The Conqueror Returns [Mando/Open]

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"], [member="Verz Horak"], [member="Azrael"]


Apparently the cosmic queue would receive yet another member as Siobhan quantum tunnelled into the thread through a certain application of handwavium. Presumably she had a legitimate reason to be on Mandalore at this exact point in time. Well, her company did do business with them and she was a member. Sort of. It was probably quite accurate to say that she was rather on the sidelines, which suited her perfectly. Her primary commitments lay elsewhere.



Home, family, Kaeshana. Small focus, but it suited her perfectly now. No more galaxy-changing crusades to root out all Sith and 'all evil'. Of course, she still hated them - and would find a certain ancient Sith lord who spaced her and kill him - but on a certain level she was tired. Perhaps a result of being not just a wife, but also a mother now.


So without further ado she arrived at the port, though she felt a bit awkward as if intruding on what constituted something like a family reunion. That said, Verz had helped out when Coryth was on the brink of death, joining the team that stormed the fortress of an evil Sith Lord in search of a cure to the poison afflicting her, and that meant a lot Siobhan. Azrael she did not know beyond the fact that he was Mandalore, [member="Preliat Mantis"] was similarly unknown to her except by reputation.


Mia was...to Siobhan she was a friend. Velok knowledge or no Velok knowledge. After all, it was the Bando Gora who had made Siobhan what she was today and one of her dearest friends just happened to be the former Grand Inquisitor of the Atrisian Empire. She still not help feeling a stab of guilt about not having been there on Coruscant when Mia had fought and died. Or about failing to kill the Sith who had slain her, during the battle on Alderaan. Then again, Siobhan had been lucky to escape that disaster before her mind was turned to paste. "Seems like a family reunion. Sorry if I'm crashing it, Mandalore" Right, lame opening, but it's not like she was a wordsmith.


"It's good to see you, Mia." Those worde were spoken genuinely and held wamth in them. There were plenty of things she wanted to say, but they sounded hollow to her. Like 'I'm sorry about Ordo'. True, but it could not change what had happened.

 

[Verz Horak]

The picket cruiser began to land, docking in the military starport to the south of Keldabe, where all of the quantum tunneling and reappearances and whatnot was going on. Who said Mandalorians never had fun?

The ship docked, preparing to disgorge its passenger. After Verz, [member="Arla Balor"] , [member="Strider Garon"] and [member="Andrea Kryze"] would leave the ship before it took off again, ready to guard against those who would dare violate Mandalorian space.

Verz looked at his homeworld for the first time in two years. Little had changed. Mandalorians were tried and true. Only when the circumstances demanded it did they make big changes. Still, it felt good to breath the air of his home once more.

Verz looked out and saw [member="Azrael"] , [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Mia Monroe"] , and [member="Preliat Mantis"] , among others, waiting at the end of the gangplank. He was home.

 

[Arla Ordo]

Arla walked away a bit faster than she had thought taking a turn into the first cargo hold she could find. Standing there looking at the stacks of supplies she pulled back her arm, balled up her fist and punched as hard as she could. The metal of her armor hit the dividers it didn't hurt so she did it again.

This cross of anger with her twisted emotions at seeing Verz, "Arrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhh" she screamed for the sake of hearing her own voice and to relieve some of the pain that was ravaging her.

She turned putting her back to the stack slowly sliding down till she sat on the deck. She knew she had to go back up there. But she also knew she needed to get this out. She reached up and wiped the tears away the ones she didn't want anyone to see.

She put her head in her hands her red hair covering her face she let out all of her emotions concerning. [member="Verz Horak"]. [member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]. [member="Ordo"] [member="Azrael"] Too long had she been quiet.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat was the first to speak from the group on the planet. He removed his helmet, staring at Verz with his eyes. Preliat was a little over thirty years old now, a farcry from the young Mandalorian that Verz had left with."Welcome home."Preliat, had deep respect for the man. Preliat turned to face [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], finding himself absent in knowledge of who she was. But, she wasn't trying to set them on fire or whipping out a glowstick of doom, so he seemed okay with her presence. That, and [member="Mia Monroe"] hadn't crushed her face.


"Gilamar would have been happy to see you here again, Verz."

 

[Azrael]

Powerful bellows of the engine began to rumble to a low drone and then whine down into silence once the wheeled vehicle was parked at the star port. Various ships flew overhead, casting shadows on the landscape and lowering themselves into docking formation within the designated bays. The port was always bustling with traffic, whether it was Mandalorian assignment, or returning from hunts that kept their famed legacy strong throughout the Galaxy proper. Watching several of his brothers and sisters clasp their fist over their chest at sight of him was still a new thing to the young Mand'alor. Azrael wasn't one to play the part of a King; he was an everyday man, approachable and honest. He had no qualms about making a decision and at times could be headstrong - but he was respected nonetheless. It was still very much strange to him that this culture had rallied behind him, though he was getting more and more use to it. With the presence of the Liberator at his side, and being around enough to find counsel in should he need it, the idea that he'd have another former leader of the people to turn to for suggestions and guidance was a benefit to the half blood.

"The Dar'jetti have taken much from us, even before I stepped foot on Mand'yaim - and they've yet to pay." Azrael stated slipping out of the vehicle himself as the last comment was made to Mia about the Sith and their relationship with them. While he knew what she said was true, to forgive enough to side with the Sith was going to take a far longer time considering their most recent of actions. Despite being the aggressor, the Mandalorians saw the Dar'jetti as enemies that took from them some of the most important and outstanding of their culture. That would not be forgotten so easily. All he had to do was look at Preliat, and witness his prosthetic to understand that even physically the amount of turmoil the Sith had caused was still evident and the scars were long lasting. Mantis was someone who'd changed considerably from the first time he had laid eyes on the young warrior. Now a seasoned veteran, damaged, but not broken - and even for a while Azrael had considered him almost feral in his instincts, but trusted him as well.

"Not even the Ca'prudii can be everywhere at once, vod." The Mand'alor responded, referencing his stealth ship which packed one of the fastest hyperdrive engines this side of the Hydian way for a class of ship it's size. There was no malice there, but a firm nod of acceptance of Mantis before his eyes turned to face Siobhan - a woman who while she didn't wear the armor of the Mandalorians was counted among them for many years. The Mando'ade had their family, but they also had their friends, and she was certainly one of them. Azrael didn't know her that well, but he knew of her, and that was simply because her name fell off the tongue of so many clansmen that it was hard not to know the reputation of the woman who seemed more tongue tied than confident. She'd been at both memorials, and she backed the Mandalorians when she could.

"Oloram burc'ya." The Mando'a slipped off his tongue naturally before the crimson visor shifted to fixate on the first person who had ever taken Azrael under his wing for instruction. For a moment of pause, Azrael gave Verz and his armor a once over before striding forward to clasp wrists with his brother in a hardy shake to welcome home the returning champion of Mandalore. "Ner'vod, it had been too long." He missed Verz, and had inquired about his absence once he had returned from the eight month long excursion that had taken him into the depths of wild space and back again. During that time the scope of Mand'yaim had changed much, and he had returned to find much of what he knew radically shifted. It was good to find some familiarity with his roots standing before him again.

[member="Preliat Mantis"] | [member="Arla Balor"] | [member="Verz Horak"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Mia Monroe"] | [member="Anastasia Rade"] | [member="Strider Garon"] | [member="Andrea Kryze"]

 

[Arla Ordo]

Arla pulled herself together this was not a time to be fretting everyone should be celebrating Verz return. She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks all that was bothering her she slowly put it away compartmentalizing everything. Slowly she moved to stand up, pulling on her buy'ce so that no one could see she started back towards where the meeting was taking place.

Everything always looked different through the visor her armor would have to protect her now, and it would need to keep her contained. Her emotions would not be allowed to drift beyond they would stay in. Before her everything looked green as she moved through the halls, she turned down many of the features to keep from eavesdropping on the Vod. As she entered she saw that [member="Azrael"] was greeting [member="Verz Horak"] . She remembered when Verz was mand'alor and Az was just Az the salvager, her friend. How things change.

There were others present that she did not know personally she knew their reputation and their faces or their armor, or their voices. [member="Preliat Mantis"] another Mandalorian Field Marshall coming in from the planet. [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] yes the trip with Coryth she knew this woman. [member="Mia Monroe"] this face of her she did not know . And then the newcomer [member="Andrea Kryze"] and of course [member="Strider Garon"] who she had come on board with.

Arla maintained her place as she listened. She could not hear anything else now she had managed to shut it all out, she could only see Verz and Az .

 

[Verz Horak]

[member="Preliat Mantis"] | [member="Arla Balor"] | [member="Azrael"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Mia Monroe"] | [member="Anastasia Rade"] | [member="Strider Garon"] | [member="Andrea Kryze"]


Verz nodded at Preliat in greeting. But, what did he mean Gilamar would have been happy to see him again. Did something happen to Verz's successor? Had something happened to Gilamar?

Verz decided that he would focus on that later. His friends were greeting him. Verz took off his helmet and held it under one arm as he met Azrael's arm with his own, grasping the younger man's wrist in a Mandalorian handshake.

"Azrael, ner vod. It has been too long. How have things been on the home front?"

Looking past Azrael, Verz could see Siobhan Kerrigan. A crazier, more vicious, tougher, more sarcastic woman the galaxy never knew. Usually, however, Mia Monroe would be nearby, seeing as she and Siobhan were close, as far as he knew anyway. There were some unfamiliar women in the welcoming committee, which was better than the blaster bolts and bombs the warrior was normally greeted by.

"And may I ask who these women are? I don't recall ever meeting them, except Siobhan."