Myrkr

[Lord Ar-Pharazon]

You get eleven of the little critters. Treat them well.

[Gren Sairdonga]

(Cheers for the Speedy resolution)

 

Eleven Ysalamiri. That was a good number. He could certainly make use of them and still have a few extras for other plans. Storing them all on Mia's ship he gave her their next destination. Less then half an hour later the two ships lifted off and blasted away back to the Galactic Center and Revenge.

[Terra]

The Darkened Fear dropped from hyperspace above the jungle-borne planet of Myrkr, like the sharpened tip of a thrown spear, heading for the heart of an enemy. Terra brushed a lock of brown hair from her face, and placed it behind her pale, freckled ear as she watched the darkened planet appear on the viewscreen. With a soft nudge of her elbow, she awoke Elise, who stood slowly and walked from the cockpit, heading to awaken Tanner and John in the gunnery pods. Terra depressed a few buttons on the craft's heads-up display, and brought up a detailed map of Myrkr's Great Northern Forest. She copied the files to her personal data-pad and set the craft's course for a landing in a small clearing, about five klicks into the forest. With a smile, she walked swiftly to the cargo compartment, her squad joining her on arrival.

 

Terra beckoned them all forward, and pushed an entry code onto the consul, which parted open a small bulkhead. From inside the bulkhead, a box about two-meters in length, and a meter wide appeared on repulser-jets. Taking a handhold on the crate, Terra pulled it into the centre of the craft, and keyed another code into its access panel. The top of the crate popped off with a hiss of decompressing air, revealing a shroud-wrapped body. Around her, Terra's squad milled uncomfortably. Taking hold of the shroud, Terra unwrapped the body, revealing a girl with blonde hair and improvements of Sith metal. Terra turned to John, Tanner, and Elise, and spoke quietly.

 

”œThis is my former body, imbued with Sith power... We're going to use it as bait for the vornskrs of the planet below. Typically, Black Sun hunts Ysalamiri on this planet, and believe me... We will, but our main priority is to capture vornskrs, for a plan of mine, which includes their ability to hunt force-users. Now you know. Get ready.”

[Vornskr[s]]

There was one thing to remember about hunting vornskrs: the vornskrs were hunters. Large, sleek, cunning predators full of aggression and extremely dangerous, like prowling wolves they knew as soon as something trespassed through their territory. Arranging themselves into hunting packs, they set out, guided more by smell than any other sense, against which camouflage was almost useless.

 

The first group to be noticed was the gang that was gathering ysalamiri, for they had not taken the time to hide themselves. A small pack of five vornskrs rapidly approached, their vicious tails whipping back and forth as they goaded each other toward the awaiting fight. In moments they were upon the group, low to the ground and cunning, using the terrain to their advantage as they ambushed the party.

 

The corrupted body did not, of course, go unnoticed. Another pack of vornskrs, this one eight strong, were driven toward it by the smell. Still, they were smart creatures, and even without the Force they could detect the scent of the others waiting in the trees. They split, a couple of them taking the bait and heading for the corpse and the promise of a meal, but the others lied in wait, preparing themselves to strike as soon as their would-be ambushers showed themselves.

[Terra]

((Technically, the troops were scent-cleansed, but I'll roll. ))

 

John knelt besides one of the great trees of the Northern forest, observing the ysalamiri clinging to it like frantic survivors to a liferaft in a raging sea. He had collected a few already, bound in their nutrient cages beside him, within his pack. With a steady, gloved hand, he placed his datapad upon a small stump, activating his transponder, for all he had left to collect was one or two more of the furry lizards. His other hand rested lightly on the Stokhli Spray Stick hanging around his armored shoulders, colored like the rest of his equipment, a drab olive green. He stood slowly, brushing a gloved hand through his dark hair, his mind alert, fed by a small tinge of fear that sat within his heart like ice.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted what looked like a tail whip out from behind a rock, and his heart froze even more. He had seen all the horrorvids on vornskrs, and that was a sure sign in most of them that one unfortunate soul was about to be gobbled up like a fruitcake by a ravenous Hutt. His Black Sun special-forces training took hold of his actions, steering him hopefully towards life. With one hand, he grasped the stiff bark of the tree-branch above him and boosted himself onto it. With the other, he unleashed a round of spraymist towards the beast as it charged, followed by another for good measure.

 

A great pain rolled up his leg as sharpened teeth bit through cloth and flesh, shooting up his nerves like a burning flame. With a yell, John triggered another round of spraymist as he fell, towards the offending creature. The earth and stone bit into his back as he landed painfully, driving the breath from his lungs, and shattering his assault-rifle. He had forgotten the beasties moved in packs. The great hunters were smart indeed, but when they tangled with special forces, there was always a few tricks in play.

 

”œSon of a-"

 

As the beasts swarmed him, John triggered his entire grenade bandoleer. If the beasts chose that moment to eat him, all five, minus the ones possibly contained by spraymist, would be met with a grenade cocktail of adhesive glop, from the three glop-grenades, the concussive blast of four stun grenades, and the biting cold of at least one cyroban grenade. It would be quite a mixer of capturing power, but John would pay the highest price, shredded by the close proximity to the grenades' explosion, and perhaps eaten if the vornskrs survived the blast.

 

----------------------

 

The rockface was uncomfortable, the moss-covered stones sharp and unyielding. Thankfully, the moss helped conceal Terra's olive green uniform, instead of highlighting it. Terra's eyes narrowed as she spotted several large beasts approaching the area where her former body had been placed, coming through the gorge. A small whisper shot into Terra's ear, routing through her earpiece from Elise's comlink.

 

”œI spot several large vornskrs approaching the bait”¦ Should I fire?”

[Vornskr[s]]

((People sweat, especially in a place like Myrkr. De-scenting equipment may be effective, but people will start smelling again enough for vornskrs to get wind of it.))

 

The multiple-grenade detonation echoed through the forest, calling out to even more predators. The Black Sun had announced its presence in a way that was unmistakable, and vornskrs were not afraid of humans as some smaller predators were....

 

Meanwhile, the two vornskrs that had charged the body approached it unhindered, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. They failed to detect the trap, and one of them was instantly captured, but the other had been so close there wasn't another trap there to catch it. The beast pounced on the corpse, ready to sink its teeth into the soft flesh of Terra's old body.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of the pack, smelling human sweat and fear, however faintly, held their ground just a little longer, still unable to pinpoint their prey's location.

[Terra]

((Thus, the scent masking in addition to cleansing made in my first post. Worked like a charm for me in the field. ))

 

Terra's eyes narrowed as she watched the two Vornskrs approached the bait, readying herself for the spring of the trap. The first vornskr went down at the first man-trap, but somehow, the second one managed to avoid all the others placed in its way to reach the body. Perhaps they had failed. With a gloved hand, she reached into her pack and withdrew a concussive grenade, keeping the Stokhli Spray Stick on target, aiming at the mouth of the gorge, from which the two vornskrs had made their deft approach. Her steel-grey narrowed even further as she ran combat scenarios through her mind, all of them ending badly, especially if more of their equipment either failed or was ineffective. She quickly checked her spray-sticks controls for the proper stun-charge setting and range.

 

As the beast bit down into the body, Terra activated Tanner's go command on her comlink. Tanner, being all too eager for battle, as was natural for a special-forces grunt, stood immediately into a proper firing stance, and unleashed a quick double shot of spraymist at the beast biting the bait. The two globular blasts exited the stick with a hiss, and a strong kickback against Tanner's arm, for which the spec-ops grunt was happy he was in a proper shooter's stance. The spraymist would speed towards their target, hopefully dropping it in its tracks. If the beastie dropped, Tanner would immediately turn to the gorge entrance to sweep for more hostiles.

 

Within the tree's higher branches, a small distance from the body, Elise sat nestled, spray-stick active and scanning the area with the deft eyes of a sniper. She would be more than ready for any movement of the prey or its reinforcements, prepared to send in stun-charged nets like screaming harpies upon her prey. A small smile lit her face, the sun absorbing into the fabric of her uniform, disguising her against the pungent moss of the Olbio tree upon which she sat. Her cowl kept the filtered sunlight from glinting off her copper colored hair or her pale, freckled skin. Elise's breathing was steady, her finger resting casually upon the Stokhli Spray Stick's depresser. She, like the rest of the group, was ready for anything.

[Vornskr[s]]

As soon as the first shot was fired, everything went crazy. Vornskrs tore through the brush, keeping low and not risking the open, as they dashed toward the shooter. As they did so, they kept their eyes and noses keen to find the other attackers that they knew were still lurking. They were swift, stealthy predators, no strangers to pack tactics and strategy.

 

They reached Tanner in no time, only seconds after the man's shot took down one of their packmates.

 

((Short, but I'm a bit pressed for time.))

[Terra]

Terra's eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the situation before her, through the force-masks' HUD, which was registering movement in the brush. From the swift-moving trails, it was most likely more vornskrs, heading straight for Tanner, as he fired his weapon. She breathed in a mouthful of the refiltered air and tapped the screen once with her tongue, activating her comlink, and sending a message.

 

”œTanner, 9:00!”

[Vornskr[s]]

((My apologies for the delay.))

 

When the grenade went off, all hell broke loose. Vornskrs from the original pack and others that were drawn by the previous detonation came out of seemingly nowhere. Some of them were drawn toward the body and fell into the traps. Some of them were caught in the grenade blast itself. More of them took fire from the perimeter of Black Sun operatives.

 

Some of them were too fast, and they fell upon Black Sun agents, slipping past their blasters and tearing them to shreds.

 

((If you're ready to leave, you can end the fight with your next post and I can give you the results after it.))

[Terra]

((Yeah, I'm fine with leaving.))

 

”œSon of a...”

[handofthrawn]

You've been here since the 4th, a total of 12 days. Between John blowing himself up and the vornskrs, some of the ysalamiri were killed. I'll give you 7 of the critters.

 

The fight against the vornskrs was well-written and showed good tactics with the traps, bait, scent masking, and waiting for them to show themselves. I'll award you with 12 vornskrs, one for each day you were here.

[Terra]

((Thank you, sir. Much appreciated.))

 

Terra stood slowly, and stepped over the bodies of the two vornskrs she had slain, and turned to survey the damage. According to her vital tag, only Elise remained of her agents. Elise sped quickly through the forest and returned to the assault shuttle to gather the grav-carts for transfer, as Terra moved the creatures into one clearing. The beasts were heavy, and once they arrived, Terra was glad for the grav-carts.

 

It took the better part of the day loading the dozen vornskrs and seven ysalamiri into the The Darkened Fear with only her and Elise working. Once the work was done, they sealed the cargo bay, and brought the shuttle out of The Great Northern Forest. With a small sigh, Terra turned and guided the assault shuttle out of the atmosphere and the planet's gravity-well. She toggled the hyperdrive once they were clear, and sent the ship into hyperspace.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

From the galley she nodded as he stepped away to pilot the ship. For a moment, at least, she'd found enough balance to steady herself again. Once she'd gotten all of the ingredients into the pot, she secured it for both cooking and the landing procedures as the tra'kad began it's decent, taking the opportunity to slide into the copilot's seat next to Kandor. In a lot of ways it reminded her of her childhood home on Shogun with it's lush green jungle; it was a welcome distraction from her own thoughts. The hunting here would do her good. 

 

A small gasp escaped her as though suddenly she'd been plunged into ice water. Mirdala hadn't realized how high the Force-less barrier stretched above the planet's surface. She also hadn't realized that her own latent connection with the Force had begun to return, that was, perhaps, the greater of the two shocks. It wasn't long before they were on the surface and the sounds of the jungle returned through the Justice's external speakers. "This should prove interesting, Kand'ika. I've never  hunted lizards before."

[Moon Knight]

ShadowFett smiled. It would be a good hunt indeed. "Ysalamiri grow their claws directly into the trees they inhabit, and the critters are everywhere, so they're easy to find," he said. "The fun part is the vornskrs. They're just animals, but they're cunning. Watch for their tails, keep them at a distance and don't let your guard down, Mird'ika, and we'll walk away with a harvest." He had to admit he was a little surprised that she had never been here, but he had about a decade of experience on her, much of which had been spent in factions that required ysalamiri for security. He mentally tried to add up how many times he'd been here to gather the lizards or just to fight vornskrs. Perhaps three times with Black Sun, once while undercover in the Link, and twice independently. It was almost like a shabla hobby to him.

 

Once he'd found a suitable clearing, he put the Tra'kad down and got up, heading back to the galley to grab some of the food Mirdala had prepared. It was a quintessentially Mando pre-combat meal, packed with calories and nutrients that could both provide energy for imminent battle and yet sustain the verd who consumed it for seige-like conditions. Some would say that it sacrificed some of its flavor to accomplish all of this, but Fett had acquired a taste for it as many Mando'ade did.

 

As he ate he gathered the rest of his equipment, which he had been cleaning before their deep-space conversation. He decided he didn't need his shattergun or sonic weapons, as there was no threat of coming across Force-wielding opponents here. It would be his assault rifle, a couple of backup blaster pistols, a vibrosword and the knife Mirdala had given him before her capture. He took another bite of what was in his hand and holstered the weapons, checking the charge of each of them as he did so, although he had probably done it two or three times already. Calling someone a professional in any combat-oriented field was the same as calling them a meticulous, detail-oriented and borderline-paranoid individual who knew that most battles were won even before the first shot was fired. Holodramas always seemed to play up how being the quickest draw or the best shot made battles go one's way, and though Fett had certainly spent time on those skills, he knew that it was the better prepared warrior that would come out on top in the vast majority of conflicts.

 

And that was why this was going to work. He turned back to Mirdala, who was also eating. "There's only two of us, so we should be able to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. I'll show you how to extract an ysalamir from a tree without killing it, then we'll take turns doing it and standing watch," he explained. Next he addressed his beskar'ad. "2277, keep the sensors up and looking for predators. I want warning from a klick out. We'll stick close, so use the guns if you have to."

 

He went back over to the table for some more food. "As soon as you're in your beskar'gam, we can move out," he said to his traat'aliit'ad.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala quietly listened to her traat'aliit'ad's briefing on the local wildlife as she performed a weapons check of her own, striping down and reassembling her modified hold-out blaster and assault rifle. Both had been cleaned thoroughly during the return trip from Naboo and hadn't been used since. As he began to warn against the vornskrs, she pulled up what information she could via her implant. 

 

"Copikla," she remarked as the image appeared in her brain's visual center. "I'll follow your lead, but I might have an easier time than you in the trees once I learn how to extract the lizards. We should also pack and bring the rest of the food, I made plenty so we wouldn't have to return to the Justice for a while or make a cook-fire to draw attention when we wanted dinner."

 

She continued to eat as he made his preparations, finally remarking, "As soon as you're in your beskar'gam, we can move out."

 

"I should only be a minute. I do want to sanisteam first. I reek of Coruscant," the young woman quickly left the table and returned to the compartment she'd taken up as her residence on the tra'kad vessel. 

 

Once clean, having set the practical unit to a setting that would mask her natural odor, she braided her hair and slipped into her kute and beskar'gam, exiting the room, buy'ce in arm. She grabbed a few extra power packs from the stores and placed them safely in her pouches before she holstered her weapons, including her two beskar kukri's secured safely on her hips. "Shall we?"

 

Her mood had improved considerably now that a task had been set before her to complete. 

[Moon Knight]

"Oya," he agreed. During her sanisteam he'd packed up some of the food so they could eat in the field, although he didn't intend to go far. He'd also eaten a little more himself to make sure he could go for a while if it became necessary. Even with Mirdala's latent Force sensitivity which tended to draw the predators, he didn't anticipate getting swarmed with vornskrs as long as they stuck to ysalamiri bubbles, which was the idea anyway if they were going to harvest the useful lizards. The Mando'ad assumed that predators that hunted with the Force would have trouble detecting prey that were invisible to those senses, although he had never tested the theory before.

 

Sealing his buy'ce onto his head, he started up the internal computer with eye motions and blinks, readouts and displays flickering to life as he had his full vision restored to him. Activating those systems reminded him in many ways of Isolder's memories of opening himself to the Force after going a while without it. Perhaps he was a bit more human with it all turned off, but unlike the jetiise, he wasn't crippled without it.

 

He lowered the boarding ramp and felt Myrkr's cool forest breeze sweep across the clearing he had chosen. Mirdala behind him, he held his assault rifle at the ready, wary for predators that might have been drawn to his ship's approach. When his initial scan revealed nothing, he headed over to a nearby olbio tree, from which ysalamiri drew their nutrients. Indeed, he found that there were two of the creatures fastened to this one, and he quickly scrambled several feet up the trunk with the help of climbing spikes built into his kom'rke, then found a branch where he could sit. Mirdala followed suit with much more ease due to her small frame, and Fett demonstrated how to pull one lizard out of the branch without killing it ((a technique that remains unwritten, unfortunately)).

 

Once he'd pulled one, he asked her to do the other, then dropped down out of the branches to again scan the area for vornskrs, which were just cunning enough to execute an ambush.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

((I kind of sort of used Fett's character more that I normally would, but after our conversation earlier today I figured that what I did was okay. Let me know if it's not and I can always edit it.))

 

Mirdala stoically observed his technique for carefully disloging the ysalamiri from its source of nutrition and transferring it to the subsitute sustenance pack in the specially designed cage. Thinking ahead, she also recorded his actions for later reference via her implant. The process was somewhat slow, taking a steady and careful hand, but she knew it was necessary otherwise the trauma to the ysalamiri could kill the small creature. Like her own recovery, it wasn't something that could be forced quickly or the end result would only cause more trauma. Patience was a well-taught trait among the Mando'ad beroyase, so she had little trouble expending the time it took to harvest the lizard. Kandor had watched her progress carefully until he was satisfied that she could perform the task, then he dropped down to the ground below her to stand watch against any of the predators he'd mentioned while she continued to work.

 

As she delicately pried the last bit of the ysalamiri's claw from the tree, the creature seemed to regard her curiously for a moment, as though unsure of its own fate, but didn't seem to care enough to protest aside from a comical rumbling as it was hoisted into the air and placed in the containment unit. The little creature seemed content enough, however, once it had reanchored itself on the nutrient pack next to the one Kandor had extracted.

 

"There's more in the trees up ahead. The branches are thick enough I can climb over there easily."

 

And so their routine went over the next few days, each time the pair ventured a little further from the Justice, taking care not to thin out the area too much, lest they invite attack by the vornskrs. After a little over two standard weeks though, keeping that balance became harder as their options dwindled to choosing to venture further from the relative safety of the Justice, or to compromise the area's Force-suppression further by collecting those that they'd purposefully left behind. Still, somehow they'd either been very lucky or had managed to keep that balance well, because their days were free of the vornskrs.

 

At night they'd return to the tra'kad vessel where they'd relax and get ready for the next day's hunt.

 

At night, is when the nightmares ultimately began to take over Mirdala's dreams. Each time she closed her eyes they grew more vivid and violent as her subconscious seemingly turned on itself. Though, each time she jolted awake crying out and covered in a cold sweat, it was becoming slowly and steadily easier to draw herself back out of their muck-like blackness. More than a few times her cries of rage or anguish drew Kandor's silhouette to her door as a silent sentry, as he knew well the cyclic cesspool of haunting memories dreams could be. He had not just the demons and tormentors from his own life, but those of all the other Moon Knights before him. All he knew he could do was just to be there for her.

 

It was the only thing he could think of, as none of the previous experiences he carried, personal or Moon Knight, had provided him the knowledge with how best to handle the agonizing situation in which he now found himself. Regardless, he swore to himself that he would be there for her, whether that meant allowing her to fight it out with a late night sparring match in their pajamas, or simply to hold her until she fell asleep again. He took his cues from her.

 

Something in Mirdala had shifted during that time, as though finally unburdening the horrible secret and shame she felt had lifted a massive weight from her and had torn down her barriers. She, much to Kandor's relief, began to feel more like herself again. He knew that there really was no one real answer or process to help her heal from what had been inflicted upon her, but Kandor was going to be there to stand by her so she could lean on him when she truly needed it and be patient with her when she chose to fight through in her own atin way. Her healing was as individual as she was, and as the days passed, he watched as she gradually became more like her old self again.

 

Things had been quiet in regards to the vornskrs during her days of recovery, so the two Mando'ade had found their own challenge sparring each other when taking respite from gathering the little Force-suppressing lizards. There were times where her fury and anger still found their way into her heart, but Kandor fostered her fighting instinct and was always ready for a sparring match when needed.

 

Mirdala found herself chided when Kandor suspected she was holding back on him, but, at the same time, she'd also been surprised to discover which parts of her fighting style had been influenced by her own ability to use the Force. It did offer some comfort to her that they were currently on a planet where Force-suppression was the norm. She didn't even want to entertain the thought of what damage she could do now that her Force-powers were returning. Would they have grown since she now had knowledge of how to better channel them? Could she still hide them as she always had most of her life?

 

For the most part, Kandor kept his movements more defensive during these forays, forcing her to take the offensive in many of their bouts. He also tried to keep the sessions instructive for her in order to keep her mind and body focused and sharp. By allowing Mirdala to play her aggressions out as he deflected blow after blow, he gradually became more familiar with her style of combat, though he would occasionally switch roles on her - just to keep her on her toes. For him, the old adage of "Ke barjurir gar'ade, jagyc'ade kot'la a dalyc'ade kotla'shya..." had never rung more true. Time and again Mirdala had proven herself to be both strong and resilient, and, as they fought, she was proving that her buire had truly taken the words to heart having trained their ad well.

 

Even now they fought in the clearing just outside of the Justice, both clad in beskar'gam though each wielded their own blade, or blades of choice.

 

Despite her own inner struggle, Mirdala had been gaining the benefit of his instruction and the chance to channel some of her restless emotions into something more constructive than sitting around doing nothing. In trying to find ways past his tight defense, she'd become more of a precision striker, adding new skills and combos to her already extensive repertoire. Blade answered blade as the two danced around each other in the pale orange sky of the early evening.

 

He'd learned early on in their traat'aliit'ad that she wasn't afraid to get within her opponent's reach and was more than capable in such close quarters. The dala knew how to use her size and maneuverability to her advantage. Back and forth they went for several minutes, finally declaring it a draw when both had their weapons positioned for a lethal strike at the same moment. "Jate!" she said as she felt the flat of his beskad just on the inside of her thigh as hers was poised to pierce him just underneath the arm.

 

Instead of resetting to begin the dance again, Mirdala dropped her kukris, taking his buy'ce in both of her hands, leaning him forward until it rested against hers. Behind her visor, she smiled, a sense of peace finally beginning to take a firm root within her scarred soul. Her quiet voice flowing over their shared link broke the silence between them, "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum Kand'ika.

[Moon Knight]

It was heartening to ShadowFett to see Mirdala recover in observable ways over the last two weeks on Myrkr. There would probably be nightmares for a long time, and the scars left by the event would never disappear entirely. But he watched her become her old self again anyway, regaining her strength and confidence. In particular the Mando'ad enjoyed it when they sparred, for it was through this exercise that she was required to put aside the weight of emotion and act decisively and with certainty. Combat was cleansing as well as keeping the body strong and the mind sharp, and he fought in such a way that would allow her to vent her frustrations.

 

But those were getting fewer in the last few days. He was dedicated to be like stone, a firm foundation to support her, but as she started to lean on him a little less he was relieved. They were getting to be very close, closer than ever before, but he could not bear the weight of her trauma forever. She was getting back on her feet, coming to terms with what had happened, and becoming even stronger than she had been before it all happened. This did not make what the shabuire had done to her forgivable by any means, but perseverence in the face of adversity tempered the soul and mind just as working the body to exhaustion built its strength and endurance.

 

And the compassion Fett felt for Mirdala did not fade--he didn't think it ever could. It was as though they had rebuilt themselves together, stronger than before because at the very core of their beings they were solus. And layered in to these structures was a deep mutual respect, Mirdala seeing Fett as steady, unshakable in his devotion, logical and disciplined, and Fett seeing Mirdala as intelligent and creative, impossibly strong to emerge from this ordeal intact, never giving in to despair or depression and never questioning what she knew was true.

 

Their latest sparring match had ended in a draw, proving how quickly Mirdala could learn to improvise and adjust her fighting style. Mand'alor had a couple millenia of experience on her, though he still struggled at times to consolidate everything he had learned into one unified style. Combat could be decided in a second as styles shifted and there was an answer to any defense as well as a parry for every attack. In this instance, she'd sacrificed a moment of defense for a dangerous attack, and, unable to defend against it, Fett had gone for the draw.

 

But combat analysis could wait, Fett decided, as Mirdala moved closer to him and reached up to his kovid. He leaned down until their buy'cese touched, then pulled her body against his, his arms wrapped around her lower back, their eyes penetrating their visors to meet. Her sense of peace flowed into him as she intoned the phrase in Mando'a and he realized that they'd made it through the worst of it. "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, Mird'ika," he responded in kind. It was the deepest sentiment a Mando'ad could express.

 

They remained that way for a time. Time always seemed to break down in moments like this, so Fett wasn't sure if it was thirty seconds or several minutes and he didn't particularly care. When it felt like time, he slowly pulled away from her. "You up for one more harvest? I think we're doing pretty well." They had managed to extract over a dozen of the ysalamiri--it was truly a slow process, particularly with one of them always standing guard. They weren't especially easy to find, either, especially as the Mando'ade harvested more of them in the area. But Fett figured they could net a couple more today and have enough to blanket the entire HQ in a bubble with extra to spare.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

((Sorry so short...brain fried today...))

 

Mirdala hugged him back, then stooped to retrieve her kukris when they finally released their embrace. "I'm up for another run before we head back."

 

It was beginning to get dark as they geared up in the twilight and set out, but the dimness of night would only present a little more of a challenge to the Mando'ad pair as they set off towards the trees.

[Moon Knight]

Like throwing a mental lever, ShadowFett switched back over to business mode as the light began to decline, his mind focusing on the task at hand and the potential for life-threatening combat. It was tempting fate to hunt at night, but the two Mando'ade were afforded through their buy'cese better night vision than even the best predators had. As Fett flipped his visor to low-light mode, the jungle seemed to light up, objects becoming clearly outlined and Mirdala gaining the distinct glow of a warm body being viewed through an infrared highlighting system. Fett employed a custom mix of conventional night vision systems, chosen carefully so that he could see clearly without certain things becoming washed out.

 

And so the two verde proceeded into the jungle, using Mirdala's muted Force senses as well as scanners to detect ysalamiri, remaining senses on alert for lurking vornskrs. Fett considered themselves lucky that they hadn't run across any of the beasts so far, but it proved his theory about hiding in ysalamiri bubbles. It was quite possible that only through these precautions had an ambush been averted. This being his seventh or so trip to Myrkr, he didn't particularly fear vornskrs, but the only fight that any man could be guaranteed to survive was the one that never took place.

 

They were still in the Justice's sensor shadow when Fett's buy'ce pinged. It was fortunate that they hadn't needed to travel too far, as it both saved time and ensured advanced warning from 2277 if there were roaming predators. With a head gesture Fett indicated for Mirdala to scale the tree containing the ysalamir he'd detected, then he picked an adjacent one and, with a brief and nearly silent thrust from his repulsor pack, found a place among its branches where he had a good vantage point on the surrounding area. Arming his assault rifle, he propped it up against another branch and settled in to wait. After two weeks, this was pretty routine.

[Lord Ar-Pharazon]

You get twenty-six of the little critters.

[Moon Knight]

((Thanks, Ben. Ash, not sure if you wanted to get in another post here, but it's been a couple weeks. Time to move on.))

 

ShadowFett found that the last few hours went smoothly despite the fact that they had chosen to hunt at night. Even though vornskrs were generally more active after dusk, they still couldn't detect the two Mando'ade hidden by the bubbles ysalamiri created as a natural defense against them. After they had pulled a couple more of the lizards, taking turns extracting and keeping an eye open for night life, Fett decided that they had spent enough time here. It was a larger harvest than he'd ever personally pulled, even when he had come with more people. More importantly, it was time away from business. Time he could spend with Mirdala without the distractions of a busy CoreSec headquarters trying to hold far too many Sith Masters at once. Time away from all the red tape.

 

But eventually that had to come to an end. These ysalamiri were actually needed back at HQ, and it was time to return there. "Let's pack it up, Mird'ika," he told her as he finished extracting the final lizard. They carried out the quick trek back to the Justice in relative silence, the darkness of the world around them making them focus on sniffing out potential ambushes, despite the fact that they had been here for several days without an attack. Mand'alor decided he would have to remember this trick, although it took some of the sport out of the hunt. Vornskrs were a good test of mettle, and he'd born a scar on his beskar'gam from their claws for much of his time with Black Sun.

 

Soon they'd gotten back to the ship, and Fett took the helm. The final count of ysalamiri was twenty-six, more than double any other haul he'd seen before. And each of them would be indispensable for the team he'd been put in charge of for hunting dar'jetiise. Minutes later, he was pulling back the hyperspace levers and sending them back toward the core.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

The two of them continued working for several hours into the night, gathering a few more of the small lizards as they quietly moved from tree to tree. Without her buy'ce's chrono to mark the passage of time in the moonless night, Mirdala would have found it hard to believe how long the two of them had been without rest. It was odd how the passage of time seemed to ebb and flow at it's own pleasure when she was with Kandor, though more recently there'd been more moments when everything seemed to have stopped around them. It was nice not having to adhere to meetings and proceedings, duty shifts and rosters for a change and just simply exist. Even better that Kandor was here by her side.

 

Let's pack it up, Mird'ika, he called over their shared link, having finished extracting the ysalamiri that he'd discovered in the tree from which he'd been keeping his watch.

 

"We've got a good haul," she agreed, "and I think I'm finally ready to head back to headquarters. I'm sure they're wondering what's taken so long," she sighed, a part of her not quite wanting to leave this place. Her sense of duty, however, overwhelmed her desire for the simple hunting that the two of them had shared.

 

It was almost odd how much this place with it's forested and almost jungle-like wilderness reminded her of her childhood home of Shogun. She looked over at Fett as he dropped from the tree next to her, pausing for a moment to assess any threats that might be in the area that might have been alerted by the sudden noise. After a few heartbeats he signaled for her to join him.

 

Quickly sliding down the tree, she landed gracefully next to him, the weeks spent climbing trees and training had made her body strong once again. She handed him the containment unit and took up point as the two of them trekked back to the Justice without incident.

 

About fifteen minutes later they were back to the tra'kad's clearing, Fett immediately going up the boarding ramp to stow the harvested ysalamiri with the rest. Mirdala chose to linger however, looking back across the clearing as she removed her buy'ce to feel the humid night's breeze on her skin. It had been far too long since she'd stayed anywhere as green as her childhood home. She just wanted to take the last few minutes to simply enjoy the surroundings that the two of them had shared over the last several days.

 

The sound of the tra'kad's engines beginning their power up cycle brought her thoughts back to the present as he ducked back into the vessel. Seeing all of the green and brilliant life that was the jungles of Myrkr quickly reminded her of a young girl who'd never feel the sun on her face again.

 

Mirdala took her place in the co-pilot's seat next to Kandor and began reciting her daily remembrances, finally adding a new name to the list. "Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum - Tsikala Skirata, Jorbe Ad'Goran, Cyare Orade, Tracyn Galaar, bal Sandy Sarna..."

 

It was for the first time in the last two weeks she'd allowed herself to think about the habir'jetii and how cruel fate had been to have allowed her to survive the horrors of Uhalu and his thugs, only to be cut down by Ar-Pharazon in the middle of CoreSec HQ in a random act of violence. She wondered if the rest of the Jetiise had even cared about the poor girl, having been the ones to thrust her out into the galaxy ill-prepared to defend herself. Mirdala found herself questioning Sandy's teacher's competency during the Thalassian raid in giving her care over to a former Sith instead of seeing to it herself.

 

She considered the possibility of cloning the girl, but could not, in good conscience do so then hand her back to the Jetiise who'd left her so ill-prepared in a battlefield environment. For a moment she entertained the thought of bringing Sandy along with her and Kandor, but almost as immediately dismissed it because neither of them could devote time to caring for the girl and ensuring that she was properly trained.

 

Besides, the two of them had too many secrets between them to protect to invite a total outsider into the mix, especially an undisciplined teenager, and with the way things were headed, it would be almost impossible to keep watch over her and for either of them to do their duty in hunting down the dar'jetiise.

 

It didn't mean that she missed the girl any less. Perhaps it was something that was better discussed with Kirlocca due to Sandy's ties with the order, if he was still available when they got back.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

It had been a long and relatively silent few days in space on the Justice en route to the one place in the galaxy Mirdala felt safe to even begin to fully process the events several days prior.

 

Her body had more or less healed from Judyc's brutal attacks, but she'd purposefully locked those still vivid memories away clinging to the numbness like the lifeline it was. Kandor had made a few attempts to coax more that one or two-word answers from her if he even got that much. Mirdala knew he was hurting as deeply as she was, and could feel it in their bond, but it took all her will and Vi'ika's help to keep her centered enough to maintain anything more than simply riding out the trip in the confines of their cabin. Kandor had never seen his wife so silent or so still. It was almost as though what Judyc had done had stolen the fight from her, however temporary, he knew.

 

There was also lot of sitting in silence with their arms wrapped around one another, each taking what comfort they could in the presence of the other.

 

As they made their approach, Kandor was alone in the cockpit when Mirdala set foot in it for the first time since they'd been on Corellia, Vi'ika nudging her forward.

 

"We're here." Her voice was quiet, matter of fact, and carefully devoid of anything resembling emotion. She turned around to secure Vi'ika in the jumpseat she'd modified as something to keep her hands busy on one of the rarer occasions when Kandor had finally gotten her to emerge from the cabin for something other than a meal or the refresher.

 

Tightening her own restraints, feeling a chill wash over her as the action brought up an unwanted flash of not being able to move. Kandor's hand found hers and she met his concerned eyes before remembering she was safe and back with him chased the spectre away. He only released it when they began their decent into the planet's atmosphere.

 

He could tell when they hit the higher layers of the Force-suppression because he saw his wife finally relax out of the corner of his eye, her face a study in utter relief.

 

Once the ship was down, she got out of her harness as soon as it was safe for her to do so and rested her forehead against Kandor's. "I know this isn't easy for either of us, but I'm glad you're stubborn enough to put up with me."

[Moon Knight]

Even as he worked through his own emotions in the way that he did, Kandor was determined to be there for his wife. "Like it or not, you're stuck with me, Mird'ika," he said, embracing her.

 

After a moment he turned his head to look out the viewport at the dense Myrkr jungle, feeling a strong parallel to their last trip here, the echoes of their emotions at the time. He had just pulled her out of the slavers' den on Tatooine, starting to recover from the atrocious things Lura and the others had done to her body over a weeks-long ordeal. This time her trial had been much shorter but intensely psychological, and it seemed to him that the damage was greater. Let there never be a third that follows the trend, he thought.

 

When they both were ready, he got up and told 2277 to keep an eye out for curious predators. The high metal content of the trees on Myrkr obfuscated sensor readings, so even before they started to hunt of ysalamiri it benefited them to set up a few perimeter sensors of the type he carried aboard the Justice for such situations. He was eager to go about the simple operational task to help get his mind off of everything else for a while, and he could accomplish it before Vy'ika and his sandhound Cinva arrived. The Omicron had stopped along the way to drop Orsai off on Kuat, so was perhaps a couple hours behind.

 

As he walked he got the lay of the land, used it to scout and build a topographical map in his buy'ce computer. There was a grove with a number of ysalamiri not far away, and it would likely suit their needs, as they only needed a few. So far, they'd spooked the local wildlife and they hadn't crept back in yet to check them out, but he kept an eye out.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala managed to hold the anger at bay just long enough to help Kandor in setting up the parameter sensor array around the clearing that was large enough to hold two ships. But as she went about double-checking everything, she felt it rising swiftly to the surface as she tore off her helmet, feel to her knees and let out a primally gut-wrenching part-scream, part-cry, part-sob that was soon joined by an unearthly howl from Vi'ika. She let out everything with her whole being, tired of holding anything back until she'd screamed herself hoarse falling to her hands as the wracking sobbing overtook her.

 

Vi'ika warned Kandor off with a low growl when he took a few steps towards his wife, the hound knowing that Mirdala wanted none of the repose he was more than willing to give. Mirdala needed to let this play out in order to finally move past it. After several minutes she had nothing left, only just managing to get to her feet and disappear into the Justice.

 

------

 

Vy'ika's ship landed only a few hours after the Justice. He tried comming Mirdala, not quite liking that he couldn't reach her before he remembered that Judyc Viba had literally cut the implant from her head. He tried Kandor instead, reaching out to gauge what he was walking into empathically before the tra'kad's ramp lowered to admit him entrance.

 

Mirdala's presence felt utterly drained, but he didn't sense the undercurrent of sharpness that she'd had before, almost as though something had surged through to clear away the shards of glass that had been her and Kandor's dream. Whatever had happened, it was progress of a sort at least.

 

Making his way up the ramp, he found Mirdala standing in the galley, Kandor watching her silently from the table. Removing his helmet he nodded to Kandor before addressing his sister, "I see you survived the journey."

 

She shot him a dark look as she turned over the pot stickers and he held up his hands in mock surrender and wondered over to take a seat next to his newest brother-in-law. "How are you holding up?"

[Moon Knight]

Watching his wife break down and play out her grief in the woods was in a way every bit as painful for Kandor as the inciting event that had caused it. Whatever someone could put him through, he was willing to bear it out of stubborn tenacity and his will to live and fight despite it, convinced of his moral responsibility to persist and strive against the forces of darkness in the galaxy. Indeed, he had worked hard to overcome and outlive Kelborn's legacy from the day he had left Manda'yaim as a young man, long before he knew what a monster the man had been. But whatever scars he would accept, he had developed such compassion for Mirdala he almost couldn't bear to see her suffer in such a way.

 

It didn't matter how he thought about it. It didn't matter that he knew how strong her will to cuyanir was. It didn't matter that he knew that she worried about him just as he worried about her. Nothing could make seeing her in pain any less excruciating save for the desperate hope that someday they might just be okay again, doing the best they could despite being forever diminished by the horrifying tragedy that had been willfully inflicted upon them by a dead man.

 

When Verdeyuii joined them, Kandor wasn't sure if he was glad to see the other clone. He knew that Vy'ika could support Mirdala empathically, and having another perspective not nearly as mired in grief could help them work through things. But he also felt utterly unwilling open up and let Vy'ika in, like doing so would be an intrusion on a mourning process that he and his wife just needed to get through together.

 

"I'll live," he said. He wanted to say more. He needed to know how Mirdala was coping, if her catharsis in the woods had helped her; he wanted to see if he could do anything more than he was. But the words just weren't coming.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Vy'ika looked from Kandor to Mirdala and back again and nodded as though he'd confirmed something for himself. "At least you don't feel like sharpened sticks and transparasteel anymore, Dika."

 

"Don't," she hoarsely warned wearily. "Don't use that name with me right now. It's too...familiar." That was the name her parents, Hwulf, and TeVerd (all dead now save for TeVerd) had used for her beyond the usual familiar form of her name. Judyc's admissions had opened some very old wounds and created more than a fair share of fresh ones that still felt as though they were oozing. The name carried with it too many unwanted memories.

 

"Ah...so I see we're still in the anger phase things then? Glad something or someone, " he looked back at Kandor's grim face, "got you past denial."

 

Mirdala gave a snort and rounded on her older brother, spatula gripped tightly in her hand. "I was never in denial Vy'ika," her voice was a low growl, "Hard to deny what was done when I was awake for every kriffing minute of it. How angry were you when your wife was killed huh? At least your anger wasn't dangerous to the people around you."

 

"That's debatable," He countered, nonplussed, as he walked over to her, reaching for one of the already-done potstickers. "Remember, I'm a 'lovable little sociopath'. How many do you think died in response?" He dodged her spatula slap and popped it into his mouth and smiled wickedly at her.

 

"That's the difference between you and me, Vy'ika," she started, crossing her arms and regarding her brother for a minute. "I actually care if innocents get hurt because of me. You think it would have been better if I'd let everything out in the hospital? I'd have been locked away and left to rot in the Helavault in a cell between Geki and Ar Pharazon. No thanks."

 

Vy'ika looked genuinely hurt for a moment before he pulled her in for a hug. She resisted, but ultimately relented. "It's about time you admitted you were hurting," he said gently before releasing her. "And who said they were innocent? I really doubt everyone in that organization wasn't guilty of at least something. TeVerd raised us better than that and you know it. Ah...Rahg notwithstanding. The whole Seeker thing so soon after the war kind of messed him up." Vy'ika made a gesture near his temple.

 

She wasn't sure how, but somehow the Omicron seemed to have expertly diffused the smoldering rage that had burst to conflagration earlier that afternoon before using up all its fuel. "Damn you, Verdeyuii," she said quietly before the tears came again, though this time she didn't seem to fight them as she had before nor did they progress beyond simple streams of wetness that trailed down her cheeks.

 

"Hey. We're not done with this fight yet, and neither are you." He jerked his head towards Kandor, "Go be with your husband. I've got things from here. We'll make sure you get your chance with Ab'ki when the time comes. More than a few of us are invested in making sure our little sister gets hers."

 

------

 

Vy'ika didn't stay long past the completion of the meal, just long enough to handle the clean up while Mirdala and Kandor took a walk to check the sensors before they retired for the night.

 

"I remember the last time we were here..." she said quietly as she checked the charge on her rifle, once they were a few feet away from the Justice. "I don't think I could have made it past everything if you hadn't been by my side then. I know it seems we've lost something precious, and we have, but I know that isn't the end of things. That little boy we saw won't come to pass, but that doesn't mean we couldn't adopt once all of this is over..."

 

She couldn't see his face because they both had their helmets on, and for a moment she wished she could reach out to him with the Force, to let him know she'd be okay. Remembering that Vy'ika's wife had been killed very early in their marriage and sobered her up enough to realize just how lucky the two of them were to be alive and together.

 

"Did I ever tell you how much this place reminds me of Shogun?"

[Moon Knight]

There was a certain way about Vy'ika, Kandor reflected. He'd managed to draw Mirdala out almost by antagonizing her. From the words that were said, he started to understand why it had worked... and realized how foolish the thought had been that he and Mirdala needed to process this alone, as though he was solely responsible for that burden. It did not reflect poorly on him that someone they trusted could come in and help them with just a few words -- it was called being a part of an aliit, and he was grateful for it. He could not have done what Vy'ika did, but he hadn't needed to.

 

After dinner as they walked, Mirdala spoke more words to him than she had since they'd left Talus. "TeVerd pointed out the same thing about adoption," he replied. "Neither of us were raised by our biological parents, and that can be a very good thing. Someday we can look into it."

 

There was something he liked about just walking. Even just a simple task helped put his mind to work, and true inactivity was a slow death to him. "Tell me about Shogun," he prompted her. "I would like for you to take me there at some point, but I haven't yet been. What was it like to grow up there?"

 

The last time they'd spoken about the world had been on Hapes, and she'd sullenly reflected that she didn't think her parents' killer would ever be brought to justice. She'd been mercifully wrong since Viba had confessed to being responsible. Kandor wondered how much less bearable this would be if the Kyr'tsad had escaped like in their previous two encounters.