Stand My Ground [Gilamar|Preliat]

[Lief]

Keldabe City Slums​

Mandalore​

Midday​

​

Light barely penetrated the thick fog which hung in the air, a byproduct of the nearby Factories which littered this particular area of the Keldabe Slums. Here and there men and women alike went about their business, hurrying along with carts and packages and sometimes even the hand of their young child clasped within their own, providing them with a safety blanket of comfort. It was a dim and dismal area to live at the best of times, but today a dank aura surrounded everything and everyone within it. Luminescent lights flickered on and off above the doors of shops, a sudden surge of energy threatening to cause a short circuit, while elsewhere a rusted droid lay at the roadside, unseen to or cared for.

The child who wandered through the streets felt similarly, although she would never have voiced as much. Time had toughened her, given her a thick outershell through which she hid her true self. Some might have called her angsty, rarely smiling unless she'd gotten herself into another fight, in some ways older than her age yet in others still lacking any form of maturity. The truth of the matter was, that she was just that; Tali was a child, lost without any guidance or help. She did not know where to turn, who to go to, so she didn't. You can rely on only one person in this world; yourself. She would not fool herself into thinking otherwise. Thus she actively avoided anyone who might be considered an authoritative figure and instead did things 'her own way'.

More like as not, Tali's 'own way' resulted in violence, wounds which rarely healed properly and further 'rivals' within the streets. Most of them were older than her, often they banded together, but Tali never joined in with them. Instead she lived by herself, for herself. Anything she acquired, be it food, clothes or weaponry, was her own to claim, to use and eat. It had come so far that she didn't even miss the company, or maybe she had forced herself to forget that side of life too. Today was one such day, midday had just slipped into motion and already Tali had bitten off more than she could chew. In the distance she could hear them, yet for now she kept her head down and merged with the crowd.

When the hilt of her knife slipped down into her grasp she decided it was time. Before long they would be upon her, what came about because of it would be of their accord, to their advantage, and she couldn't allow that. Instead she opted to take the fight to them instead. Slipping down a nearby alleyway she halted, and she waited. There were three of them, one older the others likely of an age with her. I can take them down no problem she deduced, although her judgement was blinded with a furious overconfidence. The truth of the matter was, Tali couldn't afford to lose.

And so, when they came past, Tali leapt, brandishing the blade she had no real intention of using, and hoping to scare them off, or at least make them back down...

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat dropped to a knee, rolling a single pebble down the road. The kids turned to him, and he stared back. He sniffed, holding his E-17 rifle across his lap. He was wearing his armor, and his armored hands covered slowly placed lingered over the pistol grip. He had acquired one shortly after the Dark Harvest campaign, and it was as effective as it looked. He stared at them, and then hoisted it, pointing the barrel up in the sky. The three got the message, and they bolted as fast as they could. Preliat stood up for a moment, and walked to the front of the alley. He garnered the sense that something was off, and then he saw the flash of metal. The hand holding it was far too small. He lowered the rifle, using only one hand to hold it. Recent events had made Preliat mature a bit more, and it showed in his face as he peeled off his helmet. He set it on the ground, and slung the rifle over his shoulder.

"You may come out of the alley, I have no intent of harming anyone here."Preliat said, a genuine smile crossing his facial features as he waited for whomever to come out of the alley. Whoever three kids were looking for was obviously not going to be much of a threat to a Mandalorian soldier, even as much of a grunt as Preliat was.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

The person who emerged, for there was only one of them, was not one of the bullies at all. Her eyes widened as the blade sang through the air towards whomever this man was, her reactions having been too quick even for her to muster up a halt. Purposely shifting it to the side last minute the tiny child avoided hitting the man, the knife remaining clutched within her hand as she drew back her arm to her side and took a few timid step back. Not an adult, Tali couldn't deal with adults. Biting her lip she gave him an angry glance and began to back further into the alleyway, yet after three steps she realised it led to a dead end, Tali was trapped with nowhere to go but forwards. But that never stopped her. A low, threatening growl left the child, eyes narrowed at the man in utter distrust. Slipping the blade into her belt she turned swiftly and leapt, hand grasping at the wall as she pulled herself up in an attempt to get away...

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat put up his hands, showing her he meant no harm, and that he was unarmed, moreso importantly. He approached her slowly, but kept his distance with her at the end of the alley. He stared at her for a moment, before speaking slowly and softly, to avoid a confrontation or argument. He didn't like hurting children, even back when he was a child.


"My name is Preliat Mantis."He started off with his name, to put a person to the face. He would try to appear as less of a Mandalorian and more of a man."I'm a Mandalorian soldier...I'm not going to hurt you. See?"He turned his hands forwards and backwards, showing a total view of his hands."I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."He took another step forward."Are you going to hurt me?"He said, smiling, trying to calm her down without getting sliced up by a kid.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

Tali clung from the wall, eyes narrowing down at the man with a tiny growl when he came closer, instincts somewhat animalistic. He gave her his name, but what was she supposed to do with that? You couldn't eat words, you couldn't wear them to keep warm. No, words were wind. All the same she did realise he had no weaponry, and it was a hell of a long way up the wall before she could find a ledge. Still she clung, and watched him.

Biting her lip she considered his question, before reluctantly shaking her head. This man wasn't the bullies who harassed her, he was just caught up in the crossfire. Slowly yet surely she released herself from the wall, launching herself back from it with a push and ending up in a slight crouch before him. She looked somewhat feline, predatory, and she tried to edge around him to get away. Tali did not trust adults, especially not men. Another subtle growl escaped her, jaw clenching in frustration. Why did he insist on talking?

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat clucked his tongue, and then picked up his helmet, which he had taken off earlier and held it in his hands. He bounced it up and down, and held it out for her. There was a small chance that she could hit him with it, but Preliat was prepared to either evade or sustain a blow from the small girl."What's your name?"He said, keeping his hands visible and off his weaponry. Preliat smiled at her, a genuine smile.

He also was hoping that she didn't smack him across the face with his bucket.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

Her eyes darted after his hands, watching his movements more with caution than interest. When he offered it out to her she seemed confused, but her curiosity took over. Stepping towards him, remaining in her crouched position, she reached out towards it, eyes never once leaving his as though expecting some sort of trap. Tali had seen lots of men wear helmets similar to this, but she had never seen one up close.

With a small frown she rose up slowly from the floor, teach movement carefully carried out. "T-Tali..." she said, before biting her lip hard. Why had she given her name, and more to the point, why had she stuttered?

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat sat on the ground, his youthfulness still giving him the connection with smaller children. Preliat was relatively young, still. He held out the helmet for her, smiling."This is called a buy'ce in my people's language. It's one of the best helmets you ever saw, don't you think, Tali?"He said with a smile, resting the rifle on the ground behind him. He wasn't worried about an attack from behind, nobody would attack a Mandalorian with his back turned, especially not on this planet. Dishonorable, even for a criminal or a coward.

"I'm assuming you know what a Mandalorian is, Tali."Preliat said, his language never simplified or his tone altered. He was talking to her like he would any other person on the street or any one of his friends.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

The child bit her lip when he sat down, stepping slowly closer to the helmet and the man upon realising this was no trap. One tiny finger ran across the front guard of the helmet before she pulled back her hand, it was cold to the touch. She wasn't certain if he'd be okay with her taking it to check it over so instead she eyed it up from her present position. "It's... Different" she murmured, slipping to her knees; her body was tense, suggesting her to still be defensive, and yet she was willing to try and work with him on this... discussion. "B-But, it's nice." She bit her lip, was that how little girls were supposed to speak? Tali didn't know.

"Buy'ce" she repeated to herself, under her breath, letting it roll off her tongue until she heard him speak again and remembered he was there. Colour rose in her tiny cheeks as she slowly nodded her head. "Of course I do!" she said, over-defensive this time, trying to make up for the way she was acting.

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

He smiled and picked up the helmet, showing her that she really had no reason to be afraid of him. He tapped his knuckles against the crown of the helmet, smiling."It's made of Beskar, the toughest metal in the galaxy. You can't find it anywhere else but Mandalore and Concordia, you know that? That's what makes our armor so special to us..."He picked up the helmet, and held it out for her to hold again. He nodded for her to take it.

He smiled when she got defensive about her discussion."Sorry, it's just that sometimes people don't really know much about us other than the holovids and the games and all the nasty rumors about us.."He smiled at her again."You know, being over-defensive might not be the best look for you, sweetheart."He said with a laugh and a handsome grin.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

She stared at him as he began to speak about beskar, admittedly something she did not know about. "How come it's so special?" she tilted her head to one side, before softly taking the helmet from him, turning it over in her hands to inspect it from each angle possible, then peered inside. Her little fingers traced the frontguard around the eyes and then she finally looked back up at him when he began to speak again.

"What are holovids and games?" she asked, face scrunching up in confusion as she stepped closer to the man and offered him back the helmet, albeit begrudgingly. It was very heavy, though, and while she refused to say as much it tired her arms out a little to hold it for so long. "I like the Mandalorians" she said finally, eyes drifting around the area, "J-Just not if they catch me doing something I shouldn't." To this Tali frowned and looked to the ground with a small sigh.

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

He smiled, taking the hefty helmet back from her. He bounced it up and down in his hands, before stopping. He held it in front of her, but not in a mocking manner. The T-shaped visor reflected her partially, specifically her face."This stuff is so strong, that it can even stop a lightsaber, blaster hits, and pretty much anything you throw at it."He tapped on it again."This is mine."

Preliat tilted his head and frowned a bit. She was more on the street than he thought before."Things that people do to pass the time. It's all a bunch of nonsense, really."He said, frowning a bit. He leaned back in his seat, smiling at her next statement. "I like Mandalorians too, Tali. What could you be doing wrong that we catch you?"He said, tilting his head towards her, inclined to know as to what a 9 year old could be doing that was so wrong.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

Her eyes widened to the mention of what it could do, hand extending back out to run across the length of it. "A-All that?" she implored, before shifting her eyes back up to meet his. "How?" It seemed ludicrous to believe that something as simple as a bit of metal could defend against blasters. She ran a hand across her lower tummy where many scars from such lay, frowning to herself. "It doesn't make sense" she whispered to herself.

At the mention of what the games etc. were her frown only deepened. "You... You mean people do silly things for no reason? Not to eat or to find somewhere to sleep or to stay alive?" A slight anger rose in the girl, her cheeks flushing red in annoyance. "H-How could they, though? Life's so tough." Even now Tali was wasting precious time which should have been used to secure herself some night-time territory. She glared down at her feet, before he spoke to her once again. "I... F-Fight sometimes" she admitted, leaving out the matter of theft too, scuffing her foot on the ground. "I'd never hurt them serious, t-the blade's just to scare'em off..." Suddenly her eyes flashed up to him and she began to back away, distrust rising within her again. Why was she confessing to him?

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

He remained silent for a moment, studying the girl. He rotated the helmet, so that the rangefinder was visible to her."How? Because it's Mandalorian, that's why."He said with a proud smile. His smile faded as she began to describe her situation, and also when he began to understand it more."Tali, where do you live?"He said, tapping his fingers along the damp concrete.

"It's okay to fight, Tali. But it's better to know when to fight and when not to."

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

The child pondered what he was saying for a moment, before deciding that it didn't have to make sense. Perhaps one day she would find out for herself the effects this did or did not have. Biting her lip she stared at the helmet, avoiding his gaze, uncertain what he meant by the question. "T-That doesn't make sense" she said, again, scuffing her foot back against the concrete. "Where do I live? I live right here, I am living." It was clear she had confused the question, looking up at him she stared into his eyes. "I only fight to stop them stealing from me or hurting me or choosing my usual sleeping place over their own; good places are hard to find." Again her defensive nature flared up; she wasn't going to let this Mandalorian tell her off too.

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

He smiled at her first statement, taking his helmet into his gloved hands slowly."Of all the things in the galaxy, a little bit of super tough metal doesn't make sense? Doesn't seem sensible to me.."His frown turned into an expression of empathy as she fully explained her situation. He sighed, before standing tall and mighty, a shadow casting over himself. He placed his helmet on, twisting it slightly so that the magnetic locks hissed and clicked."Tali, would you like to come with me? I can guarantee you a better place to sleep for the rest of your life, and you won't have to fight kids anymore. I can make it to where you only get to fight the best fights."He said boldly, the T-shaped visor reflecting her facial features perfectly, thanks to the angle.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

Colour rose within the young girl’s cheeks to his question. Was he mocking her for her lack of worldly knowledge? Yet when he frowned she began to back away further. Had she said something she ought not to? His standing startled her further and soon her blade was back in hand and she was edging further into the alleyway… And then he spoke. It made her frown, the question confused her… At least, the aftermath did. She stared at him, seeing her own grubby reflection in his visor. “What do you mean, ‘come with’ you?” Looking away from him she clenched her jaw. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be, and right now she had the urge to flee oncemore.

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

"I am giving you a chance to become a Mandalorian, Tali. You come with me, I'll take you to Mandalore and you will never have to sleep on the street or fight for food or somewhere to sleep ever again. Or you can stay here, and waste away and be forgotten. I won't force you to do anything, but then again.."He paused, glancing around."I'm not so sure you want to be stuck here, because I wouldn't."He said, turning on his heel. With one hand, he adjusted the kama around his waist, and the other motioned for her to follow him. He didn't seem to have the tone to cause her harm, but the tone he used was about as blunt as they came. He looked around the street, before stopping, waiting for just a moment. The only moment that he would ever give her to decide.

@[member="Tali Skirata"]

 

[Lief]

The little girl bit her lip when he explained, but before she could reply he turned on his heels and wandered off. Slipping her little knife into her boot she kept her eyes upon him, despite stooping down, and waited... When he halted, however, she realised she could not pass the moment up. Hurrying after him the little girl did something unexpected, she reached out with one of her small hands and grasped the one he had used to gesture for her, allowing her to keep up with him and show him she was with him. "Okay..." she whispered, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity - what would the future hold?

@[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

@[member="Tali Skirata"]


"You shouldn't be scared, Tali. Great things, are going to happen to you. And I'll be right there with you."Preliat smiled beneath his helmet, a grin forming across his features. Behind his helmet. Though, Tali could probably read it, just by intuition and by tone of voice that he used.