"Knight Katar: preliminary report," Master Chratis ordered. Katar stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back.
"Operations on Alderaan were successful. Relations between the Republic and House Organa have been secured and we managed to bring several more houses into the fold," Katar explained.
"I expect a full mission report in three days," Master Chratis stated. Katar nodded before returning to his seat. Chratis then turned his attention to me. "The Council has a new project for you Mandalorian." Chratis picked up a remote and flicked on a holoscreen on the back wall of the meeting room. The screen flickered for a few seconds before an image of two upward extended wings bordered on the bottom by a half-circle of stars appeared.
"Project Archangel is a joint operation between the Republic Air Force and the Guardian Order. Initiated a few years before the end of the war, Project Archangel was designed to give us an edge in the war. Unfortunately, the project has been experiencing setbacks and accidents recently and now the Defense Council is questioning the validity of the project. If we don't get the project back on track soon the council will terminate," Chratis explained.
"We need you to head to the project site, act as overseer, and get the project back on track. In this Cold War against the Sith Empire, we need every advantage we can get."
"What exactly is Project Archangel?" I inquired. I glanced down as a very fat dossier was slid my way by Master Oromis. I opened it and glanced over it quickly. "Mechs? Project Archangel is about developing piloted mechs?"
"Walkers and robots are great but these mechanized suits will allow our soldiers to eliminate enemy armor more efficiently, work in more hazardous environments, and missions of a more destructive nature can be carried out with greater ease," Master Elveric stated. Chratis flicked a few slides on the holoscreen that showed brief glimpses of blueprints and schematics for various mechs and what appeared to be armor suits.
"I see." I closed the dossier. "I don't see where I come in. You said you wanted me to oversee the project. I'm a highly-trained warrior, not a mechanic or administrator. Surely you have others who are better suited for this task," I argued.
"I have to agree with Jäeger on this one," Katar stated folding his arms over his chest. "The man's a great field agent; he's not someone you stick behind a desk."
Master Elveric smirked before sliding four more dossiers our way. I recognized them as personnel files.
"Blair, Ydril, Torch, Sanders," I muttered. Some of the names I knew; Blair was clearly Mitch, Torch was a mechanic in the Air Force that had helped with some maintenance on the Valiant. The man knew his way around a hyperdrive.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Your crew," Master Chratis stated plainly.
"Okay then. What are my mission specifications? What do you expect me to do here?" I asked annoyance entering my voice.
Brom smiled with infinite patience. "Project Archangel was the brainchild of one Cad Friez, an Air Force Mechanic with a knack for robotics, and footed by Colonel Fesov from the Air Force. Friez designed the mechs and started the construction process. However, shortly after the project was initiated, Second Lieutenant Friez was medically discharged due to a mental breakdown.
"Colonel Fesov has since taken over project management and subsequently caused the cost of the project has skyrocketed. Construction has ground to a halt and morale is tanking amongst the engineers. Our pilot candidates are becoming restless and we'll lose them soon if we don't get the project underway." Chratis showed a slide that showed the discrepancy in spending between the initiation of the project and then after Fesov took over.
"In all honesty, the project is in complete disarray," Chratis admitted with a heavy sigh. "But too much rides on this for us to scrap the project."
"We need you to get the project back on budget, train our pilots, and get them combat-ready within three years," Oromis stated.
"What do you mean train the pilots?" Katar asked.
"We planned on waiting for the mechs to reach their final stages in development before we were going to bring in the recruits to train them. They're all Force-sensitives who showed the skills necessary for the project," Chratis explained.
"Additionally, we need you to bring former Second Lieutenant Friez back on. The technicians have been running into difficulties with the mechs, armor suits, and a top-secret prototype that only the good engineer seems to have the knowledge to fix," Brom stated.
"Fine. I have one question," I stated as I gathered the dossiers and handed them to Katar to stash in his briefcase.
"What?" Chratis asked.
"Can I bring a civilian in on this?"
"Are you out of your ever-loving mind?" Chratis roared standing up so fast he knocked over his chair. "Do you have any idea how classified and important this project is? And you want to jeopardize it by bringing on an un-vetted civilian?"
"One of the Ruusani I saved won't leave my side. I can bring her on as a personal assistant if nothing else," I explained nonchalantly. Chratis glared at Katar for elaboration.
"Knight Jäeger was forced to protect a young Ruusani woman during his time on the Bloody Hawk as part of his mission. She refused to leave his side; trust me I've tried. Something happened during her time aboard that traumatized her and Jäeger seems to be acting as her coping mechanism right now. An anchor if you will," Katar explained. "I can vouch for her discretion, though. She's not a security risk."
"If she becomes one, I want your personal guarantee that you will take care of her, Mandalorian," Chratis snarled.
"If she tries to run to one of our enemies, I will personally put a laser through her head," I stated evenly.
"Good." Chratis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even though it's unorthodox, you can bring the girl on. Do you have her with you?"
"Right outside the door?" I pointed with my thumb over my shoulder. Chratis sighed as he rested his face in his hand.
"Bring her in."
"Katar got up and opened the door. May poked her head in and Katar gestured for her to enter. May walked in slowly, apprehension exuding from her Presence. She stood behind me fidgeting with the edge of her suit top.
"What's your name girl?" Chratis asked barely containing the annoyance in his voice.
"May, sir. May of the Clearwater Tribe on Ruusan. Or what is left of it," May stated in a slightly muttered, barely audible voice.
"Ms. Clearwater, it is to my understanding that you have become something of a traveling companion for Knight Jäeger," Chratis stated. I could tell it pained him to use my actual title. "Is this correct?"
"Yes, sir. Jäeger seems to go to lots of exciting new places. I want to explore the galaxy and see new things. Traveling with him seemed the best option. He can keep me safe," May explained.
"Do you understand that Knight Jäeger is an active Republic asset and is regularly involved in highly confidential, top-secret, military operations that our enemies cannot under any circumstances be made aware of?" Chratis growled. "He is not your travel agent!"
May shied away and hugged herself tightly. I glared at Chratis and started to rise out of my chair. May found her voice before I could kill Chratis. "Yes sir, I am well aware of that fact. I won't breath a word of anything he does." She spoke with surprising conviction.
"Jäeger has been assigned a new mission that is of the highest priority," Brom stated softly. "Knight Katar can read you in later, but you must understand that if you breathe a word of it to anyone, even in passing, you forfeit any rights and will be executed as a traitor."
May gulped. "I would never betray Jäeger!"
"I believe the girl," Oromis chuckled.
"You will assist Knight Jäeger however he asks. You will report directly to him or Knight Katar. Am I understood?" Chratis stated. May nodded. "Then we are done here. You have one week to recover and prepare for your next assignment. I expect you on project site within two weeks. Meaning you have one week to find Cad and bring him back on. The rest of your team will meet you at the Crimson Blade's loading dock. Knight Blair has also given his consent to have you rest at his place."
"Chratis shut down the holoscreen before he and the other Masters left the meeting room. I stretched before May could attach herself at the hip to me, her fingers slipping into my belt.
"That old guy with the scars scares me," May whispered. I smirked and wrapped my arm around her.
"Don't let Master Chratis get to you. He's gotten irritable in his old age," I joked.
"I'd like to go over these files, so the sooner we can get to Knight Blair's place the better," Katar stated snapping his briefcase shut. I nodded and we headed back to my ship.
Knight Blair's home was a large two-story apartment in a residential district a few skylanes over from the Corellian Quarter. It was rather extravagant for a man on a military salary with a large fully stocked kitchen, a dining room with a hardwood table large enough for six, a large living room with a window overlooking the Coruscanti skyline and an impressive entertainment system, three guest bedrooms and two master bedrooms plus freshers, and two additional freshers. The bedrooms took up the second floor, access gained via a spiral staircase off the kitchen. Tasteful Alderaani and Corellian art covered the walls adding some color to the mundane cream walls.
But don't let the mundane civilian décor fool you. The main door was a three-inch blastdoor prettied up to look like an old oak door that could be completely sealed by a dozen bolts. A series of biometric scans and a five-digit code allowed entrance. Inside the walls were reinforced to withstand most explosions and windows were blasterproof.
"Damn the boy lives well," Katar whistled. "I need to ask for a pay raise."
"Good luck with that," I chuckled as I raided Mitch's bar counter for a battle of tihaar. Mitch wasn't home at the moment but I had the access code to his apartment and my biometrics were keyed into his security access. "Mitch probably only gets paid a few hundred more than you but Circe lives with him and helped pitch in for the rent and renovations. Doesn't hurt that he got some kickbacks from the Council to develop this place into a safe house."
"Renovations?" May asked as she sat down on the large tan couch.
"This place could withstand most raids. It would take a small star cruiser to take this place out," I smirked. "Mitch can be a little paranoid at times but as I said this place can double as a fallback shelter in cases of emergency. As far as safe houses go, this place is the Ritz. Ah, there you are!" I pulled out a bottle of my favorite colorless drink and poured a shot. Katar headed into the dining room and set up shop to begin going over the dossiers the Masters had given us. That project of theirs must have been something really special because the dossiers had been given in the form of flimsy instead of datafiles.
I plopped myself down in an armchair across from Mitch's seventy-two-inch holoscreen and turned on the news. Nothing too exciting was happening in the galaxy; the usual civil wars and unrest that follows after a massive war. Wars were raging on Balmorra, Alderaan, and Ord Mantell. Rumors of small skirmishes on the edges of territories, dogfights along hyperspace lanes, supply lines being attacked.
"Can you turn it off?" May whispered. I lowered the volume and glanced towards her.
"What's wrong?" I inquired.
"I don't want to hear about it," May said gesturing towards the holo. I nodded and changed the channel to some nature documentary about the grassland wildlife on Earth of all places. May seemed to perk up watching the buffalo wander across the Kalahari. I offhandedly tossed her the remote and went to retrieve my kit from by the door where I had dropped it.
Shrugging it over my shoulder, I headed to the second master bedroom and tossed my kit on the king-sized bed. I unzipped my kit bag and started pulling out civvie clothes, my MA5, a DC-17, a DL-21, a couple ammo packs, and my beskar'gam. I tossed the bag in the corner before placing the DC-17 next to the door, my MA5 on the floor next to the bed, and slipping my DL-21 under my pillow. I stacked my beskar'gam at the foot of my bed before changing out of my Guardian uniform and into black slacks and a long-sleeved shirt.
I returned to the kitchen and poured myself another drink. May was glued to the holoscreen watching a pride of lions. I just shook my head and headed to my room bored and looking for something to do. I absentmindedly picked up a piece of my beskar'gam and frowned at how badly the paint had been ruined. While the armor underneath was still decent, it could use a touch-up. Unfortunately, I didn't have the material necessary to fix it. Picking up my left vambrace and helmet, I dug out my toolkit from my field pouch before returning to the kitchen. I sat down and started tinkering, adjusting small wires and tightened a few that had become loose.
"Whatcha doing? "May chirped as she stood at the end of the table.
"Maintenance," I muttered.
"Oh," May said a little put out by my dismissive tone. She pouted a little before going back to her program. I finished my tinkering before putting my helmet on and running through my series of filters. They checked out so I removed my helmet and finished my drink.
"Hey, what's for dinner?" Katar cried from the dining room.
"What do you want?" I inquired.
"Whatever!"
I nodded and headed towards the kitchen. May, however, passed me on the way to the kitchen. She gently placed her hand on my chest and smirked.
"I'll make dinner," she whispered.
"Yah sure?" I asked.
"Least I can do." She sauntered into the kitchen and immediately got to work. I shrugged and went to see how Katar was fairing. The man was neck-deep in dossiers. I picked up a random dossier and skimmed the file. It was the personnel report listing for the program; all the pilots were from the Guardian Order, I even recognized a few, but even through the pilots showed the aptitude for the program their Attunement levels were rather low. It would be interesting to train this bunch.
I frowned when I saw the attached psychological reports. Several had red-flags for sociopathic tendencies and a tendency for disobeying orders. A few even had criminal records; minor misdemeanors and offenses.
Fierfek I thought. How did these bastards ever get accepted?
"Katar have you seen these personnel reports?" I asked indicating them.
"Real nice pieces of work we've got to work with," Katar stated without looking up. "Most are good soldiers, but a few are going to give us grief."
"How were they even allowed to enlist? There are at least three dossiers here that have more red in them than they do black!"
"We were at war. They were allowed in because they were borderline cases. However, despite their more disruptive qualities, I believe that Staff Sergeant Ydril and I can get them ready. That man is tougher than an old leather boot and hell, I've dealt with your stubborn ass," Katar stated. I scowled and tossed the dossier. Katar grabbed it, fixed the flimsy so it lined up, and then plopped it on top of the others. May popped her head in at that moment.
"Dinner's ready."
Katar closed the dossier and we followed after May to the kitchen. Three plates of nerf steak and steamed vegetables were sitting there waiting.
"I hope Mitch doesn't mind that I used some of his meat. Not that he didn't have much to spare," May said. I gave a small smirk at that. Mitch was known for having a well-stocked freezer full of meats.
"Looks delicious Ms. Clearwater. Thank you." Katar took his plate and a cold can of beer and returned to the dining room. May and I followed after him; Katar had moved the dossiers to a corner. We ate quietly; May having proved to be an excellent cook. She cleared the dishes afterward as Katar returned to his dossiers and I retired to my chambers.
A soft knocking on my door woke me. The constant light from outside poured through the blinds on my window to reveal May standing timidly in the doorframe. She was wearing simple cotton pajamas and her hair fell messily around her shoulders.
"What's wrong?" I asked immediately alert. She had a scared, worrisome look on her pretty face.
"I can't sleep," May muttered. "I keep seeing that man over and over." I nodded in understanding. It wasn't easy getting over your first kill. I gestured for her to come closer. She immediately scampered over to my bed and climbed in. She pulled the warm cotton sheets up to her chin, wrapping herself in their soft embrace.
"Does it ever do away? The sense of guilt? The nightmares?" May whispered.
"Mandalorians learn to bury it. Killing is part of what we do. The first time is always the hardest. It changes you, but eventually, you go numb to it," I explained. "The face that you do feel bad for what you did, deserving as Krillin was of it, just means you're still human."
May nodded and snuggled up close to me. I wrapped my arm around her as I lied back down.
"Does it ever bother you?" May's breath warmed my chest.
"I've killed so many people, May. Yet I have never given any of them thought except for a few," I breathed. May held the blanket closer and closed her eyes. "Sleep, ad'ika. I'll keep the nightmares away." May muttered incoherently as she started to fall back asleep. "I'll protect you like I promised."