Ask Conscripting the Conscripts

[Maryenne Vennen]

Her grandmother used to tell Maryenne how she loved visiting Osarian. Annelyn used to visit the planet every year, staying in a hotel in the capital city of Osa-Prime. From here, she would be able to see the sun set behind one of the many lakes that surrounded the city. In one of these visits, the old woman had brought her grandchildren.

Perhaps it was due to the nostalgia that the Senator chose this planet for this meeting with the Mandalorians. It could have happened in Gatalenta, but her and the Council of Mothers feared that the arrival of the armored warriors would cause panic among the common people. If this meeting was successful, the government would introduce the warriors and the Gatalentans peacefully. Until then, they would be careful.

“Why are they taking sooo long?” her aide and brother Joscelyn asked, already impatient. They were on the balcony of the hotel that their grandmother used to stay in Osarian. The two were seated around a large round table. Maryenne was properly seated, while the young man was slumped at the chair. “I want to go to a cantina, not stay here drinking Gatalentan tea. I do it everyday at home!” he pushed the cup away, making a face of disgust. “Besides, it tastes like shit, not even close to the original.”

Maryenne took a deep breath, while drinking some more tea. Then she slapped her brother at the nape. “This meeting is important, you need to behave.“ the Senator pulled him, until he was sitting properly. Unfortunately, Joscelyn was still improper for an official appointment with possible allies, dressed like a tourist. Meanwhile, she was wearing an elegant dress.

“Besides, You aren’t going to leave. I don’t want to rescue you again because you gambled and lost your clothes. How does someone gamble their clothes!” her brother simply shrugged, not knowing how to explain either. Maryenne sighed and returned to drink her tea, which indeed tasted terrible. Now she needed to wait. Once the Mandalorians arrived, her protocol droid Florian would bring them here.

@Rimrald @Darasuum

 

[Atuu Skirata]

Having received information on a new line of work, Atuu found himself on picturesque Osarian. As he flew to land his ships he took stock of the crystal-clear lakes, rimmed by white sandy beaches. Should he ever choose to retire from this line of work one day, Osarian was definitively in the running.

Once his ship was landed and appropriately secured, Atuu would make his way to the provided address for this meeting. Thumbing through the data he could find on the contact while making his way there. Speaking to himself as his eyes scrolled the data. "Comes from a peaceful enough planet... no data on personal conflicts, at least not publicly available... What does she need Mandalorians for?" He would pose this question to himself as he reached the entrance of the hotel. Seeing himself in and towards a lift, Atuu would arrive on the correct floor and make his way to the area in question. Finding the right door, he would give two knocks and let himself in. Still in his flight suit and helmet, the Mandalorian made a point to wear something to soften the appearance of his typical attire a utility poncho was draped over his armor.

With his entrance made, he would proceed to remove his helmet and stow it under one arm, give a slight nod of his head in respect and speak up "Senator - a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Atuu Skirata." He finished as his head rose from the nod. Looking her over, and looking at her compatriot he was rather confused but asked a question regardless "That your security detail?" he asked inquisitively while remaining near the door. @LouJoVi @Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

Osarian certainly looked beautiful to the casual observer but Hauron was well aware of the planet's history. The conflict filled history with the neighboring planet of Rhommamool reminded the Rally Master of the way Ploo II and Ploo IV wared against one another. Even Mandalorians themselves had plenty of civil wars that had escalated past the point of no return. It would be a pity if the landscape was forever changed by war like the surface of Mandalore or the shape of Concord Dawn.

Hauron was not entirely sure why he was being requested by Maryenne Vennen. The man had a similar line of thinking as Atuu Skirata who had arrived ahead of him. Atuu's introductions would finish just as a knock would be heard at the door. Hauron opened the door and stepped through, looking around at the interior.

Unlike Atuu, Hauron did not remove his helmet and was not covering his equipment with a poncho. His twin westar blaster pistols were on either hip and a sonic rifle on his back were more than most weaponry the average citizen carried. The armored form of the badger was black thermal undersuit and matching black armor plates with red detailing. The mandalorian was also relatively lightly armored compared to Atuu, preferring to favor mobility over the weight duraplast or durasteel.

He recognized his cohort's armor and gave him a nod before turning to center his T visor on Maryenne. "Hello Senator. Thanks for waiting. How's it going?" He asked the last question more opening to everyone in the room. The badger knew he was probably running late but considering the circumstances and lack of information Hauron did not feel too bad about arriving fashionably late. It was always better to be appreciative than apologetic and rarely did the mandalorian ever regret his decisions.

@LouJoVi @Rimrald

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

When the first Mandalorian arrived, Maryenne rose from her seat to greet him. “Mr. Skirata, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Please, take a seat.” she gestured for him to sit in one of the empty chairs on the table. His question about Joscelyn being her security nearly made the woman snort. Since her brother didn’t have the same self-control that she had, he cackled loudly.

“By the Force, no. I’m her brother and aide!” Joscelyn said, after finally controlling his laugh. He eyed Atuu from head to toe, while a smile grew on his lips. Maryenee knew exactly what it meant. “So, tell me Mr. Skirata, are you sin…” he stopped, biting his lips with pain. Below the table, the Senator had crushed his feet with her high heels.

“Forgive my brother, he hasn't been feeling well these days.” she said, while returning to her seat. “We need to wait for another guest.” as if hearing her, another Mandalorian arrived on the balcony. “I’m going well, Mr. Solus.” she said, before smiling at the newcomer. “You aren’t late. Please, take a seat.”

Once all of them were seated, Maryenne would start talking about the reasons for her invitation. “As you must know, Gatalenta is a mostly peaceful world. However, the Core is becoming a dangerous place. To protect ourselves, my people decided to make an army. With our military past, we decided to seek the Mandalorians to train and even be part of it.”

@Rimrald @Darasuum

 

[Atuu Skirata]

The response to Atuu's question was curious Senator Vennen's brother being stopped mid sentence wasn't something he would poke at, simply raising an eye brow to the interaction but offering nothing more. He would then turn his attention to Hauron whom he considered a familiar face at this point. Having worked a few times together and having followed his lead on Mandalore, he would offer a respectful bow of his head. <"Good to see you Vod. This should be interesting...">

He would then turn back to the Senator as she continued to brief them on the task at hand. Listening intently and nodding in understanding. Shooting a glance toward Hauron to see if he would let any thoughts slip through facial expression before speaking in basic. "I have done some preliminary research on you and your world Senator. I am glad to hear you all are taking planetary security seriously... I personally can offer my assistance but I will refrain from speaking for my counterpart here." pausing for a moment to think about the end of her sentence training and potentially integrating with the Mandalorians... this was interesting.

"I personally lead a small band of Mandalorians who seek to restore Mandalore to her former glory, I think that is the goal of any true Mandalorian... I am glad to hear you seek deeper cooperation with our people. That would seem like a topic to discuss once your military is up to standard." He would conclude his sentence hoping not to have had his words interpreted as speaking for Hauron - even though he believed they would be on the same page, it was not his place to speak for Hauron as the more experienced of the two. @LouJoVi @Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron's expressionless helmet centered for a brief moment on the man with the bloody lip. A tiny bit of crimson from the self-injury was noticeable at a distance but it was not unusual to see blood at a gathering with mandalorians, amicable or otherwise. Maybe he had said something to anger her sister.

The rally master nodded his head after hearing the senator's reasons for inviting them. Atuu spoke first, having Hauron give him his attention until it was his turn to speak. His visor turned back towards Maryenne. "This would not be the first time I've received this kind of request. After our success in the Ploo system, King Daytonus has hired us on to train the system defense force there where we also act as a force multiplier." His voice was clear and confident, not betraying the pride he had in his organization. "I think we could come to a similar agreement. Before I agree to anything though I would like to hear what you and eventually what we...." He gestured towards both Atuu and himself, implying all mandalorians. "... will be dealing with." That included the condition of the existing Gatalenta military and their enemies. The Group Leader also let the woman know that her planet was not Rancor Squadron's only client.

He took a deep breath and looked again at the Skirata clan member. "I too want deeper cooperation. But let's save the ideals for when there's drinks involved." He admitted. However he did not want to start up a minor disagreement or dirvation of opinion. Hauron was not convinced Mandalore could be restored to its former glory. But that did not mean it would not be glorious once again. Things were destroyed and changed for a reason. Going back, defaulting and regressing into the old ways had not gone well for their people historically. They needed to find new paths to glory and he hoped Atuu would help him get there.

@LouJoVi @Rimrald

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

Maryenne listened to what the two Mandalorians had to say about his offer. Both seemed to agree with her idea of hiring them to train Gatalenta’s military. However, she noticed some reluctance from Solus when the offer of deeper cooperation was brought up in the conversation.

It was unexpected.

Solus' question about what they were going to deal with was a valid point. “At first, you’ll help the Gatalentan army to get prepared to deal with pirates and other possible criminals. Since the collapse of the Republic, these groups are plaguing the Core.” it was a problem for an agricultural planet that needed to send its products to other worlds.

“However, this army also needs to be prepared to defend Gatalenta against Raze and his abominations.” she said, looking at the two with a serious expression. “Their attacks are always a surprise. Due to that, this army needs to be always in position to counter if an invasion happens.”

@Rimrald @Darasuum

 

[Atuu Skirata]

"Aye" Atuu offered in response to both Hauron's statements on ideals and plans as well as the senator's point about a standing military needing to be well drilled and prepared for most situations.

"Should this agreement be something we choose to take on - a deeper relationship between mandalorians and gatalenans can all be worked on... I too would be interested to see where we will be starting from." Atuu concluded, digging into his pack to retrieve a datapad. Starting to jot down notes as the conversation would continue.

His mind wandered for a moment as this opportunity swirled in his head. A chance to do something to strengthen the position of his people as a whole. What an opportunity indeed, but he would not betray his stoic expression with the joy he felt. For there would be a mountain of work to do, not to mention potentially needing to work through procurement details, scheduling, training regimes, and a plan of action for the planet to replace their block of instruction when the time came.

For now he would await the senators brief on the current military standings, and listen for any of his partners further points.

@Darasuum @LouJoVi

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron was concerned about entering fights they could not win. It was important to be aware of his limitations but also opportunities to increase their strength. Hearing the senator's answer he would nod his stoic helmet. "Rancor Squadron will be capable of doing both. We've already had successful raids against pirate holdouts and acquired heavy weapons that should work well against Raze and his abominations." Thermal detonators, disintegrators, missiles and more were all building the Squadron's arsenal. They had numerous ships with class 1 hyperdrives and fast engines and perhaps most importantly, experience when dealing with pirates.

The rally master's posture relaxed slightly. He would wait to see the military of gatalenta before being fully confident. There was no guarantee it would be easy. In fact he anticipated it would be hard work protecting Gatalenta and whipping their military into shape. There were always chances for complications too down the line which almost never made things easier.

"Do you have a base or patch of land we can operate from? We could provide fast response if we are already here." He did not want to presume what facilities were at the planet's disposal. They might not even want to give the mandalorians a field to land in for fear of political backlash. It would probably be worse if the senator gifted a fortified location to the mandalorians. But Hauron did not care too much about politics. He was here to fight pirates and slay monsters.

@LouJoVi @Rimrald

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

Maryenne listened to the Mandalorians questions and opinions, feeling relieved that they were interested in her offer. “Only recently Gatalenta had signed a military treaty with Begamor. Sometimes you’ll be working with their soldiers, but the training of our forces will be under your jurisdiction.”

Hauron’s question was the point that Maryenne was already planning to approach. The presence of Mandalorians in Gatalenta could be seen by some as problematic. “We are going to offer a piece of land in the plains west of the capital. Here you can build a settlement or a headquarters, and make a plantation if you want.”

“You’ll be able to leave the planet and visit the cities as you please. However, I ask you to respect our local laws and traditions.” she was sure that the Mandalorians would not affront Gatalenta’s culture, but the Council of Mothers had asked her to leave this point clear.

@Rimrald @Darasuum

 

[Atuu Skirata]

"I see this as an absolutely wonderful engagement. The Endless Watch is already associated with the Senator of Begamor." Atuu responded, surprised to know the two planets had aligned their interests. "The good Senator has already bequeathed the Endless Watch with land here on Gatalenta... between the two plots I believe we should be more than capable of supporting training of your two forces."

He concluded turning his attention to Hauron "So long as you do not oppose. My forces can spearhead the development - it seems you and yours are more at home in the stars but I would not dare to presume."

Bowing his head in respect to Hauron, it was no secret the mandalorian people needed to regain a foothold in the galaxy. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. Holdings in the core, access to the galaxy, access to additional military assets. A true boon. @Darasuum @LouJoVi

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron nodded again as he listened to Maryenne's words. It was good to hear these guidelines they would be working in. The man did not know much about either planet personally but before long he would become an expert on such matters.

The Group Leader was a little surprised how ready the senator was to provide land to Rancor Squadron and what is more Atuu Skirata's Endless Watch already had relations with Begamor. His helmet panned to look at Atuu while his hidden expression cocked an eyebrow at the man. But the brow lowered and Hauron smiled as he answered. "Well it sounds like you are." he pretended to be offended for a half second before chuckling. "Nah it's fine fam." he raised a hand to indicate he was joking. "I can have a few of my aces begin training exercises immediately."

He took a deep breath, letting his broad shoulders flex against the armor that contained him before relaxing. He was feeling more relaxed as time went on. "Rancor Squadron will be on its best behavior, senator. You have my word." He was serious and meant to show the woman and the world the respect they deserved.

He did not anticipate any issues with the locals. In fact the opposite. "Have you ever been in an interceptor, Senator?" A cheeky smile was beginning to form around the edges of Hauron's unseen mouth. "Maybe I can give you a tour of our flagship sometime. I have an interceptor that seats two. It's pretty fast though. If you like slow and steady we have a small fleet of slower ships that are still fun to fly." His eyes flicked to the woman's brother to see if his question elicited a response from either of them.

@Rimrald @LouJoVi

 

[Maryenne Vennen]

Maryenne remained neutral when Skirata mentioned that Nathan had already offered land for the Endless Watch in Gatalenta, but she was surprised by it. So the land that he wanted was for it. she thought, not having expected that it had been his plan. She thought that he wanted it to start a Begamorian agricultural center.

“I’m grateful for your reassurance and support. This will be a new dawn for our people.” with the ongoing conflicts in the Galaxy, their agreement today would give more protection to Gatalenta, while allowing the Mandalorians to have a new place where they could live. In her opinion it was a mutual victory for all of them.

The Senator was surprised when Hauron invited her to visit his ship, while Joscelyn simply smirked at it. Different from his sister, the young man noticed the flirt in the Mandalorian’s words. “She would love that!” he said, making Maryenne turn to look at him. “It’ll be a good opportunity for her to oversee your capabilities.”

Besides, his sister really needed some time to relax. She became obsessed with her job after the death of their grandmother. Maybe a hot warrior in sexy armor would be able to distract her.

In her place, he would be distracted.

Maryenne turned back to Hauron. What her brother said had logic. Maybe she could even evaluate the viability of using interceptors for Gatalenta’s defense fleet. “I agree. If it isn’t a problem, I would like to see your flagship.”

@Rimrald @Darasuum

 

[Atuu Skirata]

"Well then, I think we have a deal?" Atuu said with some hesitation in his voice - unsure if they had actually agreed on it or not. But he would hold his hand forward for the senator to shake as a means of agreeing. "If all is in order the Endless Watch can provide the documents to contract our services and we can work out the details of land transfer at the same time." He added, not one to miss the opportunity to work efficiently.

"I can round up the team and have someone in place to start working on a training curriculum with Rancor Squadron once things are finalized." Atuu offered, knowing this was going to be a potentially long term play for strategic partners and new planetary allies. It was a good start. Now RS and EW just had to agree on what to build. @LouJoVi @Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron's smile widdened at Joscelyn answering on behalf of his sister and suppressed a chuckle. The man appreciated the push he was giving his sister even if it was not for Hauron's benefit. But it also told him that Maryenne was most likely single as far as her bother knew. The mandalorian would have to ask her during the tour just to be certain if the chance arose. "It would be my honor, Senator."

Hearing Atuu's question Hauron nodded. "Agreed." The three representatives all seemed to have reached a promising consensus. Atuu made everything sound so official which made the man smile for its own reasons. Then again Hauron had to remind himself he was not leading a ragtag band of mercenaries like his father had. Rancor Squadron was becoming more of a legitimate and recognized company with each contract. The rally master decided to take it as a sign of progress rather than anything else.

"Sounds good to me." He said to Atuu. "I'll let you know if I have any questions." There were still quite a bit of things to finalize and the tour to take place. Hauron was patient for a Solus though just as bold as any badger. Both the Eternal Watch and Rancor Squadron could teach Gatalentans and use their differences to their strengths. This was an opportunity for two tribes to come together under a common goal. Even if things could turn tense he had hope they would thrive better together in the long run than separate.

@Rimrald @LouJoVi