Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Worm. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial purpose. I make no money from it.
Chapter 11
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Part 3
=MK=
9 January 2011
Mandalorian Knights' FOB
Docks
Brockton Bay
It took longer than she hoped for Aria to hear from her Master, especially given the latest developments planet-side, though considering his responsibilities as both Mandalore and a General in the Imperial military, he more often than not had his hands full and that was before she took into account all the schemes he had running on the side. Schemes like the one she was currently involved in. Delkatar contacted her couple of hours after Aria received the missives from the Imperial Diplomatic Corps containing the official invitation and guidelines about the suggested number of Earth Bet's delegation, transport and security arrangements, the works.
That was very much expected and prepared for, and said missives were already on the way to the local PRT HQ. The arrival of a small group of trainees, a representative of Mandal Motors PR department and a small group from legal, that was foreboding, heralding legal and media complications. The first group's presence soon became obvious, though it was still going to be a pain to deal with – someone higher up in the corporate food-chain had decided that Earth's location made it a good training ground for various prospective future employees to wet their feet so to speak. The trainees had a simple job – arrange Mandal Motor's presence in various local expos to gain a bit of experience before biting into similar work in places that might actually matter for the bottom line. Thus, Aria sent the trainees to pester one of the free Knights and focused her attention to the other new arrivals.
The PR rep's presence more or less made sense – the young Bith woman was here to handle the local media, get a grip on the situation and sent a report to her superiors so they would have first hand accounts when deciding how to present Earth Bet to the galaxy at large if it became relevant.
The lawyers on the other hand… The first one of them was a Hutt of all things, though she was possibly the most slim one of those worms in existence, muscular too. She wore something vaguely resembling a pink robe and had a small swarm of hover droids buzzing around her carrying data-pads and other assorted equipment. The second one was a distinguished looking old human who carried himself with dignity. The man looked regal with his dark suit, silver hair and solemn expression, a fine example of Core Nobility or so he seemed, which immediately made him out of place as a lawyer working for Mandal Motors outside of the Core itself.
The third and last member of that small group was a very much familiar droid, who was currently painted in a soft brown color. This was going to be another one of her Master's shenanigans, Aria just knew it.
"Commander Astra, is there a place we could speak?" The old human spoke in a distinct Coruscanti accent.
"My office. Please follow me." Aria marched towards the back of the warehouse followed by a two pairs of shuttling feet and a large form dragging itself over the concrete floor with seemingly no effort at all.
They entered the small office and the guests only managed to barely fit in there only because the Hutt coiled herself in the left corner like a giant snake. Aria activated the security measures, bathing the whole area in static and other, more esoteric anti-listening measures. Only then she focused her piecing gaze on the brown droid.
"HK, explain." The Chiss demanded.
"Introductions are in order first, I believe, my Lady. My companions are Lord Kleon Hurst, from the Hurst Dynasty on Coruscant and Ms Nalia. Both of them are members of Mandal Motors legal division. For my stay here, I am HCP-117, Human Care and Protocol druid." HK smugly explained.
"You're masking as a glorified butler now?" Aria stared at the ancient engine of destruction in stark disbelief.
"I'm my Lord Hurst's humble servant." HK offered a respective nod to Aria and proceeded to bow deeply to the supposed human noble.
"Someone explain this insanity to me right now, preferably before I've lost what little is left of my temper!" Aria ordered. Was this her Master's sick sense of humor raising up it's ugly head? She knew that the last couple of years of relative peace can't be good for him and by extension, anyone else in the general vicinity… Was Veil getting bored?!
"We all know that the Clone Wars and their immediate aftermath reminded everyone sane in the galaxy that might does in fact make right." Lord Hurst began. "Nowadays, interstellar law and agreements have to be backed by raw military might, the good old days what the mere presence of the defunct Republic was enough to more or less keep the peace and trade flowing are now gone."
"I was there, Lord Hurst. I saw first hand how many of the core Republic worlds sold out the Republic for power and a better place in this Empire of ours. I was there when many systems returned to the fold under the implicit threat of immediate military intervention they couldn't hope to fend off. And most importantly, I was there when whole sectors bend the knee instead of risking the wrath of either my Lord or the Lady Zash."
"True, true." The old man waved a hand in a placating gesture, all the while smiling disarmingly. "However, raw military power is merely one tool of many. While vital in safeguarding the Empire and the Freehold, it is laws enforced through it that allows everything to function properly. That's why we're here. There is no doubt who holds all the cards in any potential confrontation between us and the locals. We're here to help you formalize things through necessary treaties and properly enshrine reality into law."
"You aren't simply talking about the relations between our outfit, Mandal Motors and the locals." Aria's racing mind wasted no time in connecting the dots. "Are you really Mandal Motors lawyers?"
"We do have all the paperwork needed to prove it." This came from the Hutt, whose voice while deep as befitting a creature as large as her, was surprisingly pleasant. "However, not so long ago, we both worked for the Freehold's Ministry of Justice."
"That by itself doesn't rate him as either bodyguard or using you as camouflage."
"You'll have to speak with our Master about that, Lady Astra." HK pipped up.
"My humble servant aside," Hurst smirked, "we're in fact here to lay the preliminary groundwork for signing formal treaties establishing Mandal Motor's status on Earth Bet and through them opening the door for follow up negotiations and treaties between the Freehold and the locals."
That might even be the truth, it was just that, Aria was sure it was anything but the whole truth. Not with HK-117 prancing around masking as a butler droid… She really needed speak with her Master.
Naturally, when Aria did speak with Veil, she almost wished she had bought the lawyers' story at face value and left it at that…
=MK=
Part 4
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MFW frigate Peerless Warrior
Mandalore
The frigate's full marine contingent assembled in the docking bay fully kitted out for war. The escort ship itself was carefully aimed away from anything important, which was probably an overkill because of the cruisers drifting in formation nearby, covering the small ship with their weapons and tractor beams.
The reason for the paranoid security measures weren't the prisoners currently locked in stasis in the brig, neither the imminent arrival of Mandalore himself. Instead, it was all because of a small, grumpy Sullustan male waiting patiently in front of the assembled platoon of heavy armed and armored troopers, who divided his time between glaring at them through artificial eyes and impatiently tapping at the deck with a few of his eight spider-like prosthetic legs. No one among the security contingent, neither the Commander in charge of the frigate was sure what they should find more disturbing – their guest, his two huge Trandoshan "bodyguards" or the small metal case he clutched in a pair of artificial hands coming from behind his shoulder.
This Sullustan was Professor Trort Gangos, an infamous cybernetics specialist who used to work for the Techno Union until the Black Rebellion, when he fully earned himself the reputation of one of the most hated people in the galaxy. He was also a tried and supposedly executed war criminal, who both the Confederate Remnant and the Federated Empire agreed was better off dead.
Officially anyway.
Mandalore obviously had other ideas, something that didn't fill up Commander Ron Barnabas with confidence. He really didn't want to know what a Dark Lord of the Sith might cook up with access to this particular madman's expertise. Yet, considered what the Bloody Professor had wrought, who else could better to work on counter-measures against advanced models of war and terror droids?
That was the "official" line anyway. The Commander however didn't believe for even a minute that the piece of dreck blighting his deck worked simply on finding better defenses against the horrors he helped create so the rebelling droids could unleash upon the galaxy. That said, Barnabas knew better than to raise up a stink about this. While no coward, he wasn't eager to get on a Sith's shit list, especially now that the whole galaxy knew what hell a proper one could unleash.
Speaking about the devil…
"Shuttle on final approach." The Commander's XO announced from the CIC.
"Look alive people." Barnabas snapped and stood at attention just in time too, because moments later a sleek black shuttle tore its way through the atmospheric shield and suddenly decelerated to gently land in front of the greeting committee. A side ramp opened and a single armored figure marched down, trailing a knee long black cape that apparently shook from wind that had no place on board a properly maintained and not shot up ship.
"Captain." Mandalore nodded at Barnabas, speaking in a calm and collected voice, using the courtesy bump up in rank that a starship commander usually got even if their real rank was lower, like in Ron's case.
Veil turned his attention to the other visitor and his guards, studying the three of them for endless moments before offering a sharp nod. "Professor Gangos." Mandalore spoke in a tone void of any trace of emotion. "Walk with us." He turned towards the closest exit leading towards the detention center, before motioning the Commander to follow. "We don't need that much security for this. You can dismiss your marines, Commander."
"I'll be more comfortable if they accompany us, sir." Barnabas countered.
"And I would be more comfortable if we didn't require the good Professor's expertise. We don't need that much of an audience." Mandalore turned his helmet to stare at the Commander.
Despite the helmet, Barnabas could feel the crushing weight of the Sith's gaze pressing upon him. He swallowed through a suddenly dry throat and dismissed the marines in a voice that had more in common with a croak than his usual baritone.
Veil led the way, with the murderous cyborg and the Trandoshans scurrying behind them, forcing Barnabas to hurry up.
"Congratulations, Commander." Veil spoke again only after they all got into the turbolift, which was a decidedly uncomfortable experience considering some of the occupants. "You and your ship are now part of the Special Operations Command."
Barnabas winced at that announcement, wondering if it was because of his little stunt back at the hangar or if it was inevitable from the moment the Bloody Professor arrived.
"Everything you see or her since our arrival is classified under Code-Word Vermilion, designation Black."
"I understand the implications, sir."
"Good."
Black was the designation for some of the rumored blackest project the Freehold was running, pun intended, while in theory, Vermilion was more innocuous – generally anything falling under cuber-defence or offense fell under it. Nowadays that included enhancing personnel with cybernetics, protecting them against subversion as well as the other side of that particular coin. That in fact explained the butcher's presence on board and that realization made Barnabas feel queasy. He glanced warily at the metal case carried by the cyborg, then at the Trandoshans, hoping that the bastard hadn't already compromised them. Mandalore being a Sith would know if that was the case, right?"
A few minutes later they were past two security checkpoints and entered the detention center where a fire team of Marine were on duty.
"Leave us." Mandalore ordered in a tone that left no place for argument. The troopers saluted and scurried out, leaving only Barnabas and his four guests in the small circular room leading towards the cells. "It's time for you to do your magic, Professor." Veil waved towards the cells and the saurians stalked silently that way moving too quietly for such a big and heavily armored beings.
"Do I dare ask why?" Barnabas looked helplessly at the atrocity that was about to unfold.
"Information. I have suspicions about what is happening on the world behind the portal. The prisoner might be able to shine some light upon it, however if I'm right he won't be able to do it willingly even if he wants to." Mandalore explained.
"He's compromised?" Barnabas winced. That would explain the presence of the Bloody Professor and whatever horror the bastard brought on board.
"Many on the other side are. The question is how and by what."
Hells, this was getting worse and worse by the moment.
The Trandoshans came back dragging the stasis pod containing the prisoner – a tall, thin man who looked almost emaciated. He wore a one piece skinsuit with a snake motif, something visible through the transparent lid of the pod. One of the saurians worked the controls and the stasis generator shut down with a whine. The pod hissed and began opening. Meanwhile, the cyborg worked the metal case he brought with his artificial arms and popped it open.
Barnabas blanched and jumped back when he saw the large metal beetle that silently flew out of its container. It buzzed couple of times, turned to look at the Professor before circled in place and shot at the head of the still sleeping prisoner. It landed on top of his head and its legs stabbed down making the poor bastard convulse as it injected nanobot chains straight into his brain. The damn puppeteer droid chirped happily and flew away, heading towards its container.
Barnabas wished that he didn't know what exactly was happening right now, however he had seen such sights before, during the war. This was a much cleaner version of the process too, especially compared to the original much cruder puppeteers, which buried themselves into people to take control, sometimes even rebuild them leaving only the skin and top layers of flesh as a camouflage. The newer models of those horrors unleashed in the last months of the Black Rebellion were even scarier, much more insidious. Just like this one, they used nanobot chains to take control of people leaving little to no visible trace and requiring either a Force Adept or deep scan to determine if there were puppets walking around.
The horrors those things unleashed when released upon civilians were something Barnabas was trying to forget very hard indeed. Being here, watching Mandalore himself authorize something like that, it made him feel sick, even if he knew that if done "right" the procedure was great as far as extracting information went. Being interrogated this way was bad enough. Becoming a puppet locked inside your own brain while under the control of a murderous machine hating everyone living, that was fate worse than death that all too many people experienced during the war.
If Mandalore was disturbed by what he authorized and witnessed, he didn't show it at all.