The Future[Death Watch]

[Subject 37]

Concordia​

​

It was starting. They had come slowly at first, almost slovenly, but the last week had seen an influx of people that had surprised even her. They were all Mandalorians, all warriors. Some had been fighting wars for a long time, other's had never even seen a Jedi. Every single one of them was determined however, determined to bring back what they felt was the True Mandalorian way.

She saw it in their eyes.

The way that they looked at her when she spoke, the way that they stared at one another when they trained. Sera could see the drive within them, that edge. They were all warriors, and they wanted a fight that was worthy of them. It was what all True Mandalorians craved, it was something that all of them wanted. They were not a culture of peace and serenity, theirs was a way of wars and battle, of Honor and death. It was who they were, it was what they deserved.

Sera would see that they got it.

She had guaranteed them that, and she would follow through.

First however, there were preparations to be made. Death Watch was still small in comparison to most organizations in the galaxy, even Saeva, the Mercenary company Sera had been working with dwarfed Death Watch by a factor of ten. They had much to prepare, to put together. They had ships, but hardly any fuel, they had weapons, but would quickly run out of ammo in a true war. They had a little of everything, but before they moved they would need more.

A frown pulled at her lips, the open air of the pavilion being cut with a gust of wind. Concordia was not a kind world, hadn't been for many generations. The Dust storms were quiet however, and they had a delightful bit of sun carrying through the camp today. It was pleasant, almost nice. A reminder of what this moon had once been. "We'll need to expand the camp. I want a permanent base here within the crater, something more fortified."

They would need a home, and where better then Concordia?

"Anything else?" She asked the dozen or so people standing around the table.

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Sera Spar"]

Ashtah had been with this group few days now, not a long stretch by any means. She would not consider herself a founder, in fact she felt a bit of an outsider among them. Many of the names she had encountered were those of respected, well known warriors, and here she was, a mouse among giants. But she had seen the perversion and corruption of the true mandalorian way, and she had come to this iteration of the Deathwatch to make sure the true customs would prevail once again.

She was a capable, if not exactly a veteran warrior, but she would lend what skills she had to this effort. Which was exactly what she would do now by speaking up. Looking up, she met Sera's eyes.

"We need to work on our resource situation, immediately. We have the training, and the enthusiasm we need to win this war. Now we need the numbers, In Troops, Rounds, Materials....."

She began to explain

"But we need solid supply lines. A warrior cannot fight on an empty stomach, a rifle cannot fire without an energy pack, and our ships cannot function without fuel. We'll have wounded to add to this list soon, and only basic medical supplies. We need more, and as it stands....I have a few ideas on just where we might acquire these items"

Her eyes lit up in a small, eager smile as she layed out exactly what she had in mind. It was a two fold move, not only would it gain them resources and likely more volunteers, it would strike a blow against the enemy

"There are those who wave our banners, spout and spit on our words, and betray the very nature of what it means to be Mandalorian. I say, we take what we need from them. I think you all can understand what I imply...."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Ashtah Ordo"]

Sera nodded. She understood the missive, and even had an urge to follow it. There were Clans that she didn't agree with, some that she was outright disgusted by in fact, but there was also a need for caution at this early stage. If they moved in such a way they would have to do it carefully.

Very carefully.

"The so called Mandalorian Empire." She scoffed at the words. Death Watch didn't take kindly to Clan Verd and those who followed them, mostly because of who they had chosen as their leader and how they had done it. The whole situation left an unpleasant taste in her mouth, one harsh enough to make her lash out. "I know."

She looked towards Ashtah. "There are others too, in the United Clan's. Some that betray our name to our enemies, others who ignore ancient traditions long passed down. I would see them burn, but we have to be careful."

Teaching caution was not something that she was good at. Most of her life had been spent fighting, either SIth, Jedi, or both. Now however she had to look at the bigger picture. She had to keep a careful eye on those around her, she had to keep Death Watch on a leash until they were at full strength, only then could they be unleashed. Only when they were fully ready could they strike at the others. She knew this, and she would council her people so. "We are Death Watch, we come from every clan, ever creed, every sect, but our ranks can't match the largest Clans or even The Empire, not yet."

That was simply reality.

"We need to look elsewhere first. An easier target." She looked towards the map on the table, swiping away a large piece of flimsy to reveal an approximate map of the galaxy and its governments. "The core. The Republic, The One Sith. They are beginning to weaken. Decades of fighting have brought them both to their knees. A perfect target for us. Not to mention, the constant warring means their warehouses are flush with exactly what we need."

She smiled slightly. There was another piece of this plan. If they struck the Republic and The One Sith they would ingratiate themselves with more Mandalorians. Those within the United Clan's, and perhaps even those within the Mandalorian Empire would see Death Watch in action. They would see what true warriors did, and once their numbers grew...

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Sera Spar"]

She nodded in definitive agreement with her. The Republic as the more likely of the two targets, weakened and harried as they were, opponents on all sides. They had no way of watching their back as wolves tore through their camps while they did battle, to slightly re-use an old proverb.

By the same token though, the One Sith Empire was licking it's wounds, and a swift raid or strike against them was likely to go all but unnoticed as the behemoth staggered under it's own weight.

But of course, any action they took left them vulnerable to a swift, and possibly lethal reprisal.

They had to remained hidden, a fierce might, cloaked in the night as they waited for their chacne to strike, to make things right. She could only hope her being there had made even some slight difference

She could feel the stirrings in her chest, surrounded by brave warriors, kinsmen to her some, and now, clan all united under the Death Watch.

This was the start of something, something new, powerful, and permanent.

Perhaps now, the Mandalorians would be restored to their full glory once again, and even surpass the empire of countless years ago

 

[Saarenin Lok]

Saarenin sat upon a supply crate with the other gathered Death Watch members, his crimson eyes taking in what was around them and darting around as though expecting an attack to come at any moment. It wasn’t that Saarenin was fearful of an ambush or other surprise. It was that the people he sat among were complete strangers to him. While this shouldn’t unsettle a True Mandalorian it did Saarenin. How many would see him as just a pretender? One that simply wanted to join the Death Watch to be noticed? Perhaps to gain some sort of infamy? All of it was wrong, Saarenin had joined for one reason and that was to bring back the ways he had been raised with. What he saw in the UCM now was nothing but a bunch of force users running around. That was the reason he hadn’t answered the call for them and had instead come when the call for Death Watch had been made.

Pushing himself off the supply crate Saarenin moved in closer to the others as they discussed the possibilities of how they would get more supplies. Attacking a political power could be increasingly dangerous considering how few of them there were, but would the training and combat prowess of the Death Watch make up for that deficit? “When the time comes I am more than willing to offer supplies and weapons from my company to support such a raid.” The Afriel chimed in his crimson hair falling into his face. The tattoo’s denoting clan Lok were apparent upon his chest and in reality Saarenin did not have the appearance of one who would own a business. He had been raised in not only the Mandalorian ways but also how to utilize his funds and make them grow.

“As for a base in the crater why not set up what appears to be a permanent one here and move deeper into the mines? It would grant us a great deal more privacy and with a hollow mine we could set up a more defensible area.” His words may not have been wanted nor was he speaking against the other members gathered. Just putting in his own advice.

[member="Ashtah Ordo"] [member="Sera Spar"]

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Saarenin Lok"]

She smiled a the man, nodding. "Good idea."

The mines were old, very old.

"Let's set up a scouting party first." That would only be prudent, if they were going to build their fortress within those minds then she would want to map out the entire system that had been carved deep into the earth. There wasn't going to be any surprises, she would make sure of that. "I want to know every inch of those mines before we start constructing. If there's multiple ways in, I want to know, if there's walled off tunnels, I want to know. We close off what we can, and reinforce the others with doors only we can get through. We build a fortress for ourselves."

Prudence.

Some might have called it Paranoia, but Sera knew that they would need it.

Death Watch had always had enemies, they would be no different. There was no expectation of allies, no expectation of friends that would come to the rescue. She hoped that the Clan's would support them this time, or at least see them as useful, but she wouldn't count on it. They would have to make a fortress, a place where they could live without fear, a place where they could last through even the longest siege. That was what she wanted here.

"Acceptable?" She turned to the man that had spoken.

 

[Saarenin Lok]

The nod was encouraging and Saarenin felt a tinge of relief that what he had said hadn’t offended the women. It had been too long since he’d been fully immersed with his people in such a way and the sense of being an outsider was always present. You shouldn’t feel this way! You’ve spent too much time in board rooms talking and playing business man. You’ve forgotten your roots. A voice in Saarenin’s head said filling the Afriel’s mind with negative thoughts that he didn’t have time to deal with right now.

Focusing again on Sera’s words Saarenin simply nodded. What she said was what would be needed. One could never be too cautious when they were possibly one of the most hated organizations in the galaxy. The past actions of many others that claimed to be Death Watch wouldn’t help their situation either. Best to also examine so they can be sure that the mines weren’t ready to collapse. No point building themselves a fortress just for the mine to collapse in trapping them.

“You will not hear question from me. However, I volunteer to join the scouting party.” As Saarenin had suggested the mines he felt as though he had to play just as much a part in the work that would be associated with it. All the Mando was equipped with for now was a simple combat knife and blaster pistol. The majority of his weaponry was back at his home, while his armor signifying his Mando ties had not been donned since he had witnessed the death of his mother at the hands of a jedi. Maybe now it was time to go dig it back up.

[member="Sera Spar"]

 

[Destin Eden]

Andy was that particular brand of special that was well-loved by armed forces Galaxy wide. The sort that happily followed orders so long as the orders were some variation of ‘Kill these here people.’ It was easy. Clean. Uncomplicated.

Not that she was stupid. Far from it.

Observing the conversation between [member="Sera Spar"], [member="Saarenin Lok"] and [member="Ashtah Ordo"] from afar, the Mando slowly sipped her tea. The vacuum-sealed cup was stuck in a holder installed in her armor, and from it stuck a straw stuck into a port in her mask.

She was also practical.

sluuurrrp

A nearby Mando glanced in her direction. She waved and continued drinking her earl gray, unperturbed. Maybe if she’d been someone else, the tall, armored hunk of muscle would’ve commented. But there was a huge flamethrower at her side, and it was never a good idea to anger a pyro.

Especially not this pyro.

The plans they were making sounded good. If someone asked, she would lend a hand, in her own incinerating way. But in truth, Andy had joined up for a singular reason.

sluuuuuuuurrrrrp

Kill it with fire.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Saarenin Lok"] | [member="Andy Rodarch"]

"You have my leave." She said with another nod. The faster the mines were scouted the faster they could begin construction, and that was the important thing. They need a good base of operations before they could strike anywhere, and as it stood right now...they most certainly didn't have anything like that. She frowned for a moment, casting a glance towards a nearby figure that seemed to be drinking from some sort of sippy cup. Her eyebrow quirked, but she decided not to question it.

Her people could be...strange at times.

"Take as many men as you need." She continued to address Saarenin. "It was your idea so you lead the party."

For a moment she smiled, looking at the man. "So you'll get the blame if you mess it up."

Sera didn't mean that of course...well, not in a bad way. He most certainly would get the blame if he messed it up, but if she didn't believe that he could do it, then she would not have assigned him the task. Granted, she didn't know the man very well, but the fact that he had an idea, and that it was he himself that wanted to implement it was enough for her. The others would double check any of the progress made anyway, and it would all come full circle when construction would start.

"Alright. Next up." She said smacking the table.

 

[Destin Eden]

sluuuur—

With a frown, Andy glanced down. Welp. The tea was done.

She stood up, stretching her limbs with gusto. Joints cracked, skin moaned and crawled. The usual. The Mando discarded her cup and closed the induction port, then picked up the oversized flamethrower on the rock beside her. Despite her average build, the woman hefted her weapon onto her shoulder with ease. Either the thing was made of something lighter, or Andy was deceptively strong.

Wanna guess?

“Hey boss,” she called out, ambling over to [member="Sera Spar"]. “Got any fresh blood that needs drilling?”

They were the Death Watch. Warmongers. And to monger war well, you actually had to know how to hit something. Preferably with a bullet.

Or, if you happened to be Andy Rodarch, with fire.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Andy Rodarch"]

Soldiers. That was what they needed the most. Mandalorians were all fighters after a fashion, trained from the age of thirteen to be the best warriors that the galaxy could imagine, but warriors did not make soldiers. There was a line between the two. A warrior could do battle, but they could not win wars.

Her father had taught her that.

There was a fundamental difference between a Warrior and a Soldier. They both fought, they both had ideals, they both had something to protect, but a Soldier? A soldier was part of a system, a unit. A soldier had someone fighting alongside them, even if they were alone. They were crafted, honed, finely tuned to do the task that was set out before them. Sera remembered the words well, the stories father had told her about how warriors were all well and good, but Soldier's were what was needed in a war.

What was this if not a war?

"Over there." She motioned towards a large empty space in the center of the camp.

"There are some young here that have yet to be taught discipline." She wouldn't have anyone run off wild in the middle of a fight. They weren't a rag tag group of rebels, they weren't a bunch of terrorists, they were Death Watch. That meant something. "Don't break too many bones."

They didn't have all that much Bacta.

 

[Ra Vizsla]

Death Watch​

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[member="Sera Spar"] [member="Andy Rodarch"] [member="Saarenin Lok"]​

​

"Hey, boss."

Ra emerged from the edges of the camp, crushing a can in his hands and tossing it in one of the recycling bins as footstep after giant footstep crashed their way into the earth towards Sera Spar. Ra had visited, many times. Considering himself a faithful True Mandalorian, his Aliit had many ties to the Death Watch of old - not the terrorist organization everyone painted them out to be these days, but the heroes of old. Tor Vizsla, Pre Vizsla.... all of these guys were fantastic examples of what true leadership and selflessness meant to the Mandalorian culture.

He rose his hand to the Old Mines scout party for them to wait up. "I'm coming, too. Need Sera's ear real quick."

"Good to see you again," Ra uttered. "How goes the camp?"

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Ra Vizsla"]

"Well enough." She said with a half bow of her head, eyes flickering towards the scenery that sat within the pit. "We're remote enough that nobody will care enough to bother us, but close enough to the cities that should something happen we'll be there quick enough."

That had been part of why she'd picked this spot. The other part was the simple fact that it sat within Clan Spar's ancestral lands. Technically speaking she owned this part of Concordia, and thus could do whatever she wished with it. Of course, the land wasn't much to look at, simple barren Tundra's and a few massive mining pits that had lost all value somewhere around three thousand years ago. Clan Spar had never been rich, and their holdings were a clear indication of that. "We have several more ships coming with supplies, most of them freighters with construction material."

That had been procured through the Alliance with Saeva, something she was finding more and more value in.

If Death Watch was truly to succeed, they would need structure, discipline, and a home to return to at the end of the day. There were other factors of course, but they would come soon as well. She cast her glance towards Ra, finally looking away from the expanse of the Death Watch base.

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Sera Spar"] - [member="Ra Vizsla"] - [member="Andy Rodarch"] - [member="Saarenin Lok"]

Ashtah remained mostly quiet as she watched various different ideas being given about, plans of actions decided upon, the future set into motion. Saarenin seemed to be of a practical mindset, already moving things into place to start up his scouting mission. She considered this.....Pyro and got a somewhat uneasy vibe from.....it. Not the type she'd want to spend much time in an empty room with. She flipped up the datapad display on her gauntlet for a moment, scrolling down the list to find exactly the little packet of data she needed.

Ah. There.

"Well, I'm not being of any great help standing here. I'll see about getting those supplies stored and put to use somewhere, with your leave that is" She said, looking up at Sera for confirmation as she flipped the datapad down, her hands on her hips lightly as she awaited her response.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Ashtah Ordo"] | [member="Ra Vizsla"]

Sera simply nodded her head towards the woman.

She didn't need permission to leave. Most of the people in this camp were perfectly well off making their own decisions, though a few still required a bit of supervision. Sera didn't know much about Ashtah, didn't know much about many of her new recruits, but she seemed like a trustworthy enough woman, and until proven wrong Sera would work under that assumption.

"I'm sure someone needs something." She said addressing the woman, half turning away from Ra for a second. "You may want to ask the quartermaster, or perhaps help with the training."

She offered Astah a smile, then regarded Ra again.

"More clan's are coming as well, as many as a dozen I'm told." Their numbers grew, and is they did so would the camp.

 

[Ra Vizsla]

Death Watch​

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[member="Sera Spar"] [member="Andy Rodarch"] [member="Saarenin Lok"][member="Ashtah Ordo"]​

​

​

"Good," Ra returned.​

​

"What clans?"

His cloak was hot, so he unclasped the buckle on its chain and pulled the large wolf-skin cloak off and laid it on a table opposite from where Sera was sitting. He then grabbed a chair, sitting down and regarding the formidable Death Watch captain.

"Money's tight right now so I couldn't afford another donation," he said. "With Ronan still clinging on to the A'lor title in my absence, I don't have quite the resources I used to. We'll need other major Clans to join the cause."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Ra Vizsla"]

She smiled rather ruefully. "For now, we'll have to do without them."

"We have stragglers from some of the larger Clans. Ordo, Rodarch, but none of the largest have joined us in full force." She understood the reason for that too. Death Watch wasn't exactly the most loved organization in Mandalorian culture. For this many to join them was a tentative prospect at best, but at least they were making progress. "Priest and Munin are strong."

She pointed to those two. They were well known, but one couldn't really call them expansive like you could with Ordo or Vizsla. In truth, she often wondered how the Clans all measured up in strength. Sera knew that her own Clan, Spar, was not the strongest by long shot. A slim piece of her hated admitting that, but she knew that Clans such as Rodarch and Vizsla completely outclassed her own. Part of that could be excused by a millenia long blood feud with Force Users, but not entirely.

"More will join us soon." She said more to herself then Ra.

"They need an example of what we can do." Sera said flatly. "Something I intend to give them soon."

 

[Saarenin Lok]

Not letting the shock of having been put in charge show Saarenin turned calling out to three of the other Mando’s that had been waiting amongst them. If they wanted to get the mines scouted and secured they’d have to move fast. Who knew when the supplies would arrive and finding the perfect place to set up a base among the mines could possibly be troublesome unless they found an area that had already been set up as a mining or processing facility. “Load up, we should’ve been gone five minutes ago.” Saarenin said simply giving a nod of respect to Ra Vizla who had arrived. There was no reason for the Afriel to remain for the rest of the meeting after having been given leave.

Policing one of the speeders Saarenin and the mine scouting party loaded up and left the camp in search of the nearest entrance to the mines. Staying close to the ground to avoid any possible prying eyes from above Saarenin eyed a datapad that contained maps to some of the more recent mines that had been used and marked by other companies and Mandalorians that were out collecting Beskar. The mines that were still active, what few there were would be under constant observation. No, they needed someplace more secretive, concealed. Saarenin would instead look for an abandoned set of mines. The nervousness of having been chosen to lead the scouting party was wearing off and Saarenin was now left with nothing but question. There were many more among them that were of higher rank or suited for such a task. So why pick him? Someone that had only recently showed up nor even supported the United Clans? Worrying his bottom lip Saarenin fed a few coordinates to the driver.

 

[Ra Vizsla]

Death Watch

[member="Sera Spar"] [member="Andy Rodarch"] [member="Saarenin Lok"] [member="Ashtah Ordo"]​

"And an example they shall have, I'm sure," Ra responded, standing up and grabbing a drink from the table. He tipped it back and poured the contents down his gullet - it was strangely spicy. These Spar people seemed to love their spices, unless he had grabbed a different cup. There was no insignia on the cup's embroidery. The goliath Vizsla stood up and began to follow [member="Saarenin Lok"]'s scouting party towards the mines.

"I leave you to your machinations, Sera. Undoubtedly you will impress," he bellowed back to her. "For blood and iron!" He chanted his words throughout the camp in his native Mando'ade speech. They meant nothing to these people, but the Vizsla hoped they soon would.

He grabbed a lantern from one of the soldiers and in great strides caught up with Saarenin.

"Have you found an entry point yet?"

 

[Destin Eden]

Mandalorians as a people were well-known for their discipline. It was one of the things that made them such successful warmongers, after all. Unfortunately, it didn’t always apply so well individually.

Like, say, in the case of Andy Rodarch. It wasn’t that she was incapable of it. She simply had trouble paying attention long enough for those lectures to take hold.

The flamethrower in her hands felt warm and familiar as she approached the group of youngsters in the designated ring. Every self-respecting Mando camp had one, preferably more.

“Alright, milkdrinkers! Listen up, get off your asses, and pair off! Don’t let me catch you complaining!” Her mask muffled her voice some, but Andy was still screaming at the top of her lungs. They jumped to attention by ingrained instinct.

“Yes, Orik, I know there’s mud! And that’s a complaint! Fifteen push-ups, go!” The others scurried to their positions much faster after that. The pyro stood off to the side, counting with deliberate slowness.

“No broken bones, no broken teeth! Everything else’s fair game, piruntaliise!”

[member="Sera Spar"] [member="Ra Vizsla"] [member="Saarenin Lok"] [member="Ashtah Ordo"]