Mand'alor the Reclaimer
Today was the day.
Kreslin sat alone in the small room. He was hunched over a chair, his elbows resting on his knees. His hands were folded together, right over left, and he used them to prop up his head. His left foot tapped slowly against the durasteel floor, the echo bouncing around the dimly lit room. The only sound except for the roaring of his heartbeat in his ears.
The Mandalorian Union had known the Sith were coming for Myrkr, the temporary capital of the Union, for a few days. There had been talks of committing all their limited forces to the defense of the planet; of fighting the Sith tooth and nail on the forest home of Clan Australis, and preventing them from taking another world from their people. Many had called for this action, a chance to fall in glorious combat defending their new home as they had once done on Manda’yaim herself. To fight with honor against the blood enemies of their people on Myrkr. To exact their revenge against the Darjetii, the Sith.
Kreslin had denied them that chance.
He had rallied his people. All those within the Union that could be spared and all the allies they could muster had answered his call. They had come to Myrkr, forming a single, great fleet above the forest world. The might of which had not been seen by the Mando’ade for months. But it was not to defend Myrkr that this fleet was mustered. When word came to them that the Sith armada had begun to move across their borders into Silver Jedi space, he had ordered the Union fleet to move out. They had left Myrkr and the bulk of Clan Australis behind when they departed. They had left the home they had known for months, and set out of what could very well be a suicide mission.
The door to the room Kreslin was in slid open, revealing a Supercommando of House Awaud standing there. Light from the opening poured into the room, illuminating Kreslin’s helmet where it sat on the desk. He did not look up as the warrior took a step into the room, his head bowing only briefly before he spoke. “Warmaster, we are entering the system.”
The simple statement drew no response from Kreslin for several moments before he lifted his head, glancing briefly at the Supercommando and giving the man a nod. The warrior stepped out of the room, letting the door slide shut once more and casting Kreslin back into the darkness of his own thoughts. He pushed himself to his feet. His pure white armor, repainted following the decision that led to this day, creaking as it shifted from where it had settled. Reaching down, he picked up his helmet and tucked it under his left arm before making his way across the room, opening the door, and stepping out into the brightly lit bridge of the Darksaber, his personal flagship, and the first of the Ba’vodu class vessels of the Mandalorian Union. And perhaps the last to ever be built.
He walked down the length of the bridge slowly, his eyes taking in the crew as they went about their various tasks, each of them wearing their own personal clothing rather than a set uniform. Some were in armor, and others in little better than farmers’ garb. There had been no time when the call had been sent to prepare a uniform, and so they had to make do. The sight brought a new wave of doubt to his head as he came to stand at the front of the bridge, his eyes looked up as the trailing lines of hyperspace began to vanish, soon replaced by the empty void of space. Around them, the rest of the Mandalorian fleet begin to exit hyperspace.
The doubt that had plagued him began to vanish as he looked into the darkness of space. He stared at the single, tiny object just beginning to become visible in the distance. It was no more than a spec now, and every few seconds Kreslin would lose track of it. But even from this distance, he could feel a rush of belonging flood through him. He could hear the songs of his adopted people in his ears, the smell of the fires as they feasted, and the sense of unity that had once belonged there. In the distance, Kreslin could see Manda’yaim. The home of all Mandalorians, both those born within the people, and those that had been adopted into it, as he had.
“Open a channel to the rest of the fleet.” His order cut across the background murmuring and sounds of the bridge. Kreslin had to wait for only a moment before the communications officer nodded to him. He paused for a moment more, gathering his thoughts as the few remaining vessels in hyperspace exited into the formation.
“Warriors of the Mandalorian Union, my brothers and sisters, and all those who have chosen to stand beside us this day, the time has come. The Sith will soon be nearing Myrkr, where Clan Australis will draw them in and keep them busy. They will bleed their fleets and armies dearly for every kilometer of space they take, and buy us the time we need. The Sith will not have missed our arrival to the system, and what forces are still available will be mustering to stop us. The odds...are stacked against us this day.”
He paused then, his eyes traveling across all those in the bridge around him. When he finally spoke again, his voice took on a firmer tone. “But, our people have never shied away from long odds. The majority of the Sith forces are elsewhere, committed to another war. This gives us a chance we have not had, until now. We will advance on Manda’yaim. Our fleet shall tear apart anything that stands in our way. Our warriors shall land upon the soil of our homeworld once again, and the cries of our enemies shall be drowned out by the righteous fury of our cause.” Kreslin paused, his right hand tightening beneath his cloak as he looked into the distance.
“Today, we strike back against those who sought to destroy us! Today, we will repay the debt that is owed to us a hundred times over, and then a thousand times after that! Today, we shall show the galaxy that the Mandalorian people are not broken. We do not kneel to others! Today, we take the fight back to our enemies, and show them the fury they have brought upon themselves. Today, we retake our home!” The final words were torn from Kreslin’s mouth with a roar as he lifted his free hand into the air. The action echoed by all those on the bridge, their voices ringing in the closed space as Kreslin reached down and grabbed his helmet. Slowly, he pulled it on over his head, the voices of his people still echoing in his ear as the helmet locked in place.
“All ships... begin the advance…”
------------------
Only gonna tag the staff of both factions here to avoid a three page long list and risking forgetting somebody.
Torrack Torrackstur
Venku Bralor
Jaster Awaud
----
Ellie Mors
Telis Taharin-Zambrano
Darth Prazutis
Taeli Raaf
Quinn Varanin
Madelyn Lowe
Kreslin sat alone in the small room. He was hunched over a chair, his elbows resting on his knees. His hands were folded together, right over left, and he used them to prop up his head. His left foot tapped slowly against the durasteel floor, the echo bouncing around the dimly lit room. The only sound except for the roaring of his heartbeat in his ears.
The Mandalorian Union had known the Sith were coming for Myrkr, the temporary capital of the Union, for a few days. There had been talks of committing all their limited forces to the defense of the planet; of fighting the Sith tooth and nail on the forest home of Clan Australis, and preventing them from taking another world from their people. Many had called for this action, a chance to fall in glorious combat defending their new home as they had once done on Manda’yaim herself. To fight with honor against the blood enemies of their people on Myrkr. To exact their revenge against the Darjetii, the Sith.
Kreslin had denied them that chance.
He had rallied his people. All those within the Union that could be spared and all the allies they could muster had answered his call. They had come to Myrkr, forming a single, great fleet above the forest world. The might of which had not been seen by the Mando’ade for months. But it was not to defend Myrkr that this fleet was mustered. When word came to them that the Sith armada had begun to move across their borders into Silver Jedi space, he had ordered the Union fleet to move out. They had left Myrkr and the bulk of Clan Australis behind when they departed. They had left the home they had known for months, and set out of what could very well be a suicide mission.
The door to the room Kreslin was in slid open, revealing a Supercommando of House Awaud standing there. Light from the opening poured into the room, illuminating Kreslin’s helmet where it sat on the desk. He did not look up as the warrior took a step into the room, his head bowing only briefly before he spoke. “Warmaster, we are entering the system.”
The simple statement drew no response from Kreslin for several moments before he lifted his head, glancing briefly at the Supercommando and giving the man a nod. The warrior stepped out of the room, letting the door slide shut once more and casting Kreslin back into the darkness of his own thoughts. He pushed himself to his feet. His pure white armor, repainted following the decision that led to this day, creaking as it shifted from where it had settled. Reaching down, he picked up his helmet and tucked it under his left arm before making his way across the room, opening the door, and stepping out into the brightly lit bridge of the Darksaber, his personal flagship, and the first of the Ba’vodu class vessels of the Mandalorian Union. And perhaps the last to ever be built.
He walked down the length of the bridge slowly, his eyes taking in the crew as they went about their various tasks, each of them wearing their own personal clothing rather than a set uniform. Some were in armor, and others in little better than farmers’ garb. There had been no time when the call had been sent to prepare a uniform, and so they had to make do. The sight brought a new wave of doubt to his head as he came to stand at the front of the bridge, his eyes looked up as the trailing lines of hyperspace began to vanish, soon replaced by the empty void of space. Around them, the rest of the Mandalorian fleet begin to exit hyperspace.
The doubt that had plagued him began to vanish as he looked into the darkness of space. He stared at the single, tiny object just beginning to become visible in the distance. It was no more than a spec now, and every few seconds Kreslin would lose track of it. But even from this distance, he could feel a rush of belonging flood through him. He could hear the songs of his adopted people in his ears, the smell of the fires as they feasted, and the sense of unity that had once belonged there. In the distance, Kreslin could see Manda’yaim. The home of all Mandalorians, both those born within the people, and those that had been adopted into it, as he had.
“Open a channel to the rest of the fleet.” His order cut across the background murmuring and sounds of the bridge. Kreslin had to wait for only a moment before the communications officer nodded to him. He paused for a moment more, gathering his thoughts as the few remaining vessels in hyperspace exited into the formation.
“Warriors of the Mandalorian Union, my brothers and sisters, and all those who have chosen to stand beside us this day, the time has come. The Sith will soon be nearing Myrkr, where Clan Australis will draw them in and keep them busy. They will bleed their fleets and armies dearly for every kilometer of space they take, and buy us the time we need. The Sith will not have missed our arrival to the system, and what forces are still available will be mustering to stop us. The odds...are stacked against us this day.”
He paused then, his eyes traveling across all those in the bridge around him. When he finally spoke again, his voice took on a firmer tone. “But, our people have never shied away from long odds. The majority of the Sith forces are elsewhere, committed to another war. This gives us a chance we have not had, until now. We will advance on Manda’yaim. Our fleet shall tear apart anything that stands in our way. Our warriors shall land upon the soil of our homeworld once again, and the cries of our enemies shall be drowned out by the righteous fury of our cause.” Kreslin paused, his right hand tightening beneath his cloak as he looked into the distance.
“Today, we strike back against those who sought to destroy us! Today, we will repay the debt that is owed to us a hundred times over, and then a thousand times after that! Today, we shall show the galaxy that the Mandalorian people are not broken. We do not kneel to others! Today, we take the fight back to our enemies, and show them the fury they have brought upon themselves. Today, we retake our home!” The final words were torn from Kreslin’s mouth with a roar as he lifted his free hand into the air. The action echoed by all those on the bridge, their voices ringing in the closed space as Kreslin reached down and grabbed his helmet. Slowly, he pulled it on over his head, the voices of his people still echoing in his ear as the helmet locked in place.
“All ships... begin the advance…”
------------------
Only gonna tag the staff of both factions here to avoid a three page long list and risking forgetting somebody.
Torrack Torrackstur
Venku Bralor
Jaster Awaud
----
Ellie Mors
Telis Taharin-Zambrano
Darth Prazutis
Taeli Raaf
Quinn Varanin
Madelyn Lowe