On the other side of the Galaxy (open to Mandalorians)

[Garza]

Standing out on the balcony of the Capitol building, I was dressed in a sea blue nightgown that flowed with the morning breeze. It was chilly, but felt good on my fresh skin. Rarely could I feel this way on the swamp planet of Manpha, but once in a blue moon, I would get the chance to come up here and relax from my duties as a leader, as a Master, and as the Blade of Kalee. Over the past few months, I had done minimal work for Kalee and the other Gods. and now that I had a break, I wanted to do something else. I felt like there was more for me to do, I just didn't know what.

I walked inside and decided to get my things together. I wanted to go somewhere, do something. My left hand flicked out from my side and brought over a bag. inside was a set of armor, clean and shining, but I reached for a grip. lifting the heavy weight from the bag, I pulled the blade from the sheath to expose a Beskad. One of the iconic weapons of the Mandalorians. I had gotten it as an apprentice when in the Sith Empire, and now that it had been just a little over seven years, I still used the blade well.

I smiled as I knew exactly what to do. Putting the sword up, and back in the bag, I yelled out, "Nina!" And in less than ten seconds, a Zeltron ran into the room and bowed to me, I waved my hand as I didn't need the bow. I was not one for that. Everybody, no matter how low they may be, are my equal. "Prepare my ship and the two Echani droids. Prepare for a long flight."

With a nod of her head, Nina left and I began to prepare for my trip to Mandalore.

---------------------------------------------​

It was a day later since I stood on my balcony. And here I was. Standing in the cabin of my ship. Smiling as Nina sat in the pilot seat. I adjusted the belt on my outfit. sliding it out one hole to loosen my jacket, I then grabbed my new MT-14 Blaster pistol WHile I didn't use one all that often, I still carried it should I need it. As well as the Beskad on the small of my back horizontal with my hips, as well on my Leviathian bracers with my left arm having a second layer of a bracer for the use of my Echani dueling shield. I was ready should anything happen. And seeing as how I was a new person here, someone might think lowly of me.

I was here to learn, and if that meant fighting my way in, then so be it.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

"Sir, you requested security officials to inform you whenever Sith-affiliated persons entered the Mandalore system without hostile intent, correct?" Preliat looked up from the monitor on Mandalore. He considered working on Mandalore at the weapon factories and the shipyards a rather nice change of pace and locale. Plus, he got to visit Mom. He looked over at his brother, who he was having a drink with, and nodded at the younger soldier.

"She came quietly and didn't cause any trouble, and I don't think she will be- sir. I don't think she's left the ship yet."

"She would have if she wanted to. I'll go talk to her- welcome her, after all. Not necessarily a Sith, but not someone I'd want to have a drink with."


He stood, and made his way to the spaceport. Preliat would be the first one she saw when she came from her ship, the familiar scowl plastered across his features. He waited patiently for [member="Zoey Marix"] to come down.

"Sir, aren't you worried?"

"Nobody comes to Mandalore alone and expects to get anywhere."

 

[Garza]

Slowly the ship landed. I was nervous. Being on a world I had not been on before, yes, my hair stood on end. Despite this, I was gearing myself up as I went into the bedroom of the ship. Patting myself down as I grabbed the white bladed training saber as well, then decided against it. Setting it back down as I walked towards the ramp, I could hear Nina in my ear speak, "We have two men standing outside. What will you have me do?" I stood there, in front of the ramp waiting to get off, but did not let it go down. "Have the droids on Standby. Stay grounded unless I say otherwise." I reached behind me and loosened the strap on the grip of my beskad should I have to draw it, as well as on my thigh where the pistol rested.

Pressing the button on the side, I heard the wine of the hydraulic systems as the pistons pushed down the ramp at a slow pace. Opening, I could see the skyline first, followed by the tops of buildings, and the inner ring of the starport, and when seeing the top of Mandalorian helmets, I started to move forwards. Stepping down the ramp, I looked at the two of the men there. My hands were empty and at my sides I walked to the end of the ramp, and not taking a step onto the actual ground.

Staring them down for a second before speaking, "Hello Mando'ade. How may I help you?" They could just be checking on me if I was a Sith, which I was not, or they would be wanting some fare for me landing my ship here. "I hope that I have not already done something to offend you or your people."

[member="Preliat Mantis"],

 

[Preliat Mantis]

"Do not speak our language in your foul way- your way of speaking is rather repulsive. You carry the weapon of a Mandalorian- but yet you aren't one, nor are you a Sith."Preliat crossed his crushgaunt-adorned arms, staring down [member="Zoey Marix"] with his penetrating glare.

"You can help me by telling me what a Moross Crusader is doing here."

"oh, and welcome to Mandalore..." The younger soldier chimed in, checking his clipboard.

 

[Garza]

Eyes widened as the man was being rather rude to me, saying that I was not worthy of carrying a Beskad. It was when the other Mandalorian chimed in a welcome. I nodded at him politely and then turned to the first man. I looked at him as he challenged me. I was treading on fragile ground here. I breathed in a moment to control myself, and then spoke in a calm voice.

"I carry the sword of your people as I have learned to use once since I was a young adult. I received one from a former Mandalorian who deemed me worthy." I took a step towards him, stepping on the actual ground of the planet Mandalore, "I am not a Sith. I follow my own religion as you can tell." I then looked to the other soldier as I still spoke at the first, "I came here to learn more of your ways."

I came to learn and simply become one of them. I guess I should have expected this from the get go. "I came because of my ignorance of the weapon I carry. In hindsight, I came to fix that, and learn and possibly become one of the Mando'ade." I then looked at the first once again, wondering why he had to be a little bit aggressive, ​"Does that satisfy your need to know what I am doing here di'kut?"

[member="Preliat Mantis"],

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat didn't give a response verbally to her words or her insults. He didn't even blink. He just leaned forward, removing the Ori'ramikad knife from the sheath on his forearm. He held it, and turned it downward. He was fast, deadly, and better trained than her. He was Ori'ramikad, a master of combat and the art of killing. The knife in his hands, was a symbol of both status and of prowess. He narrowed his eyes at her, speaking after a few tense moments.

"If you came to learn how to be a Mandalorian, then you should know who I am. My name is Preliat Mantis, and I care not for your phony religion or your reasons for carrying the weapon. As far as I'm concerned, you're just a Sith with a different name."He stepped forward, and let the knife at her neck level, although he made no move to attack her. It was more of a statement. She and he both knew, if he was going to attack, he would have done it already.

"Play me for a fool or a simple mind again, and you will be back on that ship and back to whatever pathetic scum-sucking life you came here to escape from again."It was a worse fate than simply getting attacked and beaten, as she would be turned away. And he knew that would help at least in keeping her calm. As much as he enjoyed bloodshed and violence, he saw the need to avoid it once and a while.

[member="Zoey Marix"]

 

[Garza]

I rolled my eyes. The man, Preliat, brought the dagger to my neck as he had finished speaking, then made a threat -no a promise- that if I were to call him a fool again, then he would not accept me. I lifted my hand and with a finger pressed on the flat if the blade away from my neck.

"I call you as such because I come here to learn. Not to burn your cities or defile your wives and kill your brothers and sisters. A fool would take means a world destroying Sith. A fool would let the ingnornant stay as such."

I may have "explained" myself, but I had valid points. If he thought of me as a fool, then it would be in his best interest to teach me not to be as such. "Level with me, I won't call you a di'kut if you don't object my religion."

I shook my head. "I will keep my thoughts to myself, as you too your own. As a person, I at least deserve that right as much as you do."

"Shall we start from the beginning on a good note, or shall we continue this measuring contest like children?" hopefully this would let me speak to him on a more person to person level. If not. Then looks like I will have to find someone else.

[member="Preliat Mantis"],

 

[Preliat Mantis]

"You have nothing to measure against me. In time, you will see that all religion in the galaxy is essentially a group of people subjugating the weak."He glanced down at her, sizing her up by what she carried."I object to every religion. And to me, you are not a person. You are a person outside the Mando'ade. And that makes you essentially, non-important to me until you prove otherwise."He sneered his ugly sneer, before turning his head to face the soldiers that came to check the situation. He waved them off with a sharp hand wave.

"There are no pleasant beginnings with me- such is life. You had best get used to it."

[member="Zoey Marix"]

 

[Garza]

Such a boy scout ain't he? Saying that I was not a person until proven. Well, to be correct, a person that was worthless to him. I shook my head disappointingly. He was raised in a place where Honor was everything. So much so that if you didn't prove yourself, you were crap on the bottom of his boot. I looked over to the other soldiers as they tried to see what was happening. With a hand wave, they left. This indicated that he was high in the rankings.

I clenched my jaw, deciding how I would speak to him. Blah blah blah. Now I needed to prove to him that I was worth the time to be trained. I looked at him squarely. "Then allow me to prove myself to you. Let me show that I am worth the time of your people." This man would not change. I saw that everybody, no matter if they were a slave, or a governess, had a role to play, and were worth more than mud on boots. I knew that. However, he did not. I pitied him. Vowing not to say a word about that to him. "All you need to do is tell me what to do. Say jump, I ask how high."

[member="Preliat Mantis"],

 

[Nyxie]

The friendly and ever-casual Aynea - more familiarly Ashe the Reaper in some parts of the galaxy - quickly approached from seemingly nowhere, always quick, silent and changing in the Force. Unlike all the times before, Aynea was wearing a quaint white glistaweb robe over one of the new AEL singlets and white beskar-heeled boots; this was her new Jedi attire. Her crushgaunt claw however, which she had claimed on the fields of Chaeronea, remained and on the opposite hand rest a new Leviathan Bracer. It'd been a bit since she had reclaimed control over her life and let go of fighting, pulling herself back to a more Gray approach to things, and it left her feeling much better in the end. The one known as Darth Ayra had also disappeared, leaving her role as a Rogue Sith to slay this rival on the back burner. Overall, Aynea was much more humble than before, more easygoing and mischievous like her former self.
"Fly twenty meters! Don't mind Mantis, he's a bit rough around the edges but he does good work on the field," her voice rung out as she drew closer. "So it is my understanding you wish to become a Mandalorian, isn't that right? You've come to the right place... but the Clans are only as strong as it's weakest link. The Rally Master here just wants to make sure you have what it takes. The commitment is for life."
Rally Master, that's what she assumed he was now, if memory served correct. Undoubtedly, he'd correct her if mistaken. Aynea wished she had known the woman a bit better, so that she could have had a more private conversation with her that wasn't so discouraging or fierce. Instead, she smiled warmly in reassurance.
"Judging by what he said before, I'm guessing you are with the Crusade? I heard the Silken Asteroids campaign was quite the battle indeed. I had a perfect view from the boarded hangar of one of your ships whilst the former Supreme Overlord attempted to blow up our own reactors. Here, there is no Horde and no Crusade; there is only the Mando'ade, and the Mando'ade is all that matters. You'll have to put Mandalore before all your former allegiances. I don't know... you seem willing... but just how far are you willing to go? To prove this is where you truly belong?"
There was a certain grand irony in the situation, that the Manda itself was, in a way, also a religion. Rather that irk the man, Aynea had kept that little oversight to herself.
The vixen had nothing to prove. She had worked hard in the frontlines of Chaeronea, defeated the Sith Lord Darth Ayra on Aeten II and saved the life of an Initiate on Dromund Kaas. She wanted to be certain that [member="Zoey Marix"] would do the same, though with the former treatment of [member="Preliat Mantis"], she wasn't too sure the girl would get that chance - at least not without blood.
Well... there was always a toll of blood. Such was a lesson every Mandalorian learned eventually.

((( The awkward moment when you meet someone who uses the same color as you... )))​

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat swiftly ignored the ramblings of the weaker [member="Aynea Savan Xyhn"], turning his head back to face [member="Pyrrha Nikkita"], cocking his head."Don't get so coy- your presence and tone hints at no deception nor false intent. Welcome to Mandalore."He gestured with his crushgaunt-adorned hand for them to continue onward.

"I'd ask of you next- why you came to Manda'yaim- and why you want to become a vod."He blinked, continuing to size up the woman. She looked formidable enough- though her weaponry was a bit odd. But he never judged anyone by what they carried- rather than by how they used it. He folded his hands behind his back as he walked, sternly and proudly. A military man through and through."We all have our reasons for joining and remaining a part of the Mandalorians. Every Mandalorian you see has a tale. And they all have the same ending- they end up together. Every Mandalorian you see, will become your brother or sister. Every man, woman, and child, is expected to defend themselves and maintain themselves as combatants. We are known as the fiercest warriors- you should know that we did not earn this title through a simple conquering. We earned it because we have consistently been a threat to one empire or another. And I do believe, that you-"He paused and finally looked at her.

"Can be great here in the Mandalorians, should you choose to stay. But beware the cost of leaving...or even, a fate worse than death."

 

[Garza]

I had finished speaking when a woman, a cross between a human and some cat like creature, walked up and spoke about joining the Mando'ade. She mentioned about hearing I was from the Crusade and spoke about the battle of the Silken asteroids. Her vantage point was one of the people we "captured" or at least held until the end of the battle. It was here that I found she was with the Horde. Part of me wanted to attack her, but I went against it. This was because we are on neutral ground, as well, I didn't want to upset the man. He might throw a fit if I backtalk. She then went on to say that I had to give up everything to become Vod. That I would not do. I would always worship the Crusade's religion. If she didn't know that now, she would learn soon enough.

Preliat then spoke not seconds after. He mentioned for us to continue on. I walked after him and listened as he spoke of everyone having a story of why they came. He then went on to mention as he continued to size me up, that I could be of service and use to the Vod. "Miss, I intend to go as far as I need. But if that means I have to give up my right to practice my own religion, then I will not go." I turned to the man and nodded, "I mean nothing against your own, I just wish to practice my own religion." Turning back to the woman, "Let us bury the hatchet about the war." Turning one last time to the Man, I spake again, "I hope that I can be of service and use to you as well as the Vod. I just need to know where to be placed so I may harvest more potential."

[member="Preliat Mantis"], [member="Aynea Savan Xyhn"],

 

[Nyxie]

Give up? No. Prioritize.
Aynea smiled again, this time feeling the tension rise off of [member="Preliat Mantis"] strong enough to fry an egg. If she really hated him, she could have simply cooked him alive in his own beskar'gam like she did Dark Lady Darth Ayra before, or flay him like Darth Pandeima. Lords of the Sith had bent to her strength and cunning. Only a fool had passage to ignore such power. She inwardly scoffed and let the vod feel superior for a day; they were on the same side, after all.
"You don't have to give up anything, you just have to understand and accept that when it is needed, if it is needed, your vode must come first. I'll leave you to the good man here, then; if he's done flashing knives at you, that is."
Aynea remembered how she first was introduced to the Mando'ade. It was over a pleasant cup of tea at some local parlor.
The foxtress took a step back, curious to see how [member="Pyrrha Nikkita"] would continue.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

"You'll find that the religion most Mandalorians practice here may or may not be too unfamiliar to you. It's more of a concept than a religion, but we have nothing against religion here."He stepped forward, turning and glaring at [member="Aynea Savan Xyhn"], passively."You'd be wise to do so."He went back to discussing things with [member="Pyrrha Nikkita"]."You and I may have an interesting discussion about the woman behind us some other time. For now, I'm going to tell you something that I wish I knew when I first became a part of the Mandalorians."He stepped forward, rolling his knuckles, popping them. Not as an act of violence, but because after using your fists for so long, aches would develop if you did not constantly relieve the pressure.

"You will find that the Mandalorians will take anyone, and everyone. Regardless of your skill, intellect, background- all of it. Leave it behind. It's easier. The woman behind me may have done some things before the Mando'ade- as did I. Not many of us were born into the Mandalorian society. And they will love you, like a sister."A gentle hand placed itself on her shoulder, the one most adjacent to his body.

"If you're willing, I would be happy to help you through this transition."

 

[Garza]

Turning to the woman as she spoke, I nodded my head, choosing not to answer her about picking Vod over everything else, I just answered her last part. "I will be fine. I have fought in enough battles and duels to handle my own." Part of me still wanted to go after her and just end the blight on the Galaxy so someone else wouldn't have to. Continuing to walk on, I noticed that Preliat had been rather harsh towards the woman, While I would have slapped him as well for being mean, I didn't simply because I found it slightly interesting, as well as I was a guest on tight ropes here. "We shall talk later ma'am. Just look for Pyrrha, or Blade of Kalee."

Walking after the man, he spoke of religion and it being a concept. And they accepted it. I sighed hearing that, He then placed a hand on my shoulder. My first reaction was to instantly go into gear for battle. Being a Governess on Manpha, As well as basicly a Demi-Goddess in the Crusade, no one under my rank was allowed to touch me unless an emergency, or I had given them permission. Stopping myself before I sent the man into a martial arts throw, I looked to his face as he put himself forward to train me. Well more so to help me through the movements of going from one society to another.

"That would be most helpful." Nodding my head, I decided to do the same. Taking my own hand, I placed it on his own shoulder. Making a box with our chests and arms, "I will accept."

[member="Preliat Mantis"], [member="Aynea Savan Xyhn"],

 

[Preliat Mantis]

"First things first, you'll have to know that this, the ground you walk on, will become what you live and die for. It is more than a planet- it is our planet. It is every Mandalorian's planet, it is every single Mandalorian who came before them planet."He used his hand to guide her towards a balcony that overlooked Keldabe, the capital of the planet. He breathed deeply, taking in the scenery."There have been times when this place has been destroyed, but it always comes back."He pointed towards a large tower, with the most recognizable company logo on the side."Mandalmotors. It's a business that has been keeping the Mandalorian economy going for years- especially after the Vong war."He blinked, and turned his head.

"What do you think of our beautiful planet?"

[member="Pyrrha Nikkita"]

 

[Garza]

The man continued. Speaking of how the planet we stood on was the home of generations of Mando'ade that had lived, fought, and died for their home. While yes, every place that can be conquerable has been, and the planet has seen it's fair share of destruction and death. This would be a planet that I will live and die for.

Joining the Mandalorians, I knew that I would have to fight for every step. any advance in the increase of my knowledge would have to be fought for. Be it on a field of battle, or in the classroom. It was then that the question of what I thought of the planet. I looked around us. Seeing the cityscape, and looking to see the attractions of the people. Each wearing normal clothing, or the armor of the generations. Turning back to him, I smiled. "I have seen many planets. All are beautiful. Each in their own way. Mandalor is the same." I held my hand up in a cup shape with my fingers open as though I were holding a ball. "A ball of elements floating in the void of space. Any planet that is created, and not just survives, but thrives, is a planet that has it's beauty."

I let my hand drop and looked. Pointing to the people, "They are what makes this planet what it is. While the planet may not be visually beautiful because of the skyscrapers reaching for the sky, The people are." Turning back to him I, with a nod towards him, indicated the armor that he wore. "The Mando'ade are people who are patriotic to their core. Little to nothing sways them from the love of their brethren, and the love of their Home." Standing up straight, I smiled intently. "and that, is what makes this place beautiful."