Ask Mandalore Mandalore: Forged in Flame

[Srucayr]

Srucayr now found himself aboard a ship, party to a Clan his covert had all but severed ties with and allied with Outsiders he would never trust. The crate he bore out to safety was by far the heaviest and unlike the wanton disregard Minerva had, he wouldn't toss the crate down for risk of destroying what lie inside. He would stay with the relics while the others of his kind talked amongst themselves, carefully opening the crates to see what relics were recovered. Gloves removed, scarred hands would trace the durasteel crate "You shall be returned to the Citadel.. I cannot trust these to not lose you once more to time.." he mused.

Of those he travelled with, only a handful and inspired any sort of faith or trust in them. And whether he had his own reservations or not, Kad required his presence amongst them, and that need superseded his own. He would re-seal the crate, taking a seat beside the trio of boxes. Looking down at his newly burn covered palms, he would rub them together until they began to bleed. "Show me your will, Destroyer.. Make me your instrument of change, and at the end of it all, allow me to pass into the Manda, worthy to join my forbearers.." Hands now a little bloody, he would remove a pair of stones from a pouch, squeezing them tightly in his hands before casting them. "Yes... I see now..."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

The Wren Bunch – yes, maybe she should call them that but not out loud – turned out to be a decent group. They were, unsurprisingly, disappointed for missing all the action that had taken place back in the Palace and the following assault to the Nagai pirates' ship. Should she be on their place, it was obvious that Reiel would share the sentiment.

Minerva seemed to know these guys quite well – or so Reiel thought – so she left them to their devices as they flocked around the crates to see what relics they held. She would nod over at Gett'se, letting her closest vod find rest for the time being, before trying to find a corner of her own.

Her visored gaze would soon find Srucayr, the ancient armor he wore drawing a thoughtful frown on her face. Have they met before? His armor seemed familiar, and the sounds of revelry in a bar on Coruscant as well as the bottle of tihaar offered to her for her singing clicked, like a lost puzzle to make up the whole picture.

Reiel approached him, curiosity gnawing at her while she listened to his words. The younger Mando would sit beside him, vision drawn to his scarred and bleeding hands. She stayed the urge to attend to his wounds, not wanting to disturb his... meditation? Prayer? Prophesy?

What Srucayr was doing was something Reiel had never seen before. And so, with the ancient knowledge before her, she asked, inquisitive,

"What? What do you see? And what are you doing?"

Rapid fire questions displaying the thirst for knowledge that needed to be sated. If there was anything Reiel was known for by her clan, it was that she would ceaselessly learn about whatever piqued her curiosity until she was satisfied about what she'd learned.

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

Any that drew close to the relics would immediately be watched by Srucayr. As far as he was concerned, Wren had zero claim for their late arrival and Minerva had even less with the threat to them being caused by her allies. If Gett'se or Reiel, wanted some however, he would happily argue for their right to do so.

His focus on the crates would be drawn by the arrival of Reiel and his visor would shift to her. "Greatness. I see what Kad allows me to see, or so us of the Akaan Salyr believe. But what he is letting me see, is our people's greatness once more restored. We lost our way without the gods, but now after all we've suffered, it appears we may be willing to fall in line once more. We cannot be great without the blessing of Kad." He responded before he picked up the stones and procured his water skin to cleanse them. Once clean, they went back into the pouch. As he worked, however, she could see that aside from the recent burns, most of the scars on his hands looked intentional. And on the backs, were carvings. Words in Mando'a or even symbols?

"And before you ask, no, it is not like the Force. What we can do, is pure. A blessing. The Force is a manifestation of Arasuum,Hod Haran, and weak Aruetii gods to rival Kad Ha'rangir for his place at the head of the pantheon. Hod gives the Force its ability to corrupt, and Arasuum, he makes it so those with the Force can do such things with ease, that they give in deeper. It's not the Jedi or the Sith that are our enemy, it's the Force itself."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

The gods of the Mandalorian people were something – someone? – the clan elders talked about in quiet whispers, and even then the latter would mention them in passing in the presence of foundlings. Reiel's ba'buir, back when she had just been recently welcomed and accepted into their fold, would often warn her about the Sloth, whose hands offered stagnation. It was not the Mandalorian way to be idle, he would warn her, and his words would spur Reiel into performing her duties better and more efficiently. The old Falleen would then speak of the Trickster, and how she must never rely on his blessings twice. Buir taught her that luck could only get you so far, and the Trickster's fickle nature meant that she must trust to her abilities to survive and not just look for blessings to come.

And then came the Destroyer. With him came change. Growth. Forever waging war with Sloth who would turn their people to idleness and stagnation.

There was no shame in admitting that you didn't have enough knowledge on a certain topic. Only fools would act as if they knew everything then flounder the next moment when their lies have been revealed. And Reiel was no fool.

She listened intently to Srucayr's words, brows furrowed as she took in what he had shared. Reiel was friends with a Jedi – Maker, she was even romantically involved with a Force-user (her face heated up at the very thought of Carrick). To hear something as profound as the Force being a manifestation of two of the Old Gods and those worshipped by the aruetiise was confusing to her. But she would let Srucayr continue with his explanation, and Reiel could then see where his points were leading.

"I'm sorry if this question sounds stupid, but..." the younger Mando paused, worrying her bottom lip before finding the courage to ask. "That leaves Kad Ha'rangir against the Force, right? If the other gods would resort to manifesting it in order to combat the Destroyer himself?"

Reiel's gaze would then find Srucayr's bare hands. One gloved hand hovered over his but not touching, her hesitation being the unasked question if it would be alright to, well, touch.

"Your hands are burned, maybe you should let me check on them–"

Her words were swiftly cut off, then, at the sight of carvings on his hands. They looked intentional, self-inflicted, maybe? For penance? Or...?

"Mando'a...?"

Waiting for permission forgotten, Reiel would take one of Srucayr's hands in hers, brown eyes wide behind her visor as she turned his hostaged hand over – even the back was covered with carvings, and she was sure the other one had some as well. Their close proximity had her finally noticing the symbols and words etched on his armor as well.

"Did I just read something about history on your armor?" came her incredulous query, brows shooting upwards as she looked at his hand then to his armor, and back again.

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

"It is the belief of my order, yes. All through our history, we have been tormented, deceived, betrayed by the Force. Whenever we get too strong, followers of the Force come to ruin our advancement. Patterns do not lie, nor does history." Srucayr would say. There was also a nod and a relenting sigh as he lowered his hand into hers for treatment.

His tone would reflect his amusement in her sudden excited query. "Aye, like my armor, my body bears the history of our people, our gods. This armor has been repaired, replaced, and reforged over a thousand times.. and each time, the history is etched into it's surface. To forget where we came from, is to lose where we are meant to be."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Before she could forget her initial intent, Reiel would retrieve her medpac, focus shifting from the carvings on Srucayr's hands to his burns with much difficulty. The younger Mandalorian couldn't exactly scold him for further aggravating his wounds earlier, seeing that what he performed earlier was for religious purposes. She called the attention of one of the Wren Bunch, politely asking her fellow Mando for a canteen of water. Catching the canteen with one hand as it was passed to her, Reiel would busy herself with twisting the cap off and cleaning Srucayr's wounds.

Water mixed with blood pooled on the floor but she paid it no heed. They could always just wipe the mess off with some rags or something.

"'To lose where we came from,'" she muttered, repeating his words with quiet conviction reserved for herself, "'is to lose where we are meant to be.' I've been taught that the history of our people is rife with bloodshed – not just from the outsiders, but also by the hands of our own. Buir said we've waged so many wars, and that the past is something to be learned from, not a mistake to be repeated."

Wounds clean, Reiel would then dig inside the medpac for another antiseptic spray and bandages.

"But... I've always wanted to learn from outside of my covert's point of view."

Shaking her head minutely, she shifted her focus from history, to his wound, and then to the order he mentioned earlier. Different from the Death Watch and from the Protectors. Akaan Salyr. It was new to her, and it showed in the curious tilt of her helmeted head.

"Your order... the Akaan Salyr. Do you–"

Reiel's thoughts flashed back to the throne room, her head free from the weight of her helmet and her face bare for her vode to see, for an aruetii as well...

She held no regret for the action, nor for it's result. Her father gave her the choice between the Old and the New, gave her the freedom to not follow on his zealotry. The choice was hers, and she had made it.

Do you follow the Way of the Mandalore? was what she was trying to ask. But given Srucayr's advice to her when she had cried in the throne room, Reiel knew that it wouldn't matter. He didn't look at her with disgust nor treated her as dar'manda for baring her face.

Yes, that question wouldn't matter anymore, regardless of his answer.

"Can you tell me about the Akaan Salyr?"

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

"War is essential to life. This life. The only God we can trust, is our God of War, for war brings change whether it's good or bad. When we stray, when we lose sight of the path, we suffer. But when we hold firm in our beliefs, there is no force in this galaxy that can stop our kind except Lady Death herself." As she tended the burns, he turned his palms upward to make the task easier.

"The last two wars our people waged against each other were started by followers of the Force. My Clan has and always will side with that of tradition. We killed our own to preserve our history against cowards and the Jedi. We lost, but we would never submit. Many of our kind lost their way, forgot they were warriors, forgot the Resol'nare, the Canons of Honor, forgot it all. They sold their souls to be bounty hunters or to ensure their position with profit. We slighted Kad Ha'rangir and so he devastated us with wars to lead us back to the right path, to him." Srucayr paused as he eased back into his place.

"Peace is a blessing reserved to us after death. To fear death for even one moment is to rob us of experiencing our lives to the fullest. I look around this hold and do you know what I see? A few believers, a few who turned their backs on the gods. Most of them, are lost. They found the warrior, but did they recover the artist? The musician? Do they know the revelry our kind are capable of? The love we fight for? Not the infatuation, not the lust, the love." Once she was done, he'd pull his gloves back on, burnt as they were.

"Look what we were reduced to, divisions surrounding who removes their helms and who doesn't. The Way of the Mandalore? We talking our leader or the world. Because I don't remember any single Mandalore claiming such decrees. The Children of the Watch are just descendants of Death Watch and they removed their helms. It's a joke and a bad one at it. You want to be a true Mandalorian, you follow the Resol'nare, if you want to be a true zealot, the Canons of Honor." As he spoke, his visor would shift to focus on her.

"As for the Akaan Salyr, we are the chosen of Kad, his War Priests. Blessed with his guidance, with his communion. In the days of the Old Republic, we would hunt Dar'manda, cleanse Clans that lost their way, and hunt force users intent on harming the Clans. Now, we are too few in number to be so successful. Since our kind nearly turned fully away from Kad, he withdrew much of his support of us, but I still hear him. I still know his signs. We are historians, priests, warriors, musicians. We are fearless and wholly devoted to Kad. I do what I do for my faith in him, for my love of our people, not for hate."


@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Reiel's gaze found the visor of Srucayr's helmet once more when she finished treating his wounds. A thoughtful frown appeared on her face as she listened to him speak, her brows furrowing when it turned into deeper topics.

She did ask for another Mandalorian's knowledge about their history other than the ones taught to her by Clan Crowholde's teachers. And somehow, Reiel understood why they didn't teach her everything. Perhaps it was because she was already an adult (but wasn't that all the more reason to teach her, because she's more equipped to understand?), that she would find their history too terrifying to continue being a Mandalorian. Maybe they thought that she would turn away, calling them murderers and warmongers. Or that she would question their strong inclination for following after the Children of the Watch, that to show what lay behind your iron skin was the quickest way to lose your heritage – to lose your own sense of self and your soul. Hadn't she asked her buir once about the Way followed by the Watch and the one before them? Because Srucayr was right – the Death Watch were free to remove their helmets whenever they wished and they never became dar'manda, while their Children was not afforded the same luxury.

Hadn't she told buir, told her friend Fiach, that to keep the Resol'nare was to live as a true Mandalorian? That removing one's helmet or choosing to keep your face hidden did not make you any less of a child of Mandalore?

That was why buir gave her the choice, right?

Reiel wanted to argue that they never forgot. That the Mandalorians existed still because they chose to keep the Resol'nare and those who still follow the Canons of Honor – well, mostly the former. But what evidence did she have to strengthen that claim? And to argue with one who was steeped in their peoples' history, their chronicles etched both on his armor and skin – what did she, a Mando who hadn't even reached a decade yet of wearing both helmet and armor, have to offer?

Once more, Reiel almost felt like an impostor among her own people.

The younger Mandalorian went quiet long after Srucayr had finished speaking. Silence helped her think things through, helped her absorb information better. Her thoughts were focused more on Srucayr's clan, now few in number and yet still holding on to what they fought for, what they believed in. From what she had gathered, it was highly likely that his clan dwindled in number not just because of the Purge.

He did say that they hunted down clans that lost their way. Mandalorian against Mandalorian, regardless of their beliefs.

"Will you still accept those who have been lost in your fold? Those who wished to serve Kad once more?" she asked, because really, it was the only thing she could do. What else could Reiel offer someone who was steeped in their culture and tradition, in beliefs and history? That's right, nothing. Except her unquenchable curiosity. "And what about those who weren't even taught what you just told me? What is required to be Kad's War Priest?"

...not that she asked that last part for herself. It was just one of the many paths that now lay before her. Only time would tell if she would take it or walk another way.

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

"Those who are lost can always be found. With our cleansing of the Clans in the days of old.. they were given chances. Time. They were warned and when Clans were openly labeled Dar'manda by Mand'alor, we were there to was away their stain on our peoples history. All who wish to follow the Destroyer, be they one who knew and turned away or one that had never heard his way, are welcome. The road is long and it is hard. Some of our own kind will learn to fear you, revile you, they may even try to claim your life. But those that our lost have no power compared to the gods, so we need never fear them or their ire. As a Mandalorian, your word is your bond, without it, you're lost. So speak the truth, even if it leads to your death." one gauntleted finger would tap her chestplate, just below the collarbone. "The strongest weapon of the Akaan Salyr is conviction. In the days of old, dozens of us could stand firm against hundreds and hundreds against thousands. Conviciton in Kad, in your kin, in yourself. The Mando'ade fight with a higher purpose, we fight to bring change, to tip the cosmic scale to progress and once Kad has his fill, he allows us a respite from the war. But that respite is meant to let us recharge, train, learn."

Those shoulders would roll as he cracked the joints. "If this is a path you choose to walk Reiel, be it of the Akaan Salyre or not.. The path of our people is steeped in pain and bloodshed. Our wars are bloody, they're even condemned, but when we give into the comfort of peace, to stagnation, that is when our people suffer the most. After the Mandalorian Wars, we were still numerous, but after we turned to peace, we were nearly wiped out. And even when we suffer, there is one thing the Aruetii will never understand: Mandalorians are a belief, not a race. Races can be extinguished, a belief cannot. Even if they kill us to the last man, they cannot erase us from history and one day someone would find our teachings and bring us back."


@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Conviction. The one thing many sentients believe they carried but would always fall short and would discard it so quickly when things failed to come to their favor. Conviction was a word drilled to her mind by her buir and her clan, and while she knew practically nothing about the Akaan Salyre, she found it comforting that having conviction was something she and her covert shared with Srucayr's order.

"I know," she whispered softly in agreement. "My buir told me that being a Mandalorian would mean that I'd have to accept the burden of fighting and living for a higher purpose. That being a Mandalorian is to pledge yourself in a never-ending struggle and war, whether if it's personal or for a higher cause. He told me that before I took the Creed, before he spoke to me the Vow of Adoption, but I still accepted. Wholeheartedly. I was eighteen at the time."

Reiel lifted her hands to her helmet and, for the second time in a single day, removed it from her head. She had made her choice back in the throne room, she reminded herself. And it was not the helmet that dictated her status as a Mandalorian, it was not what bound her to the Creed. The Resol'nare was carved deeply into her mind and heart, and with the acceptance in Srucayr's words Reiel knew that she would only stop being a Mandalorian – and become the dreaded dar'manda – once she ceased to live through the Six Actions.

"He also said the same thing – we waged wars but our numbers never wavered and continued to grow, even. We embraced peace, gave ourselves in to the promise of comfort and respite it offered, and nearly became extinct as a result."

She looked at Srucayr, eyes shining with tears at his words. "I've only been a Mandalorian for eight years – not even at the one-decade mark yet." Reiel smiled. "And that is something I told those who have come close to killing me. They could strike me down, they could wipe out my clan and our people, but they could never get rid of us. It's much easier to kill a person than an idea, a belief. Yeah, they could kill all of us, but we'll rise back up. The galaxy can and will never rid itself of the Mando'ade.

"It can try, sure. But it will only ever be met with nothing but failure."

The younger Mandalorian held her helmet close to her chest. She stared at the T-visor, her reflection smiling back up at her.

"The galaxy can and will never succeed. We are a permanence it will have to live with."

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

"Your buir was wise to teach you what he did, though it seems like he kept much from you. Much that he should have shared and allowed you to make your own decision on." His visor shifted to her when she removed her helm "Never wage war for personal reasons. Its fickle and displeases the gods. War should be fought for a higher purpose and if you please Kad, he will ensure that your reward is finding your own justice."

Then came the sigh. He was aboard a ship with his own kind, yet he trusted maybe two of them. But with the second removal, he would feel obligated to do so as well. Scarred gauntlets would lift to his helm before sliding it off. He set the heavy piece down with a thud on the steel floor beside him, his other hand would adjust the thick dreads bound together beneath. A thick and full beard and golden eyes would now focus on her where once a grizzled helm sat. "My name means prophet, perhaps I can help you find your way back to Kad. Fully back to the Old Ways, before the osik. In the eighth year, Reiel of Clan Crowholde found her way back to the light of the gods. From that point forward, may they bless her path."

A laugh would escape him. "Though I am sure you are tired of hearing me preach."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Reiel nodded her head in confirmation, her smile more relaxed than overwhelmed and emotional. "He did, on both accounts, and I figured as much. I won't blame him, though. Buir seemed... lost and lonely at the time."

Considering that the Mandalorian Zabrak still felt guilty for losing his first foundling, Reiel never held it against him if he and the clan thought that the unabridged version of their history would throw her off from taking the Creed. Despite being already an adult at the time, she was still like a wide-eyed kid to them, far too innocent to be regaled with tales of war and kinslaying – albeit the latter was to weed their people of those who betrayed their Way.

Her gaze found Srucayr's once more. "I... will try," she assured him. All her life she had been searching for a higher purpose, and joining the Mandalorians had given her just that. She fought to provide for her covert, fought with her kinsmen to keep them safe. It had become her purpose, and now something greater was being given to her – and to her clan, by extension. For too long they have lived in the shadows...

"...now we're given the chance to step out into the light," she finished, honey brown eyes filled with awe at the sight of an unmasked Srucayr. His words, having such gravitas upon them, made her bow her head as best as she could in her sitting position out of sheer respect and acceptance. "May the gods smile upon my clan as well."

The younger Mandalorian returned his laughter with a grin, cheeks dimpling with mirth. "As long as I'm learning, then there's no reason for me to get tired of said 'preaching'," she told him, making quotation marks with her fingers at the last word.

Silence lulled the two briefly, before Reiel spoke again. "I think I've met you before, ori'vod. On Coruscant, during Life Day. Your armor is awfully familiar, now that I've taken a good, long look at it."

Then, to punctuate her claim, she started humming a little tune before singing softly.

"'Last Life Day, I gave you my heart. But the veru next day, you gave it away,'" she sang, grin widening a little. "It's a silly aruetii song, and you gave me a bottle of tihaar for it. Remember?"

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

"Well, perhaps when we are done here, we can help your buir find himself. To be lost is a fate almost worse than death." Sru would say, though his tone was gentle. "The Orar'da'yadr.. my covert.. we have stayed for too long in our bunker.. And now the Akaan Salyre travel far and wide to discover what was lost. Our kin across the cosmos, to find relics, to bring more of our kind home. If you Clan wishes to settle on the planet, they may find solace with my kin."

He scratched his chin as she spoke of Coruscant. "Ah yes, the Mandalorian singing Aruetii trash." he teased. "I vaguely remember an Aruetii standing on the stage to sing with you. Tell me he didn't score, especially since he looked far too weak to survive a proper blooding. I hope the bottle wasn't too watered down. I would have stayed longer, but I felt Kad's pull to the undercity. Eventually.. I need to head back. Finish what I started."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Her smile turned soft at his offer, her grip on her helmet turning more lax than tense. Perhaps she was adjusting too quickly and too well from transitioning to following after the Children of the Watch's Way then to the true essence of the Resol'nare. Maybe it was her buir's plan all along – why else would he give her the choice if it wasn't for the ease with which she could accept things? That she could step forward without the threat of guilt and regret hanging over her?

"Buir would like that," Reiel replied, lowering her head and resting her forehead on her helmet's. She knew her arrival to his life hadn't really washed the pain he carried away – at least not fully – but she was aware that buir didn't love her any less for it.

I'll bring Buir home, Ilta, she promised the older sister she never met. I'll bring the clan home. Back to where they belong. I promise.

"I believe my clan would very much appreciate it. Long have they dreamed of returning to Manda'yaim, and our work here is a stepping stone to finally turn that dream into reality. I'm sure they'd be happy to meet and live with your covert."

At Srucayr's teasing and subsequent remark, Reiel's expression would shift from amused to faux horrified as she lifted her head to look at him. "There's no way that fragile-looking man could make a score, much less mount an attempt!"

Unable to keep up the charade, the younger Mando would then burst out laughing. "He may have been taller, but he's still a kid. I guess. And he's not even my type."

As the charming smile of a certain ex-Jedi turned politician flashed in her mind, Reiel's cheeks turned red. She looked away, hopefully to hide the blush on her face. Her thoughts wandered to Carrick. What would he say, how would he react now that she could finally show him his face?

She would send him a message once this was all over. Arrange another meeting. Only then would she know how he'd take in this new development between them.

"The undercity?" she would then ask, a little puzzled. "What you found there, any revelation you've been given... that's what sent you back home? And the call we've received..." Reiel hummed thoughtfully, "...maybe it's Kad's will that we all meet here, back where the Mandalorians truly belong – home. And that the time has finally come for it's children to reclaim it."

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

Despite her attempt, Sru still caught the blush. "Come now, who is it that has your cheeks looking like a lethan?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement. He would roll his shoulders, popping the joints again. "He better be deserving of one of our kind."

He sighed as he thought back to the undercity. "I never received a rumor of a call to return. My Alor comm'd me. Said that pirates had returned to the surface of our planet. Every so often they return, we run them off, it's a cycle. In the Undercity, I was clearing out a human trafficking ring."

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

His question sent another wave of red to creep back to her cheeks, fiercer than it's predecessor. Like a girl being chastised by an older brother – weren't they practically siblings by now? – Reiel fought the urge to smack a hand on Srucayr's shoulder, apprehensive and somewhat fearful of the reaction it might prompt out of him. The younger Mandalorian's grip on her helmet tightened instead, meeting his gaze bravely with a grin.

"Can say he is," she replied, grin turning into a small yet genuine smile. "He's great with blades. Sabers. Dab hand at a blaster, too. Other than that he's... kind to me. Respectful. He knows I can defend myself, but he's done his fair share. He's familiar with the Creed, and I think– no, I know he won't make me break It."

Maybe even for Carrick himself.

"A human trafficking ring," she muttered, thoughts drifting to similar jobs she and her father had undertaken as well as the one she'd recently dismantled with Carrick back on Tinnel IV. "The call was transmitted on one of the old channels. It's made by a fellow Mandalorian who calls himself Ars Dagon. More than ten initially answered the call, Gett'se, Minerva, and myself included. But..."

Reiel's shoulders slumped a little as she remembered nothing but the following arguments and debates her vode have brought up. While Dagon's initial intent for the call – from what she could tell – was to explore their people's heritage, calls for establishing a new government came up in the discussion that soom devolved into, well, arguments. Debates. With some of the Mandalorians leaving, presumably offworld and back to their lives before heeding the call.

"What was to be a homecoming had become... well, an imitation of the Senate or something. Arguments. Debates. There's even a challenge for leadership, kriff's sakes."

With a tired sigh, she shot Srucayr a weary smile. "I'm glad that you're not there; that you met us in the Palace instead. You wouldn't like the overall exchange pre-Palace. Gett'se and I got... tired of hearing them? So we decided to follow Dregg to the Palace, who was the first to go after Minerva in the first place. And the rest? Well, here we are now."

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

"Hmm.. So he's a Jedi. Well, the boy better be willing to join the Culture if he even wants something serious." Srucayr said, his tone a tad more serious. "The only way to truly follow the Resol'nare. Before you get too involved, too deep, you need to have that discussion with him. It's only fair."

He'd let out a laugh. "It wasn't the first call, nor will it be the last. For generations our kind have tried to reclaim our home, to reach some form of splendor long lost. It will be bloody and many of us aboard this ship will not live to see the culmination of all the hard work. Of course, it splintered, Re'ika. We have Aruetii with no respect for our culture and factions that argue over the importance of a helmet. They are so stuck on Death Watch or the Protectors, that they don't even realize their knowledge of our past is deeper. Thousands of years deeper. They fight and they argue and each side thinks they are right. There is only one voice that carries truth. One. And that belongs to Kad Ha'rangir."

@Reiel Mal Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

Reiel would've giggled at his assumption had Srucayr's tone not taken a serious turn. Well, he was partly correct in assuming that Carrick was a Jedi given that the latter had been one. But he wasn't anymore, so...

She sobered, understanding the gravity of his words. If truth be told Reiel wanted to be with Carrick, she really did. But she wouldn't force him to make a decision that would only be for her benefit. It would be unfair for him if she imposed her culture on him, no matter how much he respected it and her way of upholding it.

Reiel sighed. Who would've thought that love would have to be so complicated... Another blush swept her cheeks at the very thought of that one word and she hugged her helmet tighter, resting her chin against the cold beskar.

"He's not a Jedi," she told Srucayr with another sigh. The younger Mandalorian refrained from revealing that the man who managed to capture her heart was a politician – she could already imagine the ensuing discussion the revelation would most certainly cause. "But you're right. It's only fair to discuss this with him."

And forcing him to become a Mandalorian just because of her feelings for him, for that matter, wasn't fair – not for him. Reiel wouldn't force Carrick with something he wouldn't want for himself.

"Maybe the past attempts have failed because we've only ever listened to ourselves. And I agree. Always asserting who followed the right Way, showing disdain against those who wouldn't agree with their interpretation of the Creed..." Reiel shook her head minutely and closed her eyes. Her clan had fallen for that same mistake, and they were learning from it. "I wish we could do it right this time. That the Mandalorians wouldn't have to be splintered into factions who would do nothing but argue. "

Her gloved hands tapped against her buy'ce, expression turning thoughtful. "But then again I couldn't help but feel a little pessimistic. You haven't seen how the others argued earlier, ori'vod. They speak of the greater good of our people, but I felt as if there have been some who only ever listened to themselves."

@Rhogar

 

[Srucayr]

"Even those outside of either cult can still be corrupted by the Force. This is not what you want to hear nor do I want to clip your wings. But if he doesn't convert to our ways, then you break the Resol'nare. And sure, some could argue that it's okay, but because of our wedding vows, you are oathbound to raise your ade as Mando'ade. Food for thought, little one." He said, though the tone was stern, it still resembled some gentleness, like that of an older brother.

"If there is one thing history has taught me, it's that our people will always have factions, even under a Mand'alor. It's the duty of the Mand'alor to be strong enough to keep the factions in check."

As he looked to where the others were, his gaze shifted back to Reiel. "Many proclaim wisdom, but in truth it is honied words masking either fear or greed. Greed for their own power, fear of the path of a true warrior. Many of these have been mercs or bounty hunters their entire lives. They fight for money, for wealth. The moment you fight for a cause, you lose that. I have fought alongside our kin on Concordia, on Dawn. I have warred with pirates here, there is a great difference between war and contract. On a contract, you can pull out, you can take all the preparations necessary to win. With war, there is no knowing. You plan what you will and hope it doesn't go to osik. Half of our kin that show up are nothing more than pretenders that can fight, they know of the loss, but they don't know it."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

A small hand would find Srucayr's arm, the smile Reiel would give him was that of appreciation and gratitude. "I know, and thank you for your words. I'll keep them in mind and heart, ori'vod."

She gave him a gentle and reassuring squeeze, before wordlessly dropping the subject. He'd raised a perfect point, and it was something even her own feelings couldn't invalidate. She didn't really see herself as a marrying type, but if her relationship with Carrick took a path to marital union...

Ah, but it was still too early to even think of marriage. They like each other, were drawn to each other, yes, but none of them would be able to predict how long their feelings for each other would last nor how deep it would run. Only time – shared or apart – would tell. And while she had always been acknowledged for using her heart a little more than her mind, the instinct to be steadfast in keeping the Creed still burned brightly and carved deeply into her veins. Reiel could only hope that the day where she would throw it all away nor for it to be forcefully taken from her would never come.

The younger Mandalorian met Srucayr's gaze as he spoke, her expression turning solemn at his words. "Truth be told, I became a bounty hunter so I can help provide for my clan. It's... a purpose. For too long I have sought for purpose, even before I became a Mandalorian. Swearing into the Creed... I found my purpose in that. But you're right – war and contract are two different things. And I've never really experienced true loss. The parents who gave me life? Never got the chance to know them. Not their names, not their faces. As a Mandalorian?"

She shook her head, feeling shame for reasons she couldn't put into words. "Never. At least, not yet. And I know it's selfish to wish for loss to never come to my life, that it's the way of life. Selfishness is a weakness, but Maker–" A weak laugh escaped her lips and she would fall silent, resting her head on Srucayr's shoulder like a foundling in need of support.

Reiel just wanted to learn the history of the Mandalorians from outside her clan's perspective. How did she manage turn this entire conversation into this?

@Rhogar