To Pass Through The Fire: Mandalorian Dominion of Dathomir

[Kaden Farr]

Silas had placed a hand on Kaden, and began to pull him back. [member="Malika Mantis"] may have given orders, and [member="Silas Mantis"] may have been his guardian, but [member="Yasha Mantis"] was always first when it came to Kaden's loyalty. She was was walking off with [member="Ember Rekali"]. The decision to parley with the man surprised him. It was the reason why he hoped Silas would understand why shrugged the man's grip off and went after Yasha.

There was enough commotion around them that Kaden was not going to let Yasha truly be alone with this man. While the others dealt with the woman that came through the gate, Kaden slipped away.

They had gone to the other side of the gate, and while Yasha may have hoped no one was in earshot, Kaden was. He stayed out of site, but he close enough to hear what he needed to if he had to get her out of trouble. She was always getting into trouble and the fourteen, almost fifteen, year old was always there to get her out it. Kaden would always be there to get her out of it. That was his promise.

Ra was gone? How had he come back? There were things Yasha knew that Kaden did not, but he was learning them now. This line of questioning bothered him. Had she intended to go through the gate this whole time? She was not going alone if that's what she was thinking. He'd heard the stories... seen how she reacted in battle because of what she experienced the first time. No, Kaden wouldn't let her go back, but if she was stubborn enough, then he would go with her. His mind was made up... even if he had to hurt someone else to keep his promise to her... he would.

[member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Allana Mazhar"]

 

[Teagan Stoirm]

Location: Dathomir
Objective: Trying
Allies: [member="Koda Fett"]
Equipment: Armor ; blaster pistol ; plasma torch

A sigh of relief escaped Teagan as he heard the commander of this group of his people give two orders that were not "on your knees" and "fire." The two mechanics who could move tried their best to help up the two with broken legs, but their bodies were just not strong enough for it following their near life ending event. Some of the soldiers would have to help them back away from what Teagan could tell was part of the front lines of whatever conflict was going on here. He didn't know exactly. Clan Raxis was not fully in the loop of things, which was pretty much how things always went for the independent clan. All he knew was that things were looking better for now at least and he needed to fall into line.

Moving started off so easy for Teagan with some stiffness in his back and some ache in his legs. He had found a spot with the rest of his vod, but as soon as he stopped things began to stop being so easy. The ache in his legs grew rather quickly and had even begun to spread through the rest of his body. His back was no longer stiff feeling. It was not as hard as stone and burned like molten metal. A soft ringing was in his ears and his head began to swim as his vision hazed. The adrenaline was gone and the effects of crashing were making themselves known. As his legs wobbled all he could do to keep from falling was constantly shift his footing. His condition was noticed immediately and all he could do was say, " I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little shaky still." He hoped they believed him. He kept up his efforts for a bit then found some strength back. Another sigh of relief came from him and he began to look around at what all was happening. " So what is happening? Battle clearly, but who are we fighting and why?" Way to go Teagan, that surely made a great impression. All he could do now was wait for an answer, if he got one, and maybe that would help distract him from the civil war going on between his brain and body.

 

[Silas Mantis]

[member="Ember Rekali"] emerged through the gate, and Silas' heart nearly froze as the wave of energy rolled outwards. He could hear all the dead calling to him, the souls of all those he'd lost. He heard Aditya's voice reading out the letters she wrote him, he heard his mother's cries as she begged him not to go and a thousand other voices all crying out. People he'd lost, people he'd failed. Lost in the despair welling up in him, he let Kaden go after Yasha, partially due to his being stunned, but more so because he trusted the boy more than nearly anyone spare [member="Preliat Mantis"] to protect [member="Yasha Mantis"].

He'd carve up the man in a heartbeat if he so much as suspected foul intent.

Meanwhile he remained alert, an M45 blaster rifle cradled in his arms while his young niece made small talk with a man who seemed to be freshly returned from the dead. Sights such as that made him ponder who else could come through that gate. Would the Liberator rise again to betray her people? Or would some forgotten, ancient enemy crawl back from hell to damn the galaxy as a whole?

The thing was dangerous, if he had his way, and the ability to actually do so, he'd see it destroyed. Killing forcers was hard enough without having to worry about them coming back. Today blood had been spilled, not much, but blood was blood, and the last thing he needed was one of those witches who'd recklessly tried to fight to stay on their home coming back to haunt him.

The guilt from the girl would do that plenty.

Looking to [member="Malika Mantis"] he remained wordless, but even with a helmet on, it was clear something was going on beneath the buy'ce.

[member="Solar Energy Corporation"] | [member="Allana Mazhar"]​

 

[Shia Kryze]

The miracle of dramatic timing and the fortunate proximity of Mist Falls Village to the gate brought Shia's bes'uliik to the scene as the drama below played out.

"Haar'chak." She swore, slowly circling the area once, before landing a sensible distance from the vile object and the drama that surrounded it, was Yasha talking to who she thought Yasha was talking to? Dead people should stay dead. Although, if the Netherworld was all there was, she couldn't blame them. Quite the reverse, in fact. She'd storm the gates of Chaos herself to save every Mandalorian, if that was what it took. If the Manda, or the Force, or whatever, were all lies over a cruel universe. And it made a certain... logical sense for that person to be here, of all times. Maybe he was just a ghost.

Oh yeah Shia, because ghosts being commonplace is so reassuring.

She dismounted, surveying the scene. Nothing immediately called her attention around Yasha, or... whatever was going on with Silas and Malika. She could guess what Preliat was thinking and for once, she suspected they might be of one mind.

Then the knot of struggle around the blonde girl caught her attention and just for a moment, she caught Yasha's eye. They hadn't know each other very long, but Shia had spent enough time with the definitely-no-longer-a-kid-after-this for communication to be swift and unconcious. She gave a tiny nod and without a thought, she strode briskly in that direction of [member="Allana Mazhar"].

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Does the other side lead to the Dathomiri Spirit world? Does it work on people who were... me?” Yasha screwed up her face for a moment, “The spirit plane… does it exist? Is it just like the Netherworld? Another one of those terrible places we get warned about?”

Yasha set down her childlike sense of curiosity with a purse of her lips. He didn’t know Ra? Curious… Even more curious. She tapped on her wrist comp and another holoprojection of Ra Vizsla speaking to Death Watch troops came up. It switched to Ra in combat against Mia Monroe, then Ra sitting on his throne. “He became Mand’alor, then he died… and after Monroe committed the cataclysm on Mandalore, Vizsla came back from the dead. He’s the one that began the crusade against Force Users. I need to know how he came back, and if my Mand’alor was Ra Vizsla, or a puppet being strung up by the Dark Lord. That’s why the Warlock Gate is important, it's why we're on Dathomir, Alor Rekali. The Mandalorians have an enemy to point at and they’re going to keep pulling the trigger. I want to point them at the right target. How can it be done? How can someone come back from the dead?”

Bringing down her arm, Yasha heard Kaden’s boots behind them. She shut her eyes and pressed her fingers on her forehead for a moment.

“… we are going to protect the Gate, Alor Rekali. You and I know what lies on the other side and what could come out of it. None of the other Mandos do. I can’t leave it unprotected in a field. I don’t want the rest of the planet. All I want is the Gate… and the defence grid. Welcome back from the dead. I wish you’d had a happy reason.”

[member="Ember Rekali"]

 

[Ember Rekali]

The Warlock's Gate
Immediate: [member="Yasha Mantis"]
In Earshot: [member="Kaden Mantis"]
Others: [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

He'd heard of the cataclysm on Manda’yaim - the dead had said plenty. To hear that Mia Monroe had been responsible, though...that was new. He'd died saving her, among others. He'd been happy with that sacrifice. As that knowledge churned in his gut, he braced himself to dish out a Netherworld year's worth of coherent speech. Answering her questions, even at a surface level, required it.

“Yes, the other side leads to the spirit plane of Dathomir. It's like and unlike the parts of the Netherworld I know. It might be part of the Netherworld, in the uncharted void somewhere. If so, I haven't found a road yet.

“Does it work on people cut off from the Force? The power of the balance of the universe is bigger than whatever trauma or mind trick or Vong oddness made you this way. I have no doubt you'd be able to get through.

“As for the Netherworld being full of terrible places...well, they are what you make of them. I have a home there. Moridin virtually had an empire.

“I've heard of half a dozen ways to beat death, almost all of them Sith techniques. If your Force-hating Mandalore came back from the dead, odds are the Force did it.” Ember snorted without amusement. “No wonder he makes cozy deals with the Dark Lords.”

He took a seat on a rock that protruded from the long grass.

“Let the witches go, walk away, and you'll have your answers in depth. Assuming you can get your friends to listen.” He smiled without humor. “You know how much they enjoy their work. I came out because I heard your voice running through their heads while they slaughtered entire villages unprovoked, man woman and child. I could smell the napalm all the way from Hell."

Whatever her intentions, many innocents had died today. Murdered unprovoked by men he'd known personally, on the orders of the teenager in front of him. And her family and her associates had hunted his, killed them whenever possible. That was a separate issue, a problem for another day.

“So when you told me - how did you put it? ‘We don’t want to stomp Dathomir. We want to protect the Gate, reactivate our defence grids, and that’s it…’”

He let out a long, shaky breath. Force, he hadn't talked this much in half a decade.

“...you lied. You lied to me and, more importantly, you lied to yourself. But I believe you're sincere at some level. That's why you get this chance.” Part of him wanted to stand up, but he'd never had much patience for people who used physical presence where words could do the job. He stayed sitting, looking up at Yasha. “I want you to pledge your family's honor that your people will leave the witch clans alone, unharmed, and untouched by your cure, and release all captives immediately. Then I'll tell you everything I know about death, and you can get to the bottom of your quest.

“The alternative is not something you want to experience. The first lesson any commander needs to learn is that they’re responsible for everything their people do. Normally I'm not interested in making threats, but Yasha, if you don't take and honor my deal to the letter, I will become a specific, creative, and proportional response to everything that happened today. And you will learn the first lesson in depth. Am I being clear?”

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

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Sector Delta, Dathomir, Quelil Sector, Outer Rim Territories​

​

They held their ground, for now. It was seemingly uncontested for the time-being, but a Bounty Hunter's instincts were rarely wrong and felt that they would return and once they had it would be with force. In the moment of reprieve, the reinforcements had begun clearing the corpses of their fallen brothers; placing them into a metallic pile that would be considered a gold mine to many, or perhaps something even more valuable. Yet now it was just a heap of dead men. Whether the afterlife existed or not, they were dead, and nothing could change that - or so it was thought. Rumors of men walking straight out of hell itself to the land of the living wasn't as uncommon as one may think; though all those tales were never something Fett concerned himself with. It was the now he focused on.

In the time they were offered more suitable defenses had been placed. Gone were the moments of foxholes and logs, now it was advanced weaponry and durable cover that these Nightsisters couldn't dare to penetrate. "Revert to stun." The Mandalorian Colonel had ordered once more, no more Dathomirians would die - the only ones that did were those that proved a threat to the Mandalorians themselves. Ultimately Fett cared not for their lives, for whatever reason the current Mandalorians valued their lives had no impact upon the Bounty Hunter. It was before his time with this group of people. Now he just attempted to complete the ask at hand.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Is that little house still there? The one on the water, with the boat on the dock… I used to curl up in the boat, while Mama… sorry. Don’t know how I can get nostalgic, but… Mandalore was supposed to be paradise, Alor Rekali… not a place with acres of ash covering our unrecoverable dead… try breathing through your nose… it helps cut the cold from reaching your lungs.” He was struggling minutely, Yasha could see it. The Netherworld left no one unaffected, and while she commanded a force which ripped through parts of the planet, the Epicanthix youth was not without mercy.

“Yes, Sir, you are being clear… they’re not my friends, Alor. They’re my subordinates. Ra was training me to eventually take his place, but I have to grow, learn, and earn it.” The girl visibly softened, her shoulders lowering, and her stance shifting to a much more comfortable position. Having a legendary Mandalorian authority figure such as [member="Ember Rekali"] not only lay down his law, but do so in a way where the thirteen year old could learn from it? Although the Epicanthix girl was Force Dead, the relief was a palpable sensation in the air. She glanced over and caught sight of [member="Kaden Mantis"]. Rolling her eyes as an infatuated young teenaged girl only could, Yasha hand signed Kaden over to her side. Being followed by her childhood friend, who happened to be growing into a dreamy teenager, was such a burden.

“I’ll honour the deal on two conditions, Alor Rekali. One, Mandalore gets a presence around the Warlock Gate. We get to protect Dathomiri airspace from invaders. Two, any affiliation, even slight with the Liberator’s last remaining Conspirator [member="Ijaat Mereel"] will be viewed as open war. He is dar’manda. He killed tens upon tens upon tens of thousands of people, including my mother and baby brother. Monroe was honourable in her defeat, Ra taught me she’d been good once, that she got sick and did a terrible thing, then paid for it with her head high, like a warrior ought. He taught me to honour her memory, as much as I wanted her to die for killing us. Mereel ran like a four year old after a nightmare, and if he dares come within a parsec of the Mandalorian Empire or Dathomiri space, we will consider it a direct attack on our people. One move toward Mandalore, one attack or whisper, and [member="Vilaz Munin"] gets the bloodbath he wants. I’ve been holding them back, Alor Rekali. I didn’t hold them back enough and you taught me that. I’ll have to live with it. After what Monroe and Mereel did, we cannot afford to hold back anymore and survive. Too many of us are dead. Agree to this? I will pull everybody back and free every captive. We’ll stick to a small presence at the Gate to defend against a Netherworldly threat. I promise on the honour of the Mantis Family. On my father Preliat, and my deceased mother Aditya… on my brother Eli, who never got the chance to breathe as we do now. Give me this, and I swear I will make the Mandalorians leave the Dathomiri to their witchcraft and sovereignty. Please. I need to have my answers.”

Eyeing Kaden, Yasha gave a soft and timid smile, an attempt however small at comfort.

“Come to Mandalore. See Monroe’s devastation for yourself. We’ve got no harvests, almost all the hunting animals are dead. We’re hungry and wounded and we cannot rebuild until we know we are safe in our own borders. My people are grieving, Alor Rekali, and Monroe did not work alone, but she alone has paid the price of it. We are taught that the Force was the problem, and my people would extinguish it without restraint. Help me see the truth in all this and I will give you what you demand.”

 

[Ember Rekali]

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

"It's an ugly thing to hear a child threaten a planetary bloodbath. But you have a deal." He rubbed his knees and stood up. "Just understand this. The conditions you've set could give you or Munin any kind of pretext to declare full war on Dathomir. If that happens, I will stop you, and I will have no sense of proportion. The Mandalorian Empire will get sick of consequences, and the consequences won't stop until the Empire is broken. Maybe not even then. I don't want to do that to the vode, but if they come for the witch clans again, I absolutely will. You weren't alive the last times I got implacable. The map of the galaxy changed overnight. Don't make me do that again."

Between one heartbeat and the next, he was gone.

 

[Allana Mazhar]

Allana shielded herself with the body of the Mandalorian against a barrage of stun fire. She pushed the body towards Bik and swung her sword through the rifle of Kalo. Her off-hand came out into a palm and she pushed him back, before slashing across his breastplate. While the beskar'gam wasn't pure beskar, it was at least as strong as some of it's more common alloys. The blade cut through only a scant centimeter, barely piercing through the plat and probably not drawing blood underneath. Kalo began to draw a vibroknife from his belt as Allana brought her sword over to Bik, making a couple of quick slashes at his pistols and disabling one of of them.

[member="Shia Kryze"] would see Allana swinging at the two mandalorians with uncommon but not unparalled skill with her blade. As Allana was pre-occupied with the two mandalorians and still not used to being without the Force Shia would have at least a single shot to line up without Allana knowing it, if Shia was that sort of combatant. If she was more of a brawler Allana would probably have taken at least one of the Mando's down, perhaps two.

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia was distracted for a moment by the disappearing ghost with the threatening expression on her face.

The look of long suffering irritation was not one often seen on her features, but she could tell that this was going to be a long, long year with a lot of bodies piled up high before it was over. One way or another. And of course he'd make threats - and she knew threatening body language, then vanish while problems were still pouring out of the gate. Definitely one of those years.

Her gaze came back to [member="Allana Mazhar"], she didn't know who the girl was, but the fight was getting serious and what they did not need now was more dead or wounded. She drew down without really even thinking, the blaster flicking to stun as she lined up the shot.

"Hit the deck." She commanded the two combatants over the comm, then fired a single precise shot.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“The only way for us to bring war is for Mereel to cause it directly. If he shows up here, give him up or send him off? No guff.” The situation’s oddity was neither lost on the girl, nor was it a novelty. She shrugged and looked toward [member="Ember Rekali"]’s knees.

“People didn’t like me fighting in the Civil War, either, but it happened. I was never meant to spend my childhood in the Blood Plains, or lose my Mama and fight in a war. You say actions have consequences, Alor Rekali.” A flash in the ether of the Force. An attachment from the Netherworld to the girl, and out into the greater Mandalorian spaces.

“The actions of the past created me as a consequence… I don’t want to be your enemy. I just want to know how Ra came back from the dea—” Yasha stuttered a gasp as Ember disappeared.

“Alor Rek- Em- Rekali?” She searched around, looking out at the foggy plains around her and [member="Kaden Mantis"]. “Rekali!? Rekali! You haven’t told me how he came back to life, yet! Rekali!! I have to know!!”

Searching further around, Yasha knew the Witch Elder was gone. “Kaden, he’s gone! Where… where’d he go!? He didn’t tell me all I needed, he said he would… he said he would…”

Yasha’s face fell as she looked at the Gate.

Ember Rekali knew several methods of how someone would come back from the dead, and all of them Dark arts. All of them… the Force. Staring at the Gate, Yasha put her buy’ce back on and let the HUD wash back to life.

“Kaden, I have to go. I have to find the answer, and Ember Rekali had it. I have to find him… take care of Daddy for me… Ambrose! Tell our troops we have our victory and to come back to the Gate. We will get no more resistance from Dathomir. We won.”

Ambrose Vizsla shook his helmeted head. “You should tell them yourself, Katlaydr. Leave the Gate, don’t go through it is a trick. A ploy. Don’t go through.”

Shutting her eyes, Yasha heaved and opened a channel to all Mandalorians on the planet. “Katlaydr to Mando’ade. Resistance is finished, Dathomir is ours. All troops return to the Warlock Gate for integration and disembarkation. Release the captives. Release them all… we got what we wanted. Katlaydr out.”

She clicked off the comm and let out a shaking breath. “Ambrose, I’m leaving the release of the Witches to you, make sure Vivi doesn’t go rancor on them? [member="Shia Kryze"] is dependable, she's perfect for overseeing the installation of our forces at the Gate. And… make sure my Daddy doesn’t go nuts… I’ll be back before you miss me.”

The girl, who clawed her way out of the Netherworld stared at the Warlock Gate, and resigned herself to her fate. One last look to Shia, to her father, Aunt and Uncle, and Yasha Mantis reached out, touched the portal to the Netherworld, and disappeared.

The Warlock Gate's sigils seized with blue energy, a screaming groan fluctuating out of it.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat's blue eyes locked onto the gate. Something familiar came over him. Something evil, something he had repressed and had been repressing for a long time. Fear. Fear of losing his daughter. The hell child walked forward. [member="Malika Mantis"] was holding him back still. His body tensed up. The force moved darkly around him, before he finally was freed from his sister's grip.

He moved fast. Faster than a normal man should've, or could've. He didn't make it in time. He only was stopped, and subdued by several other Mandalorians. He was screaming, an awful, vicious sound. It was not the sound any normal person could, or should've made. It was something else, something darker taking hold of Preliat. It was fear, it was rage, it was everything he had suppressed.

It took over seven men to restrain Preliat, only barely.

[member="Yasha Mantis"] l [member="Silas Mantis"] l [member="Malika Mantis"] l [member="Ember Rekali"] l [member="Shia Kryze"] l​

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia's head had shifted off-target as soon as she heard the shout from [member="Yasha Mantis"].

From there, she foresaw everything - or thought she did - the actions, the rage, the reactions. For a moment, the world stopped for her to analyse. One person shouldn't be so important, but... Ra had picked her, so she was.

Shia didn't know how to be envious of that. All she knew was that she'd made two promises - one to Baiko when drunk and one to Yasha in an old graveyard atop a mountain.

You barely even know the kid, a sensible voice might have said.

But Shia Kryze... didn't have many sensible voices when it came to risking herself. She was up and moving even as Yasha was fixing her buy'ce back into place. She couldn't make it there in time to stop her friend, not in any variation of the future, but she could make it there in time to fufil half her promises.

She grabbed an ancient relic wrapped in cloth strapped to the side of bes'uliik, she'd refused to use or draw it this day, but where she was going she'd need it. Fear clawed at her throat and her limbs, slowing them down, begging her to turn in any direction but her course of action. But a Mandalorian follows through on their course of action to protect their family - and she'd called this girl a vode.

She caught Kaden out of the corner of her eye. He'd be moving too soon enough and he was a lot, lot closer. Everyone else - her included - was so far back. He'd reach her in time, but everyone else... what was it Yasha had said? Everyone was alone in Sinner's Rue. If she didn't time this right...

Yasha vanished. The runes started to flicker with a baleful blue glow Shia would have nightmares about for the rest of her life.

Preliat is going to explode. Baiko... is it cowardice to do this, to avoid the consequences?

She didn't really know. But she had sworn an oath - she clung to that with determination.

The people who might have stopped her were too busy holding everyone else back - something she should have been doing, she knew.

She triggered her jetpack, that was the only way to get the timing now and even then she knew she was going to be... too... late.

It is very appropriate that Shia's entry into hell was feet first, jetpack blazing.

It was also very appropriate that you might subtitle the entire episode with 'shame about the timing'.

Yasha Mantis l Silas Mantis l Malika Mantis l Ember Rekali l [member="Preliat Mantis"] l​

 

[Silas Mantis]

As his brother charged, so did he, though sans the eerie blue eyes. "KADEN!" He roared out, an explicit don't you dare directed at his boy as he rushed after his niece and inevitably the boy as well. He knew he was going to follow her, he fething knew he would. But he was stopped, just barely.

Men crashed onto him, and in turn he flung them off until a Togorian tackled him from the side. Even as he was knocked to the dusty surface he tried to drag himself towards the gate. That damn child, as ferocious as she was, did not need to go back to the hell she'd been born in. The gate still called to him, whispers of the damned reaching his ears and driving him to drag himself forward another foot before being restrained.

He would not lose any more family.

And Kaden had better not touch the gate.

[member="Preliat Mantis"] | [member="Malika Mantis"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Kaden Mantis"]​

 

[Teagan Stoirm]

Location: Dathomir being taken to the med area
Objective: Dealing with it
Allies: [member="Koda Fett"] [member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Shia Kryze"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Kaden Mantis"]
Equipment: Armor ; Pistol ; plasma torch

No one was paying much attention to Teagan and no one seemed to care to answer his question. Well that was fine. He could just sort it out on his own he guessed. Sure his legs were still feeling shaky, really shaky. His legs were feeling like he was standing on top of a washing machine shaky. How was he still standing? Oh, he wasn't. His legs had given out on him sometime while he was lost in thought and he was now on laying on the ground. On his back. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. He tried to move to get up but between his fresh pasta legs and beskar hard back that wasn't happening. Great. Just great.

After hitting the ground, it seemed the others were forced to notice Teagan. Some tried to help him up, but it wasn't going well due to the lost war his brain had with his body. Some medics finally showed up and got him onto a stretcher. He frowned below his helmet as this happened. Sure he coudln't move but he wasn't that bad. I mean he could still shoot at someone... if they were close... and he could shoot well.... Okay he really couldn't do anything but surely someone else needed attention more right now. Right?

Teagan got loaded up onto a speeder and was being taken somewhere. He didn't know. Granted he didn't know much other than that he was on Dathomir and something was going on involving his people. After a minute he asked, " Where are you taking me?" The medic that was examining him said, " Warlock Gate." What was that? It sounded like something you wouldn't want to be around at all or at least he wouldn't. " Warlock Gate? What is that? Why are we going there?" " Medical area is based near it... How did you do this much damage to your legs and back? It's like you jumped out of a crashing ship or something." He blushed a bit under his helmet. " I kind of did." "Oh.... Try not to move to much then. Will get you some treatment soon vod."

 

[Kaden Farr]

Kaden came out of hiding when Yasha motioned for him to join her. Everyone who knew him knew he would never leave Yasha alone to danger. There had been times when they had split up for various reasons, but if Kaden was near, he would always protect her. It seemed there was a reasonable and peaceful agreement to the situation. This was way more involved than his verd’goten had been. Nothing less would be fitting for a future Mand’alor.

Talk of bloodshed made the boy smile. This was the Yasha she knew. The Rekali may have thought it was a difficult thing to hear coming from a child, and Kaden was tired of telling people they were not children, but Ember had not lived what they had the past several years. In fact, he had not lived at all.

The next moment he was gone.

”No,” Kaden answered when she told him to stay and watch after [member="Preliat Mantis"]. ”It’s not going to do any good arguing either. You know that of you walk through that gate, I’m going through with you. I made you a promise, and I’m keeping it.”

Kaden would always protect her. It was as simple as that. He promised to watch her back, and Yasha promised to watch his. If she was going into the Netherworld then she would need someone to watch her back.

Yasha walked toward the gate after talking with Ambrose. Kaden stayed out of that conversation. He looked over to Silas. [member="Silas Mantis"] has given the boy a home, but Kaden had to go. The man knew what Kaden was going to do too. He started to run, but was held back. Kaden kept his buy’ce on and spoke to Silas over the comms.

<<< “You know I have to... I’ll be back before you know it, besides... what if my birth parents are there? I could... I can tell them they don’t have to worry about me... I’m coming back... I promise.”

Kaden took Yasha’s other hand as she touched the portal. His hand went on the stone as well. They would vanish from sight together. The lush woods of Dathomir faded from view, and soon the wastes of the Netherworld were all Kaden could see.

On Dathomir the gate still glowed. The runes color began to dim. If anyone was going to follow them through they were running out of time. Once the color was gone the portal would be closed.

[member="Teagan Stoirm"] [member="Shia Kryze"] [member="Allana Mazhar"] [member="Ember Rekali"] [member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

It happened slowly in Malika's eyes, Yasha's shout as Ember vanished, her plea for answers, the settle of her gaze upon the gate. "No." the word was little louder than a sigh of air, she felt her grip on her brother ease, felt the whole world tilt as Yasha vanished with Kaden in tow. How was it possible? How was it possible for her to fail twice?

Preliat's scream awoke something within her, a pain she had been locking up. A terrible agony that spread through her. Her form changed, shifted to the white wolf and she let out a long mournful howl. Black eyes swivelled towards the men holding Preliat back. Some heads swivelled her way as she pounced with and angry snarl. They would let him go, they would let him go or they would die.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Chaos reigned as the youngest Mantis vanished before the eyes of those present at the Warlock Gate. Ambrose Vizsla began barking orders, sending teams to undergo Katlaydr’s final orders.

“We have our orders! Buck up! Step right! Recall the troops! Release the Witches! Put out the call, let the witches know… let them…” Ambrose’s voice died as he watched and heard the screams and howls coming from [member="Preliat Mantis"], [member="Malika Mantis"] and [member="Silas Mantis"]. [member="Shia Kryze"] could not be stopped in time to follow the teenaged girl and her friend through the Gate.

“Sir?” One of the Death Watch soldiers cleared his throat, as a solemnity took the Mandalorians around the Warlock Gate. No one remained unaffected by Preliat Mantis’ scream for his child.

No one would forget a father screaming for his last remaining child, as she disappeared into the Netherworld. It became part of the aura of the Gate, a constant thread which would forever remain.

The Warlock Gate’s sigils faded. ​

Silence, but for screams. ​

​

The Little Wolf was no more. ​

Bootsteps punctuated the fog, as the sigils upon the Warlock Gate shone a pale and horrifying blue. The being who walked from the Gate was no thirteen year old girl fumbling in her Verd’goten. She was a warrior spat out by the Netherworld which did not want her, a vicious, reaching, cunning survivor.

The Hell Wolf had taken her place.​

Yasha Mantis stood with her helmet clipped to what remained of her belt, she’d grown to a respectable Epicanthix height of 6’2”, her black hair braided down her back. The young Epicanthix woman squinted in the light of Dathomir’s muggy day, and stepped toward her grieving father, without a moment’s pause.

“Daddy… Daddy it’s your Yasha, I’m here.” Yasha pulled off her crushgaunts, letting them land on the grass. She put steady hands on her father’s cheeks. The Mandalorians, who were still holding him back were being torn from him by Auntie [member="Malika Mantis"]. “I heard you in the dark. You were the compass point I needed to find my way. My Daddy… I love you, Daddy.”

Kneeling before her father, the now nearly 20 year old girl wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his unscarred cheek. “I know what happened, Daddy. It worked.”

Standing as tall as her now grown frame allowed, Yasha cleared her throat and put on her functioning buy’ce. “Ambrose, continue your mission. Free the Witches. Call our troops here. We have work to do on Mandalore.”

Long live the era of the wolves.​

​

[member="Silas Mantis"] [member="Shia Kryze"] [member="Kaden Mantis"] [member="Koda Fett"] [member="Vilaz Munin"] ​

 

[Solar Energy Corporation]

He burst from the undergrowth and into the clearing. In time to see the shade of Ember Rekali vanish, but not in time to hear his words. He drew to a stunned a halt, breath coming hard and hot inside his helmet, then his gaze fell on the armor of the gathered vod. Armor painted with blood.

A snarle left his lips and he resumed his charge, a green lightsaber snapped to life in his right hand, while the other wielded an axe. They looked to be fighting amongst themselves, like a pack of ravenous wolves. It mattered not to Kade. He’d kill them all.

Barreling across the ground, he came straight for the one with blood still fresh on his armor. [member="Silas Mantis"].

He hurled his axe at the Mando’s face, not caring if the beskar would stop the bite.