First Reply The Mourning Sun

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

For a man with a price on his head, there were few things he could do that were as stupid as returning to his home. Gatz had done just that. Not to his house, of course, he'd sold that months ago now, all to fuel his one man war against Kragan Garr. But even if the small stone home he'd grown up in was no longer his, Gatz would always think of Theed as home. He'd avoided it for that very reason: why wouldn't that be the first place a bounty hunter would look for him?

But Uncle Klein was dead. And there was no one else to handle the funeral, or the will. There was only one surviving Derrevar left, and that was him. Dad, Mom, and now Klein... they were all gone now, and just like with his parent's deaths, the responsibility fell to him.

Except, this time, so did the blame.

Gatz had stirred up the hornet's nest when he'd murdered Kragan's son, and then he'd basically set the nest on fire when he'd started dismantling the crime lord's slaving operation. He'd thought that he'd been doing the right thing—the decent thing—but with every action came consequences, and as always, the consequences of his actions never fell on him. Always the people around him. And this time, it had taken the only person he had left in the world.

He'd dodged Kragan's hunters for so long, that the man had been desperate to hurt him in any way. And murdering the last of his family was one hell of a wound.

Because Gatz was, for the first time, truly and completely alone.

That stung far worse than any beating he'd taken, but Gatz had long since run out of tears. All that was left was to mourn the man, and handle what remained of his affairs. Klein hadn't owned much, but he did own a house, one larger than Gatz's own childhood home. That had been left to him, and while Gatz was grateful to have a home once more, it was filled with his Uncle's stuff. His coats, his stupid cowboy hats, his guns, and all his knickknacks—and every individual item was a reminder that the man who owned them was dead, and that Gatz would never get to see him again.

He had to pack away the old man's things eventually, but he couldn't bring himself to even unlock the door right now. Far easier was to stand in front of the man's tombstone for hours, mulling over their last argument, and how Gatz wished their last conversation had been a happy one.

And much like the last few days, that was exactly what he was doing this morning: just standing in one of Theed's graveyards, staring at the headstone that was all that was left of a noble man.

---

Tags: Open to First Reply

 

[Vas T’sikerret]

Vas had positioned himself in Theed a fortnight before the Funeral. Kragan had promised The Mando Sharpshooter a great deal of money if he snuffed out Gatz.

Vas had chosen his spot carefully. The towers of Theed were perfect to scope from. The Mando set up on a tower apart from the greater emerald domed roofs, it was on a lone mound of black rock, and only a bridge connected it to rest of Theed City.

The Mando placed charges underneath the bridge, using his jetpack he flew to top of spire, the crows nest. There his trusty DLT-19X targeting rifle. The massive scope he adjusted to his T-Shaped visor as he leaned his round silver helm to use the scope. His cross hair which was customn Mythosaur shaped skull glowed red as he looked at the market, some kids were playing in privileged attire, eating fruit. Another he scoped was an old man selling jewelry and wears. He then moved the crosshair towards the graveyard, and saw someone kneeling at a grave.

The wind was fair, wind speeds only mild, the headstone waa visible: KLIEN. The Mando took a breath as he lined up the shot.

“This was too easy.”

A detail of security guards in ridiculous helms, like great leather caps with a strap around the bottom chin. One of them stepped in line of fire.

“Dank Farrik!”

He could try for a two shot, but that was against the sniper code. So he decided to abort. Rising back up he leaned against the wall of tan smooth stone.

Kragan was right. This job would not be easy.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Blissfully unaware that a sniper was about to pop his head, Gatz held his vigil in front of his Uncle's grave. It didn't seem fair: Klein had been a good man. A jerk, arrogant, and flawed. But good. He'd dedicated most of his life to helping others, but all Gatz had ever done was help himself. How could a noble man be six feet under, while smuggler scum like him was still upright?

The galaxy had a cruel sense of humor, it seemed.

Gatz was interrupted from his lonely thoughts by the sound of a pair of footsteps behind him. He turned to find a handful of RSF officers in uniform, and it took him a moment to realize that he'd seen these men before: they worked in the same precinct as Uncle Klein had. They would have reported to him.

"Sorry, we didn't realize anyone was here," the woman in the lead said, "we just came to pay our respects."

"It's alright," Gatz spoke for the first time in days, and his voice was raspy with disuse, "I was just leaving."

It seemed like none of the officers recognized him they way he had them, despite the fact that Gatz had visited Klein's precinct several times. But then, that made sense in a way: even after having given up a scoundrel's life nearly a year ago, Gatz was still hypervigilant when it came to spotting law enforcement. But to these guys, he probably just looked like any other common citizen. Just one with a sweet jacket.

So he stepped away from them, and his Uncle's grave, to give them a moment to grieve for themselves. Uncle or not, Gatz couldn't hog the plot all day. There were other people who had respected and liked the man too.

---

Tags: Vas T’sikerret

 

[Vas T’sikerret]

IC: Vas T’sikerret
The Mando heard footsteps, a guard was ascending the jade green spiral staircase into the tower. Vas rose and threw his rifle over his shoulder, a black leather strap digging into grove of his arm. The Guard came into the space, his great shell leather helm and strap made his head and easy target. The Mando could easily dispatch him, but then it would cause the Security Detail to conduct a search and stir the nest. So Vas just perched at the top of the spire, there was cargo freighters taking off in the distance, Theed was astir with the hustle and bustle of life. Being a Mandalorian in armor would draw attention, hence his isolation in the lone spire. Scopinf with his rifle he saw Gatz had moved on and a group was at the gravestone.

Vas had two options, remain and wait for another shot or do something he hadn’t done in a long time, blend in. The Guard moved on, and The Mando slipped down back to his place, bearing foot steps that rang in stairway. Vas took off his Beskar breastplate, bracers, and helm, stashing in a sack and burying it in a potted plant of a tree. The Mando’s face was pale, his hair combed back and grey at the center. He took a brown Theed pancho and holstered his pistol. Perhaps the Target could be found in the Marketplace.

Vas made his way across the bridge, and to the City with its domes and throngs of people. A procession took place, apparently there was still royalty on the planet. Royalty, such an antiquated relic of the privileged class. On Mandalore the dreams of their king, The Manda’lor’s return was ever a delusion that forged zealots and cultists. For that reason Vas haded the trappings of kings, those who ruled because of gold and politics rather than Ijaat (honor) and combat.

The Mando in disguise searched for his target as he plucked a pear from a table and offered a credit to the seller. Taking a slice he scanned the crowd for Gatz.

TAG: Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz was hungry.

His mourning wasn't done, and likely wouldn't be for a long while, but that didn't mean there wasn't time for a break. Especially to eat. Gatz had already starved himself once during this feud with Kragan Garr, and his closest friend found out, and she hadn't been pleased by any stretch of the word. If she found out that he wasn't eating again...

Well, there were worse things than even Kragan Garr's wrath. So, food it was.

So he decided to hit the marketplace, and immediately regretted the decision when he saw the gathering of people. Ugh. The royalty or nobility of Theed must have been throwing another celebration. Gatz, having grown up dirt poor, had no love for the aristocracy of Naboo, or of upper class citizens in general. But... he had to admit that there were a few good eggs among them. One in particular.

Gatz skirted the edge of the crowd, maneuvering past people and making his way towards one of the various food vendors, and hoping something would catch his eye. He was still unaware that he was being tracked, as the Force seemed to be silent today. He felt no spiritual warning that he was about to be shot. He only felt the rumbling of his own stomach.

Some kind of meat kebab sounded pretty good, right about now.

---

Tags: Vas T’sikerret

 

[Vas T’sikerret]

IC: Vas T’sikerret

The Mando was close to finishing his pear when His Target entered the square. It was uncanny, that away from his rifle he would be right in position to fulfill his contract. Vas felt his hand tap his tan leather holsyer, his finger itching for the trigger as he saw Gatz approach a vendor for some kebab. The soruation waa ideal, he could sweep past in the bustling crowd and fire a shot a close range, then in the chaos escape.

The Mandalorian inched his way towards his Target, taking a final bite of pear he came close to the wooden booth. He was now a few steps from Gatz, and he felt his hand reaxh for his pistol, when two Theed Guards approached, one of which was carrying Cr-2 Heavy Blaster. What happened next was a suprise even to tye Mando, the Guard with the heavy gun opened fire on the crowd and tye booth at Gatz. Great bolts of green tore through the air as people screamed and bodies fell. The Mando then did the mpst extrondiary thing, he pushed Gatz clear of the shooting and unholstered his pistol firing back at the gunman. They were now behind the booth and some Naboo rock.

“If you have a weapon kid, use it!”

Vas fired back a hail of shots, the red beams struck the second Guard, who dropped like a Mynock. The Heavy Gunmam fell back behind a fountain, and fired repeatedly. Kragan had invited more hunters into the pot, and that pissed Vas off.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz was right in the middle of purchasing his much sought after kebab, when he finally felt a shift in the Force. It was a dark movement, clogging up the area around the marketplace. He was already in motion, moving, but someone else had moved faster: a pale man dressed in Naboo fashion, who threw them both behind the booth.

Then blaster fire tore up the market square of one of the most peaceful cities in the galaxy.

He felt the deaths even as he heard the cries, and Gatz understood: these men, dressed like guards, had come for him. Now, there were countless people dying because he'd picked a crowded place to be. He'd come home to bury his uncle, even though he'd known it was safer to stay away. He'd made a selfish decision, thinking it was worth the risk at the time.

And now people were dying. Because of him.

Gatz ripped his blaster pistol from it's holster, and as Vas dropped the second guard, the former smuggler dropped the third with extreme prejudice. Kragan dared to bring his feud to his home? To his city? Theed—all of Naboo—it was supposed to be a peaceful world. Then the cataclysm. Then the bombing by The New Way. Now this.

Gatz sent a few shots at the heavy gunner, but the dissipated uselessly against the beautiful stone fountain. He growled. They'd have to come at this from another angle.

"One of us is going to have to draw his fire. He's more interested in me, so... can you drop him if I get him out of cover?"

Gatz didn't know this man, but he'd just saved his life. So, for the moment, he'd have to place his faith in a stranger.

---

Tags: Vas T’sikerret

 

[Vas T’sikerret]

IC: Vas T’sikerret

The Target took down a Guard. And then lit up the fountain. Vas had to admit he was a little impressed. When Gatz offered to be prey, The Mando gave a nod. He could let the Heavy Guan do the dirty work, but that was not the deal he made. Even if Kragan had invited more guns to the party, and not kept his word, Vas wasn’t going to destroy his Ijaat, his honor, his word. For now The Hunter and the Prey would work together against a common enemy.

“Draw his fire and I’ll take him down.”

The Mando was dangling the Boy, but it was his kill, and these hot heads had hurt a lot innocent people, heck done more than hurt. Tonight women would go home husbands, husbands without wives, and children without parents. Vas did his work pricely the way he did to avoid collateral damage, and now these guys have Farriked it all up! Suffice to say, this Shooter was a dead man.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

It was a simple choice really: put his life on the line to kill a man who'd just murdered nearly a dozen people. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Gatz knew he was doing this out of a sense of guilt, not because it was right. Because those people who'd just died were only in harm's way because he'd come home to bury his Uncle. They were dead, not because of this heavy gunner, but because of him.

So Gatz stepped out from behind the stall. The gunner noticed. Gatz drew in a deep breath, and felt for the flow of the Force around him. The gun was raised in his direction, but he already knew where the first spray of shots were going to land. Gatz walked, not ran, as a hail of blaster bolts narrowly missed him, thanks to a few quick changes in his footwork.

The gunman stopped for a second, stunned, unsure of how he'd just missed with a burst fire of bolts. But then he shook his head, and raised his blaster to fire once more.

---

Tags: Vas T’sikerret

 

[Vas T’sikerret]

IC: Vas T’sikerret

TAG: Gatz Derrevar

The Mando watched as Gatz evaded the heavy fire of the Gunman, something was strange. Vas had felt it before, and knew its name. But that did not matter at the moment, what mattered was the Gunman was open, distracted. The Mandalorian rose and pointed his pistol and fired several bolts, letting the red beams fly right into the man’s chest and torso, he fell back in water, kicking a spray of foam and liquid into air. Vas moved in besides Gaz to make sure the Gunman did not rise back up, he leapt on to fountain edge, and began firing several more shots into the body of the shooter. Better to be safe than sorry.

Vas turned to Gatz,

“We best get out of the open. There maybe more of them.”

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Vas T’sikerret

The stranger dropped the gunman, about a quarter of a second before the man would have fired off his next volley of shots. Gatz breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if he would have been able to dodge another burst fire. It was within the realm of possibility, but despite recently picking his training back up, Gatz had a ways to go before he could do something like that consistently.

The man mentioned that they needed to get out of the open, and while he was certainly right, there was something about him that seemed off. He was dressed in Nubian fashion, but he was eerily pale—far more pale than any Nubian ought to be. Naboo was a planet with beautiful weather, and a sun that left most citizens with at least the lightest of tans.

This man looked like he'd never seen the sun a day in his life. This man, despite his garb, was not of Naboo.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" His voice was flat, as he took a gamble and asked, "maybe not one of them, but you're here for the same reason."

Gatz didn't holster his pistol, but neither did he raise it in the man's direction.

 

[Vas T’sikerret]

IC: Vas T’sikerret

TAG: Gatz Derrevar

The threat had been neautralized with brutal efficiency.

When Gatz boldy accused him of being one of Kragan’s Hunters, he was at first stunned, and then his mind recalled how the Lad had evaded the gunfire with great skill. The only ones capable of such a feat was Mandos and those Sorcerers called Jedi. He had not expected this, Kragan had said nothing about a Jetiise. That changed the deal, intel had been witheld.

“Yes, I was hired to kill you. Earlier I had my scope on you at the grave site.”

Vas holstered his weapon. A sign he had no intent to gun down Gatz.

“Listen, Kragan said nothing about a Jetiise. If he had, I would not have taken the bounty. As far as I am concerned, the deal is off.”

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Vas T’sikerret

"You were going to kill me and leave my corpse on top of my uncle's grave, huh?" Gatz was too tired to be angry about it, "that's cold. But I suppose that's probably what makes you an effective hunter."

It was hard to be upset over something like that, even as heinous as it was, when Gatz knew that he deserved such a fate. The dozen bodies strewn out in the center of the marketplace were proof enough of that. Gatz knew he was a risk to others. He'd come home anyways to bury the last of his family. This was the result: innocent people dead because of a decision he'd made.

But the hunter did something Gatz would never have expected: he called off his hunt. Gatz wasn't fluent in the Mandalorian language, but he did know a few prominent words. This man mistakenly thought he was a Jedi. And though he was being trained by Valery Noble herself, he certainly hadn't rejoined the Order. Her learner? Yes. Her Padawan? No.

Yes, he was aware that the difference was negligible—separated only by a formality—but those semantics were important to him.

"That's... interesting," but Gatz felt no deception in the Force, and holstered his blaster, "last I checked, the Mandalorian Enclave had just started a war with the Jedi. I'd think you'd want to kill me."

Just because he wasn't a Jedi, didn't meant he had to tell this man that. Especially if it was what was keeping him from being gunned down.

 

[Vas T’sikerret]

TAG: Gatz Derrevar

Vas shook his head.
“The enclave and I stand apart. I no longer chase delusions of glory, just decent pay and the thrill of the Hunt.”

The Mandalorian thought for a moment on it. He remebered Mandalore, and all those broken promises. They were like the scars on his face and arms, itched on his flesh.

Vas then looked at Gatz as a thought entered his head whixh he related,

“What would you pay to settle the score with Kragan?”

The Mando’s proposal was no custom, but Kragan had pissed him off. He had failed to mention the target was a Jetiise, and brought in other Hunters to spoil the Hunt. Vas wanted a chance to show Ijaat (honor) mattered, and that pulling a fast one like this Theed Affair would suffer retribution.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Vas T’sikerret

The Mando went one step further than just calling off the hunt: he offered to flip the tables on Kragan. Man, if only Gatz had still been a smuggler; still had more money than he knew what to do with, he could have taken the hunter up on his offer. But as it was, he was living off of Valery's goodwill at the moment.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't pay you," Gatz shook his head, "this bounty of Kragan's... makes it hard to find work. Not murdering me is enough for me. Thanks for that."

Gatz looked back to the corpses on the street once more. He felt the loss of life in the Force—not hollow, not empty, merely transformed, but still a tragedy—and sighed. This war with Kragan, it had to end. It had been one thing when the only life at risk was his own, and the only lives lost were the hunters trying to murder him.

But now... innocent people had been dragged into it. Uncle Klein had been dragged into it. How long until it was Valery? Her family? Vera, Aurra, Adam and Aeryn? Briana? Rayne? Everything he touched turned to ash. How long until it was them?

It was then that Gatz knew what he had to do.

"You should get out of here, before the authorities find you and start asking questions," Gatz turned to walk away from the Mandalorian, "I've got something of an in with Theed's aristocracy. I'll clear things up here."

A lie. He was leaving the planet immediately.

It was time for his feud with Kragan to be settled. One way or another.