Duel Of Liberation & Honor [Allyson Locke vs Mia Monroe]

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:
//: Equipment in Sig //:

"Yeah, it's just a quick meeting."

The capital buzzed, its inhabitants not knowing what wandered their streets under the protective dome. Stalls with ripe produce fresh from their farms, desert fruits that flourished with the atmosphere of the brutalized world.

"Yeah, Mandalore," Allyson spoke into her comm device as she picked up a prickled pear and examined it. "I'm surprised too; maybe Seris can show us around — she's spent a lot of time here?"

The fruit found its place back with its fellows as the Corellian moved stalls. Her eyes widened slightly as she chuckled softly.

"Right, Eshan."

She stopped at a smith's shop and entered, the bell announcing her arrival. Her footsteps were quiet as she wandered, examining the crafted tools of the Mandalorian culture. It was an odd homecoming for the woman; she had been raised through her teenage years by a Mandalorian. He was unconventional, but he was still someone who had become a father figure for her.

"I won't get into trouble, just a conversation…" Allyson paused; an etching that brought back a flood of memories caught her attention. It seemed the owner of the shop was a distant cousin of hers.

"Yeah, it's about Ember, just unfinished business."

There was silence on the other end; they both knew what Allyson was implying.

"I will." A smile, "I love you too."

Allyson closed the device and shoved it into the pocket of her jacket and wandered to the shop's counter. The conversation was brief, and the man recognized a few of the names and phrases that the Corellian used. She was a Rekali… she had been raised by one of their greatest, and he would do anything to help family.

She shook the man's hand and left with the package tucked carefully under her arm. The trip to the homestead would be a bit longer than she had anticipated, but it was worth it.

As she walked towards the edge of the capital, a hand brushed gently against one of the swoop bikes that were parked near the gates. It roared to life, and she tucked the package carefully as her leg swung over the saddle. With ease, the stolen swoop took off with the determined woman heading straight to a place she never thought she'd find.

The desert was vast. Nothing but shrubbery tried its best to rise from the cracks of the dead world. Allyson carefully tucked herself into the thickest part she had found and, using the cybernetic eye, she was able to get a view of the home that Mia Monroe had made for herself.

"What a shithole." She murmured under her breath.

The woman she had been hunting for years was hiding so plainly in the open. There seemed to be more opportunities than Allyson had originally anticipated. Mia Monroe was a hero to the Mandalorian people, but to Allyson — she was not the liberator; she was a murderer.

Allyson understood the irony. There was probably someone out there, hunting her, looking for her for revenge for the deaths she had caused. She knew that one day, her life would end by the hands of revenge and hate.

Today wasn't that day, though; today was her day.

Shaking her head, she tried to pull herself from her thoughts. Thinking of Ember, remembering that connection being severed brutally, as it was only made her chest feel heavy. Everything ached again; he had been her lifeline, the one that kept her safe till she was ready.

And yet, she often wondered if he would be disappointed with what she had become.

The sun had begun to sink, stretching long shadows across the open desert. Allyson moved within them, her Force cloak bending the fading light around her while the Art of the Small concealed her presence. Her steps barely disturbed the sand, leaving neither print nor sound as she slipped toward the homestead.

The package emerged from beneath her jacket.

Before she could act, something mechanical groaned through the Force.

Allyson froze, her attention snapping toward the front door. Only then did she notice the behemoth sleeping beside it. Careless. She extended one hand, reaching through the machine to catch its turning cogs and silence them one by one.

She waited until the Basilisk's low hum faded into stillness.

With its protector gone, Allyson released a quiet breath. She needed to focus. There was no room for mistakes, and Mia Monroe had earned her reputation for a reason.

Keeping low, Allyson crept past the dormant war droid, drew back her arm, and hurled the brick of Mandalorian steel through the window.

The moment the sound of crashing glass echoed, she had already been moving to another window that was on the adjacent wall. It gave her a cross view of when the woman would go and check what had happened.

Allyson remained hidden, her bow drawn; she had chosen the armor-piercing version of her nanite arrows. Its barb-tipped arrowhead was designed to cut through any bit of armor or protection as if it were not there.

The moment Mia came into view, Allyson would release the arrow without hesitation.

She was here to kill Mia Monroe, avenge the death of Ember Rekali, and finally do something that brought honor to her claim on the Rekali legacy.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke

The Monroe homestead was out in the sticks for a number of reasons, but mostly it was a space far enough away from the city that responsibility and title could be set aside, it was a place that Mia could just be Mia. It had never been built for protection, there were no defences, just a retired basilisk too senile and old to ride.

Her armour rested on a purpose built stand in the bedroom, far out of reach from her comfortable place on the couch, the datapad in her hand drawing a frown as she skimmed the report. Abandoning the southern territories had been the right call but the work behind it had not been easy, recalling troops and redistributing them always came with hiccups.

Quiet settled over the house as the sun began to slip away and Mia put the datapad down. It was a problem for tomorrow. Rising from the couch she stretched, wondering if Tessa had set any leftovers aside for her when something uneasy crept up her spine. The homestead was never silent, there were hums throughout, from the generator, the fridge and the ancient metallic beast that sat watch by the front door.

But there was no hum from A’den.

There was more than that though, there was something looming in the force, the kind of unease that came just before everything went to shit and it was not a sensation she typically ignored. She moved for the porch doors, peering at the desert beyond them, her fingers barely curling around the door handle when something crashed through the kitchen window, denting the counter top and it landed, skidding across it and landing on the floor with a deep thunk.

For a moment Mia didn’t move, waiting to see if whatever it was was explosive or if it would start hissing as it dispersed whatever it might contain. But there was nothing. She stepped towards the kitchen peering behind the island counter to see the shining brick. Was that beskar?

She stepped fully around the counter, to pick it up and the moment she did there was a softer shattering of glass to her left, head head whipped round in time to glimpse the sleek arrowhead before it slammed into her shoulder, spinning her into the counter, she dropped to the floor, letting momentum take her out of the window line.

Leaning against the cupboard she reached to feel the wound. The arrow head had passed through, missing the joint but grazing the shoulder blade on its exit. She should have been in agony, but pain was nothing, an irritation quieted with crucitorn, she reached around feeling the arrow head and its barbed tip and swore. It would have to stay where it was.

She crawled to the kitchen sink, pulling open the doors beneath it and retrieving the revolver fixed to the side along with ammo. She clicked it open, sliding the slugs unhurriedly into place with soft clicks like this was nothing more than just another Taungsday.

“You sure you wanna do this?” she called out, knowing whoever had shot her would still be around. They’d need to confirm their kill afterall.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:
//: Equipment //:
//: Bow & Arrows //: Cybernetic Eye //: Jacket //: Arrows of Absence x 25 //: Bag of Absencite x 5ea //:

Allyson waited; she had heard the arrow hit its mark, but she didn't for one moment believe that it was a kill shot. Mia Monroe had survived worse, but that's what made this fun. Allyson moved quickly, still shrouded, still protected by the Force. Her footsteps continued to leave no trace, and for as much as her wife hated the brand that threaded across her back…

It's what kept her safe.

Her intentions and actions were shrouded by the disconnection between her and the Force. She was a void in that aspect. But nothing told her that Mia was Force-sensitive; in her mind, she was just dealing with an amped-up old woman. But despite age, the woman was dangerous, and Allyson could easily lose her life here.

Mia called out to her, perhaps hoping that she answered. Her voice would reveal where she was, giving the Mandalorian a way to track her. Allyson scoffed under her breath; she wasn't a rookie; she had hunted some of the best. Instead, Allyson drew another arrow, one with a barbed tip. She moved to the back area of the patio, peeking into each window.

Fortunately for Mia, there wasn't one that gave Allyson a clear view of where she was. So instead, the Corellian decided she would make a window. Climbing back over the balcony and off the patio, she took a few steps back. She used the cybernetic eye to get a decent reading of where the Mandalorian was taking cover. Instead of taking a direct shot at her, the goal was to blow the side of the homestead open. Giving her more access to the kill.

A deep sigh, and the bow settled. She fired off the explosive shot, aiming for the wall closest to where Mia had been hiding behind her sink, or whatever island was in the center of the kitchen area.

The arrow slammed into the wall, exploding the wooden materials into a plume of fire and smoke. Allyson didn't wait; she knew Mia had survived. She knew this was just child's play for her. Drawing once more, she fired a nanite flechette arrow. She had drawn it long, making sure that the arrow had grown to its fullest size. This ensured that the bow would split into the shower that she needed to cover any escape route the Mandalorian tried.

As the arrow ripped through the smoke, it split into eight smaller projectiles. Allyson moved to follow, trying to use the smoke as cover. She needed to keep moving.

Despite wanting to stay quiet, she couldn't hold it in anymore. The Corellian felt the rage burning in her chest, the dark side swirling, waiting to be commanded. As she reached for it, searching the Force for some ounce of strength, she felt the painful ache of the brand burning new golden veins into her skin.

This was the price for the advantages that He had blessed her with.

"Shut up and fight!" Allyson shouted in response to Mia.

"I've wanted to do this for a real long time!"

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke

Her answer came in the form of a loud thunk of something embedding in wood a split second later the wall exploded and Mia threw herself prone, the move driving the arrow further through her shoulder as she covered her head protecting it from the shower of wood glass and porcelain.

Her kitchen, crafted by Ordo and worn over the years by her family, was in shambles. Mia pushed herself upright, shaking the debris free. She didn’t have time to mourn or time to find anger, she had to move. Another hiss split the air and Mia reacted instinctively, throwing her hand out with a small telekinetic blast to blow the arrows off course launching herself towards the bedroom where her armour rested, firing two shots from the revolver as she moved hoping to lay some form of cover to give her time to cross the open plan living space toward the back.

There was no way she could get all of it on, but a gauntlet and a vambrace? It would give her something.

Mia whirled, jaw tightening as her voice gave her more to work with. A third shot fired in the direction of the voice before she moved.

So this was vengeance, not an assassin hired to take her out. Whoever this was, this was personal which meant two things. The first was that they were likely off kilter, emotional people made poor choices and attacking the Warmaster in her home on Mandalorian soil was absolutely a poor choice. The second, was that they would be giving everything in this fight, there would be no talking them down, no scaring them off. For them, this was a fight to the death.

“Well,” she said as ducked behind the sofa, reaching beneath it for a second revolver, this one already loaded. “Lets hope I don’t disappoint.”

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:
//: Equipment //:
//: Bow & Arrows //: Cybernetic Eye //: Jacket //: Arrows of Absence x 25 //: Bag of Absencite x 5ea //:

Two shots rang through the explosion, both far off their mark. Allyson was able to use the sound of the gun and the direction the bullets flew. Her cybernetic eye was capable of tracing the slugs long enough to pinpoint them. She moved closer, shifting her path to be in better range, hopefully cutting off Monroe from wherever she was seeking shelter. A quick couple of blinks, she switched her view, using thermals to try and figure out the Mandalore's path.

Her figure stopped for a moment, long enough for Allyson to hesitate.

Another shot fired in her direction and the sudden sting of pain bloomed at her hip. A hand instinctively cupped the wound as blood began to bubble out. It was clean; the shot cut through but didn't exit. That would be a problem for future Allyson. For present Allyson, the issue was now she was bleeding… and with blood there was going to be a trace.

"Karking Schutta." Allyson cursed as she tried to put pressure on the wound.

She had to keep moving; if she stayed too long, Mia might get the bright idea to fire in the same direction again. Allyson crouched now, doing her best to cover up or catch any of her blood dropping to the ground. Perhaps it was a good thing her blood didn't quite look like blood. The red mixed with a golden shimmer as she clutched her side.

Each step was agonizing as she felt why the bullet hadn't exited. It seemed to have lodged itself into the bone of her hip. She groaned and focused her mind on drowning the pain, keeping it from slowing her down. With the focus, she pulled out one of the kyberite arrows from her pouch and focused one of the seals that the bow had been created with.

With the Force power tied to the crystal, she fired it in the direction she had heard and could see where Mia had wandered to. It was quite beneficial, blowing a hole in the side of the building.

Finding itself rooted, the kyber pulsed with the force energy of the imbued power. Allyson dropped her cloak to focus now on the arrow. In a flash, she teleported, her stomach twisted as it usually did. Still, she was able to swallow down whatever was going to come up.

The moment she appeared, she drew another flechette arrow to full size and fired near Mia's flank. Allyson was visible; her force cloak remained off. She wanted Mia to see who was here to hunt her; she wanted everything to suddenly make sense.

Her boots skidded from the momentum of the teleport as her eyes trailed the nanite arrow as it split once more, showering Mia with eight needle-like bolts. As Allyson prepared another explosive arrow, she stopped and grabbed something that felt like a waste basket that had been twisted or crushed under the explosion.

In an instant, she lost her stomach. She turned her back to hide behind one of the stay walls that jutted outward. If the revolver could cut through the wall, she'd be in trouble. But still, the waste basket… or maybe an old helmet was currently her focus. She dropped it and drew the explosive arrow taut on the string.

"Nah, you've already disappointed enough people — shouldn't worry your little head over it."

She tightened her grip, wishing she could get any guidance from Ember at this moment. He knew this woman; he knew how she moved, how she fought — Allyson had only seen it a few times… but she heard enough stories.

They were friends…

And she killed him.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke

The curse was enough for Mia to know at least one bullet had found its mark, she rose from behind the sofa, weapons trailing in the direction her attacker had been, hissing a curse under her breath when she realised she’d moved again. Mia had to give her her due, it was a good tactic against a woman who typically liked to take her opponents head on.

Another arrow hissed through the air and Mia adjusted her aim, cracking two shots in the direction it had come from but she’d moved, more than that, Mia could finally feel her. She’d stopped hiding and she was suddenly on her left.

Another arrow ripped through the air and split as Mia caught sight of her.

Dark hair and green eyes scowled at her from behind Ember's leg…

“Allyson…?”

“Shit.”

Her hand snapped up erecting a force barrier a moment too late, three arrows slammed into it, two went wide hissing either side of her, one skimmed her arm, tearing skin, one slammed into her right thigh, another skimming the outer of her left. Mia let out a grunt limping back towards the rear corridor, tucking against the inner wall for some semblance of cover, reaching to rip the arrow from her thigh as anger started to taint the edge of logic.

Warmth spread over her leg as blood began to flow freely, another curse hissed past her lips. What the hell did she ever do to Allyson?

"Nah, you've already disappointed enough people — shouldn't worry your little head over it."

Mia let out a huff of a laugh void of any real amusement. “You’re not wrong.”

Mia’s hand snapped up the revolver in her hand cracking as she fired the last two shots aiming again for the sound of her voice before dropping the now empty gun. The bedroom door was a few feet away, but Allyson would be on her in a moment.

She didn’t want to kill Ember’s kid but if she had to? If it was the difference between life and death? Feth, maybe she'd make her see sense before that. She reached for the sofa, seizing it with the force and launching it through the wall she was hiding behind and dove for the bedroom door.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:

Terrible.

She heard her name.

It was always easier when they didn't know who she was, just that she was here to kill them. That acknowledgment that she was a person, someone with a name — it was always jarring. Mia remembering her, recognizing her even after all this time, it humanized the woman she felt hate for.

Allyson found herself remembering things she often tried to bury deep with Ember's memory. It was too painful to relive knowing that so soon after she lost her own parents — she lost him as well. The man had been what she needed so she didn't feel alone in the galaxy. At that time, Corellia was gone; a part of her was destroyed in the blink of an eye, and the rest of the universe continued to spin.

Mia was part of happy memories, but she was also the cause of some of her worst. Allyson moved to turn; she had the explosive arrow ready, but as she turned, a bullet tore through the thin wall. The Mandalorian had been true to her skills; her aim was better than most at her age, and if Allyson hadn't twisted or moved just a breath sooner…

The revolver would have done its job.

Allyson paused, holding her breath as she felt the burn of the projectile graze the bridge of her nose. She was so close to failing this mission. Blood rose to the surface of the burn, almost bubbling at the surface. Having focused so hard on not getting her head taken off, Allyson didn't hear the second crack of the revolver. Turning, the next bullet slammed into her shoulder; thankfully, the leather jacket she wore had some protection against it.

It was stopped for the most part, but pain still surged through her shoulder, causing it to feel more like dead weight than attached. She tucked behind the wall again, trying to recover and shake the arm back to life. Allyson felt the panic start to tighten in her chest; Mia knew where she was, and right now she couldn't fight back. To top it all off, Mia was a Force User — one that seemed stronger than the Corellian had anticipated.

The arm began to have feeling again, and she switched the arrow out, letting the other reside in her side quiver for the time being. With Mia being force sensitive, Allyson needed to do something a little different. She stepped back away from the wall, but it did little to defend against what came next.

Before she could poke her head back out, something slammed into her — it was heavy, but it wasn't the Mandalorian herself. Impact hit hard, and on instinct, Allyson used the Force around her to harden her body. She protected herself as the couch and wall blew into her and threw her back into the wall several feet behind her.

It took a moment, but Allyson kicked off the couch, wishing that she was capable of doing the same thing to Mia. It was always annoying how many people liked to throw her, or her and objects, through walls.

"You're an nerf herder, you know that." Reaching down, she grabbed the arrow that she had dropped and staggered to her feet. There was no more hiding; Mia knew where she was, and the distance was now too close for her to depend on her force cloak.

The new arrow was nocked quickly, and she fired it. Once more, it cut through the smoldering rubble of the previous explosion and aimed towards where she had caught a quick glimpse of the Liberator. About halfway towards Mia, Allyson used the Force to switch on the absencite at the sharpened head of the arrow. The Force around the arrow now was nullified, and it was aimed right to the core of the Mandalorian.

"Do you even visit his grave? Or are you too much of a coward to admit you karked up Mia?"

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke

The couch bought her enough time to duck inside the bedroom, Allyson’s insult falling on deaf ears as she ripped gauntlet and vambrace from her armour stand, pulling it into place with practiced speed before moving back to the door, to peer out activating the vambrace.

A soft whine of electronics told her it was alive, without her helmet, the whistling bird would have to be fired with line of sight alone, but it was something more than the revolver settled in her other hand. She stepped out as Allyson snagged an arrow from the floor, no doubt dropped in her brief entanglement with the couch.

Mia needed to close the distance, she needed to force Allyson into a fight on her terms, then maybe, just maybe, she’d get the stupid girl to stop whatever nonsense this was. The nocked arrow flew, and Mia’s gauntlet hand came up to blast it aside again.

But the arrow did not shift course.

Mia’s eyes widened as she realised her error, the arrow slammed into her chest sliding between ribs. The initial wave of pain made her take a breath that instantly bubbled before she silenced it again. The gauntlet lowered marginally, adjusting its aim towards her legs, whistling birds primed.

"Do you even visit his grave? Or are you too much of a coward to admit you karked up Mia?"

“You’re going to need to narrow that down,” she choked, turning her head aside to spit out a mouthful of blood, drawing another, rattling breath. “I’ve killed a lot of people, All’ika.”

She fired three shots, non lethal and aimed at bringing Allyson down.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:

The sound of the vampbrace echoed through the Force, and Allyson realized she had given Mia too wide a birth between attacks. If the Mandalorian was able to get some of her armor on, or worse, all of her armor on – Allyson was in trouble.

Allyson had fought Mandalorians before; even so, she was raised for a good portion of her teenage years as one. Thankfully, Ember recognized the girl's dislike for the armor, so she was never really considered a foundling. Ember was always unconventional, though, so it came as no surprise that he often never wore his as well.

She never asked why, and he often didn't reveal too much of his past to her. Remembering this drew the air from her lungs. The man had always protected her, ensuring she never went hungry. Allyson was aware he had other children, a daughter that was her age. The girl wasn't around often, but Allyson had learned about her.

When they did eventually meet, despite Allyson's inept Force empathy, she knew the woman was jealous at one point, viewing Allyson as a replacement.

Maybe that's where she learned it. That unending sacrifice to protect someone despite them being capable of protecting themselves? Ember had always shielded her, never really letting her know too many truths. He was a good father, a good teacher, and someone Allyson strove to be like.

Maybe a little too much.

The arrow struck true; she could see the surprise on Mia's face as the arrow ignored the Force. They were specifically built for the Assassin, to fight against heavier Force Users. Take away their biggest threat, and they were nothing but mortals.

Even though this is what Allyson wanted- watching the arrow burrow into Mia and the rattled voice that echoed after. Allyson felt her chest clench. This was a woman who had been around her life, had often shown her small things when Ember refused. There had been tight words of praise, which, coming from Mia Monroe, was a miracle.

Allyson could still hear their laughter, Ember's and Mia's. The stories and the adventures, all of them had filled the young Corellian's head.

They were heroes… They were the ones that molded the woman's mind to what a good person was…

Not the Jedi, not the Alliance…

Allyson felt a single tear fall from the corner of her eye, her real one. It stung; she felt like she was watching family suffer.

Suddenly, she heard the whirring of the micro missiles coming towards her. She moved, as quickly as she could, back behind the wall, but it was too late. The Corellian had lingered a little too long, lost in the sight of someone she thought she hated, penetrated by the arrow.

Where Mia would have been able to kill her in that moment, the woman chose to aim towards her legs. Was this because she didn't want to hurt her, or did she decide Allyson was going to suffer?

Air hissed through her teeth as the pain burned, her pants soaking whatever blood decided to pour from the wound. Two of the shots hit the same spot, her thigh, while the other aimed just at the knee joint. She would be slower now, and for someone like Mia – that was potentially the plan.

Allyson stopped, her back pressed against an adjacent wall near the remains of the couch. The line of sight was distorted, buying her time. But she stopped, her mind reeling from hearing the nickname; it was one she hadn't heard since her Verd'goten.

She always found it silly; she went through her life loosely tied to Mandalorian culture. Allyson spoke their language, followed some of the rules that Ember put in place for her, and yet she never wore the armor. Allyson was never really a Mandalorian, yet felt kinship to the people.

"I have too… but killing you, I'll remember."

Perhaps she was a hypocrite in this sense, appropriating a culture that never was hers to begin with. But Ember, he was family. At one point, he was all she had. Mia had been a part of that, a found family.

Always family.

Through gritted teeth, maybe if she spoke in words that Mia would understand, things would suddenly make sense.

"Gar jorhaa'ir gar Ember. Bal a'denla gar o'r'kyn. Gar kovid him."

The words felt foreign, as if the language itself was an old memory. Saying it out loud only made it more real.

Allyson wondered if Mia realized, or if she even cared. Quietly, Allyson counted down the small battery that was attached to the arrow. She had little time of effectiveness with it. The nullification was limited, but in most cases, one arrow was enough.

Once it was done, Allyson would reach out towards the tech on the woman's arm. They were annoying little things, and she aimed to force them to explode in their housing.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke

Allyson retreated, the glint of a tear on her face as she disappeared with a hiss of pain. Mia advanced, limping heavily, her gauntleted hand reaching to the arrow embedded in her chest, snapping the protruding shaft.

"I have too… but killing you, I'll remember."

A gurgling humourless chuckle spilled from lips, then she hacked and spat aside more blood.

“Death doesn’t scare me. All’ika.”

She took another step forward revolver held loosely in her gauntlet free hand.

"Gar jorhaa'ir gar Ember. Bal a'denla gar o'r'kyn. Gar kovid him."

Mia froze.

“Ember…” she said softly.

Mia blinked. The grief from a lifetime ago striking her just as freshly as it had then, the sight of the durasteel beam bursting through his chest a moment before he exploded, the dark side rippling from where he had been seconds before to shatter the last section of what remained of the space station. It was embedded in her brain.

She had been powerless to stop it, to stop him. She’d been too slow to reach any of them.

And he had enveloped her in protection anyway.

The first whistling bird popped, yanking Mia back from the memory, something clicking in the back of her mind. Mech-deru. It was why A’den had gone silent. Alone the whistling birds would have made a pretty show, spitting superheated metal shrapnel around, but encased inside a beskar vambrace?

BANG

Blinding white pain lanced up her arm so violently she almost blacked out, staggering sideways, catching herself on a sideboard as the revolver slid from her hand. Angry needles of molten metal spit in every direction, cooling in the folds of her skin where the landed. Mia looked down at what was left of her hand, half her fingers were missing, and what remained were a bent and twisted mess of metal and flesh. Her wrist hung at an odd angle.
Then came the rage, the final thread of Mia’s patience snapping as she reached with her free hand to seize Allyson in a vice grip with the force.

“You stupid girl.” she spat blood bubbling at the corner of her mouth. As she tried to drag her out from behind the wall so Allyson could look at her, so she could see what she’d done. She had let grief and rage obscure logic. She had made Mia the target she needed her to be, rather than finding the truth.

“I didn’t kill Ember.” she snarled. “Saverock did.”

Mia threw her, with a flick of her wrist, aiming to put her through the outer wall and back into the arid land beyond it, limping in her wake to follow.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:

There was little time between Allyson's words, the explosions, and the sudden binding pull of the Force. Allyson knew this feeling; she would be lying if she said she didn't. The Force wrapped around her, as she did her best to burrow under the debris of the couch. Mia was mad; she could hear it, but it was understandable. The woman just had one of her weapons explode, a weapon that a Mandalorian depended on.

Allyson buckled down, drawing down the center of gravity from her gut and pinning it to the ground under her. Her feet pressed against the couch frame, trying to use it as some semblance of leverage to go against the all-powerful force. It was no use; no matter how much she fought to lock herself in, Mia had the upper hand. Allyson was ripped from the hiding spot and levitated just long enough to see the damage she had done.

She was a stupid girl, but one who stuck to her convictions.

Until…

“I didn’t kill Ember. Saverock did.”

The words hit her harder than whatever Mia had planned to do to her. Mia didn't kill Ember; she hadn't been the one to take the man away from her. Frozen with this realization, Allyson suddenly felt the freedom of flying. She was lost in thought, trying to piece together the fragments of that day; that night she slept alone, curled up on the ship.

She moved slowly through the air, through the wall that held one of the last bits of foundation of the homestead together.

Allyson could still smell the shirt she held when they had found her. The one that had been sewn into the lining of her jacket. She had done that to all of them, to carry a piece of the man that made her the person she was today. Too often she downplayed him, minimizing their connection in her own way of protecting herself. A bit of her felt guilty; she had missed him, mourned him more than her own family.

But he was there.

He had let her just be Allyson.

Something sparked in the back of Allyson's mind. She was still airborne, momentum carrying her through open space. Still, she remembered something he had taught her during their time among the stars.

The Force swelled through her, seizing hold of that momentum and making it hers.

Allyson tucked into the fall and twisted. Her legs swept upward, boots passing over her head as her body rolled through a tight, controlled rotation. In the middle of the flip, one hand was already reaching for the next void arrow. She drew it from the quiver, nocked it, and pulled the bowstring taut even as the world spun around her.

Then she opened her body into the rotation.

For one suspended heartbeat, Allyson leveled out horizontally in the air, stomach toward the ground and back toward the sky, her fall transformed into something that almost resembled flight. The bow was held before her, string drawn to its limit, the void arrow aimed beneath her as her hair and clothing streamed upward in the rushing air.

Mia had continued to walk, and despite the revelation of Ember's murderer not being Mia… Allyson still had to do something.

From what she had gathered, Mia was there, but Mia did nothing. Despite the information being there that Ember had done this on his own…

It was too hard for her to believe that he would willingly sacrifice himself… willingly leave her alone…

Again.

The arrow once more sang through the air. As it drew closer, it activated, creating the nullification zone around it. Allyson hit the ground moving. Her boots skidded hard across the surface, legs bending beneath her as she rode out the impact. The archer's glove snapped back against the ground. It dragged in front of her, scraping against the surface as she used the friction to wrench the last of her movement under control.

"Why didn't you stop it? Why didn't you fight with him!"

Stupid questions, from a stupid girl.

"Why didn't you bring him home!"

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke

Mia had barely passed through the gaping hole Allyson had made when the arrow sailed towards her, she twisted sharply letting it pass her in a hiss of air, her weight settling on her injured thigh. It took a moment to register the absence of the force before pain came rushing back and the weight of her injuries struck her. Her leg gave way beneath her and she hit the ground hard before the null field disappeared with the arrow.

With a groan she rolled up to one knee, each breath turning into a hacking cough, sprayed blood onto the hardpacked earth at her feet. Behind her the house groaned and cracked under its own weight, collapsing slowly.

Ordo had built her that house.

"Why didn't you stop it? Why didn't you fight with him!"

“BECAUSE HE WOULDN’T LET ME!”

Mia bellowed in return, reaching into the ground and yanking a chunk of earth the size of a speeder bike and launching it at Allyson, still advancing, closing the distance between them.

“I TORCHED SAVEROCK AND WATCHED HIM DRIFT INTO SPACE, BUT IT WASN’T ENOUGH.”

She grabbed another chunk as the air around her began to crack, dust rising in response to her anger and her grief, drifting in a slow swirl around her.

“I WATCHED HIM OBLITERATE HIMSELF TO SAVE US.”

The second rock flew as the ground trembled, the quake shaking free whatever strength was left in the house behind her, cracks splitting the earth with each step she took towards Allyson.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:

The arrow missed its mark; Allyson didn't care. There was something small in her chest that felt like relief. It meant she didn't have to watch Mia suffer further from her attacks. Yet, the hatred she felt for the woman burned brighter — seeing that she didn't get hit. Still, no one had ever stepped out of the line of sight of her arrow. This was a new frustration to the Corellian, but only Mia would have been that confident to do so.

Allyson's eyes flickered momentarily to the house behind the woman as she emerged. It stood barely and began to creak and whine as the foundation began to crumble. She had ruined a home, but that was par for the course. Allyson wasn't proud of how she attacked Mia. Still, it was the only way she would have gotten a step ahead of the Mandalorian.

Her words rang in Allyson's ears. The fact that Mia Monroe was stopped prevented her from doing what she wanted to do. It made her laugh. No one stopped Mia karking Monroe from doing anything she wanted to do. The entire thing was a joke; Mia had failed and didn't want to face it — she'd rather blame the dead.

"You're a joke." Allyson stood upright as she drew another arrow. Her body screamed in protest, but she buried it down under her own emotions. Pain was just another bit of fuel to keep her moving. If you no longer felt pain, then you were dead. The words echoed in her mind from a voice she didn't know the source of. Still, she began to draw the next arrow, one that would be more difficult to sidestep.

"Prevented you?! No one stops you from doing what YOU want, MIA." She nocked the arrow, but in that moment she watched as a boulder came launching towards her. It was fast, and she realized that despite the wounds, she was fighting someone who didn't know when to give up.

Something the pair shared between them.

The boulder landed, nearly crushing Allyson as she jumped and used whatever power she could muster to launch herself just a bit farther. She cursed and also thanked the Force as she felt the rock brush the bottom of her boot. Standing once more, she drew the arrow; the ground below her shook with the terror and rage from the woman.

Allyson drew the string taut once more, her eyes settling on the woman as she raised another rock to be thrown towards her. Allyson had two choices. She could either stand her ground and take the shot, or she could fade into the Force to try and gain another footing — another angle to take down the woman.

To avenge her father, even if she wasn't his murderer — she watched him… watched him die.

"YOU WATCHED! YOU DID NOTHING! YOU TOOK THE GLORY OF KILLING HIS MURDERER!"

Allyson shouted. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to focus using just the cybernetic. Hate flowed through her, the dark side beginning to swell, wanting to be used to fuel the strength of the Corellian. Allyson did her best to push it back, knowing the consequences if she tapped into that power.

Instead, as the rock flew towards her, she stood her ground. The Force strengthened her body so that she could hopefully withstand the rock crushing her. She needed to take the shot; she needed to kill Mia Monroe.

"You're a coward; you could have done something, but you didn't…"

Allyson released the arrow; instead of the void arrow, the Corellian watched as the explosive arrow aimed to land towards the Mandalorian's feet. It would hopefully fool her into trying to throw it off course or, at worst, destroy it before it got to her. Either way, if the boulder was going to kill Allyson, the explosion would take Mia with her.

She didn't get a chance to see the fruition of the arrow; instead, she instinctively brought her arms and bow across her body, trying to bar the blow from her core. The wind was knocked out of her as she braced herself against the boulder for just a moment before the strength of its momentum pushed her onto her back and dragged her against the ground.

The Force protected her as the boulder cracked and crumbled around her collapsed body.

Everything hurt; she looked at the darkening horizon as she took shallow breaths, arms still crossed over her chest as she watched each star in the sky begin to take shape. The dark sky was illuminated by the fire of Mia's burning house, and she waited — wondering if she had won.

"I hate you."

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke

"Prevented you?! No one stops you from doing what YOU want, MIA."

A hollow humourless laugh escaped her. If that were true, then the Purge would never have happened and Ra would have died at her hand. She would have held the mantle, and restored Mandalore. It would never have fallen into the hands of Yasha Mantis, her people would never have been destroyed and scattered. Mandalore would never have suffered at the hands of Carnifex.

Her past did nothing but illuminate the thousand ways that Mia had never gotten what she wanted.

"YOU WATCHED! YOU DID NOTHING! YOU TOOK THE GLORY OF KILLING HIS MURDERER!"

“ENOUGH!”

But she had watched. She had done nothing. It had all happened in a blur, from taking down Saverock, to the station erupting, to the haze of green protection he had formed around her before the explosion had taken him. He was one of thousands that had died that day and Mia had been too weak and too slow to stop any of it.

Even now, with the power she had, she knew in her heart that she could not have saved him. She had run that scenario a thousand times over in her grief, retracing every step. Ember had made his choice in a split second, and there was nothing that she could have done to stop it.

Another arrow hissed towards her but its aim was off, lower and not intended to hit her head on and if Mia had been utterly unaware at this point that Allyson could change her arrows on a dime, she might have ignored it. But there were still two embedded in her flesh, and her home was a pile of rubble behind her as a result of the versatility of that fucking bow.

She pulled another chunk of earth up, this one in front of her like a sheer wall, though it only made it as far as her waist before the arrow struck. The explosion shattered the earth, fire erupting around it that washed over Mia before the shockwave slammed into her. She slid backwards, knee cracking against the earth as she anchored herself, tutaminis leaving her skin glowing where the fire had been absorbed.

Mia lifted her head to look for Allyson, her body amidst the crumbled remnants of the boulder and in that moment her heart rose to her throat, anger abating in the wake of fear, fear that she had done more harm than intended.

Relief flooded her and she pushed herself slowly back to her feet, limping heavily now as she made her way to where she lay, obscuring the younger woman's view of the stars as she assessed the damage. She would live.

“Your hate is nothing but that of a petulant child who does not want to hear the truth.” Mia scolded her, each word rattling, each breath an effort. “It means nothing.”

She dug her hand into a pocket finding her comlink, rolling it between her fingers as she looked down at her again, contemplating something. “If you are done throwing your tantrum and you want to hear the full story, I will tell you. If not, fuck off and come back when you are ready to talk.”

Mia moved away, the weight of her injuries and the blood loss creeping up her bones in an overwhelming exhaustion. But she couldn't let go, could let her grip on the force slip or her attention on the assassin go. There was still a chance she wasn’t done.

Her thumb clicked the comm to life.

“Itzhal.” she said softly. “Ni ne'waadas gar.”

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:

The view of the sky was blocked by the annoying face of Mia Monroe. All this meant was that Allyson's arrow had once again missed. She groaned at the scolding; Mia had always been that way. If Allyson had ever missed having a Mother to scold her, she would just have to piss off Mia. Right now was no different. The woman had moved too quickly for her to respond, so her leg swung and found just air.

Momentum took her as she rolled onto her side. She watched the woman walk away and raise her hand to her ear. The conversation was muffled, and Allyson was trying to figure out what Mia was doing. Was she calling in support? Was she getting someone to come deal with Allyson? Instincts ran rampant, and her eyes darted around trying to find something to get her out of this situation.

Mia's attention was off Allyson, which meant the Corellian could get away… or finish what she had started.

Slowly, Allyson groaned. Her leg hooked over as she rolled onto her stomach. She paused for a moment, her eyes drifting to the conversation between Mia and whoever she was calling, her attention still on them. Allyson worked her way up to her feet slowly; her body ached — protesting against her continuing whatever mess this was.

Each step towards the older woman was agonizing. Allyson was struggling with her pain control at this point; the boulder was not kind to her in that sense. Still, she used the Force to aid her as she made her way over.

"Nothing?" Allyson asked, her voice cracking over her shallow breaths. Her body was crushed by the weight of the boulder.

"He was my father, Mia. How is that nothing?" Now, she sounded like a child; now she felt the tears burning against her cheek.

The moment she got close enough, Allyson swung her fist, her bow long forgotten where she had collapsed. If she was going to finish this, she would do it with her hands.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke Itzhal Volkihar Adelle Bastiel Taiia Locke

The groan made Mia close her eyes briefly, an exasperated sigh passing her lips that triggered another coughing fit. Slowly she turned to watch Allyson find her feet, tears spilling over one cheek, her voice cracking, her breathing shallow no doubt as a result of the boulder that had shattered over her.

Beneath the anger and frustration that Allyson simply did not know when to quit, there was a touch of pride that pulled slightly at the corners of her lips. Ember would have been proud. Not that she was attacking a woman that had called him brother, and certainly not that she was doing so on incorrect information, that would have absolutely earned his ire. But her resilience, her refusal to give up? that would have brought him pride.

“He was more than just your father, All’ika.”

Allyson’s fist flew and Mia stepped inside it, bringing a broken arm up to catch to blow inside its swing pushing it of course to sail past her ear, while the fist holding the commlink drove low, towards Allyson’s diaphragm.

“He was a mentor, a friend, a brother.” Tears blurred Mia’s eyes as grief rose unbidden, but rather than bury it like she had a thousand times before she let it wash over her, her own voice cracking. “And I had to watch the selfless bastard die from behind his fucking protection spell.”

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Attire //:

Allyson watched as her punch missed and Mia stepped into her guard. She hadn't kept her arm up, something that she could hear Ember shouting at her from beyond the grave. The memory lingered gently in the front of her mind. He had done everything to teach her to survive, all of his lessons, all of his ramblings — they were all for her survival.

The blow came to her gut, and she did her best to harden her body for it. There was nothing to avoid it; she took the hit and felt the air and now blood spill over from her lips. Like the bleeding at her side, the blood looked unnatural, as if it was mixed with gold. Allyson tried to ignore it and hoped that Mia had been too bullheaded to see it as well.

She groaned as a hand reached and grabbed Mia's shirt to pull her into the next strike. As Allyson pulled, her heel hit the ground and twisted. Near the tip of her boot, a short, clean blade shot out, a remnant of another that had left her.

Zaavik's boot knife.

Allyson remembered when the boy had shown her his idea. She had laughed at it, mocking him at when he would ever use such a useless blade. But he had used it, and she had been on the receiving end. Ever since then, she had implemented the 'useless' blade; now she would use it too.

"You watched. You watched! You were supposed to bring him home," she whined more than she shouted as she did her best to wrangle Mia.

"I trusted you! He trusted you!"

Her knee rose to meet Mia, the surge of strength from the force fueling her speed and strength, knowing that the Mandalorian was a fair bit stronger than her. The moment she felt any connection, her leg would kick up, attempting to drive the blade somewhere, anywhere it could make contact. It wasn't long enough to cause any damage; it was superficial, but it would hurt like hell.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke Itzhal Volkihar Adelle Bastiel Taiia Locke

The blow landed, blood spilling over Allyson’s lips, shimmering unnaturally, if she had time to see it, time to fully notice it, Mia might see the hint of gold within it, but fingers seized her shirt pulling her close, close enough she could see where tears clung to Allyson’s eyes lashes, carving tracks down a dust stained cheek.

Sadness tore at her, grief not only for Ember, but for the pain she had suffered, the agonizing weight of losing a parent was one that never truly left you. It just got easier to hold.

“Allyson…” she said softly, her own tears finally spilling over, She didn’t want to fight her, she didn’t want to hurt her anymore. She’d suffered enough, if not by her hand directly, then by her inaction.

Allyson’s knee came up her centreline and Mia’s hand snapped down to meet it, catching the brunt of the force aimed at her gut, but that wasn’t the real problem. Something sharp bit into her already wounded thigh as the assassin kicked out. Mia didn’t feel the pain, crucitorn still roiling through her, but she felt the blood, the warm spreading rapidly down the inside of her leg.

Mia could have taken out her leg and thrown her down to the ground, she could have headbutted, dazed her enough that she would have no choice but to stop. Bus Mia was tired of fighting her own, she was tired of adding to the guilt. Her good hand, still braced against Allsyon’s knee, shoved it back down forcefully as the broken one wrapped around her shoulder, the other coming up to wrap around the other.

She pulled the angry child into a tight embrace, like she had done decades ago, when Ember was still here, when the galaxy had paused in its unrelenting cruelty.

“I know.” she breathed, her voice shaking. “I know, All’ika.”

“I’m so sorry.”

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Mia Monroe //:
//: Taiia Locke //: Adelle Bastiel //: Itzhal Volkihar //:

The blade found its mark, and Allyson felt empty. There was no excitement; there was no pain. She was hurting someone, and while the initial thrill of battle fueled her, it wasn't there anymore. Had Mia not revealed that the killer was dead, that she wasn't who killed Ember, Allyson would still feel the high.

Yet now, all she felt was the pain of so many years lost without Ember.

Instead of feeling the pain of the next strike, she found her body crushed, enveloped in a hug. She hated it. She hated how familiar it was, how warm it was. It made her years of barriers, walls that kept people away from the core of her feelings, crumble. She closed her eyes; she felt every ounce of sorrow the Mandalorian felt alongside her own despair.

A memory, this wasn't just familiar because of the intent — but because they had been there before. Mia and Ember were close; it was only right she had to be the one. Allyson remembered, holding the man's shirt, how much of the ship's grease had stained it over the years. But it was still his; it was still warm with his life.

She was still small then, curled up in the middle of the engine room. It was where they first met, where he had caught her fixing his ship because it had spoken to her. In that engine room, he took her away; he had saved her life that day unknowingly as they left Corellian space. She remembered watching Corellia make contact with the other planetary body, cracking and breaking.

Then it was all black, and her senses were engulfed in cheap aftershave and ship motors. He held her, shielded her eyes, and called her that name.

All'ika

When she was found in that same old engine room, Mia had grabbed her — rough, but with the same tenderness one did for a child. She held her like she did now and apologized. Mia had been the one to tell her Ember was gone, despite the girl knowing already because of the shattered bond. She cried and hit Mia over and over with her small fist.

But nothing was going to bring him back.

Allyson felt everything again; her body remained rigid despite its desire to collapse. To fall apart and allow whatever wounds she had sustained just take her. She was stubborn and resilient, traits she had learned from the man who walked his own path. He taught her everything he knew, maybe out of guilt for his lost time with his own children.

But they were both lost ships who found a harbor together.

His lessons were what kept her alive.

With fists no longer small, Allyson hit Mia over and over again as she held her. She squirmed, trying to fight the hold, the comfort that the woman was offering her.

"I hate you! I hate you!"

But she was getting tired, and soon everything just stopped, and her fists now gripped the woman's bloody clothing as she broke. Nothing she did, no matter how much fight she had in her, Ember was gone, and he was going to remain gone.

"I miss him… so much."

 

[Mia Monroe]

Tags: Allyson Locke Taiia Locke Itzhal Volkihar Adelle Bastiel

Allyson fought, the same way she had all those years ago with thick angry tears spilling over younger cheeks. She had fought Mia’s embrace then, pounding at her uselessly until there was nothing left but the weight of shared grief. Then Mia had left her, believing her cared for by the rest of her clan, she had gone to Isley to challenge him on his part or rather his lack of. If he had dealt with Saverock sooner…

Her fists were no longer small, they dug deep and struck true, but Mia did not let go even when she could taste blood with every rattling breath, blood that she was losing rapidly. Eventually she stopped fighting and simply held on, sobs shaking her body.

"I miss him… so much."

“Me too.” Mia whispered, her good hand rising from her shoulder to stroke Allyson’s head, placing a bloody kiss on her forehead before moving back slightly, feet scraping heavily as her body screamed at her to rest. She sank slowly, pulling Allyson down gently with her till they were seated. She closed her eyes, her breathing shallow, vision spinning slightly as lightheadedness began to kick in.

“Do you know how much shit he would give me right now?” she chuckled, the noise rapidly turning into a cough that filled her mouth with blood. She spat it aside with a groan then laid back in the dirt staring up at the stars. Ember had been a good man; he was an integral part of the old guard, those who had been in their prime when she had ruled.

Those that were dead and gone, or simply did not want to be found anymore.

It was only her and Isley Verd left.

Quiet settled, the only noise the occasional crack from the rubble of her home as it settled and the sound of their shallow breathing.

“He saved my life more than once.” she said softly, tears rolling quietly from the corners of her eyes. “Not being able to save him is one of my greatest regrets.” Mia had failed him in more ways since his death, one of those was not making sure Allyson was taken care of, she hadn’t even kept track of her, so absorbed in her own mess.

Her eyes closed, stars giving way to the blissful dark behind her eyes.

“He would be proud of you.”