Home on the range (Mandalorian Dominion of Dantooine)

[Not Ordo]

Kal had been very close to the Mandalorians for a long time now. He had lived among them, loved their zest, and wept with their losses. Dantooine had a similar claim on his aged mind. There had ever been a home for him here amongst the plains and rocks.

He walked among the enclave trees as he looked skyward and waited for the Mandalorians to come and keep their word. He had a problem and they were so good at shooting things.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat frowned when he entered the planet's surface, even more so when he approached [member="Kal Izka"], noticing his weary look. He blinked and cocked his head at The Tree.


"I was told you had a problem."

 

[Cennika Hawk]

Dantooine - a world covered in grasslands, rivers, and lakes. A world that in all of her forty-five years she had yet to set foot on. Most of her life had been spent between Dathomir and Myrkr, one being home and the other being respite from fears that were perhaps altogether irrational, but no less perfectly well-founded. It was on that Force-repellant world that she had come into contact with the Mando’ade for the very first time in her short life (short, by the standards of the average Dathomirian lifespan), a strange thing in the consideration of fact that the land of her birth was under their protection… at least as far as the edges of the Dathomir atmosphere went.

She had been invited aboard one of their vessels by [member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"], a Rally Master with whom she had made contact via comm on Myrkr; rather, he had made contact with her, but such things hardly mattered over the long path of life. Hearing that those of the dark path salivated over Dantooine made her strength of will and resolve shine bright, and she would do what she could in her as-yet limited power to keep the dank, pervasive under of the Force from encroaching on such a place of natural beauty.

“What would you have me do?” she said, looking to him.

Simple question, really. She was always so straightforward and practical when push came to shove.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Preliat Mantis"]

Kal looked at the field marshal and nodded slowly.

"Where do I begin." He began, "There is a sith lord and troops in our crystal caves, poachers on the plains killing our turkeys, the plumbing is broken in the dorms, and we may have a band of pirates trying to preasure the residents for protection money."

Kal looked around.

"I can handle the plumbing."

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat sneered at the Sith Lords.

"She'll handle the poachers."


He began to walk towards the caves.


"I will handle the Sith."

He turned and glared at [member="Cennika Hawk"]. She'd be smart to follow his orders.

"Send the next Vode along to handle the pirates."

And with that, Preliat began to trek towards the crystal caves.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat sneered as he approached the cave, clutching the rifle in his hands. They had a sentry outside, but not posted above. So, he trekked in the tall grass, mere inches away from the man. The tall grass concealed him, and his dark armor prevented him from being spotted. Preliat grasped the man's knee, pulling him down far enough so he could stab in the neck. The blade fell into the side of his neck, across the arteries and the windpipe, killing him and preventing him from screaming. Preliat yanked him into the grass, and threw the rifle with it. He stood up, cracking his neck. He knew how important the crystal caves were, so the rifle he carried was not going to be a good option.


The Tomahawk in his hands, had the right weight.


Preliat moved forward into the cave, finding another sentry. He lightly smacked on the wall, attracting his attention. As he came closer, the soldier too found a blade in his neck, this time, Preliat stabbed him several more times. He brought the full weight of the Ori'ramikad blade downward, sneering. Two sentries down. Only the miners and the guards to deal with now. Preliat stalked further into the cave, clutching the knife and tomahawk, but found for the time being, the Ori'ramikad blade had better purpose and practicality for his mission.

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...after Myrkr the Rally Master travelled to Dantooine to answer a summons. Onboard his ship, with him, was Cennika Hawk whom he'd made contact with on Myrkr before inviting her aboard his vessel. It seemed only natural to the Rally Master that she should come with him considering Myrkr would not be able to field her talents as well as he could in his own opinion, especially seeing as how the planet had a knack for swallowing a connection with the force thanks to the local life. Ah well, life had a funny way of bringing people together and Naimes had lived a considerably longer life than it may have seemed...

...now they were topside on the ground. Looking between a creature known as Kal Izka and the Field Marshal known as Preliat Mantis. Naimes wore his Beskar'gam as usual, Longtooth sheathed over his back with the hilt extending up past his shoulder for easy access and held a Combat Shotgun in his hands across his chest. About to answer Cennika he would be caught off by Preliat who had state she would handle the poachers however he would interject..."If it's no matter I will assist her."...Naimes had no issues with fighting a Sith Lord however he may have been keeping an eye on the Dathomir Witch as well...

...regardless he'd look towards Cennika and state..."Lets go."...he might have suggested another coarse of action but orders were orders..."Eyes sharp and wits keen, Cennika Hawk."...​

​

[member="Cennika Hawk"] [member="Kal Izka"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

The blade scorched across another Sith's trooper's neck, and an acolyte, came forth, lightsaber activated. Preliat moved his hands out of the way, and violently stabbed the acolyte in the back of the head. The Sith fell forward, dead on arrival. Preliat sneered beneath his helmet, glancing around the cave. Sith began to encircle him.


"You're surrounded, Mandalorian."


He counted six.


"That simplifies my problem."

The Tomahawk was launched at a Sith knight, impaling his face. He fell over, dead on impact. Preliat turned to a Sith swinging his lightsaber at him, catching the crimson blade in his crushgaunt-adorned hands, and kicked outwards to the Sith's knee, crushing it under his Beskar'kandar foot. Preliat took the lightsaber hand, pointed it downwards, and stabbed the Sith through the face with his own blade. Another Sith came at him, but Preliat used the now-dead Sith as a shield, letting the Sith pierce his brother's chest. She was fast, but stupid. Preliat ended her life by grabbing and crushing her face, and slamming the back of her head to the ground. She died on impact. Preliat turned and launched the Ori'ramikad knife at the next Sith's neck, and it found purchase in the collarbone of the Sith, while they screamed and howled in pain, before Preliat smirked. The CO2 tank on the Ori'ramikad knife ignited when the Sith tried to take it off, and after a few moments, the Sith blew off his own neck, resulting in a bloody mess.

The last two coordinated attacks, but Preliat, fast, well trained, and familiar to the way of combat, bested their attempts to slice and dice him with deft movements of his head and arms. He jumped on the wall, grasping a Sith's collar, thrusting him into the wall, smashing his head, but not killing him. Preliat looked at the Sith charging him, and activated the jetpack- with the Sith still pushed against the wall. What came next Preliat liked to describe as the 'Conveyer belt' effect. The Sith's head was pushed and scraped along for about four feet, and the Sith that was now below him looked at him in bewilderment.

Preliat came down on him, his hands wrapped around the Sith's throat. The crushgaunts took the pleasure out of choking the Sith to death.



But he saw no one that qualified as a Sith lord.

 

[Cennika Hawk]

She might've leveled a glare at the Field Marshal, but with the already sour mood he looked to be carrying, she held her tongue and barely granted him the courtesy of looking at him when he spoke. It was she who decided to whom she would listen, and no-one else. It was when the man stalked off to attended to his self-designated business that she let out a breath she did not fully realise she was holding.

That one has something in one of his orifices that may need to be dislodged...

Wordlessly, she nodded and went along with Naimes, eyes sharp and wits keen as he said, as she knew. There was a hunt on and the prey was not so stupid as anything that she might dine on, but would be taken to in a similar fashion, with dagger, cunning, and when necessary, patience.

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...the duo left the main encampment as it were. Naimes would lead Cennika into the forests of Dantooine where the wild reigned supreme on their way to the plains. As they went on their way he would spare a glance towards the Dathomir Woman. In the process he also removed his helm so that he could see her plainly, taking it under his arm while his other held the shotgun, which let him appraise her quietly as though he were assessing her potential. Indeed Cennika Hawk might think herself aged and experienced but the old soldier had seen countless battles untold...

..."Only been to Dantooine once."...he admitted as they moved on their way through the vegetation, around trees and over fallen logs..."Is this your first time?"...the way his tone added to the question made it seem as though he was inclined to know the answer before she gave it to him. A talent for reading people some would have called it. While Cennika might not have been one for small talk Naimes enjoyed it and he hadn't a chance to learn much about her until now. Even when she was on his ship it moved quickly and towards this world...

...up ahead the dense forests would begin to clear as they made their way out to the plains where the poachers were apparently preying on the defenseless...​

​

[member="Cennika Hawk"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat took care of the machinery, and destroyed anything that looked important and wasn't a crystal. Pickaxes were broken, drills were smashed with his Tomahawk, and he crushed anything and everything. He turned and glared at the Sith. Spiders and Kath hounds could take care of them. Preliat stepped out of the cave, removing his helmet, taking in the fresh air, his hair lightly whipping in the wind.

He turned on his radio, blinking at the sun.

"The Sith are dead. Did not find the Sith lord."

Preliat glanced around the area, cracking his neck.


[member="Cennika Hawk"] [member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"] [member="Kal Izka"]

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...when Naimes heard Preliat come over the comms he would respond..."Copy that, Sith dispatch."...then the comms went dead and his footsteps continued to lead him through the vegetation of the Dantooine wilderness as he and Cennika trekked towards the plains. Not far now, Naimes could see the vegetation beginning to grow thinner, just up aside he thought he recognized a clearing of sorts. As he moved his thoughts wandered to the Field Marshal whom would no doubt cut a path of death through another location following this one, maybe the pirates...​

​

[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat cracked his neck as he heard footsteps behind him. He missed one. But this one, carried himself differently. He did not wear a mask, nor a cloak. He was taller, more proud of his position. Preliat glared at him, rolling his knuckles together.


"Tell me. You the one that's leading these men?"

The Sith nodded. He activated the red blade, and Preliat dropped the knife and the tomahawk to the ground, cocking his head at him.


Then, the two men charged at each other, wordlessly.

 

[Cennika Hawk]

A one-tip nod was the sum of her answer for a moment. She had spent so many years hardly speaking to a soul, and for the most part that was her preference... yet being in the company of others often meant there would be words, and if she could talk to a young, scared boy, surely she could give this one more than the barest consideration. Conversation, as her solitude would dictate, was not her forte.

"Yes. Aside from the home of the ysalamir, I have only lived on Dantooine. There has been... little reason for me to venture far."

The vegetation had begun to thin, and her eyes were watchful, ears keen on the sounds of the land. One hand slipped over the grip of a simple dagger, but she did not yet draw it.

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat's blade went upwards first, the crimson blade waving up and over his head, before it came crashing down on the blade that he put up in defense. Preliat turned and kicked the Sith in the chest, forcing him violently backwards. The Sith growled in anger, and reached out with his hands. Preliat felt a tightening in his chest, and he was thrown to the side, and into the ground. The Sith dropped him afterwards, unaware of the durability of both the man and the armor in which he wore. Preliat feigned injury, waiting for the Sith to come closer.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

The young girl walked out of the blackness of the caves and looked at the Mandalorian with wide hollow eyes. With not a glance at the death around them she held her hands infront of herself as if afraid.

"Are you here to save me mister?" She said with a stuttering manner.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

The Sith lord charged at him, intending to not drag out the conflict. Preliat didn't have time to attack him like he did Dredge, but he did manage to kick the hell out of the Sith's legs. It gave him just enough time to come upwards, uppercutting the Sith in the jaw. He felt the familiar sensation of crushing the man's jaw, breaking bones and moving teeth around. The Sith stumbled backwards, and raised his blade in what Preliat knew as a Djem So stance. He blocked the subsequent strikes from Preliat, and Preliat found himself lacking an opening. So he had to make one.


As he began to prepare himself for the counterattack, which came in the form of a strike intending to remove his arm, Preliat pushed his hand forward, catching and holding the lightsaber blade. Preliat's crushgaunt adorned hand slid down the lightsaber blade, sparks flying in it's wake. And it came violently towards the handle, and more importantly, the hand in which held it. Preliat wrapped his fingers around the Sith's, and squeezed.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat glared and slammed his helmet forward, giving the man a Keldabe kiss. The Sith's teeth flew outward, and blood pooled and flew out of his mouth. Preliat had crushed his fingers and hand, and with a swipe of his hand, removed the lightsaber hilt. Preliat came forward, wrapping his blade and his hand around the man's head. He forced the man's head to the right, straight into the blade. He slit his throat, leaving a large swath of Sith blood on the ground.


Preliat stood still for a moment, before collecting himself, and curb stomping the Sith for good measure. He was presuming this was the Sith that [member="Kal Izka"] had mentioned.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat cocked his head back to face the girl that spoke to him.


"I am not here to save you. But I suppose I will help. What is your name?"


[member="Anne Darkchild"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"I was told that you had issues. Is there anything I can do to help out with? I was told the pirates and poachers were taken care of."

Ana had heard that there were other such issues on this planet. Ones that she could and wished to help out with. This was after all their planet or it was and now they were out to get the planet back under than control no matter what it took.


[member="Kal Izka"][member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"][member="Preliat Mantis"][member="Cennika Hawk"]