Unlike Many

[Adenn Munin]

Skye​

7:19 AM​

​

The era of the First Order had come to its inevitable end, an Imperial government that boasted their superiority and military might had their fate sealed by a much more technological advance species that was rather irrelevant before those times. No one had paid attention to these lizards before striking the First Order in what was an inexorable campaign to reduce the Imperials into a weak, pathetic people. The very ones that brought the Galactic Alliance to its knees after many detrimental defeats couldn't overcome a sudden enemy. It only raised the question of how truly powerful the First Order was. Maybe it faced a rather weak Galactic Alliance that was only delaying its end. Or maybe it just got lucky, a luck any military power would want to have in their campaigns. The effects of the Ssi-ruuk victories on the First Order ignited chaos that would defeat the unity of the government. Many worlds would fall to anarchy, forgetting the brotherhood they all shared in order to survive. Other worlds would break off from its roots to the First Order and branch out to create their own faction, managing the few systems they claimed for themselves. Of course, warlords would fight their former comrades in order to expand their horizons and try to continue the legacy of the deceased First Order or create something new from the ashes.

While anarchy and order fought each other in the former systems of the First Order, many found it an opportunity to take advantage of its situation and take whatever valuables they could find. The formidable Sun Guards of [member="Khonsu Amon"]'s Golden Company were one of the first to plunder the decaying Imperials; putting fires to worlds, leaving blood and corpses as evidence of their slaughtering, and taking whatever that could serve them well. Pirates and the like followed in to see what goods they could get their hands on. Some succeeded, others saw failure in their attempts that they were assured would bring riches to their vaults.

Clan Munin would make their own valiant attempt deep in former First Order space, a few parsecs of where their grand capital planet of Dosunn was. No doubt it was laid in ruins and desolation with raiders seeing what they could pillage. While Dosuun would be a grand attempt, it was an obvious selection for many. They would find success in looting treasure, defeat at the hands of others, or absolutely nothing of value. That was why the leaders of Clan Munin had their eyes on a different world, Skye. It was more inland of the collapsed First Order's former territory and that meant it must have some value. They had basic information of the world, it was once affiliated with Palpatine's first Galactic Empire though it wasn't a heavy urban planet like most in the Galaxy; however, it was sure to have some hidden treasure that was veiled away from dense populations.

A company of one hundred Munin warriors had made camp after their arrival to Skye from their raiding vessels. No fleet was in orbit to alert whatever inhabitants there were on Skye. They had made camp within a forest that was surrounded by the everlasting ranges of mountains, something that didn't surprise the Mandalorians as this planet was predominantly full of mountains as its main terrain. There were some lakes, rivers, and other flat areas full of trees. The planet was very primitive from their debriefing, not a single skyscraper to be found.

"Who would like to join me in making a hike to the highest peak? I hear it was once a citadel, perhaps something is stored there."

He announced it to his fellow kin, awaiting for any volunteers and hoping the main commander, who was very much a di'kut, didn't try to defuse Ravik's attempts of pillaging whatever there was at the peak. There were other peaks that were to have some citadels or some form of settlements that were to receive an uninvited visit.

[member="Fylla Munin"]​

 

[Anika Tau'ri]

Skye | [member=Ravik Munin]​

​

From the ashes of disaster grow the seeds of success. From the shells of a once great nation come minds eager to benefit from the chaos they left behind. When all hope is lost and few life forms remain, the tendrils of criminals, marauders and junkers come out to infest the skeletons of broken cities. For Fylla, life thus far had been just that. Leaving the familiar surroundings of Midvinter, she had thrown herself into the clutches of catastrophe. It mattered not if she was the cause or simply a benefactor, anarchy and calamity had become her masters. Benevolent in their rewards and merciless in their punishments, the adopted culture Fylla found herself in the midst of thrived off this way of life. Mandalorians were accustomed to following the path that ancestors, older than the mountains themselves, carved many years ago. This was they they often found themselves exploring the empty husks of civilisations that had tried and then failed to come to fruition. This was why they found themselves making camp in the vast forests of Skye.

Originally the raven haired woman had loathed to find herself on another planet that boasted the trimmings of modern day life, but she had found herself pleased to realise that Skye was nothing of the sort. There were no builings so tall they threatened to break through the atmosphere, there were no bright blinding screens that flashed text and images that she couldn't understand, there were no formalities to be paid or traditions to uphold. No, none of that. They were surrounded by mother nature, a force that demanded respect and admiration regardless of the forms she presented herself in. After the chaos of war had come to an end her task was a slow one, consisting of an ancient dance that claimed back what man had once sought to make his own. None could deter her on the route she carved through the scars of once powerful nations. Mother nature had great patience, great power that held a tangible presence in the gnarled bark of trees, the twisting vibrant green vines, or the winding rivers that flashed silver in the sun. Fylla had grown accustomed to seeing her at work in the empty shells of broken nations, but here on Skye mother nature had been allowed to run free, and Fylla felt at home in her embrace.

Clan Munin had long since made itself known to the planet. Fires had been slowly coaxed to life, to chase away the chill of the early morning. Cooking pots had been cleaned out and placed proudly in the centre of the burning infernos so that they might keep the beast of hunger at bay. Temporary shelters in the form of tends in various shades of green, brown and tan had been erected to give them all some place to rest. In the midst of the tall swaying trees, under the protective green glow of the canopy above, and bathed in the orange light of a slowly rising sun, a peace of some kind had settled over the band of crusaders. They were long since used to making their homes wherever they had heard the call to pillage. In a way Fylla wasn't completely out of her depths amongst the band of beskar clad warriors. They thrived and acted on the most basic of instincts. Both standing out and blending in wherever they seemed to go, but their true home would always be under the bright silver stars, and in the gaze of the burning sun. She was happy with them, as happy as anyone who had charged head first into the complicated culture with little to no knowledge of even the Galaxy around her could be. One thing that she was quickly picking up on was that being surrounded by her vod gave her a feeling of safety, of comfort, of being in the company of family.

A content smile had found a home on her alabaster face, cheeks coloured pink from the burning glow of fire she sat beside. Fylla had just set about freeing her fingers from the grease left over by the meat when the sound of an eager question floated over the dull hum of a hundred conversations. Her neck craned to seek out the source of the voice, ice blue eyes scanning for any sign in the crowd, fortunately they did not have to search far. Coming to rest on a sable skinned man, Fylla finished off her drink as she pondered his question. Mountains were no trouble to a Valkyri, she belonged on the edge of a precipice almost as much as she belonged in the armour that sat snug around her curves. By the time she had drained the last drop from the mug Fylla had decided it wasn't a bad day for a climb, nor was it a bad day to pay a citadel filled with mysterious valuables. 'I will come with you.' She spoke as she stood, in one hand clutching the hi-tech helmet that she was still attempting to get used to wearing. Booted feet picked their way through the smaller circles toward the man who had posed the question. By the time she reached his side a smile had filled her face with a warmth that could only ever be shared between family, though she didn't recognise him in the slightest.

 

[Adenn Munin]

All warriors under the banner of Clan Munin were trained to conquer their fears and to be fearless as much as they can while matching their ferociousness in battle. All of them were trained near to death before becoming a brother or sister in order to show their worth as a Mandalorian, and some had died before completing their rite of passage. It only meant that those fallen were not suited to be a warrior of Mandalore, eliminating the chaff from wheat. They simply died not because the instructors did it on purpose, but because they themselves students allowed it to happen while not using the lessons they were taught to keep them alive. At least that was the logic they all shared, thoughts that other societies couldn’t comprehend or fathom with. Those that couldn’t understand that were simply weak and shortsighted, allowing themselves to be their own tool of self destruction.

Now while the clansmen of Munin were trained in these radical training regimens that made them who they were today, Ravik expected a male to jump to his request with enthusiasm. It was just a way of nature or at least he thought so. All the men were seeking ways to claim glory and be wildly acknowledged, acclaiming with power and influence. Not only did it bring fame to them, but it also set them apart from the other males in order to find a proper mate of their own. Primitive and archaic traditions? Yes, but that was their way of life and sure enough everyone’s great ancestors lived by these traditions before modernizing.

As such, the young warrior was certainly surprised a woman of their clan be the first one to volunteer. He admired and respected that, yet it should be mentioned he had never thought any less of the women in his clan. The stories were very true that a woman could outmatch a man just by giving her the proper shove to do so. A small smile was returned back to her from his face.

”Well, she certainly has more valor and guts than the rest of you landuur jag,” which was said in a tone with pride and dominance, shaming the other male warriors. One thing about Ravik was that he was always aggressive, only respecting the strong of his clan and shamelessly reviling those that held themselves back. Those he insulted he expect to pick up their slack and prove him otherwise that they were worthy to be a Mandalorian of Clan Munin. His own way of encouraging his kin, mostly the men. It was amusing that several male warriors stood up, few not finishing their meals, as a sign of retaliation to Ravik’s insulting remarks. That was enough to make him slightly chuckle.

”Figured that would get you motivated,” he simply said, staring at men that gave him a dirty look. Something that didn’t surprise him at all. The main commander stared at the marauder, deciding if he should stop this small expedition of Ravik’s or not. Ultimately he decided not to probably trusting them in their abilities or just carefree whatever happens to them, especially to Ravik. Didn’t matter to the young warrior he was glad that happened as he would fight off the commander.

”If you’re ready, get your things. I won’t blame any of you if you decide to sit back down and tend your nails.”

”Shut the feth up before we do it for you, Ravik” a Mandalorian said that appeared to be of Kage heritage. Ravik could have continued, but opted otherwise in order to begin their task.

”What’s your name?” He said Fylla, speaking in a calm, casual tone unlike the one he was using for the men he was slandering about.

[member="Fylla Munin"]

 

[Anika Tau'ri]

Skye | [member=Ravik Munin]​

Being the centre of attention had never been Fylla's favourite pass time. She was surprised to find that no other stood as she had, nobody else spoke out in response to his question. The walk from her campfire to the beskar clad warrior that had requested company was long. When a hundred eyes were on you there was nothing to do but put on a brave face, and Fylla did just that. Ordinarily it wouldn't have been a problem, she could have worn the face and thought nothing of it, but the tension in the air was doubled with the shameful tone of the sable skinned man. She certainly didn't feel she had more valour and guts than anyone else, especially not just for standing up first, but his request did afford her an opportunity to prove his statement truthful in other ways. Instead of focusing on the murmur of disagreement that broke out over the gathering, Fylla honed in on her the man who wished to climb mountains.

It was hardly a surprising revelation to discover that she had no idea who the man was. There were many of her clan spread through out the Galaxy, many that she would probably never get the chance to know face to face. He was marginally taller than her, skin the colour of coffee despite the shades of green cast down on them by the canopy above. His eyes reflected back the heart of mother nature, as brown as the dirt underfoot or the bark on the trees. As she took in the details of his face she was drawn to the smile he placed there, coupled with an amused laugh. She craned her neck to face the band of warriors, ebony curls shifting against the beskar on her chest. It seemed his remarks had done the trick in motivating the rest of the group, as several members had stood to make a move toward the pair already. It seemed they couldn't manage to do so without exchanging a few grumpy looks between themselves, to which Fylla could only roll her eyes in response.

The back and forth was quickly drawn to an end when the one she now knew as Ravik chose to ignore the passing comment. She couldn't help but feel it was probably the wiser choice to make. Fylla had seen Mandalorian's start fights over much less. He spoke up again, this time with words directed at her that gave her a reason to look back at him. 'My name is Fylla.' She spoke in regard to his enquiry, the thick Midvinter accent ever present in her soothing tone. 'And you?' She knew his name was Ravik, it had come with the harsh threat made by one of the men currently gathering his things, but she thought it more polite to ask him for it personally.

 

[Adenn Munin]

He observed her face, finding every detail on her. That was something they were taught, observe as much as you can from battle, life, friend, foe, and anything that caught their eyes. Her eyes contrasted his, with blue and brown looking at each other. She was much taller than the average woman that was either completely human or near-human, and that said she was taller than most women in their clan. Her skin was as cold as her eyes, white like the tundras of Hoth. Hair was black like the feathers of a raven. All in all, her facial features were well kept and appealing, though no doubt her body told the tales of the battles she had participated in beneath her armor. No doubt she was a warrior he could rely on, her confidence speaking in volumes. Her confidence hasn’t reached the intoxicating levels of pride like Ravik. Something that could balance him out on this expedition.

”Ravik,” he said curtly to the woman, not wanting to spend much time with the pleasantries.

”I hope the essence of Death fears the like of your strength, Fylla. Unlike these warriors that appear to have a weak chin,” and said it loud and clear for the others to hear, glances of dirty looks being shot at him. He wondered how he was still alive amongst his clansmen. They wouldn’t dare to fight him in groups as they would be disgraced and humiliated before being banished...or killed; depending how those judging woke up that morning. That being said, he always got into brawls. He’d always expect at least one fight during the week. Surely he could expect one during this raid, no?

”Do you know how to lead?” The others that volunteered for this task were almost done preparing their equipment, along with bringing extra supplies. Probably enough for two days, hopefully three.

[member="Fylla Munin"]

 

[Anika Tau'ri]

Skye | [member=Ravik Munin]​

'Ravik.' She tested the weight of the name on her tongue, though she did not let it linger for long. It was clear he wasn't interested in making proper introductions, as she found most hardered warriors were. The one thing she couldn't wrap her mind around where how curt the Mandalorians seemed to be. She was from a people that welcomed new faces with open arms, that were automatically friendly regardless of race or gender or time pressures. In response Fylla simply offered him a smile, one that showed she didn't much care for his attitude, but a smile all the same.

'Death fears no one. Essence or otherwise.' She remarked simply as she glanced over her armour, making sure everything was in check for their hike. If anyone ought to have feared death that day, it should have been him, but the confidence he exuded told her that he had never respected it in such a way. She was surprised with the tone he took, especially considering he was outnumbered a hundred to one. If anyone desired it he was one swing away from being face down in the dirt, but nobody made a move. Instead they spoke with their eyes, and if looks could have killed Ravik would have been six feet under by now.

Fylla wasn't one for waiting around, and she was pleased to discover her companion felt much the same. Whatever supplies they would need for the trip would be packed up by those who had been slow to heed his call, which worked perfectly in her favour. Ravik's question, however, left a confused expression on her pale features. There wasn't much about leading that you could teach someone, you either had it in you or you didn't. Fylla was the type who did. 'I have never classed myself as leader, and I have never been taught how.' She flashed him a rather subtle grin as she took the first steps toward the highest peak, knowing that everyone else would soon catch up. 'Others simply follow.'

 

[Adenn Munin]

”Perhaps...yet we have embodied it and become one with it.” Was the young warrior ever afraid of death? He liked to believe he wasn’t, masking it away with his confidence and skills. He knew he’d die one day, though what day would that be? By whose hands? At what age? While bracing against the thought of dying, he’d very much hate to die at this age and would very much like to enjoy a couple more years. Death at age was ideal, but if not he’d make sure his death in battle was a glorious one. One that would be echoed in the writings of history, leaving an immortal legacy.

The warriors were quite near ready for their journey, Ravik listening to Fylla as she answered his unusual question. A the sport of a leader swelled within the daring and the irrational. Much like a black sheep that lived amongst a herd of white ones. They all shared the same interests at heart, but a leader was willing to think beyond into territories that people would be fearful of. This was his own personal philosophy, and perhaps one that was too narrowed and simple. Was he a leader? Much like so, though one that didn’t hinder at the consequences at hand. He was willing to take any and all risks, able to sacrifice lives he commanded and his own. But unlike some snobbish Imperial with a superiority complex, he was always charging into danger before all.

Did he think Fylla had the heart of a leader? He wouldn’t have doubted it after being the first one to volunteer for this trek that had gone unplanned nor consulted with anyone. She was daring and unwavering.

He grinned back at her, following as she led the first steps. ”Then it appears I have a great lieutenant at my side,” catching up to her to be at her side, though not taking the lead. One thing about Ravik is that it was hard to earn his respect from his peers, and one was considered fortunate to earn his at first glance. Did he people dislike? Oh yes, in fact his kin probably hated him with a passion; however, he had earned their respect. Had Fylla earned his? Absolutely.

He glanced back, seeing several warriors already following but lagging behind a bit after Fylla and Ravik’s early start.

”I hope we don’t have broken spears in our ranks,” referring to the company they led, ”I do not have compassion for the weak as you just saw. I can only hope you understand where I come from as not many share my views.”

[member="Fylla Munin"]