Author's Opinion: I got around to see the first episode of the new Star Wars show, 'The Mandalorian,' and I gotta say, I liked it. It was plenty of fun, with engaging characters and a good look at the lifestyle of people in the more rough parts of the galaxy after the fall of the Empire. And with a crazy and special twist at the end! Really interesting because this has never been looked at before, but also very risky for the same reason. But as always, we the fans are right to put our faith in the creative mind of Dave Filoni, along with great help from Jon Favreau. Those two know their Star Wars.
Author's Note: There are a few words spoken in Mando'a here, to which I've provided a translation for at the bottom of the page.
Dxun - Jungle Moon of Onderon
3rd person POV...
It was now evening, the lack of intense sunlight cooling the temperature wonderfully despite the humid climate of the jungle. A breeze added to the comfortable temperature, making for the tournament to have wonderful conditions.
A decent sized stadium accompanied the Mandalorian Outpost just outside of the main structure itself, which they were using for this tournament. It housed enough seats for the two thousand members of Clan Ordo, allowing them all the opportunity to watch the exciting events unfold. Count Drezden sat in his own box centered directly with the middle of the arena, and Je'ric and Ravella sat just outside of it. Beside the Count's box was also a space reserved for a few guests that came to observe the tournament: Mandalorian Protectors led by Matthenus Rau. The arena where the fights took place was a flat expanse of short grass, lit up by powerful lights around the edge of the stadium.
For this tournament, several warriors were chosen to participate, which they all did so eagerly. There were different levels based on skill and feats accomplished that they were distributed in, and the event would carry out with the lowest levels competing first, eventually reaching to the highest rankings on the list. Marcus, Raman, and Aathias all sat at the top.
"My fellow warriors and Mandalorians!" Drezden shouts, his voice amplified by a speaker. "Today we once more host our annual tournament, where our combatants will test their skills, prowess, and determination in battle!"
The crowd of Mandalorians roar with approval, and Drezden continues.
"Today we honor our ancestors, our culture, and all the great warriors of our history! Today we shall fight to see who amongst our chosen fighters is the greatest!" he states, and there's more cheering. "Let the tournament begin!"
Marcus listens to the speech from where he's seated in the stand with the rest of his fellow competitors, sighing to himself. Still, he manages a smile and glances around, observing how everyone is hanging out with each other. There's laughter and taunting, some of them comparing their skills and boasting about their accomplishments.
"Yo Marcus, you ready to get your butt spanked?!" Logan calls out.
"You couldn't even spank a loth-cat, Logan," he retorts.
"Hah! That's so true!" Sedriv laughs.
"Aw, shut it Sed!" he shoots back.
"I'd say I may very well have the upper hand today brother," Raman comments with a grin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I've done lots of great things recently."
"You say that, but there's no way you're beating your riduur," Marcus replies teasingly, before frowning. "...actually, they're making fun of us.
The two brothers both glance over to see Aathias sitting with the other women, giggling to each other and looking in their direction. Aathias has a sly smirk on her face, and Raman frowns at the sight. Pulling back, they both share an agreeable look with each other.
"Hmph. They wish they could take us," Raman scoffs.
"Should we prove them wrong?" Marcus asks.
"Oh definitely," he nods in agreement. "And then I'll be beating you."
"In your dreams, punk head," he says.
"I think you meant to say, 'champion,'" Raman retorts.
The announcer and supervisor of the tournament then steps forwards to the edge of the arena and shouts the names of the first two people that would be fighting. The crowd cheers as the younger Mandalorians eagerly make their way into the arena, clad in their armor and readying themselves for the fight. The younger, less experienced fighters would go first, and then the tournament would progress to the more skilled warriors the clan had to offer.
Marcus watches the first two contestants begin their fight, thinking with some amusement at how he used to be in their position once upon a time.
The last half hour had pitted the 'newer' generation against each other, showcasing several skilled fighters. In Marcus's eyes however, they were relying on talent more than their tactical skill and prowess, being older teenagers and people in their very early twenties.
"Well that was a bold move," Sedriv comments.
"Certainly worked in his favor," Logan adds.
"Jare'la, I would say. Any experienced warrior would know how much risk that puts you in," Jovani remarks in disagreement.
"Way too open," Raman agrees.
With the younger fighters all finished competing however, it was finally time to advance further along in the tournament. The crowd waits with anxious breath as the announcer steps forwards, reading from a list of names on a data pad.
"Next fight: Sedriv vs Logan!"
The two look at each other before grinning, sharing expressions meant to taunt the other. The crowd cheers as they make their way down to the arena, clad in their armor. While being more of the jokesters in their age group, Sedriv and Logan were definitely accomplished warriors, being fast and difficult to hit. Sedriv stood taller then Logan by two inches, with browner skin and hair cut short. His armor was colored blue and gray, packing a simple jetpack and average helmet. Logan carried a bit more strength than him, although a little slower, and has lighter skin with blonde hair. His armor is a bit tougher, with green highlights and black plates.
"Get ready to be destroyed," Logan taunts.
"Destroyed? I'd worry about you first!" Sedriv retorts.
The announcer gave the signal for them to prepare themselves, and they both put on their helmets, tensing up in anticipation.
"FIGHT!"
Blasters are instantly in their hands, shooting at each other as they rush around. Their weapons are set to an electrical stun so that no serious injury can occur, but shocks their armor to simulate a hit. Logan activates a small shield on his left gauntlet to block a bolt, and shoots back in retaliation. He scores a hit on Sedriv's blaster rifle, knocking it out of his hands.
Undeterred, Sedriv rushes forward and rolls along the ground to avoid a flurry of shots, and uses his jetpack for a quick burst. He brings his knee up against Logan to knock his shield arm away, and then punches his first pistol away. They grapple over the second one, but Sedriv manages to rip it from his grasp as well. Logan retaliates by kicking Sedriv in the chest, following up with two quick punches to the helmet. Sedriv stumbles back and is knocked off his feet by a follow-up sweeping kick from Logan, but he recovers quickly by blasting his jetpack once more.
Logan takes off after him using his own jetpack, firing a grappling hook at Sedriv. However he suddenly evades to the side with a burst from his pack, catching Logan by surprise as his grappling hook misses. Sedriv then swings his arm out for a hard hit, smacking him out of the air.
A pained grunt escapes from Logan as he hits the ground flat on his back, rolling over to get to his feet. Sedriv lands beside him and goes on the offense, throwing kicks and punches. Logan deflects some with his forearms and dodges others, grabbing his arm as he attempts for another punch to the head, and flips him over his shoulder. Unfortunately for him Sedriv responds by pushing backwards off of the ground, delivering a powerful kick to his head.
Logan stumbles back in surprise with a grunt of pain, and Sedriv lunges to his feet. With a sweeping kick of his own he sends Logan tumbling to the ground, and then pins him down, pressing his foot down on his helmet. After a few long seconds of failing to get free, the announcer determines the winner.
"Victory goes to Sedriv!" he declares.
Applause sounds from the audience, and their friends sitting in the stands cheer them on as well.
"That was pretty good," Raman comments.
"Yeah, especially the way Sedriv knocked him out of the air," Marcus adds.
Down in the arena, Sedriv smirks at Logan underneath his helmet and helps him stand to his feet, full of smugness and boasting.
"Like I said, I'd worry about you first," he comments.
"Oh shut it punk head," Logan retorts irritably, punching his shoulder.
Despite his annoyance and disappointment with losing to Sedriv, Logan nevertheless walks back to the stands with him without any lasting anger, both of them still friends.
"Next battle: Jovani vs Ivanka!" the announcer declares loudly.
"Good luck you tank," Raman says encouragingly, patting his shoulder.
"Hmph," Jovani grunts in response.
Across the stands, Aathias and the rest of the girls give Ivanka their own encouragements.
"Go get 'em!" Aathias says.
Ivanka gets up with a smile of her own and makes her way down to the stadium. The two combatants meet each other down in the arena, helmets in hand.
The two fighters were among the oldest of their age group, and the biggest. Jovani was a large man at 30 years of age, with muscular strength that even has Je'ric Sohl impressed by, although not as much as himself. He has dark brown skin and black hair, sporting a small goatee on his face. His armor is colored brown with blue highlights, and he has a typical T-visor helmet.
Ivanka was similarly the strongest woman of their age group, also the same age as Jovani. She had lighter brown skin than him with a lighter shade of hair color as well. Her armor was colored brown with a shade of purple, having black highlights. Her helmet also had a T-visor.
A fun fact about them is that they're both married to each other, which made things amusing.
"This'll be good," Logan remarks.
"I'm betting on Ivanka as the winner," Marcus comments.
"Oh really?" Raman asks.
"She's faster than him, and better with a jetpack," he explains.
"Pfft, as if speed means anything," Sedriv scoffs in amusement. "They're both behemoths, so being fast doesn't mean garbage if you can't knock them down."
"Well they're both strong too, thought Jovani is obviously more so," Logan adds.
"Good point," Raman says in agreement.
Down in the arena, Jovani and Ivanka both share challenging grins with each other before putting on their helmets and getting into their battle stances, facing each other.
"FIGHT!"
Both warriors run at each other in a sprint. Jovani attacks first by throwing a fist out for a punch, but Ivanka sidesteps his swing and brings up her own fist. Luckily for him he blocks it with his forearm, and the two engage in a melee battle. Fists are thrown, legs are kicked, all in firm, strong motions. The audience watches eagerly as they fight, the two showing themselves to be fairly evenly matched.
The standoff is broken when Jovani lands a powerful hit on Ivanka's helmet with his fist, knocking her back. He moves after her, but after stumbling she quickly retaliates by spinning around and bringing her foot up for a heavy kick, also hitting his head. He stumbles back with a grunt of pain, and the two take a moment to collect themselves before charging at each other again.
Ivanka then uses her jetpack to jump high into the air and flips over Jovani's head, grasping onto his back. She gets her arms around his throat and also attaches herself to him with her legs around his waist, intending to throttle him. However after a few staggering steps, Jovani reaches over behind him and grabs her by the armor, yanking her off and over his head to throw her onto the ground.
"Ohhh!" Sedriv exclaims. "That's gotta hurt!"
"He just slammed her down!" Raman adds in agreement.
Marcus watches the battle with anticipation, still loving the thrill of a good matchup fight. Jovani moves around in an attempt to pin her down, but Ivanka retaliates by kicking her legs upwards. He ducks his head to the side just in time so that her boots connect to his shoulder instead of his helmet, and shoves her legs down. He then grabs her wrists and pins them above her head, using his knee to keep her legs down as well.
Everyone watches with their breath held as Ivanka struggles against him, even going against him with a headbutt. He noticeably flinches in pain at the hit, but nevertheless keeps her pinned down. After a long enough time she slumps in defeat, and the announcer calls the victor.
"Victory goes to Jovani!" he declares.
The audience shouts in approval of the fight, and Jovani helps Ivanka back to her feet with a smile on his face.
"Well wasn't that fun," he remarks.
"Oh hush with the teasing, you know I almost had you," she retorts in exasperation.
"Almost," he replies in agreement.
"Meh. I'll make sure to get you next time honey," Ivanka teases in dismissal.
The couple make their way out of the stadium and back into the stands while the others converse with each other about the fight.
"That was a good fight. I knew Jovani was gonna get the victory," Raman remarks.
"Yeah. Oh, hey Marcus! How 'bout that Jovani victory huh?" Logan asks teasingly.
"Oh shut up," Marcus sighs in exasperation, rolling his eyes.
"Haha, yeah man. 'She's faster than him, and better with a jetpack.' Well that didn't work, as you just saw," Sedriv adds in amusement, mimicking him.
"Maybe I'll just beat you up next," he retorts.
Raman laughs.
"Oh man, I would pay good money to see that happen," he says in amusement. "Unfortunately Marcus, I'll be the one doing that."
"Meh," Marcus shrugs in reply.
Nayli City - Chandrila
Lara POV…
After bidding my father goodbye I took a shuttle over to the main park of the small city, where me and Hamu were supposed to meet. Once I arrived I paid the driver and stepped into the park, looking around.
I always liked this part of the city, in the natural park. The flora and sense of nature was always very soothing and enjoyable to be around. I would come here often with my father years ago to enjoy the landscape, watching the tintolive trees sway in the wind, listen to the hoots and cries of preepnobs and pripnaks, playing around in the grass… it was always very fun. I take a moment to observe the park now, closing my eyes and letting the tranquil presence of the Force swirl around me, sensing all of the wildlife nearby...
"Lara! Hello!" a voice calls out.
I open my eyes and turn around to see Hamu walking up to me, a smile on his face. I smile back at him in greeting, noting how he freshened up his appearance to look nicer than usual.
"You look terrific," he comments.
I turn my head away in an attempt to conceal my face, feeling my skin heat up slightly. I decided to come in a nicer outfit as well, since this was supposed to be a more friendly occasion. I'm wearing a deep red tunic that flows down to my mid-thigh, highlighted with white lines. It's loose and comfortable but also accentuates me in a feminine way, contrasting well with my blonde hair flowing down my back. Underneath I'm wearing a gray colored skirt and navy blue leggings, reaching down to my dark brown boots.
"Thanks. You look nice yourself," I compliment in reply.
He was dressed casually, wearing a more formal looking jacket and black pants, a hint of brown highlighting the jacket and his boots. It goes well in a way that compliments his blue skin and lekku.
"Thank you," he replies with a smile. "Shall we?"
I smile at him and walks by his side as we make our way down the gravel trail, the lamps lighting the pathway for us as the sky grows more dim. A few people walk by as well, ranging from humans, pantorans, twi'leks, and rodians, all of them either by themselves, another person, or with a group. I take a moment to observe a sparkling pond beside the trail before he speaks.
"So, how've things been going for you lately?" he asks. "Aside from the obvious of course."
"Alright, I suppose. We've been getting by," I reply. "You?"
"…alright," he replies, a small grin on his face. "Well, my mother has been repeatedly making calls to me, asking how I've been doing."
"And?" I ask.
"It's very annoying, so I just decided to just tell her off," he admits bluntly.
"What?!" I ask incredulously.
"Don't get me wrong, I love my mother to death but she just doesn't know when to stop. My father completely agrees with me, in fact I heard him laughing over the comlink when I talked to her," he explains with some amusement. "Honestly, I have a professional career now, but she still feels the need to fuss over me."
"Well that sounds… I don't know, weird? Silly?" I reply uncertainly.
"Heartfelt and annoying?" he offers, and I roll my eyes. "She's… certainly the definition of a mama bear."
"Guess so," I remark with some amusement.
"So what do you want to eat? There are a few places nearby that have decent food," he tells me.
"Uh… I don't know. What would you suggest?" I ask him.
He smiles at me.
"Come on, I'll show you!" he says.
Mandalorian Outpost - Dxun
3rd person POV…
A few more battles took place, one of which was between Kayli and Varlaa. They were both skilled fighters, the latter being a student of Marcus and Raman's mother, so she was good at hand to hand. Naturally she managed to come out on top after a swift and intense fight with Varlaa. After the fight, Kayli sent Marcus the briefest of glances, but he instantly caught the gleam in her eyes that showcases she's into him, and longing to impress him.
Unfortunately, Raman caught it as well.
"Hah! Oh, she's smitten with you little brother," he laughs, teasing him.
"Oh come on, no she's not," Marcus denies, looking away in embarrassment.
"Yeah she is. It's obvious," Raman says with a grin. "You two should go out on a date!"
"Ugh. Just focus on your own riduurok you jerk," he retorts, shoving him away.
"Next battle: Raman vs Sedriv!" the announcer declares.
The audience roars in excitement as the names are called, Raman being a popular favorite amongst many of them. The two named Mandalorians glance at each other before standing up, an eager smirk stretching across Raman's face. He bashes his knuckles together in anticipation.
"Oh I am going to enjoy this!" he says eagerly.
"Hah! I'll make sure to lower your ego in the arena, Raman," Sedriv retorts confidently.
"I highly doubt that. I'm going with Raman crushing you in this fight," Logan comments.
"You're just saying that because you want me to lose!" Sedriv accuses.
"Yes I do," he admits nonchalantly, grinning.
"Hey, Sed. If it makes you feel any better, I want to see Raman lose," Marcus says.
"Thank you Marcus!" he says happily.
"Unlikely though," Jovani comments.
"Hey!" Sedriv protests.
"That's right," Raman replies confidently.
The two make their way down to the arena, and everyone watches in anticipation. Aathias is smiling in a mixture of curiosity and eagerness, also amused at the prospect of seeing her fiancé finally getting down there. Marcus also watches, knowing the likely outcome but still interested in whether or not Sedriv can manage to pull off a victory.
Raman and Sedriv both face each other in the arena and put their helmets on, getting into their battle stances, hands twitching to grab their blasters.
"FIGHT!"
The audience roars as the two Mandalorians move into action, pulling out their blaster rifles. Raman fires his rifle at Sedriv, who barely rolls away from the bolts aimed for him. He pops up and fires in retaliation, but Raman charges forwards without a care, using the butt end of his rifle, which was especially crafted to resist blaster fire, to stop the bolts headed his way.
"Aw, what?" Sedriv asks in bewilderment.
Raman lunges forwards and fires his blaster rifle at Sedriv, who just barely avoids it by jumping into the air with his jetpack. He throws down a smoke bomb that impacts near Raman, creating a thick cloud of smoke to obscure his vision. Raman waits for a moment and then rolls away from a blaster bolt that comes from behind him, and shoots back with his own rifle. A startled yelp from Sedriv lets him know he managed a hit.
Activating his own jetpack, Raman flies out of the smoke at high speeds and crashes into a surprised Sedriv, who's blaster was shot out of his hands moments before. Raman grapples Sedriv and then kicks him with his feet, knocking him out of the air. Sedriv recovers just before hitting the ground and flies back up in an attempt to strike. Raman ducks away from his attempted punch and swings his blaster rifle, smacking him in the head with the butt end of it.
The crowd reacts to the brutal hit with a bit of sympathy, nonetheless enjoying it.
"Wow! He's gonna need more than bacta to recover from that!" Logan exclaims, laughing.
"Raman always did enjoy using his rifle as a bat," Marcus comments.
Sedriv tumbles out of the air and hits the ground with a groan of pain, sitting up and holding a hand to his helmet, a little dazed. Raman takes the opportunity to shoot his blaster rifle at him, but Sedriv just barely rolls out of the way of his shots, throwing down another smoke bomb to conceal himself. Raman drops down to the ground and rushes forwards, bringing his right arm back and activating his vambrace. Punching the air in front of him, his vambrace unleashes a burst of its repulsor to blow away the smoke.
Spotting Sedriv in front of him, he rushes forwards and activates his grappling line next, wrapping it around his wrist. Raman yanks him in his direction, but Sedriv manages to jump with the momentum and kick him in the chest, knocking him back. He dashes forwards quickly in an attempt to overwhelm him with fast strikes, but Raman backpedals, blocking his attacks before sidestepping and grabbing his arm, flipping him onto the ground.
Raman pins him down on his stomach as soon as he hits the ground, shoving his head into the dirt and keeping a foot pressed down on one of his arms. Sedriv struggles, but is unable to overcome him.
"Victory belongs to Raman!" the announcer declares.
Everyone cheers and applauds at the result of the fight, and Marcus smiles to himself with a small scoff, shaking his head. Raman gets up and releases Sedriv, looking down at him with a grin hidden behind his helmet.
"Well that was fun," he says. "My ego is still firmly intact."
"Oh go kriff yourself Raman," Sedriv retorts sarcastically.
The two make their way back into the stands, Aathias punching Raman's arm with a smirk as he walks past her, and the announcer reveals the next two fighters.
"Next battle: Marcus vs Jovani!"
Yells of excitement and cheering erupt from the audience, and Marcus looks over at Jovani, sharing a look with him. Their friends all respond with enthusiasm and eagerness, while Marcus feels a little bit subdued and sheepish.
"Great! The big dude vs the slippery dude!" Logan exclaims.
"Jovani, please kick his butt," Raman says.
"You are such a great brother," Marcus says sarcastically.
"Maybe I can enjoy this fight more," Sedriv murmurs.
Jovani and Marcus both get up from their seats and make their way down into the arena amidst the cheers of the excited crowd. Marcus glances up and catches sight of his parents both cheering him on with wide smiles, and he also hears some loud encouragement from Kayli, making him look down to hide his embarrassment.
He and Jovani then face each other in the arena, putting their helmets on. Marcus tenses up in preparation, analyzing his opponent. He's very big and strong, so trying to outmuscle him is a suicidal tactic. Instead of using his strength, he'll have to be faster, use precise hits, and avoid his grasp. With the plan in mind, Marcus gets into his battle ready stance.
"Here's to a good fight Marcus," Jovani says.
"Same to you," Marcus replies.
"FIGHT!"
Marcus immediately whips out his blaster pistol and starts firing, sprinting towards him. Jovani rolls to the side and gets up, raising his arm to enable his gauntlet's deflector shield, blocking the shots. He throws a fist out when he gets close, but Marcus jumps to the side and spins around with a kick aimed for the back of his knee.
Jovani stumbles when his knee is kicked, and turns around with another fist. Marcus ducks backwards to avoid it and then shoots his blaster, which glances against Jovani's shoulder. He grunts at the hit, having moved to avoid a headshot, but kicks his foot out in front of him. He kicks Marcus on the chest to send him sprawling on his back, where he loses his blaster in the process.
Hitting the ground with a grunt of pain, Marcus quickly rolls out of the way when Jovani slams himself down in an attempt to pin him, and gets back to his feet. He delivers a few swift jabs against Jovani's side and limbs, in between the plates of armor, causing him to grunt in pain and stumble. Marcus jumps forward to deliver a kick to his helmet, but Jovani quickly reacts by ducking aside and hitting him in the back, sending him sprawling onto his stomach this time. The crowd reacts to the hit with grimaces or excitement.
"Haha! Come on brother, you're better than that!" Raman laughs in amusement.
"It's like he forgot how hard the guy hits," Logan adds in amusement.
Over with the girls, they were also reacting in various ways. Aathias lets out a single exclamation of laughter, withholding the ready of her amusement.
"Did he actually just try that?" she snickers.
"Yeah, Jovani knows what he's trying to do," Ivanka comments.
"Oh no... I hope he gets the upper hand!" Kayli murmurs anxiously.
"Oh? Rooting for your kar'taylir darasuum?" Varlaa teases.
"Shut up Varlaa!" she retorts with a snack to her shoulder, much to the others amusement.
Marcus groans in pain for a moment and pushes himself to his feet, hearing Jovani's heavy footsteps as he sprints at him from behind. Activating his new jetpack, Marcus whirls around with a shout as his feet leave the ground, delivering a fierce kick against Jovani's head that knocks him aside. Roars of approval sound from the audience at the move, and Marcus moves into action quickly.
Dropping down in the air for a foot, Marcus then angles himself towards Jovani and then blasts forward, slamming into him head on and tackling him to the ground. They both go sprawling, but Marcus expertly flips back to his feet and skids across the dirt. Jovani grunts in pain and pushes himself up, lunging towards Marcus. A quick melee battle ensues as fists are thrown and feet are kicked, with Marcus being more defensive by either evading or deflecting his strikes away from him using Jovani's momentum.
Marcus sidesteps another punch and then whirls around, bringing his elbow up and bashing it against Jovani's helmet. Jovani stumbles back once more with another grunt, while Marcus kicks off of the ground and activates his jetpack to fly once more, going to knee his head. Jovani sees this though and moves to retaliate, swinging a fist out that would knock his leg to the side, and then follow it up with another heavy punch to knock him flat on the ground.
At least that's what he thought would happen.
To his surprise, Marcus stops his attempted knee in a feint move and then blasts up and over his head, landing on the ground with a single flip behind him. Reaching his arm out, Marcus unleashes a grappling line from his own vambrace to retrieve his blaster, catching it effortlessly and then whipping around. Jovani had spun around in respond to his unexpected move and lunged forward, but Marcus raises his blaster just in time and unleashes two quick blaster shots that strike his chest, before rolling out of the way.
The stun blasts caught Jovani dead on, and he falls to the ground mid-lunge with a grunt of pain, groaning as he lays there for several long moments, dazed.
"Victory is taken by Marcus!" the announcer declares.
Roars of applause erupt from the crowd at the declaration, everyone having loved the fight and the feint move used at the end. Marcus sighs in exhaustion and moves to help Jovani up as he comes to, offering a hand out. Jovani chuckles as he gets to his feet, shaking his head.
"Wasn't expecting that," he remarks. "That was a good move."
"Thanks. Honestly though, your punches really hurt," Marcus replies, wincing slightly at a bruise on his torso.
Jovani laughs in response. "Not hard enough apparently!"
They make their way back up to their seats, receiving compliments from their friends along the way. Kayli blushes as Marcus passes by her, inciting a round of teasing from Aathias and Varlaa. As he sits down, Marcus gives Raman a smug grin, to which he retorts by scoffing in dismissal. Up above, Je'ric and Ravella smile proudly at the display given by their son, conversing with each other about it. Matthenus Rau brings a hand to his chin, a thoughtful and impressed expression on his face.
"We have now reached the Finals!" the announcer reveals.
Immediately, all of the audience starts cheering and roaring in approval, eager to see the last few fights take place.
"We are down to four competitors, and three matches remain! Only one warrior shall claim the ultimate victory!" the announcer declares. "For our first match: Aathias Doojor vs Kayli Tevarus!"
The two girls in question glance at each other in surprise before grinning, getting to their feet as the audience roars eagerly in approval. Kayli, despite her excitement, was a bit apprehensive and nervous at the thought of facing Aathias in battle. Aside from Ravella Sohl, who was appropriately named 'the Viper,' there was plenty of agreement that Aathias was among the top woman warrior in the Clan.
Reaching the arena they take their positions around the center and face each other, pulling their helmets on. Although Aathias has an impressive blaster rifle and Kayli with her own weapons, both of them typically prefer hand-to-hand combat, having taken combat classes taught by the Viper herself.
"Warriors ready…" the announcer says. "FIGHT!"
Aathias raises her blaster rifle and fires off a shot, drops the rifle, and then sprints forward in a flash. Kayli narrowly ducks out of the way of the stun blast by twirling around, and fires her own blaster in return. Three stun blasts streak by Aathias as she dodges her shots, and Kayli quickly drops her own blaster as she lunges forward. The two engage in a quick bout of melee combat, punching and kicking their limbs out to land a hit, moving gracefully with fierce speed and deadly precision. Neither of them could land a hit however, with their attacks constantly being deflected or dodged by the other. Even so, Aathias gets in the first real strike.
Kicking her foot forwards along the ground, Aathias catches Kayli by the heel and causes her to move off balance, which she swiftly takes advantage of. Grabbing her arm, Aathias swings herself off the ground and around Kayli, spinning her around and then throwing her to the ground, rolling backwards to hop to her feet. Kayli grunts upon impact but sweeps her foot out, forcing Aathias back. Rolling to her stomach she quickly gets to her feet and deflects Aathias' next jab, twirling under her guard to deliver an elbow to her helmet.
Aathias grunts from the hit and backpedals, prompting Kayli to lunge forward for an opportunity to strike. However Aathias responds with lightning speed, swinging her forearms up to batter Kayli's arms away and then pushing her back with a harsh shove. Using the extra space she gave herself, Aathias leaps forwards and twists her body, getting her legs around Kayli's neck in a scissor maneuver and flipping around the throw her on the ground once more, all while landing flat on her feet. Kayli hits the ground hard on her stomach and before she could get up Aathias pounces on top of her, pinning her down with her arms and the full weight of her body, restricting her movement.
Kayli twists and thrashes around with angry grunts in an attempt to free herself, grimacing in pain as her limbs are bent to far from how Aathias has her pinned. She very nearly manages to throw her off of her completely, but Aathias retaliates by jamming her foot into the back of Kayli's knee, eliciting a short cry of pain from her. After several seconds longer Kayli slumps flat on the ground to concede her defeat.
The entire fight only lasted for thirty seconds.
"Victory goes to Aathias!" the announcer declares.
Cheering and roars of applause erupt from the crowd at the victory, and Ravella smiles at seeing the results of the fight, just as proud with both of them at how they used her own combat techniques. Aathias gets off of Kayli and then helps her to her feet, pulling her helmet off to reveal her bright blonde hair and wide smile.
"Good match Kayli, that was fun," she compliments.
"Yeah, good fight," Kayli replies, also taking off her helmet. "Kinda wish I could've won but, you are the best girl around here."
Aathias doesn't miss the red on Kayli's cheeks despite her attempts to hide it, and smirks knowingly.
"Are you embarrassed because of what Marcus might think?" she teases.
"Ne'johaa!" Kayli scowls, but her blush is amplified.
"Come on, it's just a joke," she laughs in reply. "If there's anything Marcus doesn't judge people on, it's their fighting prowess."
"But, he's the best hand-to-hand fighter our age in the Clan," she points out, confused.
"Exactly! He knows everyone else isn't as good as him!" Aathias retorts with a grin. "Don't worry about it girl!"
Up in the stands, Marcus and a few off the others turn to look at Raman with grins on their faces. Raman takes a few seconds to notice their stares, to which he becomes confused and baffled.
"What're you all looking at me for?" he demands.
"There's only two options now," Sedriv starts off.
"So who'd you rather get pummeled by?" Logan asks. "Your brother, or your sweet, sexy, copikla-"
"You better stop right there before I send you to haran," Raman threatens with a glare.
Logan and Sedriv both snicker at each other in amusement, bumping fists while Jovani just rolls his eyes and scoffs.
"As for your question," Raman continues, smirking at Marcus. "I'd much rather take down this verd'ika here."
"Oh it's on," Marcus retorts.
Nayli City Park - Chandrila
Lara POV...
Dinner with Hamu was a fun experience, one of the most enjoyable things I've done in a long time. We ate, talked, laughed, just enjoying each other's company. For a little bit I was even able to forget about all the stress I've been dealing with so far in regards to work and taking care of my father.
After eating dinner we continued on our way through the park, walking along the pathway that snakes through the trees. It's now dusk, the sky lit up pink and purple as a result of the setting sun, and the lamps were all turning on to provide more light. Hamu and I came to a stop on a bridge that passes over a stream of water, giving us a good view of the small pond in front of us. Hamu was telling me a funny story that happened to him once.
"So after that, I went to ask him about this, saying: 'Hey, sir, this isn't the right datapad.' And for whatever reason he decides to get all offended and start ranting on me," Hamu describes, making a face. "Kind of a jerk."
"Seriously?" I say in surprise.
"Yeah," he replies, grinning. "But he didn't get too far into his rant though before the manager comes out to see what was happening."
"What'd he do?" I ask curiously.
"Without a single word, the manager took the datapad from me and gave me the correct one, then tells the guy he was fired," he says, chuckling. "The look on his face was priceless."
I laugh in amusement as well.
"That manager sounded pretty chill," I comment.
"Yeah. Since he was fired just like that I can only imagine that employee has done stupid stuff before," Hamu shrugs in reply.
"I'll bet," I reply in agreement. "One time I was at the market, and this old lady was completely losing it because a certain fruit had just gone out of stock. It was so bad that she had to be dragged off by a few people."
"Wow. Talk about anger management," he says dryly.
"Uh huh," I reply, scoffing.
We stand in comfortable silence for a little while, and I look out at the pond and different flora around.
"This park is probably my favorite place in the galaxy, which, isn't saying much since I've only been to one other planet," I remark softly. "I'd like to go to Naboo one day, or maybe Alderaan. Those planets are beautiful."
"Hmm," Hamu hums in agreement. "Better looking than Ryloth, that's for sure."
"You don't like your homeworld?" I ask, glancing at him.
"Not really. The place is a mess of desert, rock, and trash," he says, sounding disgusted. "Here though, everything is... nice. Smooth... soft... calming... alluring..."
Hamu trails off silently in his words. I'm still looking out at the pond, but through the Force I could sense his mind wasn't exactly on the planet. With a casual glance I notice his gaze is more focused on me, his lips upturned slightly in a barely noticeable fashion. I frown at what I'm sensing but brush it off, turning to face him.
"Yeah, Chandrila is nice," I remark. "Especially the landscape."
"Like the forests and stuff?" he asks.
"All of it. It's kind of like a more barren Alderaan, but it still has plenty of forests and wildlife. I remember my dad and I once went out camping in the mountains," I recall with a soft smile.
Glancing casually at my chrono I widen my eyes upon seeing the time.
"Oh, poodoo," I say with a groan. "Guess time went by faster than I though. I need to head back."
"Already?" Hamu asks, frowning.
"Yeah, I promised my father I would get back before dark," I tell him.
I start moving away, about to say goodbye when he suddenly grabs my arm.
"Wait a minute. I'm sure your father would understand if you're gone for a little longer," he says.
"I wish I could Hamu, but life is still busy for me," I reply apologetically.
"Come on Lara, just stay. There's no harm in that," he reasons. "We haven't even been out for very long."
"I know, but I still have other things to worry abo-" I start to say.
"Why not come back to my place for another hour or so? We could hang out more there," he suggests.
I frown up at him, sensing a bit of his thoughts with the Force, also becoming a bit more urgent in trying to pull away. He likes me, that I know... actually he's infatuated with me...
"Hamu, seriously, I have to go!" I insist, pulling harder.
"I'm serious too! There's more we can do together!" he replies. "You're a wonderful woman Lara, and we like each other."
"I know that, but that doesn't change he reality of life!" I retort.
"Why not? Things can change, life changes. You don't have to spend your life constantly burdened by your sick father!" he shoots back irritably.
I widen my eyes at him incredulously upon hearing that statement. He widens his eyes as well, guilt and shame coming over him at the comment.
"What?!" I say incredulously.
"That came out wrong!" he exclaims in reply, ashamed, but still holding my arm. "But you get what I'm trying to say!"
"I most certainly do not!" I snap angrily in response.
"Lara, being around each other makes us both happy! We can keep that going!" he suggests hopefully.
Sensing his thoughts through the Force, I can tell that he truly means what he's saying. He likes me a lot, is in love with me actually, and doesn't want me to go. To my disbelief however I can also sense that he doesn't care about my father. Not that I would need to expect him to, but he actually views my father as an obstacle! As something that needs to go away so that he can have me to himself!
He loves me greatly, but it also seems like possessive love. And I don't like that at all; not one bit. His thoughts are just absurd!
"You love me," I nod in agreement, glaring at him. "But the way you do is sickening!"
With a final wrench, using the Force to assist me, I rip my arm out of his grasp and send him stumbling, sprinting away from him.
"Wait! Lara, please, I- I'm sorry!" he cries out after me.
But I'm already gone, running to the park entrance to leave him.
Mandalorian Outpost - Dxun
3rd person POV...
"Our next battle will be one of great struggle! A match fought between two brothers: Marcus and Raman Sohl!" the announcer proclaims.
Everyone begins to cheer much louder than before, the two brothers having built their reputation in the clan as the best hand-to-hand combatant and best marksman respectively, and also favorited by plenty of people. Ravella and Je'ric both light up eagerly in anticipation and curiosity upon hearing their sons get called up; Count Drezden watches with intrigue as the two brothers he admires are called; Matthenus Rau, taking notice of Clan Ordo's excitement and having witness their fights before, leans forward in his seat with interest at what is to come.
Marcus and Raman share a look with each other, grinning in eager anticipation, determined to best the other. Their friends all lightly punch their shoulders with words of encouragement as they stand up, making their way down to the arena. Along the way they pass by the ladies, with Aathias grinning fiercely.
"Take him out Marcus, so I don't have to do it myself!" she calls out.
"No problem Aathias," he replies, chuckling.
"Hey! Where's the loyalty?" Raman demands incredulously.
"Sorry honey!" Aathias teases in reply, adopting a mocking expression.
Raman shakes his head in exasperation but continues on his way. They soon make it to the center of the arena where they turn and face each other, tensing up in preparation for battle. Raman smirks cockily at Marcus, shaking his arms out.
"Do I need to muun'bajir?" he asks mockingly.
"I don't know Raman. I'll ask Aathias next round," Marcus retorts.
The two put their helmets on and tense up for battle, preparing themselves. They both check their gauntlets to make sure their vambraces are in good condition, and check their jetpacks as well. Raman inspects his blaster rifle, while Marcus checks on his lone blaster and vibroblades, which are secured to his belt. Satisfied he faces forward and gets into a battle ready stance, with Raman mirroring him.
"Warriors at the ready..." the announcer says. "FIGHT!"
Raman flips his blaster rifle into his hands with great efficiency, immediately unleashing a volley of blaster fire. Marcus ducks away from the blue stun blasts, bringing up his vambrace and activating its small shield to block one bolt headed for his his face. Raising his other arm he pulls out his blaster pistol and fires back, quickly moving forward and closer to Raman. They exchange blaster fire, Marcus' quick reflexes and skill the only thing preventing him from being shot down by Raman's brilliant accuracy, and he continues to shorten the distance between them.
However Raman knows exactly what Marcus was doing: as the better hand-to-hand combatant, that's where he would succeed in the fight. So Raman needs to prevent that from happening.
When Marcus is within striking distance he lunges forward, but Raman shoots off into the air on his jetpack just in time, soaring around behind him and resuming his blaster fire. Marcus rolls across the ground after missing Raman, using his momentum to pop up and quickly dash out of the way of the barrage. Scowling irritably he twirls around on one knee and thrusts an arm out, unleashing a grappling line. Raman spots this and dodges left in order to avoid the wire, raising his blaster once more. However Marcus takes the brief second to jump up on his jetpack and charge towards his brother at full power, bringing his legs up. Raman widens his eyes in alarm and quickly brings his rifle in front of him just in time to block a dropkick maneuver from Marcus.
Despite successfully blocking him, the attack still knocked his blaster rifle out of his hands, and he 'stumbles' in the air. Marcus doesn't let up and starts delivering a fierce assault of airborne punches and kicks, which Raman just barely manages to defend himself against. However a quick jab to his side has Raman tumbling out of the air, where he hits the ground and falls into a roll. Marcus drops down after him and lands on his two feet, whipping out both vibroblades and sprinting forwards.
Seeing the blades, Raman scrambles to his feet and ducks underneath one swipe from Marcus, backpedaling to give himself space. Marcus doesn't let up however, and continues swiping his vibroblades around in quick precise strikes, hoping to catch Raman off guard and get him into a position, trapped by the blades, where he'll be forced to concede. Luckily for Raman he manages to reactivate his jetpack, kicking off of the ground to flip high over Marcus and land a few feet behind him. Marcus whips around and attempts to charge him, but Raman twirls his body upon landing and flings out a small grenade, directly hitting his target.
Marcus groans in pain as the small grenade, harmless but explosive, impacts against his chest armor and sends him sprawling on his back, vibroblades falling from his grip. Grinning, Raman charges forwards and jumps into the air, intending to slam his full body weight on top of him, starting with the point of his elbow. However Marcus just barely manages to recover in time, kicking his feet out to hit Raman and send him flying past him in a tumbling heap. Rolling across the ground, Marcus jumps to his feet and expertly kicks one of his vibroblades back into his hand, and then lunges forwards just as Raman gets his grip on a blaster pistol stored on his belt.
They come freezing to a halt with Marcus holding his vibroblade only inches from Raman's neck, while the blaster pistol was still partway in Raman's belt. They both knew who the winner was in this outcome, and so did the announcer.
"Victory belongs to the younger brother: Marcus Sohl!" he shouts.
The crowd erupts in applause at the announcement, Je'ric and Ravella both pleased at the impressive display shown by their two children, while Count Drezden and Matthenus Rau are more subtle in expressing that they were impressed by the clear skill in the two despite their differing skillsets. Down in the arena, Marcus pulls away his vibroblade with a grin underneath his helmet, helping Raman to his feet.
"Well, I guess that's that," he remarks smugly.
"Alright, whatever, you win," Raman grumbles halfheartedly, but not with any bit of anger or annoyance. "At least I get to sit down now."
"Yeah, real shame for me, I have to stand," Marcus jokes in reply.
Raman and Marcus both pull of their helmets, offer each other small smiles and a nod, and then Raman makes his way out of the arena and up into the stands, where Aathias was already making her way down.
"And now for the final contestants, to determine who truly is the greatest upcoming warrior in the Clan: Aathias Doojor and Marcus Sohl!"
The gathered Mandalorians all express their excitement with cheers and shouts of encouragement, louder than ever before. Aathias steps forward into the arena, she and her both offering small waves to the crowd before facing each other. They both put their helmets on, readying themselves for the fight. Raman watches on in the stands, a little disappointed at not being able to be in the final round, but still excited for the fight regardless.
"Ready to lose?" Aathias asks. "Your Mom is watching."
"You're very cocky. No wonder you and Raman like each other," he shoots back, amused.
Underneath her helmet, Aathias rolls her eyes in exasperation.
"Warriors, prepare yourselves," Drezden states. "Begin!"
Aathias instantly moves into action, rushing towards Marcus. She engages with quick punches, jabs, and kicks, all of which he quickly ducks away from or deflects himself. The two go back and forth, and she leaps into the air with a high kick. He ducks underneath her foot and retaliates with his own kick, catching her in the abdomen. She tumbles backwards into a roll and then instantly gets back to her feet, lunging towards him. Marcus attempts to punch her, but she slips past his arm and grabs it, twisting. Aathias then kicks her leg out, swiping him off his feet. Marcus slams onto his back with a groan but responds by rolling away from her as she attempts to pin him. He charges forwards and tackles her to the ground, but she grabs him and throws him overhead.
Marcus jumps back to his feet, but Aathias then makes use of her jetpack and launches herself into the air. She shoots towards him and thrusts a hand out, using her vambraces to unleash a repulsor blast. Marcus falls onto his back as she hits him, cursing under his breath. He gets to his feet and she passes by again, shooting a grappling line towards his foot. However he jumps over the line and then lands on top of it, grabbing it and yanking.
Aathias is pulled out of the air with a startled cry, hitting the ground. Marcus instantly rushes towards her and kicks her arm to the side as she tries to use her vambraces again, and shoves her down onto her back. Aathias brings her feet up to his chest with great agility and then kicks him off of her. Marcus hits the ground beside her, and they both quickly get back to their feet. She then rushes forwards and grabs onto his arm, flipping herself to get her legs around his neck and then yanks hard to flip him onto the ground. Marcus lands on his stomach and tries to move away, but Aathias grabs his wrists and pins them painfully behind his back, pushing down on his legs with her own to try and subdue his struggling.
"That was your Mom's favorite," she teases.
"Yeah, I noticed," Marcus grunts in reply.
He then slams his head back, hitting the front of her helmet with the back of his own. She cries out in surprise and pain, lessening her grip enough so that he can slip out of it. Marcus reaches back and grabs her arm, yanking her off of him and rolling over. He then pops up on knee with her in front of him, one arm around her neck and the other around her waist in order to keep both of her arms pinned there.
Aathias struggles against his hold viciously, lifting her legs up and kicking at him in several attempts to throw him off. Her knee strikes against Marcus several times, causing him to grunt in pain, but he relentlessly holds fast, determined to not let that stop him. And while she fought against her opponent more aggressively and with much more close successes than Kayli did, Aathias eventually concedes her defeat at the hands of the better hand-to-hand combatant, visibly slumping on the ground with a sigh.
"Fellow warriors of Clan Ordo, we have our champion of the tournament! MARCUS SOHL!" the announcer cries out loudly.
Louder than ever before, the audience erupts into cheers and applause as all of the Mandalorians present get to their feet in excitement. Marcus releases his hold on Aathias and separates from her, sitting back on the ground so that she can get to her feet. She takes a moment to regain her energy and then looks down at him in bewilderment, forgetting anything else she had to say about the fight in the moment.
"Why are you still on the ground?! You won, they're cheering for you! Show it, man!" she urges incredulously.
Marcus looks up at her, sighing quietly to himself, but still stands up and looks out at his fellow clan members. A swell of pride rushes through him at the sight of everyone cheering for him, and he waves out to them in response. It's a great moment, and he definitely feels quite happy at the accomplishment he just achieved with this victory.
He also feels empty, too.
TRANSLATIONS:
riduur - partner, spouse, husband, wife
jare'la - stupidly oblivious of danger, asking for it
riduurok - love bond, specifically between spouses - marriage agreement
kar'taylir darasuum - love
ne'johaa - shut up
copikla - charming, cute (babies and animals - never women unless you want your head ripped off)
verd'ika - private (rank) Can be used affectionately, often to a child; *little soldier* - context is critical.
muun'bajir - trounce, teach someone a lesson, *kick butt* lit: educate hard