Who Watches The Death Watch?

[Caulder Dune]

@[member="RC 212"]
​@[member="Mereel Vaun"]

[And any other pending members of the Deathwatch]

Raxus Prime: the garbage world. An individual could search the Galaxy head to toe and fail to find a planet as equally ravaged by wanton pollution. Not many visit the world, aside from the occasional Rodian salvage party or Jawa scavenging mission. However, to Sith apprentice Tyrin Ardik, the world was his second home. The first was Umbara, but he didn't think that would be an appropriate place for a meeting like this. No, too many eyes and ears on Umbara, and they all had political machinations of their own. Tyrin wanted the schemes he pitched to the Deathwatch on the "down low." A meeting on a more inhabited, or in this case, habitable world was out of the question. Despite being fairly deep into Sith space, he was certain they wouldn't be disturbed.

The Umbaran stood above one of the larger mounds of trash and rubble, surveying the landing zone he had designated for his guests. Hopefully, they wouldn't be followed. Right now, the Deathwatch was small enough that the other Mandalorians would be hard pressed to actively seek them out. Tyrin aimed to change that. Tyrin wanted to make the Deathwatch his baby, so to speak. He wanted to raise what people would think a short-term alliance of renegades into greatness. His long term plans were ambitious in their aims, but he would see them through one way or another. Either that, or become grievously injured and a laughing stock in the process. No risk, no reward, he always said.

Tyrin wasn't even looking for very much in return. Helping the Deathwatch would be its own reward. Not to mention, if everything went swimmingly, he would be famous. Among Sith, at least. Perhaps infamous to anti-Deathwatch Mandalorians and other suck ilk. Then again, Tyrin wouldn't have it any other way. A wise man once said that the only thing worse than being talked about, is not being talked about. Tyrin glanced briefly around the area, making sure no one had wandered too close. He wasn't exceedingly worried about that. He had paid off a dozen or so Rodian salvaging teams to form a perimeter around his choice of landing zone. No one he hadn't invited was getting in here. Or at least, not without alerting him off first.

Confident everything would go as planned, and that he was setting in motion the first chapter of his as-of-yet written legacy, Tyrin waited eagerly for the Deathwatch to arrive.

 

[RC 212]

@[member="Tyrin Ardik"]
@[member="Mereel Vaun"]
Raxus Prime was a garbage pit as far as RC was concerned and the Warlord wrinkled his face at the smell as they broke the atmosphere. the Deathwatch was still small and unorganized. they lacked funding, weapons, and most of all a proper planet or fleet of operations. RC was slowly gathering resources when Tyran Umbaran had offered to come on with them and help him out. Naturally as a Mandalorian RC was distrustful of force users but he supposed a Sith ally had their worth. Beside they needed all the help they could get.
As the Blackfalcon set down RC stepped off the LAAT into the landing zone and swept the area with his helmet, noting the perimeter and nodding. The remainder of RC's small band trickled out after him. He walked over to Tyrin and offered his hand to the Umbaran.
"Sucuy ner Vod, welcome to the fold. Now what is it you have for me?"

 

[Caulder Dune]

Once the dropship had landed, Tyrin wasted no time going to meet it. He slid down the hill elegantly, though some sort of droid appendage snagged itself to his foot by the time he reached the bottom. He had to pause to shake the thing loose, but nevertheless arrived in time to meet the Warlord's gesture. "The pleasure is all mine, your grace." Tyrin replied, giving the Mandalorian's hand a firm shake.

"As for what I have: all in due time. Flanked by piles of trash and refuse is no place to talk of such things. Follow me, please."

Tyrin beckoned, leading the Deathwatch over to the foot of the mound he had just slid down. Before them stood what appeared to be the scorched remains of some space frigate's hull. The Umbaran reached out with the force, sliding the hunk of metal to the right. It was much lighter than its appearance would lead one to think, otherwise he probably wouldn't have been able to move it. The hull piece out of the way, a tunnel leading deeper into the mound was revealed.

"​I have some choicer accommodations further inside. Nothing excessively lavish, I am on a budget thus far." Tyrin said, leading the Deathwatch inside and pulling the hull back into place once everyone was accounted for. "It will take a few moments to walk there, so feel free to ask questions, should you have any."

 

[RC 212]

As they walked through the halls RC continued to scan the areas around him. The Sith had been good so far, but there was a large bounty on his head and the Mandalore did want his ship. RC had the Dreadstar on call far away but within jumping distance. His objective was procurement of anything he could get his hands on. Including great Sith tacticians.

"So I have been gathering mercenaries, pirates, and stray vode disillusioned with the Mandalore and her peace loving ways, but I am short on several things."

RC paused to examine a crushed archaic speeder. Nothing was salvageable.

"See I have a small army, and a fair amount of firepower on the Dreadstar. What I still lack is more basic essentials of a military campaign. Outside support, a Home world for our people. I need more firepower as well."

RC thought his words through carefully not wanting to betray too much of his cause lacking.

"It would be beneficial for us to have a sith warrior such as yourself on our War Counsel. It would strengthen the ties between our two people. After all we are on the same agenda are we not, conquering and controlling the galaxy. The destruction of those who oppose us?"

 

[Caulder Dune]

"I am pleased to see you have a decent start." Tyrin replied, continuing to navigate the twisting tunnel. It was a small start, true, but great things sprung from small beginnings. The Sith Empire wasn't carved in a day, after all. RC was correct, the Deathwatch did lack a great many things, but it was nothing that couldn't be procured in time. The manpower provided by the mercenaries, pirates, and stray vode was enough to go on for now.

"The sinews of war are infinite money, my friend. Once we have that, all else will fall neatly into place." Tyrin was optimistic of his solution to the money problem, but frowned at the mention of the rest of the Sith Empire. "Unfortunately, I do not believe my superiors are particularly aware of my plans, nor would they care about ties with the Deathwatch. At least, not now. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, our success depends on subtlety, intrigue, and careful preparation."

As the party continued forward, the floor suddenly changed from piles of flattened garbage to smooth durasteel flooring. It seemed akin to those found on most battle ships, though it was rusted and scorched in some places. The group had entered the interior of a buried Tartan-class patrol cruiser with a hole blown in its side. "I believe this was some sort of old patrol cruiser. I've no idea what sort, but with a few renovations I think it would make a fine headquarters." Tyrin turned to the right, making his way down the hallway. It was dimly lit, but well enough that they could see where they were going and step over any debris without too much trouble. He avoided several doors, stating that they were either sealed shut or blocked by trash.

"I haven't explored too much of this thing. Like I said, it will need some renovations. Still, it shall be considerably less expensive than starting some above-ground fortress from scratch. Much harder to find as well." Tyrin reached the door he was looking for, which slid open silently as he approached it. He ushered the Mandalorians inside of the room, which was barren aside from a long, rectangular table with a dozen or so seats positioned around it. A holoprojector positioned on the center of the table flickered incessantly. The Umbaran flicked it deftly as he made his way to his seat, getting the thing to power up properly and display a hologram of the planet Mandalore.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. There is much to discuss."

 

[Mereel Vaun]

Mereel hadn't done much so far, he was mostly just there to escort the leader of the DeathWatch remaint. He sat down in the left seat of the rectangular table. He veiwed the image of the planet Mandalore while he waited for the discussion to begin.

 

[RC 212]

RC nodded at the young Sith warriors idea. He was right for no they had no choice but hide their base of operations away from prying eyes. RC knew that the enemy was after him and he was a prime target galaxy wide. As they entered the room he sat down at the table motioning the Deathwatch soldiers to stand guard. Within hours he would give the order to bring down their supplies and drop the Prefab base off of the Dreadstar.
This would do as home....
RC dragged his thoughts back to the here and now and nodded to Tyrin.

@[member="Mereel Vaun"] " Well ner vod." RC inquired to Mereel, his newest troop commander.

"I like it what do you think?"

RC looked back to Tyrin.

"Talk away then Im all ears."

 

[Caulder Dune]

"Thank you, your grace."

Tyrin cleared his throat, searching in his pocket for the holoprojector's remote. Tyrin, while some might consider him a gifted speaker on his own, liked to organize and collect his thoughts on something tangible. Because he was pitching this plan to a group, arguably the best way to do that was in a holopresentation. It helped the viewers follow along. After all, Tyrin had a lot to go over, and he certainly didn't want to lose them and then have nothing to refer them to. After a moment or two of fumbling, he found it, and used it to start his presentation. He pointed it at the projector, clicked it once, and the image flickered and changed to a single line of text in plain Aurebesh. It read "Phase One: Building the Stage."

"To simplify things, I have divided the plan into three separate phases, each one utilizing a reference to theatrical stages. That is, elevated platforms upon which dramatic reenactments are performed." Tyrin wasn't sure if they knew what plays were. Mandalorian culture didn't exactly accommodate for dramatic pursuits. "In any case, before any performance can occur, the first and most basic step is the constructing of the actual stage. In this case, in order to construct our stage, we require two crucial resources: Credits and friends."

He clicked the remote once. The first line of Aurebesh shifted upwards, and a second line appeared below it. This one was bulleted, and read "A Loan from the InterGalactic Banking Clan through use of a Front Organization."

"The InterGalactic Banking Clan, as you may very well know, is the most powerful financial institution in the entire Galaxy. These Muuns are what keeps the Galactic Credit alive, and so it would be foolish to go elsewhere for a loan. Yes, the IGBC would be more than happy to lend money to any entity they know are capable of returning payments on time... Unfortunately, the Deathwatch are not currently on their list of credible customers. This is where the front organization comes in. As it happens, I am acquainted with an Umbaran nobleman with outstanding reliability when it comes to such things. Through his name, we can take a loan out on the money we need. The name of the front organization will be, of course, Ardik Holdings."

Tyrin clicked the pointer again, and the text shifted up to reveal a third line. This one reading "Build Relations with Hutts, Pirates, and other Crimelords."
"You know, we have essentially been labeled criminals. Since they are so keen to proclaim us as such, we may as well act the part. Once we have money, we must utilize it by making friends with the criminal underworld of the Galaxy. Loathsome as they might be, if we scratch their backs, they will scratch ours. We determine which ones are reliable, and perhaps help fund some of their more lucrative operations. Preferably ones in Mandalorian space. By helping them out financially, and coming to their aid physically when they so require it, we can forge strong alliances with very influential elements. Their manpower and services will be essential in the future, so it is imperative we have their support..."

Tyrin clicked again, and a fourth line of text appeared, once more forcing the other text upward. This one read "Inspire and Convert the Mandalorian Populace to the Deathwatch Cause."

"Though, speaking of support, it is also important that throughout our illicit operations we are actively spreading propaganda that portrays the Deathwatch in a positive light, and shows the current Mandalore in a negative light. This should not be exceedingly hard, as all we really need to do is make sure our criminal activities are kept sub rosa and that we make the other Mandalorians doubt the competence of the current Mandalore. To my knowledge, she has yet to take a title. We ought to give her one. Mandalore the False, Mandalore the Imbecile... The possibilities, quite frankly, are endless. But, bare with me, we must keep Mandalorian deaths as low as possible- if not avoid them outright. Such bloodshed will only discredit our cause and make us look like nothing more than hypocritical nationalists. Remember: Mandalorian blood is precious."

Tyrin clicked one last time, revealing the last bullet point of phase one. The text shifted upwards once again, revealing a fifth line of text that read "Build Relations with Important Arms, Droid, and Armor Manufacturers."

"This, not unlike the first two, is imperative to our cause. What is an army without weapons? Without armor? Even with plenty of Credits and alliances, we will never amount to anything if our soldiers are running around unarmed and naked." He paused for a moment, waiting for laughter. When none came, he simply continued unabated. "Well, I thought it was funny. At any rate, if we partner ourselves with manufacturers of war materials via investment, we can steer them towards the cause of the Deathwatch whether they know it or not. Corporations are easier to sway than most others, because all they really want is Credits. Once we have their support, having them manufacture weapons and other necessities for us will be a simple matter at worst."

Tyrin did not click the pointer again, instead clearing his throat and setting the device down for a moment. "Before I continue on to phase two, I would like to pause and see if there are any questions. I would be happy to elaborate on any of my points thus far."

 

[RC 212]

RC nodded at the idea. He was a pirate himself and he had access to Tortuga station. convincing pirates and criminals to join them in battle would be easy. RC would have to ransack a few worlds and throw them the loot wholesale of course, but any pirates allegience could be bought in material. As he listened RC was already formulating a plan.
The harder part would be procuring a corporate partner. Investing wasn't good enough, they may need a hostile takeover.
"I dont think it will be too easy to persuade corporations but I do know one particular organization that can lend us their hand. I have new designs for ships and weapons just nowhere to unload them."

 

[Mereel Vaun]

" @[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member="RC 212"] , we could always use major industrial orginaztions such as Rotha Heavy Engineering, for ships and vehicles. "

 

[RC 212]

RC nodded to Mereel.
"Thats a good idea. I think there are more out there that will supply us too. Most companies as you said just want credits. which brings us to the main point, we need to find a way to generate economy for us to survive."
RC paused for a second then added.
"And there will be frequent raids and the conquering of worlds which can net us resources too. We cant forget this machine is a war machine not simply domestic. Eventually we will strike the Mandalorians, and they will subject to the true Mandalorian ways or they will fall as farmers, politicians the disgusting pacifist pigs they've been allowed to become."

 

[Caulder Dune]

"Regrettably, your grace, there is no instance of a nation ever benefiting from prolonged warfare." Tyrin nodded, quoting yet another wise man. "War machine or not, the Deathwatch must first have some sort of economic foundation to stand on. If we shackle ourselves to a permanent wartime economy, we will not last very long."

Tyrin gestured to the wall of projected text that composed phase one of his plan. "This is but one of three phases. I am fully aware of the necessity of generating our own sources of income. This phase is more of an... investment phase. It is during the second phase that we truly begin to gain our own revenue, wherein we will start funding a myriad of illicit operations. Smuggling, pirating, racketeering, kidnapping... These are the tools that will bring us to greatness, and devastate opinion of the current Mandalore as well."

 

[RC 212]

RC nodded to the group. It was time to begin their work. This was the time for the splitting up of the load so Rc leaned in close to speak his next words.
"It is pivotal that we work together as a team rather than one soul doing the groundwork. I'd like to assign you both as my Executive officers. You will be my advisors, my eyes, my ears and my hands."
RC nodded to the planning holo.
"Lets carve up the work and begin phase one. I will begin the construction of our hidden base, and of course contacting personel to invite. I'd like to meet with the representatives of these compnaies that can help us."

 

[Caulder Dune]

Tyrin blinked behind his helmet. Initiating phase one now? Well, he had planned on discussing the aspects of the other two phases during the meeting. However, there was no harm in getting a head start, he supposed. The last two phases could be discussed once they were secure in the completion of phase one. Of course, before any of that could begin, he would need to secure the loan from the InterGalactic Banking Clan. He needed to go to Umbara, talk with his contact in the nobility, and go from there. That would be the easy part.

Tyrin bowed his head. "I'm honored by the appointment, of course."

"I suppose if we already have the funds to establish a hidden base, then we needn't wait around for our loan. Raxus Prime is a fine enough place, I believe. Few hardly ever come here, and the scavengers can be bribed fairly cheaply to act as our security." Tyrin stated, fiddling with the holoprojector's remote. So much for the rest of that presentation.

"We cannot go to the corporations empty handed and without our front established, so I will endeavor to establish them. I will contact you when that is finished. As for the corporations we should talk to, I believe BlasTech Industries, Rossum Droidworks, and, as Mr. Vaun suggested, Rothana Heavy Engineering will be our prime targets."

 

[RC 212]

@[member="Tyrin Ardik"]
@[member="Mereel Vaun"]
@Akura Yarvis
"We will continue to discuss the second and third phases once I have scouted the enarby area. I will also contact Baktoid Industries as they show some promise of being a free agent in our bid for warmachines. I believe they could produce several automations for us which could in the meantime bolster our defenses."
RC looked around at the others.
"What will you do ner Vode."

 

[Caulder Dune]

"Once we are secure with our finances, I will contact the seedier elements we wish to align ourselves with." Tyrin said, deactivating the holoprojector as he sensed the meeting was coming to a close. "I have several of the more infamous pirates in mind. I shall arrange a summit with them and go from there. It shouldn't be too hard, as I'm sure they would jump at the opportunity for complete freedom to move in an entire sector of space."