Breaking Bread (The Collective)

[Yasha Cadera]

Breaking Bread
High Orbit, Eshan

Katlaydr of the Cuir Rekr stood at the round table facing the view port, with her hands behind her back. The 6’2” Epicanthix woman was in full gold and black beskar’gam, her crimson wolf and dagger cloak hiding her hands. Her helmet rested beside her place at the table, flanked by [member="Kaden Mantis"]’ place, [member="Shia Kryze"]’s place, and [member="Baiko no Kaho"]’s. Along for the negotiations, a relatively new Mandalorian, [member="Sel Wyrick"]. Yasha wanted to see what he had to offer.

Eshan. It had been Baiko’s idea to allow diplomacy to take place around her father’s ancestral home planet. While the choice seemed to make the Mando’ade on board the Aay’han, a Mythosaur-Class Super Carrier, touchy, it was a calculated one.

Mandalorians did their best work a little touchy.

The call went out to The Collective prior to arrival, a good faith meeting set on board the Mandalorian’s newest super carrier. Ra Vizsla taught his Ward to always appear early, always choose the place of a meeting, always demand a round table, where all chairs were equal. Listen to all the voices, not solely those who required a posture of elitism. While her only diplomatic experiences to date were swathed around [member="Darth Carnifex"], Yasha flexed her mental muscle to open a dialogue.

The lights were turned low for Yasha’s sensitive eyes.

[member="Baiko no Kaho"] took the lead in bringing the Collective delegation to the appropriate chamber, dressed for the first time, in the garb of her father’s Echani people. It felt odd to think of the Kiffar-Echani as anything but her childhood Nanny and mother's assistant, but as Yasha grew and her position expanded, she had begun to rely on the woman where matters of diplomacy were involved.

[member="Evoros"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="Kaori Arai"] | [member="Janeth Farr"]​

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Kaden Mantis"] | [member="Shia Kryze"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="Kaori Arai"] | [member="Janeth Farr"]

Skulking within the back of the room was Sel, his expression, features, and everything else hidden beneath a thin cloak of Besk'argam. The armor seemed to weigh less on him than it did others, his shoulders and back straight, his posture clearly formed. He looked about the room, staring at the young woman by the viewport before slowly letting his gaze roam towards the others.

A small smile touched his lips.

He wasn't quite sure how he'd managed to buy himself a seat in this room. Perhaps it had been his connection with Clan Spar, the recently deceased Warmaster, or perhaps it was a sign that things were changing, but it hardly mattered. Sel would was not here to interfere or enact some nefarious plot.

Not today.

Today he was simply here to watch.

The Mandalorian Empire was growing, expanding. It moved at it's own pace as Mandalore was slowly rebuilt and reconstructed, but any fool could see the writing upon the wall. After Utapau and the bounty they had gained their things would only go quicker. Within a matter of months Sundari and Keldabe would once again be the shining metropolis' that they once were, bigger, better than they were before. Mandalore would have it's defenses, and when his people finished rebuilding...they would begin to look outward.

It was always how it went, and he was more than ready.

 

[Kaden Farr]

Space travel was something which made Kaden anxious. His life had been spent mostly on solid ground, though he could argue his most horrific experiences to date had been on the ground. There was something to be said for the view. Yasha looked out the viewport and waited for the crowd to gather. Baiko was with them, as was a[member="Shia Kryze"]. It seemed after the Netherworld the three had found themselves together a lot. While Kaden was with Yasha in much more intimate ways, the deep bonds of friendship shared with Shia were also powerful. They had all survived together.

There was a new man among them. [member="Sel Wyrick"] was quiet, and stood off on his own. Kaden simply observe him. He didn’t have an opinion yet, but perhaps today he would.

This was Kaden’s first diplomatic outing. His work for the Empire to this day had been in the arena of war and dealing death. He mused on this as he came up behind Yasha.

”We are diplomats now? When can I kill again?”

Kaden winked then chuckled. She would know he was joking.

[member="Evoros"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="Kaori Arai"] | [member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

Reunion

Ah yes.

A Mandalorian who didn't want to meet other Mandalorians. Such a notion wasn't uncommon, but when her people began describing themselves as a reborn empire it set a certain tone.

Who were they that they could be so bold? No matter. The warrior-smuggler was unlucky enough to tag along with the Collective's delegation. Officially, the shadow organization did not exist. Sure there were whispers in the underworld about such an organization. Puppeteers manipulating certain core worlds for goals yet to be revealed. Officially Eshan, Arkania, Carida, and those other places under their influence were independent worlds.

Independent worlds intent on keeping their independence at any cost. A concept not unfamiliar in the textbooks of history.

Janeth watched their shuttle dock with the capital ship, an obvious show of strength--a symbol of their empire's authority in this region of the galaxy. A constant reminder that should they wish to, they can throw fleets at your walls. Yet something was different, she noticed. These weren't the same Mandalorians that she was born into, the ones she had been estranged from in the last decade of her life.

How was it so much had changed in so little time?

She said nothing as of yet. Merely standing beside [member="Evoros"] and the others, gazing upon the Mandalorians who greeted them.

[member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Sel Wyrick"] | [member="Kaden Mantis"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="Kaori Arai"]

 

[Evoros]

[member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Sel Wyrick"] | [member="Kaden Mantis"] | [member="Whisper"] | [member="Shia Kryze"] | [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Kaori Arai"]​

​

Politics were a dangerous and delicate affair in this galaxy, and with enough mercenary work Yvonne Evoros had learned how important neutrality was. She had no strong opinion on the Mandalorians--she could put aside opinions altogether to focus on what was at hand.

And the matter at hand--ugh--diplomacy.

That, on the other hand, she did dislike. Rather strongly. Evoros was a sociable creature in her her own manner, and another time she'd have enjoyed the conversation. But the friendship of a forged alliance was something more artificial, all smiles and handshakes and surface depth. Even the lies and facade of her world of espionage felt more real.

All the same, there wasn't a trace of displeasure in her demeanor as they were led through the carrier. Instead her expression was warmly neutral- practiced. Evoros didn't always like her job, but she always did it.

Resisting raising an eyebrow at the beskar'gam of the warriors that awaited the Collective agents, Evoros cleared her throat.

"Thank you for your invitation. I hope your journey was pleasant?"

Practiced, surface depth. But truthfully, for once she was curious to see the response.

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia was the only person in the room who wasn't unhappy with diplomacy.

But then again, what Shia Kryze knew about official galactic diplomacy as practiced by the Great Powers could be written on the back of a small index card.

The tall (but shorter than Yasha) warrior woman lounged more than sat straight in her chair, not slouching, but conveying a sense of relaxed presence slightly at odds with the formality of the setting - not that the brilliant finish on her armour, the trophy lightsaber chained to her belt (a Sith one, for anyone knowledgable) or the odd flash to her eyes as they flicked between people seemed to convey the same message.

"She's not a bad ship, your worlds are not so far." She didn't add 'thank you for coming' or anything so tedious. Yasha could be formal, if the need was there. Shia didn't see it, herself. Not out of disrespect, quite the opposite in fact.

[member="Evoros"] [member="Janeth Farr"] [member="Kaden Mantis"] [member="Sel Wyrick"] [member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Soon, c’yare… you can kill me in that game of checkers I owe you.” Yasha winked at [member="Kaden Mantis"] and cleared her throat as the collective negotiators came in. “Baiko, we ready?”

She waited for Baiko to nod, and turned back to the round table and took her place standing behind one of the seats. “We’re well rested, if that’s what you mean. Take a seat, all of you. Please.”

“Welcome to Aay’han, the Mandalorian Empire has undergone a metamorphosis since the cataclysm which struck Manda’yaim. We have looked inward and now is time to look out.” Yasha kept her hands folded behind her, keeping her face neutral as she eyed the group.

“You are our closest neighbours and we figured it was time to meet. Simply put, we Mando’ade are looking outward at the Galaxy, and see that there is enough room for us to grow. We crave space, to protect our home world. You and the people of Eshan are not that dissimilar from us. The Mando’ade have a saying, Cin Vhetin. Virgin snow. It means that everything a person does before joining the Mandalorian Empire is moot. Done. Your reputation and deeds are wiped clean. We wish to give you the courtesy of experiencing such a sensation. The Echani and Mandalorians used to have a rivalry, but, as I have seen, Echani and Mandalorians are more similar than their supposed differences tell. I, Katlaydr, ask you to consider one thing, and one thing alone…”

Yasha put both palms on the table and leaned over it. “Join us.”

[member="Evoros"] [member="Janeth Farr"] [member="Kaden Mantis"] [member="Sel Wyrick"] @Yasha Mantis