Chương 6: Chapter 005:

Chapter 5: Meeting

34 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) - 2 Years before Canon

Sector/System: Mandalore

Location: MandalMotor Shipyards

The moment we stepped into the command center, I became rather nervous, in the center with a stern look on his face could only be the commander of this shipyard.

But if it was just that I would have been fine, but he was looking at me, not at Chuck nor Nora who are Deathwatch, no just at me, as if he was observing me or scrutinizing me to figure me out or maybe he knew the 'old me', and sees me as a completely different person.

To be honest he likely does know the 'old me', since from the bit I read I did multiple runs like this before, fuck… how did the 'old me' behave.

Just before I would most likely mess up the man in question started speaking.

"Good you are all here, my name is Stan Yomaget, of Clan Yomaget. We are part of the 'Neutral Faction'. That we, like Clan Gryphen and other like-minded clans, are a part of. We do not wish to involve ourselves in the political structure of the ruling faction of Clan Kryze or the defacto opposition Deathwatch. We are the leading aspects of our people and the main remnants of the old. We just wish to build ships and do our duty as each clan's armorer deals with making weapons and armor for their clansman. We just wish to be left alone out of the fight." The man explained.

'Not sure why he suddenly explained all that, but I guess it is fine. Better add my side to that as well since he mentioned my clan.' I thought.

"That is correct, and is also the reason I did not mind calling upon a known Deathwatch outpost for assistance, I mean that place of yours was rather well known, and as long none of you did anything towards the shipyards or anyone of the 'Neutral Faction' you were tolerated to stay." I added my two cents.

"Heir Gryphen is correct, but that is not why I called all three of you to meet with me here." the man said before turning a pointed look at Chuck and Nora with a cold and emotionless look on his face.

I heard some shuffling behind me letting me know that they adjusted their stance, making me do a step to the right in a half turn with a hand on my pistol on my hip.

'Not sure why but something compelled me to move. Some instinct maybe or something else?' I thought in slight confusion.

"Explain to me why you did not deal with the converted freighters with so many troops inside, with that number it was more an occupation force than a group coming here to steal." Stan Yomaget was heard saying.

"Some of my people, my clan lost their lives!" I heard the man snarl, showing some anger to appear.

"Be careful with your words or you will not walk away alive, having assisted us or not in our time of need." he said.

'Oh wow, he's mad. I can't blame him but the fact Laara came back with just the old man, must mean this part is directed to her team's losses, meaning they were of clan Yomaget or their allies.' I thought in surprise.

"It was the spur of the moment, we wished to do so. However the sudden activation of the weapons of what we did not know were ours, or the enemies, I decided to deal with the fighters and rush in guns blazing making certain that if the weapons had been lost most of our side's combat force was boots on the ground." Chuck said in his gruff voice.

I saw the commander suddenly turn around and activate something on the console, whatever he did made a video play on the large screen, and a recorded message was shown.

{To all sides, our glorious leader has decided to put a bounty on the following, thirty people from outpost 4, who against orders went to assist the shipyards, possibly ruining any relations that were left.

These thirty 'Traitors' even blew up their base and have bounties of 15.000 credits or 5 ingots of Beskar. Make sure to record proof by cutting the heads off and sending it on this received frequency with the bounty type you wish to claim. That is all Deathwatch commands out.}

'Shit, I did not expect this to happen, and seeing the reactions of Chuck and Nora it seems they anticipated this reaction in some way.' I thought in pure shock.

"...Sigh… It pains me to hear those words, but what were we to do, sit back and ignore it all? That would be worse than death! Our Honor! it would mean nothing!" I heard Chuck say in annoyance

"Bah! As if Deathwatch knows what honor is!" one of the guards in the room spat out.

"Yeah? And what would you know, little baby, look at your face in the mirror doubt you gained any Honor at all. Have you done anything? no, you are here mister I was thrown out of clan Saxon! That means you have no honor at all. Nor a clan to speak of!" Chuck snarled at the young man's audacity.

"ENOUGH!, if you have nothing concrete to add, then stay quiet!" Stan said in the young man's face in dissatisfaction.

"Y-Y-Yes Sir!" the guardsman said with a red face in shame.

"Now that that bounty thing is on the table, I can give you some supplies for your assistance and give you ample time to leave the station and system. Before I send out word that you are not under our protection. We are 'Neutral' and do not wish Deathwatch to try what the pirates have failed to do, on the pretexts of dealing with you lot." a tired-looking Stan let himself fall into his seat.

"That is all I can do to repay you all for your help." Stan was heard saying.

'That is more help that could still be fabricated in a way to target clan Yomaget or their allies, seeing him suddenly so tired and helpless is understandable.' I thought in understanding.

"That is all I have to say to you both, now too other matters, Laara!" We all saw him turn his chair her way and saw him revert into the cold-looking commander from before.

"You're incompetence cost me two potential clan warriors and Clan Tars 'two heirs' for that you are fired and need to leave the station. I do not wish to see you again." We heard him say with balled fists.

Everyone reacted in surprise to this, some shipyard crew manning the command center with wide eyes, and some of the guards gasped in shock.

'Fuck… they had to fight in an enclosed room with a fucking Mother Wampa! with a child! there was no way inexperienced troops would survive, even experienced troops would find it hard to do.' I thought biting my tongue not to say anything, with balled fists of my own.

"Sir! With all due respect! we were geared to deal with people, not wild beasts!" Laara's uncle, whom I still did not know the name of growled out.

"Why is it always when someone says, 'With all due Respect' they mean fuck you. Do not involve yourself, Keith! You might have adopted her and raised her as your own after your brother and his wife's demise. However, this is not something I can look away from!" Hearing this I saw the man named Keith grimace as if he wanted to punch the man.

"Then consider myself and my clan exiled from the shipyard from this moment on! As Clan Stix clan leader I thank you for everything you have done for us in the past 18 years but if it has to be like this then I will not take this dishonor lying down." Keith growled out before pulling Laara along and leaving the room.

We could see two guards salute Commander Yomaget and leave following Keith and Laara out.

"This was not how I expected this meeting to go… sir." I carefully said

"Sigh, indeed, but this is good, clan Tars was already on the verge of joining Deathwatch and leaving our side as is, getting rid of old Keith hurts but this is what is needed to stay out of choosing a side. If he stayed Deathwatch would use it to get back at us after Clan Tars joined them having a cause to do so. They are only a clan of five now, but I hope with this they will be appeased." I heard him say and turn his chair my way and be face-to-face

'Are you mad? a clan of five over Clan Stix who have way more people, hell the old man Laara and those two guards were already four, how many others would leave as well? This idiot.' I thought in shock

"Now about you young Heir of Clan Gryphen, for your service and aid in our dire time of need must be repaid in some way." he said taking on a thinking position

— — — — —

Laara's POV:

While the meeting kept going, my Uncle Keith kept pulling me along while more and more of our clansmen showed up and followed us through the hallways.

I could see many carry bags and boxes and even some of our clansmen without armor basically workers carrying large packs of MREs and other much-needed supplies like tools and boxes of raw materials into a group of ships at 'landing bay 3'

"Uncle, please! calm down and stop pulling me! I'm not a child anymore!" I told him making him release me and hold my shoulder instead, keeping me in place.

"Girl, you have no idea about anything, do not blame yourself for this decision it was planned a long time ago." Uncle Keith explained.

"Stan is getting more and more desperate to stay Neutral and keep all sides appeased, something that was easy at first, but now is close to impossible due to Deathwatch getting more and more tyrannical." Keith explained further.

"But, uncle, many of the clan married others of other clans! what about them!" I knew I hit a painful topic when I saw his face show a pained look

"No need to worry about us, all of us are leaving with the clan, our partners through love will follow but those for political reasons have left their families." I turned quickly to an old woman standing there tall and proud, nothing about her I knew as the old kind canteen lady with a sore back and failing body was anywhere to be seen.

"Hahaha! Sweety, pretending is an old person's best weapon against you young folks, you will know in the future." I hear her say with a laugh.

All I could do was look in pure shock seeing her tower over me…

"Keith, you plan to have her do that, don't you… you won't have much time, 'Landing bay 1 is the other direction.'" the old lady said to Uncle Keith.

"Mother… that was my plan when I met the boy, but it is not to be, we have to leave before that fool Stan locks the station down when he finds out how many of the manpower here are of Clan Stix" I heard him say.

'Wait they had plans for me, and 'bay 1' that is where Heir Gryphens ship is… no they did not…' I thought, ripping my shoulder out of my uncle's hold.

"You were planning to have me leave with Heir Gryphen were you." I said and looked pained and betrayed at my uncle.

Maybe I should have phrased that better, seeing the pained look in his eyes worsen combined with sadness.

"I did, he piqued my interest, and you both would have been perfect, him as a leader and you as a follower, I noticed during the situation with the Wampa… you are not leading material not until you gain way more experience, something he has in spades." I heard him say.

"But how? he is only two years older than me, how could he have gotten that much experience while being a mere trader?" I asked

"Girl, you do not wish to know what you would not like the answer of." I saw Granny who apparently is my Uncle's mother look at me with murderous light in her eyes

All I could do was stay quiet.

"Now we wasted enough time we need to keep moving." she said, grabbing my arm and manhandling me towards the ship

— — — — —

Jack's POV:

I can't understand what I just heard, is this man even sane?

"Sir… please tell me I heard wrong, but did you just say you wish for me to have a ship built by you as a thank you, and not just any ship but a Cruiser? Have you lost your mind?" I could not hold my surprise or my shock.

And why would I, when this fool of a took, is offering a freshly new build from the ground up cruiser, as payment for saving them… even now I can't get to terms with it.

Looking around I could see everyone looking at him as if he was insane, everyone knew only Clans Kryze and Ordo had cruisers, and even then only a few due to how expansive they are, and they, are even mainly used to train fresh recruits for other types of ships.

"If you refuse… it will be dishonor to Clans Yomaget and your own Heir Gryphen." I heard Stan say.

His eyes say he won't accept rejection, I can only accept or play the Clan leaders card.

"Is this your offer or that of Clan Leader Yomaget?" I said.

'I said it, please Stan, tell me it's on you not on him, doubt he would waste the resources, as is for even a single cruiser as a gift, they are expansive for a reason.' I thought… sadly I would not get what I had hoped to be his own impulsiveness.

"No I wished to make you a battleship… but the Clan leader said a cruiser will have to do since we would bankrupt all resources and never build a ship in 20 years if we did, so a cruiser has got to do."

"Fuck… fine I accept, but make it lighter, and the smallest you can make it and still be a cruiser, that should save many resources, and still let you guys gift the ship as a cruiser." I resigned myself.

"Good! Good! good!, wonderful, there is this prototype it's a light cruiser, it's named AdamKop, I'm sure you will love it, and the best thing is it won't take too long to build it." a happy Stan Yomaget said with sparkling eyes.

'Prototype or not, it is still a cruiser… like fuck… how am I going to even man the darn thing.' I thought still flabbergasted about the entire ordeal.

"I would have been happy with Fang fighter, to put in a cargo hold and make it into a hangar for it, or even a Kom'rk." I told him, but seeing his face go from happy to angry I knew there was no changing things

"No! no just no! You did more than you think you did Heir Gryphen!" I heard him say even stressing my title in my clan.

"This shipyard is everything to us of Clan Yomaget and the Mandalorian people! If it fell and got too badly damaged or even destroyed it would set us back for hundreds of years if not more!" He told me, I could even see spittle fly from how heated he was about this.

"I understand, sir, and I accept the AdamKop, how soon will it be done, also we need to unload the food and water supplies from my ship so I can be on my way." I tried to stop this meeting so I could get out of here.

"Ah yes of course! now that things are agreed upon, let us get to that, we will pay you double as well for the supplies." I heard him say.

'I'm starting to understand why many hate meetings, I did not even get an answer about the build time, need to finish this and get out before they decide anything more stupid, sigh, my head is starting to hurt… I need a drink, multiple in fact.' I thought walking away with a smiling and happy Stan Yomaget, with Chuck and Nora following us with a few armed guards.