Civil War: First Strike | Mandalorians

[Preliat Mantis]

[member="Ordo"] was wrapped in Preliat's graces, as they flew through the air. Time slowed as he heard the dart bounce off of the armor hood he had. Modeled after the older Mandalorian designs, it was a popular among the older, more crusader-like Mandalorians of the past. It also helped identify Preliat on the battlefield- for either side. He stared at Ordo, and looked, in milliseconds, outward. Brother versus brother, families torn apart. Clans rendered obsolete- and the wounds from this war would never heal, not fully. Not for generations, not for years. Maybe ever. The Force was a cancer to the Mandalorians- it only brought them suffering. Preliat understood the hatred. He understood that bitter desire for vengeance, how it could be all-consuming, all-encompassing.

He understood the other side, but he had to agree with the Death Watch. Mia took everything he had, and turned it around on him. Now, his daughter was in this war. He wanted her to not be like him. Unfortunately- she was becoming more and more like him, and not the woman whom he wanted her to be like. Mia robbed her of a mother, of a whole family. There would always be that gaping wound for Yasha- and for Preliat. Preliat could never forgive that.

Preliat would not.

Ordo was one of his oldest friends, a teacher, a father figure in a man's life that lacked one. He turned his head back to him- but the time between the two might as well have been years between the seconds. Preliat knew the pack on his back was a repulsorlift- he knew the model. But that only worked in a gravity well, only worked in certain places. Useful in space- for boarding enemy ships. Preliat loosened his grip on the old man, and began to let go. He put a knee between them, to create space. Before he did, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Jasper."

Preliat extended his cybernetic leg, in attempt to force Ordo off of him- mid air.

 

[Silas Mantis]

Location: MandalMotors
Allies: Death Watch- [member="Kad Tor"], [member="Marev Priest"], [member="Strider Garon"], [member="Yasha Mantis"], [member="Tahn Vizsla"], [member="Kaden Farr"]
Enemies: Da'manda- [member="Zeke Farthen"], [member="Gilamar Skirata"], [member="Mia Monroe"], [member="Rhodessa"], [member="Rekali the Hutt"]

Silas was a bit concerned the dead were coming back to life in mass and someone had forgotten to give him the memo. As the voice of his deceased sister in law echoed in his helmet his eyes raced back and forth, and as he heard blaster fire he went for his knife on instinct. Then he heard Yasha, and the boy from the roof a few seconds ago and he let his guard down ever so slightly.

He didn't say much simply groaning as he tried to keep himself aware of his surroundings, hand tight around the Concord Fang's hilt. Even as Yasha spoke, words blurred as his head rang his eyes were locked on something in the dark corner of the room, where something moved in the shadows.

He did not speak a word as his niece tended to him as best as she could, he did not hear the calls for something to burn the wound shut, he only saw the movement in the shadows. Suddenly it surged forwards, a wolf, or more accurately a Gurlarin, either way, the large animal charged Yasha jaws wide. His remaining arm shot up, the blade ramming upwards and going through the jaw's of the beast up into its skull. It dropped in an instant, sliding against the wall as Silas released the knife and letting the corpse's momentum carry it forward.

"You missed one ad'ika." Silas teased, smirking slightly under the helmet, somewhat aware of what was about to happen thanks to the boy heating the metal via blaster. It was going to hurt, but at least he'd live.

 

[Ordo]

COLD IRON CITY

[member="Preliat Mantis"]

Ordo looked at the man and remembered the shaking boy that had been tossed into a war against the zombified monsters of the dark harvest crisis. He remembered watching the shaking youth as he told him to stay close. Ordo had known the boy could be tough, he had had so much potential...but he remembered watching the boy spiral into a void of drunkenness and hate as well. It broke his heart.

Ordo knew when the knee came up he had to act fast. He dropped the beskad from one hand as he felt Preliat tense and grabbed it with his left already in mid motion. The blade angled for the wolf's knee joint as he blinked his whipcord active on the crushgaunt pinned wrist. He would aim for the man's arms. He didn't want to kill a good warrior. Not like this.

"Me too, son." He said sadly as he moved.

 

[Ra Vizsla]

https://soundcloud.com/kito-1/cutting-crew-i-just-died-in

Location: Mandalmotors
Allies: Death Watch
Enemies: [member="Gilamar Skirata"], [member="Mia Monroe"], [member="Zeke Farthen"], @Rhodessa


Gilamar was out. Ra had predicted as much, it was no true challenge.

Just an obvious distraction the Mand'alor couldn't ignore.

The building rumbled.

The building shook.

The others had begun to leave, but the Mandalorian who remained behind, one of the many traitors, had sunk to the floor. Bleeding. Dying.

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And Ra felt such RAGE.​

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Rage at Gilamar.​

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Rage at the traitors.​

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An unyielding, untempered rage.​

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Only Mia's death could quell it.​

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He quietly walked over to her, the behemoth of a Mandalorian looming over.​

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And he knelt down.​

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"...It doesn't look fatal,"​

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Mand'alor inspected the wound, gently.​

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"..You may live yet."​

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One hand lifted the girl's visor.​

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The other gripped her face.​

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"The madness you have endured,​

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the insanity you follow​

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the WEAKNESS you spread​

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Must be PURGED."​

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He attempted to slam her head viciously against the duracrete.​

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"FROM."​

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Another slam.​

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"MANDALORE."​

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Both hands applied to the sides of her face.​

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And Ra would squeeze.​

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And squeeze.​

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And squeeze.​

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Until there was nothing left.​

 

[Vilaz Munin]

Location: Cold Iron North
Allies: Death Watch; [member="Briika Tor"], [member="Preliat Mantis"]
Enemies: Insurgents; [member="Ordo"], [member="Ginnie Ordo"], [member="Ru Setsuya"]
Engaging: [member="Rekali the Hutt"]

Who was winning? Who was losing? These questions that he did not know the answer to, but he was determine to win this battle for Mandalore, his family and clan, and the fallen that needlessly suffered the terror attack of Monroe. Not only him, but his wife and his men were determined as he or perhaps much more. As the savage Preliat engaged with ancient Ordo, and the fearsome Briika fought with the flaming Ginnie, Vilaz tried to find an opponent of his worth as he killed insurgent soldiers that pledged themselves to the false Mand'alor.

The Concordian was still around near his wife and he saw a...Hutt? A Hutt flying in the air and shooting what looked like a crossbow or some bowcaster weapon at the couple. He had used crossbow and bowcaster weapons before, things he had not used in a long time before adjusting his fighting style but he knew what capabilities they possessed. The Akaan then moved towards his wife to push her out of the way from harm; however, Vilaz would take the damage than his wife. An explosive bolt impacted on the bolt near him and one made tagged him, but his personal shielding gave him some protection before the blast of the bolt threw him backwards. He growled as he rolled on the snow before getting back up on his feet in a hurry and put his attention on the slug.

The warrior would then aim his left arm at the hostile before unleashing a wrist rocket. At the same time the Munin would fire slugs at the Hutt.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: MandalMotors
Allies: Death Watch- [member="Kad Tor"] [member="Marev Priest"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Tahn Vizsla"] [member="Kaden Farr"]
Enemies: Da'manda- [member="Zeke Farthen"] [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Mia Monroe"] [member="Rhodessa"] [member="Rekali the Hutt"] @Gross Medical Survival Techniques


"Holy jellybeans!" Yasha shrieked, taken by the rush of the Gurlarin, which somehow made it through the rubble and most definitely followed the scent of blood. She stared at the beast, hand leaving Silas for her tomahawk.





"Yasha! Focus!" Mama [member="Aditya Mantis"]' computerized voice thundered in her head.





"I'll do better, Ba'vodu, I won't miss another assai-assailamabob. Promise!" Yasha's hand went back to Silas' arm, fingers shivering and mouth shut in a grim line.





"Alright, Silas. I'm going to need you to breathe, sweet irli. Your buy'ce has a straw for your emergency water supply. Bite down on it, vod. Yasha baby, Mama needs you to put that hot metal plate on Ba'vodu Silas' stump. Straight up, for two seconds, then down. Then again until I say stop. Keep your goggles on his stump, Mama needs to see it. Pick it up, kotep'adika. Now." Aditya's calm recorded voice picked up in both comms. Yasha pushed her borrowed crushgaunt up her fingers. It was loose, giving too much room for her fingers to shake. Beneath her goggles, the little girl's eyes went as wide as the yawning void left from the Mando'ade's nuclear dead.





"Don't think. Do." Yasha's breath rattled in and out of her lungs like a speeder. She picked up the singing hot plate by the cord and shoved it onto [member="Silas Mantis"]' stump of an arm. The smell of roasting meat. The sound of metal sizzling against skin and bone.





"Down... Now." She held the plate to Silas' bucking arm with all her bodily strength.





"Down... Now." She held it past the burning in her fingers, through the crushgaunts. She held it as she watched the body of the gurlarin stop twitching.





"Down." She held it until her mother's voice in her comm told her that was enough. The metal clanged to the ground and Yasha's lips wobbled.





"I want Buir." Yasha whispered, climbing into Silas' lap and giving him a hug. "Hugs make wounds better."





"Sweetie, the building integrity is declining substantially. The building's coming down, sweetie. Get your burc'ya to help you. Mama's going away now, to conserve power. Building falling. Call the others, go down. Get out. Mama will see you soon, love you sweetie." The subroutine pinged [member="Preliat Mantis"]' buy'ce with a single auditory cue, built to alert, but not disturb his battles.





"Mama? Mama, no." Yasha panted, casting her gaze up at [member="Kaden Farr"]. She stood up as the debris above them yawned and creaked.





"I'm Yasha Mantis. This is my Ba'vodu Silas. We're Death Watch and if you wanna bring the hurt to that hut'unn [member="Mia Monroe"], that makes you Death Watch too. Help me get Ba'vodu out of here. You did good. I didn't know how to get the metal hot... you did good... thank you." Yasha toed at the ground, cocking her head to the side. The crack in her goggles hurt her eye, but she put it past her.





"Tal'Rekr, the building's insmegrity is de-climbing substa-sub... the building's gonna crash, we gotta go out the down way, out the front. Does anyone need assis-um-help?" Rattled, but fighting to remain calm, Yasha put the call out to the commandos ([member="Strider Garon"] [member="Kad Tor"] [member="Marev Priest"] [member="Tahn Vizsla"]). Digging under Silas' one working arm, Yasha tried to lift him up and only crashed back down.





"Oof. I don't know your name, but... help. He's too heavy. We gotta go down... now." Yasha tried to push Silas up. "Come on, Ba'vodu! You gotta get up. Come on! Ba'vodu, I will drag you on the skin of that gurlain if I have to!"

 

[Rexus Wenck]

Location: Cantina
Enemies: [member="Kade Kelborn"]

Rexus and co wake up, steal beskar from dead Death Watch, and leave the planet, hi fiving with an eighties credits sequence.

 

[Tal Vizsla]

Location: Keldabe, ruined city streets
Allies: Death Watch
Enemies: Monroe's Mandalorians


The droid not only let them leave, but told them to go. Interesting. And not a slaver then.

"She's called Kahetr."

He lowered the pistol, but remained seated atop his mount. She was unusually large for a basalisk, with four large legs rather than the usual two, and a longer tail to boot.

"Monroe's insurrection won't last the day. Those people won't have anything to fear by tomorrow.

The pistol returned to its holster. Bloodshot shifted his weight and his mount shivered and somehow seemed to relax, it's death-spewing gaze turning ever so slightly aside from the other droid.

"You didn't need to send them running."

[member="HK-36"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Tal Vizsla"],

Surprisingly enough, at least to the droid, Tal lowered his pistol, and so did HK lowered his hand, but the tension was not gone from the droid, at least not yet.

"Kahetr is a good name for a Besu'liisk."

The droid retorted before looking back up to Tal,

"And yes, I did. You may have fought for some time, but you are still young, this is not the first time Death Watch sets fire to Mandalore and not the first time whole families are sent to the Manda overnight by their hands. Do you know where we are?"

HK slightly spread his hands slightly, mentioning around them,

"After the Clockwork Rebellion a force of Death Watch backed by the Sith descended upon Mandalore in an invasion. Monroe, the Mandalore back then, let the planets defenses, Mandalorians and their allies facing the Sith and Death Watch together. I fought among them and on this very spot, at the climax of the battle when it was clear the Death Watch were repelled they dropped a nuclear explosive on Keldabe. I had to dig my fallen comrades from radioactive ashes that day to give them proper burial, and then I had to dig more out when Monroe took a big old chit on everything we did that day to win Mandalore's freedom."

The armored droid lowered his hands, that was probably not the exactly specific place where Keldabe was nuked after the Gulag Plague, one would expect there be some sort of memorial or monument for the fallen of that grim day, but they were probably close enough,

"I hope Monroe dies today, whether by Ra's hand, my hand, or someone else's, I hope she will perish, and for her sake I hope she does so in valor and not as a craven. I am not here to challenge Ra's rule as I said, but I will not trust Death Watch any time soon either, if I am protecting a group of refugees and I hear a besu'liisk approach with Death Watch around I will tell them to run every time and face what may come in their stead, there is too much risk to do otherwise."

 

[Tal Vizsla]

Location: Keldabe, ruined city streets
Allies: Death Watch
Enemies: Monroe's Mandalorians


"You would have failed."

Not a boast, but a claim made as a simple statement of fact.

"Since when does metal have such an affinity for flesh?"

His free hand patted the flank of his war mount.

"For this one it's in her programming, but you talk like a free being."

If he was being honest, he didn't much care about the atrocities of the past. He'd witnessed a hundred empires rise, fall, and change hands.

Millions died every day, and It never changed anything.

The galaxy just kept spinning on without them. You'd think a droid of all things would see the logic.

"Why do you care?"

[member="HK-36"]​

 

[Mia Monroe]

Location: MandalMotors Tower
Allies: [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Zeke Farthen"] [member="Vila Sayne"]
Enemies: [member="Ra Vizsla"] [member="Koda Fett"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Marev Priest"] [member="Kad Tor"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Kaden Farr"]

The noise of her another jet pack snapped her attention back from the fallen bes’uliik in time to see the cord coming her a simple gesture in the force diverted it away from her, twisting so the blaster rounds pinged harmlessly off her chest plate, leaving scorch marks in their wake. This one was new. He hadn’t been with Strider’s commandos’s but she had not time to contemplate this.

Her bolter swung up, firing two explosive rounds towards his head and chest and she deactivated her jet pack, plummeting like a rock towards the ground. She caught site of Gilamar’s bes’uliik crashing out of the side of the building and knew it was time to end this. She slowed her descent with the force landing with a resounding crack as her wounded knee gave way.

Pain was good. Rage was good. Both gave her strength and power. She dove deep into the force giving in to it entirely and reached out to MandalMotors tower. It wasn’t a tough building to crack, stress lines were already running through its entirety all she had to do was widen lines into cracks. Great thrumming twangs echoed throughout the building as Mia squeezed it with the force, feeling it begin to give way, she let go and let gravity do the job.

She left one lingering message for Ra, reaching for him in the force.

You should have stayed in the Netherworld, Pretender.​

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

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Mandalore​

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The Bounty Hunter had closed the gap, hovering behind her as he made his move. Although it was diverted by the force, something he hadn't quite taken on board for the time being, something he most definitely should've kept on top on before hastily attacking his quarry. Fett had such a small window of time to act and capture his quarry, but that time had passed and he was out of luck, for now. Being so exposed wasn't quite ideal, he would have to move and move fast to escape this chaos. This Civil War caught everyone in it's crossfire, and Koda didn't intend on being another one of those statistics.

The whipcord fired from his gauntlet had proven to be a trusty tool countless times over, though this time it had failed him. As the cord left his wrist, the sight of Mand'alor the Liberator turning to face it was apparent, and the cord took off to the ground below the two; gone from this short engagement. The shots that came out in three impacted with her chest piece, harmlessly pinging off to his dismay. This was a failure, nothing was gained and his element of surprise had vanished in a moment. Perhaps the force was to blame, another reason to despise it.

Monroe fired explosive shots from her bolter, sending them soaring in the direction of infamous bounty hunter. He saw what she fired earlier, before the ceiling collapsed and he knew that these shots were explosive. Activating a burst esque move with his jetpack he avoided them by darting towards the left, avoiding the shots that would otherwise cause significant damage - detonating on the remants of MandalMotors behind him. Few tricks up her sleeve. Koda murmured inside his own head. Witnessing her fall from the sky and escape him, she had no interest in taking him on, her priorities were elsewhere.

The Bounty Hunter had no intent of staying out in the open, as a result he spotted his previous location among the buildings that still stood around MandalMotors, standing relatively high with a nice enough view of this battleground. Like a bullet he flew towards it, coming to a halt upon arriving. Fett made himself at home once more, minimizing his presence by cautiously taking cover. If all had gone well he would be hidden, for the meantime he kept a keen eye on what was ahead of him and his sensors. If anything came his way, he would know.

[member=Mia Monroe]

 

[Daedel]

Location: Keldabe outskirts
Allies: [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Zeke Farthen"] [member="Vila Sayne"] [member="Mira Rekali"]
Enemies: [member="Ra Vizsla"] [member="Koda Fett"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Marev Priest"] [member="Kad Tor"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Kaden Farr"]

The Iron Skins were fools at times, but fools could still be owed a debt of honor. They had given succor to Dathomir when the vile republic and the scrabbling sith had loomed in the galaxy. They offered protection from the religious fanatics and asked for little. Monroe had been the leader then, and The Stormsister clan doubted this Ra, "Blood and Iron" her mother called him, would be as accepting of their freedoms.

They could not risk a full force and could not condone her officially but they had allowed volunteers to go and offer aid. Even if such was only in the form of evacuation.

The large ship, a former Mandalorian model, settled down and the large troop bay opened. Daedel sat a top her mount, a large bull rancor, and urged it forward. The beast grunted and roared compliance as it moved, trust and worry flowed through their bond.

"Too the iron skeens, precious." She said to the beast as she lifted her anti-material rifle to her shoulder. "Honor repays honor."

 

[Revenchent]

Location: Outskirts of Keldabe
Allies: [member="Ra Vizsla"], Deathwatch
Enemies: [member="Mia Monroe"], her followers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqGQMD0ky6k​

A group of murderers arrived on the outskirts of Keldabe.

They came upon the backs of old riding wolves; the kind of which had grown synonymous with the clan that raised them. Many of the beasts had lived peacefully within Mandalore's frozen north.

That was before the shattering, and the subsequent destruction of Kurs'taylir. The frozen city was little more than a carcass adorned with rotting buildings now. There was nothing there for the clan's survivors.

And so they had come here. The conflict was not their own. Tal'verda had receded into its icy home many years ago, and their involvement with the other clans had been relatively minuscule. It was only the cataclysm that had drawn the hermetic clan from its self-imposed isolation at the throat of the world.

There were six of them. Each was a veteran of wars long since passed; the scar-pecked visage of the beskar they wore was a testament to that. The five figures turned their helmeted heads toward their leader.

"The Vizslas have claim to Keldabe," the leader spoke, "They call their forces the newest iteration of Deathwatch."

"That's a cursed name." One of the younger lads spoke up. "The elders always spoke ill of them."

The leader pulled at his mounts reigns. The great beast gave a low rumble in reply as it turned to face the city. "It doesn't matter what names they've chosen, and it doesn't matter which one calls themselves Mandalore." The warrior's voice held a finality to it that brooked no disagreement. "The Vizslas have been our sole allies in our time on Mandalore. Our progenitors were brothers in everything but blood."

The only woman among them spoke up. "I won't go on a crusade for this ghost of a Mandalore. My sons need a home, not another pointless war for a throne that's only ever sat in when someone wants to kill someone else."

The leader clicked his tongue. "I'm not here to serve the Mandalore. I'm here to meet the woman that slaughtered our people, destroyed our city, and murdered my children." He turned toward his companions in such a manner that he stood in the frame of the conflict beyond the treeline. Each of them stared into his golden visor, awaiting an order or further elaboration.

"This Mandalore wants to claim sole rule. The last Mandalore sought to make us slaves of the Sith," the leader gestured toward Keldabe. "I have very little intention of bowing to a stranger so that it can happen again. Ignore the Deathwatch if possible. We'll search the whole city for this woman if we have to."

Calico Tal'verda, head of clan Tal'verda, widower, bereaved parent of two bright lights gone out far too soon, lowered himself from the wolf's back.

There were consequences to one's actions. Monroe and her ilk had been unknown to them; there had been no quarrel between the two groups. There had been no grievances on the part of the Tal'verda to encourage the shattering, and yet it had devastated them anyway.

All for what? Cleansing? Purity? Monroe had opted to play god, and in so doing had brought an end to the Tal'verda's age of peace.

Calico pulled his cloak about him and flicked his rifle's power pack on. The weapon whirred as it came to life. With a gesture, the six figures began their march toward the guts of Keldabe.

Cal drew in a deep breath.

There are consequences to your actions.

Ash born from the conflict crunched beneath his boots.

You will be made to account.

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

Allies: @Daedel @Mia Monroe
Enemies: [member="Tal Vizsla"] [member="Ra Vizsla"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Yasha Mantis"]

A soft thud behind him brought a blade within an inch of a comrade's neck. Noticing who it was he sighed and slipped the knife back into his chest armor. "Glad you made it out alright Zeke. You get what I asked for?" Was he actually glad the company thief had lived? Well at least it meant the Death Watch didn't get their hands on any of the designs in that computer. He wasn't sure if they had taken MandalMotors shipyard yet, but without these designs all they were getting was what was up there already stored.

A data chip found its way into one of the pouches on his utility belt. Good, he had followed orders at least. "We need to find Mia-" As if on cue he heard the sound of creaking metal and iron as MandalMotors tower cracked beneath what was unmistakably Mia's will. A long whistle escaped his lips as he watched the massive tower begin to crumble and fall. He was glad he wasn't underneath that, or on Mia's bad side...For now.

 

[Subject 37]

Sundari Palace
Allies: Death Watch | [member="Atiniir Starrider"] | [member="Narir Tracyn"]
Enemies: Insurgents

Aryn felt uneasily around the wound under his armor, lips thin and his eye wandering around the room.

It seemed that they had already seized the palace, or at least the guards were now in support of them. The city would likely take some more time to actually secure, but he doubted that it would pose much of a problem. The only fierce resistance they had encountered so far had come from that Sniper, and they were but one. The Togorian frowned slightly, pulling out the small strip of cloth and checking the blood that had seeped into it. His scowl deepened. "Fetch me a kit."

Aryn told one of the men standing in the corner of the room, though he had no idea if the request could even be fulfilled.

Medical supplies were no doubt rather short in Sundari at this time, but he doubted that the Palace had not a single one floating around. He shifted slightly, pulling at the strap of his armor and removing the heavy pauldron from over his wound. He allowed the Beskar to clatter to the ground with a heavy thunk. His eye floated to the wound in his shoulder, the grotesque reddish flesh already shriveling up. He scowled and then stepped forward.

There was nothing he could do at the moment.

Sundari had fallen, whether it knew it or not. The palace was now controlled entirely by Death Watch, hundreds of soldiers and former prisoners spreading throughout the structure to secure doors, windows, and every tunnel they could find. Aryn stalked across the room, reaching back with his good hand and grasping a small bundle from his belt pouch. He pulled free a large blue strip of cloth, unfurling a banner decorated with splotches of old blood. He stepped besides the throne for just a moment before draping the flag over the back of the tall stone back.

 

[Kaden Farr]

Location: MandalMotors
Allies: [member="Silas Mantis"] | [member="Yasha Mantis"]
Enemies: [member="Mia Monroe"]
————

Everything was happening fast. Kaden watched as a beast up and ran out of the crevice of wreakage they were in, and winced as Yasha grabbed the hot metal and cauterized the wound. The smell of burning flesh was the only thing Kaden could distinguish. His nostrils were full of the disgusting smell, and the boy was feeling uneasy again. It wasn’t until Yasha finished and asked for his help that he was able to push it aside.

”I’m Kaden, and Mia killed my parents. I’m going to kill her.”

Kaden nodded simply and looked at the struggling girl. She couldn’t lift Silas alone, and Kaden wasn’t going to be much help, but then he heard something. The building was starting to collapse. A bolt of adrenaline shot through him and the boy moved quickly to get himself under under what remained the man’s other arm. They had to pull and drag and pull and drag. Yasha called for adukts, but to no avail. They would simply have to drag him until they cleared the building.

”It’s falling,” he shouted as he kept moving. Kaden didn’t think he had to tell Yasha that she needed to keep moving and keep pulling. None of them were going to survive as long as they couldn’t clear the span of the building. It was going to be close, but they could do it.

Kaden pulled and he pulled and he pulled. The building came crashing down before the boy collapsed. They had cleared the rubble but barely. A long sigh of relief escaped his mouth. He didn’t want to know how close it had really been, but he turned around anyway.

 

[Muad Dib]

Location: Sundari, the Black Gate
Dramatis Personnel: [member="Ra Vizsla"] [member="Koda Fett"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Marev Priest"] [member="Kad Tor"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Kaden Farr"] [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Zeke Farthen"] [member="Vila Sayne"] [member="Mira Rekali"] [member="Atiniir Starrider"] [member="Narir Tracyn"] [member="Vilaz Munin"] [member="Dagon Namadi"] [member="Briika Tor"] [member="Rena Namadi"] [member="Kervo Namadi"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Rekali the Hutt"] [member="Ordo"] [member="Aryn Spar"]

The shuttle slowly settled into the layer of dust and ash. The ramp lowered and Muad slowly limped out. As his eyes turned to look upon the shattered dome of Sundari he shook his head lightly. More evidence of the desolation created by Mia the Liberator. He understood her logic. But her choice of action was the wrong one. And then there was Ra the Undying.

Slowly he moved toward the Black Gate, a place he had recently visited, as he considered the two Mand'alor. On the one side was Mia Monroe. She felt a catalyst was needed to wake up the mando'ade. So she orchestrated the destruction of their homeworld which killed millions and completely eradicated hundreds of clans in their entirety. She felt that the mando'ade needed to be reborn through a crucible of pain in order to rise anew.

Passing through the gate he paused collecting his breath through sharp gasps. His right hand held something wrapped in a brown cloth. Breathing easier he looked at the gate where the symbol for Death Watch carved by Ra's command.

Ra.

The second mando'ad claiming the title of Mand'alor. He felt that the culture needed to change. No more clans. No more force users. All that had the ability to touch the force, or even a higher then average midichlorian count was to be exiled. It didn't matter if they were adopted in or had a bloodline going back generations within the mando'ade. All force users were to be exiled.

Moving closer to the gate he looked upon the massive symbol and continued musing on the force. It wasn't just handed down through a line of force sensitive. Two non sensitive could have a force attuned child. That's why the Jedi of old searched for new initiatives throughout the Republic. So any child had the potential of being a sensitive despite the parents.

Slowly he unwrapped the item and let the rough spun canvas drop to the earth. Holding an ancient bronze sword he looked at the length remembering when Ra tossed it at him not a fortnight. The man had changed their culture and broken several tenets of the resol'nare in his search for what was best and right for their people.

They were both wrong. Mia would pay for her crimes in time. Ra would face opposition in his facist decrees which had already shattered the bonds of the mando'ade. Both thought they had the answer for the future of their people. Both believed it so fully that they would bring their people to civil war. It had already begun. The question wasn't who was more right and just. The question was who would do the most evil.

Looking down at the blade he grimaced. The ancient sword was still strong. The edge still sharp. Plunging it into the sand he reached to the small of his back and pulled out a scarred and pitted silver cylinder. Pressing the button he watched the azure blade burst into existence. Gazing upon the focused blade he sighed. If only Ra had not banished the Clans. If only he hadn't exiled those born sensitive to the Force. It was sad that Ra was against force users, but the only reason he drew breath was certainly through the force as he wasn't a clone and he had died. Then there was the hypocrisy of the man who decried abilities some were born to, but felt the abilities he was born to as acceptable. Muad could understand the hatred and prejudice that many non force users carried against those who could wield the force. Abilities, natural talents, that others didn't have always created a schism.

He sneered. Ra was a gurlanin, and hence the hypocrisy. They were shape shifters, a natural ability that left most others with a distrust and even fear. Ra should be empathetic to the cause of force users, however he was not. The most absurd thing wasn't his ability to change his shape, but rather his natural ability to communicate with other gurlanins through telepathy. Able to communicate through their minds it wasn't just a vague sense but direct words that could be spoken to one another. The most amusing aspect, and the most hypocritical, was the fact that this telepathy was a natural ability granted by the Force. So while Ra discriminated against force sensitives, he was also one of them.

Ra was a force sensitive.

His arm rose and began slashing through the symbol of Death Watch, the symbol of the Mand'alor Ra Vizsla, a fanatical dictator building a regime based on strength and unity in the purity of the bonds of brotherhood and the racist expulsion of force sensitives while being one himself.

Pausing he deactivated his lightsaber and stowed the weapon back into it's sheath. Gripping the hilt of the bronze sword he drove it into the center of the symbol on the wall.

As he left the Black Gate and Sundari behind, a new symbol was seen upon the great stone gate.

It was the symbol of Clan Farr, the branch that the Mad Knight of Manda'yaim was Alor over. At the center the ancient sword was buried deep. A message within a message.

 

[Rhodessa]

She saw other mandalorian run, she sat slumped in pool of blood. She had stem the wound, but then [member="Ra Vizsla"] the once dead mandalore came towards her. She felt drained due to blood lost, she felt sure he was going to kill her. Then he knelt and inspected wound, he was gentle, maybe she be taken prisoner. He was so gentle, and then said you may yet live. He lifted her visor and she smiled, she had mistake he was not mad dog, maybe it was just unruly followers. She began to cry a little, but in joy as she was relieved as she thought she was about to die. Then his tone changed, her time had come. He grabbed her by face slammed her, she passed out instantly. Soon she would never wake up again, her corpse was left for the worms and buzzards.

 

[Riggs]

Location: basement/outside the tower
Allies: Death Watch / [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Yasha Mantis"]
Enemies: Dar'manda / [member="Mia Monroe"]


The taste of iron woke him. Grunting he blinked his eyes, a film of red closing his vision. Groggily his hands removed the buy'ce, the face plate shattered with several shards imbedded in his face. A ringing echoed in his ears drowning out the sounds of battle all around leaving him separated from the reality of conflict.

Blinking he rolled onto his back to stare up at the cracked ceiling that was raining puffs of power from the grinding stone. Blinking against the loss of equilibrium he tried to remember where he was or even who he was.

A voice called his name.

"Marv, get up. The kids are going to attack their buir if you don't." Sitting up in bed he gave a sleepy yet happy smile as the two kids, boy and girl, ran and jumped into his arms making him jokingly groan at the attack. Falling back he flipped the twins over his shoulders and rose with a laugh. Moving through the doorway of the room he made his way to where his wife was setting the table for breakfast. Leaning over he brushed his lips against hers. "Ah, Nadia. Perfect as always."

A groan of pain as he saw the mirage of Nadia standing across the basement floor. She turned and began walking through one of the holes that led to the outside of Mandal Motors and Marev screamed.

"No Nadia! No!"

They were seated at the table laughing at one of his horrible #dadjokes. They were bad, but to hear the sounds of their laughter made his soul leap for joy. They were his life. Nadia rose and ran her hand through his hair as she went to leave their humble abode. "I need to pull the coil off the speeder so I can get it replaced. So we need anything else from Eran's?" Marev shook his head no as he wrestled with his daughter Sera. Gar just watched as he stuffed his face.

Smiling Marev laughed as Sera jumped from her chair to try to put him in a chokehold. Rising, with her on his back, he pretended to choke, one have went to his neck while the other was raised into the sky in a mock plea for help from the gods.

Then the ground shook and everything went to hell.

Crawling toward the mirage of Nadia he made his way to the shattered hole as the floor above began crashing down. A massive slab of stone slammed into his right foot crushing the servos in the prosthetic and trapping him.

A beam fell cracking into his chest and knocking him to the floor as Sera went flying and Gar feel to the floor to roll under the table. A scream echoed from outside from Nadia. Coughing at the pain radiating in his chest he crawled to the entrance of the house to see Nadia trapped under the speeder, her arms shaking as she tried to hold the side from crushing her to death.

"I'm coming baby!"

As he stood another rather fell, the beam crashing across his right leg and crushing his knee. Collapsing with a snarl he watched as a tree near the speeder swayed as the ground of Manda'yaim shook and shuddered. Roaring he looked to Sera.

"My beskad! Quick!"

The mirage stopped just out of reach. The tower began to shudder, casting off large chunks of walls all around as it began to fall into itself.

"Not again not again!"

His left hand went to his thigh just above his knee and hit the pressure release that allowed his stump to slide from the crushed prosthetic. Crawling forward he screamed while oblivious to the reality of the present.

Eyes stared at Nadia willing her strength as Sera reached over with the blade. A roar of range and determination and he cleaved through his thigh, severing the trapped and ruined leg. Whipping his belt off he wanted several previous seconds applying the tourniquet before rolling toward Nadia. Just as his hand touched her outreached one the tree snapped and the trunk crashed down on her head, painting him with gore.

Screaming at the loss he watched as a piece of the duracrete slammed into the mirage. The ground shuddered and split as the foundation of the tower rent the earth. Turning his head he saw Yasha and screamed.

"SERA! NO!"

His daughter stood next to him in shock at her mother's death. Then a fissure opened beneath her and she fell, small hands gripping the edge with mando atin. Turning toward her he lunged forward off his good leg trying to catch her arm as the ground shattered under her grip.

Crawling toward Yasha, where she and Kaden were dragging Silas to safety, he raised his arm, his right hand, and reached for her still meters away. The smoking ruin of the remnants of his cybernetic replacement drew his crazed eyes as fear of his impending failure loomed.

He grabbed her wrist with his right hand, holding her swaying over the fissure. The fear in Sera's eyes faded as she she new she would be safe. Her buir had her. But then her eyes looked down at the red glow rising toward her and she screamed in terror. The molten magma rushed up and hit her body, consuming it in a flash. As the body of his daughter was destroyed in the destruction that had greeted Manda'yaim Marev roared. Not as the molten core that spewed up washed over his arm, the stub being drawn back from the heat, but as his child was killed instantly ... Not even ash remained.

Dropping onto his chest well short of where Yasha, Kaden, and Silas had put distance between themselves and the tower Marev's eyes turned glassy. One word escaped his mouth.

"Sera ...."