Gratitude (D8, EA)

[Raven Cadera]

"Hmmm... how do you even start taking out something like that? Beating up the Empire seems easy in comparison."

Raven coughed a little as she got more heat than she expected this time, and she downed the rest of her ale.

"Ayway, Jyv, I'm glad you found a way out of that mess - restored some of your honor."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Restored? No a life dedicated and spent to fighting the Empire wouldn't balance out my actions." She picks the stew back up and takes another bite, "But it will have to do regardless."

Another bite and her rather solemn expression turned pained. She quickly picked up the ale and took a drink, "...no wonder your people's endurance is legendary, if this is a staple of your diets."

She took a moment to let her mouth recover, "Information is the greatest weapon, greater then any blaster or even the Jedi's lightsaber. And not only having it, but denying it or better yet falsifying it. What matter is a battalion of stormtroopers when they can't find their enemy? Or when their enemy can always fight them on their own terms?"

"Of course...that simple truth is hard to accomplish. The Empire has legions of people like me being fed information from individuals skilled at extracting or finding it and with vast databanks and computers to draw on. And even they struggle to sort through and process all that data."

"We are going to have to work harder."

[Manny Donos]

Manny set aside his bowl, although he gave the serving pot a sidelong glance...

"So, uh..." Manny cleared his throat. "What can, well, normal people do? Maybe I could help find stuff out? Get information for you, and then you tell everyone what it means?"

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"I...appreciate the offer but, I would rather not spoil Raven's picnic further with...err shop talk." Her eyes moved to the Mandolarian, curious as to her response.

[Raven Cadera]

"I said some of your honor, not all," Raven corrected. "We both know it takes more to restore all honor."

She saw Manny's sidelong glance, and she held out a hand for his bowl in case he wanted a refill.

"Eh, go ahead. If we can't talk about how to destroy our enemies over a shared meal, when can we talk about it? But the way I see it, is that folks need to work together. And some people need to get their head out of their arses in thinking that the Empire can be resisted or fought with peaceful protests and pretty words." Which was the extent of what Raven knew of the more covert faction of the resistance here on Kamda.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

Jyrvess actually laughed at that, "I forgot my host...discussing the destruction of one's enemies is probably as normal for you as talking about the weather is to anyone else."

"And yes...more direct action but I believe we must be better prepared next time. Passive gathering information, that's what normal people can do...noticing were the Imperials patrol heaviest, how often they change patrols and routes, were their officers and soldiers favor for food and drink. A bartender listening to an Imp complain about his job might learn a little clue here, a waitress bringing drinks hears some off duty stormtroopers talk about new orders, and so on. Take all those little pieces and see how they fit, its remarkable how much you can work out just from a little information here and there."

"From that we can pick targets worth risking our meager resources and be ready to save as much as possible in the inevitable retaliation."

[Raven Cadera]

"You make such mundane tasks sound surprisingly fascinating," she chuckled with a shake of her head. "But I see the value in it. Just as I see value for the Mando'ade to work together with people like yourself, and the resistance. The Empire is a big enemy, and we are many small ones... the more we work together, the bigger the chance of success."

[Manny Donos]

"Makes it sound really cool!" Manny agreed, smiling. "Like, anyone can do at least a little bit. Even someone who's maybe not the most important, or the smartest, or the strongest or whatever."

His smile faded a little. "I mean, if they're up to it. People still have to take care of themselves, right?"

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Yes, and even just listening to conversations is dangerous," She nods, "Mr. Divo shows that the Empire has no problem taking who they want on the flimsiest suspicions. And of course the danger of having to interact with some of the Imperials in general. That sort of power gives some of them ideas on what they can and can't do to a person."

"The Empire rules through fear. Fear is a perilous thing to maintain. Too harsh and people will realize that they are dead anyway and its better to at least fight. Too little and you risk being shown as weak."

[Raven Cadera]

"And fear is nothing if you can't back it up with strength. You ain't got no respect if your threats are just empty, or just petty flexing at weak folks..." Of course the Mandalorian didn't have an issue with ruling by fear in itself. You just had to have strength to back it up, and strength only mattered against the strong.

[Manny Donos]

Manny grimaced. "The Empire seems pretty strong to me..."

Then he brightened again. "But not invincible, huh? I mean, we did that thing with the tower. And they couldn't hold onto Raven and Lysa, huh?" He grinned at his two friends.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Exactly Manny!" Jyrvess nodded, smiling again, "The Empire is too powerful to beat, best to just keep your head down cause you can't hurt them...then one of their most important facilities goes up in flames and they can't even keep hold of those who did it. Suddenly thousands can see the Empire can be beat and if there and yesterday then why not here and today? Every small victory cracks their facade of invincibility."

[Raven Cadera]

"Better one big enemy that you can see than many small ones that you can't, huh?" Raven rubbed her chin. "So there's strength in fighting the Empire by doing it in many many smaller groups? And not like, one big group?"

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"A cell structure you mean?" Jyrvess rubbed her cheek, "Err...well its like what you said. Small 'cells' of operatives that work largely independently but coordinate with larger cells when there is a need for a bigger strike."

"The Republic actually used something like it for our spy rings during the war. Though we had more specialization, so a cell would mainly just do surveillance and occasionally direct action, err violence, but usually when we really needed to hit something....the cells would smuggle in and run support for a team of specialists who did the job and then left or went to ground."

[Manny Donos]

"Cells..." Manny frowned. "So, like a bunch of little crews, basically? And then bigger crews that get together sometimes?"

He smiled. "That sounds like a good way to do it." He loved being part of a crew! "So, it's with people you know already, right? Like, we could be a crew? I mean, cell?"

[Raven Cadera]

"So much I didn't know about the war," Raven reflected thoughtfully, giving Manny a side-eye glance at his obsession with 'crews'.

"Sounds to me like the Mandalorians, if they would committ to working with the Resistance, would be like the uh, specialists Jyvress speaks of. As in, specialists in violence, of course."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Not quite...but close enough," She chuckles and takes a bite...her mood improving as the conversation drifted away from her Imperial service.

"Our specialists tended to be better at....blending in, though we made use of the Clone Commandos and ARC Troopers at times." She tapped her chin, "Though I can't imagine many sights more intimidating then Mandolarians dropping on their jetpacks."

[Manny Donos]

"Actually, I saw that when I called them. It was pretty awesome." Manny said. "Five of them dropped in, all around me. Just..." He raised one hand, bringing it down slowly, "-whoosh!"

"So, wouldn't there be all sorts of different specialists? Like, violence specialists, and then, intel specialists..." he nodded to Jyrvess. Manny grinned. "I'm guessing there's not magic specialists. But I bet I could fit in with something."

[Raven Cadera]

Raven had a slightly different opinion on the jetpacks. It wasn't that she disliked them as such, but the jetpacks had been a staple for the Death Watch that terrorized Mandalore and its people - and she had heard the stories of what they did.

She hid her emotions by taking a big mouthful of stew. Which almost made her tear up and she had to fan her face to stop it.

"Uh, you could make... stuff disappear?"

[Manny Donos]

Manny frowned at her. "Uh... like, with my magic?" He brandished his spoon, then vanished it, and then made it reappear a moment later. "I mean, I guess, but I don't really see how that helps."

He tilted his head. "Or... do you mean just steal stuff?"