Ask Testing Honor

[Rynn Itera]

I - Testing Honor​

To find redemption one must go alone, only then can you face the soul that lingers behind the visor. The words lingered within the mind of the aging Mandalorian as he climbed along the cobble path of Thustra's mountains towards a remote farming village that was built into the steppes. Not even the gentle rain that pinged and plopped against his horned helmet could distract him from his thoughts of uncertainty that wrestled within his mind. Years had come and gone and yet there was little he had to show for it. Any glory or renown he and his people had vanished years prior -- and he was responsible. Rynn felt the weight of the bag which swooped to and fro from the side of his belt. Something about it felt heavier now, perhaps it was fatigue. You're growing soft, the Mandalorian thought to himself as he entered through the archway that lead into the farming village.

Val Sestus was nothing to write home about, it was a farming settlement that consisted of around a dozen or so homes and a few small shops. Along the ridge steps were thick stocks of Thustra rice which grew and were maintained by the local Sephi farmers. It was quaint, remote, and mostly undisturbed from the larger likes of the galaxy, hardly a traveler had ever passed through this area in the decades prior. But, with the subtle changes to the galaxy and the rise of the Sith Empire, more and more foreign ships could be seen idling off into the horizon of Thustra's atmosphere. By all means the planet was neutral to the galaxy at large, but even Rynn would be left to wonder if for how long that was possible.

The Mandalorian passed through a small marketplace, catching glances from the Sephi children who played and leapt between the stalls. Mothers hushed and motioned their children away and the few men that lingered within the stores turned and focused their attention on the red and blacked figure. From the jagged horns and lifeless visor gave off what appeared to be some sort of demonic robotic appearance -- cold and distant.

Past the Keltani candle broker was a small dilapidated building, tarps and mismatch durasteel was suspended against parts of the building, as the narrow flat roof seemed to sink on itself. It was more of a glorified shed than any fine establishment that should have been worth his time, yet he had no choice but to trust that the man inside had what he needed. Rynn took one step into the decaying droid shop, the sensors on his visor adapted and brightened within his HUD, accounting for the low light.

Not one droid appeared to be moving, instead it looked as if it was a morgue for fallen droids of the old republic era. B2 Battle Droids sat broken and stacked in a sloppy rushed fashion. No astromechs rolled out from a corner to beep a subtle greeting towards the man. Had anyone entered this building in nearly a decade? Rynn had begun to lose hope that this was truly going to be worth while.

The Mandalorian removed the large bag and placed it down against the table, allowing the large circular object to roll within the bag. "You were looking for this?" The Mandalorian opened up the bag and removed an old droid processing unit, rusted and encrusted in a thick layer of thick brown mud. The technology was too old for Rynn, nor did it seem like it had seen any functionality in over a thousand years.

A small figure crept up from behind the counter, it's small alien head popping up as it babbled out and took the much larger object into its hands. It studied the object and tapped it against the counter with a gentle thud. Rynn's lifeless amber visor looked down without a word spoken. He instead opened up the rest of the bag to reveal the severed head of a Sephi bandit, still fresh. "My apologies," his grizzled voice stated towards the Alien which had taken to looking at the head. "He refused to come alive."

The Alien placed the ancient processing unit down and went over the Sephi's head and stepped onto it. It couldn't have been bigger than a foot, surely it was less. Rynn's arms folded along the front of his chest as he looked downwards at the Droid-Maker. "The way-finder, you said you knew where to find it."

The Alien bustled along the head for a moment, babbling in its strange tongue. The head was tucked away by the creature and the bag was tied up and rolled back towards Rynn's lower abdomen. The Mandalorian felt the gentle bump of the Sephi's nose from beneath the bag and looked down towards it and then the maker. "That wasn't the deal." His statement cut short through the helmet.

"You will find your way-finder within the uncharted rims of the galaxy, nestled within the confines of the Nishmar system...that's all I know." the eyes of a C3PO unit lit up along the back wall, it's electronic voice took several moments to charge up and chitter the words to the man. Rynn looked to the droid and then to the Alien and gave a subtle nod. He picked up the bag and turned from the store, ready to head off.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The Empire was still caught between a war and the rather recent, but long overdue schism - while the remaining Sith were probably scattered, Kalique knew it was only a matter of time until they'd manage to regroup somehow to start scheming again. It was upon them to prevent this from happening and to keep the Empire safe.

However, the still looming thread of the Sith was not the only issue the Empire was potentially facing, but they, too, had recorded losses and needed to rebuild. Active expansion campaigns were no primary goal at all, yet reaching out and assessing systems next to Imperial territory was a start.

Thustra, home of the Sephi, was a planet of decent resources and a favorable position, so Kalique had been assigned to check on the situation over there. There weren't yet about to start direct diplomatic approaches, but testing the waters was never a bad idea and so Kalique collected data, information and rumors while evaluating whether there were any convenient circumstances.

She wasn't adorned in her regular armor but undercover instead, hence she was dressed as a simple tourist, wearing a simple pair of tight-fitting, black pants, comfortable sneakers, a casual shirt. Her equipment, lightsaber, utility belt and a blaster included, were safely stored and hidden in her backpack and after several days of exploring the surroundings around Val Sestus and starting to talk to the locals, she had gotten a lead.

It was out of curiosity right now that she had digged into the rumors and had gathered all information available about a seemingly dragon-like creatures that was apparently tyrannizing the locals. As they were just rumors though, Kalique hadn't reported any specific details back yet, but that was something the course of today's day could change.

The locals had warned her about crossing the rice plantations and venturing into the thick forest behind, but little did they know that she was no defenseless tourist. Still, it was rumored the monstrosity had attacked the villagers and dragged all of its victim into the forest, so Kalique was careful as ever as she set the first foot into the gloomy thicket that was overshadowed by a dark green canopy that didn't allow much light to shine through...


A little later, at the village:

"You...Sir!", came the breathless voice of an elderly Sephi who was obviously still hesitant about his decision. Yet, his desperation had seemingly forced him into adressing the Mandalorian who was casually minding his own business. "I...you're a Mandalorian, right?", he stated, but his question was obviously of rhetorical nature. "There was this woman...a friendly little thing, but too curious", he went on, biting his lip, perhaps still unsure whether he should bother the other man, but in the end, his own guilty conscious won. "She's been here for a few days...I don't know much about her, but she was thrilled about this beast. It's been hours since she had left and we...we are worried. I wouldn't bother much about a tourist, but she helped my son. If you could talk a look...". The man shifted uncomfortably. "I can't offer many credits...but perhaps a shelter and food for sure..". When checking the skies, the Mandalorian would realize dusk was about to fall upon them on and he'd also realize how the Sephi was unfashionably nervous for his race.

@TWD26

 

[Rynn Itera]

"You...Sir!" A voice cracked across the marketplace towards the Mandalorian, causing him to shift his boots and turn in the direction of the words.

Rynn looked upon the elder who came shuffling towards him, his hands bunched up against his chest in tiny balls which tapped against each other in an interwoven fashion. The man looked as if he had seen one hundred harvests, with his long droopy ears sagging downwards to match his sunken cheeks. The lifeless amber visor tiled to the side at the inquiry.

"This world's a big one," the Mandalorian warrior stated bluntly. "A tourist sent to the wilds alone?" The idea of looking for a faceless woman within the depths that lingered just past the steppes seemed impossible, Rynn felt no obligation to help this stranger, even with the desperation that clang to each word. He had what he needed, there was nothing left for him here -- but, that feeling didn't shake from inside of him. You're growing soft. Those words came to the surface of his mind once more.

"Which way did she go?" His grizzled voice spoke through the helmet in a monotone voice as he stepped towards the exit of the city, already having made up his mind to help these strangers. He didn't look back towards where the Elder pointed. "Have dry foods sent to my ship."

He looked down towards his chest plate, checking the lightsaber which was strapped against right plate, and then his side holsters. With a click of his wrist he'd unhook the magnetic backing on his back and sling the E-11 Blaster into his hands.

tag: @LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The dried leaves and dead vines softly crunched under her steps while an eerie silence lingered in the air. Kalique was neither afraid nor apprehensive, but involuntarily tense. Rumors or not, the thing about the disappearing locals seemed true, so regardless of whether they were dealing with a feral creature or a sentient, calculating being, she had to be careful.

Unbeknownst to her, she was about to run into someone else sooner or later, but for she was convinced she was alone. There were a few native animals hoping from tree to tree or scurrying on the thick, lively forest floor, but nothing large or aggressive had crossed her way so far.

Folklore was a thing and maybe this was something else, but she curiosly kept going and looking for clues until she actually stumbled upon a very interesting details: Relatively fresh blood, smeared across a thick root on the ground so as if someone had been dragged across it, paired with a little piece of ripped cloth.

"Great..." she silently mumbled under her breath, still curious on the one hand, but then even more eager to figure out who was disturbing the peace here, as it was a genuine lead and the people obviously needed help...After having squatted down, she rose and followed the trace from now on, at least until the snapping of a branch nearby caught her attention. After having entered the secluded forest, one of her lightsabers had been clipped to her hip and now the right hand shot right towards it, however not pushing thr button just yet. There was a presence now, but still nothing hostile, so she was assuming it was an animal, nothing more and resumed her walk, however the deeper she ventured inside, the closer something far stronger came...

@TWD26

 

[Rynn Itera]

​

The ground beneath the Mandalorian crushed beneath his heavy boots. The gentle rain fall that came high up in the steps had been blocked beneath the thick branches of towering pines, cause each needle upon the bed to crunch quietly with his step. The range finder buzzed as thermal images relayed across the limited finder, and yet there was no sign of this mysterious woman. A grumble escaped from behind the heavy durasteel helmet as Rynn lowered the view finder and took in the forest around him. There was absolutely nothing but pines and the breeze.

The Mandalorian hunter bent down to filter a few strands of the needles through his gloved hands. The covering that had blanketed the ground floor was ideal for those who wanted to vanish with little trace -- making his job near to impossible to complete. But, there was always ways to find a target, Rynn knew that. He flipped down the optical sensor that was hooked to the right side of his helmet and began probing the surface beneath the needles until images of foot prints leading off to the west of his position were found.

Wasting no time, Rynn pulled the needles away from the nearest image reading, revealing the shaped earth of someone passing. He pressed his fingers along the surface of moss and dirt and ran two fingers parallel against the tops to pull the goopy substance in for inspection. The texture was raw and wet, and a little bit warm to touch -- the tracks had been made this very day.

Rynn unslung his blaster rifle, sliding the safety on the receiver to off, before shuffling forward in a crouched position. Night had already begun to befall the forest, making the even darker shadows of the trees to bring no light forward. The Mandalorian switched his visor into low visibility settings and clicked the side lamp along his helmet, creating a short cone of line that shun directly in front of his position.

Like a nexu cat stalking his prey, Rynn moved forward through the brush and roots of the trees until he came upon a small opening. When the Mandalorian slipped his view finder into view he made contact with another human. The blob of yellow and reds of her signature looked to be bent over the tree examining something -- that was when another blob of heat caught his eyes directly above the woman.

There was a snap of a branch and Rynn dropped his range finder and brought up his E-11 and scoped in to see a feline predator lingering from the upper branches in preparation to strike at the woman. The Mandalorian took a deep breath and feathered his finger over the trigger of his blaster, sending a red hot stream of light whizzing out and striking the creature along the abdomen. The beast shrieked and it was followed up by three more controlled shots which whizzed over the woman's head, striking the beats until it fell from the branches and crashed into the forest floor below.

The Mandalorian stepped forward, lowering his blaster towards the ground. He looked to be over six feet tall and with the bulk of his armor on top of his athletic frame created what looked to be some sort of cyborg more than a man. Though as Rynn came closer with that lifeless gold visor staring directly into her, the voice beneath it was gruff and gentle.

His only words were "M'am."

tag: @LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

As thrilling as venturing deeper inside was, she knew she had to be absolutely careful and prepared for literally anything at any time. Still, the trace of fresh blood was promising and while seemingly having been able to finally get something bigger, stronger on the radar, there was still this presence thatvwas hard to place nearby.

With her Force enhanced senses it was still hard to figure out what it was, but she didn't let herself be too troubled by it for now, deciding to pretend it wasn't even there in order to let the creature do the first move. She carried on, muscles tensed up and the cold metal of the lightsaber hilt brushing against the inside of her hand while walking and this tickling sensation still in the back of her mind.

The creature was following her, but with curiosity for now, or so it seemed, until her ethereal senses picked up something else. Another thing was suddenly following her, or maybe even the creatures above, but now it actually began to bother her. She could place that one presence was human, yet a few questions were racing through her mind.

If she spun to deal with both of them at once, she'd risk giving herself away and for now she was preferring to keep posing as an innocent tourist, yet it seemed like the nearing presences were forcing her into a different direction. Without knowing who they were and what intentions they had, she was in immediate danger and also as soon as the humanoid made contact, he or she would spot the lightsaber she had already pulled out, so there was no point in hiding the truth, actually.

Slightly carried away by her thoughts, she nearly missed that the thing above her was about to lash out and assault her from the high ground, but at the very moment she turned around, her gaze followed a zooming red bolt whizzing overhead. While the armored, almost robotic figure fired more bolts towards the now shrieking animal, Kalique reached out with her left hand while activating the lightsaber with the other, already moving it in front of her body to defend herself against any incoming bolts directed at her, yet the figure began moving forward as the animal slumped to the ground.

While he took a few steps, her outstretched hand summoned the Force and caught the figure in a stasis before it could come much closer and decide to target her, yet as he finally came to a forced halt, the voice that was adressing her was oddly calm and not hostile at all. "Who are you and why did you follow me?" she growled, more irritated than intended, but somehow running into a Mandalorian was nothing she would have expected in the forests of Thustra, thus catching her off guard and preventing her from showing any signs of gratitude for now.

@TWD26

 

[Rynn Itera]

There was a snap and a hiss that joined the activation of the woman's lightsaber. Rynn's eyes narrowed beneath his lifeless visor as he raised his blaster instinctively to prepare for battle. The Mandalorian experienced many encounters with the wizards and sorcerers that this galaxy had come to offer. They had been enemies, friends, and even a distant paramour to the now aged warrior. One thing was certain with them all, they'd never make a situation normal. Just my luck, the Mandalorian thought to himself.

Before a single shot could be fired, the woman reached out with her hand, targeting Rynn with a wave of pressure. The air around the soldier rippled and seemed to solidify into a vacuum of breathless choking energies. Like the tendrils of a great sea squid, the force began wrapping around his arms and legs, tightening their hold upon his body. Rynn's feet froze to the surface of the earth, unable to break hold. The Mandalorian's teeth clenched as the gold visor stared directly into the woman's eyes -- his wrists moved and buckled as he tried to fight against her tight grip.

"Relax..." The gruff voice cut through the helmet's comms, "I'd rather not piss you off." He flexed his right wrist a bit, letting the gauntlet activate a bright series of hot flames that would hopefully break her concentration and release him. "You don't fit the lost tourist description."

tag: @LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

As Kalique wasn't too fond of not seeing his eyes and being able to read his features at all, it didn't exactly help her staying calm and protecting her appearance as the lost wanderer. A Mandalorian was no joke, but an elite warrior, and regardless of her being able to command the Force, with a monster on the loose, she absolutely didn't want to take any chances.

The intruder had followed her and perhaps even shooed away the thing she was hunting, but the Mandalorian's response wasn't exactly hostile. She was still staying wary, especially while she watched him struggle and lastly flick his wrist under strain to unleash a streak of Flames.

"Not piss me off, huh?" she repeated, slightly cocking her head to the side before she rolled out of the way. Shaking her head, she added, "Then why playing with fire?". It was not a sheer metaphor, but while he hadn't attempted to harm her (she was convinced he'd have some bigger guns easily accessible), he had still forcefully broken out of her stasis.

"I mean no harm either, just to be clear, but I don't like getting ambushed like that" she clarified after a moment, lightsaber still activated and ready to also strike with the Force again, but for she decided to play it nice. Perhaps a Mandalorian could even help - he was at least good at tracking.

"The tourist description?" she repeated, taking a few moments to ponder on his words before they suddenly made more sense. "Oh...damn. I was hoping they hadn't seen me leave". Followed by a sigh, the Knight rolled her shoulders as if starting to relax the tensed muscles, yet was actually still ready to pounce whenever.

"Did they ask you to come looking for me?". Of course the old Thustra would have done such a thing, but she was still curious about whether this Mandalorian had just bluntly accepted the task of saving the 'damsel in distress'. Kalique immediately wondered where his loyalties laid and also whether he interpreted the orange lightsaber correctly, but for now, she deactivated her signature weapon.

@TWD26

 

[Rynn Itera]

"I like to dance close to the fire," the Mandalorian's gravely voice chimed through the helmet with a subtle purr. The towering warrior lowered his hand and rifle as the force eased up around him, freeing him to move once more. The spiked helmet circled around as the Mandalorian loosened his neck. "I prefer to be held like that after we get to know each other," he mused with a bit of playfulness once more.

If Rynn had noticed the particular color of her lightsaber, he made no mention of it or gave off any impression through that lifeless helmet of his. She would see that he wore an older lightsaber along his breastplate like a trophy from a bygone era. The markings along his armor, the horns, a historian of the Sith ways would know it was the ancestral trappings of those once loyal to the Sith Ruler of the Mandalorian people. "They paid me to find you," he stated with a grunt.

tag: @LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While she didn't take him for anyone actually hostile and just hiding his real intentions, she lowered her guard enough to join in on his playful level for now. "Just remember to avoid getting burnt though...". She didn't need to tell him she was a capable with pyrokinesis, but she replied with a smirk.

"Pff, prude" she teasingly scoffed, rolling her eyes dismissively before actually motioning for him to follow her without being sure whether he'd take up on the invitation. "It's more fun if you don't ask beforehand". Assuming he'd at least still stay in earshot, she turnt to examine the cat like predator for a second, ensuring it was actually dead.

"Paid you? So you're a mercenary? Or just trying to be the Knight in shining armor for the poor damsel in distress?" She knew they were capable warriors, but she was actually curious about what had made him go check on her.

"What brings a Mandalorian to Thustra? she curiosly posed the follow up question, before giving him another sweet smile. "Since you're here now though, do you mind coming along?". Perhaps a little more gun and man power couldn't hurt. "I'll make sure you receive your payment and will reward you as well".

@TWD26

 

[Rynn Itera]

The Mandalorian didn't step forward even though the woman had motioned him initially. Who she was, was clearly not what the villagers had believed her to be. She was a sorcerer, though the way she carried herself was unlike of that of Raze or the Sith, but she was no Jedi -- Rynn knew that all too well. He let the E-11 blaster fall back against his chest sling as he moved his arms to the side of his belt, unstrapping two modified DH-17 Short Carbine blasters. He checked the safety on both and held them in both hands.

"I'm making amends," Rynn stated as he looked back towards the blonde haired Knight. "Finding you would get me supplies I needed to continue carrying on. You seem capable enough though," his lips pursed beneath his helmet as he motioned towards her lightsaber with his blaster. "I don't work for credits, not without knowing who you are or what you're doing."

tag: @LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique immediately noticed how he wasn't the very talkative kind. She led the conversation, yet he did seemed to show genuine interest in who exactly she was. She also realized that he wasn't following, switching his weapons and while not aiming, he still seemed ready to pounce whenever.

He avoided her questions or at least dodged them successfully which made her stop and face him again. Of course she was capable, but the nature of this beast remained unknown, hence she had considered this idea with having him help in the first place. "Like I said, if you help, I'll grant you a favor as well" she repeated, however now emphasizing that they didn't have to talk about credits. If he needed anything else like supplied, she'd try to make it up to him like that.

It wasn't just that though. He apparently also wanted or rather even needed to know who she was before he could carry on. "You don't have to worry about me. Isn't it enough for you to know that I'm just trying to help those people by tracking and killing the beast that terrorized them?". She tilted her head to the side before another idea crossed her mind. He too, seemed rather mysterious and held back unnecessary information, so why not making this mutual. "How about that: An answer for an answer. No vagueness, but the truth. I'm also curious about where your lightsaber comes from". Mandalorians didn't usually wield them, so he had probably killed a Force user before..

@TWD26

 

[Rynn Itera]

"A Mandalorian doesn't assist others in search of favors," the voice of the soldier grunted from beneath his helmet. He stepped closer towards the Imperial Knight, his feet crunching through the bramble of the forest floor with each passing step. "A beast can be many things," Rynn Itera stated as he walked past her and towards the direction she had initially began walking towards.

The forest echoed with the sounds of birds and distant animals, and yet there was no direct sound of a predator that he could hear. There was a subtle shade of darkness that covered the forest floor as the sun was blocked from view by the large green canopies of the forest. The Mandalorian had a feeling that the only disturbance in this forest at this very moment was the two of them trampling about.

"A large creature with wings," Rynn's fingers ran through the soil, studying it as he spoke. "A snake that rises from the earth to devour it's prey, or perhaps a man that knows the most dangerous thing of all -- the truth." His golden visor turned back towards the woman, studying her as he spoke. "A beast is relative to the eyes of the mouth that calls it one. I know nothing of you, it would be foolish of me to blindly accept."

He had done that many times before and it had only made his life more complicated. The faces of the dead seemed to blur in his mind, fused and half forgotten, leaving Rynn with only the weight of the actions. "The sorcerer people and my own have a complicated history."

His amythest eyes shifted downwards a bit from behind his helmet, studying Byron's lightsaber. "I won it in battle after defeating two of them on the Spice Mines of Kessel."

tag: @LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

As he approached her, her muscles did tense up immediately, however she readied herself in a predator cat like way that wouldn't be noticeable at first glance. Despite the conversation having shifted to lighter terrain, she knew she couldn't underestimate the warrior even if he was no force user.

What he said about the beast felt like a verbal attack, but as he walked by it drew nothing but a soft smirk from her before she began to follow. "It can indeed" but was he mistaken her for one? She had been mistaken for a Jedi every now and then, but this didn't add up then. Not knowing a single thing about him or his past made it hard for her to assess the Mandalorian, so that she found it even possible he was the beast here.

"How beautifully poetic" she replied, not at all scornful or teasing, but actually rather warm. "You use the words of those that have been betrayed in the past, so I understand your misstrust" she added, walking past him again, her ethereal senses on full alert but her gaze directed ahead.

"The beast I'm hunting is most likely no man, but a non-sentient, hungry creature", she explained, directing the conversation onto the target she had and she actually wanted him for, already realizing that he began to mellow. He was interested and despite what he did hint at from the past, he was still walking with her, beginning to investigate even. Of course he would...

An answer for an answer though and he had given her one. "So you've defeated Force users? That's impressive" she wasn't sure whether he was trying to intimidate her, but she made sure she wasn't going to underestimate him regardless of the lightsaber. "I could see it in the way you've reacted. You know I'm no Sith and it's not just the Saber that's giving it away" she stated the facts she had gathered, however not minding an actual elaboration.

"I'm a Knight, using the Force to protect, not to abuse the power it's granting", she clarified as something shiny caught her attention a few meters ahead. Approaching it only to realize it was nothing but a tiny metal piece somehow must have dropped, she still picked it up, rolling the little sphere between index fingers and thumb. "My name is Kalique, by the way. What's yours?".

@TWD26