Zanbar
One week prior...
Darth Malum of House Marr
His message requesting to meet had come with a sense of foreboding that left Mia's chest tight with anxiety. They'd not seen each other since rescuing Elise, the bond between them still uneasy.
She paced on grounds decimated, the stage of their last private conversation, waiting for him to arrive.
His breath was heavy, and his heart heavier still, he ignored the ache in his mind, the remnants of blood trailing his nostrils, the consequence of forcing both time and space to bend around his form, demanding it take him from one quadrant of the galaxy to another in mere seconds.
What kind of body could survive such a thing unscathed?
No matter how much he had physically gotten used to its effects, however, he could feel the darkness coil about him, an invisible noose tightening itself around his neck.
He had long ago considered lessening, perhaps eliminating the use of that ability.
Yet those considerations mattered little now, when the matter so bleak, when the news so urgent.
He allowed a moment to allow his red eyes to adjust to their new present, finding themselves quickly to Mia, who had been pacing with enough force to make agriculture upon the land she ploughed.
Unfortunately, there was no time for japes or jokes either, “Kaine is planning an attack upon Moridini- Mandalore.” He finally huffed out, his knees wavering, apparently even the effort to ignore his instinct having taken a toll upon his mind, still processing the fact he had moved faster than possible.
Mia's eyes flashed, anger pulsing out from her. Not at him, but at the news, she stepped in to close the distance between them, recognising the toll of his teleporting, a hand moving to support him.
“When? With what? Tell me everything you know.” Her words were soft, despite the embers of anger growing in her blue eyes.
The dizziness, the delirium, it almost took him to his knees, instead he leaned into her touch, thankful now indeed that he could rely on the woman that only months ago he would have desired nothing more than to stab her through, and cause her utter agony.
Now he warned her, and her people of an upcoming invasion from their greatest foe.
“Weeks… days… I am not entirely sure… the intelligence is unmistakable, but not yet verified… not the Malsheem, not the fleet, not droids…” He was rambling his words first slow, then flying a mile a minute, “Droids… drones, resource drones, giant structures, and… biological soldiers, Darth Caedes is his underling, maybe the undead… maybe…” His lips were twisted in apologia, his eyes softened, the Tsis’Kaar were not what they used to be, too many purges, too many killed.
Yet if this would save Elsie, then… then it would have to be enough.
“You need to get Elsie away…”
Mia blinked, the cold commander that had appeared, who was building battle plans against the unknown, vanished at his words.
“Elise is a warrior, Malum, she's an integral part of the protectors. You might not like it, but I need her in this fight. I will protect her, you have my word on that now and always, but I will not stop her from fighting to defend our world.”
Her expression softened.
“I need to warn the others and out the call out for those we've got spread across the sector. Thank you, Malum. You have saved many mando'ade by telling me.”
If she intended to leave, he could not let her, desperate strength found him, as he reached out and held firmly to one of the women who confused him like nothing else.
“You don’t understand…” His voice was hollow, as he finally found blue eyes, flecked with amber, with his red glimmering with orange, his orbs brimming with fear and despair alike. Mind alive with the possibilities, alive with thoughts he could not process at the moment, alive with utter agony over what he knew very much was a possibility that he could not, would not consider.
“Kaine is coming.”
Blue eyes flared, the amber flecks obscuring them entirely as she took Malum's head in her hands and pressed her forehead against his. An action that held a greater meaning for Mia than it did Malum, a blending of souls, it was a gesture that marked him as her family, even if he didn't understand it.
“Then my brother and I will fight him.”
Keldabe Command Centre
Today
It was a rapidly constructed lean to at best, but it served its purpose. The warning had given them time. Time to call in favours, time to bring home scouts and others loyal to Mandalore itself, to come to fight.
Ordo
had slipped away an hour before, she trusted he would find her on the battlefield when it counted.
Ijaat Mereel
was on the front lines, marked on the map with a the protectors emblem, leaving her to coordinate. Her hand twitched. They'd not yet had a report of any sighting of the Dark Lord Carnifex but he was here, she could feel him. The command centre was a bustle of activity, the map updating as more reports came in.
Sarrogg Ha'rangir
had had the right of it when he pointed out the vast resources at
Darth Carnifex
's disposal, but he was wrong about their ability to unite against it. The reponse was rapid, driven by the fury that He dare to set foot here again, mandalorians were coming from all over, with murder and fury in their eyes.
"Oya manda." She said softly.
"Al'verde." Mia turned her gaze to see Elise's second in command. Fear gripped her heart.
"Din'kartay?" She asked stepping towards him.
"We were overrun, the despoilers..." he trailed off, something in her eyes made him look away.
"Where is your alor'ad?" She took another step forward rage overtaking her blue eyes.
"Where is Elise?"
"She orders us to scatter and fall back. She said she would meet us here..."
There was a heavy silence
. "There are bes'uliik without riders, take your squad and support the resistance against the graug."
He snapped into a salute before retreating.
"Jhi, you have command. Keep me appraised of everything." Rage was burning in her, she should have sent her elsewhere, or kept her close. She couldn't protect Elise if she didn't know where she was. Snatching up her buy'ce she jammed it onto her head as she marched from the command centre towards her own bes'uliik.
Encrypted comms opened to Malum.
"Malum, I've lost Elise. Where are you?"
