Prove Yourself

[Daniel Solus (old)]

Daniel had never been to this rather out of the way world. It was basically just a massive construct that doubled as a planetoid in the Circumtore system. It was weird and the air inside smelled weird. Everything was very foreign to Daniel. He scratched at his armored head without really thinking...it did nothing but make an odd ringing/scratching noise that echoed in the massive corridor he and Drace were in.

They had been asked, after reaching out to the Circumtore government, to take care of a drug cartel detachment that had setup shop on the unique world. They had a location, provided by the Circumtore security service. They just had to get in, kill some people and maybe see if they could get their hands on some spice to sell later. Whatever they wanted to do, really. The government had pretty much said "Kill these guys please. Thanks." It was all very vague and suspicious but Daniel wasn't concerned.

The world was new and exciting! Drace was good people. What more could the Dopey Badger want. He turned to his partner as they neared the large habitation pod the group they were take out were living. "Is it just me or does the air smell funny?" Daniel checked the alarming array of weaponry on his belt and armor. "Kinda like it's been used over and over. When we get this world, we're making them put in new filters...You good?"

@vamp

 

[Drace Solus]

.

Drace was a bit mesmerized by Circumtore, though he did not show it, his face masked by his helmet. It was a weird planet in every possible way, if you could even call it a planet. Daniel was right—the air tasted strange, and it made Drace uncomfortable. What were the long term effects? Would he get some viral illness? Did they even keep the oxygen fresh?

It must have been very long since the last time someone cleaned the "planet" because the halls were dirty, and rusting in some places. Drace's boots made a satisfying thud as he stepped, the sound echoing down the hall. His rifle was already in his arms.

"No, I completely understand what you mean." He coughed so hard he doubled over. "Yeah, I'm good. It's like we're breathing air out of an old locker." He hated it. As interesting as Circumtore was, with its artificial pods and its armored Hutts, Drace wanted to get off the world as soon as possible, lest he contract something.

They were a few meters away from the entrance to the pod, and Drace was eager to get in and get shooting. The door looked to be made of durasteel and airtight, which made sense. Maybe it was fresher inside. He put his hand on the handle and opened it without hesitation.

@Lucid

 

[Daniel Solus (old)]

Daniel was about to stop Drace and suggest a more subtle, friendly approach than just walking in the front door but decided against it. These were bad people they were going up against and it they would probably not make good friends. He stood behind Drace and to his left as he pushed the door open. His rifle was up and ready...just to be safe. Who knew what lay beyond.

The door swung open and both Daniel and Drace experienced a moment of surprise. What lay beyond was totally out of the realm of what either had expected. A lush and tastefully appointed lounge area, decorated in the Hapan style, with plush and luxurious sofas and chairs lay before their eyes. A pretty human woman dressed in a fashion more suitable to a cocktail party sat behind a desk that ran along one side of the room. She looked up smiling.

"Welcome!" she said in her charming way. "We have been expecting you!"

Daniel was too stunned to act and his surprise only deeper when she pulled a full-size heavy repeating blaster out from somewhere under the desk and opened fire. Bolts flew past his head, one glancing painfully off his left shoulder. It was enough to shake Daniel out of his stupor. He returned fire, one shot only, and it buried itself neatly into her chest. She went down, her lovely face smacking the desk with a sonorous bang. Daniel could hear feet pounding the floor above as he turned to Drace. "It looked so promising for a second!" he said, urging his companion further in. "Looks like they want to tangle after all!

@vamp (phone post from work. Will fix style and things later)

 

[Drace Solus]

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He lifted his rifle up as the door swung open, finding the tip of the barrel pointing toward a woman at a cocktail party. He raised his eyebrows behind his helmet, his face a mix of amused confusion and scrutiny. The moment her arm twitched to reach for the repeater, he fired. The bolt hit her at the same time as Daniel's, only a few centimeters to the side.

"It would have been nice as hell," he agreed. "I don't mind this path either though." He could hear the enemies approach, but nothing was immediately in front of them, so Drace kept his rifle up and moved cautiously.

The environment around them was modern, befitting the penthouse of a high-rise, not the den of a bunch of criminals. It was an interesting strategy. Ahead of them was a massive wall, the only way through it being an iron door. Drace approached and looked around, unsure of whether it was tapped with something. He opened it in one motion and then let it swing by itself. Nothing.

He poked his rifle through and that's when the firing began, bolts spraying toward them. A few whizzed past, through the door and near Drace's right, while the rest just embedded themselves in the wall behind him. He returned fire and took out a single body, 4 more remaining. In the firefight, it was hard to discern the environment, but he spotted spooky trees and dead grass, the landscape looking like Darthomir. Would this be another of their strange ways of disorientating the Mandalorians?

@Lucid

 

[Daz Solus]

Daz raced to catch up with Dan and the new guy. Drake? Dracula? Drace? Daz wasn't the best with names and it didn't matter. Dan was needed elsewhere for something apparently important--why they wanted Dopey was anyone's guess--but Daz had been sent to tag out with the other man and complete his mission for him. He caught up to them just as they entered a building. There followed the sounds of battle and Daz slid through the door when it sounded like things had calmed down a bit.

"Danny!" He said, Tag out! This is my mission now...you're needed back at Ops for something. Something about the Empire attacking GA holdin--" The new guy started firing at something, drowning out the last of Daz's words. The aggrieved mando pulled two fragmentation grenades off his belt, armed them and sent them flying over Drace's--it was Drace--head and into the remaining troopers. They died a gory death and Daz's helmet spared Drace a scorching look. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, ok, Daz!" Daniel said, happy as ever. He turned away from the fight and headed out the door. "I'll see you later Drace! We can do something else sometime...looks like I've got to go help the Wizards." He clapped Daz on the shoulder and Daz returned it. "Later man!" With that, Dan was gone. If Daz had known it would be the last time he'd ever see Dopey, he would have said or done something more. Maybe told him not to go. Maybe told him that he'd been promoted to the personal chef to the Mand'alor. Anything really. But he didn't, so no sooner had Daniel vanished out the door than did Daz put him out of his mind.

He could hear movement upstairs, but nobody was coming down to tangle with him and Drace just then....not after all the shots fired and grenades. "Alright. Gimme a quick update."

@vamp

 

[Drace Solus]

.

Drace whirled around as the voice spoke up from behind him, raising his rifle and leveling it at the newcomer. Daz was damn lucky the Marauder recognized his T-visor and realized this was another Mandalorian—Drace was fully prepared to fill him with plasma. "Kriffin hell, man! Warn a guy next time." He waved to Dan with his free hand, his voice shifting from exasperated to friendly in a matter of seconds. "Bye, Dan! Come back with some lightsabers!" And just like that, it was just him and Daz. Luckily enough, Drace wasn't petty, and got down to business quickly enough. "They seem to be using these weird room set-ups to catch us off-guard. Looks like next up is a dark forest." He walked into the room, ignoring the corpses that littered the landscape, and gazed around. It was as he'd predicted. Did the criminals think they would scare the Mandalorians with a bunch of fake flora and fog machines?

Drace pushed on to the other side of the chamber, his blaster in his arms. At the end, he found another door, this one hopefully the last. He didn't even wait before slamming it down with the heel of his boot, only for it to reveal a gladiator-style arena. There were spectators lining the seats above them, cheering from the moment Drace opened the door. Turning to Daz and shrugging, he walked in. As soon as the other Mandalorian followed, the door behind them would shut.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Welcome, to a night of spectacle and strife!" The crowd roared louder as a male's charming voice spoke into unseen loudspeakers. "I present to you two rootin-tootin Mandalorian warriors, plucked straight from the heart of Mandalorian space! The lucky man who will be fighting them will be no man—rather, a beast! Everyone, give it up for Fluffy!"

A door ahead of them opened, and through it lumbered the biggest rancor Drace had seen in his life. It was jet-black, its eyes red and hateful, and the creature's attention was set on them despite the roar of the audience. The Mandalorian's eyes widened underneath his helmet, and he realized rifles would not help here. He slung his blaster back over on his chest, then drew his beskad. "These criminals have an awful lot of time and money on their hands."

@Lucid