Nar Shaddaa

Niall wasn't about to invite Vera to his room, for a vast ocean of reasons. But fortunately, there were a few conference rooms available. With a holoprojector. And, more importantly, a well-stocked credenza.

He'd left word with the guards that she be allowed entrance. Now he just had to wait for her to arrive, and be escorted here.

Vera walked in with a smug look on her face. "If I wanted to, I could have sneaked in here without the escort." She paused. "Well, maybe during more lax times. You have heightened security lately."

Niall smiled ever so slightly. "So I understand. I've been doing some research on you." His expression darkened. "But yes. Both for these talks, and certain recent events, security is stepping up."

He moved over to the credenza. "Can I get you a drink? I have a bottle of wine from my family's estate." He shot her another quick smile. "And then about half a dozen stronger things, because I'm not stupid."

"It's not all me, admittedly. My team picks up a lot of it." She took a seat and tapped her fingers on the table. "Take a wild guess what I'd like."

"Hmmm." Niall smiled as he poured a drink. "My guess would be Mandalorian whiskey. But I'm going to pour you some Correlian whiskey instead." Moving back to the table, he slid a glass, lightly filled, across the table to her, keeping another for himself. "Because sometimes new things can surprise you."

"Tell me about your team." Niall said. "Unless you'd rather I tell you what I've learned, first." He nodded up at the holoprojector.

Vera took the glass and sipped it, not bothering to savor it more. "Good stuff," she remarked. She then leaned back in her chair and shrugged. "Show me what you've dug up."

"Right." Niall pressed a button, and information started to appear on the screen. "I expect you'll be pleased both with what we do have, and with what we don't have. Names, images, a few callsigns. General specialties for the unit include night ops, sneaking missions, and close quarters combat." His eyebrows went up. "And even that is unique. Slugthrowers with sound suppression. Knives. Martial arts. All for taking out an enemy quickly and silently."

He pressed another button, and a few images were highlighted. "And then there are your specialists. This one is unmatched with twin slugthrowers, and skilled at interrogation. This one, a lethal sniper. Here we have a master of disguise and infiltration. And the next, a skilled Force user, said to be able to foresee the enemies' movements." He smiled. "And there are others, but we don't have those. How am I doing so far?"

"Not a lot of units specialize in the same tactics. You could say it almost gives us away after the fact."

Vera smirked. "Impressive. Force sensitives aren't a very open and prominent thing among the Clans. Can't say he'll be pleased to know he has any files on him. But alright, go on."

Niall nodded, smiling. "If its a comfort, we don't have a name, or much of a face. Just this picture of him in a mask of some sort."

"Your most notable mission that we have details on is this one." He pressed another button revealing an image. "Your team was able to infiltrate the building where this experimental vehicle was held, secure the facility, and recover it without damaging it." He shrugged. "The only prototype was later destroyed, of course, but you'd already done your job."

He spread his hands. "We have a little more on particular missions, but that's almost it. Your unit security is very good. It was difficult for us to get just this much." Niall finished blandly.

"Yeah. That's how he likes it," Vera mused before taking a sip from her glass.

She smirked and leaned back. "Yeah I remember that. You wouldn't believe the stories I could tell about it. It was something you would expect to find in one of those holo-games."

The Mandalorian then nodded. "But yeah, we have some good operation security. Many times we clear the path and then the big guns hit."

Niall chuckled at her joke. "Just so. Although with a story, the audience has some expectation for realism. Reality often doesn't seem to suffer from that constraint."

He pushed another button, and the screen went dim. Niall turned his full attention back to Vera. "So. Suffice to say, we're impressed with what we've seen. You've got exactly the sort of unit that we'd like working for the Republic. Would that be something that you think might have possibilities?"

"I'm not sure why anyone would be so doubtful. We live in a galaxy where there are Jedi and Sith performing reality-breaking deeds to kill one another." She smirked. "And then there are groups like my people overcoming insurmountable odds without the Force."

Vera took a sip from her drink and then frowned. "Why the kriff do you think I'm here?"

"Hmmm." Niall nearly grinned. "I suppose so. I never really thought of Jedi as all that unusual, somehow." He shook his head, still smiling.

"Ah." Niall took a sip of his own drink. "Well, let me speak to that, then." He cleared his throat. "The Republic has big ideas. Do you think you could teach other soldiers to do what you do?"

"That's because you grew up with them as heroes. If you grew up like me or tho Sith, you'd think differently."

Vera perked her brow. "Why would you think we would teach you any of our techniques? First, your men are not Mandalorians. Second, it's good for business to not have competition.'

Niall smiled. "Allow me to answer both of those objections."

He pushed a button again, the projector shifting to show Republic space. "The Republic controls a great deal of territory, and has interest in a great deal more. One squad, no matter how skilled-" He nodded to Vera at this, "-can only make so much difference."

He turned back to her, away from the screen. "That's why we'd like you to expand your squad, the larger the better, as the first all-Mandalorian unit of Irregulars in the Republic military."

"And you're talking official military, not as a mercenary group?" She took a long swig from her whiskey and peered at him. "What made you come up with this idea?"

"Mmm, I was thinking more semi-official. Certainly part of the military, but with perhaps a bit more autonomy than given to the rest of our units. After all, Mandalorians do have a strong culture, and we wouldn't want to stifle the creativity that we're hoping to bring in." Niall said.

Niall hesitated. A bit of an awkward question. But, well, if Garza had wanted someone who would do other than tell the truth, she would have asked someone else for the job. "The catch, which you're undoubtedly looking for, is that we're seeking to provide an alternative to Corso's crusade." He gave her a nod. "But it's also because the Mandalorians in general, and your squad in particular has impressed me." He waved at the projector. "It's been a pleasure reading about your work. I'd love to see it in action, and expanded on if possible."

"So, would we get all the respect of an actual military unit? We're not just there to win your war for you?"

Vera finished her glass and smirked. "Word travels fast. But I wonder if you know the Clan politics. Jicoln Cadera and Kyr'ad Kelborn have been discussing the event where Corso Fett doesn't heed Mandalore the Preserver. I'd say my Clan would follow his words too.

"So what more can you offer me?" she asked plainly, "I don't mean to be rude. I just like to know what's on the table."

Niall frowned. "I've read briefings. But I'd value a Mandalorian's perspective on Mandalorian politics a lot more."

He shook his head. "Not at all. Feel free to ask any questions you care to. For your answer... I'm offering you more respect than an actual military unit. The Republic has heroes. The Jedi. Havoc Squad. But they're hungry for more.
I'm hoping that's a role you could fill." His lips twitched. "Like Havoc Squad, but with better pay incentives."

"Unifying the Clans isn't as simple as it would seem. Everyone wants to be Mandalore. I would stake my claim for it if I had the skill and rapport for it. But my point is, there are many different ideas as to what it means to be a Mandalorian. Of course there are guidelines but there's always something."

Vera smirked. "And you have the logistical support to make this a reality? I was under the impression that the Republic would be short on supplies."

"I expect so." Niall said dryly. "I suppose then, the important thing is that whoever ends up making the determination of what it means to be a Mandalorian has the best interests of the Mandalorians at heart."

Niall gave a slow nod. "The specifics of this are above me, but I've got the support of those above me. If we make this a priority, it can happen."

"I'm not sure if that will ever be the case. There may always be opposition to whomever claims to be the leader of all Mandalorians."

She tapped a finger on her glass and shrugged. "Alright. Next question: what operations do you have in store for us? Maybe it'd be best to start with that and then see how it goes."

"Hmmm." Niall raised his eyebrows, but seemed to accept that.

"As for operations... in the long term, there's all sorts of things we'd want to use you for." His lips pressed together. "I may have something for you tomorrow. Probably something in the 'property damage' category, fast and clean. That will depend on whether my attempt at handling things diplomatically works. If not, we may have to do things the Nar Shaddaa way."

Vera smiled. "That's what I like to hear. If you have an operation for tomorrow, then that's good. I can take that job and see if that's in our best interests for the future then." She took the glass and held it up to Niall. "Cheers then, 'Captain Alderaan?'"