Another Day, Another Mission [Sporky, Jace]

[Mara]

[...from Peace and Quiet]



Back in her quarters at the base, Ambria Arcane was slipping out of her jogging attire and slipping into a nice, hot bath. Being an officer, and a female one at that, had its advantages. Namely a private refresher attached to her room. Not that she was all that modest, being military, but sometimes it was just nice to have some personal, alone time. To relax and think about the day before cleaning up and going on to her next task.

It had been an interesting afternoon, to say the least. She had been back from Togoria for quite a few days and still trying to process that along with everything else that had happened in the past year or so since coming to the special operations division of the Mandalorian army. The feeling that something was off about her was something she couldn't quite shake, and so she had gone through various vain attempts to try to sort things off. Whether it was just the after-affects of a hard-fought battle, or something more, like the thoughts of Turin that flitted in and out of her walled-up mind. Or more recently, meeting the other soldier, Zarik. But whatever it was, visits to the shooting range hadn't helped clear her head.

So she had gone for a run through the area outside of the base, hoping that the pureness of such activity, focusing on just putting one foot in front of the other, would start some synapses firing, get her mind to start wrapping around whatever it was that seemed to be poking at her way down deep inside of it. Before any revelations, though, she had ran into another being, another Mandalorian. After a bit of confusion to each other's presences, they had had some companionable conversation. Until she had gotten the call for the mission briefing coming up in an hour's time.

Ambria had thanked the man called Raynes for his time and taken her leave, hoping to have time to wash up and get ready before the briefing. As she soaked in the privacy of her quarters, her prosthetic leg leaning outside the tub to keep it dry, she pondered the coming meeting. She hadn't heard any murmurings of any more coming battles or large-scale attacks like Shogun. But perhaps it was something newly hatched, or just not discussed among the lower officers she dined with at times. Either way, she was excited about the possibility of being sent out again. If she couldn't get her mind sorted out, well, the best she could do was forget about it and focus on something more important. And a mission would do that.

And so with her mind shifting easily into that state of military focus, she carefully eased out of the water, dried off, reattached the bottom half of her left leg, and headed back to her main room to change. She decided her dress uniform would be best; with no idea what the briefing might be about or how soon departure might be, Ambria didn't want to needlessly pull our her amber armor. There was sure to be plenty of time for that in the coming days. Standing in front of the small mirror she had allocated for herself a couple months earlier, she checked her appearance, smoothing any wrinkles, buffing up her lieutenant's insignia. Not vain, the dark-skinned woman just wanted to make the right impression as a Mandalorian officer.

With one last glance, she left her quarters behind and headed to the more common area of the base where the briefing rooms were set up. With a few minutes to spare, she entered the designated room and stopped short, surprised to see Bane--Mandalore himself--in the front of the room. His back was to her, but she'd recognize that figure anywhere. Over her momentary shock, she came further into the room, wondering what kind of mission this would be that their leader himself would be there, at the front of the room. Though, part of Ambria knew she shouldn't be completely stunned by the move; Bane wasn't really the type to sit idly by, no matter how high his rank and importance. But she still would have expected him to be leading a briefing on a major operation; this was a small briefing room, meant for something small-scale. And when none of her fellow spec ops team members were there, she knew something had to be up. What was going on?

Choosing to stand, too keyed up about the whole situation to sit, she waited for Bane to acknowledge her before saluting, both with her hand to her head, and then a fist to the chest. Afterwards. Ambria stood there, waiting for the others (assuming there would be others) to arrive and for the briefing to begin. Trying to identify the planet Bane had keyed up on the display in the front of the room, trying to think of what this next mission would hold for her. Wondering if this was something meant for her special sniper skills, that that was why she was called. But it was no sure; she would just have to wait for Bane Haseful to explain himself.

[Sporky]

107...108..109...110..

It had been kind of a slow day for Zordon. He hadn't seen any real combat action in a few days, so, figuring he'd have at least another day or two free, he'd dropped Go off with Harmond Slade, a close friend of his, who also happened to be the owner of Redfac Weapons, a small-ish Mandalorian weapons maufacturer, to be retooled slightly. Slade had promised him she'd be a little lighter and teal-colored when he was finished, so that was definitely a plus. Without Go, the firing range didn't really seem appealing to him.

With that not really being an option, he'd spent a good part of the late morning and afternoon shining and buffing out his armor, as well as giving his dress uniform a good wash. Truth be told, he wasn't overly fond of wearing the fancier outfit, but ehhh..proper etiquette and all that. While he wasn't the best at buffing, shining, or washing, in the end it all looked pretty decent, nothing he would personally turn his nose up at.

With that done, he had palled around with a few of his brothers, enjoying some cigars, liquor, and some good music. That was..probably what he enjoyed most about being a Mando'ade. The sense of brotherhood, of belonging. Before, he'd kinda been the odd one out, mostly because of his looks. But now...he was just one of the guys, specifically 'the big green guy you can get your cigars from.' He'd never give this up, not for anything, and if his last breath was drawn defending that way of life, so be it. He'd perish with a smile. ..Or more likely, a hate filled snarl, but whatever. Close enough.

Eventually, a bet had been made for how long he could go with a bar of 145kg weights. He could easily do more, but this was an endurance test. The bet wasn't really high stakes or anything dangerous. If he could get past half an hour, he'd "win" a free round of drinks. Happy funtime!

140...141...142..

"Oy, vod. Mandalore wants to meet you in one of the briefing rooms." Zordon immediately stopped, and sat up. "You serious? No foolin'? The reply was a nod and affirmation, so he sprang up from the weight bench and looked at the bunch that were there with him. "Lovely time for me to have started to work up a sweat. Guys, someone go get me my dress uniform, I need to go pat myself down. " After nods were exchanged, he quickly ran to the shower room to grab a towel and quickly pat himself down to get rid of the sweat. The scent would have to linger, though, because he didn't have anything handy to get rid of it, but he hoped Bane wouldn't eat his face because of it. When he emerged from the shower room, the person who'd ran to get his uniform for him had returned, and he wasted no time in changing into it, and setting off for the briefing rooms.

[Jace]

Bane stood in silence as he studied the map of Gargon before him. He had been receiving constant streams of report and intelligence ever since the invasion of Shogun. The invasion had sparked the militia and resistance effort into full gear. It wasn't just Gargon either but other territories such Ordo. The Republic may not truly feel the loss of these planets but Mandalorians all over the galaxy would certainly feel the gain. Morale was the foundation of Mandalorian strength, or so Bane believed, and it would be critical for their future campaigns.

His thoughts were interrupted by the footsteps of another that announced the first participant in his mission. Bane turned around to see Lieutenant Ambria Arcane standing near the entrance of the briefing room. He returned her salute with one of his own, hitting his right hand against his chest. The Mandalorian leader still did not say a word, instead he continued to wait. Finally though, the second and final member of the mission entered the room.

Zordon was an odd one, Bane really didn't comprehend the man. Then again, the Mandalorian's expertise was in the area of combat, not psychology. He was a tactician, yes but Bane had never really been sensitive to other people's feelings. It had often put him in awkward positions with his subordinates. Then again, he didn't really care about that stuff as long they did their job properly.

"Lieutenant Arcane, Corporal Zordon, thank you for coming here on such short notice. We don't have too much time, so I will be brief"

He pressed a button and a large portion of Gargon became visible. Various dots on the map appeared highlighted various bases of militia or Mandalorian resistance efforts.

"I am sure you are both aware that Shogun is just the beginning of our campaign. There are still planets out there that still need to be liberated. Gargon is one of those planets. The Republic may not be focusing on us at the moment, but their garrisons are on a much higher alert after Shogun.

Just as we had done on Mandalore, Concord Dawn, and Shogun we will use the local Mandalorian population to weaken the Republic grip on the planet before the invasion. The resistance on Gargon has potential but it lacks proper organization and discipline to do real damage. I need you both to go down there, and bring some military discipline and tactics to the militia. Work with the commanders, help train the soldiers, and finally....cause some havoc. Remember, your task is to help make the resistance effort more effective, not try to start a full on insurrection. Part of the reason I am sending you there is because the militia are looking like they may do something stupid and get themselves crushed.

Ambria, obviously you have command of this mission. I cannot afford to send anymore troops aside from the corporal here but you should know as well as anyone how effective a few elite soldiers can be."

Bane just couldn't afford to send anymore troops at the moment. The time frame for this mission was quite small as it was, it was unfortunate but necessary. He was confident that Ambria could handle the task though. The woman had been on almost every major mission with Bane in the last year or so. Alongside the other SpecOps troops, they had achieved great things. Bane held great pride in the Mandalorian Special Operations branch, especially in its officers. They had done things that most would consider impossible, they were the edge of the Mandalorian blade.

"Unless there are any questions, you both are dismissed. Good luck"

[Mara]

(((Of course, a few days ago I had an awesome idea for this post, that I've now forgotten. Hopefully it's still fine.))).


She was staring again at the display, still waiting for any other team members to arrive, when finally she heard new footsteps coming in behind her. Ambria didn't bother looking back, assuming that whenever everyone else arrived, Bane would introduce them, or at least welcome them by name. Though, he hadn't spoken when returning her salute; that could have been because words weren't needed among officers who had worked alongside each other for the last year.

Surprisingly, though, after the second pair of footsteps ended, Bane started into the briefing. Curious, Ambria allowed herself a glance back to see who else would be going on this mission. If Mandalore were sending just two of them, this other Mando must be special as as well. Her eyes widened when she noticed corporal's stripes on the other fellow, of a race she didn't quite recognize. Human, definitely, but there was something else roughening his features. But no matter... what kind of mission was this, where Bane was sending a lieutenant with a corporal? All by themselves?

Having nodded at the introduction of her name, again she was reminded of the rank of her fellow soldier. But she didn't bother dwelling on the fact. Bane was a strange sort; he always did things for a reason. Perhaps despite his rank, this soldier was the best suited with whatever skills he had for this assignment. Only Manda knew what those might be. She took a deep breath and focused on the briefing; there would be plenty of time later to figure out the whys. Now it was time for the what.

Bane zoomed in on the planet listed on the display, which turned out to be Gargon. Ambria had heard of it, never been there herself. Of course, she knew the history of the planet either way. Like previous battles and invasions, it was just another step in reclaiming what was rightfully theirs. It was true that while the Republic was busy other threats--she had heard rumors of Sith rising--they would not be turning a completely deaf ear to the Mandos. They had to continue to take small moves, and apparently that's where her and this Corporal Zordon fell in. Go to Gargon, stimulate the militia, get the planet ready for a later invasion. It seemed straightforward to her. But as the past told her, straightforward didn't always mean easy.

Ambria nodded again at Bane when he spoke directly to her, telling her she'd be in charge. She'd assumed as much, being the officer of the two of them. But despite her rank, she also knew she hadn't had a whole lot of experience actually leading. In in all her previous missions in the past year with spec. ops, Bane had been there leading. She had had her roles to fill and had done so. Taking initiative here and there, yes, but not being a full-on leader. The only orders people obeyed from her were medically related while she was acting as medic. And before the transfer, she had barely even been a second lieutenant back in the regular army.

This was sure to be interesting. And a true test of her own training, while training this militia on Gargon. Time to prove to everyone out there, especially her superiors what she was made of. Though it might not be exactly her forte, she was Mando, and she would succeed. Her father, the army, and Bane had trained her well, and she would pass down that knowledge to the others. Confidence and experience would be her ally in this mission.

Mandalore paused then, asking if they had any questions. Ambria was quiet, thinking. No, the mission parameters were clear enough. Perhaps some of the little details were not mentioned, but she was sure she could get those figured out. She was a lieutenancy after all. Transportation, time frame, and all that would be up to her. She didn't need to have her hand held for this. Obviously, due to past experience, it probably won't go as planned, but she knew she would be prepared either way. Mandalorians were always ready for the unseen.

Looking back at Bane, she shook her head. "No, sir. Thank you, sir." Ambria saluted again, this time with only a fist to the chest, bowed shallowly, and spun on her heels. If this corporal had any questions, she should be able to answer them as well as Bane would. Coming out of the room, she walked a few paces and turned around, thinking briefly about waiting for the corporal to discuss mission particulars. But after a few moments, she decided to move on to the mess. Without knowing when a chance would come again, it was best to fill up while she could. Obviously the other soldier had to have something more going for him for this mission than just his rank; otherwise Bane wouldn't be sending him with her. She'd just have to trust this Zordon--and Mandalore--and go about her business and prepare. Eat first, then pack. There would be time later en route to do any pertinent discussing.



[to Cultivating Chaos...]

[Sporky]

Itchyyyy..good manda, this uniform was itchy and uncomfortable. The entire way to the briefing room, he couldn't help himself from scratching at his neck, where miniscule fibers of the uniform's collar tickled at the rough green leather that was his flesh...itchy.

Still, though, he had to keep up appearances, and when he strode into the room he heard sound coming from, he stopped scratching and kept his hands clasped firmly behind his back, though he still twitched his fingers because of the pure agony this uniform was putting him in. He'd gotten shot once or twice before, and while yes, that was unbearable torment, this itch was sort of worse in its own way.

So..this was Bane, huh? He certainly carried himself like a military leader, and he must have been a good two or three inches above Zordon's from the latter's rough guessing. Zordon had expected him to be...shorter, though. For some odd reason, he definitely hadn't expected Mandalore to clear six feet tall. Well, whatevs.

The other person was...an officer. Huh. An officer and a slightly ascended grunt. If he didn't know better, he'd be looking around for reality show cameras. This was certainly one of the odder mission pairings he'd heard of.

He nodded respectfully now and then, but truthfully, his mind was wandering. Milita..supporters..oh good manda, his parents. Mando he may have been, and he should have felt confident that they could hold their own, but..they weren't full Mandalorians. They were just supporting civillians. His father could definitely still put up a fight, he still had another 4 or 500 years left in him. But mother..she was getting on in years, and was a retired architect..she didn't know a slugthrower from a water pistol.

Giving his head the tiniest of shakes, he brought himself back to the here and now. They were going to Gargon, to both train and discipline the milita. Keep them from doing something stupid. The Republic may have been mostly babymen in armor, but untrained and undisciplined berserkers, though they might be Mando'ade at heart, would most likely get themselves slaughtered needlessly.

Gargon...Gargon..hmmm. If he recalled correctly, one of his Fywua sisters was on Gargon with the milita. Ha. Two dragons instead of one..poor, poor Republic babymen. They stood even less of a chance.

Bane dismissed the two of them, and he offered a quick salute before hurrying off. He needed to get in contact with Slade again, see if some CS-HBs could be sent along as well.