Battleplans & Ramen [D2, LA. Mando-safehouse]

[Raven Cadera]

"It would be much appriciated," she said, nodding to Jyrvess. "As much as I... really want to just beat the shit out of the one responsible, what is more important is to find out why."

"Last thing we want is to get drawn into a conflict provoked by an outside source to make us weaken ourselves."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Nothing is ever simple it seems." Jyrvess turned back to her food, "...anyone the enclave has angered?"

After a second. "Lately."

After another second. "Just...give me the last ten groups the enclave has angered in order of most recent to oldest feud."

[Raven Cadera]

Raven held up her hands somewhat defensively. "Hey, you'd have to ask Mand'alor about those specifically. But if it had been someone with a personal vendetta against my husband, Praxton would've told me." She was sure of it. Right?

"There's always Gar Saxon and his followers - many of Vizsla and the clans sworn to Vizsla, like Wren. Always going to be some group out there who won't acknowledge him as Mand'alor, but... I just don't see the point in attacking Praxton instead of Mand'alor himself. Or just the entire Enclave." Her hands lowered, as she grew more thoughtful. "If I truly wanted to goad Mand'alor and the Rebuilders into a conflict, now that I think about it, removing Praxton isn't a bad move. He is the more level-headed one closest to Mand'alor, the one who would advise caution if anyone else had been attacked."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"If it was the Saxons, they would have an extra reason to stab Praxton." Jyrvess frowned and then took another bite, after swallowing she continued, "They would likely consider him a traitor given the clan association."

Another pause, "It would also explain why they aren't being targeted by the Empire, if there is collusion."

"All of this is supposition until we dig up more information." She added quickly.

[Raven Cadera]

"Yes. I agree..." Raven nodded, picking up her bowl of food again. "Been a lot of thinking on the whole thing, which you know isn't my strength." She smiled a bit at the self-deprecating humor.

"I just... really want to let out all my frustrations at the one responsible. Kriff, I almost considered tearing into Mand'alor himself before we left - I was just so angry. It would've been easier if it was me. Not him."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Then Praxton would be the one wanting to vent their frustrations." Jyrvess took another bite, "I'll do what I can to make sure you get to smash the right face in. Or faces if more then a few need it." She smiled slightly.

"Might be a few too faces needing smashed for all the beskar fists ready to do the smashing."

[Raven Cadera]

"Yeah, but he'd be like... smart about it," Raven huffed in disagreement, but it was mostly bluster to just vent. Deciding against more food for now, she placed the bowl back down and reached for a bottle of water.

"Anyway, hoping we'll have some luck trying to search around. Think I'll try to ask some acquaintances tomorrow too if they have any ideas about these Salky Raiders, or if they can look into it. Me and the others, we tend to draw a bit too much attention most of the time." In that regard, Manny was a good friend to have because he somehow just managed to blend in and talk with the right people. Somehow... maybe it was the magic.

"Do you think the Resistance folks, like Mara Kayde and her crew, would be worth asking?"

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Without revealing out intentions," Jyrvess nodded, "Just in case the Raiders are tied to them somehow. Unlikely, but desperate folks might have turned to unexpected allies."

"I'll start with what I can learn from the local data repository. Check and see if there are any local outdoors types who have cataloged the region. And maybe see if there is any record of the Raiders engaging with the local garrison. Friendly or otherwise."

[Raven Cadera]

The bottle opened and she took a long drink before speaking again. "I think that Mara Kayde gal is a bit too... I dunno, good? Too good to be dealing with folks known as pirates and raiders."

A smaller sip this time. "Thank you though. You really are a good friend in these times." Jyr was also a pretty good contribution to have for a group of warriors. Which reminded her; "... I didn't get to ask you if you had a good time at the wedding, by the way. You and Kagr seemed chatty."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Before the party crashers? Yeah I think I was enjoying myself, still not fully part of the family as it were." Jyrvess shrugged, then smirked, "Kagr likes to worry about me and sometimes I worry about him."

Another shrug, "Not all that much on my part, I'm pretty sure there are very few situations he couldn't get out of."

She crosses her arms, "The resistance needs good people...but as I said, desperation can drive good folks to do bad things or turn a blind eye to others that do. It's not likely but best to be cautious when doing these things. 'Trust but Verify' as the old saying goes."

[Raven Cadera]

"Good to know. You know most of the enclave respect you though, even if you're not Mando'ade." Yet. Raven smirked as well, but there's something else behind it.

"Right..." she focused more on the subject of the Resistance than whatever Jyr and Kagr had been getting up to. "Trust but Verify. I'll try to keep that in mind myself. Can't say that anyone looks shady so far... well, except for that very weird droid that was pretending to be a human. You know, the one with the synthskin and all on." A small shudder. "That was some weird shit."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"...uncanny valley I think they call it." Jyrvess shivered, "Social humanoids are real good at recognizing other humanoids features on a subconscious level. Part of natural empathy. So when you have something that is almost but not quite humanoid your empathic bits start screaming in terror because it wants to try to read what the other person is feeling from body language and can't. Your mind interrupts that as 'THREATENING THING!' and well. Though I do wish that droid well, maybe he can climb out of the valley. After traumatizing a few generations of children and adults."

"Anyway yeah so far they seem on the level. I need to talk to them more myself. Another thing for the agenda. Along with check on Manny, he is probably getting caught up in some dumb vaguely criminal enterprise without thinking."

[Raven Cadera]

She shuddered as well as Jyr explained the scientific reason of why it had seemed so freaky. "Good to know I got science to back me up when these tin-cans start trying to impersonate us fleshies too much then." Scientific Reason to punch droids, what more could a Mando ask for sometimes.

"Manny... knowing him, yeah, he's probably getting roped into something when we're not keeping him under watch. Who knows what he'll get up to now that he has his own ship to go along with that big yet empty head." Raven smirked, kind of half-supporting Manny getting himself into trouble since it might mean excitement for her. And also because she knew that if she and Manny were both given the same 8th grader test, they'd probably both fail equally bad.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

Jyrvess smirked again then her expression grew more serious, "Have you noticed the raiders being proactive, trying to follow your fellows? I came down separately and haven't been around the Enclave much these last few days."

[Raven Cadera]

"I only arrived a few weeks prior to you," she shrugged, "but they weren't there then. From what I've heard, others of the group spoke with the Raiders in person... many are trying to bring more of the Mando'ade over to our side. The Raiders claim to be Mandalorians, and well, some expressed an interest in seeing Mand'alor for themselves."

Raven held up her hands. "It wasn't mine or Praxton's idea to have our wedding feast be a social get-together with them, but that's where we ended up. Neither of us are huge fans of big things like that - crowds for him, too many unknown faces for me." The two of them would've been just fine with a minimal amount of partying for the occassion.

"I didn't see any of the Raiders until the day."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"It's a good plan," Jyrvess rubbed her chin, "Welcome to politics Raven. Everything can and will be used to advantage. There are a surprising number of birthdays and weddings that get used to begun larger deals. Bring people in for the wedding and then after a few drinks go to work." She smiled wearily, "The Mando'ade are at least a sensible people...sometimes the wedding seals an earlier deal, whether one or both of the couple want it or not."

"Still...yeah, sounds like I have to work to do on these Raiders. Find out what they are really about." She frowns, "Spies can get the equipment to pose as a Mandalorian easily enough."

[Raven Cadera]

Raven frowned, placing her elbows on the table in lieu of crossing her arms.

"People are weird to use marriage like that." While she wasn't a strong traditionalist like Mand'alor, she certainly had strong opinions on the Mandalorian culture, and marriage was an incredibly important part of a Mandalorian's life. To use it for politics with people who didn't even want to get married sounded absolutely terrible.

"The thought has crossed my mind, yes. Before... before I came to Kamda, I spent some time around other mercenaries. Not professionally as such, just moving in some of the same circles. Never a shortage of people claiming to be Mandalorian - pay tends to be better that way, as there's some prestige with hiring a Mandalorian merc. Especially for mobsters to claim they got a Mandalorian on their payroll."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"The downsides of a reputation." Jyrvess nodded, "But the upsides of that reputation outweigh a few ne'er-do-wells trying to claim your people's glory."

She lets out a small chuckle, a loosening of tension, "They say in art that imitation is the highest for of flattery. Few are better at the art of combat then the Mando'ade."

Jyrvess continues, "Politics is a necessary but grungy business. I never thought I would miss just sitting in a room looking and mountains of data for connecting threads...but a few minutes in smokey backrooms and I am daydreaming about page 2,383 of Form 6C-FF2. At least the ones I have spoken to so far understand the stakes, I think playing the full game of politics would have me using your preferred solution to problem people." She makes a punching motion to emphasis the last statement.

[Raven Cadera]

"I've no idea what that even means," she chuckled at Jyr's mention of pages and forms, also finding the tension leaving her a little, and she smirked to the 'librarian'. "But you know I'll happily teach you how to throw a good punch. Aggressive negotiations and all that."

A thought crossed her mind, but she put it forward carefully. "D... was your father involved in politics of the Republic?"

[Jyrvess Ertil]

Jyrvess nodded, "Yes." She rubbed the back of her neck, for a moment Raven probably thought that was the only response she would be getting.

"Our family was already fairly well regarded on Corellia, old military family, that alone was enough to have him involved in the halls of power. At least on the planetary scale. Then of course he had developed a reputation for his success in combat some of the pirate groups that plagued the Republic before the war." Then she shrugs, "And truth be told no one makes senior military leadership with out being immersed in politics. Both the military's internal politics and the greater politics of the Republic."

"...and it was his politics that brought the Empire down on him."