Open [Dxun] Ducking Drexl

[Hauron Solus]

Spoiler: Music

Song

OOC: Open to Mandalorians. ​

The jungle moon of Dxun was known for its dangerous fauna but Hauron would be a liar if he said it wasn't beautiful. From the gharzr to the famous nightsalkers, the surface, like the sky, was filled with a natural landscape that could humble even the mightiest of lone warriors. That was why Hauron had assembled a group of mandalorians to go on safari and hunt some of the fearsome creatures.

Today the Rally Master knew of a particular dangerous game, the Drexl. They inhabited both Dxun and the planet it orbited, Onderon. The reptavian beasts were capable of flight and a terror to Onderon people for as long as they had settled the world. Tales of the monsters reminded Hauron of the stories he had heard of the Mythosaur or the Basilikans. To this day Hauron called a rancor his friend and steed so he felt this was appropriate.

Armed with his Westar-17 blaster carbine and underslung non-lethal grenade launcher the rally master looked ready for a full scale assault instead of a beast hunt. He wore a pair of thermic blades that looked akin to beskads or ordinary vibroblades when sheathed. His standard twin westar-55 blaster pistols were hung from either hip but what stuck out was that in his arms Hauron strummed a guitar. He made minor adjustments as the man stood by for the hunters to assemble. It was a hobby Hauron was picking up again and something he could do by sound rather than sight, leaving him free to keep his eyes on the treeline while he waited.

 

[Endyr Ratheon]

Welcome to the jungle. The Ratheon thought as he walked. We got fun and games. Definitely plenty of game when it came to creatures like Nighthunters. A great way to test a Mandalorian’s strength and ability. Sure, this one would be happy to go solo, but for the kind of prey in mind, well, maybe it needed more than one predator.

So he walked forward, he crunched the twigs beneath his boots, he flexed his gloved fingers, and he went with his armor and his armaments. His stuff: an assortment of pistol and carbine, knife and sword, grenades and a brave face in place of saying ‘get outta my way, di'kut’.

A Mandalorian’s face. That helmet, that visor, that T, those black wings. Black and gold were his clan’s colors, and its signet was a sword on a shield, and Endyr Ratheon wore it on his beskar'gam as he bore his family’s legacy in his arms.

“Nice guitar,” he remarked to that one-two strum as he arrived from the treeline. Eyes to the sky, not stopping his walking, standing at a talking distance from his counterpart. “Don’t suppose you know Himi Jendrix’s remix to Kote Darasuum?”

Endyr didn’t really wager an answer, rotating a shoulder as if his armor was suddenly stiff. Eh. Must be the outfit. If that damned Ugnaught ripped me off, I’m ripping off his karking arms.

“Endyr,” the Mandalorian introduced to the Mandalorian, tugging on his crotch. “Of Clan Ratheon.” Def didn’t expect any applause.

@Darasuum

 

[Xim Zhan]

The thick humid air of the jungle had a scent all her own, one that transcended the senses and took the entire body to experience. It was so even for one bound within the Mandalorian living sarcophagus of beskar’gam. Xim Zhan’s eyes scanned the thick undergrowth all about him as he made his way down the worn path. The jungle pressed in from all sides and the man did not like it, not one bit. If there was one thing Xim knew, it was that demons and dragons lived anywhere and everywhere; some even took the forms and souls of men. As he moved, Xim was wary, his internal sensors scanning the thick vegetation and displaying on his HUD. On a world of dragons, even the prey could be monsters. They had to be to survive. And so then, would he.

Xim’s blackened armor did little to dissuade the heat, but it did shadow him within the weak sunlight that managed to break through the canopy overhead. He carried no family signet, no tribal pauldron, only a simple roundel of blue to match the faint blue shades that lined his beskar’gam. On his back, the Mandalorian hunter carried a jetpack combined with a large mounted rocket; his wrists carried whistling birds and rockets, left and right specifically. On his thigh, a Westar-93 tapped against the slung E-11 rifle that hunt loosely about the man’s shoulders. His waist carried reloads for his weapons and a heavy beskad blade, and in his boot, Xim had tucked a thermic dagger as an insurance policy. It was an arsenal born of experience from fighting dragons and demons.

The Mandalorians had been called forth from the far corners of the universe. When people were in their greatest hour of need, where the mysticism of the Jedi, the barbarism of the Sith, armies of the galaxies governments, and the conniving of the underworld failed, it was then and there that the desperate turned to the sons and daughters of Mandalore. And so it was here, the promise of reward, more so even the thrill of the hunt alongside brethren of similar ideals.

Xim approached the two already assembled Mandalorians as the sounds of a guitar carried on the heavy humid air. He offered a knowing nod of greeting, speaking in their native tongue, “<brothers, you’re still alive,>”

@Darasuum @Die Shize

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron's strumming continued even when he heard Endyr approach. There were plenty of creatures to be wary of on Dxun and it was probably a bad idea to be so relaxed. Realizing this, the mandalorian set aside the guitar even as the first arrival asked him a question. "Heh, Not well enough." He admitted.

The man had not come to play a concert and had just played the instrument to pass the time. He tried to ignore the self-groping and uncomfortable posture Endyr perpetuated. Maybe he had recently grown some and needed a new suit of armor. He could have crabs or some other parasite but Hauron did not want to jump to conclusions. The Rally Master would ignore the self-touching for now and hoped it would stop.

A third mandalorian appeared and this one Hauron recognized much more quickly. The armor of Xim had been a relatively frequent sight from time to time. <"You're still alive, brother."> The mikkian answered with a jutting of his chin in greeting as he alsos spoke in mando'a. He was pleased to see his comrade was doing well.

Looking at Ratheon clan member he would introduce himself properly. "Hauron, of House Solus." The badger replied and touched a hand to his own chest plate. Endyr's name rang a bell having been one of the warriors who explored the hyperspace route to Vulpter. "It's nice to meet you Endyr. One of my lieutenants spoke well of you. He said you were good company on a long trip." At least he thought he had said company and not entertainment.

@The Mad Hammer @Die Shize

 

[Endyr Ratheon]

There was a bit of a difference between self-groping and adjusting one’s garment because it was a bit tighter-fitting than expected. Maybe Endyr might hope that his vods wouldn’t dwell on something so very simple as a guy’s corrected crotch but he actually didn’t give enough of a shit as it is.

Besides, only an idiot played a guitar amid dangerous creatures before suddenly realizing that maybe it wasn’t the best idea to begin with? These Mandalorians were here to hunt, not entertain the forest as musicians.

That guitarist, though, did know how to play his instrument. As phrases exchanged between ‘brothers, alive’ and ‘alive, brother’ Endyr looked between both Mandalorians as if he might recognize either of them in an instant. He didn’t.

Hauron of House Solus. Granted, Solus was no clan like Ratheon but of a greater status. He never really run with them before, given they were on opposite sides of an old war, but Endyr wasn’t one to hold a grudge against the traitorous and so-dubbed ‘True Mandalorians’. Well, except one. Bet.

Endyr thought back as Hauron mentioned one of his lieutenants. Ah. Hokaan Veren. Rancor Squadron. A Solus affiliate or some shit. Endyr hadn’t actually gotten a chance to know the man or the other Man, Rath Jell, though the latter had a kickass firstname for sure.

“Good company on a long trip, is it?” Endyr straightened the pauldron on his other shoulder. Sometimes it was just a matter of not checking your clothing before heading out the door.

“Sounds like he mistook me for some chick in his lap but sure.” He shrugged, as much for comfort in a gesture between both hunters. “So, Drexl. Let’s give ‘em hell.”

@Darasuum @The Mad Hammer

 

[Xim Zhan]

Removing his helmet with a hiss, Xim tucked it beneath his arm, “Xim Zhan of the Endless Watch,” he introduced himself by his affiliation; having given up his clan upon joining the descendant organization of the ill-reputed Death Watch, “but with less murder,” he smiled at the other two.

Without missing a beat, Xim joined the conversation and pressed it forward. He hoped to avoid any lingering resentment toward his affiliation or political pontifications, “Have either of you ever hunt Drexl before?” He pressed, thinking of the long line of critters he had stalked and killed of late. Looking around at the jungle surrounding them, Xim wondered aloud, “How do they fly through all this underbrush?” He was regretting not requisitioning some sort of speeder or swoop for the hunt. Being above the tree line right now seemed like a real benefit. Mentally he made a note; if they had not found the beast by nightfall, perhaps he would sojourn into wherever the nearest settlement or base camp happened to be and requisition one for official business.

@Darasuum @Die Shize

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron gave a chuckle at Endyr's words. His humor was the main source of compliments. Hopefully he knew how to take things seriously when it mattered. But the Rally Master could enjoy the company of a funny comrade.

Xim Zhan had joined Rancor Squadron briefly but had recently left and joined another organization, the Endless Watch. As Group Leader he did not want to hold onto warriors that were unhappy. Hauron was not egotistical enough to believe everyone needed to follow him personally. Atuu Skirata was a good man.

"Nope. This is a first." The Rally Master admited and once again wish Rath Jell had come on this excursion. The man had allowed Hauron to study the extensive data he had collected on the Drexl. "We're hunting warbeasts, but I also want an egg." The Solus intended to raise and train a drexl if they were lucky enough to acquire one. But fighting an adult Drexl will be difficult enough and Hauron did not want to attempt to tame a mature monster.

It was a difficult balance to attain on Dxun but Hauron had a vision of what he desired pictured in his head. The Demon Moon had dangerous wild life and would thwart any potential invaders be they Sith, Hutts, Jedi or anything else. Many Drexl lived across the moon and the planet it orbited but a particular nest was near the old mandalorian outposts. If they managed to clear the nearest warbeast nest and slay the monster they would make it safer for mandalorians in the immediate area.

"They're huge and surprisingly nimble. Pincers like glaives and a stinger tail larger than a saber is what they mainly use if my research is accurate." The people of Onderon had been plagued by the warbeasts for ages. They could fold their wings close to their bodies, land and take off again or just crash through trees to claim their prey. At least, that was what a winged rancor might do.

The Mandalorian cleared his throat and produced a holoprojector. He showed a map of their current location with one hand and pointed a gloved finger with the other. "We're here but I think the drexl are somewhere around here. I think there might be a structure, just some old ruins really." Most likely the local wildlife had long ago reclaimed it and made it into a personal habitat. "Jetpacks, ships, they're too large or loud. We'll approach on foot so I hope you brought your hiking boots and sharpened your sabers. Today we're slaying dragons."

@The Mad Hammer @Die Shize