And There Were Three

[Keira Priest]

Echoy'la​

​

To call the attempted negotiations on Voss a failure would be the understatement of the century. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, and then some, just for good measure. Nothing had been expressly gained or lost, though the Crusaders had made it clear just where the line was drawn when it came to further relations with the Silver Jedi. As far as the sect of Mandalorians were concerned, the Jedi could hire them on to fight the Sith, just as anyone else. After their ultimatum had been put forth and summarily declined, it was their form of some kind of retribution for what had happened on Korriban. If the Jedi didn't want to continuously fight a losing war, then they would have to dole out credits in order to ensure that.

If Voss had been a disaster than Vaal had been something far worse entirely. It was a neutral planet between Silver Jedi and Crusader space, and one that had been declared as the neutral meeting point for herself and a Master of their Order, one Connor Harrison. He was a man Keira shared some kind of Force bond with, an individual she had grown immeasurably close to over their years of knowing each other. Despite this the two always butted heads, never quite fitting together perfectly, reminiscent of two puzzle pieces too bent out of shape to form the correct picture. All of that had come to a head on Vaal, the years of petty fights culminating to that singular clash, one wherein she had undoubtedly proven herself the more brutal, efficient fighter.

Of course, she hadn't escaped without injury entirely, but a few burns from Force Lightning and a wound between her shoulderblades was far better than the state she had left him in. It had taken some amount of time to remove the pieces of shrapnel that had buried themselves in her back, but eventually all the pieces of the phrik plating had been removed from her skin, the cut itself stitched shut and bandaged. There would be a lasting scar, but that was just one more on a list already miles long. If one looked closely they would notice that she walked a bit differently due to the wound, not quite moving as fluidly as she used to. However, for the most part she was entirely unscathed.

Upon departing from the medbay, this time dressed entirely casually, she had soon enough called for another meeting, this one between just herself, [member="Alkor Centaris"] and [member="Commander Lusk"]. They were the three that had been present for the talks on Voss, and the only individuals aside from Isley that knew exactly what the outcome there was. The only thing they needed to be debriefed on was what had happened between her and Connor, and after that decisions needed to be made in regards to their standing with the Silver Jedi. In her mind the message had already been sent, and now all there was left to do was wait for the retaliation. But she wouldn't be any kind of leader if she didn't ask for the input of those she respected the most.

 

[Alkor Centaris]

[member="Keira Ticon"] looked as though she had gotten herself into a fight with an Akk Dog, though not necessarily like the loser. He could smell the charred flesh from where telltale Sith Lightning had struck her. Alkor had fought enough of them to know their textbook trickery. It seemed strange so soon after the Voss debacle where she had announced neutrality on the matter for her to get into any altercations with a party she had seemed outside their interests. Still, Centaris had to ask. "Did you kill the Sith who did that to you?"

He did not look up from his datapad as he watched the trade deal between Balmorran Arms and Nubia Star Drives come to its anti-climactic end, just as anticipated. The weapons manufacturers had to honor the non-violent design beliefs of the long standing shipwrights, but Kurayami had vested interest in dealings with the Mandalorians. Alkor only sought to facilitate that mutually beneficial relationship a bit further with a few well placed offers to invest. Even the pacifistic Nubians saw the light when credits came into the mix.

Soon enough, he would be able to tell Keira about the new ships that the Crusader fleet could call upon. Not just yet, of course. He tapped out a quick response directly to Bloodborn, who he would introduce to the Warmaster in the near future. I want a prototype in the works by next month. The Galaxy is a dangerous place, after all. Balmorran is happy to make its people a bit safer. That is what Illyns tells me. He has authorized me to disclose the statistics of our new ship-mounted rail cannons for your engineers to accommodate in the design. Feel free to deviate from the Nubian design template with this project- I feel your corporation may prefer to disassociate themselves from my vision a bit.

He glanced to Keira only after the message was sent. Alkor was not a man who dressed up or down dependent on situation. He wore the same worn out black cloak he always did, with the garb of a spacer who cared nothing for propriety beneath. Keira almost always wore her armor, so it was noted that she opted for casual attire in this instance. His eyes traveled from her to [member="Commander Lusk"] , the clone who he had defended on Voss from the brutal verbal battering of a Jedi Knight. It was not Standard Operating Procedure for Alkor Centaris, but Keira had been vehement about solidarity. He understood the necessity of camaraderie, to some degree.

Asha emerged from the corridor beyond as Lusk and Alkor found themselves seats near Ticon. "Sucuy, Keira," she greeted warmly. "I'm glad you're back." She glanced to Lusk with a smile, then over to Alkor. He still smelled like blood, and she sighed. "If this guy went with you, I'm sure that the Jetiise weren't too thrilled."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Alkor asked skeptically.

"It means ori'buyce, kih'kovid, Alk'ika," she crooned as she leaned close and ruffled his hair with lithe fingers. His blank stare did nothing to unnerve her as she turned her gaze to Keira. "Kaysh shu'shuk, 'lek?"

"I do not understand anything you are saying," he protested. "And do not touch me."

In light of his warning, Asha promptly sat herself down in his lap and draped an arm over his shoulders. Alkor blinked. "So, how did it go?" the woman asked as her new chair watched her, absolutely unsure of himself. Normally when Alkor gave a silent threat or demanded that someone do something, they understood implicitly that there was violence involved in noncompliance. This woman seemed to not care about that at all.

"The Jedi refused our offer," Alkor told her. "You can leave now that you know."

"I want to hear it from her," Asha shot him a scornful look. Alkor blinked again. She pressed a finger to his nose. "You're still a child by Mando standards. Gar ramikadyc, a ke'nu verd."

"You're still speaking Mandoese," he retorted.

"And that's why you're not one of us yet," Asha retorted. "You don't even understand what it means to be Mandalorian. If you did, you'd be wearing the armor and speaking the language like the rest of us." She pat him on the head again, and Alkor stared at Keira, hard. "Udesii, cyar'ika," she told him. "I'm not saying it to be mean. I'm just telling you what I'm sure she's already been telling you. You can't just call yourself one of us. You have to embrace the culture that's embraced you."

He ignored her. "What happened?" he gestured toward Keira as Asha pouted.

 

[Commander Lusk]

Lusk's job was done. The Jedi didn't accept their terms and now they could all collectively screw themselves. As far as the Sith war against the Jedi went, he couldn't care less, they were both dead to him. So even if he was hired as a mercenary he'd give up his share of money and sit it out, unless direct threat came to the people of the Crusaders he couldn't care less. So when Keira came into the room followed by the stupidity of what's her face, all Lusk did was give Alkor a solid nod of appreciation and respect before looking to Keira.

"I lost my temper and struck a Jedi, I accept any punishments you wish to render as a leader." Lusk said as he started to walk out the room.

"I'm out of this war with the Jedi and Sith. Don't call me to fight for you, because I won't. I don't fight for deserters." and then he left.

That was that.

[member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Keira Priest]

"It wasn't a Sith, and he's not exactly dead." That was the only explanation Keira had the chance to put forth before Asha walked in. All she did was nod to the other woman, not having a chance to get a word in edgewise as the two bickered back and forth, though it was a bit one-sided altogether. It was difficult to suppress a smile, and she raised a hand to her mouth in order to stifle a quiet laugh, not quite managing to do so. Arguably it was unfair that Asha kept speaking Mando'a when Alkor had barely any grasp on the language, but she wasn't of a mind to break up what was really nothing more than harmless fun. It was rare for any of them to have the opportunity to simply be, and besides, this was more than a little amusing.

Finally she raised a hand. "Udesii, Asha. Leave him be." And then Lusk entered, spoke his piece, and promptly left. For a moment she watched him go, turning back to the other two and waving her hand dismissively. It wasn't business that concerned them or any of the Crusaders anyhow. "As I said previously, it wasn't a Sith that attacked me." Though she almost wished it had been, because at the very least that conflict would have been easier to bring to a close with a bullet to the head. As always, things had to be far more complicated. "After what happened on Voss, Connor contacted me and asked that we meet on Vaal just as we had before the talks. I went."

Half-expecting a comment from either of them, she paused for a moment before continuing, "We spoke, things escalated, and it turned into a fight. Long story short, I won and he lost. The longer story is that I threw him back into the wall three times, crushed his hand and kneecap, broke his ribs and collarbone, and shattered his legs." She couldn't help the slight smile and quiet laugh from emerging. "I left him there, though I expect his friends have stopped by to pick him up by now. He's likely back on Voss at this point, not that it matters. The intention wasn't to kill him. It was to send a message. And once the Silver Jedi find out that we're not taking this lightly, I expect one of two things: further stagnation, or retaliation."

Here she leaned forward, her jaw taughtening just slightly as the sutures holding the gash shut stretched just enough to remind her that they were there. "Now, we have nothing to fear from them, I want to make that clear. What happened between Connor and I proved that. If they lash out, we'll be just as ready as we are for any other foe. They're not anything special just because they're Jedi. What I want are your thoughts on the matter. We can either strike at them now while they're weak, or let them lick their wounds and have that reminder that the vode are an enemy they can't afford." It was that much she had told Connor after he'd made a threat similar directed towards her. One only had to look at the result of their clash to see who spoke truth.

"I'm not pining for a war, here. We've already proven to them twice over now that they aren't worth our time. But I'm not exactly doing this alone, now am I?"

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Asha settled into her impromtu seat as Keira bid her calm, shifting for comfort. Alkor deadpanned as she not-so-subtly pressed her backside closer to him. In the end, he chose not to react. She reclined and rested her head against his chest with a Cheshire grin. The Dark Jedi listened as his adoptive sister spoke.

He chuckled, at first. The thought of a Jedi acting on emotion so brazenly was a farce. It shifted from quiet ripples to a sinister laughter that caused his entire body to tremble and shake. Asha leaned away from him a bit. "Is he broken?" she asked. "Keira, did you break him? He never laughs."

His laughter ceased in an instant. "You sent a clear message," he replied. "The burden falls to Harrison to tell it true. If he tells the Jedi it was done maliciously, then he undermines the fact that he called parley with you in a volatile situation. It was his stupidity that exacerbated the situation. A war caused by the proud posturing as a Jedi would be foolish, but it would cause introspection in their leadership. Perhaps the Jedi would learn. I am not against it."

Asha frowned at Keira. Alkor continued. "Be that as it may, I understand that war is a costly effort, and to waste our resources on the Jedi when there are clear and present dangers to our people would be reckless. I am not inclined to press for a conflict, either." The Mando woman in his lap seemed relieved at that, and a sigh escaped her. "My opinion is that we ought not invite war, but we should not be averse to it, either. We should keep our options open, and bring in some credits while we can. Rally the Mercs, kit them out, and fortify our holdings. There are ancient Imperial Outposts and vast resources in the nearby sectors. We ought to capitalize on those things."

Asha spoke up. "Were you a strategist, Alk'ika?" she asked.

"A warrior understands strategy," he replied simply.

"Not as useless as you thought, Keira." She winked. "I think I can agree with that, though. We ought to bolster the ranks while we have the opportunity." Alkor shifted uncomfortably for the first time as he tried to loose her from his lap. She sat up and shifted against him. For the first time in his life, Alkor relented.

"There are some battles you can't win, cyar'ika." She locked eyes with him despite his look of defiance. Alkor broke from it to look back to [member="Keira Ticon"] .

"The point is, we're all one people," Asha spoke up. "Mandos stick together. We don't agree on everything, and we're not always best friends, but we stand together dispute any dissension. When war comes, Mandos fight. That's all there is to it." She closed her eyes and smiled. "Let the Jedi come," she said quietly. "Or not. Either way, we'll find ourselves fighting."

"I have discovered something," Alkor said as he glanced over at Keira. "Not everything that she says is annoying."

Asha leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. His eyes flew open, and he looked over at her. The instinctual response was hand to lightsaber, but he restrained himself. Color had bled away from his face. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said about me," she laughed. "I figured I ought to give you something special."

"Regardless," Alkor spoke as his eyes lingered on the blonde for a moment, then moved back to the newly appointed Warmaster. "We have nothing to fear from our enemies. Death is an inevitable part of the process of war. We may lose men. We will simply ensure that they lose more." He drummed his fingers on the chair next to him, staving off impatience.

"I have decided to learn your language," he added abruptly.

 

[Keira Priest]

The laughter from her brother caused her to raise an eyebrow, and she shook her head at Asha's concern. "Not broken. Just amused, I think, at all of this. And I don't blame him." It was difficult not to find humor in the fact that the Jedi had come out of things believing themselves to have the metaphorical high ground, only to be immediately knocked off that invisible mountain once Connor decided to persist. "I don't expect them to beat the war drums even if he does tell the story truthfully. They don't like our way of justice, remember, and I can't imagine them spinning on a dime and changing their minds just because of this. Their morality is the one thing they'll always stick to, no matter how flawed and ultimately useless it proves."

Keira nodded as he spoke, interjecting her own commentary, "We'll be ready for it. Should they come, they won't find us unprepared. But it's not something we should devote all of our time to. They all know how to fight against the Jedi. As you said, for now we gather our resources and wait. Expansion is the best option, as we've fallen silent lately. However, the vode want blood as well, and I think I may have something arranged to sate that. We need to get back on our feet and out in the galaxy before anything else. Everyone needs to be reminded about what it means to fear the T-visor." Of that she was certain. Once the word Mandalorian began striking fear into those that opposed them, then they knew they were ready to move forward.

When Asha leaned in to give Alkor a kiss on the cheek a crooked grin drew itself across her face, her gaze cutting to the blonde momentarily, "Gar asaya kaysh?" An innocent enough question to those that had no grasp on the language, but the other woman would know exactly what it was she inquired after. It was more than a little evident to her that there were feelings blossoming there, though at the moment they were terribly one-sided. That was a development she would have to explain to her brother later, when they had the chance to convene alone so she could properly elaborate on just what it all meant. There was no doubt he was a bit slow in picking up on social cues, but that was what she was there for.

His abrupt comment only caused her to lean back in her seat, watching him for a moment. That was a development they had been working towards slowly but surely, however, now that he made it clear he wished to begin truly learning Mando'a, it would change just a bit. "I was wondering when you'd finally come around, vod'ika. I suppose we can start with that now, or later if you'd like. You'll have to let me know where you want to start, and we can get things figured. It's a bit easier than Olys Corellsi, once you actually start picking up on it."

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

"Kaysh di'kut, a'kaysh jate ad." Her even response to the other woman betrayed nothing of the deeper meaning behind their seemingly harmless back and forth, but her willingness to answer in that way and without hesitation would speak volumes to Ticon. "Ni copaanir. I know that's not happening, obviously."

Before they could get too mixed up in that conversation, the former Jen'jidai cut in. "I grew up listening to the spacers prattle on in the old tongue," Alkor replied. "It is not something that leaves you once you've learned it. My disinclination toward speaking it is a personal preference, and that is all," he explained for the first time when she mentioned their native language for the millionth time. It was obvious that part of [member="Keira Ticon"] was important to her, and since figuring out his origins, the woman had pried deeper into the story that remained hidden there. "I would prefer not to speak on the matter further, if you are amenable to that."

"Ohhh, he's a Corellian?" Asha asked with a mischievous smirk. "That explains the gruff exterior." She chuckled as her eyes moved apologetically to her best friend. The woman knew it was all in fun, of course. "Why wouldn't you be proud of it, like all the others? That's not exactly normal."

"I am not Corellian," he spat. "No matter where I was born. I do not accept that heritage."

"Fine." Her gaze moved to Keira. "Kaysh jari'eyc, huh?" The frown that creased her features was evident as she rose from her seat and brushed off the seat of her pants. She turned back to Alkor and leaned in close to his face, both hands on her hips. "Nobody cares who your father is," she told him, "just the father you'll be."

"I do not understand, even in basic, what you are trying to tell me." His voice was flat, the same level of detachment as every word he had spoken before that point. "This sentiment is-"

"Everything." She put a finger over his lips. "Don't you say anything else about it. You'll learn, even if I have to beat it into you. What it means to be Mandalorian."

"What it means?" he echoed as Asha pulled away from him and sauntered over to the chair next to Keira. She took a seat, reclined back with her hands draped over both arms.

Asha only smirked.