Faction First Things First (Clan Krayt)

[Raya Krayt]

The Clan had gathered at their Alor's request and almost 40 warriors sat before the Mandalorian, among other valued members of their society who helped the clan to remain self-sufficient: The teachers, medical personnel and those raising the children of the clan. The situation was a rather casual affair with people chatting amongst themselves and some lounging around on the table while they waited for Raya to address them and some even nursed a bowl of tiingilar as she had inadvertently created a social event.

The normally confident Mandalorian had been reduced to a shell of her former self when faced with addressing the room of people before her, many who looked upon her leadership with scrutiny. However, it gave her some comfort to know that Talo was present and knew she could count on his support. She sat beside her friend, at a table with other clan members who were engrossed in their own conversation. She took off her helmet and set it on the table, a signal that she was about to address the group, before standing up. The people on her table fell quiet and then the effect rippled around the room until there was near silence.

Raya took a few steps away from the table, into an empty space to allow everyone to see her. Despite her lack of confidence, she knew she couldn't portray it in her tone or expression as to avoid looking weak or unworthy to her clan so displaying a false air of confidence, she began to speak. "Brothers and sisters, I'm thankful to see so many of you here after the hellish battle of Mandalore." She looked upon the group with fondness.

"As I'm sure you're aware, we're under new leadership which leaves us some matters to discuss." She told them, leading to a few murmurs among the group which she quickly addressed in a calm manner. "I know not all of you agree with me being Alor but I swear I will do everything within my power to do right by this clan. I learned from my mother and while this is sooner than expected for all of us, I am ready." She told them confidently and although she wasn't ready, they didn't need another reason to usurp her. Following her comment, there was silence, so she continued.

"The first issue we have is: Force Users." She started, aware that the discussion could get ugly, quickly. "We've had a ban on Force Users for generations. I don't think it's wise to alienate ourselves from this group of people for a reason that is out of their control. Maybe it's time we let Force Users back into the clan and instead of fearing them we can help them to cultivate their skills." She suggested and immediately there was discord as the anti-Force User sentiment was rife among the clan, leaving some people outraged by her comments. However, others sat quietly to ponder the Alor's suggestion, leading to a division.

Radon Krayt Aerith Krayt Talo Krayt Kat'ra Smart

 

[Radon Krayt]

To say that he had high expectations of this clan gathering would be a lie. Their Clan was a husk of its former self since the battle of Mandalore. Perhaps long before the battle as well, depending on who of the proud forty warriors you asked. Because that was all there was to their clan. Forty brave Mandalorian warriors, reduced to guns for hire. Pawns to the Hutt Clans and fodder to the anti-Imperialists.

But the tides had changed. Mand'alor the Reclaimer had provided them with possibilities and opportunity. There were fresh faces among the men and women present. Young men and women, but also veterans who could help them rebuild. To him, nothing was more important than rebuilding their Clan. Securing assets, safehouses, weaponry, contacts and yes; building their reputation. Instead, however, he found himself forced to listen to a young Alor, preaching about accepting sorcerers in their midst...

Her exclamation was followed by outrage and discord. Something that made him roll his eyes, before slamming down his armoured fist three times on the fragile table. He did not command the same kind of authority as an Alor, but there were few who would deny a Mandalorian Supercommando from sharing his opinion.

"It is exactly as you say, Alor. Force users are the first and only issue we have." He began after the room grew quiet, some eyes fixed on the dent he had left in the table. His sharp blue eyes were trained on their leader, openly meeting her suggestion with hostility. "If you believe we life in fear of those vile sorcerers, you're mistaken. We fear no Jetii or Dar'jetii, and neither do we trust them." A couple of his brethren nodded in agreement. It was preposterous to adopt them into their ranks. One's birth determined whether they belonged to the Jetii or not. If the former was the case, the foundling had no right to Clan Krayt's heritage. That was their way. The way of Clan Krayt.

"The Jetii have no place in Clan Krayt, nor will they ever have."


Raya Krayt Talo Krayt Aerith Krayt Kat'ra Smart​

 

[KSM]

Kat’ra still felt like someone of an outsider in the clan. Her family had not been seen since the battle and many thought them dead, but she was very thankful for clan Krayt taking her into its fold. As such she wore their signet with honor.

She could not blame others for being distrusting of force users. The history was not promising, but it was also the type of thing that couldn’t be fixed without trust.

“Maybe we need to spend some time with any Force User who wants to join before we make a blanket policy. If there are any, it might pay to get to know them. If nothing else we would know more about an enemy. “

Raya Krayt Talo Krayt Aerith Krayt Radon Krayt

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Looking to the rest of the clan gathered her, Aerith had a sense that she didn't exactly belong. Of course, this was probably normal, given the cyborg had been sent to kill Mandalorians in the past. One thing she found herself very fond of however, was the fact she never had to remove her helmet to speak to others. A fact she was very fond of. Looking to the rest of the group, she kept quiet, her armored form standing unmoving along with rest of her peers, listening to the first two clan members speak. They seemed to be pretty open minded to force users, something that didn't sit right with the former Sith slave herself, but then again, they were entitled to feel this way. If anything, she leaned more towards Radon's line of thinking than anything. There was no place here for their kind, if anything, the only thing force users deserved was a freshly dug grave.

Unfortunately, one of the her fellows had to speak up, advising they meet with force users before coming up with a policy. What sort of sane proposal was this? Aerith wasn't about to hear it. Speaking up, the robotic voice modulator went to work, as the blonde made her opinion known. "As someone who has seen what Force Users are capable of first hand, all they have are cheap tricks and mind games. I can tolerate a force user, but force forbid if they think they can walk the walk."

Kat'ra Smart Talo Krayt Radon Krayt Raya Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

As the closest friend of the newly appointed Alor, Talo was the only one aware of the confidence she lacked into stepping into her mother's role. So, the young Mandalorian was at this meeting for two reasons instead of one - out of duty but also to support his friend in her endevour, although he wasn't sure what the meeting was actually for.

Once Raya stood up and made her way into the middle of the meeting room, Talo removed his own helmet and placed it on the table before positioning his body to lay his eyes on his friend. Knowing she may be nervous, his usual dagger-like eyes softened and one side of his lip quirked into a reasurring half-smile as to let the Alor know everything will be fine. He kept his supportive look throughout her speech before his reassuring expression turned into surprise when she proposed the idea of allowing Force-sensitives into the clan.

He sat still and in silence as the room erupted into discourse - arms folded, he realised he was in quite the dilemma. Talo desperately wanted to have his friend's back and support her as Alor but the issue currently was, he did not agree with her this time. Once the likes of Radon, Kat'ra and Aerith had spoken their peace, the scarlet haired Mandalorian remained seated as he spoke his.

Looking directly as Raya, he started "Ner burc'ya, my loyalty is with you and always will be. But I can't help but lean towards the sentiments of the others..." Talo paused, shoulders raising as he took a deep breath "You say we can help them cultivate their skills when we don't understand the way their... 'Force' works ourselves?" the young Mandalorian questioned, although his expression was stoic, his eyes conveyed guilt for not being able to support his friend... at least not yet.

Raya Krayt Radon Krayt Kat'ra Smart Aerith Krayt

 

[Raya Krayt]

Resistance was expected but she was willing to listen to the clan and take their opinions on the matter before making a decision. The first opinion came in the form of the Mandalorian clad in white who commanded attention from the group by slamming his fist on the table. Such an action didn't shock Raya from a Mandalorian so her eyes simply fell on him as she watched him expectedly. His emphasis on the word Alor struck her as disrespectful but she didn't show in her expression that she was irritated, knowing it would only give him grounds to do it again.

"We don't fear Jedi, no, but we are very cautious of their kind when they join the clan. I wouldn't be surprised if there were Force sensitives within this clan who are hiding their true status in fear of the repercussions. We don't need to enact this prejudice on people who have done nothing wrong." She replied to Radon before her attention was turned elsewhere by someone else who wanted a say. Raya nodded thoughtfully at the girl's answer. The concept of not using a blanket policy hadn't crossed her mind. "That is certainly something to think about." She replied, hoping others would also ponder the suggestion.

"Yeah..." She began to agree with Aerith. "They were dangerous enough to warrant us putting this ban in motion in the first place but that was years ago. Our numbers are dwindling and we can't really afford to be too selective in who we choose to join." She tried to reason with the clan, hoping someone would come to her support. Her hope rose when she heard Talo's voice but then sank again when she realised he too was being critical of the idea. Although, he raised a good point which she was glad he had done.

It was true that the clan was not knowledgeable on the Force so trying to help others understand it would be near impossible at their current stage. "We'd have to learn about it." She replied, expecting to be met with discord again. "But think of the benefits it could have. I've seen what some of these Force Users can do and they can heal wounds and sense enemies. These kind of skills could prove to be invaluable. Imagine someone who could instantly heal you on the battlefield? To me it seems like the benefit outweighs the small chance of risk." She protested.

Raya hoped she would be able to convince people to follow her line of thinking but at the moment it seemed like it would be a long journey and she didn't want to push too hard in case someone decided they wanted to challenge her for the position of Alor. She hoped she could at least convince Talo to join her cause. Some of the older Mandalorians would be immovable, she expected. It was a rule they had lived with their entire lives and so most were bound to oppose any change but some of the younger Mandalorians sat in silence. She didn't know what they were thinking but hoped they were open-minded enough to consider her cause.

Talo Krayt Aerith Krayt Radon Krayt Kat'ra Smart

 

[Radon Krayt]

It seemed like the will of the Alor was set in stone. The way she spoke hinted at her already having made the decision, despite it being opposed. Because unlike most that had voiced their opinions so far, Radon did not speak for himself alone. No, he spoke for many of their clansmen when he declared how he felt about this matter.

"We do not 'learn' about it. We do not 'help' them cultivate their skills. The Jetii are unfit to be Mandalorian. They are no warriors." He paused for a moment, briefly glancing at the Clansmen who sat with him. "All of us have fought and bled for Mandalore. For our brethren and families at home. We are victorious because of our own skill and prowess. Not because some mystical energy guides and protects us. That is not skill, that is a crutch. You would tell us to throw away our honour as warriors, and rely on this crutch?" The warrior in white shook his head. "You talk about fear and misunderstanding. Since when does a Mandalorian concern herself with such trivial matters? Have you forgotten our ways, Raya Krayt?" It was a roundabout way of saying 'you should be ashamed of yourself'.

"Some things are better left untouched. Our traditions are one of them." He stated, this time with a little less hostility.

Raya Krayt Aerith Krayt Kat'ra Smart Talo Krayt ​