Private What's It Take?

[Eliz Krayt]

Mand'alor.

The title alone was worth the awe Eliz felt whenever he heard the term. The uniter of clans. To the young Mandalorian it was the title he pledged to take for himself one day. He would help his people regain their glory and strength. At least that's what he kept telling himself. Having seen some of what the current Mand'alor Kreslin Westwind had to deal with changed just what he thought the leader stood for. There was so much more than glory behind this station. It's why he was here today.

The Bastion of Steel. Eliz stared up at the building, steeling his mind. The young lad marched right through the front door. He had no armor, not yet, but he still carried his heavy charric pistol on his hip. He asked around as he walked through, trying to find Mand'alor. He was probably busy, but it didn't matter to the young Chiss hybrid. He wanted to talk to him, actually talk to him. Learn what it meant to be Mand'alor.

 

[Kreslin Westwind]

As luck would have it, Kreslin was emerging from a meeting with several ranking Supercommando officers when he heard his name being spoken in the distance. He came to a halt just outside the meeting chamber, a few of the officers stopping alongside their leader as Kreslin looked across the entry hall of the Hall of Honor. He spotted the youth moving through the hall, asking around and inquiring about the location of the Mand'alor. Grimacing slightly, Kreslin turned and waved the officers away.

He approached the youth, lacking his customary armor in favor of a simple black shirt and pants combination, lined with a dark red fabric. Two Supercommandos wearing full armor had stopped Eliz Krayt in his tracks, and were preparing to escort him from the building when Kreslin waved them back, looking down at the youth who had gone to so much trouble to find him. He rarely spoke to people outside the Bastion of Steel these days, so he decided to make an exception to change the seemingly repetitive nature of his life lately.

"You had best have a good reason for looking for me, child."

 

[Eliz Krayt]

"Look, you can try and stop me from coming in, but I'll just find another way. I just want to talk to Mand'alor. That's all." There was a slight grumble in his tone, but he was doing his best to be friendly. Eliz knew fully well he could just nab a stealth generator and try another way in. Whether or not it'd of worked was still up in the air, especially as another voice filled his ears. The kid froze right up, hesitantly looking over his shoulder just incase it wasn't actually Kreslin Westwind . It sounded like the man wasn't wearing a helmet.

He'd never seen Mand'alor without his helmet.

Sure enough, though. It was him. The voice. Eliz swallowed audibly before fully turning to the taller figure. He seemed nervous at first, but all that faded as he met the other man's gaze.

"Tell me what it takes to be Mand'alor."

 

[Kreslin Westwind]

Kreslin looked down at the youth before him, his eyes narrowing. The kid did not lack a certain level of confidence, Kreslin had to admit. To boldly walk inside the Hall of Honor and demand to meet the Mand'alor in front of those who had taken an oath to defend him. Then again, that could as easily been youth naivety as anything else. Only time would truly tell which of the two options the youth would grow into, though his next statement heavily hinted at one.

"You want to know what it takes to be Mand'alor, kid?" Kreslin let the statement hang in the air for a few moments, before suddenly stepping forward. He brought his fist in a sharp upward angle, directly towards the youth's gut. The two Supercommandos on either side of Kreslin laughed as the Mand'alor took a step back, no emotion held in his eyes as he stared down at the youth.

"It takes determination, kid. Determination to take whatever the galaxy has to throw at you, and the will to take it and stand again. What makes you think you have that in you?"

Eliz Krayt

 

[Eliz Krayt]

Eliz kept his head high and his gaze focused. In the back of his young mind he was trying to look at Kreslin Westwind as an equal. That he could very well fill the same role as this man. That was the belief that drove the Chiss hybrid forward, though such thoughts were momentarily forgotten as his lunch threatened to come back up. The punch hit him square in the gut. He hadn't expected it at all. And Kreslin certainly didn't hold back. Eliz dropped right to his knees, arms wrapped around his now sore stomach as he coughed and tried to regain the wind that had been knocked out of him.

It took a moment, but the boy would push himself back to his feet. Somewhere between a grimace and a smirk took over his features as he once more looked to Mand'alor.

"I'm young. Can't tell you if I have that kind of determination without it being put to the test. But I am here to kick the hell out of those tests anyway."