Down Times

[Raz Solus]

Only her war council knew where this place was. She was a private person by nature, and had set up quarters on Mandalore since she had taken up her new title. It was a casual apartment that had no real special qualities about it. The main reason she chose this spot was because the back of it opened up to wide, open fields. The other neighbors mostly left her alone, knowing who was here with the basilisk parked out front.

Raz was out in the back, enjoying not being in her armor. She was clad in a tanktop and some loose fitting pants, having been out here all day. She was still getting used to her cybernetic arm despite all this time. Raz had set up some dummies to practice on, droids that sprang up targets here and there. She had a light blaster in her hand set to stun so it didn’t blow anything up. She was drenched in sweat from her exercise routine for the day, and she wasn’t close to being done for the day.

She observed the droids carefully, hearing the telltale sign of a target popping up. She quickly shot at it, whirling around to shoot at another before she reached and threw a knife at a third target. One of the shots went wide, but the other attacks landed. Raz grimaced, shaking her head. She was still not back to being how she had been before, and this arm was simply slower. She began to wonder if she’d ever be herself again.

“Kriff,” She grumbled to herself, sighing. Raz walked over and took a drink of water, taking a seat on a bench outside. She was breathing heavily, staring ahead at the target she didn’t quite down. Anger coursed through her, and she had to calm herself down, remembering how Koil had taught her the benefits of keeping a level head.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros stood outside for a while, pacing back and forth. He was one of select few to know what this place was, and that made it even more significant to him. His Mand’alor set up her residence here on their home planet and let no one but those in her war council know its location, though it was pretty apparent that someone of some importance lived here, if the basilisk parked outside was any indicator. The war droid was not exactly a common sight, after all. Still, her neighbors seemed to leave her alone, which was enough for her, he imagined.

He had arrived on his own basilisk after a short trek from the space port, not wanting to leave his droid and companion sitting alone on his ship. The sight of two basilisks milling about outside the apartment would certainly deter anyone from interfering, that much was certain. You would think an important war meeting was going on inside, rather than a friendly visit.

Wearing a casual outfit of bantha leather boots, cotton trousers, and a loose-fitting linen shirt, he did not look his usual armor-clad self. His armor, of course, was stowed in saddlebags on his basilisk, but the weather was too pleasant to be stuck in his gear all day. He had two Quickdraws holstered on his hips, and his beskad swung loosely from its scabbard. Even if the day was nice and he did not expect any kind of conflict, he adhered to his vow of never allowing himself to be unarmed again. Twice he had paid the price for that foolishness; once as a youth before his traumatic punishment at the hands of shepherds, and the second time in recent memory at the Wren stronghold.

The sound of bolts rang out for some time as Leandros paced before he decided to just walk in. The door was, surprisingly, unlocked, so he simply entered the apartment. He gave a glance around the apartment, not having been here prior to this moment. There was nothing particularly unique about it, but Raz was never much of a showboat. Definitely not like the Onderonian palace.

He found the door to the back where the shots were coming from and walked to it, watching Raz fire at the targets from inside the apartment. She grew frustrated after some time and turned around to settle down on a bench right as he left the house and stood in the doorway, folding his arms over his chest.

”You sure showed them,” he said, alerting her to his presence if she had not noticed already. ”Except that one,” he said, pointing at the one target that she missed before putting his hands back over his chest, ”He’s going to tell the other dummies what happened here.” He chuckled slightly and walked out of the doorway, waving to his Mand’alor.

”Your, erh, door was unlocked so I let myself in.”

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz perked up when she heard someone coming in. Where a normal person would have jumped and been alarmed, she wasn’t entirely concerned. If anyone was coming here, they were either someone she trusted or someone that was exceptionally stupid, in which case she had a blaster in hand. Raz looked up to see Leandros, happy to see a familiar face. Before she could even say anything, he made a quip about the training dummies. She immediately scowled at him.

“Oh yeah, he’ll do that right after he regales you with tales of Uncle Barnabus the fifth,” She took another swig of water before standing up, a grin on her face. Raz still found it hilarious that he was stuck dealing with the king of Onderon who was a manchild more than anything. True to her promise, she had sent him some custom made Beskad and had to hold the comlink a foot away from herself due to the excited squealing. Raz shook her head at the thought.

She wasn’t used to seeing Leandros out of armor, especially since the incident with Wren. To this day, Solus and Wren both took jabs at him for it. Over time it became a running joke that was in good humor more than as an insult. Raz eyed him for a moment, realizing that not seeing people out of armor meant she sometimes forgot what everyone looked like. Did perceptions change based on how others looked? He looked tough even outside of armor, but did she? Or did she look like a dainty girl like her father or brother swore she was.

“It’s good to see you,” She said, coming to stand near him, “With how busy we’ve been considering Nal Hutta and Onderon, I haven’t had the chance to catch up with anyone,” Raz muttered, turning her attention back on the dummies. Once again they began to spring up at random locations, and she tried to shoot them all with the blaster in her left hand. She got three out of five, the disappointment still on her face, “As you can see, I’m failing horribly with this still,” Raz said bitterly, “I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again. This arm is trash.”


@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros frowned at her comment about Uncle Barnabus, still peeved that she left him behind to babysit the King of Onderon. The kid absolutely would not shut up about how excited he was to hang out with Mandalorians and ride basilisks and wear his armor and blah blah blah. For the most part, Leandros tuned him out and simply responded to his comments with a mixture of “yeah,” “wow,” and “cool,” which only seemed to encourage the boy. He learned a lot about Onderonian royalty that day, unfortunately.

”If you thought Uncle Barnabus was bad, you should have heard him talk about his cousin Teodor. Absolute deviant,” he retorted with a chuckle, grinning. He looked at her, equally not used to seeing his people out of their armor. Since the last time he saw her on their stolen corvette, she had changed in more ways than one. There were, of course, the tattoos, but also the cybernetic in the place of her former left arm. He had seen it before, of course, but never with her outside of her armor. It was well-made, but he felt… bad. She sacrificed her own body just so some Jedi could satisfy his vanity and expose their return to the greater galaxy. Even when free, they were being used for the benefit of Force users.

He realized his smile was fading and he quickly looked away as the dummies popped up, watching her take out three of the five. She seemed truly disappointed in herself due to the limitations of her prosthetic. Leandros pursed his lips for a moment before shrugging, alternating his gaze between her eyes and her arm. ”It’s good seeing you too,” he replied, ”Admittedly, it’s my fault for not coming by sooner. Things have been…” he trailed off for a second, figuring out the word to use, ”Hectic.” Understatement of the century.

”And the arm isn’t bad,” he continued, placing a hand on it. He did not know what he expected, but the cold metallic texture of it all surprised him somewhat. It certainly looked metal, but actually feeling it confirmed just how inorganic it was; a mere imitation of the real thing. ”You’re too hard on yourself,” he spoke with a frown, pulling his hand back, ”And that’s coming from me. Know your limitations, but remember that you’ve overcome more than just a mere arm.”

With that, he grinned again, tilting his head somewhat, ”I personally like it. You’re like a work of Mandalorian art come to life now; beautiful, yet terrifying.” He was not a very roundabout person and so spoke how he felt about things, hoping to lift her mood at least a little bit. His eyes went wide for a second and he started, reaching down for his pistols. ”Oh! I almost forgot,” he said, unholstering one of the Quickdraws, ”I got you a gift; purchased with the money from a bounty. Hopefully you’ll be able to defeat those evil dummies with it.” He spun the gun around and handed it to her grip-first.

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

She looked down as he placed his hand on the cybernetic arm, not feeling any of it. She didn’t even feel the pressure of his touch because it was light, and the realization made her frown. He didn’t tell her anything she didn’t know, but it was difficult nevertheless not to be hard on herself. She had gotten this far by pushing herself and making up for the years where she had drifted away from her people. There was a lot of self shame in that, and she felt even more guilty with how much others looked up at her.

His words made her smile however, and she had to think about everything she had truly overcome thus far. She wasn’t one to ever pause to appreciate all the hardships she had been through. When he went on to say that she was like artwork coming to life, she glanced up to meet his gaze, her eyes widening slightly. Not used to receiving compliments, she felt her face suddenly heat up. He would be able to sense her freeze a little, and her helmet wasn’t here to obscure any of it, “I uh….” She wasn’t very good at these situations and comically struggled with words.

Thankfully he went on and presented her with a blaster. Raz’s eyes widened, “A gift? I’m not sure I deserve this,” She grinned, taking the gun from him. She examined it from all angles, “It’s beautiful,” Raz remarked quietly turning over to look at the dummies. She looked a the settings on it, firing the two round burst at the dummy. Her eyes widened even more, “Holy shit!” She exclaimed, suddenly as excited as a little kid as she fired off a few more, “This is amazing!” Raz took the opportunity to aim at different targets. This was with her intact hand, every shot landing effortlessly.

Raz looked back at him with a wide smile, “Well shit, now I have to get you something. You’re already kitted out so I can’t imagine what you need,” She looked him up and down, quirking an eyebrow, “Though you’re missing some tats. That’s a fine canvas to leave so blank,” Raz chuckled, emptying the entire clip on dummies. It was obvious she was beyond excited about this new gun.

She made a mental note that she would drag him to get inked at some point. Raz put the gun away for now, turning to look at him again, “How did the evacuations go?” She had been on Kashyyyk at the time. Sith ships had showed up and she and Greybok went into battle together to fight against Imperials. It had been a bloody and brutal fight, but it ultimately ended in victory.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros was surprised at Raz’s response to his compliment. He was not expecting her to get flustered, so watching her stammer and blush without the protection and secrecy her helmet offered was a unique experience. He had to keep that in mind for the future, he figured. He honestly did not expect to fluster his Mand’alor, so his words having the effect they did was almost comical. He smiled at her briefly before he offered his gift.

She took to his gift quite well. It was a weapon of fine craftsmanship; it had to be, given the amount of credits he spent on it. Not only was it a beautiful weapon, it was terrifyingly deadly. Few people expected to face someone who could unleash four or more bolts in the span of a second from a mere pistol, so the surprise it offered would come in hand during their myriad battles. "Why wouldn't you deserve it?" he asked, beaming as she studied it prior to executing the targets with impressive skill, using her good hand with deadly efficiency. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, having forgotten just how skilled of a warrior she was without her limitation. ”I figured you’d like it,” he remarked as she effortlessly took out the dummies.

Raz towards him and smiled, which he returned with a grin of his own. ”A fine canvas, hm?” he mused, cocking his head slightly with a heavy-lidded stare. ”You’ll have to take me to whoever did your ink,” he said, motioning towards her tattoos, ”I certainly can’t disappoint my Mand’alor,” he said with a little chuckle. He was glad she liked the weapon; she had been so busy with her duties as their newfound leader and, with her recent injuries, he figured she was in need of something to brighten her spirits.

”Evacuations,” he began, walking towards the interior of her home, motioning for her to join him. At least on the inside it was in shade. She was drenched, and he knew he was interrupting her training regimen, but he figured she would like the rest. ”They went well. The rebels were unprepared to leave.” He paused for a moment, turning towards her, his smile now having turned into a gentle grin. ”I don’t think they can handle the war they’re seeking without us. Even with the…” he continued, pausing for a moment as he chewed on the word, ”Jedi, I don’t think they have the conviction to fight. These Jedi left one of their own behind,” he said with a frown, ”I hope you know what you’re doing with them.” He was always wary of the return of these Jedi; so far none of them had proven themselves worthy of his trust. One had abandoned her people and the other was a pompous bastard. Not good for the brand.

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

She was entirely thrown off when he asked why she didn’t deserve the gift. She was once again caught self deprecating, and she had no idea where it came from. Normally she had a lot of self confidence, but it was becoming rapidly clear just how broken losing the arm left her. Raz could only chuckle as he enunciated her subtle compliment at him, making it clear he didn’t miss it. She looked down at her own tattoos, thinking back to how they all marked some point of significance in her life, whether it was important today or not. Raz looked back up at him, shaking her head, “Out of armor, I’m only Raz,” She remarked, “Especially to you,” Raz wouldn’t be entirely comfortable with a Marauder thinking they could be on first name basis with her.

She followed him back into her apartment, the air suddenly cooler in her and sending goosebumps through her skin from the abrupt shift. Raz’s home was very minimalist, though she did have pieces of armor and weapons lying around here and there. There were some tools around to suggest she had been fixing up a pauldron earlier, and her helmet was unhinged where she was screwing with some settings. Raz began to walk over to the kitchen.

“Here, let me fix you something to eat,” She tried not to smile, letting him stew on that for a bit. After shuffling around for a bit, she came back out with a bowl of some snacks (vegetarian and totally healthy) that were thankfully not made by her, “Just kidding,” Raz gave him a playful wink, tossing him a beer. She popped one open for herself, taking a swig as she thought about what he mentioned about the evacuations earlier.

“I don’t know what I’m doing with them, Lee,” Raz sighed, taking a seat as she gazed ahead at nothing in particular. She thought of the Jedi she had met, and the negative experiences she had, “I don’t trust them any more than you or any of our other brothers do,” It was true. Despite whatever strange run ins she had with Val, her opinion of the Jedi in general was suspicion at best, “Who did they leave behind?” She tilted her gaze to look at him. She hadn’t even brought up her own negative run in with a Jedi - or she was convinced he was trying to pose as a Jedi, “If they need us more than we need them, I have to rethink some things,” She muttered. Raz couldn’t deny the offer to use the Mon Cala fleets as a big gift for her people.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

He watched Raz look down at her tattoos after he motioned towards them, then nodded a few times as she corrected him on the proper way to address her. ”I’ll have to catch you out of armor more often, then,” he mentioned with a shrug, ”Raz is far easier to say.” He gave her another cheeky grin before he moved inside.

Leandros walked into the apartment and approached one of the seats, placing his hands on the back and resting his weight on it as Raz followed him in. He took the time to really look at the place, noting that it was more workshop and armory than it was home. Still, it had a pleasant quality to it that he could not deny, but he was not sure what particular aspect of it gave him the feeling. He did not have a home of his own aside from his ship, so coming to people’s homes was always a little weird for him. Could he get himself a home? Probably. He definitely had the funds and the authority to do so, but he just never did for some reason. He might have to invest in one, though; they probably had better showers than on the ship.

Raz offered to cook Leandros some food and his eyes went wide, darting around the apartment to find some kind of excuse to get out of it. ”Erh, I’m… Fin-“ was all he got out before she brought out the vegetarian snacks and beers. Nobody could mess up a bowl of vegetables, right? The memory of Dio’s home and the cursed, god-forsaken casserole she made that was better suited to masking the scent of a shallow grave than it was as something people could eat flashed through his mind and he quickly retracted the idea that even vegetables were safe from harm. Luckily, she claimed to be kidding (he hoped) and tossed him a beer. He caught the drink with a gentle pat and popped it open to take a sip out of as Raz spoke, taking a seat near her.

”The youngling,” he said in reply to her question, ”The one who started this entire ordeal. Can’t trust a group willing to sacrifice its own people for the safety of one person.” He was glad she did not trust them any more than the rest of her people, even despite claims of having a Jedi husband. Of course, there was no proof of their collusion aside from grainy phone-captured footage during a major battle where they both just so happened to be in the same area, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind. Such are the ways of demons, to lie and mislead others. They were oppressed once by such demons, and he would never again allow them to be ruled by renegades or outsiders.

”I've only met one Jedi, and he was an arrogant fool,” he added, scowling for a brief moment. Castor fought... well-enough, but he was annoyingly imperious in everything he did. It was as if he thought they could be friends, though Leandros thought the idea laughable. ”They need us a great deal,” he said, taking another swig of beer, enjoying the refreshing, bitter taste. He pursed lips in thought for a brief moment before turning his gaze over to Raz, ”But they can be useful to us too. They’re taking the attention of the Empire away from our worlds, so we can operate freely.” Their alliance with the rebels was, for the time being, fortuitous. While they were off evacuating planets, the Mandalorians took the opportunity to invade Imperial planets and liberate them.

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

“Youngling?” Raz asked, forgetting whatever bullshit ranking methods these people had. It took her a moment to remember, and then she nodded. The girl Val had gone to retrieved. She took another swig of her beer, grinning at his meeting with a Jedi, “And you didn’t kill him?” Raz was impressed. Not only did the Jedi have strange powers, but they had fundamentally different religious beliefs. She looked at him and quirked an eyebrow, “We would operate however the kriff we want regardless. It’s why we’re so problematic,” She grinned proudly, honestly proud of how unpredictable the Mandalorians seemed to be. There was something oddly liberating about making both sides of the war nervous.

“I had a run in with some mook that claimed to not be a Sith,” Raz took another long drink of beer, crunching on some snacks, “Went by name of Castor. Only right after that he did some weird shit to forcefully yank thoughts from poor son of a bitch,” She grimaced at the memory, “Followed up by jamming a saber into the guy’s heart,” She shook her head, “I tried roasting him but he got away,” Raz had a dark expression on her face, “Now I don’t know if he was Jedi or not, but it goes to show these damn Force users can never really be trusted.”

Despite whatever camaraderie she may have felt with Val, she wasn’t sure she could completely and utterly trust him either. It had taken him several years to get to the point where she wouldn’t see him as a random outsider. Raz tapped her cybernetic fingers against the glass bottle, “What are the pros and cons of continuing this alliance?” She tilted her head to look at him, genuinely wanting to hear his thoughts.


@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros decided to bite the bullet and go for a snack from the mystery bowl, praying to the gods that it would not kill him in Raz’s home in front of her. That was not the way he was meant to go. Not by some gods-forsaken meal cooked out of friendliness. He really hoped it would be something far more significant that killed him. Like dueling the Sith Emperor or having one of his warriors challenge him to the Old Ways or dying while defending their home world. Not…

A baby carrot?

That was what he pulled out of the snack bowl. It did not look particularly fearsome, but he knew Raz’s food was deceptive. He tentatively took a bite, eying the little vegetable warily. It crunched and, well, that was pretty much it. It was just a baby carrot. So far, so good, considering he did not die the instant he tasted it. Honestly, baby carrots did not really have much of a taste to begin with, which is why Leandros was kind of disappointed she did not bring him any meat. Did she even eat meat? He had to find out. Later, though.

”Youngling, padded-one. Whatever they call their initiates,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. Why could the Jedi not use simple ranks like Marauder, Rally Master, and Field Marshal? Those were distinct and not confusing. He finished his carrot, trying to conceal his paranoia of the food, and looked at Raz at her disbelief. ”I didn’t kill him because you want us to play nice with them for now. I wanted nothing more than to remind him how we exterminated their people once before,” he said, frowning at the thought of the stupid Jedi he worked alongside. Leandros nodded at her declaration of their disregard for allies. That was what he loved about his people; that they could go out and take a planet with impunity because everyone else was too scared to retaliate. Too scared or too dead, anyways. His clan paved the way for this attitude in the early stages of their rebellion, spearheaded by Raz herself. Now look at them – the woman next to him was the Mand’alor and they went from fractured clans to a unified military force to be reckoned with. It was truly the will of the gods. He smiled at the thought.

Leandros raised an eyebrow at Raz’s story; a Jedi claiming to not be a Sith? What kind of id-

…

Leandros’ expression very visibly changed at the news, going from a gentle grin to a prominent scowl. That was the pompous Jedi he had worked with. What Raz had just described made Leandros’ skin crawl, for if one claiming to be a Jedi was capable of such callous and reprehensible acts, what were the council members capable of? Were they being deceived, just as they had been in the past? He took a swig of beer, washing out the taste (or lack thereof) of the carrot he ate as he mulled over the revelation.

”Castor…” he started, chewing the inside of his cheek, ”Then it was the same fool I met. Gods, I wish I didn’t listen to you,” he said with a slight chuckle, but his heart was not in it. He had three separate opportunities to kill him and failed. ”He shows that the Jedi cannot be trusted. They’re always going to go down the path the Sith took, no matter what they label themselves as.” He shook his head disappointedly, bothered that he had worked with the man several times without knowing what he really was. He stared off at nothing in particular for a few moments before turning his head back towards Raz.

”This alliance?” he asked, cocking his head to the side a fraction of a degree. ”They provide more soldiers to shield our own in the path of Imperial blasters.” He thought a bit about what other benefits could be, but could not think of much that the Mandalorians themselves already did not do or have. ”But they’re going to get greedy as they take planets. They’ve shown that they can’t hold onto their worlds and they rely on the aid of witches to wage wars. They need us far more than we need them, Raz.” He finished and took another swig of beer and idly licked his teeth.

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz narrowed her eyes at him as he mentioned he didn’t kill the Jedi because he listened to her, “May I remind you that Solus never took part in the extermination of Jedi?” Her tone was slightly harsher than she intended, and she shifted it directly after that, “When I made the alliance, we were barely treading water. Solus was a nobody, we had no one on our side. The rebels were introduced to me by a Jedi that saved my life multiple times,” She met Leandros’ gaze then, a smile on her face, “No, we are not married despite what media likes to tout,” She ran her fingers through her hair, “Don’t think I’m marriage material even without a witch in the picture,” She muttered under her breath.

She didn’t miss the way he looked at the carrot, finding amusement in how he was treating is so suspiciously. He looked around in the bowl as if looking for something. Raz had to chuckle softly, “You know I’m vegetarian, right?” She broke hearts whenever she made that admission, and she didn’t expect anything different this time. It was nice to share moments like these, moments far away from battle and always being their armors all the time. In many ways she felt like someone else entirely whenever she was in beskar’gam. Right now, right here just having a beer and talking on her couch, she felt more human than she had in a long time.

She noticed him freeze up at the mention of Castor, confirming that he was running around with Jedi. This concerned her greatly, and she said nothing for a moment. As he explained that the alliance seemed more one sided than anything, she found herself agreeing. Kashyyyk was an example of that, especially as she wasn’t too thrilled about sharing the planet. She may have respected Greybok, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t put her people before anything else. Raz looked up at Leandros, not saying anything for a moment as she held his gaze.

“Do you doubt me?” She asked quietly, “Truthfully.”

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

”You know what I meant,” he replied when she mentioned Solus never participated in the Jedi purges. ”I didn’t mean us, I mean- nevermind.” He conceded and dropped that particular topic – it was pointless to argue, really. He shrugged and took another sip of beer, holding the bottle up and swirling it a bit to see how much was left before lowering and resting it on his leg again. He nodded along as she mentioned that they were a diminutive clan with little fame before rising to power, knowing full well the doubt that the other clans held about their actions. The badgers proved them all wrong.

Leandros cocked an eyebrow at her denial of being married to the Jedi. It was reassuring to hear, at least. He had saved her live several times before; he could relate. Solus had saved him as a youth all those years ago, before he was reborn into the culture with fervor and zeal. Raz was not there, nor could she be, but it was her people that took in a broken, feverish, delusional boy and turned him into something greater. Perhaps his fever vision truly was more than just that, if the success of the clan was anything to go by. ”Not married, eh?” he said, grinning into his bottle as he took another sip, though it was more to conceal his smile. ”That certainly eases the mind,” he said, his intent behind the sentence nebulous.

Raz admitted she was a vegetarian, and Leandros gave her a blank stare, completely dumbfounded. How could someone go without meat? Bantha steaks? Nerf nuggets? What about those little sausages wrapped in a blanket of dough? By the gods, she was missing out on so much! He looked back at the bowl of vegetarian snacks, then slowly panned his gaze up to her eyes, shocked. ”You don’t like meat?” he questioned bemusedly. ”No wonder you’re not married,” he quipped, tilting his head and smiling. ”Is it… Do you just not eat it or… Why?” He was genuinely curious; never before had he met a Mandalorian who exclusively ate vegetables. How could she survive the wilds, by eating clumps grass and dirt? Whole lot of bombshell facts being dropped during his visit. It was a lot, really.

The two quietly looked each other in the eyes after his admission of his beliefs regarding their alliance, saying nothing and a great deal at the same time from just a single gaze. Eventually, she broke the silence between the two of them, asking a difficult question and demanding his honesty. He thought for a moment, then shook his head gently. ”Doubt you? The one who brought us from nothing to unifying our people?” he began, holding the bottle up and realizing it was empty. He set it down on the floor beside him and rested his hands in his lap as he continued. ”Out there,” he said, motioning towards the open plain outside behind him, ”Untold billions whisper our name in fear, for they know that the badger brings ruin and fury to the unworthy.” He looked Raz in her eyes, saying nothing for a moment. ”They fear the Mandalorians because they fear us. They fear you. I meant what I said that day you claimed your title; you were chosen by the gods to lead our people, whether you know it or not.”

He paused for a moment, looking down at his hands as he rubbed his hands together, his coarse fingers tracing his knuckles before squeezing them in such a way as to pop them. ”No, I don’t doubt you. To do so would be to doubt the gods,” he concluded lifting his gaze to look at her once more, ”And why would I ever have to do that?”

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz quirked an eyebrow as he mentioned her not being married eased the mind. She didn’t miss that little smirk, and she was left wondering what invoked that. Was it relief from her not being tied to a witch or..? He moved on before she could process anything, and she rolled her eyes so hard that they almost fell out. Every Mando she admitted her eating habits to had the most theatrical response to it. She shook her head, calmly drinking her beer as he had his little dramatic sputtering.

“I used to hunt and eat nothing but meat when I was in my early teens and first ran away from Mandalorian space. It was directly after my mother was killed by the Sith,” She thought for a long moment, “Eating meat reminds me of the time when I turned on my people when they needed me the most and when I was a cowardly child. I lost my taste for it ever since and haven’t looked back after returning to Solus,” Raz shrugged, smiling sheepishly, “Call it a foolish reason, but I haven’t missed it. Admittedly, I could improve on the cooking a bit.”

She listened as he answered her other question, sitting in silence. There it was again - her face heating up once more as he laid out everything on the table. He had a very blunt manner of speaking, even more so than she did. Raz shook her head, looking away to hide her face for a moment, “You gave me the title I have,” She muttered quietly, remembering that day in the rain. It had been bittersweet, and she could still remember the weight of Wyatt’s dead body against her. She could still remember the feel of his hot blood running over her hand. The dagger in her heart was more piercing than the blade in her thigh that night. The only comfort was in the thought that he was reunited with his family in the end.

Raz rose to stand, walking over to get two more beers. She tossed him one and opened one for herself, taking a swig. She looked at him for a moment, “Speaking of marriages, I’m surprised you’re not hitched yet,” Raz took another long swig of beer, “With those jaig eyes, I know for a fact you’ve had some ladies clamoring over you,” She chuckled after that. It was true - wherever he went, he had a swarm of adoring fans. Even she hadn’t managed to obtain the eyes herself, “Or does Kad place some rules and boundaries you can’t cross?” She grinned teasingly, briefly reminded of how she thought all Jedi were permanently chaste.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

”Oh,” he said in response, looking at the ground for a moment as she explained her vegetarianism, ”A good enough reason as any. At least it wasn’t because your Jedi boyfriend tricked you into thinking it made you evil,” he chuckled, hoping to lighten the mood by teasing Raz a bit. At least she was self-aware enough to admit that her cooking was not the best. ”I think we could weaponize your food; how often has a casserole toppled an empire? We could be the first to try.” He grinned again, then looked at the bowl of vegetables and such, pursing his lips somewhat. ”I did say to know your limitations, though. Cooking, eh, is probably one of them.”

He could see her grow uncomfortable as he answered her question with brutal honesty. Since his initial remarks towards her outside, she seemed put off balance by his straightforwardness. He was honestly surprised; she was a lot more bashful than he realized. This was one of the first times they had sat down and actually talked in… quite a while, probably. He enjoyed the talk, it reminded him of the humanity they had, even despite their roles as relentless killing machines. They needed to hold onto that, it was what separated them from common beasts. She muttered that he had given her the title of Mand’alor on that thunderous day, but he shook his head in response. ”No,” he said, motioning towards the woman in front of him, ”I simply put a name to the leader. You’re the one who earned it.”

He went quiet at that, remembering what it cost them for her to have done so. He lost a brother and a friend on that field. The death of Wyatt united their people for the first time in five centuries, and Leandros gave him the highest honors for it. He knew that the claim could not be made without the blood of a brother spilled but having to experience it firsthand left him empty. Comrades died, that was a simple truth he learned to accept long ago. Those comrades died in glorious battle against their enemies, though, not in single combat to their Alor because of pride and reckless abandon. He missed Wyatt but rejoiced that his passing was a catalyzing event for the Mandalorians. Leandros looked at his boots for a bit, then lifted his head up and smiled at Raz. ”I’m here for you,” was all he said, knowing that she had to have been going through some unresolved emotional turmoil. He did not want to spoil their mood by bringing up the fallen, so he hoped his assertion was enough for her for now.

Raz stood up abruptly to fetch them some beers and she tossed one over to Leandros, who was beginning to rise from the chair himself. He caught it and popped the top, taking a short gulp from the bottle. ”Clamoring over me?” he asked, sauntering over towards her with beer in hand. ”Can’t say that I’ve noticed, really. Who are my secret admirers, observant one?” He grinned back at her and paused a few steps away, shoving his free hand into his pocket. ”And I’m pious, not celibate. Gods, what a sad life that would be.”

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

She had to laugh at the Jedi boyfriend joke, “Please, no man can dictate what I eat or not,” Raz rolled her eyes again at the cooking comments, “I might forget to put salt in my dishes, but at least I remember to keep my armor on,” She gave him a wink.

Raz said nothing in response to him mentioning that he was there for her. She knew that, and he had demonstrated that enough times. She mentally kicked herself for the fact that he even had to go to those lengths. Would she truly be who she was without people like Leandros, Koil, Narir, Dio and others supporting her? Raz felt as if she would collapse without them as her foundations. She drank from the new beer, pushing her thoughts far away from that line of thinking. She had been mopey enough, and it was time to lighten up. Thoughts of Wyatt or her own insecurities weren’t going to get her anywhere.

As he responded to her quip about the women, she had to chuckle. He walked over to her, and she realized she didn’t have an immediate follow up. Raz’s eyes were slightly wide and she shifted where she stood, drinking from the bottle to buy herself more time, “Well you know… some Eldar ladies, Wren, and a few others,” She coughed quietly, fumbling over her words, “Oh please, don’t act like you’ve never noticed,” He was not the least bit shy, and she realized she wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground. Raz was always out of her element when she wasn’t in armor. The helmet added a layer of confidence and shielding to her, and it was much simpler to speak her mind or be bold. Without all of that, with someone able to see her every little gesture, fidget and the ways her eyes betrayed her thoughts she was completely vulnerable.

“It always seemed like you’d like that life, you know,” She said, her thoughts suddenly far away, “Like Dio. He has something so beautiful with Alex and the kids,” Raz smiled at the thought, “I envy that in many ways. Somehow I think that the path I chose will leave me surrounded and yet in solitude,” She took another drink, “I don’t think I could ever stand the thought of choosing to die for my people or my own flesh and blood,” Raz mused out loud, thinking about everything Dio had to lose if the Sith hammer ever came falling on their heads.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros held his hands up defensively as Raz playfully teased him about keeping his armor on. ”You wound me,” he said, briefly looking down at his body before switching his gaze and looking at hers, ”But it looks like we’re both breaking that rule right now.” He chuckled a few times and took a sip of his drink, giving a listless shrug of his right shoulder. It shamed him, sure, but, like he told Rud so long ago, true mastery was finding things you hate as amusing. He hated his brash carelessness, but it made for a greater journey for him. And stale jokes from his peers.

Leandros cocked an eyebrow again as Raz floundered through her response to his question. ”Eldar, Wren…” he said, looking upwards as if in thought, ”Good, strong clans, those are. Wonder who in them has taken a fancy to me,” he mused, placing his hand on his chin as a joke. He looked back down and at Raz, eyebrow still raised interrogatively. ”What about Solus?” he asked rather brazenly, taking another step or two towards her. She was visibly flustered, no longer under the cover and concealment of her armor and helmet. That seemed to put her at a disadvantage, funnily enough. ”Anyone within our clan clamoring over me and my jaig eyes?” he questioned impishly, giving Raz a mischievous smile. ”After all, the only other person with them is married.” He loved every bit of this; his clan leader was reduced to nervous fidgeting and awkward glances, something that he found absolutely… Well, he was not entirely sure yet. He had some weird feelings going through his head right now that he previously had not really dealt with. The two of them were fighting two different battles – Raz combating her inability to hide and Leandros fighting against his typical “act first, think maybe” mentality.

”A family,” he said, pursing his lips in thought, ”I’ve thought about it plenty of times. I don’t really have one of my own outside of the clan. My old life is- well, in the past. Seeing Dio’s family makes me hopeful,” he admitted. ”The path you chose?” he asked, looking into her eyes, ”I don’t know, you don’t seem entirely isolated. No more than me, anyways, since it’s just you and I here.” He nodded a few times at her apprehension over choosing whom to die for, then shrugged. ”An easy solution to that,” he said, raising his bottle to drink from, ”Is to not worry about dying and focus more on living for those same people.” He took a half-step towards her, placing his bottle on the counter and wiping the condensation off his hands on his pants.

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

As he mentioned Solus, she suddenly coughed with beer in her mouth, having to comically put her hand over her face to suppress the liquid spraying out. It was obvious she was completely caught off guard by the boldness. She looked at him, “You’re doing this on purpose?!” Raz practically hissed, wiping the beer off her chin, no doubt to his great amusement. She was many things, but smooth was not one of them. He, on the other hand, oozed confidence both in and out of armor. She didn’t know how it could even be managed- the only time she could feel truly confident was on the battlefield. Should she have had a gun in her hand to get her through interactions like these?

However, she didn’t step back or budge from where she stood, even as he closed the distance a bit more. Raz took another swig of beer, managing a half grin, “Solus women are feisty, wild and more stubborn than bantha. They might be a bit too much for you to handle,” She chuckled, thinking about all the women in the clan she knew. There was a reason they had the dire badger as their sigil, and the ferocity showed especially in the women. Raz didn’t consider herself an exception to that, not that that’s what he meant… right? In any case, she was entirely clueless and kept drinking from the bottle.

He had a different way of looking at things, and she admired that about him. It was difficult not to think about death with the amount of risks they always took. However, those little moments of celebration and coming together was what they risked their lives for. There was always a deeper meaning and goal beyond simply going out to kill Sith. They were out to change the landscape of the galaxy and topple powers that had held on for far too long.

She looked back at him, realizing this was probably one of the very rare times they had taken the time to chat like this. There had always been a distinct space between them, a clear hierarchical divide. Now that they weren’t playing Mand’alor and Field Marshal, those lines were more blurred. Raz didn’t feel as awkward about asking personal questions, “And has anyone caught the attention of Mr. Jaig Eyes?”

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

He did it again. Raz coughed hard, having been caught mid-sip by his abrupt question. Liquid seeped out from her fingers and dribbled on the floor before she wiped it off. Leandros gave a curt laugh and a shrug in response to her question, idly remarking, ”Looks like it’s working.” Here was his Mand’alor, whom he had seen act on the battlefield with cool, calculated precision, now reduced to a sputtering mess with nearly every response of his. He found it adorable that someone known as being such a heroic badass was busy trying to keep her drink down and stop her face from reddening. He was a naturally bold individual, relying on the strength of his piety and sheer resolve to grant him the courage he sought. That applied both on and off the battlefield, and this particular instance seemed to be in his favor.

It was surprising that she did not shrink back as he approached, and he welcomed that. She was growing more comfortable with him, he thought, though her reactions certainly did not show otherwise. She claimed that Solus women would be too much for him to handle, which he simply chuckled at. She had a point – their clan was notorious for going absolutely balls-to-the-wall without regard for the consequences, owing to their clan emblem. ”We all had to tame a badger once before,” he replied, picking his beer back up for a sip, ”What’s the harm in another one?” He chuckled and wiped his mouth, setting the beer back on the counter. He looked around the room idly before resting his gaze back on Raz.

This time, Raz decided to go on the offensive and ask him a personal question, causing him to raise his brows somewhat. He thought about his answer for a few moments, realizing that she was a lot more skittish than he thought, and so being too forthright may cause unintended problems for their meeting. ”Has anyone caught my eye?” he repeated her question, chewing the inside of his cheek. ”A few.. Some for their beauty, some for their skill.” He glanced over at his beer before bringing his eyes back to the woman in front of him, ”Some for a bit more.” He shrugged lightheartedly, intentionally ambiguous in his response.

”And what about you? Who is worthy enough to have caught your eye?” He asked, giving her a heavy-lidded stare.

@Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

She couldn’t help but smile at him recalling how they had to tame badgers. It had so many meanings behind it, she couldn’t even begin to unpack that little statement. She could only drink from her beer, watching him curiously. Raz realized she had finished the beer and was trying to sip from an empty bottle. She awkwardly moved over to set hers down, inevitably putting her closer to where he stood. She had been here many times before, and they had fought and bled together. Why, then, was this so different and strange? Raz could only chew the inside of her lip as she looked at him.

He was taller than her, and made her feel quite small by comparison despite her athletic appearance. In armor, they all looked similar, so being out of armor was always eye opening. Raz listened to his words as he listed off who had caught his eye. She found it entertaining, though she wasn’t exactly sure why she was curious. Raz quirked an eyebrow as he finished that little list, “A bit more eh? I imagine you need someone that can put you in your place, Little Badger,” She quipped playfully, always finding the nickname hilarious considering how tall he actually was.

As he turned the question back around on her, she had to pause. The smile from her face faded slightly as she had to think about that. She looked away from him for a moment, her mind suddenly thrown into a flux of thoughts. Raz had many run ins with Val, had been intimate with him and had been confused about her feelings for him. But at the end, he was a Jedi, and that tore away at her. Especially since the Castor incident, her thoughts on Jedi were more muddled than ever. Was Val different? Did it matter? She was Mand’alor and had her entire people looking to her. She glanced up at Leandros - a man that was the perfect embodiment of everything a Mandalorian should be. He was fearless in all aspects, both in and out of armor, had been there for her for many years, had been there for her through every big milestone Solus had faced. Raz’s mind was in utter chaos, and she realized it was becoming apparent on her face. In the end, she faintly smiled.

“I don’t think it matters, does it?” She shrugged, “I feel like I can't be afforded such luxuries,” Raz sighed, bottling up her personal feelings on the matter. She took a step back and began to walk towards her front door, tilting her head back to look at him, “Come on, let’s go for a ride,” She said casually, opening the door.

The basilisk was parked out front, and sticking out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood. Raz didn’t bother with armor, climbing onto the droid and waiting for Leandros to hop onto his.

@Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros watched her sip at an empty bottle, more consumed with him than with the fact that she had finished her drink some time ago. As she realized that it was empty, he smiled softly, watching her close the distance to set the bottle down. For a brief moment, the two locked eyes and just sat in silence before the conversation continued. Raz raised a brow at his nebulous list before responding. He raised his own brows slightly, the corners of his lips curling upwards, ”Someone that can put me in my place?” he queried, tilting his head at her. ”I can only think of… mm, maybe one person that can do that.” His eyes drifted towards the ceiling for a moment as found himself lost in thought, giving a listless shrug of his right shoulder. He inhaled deep and sighed, looking back down at her, mouth still frozen in a smile.

His question had an unintended, but equally unsurprising, effect on her. For a brief period, she seemed to retreat inward, deep in thought. She had a bad time with concealing her emotions, putting a small degree of her turmoil on display. After a bit, she simply smiled at him, deflecting the question. Leandros frowned briefly before shaking his head, ”Why not?” he asked in response. Before he could follow it up, she stepped away and headed towards the door.

Leandros shrugged, lifted his bottle, and finished it off. He sauntered over towards her. A ride would be fun, he figured. The outside was warm, but not overly so. Shutting the door behind him, he turned and saw Raz already atop her basilisk, awaiting him. His own basilisk sat there, craning its great head at him expectantly. As he passed by the monstrous mechanical mount, he patted its head plating and continued on around its side. The droid emitted a low buzz in response, ready for adventure.

He approached the basilisk and climbed atop it, sitting in the rider's saddle. It was almost comical; two Mandalorians atop hulking war machines without armor and only marginal weaponry. Nobody would question them, of course, but the thought amused him. ”So, where are you taking me?” he asked, looking over at Raz.

@Sreeya