((CLan Ordo Mission)) Clearing the Weeds.

[T.J]

Dxun. Mid day.


From within the iron walls of the Ordo compound the jungle seemed like miles away, the thick walls blocking even its cacophony of sounds. To Delmon however the jungle was always close, even when offworld he could feel its call like a sirens song. It was where he was most comfortable, where he could let go of all the stresses of trying to keep his clan aloft and just simply be. By far more preferable to the Mandalorian than sitting within the cloistered walls of the compound day in and day out. Such a place was where Delmon found himself on such a beautiful day unfortunately. Stuck behind a table and a pile of problems that needed solutions. It was no secret that Ordo was floundering, the lack of resources coming in was slowly strangling the clan like a noose, and it seemed as if they would soon have to resort to desperate measures if they wished to continue growing and strengthening their forces.

It all came down to the numbers it seemed. The more members they gained, the more resources they would need to sustain them. Being in such a remote place didn't help either, skimming off the top of smugglers and stray trade ships was just enough to keep the clan going but not enough to sustain growth. To top it off, Delmon had been receiving reports from his forward scouting parties that unwanted individuals had been visiting their jungle home in increasing numbers.

From what they had told him at first glance it had appeared the Sith had finally come for Ordo, this of course was dismissed as Imperial presence among the Sith was practically zero. Delmon gave the order to do nothing, telling his scouts to stalk and learn what they could about the Sith from a distance. What they found in the coming weeks made an invasion seem almost preferable.

It had long been known that Dxun carried with it an intense dark side nexus. Though totally useless to Delmon and his clan, the Sith that had begun to visit the Demon moon in droves seemed to almost worship it as some sort of great power. Slowly this lead to more and more of the dark siders coming to Dxun in search of gaining the moons power. Soon their camps began to encroach on Ordo territory, and the wildlife that the clan would normally hunt was pushed to more difficult terrain or butchered by the dark Jedi in their frenzies. Delmon could not let such a thing go on, the safety of his people depended on it.

He would see to the task of removing the renegade Sith from his home personally, with the help of some of the more experienced members of his clan. It would be a covert mission, one of stealth and cunning. The Sith had them beat in numbers and armaments, engaging them on open ground would prove costly, something Delmon wanted to avoid considering the clan's already low numbers. Using one of the data pads that sat on the table before him, he called down two of his clans members.

One was Shev'dela Ordo, a woman who claimed to be of Tusken decent that he had recruited while on one of his trips to Tatooine. She was a master of misdirection and a valuable asset in the dense jungle to her small stature and quiet nature.

The other was Jon Viggo, once a prominent figure within clan Ordo prior to the second civil war, his skills in guerrilla warfare would prove useful should they run into anything that couldn't be handled with conventional combat.

Reclining slightly in his chair, he drummed his fingers atop his helmet as it sat in his lap, awaiting his fellow clan mates to arrive so that they could be debriefed.

 

[Raif]

Jon Viggo didn't spend all of his time on Dxun with the rest of Clan Ordo. He was only recently reunited with his clan-mates, but he couldn't afford to be stuck on the backwater moon for long periods of time. He had a lot going on - not least of which was his never-ending search for Apollo Ordo, his long-lost Clan leader - but he still tried to get back and 'check in' with Delmon and the rest as regularly as he could.

As his ship was burning through the atmosphere for the Ordo compound, he received the message from Delmon to meet with him asap. Obviously something was brewing, something that required the very specialized talents of Jon Viggo.

Jon left his craft hissing and popping on the landing pad, trusting the Ordo technicians to get it properly shut down and maintained. The shadowy Mandalorian jogged across the compound towards the building he knew his current Clan leader would be occupying. Nodding at the guards stationed outside, Jon knocked once on the door frame before entering, popping the seals on his helmet and tossing it into an empty chair. He shook his head back and forth, allowing his mow hawk to fight back from the effects of being cooped up inside his head gear for so long, then tossed a quick, casual salute to Delmon Skyblade and grabbed a seat across the table from the man.

"Oya, boss man. Got your message; what's in the works?"

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Shev’dela approached the Alor’s chambers with anticipation and took a moment to study herself in the nearest reflective surface- at that moment it just so happened to be the polished black visor of the nearest guard posted by the doorway. Removing her helmet briefly she leaned in close to examine her masked face and was met with his awkward withdrawal. The closer she tilted the further he leaned away with a quiet:

“mam’?”

Patting the deep set layer of Tattooine dust from her breast and running her gloved fingers over her decorative head studs she tidied her appearance until satisfied, then raised an armored thumb for approval. The guard exchanged a look with his adjacent partner and returned her gesture with confusion. Clapping her hands together with contentment she raised her helmet back over her head and entered, rifle swaying in its sling across her back. The clan, its compound and all its contents were her brave new world; the jungle and its people all unexplored and waiting. Whatever the cause of the summon it was costing her precious time to get acquainted with the planet …but she couldn’t refuse – no matter how nervous the thought of interacting with the Alor again made her.

It wasn’t that he came off as a harsh man or had treated her with any disfavor but his rank was intimidating and his kindness in inviting her back to the compound seemed fresh and surreal enough; she hadn’t expected Delmon to keep an interest in her after her arrival planet side. He was after all a man of significance and if the past was any indication she hadn't ever had much luck with those.

Closing the distance between her steps and Delmon’s desk she took notice of a seated Mow hawked head and stopped just before reaching her chair.

“Su-cu-ee-gar.” Her translator vocalized with flat femininity directed toward the stranger.

She didn’t address Delmon- assuming that although her view was on his …companion her greeting would apply to the both of them. The curse of having an acute one track mind was that curiosity took principal over socially acceptable behavior.

 

[T.J]

Leaning forward in his seat as Jon took his, Delmon was just about to speak when his second guest entered the room. Nodding his head in response to her greeting, he gestured for her to take the seat beside the one Jon had taken. Folding his hands together atop the desk, he looked them both squarely without the filter of his helmets visor as he began to speak.

" I'm glad you both could come at such short notice. It seems we have some unwanted pests running amok in our jungles. "

Reaching over to the very same datapad he had used to summon the two, he quickly brought up several files containing the detailed reports his scouts had wrote up after stalking the intruders. Also within the files were several pictures, detailing their movements as well as showing their base of operations. Content that enough data had been brought up, he slid the device across the surface of the wooden table towards the two.

" Looks like some type of Sith cult. They've been capturing some of the surrounding fauna and using them for strange rituals. More of them come roughly every two weeks, and their perimeter is skirting dangerously close to our territory. We can not allow this to happen. "

Standing from his sitting position Delmon deftly placed his helmet back on top of his head and stepped out from behind the desk. Walking over to a cabinet on the other side of the room, he opened the piece of furniture to reveal his twin blades hanging on a ornately carved rack. As he removed them from their perch and began attaching their scabbards to his person, he continued to speak.

" That is the reason I brought you here today. We will snuff out these pests before they can discover our location. Judging from what our scouts tell me they do not seem affiliated with the main bulk of the Sith forces. From what the information we have gathered has told us they seem to be drawn to Dxun's native darkside aura. I know that doesn't mean anything to you two, as it means nothing to me as well. Unfortunately they seem to be worshiping it for some reason. So..."

Finishing the task, he turned to face them.

" Ready to hunt? "

 

[Raif]

Jon looked up as the newcomer entered the room. It appeared to be a female, which wasn't all that uncommon among the clans of course; if you could fight, the Mandalorians would let you, and there would be no discrimination. If she hadn't been wearing a helmet Jon would have been very surprised to see a Tusken face mask staring at him, but as he was he simply returned her greeting with a friendly wave.

"Jon Viggo. Nice to meet ya."

Viggo then returned his attention to Delmon as the man outlined their purpose here today. Jon became much more attentive when he learned their objective was a group of rogue dark-siders calling themselves Sith. He could kill two Jubba birds with one stone, since his other masters would undoubtedly want this cult wiped out for using the Sith name without permission.

Jon nodded along with Delmon, smiling on the inside as the mentioned something about the Dark side nexus not meaning anything to him; to Jon it meant quite a bit of course. Delmon also lucked out quite a bit by asking Viggo to take part, since he was uniquely suited to combat Force users.

When Delmon asked if they were ready to hunt, Jon gave an enthusiastic "oorah!" He had only brought his pistols with him, however, so for this task he would need to upgrade his kit. He ducked his head outside the command building and caught the attention of one of the guards standing there.

"Oya mando! Do me a favor and fetch the quartermaster for me. Tell him I need a machete, a scoped hunting rifle - with a suppressor if he can manage it - and a carbine, also suppressed, something small but accurate. Thanks."

Royston asked for the rifle and the carbine since he wasn't sure what tactic they were going to employ. He would pick one or the other once they had fleshed out the plan a bit. Actually, there was no reason he couldn't bring along both, it's not like he had to worry as much about sore muscles from a heavy load out.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Shev’dela’s head snapped to attention as Delmon spoke and the realization hit her that it was the first time she’d seen him without a helmet on. She stared at him uninhibited by the constraints of having exposed eyes and sized him up. Short dark hair cut for comfort and practicality rather than aesthetics, Hardened hazel eyes without the softness of their youth…they were the eyes of a man with experiences beyond his age…His skin was pale but worn from combat, scattered cuts and small Knicks about his cheeks and forehead.

Her attention turned to the displayed data once present and she absorbed it with quiet contemplation.

Sith.

A knot tightened in her stomach and she lowered her gaze, straightening her back and lacing her hands behind it. She hadn’t faced a force user before and she wasn’t exactly eager to hunt down multiple…But if it proved her worth…

Coming to attention once more as the debriefing came to a close she replied with an affirmative bland:

“Yes.”

“I am carrying with me my rifle, pistol, Gaffi and –“

She looked about expectantly and there was a momentary pause before a small probe droid whizzed into view from the door frame and sped to her side, hovering at her shoulder like a sentient pet.

“… And my Arakyd Industries model DRK-1 probe droid. Geir-ma. Do deem that sufficient for the appointed task, Alor and Jonviggo?”

 

[T.J]

Nodding in approval, Delmon made for the exit of his quarters with his two companions in tow. Jon would be given the weapons he had requested, the finest slug thrower carbine and rifle the clan armory had to offer.

-------------------------------------------------------


Reaching the edge of the Ordo compound the three Mandalorians would be greeted by the large metal doors separating the clan from the surrounding jungle. They had about them an air of ancient intrigue, covered in moss and a patina only milennia of exposure could produce. Signalling the border guards, the massive doorway slowly creaked open, revealing a verdant world of life and danger beyond. Though it would be unseen due to his helmet, the smile Delmon wore was quite apparent in his voice if he were to speak. The jungle was his home, a constant in his ever changing life. It was where he went to reflect and think, where he felt the most secure. Even though they had an important mission to attend to, he never passed up a reason to venture into the endless jungles. Every time he did something new was surely to await him.

Turning to his companions with the jungle behind him as a back drop, he spoke.

" I will warn you my friends... The jungle's beauty equals its deadliness. Though we are the hunters this day, there are other predators in the green that will be hunting us in kind. Never forget this. This is a place to be respected, do not take it lightly or you will not leave it's dense foliage. Stay together, always be aware of your surroundings, and we will all come back from this. "

With that he turned and raced into the jungle beyond, disappearing into the dense vegetation. This pace was measured back for his companions sake, being they had much less experience in such an environment. At least Shev'dela hadn't, the whole of her life had been spent in the nearly opposite environment of Tatooine. He could not speak for Jon however, his past during the last decade was lost to Delmon. He only hoped they would be able to maintain a quick enough pace to get the job done before nightfall. Even Delmon dared not venture long within the jungles during the dark of night. They would all be able to track one another with their internal HUD within their respective helmets, allowing each of them to know where the others were without needing line of sight.

 

[Raif]

As the runner from the quartermaster brought Jon Viggo the two weapons he'd asked for, he got right down to business. First he took the carbine, removed the magazine to make sure it was loaded, then brought the weapon to his cheek to test the fit. He nodded, then quickly swung the harness over his shoulder so the weapon would hand muzzle-down at his side.

Jon then took the rifle, testing its balance before opening the slide to look inside the chamber. He slammed the round back into place with the bolt, then pointed the rifle up into the sky to peer down the length of the barrel. He nodded in satisfaction again and swung the rifle over his back. He then picked the carbine back up, looked at his clan leader, and just spoke one simple word.

"Jate."

Viggo was good to go. He could send hot lead down range en masse, or drop the carbine - where it would hang safely at his side thanks to the harness - and bring the rifle up and over his shoulder. In a matter of seconds he could switch from close-quarters killing to putting rounds far down range, all depending on how the situation played out.

He grinned inside his helmet as Delmon warned them about the dangers of the demon moon. In truth, Jon knew there was nothing on this rock that he couldn't utterly destroy if he so chose, but he didn't exactly want to be a show off. So he was more than content to act as support for his two team mates on this operation.

He quickly fell in behind Delmon as the clan leader led them into the jungle. Jon was a man very accustomed to stealth, and his feet seemed to instinctively land with soft grace, avoiding any dry leaves or twigs that could crunch or crack to reveal his position. He moved at a sure, steady gait, not bothered by the weight of his load out in the least. He held his carbine diagonally across his chest in a low-ready grip, his senses on high-alert to whatever was out there.

These wannabe Sith had no idea of the hell that was about to descend upon them.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

As the two men tore off into the wilds Shev’dela hesitated; Still staring up at the canopy- overwhelmed by the dense backdrop of endless green. In a matter of seconds their lead had put enough distance from her to be invisible and she jumped at the realization. Even Geir-ma had shot forward to keep the pace.

“Discretion” She said aloud.

Breaking into a brisk jog she pulled her poncho over her shoulders inside out to reveal a short notice ghillie and entered the jungle. She lost her footing a few feet in, ankle hooking a thick creeping vine but managed to recover and spare herself from falling face first and breaking stride. She closed the distance between her companions but kept last in line for sake of tactic and just when she thought she’d found a rhythm the sound of crunching foliage beneath her feet broke her concentration and slowed her pace. She looked down at the ground with annoyance and struggled to minimize the noise while keeping up…

This was looking to be a long journey.

Ahead of her,Geir-ma rose higher to try and offer a more useful vantage point, supplying her HUD's right hand corner a bird's eye view of...even more green.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Many tombs dotted Dxun's surface, and many contained the power of the Dark Side. This was no secret to anyone, and yet few still came to the Demon moon for any reason...

However, this was not one of those days.

Dark Jedi were amassed within their camps, always within a mile or so of each other. Many were drawn to the long opened tomb of Freedon Nadd, while many were drawn to other locations. A war had begun here, and while much of the wreckage was taken by the jungle, but the death and carnage could still be felt by the those sensitive to the Dark. It called to them, and they could hear it's secrets... the whispers of the dead, the screams and cries of the power itself that they hungered for...

The group assembled near Freedon Nadd's tomb was in their moment of worship. At the base of the steps, a large group of about 8 Dark Jedi had come to perform their ritual. In for corners, Dark Jedi covered in the blood of a few of their fallen brethren stood and chanted, their pale white faces visible through their midnight black robes. Their eyes were sunken in and black rimmed, giving them the appearance of skulls with skin stretched over them.

Four more Dark Jedi were on their knees, their foreheads on the ground facing the tomb's entrance. When they raised their heads, a triangle was painted in the center of their forehead with Cannok blood, and their mouths were sewn shut.

Behind the group was a tall, broad shouldered figure, cloaked in what appeared to be moving shadow. A grey beard hung from his chin, but his hood covered all other features. Without a word, this old man walked past them and inside the tomb, where the doors sealed shut....

Sentries were posted in the camps still, which surrounded the tomb. A few Dark Jedi were here, only to keep watch, to make sure no one interrupted the rituals...

 

[T.J]

The journey through the jungle would be surprisingly tame, with Delmon slowing several times to allow Shev'dela to keep pace and only stopping once to let a roaming pack of predatory beasts pass. His scouts had given him coordinates where the majority of the dark siders had chosen to dwell, a tomb of some sort it would seem. He had seen it several times in his life, even explored the grounds as a boy. Who it had been built for was beyond him, whatever ancient Sith that had gained enough prestige to afford such a structure meant little to the Mandalorian. The many thousands of years it had been left unattended within the Dxun jungle had taken their tole of the tomb. Vegetation clung to whatever it could gain purchase on, draping it almost entirely in foliage. Many of the clan's elders had warned him in his youth never to tred within its murky depths, thus he had never attempted a journey inside. Even so he knew it's location intimately, traversing the seemingly random jungle scenery with ease.

He stopped several meters from the perimeter of the tomb's clearing, hearing the tell tale sights and sounds of a bustling camp not too far away. Crouching low he began to stalk forward. Suddenly remembering he had with company that was not as in tune with him as some of his more experienced hunters he paused and activated his helmets short range communicator. Both Jon and Shev'dela would be able to link up with the channel, allowing the three to communicate while remaining outwardly silent.

" Their camp is up ahead. They do little to mask their presence... Jon, I want you to flank around the foundation of the tomb's structure. See if you can scale it and get a vantage point to utilize your ranged weaponry. Shev, I want you to stay close to me. We'll move forward and silently remove the sentries. I'll go up into the canopy, you get as close as you can without being seen and draw their attention. They'll be expecting some of the wildlife to investigate their noise and fires. Give them that, and I can strike from above. "

With the game plan set Delmon deftly scaled a nearby tree and disappeared into the canopy above. His movements were precise, making no noise and disturbing little as he moved through the trees. If she so chose, Shev'dela could track his position via her HUD. If her helmet was equipped with such a feature of course. If not he would simply use their shared comm. channel to direct her in the right direction.

 

[Raif]

"Roger that."

Viggo moved off through the jungle toward his target, secretly happy he'd been assigned over watch duty. There was much less chance of his exposing his little 'secret' while behind a scoped rifle, as opposed to up-close-and-personal with another Force user.

As he moved toward the temple, flanking the enemy position like Delmon had ordered, Jon connected to their mini-squad comm channel. His 'expertise' in the type of battle they were about to wage should be shared, after all.

"FYI boys and girls, try to empty your mind when you're going in for the kill. I know, easier said than done, but if you come on these assholes with murder on your mind they'll catch wind of you a mile. Try to think of them as training dummies - cool and calm is the name of the game when it comes to killing these dar'jetii[/]."

With that, he signed off for the time being. He quickly got to the base of the temple and was met with a practically sheer vertical rock face. There were enough handholds that he knew he would make it to the top - but it would be easier with a Force leap or two. This close to the dark Jedi encampment, though, he knew he had to keep his presence masked.

After a fair bit of effort, Jon made it to the top of the temple - though doing so had been tricky with two rifles constantly threatening to get tangled with his feet. He crawled across the top of the temple, staying as low as possible, until he found a good perch with a few jutting, broken stones to provide some cover. He payed his carbine near at hand, then brought the rifle up and laid it out toward the dark Jedi encampment.

He connected his helmet to the scope of the rifle, then verified he had an optimum sight picture before again keying the comm.

"Over watch is a go."

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Shev'Dela Nodded silently and made a series of small gestures to Geir-ma. The droid responded with quieting it's mechanics to a near silent buzz and slowly disappeared into the trees. She pulled her Ghille higher and readied her rifle with caution. If Delmon was taking the high route she'd go low, slinking through the brush as close as reasonably possible while maintaining the advantage of ranged cover. Soon the sandy shade of her Armor and it's dry faux camouflage blended with the ground and she disappeared within it's blanket. As they moved in, Geir-ma would slowly orbit into place far right of them at the clearings edge and lower its self to prepare a tactical diversion, projecting the faint call of multiple Nighthunters and weaving about to portray a false radius of their approach.

"Native non-sentient species. Common Maalraas." Shev'Dela said flatly within their closed comm.

She took point and waited for anyone tempted by curiosity to drift from their encampment and into the isolation of the reeds adjacent to the tomb before crawling forward.

 

[Pyromaniac]

The Sentries heard the noises of the animals nearby, and raised their heads to look towards the general vicinity. To them, it sounded like a pack was approaching. Their faces came into view, skin wrinkly and scarred, as if they fell face first into a bed of knives and hadn't healed properly.

The two Dark Jedi walked forward, lightsabers igniting. One growled ferally like an animal and screamed, the Force Bellow blasting the center of the approaching animal pack...

The second hung back, but watched intently. If his ally went down, he'd hear about it from the Master...

Either way, it would be fun to kill a bunch of mindless beasts... it was boring being a guard.

 

[T.J]

" Two hostiles. Strike quickly and as Jon said without feeling. "

Delmon's hushed voice would be audible through the groups internal communication network as he stalked from above. He carefully positioned himself above the dark sider that had opted to hang back, silently drawing his dominant blade as he did so. To many Mandalorians it might have been a difficult chore to remove all thoughts of anger or hate towards the dark jedi. Their group had been the cause of much strife within the Mando'ade, such feelings were not easily forgotten. To Delmon however the task was simple. He viewed the deformed humanoid below him as nothing more than an animal. When he hunted he felt no ill will towards the prey he stalked. Together they formed the perfect circle of life and death, Delmon gaining sustenance from the creature's flesh and the beast meeting its death so that it could return to the green to start anew. It was the basis for his reverence for all things of the natural world, and gave him a measure of peace in a galaxy that was so terribly war torn.

This feeling of peace was all Delmon held in his heart as he dropped from the trees from above like a falling piece of fruit. His blade flashing only briefly in what light that had managed to pierce the thick canopy above as he struck. The attack was quick and precise, his downward momentum amplifying a vicious arching slash that would most likely cleave his foe from shoulder to waste if it struck.

He hoped that Shev'dela would strike just as quickly, as his own attack would leave him somewhat exposed should she fail.

 

[Raif]

"Over watch has negative sight picture on your hostiles. You two are on your own."

The thick jungle canopy made it impossible for Jon to provide decent sniper cover for the targets that Delmon and Shev'dala were about to engage, which was frustrating. To say the least.

The best he could do was keep his eyes carefully trained - and his Force senses aware, of course - so that if his two teammates created any sort of ruckus, he could hopefully deal with any enemy reinforcements before they were able to do any damage.

OOC: A couple things - first, since Shev and Delmon are together we may want to have Comicbook switch places in the posting order with me. Secondly, I was just assuming Jon wouldn't be able to see the baddies because of the jungle - please correct me if I'm wrong. And lastly, if anyone wanted to throw together a rough map or something that would be awesome, as I do better with this sort of stuff when I have a clearer idea of the physical space in which we're working.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

( A map would be very useful because honestly I am having a bit of a hard time pinning down our exact surroundings...)

As Delmon Dropped Shev held her breath and let the pressure of her trigger finger give way- aiming with her digital globe scope at the furthest howling force user. If her trajectory was correct- as well as her little eye droid's optics she'd have a good shot at his profile- assuming...he didn't sense her intent and remained predisposed to her distraction. She felt a tinge of fear as he made his power known. She'd seen nothing like it...raw force energy released in a single shout..still her arm was steady.