Private A Golden Opportunity

[Krenis Skirata]

Balmorra Orbit
​

Krenis glanced around the corridors of the ship. Ironic, that he was here. For all intents and purposes, he was a Mandalorian. Adopted, kind of, but also genetically engineered, although historians continued to argue over whether or not Jango and Boba Fett were Mandalorians or not. Krenis had never asked Jango, but he did know the Sun Guard and Mandalorians were historical rivals. Ironic now that they had contracted with the Republic as training consultants. And it was about that they were meeting. Himself, representing the Office of Military Intelligence, the Head of the Special Operations Brigade, hopefully Jayne Colacta to represent Intelligence more broadly, and a few others.

To discuss training contracts for their operatives. At least, officially. There was more pressing business to attend to. A ship's officer escorted him to the meeting room, where Krenis paused for a few moments. This was not what he had anticipated. There was food on incredibly fancy dishes and the walls, he recognized them as being made of armorplast, but it was... bright. He was more used to the drab grays and painted durasteel of more typical galactic militaries. This was something else. Ostentatious? Luxurious? But, given how much they charged, he could guess why. Had to burn credits on something, after all.

The clone took his seat at a table and laid out a stack of datapads. They were pre-loaded with the genuine details of this meeting so that the rest would be able to be briefed on the situation. The Frozen Hand crisis had been averted, the cult destroyed, and the remnants vanished into the galactic criminal underbelly. Sector Rangers and domestic intelligence would track them down from there. As heads of the forefront of the Republic defense-intelligence, they needed to be looking to the future and anticipate threats.

Unfortunately, they had messed that up horrifically with the Kuat Crisis and Frozen Hand War. People had died. Their intelligence had failed and the responsibility was on them. Krenis owned up to that. it haunted him, but there wasn't much else that could be done. Part of the growing pains for a new government. Usually, intelligence and counter-intelligence agencies were established after a government already existed. Wasn't often that people tried to build them all up at once.

This time, however, they were ahead of the curve. Barely. The threat had not openly moved against them, but they had firm suspicions and a conviction that it would soon. A rogue paramilitary organization. Sometimes their erstwhile allies, but only when it profited them. And it was clear that they would do anything to achieve their goal of power with no regard for the cost in sentient lives. This had been demonstrated clearly on multiple occasions and by those, they chose to openly ally themselves with.

They did not yet have the actionable intelligence necessary to justify a military strike or even a target for that matter. But that's why they were here. Put a plan into motion. Execute the plan, retrieve the intelligence, and return with a report to give to the Chancellor and Defense Committees in the Senate and Assembly. Krenis distributed the datapads to the seats at the table before retaking his spot at the table and leaning back, chewing a toothpick between his teeth, awaiting their arrival.

The datapads were labeled simply as Operation: Waterloo.

 

[Saga of Valour]

Seryte Thurr - Selonian.
Director of the Special Operations Brigade.
GCV "Kurgan"
Classis I - Sub-Spear Aurek.
Balmorra - Anchored in High Orbit.​

​

Her alabaster fur rippled ever-so-gently in the recycled atmosphere of the Thyrsian vessel. As the Warship had no hangar of any kind, she was forced to board the starship by other means. While others undoubtedly docked at one of the many exterior access hatches, Seryte Thurr elected to take another route. She was transported aboard the GCV 'Kurgan' by way of Force Cylinder - which was a magnetically-sheathed and pressurized 'space bridge' that allowed her to float towards her intended destination. The feeling of weightlessness was intoxicating, and she relished the sensation far more than she'd care to admit. When her taloned paws were gracefully guided towards the deck of the cargo bay by the gentle tug of artificial gravity, the female Selonian adopted her trademark serious facade.

Seryte was the newly appointed Director of the Special Operations Brigade, after all. There needed to be some measure of solemnity to her newfound position. As she made her way through the "Kurgan," the female reflected on the series of events that brought them to this inevitable terminus. It seemed there was a paramilitary group that recently came into the Republic's crosshairs. They called themselves the Directorate. An unusual name, Seryte mused, especially considering that denomination was often attributed to a governmental department that was in charge of a particular activity.

That begged the question of what interstellar nation did they pay homage too?

She shook her head as that question once again came to the forefront of her mind. It was an endless rabbit hole of possibilities and speculations, as her branch had little information on these intergalactic upstarts. All that she had were connections. Thanks to the efforts of Sigma Squad on the surface of Odik, the newly established branches of Military and Naval intelligence were able to bring about the end of the Frozen Hand - even bringing their erstwhile connections to the Directorate to light. Besides, Seryte had decent ties to the Sun Guards of Thyrsus - who graciously offered a section of the "Kurgan" for the Republic to gather without fear of discovery.

Sure, they could've met aboard any one of the Republic's own starships, at some undisclosed site far from potential Directorate spies. But, this was an additional measure of security - that perhaps even the representatives of the Republic's intelligence branches could respect. No one within the Thyrsian Sun Guard was loyal to the Directorate. While they were Mercenaries, whose loyalties lay with the highest bidder - they were persuaded to look the other way, whilst several outsiders gathered aboard one of their ships. Something about greasing palms with additional credits and a few creature comforts did the trick.

That's where the "Official" story came in. As Representatives of the Republic - Her, alongside several individuals, would gather aboard the designated Thyrsian Warship to re-negotiate their already established contractual terms. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Especially since the Sun Guard had already started to make themselves at home in the skies above Balmorra, and the newly erected SOB HQ located planetside. Even the most paranoid of individuals would eventually see nothing but routine Republic bureaucracy at play, especially if they managed to get access to the nascent democratic state's public data banks. It was the perfect cover story, and they had all the requisite information on hand to back it up.

Seryte smiled at that notion, but that swiftly soured as her mind drifted towards what precious possessions it cost her. She was rather looking forward to enjoying that crate of Selonian Firewater. However, her duties to the Republic were far more critical than a container of sentimental alcohol.

It wasn't long after that Seryte finally reached her destination. The deceptively lavish interior of the Thyrsian Warship was a feast for the deeply-set sapphire orbs she called her eyes. She could see the craftsmanship and careful attention to detail with every seamlessly joined and nano-welded panel. The heavy turadium doors parted, permitting her entrance into the Galley - which had been secured for their use. Her fur began to itch, as she passed through the threshold. There was a device that was located in the centre of the room. Seryte was told that it would be there, and active whenever she arrived. It was a distortion field emitter - a device that would ensure whatever was said in this chamber would solely remain within this chamber.

She, in many respects, was probably just as paranoid as those they would eventually seek out. However, it didn't hurt to have additional care taken with something as crucial as this. All that seemed to bug her was the nigh-imperceptible feeling of being underwater that lingered in the darkest recesses of her mind. She hadn't swum in years and grew accustomed to keeping her paws on 'dry land.'

As she blinked the momentary disorientation away, Seryte padded forward and took one of the many datapads from the recently disturbed collection. Even something as simple as this was elevated with lavish decorations and high-quality materials. It must be nice to be a Mercenary when the Galaxy's engulfed by the flames of war, she mused. Upon tapping the crystalline surface with one of her furred digits, the screen flashed to life. The projected image was intentionally dull and showcased only two words that were depicted in stark contrast to the surrounding hues. Operation: Waterloo. It sounded catchy, but the reference was totally lost in translation.

When she began to take her seat - Seryte's eyes were drawn to the figure seated nearby. She noticed him when the doors parted, but felt it would've been awkward to greet him from some distance away. His face bore striking familiarities to an ancient warrior, but like the reference of Waterloo - Seryte couldn't immediately place who this man reminded her of. Nevertheless, it was a cursory detail that mattered little in the end. Her alabaster fur rippled as rows of needle-like teeth revealed themselves in a serpentine approximation of a smile.

"Hello there," the Selonian began, before twisting the seat to accommodate the long tail that swung wistfully behind her semi-armoured form. "I'm Seryte Thurr. I must say, your face is incredibly familiar to me. Have we met before, or do you have a twin brother?"

"Then again, I must confess, many of you Humans look alike to me. Especially when clad in armour."​

| Krenis Skirata | Jayne Colacta | Republic Muse |​

 

[Raona Cadera]

Thyrsian vessels always looked...Odd to her. They had a sort of luxurious look that she didn't expect from a people she thought as so pragmatic and militant. She wasn't much of a fan of mercenaries given their tendency to betray their own contracts for higher pay, but if the Republic was paying it was little concern of hers. There was nothing she could do about that so there was no use fretting or making a fuss since they'd boarded the vessel. The director however had been grumbling the entire way here. Technically Basali could have done this on his own, but there had been whispers in her chambers about those who would see her fall and Basali had been one of those people. Now she could see how he worked and if something came up she could overrule him. Just another perk of being commander-in-chief of Corellia.

"I'm Seryte Thurr. I must say, your face is incredibly familiar to me. Have we met before, or do you have a twin brother?"

"Then again, I must confess, many of you Humans look alike to me. Especially when clad in armour."

That got a chuckle out of the woman and a side-eyed glare from her head of intelligence.

"Indeed," Lisza said, taking not of the ire in Basali's rolling eyes, "They can look quite alike." She reached across the table to shake the Selonian's hand "Director Thurr, its good to see you." This wasn't the first time they'd met in regards to the Directorate. Since Kalist the Republic and Corellia had been exchanging data on the paramilitary group known as the Directorate, but it wasn't until Kuat that they became a high priority even with the Frozen Hand encroaching on Republic Space.

Krenis Skirata Jayne Colacta Saga of Valour

 

[Krenis Skirata]

"Pleasure to meet you, Director Thurr," Krenis said from his seat. He waited for Raona Cadera to take a seat. He merely shrugged slightly at her comment. "Several million twins, to be precise," Krenis said after another moment. "All of us identical both in armor and out." He leaned forward in the seat and activated a holodisplay. "We all know why we're here. Rogue paramilitary threats have proven themselves to the most urgent threat to the existence of the Republic. The Directorate. The Agents of Chaos. This so-called Emperor of Atrisia. The Frozen Hand."

The clone shook his head. "It's a bad time in the galaxy. Of those, the most pressing seems to be the Directorate. Agents of Chaos are way out on the edge of the galaxy." He paused to play a clip of a recording. "We know where they are, what they want, and the methods they use to operate. This Atrisian God-King or whatever he calls himself works with support of the Eternal Empire, according to some of my contacts on Atrisia, but also has Directorate support. Which brings us to the main question. Who is this Directorate, what do they want, and where are they?"

He let the questions sink in as he considered what data they did have. "Diktat, I believe the Corellian Confederation had interaction with them prior to the establishment of the Republic. Is there anything you can elaborate on? We will have others joining us, including a Judicial Forces officer specializing in major organized crime investigations. She may have insight that will prove useful, but I understand some urgent matter has arisen and she will join as quickly as possible."

Saga of Valour Jayne Colacta

 

[Seto du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Law-Abiding Citizen
Location: Balmorra - Anchored in High Orbit.

Opportunity arose in the most peculiar of areas in the galaxy, and ever the gambler, Seto always wished to play the odds. From the high standing place of his last government, it was ever the wonder that the youthful Du Couteau dared to remain quiet during the acquisition of his new home planet of Coruscant from the religious fanatics of the Grayson Imperial Forces. Truth be told, if any such existed for the man, his love for his family was what kept him from directly opposing the Graysons. Should he outed himself as a threat, no doubt the peaceful coexistence he had built and continued to maintain on Coruscant would had been threatened, and a lot more than his own life was at cost.

But to say he did not commit any act against the Graysons was not entirely truthful either, during the last few days of the Core Confederation, as acting Director of the Imperial Security Bureau he collected and built up a vast quantity of schematics, documents, holo-disks, archives and military asset manifests of all Core Imperial hardware and troop locations. Seto had created a vast wealth of information to assist him whenever he needed to, such as the removal and expunge of the great Walkers, Machine Gods of War from the databases as well as whisking off the few prototypes under heavy concealment efforts. Even the armour of the Shadow Program and the procedure that had allowed the Core Imperials to field such terrors on the battlefield was kept hidden and well out of reach of any government or military group for that matter.

In particular of certain Military groups was why Seto had ultimately decided to assist the Republic with their issue of the Directorate. A paramilitary security group that had surprisingly several Core Imperial Assets, from crew and officers to even Naval Hardware. Such farce should not be allowed to continue, and Seto would have taken his sweet time slowly severing the remaining Core Imperial forces that had joined the Directorate over time. But the Republic was interested in removing the group in a much quicker fashion, and with the resources of the Republic the endeavor would not take long.

With the meeting taking place further down the hallway, Seto walked briskly through the Thyrsian warship, the starship itself deserved its own careful observation, but he rather not tire the patience of their gracious host. He paused at the closed blast doors, Seto ran his fingers once through his hair and with double-check of his data-pad, he walked through the opening blast doors and into the meeting-room. He came with no weapons, only information, Seto smiled partially as he gracefully moved into the room.

“I apologize for my tardiness,” Seto introduced himself, his hands flared outward as he took a bow, never one to less than anything less than adriot with his movements, “- Seto Du Couteau is my name, and if memory serves me correctly, I assisted the Corellian Confederacy once before with handing over several criminals.” Seto explained as he took a seat.

“Perhaps I can be of assistance to bring more to my friends of the Republic.”

Krenis Skirata | Raona Cadera | Republic Muse | Saga of Valour |

 

[Raona Cadera]

She smiled softly at the ex-Imperial. Seto's information had been invaluable in early Corellian mop-up operations and she was glad for his help, even if most in her cabinet saw his actions as merely a cornered Sand Panther.

"Don't worry about it. As Krenis has said, we have a few people that will be joining us shortly...But considering the Republic is probably paying for time here," she trailed off and turned to Krenis. "You are correct. The Confederation has had dealings with the Directorate." Reaching a three fingered hand into her black robes she pulled a slender datadisk from within and plugged it in to the console. Tapping a few keys activated the console and brought up a holo of several figures, symbols, and charts. Folding her arms across her chest she motioned for her Director to speak. His voice was about as deep as one would expect with the clipped drawl of a Corellian military officer.

"The 'Directorate' as they have been calling themselves, was a conglomerate of shell companies and private military corps that's been able to grow to prominence in the Core Worlds since the fall of the Galactic Alliance. Under the old Sith-Imperial Bloc treaty they thrived and by now have made their way into several government agencies, militaries, and multi-system company structures." Basalli reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a clicker and clicked, zooming all the data displayed to one image.

"This is Maracel Yorkell," he paused and rolled his eyes, "The Second." He sighed, "We aren't sure that is his real name or not but official records indicate he is a Corellia native. The Directorate under him was heavily pro-Corellian and did have a small hand in our original growth." He clicked again, changing the display to a basic map of the Corellian System. Limited troop movements were displayed in green and blue indicating Corellian and Republic fleets throughout the system. The man's jaw tightened as he looked on at the smaller green numbers, knowing that many of the blue had once been under his command.

"Unfortunately the Directorate's shell companies and manufacturing arms caused mounting friction with a local...Insurgent group, to explode, leading in a complete revolt of Kolene. We were able to put down the uprising and we began collecting intelligence on them immediately following the event. Regrettably we haven't been able to find every one of his lackeys but..."

Seto du Couteau Krenis Skirata Saga of Valour

 

[Saga of Valour]

Seryte Thurr - Selonian.
Director of the Special Operations Brigade.
GCV "Kurgan"
Classis I - Sub-Spear Aurek.
Balmorra - Anchored in High Orbit.​

​

Ever since the reformation, and declaration of a new Republic, their collective governments found themselves subjected to a steadily growing list of enemies. The failures of the past were uprooted from the pages of history and laid at their feet, all whilst dealing with the issues of the present. They knew it wouldn't be easy. There was much that needed to be done before the Republic was ready to break from their predecessor's looming shadow. But, to do that, the Democratic state was required to prove itself strong. While it upheld the virtues of personal liberty and freedom of choice, it also needed to be capable of defending itself from those that wanted to destroy what they've created. Be it the Sith, or the spiritual remnants of Palpatine's legacy. All seemingly had a bone to pick with the nascent Republic.

The first of these groups was given life by two individuals seated around a central table. It was the Directorate they spoke of, that wily group of radicals who believed they knew what was best for the Core Worlds - whilst they operated on the fringes of the Colonized worlds. It was a mystery how they kept gathering support for their cause. They were hypocrites, and through their misplaced fanaticism, they were considered dangerous. While it would be impossible for them to tear down the Republic, they would prove to be a thorn in their side for sometime. Thus, leading to a gathering of the various branches of the Republic's intelligence divisions. They'd share whatever information they had on this errant Imperial Remnant, and find the best way to prune it's corruptive influence before it spread too far.

Seryte sighed then. She listened to the others as they spoke about this group, and divined that they'd be in for a painful slog. The Directorate was like a malicious infection. No matter how much of the Organization was excised from Republic space, they managed to return time and again - reinvigorated, and ready for battle. They'd have to tighten their borders, and likely requisition deep-space installations to fortify their early-warning detection grids. If that was to be the case, it'd have to be submitted to the Senate - who'd likely shoot the order down and expect the Grand Navy to step up their game with whatever they had. But, if they managed to pass that through - Seryte was confident that they'd repel the Directorate from their space before long, as their Agents would be deprived of reinforcements and forced to capitulate before long.

With that in mind, the Selonian pawed at her crystalline dataslate, accessing data files and reviewing the collected information.

It was then that she took note of a tab bearing the sigil of the Republic Engineering Corporation. Curious, she said to herself, as her furry digit tapped the icon. When the screen shifted, and the information rendered itself, the Selonian purred gleefully. It seemed that the aforementioned Directorate found itself getting in trouble with the esteemed Corporation. Through means unknown, they attempted to steal one of the company's newest battlecruisers - one of the magnificent Starhawk Mk III's. They were caught, and their Operatives were imprisoned but released after their bail was posted. Or, they were broken out of prison before they could serve their sentence. Seryte couldn't tell. However, in response to having their justice denied, the Republic Engineering Corporation contracted the Golden Company - the very same Mercenaries whose ship they used as a convocation chamber - to track down and reclaim their property. There was little bloodshed, but the entirety of their "purchased" stock was recovered.

The tab sadly didn't mention what happened to the Directorate's personnel or their hidden facilities in the Socorro Belt, but Seryte could imagine they were swiftly abandoned.

If they were deserted, perhaps the Republic would find something of worth there. Data-banks that weren't adequately purged, or fragmented information that could be painstakingly pieced back together. As well, it was likely that the recovered ships were proverbial treasure troves of data that went unmolested by Directorate hands. They were tying the noose with every moment that passed, and it would be only a matter of time before that group of fanatics found themselves strung up in the gallows.

When her attention returned to the conversation at hand, Seryte took note of the Corellian Director's words and the images that appeared before her. Some of the faces she already knew, as they were the public faces of this elusive Directorate. There was even an individual that was present during the protests-turned-riots on Kuat who spoke for the Directorate. One Denzul Yorkell. She personally knew, and cared little for the man's history and political background - but as the man aligned himself to his family and their Organization - it was clear that he too was misguided.

That was if the Yorkell name was attributed to some lineage or another. It was hard to tell with these Humans and their misbegotten desires of Nobility and Immortality. Nevertheless, as the Corellian worked his way towards the terminus of his conversational input, Seryte found herself standing from her seat - and picked up where the dark-eyed man left off.

"But, we've recently made some progress in locating several of their hidden facilities within the Republic's Borders. Thanks in part to the Republic Engineering Corporation, we were able to divine the location of one of their abandoned facilities. Their Corporate Security Forces alongside the Golden Company themselves managed to recover various articles of war material and starships that were mothballed, and several ranking individuals found themselves in custody - but escaped before they could be brought to trial." As she spoke, the crystalline data-slate soon found itself resting upon the edge of the table, and a portion of its information was remotely transferred over to the holographic projector.

"With their sudden facade of 'friendship' fading, especially in the wake of the tragic events of Kuat and Alderaan, as well as their involvement with the now broken Frozen Hand, we can only assume those warships would've been used against us when the time was right. With a myriad of external threats, alongside the sudden appearance of an internal one? Our best estimates would've seen the Republic's martial strength crumble within months, if not weeks."

Seryte tittered then.

"I suppose we owe our hosts for more than just delicious food, as they've given us a golden opportunity to rid ourselves of this pest. For who knows what that facility houses."

Seryte nodded expectantly.

"Yes, it's likely that they fragmented and deleted their databanks when they were pushed out of the facility and abandoned it… but such things can be rebuilt with time. In addition, we can spend some time perusing the data storage units of the recovered warships. Although it's unlikely that we'll receive anything concrete as to where the Directorate originates and currently cowers - but we shall be one step closer to banishing them from our collective territories. Adding in the information, whatever it may be, from our former Core-Imperial friends - well..."

"The Directorate's days will be numbered, giving us a chance to deal with the other innumerable threats that'll plague us in the future."

| Raona Cadera | Seto du Couteau | Krenis Skirata | Jayne Colacta |​

 

[Raona Cadera]

Director Basali's eyes narrowed as the alien as the Selonian spoke, nodding along with the woman's thought process and taking mental notes along the way. The Directorate was a Corellian problem, and now it was a Corellian problem that had quickly become a Republic problem, and that was not a good look for the Corellian Bloc.

"Corellia would love the opportunity to make this right. We can have a team of Halcyon commandos on the ground at a moment's notice." Lisza perked up and leaned into the conversation now too.

"Could the Judicial Forces be diverted from regular patrols to aid in this? With the help of them and their Jedi, we wouldn't have to pull fleet patrols from their posts." Basali bristled at that. The man didn't trust Jedi as far as he could throw them, even the Green Corellian variety. Lisza knew this but felt more confident with the honest men and women of the Republic Judicial Forces and the Jedi watching their Halcyon. She hadn't gotten enough proof yet...But there was something the man was up to and she didn't quite trust him or his Naval Intelligence officers.

Saga of Valour Seto du Couteau Krenis Skirata

 

[Seto du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Law-Abiding Citizen
Location: Balmorra - Anchored in High Orbit

His eyes glistened with intrigue as the meeting continued to discuss the further interferences of other forces outside of the Directorate, the nefarious groups of the Frozen Hand along-side the chaotic group called the Agents of Chaos, it all appeared rather blatant that the instability of the Core was the main issue at hand. But first it is best to remove those who simply wish to see the Core burn to embers. Seto had never been one to invest himself into galactic politics past what was absolutely necessary to keep his interests intact and his family safe. Though what was not evident was his own form of justice when it came to Military figures believing themselves above both law and morality.

And this mess spawned after the collapse of the Confederacy. Seto couldn’t deny the fact the stability of the Core was greatly tattered by the shattering of the Core Imperial Government, and furthermore the inability of himself to properly lessen the intensity of the impact was felt across the Core worlds. He looked around and noted that perhaps it would be best to limit some information lest he implacted himself with how certain destabilization efforts had been exasperated by his lack of involvement.

“The ships that had been requisitioned by the Directorate from the Imperial Navy have been cataloged, along with both schematics and personal crew last known to serve these vessels,” Seto spoke, his hand gently pushing it forward a data-slate containing the information he had mentioned. “-Psych Profiles and perhaps most importantly, their re-supply stations.” Seto explained as he thought a bit of more of his next set of words.

There had always been a certain resistance to how much one organization could both know and have authority over, perhaps it was simply luck that had allowed Seto the acquisition of both knowledge and authority leading up to the collapse, “-And I have also included information of some of the more destructive military hardware that have either been seized and destroyed or currently under investigation and retrieval.” He explained, his hands folded over the other and his smile only slightly faded when he mentioned the last part.​

Krenis Skirata | Raona Cadera | Republic Muse | Saga of Valour |