Log:Clan Kora: Blood In
Hadrix is welcomed into the Mandalorian clan Kora
OOC Date: December 10 2019
Location: Batuu
Participants: Sumi Kora, Zee'Roh Kora, Hadrix Kora
The night sky brings with it a clarity which they can see not just the stars, but the voluminous view of the galaxy's spiral arm. It is an overwhelming sight to behold, and humbling. Sumi is seated near the opening of the cave, looking out from the cliff and over the glimmering lake and distant port lights. The breeze is sharper now, cooler, but it's combatted by the crackling fire. Sumi has stripped down to her bodysuit, her boots pulled off so her small bare feet warm near the fire. Her armor plating is removed for maintenance, which she conducts with a knife. Her helmet is beside her, leaving her head revealed with long dark hair hanging over much of her face as she looks down at her work. "I can think of few worlds as peaceful sounding as this." She admits, stretching one foot closer to the flames.
<"Polis Masa has it's moments, but it's an ice-ball, so there is little to cause disturbance."> Hadrix's voice rumbles through the vocalizer as he exits the cave. Still in armor - most comfortable in it. Perhaps of all the new Mandalorians that Sumi has recruited he might be among the few that is already uncomfortable when not suited up. He stands a moment, observing the sky before slowly lowering himself to a seated position, hands resting on his knees.
<"I started to traveling to places like this in recent months... Thyferra on the coasts, Sullust's spa hotel... I do and do not like it at the same time..."> there a tone of a frown in the voice, but not sad or upset - thoughtful.
"You strike me as a man of culture. One observant enough to see the benefits people squander or remain oblivious to. Finding you in that bar was one of my most enlightening moments in recent memory." Sumi glances up when saying this, her own expression thoughtful. She looks his way briefly, smiling when she saw how the fire reflected off his armor and visor. "You wear it better than most who have worn it their whole lives."
<"Stormtrooper Armor is based on Katarn and Clone Trooper class armor, which is based on the Journeyman style suit used by Jango Fett. The Imperial version was lighter. First Order stronger but less bulky."> Hadrix muses, <"I've been wearing third generation knock-off disapate-weave-reinforced plastoid Beskar my entire life, Sumi."> the big man rumbles while still staring skyward.
<"You can blame a Knight of Ren for 'culturing' me... but I agree - running into one another in the Blue Light was a good turning point for me... If I didn't know what I would be doing when I'd left I might still be in the racks.">
"Oran is the only one I know of the Knights. He has treated me fairly until recently." She glances down, curling her hair back from her eyes finally and returning to work on the armor. "I went after General Organa. She was there, plain as day, on Nar Shaddaa. She bested me, but Oran showed to help. My guild leader betrayed that trust and disabled Oran. Shot him in the back." Sumi shook her head. "I carried him back to the Order, but he used me to vent his frustration. Nearly killed me. I'm beginning to develop an opinion of neutrality and withdrawing from this skirmish between factions. You, Zee, and Ca'tra have made me realize there is so much more important things to live for." Sumi hooks her chestpiece back into place, then hits a button on her gauntlet to restrain it over her small breasts and torso more firmly. Sumi takes a deep breath, accentuating the glow of orange firelight over the damaged portion of her chestpiece.
"Oran is often petty and churlish..." looking back at the sound of the chest piece locking into place, the big man's helmet tilts to the side. "Family is one of those things that can be forgotten and then sweeps back with a vengeance... Changes paradigms." Hadrix's posture flexes between slowly relaxing and returning to ramrod. Old habits.
"But neither the order or the resistance, or the republic, are right. They're all bloated corruptions. Bureaucrats seeking to further their own goal while hiding behind paperwork and red tape that allows them to sell others for it. All because someone wants to demand fealty of other worlds but make it look like democracy, or some other benevolent pipe dream." head shaking and finally relaxing wins out, a slight bend in his spine as he slouches to relax. One can almost hear the steel rod creak as it threatens to break.
"That war did not deserve you." Sumi says gently, leaning back now and stretching. She slides the knife back into its place on her belt. Her legs cross casually at the ankles and she tests the dexterity of her toes given the proximity of warmth. She's like a cat, lounging, enjoying the comforts of heat.
"But now you're free. Free to roam the stars, seek out your own battles, and be what you were meant to be. How does this feel for you? Speak your heart."
<"Terrifying."> Hadrix admits, <"What am I supposed to be? I still don't know. I know I am made for war. So the Clan feels like home. Living with the clan, traveling with the clan - it feels normal, but only because of my years in the Corps."> head lowering slightly he takes in the sights of the lake, he leans to rest back on his elbows, <"I've been traveling some, but not much. More as I go, I suppose, but for now it's all being felt out... like breaking in new boots."> head turning to look at Sumi again,
<"I still haven't forgotten about your daughter, either... Being like this makes me more free to track her. I still intend to allow you to see her - if you speak with her is up to you.">
<"I've got most of the gear loaded onto the Kyber Heart, but I took some of the extra ammunition for the Supernova."> Zee'Roh is capable of some of extremely creepy levels of quiet for a woman wearing heavy battle armor, but she's not trying to sneak, she has no reason to sneak. Her feet fall wherever they might, so long as it's solid ground, crunching through under-brush and pushing limbs from her path with the back of her hand. It's not hard to follow the incom signatures of Hadrix and Sumi's armors... not for Zee.
Everything is 1s and 0s to Zee.
She stops as she comes free of the bush line, hands on her hips, visor pointing up at the moon glowing off the lake... For a second, she might actually seem like she's appreciating the beauty of something.
Sumi nods, showing her understanding of the analogy. One leg is drawn up close and she fits the bottom portion of the bodysuit over her foot. Then her other foot is treated similarly, and her boots are pulled on. She props one boot upon a dead log, smacking the buckle to the shin-greaves to fasten them firmly in place. Her other leg follows this ritual.
"You've my eternal thanks for your efforts on that front. Truly. This mission, being around all these children, .. it made me realize that I missed that for her."
Zee's arrival is timed well, and Sumi has placed her own helmet back atop her grape with a loud hiss and click. When her visor washes out with reflective silver, Sumi reaches down then and pulls free the branding iron. She observes the hand sigil, listening to the orange hot metal sizzle.
<"Thank you, Zee. I believe it's time then for the final moment of our gathering this evening."> Sumi sets the iron back in the fire and turns toward Hadrix, offering him her arm to pull him back up. <"Today was a well fought battle. Albeit without victory, it was not absent its challenge. One that forged our companionship, molded it into a bond we'll share forever. Clans are built upon such things. Memories and stories we all pass down to our children, and their children, and so forth. Clan Kora is not a name that you'll find in any history book, nor is it something that was carried upon the shoulders of great warriors. It was made by this circle and it will be upon our shoulders its name carries on.">
<"Now comes your choice, Hadrix. Before you, I present our sigil. Its presence marking those who have earned the right to wear it. Shall you choose this sigil as /your/ sigil and this clan as /your/ clan? Again I ask you to speak your heart.">
Sumi hefts the iron free from the fire, the orange hot metal glowing and reflecting off their armor, displaying its burning image bright beneath the dark night.
Accepting the hand up, Hadrix looms to full height. Helmet fixed on Sumi now when she begins speaking. He quiets as he listens, and the helmet moves a fraction to take in the icon of the iron there. As man who has given up one icon, to take up another - it might not be a surprise that he stands there, almost too long silent before the helmet bobs.
<"I would take this clan as mine, and it's symbol for my own, yes Sumi."> head tipping one side to the other, watching the iron. Will it go on him? Or the suit? He looms there, wondering - apparently fine with either since he doesn't speak, only observes.
Zee finds a suitably stationary piece of wall to lean her shoulder into, arms crossed over her armored chest. Her visor fixes upon Hadrix and Sumi, eyes bouncing slowly back and forth behind her helmet as the exchange of words solidifies the big man's place in the clan. She's not much to add, hardly the sentimental sort, but does clap her fist over her heart when Hadrix agrees. A soft clank of durosteel to durosteel plates.
<"So be it, Hadrix of Clan Kora. I name you my brother, my friend, my companion for life. And upon you I charge the same pledge I pledge to you. No matter the field of battle, the time, the clime or place, you will find me, your sister, beside you. No battle will claim you absent me. Where you fall, I will be there to pick you back up. We will not die alone."> Sumi presents the hot iron and gestures to Hadrix's pauldron, the place their sigil will be most visible.
<"You've spoken your heart and I brand you."> Sumi presses the iron against the shoulder and the image begins to burn into place, creating ruts in the approrpiate way. <"Your mark is given birth today.."> Sumi drops the iron back into the fire and walks over toward the dead. When she returns from the shadows, her hand is fresh of the scarlet blood of their enemy. She places her hand, the one dipped in blood, upon his new mark.
<"...and it is sustained by the blood of our victory."> Her hand smears the burned sigil with fresh blood, Hadrix's toll paid now. Sumi reached up with her other hand, pulling his helmeted head down. Clank. Not a harsh blow, but a subtle Keldabe kiss. <"Welcome home, brother.">
<"Thank you, Sumi..."> resting a hand on the back of her neck a moment. Holding a moment before he stands up straight again, <"I'll not take this idle, I promise."> he looms there, clearly unsure of what to do next... but there is one thing few know of Hadrix.
The big guy is a hugger.
And unless she stops him, Hadrix lifts up Sumi in a bear hug, armor and all, giving a long squeeze before setting the woman down... again assuming she doesn't stop him or suddenly decide to kick the shavit out of him for doing so.
Zee'Roh watches the emotional ending, leaning against the wall of the cave with her arms laid across her armored chest. Wordlessly, she pushes off and moves towards the entrance with her hand sliding along the rough surface of stone, <"I'll get the ships prepped. Welcome home, Brother."> Disappearing into the drizzle of rain that's begun to fall, rain water running down along the grooves of her armor, the segmented plates, and soaking into the cloth of her poncho dangling down across her chest from her right shoulder pauldron.
Sumi laughs when she's embraced, and she flattens her 'cheek' against his broad chest, wrapping her arms as far around him as she can before parting. <"We're honored to have you with us."> Looking back when Zee speaks, Sumi nods. <"It is time we left Batuu. Come brother, there's more still to do."> An affectionate slap to the side of his helmet, not even hard enough to make his head move, is issued before the much shorter Mando'ade turns, clipping her cape in place to follow after Zee. By the time Sumi comes out, the rain falls in thicker sheets.
