The Most Dangerous Room in the Galaxy

[Leandros Solus]

The War Council had been summoned.

Leandros paced back and forth in one of the many private rooms of his new home on Onderon. The Onderonian king, then a pimple-faced twerp, now a just ruler in his own right, saw fit to bequeath a fairly impressive home for the Mand’alor in the great walled city of Iziz. He and Raz, many, many years ago, came to this planet and convinced the king to ally with the Mandalorians, and the boy became awestruck with Leandros in the process. There were, at one point, an embarrassing line of action figures modeled after the then-Field Marshal. In fact, Lily sat in another room of the home with a collection of said toys, though he doubted she would actually ever play with them. It was given to him by the king when he moved in here; a touching, yet slightly off-putting, token of admiration. Luckily, the home was big enough for seeing the Mandalorian action figures to not be an issue; just another trophy to tuck away somewhere.

Now the home would house his War Council, with whom Leandros had many topics to discuss. He hardly knew where to begin: the burgeoning Republic, the war on the Jedi, the Sith Empire’s dissolution, the general state of their people… there were all kinds of threads of discussion to be had.

He continued to pace, not realizing it was yet another habit he picked up from Raz and stopped occasionally to study the holo-map of the galaxy in the center of the meeting room, the gentle blue light reflecting off of his ancient mask. They needed to discuss the next steps in their crusade and how to deal with the news of the Republic’s formation from the ashes of the United Protectorate. Keira seemed to be spearheading this motion, and he knew he needed to meet with her as well to discuss the state of the Mandalorian-owned worlds that would fall under its jurisdiction, as well as whether or not she would support the Jedi. So many political discussions, so little time. He dearly wished Raz was here to help bounce ideas off of or to tell him he was being an idiot; all he had for that was Lily, and she was still learning what it meant to become a Mandalorian.

The three he invited ought to be arriving anytime now. He needed to think of what to say.

@Phoenix @Darasaurus @vamp

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir was the first of the War Councilors to arrive, it seemed. Onderon wasn't a world he had actually made his way to before, and he had yet to make up his mind about it. The city was bustling with people, but only a few of them cast glances toward the black armored Mandalorian. Even with the world having been under their control for years, it seemed that the warriors were uncommon enough to draw attention as they walked through the street. To their credit, no one got in his way or stopped him about the myriad of illicit sidearms he carried on him.

He arrived at the home of the Mand'alor, and made his way inside, shown in by one of the marauders and told where Leandros was waiting for them. It didn't take him long to find the correct room, and he found Leandros pacing to and fro. It was a habit he recognized well, and Narir knew where he had picked it up from.

Mand'alor, he said, slamming his own chest plate with his fist in a respectful salute. Seems we have a lot to discuss today, he said, stating what they both undoubtedly knew. No doubt the others would be here soon, and they would be able to begin tackling the issues at hand. The galaxy was quickly changing its face, and though the crusaders were at the forefront, it fell to the leadership to ensure that they were swept away with the new tide.

 

[Drace Solus]

Drace had just finished a hearty breakfast and returned from Tatooine mere hours ago, though he wasn't too tired from the fight in the first place. It hadn't taken much effort to sit there and let the Sith beat himself up. It left Drace with a lot of energy for other, more important matters, and avoiding sleep was always a welcome activity.

He walked into the war room, bumping a fist over his heart as salute to the two already present. "Oya," he greeted, nodding to Leandros. He was the newest here and knew Koil the best out of everyone here, though still not too well. Narir was a complete stranger to him, though that had the potential to change. Nevertheless, Drace wasn't one to get shy.

He took off his helmet and laid it down on the table, and it would likely be the first good look anyone in the room got at his eyepatch. Webbing up from his neck were also burn scars from the incident on Atlas, if one was an attentive viewer. "You guys watch the Holonet? I heard there was a good fight on a few hours ago," he said, though it was clear what fight he was referring to.

 

[Koil Solus]

Tap, tap, tap, the booted heals of the Mandalorian moved on the cold hard floor. It had been a long time since the War Council had convened. This time it was not held in a base or fortress but Leandros's new home. Koil was unsure if the new Mand'alor was just planning on using this as a temporary place to live. It was probably for the best given Lily needed a place that was not utter ruins.

Reports had come in from all over the galaxy of veracious events. Planets and systems were in panic, economies plunging into chaos, militias forming. It was enough to keep everyone busy. But that was why they were gathering today. In one hand he carried a small device. It was the same kind of item he had carried the last time they had formed a meeting. The signal tracer would let them all know if anyone was bugging them to listen in on their conversation.

Walking into the room the Alor did not speak or greet any of them. He was present so that meant that things could begin if they had not already. He knew each of them fairly well. Each of them a member of the old guard, as Raz had put it from time to time. The newer Solus clan members, the younger ones, seemed different from the days of when he had been among their age group. But maybe he had just changed with the times.

Looking around the home of Leandros he wondered when he had last been inside someone's actual home. His apartment on Concord Dawn had seen seldom use. The only other times he had been in a personal home was probably when he had walked through the ruins of Leandros and Raz's home. All the times he had stormed into people's homes on missions did not count. Being in a private place felt, odd.

@Painus @Phoenix @vamp

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros stopped his pacing once Narir entered the room. The man rendered him a salute, to which the Mand’alor listlessly returned it, his mind on other things at the moment. Beneath his helmet, he smiled at his clanmate’s presence, comforted that he had arrived. Being alone with his thoughts often led to him thinking of the wrong thing and being around others he could rely on for advice helped keep him grounded. ”We do,” he said in response to Narir’s words, still thinking of the multitude of things they needed to discuss. Nobody told him being Mand’alor involved this much work.

Drace was the next to enter and salute Leandros, to which the man offered the same response he did Narir. It felt strange being afforded such respect by people whom he’d known for years, but this was his new reality. Next followed Koil who, in typical fashion, said nothing to them. He didn’t need to say anything, really. His presence was enough for the Mand’alor and he was appreciative he answered the call.

Leandros looked around at those gathered and crossed his arms over his chest, nodding to himself as he compiled his words. ”Thank you for showing up, brothers,” he began, looking at each one in turn, ”And congratulations on your victory, Drace. I hear you’ve a trophy to show us?” He’d wait for the man’s response before continuing.

”You’ve all undoubtedly seen my declaration of war on all Force sensitives in the galaxy, including our once-allies, the Jedi. I’m… sorry for not confiding in you all first. With the formation of this new Republic and the public vow of the Jedi to support it, as well as the dissolution of the Empire, I want to know your thoughts on the matter.” His voice was calm, steady. He’d been thinking of the questions for a while now, but the first thing he wanted to get out of the way was finding out what his closest three advisors thought of his recent Holonet announcement. It stunned the galaxy and sent many into a panic, but what these three thought of it were what mattered most to him.

@Phoenix @Darasaurus @vamp

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir could tell Leandros was uncomfortable and deep in thought. He'd known him long enough to be able to pick that much up, but Narir had his back through it all. He didn't do anything further to make him uncomfortable, and moved over to take a seat for the meeting to continue. They were all family, and that meant standing on ceremony wasn't a necessity that Narir felt bound to.

The other two War Councilors arrived, and Leandros congratulated Drace. Narir, too, had seen the battle on the holonet. Another decisive victory for the Mandalorian war machine, and one for his fellow War Councilor to be proud of.

Well fought, he said, giving a nod. He didn't know Drace personally, but his reputation proceeded him and he was confident that the two of them would get to know one another soon.

Koil arrived next and said nothing - thought Narir didn't find this surprising - and he gave his old friend a nod of greeting as well. Then the meeting was underway. Narir's fingers tapped against the arm of the chair as he leaned back, thinking about the declaration of war that had recently been made. A part of him wondered what Raz would have said about it, but he knew asking a question like that aloud had no place here. Doing that would undermine everything they were working toward, and he wisely held his tongue.

I've never loved Force-users of any kind, but I did fight beside them at Corellia, he said. If he met either of those Jedi again - Alysanne or Valentine - he wasn't sure he would have wanted to pull the trigger on them out of respect for their courage. Although he'd recently seen Alysanne on the holonet, he hadn't heard anything of Valentine in years, which the War Councilor assumed wasn't a good sign. Outside of those two, though, his other experiences with Force-users were not exceptional.

Force-users are undeniably dangerous. If you think we need to go to war with all of them, I'll back you, he said. It might not have been his first choice, but he would readily lead the strike teams to burn the Jedi in their holes if that was necessary.

I would like to know what happened during your meeting with the Grandmaster, though? I was under the impression we were considering an alliance before your declaration, he said. He trusted Leandros, but even Narir had to admit that it seemed an abrupt side step from the former plan. He was sure, however, that his old friend had a good reason for it, and perhaps the explanation would further enlighten any advice he might have to give.

 

[Drace Solus]

"Thank you," he replied as the others congratulated him on a job well done. "I have a trophy, yes—but that's for later." With that, Leandros moved on, starting the discussion.

"Nothing has changed," he remarked. "The Jedi are still Force sensitive scum. The Republic is still a shell of a great idea executed poorly, now defunct." Those were his thoughts on the matter, and Drace wanted to put them on the table as soon as possible. "That said, Narir asked a great question. What did the Grandmaster do?"

 

[Koil Solus]

Leandros apologized for not letting them know. Koil was not exactly bothered by it but it felt good to hear that he valued the War Council. "Hmph, it was a long time coming." He said just above a mutter. The Echani had his own opinion of the Jedi Order. Ever since their Galactic Alliance had been force to evacuate their compromised bases he had not had a positive opinion of them. Koil blamed them for Danny's death along with many others. That was no secret.

"I do have several things though." He came forward a bit more since he had a few things to say at a length that used to be uncharacteristic for him. "I fought Darth Tagus at the library. He was intent on wiping any records, our cultural history. But I managed to copy everything. I believe he, and even the rest of our people believe he was successful. Restoring it will certainly bring some relief to our people in these trying times. I think you should do it, Mand'alor" The Silent Badger was not one to take credit and seeing as Leandros was their new leader it felt like it was his job to make sure that the people supported him. While Koil had done saving, the good news coming from Mand'alor the Crusader would benefit people a lot better than if it had come from the Silent Badger.

"Also...I have records, unfabricated records and logs from the Galactic Alliance firing on one of their own ships. The vessel they fired on seems to have been assailed by members of The Fangs of Haal Gra'avagr. It resulted in deaths of their own people. The damage done was from one a pilot with the call-sign Star Three though I have not looked into the specifics yet. I think it could prove useful if we alert the rest of the galaxy to their tendencies. Though, I think right now it won't stick if we tried to broadcast the scandalous information." He was not lying. But Koil was not telling them everything. He had been there, one of the Mandalorians disguised as a dar'manda. They had not killed anyone directly. In fact Koil had made sure that all hostages had been taken down using non-lethal force with the intent of releasing them later after the ship had been acquired. But the Galactic Alliance's own actions had ended up costing them the lives of their own people.

"Right now I don't see the Jedi Order as much of a threat to us. But even a wounded beast can heal and return." Koil could not think of an instance he had felt anything more than indifference towards force sensitive indivduals. He had no problem with them, just the institutions that tried to organize them tended to do things that sparked the ire of Mandalorians. His mind wondered what Keira would say about the Jedi Order. The Mandalorians had to think of what the Republic would do with whatever actions were taken. If Jedi were found in the Republic would Koil just let them walk past? He was not sure. "I think the Jedi specifically will want to ally with the Republic. We have to keep that in mind as we move forward. Though I'm not sure if the Republic will welcome them so readily all things considered."

After a moment he realized both Narir and Drace were curious to hear what had transpired with the Grand Master. Koil remembered technically sharing drinks with her on Ithor. To add to that she had been there during the friendly fire incident though had been unaware Koil was on board. "Sorry. I rambled. I'm curious to hear what happened too between the Grandmaster and you."

@Painus @Phoenix @vamp

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros listened to his war councilors voice their opinions, nodding his head in kind to each one of them. The three had differing views on the Jedi, and he appreciated the fact that they would not be sycophantic weasels regarding his decisions. First to voice his opinion was Narir, whose comments were succinct. Indeed, the Mandalorians had once fought alongside the Jedi many years ago, but the two organizations had not worked together since. The question he posed was what Leandros expected to be asked at some point. He remained quiet until the others voiced their opinions.

Drace was next. His opinion was starkly different than that of Narir’s, and he called for the death of the Jedi just as his Mand’alor had. Leandros agreed with his assessment of the Order, but disagreed with his notion of the Republic. It was what Raz had died to build, and there was no force under the heavens that would cause her husband to attempt to destroy that legacy. It would remain.

Koil was the last to speak, just as he was the last to enter. He had many words for the Mand’alor; some were worthwhile, others were less so, but all of them held purpose. He had recovered their people’s history from destruction? Leandros did not know this, and it comforted him that their past would not be forgotten. He would consider restoring this history; it would be another point to unite their people. Koil followed this up with an… interesting revelation on the nature of the rebels firing upon their own. For now, though, smearing the already-ruined Galactic Alliance would do little to further their cause, and he merely kept this information in his back pocket for later. Finally, he got to answering what Leandros originally asked for an opinion on. The Mand’alor nodded a few times, finding his view agreeable.

”Your words mean a great deal to me, brothers,” he began, starting to pace back and forth again, though much more slowly, ”The rashness of my decision has not escaped me. My meeting with the Grandmaster…” he trailed off, thinking of how to phrase it. ”…Was a complete and utter waste of time. The woman desired to work alongside us, but, when challenged about what good the Jedi bring the galaxy, she merely went silent on the matter. I walked out on the meeting with no more than I came with.” He stopped his pacing and placed his hands on the edge of the command table in front of him. ”My decision for war was based on their Order’s inaction in the galaxy. We all know the tale of Andraste and her husbands, and how easy it is for Jedi to fall. It is suspicious that the ones dedicated to fighting darkness would sit back in the shadows themselves and watch us do their work for them. It is better to rip out the evil at its source, than to allow for another tyrant to rule this galaxy with darkness.”

He looked over each of his War Councilors in turn, his faceless mask providing him emotional anonymity. ”I want a yes or no answer. Was this the right decision for our people?”

@Phoenix @vamp @Darasaurus