Slars' Stars, Season 2 Episode 7: Mando Mayhem

[Kaane]

A camera pans over a cozy newsroom hard at work outside Slars' studio, a small group of men and women of different species researching something or another to the tune of a protest song written a few decades prior. Fading out a few seconds afterward, a new angle fades into a Trandoshan in a white, immaculately-pressed suit, a red ascot replacing the customary tie, shuffling papers at a circular desk, a placard with the name Slars Nnthryk at the front. Finally, the camera centers in on its final angle, taking in Slars' predatory eyes and giving them an almost feral glare, complimented by an expression dead set in seriousness.

Slars' livestream is back from its commercial break.

Ladies, gentlemen, hermaphrodites, and everything in-between, welcome back to Slars’ Stars, where the news has got less spin than a broken windmill. TODAY! I promised you all a fantastic interview with a real life honest-to-Scorekeeper Mandalorian, and we have delivered! As I’m sure you’ve heard me say before, I admire these peeps for their stance against the Jedi, a REVOLUTIONARY conclusion that so many people just seem to miss out on making. And, their culture is truly something to behold; most people have no idea just how rich in history these people are, and this history is probably why we’re seeing this rallying force behind it pushing it upwards. I’ve been to Mandalore, it’s fantastic there, probably one of the most fantastic places in the galaxy, believe me. But, as we all know, they have a dark side. Quite literally, they colluded with the Sith to get this far when they were still the Death Watch, and nowadays they’re taking a neutral stance in this great stalemate going on everywhere else. We’re being promised something different by the new Dominion, but we’ve got so many historical questions and bureaucratic red tape and extraneous shit to sift through, that all of it seems a little difficult to get to the bottom of.

But today without further adieu, we’re going to talk to a true soldier of the Mandalorian Dominion to see if we can't sort this all out. Please give it up for a veritable Mandalorian Warrior, a member of an esteemed, powerful clan, who says he’s been a part of the Dominion since it was still the Death Watch, and an enemy of Force-using kind to boot! Kalen Ordo!

Turning towards the open doorway at the side of the stage, Slars and his stage crew would give the man about to enter a polite clap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, backstage;

Slars' guest (@Prudence) had been set up with a small platter of local refreshments in the green room, with a monitor displaying the earlier phase of Slars' hour long show. It had recently come back from a commercial displaying some electroswords' killing power and self-defense capabilities against Jedi, though the lightsaber being used in the demonstration was in the uncanny valley between plainly fake and far too real.

A Herglic bodyguard would soon enter and thumb towards the doorway he had entered.

"You're on."

 

[Prudence]

Kalan watched in what could only be described as mild concern, and gross-awe at the talk show that he'd managed to land. He had been a Duke in the Dominion for quite some time now, and had had several publicity opportunities on Mandalore itself, but the invitation from Slars had been... unexpected. He'd honestly never heard of the show, but apparently his hard line stance against Force users of any kind attracted the attention of the crazed Trandoshan. He'd not had a chance to watch any of the recorded footage of the show before he arrived, but had been able to watch it live from the dressing room. His jaw dropped a few centimeters each minute as Slars broke out unbelieveable tirade after unbelieveable tirade. He sounded more like he was whipping up a mob than speaking for entertainment. Then he got to introducing Kalan. His introduction of Kalan was no different than the rest of his show, it was fevered and crazed, but Kalan had dealt with worse.

The hulking, and intimidating, Herglic bodyguard came back and jerked a finger in the direction of the stage, and Kalan cautiously complied, rising from the comfortable, but stained, couch that he'd been sitting on and moving towards the stage. Tonight he'd chosen to dress up, not wearing his battle armor as he did in many public appearances. Instead he wore a tight fitting gray tunic, with the insignia of the Dominion on each shoulder, his rank on the left side of his chest, and a placard with his name and rank on the right. His trousers were gray as well, representing the House colors, with black trim. Finally he wore a pair of black loafers, a striking change from his typical insulated combat boots. His attire had an air of sophistication meets military, and was accented by the shining silver blaster at his pistol, never one to be caught offguard Kalan was prepared with a blast vest under his tunic as well.

He took a seat on the much cleaner couch beside Slars' desk and smiled at the Trandoshan, nodding at him to begin the interview.

 

[Kaane]

Slars noticed the Duke’s apprehension. Smelled it, if he were going to talk in his species’ unique lexicon. It was all part of his strategy as far as he was concerned. Set him off-balance, then go in for the kill.

While he truly admired part of this man for his stance on the Jedi and Sith, and there was much in common between proud warriors and proud hunters, there was a lot more he admired considerably less. Things he would tear out of him with nothing more than his tongue before this little interview was over.

Scorekeeper bless him. This guy had no idea what he was in for.

For the moment, however, he would keep the mood alive and well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So!” announced Slars, the Trandoshan leaning back in his chair as he turned to face the well-groomed Duke of Ordo, as the camera, having followed Kalan from his entrance into the studio, got both host and guest in a comfortable shot. “First, I wanted to thank you for being here n’ all. I can barely keep up running a news station, I can’t imagine what it’s like leading an 'hole House of Mandalore.”

He chuckled a bit at his own attempt at small-talk, coupled with a carefully practiced smile that probably landed somewhere between calmly polite and straight unsettling.

After any response, he’d continue on. “Right, so as I understand it, you’ve managed to basically help steer the entire Mandalorian people away from these insufferable Sith, and you’ve got a massive part in this new government 'ere...so I think the people under your protection gotta right to know, what’s the Dominion’s plans for the future? I mean, there’s still a bloody massive war between the galaxy’s two foremost gaggles of morons right at your doorstep, whaddyou personally think the clans're gonna do about it?”

His tone would still be jovial, having dialed back the inherent, driving anger that was characteristic of his on-screen persona. “If anything I’d be a lil’ worried, but that’s just me mate.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~