Vengeance

[Leandros Solus]

Theme​

Mandalore, Keldabe Ruins
1700 Local Time​

Destroyed, all of it. Acres of farmland scorched, never to experience another harvest. Ancient mountains weathered into shadows of their former selves. Entire landscapes ravaged. In places, fires still raged, fueled only by their desire to consume. The cities, though, were the worst of it all. Once-mighty buildings reduced to rubble, nothing more than ash and memories of what stood in defiance to their oppressors. Ghosts of millions of dead Mandalorians haunted these ruins, their spirits denied the peace that honorable death would bring. In places, if you stopped long enough, the faint whispers on the wind still echoed with their screams.

Men, women, children, the elderly, the disabled; none were spared the insidious wrath of the Sith. Many fought bravely for their home, and all who stood in opposition died a hero’s death. So many Mandalorian warriors fell in battle that day, struck by an enemy unseen and unheard until it was far too late. The cowards who perpetrated the attack came, left naught but annihilation in their wake, and left to go on to their next conquest. Millions were crushed underfoot by the Imperial war machine and there was nothing that their leaders could do but evacuate as many as they could.

Charred corpses lay scattered about, features frozen in abject terror or defiance, their final emotions on full display. Women were found clutching the half-destroyed burnt remains of their children, the mothers themselves burned to obscenity. Warriors of all ages rested in silent agony, the candle of their lives long since extinguished. In many places and upon many destroyed walls, massive splatters of dried blood could be found intermixed with scorch marks and lightsaber gouges. In other places there was little evidence of life except for burnt shadows of bodies etched into the stone and metal, a permanent reminder of what happened. Body parts and corpses were strewn all over, some in worse shape than others, all in a horrid state of decay. In all meanings of the word, this was the scene of pure, unbridled carnage. Slaughter on a scale not seen since Medriaas years ago. The Mandalorians didn’t forget then, and they wouldn’t forget now.

Returning was painful. Leandros walked through the ruins of Keldabe, helmet in hand, the other clutching his daughter’s hand tightly. She was young, maybe barely even three, but she never left his side. The setting Mandalorian sun beat down upon their faces, but it didn’t bother them any. He was used to its glare and its warm radiance illuminated his weary, unshaven face. The sky burned a brilliant, fiery orange almost in somber remembrance of the scorched earth it looked down upon. He barely knew where he was going, such was the devastation of the city, but he pressed on, desperate to find something. Anything.

Leandros sent the call out to every surviving Mandalorian. Every clan still retaining its honor, every Alor, every man and woman who call themselves Mandalorian would receive his summons and would arrive where he chose. The site of what was supposed to be their end. The site where millions were now buried. The site where their sole ruler made her desperate final stand. The gravesite of Mand’alor the Chosen. The gravesite of Raz Solus, the fearless woman who brought her people from nothing to the most-feared people in the galaxy; The mother of his child; His wife; The love of his life.

Leandros finished his walk exactly where he needed to, his lungs heavy with ash and his armor coated in a thin layer of dust. He lifted his daughter up onto his shoulders to give her a break and took a few steps forward where it used to be.

This was once his home. The place he married Raz. Now, it was nothing more than debris. Memories, painful memories, rushed through his mind. Tears pushed against his eyes, demanding release, but he swallowed hard, saliva thick with ash, and gritted his teeth. He stared at the wreckage for several minutes and only was roused from his stupor by the fidgeting of his kid. He reached up and gingerly set her down, watching her poke her way through the debris ahead of them, her gaze fixed on something.

Leandros watched in a crouch with curiosity, wondering what it was that caught his daughter’s attention so. After a few moments, she turned to look at him, pointing downward. Pressing against his thighs, the War Councilor stood up and made his way over to her, looking for what it was that enamored her. Carefully, he lifted a block of wood and tossed it aside, reaching down and pulling up at the object. He removed a small frayed banner, somehow still partially intact, with various symbols of their people on it. Wordlessly he picked up a small stick and set about attaching the banner, content with his discovery. This was what he was looking for. This was what the gods were leading him to.

Leandros climbed out of the wreckage with his daughter and stood at the edge of the great field that his and Raz’s home bordered, standing with his banner, eyes towards the sky in anticipation. His helmet was on his head by now for the sake of his people not seeing the tears that now stained his dusty cheeks. He stood as still as a statue for a while, staring pointedly skyward, the only sound breaking the solemn silence being his labored breathing. Then, as if exactly on cue, the first ships arrived, breaking through the sky to land in the field and unload its passengers. Many more would soon follow, each carrying its share of Mandalorians. They began to gather, curiosity getting the better of them. This was where it all ended for many of them. This would be where it would begin for the survivors.

The children of Mandalore answered his call.

Spoiler: OOC

This thread is open to all Mandalorians! Respond to your War Councilor’s rallying cry!

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir hadn't wanted to come back here, but he knew that he needed to. His own shame at being elsewhere during the battle for his home still weighed heavily on him, and it was a shame that needed to be confronted. The only atonement lay now in vengeance and embracing his duties as a Mandalorian. When he'd received the call, he knew that he could avoid the surface no longer.

The devastation that he had seen from orbit was so much worse down here. The smell of scorched ash still filled his nostrils even weeks later, and there were still thousands of bodies that had yet to be excavated from the rubble. Perhaps they never would. He was no stranger to the battlefield, but it was far worse when it was his own city constituting the rubble and his own people buried in it.

With every step he took, the anger inside him grew. The need for revenge had taken hold long ago, and he would have blood for blood. The Sith would pay for this betrayal, and Narir was determined to be a part of it.

But he wouldn't be alone. He wouldn't even have to be the spearhead because there was another who had risen up. The flag flapping in the wind atop the small hill ahead gave a sense of hope that brought a hint of relief. The Mandalorian people weren't without direction even though the loss of Raz still stung. To him, she had been more than just the leader of the Mandalorian people, they had been great friends. Constantly in trouble together since childhood, and now she was gone. No one could replace her, but he was glad that someone had taken up the call. Narir recognized the armor from a distance, and he knew that if anyone could seize the reins of their people it would be Leandros.

As he came closer, he took some hope in the symbols etched along it and the knowledge that his people were not dead or gone. His arm came up across his chest, thumping into his armor in salute to Leandros. A sign of respect. A sign of support. There was still hope even amidst the death. The Mandalorian people were far from gone.

 

[Sumas Solus]

Sumas stood in the middle of the base, where he and a handful of Mandalorian warriors made their stand against the Imperial war machine. The base was obliterated. The soldiers were rotten. Their armour caked with mud and ruined with weather. Their weapons weren't in any better state. What caught his eye was that some of the corpses were naked. Their armour had been stripped and taken, which bothered him even more. This was the second time his home was taken from him. First Iridonia, now this. He was really starting to get pissed off with the Sith.

With a sigh he slid his helmet back on and climbed on his swoop before racing off to the ruins of Keldabe.

In the city he wove through the ruins and rubble. Along the way he shot more than his fair share of buzzards and other scavengers that were picking at the corpses of fallen innocents. He always had a hard time belonging. The only place he ever felt welcome was Iridonia, now it's in Imperial hands. And when he finally warmed up and got comfortable with the lifestyle of a Mandalorian, that was taken too. He was itching for a fight with the Sith. He wanted to get back at them. But he wouldn't do it like this with a big ship high up in orbit. No, he would march right through the door and shoot them all at point blank. He wanted to see their faces with his own eyes before ending them.

He slowed and came to a halt when he reached what used to be the house of the Mand'alor. He got off his swoop and slowly walked towards one other Mandalorian. A Field Marshal, by the look of it. He wasn't familiar at all with this one, but his marks were clan Solus and that was probably all that mattered. "Enough to make you feel old." he commented, coming to a halt beside the man. He looked up at the War Councilor, taking his horned helmet off. "Hey boss! What's the target?!" he called out to the man. "Give me a gun and a target, and I'll bring you a couple heads. Just say the word." he said coldly. He was boiling for a fight.

 

[Revora Musana Kelborn]

Revy had kept herself distant from the politics and the crusade the Mandalorians were waging. Everything just felt like it could be sorted out without her. She could just focus on her family toil away and let others play war. Hell they seemed like they didn't need the help anyways. The rise of the Mandalorian culture seemed to be all but assured. Looked like she fallen to complacency. She wasn't the religious type but she couldn't deny that there was a good reason why Aarasuum and the concept of sloth was vehemently demonized.

Now here she was on the homeland. Seeing the destroyed remains of the city impacted her in a way she didn't expect. Everything felt more real, everything sunk in deeper to her. She hated the empire for what they did but now it had all but solidified in her. Her family may have just barely escaped death but looking out around Keldabe, she knew that she was likely one of the lucky ones. There where countless people the Empire snuffed out, millions more having to bear the pain of having their loved so mercilessly ripped away. Even if sometimes she felt like a black sheep it was hard for her to not want to seek retribution. To storm the imperial capital blasters in hand killing every single Sith responsible for this. To make sure this could never happen again... And maybe even force those bastards to feel the same pain she felt right now.

Marchingg up to the hill fully armed and clad in armor. Seeing the world through the helmet that once belonged to her mother. She saw the ragged flag waving in defiance of the ruin. She saw the War Councilor standing before them. Whatever she thought of any of the Mandalorians and the lifestyle she felt now united to them in a bond of collective pain. They may be from different clans,and have wildly different beliefs and ways of life...

Yet here people were assembling all united, all forgetting about their clans and standing as one people. She stood next the Field Marshal and joined in his salute awaiting the words of Leandros.

 

[Drace Solus]

How did it come to this? How had they gotten here? Months ago, the Mandalorians were one of the largest forces in the Galaxy, second to no one but the Sith Empire. They had carved a path through entire star systems, taken countless lands, whether by force or peacefully. Their culture and their name was known in every corner and crevice that hosted intelligent life. They had become heroes for many, villains for others. They were something.

And now they were nothing. Their homeland had been violated and they weren't able to defend themselves. Drace's eyes scoured the ground below him from the window of his shuttle. He'd passed entire cities devoid of life. He'd seen mountains of corpses, rotting in the sun, some still armored and others naked. Beskar'gam, laying there, caked in dirt and blood and forgotten. It filled his heart with dread, knowing that his world had been reduced to nothing more than a ghost planet.

He had taken the call because there was still a small kindling of hope in his heart. He knew it to be there, but Drace was afraid to pay it any attention; hope could just as quickly turn to disappointment. Still, it was his obligation to come. He was a Field Marshal and a Mandalorian, and refusing to show his face would reduce him to nothing more than a coward.

Drace walked alone, clad in armor that still sported dents and scratches. When he arrived, he noted a few other Mandalorians were waiting, Leandros in the center. A little girl was near him, glancing at every new arrival with curiosity in her eyes. Drace had hoped to see her here, but Raz's absence was resounding and confirmed his worries. Their leader truly was dead. The fresh faces and lack of veterans also confirmed that many others had been lost. Only a handful remained of the group that had spearheaded the Mandalorian ascension.

He took his helmet off once he stopped, a few meters away from Leandros. Sunlight bore down on his face as he did, an eyepatch covering his eye—a wound retained from the failed battle for their homeland. Saluting the War Councilor, he said nothing, face as grim as everyone else's.

@Painus

 

[Skylar Rook]

In the recent years, there wasn't much that Skylar had done for his brothers and sisters aside from maintaining the various ships and weapons as was his specialty. He'd given up chances for glory to make sure that the war machine kept moving, decisions he still doubted to this day. If he'd been on the front lines fighting with the others, would anything have been different? Would this tragedy have been averted? There were answers he didn't know, could never know, but the pain in his heart couldn't let him stay in the shadows. He was nowhere near as powerful or resourceful as many here, his only real skills being standard combat training and his affinity with machinery. Still, he would offer what help he could, looking around at the devastation. A whole world, their homeworld, all gone. The Empire had taken everything he'd loved, his precious parents, and now they would pay.

He listened to the words of the others, trying to think of something to say to join in. He just...didn't feel like it was his place. He didn't know any of them personally and they might think him a coward for his focus on his repair and maintenance work instead of being out fighting the active fight. He was theirs to command, though, no matter what may come. He thought of his home of Concord Dawn, of the others of his clan he'd left there, and for a moment wondered if he would ever see any of them again. If not in this life then perhaps in the next. He stifled his tears, pushed back the pain in his heart, and stood ready to receive his marching orders. Skylar was just a young Shistavanen, raised by Mandalorians after they had save his family from the Empire years ago, and he would repay that debt and earn his place with them.

 

[Birdmando]

When Parek got word of this, he was horrified. Mandalore burned by the Sith Empire... only the Sith Empire can do something as vile as this. Before it looked like the Sith were losing control and their empire falling apart piece by piece. Then this happened, Mandalore put to the torch just like Medriaas years ago. And Raz, Manda'lor the Chosen dead? Very big loss. Parek wishes he could have been here on Mandalore to help fight the Sith off... but he wasn't here at the time. Maybe there was something he could have done...

It doesn't matter though, what happened happened and while they can't change the past, they can change the future. The Rishii Mandalorian is here at Keldabe, answering Leandros' call. If there is one person that can contuine pushing the fight against the vile and decadent empire, it's him, and the Rishii is willing to follow the war councilor into battlle.

Parek was there at the gathering, wearing clad in his beskar'gam. He saw Leandros, the war councilor. He also recongized Field Marshal @Narir Solus who he was with on Dathomir, and Field Marshal @Drace Solus who the birb was with on Corellia. Parek would give a Mandalorian salute to Leandros as he awaits whatever comes next.

The Sith Empire will pay, the Mandalorians have already torn the galaxy apart after Medraiaas, and with this the Mandalorians will finish the fight. It will all come crashing down in the end...

 

[Crystal Kryze]

Standing back on the ashes of Mandalore, Crystal could feel the rage boiling through her veins, the fury pounding in her heart. It had taken her nearly a near to recover from her injuries, but she had done it. She was here now, and there was hell to be raised. She looked to her brethren, as they gathered to hear the words of Leandros. The sight she was seeing only brought back memories of her burned out world over five years ago. If anyone of them was lacking motivation, then this site would fix that.

Clan Kryze wouldn't be forgotten, nor would they go down as victims in this disaster; she would see to that personally. She flexed her right arm, feeling the servos constrict and retract, everything was working as intended. The time had come to strike the death blow to the Empire, to let them hang for their misdeeds, to purge their sin from the galaxy and crucify them for their misdeeds. The galaxy would burn, and this place would be the tinder box. Now would be a time for words, but make no mistake, action was to follow swiftly behind it. They had almost crushed the Empire before, this time they would get the job done.

 

[Tanx Solus]

There was a pain in Tanx's soul, a pain he hadn't felt since Dan's death, this pain was not sorrow but anger, anger for himself not being here to defend Mandalore, anger for the loss of his brother and sisters and finally anger for the loss of Raz, there Mandalore. Tanx couldn't help but blame himself, maybe if he hadn't accepted that position to help train their allies troops and kept fighting on frontlines, got closer to Raz to persuade to keep fighting the sith this might of been averted. but all that didn't matter now, what was done is done.

He stood in silence waiting for Leandros to speak before saying anything because, for all tenses and purposes, Leandros was Mandalore in his eyes. no one else deserved the title more than him, he had the experience, the mindset and the chutzpah. Tanx would volunteer to follow him to the gates of hell back even if he didn't ask, so answering his call wasn't even a question for Tanx.

 

[Reyna Solus]

The call had come through when she'd already been on her way. For a long time now Reyna had spent her days away from her people's home, doing the things that she did to make it in the galaxy. In her younger years she'd made a point to visit every so often, but as time crept by every so often turned into once in awhile, and once in awhile turned into rarely at all.

All in all, the guilt inside of her heart was heavy - like a glowing, molten orb of durasteel sinking inside of her chest. She had not been there when her people had needed her, while they were slaughtered in the streets like animals by Sith monsters. Shadows in the dark who'd come with no warning, no justification, no reason other than to attempt to flex their might. It was a toothless gesture. Mandalore could burn to ashes a thousand times over, but her people would always remember.

Reyna's ship landed amidst the crumbling ruins of Keldabe with a litany of others who were too answering Leandros' call. Walking down the landing ramp, Reyna's heavy booted footsteps echoed loudly, nothing around anymore to absorb the sound. When her feet touched the now scorched earth of the planet's surface, Reyna knelt down and took off one of her gauntlets, running her fingers through the dirt before grabbing a fistful.

"Oya'cye. Kyr'am. Mare'cye. Darasuum." She whispered, opening her hand slowly and letting the dirt carry on the wind. It swirled for a moment before fading and falling back from where it came. It was the only Mandalorian prayer that Reyna knew, and the only way she could think to honor those that had fallen because she hadn't been there to protect them.

As she approached Leandros, the heaviness in Reyna's heart lessened a little. She realized that despite the destruction, despite her countless fallen brothers and sisters, the Sith had not succeeded. Not so long as a single Mandalorian lived and breathed would they admit defeat and be forgotten.

 

[Dax Rau (TL8)]

Theme

The sun was setting on the hills when his old freighter came into atmo. The sensors of the ship adding salt to the wounds opening as his eyes peered out of the glass of his cockpit. The ash and bodies of the destroyed and the fallen, stretching for miles in every directions. The more he looked the more deeper his sorrow and regret clawed at his mind. The emotions eventually weighing so heavily on him that tears silently flowed from the corners of his eyes.

Tired and worn from years of war, when it finally cooled off, Dax had taken his leave. Venturing out into the edges of known space to put some distance between him and the strange alliance that punctuated what Dax assumed was the closing days of the conflict with their long time enemy. It his absence, the galaxy and his home, had changed forever.

Now here he was. Bearing witness to the perhaps the greatest act of genocide, perhaps since the hundred year darkness.

Soon Dax would find a piece of scorched earth not covered in the bodies and debris. He landed his pirate freighter in the burned out clearing and departed. Concealed by his faceless t-visor and bristling his hard won weapons. He marched on foot to were he noticed the last of his people gathering at the top of the hill.

When he finally arrived. His sorrow had turned to slow burning hatred and a need for vengeance and retribution. He took his place, standing beside his old friend @Drace Solus. Took off his helmet and held it in his left hand as he saluted.

 

[Koil Solus]

♠ THEME ♠​

The air over Keldabe screeched as a dropship and several fighters flew overhead. "Sir, we should land." Koil heard one of his wingmates say. "Fine." He said with a raspy voice. Osik, when did I last drink some water? How many hours had it been since he had fought that Sith Lord? Koil was not thinking about that. What had happened hours, maybe days ago he was not thinking about that. His mind was still on securing the airspace around the runined city of Keldabe. So far there had been communications silent save for the few connections rated for high level emergencies only and even then. It was the type of channel that only Field Marshals or higher used in a disaster situation. Leandros had used such a channel to beckon Koil and his forces back to Keldabe. The reason behind the call though, a different type of disaster.

Koil had seen nothing around scorched Mandalore for the past several hours in fact. The Imperial forces had retreated back to their space for the time being. They had left their mark and their message deep enough for all Mandalorians to feel. The War Councilor got up from his seat. He winced, feeling his abdomen. He rolled his shoulder soon after as he knew the pain in his right arm was coming. It had been that way since he had taken the force lightening from that Sith Lord. Koil had barely stopped since then to harrass the Sith forces enough to help the remaining Mandalorian forces as best he could. Even his personal ship, the Klaw had been damaged and so that was why he was flying a more common mandalorian craft.

Coming about he landed and exited the ship. A medic from the dropship walked after him. "Sir" The Silent Badger did not slow down. "Sir I can't look at your injuries while you're walking." Their voice was clearly concerned for the War Councilor's health. "Then you best wait for me to stop moving then. Otherwise tend to the others." He knew well enough his injuries were not life threatening. The medic seemed to realize that he was not going to get anywhere with the stubborn War Councilor. Unlike the medic though, Archie trotted alongside Koil. Blood and ash was all over the dire badger's fur. None of it was Koil's or his own blood though.

Streets, ones he knew, turned to rubble. Piles of ash and embers where there had once been someone or something. Koil stopped, seeing an arm sticking out of the debris. It was covered in ash, it looked like it was made of stone. The man ran to the pile and began moving heavy pieces out of the way. But he did not uncover a living person. His shoulders dropped first, his hands dangling at his side. Next came his knees, shuddering the ground around him. Bending down he pulled the corpse of the child from the rubble and set it aside.

A man ran toward him, practically pushing him out of the way screaming something in a tear choked voice. The man took his place beside the girl and Koil just got up and kept walking back towards where he had originally been headed. His face blank underneath, unfocused as he was trying to decide on what emotion he felt more in that moment. Rage, sadness, worry, he could not tell. But there was hope. He could see Raz and know that she was alright. She'll be with Leandros. Of course she will be there. It was starting to creep into his mind then. The true seed of fear that grew the deepest roots into the depths of his imagination.

His feet carried him forward with a bit of a hurried step. He came towards the meeting place towards the edge of town. "-the new Mandalore?" He heard murumers, tones too afraid or too tired to raise very high. "At least she died by-" A lot of lives had been lost. That was what they were talking about. Some poor woman had been killed by the tyrannical Sith.

This area was familiar, but it looked so different. Such a macabre sight to see it forever changed. Then he saw the gathering of his people. Over them he saw hsi fellow War Councilor, Little Badger. He had his daughter with him. It was good to see she was alright. His expression of momentary relief changed to one of confusion underneath his helmet. He wanted to know why Raz was not there.

He pushed pass Narir's armored shoulder plates. "Shut up Sumas." Wait, had he just thought that or did he say that outloud? He pushed past the front row of people and stood in front and to the side of Leandors. Where is the Mand'alor, Leandros? It was his normal voice, perhaps dialed back a notch or two even. The people in the front row would not hear his question, perhaps his voice but it was too far at that distance for them to make out his words until he rose his voice. He repeated his question if the man did not answer. "Where is Raz?" He wanted to hear that she was behind enemy lines kicking butt. He wanted to hear that she was having a meeting with someone to strike back.

Koil knew it already. His mind had come to accept that Raz was dead by now. Did everybody else know she was dead? Was that why they were at this exact location? His fists clenched once again struggling to process it all. At somepoint his head had started to shake back and forth ever so slightly as he did not want to believe it still. But his helmet stopped and tilted towards the ground in front of him. "You failed her" The scatterweave black helmet of Silent Badger, jaig eyes and all slowly rose to stare Leandros in the eyes.

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros remained stock-still for several minutes, ignoring the arrival of the first waves of Mandalorians, his gaze still frozen on the sky. When, after some time had passed, he moved, the murmurs began. With a sigh, the veteran warrior looked down at his daughter before panning his head up to address the crowd. Behind him the smoldering ruins of their capital city provided him with the necessary backdrop for his words.

It wasn’t until Koil approached him that he finally lowered his gaze, looking beyond the man at the Mandalorians gathering. His questions stung, piercing deep into his heart. He’d asked himself the same thing for hours, wondering where Raz was. There had been no body, no evidence of neither her demise nor her survival. He wanted to desperately believe she was alive somewhere, but it had been too long. She would have found her way to her people by then, he just knew it. A part of him clutched to the feeling that she yet lived, but something sinister inside of him made him doubt that optimism. Leandros was silent until Koil’s final accusation was hurled at him. He inhaled sharply, struggling to find the words to respond with.

He didn’t answer Koil’s questions; the man knew the answer. He knew why it was only Leandros and his daughter here in front of their people, standing resolutely as a beacon to draw their people together. After a time, he finally spoke up, his voice shuddering with barely contained rage. ”I failed her?” he parroted, ”You would stand there and selfishly accuse me of failure when our planet still burns, our people remain broken, our enemy gorges themselves on the fruits of their victory?” He was incredulous, but his voice was kept low so as to prevent anyone but Koil from hearing his words. An argument is not what they needed, not now. Not here, in front of the gathering clans. His tattered banner fluttered in the wind and the murmurs of confused Mandalorians ensured the privacy of this conversation.

”No,” he asserted, shaking his head, ”I will not entertain the accusations of a man denied a love he could never have. We live to fight in a war that will never end. She gave herself up so that we,” he said, slamming his free hand into his own chest, beating against the breastplate a few times, "Could live and carry on her legacy." His grip on the banner tightened, but he kept his composure for his child’s sake. For his people’s sake. They could not see the only surviving War Councilors fight. Not on such hallowed ground. ”Her loss cuts me deeper than any petty insult you could throw at me, Silent Badger, far deeper than you could fathom. Look there, at them. See how weary they are, how confused they are? We are the torch in the darkness, and they are drawn to us like moths to the flame. They don’t need our grief, they need our guidance.” His tone was stern, almost fatherly, but venomous animosity lay hidden behind his words.

”We need unity, not unrest. Either stand at my side as a brother in our moment of defeat,” he continued, looking deep into the man’s faceless visor, ”Or stand silent amongst the crowd and listen to what I have to say.” To the crowd, this would appear unusual; the two Mandalorians were staring at each other, neither one moving much, deep in conversation. Leandros’ daughter looked up at the pair with confusion, wondering what it was that upset her father so much.

@Darasuum @Faster Than Light @Taz @Logan @Phoenix @Algarus @KinkyPrawn @Caught in Strangereal @vamp @Insalius @christhebarker

 

[Koil Solus]

He had a lot words to say. Koil heard them as he stood unmoving like statue as his brother in arms responded with obvious frustration. But he was not surprised. He wanted Leandros to hurt for some reason. He was not sure exactly why in that moment. Jealousy, grief, self loathing, it all mixed together in a swirling mass inside the Silent Badger's heart and Leandros knew him well enough to understand that.

Insult, that was what Leandros thought Koil was doing. He was just voicing the truth, Koil's truth. The Echani's anger was only fueled because of what the man said. It was for more than himself that he was thinking. Leandros had failed to protect Raz and the Mandalorian people as a whole were worse for it.

There were words to be had between them still. Having a fight with the man here and now in front of the crowd would not do their people any good despite how much the Silent Badger wanted it. He held his tongue, appropriate for the Silent Badger apparently. The Alor of Clan Solus glanced away towards the youngest member among them without shifting his helmet, Raz and Leandros's daughter.

The Silent Badger had still been around eleven years old when he had first seen Raz. She had been all dirty with smudges on her face not unlike how her daughter was only she had been wrestling some other poor kid into the dirt. Her brother most likely. Bryce, as he had still gone by back then, had seen how tough she was from a distance. His old man had not wanted him interacting with the other kids at that age. Back then she had just been some girl that he figured would probably kick his butt if he tried to fight her.

Pulling out of his flashback his helmet had still not moved from where it stared into his fellow War Councilor. Koil swallowed as a tears began to well in his eyes. His contorted face, teeth ground together relaxed. This was why he tried not to feel anything. The pain was too great. Archie walked up and laid down like a lapdog in front of the child knowing that its presence could possibly comfort the tiny human with the prospect of petting its bloody and ash dirt ridden body while the official business that neither he nor the child would likely understand.

Koil turned away not from Leandros but from the shared child of those he cared most for. He needed to be cold again. Koil needed to not feel anything. That was how he was going to utterly destroy the Sith. His armor was black, but Silent Badger was justice. Turning his helmet to look over his shoulder at Leandros he would mutter so quiet that even Leandros's daughter would not hear, not that she would understand the nuances. "Long live Mand'alor" There was more to come but for now this would have to suffice. The Silent Badger was a patient creature.

@Painus

 

[Sumas Solus]

Sumas stood in place, waiting for something. Anything. But the War Councilor stood unmoving in front of the growing crowd. Mandalorians from all over answered the call. Some he recognized and was happy to see here. But most of them he didn't know at all. But there were a few figures he didn't see in the crowd at all that he really thought would be here...

He was startled by the sudden voice of Koil and the man shoving past him. At least one of the figures were here. But from all the times of pissing off the Silent Badger, he had come to know when Koil was angry. Right now, he was very angry. He confronted Leandros, but the two of them kept their argument between the two of them. He wondered if he shouldn't just take the kid off to the side and let the two fanatics beat each other up and be done with it. But he knew better. The last thing he needed to do now was get in between those two.

As they argued, he leaned forward more and more. He tilted his head and messed around with his commlink to try and hear what the hell was going on. This wasn't exactly the time or place to have an argument. He straightened back out and looked around. He leaned towards the Field Marshal next to him(@Phoenix). "Hey, uhhh, can-can you hear what they're saying?" he quietly asked the man. He straightened out again and sighed. "I can't hear a damn thing." he said. Perhaps that was just him. With the amount of big guns and explosions he worked with, he wouldn't be surprised if his hearing wasn't as good as it used to be.

When Koil turned back towards them, Sumas slightly raised his hands and shrugged, looking at Koil with expectancy. They needed a plan. Even with a T-visor covering his face, he knew his Alor would recognize the look. This wasn't the time to stand around, whispering like school girls.

@Darasuum @Faster Than Light @Taz @Logan @Phoenix @Algarus @Painus @Caught in Strangereal @vamp @Insalius @christhebarker

 

[Revora Musana Kelborn]

Revy stared on watching the two exchange words in silence. While she couldn't tell what exactly they were saying she knew the body language especially when Leandros thumped his arm against his chest. It reminded her of an old memory from when she was six. When a small Cathar child was waiting in a hospital desperate to find out what became of momma. Peering through the windows of the isolated medical room seeing her father talking with a doctor. She had no idea what was happening, but it was clear that pappa was livid. At one point even grabbing the doctor by the shoulders and shaking him. Something happened something very bad happened even if it wasn't spelled out to the child. It was supposed to be a happy day when she would get a brother, her dad never shut up about it and how it was going to be her responsibility to help raise him right and lead by example. Tears had welled up in her eyes seeing the two in distress, and eventually her father caught a glimpse of his daughter crying and peering at them. Suddenly her father shifted, he stopped and went over to the child. He explained that her mother joined the manda today.

Now here were in a way the Fathers of the Mandalorian people in the same situation squabbling over the loss of the people's mother. It was all too familiar to her. She wanted to smack Sumas for his inquiring but she was just in such a state of mourning and sadness to do anything. Though she now was starting to feel like she needed to say something she didn't care about chain of command or if she was acting out of line she just wanted to snap those two blockheads out of this pettiness and get them see that all the people standing before them were all lost and hurting.

"Please, we need you. We're all lost in the void here! Please show us the way out!" Her voice was breaking apart as she shouted at the two, and tears fell down her face streaming down to her neck. Once again she felt like a small six year old girl trying to contemplate a loss she was not ready for, a loss that no one should have to bear in that state.

@Painus @Darasuum @Faster Than Light @Taz @Logan @Algarus @Insalius @christhebarker

 

[Reyna Solus]

The tension in the air was thicker than basilisk armor. Despite being out of earshot enough to catch most of what was said between the two War Councilors, the snippets of barbs and venom that she did hear were more than enough to tell Reyna it was not her place to intervene in this conversation. It was something deeply personal it seemed. The lack of Raz being present sort of made the topic of discussion fairly obvious.

The sudden outburst from another nearby caused Reyna's eyes to widen in anger beneath her T-visor and before she knew it the young Solus found herself reeling onto @Revora Musana Kelborn.

"This is not the time for your childish blubbering," She hissed, her face barely a few inches from Revora. Despite being from different clans, Reyna was still a Supercommando and her opinions were worth respecting. Her Slayer Symbol glinted as she turned back away, letting her eyes fall back onto the Councilors. "You know nothing of the loss Solus has suffered, especially those two. I wouldn't be surprised to learn your beskad was still virgin, never having even spilt Sith blood. Stay silent, Kelborn, and know your gods damned place."

Reyna inched closer to where Koil was standing, unsure of how near he would allow her to be. In her own way she would try to console him, to quell the storm of anger clearly hovering just below the tipping point. Silence fell over her again as Reyna waited patiently for what Leandros had brought them all here to say.

 

[Dax Rau (TL8)]

Only the force knows why Dax would expect a little more unity to this call to arms. Standing there saluting the air and little else, as clansmen continued to slowly trickle to the hill. The breeze would carry the emotions of all those around him. The Supercommando could literally taste the stew of anger and resentment, sadness, and loss. The tension so thick in the air as to be slices like warm bread with the plasma blades of the cold heated wizards who had caused this loss in the first place.

Dax looked around, eyes darting to each and every brother and sister presently on the hill beside him or before him. He took in the heated whispers of the remaining leaders. The blubbering of fresh faced pups, and the spiteful retorts of perhaps one of the very few Commandos he had not yet had the pleasure of spilling blood with.

Then he spoke.

"If you girls are done pulling your pigtails and crying that mommy is gone, can we get to the killing? We're all to blame for this. We thought the war mostly over, or to weary to continue to fight and in that weariness allowed our enemy to glass our home, and our greatest leader with it. We can continue to piss and moan over it, or. We can burn her name into their homes, their flesh. Until there is nothing left of their empire but ash and blood. Oya ?"

 

[Drace Solus]

No wonder things were the way they were. Mandalorians had always been so independent from each other, their personalities so varied that it wasn't uncommon for them to clash. Here, under pressure, was the best example of that. Drace watched in silence as the warriors argued—tensing a bit when Koil blamed Leandros, relaxing, then watching as a Supercommando he knew to be named Reyna almost smacked a Marauder. He shook his head minutely, lips pursed. Then, he spoke.

"Oya," he agreed, speaking for the first time. It was nice to have Taz there to speak some sense; Drace had missed the Supercommando more than he'd realized. "If the tension between us remains, we'll be decimated in a few months. Get a grip," he added. "Our Councilor has something to say." Drace turned to Leandros, not knowing what the man had to say but suspecting something.

Their fate would change once more today.

@Taz @Logan @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Theme​

Leandros stared with burning intensity at Koil, his piecing gaze boring through the man’s helmet. For several tense moments, they said nothing. Then, wordlessly, Koil stepped to the side, joining Leandros at the fore of their people, allowing him to finally take in the view of the crowd. There were hundreds gathered by now, if not thousands. Warriors of every clan, from every walk of life, answered the summons, curious and eager for the War Councilor’s words. Some cried out, begging for unity, while others pushed back, demanding silence to allow the man who summoned them to speak. Another gave his own rallying cry, wondering if the two Badgers were done crying over “mommy.” Leandros was hurting, but he would channel this pain, this anger. He would let the voice of the gods flow through him and speak in their name. They needed unity. He was here to deliver them.

“Sons and daughters of Mandalore,” his voice boomed across the plains, letting his words mix with the howling wind, knowing it would carry to all who had assembled. “Do you see that?” he roared, causing his daughter to flinch from the bark that issued almost deafeningly loud from beneath his helmet. There were a handful of murmurs in response, the speakers faceless within the masses of their helmeted heads. He grimaced at the paltry response, his eyes panning over the teeming ranks of his people. At first, he simply emitted a low, helm-distorted chuckle. Within a few seconds, he was laughing, laughing up at the burning sky while gripping the banner in his hand tightly.

“Are you as insulted as I am?” he shouted, demanding answers, “This is what they do to us?” He raised the banner and planted it firmly in the ground, the laughter fading, though amused contempt continued to fill his voice. “We are the mightiest force in the galaxy. The fury of our guns sends all enemies to the grave in flames. We stand united in our thousands – our weapons without number, our purity without question, and our hearts beating courage through our blood. And this is how they attack us?” He placed his hand back on the banner, though he did not pull it up. Perhaps, he thought, it would give him the strength he needed.

“Brothers and sisters… a legion of beggars and dregs wheezes their way across the galaxy. Forgive me when the moment comes that they whine and weep against our worlds. Forgive me that I must order you to waste ammunition upon their worthless bodies.” He drew his beskad out with his free hand and leveled it towards the crowd before him. A muted cheer greeted his words. It wasn’t enough, not even close.

“Look to your left and right. The brothers and sisters from which you draw your courage. The brothers and sisters who now promise nothing but revenge. For countless days, the people of your worlds, the people of your own cities, sold their lives to defend you. For countless nights, your own mothers and fathers, your own brothers and sisters fought the enemy to ensure that our worlds remain in our hands. They battled, road by road, sweating and fighting and dying so you could enjoy freedom!”

He growled angrily, turning his expressionless helmet to regard the multitudes before him.

“You owe them. You owe them for the sacrifices they have made. You owe the men and women by your sides for the sacrifices they will make in the days and nights yet to come. Here and now, you will have the chance you deserve. The chance to repay them all. More than that, you will have the chance to punish the enemy for laying siege to your world, for breaking your families apart and destroying your homes!”

Yet more ships continued to break orbit and enter the atmosphere, setting down behind the still-growing throng of Mandalorians. He did not relent in his oration, allowing his rage and fury to flow forth from his mouth in fluent Mando’a.

He lowered his beskad, pausing for a moment, letting his words sink in. With a sharp inhale, he continued, his voice still thundering across the plain.

“Fear is natural. It is normal. Feel no shame for a heart that beats too fast for this moment, or fingers that tremble as you recount the atrocities committed here. The only shame is cowardice – in running and leaving others to die when everything comes down to your actions. There must be no room in our ranks for whimperers and cowards, for panic-mongers and deserters. Turn from those who need you and you will lose everything that defines you! It is natural to seek blame in a time of tragedy. It is a sign of strength to cry out against fate, rather than to bow one’s head and succumb!” He shifted his gaze slightly, regarding Koil as he spoke these words for a moment before returning his attention to the gathered warriors.

His heart pounded, his grip around the banner and his beskad tightening. His daughter looked up at him, then across at the gathered warriors, not quite sure what was going on but enjoying the energy of the moment.

”Remember these words, brothers and sisters: ‘When death comes, the good we have done will mean nothing. We are judged in life for the evil we destroy.’ That time of judgment is upon you. I know every man and woman here feels it in their blood, in their bones.”

He brought his beskad inwards, placing it against his chest in a reverent salute to the people gathered in front of him. He tapped the blade against his chest a few times to emphasize his point.

“Never again in life will your actions carry such consequences. Never again will you serve as you serve now. No duty will matter as much, and no glory will taste as true. We are the defenders of Mandalore! From this day onward, we carve our legend into the flesh of every gods-forsaken Imperial we slay. Will you stand with me to the end?!”

Now the cheers came in truth. They thundered in the air around him.

“Sons and daughters of Mandalore! Our blood is the blood of heroes and martyrs! The Empire dares defile our sacred home? They dare tread the sacred soil of our world? We will send their corpses to hell when our final day dawns! I am Leandros of Clan Solus! A husband to a murdered Mand’alor! A father to her final legacy! A brother to the Mandalorians of this defiant world! This is my vow to you all: while one of us stands, Mandalore will never fall! If I must kill a thousand Sith myself, the sun shall forever rise over an unconquered planet. Stand with me, and you will be our salvation!”

A wave of noise crashed against his armor as they cheered. Leandros raised his beskad high, aiming it to the heavens. His voice strained, pushed far beyond its physical limits, yet he continued.

“This is our world! This is our galaxy! Say it! Say it! Cry it out so the bastards across the stars will hear our fury! Let them tremble in fear of our vengeance! Our world! Our galaxy!”

”For Mandalore!”

The chanting grew and grew, the fervor of the Mandalorians becoming palpable at the conclusion of his speech. Such was the passion present that his own hands trembled, simultaneously exhausted and inspired. His people needed a leader, they needed someone to rally behind. Raz was dead, there was no changing that, but he yet lived. He only needed their support; the backing of the clans and their Alors. A unification was required to bring about the Great Crusade, the return of the Mandalorians as the scourge of the galaxy. Now was the time to unite once more. The people before him would choose their next leader, their next Mand’alor. They would decide who is worthiest among them to lead. He could not force them, nor would he. This was their decision to make. And then, when the Mandalorians were united once more?

There will be retribution.

@Faster Than Light @Taz @Logan @Phoenix @Algarus @KinkyPrawn @Caught in Strangereal @vamp @Insalius @christhebarker