Tag:
Radon Krayt
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Kes Stag
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Mig Gred
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Vaux Gred
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Vren Rook
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Zephyr Krayt |
Aloy Vizsla
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Aerith Krayt |
Tristan Ortega |
Kale Onara
Word Count: 1,833
Siv folded his arms as the Mandalorians continued to discuss, his TKO-20
Valiance Heavy Blaster Pistol sticking out from the side where it was holstered on his hip. Some of the gathered Mandalorians stood, but more sat around the table. It was in ht middle of the Mos Eisely workday, and thus other than them the cantina was vacant other than a serving droid at the bar and prerecorded music echoing over the old speakers of the cantina.
"We could coordinate with the Tuskens or we could kill 'em all and get on with it. We'd only be helping the locals," one of the more confident Mandalorians, Kes Stag, suggested a hint of derision towards the natives of Tatooine in his voice.
"I had a job running a few guns for some indecent folk out to Nar Kraga canceled and while I sold back the weapons to my seller, I might have a few bits of surplus weaponry. But it may not be enough," the warrior added in response to Siv's question of exactly how they would kill this thing.
One of the older and more experienced warriors, Mig Gred, interjected.
"Way the Tuskens see it, they're the locals. You deal with them fairly, and they'll be fair with you." Mig looked at Radon and Siv, and when he turned his armored gaze towards Siv, the
Karjr nodded in agreement.
"I've never fought a Krayt Dragon," Mig added,
"but if they're anything like Bryn death worms, firepower's a must. I put a full shock into one and it only ticked it off."
"Boys, focus. We're here to kill a dragon, not Tuskens," Mig's sister Vaux interjected.
"You think some starfighter ordinance could bulk those explosives enough?" the woman asked, although from the tone of her voice she seemed pretty certain that it would be able to do the trick.
"Shame Tatooine's underworld is dying out, I reckon we would've been able to get our hands on some lovely bits of ordnance beforehand," Stag said in response with a cold tone as if almost in a challenge as he looked directly at Siv. Siv met that challenge with an unwavering stare, but he did not speak; he didn't wish to get into any quarrels right now. Maybe if Stag wanted to settle this in the Forge after, then they'd do that then.
Seeming to think better of it as well, and getting Siv's unspoken message, Stag dropped the stare and instead turned on a wrist holoprojector, flicking through what appeared to be a manifest of the warrior's cargo hold. He looked up back to the others, that same confident tone still in his voice.
"2 OL-7s with 3 rockets each. Got a batch of detonators as well in there." he listed. "I'd like to be compensated if we use my munitions. I don't like wasting credits," Kes Stag finished as he leaned back in the booth.
Siv knew that Kes was a good fighter -- he'd heard the reports of the mission to Dxun -- but this wasn't some sort of business. They were all going to get paid, and accordingly, they were all going to chip in what they could to take this beast down.
"Then save your credits. Half your munitions won't do a thing against that creature," a Mandalorian armored in a dark set of
Beskar'gam spoke up, in challenge towards Stag.
"No need to raise voices," Siv spoke before things turned ugly, which in a group of Mandalorians could happen very quickly.
"We're all in this as equals. Stag, you contribute and you get your share of the cut, same as everyone else," Siv replied shortly, his arms still folded, giving a slightly longer stare at the other Mandalorian to tell him to drop it. If Stag wanted extra compensation, he could always take it up with the Quartermaster later.
Mig spoke again.
"I'm not sure. Six rockets and some detonators seems a bit slim unless these detonators are more powerful than I'm thinking," the Mandalorian stated thoughtfully, and Siv cocked his head to the side. He'd never seen a Krayt Dragon before either, such less fought one, but he tended to like to err on the side of caution.
The one in bleached-white armor spoke up once more.
"The warriors of Clan Krayt have traditionally studied and fought canyon krayt dragons before." Radon's helmet remained pointed at the map, his head unmoving. Siv noticed that he spoke of the Canyon Krayt, the Greater Krayt's lesser cousin.
"Some of my more... overconfident Clansmen were foolish enough to try and seek out the Greater Krayts on their own." A new tone had crept into Radon's voice. . . what was it? Bitterness? Sadness? Regret?
"Naturally," the warrior continued,
"none returned with the trophies they hoped to obtain... If they returned at all. But what they did obtain, was valuable information. Its scales may be near-impervious, but its belly is not. If we can somehow get the starfighter ordnance to target its belly, I'm certain we can take it down."
Siv nodded. As a member of Clan Krayt, the warrior would likely have a better understanding of exactly what they were up against than the rest of the gathered Mandalorians. But he was not the only one who wasn't done talking. Before he could agree with Krayt, one of the newer faces around the Enclave, Vren Rook, spoke up.
"I agree with Krayt. Target the underbelly with the bulk of our firepower and we're golden."
"Starship grade ordinance is a great idea," a new voice interrupted.
"The only problem is that vibration from starship engines and repulsors tend to frighten a Krayt Dragon into going deep underground, so you can forget an airstrike." Siv turned to see a Mandalorian approaching the group, speaking while handling a massive bottle of what looked to be malted beer.
"And there is one other vulnerability we could exploit in addition to targeting the belly of the beast: the mouth." the warrior continued on as he popped open the bottle and poured himself a frothing glass before sliding the bottle to the center of the table for the others to partake in. It began to be passed around, but Siv politely declined with a wave of his hand when it came around to him, although he appreciated the gesture.
"That thing has a mouth that could easily swallow a small starship. If we manage to somehow get the dragon to swallow a large number of explosives and remotely detonate them, that's the end of the dragon. A couple of proton torpedo warheads would do the trick if we could somehow pull it off. What do you all think?"
Siv considered his proposal.
"What you're suggesting could work," he allowed.
"It would be more difficult though, to get enough bait that it would swallow it without one of us going in it as well. We'll see what is the most optimal when we arrive at the dragon's layer," he decided for the group before turning to Vren, who indicated he wanted to speak.
Vren nodded in Radon's direction.
"As for the Sand People, we'll have to trade with them to keep their good graces. I don't know about you, but to me, it would seem a total waste of ammo to have a shootout with the locals before even setting eyes on the dragon. I'm certain we all have some kind of trinket or other stored in the bellies of our ships. Unless someone else has a genius plan?" The warrior did not wear his helmet, and so Siv was able to watch as his hazel eyes passed over the group as it sought an answer from the rest of the assembled Mandalorians.
"I may have a few things in my hold I can offer to them," Siv suggested.
"A few longrifles, blasters, stuff, and junk I've picked up over the few years. Something might be valuable to them," he said with a shrug. His experiences with the Sand People had been neutral; he'd learned that so long as he left them alone, they would do the same. An unspoken sort of pact of non-aggression, one could call it.
"There is no point in killing someone who is not your enemy. We work with the Tuskens," the same warrior who had spoken against Stag now said in a definitive manner.
"I don't suppose anyone speaks their language?" he asked, looking around the room like Vren had.
Suddenly, Siv was aware of the distant plucks of a string instrument, the distinct tonal notes of a tri-harp. Siv turned partially to see a Mandalorian woman emblazoned with the signet of Clan Vizsla -- someone he knew as Aloy Vizsla -- setting down her instrument and approach the group, her armor clinking with each step. He waited for her to speak, and finally, she did.
"This chip in my head contains a universal translator," she said, giving a rap on her helmet with a gauntleted hand.
"Be it Jawa or Tusken, I hear Mando'a. And, I've spent time among the Tusken before... I know enough to mediate for both groups."
Everyone seemed to be in agreement and content with Aloy being the group mediator, so Siv shrugged in agreement as well.
"So, we have everything worked out then? We can go kill the bastard?" one of them asked with an apparent tone of eagerness, and Siv unfolded his arms, nodding a yes.
Another female warrior spoke up before Siv had the chance to respond.
"Maybe," she said in response to the first.
"And it's good that someone has a translator for the Tuskens, but I can sign too." she added with a nod towards Aloy
"Still doesn't mean that this is going to go over well, even if every one of us has something they deem worthy to trade. It's going to come down to how badly they- the Raiders, want this thing gone. How badly the beast is screwing up their lives."
The woman shrugged a shoulder and shifted forward in her seat to rest her arms against her thighs.
"Once we figure that out for sure, then we'll know whether or not we've got extra trouble to worry about."
"We'll negotiate with the Sand People just enough to get passage for their lands and a more precise pinpoint of where the Krayt Dragon might be, but other than that we'll leave them out of this," Siv said in response to the woman's pessimistic and cautious, but not totally unreasonable assumption.
"The Sand People aren't violent savages. So long as we honor them, they should do the same for us." He looked towards the ones who had been talking of bombs and ordnance.
"It's true that we only got some sparing stuff to use against the dragon, but we'll be able to make do with what we have." He keyed off the holoprojector, picking it back up and stowing it away.
"I hope you've all brought speeders. Otherwise, it's going to be a very long journey."