Duel of the Fates.
Disabling the security to the base Eridan awaited the girl he knew was coming, he had already accomplished his mission. Sure it was probably wasteful but he had used terror to give the Moff an excuse to annex this system and finished his bonus objective slipping into this old separatist factory and finding the plans for their experimental super Driodeka model droid. The Moff was always buying up plans for this old separatist tech. It was weird really, it was just a Droid with a shield generator made able to roll. He supposed if someone could integrate it into armor they would make a cheap blaster proof armor but if they were willing to go that far they really should just invest in Beskar in his opinion. Of course the mineral that composed his armor was rare and expensive, he had to trade in a lot of his fatherâs old gear in order to obtain it and go into debt to several Huttâs but itâs nigh immunity to lightsabers proved its worth to itself, especially with the line of work he was in.
He knew who was coming of course, he had tapped into the comm signal they used from the console, it was pretty easy when you half knew what you were doing and the Jedi always used the same antiquated signal. She would be alone, and they would fight, it was the way of her people and one of the things that made her tolerable to him. The girl knew how to fight, she was one of those half fae like Echnai, fighting was in her blood as much as it was in his. Unlike his though her people were not conquerors, they simply wished to fight for expression and viewed heavy armor like his as a hindrance to this communication. Of course they also tended to go for Vibroblades or forcepikes preferring to get up close to an enemy rather than using heavier blasters and equipment like the Mandalorians did and that was a major part of the difference. While the Mando had their honor the Echnai lived for their honor, fights for them seemed to border on a spiritual experience rather than just a physical one, they had also been one of the old republicâs staunchest allies, whereas the Mandalorian clans had supported the Sith more than a few times.
Now came the boring part though, he knew she could feel him it was like a dim awareness in the back of his head that had saved his life several times a battle sense honed beyond compare he could feel the dim awareness of something coming toward him and this factory would be the perfect place for their battle which had crudely been interrupted last time by what seemed to be a walking shag carpet. He enjoyed battle, beyond that even he loved battle and sought it eternally especially against this girl but what he really desired was war. A war beyond compare the stars themselves burning, himself leading troops against her as they dueled in the background. Removing his helmet he took a sharp breath, feeling the cold essence of machines around him, they werenât alive and didnât project anything to his senses when he closed his eyes, it was odd. He knew something should be there but it wasnât, like a void in his intuition. Hopefully though this battle would go better than their last one when some bear had blue balled him, he was absolutely certain she had been enjoying it too and they were about to have a final blow each of them having fought their hardest and having proved themselves an equal to the partner, the fight had been at its climax before she had been ârescued.â
Following the Grand Masterâs orders, a team of Jedi had traveled to Tauber with plans to build a monitoring base in the system. While the specifics of the threat were still unknown, Master Skywalker sensed a growing disturbance in the Polith System and wanted a nearby Jedi base constructed for the inevitable conflict. The group had first set up a small operational camp to work out of, trying to act discretely and keep the knowledge of their presence minimal. However, the unknown forces the Grand Master was worried about must have discovered the Jedi in the system. There were multiple reports of widespread chaos and destruction across Tauber. Explosions and gunfire took out entire villages, each time leaving a single survivor to recount the terrifying tale. Some swore it was a man, while other claimed it was a beast for no man could bring such terror. Yet, one thing stood true regardless of the source, the attacker was an imposing mass of heavy plated black armor, raining down fire and bullets from the sky, and was near indestructible, taking hit after hit of any retaliation the people could muster. This modus operandi was one Nepeta instantly recognized, there was only one person she knew who could carelessly take so much human life and some how be a douche about it.Â
The Jedi had received communication of someone matching the terrorist description entering an old Separatist factory. Nepeta had been dispatched to deal with the issue, though she was sure her former Master would have heavily objected to the assignment, in part due to the compromising position Khotet had found the pair in when interrupted their last fight. He did not approve of her rivalry with the Mandalorian, especially of the more physical nature of the relationship; however, the albino wookiee was not present to oppose the mission, having already been sent out to deal with another objective at the comm relay. She could never be sure if Eridan intended to flirt with his movements, but their fights tended to quickly get heated. There was something inherently sexual in their battles. The Echani and Mandalorian had a long standing rivalry, both races placed great importance on combat, yet their styles differed greatly. While the Echani excelled in close quarter hand-to-hand combat, the Mandalorian preferred heavy armor and versatile weaponry. Fighting was the language of the Echani, physical movements conveying much more than words ever could.
The whole scenario seemed much to convenient to Nepeta, but she wasnât about to pass up an opportunity to fight with him. She moved quietly, much like a cat on the prowl. Little did she know, this time she was the prey in this game of cat and mouse. She slipped silently into the abandoned factory, taking to the rafter, seeking the high ground and allowing her to get a sense of the layout of the building. Scanning the area, Nepeta found him among the old droids. As much as she wanted to keep what she thought to be an element of surprise, she couldnât resist the opportunity to make fun of him. âPurrhaps you should keep your helmet on, although I can see why it would be a strategic move on your part to remove it, this way you can blind me with your ugly face.â Nepeta called out before dropping down within striking distance, using the force and bending her legs to soften the impact with the ground. Righting herself, she flashed him a cat like smile and activated her saber claws, the plasma blades casting blue light across the scene. Not giving him anytime to react, she lunged forward, striking out with the claws and aiming for the weaker sections of his armor. Â
[[Stamina: 39/40 Â HP: 32/32]]
[[Stamina: 38/40 Â HP: 30/32]]
Watching his rivalâs strike be completely absorbed by his armor was always something that made him thankful that he took the upgrade into full mandalorian iron instead of durasteel or duraplast. The plasma leaving light scratches in the paint but not being able to cut through, despite that he could feel the large amount of heat where she struck, it would make things more than a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps he should have invested in thicker Beskar plates. âThatâs not what you were saying last time before that Ewok of yours had to save you. Heâs not here now though so I think you and I will be able to reach a satisfying conclusion to our last battle.â Placing his helmet on his head, a hissing noise occurred as his suit pressured itself. This is what he was born for, war. This was only the opening strikes sure, but the Moff was planning something great he was sure. Something that would throw him into the cauldron of conflict, the crucible of battle where he would finally be tested for all he was worth. âCome on now, you can do better than that, show me what really drives you.â His instincts throbbed and expanded, it was like a drumming inside of his head the drumming of a distant war he was born to fight. He was not just any mercenary, not just any bounty hunter, he was a Mandalorian and even in the modern day that meant something.
Perhaps it was fate that an Echani would be his greatest challenge to date. Mando blood called for war, but the Echani were not like that, they were not a people of war they vastly prefered single conflicts one on one fights. They were not averse to war of course, they just did not see it like him. War was what gave his life meaning what brought out the primal drum beat that was his own heart. War meant a lot of things to his culture, it was profit for them, a way of life. The mandalorian code was that of a highly paid gun for hire, in the past though they were the greatest military force in the galaxy even the republic who had aligned themselves with the Echani were not able to repel them, partly because Mandalorian was not a race like it was with human or chiss, it was a code one held in their heart. There would always be Mandalorians even if humans died out, which is why a Mandalorianâs armor was designed to tell nothing of what species was under it, no matter if they were Trandoshan or Gand. The true purpose of this anonymity though was unity. No matter what one would know who their allies were in the thick of battle by the unique armor they wore, it was an ancient practice which continued to the current day. Mandalorian armor was ideally made of Beskar like Eridanâs, but it was expensive even Eridan had yet to fully pay back the loan he got from a hutt to buy the armor.
Accessing the tactical data from his armors computers with a mere thought his armored gauntlet lit with a more natural light. A pilot light ignited just above the Beskar which was attached to the chemical delivery system and his jetpack. Use of his flamethrower was limited now by the amount of fuel he carried. He didnât have a lot presently having used most to terrorize the planet. There were just so many things he needed to collect before his arsenal was finished, he didnât even have a reproduction Beskar crush gauntlet yet so he couldn't fully fuel himself, he had to scrimp and save to pay off his loans. Still, a Jedi had a good bounty on them and if nothing else it was worth wasting some fuel for a little fun, he just had to make sure his armor didnât overheat which was a possibility when oneâs weapon systems were all controlled by the suit, heat made the power have to be diverted to internal emergency cooling systems. Raising his arm he braced it with his other hand spreading flame to cut her escapes and force her into a prime situation for a follow up, a good burn would infuriate her and drive her to fight more recklessly which would only work to his own advantage.He let his blood metaphorically freeze as if to combat the heat of his weapon, passion had its place and now was the time to prove his strength, his strength would grant him further power, and power would lead him to further victory..