The Original Author would like to thank everyone that's hanging in to read this as well as those who have taken the time to review. The Drunken Angry Ferrets wave their hands and then put their paws over their mouths as they suppress a communal chuckle. The OA gives yet another dirty look to the the DAFs and then runs an index finger horizontally against throat – and lowers eyebrows to impress upon the DAFs with a glare how serious the OA actually is. The DAFs keep snickering, the OA rolls eyes and contemplates how it is that the OA can't hire better help before stomping out of room.

Recovered from the journal of Kal Skirata

In this galaxy there is law and there is justice. Convention is the path steered between the two; but convention is the opposite of everything Mandalorians stand for.

-42 BBG

Phyrstal Island, Abregado-rae

Mercenary action to suppress the uprising against the Nebula Front

Kal crouched, inhaled, and glanced quickly to his left and right. He was still getting the hang of the new 360 degree view HUD he wore, so he was still more inclined to look to and fro rather than try to interpret the view from his buy'ce heads-up. When he stopped to think about it, he utilized the HUD, but long ingrained habit overrode new training when he didn't have time to think.

He leaned his back against the rocky outcropping, shebs on the ground, his knees nearly touching his chest, and took a moment to catch his breath. Wearing full armor was great protection against most ballistic weapons, but when you had to sprint in the stuff it wore you out pretty quickly. Once Kal felt that the level of oxygen being fed through his filter was actually catching up to his overwhelming need to catch his breath he glanced back to his left and smacked his fellow verd on the shoulder.

Ruus'aanyc turned his bucket sharply towards Kal's then quickly spun so his knees were on the ground and he was peering over the rock that they were both using for cover. Skirata's immediate sense of pride, that he was the one survivor from the squad – along with his squad leader – was quickly overwhelmed by the fact that he and Ruus'aanyc likely weren't going to live out the day at this rate. Kal heard a mortar round incoming and ducked his head down even further than he had previously imagined possible. He then puckered up as the ground shook and felt his helmet absorb multiple incoming rounds from something unknown but obviously not lethal. Clods of dirt or even rock he thought distractedly. How the shab did these guys know we were coming?

Kal heard a grunt come across his internal comms, then he heard Ruus' voice, "What do you want greenie? Want to know how completely shabla this has gone? Well I'll confirm it – we're in the osik."

Skirata glanced at his beskar'gam distractedly, it was green for duty, then wondered if Ruus'aanyc was referring to his armor or to his rookie status on operations like these. He'd been on plenty of maneuvers with Mun'buir and the extended family, but this was the first time he'd signed up for an action that was nothing more than a mish-mash of various clans accepting work as a mercenary army. Kal had been enticed by the paycheck for enlisting for this action as well as the deeper knowledge that he needed to prove himself outside of his clan. Another incoming round shook him out of his reverie. The ground shook and again he was pelted with detritus kicked up from the ground.

Ruus'aanyc's voice came over his comm again, "Rangir! Hibir, if we're going to die on Abregado-rae defending these Nebula mir'sheb we might as well take out a few of these hut'uun with us."

Kal nodded and replied, "Ret'urcye Mhi" before raising his rifle to scan for a target. He paused as he glimpsed what appeared to be Mandalorian armor in his sights and suddenly his scope lit up so bright that it activated the dampeners in his buy'ce. He was vaguely aware of falling backwards as Ruus' voice came over his comm as if underwater. He noted all this as the seconds turned to hours just before the multicolored spots in his eyes turned to black and sunk away dragging him along.