A Union of Flesh

[Muad Dib]

Sitting within the cockpit of the E-25 he mildly watched the streaks flashing through the canopy of the fighter. The beauty inherent in the wonders of hyperspace was lost on the man as he focused more on what was coming. Having become a Scion of the Confederacy he bad responsibilities. Responsibilities he took seriously. While his brother was running the political aspect of their new system it was upon him, the Mad Knight, to ensure they were prepared to aid the Confederacy with any expansions while also keeping the system safe and secure.

The man smirked slightly at the thought.

He had changed over the years. And what a change that had occurred over the span of time. Once a Sith warmonger now he sat as Alor of his own Clan, a Scion of the Geonosian Knights, a Commander with a fleet of his own, and a sector of space it was his duty to protect and serve. Much had changed.

Shifting in his seat he glanced at the timer counting down to his exit from hyperspace. Several hours yet remained. Closing his eyes he breathed slowly and settled into a meditative state. While his body sat still his mind raced. He could see where he had come from, who he once was. But it was to the future that he looked. Before him laid several paths and avenues. Choices to make that would affect his world. While some were obvious decisions looming in the not too distant future, others hovered just outside of his vision. A weight that he could feel but not see. Shaking his head lightly he settled in for the remaining time before exiting hyperspace.

 

[Muad Dib]

The beeping from the console drew his attention to the timer. Sixty seconds before he was to drop from hyperspace. He nodded slightly as his hands drifted to the controls. As the timer expired the streaks of light faded signifying his exit from the insane speeds of hyperspace. Checking his sensors he saw he was in the Grukl system in the unknown regions of space. A single planet revolved around the star, it's solitary path littered through out with several asteroid belts. Blue eyes narrowed as he slowly pushed the throttle forward with his left hand while keeping a grip on the stick with his left. Fluttering the pedals he slightly turned the ship minuscully from left to right ensuring his manual control of the starfighter matched the readings he was receiving from his droid 'Dizzy'.

Activating the shields he cruised through the debris field of the asteroid belt. He wasn't greatly concerned for his welfare at the moment. A single snubfighter wasn't typically a worrisome thing of note. He assumed he would make it planet side without incident. With a snort of laughter he acknowledged the fact that he had been wrong before.

Even as he approached and entered the planet's atmosphere his eyes saw several random asteroids seemingly alter their trajectory toward his ship. This would have been a cause of confusion if Muad did not know where he was and who he was going to greet. Smirking slightly he moved the starfighter through the clouds, his radar pulling up several unnatural formations rising from within the jungle world. Turning the ship he activated repulsors and slowly descended toward a small plain two klicks west of the formations.

Extending the landing gear he slowly eased onto the ground, the E-25 settling softly onto the ground. Running a check he typed in a command for Dizzy to enact shut down procedures on the fighter. Popping the canopy he unbuckled from the seat and swung over the side, landing in a crouch. Slowly he rose and straightened the leather jacket he wore over his tan tunic. Dark brown trousers and black boots were slightly covered by pollen stirred up by his landing.

Moving to the cargo compartment he removed his jacket and stowed it before pulling out his imbued beskad and slinging it into his back. His hands lightly caressed the beskar'gam and gauntlets in the storage bin, but instead he grabbed a satchel to toss over one shoulder.

Closing the bin his right hand lightly patted his sheaths on his belt, the curved kal and lightsabers safely snug in their sheaths. The the man moved out headed toward the city he had seen.

 

[Muad Dib]

As he moved across the plain and entered the line of trees marking the forest he paused for just a moment wondering if what he was doing was reckless or merely foolish. But shrugging internally he walked into the woods. The trees were alive with the sound of the native birds screeching out their calls. Tracks littered the ground of animals that frequently moved through the foilage. The soft sound of a brook babbled in the background. But there was no evidence of what he was seeking. Despite this fact Muad was neither deterred nor dismayed. He knew they were here for that's what he was told several years earlier by the Warmaster Slah upon their parting.

Chuckling mildly he remembered the battle which introduced the two. A Sith Knight leading a group of Sith and a Warmaster leading the yuuzhan Vong. Both had come to the nebula seeking to inhabit and use the place as a colony. But unbeknownst to both men it had already been claimed by a large criminal organization called 'The Sons of Renegades". What had started off as a battle between the two turned into a case where they fought as allies. Eventually they had won, united, against the "Sons" but all but a handful of yuuzhan Vong had fallen and Muad Dib was the last Sith standing. During the fight the Mad Knight had leapt to the fore of battle and turned the tide, saving the yuuzhan Vong from either falling in death or being dispatched while recovering from wounds. That day Slah performed the ritual Us-hrok upon the Mad Knight.

Now, years later he found himself moving through the forest to revisit the yuuzhan Vong leader.

Pausing along his trek Muad turned his head slightly his ears hearing what his Force senses did not. The sounds of light breathing. Slowly he let his pack slide down his arm and to the ground as he crouched slightly, left hand gripping the sheath protruding past his left hip and right hand raising slowly to rest on the hilt of the imbued blade. Turning slowly his eyes raised up into the canopy making out several bodies poised within.

Soundlessly the warriors dropped from the heights, landing all around the man. Scars and tattoos covered their faces, not all disfigured, and garbed in vonduun crab armor while brandishing the spear like amphistaff of their people. Muad chuckled lightly. One of the warriors palmed something from his belt and with a swift motion tossed it at him. The thud bug flew with unerring accuracy at the Mad Knight's chest.

In a single, smooth motion Muad drew his sword and sliced the bug from the air while transitioning around to keep an eye upon the warriors. Four there were. While he watched the vong slowly began to circle him. Twisting his head side to side he plunged the point of the sword in to the ground as the warriors watched with unreadable expressions. Shrugging his shoulders he to loosen them he reached to the hem of his tunic and pulled it up over his head to toss onto the dropped pack he had been carrying to stand bare chested before the warriors.

Plucking the blade from the ground he slowly turned once more watching the four warriors carefully. Finally the largest of the group stepped forward and immediately the other three retreated. Spinning his amphistaff smoothly the vong did an impression of a human smile, a tattered simile through fleshless lips. "Do-ro'ik vong pratte", the warrior roared advancing.

"Dwi."

The word spoken back in his own language gave the warrior pause for a moment. But it was not enough to qwell what was to take place. Leaping forward the warrior lashed out with a wide sweeping arc of the spear intending to disembowel the human the strength and speed of the warrior was great and under normal circumstances, against a typical human, it would have split the belly and spilt the intestines onto the forest floor. But with or without the Force, Muad Dib was no ordinary man.

Reacting with lightning fast reflexes Muad stepped into the swing, bringing his beskad up and twirling the spear against the blade of his sword to use the momentum of the strike to push the amphistaff away from his body. While doing so he closed the distance between the two combatants and drove his elbow against the jaw of the yuuzhan Vong warrior, staggering the heavier warrior back a few steps.

As the two reset themselves they eyed one another warily, gauging the other in this duel of death. With a snarl Muad attacked, the sword in a single handed grip in his left hand which drove down at the vong from above. Raising the staff in a two handed grip the vong blocked the blow. As the two weapons collided the end of the staff came alive as the mouth opened from the amphistaff's head. Anticipating the maneuver from past battles Muad had used his right hand and pulled the curved kal at his waist to drive the blade into the mouth which killed the amphistaff.

Before the shock of the move had fully set in for the warrior Muad and dropped his left arm down, bending his arm and trailing the edge of his blade along the serpent's rigid form to drive the hilt of his sword into the temple of the vong warrior. The vong fell to his back, half dazed, but despite the wound and the haze his mind was in the vong had already begun to push himself from the ground.

However the tip of the sword hovered just above the crab armor, near the soft flesh of the vong's throat. Slowly Muad backed away and sheathed his blades as the warrior found his feet.

"Nikk pryooz Muad Dib. Warmaster Slah."

Again the vong's own language coming from a human gave the warrior pause, just long enough for an understanding to seep into the warrior's eyes. The warrior barked out to the other three and Muad found himself in the center of a forced march toward the city.


(Translation:
And woe to our enemies
Yes
I am Muad Dib. )