Log:Mandalorians: What We Found There

Exploring Below

OOC Date: April 9, 2021
Location: Dxun - Japrael Sector
Participants: Mandalorian, Sumi Kora, Hahtavi, Zelo Parrai, Avery Ihala Kora, Terek Rosol and Hadrix Kora as GM Clan Kora

Deep below Bral'Prudiise - through corridors ancient, gone in parts to ruin, with trenches cut in the floors by sentry droids that walked until their power supply was cut out. To a chasm cut into the ground by water and nature for untold centuries - a collapsed section of the old, original, fortress whose name is lost to time. A thin rivulet and a water source trickling around massive doors of ancient durasteel bearing marks of Mando'ade clans, some still persisting and others now only recognized in the sagas. A path of dead cavern boma leading to this discovery down below.

At the foot of these ancient doors, with five wheel locks that have been examined by several for days since the discovery, the battered, decayed, remains of an ancient Mandalorian assault droid. A feared and vaunted Basilisk War Droid - so lost in the depths of time before it's recent uncovering that it's final acts were to attempt it's last programming. Now useless parts good for little besides trophies and re-smelting.

It was ultimately Zelo and Hahtavi who had figured out the workings in tandem, the pattern needed and which wheels. Days of working, supplied by those stewards of the fortress, Gripper and Hadrix himself at times. All to this point now. The mechanisms within, sounding clearly in excellent condition - oiled, greased, protected from time and elements. Clattering thuds leading to the great door sweeping open like a massive plug that strains against a momentary pressure shift that tries to hold it shut - but not to the effect one might expect. A leak somewhere further in and now the air flow has begun.

Within, the start of a passage smelling of old metal, a faint sour musk. Guttering, and some simply sparking, lights engaging as ancient and faltering batteries are tapped. Durasteel walls, with clan banners hung, iconography carved around them and in the floor itself. A tale starting on Coruscant and spinning into the galaxy.

It had been some time since the Mandalorian known as Avery had been seen, the young man packing up and jumping ship shortly after the funeral for his best friend had been had. A month had gone by without any communication, signs of the Cin Vhetin being reported every now and again, tales of a black armored Mandalorian laying waste to some pirate outpost or savagely handling a remote contract. Then, a day ago, after Hadrix had sent word through his normal channels, the silent voice of Avery spoke again informing the big man that he would see him soon.

Now, Avery stands in the back of the group contented in the shadows, not a word had been spoken nor had his helmet been removed. His deep obsidian armor glinted dully with fresh scratches, dents, and even dried blood that the Slicer had not cleaned off. The blackened shine of his T-visor simply scanned slowly from side to side, seeming to take in the whole scene while his arms cradled the E-11 'she' had made him, the weapon itself showing tremendous signs of use. A head tilt at the clan banners and iconography showed at least some interest from the changed man, but his speaker remained silent.

Dxun. Again. Zelo Parrai, also Kora, remembers the last trip here. Not so much a trip as a cave-in, as he landed on his feet. They made their way out, dropping a pair of venerable droids on the way, and all-in-all... It had both not been according to plan and also... About as expected. Then, a puzzle is presented, an ancient gate with wheel locks, and Zelo finds himself with Hahtavi, again undeground for a longer stretch of time, examining the mechanism and just sharing long periods of quiet discussion in the subterrainian. Puzzle cracked, finally, and the door swings wide. Zelo takes a knee to examine the threshold, gleaming blue Skyripper armor muted in the low light as it bends to look more closely at something that had jumped out.

<"Some imperfect seal here, or so it seems. That door pulled like it was holding pressure, but... This dirt and dust is... It's not right. Likely another cave-in somewhere, like the one that brought us here?">

The Nautolan straightens and turns to his right, hiding now his clan symbol from the view of any looking his way; the question he offers to Sumi, and Hadrix, but anyone who knows caves better would be an authority to the young pilot and sniper. Dry caves? Not his thing. He traces his one bare fingertip over the assembly of his E-11 as he swings it forward on his sling. A twin to the one held by Avery, it and the armor are his own way of keeping 'her' with them in every engagement.

The cavalier nature of Sumi Kora wasn't because of apathy, but from age. She sits, wide legged upon the top of the old war droid, upon its seat with her helm placed over the top of one of its many levers. A smoke burned between her lips as she played with the switches until the way began to open and she was prompted to start the next leg of this journey. "There anything cool in there? I can't see drek." She flicks her smoke off to one side and drops the height from the war droid to land, helmet in her hands as she stepped heavily toward the group, her cape settling over her back side.

It does take some doing and Hahtavi may have missed out on being here when the Basilisk was discovered, but he's been here puzzling the door with Zelo for a few days now. Together they manage to finally get it opening up. Hahtavi slaps Zelo on the shoulder in a comradly fashion, saying nothing. Nothing need be said, sharing the pleasure of success.

But what lays ahead? Hahtavi cautiously takes a few steps within the maw of the wide open darkness, turning his T-visored helmet this way and that slowly, peering through the darkeness with the aid of his helmet's systems. <" It's not stayed sealed. Dust ... marks on the floor and the doors from something that scratched them up. "> His baritone is spoken low through his vocoder, almost to himself. His head turns, looking deeper, <" Something further in on the floor. ">

Cautiously he begins to advance, looking around. Hahtavi stops further in by a lump on the floor he toes. It is about the size of a potato sack, <" Some very old, dried out, /large/ beast's droppings. "> Clan Kora's newest tal'at'cuyir peers further into the darkness, his rifle brought around on his tactical sling to the ready.

Terek might not have been able to figure out the door, he's never admitted to being the brightest bulb. However he knows how to prepare himself when the door finally does open.

<"Just because they're old doesn't mean it's not still around..Everybody be on your guard."> He comes over comms, checking over his new weapon one last time before he follows on through into the new chamber proper.

<"I admit, I'm surprised you're still colored for justice, vod."> Having hung back to rest a hand on Avery's shoulder while the others were ahead. Gold had almost been threaded into Hadrix's armor, but it had still been changed from black to the iridescent purples shot through with silver-blue trim. Fortune, redemption and reliability.

His attention captured, though, by Zelo's words <"Possible, I'll ask Mandl if we can't find more. But he's not to be here. This is only for Mando'ade."> and so there were warnings given that attempts to investigate the cavern would be met with deadly force.

The path further in, giving way to more musk as pointed out by others. Even durasteel cannot hold back Dxun, especially when no one stands to maintain it. There are sounds and several hundred meters of walking, telling the stories of Mandalorians leading up to the flights from Onderon to Dxun, the hidden fortresses. The waiting. Banners on the walls give way to small racks with aged blades, time gnawed pistols, rifles or in some sections hunks of earth and stone that have been pushed in by the massive roots. The soil giving sign of heavy tread.

But their passage also engages more leaking, failing, batteries and light becomes more dark gloom than creeping night. There is movement when the passage opens into what once must have been an armory. A besbe'haranov - a Kit Cache - complete with armoring and weapon crafting equipment now tumbled over, smashed, crushed... and there seems to be more gathered in the darker gloom, where movement and a whistle like soft breezes circling.

Zelo moves ahead in the column, keeping his black-pool eyes wide to seek out any signs of danger or the gaps caused by another cave-in. The large... Droppings are not that far from the reasons he's keeping so vigilant, and as the destruction of the armory grows in evidence, the blue-armored Mandalorian draws up short with a hand up in something he'd come to understand as a universal sign of hold-up. Slowly, he triggers the internal comms, speaking in everyone's ears without making a sound, to relay the thing he sees in the middle of the wreckage and ancient, discarded Beskar'gam.

<<"Kell Dragon. I think we know where the droppings came from...">>

Zelo takes a slight step to the side and lowers, raising his rifle watchfully as he waits for the powers that be to call their shots.

<"I always wanted to kill me a dragon."> The rasp of steel heralds the brandishing of a blade, long and holding the light where there was some. <"To arms, Mando'ade. We've but one chance at a glorious death; a dragon is one way to exit this life! I welcome it, hahaha!"> And Sumi goes running into the darkness, she even stepped through that big pile of..

The silence of the obsidian helmet shifts to take in Zelo, the armor recognizable but the movements don't belong. There's a long solid stare, a quiet intensity that burns beneath the bucket that covers his features... and then he tears his sight away, shifting to the man with the heavy hand on his shoulder. <"What else would I be?"> He asks, his voice low and gravelly, the kind of tenor that comes from lack of use. Avery shoves off the wall to march forward, following the rest of the Mandalorians through the portal into the ancient world unearthed beyond.

The Mando Slicer remains silent as they make their trek inside, his helmet swiveling this way and that, taking in all the sights, the history, the darkened corners, all with a steady gaze. Avery pauses next to one of the racks with ancient blades, his hand lifting to drag over the time-worn surface of the weapon. After spending perhaps a bit long at the stand, he moves on and rejoins the team, the E-11 shifted to be ready in case any ambush were to occur. Not likely, they'd be more like to encounter some wild beast... and at Zelo's mention, it seems that's exactly what has happened. The darkened Mandalorian simply readies the carbine and waits, the beast will notice them soon enough and when it does, blaster fire and death will rain down upon it.

Hahtavi has actually hunted kimogilas on Lok with Jarret, though the pack were juveniles. He wears a cloak from the skin of one of those dragons even now hanging canted to one side of his smokey dark Dreadfinder armor. Likely Avery doesn't recognize him except perhaps for his voice.

Seeing the kell dragon as Zelo draws their attention to it, and the wreck of the ancient armory, Hahtavi too moves to get his ass into the chamber and spread out away from the others. His rifle at the ready, he is mindful of the debris, not desiring to become entangled or trapped in it nor loose his footing.

The beast's size isn't clear at once but you can bet it'll likely be fast! Hahtavi heads up one side with intent to flank it if it goes for others in their group. Of course, it might come for him!

Terek is surprised by what they find. He's never seen one of those...And he kind of wishes that the old waste they had found had been from something just passing through!

He's quick to scramble out of the cramped space and into somewhere further open in order to try to get some distance between himself and his teammates. If this thing attacks it'll have to focus on one at a time, and it'll give the otrhers a chance to attack from the flanks.

At least, that's the basic plan...How it plays out is anyone's guess.

The voices, the scents, the sudden movement. It rouses the creature that has evolved from the first of its kind, imported to Dxun, to work its way into this cavern created by time and claw. Gray and green scales that shift in hues as light touches it and its movement repositions how such strikes it.

Mouth dropping open and a horrendous, hissing, roar issuing as its head swivels from one potential threat to another, drawing in a huffing snort before it lunges, clearing distance in a terrible burst of speed that fires it like a battering ram towards Hahtavi. Hurling hunks of armor and detritus in its wake and bashing over a standing rack of beskar'gam that clatters and tumbles apart - revealing some bright shining metal in the works. Digging up durasteel with its chin spikes and surging past but misdirected by the way they dig into the metal flooring.

<<"Up as well as on ground, encircle and cross patterns, keep it changing it's direction!!">> Hadrix's voice coming in at the last moment.

The thing lashes out at Hahtavi and suddenly the group spurs to action. Heeding Hadrix's call, Avery ignites his rocket pack and glides gracefully up to one of the supports above, blasting at the target as he goes. So beautiful was his ascension that he had no concern about hitting the target... and hit he did.... however such was the thiccness of the creatures hide that both searing bolts ricocheted away to mar the durasteel interior of the room. Silence comes from his failure, the Slicer planting his feet on the support to look for a weak spot on the beast, perhaps some dislodged scale big enough to launch a black arrow into.

Zelo watches the Kora's spreading out, silently as Beskar goes, as they move to encircle the beat in the armory. For the moment, he holds his position, until such time as he's crossfiring with a Kora or the monstrous being is coming for him. It isn't long to wait until the beast is, indeeed charging, but with luck it's not the Nautolan who gets seen first. That honor goes to Hahtavi, shortly after the war-cry of their Alor. Now is the time of shooting, and Zelo hopes it isn't to be followed by the time of being eaten. As Avery goes rocketing past, he misses what happens to Hahtavi, but all that can be done is to take aim snd strike true. <"Hahtavi, I really hope you aren't inside that thing!">

There. Banter. Poor banter, but banter. Now, to focus. Deep breath, despite the urge to breathe fast and shallow. Slow, slow exhale. At the nadir of this cycle, Zelo quickly pulls the trigger in a double-tap succession. It stresses the gun some and it will take longer to recharge than steady calculated shots, but... It will still work - Karys' guns always work. The first taps a scale and seems to do nothing, but perhaps it shifted that same scale slightly because the next shot at almost the same location strikes true. Waiting for the recharge, Zelo of the gleaming blue Beskar waits, and prepares to dodge.

Sumi disappears into the darkness, her sword sparking off the wall, marking her position until she tumbled back under a flickering light to land a swift and graceful horizontal pass. <"HAA!"> She screamed, stabbing toward another leg only encouraging the thing to spin in place to avoid her. <"Keep it moving! Keep it moving!"> She yells, her voice haggard as she slides over the ground, scraaaaaaaping along with bright sparks to avoid being the next target. Her weapon comes whistling back to a heavy gripped guard and she melts into the darkness again, cape snapping behind her.

And move fast it does! The beast comes out of the darkness right for him and there is that fraction of a second that Hahtavi imagines it's jaws catching him up and crushing his body like so much tin can. The image burns itself into his mind even as he's moving to evade it! He could fire his rocketpack but it's so new that he doesn't even think of firing it yet.

Thankfully the beast skitters through, slamming debris and armor aside like so much chaffe, distracting it from hitting him. Hahtavi is quick enough, just barely, to escape it He fires off two quick shots with his galaar rifle...

But his shots don't seem to do it any harm. <" I'm good! It was /close/. "> A glance up at Avery going above reminds him that Hahtavi's got a jetpack now himself. If he dares use it. Might plaster himself against a wall or kiss the kell dragon in the arse. Sumi's sword cuts an arc through the gloom like a flash of light. <" Offering myself as bait worked to make it move. I don't suggest it. ">

It was weird, busting out a weapon he'd never used before. Terek kinda wishes he'd taken the time to hit the shooting range first, before coming on out to combat. But a bit late to worry about it now!

Once he was off to the side of the dragon, he watched as Hahtavi baited the creature out. Perfect timing, it seemed!

Terek raised his DL-54 and gripped it with both hands, in order to steady the shot, squeezing the trigger and firing both bolts with the single trigger pull.

<"This is a helluva lot easier without Tavers hurling dwang at me... while fighting one of these damned things."> This is technically his second dragon. Hell with A Kell. Helluva training exercise for he and two of the Vanguard, back in the day.

Each wound draws a gutteral hiss, or snarl in addition to blood or scales burst by heat of plasma. Head swinging to one source of attack and tail curling up by itself.

Blaster fire and circling forms adding confusion to its movements and the explosion of the micro-rocket forcing it to momentarily turn, slavering jaws snapping towards the source.

<<"Good motion, keep it up. Sumi watch the elbow spikes and the tail. Try to find a dull patch in the scales, those are the molting ones.">> Hadrix adds as he jogs clockwise, e-11 spitting fire before he slides for defensive positioning to assess.

The beast is enraged further, turning to the closer scent; wheeling its body around to bring the aforementioned tail around in a heaving arch that could smash hull plate on the side of a freighter, or powder bones in a single stroke.

There's something to be said for living in grief, things seem to slow down for a little while... maybe that's because heightened emotions don't register as keenly anymore. Whatever the case may be, Avery simply sights in on the beast despite the commotion going on below, and squeezes the trigger sending a blinding red bolt squarely into a spot that lacks protective coating. He maybe might have ignited his jetpack too soon, however, his second shot flying wide as he lifts from his place on the support to angle across the sky to another. He braces as he lands, securing himself on top of the structure and brings the carbine around to prepare for another volley.

Zelo the sniper is in a large room with an only-slightly-less-large beast, and it's likely not the smartest play to just plant and shoot. But... Zelo did all his thinking helping get the door open. The beast wheels on Sumi and the fire continues and there is nothing but the shooting. Another deep breath. Another exhalation. Bare, cobalt-blue fingertip depresses the trigger twice in quick succession when the air is all out of his lungs; the first shot hits the same place again, really beginning to do some WORK, but then the beast shifts and the double of the double-tap glances off another scale.

"Kriff," says the Nautolan under his breath, as he continues to hold still. Maybe the thing is like a Leviathan, not seeing you if you are still. Maybe it's just too busy dancing with Sumi. But no need to start moving before it looks this way. So Zelo stays on his knee, leaned back in a rested position but ready to roll out the moment it goes bad. And... It probably will go bad for him. It's all a question of when.

Sumi is shaken from her path when a butt-puckering slam of a spiked tail sends her leaping backward upon impact to slide across the mud and grime. Old and weathered, the century old soldier manages to rise back up to her feet, showing her age, and lifting a chin to Hadrix's call. More motion? Coming right up!

<"Let's go you big, /UGLY/ huttsucker, hahaha!" SLAAASH! Sumi caught an ankle, then struck up to block an elbow being forced to slide back and down on her knees because of the weight and full force. She leaped forward after that, stabbing into the end of the tail to make it turn back toward her. <"Look at me! HAAA!"> She pulled the blade back out from its scales and ran back into the darkness, cape heavy with mud.

Choosing NOT to offer himself as bait this time seems to work to his advantage. Tactics, it's all about tactics with a beast like this, working as a team. Hahtavi listens to what Hadrix has to say, starts pointing out a few spots he can see with the aid of his helmet that his team mates can aim for as they work together to try and bring the beast down. <" Aye! Watch that tail! There's a spot there, behind the left shoulder. Another at the base of the tail, this side! ">

As he shares that information, marking the targets in his HUD so they can all track the areas where scales are missing or molting, they all start making more hits upon the beast!

Including Hahtavi himself who keeps moving, firing off two more shots from his Galaar. Only this time it looks like he scores solid hits on the beast, making it cry out in snarls of pain!

Terek's blaster is on point, as he hits with another shot from it. But he's not really doing a ton of damage with the weapon. He slides it back into his holster once he's done firing his shot. He's gonna have to break out the rifle that Hadrix let him borrow.

Because that thing, honestly he's worried he might scratch it from how Hadrix talked about it. But it should burn a hole straight through this dragon!

Bleeding, battered, blasted and bruised. But also kept on to one target with Sumi's blade cutting into it and then skewering its tail. Snarling and hurling spittle and blood in the direction Sumi ran and it charges after her, snapping its jaws and lunging once more. Bashing aside the forgeworks, crumpling it like tin, and sending it hurtling over while it's jaws get closer and closer to the backside of the ancient warrior.

Craters of raw flesh and shattered scale appear as a pair of mini-rockets from Hadrix crash into it's side, at the points marked by Hahtavi calling out and formed by Terek's massive pistol. The injuries curling its body, and momentarily stealing its gaze. Another howling snarl comes and it rears back, tail thrashing wildly.

Avery's had enough of this, though the dragon hasn't hurt any of his crew yet it's come close a number of times. The obsidian Mandalorian watches from above, searching for something that can fell this crazed beast and, with a lift of his rifle, thinks he may have the mark. Tracking the creature as it scampers across the ground in a rampage, he depresses the trigger and lets two rounds fly. With a sickening thunk, the first impacts the eye of the beast, the thing roaring out a death knell before the second bolt silences it forever... The mighty dragon collapses in a spray of sand and debris as Avery drops from his position to rocket to the ground, his boots touching the floor and he gives a nod to the team.

Zelo, still ready to shoot, watches the beast fall to blaster fire from above as the recharging whine of his own gun disappears. It seems, for now, that the threat is vanquished. Combat concluded, or at least stayed, leads the Nautolan to rise, reflective visor casting about the room, ear turning to the distance to see if there is a twin further within some unknown corner of the facility. There must be some crack. How did this thing get in here? How had it survived for so long? He offers a tentative nod to Avery in return. The killing blow was his.

Indeed, Avery brings the beast down! Hahtavi stops moving so fast, taking a pause to suck some air from their recent exertion. "< Good job, vod. Everyone. "> A look to make sure Sumi and everyone else is all right, then Hahtavi starts prowling about the chamber to give it a good look around. Others may wish to butcher the beast for it's hide, teeth, or try to look for fabled pearls but as for him? Hahtavi had espied a flash of bright metal over younder.

In that direction he goes, toeing things and looking around the ruin of what used to be an ancient armory. A beam light comes on from his helmet to better aid his looking for details in the trash, as well as giving the carvings on the walls an appreciative looking over.

<" Old, so old. So much of our history lost. Much we could study, here. ">

Sumi dove away from the blow just as the shot fell the creature and the ground shook from its heavy collapse. She is slow to rise again, grunting as she transitioned from knee to full height, then stuck her sword into the earth to lean. She would be sore, hell she already felt it. <"Well struck! Good work, everyone. We can add a dragon skull to the fortress now."> Sumi switches on the light attached to her helm and looms near the corpse, looking it over quietly. She leaves the others to discover what wonders the dragon guarded.

"Never helped take on a dragon before." Terek says, as he looks over at the corpse, whistling a little bit to himself, "Well done everyone. Can't believe we managed to do it without any casualties.." He's still doing his best to stay on guard with the rifle still out though.

A heap of scales and cooling flesh, the dragon a mound of potential death kept from the others by the nimble actions of a morellian likely to need hot pads and an ice bath later. But the danger is cleared and signs can be spotted of a cavern tunnel that likely leads to the surface again.

In its wake, among the ruins, the rubble of where it slept is a mass of old leather, metal crushed to form... and things more marvelous to be found. Some of that metal glimmers silvery in the dark. Iron pulled the depths of a world that once held the 'city beasts' known as the Mythosaur.

The legacy of Mandalorian Iron left in this cache, with the intention of others coming much sooner to retrieve it. Others who never came. The forge works is battered, but can be repaired. The work stations refurbished, the walls rebuilt. Like the people who built this fortress, it would endure and could be replenished.

There are data slates as well, old data stores kept for reasons presently unknown.

As the Mandalorians look through the ruins, or about, Hadrix slips up aside Terek, nodding before he kneels to begin opening a panel on his knee pad to start slotting fresh munitions. <"Lucky run too. I almost got an arm bitten off by one once."> the grin fairly evident in his tone.

Avery stares at the downed dragon for a few moments longer, admiring the amount of damage the creature took before it finally gave up the chase. His gaze lifts from the carcass to Zelo, wearing a dead friend's armor, and an unseen grimace creases his lips as he steps his way. He pulls up short of Zelo, slinging the E-11 behind him in its usual spot before removing the obsidian helmet from his head.

Revealed is the anguished and unkempt face of Avery, dark black bags under his eyes, a weeks old beard on his cheeks, and a smoldering anger behind dark emerald eyes. He stares at Zelo for a moment longer, those normally sparkling eyes dragging over Karys' former suit, the one she was wearing when she breathed her last, and he returns his regard to the man. "Paint the suit." Is all he says before turning to walk away, his helmet once again lifted to be placed on his head and secured.

Zelo, seeing guards being lowered or at least lessened, continues across the room, stepping around debris and ruined metal, paying less heed to the history admired by Hahtavi, nor the glimmering metal in the dark. His eyes are on the tunnel and he takes up a post there, distrustful of the day if nothing else. As good as it feels - everyone walking away having always been his goal - something about the entire affair disquiets him.

He hopes that this trove is worth the life of such an impressive beast, but for Zelo, the real monsters are out there, far across the Black Ocean. Perhaps he's been regrouping long enough.

Zelo Parrai is about to wander into a far corner of his mind for some deep thought, when he's addressed by Avery. 'Paint the suit,' the man had ordered. Without even a hesitation, Zelo replies, his vocoder adding a sharpness to his low tenor. <"Sell the gun."> A pause. <"You wouldn't do that either."> No more likely than Zelo would sell his own.

Sumi plops back down in the mud and leans against the belly of the dragon. Her sword was driven into the ground and her helmet placed atop its pommel, wobbling a bit from the awkward perch. She pats out a smoke unceremoniously, lipping one free and lighting it a moment later. She was too tired to go into the armory and forge, and seemed content to sit there with the passed on Dragon and talk to it. "Not sure how you liked this place. It's boring as rekk down here. Smells like drek." A long sigh. "..it's quiet though. The dripping of water.. reminds me of a hot bath." Sumi stares blankly into the darkness as she draws upon the smoke for a long, long breath.

There is time spent looking, beam lights moving this way and that as some of them shift through the ancient pieces left behind. It'll take hours, days, even weeks and months to sift through all of this down here. But Hahtavi finds some of the bright metal and brings it to the others to confirm or deny if it is what he hopes, <" Is it beskar? "> Indeed it is! What a find! The history of this place, it's like it is sacrad, at least to this one born of Manda'yaim.

Hahtavi pauses and pulls off his helmet, looking quite pleased. "You know, kimogila meat was fantastic. We should haul up as much of the Kell we can butcher and have a feast. I feel a little like celebrating, don't you?" Hearing Avery speaking to Zelo though? It takes some of Hahtavi's pleasure away. He too was there when Karys died. His smile is lost. Ah well. Hahtavi puts his helmet back on and goes back to sorting through things. Perhaps in a little while the others will help him haul meat up for roasting. It would be a shame to let it go to waste. Honor the beast.

under his helmet. He hasn't had a very good meal like that in way too long. Too many ration bars, not enough fresh cooked meat.

"I'll help you however much I can to get it back up top."

<"Agreed."> Hadrix's helmeted head bobs to Hahtavi's notion and Terek's agreement. Leaving Zelo and Avery for later, the big man's bucket is off and he thuds down next to Sumi, cigarra in his mouth and lit in short order, "I'll have this thing hauled up top, send the stewards down to grab it and butcher it... Add to their rations and send the rest to Ealor." leaning to bump his shoulder against hers before his head lolls back, "See how much Iron we found. I don't much, but every little piece, yeah?" chuckling.

There isn't much. Even then it was precious and little of it made its way off of Mandalore. Used by those with the resources and the renown to deserve Mandalorian Iron, Beskar. Purchased this day by cohesion and one putting her backside on the line to keep the others with a chance to do their jobs.

Now a matter to close off tunnels, re-secure the fortress. Rebuild. Like a people depleted. But you can't kill an idea.

The man stalking away stops nearly dead in his tracks and turns back. <"You're right, I wouldn't sell the gun... I bought it and she worked on it."> Avery stops in front of Zelo and lifts a hand to jab a finger fiercely in the direction of the suit. <"But she WORE that, fought in it day after day, DIED in it. I don't care that she left it to you, that's great... something to remember her by, a kind parting gift, and useful... but I had been by her side since we were the BAD GUYS. That suit was her rebirth, her new beginning, and to see it moving on another person's body is WRONG. It throws me off... I'm having a hard enough time trying to get over my grief without seeing her armor paraded around by someone else."> The finger drops but he stands his ground, the voice coming through the vox not like any Avery most would have ever heard. <"I'm not asking you to get rid of it... I'm not asking you to forget her or what she meant to you, to ALL of us... just paint the thing so I don't have to live with her ghost here!"> Avery taps the temple of his helmet. <"AND here!"> at this he jabs his finger at her armor again.

Terek gains a nod out of Hahtavi, <" Thanks. It'll be difficult to cut through the hide but ... "> He turns his head <" Sumi does have a sword, if she's willing. Knives can do the rest once we get past that hide. "> Hahtavi looks to Hadrix, <" Do Kell dragons have pearls? ">

Ah, Hadrix has a plan! For the meat, even better!

Where he stands near to Terek, Hadrix, Sumi and the dead beast, Hahtavi turns his helmet as Avery's voice flares up at Zelo. He keeps his place, silent, but watchful.

It is decidedly not Terek's plate to say anything when it comes to what's going on between Avery and Zelo.

Frankly the cathar doesn't feel like he belongs with the mandalorians most of the time anyway, and he wasn't present when it happened..It wouldn't feel right to step in.

<"You're asking me to pull the wool over your eyes."> Zelo doesn't move, other than to flick the safety on his E-11 and let it swing back on his sling. This isn't a discussion to have while armed. <"Painted, it's still her armor. You tell me to paint it to help YOU grieve. You knew her longer, and I can't make any claim to that, but she brought me in from the cold, and gave me FAMILY."> The emphasis on the word brings a small exhalation of spit with the firmness of its invocation, but this is kept inside the Skyripper's helmet. <"I'm sorry that this is hard for you, but it is hard for all of us, and I do not change it because it helps me remember that she is still here; that in her thoughts for what comes after, she wanted to protect me."> Now it is the Nautolan's turn to point, that trigger finger with the exposed cobalt fingertip - now faintly glowing a red tone to those with keen eyes - raises to point back to Avery. <"I do not begrudge it, but you got to tell her goodbye. So don't speak to me of grief. I swallow the words I would have said every night, and wake up every morning, striving to be better so her loss is never repeated again as long as I have breath, and life. If this is a problem for you, tell me where you're going, and I'll see that I am always at least three systems away.">

Sumi raises a hand to the others as if to gesture: let them sort it out. Warriors came to blows sometimes, and they rose more united from it. She holds up a hand for someone to pull her old ass back to her feet, smoke still stuck between her lips. "I've a vibro-dagger too. It would make quick work of the scales provided someone knows the art of butchering. I do not."

Risen back up, Sumi limps to one side and finally flicks her smoke off into the distance.

"Avery. Not gone, merely marching far away." Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la. A shake of his head to tell Hahtavi no, that Kells have no pearls while he watches the others.

"Aay'han'gar. Echoylir tome a kyr akaanir'briiud." You're both in the state of bittersweet mourning, mourn together or finish this in the battle circle. Hooking a hand under Sumi's backside to lift her up to her feet, rather than stand to pull her by her arm - eyes still on the clanmates arguing.

"We mourn our sister. Don't tell one another how to mourn. Help one another feel less pain at the memory." expression set, balor gaze of his right eye flaring.

Avery is simply shocked, visibly recoiling as step as if struck. <"She was my family too! If it wasn't for her I WOULDN'T BE HERE!"> the Slicer screams through his voice recorder. <"I'd be dead with a self-inflicted plasma bolt in my brain! And you're just fine walking around in a suit that was someone else's symbol, what people came to know as her, that WAS her, no matter the damage to your CURRENT family? Yeah, it'll still be her kriffin' suit but at least I won't have to have flashbacks every time I see you! As if painting the thing would stop it from being hers. She wore that thing longer than you've been a Mandalorian, it will never cease to be hers even if you wear it. By wearing it, it's keeping you safe as she intended, but again, WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US THAT KNEW HER?"> Spittle would be flying through the air, the two of them needing towels to wipe their faces, had the helmets not been down. He motions towards Hadrix's words. <"That's all I'm asking and he's refusing to do it, propping it up as some honor to keep her colors instead of taking what she gave him and making it his own in tribute.">

Zelo stands very still, and makes no further motion. Slowly, his hand lowers and a silence stretches between the two men. The anger is gone from Zelo's voice, although perhaps that's not an admission of backing down as much as escalation. <"Too means also. Both our sister. And she saved both our lives. You think I'd have lasted long, going back out to the rim with a busted leg and no one to watch my back? That was my intention when she found me. And speak you of how long I've been a Mandalorian as though you know me, but you know nothing of my past. What I know of yours, I know through others, and this is the most words we've ever exchanged as long as I've been with the clan. On Glee Anselm, we do not paint over or repurpose the things given to us by those who have left us. We preserve them, it is sacred. If you can't respect that?">

Zelo looks pointedly at Avery, then looks to the rest of Kora. <"If this armor puts on all of you that much pain? That you'd rather not see her still walking beside you? Then I can go. Call me only for long-range operations, or piloting. I'll stay in the cockpit, or I'll stay at one thousand meters, and you can never look on me again. If that's no good? Then send me your itinerary. 3 systems. That's the best I can give you, vod.">

"Enough." No bellow, no snarl, but any who know him must know that the sudden risk for violence to renew; he must be shivering inside, that small voice demanding he stop being the peacemaker and to let go. Let loose and join it. But there's that new voice that demands of him,

'Peace.'

"Not now. Peace." so much for sitting down. Hadrix rises to his full height with a grunt from effort and a weary sigh. "Avery, we'll talk." looking next to the Nautolan, "You and I shall talk." looking then to Sumi "Unless our Alor deems she will talk." head bowing differentially towards Sumi. His voice having not raised an octave and the glass in gravel rumble somehow sounding sad but resolute.

"For now enough. We will convene and we'll discus." mouth pulling down deeper. "Gather your memories. Make your remembrance and we will all talk." the same tone, but with firmness denoting he will accept nothing else. Accented by the balling of one fist at his side.

Perhaps the beast was not the one to be butchered but the one that was hiding in the hearts of select members present this day.