The War Council Convenes

[Raz Solus]

She was back on Contruum, but this time there were no painful emotions in her heart from Hutta or Daniel’s death. Raz had summoned her war council to convene at once, and it was a topic that had been in the back of their minds for some time now. The meeting room was simple in design - a large room with a table and some seats arranged around them. Raz had no interest in sitting, her trademark for any important discussions to always pace around. Before she entered, a group of her men did a complete sweep of the halls to check for anything unusual or out of place.

She was adorned fully in her armor, her helmet hiding her face from view as usual. A lot of activity had been happening for the Mandalorians. They were taking Sith territory and they had cut a swath right between the two Sith factions. It was obvious by now that the Mandalorians were a massive force to reckon with, and they were rivaling their Sith enemies.

Word had reached her of more suspicious behavior from the Jedi. She had met with Hugo not too long ago about disciplining one of the Jedi, and now this. Raz was at her wit’s end, and her people were not the patient type. She already knew Vizsla and Kryze were beginning to mumble things about the alliance, and she couldn’t keep ignoring this.

However, Raz would never make a decision without her council. Each individual on it had proven themselves far beyond what she ever could have asked. They were all people she placed complete faith in. Raz silently waited for them to file in, intending to jump into the topic the moment they walked in.

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[Leandros Solus]

Leandros marched down the enclosed passageways of the Contruum base, his footsteps echoing off of the durasteel playing beneath me. They were heavy, measured steps that maintained a rhythmic thud with each footfall. He was fully adorned in his armor this time, the last time he was back on in this base initiating quite the adventure with the very person who had summoned him. This time, however, it was not because of heartbreak or other emotions; it was time to do business. Raz called for a meeting of her war council, and he was curious as to her intentions.

There were many possibilities that they could be meeting together so officially. It was time to plan out another push into Sith space, they needed to rein in some of the other clans, their tense alliance with the rebels and their Jedi hounds had finally grown to be unfavorable, or maybe she simply wanted to talk and get a feel for some things. Either way, Leandros wanted to see what it was they needed such an immediate convention for. Other Mandalorians at the base stood well out of his way as he marched down its halls, face hidden behind the visage of his helmet. He moved with intent purpose towards Raz and their meeting room for multiple reasons, his mind still in a frenzy from the events of the previous few days.

Leandros entered the room first before the other council members, looking around idly as he did so. He saw that Raz was the sole member inside and, upon seeing her even fully concealed by her armor, he could not suppress his grin. She always paced back and forth before important meetings, he noticed, and this one was no different. Fully entering the room, Leandros nodded towards Raz and spoke up to break the silence with a simple, ”Nervous?” His question was rhetorical; he knew something bothered her enough to call the others in for a decision, regardless of how significant it was. He crossed the room and made his way over to her, closing the distance between the two. Before the others entered the room, he placed a hand on her shoulder and lightly placed his helmet against hers; a simple, split-second action that he felt like he needed to do before returning to his role as her peer. Once he pulled away, Leandros folded his arms over his chest and awaited the other two members, knowing that this meeting would be absent one. The memory of Dan lingered at the back of his mind still, but that would be solved in time.

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[Koil Solus]

____________

THEME​

I need to replace these gloves Koil thought to himself as he opened and closed his right palm, forming into a fist and then flattening it out before repeating the motion a few times. They were sturdy and had seen some action but he did not want to be in the middle of a mission and find the touch screen of a datapad to not be reacting to his commands. The Mandalorian endured pain and hardship but not faulty equipment. His striking of the punching bag so long ago still made his knuckles itch. The bag had been replaced and the calluses had grown on the backs of his hands since then.

Looking up from his digits he continued his walk down the hall. He saw Leandros enter the meeting room down the hall ahead of him. Flexing his right hand he felt and heard numerous joints pop and crack before he forced the rest to follow suit with the assistance of the other. He would mirror this habit with his left as he entered the room and looked over to his Mand'alor. She had trusted him before, giving him the title of Al'Verde when she was just the Alor of Clan Solus. Now it was a house and she was the leader of all Mandalorians. Ironically despite the breadth of all their endeavors they were all still Badgers in the room.

The only two others present were standing relativly close despite there being plenty of open space in the meeting room. But as usual, Koil remained silent. He walked to the opposite side of the room. He took out his signal tracer, turned it on and laid it on the table in front of him to confirm there were no bugs. The man had left his commlink in a locker for this meeting. He would leave the signal tracer on for everyone's benefit before taking a step back from the table and leaning back slightly against the wall behind him. The Field Marshal would just patiently wait for things to begin and otherwise stand there, resolute and constant like he always was. He did not feel like sitting either.

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[Diocletian Solus]

Diocletian was back on Contruum as it had become a sort of de facto headquarters for the Mand’alor. It did not hurt that House Solus had a base on the planet that they had established back when they were still Clan Solus. It seemed so long ago to Dio, those days when they were tear-assing across the universe. He would have been lying had he said he did not miss those days at times. But just like children, Clans grow up to be Houses, responsibilities change, and people have to move on. Dio considered himself blessed to be leading House Solus. Where others might see the step into the House leader’s position as limiting, Dio saw it as a duty, a duty that he truly loved. They say that when you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life, Dio agreed with that sentiment whole-heartedly.

On his way to the meeting of the war council, Dio took a moment to stop and greet every Mandalorian he saw on the way to the meeting. He stopped to inquire of the guards and their needs, priding himself on his ability to recall personal details about as many of them as possible. He felt as if it meant more if the men knew their leaders understood the men under the helmets. It had served him well in the past and he intended to continue that tradition. A simple question about the health of a soldier’s family, while using the name of the soldier’s spouse, went very far in the minds of a soldier. It was a tactic that Dio had learned from Raz, amused at the thought he briefly wondered if it was intentional or just natural for the leader of his people.

Dio shook off the thought as he neared the meeting chamber. He saw the crews checking the exterior rooms near the meeting for devices and signals. Security would be tight he noticed which piqued his curiosity even more. It was a long way from the airy tent in an open field where Raz had made him House leader. There was no surprise at the calling of the meeting. The clans were restless at the alliance with the Galactic Alliance. An organization that was tearing itself apart at the seams it appeared. It was never good tactical business to ally yourself with an organization that was so volatile. He briefly wondered at the fate of his business partner Vu’thari. A small wave of sadness washing over him as he realized he no longer thought of him as his friend Vu’thari. There was only so much someone could forgive and Dio considered himself extremely forgiving for a Mandalorian.

Dio entered the room and took it in with a glance. Raz, Leandros and Koil were already in attendance. Leandros and Raz on one side while Koil, ever the loner, stood off to the other side, playing with a signal tracer. Dio wore his helmet on his belt loop, as was his custom he did not wear his bucket when meeting with family. These three definitely fit that category as he had fought, bled and drank his way across the galaxy with the three of them on more than one occasion. They were as dear to him as his own wife, son and daughter. He nodded in acknowledgement of the silent Koil and then turned to Raz and Leandros with an apologetic smile on his face. “Apologies Mand’alor and Vod, I hope I did not keep you waiting too long. It is good to see all of you.”

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[Raz Solus]

Raz hadn’t noticed anyone coming in at first, still pacing back and forth. However, she paused when Leandros spoke up, and she had to smile beneath the helmet. She remained quiet, not bothering to answer the question. He knew her well enough to know when she was unsure of herself. Raz remained still as he walked over to close the distance between them.

She didn’t stop him as he reached out before touching their helmets together. Raz closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, exhaling softly by the time he was already drawing back. The little gesture was oddly calming for her, and her body visibly relaxed after he did it. Raz didn’t move closer to him as he stepped back, allowing that respectable distance that once again made it clear she stood as Mand’alor before her council.

One by one, they all filed in, and she nodded in turn to them. The pacing had stopped, and she stood completely still now. After they were all gathered, she began speaking at once, “It’s good to see you all as well,” She responded to Dio’s comments, “I know I’ve pulled you away from important missions, but I felt it was time for us to gather and make some decisions. I need your guidance, as these are not decisions I can take alone.”

Raz began to pace slowly once more, her fingers interlaced behind her back. She didn’t even realize she paced anymore, “First and foremost, I need your opinions on the Galactic Alliance and these...Jedi,” She had to try hard to keep the venom from her voice as she said the word, “We have always been wary about trusting them. They have proven themselves slightly useful in this alliance, but I’m hearing about more and more instances of the rebels not being able to keep the Jedi in line. I’ve personally seen one of them act like a Sith, and most recently there was word that apparently a number of them splintered off and exiled themselves,” She knew the word ‘exile’ still had haunting connotations now, “I need your guidance on whether to continue this alliance or declare ourselves neutral.”


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[Koil Solus]

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Koil saw Diocletian enter from the same door he had come from. A slow nod from the badger towards his new Alor was the only greeting he gave the far more conversational man. He was a good man and did right by the House and in turn the Clan.

He turned his head towards their collective leader when she stopped moving out of the corner of his eye. While he was an attentive individual Raz just had that air about her that tended to draw attention. All day he had been thinking of the missions he was leaving. He wanted to be in the field, collecting intelligence and doing what he did best. But he had risen from a simple anonymous Marauder in a forgotten clan to become an Al'Verde, Field Marshal, and now member of the War Council to the Mand'alor. There was something about the Mand'alor that made him think of something more than himself. If it had been Wyatt or Daniel, rest in peace, Koil was not sure if he would have thought or felt the same way. But that was why she had him as part of the War Council he supposed. All the same he was glad for it. That woman made him a better person. Koil would be damned if he did not do his best to do right by those that did right by him.

The Echani also realized he was also the only non human present. Then again, most of his Clan Mates just thought he was some armor wearing nut who had a vitamin D deficiency. It worked for him and ultimately would not change his opinion on the Gallactic Alliance. At his core he was still a Badger and a child of Mandalore.

As Koil listened he took in not just the words Raz spoke, but the tone in which she said them. Her face was obscured by her helmet but her body language said enough. She was unhappy with the Galactic Alliance, at the very least, uncertain. Koil did not look to the others of his council to see their thoughts. He was not here to consult them. His beliefs were his own and he would be frank when it came to voicing them. Crossing his arms the man would inhale and bring his right hand up to the chin of his helmet where he would have otherwise stroke the stubble forming underneath. He would not respond immediately to his Mand'alor's inquiry. It was not a simple matter. Instead he would think on it before giving a definitive answer, weighing either end of the scale.

"Neutral." He said simply as he lowered his hand from his chin back down to join his other crossed arm. The Jedi had shown a lack of strength and discpline. "Civilization has long since spread to the stars. Set out like ancient sea farers to explore the limitless ocean of space. No matter how far we spread the worst monsters are those we bring with us." He would pause for a moment after recieting the words his second father had taught him. "The Jedi will always be paired with the Sith. Let them balance one another." His own hint of mockery in his tone before falling silent again.

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[Leandros Solus]

Leandros stood off away from Raz, allowing her the respectful distance she deserved as their ruler, and awaited the arrival of his peers and comrades. Koil entered, followed swiftly by Dio, and he offered the two of them a curt nod and half-wave in greeting. This was it – the war council. All four of them were of the same clan; badgers all, they had fought and bled alongside one another for years, more so in recent months in their fledgling revolt against the Sith. He trusted those within the room with his life, and he knew they felt the same about each other. They were all family regardless of blood or origin, a bond stronger than the mightiest armor. It was this bond that kept the Mandalorians so close knit in their fight against their former oppressors. It was why they would win.

Today, however, was not about the Sith. Raz had summoned them here to discuss their alliance with the rebels and the damned Jedi accompanying them. Beneath his helmet, Leandros could not help the scowl forming on his face. The rebels were a parasite on the Mandalorian war machine; a pox that took and took and did not give in return. That same pox took Dan away from them, as well as allowed their ranks to be infiltrated by the same group that formed their hated enemy. She wanted their advice on whether or not to keep the alliance, something that the two of them had discussed back in her home on Mandalore. His opinion had changed from then, and he no longer found their alliance to be beneficial.

Koil spoke his piece, painting a picture with his prose, something about seafarers and bringing monsters with them. He thought about what he was going to say, then decided that it was probably better to just speak from his heart anyways. Once Koil had finished, Leandros hemmed and looked around at the other three. ”This alliance does nothing for us,” he began, looking at each of them in turn, ”We’ve lost people defending their bases. We’ve helped them conquer their worlds. We’ve stood idly by while the Jedi twist and corrupt their minds.” He spat out the word Jedi, furrowing his brows as he did so. He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head, ”No, they’ve taken far more than we should have given. These Jedi run amok uncontrolled, much like their exile forebears. The Mandalorian people cannot allow the return of the Jedi, nor their exiles. We all know how that ends.” The last time a Jedi was exiled, they brought about ruin and destruction that resulted in the oppression of the Mandalorians. He would not let them become someone’s attack hound again.

He inhaled deeply and sighed, his shoulders rising and falling with the motion. Nodding a few times, he finished with, ”No more alliance. We don’t benefit. We’re not their attack dogs.”

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[Diocletian Solus]

Diocletian nodded to the comments made by the other occupants of the room. The War Council had been recently dubbed as such in the minds of the people as well as in reality. Dio looked around at the faces in the room and nodded to himself. They would do well by their people with the minds in this room and he was proud to be among them.

He listened patiently to the other opinions and made no comment, supportive or derogatory. After Leandros made his opinion known he started to speak. “In the history of our people we have been indeed taken advantage of by the Sith. They used us as attack dogs much as Leandros has pointed out. The only difference between what they did and what the Jedi have done recently is semantics. The Sith ordered us to do what the Jedi asked us to do. Fight for them. There was free will involved in our recent activities, no guns to our heads as it were.” He started to pace as he spoke, considering his words as he spoke.

“The question at this point is not wither the alliance benefits us. I believe we all agree here that it is not in our best interests. The point we must consider at this point is are we better or worse without it. Also, if we decide to dissolve the alliance, how would be the best way to proceed with that situation.” He stopped and looked back towards the door he had entered through.

“If we leave the alliance without cause, we will be seen as the deal breakers. Now there is the opinion that who cares what others think. Which I can agree with to a certain extent. Until we need those opinions for other alliances in the future.” Dio’s shoulders slumped slightly as he considered the ramifications of any of their courses of action. He looked at the floor absently as he considered, not really seeing the polished stone surface.

“Diplomacy has never been my strong point; however, it is simple marketplace thinking to trade fairly is to gain more trade partners. To leave trade agreements early, without cause, can be disastrous to business. I will be the first to call upon the duplicity of the Jedi. I knew one for years and he never shared that portion of his life with me. Although he knew of our people’s misgivings about them, he did not reveal his nature until it suited him. That relationship is still in tact as of this moment but more as a way to keep eyes on he and his people rather than the friendship it was in the past. Regardless, we must look at this from a diplomatic view as well is my point. I do not think any of us here want our people to be seen as aruetiise to the rest of the galaxy.”

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[Raz Solus]

Raz listened to all of their points, ranging from enthusiastic no’s to a cool question of approaching it diplomatically. She was silent for a long moment, running various scenarios in her mind. They all made good points, and none of them surprised her. She looked at Dio for a moment, considering his take on this - an angle that differed from the others, “It wouldn’t be without cause,” She began, “I have already approached their Commander about their problematic Jedi. I’ve had to do it several times.”

She began to pace around the room slowly, “They benefited us by offering us access to the Mon Cala shipyards, and their efforts on Nal Hutta paved the way for us to gain significant territory there,” Raz continued to walk, her hands clasped behind her back, “However, the question remains on whether we really needed them for any of that. Could we not do these things for ourselves and not owe anything to anyone?”

Raz paused for a moment again, inhaling before releasing the breath softly, “I think we have outgrown them as allies. I agree that there is no reason to mark them as enemies, but I see no benefit in an alliance. We alone can stand against the Sith, as we have been doing for some time now. If there are those individuals among them that want to take a more active part in the war with us, I will not turn them away. However, I will break any official alliances,” She knew Dio wouldn’t be thrilled, but she couldn’t very well ignore majority opinion either. Raz weighed various different options, and she couldn’t imagine this doing much harm. In fact, it would open up the opportunity for them to gain even more territory instead of having to sit back and let the Galactic Alliance expand.

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[Koil Solus]

____________

As usual Leandros was his loud self. The man had much to be said and while normally he thought of his brother as overly talkative in this instance his words were agreeable. It was of no surprise to him the man's stance. The two agreed on there no longer being an alliance with the rebels and the Jedi. But Koil did not want outright war with the Galactic Alliance. It felt to him that was what Leandros wanted and he was not sure it was for any wise tactical purpose. They would just no longer be partners in the war they waged against the Sith.

Dio on the other hand worried about their image. It was an aspect that mattered somewhat. That was why Koil did not condone, but would have condemned the so called Death Watch's actions on Coruscant. Such acts were not brave but cowardly so being deal breakers was not a good look but he would not have his people dragged down just to sate the public image among outsiders. He did not much care about what the aruetiise saw the Mando'ade besides what benefited them in their endeavors. What he did care about was how other Mandalorians saw the faction and their leader. Koil felt they would understand in this development, to end things with the Galactic Alliance.

What Raz said next made him think that she had given them a chance to turn things around. Multiple approaches and accounts of warning signs yet things had come to where they were now. He would only give so many warnings if it were his call. They HAD been useful. Now things were different.

After Raz spoke he would nod his head, looking straight ahead. It was no easy task to make these decisions. Coming weeks and months would see further events play out. Battles fought, lives changed, all those string of events hinging on this moment here, in this room with his family members and leaders of the Mandalorian people. There were those he actually liked in the Galactic Alliance, but he had his priorities and they had their's.

Whatever they lost from the alliance Koil would see to it that they gained it by taking it from the Sith or earning it themselves. At least I won't have to sit around and overthink things too much. His eyes flicked over towards Raz at the thought. Koil enjoyed work, it kept him moving. One thing about non stop missions and sorties, it forced him to not have to worry about thinking about his personal life. He looked to the other two male members of the council to see how they reacted to the verdict.

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[Leandros Solus]

Leandros went silent after he spoke his piece, folding his arms over his chest as Dio began his piece. The man deviated from the previous two ideals, claiming that they would be seen as deal breakers. He respected someone who stuck to their guns and, even though the Alliance had not done much in the way of carrying their own weight aside from allowing access to the Mon Cala shipyards and their assistance in Imperial Hutta, he still believed the alliance held some degree of merit. Leandros nodded in acknowledgment, though the man’s words did not sway his mind. He still fully believed it was the Alliance who got Dan killed. The thought made him frown somewhat.

Raz spoke next and began to pace around, acknowledging the benefits of the alliance. Still, they could have accomplished all of that on their own, as she said. He was silent as she delivered her final verdict and he smiled, glad that she saw reason. The alliance was no longer beneficial; the Mandalorians were doing the brunt of the work and handling the war effort just fine on their own. Why would they need the help of a ragtag militia? They would not turn away able-bodied warriors, of course, that would be foolish. If they wanted to fight, they could fight, but, as it stood, there was little point to having a unified alliance. It only meant things became messy when the rebels got into hot water and needed to be bailed out by their “allies.”

At least with a dissolved alliance there would be no issue with claiming disputed territory. Kashyyyk was a prime example of this, having been established as a joint Mandalorian-Rebel planet. The idea of sharing conquered territory never sat well with him, but now that they had no obligation to keep their hands away. As Raz finished, he nodded a few times, unfolding his arms from his chest and letting out a light, ”Oya! It’s settled then. They can fight if they want, but we’re not their pets.” He looked at the others in the room with them, his gaze lingering over Raz for a fraction of a second longer. ”Right,” he said, clapping his hands together, ”Now we drink?”

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