Session export: Blue-Green Training: the Sequel I

A tall Sith stepped into the clearing sun glinted off the rare glossy sections of well-worn armor. A faded red lotus was embossed on the chest. His stride was steady and deliberate as he approached. Horns protruded through the top of the helmet on his head. Two sabers were slung from his waist. A single bladed version bounced off his thigh in a leather holster, while a saberstaff was slung behind his back. He stopped around twenty paces from the group and moved his hands to remove his helmet.

“Good morning, friends. I hope I am finding you well.”

A slender Chiss woman approached the gathering with a fussy TC-series Protocol Droid at her heels. The former was dressed in an outfit more suited for a formal dinner than a briefing, though she carried a sword upon her belt. She kept a distance away from those already gathered, though kept a keen eye on them as they talked.

The protocol droid attempted to intercept the Chiss’s line of sight, cutting around and waving to her. “Miss Eel'elzabet'thi, if we do not maintain our schedule-”

“Shh, Temp,” the Chiss hissed. “We have time to hear what’s going on, at least.”

“But your father-”

Elizabet sighed, though she skirted around her droid companion to continue her approach. “Maybe you should go ahead and tell him I’ll be late for our call.”

“But-”

“Important business.” She waved off her mechanical companion’s further protest. “He’ll understand.” Though as the droid set off on its way towards the shuttles in a bit of a huff, the Chiss mumbled under her breath. “…Or he won’t.”

She put on a smile as she got closer to the group, and held up a hand in greeting.

Boots pressed silently into the dry grass as the retired Herald crossed purposefully toward the gathering crowd, the breeze tugging loose strands of unnatural white hair across her missing eye.

Training for war again before the towering Citadel. So many memories here.

Last training did not end well. Fear. Confusion. Shared sight. Shared sensation. Backfeed. “Borrowed” memories. Hivemind. Eatbreedkill.

Socorra remembered the cliff jump alongside Ruka. The violent snap of lightning through her chest when her heart refused to start again. Thank the Maker Cora was here this time.

And at least the training had worked in the end. They all mostly survived that war.

Crystal karkin’ dinosaurs.

The Sith-Mandalorian woman greeted the blue and green dynamic duo with a nod as they were busy. She gave Karran a one-eyed wink.

“Same t’ing?” she asked Ruka, waving her organic burn-scarred hand to indicate very big display.

“I have been well. Tidying up at home, mostly. It seems that the homestead saw plenty of use as a safehouse. It was not left messy at all but… things have been moved…”

Karran whispered the last of that sentence. As if that was the most worrisome thing he had dealt with in recent years. Not the slavers he’d hunted. Not the ancient temples he’d investigated.

“I think someone went through my undergarment drawer.”

He smiled. The burned half of his face still resisted the movement, and the scarred skin around his milk-white eye wrinkled more than his good eye.

“But Baby is well. She certainly did not starve in my absence. I may have to limit her treats for awhile.”

He turned to face Socorra and returned her wink with a smile.

“Lady Socorra. I hope you are well.” He bowed his head in deference.

Of all the places Sacha could have ended up, why’d it have to be a tropical one? Thank Bukal that he had his polarized glasses to ward off the oppressive rays of the afternoon sun. One would think being only half Arkanian would help mitigate the sunlight sensitivity, but it certainly didn’t feel like it.

Migraine aside, Sacha could feel the jitters building within the pit of his stomach as he approached The Citadel – the seat of Arconan power.

“Incredible…,” he muttered to himself while gazing up at the towering edifice, at its breathtaking architecture shaped from the very mountain itself. His father’s stories didn’t do it justice. “So, this is where mother spent he–”

His words were cut short by a sudden collision with a woman chatting with her protocol droid. “Oof!”

It wasn’t a hard bump by any means, but that didn’t stop Sacha from bowing his head before she even got a word out. “Oh, frakk. I’m so sorry, miss. I should pay more attention to where I’m going.”

As he apologized, two of his own droids approached from the same direction and took their places next to him. One, a utility drone with gunmetal gray snd muted yellow plating, and the other a BX-series combat droid whose chassis was mostly obscured by a brown cloak. The drone’s sole photoreceptor pulsed faintly as it hovered idly over Sacha’s left shoulder. while the commando droid lifted a hand to lightly grip his shoulder. It spoke with a light, almost feminine voice that lacked the distinct tinny element that many droids had. Instead, it sounded wholly organic. “You’ll have to excuse him, miss. He tends to amble about with his head in the clouds.”

Elizabet would have been quick to apologize herself. Focused on snooping upon the others’ conversations, she had not noticed him until he had bumped into her. It had spooked her more than anything. “O-oh, it’s fine,” she replied. “No harm done, really.”

The Chiss’s gaze shifted upward towards the architecture around them. “It is beautiful.” She looked back to Sacha, giving a more genuine smile. “And I’m sure I would have gotten lost here, if I didn’t have Temperance directing me every which way to go. The droids keep us together, don’t they?” She held out a hand to him. “My name’s Elizabet.”

The sheepish look on Sacha’s sunkissed face vanished like sand in an ocean swell, replaced by a smile as warm as the stones beneath their feet. He mirrored her gesture and gripped her hand to shake it.

“That’s right,” he said. “They can offer many lessons about themselves and us as well. I’m Sacha. It’s nice to meet you Elizabet. And Temperance? That’s a lovely name for a droid.” Notably, he didn’t introduce his own.

Just then, he heard the voice of the exquisitely dressed Pantoran man, which prompted him to raise his hand in a casual wave.

<@244244163002892288>

Back to Elizabet. “Sooo,” he began, placing a hand on his hip, “you don’t look like a soldier. Are you helping run this exercise or partaking?”

Granted, he didn’t look like one, either, but. Hell, he didnt know what else to ask her.

<@227960499948486666>

Karran gave the Pantoran a gentle squeeze, minding his strength.

“Always good to see Ruka’s better half.”

The Zabrak turned toward the unfamiliar faces.

“I’ve been walking the galaxy for sometime. Are they new? Or have I been away for too long?”

Karran subconsciously rubbed his bruised knuckles beneath his gloves and played with a loose molar that had yet to fully reset.

“I hope they have what it takes. War takes everything from the unprepared.”

“Soldier? Me? Oh, no no no.” Elizabet hastily waved off the idea. “But partaking, I suppose. I thought I should learn what I could about this Collective. They shouldn’t… bother us here, right? With the Maw so close?” Her brow furrowed as she considered it, suddenly not as certain. Perhaps she’d find the answer in the briefing. She shrugged. “I’ve… only been in this system for a few months at most. I’m still getting my bearings.”

Sacha folded his arms while considering her question. He hadn’t been in the system long, either, and had had a hell of a time securing public transport into the system due to the danger involved in traversing the system’s cosmic backyard. But he knew that the difficulty of civilian travel said nothing about making it into the system through illegal means. Sacha could think of a handful of smugglers he personally knew who would take on the challenge for the right pay. And then there were the rumors that the Collective had hidden cells throughout many Brotherhood territories …

The sound of metal fingers snapping next to his face brought Sacha back to the present. His BX droid was looking at him with what he could just feel was an expectant expression. Right. Elizabet.

She seemed worried. Best not to go on a pessimistic spiel.

“The Maw being here makes me more comfortable, that’s for sure. Crazy thing to say, I know, but … yeah.”

He rocked back onto his heels, then forward onto his tiptoes while the awkward silence settled in, only to abruptly speak again. “So, you’re new here too? Where are you from originally?”

Socorra leaned into Ruka’s side-hug, though stilled at his words.

“Projector,” she nearly scoffed. “Bantha osik. Ruka… is not same. T'ey need to feel it. War is not some holo-flick.”

The corner of her mouth twitched.

“Pshh. If all t'ey need is projector, then I severely overqualified. I go bring back blankets, snacks and Hello Tooka Island.”

She pulled back just enough to look up toward his ruined violet eyes regardless of their blindness. Blind, despite how hard she had tried to save him from that alone when all she had was a neon scarf to give. All the power of a god and still he demanded to be the martyr.

“We have Cora. And Akua. And no Cax,” she said dryly. “What could go wrong t'is time?”

Two of those things were true until the midnight-black Cythraul approached behind them.

The enormous she-wolf crossed the field with slow confidence, broad paws crushing through the grass as raven-dark fur swallowed the light around her. The Matriarch towered behind the smaller recruits, pale eyes sweeping over the gathered crowd with calm measured attention, neither restless nor hunting.

Akua lowered her massive head beneath Socorra’s hand automatically, tall enough at the shoulder to force the smaller woman to lift her arm to meet her properly. A low rumbling chuff followed in Ruka’s direction, as though acknowledging his presence.

“See? Perfectly safe. Mostly.”

Up in the sky one might notice the faint outline of a Lancer-Class Pursuit craft pass overhead, and something falling out of the back of it as it zipped away. The small speck descended, falling through a cloud until one could make out the outline of it being humanoid laying back and falling without care.

Koda was always one for some theatrics, so he waited until his altitude sensors blared danger at him to activate his jetpack. Once the flames erupted he spun himself around to correct his approach to the compound, getting closer and closer without slowing down. It wasn’t until the last moment he did a flip in the air to slow down the momentum and to have his jetpack facing the opposite direction for thrust. He came in quickly, landing but sliding across the ground a couple of meters, his fleet planted firmly as he came to a stop. The black, blue, and gold Mandalorian stood tall and put his fists on his hips, standing triumphant.

Elizabet’s attention had drifted in the silence, but returned once he spoke again. There was a slight hesitation before she replied. “Oh, well. It’s easier to say ‘space’, genuinely, though my mother lives on Csilla. I traveled with my father while I completed my studies… Now I’m here.” Certainly not the whole truth, though it would suffice. She wrung her gloved hands together, then shifted her attention away again. “So where… are you… from..?”

The Cythraul caught her wandering focus until a Mandalorian flew down from above, startling her and causing her to take a step back from the landing zone. The group was becoming quite the curious mix.

Sacha’s eyebrows rose just a hair as he listened to Elizabet’s explanation. On the surface, there seemed to be a few notable similarities in their upbringing. “I lived on Arkania with my dad for a while, but we ended up leaving when I was around nine or ten. Arkania isn’t exactly … well, let’s just say some of the people there aren’t very open to people who are different to them,” Sacha’s eyes briefly drifted down to his hand. It sported four digits just like most Arkanians, but the earthy-colored skin and subtle natural stripes peeking out from beneath his sleeves suggested mixed ancestry.

His expression brightened again before he continued. “Dad wanted me to see the galaxy. Guess he didn’t want those Arkanian roots to dig too deep in me, you know? I’ve lived on Takodana, Vandor … but I spent most of my time on Elphrona.”

As more strangers arrived on the scene, Sacha’s ascendant drone observed them carefully, logging their mannerisms away into its memory banks. His commando droid, however, was more interested in Temperance. In fact, she was staring, eventually tilting her head when the protocol droid finally noticed it was being watched.

Edema and Jor stood away from the main group. Edema fiddled with her wrist weapons and Jor adjusted her rifles scope. Behind them stood the monolithic form of Ch13ft4n, his weapon arms flickered with restless energy, number 1 floated around his head, trying to get a rise from his giant brother.

It had been a long time since the pair had fought alongside their clan, this would be a refreshing change from mercenary contracts and boring bounties, yes they were lucrative but by the sisters they are boring, only so many people you can slaughter before you get tired and need a challenge.

Holo Sims or not, this should be interesting, especially since the pair have some new toys to try out.

Temperance had begun shuffling off to deliver its message when it glanced back to see the mistress had engaged in conversation. Networking, excellent. It then recognized that the commando droid had been watching it rather intently. It quickly checked over its chassis to see if there were any imperfections needing attention. Finding nothing besides a small scuff it had already addressed to repair earlier, it turned to address the other droid. “Can I assist you?”

Elizabet nodded in understanding as Sacha spoke of his home planet, recalling her father’s scorn with the Ascendency’s, in her father’s words, ‘narrow-minded traditions’. Though the planets that Sacha listed were not immediately familiar to her - astrogation never her strongest subject - she felt a bit of kinship as a fellow wanderer of space. “What brought you to Selen?”

She was interrupted by the call to join in introductions. With a small bow of her head and a wave, she quickly addressed the others. “Advisor Eel'elzabet'thi, or Elizabet, and this is Temperance.” The droid gave a wave as well when addressed, before returning its attention to the BX droid.

The Sith bowed his head.

“Lady Elizabet, a pleasure to meet you.”

A chirping whistle sounded from beneath Karran’s cloak. A shiny BD unit poked its head out and clambered up the large Zabrak, perching on his shoulder.

“This is Two-Five. The most self-assured droid you may ever meet.”

“A pleasure to meet you as well,” she replied with a smile which broadened when the small BD droid appeared. Clearly the Chiss had a fondness for droids. “And you too, Two-Five.”

The commando droid’s photoreceptors shuttered for a moment, as if she were blinking. A slight dip of the head preceded her response. “Apologies. I was merely wondering … the name Temperance. How did you come about this name?” she asked, “Did your master choose it for you?”

Sacha visibly stiffened upon hearing the question, then crossed his arms. “My uh, my mother is from Selen. Guess I’m here to learn more about her,” he said, though he didn’t sound sure of himself. The Pantoran’s announcement couldn’t have come any sooner. After hearing Elizabet’s introduction and making a mental note of her use of the title “advisor”, he practically jumped at the opportunity to change the subject. “I’m Sacha. Sacha Tolares. And these are my droids,” he gestured toward the Ascendant Drone and the BX-Series Commando droid, who was currently speaking with Temperance.

Then, he briefly uncrossed his arms to wave at the zabrak fellow and his BD-unit, named Two-Five. That was two droids now with names. He’d never thought to name his own. Maybe he should get on that.

<@244244163002892288> <@467973085006659594>

“Commander Eel'lucius'sarren gave me my name,” Temperance replied with a hint of reverence in her tone. “Which reminds me, I should return to our residence to inform him that his daughter does not intend to keep their appointment.” The protocol droid gave a rather pointed look in Elizabet’s direction - one that was completely ignored - before returning her attention to the commando. “Do you have any further questions?” Though her speech was to-the-point, she hesitated to leave before given direction to do so.

Elizabet noted the hesitation as Sacha spoke of his mother, and chose not to pry. “I hope you find what you’re looking for,” she said simply.

A pause, accompanied by that same head tilt as before and another, slower shutter of the commando droid’s photoreceptors. “No further questions at this time,” she replied, “Thank you.”

Meanwhile, Sacha kept his eyes forward so he could watch everyone else. It seemed like they were getting closer to beginning whatever this training exercise was; he wondered what it would entail. A small nod marked his appreciation for Elizabet’s words.

“And you? Here for work, I’m guessing?” he asked, having drawn a connection between her earlier comment about coming to Selen after completing her studies and her occupying as an advisor. He wondered what kind.

Edema chuckled “my dear, a mandalorians weapons are never stowed, especially when they are arconan, we are a weapon, but fear not, nothing is powered up”.

The titanic droid began to chitter, he has a full vocoder but often chittered in droidspeak when he was bored, he clearly had decided to go for a wander and ‘introduce’ himself to others. His quiet footfall belayed his bulk as he worked his way to the groups of people before him, he may be a war droid, but he wasn’t just a mindless killer.

Jor continued to clean and tweak her rifle, she had recently added some new components so was making sure that they were in top shape, a clean rifle will save your life.

Edema, an anxious face hidden behind the veil of her helmet figured she should perhaps at least try and socialise with the gathering people, she knew next to no one there, so made her way awkwardly towards the nearest group of people with the hopes of a vague sense of conversation.

Without another word, the protocol droid gave a curt bow before ambling off to perform her task. Elizabet gave the commando droid an apologetic look. “She’s a bit… work-focused, I suppose. You get used to it after a while.”

At Sacha’s question, Elizabet decided she might as well let the proverbial felinx out of the bag. If they had wanted to kick her out of the war preparations, they would have done so at her introduction. “I work for CADRES, both as a translator and diplomatic trainee under Shokra Sen.” She stood a bit straighter as she gave her answer, clearly taking pride in the role.

Eleceos entered the Citidel feeling the congregation of Arconan’s assembeled. He’d recieved word of upcoming training, and figured it was always a good idea to clean up his skills. While he followed a mostly pacifist lifestyle, the Miraluka had vowed to always protect those closest to him, and with his cousin again having a child, number 3, his protective instincts were only growing.

Stepping through the halls of the Citidel he remembered the last time he’d been “trained” here. Satsi, his hard-assed, take no shit, tutor beat the ever loving crap out of him. He was on pain for days afterwards, but he was thankful for her tutelage. She had made him stronger. She made him a survivor.

And now he looked forward to more training. So he approached the group and gave a friendly wave.

“Hey you guys, looking forward to working out with you all.”

Sacha

“CADRES, huh?” he tapped his chin for a second, “Ahh, that’s right. That’s the group that went on the diplomatic mission to Bothan space a while back., right? Heard about that from a group of Ugnaught skiff mechanics I met while trading for better droid parts.”

He watched her for a moment, noting the change in posture. Then, a chuckle. “That makes so much sense.”

Acantha

As the fabulously colorful and gay couple steeped in the tension created by the sudden arrival of three armored men, who identified themselves as Erinos (whatever that was), another Mirialan stepped onto the training grounds. Her steps were quick, precise, carrying her across the field quickly despite her diminutive stature. Acantha kept her hands tucked into her jacket pockets. A quick scan of the others gathered there with a pair of light gray eyes yielded nothing useful to her. She didn’t know any of them, and the only one among them who seemed even a little approachable was already talking to an overdresed Chiss and a scrawny-looking Arkanian. No matter. She’d just insert herself as she always did.

<@244244163002892288>

Another quick jaunt brought her over to where the Zabrak was standing, but not before she passed the Miraluka. She hadn’t made an effort to conceal her presence in the Force for this outing, so he, given his nature, likely sensed the particulars of her signature easier than most; it was unquestionably dark, but not at all subdued beneath a titanic will like many Sith. Hers felt wild like a stampede.

<@206692046424113152>

Once she was standing in front of the Zabrak, whose was so tall it bordered on the obscene, she folded her arms across her chest. “There’s a lot of talking here, but no training as of yet. You seem like you’re used to getting punched in the face,” she said before quickly turning on her heels to claim an empty spot in the field before them. Gesturing toward him with a curled finger, she added, “Come with me.”

<@467973085006659594>

Karran smiled. It was pure. Broad and crooked as the left side of his face still refused to fully cooperate with the right side.

As much as he loved his friends, the newcomer was right. There certainly was more talk than training at the moment. He rolled his neck. The resulting series of pops were almost loud enough to echo in the clearing.

“Weapons? Or foot and fist?”

He began walking toward the Mirialan, stopping twenty-five paces from her.

Acantha quirked a brow at his question; then, she shrugged. “For me, they’re one and the same.”

Once he had decided on an appropriate distance between them, she sank low to the ground, practically coiling above it like a rock viper. If his size was any indication, he was likely slower than her. Probably would tire faster, too. She just needed to strike first and hard before he got the chance to get his hands on her.

The Zabrak only nodded. Words were unnecessary now. His right hand slipped to the holster at his thigh. He slowly drew the lightsaber. Carved bone worn smooth with repeated use. Leather wrap patinaed with time.

He watched her, his good eye unblinking. Wondering which of them would move first

Socorra couldn’t help the small smile at Cora’s joy with Akua. Usually it was the pups that got all the attention.

“Tailring trio are around somewhere too, but t’ey far less cuddly.”

Memories flashed before she even tried to retrieve them, her fingers rubbing against the fabric covering Ruka’s hand.

Kark. Let’s not tell him that one.

She pulled her mind from the cloth and refocused. The Mirialan’s sordid memories flashed so much easier and faster than last time. The mentalist clearly had plenty of patients to practice on since then…

Elizabet’s pride was certainly inflated with Sacha’s knowledge of her station. She was very much used to blank stares and polite nods, despite it nearing a year since the department’s founding. The mission he spoke of was the one that introduced her to Arcona as a simple translator. How far she had come in just a year.

That makes so much sense.

She blinked and tilted her head with curiosity. “What do you mean by that?”

“You have this dignified air about you,” he said while glancing at her. “Well educated, involved in politics. There’s a certain way people in that line of work tend to carry themselves. You’ve got it.”

A flash of red energy sparked on the edge of the group, the only warning that marked the appearance of Angelica Kendis. The sight before her was one in stark contrast to her norm. Gone were the uniform sets of armor, instead replaced by a medley of color and individuality, a uniqueness beyond different paints and pauldrons.

She wouldn’t describe the change as welcome, but it was necessary given the circumstance. The Mandalorian had chosen to leave the rest of her family out of this for a reason. It wasn’t their fight, it wasn’t even her fight. But someone had to take responsibility for her daughter’s absence.

From the looks of it, Angel had just missed the part where everyone got to know each other and was just in time for the action. She removed her helmet, the coat of black and red paint fresh for the coming fight. It’s vizor was similar to that of her lineage who had chosen Selen as their home, and it’s colors matched the rest of her armor.

“And if we already have experience fighting force users and a partial hive mind?” She asked.

Koda jolted a little from the energy puff, “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that, Mother Matriarch.” he joked around with the title.

The two mandalorians sat aside from the goings on around them, Edema’s attempt to socialise fell flat and she bottled it, Jor didn’t do social gatherings, unless they were her target, the only member of their group who was having fun was the fracking droid. Chieftan was wandering, showing off his weapons and abilities and kept gathering an audience of those not training.

Edema turned to her cousin

“Can we go yet? I told you this wouldn’t work, it’s been too long, we know zero people here and I feel super awkward and uncomfortable”

Jor paused in her cleaning and turned to E.

“Young lady, you are not getting out of this, I don’t cat how much you whine or moan or complain, you are gonna train with people here, get to grow at least some sort of connection with the clan… And I will be dammed if you’re gonna just run away as always”

Jor'ana sighed and shook her head.

“I don’t get you. You can storm a cruiser and slaughter the crew without a flinch, you can charge headlong into battle and carve your way to an objective and you barely even blink, yet here you are, the fearless Edema R'uh-Kalinor, utterly terrified and whining like a child because…you can’t socialise. Cousin, you are gonna have to learn, I tried the soft approach when we were with uncle and his pirates, but noo, so now it’s hardball. Now get up off your armoured cute ass and go find someone to train with before I drag you there”

Edema bowed her head in defeat, knowing that everything her cousin had said was true. She could walk into hell and barely break an sweat, but this… This social stuff, freinds…. It was terrifying. She got to her feet and headed towards the nearest vaguely interested looking person to see if she could at least get the ball rolling… And before Jor dragged her there.

“Yes, I am a Kendis. My name is Angelica,” the Mandalorian said to introduce herself. “If they’ve already started then I don’t see why I’d interrupt their fun. But I’ll volunteer for next,” she said before she turned her head to look at Koda.

“You and Dex both. And don’t call me that, makes me sound old,” Angel chided, despite technically being the matriarch of the clan. <@395091612952297484>

Elizabet’s attention had been drawn to the announcement made by Ruka, though her interest faded as the rules were discussed. Though the thought of taking on a former Proconsul of Arcona in a duel sounded exciting, doing so in her current dress did not. Perhaps another time, when there were less people around to catch on fire.

“Thank you,” she replied to Sacha. “I try to set a good example. Though currently I’m off the clock. Learning what I can…”

Though that had failed, as she was certainly distracted with her current conversation. Temperence should be able to find the files, she supposed.

“What do you do here?” she asked, genuinely curious. “Engineering?” She glanced towards the droids, expecting any with multiple would work in that field, though she didn’t seem quite sure of her assumption.

A crop of orange hair near glared under the far too hot sun cutting through the courtyard as another Pantoran man joined the gathered group. He made his way around the outskirts, eyes set on a familiar periwinkle-skinned woman. He approached, tugging at his long sleeve jacket’s collar with cheeks flushed in a faint lilac hue from the heat and humidity of Selen.

“Eel'elzabet'thi, there you are!” Kis'lui Eevux huffed. He came to a stop beside her and gave a glance to the near-human she spoke with and his two droids before minding the datapad he clutched. “Sorry to interrupt, I rescheduled your meeting for tomorrow and assured Temperance it was fine. Is this the debrief of the growing conflict the Brotherhood at large has been facing…”

His voice trailed off as he looked up at the circle forming and the three figures standing posed and ready. If his face paled any, it was hard to see under the heatflushed skin.

“It…is just a debrief, right?”…right?

<@1056685516441006091>

Sacha scratched the back of his head. “I’m still trying to figure that out, to be honest,” he said, “I’m a skilled technician and slicer, so hopefully I’ll be able to showcase that well enough today that I get a job. Can’t live off of my savings forever.”

In hindsight, packing up and moving to an entirely new section of the galaxy probably wasn’t the brightest idea, but he was nothing if not spontaneous.

When the unfamiliar voice called to Elizabet, Sacha shifted his attention to the new arrival. He shrugged his shoulders when he apologized, then looked to his conversation partner. “Friend from work?”

<@244244400488710155>

Angel looked Ruka up and down and thought for a moment. She could tell that the Mirialan was strong, much stronger than her. And without Thea, she didn’t stand a chance. She put up a finger and said “Just one moment.” The Jedi looked to the group at large for an unlucky candidate.

Obviously her first consideration was Koda but he was too big, too slow. He was an amazing soldier, but she didn’t dare risk fighting a force user with any of her brothers who had trained him, so he was a no.

Her eyes drifted awhile longer, doing a quick appraisal of everyone until she found someone who looked a little stuck up and potentially force sensitive. Close enough to Thea, she surmised.

In a flash of red, she disappeared, reappearing in the group of three beings and some droids. She immediately addressed the Chiss among them.

“Can I borrow you?” She asked.

<@1056685516441006091> <@244244400488710155> <@227960499948486666> <@244244163002892288>

<@244244400488710155> <@1056685516441006091> <@301514304845381632> <@244244163002892288>

The Chiss appeared startled by the utterance of her name, as though she was a child hiding away something nefarious from a parent. She forced a smile at Kis'lui and shrugged. “I had thought it was a debrief, but it seems to be a bit more involved…”

She turned to Sacha and gestured between them. “This is my assistant, Kis'lui Euvux. Kis'lui, this is…” A pause as she recalled the name. “Sachaaa.. Tolores. Tolares? A technician and a slicer, hm? Well, I have no sway in the hiring process, but I wish you luck.”

The flash of red energy appearing within their group startled her again. She looked to the Mandalorian with narrowed eyes. “Borrow me…? I suppose so. What do you need?”

The human seemed a little confused by the woman’s question. Was she not paying attention? The Mirialan had been yelling quite loudly. So, Angel simply pointed towards Ruka and the sparring match that was about to begin. “Have you not been paying attention? That.”

“Oh!” She glanced towards Ruka, then back to Angel. “Yes, I’ve been paying attention,” she insisted, a bit ruffled by the suggestion that she hadn’t been. “I was just– Well, I suppose I could join in. I was just not expecting to go first. I–” She looked to Sacha, then Kis'lui. Certainly the Pantoran would insist she stay out of this exercise…

… which settled her decision to accept. “I’ll join. Let me just–” She kicked off her heels to hand off to Kis'lui, not bothering to ask him first. “There. Let’s do this.”

Kis'lui had to pull his hand from his waistcoat in order to grab the heels shoved at him and not drop his datapad. His gold inked face scrunched up in weariness and abject disapproval of her joining a combative demonstrative, and his gaze didn’t track far from the woman who materialized out of nowhere. “Elizabet, I highly advise against this–”

The Chiss delegate was already walking off with her armored comrade to be.

Her heels dropped unceremoniously onto the ground as Kis'lui groaned out a sigh and ground his fingers into his temples. On a count of three long seconds, he dropped his hand and watched her engaged the propositioning trainer in all this. The Pantoran turned to the goggled technician standing nearby with a brief wince of a smile. “Sacha Toleres was it? Have you’ve been to one of these…exercises before? What can you tell me about them and those running it? Particularly those three?”

He gestured towards the green Mirialan, the other Pantoran and the tanned-skin Human on standby.

<@1056685516441006091>

After just a few steps away, Angel began to interrogate the Chiss. “So. You’ve got a fancy sword and a dress. I’m really hoping you’ve got the skills to back up wearing that to a combat trial. Or at least some sort of trick up your sleeve. Hell, I’ll settle for a simple distraction. Honestly I just need you to back me up. Think you can do that?” <@227960499948486666>

Elizabet ignored Kis'lui’s protests, her focus on the bout ahead of her. “Oh, I’ve got a few tricks,” she said in an aside to her newfound companion. “Some of them might not pertain to this exercise, but we’ll see.” The Mirilian had said to come at him with everything, though she was hesitant to apply her full potential. “I can, at the very least, provide a good distraction. Perhaps some passable swordplay. And fire.” Inferred from her prideful expression, the last was her specialty.

Sacha glanced at the Pantoran, Kis'lui, front the corner of his eye. He sure did ask a lot of questions.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said while burying his hands into his pockets. “This is all new to me. But, I’m sure given enough time, I could learn a bit more about them … why are you so interested, though?”

Perfect, she was a force user. Angel wasn’t the best at telling at times, but her intuition proved correct this time around. “I can work with all of those. How much fire can you manage? It’ll help pen them in,” she said with hope. Usually the heat would discourage organic beings but the metal she was used to fighting never seemed to be deterred by flame. “Have you ever fought on a team before? With someone who also has an affinity for fire?”

“To be honest, I haven’t quite tested my abilities in a setting like this.” Her airy chuckle lacked the confidence she had when she accepted the challenge. “But there’s a first for everything, right?” She glanced around the courtyard, noting distance between the trees and the gardens so she could perhaps avoid scorching the flowers. “Though at the very least… we might want some water on hand.”

It wasn’t long after the other Mirialan made his announcement that Acantha returned to where the others were gathered. She walked with a notable spring in her step owed to her triumph over the musclebound Zabrak who trailed behind her, who himself sported some fresh bruises while she seemingly had none. “It wouldn’t be fair to not give you the opportunity to get your win back, so find me before this is over and I’ll give you my comlink code,” she said while turning to look at him. Then, she offered a final wink. “See you around.”

<@467973085006659594>

After that, Acantha scanned the field to see who she could speak with next. She was always gathering intel, even when not on an official assignment. Her gaze fell on the Sephi woman dressed in Mandalorian armor that was distinct in both coloration and insignia than the three men who’d arrived some time earlier.

“With as much firepower you’re carrying, you hardly seem like you need the training they’re offering,” said Acantha, the thin lines of black ink etched around her eyes shifting as she appraised the shorter woman. “Or is all that just for show?”

<@293066226307956736>

she looked up training in the arts of War, I don’t need, training in the Art of knowing others, trusting others and working or fighting with and alongside others, that is where I need training.

The mandalorian turned and stepped to the left her hand gesturing something the other person couldn’t see and a blade whipped from her belt and stopped millimeters from her neck.

“As I said, combat is not something I need practice in, keep that, as a souvenir” she let the blade drop into the person’s waiting hand.

So, how can you teach me the art of… Social combat, teamwork etc, I can board a warship and slaughter it’s crew with my cousin and team but outside of that group…. Working with others, especially clan members….. Is alien to say the least…..and to be frank, terrifying to me. I genuinely look forward to what you can teach me and how you can teach me, for I do not wish to draw the wrath of my cousin, more than I already have.

Jor watched from the sidelines, she had little need for team work beyond her family and droid, the life of a sniper was a lonely one, but E, she desperately needed to be cracked from her shell, and seeing her interacting with someone, even on this level brought a smile to her face.

<@1056685516441006091>

“if things get out of control I’ll try to rein it in, alright? Just focus on the fight. Anything you need before we start or are you good?” She asked, sliding her helmet over her head. She didn’t know if the woman required another weapon or tool that she may not have on her and the last thing she needed was for one of them to be lacking. <@244244163002892288>

Elizabet nodded and steeled herself, placing one hand on the hilt of the sword at her belt. Those sensitive to the Force could feel an uneasiness, and a stirring of dark energy in the air around the Chiss. “I should be ready to start,” she said, sounding more determined.

She then turned and inclined her head towards Ruka. “We’re ready to begin. Is there any, er, signal you want? Or do you just want us to…?” Did they just want her to start flinging fire?

<@244244163002892288>

Angelica nodded back, reaching to her hips and drawing the hilts of both of her sabers. Her body reflexively tensed at the feeling of the dark side, disgust flashing across her covered features for less than a second. She’d been there before, she couldn’t judge. Not everyone could be saved, not everyone needed to be saved.

She activated her sabers. “I think we just start fighting?” And in yet another flash, she vanished and appeared above Ruka, swinging downward. <@227960499948486666>

When the blade found its place at her neck, Acantha tilted her head while making a face that a parent might while watching their childhood do something silly – vague amusement.

“First lesson is that people usually don’t enjoy having weapons drawn on them when they’re trying to make conversation,” she said, idly twirling the knife between her fingers. “That’s all you get for free.”

“simply making a point, two actually, my social skills are minimal, never really needed them, I’ve spent most of my life fighting, either in a hospital bed or in a combat zone, I’ve never had time for nor needed to develop the need for social skills, but as my cousin has pointed out to me, on many occasions, it’s a skill I desperately need, case in point”

She lowered her arms by her side and did her best to relax, something she was not great at doing, rarely is she among freinds when in such a large group of people, one or more of them are usually her targets, therefore a hostile environment, to say she was always on edge, was an significant understatement.

Acantha nodded along while she spoke. She wasn’t the first person that She’d met who struggled with interpersonal skills; there may have been as many antisocial loners in her line of work as people like her, people who could navigate the complexities of social settings like ace pilots.

“Sounds like you need something to help you relax,” she guessed, reaching into her pack to fetch a nondescript metal flask. After twisting off the cap, Acantha made a show of taking a healthy swig herself lest the woman convinced herself it was poison, then held it out to her. “Drink.”

The mandalorian shook her helmeted head

“thank you, but no, I don’t partake in alcoholic beverages, it would leave me unable to react to a situation, should one arise”

She moved to sit on a nearby bench, trying to loosen off, doing her best to not be the always alert mercenary that she usually was, trying not to expect combat and threats at any moment, but also not really wanting to let her guard down.

Acantha quirked an eyebrow. “There are nearly two dozen highly trained warriors here, most of which are Force Users. And we’re at the seat of this clan’s power. Even if someeone was stupid enough to attack this place, they wouldn’t live long enough to realize how badly they karked up in doing so. I think having a little alcohol isn’t going to hurt you.”

Acantha extended the flask again while watching her with an expectant look.

she turned to look at Jor and saw her flick her hand towards her, gesturing towards the bottle. with great trepidation the sephi removed herf helmet and set it beside her, her black and red hair flowed out over her shoulders and her ears pricked up. Her hand was hestant, but she took the offered flask and took a sip. she coughed as the liquid burned her mouth.

“yech, what the sith is this?”~

She coughed and handed the flask back to Acantha, then had a second though and took another sip. The liquid burned all the way down her throat but began to leave a warming sensation in her, this time she did hand it back to Acantha, not wanting to risk drinking too much too soon.

<@244244163002892288>

Elizabet blinked when Angel vanished from her sight, though she took action quickly after. She drew her sword, feeling its power surge in tandem with her own. She rushed at Ruka, seeking to capitalize on the distraction that Angel had provided with a slash that curved upward while Angel attacked from above.

Koda had his arms crossed as he watched the duel, judgementally. He cocked his helmet a little bit at the question. “I’m not master, that’s a title for Jedi isn’t it?” He sarcastically asked, “I have faith that my gra- … Matriarch will do our clan justice. But I’ve been watching her battles since I was a wee lad.”

Usually, this is when Thea would begin to cover Angel as she continued to be the aggressor, using her skill in barriers and telekinesis to keep things at bay, but Angel wasn’t so lucky. It seemed her battle partner had a skill for combat, just as she did. But she wasn’t without strategys.

The sounds of rocks pattering against her armor was broken by the noise of her jetpack roaring to life as she boosted up into the air, her sabers finding themselves back to on her hips as she drew her DC-17. “There’s no danger or stakes in gravel,” she said to Ruka. “We’re supposed to be giving them an example of the stakes, are we not?” <@227960499948486666>

“Ah, right,” Kis'lui uttered. He took a deep breath and gestured at the full on fight with swords literally flying and fire blasting. “I am trying to determine how likely my boss is going to come out of this a shish kabob, and whether I will be finding new employment.”

“Not that she can’t handle herself, she’s terribly capable,” he added a second later.

The assistant turned his attention fully back to the spar, fingers drumming in tempo to the weapons wavering in the air unbeknownst to him. Watching not only the three but those closest to them, Kis'lui caught the synchronized tilt shared between the other Pantoran present and the Mirialan facing his charge. A hum escaped under his breath, a tempting thought. Yet, movement along the path out of his peripheral changed his course.

“That’s the former Director General of C.A.D.R.E.S. there,” Kis'lui leaned in towards Sacha and gestured towards an approaching Zeltron woman. “She recently was appointed Consul of Arcona. It may behove us to speak with her, both for intel and…employment?”

It was a guess off of context clues from both Sacha and Elizabet herself. Kis'lui gave him a light grin, scooped up the pair of heels to stash in his bag with his datapad, and headed over to greet the woman.

“Consul Olen!” the Pantoran diplomat aid called out. He paused on the outskirts of the exercise and smiled. “Congratulations on your recent appointment. Have you come down to watch the demonstration?”

“I was trained to kill force users, droids, and standard soldiers. I doubt I could beat Angel in a one to one, but she wouldn’t end it without injury. But that’s not for you to unpack.” He moved his crossed arms to just be hands on his hips, turning more towards Cora and Ruka, “I would like to see a sword build a home. I’ve seen them destroy enough.”

No longer menaced by the levitating sapphire blade, Elizabet took a few steps back to reevaluate the situation. Knowing she would not be able to wrench free the blades caught within the stronger Force User’s telekinetic grasp, she decided to change her tactic. With a snap of her fingers of her off-hand, a flicker of emerald flame appeared within her grasp. The flames grew as she manipulated it with a flourish of her hand, separating into three orbs before she would let them loose. She spun once and hurled the flames towards Ruka, her outstretched fingers guiding the flames forward in rapid succession.

<@244244163002892288> <@301514304845381632>

“I appreciate it. It’s not a topic I like to dwell on, nor most things in the past.” He dwelled for a moment, “Defending people is a commendable aspiration that I wish more people had. I feel Ruka and I share a good portion of viewpoints in that regard.” He nodded, continuing to watch the duel.

Angelica nodded to Ruka once his saber was activated. It wasn’t that she wanted either of them to be in danger, she simply knew that nobody would be able to learn if they were pulling their punches.

When her opening finally came, the Jedi aimed her blaster and fired, using Liz’s attack to her benefit. She couldn’t take the chance stay still, so she began to strafe as she fired, wanting to catch Ruka further off guard. <@227960499948486666>

Elizabet extracted herself from her topsy-turvy tumble into the Mandalorian’s arms once the blades had pulled away from their throats, then turned to offer a hand to help Angel to her feet. “Well, that was invigorating!” she panted, adrenaline still racing through her veins. “Thanks for the save.”

She dusted herself off and gave a thumbs-up gesture towards Kis'lui, hopefully deterring any worry that she was harmed beyond a few scrapes and bruises. Sure, her dress would need a dry cleaning, but she felt more alive than she had in a while.

However, she appeared sobered when she looked to Ruka. The Mirilian seemed hesitant to stop the exercise there, despite wounds that would have slowed the common soldier. Was the Collective truly that dangerous?

She would have to see for herself.

With how rigid Sacha’s posture became upon hearing Kis'lui address the Zeltron woman, he might as well have become one of the trees lining the training field’s perimeter. “I, uh .. I don’t know if that’s necessary,” he said, tripping over his words, “I’d prefer working my way up the chain, you know?”

Yet despite the mild panic bubbling beneath the surface due to Kis'lui’s boldness, he nonetheless found himself dragging his feet behind him.

“That is Dragostae, distributed by Kasiya Estates,” said Acantha with a grin, “Strong, right? More than enough to help you relax a bit.”

Acantha glanced at the back of her hand. In reality, she was wearing gloves on both, but a very expensive synthflesh weave ensured the fabric was nearly identical to her own skin.She curled her fingers in her palm and squeezed, causing four blades to leap from theglove’s hidden mechanism.

“Fighting is easy,” she mused while watching each knife oscillate faster than her eyes could count. “But mastering what we’re doing takes charm, wit, and ….,” she paused a beat to shake the flask next to her face, “a healthy dose of courage. Liquid in this case.

"You’ve already got a bit of the last one. What of the other two?”

Nora looked at Kis'lul. “Consul Olen,” she repeated lightly, a soft smile on her face. She was still not used to hearing the title, having only been in the position for a little bit. “I’ve been called worse. Though its usually right before someone tries to kill me,” she teased, letting out a light laugh.

She quickly glanced back at the sparring match again. Chaos as usual. Nothing like controlled violence and pretending its discipline. Ah… Just another day at work. She thought to herself as the corners of her mouth lifted into a bit of a smirk. She felt right at home.

Nora was honestly glad this was happening. The training session were very important and she was pleased that people who were taking it seriously. Especially with the upcoming war. This was a make it or break it moment and she wanted her comrades to be prepared.

Glancing back towards the duo in front of her, she remembered watching Kis'lul observe his boss earlier. She was sure Kis'lul was worried about them. A naive thought, but Nora wanted to reassure him anyways. “If you are worried about your boss becoming a pin cusion for blades, I’d say the odds are low. Annoyingly low.” Nora muttered the last word quietly. There was a slight peak of envy in her eyes, but she quickly brushed it away.

“And yes.” Nora nodded slightly towards the sparring. “I came down to watch… or something like that.” She mummered, a slight edge to her voice. She needed to observe their skills. Or at least see who survives. With the war coming up she would need as many strong comrades she could find… or make.

“And you?” she asked lightly, asking the same question.

*Although he wasn’t visibly present nor expected to make an appearance at this particular training session, Consul Olen nonetheless felt a familiar warmth bubbling up from her subconscious. It was like a flame on the precipice of becoming an inferno, like a beast tamed for a time but never truly brought to heel.

“Be nice to the newbies,” came Bril’s voice like a whisper, though only Nora could hear it. “P.S. I know where you live, now. Expect surprise visits. Starosta out.”*

*Nora could feel the slight aggressive tone from Bril’s whisper. It was almost a command. She couldn’t help but want to laugh at it. Of course he’d threaten her, no care in the world. Not even a thought for the authority she had over him. Now as his Consul, and previously as his Master. Even if she wouldn’t admit it, Nora did have a soft spot for him. One he gladly took advantage of most times. And one he was definitely taking advantage of right now.

She could not be angry with him though, especially for wanting to protect the new folks. If he were here, she’d be rolling her eyes at him.

“I’ll try my best,” she responded back, teasing in her voice.*

“Already yearning for more violence there?” Koda chuckled, “You’re just lucky Angel wasn’t in a rage or you’d be worse off. We Kendis’ are known for going berserk.” He only mostly joked about that.

“I have maintained my control over it, I don’t see why I would lose full control now. But it’s never a blind rage, usually just tunnel vision.” Koda was able to admit that fault, but it also made him a very precise opponent and hard to shake off.

Pure instinct is all Angelica had to work with as the fight neared it’s end. She moved, she caught, she saved, and she was cornered all in a flash. Such was prioritizing the team over one’s self.

The woman helped set Elizabet down to her feet, giving a slight chuckle to her excitement of the moment. They were dead yet here she was, having a good time.

She gave the bleeding Ruka a nod, not wanting to get in the way of his healing, appreciative of how he heeded her request to not hold back.

Using the force, she pulled Liz’s sword to her hand, grimacing as the hilt found itself in her grip. Disgusting as it may be, she still offered it over to Liz. “Let’s get you some water,” she said. <@244244163002892288>

“That’s why I get into the thick of it, and usually alone. I work best outnumbered.” He paused for a few moments, “Usually. I won’t say I’m perfect, I’ve lost an eye and an forearm. But I have saved many more lives and that’s all that matters to me. My actions are my own.”

Karran finally stood from where he had been sifting through the grass. He held a small object in the air triumphantly. A white tooth.

He smiled at Ruka, revealing a gap where his right lower bicuspid was missing, courtesy of Acantha.

“You know me old friend. I take all challengers, win or lose.”

Every ‘S’ sound let out a faint, sibillant whistle.

Elizabet took her sword from Angelica and sheathed it. Once sheathed, the tension in the surrounding air diminished, though the dark Force signature remained.

“Thank you. Water would-” Elizabet’s voice rasped from dust, and she coughed to clear her throat. “Water would be excellent, thank you.” The Chiss wiped her brow with the back of her gloved hand, stray hairs clinging to her forehead with perspiration.

She would follow the Mandalorian to grab a bottle of water, then return to those standing idly by to watch whomever was to spar next. She would down half the waterbottle almost immediately with loud gulps and a sigh.

“You were marvelous!” she would say excitedly, turning to her sparring comrade. “We may have been beaten, but certainly not a poor showing.”

As Kis'lui opened his mouth to answer he nearly choked on sandy dust kicked up from the dying shockwaves following the telekinetic strike. His head whipped to the last few seconds of the fight, his eyes searching for his charge only to spot her a distance away with a blade to her throat. He swallowed hard, the muscles in his neck tensing.

Right, odds are low…

“I will…have to take your word for it, heh.” the Pantoran withdrew his hand from his coat and fixed his sleeve cuffs briefly. His gaze periodically shifted to the Chiss woman while he spoke, yet he offered Nora a light smile. “Yes, we found ourselves some extra time and a bit of curiosity. It is nice to step out of the headquarters and visit the Citadel for once. Not to mention the intel to learn.”

“Forgive me, I do not think we have formerly met before.” He offered his hand as he introduced himself, then the Arkanian beside him in turn. “I am Kis'lui Eevux, I work with Madam Attaché Eel'elzabet'thi. And this here is a new acquaintance, Sacha Toleres.”

“Sorry, is your surname Toleres? I feel I may have misheard earlier,” Kis'lui asked Sacha.

<@1056685516441006091>

“What if I backed up my words.” Koda offered, adjusting his posture and cracking his knuckles to look as big as possible, “I’ve never been one to like battling with words.”

Koda smirked under his helmet and walked onto the field, gaze locked. He reached down and pulled his hammer out of it’s holster and he flipped it once in the air before catching it and getting into an aggressive stance. Due Process was still holstered on his left thigh, ready to be drawn when needed.

Once the pair had water in hand, Angel removed her helmet from her head and set it nearby. Her hair that she had happhazardly stuffed into her helmet cascaded down her shoulders, errant strands sticking out.

It seemed Koda would be next. As much as she wished she could’ve, she was never able to connect with the man like she wanted, nor was she able to train him like she did Ellisyn. He seemed to be much better off learning from her husband and the rest of her brothers.

“Thank you,” she responded to Liz after downing half of her bottle. “You adapted quite well to fighting as a pair. Do you have experience fighting on a team?”

Koda leaned slightly forward before a burst of flames erupted from his jetpack, sending the mass of man towards Ruka. He kept low to the ground and let his hammer hand drag behind him before swinging it upward as he approached Ruka, going for a massive uppercut.

“No. That was my first time– Well, besides the occasional swordplay with Kis'lui. But I suppose that doesn’t count as fighting on a team.” She raised her bottle to gesture towards where the Pantoran stood. It seemed he was making acquaintances as well. With whom she was not certain, but she could ask her assistant later.

“No, I’m not typically a fighter. Though my father is a Commander in the Ascendancy’s military, so he made certain I at least had self-defense training. The rest, well… personal aptitude and studies. The Force is quite strong with my family. Therefore, when I showed signs of being able to wield it, I was sent off-world to study after leaving the Academy. It has been… I’d like to say five years? Since I left home– No… Six. I’ve spent a year on Selen, now.”

As she took another sip of water, she briefly thought of home. She would have to ask her father how her mother was doing back on Csilla.

“Where did you train?” she asked. “You seem to be a lot more experienced than myself.”

“You’re a quick learner,” she praised, looking over to the group she had stolen the Chiss from. “And a good fighter…” Angel considered asking what it was that Liz did for a living but left it for now.

“My training started when I was a child on Coruscant. From there, I picked things up as I needed to from a variety of people from different walks of life,” she said, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she reminiced upon a more peaceful time with her sister and mother. “Sounds like you could’ve had a pretty cushy life. Why come here?”

Elizabet frowned slightly and shrugged. “Because of networking, I suppose. Someone owed my father a favor, had a position that needed to be filled, and – Well, it beats garnering approval with the Aristocra or being aboard military craft for years on end as an ozyly-esehembo. No, I’d much rather be here. Though I do occasionally get homesick. Do you miss Coruscant? I’ve been there briefly, but I’ll admit it’s been a while.”

Koda gritted his teeth under his helmet, damn shields. “GET OVER HERE!” He shouted as he extended his left arm, firing the fibrecord grappler at Ruka, trying to pull him closer as he activated his jetpack once more for another strike.

Koda snarled under his helmet as he saw his line cut by Ruka, he attempted to keep flying towards him, reeling up a sucker punch and shouting, “WILL YOU TRY AND HIT ME?! OR IS YOUR PLAN TO RUN AWAY FROM THE COLLECTIVE?!”

Through his amusement, Karran felt the all too familiar tingle of impending danger tickle the back of his mind, he planted his feet as the Mandalorian hurtled toward him. He drew in a deep breath through his nose and held it, feeling the Force fill his muscles.

He exhaled as the armored man impacted, veins bulged as muscles flexed to absorb the impact. The Sith leaned his in toward the side of Koda’s helmet.

“The Collective will tear you apart if you cant work with a team. Now get ready to try and punch him again. Activate your pack as soon as i let go.

The Zabrak gripped the backplate of the beskar and the man’s belt. He twisted over his hip. Muscles strained as he let out a roar and flung the Mandalorian back at his friend.

Koda was not used to this kind of thing whatsoever but it’s something he will bring up to his force using family for further testing, “THANKS FOR THE REBOUND, YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Koda activated his thrusters once more, hoping they weren’t strained enough to stop before he needed them to, this time he figured it would be a good idea to use his weighted hammer as opposed to just his cybernetic fist to strike the Mirialan.

“Maybe you’ve got a point.” Koda stood up and let out quite the laugh, throwing his head back before returning the look, “With that maneuver I’m certain lots of people would be surprised. I’ll have to practice it with some more forcies.” He went to go pat Ruka on the back, definitely not thinking he’d hurt him more. Probably.

Karran called across the distance.

“Not only is teamwork effective, it’s also way more fun, my friend!”

Koda walked over, arm and palm open for a slap and handshake. “Been too long since I’ve allowed myself allies to trust in such a way. I hope I can get used to it.”

Karran accepted the hand and pulled the man into an embrace and pounded his fist on the back of the beskar.

“Listen to Ruka’s advice. It will keep you alive.”