Hello! Welcome to In Un'Altra Vita, a PJO/Star Wars Crossover! I don't have much to say here other than to ask that you keep in mind that this is an AU (Alternate Universe). I also ask that you read the AN at the bottom as it will also provide further information and context for the story.
Welcome and Enjoy!
His vision filled with darkness of the simple and cold metal room.
He had woken up in a cold sweat again. While not a common occurrence, it happened often enough that he did make note of it.
The nightmare had plagued him once again.
But they always ended the same. Watching a scene of fire and brimstone whilst suffocating before waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night or the early morning.
He didn't know if it was from the Cradle or some sort of figment or construction of his experienced and worn mind. It could be any number of planets to be fair.
Despite that, he couldn't find it in him to go to sleep anymore. His body and mind being too wired at that point to even consider the possibility of returning to sleep.
So he did what he usually did.
He worked out.
Grabbing and dressing in a pair of his workout clothes, the man began his usual albeit earlier than intended morning routine. He did push-ups till his chest and shoulders called a quits.
He did sit-ups till his abdomen began burning from the exertion.
He did pull-ups until his arms protested against further action.
He ran on his treadmill until his legs ached and then ran a little more.
Then he showered. The recycled but cooled water having a refreshing and rejuvenating feeling. He could've stayed under the water forever but forced himself out. After all, he didn't want to be wasteful and he had a schedule to keep.
So as much as he would've cherished the feeling, it was not long until he exited the refresher and slipped into the body glove and under suit for his armor before fully adorning the sacred and traditional plate of his people and then arming himself with his sidearm, holstered on his hip.
He also indulged himself with a bit of coffee. One of the few things that wasn't his equipment that he would spend a pretty credit for.
Casting a small look around the empty compartment, he quickly entered the adjacent room, which happened to be the cockpit of his starship.
"Gan'a ku'ruka tsikala Eahndor. Vi're deb'ika vheh." He spoke as he eased himself into his seat at the helm and setting his coffee down into the holder beside him. A series of affirmative beeps and whistles acknowledged his words from beside him.
He peered out into the void. An easy job, some wealthy merchant wanted his goods transported to Eahndor, and heading that way to collect on a bounty, made it an easy decision to grab another sizeable payday.
Granted, it wasn't as much as a typical bounty or smuggling run but ten thousand credits to haul a bunch of liquor was a no brainer. The guy even threw in a crate of ne'tra gal to sweeten the deal.
And while the man couldn't get drunk even if he wanted to and no matter how much he tried, alcohol was a good way to make contacts and more importantly, buy information. Plus, he liked the taste, especially of tihaar which tasted like an aged juice rather than a spirit.
Still, he wasn't some greenhorn or a fresh-off-the-planet star hopper and he made sure to check each and every crate for illegal items. He didn't care that sometimes his cargo was illicit but he'd like to know beforehand. Everyone knew the Republic had some weird laws regarding the transport of cargo that was made only worse with the recently established taxation of the Free Trade Zone.
He was sure that his client would've been paying through the nose with taxes for a commercial transport. Ten thousand credits was made bearable by his flat fee and the protection a Mandalorian offered, rather than buying space on a Trade Federation freighter, not to mention that it'd take significantly longer given that it was a freighter.
He digressed. Luckily for him, it would was a short jump to Eahndor, as two hours later and another cup of coffee and they exited into view of the garden planet and its three moons.
While not exactly a backwater it wasn't exactly a fully civilized planet just yet as Eahndor stood on the edge point of the Outer Rim leading into the Mid Rim in the Galactic North, yet it wasn't along any of the major hyperspace routes so its traffic was usually local in nature. Though that out of the way nature hadn't deterred the planet's government into trying to get into the Republic since its settlement.
As it was, there was hardly any space traffic currently. A couple freighters showed up on his scanners and a pair of starfighters patrolling but nothing else at the hyperspace point, though there was a Trade Federation Lucrehulk there, doing some business he guessed.
It was an open secret to any that cared to listen that the governor wanted in on the wider galactic community and so he and most other planetary officials often played ball with the Republic's officers that were stationed there.
The world was largely dominated by large seas of plains and grasslands of fertile soil, ideal for farming and what had attracted most of the commerce there and farming settlers there in the first place. A dark blue ocean dominated much of the north western hemisphere of the planet where most if not all the rivers of the world fed into at some point while a smaller but still large ocean rest opposite of it.
Despite that, with its solid agricultural base and growing industry only highlighted by the recent discovery of minerals in the few mountains that surrounded the capital, the planet was becoming an increasingly lucrative center of commerce for the sector. Even if it only had one major city of Eahndor for which the planet was named though there were two other developing cities and many farming communities and settlements dispersed across the planet.
He wouldn't be a good mercenary or bounty hunter if he wasn't clued in or had a sense of the local political climate. After all, that's where he made most, if not all, of his credits.
'This is Eahndor Control, I have your transponder, verify identity and state your business. Over.' The voice on the other end was bland and bored, as if it was something the controller said over and over. Which was probably the case.
"Control, this is the Iron Shield, here for some RnR and business. Sending requested checks now. Over." The man pressed the button that transmitted all his licenses and permits. He may be a bounty hunter and mercenary and every now and then ran cargo for the unscrupulous sort but he was legitimate. It was his experience that so long as everything checked out initially then no one bothered to actually take a closer look unless they were in a particularly bad mood. Especially in the Outer Rim.
It was a couple minutes before he received a response.
'Copy, everything checks out. Any preference for landing areas or you new here? Over."
"The plateaus are fine."
"Copy, transmitting your flight path and hanger. Have a great day.'
The comm shut off immediately after that.
"Hiib'mhi o'r, Mako." He stood and exited the cockpit to a series of beeps and whistles from his astromech companion while also easing his helmet onto his head, a slight hiss and click securing it.
It was quiet, only the hum and purr of his vessel breaking an otherwise silent ship. Bright lights running along the length of the ceiling blinking on as he made his way to the center hold, the one that contained the vital systems for his ship to function, as evidence by the dull hum of the power core and drives. As he entered, a pushed a holographic button on his control gauntlet.
"Rise and shine!" The harnesses on the droids disengaging and one by one the four labor droids activated and stood straight their clean, dull grey if a bit banged up chassis, shining off the deck lights. "You know the drill, get the cargo ready to move."
He could feel the ship enter the atmosphere as it rocked a bit and an odd sense of discomfort was held in his chest as he adjusted his footing. It had always plagued him. In space, it wasn't as bad and was weirdly comforting being in the void, but in a planet's atmosphere there always was a slight wariness and eruption of an odd fear within him.
He shook it off though. That sense of flickering fear turning into just a discomfort. As a Mandalorian, being afraid of heights was a just a bit embarrassing.
The man continued onward down to the lower deck, the ASP droids following behind him. There he took a moment to arm himself a little more from his armory by tapping on his command gauntlet bringing that flipped and revealed the hidden gun racks on the panels of his ship, the lights continuing to turn on as he grabbed his usual loadout.
The racks were primarily dominated by WESTAR-35s and MPC-11 carbines but there was also three long rifles. A dozen or so thermite charges, a handful of thermal detonators, a couple rolls plasma tape, and all manner of…less than legal ordnance. One rack was dominated purely by an assortment of jetpack-mounted rockets and another with enough ammunition that he would have to fight continuously for a week or two to burn through it all.
He wasted no time in gathering what he needed. His standard blaster pistol being a WESTAR-35 though black, personalized, more industrial looking than their sleek and boxy counterparts as he had stripped it much of its unneeded material. A vibroblade in its chitin sheathe was placed at the small of his back, and to protect it from the heat and wash of his jetpack was sheathed in a specially made chitinous sheath made from the hide of a creature that lived on a high pressure and volcanic world. He didn't plan on getting in a confrontation so he figured that going into the spaceport and city, with a carbine or disruptor would be all that appreciated. Nor would it be all that warranted to bring along any explosive devices.
Arriving to the last rack which was more like a locker, he turned and backed himself into his jetpack where the contraption lowered and then latched and attached itself to his backport easily and with a satisfying clicking lock.
Rolling his shoulders to adjust to the weight, he felt his ship shuddered and, feeling that they had also landed and receiving an indication from Mako on his HUD, he made his way to and through through the airlock, brought his gauntlet up and remotely lowered the boarding ramp while also retracting and hiding all the weapon racks.
He took a breath of fresh air and took a moment to look around. The hanger bay he was in was much like those in many of the Outer Rim planets, sunken into the ground where the drive wash could be dispersed safely without damaging any surrounding structures or harming locals.
Packed and compacted dark soil made the ground he was on, and dull metal walls surrounded the hanger, while various attachment arms along it that he didn't really care much to learn what they were for. In the sky however, there was a heavy cloud blanket and there was the distinct scent of rain in the air but he didn't mind.
He welcomed the rain with open arms as it had an odd rejuvenation effect on him and he could almost equate the feeling to relief, comfort and above all, energetic.
"Damn, its good to be on the ground." He muttered to himself in Basic as he stretched further. The hanger-master approached him, datapad in hand and looking at him up and down in a face of skepticism. A pair of repair droids were by his side.
"I don't suppose I should be expecting a fight here, Mandalorian?"
"No." Was his simple response. It was a fair question. "What's this hanger number?"
The man shrugged and then spoke while tapping on his datapad. "122. Name and duration of stay?"
"Gaid." He paused, considering the question. He didn't exactly know how long he was going to stay in town, but he figured it would be a couple days. He would need to repair Ajax and that would take a day's work at least even with Mako's help and he wanted the Iron Shield to be in top shape before heading out again. "How much for a week's down payment?"
After a moment, he responded his eyes looking across the starship before him. "I'll take 350 credits for the week, no refunds though. To fill her up, I'll charge 50. That includes power as well." Looking at the ship and running his eyes across the frame. "You looking for a full repair run down?"
"It could do with some repairs, specifically the hyperdrive. My astromech will have the details. Bill me when you're done." Was the off-hand response as he moved away, fishing out four gold credit chips and tossing them to the man. He caught them easily examined them for a moment, nodding and then began working.
He entered and made his way to the city and to his destination. While not crowded nor overly saturated with people, the streets were certainly active, vendors peddling their wares, people of a variety of species conversing and moving about their business, with the occasional pair of Eahndor Peacekeepers walking and keeping on the lookout, their stun batons and blaster pistols at their hips. Though there weren't many of them.
The man moved with a purpose and while most ignored him, there was a small indication that they kept a small distance away from him.
He made his way to the bar that the Guild was located, the civilians that were around made it a point to avoid getting too close to him. It also helped that he made a point to show that he was armed and while not itching for a fight, he was ready for one.
The bar was quiet and given that it seemed to be early in the day, there didn't seem to be that many patrons about. He recognized a few bounty hunters, and they glanced to him but returned to their drinks quickly enough.
Though, he didn't have a mind for them. He made his way to the Guild's Bondsman.
While he was technically an independent bounty hunter and not officially part of the Guild, he and the few other independent hunters that based themselves out of Eahndor, were there before the Guild turned up.
They had a working relationship. So long as the Guild gave them the pick of the litter when it came to new bounties, he and the other independent hunters wouldn't run them out of the rapidly growing sector.
A heavily biased deal, to be perfectly honest, but it was one the Guild made all the time when moving into new sectors and having to deal with hunters that largely operated alone. In the end, it often worked in the Guild's favor anyway as their success usually brought in more contracts for the area. Though that also meant that more and more bounty hunters would also start basing themselves out of Eahndor.
"Shield!" The man exclaimed, raising a cup to him. Shield nodded in response. The man was…too familiar for his liking but so long as he didn't start trying to pitch him to join his little band then he didn't care too much. "How'd it go?" The man didn't give him a moment to respond. "Bah! Who am I kidding? It went well of course!"
Shield nodded again. "Hanger 122." He tossed a pin on the table. A small trinket but it was easy to tell who it was from even if there was some blood on it confirming that the acquisition was still alive before pocketing into his utility belt once again. "Tell your man if he touches the crates, I'll throw him in the ocean."
The fit if a bit elderly and pudgy human laughed. "Relax! Don't worry about it!" He looked over to the bar counter where his one of his enforcers, an Iktotchi, stood with an ugly scowl that seemed to never leave his face. "Jarun! Hanger 122!"
The bondsman faced him again, a smile on his face even as he brought up a pair of pouches and tossed them onto the table alongside a black and gold card. "Two hundred and fifty peggats and an account transfer chit for twenty thousand credits. A big catch is always a good way to start the New Year and I reckon I'll be paying out a couple more in the next few days."
"That's good for business." He remarked, weighing the pouches in his hand before pocketing them and the chit. Shield stood. "I'll be seeing you."
The bondsman laughed again as he waved him away. "Right you are!"
Shield made his way to his point of contact for the liquor shipment. A human named Korrola and apparently a cousin of the merchant who initially contracted him. The man was quiet and had little interest in any small talk which suited him just fine as after an incredibly brief exchange, he escorted him and his workers to his hanger, passing Jarun on the way with a carbonite encased spice pirate at his side, picked up the other half of his fee and wiped his hands clean of that job.
In all, he made out on this run with thirty thousand credits and a decent sum of currency that could be spent just about anywhere that wasn't the Core Worlds. Any respectable establishment in the Core Worlds that is.
Even if wasn't hurting for money, a decade of lucrative bounty hunting coming with a variety of rewards. He did live a frugal lifestyle as he was taught and most credits he did earn were simply dumped into various accounts and even more stock for passive income.
Most Mandalorians, he did know were also quite wealthy. Always saving their credits for rainy days when they would be most useful.
Shield, at his ship, had his ASP droids back in their charging harnesses and, after a quick scan of a severely damaged Ajax and picking up a repulsor sled, went with Mako to his normal local supply shop.
"I need a chassis module for a GSD model." He said without preamble upon entering and spotting the shopkeep.
The Quarren shopkeeper ran a hand through his tentacles. "Not many more of those around these parts and I know you've been buying up them up whenever they do spring. At your request, I even put out my own contacts to search for them in the scrap and junk yards."
"I'm aware." He responded. Mako beeped enthusiastically as the astromech picked up a piece of tech for itself and tossed it onto the repulsor sled.
The Quarren had long wanted to get his hands on his custom built droid but he wasn't about to hand over such a unique droid that took him what was arguably of half his life to build and fine tune.
He was quite the opposite to most Mandalorians in that way, and wasn't as tech savvy as many of them were. He could do rudimentary repairs easily for droids and his starship but that was about the extent of his savviness. Trial, error, blood and sweat was the name of the game for him when it concerned his personal technical equipment.
And Ajax was the embodiment and culmination of all his technical skills.
Consequently, he had also programmed Ajax to be his primary technician, security and slicing compatriot.
When he went down, he felt it keenly. He supposed he should build another because of that but again, lack of parts, the constant demand of work and the need to repair on a regular basis made it difficult to sit down and hash out what would undoubtedly be an extremely expensive order for a single custom droid.
The Quarren bubbled, his tentacle appendages twirling and bobbing slightly as he spoke. "You're in luck. A small shipment arrived not long ago. You can take a look but don't be too hopeful. You've probably cleaned the whole damn sector of those parts. I'm telling you should really sell those designs!"
Shield said nothing in response and immediately went to work sorting through what he needed.
Five thousand credits lighter unfortunately as he had cleaned the dealer out of the quality parts and scrap, but at least Ajax would be back to working order soon enough to lend a hand.
He would have to get in touch with Bira and Navike though if he wanted to repair Ajax's armor plating and get him combat ready.
He had a feeling that the others would be at Eahndor soon enough so he wouldn't need to contact them.
Shield spent the remainder of that day visiting the local bank to deposit his funds and market for fresh food and then left to his hanger.
"I fixed up some of your plating on the wings but that's all it really needed. You're good to go when you feel like it but don't hesitate to ring me up if ya need anything else for the ship." The man said as he arrived. "That'll be two hundred credits for the repairs and the standard rate for the hyperdrive repairs."
Shield fished out more of those those golden credit chips and tossed them to the man who gestured good naturedly, when he caught it, in farewell.
He spent the last few hours on his ship, eating a simple soup while working on Ajax. He had to entirely replace the central chassis and scrap the armor modules attached, riddled as they were with blaster bolts and replace the singed and damaged vocabulator mandibles on its squat head.
He did this all quietly in the comfort of his onboard workshop, a small dull patter of rain being heard from outside with the small roll of thunder.
Mako beeped at his side and Shield turned his head, the droid's hologram projector lighting up and displaying a small blue armored construct sitting in what he recognized as a pilot's chair. He easily recognized the Mandalorian.
"Urc'mhi sha cantina." That was the end of the transmission.
Looks like they just pulled in. He thought to himself as he cleaned up and exchanged his gloves for a fresh pair that wasn't coated in oil and grease.
He moved while speaking. "Hukaat'te me'sen."
Mako responded with an affirmative, retuning to work on Ajax.
Thunder rumbled once again as he exited his craft. Pulling on his hood, he made his way to their usual watering hole. It wasn't the Bounty Hunter cantina but instead a more local and secluded one just outside the starport. One that they had been going to since they first arrived Eahndor about ten years ago.
It was while not bustling or buzzing with business, was still packed with patrons and not at all quiet. He spotted the other Mandalorians, a pair of them having commandeered a corner booth at the far end of the cantina. The Mandalorian ordered a round of tihaar and upon arriving to the two placed the three shots in front of them.
"Percy!" An armored Mirialan woman shouted and stood in surprise, who he knew as Bira Shard of Clan Shard. Her armor was much more slim and compact than that of traditional plate but it suited her form of fighting and her species-inherent flexibility and agility better. It was painted in and intentionally faded pink with gold trim which was the same as her husband's though her helmet had white polygon symbols that mimicked the white painted tattoos on the Mirialan's face.
"Good to see you. I take it your hunt went well?" Navike Shard of Clan Shard and subsequent head of his clan of two questioned.
A human foundling like Percy. Navike also stood, clasping his armored arm with Percy's own and touching his forehead with Percy's helmeted one. He stood a little shorter than he did but he was no less of a warrior. While Navike had the pink and gold trim of Clan Shard, his was marked out by four white chipped diamonds that were on his chest arranged to make another larger diamond. The signet of Clan Shard.
Bira mimicked the gesture and Percy slipped off his helmet. "They always do, Navike." Percy laughed as they all sat and enjoyed their drink and began talking of nothing in particular.
Navike went to get another round.
"Bira, you think you can outfit Ajax with some new armor modules?" Percy asked. "And maybe a couple spare?"
"Only if you're willing to part with some of that ne'tra gal you talked about!" They shared a laugh as Navike returned with six drinks.
"Did someone say they had ne'tra gal?" A deep and amused baritone voice resounded from a little ways away, setting a platter of more tihaar on the table. Percy could recognize that voice from anywhere.
"Kel!" Bira shouted, jumping up from her seat and embracing the newcomers. "Aeror!" The whole of the Votill Clan was present, Njom and Aama who stood a little behind their parents. All were in their armors and helms which flared upwards either side giving the impression of a flower petal. Their orange and green armor sticking out from the muted but equally as sore Shard coloring.
He got a good look at their signet, with a blooming white and yellow flower on all their shoulders. Greetings were had. Arms grabbed and helmets and foreheads kissed between them all.
Percy ended up taking an edge seat sitting next to Kel and Njom who had commandeered a spare chair at the end of the table.
The group of Mandalorians talked about their recent hunts to escorting convoys and even the occasional boring cargo run. Kel and Aeror were traders and before the war were farmers and it was likely that Aama and Njom would follow in their footsteps while Navike and Bira were armorers, metalworkers by trade.
Idly, they drank and spoke but Percy soon found himself lost in his thoughts.
Since their voluntary migration from the Mandalore Sector, they had all taken up some form of spacer work. Bounty hunting chief among them to keep their skills sharp but all of them did odd jobs.
They had thought about settling on Eahndor permanently but it didn't sit well with them that the planet while welcoming was close to joining the Republic. In Percy's opinion, being tied up in the ineffective and indecisive bureaucracy of the Senate was not something he wanted to be involved in. The less said about the amount of times he's been stopped by Republic officials simply for being a Mandalorian the better.
Plus, they had other obligations as well. The Great Clan Wars had seen an innumerable amount clans displaced from the Mandalore Sector. They were all warriors in their own right, those that left the conflict between the Kyr'tsad, the Naak'tsad, and the Darasu'tsad were looking to simply exist without the constant warfare.
While Percy was apart of the New Mandalorian movement, it was only due to Satine's and Bo-Katan's welfare, the memory of Adonai and his duty to House Kryze that he didn't leave the conflict to the feuding groups. If he was being frank, their parents, were the only link they all shared at this point.
The first and only dinner they shared was done in a contemptuous and awkward silence.
And unfortunately, it was also the memory of Adonai and Kirmec, that led him to leave afterwards.
"Hey! We're going to head to bed. Don't sulk in your thoughts for too long!" The man was pulled from his thoughts by Navike's voice. He didn't realize that the Votill Clan had already left.
"I'll see you in the morning." Percy said as he downed one of the shot glasses of tihaar. It burned slightly but whatever inebriating effects it was supposed to have didn't affect him in the slightest "And I don't sulk."
Navike barked a laugh and slammed a hand on his back though it hardly phased him. "Sure you don't!"
"See you, Percy." Bira said as she left with her husband. He waved in a lazy manner.
Percy slammed back the rest of the tihaar that was left before standing and tossing a couple more credits on the table and at the bartender before heading back to his ship.
It was dark and being who he was he kept a hand on his blaster pistol, as he made his way to Hanger 122. Entering his ship, it was quiet with the familiar sound of Mako working diligently on Ajax. Percy went to disarm himself except for his initial sidearm and change out of his armor, shower and prepared for sleep.
Kneeling at his bed, Percy closed his eyes and spoke. "Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar dararuum, Adonai, Kirmec, bal'an meg gan ramman juaan'ni."
There were simply too many to name but he would remember them all the same even if he didn't know them by name or by face.
It didn't take long for Percy to fall asleep.
It was dark.
He felt himself submerged in water.
Oddly enough, he felt that in this dream he could control himself or was at least aware that this was a dream.
He didn't seem to have difficulty breathing. Even if it was a dream, he, at least, thought that being underwater would induce some panic in his mind.
It instead had quite the opposite effect on him. Natural panic was replaced by unnatural serenity.
Underwater, he felt safe.
Though he didn't know why. He may have liked rain, the sound and feel of it. He may have liked streams and rivers and their constant running. He may have even liked oceans, and the wind that blew across the sandy beaches and the crashing of white foaming waves.
But to be underwater? to be completely submerged? It wasn't an experience he ever had before with the exception of being in a bacta tank.
There was a powerful wave that cascaded over him and interrupted his thoughts. That wave of pressure pushing him backwards several meters from the force.
As if a seismic charge had detonated and sent the shockwave and pressure through the water.
Another current and he could feel the standing hairs beneath his…armor? He wasn't wearing his beskar. In its stead was an adornment of intricately carved and molded gold.
Another current of water, this time it was much heavier and stronger.
No…not current, this wasn't a natural thing. It was too…erratic to be any sort of ocean current. Constant but clear pauses in between each forceful wave.
Not a current…but a displacement.
In the deep and dark blue of what he was beginning to assume was an ocean, he saw an even darker shadow move in the distance.
Judging from the distance, it was easy to tell that the creature was massive, far larger than the Trade Federation's Lucrehulks and the Mon Calamari Star Cruisers.
A serpent of some kind, it was still some distance away and yet each coil and spring was sending powerful waves of pressure throughout the water.
He felt a stone settle in his stomach as the serpent drew closer, the underwater waves of displaced water grew in their intensity and in their power. Each wave washing over him, as if he were caught in the engine wash of a starship.
Still, he kept his eyes on the serpentine creature.
It had to have been several dozen kilometers in length. Far…far larger than any starship he had ever seen, and would be more comparable to the skyhooks and tethers of the Core Worlds than any other thing he had witnessed.
And then it disappeared, the only indication that was around was the constant wave of pressure from the displacement of water. It continued on for agonizingly long minutes before ceasing entirely.
Percy blinked, the misty water having billowed an underwater fog if that was even a thing.
His hunting instincts flared and he cast his gaze below him.
There just a few dozen meters away were six orbs of glowing, yellow eyes with void slits for pupils and nothing else except for the inky darkness of the depths.
And the moment he made eye contact, it lashed out with the maw that could engulf a cruiser whole.
Percy awoke with a strangled gasp, a cold sweat clinging to his body. His heart racing as his eyes darted around looking for those acidic yellow eyes.
Ajax was there in the doorway, its squat head directed with his square glowing eyes staring unblinkingly at him.
His sensors must've seen that his vitals had gone through the roof.
"Utrel'a, Ajax." Percy waved the droid off, while running a hand through his sweating head and face. "Dus'vercopa."
"R'suv.' The droid spoke its vocabulator mandibles clicking against its nose, turned on its heel and walked away, with soft clicks and whirs of its footsteps and servos working.
His clock said it was morning and he sighed in slight exasperation as he laid back in his bed.
Sighing once more, he swung his legs off and went through his morning routine once again.
Just another day.
"That's the third skirmish this week." An armored Mandalorian, sporting the livery of Clan Kryze, said in slight dismay. "At this rate, the fighting will reach to the rest of the system before the month is out. And I suspect that by the end of the year the entire sector will be feeling it."
"I know." Another Mandalorian responded, having kneeled in the snow and was examining the remnants of the battle. His armor was a little more ornate sporting two flat hooks that were attached and flush against the helmet he wore that gave the impression of horns. "Send messengers ahead, give them warning of what is coming."
The initial Mandalorian nodded before jettisoning into the air with his jetpack.
"The rest of you with me."
He was followed by his retainers as they scoured the battlefield. The few wounded they found were given care and aid but buried in the snow, as the battlefield was, there were not many they did find.
Krownest was an unforgiving world and Duke Adonai figured that whoever they found were the lucky ones. The rest would be buried in the snow and ice, left to freeze and suffocate to death by their careless leaders and for their pointless ideals that inevitably put them there.
A glint in the snow caught his attention.
Snow didn't glint like that.
He cocked his head and trudged through the snow to it, his retainers following after him.
The snow was deep here and yet there was a noticeable creak as he stepped closer.
Everyone stilled and those that didn't have their blasters out, drew them out of instinct. Those that were, readied their weapons. Even Adonai drew his blaster pistol.
"I don't think this is wise." One of them said. "Allow us to go first."
Adonai took another step the creaking groaning under his weight.
Someone else spoke up. More specifically it was the Count of Clan Wren. Pavonis, he believed his name was. "I wasn't aware of any families living this far out from the cities."
That was when he heard it, a almost mute sound muffled as it was by all the snow and rubble but an unmistakable one. The wail and cry of a baby. He wasn't the only one to hear it either. A moment passed, one of stillness and surprise before everyone moved as one with a sense of urgency.
A Mandalorian child was in danger.
Duke Adonai wasted not a moment in directing the rescue effort.
Whoever wasn't specifically told to set a security perimeter went to work digging and moving the snow, wood and stone rubble of the torn apart home. The wailing getting louder with each beam of wood and chunk of stone moved.
Adonai lifted another stone and he felt his heart sink as the crying grew louder. The stone he had just removed revealed a Mandalorian helmet. The Mandalorian armor's paint scratched and worn but maintaining its shape. Though there was a frozen trail of blood emanating from underneath.
Another few beams and chunks removed, showed and told a grisly story. The woman had thrown herself atop a crib, using her body to protect the child underneath from the falling and collapsing rubble. A blaster pistol still in hand and at the opposite end of it lain half-buried in the snow was the unmistakable armor of another Mandalorian with the symbol of the Darasu'tsad painted on their helm, though a scored blaster mark in the neck of the warrior.
Adonai's inspection and pause was over in a heartbeat, and in a respectful yet quick manner, he removed the dead woman from her vigil. There in the crib, a baby, no older than a couple months if that, wrapped in a furs and leathers, crying. Its nose running and red with flushed cheeks.
Adonai tore his cloak off, carefully wrapping the child in it, and cradled him.
The Duke of Clan Kryze felt a fire in his heart as he looked at the aftermath of the battle. The woman wasn't even part of the Kyr'tsad if her armor was any indication. There were no identifying marks nor any signets that indicated any clan. Just a Mandalorian woman who got caught up in a fight she wanted nothing to do with to protect her child.
It made one thing clear. The Kyr'tsad and Darasu'tsad would not respect the neutrality of the Mandalorian people. Maybe they wouldn't now, as they were too busy killing each other, but one day, one side would win and turn their attention to those that wanted nothing to do with the conflict.
He would have to do something about it.
"Duke Adonai. We should get going. A blizzard is about to roll in. I'll have my warriors collect the armors and equipment." Count Pavonis spoke, looking at the darkened sky before beginning to direct his own retainers. Their snow equipment and training better suited to the environment than his own retainers were.
Adonai nodded. He would take the child in as was the Way of Mandalore. He looked back at the crib, still holding the child who had quieted and was now sleeping. Snow had covered most of it, but in the outline, he could make out the word or rather name.
"Perseus." He whispered.
The baby's eyes opened.
So I've been working on this for a little over a couple months now. Outlining and plotting mostly and getting the concept and idea onto an actual storyboard.
Just a few things to note, first and foremost this is an AU, same as all my other stories. Please take your headcanon somewhere else. If you're looking for a canon/legends adherent story, this is not the place. (I just know I'm going to get a couple reviews saying that I got something wrong about Mandalorian Culture or in the future that someone isn't acting as they would in canon or legends). Though I will be using elements from both canon and legends.
Another thing, Percy will NOT be a Force user nor will he be Force-sensitive. He will not be a Jedi or a Sith or have any sort of Force powers. What his deal is will become apparent as the story progresses.
Consequently, if you're looking for a Jedi or Sith bash this is not the story either. Everyone has their opinions and views on others.
The same can be said for the Mandalorians. Not everyone is going to admire Mandalorian culture. Not everyone is going to trust Mandalorians and a lot of people in the Republic have hostile or distrusting views towards the people of Mandalore because of their own wars of conquest against the Republic. Exceptional bounty hunters and mercenaries they may be but they didn't get that way because they thought it was cool, they got that way off of a culture and tradition of war that killed billions.
Cultural ethics, morality and Star Wars history aside, we'll be examining the politics and culture of Mandalore more closely in this work. Satine's New Mandalore is a glass tower; all shine but incredibly fragile. We'll see what happens.
For reference regarding the economy, infrastructure and all manner of little detail for the Star Wars universe, I use the Star Wars RPG sourcebooks, modules and expansions and also the variety of Star Wars encyclopedias and essential guides. These includes material from D20, RPG, FFG, alongside homebrew mechanics. If you know what those are, then you know what I'm talking about.
Regarding pairings, if you follow my other stories, you will know that I don't write romance as it isn't my style nor the kind of stories that I write. Though I am not adverse to the idea as I have my own thoughts on who it may be, I don't have any concrete plans in including one.
One last thing, one of the Resol'nare (Six Tenants) is to speak Mando'a, the language of the Mandalorians. I don't exactly have a desire to always write out the language so it will be similar to what I do in my other stories, I'll italicize and indicate that they are speaking a different language.
On that note, (and as always), you can find me on the Emerald Library Discord!
If you have any questions you can ask me on there, as that's the best place to reach me. The link to that is on my profile. If you join, please follow the rules.
Translations: Mando'a to Galactic Basic (English)
Ne'tra gal – Black ale
Tihaar – strong clear spirit double distilled from fruit
Gan'a ku'ruka tsikala Eahndor. Vi're deb'ika vheh. – Set a jump for Eahndor. We're due for some solid ground./Literally translated – Set a jump to Eahndor. We're due a little earth.
Hiib'mhi o'r, Mako – Take us in, Mako.
Gaid – Plate, Armor, used as Shield
Beskar'gam – Armor/iron skin
Urc'mhi sha cantina – Meet us at the cantina
Hukaat'te me'sen – Watch the ship or watch the starship.
Kry'tsad – Death Watch; Death Society
Naak'tsad – New Mandalorians
Darasu'tsad – True Mandalorians
Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar dararuum, Adonai, Kirmec, bal'an meg gan ramman juaan'ni. – I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal, Adonai, Kirmec and all who have died beside me.
Utrel'a – Clear, or All clear.
Dus'vercopa – Nightmare; Bad Dream
R'suv – Understood.