Private Old Ways of Thinking

[Sig Dryggo]

Old Ways of Thinking
Tag(s): Kyran Thaln
Objective(s): Recruit Kyran to The Cause

The Crusade was underway. The Neo-Crusaders were back. Mandalorians dedicated to restoring their once glorious history and ready to strike back against a galaxy that had forgotten about them. Sig was one of them long before the call was ever made. His clan, Dryggo, was forgotten by his people. Nomadic and large enough just to survive to the next generation, Clan Dryggo was his home for nearly a decade after his original family abandoned him. It was through them he learned everything he knew. It was through them his rage against the galaxy began to take seed. Their demise was all it took for it to bloom. But now, through the Crusaders, it was expanding.

The hatred within his heart had truly taken over. Every second of the day his mind focused on ensuring Mandalorian gory was established across the stars. Whatever needed to be done, no matter the cost, he would complete the mission or die trying.

To that end, there was more than just war to be raged. Although the fight surely was on his mind, Sig recognized there was more that needed to be done. No, today he was searching. Not for prey, but for allies. There were a few among the people on Contruum and Manaan who had seen the Mandalorians for what they truly were. They didn't see killers burning and slaughtering innocents. No. They saw the ultimate warriors: a force of nature that which nothing could stop. This small number became the first Foundlings of the Neo-Crusaders. Sig, himself a Foundling, was inspired.

With time before their next planned attack, Sig was taking on bounty hunting jobs. Not for the hunt. Rather he was tracking the hunters. Mandalorians were famous bounty hunters, among the most famous and well known in fact. Sig knew it would only be a matter of time before one of them turned up looking for a worthy target.

This one in particular was a smuggler hiding out in Naboo's wilderness.

Moving through the swampy terrain, Sig wasn't far from the bounty target. The human in question was apparently versed in trap making, thus making him particularly difficult to catch. For this reason the credits one would receive for bringing him in was far higher than the average smuggler bounty. Sig was well aware anyone could pick up a bounty hunting job. In fact this was the fourth one he found himself on, the last three yielded non-Mandlorian hunters. Still, he was eager to find another of his brothers of sisters; even-more-so, he was eager to open their minds to the Neo-Crusade.
​

 

[Kyran Thaln]

Heavy boots trudged throughout the swamplands of Naboo, the Mandalorian Hunter clad in black beskar walking Greenland in search of a specific human target. In one hand, he held the Fob Tracker, leading him towards Buram Tahar, the smuggler who had crossed one too many. In the other hand, he held a T-6 heavy blaster pistol at the ready.

Kyran Thaln was the Mandalorian's name, and they almost always worked independently. He had been taken into the Mandalorian culture as a foundling; his ward was Nyda Saxon. She had taught him everything that Thaln knew: Of the Resol'nare and the histories of their people. Thaln had often fought against her; they had trained together without restraint, pushing each other to their limit. She joined him on his first hunt some years ago. And then she had died in battle. A true Mandalorian death.

Thaln had earned his keep by hunting criminals, rogues, and, in some cases, those unfortunate enough to anger the wrong kind. It wasn't Thaln's place to question motives; he was paid to do a job, and in this, he had become quite skilled, yet he had not made a name for himself nor achieved a feat that earned his signit. At only twenty-two years of age, there would be time for such things, but his mind settled on his target for now.

Pushing his way through the underbrush of the Naboo Swampland, Thaln made an abrupt stop, his helm looking to the ground before him. A trip-wire ran across from one bush to another, and he had nearly set it off. Buram Tahar was a known trapper, a man rumoured to be adept in his survival. He didn't much care to gauge the outcome, instead stepping over the wire as the Fob Tracker's pace continued to hasten, a quick succession of beeping that signalled his target to be nearby.

A single shot rang out across the Swampland, a blaster bolt zipping past the Mandalorian without warning. It missed, yet it impacted something behind Thaln; his body was lifted into the air and thrown by an explosion of fire and kinetic force, sending him back down into the swamp with a dirty splash. "Argh...." He growled, forcing himself to get back to his feet and quickly move to the cover of a large tree, pocketing the Fob and keeping his blaster ready, "You clever bastard" he spoke with a hint of a chuckle, surprised and taken off guard, he couldn't help but be impressed.

Peering out from behind the tree, Thaln sought to determine the source of the shot taken at him. It was difficult to make anything out amidst such thick forestry, yet he reached across to his left vambrace and triggered the thermal mode for his Helm. Taking a second look, the bright yellow and orange hue of a body in the distance fuelled a half-cocked smirk.

"You have this one chance, Tahar!" Kyran Thaln called out, offering the target a chance to turn himself in voluntarily, "Don't make me drag your carcass through this blasted swamp. Surrender yourself and live!".

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig turned as quick as a flash of lightning, his t-visor scamming the entire area before him. Not far off, he spotted his goal. There, hiding among a small makeshift bunker was the bounty target. Not far from him was Sig’s target: an imposing vod clad in black. A magnificent sight indeed.

It was clear Sig was still an unknown presence to either party, though they seemed engaged already. An advantage for Sig.

Calmly and casually, Sig reached over and produced the carbine previously strapped on his back. Taking a knee in the swampy marsh, Sig brought the scope up and began considering his options. From this distance, just under ninety meters give or take a few meters, he could very easily end the life of the bounty. Likewise, he could alert his vod instead.

Sig thought for a moment, examining the scene without blinking. A moment passed and he lowered his weapon. It was time to see what this new warrior was capable of. Then Sig would make himself known.
​

Kyran Thaln

 

[Kyran Thaln]

Several more blaster rifle shots rang out across the swampland, forcing Kyran Thaln to pull back behind the trunk of the tree, the plasma slamming into the bark and sending a concussion of vibration rippling through to be felt against his back. Holding the T-6 heavy blaster pistol in his right hand, Thaln sighed, briefly turning to the ground before him in consideration.

"Suit yourself, Tahar; it's all the same to me." Thaln shouted aloud. The bounty did not distinguish between alive or dead, and so bringing the smuggler in cold would be easier than having to watch his every movement the rest of the trip back.

Looking to his left arm, he raised the vambrace and input a sequence of commands. The Jetpack on his back began to hum audibly, though not enough for the sound to be heard across the clearing. Drawing a Nacht-5 smoke grenade from his utility belt, he tossed the small explosive out from behind the tree, allowing several seconds before a small burst could be heard, the orb unleashing a plethora of smoke to be released and soon caught up in the calm winds, clouding the area between him and his target.

The thermal vision of his Helmet remained active as Kyran stepped out from behind the tree, exposing himself completely. The sporadic blaster fire from Buram Tahar made it clear that the smoke was working as desired. Tahar couldn't see Thaln, yet he could see the target clear as day, the thermal vision reading the warmth of the man's body soon to be turned cold.

Leaning forward, Thaln lowered his head, looking to his left vambrace again. With a single click, the rocket-propelled missile launcher of his Jetpack fired, sending the projectile hurtling up into the air with a trail of smoke. Tahar would no doubt see the missile, and Thaln watched as it curved and soon descended upon the makeshift pillbox that the Smuggler had hidden within.

The missile hit the target's hideaway, exploding against the roof and sending it caving down atop Tahar with an eruption of fire, smoke and debris.

Walking through the cloud of thick smoke gradually being carried away in the wind, Thaln approached the hideaway with his blaster raised as a precaution. With luck, the hunt would be concluded without breaking a sweat. Frankly, Tahar wasn't much of an opponent, your average scum who'd pissed off one too many a person. Easy pickings for someone as well-armed and trained as Kyran was.

Reaching for the Fob Tracker with his left hand as he peered down over the rubble, the device had stopped beeping, meaning that his targets life signs were no longer. The deed was done, and now all that was required was to carry the body back to the townsfolk. "You'd better not chit yourself over my beskar'gam" he muttered under his breath as he began to dig around the fallen pilbox in search for the body or significant evidence of the man's death to offer his employer.

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig watched. He examined. Every movement. From the smoke grenade he produced to the rocket that launched from his back. He smirked as the events transpired. It wasn’t necessarily how he would’ve proceeded with things. But then again, this wasn’t about how he did things.

This was about this clad in black vod, a potential Crusader. Sig calmly moved through the thick swamp water and stopped about twenty meters behind his target, who was searching for the bounty. Folding his arms, he relaxed and leaned against a nearby tree. “Easy prey,” he announced himself with a neutral tone, “Or a skilled hunter, perhaps?”

He waited a beat, letting his relaxed stance convey that he was a friendly. Though many couldn’t understand a fully armored Mandalorian, any true Mando’ade could tell through even the most subtle of body movements what one was trying to say. “Which are you, I wonder?”
​

Kyran Thaln

 

[Kyran Thaln]

“Easy prey, Or a skilled hunter, perhaps? ....Which are you, I wonder?”

Kyran Thaln had been dragging the body of the smuggler from the wreckage of the Shelter when he heard the voice of another behind him, words that sounded to be masked by a vocaliser much like Thaln's Beskar Helm contained within. "A Bantha Calf for slaughter. Hardly prey," Thaln responded as he stood upright, his helm turning to the left while his back remained on the other.

Thaln's employer might have hired additional hunters, though the payment for completion of the job did not suggest it to be likely. Thaln did not have a deathmark nor a price on his head, nor had this newcomer been subtle in their approach. It stood to reason that they were not there to gun him down, lest it be a matter of pride.

The Mandalorian Hunter would turn slowly, purposefully, so Sig Dryggo would not be given cause to draw his firearm prematurely. Once facing the newcomer, Thaln's gaze would look the other Mandalorian up and down, taking time to gauge their armour and stance.

"Gar jorir ibac beskar'gam jahaala"
[You bear that Mandalorian Armour well].​

Thaln spoke in Mando'a, his head lifting slightly as he watched Sig Dryggo with care. In his experience, it was rare to come across another of their kind unless they wished to be found. Perhaps this was the case here, but it was equally possible they had somehow managed to procure the Beskar'gam via the black market trade or an honorless kill.

Thaln's helm tilted slightly, his right hand moving towards the holstered blaster pistol hanging from his belt. It would be clear that he wouldn't take chances, especially with someone wearing their heritage and birthright. If this man proved himself to be an Aruetii, then he would need to be dealt with and the armour returned to the nearest covert, in the hope of finding the owner or next of kin.

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig remained still though his eyes flickered: following every movement with pinpoint accuracy. He smirked as his vod spoke about the armor. It’s true that the armor of the Mando’ade was more than just iconic. It was a symbol that represented the strength of their people.

“Sig Dryggo, Alor of Clan Dryggo,” he announced in a firm and commanding tone. He straightened himself a bit. While he appeared completely frozen, his hidden eyes focused in and followed the warrior’s hand to his blaster. Letting out a small chuckle he brought his hands down, both now hovering over his own pistol holsters. “You best not miss.”

He was inviting him to fight. It was in his blood. The only true way to test any Mandalorian was through combat. And one on one combat was always the best kind of fight. The fight was the measure of a Mandalorian. “If this one,” Sig thought, “was willing to fight then I should be the one to give it to him.”
​

Kyran Thaln

 

[Kyran Thaln]

Thaln's hand did not leave the handle of his Blaster, however nor did he draw the pistol from its sheath as yet. Sig Dryggo had identified himself as Clan Dryggo. Mando'ad, like Thaln, aspired to be himself. However, he did not have a Clan to claim his own.

"Kyran Thaln, Foundling of Clan Saxon", He introduced himself, his helm lifting somewhat as he paused to consider the other Mandalorian before him; "Independent", he added, though his voice trailed as though more could be spoken of the fact, information that he did not presently trust Sig enough to disclose.

"What is your purpose here ner vod?" Kyran would ask, choosing not to rise to the goading offered him for the time being. He did not wish to make an enemy of one of their own, yet if it was forced upon him, he had no quarrel defending himself. Instead, he addressed Dryggo as a brother of the way, a warrior of their people, and a gesture of respect never afforded to those outside their kin.

Two Mando'ad, children of Manda'yaim. If there were a fight between them both, Thaln would prefer it to be a formal challenge by the Resol'nare, honour in their battle, not a meaningless squabble on a world bearing no mark on their name.

"If you seek it, I will offer the challenge", he suggested.

Thaln had spent the past years on his own, afar from the former mentorship of his fallen ward, Nyda Saxon. No longer a Covert to call his own. Only his honour to keep faithful to her teachings and the way of their people. If Sig so desired it, a fight between the two of them would bring him more honour than the nameless bounties that he had hunted these past years.

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig wasn’t one to waste words or time. He was here to recruit, either for his clan or the Crusade. Truly this was a warrior, ready and willing to fight anyone including an unknown opponent. To his knowledge Sig was either a liar who killed a Mandalorian and stole their beskar’gam, a feat all its own, or was telling the truth and was a skilled enough warrior to become Alor.

No odds deterred a true Mandalorian. This man was demonstrating that trait well. Could he fight, was the next question Sig had bouncing around his mind. Willing to fight, Sig drew his pistols without warning and fired several shots as he dove for cover behind a nearby tree, the swamp water splashing everywhere as he landed.

A test of strength, the only true test of a Mandalorian. Sig was ready to see what this man had to offer and, hopefully, recruit him.
​

Kyran Thaln

 

[Kyran Thaln]

The moment that Sig Dryggo drew for his Blaster, Thaln's right hand took to the grip of his blaster, his knees bending as he pulled the sidearm from its holster, and as he raised it in Dryggo's direction, the Jetpack of his Beskar'gam fired, propelling him skyward while squeezing off several shots from the T-6 heavy pistol.

While Sig moved behind the cover of a tree, Thaln descended to the ground a short distance away and dropped to one knee. The Mandalorian left hand joined with his right at the butt of the pistol grip as he aimed down the iron sights of the Blaster at the tree where the Mandalorian newcomer had taken up position.

"Don't be a fool. You know I'm carrying explosives; that tree won't keep you safe. Let's discard the blasters and fight like true warriors in melee combat!" Thaln shouted across the swamp clearing, exhaling heavily after that. The sudden exertion had quickened the pace of his breath, yet now that the tone had been set and the challenge laid down, he was ready to test the grit of the other combatant truly.

The last time Thaln checked, he hadn't held a death mark, and there wasn't any price on his head that he had known. That said, this other warrior was a Mandalorian, and when it came to their people, all conventional decorum went out the airlock.

"Lest you'd prefer to hide like a coward", Thaln goaded Dryggo, smirking beneath the cover of his beskar helm. He expected that Sig Dryggo wouldn't take such an insult lightly. Hells, that was the point.

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig had no trouble dodging the initial shots from his opponents pistols. As he was reminded of his foe’s explosive arsenal, Sig let out a chuckle. That chuckle, however, was cut the moment he was accused of being a coward.

He knew it was bait. Gritting his teeth he glanced out of cover for a brief moment and quickly scanned the area. His t-visor picked up a few traps near his adversary. Quickly getting back in cover he readied his pistols.

Shooting into the air, his jetpack brought him to the top of a tree. As he landed he let off several shots at the hidden traps, knowing it would set them off. He didn’t know what they’d do, be it explosive or some sort of physical hinderance, but he didn’t care. He knew it would be something new for his foe to adapt to. The test of a Mandalorian.
​

Kyran Thaln