Echoy'la [Strider]

[Lina Ovmar]

Anger bubbled beneath the surface as the Initiate moved against her, his beskad crashing against hers, each blow met and deflected but no return attack was made. Around the ring others watched the former Mand'alor face her challenger. The kid was good, Mia would give him that much, but he was arrogant and it was his sharp tongue that had landed him in the circle with her.

"They say you're insane." he spat at her his own anger visible for all to see, Mia gave no hint of being insulted. His beskad rose to come down vertically on her head. She caught the blow with a horizontal block and slammed her fist into the boys jaw. It cracked and her staggered back from the blow clutching it, sudden fear in his eyes.

"They would be right, initiate, but you should not waste valuable energy on finding a way to make your opponent angry when you cannot contain your own anger." With his jaw broken he was unable to make a response save the glare he fixed her with. She turned from him to face the others "Would anyone else like to question orders?" No one moved, save for the initiate who she'd floored he rushed at her and only then did Mia's anger show. She raised her arm and caught the blade upon her greaves before offering the boy a Keldabe Kiss. He dropped lack a sack of stones, blood erupting from his nose. Mia sighed at the unconscious form.

"Dismissed. Someone get him to a medic."

She walked away, slipping her beskad into its sheath on her back, wondering when she had become so cold. What was the point in all this? she was training because someone had asked her too, but she saw no purpose to it. Loved and respected she might have been by those who had fought alongside her as Mand'alor and before, but the new initiates heard only of her fall, of her disappearance, and now, courtesy of Rave Merrill, word was spreading of the knowledge she carried with her.

A Mando'ade bearing the memories of a sith lord. And it had come out because of what? Because she'd wanted to kill a man who'd attacked a friend, only she never got the chance. Zaiden was killed before she could get anywhere near him, a fact that should have made her happy, but it didn't. So what purpose was she serving now? Teaching fools who had no respect for her? Going wherever Gilimar Skirata asked her to go?

She sighed and ran a hand over her face, turning her footsteps towards her home.

@[member="Strider Garon"]

 

[Strider Garon]

Strider had watched the training session @[member="Mia Monroe"] had instructed. He had always been impressed with the woman's ways and earned much respect from this older Mandalorian even after she relinquished her rule over the Mando'ade. Mand'alor, a title Garon would never want nor accept. Long hours, lack appreciation and life expectancy was low. This mando was happy where he was in life, his ambition of power is only at a galactic level for his entire people.

"Mia'ika!" Strider intruded upon the busy warrior, approaching from her side as it looked she was about to call it a day. "You are doing amazing work with this young pups" The field marshal praised the ex mand'alor.

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Mia managed a tight smile. "Am I?" she replied with a hint of bitterness "I didn't realise beating them into submission was classed under amazing work." She didn't stop walking. Let the old man follow her home, she was in a foul mood now anyway, perhaps Strider could bring her out of this viscous cycle...or perhaps he would prove to be a better outlet for her anger than an initiate, at least he would be able to take her hits. She slowed her walk and finally stopped walking, turning to look back at the circle, someone had already carried off the unconscious initiate, the rest were loitering, discussing the days events. One or two were attempting to enact the the Keldabe kiss in slower motion.

She sighed again. "What's it even for anymore, Strider?" she said softly "I knew once, I knew where we were going, what the point in it all was. Now though?" She shook her head.
@[member="Strider Garon"]

 

[Strider Garon]

"That sounds like doubt, Cyar'ika!" Strider looked upon the younger woman with a searching stare "We are stronger then we have ever been. The galaxy fears us and those that don't.... tremble when the Mando'ade are at their gates." Strider then starred off to the fellow mandos in the distant caring themselves after their lesson with Mia. "We are a people that always need to be tested or our culture will fade and wither away. We are sharpened by conflict. our hides are burtilized in self improvement so that we can bare all that the Galaxy can throw at us. No matter how hard life hits us, we get up and hit harder. That is who we are....."

He looked upon Mia once more with a comforting grin "We are made harder by vode like you. Better ourselves not just for conquest but for survival. That is all that matters. We live, we love, we slay...... what more should we want?"
@[member="Mia Monroe"]

 

[Lina Ovmar]

For a moment Mia said nothing, a battle raged behind her eyes, aware of Strider's searching stare and his smile. Finally, she turned to meet his eyes, the battle buried beneath dark eyes. "Nothing. Our survival is all we need. We've been through the fire plenty enough now, but there comes a point..." she trailed off, eyes dropping momentarily, everything bubbling close to the surface once more. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Ah, Strider," she said looking up finally "I'm ok. The calm before the storm gives me too much time to think and not enough people to kill. Initiates are arrogant, seem to think we're untouchable, they open up a tincan of anger in me I'm having difficulty keeping a lid on." There was more Mia wanted to say, she wanted to tell someone what she was afraid of, but at what cost? There wasn't a mandalorain alive whose blood didn't boil when the word 'dar'jetti' was dropped in a conversation. She'd told Ordo what she had in her head, heck Rave Merrill knew and had no doubt told the rest of the Fringe High Council, so word would spread soon enough and reach everyone here.

@[member="Strider Garon"]