Private Shipwrecked

[Koda Fett]

Frantic flashes of red ensured the interior remained alight, and the continued stream of either small and muted flames, as well as the series of audible electronic issues that fired outwards, had been able to make the inside of the craft become a visible mess rather than be cast into a void of sorts between each alarm that shouted inside the vessel; to the sound of the aforemeiotned flames and the constant discomforted sound of a shift in the metal, had the armoured man come alive once more - hurried to his feet in an instant, beside him came a breath of a similar nature. The Mandalorian leaned into the twisted metallic hull and clutched his side at once, a tear on the flesh felt, and a small, broken section of his ship left inside himself - when cast before his visor, it seemed to be coated in the colour crimson.

He scanned the area ahead to see the wires torn from their areas, fires abound and certain to see more than scorched metal, as said metal found itself shattered and scattered - the floor beneath him made uneven, the closed in interior even more so as entire sections had fallen in on themselves. His slow movements soon had taken him to the hardly function terminal before the vast emptiness of the stars ahead - it all seemed in a state of disrepair, and this had been but the first hour.

---

In the days that followed onwards, Fett had worldessly mused to no one other than himself that worse had been beaten - his booted soles strode over the scorched and uneven metal, torn asunder albeit still able to serve in some sense, after the flames had been cast aside entirely. He knelt beside destroyed section after section, his tools to meet more and more wires as intensive care ensured the lot of them be fixed to the best of his abilities. But his profession had been Bounty Hunter, not starship mechanic. He could only do so much, he feared, forced back into the moment as too much movement returned the sensation to his stitched and coated wound.

He was not out of this yet, no matter how hard he tried.

Cuts and bruises lined his frame, his armour off and undersuit on. He could not bear the added stress now, bar the helmet that shielded his eyes from soaring sparks.

---

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

Durasteel creaked and shuddered. An adrift vessel did not often go through a sudden change in bearing or velocity, yet Fett's ship would undergo both. Aside from the sound, the most notable indication towards this conclusion would be Fett's tools idly rolling away and gradually creeping to a halt. The halting of the ship had been sudden in a manner that might have suggested a tractor beam had taken hold of the wrecked ship - perhaps an opportunistic scavenger or, if the bounty hunter were lucky, a rescue barge. But aside from the ship itself grinding to a halt in defiance of the natural laws of physics, none of the other tell-tale indicators of such a rational explanation were present.

Sudden as the change was, it had not jolted Fett himself, it was as though the ship had simply drifted to a natural and cushioned halt in the middle of the void of space. Then there was the silence. There was no hum or vibration of a tractor field around the ship, no beeping on the comm or indication of an answered distress call. The silence was deep and wide as the empty space outside the hull, and more than anything it was deeply and horribly unsettling.

The cockpit was sure to be the likely destination of the bounty hunter. It was, after all, the only section of the ship with a major viewport to the outside, the rest of its hull covered in thick armour plating which had - at least for the conflict that had landed Koda in his current predicament - utterly failed in its intended purpose.

Of course, the wandering bounty hunter would need not peer out the viewport to perhaps get an understanding of what had happened when he entered his cockpit. It was dark. Not simply dark from the lack of light, distant enough starlight should have crept through the viewport and clearly outlined the cockpit, and yet even the T-visor of the Mandalorian warrior would struggle to piece together anything.

Yet, as the hiss of the door opening settled, so too did the darkness, an inky black mist of cloud and vapour seeming to gradually shift and dissipate as Koda took a step into the cockpit. Carefully, slowly, that persistent and ever-present starlight began to shine through the viewport and outline a figure positioned in the pilot's seat. They were dressed in a long, dark coat, marked with an elaborate and incomprehensibly messy embroidery that - when viewed for too long - seemed to shift under Fett's very eyes.

As the seated figure turned, their bearded face carried an appearance that was almost wholly unknown to Fett, though there was something about it - the lines of the face, the slow curl of the lip into a wry smile. Something familiar. Then the voice, entirely familiar despite the body it came from.

"Fett. You really must take better care of your things."

Koda Fett

 

[Koda Fett]

Hestitance met his movements, an unsure and slower series of motions followed as curious and befuddled stares found the area around him - it all moved in such an odd manner, and his initial consideration of a tractor beam had been so soon cast aside once the onboard announcer elected to remain silent, even in their troubled state. Fett cautiously scanned the outside, to see none bar the void in the starless space before it all came to be before him. The Mandalorian had seen so much of the Force none seemed to be so much of a wonder as it was a bothersome burden, although this had been something new altogether.

Likely Sith, his mind believed.

In a most unsure voice, Fett replied.

"I tire of Sith nonsense." He said, although somewhat relieved given his current circumstances. "But you sound familiar, who are you?"

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

"Sith. What a quaint presumption - though fairly uncharacteristic for myself, mind you."

The figure smirked, evidently amused by Fett's confusion, though the quick manner in which the Mandalorian brushed aside such confusion to ask his own questions seemed to amuse the figure more. He had been used to this Fett, the one who did not waste time nor words, the one who - while surrounded by Sith or Jedi alike seemed to never understand or care for a moment as to the intricacies of their powers. It wasn't something that had ever worried him, he figured - Fett knew the plain and fundamental fact that all of them took a blaster bolt the same way.

Still, while he knew Fett - Fett did not know him. Or more accurately, the Mandalorian did not think he did. It was unsurprising even if his body had not changed, the figure supposed. How long had it been since either of them were in each other's presence, how long had it been, even? He found himself unsure, unable to recall. Nonetheless, he saw no reason to fuss about making the Mandalorian wait. "Aryn Teth, at your service - and rescue, it would seem."

Koda Fett

 

[Koda Fett]

He scoffed.

From beneath the T-visor, a short set of chuckles fell as the Mandalorian craned his neck to the floor beneath them both; the amusement, even then, sounded somewhat sinister. Both Fett and Teth had been constant adversaries, enemies; more often to find bruises from one another than friendly conversation. But the Mandalorian had seen more fortunate times, this to be the least of them all in his stranded state.

Rescuer, Koda's mind remained on that more than the rest.

"You died," Koda refuted, "Been some time now."

Fett crossed his arms over his torso, then to hiss from the wound yet carry on still.

"How is it that you're here now, and a rescuer no less?"

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

"Oh yes."

The agreement came easily, one leg crossing over the other as the figure leaned back in his chair, raising a hand to examine it closely as if inspecting it for the very first time as he lightly closed each finger one after another then flexed them open once more. "Dead and buried, or adrift... Or, truth be told I can't recall." A chuckle escaped him, and though it sounded as though the figure was clearly amused, there was something unsettling about it, something unnatural.

"As it turns out, the Netherworld and this lovely slice of existence have grown more connected, 'twas but a casual stroll over the last twenty years or so - and here I am." Legs uncrossed and the figure stood, clasping his hands behind his back as he strolled over to the viewport to peer out at an angle, taking stock of the battered state of the starship he had come to suddenly be inhabiting alongside the Mandalorian that had tried to end his life near a hundred times before in another life. "Alas, it's been long enough that I've grown a bit... Out of touch, shall we say." He mused, brushing something off his jacket as he turned back to face the Fett.

"But, should you be willing to help me get... re-acquainted with the galaxy, I'll be happy to expedite our journey to a slightly more civilised pocket of space."

 

[Koda Fett]

His concealed brow had been sent aloft. Teth had seemed to be another man, if not for the familiar snark, both inside and outside; an entire shift in form had not been entirely unheard of, neither unseen to Fett - otherwise, disbelief may have ensured this interaction become one far more violent, or at the least much more uncertain. Yet the Mandalorian remained intent to listen, and to find some sort of arrangement to move beyond this vast emptiness. Stranded, and so Koda had no other choice.

"If I must," Fett remarked, "It isn't as if I have a choice in the matter, I am stranded. But of everyone in this Galaxy, you chose me?"

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

The figure scoffed, flexing his fingers for a moment as he brought his hand up, idly tapping against his chin in a thoughtful manner. "It's awfully convenient when you're forced into a position of agreeing." He chuckled, though a brow raised at the Mandalorian's question. By now, he was fairly sure this was the longest conversation that either of them had without resorting to violence in some sense or another. Coincidentally, he figured it was the first time he had seen Fett without his full regalia. In truth, it felt somewhat scandalous.

"You lack a lot of the connections and loyalties of most in the galaxy, I figured you'd give me a fairly neutral perspective of everything i've missed." The figure answered honestly, shrugging his shoulders as he watched the bounty hunter. "And truth be told I found the idea somewhat amusing, considering our previous relationship."

Koda Fett

 

[Koda Fett]

He cursed his lack of true connections, then. The Mandalorian offered loyalties to none other than himself, and for all the times that seemed to be the most successful move, it returned to bite him in the rear now - worse still, Teth of all came to seek his services of sorts. Of all their time shared, Fett had either tried to see him turned to either a corpse or a captive. Now, allies of some sorts.

Strange, the Galaxy had become.

"I understand," the near-nude man said absent his armour. "Best have at it now then. Tell me what it is you need to know so I can have this craft repaired sooner rather than later."

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

Chuckling softly, the figure dipped his head at Fett's acceptance of the deal, clasping his hands behind his back as he raised his shoulders in a slow, nonchalant shrug. As he considered, the sound of creaking dura rocked through the vessel, the force-wielder clearly beginning something or another as the stars outside the viewport seemed to stir and move. "Well then - we can begin with a... Broad assessment of the state of things, hm? I've not been able to note much, but I can tell things are..."

The figure paused, sucking in a slow breath as though drawing in a scent. As he did so, his eyes closed, and that same inky darkness seemed to linger about the corners of the room, threatening to push in once more until he exhaled slowly, opening his eyes once more. "Different."

Koda Fett

 

[Koda Fett]

"The Sith Empire," those that so often employed his services and even commissioned this vessel, "It fell, not before it annihilated Mandalore. Imperials from their own armed forces rose to see them destroyed in the New Imperial Order; after their success, it now holds control of once Sith territories."

He mused for but a moment that said forces had seen his contract formed and fulfilled, once allied to the Sith, Fett had been able to turn on them too. It seemed once Bastion fell that the Sith found their loss cemented, and Koda had heard from Carnifex but once since their fall - curious, the Mandalorian wondered if the once Dark Lord even remained. Given the state of Teth now, it was surely the case.

"Your Galactic Alliance has returned; the core is theirs, as are most of their older territories. The Brotherhood of the Maw, a reforged Sith Empire, fights them and the New Imperial Order in a bid to return themselves. The Second Great Hyperspace War, they call it - to finish our old war, it seems."

The Jedi that the Mandalorian had once known is not this one. Someone new altogether, another form and another life. He could not say as to whether Teth remained intent to return to his Alliance, or even to be the foe to old allies.

"The Mandalorians retreated south after the destruction of Mandalore and the massacre, smaller territories ruled from Kestri. The Silver Jedi Order remain, even still, but I hear they're soon to fall from the inside, as the CIS had too."

Empires rose, and then came their fall - those inside them remained to form another, to see their vision enacted once more. The Sith Empire, the New Imperial Order, the Brotherhood of the Maw. If but more interested, Fett may have seriously thought on their similarities. But nevertheless, he was a mercenary at heart.

"I remained in Hutt Space, unmolested by these factions that war one another. Occasional ventures into the core or other territories, yes, but I see to myself more than most else. No reason to do otherwise."

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

"Hm. Is that so?"

The reply was utterly mundane, and it was entirely unclear what part of the Mandalorian's explanation that the once-Supreme Commander was referring to. In fact, contrary to whatever position or involvement in galactic politics that the figure had once held, he seemed utterly bored by the explanation that Fett had given. Perhaps he had expected more, or perhaps he simply took issue with the way certain things had gone as opposed to what he might have imagined.

Whatever he thought, the figure didn't seem particularly inclined to share any more detailed thoughts than his initial assessment as he bobbed his head in a nod once, clapping his hands together. The figure took a few steps away from where he stood by the viewport, shifting around the cockpit to stand behind the pilot's chair and peer out in the black void of space. He'd spare a glance to Fett, raising a brow. "Well, ready then?"

Koda Fett

 

[Koda Fett]

It was all circular, the fall of one enabled the rise of another and familiar faces never remained lost forever; roaches, the lot of them, in their refusal to let themselves be beaten no matter the amount of losses one sustained. Ideas never died, Fett mused, even if some iterations made it seem as if had rotted on the side of the road.

In a tone rife with cautious hesitation, the Mandalorian answered Teth.

"I believe so," the uncertain nature of his voice so obvious, "Do whatever it is that you do."

His idle hand reached out to a wall-mounted hall, and without much thought reached across to grasp it.

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

To say that it was disconcerting would be an understatement.

The ship itself did not seem to move, rather space itself as it surrounded them. The stars lengthened as though the ship were moving into hyperspace, but the engine remained in its deactivated space. Nor did the blue light of hyperspace fill the viewport. Instead, the white lines of starlight seemed to bend and warp, cracking apart the black void of space and shattering it like glass. Distant lights began to swirl into utterly alien shapes and patterns, seeming to shift into physical forms that near-battered the ship as they flew by.

In time, the space around them took on a more concrete form, an inky-black mist surrounding them and forming together in the form of planets, forming together only to shatter and tear apart moments later. The gunship drifted seamlessly through them, the man who was the ship's pilot leaning back in a relaxed and effortless manner as the craft moved through a realm utterly unlike anything the well-traveled Mandalorian had likely ever seen.

And then, it was done.

Minutes after the ship had drifted into this realm that assaulted the senses with impossible geometry, sounds utterly eldritch and a feeling of dread, the lines of space reformed to their natural form and the shape of a planet came into view. Well - a moon. The Shape of Nar Shaddaa with its long lines of stellar traffic and the shape of the Ecumenopolis was difficult to mistake for any other world.

"I do believe you should be able to call for repairs and towing from here."

Koda Fett

 

[Koda Fett]

In a flash, it had ended; the streaks faded as the stars and moons came into view instead. Of all the moons the Force had been able to send them to, it (or Teth) had chosen Nar Shaddaa for one reason or another; not the worst decision, the mostly unarmoured Mandalorian had decided in the moment that followed soon afterwards.

"Hnh," breathed Fett, uncertain if further issues had been obtained in their most recent manoeuvre. He motioned towards the console and made sure to switch the distress beacon, a flash of red and soft thrum echoed in the interior, those in service to the Smuggler's Moon no doubt soon to be on their way.

"I'm owed by a Hutt or two," the remnants of his armour collected and attached to his frame, continuing to speak as he did so. "Once I fix my ship, what then? You've been a dead man for some time now, but what is it that a dead man does?"

Aryn Teth

 

[Aryn Teth]

What's next.

It was an interesting question, one that, amusingly, seemed to surprise the shadow-clad man that stood before the Mandalorian. For years, there had been nothing but a single thought, a single desire that crossed his mind. The matters of the galaxy, the plight of others, it had all been secondary, unimportant. And thus, he had spent what seemed to be an eternity alone, chasing that which was all but unattainable. He had not even considered anything else, any other goal, on returning to the galaxy that he had vanished from.

Yet here he was. Aryn Teth had returned to the galaxy at large and was entirely foreign to its workings. The Alliance he had once led in its twilight hours had found itself renewed, and his greatest enemies had been scattered to the winds. Even those he had once loved and cared for seemed utterly foreign and distant, at least from all he could sense of them.

For a moment, he lingered in silence without answering the Mandalorian's question. He cast his gaze out the viewport once more, past the moon that sat in the distance and into the deep void of space. He focused on what connections lingered, frayed and utterly alien as they were. Of all of them, there was none stronger than Srina Talon , indeed - hers was all but the only one that remained even as a faint thread. Entirely changed as it was, as the two of them were, even as he reached out he wondered if she would feel anything but the faintest brush of something warmly familiar, yet coldly eldritch.

"A dead man enjoys resurrection."

The answer came at last, not an answer in and of itself, as the dark man turned back towards Fett, eyes lingering on the T-visor of his helmet. "I'll walk this galaxy along with you, meet with those I once knew, see the galaxy I once helped define." His lips curled in a smile. "And all the while I will enjoy the shadows, for the breaker of ships is long dead."

Dead, or just buried..?

Koda Fett