MANDA CLUSTER, OUTER RIM TERRITORIES48 Hours after Court of Iron…
Drego Ruus. The Mandalorian Anti-Imperial agitator who had attempted to sabotage Sularen’s attempts at Imperial-Mandalorian reconciliation during the Court of Iron. The Supreme Commander had nothing but contempt for the man, who had brazenly spoken about his past and accused him of stealing Beskar from the corpses of dead Mandalorians. Sularen had only been fortunate enough to avoid a Seswenna-level of Humiliation only because Mand’alor the Iron was a calm and resonable individual.
However even then, Mand’alor the Iron had blindly believed the words of Drego Ruus thinking that all of the Beskar that Sularen had acquired were from fallen Mandalorians. Now, he was forced to make a major concession to the Mandalorians in handing over the vast amounts of Beskar used in Imperial equipment, while they gave nothing to him and the Imperial Confederation. This was no compromise nor was it a fair deal, especially as Mand’alor the Iron spoke about meeting with the Confederation himself to determine if it was worth making peace with them, which did not guarantee an end to hostile actions against the Confederation by Mandalorians operating outside the borders of the Mandalorian Empire. It was a win-lose scenario and clearly Sularen had lost and that infuriated him the most.
As Rackham stood beside him, Sularen went through the ISB Files through Ruus detailing the many interactions between Ruus and the Dark Empire. He had once held a high-ranking position within the Mandalorian Protectors and had partaken in the Protector’s Raid on Carlac along with the Battle of Coruscant on the side of the Alliance and in the Deep Core Uprising on the side of the Foundation.
“This only confirms my suspicions.” Sularen remarked. “This man has fought against the Dark Empire on multiple occasions and he’s already hinted at making an attempt to claim that bounty on me.” he added. “He’s nothing more then an Anti-Imperial agitator within the new Mand’alor’s Empire and unless he along with other Anti-Imperial Mandalorians are removed entirely from the board, this new Mandalorian Empire remains a potential threat to the Imperial Confederation.”
“Are you sure we should take action against Clan Ruus and those other Clans who might share their Anti-Imperial sentiments. What if the Mand’alor retaliates?” Rackham inquired. “Drego Ruus spewed Anti-Imperial rhetoric into the Mand’alor’s ear and he gladly took the lies at face value. Plus the Mand’alor’s policies of reconciliation with other Clans means the very Clans who took up arms against us in the Protectors and Neo-Crusaders are now aligned with his Empire.” Sularen retorted. “If one Mandalorian can spread lies about us and have the Mand’alor blindly believe it. Then what about the many others who stood against us.” he added.
“Not to mention the Mand’alor said himself that he will visit the Confederation and decide whether a peace can be forged. What if he decides that a peace can’t be forged and sets the Mandalorian Empire on the path of war against the Imperial Confederation?” he further added. “We have no guarantee that the Mandalorians won’t attack us, and they have Anti-Imperial agitators among their ranks. I don’t intend to simply sit down and wait for them to come at us. I intend to neutralize the potential threat they pose to us before it can properly materialize.”
“But doing so will trigger an all-out war between the Mandalorian Empire and the Imperial Confederation!” Rackham protested. “Not if we act in a decisive manner that will discourage the new Mand’alor from further acting against us. A reminder to Mandalore that any prolonged war against us will end in their total destruction” Sularen countered with a soft smirk. Rackham raised an eyebrow already suspicious about his Superior’s intentions. “You already have a Plan don’t you?” he asked. Sularen nodded. “I just needed that information to decide whether it was actually worth pursuing that plan or not.”
Rackham sighed before responding. “Well, i know better then to question you and your plans, sir.” he stated. “What would you have me do?” he inquired. “First i need you to find a minor warlord to act as our proxy and get us a source within the Mandalorian Empire itself. Once you have completed those two objectives you will be given further instructions” Sularen ordered. “Very well, it shall be done.” Rackham said before turning around soon exiting the bridge, leaving Sularen alone within the Foyer.
After Rackham would take his leave, the Supreme Commander then pressed a button on the hologram pod revealing the portraits of various Imperial Special Forces operatives within the Imperial Confederation, with a symbol displayed above them. Soon they would collectively form the basis of PROJECT INFERNO, and finally deliver him the Special Forces unit he had always envisioned since the days of the Second Great Hyperspace War. Soon this Special Forces unit would play a key role in the inevitable downfall of Clan Ruus and all other Anti-Imperial Clans within the Mandalorian Empire and further assert the Imperial Confederation’s might across the galaxy.
LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE.
