilot her ship away if docking clearance wasn't given. According to her research into Mandalorian Beskar smiths [member="Ijaat Akun"] was one of the most prominent ones among them, even rumored to be the best.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I heard the comm signal and I nodded. "That is one of mine. She's a brilliant engineer and a friend. She has been wanting to work with Beskar for a while, and I thought perhaps we could discuss her apprenticing under you, in addition to any other contract or agreement we come to." I said in response to Zreame's message. I had hoped she would come with the desire to learn, and with Ijaat considering a long term agreement, she might have a long enough time around him to learn the skills she sought. Beskar was one of those metals that the forging was just as important as the ore itself. Not like Phrik which was fairly simple, or cortosis, which just had to be refined. Beskar required toil and work and effort to make the most use of it.

"One thing you will discover is that I am fairly protective of my girls. The three of them that I employ to the upper level positions I keep well protected, equipped, and will easily go to war over. I know you can handle yourself, but on the occasion you do need assistance, ArmaTech will always answer its own." I said. I was serious. I had considered training inteligence operatives to help keep an eye on them, as Zreame almost never kept a set of guards with her, and Kay wandered around with one or two... The whole reason I brought the Darksteel Dragons into existence was to keep them better guarded. The stubbornness of women never ceases to amaze me.

[member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] [member="Ijaat Akun"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

A wave of the hand again and he spoke out as he reached to touch the holo projector on the table. A rather irritated looking butler appeared but said nothing, just waiting and looking at Ijaat. Having the grace to look abashed, Ijaat held up his hands in a surrender gesture with ice cubes clinking and swirling in the drink, and the A.I. actually huffed at him before it nodded as if giving him permission to speak.

"Geoff, would you let our guest in? See her to an open hangar spot and if she needs any repair or such see to it we refuel both ships here and top off the glass, so to speak"

"Of course sir... I think I already detect a little flucuation in the starboard steering thruster on that ship Draco arrived in, i'll get right to it."

"He is a wonderful mechanic, but his pride is getting to be prickly the more his programming evolves, it's like a toddler almost. As far as beskar smithing? I don't really teach that to someone not of the mando'ade. Period. Contract or not. I can let her watch, and show her some of it. But i'll never agree to teaching her enough to work the material on her own, or even be able to deduce the process, unless she is a part of our culture... That's just not something I can do, i'd be shunned by every other mandalorian and hunted down likely."

[member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] | [member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

[member="Ijaat Akun"] [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]

I nodded. I knew that well. Mandalorians have always been very protective of that skill, those secrets. I didn't even know it and I occasionally employed Beskar Smiths at my facility on Concordia. I probably could have learned some of it there, but I chose not to. It was not my calling. My calling was cleansing the Galaxy of Sith, to make it safe for my family. Finally I spoke in response. "That would be up to her on whether or not she joins Mandalore. I can't speak for her there, I just know she has expressed her wish to learn the skill. Other than her being a faithful friend, and admirable ally, and easy on the eyes, I don't really know what goes through her head. If she is willing, I would like you to apprentice her. Its a request though, and our other business does not hinge on it. Perhaps, however, you would be willing to reforge one of her swords into a Besk'ad for her. She has long admired the art of forging, and a master-crafted weapon from your own forge would be the best gift I could give to her."

I paused, he hadn't asked me here for this. He had asked me here for something else. "But, on to our business. What is it you would like of ArmaTech? Or what is it you would like to do for ArmaTech?"

 

[Julius Sedaire]

"Didnt mean to be abrupt.. But if she were to join the mando'ade and show me her dedication to our people, then after a few years she might be allowed into the beskar forges to learn... But, let's be honest... Not many understand the metal like I do, so even amongst mandalorians I am selective of who I teach... My knowledge in the wrong hands could be... Bad for my people."

Sighing, he took a long swill of the tihaar and smiled, relishing the burn, the crisp nose and the fruit like aroma. It had been too long, but after Selvaris he had started back into drinking with a vengeance. Some nights it was all that stopped the nightmares, even if it may make forging the next day almost impossible, or at the least extremely troublesome. Sniffing slightly and shaking his head, he smiled.

"I need resources for projects both personal and public. I am sinking a lot into making a mobile forge-ship with full mining capabilities as well. I intend to scour out rare resources and materials to reduce the cost and need of several high end projects to offer to existing clients... Geoff, projects U-1, SPG-1, and our Hammer Home model... and then flood the lights on me please..."

"Yes, sir"

Ijaat stood, and closed his eyes, assuming an oddly serene posture. The table slid back to open up several small holo-projectors, obviously intended more for sports or movie watching, but being jacked for static display.There was a hovering suit of armor, being listed as made with stygian triprismatic polymer, with optional tabs highlighting a shield-breaker and active camo suit almost resembling a wet-suit designed to go over the armor... With it, someone would be rendered virtually invisible to scanner or the naked eye, and could walk through almost any shield in the galaxy. The perfect infilitration suite, and the armor was damned near as strong as beskar'gam, in fact it was a favorite of mandos who didnt use beskar, for whatever reason.

The second image was of a mass drive rifle, an assault rifle by the looks of it. Details included a micro-droid processor to make it absurdly accurate, repulsors and kinetic stabilizers and dampers to reduce recoil to a manageable level, select fire modes, and even a compass in the stock, though the last part was labeled in a holo-quill notation with a sloppy hand... Mayhaps Ijaat had been at the design files while drunk, or Geoff had begun to grow a sense of humor.

Finally, a floating model of the ship they were one's final form showed up, detailing all the sundry facilities and works and rooms it would have. With it, quite easily, a mine could be started for almost any material on any planet, and full spectral analysis and even creation of prototype arms, armor, and other devices could be done, both tech and biological. It was a marvelous ship, if not terribly fast or well armed, and the lines of it looked almost too sleek for it's size and maneuverability.

With that done, flood lights hit Ijaat, and he closed his eyes, his skin seeming to burst open rather painfully looking, and a liquiditic gold substance flowing quickly out and covering him in a ooglith biot forcibly implanted in him by Reverance, the Vong King, and Master Shapers on Selvaris. Whatever it was, if Draco reached out to sense him in the Force, he would know right away that his presence had dulled and almost disappeared and given that, he was probably smart enough to realize it was vong-tech.

"I need money. In return I will supply you with beskar'gam chasis in durasteel for mass sale, and phrik if you want, and beskar for sale to the mandos. As well as several other projects... And ill agree to turning over research notes on all my projects for shared ventures, as well as sharing anything we find out about the change you just witnessed in me"

[member="Draco Vereen"] | [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]

 

[Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha]

Zreane piloted her ship into the offered hangar. She couldn't help but admire the design of the ship, at least on the outside it looked quite impressive. As she landed the ship she leaned back into the chair and let out a happy little sigh before she stood up and began to walk out of the cockpit. She left her weapons behind as well as her blood swords and helmet as she placed them on the plaque above her bed and then left the ship.
As soon as that landing ramp opened she knew the smell instantly, though a little different than on Cernunnos it was definitely the smell of a forge, a lot of them at least she thought judging by the smell. "Wooow..." she let out as she looked around and then for something or someone to show her were to go.

[member="Ijaat Akun"] [member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

As Zreame landed and stepped from the craft she was on, a path would light up much like it had for Draco, source lighting under the tiles making a holo-projector like 'red carpet' guiding her to the welcoming platform just past the hangar where the other two sat and talked. They would be just visible, though she wouldn't have seen Ijaat's transformation really. Indeed the smell of the hammer home forges wafted strongly, and Ijaat smiled at the thought given where she was guided. It was like teasing a child with candy he supposed.

"I believe your young friend has arrived, Draco. But yes. I need money, and backing, as I establish myself, and when the time comes to ability to stand on my on two feet again, free of encumbrance, but at the same time grateful and remembering who sheltered us as we grew"

[member="Draco Vereen"] | [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]

 

[Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha]

Zreame felt a little like she was back home on Cernunnos. As the "red carpet" Appeared she raised an eyebrow but decided to follow it, walking a little slowly to take in the design and impressiveness of the Hammer home.
"Im going, I'm going, I'm going deeper underground~♪" She half sang a little before she arrived were they were sitting. With a respectful smile she bowed a little to [member="Ijaat Akun"] before she walked to stand behind [member="Draco Vereen"]. It was clear she was allowing them to finish their talks before she'd try and talk to the master smith before her.
Part of her really felt like she was back on Cernunnos again as she looked Ijaat over and he reminded her of the master blacksmith that lived next door, with his rugged demeanor and the fact a part of him smelt like alcohol.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I listened to the master smith speak and looked over the models he had projected for me to inspect. Then when he forced the weird shimmering substance from his skin I took notice. I kind of wished I could have recorded it and gained sensor data on it, but my Force Sense would have to suffice. The fact that he was blurred, smeared in the Force, that was something to take note of. This new development would be interesting, and could hold very, very productive. "I am agreeable. It wouldn't hurt to have a master smith on the payroll, and I could use a company like yours to assist with the one off projects I do a lot. I have a number of family members that could benefit from this arrangement."

When Zreame walked in, I stood up, offering her the chair I had been sitting in. "This is Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha," i said, gesturing to her, and then to Ijaat, "this is Ijaat Akun. I had hoped the two of you could hit it off and maybe you could learn something from the master smith. He has his own requirements, and that is between you and him. I already told him i don't speak for you. But perhaps it wouldn't be out of order to request to have one of her swords reforged by yourself."

[member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"] [member="Ijaat Akun"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Ijaat nodded softly and eyed the woman as a grocerer might eye fruit, sizing her up unabashedly in a critical gaze that had seen marvels forged and wars won and lost. Inscrutable, some would call this face, when he was in such a mood. Relenting, he nodded and smiled, extending his hand to be shook by the young woman as he grinned.

"I will teach her... Not beskar, at first... Not unless she is mando'ade.. Phrik, cortosis, stygium, all the others... I'll teach her... And i'll forge for your family. And it would be my pleasure to fix or make her a new sword if need be."

[member="Draco Vereen"] | [member="Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha"]

 

[Zreame Ithrac Zeibitha]

Zreame was delighted when he said he'd train her and her handshake was firm and strong, a smile cracking quite wide on her lips as she hoped she was conveying how excited she was to be allowed to train under him. She then shook her head at the mention of reforging of one of her swords. "I am sorry but just like Beskar is sacred to the Mando'ade so are the Bloodswords to the Cernun. They are our first possessions and are forged in a particular way, outsiders cannot forge or reforge one of our swords unless that someone is a cernun smith." She then said and in her tone it was clear she was quite respectful of the way's of the mando'ade since parts of their culture reminded her greatly of her own. Looking at [member="Draco Vereen"] she gave him a smile that asked for his understanding though the statemented was very appreciated. Placing one hand over the other as she clasped her closed fist and bowed before [member="Ijaat Akun"] in a respectful and polite manner.