To Pass Through The Fire: Mandalorian Dominion of Dathomir

[Allana Mazhar]

Location: Warlock Gate(nearby rock/pillar)
Interacting with: [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Kaden Mantis"](Nearby I think)
Post: 2

A ironed and yet girlish form came into Allana's view, and she put her hand on her sword's hilt yet did not draw it. The girl took off her helmet and showed a face as young as her own. She ordered another, armored in similar style as she and then came towards her, stopping a fair enough distance away. Too far for Allana or the Mandalorian to swing at one another, but close enough to talk.

She spoke of the Netherworld with familiarity, noting many of it's landmarks. Asking how she'd come through. Allana eased her hand away from her blade as the young woman stated her name, before coaching on her on how to breath. Allana began to inhale with her nose, and then let out a long breath with her mouth. The odor was strong, the scent of the plains, the forest, the nearby unbathed witches and their rancors. Most concerning though was the scent of heat. Hot plasma thrown about by the Mandalorians with their blasterfire.


"I'm Allana." Odaira had told her to be cautious of those not native to the Nether, for their natures were not as predictable without the environment. A man could serve you tea steeped with poison he'd say, but Allana reasoned her name would mean nothing to anyone to on this side of the veil, save her parents.

"The Garden of Thorns was my home for a time. The Sinner's Rue was a terrible place, but one learns to trade one hell for another for a cost." She said, attempting to be helpful yet not reveal too much. The young woman hadn't raised a blaster or sword, but she was not above suspicion. No one was, at least not yet.

"Why do you fight them?" She asked, noting the warzone around her. She'd fought before, on the Field of Blades, but the Netherworld compelled it. Demanded it. There was no such power here. "Have you been wronged?" She asked. Elsewhere Silas spoke to a clanmate in a tongue she didn't understand. Her main gaze stayed on Yasha, but her peripherals focused on the man and who she assumed he spoke to, eyes darting every few moments.

 

[Asantas]

Location: The surface heading to one of the slave camps.
Post: 1
Nearby: No one yet

Her objective was simple and straight to the point and it was to free some slaves from the camp fortunately this wasn't the most fertile land so agriculture wasn't much to preserve if she had to get explosive but for now she wanted to try and get in as quickly and quietly as possible, if she did it right the camp would be empty of slaves before the nightsisters notice. She set her visor to nightvision mode so she could see the camp, She scanned the camp with her rifle that she had the silencer attached this time to help her snipe quietly as she caught the eye of the slave pen holding a small handful of slaves, It didn't look like this camp had a rancor pen which was great for her as fighting nightsisters alone are annoying without there rancors helping her. She saw several gaurds around the camp on patrols and guarding the pens and entrance into the camp with there bows and lances and other weapons of interest, She heard about how dangerous and deadly the nightsister weapons are these are a few weapons she wouldn't mind having herself perhaps she can take a few off her kills here for she didn't want to just free the slaves in general, But she wanted to clear out the camp entirely of nightsister presence before she went to a sniping spot she made sure her Yasalamiri frame was secure and armored the good thing about these frames is that there magic wont be of any use with her harness intact which only leaves there training and weapons agains't her walking armory.

 

[Teagan Stoirm]

Location: Not where he expected to be
Allies: [member="Koda Fett"] ; Mandalorians hopefully
Post: 1
Equipment: Rogue Armor; WESTAR 35; plasma torch

Merc work always started off with so much promise yet it always just went south so fast for Teagan every time. This time around was no different. He got hired on as an extra hand for a transport job. It was suppose to be just a simple go from point A to point B with some crates filled with some supplies for building some facility somewhere. He couldn't remember. His job was just to be a set of Mandalorian armor standing around looking intimidating (as if he could), deal with slicing attempts, and mostly to help keep the ship in fixed up. The ship needed a lot of fixing up. He just went about repairing whatever he saw in need of repair and it was all going so smoothly... then pirates attacked.

The pirate attack was a surprise but the captain just got a clear shot to go into hyperspace. The issue came when a random shot hit the ship just right and damaged their hyperdrive as they entered hyperspace. Great! Yet again Teagan was going to have to repair a hyperdrive mid jump. That was bad enough but it just got worse. While he was working on the hyperdrive, which was not wise or safe in any way, other systems within the ship began to overheat and explode. The entire ship began to go into critical condition. Sparks flew out at his helmet, oil spilled all over him, and the heat would have gone from uncomfortable to deadly if not for the silicar of his armor protecting him from most of it. He sighed as he worked thinking over how all of this was going on. Why did his flights always seem to go this way?

Teagan's work on the hyperdrive was nearly done as cries of pain echoed in from far off hallways. He was thinking of what to work on next when a message from the captain of the ship rang out from every speaker:

All hands not working on critical systems work on putting out the fires. Our oxygen supplies are depleting fast and we have no idea currently where we will come out of hyperspace... if we can even leave it....

Well Teagan was going to see to it that they could leave hyperspace, but did the captain just suggest they didn't even have a destination in mind? Also it seemed he was going to have to deal with limited oxygen and fires once he was done. This job was just getting better and better! He frowned as he re-focused on his work with the hyperdrive. He could only fix one problem at a time after all. Thankfully it didn't take him long to finish up and a second announcement came over the speakers of the ship as he pulled himself back out into the hallways:

Hyperdrive controls are back. We can leave hyperspace now. In light of this all hands brace yourself. We are going to have to make a landing wherever we come out at.

Emergency landing? Finally a bit of good news. Teagan looked around the hallway and saw too many signs of major problems. Too many for him to fix quickly and all of them needed to be addressed if they expected to keep flying. He tried to walk towards the front of the ship where the cockpit and crew quarters was located at, but there was flames and sparks and steam everywhere. Explosions taunted him too by going whenever he tried to head down a seemingly safe hallway. He couldn't make it. He couldn't make it so he changed destinations and went to the cargo hold in the back. It was probably safer there... or at least he hoped it was.

The cargo hold wasn't much better than the hallways as it had the same issue of flames and steam and sparks, but at least it was open enough with some cover to be bearable. Three others had the same idea as him it seems. They were all mechanics with only plasma torches on them and basic space helmets on in case the oxygen ran out. His kind of people and just like a herd of herbivores they naturally clustered together near the cargo bay door. He was about to say something when the speakers buzzed alive again.

We are out of hyperspace and it seems we are at... Dathomir? Could be worse.... Wait, are those Mandalorian ships? Why are they here?

Captain we can't slow down fast enough. The engines aren't responding right. We are going to crash!

What?! Try something then to slow us down! Just move I'll do it....

The speakers grew silent and the heated air grew thick. Teagan could see the dread that creeped up on the mechanics' faces. It was made all the worse as the ship began to rock wildly as it entered the atmosphere of the planet. He needed to do something. He needed to go fix the engines.... No, he didn't have time to make it to them let alone fix them. Maybe he could get on a panel and make the thrusters reverse.... No, they would have tried that already. What could he do though? As he looked around the answer came to him: jetpacks. There was some emergency jetpacks on a wall that had somehow survived the issues. He pointed to them as he yelled to the mechanics, " Put one on and get ready to jump!"

Teagan stumbled over to the jetpacks and got one on as the others just looked at him in shock. It took a moment but one of them finally moved towards the packs and then the rest followed quickly. As they fumbled with their packs, he moved to the door and opened it up. Air rushed towards him or perhaps it rushed out. He wasn't in a position to notice or care right now. His entire focus was on looking towards the ground. He needed to judge their distance properly or else it wouldn't end well for him or these people he was trying to save. Too high and their packs wouldn't have the fuel to slow them down enough but too low and they would hit the ground too hard still. He saw what looked like a battlefield below with the tiny figures that he hoped was friendly people. It was all confusing given Dathomir's nature though so he might be wrong about it all. Eventually it looked good enough and he said before jumping out the doorway, " Jump!"

There was no waiting or hesitation. Teagan just leapt out and began to free fall towards the planet's surface. He looked around to see if he was followed. Just like a line of ducklings it seemed the mechanics followed him out. He sighed in some relief seeing that then activated his jet pack. The sudden burst jerked his body and felt like he was being hit by an explosion of air. His body slowed down some so he let off and let himself fall again. Burst after burst he continued to work on slowing his decent down towards the ground. He looked for the ship but it had sped past him long ago. Like a giant, metallic bullet it raced towards the planet. As he came close to the ground he got one final burst out of the jet pack then the fuel was spent. He dropped and hit the soil like a bag of potatoes. His legs buckled under him and his helmet hit. The breath was knocked out of him but he was otherwise okay. The mechanics though were not all so lucky though as two of them cried out as bones broke on impact. Teagan began to push himself up when the ship hit the ground and shook everything violently. His hands fell out from under him and yet again he hit his head. An explosion soon followed from the ship and debris went soaring far away in all directions.

It took a minute but Teagan was able to finally get himself up to look around. In the direction of the ship there was nothing but twisted metal, towering flames, and dust falling like a thick curtain all around. In the opposite direction was armored individuals. Wait, those were Mandalorians. What were they doing here? Oh right, the battlefield scene he saw. He looked back in the direction of the ship and was sure whoever they were fighting was either dead like the ship's remaining crew or trying to figure out what just happened. He got to his feet shakily as his back screamed and threatened to give out. Once up he turned to the Mandalorians and said in a hoarse voice, " Don't shoot vod! Teagan Stoirm of clan Raxis. These people are mechanics not threats." He got quiet for a moment not sure what else to say then added, " Anything need fixing?"

 

[Kaden Farr]

Yasha was correct, Baiko would be shocked to hear Kaden had been grateful for her perspective. It wasn't something he was going to admit to Baiko right now, but he did ponder telling her she was right. Whatever he was thinking was quickly shoved aside to focus on teh glare he was getting from [member="Preliat Mantis"]. Yes, Kaden had called Yasha his in front of her father, but with all the moving around they had done Kaden was still holding tight to the pledge they had made to each other when he took Yasha home just after the Civil War. Her injuries had been severe.

That's when Kaden noticed Preliat did not seem like himself. His eyes were focused on the gate. Kaden looked to Yasha.

She was already moving for him, trying to tackle him and keep the man from moving for the gate. It called to him. Kaden moved to help, but the man fell to his knees. This was something only Yasha could do, convince her father to look away, but even that seemed hopeless.

There was something from the gate. Kaden looked to see if anyone touched it. Everything was happening so fast that he had no idea what to say. The older Kaden grew the more silent of a warrior he became. This was likely Baiko's influence as well.

"I didn't see... I'm sorry Yash... Yasha."

Kaden suddenly stopped himself from using the affectionate with her. Not because he no longer wished to, but because there were too many. He was learning prudence, and since Yasha was leading, Kaden wanted to show her the respect a leader deserved.

His eyes remained on Preliat while Yasha attended to the girl which came from the gate. His blaster stood at the ready to do whatever he had to do in order to keep Preliat from going through and protect [member="Yasha Mantis"].

Without changing his view he answered [member="Silas Mantis"]. ”I don’t know, but she came through the gate,” he answered in Silas’ native tongue. He’d been paying attention to Baiko, and the fact it made it easier to talk to Yasha was a bonus.

[member="Allana Mazhar"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Warlock Gate
Nearby: [member="Silas Mantis"] | [member="Kaden Mantis"] | [member="Preliat Mantis"] | [member="Allana Mazhar"]

“Don’t let him walk.” Yasha pointed at her father, clicking on her communicator to give [member="Malika Mantis"] a distress signal. [member="Preliat Mantis"] wasn’t well.

“Did you ever find Sanctuary? That old house, the one with the boat and the dock… I liked that place.” Yasha stared deep at the girl, seeing a stroke of kinship in her eyes.

“You really were in the Netherworld. Just like me.” Yasha’s posture shifted, and she looked over to her Uncle [member="Silas Mantis"]. He looked half as stricken as her father by the despair which wept into the place.

“Don’t let the despair drain you, Ba’vodu… it’ll own you if you let it.” Yasha spoke in Epicant to her Uncle [member="Silas Mantis"]. Blood upon blood. It was easier shed on the Field of Blades than here. When Allana asked why they fought on Dathomir, the young Mandalorian stiffened, then sighed.

“Bad, crazy Force Masters kaboomed a planet full of people just doing their thing. The survivors needed protection, so we’re putting defences around the Warlock Gate and in strategic places to make sure nothing insane, crazy or utterly stupid and gonzo with the Force comes through to kill us all in what’s left of our sleep… we’re reactivating our planetary defences, which already exist here, because we’re all Mandos… you should go. I can get you to Mandalore, and you can figure things out away from the… Rancors and… Darkie Nightsisters and… yes. We were wronged. Most of the planet is calm, most of the Dathomiri are being left alone. It’s just the ones who’re fighting us… I can get you free passage where you need to go. We’ve got food and water in the camp… which I’m guessing you won’t be used to. Took seven months for me to stomach food… Keep your hand off you sword and you won’t get hurt. Promise.” Yasha whistled a low tone, and three Mandalorians came beside her.

“Te’a, Kalo and Bik will take you to the shuttles. You can figure things out there… make sure she gets somewhere safe, Bik.” Yasha nodded to the side, and the three Mandos lowered their rifles, Bik clasping hers to her mag-net on her back and keeping her hands visible as she nodded Allana along.

"How does it feel, Katlaydr... not being special anymore? You're not the only hellspawn anymore." Te'a's voice littered the area with smarm. Yasha looked at Allana's face, and sighed. "They will never understand. Their minds are too small to understand what it's like on the other side of that Gate. Be well, Allana... rid your mind of this place."

Yasha waited, staring at the Gate. The runes glowed in reds and golds, whispering of loss and despair. It was the sound of her childhood rustling through her ears, and the Hell Child of Mandalore would listen, if she could.

"Sectors. Report." Yasha grunted to [member="Vilaz Munin"], [member="Koda Fett"], [member="Strider Garon"] and [member="Shia Kryze"].

 

[Strider Garon]

"Sectors. Report." Yasha's young voice contradicted the commanding tone that was grunted through the comms. Strider's eyes were locked into the dead gaze of a dathomirian child. Her lifeless petite frame laid motionless at the mandalorian's feet while Yasha's words echoed through his ears. He just stood there, froze in thought........ dark thoughts. This girl looked every part innocent sides from the vicious looking blade that her tiny hand still gripped. Just a child, he looked up from the girl and scanned the carnage his commandos had brought to this village. The violence was absolute, none had survived the warriors' wrath. The old to the young were all killed merciless because they were deemed a threat and most likely to resist. Targeted and neutralized in the pitch of night by the mandalorian commandos that emerged from the shadows and rained silent hell upon all those in that village.

The first casualty of war is innocence

Yasha was a child but far from innocent. Strider himself had witness the little wolf tear into her enemies with the skill and talents of an assassin. With out hesitation, mercy or a single moral thought to hold her back from a death stroke. She had been robbed of her innocence long ago even for mandalorian standards. Now here she was, leading a battle group and conquering a planet. Was her that gave the old man the orders to lay waste to this targeted dathomirian villiage. Was her that let loose the dogs of war. And it will be her that will have to live with these ghosts that will invade her dreams, her thoughts and daily activities down the road. An aspect of war that nobody ever talks about, there was no training in how to deal with it. Strider himself tried to conquer them by reaching the bottom of the bottle or quenching his other lustful vices. Yet those just only quieted the ghosts, just never for long.

Was a shame that Yasha was the way she was. The mandalorians needed young blood in leadership. The old guard was getting old and fading into history. Someone had to be groomed and hold the torch. The Galaxy was a cruel verse, only the strong and ruthless would survive no matter the cost and the mandalorians were willing to play to the bone. Many more like her will come to replace men like Strider, Prelait and the others. Mandalore will survive because of it, but at a cost.

The old man looked back down at the dead child, the two holes in her chest was his doing. Just another ghost.......

"Target Alpha One Neutralized" The grizzled voice of his resonated through the comms reporting back to Yasha. "No survivors, slaves freed"

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

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Sector Delta, Dathomir, Quelil Sector, Outer Rim Territories
Interacting With: [member="Yasha Mantis"], [member="Teagan Stoirm"]​

​

The reinforcements had joined in among their ranks during the briefest moment of reprieve they were offered whilst the Dathomirian Nightsisters regathered their own strength, no doubt ready to push on themselves. It was during this moment that defenses were fortified, morale was boosted and they learned to live yet another day. The corpses were cleared, and did they make one hell of a pile - a scavengers dream come true, if one were to come across it. Fett glared outwards into the fog, staring and waiting, those under his command looked at him with a curious eye. The Bounty Hunter was accomplished in his ways, both on and off the field of combat but the lack of words that came from him was concerning to say the least.

It was during the silence a roar echoed above them, all of those within Sector Delta peered upwards to see a flaming wreck pierce through the smog and crash into the ground below, shaking it whilst even halting the enemy further. It was an odd piece of luck, if you could call it that. This ship had landed upon the Nightsisters position, eliminating a fair portion of their numbers whilst preventing more from coming for the time-being. The mechanic that was on board, Teagan Stoirm, introduced himself heartily - almost in jest. Fett pointed at one of the Mandalorian Warriors under his command before speaking, "Take them back." Referring to the other surviving crew members. "You. Fall in." He further continued as his visor stared into Stoirm's.

Then came Mantis' voice over the communicator. How he loathed being under the command of a child, it was quite frankly embarrassing. The resentment wasn't present in the words soon to come, he was a professional after all. "Delta. Heavy resistance, halted for now."

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

The white wolf's feet pounded the earth, her jaws stained red from the hunt. But the hunt became low priority when the distress signal reached her. She crashed through the undergrowth heart in her throat. What could possibly have gone wrong for Yasha to need her so desperately? Had the Warlock Gate defeated her? Had she gone through? The trees thinned, a clearing opening before her.



The wolf shifted and took to the sky, the beat of her wings kicking up leaf litter, wind stirring the trees as she climber high and soared towards the gate. This had been Preliat's moment with Yasha, a chance for him to stand by her while she completed her verd'gotten so she had taken to the hunt, given in to her most primal of instincts and forgotten, for just a few hours, all that weighted upon her.

She dipped in the sky as the Gate drew near, landing away from it and shifting to her human form as she moved forward. "Shukalar." they murmured, moving out of her way. "Where is Yasha?" she snapped at the nearest mandalorian. He pointed towards the gate, here she could see Yasha speaking to a girl who Malika didn't know, but that wasn't the problem. She saw the problem clear as day on his knees before the gate. Dangerously close.

She moved wordlessly past Silas, past Kaden and seized the back of Preliat's collar and made to haul him back. "Not today, little brother." the epicant words were sharp. "Today is bigger than you." She heard the whispers well enough, knew their desperate cry, but age gave her an edge. There was nothing for her through that gate. Nothing but pain and misery. "Silas, Kaden." she barked. "Back, both of you."

[member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Kaden Mantis"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Allana Mazhar"]

 

[Silas Mantis]

He was wordless as he placed a hand on [member="Kaden Mantis"] and pulled the boy back as best he could. [member="Malika Mantis"] had given her orders, and he would not disobey, not unless his son or [member="Preliat Mantis"] made some sort of move. The world stunk of death now, and imprinted on his consciousness was the image of the screaming girl, and how quickly she had been silenced. Pressing a bacta patch to his side the Mandalorian mended his new wound as best he could, and tried to block the images from his mind.

But how could he? The blood still painted his armor red. He cast a glance to Ambrose and [member="Yasha Mantis"] without a sound, he wondered if they would have done the same. He wondered if it was more awful that he knew the answer was yes in the case of his niece. He had seen her that night in Keldabe, let her show him what rage she possessed. He had thought she would be timid at first.

He had been wrong.

Now he stood at the gates of hell, and he could swear it was calling him, but he would not answer.

 

[Ember Rekali]

[member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Malika Mantis"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Kaden Mantis"] [member="Allana Mazhar"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]​

​

THE WARLOCK'S GATE​

Now he stood at the gates of hell, and he could swear it was calling him, but he would not answer.

Silas was entirely correct.

The runes pulsed acid green. Faint streamers of color rushed from them, swirled together, and became an old man. Those who'd been around in days of auld lang syne might have seen that face in connection with a suit of armor, half Mandalorian and half Dathomiri - a witch whose clan had followed the resol'nare. He'd been named second only to Mand'alor, with a title never used before or since. Now that armor was gone, and the chest full of medals, and all the pretension and formalism and complacency and tradition. Now the clan had been driven off to its secret refuges. They could afford to wait for better days. Others - on Dathomir, on Mandalore - couldn't.

The Warlock drew his first breath in years. It tasted like smoke.

"You'll regret today."

 

[Solar Energy Corporation]

Humid jungle air threatened to drown him as he ripped off his helmet and tossed it aside. The bodies lay scattered on the floor like leaves after a violent wind. Kade fell to his knees in the midst of them.

No sound came to Kol-Rekali’s ears. Not the chirp of birds, nor the mountain’s long sigh to breathe upon his face. He heard only the gurgling rasp of the dying Brave whose head he cradled in his lap. Helpless fingers brushed cheeks stained with blood and dirt.

“Kade-“

“Shh, Wakin. Your fight is over. Rest with the ancestors.”

Wakin’s hand grasped Kade’s forearm hard. “Shardrock... protect my wife... protect... our people.”

“I will.”

The hand went limp and fell away.

Kade did not try to stop the hot tears that stung his eyes from spilling down his face. He ground his teeth, grief and fury bubbling within him like a volcano, then he flung back his head and let out a wordless scream.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Warlock Gate
Allies: Mando'ade
Whoops: [member="Ember Rekali"]
Objective: Karking stay alive long enough to find the answer.

The stone, which once bore her to the world of the living glowed green. Yasha’s head tilted. She threw on her buy’ce and stepped back.

“Mando’ade! Form up!” Yasha barked, as the green gave way to [member="Ember Rekali"] and his first, smoky breath. The image was one which would linger in Yasha’s mind for eternity, a being of anger, the Warlock of the Gate. Once more her life clung to the Gate, as it had when she was a child on the other side, as it would in her later years. She would have known nothing of the man who emerged from the Gate if Ra hadn’t insured she learned Mandalore’s history, both recent and and ancient. When the plans for the dominion of Dathomir came to the table, the Rekali’s were the strongest names bandied around to Katlaydr and the Cuir Rekr.

Ember Rekali. The mightiest of a mighty clan.

“HOLD POSITION!” Yasha held up her fist Death Watch soldiers formed up in strategic positions around the Gate, reinforcements coming from the troop carriers with Ysalamiri Nutrient Frames on their backs.

So it was possible for a ghost from the other side to pass through the Gate… was this how [member="Ra Vizsla"] came back to life, or did some dark alchemy yank him from his place of rest? It had been Yasha’s personal mission to decipher how Mand’alor the Undying had conquered death. Was this it? Did Rekali have the answer?

Under her buy’ce, the Hell Child grinned. It had been the mission since the first breath of Dathomir was spoken in the Sundari Palace Halls to challenge the Gate itself, to protect the Mando’ade, and the Galaxy from whatever came out of it…

Forever more.

It was equally important to protect the Gate itself. One day, perhaps many days, the Warlock Gate would be a necessary piece of power for the Galaxy to access.

“The Mando’ade have much to regret, Warlock. We regret the devastation of our planet. We regret the influence of a power so catastrophic it alone is worse than the nuclear explosion which nearly claimed us all. We regret having to take arms against our brothers and sisters to reactivate our defences. You want to stop this? Mandalore needs answers only those from the Netherworld can provide. Parlay with me and I will call a ceasefire. I am Katlaydr of the Cuir Rekr… and this is my Verd’goten.” The teenaged child stood as tall as her slim frame allowed, which, wasn’t that tall. She was a null point in the Force, a being who crawled from the stone by her own merit. It was a child’s merit, yet there it was nonetheless.

During an auction years before, an idiot let off an attack, hurting the pregnant [member="Aditya Mantis"]. It was barely an incident, nothing particular to remember... but Aditya remembered who settled the baby in her womb. Aditya remembered Ember Rekali setting things right.

That child stood before Ember Rekali today, and like her mother and her story, remembered. "You are not my enemy... but I will not let my people be wounded by another force of nature who claims to know what's best."

 

[Ember Rekali]

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

Ember snugged his coat a little tighter. The world of the living had its charms, but a cold wind wasn't among them. The Field of Blades, where he'd chosen to spend the last half decade, tended towards the hellaciously warm. He shielded his eyes against the sun and looked out over the assembled Death Watch warriors and equipment, a small army designed - at a guess - to keep beings like him from coming through the Warlock's Gate. The ysalamiri frames were old friends; he'd trained under their influence, even fought duels stripped of the Force. Killing them wouldn't be hard, if it came to that.

He focused on the girl who commanded them. Force-dead, clearly, like others he'd known: he couldn't sense a whiff of emotion or presence from her, but that shouldn't have a bearing on her fitness to command. So either she'd distinguished herself young and often enough to gain this kind of respect...or she was related to someone important. Well, no, it wouldn't be a dichotomy; Mandalorians wouldn't have any patience for that. He glanced over her priceless beskar armor, the kind a wealthy family might provide its scion, who could use those kinds of advantages to gain prominence. Standard procedure in some families. As a father, a grandfather, and an extremely wealthy man by the time he died, Ember had never been fond of the idea.

But then again, the kid in the iron suit could be the best commander since sliced bread. Stranger things had happened.

In reply to her offer, he nodded once.

 

[Shia Kryze]

Location: Mist Falls Village
Post: 4

Another battle, another place.

Lightsaber clashed on lightsaber and a woman grunted as Shia's opponent proved that guns may be for a pro, but fists and feet when empowered with extra kinetic force do just fine as a substitute.

The duel was not exactly the bounding, leaping clash of arms of legend - but the fast moving blade on blade contact was more than enough for the onlookers, every breath held as the champions of the clans met in mortal struggle.

Shia wrested the upper hand with a nasty and exceptionally cheap blaster shot to the leg of her opponent, who replied by turning the air around Shia to fire and then plunging her into mud, her lightsaber blade scoring double the number of wounds on Shia even through her beskar'gam as she struggled out of the morass.

Her opponent followed up with a lightning fast flurry that was met by a solid counterstrike, then a headbutt and an effortless looking sweep that batted her saber aside and scored a blow across her chest. She spun away, then leapt back into the conflict with cat-like speed, the two blades meeting and locking as champion stared at champion from across a tiny distance.

Both women would claim they didn't want to do this - and as far as it went, both would rather be at home with loved ones, or so they'd claim. But in truth, both lived for this test - a defining moment in a series of defining moments, met person to person on the field of battle.

After all, both had strongly argued claims to be Mandalorian, did they not?

Truth is simply a matter of perspective.

 

[Allana Mazhar]

Location: Warlock Gate
Nearby: [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Kaden Mantis"] [member="Ember Rekali"] [member="Malika Mantis"]
Objective: Find my way

The young woman's words were sweet, as they were before. She found commonality between her life and Allana's, speaking of places in the Netherworld, prompting the slightest curl of her lips. And then she spoke of the troubles of this plane. A planet had been 'kaboomed', prompting them to put up defenses around the Warlock Gate, the place she had just exited. The 'darkie witches' seemed to be the foe of Yasha's people, though Allana had no idea what a rancor was. Still, [member="Yasha Mantis"] offered her safe passage, a trip to "Mandalore". There were three armored soldiers she ordered over, and offered to have them escort Allana out. She didn't prompt Allana for her sword either, only told her not to use it.

What more could Allana ask for from a stranger? Perhaps she should have been more suspicious, but the girl's youth gave Allana confidence.

"Thank you." Allana said, and headed off with Te'a, Kalo and Bik. She hadn't gotten three meters away when an acid green hue began to light behind her. Allana turned to see another form exiting the Netherworld.

"We mustn't stop." Bik said in a gruff, yet concerned voice, yet Allana needed to see who was coming. [member="Ember Rekali"] came forth, mouthing the prelude to an assault. Though Allana had no idea the history behind that man in the living world, she had seen him before. The Field of Blades was his home, where he relentlessly fought the darker spirits of the Netherworld. Allana herself had spent a year there, as a sort of pilgrimage to understand combat, and the lengths men would go for conquest. She remembered one time he found her, bloodied and tired after a battle. He could have killed her, but he only looked at her a moment, and then walked past. Yet the emotion present in Yasha's voice was one Allana hadn't heard before. It was concern, perhaps even fear.

Allana fell to the ground as a Death Watch soldier went past her, and the effects of the Ysalamiri Field were upon her. She had never been disconnected from the Force like that before. It was painful, in a way that felt like the cold of being buried alive when you'd spent your life in the sun. Allana screamed in pain.

"Ma'am, we have to go now." He said, before trying to pull her up by her arm, but Allana's own arm flew out in impulse, pushing the man a scant distance away. The Force was gone. To a girl who'd never lived outside of the Netherworld life itself was in essence, gone. Allana, with her meager experience, considered it an attack and drew her blade. It stabbed between the chest and stomach plate of Te'a's beskar'gam, and Allana turned the body to shield herself from the blasterfire that followed from her companions. [member="Yasha Mantis"] and [member="Ember Rekali"] might not have been able to see exactly what was going on, but without a doubt they'd hear the blasterfire from Bik and Kalo.

 

[Tusk]

KA CHOOM

KA CH-CHOOM

His Keldabe cannon blasted away as he screamed a war cry, dangling from a vine, dozens of the nightsister slaves reached out to him, ready to tear him apart like the rest of his squad.

And then the planet became still.

A wave washed over the Force and the slaves scattered and the vines dropped him. He landed with a squish, the few survivng Mandalorians of his squad groaned and looked around, confused. A chill ran down his spine as Ember walked from the gate miles away from them.

"Something...smells wrong."

 

[Preliat Mantis]

The world was still, and death lingered. Death sometimes came loud, but always left quietly. There was always a stillness to the air when death was present, when life was taken. That stillness hung in the air now, as Preliat watched as [member="Ember Rekali"] emerged from the gate. He turned to his daughter, letting her work. As much as he wanted to have them move out, he let his daughter command them- he'd critique her military tactics later.

Now, he turned back to the gate. He felt a hand on his back, then a hand grasping his collar. He turned and stared [member="Malika Mantis"] in the face, before turning back to the gate. Worn hands reached up to his helmet, and let the heavy beskar'kandar buy'ce fall to the ground.

He stared Ember right in the face, his blue eyes staring daggers at the man for a long while, before he blinked. Amber-colored irises turned to his daughter, before he turned back to the gate.

"I guarantee you're going to wish you stayed on the other side."

It wasn't a threat. Preliat had never threatened anyone. He was simply making a statement of fact. Ember probably wasn't going to like the state of his people. Or at least- the people that he once could be a part of. He would now be exiled and stripped of title and name.

[member="Silas Mantis"] l [member="Yasha Mantis"] l [member="Shia Kryze"] l @Everyone else I guess fk it​

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Warlock Gate
Allies: Mando'ade [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Kaden Mantis"] [member="Shia Kryze"] [member="Vilaz Munin"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Malika Mantis"] [member="Tusk"] @Mando McMando Mands
Dear Manda Don't Be An Enemy: [member="Ember Rekali"] [member="Allana Mazhar"]

“Stun her! Katlaydr’s orders, non-lethal force!” One of the Death Watch rushed in as [member="Allana Mazhar"] stabbed. Yasha was out of view or earshot of what was happening to Allana. As far as Yasha knew, the girl was being taken somewhere safe. Te’a, Kalo and Bik couldn’t screw that part up, could they?

“Daddy! You’re not helping." The girl unclasped her helmet. She nodded to her Aunt [member="Malika Mantis"]. Malika and [member="Silas Mantis"] would make sure her father didn’t create a gargantuan mess. [member="Kaden Mantis"] would have her back, as always… what was wrong with her father’s colour changing eyes?

“It is you. For a sec I thought I’d gotten my study picture wrong.” Yasha let out an exhale. How awkward would it have been if this wasn’t Ember Rekali?

“Hold your positions. Stand down all units. Defensive postures only. Sector Delta, [member="Koda Fett"], I’m sending relief to your position. Pull out and regroup.” Yasha’s voice reigned through all the comms. She held her wrist up, and a holoprojection appeared, flicking through the sections of Dathomir entire clans and villages left in peace. Yes, in the midst of that, there was chaos in other areas, death in some, yet the chaos was much more contained than outsiders previously thought. Mere pockets in the whole.

“Most of the planet is calm. A few volunteered, a lot more took our offer of leaving on peaceful terms, they’re on ships wherever they want to go, with their possessions intact. We’re not here to be butchers, Alor Rekali… as much as we react like a bunch of hammers after an already sunken nail. The resistance is less than I expected, but more than I like, and I’m sorry. As much as possible, my Mandos are using Non-Lethal force.” The gold (coloured) and black ‘gam she wore was not pristine, but already scarred from battle damage. The beskads on her thigh were worn instruments. She stood like a fighter, legs apart, diagonal to her quarry. Her eyes were much older than they should have been at her age.

“I’m Yasha Mantis, Ward of [member="Ra Vizsla"], Mand’alor the Undying… walk with me, please. Preferably some place private.” She stared a dagger back at her father, pursed her lips and moved closer, but not within arm’s reach, of the fabled Elder Rekali.

“Mandalore’s a disaster zone. Thousands are dead, and our resources are nearly shot. Mand’alor the Undying banned the use of the Force, saying it was what poisoned the mind of his Katlaydr, who caused it. All Force Users in the Mandalorian Empire are to be cured of their affliction, or banished, to prevent another disaster… you might’ve known that, I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to trust you, but…” Yasha walked to the other side of the Gate, giving a hand signal for the troops around the Gate to move back. “You helped my Mama once, when I was in her belly. Captain Larraq gave her a limo for her trouble and she was always proud of it… good stories were rare in the Blood Plains, and Mama did her best to teach me not everyone in the galaxy is a massive douche nozzle… Ra came back to life, Alor Rekali. I didn’t think anything of it, how could I? Just a kid, but he took me with him to a diplomatic talk with the Sith Empire and… it doesn’t feel right… I need to know how Ra came back to life… I was hoping to investigate. Start in the Field of Blades, work my way through the Blood Plains looking, but you green-misted in and… we don’t want to stomp Dathomir. You’re our siblings, thing’s got messed up. We want to protect the Gate, reactivate our pre-existing defence grids, and that’s it… but Ra has everyone on a crusade to cure the Force and I’m only one girl… but if I can figure this out? As un-Mando as it sounds, if there’s a way to get the answers without being covered in more blood? It’s the duty of a commander to do so. Can you help me? How is it possible for someone to come back from the Dead? Can it be done without the Force? I can’t fix something unless I know how it broke.”

An offer freely given, from a child of war. Yasha kept not out of sight, but out of ear shot… no one but Ember could hear what she said.

 

[Shia Kryze]

Location: Mist Falls Village
Post: 5

The balance of sabers gave, Shia lunged into the turn, then brought the blade to a snapping halt half way through the killing blow as her radio crackled with Yasha's voice, the volume loud enough to stifle even the outraged protest of her opponent.

They stared at each other for long moments, then Shia deactivated the lightsaber.

"Stand down." She announced over the comms, but loud enough for those nearby to hear. "This... operation is over. Defensive postures only."

One of the younger sisters spat at her, before cooler heads prevailed. Her opponent looked her over. "This isn't over. You can't just..."

"... we can do whatever Mandalore the Undying tells us, if you were ever one even part Mandalorian you understand that." Shia snapped angrily. "And no, it isn't over. We'll pull back to half a kilometer and we can find out what the frak is happening - here and on Mandalore, when I know more. You have my word you'll be given another chance to leave peacefully."

She tapped her comm to contact [member="Yasha Mantis"]. "Alor. Mist River is disengaged and stable. I'm on my way to you." It hadn't be ordered, but it wasn't a question. She barked a call into the air and bes'uliik lumbered out of one of the ships holds, where it and others had been held in reserve. She climbed on it's back, then rocketed into the sky in the direction of the thankfully relatively nearby Warlock Gate.

 

[Ember Rekali]

The Warlock's Gate
[member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Allana Mazhar"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Silas Mantis"]

The ysalamiri fields, though they didn't reach Ember, covered the struggle handily. He shelved a couple of ways to interfere. That fight had started before he arrived, and he had more serious issues to cover. He watched the projector screens, eyes tightening. Some of those Mandalorians had served with or under him, Garon for one. Some of those villages had been his friends. The Death Watch had prompted his arrival by coming here, sure - but all that death, all those... prayers...had played just as strong a role.

At her request, he walked along with her to the other side of the gate. Presumably she wanted privacy; he doubted she understood how the monolith's other side could be used. She wanted to talk and he listened.

”One question first. Who exactly is Ra? No Sith curse his name on the Field of Blades, not that I ever heard.”