A Bond of Beskar

[RC 212]

Mand'yaim
The Hills

[member="Jekai Almec"]

It had been some time since the fireside swearing of allegiances. In the interim she'd had to leave Mandalore and take care of some business elsewhere. Still her and Almec had kept in touch and decided to share some knowledge. Though bringing back one who would not pledge to Vilaz was considered treacherous, she didn't much care.

Her time in the Mereel clan was coming to an end. A fellow Vod had asked her to come over to the Fett's and unite them again. Even though they were scattered, they were large.

But time could always been found for the small things. So she waited for him to arrive. They were going to do some in depth training for a few months, and she was keen to pass down all her skills to the upcoming warrior. That was her job after all, a trainer, a bounty hunter, and a protector....

 

[Atin Vendet]

Jekai 'Pup' Almec was no stranger to training, and the night at the fireside had shocked and infuriated him. To him, things had deteriorated within the Mandalorians to an unprecendented scale. These things needed corrected. They needed corrected with lethality and precision. However, never one to under estimate an enemy, he was in this for the long haul. Training had to be done in order to eliminate the problem in a quick and efficient manner. The Manda would guide him or judge his actions. When the fighter landed, he spent little time worrying about the trivialities of speech and greeting.

The Mandalorian Protector slipped his pistol into the drop leg holster, slung his rifle, and checked over his gear and equipment with a mechanical precision, as any good soldier would before an actual operation. A knife was slipped into his boot, and he stood to his full length, stretching his back, before moving over to her with purpose.

Two fingers were ran across his face plate in a smile motion, and he waited for instruction.

[member="Alleria Mereel"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jekai 'Pup' Almec"]

"Ready to go? C'mon."

They descended the ashy slopes of the hills. Most of her time was spent bounty hunting and as new prey were being reintroduced to the planet she was working on her tracking skills. This was more a thing she figured they'd do together. Wandering and reconnecting with the Manda. As she moved she kept her eyes alert for the sings of prints.

"So that night at the fire was stupid huh?" She asked, taking off her helmet to examine some would be tracks.

"I've never seen a crowd so divided. It's like they are stuck in the United Clans days before the Deathwatch and the Second Republic Mando war. Always arguing, never following one another. Check this out. Prints"

 

[Atin Vendet]

Jekai turned off his filters. He stopped, and listened, and was silent for nearly five minutes. The sounds of the world washed over him, as his senses grew accustomed to it. He held up a silent fist as he listened, purely out of practice. Once this was concluded, he'd do two circles with his primary and index finger, before pointing at the ground- indicating in military terms a fallback point. He would practice as he fights, although it no doubt looked ridiculous. Afterwards, he followed her.

The man moved cautiously, heel first, the rest of his calf and musculature following with his rifle held at the low ready. His partner and trainer had found the tracks, and he took note of the prints, tracing them with a finger as he crouched. The Mandalorian removed his helmet as well.

"I'll certainly win no friends as a stump preacher of the Manda.", he replies. "Many are rightfully angry with me."

"Division and conflict, even with ourselves, is sometimes necessary for development when we have strayed from the path. The Manda will right us properly- even if that requires bloodshed. Things are as they need to be; and we'll be better off for it.", he says, calmly.

He inhales through his nose slowly, and exhales through his mouth, as he closes his eyes. Jekai 'Pup' Almec could certainly not smell the creature, but the scent of home- and of places far from society, were what he lived for. He smiled, a rare occurance for the outspoken and sometimes confrontational man. "I appreciate your support, by the way. I know how difficult that must have been.", he says, looking over the tracks.

It was very likely she knew more about that practical application than he did, and so he followed behind her, covering other sectors with his rifle. A Mandalorian must always be prepared as if they are in hostile territory. The words of old instructors rang in his ears. Never be complacent. You are always in danger. Always be ready for a fight.

[member="Alleria Mereel"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jekai 'Pup' Almec"]

"It was very difficult. I was not happy about the situation at all, but Isely Verd, now Darth Metus is an ancient member among their ranks. Thoug I would have liked to see more of the Mando'ade show up. I must confess, I am not overly confident in Vilaz or Isely as of now."

He was attentive which was good. Though they were not in enemy territory. She kept moving at a slow pace, measuring every step, taking in every sound. She had never had her Verd'Gotten. In fact she had never had anything but a few skills given to her as a child. Most of the stuff she was teaching was from Bounty Hunting.

With a mix of old Mando tradition.

She held up a fist.

"See these tracks? They end here. That means the creature either took hard ground after that, or has a lair. What do you think is a likely outcome of both scenarios."

 

[Atin Vendet]

"Hard ground means it knows we're coming. Lair it'll be cornered and is defending something. Means it'll fight", he replies.

"If Hard ground, we messed up somewhere and it caught scent of us, or may be intelligent enough to know it is being followed. That may be the case in either option.", he replies.

"Darth Metus. That's what I'm talking about. He uses their ranks. Uses their culture. He may be ancient, but his mistake is that of a child.", he says.

The man pauses, getting back on topic. "If it took hard ground to flee, it can likely out run us. We will have to tire it out, which promises a long chase. If there IS a lair nearby, and we find it, we will have to smoke it out or go in ready to shoot.", he replies. "Know what kind of animal it is?", he asks.

[member="Alleria Mereel"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jekai 'Pup' Almec"]

"Perceptive. It's a wolf, judging from the tracks. A wolf never hunts alone, so there has to be more of them."

She knelt down putting her ear to the earth and letting the sound vibrations of the nearby wastes into her eardrum. There was the pitter patter of ash raining down, the howl of the wind. And something else too. Feet and lots of them.

"They are running. The pack must be smaller than a fighting size right now."

She pushed off and retrieved her rifle from the ground.

"I don't like having force users in our ranks. On this I support you fully. You may run your Clan how ya like, but I can't go bat for you if it puts my vode in danger as well. Pick your battles carefully."

She kept walking. There was no use in running now. They were only going to tire themselves out. The wind had shifted, and the tracks picked up in the direction of the sound.

"They lost our scent. Intelligent, but only just."