Private Mandalorians Are Stronger Together

[Atin Tracinya]

Location: Iziz, Onderon

There was little left do on Onderon except rebuild. A task Master San Tekka had been happy to permit Atin to stay and assist with. And the fact that he'd be among his fellow Mandalorians was not lost on the Jedi either. In the aftermath, with the Royal Guard decimated, Clan Kryze had saw fit to step in and provide security for the refugees and survivors. And for Atin, and many others, when they weren't on patrol, they helped with relief efforts. Food, medicine, simply clearing rubble, whatever they could do. It was slow going, but it was progress at least.

Atin could only hope that served as some small comfort to those who'd lost their homes. Their families. Their friends. Beneath the dust-caked helmet, Atin's eyes watched each and every refugee carefully and wondered how much their efforts to assist the people of Onderon mattered in the face of losses like they'd suffered. No one had reached out to Atin when he'd lost his family, but he doubted it would have eased the pain he'd felt then.

A small clamor nearby began to rise, breaking Atin from his thoughts. "Ey," Atin said, nudging Carden, who'd been walking with him on their patrol, "let's go check that out." Walking up to the small huddled crowd, they didn't seem particularly hostile, or even riled up. Eager, perhaps, excited, but not riotous. "Make some room," Atin said as he began to shoulder his way through the crowd, before remembering they were supposed to be 'helpful'. "Please," he added.

Anna Carden | Jenn Kryze

 

[Anna Carden]

Location: Iziz, Onderon

The Dark Empire wasn't really interested in taking over Onderon. Once they had dealt significant damage to the capital city, they pulled out as if it were a display of power. There wasn't any way to know when they would return, but that's not her focus right now.

For once, she wasn't fighting in a war. She found herself and her fellow Mandalorians of Clan Kryze helping with everything they could. Supplies, rebuilding, and rescues. The condition of the city was pitiful, and it was the least that they could do to help, after failing to defend it against the ruthless empire. It brought her back to the day when her homeworld was ravaged, her memory still clear as day when a Mandalorian clad in red saved her from the buildings.

And there's Atin, who just called out to her. "Hm?" They haven't had a proper conversation since Life Day. There were always things that were more important than the both of them.

They finally come up to a huddled crowd, checking on the refugees and what they were making a noise for. It seemed like there was a supply distribution, and it was not food or medicine. "Is that Jenn?" She turned to Atin, examining the situation after spotting the color and pattern of the armor amongst the people.

Anna was thankful she was able to be here under the banner of Kryze. It made her wonder if she could have done more under the clan. "Hey!" The huntress decided to wave toward the Alor after getting through some of the crowd to see what she was doing.

Atin Tracinya | Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
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| Location | Iziz, Onderon
| Objective | A reprieve; a welcome

Although the Dark Empire had been pushed out of Onderon (or, as some pointed out, once they achieved their goals), the capital had been devastated by the conflict. In the days that followed the departure of the invaders, the streets were left littered with corpses, those who yet lived often left to search desperately for any sign of their loved ones. The miserable sight of children, spouses, and parents wailing in anguish as they found loved ones dead was all too commonplace.

The fierce warriors of Clan Kryze had acquitted themselves well throughout the battle, reinforcing positions held by freedom fighters and fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Alliance forces; but, unlike what most expected from these unexpected saviors, the Mandalorians remained on the planet, rather than simply collecting their (cruelly numerous) dead and leaving just as quickly as they arrived. Under the guidance of their Alor, they set about reestablishing orders on the streets, quelling riots as readily as they handed out their supplies. As time went by, the civilians-turned-refugees began to view the armored figures with more than merely fear and awe; they regarded these battle-scarred champions as heroes, welcoming their arrival whenever they came to help the displaced population.

Mass graves were dug outside the city limit, and the corpses of those who swore allegiance to the Dark Empire were unceremoniously thrown inside - although not before they were stripped of all valuable equipment. Clan Kryze was, after all, far more primitive than the Mandalorian Protectors in some regards (or the Enclave they once hailed from), and looked upon the notion of factories and mass production with clear disdain - but they were survivors above all, and the armaments collected from the dead were thus sold off or stripped for parts.

Today would be a different day, however. With the issue of food and shelter for the refugees tackled by the Clan, the Alor had the Clan's efforts turned towards a different, if no less important course of action: namely, caring for the tragically high amount of orphans. The Mandalorian creed left little room for interpretation on the matter: those children were to be looked after by the Clan until they could be reunited with their next of kin... and, for those who remained without relatives to come fetch them? A life among their saviors awaited them, cared for and raised by the galaxy's fiercest warriors.

Jenn was elated at the sight of all the children around her cheering and laughing rambunctiously, some of them accompanied by their living relatives after hearing of the efforts made by the Mando'ade to provide some measure of comfort to their little ones. Books, toys, treats - the Alor and her Nite Owls made sure that everyone got their share, no matter how clearly excited the children were at the prospect of forgetting the terrible conditions that followed the invasion.

Lifting her visored helm as she was called out by a pair of Mandalorians, Jenn ensured that Karrys, her pilot, would replace her in the task of handing out plushies, before cutting her way through the crowd with ease. Then again, perhaps a more accurate statement would be that the crowd seemed to part before her; scorched as her armor may be by the baleful lightning of the Sith, the sheer presence she carried herself with made it all too obvious that she was the leader of the warriors of blue and white.

"Su cuy'gar!" called out the Alor as she clapped her hands on Atin and Anna's shoulders, her words as much as greeting as a statement of fact: they were, in spite of the brutal fighting, still alive. "I had a feeling I would see you two again. I take it, given your presence here, that you might take me up on my offer?"

Allowing her words to hang in the air for but a moment, she gave an upnod towards the other side of the street. "Come. Let us walk to somewhere a little less... alive. I believe you have questions?"

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Atin Tracinya Anna Carden ​

 

[Atin Tracinya]

The coloring of the armor was that of Clan Kryze, which was of no surprise. The Mandalorian could have been anyone, were it not for the distinctive markings giving away Nite Owl's identity. "Is that Jenn?" Anna asked, to which Atin nodded. "Aye." There was no doubt that that was the alor. Anna called out to the woman, who lifted her helmeted head, and with one look at them, stood and left her philanthropy to others for a moment.

The alor greeted the mismatched pair with a clap on their pauldrons, and Atin returned the gesture with a closed fist over his heart in salute. "Su cuy'gar, alor," he said with a small nod of his head.

"I had a feeling I would see you two again. I take it, given your presence here, that you might take me up on my offer?" the Nite Owl said with a voice that hinted at a smile beneath the helmet. Atin gave no response. In truth, he'd considered it. Leaving behind the Enclave, the home he felt like he was an outsider in. He was already in service to their enemies, and even if it was due to the oya'la-entye, he'd wondered if he'd be welcomed back.

But Clan Kryze. Break-aways, outcasts, misfits even.

"Come. Let us walk to somewhere a little less... alive. I believe you have questions?" This time, Atin nodded, and let the alor guide them somewhere quieter.

Anna Carden | Jenn Kryze

 

[Anna Carden]

Location: Iziz, Onderon

"Su cuy'gar." The huntress returned the sentiment with a slight nod. They lost so many people, yet she, who was reluctant to fight, lived to see another day. Life was never fair.

"I had a feeling I would see you two again. I take it, given your presence here, that you might take me up on my offer?"

Her intention was seen through. The answer was obvious and right on the tip of her tongue. "That... I..." But words struggled to come out of her mouth, and she eventually sighed, prompting Jenn to ask the both of them to walk with her.

"Come. Let us walk to somewhere a little less... alive. I believe you have questions?"

She nodded, before adding, "All but one were only for myself."

Tailing behind the two, the three leisurely walked until they got their privacy. The crimson-clad Mandalorian spent the seconds staring at the ground, having her second thoughts.

Perhaps, the path of the hunter was never for her? To become a cabur, was this something he expected of her? Anna removed her helmet slowly, looking at it, her eyes slowly panning upon the color of the legacy that was left to her, to the reflection of her face on the visor.

She had to confirm.

Anna raised her head, turning to Atin, then to the Alor, asking her one question. "What do you, no, the Clan Kryze, fight for?"

Atin Tracinya | Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

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| Location | Iziz, Onderon
| Objective | Why do we fight?

Once they were given a modicum of privacy, Jenn turned to the pair of young warriors, awaiting their words patiently from behind the battle-scarred visage of her helm... and so it was that she found herself met with the sight of the Red Raven, unmasked. Mandalorians learned to fight and conquer from an early age, capable of taking on insurmountable odds by the time they reached adulthood - and yet the Matriarch felt a certain pang of regret at the reminder that young warriors like Carden were made into veterans at an age where they should enjoy their prime, rather than face war and devastation again and again. Such was the destiny of the Mando'ade; to war endlessly beneath the gaze of those that came before them, watching on from the Manda.

To bare one's face was a universal display of vulnerability among their people, something reserved for loved ones and the most trusted of allies... it was only fitting, then, that she bring her hands to the sides of her own pitiless helmet, taking it off with a hiss of depressurization - revealing a visage that bore new scars from a brutal duel with a Sith, the baleful lightning leaving the left side of her face with deep, clearly painful burns that yet glowed. The Alor must have been in incredible pain, and yet, here she was, directing all of her energy towards two directionless warriors. Welcoming them as she would her own, her glowing blue eyes betraying her true nature as Ersansyr.

"We fight for those who cannot", came the woman's answer, her voice carrying on the wind, ethereal and captivating. "Wherever the weak and vulnerable bow beneath a cruel yoke, we will be there to repay their oppression in kind. We are watchful protectors, safeguarding the lanes we once haunted."

There was more than merely conviction behind her words: Jenn spoke as if her will was so great that speaking those words made it a tangible truth, the sheer strength of her resolve made bare before the two young warriors. This was how she had amassed such a vast following from all manner of Clans; those who chose to follow her left behind the names of Vizsla, Kandar, Saxon, or even the loathed Amun and Rook; among a vastly traditional people, she represented the future, blazing the trail to a new legacy. Honorable warriors and loathsome murderers alike flocked underneath her banner into a veritable horde whose cohesion was maintained solely through sheer force of will.

"And for that, we bow before none. Not the Alliance. Not the Protectors. Our loyalty is only to our cause - to those who need us."

​

Anna Carden Atin Tracinya ​

 

[Atin Tracinya]

It wasn't much, but the clamor of the desperate enjoying what some small piece of joy in the rubble of the lives dimmed slightly as the trio stepped away, enough so that the two women removed their helmets. Behind the dark visor, Atin's eyes wandered over her features. The still glowing wounds, spider-webbing across one side of her face sharply offset the cerulean blue light of her eyes.

Atin though hesitated. To remove ones helmet...After he'd finally reclaimed his father's armor, he'd only removed his helmet twice. Both times at Master San Tekka's behest. Because, despite considering the man his enemy, Atin respected him.

Atin looked over to the raven haired woman beside him, the short chop of her hair wavering with every movement she made. She too had seen his face, many times. But even then, only because his armor had been lost, and after that, only once because it had been necessary.

But the alor. Atin shifted his gaze once more to the woman. What she was, Atin did not know. Not human. Not Enclave. Not Alliance. An ally today, perhaps, but tomorrow? The day after?

No. She was Mandalorian. Just like he was. When he had nothing else, he was still Mandalorian, and the alor would still be Mandalorian when everything else was stripped from her.

His helmet hissed as it depressurized, and Atin tucked the modified headpiece beneath his arm. And then he listened.

Anna Carden | Jenn Kryze

 

[Anna Carden]

Location: Iziz, Onderon

As Jenn's helmet depressurized, the Raven gulped, unready for the visage behind the stoic helmet of the Alor. An Ersansyr. The pair of luminescent eyes were the last thing she was expecting. Not that it mattered anyway, as they are Mandalorians, united by code, culture, and family. The scars of war, as fresh

"That was the answer that I really wanted to hear."

Atin was different; he was loyal to his path, and the man was still bound to lifetime servitude to the Master Jetii. And perhaps, maybe that was the best thing a Mando could be, serving for the greater good, regardless of hatred of the past. Ijaat is one of the codes of the Mandalorian, but to her, honor could mean more.

So much more. "My choices are my own." Anna turned to the man, nodding to him, affirming that this was the path that she wanted to take. And one that he should consider, too.

Not for any sovereign. Not for some past glory or pride.

"It would be a great honor for me and my ancestors, to stand by the weak, to fight for those who are oppressed and unable," She stepped forward. "And to pay for my past sins." The woman didn't believe in second chances, or that people could be truly forgiven. All that she could do was try and make it up for everyone.

"And so," Anna put her right hand on her heart, presenting herself to the Alor. "I would like to pledge my loyalty to the Clan Kryze." She added. "For I believe that this is the right calling for me."

Atin Tracinya | Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Iziz, Onderon
| Objective | Offer a new path

Jenn's helmet was quite the intimidating second visage; the Y visor, with the stylized Jaig Eyes above it, made for quite the piercing gaze indeed! The undeniable air of mysticism about her truly made her seem like a larger-than-life figure, a being of myth come to life before the young warriors - a living legend. No wonder, then, that some among Clan Kryze held such fanatical devotion to her, offering absolute submission to the woman whose wisdom would have seen her worthy of the title of Mand'alor, if she ever cared to claim it for her own.​

​

Unmasked as she was, the Alor was both less than what her reputation and helm made her out to be... and more. Being able to put a face on the renowned, open-minded reformer helped to humanize her - but, perhaps surprisingly, it did nothing to demystify her. Not with how her eyes glowed such an enticing blue, her gaze holding beauty and power in equal measure... to say nothing of how melodious her voice could be, each syllable uttered furthering the melody of her words. Those of weaker will (or merely unsuspecting of what her kind could do) were easy prey for her; the longer she spoke, the more easily ensnared they became...​

​

And yet, in spite of her nature as a member of a species capable of great deceit and manipulation, Jenn held on to truth, and sought to keep a tight measure of control over what she was. She ruled Clan Kryze through wisdom, not that pleasant sing-song voice of hers... difficult as it was for her to suppress its subtle hypnotic effects.​

​

The Red Raven's words and actions were met with all of the grace and humility one would expect of an equal, rather than one's lord; the gesture was returned to her, familiar as it was. A hand brought to her heart in a closed fist, before extending outwards towards the mercenary, palm opened. A simple gesture of peace.​

​

"It would be my privilege to count you among our ranks", answered the Alor calmly, her luminescent gaze locked onto the crimson warrior's own. "The road to redemption need not be a lonely one, Red Raven. I have heard word of your restraint; your respect for life. I admire you for this quality, and I am truly fortunate to find such a driven soul under my service."​

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It was then that she turned to look at Atin, awaiting his own response expectantly. "I recall you speaking of a life-debt to a Jetii. I believe I would very much like to speak to that man, whether you choose to walk alongside your companion under the banner of my Clan or not."​

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Anna Carden Atin Tracinya ​

 

[Atin Tracinya]

"That was the answer that I really wanted to hear."
Atin knew Anna well enough to have guessed as much. To have heard her voice in his head before she'd even spoken. He knew her well enough to know that she'd carved carved her own path, with her own ideals, and they'd led her to Clan Kryze. Perhaps, a place for her to call home at last.

She looked towards Atin and nodded, as if affirming her own words, the Truth she'd walked. The truth that she perhaps thought Atin needed as well. As Anna stepped forward, fist to chest, pledging herself to Clan Kryze, Atin lifted his chin ever so slightly. Today was where they'd part, it seemed. If Fate willed it, they'd meet again.

Until then, Atin prepared himself to bid good-bye. But the alor then looked to him, and paused. It took a moment before Atin realized she was waiting for his choice as well: "I-"
"I recall you speaking of a life-debt to a Jetii. I believe I would very much like to speak to that man, whether you choose to walk alongside your companion under the banner of my Clan or not."

Atin's mouth snapped shut, only to nod. "Very well. At your leisure," was all he said.

Anna Carden | Jenn Kryze