No Weapons

[Jor Kvall]

[member="Lira Kros"]

It was the first time it had rained on Dead Hope Rock in probably three thousand years.

The surrounding landscape was the typical ashen white Kalevala desert that Jor had grown accustomed to his entire youth. But now in the distant horizon, the beginnings of a grassland could be seen flecked upon the dunes. Now there were billowing grey clouds overhead, and the rain they deposited was not toxic. It did not sting when it hit Jor's forehead and nose, and matted down his blonde hair, but merely rolled harmlessly off his cheeks. The rain pelted softly against the rock surface at his feet, cascading down to the sand below. Soon the grass would extend to here also. The terraforming of Kalevala had begun to reach even this place, and it was not showing signs of slowing down. How fitting that on the first day in over three millenia in which Dead Hope Rock saw rain, a bloodwrack would also be put to rest here.

The transport engines of Jor's ship cut off behind him. Helmetless, but still clad in his bone armor, he was the first to disembark, his fur cape billowing in the rainy wind. Behind him followed his family's advisor, Sten, followed by family and extended family alike; mother intermixed with brother and sister, aunts and uncles in between. The vast majority of the Kvall lineage was on display here at this most ancient gathering place on Kalevala, a neutral location where feuds had been settled in times past. And this feud was long overdue. Sten moved to the Alor's side and spoke.

"I just received word that Clan Kros representatives are en route and should arrive momentarily."

"We came all the way from Krownest. They should have been here first." The rain fell from Jor's face.

"Fashionably late, one might say," Sten looked down and smiled, sidestepping behind Jor.

It was barely a few more moments before the outline of a ship could be made out on the horizon, the sound of its repulsors a distant hum.

"No weapons," Sten said over Jor's shoulder. "Even for you I'm afraid, my Alor."

Jor said nothing, instead reaching behind his back and unfurling the mythosaur axe strapped to his armor, and handed it over his shoulder to Sten, who took it without remark. This was followed by the two pistols sheathed at his belt, followed by two grenades, leaving his belt empty. His gauntlets, with all their tools, were also removed for good measure, and not to be forgotten was the vibroknife in his boot, which Jor reached down and pulled out with a grunt before sending it over his shoulder as well. By the time he had finished, Sten's arms were overflowing with instruments of death, the aide fussing to keep them orderly as he carried them back onto the ship.

Jor crossed his arms and watched the ship.

 

[Lira Kros]

Lira's gaze shifted to find her father, Talos Kros, seated across the aisle of their transport. His hands were folded neatly over his belly, his eyes closed, and his mouth slightly agape. Sleeping. Shaking her head, the young woman wondered how any man in his position might sleep at all.

Honor thy parents, only if they are honorable.

It was a question of her father's honor that brought them to this place today. Though the old man looked rather harmless in slumber, he had taken the life of another man. He had refused to recount the details to Lira, but she knew that it had been a member of Clan Kvall. It had already been some years since the event had taken place, but there was nothing that could wipe away a blood debt.

Not even rain.

This was a matter that needed to be settled with payment. Her brown eyes remained on her father's face for a long moment. Lira loved him, but she could not deny that she thought less of him these days. As their ship set down near the designated meeting place, Lira rose from her seat to wake her father, but Talos snorted himself awake. Dressed in a simple manner, she topped her outfit off with a heavy cloak and she pulled the hood up in preparation for the rain.

Her hand reached for her swords, but her father's rough palm closed in around her wrist.

“You mustn't bring them,” His words were short and followed by a stern look. “Not here.”

Taken aback, Lira took her hand away from the weapons and nodded. Together they departed with a few members of their clan in tow. The dark silhouettes of Clan Kvall were waiting for them. Talos took the lead, his form still tall and strong, but showing age.

“I, Talos Kros, am here to settle my debt with Clan Kvall.” He spoke, eyes fixed on the young Alor that stood with arms crossed. Lira moved to step behind her father, but his hand gripped her sleeve and kept her there at his side. And so, she would steal a glance at the man standing across from them, but she kept her lips pressed quietly together.

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

The transport fell upon Dead Hope Rock just as soon as Sten said it would, the sound of its repulsors rising over the din of rain until the craft was situated and they abruptly cut off. Then the party of Kvall were only left with the sound of droplets impacting against the hard rock beneath them, until those of the Kros showed themselves. They exited their craft as a group just as the Kvall did, and Jor could barely distinguish one from the other, except for the lead man, who must be Talos Kros himself. He stood, his face betraying no hint of emotion, as he took note of the girl following closely behind Talos' footsteps. Most likely the daughter.

Sten stepped forward.

"Resolved, that we shall today settle the bloodwrack between Clan Kros and Clan Kvall," The older advisor said, raising his voice to carry above the rain, while unfurling a small neon datapad from his damp robe. He continued, "The price of which has been determined by the Alor council to be five hundred thousand credits, ten hides, and three moisture vaporators, or their equivalent in credits."

"And I shall demand every bit of it," A woman's voice rang from the back of the group of Kvall. Jor's aunt.

Jor turned and held up a silencing hand at his gathered group, before stepping forward towards Talos. The rain obscured the many dints and crevisces in the rock at their feet, sliced through by vibroknives or seared by blaster shot. Dead Hope Rock had played host to a variety of methods for solving Clan disputes over the centuries. Jor was hopeful that they would not have to add to the rock's scars today.

"I, Alor of House Kvall, am prepared to accept the payment on behalf of the slain," He said. His eyes studied Talos, passed between him and the mysterious aura of [member="Lira Kros"] behind him, and he canted his head to the side.

"It is not honorable that the debt was allowed to go unpaid for so long, but seeing as it is not a small one, I am inclined to show mercy. Are you prepared to pay, Alor Kros?"

 

[Lira Kros]

Lira turned her brown eyes to the crowd of Kvall that stood around them, each of their eyes staring daggers in her father's direction. She did not consider herself easily shaken, but she would not deny the knots in her stomach. She was nervous for her father, and her eyes then came to settle on him. The rain slid down the side of his face, where there were a couple of scars that marked his cheek. As the price was named, Lira saw her father flinch.

A woman's voice cut through the rain. They were determined to be repaid, but did Talos even have that much to his name? Even Lira was not so sure. The young woman stood silent as the Alor of House Kvall came forward to collect the payment.

“I regret that so much time has passed.” Talos offered with a small nod. His words hung there in the silence, his lips hesitant to speak. “I am prepared to pay, Alor Kvall.”

Talos swallowed hard, and then suddenly nudged Lira forward.

“I offer the hand of my only daughter as payment.” He announced, and pulled Lira's hood down to allow the clan members gathered to see her face, pale and wide-eyed in shock as it was. Golden locks were plaited, but soon became wet with rain. Lira shot her father a look over her shoulder, but he stood with a stony face and looked past her to Alor Kvall. Talos cleared his throat.

“Lira will make a good wife,” He started to make his case, “She is a skilled fighter and an even better cook. She can mend cloth and wounds alike. Most importantly, she will give you that which is priceless – heirs.”

The young woman stood tall, though she could feel all eyes upon her and she could hear the hissing whispers that swept through the crowd. She should have known better, this move should not have come as such a surprise. Still, she felt her heart grow cold and heavy in the presence of her father. Lira would not object, she was not opposed to such a match as the Alor of House Kvall. But would [member="Jor Kvall"] accept her, the daughter of a murderer?

 

[Jor Kvall]

The host of Kvall before [member="Lira Kros"] appeared visibly surprised by Talos' revelation, including Jor. He squinted through the rain, observing the girl that was offered to him, Behind him murmured faint mutters. He ought to have seen this coming. Clan Kros was not a wealthy one, hence their reason for ducking the blood price for so long. Either Talos Kros had just recently struck gold, or he had something else up his sleeve.

Jor took a step forward, to get a better view of Lira. Talos pulled her hood back to reveal his daughter's features, fair as they were, though the anger in her eyes was visible. Evidently the girl hadn't been informed of her father's plans beforehand.

"One girl is not worth the life of my husband!" Jor's aunt chimed angrily from the background over the rain, forcing Jor to turn his shoulder towards his group.

"I cannot sustain House Kvall with credits or hides alone. And we aren't on Kalevala anymore, so I have no use for vaporators."

The Alor took a few more steps forward until he was facing Lira directly, merely a few feet separating them. He looked down at her, his beard collecting rain above his bone armor, and appraised her with his eyes. The sire of Talos Kros was young and beautiful, to be sure, but an unhappy wife was more than it was worth in heirs.

"Well? What have you to say of this plan, girl?"

 

[Lira Kros]

What did she have to say?

There were a few choice phrases that came to mind. But, even if this was not the politest of company, Lira knew it would be poor form to speak those words here and now. Despite the bomb dropped by her father, the young Mandalorian woman felt a sudden surge of stubborn determination. If he was willing to give up his daughter so easily, then she would go and never look back. She would leave Clan Kros behind and make a new life with a new clan, and she would better than her father ever did. Glancing over her shoulder a last time, she then fixed her gaze on the man before her.

He was tall and had handsome features, an attractive man by most standards. The Alor was a strong symbol of leadership, Jor seemed to fit the role perfectly. Could she live as his wife? Surely there were worse fates. If he denied her father’s offer, Talos would live out the rest of his life in disgrace, if he was allowed to live at all. And Lira’s name would be sullied as well. Her prospects would be few. After a couple more moments of contemplation, she finally formed her response.

“I have nothing to say,” she answered defiantly, crossing her arms.

Holding her breath, she knew that this might not make the best impression. Her gaze fell for a moment before rising again to meet the eyes of [member="Jor Kvall"]. It would be wrong to make him suffer, she could not justify putting her anger onto him. And so, Lira pushed out a soft breath. Her dark eyes continued to hold the Alor's gaze.

“Only that,” she added, her tone even and calm. “I will serve Clan Kvall, I will do my best to contribute to your success.”

 

[Jor Kvall]

Jor observed [member="Lira Kros"] force out the addendum to her initial remark. Of the two statements she made, the first seemed to be the most genuine. Jor couldn't blame the girl for being less than thrilled; her fate had been decided by circumstance and family demand. In a sense, so was his. She was certainly beautiful, a fine example of the old Mandalorian stock was visible in her plaited locks, their golden hue dampened by the rain. It seemed as well that she was prepared to do what was right for her family, no matter how much it pained her.

Jor turned back to his congregation. The group of Kvall huddled together and exchanged hushed words, their voices minced by the rainfall. Occasionally, the shrill voice that unmistakably belonged to Jor's aunt rose above the rest, her words nearly audible to the clan above the rain, before being dragged back down to the level of the rest of the discussion. After a minute, the spirited debate seemed to subside, and Jor turned back to face Talos Kros, and by extension, Lira.

"I will accept your daughter as payment," Jor said, his deep bass thundering above the din of rain, while his eyes wandered from Talos to the young woman. "But I would like to take her with me to Krownest first. Let us see how we react to each other's company for a while. If our temperaments match placidly, then I will marry her."

Perhaps that would liven the woman's dark mood a bit; Jor watched her face carefully to look for any change. Then he returned his gaze to her father.

"Is that agreeable, Alor Kros?"

 

[Lira Kros]

Lira pressed her lips together, staring straight ahead but listening to the murmurs of the Kvall Clan. Her dark gaze did flicker in the direction of the Alor as she awaited his decision. And when it came, her lashes fluttered slightly, damp with rain. Her brows arched at the mention of Krownest, softening her expression. The words echoed in her mind, Lira's heart skipped a beat. Turning slightly, she looked just in time to see Talos give a solemn nod.

“It is agreeable,” He said, glancing at Lira and then back at Alor Kvall. “Then it's settled.”

There was a note of relief in his tone. Lira stood motionless as Talos approached, she felt his heavy palm gently fall upon her shoulder and give a squeeze. They were not an overly affectionate family, there would be no loving embraces or verbal expressions. When Lira did not turn to face him, Talos removed his hand.

“I'll have your belongings sent to you.” He said, loud enough that Alor Kvall could hear as well. “I suppose this is goodbye, daughter.” Talos offered a nod of respect to Jor. “Until next we meet.”

As Clan Kros made their departure, the heat of anger had worn off, and Lira stood shivering. Her clothing was soaked through to the skin, even her cloak was now heavy with rain water. Slowly, her eyes returned to [member="Jor Kvall"], the man that she had practically become engaged to only a moment before. It was an occasion that most would mark with celebrations, but Lira was unsure what would happen next, as their situation was so different.

The toe of her boot edged forward on the wet stone, and then she stepped up to Jor.

“I am ready,” She said, tone softer than before. “My Alor.” Lira's head bowed slightly for a moment in respectful silence. But, curiosity pulled at her mind. As her gaze rose again to meet Jor's, she spoke once more. “... Is there really as much snow on Krownest as they say?”

 

[Jor Kvall]

A bone gauntlet hand shot out from Jor's side, and was met with a firm handshake from Talos Kros. The matter had been all but settled. Jor then turned back to his advisor, Sten.

"Get me my knife."

Sten said nothing, turning back to the ship without a word, leaving a pregnant silence between the two parties, the only soundtrack being the rainfall between them. Sten returned shortly with the same vibroknife he had collected from Jor only several minutes previously. Jor held his palm up and the weapon was placed in his hand over his shoulder by Sten, while the Alor's eyes remained set on Talos. Negotiations had been shorter than expected, but not without surprise.

Jor thrust the blade down onto the rock between himself and Talos, with such force that the knife chipped and shattered upon the hard surface in a cacophony of metal against rock.

"The blood debt between Clans Kvall and Kros is officially resolved."

Jor stepped forward and embraced Talos.

He allowed father and daughter a few moments to say their parting words to each other. It was a quiet display, made all the more awkward due to the silent audience around them, but eventually Talos released [member="Lira Kros"] into Jor's custody. The young woman gave him a respectful word, to which he nodded slowly.

"Yes," He answered her plainly, "There is much snow and ice. You will be cold. But you will learn. It is the way of our ancestors."

The rest of his host filed back onto their ship, with Jor and Lira last in tow. He motioned for her to follow him; halfway up the landing ramp became self-conscious about his tone with the young girl. Lira was probably still stunned by her father's plans, and to be sure Jor was too -- and he didn't want her life with Jor to feel like a prison sentence. The Alor of the Kvall looked down thoughtfully as the rest of his host began to strap themselves into their seats and prepare for takeoff. Of note was his aunt, who did not help matters by continually staring daggers in Lira's direction. Jor needed to do something to alleviate the awkward tension.

"Your father says you can cook. What do you cook?" He turned toward his newly betrothed, his icy exterior melting into a faint smile.

 

[Lira Kros]

Lira blinked as the Alor gave an answer to her question. It was blunt, but it was honest. She nodded to signal that she'd understood, and lifted the heavy hem of her cloak to keep it from dragging as they moved on towards the ship. As they stepped up the ramp, Lira paused momentarily to look back at the shards of metal left upon the rocky ground.

She would leave them behind in the rain of Kalevala, it would do her no favors to dwell upon it.

Walking behind Clan Kvall's Alor, she had to wonder if his straight-forward tone had been a signal not to ask such questions. Her chin lowered slightly, and she boarded with the rest of the clan, but stayed next to her betrothed. Turning slightly, she couldn't help but notice the shrill woman from earlier. The Kvall woman's eyes were set and narrow, Lira exhaled softly and looked away.

Even when her gaze had settled in her own lap, there was still a prickly feeling of being watched. Though she was determined not to show weakness, she was very conscious of the fact that she was something of an outsider. Blinking, Lira's eyes flickered to the side as Jor stuck up conversation. The hint of a smile on his face was returned with one of her own.

“If you give me a fish, I will cook for you a feast.” Lira answered, it was something that her mother used to say. Perhaps she ought to prepare such a meal for Jor, she mused silently, especially after he had taken the rather odd situation presented by her father in stride.

“Soups are a staple of mine, namely red gourd and gi dumpling soup.” She thought for a moment and tapped her chin with an index finger. “I can make a fine roast shatual, when we have the meat. But, my specialty is Haarshun bread.”

It was a simple recipe, but the method of rolling and stretching the paper-thin dough was a process. Lira's shoulders relaxed some after speaking of cookery, it was something she did well.

“But, if those dishes do not please you... I will learn to make anything you'd like.” Lira offered, hoping to convey that she would do her best.

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

"There are plenty of fish on Krownest. You should have no problem finding ingredients for your soup, if you can fish properly."

[member="Lira Kros"] seemed to be warming up to him. Her offer of homely services seemed like an olive branch, and Jor gladly took it. He still didn't know how he felt about being engaged to be married to a complete stranger in one afternoon, but at least the girl was trying, and he smiled back at her. His personal feelings needed to be put aside for the good of the tribe sometimes; this is what his father had told him. This is what he had told [member="Yasha Mantis"] during their meeting on Kalevala. Now it was time for Jor to practice the same.

Things were not being made easier by Jor's aunt, who sat across from the two and refused to divert her devil's gaze from Lira. Jor wanted to grab the woman by the wrist and throw her into the cockpit with the pilots, but thought better of it. One could but wonder what idiocy her rage would accomplish in there. Eventually, Jor had enough of the awkward silence that stood between the family of Kvall and the stranger girl in the ship's interior. Standing up, he took Lira's hand and walked briskly out into the ship's hallway, the sublight engines thrumming monotonously beneath them.

"I'm sorry about my family. It takes time for them to warm up to outsiders, even those who share the same blood."

 

[Lira Kros]

Indeed, she could fish. However, Lira wondered what it might be like to fish on a planet such as Krownest. She would need some new furs before she set out to try. Nodding to the Alor, her smile remained for a moment or two longer, just until she turned to see that the Kvall woman across from them was still scowling at her.

The young woman was determined to ignore the woman's narrowed eyes, but it was difficult. Instead, she attempted to let her own eyes wander the ship's interior. However, there was only so much to see. Lira shifted in her seat, the weight of the awkward silence settled upon her shoulders. At her side, it seemed that [member="Jor Kvall"] was restless as well.

Lira blinked as Jor's hand closed around hers, but she allowed him to whisk out into the hall. To be truthful, she was thankful for the chance to escape his relative's harsh stares. She looked up as he spoke, she appreciated his words more than she would let on.

“I can't say that I blame them,” Lira said, shrugging lightly. “Perhaps I will win them over in time.”

She doubted very much that the shrill woman would ever be won over. Lira had to wonder if the Alor would be won over as well... but it seemed only time would tell. Instead of letting the silence stretch out between them again, she changed the subject.

“We of Clan Kros heard of the restoration efforts on Kalevala, it was your doing, correct? Quite an undertaking, I must say.” The changes were only beginning, but they had all noticed. “Someday there will be flowers on our home world...” She said, tone softening. “I would very much like to see them."

 

[Jor Kvall]

Perhaps [member="Lira Kros"] would win them over in time. It wouldn't be a hard feat for many of them; she seemed like a fine woman. But from the hallway he could already hear the chatter drawing up between his clansmen again, his aunt's voice loudest amongst them. Sighing, Jor moved toward the exit door behind Lira while she was talking, pushed it, and motioned her through. A second later he followed, and it soon became apparent that both of them were sitting in an escape pod.

Once the door closed behind them, Jor took a seat next to the console on the door, reclining casually, and punched a few buttons. The small craft rumbled around them as it uncoupled from the main transport and rocketed out into space, the inertia pushing the both of them towards the rear. Jor said nothing, merely sighing contentedly and glancing out the viewport window into the vastness of space. He knew that it would be only moments before the rest of his family were alerted to the fact that an escape pod had been jettisoned and would demand an answer. Like clockwork, it only took a few seconds for Sten's voice to come through the escape pod comlink.

"Jor? Jor, what the hell are you doing? Get back here!"

The Alor paid no attention to the static voice, instead turning to the pod's center console and activatingthe lightspeed controls, flipping through coordinates in a bright azure glow of holographs.

"I know you hear me in there."

Jor's finger finally depressed the comlink button.

"I'm going out."

He let his finger off the button just as he pushed forward on the hyperspeed controls, bleaching the firmament outside white and filling the craft with a mesmeric humming sound. It was a long ride back to Krownest, and if he was going to get to know the girl, he wouldn't suffer the hours to pass beneath the awkward gaze of everyone else in his family. They needed to have time alone. Jor wheeled around in the chair and folded his arms in front of Lira, as though nothing had happened.

"I spent almost my whole life on Kalevala. The whole time, I wanted nothing more than to be somewhere else. To fight battles. To show everyone that House Kvall still had honor. So I left... and yet, I didn't."

 

[Lira Kros]

As she spoke, Lira arched a brow as Jor opened the door behind her and motioned for her to enter. After a quick glance over her shoulder, she spied what appeared to be another room. It seemed there was a private place to escape after all. The murmurs and occasional angry tones found her in the hallway, they'd only just waited until her back was turned to begin their chatter. She stepped through, had a seat, and thought nothing of it.

That is, until she saw that Jor had started to press buttons.

“Ah,” Her lips parted, eyes widened.

It seemed that they were about to make an actual escape. As the pod powered up and separated, she felt her back press against the seat as they sped off. Looking to Alor Kvall, she found him sitting casually, a marked change in his demeanor. Away from the prying eyes he appeared far more relaxed, it signaled Lira to breathe a very relieved sigh. Sinking back into her chair, some of the rigid tension began leave her form.

The voices that came over their comm system threatened to steal the calm away, but [member="Jor Kvall"] was quick to silence them. An amused grin tugged at the corners of Lira's mouth. And then, their conversation continued...

“It has not been long since Clan Kvall left Kalevala, if recall correctly.” She paused thoughtfully, “You've been to battle. I've heard talk of your success, your Clan's reputation has improved. It seems you're well on your way.” She offered a smile, knowing that their home world would always be an important part of their history. But her thoughts soon turned to her new home, Krownest.

“If you don't mind me asking, how do you see me fitting into your Clan?” Lira turned back to face Jor, but her eyes then fell to her lap. “I know you must have been surprised by my father's proposal, I was too. But, I don't want to be a ball and chain.”

 

[Jor Kvall]

"I hope so." Jor nodded solemnly.

Praising his success in battle was a sure way to ease Jor's mood. Though he tried not to let Lira's praise go to his head. There was still much work to be done, and what he did today was but a small part of it. Meanwhile, the lightspeed engines hummed methodically, and Alor Kvall his the dampers on the viewport, to lessen the bright light of hyperspeed that bled through into the cockpit.

[member="Lira Kros"] seemed genuinely interested in pleasing him, Jor observed of her as the woman looked down at her lap. She was meek and beautiful, her eyebrows bowed before him as her fingers tangled before her shapely features; Talos Kros had not short-changed him by giving him the worst of his stock. Jor figured he ought to feel lucky. But she was still a stranger to him.

"I accepted your father's offer because I know you are of good blood," He answered her question. "You've lived on Kalevala. You know the hard life. You can survive on Krownest. Perhaps I can count on you to help me to do what is best for our people. And one day, our children will return to Kalevala and see what we never saw."

It was Jor's turn to bite his lip and divert his eyes in an uncharacteristic blush, as he became aware of his words about future offspring.

"I-I mean, you know, if it works out - between us." His deep voice stammered.

 

[Lira Kros]

Lira let her eyes rise to meet those of the Alor as he gave her an answer. His words told her that he was realistic, a man that kept his feet on the solid ground. She had lived the hard life on Kalevala, it was a place where only the strong survived. He was right, she could also survive life on Krownest.

But then, Jor's words surprised her. As he mentioned their future children, she felt her face warm with a gentle blush. The Alor looked away, but Lira could see that there was color upon his cheeks as well. A small flutter within caught the young Mandalorian woman off guard. [member="Jor Kvall"] was tall and strong, his expressions were stoic and quite solemn... but this painted a very different picture, Lira liked it.

“Ah, erm...” She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Of course.”

If only they'd had a mug of two of ale... Lira didn't want the mood to sour, so she decided to try and keep things playful.

“And, if we get on well... I expect to have many, many children.” She added, a wearing a wide grin. “We shall return to Kalevala with a whole brood. I speak from experience, growing up an only child is lonely.”

In reality, she could imagine herself with three children. A lively glimmer remained in her gaze, and she crossed her arms lightly. “Do you have siblings?” She asked, canting her head to the side.

 

[Jor Kvall]

A pint of tihaar would do wonders to loosen his mood right now.

Jor had stumbled awkwardly over his words, but quickly did his best to regain his footing and wipe the blush away from his face, assuming a confident position in the pilot's seat of the escape pod once again. Fortunately, [member="Lira Kros"] seemed amused by his words, and even joked about siring a whole brood. Jor smiled along with her, but inwardly hoped that she wasn't completely jesting. A large family with many sons sounded rather appealing, frankly.

"A brother and a sister," He answered her, "Both younger. You will have a chance to meet them properly when we return to Krownest." They had been present among the Kvall gang during the tribal council, though Jor wouldn't blame Lira for having trouble distinguishing between the sea of Kvall faces there, their fair features so similar and a testament to their ancient bloodline.

"So, if you have no brothers or sisters, who will rule Clan Kros after your father?" Jor asked. It was possible they no longer had hereditary Alor titles like the Kvall, but the Kros were of the same stock, and many of their traditions were shared.

 

[Lira Kros]

A brother and a sister. Lira imagined a pair of siblings with the same golden hair and blue eyes as [member="Jor Kvall"]. When he mentioned the chance to meet them properly, she acknowledged this with a slight bow of her head. Lira had to wonder what they would think of her, and if, perhaps, she was better off not knowing. But, if they were anywhere near as vocal as some of his clan's other members... she would likely have an earful whether she wanted it or not.

Now that her hair had had a chance to air dry, she reached up to untie the plaits that bound her sandy locks up. Her eyes found Jor once more as he posed her a question, her fingers worked automatically to gently undo the braids.

“My father's brother,” She started, brow furrowing slightly. “If he is alive and can be located, that is. Terin Kros left Kalevala some years ago, after an argument with my father.”

Finished finger-combing her hair, she pushed out a breath. A slight smirk formed at the corners of her mouth as she thought of her father, for the moment forgetting that she was still quite angry at him.

“It is a wonder that my father still lives. He leads a rough life, he makes seems to be rather fond of making enemies for himself -- as you and your clan have already experienced.” Lira said, able to laugh, despite what Talos Kros had just put her through. “I should count myself fortunate that he had not tried to use me to settle gambling debt. I shudder to think where I might have ended up.”

There was still a hint of laughter in her eyes, but she had chills after saying the words out loud.

 

[Jor Kvall]

Jor watched Lira's hair escape from the plaits and cascade down her shoulders in long, still damp strands. The flecks of gold were still visible, much like Jor's own hair. She bore the ancient Mandalorian phenotype well, much like his own family. Kalevala's population had deep roots that went back many thousands of years. It would be a shame if Terin Kros never returned to claim his ancestral mantle, Kvall thought.

"If I thought your father was a cold-blooded killer, I would have declined his offer," Jor said. "Your father is a good man, but he lets his tihaar go to his head too easily. So did my uncle, for that matter."

Drunken games turned to boasts, turned to accusations, turned to resentment, turned to dead men. It was not the first time it had happened in Mandalorian life, nor would it be the last. Jor's eyes continued to explore the features of [member="Lira Kros"].

"Some, like my aunt, would have wanted a more severe punishment, but I don't believe your father meant to kill my uncle. Enough blood has been spilled between our two clans for my liking."

 

[Lira Kros]

Lira couldn't help but smile at Jor's words about her father. It was true, the bottle had never been his friend, but it was an easy mistress. Talos Kros was something of a lovable scoundrel, it was the reason that he still had clan members left to follow him at all.

Her brows arched gently when she learned that the slain man had been the Alor's uncle. Now it made sense, the angry woman was his aunt. The Kvall family tree was being pieced together in her mind, she would eventually put a name on each leaf. Lira's fingertips tugged at the hem of her tunic, she did feel a small amount of guilt. If she put herself in his aunt's place, she would have been angry, too.

“Aye,” She answered simply, but she did agree.

The two young Mandalorians continued to pass the time with light conversation, and the occasional silences were growing less awkward. Lira almost nodded off once or twice, but she hadn't quite fallen into sleep... or had she? The pod shuddered for a moment as they hit atmosphere, Lira sat up and glanced out the viewport to see the gray skies of Krownest. The snowy landscape was quite beautiful.

Another flutter of nerves hit her as their small craft set down. Would the Kvall relatives be waiting for them with stern words? There were no more escape pods to enter now... Standing, she moved to get a better look. She saw tall trees and the side of a large mountain the distance, the peak obscured by clouds. But, there were no other ships to be seen here, and no angry clansmen.

“Jor,” She turned to face him, “Where are we?”

[member="Jor Kvall"]