A Better Mando Experience

[Mauda]

Mandalore​

A Business Trip of Sorts​

​

Orex stood at the bridge of the Myrkur, laying his only exposed eye over the planet before him. His low, artificial breath reverberated through the air of the silent Bridge. He was lost in thought, yet again. This time his mind explored the face of the young Mandalorian Bodyguard. The boy of no more than 17 who had been his first intimate kill since .. That Slaver. Orex poured over the images that had been burned into his mind. The tears, the bleeding, crushed nose, the deep fear in his eyes. It had struck something within Orex at the time. Something he dismantled soon after Dismantling the boy. He buried it. Of course it resurfaced as he stood in orbit around what had likely been the boy's home.

But these things shouldn't be dwelled upon.

With a wave of his hand, the Myrkur A.I reignited the Plasma Engine that propelled the ship and sent it charging into the atmosphere.

The Mandalorian Deserts were silent. The Night sky uttering nothing but the occasional wind, sand providing the only movement in response to these natural murmurs. If one were to inhabit the war-torn surface, and had a particularly keen eye, they could have observed the sudden change in movement of one of the many stars dotting the sky. Watching for long enough and they would see this Star gradually increase in size, bigger and bigger, until it was less of a star, and more of a dark object. Soon this dark object punched through the atmosphere, lighting up in an aggressive blaze of flame. Seconds later, a tremendous Crack, like a cannon of enormous size firing blindly would bellow throughout the silent planet.

After the Crack, there was the Groan.

If sands could feel, the surface would be Fear. After the Sonic Boom came a noise that made the Boom sound like Cantina Jazz. Screaming Whispers and a bellowing Groan came together and piled out of the back end of the Myrkur's Engine permeated the desolate environment, giving trembling life to a land long devoid of such a thing.

Orex ignored these noises as he stood at the large boarding ramp, waiting for his ship to finish its journey across Mandalore. He flexed his hands in the thin gloves of his Armoured Cloak, listening instead to the movement of the fabric. The ship began to slow and after several movements and attitude changes, the Ramp hissed and lowered.

Orex soon found himself near a luxurious house. Simple Luxury he thought. Money, but not too blatantly shown. He knew the man had money, but certainly more than he put on show. Who was this Man? Orex's thoughts found their way to the subject of his journey. A Mandalorian, battle-bred like all others. A seeker of Knowledge and Resources, Wealthy, Politically Prominent. A golden ratio to Orex. One that had drawn his attention. Attention that now rested on the exterior of his house as he paced toward.

[member="Varian"]

 

[Varian]

Today was a slow day, Luke had stayed at his house and had already gone through hours of practice to keep his abilities honed. He'd done some work on his financial state, but for the most part, it was a rather moderate day. It both felt relaxing, and incredibly frustrating somehow. Course his family didn't seem to mind. He assumed today would continue to be that way, until he heard a noise and saw an older brother looking out one of the windows, "Looks like we have a visitor.]"The elder said grabbing a blaster by instinct. They were a bit untrustworthy, this was clearly an outsider. And more importantly, Luke could sense something. A power emanating from the incomer as he walked towards the house. He dawned his armor in moments along with an elder brother and a younger one, and a younger sister, all of whom stepped out, armed and ready with Luke in the lead in his red and black armor approaching Orex but remaining at a distance, ​"I think that's plenty close for now. Who is it I'm speaking to?" Luke asked holding his hands over the blasters at his sides, his siblings with theirs lowered somewhat but out. They weren't his whole family, but then again not everyone was even present at the time.

From here it was unquestionable that this was a force sensitive of some kind, and that meant danger in Luke's eyes. Sure there were other force sensitives, but they usually didn't dare to come here unless they were Mandalorians themselves, and this man really did not give off that type of feel. He was breathing deeply, but his heart was definitely beating, ready in case this turned into a fight. He was always ready, but he didn't want it to be anywhere near his home if it did happen. He much preferred to solve this politically if possible. Especially as he wasn't supposed to use the force on Mandalor, though it wasn't like they could tell with his particular abilities, but he still tried to avoid it.

"Let's try and keep this civilized. I like things near my home to remain undisturbed." He commented, his voice was calm in spite of all of them clearly being prepared to fight if they must. They were warriors after all, it was only natural.

[member="Orex Mauda"]

 

[Mauda]

Orex slowed to a stop. Four Mandalorians had come out to greet him, armed and armoured. Did they dress like this even to a funeral? Orex thought to himself before speaking.

"Orex Mauda. I'm here to speak to Luke Varian?"

Orex roped in the constant Draining he emanated, but the Mask was different. Instead of looking into where he would assume their eyes were, he either looked slightly off to one side, or just below. He couldn't just Rope In what lurked within the Mask.

He splayed his hands and moved them from his sides to show he was not about to bare a lightsaber. But such a thing wouldn't be needed in this situation. By instinct he had begun probing each and every joint and tendon in front of him, just in case.

[member="Varian"]

 

[Varian]

Here for Luke. Well, it wasn't the most unusual thing. Rather it was the person himself who was questionable, the mask, the power, the darkness. He let out a slow groan that didn't escape his helmet, but he didn't want to escalate this unnecessarily. He patted his pistols twice, and straightened his back, his siblings recognized the movement pretty easily, he had a tendency for doing stuff like that when he made a decision, he nodded to them as he turned slightly, "Go ahead and go inside for now, we should be fine." he said. Doubtless they'd still be watching, or at least one would, and ready just in case. But better to keep this as non-confrontational as possible.

As they went off, the older one mentions something about how off the guy seemed, Luke nodded saying he'd be careful and removed his helmet when they went back inside. Running a gloved hand through his hair and breathing in in thought. He preferred not having the helmet on when talking to people, unless he was fighting, then he preferred it on no matter what.

"That'd be me." He answered calmly holding the helmet under his left arm and putting letting his right hand down, "Where is it you're from, and why is it you're here? Not to comfortable having outsiders near my family." he stated quite simply.

[member="Orex Mauda"]

 

[Mauda]

An intent eye watched as the siblings retreated back to their home, and then returned to the one who had remained. Orex gave no expression when Luke had revealed himself, he only let his arms back down, clasping them behind his back.

"I can assure you, there is no need to be uncomfortable. If I was here to kill Mandalorians, four would have been killed two minutes ago."

Verbal confidence, possibly even Cockiness was not something Orex regularly practised. But he was speaking to a Mandalorian. Battle is everything to them as far as he knew.

"Now. I was brought here by your particular properties. From what I've gathered, you are somewhat of a politician, a warrior undoubtedly, and a seeker of Knowledge. That last being of interest to me. Tell me, what is Knowledge to you?"

[member="Varian"]

 

[Varian]

Luke narrowed his eyes with the mention of easily killing them. Confidence was good, sometimes even if you couldn't back it up, just so long as it didn't side on arrogance. Either way, he didn't choose to counter it. Aside from just preferring to remain out of too much scuffling of words, there was enough cool about the man, along with the sensation he'd felt coming here, that he didn't want to challenge it.

He leaned his head back in thought breathing in as the man spoke. He'd been heard of by an outsider, ok, and he was asking an interesting question, "Many things, power to those who can wield it, nothing to those who can't, and harm to those who try without understanding it. Much like many tools or weapons that can impact the galaxy, it's all about those it belongs to. By whatever means they gained it."

He felt his answer was a sufficiently true one, like a blade. A child who was untrained and unhindered would likely cut themselves, an trained individual could use it well in many ways, but a frail elderly man can do nothing with it. Just like a sword.

[member="Orex Mauda"]

 

[Mauda]

A good answer, if not perfect. Questions like these in which "There are no wrong answers" were quite the opposite to Orex. There was a clearly defined 'Right Answer'. Anything less and it's nothing more than ignorance. Varian's answer was right undoubtedly and came as a great relief to Orex. If he had come all this way and approached such a man of potential, only for him to respond with some childish nonsense or boring altruism, it certainly would have proved a wasted effort.

"I think we have much to discuss. But somewhere much less public."

[member="Varian"]

 

[Varian]

Luke tapped his fingers against his helmet in thought, looking around, weren't really many places here to speak where they couldn't be watched. They could take an office in the house, but they'd need to be quiet. But it wasn't hard to be far enough away to avoid being heard, "Can just walk. There's plenty of room to avoid being heard." He said. He would know he knew the place well enough, it was convenient to defend that was why there really wasn't any visual cover nearby except the building itself and the ships.

[member="Orex Mauda"]

 

[Mauda]

[member="Varian"]

"Then lets walk"

Orex began to slowly traverse the estate, Varian at one side. He kept his hands behind his back, his Mask manipulating his breath to sound like a baritone, mechanical whisper. He thought for a moment before speaking.

"Knowledge, as you quite rightly said, is only best employed by certain people. The people who exploit what they can uncover to the fullest extent will often find themselves in great positions of power. As such, Knowledge Is Power. But the people who govern this Galaxy in the present time, are not these people. This is the fundamental issue."

Orex was presenting a business pitch. And like any pitch, he had to ensure his words were perfect for the investor. But he often consumed himself in his thoughts and monologues. Something he had to be careful of.

"Dogma rules this expanse. Jedi and Sith alike sit wallowing in their religious ignorance. They perpetuate this pitiful cycle of petty squabbling. First the Jedi come to Power, they rule the Galaxy for centuries. All the while the Sith plot their return in some far flung sector. They make their reappearance, lay waste to system upon system and beat the Jedi into a corner. The Jedi fight, make a comeback, and all of a sudden the Sith collapse and the cycle is renewed. The Mandalorians once disrupted this Cycle. The Result? Successful conquest across the Galaxy until Revan makes an entrance, kicks you back to Mandalore, and returns the Cycle to working order."

Orex stopped briefly and looked at Varian, this time, dead in the eyes, allowing his Mask to drain him slowly.

"What I am saying, is this Galaxy needs a change. Two Religions, collections of primitive monks dressed in brown or black, have been laying waste to this Galaxy since the dawn of Hyperspace. And what has this caused? Dogma, Ignorance, Submission. The people know nothing beyond the Force. They think this Microbe is an omnipotent being rather than the live-giving tool that it is."

Orex leaned in slightly,

"The People"

"Lack Knowledge"

Orex composed himself and allowed what he had said to sink in.

 

[Varian]

As Luke walked he occasionally glanced at the masked individual, but otherwise kept his eyes ahead in thought. It seemed he agreed on the matter of knowledge. Moving on to say that the leaders of the Galaxy were not such types of men, they were ignorant, or at the very least abusive of their knowledge. It certainly sounded like some kind of proposition, that was promising. Either that or it was deceit. But even deceit could sometimes be profited off of. If it was deceit though, he had a strange way of going about it.

There was some indecision on the matter, but as Orex began reciting the Jedi and the Sith constantly fighting another, he realized just how correct this was. He spoke of how the mandalorians broke their conflict until yet another individual threw it all apart again. They paused and Luke turned to face him, eye contact and for an instant he felt concern, his eyes quickly switched and he turned his head slightly to avoid doing that again, even without direct eye contact he could sense the pull. And it was a most unusual and unpleasant feeling. Eventually returning to face him but eyes just above those of Orex's as he continued on the two conflicting groups, always at war at the expense of everyone else.

They had moved onto the force so quickly, an explanation for the mans unusual presence, a topic of interest to the Mandalorian but one he had only barely tapped the surface of he knew. The man spoke of the force clearly knowing something about it, was it that that he was offering? Knowledge on the force, and as a result power? Or was he speaking to bring forth a revolution, bring a real order to the galaxy. Not a jedi or sith order, but order itself. Perhaps. There were many possibilities.

He considered, looking back and breathing in in thought. He wasn't technically allowed to wield the force here, and he wouldn't. But there were no such restrictions outside of mangalore. And so, no issues in learning, in order to help the galaxy, and his family, and mandalore.

"So then, why come to me. I'm always in a search yes, it's important to me, growth and knowledge, and obtaining a real peace where we can grow as much as in war, but without possible dishonorable deaths. But there are many individuals who are more knowledgable then me, more powerful then me. And I do not say that from some kind of humility, I take pride in my skills. But that doesn't mean I'm the best. What is it that I can offer you, and that you can offer me." Orex had gotten plenty of Luke's interest, he was very intrigued. But every deal needed the contract summarized. And that was what Luke was looking for. He'd made his introduction, and it was a good one. Now was time for the deal itself.

[member="Orex Mauda"]

 

[Mauda]

"This Galaxy is littered in Sith Lords, Jedi Masters and unaffiliated men and women of great power. Much greater than yours. But if I'm not mistaken, the use of the Force here on Mandalore isn't encouraged or even allowed. To what capacity have you been able to improve your abilities?"

Orex allowed the rhetorical question to hang for a moment before continuing,

"We are Seekers of Knowledge. There is no opportunity to improve that we do not ignore. At present, you are nothing more than a child with a weapon who knows nothing of how to wield it. And yet all children are the embodiments of Potential. A Sith Lord recruited is a man already finished with his mind already set. A Man of your position is a man open to growth and possibility beyond that of the most powerful Force-Wielder."

Orex flexed his hand briefly. In a blink, a Vhe'viin flew from the undergrowth into his grip. Instead of holding it, he allowed it to hover just above his palm. As he spoke, the rodent's fur gradually lost colour,

"A Man who considers himself a God is suffering no more than egotistical delusion. But when a Man is more Godlike, than Man, this can be considered simple Observation"

Orex recited his oft-spoken piece. When Godlike escaped his mouth, anger came with it. His fingers curled slightly and the Rodent's decay quickened. Soon, its fur had fallen away and its flesh had crumbled. The husk of an organism was dropped from Orex's grip and hit the floor with as much grace as stale bread.

"I am offering you a place in the people's desperate prayers"

[member="Varian"]

 

[Varian]

Luke breathed in and looked to the side in thought as the topic of the law on the force use came up. He was right of course, that had hindered his ability to learn. Which was incredibly unfortunate. If he had it his way, the only restriction would be between Mandalorians or in duels. But under the same reason equipment should be taken into account. And physical abilities.

He had to narrow his eyes at being called a child, but Orex still had a point. He'd have to stop judging his words before he finished. He wasn't a fool, he understood things. Luke just wasn't used to talking to people who had such a...philosophical way of viewing things. Most were clearcut, and so were their words. So calling someone a child was expected to mean immature, inexperienced, irrational.

His eyes shot to the creature that flew into his grip, he was expecting something to happen to it. Man calling themselves gods, men becoming more gods. Alright. Acceptable enough statement, it had its own truth as flashy as it was. He could appreciate flair though.

Luke leaned his head back as the creature suddenly began to decay, his left eye twitching for a moment. In a moment, the creature was a ghost of what it once was and Orex finished his offer. There was power, knowledge, influence, skill, all to be gained. And all for an end goal. Bringing proper peace to the galaxy. No more constant conflict, no more cults calling the force their religion. It was time order was brought forth.

He began to nod his head, "Very well then Orex Mauda. I can follow that." he said with a bit of a smile, it was not sinister, but it had behind it plans for the future. No more chaos.

[member="Orex Mauda"]

 

[Mauda]

[member="Varian"]

Orex's eye looked Varian head to toe one last time. Potential encased in armour. He reached within a pocket and retrieved a small data card, then outstretched his hand between them.

"Go to these co-ordinates. From there we will realise what potential you have. Or you'll die. It's up to you."

Orex's training was brutal, and he knew. But those who come to power must know that behind it all, there is nothing. There is a void. And if that is not ever-present within his apprentices, they will fail him. Some reach out and grab comfort. They embrace what they feel of themselves and find reassurance knowing they are still great. But this is delusion and leads only to ego and an aversion to stress.

And Varian would be under plenty of stress.

Orex lingered no longer and promptly left Varian. He returned to his ship, forming what he would deliver to his new apprentice in his mind. The years ahead would be busy, and now he had to return to Skism to address this.

 

[Varian]

Luke looked at the data card for a moment, taking it with his left hand and examining it before lowing his hand. He considered what Orex said as he left, feeling the data card in his hands before heading back to his house, his siblings would ask what was going on, and he would answer with truth, that he wasn't entirely sure yet. He was given a proposition, but he wasn't sure about the risk of it yet, and would have to decide.

Eventually, as he contemplated in his office, he would come to a decision, writing down the coordinates and putting them in. Ready to head out to the location, fully armed, but alone. He needed to grow, and this was an opportunity. Dangerous as it was, he felt it was necessary.

[member="Orex Mauda"]