A Feast of Thanks (Mandos and friends)

[Strider Garon]

The Garon homestead was a large veshok log house about ten kilometers north of Keldabe and on the kelita river and fringed by a grand veshok forest. The main entrance was a large double wooden door that one open would expose the main central room known in mando’a as karyai that resembled an ancient dining hall. Complete with a fire pit in the center that was surrounded by a long dining table which was perfect for gatherings such as today. The table itself was filled with a plethora of food and drink for the feast. If you would look to your left from the main entrance there was a kitchen with a open layout giving it direct access to the karyai. You look to the right and there was a bar that was fully stocked with all sorts of liquor. You look straight ahead and passed the dining room there was double doors that matched the entrance that lead to an outdoor deck and that would lead down a wooden path to the boat house off the Kelita river.

The living quarters were in the basement built of stone, with all the rooms stemming off the single long hallway and a trap door in the center that would lead to an emergency escape tunnels that would lead to multiple redoubts and even secret hidden entrances In the forest.

Attached to the main home were a bunk house that could house twenty guests, more if there was cuddling and a medical room stocked for the worse. There was a mechanical hangar complete with landing pad where his beloved Avril rested.

Wasn't that often Strider Garon would hold a gathering that did not include pre opt mission briefings and reports. This was a gathering of clansmen, vode and friends a like. The Mandalorians have had a eventful year complete with ups and downs. The hound of keldabe thought it was a good time to get folks together and what better way to lure a warrior people than with promise of fine food and free booze.

The old man would was outside on the front porch, shento cigar lit, as he awaited his guests to arrive while his hired help slaved away inside on the meal at hand. It was in the best interest for all that were intending to make a presence that he did not cook. He knew his strengths and weaknesses, so he shelled out the credits to get the best help he could afford to make this feast and gathering a night to remember. All were invited.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Aden was expecting company for the festivites today, but he hadn't mentioned anything to Strider about it yet. The young verd had been secretly courting [member="Mesh'la Hokan"] since the fall harvest festival. Her buire were not aware as she had made it clear to Aden that she was not allowed to court until she was sixteen. That was a few months away, but seemed to be taking an eternity. Perhaps it was because a good thing always seemed to take long to wait for despite the reality of it. In hindsight he would know the time had passed quickly.

The young verd found Strider on the porch smoking a cigar. It was a nasty habit, but the older hound would not change anything at his age. Mesh'la's voice was in the back of his mind warning him to never take up that habit. Whether she cared or not, they had never talked about it, but Aden just had a feeling. While Stider was smoking, Aden opted to whittle something. He sat on the step of the porch and started his work. Aden was quiet for a bit, but finally looked up to his buir.

"I invited a friend over today. She should be here soon, but I thought I'd let you know. I think you know her buir'ika."

That was going to either open a lot of questions or get an attaboy. Aden wasn't sure which, but he had to tell Strider he'd been seeing a girl for a while, and that it was serious, at least to him it was. They had been taking the slow approach to seeing if they could be more than friends, but Aden already knew what he wanted. Tbey'd talked about it before even trying. Mesh'la was his best friend, and that was always a good place to start. In fact her coming over explained why his hair was combed already, and he was in his nicer work clothes. Just because there was dinner, it didn't get Aden out of his chores.

[member="Strider Garon"]

 

[Strider Garon]

Strider would look over to one of his younger offspring. There was a hidden statement in the boys words for the kid knew he did not need the old man's permission to invite friends to their home. The hound may be old, but the sentiment to the statement wasn't lost. Aden was making a point of it and that only meant one thing, that the boy had a love interest. The old man looked at his son and gave him a smile before taking a long puff on his cigar. He knew exactly what girl he was talking about. The boy had good taste, hell if the stars were right Mesh'la could of been his sister which would of made this encounter very awkward. But the girl's mother never gave the hound of keldabe a chance for she had availed against his many advances.

"Is her mother showing up?" He would answer back in his deep resonating voice, letting his son know that the girl was no mystery to him.

[member="Aden Dral"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"I don't think so. Her mother and step-father went up to Enceri to spend time with the Tor household. Mesh'la stayed behind because they have an animal about to give birth. Mesh is training to be a medic just like her mother."

Aden wasn't sure he ever knew about the dynamic between his father and Mesh'la's mother. Of course it wasn't his business either. All he knew was the way Strider asked only confirmed that he knew the girl he was taking about and her parents. Aden smiled that Strider didn't seem to disapprove of his choice. He went back to his whittling project.

"I think she mentioned something about them stopping by if they made it back in time, but sounds like it was an overnight as far as I knew."

That thought was rather tempting, but Aden knew better. Mesh'la came from a traditional family, and Aden did not. However he knew better than to ask Mesh'la to toss that out the window. He actually respected her for it. Aden wanted to do things right. She was worth doing things right. That meant she set the pace of the relationship. He'd be a good leader, but he would not move faster than Mesh'la wanted. He didn't want to lose her because of his own mistakes.

[member="Mesh'la Hokan"] [member="Strider Garon"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

[member="Strider Garon"] could hear the heavy footsteps of the Wolf approaching. They were measured and precise, much like everything that Preliat did. His finger rapped on the door, before he entered. He was clad in his armor, sans helmet. That helmet, was somewhere within [member="Gilamar Skirata"]'s possession. Preliat darted his eyes around the home, and found that it was somehow clean. His dark brown eyes locked on Strider's figure. There was once a time, when Preliat would have greeted one of the few friends he had. But now, he just felt like sitting down. He took a seat on the porch opposite of Strider, glancing out to the homestead that Strider was on. He blinked for a while, letting the silence speak volumes for him. He had nothing to say, at first. Preliat turned towards the aging warrior, pursing his lips in thought before speaking.

"I need to tell you something before I do it, Strider. You're the one who deserves to know."

Preliat blinked at Strider, his hair waving as the wind brought it's gentle touch to it. It was long now, long and braided in many places. Aditya used to braid his hair for him, adorned it with string and beads, but now, it was just a braid, simple black hair that rested on the top of his head.

"The Mandalorians have no place for me anymore, Strider."

 

[Alleycat]

Mesh'la made one more check on Bessie. The very pregnant ewe was resting comfortably in a freshly made stall or seemed to be now. A remote cam was turned on so she could check on her charge while attending a Thanksgiving feast being held at the Garon homestead on the other side of Keldabe from the Hokan farm. The aspiring young baar'ur had been invited by [member="Aden Dral"]; one of [member="Strider Garon"]'s ade, who was living with the old hound presently. She was no stranger to the homestead, but this would be the first time around Stri'buir.

Aden had been secretly courting Mesh since the Fall Festival a few weeks ago. Secretly, because she was not quite sixteen yet and he was; a rule set by her buire. The best friends had taken the step towards being more than that. They had agreed to take things slow, which was a relief to the traditionally-raised young woman.

After a quick update was commed to [member="Briika Hokan"] and [member="Graad Hokan"], who were up visiting Mesh'la's ba'buire in Enceri with her younger vod, Jair, the teenage blonde changed into a casual outfit of a sweater, blouse, jeans, and boots, then loaded the farm speeder with freshly made pies with fruit from the fall harvest and her set of beskar'gam just in case she needed it for something fun or not.

It didn't take long and Mesh'la was pulling up in front of the Garon Clan's yaim. She gave a wave from the speeder to Aden as he sat on the porch steps whittling as usual. There was another Mando'ad there talking with Strider; one of the Field Marshal's the young Detta-Hokan didn't know.

[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Whatever Strider was going to say was interuppted by a mando who was unfamiliar to Aden. Most were in fact, and he was still getting used to who the old Field Marshals were. Things had change over the past several months that Aden was more focussed on his own part of the world for the moment, and she just pulled up in a land speeder with pie!

Aden got up from the porch, folded his pocket knife, and stuffed his latest project into the jacket pocket of his work clothes. It was good he got his chores done earlier, but there were some he had to wait on. At some point he'd have to steal away to do them. Hopefully Mesh'la wouldn't mind helping to make them go faster.

"Su'cuy, Mesh'ika!" Let me help with those!"

He reached into the seat next to Mesh'la, after coming around, and picked up the pies. They looked delicious, and Aden recognized the fruit to be from the Hokan farmstead. They knew how to handle the growing of things. Aden's contribution was the honey his hives produced. While the boy was not much of a farmer, he did know his way around bees. The two would often swap fruit for honey, or Mesh would make her mother's uj cake recipe and Aden would provide the honey.

"I have some honey in the kitchen for you. I think the bees hit some fruit trees this time because it has a darker color, and fruity flavor than the last batch where they hit the clover fields."

Aden nodded his head toward Strider.

"I think be knows about us by the way. Just a hunch."

[member="Mesh'la Hokan"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Krenis Skirata]

The Garons were holding a feast at their homestead and all were invited. That was good, for he hadn't met many of these Mandalorians yet. Too many things going on in the galaxy and too much going about. It wasn't like the old days when most of them stuck to their home planet. But he had known Garons back in his day, warriors and soldiers all. From what he knew, the tradition had continued. So he had rented a speeder to catch a ride out this way and now strode up towards the homestead, where he saw two people sitting on the porch. One appeared to be Strider himself and the other was a kid, perhaps his son, and talking with someone else. A young woman had already arrived with a speeder full of pies.

He gave a reserved smile to those around him as a boy came up to help the girl with the pies. So many people he didn't know, but hopefully that would change in the future. He shifted past them as he headed up to the porch, moving between the different people.

 

[Vuhan Chen]

[member="Aden Dral"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Mesh'la Hokan"]

If there was one thing Conner was good at, besides murdering scumbags, it was brooding and drowning his troubles in alcohol. The boy forced violently into manhood had witnessed things his father would never of known, the horrors of war were nothing compared to wading waist deep in literal rivers of blood and gore and that was just the tip of the iceberg on what the nether realm had to offer.

Compounded with the guilt that he felt for his actions on Muunlist he just sat back and drank. Sitting at the table filled with food the man ate nothing, in one hand he had a bottle of whiskey and in the other a empty glass that he no longer needed. Alcohol just couldn't numb the pain like it used to, but hey here was to bad life choices. The half zeltron took a swig from the bottle and stood up from his seat and walked down the halls of the home he was quite familiar with now.

He'd been staying with his dad since he distanced himself from the mandos and eventually returned to sort out the mess that was the clans. The garons were the glue holding together the macaroni to create the big picture, and without the man they would surely suffer. Not like there were any other people in the mandos who were as old and seasoned as his father, wasn't a very long life expectancy in this business.

Once the man made his way to the door the man stepped outside to the porch where everyone had gathered, he nodded his head up to address the Field Marshall [member="Preliat Mantis"] before sitting down on the bench and taking a pull from his bottle.

"Foods getting cold." He said as he sat down on the porch bench to the right of everyone.

 

[Alleycat]

"Vor entye… I made your favorite, peach, along with an apple," Mesh offered Aden with one of her sweet smiles attached to the thanks as he picked the pies up for her off the front passenger's seat. The whole dating idea was starting to warm on her, but still it felt strange having feelings more than just friendship for her best friend.

"Fruity honey, huh… I bet that will be real sweet then. You are becoming quite the beekeeper, Aden'ika," she grinned, then closed the door after he moved away from the speeder.

As the two teenagers walked side by side to the house, another Mando was making his way from his speeder as well. "Su'cuy, vod," the blonde greeted [member="Krenis Skirata"] with a friendly nod. "I'm Mesh'la, and this is Aden, Mr. Pie Man." That last part came out with a slight giggle. Okay, she was a bit nervous.

[member="Strider Garon"] [member="Conner Garon"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Strider Garon]

Strider watched as the wolf walk up to the homestead. The hound was no force user, but he could see the man was injured, mentally. Such pain would make sense if he was in a cast but it was not. The war with in the warrior's mind was a battle he was fighting a lone and from the looks of things, he wasn't winning. There was no other man in the universe that could match this creatures tenacity in battle, you knew you were in good hands when [member="Preliat Mantis"] was on your side. But all he had loved dear had been taken from him and now the creature of war walks alone, lost in the forest.

His words confirmed the old man's suspicions. The man was on the edge. Such talk was talk of finality, such dangerous words with hidden meanings. Strider read into such for he was old and wise. He did not get to the ripe age he was at with out losing chunks of himself along the way. He had fought the same fights his friend before him was fighting, just on different fields of battle. The one thing he knew was that these battles could not be fought alone, even if the combatant was a lone wolf. "No!' The old man would reply back to Preliat in response to his statement in a snarled tone.

"My home is always open to you vod! Look around you, these people you have fought for, bled for and sacrificed so much. Your words reek of defeat but I will honestly tell you. The Mando'ade are not done with you, I am not done with you. You will always belong here I guarantee you that." His eyes would peirce into the wolf's glare. " You have saved my life more then once, let a brother help you!"

He looked at his other son, [member="Conner Garon"], for the words were very much implied to him as well. He then would look past them all to see [member="Aden Dral"] greeting the beautiful [member="Mesh'la Hokan"] . Two damaged warriors beside him and his gaze fell upon the younger generation at the speeder. All in their innocents now, Strider knew those two will see hell just as much as the two veterans and himself have. The Mandalorians were strong people, but what made them strong was their bond to each other. IT was far more durable then the beskar plates they donned for war.

"Turn your face towards the sun. Let the shadows fall behind you and carry on" His eyes kept on the two youths in the distance. As he mumbled his advice. He watched as the new soldier, [member="Krenis Skirata"] , had offered his assistance to his son and his young love. Her golden locks were very much her mothers. She will grow to be a visually stunning woman, almost a clone of Briika. Aden had good taste, though he doubted her parents would be thrilled to see a Garon offspring courting their daughter. Reputation and all.

"Alright, lets go inside!" He said as he would get up off his chair and would move towards the seated prelait. He put a gentle father like grip upon his shoulder "You are not alone, always remember that vod!" he then turned to his son Conner "Now did you leave anything for us to drink?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Pie man!?"

Aden pretended to be hurt and stuck his tongue out at Mesh'la. The others were arriving, the one Mesh'la had just said hello to, and another mando, a brother. To be honest Aden didn't know his siblings that well, and some were old enough to be his father. It was odd, but that was the truth. The blonde's compliments helped though, the beekeeping was a hobby really, but he did take pride in it. It made her teasing bearable, that and the fact he would tease back when the chance presented itself.

He stopped long enough to make introductions to Strider, but then they were all hurried inside. The food was getting cold, and Aden wanted the peach pie. In fact he put it where it wouldn't be easily seen to make sure he got a piece later. He grabbed the jar of honey and took it to Mesh'la as the group was gathering.

"Thanks for the peach pie. Here's the honey. And it's pretty recent too. Don't be nervous. If the big boys get to hammered we can head to your place or something. I'm glad you came."

He turned to Strider.

"She brought pies!"

[member="Strider Garon"] [member="Mesh'la Hokan"] [member="Conner Garon"] [member="Krenis Skirata"]n[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Vuhan Chen]

Conner took another swig from his bottle and grunted towards his father a "Mmmgh" sound that he had indeed saved a fair amount of booze for the rest of them, and too be honest there was no way he could make a dent in his father's hooch stock without dying of alcohol poisoning first. So with the bottle to his lips once again he drank down some more of the strong whiskey and stood up.

"Field Marshall." Conner said in his deadpan voice as he walked past Preliat.

Conner looked over to his younger half brother and his girlfriend, they looked so happy together in their fantasy. They looked like they had never held someone they loved while they died in their arms or even taken a life, he envied them truly he did. There wasn't a day that went by where Conner didn't long for a time where he could go back to Zeltros and be with his late mother again. But those were just day dreams, illusions of what could never be.

"Don't keep dad waiting." He said in a deadpan voice to his younger brother that could be interpreted many different ways.

Once there the man hung up his coat and sat down at the table. Grabbing the glass he had left, the man filled it and placed a few ice cubes into it before waiting for everyone else to get there.

[member="Aden Dral"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Mesh'la Hokan"] [member="Krenis Skirata"]

 

[Basaba Willamina]

The sound of metal crumpling as she squeezed the cup with her mechanical arm. Basaba raised an eyebrow though and well it was Strider she expected many things at a party for him... or by him. Thankfully he had no seconds though when she arrived and wore a tank top. "Old man." She said it crossing her arms and she grinned though getting out a small flask taking a drink looking at the others who were there and walking to find a place to enjoy all of it. "Looks like it shall be quite a fun party." Basaba was moving towards the others to join in on this joy filled day of Strider being alive after the iv's of stri'agra he had usually hooked up to him.

 

[Krenis Skirata]

Krenis looked over as a pair of teenagers walked past, the girl introducing herself and her companion to him. He gave them a smile. "Su'cuy, vod, nice to meet you two," He paused, debating, "Especially if one of you is the pie man."

He looked back to the porch and then to the two of them. "Krenis Skirata. No food, however." He eyed them as they darted ahead towards the doorway and then into the homestead. He followed more slowly. Age was getting to him. Not actually, but it amused him to say so. He didn't look old, but a long time in stasis made all that quite pointless. He was probably the oldest on the planet right now, but didn't look it. It made so many possibilities for awkward jokes. He glanced behind again as others filtered in and headed inside.

He waited a few moments and then followed behind them, taking a seat at the table with openings nearby. Didn't want to intrude on anyone's space by accident. Not with these new folks. No, he'd have to observe and see what was going on before daring to sit next to anyone.

 

[Alleycat]

Mesh'la's blue eyes followed to where [member="Aden Dral"] had put the peach pie off to the side and the apple out in front. She just smiled.

"Sounds like a plan, Aden'ika… There's a blackberry pie at home too I didn't bring as I'd just taken it out of the oven before coming over," she whispered to him knowing that was his other favorite flavor of pie. "Plus, I shouldn't stay too long into the night anyways. Bessie is in the very early stages of labor, though at this point not a lot I can do for her."

Wow there was quite a spread already on the table that was made for this feast of thanks. [member="Strider Garon"] had spared no expense.

"The food looks great, Stri'buir. Vor'e for letting me celebrate with your aliit and close vode. Ner buire send their regards," Mesh offered to the Hound of Keldabe, though he seemed like a father figure at the moment and not the sex craved maniac she'd heard him referred as. The man had a heart underneath all his grizzled bravado. It was evident in the way he'd spoken to the weary Field Marshall outside and his elder son, whom she hadn't met yet formally.

The young blonde turned to the new face inside near her, a very tall woman at that. "Su'cuy, I'm Mesh'la," she nodded friendly like to [member="Basaba Willamina"], then pointed to the new guy from outside they'd met walking in. "Oh and this is [member="Krenis Skirata"]."

[member="Conner Garon"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"I'm gettin, Conner," Aden replied, he rolled his eyes once his half brother couldn't see him.

He wondered if Conner knew why he was living with Strider now. Aden wasn't there by choice, though happy to be on the Garon homestead. Aden was there because his mother had died. The world was not perfect or ideal by any means. This was a lesson they all knew all too well. Mesh'la lost a father, Aden a mother, but they carried on. Perhaps it was their youth which let them, but they did.

A smile pulls at Aden's lips when he heard mention of a blackberry pie. His gaze took to Mesh'la for a moment.

"You're really tempting me now. Either that or you planned this whole thing. Whichever, I think I'm set on taking you home and getting some of that blackberry pie later."

The had to get a spot at the table before the filled up. Aden grabbed a chair for them both, and noticed the man they met earlier hanging back. Strider didn't have seats reserved really, so Aden motiined for the man to sit with him on the otherside.

"There is a spot here, [member="Krenis Skirata"]. Don't be shy, vod. Plenty of food and space to go around."

Aden sat down next to Mesh'la and looked at the spread. He was going to eat more than he should, and then maybe get a nap in. That all depended on whether there were games later. Knowing Strider something was up his sleeve. The hound was always full of surprises, something Aden loved about him.

[member="Mesh'la Hokan"] [member="Basaba Willamina"] [member="Conner Garon"] [member="Strider Garon"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Brown eyes fell upon [member="Strider Garon"], and he spoke quickly before he was out of earshot. They stared at him, harshly at first, then in a guilty way in a mere fraction of a second later. He did not like what he was about to do, but he felt it was necessary."All my sacrifices. All the blood I've shed, Strider- all the bodies I've racked up. All the horrible things I've done. For nothing. There is no glory in what I have done. I find no pride in it. So yes, you may help me, Strider."He stood, and followed Strider inwards.

"By staying out of my way."

Preliat's words carried weight, but the true meaning of them wasn't clear yet. Preliat reached towards his foot, removing the small Beskad knife. He laid it on the table next to Strider, and made for the door."Enjoy your time with your family."Envy flared in Preliat's eyes, envy of the life he did not have, nor would he ever. Everything that he valued was stripped away from him. He was soulless, the last part that made him a man dying on Elrood all those years ago. And whatever redemption he had, was pulled into the Netherworld. Hell. That's where they were. And that's where he was. His life, torn apart, for nothing. The Mandalorians were no gift to him. He had few friends. Azrael, the man who arguably Preliat had seated into the position of Mandalore, gone. Gone and with no word of why. So Preliat had nothing. He had nothing, no reason to remain a part of the Mando'ade. The only thing that could tie him down was his brother, [member="Silas Mantis"], whom he had not heard from in quite some time. Preliat's footsteps padded along the floor until they hit the soil.

Preliat had no place among the Mandalorians anymore. And there wasn't a man, woman, or beast alive that could consider him otherwise. Not even the man who had been a father to him, a friend, and a mentor in many ways. But Preliat had shaped himself, grown alone, and accomplished things by his lonesome. His nom de guerre wasn't because of his savagery solely. The Wolf was a man who did it by himself. All his fights. All his inner demons- battled by his lonesome. They were soothed with love and family, but once those were taken, all those beasts at the gates of his mind, those demons weighing down his conscience, those monsters who had worn away the ideas of happiness and joy to a memory etched on the walls of his mind, won. They had won, and the Wolf was born. [member="Ashin Varanin"] was right. He was an animal. Vicious, focused, and without a sense of belonging. A singular, lonely, angry wolf.

Preliat left Strider's house, knowing that he would never step foot onto a Mandalorian planet again in a friendly way.

 

[Satine Detta]

A family gathering of siblings she had never met and friends of her buir. Satine looked to her riduur [member="Nolan Detta"] and wondered what his thoughts were as he looked at their children playing on the deck of the ship.

They were growing fast soon they would face things that all children of Mandalore and Emberlene would. Training that would build their bodies and minds to face adversity, to be strong in the face of fear, and to know their culture, and realize that family was the safe haven. That was why they went today they went to see family, to strengthen the bonds that held them together.

How long since she had seen her father? sometime what was he up to now? The traditional back slap of how many kids he had would come up, how many women had he notched on the bedpost, and his age. All fodder for all to rile the elder up.

They were coming in for a landing, it was time.

[member="Strider Garon"]

 

[Anija Betna]

[member="Mesh'la Hokan"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Mirshko Betna"]

Parties. Not something Anija usually found herself at these days. These were busy times. And with the disappearance of [member="Azrael"], the clan leaders had been more active. While she wasn't one herself, she did lend her support to Betna as much as she could. So, when the invitation came, Anija wasn't about to turn it down. Granted, she and Strider hadn't always seen eye to eye on matters, but she knew... and hoped they could set aside their disagreements for one night.

As she arrived, she could already see the party was well underway. She paused for a moment as Mirshko hopped easily out of the speeder. Her daughter was growing so quickly. And, in spite of what had happened within the last year, she was slowly starting to come out of her shell. She never had told them the whole story of what happened, but Anija had been to piece together quite a lot from what she had said. And... to put it mildly, she was very glad to have her daughter back. A moment to pull her daughter into a hug, and she slowly began to make her way inside, and began looking for Strider.