Call It A Test

[Placeholder 0128]

Mercenaries weren't Cedric's usual sort. He preferred the hard line discipline of the 501st Legion, but then they were a hammer: not suited to more precision strikes. His legion would make up the bulk of the military's forces, but his personal retinue was particularly lacking.

Numerous mercenary companies had been contracted for this endeavor, but they too were hammers. Cedric needed a scalpel.

So it was that his secretary had sent out coded messages to numerous soldiers of fortune across the stars. Each had been vetted for their loyalties, skills, and track records. Each had been hand picked by Cedric Grayson himself once the vetting process was complete.

Now, the knight awaited the arrival of one such mercenary. She had been invited to his personal home, the Graywall. An armed escort would meet her at the landing pad, guide her through the courtyard, and lead her to Cedric's office at the castle's highest point.

The doors would open to admit her, and the guardsmen would leave her to her own devices at that point.

Cedric was clad in the furs of hie homeworld, and though he was unarmed, one did not need to sense the force to feel the sense of danger he exuded. The man was very much on edge, though smile with which he greeted the mercenary was genuine.

"Welcome to the Graywall. I am Cedric Grayson - the castle's name is a little cheesy, I know. The people named it for us, not my family."

[member="Ari Vox"]

 

[Ari Vox]

A life spent wading through cesspools of the galaxy or floating through space had left Ari with the impression that homes were rare to come by. Of course, everyone had a place to go, even the slimiest weasel in a Nar Shaddaa cantina had a hole to crawl back into, but a real home these days, a place where you felt completely secure, was hard to come by. A castle, Ari thought, might do her nicely some day. She wondered at first sight - as her ship descended through the haze of the planet's atmosphere - what it took to keep such a place afloat and how it might measure up to a typical Hutt Palace. She thought it might be a bit more aesthetically pleasing, though she knew her opinion was skewed.

At by the time Skip had touched down the freighter Ari had donned her battle-armour and was preparing to disembark. Accompanied by Rawlins, she stepped off down the ramp and greeted the awaiting guardsmen without a word or acknowledgement, simply opting to follow as they led her within the walls of the mighty fine castle. Through the courtyard they continued, and up towards what she could only assume to be her contacts office, whereupon the guards stood by as the doors swung open and she was left to her own devices.

Within the room stood a man clad in furs and adorned in what Ari could only assume was the dress of the people who lived here. He had a regal air to him that was tipped towards the flavour of a warrior-king. Calm yet fierce eyes met her visor, and though he stood unarmed the man held a power in his shoulders and his stance that made Ari wary of his movements.

"Welcome to the Graywall. I am Cedric Grayson - the castle's name is a little cheesy, I know. The people named it for us, not my family." Spoke the warrior-king, his eyes never leaving her own, hidden as they were beneath the T-visor of her helmet. Though she carried weapons and wore her armour, Ari meant no threat to the man were his offer of work to be fulfilled, and so she unlatched her helmet and pulled it up off her head with the quick and fluid skill of an almost unconscious motion. Her hair, held back to accommodate the headwear was neat even with the tight fit and her own hazel eyes now locked on his, a simple nod sufficing to acknowledge his words.

"Thank you for the welcome, you have a wonderfully..." She paused to choose her words, eyes falling on the walls around here. "Unique abode," A smile followed suit, thin and well-rehearsed, a simple pluck at the corners of her mouth as the soft expression of her eyes took a turn and acknowledged the danger of the man before her, taking on a wild look of aggression as she made to cut to business.

"I understand you have something that needs doing?"

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

"Indeed I do." The knight assessed the woman curiously. There was something off about her, though he could not quite put a finger on what exactly it was. Her presence within the empyrean was an ephemeral one; it flickered in and out of existence like a fading beacon. It was quite unalike the aura of most - either they were bright, or shrouded in the shadow of mortality. Put more simply, the force gathered itself about her in a particularly odd fashion.

That warranted further investigation.

"It's no secret that we're losing the war. There hasn't been a victory against the Sith since the fall of their last empire, and my father isn't around to make that happen again," the youth's brow furrowed. "Conventional warfare has failed in every avenue. When it comes down to it, we simply aren't willing to sacrifice our people for victory. They are, and crossing that threshold would lead us down the same path they walk, given time." He didn't expect the mercenary to be particularly privy as to the state of the galaxy. Information was difficult to come by now that the holonet had been splintered into a dozen different independent networks. It was only his connections with the great galactic powers that afforded Cedric proper knowledge regarding the conflict.

"I am unsanctioned. I work for no one, save my own cause," his eyes shifted between the mercenary and her companion. His welcoming smile faded. "I am indeed looking for mercenaries. I have the armies, but armies alone do not win wars. We would lose far too many lives if we were to attack the Sith outright. No, we need the other great powers to strike with us, and to do that, we have to prove that we can succeed before anyone commits their forces to our cause." A shift of his fingertips brought the holodisplay that had been bolted into his desk to life. It illuminated an image of an urban world.

"I'm building a team of specialists, rogues, assassins, men and women the Sith would never expect to face alongside a Jedi. To win this war, we must be unconventional. To that end, I'm offering you a renewable contract of twenty five thousand thousand credits to be paid on a monthly basis. In exchange, I expect complete silence on our operations, total availability when required, and your loyalty. If not to me, then to the credits I provide."

He paused, "Understand that this is very important work, Miss Vox. Were the Sith to continue their conquest, they would eventually reach the core. Mercenaries like you would be out of business - furthermore, if it's fame and fortune you seek, this is the path. If we manage to hold the Sith at bay, I intend to have every member of this team hailed as the heroes they will become."

The smile returned. Blue eyes bored into hazels, searching for an answer before she ever had the chance to speak.

[member="Ari Vox"]

 

[Ari Vox]

As Cedric spoke Ari listened, eyes fastened on the man as he delved into the conflict his people were embroiled in. For the mercenary it was something she'd heard a thousand times before, war, after all, was ageless and it's reasons ever evolving. In what had seemed a past life, Ari spent hours at a time studying the events of the Galaxy and the factions that had rose and fell within its history. She knew well the enduring fight between good and evil if one could even really make the distinction anymore. Yet from the man's words and the tones with which he used, the woman came to the conclusion that he was speaking truthfully, or at least he felt what he was saying to be the truth. Where she saw only violence begetting endless violence, Cedric saw a crusade for the right and just causes of freedom and liberty.

While zealots were often bad for business, Ari felt this man was different. Yes, he meant to win this war, meant for his cause to prevail by any means necessary, but the fact he was unwilling to lay men's lives down like so many sheep to the slaughter was almost unnatural to the ex-Mandalorian. Coming from her own history of cyclic, continuous violence, battles where the numbers were so overwhelmingly against herself and her allies as to the point of being comical, it was almost refreshing. 'Perhaps,' she mused to herself 'If others had looked at it this way...'

With time Cedric wound down to the nitty-gritty of the operations. A hundred thousand a month for absolute discretion and homage, something which made Ari ever so slightly uneasy. Still nursing her conscience from her last pledge of allegiance, she found it difficult to agree wholeheartedly when the man asked such from her. Loyalty to the almighty credit was one thing she could afford, but another blow to her moral fibre threatened to tear her apart at the seams.

Her helmet had found its way into the crook of her arm, her stance becoming more relaxed but still as guarded as ever and her blaster lay a hair of a second away from her hand. With the man's words exhausted Ari took her time to answer, tossed words around her skull and suddenly leapt straight into speaking, her quirky little grin spreading infectiously across her mouth as she continued.

"With regards to your intent, I believe your words to be genuine and your purpose to be pure, though I wonder just how deep you're willing to go. Warfare of this nature is not to be taken lightly, lives are forfeit before any plans are drawn, and coming from a Jedi these words take a whole new meaning. At what point will you refrain? Where do you lay the difference between yourself and the enemy?" Though she hadn't meant for her words to be so philosophically searching, Ari let them hang in the air for the moment and even cocked her head slightly in awe of them. Normally she was quiet, reserved and level-headed. Here she felt vocal, challenging to a degree she'd almost deem alien. Then before the man could speak, brooding as he was with brows furrowed at her words, Ari continued in a more matter-of-factly tone.

"And express loyalty to a cause is not something I can quite afford. Afterall I don't use the term mercenary lightly. Though I can assure you that I hold no Sith in fine regard, and avoid their contracts and those of their allies whenever I can help it. As well I hope the monthly credits do exclude the costs of arms and upkeep, consumables are a lofty expense when you're living on the sabres edge," Again her smiled cracked and her hazel eyes softened. She would take the contract if her needs were met if for nothing else than to tell herself that she was fighting on the right side for once.


[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

The questions she posed were wholly legitimate, and to some, of grave importance. Cedric himself happened to be in that latter group. He felt himself falling more at ease as she cracked her smile - he'd been spending far too much time with gruff soldiers going out of their way to look tough. Dealing with someone that wasn't trying to put on a facade was refreshing, to say the least.

"When I was younger," a hint of amusement laced his words - Cedric was still quite young, " - I believed that the ends justified the means. I thought that as long as my cause was righteous, then I would never fail. For my arrogance, my father's empire fell, my people were enslaved, and my homeworld burned. The Dark Lord dressed up a young boy to resemble myself, nailed him to a cross, and paraded him through the streets of our capital city. When we called for aid from our supposed allies, our hardliner sense of justice drove them to make the decision we were better off dead. I let my hatred for my enemy guide my hand. That will never happen again."

The youth's tone had fallen deathly serious, though such had not been his intention. There was a hard edge to his voice; one that might have been bitter had he not chosen to temper it. "That being said, there are express rules we must follow. I know this is war Miss Vox, and I know there will be casualties, sacrifices, and mistakes. Even still, we can work to be the better people. Civilians will never be targeted. Prisoners will not be killed unless there is simply no other choice. Our targets are solely military in nature. Every man, woman, and creature within our ranks is either a volunteer, or being handsomely paid. I will do everything in my power to preserve their lives, and I will not send them needlessly to their deaths, but I also will not be hampered by their passing should they fall. Our people know the risks, and they accept them as I have. Civilians do not."

A pause.

"I understand your need for work Miss Vox. So long as your operations here with me remain more or less covert, and you do not assist our imperial enemies, I have no problem with you taking other jobs. I only ask that this commitment take precedent."

[member="Ari Vox"]

 

[Ari Vox]

The mirth that had peaked out from behind Ari's eyelids quickly turned to stone as the man revealed a small yet powerful part of his history. Standing before him she could almost feel the emotions of the younger Cedric Grayson in a tangible way, seeping through his calm exterior and filling the air around him with it. Here was the truth behind the young man, and the near vulnerability that he had shown gave Ari all the trust she needed. In her line of work, such a thing was in short supply.

"Well, I believe we have ourselves a deal then, Mr Grayson," She stepped forward with an easy gait and removed her right glove in the process, extending the bare skin out in the gesture for a handshake. When his own reach to meet hers she would clasp his forearm in the traditional Mandalorian way, an easy yet firm grip accompanying the motion as their eyes locked and an understanding passed between them. The jobs he offered would, of course, take precedence, and she would maintain her work as a hunter and mercenary.

Stepping back from the embrace she refitted her glove and eased her stance considerably. Honour was such a binding part of her identity that she felt almost comfortable in the Jedi's presence having worked out a deal that was suitable for both of them. Yet questions still irked at the corners of her mind, for one thing, she had no real idea where these missions would take her or who would accompany her. Planning to any extent was almost a chore for her, none would survive the first contact anyway, but the Mandalorian always liked to know the outlines anyways.

"So will it be a one-woman job?" Living in a castle like this and commanding such as he did Ari didn't really hold to the notion that Cedric himself would be accompanying her. However he had mentioned earlier that he was looking for mercenaries, plural, and so the young one-time Alor pieced that he was assembling a team of sorts. A suicide squad it would seem were they not of the same calibre as herself. Though these thoughts remained hidden, her eyes danced with possibilities. Too long had she been alone, fighting for scraps at the tables of mighty empires, hunting with calloused eyes as the galaxy torn to shreds all around her.

Now was a chance at redemption. Now was the time to do good.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

A recent trip to Mandalore had accustomed Cedric to their rather friendly form of a handshake. He practiced it with the ease of familiarity, then returned to his place at his desk. "Occasionally yes, but most of the time? No." Cedric waved a hand over the holodisplay. It flickered with the motion, displaying the images of several different beings. The group was eclectic to say the least, ranging from a renowned Jedi Master to an infamous slicer whose bounty had been waived for this very purpose. The knight cracked an amused smile.

"I've gathered whoever I could find that would be useful to the cause." He gestured toward the slicer, "Their pasts don't matter to me; it's what they can do in the future that does. Everyone I've selected has been appropriately vetted; there won't be any liabilities." His hands shifted to the Jedi. "Along with mercenaries, soldiers, and volunteers, a handful of the more military minded Jedi left in the galaxy have joined us as well. The Sith my have us outgunned from a hardware standpoint, but these Jedi have reputations for dueling Sith Lords and coming out victorious. They'll keep you and yours alive when the Dark Lord sends his best."

A pause.

"Additionally, I'll be joining you for the majority of our missions. This operation is mine, and I won't send people in to do something that I wouldn't. You won't need to worry about protecting me - there are other men that can take my place, and I am more than capable of defending myself."

[member="Ari Vox"]

 

[Ari Vox]

Keen eyes scanned the faces that rose up from the holodisplay at the wave of Cedric's hand, none seemed familiar and though she hadn't really thought any would be, she sighed inwardly in relief. Still, there was a question of the ragtag group's abilities, and though the Jedi himself gave assurances of the others and pledged to accompany the team on the majority of the missions, she still was unsure of whether this would be a success or a profound failure, the likes of which would probably find her face down on some inhospitable alien landscape.

At least she'd die with her armour on.

As her thoughts moved from the haze of battles to come and centred once more on the office in the castle with the Jedi standing before her, Ari found herself nodding as Cedric finished his piece, clearly, she'd made up her mind long before the handshake. With the well-practised ease of a habitual practice, Ari returned her glove to her hand and watched the fabric as she flexed and made a fist, more to keep her eyes from the Jedi and less about fitting the glove itself.

"I fear Sith about as much as I fear death," She smirked with little humour, a twitch more or less but continued on. "And I'm not one to abandon a comrade in the fields of battle,"

"Will we be meeting as a group on the fronts then?" And another question followed closely behind. "When will we first deploy?" Then. "And what's our first target?" A literal barrage of questions, Ari rested back on her heels having not really moved at all since their handshake. With a face that now seemed more like a statue than a woman's expression, she fell into the coldness that enveloped her when the business turned to the administration of death. It was like a soft chill, the embrace of an ethereal manifestation that beckoned goosebumps and a silent shiver, the soft pulse of adrenaline to signal the start of excitement.

@[member=Cedric Grayson]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

There was a certain level of trust that would have to be required of each of them if this were to work. Cedric had always been one for giving people chances even in the most trying of times, but things were different now. Secrecy was worth more than saving oneself from petty drama; it was required to preserve the lives of those around them. Should anyone grow loose lipped, the entire operation could come tumbling down in a single day. The empire had its might, it had numbers, and it had hatred, but secrecy would always prevail over outright strength.

It was with that frame of mind that Cedric chose to gamble upon Ari Vox, and only her answer that made it so. "Before we arrive. There's preparation to be done before we make our assault." He gestured down toward the holoemitter. It flickered in answer, the image shifting to that of a massive antenna.

"Our first true target is this holostation. It possesses the power to broadcast across all of Sith space. We'll use it to make our call to arms. I have no doubt a large portion of the populace will rise up alongside us," another shift of his fingers saw the image morphing into the familiar wedge of a star destroyer.

"Before that, we need to secure the access codes to my father's mothballed fleet. There are sixteen Mephirium class Star Destroyers awaiting us at the edge of the galaxy, but we need to retrieve the codes from a Jedi by the name of Allyson Hayle. Hayle is a close friend of mine, but she's been preoccupied preparing her world for the impending conflict with the empire. We'll need to go to her."

He paused, "Then there's another matter. There is a gang on Coruscant; a group of thugs with the kind of experience we need with urban warfare. Their leader has already signed on, and the majority of the gang seems amiable to seeking a better life for themselves and their families in the alliance, but they need military training. That's where you and I come in."

[member="Ari Vox"]

 

[Ari Vox]

Ari watched the holodisplay with avid interest, soft hazel eyes glinting in its illuminance and flickering in time as Cedric made motions to move on. He explained with concise language the extent of what he wished to share, as far as organizational planning was concerned, and touched on the truth that Ari knew from the beginning of their short-lived contract - disaster would always be a step away. Of course when one was to stand up against tyranny the odds were always stacked against them, such had been the case for thousands of years and only rarely was justice ever served to those behind the curtains. The young one-time Alor meant to change such a pattern and aid this Jedi before her in lifting the boot from the Galaxy's throat, by any means necessary.

He spoke first of a holostation, it's capabilities far beyond anything she'd used or seen in the past, she wasn't even sure she'd heard of such a device that would let them transmit across the Galaxy. Surely she had, such things must exist given the sheer expanse of the Empires involved, but still, the specifics dwarfed her expectations. In her mind's eye, Ari saw legions of men and women forming militias and full-scale armies to expel their devious Imperial Viceroys. A fool's errand, it will all end in ruin even if such things were possible. The voice of doubt insisted, she kept it at bay as Cedric continue.

A mothballed fleet sounded promising, but the solo Vox knew the Empire employed massive fleets that would dominate anything they could put together. Again, the voice of doubt reared it's ugly head and made her question this particular contract. It was definitely unlike anything she'd taken in the past, maybe that was the key to her involvement at all. The prospect of change was intoxicating. How long had it been since she'd last truly believed in a cause? Years unaccounted for, even when she was Alor of Clan Vox, Ari couldn't justify their actions and the myriad casualties wrought by her own plans and hands.

Could blood clean blood?

The next piece in Cedric's grand plan came as the largest surprise of all, to think that the Jedi had reached out to the most nefarious types in the Galaxy was unsettling at the very least. To Ari, a woman who was well read in the exploits of the now ancient history of the universe, she knew such pardons were well advised if not outright necessary when you had to scrape the barrel. Still, the thought made her uneasy. Of course, some would see her own employment here as much the same, a criminal brought into the folds of something greater than everyone else in hopes not of justice and liberty but the almighty credit. The pay wasn't even enough to warrant such a thought!

"Quite a plan, lots of moving parts," Ari hovered around his desk, partially pacing and seeming to digest his words and intent, here hands were idle but moving, one searching the faceplate of her helmet while the other tweaked something inside it. "The holostation and fleet I understand, if we're not going to be killed outright at either junction I would be mildly surprised," She cracked another amicable grin, this one coming with more sincerity and humour, an honourable death - as Cedric was like to know - was something Mandalorians dreamed of.

"The one piece I'm uncertain of, I mean that's saying very little of my hesitations, is the inclusion of criminals, particularly gangsters. I'm not one to judge, but based off just that piece of information I'd say the judgement is shaky at best," Her eyes met Cedric's and an understanding passed between them, something Ari found to be exceedingly rare in her present lifestyle. "But if you trust this...gang, then I'm in your employ and willing to teach what I know," A look of determination washed over her, she was understandably skilled at training and teaching, most Mandalorians placed high value in such skills, as high sometimes as their own martial prowess.

@[member=Cedric Grayson]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

The woman's doubts floated about her like storm clouds. It was hard for Cedric to ignore them, given how attuned this place was to the empyrean. Emotions were heightened, and thoughts that would have been mere ripples within the force in other place caused small tidal waves instead. Fortunately for the knight, he had long since learned to block out the feelings of others; to keep them from infecting his own heart.

"With many moving parts, certain pieces are bound to break," Cedric acknowledged. "Our force will remain small so that we can be flexible. That's our one advantage over the empire. That, and a little bit of hope," the words could have come from any propaganda poster, but Cedric truly believed them. It was one of the reasons his men had chosen to remain with him after the Dominion's fall.

"These men are different from your usual criminal," the knight adopted an easy smile. "I know how it sounds, but the first Rebel Alliance began as a gathering of outcasts and dissidents. I trust their leader. He's a good man that's been denied proper opportunities in his life, and I suspect his brothers are much the same. Given the chance to be better people, I feel that they would take it."

He paused, "Will you train them?"

[member="Ari Vox"]

 

[Ari Vox]

"I will," The response was almost instant, her cloud of worry was easing ever so slightly though many questions still remained. "I assume we won't be spending much time on Coruscant if I'm to train them, where and when will we begin?" She asked, hands now placing the helmet back within in the crook of her elbow as she stopped her pacing and stood akimbo before him. In her mind her thoughts drifted to her past, to the lessons she was taught as a young Mandalorian, her adoptive father beating lesson after lesson into his daughter, her bruised and calloused skin a testament to the knowledge that she'd retain her entire life.

"I do intend to put them through their paces you know, not everyone can be a true warrior," There were always possibilities that a Mandalorian could break their trainee. Mind you she'd broken many in the past, it wasn't going to be easy on the frontlines staring down hordes of Imperial troopers. Herself, well she was ready to die if the Universe brought it upon her, but would others be so willing?

"Regardless, I'm ready to go whenever you are, my affairs are quite in order," Rawlins had seen to that while they spoke, his silent robotic presence only there to give Ari another set of eyes and to settle out her priorities, giving Cedric and his team the top attention. Her credits were practically falling away from her account, purchases for all manner of equipment made by Rawlins coming in lieu of her changed status. Bounties would take a back seat, and frontline covert ops were the new name of the game.

@[member=Cedric Grayson]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

"We begin here, tomorrow." The answer came quickly.

Cedric grinned.

"The sooner we begin their training, the sooner we can put them out in the field. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing how you fare with a group of thugs." The knight snickered.

"There are quarters prepared for you, should you choose to use them. Welcome to the Rebel Alliance Ari; we'll do great things together."

[member="Ari Vox"]