Call of the Wild Cat

[Arianna Organa]

A hunt was not to be taken lightly wrought with danger when on a hostile planet, or with an animal whose predatory skills took them to the top of the food chain.

What Arianna was considering at this moment was just that something that challenged her in ways that she had not been since the early days on Aldera, stranded. It had been a necessity to learn skills that she did not possess nor had been taught. The days of gathering berries for breakfast had long past.

Now a woman of accumulated years, mother to four children, ruler of two worlds she craved something more. She wanted some excitement something to make the blood pump and remind her she was alive and not just existing. Dxun held many terrors, several of which could kill her with one swipe.

It offered her a challenge yes. It offered her the opportunity to travel, and it offered.....life or death. Eh, the High Council would have a coronary and her children a fit. The guards would think her insane, and they would probably be right.

So.

"Majesty, here are the morning reports" Ari looked up, "thank you." The doldrums set in as she reviewed the morning reports. Problems at the vinerium, farmer issues in the Glarus Valley, Mining reports, requests for meetings from several nobles then buried at the back an incident. Manka cat. seen prowling far off the Frostflower Path. Reports of missing domesticated nerf.

This she would investigate, she would need to ensure she had back up on this, manka cats were not meant to be trifled with and could kill easily. She left a message for Faith and [member="Draco Vereen"] that she would be away for the next few days and that they were in charge.

Then she asked for a hunter from Alderaan and one from the Mandalorians. Whichever showed up first, would go with her.


[member="Samael Rekali"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Arianna Organa"]

Dusty boots and dustier clothes. A piece of shred textile wrapped around his forehead and keeping his graying hair off his eyes. Some weapons visible, others... less so.

Sam wasn't the image of a nobleman.

Not at all.

In truth, he could probably afford ten times better clothing. Clan Rekali was in excellent shape and was still earning mountains, even with the Mandalorian Clans slowly descending into disarray and chaos. But that was the beauty of Rekali, they had always been more detached from the collective.

'Wait here please..... sir." One of the Alderaan Guards told him. There were more guards- trying to act casual and not at all like they were watching his every move. He understood that. The Mando'ade wasn't as strong as they used to be, Vereen wasn't keeping them on a leash either.

They did as they wished and Sam cared little about it.

Probably didn't help he refused to take off his weapons. But a Mandalorian's life was full of paradoxes, these days he didn't like to be separated from his armor and weapons. Didn't feel all that safe, after Mandalore.

 

[Arianna Organa]

[member="Samael Rekali"]​

​

"Mam Samael Rekali has arrived." Sam was known around the palace he had been there more than once and had been in the Queen's company more than once.

Arianna had changed into something more appropriate for hunting, after all you can't hunt in heels and silk. Black was the color for hunting she had quickly changed looking herself over in the mirror she looked less a Queen and more, like Arianna. She was not completely surprised that it was Samael, he came and went on Alderaan ever since the meeting with the old corrupt Galactic Republic.

She came out to where Samael stood, she gave him a look over. He was still dressing about the same, and what she had come to expect from him, "Good Afternoon Sam" Sometimes she just couldn't be aloof, she brought over the reports of the the cat. She wanted to be friendly, wanted to be as she felt she appeared, just a woman looking to protect her lands.

"Good to see you again. I need some help. I would like to investigate this," She showed him the report" the path is too close to many of farms in the area, and its unusual for them to be this low. It might be ill, or injured and may require to be put down. " She looked at him lines of age around his eyes, his hair was long, she had to admit she liked men with a bit of hair. That bad man look...yeah that's what got her in trouble before.

But this was business, and serious business.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Arianna Organa"]

"Ari, been a while." There was a bit of warmth there, he always had a bit of a soft spot for the Queen of Alderaan. Sure, she was a bit aloof, but Sam could see it was mostly an act she put on. Airs she clad herself in, just to be as regal as possible. As always it was about the image she had to display.

Which was fine and fair.

Sam didn't mind much, he wasn't that side of age anymore, where he took those things personally.

"This looks serious." He accepted the report and looked it over, once, twice. Yeah, this wasn't just some nonsense. "Surprised you wanna handle this yourself, though."

"Can't Draco take a look?"

Bit of concern entered his voice. Ari was a lady of many talents, but he had never actually seen her fight.

 

[Arianna Organa]

[member="Samael Rekali"]​

​

"He could but I wanted to go myself. Nothing against Draco, I just think that this time I would go." She didn't harbor anything against Draco really, though he thought she did. She did afterall put him through a number of things to ensure he was the right person to marry Faith. He took it all personal well let's see if he kept that same attitude when it was Laira or Theo.

She knew she didn't give off the air of a fighter but she had been one, and a survivalist. "I've had to do a bit of hunting in the past, granted it was small game. I wasn't always a Queen. My stepfather on Corellia believed we needed other skills aside from school, and how to curtsy. My Stepmother on the other hand made sure I was raised every bit a noble."

She smiled Sam didn't know everything about her, and that was ok it would give them something to discuss, course she didn't know everything about him either. "So Sam tell me what else we need and I'll have it put together and someone will meet us at the Frostflower path."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Arianna Organa"]

"Oef, where to start, Ari... where to start." He looked at the report again and started thinking about it in a more serious capacity, because in truth he was considering talking her out of it at first glance. It wasn't gonna be a cakewalk. Was it doable? Sure, he was a Mandalorian at the root and a Rekali to boot.

The wild was burning inside each and every one of them.

Didn't mean that this was a good idea. But... there was something in Organa's look, made him second-guess trying to give her reasons why he should go alone or pick-up Draco for it.

"Well, it's getting colder there now, snow already laying around, so we want to pack warm." Sam finally began to recount. "We will need a few supplies, camping equipment- cause the cat ain't gonna come around the moment we get there. Gotta flush it out, so we will need lure and some of it."

Now the hunter in him was getting started.

"Manka cat? They ain't no joke, if we are lucky it's a lone one, but they hunt in packs usually. So we gotta have some good guns, what are you bringing with?"

 

[Arianna Organa]

"A camping trip" she laughed, "I was stranded on a planet for 3 years a week of camping this shouldn't be too hard" she had slept without a bed, on the floor well she did have some leaves to take the edge off the boards. No lights, no real conveniences, not like now, nothing was like now. Ari shook off the thoughts it was a long time ago, and she was older and probably a little soft.

"Ok, I'll tell them what to pack." She got out a device that connected her to her aide, and began to detail what they would need. Cold weather gear, rations, water, camping gear to include cots and blankets. She wasn't sleeping on the ground since she had some control she would exercise it. As well as instructions for the other items. She asked for it to come in by thranta because they were silent, where the transports made a lot of noise.

"I think it is alone, this one isn't exhibiting normal cat behaviors that's why we need to check out what is happening and if its sick, put it down. If its not find out why its this low." Ari didn't like the idea of having to put one down but they would do what was needed and that was that.

"What will I bring. Hmm, I was thinking of a proton rifle its used for big game. What do you think?" It was important to have the right tools, and as much as she might like to think of herself as the great hunter, Sam was the more experienced.

[member="Samael Rekali"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Arianna Organa"]

"Sounds about right, honestly." Rekali responded after a moment of thought. "If this was a hunt for pleasure... I'd probably go for something lighter, but this thing is sick more than likely and we want to put it down as fast as possible."

"Better for itself, less dangerous for us and hopefully will avoid possible casualties in the long run."

It was just cattle that was missing now, but that could change depending on what the cat had. If it came across a sentient without proper weaponry or training? Could get ugly real fast and they'd want to avoid that. It was comforting to worry about such a, comparatively, little thing in the grand scheme of things.

Not about the Clans' survival, a new Mand'alor or how Clan Rekali was going to fit into it all.

No, this was just an animal sick and in pain.

They could handle that.

"Anything you else you need to know?"

 

[Arianna Organa]

"If it's Sam, it might spread to the others. If it's the only one that's sick, why. And if it's sick it might attack anyhow because" Well he knew, "We have had instances where they've come down because food was scarce, and yes they've attacked citizens, not just a few animals. So we have to figure this out, and react."

Ari looked at Sam for a minute, was there anything else she needed to know, "oh you know me, small talk...how's things going" She could work on what they needed, "We'll take a transport to the House Organa, then take the Lowlands Road to Frostflower path, it will give us a chance to look around, then hike in till you say we've done enough for the day and find a suitable camp site."

"Does that sound good?" She was use to being in charge, and not so much asking for permission, but in this she needed Sam's input, and skills. Otherwise it could be a disaster. One thing she knew she didn't have to worry about too much of he wouldn't talk politics with her. thank the goddess for somethings.

Though...she might have to ask him..

[member="Samael Rekali"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Arianna Organa"]

Politics wasn't his thing.

What he saw when he looked at Ari wasn't the uptight Queen of this world or that. Wasn't his thing, not his style. He saw just a woman, beautiful one at that, but just a woman. He had fought too long, been through too much to really get impressed by nobility and their airs, but it seemed that Organa wasn't one of those creatures.

Different.

More genuine? Maybe. They knew each other, but they didn't know each other. Something this trip could conceivably change, depending on how it all went. Depending on if they didn't all get killed during.

"Yeah, sounds good. Caution over speed though. We won't help anyone by getting ourselves killed, eh?" Rekali responded with a soft grin, before scratching at his beard. He wondered if she had expected him to shave. "Things? Things going fine. Fennec's growing up like a weed - you remember Fen? Picked her up from this seedy shadowport. Been sticking to me like a shadow ever since."

His eyes softened at the mention of Fennec.

"Good kid. How are you?"

 

[Arianna Organa]

She could see it in his eyes when he talked about Fen, he loved her as his own. One thing she admired about him was what he had done for Fennec in a galaxy where things often turned to dust with a blink he still found time, and cared enough.

"Good to hear she's keeping you in line" Ari teased knowing full well that what she just said wasn't exactly true, Sam was his own man. He really was he didn't need the preening and pampering that the nobles around her needed, desired, and even coveted. They looked at her as if she were an opportunity, Sam he just, well when he looked at her he really looked at her, not through her, or at her crown. It had been a long time since someone saw something other than the crown of Alderaan.

"We won't get killed today...course that does leave the rest of the week" another attempt at levity, "Things...how are things...I'm doing pretty actually. Watching my grandchildren grow up is...a great comfort to me. Seeing my children happy, that's well an achievement I hadn't expected. Course my heart still longs for my sons." She didn't say anything else about them, she really did miss them part of her soul was where they were, wherever they were.

She liked the beard, and the long hair for just a moment she reached over and touched his beard where for a moment his own hand had rested, "You know our ancestors loved scruffy nerf herders right." She smiled and resumed walking, "Transport should be right out this way." At House Organa she would leave messages and they would head off.

[member="Samael Rekali"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Arianna Organa"]

Sam nodded at the mention of her grandsons.

They all had a weight on their shoulders.

For him it had been Rash, Ember's eldest and wildest. So much like him, so free and without care, and his uncle had always given him the support he needed, had he not? Been there when it was needed, gave him space otherwise. When Ember was too angry, it was good ol' Sam coming to the rescue.

Until he wasn't, of course. Until the Sith Wars and Junction and Mandalore and the Death Watch had burned him out to a crisp. When the desire in his heart to flee had grown to strong and he simply left.

Maybe Rash would have still been here, if it wasn't for that. Maybe Ember wouldn't have a suicidal need for vengeance and would still be alive. Maybe Alec would have had a real father.

Many regrets.

"I feel ya." Is all that Sam said in response, silence, before the Mandalorian blinked and the worry seemed to recede. He grinned at her retreating back.

"May have read a story or two with that as the main course, aye."

Rekali followed after her, smirking to himself before shaking his head. Old man, but still enough dirt left that he was like a little pup when she did her little flirty thing.

 

[Arianna Organa]

It was unspoken and yet understood the regrets and pain they both carried around rarely allowing anyone to see it, to know it existed. Regrets were private personal in nature and the pain well it kept her up nights but served as a reminder of what she was missing.

"Stories, Sam I didn't realize you read that kind of stuff" She grinned, she knew that it was more like legend history. No one had an actual accounting but it was a story told over and over about an Organa princess and a smuggler, general...smuggler..well you get the idea.

Ari pushed the other emotions back away and down there were other things to do today, find a manka cat that was stalking the lowlands and take care of it. One way or another. The transport blew up little tufts of dust as it came in closer to landing. The Guards all nodded, and the pilot motioned to ready. Ari looked back and waved Sam along. No that he couldn't see it was time.

She stepped up into the transport, "You know where we are going" She called to the pilot who nodded yes. "Then let's go." Sam was near enough that he'd be on board long before they lifted off.

Over the endless see of trees they flew, the open valleys, towards the Apalis Coast and smell of salt water. This was the Alderaan everyone knew and loved. The dirt paths through the mountains walked only by those who knew they existed to the high country, the mountains sides these paths were where Ari was taking Sam today. Frostflower was only the beginning.

Below she could see the farms and children playing the reminder of why they had to get to this cat before something horrid happened. The sharp claws of a full grown manka cat could shred a man with only a few swipes of their giant paws. Formidable did not describe them accurately enough.


[member="Samael Rekali"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Arianna Organa"]

In Sam's case he didn't look out of the viewport to watch the outside.

Instead he sat down, quietly, in the bay and simply closed his eyes. It wasn't meditation, at least he did not see it that way, it was simply making peace with himself before a battle. He did not consider this as rough as the war on Junction had been or the terrorist attack on Mandalore, but there would still be violence.

Risks.

A chance that a claw would rip and tear through his throat and leave him dying in the mud. There was always that possibility, so better to make peace with that immediately.

"I worry about Mandalore." Sam suddenly piped up, his eyes still closed. It wasn't entirely too certain why he decided to tell her this, other than that Alec was gone, Ember was dead, Fennec too young and Elijah too far away. "I have been gone for so long and even now that I have been back for a while..."

"It's hard for me to recognize it as my home."

 

[Arianna Organa]

[member="Samael Rekali"]

It was quiet for a bit perhaps they were each lost within their own thoughts the past, and today. She didn't know she looked over at Sam wondering what he was focused on.

He was a private man, she learned that the hard way. Before she could turn away he spoke of Mandalore.

He was confiding in her, they were friends so she didn't think it odd. "Maybe it's not about it being home anymore Sam, maybe its about good people, history, and something that was once familiar. What part are you worried about?" She kept her voice soft knowing that this moment was just them talking. She wanted to offer him comforting words, she wanted to show that as his friend she cared about what bothered him.

She knew he'd only accept it if she didn't get all soft and squishy about it and not put words in his mouth.