Private Scout's Honor || Kyyrk, Aether, Dena

[Kyyrk]

Zati. Another world that Kyyrk was not immediately familiar with. But one he was quickly growing accustomed to. A waypoint stop between the Ascendancy and the forgotten world of Ethereia. Sources suggested the world was of some strategic value to the Khanate. Since their defeat at the hands of the Ascendancy on Verun, their grip around the remaining worlds had tightened. They did not seek to attack the Ascendancy directly, not from this world. No, this outpost was an annoyance, nothing more. But one that Kyyrk was keen to investigate.

He had dispatched with a small team to poke the hornet's nest, as it were. Zati was, to their knowledge, uninhabited. Well, as uninhabited as a world got in the expanse. The space lanes were so hazardous that any planet could be the home to the latest shipwreck and survivors. And Kyyrk suspected that Zati was no different. Among his team was a Mandalorian known only as Aether the Iron . Kyyrk smirked to himself in amusement as he remembered how he'd gotten assigned to this mission. I need a bruiser. Someone that can cover backs if this goes south. He should have known the Dominus would have recommended a Mandalorian. Not that he would ever complain, mind you. At least this one was one of the respectable ones.

While there was no discernable base of operations, there was a rather large ship graveyard. All of them crashed. As Kyyrk watched it from the ship's descent, he could not help but wonder how many more graveyards there were across the expanse. Ship, or otherwise. He was silent until the ship had landed, and the team had debarked. There was no need to speak, no need to brief the team. They all knew what they were there for. And just because they couldn't see a base form orbit didn't mean the planet was clean. There were signs of life around the shipwrecks. Perhaps one of the survivors would know something. And perhaps, the Khans had gotten smart enough to keep a low profile...

"Remember, stay low, stay quiet. Anything goes wrong, get back to the ship. If you can't make it to the ship, stay alive till we come collect you." Kyyrk had a way of assuming and preparing for the worst. Every member of the team had a long range transmitter to signal for pickup if they got stranded. He didn't expect the Khanate to front a force impressive enough to cause them real problems. But better safe than sorry. This was a mere scouting mission. They could hold off an ambush, but they were not equipped to assault an entire garrison. Well. Kyyrk and Aether might be able to manage. But Kyyrk wasn't about to kick the sleeping Aklay if he didn't have to... ​

Dena Careen

 

[Aether the Iron]

ZATI, KHATATE SPACE

Zati.

By all accounts, the world was unremarkable - yet the Khanate had turned it into a gem. This was not due to uplifting the planet aesthetically, but rather, it was a valuable staging area. Though the Mandalorian had not yet seen the plans of their enemy up close, he theorized that Zati could have been used to rally many of the assaults that the Ascendancy had faced. Thus, it fell to them to ascertain the full extent of the enemy's presence - and if possible, do something about it.

Leadership of the mission had been given to Kyyrk , one of his father's generals. Primarch specifically. As for Aether's role, the Dominus of the Ascendancy saw fit to send his son to aide in the success of the operation. Kyyrk had asked for a bruiser - and what he got was the Crown Prince. A Mandalorian by skillset, but very much so his father's son in terms of other talents. As for his thoughts on the matter? Aether knew the significance of the mission and was ready to prove his capabilities.

After all, if he would someday rule, he needed the support of the people. Support of those like his father's most trusted.

"Understood." Aether said simply, taking a few moments to check his rifle.​

Kyyrk | Dena Careen​

 

[Dena Careen]

Dena is not sure how long it has been since she has crash-landed on this spirit's forsaken rock. She stopped keeping track after the third moon cycle. The planet, of which Dena doesn't even know the name, was a hostile, humid jungle full to the brim with predators, with crashed ships sprinkling the vast greenery, nature quick to entangle the man-made structures so that they may never leave.

Dena was not the first to crash land here, that she noticed her first day, shortly after she finished burying her mother. She remembers how feral they looked, their cheeks gaunt and their ribs visible, staring at her as if she were a fresh piece of meat. She supposes she was, to them at least. It wasn't a hard battle, in fact, it was quite easy. Dena needed something to work off her fury and growing hatred. Turns out humans trying to eat you were a rather cathartic outlet. But that wasn't the last time she would face these cannibals, as it appeared that many shipwreck survivors have grown accustomed to eating whatever they could get their hands on, including each other.

But they were the least of her problems, as the true predators were vast. It seemed that herbivores were not a thing on this world, at least Dena has not noticed any. Only predators, the big eating the small, the strong preying on the weak. For what felt like years Dena has survived, slaying whatever cannibal tribes she would find and taking their supplies, and defending herself from whatever beast decided she was food, only for that beast to become food itself.

But eventually, new ships came to the planet, ones that did not crash, but landed gently on what clearings there were. She snuck to the clearing, to see who was foolish or brave enough to attempt landing on this hunting ground that was a planet, only to be struck by mixed feelings of confusion, rage, and apprehension as she saw a mixture of Khanate Warbands exiting the ships with supplies, building temporary camps amongst the foliage. Byrtrevs war band was not one of them. She isn't sure if she is relieved or disappointed or angry at that fact.

For now, Dena would wait. For what, she wasn't sure. She wasn't so foolish as to steal a ship right now. Those ships require a small crew. And even if it didn't, she wasn't confident enough in her own skills to not risk just crashlanding on an even worse planet. Like a desert or ocean world. No. She could feel...something, telling her to wait, that her moment to leave is soon. She could feel it in her bones.

 

[Kyyrk]

As the team prepared to move further into the jungles, Kyyrk paused long enough to tie a simple black cloth around his eyes. A questionable decision to those that weren't familiar with his habits. A sign that he was no longer in the mood for games to those that did. Kyyrk had adapted to having eyes quite well for a Miraluka, but there were some habits that were better left indulged. Forcing himself to rely on the Force during combat was an edge he'd learned long ago that he needed.

Unlike the others, the man did not carry a gun, but was instead armed with two lightsabers that rested upon his shoulder blades. His armor had been replaced by a much lighter robe, though it was not without its own defenses. It was light, agile, and if need be, stealthy. Perfect for a scouting mission. He took a breath, allowing his senses to readjust to the influx of information he was now receiving. He curled his fingers to shake off the stiffness of peace, clearly as a product of habit. His left hand, after all, was a cybernetic.

Kyyrk turned back to the team's engineer. "Still got that radar contact?" "Yes sir, South by South West." Kyyrk nodded, looking to Aether. "You take lead. I'll keep watch." One of the many benefits to having a Medjai, or at least one trained as such, among their number. The Force could find and identify targets far better than radar could. And what few Shamans the Khanate had were little more than gifted warriors and soothsayers. As the Engineer powered off his equipment one final time, the team set forth towards the growing encampment they'd discovered during their descent.

Kyyrk's plan was simple. Find the encampment, destroy it, and see what sort of response that garnered. They hadn't been able to determine the exact scope of Khanate presence upon the world, but an attack against whatever outpost actually existed would be a reminder that their new neighbors were watching. As they walked, Kyyrk's head tilted this way and that, odd quirks and looks signifying that his presence existed well beyond his body. He was not oblivious to his immediate surroundings, but his focus lie well beyond that. Any old Medjai could use the Force to perceive their surroundings with some degree of skill. Miraluka like Kyyrk wrote the handbook. ​

Aether the Iron || Dena Careen

 

[Dena Careen]

Dena continued to sneak amongst the jungle like a vornskr stalking its prey. She did not know why exactly a few warlords decided to make a stronghold, though she could guess. An alliance of warlords usually meant that either one has subjugated the others, or they had a common enemy, a bigger fish, that needed to die if they wished to retain their power and influence. She remembers her days in Byrtrevs war band, where often they would join forces to crush a warlord that was becoming too powerful for comfort, or calling or being called in for a favor with an 'allied' war band to take down a rival.

But then, much to her ever-growing surprise, she felt what was almost like a…buzzing in the back of her head, of sorts, something that happened a few times in her life, urging her to look behind her. She was able to see, in the far distance, another ship descend onto the jungle planet. These did not look like the rustic intimidating shuttles she was used to seeing, but more…sleek, elegant almost. The ships were unfamiliar to her, though she had an idea of who they belonged to unless a particular brazen warlord was able to actually take a spacecraft from the 'Invaders'. Driven by that strange feeling as well as her own curiosity, Dena left the edge of the clearing, deciding that this new ship and its occupants were more pressing. Whether or not they were to be a threat was up in the air.

And so Dena traveled the trees, hopping off one massive branch to another, vibro-blade in hand in case any beast decided she looked like prey, all the while that strange feeling increased the closer she got to where the transport ship landed.

 

[Kyyrk]

The jungle was quiet. Almost too quiet. The kind of quiet before something goes terribly wrong. As Kyyrk and his team moved silently through the underbrush, gear was checked and weapons were readied. Kyyrk could feel an itch in the back of his mind. Another Force User. Weak, and untrained. Akin to a Khanate Mystic. But...different. Even their primitive seers had some degree of training passed down from the elder generations. No, this one was a newcomer. An initiate perhaps. Kyyrk had never met a Mystic that was skilled at masking their own presence and ability, though the thought that they had developed new methods did cross his mind.

"Spread out. Pick your targets." Kyyrk silently knelt as his team fanned out, some six meters from the edge of the clearing. The song intensified as Kyyrk called upon it to bolster their strength and resolve for what was to come. He drew a deep breath, and raised a hand into the air. His senses amplified, showing him the entire camp before them. An outpost of sorts, no more than three dozen Khanate. A forward operating base, if nothing else. If they had friends, he would soon know it. His men took their positions, and within each of them, a fire ignited.

A fire that was soon unleashed upon the unsuspecting Khans. Bolt after bolt heralded the arrival of the Ascendancy, as the soldiers pushed forward into the clearing. Kyyrk launched himself forwards, his saber igniting in mid-air. As he landed, his chosen opponent was cleft in two. Not content to revel in his kill, Kyyrk's motion continued, a fluid dance of death as sword and magics brought destruction upon the agents of the Khanate. Soon, the jungle lay silent once again. And soon, the team would know of the true might of the Khanate presence. All they had to do was wait...

Unless, of course, their stalker proved to be hostile... ​

Dena Careen

 

[Dena Careen]

Dena slowed as that feeling in the back of the skull continued to increase, scanning the area to see what may be causing it. Then she saw it, a small group of men wearing armor she did not recognize, though the emblem on their armor she did. The Symbol of the 'Invaders', or the… Ascendants, she believed they called themselves. But she shook herself of her musings, and peered at the most interesting of the bunch, hiding herself in the thick branches of the trees. He was a very large man, standing even taller than Byrtrev, who he himself towered over most of the other warriors in the Warband. On his back were to…sword hilts? Why did he have such things? Where were the blades? She heard tales from warriors of laser swords that could cut through anything, even the thickest of armor, is that what they were? But what was most interesting to her, even more so than the prospect of laser swords, was the man was wearing a blindfold. If he was blind, how did he fight? She met a seer before, as a child, as he muttered about magic and whatnot, is that how he could see?

She continued to stalk them from a safe distance, quickly noticing they were going the way she came, towards the encampment. Her interest piqued, she assumed some of her questions were to be answered shortly.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The fight was a massacre, the Khanate warriors not having a chance, and the Ascendant warriors not suffering even a single injury. And the blind one…she was in awe in his skill and just how…calm he seemed in battle. Very different from the berserking rage she was familiar with. And the laser swords…the tales of the warriors did not do them justice, as the pure white blade cut them through like wet clay.

The group led by the blind warrior seemed to be waiting amidst the carnage. Dena wondered why. Perhaps they were setting up another ambush for more Khanate warriors? She wasn't even sure if there were more elsewhere, but she supposed she would wait and see. She wanted to see more of the blind warrior, his techniques, the beautiful dance of death he had performed.

 

[Kyyrk]

Kyyrk stooped into the dirt to retrieve a small token of sorts. A mark of affection carried into battle by one of the Khanate. Kyyrk sighed quietly, walking towards the man that had dropped it. He knelt down beside the lifeless body and placed the small brooch on the man's chest. He moved the corpse's hand to hold the token, and Kyyrk's head bowed in a silent prayer. Not that it mattered anymore. He knew there wasn't a god out there that would have mercy on any of them. A unique hazard of having walked the paths that he had walked. "Aether. Take two men, go back to the ship. Get it ready to run in case things get...dicey." Aether the Iron was one of the better fighters of the group, it was true. But he was also the crown prince. Disguising protecting him by appointing him as auxiliary leader was all too easy.

As Kyyrk stood, his blind gaze remained fixed upon the man he had laid to rest. One day, that would be him. Lying dead on the battlefield. One day, he would finally succumb to the peace he'd so desperately longed for. He grimaced slightly as he remembered what lay beyond. A city. Darkest black, illuminated not by light, but rather an absence of darkness. As sparse as such a cruel mercy was. Kyyrk drew a deep breath. He would have to go back there, one day. His business in that realm was not yet finished.

He lifted his head, looking around the clearing. "You may as well show yourself." Kyyrk called to...no one in particular. But as his face turned towards Dena Careen , it was quickly obvious that she was not as hidden as she may like to believe. "We mean you no harm. I suspect you're not one of them." Kyyrk turned to glance at the carnage around him. "If you intended to help them, you missed your chance." ​

 

[Dena Careen]

Dena's eyes widened at the blind warriors words, shock evident. How is it he could see her? Was it the magic that the Mystics were able to use? She frowned. Being able to see without eyes and sensing people were not magics that she knew of, though she did know little to begin with.

"No…not with them." She rasped, her voice hoarse from a combination of her old wound and having not spoken in many moons. It was difficult to remember the last time she bothered, the cannibals and other survivors not ones for conversation. She then frowned, not in anger, but in question. "…How did you see me? You don't seem to have eyes." She said, waving her hand to the cloth covering the eyes of the blind warrior. "How do you see? How were you able to slaughter these warriors so easily? How did you get that laser sword? How is it made?" She asked, firing question after question in quick succession, voice becoming more eager with each question asked, particularly about the warrior's laser sword, the young woman finding it difficult to take her eyes off of the weapon, in both weariness and want.

But even as she spoke, she refused to let her guard down, her vibroblade firmly in her hand, ready to defend herself if the blind warrior proved deceitful. Though from the way he dealt with the khanate warriors with not even an iota of visible effort, she could tell it would be a short battle, very much not in her favor. But she would refuse to go out without leaving at least a single scar on her opponent, anything less would be humiliation.

 

[Kyyrk]

Kyyrk watched the girl silently as she approached, question after question flying his way. When she asked about the sword, he looked down at the hilt still gripped in his hands. He was silent. Contemplative for a moment. Then, he reached up to stow the sword upon his back, and removed his blindfold. His eyes stared back at Dena, their soft lilac glow visible even in the harsh midday light. "As a great teacher once said, your eyes can deceive you. Do not trust them." Kyyrk folded the strip of cloth neatly, almost reverently, and stowed it within his belt. "I do not need eyes to see what the Force has to show me. And the ways of war come easily to me."

Kyyrk turned to look off into the jungle, a thoughtful look washing over his face. "I have known the ways of combat since your ancestors were children. A rabble of barely trained miscreants does not prove a challenge." He drew his blade once more, and turned the hilt over in his hands as he turned his attentions to her next question. "The Lightsaber is a simple weapon, for those gifted enough to wield one. Forged the same as any blaster or other technological weapon. This one..." Kyyrk's voice trailed off. It had been seven years. And yet the pain was still all too real. A flash of sadness crossed the man's face, but its origin was dearly hidden. "...This one was forged many eons ago." Kyyrk's answer carried a bead of untruth to it. Perhaps not a lie. But certainly not the whole truth. "A warrior can only rely on that which they control. And a warrior can never trust a weapon they did not make themself." ​

Dena Careen

 

[Dena Careen]

Dena frowned at the man's words as she listened intently, as if in contemplation. If she saw the sadness that struck his face for a moment, she did not mention it. She looked him in the eyes, her stance relaxing even more as she saw no malice or deceit in them, very different from the men she knew in 'his' war band. In fact, this man, as well as the others that have accompanied him on this raid, were very different. Organized, a single unit instead of a horde of warriors all out for their own glory and reputation.

"I have not met a warrior that was able to see without their eyes. Nor any shaman, though…haven't really met that many." She rasped with a shrug.

"You fought with honor. Not many would offer rites to their victims. Most would steal from their corpse before desecrating it in some form. Saw many take scalps or skulls as trophies, though those were only from warlords or renowned warriors. I never really liked that. Always made me queasy, see those on others' belts."

"I like to fight, but fighting for survival or for fighting's sake has…become boring?" She said, almost in question, unable to find the correct term for how she truly felt on the matter. That she wanted some goal to strive for besides staying alive, a reason to kill that isn't so that she herself isn't killed. Something more than she has ever had during her life in the war band.