Growth

[Kilum Bralor]

He used to think things were difficult before.

That fighting and killing, capturing and returning, all of that were the hard parts about life as a Mandalorian. That where you struggled was in combat, and that was the biggest mountain to climb, the greatest monster to face. He had wished, and hoped that it would always stay that way. He had never been more wrong about anything. With the gray sidecape on his body fluttering in the wind, eventually calming as he entered the tomb before him, he knew what the hardest part was now. He wished he could take it all back. Understand then what he did now.

Snow rested on top of his armour and cloak as he entered into the far warmer tomb, the place that a great leader now lay sleeping. Sometimes, he wished Mandalorians had a god, in his private moments. Some kind of all-knowing spirit he could ask for help, something to reassure him. He knew that wasn't their way. Every man and women were their own, and it was why they were so great a force when unified. He had to be a rock against the wind, even as it battered him down.

Bralor's steps echoed through the hall as his armoured form entered the main chamber. The beskar tree towered over him as a centrepiece, as though leering down at him and watching his every move, observing him for all the faults he'd already picked out in himself. He approached where the tree's root sat, within what you could almost call an oversized plant pot, in his more uneducated vernacular. Whatever it was, it was of great importance now.

When Kilum leaned forward, he placed a hand on the rim, staring down at where his fingers brushed the surface through his gauntlets. He was not here just to pay his respects, however. He was here to talk, as much as he wasn't practiced in it. He heard footsteps entering the chamber behind him, and looked up from the rim, though he didn't turn around to look at who entered. He knew who it would be.

"I thought you were a Bounty Hunter."

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Koda Fett]

​

​

There had been so many strange oddity's in which he had witnessed within his rather short lifetime, for whilst he had seemed to be nothing more than a thirty-year-old man to everyone, the reality was that Fett -- chronologically -- was merely seventeen. He pertained the mentality of the man he seemingly was, though, but he simply grew up in more ways than one faster than most had the luxury of. It was conflict in which he knew more than anything else, and so it shouldn't truthfully be all that much of a surprise that all those roads led to here.

Fett hadn't a clue as to how he was truly perceived, but that didn't matter. It were the results, the efficiency, for Koda had always been a man of numbers; the fantastical was of no concern to himself, only the results. Hmm. He pondered many a time as to what the dear old and departed Jango might think. Fett always concluded that he was making him proud, extending his own and Jaster's Legacy.

His booted feet seemed to echo through the rather large chamber, and whilst there were plenty of those that sought refuge in the mountains of Shogun alongside Te Veman, this room appeared particularly empty. Empty and dark, illuminated by the subtlety of fires around the edges of such a circular room, and that of the tree too.

It was with his Carbine within one hand, barrel facing skyward, that he moved by the tree. There was a voice that he heard, and it was entirely unfamiliar. Koda and Kilum had interacted before, but they had never spoken. Fett remained in silence for the briefest of moments, taking his time to stride just by the tree and take note of who it was. He recognised that armour.

"So did I." His answer came clear, reverberating through the large room.

[member="Kilum Bralor"]

 

[Kilum Bralor]

​

Kilum scoffed at his answer.

Both of them thought like that. He only saw himself as a Bounty Hunter, Mercenary, killer, whatever it was that you called a man with a blaster that you paid money to make your problems go away. He had always seen that as his place in life, and he'd been satisfied with that. Responisibility had just dropped in his lap, and he hadn't been sure what to do with it at first. He still wasn't, really. He took it a lot more seriously now. Especially today, of all days.

The mandalorian turned, facing towards Koda and examining him from beneath the helmet. He looked exactly the same. To most, that would seem obvious - he was in the same suit of armour, after all. Even with all the new scratches and dents that it may have had though, Koda had unchanged. The way he stood, his walk, the odd tilts of the head. He had been steadfast in remaining who he was. There was a reason that Kilum took such time trying to figure out things about him, though. It was deeper than simply sizing up an opponent, like he had done the first time they'd met.

"I'm not going to ask how you ended up with this. That'll take too long." That, and he wasn't really in the mood for war stories right now. Things had been a bit too...down, when focusing on the memories, on the struggles of the past. It only brought heartache to the forefront of his mind now. It was better to focus on what was important. "I want to know what you're doing with it, Fett. Where is this going? What's your plan?"

Fett didn't strike him as the leading type. He may have had a certain animal charisma that many warriors had, but he wasn't a great talker (certainly not), nor someone who inspired a populace with kind acts in a community. He was strong and no doubt confident in his own choices, but he was not a born leader. That may have made him perfect for what was to come. If Kilum had guessed Fett's hand correctly, then he may very well be indeed.

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Koda Fett]

​

​

It was simple, but all too difficult. There had been those that had a way with words, that could inspire with the flicking of their tongues and the subsequent sounds that followed. Koda Fett, however, had never been that kind of man. His influence had laid within presence, within reputation, and actions. He could claim that it was Mandalore he sought vengeance for, twist those truths into dramatised retellings that only just coincided with reality in an attempt to insight hatred for their enemy, a desire to kill. Koda was never going to, though. He had figured few things in his time as a Warlord, and it was that there was no deception in gaining a member of one's flock. Perhaps an ally that could later be turned upon, but a Mandalorian that wished Mandalore free of that Empire was to do so for their own reasons. As he intended to himself.

His reasoning may prove self-serving, and it was all in some futile attempt to make a dead-man proud. To honour those that had a vision, similar to his pseudo father, before it all being torn away from them. Koda had never known of Jango's truthful connection to Mandalore, but those True Mandalorians​ had certainly never been the kind to take a step backwards. So, did he have an answer he could really tell? No.

It was bound to sound so simple, unthought of and an impulsive decision: "Mandalore." His concordian accent so very apparent as he took that step further around the tree. The fires reflecting within his T-Visor. "That is the destination." He paused, "And it isn't a clean path."

[member="Kilum Bralor"]

 

[Kilum Bralor]

​

What else could it be?

Staring towards the darkened visor that looked back towards him, Kilum could only see one thing reflected in it, past the flames and the sparks that came from the sources of warmth in this place. He saw home, and he saw glory. At the same time, the answer was...a bit less measured than you would think. Of course, Fett was always snappy in how he did things, so Bralor wasn't expecting conversation to be something that stood out as an exception, even if it wasn't part of the famous hunter's typical skillset.

"You wouldn't need so many Mandalorians if it was an easy road to go down." He kept still. It seemed an obvious thing to say, but then again, so was what Koda said. Maybe that was to be expected. Bralor got the feeling that Koda exuded a kind of confidence that could work against him, only bolstered by his own abilities and victories. Valuable against the right kind of opponent, and possibly lethal against the wrong kind. He seemed to measure his words a bit more carefully now, not so much poking at the new Warlord so much as just testing him a bit, seeing what he said.

"Do you have a plan? Whether or not you have Mantis' father in tow, it's a world filled with dangerous soldiers. Like you said, it won't be a clean path. There will be a lot of blood. Your job is to make that as little blood as you can. What's your strategy?" Kilum wondered quietly if he even had one. Fett was quick to react and let his instincts guide him, at least in combat. He'd seen it with his own eyes, and been on the receiving end. Even so, there was a youth to his decisions, to his impulsive way of thinking. The risks he took would now risk far more than just himself. Kilum wanted to know if he stood to lose even more than he had already.

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Koda Fett]

​

​

There were all of those Mandalorians that truly did see Mandalore as their home. It was a place for them to find themselves once all this conflict had finally reached an end, and it was there that they could find bliss. This Warlord- Fett, didn't seem to have that. He never truly had a home, or so he had seen such a thing. Yet, he had been asked to become something of a symbol, a beacon of hope by Mantis. Koda had felt some degree of obligation, and so for his own selfish reasons and that of duty and servitude had he accepted the leadership position of Te Veman. Maybe it was accepted through an impulsive and fluid decision, or perhaps it was carefully thought out. It didn't seem to matter, least not now. There always was the possibility that Fett could consider that arena planet 'home'.

"Alliances." The Mandalorian stated. "They're far larger in size, and so it will take more than just ourselves to defeat the Infernal's Empire." His gaze had fallen towards the tree, slowly shifting in another attempt to study the inscriptions. "There are many that are unwilling to cooperate with the Empire, and so we offer them a solution. They're tools to be used." Koda had concluded.

Fett had never truthfully been a warrior of honour, but instead a bounty hunter of cunning. He was deceptive, he cheated, he lied, and stole. Perhaps some Mandalorians of the past and present may deem such a tactic pathetic, unfitting of a Warlord, but Fett didn't entirely care. It were the results he desired, and as to how he gathered them, he hardly cared.

[member="Kilum Bralor"]

 

[Kilum Bralor]

​

"That's a dangerous game you play."

Kilum gave his answer quickly, the retort sharp in its nature. The older Mandalorian's form stayed almost entirely still as his eyes simply watched for changes in body language, posture, anything. Fett was a soldier. He stood like a soldier, but not as one that marched on command, little more than an organic droid. There was purpose in his movements, and this was even more true in his speech. No word was wasted with Koda, almost everything being important to what he was trying to get across. He only spoke when there was a reason to.

"You know this by now, but maybe not so clearly yet. The other powers in this galaxy don't do things as we do, or as you do. They weave their webs of lies, treaties, alliances and counter-alliances. They're unstable. Unreliable. It may seem obvious, but it should stay in the front of your mind." The warrior took a deep breath, as though considering something meaningful. He stared towards Koda still. He was not looking at him as a potential enemy, or even as a warrior. He was sizing him up for something different, trying to figure out, through his own mental test, whether he was fit for something else. He asked the question that echoed in his mind, and then echoed throughout the chamber.

"Will you be Mand'alor?"

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Koda Fett]

​

​

Will I?​

​

It was proposed by the old wolf, Preliat. It was asked of Ronan, the Warmaster. Now, it had been questioned by Bralor. He didn't have an answer- there was nothing concrete as everything rapidly changed around him with each passing day. There had been plans meticulously crafted only to be scrapped in their entirety the next day. Fett, for all his intentions, was hardly a leader. Though, it was said that such a thing made him perfect for the role. This Mandalorian, Bounty Hunter, Warlord hadn't the faintest idea as he blindly stepped forwards into a Galaxy at war; soon to be engulfed by it further.

​"If necessary." His answer came after a few moments of deliberation. His helmet head had panned off to the side during that time, only to return the T-Visor's gaze upon Kilum's own. "That isn't a decision for me to make." He furthered. A certain sincerity to voice his, for he was telling the truth.

[member="Kilum Bralor"]

 

[Kilum Bralor]

​

Perfect.

He was perfect for this, even if he didn't realise it. Unsure as to whether he'd even be a good leader, someone who saw himself as more of a killer and a fighter than a revolutionary, a politician or one to lead; exactly what was needed. Kilum had been next to nothing in those days, even less so than now, but he remembered back to the days of Ra. How long ago was that war now? Enough that he wished it had never happened, somehow. To think, there had even been clones fighting on the side of Monroe in those days; maybe hundreds of thousands, dying for nothing.

Ra was a great leader, an incredible warrior and a physical phenom. Yet, he was a revolutionary, in his way. He expected to and wanted to be Mand'alor, from all Kilum could tell. It came from an idealistic place, a good place; he wished to heal his people, to bring them to new glories, like every leader did. Yet, he pursued it, and anyone who pursues power in that way becomes a slave to it. Great as he was, there was little he could do against that, an enemy he could not fight. Even now, nobody knew where he was.

Yet, this one only sought to fight, only willing to take up the mantle if it was forced upon him. As it should be. "Then you're what we've been seeking. My clan will fight with you." Kilum said it rather frankly, as though it was just something normal, almost casual to say. He stepped forward for a moment, giving a second's bow of his helmet. "Vor entye." Fett would be granting him something that he needed, that he desired most of all, that stood out as a light amongst the blackness in his mind - purpose.

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Koda Fett]

​

​

​Maybe he smirked in response, but he wasn't going to admit such a thing. His stoic nature had been a staple of his identity, and there wasn't a chance he was ready to let any of that go. Too obsessed with appearances, reputation, but perhaps that could fade with time. Fett was surely arrogant in that regard, and arrogance was never a great trait for a leader. Fett needed to learn humility above all else- the language, too. Mando'a was foreign to him beyond a few choice phrases, and even then he never spoke it.

Outwardly, however, it was clear that Fett had offered a nod of his head. It was typical of himself, really. A man of few words, preferring his actions to do such speaking, even if it were something so menial. It was, with that, in which Fett had shifted forwards. There was no real reason to remain in conversation, and so he left abruptly. He had other things to do, anyhow. It was a busy man's job, after all.

[member="Kilum Bralor"]