Post by Nicole on Aug 24, 2011 16:46:37 GMT -5
Mandalore: Honoring the Dead
It wasn't long before the Marev would enter from it's patrol of the Mandalore Sector, it certainly wasn't the only one patrolling but it was the largest. The lumbering hulk soon moved into orbit around the planet, it wasn't alone, ever since the call for Mandalorians to help rebuild their homeworld, dozens and dozens of them had showed up. In the two days since Zev and Ranah had been gone, the sheer amount of work that had been done in Keldabe was staggering. It was beginning to look, even function like a city again.
Unfortunately, Keldabe wasn't where the young A'den and Tarja were going to be going. They would be going to Kyrimorut, the thing furthest from any decent sized town. A place tucked in the middle of no where, among a forest and next to a lake. Just why the Resol had wished for discretion with such a matter was yet to be seen, but soon it would all come to light.
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With A’den acting as the pilot and Tarja as his co-pilot it was amazing they could even find the secluded city. Even with the navigation computer and Oswald’s constant reminders, they had gotten lost a few times and even flew by the concealed city. Easily missed from the upraised command module it looked like the surrounding forests until you get right into it.
Anything that was built above ground was in the traditional Mandalorian style: vheh’yaim. Which due to their surroundings blended in quite easily with the lush, verdant forests. Even the lake seemed a part of the city from overhead. Landing the shuttle at the hidden hangar after announcing their arrival to the local Mandalore militia, they quickly disembarked. Just why the Resol had decided on this place remained to be seen.
This was one of the only bastions on the entire planet of Mandalore that had resisted the Vong toxins that had set the rest of the world to the red blight. While the city had once boasted a population that could easily have rivaled Keldabe it had since dwindled since the Vong bombardment.
Removing the armor, he inspected it with his dark eyes, even running his bare fingers across its time worn surface. Ranah had done a great job of cleaning it. So much respect and care had gone into it already, he felt he owed some diffidence to the great Mandalore.
Looking at Tarja, the armor still held in both hands, “I don’t know why she wants us to do this in privacy. Seems to me everyone would want to have a hand in this.”
There were no quick jokes or witticisms to pass out. To A’den, this mission was serious in a way that couldn’t easily be joked about, much as he wanted to poke some fun. That however didn’t save Tarja from his whip of a tongue, “Try’n keep from starting a forest fire. Better yet,” he slung the armor over his shoulder and reached for the fire kit, “I’ll start the fire.” He winked, knowing she would catch the meaning.
Then they disembarked.
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Tarja said nothing as A'den flew them around in circles looking for the outpost. Merely an annoyed glimpse in his direction, she kept telling him to find the lake, to look for the aqua signatures. Did he listen? Of course not, so she'd shut up, lounged back and waited to see how long this would take.
In the end her fearless leader had managed to touch them down and in one piece. She unstrapped, heading to the rear of the shuttle with him, still displeased she was made to come to this whole thing. She glimpsed to A'den at his comment about everyone wanting a hand in it.
"Maybe that's why she sent us here like this - to make sure it was an honorable thing and not a public spectacle." Tarja commented, though her eyes followed him as he took the armor piece and went for the fire kit. She glared some, giving a push to his shoulder to nudge him away from it.
"When have I ever started a forest fire -and don't say Concordia cause you know that wasn't my fault!" she quickly interjected, glaring at him a bit more before she stepped on past the fire kit, leaving it. It wouldn't work the way A'den was intending, this was Mandalorian Armor, it was almost indestructible, they'd need something that burned much hotter.
Thankfully she'd had her wit's about her and requisitioned some Thermite from the Marev's mechanic shed, the little jar was no bigger than a pop can, but it would more than take care of what they were doing, so the chief had told her.
"Come on. Lets get this over with - I got things I'd like to be doin." she commented, marching out of the ship with A'den, Thermite canister in hand.
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"Just because you can breach and kill with a missile launcher, doesn't mean you should." He shook his head watching the woman as she rooted around in the mechanic's shed. "I told you it was a bad idea and look what you did, started a damn fire that raged for weeks!"
Dropping the prepared fire kit, he wondered if he should debate the merits of tradition versus actually destroying the armor. In truth the Mandalorian's armor always passed to a descendant, while the body burned. Though just who in Clan Ordo this armor belonged to would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, he supposed Tarja had the right of it.
Disembarking right behind her, he hadn't the faintest of where this should take place. In the forest? On the beach of the lake? Chortling over her latest revelation he stopped to give her a cursory glance, "You really in that much of a hurry to get back to dropping sensors at the edges of the Mandalore sector?"
Most likely she had other things in mind, just what he didn't dare ask. Wasn't his business besides. Still part of him hoped it was sleeping and fornication; a man could dream. They would meet with the security once they exited the actual hangar - after all this place was home to some secret research facility and home to stolen Republic goods.
Stepping outside and above ground, A'den clicked his helmet on and looked around, completely lost as to which way to go: the beach or the forest? He looked to his companion for a clue.
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"Hey. I proved my point though." she snickered about the missile launcher, picking up her helmet and snapping it back into place just as A'den did, she glimpsed to the armor plate and then back to him. He was right, normally the armor would be passed on, but in times of death or battle, if the body couldn't be retrieved then burial of the armor would suffice, not to mention she really had no freaking clue where the original body was if it hadn't been in a great pyre of the past.
She kept her eyes on A'den, watching him glimpse towards the lake and then the forest, and then repeat, she shook her head, giving him a slight shoulder bump. " If we be starting a fire hot enough to melt this.." she knocked on the armor piece to a metallic clang clang. " It probably best if we do it on the lake. " Tarja suggested.
"He was a Mand'alor of the past, a great warrior. He deserves the honor of a private ceremony and not be made a spectacle by our new government. " Tarja commented, starting to walk towards the lake.
"I'll see if I can find a boat or something that'll float. We can push it out and when the fire sinks it then we'll be done."
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“Proved what point duckling? That you can blow up a compound and several acres of prime forest behind it?” He didn’t even comment on how many credits they had lost from the bounty.
He was still laughing however, because the look on her face was comical. Priceless really, too bad he hadn’t taken a picture of it. Shrugging a little and still torn between the forest or the lake he said nothing. Tarja seemed to have a better head for the ceremony than he did. “I suppose you’re right.”
He began walking towards the lake, sure they would find more than enough driftwood they could rig together and start on fire. “You know how Mandalorians are. We don’t make a public spectacle out of death.” That was all he said, he knew how he would act and being the average guy he was he naturally assumed most of the population would act in the same manner. After all, the Mandalore had been dead thousands of years. Say the words, remember his name, bow your head and never forget. Simple as that, could be done from anywhere, actually seeing the ceremony wasn’t as important to him at least.
“We’ll use driftwood. Better that way. Won’t attract any attention.”
The coarse granular sand of the beach made a clanking sound as they finally made it to the beach. As he had suspected, there was little activity out on the lake, in fact they hadn’t seen many people. Pointing in a direction along the northern side of the beach he began to walk, surveying each log they came upon.
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"Hey. My aim was dead on atleast." she replied, just how the hell was she to know there were several dozen barrels of tibanna gas inside the compound which wasn't actually <i>just a compound</i> as much as a warehouse. In the end the only thing that had been left on that one was ashes which scattered in the wind.
Tarja glimpsed towards A'den as he commented about the same thing she'd just said. "Don't worry, if you die I'll make sure there is a great celebration of the people and rejoicing that <i>that</i> bastard A'den is dead." she smirked, though the thought was innerly unsettling, she wasn't willing to think about that. In her mind they'd both either go out in a blaze of glory or live forever. Immortals.
She followed him, surveying the driftwood that had washed up along the shore, picking up the larger pieces that held together and weren't rotten, in the end she had four decent sized pieces, big enough to hold the breastplate once they were lashed together. She started to lash 'em with her ascension cable from her gauntlet, wrapping them all up in one long strand since she couldn't very well cut it she proudly stepped back and eyed her "raft", hands on her hips, head tilted up, looking so prideful.
"Should I name it?"
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“Your aim was dead on. Dead on the target I said NOT to hit. I said not to panic, just aim to the right about four degrees down so we could try ‘n blow the wall out so we could shoot in.” Tarja was the closest thing A’den had to an explosives expert. What she could do with explosives was unrivaled as far as he knew. The woman had many talents, which is why she was always tagging along with the Captain.
Maybe there was more to it, but his mood was somber and quickly dipping. Even Tarja’s generally high spirits seemed to ebb around this place. The tranquility of it, the memories; A’den had seen many good men die here. He knew the only way to immortality was in the in the thoughts of others. He was no hero and never dreamt of being one. There would be no blaze of glory because there was no glory in war. Tarja still had that youthful notion and he wouldn’t snuff it out. He cherished it too much.
Luckily he was saved from having to wander down that train of thought, a wry grin showing beneath his T-Visor. “Bastard eh? And what would you be?” Crowing at the names that sprung to his mind, like her, the idea of her no longer being around was queer. While he knew the certainty of battle, he still hoped she might make it out alive. The galaxy would be a dreadful place without the spark of Tarja.
When she finally completed the floating pyre, he nodded in approval. She always could improvise with the best of ‘em he thought to himself, smiling in admiration. While it had been his idea he had fumbled with just how to tie the logs together.
Laying the breastplate over it making sure it would stay afloat, he looked to the beaming woman.
“I think it’s only fittin that y’ do – what’ll you name her?”
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"Filthy Whore." Tarja replied back, beginning to unscrew the lid from the canister and knelt down, sprinkling the reddish brown powder atop the breast plate she ensured it was thoroughly coated before she looked back to A'den.
"Any final words before we launch the Filthy Whore?" she questioned, screwing the lid back on the canister and looking back to him again.
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The Filthy Whore, an apt name he supposed though not what he would have chosen. Reminded him of the time a man had gotten too fresh with his Mando and called her a filthy whore. He still wondered whether the man had gotten a prosthetic tongue after A’den had ripped it out. While he called Tarja all sorts of things, that was one thing, someone else? No.
“The whore it is.” He murmured.
Taking a few steps into the water, he looked out over the lake and beyond the tiny raft Tarja had constructed. “Aay’han” Remembering and celebrating the memory of Canderous Ordo.
Pausing for a few seconds, he sent the raft on its way, taking a few more steps into the lake. She would be able to set it afire from the beach. Then even more quietly, he spoke the ancient ritual. “Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Canderous Ordo.”
A’den never prayed for the dead like a proper Mandalorian. He knew Zev did, but like Zev, he knew that was up to the individual. Still it seemed fitting. Turning back to Tarja, he nodded. “Go ahead.”
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Tarja stood on the shore, her eyes glimpsing to A'den as he gave his words. Perhaps it was better that A'den spoke them, they seemed just more right coming from his mouth than her own. Afterall, hadn't she just named the funeral barge The Filthy Whore? She bowed her head slightly in reference, uttering a few silent words for the dead, those who no longer exist.
Her head came back up at A'den's voice, looking to the raft as it floated away she gave a few more moments for it to get further from shore before she drew her blaster and aimed it for the powder she'd left on one of the logs with a trail leading to the armor.
Squeezing the trigger the fiery red bolt ignited the Thermite which quickly spread over the armor, burning in a brilliant red with fiery flakes leaping out from the glowing ball of fire. In truth it would have to burn for a few moments before it would heat up to such a level it would literally begin to melt the armor.
If they hadn't been noticed before, the fiery sun-like ball of light just infront of them likely had drawn some attention if anyone was even paying it.
In the end, the wood of the raft began to ignite as the temperature rose, even the water around it seemed to bubble and boil till the metal began to give, she could even see drops of molten goo beginning to sink beneath the water, each one making a sizzled "Tzzzzt.."
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At least she didn’t miss. He watched the flames begin to lick at the armor, engulfing it seconds later and soon the faint sounds of popping and fizzing was heard. A’den didn’t move, the waves lapping against his glossy armor, just staring. Whether in reverence or just out of sheer loyalty to the mission he would remain until it finally floundered and disappeared beneath the stoic waves of the lake.
Turning at long last he trudged back to the shore, giving a cursory glance at Tarja. “Well done. For once you didn’t miss the target. What do you say we head back to Keldabe and see if we can’t catch a bit of excitement for the night?” Nothing like a funeral to get him in the mood for drinking and drunken violence, and while he enjoyed the tranquil environment of the sleepy village, he knew Tarja wouldn’t.
Her fingers just had to be twitching to get into something or other.
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Tarja eyed A'den at his little comment, with her blaster still in hand, she pointed it at him, squeezing off a half dozen shots, each one narrowly missing him and making little glassy craters in the sand all around him before she holstered her sidearm once more and tilted her head, "Guess I do miss alot." she smirked, turning about and heading back towards the shuttle, giving a little shrug as she walked.
Climbing onboard she plopped down into the co-pilot's seat, turning and glimpsing at A'den.
"Does this mean I can get drunk and beat you up?" she questioned to his earlier comment, smirking.
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A’den’s posture straightened as the blaster bolts sizzled past him into a plume of glassed sand. He knew she was toying with him, his comment had brought it on and so he turned on her with a wry grin. “Firing at a superior officer?” He shook his head.
“Tsk. Tsk. Now I’ll have to flog you when we get back.” He shouldered in next to her as she walked by him, elbowing her in the ribs, “You missed on purpose ‘cause you’d miss this ugly ‘ol mug of mine.” Jostling with her to get in the hatch first, he eventually won by ordering her to stand at attention until he was through the hatch. Being Captain had its perks.
When she finally plopped down beside him, his helmet was off covering the nav computer and the look he gave her was of fond memory and amusement. His dark eyes twinkled with excitement. “Remember the last time you punched me in the face? You couldn’t leave the room fer two days n’ when you finally came out, you still couldn’t walk right.” Not that she would’ve had it any other way. He was the alpha of the pack and she just happened to be his alpha – it was inevitable that a tussle would happen, but he showed her who was boss. Oddly enough, she kept coming back for more.
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Tarja smirked towards A'den as he 'tsked' her. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment even as he mentioned her missing him. She shook her head a little, continuing on before she commented. " I missed cause I intend to get laid later tonight. " she replied, pausing, glimpsing at him again and smirking slightly.
"That and I kinda got it in m'head that I want it to keep being you."
She of course played the little game with him, so near to getting in the shuttle before he ordered her to halt. Oh-ho, how many times had he ever given her a direct order? She obeyed, eying him as he moved past her and into the craft before following a moment later, sealing the rear hatch she walked up to the cockpit, placing her helmet on the back of the seat before plopping into it.
Her eyes glimpsed over at him as he reminded her of the one little act that had started all of -this-. There was a long contemplative look before she looked him back in the eyes and commented, " Not giving me a whole lot of reason not to punch you in the face again."
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He rolled his eyes at her remark. Going through the pre-flight checks and powering up the engines when they were cleared, he waited while the rest of the checks went through their cycles. “I always did wonder why you came back after that thrashin.”
He regarded her with that cool roguish look, his usual charisma adding to the effect as he chortled. “If you punch me here we might break all these delicate instruments.” The consoles where just now lighting up as each system came online and finally with all green indicators he eased out of the hangar and made his way back to Keldabe, setting autopilot this time so there was no chance of getting lost.
Come to think of it, he had never seen Tarja with another man since he had known her. She flirted and flitted between one Mando and the other, but he had never actually heard of her being with one. An odd predicament that. A’den was notorious for the whores he bedded and he knew most of his men’s sleeping habits, again her name had never come up.
“I wasn’t yer first was I?” That might elicit the punch.
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Tarja's eyes glimpsed over at him without a word passed from her lips, she turned back to the console ahead of her, flipping a few switches, nothing of importance before she stood up, looking at him and giving a punch to his shoulder, " What makes you think you'd be that special?" she eyed him, turning and spinning about, starting to walk back to the rear compartment of the ship.
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The silence was deafening. Not much sound reached the upper hull or the upraised command pod. Still he wondered if he had struck a nerve and it wasn’t until she punched him on the shoulder that he knew he hadn’t. His head turned to trail after her, his first impulse to say she followed him around like a lost puppy from time to time, maybe he had been the only one not to throw her out. But he knew that would strike a nerve, she had too much pride.
Unbuckling his harness he stood up from the chair and made sure the course was set. It wouldn’t be long before they reached the port and while this thing could land itself, he wasn’t entirely sure that was a bright idea. So he set an alarm that would sound and made his way to the lower hull.
Just what he expected he wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t let her have the last word, he just couldn’t. “I never said I was special, jus’ thought maybe you like getting yer ass kicked?”
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Tarja had her locker open, her eyes glimpsed towards A'den as he came back with her, messing with a few things inside the little door she paused as he spoke. She shoved it shut with a metallic clang before she folded her arms across her chest, leaning her back against it.
"Pft. Maybe you just like almost getting blown up over and over." she replied simply.
She pushed off from the locker and started to walk towards him, pausing when she was near enough that she snapped her hand out, seizing him and pulling him to her, so close that she need but whisper. " You're that special." she told him before she gave a shove, pushing him back.
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His boots clomped over the durasteel floor as he made his way towards Tarja. Stopping when she did, he flinched when her hand snapped out and gripped him. His fingers would catch her around the elbow, his dark eyes roving up and down as if trying to read her intentions through her facial expressions. Before he could even react to her words he was shoved, but not far as he growled and stepped forward with his leading foot and gave her a shove of his own.
Special my ass he wanted to retort, but then what if she was serious? That would mean… he looked at her sideways. Naw, no way in the hell that was the truth, nu uh, he refused to believe that. Shaking his head that grin of his reappeared, “I do know one thing. I do like gettin blown … and I know just how much you like blowin things up.”
“I’ll see you in my quarters Corporal. You’re in dire need of some discipline.”
With that he turned and made his way to the only room on the shuttle that wasn’t the command pod or the ready room. He should really get around to promoting her again.
It wasn't long before the Marev would enter from it's patrol of the Mandalore Sector, it certainly wasn't the only one patrolling but it was the largest. The lumbering hulk soon moved into orbit around the planet, it wasn't alone, ever since the call for Mandalorians to help rebuild their homeworld, dozens and dozens of them had showed up. In the two days since Zev and Ranah had been gone, the sheer amount of work that had been done in Keldabe was staggering. It was beginning to look, even function like a city again.
Unfortunately, Keldabe wasn't where the young A'den and Tarja were going to be going. They would be going to Kyrimorut, the thing furthest from any decent sized town. A place tucked in the middle of no where, among a forest and next to a lake. Just why the Resol had wished for discretion with such a matter was yet to be seen, but soon it would all come to light.
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With A’den acting as the pilot and Tarja as his co-pilot it was amazing they could even find the secluded city. Even with the navigation computer and Oswald’s constant reminders, they had gotten lost a few times and even flew by the concealed city. Easily missed from the upraised command module it looked like the surrounding forests until you get right into it.
Anything that was built above ground was in the traditional Mandalorian style: vheh’yaim. Which due to their surroundings blended in quite easily with the lush, verdant forests. Even the lake seemed a part of the city from overhead. Landing the shuttle at the hidden hangar after announcing their arrival to the local Mandalore militia, they quickly disembarked. Just why the Resol had decided on this place remained to be seen.
This was one of the only bastions on the entire planet of Mandalore that had resisted the Vong toxins that had set the rest of the world to the red blight. While the city had once boasted a population that could easily have rivaled Keldabe it had since dwindled since the Vong bombardment.
Removing the armor, he inspected it with his dark eyes, even running his bare fingers across its time worn surface. Ranah had done a great job of cleaning it. So much respect and care had gone into it already, he felt he owed some diffidence to the great Mandalore.
Looking at Tarja, the armor still held in both hands, “I don’t know why she wants us to do this in privacy. Seems to me everyone would want to have a hand in this.”
There were no quick jokes or witticisms to pass out. To A’den, this mission was serious in a way that couldn’t easily be joked about, much as he wanted to poke some fun. That however didn’t save Tarja from his whip of a tongue, “Try’n keep from starting a forest fire. Better yet,” he slung the armor over his shoulder and reached for the fire kit, “I’ll start the fire.” He winked, knowing she would catch the meaning.
Then they disembarked.
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Tarja said nothing as A'den flew them around in circles looking for the outpost. Merely an annoyed glimpse in his direction, she kept telling him to find the lake, to look for the aqua signatures. Did he listen? Of course not, so she'd shut up, lounged back and waited to see how long this would take.
In the end her fearless leader had managed to touch them down and in one piece. She unstrapped, heading to the rear of the shuttle with him, still displeased she was made to come to this whole thing. She glimpsed to A'den at his comment about everyone wanting a hand in it.
"Maybe that's why she sent us here like this - to make sure it was an honorable thing and not a public spectacle." Tarja commented, though her eyes followed him as he took the armor piece and went for the fire kit. She glared some, giving a push to his shoulder to nudge him away from it.
"When have I ever started a forest fire -and don't say Concordia cause you know that wasn't my fault!" she quickly interjected, glaring at him a bit more before she stepped on past the fire kit, leaving it. It wouldn't work the way A'den was intending, this was Mandalorian Armor, it was almost indestructible, they'd need something that burned much hotter.
Thankfully she'd had her wit's about her and requisitioned some Thermite from the Marev's mechanic shed, the little jar was no bigger than a pop can, but it would more than take care of what they were doing, so the chief had told her.
"Come on. Lets get this over with - I got things I'd like to be doin." she commented, marching out of the ship with A'den, Thermite canister in hand.
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"Just because you can breach and kill with a missile launcher, doesn't mean you should." He shook his head watching the woman as she rooted around in the mechanic's shed. "I told you it was a bad idea and look what you did, started a damn fire that raged for weeks!"
Dropping the prepared fire kit, he wondered if he should debate the merits of tradition versus actually destroying the armor. In truth the Mandalorian's armor always passed to a descendant, while the body burned. Though just who in Clan Ordo this armor belonged to would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, he supposed Tarja had the right of it.
Disembarking right behind her, he hadn't the faintest of where this should take place. In the forest? On the beach of the lake? Chortling over her latest revelation he stopped to give her a cursory glance, "You really in that much of a hurry to get back to dropping sensors at the edges of the Mandalore sector?"
Most likely she had other things in mind, just what he didn't dare ask. Wasn't his business besides. Still part of him hoped it was sleeping and fornication; a man could dream. They would meet with the security once they exited the actual hangar - after all this place was home to some secret research facility and home to stolen Republic goods.
Stepping outside and above ground, A'den clicked his helmet on and looked around, completely lost as to which way to go: the beach or the forest? He looked to his companion for a clue.
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"Hey. I proved my point though." she snickered about the missile launcher, picking up her helmet and snapping it back into place just as A'den did, she glimpsed to the armor plate and then back to him. He was right, normally the armor would be passed on, but in times of death or battle, if the body couldn't be retrieved then burial of the armor would suffice, not to mention she really had no freaking clue where the original body was if it hadn't been in a great pyre of the past.
She kept her eyes on A'den, watching him glimpse towards the lake and then the forest, and then repeat, she shook her head, giving him a slight shoulder bump. " If we be starting a fire hot enough to melt this.." she knocked on the armor piece to a metallic clang clang. " It probably best if we do it on the lake. " Tarja suggested.
"He was a Mand'alor of the past, a great warrior. He deserves the honor of a private ceremony and not be made a spectacle by our new government. " Tarja commented, starting to walk towards the lake.
"I'll see if I can find a boat or something that'll float. We can push it out and when the fire sinks it then we'll be done."
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“Proved what point duckling? That you can blow up a compound and several acres of prime forest behind it?” He didn’t even comment on how many credits they had lost from the bounty.
He was still laughing however, because the look on her face was comical. Priceless really, too bad he hadn’t taken a picture of it. Shrugging a little and still torn between the forest or the lake he said nothing. Tarja seemed to have a better head for the ceremony than he did. “I suppose you’re right.”
He began walking towards the lake, sure they would find more than enough driftwood they could rig together and start on fire. “You know how Mandalorians are. We don’t make a public spectacle out of death.” That was all he said, he knew how he would act and being the average guy he was he naturally assumed most of the population would act in the same manner. After all, the Mandalore had been dead thousands of years. Say the words, remember his name, bow your head and never forget. Simple as that, could be done from anywhere, actually seeing the ceremony wasn’t as important to him at least.
“We’ll use driftwood. Better that way. Won’t attract any attention.”
The coarse granular sand of the beach made a clanking sound as they finally made it to the beach. As he had suspected, there was little activity out on the lake, in fact they hadn’t seen many people. Pointing in a direction along the northern side of the beach he began to walk, surveying each log they came upon.
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"Hey. My aim was dead on atleast." she replied, just how the hell was she to know there were several dozen barrels of tibanna gas inside the compound which wasn't actually <i>just a compound</i> as much as a warehouse. In the end the only thing that had been left on that one was ashes which scattered in the wind.
Tarja glimpsed towards A'den as he commented about the same thing she'd just said. "Don't worry, if you die I'll make sure there is a great celebration of the people and rejoicing that <i>that</i> bastard A'den is dead." she smirked, though the thought was innerly unsettling, she wasn't willing to think about that. In her mind they'd both either go out in a blaze of glory or live forever. Immortals.
She followed him, surveying the driftwood that had washed up along the shore, picking up the larger pieces that held together and weren't rotten, in the end she had four decent sized pieces, big enough to hold the breastplate once they were lashed together. She started to lash 'em with her ascension cable from her gauntlet, wrapping them all up in one long strand since she couldn't very well cut it she proudly stepped back and eyed her "raft", hands on her hips, head tilted up, looking so prideful.
"Should I name it?"
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“Your aim was dead on. Dead on the target I said NOT to hit. I said not to panic, just aim to the right about four degrees down so we could try ‘n blow the wall out so we could shoot in.” Tarja was the closest thing A’den had to an explosives expert. What she could do with explosives was unrivaled as far as he knew. The woman had many talents, which is why she was always tagging along with the Captain.
Maybe there was more to it, but his mood was somber and quickly dipping. Even Tarja’s generally high spirits seemed to ebb around this place. The tranquility of it, the memories; A’den had seen many good men die here. He knew the only way to immortality was in the in the thoughts of others. He was no hero and never dreamt of being one. There would be no blaze of glory because there was no glory in war. Tarja still had that youthful notion and he wouldn’t snuff it out. He cherished it too much.
Luckily he was saved from having to wander down that train of thought, a wry grin showing beneath his T-Visor. “Bastard eh? And what would you be?” Crowing at the names that sprung to his mind, like her, the idea of her no longer being around was queer. While he knew the certainty of battle, he still hoped she might make it out alive. The galaxy would be a dreadful place without the spark of Tarja.
When she finally completed the floating pyre, he nodded in approval. She always could improvise with the best of ‘em he thought to himself, smiling in admiration. While it had been his idea he had fumbled with just how to tie the logs together.
Laying the breastplate over it making sure it would stay afloat, he looked to the beaming woman.
“I think it’s only fittin that y’ do – what’ll you name her?”
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"Filthy Whore." Tarja replied back, beginning to unscrew the lid from the canister and knelt down, sprinkling the reddish brown powder atop the breast plate she ensured it was thoroughly coated before she looked back to A'den.
"Any final words before we launch the Filthy Whore?" she questioned, screwing the lid back on the canister and looking back to him again.
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The Filthy Whore, an apt name he supposed though not what he would have chosen. Reminded him of the time a man had gotten too fresh with his Mando and called her a filthy whore. He still wondered whether the man had gotten a prosthetic tongue after A’den had ripped it out. While he called Tarja all sorts of things, that was one thing, someone else? No.
“The whore it is.” He murmured.
Taking a few steps into the water, he looked out over the lake and beyond the tiny raft Tarja had constructed. “Aay’han” Remembering and celebrating the memory of Canderous Ordo.
Pausing for a few seconds, he sent the raft on its way, taking a few more steps into the lake. She would be able to set it afire from the beach. Then even more quietly, he spoke the ancient ritual. “Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Canderous Ordo.”
A’den never prayed for the dead like a proper Mandalorian. He knew Zev did, but like Zev, he knew that was up to the individual. Still it seemed fitting. Turning back to Tarja, he nodded. “Go ahead.”
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Tarja stood on the shore, her eyes glimpsing to A'den as he gave his words. Perhaps it was better that A'den spoke them, they seemed just more right coming from his mouth than her own. Afterall, hadn't she just named the funeral barge The Filthy Whore? She bowed her head slightly in reference, uttering a few silent words for the dead, those who no longer exist.
Her head came back up at A'den's voice, looking to the raft as it floated away she gave a few more moments for it to get further from shore before she drew her blaster and aimed it for the powder she'd left on one of the logs with a trail leading to the armor.
Squeezing the trigger the fiery red bolt ignited the Thermite which quickly spread over the armor, burning in a brilliant red with fiery flakes leaping out from the glowing ball of fire. In truth it would have to burn for a few moments before it would heat up to such a level it would literally begin to melt the armor.
If they hadn't been noticed before, the fiery sun-like ball of light just infront of them likely had drawn some attention if anyone was even paying it.
In the end, the wood of the raft began to ignite as the temperature rose, even the water around it seemed to bubble and boil till the metal began to give, she could even see drops of molten goo beginning to sink beneath the water, each one making a sizzled "Tzzzzt.."
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At least she didn’t miss. He watched the flames begin to lick at the armor, engulfing it seconds later and soon the faint sounds of popping and fizzing was heard. A’den didn’t move, the waves lapping against his glossy armor, just staring. Whether in reverence or just out of sheer loyalty to the mission he would remain until it finally floundered and disappeared beneath the stoic waves of the lake.
Turning at long last he trudged back to the shore, giving a cursory glance at Tarja. “Well done. For once you didn’t miss the target. What do you say we head back to Keldabe and see if we can’t catch a bit of excitement for the night?” Nothing like a funeral to get him in the mood for drinking and drunken violence, and while he enjoyed the tranquil environment of the sleepy village, he knew Tarja wouldn’t.
Her fingers just had to be twitching to get into something or other.
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Tarja eyed A'den at his little comment, with her blaster still in hand, she pointed it at him, squeezing off a half dozen shots, each one narrowly missing him and making little glassy craters in the sand all around him before she holstered her sidearm once more and tilted her head, "Guess I do miss alot." she smirked, turning about and heading back towards the shuttle, giving a little shrug as she walked.
Climbing onboard she plopped down into the co-pilot's seat, turning and glimpsing at A'den.
"Does this mean I can get drunk and beat you up?" she questioned to his earlier comment, smirking.
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A’den’s posture straightened as the blaster bolts sizzled past him into a plume of glassed sand. He knew she was toying with him, his comment had brought it on and so he turned on her with a wry grin. “Firing at a superior officer?” He shook his head.
“Tsk. Tsk. Now I’ll have to flog you when we get back.” He shouldered in next to her as she walked by him, elbowing her in the ribs, “You missed on purpose ‘cause you’d miss this ugly ‘ol mug of mine.” Jostling with her to get in the hatch first, he eventually won by ordering her to stand at attention until he was through the hatch. Being Captain had its perks.
When she finally plopped down beside him, his helmet was off covering the nav computer and the look he gave her was of fond memory and amusement. His dark eyes twinkled with excitement. “Remember the last time you punched me in the face? You couldn’t leave the room fer two days n’ when you finally came out, you still couldn’t walk right.” Not that she would’ve had it any other way. He was the alpha of the pack and she just happened to be his alpha – it was inevitable that a tussle would happen, but he showed her who was boss. Oddly enough, she kept coming back for more.
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Tarja smirked towards A'den as he 'tsked' her. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment even as he mentioned her missing him. She shook her head a little, continuing on before she commented. " I missed cause I intend to get laid later tonight. " she replied, pausing, glimpsing at him again and smirking slightly.
"That and I kinda got it in m'head that I want it to keep being you."
She of course played the little game with him, so near to getting in the shuttle before he ordered her to halt. Oh-ho, how many times had he ever given her a direct order? She obeyed, eying him as he moved past her and into the craft before following a moment later, sealing the rear hatch she walked up to the cockpit, placing her helmet on the back of the seat before plopping into it.
Her eyes glimpsed over at him as he reminded her of the one little act that had started all of -this-. There was a long contemplative look before she looked him back in the eyes and commented, " Not giving me a whole lot of reason not to punch you in the face again."
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He rolled his eyes at her remark. Going through the pre-flight checks and powering up the engines when they were cleared, he waited while the rest of the checks went through their cycles. “I always did wonder why you came back after that thrashin.”
He regarded her with that cool roguish look, his usual charisma adding to the effect as he chortled. “If you punch me here we might break all these delicate instruments.” The consoles where just now lighting up as each system came online and finally with all green indicators he eased out of the hangar and made his way back to Keldabe, setting autopilot this time so there was no chance of getting lost.
Come to think of it, he had never seen Tarja with another man since he had known her. She flirted and flitted between one Mando and the other, but he had never actually heard of her being with one. An odd predicament that. A’den was notorious for the whores he bedded and he knew most of his men’s sleeping habits, again her name had never come up.
“I wasn’t yer first was I?” That might elicit the punch.
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Tarja's eyes glimpsed over at him without a word passed from her lips, she turned back to the console ahead of her, flipping a few switches, nothing of importance before she stood up, looking at him and giving a punch to his shoulder, " What makes you think you'd be that special?" she eyed him, turning and spinning about, starting to walk back to the rear compartment of the ship.
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The silence was deafening. Not much sound reached the upper hull or the upraised command pod. Still he wondered if he had struck a nerve and it wasn’t until she punched him on the shoulder that he knew he hadn’t. His head turned to trail after her, his first impulse to say she followed him around like a lost puppy from time to time, maybe he had been the only one not to throw her out. But he knew that would strike a nerve, she had too much pride.
Unbuckling his harness he stood up from the chair and made sure the course was set. It wouldn’t be long before they reached the port and while this thing could land itself, he wasn’t entirely sure that was a bright idea. So he set an alarm that would sound and made his way to the lower hull.
Just what he expected he wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t let her have the last word, he just couldn’t. “I never said I was special, jus’ thought maybe you like getting yer ass kicked?”
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Tarja had her locker open, her eyes glimpsed towards A'den as he came back with her, messing with a few things inside the little door she paused as he spoke. She shoved it shut with a metallic clang before she folded her arms across her chest, leaning her back against it.
"Pft. Maybe you just like almost getting blown up over and over." she replied simply.
She pushed off from the locker and started to walk towards him, pausing when she was near enough that she snapped her hand out, seizing him and pulling him to her, so close that she need but whisper. " You're that special." she told him before she gave a shove, pushing him back.
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His boots clomped over the durasteel floor as he made his way towards Tarja. Stopping when she did, he flinched when her hand snapped out and gripped him. His fingers would catch her around the elbow, his dark eyes roving up and down as if trying to read her intentions through her facial expressions. Before he could even react to her words he was shoved, but not far as he growled and stepped forward with his leading foot and gave her a shove of his own.
Special my ass he wanted to retort, but then what if she was serious? That would mean… he looked at her sideways. Naw, no way in the hell that was the truth, nu uh, he refused to believe that. Shaking his head that grin of his reappeared, “I do know one thing. I do like gettin blown … and I know just how much you like blowin things up.”
“I’ll see you in my quarters Corporal. You’re in dire need of some discipline.”
With that he turned and made his way to the only room on the shuttle that wasn’t the command pod or the ready room. He should really get around to promoting her again.
