Thirty-Two

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“To date, beskar ore has been found only on the fourteenth moon.”[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But what would happen when that reality turned out to be false? When those preconceptions about the moons of Echoy’la turn out to be less hinged upon reality and more on general bad luck when it came to the probing of the moons? Would not have been the first time that millennia long people thought one thing only for the preconception to be dashed into pieces.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]You are sure of this?[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Aye, laddy. As sure as my one good eye[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px].”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]In Khal’s experience there were two kinds of Mandalorians in the Galaxy, there were the first among many, those that tried to convince you that every single one of ‘em were the same. They were loyal to their clan and the Mandalorians at large, believed and followed in cultural tenants and generally could be perceived as honorable warriors with a specialization on common survival. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And then there was the second type.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It was a type that Khal was encountering more and more, the type that were murderers, thieves, the scum of the earth and loyal only to their own credit bill. Jiggro Wraith would definitely fit in that last category, by circumstance more so than choice though. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Once he had been a renowned beskar smith, his armor and weapons forged were considered the pinnacle of what it meant to wield the exclusive material of the Mandalorians. But many wars later, years passed and Wraith found himself without a right arm and one of his eyes cut out - the Sith had never been too kind to their prisoners. He managed to escape them, but fate had decided to kick him in the nethers all the same, he returned to his village burned to the ground and his family slaughtered.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Fast forward ten years and Jiggro Wraith did not have any use for honor, no use for respect to the old traditions and ways of the Mandalorians. Which is why he was unofficially employed by Salvatrucha for a variety of reasons, he kept an eye out for new developments at Echoy’la and perhaps more importantly… he agreed to train Khal’s men.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Wraith couldn’t smith himself anymore, but he could easily teach his art to the men Khal send to him and in return… well, let’s just say that once the men were experienced Beskar Smiths? Jiggro wouldn’t ever have to worry about money anymore.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]How’s Coruscant anyway these days?[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]” Khal would ask.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He was leaning against the back of his seat, eyes closed and listening to the soft rumble of the engine, as their transport entered hyperspace and set course towards the system of Echoy’la. He hadn’t seen Cryax for a long while now, man had changed - not sure yet if it was for better or worse.[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Khaleel Malvern had not given Cryax permission to touch his ship's navicomputer, but the Chiss was running his blue fingers all over the terminal all the same.

"Your anti-slicing safeguards are out of date," he muttered, shooting a sideways glance at the shaggy blonde crime lord. He would put something in later, when they weren't about to punch into hyperspace.

Leaning back in the copilot's seat, he gave the other man a smirk. Despite his lingering alcoholism and stim-shot addiction, Bane wore Coruscant well. The fortress world allowed the Chiss to operate in relative safety. Other than some random attacks by a few lone kooks who hated Force users, he operated in relative safety. The rotary club's business were in the black. He had to kowtow to some lower level Sith lords every now and then, but at least he wasn't running for his life.

"The Undercity is fine," he said unconvincingly. "If you need a new liver that won't kark with your midichlorian count or whatever, give me a shout."

Yeah, he missed slicing. Maybe Mr. Bartender had some digging that needed to be done.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“So I [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]did[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] hear right about your newest interest.” Khal would reply, but the tone of the words were so borderline neutral that it wasn’t entirely too clear if he was approving of the new hobby or if he was entirely disgusted about it. Perhaps it didn’t really matter anymore, perhaps the mister Bartender had finally resolved himself to care about one thing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The safety of his family and the expansion of their operations.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A scratch of the chin followed soon.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Ya know, if you ever wanted to go back to the slicing work, I got some operations going on here and there. We are busy consolidating and putting it under one cell, ‘sgonna be a while but I got a few competent folks working on it.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He opened one eye and placed it squarely on that blue face. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“If ya ever decide that kneeling for those Sith doesn’t quite do it for ya anymore.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khaleel was a lot of things, but a businessman was the foremost of those things. In truth he didn’t quite care if you were a Sith or not, that did not matter in his book, what mattered was what you [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]did[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] as a Sith Lord and with that he did not mean the obvious things like: “Were they genocidal?” or “Did they eat babies at night?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It was far more simple than that.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]As long as they didn’t touch his interest and the ones he cared about? They could do whatever they liked.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The problem was that a lot of people were out there, people he cared about… and they were fighting the Sith actively, which put him in quite the awkward situation indeed.[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

He shrugged at the blue-eyed Jedi. Cryax wasn't exactly kneeling to the Sith, not often anyway. It was funny how the Sith Lords that protected him, the ones in the highest echleons, and the most under the judgement of those yellow eyes that ruled them all, respected him. Matsu Xiangu, Reverence, even Darth Carach (despite the fact that the Chiss wasn't a young, female ingenue): all of them treated him like a sacred cow. They knew what he was capable of. They saw first hand how he had crippled the Republic's technology during the Battle of Kashyyyk. The Sith Lords just below them, the uber-ambitious, Machiavellian middle management, it was that sort who put him right under their boot. Unfortunately they were also his highest paying customers.

"Interest isn't the word I'd choose," Bane admitted, averting his gaze from the Jedi for a moment. There wasn't any use in getting high and mighty about what he did. The slicer knew he had plunged into a world where he never imagined he'd be.

"It's a niche that no one has thought to exploit just yet, at least not in the Undercity. And it pays ridiculously well."

Bane shot Malvern a dark look that seemed to say "drop it." As if he himself hadn't broached the subject.

However, he couldn't hide his curiosity when Malvern mentioned some slicing jobs. Now that he could sink his teeth into.

"Tell me more."

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khal rolled his eye at the dark look shot out to him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]If there was one thing that wasn’t intimidating these days it was Cryax Bane, not because of who and what the Chiss was, but simply because of the past both of them had shared. It had been the Underlord who had facilitated Bane’s escape from Nar Shaddaa and it had been Khaleel who kept in touch with Cryax after that little incident with PGS and her little goons.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]What a shutta that was.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]At any rate, they might not be the best of friends, but both of them knew exactly what they had on each other and in the grand scheme of things? They might have been the only two people in the Galaxy who could be entirely honest with each other about what they did.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Without any judgement, even.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Chiasa disappeared.” he would say with a shrug. “Probably killed or just decided to leave me with all the messes that is the Ravens, means I am in charge.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He opened both eyes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I told ya she promoted me to Vice Prez, right? Worst name ever, by the way.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A shrug.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Anyway, I have decided to sweep clean the Ravens. I pulled in all their operations, all the operations of the Exchange into one concern, we are still figuring things out - can’t exactly expect everything to get finalized over a week’s time. But I have been working with two slicers for a while now, one of ‘em is currently helping me with a different project.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Reclaimant of a new shadowport.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Once that’s done, we are planning on feeding a lot of revenue into a dedicated cyber-division, the best and brightest of the Galaxy, top-notch gear and all the money y’all need to do whatcha do.”[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Kicking his boots up on the navicomputer's deck, Cryax leaned back in the swivel chair, nodding his head at the "news" about Khal's Vice Presidency, feigning ignorance. He himself had read some chatter while slicing through the darknet, and put two and two together. He had kept the information to himself. The Red Ravens were't a topic he did not like to dwell on. A flash of Nar Shaddaa and a mess of dead teenagers bleeding on the floor of a shiny new office building wriggled its way into his gray matter like maggots. Nope, not worth dwelling on.

A knot crossed his smooth blue brow at the revelation about the tiger-striped Twil'lek. That was news to him.

"Best and brightest slicers, huh?" he said. A smug grin crossed his face as he looked right into the man's icy blue eyes, absently noting that the man could use a good shave.

"You gonna lead that group of script kiddies yourself? Hope they like mixed drinks."

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Naw, I know better than to mess with shet I only got passing knowledge of.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Honestly, Cryax would probably be one of the best candidates to lead the organization, except for two distinct points that Khal couldn’t simply ignore. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Even if he wished he could. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]One of them was that Bane’s loyalty was still deeply in question, he knew that the Chiss gravitated towards the strong in the Galaxy, just as he knew that the One Sith was not the power that it used to be in the past. They were still a force to be reckoned with, for sure, but it was no longer the single-handed powerhouse of the past. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Which meant that it would be[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] easier[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] to recruit Cryax for his own purposes, but would the Chiss see it the same way? Or would he still hold some kind of loyalty to those that had sheltered their prized slaughter pig for such a long time?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The reminder who had rescued him from the Ravens’ wroth might push him away or it could bring him in closer, but perhaps Bane himself would remember it at the thought.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“You will probably like her, got one big mouth on her and she will keep you on the straight and narrows to a degree.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The other was that Bane didn’t have much in the ways of a spine. Oh, he was better than all those years ago, had been a total joke back then, but it was still [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]there[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]. That inherent weakness that made him a prey to anyone with a strong personality.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]This could be a boon or a problem.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Don’t expect an answer right now, of course. Take your time and get back to me when ya made up your mind.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It would still be a few hours, before they would settle down in the Echoy’la System, so Khal resettled himself softly in the chair and started looking through some sheets on the datapad. Better make this journey efficient as possible, while talking to Cryax.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So how thin would the beskar plating be, whilst still being efficient… hmm.[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax grunted an affirmative. The wheels that had begun to turn before were now gaining momentum. It would be easy to delegate the more unsavory divisions of the CRC, although what criminal organization had savory business anyway? Nevertheless, Cryax had a mountain of credits to throw at someone with a stronger stomach for both the slaving and organ-legging operations. To return to slicing filled him with a buzzing excitement that he would never find in either one of those droll pursuits. It was probably written all over his face, despite his mask of nonchalance.

Would the One Sith see his working with Khaleel as a betrayal? Possibly. Khaleel was a Jedi, and however well-secreted they were, had ties to the Red Ravens. It wasn't likely his partnership with the man would be taken well in any case. Cryax groaned inwardly at the thought of the spin doctoring that he would have to do if he came clean about it. Perhaps it would be best to partner with Malvern unofficially for now.

He peered over the other man's shoulder at his Datapad and chuckled.

"What do you want with Beskar anyway? I thought the Red Ravens were swimming in Phrik. Are you defecting to the Mandalorians, Mr. Malvern?"

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Was he a Jedi though?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]And more importantly was his allegiance known to any party whatsoever?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Galaxy was a pretty huge place, it was almost frightening how big it really was, billions of star clusters filled with millions of systems, filled with hundreds of thousands of worlds. Yes, it wasn’t a strange thing to assume that anonymity could be guaranteed as long as you kept most of your operations low-key.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]There was a tactical reason why Khal was a bartender of a small bar.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Not quite, Bane.” Khal would reply with a shrug. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]In truth there were a variety of reasons why one might chose for beskar, instead of phrikite. Most of which came back to plausible deniability and the chance of diversion of blame towards a side that hadn’t had any conflicts in a while.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“In general I have found that the addition of new resources is never bad, even when you have old ones to work with, no?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]They would arrive into the system in a few moments, where they would be able to meet his contact for the actual happening.[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax rolled his eyes gave out a huff. Then it turned into a chuckle.

"Whatever you're hiding from me, Bartender. You know I'll find it out eventually." White teeth flashed beneath blue lips. One thing Bane liked about Khal, besides his ruggedly handsome face which held its own appeal, however-out-of-reach, was the speed at which he came up with new schemes. While most criminals got rich and rested on their laurels, Khal was planning his next three moves ahead. Machiavellian looked good on the man.

It was obvious that their friendship was a component of one of those schemes, but the Chiss liked to think that there were other reasons Khaleel kept him around. Compared to the rest of the body, the heart could seem very small in size and shape. But not Khal's. Despite the man's criminal leanings, the shaggy blonde crime lord's heart beat bigger than most, especially when it came to his friends. There was no good reason why Malvern should have kept the Chiss alive, much less came for him in a rescue ship when things with the Red Ravens went south.

Right now he heard Malvern's big heart beating out a drum of opportunity.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khal snorted.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It was true though, Bane would find out eventually on his own if he didn’t share the current running idea with him, which was usually half of the fun. But he wouldn’t have invited Cryax along, if he had been concerned about telling him about this specific plan.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Naw, no need.” the Underlord would reply with a smirk. “I will spill the goods.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A few more checks and balances on the datapad, before sending over the reviewed orders to the various agents in the Galaxy at current. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]With a lot of expansions underway, it was sometimes hard to keep track. But Echoy’la was in Primeval territory and their influence here was… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]passingly[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] acceptable, but it could always be better. Which is why Khal started to direct some more efforts here, diverting funds from projects that weren’t panning out right now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I am designing a new shuttle, stealth, it’s gonna be practically undetectable. Needs to have a strong hull though and beskar… well, that brings all kinds of implications if it’s ever discovered, no?”[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

"Indeed," agreed the Chiss with a simple nod. Khaleel Malvern. The man of a million schemes. Bane liked to think of himself as a schemer, but he didn't have anything on the grizzled crime lord next to him. It didn't bother Cryax. He had always been more content to run things behind the scenes. Large scale operations hadn't turned out to be his thing, but then again, it wasn't as if he woke up one day and said to himself, "I want to run a criminal syndicate." It had fallen in his lap. Now crime was just a job.

The question remained: Did Bane even want to get entangled in Khal's schemes?

"Let me guess, you're gonna need a slicer?"

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Cryax Bane"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“As much as your pretty face is a sore sight to the eyes.” the Underlord would reply smoothly.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Yeah, wouldn’t have told ya about the other project otherwise, Bane.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The shuttle finally broke hyperspace and entered the Echoy’la system proper, it was in the history that the 14th asteroid was the only asteroid that had ever been mined for beskar, the others hadn’t been viable according to probes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But what if they were?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]One-eye had been training his guys for a while now, and when he came to Malvern about a sighting? Well, that had piqued his interest to say the least and it hadn’t been long, before they had established a covert mining operation in the system.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khal wasn’t worried about the Primeval.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]What he was worried about was the Mandalorians returning someday and deciding to go full Mando on any external parties involved with the mining. So, better leave it covert for now and make sure that as few souls as possible knew of it there and then. That would ensure safety and the proper payments and dues would be paid where possible.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Ain’t expecting ya to give me an answer right away, Bane. But don’t take too long, the sooner we can start, the sooner we will be earning some good money.”[/SIZE]

 

[Cryax Bane]

"Color me interested," Bane said with a smirk. "But I have a few stipulations."

When did Cryax Bane not have stipulations?

As he spoke, his blue skinned fingers tinkered with Khal's navicomputer. He pulled out a keyring with ten datachits on it and plugged one in. The man was going to get a pirated update to his computer's anti-slicing software whether he liked it or not.

"One, whatever we're going to be doing together can't jeapordize my relationship with the One Sith, especially the Wrath, Voices,and Hands. I worked hard to make those friendships pay off, and I'm not going to end up in some Sith dungeon somewhere," Cryax paused and added, "Again."

"Two, I'm still going to be involved with the Rotary Club, so I'll need time to disappear to Coruscant every now and then."

There were of course more stipulations, like for example getting his persona non grata status on Nar Shaddaa removed, but he thought it would be best to start there for now. Khal wasn't the type who appreciated being strong armed with a lot of demands.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]