The day I was looking at the barrel of that DC-15, was the day I started living. Training makes your life boring, but once you are on the battlefield, your training means nothing.

-Kern Fazzot instructing her squad to use their adrenaline to save them, while in combat

Shogun, 21ABY

The Quence sector in the Outer Rim wasn't really a star system you would encounter a lot of people. Just of the Hydian way, tucked between Wayland and Mandalore, it's only habitable planet, Shogun, was the true center of that system. Although the Quence Sector had a few other planets and a couple of asteroid belts, it was further a wasteland. Shogun wasn't an exception to the rule.

It was widely known that surface of Shogun made the planet appear surreal. Light being reflected and diffused by the crystals, which were scattered over the surface, gave it a dreamlike feeling. It made it a truly spectacular sight when you would decent down the planet by ship.

But that was where it ended with the pleasantries of Shogun. The light itself had also a huge effect on the pilots, who had to manually fly their ships in the atmosphere. Computers were useless due to the crystals. They emitted high electronic signals, which could easily disrupt the main computer while plotting or maintaining a course. Even droids were severely affected by the signals, so the pilots had to rely on their own skill while besting the skies of Shogun. If that wasn't hard enough, the light often disrupted and diffused the shape of the land, making it even harder to maneuver a ship near ground level. It wasn't a rare sighting to see a shuttle or ship crash in one of the countless canyons that the planet possessed.

Those who could pilot the ship to safety had just only a few destinations on the planet, cause Shogun wasn't a planet you would go for a long vacation. Although the climate was acceptable, there was no real water source, making the planet one giant playground for canyons, filled with crystals, which were good for nothing.

The only reason why you would go to Shogun was simple: Darbes'kar. It basically meant 'No (Mandalorian) Iron', and it was mind and sold as counterpart of Durasteel. It didn't even come close to the properties of Mandalorian Iron, which held the potential to withstand a lightsaber, but it could be used in the outer hull structure of star ships. However, due to the difficulty of mining it, also thanks to the crystals, it was hardly used. The production price of this iron was simply too high to make it profitable.

The inhabitants of Shogun had thanked their life on the metal, though, becaused they had used it to build their strongholds, ships or used it for other purposed. Because of the difficulty to mine it, it became an ideal place for Mandalorians to test their determination and strength, and often whole clans from Mandalore came here for a field expedition, doing nothing than mining and hunting, to prove their resolve. The unwritten rule in the smaller clans were essentially that you should have proven your resolve by mining at least a certain amount of darbes'kar and had slain at least a few of the native creatures that roamed the canyons.

The mining of darbes'kar happened the in few settlements that Shogun had. Because of its geographical-challenged land, it was very difficult to build a city like Kedelbe. Although numerous companies had already offered to help building sky cities, or at least place a sky-hook on the planet, they had found no ear at the Mandalorian clans that had settled on the planet. One of those settlements was Jat'aliit, with just a mere eight- to nine hundred people, who made their home between the crystals.

With a 'thud', the man landed face down on the street. The two men in the doorway of the main cantina of Jat'aliit shook their heads. Behind them, a couple of other were laughing and turned around, obvious not interested anymore into the stories that were told by the humanoid.

"Why don't you get up and go find yourself ash'ad to spew your lies about Mandalorian ways of life, the jobs you want to give us and your free drinks." said one of the men, while he took off his helmet. His shaven head made the moonlight reflect, while he handed over his helmet to his companion.

"You don't get it, do you, Mando boy…" The humanoid said while getting up his feet. "This planet is doomed, no matter how you twist or turn it. There is nothing of value here on the surface. We are your only chance…"

"Shogun has been my home for over fifteen years, aruetii, so don't tell me that my home is doomed. I lived between the crystals, did my share of mercenary work, helped pay for the supplies that sparsely trickle from the station in orbit down to the surface. Every day I train my vo'de: teach them how to wield their weapons, and fight with honor on the fields; crawl with them through nerf guts, march with them through the Jal'ta'ka lands to hunt the crystal basilisks."

He drew a breath for a moment, than gesturing wide. "We Mando boys, as you describe us, aren't used to having lots of credits. Have you ever met a rich Mandalorian on his or her own planet…"

"Never met one, to be honest. Heard of a couple"

"Like?"

The man thought for a moment, while he brushed off his pants. "Jango Fett was rich for example."

"He is dead for almost forty years and also many of his clones…"

"Okay, how about …" the man sunk in thoughts but could not give him the answer.

The man in the back spat on the floor "That's because there aren't any really. Those who are rich are renouncing their ties to the Mandalorians."

"That sucks for your people…"

"Ah you don't mean anything of it, di'kut. You don't even know what it takes to be a Mandalorian. You have no spine. You talk like you are streetsmart; raised on the streets… I can see from a mile away, you probably got out of a family who had nothing to complain. Wealth all around you …. "

The guy wanted to open his mouth, but obviously couldn't come up with a snappy comeback.

"You spin your lies around a web of truth. Yes, jobs are bad here, but we manage. We have managed for a long time, and we will manage, without your help!"

The man just grunted. Either he wasn't impressed with the lecture of the Mandalorian, or he was annoyed they fact they may have seen through his lies.

"Your kind disgusts me," he finally managed to bring out, after some consideration "Yes, I have been send here to gather you … savages… and bring you guys along for some jobs. My company doesn't see any purpose for this mud ball of a planet. Not your iron, not your crystals."

"If you want savages, why not go to the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa…"

"You have a sense of honor when it comes to contracts. I can't say that of a Weeqay I can find the in first waterhole from my landing platform."

"Ah and now the truth is being revealed, " the Mandalorian in the back said, while spreading his hands. "he is looking for a dumb muscle that can do his dirty jobs and won't complain!"

At the moment he heard those words, the man facing the Mandalorians reached without hesitation into his jacket and tried to pull out his gun. But the Mandalorian close by had seen the danger and moved in. He grabbed the wrist of the man, who was halfway on pulling the gun out, while his foot hooked behind the leg of the man. He swept the man easily down. At the same moment, the gun went off and left a hole in the wall just behind the Mandalorian. The shot had missed him.

The Mandalorian's eyes went wide, and he pulled the gun right out of the hand of the man, who was stunned for a split second. It was all the time the man in armor needed. He punched the guy right on the nose with his gauntlet, stood up and dropped his boot with incredible force down on the ankle. Even from quite some distance, you could hear the crack.

"You really had to test your luck, did you?"

"Awe, he tried at least to straighten his spine, Laz!"

"Yea, I guess, Nez. Still he is not worthy of anything, except slip through the cracks on Coruscanta!"

Fornan Kotey, better known to his friends as Laz'rus, leaned over the man on the floor, whose foot was snapped into an awkward position. He screamed out of anger and pain, as blood ran out of nose. Trying to whip it away and flaying towards the man in front of him, it made him look like a helpless kaduu in the swamps of Naboo.

"Next time when you try to whip out that pathetic factory tuned DH-17, think again who you have in front of you, chakaar!"

He examined the blaster pistol for a moment, shook his head, and pulled out the ammo clip while he tossed the gun aside. It came down with a clang on the durasteel floor plating and scattered over the floor in the corner. As it hit the wall, the barrel bended slightly, rendering the pistol completely useless.

"See that? " Laz'rus asked to the man on the floor. "That's exactly what happens when you buy cheap stuff from the Rodian merchants on Wayland! They import their cheap weapons from the factories on Nal Hutta."

If it had to mean something towards the guy, he obvious didn't catch it, and whimpered. Laz'rus sighted theatrical and turned around to face Nez Gadre, who stood there still against the wall. He had enjoyed the sight of Laz'rus kicking this aruetii's rear, but now became annoyed with the conversation his colleague had with the dumb humanoid.

"Does he have anything on him?" Nez finally said, and pushed off from the wall as he walked towards the now cowering man. Laz'rus leaned over him, and was at the point of checking one of his pocket, when the man made a sudden lash out towards him. Laz'rus had already seen it coming; it was poorly telegraphed and he caught the man's hand. To make sure he was in control he placed his boot right on the broken foot of the man, who now squealed like a quenker.

"K'uur" Laz'rus hissed, as he tried to ignore the screaming of the man. He turned to his colleague, and gestured towards his helmet, which was just a step away from Nez. Nez grabbed it and tossed it towards him.

"Sounddampers are sometimes a true lifesavers." Laz'rus declared as soon as he had placed his helmet over his head and activated the HUD with a blink of his eye. Scrolling through the numerous modes his helmet had, he selected the sound muting and the next moment, he was standing in an oase of peace and quiet. The static sound of a channel switch was the only thing he heard, until the voice of Nez, who now also was wearing a helmet, came through. Knowing he was on a secure channel between him and the Nez, he chuckled.

"You probably woke up the planet with his screaming, " Nez said, his voice slightly deformed by the microphone, while he smirked. "Put the or'dinii out of his misery and give him a kov'nyn!"

"A what?"

"A Kedelbe kiss…"

"Ahhh"

Laz'rus leaned over the man. The man cowered, obviously not sure about his future. Without any prior notice, Laz'rus suddenly head-butted the man. With his helmet on, the blow to the head was so hard, it rendering the man immediately unconscious. He wasn't sure if the man had a fractured skull, thanks to his helmet. He couldn't hear the sound through the sound dampers in his helmet, but didn't care either.

Laz'rus hand went back to the pocket and fiddled in it. A few credit chips, with a total value of an astounishing 25 credits, and an id chip were his price.

"Leemoth, Jay." Laz'rus announced while he scanned the chip. "Resident of Fresia…."

"He is far away from home …" Nez mumbled, as he stepped behind Laz'rus to read the chip. "Says he is employee of Joruba Consortium…"

Laz'rus glanced to Nez. "What does Joruba has to transport that they want Mando's to do some overseeing?"

"What do you think? Like all companies they are probably smuggling all kinds of stuff!" Nez didn't seem to bother.

Laz'rus shrugged it off and threw the id chip back on the man. "Not sure why he snapped when we simply stated his intention."

"These people have to make their lies believable for the people who actually are gullible and believe these lies. And don't you feel sorry for the bastard either." Nez looked down to the man, who was out cold. "These people get to every part of the galaxy and see more thugs in their life than a homeless Rodian on Coruscanta. He has his fingers in shady deals to lure out these people with credits and make them in the end slaves of the system."

He spat on the floor. "Come on…. Let's continue our game instead of trying to find excuses for this piece of filth!"

Laz'rus grinned and turned around. He took of his helmet again and walked back towards the backdoor of the bar. It was the same door he had emerged earlier from with Nez to throw out the aruetii after he had too gained too much suspicion by the locals. He had come up to serveral tables, talking about how he could put Shogun back on the map. Not that anyone would care, but his behavior was quite irritating. When he had reached the sabacc table, where Laz'rus, Nez and a couple of others were playing riftwalker, a variant of sabacc, he had off course brought up again how he could bring prosperity and wealth to Shogun. While the others had laughed it off, Nez and Laz'rus had become so annoyed by him that they wanted to take the man out. What happened next was a short brawl, with Laz'rus being the obvious victor.

The young Mandalorian pushed open the door of the bar and walked back to his seat. The bar, called 'Udesii', which translated as 'take it easy', was filled at the moment with a couple of other locals, and some people who worked down in the mine, playing at several sabacc tables.

He sat back down, placed his helmet next to him on the floor and grabbed his drink.

"You guys didn't spiked it, did you?"

One of the men rolled his eyes and pointed to the pot. "With so little in the pot, I seriously doubt if spiking your drink would be worth the money."

The table laughed and the man flagged down the gameshark droid, which was hovering near the ceiling. The droid simply reached to the stack of cards, while everybody tossed a credit chip into the pot. The droid shuffled the cards in a blur of motion, slammed it on the table and started to deal.

"Bets please, gentlebeings" it announced after everybody had received their cards.

"Aren't you guys sweating in your armor," one of the miners grinned, looking at his cards and tossing in a new credit chip. "I mean, I would be if you knew what you were facing!"

"Sounds to me you are bluffing" Nez chuckled, as he doubled the bet.

Laz'rus looked quickly at his cards and realized he didn't had anything. With an Ace, an Evil One, and a flask of 9, he simply folded his cards by throwing them on the table. He picked up his drink, took a sip and let his thoughts drift off to the man he just had beat up. Off course, he had beat up a lot of guys who made empty promises, however the name Joruba Consortium was credible and possible a guarantee for lots of credits. He was now in need of credits. Being a security guard at the mining facility just out of town wasn't paying well at all, and he had the feeling he was ready for some bigger work. His trigger finger was itching after all.

Maybe Joruba did have indeed a job for him, or pointed him in the right direction for a bounty fee, or some other dumb muscle work. It certainly beat everyday work with rookies in the field. Next to that, he became tired of Shogun. He could leave anytime, but more or less, his clan, clan Ga'laar, was stationed here and he had to leave many of his vode, brothers, behind.

Aliit ori'shya tal'din. Family is more than blood. It was completely true. The people, including himself, that were adopted into clan Ga'la ar were indeed his brothers and sisters in arms. It didn't matter where they came from. Even the Rodian who joined them seemed completely in his element within the group. They may look like an odd bunch, but the ade, child'ren, from clan Ga'laar were more than a handful to fight. A well-oiled fight machine even, even when the odds were against him.

Laz'rus leaned back in his chair and smiled. It brought some memories back to him fighting along his brothers and sisters on the battlefield. He remembered whipping out the Imperial presents on Mandalore, the showdown on ….

"Laz?"

Laz'rus shook out of his thoughts and looked up. He realized

"You wanna place a bet?" Nez asked.

"Yea … sorry, drifted away on thoughts… " the latter respond and dug up a chip from his pocket and tossed it in the pot. He took the cards the droid dealt and looked at it. This was already a much better hand. He looked around and watched the group decide on each of their cards.

"You weren't dwelling on that sucker in the alley?" Nez asked while he raised.

"No, not really … more like what Joruba were smuggling if they needed us." Laz'rus said while he lay in another cash chip. "I raise, your call!"

"You see these men coming by every day, yet this one caught your attention?"

"Big company, Nez. Lots of credits to help our little community"

Nez smirked as he watched how one of the miners was deciding if he would call the bet. "I am kinda eager getting a nice ti'haar here. Nowadays, I have to settle for a Johrian wiskey or a bantha blaster."

The last miner folded and the droid hovered over the table. With a raspy voice, followed by a static pop it announced: "Shift hands, ladies!"

The miner, who's turn it was, blinked and muttered. "Wash your photoreceptors, tin can… Can't you see what gender I am?"

"My sincere apologies," the droid rasped, again followed by a pop, "your call, humanoid!"

"No improvement there, " he muttered while he drew a card.

"It's your natural charm, " grinned Laz'rus while he raised his bet. "I think it likes you!"

"It will be a cold day on Shogun before I will make out with this oversized tin can."

"You know its not that warm outside…. "

"Oh K'uur will you, ner vod!"

The table laughed and the droid announced it was time to show hands. One by one the hands were shown in the generated holofield, making Laz'rus in the winner of this round. He took the stack of chips and tossed in a new chip.

He had made up his mind already where his next stop would be. But that was tomorrow. Tomorrow he was up for a brand new aka but tonight, he was going to enjoy the drinks and the game. No fights, no war, justsuum ca'nara, a state of peace and rest…