Beginnings

[Vik Raul]

Two speeders cut through the large planes easily, columns of dirt and dust erupting behind them as they were accompanied by the squeals of the engines. Their destination was miles ahead of them but even two riders could see it from where they were. Another column penetrated the sky but it was black as the void, even corrupting the sky as it formed a cloud of the same color that blocked out blotches of sunlight. It was a sight to behold and one that wasn't common on the planet.

After a few hours, the pair eventually arrived a klick away from the black column and brought their speeders behind some cover to keep them hidden. At first, the riders didn't dismount as they slowly glanced around with their engines idling. Eventually, after it seemed clear, one of them swung their leg over and dismounted with a satisfying thud as the other followed suit and joined at his side. The two riders were Mandalorian, their iconic helmets, and T-visors being the only piece visible. They both wore a shabby cloak around their shoulders that concealed their beskar armor and weaponry that was extensive. The only difference between the two was the coloring of their plates, one had dashes of red, white, green, and others while the other was colorless and less damaged.

The colored Mandalorian nodded at the other before he led the way silently, both of them alert as they swept their gazes left and right. As the two kept walking, they could hear the crackling of flames and were confronted by the smell of blood even through their helmets. They stopped at the edge of a road they came across and simply stared at the carnage that was in front of them. Bodies laid on the ground, some simply torn in half, others gutted or even worse. Multiple speeders and small cargo lifts had been flipped over or destroyed, caught in the crossfire as small fires littered throughout the entire scene. The colored Mandalorian stared for a moment before he looked to the other, "Vik."

Vik just simply gazed upon the damage before eventually stepping forward, each of his footsteps followed by a crunch. When he was in the middle of the road and the destruction, he crouched down and examined the bodies and equipment around him. He was silent for a few minutes, collecting everything he saw before finally speaking. "Tracks are everywhere. One of the largest packs we've seen. These people didn't stand a chance." Vik stood up and took a few steps before bending over to pick up a piece of a disfigured speeder, claw marks raked across the metal.

Turning back toward the colored one, "We should confide this information to the clan, Xej."

"No." Xej simply responded, his voice distorted like Vik's because of their helmets.

"They don't strike out like this."

"Our clan is thin as it is. We were tasked with this assignment. We will complete it."

Vik turned slowly and faced the direction that the road was leading to. The column of black smoke was even bigger than it was when the two were on the speeders. It seemed to just swallow anything whole that was pulled into its toxic grasp. The two didn't require the tracks to realize where the assailants went for their next target. Xej spoke with no concern in his voice even with it being distorted, "We move."

 

[Vik Raul]

The fingers of night had finally found them as it clawed across the land and dragged itself above and covered everything in darkness. It didn't matter to the pair however as they pressed on, Xej in the lead while Vik trailed behind him silently. The carnage from before followed them but not as clustered, a body or two strewn about here and there or a speeder that had been flipped over and practically torn apart.

It wasn't long before the two reached the end of the road and arrived at the gate of the mangled town. They halted underneath as both glanced up at the sign that was half hanging off from its support, the word, Raska, barely visible. From their position, the fires that were littered throughout reflected off their armor easily in the pitch darkness, telling them to turn back with their hellish screams. Xej stared for only a brief moment before murmuring one word to Vik, "Vigilance." The two pressed forward afterward.

Both of them walked shoulder to shoulder as they carefully walked through the streets of the town, the metal buildings towering over them and appeared to stare down at them with disdain, potentially for their late arrival. The air felt heavy and weighed Vik down more than his beskar, it clinging onto his skin. It reeked of death. Raska had been a small trading hub, a booming town that had grown quite popular but those days felt farther than ever.

The only sound was the decaying gusts of wind and the budding blazes that some of the buildings had been caught in, the swirling edges of the fires reaching into the sky as the black smoke continued rising. When the two reached the center of the town, a crossroad, they waited there for a few moments. Vik glanced around slowly, a majority of his body still concealed by his cloak as his hands rested on his weapons underneath. But, nothing came, not even a rodent, and he glanced toward his partner before Xej eventually just nodded, "Split up. Search for survivors."

Vik did just that and walked along with one of the roads, his eyes switching to each building as he checked every window he passed. Their coverings flapped in the wind and thwacked against the building that somehow resembled laughing to him. But the ground caught his attention as he noticed the difference in coloring before he realized that it was a trail of blood. It started from the alley and ended underneath a door for a small two-story home, forming a sort of U from the outside.

The Mandalorian approached the door, his hand gently placed against it as he gave it a little push but to no avail. He took a step back after and launched a straight kick right into the center, nearly taking it off its hinges as it swung open before smacking the wall. Vik stood there after it opened, half expecting something to jump out but once again nothing. He lifted one hand from underneath his cloak and turned on the small headlights to his helmet, illuminating the inside for him as he stepped through.

It resembled a typical family home, a couch, and holo-tv with other meandering furniture placed around. It could almost be considered peaceful if it wasn't for the splatter of blood across the wall and cushions. Vik gently ran his hand along the spine of the couch as he passed through and was led through another room because of the trail. When he opened the next door, it revealed a barren room, some destroyed chairs in the corner as there was a massive pool of blood that had been absorbed into the ground.

Vik took one step forward before slowly crouching down, his armor and leather crinkling as he did so. The emotions and reactions he had were completely hidden from view because of his helmet but for those that knew him, they would have been clearly able to tell that he was troubled.

Pressing a button on his gauntlet, he lifted it to his face after as he spoke calmly and quietly, "No bodies. Same result for you?" It was only a few seconds before Xej responded, "Yes, surprisingly." Vik gazed upon the stained floor, lost in his own thoughts until Xej's voice came through again. "I wondered what they did with them." There wasn't an answer in front of him for the Mandalorian to simply grab and Vik stood up to walk out from the home, "We should regroup and check the town hall. Possible someone is held out there."