Jumping Jack Flash, It's a Gas, Gas, Gas

[Armand Temi]

Sitting in a slicer cafe in the Coruscanti undercity, Eugene sipped a stimcaf. He looked around at the other denziens of this crime-ridden area. Most were wearing black with spiky hair cuts and carried blasters, vibroblades and of course datapads. There were some alien species like a Nikto and a Diollan but many of the humans, near-humans and aliens alike wore masks or hoods to keep them anonymous. The lighting in the cafe was low, the walls covered with colorful graffiti. The rest of the decor was pretty much a jumble of wires and tricked out data network set-ups in order for this criminal slicing community to do their work. He had already gotten a dirty look from the Nikto for tripping over his wires and almost cutting off his power supply.

Eugene sliced into this rogue data network to find a port into the personal datapad of Verz Horak. At this point he only wanted to send the human a message and since information about most galaxians was readily available via the net he was able to find what he hoped was a working datapad address. He sent the following message:

//Incoming transmission..

To: Verz Horak
From: Tristan Gregor

Dear Mr. Horak,
I hope you don't mind the intrusion. My name is Tristan Gregor and I'm a businessman doing work in the defense industry. I'm interested in the Mandalorian ForceBreaker Gas Grenades that you contracted Blas-Tech Industries to mass produce. I'm hoping I could meet you for a tour of the factory where the grenades are made. I would be interested in a sub-contracting arrangement but have been unable to get intouch with Blas-Tech. I imagine it's because they are such a large organization. So I'm hoping I can start with you or you may be able to point me in the right direction of a contact if you are too busy to assist me with my request.

Best,

Tristan Gregor

end transmission///

If Verz Horak tried looking up Tristan Gregor on the Holonet he would find a couple of sparse entries on Gregor Defense Industries located on Dilbana. All in all, the business appeared to be legitimate although small.

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

The Mandalorian warrior did not look like a galaxy conquering badass at the moment. He was petting his strill, Mirdala, a creature he had owned since childhood. He had done his daily exercise regimen and eaten, and there was nothing else to do right now. So he was resting. Until his datapad beeped. A message.

THe Mandalorian got up and read the message.

//Incoming transmission.. To: Verz Horak From: Tristan Gregor Dear Mr. Horak, I hope you don't mind the intrusion. My name is Tristan Gregor and I'm a businessman doing work in the defense industry. I'm interested in the Mandalorian ForceBreaker Gas Grenades that you contracted Blas-Tech Industries to mass produce. I'm hoping I could meet you for a tour of the factory where the grenades are made. I would be interested in a sub-contracting arrangement but have been unable to get intouch with Blas-Tech. I imagine it's because they are such a large organization. So I'm hoping I can start with you or you may be able to point me in the right direction of a contact if you are too busy to assist me with my request. Best, Tristan Gregor end transmission///

A defense contractor? Verz figured since he was the one who came up with the Forcebreaker's original designs, he technically owned the copyrights and production rights. He never focused on it much, letting BlasTech do most of the legal work for him. He was a soldier, not a laywer after all.

The Mandalorian thought for a moment, sending a response.

//Start Message

To:Tristan Gregor
From: Verz Horak

Mr. Gregor, usually BlasTech handles this kind of sub-contracting work, but seeing as they are usually very busy anyway, I suppose I could show you the facility where they are produced. If you would meet me at these coordinates on Concord Dawn, we could talk business.

//Message End

If "Tristan" looked at the attached data, he would find a set of coordinates on Concord Dawn for the BlasTech factory, as well as single-use codes for authorization to enter Mandalorian Core space.

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

 

[Armand Temi]

How polite and convenient, thought Eugene, getting the response he had desired. The slicer sent a quick "thank you, I'll be coming by" message to let Horak know he was on the way. Eugene picked up his personal freighter, which he had specially designed to loosely rememble a Plug-F Mammoth Split-X engine, from the closest Under City Shadowport. Once he exited the Corsucanti atmosphere, he set his autopilot on warp drive and once he was out, he cruised into the Concord Dawn system.

When prompted he gave the authorization code to enter Mandalorian territory. He then made his way down to the landing pad of the Blas-Tech factory, announcing his intentions to security at the docking bay. "My name is Tristan Gregor from Gregor Defense Industries. I have a meeting with Verz Horak," Eugene said.

Eugene Leopold didn't bring a bodyguard or a droid along with him. He didn't want to arouse any suspicion. He only wanted a nice short chat with Mr. Hozak and a tour of the facilities. He did have a blaster on his person as well as a small vibroblade strapped to his ankle but he assumed he would have to turn in the blaster in order to enter the building anyway.

As he walked up to the Blas-Tech factory entrance he repeated to himself to stay calm and keep his quirks to a minimum. "Mr. Horak should be expecting me," he said to security at the front desk.

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz was waiting in an inner room for his guest. The secretary, a young Twi'lek native to Concord Dawn looked at her datapad, confirming the appointment. When she did, she typed in a series of notes, including time of arrival, verification of ID, and the opening of the entrance to the inner area of the factory.

Before the man could enter through, a Journeyman Protector approached, scanning [member="Eugene Leopold"] with a handheld device. It beeped when the blaster was detected, and the Protector scowled under his faceplate.

"Sir, please remove your blaster and hand it to me. It will be returned to you when you exit the building. If you want to see Marshal Horak, you must surrender the weapon."

 

[Armand Temi]

Oh ho, so Hozark was a Marshall, thought Euguene. Well why wouldn't he be? He had was a military contractor after all.

"Of course," Eugene answered the Protector. He handed over his blaster in a deferential manner.

"Now where to?" he asked the Protector. He assumed he would be chaperoned through the building and not allowed to roam free.

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

The Journeyman Protector placed Eugene's blaster on his belt. "Right this way sir. Field Marshal Horak will be with you shortly." The Protector lead [member="Eugene Leopold"] through the opened doorway and into a smaller inner room. The room wasn't much to look at, just a chair and a drink dispenser. The Journeyman Protector stood faithfully at the door that lead to the inside of the factory proper. The echoes of machinery could be heard from the room.

The door to the factory opened, and a Mandalorian in full crimson battle armor, adorned with several medals and ribbons, accolades for numerous military campaigns on many worlds across the galaxy. A blood red cape adorned the shoulders of the warrior.

Nobody said that Verz Horak would dress dull.

 

[Armand Temi]

In addition to grenades did Blas-Tech manufacture medals? Because the Mandalorian was a walking medal factory.

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Mr. Horak. I imagine you are a busy man," said Eugene. "So let's get right down to business. Gregor Defense Industries is very interested in a purchasing a huge order of ForceBreaker Gas Grenades. But before we invest in a massive shipment, I would love to know a little more about how these grenades are made. I'm very much looking forward to the tour." Eugene glanced at the Journeyman Protector who stood at the door.

"Spare no detail," added Leopold. "I won't be bored, I assure you. And while you're at it I'd love to hear some stories of how you got all of those impressive medals."

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

The Mandalorian smiled under his helmet. He nodded at the Journeyman Protector, who exited the room, leaving Eugene and Verz alone. Verz opened the door to the factory proper, showing his guest the vast facility that produced many weapons besides the famous Mandalorian grenades known as Forcebreakers.

The hum of smaller machines was drowned out by the roar of heavy machines, voracious beasts consuming metal and spitting out machines of death. The noise was very loud, even with sonic dampeners around the walkways that Verz and his guest would walk, several meters above the factory floor. Verz gestured for Eugene to follow him.

"This is a large arms facility. We produce many forms of munitions here, from grenades to rifles. Most of it is civilian grade and sold to the public, but a large portion is military grade and supplies Mandalorian armies. This is an important facility. I'm sure you noticed the defenses outside the factory?"

 

[Armand Temi]

"Oh yes," said Eugene. "Security was tight as it should be. I'd expect nothing less." Eugene cautiously followed the Mandalorian across the walkway. He shouted above the noise so his next question would be heard.

"Where are the Force-breaker grenades made in this factory? Those are what I'm most interested in for reasons I obviously can't disclose. I would really like to get up close and personal with those munitions. Could you show me that part of the factory in particular?"
[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

"We will get there soon enough. It is a large factory, after all."

The Mandalorian continued walking, leading his client deeper into the complex. The pair approached a door, which silently opened for them. When it closed it shut out much of the noise of the factory floor. Here there was a hallway, with a pair of guards patrolling. Verz nodded to them, and they let the duo pass.

Verz and Eugene approached another door, which opened to show a turbolift awaiting them. When both were ready, Verz pressed a button for another floor of the factory. The doors closed and the gentle hum of the turbolift made its way into the car.

Verz looked at Eugene.

"So, you wanted to know why I have these war decorations? Well, most of them are for participating in various military actions. Borosk, Yaga Minor, the Fall of Junction and the Second Battle of Junction, name a Mandalorian planet and I was probably there for some campaign or another. Either bringing a new one into the fold or fighting the Sith. That's the ribbons.

The service medals are more special. I'll go in order. This medal," Verz gestured at the one on the far left, "is a Medal of Honor. I earned it when I was a Field Marshall under Mand'alor the Liberator. I lead a strike force of 100 Supercommandos during the battle of Roche. We were on speederbikes in the tunnels of the asteroid that coordinated the defense cannons. I defeated the Republic forces guarding it and seized control so that our fleet could fight the Sith and not destroy the denses. We had hoped to study them. That action also earned me the Distinguished Service Cross, the middle one here.

The second one, the Mando'ade Cross, I earned when I was wounded on Borosk by a sniper. Despite the wound, I held the attention of a squad or two of Imperial Remnant Stormtroopers so that my team could capture the planetary governor. This also earned me the fourth medal, the Valor Medal. This was before I became a Field Marshal.

The last one is a medal awarded for participating in a successful combat action. I earned it when I was just an Initiate, fighting pirates and Rakghoul on Taris."

 

[Armand Temi]

As they rode the turbolift, Eugene listened to the serviceman's battle stories. The Mandalorian was quite the decorated war veteran. "Very impressive," Eugene said. "Tell me Mr. Hozak, what does a man of your stature think is the biggest threat to the galaxy right now? What keeps you up at night?"

Even though Eugene's mission was to gather very specific information, he might as well try to get some potential secrets for Wookiee Leaks while he was on Concord Dawn.

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz looked at [member="Eugene Leopold"].

"What keeps me up at night, Mr. Gregor, is what I experienced at the Liberation of Junction. The Sith took innocent children hostage to try and prevent us from assaulting strategic targets. They also slaughtered many of the civilians population for no reason. But the worst part is the fact that when they were forced to flee, they murdered the children. We found their bodies as soon as we reached the broadcast tower where they were held. They were run through with lightsabers. They still had terrified looks on their faces."

Verz looked back to the doors, reliving flashes of that fateful day.

 

[Armand Temi]

Eugene nodded gravely. Even he knew the difference between scintillating knowledge and what was just downright appalling and using children as targets violated every rule of engagement he could think of.

As the turbolift stopped, the doors opened and both Gregor and Horak would reach their destination. If there were any monitors in the factory complex or surrounding offices tuned to HoloNet News they would be viewing the regular Bounty Broadcast segment which featured the galaxy's most wanted and the various bounties attached to their name. On this particular segment Eugene's name and likeness would come up. "Eugene Leopold is wanted for spilling classified information on the Red Ravens, Antecedent's most notorious criminals and his association with terrorist organization called the Rebel Alliance."

Also if the Blas-Tech Factory had facial recognition software linked into any type of criminal database, now when "Mr. Gregor's" face was scanned in any type of security software at doors or entrance-ways, Blas-Tech would be alerted that he was a wanted man.

Of course, Eugene had no idea the broadcast was on and asked, "So what is on this floor? Is it Research and Development?"

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

The lift doors opened, and Verz Horak led Eugene deeper into the factory complex. There was a small silence between the two, with the Mandalorian reflecting on the events of that battle. It had been a terrible moment, when the Mandalorian strike teams found the slaughtered children.

"No, this factory is not for that. It is purely a manufacturing facility."

THe warrior continued to lead his companion toward the requested section of the factory. That is, until a security officer raised him on his comms. Now, Mandalorian helmets allowed for communications that were silent to the outside world. A Mandalorian commando team could have a heated argument a meter away from a target and not be heard. So Eugene had no idea of the conversation taking place between Verz and the officer.

********
"Sir, there has been a notification about your visitor. The facial recognition has picked up an alert on him. He is wanted by the Ravens for leaking information and having terrorist connections. Your orders?"

"Have a security team on standby. I shall deal with this myself."

"Yessir!"
******

"So, Mr. Gregor, what exactly is your purpose here again?"

 

[Armand Temi]

Eugene was often unaware of certain social graces needed to get by in the galaxy. Likewise he was unaware of danger until it was staring him in the face. He never had a sixth-sense and it's part of the reason he was so nomadic. It was easier to stay out of harm's way if you were constantly running from it.

But at this moment, the tone of the Mandalorian's voice sent a small chill up his spine. He blinked his eyes innocently and launched into his cover story which he hoped was convincing: "I already let you know, Mr. Hozak. I'm a defense contractor and a profitable one. I'm looking to expand into explosives and I'm highly interested in the Force Breaker gas grenades. You know if it's easier I can just have my lawyers contact your lawyers and we'll work this out in the boardroom." He laughed nervously and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I'm sure you're busy and I've taken up too much of your time already." He didn't want to bail on his mission so he waited for Verz Horak's reply to decide if he needed to make an even quicker exit.

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

Verz stopped walking, turning to face Eugene. The visor on his helmet depolarized, showing the hardened face of the warrior underneath it. It was a face that did not like to deal with nonsense when he didn't have to.

"Now, Mr. Gregor, I doubt you have lawyers or are a defense contractor. My security officers have notified me that you raised a flag on the security software. I'm not an unreasonable man, so I will give you one opportunity to tell me the truth. Who. Are. You?"

The tone in his voice carried an edge like that of a beskad, sharp and hard.

 

[Armand Temi]

Eugene swallowed back the hard lump in his throat. His heart beat anxiously like an animal caught in a trap.

Security flag! But he was so careful. The only person who could cause this type of embarrassment for Eugene was Cryax Bane and
he had no doubt in his mind that Bane was somehow behind this, foiling his plans with his script kiddies. He would have
to retaliate but right now the infochant had to make a decision. Either come clean or continue with the lie.

While he was terrified of the Mandalorian in front of him, he said with his best sabacc face: "Well there must be some kind of
mistake. I cleared security when I came in. And perhaps there's another Tristan Gregor in your database." Sweat beaded on
his forehead as he faced Horak's hot glare. "But surely if I go down to security right now I can easily clear this up."

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

The warrior's patience was wearing thin. Data from the security office was scrolling across his HUD, making him more and more suspicious by the second.

"Mr. Gregor, our records and our searches show no records for a Gregor Defense Industries. You seem to be a ghost. Or maybe you never existed at all. So tell me, what is your real name?"

An armored hand slowly reached for the pistol at its owner's side, ready to draw the Verpine Shatterpistol holstered there.

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Come to think of it Eugene wasn't the best sabacc player. In fact, he normally lost a lot of money when he tried to gamble.

So when he saw Horak reaching for his blaster, he put his hands up.

"You're right! I'm not Tristan Gregor," he pleaded. Eugene had been through this before many times. Arrests, jail cells, impossible bails that somehow were paid. He held out his hands as if they were going to be cuffed. "I can't tell you who hired me. I don't betray my sources." He closed his eyes dramatically and when Verz Horak wasn't moving a muscle he added, "I'm the founder of Wookiee Leaks. I can help you if you want to turn this unfortunate incident into an opportunistic relationship."

[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Verz Horak]

[member="Eugene Leopold"]

Verz let his hand fall to his side when Eugene surrendered. A warrior never killed unarmed opponents. To do so was a dishonor to both the warrior and his clan.

"Mandalorians do not like turncoats, Eugene. However, I understand you have trouble with Red Ravens. And I'm sure you know, along with half the galaxy, that the Ravens and the Mandalorians despise each other. So, I have an offer for you. You will help provide intel for us on the Ravens and the Rebels, and I will see to it that neither will be able to reach you."

Verz held out his armored hand to Eugene, offering a handshake to seal the deal.