A Kasurida (Mandalorian Dominion of Muunilinst)

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She wept. Hard. She'd never once cried like this before. Not even when her father disappeared. She'd been hard as ice, cold and snow. Nothing could break her... until now. It shocked her. What was going on it her?

"But I'm..." she whimpered, "But I'm... not you. I... I can't... Just.... This entire battle... I will never live down this shame. Such dishonor. But.... I was following orders. If I didn't... If I didn't... The clan would be shamed. But when I did it, I was shamed. This wasn't a battle. This was a massacre."

She buried her face in his shoulder, knowing that she was rambling.

"What would my father have done?"

Her father, with his smiling face, his good humor. But he always looked...just a little bit sad. It was behind his dark eyes, a sense of loss that only ever seemed to brighten around her mother.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor hugged Rawnie even tighter as he spoke again. He didn't understand why he was feeling so detached... Not even a little bit of emotion, except for her.

"I don't know what your dad would've done. I'm not a soldier or a warrior at all. I'm just a guy who likes to make weapons. By Mandalorian standards, I've got no honor."​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She was silent now. He offered her no comfort. No lies to make her feel better. Maybe that was not what she needed anyway. Lying to her would help nothing and she knew it. She didn't know if she was thankful for him honesty, his unwillingness to sugar coat the situation for her, or if she was resentful for it. But for a time, all she did was weep in his arms. Weep for the stain on her soul, weep for the Father that wasn't around anymore to guide her, weep for the sharp reality of what she'd only dreamed of.

War was hell. It was the the glorious, honorable battle she'd dreamed about. It was bloody. It was cruel. And those that suffered the most were those who could not defend themselves.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Prazutis]

Location: Small landing pad near Muun Mines
Objective: Attack Muun mines.
Allies: Mandalorians and others.
Enemies: All those that get in our way.
Post Count: 1/20


Jarell brings his ship down on a landing pad that's as close to the muun mines as he could get according to his navigational charts on his ship. Jarell looks through his cockpit window noticing it was dark outside. Once the ship landed Jarell lowered the boarding ramp and exited his ship. Jarell then pressed a button on his gauntlet computer screen activating his night vision. Jarell looked around examing his surroundings. Jarell then activated his helmet comlink and tried to reach some other Mandalorians.

This Is Jarell Xaaris. I have landed about 100 kilometers from the muun mines. I'll make my way there. If anyone out there gets this please respond

Jarell then activated the sound amplifier in his helmet to hear anything he could just in case of threats. Jarell then looked at his navigational map on his wrist then grabbed his EE-3 Carbine right and set out to the mines taking each step with the up most extreme caution.

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor was either about to say something heartfelt, or suggest that Rawnie have some coffee, but then the tapping noise got way too loud to ignore. He very gently picked his fiancee up in his arms and walked over to the hatch.​

​

The tapping noise was a droideka. It tilted its head at the two of them and then slowly walked in on its clawed legs. A small whining noise escaped it as it tried to climb the stairs to the cockpit and fell down.​

​

"What in the actual fuck?"​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She hated being carried, but she did not protest. With her injury and, well, emotional injury, she really could not possibly care less. Even when a scrap pile wandered in and collapsed outside their cockpit. She didn't even blink. After today? Stranger things had happened.

"We...need to go meet up with the others," she said at last in a far away sounding voice, "There is still a job to do..."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

"What? Go blow up a city? You almost got a hole in your leg, and I managed to crack all my lower ribs at once. Let's just collect the check and go."​

​

Lor wasn't taking no for an answer this time. Rawnie was having some kind of traumatic experience, he was kind of trying to ignore the fact that he should've gone to a hospital by now, and there were random combat droids walking into their ship. That was enough to put up with for one day.​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She forced herself down. Both feet on the ground. She gingerly put weight on her injured leg. She resisted the cry of pain that was desperately trying to force its way out. Her face was set. Determined.

"I still have a job to do," she repeated stubbornly, "You don't have to come with me."

Of course, at that point, let leg gave out under her and she had to cling to what ever was closest to stay standing.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor caught Rawnie as her leg gave out, and gave her a look that was almost a glare.​

​

"I love you, but I will literally knock you out if that's what gets you to stay off that leg. Lie down. We're not going anywhere until I figure out what to do with- There's more of them?!"​

​

Sure enough, there were six more wayward destroyer droids trying to crawl their way up the stairs to the cockpit. Curiosity tripped the droideka, or something.​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She opened her mouth to argue, but she was distracted. Why were they trying to get up there? She didn't care to find out. Without a word, she pulled out the gun he had let her borrow and shot one. The rest of her body was shaking, but her hands were eerily still. Her face was blank, eyes void of all emotion. This was how she'd managed to kill so many people. It was as if her hands could function independently of her mind. Her trigger finger was always ready.

"Lorane, we will discuss this later."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Fine. Lor watched as the droid Rawnie had shot crawled away into the cargo hold instead. He could deal with any amount of yelling, as long as she wasn't going to go out and get herself hurt again.​

​

"That's wonderful. Now lie down."​

​

Goddamn Mandalorian culture and their suicidal heroics. Not that he was much better. He'd gone in on missions with horrible odds for no reason but the adrenaline before. There just hadn't been anybody to worry about... Or anybody who'd get worried about him.​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She grit her teeth. He was asking her to stay out of the battle. To dishonor herself by pulling out before the job was done. What could she do though? Break away from him? Hobble all the way to the new base? He would never agree to fly here there.

"...What will you do about them?" she asked, gesturing to the droids with the tip of the gun.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

"They're not dangerous. Just stupid. They followed me here because I activated them while we were in the mine. Self-aware droidekas are like frakkin' diamonds in the rough. I'm keeping 'em."​

​

Lor very gently reached his hand over to slip his gun out of Rawnie's grip.​

​

"Look, just don't worry about shooting anything right now. Just rest so I can give you some painkillers for your leg."​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She didn't really trust enemy tech, but he took the gun out her her hand before she could protest with more bullets. Fine. If he knew what he was doing, she'd let it go.

"...Help me get to bed," she relented at last with a sigh.

It felt like a defeat. Being taken down her first time. She was never going to live the shame of it down... or the trauma.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor rolled his eyes at the room in general. Both the pile of overly curious droids and Rawnie's initial refusal to rest struck him as stupid. He looked at his fiancee as he put his arm around her waist to help her walk a little, hearing the tone of defeat when she answered.​

​

"Gee, I'm sorry I care more about your well-being than your honor. Guess I'm your doctor today instead of your fiancee."​

​

The sarcasm in his voice made it fairly obvious that he was joking, at least. But it seriously wasn't something that'd come up before. They'd never fought with each other over when to retreat from a bad situation. Hell, Lor could count the number of times they'd had to retreat on a job on one hand. Heroics weren't usually something either of them had indulged in. What was different this time?​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She didn't say why, but this situation was different. This was her representing her entire clan. This was her representing her father, her brother, her uncles. She kept her mouth shut. She'd do what he asked of her for now. Rest up. Hopefully, they did not retaliate before she had a chance to heal a little. Just a few days. She would consider it 'good enough' and get right back out there.

...Unless Lorane physically restrained her.

She let him lead her to the bed room. Let him help her remove her armor and underarmor and get into bed.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor helped Rawnie out of her armor and into the bed. Normally, this would be accompanied by a happier mood, or at least a smile... But not this time. He unlocked his boots and laid down as gently as he could next to her, taking her hand and sighing a little.​

​

"I'm sorry, Rawnie. Really."​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​