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Omen hummed in full armor as he started to turn on the two squares of landing lights large enough to beckon in two fighter-sized craft for a landing on the foreboding cliffside. These two crafts would hold his very important visitors, the venerable Shuklaar Kyrdol
and Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
. The purpose of this visit to one of Kashyyyk's more desolate mountains that the clone called home was to getting funding for his passion project, the distribution of his Tihaar on Mandalore, and eventually galaxy-wide if the fates of fortune willed it. He had been waiting for this day for a long time and he had taken all of the pushing, begging, and pleading through various members of the two guest's staff for almost a month in order to set up this meeting. The Trooper had one chance to impress these two VIP's, he only could hope that they liked the bunker he called home. With the landing lights on, the clone sat on one of the larger rocks strewn around and took out his flute, letting his tune of "The Song of the Midnight Blade" be carried out on the mountain breeze as he waited for his guests to arrive.
The last time that Lori had been to the planet felt like another lifetime ago. She had lived at the Jedi Academy there for a short time while her Dad WolfMortum
was a teacher and she was one of his many students. However the strict rules were not to her liking. She couldn't abide by having to ask for permission to see her own father wherever he was. She was far too used to being able to do whatever she wanted. And so she had left Academy life and training in the Force and being a Jedi for good. Her twin brother was better at it anyways. Save it for all for him.
Now she was returning to the planet not as a student, but as a CEO and owner of a major weapons, ship and bio-engineering company; a wife of an heir to a growing Empire, and a Queen of a little known planet that was left to her and her brother by their parents.
She was also an invited guest.
Sergeant Omen
had managed to convince Dorthea Dobson
to allow her to go and see him about an investment opportunity. And fortunately it seemed to have zero ties with the woman's father Arken Dobson
. So it was Arla that Lori decided to take with her in the Grey Sparrow ; a classic training fighter that was made special for her back when she was a teenager on Commenor.
The Grey Sparrow flew into the atmosphere with well practiced ease. Lori insisted on flying her herself and had her bodyguard and co-pilot sit in the back seat. There wasn't much of a threat to her in this sector of space, so the anxiety levels was low. Still it was enough that she didn't go alone.
Lori followed the co-ordinates provided and was a little surprised with how empty the landing pad was when she brought the Grey Sparrow in to land. Usually these types of meetings had a ton of guests, but perhaps she had arrived early.
The hydrolic landing gear hissed while the fighter's engines whirred down. The canopy unlocked and rose as Lori and Arla unbuckeled themselves from their seats, removing their helmets before climbing out of the fighter.
After taking a breath of the fresh air, Lori settled her eyes on Omen and....was he playing a flute? She grinned as she approached with Arla keeping pace a couple of steps behind her. She had no intention of interrupting the song though.
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
, Shuklaar Kyrdol
Omen was playing the last notes of the song on his precious Bes'bev, lost in the work of art's sweeping melody before he noticed that he wasn't the only one standing on the little cliffside. A small training fighter had landed and now two others stood on the platform, one he expected in the form of Princess Loreena of the Elysium Empire and another he didn't in the form of another female, a bodyguard maybe? Well, it didn't matter. Omen would have to assume the Bodyguard could be trusted with the information he wanted to talk about in his little show and tell. The Princess clearly did if she was bringing her along. Well, there was no use stalling and making them wait. It was time for a meet and greet that opened a way for a new friendship and maybe, hopefully even a partnership.
The Clone quickly jumped off his rocky perch and made his way over to the pair with a wide grin, giving each the traditional Mando handshake to welcome him to his home, addressing the Mandolarian CEO with a happy tone that showed just how excited the Trooper was to have this meeting going to plan. "Thank you for coming all the way out here to see me Vod in my mountain hermitage just to hear my bad flute playing. I will take credits and company stock options as tips by the way." Hey, why not ask for parts of a very successful company, she might even humor the crackpot clone and give him some as well as trading advice. He definitely needed it. To be honest, I didn't know if your staff was lying to me when I bothered them enough to actually set up this little business meeting. They probably threw their comm equipment out the window by how many times I had to call them in order to get a straight answer. The Clone nodded in passing towards her companion. "They also didn't tell me someone would be joining you though I take it she can be trusted in overhearing our conversations if you brought her along. Not that it will complicate things mind you, I just worry that I won't have enough uj'alayi and shig for everyone, especially if the Alor of Industry Kyrdol arrives with a whole mess of staffers. To be honest, Omen didn't know if Kyrdol would show up at all. He had been working through Breshig War Forge Consolidated's various representatives but he didn't know if the Big Daddy of all of Mandalore's industry was going to make a showing. The Reps had never been able to give him a firm answer, citing that he was either busy on other company business or was in his workshop making a new product and didn't want to be disturbed. But he had the Princess here and he never thought that was going to happen."You must forgive me, but I don't know a whole lot about you other than the basics such as you being the Heir to the Elysium and CEO of a decent-sized corporation. The only little personal tidbit that I know is that Jhira calls you Lori-goof from time to time in our correspondence. Unfortunately, I don't think will be suitable for this meeting. Do you mind me asking what I am to address you as?" He looked the two up and down, analyzing them visually with his one real, tried, and bloodshot eyeball and seeing just what he had invited to his mountain refugee. He only hoped the hours of preparation and late-night worrying he had put into this one meeting would be worth it.
Lori grinned, giving Sergeant Omen
a curt nod to go along with her handshake. Arla responded in much the same way, minus the grin. She wasn't exactly the emotional type. Instead she spent her minutes studying the man and the area that they had arrived in for any bad surprises that may come their way. She wasn't Force sensative, but she had good instincts.
A chuckle escaped from Lori as Omen joked about his apparently bad flute playing. Everyone's their own worst critic. "Are you kidding? You're great! I am probably tone deaf, so I don't think that I'd be able to carry a tune at all. But you're very good ner vod!"
Lori shook her head as he apologized, holding her hands up and waving them about as if to shush him. "Oh I'm the one that should be sorry. I've had to take on some new staff since my marriage and the continued growth of MandalArms, and they seem to think that just because I'm the owner, I should be hard to reach. But really that's not good for business, is it? And don't worry about Arla. She's my co-pilot and bodyguard. Kaine had assigned her to me a long time ago. She's been my most loyal crewmate. And she doesn't drink much."
Again Lori snickered as it appeared that Jhira Mereel
has been relaying one of her nicknames to Omen. Some might be offended by it, but not her. She always found nicknames to be a term of endearment. "You can just call me Lori, if you'd like. Most do. I'm not really a stickler for titles, especially at one's home. Save all that stuff for pompous ceremonies and political meetings, right?"
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
, Shuklaar Kyrdol
Well, he hadn't died in the first seconds of contact. That was always a good thing. In all seriousness, a wide grin stayed on Omen's face when Lori complimented his playing, even when she didn't offer any tips "Thank you, I actually partly paid for my personal project via credits I got as a street performer between cargo jobs. It was pretty fun to make people smile and not be blamed for being the cause of death for the Old old Jedi Order or a clone who is not really a Mandolarian and doesn't deserve the respect that one gets. The grin he had on his face fell within seconds as he realized what he had said. "Sorry, I shouldn't be passing my troubles off on you. Only I can prove them different." Only he could prove all the naysayers wrong. Only he could prove that he was a true Mando.
The Clone nodded as he heard her explanation. "I understand why. You have many hats and they are just trying to unburden you as much as possible. And don't worry, this isn't some elaborate plot to kill you. I would have shot your craft down when it was coming to land or stabbed you with my flute without even talking to you so your bodyguard can attempt to stand easy." He had no weapons on him, forsaking even his blade, det cord and butterfly knife for the sake of this meeting. He even had left his precious grenade in his room. The only thing he had that was threatening was his Besbev flute with his sharpened edge which he promptly hooked to his belt. He didn't need any suspensions to be placed on him, he had enough of those already.
He nodded and a small smile returned to his face when she gave her name, hoping that she won't blow him to bites for asking about a political topic. "Omen is fine for me then all great and powerful Lori-goof, I mean Lori. Do you mind if I ask about something broadly political while we wait? It is not a hard one, just what should we do with Mandalore now that alor Koing has disappeared and we have the NIO breathing down our throats? Do we try to rebel or just stay behind the NIO's iron wall and stay a loyal subject?"The answer to this question would dictate how this meeting would go. If she said rebel, the trooper would give her a plan he thought up and see where it went. If she said stay a vessel, then he would throw that idea overboard and move on o another topic entirely. He was eager to hear her reply. Maybe they could even get something done while she was on the Mountian. If only Shuklaar Kyrdol
would show up to hear this. Then they might actually be able to start up the little plot he had thought up in his little crackpot clone head.
Lori smiled as Sergeant Omen
elaborated on his musical prowess. "I may have to hire you for your musical talents. Perhaps you could record some soothing music to help me to relieve stress? It might help me to think better in terms of the political arena. I swear those instances are worse than being on a real battlefield at times." Her smile faded a little as he described how others had treated him. In a lot of ways she could relate to it. "I know fully well what it's like to live under another's shadow, and not considered good enough. I've experienced it through most of my life. There are plenty that don't respect me either, or hold me in any kind of positive regard. The trick is to try not to let it get in your way."
As for her staff and others trying to unburden her, Lori lightly shrugged her shoulders. "I've been doing things on my own for quite a long time. We didn't have servants back home and I know how to take care of myself. Arla is with me all the time because I can attract trouble like a magnet sometimes. And getting into a political marriage has doubled that." Although thankfully it wasn't usually physical threats that she had to worry about these days.
Lori snickered as he used her newest nickname, even for just a moment and she responded to it with a comical bow with a flourish of her hand. "The all powerful Lori-Goof at your service ner vod Omen."
At the request to ask a political question, she nodded in response, though it was still a strange thing that some didn't choose to speak freely around her. It was certainly something to get used to. "Rebelling is in my nature and Mandalore deserves to be free and self sustaining. It shouldn't belong to anyone but it's people. König went through....some kind of a wormhole after Adara. I hope they find their way back. But we can't just wait. We should keep going." As of right now she wasn't sure of what standing she had with the NIO, wheras before she was safe because of her actions against the Eternal Empire and her position amongst the Eclipse Rebellion. But those days were behind her, so it was hard to say how the NIO would react to her presence. "My guess is, from your question, that you'd like Mandalore to gain it's independence as well. Am I right?"
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
, Shuklaar Kyrdol
Omen raised an eyebrow questioningly at the Princess in front of her. "You have that much of a need for a personal musician when you can just put your tunes up on your holotable? Do you really like the personal touch that much? But then again, manual labor is the Mandalorian way. And I wouldn't know what to say about diplomacy talks. Talking to others is draining for me but I would like the challenge of making alliances and fixing problems between groups. It's a fun game to me." The Clone nodded as she described her experiences. He knew it must be having the expectations of a Royal. "I just try to take it day by day and not pay them any mind because that's all I can do. Attacking them is just going to make everything worse" The Clone's mouth formed a frown as she talked about her troubles. "I'm sorry you have a position that makes you go through all of that and I'm especially sorry that you are with someone you don't truly love... I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy... I wish I could solve all your problems for you but maybe my poor jokes make the hurt go away a little bit." The frown he wore was quickly replaced with a laugh as Lori did her little flourish which Omen try to reply back with a proper curtsey the best he knew how."I'll make sure to have a beast capture me sometime soon so you can rescue me, my prince."
And then she answered his question, making the flood gates open wide. His eyes immediately lit up and instantaneously got his flute out and dragged its bladed end in the dirt even as she was talking, placing rocks with the different colors of the major factions in their correct place. "I thought you would never ask. First, we go to the clans, starting with Clan Gred who I will bang down their door because I have other business plus maybe... just maybe some business of the heart..." He did admit Vaux Gred had been one of the first people to talk to him on his visit to Mandalore and she accepted him despite his mistakes, even blushing at one point. Whether it would lead to anything he didn't know but it was worth a shot. "I also need to speak to Mig Gred about including getting an audience with Grandmaster Kiara Ayres at some point to talk about this issue as well as negotiating zones of influence with the NIO and the AC in the former TSE slice before they hog the whole slice up for themselves. To be honest, though I respect her and position greatly, I do not know what kind of wandering beasts go through that woman has in her head when it comes to foreign affairs. Then again, I don't know if I could do a better job if I tried so better not to complain."
"Then Clan Awaud, which I will probably contact myself since I just saved Jhira's niece from an exploding probe droid. Sometimes I still can't sleep on my back because of the shrapnel so they owe me a favor. Then Clan Tal in EE space which we will need to spark the EE's attention to this issue. They don't like the AC which is basically the NIO's pet Jedi at this point so I think we will get their support. And then we go to the rest of the clans and see what they think."
Omen pointed to the purple-painted rock that represented the CIS."For the CIS, we rely on alor Kyrdol's experience with former Viceroyal Darth Metus
as well as the other interworkings of the CIS because of his long years of contracts with them in order to convenience the council that booping their friendemy the NIO on the nose. Seeing they have become more militant lately with their probes against the Maw, it should be less than impossible to get the fence-sitters onboard. All of the major players would get trade concessions as thanks for helping us out. As for the more minor players such as the Agents of Chaos and The Kracken Pirate Clan, I think we rely on the services of vod Vulcan Krayt
with his ties to his previous line of work. We would maybe give the minors a safe place to stay and operate while protecting them with our own self-defense fleet that has the flagship of a Kandosii-type Dreadnought because if a Mando fleet doesn't have a number of Kandosii-type Dreadnoughts in it we are doing something wrong here."
He finally pointed to the blue-painted stone that represented the GA. "I would leave out the GA because it doesn't really have any Mando presence and is buddy-buddy with the NIO. Plus I would like to see how that council of bureaucratic senators deals with not solving all the galaxies' problems by holding going nowhere peace conferences. Maybe we recruit the NJO to act as mediators but they are having their own troubles with getting audited by their own government for the Stygian Campaign so I don't know how reliable they are going to be in aiding us though I could use my contact there to inquire about it. Ultimately, I would like Operation: Get Your Authoritarian Mitts Off My Planet or Op: G.Y.A.M.O.M.P. to result in a combined fleet by aiding Major factions going to Bastion, trickling in through the NIO borders and surprising the Imps by grouping up at the target, giving us a position with strength when the Imperator comes to talk in his morning robe because he doesn't have time to dress."
The Clone panted as he tried to recover his breath. He had thought about this for a long time but he couldn't stop now until it was all done. He quickly pulled out a holo display of DECEASED Erskine Barran
Barran of the NIO Miltary."This man, Lord General Erskine Barran who leads most if not all of the armed forces is going to the one we need to sway. If anyone has the emperor's ear, it is him. He leads the legions of Ex-Pat Galidraanians with the most important unit being the Wildcat Battalion that will run over Mandalore if attempt to rebel against the NIO on our own. And I don't think you want Imperial napalm on our wheat fields do you Lori? I've even met the man in person, he is a little well... Lordy... but hopefully we can get help from him in exchange for maybe aiding him to retake his homeworld."
The Clone hoped that Lori was following him so far. He knew galactic politics was complicated but hopefully, they could see what he was talking about. If not then they were all lost to the NIO menace. "Ultimately I think we want a Mandalore and Concord Dawn that serves as a Dressel, somewhere surrounded and protected by larger powers and can serve as a meeting point for anyone who wants to come especially catered to the NIO and bordering SJC. With this new rise in people and commerce, Mandalore's economy will recover and we can pump more resources into healing the planet itself."He held his hand up in apology. "Sorry for lecturing you in my new course, How to save Mandalore from the evil clutches of a Dictator 101 but as you can see, I'm passionate about this subject. I want to pass my ancestral planet down through the generations so those who follow after me have a homeworld to admire still."He gave a soft chuckle as he imagined an image in his head. "Plus it would be nice to be called "The guy who saved us from having to deal with a 100-year guerilla war to free our planet" He tried to analyze Lori's reaction to his lecture, seeing what she thought of the crack job plan. Hopefully, she wouldn't throw it into the Lava rivers of Mustafar. "So, what do you think? Any questions? Anything I missed?"
"The personal touch is always best. My parents often hired musicians for their big parties and celebrations. And the music is all the more special when you know the person that is playing it." Lori nodded as Sergeant Omen
spoke of political talks being a game. It was so, very much. However there were consequences that could devistate and end lives if not done right.
Her eyebrows lifted as the conversation shifted to her marriage. Most saw it all in a bad way, but she did have the choice to go through with it or not. And she chose to accept it. "Rex is...not a bad man to be married to. He's kind to me, fun and a bit of a jokester as well. However he can be quite serious when he wants to be. We haven't had an argument yet, but I'm sure that when the time comes, we'll both hold our ground. It may seem loveless right now, but once we get to know eachother more, maybe it won't be? This marriage was for the benefit of two families and two Empires...." And it made her feel as though she held some worth and wasn't just second rate. "....I chose to accept the marriage proposal. I didn't have to. I wasn't forced into it. So there's just no real need for people to pity me. I don't regret my choice." At least not yet. Hopefully there wouldn't come a time where she would.
His joke about being captured and becoming a damsel in distress that needed rescuing caused her to snicker.
As Omen began relaying his plan and drawing a map on the ground, Lori and Arla knelt down to get a better look, listening while he spoke. It was obvious that he had been planning this speech for some time, for the ideas just poured out of him, much in the same way that it does for her when she was excited. In some sense they were cut from the same cloth which was an entirely good thing for it meant that they could work well together.
It wasn't until he was finished that she let out a breath. Her eyes were trained fully on the map as she responded. "Clan Gred is good. And I hope that your business with them goes well. I don't know who that Grandmaster is though or what government she's loyal to, so I don't have anything to say there. The AC I know next to nothing of, much in the same way that I know little of the Bryn or the Maw. I haven't encountered any of them as for a few years my focus had been entirely on fighting the Eternal Empire. Clan Awaud, I know their Alor Jaster Awaud
and if I can reach him, then maybe I can talk him into helping. As for Clan Tal, they might be able to help. I wouldn't reach out to the Eternal Empire though. They still have warrants for my arrest and kill orders for my actions against them. And their alliances are always shifting."
Lori took a breath before continuing. "I wouldn't trust the CIS. Not in the slightest. They helped destroy Mandalore for little reason other than having a non-aggression pact with the Sith. And then the CIS turned around and fought alongside the Sith for other campaigns, working together with them. Like many have done, it's a 'do as we say, not what we do' scenario. It's very hypocritical and I wouldn't trust them at all. It doesn't matter if they have Mandalorians too, for they have Sith and Jedi as well, but that does absolutely nothing to save worlds from their hypocritical wars. They wiped a great Republic off of the map merely because for some strange reason they weren't liked. A GOOD government was removed. They can do that to anyone, ally or not. For them alliances don't mean much from one day to the next." She spoke from the heart and from experience. The Jedi-Mando war tore her family apart and killed her Dad. And that was something that she didn't want to go through again. "The Agents of Chaos work under the Eternal Empire. The pirates, some might through the Black Sun with also has major ties to the Eternal Empire. But the Elysium Empire has fleets, and I have plenty of my own that MandalArms has created, including some Capital Warships. They all can be put to some good use."
"My experience with the GA has been a short-lived partnership when I was in the Eclipse Rebellion. I don't think that they had much of a vested interest in it. So you could be right to avoid them. " Lori chewed the inside of her cheek a little. "Converging on Bastion might be a good step, but not the first one. And it can't be made obvious that that is what we are doing." She thought of DECEASED Erskine Barran
, remembering Omen's words of him being a 'Lordly' man. Perhaps that was a part that she could help with. "I wouldn't want our wheat fields destroyed, no. Yet maybe I could have a meeting with the Lord General and see if some kind of a deal can be struck." There were a few cards that she could put into play for that. Although she'd need to do a bit of research on him first. "Right now the NIO has very little clue about what we are doing and their eyes are elsewhere. We need to keep it that way for as long as possible. So any meetings with other governments should be held in secret, for if it's discovered quickly, I'm not so sure that Mandalore would be kept off the annihalation list. I've seen what Imperials can do, even to their own people. Once they know that a Rebellion is in the air, they will do their very best to squash it quickly."
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
Omen gave her a broad smile as he nodded at her words and patting his flute. "I completely agree. Music has always been an interest of mine and when one of the Cuy'val Dar members, Wad'e Tay'haai say that he gave this Bes'bev flute to me in order for me to really let me get into the hobby more. One of my dreams is maybe setting up a nonprofit that gives instruments to places like the Orphanages of Mandalore get to experience their first time with an instrument just like I did. Maybe it is a little far-fetched but it would be better than milking them as child soldiers. I of course think they should be trained to defend themselves but they should be children first before they become Warriors."
The Clone's face sagged as he heard her defend her marriage. He had crossed a line he should not have crossed and the bow that he gave Lori represented that. "I'm sorry, that wasn't my place to talk. I'm sure you will have a lovely marriage with him. I just would prefer a choice in who I am with but I'm not with anyone right now so who am I to see your decisions were wrong. Different strokes, different folks as the saying goes.
The soldier nodded along, following her every reply as she commented on his initial plan. She seemed to know what she was talking about it mostly thought how she didn't know who the Grandmaster was. "The grandmaster owns the SJC in a good meaning dictatorship. She is going to be the one who knows what we are dealing with after having to ally with the NIO to keep the Maw and Byrn at bay. Of all the leaders, she will know our plight more than most.
He then stopped, letting her speak the rest, frowning a little bit as she discounted all external alliances. "So from what you are saying, we so discount all alliances? Lori, every partnership is treacherous and shifting, that's the nature of the galaxy we are in but if we can just unite the EE, CIS, and SJC into a single block for one mission, one day, then that would solve our purposes. We don't need to plan for the future for the moment though I am hoping to make a Mando government, maybe based on the Corporate Sector of old, avoiding all the mistakes that plague worlds like Denon. We need to plan for right now before the iron wall completely encloses Mandalore and blocks outside help from getting to us. I fear without outside help, the NIO won't take us seriously and we only have one chance at doing this before the Empire sets down troops to Mandalore to quash our little rebellion. We are now playing the galaxies game, a little fish in a very big sea, and without the bigger fish trying to gobble each other up we will end up in the NIO's maw forevermore. As for security around this little plot, we are agreed. No communicators, only talk about this in person. We don't know who may be listening on the other side...
The sigh that drifting out of his mouth. He had never thought that this would be easy but the task was differently sounding harder than he ever dreamed it would be. All I know the NIO will attempt to beat us into submission if we fail in a first strike and the other factions' support would be a nice safety net. I just don't know with our strength alone that we will be able to shock the Imps into giving us what we want. That is what we will need, strength, because that is the only thing the Imperials will respect. I know I will take whatever aid the Elysium Empire and yourself will provide in this matter. We also need to form a Clan meeting so we can discuss this and be Mandolarians, unified in one voice on this topic, not two people speaking for every vod out there. If you could start organizing that with your world as the meeting place, I would be grateful. I don't have the clout to do it myself. And if you want to try your hand at the Lord, you can usually find him at the Central Library on Bastion. I'm gonna warn you now, he is a wise soldier and a mean old cuss so plan accordingly.
He looked up to the skies once more, pushing away politics for right now. "I did invite Shuklaar Kyrdol
to be here for this for a reason... I do hope he isn't stuck in orbit by some space traffic jam..."
Lori loved Sergeant Omen
's idea of instruments for orphans. No doubt that they could use a creative outlet to help them heal from their traumas and pain. It was much better than letting it out through anger and violence.
When he responded again about her arranged marriage, Lori placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I did choose my own husband before. Yet it just wasn't to be. The attack on our small wedding was the harbinger of that. My husband died a couple of months later. I guess that I shouldn't of been surprised. I had made a powerful enemy of the Eternal Empire, and they saw to it to make me pay for my actions against them. I just hope that such a tragedy isn't repeated." She slid her hand off of his shoulder and put on a brave face. "I'm sure that you'll find a good wife for yourself some day."
She turned her attention to the matter at hand again, their entire meeting feeling like three different conversations at once which was quite alright as she was quick enough to keep up. "Dictatorship? That doesn't give me a good feeling...I've heard of Jedi destroying worlds and using biological warfare. There's nothing good about that. But I guess....no one's perfect." Her Dad would have never stood for that. But he wasn't around anymore to advise them differently.
Lori sighed a little. "I'm just saying that we must err in the side of caution. We can't give these people much as they'll turn it all against us. We can't trust that they'd stay true to any alliance. Either one of them could turn around and decide to help the NIO crush us if the NIO offers them a deal that is too good for them to turn down. We can't fully rely on others, except for Elysium. That I know for certain. We have to plan for different scenarios. One in which we have outside help and another for if we don't. And then for another if that outside help betrays us partway through the liberation movement. I've been through such betrayal before....I know how devastating it is on morale." She shifted her weight so that she was sitting cross-legged. "A Clan meeting would be best and maybe from that a new government can be formed. Mnemosyne can be used. I can make the arrangements and be sure that it's all secluded. Most haven't even heard of the planet, so that'll be good. I also have access to very old trade routes, so those can be utilized to bring the other Clan leaders there if need be. And as I said, I'll do whatever I can and whatever is needed of me. I have that freedom, fortunately."
Lori's eyes were drawn to the skies as well as Omen mentioned that Shuklaar Kyrdol
was invited too. She searched for the signs of another ship following the same co-ordinates that she was given. "Something must of come up. In this day and age, something usually does."
Omen just nodded when as she talked about her, fearing he had opened a larger gash in her heart that had been stitched up before laughing softly as he saw Lori's face scrunch up at the sound of the d-word. "I make things sound a lot worse than they are. I only say that because the position of Grandmaster really doesn't have any checks and balances as the NJO has in the GA. Rebellion and Civil War are the only ways to really get rid of one. Maybe there are term limits but I really haven't the plainest idea what they are. But the Grandmaster is a good leader, at least internally, and hasn't used her power for more than she should yet."
The trooper of course agreed with her. This was not something endeavor was not to be taken lightly especially when dealing with a galactic superpower. "We will start with the clans and go from there. If we won't have clan support for this, we will be sunk in the water. The details can be worked out later of course and seeing the Alor didn't show up, I guess it is just you for the company tour" Omen walked back to the boulder he was sitting on when she first landed and triggered a hidden panel, pressing a button inside that sent the section of the cliffside that they were standing on deep into the ground.
When the lift arrived at the bottom of the shaft, the three would arrive at an open cavern that was covered with metal grating that showed off the stalagmites below
and was strictly reinforced with two rows of steel pillars that cut the floor into three sections. The Right Section of the room had salvaged Tie cockpits filled with various liquids of many colors. Some of Tie cockpits had what looked like steampipes that came out of their tops and went through the ceiling while the mashes of several different fruit varieties were piped out through barrels of cold water to make lovely Tihaar. Others had Shig, Ne'gal, and Narcolethe contained within their glass. Each cockpit was painted a different color to represent each brew. The middle row was filled with a massive garden plot containing all the fruits on various trees and bushes that the Clone would ever need for his brews. These plants were feed with light from huge bay windows on each side of the mountain. The left row contained one big tank that looked like it was from a nonfunctioning GR75 with spigots on it. B1s moved filled metal casks of product into storage. Omen pointed to each, explaining their purpose. "The Eyeballs are individual brews that give the customer a selection of choices to choose from. As you can see, every fruit and berry and herb we use in our brews are grown in-house and the big tank over there is our main product, our signature tihaar called the Spirit of the Mandalorian made from Bellfruit and Wakasa berries. Normally every restaurant and bar on the planet usually buys 5-10 kegs on it along with our other products. So, do you like what you see from my "Bunker's Beverages and Co"?
"I don't know about how the GA, NJO, NIO, Silvers or others operate, nor their Force Orders. I just know that they have them and that most governments are hypocrites. I know that it's very cynical of me to say, but I'm only voicing my opinion based off of my own experiences. And those opinions can change, don't get me wrong, once I witness events to counter it."
Sergeant Omen
was right. If they didn't have the support of the Clans, there'd be no hope in freeing Mandalore. It was a little hard to believe that the others wouldn't want liberation. Yet they probably had other things to do. The numbers had dwindled and many of the survivors had scattered. It could be that the odds just weren't favouring them and so the very idea of trying was too daunting of a task to undertake. The pride of Mandalore had waned much in recent years.
And that made her sad.
Lori took in a deep breath as the conversation switched gears. She turned her focus to what was around her as Omen led her to his underground factory. She was rather fond of being underground and within caverns. It was strangely comforting. She had spent a lot of time within them as a youngling, escaping in them years later from the clutches of the Sith, and then many more times from the Eternal Empire and their soldiers. And now she was in one again, only this one was brewing Tihaar.
She grinned as she examined the Tie cockpits, each holding a different flavour. There was even a garden, grown naturally and adding to the smells of what might otherwise be dank. "Oh it's wicked! Whatever made you think of using Ties?"
Trust me vod, everyone's in the galaxy is a hypocrite. It is just the way it is. Every government had something to hide, every person something to deflect from. It was the way of the galaxy. Even the Mandalorians' guise as loving Imperial citizens was false.
The Clone let the royal look around and examine his little refugee, a small grin on his face. "Tried to make it as little impact as possible, camouflaged into the mountain and everything. The Wookiees are happy I'm not making a toxic waste dump or destroying their environment, the Jedi don't know I'm here or care and I get a piece of home to come back to. As for the Ties, as well as being iconic, their cockpits are the best designed and look most like a brewing pot. Just made sense to me.
It was time to get down to business."I asked you and the Alor here to ask you to invest a negotiated sum that we can decide on later for 20% each but since he didn't show, I'll let you have his share. So far, I got the local Wookie bars and even Silver Reach's mess halls on my delivery list. I sometimes even deliver one-off orders off-planet but I don't have the time or the ability to be everywhere and I don't have the clout to break into the bigger market space. That's where you come in. If I could just use your shipping routes and your help with marketing to get into the bigger markets like Roon and even Mandalore itself. He offered a hand. "So, are you in?"
Minister of shabla science. He'd barely understood what the job entailed when he was deputy, but he'd always had Visanj's excellent organizational capabilities to rely on. He'd been more than happy to meet with Omen, but by the time he'd manage to placate the various people now looking to him expectantly, hoping he had answers to their endless questions. People asking him when they could get tech that did this, or ships that did that, and Shuk not knowing who the haran's job it was. He knew it was Visanj's job to develop the technology, but shab, who in haran's job was it to adopt it?
Mereel was the one who'd reminded him that they were supposed to be en route, and he'd barely had time to hurriedly grab his gear and rush to the hangar. Their departure as a result was more than a little delayed. Of course, getting into SJC space was never a problem, the CIS registered company transponder code took care of that much. It was cheaper to take a gunship rather than lug one of the company's capital ships around, and in this case it meant that the Silvers paid even less attention to where he was going and who he'd brought with him.
Kashyyyk was not where he expected Omen to end up. Whatever his reasons were, he assumed he wanted to keep it as low profile as possible. Kashyyyk was probably one of the last places that anyone would go looking for someone like him. He'd long been thinking of adopting the ad'ika, giving him a set of armor and telling him to leave those kadtape jetiise behind. Omen, however, was making a good life for himself here, and he had to remind himself that as much as he wanted to help him feel like he always had a place to call home when he was ready to fully embrace his Mandalorian heritage, it was Omen's choice to make.
Come to think of it, he hadn't talked to Omen in a while. Now was hardly the time to catch up, however. He'd specifically been informed this was a business proposition. Maybe afterward, over a glass of this tihaar that he'd apparently been hard at work making. "On final approach, alor," chimed Mereel over the gunship's intercom. "Not quite enough space to set her down. You'll be fine the rest of the way, won't you alor?"
Shuklaar could see the two small landing pads. One was occupied by a small fighter craft whose make he was unfamiliar with, the other empty, presumably for him to use. "You'll be the first to know when I get that old, Mer'ika," he replied, deadpan as he got up, boots engaging their reversed repulsor functions with a practiced blink at the requisite HUD module. Mereel's chuckle filtered through the comms as he walked to the rear end the craft, the ramp lowering down as he walked over. Shuk took a moment to appreciate the natural beauty for a moment. He'd sure as haran never want to live here, but there was something to be said about the vista.
He bounded down the ramp a moment later, rocket-repulsor pack coming to life as he leapt off the end. Shuklaar's piloting skills were nothing special, but his jetpack operation skills were pretty shabla good. He dropped out of the sky with barely any effort, transitioning from flying to walking without skipping a beat as soon as his feet touched the ground. Realizing he was later than even he was expecting to be, he raised Omen via comms, "Omen, ner vod'ika. Some di'kute kept me busy with some bureaucratic osik. I'm standing at the coordinates you sent me. Didn't miss the entire shabla meeting, did I?"
"Omen, ner vod'ika. Some di'kute kept me busy with some bureaucratic osik. I'm standing at the coordinates you sent me. Didn't miss the entire shabla meeting, did I?"
Omen was about to shake Lori's hand when the call came in. Well, it was about time. The Clone backed away and bowed his head apologetically towards the young royal. "I'm sorry, the alor finally arrived. I have to go up and collect him." He gestured to a table with four chairs that was filled with sandwiches and cookies crafted into the Mythosaur skull symbol. "If you would take a seat, I won't be a moment. Please get the CEO's seats for her and her companion" Without any more prompting, two B1's stopped their regular duties and pulled two of the chairs for his two guests as the Clone quickly went back up the elevator, holding his comm on the wrist of his new armor to his mouth as he spoke to the alor."Just about. Lori and her bodyguard are already enjoying sandwiches and pastries. We already have planned a Conclave in Elysium space to see what strength we have to take on the Imp menace that now claims our home. Besides, it would be nice to know who we can count on for Mandalore's sake in the future."
When Omen arrived at the top, he possessed the best weapon against the alor he could ever field, a face of disappointment. "I know you are a busy man alor but you could have told me directly you had something else on your plate today instead of letting your staff keep me in the air. I could have always rescheduled this little meeting rather than discussing the fate of our home without you." He gestured the alor over and once the older man had got on the freight elevator, they would go down in the earth. "What task was needed to be completed that was important than saying hi to your favorite clone in the galaxy?" He was honestly curious what would keep the alor from their little meeting but if the old man wanted to keep his other commitment private he would understand. When they reached the bottom, he pointed out and describing each part of his operation just like he did for Lori before gesturing to the table where she and her companion were waiting in the far right corner of the room as well as updating him on the state of what he and Lori had talked about freeing Mandalore from Imp space and Lori's opinions on getting outside help from the other factions in this matter. "Tell me what you think of my little operation and our little plan while we make our way to the refreshment table." It was going to be interesting what the ARC would next hear out of the alor's mouth.
Lori listened to the answers to her questions, all the while her eyes were moving fromone TIE cockpit to the next. Sergeant Omen
was right. The cockpits were the perfect for brewing.
And then she heard his proposal. Her eyebrows lifted and a smile revealed itself. The very idea of helping him out with this was something easily within her wheelhouse. Yet she wasn't really comfortable with the percentage of shares. Most especially as it seemed the Alor wasn't coming.
However that changed when it appeared that Shuklaar Kyrdol
had at last arrived. Lori nodded her head as Omen excused himself. She wasn't exactly going to tell him no, for it wasn't her style. In the meantime she licked her lips as she neared the refreshment table and started to dig in. A few different kinds of sandwiches here, a few different pastries there. Lori always had a healthy appetite that helped to fuel her for her day-to-day activities. Today was no exception.
"Well, whatcha think, Arla?"
"He would be a good ally for multiple causes. Most especially if Arken Dobson
continues his crusade against you."
Lori swallowed a bite of her finger sandwich. "I meant about the brewery. We can discuss Arken another time. Here just isn't the place."
"Apologies, Captain."
Lori nodded to her and continued to eat, while Arla didn't touch any of the food. One could say that she wasn't hungry. She just performed her duties as the loyal bodyguard that Kaine had assigned her to be.
The voices of Omen and the Alor drifted towards them. And Lori quickly swallowed her mouthful of foods as she stood up from the table to greet them.
"Good to see you again, Alor. Better late than never, right?"
Take the fight to the Imps. Those were words that gave Shuklaar a sinking feeling. How many times had he heard those words. He'd seen the juggernaut of the New Imperial Order first hand. He'd fought Tavlar and his 501st before. He had no doubt his replacement, Rurik Fel, was no less effective a leader, no less effective a warrior. They weren't to be underestimated. Konig Kryze, wherever the shab he'd gotten off to now, had managed to wrangle a good deal with the Imps. It was the best deal they were going to get.
The Imps and anyone else knew that those ships they left in system meant nothing. Mandalore was a burned out husk, only recent attentions had been changing that. The Imps weren't going to give a shab about it till it was restored. Till then they could continue their efforts to correct that. Taking on the Imps was a mistake. If this was Omen's business idea, Shuk was already worried. He wasn't sure who he'd been talking to. Which warmongering shabuire survivor of the previous regime was influencing his ideas?
"Lek, vod'ika. The more that can be counted on to get Manda'yaim as shabla close to back to normal, the better," he half-lied, extending his hand in traditional Mandalorian greeting. Truth was, he was less than enthused about this idea to retake Mandalore, and he was worried about this supposed conclave in the 'Elysium Empire'. He didn't trust them, that was for shabla sure. Loreena's family however, they were honorable enough that he'd been more than happy to work alongside her enough to learn what sort of an individual she was, for the benefit of Manda'yaim. He'd told Konig that he wasn't going to stand aside and leave Manda'yaim on it's own in a time where it could certainly used his help, he'd meant that.
Omen himself appeared a moment later. From the look on his face, Shuk knew what was coming. He let out a private sigh, bracing himself for what he knew was coming as he slipped off his buy'ce, attaching it to his belt. The reason for that had been he had two different staff teams. His Ministry of Science team hadn't quite gotten used to dealing with the fact that he very much had another job. The staff from the company just didn't like being left in the dark, and naturally harbored some distaste towards their CIS counterparts as a result. This made his life frustrating as haran sometimes.
"Nothing's more important, vod'ika," he answered after a moment's thought. "I'm acting Minister of Science now, and if company and Ministry staff didn't coordinate or talk earlier, they sure as haran don't now. If I could have told all everyone I had to deal with to usen'ye, I would have."Shuklaar stepped into the freight elevator, silently admiring the work that Omen'd put into the place. If he was silently impressed at the entrance, Shuklaar's face showed just how proud he was of what Omen'd pulled off. He'd come a long way from when he'd met him last, and Shuklaar was genuinely happy for him, but worried about where his ambition and youth would lead him.
He took a breath to steady his thoughts as he walked, "Did this all on your own, vod'ika? It's one haran of an impressive job, I'll tell you that." He then turned and added to Omen, laughing, "If this is how you work, I'm more than happy to hand you a blank check for this venture of yours." Naturally, he hadn't tasted any of it yet, but he could see drive, diligence and talent. If it didn't taste good, it was down to ingredients, and Shuklaar could solve those problems for him without any issue. He had a good feeling about the product, however, and he was a sucker for good tihaar. "As for this plan...I'll wait till we're with Loreena to talk about that."
It wasn't long till that happened. He stepped into the room, hearing Loreena's greeting. Shuklaar crossed the gap with a few purposeful steps and extended his hand in greeting, "Isn't that the truth? Bureaucracy is a target I've yet to develop a weapon to kill, necessary shabla evil though it is." Shuklaar didn't want to leave the impresion that he'd ignored or spited Omen with his delay, and so he dropped his subtle hint. "Speaking of weapons and bureaucracy, what's this I hear about plans for revolution?"
Omen knew that Mandalore was not beyond saving even though the pockmarked earth. Even Telos was saved after it was totally destroyed after hundreds of years of work. All he wanted to do is secure the local area, maybe providing their own security and taking those sectors unofficially off the imp's hands, letting them patrol Manda'yaim's own waters.
The Clone nodded with a small smile as he shook the alor's hand in the traditional style. "We might as well start trying to get the planet back to normal sometime before our droten give it up for lost. At the end of the day, our hunk of rock has supported the Mando culture all this time. It deserves a chance to get off life support by our collective hands."
As the elevator rolled down into the earth, Omen's whistle filled the shaft. "Sounds very important and more than enough on your plate to handle with your usual efficiency. We should call you our leader. You hate politics, bravery, and red tape. You would be perfect for us and someone else who will be important to you soon."
The Clone smiled with pride as he glanced at the industry leader. "Just trying to get a little side hussle going. Every cred I don't use personally on expanding this thing or being put towards living expenses will go to a fund towards giving musical instruments to orphans back on the homeworld. Make sure they learn how to have fun before making war." His eyes tilted down as he tried to forget what his childhood was like before tilting his head up and nodding toward Lorenna. "Time for meet and greets."
Omen pulled out the alor's chair for him as Lori and Shuk exchanged words. Time for the pitch. "More like a negotiation to see where Mandalore fits in the Imp system and how much freedom we can cut out for ourselves within imp space. The only freedom we can have is the one we make for ourselves. Maybe use the SJC or your CIS connections as a go-between." A pause followed by a deep breath was the only thing that lay between his first sentence and his last. "I want to elect you Ramikdad’alor, a prime minister with basic negotiating power for all of the clans. Nothing overreaching or will bypass the houses themselves but we need be dozens of voices all piped through one microphone, you. We go to Clan Tal, see what their ideas are, and pitch ours. See if we can get 1+1=2. Lori also has her own mission to talk to an important imp to see if we can get anything to happen from within.
The tapping of fingers against the home-cut wood table echoed throughout the room. Omen as clearly thinking long and hard on this subject. "I... I just don't like uncertainty and we can't read the Imp's heads if they aren't at the pazaak table. Of course, I'm open to other ideas about how we can blast the Imp's ears out if you have them" Time to hear the alor's protests to being king. If only he knew what was coming next.
Lori took a hold of Shuklaar Kyrdol
's hand firmly, giving it a good shake as he greeted her. "Bureaucracy is certainly a trick of the trade that I have yet to master. But I'll get there. It's in my blood." Her parents were spectacular at this sort of thing, having led dozens of worlds for decades without war. They had expanded their territory and gained allies at nearly every turn. But those were the good ol' days, or how the story goes, anyways.
Sergeant Omen
pulled out Shuk's chair then and Lori retook her own seat as he began to speak. She picked up a drink and had a sip to help wash down her snacks while she listened. Her eyes blinked in surprise at the man's offer of Ramikad'alor to his latest guest. He'd probably be a good fit, given that he's probably had more experience than both Lori and Omen combined. It wasn't as though either of them could do it. As far as she could tell, others wouldn't take them seriously.
As for Clan Tal, Lori wasn't so confident. They ran with the Eternal Empire which had warrants out for her arrest and death. They had also ran with the Eclipse Rebellion and didn't hide their disappointment in whatever she said or did, speaking it loud and clear in front of the leaders of other governments. It was the main reason why she left the Eclipse Rebellion for good and no longer was the Face of it. Why stay if they didn't want her there? Co-founder or not, once Clan Tal and others swooped in, they steered the Eclipse Rebellion into a different direction to suit themselves. It no longer was the rebellious group that it was created to be.
Right now it wasn't her turn to speak on the subject. Shuk was given an offer of an honourable and meaningful position. Right now plenty of things hung on his answer. So for once Lori didn't run her mouth. She just merely observered.
Shuklaar Kyrdol
and
Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
. The purpose of this visit to one of Kashyyyk's more desolate mountains that the clone called home was to getting funding for his passion project, the distribution of his Tihaar on Mandalore, and eventually galaxy-wide if the fates of fortune willed it. He had been waiting for this day for a long time and he had taken all of the pushing, begging, and pleading through various members of the two guest's staff for almost a month in order to set up this meeting. The Trooper had one chance to impress these two VIP's, he only could hope that they liked the bunker he called home. With the landing lights on, the clone sat on one of the larger rocks strewn around and took out his flute, letting his tune of "The Song of the Midnight Blade" be carried out on the mountain breeze as he waited for his guests to arrive.
