"Centaris, we have a problem." Vaela hailed the Jen'jidai on his comm and tapped her fingers impatiently. When he did not respond immediately, she bit her lip. "Kad forbid that when we actually need him, he be here." The redhead blew a whiff of air up toward her bangs and stared out at the planet of her forebears. "They actually plan to treat us as hostiles because of one man calling them Dar'manda? All of us? There's pride, then there's stupidity."
"You never insult what's in a fragile man's pants where he can hear you," Alkor replied curtly as he reentered the bridge and held up a hand toward the Communications Officer. "Give me a succinct report of the situation. I don't need to know every word that's been said."
"One of the men flying Isley's banner and riding our comm's signal insulted the Clans," the youth explained. "It's... ah... not something you'd understand, probably."
"No," Alkor responded in mild annoyance. "Such a petty notion should not incite a warrior to irrational action. It does not make sense to me in the least. Aren't you Mandalorian types supposed to be seasoned veterans by the time you're commanding flagships?"
Vaela grit her teeth. "Are you going to stand here and insult us all day, or are you going to give us our next move?"
"I rescinded my command to you, Lady Ordo. My presence here is a fleeting annoyance, and one that you requested. I believe I'm well within reason to scrutinize the current situation."
"Alkor, I'm asking for your help." Vaela let out a ragged sigh. "They are going to make things worse if we don't take proper actions in resolving this situation."
"They've already told you what it is that they want," he replied. "They want you to back off and leave this situation to them. They're convinced that they can deal with [member="Saverok"] themselves. By all means, they're welcome to try."
"That's not good enough," she took a step toward him and grabbed the neckline of his cloak. Alkor stared back into her fiery green gaze as she pulled him to where her hot breath caused his face to contort with disgust. "I want this situation to end so that none of my people suffer any more for the idiotic actions of a few men."
"Chastise Raxis when you get back to Echoy'la," Alkor grabbed at her wrist. "And get out of my face."
He threw her hand off and glanced sidelong. "Do you have any empathy at all, you Corellian scumbag?" Vaela whispered as she searched his features, half hopeful and half dissatisfied with the man. "Does being a Dark Jedi truly mean that you care nothing for anyone else? That makes you no better than Sith, little man."
Alkor slowly moved his gaze toward Vaela again, and he did not blink. "You do not," he stated coldly, "want to follow that path to its end, Ordo."
"Show me that I'm wrong," she challenged. "Do something that constitutes compassion, or show me something real. Damn you, Alkor Centaris, look at the world as it is, not as you want it to be."
"You have no idea what I see." He stared back at her before he finally turned to the Comm's Officer. "You want me to take action, then so be it. I will stop Saverok myself," he pointed to Vaela, "and you will shoot down any ship that tries to impede me. Likewise, I will end anyone who gets in my way."
"W-what?" the Communications officer had stopped the signal in disbelief, and he now stared at Alkor with mouth ajar. "You're going to do what?"
"This folly," Alkor let his arms hang and sighed. "Posturing, threats, attacks on civilians, insults and heated arguments- this is not war. This is not even a true battle. This is bickering between children, worthy only of contempt."
Vaela reeled, gnashed her teeth, and grabbed Alkor by the shoulder. He glanced at her. "I will put an end to it, in the Old Way."
Her mouth fell open, and Alkor shrugged off her hand. "Since no one else has seen fit to challenge him as a warrior, he sees none of them as warriors. He can see only victims. He is treating them as such. You must understand," he smirked at the Ordo woman, her expression clearly astonished. "They have done nothing worthy of his respect, and so he has gone- perhaps in a way we do not agree with- in hopes of finding something in them to respect. That is how the Gen-Dai was raised and trained. These are not the same times, but he is no less the same creature."
"You have empathy for a monster," she laughed. "How utterly ironic."
"We are the same," Alkor replied. "Two relics of a dead time, stuck in the ways that we were taught. Perhaps that will be our downfall," he yawned. "Or perhaps, the people of these times are ill prepared to deal with the Old Ways."
"That's not-"
"I'm going, Vaela," he responded. "See to it they know I'm coming."
[member="Isley Verd"] | [member="Zef Halo"] | [member="Ember Rekali"] | [member="Rach Vizla"]