[member="Darth Vulkan"]
Combat reports cluttered Olivia's desk. Dossiers and accountings from Clan Vereen and Clan Rekali told the tale of Nickel One. Above her desk, in holographic glory, the video recordings of over a dozen sources played out. Each video from the point of view of a Mando'ad visor. The recordings showed Ember Rekali shoring up the defenses in the Mandalorian Quarter of civilian station. They showed sections of the station being vented of atmosphere. They showed civilians being murdered carelessly... to slow the approach of Mando'ade that were known to wear vacuum sealed suits.
<The hell were they thinking?> Olivia thought to herself as she continued to watch the multiple recordings, and not for the first time.
The recordings showed the Republic's military commander fleeing the station, in spite of multiple forces moving to apprehend the woman that had, apparently, given the order to vent atmosphere. Olivia picked up a written piece of paper and read the words aloud for the umpteenth time. It was the written and signed sworn testimony of one Mr. [member="Ember Rekali"]. One of the few men whom held Olivia Dem'adas's respect. Olivia had no clue what "flow walking" was, but she trusted Alor Rekali's word that he
was a master of such a technique. As did she trust his statements regarding the orders given by the woman.
"Typical pairs, okay? Get to front line defensive areas outside the hangars and any other access points. Mount your defenses there. If you lose ground, retreat and seal it off behind you, then use the overrides to vent the lost sections to space. We'll be able to get plenty of them that way. Once it's done, clear the vented areas, and reestablish fighting positions. If that's not possible, use your best judgement. Astor, Wolcraft, you're sticking with me."
And the orders given by the woman's underlings.
"Do we have access to the hangar bay control systems?"
"We do, sir. Top level overrides can only be used from one of these control centers."
"Mandalorians wear vacuum-sealed outfits typically, do they not?"
"Aye, sir. It's not uncommon. Couldn't speak for their fodder, but many do, yes."
"What about civilian presence in the hangars?"
"The working shifts ended some time before the Mandalorians arrived; if there are any personnel remaining there, they are either worker clones or remain by choice. Seal the hangar entrances if possible and deactivate the shields. Vent the hangars overtaken by Mandalorian forces. At the very least we can slow down their advance through the rest of the station by scattering them into the wind."
Olivia turned her gaze from the paper and back to the recordings. They showed republic soldiers using civilians as human shields. They showed republic soldiers using nerve gas on civilians. They showed republic privateers opening fire on civilian transports.
<Are these really the same people we have been helping for all these years?> Olivia thought to herself.
With the press of a button, the video recordings faded away and were replaced by different images. A holographic representation of Roche filled the display, images of Mandalorian and Republic ships dotted the landscape. It was a recording compiled from the data-logs of the Skira, made from the compiled sensor readings from three separate Ulur'uur Frigates. Below this, various video logs played. They showed the events that transpired upon the command decks of a number of Mandalorian Warships, as well as external video recordings of the space surrounding each craft.
This was the combined combat action report of Hyperion Security and Mandalorian Protector ship and squadron commanders... and it told the rest of the tale of the battle for Roche.
It began, innocently enough, with a verbal exchange confirmed by no less than 2486 individual sources.
::Mandalorian leadership, this is Kol'k Ota, a foreign representative to the Verpine people. We have detected a rather large and militarized presence in the system and within Nickel One. We are curious what your needs might be.::
"The Mandalorians, as always, have no hostilities towards the Verpine."
"But the Republic can no longer be trusted to guarantee the safety and neutrality of the Roche system or the Verpine people. Their failing political system is turning against itself and moves have been made to consolidate the rightful properties of corporations and free governments under the control of their political and military leaders. I fear that even now, the Republic moves to bring Roche under thumb through military force."
"It is for that reason that the Mandalorian Clans have come. We will annex this system into our protection before the Republic has the opportunity to bring the Verpine people under heel."
"To any and all Mandalorian forces in the system, you are asked to return to your vessels and leave Republic space. The usurper government lead by the traitor Genevieve Lasedri has been confronted by the Republic Senate and Military and halted. Your holdings and investments are in no danger, and our government recognizes your rights as business-persons and a people. Your existing contracts will be honored without alteration, hesitation, or otherwise. However, initiating hostilities against us when you ought to be helping us eradicate this clone threat would be foolish. You cannot win a war with us. We are better equipped than you. We are better trained than you. We are more organized. And we have the Jedi on our side. Do not start what you cannot finish, and let it be known now, that there is absolutely no reason to initiate hostilities of any kind against a government and a people that seek only to be your ally. I urge you to make contact with us in order to discuss this misinterpretation of events. The Republic has no conflict with the Mandalorian people and we would rather help you drive the Primeval back into the edges of the Galaxy than take arms against you."
*a chorus of laughter*
"We are better trained-"
*more laughter*
"Stop. Stop. I'm going to pee!"
*continued laughter*
"Woman. I don't know who you are, but you just insulted the entirety of the Mando'ade. On the honor of my people, it is my duty to inform you that you have just declared war on Manda'yaim."
"On behalf of my people, I accept your terms. The total destruction of every Republic asset from here to your capital, or your head on a pike. Until one of those two conditions is achieved, the Republic will not know peace."
"The Verpine people choose membership with the Republic willingly. It was already decided by our government. You cannot free us from an alliance of our own selection. Even if the Republic were here against our will, annexing our world by force to prevent another from doing the same is...illogical. It is suspected that the Mandalorian presence here is intended to secure the phrik sources. While we are unclear as to the legalities of such an act, we are sure that the Mandalorians intend no peace for the Verpine that does not come attached with their acquisition of the phrik. Your interests are selfish, for which we do not fault you; your businesses are important to you. Yet as such, we cannot condone your course of action, which has clearly placed Verpine lives in harms way. We of the delegation urge the citizens of Nickel One to secure themselves transport via the Republic's evacuation vessels. Any peaceful Mandalorian citizens residing on Nickel One are encouraged to do the same, for you are clearly not of the same people, and are still welcome within our homes."
Olivia sighed and muted the recordings. Instead, she simply watched the battle unfold before her, sped up to five times normal speed. Ships moved, her brother failed to notice three Galactic Alliance capital ships because his crew was busy laughing, ships fired at eachother... the Galactic Alliance ships fled... Privateer forces moved to secure Nickel One... The same privateer force opened fire and destroyed a civilian ship... Mandalorian frigates and a swarm of starfighters move to overwhelm the privateer fleet... The fleet flees... Larraq bribes the privateers... the privateers accept the bribe and leave the system.
Olivia spared a quick glance at the name of the Privateer. [member="James Justice"] of Justice Shipping. The man had, apparently, contacted Mandal Hypernautics later to claim his five million credits.
Returning her eyes to the hologram, Olivia watched the rest of the battle play out. Republic scouts entered the system, Mandalorian Ships initiated interdiction... and the rest of the Republic fleet entered at the edge of the interdiction effect. The Republic fleet moved in on an entrenched Mandalorian Fleet... shots were fired, asteroids were destroyed, and the Republic and Alliance ships eventually fled the system.
Below the holographic map of the asteroid belt, a series of videos played... Many of which came from the starfighters that escorted Larraq's pet Bio-Ship as it tried to chase down a republic shuttle. Olivia rolled back the time-logs of the recordings and compared them to her logs of the Nickel One event.
The ship that had escaped had, most likely, contained one Ali Hadrix, the woman who had ordered the venting of atmosphere from Nickel One. And, if her sources were accurate, the woman who had issued insult against the Mando'ade. And, according to data recovered from the security systems of Nickel One itself,
had claimed to be Mando'ade herself.
Olivia picked up another piece of paper. The
Hyperion Security dossier on Ali Hadrix.
- Born on Commenor to one Myra Hadrix, Mandalorian.
- Presumably trained by her mother.
- Failed businesswoman.
- Brief employment with a mercenary group stationed out of Keldabe City.
- Only lasted a year among the Mando'ade... before she botched an extraction job and got two of her team mates killed.
- After that she disappeared from records... until she reappeared within the rank and file of the Republic Army.
- Later to become the Supreme Commander of the Rupublic Military.
Olivia sighed as she laid the paper back on her desk. Her brother had openly announced total and unconditional war upon the Galactic Republic. Including an assault of the Republic capital... Over the insults of an idiot.
Olivia picked up the documents Ember Rekali had sent her. Among them, a list of casualties. Among them, [member="Aaralyn Rekali"]. Daughter of Ember Rekali. Force User. Healer. Jedi.
Olivia sat down the documentation and pressed a new button. This one activated a holorecorder.
Cold blue eyes staring into the recorder, Olivia delivered the following message.
"My name is Olivia Dem'adas. Chief of the Dem'adas Clan. Member of the Alor Council. Kin of the Worldslayer." She began.
"Due to recent events, and with no Mand'alor to speak for the clans, I take it upon myself to issue the following statements on behalf of the Mando'ade."
"This is [member="Ali Hadrix"]." Olivia said coldly. She would insert an image of the woman before she transmitted the message.
"Supreme Commander of the Galactic Republic's military. Born of one Myra Hadrix on Commenor, Ali Hadrix is a Mandalorian by birth and by training. Fully knowing our honor, our traditions, and our code... Ali Hadrix issued the following insults to the Mando'ade, directly challenging the Slayer of Dromund Kaas."
Before being transmitted, a recording of Ali Hadrix's verbal statements would be spliced into the transmission. From her own messages transmitted openly, the following.
"To any and all Mandalorian forces in the system, you are asked to return to your vessels and leave Republic space. You cannot win a war with us. We are better equipped than you. We are better trained than you. We are more organized. And we have the Jedi on our side. Do not start what you cannot finish."
"More importantly, the woman knowingly issued orders that directly led to the death of numerous civilians and at least one member of the Jedi Order. One Aaralyn Rekali." Olivia added. At this point, she'd splice in audio recordings recovered from the security systems of Nickel One.
"Get to front line defensive areas outside the hangars and any other access points. Mount your defenses there. If you lose ground, retreat and seal it off behind you, then use the overrides to vent the lost sections to space. We'll be able to get plenty of them that way. Once it's done, clear the vented areas, and reestablish fighting positions. If that's not possible, use your best judgement."
"As of this moment," Olivia began.
"I, as Chief of Clan Dem'adas and member of the Alor Council, declare Ali Hadrix to be Dar'manda and call for her immediate summon before the Alor Council to face judgement for her crimes. Any Bounty Hunter able to bring the woman before me, dead or alive, will receive full compensation for their efforts to retrieve the woman, 20 million credits, and five tons of raw Beskar ore."
With that, Olivia ended her recording, edited it as she wished, and transmitted it throughout the Mandalorian Territories and beyond.
A moment later, a fresh comm channel beeped from her desk, demanding her attention.
<Nobody's that fast.> Olivia thought to herself after briefly wondering if a Bounty Hunter was already attempting to collect on the reward.
"Alor Vereen." Olivia said as she recognized the helmet of the man to whom she spoke. She herself wore her new Beskar'gam. Minus the helmet, which sat upon her desk.
"What can I do for you?"
