The Lollipop Guild

[Petra Cavataio]

Petra looked over the datapad in hand. It had the information of the rancor herds among the clans. She was looking at a special pattern in the numbers. A flow of ups and downs with in the data about heights had the pattern hidden in there. The runts were the targets. They normal needed the most help and did not make it when pairing with a witch or jai. They became workers in the herds.

The vision of using them would help weed out the lesser genes in the clan herds and help her company. So she was forming a letter to give each clan to see if she could get their runts. That was the easy part. The wild herds still needed to be cleansed, and more she thought about it. There could be answer to ending the wild herds. Having her company take them in, it was a crazy idea, but it would assist in her project.

The business witch sent message to two people she thought could assist her.

@[member="Lauda Cavataio"] @[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Lauda Cavataio]

The Witch stood in front of a house. It looked different. Old. Ruined. She still hadn't gone in. As the memories had began to slowly fall into place, she remembered this house and all it stood for. There were a few memories that she already knew belonged here. But she couldn't go in yet, just staring at the outside, her mind recalling how the house had come about. He had made it. Made everything. He was crafty like that.

Inhaling a very deep breath, she felt a moment of courage enter her system and she took the first step towards it, only for the small device to go off within her pocket. She exhaled quickly then. A large part of her was grateful for that as she stopped into her tracks and reached into the pocket, picking up the device Ma'dri had given her. It contained a message. She looked up more time after reading it and gave a weak smile. "Not yet, Blade," she whispered and turned around, walking away from the scene.

Lauda needed some time reaching her destination on foot. Several times she thought of calling Pervicax to her aid and each time, she had to remember that she couldn't call to him. That had broken her heart when she first realized how much time had passed, that she would never see her best friend again. And while she had accepted that for the most part, her mind would always return to him in certain situations. Such as this, when he was always at her side. But never again...

When she finally arrived to her mother's side, her eyes darted over to the Witch. "Ma'dri," she greeted her quickly and nodded her head towards her.

@[member="Petra Cavataio"]

 

[Petra Cavataio]

Lauda’s arrival had given a little pause to Petra. It was one thing for Petra to adjust to lose of family and close friends like her rancors. That was easy because of how long she had lived which gave witness to those that passed on. She never took in account of her daughter just shrugging it off. There was a need to address that; however, the moment was not then.

Petra had other plans which at the moment viewed more important. Her kid was important, but same time she would be around later. The wild rancors were wandering and the herds could shift directions at any time. She wanted to handle it right then and not wait for scouts to find them again. Sooner was always better than later.

So she told Lauda, “We have clans giving us the runts of the herds. What I think we need to do is round up the wild herds and bring them back. We’ll use the runts for selling to off-worlders and the others for another idea I have. Can you handle such a plan?”

@[member="Lauda Cavataio"] @[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Lauda Cavataio]

Clans were giving them their runts. Lauda was with her so far. What Ma'dri wanted was to round up wild herds and bring them back. The hadn't done it in a long time. Lauda remembered the last one, bull rancors were last due to their behavior and refusal to listen to reason.

Ma'dri wanted to sell the runts to off-worlders. She looked at her then, somewhat confused. Could she handle such a plan? "Why sell them?" She asked. Lauda needed to understand before she could handle such a plan.

@[member="Petra Cavataio"] @[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Petra Cavataio]

“It is simple dear… we want to improve life on the planet. The cost is high and many would pay for rancors. It would strengthen our herds and opens the door to better, healthier, long living rancors for witches and jai. I know you love all rancors but this is the similar business that I had Nox in the past.” Petra told her daughter. Even if her daughter was against Petra’s plans, Petra was still going to do it. The overall goal was great and more important.

@[member="Lauda Cavataio"]

 

[Lauda Cavataio]

To improve life on the planet. To strengthen their hurds and have better, healthier, long living rancors. Lauda could understand as much. Lauda nodded. "I understand. Yes, I do love them and yes, I'd prefer them all to stay... but, from what I understand, in the long run, it'll be better for them as well," she voiced out her understanding.

It was how she saw it, and it was the only way she could see it in order to accept it.

@[member="Petra Cavataio"]

 

[Petra Cavataio]

Petra stood up still holding the datapad. She gave it a glance before looking at Lauda again. “We’ll need to convince wild herds that coming here is good. I don’t think it will that difficult since I suspect our old herd are in those herds now.” She did believe that. The old Morte herd had to go somewhere and the wild groups were nearby. They would see soon what history was passed down among the rancors.

@[member="Lauda Cavataio"]

 

[Darth Metus]

What began as a simple homecoming for a Mandalorian to his people quickly spiraled into his diving, headfirst, into the assisting of the Dathomirian people. Being that they were now a loyal and integral part of the Mandalorian Empire, Isley Verd decided to dedicate as much time as humanly possible to assisting them in whatever goals they had; and by @[member="Petra Cavataio"]'s own words...plans were big. As such, he had received a message from the aforementioned Mother Superior that contained the intention of rounding up Rancor runts for sale off-world. While the Mandalorian was ignorant as to why runts were specifically selected, he was not the sort to ask questions about such things. Instead, he was simply there to help out as best he could.

Arriving only a few seconds after the words of the Mother Superior entered the air, the Mandalorian removed his helmet and set it under the crook of his arm. He then inclined his head in greeting to the two women, saying. "Greetings Mother Superior. Hello Miss. How can I be of service?"

@[member="Lauda Cavataio"].

 

[Lauda Cavataio]

They'd have to convince the wild herds that coming here was good. Lauda smiled just a little bit. Her dear friend was one of the wild ones. And Ma'dri was right, the Morte herd would have probably blended into them once their family wasn't here. "Then we shall do that," Lauda said. This was the part of the plan she was looking forward to.

Lauda felt it wasn't just the two of them and turned her head, seeing a man as he was adjusting his helmet to his side and addressing Ma'dri first and her second. The Witch glanced at Ma'dri then, without so much as speaking a word to him, waiting to hear from who this was and why was he there.

@[member="Petra Cavataio"] @[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Petra Cavataio]

[member="Isley Verd"] [member="Lauda Cavataio"]

Again, it was lovely to have a daughter that was brought back and not resisting the instructions to what Petra wanted done. Petra’s view and opinion about her Lauda was reasons for moments into the future her line would be returning compare to others. Also with the long slumber that was taken by Petra, she knew her projects would care on when she had to step back and refocus the alchemy and focus she done to herself to hide the sins of the dark side of the force and the cruel mistress known as natural aging.

Now to her guest, truth of the matter her guest was less than a guest since their meeting beforehand. Petra walked to the man and placed a hand on his shoulder while moved behind him to face Lauda. Then she addressed her daughter, “Lauda… this is Isley of the Verd Clan among the Mandalorians and newly adopted son of mine. Isley, Lauda is my right hand and second daughter of Dathomir.”

For Petra, Lauda was not her second daughter in the line; however the second of Dathomir was a reference to being her second daughter born on Dathomir during the era of Cavataio on Dathomir. She had several children before settling back home on Dathomir. They were always called Children of the Sith while Lauda her siblings around her age were called Children of Dathomir.

 

[Darth Metus]

Although the Mandalorian had spent the whole of his lifetime in militant service, he found it vastly difficult to maintain bearing in that moment. His adoption...being claimed into a family...was something that both honored him and struck him with sentimentality. Isley was proud to be the son of the Mother Superior, such was evidenced by the smile which erupted upon his face upon being introduced. However, he quickly "checked" himself and returned to full bearing; wiping the grin off of his face and standing tall.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lauda." he began, before turning his head so that he might see his mother. "I received your message, Ma'dri, about rounding up runt Rancors for sale? How may I be of assistance?" Like a good son...like a good soldier...Isley didn't ask questions. Any order that was given would always be obeyed to the letter.

[member="Petra Cavataio"], [member="Lauda Cavataio"]

 

[Lauda Cavataio]

Silently, Lauda watched as Ma'dri approached the male and placed her hand on his shoulder, making a quiet remark in her actions. But the real meaning of it, she could not quiet understand. Not before she heard it was Isley of the Mandalorian Verd Clan whom she had adopted.

Lauda blinked a few times in the news, brushing over the introduction Ma'dri had given for her. It was not something she had heard before and she knew the meaning of it. But it was really the new of her having a new sibling that was still sinking in.

It didn't take long though. Lauda straightened her spine after a few moments, fully taking in this new brother she had. It was not the first adoption of the family, of course, but each news took some time to process, naturally. Isley greeted her and the Witch smiled softly. "It's nice to meet you as well, brother." But once those pleasantries had ended, his attention turned to Ma'dri.

 

[Petra Cavataio]

[member="Isley Verd"] and [member="Lauda Cavataio"]

“Oh yes… yes. We have a lot projects to do, kids.” Petra started right off. A little correction to what she had in mind at that very moment. “The runts that will be sold and breeding out impurities from the herds will happen as we set up those procedures over the next few months.”

The information to the next thing that was going to happen was on the desk. Petra moved to the desk and picked her datapad up. Scrolling through data, she was pulling up three rancors from the Clan’s herd. They were destine to be the first in a reborn race of rancors. Turning the pad over for the two to see, three rancors were nicely displayed on the screen. “These lovelies will be first in the return of rancor dragons… they will alter to become the new ranors of the Witches. They will be for us and the herds can become more like citizens of their world with the weak, unworthy ones sold off world. All of this to better the Dathomirian species.”

 

[Darth Metus]

Breeding procedures.

That was the sort of thing that Isley's mentor, Rave Merrill, would have excelled in designing. However, as his expertise focused more on the artifacts side of things, the Mandalorian...briefly...doubted his ability to contribute. However, this wavering seed of doubt was buried deep and not a word of it was uttered. He had a brain. He had power. He could figure the other side of the alchemical coin just fine. Silence ruled him as the Mother Superior spoke...and excitement soon found its way into his stomach when he heard her rather daring plan.

A return of the Rancor Dragons? Now this would be an exceptional sight to see. Of course, this raised questions that Isley required the answers to; all related to process and procedure. "I like the sound of where this is going." he began, leaning forward so that he might see the specimens clearly. "Will we be altering these in any way? Or will they be pure bred?"

[member="Petra Cavataio"], [member="Lauda Cavataio"]

 

[Petra Cavataio]

[member="Isley Verd"]

Questions did come like what expected but another matter had to be dealt with. Petra took the moment to tell her daughter to start on the PR of breeding and sorting of rancors on Dathomir. This would increase the rancors chances of being more active citizens on Dathomir. Also removing the wilderness herds to better favor the goals Petra had for the species. Those tasks could happen in the background as the rebirth of rancor-dragons began.

Petra went back to focusing on Isley and his questions. “We will alter them … There are key things I want done and once the product is to my liking. Then we’ll mix their whole being with water of life and Dathomir to create a potion for us to make many rancor-dragons easier through Dathomirian magick.” The idea was to make easier on the witches to have their allies/ friends (rancors) in the air. They could gather a coven of crafters and transform the rancors with spirit ichor. However, that could be slow and exhausting to the witches. This path allowed the witches to trigger the potion and have that transform the rancor under less supervision of a large group.