Log:Get Off Our Lawn

Get Off Our Lawn

OOC Date: March 18, 2024 (Optional)
Location: Gargon
Participants: Narsai Ordo, Amal Jha, Terek Rosol and Hadrix Kora as GM

The command shuttle and troops transports had landed on the outskirts of Gargon's primary city, in so much as it is the largest of the towns on this backwater on the edge of Mandalorian space. Spice conglomerates, mercenary outfits and smuggling rings have interests and so the incoming figures do as well.

Two full squads of Imperial Stormtroopers flank a delegation of three figures in officer uniforms with their own personal defense in the form of a trio of Mark III Dark Troopers. Coming to halt at the border outskirts of the settlement. Standing to meet whomever comes forth to meet them.

People of the town keep within their homes, watching from windows of taverns or from positions where they're ready to go for cover if things go... as they seem to expect.

This might well be within the outskirts of Mandalorian Space, but the reach of the Hutts was...ever expanding. And when spice was business, it was always Hutt Business. Perhaps that was why the pale Echani stood within one of the few homes which appeared to have been abandoned, or perhaps moved out of at haste, slim form angled to allow a view out of one of the upper story windows without allowing sight of herself. Amal waited with the quiet patience of a predator, eyes casting outward to watch the arrayed Imperials making their arrival on world.

Mandalorian space meant Mandalorians would undoubtedly show up to see what this was about. That's a lot of Stormtroopers, especially for a town this small. Terek was not the best at talking. Which is why he's not planning on saying anything unless he has to.

Behind Terek, currently down in its collapsed ball form, his Droideka awaits the order to deploy. Terek didn't want to play his hand too soon if it didn't need to be done. His hands rest loosely on his belt, armored helmet watching the very clear leader of the Imperials.

Slipped into the shadows was in her wheelhouse, but it wasn't her move today. Narsai was armored, armed and observing the approach. Her weapons were held close, green eyes peering through the t-visor as the Imperials and guards made their way closer.

The Ordo Alor didn't speak, not yet...but her clan's history with the Empire and the Sith hadn't exactly been stellar.

"We're here to talk." The officer standing at the center of the trio declares, "Gargon has been of service in the past, the Phobium mines, we are willing to discuss access, at fair price, for now. Whomever of you who declares they speak for this world... will be welcome to come to the table..." Each of the stormtrooper squads finally come to a halt, each group of ten standing in two ranks five wide. Crimson helms impassive.

Hadrix stood in flank to Narsai, thumbs hooked into his belt, resting on the balls of his feet and silent in observation.

"Be aware that we represent the Empress and while she has a love of peace and fairness, she does have limits to her patience and generosity." The Dark Troopers's heads turn slowly, each behind one of the officers. "She wishes to benefit these ranges on the far flung reaches of the galaxy. Grow the wealth of those wise enough to see a fair offer." He smiles, though the expression never reaches his eyes.

"So who will step forward, to offer up mineral rights to their claim of dust on this world?" Hands splayed to either side, the lead officer's gesture intended to be magnanimous.

Amal waited, watching the approach, until the group came to a halt. Once they were in position, she moved through the building on silent feet, moving carefully from window to window. Now that the 'leader' if such he was, had at least identified himself by speaking, Amal positioned herself at a window which would allow her to jump down to engage if necessary. Whether she would be required to fight her way through the stormtroopers would remain to be seen.

The dark armored Mandalorian listens to the offer from the Imperial. He doubted that the offer would be taken by any of the miners. He'd seen their type around in other places, at other mines. Fiercely independent even in the face of destruction. A trait he could at least admire.

Unfortunately that independence could also lead to sometimes inappropriate responses, and those responses can lead to trigger happy stormtroopers. And then the people paying to keep them safe will get their money's worth, he supposes. He's not opposed to that route.

<"Interesting,"> Narsai speaks up, tilting her head to the side even as armored as she was. <"People say that the Mandalorians are a bloodthirsty people, but even we often bring gifts and goodwill to a negotiation...you might have been the quickest to go to a threat I have ever seen.">

Of course, Clan Ordo didn't speak for the fiefdom itself, so she was hardly going to be negotiating...but that didn't mean she wouldn't remind the envoy to check their manners. <"I'm sure in your wisdom, you're perfectly aware that others who have staked claim might not be so keen to see it redistributed. I'm sure they'd be more open to offers than threats.">

The silence meeting the Imperials is enough for one of the subordinate officers to look towards the lead with her brow raised, hands folded behind her back. The other remains still, nary a twitch of an eyelid or a tick at the corner of his mouth. The stormtroopers: statues with their rifles held at low ready.

"Mandalorian, you might hopefully recall your history that nearly a hundred years ago, The First Galactic Empire had staked claims here. Claims that, by all rights, still belong to the Throne World." The speaking officer's grin widens further hands coming to fold before him, eyes moving from helmet to helmet of those visible.

Hadrix remains silent and still - watching while the breeze stirs his cape.

"The Empress, as sovereign ruler, took those claims under her wing when she claimed leadership and replaced The Republic. Now she so kindly offers a chance for those whom have swarmed over what was not theirs to profit. It is well known that your people can, often, be bought. No?" His head tilts in mirror of Narsai before the officer speaks again, "We maintain our accord with Djarin, unless you give us reason to find Mandalore to perhaps be unreasonable because they've silently decided to side against?"

Well, it did appear that negotiations, such as these were, given the strength of arms the Imperials had brought, were now underway. Amal remained in waiting. This was not her world, in truth, nor her fight, unless the continued danger to the rights she had been brought to shepherd were threatened. For now, it was a process of watching and waiting. But, perhaps not for too long, as an insult was offered on one side, and she waited for the response of the other.

The cathar has never been one for the political side of being a Mandalorian. Clan politics were not his forte. He likes just being the Dragonslayer.

That's why he keeps his mouth shut. Because he knows how those claims were taken by the first empire. The same way they'd been taken on Cathar and a thousand other worlds. At the end of a blaster. His hands have moved a bit from the middle of his belt, a bit closer to his sides.

<"Accords that I'm sure your Emperess wouldn't wish for one officer to be found to have sabotaged. Might of the Empire aside, I imagine that someone who was selected for this assignment would know the value of tact and the consequences of sabotaging negotiation with ego. I imagine that someone selected for their competency doing the exact opposite would look quite a lot like treason..." A step, the seemingly was undaunted by the rifles at low-ready. If this went bad enough? Well, there was every chance that these Empire soldiers would be cut down and buried deep in a desert somewhere...but that wasn't without its own complications.

Narsai does pause, a look over her shoulder towards Hadrix, unspoken but still seemingly searching the 'face' of her partner for his thoughts before she spoke again.

"<So, let us start again now that we've had time to adjust to each other's culture. With talk, with details, with negotiation and solid offers. Show us you can indeed be reasonable..>" Her own hands is raised, but it wasn't a threat, in fact it might be almost obnoxious how much it was an almost casual wave. <"Or, let someone else be selected for the task based on competence.">

Eyes remain on Narsai as the only speaker. The officers at least, the troopers and the droids could be watching the sky for all the expression visible from them. Tension is thick though, and the pair of flanking officers seem more than conscious of it with expressions drawing grim and their bodies moving as if readying to spring.

When she looks to him, one of Al'Verde Kora's shoulders lifts maybe a centimeter and his helmed head inclines as if noting her lead was his own. Otherwise he remains a silent, motionless, observer.

"An accord she honors as long as it is clear that Mandalore honors the peace. She offers richly for what is wanted, at fair market price for each tonne of Phobium ore pulled from this world. At fair price, listed along any trade lane, great wealth is available for the taking. A competent mandalorian sees the benefit it knowing when they can attain such without so much as lifting a blaster or blade, no?"

The officers all have their attention firmly on Narsai now while the lead continues to speak, "It is a fair deal. We are abiding by that agreed upon between our Empress and your chieftain. Ere you will note nothing but our transport in space and not a mailed fist. The Empress expects negotiation as she expects aggression so common to your people. So what say you? Shall we discus?"

Amal remained standing in silence, though she allowed her gaze to move from the primary speaker. Though she wore no internal communications, as a rule, unless the work required it, and wore neither ham nor headset now, well she knew that it was, often, words unspoken or unheard by most that were the most telling. So, her attention drifted, from the command staff to the troops arrayed around, marking those precursors to movement that so often subtly spoke of the storm to come. As she shifted position, she slipped a UV hand light from her jacket inside pocket. Not something that would be visible in the brightness of day, but which would be picked up as a bright spot, if needed, through a hemlet HUD.

If Clan Ordo was happy enough to handle the negotiations, who was Terek to step in and stop them? His visor drifts between the troopers, most of them standing at rock solid attention. Always ready to spring into action. The officers though, less disciplined.

That one to the commander's right looks jumpy. That's always the ones to watch out for. Terek's visor focuses on him, not moving anything but his head to lock onto that guy. Just in case his fidgeting turns into something a bit more dangerous for everyone involved.

There's a chuckle from Narsai, heard from beneath her helmet and made audible by the voder. Hell, she would be suprised if she was the only one amused by that comment. <"If you think that every Mandalorian would choose 'ease' of trade over blade and blaster..."> she begins, glancing to the others once more before attention comes back to the officer. "<Then your knowledge of our culture is lacking.>"

She shifts now, a change in body language back to her hips. <"But your goal is Phobium, from our mines to your hands. That sounds like a trade, if the price is fair...but we're quite capable of mining it ourselves. Your price might be fair, we'll surely see...but we're not going to welcome a garrison into territory...and I'm sure the Empire has plenty of other places it could allocate its resources. It's a big galaxy to manage after all.>"

Her thinking was clear, for imperials to establish a mine, they'd send men, machinary and a security force that could all too easily turn into something more. One didn't welcome the Rancor into the kitchen just because they decided to feed it.

<"I'm sure the cost of transport ships is far more 'reasonable' after all.">

The last time Imperials had been mining Mandalorian worlds? It didn't go so well.

"Left to their own we have little faith that we would get what we want in full. This world has been left by the Mandalorians to be governed by gangs and spice mine cartels. I expect Mandalore would provide security and shipment assurances at a price as well. The ledger dripping black and soon the cost we originally sought for the rich veins on this world begin to exceed their worth."

The officer frowns, eyes narrowing fractionally at the corners.

The one under Terek's watch frowns deeper, hands shifting to fold behind his back and his stance shifting to put one foot on his heel. The motion drawing a small tick of Hadrix's helmet towards them, but otherwise the big man remains still.

"If you are leading these negotiations..." the officer opposite the nervous one lifts a datapad for the speaker to glance at, "Chief Ordo... Ah. Yes." one of his hands lift to gesture vaguely at her, "The colors, the patterns..." the gundarks grin widens a notch, "Then I suspect your clan as one of the Great Houses would be able to appreciate our wish to give fair price for fair dealings. We are not Palpatine's Empire. We did not come with three times the craft hovering over Mandalore. We would only wish to maintain our purchases, our equipment. Reasonable, yes? We've shown good faith, with a healthy caution for your people's reputations..." he looks to the officer on his right, brow lifting before he looks back to Narsai,

"What say you to a show of good faith?"

that dud not mean that the game was not afoot. Amal remained in position, eyes moving to the officer who seemed to have little control of his body's reactions, eyes skimming the troopers closest to both the Ordo Alor and the Al'Verde Kora. As she waited, a hand reached beneath her duster, activating the quick release on the pair of blades that rested against her back.

This is almost over, they just need to finish jockeying for an advantage and then everyone goes home happy and upright. The cathar isn't willing to relax until the Imperials leave, of course. He doesn't move from his spot. Under his breath, he mutters to himself about stubborn fools. He's seen a few warlords go down from not knowing when the're beat.

<"Credits buy logistics, the means to organise, to pay the wages of those who wish to work, to ensure those that might otherwise be tempted into desperate acts from poverty are able to feed their children, to earn honest pay...rather than watch that pay and the materials flow into the pockets of someone off-world, or a single overseer."> Identified as she was, Narsai didn't shift, instead gesturing with a hand of her own. <"Inspectors would be accepted, trainers for local crews to ensure things are up to standard would be well recieved. Surely the minor investment in building bridges and supporting local resources rather than expending your own, when weighed against profit would be seen as quite the shrewd move. As you said, Mandalorian warriors provide security, and nothing would push people further to the gangs and cartels faster than the despairation I described.>

"Indeed." Expression remaining passive, the officer looks to his left and she simply raises her brows before they look back, "We will present your arguments and we shall see how The Empress feels to this, Chief Ordo." A small nod and the two outermost of the Dark Troopers sidestep to create a corridor, the speaker through one with the woman the other and the third behind the first to go before the combat droids close ranks and begin walking at equal speed backwards - the Stormtrooper squads performing a perfectly uniform about face and begin marching back for their transports.

Tension in the field only growing despite it.

Wars did not always begin with blaster fire, but they did tend to end with them. For now, the first volley had been fired, from one side and the other. But they were wars, none the less. Amal had remained as she began, a casual observer. But, intelligence had been gathered, and she would keep her own counsel, for now. While the echani did not quite settle, she did rest at her ease until such time as the Empire had departed.

When they come to an agreement, the tension somehow rises. The cathar remains in his position until every last one of those Imperials has left the surface. Then he dips back into the shadows behind him, a mysterious black ball following after him. Probably mad he didn't get to shoot anyone.

And so they were leaving, Narsai exhales a breath only once the troopers and the ship had made to depart, turning to look at Hadrix for a moment and seeming to be staring in introspection through the T-visor of her helmet before her gaze moved to the others who'd stood at her back. After all, without more warriors here, perhaps the Imperials would have felt more inclined to press their luck or test their might. 

<"Thank you,"> she offers simply before stepping forth, headed towards the town and reaching out to punch Hadrix's shoulder. "C'mon, I don't know if I need a drink or to hit something, but it sounds like we might have some work in the future."