Tales of the Mandalorians

[Dieter Schprokets]

Dha Piruna walked into the Mandalore's office. He looked grim.

"John." The Mandalore looked up, wearing his new spectacles (which he detested)

"Yeah Dha? What is it?"

"A client owes us money, John. Big money." He handed a sheet of paper to Cabot.

Cabot read the paper then closed his eyes. "The Royal Fleet owes us $112 million credits." Wasn't a question, actually. Just a statement of fact.

Dha sat down. "Yeah."

The Mandalore sat staring into space for a bit. Then he opened his desk drawer up, pulled out a cheque and started filling it out.

Dha looked perplexed. "John, what are you doing?" He was not just a little concerned. He knew bloody well what the Mandalore was doing. He just thought it was nuts.

John handed the cheque over. "112 million credits. Paid." He waved the check to indicate that Dha should take it. Now.

"John, that's YOUR bloody money. A hell of a lot of it. Are you drunk? Are you sure?"

John answered curtly "Kinda, and yes. Take it." Well, it WAS after noon..

Dha took the cheque slowly. He looked at John. Some kind of explanation was forthcoming, he figured.

Cabot leaned back in his chair, and spoke. "The Crown pays us those credits, that's one less Templar or Challenger built, one less pilot trained, a dozen fewer widows taken care of."

He paused, then continued. "I'm Bretonian first. My people are at war. What do I need that money for? To retire? I'm gonna die in the cockpit. So will you. Mandalorian Consuls don't usually die in their sleep, Dha. And the Mandalore almost never does."

John leaned forward to emphasize. "This isn't something to discuss. Take the bloody money, and pay some of our bills, will ya?" Then he leaned back and gestured to Dha to go.

Dha nodded, stood up, and left even more sombre than he arrived.

The Mandalore stared off into space for some time, then dove back into the paperwork, with no enthusiasm whatsoever.

---