The Mad Knight and the Dragon go Camping

[Laira Darkhold]

Mandalore had a history of disliking Jetti and Dar'Jetti for centuries, even millennia. Some of us, born outside its influence came because of the culture, the camaraderie, and the code. Others were born into it. I myself had chosen to join Mandalore and become a Mando'ad after being recruited by Rygel Larraq and realizing the bureaucracy and strict governments weren't my thing. At All.

What I knew of Muad Dib, the Mad Knight, was very little. I knew that while I lead soldiers and was incapacitated on Wayland he had fought deep in the jungles. I knew he considered himself Dar'Jetti, but was loyal and aligned with Mandalore, and I knew he mildly insane. Having been driven mad myself in recent weeks for a time, I could relate. In the end, he was vod, he was Mando'ad, and that was enough. Besides, I was planning on hunting Sith soon, I might as well get some practice in with someone who knew about Sith.

A quick camping trip out to the outer rim to a planet steeped in the Dark Side could do us both some good. It could gain us both some time in the field, and sparring out here was always a good idea. Plus it was a dark and unknown planet. There could be many things out there for us to occupy ourselves with. Phaegon III was far out of the way, secluded and relatively untouched.

[member="Muad Dib"]

 

[Muad Dib]

Sitting calmly in one of the seats he pulled on the deathstick between his lips, tendrils of smoke wafting from parted lips and framing the stubble strewn face. The blue smoke picked up highlights of the glowing blue eyes as the man watched out of the viewport at the streaking stars that gave evidence to them being in hyperspace. A twisted grin crossed his face as he toyed with the curved skinning knife he had received from [member="Ijaat Akun"], a unique blade made of an ancient, calcified mythosaur bone.

Sheathing the knife the Mad Knight turned from the view and looked at the profile of his vod, [member="Draco Vereen"] . Most mandalorians were cut and dried, almost cookie cutter in their similarities. Born or aopted in, mandos kept the resol'nare and cared little for force users. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. He understood the reasoning but that didn't some mando'ade from training in the skill set the force afforded. And both of the men on the ship were two of those exceptions.

Muad Dib felt the vibrations from the force telling him of how Draco was more then just what met the eye. A vod, a force user, and a savvy business man Draco was different then most mandalorians. But where many feared the different or the unknown, Muad instead found it interesting. So when the chance to go on a little trip offered itself to Muad he couldn't refuse. After all, he enjoyed the unknown and the dangers that lied within. And any place saturated in the darkside called to him.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Well, somethings are always good to know. Seeing the shining blue eyes of my compatriot was interesting, not many Sith had blue eyes like that, and few people at all had shining blue eyes like his, almost burning blue like fire. "Muad?" I asked tentatively. After pausing long enough for him to confirm or deny I continued. "I asked you out here because, well. I will be hunting Sith soon, and I needed a refresher course. I figured who better to train in Sith killing than a Mandalorian Sith. Doesn't come in a neater package than that." I said taking a quick look around. I could feel the pressure of the Force looming all around us, a faint haze almost, like the very air was saturated with the Dark Side of the Force. To some this would be disorienting, but to others empowering. Personally, dogma for either light or dark wasn't my style, and I didn't really see the Force like others did. I saw it as nothing more than an incredibly powerful weapon to be wielded as those capable of doing so chose.

"I haven't trained much with Lightsabers, or against them. Most of my combat experience is with other weapons, so I am looking at getting some practice in. I figured this planet could be interesting to fight on. Its tucked out of the way and used to be an ancient Sith Haven. Plus there are some creatures for some variables, and some interesting crystals and metals you and I might be interested in." Outside, the moon's surface roiled from energy, its oceans always a torrent, its mountains, treacherous and terrible. This was why you came to Phaegon. Not for some rock or the presence in the Force. But to fight against your opposition, the elements, the very world itself. "Well, what do you say?"

[member="Muad Dib"]

 

[Muad Dib]

He leaned back in the seat breathing in another drag from the deathstick. Holding the smoke in his lungs he felt the slight lightness in his head that was one of the side effects of the smoke. A long trail of smoke escaped his lips as he heard his name spoken. Still looking at the streaks that were the stars he waited, letting the soft pause turn into a long moment. Then Draco began again. Listening as he spoke of Sith, lightsabers, and the darkside planet Muad closed his eyes.

"So, you are planning on hunting a sith, one of the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy. One thing you have to know when fighting a sith is that no two sith are alike. You can train and prepare, then confront and fight, then succeed and kill the sith ... but the next one could very easily be a different species. Different habits, different weaknesses, different strengths .... you must be prepared for anything when fighting a sith."

He took another pull and turned his chair to look once more at Draco's profile. It took a different kind of man to willingly confront a sith let alone track and fight one. Even among the mandalorians, who were known for fighting and killing sith, it would be considered foolhardy and madness to hunt a sith. He chuckled lightly. If one was going to partake in madness then seeking guidance from the madman of Manda'yaim was a good first step.

"Lightsabers are a dangerous tool to wield or to face. It takes training to do either. I'll show you. But the lightsaber is just one aspect of a sith's abilities. Melee, mental, physical .... it's all part of being a sith. And conscience, they have none. And in reality there are truly two kinds of sith ... the ones who wear the title and the ones who are the title."

Muad crushed the butt out as his eyes glazed over.

"I have fought with those wearing the title of sith. They are evil, yes. They are killers, yes. They are out for themselves, yes. But they have something that the ones born to madness and darkness will never have. They have the desire to live, and a fear of death. But a true sith, one born to chaos, would sacrifice their life to kill you. They care not for survival but rather for the death of their enemies. They feel the heartbeat of chaos within their breast, their desire is to spread their madness, and their hunger will never be sated."

The eyes glowed even brighter as he spoke even quieter.

"Those sith are monsters. They are nigh unstoppable. But even they have weaknesses. Either they care nothing for any which makes them hard, cruel, and cold but predictable because they have one goal and that is the destruction of everything. Or they find a select few to care for. Find what they love and manipulate the sith. Or take the select loved ones away and watch them destroy everything including themselves. The point is sith are monsters who are different to one another. But the hunter knows. You track, observe, study, plan, prepare, then execute."

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I nodded to the Mandalorian warrior. What he said wasn't bad advice, and he wasn't wrong in what he said. Most of the sith that I had encountered had been the first kind he spoke of, the ones bent on their own survival, self-preservationists to the core of their being. Personally there was little I wouldn't sacrifice to achieve victory, but I had weaknesses out there, I had a blindspot and I knew it. But so long as they weren't on the line, there was nothing I wouldn't do. "Its not like you and I couldn't be considered monsters in our own right. In nature a beast facing any obstacle must adapt, or perish. We call it natural selection, but in our case its hardly nature making the selection. Its us, as individuals who dig deep within ourselves and become what we need to be to survive or we give up and we fade into history as one of the lost in the war for survival, to be forgotten with the rest." It was a simple philosophy, do what you have to do to win, don't stop until you have won. Be flexible, don't go into combat with a rigid unwavering plan, because no plan survives the first contact with the enemy. Or so the saying went.

I could feel him through the Force, strong, determined, dark. Dark being the operative word from what I could sense. I drew the saber from my belt, "Simple and clean, just a red dual phase lightsaber with a red compressed synth crystal." I held it out so he could see it. "Its nothing like Taak'Shukur or my mitts, but it is a lightsaber and it does the job well enough." Compared to my other weapons, armor, and gear, the simplistic lightsaber was odd, arguably out of place on my belt. Most of the reason was because I didn't have a strong grasp of Lightsaber combat and had decided not to waste time and effort on a more complex, elegant weapon until I had a stronger grasp of how to use it. "I don't know much about using it, but I know how to fight well enough with other weapons. Hand to Hand is my specialty."

[member="Muad Dib"]

 

[Muad Dib]

Listening to the vod Muad took the offered lightsaber hilt and let his eyes partially close as he sensed the tool associated with jedi and sith. It was in working order and seemed to be neutral in it's own signature meaning it had only been used by a balanced force user or it hadn't seen much use. Course as Draco explained his experience with the weapon the Sith Knight grinned again.

"Don't worry mate, we'll give her a workout. And as for you and I being considered monsters ... in my case, there is no considering, I am a monster."

He chuckled again as he handed the weapon back carefully. Thinking on the vod's words about his other abilities he nodded slowly.

"Again, most sith come at you with lightsaber of force skills. Having different tools to be able to pull on when needed helps. The force is a powerful ally, but willpower, experience, and training quickly closes any gap between fighters, no matter what their chosen field of expertise is. When we land I'll head out first. You hunt me as a sith. And I will come at you as an enemy when you find me. I prefer hands on training and hard lessons teach better then academic ones."

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Good. From what I knew of Muad he was more than up for the task of battling and training someone like me in combat. I personally hated Lightsaber Combat, specifically the classic forms which wasn't animalistic enough for my tastes. The first rule of combat was adaptation though, and it was long since time that I had adapted. Best to do it now against someone like Muad who may show restraint should I stumble than wait too long and have it taken out on me against a real foe who sought my death. Even then, I didn't truly know Muad so there was that glimmer of distrust in the Sith, despite his allegiance to Mandalore.

"Sounds good to me. We should be landing soon, so you can get going whenever you feel like it. I should warn you... the last time I did something like this with an ally, I lost control and they ended up in a hospital for quite some time, and only she knows how often she suffers nightmares of what I did to her." It was a fair warning, but I hadn't been in control then. I had largely gotten a handle on that side of my psyche since that unfortunate incident, but there was that risk.

Once we landed, I let the blue eyed man take his time in leaving and gave him twenty minutes head start. Tracking, even without the Force was something I was good at. Looking for foot prints, broken limbs, shifted rocks, disrupted leaves. Civilized people might see nothing, but to me, a soft trail this fresh might take some time, but it wouldn't be exceptionally difficult to follow the man, especially since he was looking to be found.

[member="Muad Dib"]

 

[Muad Dib]

Muad grinned as Draco warned him of the 'incident'. He had heard reports from several people about it and it made him chuckle. It didn't worry him, on the contrary, it made him even more eager for the fun to begin. As the ship settled down Muad trotted off the ramp and into a large meadow. the waist high grass was whipping in the wind as the night sky glittered her stars through a myriad of storm clouds. Laughing again he set out at a fast pace.

As he neared the edge of the forest he slowed focusing on his senses, He had trained as a hunter, and was an excellent tracker. With that he knew how not to leave a trail. But moving through the forest he left just enough of a hint of one. Bent grass, a few broken twigs, over turned stones. Not enough to be suspect but enough to be followed. Moving out several kilometers he reached a game trail and moved along it until it reached a gentle brook. Turning down wind he ran along the stream, keeping in the water so his passage would be erased until he had gone several hundred meters. Then he stopped.

Slinking from the water he brought his hands together and created a fire in his palms that quickly dried his clothing. Then he put on his sun glasses that concealed the glowing blue eyes from sight. The prey became the hunter. Trailing along he followed his path several hundred meters away until he reached a grove of trees. Climbing up he moved along the branches, quietly leaping along until he was fifty meters above his original trail and high enough for his scent, however subtle, to be lost in the wind. Focusing on the force he found a pack of predators and instilled a desire to attack any humanoid shape that came along, knowing soon Draco would be tracing his trail. Then he hid his force signature and waited with an un ignited lightsaber in his right hand, his silhouette hidden and broken up by the canopy he was crouched in.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Stepping off the ramp, I expanded my field of influence to about one hundred meters out. This wasn't the farthest I was capable of, but it allowed me to garner more information, more subtlety from the life forms around me. Out here in the woods, there were literally hundreds of living things around, and rather than hiding I was more of a beacon in the Force. I knew that Muad was going to get the jump on me. That much was certain, but what wasn't was whether or not the creatures around him and I would provide me with a paltry warning to his attack, perhaps a split second before any danger sense or precognition could.

I found his trail after a few moments of looking and started down it. Following through tall grass isn't hard. Foot steps bend grass blades and crush a few down, but it could be hard to follow if someone made a lot of erratic movements. Muad was looking to be found, he was just looking to be found on his terms. The trail took time to follow, especially since I often stopped and felt the ground reaching through the Force to sense the past connected to this place. With the essence of the Dark Side all around me, with that power steeped here already, it was difficult to see even glimpses of the past that did not involve corpses. The benefit of being the tracker in this scenario was that you had all the time in the world. Part of me wished I had learned some form of weather manipulation to make it rain in the area, if for no other reason than to see the disheveled look on my prey's face when I finally caught up to him.

In the time it had taken him twenty minutes head start, I made sure it was a full hour for me to cover that ground, but I followed him nonetheless, keeping my guard up, listening to the sounds of the animals, feeling for their emotions, and keeping a watchful eye and sense about me waiting for Muad to strike as I knew he would. This would be good, it had been a long time since I had been on a good old fashion man hunt.

[member="Muad Dib"]

 

[Muad Dib]

The sounds of the forest was all around. AN hour had past and he was no longer an intruder in their world, just an odd piece of information, something not quite normal, but not a danger. Muad smirked at the animals who failed to recognize him as a predator, but in this instance he accepted their ignorance for it helped camoflauge him from Draco. But as he waited patiently he heard the change in the hum created by the creatures of the forest. For any normal being there was no discernible difference. But for a hunter with keen senses it was all too clear.

Someone approached.

Crouching in the shroud of shadows afforded him by the canopy and the night Muad watched a figure approach. Calm and collected the man was tracking the trail left by Muad the first time through the forest. After several minutes the mando was easily seen to be [member="Draco Vereen"] who was methodically following the Mad Knight. But a hundred meters off the pack of half a dozen hound like creatures raised their toothy snouts and focused on the mando who was intruding on their territory. The hounds were large and as some predators on force strong planets they had evolved with the ability to hunt and track in the force, and their barks were akin to force scream.

As Muad watched the pack circled Draco and converged in a simultaneous attack.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Pack animals surrounded me, and while they could be dangerous, these beings just wanted food, they wished for little more than flesh to fill their bellies. Their deep growling barks resonated through the Force. Now that was surprising, but not insurmountable. I looked at them circling, and stuck my right hand out at some of the beasts, spraying fire in their direction, causing them to yip and yelp in fear and pain. I played mind games just as much as I physically injured my opposition in normal circumstances. Spinning in a quick circle gouts of fire surrounded me, and I let the Force flow through me, urging the fires hotter and pushing them away from me, ushering them outwards, towards the dogs. The aura of the Darker parts of the Force radiated around me and so I gathered it in, drawing on its power.

I exhaled, blowing smoke away from my face through the rebreather built into the helmet. These beasts were much like any other, and exerting a little effort over a few of the larger one's minds I attempted to influence them to find easier prey, especially seeing the singed fur and blistered flesh that some of them had just received. Some weren't exactly ready to move on from any prey and so a little stronger suggestion was needed to get them to move away, but they would remain nearby. Hunters did not so easily leave their prey behind.

[member="Muad Dib"]

 

[Muad Dib]

Muad watched from above as Draco was busy fending off the pack. Reaching into the force he pulled on it's power while focusing through his rage and anger. He began to chant as he focused the swirling darkside energies as Draco cast flames all about him. The smoke wafted high into the trees further cloaking the Mad Knight from sight while making it a bit difficult to breathe. But for one used to the acrid fumes produced by fire it affected him less then another without experience. Breathing shallowly he focused.

"Woyunoks hadzuska koshûjontû .... Dwomutsiqsa— Dwomutsiqsa— Dwomutsiqsa— Dwomutsiqsa— [member="Draco Vereen"] Dwomutsiqsa— Dwomutsiqsa— Dwomutsiqsa— Dwomutsiqsa— "

The smoke swirled behind Draco as a form took being. Muad grinned as he released the dark side energy into the creature remembering how he had faced these creatures, these Smoke Demons , several times in his past. As the creature advanced on his vod Muad began to control the flames created by Draco, churning them and feeding them before slowly drawing them back toward the grounded mando. The flames flickered higher before tendrils of flame began to lash back at Draco.