Ask The Old Ways in Tough Times

Lex Solus

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Mandalore, outskirts of Keldabe
1434 local time

The breeze had died out completely, the wasteland still and silent as the void. The dilapidated remains of buildings torn apart by war stood broken, their windows long ago smashed in and pulverized, their doors mere ash that had blown away years before. Vegetation had not returned, and neither had the wildlife, as Mandalore lay quiet like the grave it had become. There were still settlements, sure, but not even the domed cities that had risen from the ash could be compared to the former glory of the world around him.

Many say that Mandalore is cursed. The planet that tore itself apart, drunk on too much war. Too much progress. Too much arrogance. All the better if it is cursed.

It made Lex think. Thinking was something he had done a lot in the past few days ever since issuing the challenge. Perhaps he had not done it enough before, but he'd come to terms with the fact that the past is in the past and there was no taking anything back now. Sitting on the charred husk of a speeder reduced to a mound of wrecked durasteel, he felt more at home here than anywhere else in the Galaxy. He felt more in tune with the world around him than he had ever felt, because now he could truly feel the catastrophe that hubris had brought down upon the world. He knew and he understood, because he had done it to himself the same way, so blinded by his desire to do the right thing that he did not stop to consider whether the right thing was right when no one else agreed. His father had talked some sense into him, and to Lex's surprise, there was no disappointment or disapproval from him. His father understood, could relate, but nevertheless had the wisdom to realize that perhaps it was not right to try to push what you perceive to be the right thing onto a sector of people who disagree.

The Manda'lor had not outright accepted his challenge, and Lex had lost the fire within him that was needed to keep pushing, to keep poking the bear as those around him screamed for him to stop. Resignedly, he had come to terms with the solitude that awaited, aware that showing his face anywhere will lead to him getting scalped and riddled with blaster bolts. He could, of course, travel to Lothal, but for what? By the time he arrived, it would be far too late, and showing his face there would not mean that his repentance would be accepted by the Manda'lor or by his peers. So what was there to do?

Maybe he would spend the rest of his life wandering aimlessly, searching for the answer. Maybe he would take his life, resign himself to the dishonor that he had already brought himself and damn his soul the way he had damned himself. He had prayed to his Gods for days in this nuclear desert, and it seemed his prayers had fallen on deaf ears--or perhaps even his Gods had forsaken him, a traitor to his people and his Manda'lor.

Unknown, Outer Rim
1845 local time

He'd left Mandalore after a few days, scouring the Galaxy with nothing more than his thoughts and the few belongings he had. Lex had landed briefly on some insignificant desert planet in the Outer Rim unaffiliated with any faction and existing without a governing body just to refuel, but he found himself exploring the outskirts of the village he'd found. He was sitting on a rock wondering what he was going to eat today, a brief respite from the doubts that wracked his mind every day.

The Mandalorian was snapped out of his thoughts as the silence was broken for the first time in so long, as the light shifted on the horizon and he spotted a dot quickly approaching. He realized it was a ship, then once it faded into view recognized the decal. It could be no other than--

Though he had spoken to no one about where he was going and not even he properly knew where he was, he had no doubt that the Alor had the skills necessary to track a roach from one corner of the Galaxy into another and then into Wild Space.

Fuck.

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Kotii Solus

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A day hadn't gone by Kotii had not wondered if he had done the right thing. Many of his clan questioned his choices that day. The forces loyal to him and trusting his judgement left Mandalorian space and consolidated at Hypori to continue the fight against the Sith. The road ahead for the Hard Haven battlegroup wouldn't be easy which was why they split up and planned to wage a guerrilla war against the Sith Empire and the rest of his enemies.

The slavers of the galaxy still needed to be found and forced to pay for their atrocities. Kotii's crusade against those who would see themselves profit off of the bondage of others. But this was another war that had already been burning in the man's heart. Many Mandalorians didn't accept the new Mand'alor, and many didn't accept the Sith yet had sided with them all the same rather than stand by their principles.

Now he flew in the Werda Kom'rk with its rotating blade wings shifting as it slowed down to land. The livery of clan Solus was emblazoned on the side though Kotii knew that Lex would recognize it on approach. The starfighter's engines wound down as dust was kicked up around its landing space. Kotii was not going to remove the paint job from his ship. He was still proud to call himself a badger.

Lex Solus was a Mandalorian who had been on Coruscant and stunned an Emryc Thorne fan. That was the first time Kotii had interacted with the younger badger. Kotii had tracked bounties across the galaxy for the Bounty Hunter's Guild before and he had been paid. But keeping tabs on family was just as much of a motivation as any pay check. In fact, it was the one thing that Kotii believed in above everything else. He hoped Lex had chosen to leave the 'loyalists' for the same reasons he did. But only after he spoke to the man would the Black Hand have an idea on how to best move forward. These were uncertain times.

The man was dressed in his black beskar'gam that seemed to almost absorb the light around it. If not for the thermal undersuit, Kotii might actually overheat quickly and be sweating like a slug.

"Su'cuy gar, vod." The Alor in exile said with a genuine tone of relief. His helmet visor looked at the surrounding area, taking in the kind of environment that Lex had chosen to run off to. It seemed peaceful.

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Lex Solus

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Truth be told, he'd been expecting for his Alor to be arriving here to dish out a summary execution for treason or to berate him for besmirching the Solus name. Instead, Kotii approached calmly and greeted him. Lex, of course, did not know anything about the rebelling Mandalorians because he had gone into self-imposed exile on the day of the challenge and had not kept up with much of anything since then.

"Hello, brother. Still here, barely kicking," he admitted, thumping his right fist across his chest in solemn greeting. "It's good to see you."

Kotii's armor did indeed seem to absorb the sunlight, the black so deep that Lex found he could quickly lose himself in the void. He did not have much trouble with the sun beating down on him because, truth be told, he did not particularly care. He looked at the Alor's ship and thought of what his looked like. He really was an outlier with rusty ass equipment. He'd need to work on that.

And there would likely be plenty of time. Still, the thought that Kotii was not upset hung at the back of his mind, and the Mandalorian found himself blurting it out before he could stop himself.

"I take it our Manda'lor isn't particularly popular?" he asked, raising an eyebrow behind his helmet. That was a possibility, too. Maybe he'd left too early and should have stuck around to see if others had the same idea as him. Still, he'd acted on impulse and then felt terrible afterward, so there was nothing that he could've done save for not feeling bad.


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Kotii Solus

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So much had happened so quickly that the man was still piecing together everything that happened on Mandalore. There was a lot it affected for their lives and those they care for. Who was allied and who was loyal. There was plenty of hate and confusion to go around.

<"You tell me, brother?"> Kotii had noticed that Lex hadn't called him Alor. Either he was just being casual or the man was giving away subconsciously some other feelings towards the man. It was inevitable someone would state he wasn't the leader of clan Solus any longer. But he had enough pride to hold onto it. He represented his people still and their resistance against the Sith.

Lex had come out here, avoided remaining with the rest of the clan. He had even risked trying to challenge the current Mand'alro already. <"The House is divided. Those willing to compromise their principles and risk allying with the Sith, and those that know well enough that will only invite catastrophe." It may already have.

Kotii was reminded of what he knew about the dark saber. The weapon that had to be won in combat, or taken by trial in the event its owner was already dead. <"Just as the dark saber cannot be given, so cannot be the title of Mand'alor. It has to be earned."> It was as simple as that in the man's mind. Fenyang was unworthy and had no legitimate claim to the title.

The Sith had entered Mandalorian space and acted like they had the authority to demand they choose a leader for no reason other than they wanted to for their own agenda. What was worse is that so many Mandalorians jumped at the chance. The events that followed sounded disgraceful when the man was told about them. Even when challenged for his illegitimate claim, the merciless cowards didn't hesitate to blast their brethren at a whim.

<"Are you alright with being called a traitor by people you call...family?"> It was a question he had asked himself multiple times. Were they the enemy or were the ones he had been fighting for as long as he could remember. <"You came out here, Lex. Are you planning on living the rest of your days hiding in a burrow?"> A hint of a challenge rose in the badger's voice. He needed to test the younger warrior's resolve. If he was depressed or having doubts, the time to work them out was now. There was no point in wasting time.

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Lex Solus

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What Lex could not properly wrap his head around was the fact that such a large majority of those in Solus had chosen to ally with their mortal enemies. This was not pragmatism; they were disregarding the very values that made them who they were. They were renouncing principles for the opportunity to drive around some Sith ships and offer their bodies to the Imperial cause, dying on battlefields far from home in a war that was not even theirs.

"They don't understand," he lamented. "They're blinded by lust for power and yet they don't realize they have willingly become pawns for the very force that has always kept us down." Not only that, but they had turned against their own brethren when their decision was challenged. They dared to riddle a vod with bolts upon evoking a sacred tradition.

"No. But when the people I call--we call--family choose to renounce their values and the principles on which their entire family was founded on, then I can no longer align with them. Clan or not, the betrayal only stings more sharply when it is Solus that turn against us than any other Mandalorian." There was nothing he could do to make them see clearly. There was no way for him to get along with them, to fight side by side when the cause they were dedicating themselves to was so disgustingly evil.

"I did not know where to go," he explained. "After I issued the challenge, I simply left because he did not intend to fight me anyway. I took my shit and I left Mando space. Was thinking about taking up bounty hunting again or maybe lending a hand to what's left of the Sector Rangers. I haven't heard anything of any other defectors until now."

If Kotii was leading a counter-movement, he was more than ready to join. It was exactly what he had been searching for.

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Kotii Solus

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Hearing Lexin's answers made Kotii nod silently in response. He considered what options the Mandalorian had before him. Asking himself if he should let the badger go to the Sector Rangers. Then he reminded himself he couldn't make the man do anything. Blind obedience was what had got them here in the first place.

<"He will be dealt with."> His heart stirred as he said those words regarding the new Mand'alor. It felt like a renewed promise and caused his heart to quicken and his head to swarm with anger. But the man wouldn't allow his hatred to control him. He would take it and hold onto that rage for later, honing it into a hot knife to use against his enemies.

Kotii was still technically bounty hunting. <"Be cautious using any aliases if you choose to continue to hunt for the Guild."> he advised. The posting of certain targets or requests could just as easily be a lure for the Sith to eliminate them. Beskar scalpers would use such a tactic in the past.

The man made no comment about the Sector Rangers. It was nothing against the law enforcement organization. They were just a half measure that would at best lead to a humble life for Lex. At least that was how Kotii saw it from his perspective.

<"I still intend to kill as many Sith as possible and do what it takes to make this galaxy safer for our future generations."> Hauron and the other foundlings, generations yet to be seen were what the Alor in exile still focused on. As long as the Sith had power they would use it to dominate others. Separately but no less of an evil was the threat towards the freedoms of all galactic citizens. <"With all that in mind. Would you like to join me and the rest of your comrades in the fight as a true Mandalorian, even if it comes to fighting your past clan?"> It was a question he had asked himself many times but he still came to the same answer. Nox, Reshelle, Cyrus, Kaisa and more would be against them. Many of them were distantly related in terms of Mandalorian connections but that wouldn't make it any easier when it came to a fight. Kotii needed to know that Lex had the resolve to do what needed to be done when the time came.

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Lex Solus

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Kotii's excitement at the prospect of bringing the "Manda'lor" to justice was palpable, and Lex couldn't help but feel just the tiniest sliver of hope course through his heart as he heard the words. The Mandalorian nodded solemnly as though that had been an oath or prophecy, because to him, it was. The promise of his people liberated roused him with joy, even though that was a far possibility and would be a difficult achievement. It was difficult to liberate a people that did not want to be liberated, but perhaps their minds could be changed. Maybe they could see the error in their ways.

It had been some time since Lex had taken a bounty, but he was intending to pick the work back up again. It had not occurred to him that they were so relevant to the Empire that it would actively seek them out, though it made sense. It was in its very nature to crush any opposition, however small.

"This is the way." It was what he had been intending as well, because with the voluntary exile, it was now open season on the Sith. He had been scorned by his people and they had forsaken him, so he would turn against their mortal enemy even if they would rather collaborate with the zealots. Then Kotii presented a proposition and Lex was a bit surprised, but nevertheless excited about the prospect.

"Absolutely. I would rather fight alongside my Alor than die alongside my enemies." He had nothing left to lose. He had never had anything to lose in the first place, and it was what gave Lex such strong resolve to do what he thought was right. Some called him reckless for it, or brash, or headstrong, but he only felt all the more liberated for it.

He looked out onto the desolate sandy wastes around them, and at the village that sprouted out of the ground right behind them. Idly, he wondered what the point to all this conquest was, what it brought them and why they should dedicate themselves and their souls to it?

It is for glory, he reminded himself. It was at the very core of being Mandalorian, it was at the very core of their religion to dedicate themselves to conflict, to never-ending progress. Stagnation was indeed the lowest of sins.

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Kotii Solus

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Underneath his helm, the echani offshoot smiled a bit at hearing Lex's answer. Hearing the man call him the Alor of their aliit was something he didn't know he needed to hear. There had been a moment where he had contemplated stepping down as the leader of the clan. But that was exactly what the enemy wanted. Kotii had not done anything wrong in his mind and would have made the same decision he had again. As a leader he knew that it was important to also have confidence in one's own choices, moreso than as it does as an individual. <"This is the way."> He nodded finally.

A moment would pass and the man noticed Lex's attention shift to the surrounding area. Kotii's visor followed his, a few of the locals in the distance seemed to be watching them. Probably just bored farmers mostly keeping out of the shade or wondering why they had two relatively new visitors. The backwater didn't get a lot of traffick so he figured this would probably be the talk of the town for the next month or so.

<"There were many different ways of living as a Mandalorian these days. You ever wonder how much different it was back then?"> The Solus thought of how simple some things could be in life. War and fighting was simple and had a method to madness. It was in their nature to war and conflict with each other, the world, and themselves. In hindsight, the popularization of Har'rangir above the other forgotten gods of Mandalore was likely the main cause. But such theories hardly mattered.

<"What does every warrior need to do after a fight, after their wounded?"> He would only wait a moment before answering the rhetorical question. <"heal.">

<"Our people have been fighting, and fighting, and fighting. We used to have periods of progress and chances to grow. Instead, what once was bountiful, a humbling wilderness that was a paradise to Mandalorians of all kinds, is now just barren, shattered and poisoned. Destruction and death are a part of life. The Empire will be reminded of what it means to go to war with badgers, brother."> The time to recover would have to come later. Kotii couldn't see himself attaining that on behalf of his clan as things were. It would be a long road and many battles to come. But he was determined to see it through or die trying.

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Lex Solus

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The old days? He let his mind wander a bit, thinking about what it could have been like. What life had been like for the first of Clan Solus to rise up. Those were different times, however technologically advanced they had been. Back then, Mandalore was not a barren wasteland. Back then, it was feasible to retire after a life of military campaigns and spend the rest of your days healing.

"I feel like it was simpler." He shrugged a little as he admitted it. It was true. All conflicts were solved by the blade or the blaster, and morals were still held in high regard. No one would shoot a challenger in the back. Now, things had changed. The New "Mandalorians" and their rise to relevance had made sure to tarnish any semblance of tradition or culture they had left. Lex couldn't imagine how anyone would want to associate themselves to such dar'manda.

"No chances to grow under the Imperial boot. There's no chances to grow with equipment borrowed from a tyrant who could snatch it out from under us at any times." How long until the Mandalorians made a single misstep and the Sith retook their fleet? How long until it became just them against the Galaxy, until the worlds they invaded took advantage of the weakness and struck? It was a precarious position to be in, one he didn't trust a New Mandalorian to properly handle. Sure, Fenyang had taken the mantle and began a crusade, but it was likely all just a front to garner support. It was hard to lose old habits, and one a pacifist, always a pacifist.

"I would love to see that. So how many of us are there? Are we just regrouping for now?" The strategic brain kicked in, the part of him that always sought to calculate the odds and analyze every aspect of a situation. It was the only time Lex's overthinking was actually constructive, and it ensured he was a very thorough planner.

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Kotii Solus

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Hearing his clanmate's thoughts spoken aloud brought some comfort to Kotii. The man could tell Lex's sincerity and the two of them were on the same page. He took in a deep breath and smiled at the enthusiasm with which the young badger asked questions.

<"Same as always...not as many as we'd like, but enough." >The man wasn't sure of their actual numbers. They were still trying to connect with coverts. <"A few thousand brothers and sisters freed from Zyggeria and Pujool remain loyal to me. We have a few capital ships but mostly it is personal craft. Nothing compared to what the Empire showed to Mandalore with."> It was a harsh truth which was why he was trying to do everything to earn more for the Tor'la Akaan'ade. That was the name he had unofficially given the Mandalorians that were against Fenyang and his alliance with the Sith. The Gauntlet Army would indeed go through a crucible and be the hand with which brings prosperity back to their people.

<"We're still trying to find warbands and coverts not loyal to Fenyang but it's dangerous work."> The last statement had a variety of reasons for being true.

<"Let's walk around a bit. Show me around town or your ship, if you don't mind."> He wanted to move and get a feel for this backwater planet. It was nice enough and maybe even worth coming back to. Still, Kotii had traveled this far and it he was curious what quaint setup Lexin had.

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