Private Reunion in rust-clad

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

Cheers and laughter resound throughout the corridors of The Recluse as a game nears it's climax within the recreation hall. A unit of Ex-Death Watch commandos all sit around a single table as Tayl Vizsla continues to work with a knife.

"And round 2 is for setting me up with the Zeltron!"

She cackled from behind her visor, playing a fast paced game of Five finger fillet with the squadron's medic, Eskol Wren. The poor young man had his free hand over his own visor, refusing to look at the instrument of potential carnage. To everyone's surprise but Tayl's however, 3 minutes in and she hadn't missed once. Her knife quickly hit the table between the open spaces of Eskol's fingers over and over, faster than before until some of the mandalorians here couldn't quite keep track of where it was anymore.

Bets were being exchanged and drinks served or spilt almost as quickly as the young Twi'lek could move, and yet she remained entirely focused on her own rhythmic movements.

Her Ex-commander and now second in command, Redsun, knew that something was off however. He had never seen her play such a risky game before, always having been such a stickler for professionalism while aboard her mother's ship. Normally he would have been happy to see her so joyed outside the field of battle, but with everything that had happened recently, he couldn't quite shake the hollow feeling in his chest.

And so the crimson-clad rallymaster excused himself from the table, leaning up against the wall beside the door where he could continue to observe but think in relative peace. Or at least that's what he would have been doing over here, if not for an unexpected guest.

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[Leenic Ellsil]

TAGS: Tae'l Vizsla

Leenic sighed softly as he stepped out of his U-Wing and into the hangar of the Recluse and watched as the several Marines he had arrived with dispersed to go to either the mess hall or the armory, all intent on enjoying the bit of “shore leave” that they were getting while Leenic was aboard. Taking a moment to pull up a map of the ship’s schematics, the Mando headed towards a nearby turbolift in relative silence, more focused on his destination than the journey there.

Humming the tune of Vode An as he hit the button for the rec area of the ship, he clasped his hands behind his back and felt the lift shoot upwards towards its destination.

It had been a while since he had actually been able to talk with Tayl, both always seemed to be occupied with something when the other was not, and he was a bit anxious to finally sit down with his pseudo niece after such an extended period of time. As the turbolift stopped and he stepped out, Leenic took a short breath to steel his nerves before walking inside, nearly bumping into the mandalorian in the doorway as he did.

“Sorry bout that.” He mumbled, shifting to the opposite side of the door and watching Tayl’s knife work. “Damn, didn’t know she was so good at this game.”

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

"Mm...? oh" The Rallymaster just nods, waving a few fingers at Leenic before scooting a little further from the doorframe.

"You know her then?" He would then give the rusted Mandalorian a once over, having no memory of the man but definitely an eye for the aesthetic. This rusted warrior certainly looked like the type that his little viper would have associated with, once.

"She's quite something, isn't she? Little Viper may not have a wide array of skills, but the few she's committed to have nearly all been mastered. Most of all; The Blade"

He chuckled a little, feeling at the hilt of his own beskad which both he and "little viper" had trained with so many times.
Watching Tayl in her rhythmic trance, he couldn't help but chuckle some, and carefully gesture at her with the flat of his hand.

"Mm, Vode- do you see that focus? that control? It's beautiful isn't it?"

Then he turns to his rusted guest, tilting his head some. "But do you also see how she's taking risks now? How she occasionally misses the rhythm, edging closer and closer to his thumb with each passing minute"



He crosses his arms, clicking his tongue.
"You aren't here for her mother. You're here for her, aren't you" More of a statement then an actual question. Redsun wasn't blind to the strange tension in the air around those two. Mission after mission, she sent that girl to kill and spy. Every time, the old Vizsla was nowhere to be seen, and instead, Redsun stood by her side.

"Some advice? There's a lot she keeps secret and these aren't the only risks little viper's been taking... She's been mixing with all sorts of nasty people"

"Maybe you can talk some sense into her?"

He sounded genuinely concerned, the way an older brother would for their baby sister.

Tayl on the other hand seemed to be having fun, inching her visor closer and closer to Wren now that she had established the muscle memory, no longer seeing need in visual confirmation of her movements. One could almost imagine the smug grin beneath her helmet as she stared into Wren's eyes, making the poor young man freeze up and sweat in his armor.

If for no other reason than fearing she might actually take a finger. Thankfully for him, the others were beginning to count down the end of the game.

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[Leenic Ellsil]

Tae'l Vizsla

"Know her?" Leenic scoffed, waving his hand nonchalantly in front of him as he watched the knife, silently counting each of the times its blade cut a minor scuff into the surface of the table. "Buddy, I'm practically her godfather at this point. I think so anyway, no one's given me any documents to sign yet so that's what I'm rolling with."

"Viper, huh? Guess she moved out of the 'Reaper' phase while I was past the outer rim. I like it though, a bit less cheesy than the whole 'I am death' crap every gunslinger does when they're young and full of piss and vinegar." Leenic replied as subconsciously slid his hand across the side of his pistol's barrel, fingers bumping over the sentence inscribed upon it.

"Beautiful ain't the word I'd use for a game about almost cutting your fingers off," Leenic said bluntly. "But hey, I can see the appeal. Something like...damn what was the name of it...Quarren Roulette? One quick spike of adrenaline before you end it all."

"Damn right I am, figured I could come to check on little Vizsla to see how it was all holding up on her end." He said, chuckling softly. "I have some...idea of how it is to-" He paused to swallow a lump that had suddenly shown up in his throat, coughing slightly to get his voice back to normal. "-sorry. To not have someone helping out, per se, as much as you'd need it."

"What kind of nasty people?" Leenic asked, his body suddenly tensing up slightly from the sudden nervousness he found himself overcome by. "There's a line here, one that if crossed cannot be uncrossed. I'm speaking from experience on this."

He then glanced back at the table, noticing how close she was starting to land to the other mandalorian's hand. Placing his hand reassuringly on Redsun's shoulder, he nodded. "I'll try to talk some sense into her mate, dont worry too hard about it." He said, sighing as he waited for the game to end. "Let's just hope it doesn't come too late."

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

"You know, she would always say that. Talk about 'lines you don't cross' when people would piss her off" He half chuckled
"But it was always a promise. Never just a threat"

Sighing, The concordian finally allowed himself to look at this rusted "godfather"

"She may not be a reaper... but she's always had a similar presence. So cold. Efficient. I still remember seeing her first kill. Ordo, we were liberating beskar from an imperial train... She was the first to leap from the dropship. Jetpack and a gauntlet going one way, Train with an angry commando on top coming from the other"

"Clothes lined him with it. Most would just shoot, spend a moment to regret their first time killing a man and then move on"

"She did none of that. Went straight for the throat, and scanned for the next target"
He sounded equally impressed and disturbed by the thought, turning to watch Tayl continue her thrusting trance around Wren's fingers.

"I don't know whether this was before or after your "Godfathering"... But your niece is the kind of person that can only attract one brand of attention..."

"The kind of nasty people you ask of? Are all killers and sometimes worse... Getting close with things that tend to bring in more bounties dead then alive, and enjoy it more then they should"

"The games she plays are beautiful because I get to see my student's work. That eerie focus and sometimes grace. But the risks she's begun to take? Not just with Eskol's hand over there, but with her own well being? Those who can influence her? "

"I do not find that beautiful at all."


Cheering erupts from the table as the countdown finishes and Tayl raises her arms in victory, proudly brandishing a distinct Death Watch combat knife that was miraculously clean of blood.

"I hope you didn't have any bets going~" She teased, handing the knife back to Eskol Wren, who sighed in relief.


"Dank- dank ferric!" Was all he could manage at first, pulling of his Blue Death Watch helm to better breath.
"I think I owe one of the Farr a big stack, actually"

The others just laughed as Tayl pat her friend on the helmet, walking off to grab a drink when she noticed Redusn and Leenic standing in the doorway.


"Ho-ly-shit. Leenic Ellsil!" She cackled in surprise, stepping away from the table and approaching both her old friends.

"Redsun, I see you've met rusty! Rusty, this is my old mentor from Death Watch; Redsun"


"Rook is fine, if you don't want to boost the old ego too much" The Rallmaster stifled a chuckle before stepping away, headed for the bar.

"Take care of her, "Rusty". she's always done the same"


Once he was out of the picture, Tayl offered a gloved handshake to her other mentor, whom she hadn't seen since she was only 15. which, coincidently, wasn't long either before or after Redsun's story about her first kill.

She still had to look up at him though, giving Leenic a good full view of her newly updated armor. Behind the chipped paint, one could see the gleaming shine of pure beskar, and the heavy textile patterns of mobari armorweave adorning her long kama. Even her new thigh plates, which housed a holster for her Golden Gun, had been personalized with damaged Imperial rank plaques, while her shoulder bore the sky-blue of Death Watch to this very day. Every inch of her told a story.

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[Leenic Ellsil]

“Good, she knows her stuff then.” Leenic chuckled, standing upright and smiling tuning his attention back to the purple mandalorian at the table. “Hopefully that’ll help.”

“Damn, she take his head off in the process too? Certainly sounds like a messy as hell kill if you ask me.” Leenic replied, tapping his middle finger against his thumb as he spoke. “Two forces colliding at high speed, one slicing at a small section of the body. Sounds like the perfect environment for a decapitation.”

Leenic then went silent as the mandalorian spoke, listening to his entire speech with a soft frown under his helmet, arms crossing over his plated chest. As Redsun finished talking, Leenic stood by silently, watching Tayl finish up her game.

“I know what you’re talking about.” He said after a few moments. “She’s gonna make stupid decisions here and there though, so I’m frankly astonished it took this long for her to hit one of those bad patches I fell into around her age. Or maybe I just had a problem, who knows.”

His head immediately snapped over towards the sudden cheering, hand shooting down to his pistol out of muscle memory from the surprise as his entire body tensed for a few seconds. Once he had confirmed that what he was hearing were cheers and not screaming, Leenic relaxed again, hooking his thumb into the front of his gun belt and letting it hang there.

“Good to see you again little Vizsla.” Leenic chuckled, dipping his head slightly at her before turning towards Redsun. “And it was well met, Redsun. I hope to speak to you again sometime, you bring a lot of wisdom with you.”

Once Redsun had left, Leenic glanced down at Tayl’s hand and shook it firmly, tilting his head towards the bar afterwards. “Mind if I buy you a drink? Got a job offer to make if you’re interested. Nothin big, just something to get us off this ship.”

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

Tayl finished the firm and enthusiastic shake with a happy chuckle, but it was quick to fade.

“Mind if I buy you a drink? Got a job offer to make if you’re interested. Nothin big, just something to get us off this ship.”

Instead, she then placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head to one side.

"I'll take a drink any day, Rusty. but is a job really the first thing you're gonna ask about after all these years?"


✱Tsk✱ She beckons Leenic with her fingers, approaching the opposite end of the bar from Redsun and tapping the counter a few times until the salvaged battle droid turned bartender paid attention.

"One cassius tea, please" She sets a couple credit chips on the table before turning on her stool to observe her old friend
"I'll let you order the big kid beverages. I'm curious what you think I might drink these days"

Tayl would chuckle softly before removing her Lekku sleeves, and then her helmet.

And as her Lekku slowly slithered out, years of change would become evident bit by bit; For starters, Her Lekku had turned an inky black at the tips, fading in a gradient about half way up. Old tattoos could be seen hiding within that gradient, which seemed to have been there since long before the inky smooth texture on her skin.

The rest of her skin had changed too... From that deep violet Leenic had once known to a slightly pale-ish lavender that looked so soft now, so smooth. Those eyes were the same at least. an Irradiated green that always seemed to have this observant stare to them. Only now, the left was flanked by what may have been eyeliner or perhaps another tattoo; Artistic markings in a similarly inky black that might inspire images of the ancient deserts worlds of the outer rim. Even that little smile of hers had changed; Similarly smug, but lined with razor sharp teeth...

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[Leenic Ellsil]

“I do talking a lot better while on a job than off of it, trust me.” Leenic replied, walking up to the bar and leaning against it with his elbows. “Besides, it’s how we met. Figured it would be fun to reunite under similar circumstances.”

When Tayl said it was his job to order, Leenic scoffed and glanced at the droid. “Strongest stuff you got, two of them.” He said simply, rolling out his neck as he placed down a handful of credits.

“Now, Tayl,” He began, turning his attention towards her. “First off, armor is lookin’ great kid keep it up. Second, how’ve these past few years been for you? You certainly look like you’ve been through a hell of a lot since I last saw ya.”

While waiting for a reply, Leenic took a moment to pull off his own helmet and then the balaclava he wore underneath it. There wasn’t much that had changed for him, maybe a few bee scars across his face here and there and the bags under his eyes had receded slightly, but he still looked older, his barely-tired expression did far more to convey that fact than any blemish he had on him.

“now, about that job.” He said once the drinks he ordered were set down, picking up his and taking a quick shot of it. “Got a request from some farmers who know a…friend of mine to go clear out a rather large pest living near them.” He paused long enough to toss down a bounty puck, where the image of a Krayt dragon bursting out of the ground immediately popped up. “Now I’m not stranger to this kinda work, but I figured there had to be someone else in this group who knew how to hunt the damn things. Good cash in it, and there’s a chance we could dig one of the pearls out of its gut and use it to make something like my saber.”

He then downed another swig of his drink, hitting himself in the chest once and coughing. “shit that burns. So, you in?”

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

"Roger roger" The droid would nod while fetching some glasses and filled them both with Liberty's Flame Whisky. Tayl herself would squint at the "97%" label on it, immediately having recognized the brand too. In all honesty, she would have been both offended and impressed if Leenic had guessed correctly and ordered one of her favorite fruity cocktails anyway.

Thankfully, The droid then seemed to mix it with some kind of colored liquid, diluting the powerful drink just enough for consumption.

“Now, Tayl,” He began, turning his attention towards her. “First off, armor is lookin’ great kid keep it up. Second, how’ve these past few years been for you? You certainly look like you’ve been through a hell of a lot since I last saw ya.”

"Level 1313. That's how they've been."

Without skipping a beat, she immediately knocked back her glass of whisky, immediately coughing some at the bitter taste as her face scrunched up.

“shit that burns. So, you in?”

"yeah, yeah it fuckin' does!" She said in a raspy voice, giving herself just a moment to recover before answering.

"How drunk did you expect to get me? recruiting me for a Krayt hunt, the hell man"

Tayl slides off her barstool, taking a cup of tea to wash that dreadful taste from her mouth while she glanced around the room. So far she saw Redsun(1-2), Eskol(1-9), 1-8, and 1-6 still in fighting condition. Everyone else, such as Fives over there, were too drunk or still recovering from a hangover after the last haul.

"Seven...?" She called out for the team's AT specialist, who seemed to be fast asleep when one of his buddies gestured to him for Tayl.

Shaking her head, even groaning a little, she just turns back to Leenic and puts a hand to her hip again.
"Alright, but my men are too scuffed right now. No more package deal"

"And it'd better be good pay too" She smirked

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[Leenic Ellsil]

Tae'l Vizsla

"Level 1313. That's how they've been."

"Sounds just great." Leenic said sarcastically, huffing softly as he took another swig. Grimacing slightly as the burning liquid streamed down his throat, the seasoned mando hit his chestplate again and let out a loud cough. "Hooo shit thats hot."

"How drunk did you expect to get me? recruiting me for a Krayt hunt, the hell man"

"I went on my first hunt sober, Tayl, so thats about as drunk as I was expecting you to be." He retorted, shifting himself around to look at the other Mandalorians as Tayl seemed to almost do a role-call on them, only for it to come up empty. "Great, was just asking you to come along anyway. Pay's good too, youll make about twenty thousand for dropping this thing so it's well worth your while."

Then Leenic pushed himself up from the counter, grabbing his bottle and shaking his head slightly. "Phew, cmon, lets get to my U-Wing before I cant walk out of here." He said, stuffing his balaclava inside his helmet and picking that up as well. "Dont wanna have to sleep for a whole damn day before I go hunting."

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

"Twenty thousand?!" Tayl slapped her hands down onto the bartop and was staring directly at Leenic from only a few inches away.
By the time her eyes had reverted to their original size and Leenic was standing, She was already walking away.

"Well why didn't you start with that? You know I ain't afraid when money's involved"

She would stuff her Lekku back into their armored sleeves and then the rest of her face into her helmet as the pair walked down the corridors, eventually passing Tayl's own living quarters. A quick stop there and she'd be emerging with her full kit in no time. A slugthrower was griptioned to her back now, which seemed to gave a barrel WAY too big around for Tayl's small hands to control the implicated kickback, and yet the weapon itself looked well worn by time and use. She also had a Jetpack now, which seemed to have two separate missiles, A large grenade, and a long Gaffi Stick that looked to be crafted of Ivorywood with a spiral grip. This staff was carefully placed on her back on the opposite side of the jetpack, only losing Tayl's attention once she was certain it was secure.

"Alright. let's slay us a dragon I guess"

And finally, the newest addition; A pair of Star-spurs that would make a metallic ✱jingle✱ with each step towards the hanger bay.

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[Leenic Ellsil]

Tae'l Vizsla

"Had a feeling you'd pounce on the opportunity once I brought up the money." He chuckled, slipping the balaclava over his head. "I get these types of contracts all the time because I'm the only hunter that can guarantee that the dragon won't ever is seen in their town again, either before or after I kill it."

When Tayl slipped into her room to get prepped, Leenic pulled his helmet back over his head, watching the internal HUD slowly boot up with different status monitors across the visor. Tapping the computers on his bracers, Leenic waited for all systems to come on green before pushing himself off the wall he was leaning against, coincidently at the exact moment Tayl was stepping out of her room.

"Yknow, I hate to shame others on what they're packing, but you got anything...bigger than that?" He asked, eyeing the slugthrower slung across her back. "Not that what you've got is a bad haul, per se, just...I struggle to take it down with a NT-242."

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

Tayl paused for a moment, tilting her head off to one side

✱tsk✱ "Not handheld, no" she groaned in thought.

Logistics were running full time in her head now, thinking up every little ace in her proverbial sleeve within the small collection she had gathered over the years. Most of it consisted of bladed weaponry, and if an Anti-Tank rifle was going to have trouble, a knife sure as hell wasn't going to be viable. Maybe her missiles or...?

"I've got a starfighter..." She hums, slowly looking up at Leenic.

"Fang-class, Mark four. From my time in Death Watch. But if that's too... unconventional? got a pair of Striilr-class brilliant missiles in the jetpack"

"And... this..."

Carefully, she pulled a heavy looking Golden Gun from her holster. It's surface would almost gleam in the well lit corridor, while it's recognizably Veshok wooden grip seemed almost red in hue as she held it up in both hands. Each piece was well polished and smooth, seeming to be a master's work in the simplistic beauty of every single piece.

"She might not be big for a blaster," Tayl hummed softly, looking up at her old friend

"But she's powerful... enough to... pierce Beskar"

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[Leenic Ellsil]

Tae'l Vizsla

"I've got a starfighter..."

"Won't work, as much as I wished it did." He said, frowning. "Krayt dragons rely on hypersensitive nerves in their snout to try and detect vibrations of nearby creatures that they can eat. The number of vibrations a starfighter would give off would drive the beast deep underground, and we'd probably never find it."

Then when Tayl showcased her blaster, Leenic nodded a bit in confirmation. "Beskar-piercer, huh? Glad I'm not the only one with one of those." He chuckled, patting his saber's hilt as they walked toward the hangar bay. "I think that should work, and that scope gives you enough sighting power to not have to engage the damn thing in fisticuffs to get a clear shot. I might have a machine gun you can use as well if that suits your fancy."

As the two approached the turbolift to the hangar, Leenic glanced sideways down at Tayl, studying her movements as she walked. He tried to gauge how she held herself, how twitchy and erratic her movements were, and, most importantly, if she seemed to be either too relaxed or too anxious. Humming Vode An once again when they got to the door, Leenic would idly hit the call button next to it, clasping his hands behind his back and going into a parade rest without even thinking about it.

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

She hummed in thought with this new information, having never really seen a krayt dragon before. She had only ever heard tales told in little backwater cantinas, about monsters that would rise out of the dune sea to eat people and sometimes bantha whole. In all honesty, she didn't expect that mother would have her crawling all over that damned dust ball, so she never really bothered learning about the more obscure wildlife.

"I think that should work, and that scope gives you enough sighting power to not have to engage the damn thing in fisticuffs to get a clear shot. I might have a machine gun you can use as well if that suits your fancy."

"Hmm..." Interest was taken in her primary weapon, admittedly built to handle waves of infantry and hotshot gunslingers in a duel rather than giant freaking monsters, but Leenic seemed enthusiastic enough.

"She's good for about 50 meters. energy tends to dissipate too much by then. Within those fifty though, the hairpin trigger's enough to pierce most Beskar'gam in a handful of shots. way faster in CQB though"

She shrugged "The scope's not for me though. It's for all the targeting computers. she practically aims herself, as long as I can lock on first"

"friend built her for me. After the old one was broken by tuskens"

What a strange day that was.

Leenic glanced sideways down at Tayl, studying her movements as she walked. He tried to gauge how she held herself, how twitchy and erratic her movements were, and, most importantly, if she seemed to be either too relaxed or too anxious.

The young but rather experienced Twi'lek practically marched beside Leenic. Her carefree demeanor from before had been entirely overcome with a purposeful and focused stride. Once her weapon had been holstered again, she had one thumb in the belt just above it in a grip that never seemed to falter, and her gaze seemed to be locked forward and never anywhere else.

It wasn't confidence, per se, but pure determination. That at least, had not changed since last they met.


Only one thing stood out though.

"Leenic...?" She asked as they entered the turbo-lift. If Leenic was still watching, and carefully, the fingers on her gloved left hand would idly rub at her armorweave kama for just a moment. Easily missed, but her little claws seemed almost lost when they weren't being used to fan that revolver of hers.

And yet, it wasn't the dragon making her uneasy.

"Don't bother calling Aloy. If she has the time, she'll ask about me herself"

Eyes still forward. stance still held. but just for a moment, on this rare occasion, mind fighting on two fronts.

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[Leenic Ellsil]

She shrugged "The scope's not for me though. It's for all the targeting computers. she practically aims herself, as long as I can lock on first"

"Shit, that's a smart pistol? Good lord, you're making me feel ancient with my weapons." He joked, pulling out the Kyr'am's Gaan with a twirl, tossing it slightly up in the air before grabbing onto the barrel and holding its handle out. "See that? Pure iron sights on this baby, no fancy-ass computers or nothin to help me out with shooting people."

Going silent once they were finished comparing guns, Leenic quickly flipped his back over so that he was gripping the handle again...before deciding to show off a bit. Flicking the barrel up towards the sky for less than a second, he immediately twisted his wrist down and loosened his grip to both spin the gun downwards and effectively toss it a few millimeters above his waiting palm. Once the gun was facing directly at the floor of the turbolift, Leenic grabbed onto the base of the magazine housing before jamming it down into his holster, pressing down on the handle with his palm to make sure it fully clicked into place once he was done.

"Leenic...?" She asked as they entered the turbo-lift. If Leenic was still watching, and carefully, the fingers on her gloved left hand would idly rub at her armorweave kama for just a moment. Easily missed, but her little claws seemed almost lost when they weren't being used to fan that revolver of hers.

And yet, it wasn't the dragon making her uneasy.

"Don't bother calling Aloy. If she has the time, she'll ask about me herself"

"And that is what almost twenty years of trying the same damn stunt will do for ya." He chuckled, almost challenging Tayl to try the same...until she spoke up about her mother. He stopped for a moment, staring down at the Twi'lek with a mix of sadness and understanding, shoving that lump in his throat right back down where it belonged in his chest.

"Yeah, I got it Tayl." He said quietly, patting her shoulder before turning his attention back to the turbolift's door. "Need me to take care of anything else before we head out?"

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

"Mmh..." Tayl was quiet for a moment, just barely craning her neck off to one side in thought.

"Nah. don't have any extra stops to make or people to tell goodbye"


Not with Iris and Jackal off doing their own thing at least. Tan'yill was probably with Aloy right now and she didn't exactly feel like explaining her day off to miss boss lady admiral this time around. She could probably just use the chip if she cared anyway.

Once the lift had arrived on the lower decks, She'd stroll out with a more casual, less attentive pace. It still looked confident as always of course, the chip saw to that, but it was all surface level. Maybe Leenic still remembered the genuine confidence that used to radiate from the girl when she was younger, but this wasn't it. Maybe it wasn't just gone per se, but it had certainly changed.

Even so, aruetiise crew and Mandalorians alike parted way for the young Vigo. To some, she was simply the Admiral's daughter and therefore a woman with connections best placated. But to those with first hand experience, she was the Vigo; A woman who had earned fear and respect to varying degrees through actions alone, and seldom with words.

She appreciated those individuals more than anything else in this fleet.

The young Twi'lek would politely nod in response to one such individual as she neared the hanger doors, watching for a moment as their tools sparked and flashed while repairing one of few but useful battle droids aboard The Recluse.


"Sooo... where you been all this time?" She asks as they round the corner into the hanger, Tayl having already spotted the old U-wing.

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[Leenic Ellsil]

Tae'l Vizsla

“Understood, let’s roll.” Came Leenic’s reply as the door opened, he let Tayl leave first, and he saw with a frown that a bit of her old swagger has dissipated with time. Licking his lips to try and alleviate the chapped feeling he had been having for about an hour or so, the rusted mandalorian trailed alongside her, nodding to the other crew members they passed along the way.

As they rounded the corner and Tayl dropped her question, Leenic gave a slight shrug and looked down at her. “Went past the outer rim, chasing some visions that came to me.” He said with a sigh. “Couldn’t get the answers I was looking for though, but it felt like I was close. Might head back out there again once this whole Black Fleet operation has solidified itself.”

Answers were an awfully difficult subject when it came to the force, Leenic thought with a frown. Unlike firing a blaster or getting paid, there was no definite endgame to chasing force ghosts and visions of long-dead civilizations. Maybe you’d find ruins or a map or (in the off chance you had astronomically good luck) a surviving descendant of the species, but you could also find nothing at all and end up chasing after the memories that millions of others had left behind, leaving yourself feeling more lost than ever.

The experience didn’t change him too much, not by a long shot, but it left him feeling…fearful, almost. Fearful that he might never find the answers he had been searching for since he was a kid, fearful that he would never actually discover what place he was meant to hold in the universe.

Fearful that he would end up as forgotten as those who had come before him.

Refocusing his attention on the world around him, Leenic looked down at Tayl once again and sighed. “But who knows, not even sure if what I’m looking for is still out there anymore.”

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

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Leenic Ellsil

"It's fine. you've all been busy as hell, spread to the four corners of the galaxy" She half chuckles, half sighs.

"And the force is a fickle queen, so" So are those who wield it, she thought. Aloy had always said that it was a curse, harming those who used it and even those with a simple connection. It turned one's emotions against them and sometimes even the emotionless against themselves, it drove sith mad with greed and lust for power, and stripped Jedi of their humanity. Even the gray jedi had to carefully manage their uses or succumb to one side or the other, often shutting themselves away from the world as outsiders and hermits, or forcing one down into the galaxy's ruinous depths of poverty, spice and violence.

According to legend, it could even strip control of one's destiny, birthing children without a father and driving them to do great or terrible things at the whim of some mystic force devoid of moral sense or care. The old Vizsla described it as a disease with so few cures that it had become a fact of life. Supposedly it robbed their family of another child, once.

Tayl was never sure that she believed in Aloy's dogma. Jedi had saved her life more than once, and aunt Solus'alor had been equally guiding as she was harsh.

Still, she couldn't wondering some days; was this cycle of abandonment just the destiny given unto her by the force?

“But who knows, not even sure if what I’m looking for is still out there anymore.”

"Me neither, rusty. me neither"

She said, stepping aboard the old U-wing and marching to the co-pilot's seat where she would sit with her arms crossed.

"Alright, third visit on Tatooine, here we go"

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[Leenic Ellsil]

Tae'l Vizsla

"And the force is a fickle queen, so"

“That she is, unfortunately.” Replied Leenic, nodding in affirmation. “She seems to love fucking some of us over, eh?”

He chuckled a bit at his half joke, huffing through his nose as memories of his childhood popped up. Thoughts of the hatred, scorn, and his eventual outcasting from clan Ellsil still haunted him even now, infecting his dreams with painfully self-loathing thoughts and wishes that things had been different.

But that wasn’t the case, and so here he stood as a man that was attached to several different creeds, but truly belonged to none. He sometimes likes to fancy himself as the perfect grey Jedi: too many blood ties to truly fall to a side.

But those thoughts slipped from his mind as he climbed aboard, nodding to Tayl as she jumped into the co-pilot seat.

“Careful, Tayl.” He said, using the force the quickly grab the Krayt dragon plush out from under her and hold it in his hand. “King does not need to be sat on, don’t think he’s into that.”

He then plopped himself down in the pilot’s seat, flicking a few switches and letting the engines warm up as the side door slid closed and sealed.

“This is dragon one to tower, requesting permission to take off.”