A Reminder

[Darth Carnifex]

​

Echoy'la
Sith Space

For years, the hollow moonlet of Echoy'la had been a haven for those of the Mandalorian faith to live and thrive out from under the rule of Mand'alor the Infernal. The Sith Emperor, once seeing the value in these hardened warrior mercenaries, had granted them this space so that in return they would serve his interests as valuable soldiers in his crusade to bring order and the rule of the dark side to the galaxy.

But recent years have strained this relationship, errant actions of over-arrogant men that thought themselves above reproach. Meddling in the affairs of the Emperor, soiling portions of a carefully laid plan over a decade in the making.

They needed to be reminded.

An emergency beacon was sent out from Echoy'la, one that had been designed long before the Sith came to this isolated region. It was made in the event that the moonlet was under attack, to recall all warriors back home to defend it and its people. In reality, there was no threat assaulting the base. The alarm had been triggered remotely and subsequently encrypted, hampering any attempts to deactivate or alter the continuous signal being sent out to the members of the Mandalorian clans that called Echoy'la home.

Not long after, a second signal was sent out along more secure channels. An Imperial signal.

One that bore the Emperor's sigil.

"His Supreme Excellency, the Emperor of the Sith, demands an audience with the heads of Clans Fett, Munin, and Vizsla."

[member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="Ronan Vizsla"]​

 

[Rythe Skirata]

Mandalore - Kyrimoruut

It was a warm day on Mandalore, harvest season for the Ironweed fields of Kyrimoruut. Rythe wiped the sweat from her brow and leaned against the harvesting tool and looked out over the farm. Mandalore was peaceful, for the first time in a long time, even if the people themselves were less than enthused with their new allies.

Like most of her friends Rythe had fought the Sith Empire for most of her adult life, and House Skirata had always been in staunch opposition to the Sith. Most Mandalorian Houses and clans held some sort of grudge against them, after all they had orchestrated the nuclear annihilation of Keldabe, twisted the minds of some of their greatest warriors, and killed many sons and daughters of Mandalore in their quest for galactic domination. Some saw it as their duty to keep the tide of the Sith within the outer reaches of the Galaxy and used that logic to justify the increased Sith entering and leaving Sundari.

But today as her family readied for harvest a vessel landed at her home and her heart rose into her throat. She dropped her tool and rushed to the homestead.

"Alor," the Mandalorian saluted but Rythe waved it off. Much like her predecessor she wasn't one for formalities like that.

"What is it that this couldn't wait until morning?" The Mandalorian looked from side to side nervously. The Gurlanin could be anywhere.

"We've received a distress call from Echoy'la," Unusual, considering those clans tended to stick with their own and had long been rumored to have submitted mostly to the Sith that controlled that sector of space. "It was an all call, an old one...But we've lost contact with them and the signal's been replaced with a Sith Imperial one. Its calling for Clan Fett, Munin, and Viszla."

The traitors.

Rythe's look became grave. Had they done it? A first strike against the Mandalorians? Sure the Mando'ade of Echoy'la had long since distanced themselves from Mandalore, but this was just the begining she feared. They had been at least playing the part of Sith Loyalists for years. What had made the Sith turn their red blades to them?

"Call the fleets. Get the word out to be on watch, and make sure you get word to Junction as well." The Mandalorian nodded.

"Anything else ma'am?"

"Call a moot of House Skirata...Don't bother calling Clan Cadera though I have a feeling they have something to do with this." The man gave another salute and Rythe threw him a look before he dashed back to his starfighter and flew off to the nearest House Skirata allied clan.

 

[Vilaz Munin]

He had adapted and accustomed to the asteroids of Echoy'la. Nothing compared to Concord Dawn or Mandalore, but it was home in a sense. Land granted to him and his clan by the Sith Empire as they served their employers as esteemed mercenaries. They chased down bounties or fought on the battlefield for the Sith. It was a mutual business that Vilaz personally liked. The Sith and his clan shared similar wants and goals, finding a common ground between the two nations. While they made a profit out of it, they continued to amass their forces and expand their influence in different systems which allowed them to pillage worlds in different directions at different times.

The Warlord had recently came back from a raid, resting his mind and body while enjoying his family. He would go out again in perhaps a month or two to assault different worlds that was fresh with treasure.

To his surprise, the klaxons were alive with shouts to call the warriors to defend their home. The warrior jumped, wondering why and how someone came into the system. The unknown invader would not face Mandalorian retaliation, but also Sith. Moments passed and everything was clear. It wasn't an assault, rather it was a visitors from the Empire. Curiosity also wondered why the Dark Lord came. Surely he could have reached out via hologram.

"Your Emperor could have reached out differently rather than troubling himself coming here," he responded back in the comms, "he can come to the space station and I can meet him there. I do not speak for Vizsla or Fett as I do not know where their leaders are."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Briika Munin]

The Munin couple had been serenely sleeping when the klaxons sounded. Briika had her golden head pillowed upon her husband's broad shoulder when [member="Vilaz Munin"] jumped up at the alert. It was a startled way to wake up that was for sure, but one unfortunately over years the Mando had learned to respond to.

She was glad to have the warlord home safe and sound after his last raid. Home was were the heart was for them now. Rarely did the baar'ur go raiding anymore, choosing rather to stay with the children and raise them in the Mandalorian way until Kaiyra and Adenn were old enough to go out on the hunt as well. The Tor-Munin did miss her farm life on Mandalore and the time shared on their former Concord Dawn ranch, but Echoy'la was growing on her... well to a degree it could for the exiles. She simply had to make lemonade out of the lemons given, and made the best of the situation they found themselves in ever since that fateful Red Coronation.

Briika dressed quickly as the Concordian made a reply to the message received from the Sith Emperor. She had a bad feeling about this.

"An audience with [member="Darth Carnifex"]? This summons has seriousness written all over it. Shall I go with you or wait here?" the petite blonde asked of her riduur, then added a moment later with a more quizzical tone of a knowing wife.

"Should I be worried, Vil'ika... I mean, have you done something to displease him, or do you think this is just a check of loyalty to the Dark Lord and rallying cry for the Sith Emperor's cause?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Emperor's flagship plunged through the icy darkness of space like a dagger through flesh, brushing aside stray asteroids and other rock formations that had deviated from the asteroid belt Echoy'la was situated in. A small escort of picket ships were festooned around its gargantuan bulk, swimming more gracefully than the dreadnought ever could. Even smaller ships, mere fleas against the Emperor's flagship, meandered along predictable patrol vectors, Imperial TIE fighters inspired by the designs of the now defunct First Order.

From the underbelly of the dreadnought emerged a single shuttle, black wings unfurled in flight as it snaked away from the fleet and passed into the asteroid field of Echoy'la. Encrypted codes were transmitted back and forth, enabling the shuttle to come to a gentle landing down on one of the many landing zones built into the asteroid.

"Warlord Vilaz Munin, the Emperor requires your presence on his majesty's flagship, the Behemoth II. A shuttle awaits to transport you and your mate." A small cadre of crimson-clad Crownsguard would be waiting them, silent as the grave.

[member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="Briika Munin"]​

 

[Vilaz Munin]

His family and clan were what concerned Vilaz the most. Had he been a man without those he’d be carefree of what issues the Dark Lord had. While still concerned and protective of his clan, he was also not one to allow himself to be stepped on or taken lightly. What exactly did Vilaz do to upset the Sith? He could only assume the Epicanthix was upset, for if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have come in his Super Star Destroyer. Was it a way to try influence fear into those of Clan Munin? Larger objects had been destroyed in the past that seemed untouchable, and this vessel was no different than others. Maybe that tactic worked for other populations that didn’t have a stiff spine, but not on him. He would rather die with courage than live in fear.

The Warlord, too, was irritated with the events of today. Not only was he requested to aboard the Behemoth, but also his wife. Something that would not go unnoticed by him and taken with caution. Loyal he may be in a degree as he and Carnifex were business associates, but he was not some Imperial grunt that kneeled down to him. He was his own master.

”I...I don’t know, Bree, I wish I could give you an answer, but I don’t. I’m trying to figure that out as well. Just trust in me, I’ll see what the Dark Lord wants and get him outta here as fast as I can.”

His hands gently held Bree’s shoulders and slowly descended down to reach for her hands, trying to calm her.

”You don’t have to go, cyar’ika. You can stay with our ade while I figure out what Zambrano wants. We are mercenaries, but we’re not loyalist and I don’t appreciate people demanding me to bring my wife to summonings. We're certainly not the landuur people of Cadera’s empire that lick the boots of aruetiise, something that our...guest seems to forget.”

[member="Briika Munin"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Briika Munin]

Briika had dressed quickly slipping into her silver-plated beskar'gam with well-practiced ease while conversing with her husband. Her golden hair was then braided into plaits for simplicity when wearing the matching silver-colored buy'ce with the blood red tinted T-visor that gave the Baar'ur a bit more menacing look than her normal demeanor might show.

When the Tor-Munin wanted to though and/or needed to be a ferocious mama bear, the petite blonde would become just that. Vilaz knew enough by not to stay her when his wife got that way, and not to test her resolve himself. Now that would be a losing proportion for the Akaan.

The Concordian tried to sooth Briika's worries with a gentle touch upon her armored shoulders and a squeeze of her hands in his as well with words of encouragement to accompany his actions. She was calm, but past experience put her on edge nonetheless. It was the right kind though that would help the doctor to be mindful and ready to act with deliberation if need be.

"I know... Together we shall face whatever this summons is as we are stronger as one, and I would not shirk my duty as your riduur and alor'ad to our aliit," Bree nodded with a certainty that the warlord would understand perfectly with her position taken. She leaned in and gave Vilaz a kiss before stepping away to pull on her helmet, then holstered a pair of Mandalorian Rippers upon her shapely hips while the blonde's Fett Kal trench knife was already sheathed in her boot. Briika was now dressed for success with only one more thing to top her apparel off.

[ Well, cyar'ika. Let's go find out what the Emperor wants, hmm? ] she stated over their personal comms, then picked up the smaller of the two beskads laying out on the end of the bed and slipped the custom-made Mando sword into its sheath attached to her back before exiting their quarters for the trek out to the landing pad to board the waiting Tau-class Imperial shuttle.

[member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Vilaz Munin]

She was strong like him; unyielding like him; brave like him. He admired her ever since they met, and that admiration only increased as time flew by for the couple. He was grateful to meet Bree on that Loronar raid in the events of the last days of the Republic and the first coming of Ra as Sole Ruler of the Mandalorians, and was very fortunate to call her his wife. He would have thought no different of the Tor-Munin if she stayed with their children, but her accompanying Vilaz spoke great volumes of the woman the Warlord married. Able to risk herself in coming aboard the Dark Lord’s flagship.

And he would not stop her or persuade in reconsidering in staying as it would be futile.

”Ni kar'taylir darasuum gar,” the warrior said after kissing back his beloved. He’d then placed his war helmet over his head, holstering two heavy blaster pistols and sheathing a beskad. Nothing too heavy, then again his armor was a walking weapon.

”Let’s hope this ain’t a waste of our time,” he said over in their comms, the married couple walking out to the landing pad. There were the Crownguard of the Emperor, standing with discipline. They would aboard the shuttle before being taken to the Super Star Destroyer. Hopefully things wouldn’t turn sour, best for the two parties.

[member="Briika Munin"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The two Crownguard shadowed both Munins as they clamored up the gangplank into the shuttle, the ramp retracting and sealing behind them. There was ample room in the craft for the two Mandalorians and the two Crownguard to stand separately from one another, rows of utilitarian seating lining both walls of the hold. A shudder rippled through the shuttle as it initiated take-off sequence, ion drives burning brightly as the craft lifted up from the landing zone, pivoted away from the station, and surged away from the station. Wings unfurling, the shuttle soared through empty space towards the super star destroyer lurking just beyond the asteroid field, a pair of TIE fighters breaking away from a patrol squadron to escort the shuttle into the Emperor's personal hangar bay.

More Crownguard awaited them on the hangar deck, two parallel lines of honor guards sent to escort them into the Emperor's presence. Like those that had greeted them on the landing pad, they stood silent and stoic as the grave. There was, however, another being that awaited them. Draped in fine vestments of earthen hues, Tammuz-Ra watched with incandescent orange eyes as the pair of Mandalorians descended from the shuttle.

"A thousand pleasant tidings, Vilaz; son of Rhen, Briika; daughter of Ka'ra." The Voss Prophet spread his arms wide in greetings, his speech strangely musical. "The Emperor of all Sith awaits you in the chamber beyond, much will be discussed." The Voss turned to lead them to the Sith Emperor, his hands now clasped in front of him as if in prayer. "The Emperor of all Sith has sensed your frustration, Vilaz; son of Rhen. He knows that you chafe under your exile, and he has come to offer reprieve."

[member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="Briika Munin"]​

 

[Vilaz Munin]

Nothing had gone south...yet. The Warlord and his wife were only met with more Crownsguard of the Dark Lord once they arrived at the personal hangar of [member=“Darth Carnifex”]. The guards didn’t concern the warrior as he knew that many royal figures enjoyed having more than a dozen guards. The more detailed one’s security was, the more enemies one made and without a doubt the Sith Emperor had countless of people wanting him dead. Again, silent was in the air except for the symphony of feet marching on the durasteel floor with armored boots. One thing Vilaz did take notice was the guards not demanding to surrender their arsenal, or maybe they would later.

The near perfection of silence was broken as the couple with the Imperial escort were introduced to a Voss seer clothed in robes that reflected on his occupation. The mystic spoke their names, but what intrigued Vilaz was the Voss speaking the name of his father. The Mandalorian had no knowledge of his biological ancestry, and so it surprised him this seer knew his name. But of course the Force was used to know this information. What else could this seer know of his lineage?

”Reprieve?” The Mandalorian simply asked, adding no other words to his dialogue. Was Vilaz frustrated? Plenty, in fact that was an understatement. He had adapted to his new style of life in exile and was happy with the outcome of it, but he couldn’t deny that he was angry with the occurring events of Cadera’s degenerate Mandalorians in her Empire, and how they represented his culture. And what they represented was how weak they were, wanting to conform with others. They said they did not kneel, but all he saw was the opposite of what they said to be. Something that didn’t define Vilaz.

[member="Briika Munin"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Gryylarc]

Some Echoy'lan tunnel settlements protruded from the big asteroid's surface to one extent or another. Locals and visitors alike paid a premium for a view. This one had cost Gryylarc thirty wupiupi and a growl deep enough to rattle stone. He had his solitude. His only companion was a tripod-mounted passive sensor scope aimed at the Emperor's flagship. A vessel like that had an immense surface area with plenty to learn, even at this range.

Gryylarc squinted through the scope's visual pointer, little more than half a macrobinocular bolted to the sensor package. Far out there, a shuttle was just pulling into the Super Star Destroyer's hangar like a tick aggressing a massive predator.

Had it dropped someone off or picked them up, though? Gryylarc eyed the direction of the place where the shuttle had visited Echoy'la. The sensor package was set up and transmitting elsewhere; his job here was effectively done.

In the tunnels, he headed off toward, unbeknownst to him, the potentially empty home of [member="Vilaz Munin"].

 

[Briika Munin]

The Tor-Munin had remained silent during the journey to the Sith Emperor's flagship. She tolerated the dark side users, but didn't fully trust them. Briika knew her husband had a business relationship with the Dark Lord, which brought in a pretty credit to their clan. So yeah, sometime one had to sleep with the devil in order to survive as exile had been hard for the Concord Dawn Mando's.

Staying ever vigilant, the Baar'ur followed along with Vilaz as they were escorted from the shuttle upon landing in Darth Carnifex's personal hangar. A Voss greeted them along with more of the Emperor's guards. This was turning into a showy affair with all the security just for them. A chill ran down the blonde's spine, but she would not share her concern yet. Briika was sure the Warlord was feeling the same way.

The conversation the Voss started with them made Briika quirk a blondish-brown eyebrow up. The Concordian had never really talked much about his family. He didn't really have anything to say really. They had discussed perhaps doing an ancestry gene test before having children, but the matter had gone by the wayside with the destruction of Mandalore and never brought up again... until today.

Rhen... an interesting name, she mused to herself, then came the mention of a reprieve... What did that exactly mean?!

They were soon to find out as the couple were lead before the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. A respectful cant of her helmeted head was given from where she stood, nothing more, nothing less at this time.

[member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Gryylarc"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Oh yes, a reprieve." Chortled the Prophet, "Of a sort. The Emperor of the Sith is seeing many of his long-laid works come to fruition." The Prophet fell silent, not even budging to respond to further inquiries as they continued to walk through the cavernous interior of the Emperor's dreadnought. Though the halls of the ship were wide, enough to drive a battle tank down the middle with half a meter of wiggle room on either side, there was a dark ominous sensation that replicated the bone-chilling creep of claustrophobia the further they walked. Guards were infrequent, and those that were seen stood guard over locked doors just as large as the hall they currently traversed.

At long last they reached the monolithic entrance leading to the Emperor's private sanctum, its doors decorated with depictions of ancient battles and rituals virtually unknown to all but the most learned of Sith historians. Two of the largest guards stood watch over the gateway, standing well over four meters. An equally massive pole-axe was grasped in one hand, its pommel resting against the polished floor with the wide edge of the axe-head angled towards the direction of the entryway.

The Prophet came to a gradual halt, both of his long spindly arms rising in reverence as a string of unknown syllables lept up past his lips. Each guardian craned their massive armored heads to glare at the miniscule seer, hands reaching out to grasp the circular metal handle to open both doors and allow them entry into their Lord's sanctum. "Only the two of you are allowed entry, Vilaz; son of Rhen, and Briika; daughter of Ka'ra. His Supreme Excellency has seen it fit for you to keep your weapons, as he does not fear mortal tools." Indeed, they would not be harassed as they passed through the threshold and entered the perpetual gloom of the Emperor's abode.

A long rail-less bridge spanned a vast depth bordering a circular platform of polished black metal, upon which was raised a throne on a stepped dais. It was there that they would find the Sith Emperor, his muscular body clad in flowing maroon robes without any armor or unnecessary ornamentation. He didn't even carry a weapon of his own.

"Ah, Vilaz. My old friend. I am pleased that you could come, my most faithful."

[member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="Briika Munin"]​