Private Every Cloud …

[Jhira Mereel]

POLITICAL REGION: NIO SPACE
LOCATION: Clear River Farming Co-Op, Anobis
Objectives: Save the farmers from the plains Nexu and Miners Mountain Nexu. Silver’s Verd’gotten, maybe Neddies? Talk about scary sorcery.
TAGS: [ Mig Gred ]

It was beautiful, for a war-torn planet. Near-blinding, pure golden sunlight, silver-blue sky. The rolling wheat fields were assorted pale greens or bronze. Darker patches of green and blue betokened the lower river plains with their carefully crafted ponds and pool. Rice, cranberries and even exotic, bright blue fish danced and splashed in their fragile homes.

Yet for each peaceful field, patches of scarred, desolate land appeared. Some bore odd growths, indicative of strange weapons, and others no growth at all to cover the scars in the world’s surface. Jagged, rugged places where the farmers feared to travel.

But clearing the the despoiled land was not their task, here. Nor were the vast, roaming herds of Knaar. It was the dark forest which they feared. Cloaking the mountains, the forest had become a nearly unbreachable barrier between the freedom-loving, rebellious farmers and the NIO loyalists who worked the rare ores up in the high mountain peaks.

Turning to her unexpected ally, Jhira made a graceful sweeping gesture that took in fist the settlement, then the deadly forest. “Talk first, or Hunt?”

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig looked out at all the forest that they would be hunting in. Nexu weren't something to play with, which is why this time Leddie wasn't joining him. He wasn't about to have her tell him she wanted a baby Nexu. Sweets was enough of a handful without having to worry about him getting eaten. He would look around the area, not seeing many signs from where they were. He would then look at Jhira and Silver, nodding a little bit before eying the farmers.

"I'd say we talk first. I'd rather know exactly what we're dealing with here. Plus, they might know where these Nexu hide."

Jhira Mereel

 

[Jhira Mereel]

POLITICAL REGION: NIO SPACE
LOCATION: Clear River Farming Co-Op, Anobis
Objectives: Save the farmers from the plains Nexu and Miners Mountain Nexu. Silver’s Verd’gotten? Talk about scary sorcery.
TAGS: [ Mig Gred ]

Jhira gave the Mando’ade’jeti a sharp, teasing smile. “Very well, Alor; you are the diplomat.” Unsure if it was insanity, that made her occasionally provoke those few Sorcerers whom she had cause to accept in her life, or survival, still she tested them so. And part of her watched him warily, each time, to analyze his response.

There was no true pathway up to the farm, from where they’d landed, so they walked a winding, circuitous route between field and farm, until they came within hailing distance of the graceful dwellings.

Awaiting them was a small council of elders. Long white beards graced the males, as some sort of status symbol, as matching silvery braids betokened rank amongst the females. Mostly human, a scattering here and there brighter skin tones or odd shapes suggested at least some other races, though Jhira could not name them immediately.

An Elder stepped forward, his beard long enough to reach his knees, wary eyes and cold vice evidence enough of distrust. “No payment until the scourge is lifted, mercenaries.”

Jhira’s left hand extended, blocking Silver’s charge forward, though nothing could stop the furious flow of words.

“Mandos! Kriffing Mandos! We’re Mandalorians, if you want to be polite about it. Even Alor Gred! And we’re here to rescue you!” Lighting quick, deadly anger flashed over in an instant to a brilliant smile, sunny good cheer and curiosity. “Don’t you want to be rescued? I’m here to guard you! And we can have tea, too. Aunt Jhira says tea always soothes tempers. I think chocolate is better, myself. And I brought some. But I’m NOT sharing if you are going to be mean.”

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig chuckled a bit at Jhira's comment. He kind of expected the comment, so it didn't catch him off guard, but he was quick to explain his thinking.

"I thought the same when my Buir would talk over just jumping into a fight. Tends to keep you alive though." As they walked up, one of the elder came up, talking about not getting payment. Mig was about to speak up before Silver shot out and quickly started yelling at him. He sighed, quickly putting a hand on the girl's shoulder, speaking calmly.

"Easy, Silver. No telling who's been payed to do this job before, or how many promises they've had. Let me and your aunt take the lead, ok." He'd then look at the elder, nodding a little. "We aren't here for payment. We just want some more information on what's going on. Locations of attacks, or maybe even where the Nexu are. That's all."

Jhira Mereel

 

[Jhira Mereel]

POLITICAL REGION: NIO SPACE
LOCATION: Clear River Farming Co-Op, Anobis
Objectives: Save the farmers from the plains Nexu and Miners Mountain Nexu. Silver’s Verd’gotten? Talk about scary sorcery.
TAGS: [ Mig Gred ]

The Elder regarded all three warily; the silent woman, the talkative child, the calm man. He looked down his long, long beard at Silver. “Child, If you are offended to be called a mercenary, then you will not last long as a Mandalorian. They know no trade save death.”

Turning his attention then to Mig’s questions, he gestured towards the wilderness. “They are in the forest. They come out at dawn or dusk, and will kill livestock or unwary travelers. We can no longer reliably trade with the Miners, for even speeder bikes and land speeders can fall pretty to their ambushes.” He nodded then to Jhira, his tone sharper. “They are there, though most who have gone after them in either don’t come out, or insist they found no lair.” Hostility and fear vied for dominance in his voice. “I think the rough terrain and land-sinks turn them back.” Another glance at Mig. “They’ve grown worse, lately. So we are trying again. But you are correct; you are not the first mercenaries to claim to be able to deal with this.” A doubtful glance at Silver followed.

A second elder, hair iron grey but not yet fully white, spoke then. “Follow the water ways. All creatures must drink.”

Silver looked up at Mig, torn between irritation and shock, clearly struggling with the notion of someone being paid for a job … and failing to succeed. She bit her lip with the effort of keeping silent.

It was Jhira who spoke, a thoughtful tone to her voice. “Your Buir was right again, it seems, Alor. There’s trouble here. My ships sensors found no sign of the Nexu in the forest; I had thought them farther up the mountain, in the Mines themselves.”

“The mines are close enough to walk to?” Clearly, something in that bothered the Captain, and she shot a glance back to the Elders, just to be sure.

Nodding, the senior elder gestured to the forest behind him. “There is a path, now overrun. It will take you to the Miner’s lair, but do not trust them. They will sell you, Mandalorian, for the wealth you carry on your back.”

A single, sharp look followed.

“They can try.” A sharp, predatory glance at Mig followed; with miners that greedy, would it be worthwhile to set up a trap and counter ambush? “Bait and switch, straight hunt, or gather more data? Either way, Silver stays here in town until we know more.”

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig would nod to the elder, keeping his helmet on, but a sense of understanding still coming through the visor.

“We’ll find these Nexu then. Don’t worry.” As he would turn with Jhira to walk off, the Mandalorian would look over to Silver, sighing a little before speaking up. “You’re passionate ad (kid), but you need to know when to stay calm. Keeping a cool head helps in a lot more places than talking too, so it’s a skill that’s almost a necessity. Imagine if that had been a Hutt back there, or a senator perhaps.” As Mig stopped, he’d think over what Jhira just said. This was an odd situation for sure. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. He looked down, thinking.

“Something’s not adding up. Wouldn’t the miners be just as ready to get rid of Nexu as the town is? I mean, who else is buying what they mine out here? Plus you said the ship didn’t pick any up. I say we get more data.”

Jhira Mereel

 

[Jhira Mereel]

POLITICAL REGION: NIO SPACE
LOCATION: Clear River Farming Co-Op, Anobis
Objectives: Save the farmers from the plains Nexu and Miners Mountain Nexu. Silver’s Verd’gotten? Talk about scary sorcery.
TAGS: [ Mig Gred ]

Silver glowered for a moment, that dark knot at her core roiling. But she did think through what Alor Mig had said, instead of just automatically trying to find reasons he was wrong. He was almost, almost a Silver Concord Jeti, and he was from Concord Dawn.

Like her.

So she tried to smoosh her feelings away and think of this like one of the war games her Aunt was so fond of. She’d never seen a Hutt or a senator, but she had not been sheltered from the uglier truths of life; she knew where the predators lived. Suddenly, the warning hit home. Silver dropped her gaze to the ground, ashamed of being caught in a dangerous error by one of her heroes. She mumbled an apology, then turned determinedly and apologized to each elder in turn.

Jhira stared, truly surprised. An appraising, very thoughtful moment passed as her Visor turned to face Mig, as they left the relative safety of the village behind.

“You are gifted with children, or at least with Silver.”

Turning to face the forest ahead, she replied, “Nexu … they like caves. It should have been the miners calling for help, before the farmers.” Her hand drifted over her magnetic tether, making sure her weapon was easily accessible. “They are likely to starve, without trade. Unless …” she let the unless fade away, but it was likely he’d follow her thoughts.

Unless they had a whole new trading partner, who had little use for the farmers.

Or they were already dead.

The forest was thick, the trees dense with heavy metals that distorted both sensors and normal sound. Heavy, strong branches would easily hold even an adult Nexu, and yet old war damage — for the Republic-minded Farmers and the Imperial-aligned miners had been fighting out their ideological battles since before the Old Republic fell — riddled the ground with weak points, inexplicable swells of ground water, pit traps, and unexplored ordnance.

Sounds echoed around them, the small birds and local lizards apparently unconcerned with two-footed traffic. Sunlight dappled through the trees, oddly distorted into blue-toned wave lengths by the high mineral content of the leaves they went through. A brighter, nearly blinding swath of sunlight revealed a fresh gash in the forest floor. Blood, tracks, and the bits and the pieces of a ruined land speeder dotted the raw earth and tumbled trees.

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig smiled at what Silver did. It was good to see her figure out what he meant. He would soon hear Jhira's comment, chuckling a little as he looked back.

"I've had some practice. I'm just glad she seems to understand it." He would then listen as his fellow Mandalorian, understanding the conclusion she was coming too. Something was definitely not right here. He took a breath, looking out as he did and seeing the dense forest. He listened carefully as they walked, closing his eyes to feel the area around him. It wasn't like he could sense life like the jetii could, be could could let his other senses reach out for the Nexu. A twig snapping. A growl. Something different. There was nothing yet though. He looked at Jhira, sighing a bit.

"I doubt a Nexu is going to show itself easily. They're too smart for that."

Jhira Mereel

 

[Jhira Mereel]

POLITICAL REGION: NIO SPACE
LOCATION: Clear River Farming Co-Op, Anobis
Objectives: Save the farmers from the plains Nexu and Miners Mountain Nexu. Silver’s Verd’gotten? Talk about scary sorcery.
TAGS: [ Mig Gred ]

The gloom of the forest around them was only highlighted by the brilliant sunlight released by the gash in the forest cover. Shadows rustled when they should not, and branches swayed above the two Mandos, not quite matching to the prevailing breeze. A soft drip, drip came from up ahead, slow and steady.

At the very limit of Mig’s senses, he’d hear a low-toned growl, cut off suddenly at a sharp command uttered in Trandoshan. The sounds either came from the low pathway to the right, which might hide a cave entrance, or from the trees above.

Jhira walked on, quietly and carefully, but oblivious to the subtle details revealed to Mig. She gestured towards the dripping sound. “Fresh blood. That’s odd. Nexu should have dragged the meat away to eat it.”

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig looked at Jhira, slowly pulling his Trayc'kad out as he quickly motioned for her to be quiet. This wasn't good. It'd be an actual fight still, but one against a group arguably more dangerous than a Nexu. He'd take a step back, closing his eyes and trying to feel any movement through the ground around him.

"I don't thing they're Nexu," He'd whisper before continuing to move, weapon ready.

Jhira Mereel

 

[Jhira Mereel]

Jhira dropped into a combat crouch, the lights on her Jet Pack flashing through a ready cycle. As the Not-Quite-A-Jedi closed his eyes, she swept the area with her sensors, alert to any threat.

Dripping blood.

Movement above the too-still form of the Jedi.

As Mig Gred moved forward, the shadows above him pounced; long, lean and very hungry Nexu leaping down at him!

Jhira turned, firing her Stun bolt into the leaping beast, the sizzling sound lost in harsh, grating sound of a hatch being flung open, and a rough Trandoshan laugh … clearly, he had expected -both- parties to be facing the tormented Nexu, and stopped short when he came face to face with the prepared Mando’ade’Jeti!!

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig looked up the moment the Nexu seemed to drop. Not enough time to ru.... The sound of a stun blast hitting the Nexu caught his ears as he used the Forces to making the limp predator avoid him. He took a breath, then heard the laughter of a Trandoshian. Of course they were involved. He quickly lifted the reptilian with the Force, slamming him on the ground in front of him and Jhira.

"Well what do we have here?" He quickly ignite the saber blades of his Trayc'kad, putting it close to the Trandoshian's neck. "Now... why not tell use what's going on here, and I'll make sure you're alive by the end of this."

Jhira Mereel

 

[Jhira Mereel]

POLITICAL REGION: NIO SPACE
LOCATION: Clear River Farming Co-Op, Anobis
Objectives: Save the farmers from the plains Nexu and Miners Mountain Nexu. Silver’s Verd’gotten? Talk about scary sorcery.
TAGS: [ Mig Gred

With a gesture, the unconscious Nexu was knocked to the side by the mando’ad’jetti; a second surge of blurred motion from him tossed the slaver to the ground at Jhira’s feet.

Impressive.

Terrifying, but impressive. Searing, coherent light appeared in Mig’s hands; a symbol and signal of what she’d feared most, for all of her life. Yet it was the slaver who the Alor held pinned.

A whimper of terror, pain and shock escaped from the Trandoshan, a mere moment before a snarl of pure hate curled free. Jhira had no sympathy; while she understood their theory of being big bad hunters, the fact that they enslaved the week undermined any sort of claim to true hunter idealogy. They were bullies, most slavers; and like most bullies, this one feared his own death more than he loved his so-called honor.

“I can make you rich. These fracking miners are as stupid as the rebel scum farmers. We’ve got a sweet deal. You’re Mandos, heh? I can pay you. 1 million credits, each. You can hide from the crazies want you dead, Mando. They don’t like their own carrying light sticks.”

Jhira took a step forward; the Codex had pretty strict rules about killing prisoners, and she simply didn’t know enough about [ Mig Gred ] yet to know he’d be provoked into intemperate action. Using helmet COMMs for private conversation, ”Can you find out if they have prisoners,” She would not call them slaves. “and where they are?”

Behind her, behind the unconscious nexu, a faint rustle in the brushes could be heard.

To a Mando’ad’Jeti with open senses, he’d feel a small group of Nexu creeping towards then fallen pack mate.