Freedom through Victory. Victory through Contest. Mandalorian Empire Dominion of Nyriaan HexAA20

[Yasha Cadera]

Freedom through Victory. Victory through Contest
Mandalorian Empire Dominion of Nyriaan HexAA20

Objective 1: Survive the Gladiatorial Ring

The room is dark. Water drips outside your field of vision. They came at you from behind, an interdiction field halting any struggle once the battle reached its’ zenith. Something solid clocked the back of your neck.

You fell.

The room is damp. Your armour and weapons are missing. Replaced by a strange long sleeved cotton tunic and trousers with barcodes emblazoned on the sides and arms.

Above you, the only light comes from a series of cuts in the rock formation too high to climb to, and too far to jump.

‘Freedom through Victory. Victory through Contest.’

There are others in the vault. Some in fresh linens like you, others in linens of varying degrees of degradation.

A yellow light blinks. The dirtier clad gladiators began to stretch and groan. Some began to sob, thrusting themselves in any crevasse or hiding spot they could find. Battle approached.

Objective 2: Discover the Arena’s Workings & Free the Gladiators

The Nyriaani pitched it as a contest of the galaxy’s finest warriors. A chance to see the fighting styles of elite from Sabarene through Bastion and back again.

It put a bitter taste in Mand’alor the Infernal’s mouth. The whole thing stank of slavery. Yet in order to see the condition of Nyriaan, and gain access to the fabled Arena, Yasha Cadera and a small cadre of Mandalorians agreed to venture down to one of the elite viewing platforms and hear the Nyriaani out. After all, there was gladiatorial sport on Manda’yaim and across the Empire. If the so-called volunteers were just that, soldiers of fortune hoping for the glory and financial freedom of victory, then were the Nyriaani to be blamed?

Standing on the dais beside the Grand Gamesman, draped in her armour, Yasha felt a sour taste enter her mouth.

“Hmm?” Something felt off.

“My apologies, Mand’alor. I said I hope you find our selection of gladiators to your liking. We are... most fortunate in today’s volunteers.”

“As long as they are volunteers, Karku.”

“Why yes, Mand’alor... yes all. We secured their willingness... personally.”

Spoiler

[member="Gray Raxis"] [member="Quoron Mantis"] [member="Lisset Australis"] [member="Atheus"] [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Amanda Kryze"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Keira Verd"] [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] [member="Ginnie Dib"] [member="Ra’a’mah"] [member="Nita Quez"] [member="Joanes Quez"] [member="Cynthia Solus"] [member="Aedan Miles"] [member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Gerarich Thanor"] [member="Jor Kvall"] [member="Ambrose Cadera"] [member="Rory Baccus"] [member="Nibsani"] [member="Aaray Solus"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Lilik Mantis"] [member="Meerax Quez"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Lily-Grace Australis"] [member="Tristan Wren"] [member="Garrus Garon"] [member="Petria Breguet"] [member="Ursula Vizla"] [member="Kaine Australis"] @Meg Gred [member="Mavarah"] [member="Jake Awaud"] [member="Torin Verd"] [member="Vyr Beviin"] [member="Marvik Dathu"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Objective one
Well...that didnt work

She was tearing them apart then suddenly she couldnt move and then darkness....sharp pain in her neck. Waking up she groaned placing both hands on the ground she coughed and shook her head slowly standing, she really hoped this wasn't a slavers ship or she was about to burn this and place to the ground...well regardless that was about to happen as she was not in the best of mood currently. Observing her surrounding she found that there was many here same outfit as she was different states...looked more then slavers possibly fighters? stardust frowned and moved forward looking up to see a light flashing, then to the others as some started hiding or out right crying

Yep this wasn't gonna be fun, she rolled her shoulders

Time to figure this all out and survive

 

[Mig Gred]

Objective 1: My head...!

Mig rubbed the back of his head. Ugh! The last think the Mando'ad remembered was sensing trouble coming, then being overwhelmed by... someone. All he had done was got to a bar. He didn't drink, but you could still find something good eat there. Mig then realized he was lighter. His Beskar'gam and Trayc'kad were gone! "Osik," the man muttered before placing his hands near each other, and arcing Force Lightning between them. He had some sort of tunic on with bars on the sleeves. Some sort of code? He then heard another voice. He turned to see a familiar face. Kaine Australis? Yasha Cadera's husband. What is the 'verse was he doing here!?

Mig then looked up and saw the blinking yellow light. This was just getting better and better. Mig quickly stopped the sparking between his hands and walked up to Kaine. If anything, it'd at least be good to stick with another Mandalorian. "Kaine Australis, right?"

[member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Yasha Cadera"]

 

[Padran Rodarch]

Objective 1: Where am I

Padran blinked his eyes a few times, before opening them completly. It wasn't just a dream, this place he was. It wasn't dark in this place, wherever it was, but it wasn't exactly bright either. He sat up, and discovered that all his equipment were gone. Kriff, he thought. "What happened last night?" he asked himself. But he couldn't remember anything. And his head hurt.

Padran managed to stand up, and look around. There were many others in the room, all wearing the same clothes as him. Some of them were covreing and hiding. What was this Place? While some were hiding, others were streching, and looking like they were preparing for combat. He spotted to individuals that looked confused like him, and they were also neither hiding nor stretching. He walked over to them. One looked a bit familier. When he got Close enough, he thought he recognized one. "Kaine Australis?" he asked when he was near enough. "I am Padran Rodarch."

[member="Mig Gred"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] | [member="Yasha Cadera"]

 

[Damian Starchaser]

Objective 1

The periphery of his vision was white, a sort of blinking that burning his retina’s as he awoke. Damian’s head throbbed with each beating of his heart. Poison, fast acting. If it was slower he’d have been able to negate it with application of the force. “I’m a horrible Jedi,” Damian said in a hushed whisper under his breath. Other Jedi could have done it, but he wasn’t as proficient in use of the force.

Where was he now? He looked around purging the poison from his system and realized quickly that he was in a large brown sack.Feeling for his wrist his chrono was gone. A frown quickly formed knowing that his laser cutter was in that. Instead he reached up towards the cloth and tore at it creating a hole which he was able to rend open stepping out into the dim light of the room.

The last thing he remembered was being in a seedy bar, tracking down a man involved in a human smuggling ring. He’d seen his target when he took his dink. Don’t ever eat or drink anything you didn’t prepare yourself. Something his grandfather had always said, but never followed himself. At this moment Damian wished he followed that advice. The Pit wasn’t the worse drinking establishment he’d been, but it was nearly as far from the best as you could get. Situated in a rough part of town near a giant arena used for sport fights it gathered a strange local clientele which Damian found out had some connections to the local underworld. He should have been more careful.

Having extricate himself from the bag Damian was able to look around the room. It was small, and underground, some sort of basement. A low rumble of people could be heard overhead. A plasma duct ran across the ceiling, a scorching hot tube releasing exhaust from the power generator of the facility. Reaching a hand up Damian could feel the heat, the burning sear, from a full hand away. The sound of crowd and the rumble of footsteps echoed

“Mister Chase is it? Or Chuck Finley?” A voice over an intercom interrupted him. “Although I prefer Damian Starchaser…. You’ve been in a thorn in the side of-”

“Did you drug me, knock me unconscious and sew me into a bag just to take me a hundred meters to the Arena?” Damian interrupted with an air of indignity.

There was a pause over the intercom which Damian used to get his bearings further. There was a guard outside the door, triumphantly holding Damian’s own umbrella twirling it back and forth in his hands.

“No,” the voice said over the intercom. “I mean yes. What of it?”

“Nothing, it just seems a bit excessive is all.” Taking stock of what he has Damian examined all of his options. They had taken his chrono with coms, cutting laser, and security blade. His cufflinks taken for the crystals inside of them… nearly all of his gadgets were gone. Luckily they hadn’t stripped him yet, so he was still wearing his suit. “So what do you want from me?”

“From you? To put on a good show Mister Starchaser.” the disembodied voice said lowly, “and to die to the delight of the masses. Good Luck Mister Starchaser… you will need it.”

As the Comline shut down Damian could hear the guard approaching the makeshift cell. Taking off his tie and extending it to it’s full length Damian threw it up around the plasma exhaust pipe before jumping up and wrapping his legs around it. It burned even though the protection offered by his suit’s fire and blaster resistance pants, still it was better than searing his hands. “Ruin a perfectly good tie though.” The guard stepped forward and opened the door swinging Damian’s umbrella as he walked in.

From the top position Damian dropped his arms and torso flying behind the man and wrapping the tie around his throat lifting him off the ground. It takes minutes to suffocate someone, a fraction of a second to break their neck from impact, or a mere handful of seconds to cut off the artery and knock a subject unconscious Damian didn’t like to leave bodies everywhere, and could potentially use the escape alarm as cover to more easily move about and so went for the third option.

The guard fell to the ground after a few seconds, his brain being cut off from blood. Damian landed, his pants singed and lets hot, on the ground. He scooped up his umbrella from the ground and used the burnt and discarded necktie to secure the man’s arms.while tearing another piece of cloth off the man's own clothes to finish securing him in the cell.

Damian moved towards the sound of crowds attempting and hoping to find an exit into the stands.


[member="Padran Rodarch"] | [member="Mig Gred"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] | [member="Yasha Cadera"] I'm just tagging people who other folk have tagged so if I forgot someone... please tell me.

 

[Skorvek]

His attackers while prepared didn't take him without him killing a few of his own his only regret was he didn't kill them all before he was knocked unconscious and awoke in this pit with others in the same situation as he was stripped of his weapons and armor he looked around to see some of his fellow Vode including Kaine Australis of all people where in the same predicament, He looked to see the yellow light flashing and to see others all dressed and armored in the same thing no doubt they where fighters of some sort by the battle damage and that he and the new arrivals where the new addition to what ever sick game his captors had in mind.

He was no longer the calm cold Anubian he used to be there was a few things that irritated him the most and being used as a entertainment tool was one of the big ones for him, Those around him who have fought with him the most could tell that the beast theyv normally seen has been replaced by a more rage filled creature. He had every intention to survive and ensure his fellow Vode survive as well as find away out of this place, But he personally wanted to rip out the heart of the slavers who brought him here and whoever designed this game.



[member="Mig Gred"][member="Padran Rodarch"][member="Kaine Australis"][member="Stardust Australis Skirae"][member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Damien"] Starchaser

 

[Adara Raxis]

Allies: [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Mig Gred"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Padran Rodarch"]

Another body dressed in white cotton laid in a bundle on the floor of the gladiator preparatory area.


Tamar Fitz-Kierke, Mandalorian convert and Panathan-Born nanny of Mand’alor the Infernal’s children. Grunting minutely, Tamar writhed awake. Her arms maintained their curl around a bundle clutching her chest. Legs straightened from her chest.

A child’s whimper.

“Tamar? Tamar I wanna go home.” Adara Australis-Cadera whimpered as she rubbed her stained eyes on Tamar’s tunic, a matching white tunic pooling from neck to toes around the child like a dress. “Tamar? Wake up. Wake up! Wake up!!”

Tamar groaned, a line of red staining the back of her tunic. She jolted awake.

“Adara! Reyn! Reyn?! REYN!” Tamar clutched Adara, frantic eyes searching the gloom. There were shadows around them, yet when she reached out the air fluctuated.

Some form of force field was blocking Tamar and Adara from the others.

“Welcome, volunteers for joining our gladiatorial exercise. For those of you who may require extra stimulation or might not want to pick up arms against your fellows, a gift.

The first arena veteran to reach our dear child and guardian’s safety shield... will decide whether to let them go free, or to take freedom themselves. Give us your best.” The dais began to shift. Tamar cuddled Adara to her, the nanny’s raven hair falling loose around her shoulders. A window in the force field opened a small port, where snacks and a holo projector peeked out before it closed. A classic children's story played on the holoprojection, a bacta hypospray settled beside innocent looking snack bars.

“Sloobieboo?” Adara peeked from her nanny’s shoulder. She felt her loved ones close... but Adara couldn’t see more than shadows out of the shield. Her eyes got drawn into the cartoon, rubbing her eyes and settling with her back against her nanny's chest. “Daddy? Tamar, what's happening?”

"Hush, little one. Be prepared to move quickly and obey everything I say." Tamar cuddled Adara, brushing the child's hair away from her face. At least the girl did not appear harmed. The arena stands churned with Nyriaan locals roaring and shouting as Nexu, a Krayt dragon and several hold out points with crude weapons. Arena veterans rushed the hold out points, charging with the desperation of the damned.

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

[member="Skorvek"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Padran Rodarch"] [member="Mig Gred"] [member="Kaine Australis"]

Ferfek... they got Kaine? And skorvek? Stardust moved towards them as she looked around, crafty bastards to be able to get them however they better hold that one victory close they had taken some of the best

Kaine, skorvek, least theres some familiar face here.

She said then heard someone talking, the force around her changed a bit as she looked to see adara, she froze as around her the air grew warm and her blood became hotter then it had since commenor. A growl emitted from her that was unlike any that should cone from a twilek, it was low and sounded more like a beast.

That girl there stardust cared for like her own and to place her as some...prize...letting her roar out she looked to Kaine and skorvek trying to catch their eyes before she looked to the krayt dragon as she got a wicked grin

I'm heading for that dragon! Thatll be our biggest threat!

With that she started for it, a few got within her path were swiftly met with fire being spat out them engulfing with the rage of a thousand suns burning

She was a pissed dragon

 

[Skorvek]

Skorvek was on the brink as is what he felt next was merely the catalyst he felt the familiar presence of [member="Adara Raxis"] and with that the air around him grew cold and his blood boiled with the fury of a erupting volcano as he let out a bone chilling roar of rage, He felt [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] have a similar reaction his rage was unleashed. He went for the dragon as well but first he used the force to pull forth two of the heavy hitting crude Axes that would normally be two handed but due to his physical nature he could wield them as one handed weapons of destruction, The force powered his rage and made him run the speed of a bullet towards the krayt dragon as he cut down in the most brutal and merciless ways possible any veteran gladiators that are not his Vode that got in his way as he charged the axes with a mixture of flame and lightning and went for a slash at the Dragons Tail. He was out for blood and any who got in his way shall feel his vengeance.

[member="Damian Starchaser"][member="Padran Rodarch"][member="Kaine Australis"][member="Mig Gred"][member="Yasha Cadera"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Presidential Suite Platform
Objective: Observe
Allies: [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] @Mig Greb

The crowd roared in excitement as veterans and white-shirted new ‘volunteers’ roared onto the field. On the private orbital platform with Karku, Yasha, Ambrose and Tuulu stared down at the forms running through the course.

Several seemed... familiar? Yasha cocked her head to the side. Her HUD scanned down, magnifying the figures.

“Take us closer to the fights.” A shift to the shield bubble over the arena was just enough to blur her sensors. But still... “Where did you get an Anubian?”

“Oh, him? Recent volunteer from Erebus. He found the... special prize too much to ignore.” Karku steepled his Umbara digits, a yellowed tooth grin on his face. Ambrose grunted, Tuulu put his hand near his firearm. The whole thing smelled of a foul stink.

Yet... Yasha continues cycling through her HUD scanning algorithms to clear the image.

“Karku. That shimmering Spot in the middle. What is it?”

“That, Your Infernal One, is a prize worth its weight in kyber crystals. The volunteers are brawling to take it for themselves.”

“Volunteers.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

Yasha’s eyes narrowed. There was something familiar about those blobs.

Inside the arena complex, three guards saw a stranger with an umbrella.

“Oy! He ain’t supposed to have that! None sir no how!! Get him!”

All three gave chase, their blaster pistols and stun batons blazing.

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig looked out as the group were forced outside. He looked around before hearing a sound he never thought he’d hear in a place like this. A... A CHILD! The slavers were definitely worse then he even thought. It was then that the alor noticed the god-like being and Twi’lek’s reactions. Quiet similar? He then turned to Kaine and noticed his own face, finally realizing what was going on. She and the woman there were Mando’ade, and seemed to be close to Kaine and the others. He then heard her say “Daddy.” Was she... Kaine and Yasha’s kid?

The unarmored Mandalorian didn’t have much time to thing before hearing the call of a Krayt dragon, and saw many weapons points appear in the arena. Mig was quick used the Force to pull a saber into his hand, and Force Pushed anyone who wasn’t Mando’ad away from the shield, eyeing them all. “Kaine! Get them, I’ll keep these guys away from the shield.” The Mandalorian then turned to the other “volunteers,” electricity arcing from the saber. “Ok. You can either help us or not. But if you want the girls, you’ll have to go through me!”

[member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Adara Raxis"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Padran Rodarch"] [member="Kaine Australis"]

 

[Adara Raxis]

Location: Security Shield
Objective: Watch cartoons
Allies: [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Mig Gred"]

Tamar bit her cheek so hard she tasted copper. The fight started. Yasha’s loyal nanny cradled her charge in such a way as to shield Adara from the worst, if the shield came down. Adara seemed oblivious.

Then Skorvek roared. Buir shouted, a Nexu’s growl bursting from his throat.

“Sloobieboo? Baba?” Adara’s breath caught. Her eyes, those black eyes with red sclera flicked up to the fight around them.

The Nexu telepathically coupled with Kaine Australis, his animal husbandry buoyed by the Force. The Krayt Dragon rushed Stardust and Skorvek, not deterred by the two viciously minded warriors. It charged, its talons and teeth gnashing out at Stardust despite the heat and embroiled horror around them.

To Skorvek, it roared. Another predator to conquer.

Four of the arena veterans, their once white clothing stained red and brown charged Mig. Two were flung, yet returned to their feet quickly. The other two rushed the armed Mandalorian. Nothing, no arms mattered. The veterans of the arena were leaving. They used their simple tools to cut down any in their path. Arms or not.

“We’re getting out of here! I don’t care about some kid!”

“I need to get to mine!”

“Outamyway!!”

A smaller woman, hiding behind a barricade, started to pick up and throw rocks at Mig and Stardust. Inching her way closer.

“Shhh. Hush now Adara, hush. Watch your holo. Shh.” Tamar rocked the girl, who hearing her father’s voice began to panic.

“But Buir! Tamar, Buir!”

“Hush! Shh! Oh little one please be still.” Tamar braced herself, as Adara’s eyes began to glow. Her inner sight cleansed the mask of the security shield. She saw her father coming. Sloobieboo roar after the dragon.


“Daddy...” The security shield shattered under the desire of a child for her father. Tamar shrieked.

 

[Padran Rodarch]

Objective: 1

A few other individuals came to the Group. It seemed these more or less knew each other. Then a voice began speaking, saying this was some kind of gladiator arena. And he mentioned a price. "Child?"

Then the arena opened, and Padran could see many weapons lying around. Melee weapons. It seemed the other contestants had seen it too, and were rushing out. Most of the People in his Group had got weapons and were also rushing out, leaving Padran very confused. some of them had seemed familiar, and he guessed they were mandalorians, like himself. He had only recently officially joined the Mandalorian Empire, thus he didn't know many there. And what was the deal With the child everyone seemed to panick about. "Who is that child?" a said in desperate confusion.

Then he heard Kaine yell that buir was coming. Now Things made more sense. Padran turned to Mig, who had just said one was either With them or against them. "I'm With you, vod", Padran said, before running out to get a spear he had seen. Another gladiator had the same idea, but he wasn't fast enough. Padran reached it first, and impaled the other one. Then he threw the spear at a nearby gladiator. The Battle was on.

[member="Adara Raxis"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Mig Gred"] | [member="Yasha Cadera"] | [member="Skorvek"] | [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] | [member="Damian Starchaser"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

[member="Adara Raxis"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Mig Gred"] [member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Skorvek"]

Objective one

This was her second dragon to see, in any other circumstances stardust would've said it was a beautiful and graceful beast, but right now it was merely a monster and a obstacle. Stardust roared and blew fire at it before ducking under its talons and moved back as a veteran came at her with a sword in hand. Turning quickly stardust socked the man right in the jaw with her right arm breaking his jaw, blade fell as she grabbed it and stabbed down into the man ending his screams

back! Get back

A rock flew and smacked her in the head, stardust eyes turned towards where it came ans she inhaled and then exhaled out flames filled with her rage. Turning back towards the dragon she ran at it roaring and began slicing and stabbing all while making sure she didnt end up in three pieces

Words reached her ears, her eyes glanced to see adara shielding shattering as stardust gasped....no...no no this wasn't good. Stardust ducked under the talons again as she watched kaine run with a nexu....that was a sight to behold

Truely things went from bad to worse

 

[Ikenna Tahj]

​

Location: Arena - Objective 1

A bead of sweat dripped from his brow as his eyes followed the three hungry anoobas as they circled him in the arena. With a shout he raised his vibroblade into the air and gave a triumphant war cry. The crowd erupted in cries of joy and bloodlust.

Several Mandalorians had been captured and brought to this world. An embarrassing feat to be sure, but until help arrived there wasn't much else to do but slaughter their chosen champions. Hush had stepped forward as an Alor of a powerful clan when one of his bridge officers had been chosen to fight first. He'd somehow convinced their captors that he would be the best to put on a good show.

Really he was just trying to buy time for Australlis and the others to break everyone out.

he gripped the spear in his other hand and gave it a flourish, inviting the anooba to attack. One lunged at him and found the tip of his spear deep in its chest. A foul smell poured from the wound which made Hush scrunch up his face. The weight of the spear and the anooba slowed his reaction and forced his spear hand to the ground. He shouted as one of the anoobas slashed at his exposed midsection, drawing blood.

Hush bit out a curse and released the spear to fend off the two remaining anoobas with the vibroblade.

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig quickly used his now electrified saber to block and stun the two charging veterans, pushing them back again. Mig then turned to Padran. He didn't recognize this vod, but he was happy for the help and gave the man a nod. The swordsman then noticed the rock coming at him, and caught it with the Force before turning his head towards the other captured fighters. "I was hoping we could escape without such a dishonorable tactic. We have no quarrel with any of you down here. It's the osik'la (horrible) people who started this!" He then threw the rock at one of the still standing men's shins, being sure to guide it till it hit. "But you best know, even if she wasn't Mando'ad (Mandalorian) I would never trade my own freedom for a child's!" Mig then charged one of the men, using his Force electrified saber to continue to hold them off by stunning instead of killing. The alor hoped it would get the point across.

It was then that Mig noticed Kaine. He was riding the Nexu that had been released with the Krayt! How on Mandalor did he do that? He had already sensed other force sensitives, but this was the first time he realized Kaine was. The mando'ad'jetii was never good at using the Force one the minds of anyone. He couldn't wrap his head around it, but that didn't matter right now. The shattering behind him did. Mig jumped back and looked at Adara and Tamar. "Ni nayc urmankalar bic (I don't believe it)." Had Adara... shattered the field? How... how did she do that!? Didn't matter right now. Mig looked back out, charging Force Lightning in his hands. "Well fighters. Any change of heart yet, or will you continue this nayc'ijaat (dishonor)?"

[member="Hush Sarad"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Padran Rodarch"] [member="Adara Raxis"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Damian Starchaser"]

 

[Adara Raxis]

Location: The Arena
Objective: Run.
Allies: [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Mig Gred"] [member="Padran Rodarch"] [member="Hush Sarad"] [member="Yasha Cadera"]

Chaos was their only keeper. Clutching Adara to her chest, Tamar rose to her feet, thin shoes slipping on the fragments of transparisteel or glass which encased the shield unit. Three of the veterans stalked from the other side of the shield pod than Mig and Padran.

“Oh no! Seems my fingers slipped and the field failed! The prize is in the wind, folks! Who is going to get there first?! Will it be the surly Mandalorians, or our best Nyriaani fighters?! Place your bets!” The announcer spoke through the comms, bets being placed by their thousands as the area around the Mandalorians erupted.

Tamar held Adara so close to her chest, the little girl balked in a cry. Eyes constantly moving, the Panathan nanny rushed off the platform. A rhodian with a net threw it, narrow in his misfire. The woman throwing rocks pelted one straight for Tamar’s back just in time.

The woman went up in Stardust’s flames. Dead with a scream still pursed on her aching lips.

Tamar sprawled on the ground, twisting to hit shoulder-first and protect Adara. Temporarily stunned, Tamar grunted as she kicked her heels into the ground, pushing herself as close to the shield pod as the broken glass under her back allowed.

“Freedom’s mine!” An emaciated, but muscular man rushed Tamar. The nanny raised her foot and kicked as hard as she could, legs planted on his chest to keep his reach from taking the child in her arms. Adara shrieked, burying her head in Tamar’s shoulder.

“Hold still, little one.” Tamar gasped, screaming out as he doubled down, grabbing at a lock of Adara’s hair. Her hand left Adara’s back, fumbling for a rock, a jagged piece of glass, a lucky pipe.

Hush Sarad’s distraction was enough for Tamar to grab herself a weapon.

What Tamar got was a shard of glass. She stabbed and slashed out wildly. It was the desperation of an untrained combatant, used to the hold of a blaster, but dwarfed by the combat around her. The glass embedded in the man’s neck.

He fell atop her, seizing in his death throes. Tamar held Adara’s face to her skin, to hide the view.

“Tam-tama… Buir!! Sloobieboo!!”

“Hush! Hush, oh hush Dar’ika shhhh. Shh now, shhh. It’s alright little one, it’s alright… it’s… Adara, please don’t cry out.” Tamar bit her cheek as she kicked and struggled to get out from under the man’s body, ever inch gained by fragments of slag from the shield pod cutting at her back.

Knee raised up, Tamar kicked, and kicked and kicked herself free, then hefted to her feet and ran straight up the shield pod, and down the other side to slide down by Mig and Padran. Pod to her back, Mandalorians to their front, it was the safest place Tamar figured she would find.

“This child is Mand’alor the Infernal’s! Reyn, Nereus’ beard, where’s Reyn!? Both children were with me, when they attacked!”

[member="Damian Starchaser"], chased by the captor-villains would, if he paid particular attention to the noises coming from a certain doorway, hear the sounds of a little boy playing pretend war, with a model TIE fighter.

“Brvvvvvvvvvv pew pew pew! Awwwww I got shotted! Traggidy!”

Pity the real traggidy was the five burly former gladiator guards holding the child captive in the next room.

 

[Padran Rodarch]

Padran was paying too much attention to the battle, to notice the child and her guardian had escaped from the force field. He only listened to some of what the announcer said. One of the veterans came rushing at him with a sword, and Padran barely managed to deflect it, but he recieved a kick to his leg from the veteran. But the momentum refused to let him stop his charge, so Padran struck him down with the spear from behind. Then he looked around, leaning on the spear because of the leg. That was when he noticed the kid was gone from her prison. Kriff, he muttered to himself.

He was glad Mig was nearby. Although he seemed more reluctant to just kill the other gladiators, it was good to have someone you trusted in case. But Padran didn't understand why he tried to talk the others from whatever was going on. The chances it would work were small at best, and it was faster to just fight them. But that was just a matter of opinion.

Suddenly he heard voices behind him, where he thought no-one was. He turned his head around, and saw the child and her guardien. And the guardien was saying the child was Mand'alor's, and screaming something about another child named Reyn. Great, another child. And the first one is Mand'alor's on top of it all. This is what he thought, while out load he said: "What is going on? Who is this other child? And who are you?" He didn't get to say more, before he was attacked again by some veteran.

[member="Adara Raxis"] | [member="Mig Gred"] | [member="Hush Sarad"] | [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Yasha Cadera"] | [member="Skorvek"] | [member="Damian Starchaser"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Orbital Viewing Platform
Objective: Observe & Scan.
Allies: [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Mig Gred"] [member="Padran Rodarch"] [member="Hush Sarad"]

Far too much was ‘off’. The double-axed figure charging a Krayt Dragon. A twi’lek breathing fire. A shirtless man calming a Nexu, then yelling across the field. People forming up, some rushing for the middle, others taking defensive positions around the shield pod.

Yasha continued to filter through her scanning algorithms, gritting her teeth. “MOMALOR. Break through the scramblers. Give me data on what’s going on down there.”

“Awright chickybabe. Ah! Mand’aor te Chickybabe. Gotcha in two clicks.” The AI peppered in its’ unique brogue, doing what her buy’ce could not.

“Isn’t industry spectacular? You see, we thrive on this economy of gladiatorial combat. What else could we do with our limited resources and overpopulation? Gladiators from across the galaxy come to fight in our arena. Glorious, isn’t it? And think, the Mandalorian Empire can subsidize the event with volunteers and with your input we… well, if I may, we’re a bit concerned at the… loss in volunteers we’ve received since our supply chains on Er’kit, Ploo and Hela dried up… what was that, Mand’alor? You would like some data? Good.” The fluctuating shield around the arena cleared. The shield pod, for that’s what it was, shattered.

Mand’alor the Infernal saw red. Karku the Umbaran grinned and steepled his fingers. “Oh, so you see I’ve sequestered a few… perks to signing our trade dea—“

Her arm went up, wrist blade slicing into the Umbaran’s neck. Ambrose and Tuulu rushed the guards, cutting them down with their beskads and dragging their bodies away from the platform's edge.

“MOMALOR, shut the shield generator over the arena down.”

“Can’t, it’s on its’ own system. Don’t have access here, do I? Up in the air and what not. Can get you closer to the arena though. See? We’re going down.”

“And here I thought you were good at your job.”

“Oy, mate! No reason to get lippy, now! Fine, alright, there’s a port down in the sub levels. Take a few lefts, a right, right, left, straight for 13 meters, a left, right, left double back around after avoiding the security lasers, right, right, down the stairs…”

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Orbital Viewing Platform
Objective: Observe & Scan.
Allies: [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Mig Gred"] [member="Padran Rodarch"] [member="Hush Sarad"]

“So… down.” Yasha peered over the edge of the viewing platform. She gulped. There was only one thing, which could make the Infernal pause, and the empty space between the platform and arena shields was it.

Freefall. She held out her hand.

“That’s my family down there.”

“If you define family as people with whom you are genetically or romantically linked, while cohabitating in a - where’d she go!?” MOMALOR would have blinked if it wasn’t an AI artificially imported into the HUD’s of Yasha and her guards. Ambrose and Tuulu followed Yasha’s jump, air whistling around their beskar’kandar.

A whistle grew louder still, as a grey form rocketed through the air, right into the Infernal’s hand.

The Rekr Karyatesa, that perilous wolf-hammer. Weapon of many wars. Yasha landed on the engineer’s maintenance scaffold with a roll, body denting the metal.

Ambrose fired his repulser pack to calm his descent. Tuulu… not Tuulu. The gurlanin transformed midair into a cawing and massive Cycle Owl, black wings beating at the sky above the shield. Cradled in his talons were three blaster rifles.

Running down the platform, Yasha trusted Ambrose to shoot the three engineers in front of her with his firearm. She vaulted over their heads, wielded her hammer in the air and with a resounding, thunderous crack, the lightning-imbued hammer slammed into the shield controls with enough force to down a speeder tank.

A hole frizzed into the shield. Tuulu dove, body transforming into a thinner streak to fit the narrow expanse. Through the shield’s hole and into the arena he veered. Scattered the blaster rifles in front of Alor Gred and Rodarch.

Above his head, the shield rejuvenated, weaker but present. Tuulu flew to the top of the shield and divebombed a gladiator, who got too close to Mig, Rodarch and Tamar, bringing the man into the air, then dropping him in the path of Skorvek and the Krayt Dragon.

“Oy… ‘at’s one way of gettin’ to the ground floor I s’pose.” MOMALOR quipped, as Yasha looked to the eleven other shield generation units the Mandalorians would destroy.

Reinforcements were on the move.