First Reply Together, Tomorrow

[Sig Dryggo]

Together, Tomorrow
Tag: Open
Location: Concord Dawn
~~~
The galaxy had never been at peace, not truly anyways. No matter when or where, or over what or who, the galaxy is in an endless cycle of conflict and wars. The how's and why's, the who's or the when's, none of that was confusing to Sig Dryggo. No, in fact there was something else that puzzled him far beyond the endless wars; something that he could feel down to his very bones. As the bounty hunter walked through the streets of the bustling city, the Mandalorian warrior could feel his blood boiling as a single question linger in his mind, the same question that had lingered there for many years now.

Why?

Although his face was concealed by his helmet, he scanned and eyed every individual he brushed by. Each one of them was the same in his eyes and each one only contributed to the fire within him. The so-called 'Mandalorian Protectors' may have claim over this world, but in Sig's eyes nobody here, most especially those who fought alongside and with these 'protectors,' were true Mandaorians. The once great civilization, built upon honor and combat prowess, was long gone and mostly forgotten. His clan, Bakker, was also gone, lost to history like the old ways. Sig, however, didn't forget. It didn't matter what it took or how long it took him to achieve it, Sig Dryggo was dedicated to restoring Mandalorian glory across the galaxy, no matter what the cost.

That journey would begin here. He wasn't sure if he'd meet anyone of similar mind or any kind of potential ally, though that wouldn't stop him from attempting to do just that. The galaxy was filled with Mandalorians displaced or exiled from their clans, likely to turn up on a Mandalorian-friendly world. Or perhaps he'd encounter one of the few clans whose goals did align with his own. Regardless of who he'd meet, friend or foe, he was ready for anything that would come his way.

​

 

[Zandra Ruus]

Her first solo official mission as a protector, excitement was in the air. Though it was merely a small peacekeeping action, to Zandra it meant more. She was finally getting to be a hero! Her job was simple, to bring to justice a smuggler selling tainted spice on Concord Dawn. Not exactly the most glamourous world to be sent on a mission, but far and away from the worst either. Agriworlds were a strange place to her, too much sky and undeveloped land, she would much prefer a world of concrete and glass to this. No surprise then that she stuck to the biggest city on this little world.

Perhaps then, it was by the hands of fate that the young girl was brought here of all places. For in the hustle and bustle of people milling about their daily lives, Zandra saw a lone figure standing out from the crowd. His 6'2'' frame was clad in a hellish red armor that even the foundling could pick out as Mandalorian beskar. Now that was a relief, a fellow Mando to lend a hand!

Without any hesitation, Zandra made haste towards the man, and what an impression it must have made to see her walking up so casually, acting as if she'd met a long lost friend. The poor girl didn't know the deeper politics of the Mandalorians, she had no idea she was potentially insulting the man by almost skipping towards him like a beskar clad Barbie, her own armor covered in gaudy paintings and decals. Certainly not the way true Mandalorians might treat their sacred suits.

"Feth me! I didn't expect any other Mandos on this run! I know this is a protected world, but everyone else is on a big mission right now!" She began, her tone as jovial as her mouth was foul. She gestured as she spoke, waving her hands around to show how excited she was. "What are you doing on this dirtball anyway? It's a pretty chitty planet right? Just a bunch of farmers and the place always smells like nerf dung! I can't believe anyone comes here willingly!"

After that she stopped to catch her breath, the energetic teen placing her hands on her hips. "So what's your name?"

She had no idea what she was getting into...

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Many people parted as the warrior walked their way. Sig was like a rock tossed into a river, the current rushing around it. It wouldn't surprise him, then, when a young woman, only a few years younger than himself it seemed, had suddenly appeared before him, stopping the hunter dead in his tracks. His emotionless helmet glared down at her - he stood nearly an entire foot taller than the woman - and for a moment didn't say anything. Her willingness and foolhearted bravery were immediately apparent: after all, not many individuals in the galaxy would just walk up and strike up a conversation with a Mandalorian in full armor.

The man just glared at her, his own eyes as unblinking as the helmet he wore. After a beat he finally spoke, "Clan?" He spoke in a mild tone, his voice further distorted by the helmet. Though clearly calm, his voice was clearly dominate and demonstrated knowledge beyond his years. Sig had spent many years after the destruction of his own clan to try and find others. Not just other Mandalorians, but those who shared the same ideology as his own forgotten family. The Old Ways were forgotten and lost to time, at least that was the conclusions Sig had come to recently.

Indeed his very faith was shaken to its core as he found more and more Mandalorians that turned from the ways of their ancestors. The culture of Mandalore was lost and warped into a twisted image of its former self. Sig wasn't going to roll over and let it continue. Eyeing the young woman, he eagerly awaited an answer, hoping that her, or her clan, were among similar minds.
​

Zandra Ruus

 

[Zandra Ruus]

Sig's unwavering glare was quite intimidating to say the least, causing the hotheaded teen to stop her excited yammering. She hadn't felt a stare like this in a long time. It reminded her of some of the enforcers back home. It wasn't just that the Mandalorian was looking at her, those eyes were looking through her.

"Clan Ruus," Zandra said proudly, defiantly even. "Why? You got some kinda issue?"

Clan Ruus was a small clan, even Zandra barely knew anything about it. So much about being Mandalorian was alien to her, This guy though, he came off as a dyed in the wool sort of Mando. Her clan was so different than many of the others. She could only imagine what this guy would think of them. She couldn't imagine such a cold sort of guy sitting around a cookfire with the others and singing old war chants.

Should she give him the whole run around of what their clan was about? Should she say anything at all? It was hard to say, seemed she was a bit stuck. If he'd heard anything about them he'd heard that Clan Ruus was a newer clan, one which focused on protecting the downtrodden. They were closely linked to not only the Protectors, but to the Galactic Alliance as well.

"I'd ask what clan you're from Big Red, but I figure it wouldn't make much of a difference. I've only been a Mando for a little while. Uncle Drego didn't really tell me much about the other clans out there."

People gathered around them with fear and hesitation in their whispers. Was there about to be a battle between Mandalorians? Such a fight could turn the whole street into a pyrotechnics display. Most were hoping that they wouldn't be disintegrated. As the sun hung high in the sky both of their beskars started to shine like polished stones. It was like a scene from an old holofilm, two unwavering parties itching for one to make their next move.

Would it be more talk, or was one of them going to start shooting? No one knew for sure, but one thing was clear. No one wanted to get in-between the two of them. The bustling street was starting to turn into an empty square. Tension filled the air, and a hush fell over all. Zandra shifted her gaze to the few people gathered around to watch. The hell were they looking at, had she really stepped in it that bad? Whatever the case, she'd reach down one hand to hover near the blade on her right hip. If there was a quarrel, she'd need to be ready.

What the foundling didn't know was that she would be dead if Sig really wanted her so.

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig stood for another moment, allowing the young woman to fully explain herself and her place in her clan. She was a Foundling, like himself at one point. Though he was unfamiliar with Clan Ruus, Foundlings were common across of Mandalorian culture, so despite not knowing her clan he recognized their familiar bond.

He noticed a small group beginning to form around them. Relaxing his stance he glared at them through his t-visor. “Go back to your business,” he demanded in a calm but commanding tone. The crowd quickly dispersed with whispers among them. He turned his gaze back to the young woman. “What’re you doing here,” he asked casually, never breaking his straightened stance or flinching for a moment. No he was solid as stone still staring down at the young Mandalorian, awaiting an answer.

It was true he only had so many encounters with the other clans. Most of the time it ended with him leaving with a sense of disappointment. He was aware that in order to rebuild they’d need to untie under one banner. For now it meant expanding his network of Mandalorian contacts, building friendships with those who have also grown dissatisfied with the state of their culture. If this young woman was here for a mission, perhaps helping her would sway her to his cause. Or, at the very least, he’d spread his own message through her.
​

Zandra Ruus

 

[Zandra Ruus]

Even the most curious onlookers made hasty retreats as the larger of the two Mandalorians spoke. Whatever was going on between the two, it could stay there, so far as the people were concerned. Now it was pretty much just the two of them, which brought little comfort to Zandra. It was hard not to be intimidated by his steely gaze. Even with her nerves on the frayed side, she kept her back straight, she couldn't back down now. This mysterious man obviously had something going on in his steel covered skull, and it most likely wasn't good.

"Looking for a smuggler, nasty kind of guy too. Said on the puck that he likes to deal in spice. From what the Protectors can figure, quite a few people have gotten sick of the stuff. Don't know why some one would taint their own spice, but it's gotta stop."

It wasn't like she was going to question orders either, not on her first run. It was strange that this red-clad man didn't know anything about her mission. Was he not a Protector? Maybe he was just here by coincidence.. Not something she was going to try and ask this guy. Getting answers from him would be like trying to tap a dry well.

"So what is it with you Red? You my backup or something? I already told everyone everyone back home I don't need to be babysat. I've been on enough solo patrols to know my way around!" Zandra was aiming to prove her mettle on this mission, even if it meant putting herself in danger. She had no idea of the changes coming for the Mandalorians, or her place in those changing tides.

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig slowly began pacing around her, examining her as she revealed her mission. As the word 'protector' left her lips, Sig stopped and let out a small chuckle. He let her finish her rant, which Sig also found rather amusing. As she finished with the demand that she could do the mission all on her lonesome, Sig let out a larger laugh.

Large enough that a few of the passing civilians jumped from the sudden burst. The two may not have that large of an age gap, but Sig couldn't help but feel the younger warrior wasn't quite as versed as he was. He didn't want to assume or look down on her, in fact he didn't believe any one Mandalorian was weaker than the other. It was just a matter of applying that knowledge of warfare and strategy that counts. The laugh on his part was more for the sprunk the young woman showed, a type of energy one would expect from one adventuring out on their first solo outing.

"I wasn't your backup," he stated before walking forward, motioning with a head nod for her to follow. "Call me Sig," he added, "Where's the smuggler?"​

Zandra Ruus

 

[Zandra Ruus]

Something about the formerly stoic and stone-faced Mandalorian laughing made Zandra jump. Jeez, she must have said something pretty funny though, blast her if she knew what it was. Naive as she was, she just chalked it up to this guy being one weird mother. Him circling her like a predatory animal though? That could stop any time he wanted to. It gave her a chill being so focused on by the older, larger man.

As he explained himself, her anxiety eased off, and she started to loosen up again. Sig was his name them? She liked Big Red better, it sounded cooler. "You can call me Zandra though, I'm trying to get the name "Hellcat" to stick." That was an odd thing about Zandra, her understanding of thing was a bit skewed. As she walked, she idly looked around at the town. It was so covered in dust, and the roads were just lines in the dirt. How did people live like this?!

"As for the smuggler, I'm flying by the seat of my pants here. I managed to track the cases of people being killed by Spice to this town, but since most of the victims were just junkies, no one seems to have bothered to investigate. Typical..." Zandra could wax on for hours about how she distrusted law enforcement, but she'd leave it be for now. No point in preaching to someone who probably knew exactly what you were feeling.

One thing was good about these Beskar helmets though, Zandra could be as visibly disappointed as she wanted, and no one would know! It didn't hide her body language though. Her shoulders slumped and her arms became crossed, clear signs she wasn't pleased.

"I do have one lead, thankfully. There's a spice den hidden somewhere not too far from here. It's a bar they run the place out of, a grey building with a green banner on the second story. Ground floor is the bar, upstairs is where they keep all the real action."

The two of them kept walking along the winding dirt paths of the dusty frontier town. It wasn't clear if the older Mandalorian was looking for the bar, or if he had his own plans. Whichever it was, Zandra would follow his lead. This was her mission, but she was curious about Sig, trying to figure out what was going on behind that T-visor.

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

As they walked, Sig continued to listen to the young woman explain herself and her mission in more detail. ‘Hellcat.’ As she mentioned the nickname he simply gave her an empty glance with his helm.

However there was something about her that he found enduring. In fact she did remind him of himself when he was still a Foundling; eager and full of ambition, trying to prove yourself as true Mandalorian to your clan. Of course ‘true Mandalorian’ was a term forgotten to time by many. Yet her body language was filled with the attitude of someone who didn’t trust the higher powers of the galaxy to do their jobs correctly.

If his intuition was right, she was exactly the kind of Mandalorian he was looking for. As they approached a two story structure they could hear music inside as well as the muffled sound of laughter and voices talking in various pitches and tones. Stopping just before the entrance, Sig glanced down at the young woman once more. “Your mission,” he stated matter of factor, “How do you wish to proceed.”

He wanted her to lead, he wanted to see exactly what kind of warrior he was dealing with. Regardless of how the action was about to unfold, Sig held his hands steadily over his blaster holsters, ready for anything.

Zandra Ruus

 

[Zandra Ruus]

It was refreshing to be let off the chain so early. She did figure there was some kind of reason for him to just sit back and watch. In the past older Mandalorians would have taken over command of the mission. A certain pride filled Zandra as she confidently strode through the saloon-style doors into the tough looking cantina. Patrons turned their heads to see the two space crusaders entering the bar. Some wondering just how bad their luck must be to see not just one but two trained killers enter their favorite watering hole.

Now if she were a spice addict, where would be the place to go? Her T-vizor scanned through the rowdy populace. Some of them definitely had the look about them, shaky and scrawny, she'd seen that before she ever dawned beskar. If someone was slinging poison, it'd be known to the bartender. She walked bar and removed her helmet, using that to break the intimidating aura that her beskar might have on a potential lead.

"What have you got to drink?"

"Beer on tap, and hooch on the shelf. If you have to ask for something special, the answer is no." Said the surly trandoshan barkeep.

What great customer service... Putting that out of her mind, the lime green haired mando rolled her eyes. "Mug of draft then." She could already hear thr Trandoshan snickering under his breath. "Don't usually serve many guests with pigtails, you sure your old enough for this stuff?" Zandra became more visibly frustrated, her short temper got the better of her, and she pulled a combat knife from her belt, stabbing into the bar. "Here's my ID you fething scaleface! Now, since you wanna be a genuine nerf herder about it, I'll skip to the part about drinking your frontier swill, and just ask you where the spice is!"

Even the old bartender was a bit scared, not necessarily by Zandra herself, but by the nearly foot long blade driven into his bar. Even a pintsized Mando could probably do some very serious damage with that. Some of the bigger and meaner looking patrons started to get up, before the bartender made a hand gesture for them to stop. "Are you crazy girl, if you need a fix that bad... come with me! Cripes... I knew this was a bad idea..."

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

She walked bar and removed her helmet

Instinctively, Sig shot a look at the young woman. She had removed her helmet. Sig’s face was hidden, but it was filled with a mixture of both rage and disgust. As the barkeep turned to exit the bar, Sig noticed a few of the patrons behind them beginning to stand.

He turned to face them: three individuals who were rather large even without armor or gear. In an almost triangle formation, maybe two or three feet apart from one another, the largest of them approached. He stopped inches from Sig’s t-shaped visor. “Hey! Who do you think yo-“

Before he could finish his statement, Sig’s fist was launched forward into his gut. As he fell forward, Sig brought his other hand up and wrapped it around the man’s face. Throwing it forward, he brought the man down onto his back hard, instantly knocking him out and likely causing some internal damage.

Standing he simply looked ahead at the other two, who now hesitated for a moment. Sig took a step towards the one on the left. The man threw a fist forward, which Sig easily side stepped. Grabbed the arm of the attacker, he quickly snapped it in half before grabbing the man’s neck and slamming him into the bar.

The third man turned and ran, Sig standing and watching him do so. As he reached the door he suddenly fell forward, turning his head he saw Sig and the vibro-blade wiring that had shot out from his wrist gauntlet. Sig began dragging him towards him, the man struggling against him the entire time. As he reached Sig he was quickly knocked out from his knee, which came down hard on his head.

The bartender stood shaking in fear, having not moved the entire fight. Sig turned to the young woman and then back to the barkeep. “Let’s go.”
​

Zandra Ruus

 

[Zandra Ruus]

Zandra had been in quite a few fistfights, and watched a ton more, but this was different. Even the best fighters in the galaxy could take notes on Sig's execution. One could argue how necessary the Mandalorian's brutal beatdown was, but one couldn't argue its efficacy. The Trandoshan bartender was quaking at the mere sight of Sig.

"R-right this way sir!" He said with a nervous quaver in his raspy voice. Trandoshans as a whole didn't scare easy, but Mandalorians had that effect on people.

Without a moment's delay the barkeep took them up the stairs, having to step over some of his men on the way there. Even with the door shut one could smell the acrid scent of smoke in the air. On the other side of the door was a haze that took a second to clear. Spice was in the air, a scent somewhere between harsh chemicals and incense.

"Phew, shoulda kept the helmet on, at least then the air would be cleaner..." Well, that was one reason.

It was hard to make out anything without her vizor. Thanks to the blackout curtains in the windows and crude candlelight for illumination, the room was hard to see in. Worse still the small cloud's worth of spice smoke irritated Zandra's eyes. What was clear though was that these people were out of it. The spice numbed the body and clouded the mind, they would probably not register anything less than a full scale artillery strike. Having left her cannons at home, she'd need to think on her feet to sort through their bodies.

Zandra could just start busting heads, but that didn't sit right with her. Sure they were Spice junkies, but they were still people. Most were good folk just having made a few bad decisions. Others were just smokers looking to escape their worries for a time. Then, she saw him. A well dressed Nautolan counting his creds in the best lit corner of the smoke den.

The Mandalorian woman strode over to him with purpose in her steps, aiming to make a dent. She kicked aside the small table he was using, sending credits clattering to the floor. Some of the smokers clamoring to grab a piece. As the Nautolan reached for a blaster, the tip of a sword found its way to his neck. "Easy Sunshine, I'm looking for a smuggler. He's a human with a scar shaped like an X on his chin. Old and mean, I think you know him, and that means you're on my short list."

"He dropped off a shipment a couple days ago...should still be in town!"

"That's good to know, keep cooperating and you'll get to your next payday. Call him back, tell him you need him to make a delivery for you. And make it sound convincing," And like that, the Nautolan Spice dealer sent out a communication via his datapad. Zandra made sure to watch every keystroke to make sure there was no chance the smuggler was being told to wave off.

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig followed the young woman as they moved through the den. It was clear any threat that this location might’ve had was already dealt with just before they came up. Everyone here was zoned and long gone from any real sense. The young woman then proceeded to demonstrate the side Sig had been a swatting to see: the hunter.

As she raised her sword, Sig grinned beneath his helmet. What followed was a well delivered threat, the one that you truly believe the words behind, for Sig knew if the man tried anything she’d cut his life short there.

Finally the opportunity: setting a trap via setting up a delivery. Sig nodded in approval as the young woman’s threats were met with nothing but a coward following through. Sig finally walked between the two to join the ‘converstion’ and glanced at the woman, “Doubt anyone here cares if we use the space,” he said, nodding his head to the various tables and chairs around the den. “Not to mention the smoke…”

He folded his arms and returned his emotionless helmet back to the young Mandalorian woman. “So you got the bait, how do you set the trap?” If it wasn’t clear to her already, this was all just a way for Sig to test her. It was indeed true, he was testing her to see what kind of warrior she was, what kind of hunter she was, and what kind of Mandalorian she was. He could see the spark of greatness within, but now he wanted to test it.
​

Zandra Ruus

 

[Zandra Ruus]

So the older man wanted to see if she really had it in her to see this thing through? Cool by her, she wasn't going to fail her first mission after getting this close. So far she was going off instinct, and it had worked decently. She wanted to impress Sig, show him she was worthy of the beskar she sported. It started with her glancing back and forth at each corner of the room, looking for potential ways to trap the smuggler.

Her mind was casting itself back to a time best forgotten, her time living in the slums. She got a lot of mileage out of her "training" with the various gangs. That combined with the teachings of Uncle Drego made her quite the guerilla when she needed to be. "One way in, one way out. Means we'll have the drop on him. Which makes this door the perfect place for a tripwire..."

The girl would begin tying a length of monofilament wire to the bottom of the door, the next step was to run the wire to the other side of the room. It took some time to get her contraption set up, but it would be worth it if it all worked out. Zandra also took the steps to talk it over with the bartender to not let anyone but the smuggler up the stairs. He was happy to oblige if it meant having the Mandalorians leave his place of business.

The better part of an hour passed, and the smuggler arrived. The gruff old man talked it over with the bartender, acting like a long lost friend. Zandra, now fully helmeted with a cowl over her helmet, watched the man walk upstairs. She didn't follow him, acting too soon would scare the prey away. Blissfully unaware, the smuggler opened the door the Spice den. There was the sound of a cable snapping, a sharp chirp from across the room, and a sudden jab in the man's chest. Zandra had set a launcher up in the corner, and a metal dart drove itself into the old man. His screams were her signal to go upstairs.

She made sure to walk, not run to man's aide. She'd then squatted down to look him in the face. He couldn't help but take in her emotionless T-visor.

"That's Nightsnake venom you've got coursing through you... Hurts like Hellfire doesn't it? It's pretty ingenious stuff, attacks the nerves that control the respiratory system so the snake doesn't have to fight its prey. Just a few drops can kill a grown man in thirty minutes. But man, those thirty minutes are going to hurt."

As the man sputtered and spat, Zandra took out an injector from the medical case on her suit. Instinctively the man reached out, before it was yanked away. Every breath of air felt like a throat full of glass and fire. He tried to curse the lady Mandalorian, but his airway wouldn't comply. "I wanted to make sure you know what it's like for the people you poisoned..."

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig watched and examined the entire sequence of events play out. Setting the tripwire. Returning to the bar and ensuring everything appeared by-the-by. As the young woman await the target, hood concealing her identity, Sig knew he wouldn't be as well hidden. Not only was he much larger, physically and then his armor atop that, but he simply didn't have a cloak or hood. Indeed he never wore anything more than what he had now: his armor and helmet.

Instead he simply walked to the backdoor and gave the young Mandalorian an affirmative nod; he wasn't leaving, he was waiting. An hour had passed when he suddenly a loud yell could be heard inside. Sig chuckled. As he walked up the stairs he could hear the young woman threatening the target.

Walking back into the room he glance down at the pair. Sig walked by and sat at a table on the opposite side of the room. For the next half hour the pair waited and watched as the life slowly faded from the spice peddler. As the man finally lay dead, Sig stood and approached the body. Leaning down he titled his head, examining the corpse. Reaching into the jacket of the dead gangster, he pulled out a small credit-chit. Standing, he turned and tossed it to the young woman. He tossed it to her before motioning for her to sit with him at another one of the now empty tables- most of the patrons clearing out during the scruffle.

"So... Hellcat," he started, "... what are you doing here? I mean your clan- did they send you, or are you freelancing?" He didn't want to show too much of his intentions. What those intentions were, Sig himself wasn't one-hundred percent sure of. But what he was sure of was that this young warrior was just the type he was looking for.
​

Zandra Ruus

 

[Zandra Ruus]

After the man finally died, Zandra stood upright. "Good riddance..." She stated coldly, before sitting with Sig. The bar was now a ghost town, just two Mandalorians and a whole lot of quiet. It was almost pleasant to have a whole bar all to themselves, and the thought of taking something from the top shelf was an alluring one. That was until she heard her nickname come from the very serious Mandalorian's helmet.

"It's kind of complicated, I'm still earning my keep so to speak. This was my first solo hunt. I'm not truly part of Clan Ruus just yet." Zandra smirked under her helmet, she figured she knew what was up. Her new friend had to be interested in more than just her story, he was looking for fresh blood. The young girl wasn't yet invested in clan politics, her only allegiance was to Uncle Drego at the moment.

"Can't imagine how many push-ups he's going to make me do when I get back to Mandalore. He always freaks out when I use those poison darts, says they're a coward's weapon, that there's no honor in the kill." Honor was still something Zandra was trying to grasp, in the slums there was no luxuries like honor, only eat or be eaten. She couldn't help but notice the unnerving stare of Sig's T-vizor just locked in at her. He couldn't be more different than the Ruus boys.

She wondered how best to continue the conversation, there was so much bubbling inside her. The rush of the kill, of a job well done, but also a pang of guilt. Even if he was a drug pusher, he was still human. Watching him choke out on the floor, was it the right thing to do? To hold a life in your hands, it was powerful. Perhaps that was what Sig was feeling right now? "It's weird ya know? You're nothing like him. I haven't heard you say much this whole time. I thought Mandalorians were all about being loud and rowdy. And you haven't given me a single speech on manhood or the like. Clan Ruus is all about that masculinity stuff, kinda thought all of us Mandos were like that."

Maybe it was just the adrenaline talking, but Zandra was wondering what her place in the clans was. Even she knew that Mandos rarely died of old age, was she truly ready to be Clan Ruus until she died? It was a big commitment, and one she'd have to make soon. To follow Sig would be to double-cross Drego, was it worth it? She didn't know, she just wanted to bring peace to people, to kill the monsters that infested the galaxy...

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig listened as the young Mandalorian spoke of her clan. He wasn't sure exactly what her clan believed and passed on but he was sure they weren't the kind he was looking for. He was looking for those who wanted the same thing as him: the Old Ways.

As she discussed her uncle, who Sig assumed was the one who recruited her, he remembered his own time as Foundling. He had spent considerable time proving himself to the clan, having already been into his early teenage years upon being adopted. It wasn't easy and it took a particularly nasty rancor hunt for him to finally become a full clan member. But when he did the family he found was the one he had severely been lacking as a young boy.

It was clear she was filled with energy- though what kind, be it nerves or excitement, Sig couldn't quite tell. Although her face was concealed, he could read her body movements and could see the sheer energy she brought to the table. The same kind he himself had as a Foundling, and soon full clan member.

"Dar'manda," he said spitefully as she finished her final sentence. "Aliit. Ijaat. Kote." he said plainly before quickly following up with the basic translation, "Family. Honor. Glory."

He eyed her for a moment, letting his words resonate with her, or so he hoped they would. "These are just some of the foundation of our people," he explained, "Manhood? Masculinity? Meaningless words, echoes of those who have forgotten who we are."

She had revealed enough for Sig to understand that her particular clan, or at least those she had encountered this far, were contributing to the problem all Mandalorians faced, and he was about to do all he could to save her before she too became a part of the problem. "Our people, we are scattered. Across the stars we are broken; and too few of us remember who we are." He stood and stared down at her through his t-visor, his gaze strong enough to burn through the emotionless helmet. "We were once a great and mighty empire, one that made both the Jedi and Sith tremble in fear. Too few of us remain who remember the glory the stars brought us," he extended a hand for her to grab, "But if you join me, I promise you'll learn what it means to be a true Mandalorian."

He took a beat, letting her fully understand everything he was saying. "Join Clan Dryggo, and together we can save our people from themselves."

If she accepted then Sig would have done exactly what he came here for. He'd have the first follower, the first of many he had hoped. If not, at the very least he had fun fighting.
​

Zandra Ruus

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[Zandra Ruus]

It was a lot to put on someone so new to the world of being a Mandalorian, hell, it was a lot to put on anyone. So much was strange about these helmeted warriors, they were so different than the rest of the galaxy. But Zandra -fool that she was- could see wisdom in his words. Her understanding of Mandalorians was that they were these heroic warriors, knights in shining beskar. "It's hard to digest, this whole Mandalorian thing. I thought that we were the heroes of the galaxy. I can still remember Uncle saving me from a warzone. That's what I thought we did, the more I learn though, the more it seems we're just another type of gang."

It certainly sounded like a "no" from her, but then she mulled things over in her head. What was the alternative here? Go back to the clan and explain she'd poisoned a man to death? Maybe this was the way for her to be a hero. If it meant keeping the galaxy safe, she'd kill all the scumbags that were out there.

"Maybe I'm nuts, but what you're saying sounds good to me. Above all I want to get back at the people who screwed this galaxy up. Anyone who holds the little guy down gets to meet the business end of my swords. If I could make sure no kids have to grow up without mothers and fathers, starving in a fething slum." Her gaze was stern, but her voice was quavering, on the edge of tears. With these emotions bubbling in her gut, her T-vizor shifted to Sig.

"Count me in... And bring on the glory."

Sig Dryggo

 

[Sig Dryggo]

Sig grabbed her forearm and brought her up onto her feet. Giving a nod and a hand on her shoulder, he nodded towards the door. “Come, Hellcat, we have a galaxy to wake up.”

With that Sig and Zandra Ruus left Concord Dawn to continue the mission: restore Mandalorian Glory. He had come to Concord Dawn with the sole purpose of finding someone, anyone, with the same mindset as him. Instead he found someone else; he found someone that needed guidance. A Mandalorian who was taught the wrong things about their people and about their place in the galaxy.

No, Sig swore that his clan, Clan Dryggo, would know the truth: that the galaxy was theirs for the taking and that nothing would stop them. The path was set and nothing would turn him away now. Now was time for action.

End of Thread…
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