Old Friends. New Beginnings.

[T.J]

(( Intro thread for me and Raif. ))


Tatooine. Truly an extreme planet in terms of survival and even the chore of day to day life. It was a near opposite of Delmon's norm. Where he was used to humid and moist weather, Tatooine provided only shifting sands and dry winds. Though it seemed a drastic difference from his home world, the Mandalorian had found himself visiting the desert planet more and more throughout the years. In his youth he had sought out the worlds mightiest beasts, and instead found new companions in the form of Kushari warriors turned Mandalorians. His most recent ventures to Tatooine found himself finding a long lost member of his clan hidden among the endless dunes. A most curious sort of woman, Shev'dela claimed to born from the Tusken Raiders. Though he had been unable to definitely prove such a claim thus far. It seemed that she never removed her helmet, and whenever she did a second mask lay beneath. It mattered little to Delmon, he was never one to judge others on their lifestyle choices. She was actually the reason he found himself once again on Tatooine, in their haste as they left several valuable possessions of Shev's had been left behind. Delmon had made it his mission to retrieve them. A task that had been completed in hours past.

Stepping off his ship and into the desert heat, he reflexively shielded his eyes with his hand even as his visor automatically adjusted to the bright light. Though his original task had been completed, being away from home introduced a rare chance to gain either valuable resources or at least extra credits to buy said resources at a later date. People were always looking for exotic things to furnish their homes or for whatever reason. Delmon had several pelts and an assortment of fangs and claws from the native fauna of Dxun that he intended to sell for the right price. He left most of it on his ship, locking it up where it sat within the space port as he made his way to the closest bazaar.

The trek was uneventful, most gave Delmon a wide berth due to his armor and somewhat offensive disposition. The armor itself had been freshly painted prior to coming to Tatooine, a tactic many within Ordo used when venturing out to prevent being recognized easily. Though it had looked new on his arrival, it now carried with it a layer of dust and grime which gave the flat black paint a slightly tan tinge. Tied to his belt was a medium sized bag made of animal hide which contained the wares he hoped to sell.

Coming to the first potential shop, Delmon untied the bag from his belt and dropped it onto the wooden table that separated himself and the shop keep. It impacted with a loud thud, and fell open as it impacted to reveal its contents.

" Straight from Dxun my friend. You won't find fresher source of hide I assure you. "

Delmon said with as much charm as he could muster. With any luck, the merchant would gain interest, and he would begin the long task of haggling.

 

[Raif]

Jon Viggo - known by some as Jon Viggo Ordo - had been searching for a long time. And finally, here on this worthless sandpit called Tatooine, it looked like he may have found what he was looking for. His clan.

It had been a tough decade for Viggo. He had risen quickly through the ranks as a young soldier thanks to his unorthodox yet effective techniques. Of course, being a friend of the Clan leader helped quite a bit, especially when that Clan Leader was one of the most powerful and brutal Mandalorians in the galaxy. But then Apollo had gone missing, seeming to just disappear off the face of a battlefield, and Jon had been left in limbo. His closest tie to power had been cut, setting him adrift.

Then the blockade had descended, and no one had seen him for years. It would seem that he had been caught inside Mandalorian space like so many others. Even a man of Viggo's shadowy skills apparently hadn't been able to just waltz through the blockade.

Now, he was finally out and amongst the galaxy at large, and he needed to regain contact with his clan if he was going to prove useful in any way. The search had been difficult, especially given that most of the Ordo faces that Viggo would find familiar were either dead or missing. But he put his intelligence gathering skills - skills which were often derided by the more meat-brained mandalorians he dealt with - to good use, and eventually a lead turned up.

Delmon Skyblade. On Tatooine.

Viggo couldn't just rush up to the guy, arms outstretched, and say "Oya aliit! Long time no see!"

So Viggo landed his personal shuttle and followed Skyblade at a distance, using palm-sized repulser drones with a live feed back to his wrist-mounted data pad to keep an eye on the man for him; Viggo was damn good at being stealthy, but no Mando was easy to follow in person undetected. So he used the machines to do his dirty work for him; yet another trait often greeted with scorn, despite its track record of success.

Viggo watched the man enter a shop with his wares to sell, and decided this was as good a place to make contact as any. Making sure his two reverse-slung pistols were slung tight in their holsters with the carry-straps still snapped in place - a show of peaceful intentions to anyone familiar with how a pistol and holster worked - Viggo headed toward the shop. His armor was a rag-tag mix of pieces of various earth-toned colors, all combining to give a decent camouflaged look on this desert planet, layered over a reinforced and armored jumpsuit. It wasn't full Mandalorian armor of the type he was used to wearing, but these days wandering the galaxy at large in that get-up was a quick way to get into more trouble than it was worth.

As he stepped into the shop, Viggo gritted his teeth for a moment as the familiar stinging feeling rushed over his skin, then removed his helmet and took a quick look around. If this Skyblade had ever seen Viggo before, he would have a hard time recognizing him now; the sometimes-awkward youth had grown and hardened into a mature warrior, though he still sported his customary mow hawk.

Viggo walked toward the counter where Skyblade was beginning his bartering with the shopkeep, making no effort to mask his movements. He heard the man make a comment about Dxun, and decided that was as good a time as any to interject.

"Dxun, eh? That place ain't no joke. I've been to that moon a few times myself, and picked up a scar or two for my troubles."

There was no secret code word or handshake for a time like this. If this man really was Clan Ordo, Viggo would have to infer it from his words and actions. And hope that he, in turn, was able to convince Skyblade of his authenticity as well.

 

[T.J]

Tilting his helmeted head slightly towards Viggo and giving only a short grunt in response; he returned his attention to the shopkeeper, who looked like he was about to have a heart attack. It had always seemed like people even in the outer rim found it what Delmon could only guess as frightening to deal with Mandalorians no matter what clan they hailed from. Either due to their reputation or the potential for Imperial interference he could never be sure. For whatever reason it was clear that the new addition had sent the merchant over the edge, there would be no business done that day. Dumping his own wares back into their bag, he tied the satchel back to his belt for turning fully to face Viggo.

He studied the man before him, a slight anger rising in his chest due to the loss of potential credits that he quickly quelled. He had felt the twinge in the back of his head that someone had been watching him. It was the feeling that most disregarded, but to him it meant life or death during his youth on the Demon moon. He had no way of knowing for sure if the mystery man was actually following him, but a hunch often went a long way and if he was wrong Delmon could merely chalk it up to paranoia and move on.

" Trying to stalk me is a good way to get shot. "

Gesturing to the holstered pistols on Viggo's person as he spoke. Delmon could still see the rather rattled shop keep in the corner of his vision. He cared little if the man wanted them to stay in his shop or not. He would leave when he was prepared to and he doubted the old man would do anything about it regardless.

" But since you didn't come in here gun drawn I'll assume you aren't here for violence. So tell me... Who are you? "

 

[Raif]

Viggo smirked slightly as the man facing him made mention of getting shot.

"Yeah, well, what's life without risks, am I right?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Jon saw and sensed the shopkeep was up to no good. The old man was reaching under the counter and was about to pull out a flechette launcher that, while old and slightly rusty, still stood a good chance of turning Viggo and Delmon into Bantha fodder.

In less than the blink of an eye, faster than most would think was humanly possible, Jon had one of his pistols in his right hand and pointed squarely at the shopkeep's forehead. The old man froze with his hands still under the counter, and the smell of human feces flooded the small shop - it was apparent to all parties involved that the old man had shat himself in terror. Jon turned his head slightly to address the old man, his smirk still on his face.

"Ruug'la, I don't know if you're brave or stupid. But if you move one oritsir muscle I'm going to redecorate this crappy little shop of yours with your brain matter. Got it?"

The man was too terrified of Viggo's threat to even nod his head, but Jon knew he wouldn't cause any more trouble. Re-holstering his weapon slowly, he turned back to his reason for being there.

"Sorry about that. To answer your question, the name's Jon Viggo."

Hopefully that name would ring a bell or twelve with Skyblade. Making an exaggerated show of sniffing the putrid-smelling air, Jon grinned even wider.

"Maybe we should step outside, get some fresh air?"

Jon waited to see whether the man he was speaking with would agree to stepping outside or not. Either way, he would then speak one more time.

"I've been...gone, for a long time. I'm hoping you might be able to help me find what I'm looking for."

 

[T.J]

Delmon remained motionless save for a hand on the handle of his pistol as Viggo dealt with the shop keeper. He would have to take the other Mandalorian's word on the smell, his helmet filtered out any undesirables from the air through a filtration system. Silently he thanked that he seldom removed the pieces of armor when about and about, often times it spared him of the more pungent smells the galaxy had to offer. On top of that if an assassin were to try poison gas on him the ploy would fall flat.

Nodding in response he gestured towards the door before making his way out. He would have to steer clear of that particular bazaar for a while, as well as repaint his armor when the time came to return. Once outside he turned to face Viggo once more.

" It's not every day you get to meet a ghost... I've heard your name mentioned in the past, many spoke of it as they fled Mandalore space. Though none knew of your whereabouts... If you truly are who you say you are, then there is much to discuss. I'm one for giving the benefit of the doubt, though know if I catch wind of any sort of trickery I will make sure you don't live to see the end of the day. "

Emphasizing his point by clenching his crushgaunt wielding hand, Delmon was deadly serious. The lives and safety of his people were paramount, he would let no one jeopardize them.

 

[Raif]

"I understand your trepidation completely. Even without the trials of the last decade, it would be common sense to be cautious."

Jon Viggo took a quick glance around, then removed his helmet from its perch on his belt and replaced it over his head. I wave of relief washed over him as the mantle sealed in place; he never truly felt comfortable without having his helmet firmly in place.

He then continued speaking with Delmon, his voice emitting from his helmet speaker accompanied by a slight buzz. He would have to fix the relay chip, it sounded like.

"I know my absence, combined with Apollo's disappearance, was less than beneficial for the clan. My efforts to track him down proved fruitless, unfortunately, and then I was trapped like a womb rat by the Imperial blockade. What's done is done, though, and I'm here now to aid the clan in any way I can.

Like I said, I don't blame you if you doubt my identity. I'm willing to prove it in any way you see fit. I would encourage you to make up your mind one way or the other quickly, though. We don't have time to waste, and neither do the clans it would seem."

Viggo proffered his hand to the man, fully aware that it could be smashed to a pulp by Skyblade's crushguant, if the other man so chose.

"So what do you say?"

 

[T.J]

Grasping Viggo's arm right behind his gauntlet and giving it a firm shake Delmon spoke.

" You'll get your chance Jon. Ordo is only a shadow of what it once was. There were many who saw Apollo's disappearance as weakness, and the clan and it's people suffered terribly because of it. We barely survived... We'll need all the verd we can get if we want to keep surviving. "

Untying the hide pouch from his belt Delmon hefted it once in his hand as he continued to speak.

" Still need to find a buyer for this. I won't go back home empty handed. Care to accompany me? "

 

[Raif]

Jon chuckled as Delmon made mention of the clan being a 'shadow' of its former self.

"Heh, I happen to know a thing or two about shadows. I think - no, I know - I can help the Clan."

Viggo finished shaking hands, then fell into step next to his new clan leader. He raised an eyebrow and put his hand to his chin, as if an idea had just occurred to him.

"You know, I could help try to drive up the price on those pelts. Act like a rival buyer, maybe start a bidding war. All for the sake of clan prosperity, of course."

He grinned again. Delmon seemed like the type of guy Viggo could get along with easily.