Through the Grapevine

[Darth Osano]

MANDALORE
IN ORBIT

Already, the planet of Mandalore was obscured beneath billowing clouds of ash. It was about as freak a cataclysmic event as possible. Simultaneous eruption of dozens of super volcanoes, massive tectonic upheaval. Earthquakes, tsunamis- and of course the ash clouds blotting out the sun. It was a horrifying string of events to behold and it made Maleagant quite uneasy to look at the planet in its current state. People were still speculating about the root cause. Maleagant himself suspected foul play- disasters of this scale did not simply happen without warning, not on this scale. The Mandalorians were a warrior-culture, but there were still seismologists, scientists, and early-warning systems in place. This was not the handiwork of mother nature.

So who and how?

Why was less important. It could be retrieved through interrogation when the time came, or they would simply fess up once the spotlight was on them. The ultimate why, Maleagant dared assume, did not even matter to the Mandalorians (or the non-Mandalorians whose families were either homeless or dead). Justice would be swift all the same. And it was this hankering for vengeance Maleagant hoped to exploit for monetary gains. He did not have the answers now, but he knew where he could find them. Maleagant examined himself in the mirror and decided he looked too... Spooky... For the upcoming meeting. His skin pigmentation lightened a little bit, his eyes lost their peculiar redness. Now he looked more like a Rattataki than anything else.

He turned to look at Adelbert, a Gand mercenary in his employ. "How do I look?"

The Gand gave a thumbs-up.

Maleagant took that to mean "okay." Adelbert appeared to be too busy fiddling with the settings on his disruptor to actually care.

The state of the planet meant that, for the time being, Mandalore [member="Vilaz Munin"] was holding meetings in orbit aboard his personal vessel. It was far larger than the shuttle Maleagant himself had rented for this occasion. After a few minutes of coordinating with the Mandalore's crew, Maleagant's shuttle was docked, and the information broker would be escorted- alone -to stand before Munin.

 

[Vilaz Munin]

Business calls kept on coming like a flock of bees to honey for the Mand'alor.

Ever since the tragedy that occurred over the Mandalorians' homeworld, foreign businesses took this as an opportunity to strike a deal with him. Most of those foreigners met counter proposals made by Vilaz as he made sure to prevent anyone to take advantage over the Mandalorians as they were fractured from the events of the cultural homeworld.

His favorite business dealing so far was one made with [member="Tai Fa"]. A peacock that agreed to help the Clans by providing medical supplies, consumables, intelligent engineers, construction supplies, and many other goods that would help with stabilizing Mandalore. And all of this was payed with mere credits. No other forms of currency, such as minerals or materials, were a want for the peacock. Just credits and a foundation of relationship between Fa Holdings and the Mandalorians.

Right now he was meeting with another potential associate on his personal vessel. He was dressed up in his armor attire and, of course, armed. One could see how tired and exhausted his face was, but that was concealed by his T-visored helmet. His warriors, all part of his clan, would escort [member="Maleagant"] to a conference room where only Vilaz and the guest would discuss business all alone.

 

[Darth Osano]

Maleagant entered the conference room, his Mandalorian escort neglecting to follow him in. He was only slightly surprised to see that [member="Vilaz Munin"] kept his helmet on. It was no doubt just a Mandalorian thing to do to keep the all-encompassing mask on at all times. Part of a warrior culture about concealing potential weakness, he might have guessed if he had any care for the true reasons behind it. Maleagant also conducted most of his affairs behind a mask. A semi-physical, metaphorical mask, perhaps... But a mask nonetheless. It depended on who you asked, really. Maleagant had not come to pay his respects or to grovel, but he still considered it customary to fold his hands in front of him and incline his head slightly in a token, respectful greeting.

"Mandalore." He said. "I am honored by the opportunity to speak with you."

Token lip service. Nothing more or less than what was expected. Maleagant raised his eyes back up to regard the unfeeling, unflinching faceplate and moved his clasped hands behind his back. With that out of the way, he intended to get to the crux of the matter. "I have come to offer my assistance in determining the precise causes behind the cataclysm you and your people have experienced."

The Helix Syndicate was well-connected in the former territories of the Mandalorian Crusaders, that well known formerly-radical, formerly-separatist Mandalorian subsect. They had possessed a typically short fuse, but they had still garnered a reputation for boldness, foolishness, and consorting with the terrorists calling themselves the Black Tie Syndicate. Lunatics consorting with maniacs as far as Maleagant could tell. If the Crusaders had anything to do with this, he could feel it out. If they did not, Maleagant would simply look closer to the catastrophe itself...

"I have in my ranks several hundred investigative personnel. Skilled scouts, trackers. With your blessing, I may send them to the surface of Mandalore, track down survivors of interest, and provide a larger picture behind this event."

 

[Vilaz Munin]

A humanoid of some species was his visit of the day. The Munin didn't know if the man was human or not, but he didn't really cared about that. Right now there was a potential business dealing to conduct.

And right off the bat the foreigner began to talk. He first began to say about having the honor and privilege of being here in front of the Munin and speaking to him, then he offered his condolences to what has happened to mother Mandalore and her children whether they experienced and suffered the catastrophe on the earth of Mandalore or not. "Thank you, but I'm going to tell you what I told the last guy. I don't like it when people pity me or my fellow brothers and sisters," he said to the businessman.

What got the Mand'alor off guard was that this stranger had come to offer means of investigate to unravel the true events of why Mandalore began to break itself. He understood that these said trackers and scouts would help in recovering those in despair on the planet's surface, but offering their skills to go deeper into this mystery?

"I understand that you will be helping in extracting those stuck on Mandalore' surface, but what I don't get is that these trackers and scouts will be deployed to find out what exactly had happened? You think this was something much more than just a planet-wide natural disaster that the planet did to itself?"

[member="Maleagant"]

 

[Darth Osano]

"It does strike me, as well as several leading experts, odd that there was no..." Maleagant inhaled, apparently uneasy with the implication. "By all accounts, there would have been warning signs before a tectonic shift of this magnitude: earthquakes, larger volcanic eruptions. More manageable disasters. Not this all at once."

In this sort of galaxy, where Sith once consorted with Yuuzhan-Vong, where Silver Jedi sheltered war criminals, where rogue Dark Jedi attempted to turn entire populations into some sort of cat-people, an artificially engineered environmental disaster was not the most unlikely of events. Perhaps it had come naturally. Perhaps it would have happened eventually anyway, but someone pushed the clock forward. There were ways to find out, and Maleagant resolved that by the time he returned to the Mandalore he would be able to say for certain one way or another. That was, if the Mandalore decided to give him the necessary clearance.

Maleagant continued, "A comprehensive survey will tell us, either way, with certainty. Warning signs may have been missed rather than absent."

[member="Vilaz Munin"]

 

[Vilaz Munin]

Vilaz was smart and witty when it came to combat and warfare, but when it came to sciences and math he did lack some intelligence in that apartment. He knew his basics, but when it came to how earthquakes came active or how a volcano formed then his mind was blank and dimmed.

However, he wouldn't act like he didn't understood what had come out of the stranger's mouth. He would just have to pretend.

"I see," great way to start off just to look smart, "this does make sense. I haven't checked those reports because of this sudden event." Which was true. He didn't cared at all most things as he was trying to stabilize Mandalore and rebuild the Mandalorians. But who would want to artificially bring the collapse of Mandalore? Many of those factors were the Sith or the Jedi. Maybe some crime lord had hired some bounty hunter to cause this mess. None of those thoughts were that a Mandalorian had caused this.

"Very well, you have my authority to venture out and conduct this survey. A squad of some of my warriors will accompany your investigative unit to make sure they don't do anything hostile. If you find any survivors, bring them to Concordia. One last thing: I am not responsible for any injuries or deaths that occur to you or your team. Do we have a deal?"

[member="Maleagant"]

 

[Darth Osano]

Maleagant did not anticipate an egregious amount of injuries or deaths would occur on this little expedition of his. If they did, he certainly would not have sought compensation from the Mandalore or any of his associates. The price was already right. Any material or personnel losses, if they were even incurred at all, would negligible. To ask for additional payment for unextraordinary damages would only make him look like a weakling. In some ways, Maleagant certainly was a wretched and defenseless little slug... But he was a far cry from admitting it. Even farther from asking people to recompense him for things they had no direct relation in making him lose.

A good Sith could shoulder his own burdens. Maleagant aspired to such heights.

"Of course." He replied. "I will alert you once we have our results. It should not take long."

That said, Maleagant had no immediate need for the warriors, having his own armed escort already. Perhaps they were there to keep an eye on him and make sure this was not some plan to trigger another eruption. Still, the Mandalorian guards could prove useful otherwise. It would give him some level of authority if anyone proved reluctant to cooperate with this investigation. The original plan had been to start breaking fingers if vital persons of interest withheld crucial information. Some armored Mandalorians as escorts would hopefully loosen their lips and more coercive means would prove unnecessary. With this established, Maleagant nodded politely to [member="Vilaz Munin"] and excused himself.

They would see one another again soon.

 

[Darth Osano]

-----​

​

MANDALORE SYSTEM
ORBITAL TRADE STATION

Days later, Maleagant was stationed elsewhere. Literally. He had rented enough space on a nearby orbital structure to erect a temporary command post while his assets probed the surface of Mandalore. Like most civilized worlds, Mandalore maintained a seismographic network. Certainly not out of the pockets of the Mandalorian Clans. More likely private researchers or enthusiasts who just happened to be born on a planet with a suffocating warrior culture. The Mandalore Seismograph Network, typically abbreviated MSN, maintained a comprehensive record of every earthquake that occurred on the planet's surface. It could also pinpoint the epicenter. The majority of the facilities had been destroyed in the ensuing cataclysm, but this was fine. The data was stored digitally, on a network, and was recovered via probe droid in a facility that had not fared as terribly.

Along with more recent activity, the MSN maintained a complete record of the planet's seismographic activity since its founding. Once this data had arrived on station, it was backed up and transmitted elsewhere. A precaution in case of sabotage. After that, Maleagant began pouring over the collected information himself. He spent the better part of several hours reviewing historic data that dated as far back as the onset of the Gulag Plague. It eventually got to the point where he was doing his own research on the nature of plate tectonics, volcanic activity, seismology, and geology. The hours upon hours spent on encyclopedia holosites and within jargon-dense scientific journals eventually allowed Maleagant to come to the following conclusion:

He had no goddamn idea what he was looking at.

Maybe it could happen in some fantasy world that a man could sit down with his datapad for six hours, absorb himself in the relevant literature, and emerge an expert. But this was not a fantasy world. This was reality, and barring some invasive cybernetic implant that would only break because of his status as a shapeshifter, it just wasn't happening. Not here, not now, not ever. Fortunately, this galaxy was not starved for experts on this matter. Maleagant would not have to go far. Ever since the cataclysm and mass evacuation, a public list had been posted on the holonet by do-gooders so people could confirm the safety, demise, or absence of their friends and family. This was not a complex maneuver. Maleagant simply took the list of those whose safety had been confirmed and had it searched by an artificial intelligence unit for someone who could at least claim to be an accredited expert on this material.

There were several. Maleagant dispatched his Enforcers and the Mandalorians [member="Vilaz Munin"] had entrusted him with to acquire these individuals and bring them in for questioning. Perhaps they would be slightly miffed to be wrenched from their families so soon after being reunited. Or, in some cases, have their wailing, grieving, and gnashing of teeth interrupted. These were the kinds of sacrifices that had to be made in the name of progress; the progress of getting to the very bottom of this nasty business.

 

[Darth Osano]

Whoever had done this must have had a terribly low respect for the collective intelligence of the Mandalorians. Not that Maleagant necessarily had a terribly high opinion of them himself, it just wasn't as low. He respected their martial capabilities and suspected they would have uncovered this themselves if given the time. But they were not given the time, and Maleagant was doing their job for them. A real decent way to make a great deal of coin was to do someone else's job for them. Especially if they didn't want to do it themselves.

When all was said and done, not a single one of the summoned experts could attest that the volcanic eruption that had taken place was natural. It was not in-line with any of their geological research. It did not fit any patterns. The force of the volcanic eruption was inconsistent with the documented size of the volcano, which they had known was active and was not expected to erupt any time soon. That was why there hadn't been any warnings, there were none to give. That volcano's eruption had been triggered artificially.

So who had done it?

Nothing was safe from the likes of the Helix Syndicate. It was not particularly hard to find out who owned the island that the eruption had been triggered on: Ijaat Mereel. One could understand how this could be considered... Suspicious. A volcano no one had expected to erupt, suddenly erupted one day- completely out of the blue, with such great force that it was inconsistent with its size. Despite this circumstance, Maleagant did not consider it quite enough to bother informing the Mandalore about. Probe droids were dispatched to the site anyway to see if anything was left.

Mereel had practically lived there. If anything remained, the Syndicate would find it... And then some.

Meanwhile, he turned his attention to other matters: air traffic. Shortly before the destruction, Mandalorian orbital stations and flight control towers were operating- monitoring air traffic. Not an interesting fact in of itself, but Maleagant suspected the tower operators might have logged any activity heading to or from Mereel's private little retreat. Maleagant dispatched more Syndicate Enforcers to track down and round up any survivors, as well as more probe droids to survey the ruins of towers or any towers that were still standing.

And since Vilaz had requested it as well, Maleagant sent a few other divisions to search for stranded survivors. He did not suspect there were many, but those who remained would be found.

 

[Darth Osano]

There hadn't been a lot of flight tower operators who got out alive, but the ones who had were rounded up after a short little fiasco that involved tracking the lot of them down. Once again through careful consultation of public records and the list of survivors. Relevant operators were black-bagged and brought before Maleagant and company. The rest were left well enough alone. The men and women who had been monitoring orbital traffic in space stations were also tracked down, screened, and the relevant ones brought before the Syndicate for questioning.

Like the previously captured experts, these were not cultural Mandalorians. Just middle class working folk trying to get by in an increasingly violent galaxy. And now their lives were up-ended for reasons that could not readily be discerned. While still greatly distressed, it did not take much to get them talking. They were able to confirm, alongside the data recovered from an assortment of confiscated hard drives, that two ships had been seen in the airspace in the hours just prior to Mandalore's apocalypse. The first one had been tagged the Liberty's Veil. The other was a rented airspeeder of indeterminate origins so far. Maleagant had a separate team looking into that matter specifically.

The Liberty's Veil, meanwhile, had been traced back to another interesting figure: Mia Monroe. The one that had once held the title of Mandalore. Maleagant had found it rather queer that Mandalores seemed to be passing on the title whenever they fancied they no longer needed it rather than reigning for life. That aside, it was incredibly strange that someone as important as Mia Monroe would be visiting someone like Mereel mere hours before the volcano on his island was artificially detonated. Maleagant could have gone straight to Vilaz Munin with this information and collected reimbursement accordingly. But it was important to be thorough. Who had the rented airspeeder belonged to?

Who else knew what was on that island?

The probes dispatched to the island had almost come back with nothing. Ground zero for the largest environmental disaster Mandalore had ever endured tended not to leave much in the way of physical evidence. But what remained did include evidence that there had once been a lot of construction on this island. Far more than one man could undertake by himself. Such a feat would require a large number of workers, either droids or contractors. People tended to require payment, so Maleagant sent some of his more studious employees off to find a paper trail...

 

[Darth Osano]

There was none.

Mereel had never paid a construction crew because he had never hired one. There were no traces of such a transaction ever having took place, but it appeared that the Mandalorian had given a bar that he owned - free of charge - to another group of Mandalorians at around the same time his little island retreat had finished construction. Had he contracted a gaggle of Mandalorians to do his work for him? It seemed suspect, but Maleagant could not prove anything. The Mandalorians he would have sought to interview had either perished or were missing, gone without a trace. How very suspicious. It was still worth knowing in the long run. After all, what could Mereel have been building there that would prompt such secrecy?

Surely it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Mandalore had been reduced to uninhabitable, ash-covered wasteland over the course of a few weeks thanks to a freak disaster that there had been no forewarning for?

Maleagant's inquests about the rented airspeeder had almost turned up cold, but the records were eventually acquired. The airspeeder sighted en route to the island had been registered to one Verz Horak. That is, another Mandalorian who had at one point been Mandalore... Who had been forced from power, rather than killed. These Mandalorians were not very good at being Mandalorians, apparently. Why were two Mandalores still alive and why were they gathering on an island minutes before a planet was, for all intents and purposes, destroyed? Perhaps Maleagant could not make the case that these people had something directly to do with all this. As it were, this was all mostly circumstantial. Suspicious, but circumstantial in any reasonable court of law. What it did mean, though, was that these people needed to be brought in for questioning.

There was little doubt in Maleagant's mind that these people would reject his summons. But would they fail to heed Munin's? Maybe if they had something to hide. Definitely if they were guilty of causing this, one way or another. Satisfied with his efforts, Maleagant had the information he gathered compiled into a comprehensive document and transmitted directly to [member="Vilaz Munin"].

Suspects Wanted for Further Inquiries

• Primary:
  Ijaat Mereel
• Mia Monroe
• Verz Horak

[*]Secondary:

• Known family members of these individuals.
• Known collaborators of these individuals.
• Known employees, servants, or associates of these individuals.