Private Ashes to Ashes

[SCAR]

Tor’r Tal’Verda | Death’s Hand
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Jungle Moon of Dxun, Onderon, Onderon System
Two Weeks After Dathomir..


The hunt. The thrill, playing with fire and living on the edge as both predator and prey. This. This is the Way.

They walked in the footsteps of their ancestors, true crusaders who raged across the stars for the Glory of Mandalore. It was they who crippled the Old Republic and set ablaze the galaxy. It was they who broke the Jedi sending them spiraling into darkness, splintered and at war. They had been legion, they had been at the forefront of nearly every conflict even after the Great Gulag. They had monuments, empires, achievement after achievement upon each reinvention.

In the end it could not save them from sundering, from being scattered by opportunistic vultures who preyed upon them at their weakest. Hell, he didn’t blame them. The Sith capitalized as they always had, they had been too weak and too blind to prevent it much less fight the tide that overtook Mandalore. Even they in the end were to weak to hold her, yet the damage had been done.

Tor’r looked upon the clearing’s edge where endless jungle awaited them and paths long since vanished had once led to the Mandalorian Stronghold of ancient day. He had been on this road not too long ago, as a member of the Death Watch Crusade, now he had returned a follower of Khamul Kryze and a loyal member of Death’s Hand.

“The compound is about two klicks from here, my Alor Kix Tal’Verda once used the facility as a testing ground for newcomers. I don’t know why the Dar’Manda would store the mask there for the old Sith.”

Khamul Kryze | Arron Starstrider

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[Khamul Kryze]

Tags: SCAR , Arron Starstrider

The jungles of Onderon rippled with the sounds of strange birds and wind coursing through the treetops. Khamul had walked the jungles of Onderon once before, when he was only a child, still learning from his old master. He had long awaited the return to the planet, as his master had refused to allow him to investigate the ruins of the Mandalorians of old. 'Their ways no longer serve you', he would say. The man had spent many years trying to remove Khamul from his heritage in some futile attempt to cull his thirst for blood. In the end, he failed. As it turns out, you can take the Mandalorian out of the fight, but you can't take the fight out of the Mandalorian.

"The Dar'Manda do many strange things for their masters. One must throw reason to the wayside when considering their actions."

The search had been a long one, with weeks of travel across several planets, and the full strength of Death's Hand deployed, all in an effort to find one item; so simple an item, yet one that carried the fate of their people within its history. Khamul had sought the mask for years, cutting through world upon world, hoping to finally claim his birthright. Each time the search ended in nothing but empty hands and trails of blood, but each failure was only the smallest of roadblocks, and every moment brought him closer to his destiny.

"Should any of these Dar'Manda happen to remain, we will offer them one chance to join the fold. Should they refuse, or be found wanting, kill them."

 

[SCAR]

Tor’r Tal’Verda | Death’s Hand
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“With pleasure Lord Kryze.”

There was a hint of satisfaction in his words, a dark undertone underlining his thoughts. He cared nothing for the weak and the feeble, the Dar’Manda had chosen their fate the moment they had strayed from the ‘true path’, the Way of the Mandalore. Their subservience to the Sith Empire and the yolk of the decimated order now smoldering in exile had given them their just deserts.

Tor’r was no servant, no meager slave begging for scraps. He was Mandalorian. His future Mand’alor a Mandalorian, one whom had seized the Sith teachings for his own and embraced the New Sith Order as extended brothers.

There was no shame in embracing the strong, no comparison to the Dar’Manda who served Sith ideology. Khamul was Mandalorian first and foremost, his dual role as Sith Master and Mandalorian Warlord was one of apex evolution. It was no different to the Mandalorian Jedi they once called Mand’alor, the only difference being the true path now being laid out for their people.

A worthy path.

A worthy Mand’alor.

“There are many worthy predators among the jungles here. Perhaps we can make use of these beasts as our ancestors once had.”

His visor scanned their surroundings with careful consideration, it would be only the word of Lord Kryze that would offer any semblance of mercy for any Dar’Manda in hiding.

Tor’r was fresh out.

Khamul Kryze | Arron Starstrider

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[Khamul Kryze]

Tags: SCAR , Arron Starstrider

The words of Tor'r were filled of both understanding and eagerness. Though a more recent addition to Death's Hand, Tor'r was swiftly becoming one of Khamul's most favored followers; an example of what all true Mandalorians were meant to be. He would receive little more for such devotion, as Khamul was not willing to commend others for what they simply should already be doing. Nevertheless, he appreciated the Tor'r's loyalty all the same. Too many of their brethren had lost their way over the years. They had served imperials, Jedi, Sith, and countless other powers across the galaxy. Many had forgotten their true destiny, but Death's Hand would soon remedy that misguided attitude.

"Indeed. We should be sure to secure some of these beasts before we depart from this planet."

The taming of such beasts was another art that seemed long-forgotten to the Mandalorian people. Khamul thought about his fight against the dragon Ulrich on Malachor V, and how the beast sought to throw that heritage in his face. It hadn't phased Khamul in the slightest, but it did remind him of yet another thing he would have to remedy within their ranks.

As they continued pushing through the thick foliage of Onderon, Khamul could sense the savagery in the air. The planet was quite unforgiving to those that weren't careful to watch their surroundings; something that Khamul often found charming about the place. The primal nature of it all, the constant state of one wondering if they would be predator or prey... it was all so pure. Nevertheless, one had to tread carefully in such a place.

He caught a quick feeling nagging at the back of his mind, causing him to stop for a moment.

"Eyes open, Vod. I sense that we are not alone."

 

[SCAR]

Tor’r Tal’Verda | Death’s Hand
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“Copy that.”

His predatory instincts were at an all time high, their trek through the jungles of Dxun beginning to attract attention as the far brushes began to ruffle on each side. The predator had become prey, the hunter hunted, such was the Way of the Mandalore.

A great ruffling breeze suddenly rippled through the air pushing aside the jungle tree tops and untangling vines. A great beast flying overhead, encircling the area beyond the heavy veil of treetop that formed a natural barrier between they and the monster above.

“A drexl. Beautiful.”

Just as those words escaped his lips a pair of Dxunian Stalkers leapt out from the brush towards the pair of Mandalorians, pouncing on the warriors.

Khamul Kryze | Arron Starstrider

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[Khamul Kryze]

Tags: SCAR , Arron Starstrider

The beast flew above, and even Khamul found himself in awe for a moment at its terrifying majesty. The Mandalorians had been great conquerors of such beasts, once. Countless creatures either subdued or killed... another testament to former Mandalorian glory. Khamul would see them return to those days, but for now... they had a mission to fulfill.

Not long after the moment had passed, another sort of beast was upon them. They came from the thick foliage with great ferocity, pouncing on Death's Hand with a vicious momentum. Khamul quickly rolled out of the way of the first, popping up just in time to block its stinger with a small shield of energy, channeling his will through the Dark Side just enough to hold the creature back.

"Watch for those stingers!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the beast's second stinger lunged toward him, leaving Khamul just enough time to react. He quickly drew his blade, igniting it just in time to catch the stinger mid-air, cleaving it away from the beast. The Hellhound jumped back, taking a guard as he stared the creature down.

"Keep that other one off of me. I won't let these beasts impede our mission here."

The creature roared in pain as blood poured from its tail, though Khamul could sense that he had only made it even more enraged. Fortunately for Khamul, he had more rage within him than this beast could ever hope to conjure.

 

[Kralmus Orr]

Location: Dxun, Deep Jungle
Tags: Khamul Kryze | SCAR | Arron Starstrider

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As Khamul drew his blade, fending off one of the jungle predators with saber and shield, the other leapt at Tor'r... and was intercepted by three hundred pounds of armored madman. Kralmus Orr, howling with savage glee, burst from the foliage and body-checked the creature, slamming it aside mid-jump. How he could possibly sneak through the jungle in his bright red armor was one of the galaxy's great mysteries, but he seemed to have managed it despite the improbability. The Gharzr he'd shoulder-slammed rolled to its feet with a sharp little yelp-hiss, more surprised than hurt. Kralmus stared it down, his hungry yellow eyes hidden behind his impassive visor.

"Finally," he declared, "some good sport. I've never eaten one of you before."

Kralmus was a very recent addition to Death's Hand, swearing allegiance - so far as his savage, mercurial personality would permit - to Khamul Kryze in the middle of the hunt for the mask. He'd put in very little of the legwork so far, and yet he was already bored. The trinkets of long-dead Mandalorians were utterly meaningless to him, for he was not a man who dwelled on past or future. In his mind there was only now, and now was either fighting, feasting, or boring. Decades surviving alone in the wilds of Mandalore, a full decade of it after the planet's ruination by the Sith, had left him almost more animal than man, and he lived for the moments that got his blood pumping.

So when he'd heard that Death's Hand was going to Dxun, Kralmus had been excited... but not because of the Mandalorian history there. The cannibal warrior couldn't have cared less about that. But a world he'd never visited before, one famously full of vicious predators and the few sentients tough and savage enough to survive there? Now that was a place worth visiting. He'd broken off from Tor'r and Khamul soon after they'd touched down, wanting to get the lay of the land for himself. The jungles were far different from the ashen wastes that now covered most of Mandalore, and he'd needed time to adjust to hunting techniques suitable for the Demon Moon.

Behind his faceplate, Kralmus grinned. He was starting to get the hang of it.

Pulling his colossal axe from where it hung across his back, the cannibal Mandalorian stepped into formation beside Khamul and Tor'r, forming a defensive triangle against the pair of jungle predators. The next one to leap at him would feel the bite of his beskar blade. "Well, this is perfect," Kralmus told the other two warriors, the glee in his voice evident. "A chance to get the blood pumping before we fall upon those Dar'manda, huddled in whatever jungle cave they've crawled into." The pathetic Dar'manda wold probably be less worthy sport than these magnificent hunters, but they'd have blasters and explosives and other such ways to even the odds.

So it was good to have a warm-up round before their true purpose here began.

 

[SCAR]

Tor’r Tal’Verda | Death’s Hand
SEARCH For the Crown

The attack was swift and fierce, Khamul and Tor'r immediately finding themselves set upon by the beasts of the Demon Moon. As the dark warrior drew his blade, Tor'r positioned himself to take on the savage beast. His expectations were shattered by the sudden emergence of the Mandalorian cannibal Kralmus Orr who intercepted the beast's pouncing throe with a slam to it's midsection, beskar'gam rocking the beast to it's core with a surprised yelp.

"Finally."

Tor'r scowled under his breath.

"some good sport. I've never eaten one of you before."

The Mandalorian warrior chuckled under his breath with a slight hiss, "Took you long enough, I almost thought you got lost."

The tall brush shook violently, another Gharzr emerging from the jungle as the predators encircled the Mandalorians. Tor'r drew his daggers from their sheathes, moving back to back first with Kralmus Orr as he brandished his mighty axe and then with their liege Khamul Kryze .

"A chance to get the blood pumping before we fall upon those Dar'manda, huddled in whatever jungle cave they've crawled into."

"Our ancestors tamed these wilds, I doubt the Dar'manda possess the same mettle. Let's see what these beasts are made of vod."

Khamul Kryze | Arron Starstrider | Kralmus Orr

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