Faction Solstice of the Mando'ade | The Enclave & Mandalorians

[Zlova Rue]

"My hope?" Zlova looked over at the green woman for a moment. "That I learn how to be stronger in more ways than just with a sword." A smile spread easily over dark red lips as she clapped Leea on the side of the shoulder. "Galaxy's a large place full of countless cultures and philosophies. Most spend their time figuring out how to crack planets like eggs -- the simplest form of strength. I 'hope' to learn new ways of thinking, new techniques, or simply knowledge of the vaster world I live in. Such things lead to strengths of their own kind. Tempers the sword."

The Twi'lek then laughed aloud. "It's nice when people have expectations for you to aspire toward. Problem is, Leea, everyone expects me to betray them. So the bar isn't just low, it's beneath the ground. So, I set my own goal -- figure out what makes the Mandalorians special and how any of it might make me a better warrior. In return, I'll keep the Force Users off their backs. Beskar isn't magical, after all."

The thought of being considered such a duplicitous, treacherous, and deplorable person by other Mandalorians didn't weigh one ounce on the Twi'lek's psyche. They weren't the first to think it, or to say it aloud, or try to do 'something' about it. Wouldn't be the last. Sith didn't care whether other people hated them. In fact, in a twisted way, that was kind of what they wanted. Hatred bred action. Sometimes feeble, inconsequential, or downright pathetic action, but it was better than sitting idly by as an observer.

Tag: Talohn Atar | Leea Pandac | The Quartermaster

 

[Madlad]

When Mia turns about, speaking to Monari about Madlad's supposed awesomeness, the child simply shrugs. "Too blood thirsty for me, but he's family. It may not seem...possible to those who haven't spent much time with him, but he does care.....under all that bloodlust." She giggles, leaning slightly to the side to look past Mia at the droid. "He enjoys spooking people a bit too much, in my opinion. Believe it or not, he's completely sentient." The way she refers to the droid as a 'he' is really odd. Though the way the droid moves, talks, even it's stance, all imply male characteristics. The fact that it's formed enough of a personality to have distinct body language is concerning on a number of levels, and certainly makes Monari's words about it's sentience ring true. Most droids always remained rigid in that way that made them less natural. This droid straightens it's back or slouches it's shoulders depending on the mood.

The droid chuckles darkly as the mandalorian before it nearly wets himself. Just to scare the man further, Madlad's hand darts outwards at lightning speed, like a blur, towards the man....only to grab the datapad. Using it's finger, it signs off on the purchase with a signature before handing it back to the terrified mando. It's torso then rotates around to face Mia, the lower body following after it. "Mia is your name, correct? A friend of Talohn's. Or at least, I remember you from security footage on the ship." It crosses it's arms as it speaks. "You may now get your ship. Enjoy."

Meanwhile, Monari pouts at the droid, hands on her hips in an angry stance. "You enjoyed scaring that poor man too much, you know." The droid responds by simply waving it's hand dismissively before stating, "I was bored with babysitting."

Mia Mereel

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Faison Kelborn | Tawnita Wren | Kale Onara | Thonn Rokkal | Open

"Sure, why not?"

Vren's smile was a lightyear long.
"Excellent! Let's go." he said, before grabbing his drink from where he had put it on the counter and motioning for the newcomer to follow.

As he approached the little group, he saw the lads were all hanging around Tee, snickering like schoolchildren. In good humour he narrowed his eyes.
"What y'all gossiping like girls?" he asked, though the smile on his face showed he wasn't serious. Tawnita most probably dished some embarrassing stories of years past. Not that he could imagine what op-to-date stuff she could dish - 15 year old stories is a bit outdated.

Before taking a seat, however, he decided to introduce the new Vod.
"Right, you bunch, this is Faison Kelborn. Faison, the handsome young bastard over there is Kale Onara , the nosy gentleman over here is Thonn Rokkal and this harpy over here is Tawnita Wren . You just missed Siv Dragr who headed outside." Vren rattled off, motioning to each of his friends. "They are some of the best Mando'ade you'd want at your back. If it weren't for each of them on different occasions, I probably wouldn't be here anymore. We've faced some....interesting things together in the past." he told Faison. The battles with the Vong was still very fresh in the Karjr's mind.

He settled in for a few minutes to give his comrades a chance to assault a new Vod with questions. In the meantime, he tried wracking his brain as to where The Quartermaster would be right now.

 

[Tawnita Wren]

Faison Kelborn Kale Onara Thonn Rokkal Vren Rook


Tee took the newcomer in. Vren was playing the usual 'host' as he so often did and she didn't mind the banter. She liked Vren. Always had done.

"Greetings, Faison. My people call me Tee. You'll find us in spirit of friendship..."

She eyed Vren.

"...and a general state of irritation!"

She laughed to herself, grabbing her tankard.

"Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal" she uttered dryly, the well-known drinking song spoken with some irony.

"What are you looking for in the new world?"

 

[Sikkol Cull]

SHIP: Helljumper Combat Dropship
CREW: Helljumper Crew
WEAPONS: Heklerkok FP-01, MAA-011 HjPBP x2, MAA-010 HiPR x1, Lodestone Devices x4 - Rolling Order, Lookout Probe Droid x2 - Rolling Order, Terminus Shiv's x2, Journeyman Knives x4 - Rolling Order
ARMOR/CLOTHING: Tinfoil Hat Band, MAA-001 HjCBg Bodyglove, MAA-005 HjGPG, MAA-002 HjBmP#3
EXTRA/POCKETS: ECM-598 Medical Backpack, Security Spike, Scramble Key, Anti-security blade, Field Security Overloader, Canteen/Waterskin, Energy/Food Capsules
LOCATION: Marketplace - Then Tavern

TAGS: Open

"Galactic Basic" | <"Mandalorian"> | << comm. channel >>​

A small pack of armored bodies walked through the market, each speaking to each other with a turn of the helmet before looking over the crafting and displayed work before them. The only one to speak outside the small group was a Silver and Gold colored helmet, inquiring about the available goods. And a tavern. The Helljumper's had arrived to investigate the planet, inquire about the people, and extend their hand in medical work to those in the field.

"They've got decent equipment." Griz spoke under his breath, the helmet not betraying the wandering eyes he had lingering over the presented goods around them.

"Decent, but needless. Try jumping onto a staircase with thirteen things dangling from you." Aani hissed, batting at Sikkol's hand as he turned to look at her curiously. His hands had been wandering over blades and other items before she had swept by him and nodded forward.

"We all do not have the same agility as you, diinii." Luno shot back as her hand danced along the shoulder pad Morca had beneath his cloak. Morca watched as Aani sent a reproachful turn of her head to Luno as Vrad stood between them all.

"Easy, ad'ika. Some of us are a bit more grounded than you, Aani. And some of us far less athletic." The eldest of them chuckled, while Aani crossed her arms and Luno turned to look at the Vrad. He shrugged as Uzdo lingered behind Luno before Morca turned to Uzdo also. A quiet conversation between the trio before they all seemed to gather together once more and move along.

"Anyone hungry yet? Or can my eyes wander over these things a bit longer?" Sikkol finally offered a reprieve from the impromptu shopping trip they had taken part in.

"I would like to meet the masters of this place." Aani interjected as Uzdo put a hand to his sisters shoulder.

"We would like to see the medical facilities." Luno, Morca, and Uzdo all seemed to gather around the idea.

"Want to see what they have for a range, or their forges. Either...or both. Both would be good." Vrad offered as Griz nodded with him. Morca suddenly seemed torn about the whole situation, looking between Luno and Vrad before ultimately staying with Luno. The Silver and Gold helmet looked between the group around him, Sikkol weighing his options.

A hand slid to his visor with a sigh before he looked around and caught a passerby to ask for directions. The group at large stared at him as though he were wearing his helmet wrong, him returning the look with a shrug as he pressed them towards a tavern rather than the separate places in question. The walk was pleasant, Griz commenting on the scene before them while Aani commented on hiding places.

Luno and Uzdo were fascinated by the spire while Vrad kept eyeing the shops they passed.

"We'll go to each, so we all aren't out of the loop, or getting into trouble." Sikkol informed them as he led the way inside. They filed in after him, each scanning the room for different reasons as he moved to a large enough table for them all.

"Yeah. Awesome. We get to hear Luno ask for Uzdo about the proper-OW." Griz began before Morca elbowed him sharply. Vrad and Sikkol shook their heads, Aani still glancing around them as Sikkol took note of the place.

"Aani, take it easy. This isn't a mission." Sikkol leaned her way, eliciting a sharp click of her tongue as she continued looking.

"Not a mission, no. But have to keep sharp." Aani replied with tap of her fingers on the table. Luno still watched her in silence, Morca glancing between them.

"Aani, please. Relax. You are always tense." Luno offered with a tap of her own fingers. The Green helmet looked at brown before breaking her gaze.

"Here, figure out what you want before we all start biting at each other." Vrad cut in handing out a few small menus around the table.

 

[Faison Kelborn]

TAG: Tawnita Wren Kale Onara Thonn Rokkal Vren Rook

Hesitantly, Faison picked up his glass and followed Vren to the table with his compatriots. When they approached, and Vren provided introductions to of the three currently present, Faison gave each of them a nod and a brief moment of eye-contact. Before he had a chance to respond, the woman - Tawnita Wren greeted him first with near-equal levity as Vren did. It... felt good, to be among their group. Even though he did not know them well, at least yet, it brought back fond memories from a simpler time. It also helped that she... wasn't hard to look at either.

Her question caught him slightly off guard. As noted previously, he was here for rest and relaxation, and hopefully some new armor. He could secure both (albeit, lower quality armor) anywhere else, so why exactly was he here? He considered the question for a moment, then replied to her question. He was equally keen to find out himself the answer: "It's... been a long time since I've been around my own kind. Very long time." He paused, a note of sobriety in his voice despite the festive atmosphere. He soon added a smile to his composure, then added: "...it's also been far too long since I've walked within a Mandalorian settlement. To be honest, I'm still a bit... surprised that a place like this exists."

Although Faison still wasn't 100% certain what brought him here in lieu of any other sector of the galaxy, his words felt as much like the truth. They would feel even moreso like it as he added yet again - as if the words fell out of him: "I guess I'm here... to find myself again... even though I didn't realize I was lost until now." He paused a moment, regarding the fading head of his ale before peeling his gaze back up to each of them, resting on Vren. He gave him a firm nod as he spoke again with a renewed air. "You all did well in reforging this world into... well, this." He raised his glass to them all: "To the victorious, and the honored dead."

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Shukur Kyr'bes Tavern, Tor Valum
Items: Beginners guide to Mandalore, Fresh Loaf of bread and a box of Sweet Rolls
Tag: Open

There wasn’t a lot that Vulcan could do. He is a Foundling who hasn’t any Mandalorian Ancestors to remember himself. Still, he is at the Market because he wouldn’t know how to react to the Memorial Services being held. He never actually held up well at these things, period. So now he had been directed towards the Tavern. Something that he can do well in. As long as he isn’t elbowed or crowded into a corner where he couldn’t escape. Being cornered wasn’t something Vulcan enjoyed, not one bit.

He never liked crowded places as he always seemed to stand alone, even when he was standing with everyone in the room.

This time it was different, he felt the people around him as family, even if he did tend to take stuff way too literally. He still couldn’t shake off the Bantha and Chick thing, no matter how he looked at it. That’s forever stuck in his subconscious, eluding all attempts to rationalise it. Why was it still trying to find a reason now? It’s been a while since he first heard it.

Vulcan shook his head as he pushed the door to the Tavern open and found himself in a loud, crowded, warm and welcoming place. Dodging around crowds, he looked for a space to sit, he found the only empty booth there and put his Lunch of fresh Sweet Rolls and a loaf of bread down.

He wanted to wait for at least a gap at the bar to slip in and grab a drink. Anyone of his size could get batted aside with no effort or even more painfully, the Ubese could get stepped on, which took a little over 2 weeks to recover from the last accidental tramplings he got caught under.

He took a bite from his Sweet Roll as he waited for an opening to get to the bar.

 

[The Quartermaster]

T H E
Q U A R T E R M A S T E R

Objective: Guide
Tag: Talohn Atar | Leea Pandac | Zlova Rue | Vrun Ryssic

The Quartermaster had expected Talohn to move on, but apparently Atar had something more for her. She carefully took the handle from Talohn, inspecting it carefully, rotating it so the metal gleamed in the sunlight streaming through Tor Valum's cityscape. He was right -- the metal was beskar, though it had plainly been neglected for a long time, centuries perhaps.

A faint glow caught her eye, and the heads-up display of the Quartermaster's specially built helmet adjusted to better enhance the visual she was getting from the handle. "This is no ordinary blade," she murmured. "The metal is beskar, but the crystal within in something different; rarer even. Kyber, living crystal, one that has mysterious properties and is used by the Jetii and Dar'jetii alike." She handed the blade back to Talohn. "What you have is something unique, crafted through ways that even I do not know. But that it is powerful is something that I can easily see."

She bowed her head towards Talohn and his companions one final time. "May the Manda watch over the future of your clan, Atar, and may it be a bright one."
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[Siv Dragr]

W A N D E R​

Location: Ji'yr Market
Tag: Kranak Vizsla

Siv turned at hearing his name be called by someone in the crowd. It took a moment for him to recognize the mountain of a Mandalorian, but the Vizsla crest paired with the Mandalorian's size was unmistakeable. "Vod," Siv nodded, returing the greeting. He fingered the newly-purchased vibrospear in one hand, leaning his weight ever so slightly. The vibrospear was taller than he was, and despite its slim frame, the beskar construction made it surprisingly sturdy.

He considered Kranak's question, then finally replied with a sardonic, "I've managed to survive." It was true enough; though the Enclave was rebuilding, Siv was only barely scraping buy. War in the northern galaxy had sent already-high fuel prices skyrocketing, and with the increase in Mandalorians looking to prove themselves jobs posted for the Karjr were becoming rarer and rarer to secure. On the side he'd even had to do some old-school bounty hunting to cover costs, though he'd been sure to steer clear away from the Confederacy's territory lest he find himself at the wrong end of a Karjr's blaster. "You?" he asked in turn, nodding up towards the tall Mandalorian.

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea had a certain expectation of Zlova, she had been prepared for a number of choice responses of both sarcastic and serious varieties. And at first, the Mirialan believed that the scarlet-skinned woman was leading into the anticipated. Yet, it swiftly veered off and Leea found herself surprised. The beginning had sounded typical, a desire for knowledge to strengthen herself. Sounded Sith enough, though perhaps less creepy evil than normal. But well within the range of normalcy... if that even exists here.

She had almost tuned out the rest of the statement. But something in the laugh sent a ripple of gooseflesh down her spine. What followed struck Leea as strangely atypical. Perhaps she had read more deeply into the conversation than intended. She lives with those kinds of expectations? Seems kind of harsh, yet she finds it amusing? What sort of life is it, to have everyone think you're going to betray them... Does it hurt every time?

Leea contemplated aloud, "Well, when you put it like that. Seems I've probably got a bit of an easier expectation to work towards huh. At least, I guess people won't be prepping to shoot me if I look at them wrong..." The young traveller felt rather on the spot, knowing that she too had expected some form of betrayal from the Twi'lek, whether directly aimed at her, or indirectly by way of Talohn. But now that seemed such a foolish notion. With a little gulp, pushing her pride down, Leea reluctantly uttered, "I guess, I have been wrong about you... All you've done, and I still didn't believe. I'm sorry. I'll try not to judge too quick next time." Even as the words left her lips, Leea felt as if some weight, however small, had been lifted from her shoulders.

Talohn Atar Zlova Rue The Quartermaster

 

[Zlova Rue]

A light chuckle followed Leea's heartfelt response. The Twi'lek lay a hand atop the green woman's shoulder while a smile graced Zlova's lips. "It isn't about haste, Leea. A Jedi would shed tears and speak solemnly about the intrinsic good in people at this point. That's why I think most Jedi are fools. Most species in the galaxy are by their nature greedy, selfish, and violent. Most Sith never actually learn to control that and use our philosophy to excuse butchering entire worlds for no other reason than because they were there. Those Sith are also fools. The important thing isn't whether you prejudged someone, or distrusted them despite what seemed to be altruistic actions -- it's learning when to let go of those prejudices when you feel you can finally trust someone."

"Take it from me, the overwhelming majority of Sith cannot be trusted, and you should not take their actions -- and especially their words -- at face value. We learn from a very early age -- those of us that survive -- how to manipulate people." The fun thing about being so blunt on these topics was when people started questioning how much of what Zlova said could be trusted, if what she said was true.

Zlova let out a whimsical sigh. "Important survival tips aside," because it had been important to correct Leea about having felt the least bit guilty just then, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness. There's nothing more reprehensible than a sentient that never learned or refuses to learn how to re-evaluate their self, their beliefs, and the world around them as new knowledge acquired."

Tag: Leea Pandac | Talohn Atar | The Quartermaster