The Valen Job

[Captain Larraq]

Mandal Hypernautics Objectives:

• Assist in fortification of Enduril
• Assist in organizing local forces
• Scout out local tactical assets
• Scout out potential business investments
• Show up MandalMotors

Snow and wind assaulted Rygel Larraq's exposed face as he stood and surveyed the construction projects of Enduril. Standing beside him in the snow, Talyn twitched an ear and tried to shake off the thin layer of snow that tried to build up on his fur. Together, the two of them stood prominently atop a small construction vehicle and watched as Mandal Hypernautics laborers and construction droids worked with locals to fortify the town. To his left, private military forces worked hard to train the locals to fight for their homes while Hyperion Security officers attended a briefing on the overall strategy being drafted for this operation.

Like the other Mandalorians on the planet, he had been asked to provide aide to the people here in the defense of their homes and livelihood from the hostile factions which sought to take it from them. When asked to help, Mandal Hypernautics had presented the local government leaders with a contract and a bill of services. When they reluctantly agreed to his terms, Rygel Larraq had pooled his available resources and made best speed for Valen.

Arriving in a similar fashion as the other Mandalorian forces, Mandal Hypernautics brought its own ships and supplies separate from those provided by the ManalMotors backed forces. They may be the proffered supplier of civilian and military products thanks to the bias of the current Mand'alor, but MandalMotors was far from the only company capable of supporting the Mandalorian war machine. Which was one of the main secondary reasons for Rygel Larraq investing Mandal Hypernautics resources on the planet. Not only was he after local trade and mining rights, but he was here to prove the capabilities of Mandal Hypernautics in direct competition with the people and products of MandalMotors.

Holding a stylist and datapad in his gloved hands, Larraq issued orders and advice to the foremen overseeing various projects. One fortification was being built to short. Another was being built in the wrong spot. The list of minor errors was growing by the minute. The wind and cold was making his men sloppy. They were accustomed to working in the deserts surrounding Sundari, not in freezing cold of a southern cotenant.

Watching the slowly dwindling list of supplies, he knew immediately that the logistical challenges of this operation would be a nightmare. They needed low-tech solutions. And that meant then needed low-tech resources. They needed wood and rock, but all they had was snow. Not to mention the struggle they were having with procuring the rocks. The ground here was nearly frozen solid. He had had to reroute several of his construction droids to assisting with the trenches and other solid fortification. And that was slowing things down considerably. They needed to find a way to make the snow work for them, not against them. They needed to find a way to turn the environment itself into a defensive resource.

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

<No, there is no need. Arthamir should be expecting us and the Sith are far from where we will be.> The Sith were the very reason the Mandalorians were here. Individual volunteers were being paid well for their participation and protection from the war that ravaged the peoples' once peaceful planet. It felt strange being the "man with the answers". Not only was their Mandalore gone, but Gilamar's right hand man had dissapered as well. He understood though. A fresh Mando with a fresh suit of armor...It need some adventure to get broken in. But Verz? Last he had heard he was hunting on Dxun...He hoped everything went fine and he was well.

<We move at first light. Dismissed.> And with that, the meeting was over, and Gilamar had work to do. Apparently some upstart from MandalHypernautics decided he would attempt to show up MandalMotors...He hadn't yet met the CEO but for someone like Gilamar pictured him being...He didn't think this was the place for him...Or his little toys. Walking past the men and women in armor he exited the tent into the freezing cold of Endurill's outskirts. He picked out the man within minutes. Walking around in the snow with a datapad like some sort of manager. A grunt escaped the old man as he made his way to the man. "MandalHypernautics I presume?"

@[member="Arrbi Betna"] @[member="Captain Larraq"]

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Betna shrugged and stepped out after Gilamar into the snow. The cold bit deep, but the Mandalorian weathered it. Turning, he made his way to the outskirts of camp and beyond. A few miles out was more or less wilderness. Rations weren't low, but depending on how things went that could change. A little hunting would put fresh meat on the barrack room table and keep Arrbi busy for a bit.

He unslung his rifle and carried in at low ready. It was time to see what game was around to eat.

 

[Captain Larraq]

@[member="Gilamar Skirata"]

“For the last time, I want tunnels in the snow connecting each DFP. You'll never get them dug through the frozen ground in enough time.” Rygel Larraq barked out, apparently to no one. The snow and cold causing a puff of mist and fog to appear every time he spoke. “You are 2.5 degrees off mark. Adjust the next fortification to compensate.” Turning around to look in the other direction, a small earpeace could be seen on the right side of Rygel Larraq's face. Datapad still in hand, Larraq barked out more orders through the communicator in his ear. “Send out scouts to the east and west. Find me a source of lumber. I want a midline bulwarks complete with pit-traps and anti-cavalry pikes.”

Sliding the stylist across the datapad, Rygel Larraq was preparing to issue further sets of orders when Talyn's growling warned him of an approaching soldier. Easing the Vorknskr with a gentle pat to the back of the predators furred neck, Rygel Larraq turned to address what he had assumed was an underling coming to request guidance. What he found, however, was the CEO of MandalMotors calling to him. -”Mandal Hypernautics I presume?”-

Pausing for only a moment, Larraq slid the stylist back into the datapad and returned the device to the pocket built into his jacket's interior breast pocket. “You presume correctly. Gilamar Skirata, correct?” Tugging slightly on the lower edges of his jacket to straiten his leather uniform, Larraq took a step forward and presented his right arm for a handshake. “Captain Rygel Larraq. CEO of Mandal Hypernautics. What can I do for you?”

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

Removing his helmet and clipping it magnetically to his belt, the old man took the younger CEO's hand in a firm handshake. He tried to not apply as much pressure as he would normally, as a combination of the cold and hard metal could potentially harm the unprotected hand of the man before him. <You would be correct.> Sighing for a moment, vapor forming at the edge of his bearded maw, he ignored the younger man's question. <Mandal Hypernautics...Never thought I would see you out of the dark.> he muttered. He hadn't seen a relevant product produced by the company in decades, well one that hadn't been dwarfed by his own company in popularity and reliability that is. He wondered how such a young man had taken the reigns of the company and so quickly pulled it from the much it was in.

<Nothing..."Captain" Keep doing what you are doing, we need more men like you in the field...Men who can get things done.> And with that, he patted the man on the back and walked away into the snow, flakes of the white stuff clinging to his beard.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat laid the newer M45 rifle over his body, glancing around. He motioned several Mandalorians forward, and then glanced to the seemingly endless expanse of snow. He sighed behind his helmet, before holding the rifle by it's built-in carrying handle."I don't think we can be moving very fast across that snow...any ideas?"He posed, glancing to the several Mandalorians around him. Snow shoes didn't really help much when you wore enough armor and gear to make a fat man blush with envy of the weight. Preliat tapped his carrying handle mindlessly, wondering how the natives got around.

A sigh escaped his helmet, and his helmet's audio was off, so it didn't appear that way. He just seemed stoic and deep in thought to his brothers.

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Crack!

Betna lowered the rifle and stood up from the snow embankment. He'd spotted a creature that looked like a cross between a very small Bantha and a deer and took the shot. It was a clean kill punching straight through where he'd figured the thing's heart was. Turns out, his guess was correct. He covered the distance and checked over the animal. Making sure the thing was dead, he trussed up the carcass and set up a drag line behind him. Satisfied everything was secured, he dragged the animal back to the embankment and gathered the rest of his gains.

He'd managed to bag three smaller game that looked like giant, six legged, ferret-like creatures and a kind of snow bird that had flown in range and lazily glided around until the Mandalorian had shot it. All together he used up five bullets and had five kills to show for it. It was a good day so far. Arrbi attached the rest of the kills to the drag line he'd set up on the deer thing and started back to the base.

A while later, he showed up to the mess hall with his kills in hand. A short conversation with the cook earned him a few extra credits, some thanks, and a promise of both more credits for more animals and good eating for the week. He stepped over to where @[member="Preliat Mantis"] stood and shrugged.

"I hear they use sled animals or snow machines," he said quietly. "Moving by foot isn't that hard, even with all the weight we carry. Snowshoes are more useful than you'd think."

 

[Captain Larraq]

@Gilamar Skirate
“Truth be told, I never thought I'd see the day either. But some fool decided to put me in charge, and now here we are.” Larraq admitted honestly to the older businessman. Though, he wasn't quite able to tell if the following statement was an insult or not. Choosing to take it at face value, Larraq simply nodded to the man as he set off and returned to the task at hand. “No. Five HUNDRED meters apart.” He said into his ear-mounted communicator as Talyn returned to a relaxed posture.