Echoy'la be Werda - Lost in the Shadows [Ordo, Arrbi Betna, Mia Monroe]

[Anija Betna]

Aeten II
Mandal Hypernautics Research Facility
1700 Hours local

The funeral had ended less than 24 hours before. Anija knew, if she wanted to find [member="Ordo"], she couldn't be anywhere near Mandalore. With that in mind, she set off for the Mandal Hypernautics facility on Aeten II. She hoped it was remote enough that she and [member="Arrbi Betna"] would have some time to talk to Ordo without others... interrupting.

Manda only knew what would occur if that happened. Feth, if their reactions at the funeral for [member="Mia Monroe"] were any indication, it wouldn't end well. Regardless of what the Mandalorian Codes stated, even she knew there were times people acted in the heat of anger. And so, she had made her choice. She knew it might not be the smartest one she'd ever made, but in her heart it felt right. And that was what mattered.

Ordo was her buir, and for that reason, he deserved a chance. Still, she was nervous. She didn't know what to expect from him now. She just hoped that she would be able to get through to him somehow. Taking a deep breath, she watched as Arrbi settled his ship down on the landing pad of the research facility of Aeten II. Now, they would wait.

 

[Ordo]

[member="Anija Ordo"] [member="Arrbi Betna"]

Ordo's Jo'henry dropped from hyperspace and slowly made it's way toward the rock below. His hands adujusted the controls and the ship turned toward the research facility and Ordo landed in silence.

He stood and walked toward the boarding ramp and down to meet his daughter and Her future Riduur. His balck armor had been exchanged for the old grey and gold he had worn a long time ago when Anija was still young. He looked at the other ship and went toward it slowly. He wasn't armed for a fight. His ripper was as was his lightsaber but they were on the belt alone. He hadn't come with the intent of defending himself against his family. He had done evrything he could for them that would never change.

 

[Anija Betna]

She felt [member="Ordo"] drawing closer, and felt emotion rising in her throat. She wasn't sure what it was. Sadness... Loss? It was hard to tell. There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted to know. But she had no idea where to even start. His sense in the Force was... different.

As he walked towards the Pathifnder, Anija swore softly. Light reflected off his Beskar'gam. And not the beskar'gam he had taken to wearing over the last few years. But the very same in which she had first seen him. Her hand dropped to [member="Arrbi Betna"] 's shoulder, and she squeezed it firmly for a moment. "That armor. I know it..." she whispered. "He wore the very same the day I met him...."

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Betna spotted the warrior approaching. He wasn't Force sensitive. He couldn't feel the emotions from the man approaching or the ones coming from his lover.

He didn't need to.

It was Ordo. He knew it on sight. The stance, the walk, the way Anija reacted. Betna felt neither hate nor rage towards the man, only sadness. Betna was a soldier long before he was a mercenary. Soldiers had to make tough decisions on the field. Ordo made his and Betna couldn't fault him for it, but the decisions made had cast him from the Mandalorians. It had cast him from his family, from Anija. He wasn't even sure if this was the same Ordo that he'd shared ales with not that long ago. He activated his helmet and had his Pathfinder keep the engines hot and had the computer plot a course off the rock they stood on. He then subtly loosened his .44 revolver in it's thigh holster.

"Anija," he said, knowing between the two of them that he probably had the most combat experience, especially in combating Force users. That said, he probably wouldn't come out on top this time. He may be able to buy time, though. "I don't think it will, but if this goes bad, you get in that ship and you get out of here. Don't look back, just get in and go. Got it?"

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Anija Betna]

Her gaze never left the figure of [member="Ordo"] as he drew closer to the Pathfinder. As she saw him disappear under the lower fuselage, she began moving towards the hatch and the loading ramp. She understood the danger, yes. But this was her buir. Surely, she could get through to him. And then, what [member="Arrbi Betna"] said made her stop short. "You can't be fething serious..." she muttered, her fingers clenching unconsciously as she stood rooted for a moment, her gaze locked to his visor. "This is my buir we're talking about here. Do you really think he'd come here to kill us and be this blatant about it?"

But, his words rang true. She really didn't know Ordo's intentions here. She could guess, but even her sense of him in the Force was.. clouded. As if something were blocking her ability to sense him as she would have before. Frowning. she pulled her helmet over her head and gripped his hand for a moment as she continued towards the hatch. She had no saber, but her twin rippers rode low in her holsters, ready as always. Within another minute, she was near the boarding ramp, already palming the hatch control and waiting for the airlock to cycle.

 

[Ordo]

[member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Anija Ordo"]

Ordo stopped close to the ship and hooked a thumb in his belt then slapped the other against his ripper idly starting to regret wearing the blaster thing at all. His old grey armor may not make much difference to some but for now he would mourn with not a second thought. He dipped his chin and looked at his scuffed boots and shin guards that looked as if he had worn them to play boloball with a rancor then left out a long sigh.

The airlock cycled and the boarding ramp slowly lowered as he looked up to see Arrbi and Anija. This was going to be hard, he could feel it. He lifted his chin with a sharp jerk in greeting. The young vod looked tense, coiled.

'I don't blame ya ad'ika' he thought as he looked to his daughter, 'Manda knows what they told you.'

He raised his hand away from his side palm out in a small wave.

"Su'cuy gar ad'ika." He said sadly no where near the booming sound he was known for. It was the voice of a man carrying a heavy load and it showed.

 

[Anija Betna]

Her eyes narrowed slightly behind her visor and her step faltered for a moment. [member="Ordo"] had never spoken to her in that manner before, and it made her breath catch in her throat. Not only that... but she sensed words in her head too... That was new... She blinked, and after a moment, she took a step towards him, and put a bit of distance between her and [member="Arrbi Betna"]. "They've told me many things, buir. But I'm not sure what to believe." Her gaze dropped for a moment and she reached out to take his hand after a slight hesitation. Maybe physical contact would help her get a better read on his emotions. "Tell us what happened..." she urged quietly.

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Betna said nothing for the moment. He liked Ordo, he really did. He wanted the man to be there when he asked Anija to marry him soon. It was important to them all. He had no idea why Ordo had fallen to the Sith.

To the Mandos, light and dark were just names. Titles. The Force was neutral and had no sides to their culture. It was a tool or a weapon that came naturally. It was no different than a blaster or knife or shovel. It was how it was used that defined the person, not the tool itself.

The question was, why did Ordo now use the tool he'd been gifted with for the Sith? Why fight for the very group that had caused so much destruction and death to the Mandalorian people?

Betna hoped the answers would become clear. He hoped that Ordo would come to his senses, renounce the Sith, and come home where all would be forgiven. Betna hoped for that, but knew it was in vain. Ordo had his path, as Betna had his. He just wished it wouldn't end the way he felt it would in his heart.

Arrbi let his love move towards her father. He wouldn't keep her away from the man. That wasn't his right, nor would he do so if it was. He did, however, keep his hand close to his weapons. He dearly hoped he wouldn't have to use them, not on Ordo, but he would if he had to. Anija came first.

[member="Anija Ordo"] [member="Ordo"]

 

[Lina Djo]

She had always been stubborn. Time and time again people tried to break her, to shatter her resolve, time and time again she stood defiant. She'd wanted to see [member="Ordo"], she'd wanted to listen to him, but her ways, and her stubborness meant there was only one option for her. It didn't matter what the reason was behind it, it didn't matter what he believed. To take the action he had, without warning, without confiding in her, that was unforgivable.

Time had no meaning in this half life, a week could pass in the blink of an eye, yet an hour could last an eternity. It depended on her focus. How many times had she replyed his words in her head. How many times had she replayed the moment the compartment on Mierin's arm had opened. Over and over again she relived the moment and it left her full of sorrow.

She wanted to understand, not so that she could forgive him, but so that she could kill him for the right reasons. [member="Anija Ordo"] would feel a hand on her shoulder, briefly. A reassurance. She was not alone in wanting to understand.

You let me die.

The words would cut across [member="Ordo"]'s mind like an icy blade. Sharp and cold and full of deadly intent.

How will you explain that to her...

[member="Arrbi Betna"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Mia Monroe"] [member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Anija Ordo"]

Ordo walked forward toward his daughter with no resistance as she took his hand. His grey-green eyes still holding back the sadness from his sister's death.

"It's most likely not what they said." he said honestly.

He took two steps toward her ship when he felt a presence he knew well. His breath caught and he stopped in mid step stumbling. His hand went to his chest as the words cut straight to his core.

"Mia." he whispered as he leaned forward unsure if he would be able to stay standing for a moment. His hand reached for the side of the ship to steady himself.

"Why didn't you come to me when I called to you?" he begged as he blinked his buy'ce speaker off. "Why didn't you talk to me?"

He stood slowly as he realized tears were streaming again. He didn't know for sure why he had realized he needed peace but he did.

 

[Anija Betna]

As she stood there, gripping his hand, Anija felt an immense sadness... and beneath that... Anger. Yes, she was angry. Not so much at him, but at what had happened. She didn't know the circumstances that had led to the events on Coruscant. But she wanted to. Chewing her lower lip for a moment, she looked back over her right shoulder for a moment at [member="Arrbi Betna"].

It was then that she felt the pressure on her left shoulder... as if someone had gripped it firmly and squeezed gently in a gesture of reassurance. The feeling was strong enough that she looked that way.... and she saw nothing. But she'd felt something. Comfort.. reassurance... and a strong enough desire to know the truth that it made her chest ache. The sense in the Force was... familiar, yet still seemed unknown to her. WHoever it was, she sent silent thanks.

Her attention was directed back to [member="Ordo"] when she felt a spike of shock from him... and then he stumbled. On reflex, she reached out to steady him with her other hand. "Buir... let me... let us help you. We want to understand." Her fingers tightened around his in reassurance, and she tried to flood what connection they had with her love and concern for him. "Why....?" was her final question.

[member="Mia Monroe"]

 

[Lina Djo]

Because you never came to me when I called for you.

Came her reply. It was softer, though, filled with sadness.

Your daughter needs to hear the lies you tried to tell me.

[member="Anija Ordo"] [member="Ordo"] [member="Arrbi Betna"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Anija Ordo"] [member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Mia Monroe"]

He straightened and looked at his daughter.

"Why What Anija?" he said trying to ignore his own pain. "Why did I go? Why did I come back? Why did Mia die?"

He shook his head and looked at her and Arrbi.

"I want peace for my family." he said, "I needed to be strong, to have enough control to protect them, Mia died because she wouldn't put her weapon down and come to me rather than trying to run head long into a fight wihout thinking. I wanted her to be safe as much as I do anyone."

 

[Lina Djo]

LIAR!

She shrieked.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Mia Monroe"]

HE'LL BY MINE FOREVER FOOL WOMAN, OR UNTIL HE DIES WHICHEVER PLEASES ME MORE!

A dark voice replied as it reached for her soul.

 

[Lina Djo]

Mia retreated rapidly from him, away from the unseen grasping hands.

I will rip you from him. I will see that you meet the fiery end that you deserve.

That hand came to rest on Anija's shoulder again.

Anija, make him take off his helmet. See his face so you can see his lies. Trust your fathers eyes, do not trust the eyes of the monster that consumes him.

 

[Anija Betna]

Anija frowned, and she felt a warning go off in her head. [member="Ordo"] never spoke like that. Glancing sideways at [member="Arrbi Betna"], she looked back to Ordo, hoping Arrbi would get the message. She was still trying to wrap her head around what was going on, but she knew one thing: those words were not something her buir would have said. Frowning behind her visor, her gaze slid back to Ordo. "Buir.... protecting the ones you love... has nothing to do with control. You just do it." She was working hard to keep her voice steady, but this whole situation was freaking her out.

Taking a deep breath, she reached for the Force again. And as she did, she caught a flash of anger... from that almost-there presence she'd felt before. "WHY?" Her voice was a lot stronger and steadier than she expected. "Because I deserve to know the truth. You went to Coruscanta to fight the Siit. And [member="Mia Monroe"] died there. Your fething sister!" It was then that she began to realize who that presence might be, and it helped strengthen her resolve. Her voice dropped half an octave, and gained an edge that hadn't been there before. "Why did you let her die? You could have saved her life!"

She felt righteous anger rising again, and realized that it wasn't just her own. She was feeling that of Mia as well, if her assumption was true. Again, she felt the weight of an unseen hand on her shoulder, and that very same presence. 'Mia...?' she whispered, even as the presence spoke again. Anija's hands curled into fists, and she stepped closer to Ordo as her grip on his hand tightened. "Buir.... take off your buy'ce, gedet'ye..."

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Betna watched everything like a hawk from above. His hand hovered near his revolver, his fingers loose and twitching in expectation. He couldn't feel anything around them, he wasn't Force sensitive, but from the way the both of them were acting it was obvious there was... more to it than he could see.

When Anija raised her voice, however, his hand blurred. The .44 was in his hand and ready, though not raised. This was a touchy moment and not just emotionally. To Betna's mind, Ordo was an enemy right now. An enemy he fervently wished was not so, but an enemy nonetheless. He couldn't see into the other man's mind, nor did he really want to.

The Ordo he knew, that Anija called father, may not be there anymore. The words he spoke sounded false to the young Mandalorian. As if the older man was trying to convince himself that what he said was the truth. The longer this went on, the more uneasy Betna became. He kept the revolver in his hands, but hoped it would remain unfired.

[member="Anija Ordo"] [member="Ordo"] [member="Mia Monroe"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Anija Ordo"] [member="Mia Monroe"] [member="Arrbi Betna"]

Ordo looked at them and shook his head.

"I was already failing, I needed to be stronger Anija. Didi you see what happened to Mia when the sith had her? The Sith are mad dogs, without a master they run about doing as they please and people die. Mia died because she didn't listen to me! Do you know how far I had to go to reach her? Did you hear me scream for her to stop, when I couldn't even see her? She wasn't coming to have a chat you know. She was coming to kill me out of anger and STILL I BEGGED HER TO COME TO ME!"

Ordo shook his head and reached for his helmet. Slowly he slipped it off and looked up at them with glowing golden eyes.

"Please come with me and help me bring peace to this battered galaxy." He said pleading, "For you, for our family, for your family for all families." he looked up at Arrbi's hand on the revolver, "Is there anything you would not do for your family?" he said smiling saddly.

 

[Anija Betna]

As [member="Ordo"] removed his helmet, Anija studied his face closely. So much of what he was saying sounded wrong. She took a deep breath. "You think, by siding with the Siit it will bring peace? You are wrong... ," she whispered. "They razed our planet, and killed our brothers and sisters. Their version of 'peace' is to subjugate people to their will."

Her voice had kept it's hard edge. "I will not stand for that, and the man I know as my buir wouldn't either." As she said this, her gaze bored into his, and her grip on his hand tightened. Her free hand came up quickly, and she slapped him hard. "Jasper..." She said, using his given name. "You know in your heart this isn't right...." With the same hand that slapped him, she gripped his chin and made him look at her. "And whatever sithspawn thing is controlling you, I will burn it...."

[member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Mia Monroe"]