A Hunting We Will Go

[Kad Tor]

The jungle moon was quiet at night compared to what Kad had been used to. His misadventures across the galaxy to find himself had proven to take up many nights full of loud drunken riots, or whatever kind of trouble he could find himself in. Working for the highest bidder had meant all kinds of work to keep him up until all hours of the night, and usually meant a random woman to keep his bed warm until morning. Of course Kad was no longer than person, but for the time it took him to realize who it was he wanted to be for his own future and for himself, Kad had come near rock bottom.

Manda'lor's call had been what he needed to feel himself again, that and the reunion with his sister. Kad was one of the faithful now, though at times he did not feel he should be grouped among them. His behavior had nearly been that of Dar'manda. Perhaps that was why he was standing at the edge of the headquarters the group had established. Kad was living near them, on his own, but most nights avoided returning. He was tired of being alone, tired of not being understood, and tired of the curse of death which seemed to haunt his family.

His eyes looked longingly out into the jungle. Zakkeg would be active. It was said anyone who could kill one was worthy of great honor among the Mando'ade. Kad had made up his mind. His armor was on. His decee strapped to his back, and his carbine slung from his shoulder. HIs bes'kad had been replaced with a lightsaber some time ago, the force sensitive unafraid to advertise his prowess in that regard. Kad would be foolish to go alone, but as he leaned against post of the door frame drinking the last bit of ale from the mug in his hand, Kad knew tonight was his night.

He could be loud at times, and this night was one of them. Returning the glass to the bar top, Kad's voice boomed.

"I'm hunting a Zakkeg tonight. Who is brave enough to join me?"

[member="Artemis Lux"]

 

[Artemis Lux]

"I will join you."

Artemis Lux emerged from the shadows and into the moonlight, those radiant beams glimmering off the gold of her beskar'gam and setting her figure aglow. Her helmet was tucked beneath one arm, propped against the slender curve of her hip, so that she looked upon [member="Kad Tor"] with her own eyes, instead of through the wall of her T-visor. Artemis often found herself strolling the perimeter of their encampment long after their comrades had retired to the barracks, her mind and body either unable or unwilling to sleep. Tonight was a mixture of both. She had lain in bed, restless, for what felt like hours. In truth, sleep had not come easily to Artemis in years.

There had been a time where sleep meant the warm embrace of her husband, the steady cadence of his breathing, the comforting prickle of his beard as he pulled her closer in the midst of a dream . . . and the inevitable pitter-patter of their son's feet down the hall, waking them both as he burst into the room, commanding their attention with his tiny cries of Mother and Father. Artemis remembered how sleep-deprived she and her husband had been, during those early years, and how she had caught herself wishing that time would move just a little faster. Now . . . Artemis would have traded life and limb, just to go back.

Like Kad, Artemis had lost everything--both spouse and child--but she had dealt with the aftershock much differently. She had kept her goblet, and her bed, empty. She had sloughed away all earthly pleasures and adopted but one objective as her driving force: survive. It was that very instinct for survival that had brought her here, to the Aka-liiit. Survival, and loyalty. These men and women were her family now--Kad included. She would not let him go after a Zakkeg alone. Besides . . . Artemis, herself, was a huntress. She could not resist the siren song of the hunt. Not on a night so clear, so gleaming, so perfect as this.

" . . . if only for the purpose of keeping you alive."

Her vivid green eyes flashed to the glass of ale before returning to his face. A glimmer of subdued amusement tugged at the dimple in her cheek, letting him know that she was only teasing. Kad was a likable man, and his sister, Bree, had become her close friend since their first days on Dxun.

"It's a beautiful night for a hunt," the Lioness murmured, looking up to the stars before panning her gaze out over the jungle, her hand moving instinctively to the hilt of her beskad. "There's a waterfall just southeast of the encampment, where I know large predators like to lie in wait. Let's start there."

[member="Kad Tor"]​

 

[Kad Tor]

A strong, but distinctly feminine voice called in answer to his loud question. He turned to see who the voice belonged to and smirked to find it was [member="Artemis Lux"]. She was a proud warrior, determined to show her worth to the vode, though from what he had gathered she already had their respect. Her husband and son were lost to her, and rather than fill her life with other things, she dedicated it to the call of Manda'lor. It was a worthy cause. However, Kad had wandered the galaxy and kept the drink flowing, and found ways to keep his bed warm. They could not have chosen to deal with their losses in the most opposite of ways had they tried. At least Kad was not drunk. Though it was also arguable if he were completely sober minded.

"I don't plan on getting myself killed, but I won't deny your company will be enjoyed" he grinned in reply.

His buy'ce was still strapped to his belt and swung with each step. The air was cool as the night sky was clear of any clouds. Stars lit up the sky, painting the night sky with their brilliance. Each one of them a testament of the power of a single light when added with many. Artemis was caught looking at them. Kad paused, bowing his head for a moment. "Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum, Raliza, Valen, Shaen, Solus, Kara." The daily remembrance was muttered under his breath, but Artemis would know what he was saying. For a few moments after he remained silent.

"The pool is certain to attract more than just a Zakkeg," he replied with a glimmer of excitement to his voice. The country boy in the Mando'ad was coming out at the thought of what they could hunt. His head pointed to her bes'kad. "I like your style," he grinned before moving into the night. "I'm not sure I'm familiar with the waterfall. Lead on."

Kad had no problem following the lead of a female, especially when it was a huntress like Artemis. Kad admired her spirit and was drawn to it. Her strength in the face of loss had been more than he had shown. In that, she put him to shame.

 

[Artemis Lux]

Kad's prayer called Artemis' attention back down from the stars. Although his words were quiet, she knew their meaning without having to strain to hear them. I am still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. Artemis bowed her head of dark curls alongside Kad, both out of respect and solidarity, remembering his lost family and her own. Balon, my darling husband. Pax, my strong son. Tonight, we hunt in your memory.

Silence fell heavily over the bereaved hunter and huntress, as thick and dark as the night--but it was not uncomfortable. Artemis shared a special understanding with Kad, a common bond of loss that connected them on a different, and deeper, plane of existence than any connection they might have forged with their comrades. With Kad, she neither had to explain herself nor even speak at all. She could simply be. It was their unspoken sanctuary on Dxun.

​Moments passed.

When, at last, his voice broke the silence, Artemis lifted her eyes and smiled. Kad was around three years older than she was, give or take, and at least seven inches taller, but his eagerness for the hunt reminded her of a small boy. It was charming and infectious. Artemis had not hunted for sport or pleasure in quite some time, since the deterioration of their homeworld at least--it had been all for necessity. Tonight, however, something very deep in the pit of her belly had begun to stir. For all her coy stoicism, Artemis was catching Kad's enthusiasm like a bug. She would never submit to the girlish vapors of the weaker members of her gender, but even so . . . the vivid emerald of her gaze flashed brilliantly, and Kad would know that she shared his exhilaration. She strode past him and motioned her head for him to follow into the jungle's depths.

"I visited Dxun once, as a little girl," Artemis murmured as they began their trek, keeping her voice low and her attention wary, a slender hand poised at the curve of her beskad. "My father thought he would teach me how to hunt here. I was quite scrawny back then." She glanced sidelong to Kad, subdued humor pulling at the dimple in her cheek. "I learned how quickly I can run more than I hunted, but I remember the waterfall. We should begin to hear it shortly."

The walk would not be far, but Artemis realized with increasing curiosity that she and Kad had never been truly alone before. They had spoken many times, but the encampment was nearly always bustling. Now, Artemis felt emboldened by their solitude--she wanted to know more about the Tor.

" . . . I lost my father, along with my husband and son," She ventured slowly. Her voice was softer, less commanding. "Have you any other family, besides Bree and her children?"

[member="Kad Tor"]​

 

[Kad Tor]

The eagerness which Kad felt was only spurred on by the equal enthusiasm which came from the huntress who had accompanied him. This is what life was supposed to be like. His mind allowed itself to recall the joy of what being Mando’ad could be. One truth had become abundantly clear to Kad over the past few weeks, he no longer knew who he was. Eliza had told him as much when he had found her at her cantina. She'd called in a few favors to help Kad track down his sister, but in so many words she had reminded him that he still didn't know who he was.

Perhaps this hunt was about finding himself. While he wanted to prove himself to the verde, Kad was trying to prove something to himself. He had to prove he was still Mando’ad. The night would linger until he was successful, and Artemis would be his witness in it all. She was confident, strong, attractive. The huntress led them through the forests which she recalled from her childhood. The waterfall would be something memorable to a child, so Kad didn't seem surprised that she remembered it.

The jungle created a sanctuary of sorts. Kad was keenly aware that he was alone with the brunette huntress. Eager for the kill, the chase, Kad caught the play in the emerald eyes which kept finding their way his direction. His sapphire gaze caught hers at last, and he noticed how much her eyes resembled Ral’s. They drew a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The realization was bittersweet, and only reminded him that he could never replace her.

When they paused briefly, Kad's hand rest on the tree trunk to his right. Her question caught him off guard and drove his gaze to the ground.

“No…” he answered softly. “Ner buire were lost when Manda’yaim was destroyed. Ner vod, Valen was killed many years ago. You know of my sons and their mother already.”

Kad gulped slowly. He took in a deep breath which he released slowly.

“Your eyes, they are like hers, though you're near 3 to 4 inches taller.”

He had to admit Artemis was likeable, and Briika seemed to like her. She reminded him of what it meant to have a strong Mandalorian woman by his side. Even if it was just for this hunt, Kad was fully immersed in his culture, his ways, and for a brief moment he almost began to think he was only lost to himself because he’d left his people, his family, behind.

“How long has it been since… my sons would have been nine standard years and in full training. They never lived past their infancy.”

[member="Artemis Lux"]

 

[Artemis Lux]

As soon as Artemis posed the question, she felt the atmosphere shift. Kad paused to lean against the thick trunk of a soaring palm, and suddenly, fresh emotion filled the space between them. The utter weight of his emotions, the utter weight of his memories, rolled into Artemis and crashed over her body in waves. She, too, had to pause, keeping a silent vigil at his side. Hazy starlight filtered in through the canopy of trees above them, the pale light bathing her dark curls in an almost ethereal glow. The jungle was unnaturally peaceful tonight, and Artemis would stand quietly in its lush, green depths with Kad for as long as he needed. She knew his pain and felt it as if it were her own--in part because it was her own. Their tragedies mirrored each other with such striking precision that it was almost poetic. Hearing his story was like hearing her own story told back to her over again. Painful . . . but comforting.

All at once, Artemis knew that she was no longer alone. It was powerful and overwhelming.

She simply bowed her head and listened when Kad finally spoke. Artemis was not the sort of woman to readily express emotion, but the soft furrow of her brows, and the purse of her full lips, would show how deeply her heart ached for him, and for their shared losses. For a moment, she simply studied the ground. Etched into the dirt, Artemis visualized the faces of her own family whom she had lost--the dusky features of her husband, the promising strength of her son, the smile of her father, and all of the others whose embrace she would never feel again in this life. The thoughts might have consumed her whole had Kad's voice not called her back to earth.

Your eyes, they are like hers. Artemis flickered her brilliant green eyes up to Kad. As she settled her gaze on his face, she did not have to ask whose eyes he thought hers resembled. The understanding they shared was an easy one. However, Artemis found herself quite without words. It was no small thing for Kad to notice the similarity between her and his late wife, but she also knew how difficult seeing that similarity would be for him. Suddenly, and most uncharacteristically, Artemis grew self-conscious. She lowered her lashes, inhaling slowly, steadily, before lifting them once more.

"It's an honor to be compared to such a remarkable woman," Artemis murmured at last, green eyes meeting blue. "I know your wife was a true Mando dala."

She would wait for him to resume walking before falling back in line at his side, hunter and huntress continuing their prowl through the wilderness as they talked. Ahead, the low rumble of a waterfall grew steadily closer, vibrating the earthen path beneath their boots. Artemis turned to Kad and smiled, but her lips were subdued.

"My son would have been ten this year. He had my eyes," She said, looking up to him as the dimple surfaced in her cheek for a brief moment, before it disappeared. "I lost him when he was seven. He was strong, clever, selfless to the point of recklessness. He would have made a formidable warrior." She shook her head gently, pausing as if to think, as if to remember. "He would have been the first of many sons, but he was my only child when I lost him and his father. He was my world." Artemis ventured a small smile back up to Kad, but this time, it was warmer. " . . . their memory, and Mandalore's legacy, will live on through us and our efforts here."

[member="Kad Tor"]​

 

[Kad Tor]

Her losses were more recent it seemed, though still as painful. Kad would never wish his loss on anyone, but it seemed [member="Artemis Lux"] shared in it. Kad already knew it, but knowing the fact and understanding the pain were different things. He sighed at her admission. Kad knew all to well that family and legacy were everything to a proud Mando'ad regardless of their gender. It was one reason why the language didn't have gender built in. Both were truly equal in every sense of the word, and the women as fierce as the men, if not more so.

It was quiet again for a few moments as the stars and moon created a canopy of light which covered them. There was something about the moonlight which made Kad see Artemis differently. He'd always found her attractive, but even moreso now. They could not have been anymore opposite in dealing with their losses, but this hunt, it was more therapeutic than any drink Kad had filled his stomach with. The night air carried the excitement which he had for the kill. Lust for the kill coursed through his veins and dulled the pain of loss. For the first time in a long time Kad allowed himself to feel alive.

His gaze turned back to Artemis for a moment. "What were their names. I shall add them to my daily remembrance. I wish to honor them for your sake." They could only understand each other. The pain they felt is what unified them. That understanding stood to form a deep bond which could not be broken by anything. The hunt would only serve to see if set. Kad had come to Dxun to find himself, and instead he found something he was not expecting.

They marched through the jungle, quietly approaching the waterfall. The sound of it grew louder, telling the hunter and huntress their destination grew near. Kad's hand naturally went for the lightsaber as his years away had seen him grow accustomed to using the weapon. It felt cheap however. They would kill the beast as Mando'ade not as one who commanded the force. A beskad was strapped over Kad's shoulder and he reached for the hilt as though he'd never ceased to use it. He smiled at the familiar pull, and released his hand letting it fall to the side once more.

The closer the came tinthe waterfall the thicker the leaves became. It was a good sign as it spoke to how well camouflaged the area would be. Kad's green armor would allow him to blend in with the jungle.

"We do this for them then. This is not about our glory or fame, but their memory and honor."

 

[Artemis Lux]

The request for the names of her family caught the Lioness off-guard. She had not spoken them out loud in what felt like ages. In fact, Kad was the only one who had ever asked for them outright. For a moment, Artemis could not speak. Emotion, tender and raw, played in the depths of her vivid green eyes, but she did not work to hide it from Kad the way that she hid it from the others. She held his gaze strong, clear and unguarded in the starlight, exposed for him to see. The wall that she had built around herself to keep her grief locked in, and other people locked out, had fractionally cracked.

It was not often that Artemis allowed herself feel emotion so openly—it was not often that she allowed herself to be vulnerable. There was no place for softness, no room for weakness in a galaxy that churned out life and death like cogs in a war machine. As a Mando dala, it was more natural, and less frightening, for Artemis to be strong than it was to loosen her reigns long enough to truly feel. With Kad, however . . . deep inside their jungle sanctuary, Artemis knew that she was safe.

“Balon was my husband. Pax was my son,” Artemis answered at last. Her voice, usually confident and commanding, had fallen soft. Speaking their names was powerful, stirring something deep within her core, but it felt right to share them with Kad. A warm but subdued smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “ . . . thank you, Kad. Tonight I will hunt for your family, just as you hunt for mine.”

The pair had come upon the waterfall at last. A steaming mist thickened in the atmosphere around them, emanating from the heavy water that plunged over the side of a small overhang just through the thin line of underbrush that they crouched behind. The lagoon might have seemed lovely and quaint had Artemis not known what it concealed. Instinctively, she moved a hand to the beskad that hung at the flare of her hip.

“Large predators often hide out at watering holes like this,” Artemis breathed, her voice scarcely above a whisper. “They wait for smaller creatures to come along, then attack when they lower their heads to drink. It’s a brilliant hunting strategy.” She paused, moving her hands to lift her helmet over her dark curls, quiet humor sparking briefly in her eyes. “We just have to make sure that we’re not the ones lowering our heads.”

Artemis might have been able to secure her helmet, might have been able to discuss some sort of strategy with Kad, had a great rustling from the jungle somewhere around them not caught her attention. The huntress furrowed her brows, looking questioningly to the hunter at her side, before turning to face the noise.

“Did you hear—?”

CRASH. It was too late! As if on cue . . . a colossal, heavily-armored quadruped burst out of the thick undergrowth with a mighty roar. Zakkegs were notoriously territorial creatures, and it seemed that Artemis had been all too correct in assuming that they would frequent a choice locale like the waterfall. This Zakkeg in particular was clearly an alpha—and he was angry. Before Artemis could draw her beskad, before she could even speak, the hideous predator charged ahead and barreled its muzzle into the center of her breastplate; her helmet dropped to the dirt, and Artemis was sent crashing through the brush and into the waters of the lagoon.

[member="Kad Tor"]

 

[Kad Tor]

"Balon and Pax," the names rolled off Kad's tongue with a gentile and ethereal feel. He nodded to Artemis, not saying any more on the matter. Her pain was his pain, and his pain was hers. What they could not bear alone they could bear together. It was a spontaneous decision, and one that Kad did not vocalize, but in that moment he had decided he would be there for her. He decided that their world would be mended together. It was an easy decision as no one truly understood his pain other than one who had experienced the same, and Artemis had. Briika had as well, but had moved on from it long ago. Though it had been nine years, for Kad it seemed as fresh as the day it had happened.

Kad smiled as Artemis explained what he already knew as country boy. Large predators were excellent role models for the hunt, and also gave the warrior lessons for battle. As a child Kad would often watch the wild animals around the mountains of Enceri to learn their strategies and techniques. It was part of his training, and required by his father, Solus, but Kad also had enjoyed it. Her last comment made him chuckle. "Let us certainly hope so," he said through his laugh, something that had been gone for too long. "I would hate to lose a new hunting partner the first time out. We certainly would not bring any glory to family names if that were the case."

In a way it felt odd to be among his own people again. He'd been so free as a mercenary to do as he wished. The freedom was something he enjoyed, but the culture of his own was something he'd missed. There was something about hunting with one of his own, if he was honest, hunting with Artemis, which seemed right. Kad had returned to find himself, and when he looked at the emerald eyes that reminded him so much of his Ralize, Kad almost saw a piece of him looking back at him. The sight excited and frightened him at once, his heart racing with the added sensation of that as well as the hunt had caused him to drop his guard. Kad felt vulnerable around Artemis, and for one reason or another that felt okay, right.

There was a rustling in the bushes and Kad's head had turned. How had he not sensed the creature through the force? He'd been distracted, and as soon as the words left the woman's lips the armored lizard charged. In a flash a blur of golden armor streaked past his periphery. The sound of her body splashing into the water, and the thud of her armor as it hit the floor of the shallow pool rang in his ears. There was little time to react, and in an instant Kad raised his right arm and sent a stream of fire at the beast. He had to buy time for Artemis to get up and prove an ample distraction for her safety.

"Why don't you pick on something your own size," he yelled at the beast as his beskad was lifted out of its sheath. With a masculine roar Kad charged the beast and just before its mouth jutted out to bit Kad leaped onto the back of the large predator and seated himself on it's shoulders. In a quick motion his buy'ce was fitted to his head, and Kad called out to Artemis.

"On your feet! Tonight is a good night for this beast to die!"

[member="Artemis Lux"]​

 

[Artemis Lux]

With enough weight attached to a small enough body, even a wading pool could turn deadly. As Artemis crashed into the shallow depths of the lagoon, the murky water rushed up to consume her slender frame, weighted down inside the heavy shell of her gilded beskar’gam. She did not have time to think or to react; the impact of the charging Zakkeg had knocked the wind clean out of her lungs. For a moment, all she could do was float face down, her hands and feet swaying fluidly along the sandy floor of the pool.

As she lay suspended on the watery surface, her consciousness briefly slipped away to a dark place—a place deep inside her mind where she could almost make out the shadowy figures of her family, close enough to touch—but just as soon, she snapped back to reality, called back from the depths of her momentary blackout by the roar of Kad’s voice. Her eyes flew open from beneath the water, and with a mighty gasp for air . . . Artemis rose like Venus from the sea, gleaming and utterly drenched. Her crowning glory of dark curls dripped heavily down her armor, droplets of water running in streams down the smoothness of her gilded beskar, but there was nothing but fire in her emerald gaze.

The Lioness was angry.

“For Mandalore!” Artemis cried, unsheathing her beskad and lifting it above her head like a call to arms.

The Zakkeg, momentarily distracted by the weight of Kad as he sat astride the beast’s ridged back, immediately snapped its fearsome head in the direction of Artemis’ voice. A proud smile formed across her lips as she lifted her chin in defiance; this time, she would welcome—nay, invite—the creature’s ferocious charge.

The Zakkeg readily accepted her invitation. The monster plunged forward once more, its gigantic three-pronged feet pounding along the earth as it let loose a horrible keening wail, but this time, Artemis was ready. She stood her ground—feet planted firmly in the sand, knees bent pliantly, beskad drawn defensively in front of her exposed face—until the beast was just close enough to nearly run her through a second time.

But the Lioness moved quickly. With all of the lethal, calculated grace of a feline, she sidestepped the charging creature and brought the sharp end of her blade down heavily into its left leg. The Zakkeg howled in pain, slowing down but not ceasing its charge; as it passed by Artemis, she flung herself onto its back, seating herself astride its spine just behind Kad. The creature bucked wildly; Artemis wrapped one arm around Kad’s waist to keep from being thrown. She smiled to his back.

“Before we slay the creature . . . shall we take a quick ride?”

[member="Kad Tor"]​

 

[Kad Tor]

Kad was bucked about by the beast as it attempted to throw him off of its back. The beskad which was in his hand found the fold of the beasts armor and was pressed into the flesh underneath. With a firm grip in the handle, Kad held on as the beast continued its jerky movements until it calmed and focused for a brief moment.

The source was a result of a female voice. A smirk tugged at the corner of Kad's mouth as Artemis cried out her charge. Within seconds the beast was charging again, and Kad found himself holding once more. He was nearly thrown off when the leg of the animal was cut, Artemis having found another fold in the beast's armor. There was a wildfire in her eyes. The green emeralds had come alive in her eyes and the dull pain of her loss was briefly hidden by the excitement of the hunt.

In an unexpected move she was now behind Kad, her arm around his waist as she suggested they take a ride. Kad smiled at the idea, feeling the smile from her as well. It felt good to be living again, and he was glad Artemis had accepted the call for this hunt. "My kind of woman," he said with a nod. "Hold on," the warning came as Kad twisted the beskad to spur the beast forward.

The ground below the beast rumbled as it ran through the jungle. Kad kept stock of where they where in the forest, and was laughing as the beast made it's way to the top of the waterfall. "It is going to try and throw us over the edge... be ready to jump when I tell you." It was possible they could push the beast off the edge and see it fall to the death it had planned for them. Still Kad was certain Artemis wanted the beast's head as a prize at this point. Kad did, and the lioness which rode with him had proven to be as much like him as a woman could be.

As they neared the peak of the waterfall Kad shouted one word as his beskad was pulled from the beasts back.

"JUMP!"

[member="Artemis Lux"]​

 

[Artemis Lux]

As the Zakkeg cantered back around the lagoon and thundered up the steep incline toward the waterfall’s edge, the huntress knew that the deceptively tactical monster was drawing them into a deadly game of sink or swim. When given the choice, Artemis would always be a swimmer.

JUMP!

Kad’s voice rang out into the night just as their loathsome steed broke the crest of the cliff and mightily leapt out into the misty twilight. All three figures—man, woman, and beast—sprang out over the tumbling mouth of the waterfall, briefly suspended midair as if in slow motion, before plunging haplessly into the spray below.

Confusion reigned as the deeper channels of the lagoon churned around their thrashing limbs. For one dangerous moment, water filled Artemis’ lungs and splashed away her vision, so that she could do nothing but instinctively reach out for Kad. Her hand found his shoulder from behind and held on tightly until she regained the sense of her legs, treading water furiously at his side.

“Where did it go?” Artemis shouted over the rumble of the falls, but her question received an all-too hideous answer. There was a glimmer of jagged scales beneath the surface of the water, and then a keening roar as the reptile surged toward them with gruesomely remarkable agility.

“Kad!” Artemis yelled in warning, pushing her body through the water to collide with his own. Together they rolled through the waves, toward the safety of a jutting stone slab that protruded from the wall of the cliff. Artemis pulled herself onto its marble-like surface, careful not to slip, and then reached down a hand for Kad—and not a moment too soon.

As the hunter and huntress claimed the high ground, the Zakkeg made one more savage attempt to lunge up after them out of the water. Its mighty talons clawed and scraped to gain traction against the smooth stone as it wailed furiously, extending its long neck and opening its gritty mouth wide.

“Quick—your blade!” cried Artemis, but Kad did not need the injunction. The man and the woman moved as one to lift their beskads—one slicing down from above, and the other swinging up from below—to sever the Zakkeg’s head from its shoulders in a single motion.

All fell quiet as blood gushed artfully from the creature’s headless body. It writhed for only a moment longer before growing quite still, slowly slipping down the rock in a thick stream of its own crimson fluid, disappearing into the depths of the lagoon.

Artemis looked down to the severed reptilian head that lay at their feet, its horrible face permanently contorted, its sharp fangs forever bared. Adrenaline coursed hotly through her veins like life-blood as the thrill of absolution, of the long-awaited hunt, washed over her dripping features in a glow. Her green eyes, more vivid now than ever, flashed up to Kad. She did not speak, but as her chest rose and fell to keep pace with her wildly racing heart . . . a smile, slow but barely subdued, crept over her lips.

Proud. Victorious. Mando.


[member="Kad Tor"]

 

[Kad Tor]

They flew through the air with greatest of ease. As the night carried on the rest of time seemed to stand still as the descent toward the deeper parts of the water system they had found came closer. With a splashing crash weighted armor collided with the water, and in a few moments Kad felt himself begin to sink. He had learned to swim with his armor on, but it was not ideal. The air which was sealed inside helped keep them afloat, but the force of the fall left them briefly disoriented. The beast was no where to be seen.

Kad felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinct took over as he helped the brunette up to the surface for air. "I'm here," he said as the sound her lungs sucking in much needed air broke through the chaos. They were both looking for the beast, and Artemis spotted it first. With a push Kad found his back against a stone slab. Had they not been hunting he may have had a quip which would have been far from innocent, but this was no the place. Besides there was no better way to flirt with a fellow Mandolorian than to fight along side them.

As they climbed the ledge, Kad nearly had his leg grabbed by the lunge which the lizard made in an attempt to keep him from escaping. It was time for swift action. The high ground was theirs and even as Artemis called to him, Kad was readying his blade. Instinctively he swung in unison with Artemis. Their blades sung the hunter's song they collided with the armored flesh of the beast which they had weakened. The kill was theirs, honor and glory among their people would be as well.

There was a fire in Artemis' emerald eyes. They were alive, and that same fire was raging through the blue sapphires set in Kad's eyes. He picked the beast's head up by the tongue and slung it over his shoulder. His beskad was sheathed as he walked toward the proud woman. Her chest was heaving with heavy breaths, the same cadence of Kad's. They were winded, but it had been worth it.

Kad locked his eyes with the woman's as he continued to move toward her. The adrenaline had made him impulsive, but not overly so. Without thought he reached his free hand behind her head, pressing against the wet locks of hair as he set his forehead against hers. His heart pounded within his chest from adrenaline, but also from how he suddenly felt being near the huntress. She was a warrior in her own right, mandokarla. For the first time in a long time his mind saw the present and furture, where it had been living so deep in the past "You made me feel as though I was among the living once more. I am forever in your debt," he said then pulled his forehead from hers. He offered the beast's head to the woman if she wanted to hold it as well and smiled. "Care to join me for a drink after we get this back to camp?"

[member="Artemis Lux"]​

 

[Artemis Lux]

As the adrenaline slowly bled from her fighter’s heart, Artemis found that she could not think. She could only feel. The rush of thick jungle air in and out of her chest . . . the fierce, primal beating of her heart . . . the electric tremble that fluttered over her shoulders and legs. It had been years since the warrior queen had felt the thrill of the hunt that, for a Mandalorian, was as essential to life as oxygen. She had almost forgotten what it meant to be not merely alive—but to truly live. With the slain beast at their feet, and the stars as their witness, Artemis, at Kad’s side, felt reborn. It was intoxicating.

Artemis proudly watched as Kad bent to claim the prize of their victory, grabbing the severed head of the Zakkeg by its swollen tongue and slinging it over his broad shoulder. He was advancing upon her now, moving ever closer as his eyes burned fiercely into her own, with a look that Artemis had never seen him display before, but that she understood without words. There was an unspoken bond between two Mandalorians who hunted, who fought, at each other’s side—a bond with enough power to supersede even the deep bond of loss which Artemis and Kad already shared. That bond shone in the way that they now looked upon each other, as if with fresh eyes.

Kad stopped just as he towered above her head, the top of her dark curls only just reaching his shoulder. It did not matter that the hunter so greatly outsized the huntress; tonight, they had worked as one. Artemis allowed her shining head to fall back as she looked up at him, raw emotion filling the depths of her fierce green eyes, a barely subdued smile pulling at the corner of her lips. On any other night, without the high of the kill headily buzzing through her veins, she would have balked at his touch; but as Kad reached out a large, roughened hand to pull her forehead against his, Artemis could only close her eyes and melt into the mirshmure'cya—a traditional Mandalorian gesture that she had not shared with anyone else in years.

If Artemis had been a lesser woman, she might have wept at the beauty of the moment. As it were, however, she was a true Mando dala—a true Mandalorian woman—and so she would merely nod her head against his and murmur, “And I, in yours.”

She lifted her proud chin and watched as he released their embrace, her smile broadening when he returned to present the severed head to her, as if in sacrifice to a patron goddess. She wasted no time in bending to grip the gruesome thing with her bare hand, unbothered by the grit and the blood, lifting it slightly and flickering the play of her eyes back up to his face.

“ . . . only if our new friend can join us, too.”

[member="Kad Tor"]​

 

[Kad Tor]

The pair no longer had the need to remain quiet, and despite the significant lack of alcohol in their systems, the hunters stammered back to the outpost singing and laughing loudly. A Zakkeg had been slain by their blades and they celebrated as any Madalorian would. Each step carried them closer to showing off their kill, and the pair only grew more boastful in their song. Kad had made some line about the "Lioness of Dxun" as a reference to Artemis, and of course he labeled himself the "Hammer of Enceri." It was silly, but Kad had not felt like being silly in a long time. Artemis had certainly brought the boy out of him again.

Before the drinks were ordered the two plopped the head of the armored lizard on the top of the makeshift bar. Kad bellowed, "Tihaar for all!" The humidity of the night still guaranteed their hair and armor was wet, but that didn't matter. Blood covered their chestplares from the splatter of their handiwork. Anyone who saw them knew the kill was real, and soon a crowd was gathered around them singing the song which Kad had made for themselves. The leap from the waterfall was the feature as was the slight romantic undertone of the keldabe kiss. War songs were poetic, and none would be the wiser that it was true.

Moments passed and as the crowd dissipated the hunter and huntress found themselves at a corner table alone. Their prize was already being mounted, and they would decide who was going to keep it later. He grinned as the glass of strong liquid was raised to his lips, though he paused before drinking. The glass was raised to Artemis. "To the Lioness of Dxun." A nod was sent her direction before Kad drank the liquid with an ease that should not be there. He'd been drinking too much since his loss, but tonight he did not wish to find himself in the fog and stupor that drunkenness would bring.

His fingers circled the top edge of the glass before pouring himself another drink. It was out of habit though he pushed it away. His eyes went to the familiar emeralds which made him want to reach for the drink. Kad exercised restraint. A sigh escaped his lips. She'd stopped him during the fight, his drinking was no secret to her. It had been Artemis that had taken the goblet from his hand before they left on the hunt. "I think this will be the first night I will go to sleep with a smile in too many to recall. I am happy you joined me for this hunt."

Kad reached for the glass and finished it. The pull was too strong for him. There was no reason he had to turn to it, but he did. Artemis didn't need to see this part of him, but he was not going to hide. Kad never felt judged because of his weakness, his struggle. Artemis knew why he was as he was. The kill had broken a piece of what held him to the bottle. There was a bit of freedom from it.

"We have to do this again, and soon..."

[member="Artemis Lux"]​

 

[Artemis Lux]

There had been a time, long ago, when Artemis was blithe and even girlish—a time where she would have gallivanted through the woods with all of the starry-eyed recklessness of youth, laughing like a wild and pure thing, still untouched by the pain of loss. Those days seemed far away from her now, shrouded by time and experience, snuffed out by war and death. Any twinkle of humor that Artemis displayed now, as a woman, was always a bit restrained, always murmured through subdued smiles, as if it were part of the wall that she had built around herself to keep the hounds of her past at bay.

Tonight had taken some coaxing. As they made their triumphant march back to camp with their prize in tow, Kad’s boyish enthusiasm had come out to play in true form; he burst into song and dance, each clever verse and purposefully outrageous move designed to provoke some sort of reaction from Artemis. At first, she merely followed him and watched his antics, skeptical and stoic as ever, shaking her dark head and attempting to suppress the amusement that tugged at her lips and played in her green eyes . . . by the time they reached camp, however, Kad had her singing and laughing until she ached, drunk on nothing more than their victory and the light of the stars.

Artemis collapsed into a chair at the bar with a great smile and a sigh, her gaze sparkling up to Kad as he slung down the Zakkeg’s head with a mighty thud—a thud which quickly garnered a large crowd of their comrades, eager to peer at the hunter and huntress’s trophy and to celebrate their mighty win.

When the boisterous interval subsided, and the crowd dispersed at last, Artemis could not help but close her eyes and luxuriate in the afterglow.

“I haven’t had a hunt like that in . . . years,” She murmured breathlessly, tilting back her head and running her fingers through the glory of her dark curls, still damp and wild from the lagoon. After a moment, her vivid gaze flickered back to Kad, the dimple surfacing in her cheek as she smiled. “I felt like a girl again—thank you.”

The night grew late as the pair talked, reliving their duel with the Zakkeg, swapping stories from their childhood, sharing memories of their families, smiling together about what it meant to grow up Mandalorian. It wasn’t until Kad began to slump in his chair, until he began to slur his speech, that Artemis lifted an eyebrow and nodded toward the bartender, who gave her a knowing look. Artemis knew what she had to do. Without missing a beat, she pushed back Kad’s goblet and rose from table.

“Come along, beast slayer,” quipped Artemis, the concern in her voice masked by a layer of dry wit. “I think you’ve had enough excitement for one evening. Let’s get you safely to bed.”

Artemis was a small thing in his shadow, but there was great strength hidden in the refined muscles and slender curves of her body. She draped one of Kad’s heavy arms across her shoulders and supported his weight, helping him walk the entire stretch back to the barracks through the darkness.

When they reached his bunk, Kad veritably fell out of Artemis’ arms and tumbled to his bed ingloriously, nearly bringing Artemis down with him—but she was all business, already setting to work tending to him like a little mother. After fetching a glass of water, she paused at his bedside to lean over him gently, one long dark curl tumbling down her shoulder as she arranged the pillows beneath his head.

“There you are,” She murmured quietly, starlight filtering in through the window as her green eyes beamed down to him, just as she turned to go. “Sleep well.”

[member="Kad Tor"]​

 

[Kad Tor]

The more Kad drank the more his speech slurred and the harder it was to remain upright. He didn't notice the look between Artemis and the bartender. There was a protest when the glass was pushed away from him, but not enough to make him reach for it. He'd drunk himself into a stupor again. Unfortunately Artemis was seeing it again. She'd stopped him from fighting once already when he was almost drunk, well slightly hungover. It wasn't a secret Kad defaulted to the bottle to drown his sorrows, and looked for women to warm his bed. There had been none of the latter since coming to Dxun, but he'd been honest with Briika, and Artemis knew, or so Kad assumed.

He just nodded when she said it was time to go to bed for the night. His hands were a bit grabby as they walked back to his bunk but not enough to signal he would try anything. It was dark, his bunk smelled distinctly of man and drink. A boyish smile played at his mouth as he fell into his bed. Artemis didn't leave, but rather she ensured he was okay. A glass of water was fetched and placed on the stand next to the bed. Kad would likely be asleep before he could drink it, but that would lead to a giant headache in the morning.

Kad and Artemis were almost in the clear, but she leaned over the bed to look at him. His eyes watched as her hair fell over one of her shoulders. Glassy blue eyes met the emerald gaze which had a concerned look her face. The pain Kad felt led him to drink, but it was ruining him. She was right to be concerned, but Kad was drunk, and his second vice was suddenly demanding satisfaction.

His hand reached for Artemis cheek. Whether she would flinch he didn't know, but the man just smiled. She told him to sleep well and was about to leave when Kad reached for her arm and tugged on her. "Don't go," he said with a slur and a playful tone. "It's a cold night and our beds are cold. We can keep each other waaaaaarm."

Kad tugged harder wanting to bring Artemis to the bed with him.

"Sleep with me! We can help each other forget!"

Had Kad not been so drunk those words would not have come out of his mouth. Neither of them wanted to forget their past loves. They had just fought in their honor, Kad had agreed to add her family to his daily remembrance. It was enough of an insult to treat Artemis as a common woman in his drunken state, and another to suggest they forget. Perhaps worse was that Kad had been too drunk to know what he had said until it was too late. His face went pale at the realization and at once he let go. It was safe to assume the damage had already been done.

[member="Artemis Lux"]​

 

[Artemis Lux]

There was something in the air, something warm and heavy that prickled over her skin just as she turned to go, that warned Artemis that Kad was not finished with her yet. It was a feeling that hovered somewhere between anticipation and dread—the instinct of a woman who knew men, but who chose to believe that this man was different. Artemis did not want to be wrong.

The caress of his fingers down her cheek did not give her as much pause as his sudden grip on her arm and the possessive tug toward the bed that followed. Had Artemis not known Kad, nor born such a deep understanding of him, she might have aligned the knuckles of her right hook squarely against his jaw. As it were, Artemis did know him, and knew him intimately. She knew why he drank, why he wanted to forget. Her sympathy ran deep, cooling her fighter's impulse to react.

As he pulled on her arm and slurred Don’t go, Artemis merely closed her eyes and furrowed her brows as if to summon patience, as if to entreat him to push no further. “Kad . . .” She murmured gently, the way a mother might speak to a petulant child, but it was too late—his next words zapped away her gentleness like electricity to water.

It’s a cold night, and our beds are cold.

We can keep each other warm.

Sleep with me.

We can help each other forget.

A silence fell over them that was more terrifying than the Lioness’ rage could have ever been. Artemis, stiff and sharp as an arrow, watched the color drain from Kad’s face as he released her arm. He knew what he had done. The insult . . . the injury . . . to his family and hers. The breach of trust, the breach of friendship. The inglorious fall from grace after their hunt, after a night that had briefly resembled heaven. It was too much. Artemis, equal parts woman and warrior, was only tender until pushed.

“How dare you,” She growled, her voice cutting through the darkness like the low, warning purr of a feline. From where she stood at the bedside—jaw firmly set, chin lifted proud and strong—her eyes raged with emerald wildfire. It was a look designed to strike fear into the sturdiest of men’s hearts. It was a look that Kad would not forget. “If that is how little you regard me—how little you regard Ralize’s memory—then you are a truly broken man.”

Artemis gathered herself and moved swiftly toward the door, pausing at the threshold to whip her head of dark curls around to regard him once more. The ferocity of her gaze showed him no mercy.

“Broken beyond my repair.”

Those were her last words as she disappeared into the night, leaving the invalid to nurse his emotional hangover alone.

[member="Kad Tor"]​