Tales of the Mandalorians

[Dieter Schprokets]

William Bishop led Diane Blane, Dha Piruna, and Kal Vergebuir to a hanger on the Barrier Gate Station. Consul Kandosii, as usual, was likely womanising somewhere.

Billy had a surprise.

Dha Piruna thought back to when the former Mandalore, John Cabot, led his men to a hanger. He hoped this one was not full of Arrows.

Billy pushed the button in front of a large overhead door, and it swung up slowly to reveal...

Many shiny new Outcast ships.

Several Sabres and Falcatas, and in the corner...

Two Outcast "Tridente" gunships in mint condition.

The Consuls were speechless.

"Um.." Diane started. Dha broke in.

"Since when can we afford to carry an inventory like this?" Still the banker..

"You are looking", began Billy with a wave of his arm, "at an advance payment for a new contract."

"What new contract?", asked Diana. She was unused to not being consulted, and there was a touch of annoyance in her voice.

"I'll get to that.", said Billy dismissively. Diane's eyes narrowed. You'd bloody better, she thought.

"The restrictions on the use of these ships are rather obvious; Don't shoot Outcast allies. Any Mandalorian may use one of these Sabres, or ones shipped in the future, and anyone with five Corsair heads on their record may use a Falcata. The Gunships, I have not yet assigned. But Consuls get first dibs. Myself, I don't really want one. More of a Mafic jockey, myself."

Diane nodded. "So avoid using them in Liberty space against unlawfuls who are Outcast allied. Got it. They can still be used in Kusari, Rheinland, or Corsair space.."

"Or Gallia." Billy piped up, grinning.

Dha Piruna looked up, surprised. "Gallia? We have no work there!"

"On the contrary, Consul Piruna, we do. That's the new contract, and the possession of these ships is part of that."

Dha nodded slowly. He preferred fighting Gallians to Rheinlanders. "Intel gathering?"

Billy answered. "Yes. Including how well they fight and how effective their weapons are. And there is only one way we can find THAT out, right?"

The Consuls got the drift. Certain parties were very interested in the military capabilities of the Council and Gallic Royal Navies, and the Mandalorians were now tasked with finding out, in a very ungentle way.

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Billy looked at the screen in the dark room. Communications were being achieved, but there were distance, interference, and comm protocol problems. But the link, in time, sorted itself out.

The recipient was answering the hail.

"Colonel Dubreton.. Qu'est-ce que tu veux? Je dormais. Y a-t-il un probl?me?"

Billy smiled. "Salut, mon ami. Ca va bien?"

There was a pause as the other man reacted to the sound of Billy's (poor) French.

"William, my friend, how are you? Are you fools done spying on us for the Outcasts?"

William laughed. When he first travelled to Gallia, looking for contracts, he had strayed too closely to a minefield and nearly paid for the mistake with his life. The Council Officer he was now speaking to saved him, and kept him accomodated on Planet Quillan for a few weeks. Billy had learned French, and had a acquired a taste for Gallian red wine that had not diminished at all over time, and which hobby he had maintained in spite of the Mandalorians changing their role to that of Outcast spies. Clearly that other role had not remained a secret to Colonel Dubreton for long.

Sadly that was not to continue. Billy spoke to his opposite number.

"Henri, did you get the Lager?" Bretonian beer for Gallian wine, that was the deal, and it had suited both men.

"Oui. Yes, I did. Time to arrange another shipment, peut-etre??"

Billy paused.

"No, Henri. That will not be possible." The tone of his voice was revealing, and Dubreton asked anxiously, "Why? What is the matter?"

Billy smiled a rueful smile. "The Mandalorians are returning to Gallia, Henri. And we won't just be taking pictures this time."

The Gallian Colonel understood. He exhaled deeply. "I see. That is.. regrettable."

Billy continued. "I owe you my life, Henri. That is why I am warning you now. If it is any consolation, our first sortie will focus on the Gallic Royal Navy." The Colonel shrugged.

Billy reached for the monitor. "Henri, I am sorry. Business."

He switched off the monitor, picked up a wineglass. Cabernet Sauvignon. His favourite.

He looked at it and swirled it slowly, and took a very long time to drink it.

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