Dominion The Frontier War: Icefall | Mandalorian Enclave Dominion of Empty Hex

[Tawnita Wren]

Alora Vizsla Shai Maji

Tee was...exasperated, to say the least. She was concerned nobody from the Enclave leadership had yet made an appearance at this most august of meetings, especially with the stakes being so high. Perhaps there wasn't yet anybody to officiate on such things. Perhaps that's why they were all there.

"There is so much yet to do in regards to determining the capabilities of a force made and maintained by a Mandalorian force. I know some form of automated or droid-based force is going to form the backbone of any such naval task force. We do not have the population to man such a fleet as would defend us against our enemies without, let's be honest, complete and utter defeat."

It was rare that Tee was so demonstrative but she couldn't afford to appear like she didn't care for this; the safety of her newly found home meant everything to her and she would assist in whatever way she was asked. She looked at the newcomer. They had travelled into combat before and Tee was no stranger to her antics. She smiled as best she could, trying hard not to show her anxiety over the issue.

"A cogent hierarchy and command structure will, of course, need to operate. Perhaps it might be sector based or planetary in nature-the top brass will have to decide on that."

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Well, we've gotta keep warm. The others can deal with it." The Cathar states in response to their cuddling being perhaps awkward to the others. He didn't really care, long as he got to enjoy some time with Zlova. He idly leans on Zlova while taking a skewer for himself and using it to pull a chunk of the beef off of the bone. He takes off a piece that has bone in it, from the looks of it. Talohn looks at the skewer closely and raises a brow. "Oh hey. Sweet." Poor Kranak would exit the woods just in time to see something that might keep him up at night. Not to mention that everyone else already there witnesses it. Talohn takes the literal piece of bone and pops it into his mouth, proceeding to chew it with ease like a chip. "Apparently most people don't eat the bone? Most cathar I know do. Food isn't in high supply, and marrow is a good nutrition source. We waste nothing." The crunching from his mouth as the bone is chewed with ease is quite the intimidating display.

After she states her hopes, Talohn realizes he needs to fill her in on what they're dealing with. "The thing's bigger than my corvette. 300 meters long and 30 meters wide. The plating is so hard that it's lightsaber resistant. I mean hell, the thing eats beskar. I'd have brought Madlad for extra help, but this planet's cold messes with him. Being on an ice lake could mess with some key components. Anyways, the chiton on that thing is lighter than beskar too....I have some plans for it. I'll probably make your armor from it so you can keep to being lightweight."

The sound of Leea awakening is picked up by his sensitive ears, and he turns that orange gaze gaze to look at his newly armored clan member. He can;t help but smile a bit. He was quite proud of Leea. She was doing quite well, and she would do even better now that she had some proper armor. Not to mention that new blaster. He put a lot of work into that thing for her, he hoped it would serve her well. "Hey Leea, you enjoy your nap? Come on over here and get some food. Can't hunt on an empty stomach." He states before tearing a chunk of meat off of his skewer.

It seems the time for he and Zlova's peaceful morning was ending, which was alright. He had something to discuss with Zlova, but it could wait till after the hunt. He notices another fellow approaching on the beach and waves him over. When hunting a beast this big, the more the merrier. Right after he waves the young lad over, another person comes out of the trees, that being Sasha. "Both of you, over here. Get your share. No one hunts on an empty stomach!" The Cathar calls out, enthusiastically gesturing to the massive bovine leg sizzling over the fire.

It was then that he finally turned his attention to Kranak, who had been approaching their little camp site while he was talking to the others. He watches as the giant puts down his gear on the ground, and looks up at his fellow mandalorian. It had been a little bit. Since they retook Tor Valum together he believes. "Long time no see. You heard right. Worm hunting today. All that metal out there is the bait. You know anything about blood wyrms?" He proceeds to hand Kranak a datapad with a page pulled up that contains all the relevant info. "If not, read this. These things are no joke, your life may depend on it.

As Kranak crouches down, asking what the game plan is, Talohn gestures to the meat that's over the fire. "First part? Eat. You'll want your emergy. Second...." He pulls a pair of binocs out of his nearby satchel and uses them to get a view of the frozen water where all the metal was dumped. "It's hesitating....But it's nearby." He takes a deep breath of the cold air. "I can smell it. How about you guys?" He forgets he's the only one with the nose of a deadly jungle predator." He places the binocs aside before speaking into his commlink. "Dump more metal. It seems it's hesitating, let's make this a treat too hard to refuse." With that order given, his gaze drifts about as he moves on to the next part of his plan. "We'll need some electric bombs. Big ones. I have some plans for that chiton. We get those bombs in it's mouth and fry it from the inside, it'll leave the hard materials unharmed. Help me pull that off and I'll make you all something real nice." While speaking, he preps for his weapon check, starting with his pistol, the I'zêorra stjolkk. He draws it from it's holster, idly looking over it for any flaws, and pulling out the magazine to double check the ammo count. By the looks of it, the gun is chambered in 14mm. Scary.

Vulcan Krayt Leea Pandac Zlova Rue Kranak Vizsla Sasha Kryze Nei

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Lake Htagir
Equipment: Blaster, Rifle, Detonators
Ship: A restored T-65B X-wing Starfighter and an R2 model Astromech Droid.
Tags: Kranak Vizsla Zlova Rue Talohn Atar Sasha Kryze Nei

The air temperature seemed to have decided to drop a few degrees and, Vulcan held his coat closer to him. Just like the South Pole Mine. Again, the cold was getting colder but once he saw he was being waved over it didn’t matter. What matters is that he is in the right place and not off-kilter by several miles. That would be an embarrassment indeed and he wasn't stupid enough to walk that far on foot.

The trek to where the others were seated didn't take long. He made sure to get there briskly and without dawdling. His pace sped up as he was waved over, at least there is that. Vulcan was also motivated by the smell of food too. This is it the hunt will begin soon. But yes, hunting anything cannot happen without food. Vulcan wasn’t going to be much use if he didn’t eat anything and it was there to be eaten.

He sat in front of the fire to warm up as even his clothing couldn’t keep the little prickle of cold that his clothes couldn’t be kept out. The smells of the food on the spit tempted him to take a piece to eat. The food was pretty good, and he took several more bites. His ears picked out the new conversation on how to deal with their slithery adversary. More metal was dumped on the ice to make the worm break cover.

Electro Bombs, he didn’t bring anything like that, but he had a small Cache of Thermal Detonators. They would make any large animal’s insides ache. So why not pitch in a suggestion, besides if it’s good, great. If not he’ll think of something else.

<“I have a cache of Thermal Detonators, would they do?”> He asked, careful to not talk around a mouthful of food.

Best get a suggestion in now than later. He’ll do what he can to help bring this beastie down. But the hunt wasn’t the only thing he was after, no, he also needs someone to help him fight better and to train him as a fighter. Yes, he can fight but he lacks the skills to do so efficiently.

But who would be a good person to ask? He’ll have to consider all options after they got the Worm hunted. Hopefully, it does show up because the lure of food will eventually override any caution. Hunger cannot be ignored. He tried to ignore it once, but he couldn’t resist the Sweet Rolls.

He frowned at his empty hand, the meat was now gone, so he helped himself to some more of the meat. Food is energy and he’ll need plenty of it. If they need Starfighter support, he too can provide it where necessary. That’s why he arrived in it in the first place.

 

[Shai Maji]

Tags: Alora Vizsla | Tawnita Wren | Open

Shai listened to what each person had to say, albeit with a tremendous focus to actually pay attention. With a severe headache and a struggle to stand upright, this was a horrible time to be busy with such important talks. She barely noticed Alora standing beside her to look at her notes. ”Thing is... okay, gimme a sec here. Karking hell I need some caf or something. Okay... basically...” she pinched her eyes shut for a moment as she figured out what she wanted to say.

”Okay, from the top. Let’s work through this.” She glanced at her notes with a sigh and straightened out. ”The foundation of this entire operation. Not just the fleet but the Enclave as a whole. Simple fact of the matter is we are outnumbered. Every single person on this planet who wears the iron skin and calls themselves Mandalorian need to be a match for ten of our enemies, even a hundred. We can’t afford losses, not even one. And the unfortunate thing is not many of the people know how to wage war in a ship bigger than a freighter. And while we might have warriors, we don’t have soldiers.” She looked at the two women, sorely disappointed that they were the only ones actually concerned about something this important.

With a deep breath she gathered the next jumble of thoughts and notes. ”Our fleet is in the exact position. Maji Ironworks has the capability to produce ships, but we’ll need more and bigger facilities. As for how we are supposed to operate? We don’t have a clue to wage a war in the void like our enemies... but I don’t think we need to. Not in a typical way. What if... okay, basically I grew up on a pirate ship. My ma is a gun runner and my dad used to be a pirate before he flew into a star. The focus was always to move fast and hit hard. It might help for our situation. We can’t sustain a conventional fleet, so maybe we don’t have to. If we focus on having a fleet of fast ships that can fly in, blow stuff up and then disappear, we might be able to make something work. For the structure... karking hell, where’s the Quartermaster when we need her?”

She massaged her temples for a moment. She was waiting for smoke to pour from her ears with all of this thinking. ”We can check our lists of contacts, see who we as a people trust with the security of our home. But my two creds would be not to have a typical hierarchy. We can have someone overseeing the operations, but for the people in the skies, I don’t know. Dammit I’m a gun running pirate engineer that shoots people, I’m not a naval officer.” She looked to the two women and gave a shrug. ”What do you two think? Before we can start wondering on what we’ll need to build ships, we need to figure out what we’ll do with those ships.” She was a mess in front of the two. She was speaking, but she didn’t have a clue whether they talked about this exact issue or not. She had little faith that anything she was saying was making any sense to the other two.

 

[Zlova Rue]

"Most people can't actually crunch bone with their bare teeth," Zlova replied casually even with the hearty crunch from Talohn Atar ferocious bite. "Sith say nonsense like that all the time -- such as I'll drink the marrow from your bones -- but no one does that. Well," the Twi'lek used the skewer to pick her teeth, "practically no one." There were a few. And if a fight had all the time in the world for culinary exchanges that might even be intimidating. Oh, kark it, it was intimidating because most people were afraid of shadows let alone some carnivorous Sith rambling about blood from skulls and marrow from bones.

Naturally she listened to her Cathar companion describe the creature they were hunting. Be foolish not to. Pleasantly Talohn made it sound quite intimidating; something the Lethan could look forward to fighting. Lightsaber resistant, he said? Well, Zlova could always grab it by the tail and slam it against the ground! Again, something a Sith would say, but rarely did circumstances allow it.

As for Madlad... Well, it was nice having the kitten all to herself without Glowing Optic of Death silently promising to kill her if she hurt Talohn. Not that Zlova card what a droid thought, but sometimes you just wanted to cuddle without thinking about how to you murder someone.

Leea Pandac had been a good sport, though it hadn't be necessary. That and the young woman had apparently fallen asleep a short while ago. Zlova smirked as her golden gaze in Leea's direction. Zlova bit her tongue at asking whether the woman was practicing in order to join a Jedi Order; the skillful art of feigning to meditate while actually sleeping. Now that was a useful skill.

Talohn being the gentlecat that he was invited all the hunters in the area to sit by the fire and grab some grub. Zlova left the hospitality to him, but her eyes soon slid around to Sasha Kryze . There'd been a ripple in the Force. One might call it a very mild electrical charge between them. The sense that someone was eying you in particular rather than just remarking on a stranger amidst a group. The Twi'lek smiled over at the other woman for a moment as Sasha raised her hand in greeting.

A soft snort followed Kranak Vizsla 's arrival. The giant of a Mandalorian was hard to miss, especially when the man didn't even try to steathily move through the brush. Now they didn't need to worry about not having enough fire power. Plus the man could heal the wounds sustained from a good fight -- again, expecting this would be a good fight. Zlova would judge the prey for herself once it surfaced. She was looking forward to it.

Her lips parted to reveal a bright grin. "I don't know, Talohn, are you sure about this one's combat skills?" Having fought Kranak personally, Zlova was of course aware of the man's abilities. That didn't mean she couldn't pretend otherwise.

Then the Cathar said the darnedest, cutest thing ever -- he asked if they could smell it. Seemed unlikely anyone here was an Ice Creature whose olfactory senses were attuned to smelling anything in such cold weather. In fact it was a small miracle they could taste anything either -- though most present had suits built against extreme temperatures or, you know, the Force.

"Talohn," Zlova purred as she caressed his cheek, "how much more of that do you plan on dumping? I doubt they'll be pleased if you just leave it laying around afterward." Yes, the Force could help, but since when did a Dark Lord sign up for janitorial duty? Answer: Never. But then Zlova wouldn't leave Talohn standing out there picking up his mess in the freezing weather... The Cathar loved testing the boundaries of a Sith's patience.

One of the unfamiliar faces to Zlova ( Vulcan Krayt ) spoke up about having thermal detonators in response to Talohn's ask for charges. Zlova spared them an apprising look. Capable in a fashion, but could use a little extra time on the molding wheel. Then again, Zlova thought that about many Mandalorians. Not from a combat with arms perspective -- most had that down (except Mia Mereel ) -- but in terms of having an iron core unassailable by monsters like her. Warriors like Kranak showed the Enclave as a whole had promise, so Zlova hadn't abandoned them. Talohn didn't count as a point of data; he would only bias the results. Leea was still relatively new at it. As for the rest, well Zlova barely knew them. That might change today.

"Well, if no one has any grenades, I could always shove a ball of lightning down its maw," Zlova offered with a large smile and a sparkle to her eyes. Why would it matter if that meant she'd have to be in front of it, at risk of being eaten? Sounded like fun. But if someone had the gear to satisfy Talohn's plan the Cathar would no doubt prefer that approach -- it was more Mandalorian.

"My name's Zlova Rue; or as I like to say, Zlova if you love me, Rue if you hate me." If one blinked they might miss the glance thrown Sasha's way. "Pleasure meeting all of you. Let's all work together to slay this beast and claim our glory." Yes, of course, Zlova chose to be an absolute delight. The Sith being the cheerleader of a Mandalorian hunting party? Who would have seen it coming? If they died because she 'threw them off' their game then they weren't very good hunters and shouldn't have been there. Zlova will have done the Enclave a favor. Otherwise, it was all good fun.

Tag: Talohn Atar | Vulcan Krayt | Leea Pandac | Kranak Vizsla | Sasha Kryze | Nei | A ARS VAMI

 

[Alora Vizsla]

I am not getting that woman caf!

Well, it was worth asking. The Gambit apparently took being flipped off by Shai Maji personally. Instead Alora's fingers quietly danced over her forearm display to tap into local resources. Apparently there was an astromech droid nearby; they were pretty reliable if very honest. Sounded like they wouldn't mind getting Shai a brew too. Alora made sure to prioritize it getting an oil bath sooner than later.

The whole time Alora was listening to Wardog pay out the issue before them. And the issue was... everything? Like, the entire Enclave? Whoa, no one told this Mando-gal they were going to address everything. Not that it would stop Alora from having opinions and ideas.

By the time Shai was done, the astromech rolled into the room with a serving tray atop its head and a large cup of steaming caf presented for the tired woman to take. No sugar or cream.

Given it was just the three of them, Alora didn't see much choice. Her warm eyes shifted between the other two as she planted her hands on her hips. "I know the Enclave wants to have the clans be their own things with no 'Mand'alore' claiming authority over all, but if we're that underpowered then we need to set some ground rules."

"First one is the Fleet is under one person's command, or that of some kind of Admirality board. We won't survive being attacked if one or two clans decide they don't want to commit to the defense. We can't afford that ambiguity of who's really in command."

"Second, Fleet Command oversees all space-worthy vessels. In an emergency they can command even civilian vessels to help bolster our efforts; probably in the form of moving troops or evacuating civilians."

"Third, we'll need to build autonomous orbital platforms that can slow down or halt an enemy invasion. I agree we should focus on smaller craft able to get in, take out a target, and get clear so the Fleet's flexible and more difficult to cripple;" and not to mention easier to staff than some giant ship, "but if they manage to follow us back here they'll be a plague of locusts in orbit before we can blink. We'll need heavy weapons in place to keep them up there and not down here. Not to mention planetary shields for critical bases. Too many world-ending weapons out there these days."

"And Fourth," Alora smiled, "I have some contacts in the Core. And I know at least one other Vizsla with contacts there as well," such as Shot Sutaz . "They'll be discrete. Though we should route deliveries through our Front. Doesn't matter how discrete people are, enemy spies always find a way to obtain data they shouldn't." Best not to risk exposing Kestri's existence.

Alora finally took a breath and then looked back at Tawnita Wren . "We'll have planetary formations and will need each planet to coordinate those; but any action crossing between systems or requiring the full strength of the Fleet allows Fleet Command to assume control. We'll need to do a lot of exercises for both ground and ship personnel just like our ground forces training vigorously so when battle comes no one's left wondering what their role is."

At least that's what Alora thought on the subject. Seemed like they were charged with figuring it out, so why not create what sounded good so they weren't paralyzed? Could always tune it over time, especially as their resources and number of worlds they held influence with increased.

 

[Nei]

Location: Lake Htagir
Equipment: Thermal Detonators, Beskar Tipped Harpoons, Fighting Knives, Beskar'gam, Concussion Rifle
Ship: N/A, on ground already
Tags: Zlova Rue | Leea Pandac | Talohn Atar | Vulcan Krayt | Kranak Vizsla

The substantially shorter, but somehow just as massive appearing ash-streaked Mandalorian waded over and stood on the outside of the talking and planning, until he finally spoke a suggestion. His voice was low, gravely, but almost melodious, as if a baritone singer had a bit of a strained chording in their throat. A ham sized hand waved at the harpoons and beskar cabling a short distance away as he nodded.

"You can call me Nei. If one of you can draw it above the ice, I would take another sturdy vod to the harpoons and lance the beast. From their we can anchor the cables and keep it from slipping back beneath the waters. My people use this tactic often when hunting sea serpents. They will retreat when damaged, and I suspect this beast will behave much the same. Our trick is to keep it above the ice until retreat does it no good..."

Standing back almost awkwardly, the reserved Mandalorian eyed the motley crew assembled before him before his eyes fell on Kranak and he nodded his horned helm at the medic.

"I'd take you if I had my pick, vod. We'll need size and strength to not be yanked along when it starts thrashing."

 

[Sasha Kryze]

Sasha had been watching Nei the entire time he walked over to join them, just keeping her mind off of the toxicity that slowly bubbled up within her. It was insulting, having a Sith among them. Whereas the others, especially Talohn Atar might have taken it for likely what it was, Zlova making innocent jokes, the woman's attitude was nothing but grating to her; almost coming off like she was goading. All the same, who was she to make that decision for anyone, least of all someone she barely knew in the first place?

Make no mistake, Sasha was furious under the surface; her body movements somewhat rigid as she turned and observed the group. It would take a natural act of the Force, or perhaps God if one existed, to garner any trust between her, and... That. In the end, that hate wasn't personal... She had truly no reason to judge, or wish harm on the other, but she also wouldn't care too much if they... Got shot in the back during the action by mistake....

Hell, Sasha had to shake her own head at that, stabbing her spear into the ground with a light grunt, and holding on to it. Looking around the group...

"Talohn," Zlova purred as she caressed his cheek, "how much more of that do you plan on dumping? I doubt they'll be pleased if you just leave it laying around afterward."

Her fist balled up lightly, the sound of bone cracking lightly audible to those with fine enough hearing. Then would relax, finding her waist, as Sasha just focused elsewhere. For now, listening to the discussions and quickly deciding what she would be suited for.

<“I have a cache of Thermal Detonators, would they do?”> He asked, careful to not talk around a mouthful of food.

"Where is this cache now?"

The electronically modulated voice sparked up finally, the first time she had spoken since arriving. Grateful at least that the Sith wasn't the only thing available to focus on. Even better if she could move away from them for a moment, the proximity made her feel like a child that wanted to tussle, although she was better than that... More than that. Perhaps she should have been learning from how she felt, but it felt better to use the hate. Let it be an enhancer to the sharpness she felt they would need today.

"You can call me Nei. If one of you can draw it above the ice, I would take another sturdy vod to the harpoons and lance the beast. From their we can anchor the cables and keep it from slipping back beneath the waters. My people use this tactic often when hunting sea serpents. They will retreat when damaged, and I suspect this beast will behave much the same. Our trick is to keep it above the ice until retreat does it no good..."

"I'll do it Vod, perhaps Z-... Rue, over there can help me.."

She offered an upnod to Zlova Rue then, most definitely not missing the comment Rue had made earlier, and making sure to make good on it. She wasn't going to desperately start a fight, but wasn't about to let the other go thinking there was any form of respect, or trust. Sasha hated everything that woman stood for... Or at least, what she perceived the other to stand for.

Leea Pandac Talohn Atar Kranak Vizsla Vulcan Krayt

 

[Kranak Vizsla]

W Y R M
H U N T

Location: Kestri, Tor Valum, Lake Htagir, Small Hunting Camp
Local Time: 07:17
Date: -DATA CORRUPTED-
Primary Objective: Hunt the Mandalorian Bloodwyrm
Secondary Objective: N/A
Equipment: Loadout 3 (Backpack and Primary dropped off at the small hunting camp, close to the fireplace)
Tags: Talohn Atar | Zlova Rue | Leea Pandac | Sasha Kryze | Vulcan Krayt | Nei

“I don’t know, Talohn, are you sure about this one’s combat skills?”

The Red Devil teased the giant playfully. It was a light-hearted jab thrown at him. With a grin underneath his faceplate, the giant would answer in kind. The Supercommando giggled softly in response as he turned his white glimmering visor towards the Lethan before he spoke. <”Oh you’re one to talk, vod.”> There was no sarcastical emphasis on “vod” unlike the last time he had met her. She had earned his respect with sweat and blood, quite literally.

“Long time no see. You heard right. Worm hunting today. All that metal out there is the bait. You know anything about blood wyrms?”

<”Not a lot,”> The Supercommando answered to the Cathar’s inquiry. <”Just a few things from legends, and stories.”>

“If not, read this. These things are no joke, your life may depend on it.”

The Supercommando would reach for the datapad the Cathar passed to him with his left hand and start reading the information gathered about the creature. The giant grasped the datapad with both of his hands as he looked at the screen, reading about the beast. What he read would confirm the things he already knew about it from legends and stories he had listened to before. What he didn’t know about these beasts was that they had whip-like feeler tentacles. He'd bet shooting those would piss off the beast considerably.

As he warmed himself up by the crackling fireplace of the small camp, the giant continued to listen to Talohn as he read up on other details regarding the creature on the datapad.

“First part? Eat. You’ll want your energy. Second…” he pulls out a pair of binocs out of his nearby satchel and uses them to get a view of the frozen water where all the metal was dumped. “It’s hesitating….But it’s nearby.”

Pausing for a brief moment, the Cathar took a deep breath of the painfully cold air before he continued to speak.

“I can smell it. How about you guys?”

<”Hmph. Incredible.”> The Supercommando admired the Cathar. Heightened sense of smell would be a blessing in a hunt, or in war. Surely it must have had its downsides -like smelling something absolutely dreadful that would be amplified in intensity than what a regular human would smell, but smelling your enemy before seeing them? Now that was a serious advantage to have in battle.

He knew a thing or two about Cathars. They were marvelous hunters for starters, like several races out there in the vast galaxy. Biologically, they were similar to Bothans, Their sense of smell was sensitive two fold compared to that of a human’s. They also had prominent, retractable claws, making their kind very dangerous to beat in melee. They were a race of strong warriors, and skilled hunters. He didn’t know their jaws were strong enough to break bones with relative ease, though. That he learned when the Supercommando saw Talohn ate a piece of bone with cooked flesh on it, and chewed it as if he ate a handful of Mantell Mix!

Turning his gaze towards the lake for the moment, the Cathar Hunter spoke into his handheld commlink device and ordered the pilot of the ship to dump more metal on the pile in the middle of the frozen lake. It seemed like the amount that was already there wasn’t quite enough to lure it out.

Talohn continued shortly after issuing commands to the pilot in the sky using his commlink.

“We’ll need some electric bombs. Big ones. I have some plans for that chiton. We get those bombs in it’s mouth and fry it from the inside, it’ll leave the hard materials unharmed. Help me pull that off and I’ll make you all something real nice.”

The Supercommando set aside Talohn’s datapad he had held in his hands as he spoke. He had read enough about the beast. He chucked it on top of his black ECM-598 Medical Backpack for others to take and read about the beast if they’d like. The giant then removed his helmet and set it right besides him; the jet-black buy’ce let out a soft hiss as the helmet automatically depressurized once removed. The glimmering white visor swiftly faded into an obsidian black as it turned itself off. His breath smoked in the cold air of Kestri with each fall of his chest after each pull of frosty air. The sharp cold stabbed his lungs pleasantly with each pull of breath.

The giant then stood up and unsheathed his eight inch vibro-blade from its magnetized sheath on his chest pauldron to cut a decently sized slice of cooked flesh off the animal cooking on the fireplace; the fire cracked as the juices escaped into the fire from the sliced piece of cooked flesh. The smell of the cooking bovine creature was irresistible. He had eaten a few ration bars before he set out to join Talohn and the other hunters here around him, but compared to the cooked flesh, the ration bars would obviously pale in comparison. The Supercommando sheathed the large knife back into its scabbard before taking a bite off the sliced off cooked flesh.

<”I have a cache of detonators. Would they do?”>

Said a young voice. The giant gave a glance at the young vode. He didn’t know him by name, but the Supercommando was sure they’d have some time to get to know one another, both before, during and after the hunt.

”Where is this cache now?”

Sasha inquired to the young warrior about his cache of detonators.

<”I think Talohn said he needed the creature hunted as intact as it could be. I don’t think the use of conventional explosives would achieve that objective, vode.”> said the giant before he took a large bite off the piece of cooked flesh he sliced with his vibro-blade. The meat was juicy, and tasty as it could get. It wasn’t overly cooked where all its tasty juices evaporated, nor was it undercooked where you’d be chewing a live animal. It was done just right. The giant chewed the flesh slowly, with his eyes closed for a moment in appreciation of Talohn’s cooking.

The giant would open his eyes once he heard another unfamiliar voice giving their insight for the hunt. It was from a warrior a few inches shorter than him, but just as equally wide and muscular.

“You can call me Nei. If one of you can draw it above the ice, I would take another sturdy vod to the harpoons and lance the beast. From their we can anchor the cables and keep it from slipping back beneath the waters. My people use this tactic often when hunting sea serpents. They will retreat when damaged, and I suspect this beast will behave much the same. Our trick is to keep it above the ice until retreat does it no good…”

Nei laid eyes on the other hunters gathered around the fireplace one by one, and stopped at the Supercommando, giving a nod of his head at the giant before he continued.

“I’d take you if I had my pick, vod. We’ll need size and strength to not be yanked along when it starts trashing.”

”I’ll do it Vod, perhaps Z-...Rue, over there can help me.”

Said the warrior woman as she gave an upwards not at the Red Devil. Sounded and looked like the two had some issues with one another. He knew how it felt, all too well. The Supercommando had solved his issue with her with a fight. It sounded like Sasha also needed a confrontation badly. But was this the place and time for it? The giant didn’t think so, the beast could be emerging from the frozen lake at any moment now, as they waited.

The Supercommando gave the warrior a nod in response before he took another bite off the piece of cooked meat. He would speak after swallowing the piece. ”You can call me Kranak, vod. I’d be more than glad to help and anchor the beast,” He paused for a second, the giant would give a glance at both the Red Devil seated next to Talohn and Sasha before continuing. “Or you two can try your hand at subduing a giant beast thrashing around, if that is what you'll settle with.” Whatever the choice would be, he’d be more than fine with it!

He paused for a second before turning his glance to Talohn once again as he bit off another large piece of cooked flesh from his slice. The Cathar was in the process of cleaning and maintaining a large hand cannon, the one the Supercommando had laid his eyes upon not too long ago. It looked nothing like he’d seen before! He would be asking several questions about the obviously custom made hand cannon, but he had another question in mind, regarding the hunt.

After chewing the flesh, the giant swallowed it before inquiring. ”So, two questions for you, Talohn.” said the Supercommando as he glanced at the small camp around him, looking for crates where he’d assumed the shock bombs would be. ”Where are the shock bombs? And how exactly do you plan on stuffing them into the beast's mouth before frying the creature with it?”

He didn’t assume the bombs were among the metal pile dropped on the lake, as that would take all the fun from the hunt. It would be a smart play if they were among the metal debris, but the hunt would be over as soon as it started since the beast would devour the metal in a few seconds, with the shock bombs among the debris and detonating as soon as it swallowed it. There wouldn’t be any thrill in the hunt if it were so easy.

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Lake Htagir
Equipment: Blaster, Rifle, Detonators
Ship: A restored T-65B X-wing Starfighter and an R2 model Astromech Droid.
Tags: Kranak Vizsla Talohn Atar Sasha Kryze Zlova Rue Nei Leea Pandac

<“In the cargo compartment in my X-Wing. I don’t have a very large cache of them, but just enough to damage a large beast’s insides.”> He replied to Sasha and pointed towards his Starfighter; they were in the storage compartment. They’ll be able to get them if they require them.

He did not falter under the giant’s gaze instead it made him more determined. He then looked up at Kranak and stared, my goodness, he is big and the Ubese wondered what he ate as a kid to grow that big. He was just about to ask until he closed his mouth just as quickly as he opened it and then with a look of sheepish guilt, Vulcan took a bite of his food and looked away, best not stare. He chewed as he thought of what to do or suggest. Everyone is throwing pretty good ideas out there and then, he was hit by a sudden thought.

A way to get Shockers into the Worm’s massive maw without trouble at least that was what he will be going for with his idea. It will be a long shot, but like his Detonators, he wanted to add his ideas into the mix. He looked over at his Starfighter as an idea manifested. The idea was there so he cleared his throat. It’s worth a try, right?

That's what a team does after all and he is a part of it so he should throw his ideas in even if they are bad.

<“I could fly with some Scrap and once it opens its mouth, I can throw the Shockers into the Worm’s maw?”> He suggested helpfully. If it was to be a rotten idea then that’s not a bad thing, not by far. He’ll just have to wait and see if they accept or reject his idea. He won’t complain either way at least not openly. He's learned to keep his less than pleasant thoughts to himself.

He grabbed some more food, he’s hungry and the flavour drew him into getting more. But this will be his last bite. He’s not greedy, he knows how to share. At least he hoped he did, as there are things, he would stubbornly not share with anyone. His Droid was one such thing.

As he began to feel cold, he moved slightly closer to the fire.

 

[Thonn Rokkal]

@Kranak Vizsla Talohn Atar Zlova Rue Sasha Kryze Nei Leea Pandac

---

Another call to action was another call that could not be unanswered by Thonn. Unlike the others, the given opponents were not thugs or mercenaries - this time there was only one foe to slay. But that foe, a Mandalorian blood worm, would be quite a challenge. It must be, for it to be made a marked enemy of the Mandalorians, and a call put out to kill it. Thonn didn’t get easy tasks, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Before even knowing what this thing even was, he’d already agreed to help and made a solemn promise that it would die.

Research only turned up so much. Perhaps because there was little actual information available, or perhaps because Thonn was simply poor at filtering it. What he found was conflicting and non-specific, and after a moment of pouring through the records he managed to find, he gave up in frustration. Whatever it was, it was big, biological and living. And would remain that way until they encountered it.

Absent of information and with what means he might kill the wyrm left to the imagination, Thonn packed his gear for the mission. His Z-6 rotary cannon was a staple; if something needed to be slain, a flurry of rapid blaster bolts was often a good solution, if the thing broke the surface and was even vulnerable to that. Explosive charges were brought along too; he elected to carry his usual supply along with timed, weighted charges that might be dropped on the beast from above. Additional care was taken to give his HUD systems a through check over before he made his departure – he didn’t care to repeat the same mistake he made last time.

He arrived loaded to bear with weaponry, but without much wisdom on the beast nor any real idea how he might kill it beyond simple application of aggression. Others seemed to hold answers. As he entered the encampment, he noticed a baited trap being set up. All the better to get the thing to come up and fight them, Thonn was hardly versed in underwater fighting. And of all the things they were using, beskar was added to the bait. So he’d read that right; this thing had a taste for metal. And by the efforts going on, those here seemed to have a good idea of what it might take to kill the beast.

“Hail, Vode!” He made his greeting as he spotted Kranak Vizla, setting aside a book that he had just finished reading. At once, the book had value; Kranak was reading it, and he had an aptitude with information. Thonn was clueless at sorting this stuff out himself, but if Kranak held the information as valuable it surely was. Flipping through the text, it surely was a great deal more valuable than whatever written rumours Thonn has mistaken for documentation. He further heard the plan given by Nei. It sounded wise, and Thonn was glad it was underway. He gave a nod, and listened attentively with eagerness for anything to learn about what they would set off as.

Getting wisdom from the source was always easier than trying to glean it for himself.

 

[Talohn Atar]

When Kranak compliments his sense of smell, the cathar raises a brow. "So you can't smell it? This thing smells damn horrid. It's eaten all the fish too. There won't be good fishin in these waters for a long long time. A shame too, I love fish." Of course the feline loves fish. What else was to be expected? Though, fish were rare on cathar these days with the planet being dried up

Talohn smiles as the red twi'lek caresses his cheek. Her touch was always a comforting thing to him. "Eh, this should be the last bit.. It won't be able to resist this time. It knows it's being led into a trap, but it's also hungry. We just had to make the pros outweigh the cons. It'll be putty in our hands soon." He states with a toothy grin. If there's one thing he knew, it was the mindset of creatures whose only purpose was to consume more and more. Most of his planet had become waste due to such monsters after all. "I'm sure your force lightning will also help." He adds, playfully poking the twi'lek's nose.

After everyone sits around the fire to start talking and doing introductions, the cathar takes his time to pick up the datapad Kranak was reading and start giving the information once over. After that, he switches the tabs to some sort of radar screen. He bugged the debris with vibration sensors, and currently? They were pinging up a storm. It wouldn't be long now. He resurfaces from his datapad peering just in time to hear talk of thermal detonators, and Kranak saying they're a bad idea. The cather begins instantly shaking his head emphatically. "No, no thermal detonators. None. I want the Chiton and teeth intact. That chiton is just as tough as beskar, but lighter. Those fangs it's got chew through beskar with ease. I mean hell, it eats metal. The things that could be made from such a beast! We can't let that go to waste. If we keep that thin intact, I can make you all art worthy of this hunt."

That's when Kranak brings up the bomb shock bombs. "Oh right, sorry." He scratches his head, chuckling nervously. "I was so busy cooking that I forgot to get them out." He takes his bag and dumps it out on the ground. Out of it comes a pile of spiky spheres, similar to sea urchins. Though there's a handle on the bottom of them. By ow, he's noticed Thonn has arrived, but he doesn't have time to exchange greetings. The worm was coming soon, he could feel it in his bones. "Everyone take a few. Basically, we trick it into opening it's mouth, then you twist the handle to arm it throw it in. The spikes make it distribute electricity as far as possible. If you miss....You'll wanna stay on the ice or use your jetpack, because the water will burn you to a crisp. Well, any questions fo-" Before he could finish, it happened. A roar that pierced the heavens, arriving alongside breaking ice and scraping metal.

Talohn turns about to face the creature as it emerges from the depths out on the icy waters. It towered over them like a starship as it breached the surface like a whale, maw open wide to bite down on it and drag it to the depths, all 300 meters of the beast leaving the water, chiton plating shining in the light of the day. Luckily the man flying the freighter was no fool. The moment the worm went on course for him, he swerved the salvage ship out of the way so that the worm went up passed the ship. He then turned all the jets on the ship in the required directions to do a donut in mindair that makes the ship spin about to whack the bloodwyrm upside the head, sending it hurdling down back into the ice with a roar that shook the air and earth. Irritated wookie howling is heard on the other end of Talohn's commlink before the person on the other end hangs up and the salvage ship flies away at top speed. Talohn chuckles to himsrlf slightly. The reports were right. 300 meters long....30 meters wide. He quickly puts on his helmet before calling out to the others. "We are all in beskar, it will see us! We're like wrapped little candies to this thing. Bait it into opening that mouth to eat you, then throw the bomb! It's dangerous, but isnt that the point?! Nei, do your thing!" With that said, the rockets on his boots activate and he jets off towards the beast as it angrily tosses around chunks of salvage in the water. The hunt had begun.

Kranak Vizsla Zlova Rue Vulcan Krayt Leea Pandac Thonn Rokkal Sasha Kryze Nei

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Lake Htagir
Equipment: Blaster, Rifle, Detonators
Ship: A restored T-65B X-wing Starfighter and an R2 model Astromech Droid.
Tags: Kranak Vizsla Zlova Rue Leea Pandac Talohn Atar Nei Thonn Rokkal Sasha Kryze

Vulcan looked sheepish, that idea was not a good one but at least he put an idea out there. He took a few of the spiky balls, careful not to prickle his fingers. They DID look like sea life. But hopefully, they are going to do their job.

<“Ah, here comes one of those really ominous silences.”> The Ubese spoke quietly, noticing the sudden still calm in the air. This means that something is bound to happen and quite suddenly too.

But then quite suddenly and violently a roar erupted and the 300 metres long Worm broke through the ice the water cascading from its body. it looked majestic in a monstrous kind of way. Oh boy, that thing is big, and it certainly did not look pleased to see them. Can worms feel upset and angry? Probably, but that’s not the point right now. But then the Cathar mentioned Beskar and candy, and he frowned at that but then placed that sudden logical error to one side to prevent any distraction creeping into his concentration.

<“I’m not wearing any Beskar, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help lure that thing so I can throw these prickly bombs in its mouth.”> He says quickly as all hell broke loose.

The Hunt is important. He was the only one who was without Beskar. So, he would do what he always did, improvise with what he had or what he could find, which included grabbing some scrap and using that. So, he got up with quite some speed and focused on the task at hand. Food and the cold are all but forgotten.

Stopping his run quite suddenly as spare scrap rained down on him like very heavy and dangerous rain. Gathering his wits about him again he found some easier to lift scrab bits to tie onto his body. Zip ties were proving very handy today. He will also make sure not to fall into the water. Simply put, drowning, and burning would be an extremely lousy way to go. It’s up there with mind worms.

Vulcan headed right for the ice to help with the hunting, despite not being able to fly or be protected by Beskar, well if spare scrap plates counted. He slipped and slid around as he tried to compensate for the lower friction under his feet. He didn’t want to know how stupid he looked, sliding around trying not to fall over.

No time for that he skated across the ice stumbling now and again as he did so. He quietly prayed that the others are doing their part and keeping safe from that thing. He’ll never look at worms the same way again. Such as any dangerous missions involving the potential to get injured or killed.

No one said this whole thing would be easy this was the first time he felt useful in his unique way and used his brain to get around a problem that a lack of Mando armour caused.

 

[The Quartermaster]

T H E
E N C L A V E

Objective: Forge Towards the Stars
Tag: Tawnita Wren | Alora Vizsla | Shai Maji

The Quartermaster was not one with no taste for dramatic entrance.

The Buir of the Enclave walked into the meeting hall unannounced, trailed by two warriors of the Si'kahya resplendent in their blue-and-gold beskar'gam. She was pleased to see that a team of budding Starshipwrights and Fleetmasters had already begun to coalesce. Now she would take their counsel and turn it into action.

"My apologies for my lateness," she said, standing. The two Si'kahya stepped back a pace to give the Quartermaster the hall's attention, for which she was pleased. Romul has trained them well, she thought before continuing. "Although I have been busy, it is still unbecoming to not be present. Much good work has been laid out here tonight. Work that will serve as a foundation for our future, which lies above." She raised a single gloved gauntlet to point at the ceiling above their heads, and the stars that hung above them all. "There was once a time when Mandalorian Fleets were feared by the galaxy. I would us be feared as well, if only so that we ward of those who would otherwise see the Enclave as easy pickings."

She turned towards the three that had spearheaded the discussion so far. "The Enclave has made several contracts with different galactic starshipwright corporations to provide us the necessary components to build our fleets. The parts are there for now, but we must revitalize our own shipyards and our own factories so that we are not dependent on another's offerings. I would have a fleet that is fast, able to respond to various threats throughout our territory near-instantaneously. I would have a fleet that is strong, strong enough to deter attack on our worlds and be a significant threat to our enemies."

The Quartermaster studied the faces of each of the three individually. "Wren, your idea to hire advisories to train our own in naval warfare is a wise one. Mandalorians have always done things our way, but our way saw our fleets burned and our homeworld razed. Perhaps new ideas and doctrines will make us stronger. Krayt, your corporations assets are of a value to us. Land can be provided for factories, and the resources to manufacture components. And Wren, we may have need of your contacts. As we expand in the galaxy, other nations are starting to take note. Sooner or later, the Enclave will not be able to act without political consequence, whether we will it or not."
​

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[Nei]

Location: Lake Htagir
Equipment: Thermal Detonators, Beskar Tipped Harpoons, Fighting Knives, Beskar'gam, Concussion Rifle
Ship: N/A, on ground already
Tags: Zlova Rue | Leea Pandac | Talohn Atar | Vulcan Krayt | Kranak Vizsla | Sasha Kryze

Just as he grabbed the brace of electro-'splodies, a roar split the plan as given by Talohn and Nei heard himself being dispatched. With a slap on the shoulder of Sasha Kryze and Kranak Vizsla he sprinted forward towards a harpoon. Long strides became quicker, quicker, and quicker still, until he was almost skipping above the ice, swallowing dozens of yards in a few steps, obviously no longer behaving naturally as the Force burned around his legs and arms in a bright green-yellow light.

A diving leap and barrel twist to yank the rope, which spun around his waist to be grasped around the wrist of one arm as the hand of the other grabbed the harpoon, imbuing it with the same witchlight his body was glowing with as he hurtled it, spearing the beast just behind the mandible of its jaw on the right side, piercing through the flesh between the two giant groups of muscles and tendons for that joint.

With a grunt, he hit the ice hard and skidded, sliding. He regained his feet with a concussion rifle in his hands, ignoring the pain of several broken ribs as the witchlight darkened to deep purple-green around his legs and he screamed at the beast to get it's attention, slapping his thighs in primal challenge as he snapped of stacatto bursts from the sonic weapon of choice he held, hitting it right where it's throat should be.

"EY! SHABLA MIR'OSIK! OVER HERE! COME GET SOME!!!! I BET I LOOK TASTY!!"

 

[Leea Pandac]

Objective: Hunt a Worm

Allies: Talohn Atar Zlova Rue Vulcan Krayt Kranak Vizsla Nei Thonn Rokkal Sasha Kryze
Enemies: Worm of Immense Proportions

Equipment: Beskar Armor, Rifle (Mortar Attachment), Side-arm


It seemed a true hunting party was forming. As more individuals arrived and prepared for the action ahead, Leea found herself amazed once more at the simple call and response. Nothing more than a statement of fact, a request for aid in taking down a massive beast. Yet here came an ever-growing number of Mandalorians eager to take part. It was a sight leaving a strong impression on her. Leea stepped closer to the fire, ready to hear the plans for this mission and to ready herself for action. She removed her helm, the cold breeze striking her face with a brutal humid gust.

Paying little heed to the bemused comment from Talohn, Leea helped herself to a skewer of meat as introductions were made and plans conveyed. The food was well cooked, although the Mirialan was less than impressed with the flavor. "Could use a Mon Cal rub, seasoning would work better," she muttered under her breath. Despite this, she found herself nonetheless content with a few bites. She didn't feel too hungry, though she was all too aware of the importance of having something to keep her going on the energy front. But it seemed that there was just not much room in her today and she could feel her nerves tensing in anticipation. This was to be the largest organism she had ever hunted, barring the accursed Vong ships.

Ideas were shared and Leea had to spend more time straightening out the changes than actually thinking about contributing to the discussion. By the time they had settled, the remaining flesh on her skewer was cold and she couldn't bring herself to take another bite. Instead, Leea leaned the elongated fork against the cooling metal of the rack and donned her helmet. Even as she did so, the first of the immediate warnings came up on her display and she flinched as the great beast broke through the surface. Grasping one of the offered ionic bombs, Leea took to the sky. One last footfall, crunching the snow before her pack flared to life and she found herself rocketing into the air.

There was no time to relax or spend in deep considerations. The pilot turned huntress found herself with little in the way of tools intended for the job of bringing down a heavily armoured monstrous worm, but she hoped they would work nonetheless. Slipping the bomb carefully onto a hook in her utility belt, Leea lifted her assault rifle and started firing. The worm was a strange beast and Leea didn't know where to aim for particular vulnerabilities. Does it even have or need eyes? Lacking better options, Leea focused her attack on the mouth area, hoping that perhaps some wound or pain may cause it to make a mistake that others might take advantage of. For now, she was going to wait for a better opening before tossing her one bomb.

 

[Zlova Rue]

The Twi'lek turned her head to look at the one called 'Nei.' Sure, he was almost as large as Kranak, but she didn't know him. To hear his thoughts about taking and securing a beast like the one they hunted... Why it sounded like he actually knew what was talking about. Not that the others didn't, but Nei had a very specific knowledge of the subject matter. This of course meant the man was worth keeping alive and not allowing the worm to eat him.

She was joking to herself, of course! Yes, humorous. Vod would never abandon other vod. Very serious.

Though the man obviously lacked a discerning eye. Kranak was certainly a choice pick, but would a third be inappropriate? Oh, he didn't know she was a Force User? Red skin, tattoos, golden eyes, and an arrogant smile or smirk permanently plastered on her lips when Zlova wasn't thinking of gutting someone alive... too subtle? Well, yes, some people didn't know, but that didn't stop a Sith from complaining anyway.

To think how livid Sasha would have been if all of this had been aired out in the open too. Delightful creature even called her Rue. They were going to be such great friends. "Of course. If Nei thinks two groups of two are needed. A Sith never passes up a Rule of Two when they hear one." A small in-joke most of them probably wouldn't understand unless they studied their enemy's history.

Kranak decided to step in between two women feuding at that moment, which drew a smile with exaggeratedly raised, tattoo eyebrows from the Twi'lek. "Sounds delightful. The mighty men toss the spears around and anchor it to the ice, while we womenfolk make sure your work holds up. Like a bonegnawer checking its mate's ability to construct a proper nest." Out of stone. No do-overs if you karked up. You got to sleep on the ground; meanwhile the female got the lofty perch hoping the marriage would be annulled. Violently.

Then Ubese spoke up again. Zlova's smile and gaze didn't linger from Kranak and Nei, however, quite eager for their response. Perhaps -- if Kranak was extraordinarily lucky -- the Twi'lek would instruct him about the perils of wading into conflict between women.

When Talohn got around to handing out the electric candy -- the shock bombs -- or after Kranak or Nei tried to desperately explain themselves (to her amusement), Zlova's gaze would at last break and return to the Cathar leading this hunting party. "Trick it?" Zlova was looking forward to making it scream -- that would open its mouth.

There wasn't much time for banter, however, as the earth-shattering crunch of ice as it snapped filled the air swiftly drowned out by the worms' roar.

"It really is that large," Zlova commented aloud to herself. And she'd been so looking forward to the awkwardness of them all watching her cuddle with the Cathar. Actually, she was of two minds on the matter -- one, Zlova would love to subvert their expectations; but on the other hand, Zlova really wanted this hunt to go well. Talohn put a lot of effort into it and it would help set the tone for future gatherings. It seemed the better of the two had won out.

Zlova hopped up to her feet in the bodysuit she'd worn. Her eyes shifted over at Sasha, Kranak, and Nei to see if they really meant to anchor the beast after all. It was Nei's plan, she'd wait for him and Kranak to do their best Mister Universe impressions. If that failed then there was always beat the thing into submission.

And Nei did initiate the plan. With Sasha and Kranak. It caused a twitch at one corner of Zlova's lips. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Nei was devoured after all... His idea hadn't been that good, after all.

"Oh, Force, he was trained by Witches," Zlova groaned as the man used his power to heft the first harpoon in place. It was all Force, but Zlova knew the... vibrations of Witch magic versus Sith alchemy or magic. What fool notions had been put in his head, she wondered?

Keeping up with the Mandalorians even if they used jetpacks wouldn't be difficult for Zlova despite her lack of 'proper' gear. At least she was wearing a fullbody outfit, which was unusual for Zlova under normal conditions. "Hate-filled one," she called out to Sasha before gesturing for the woman to take one side of the worm while the Twi'lek went the opposite way. They would need to keep the beast from going in circles making it difficult to actually pin down once Kranak and Nei chose the anchoring points.

Tags: Leea Pandac | Talohn Atar | Vulcan Krayt | Kranak Vizsla | Sasha Kryze | Thonn Rokkal | Nei

 

[Kranak Vizsla]

W Y R M
H U N T

Location: Kestri, Tor Valum, Lake Htagir, Small Hunting Camp
Local Time: 07:23
Date: -DATA CORRUPTED-
Primary Objective: Hunt the Mandalorian Bloodwyrm
Secondary Objective: N/A
Equipment: Loadout 3 (Medical Backpack and Primary left behind at the small camp)
Tags: Talohn Atar | Zlova Rue | Vulcan Krayt | Leea Pandac | Thonn Rokkal | Nei | Sasha Kryze

The Red Devil exaggeratedly raised her tattooed eyebrows to Kranak’s comment when the giant stepped in between her and Sasha.

”Sounds delightful. The mighty men toss the spears around and anchor it to the ice, while we womenfolk make sure your work holds up. Like a bonegnawer checking its mate’s ability to construct a proper nest.”

The Supercommando’s smile was replaced with bemusement, with a small hint of embarrassment for those with a perceptive pair of eyes. It would swiftly disappear back into a smile as fast as his bemusement was made manifest, muttering a slightly nervous chuckle at the Red Devil’s comment. The giant assumed he was misunderstood. By any means did he mean to belittle or underestimate both her’s and Sasha’s strength, but the small, unintentionally sarcastic tone that came out when he said the two could “try their hand” at subduing the beast probably didn’t help his situation. Well, chit.

He knew how strong the Red Devil was. He had experienced it first hand in single combat. He could also venture a guess as to Sasha’s strength as well. The two were both strong warriors, also capable of subduing the massive creature just as him and Nei. What he hinted at was working with one another despite their differences during the hunt. That would have perhaps improved the two’s interactions, as the hunt would require teamwork and coordination in order to best the massive beast.

But he would have to let it slide and explain what he meant to the Red Devil after the hunt.

With the confirmation of explosives and similar ordnance out of limits for this hunt, that would mean he would not be able to use his primary he had hauled here. The blaster bolts shot out of the giant chainblaster exploded in contact over hard enough surfaces. He didn’t mind that minor problem, though. Relying on his secondaries and the use of the shock-bombs for the hunt would make things interesting and inherently more fun for him anyway.

The giant would finish his cut of the delicious slice of cooked meat with a large bite as he listened to Talohn’s answer to his inquiry. Once finished eating, he would sit on the ground besides his buy’ce in a cross-legged position as he continued to listen to Talohn.

”Oh right, sorry.” he scratches his head, chuckling nervously. “I was so busy cooking that I forgot to get them out.”

The Cathar reached for a duffel bag beside him and dumped it’s contents on the snowy ground. Spiked spheres formed a small pile on the ground. The spheres had handles at the bottom.

”Hail, Vode!”

The giant would give a nod of his head to Thonn as he joined them in the camp while the Cathar continued to fill them in on how to use the unconventional grenade. The Mandalorian had come just in time for the hunt.

”Everyone take a few. Basically, we trick it into opening it’s mouth, then you twist the handle to arm it and throw it in. The spikes make it distribute electricity as far as possible. If you miss…. You’ll wanna stay on the ice or use your jetpack, because the water will burn you to a crisp. Well, any questions fo-”

Talohn’s words were cut short as a deafening primal roar shook the ground underneath, accompanied with a loud crash; clumps of snow that sat on the branches of the pine-trees around the lake would crumble down on the ground from the roar; the shattered and ripped off chunks of ice was thrown into all directions. Some of the metal debris that were dumped on the thick ice scattered around.

The Supercommando’s excited laughter echoed around the small camp at the sight of the massive beast “Hahaha! Look at the SIZE of that thing!” Kranak exclaimed as he swiftly put back on his helmet and stood up with haste; the glimmering white visor vividly sparkled to life as soon as the giant put it on. With a woosh of air, the helmet would be once again pressurized. He was then tapped on his left shoulder by Nei as the Warrior sprinted past him, carrying one of the harpoons.

“It really is that large,”

The Red Devil commented out loud at the sight of the monstrosity.

<”I’ll be right behind you, ner vod!”> Exclaimed the giant as he swiftly took one of the harpoons and a shock-bomb lying around in the camp and broke into a sprint behind Nei. The beast was about three hundred meters away from them. He would have to get close for about over half that distance to effectively use the harpoon to ensnare the massive creature for the others to deliver the killing blow at it.

Nei ran faster, faster and faster as he continued his sprint towards the creature. The Supercommando was perplexed at the sight of the other giant that almost skipped over the ice with incredible speed that certainly belied the warrior’s stature. A streak burned around the man’s legs and arms in a shining bright green-yellow light. The Supercommando in return was starting to lag behind as Nei opened up the distance between them exceedingly fast.

<What the kark…> Was he a Sith like the Red Devil? A Jedi? No. No, he didn’t look or behave like he belonged to any of those classifications, unlike Zlova. Now she was a Sith, and most certainly looked and acted like one, without a doubt. <A Vod strong with the Force, then.> The Supercommando assumed as he continued his sprint towards the massive creature. Two hundred meters had left! One hundred more and he’d be in the effective range for the use of his harpoon.

Thanks to his immense speed, Nei had already engaged the creature after deploying his harpoon. The beast let out an almost deafening shriek of pain as the unnaturally fast warrior’s harpoon got jabbed at it’s mandible of it’s jaw with a meaty thud. The warrior then taunted the creature as he shot at the beast with the concussion rifle in his hands.

“EY SHABLA MIR’OSIK! COME GET SOME!!!! I BET I LOOK TASTY!!”

Once Kranak was in the effective range of the harpoon in his hands, he would deploy the device swiftly, and let loose the harpoon at the side of the creature after finding a weak-spot at the beast’s strong, chitinous plating with the use of his helmet’s targeting software. Once the creature was once again pinned by another harpoon, he would grab a hold of the thick cable and would start pulling, denying the beast the ability to burrow back into the lake so easily.

 

[Anashja Tal]

Location: The frozen lake
Equipment: Beskar'gam, lightsabers, healing supplies, 3 thermal detonators, ENCL-36 blaster

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Tags: Talohn Atar Zlova Rue Vulcan Krayt Leea Pandac Thonn Rokkal Nei Sasha Kryze Kranak Vizsla
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Anashja sat at the edge of the lake throwing stones across the ice. She looked over at the blaster rifle she had acquired for this mission. By mandalorian standards she wasn't much of a shot, but that was by mandalorian standards, she would kick the ass of any aruetii if they said she couldnt shoot. But right now it lay, slowly catching flakes in in snow as she skipped stones across the frozen surface, 6 skips with that one, she chuckled. Today was a bit different to her usual tasks, a hunt, a truly old school mandalorian tradition.

"Oh well, time to crack on probably" she said, casting a hidden smile to a young couple enjoying a wintery date nearby. She picked up and checked her gear before engaging her repulsors and taking off. It was about 30 miles to the hinting sit, she would cover that in a few minutes. Once she was up in the air, she admired the view, this was truly the best part of being a mandalorian she thought, flying free over beautiful terrain. The ice of the lake whizzed past below her and momentarily she saw where she was headed, the beast was already here, typical mandos just cracking on and getting the job done.

She saw a group standing stationary toward one side, she would land with them and get an idea of the situation. She was an accomplished healer so would hopefully be able to help.

Kicking her legs she somersaulted onto the ground, she flipped a salute at the standing mandalorians "Anashja Tal, what we got here?" She walked and pulled her rifle off her back, losing a few shots into the beast as another mandalorian fought it. There was a peculiar mix of hunters here, from hulking heavily armours gunners to...a half naked bright red Twi'lek? Really? Takes all sorts she guessed.

Anashja's light sabers rattled at her waist, she would be more comfortable in melee, but maybe not against the giant creature that currently loomed over the hunting party.

 

[Thonn Rokkal]

Kranak Vizsla Vulcan Krayt Zlova Rue Talohn Atar Nei Anashja Tal Leea Pandac Sasha Kryze

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He paid prompt attention; he’d a fair amount to catch up on. They had bait and they had explosives and harpoons at the ready, it brought confidence that they were prepared and ready to kill the sea-beast. Talohn even had an assortment of spiked depth charges that he laid out before them on Kranak’s request. No thermals, which was a bit of a shame; Thonn was quite the fan of explosives and had imagined that this thing was due to end up an unrecognizable bloodied mess once they were done with it. But Talohn had a point he’d not even considered – these things chew right through beskar. The book said that too, but Talohn went one further and considered what such a quality implied. There were weapons and armour to be made from the remains of the beast. Much as he loved a good explosion, he had a healthy love of those things too. And further recognized the need; they’d need both to help defend their newly founded home.

“Yeah, that’s reasonable. Good materials can’t go to waste” Thonn took a few of the charges that Talohn so generously offered the group. Thonn gave a nod at his advice. The plan was sound: draw the thing to them, get it to open its maw and give it an opportunistic force-feeding of hopefully lethal shock bombs. Kranak and Zlova were in a discussion, and she deferred action to Kranak and Nei – with the sass he knew her for. Thonn wasn’t around to hear the start of the conversation, but Zlova mentioned she heard something too good to pass up? Though he had no idea what a ‘Rulavtu’ even was. He was never one for studying.

And then he heard the roar. The first phase of the laid plan was already underway; the beast would be upon them soon. Talohn turned immediately to face it as if he’d been expecting it. Good that he did; it meant things were going according to plan. Terrifying as the roar was, Thonn knew it was about to face Mandalorians and was doubtlessly moments away from death. And what he had read and heard was true before his eyes; three hundred of scaled sea-dwelling wrath. Fighting this thing would be unlike fighting anything he had done battle with before – he was right on that count.

For once, he’d opted against wielding his beloved rotary cannon. Blaster bolts, no matter how many, just didn’t make much strategic sense. What could they do? They bounced right off beskar, and this thing eats that for breakfast. The shock charge held in his hand was the proper and superior choice for bringing the thing down – it was just a matter of getting the bloodwyrm to eat that instead. Currently it was going after the salvage ship flying above, but failed to deliver a bite in the attempt that took the gargantuan beast in a leaping soar through the air above.

The beast crashed back into the waters. Talohn mentioned that the beast could see beskar, far from a warning and more of a notification. All the better that the thing could see him, it made getting it’s attention that much easier. Nei managed to spear it with a harpoon while moving at unnatural speed. His battle with the thing was a sight to behold, delivering angry taunts while his sonic weapon delivered shots into the beast’s hide.

Thonn immediately followed at a sprint with his shock bomb held in hand. He knew the plan, and it was time for phase 2. Prepared to take advantage of any such opportunity, He gave chase to be present for it, while Kranak and Nei worked in attempt to make said opportunity happen.