:Prologue:
Dantooine seemed peaceful enough, great rolling planes of grass and greenery that dominated the landscape. The lowing of the herd beasts in the distant pastures echoed through the valley. However, the peace was deceptive. Kath hounds wandered the winding valleys searching for easy prey, and pirates and slave raiders were common.
Hitrai wasn't sure what to make of it.
Mother was still angry with him, of course. After her recent illness and the distressing betrayl of her employer, Mother wasn't in the mood to be charitable to anyone, especially once she found out her son was paying the bills by working as a common dock worker.
He had come from warrior stock, she had ranted, and she hadn't raised him to be a civilian. Once he had brought up the subject that they had /bills/ to pay and couldn't waste time with the honorable code of the Mandalorians. If it came to his mother dying, or working in a very low-paying job, Hitrai knew which one he would chose.
However, that didn't change the fact that his mother was furious. So, after that little tizz, Hitrayu Valkarian had decided to gather up what few credits they had saved, and move to another area.
Dantooine seemed perfect, with plenty of work for those so inclined. None of the bandits or raiders here would be too much of a problem for two Mandalorians, even if one was severely weakened.
:Beginning:
Hitrayu looked over the landscape of the serene Dantooine with practiced gray/green eyes. Even though the outside of Dantooine appeared peaceful and tame, there was a dangerous undercurrant here of cutthroats and slavers, none of them able to survive in more harsh conditions.
It would be a perfect training ground for her son.
Hitrayu grimaced as she hauled herself up from the bench after taking a moment to rest, resting most of her weight on the silvery cane she carried with her. Though Hitrayu didn't look that old, a knowledgable eye could see that she had been weakened in some way, making her frail. There was nothing frail about the way she carried herself, however.
She was dressed in some light, flexible armor. Her role in the fights to come would be limited mostly to keeping an eye on Hitrai. She had no doubt that he was ready to take the next step of his training, and she had had no choice but to get them out of the situation they were in. Hitrayu lifted her head proudly and brushed a strand of graying chestnut hair out of her eyes.
No son of hers would be a common dock worker.
Speaking of, he was here. Hitrayu felt his presence before he had spoken, and he was relaxed in knowing that his mother was well aware he was there.
"So, here we are, son. This is where the next phase of your training will begin. There shouldn't be anything here we can't handle."
The boy, towering over his mother, looked out with disgust over the peaceful landscape.
"I don't doubt that, Mama. Are you sure we'll find enough challenges here? It doesn't look like it has too many dangers." 'rai fiddled with his armor, tightening a strap of his gauntlet. His heart raced with excitement. Something /different/, finally he could do something useful.
"You don't send a Kath puppy to hunt a Valgroth, Hitrai. This will be your training ground for a little while. You have learned all that I have to teach you, and now experience will be your guide."
They both stood there for a long moment near the entrance of the spaceport, both contemplating their next step. The other few sparse travelers gave the Mandalorians a wide berth, knowing well what they were.
Of course, the mood was slightly spoiled by the small gray Gizka playing near the Mandalorian boy's feet, bringing to mind a human and his dog. While his mother contemplated their next move, Hitrai leaned down to scratch behind the little horn frill the creature sported. It crooned in pleasure.
Dantooine seemed peaceful enough, great rolling planes of grass and greenery that dominated the landscape. The lowing of the herd beasts in the distant pastures echoed through the valley. However, the peace was deceptive. Kath hounds wandered the winding valleys searching for easy prey, and pirates and slave raiders were common.
Hitrai wasn't sure what to make of it.
Mother was still angry with him, of course. After her recent illness and the distressing betrayl of her employer, Mother wasn't in the mood to be charitable to anyone, especially once she found out her son was paying the bills by working as a common dock worker.
He had come from warrior stock, she had ranted, and she hadn't raised him to be a civilian. Once he had brought up the subject that they had /bills/ to pay and couldn't waste time with the honorable code of the Mandalorians. If it came to his mother dying, or working in a very low-paying job, Hitrai knew which one he would chose.
However, that didn't change the fact that his mother was furious. So, after that little tizz, Hitrayu Valkarian had decided to gather up what few credits they had saved, and move to another area.
Dantooine seemed perfect, with plenty of work for those so inclined. None of the bandits or raiders here would be too much of a problem for two Mandalorians, even if one was severely weakened.
:Beginning:
Hitrayu looked over the landscape of the serene Dantooine with practiced gray/green eyes. Even though the outside of Dantooine appeared peaceful and tame, there was a dangerous undercurrant here of cutthroats and slavers, none of them able to survive in more harsh conditions.
It would be a perfect training ground for her son.
Hitrayu grimaced as she hauled herself up from the bench after taking a moment to rest, resting most of her weight on the silvery cane she carried with her. Though Hitrayu didn't look that old, a knowledgable eye could see that she had been weakened in some way, making her frail. There was nothing frail about the way she carried herself, however.
She was dressed in some light, flexible armor. Her role in the fights to come would be limited mostly to keeping an eye on Hitrai. She had no doubt that he was ready to take the next step of his training, and she had had no choice but to get them out of the situation they were in. Hitrayu lifted her head proudly and brushed a strand of graying chestnut hair out of her eyes.
No son of hers would be a common dock worker.
Speaking of, he was here. Hitrayu felt his presence before he had spoken, and he was relaxed in knowing that his mother was well aware he was there.
"So, here we are, son. This is where the next phase of your training will begin. There shouldn't be anything here we can't handle."
The boy, towering over his mother, looked out with disgust over the peaceful landscape.
"I don't doubt that, Mama. Are you sure we'll find enough challenges here? It doesn't look like it has too many dangers." 'rai fiddled with his armor, tightening a strap of his gauntlet. His heart raced with excitement. Something /different/, finally he could do something useful.
"You don't send a Kath puppy to hunt a Valgroth, Hitrai. This will be your training ground for a little while. You have learned all that I have to teach you, and now experience will be your guide."
They both stood there for a long moment near the entrance of the spaceport, both contemplating their next step. The other few sparse travelers gave the Mandalorians a wide berth, knowing well what they were.
Of course, the mood was slightly spoiled by the small gray Gizka playing near the Mandalorian boy's feet, bringing to mind a human and his dog. While his mother contemplated their next move, Hitrai leaned down to scratch behind the little horn frill the creature sported. It crooned in pleasure.
Last edited by a moderator: