In Stranger Aeons lie, even Death may Die

[Laira Darkhold]

That Gen'dai fool had resurrected a terrorist cell with the hopes of rebuilding the Mandalorians. Draco knew a few things for certain. The clans would never recognize a coward like Tralik as Mand'alor, Vornskr had a better chance at it than he did. But he was dead now, and there was a new face of evil. The clans would never back the Death Watch as it stood. And the clans were fragmented and broken up more than Draco would admit aloud.

There were a few people Draco would kneel before and call Mand'alor, very few. And of that number, none seemed to want to claim it. Isley had claimed the title, even built his own sect of Mandalorians out on the outer rime towards the Unknown Regions. He was one of the few that Draco wouldn't mind following given time. An old friend like Isley, wouldn't ask him for his loyalty, wouldn't have to. But Draco had his fears about the Mandalorian Empire and the United Clans coming into conflict. And if there would be brother versus brother, the Clans in their current form would not last, fragmented as they were.

Skirata had been quiet for some time, clan Ordo was quiet. Most of the Clans were quiet in these dark times, but no more. It was well past time someone do something. Draco had no intentions on the title or mantle of Mand'alor. He held too much responsibility to others, he had too many allies outside of the Clans that he couldn't, and wouldn't betray. But what he could do was make some serious changes.

Draco stood in a circle in the sand, his clansmen had drawn it, a perfect thirty meter diameter circle of sandbags around a sand pit. Around this there were several small huts on the moon of Mandalore. Tra'shebs wasn't home to much, but there were a few here now. A few torches blazed around as the dusk sky began to set in. Sword stood tip down in the sand, as Draco knelt. It was time.

"Alright. Send the message." His second, a massive beskar armored wookiee standing outside the circle, his power hammer across his broad back growled out a response in Shyriwook and tapped a few buttons on his vambrace.

Across the channels the Death Watch had used before Tralik had ordered the hit on Draco, a message was sent. The Commander had once been a part of the Mandalorian cult, following the Gen'dai, albeit with his own agenda, but when he turned away from the Dark Side, he had also turned away from the Death Watch. A mistake on his part, but one easily corrected.

::Your predecessor tried to kill me once. He sent his minions to do it after that. I'm calling you out boys and girls. If whoever calls themselves the Lord of the Death Watch comes to these coordinates, I'll be here. Winner take all. Alor'e Vereen, Commander of the United Mandalorian Clans.::

Draco sighed. Time to see what they would do about the challenge.

[member="Atin Vendet"] | [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Atin Vendet]

Atin Vendet frowned, as he looked to his datapad. "Pretentious little bastard, isn't he?", he muttered to himself. He looked to a few of his fellows. "This one claims to be mandalorian, and invokes the right of an honor duel. If I accept, it recognizes him as having legitimacy. If I do not, I look the coward. Odd statement, that.", he says. "Force users are a curse, and nothing more than animals. You'll never brute strength a rancor, but you can certainly out think it.", he states.

The man paces the deck for a few moments, in thought. "Prepare the ship for departure. I'll fight the scum man to abomination, but we'll eliminate the whole lot with him. This is a cleansing, not a duel.", he says to his fellows. "We'll let the galaxy know what happens to those who support dar'manda.", he proclaims, many of his warriors preparing for battle as needs be. His toothy visor gazed out the front window, as the ship jumped to hyperspace.

Of course, it would take a while to get there, and they had many stops along the way. Explosives were necessary, as well as intelligence on the area.

[member="Ailyn Kelborn"] | [member="Cole Dagos"] | [member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Tra'shebs was the Moon of Mandalore, not exactly an unmonitored piece of space. There were fleets for several clans in orbit, with numerous detection craft. Mandal Hypernautics, ArmaTech, and MandalMotors all had their primary locations here, as well as huge portions of their corporate Fleets. Clan Dem'adas, the major Naval Power was here, and Clan Vereen had its raiding ships here when they were not off raiding. The system was monitored and had early warning and detection systems, and a Star Fortress coordinated the defense of the system. It was Mandalore after all.

Furthermore, a sentinel Frigate sat above the circle. Nothing extremely heavily armed, just something to watch for the riff raff, so that if his offer was accepted, Draco's people could flag them as a friendly early on, to keep the other people from blasting them apart. However, it wasn't like the Alor was an imbecile, large ships, or large numbers of ships wouldn't be so welcomed to the spot, and fly overs were currently prohibited. Being a detector that excelled at picking up stealth craft, it wouldn't have trouble finding them.

On the ground, there was just the circle of sand and sandbags, the Mandalorian and the Wookiee, and six huts where families of settlers used to stay. Set a little ways off was the Alor's ship waiting for his inevitable return so they could go back to Concordia.

[member="Atin Vendet"] | [member="Darth Carach"]

 

[Atin Vendet]

If the ship could broadcast a false I.f.f, and slip through, with use of a com jammer to prevent re enforcements, then that would be the plan. If not, the group would not bother to attend, as it would not provide tactical maneuverability or advantage. After all, it would be foolish to engage (or walk into a boxed in area) as a smaller and less funded minority. Such a mistake based on trust of the others honor was not something worth risking.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco waited twenty four hours, but never heard back from his supposed opposition. Having been a Death Watch Commander and having led raids in their name before they tried to have him assassinated, the Mandalorian had hoped that one, just one, would have the stones to show up and fight honorably. But, the Gen'dai didn't teach his offspring Honor. He hadn't had it, and neither did these ones. When challenged by a warrior with honor, you answer with honor. That was the Mandalorian way, it was what Tralik failed at each time a situation demanded honor, and it was unsurprising to the Mandalorian that his replacements failed there as well.

Draco knew that though, and that was why he had said winner take all. Hoping that putting everything and everyone he had under his command would be an enticing enough prize for the leader of Death Watch to put up his own position. Draco had hoped that putting his Clan, a Tier Six company and its subsidiaries, a Tier Four company and its subsidiary, and his own life on the line would at least convince one Death Watch to risk having honor, even if just for one day, for one fight. But alas, that wasn't the case. In all of Draco's experiences, the Death Watch preached a lot about honor, but always lacked it when it was needed.

After the twenty four hours was up, the Alor and his people left that moon and went back to Concordia to their homes and to their fortress. Perhaps in a different era, Pre Vizsla would have answered, but that was when Death Watch actually stood for the Resol'nare, Draco mused to himself, taking mental notes. They would have to be tracked, hunted, and slaughtered like dogs.