Chapter 1: A Man is Made
Par'jila swallowed as a tight knot curled up in his throat. Under a mossy outcropping, he could see the large shifting shadow. Although his father had accompanied him, Par'jila had to, on his own, face off with the Tzaigyr, a particularly large cousin to the saber cat that was unique to this moon. Par'jila stepped forward with a blaster in one hand and a vibroblade in the other. Sensing his presence the beast rose from its den, muscles rippling along its broad shoulders and flicking its razor spined tail. How am I ready for…this? The Tzaigyr lumbered forward digging its massive claws into the dark soft earth. A guttural snarl rumbled through its thick lips. The creature eyed him over as if it was deciding if Par'jila's small stature was worth the effort to make a snack of, and in instinct Par'jila raised the blaster. POW! He let off a shot that the Tzaigyr ducked beneath with snapping reflexes that hurtled its large mass forward. Par'jila's heart thudded in his ears as the beast whipped around him, flanking him, and swiping with its razor claws. Par'jila rolled to the side, letting off a volley of blaster bolts. The creature bounded around two of them and yowled with a guttural shriek as the third burned a deep gash in its left shoulder. It swiped its serrated tail around striking the blaster from Par'jila's grasp. He gasped in pain at the deep gash that trailed up his wrist. Gritting his teeth, he charged the mammoth creature lunging with the vibroblade. It roared as it swiped down with its massive paw hurtling Par'jila across the ground. He rolled to the side as the snapping jaws of the Tzaigyr sent globs of saliva sprinkling across the dense grass. Par'jila whipped up to his feet and slashed down gouging the beast's neck, and it reeled back with another reverberating roar. Par'jila let out a deep roar of his own as he charged the beast again. Slicing with a memorized precision that kept the beast stumbling back on its heels. The sharp tail ripped towards him again, and Par'jila dove away from it slashing upwards sending a spray of blood from the wounded appendage. The Tzaigyr lunged forward. Its claws tore down the breastplate of Par'jila's armor, and he thrust the blade up through the beast's jaw. With the blade piercing through its maw and out its eye the beast lurched backward wrenching the blade from Par'jila's hands and sputtering blood as it shook and gnashed its fangs. Par'jila stiffened with a cold chill as the beast moved again towards him. He quickly scanned for the blaster and catching sight of it, lunged towards it as the beast thundered towards him again. Par'jila scooped up the blaster and sent two true shots into the beast's rippling chest. It collapsed at his feet, writing, swiping, snapping its jaws. There was honor in this creature that was still fighting though the light of life had clearly forsaken its eyes. Par'jila let off one last shot that echoed through the grove and the beast finally stilled.
Par'jila walked back to the camp with his father's hand firmly on his shoulder. He had never been so proud of himself, and he suspected that his father had never been prouder of him. The Tzaigyr had been decimating the wildlife in that forest for the last few months and now that it was dealt with both the forest itself and the clan could rest easier. Soon they passed by through the entrance to the camp. Par'jila looked over the vheh'yaim, the easily replaceable homes, and he remembered first learning to build one with his mother. He was only thirteen, but having just completed his verd'goten he couldn't help looking back on those memories as if they were such a long distant memory. As they drew closer to the campfires where the others were gathered, Par'jila could see the clan waving their arms and hooting loudly to welcome them back in the camp. They piled in around the campfires in a large group, with all eyes joyfully drinking in their return. Arriving at the warm blazes, Par'jila's father started yelling out to them,
"Take a look at this man who comes into your midst!" He guided Par'jila over to one of the campfires and members of the clan started yelling out congratulations and whooping boisterously.
"I thought that was Par'jila?" Jari'eyc teased, "A runt of a boy, but something's a little different now." He sat on a stump and playfully gestured to the group to join in.
"Yaim who is that man with you?" Zhan who sat close by, took up Jari'eyc's ruse squinting her dark eyes as if she had trouble seeing him and shaking her head. "Surely, one of our clan?"
"This is the man, Par'jila," Yaim pushed him forward, and Par'jila stumbled into their midsts with such a giddy smile that his cheeks hurt. "He has proven himself to be a true Mandalorian and a man by completing his ver'goten!" The party of Mandalorians let out loud cheers, and Par'jila felt a proud heat rising in his chest and face.
"Come, join us," Jari'eyc said with a broad smile that could barely be seen through his thick mustache. Par'jila sat down on an empty stump, pushing his dark bangs out of his face. He was planning to cut them because they made they at times made it hard to line up a shot. The clan eyed the bandage on his arm and the gashes in the armor. True armor would not be so easily marred, and now he had finally earned the right to wear it in future battles. Par'jila's father quickly disappeared into one of the vheh'yaim.
"So, Par'jila, what did you see out there?" Ti asked as she wrapped her nexu colored hair up in a tight bun. It was Par'jila's story to tell which of the many volatile beasts he had slain, and his enthusiasm bubbled up within him to be able to say that it was the Tzaigyr that had been plaguing the area.
"Don't tell her she needs a little suspense in her life," Jari'eyc shushed.
"I have enough suspense in my life. Will I kill Jari'eyc today? Will I punch him, will I stab him, will I shoot him?" Ti punctuated each word. "You're concern should be when I become certain." Ti stuck out her plump lower lip and narrowed her round eyes into piercing lines.
"I look forward to it, actually," Jari'eyc raised his eyebrows playfully as if expecting her to make a move.
"Are you sure you two ever completed your ver'goten? I wasn't there; someone needs to corroborate this," Nawara, the only Twi'lek in their party laughed at their aggressive play.
"They did, I was a child, but I remember the celebration they received when they came back," Par'jila said experimenting with his new adult candor.
Nawara laughed, "I'm sure."
"Speaking of celebrations, when are we getting really started?" Jari'eyc rubbed his calloused palms excitedly.
"Right now," Yaim rejoined the group with Zhan and the two of them handed out drinks to the lot of them. The group cheered. "My son is now an adult, may your armor shine with the honor in wearing it, and the lessons it represents."
Ti hoisted her drink, "May you treasure your language like you value your life."
"May you never fail to defend yourself, or your family," Zhan nodded her head to Par'jila.
"When the time comes, make Mandalorians of your children," Jari'eyc raised his drink.
Nawara clapped Par'jila on the shoulder, "cherish your duty by contributing to your clan's welfare."
"May your loyalty never fail to rally to the call of Mand'alor," Yaim smiled proudly.
Par'jila stood, "I will keep the six actions, Resol'nare!" he raised his drink and with a volley of cheers they all drank. The group dissolved into excited chatter, telling of fables, congratulations, the exaggeration of past experiences, and half laughed out songs. For the first time, Par'jila was able to contribute his own stories retelling his encounter in the forest. Over and over again as the night grew on. He felt proud to be a Mandalorian, and all that meant.
The night grew quiet, and most returned to their vheh'yaim. Others sat by the campfires still jabbering away, half asleep or drunk. Par'jila wanted to still feel wide awake, but he couldn't deny that he was tired. He looked around the fire at Jari'eyc, Ti, and his father. He was finally an adult; he had trained hard for ver'goteen and succeeded. He didn't want to sleep; he wanted this night to last. He thought about the countless skills he had learned and how he had applied them. Par'jila couldn't help wondering how much everything would really change. Everyone had talked about how different it was to be an adult, but that didn't mean much.
Suddenly, the warning call sounded those still at the campfire looked to the border of the camp where the call had sounded. The clattering of an attack party came ringing over the hillside. Soon they appeared, already exchanging blaster fire with Mandalorian sentries, revealing a mixed gang of Rodians, Humans, and Trandoshans. Par'jila almost wanted to laugh that they had the nerve to take on a band of Mandalorians. He pulled out his blaster and took cover behind a nearby plasteel container sending shots towards the attackers. In moments, those who were previously sleeping were out and charging into battle. The Mandalorians were spread out, and many of the attackers were falling to their volleys. Jari'eyc took a bolt to the shoulder, but it merely ricocheted off his armor. Par'jila's heart was racing just like it as during his ver'gotten; it felt like it was the next step in his tests.