[DOMINION MISSION] Crime Always Pays

[Mirdala Priest]

Mirdala Priest
Laressa, Phindar

Arriving in the SPINE (@Darasuum ), my head was filled with distractng noise. I had gone on an identical black op, six years past, with a woman who would become my closest Mandalorian friend, Aryn Rau (@Arclight ). She had gone missing months after, just disappeared. I had begun the hunt for her, but was captured and imprisoned by the Imperials before I had found anything promising. There was a hollow ache in my stomach, my eyes beginning to react to emotions elicited by the thought of my friend. She had saved my life that night. I want her beside me now.

Lifting my helmet off the seat, I inhaled deeply, held, and exhaled. Sliding the helmet on, I felt it seal over the neckline of my bodyglove. Helmet on, Heart off.

As the SPINE touched down, I lifted my shield in my left hand, my Bevii'ragir in my right. Exiting the craft, I was met by the two man commando team accompanying me. I brought my spear to my left breastplate in salute.
"Follow my lead, stay sharp, react, and overwhelm. Rock n Roll, vods."

Turning my gaze to the two man Syndicate escort approaching us on the landing platform, I waited for my team to acknowledge they were ready.
@Minuteman75 @Comrade Matt
@Prudence

 

[vamp]

.

Nes had arrived just a few minutes earlier, and was glad to have gotten there on time. Today,
he would be in the presence of a Protector, and he hoped to make a good impression. His career could depend on it.

Their briefing had said to display a martial presence, so he had brought his entire arsenal with him. His gleaming A140 rested in a pouch on his chest like a sheathed sword. His belt was adorned by thermal dets and the lile, and he had polished his armor for this occasion.

When Mirdala had gotten there, he was holding his helmet in his hands, since if would've been disrespectful to not show his face. Once Mirdala got there, and they saluted each other, he slid it on.

As the HUD booted up, he replied, "Sir, yes, sir."

He was a bit apprehensive about the executions, since they were something he'd never done before, but in the presence of one higher up than him, he had to look like he knew what he was doing, so he cast out his doubt.

 

[Minuteman75]

Shiro Yama Fett waited alongside Nes for their team leader to show up at the landing platform. With the helmet off for the time being, he scanned the busy surroundings around them. Where most folks would take such things as ship traffic or the fumes of factories for granted, he did not. For his trained observant eye Shiro noticed the frantic speed that most vessels went flew were more than normally expected. Such behavior would be suggested by a lack of enforcement of safety precautions for connivence of profit or other personal reasons.

The smoke coming from factories below was reaching to pollution levels, hence the filth stained widows on numerous on the tower like structure and the air mildly unpleasant to breathe in. These signs served as evidence to him that Syndicat rule on Phindar was not beneficial to its people. He stopped studying the place when Priest's ship arrived and touched on. Putting on the green helmet, he checked his personal arsenal(XPC-71 rifle, small set of grenades, and sunspear pistol) for twentieth time just as the team captain came down the ramp.

Returning the salute he answered back to Priest when he gave his brief but to the point command. "Copy that boss."

Shiro Yama Fett despite his former Republic background did not had much reservations about eliminating gangsters without a trial as some would expect. Far from it, he had been one of those among the GAR who constantly advocated for stronger measures against criminal scum who profited on the sufferings of others.

Wiping them out will be doing this planet a favor and the Dominion. He thought to himself.

 

[Mirdala Priest]

I Don't Bring Forgiveness

As my team gave acknowledgement, our escort approached. Two well built men in suits came within 3 meters before stopping, hands folded in front of their abdomens.
"Please leave all weapons on the landing platform."

Silence hung in the air for several seconds, my eyes quiet behind tbe T-visor. Then sound rose from my throat, without conscious intent. "No." The man stared at me for a moment, as if attempting to assert dominance over my will. Reality slowly sunk into his bald skull. Asserting dominance over an armored Mandalorian holding a spear....not conducive to longevity. He tapped his ear comm.

"Guests are armed. Refuse to give up weapons. Advise." He waited seconds before a response was given. "Acknowledged.." He nodded to us. "Please, right this way."

Following out escort across the high rise walkway, we approach an odd 3 story building centered among the elevated platforms dotting the landacape. As the doors opened, we were led inside, a long table with seven suited men seated. A dozen armed personal guard, unarmored and smartly dressed, stood behind the seated, vigilant.

Rising, the man in the center of the table smiled hospitably. "Welcome, honored guests of the Dominion!" he said, his hands waving wide in our direction. "Too long we've gone without meeting. Welcome to Laressa!"

I approached the table, stopping respectfully at 2 meters. I could feel my team behind me. I nodded silently to our Host.
@Minuteman75. @Comrade Matt

 

[vamp]

.

He didn't speak until they were in front of the leader. When asked to give up their weapons, Nes had silently put his hands on the A140, and they had remained there, especially as they walked into the chamber.

"Thank you for your hospitality," was the only thing Nes said, although he didn't mean it. It was obvious the man just wanted to do some ass-kissing now that his jig was up. Some criminals were so predictable.

He wanted to shoot him now and get it over with, but he hadn't gotten the order to. Besides, there were a dozen guards around the mobster, and they could've been packing.
Last but not least, it would be in bad taste, and a terrible representation of the Dominion. It would look like Mandalorians shot first, and asked questions later, and even though that was the case, people weren't supposed to notice that.

 

[Minuteman75]

His body stiffen as the thug escorts demanded they turn over their weapons. Mustafar will freeze over before he would do such a thing for these living wastes of space. Underneath the T-visor he smiled when Priest echoed a similar sentiment and made sure his trigger finger was ready in case the goons forced a fight. Shiro watched as one of them made a call to whoever their boss is. It seemed they will be allowed to keep their weapons after all not that the scum would've been able to.

Good fortune, get us closer to our objective. Perhaps the bosses here think they can flatter us with this gesture. If so that is very stupid of them, it will be the last mistake they will ever make.

Escorted by goon one and two, Shiro Fett followed Priest and Nes into the building where the meeting is suppose to take place. Once inside he saw why the mobster leadership weren't so worried about them. The bodyguards heavily outnumbered the threee of them plus the leaders if they have any spine. Even so they were unarmored and likely believe that be this is a genuine negotiation. He gave only a short nod, not wanting to waste verbal pleasantries with the scum if he had to.

Shiro waited quietly, standing beside his Mandalorian brothers with his arms crossed over the chest.

 

[Mirdala Priest]

Waving a hand at the seated members, Speaker of the Syndicate smiles jovially. "Heads of all seven families have attended this most honoured occasion!" Taking his seat, his smile remained painted on his face as me and my team remained standing. "How can the Syndicate and the Dominion proceed profitably? We are...elated to engage in a mutually beneficial agreement."

Hidden behind my T-Visor, my eyes assessed the room at a glance. Resting once more on the Speaker, they widened, my mind devoid of thought as my perception keyed into every auditory cough, each slight movement of hand...emptying my conscious cup, I allowed my subconscious to access my environment more fully.
"Crime in Laressa is on a rise. Spilling outward into the less fortunate cities of Phindar." My words were rehersed, and sounded that way to my own ears. My mouth was moving but my mind was not engaged with the output.

"Of course it is," Speaker responded soothingly. "With change in power, there is always struggle." He nodded to a wall to my left. My head turned and my eyes took in a framed dagger. Moving closer, I inspected the showpiece. An obsidian knife(@Darasuum ) a common adornment among Imperials.

A new voice stole my attention from the knife.
"Take off your helmet."
It belonged to an elderly gentleman, his face sagging like he was absolutely bored.
"Men look one another in the eyes."

Look him in the eyes I did, but I did not remove my helmet.

"It's part of the costume! Right?" Speaker was mediating among parties. Charming. "Not a Mandalorian without the helmet!"

Appeased, Grandaddy shook his head in disapproval and averted his eyes.
Returning my attention to the wall display, I leaned my spear inside my shield and punched the glass case with my right fist, removing the knife.
"Hey!" Speaker started.

My mind was no longer in the room.
CONFORMITY. OBEDIENCE. ACCEPTANCE.
The blade was held in open palm, balanced horizontally, tipping this way and that way as my mind took me back to Ziost. Mirdala had officially left Laressa.

Speaker was standing now. The room was tense as I came too. Closing my fist over the grip, I returned to my original position in front of the table. I slapped the button on my forearm display, recording a live encrypted feed from my HUD back to Sundari, where intelligence analysts would relay up my chain of command.

Speaker was holding out his hand now. He wanted the obsidian knife. OBEDIENCE. Stepping forward, I placed the weapon in the man's outstretched hand before returning to my chosen standing position.
"You act like this every home you're invited too?" He asked derisively, leveling the point at me for emphasis.

Even though the blade was a meter and a half away, I could feel the tip through my armor, pushing into my flesh. Using my deltoid and shoulder, my left arm slowly lifted my shield, outstretched, index finger rising to point at Speaker in accusation.
"You have failed to protect the citizens of Laressa by paralegal means, and furthermore, have hindered any order they may have built for themselves. Even worse, your prior and no doubt present affiliations with a foreign government has branded you as a threat to Dominion interests and negates any legal representation you may have enjoyed under our government."

Speaker looked dumbly at the knife in his hand as the other heads of family began murmuring fiercely amonst themselves. "What this?"

My finger rolled inwards as I clenched my outstretched fist. "Guilty," I pronounced. Trigger word given, my gauntlet grappling hook fired, punching Speaker in the face and exiting the back of his skull. "Retract!" suddenly prongs snapped open and shot back at me, catching the mobster's cranium and drawing him to me. His body caught on the table and I braced my feet against the weight. Fishtailing over, the corpse flew towards me, Speaker's face stopping at the edge of the shield, splattering my fist like wet cake.

Dropping to a knee, my shield guarded my front, and my flesh shield guarded my right with his now limp and spasming body. Having lowered my level, my team now had a clear 180 field of fire.
@Comrade Matt @Minuteman75

 

[vamp]

.

Nes watched in interest as Mirdala walked to the knife on the wall, and looked on with some apprehension when she smashed the case. He knew this would not go well, and gripped his gun closer to make sure he was still holding it.

Once the knife was back to the original owner, he relaxed a bit, hoping this was all there was to it. Now we just kill him- he looked at the other heads of the family, -them, and we'll be back to Mandalore before you can say- grappling hook?!

And just like that, it escalated again. Unsurpisingly, the guards all had blasters stashed inside their suit jackets, but they were all weak and generic. Nes took out two guards to his right before Mirdala moved, then one more. In front of them, the leaders of the families seemed shocked, except for grandpa, who was reaching into his jacket. Nes dispatched a shot that hit the man in the chest, and he fell forward a few feet away from the Speaker.

Outside, he could hear a few guards trying to get in.

 

[Minuteman75]

For a moment Shiro was taken aback by Mirdala's behavior. That was until he saw the type of knife he took and given back to the criminal speaker. Then Mirdala gave his judgment before firing a grappling hook to the speaker's face. Second it happen, Shiro Yama went for his pistol, unholstering it and aimed for the guards on his side. Without hesitation he pulled the trigger, firing two blaster bolts, one hitting in the face and the other in the stomach.

One crook was able to strike Shiro in the chest with one shot but armor protection rendered such effort useless, before Shiro killed the gunmen in retaliation. Then he let loose with his gauntlet, a burst of flame toward the heads and bodyguards, scattering them in panic for his comrades to pick off. "Burn in hell you bastards!" He called out in the room with utter contempt.

 

[Mirdala Priest]

Still kneeling, protected by two very different shields, I listened calmly as the bolts flew around me. As soon as I heard a flamethrower let loose, I wrenched my grappling hook from Speaker's skull, freeing my hand. Next I pulled my thermal tagger from my bandoleer and snapped it like a shurikan, ducking behind my cortosis shield as it stuck to the back wall, completely opposite end of the room as my team. Making myself as small as possible as I slapped the detonator on my utility belt.

A concussive cloud of debris blew over me, filling the room with dust and mangled decor. "Jaig Eyes," I whisper, triggering the thermal optics on my HUD. Rising, my vision filled with body signatures, all attempting to recover from the shock of the explosion. Tilting my spear horizontally, my arm snapped forward and I watched a signature stumble before flattening out. Reaching for the blade sheathed in my shield, I snapped it free and stalked towards a signiture only 2 meters away, slamming my shield into him and pinning him to the wall. Thrusting my blade under the shield, I ran him through four times before shoving him back into the wall with my bodyweight behind the bash.

Stepping away, I silently observed the work of my team through the confusion and fog of war.
Baptism by Blood.

@Comrade Matt @Minuteman75

 

[vamp]

.

Things went to hell shortly after that. One of his fellow soldiers whipped out a flamethrower and started burning everything around them. Nes positioned himself behind the man's range, just in case. From there, he shoot at whoever hadn't caught fire yet.

He heard the beep of a thermal detonator, and jumped backwards closer to the entrance. Most of the hostiles in the room were crawling around with missing limbs or dead, and the room was now silent except for the sound of falling dust and debris. It seemed as though no one else would be coming now, but he planted a thermal detonator by the door, just in case. If any reinforcements arrived for the Syndicate, he would just detonate the bomb.

The senseless killing he'd engaged in had sobered him.

"Looks like we're done," Nes remarked.

 

[Minuteman75]

Burn them all... That was Shiro's thought as he rampaged through the front of the room, spraying flames of death and torment upon any in its path. Then seconds later he finally stopped, hearing those few dying screaming out their agony like animals. It brought an icy chill to his spine, he hated these men with a passion but watching those among them left alive on the ground, suffering in such an state made him want to end their misery. Shiro Yama Fett done so, shooting at the remaining burned up survivors one by one.

Mirdala and Nes had already wiped out their set of hostiles, with ease that left Shiro impressed. There is no doubt that they have committed a brutal act today, slaughtering these men like womp rats while coming in as their guests. Some no doubt would decry this deed in self righteousness but Shiro would tell them where to stick that notion.

I wonder how such people could explain why is it more noble to kill thousands in battle than to assassinate more than a dozen at some meeting.

It dose not matter if people write songs of this event in praise or damnation, it was done for the greater good, for Mandalore. Without the leadership the Syndicat will collapse, strengthening the Dominion's hold on this sector.

"Oya we are done." Shiro said in reply to Nes' statement.

 

[Mirdala Priest]

Walking towards the center of the room, I reach past the overturned table, picking up the obsidian knife. "Souvenir," I smiled, handing the blade to Shiro. He was a former Republic soldier, and could appreciate the gesture. "Contact Sundari, inform Intelligence that the Syndicate's property holdings and liquid assets are free for acquisition."

Turning to Nes, I put a hand on the Mando'ade's shoulder. "Meet Laressa law enforcement outside. Order them to hold the perimeter, but they are not to enter without a Dominion escort. They have been loyally in the Syndicates pocket for years, no room for trust." Nodding to Nes, I headed outside, intending to await my team on the ship. I tapped my com link. "Keep open channels for accountability. Report back to the ship immediately following your orders."
@Comrade Matt @Minuteman75

 

[vamp]

.

He nodded to Mirdala and made his way outside, where a few officers where already gathering. He could see riot squad cars driving over. "Sir, we're getting reports of several murders at this address," said one of the cops hurriedly. Nes nodded, and replied, "Nothing to worry about, officer. The situation has been neutralized, although it would be very helpful if you were to patrol the perimeter."

Faced with no other choice, the man nodded, then ordered his troops to patrol. With a job well done, he headed back.

 

[Minuteman75]

Walking towards the center of the room, I reach past the overturned table, picking up the obsidian knife. "Souvenir," I smiled, handing the blade to Shiro. He was a former Republic soldier, and could appreciate the gesture. "Contact Sundari, inform Intelligence that the Syndicate's property holdings and liquid assets are free for acquisition."

Turning to Nes, I put a hand on the Mando'ade's shoulder. "Meet Laressa law enforcement outside. Order them to hold the perimeter, but they are not to enter without a Dominion escort. They have been loyally in the Syndicates pocket for years, no room for trust." Nodding to Nes, I headed outside, intending to await my team on the ship. I tapped my com link. "Keep open channels for accountability. Report back to the ship immediately following your orders."
@Comrade Matt @Minuteman75

Grateful, Shiro took the offered knife from Priest and compiled with order to contact their superiors.

"Command, this is Fireteam Nexu, Syndicat leadership is eliminated, I say again Syndicat leadership is eliminated. Their property and assets on Phindar can be seized for our use."

.

He nodded to Mirdala and made his way outside, where a few officers where already gathering. He could see riot squad cars driving over. "Sir, we're getting reports of several murders at this address," said one of the cops hurriedly. Nes nodded, and replied, "Nothing to worry about, officer. The situation has been neutralized, although it would be very helpful if you were to patrol the perimeter."

Faced with no other choice, the man nodded, then ordered his troops to patrol.

Once acknowledged by Dominion Intelligence Shiro went outside. There he watched with amusement how Nes turned away the crooked officers. Didn't take them long to adjust to a regime change, no real loyalty other than to their own self interest. Perhaps with permission Shiro can return here to Lessarsa to help reform the police force to align more with the will of Mandalore. Though that is another thought for another time, he told himself, walking back to the Priest's ship.

"Nes is your name am I correct? Ya handle yourself pretty very well in there I must say." The former Republic soldier noted before offering his right hand to Nes as they approached the landing pad.

"Call me Shiro and if ya guys are free later how about we score some drinks at a bar when we get back to Sundari. Sound fun?"

 

[Mirdala Priest]

Mission Complete