The Prodigal Son

[Darth Metus]

When the young warrior known as Isley Verd had left his home of Mandalore, he was a model example of all that being a Mandalorian youth entailed. His every waking moment revolved around bringnig glory and honor to his family, people, and leader: Mandalore the Rebuilder. Yet years within a Sith Prison, corruption through the Dark Side of the Force, and time spent away from home had resulted in his being labeled a Dar'manda. It was true that he did not lift a finger against his people in his time away, yet at the same time he was no longer that model example of a Mandalorian. This, he sincerely hoped, would change...for the prodigal son of Mandalore was coming home. He had been tasked by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, his home away from home, to bear a message that was specifically meant for the newest Mandalore:

A message containing a desire to build upon their standing pact of neutrality in order to become friends and allies. For too long has the Confederacy stood idly by whilst injustice and plagued the Galaxy, utilizing a stance of neutrality to defend its peoples from the fires of war. Yet the entire Galaxy, as of late, seemed to be consumed by the inferno of conflict. Now, the CIS had a choice: stand idly by...or take a stand. Today, it became clear that the people of the Southern Systems desired to take a firm stance against the other powers in the Galaxy; and to this end reached out to the Mandalorians. They were waist-deep in their war against the Sith Empire, and an alliance today meant Confederacy assistance in their battles tomorrow.

To this end, Isley's BR-0117 exited the void of hyperspace and was promptly escorted to the planet's surface by a detachment of Mandalorian starfighters. His IFF was reading CIS signals, but the Mandalorian ship design was unmistakeable. Upon landing and disembarking, he was led alongside a cadre of his people to the capital, where he sincerely hoped that things would go well. Isley did not know anything about the new Mandalore, save for the fact that he had succeeded Verz Horak; but he hoped for the best. At long last, the towering doors were opened before him and the beskar-clad warrior stepped within, speaking in his native tongue for the ears of the Mandalore.

"Hail Mandalore, my name is Isley Verd. I humbly request a small sum of your time." he said, in perfect Mando'a, whilst lowering his head out of respect.

@[member="Gilamar Skirata"].

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

Gilamar's eyes flared when he spotted the tell-tale T shaped visor. Obviously the man wore Beskar...You could tell by the way it was worn. Small knicks here and there, a scratch maybe. And then there was the Mando'a. This man had been Mandalorian. The name brought him back to a time where the Rebuilder still ruled over them, leading them to greater things. <Isley?> That couldn't be right. He didn't want it to be true...But the armor was so distinctive it was hard not to see it. He had seen the armor in the service of the Sith...Though not personally the images had crossed his desk. A powerful Force sensitive Mandalorian with the Sith. He had thought,that the person in the images had had been @Traacyn Ordo, fallen to the Dark Side. But Isley?

Standing now he looked to @Basaba Willamina, the other chief in the room before nodding. <Enter, sit.> What did a Sith want with them? How did he even enter? Even more distressing was that the ship he had arrived on held CIS codes. Were the CIS working with the Sith again? Many questions flew through his head.
@[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

The Mandalorian did as he was bid and calmly strode across the room. There was a table, complete with an ample sum of seats, before him. Isley took the rearmost seat and slid into it, maintaining his silence. There was no doubt in his mind that the reigning Manda'lor had ten million thoughts racing through his head; but of what exactly, the Mandalorian had no clue. He allowed a few seconds to go by before speaking again, though he carefully considered the words that he was to speak. After all, one misstep could have his life forfeit and completely botch up all that he hoped to accomplish through his visit here.

"Lord Manda'lor," he began once more, speaking in fluent Mando'a, "I have come this day in order to bring before you the desires of the Confederacy, in addition to the desires which beat within my own heart. I have...brought shame to the name of my clan and people, and rightly so have been labeled 'dar'manda'. I wish for an opportunity to account and atone for all I've done and to come home...Will you hear me, Lord Manda'lor?"

@[member="Gilamar Skirata"].

 

[Basaba Willamina]

@[member="Isley Verd"] @[member="Gilamar Skirata"]

Basaba wasn't quite sure what she was here for but when the man speaking said he was dar'manda she stiffened in the armor locking her eyes on him. It wasn't something lightly given usually and it wasn't something that she knew many could come back from. She wasn't going to talk unless the Mand'alor needed her to speak. The Willamina clan was something that only had risen to some prominence with their equipment so it can work towards killing the sith and getting the mandalorians back into their rightful place as the top fighters in the galaxy. Her head turned to look at the Mand'alor... Gil whatever he wished to call himself. "Who is he sir?"

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

Folding his armors and looking over to Basaba he whispered, "He was a young Mandalorian during the time of the Rebuilder, I haven't seen him in years..." Looking back to Isley now he sighed and scratched his head. "You put me in a very strange position Isley, If I can even call you that anymore." Walking around the table, his black cape flowing behind him, the light shining from the windows causing his brown armor to look almost white. Waving his hand in the air now he looked to Isley. "And what of you? You are Dar'manda. To the Manda, you are soulless, have forsaken your people..."

"But we can talk about that later, let's hear what the CIS finally has to say to us." The sarcasm was heavy in his voice. Since its founding he had not heard once of any CIS diplomats coming to Mandalore to talk, and if they had Verz had kept that from them as well. They had never fought, never fought with, and had all together been oblivious to each other, though being on opposite sides of the Galaxy could do that.
@[member="Basaba Willamina"] @[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

The words uttered by the Manda'lor were much akin to daggers piercing the heart and pride of the warrior. He uttered no words of protest, for each and every syllable which the man spoke was true regarding his Dar'manda status. Isley had abandoned his people, his clan, and his homeworld. Isley was dead to the Manda and all who believed in its ebb and flow. As such, the words struck him harder than he had expected; but he shrugged it off so that he might order his thoughts. Firstly, the sarcasm that the leader of the Mandalorians utilized was not lost upon Isley's ears; for there was indeed truth to them. Due to the fact that they had been on opposing ends of the Galaxy, the Confederacy had made little contact with them; save a neutrality agreement which was signed between Verz and Genesis, and the Treaty of Ithor.

As such, when it came time for Isley to speak, he did so; once more in perfect Mando'a. "That is my name, Lord Manda'lor." he began, inclining his head out of respect momentarily before continuing, "With the exception of the neutrality agreement signed by your predecessor, Manda'lor Verz Horak, there has been no direct contact between the Confederacy of Independent Systems and our people. As such, it is their desire that relations be made in the form of a full alliance. I realize that this is a mountain in compared to the valley of neutrality upon which we currently speak; but it is the desire of the CIS to stand alongside the Mandalorians in our fight against the Sith Empire."

"For too long, we have stood idly by while the evils of this Galaxy are free to run rampant. What's more, under our former leader, we stood alongside the king of those evils. I will say that, for all the good that the former Grand Marshal did, there were a multitude of mistakes that went along with them. And I also assure you, here and now, that the era of questionable loyalties has concluded. I assure you that the era of mistakes and complacency has concluded as well. The Confederacy is no longer satisfied sitting on its side of the Galaxy, no, we wish to stand and fight."

"So what say you Lord Manda'lor? Will you consider our request for an alliance? Will you allow us to stand beside you, whilst you engage the Sith Empire, and aid you in wiping them from the face of the Galaxy once and for all?"

@[member="Gilamar Skirata"].

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

"For too long..." The old man scoffed. They wanted a full blown alliance? Sure, aid in destroying the Sith was always appreciated...But truth be told he held no faith in the word of the CIS. They had yet to prove themselves willing allies of the Mandalorians, of anyone really, and he needed to wait and see what they did with their new found strength. He also needed to look into them a little more. What he knew off the top of his head was less than he liked and he didn't want to make any agreements without knowing his new 'Friends'.

"I'm going to have to decline. Lets start smaller than a full blow alliance. That's a lot to jump into, a huge risk we would be taking."

@[member="Isley Verd"] @[member="Basaba Willamina"]

 

[Darth Metus]

The Mandalorian simply nodded in response to the words of the Manda'lor. To emerge from relative silence requesting a full alliance may have been a tad much. "That is completely understandable." began Isley in response, folding his hands upon the table before him. "Then, allow us to prove ourselves worthy of an alliance. We would like to lend assistance in your militant ventures against the Sith Empire. In addition to this, do you think it at all possible to discuss the plausibility of trade between our nations, as a building block?"

@[member="Gilamar Skirata"].

 

[Basaba Willamina]

@[member="Darth Metus"] @[member="Gilamar Skirata"]

Basaba listened to both of them and to the idea of an alliance as she wanted to glare... Okay she glared but that was just her normal face. In truth the CIS were or had been like he said shifty. Trying to play all the fields and benefit only themselves while changing loyalty at the drop of a hat or changing of the breeze. It made them dangerous and unpredictable. Made her want to punch the wall while.... she shuckled to herself at some of the thoughts while looking to the mandalore and some gears were turning. The CIS did have some of the better droid parts in the galaxy that was just a given and they were looking to build something glorious the need for a smarter controller of the lesser droids could be adapted. While her mind was thinking about it several other thoughts about weapons they might be able to use or just armor to adapt and adopt. It was the way after all and technology they had and could prove destructive without.

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

His arms folded the Manda'lor watched as the man in sinister Beskar'gam spoke. Though he faced the man, his eyes could not help but be drawn to the saber at his belt as he spoke. Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose he nodded. "That, sounds more agreeable, and we of course can commit the same, though as you may no our actual standing military...pales in comparison of size to many unless I call their shebs back to Mandalore...So I will see what I can do about that. And on the issue of trade...I will talk to some of the merchant clans and others about opening up trade along the hyperlanes." This was his word, and he was trusting Isely's. Walking over he reached out his hand.

A pact between brothers.
@[member="Basaba Willamina"] @[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Darth Metus]

"Excellent," began the Mandalorian. He arose from his seat and stepped forward in order to meet the Manda'lor, and extended his hand. He offered a brief, firm shake, and then released the man's hand before placing it behind his back. "I shall bring word to the Trade Guild upon my return. Droids are the central business of the Confederacy, along with medical technologies. I'm sure our people can find avid uses for both, Lord Manda'lor." There was a moment of silence before Isley began to speak again. "As I've asked for the Confederacy to have an opportunity to prove themselves an ally, so too shall I ask an opportunity to prove myself. I miss home, Lord Manda'lor. I miss our people. I wish to return as a son of Manda'yaim. Allow me to prove myself worthy of forgiveness in the eyes of our people..."

@[member="Gilamar Skirata"].

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

"Huh."

That was all the Mandalorian said for a long while. Silence hung in the air for a good five minutes before the old man stirred again. He was deep in thought. Had anyone ever come back from this? Who was he to say no, after all they accepted anyone who agreed to follow their six tenets. Looking up to Isley now a grim look was displayed upon his face. "I can't say no if you truly will...But bring me the head of a Sith. Our battles grow fiercer by the day and we could use a good Sith killer...Then we'll talk."
@[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Darth Metus]

A smile formed upon the lips of the Mandalorian as the challenge was posed to him. To bring the Manda'lor the head of a Sith was a task that Isley was uniquely equipped to do. As such, he gave a confident nod and said. "It shall be done, Lord Manda'lor, with haste. Are there any additional tasks that you would have of me?" With the constant waging of war against the Sith Empire came a reality: the Sith, as a whole, were fracturing and scattering. To find one would be an easy enough task to accomplish.

@[member="Gilamar Skirata"].