Diplomacy Blood and Beskar. A Shadow Crusade.

[Kei Amadis]

Location: Dathomir
Swamp of Kaaatanis | Kaaatanis Pact
Neo-Crusader Space | Night
Tags: Laphisto | Present: Khia Varad (NPC'd) | OPEN
Theme:

The Kaaatanis Pact​

Boggy swampland, deep in enemy territory—Dathomir was a place Dark Jedi and Mandalorians could disperse into the shadow. The resistance wavered, licking its wounds after a brutal defeat on Kashyyyk. A long-forgotten meeting ground was chosen, where the land rises above the murky waters—a place where warriors once gathered, and pacts were sealed in blood and honor. Unlikely allies had reached out to Amadis, offering weapons to continue the fight.

Mandalorians.

Once-silver armor was now midnight blue, black markings carved across it as battle scars, each stroke a promise of vengeance. Either he would kill every Mandalorian that arrived, as he had done to others before them... or—was there an or?

A dozen Dark Jedi lay in wait, scattered around the thick swamp, their forms waiting in shadow and their weapons primed. Those of the Silver Jedi Order who had chosen this path, mirroring the Army of Light from a different age. But this was no righteous revolution—only a grim reckoning.

Just as Laphisto their contact arrived, Kei's grip tightened around his executioner's axe—a beskar monument to defiance, forged in defiance of tradition to never make a full weapon from the iron. From the opposite direction, another presence stirred.

It would be a tense meeting.

The Varad Crusaders—Mandalorians from another era—emerged from the night, their armor also painted in midnight blue. Among them was Khia Varad, 'the Wall Woman,' as they called her behind her back, never to her face. Her boots sank into the marsh as she approached.

Kei exhaled. Knew her, stood beside her on Kashyyyk, and fought beside Crusaders before; she was a relic of that time.

Like he was.

What would the night bring? Courage or cowardice. Oblivion or Alliance?

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto strode through the marshland of dathomir. It was stranded coming back here, the last time he was on this planet he had miscalculated a hyperspace jump and accidentally sent himself crashing down in a ball of fire to the planet below. It was then that he had met another life of the confessor a type of force soul that was constantly changing bodies after death. He didn't know much more then that truly but after he helped laphisto back to his people they went on Thier way. And he hoped that they were doing well.

But old memories were not the reason of his arrival here, it was in part due to a recent distress beacon that Commander Tarian had picked up. In fact it was the force dead commanders doing that laphisto even knew about the call, while the order was unfortunately unavailable for the fight to lend aid. He felt sympathy for those who were fighting, and it was that sympathy that lead him here today.

As they approached the meeting grounds the same commander spoke up as they walked and it caught him off guard as per usual. With the man being forced dead it was easy to forget he was there " are you sure it was a good idea to inform these people that you have mandalorian heritage? Considering Thier conflict with the neo crusaders it wasn't a tactful decision sir"

Laphisto looked over towards the man his eyes flashing a teal blue as he used his force sight to peer into the world around him mostly out of instinct even if he couldn't see the commander " and show up with a mandalorian sigil on my armor and have all hell break loose? No it's better this way" as he spoke he tapped the sigil of clan ordo on his right shoulder before turning his gaze out towards the clearing they were approaching. His force sight flashing a crossed his vision as he began to see the force signatures of all the dark Jedi surrounding the area and most importantly Thier contact Kei Amadis " keep your men on close call Tarian. Just in case things go sour "

Stepping forwards he stood himself upright, the towering figure of the Kiev'arian approached the man his lightsaber mag locked to his belt and then his eyes flicked over towards Khia Varad a mandalorian he didn't recognize. Then again he disnt really recognize any of them other than a few of clan Kryze. "I'm glad you agreed to meet with me, considering your current circumstances with mandalorians. I am Laphisto Diva'tori Gix of clan ordo and iv come to offer you deal"

 

[Kei Amadis]

Tags: Laphisto | Present: Khia Varad (NPC'd) | OPEN​

Bodies shifted stances, hands tightening around weapons in the shadowy meeting place. On the central platform, the Dark Jedi remained with two others—both Mandalorians.

"Amadis." A firm nod, the massive executioner's axe resting at his side. Kei had no title here, no rank where he was headed—only a fight no one would see or hear. The dead told no tales, and this had no storybook ending.

The Dark Jedi were uneasy. They acted without orders and without a larger mandate, like wayward wayseekers. Kei and his kind had been killing mandalorians for a short but brutal time, and the thirst for revenge ran too deep for words. They had lost family, friends—too many to count at Kashyyyk.

But what they needed now wasn't one more body. They needed weapons, allies, anything to keep the war going. If someone had the mind for it, that rage could be harnessed or steered in the right direction. Not all Mandalorians were soulless, but to a grieving widower, making those distinctions wasn't easy.

"I kill Mandalorians," Kei said, his gaze shifting between them. "You came anyway."

Brave and worth hearing out. Even with the dagger in his heart—or despite the possibility that this was a trap. Khia Varad remained silent and stoic. Hard to read as always.

"What deal?" Kei forced the words out, simple and heavy. The grip on his axe tightened, his wife's memory burning fresh in his mind. A part of him, buried in dark thoughts, wondered if Mandalorians, of all people, could offer a better way.