#darvannis

[selfpossesedghost]

Darvannis

[personalswtorheadcanons]

So, tell me something about ocs.. who did they romance?

I've been waiting for a question like this!

Oro'a romanced Andronikos and took him back when he returned at the end KOTET.

Zaedesh romanced Quinn, but I'm planning on having her romance Arcann after redeeming him.

Nivirhy romanced Doc but is now romancing Lana.

Sorla didn't have a base romance since I intended her to always romance Theron.

Dedalera romanced Torian and I'm looking forward to their reunion on Darvannis. Mando Power Couple FTW!

Leyka romanced Vector and I'm excited to get him back.

Teeubo romanced Corso, but now I'm having her romance Koth. *gag*

And finally, Zenahi romanced Jorgan and was reunited with him at last!

[queen-scribbles]

I'm shy and new at ask games, uuuuuuhhhhh 🍓 for Enaia, since she's new? (That is how you spell her name right I forgot to check sorry 😖)

Hello, and I understand completely, no worries! You did spell her name right. ^^

Enaia Kallig

She had two masters during her tenure as a slave.

The first was a noble who was just close enough in succession to the throne to get delusions of grandeur an inflated view of herself, hence the slave brands that look like a tiara. Unfortunately for this noble, the current rulers didn't think the airs she was putting on were acceptable from someone roughly 15th in line for the throne. They stripped her of her title and all her holdings and threw her in prison for the rest of her life. Her slaves all got sold off in small lots and broken up family groups.

Enaia wound up doing factory work on Darvannis for the Hutt Cartel. She was there until she was seventeen(ish, she doesn't know exactly), then her Force abilities manifested defending herself from a group of fellow slaves who were hassling her. The Cartel underboss running the factory locked her up and contacted a Sith he knew, she spent three days basically in a cell before being whisked off to Korriban, and the rest is history. Or will be. She's 3/4 through Nar Shadddaa rn.

[archeo-starwars]

I convinced Luth to come with me. I showed him we could no longer follow Vizla. We are warriors, we should be taking our fight to Zakuul, not the worthless machines on Darvannis. Vizla may be Mandalore, but Zakuul left no other challengers. Maybe this is her way of thanking them. I know there are others who feel the same, who will come with me too. There is a king who will let us hunt on his world. It is swarming with beasts the mightiest of us could only imagine. We can finally meet worthy prey again. The fool king wants tribute from our quarry, to slay offworld creatures and bring them to him from time to time. In return, he will leave us to hunt in peace. The di'kut doesn't understand that acquiring his 'payment' will bring us the honor we crave. When we leave, Vizla will say we are not Mando'ade, and those sheb'urcyin who have forgotten what that word means will agree with her. But if what she has made us is 'Mando'ade,' then I want no part of it. I will be ash'ad. I will be someone else.' --From the journal of Mirli Lok, leader of the Ash'ad

[tiredassmage]

lighting, fashion, and interesting shot wins on darvannis tbh

[dirthara-dalen]

While he somewhat agreed with Lana about the clans rearming they were still people. Shae claiming he was one of them was something he did not like. Vilkas had kept quiet about how he felt. all they had left to do was grab Gemini Prime. He couldn't wait to be done with Darvannis.

[mandalorianhistorian]

Aftermath of the battle on darvannis

This scene is bittersweet especially if your a Mando player

Death is always around the corner for a mandalorian but to die by droids isn’t an honourable end

[cienie-isengardu]

Arla - Mandalorian name?

ARLA FETT was first presented as as unnamed Jango's sister in Jango Fett: Open Seasons comics mini-series

then properly introduced as Arla Fett in Republic Commando: Order 66 & Imperial Commando: 501st)

Jusik squatted down and resorted to a little mind influence, the most benign, to make her realize he meant her no harm. It was worth trying even if he was stretching their luck. Something told him he had to, and maybe it was simply that he'd walked by one inmate too many. "Ner gai Bard'ika," he said. "Tion gar gai? Gar aliit?" He'd told her his name was Bardan, and asked her name and her clan name. She stared at him. It was as if she didn't believe what she was seeing, or hearing. "Arla," she said. She glanced at the nurse as if the woman was eavesdropping. "Neyar gain Arla Vhett." It wasn't Mando'a, but it was close enough for any Mandalorian to understand. Jusik turned slowly, still squatting, to look at Skirata. The old sergeant's face was a study in suppressed shock. [...] "So who is it?" Vau asked plainly irritated. Mird watched the woman with head cocked tail slapping. "We'd better have a good reason for taking a psychotic killer with us tonight." "We have," said Jusik. "That's Arla Fett-Jango's missing sister." [RC:O66]

and who at some point became a member of the Mandalorian Death Watch (a group that killed her parents while hunting Jaster Mereel and True Mandalorians on Concord Dawn)

Jusik steeled himself to look. He was expecting worse. He wasn't sure if the dark brown mark was a tattoo, or a scar, or a branding mark, but he knew exactly what it was because he'd seen one only hours ago, or a version of it: the Death Watch emblem, the ragged winged W shape. It didn't surprise him. She'd been spoils of war as far as they were concerned, an animal to be used, and marked as their property. "A surgeon can remove that," Kina Ha said. "Would that help?" Arla pulled down her shirt again. "You don't get it. You can't guess because it's so bad." "Whatever it was, you were a child of fourteen, Walon tells me. When we're adult, we look back and judge our childhood actions by unfairly adult rules." Arla didn't turn around. "It's not a wound or a humiliation. It's a badge." "Explain." "After I was kidnapped, after it stopped being a nightmare, I stayed with them. I became one of them. I stayed. I could have run away. But I stayed." [IC:501st]

So whatever she was a direct descendant of Mandalorian Fett clan or she just "joined" Mandalorians, she can be count as one of them.

The newest sources material introduced two other Mandalorian women of the same name:

ARLA SHALE (source: SWTOR short story "Seeing Red", can be read here)

Ballag started picking fights and spilling blood to prove his strength. The latest and most daring trouble was with Clan Shale. They were an old and respected clan with the trophies and glory to prove it. The body on the screen deserved a better death with a better enemy. “What do you expect with Ballag running them?” Rass said. “He’s going to run Nerak into the ground if he keeps this up.” He scoffed. He didn’t like Ballag. Too stubborn to lead, too stupid to see it. “I’ve spoken to Arla Shale.” Jekiah said. “Fought with her during that raid on Darvannis. She’s solid but won’t let her people be treated like this. It won’t end without a lot more bodies. With Mandalore gone, we need to stand as one.”

and

“A duel?” Arla asked, her lined and scarred face betraying no emotion. Without a moment of consideration, she nodded to Jekiah. “As the Arbiter decides.” No hint of fear in her eyes, only steely certainty. Ballag hesitated. He stood a head taller than everyone. His eyes were an uncanny yellow and flicked from Jekiah to Arla, the tiniest hint of unease in his gaze. Arla was experienced- maybe not faster, maybe not stronger, but Ballag would have to be a blind to consider her an easy target. Arla arched an eyebrow at the pause.

ARLA HA'RANGIR (source: SWTOR)

The closer thing to ARLA in Mando'a dictonary I managed to find is the word MANDOKARLA which means to having the right traits / spirit for Mandalorian.

So I guess we can assume Arla is an old/ancient mandalorian name?

[murder-and-mayhem]

ok I just remembered I liked that emoji ask post you reblogged yesterday to come back and send you an ask lmao SO, for any oc(s!!!!!) you want: 👁️, 💥, 🌙, 🙈, 🌌, ✏️ , 💘 (and if that’s too many just pick your faves of course!!)

OMG YAY!!! I'm so sorry it took me so long to post these. Work has been BRUTAL lately and it took me a minute to get my thoughts organized on these, but thank you so much for the asks! I'm gonna post them below the cut so people don't have to scroll through my wall of text because....well, you know me.

👁️ - What color are their eyes? Do people notice their eyes? Is there anything special about them (shows emotion easily, literally magical...)?

Jaidys/Torvahl - Both mother and son have very striking silver-blue eyes—nearly white they're so pale.

While Jaidys' eyes are one of her more prominent features, they often aren't the first thing people notice about her. Her appearance is a little eccentric for a Sith considering she favors all-white clothing and blatantly displays her slave brands. However, when people do look into her eyes it is a deeply unsettling experience. Her gaze is cruel, cold, and unyielding, leaving you with the sickening feeling that you are being stalked by a predator.

Torvahl inherited Jaidys' strange eye color, however where his mother's eyes hold malice, Torvahl's are distinctly kind. When he was younger he absolutely hated his eyes. Anything that reminded him of Jaidys filled him with absolute dread, and he assumed that others would only ever see a Sith when they looked at him. This was especially true when he first arrived on Tython. Imagine his shock when he arrived at the temple only to find out that he was actually rather...boring. Basically just another run-of-the mill human, and he was thrilled. He does get a lot of compliments on his eyes since they're his most noticeable feature. It always makes him happy to know that people find them warm and comforting instead of instilling the fear that Jaidys' gaze always inflicted.

💥 - What emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

Lizseth - Lizseth does not handle guilt well. At all. When she finds out the galaxy has gone to hell after her five year stint in carbonite, she is convinced that it's entirety her fault and the thought makes her physically ill. She feels like she abandoned her companions, her friends, her husband...everyone. Even though she knows that her imprisonment was beyond her control, it doesn't stop her from hating herself for not fighting harder.

In order to function, she essentially has to shut down all emotion, but she isn't as good at it as she thinks she is. As Alliance Commander, she takes every loss personally, and Lana and Theron worry about her constantly. When she slowly begins to reunite with her companions, her heart bleeds for the suffering they went through.

This is especially true for Torian.

When they finally have a moment alone on Darvannis, it takes him clutching her face in his hands and practically shaking her before he gets her calm down long enough to listen to him.

It wasn't her fault. It never was.

🌙 - What is your OC's greatest wish? How far are they willing to go for it?

Torvahl - Torvahl's greatest wish is to be reunited with his sister, despite knowing that there's a high chance she isn't the person that he remembers. He vehemently believes that at the very least he owes her an explanation for leaving her all those years ago, even if she refuses to forgive him—or worse, tries to kill him. It's a wish that he harbors in secret. The Jedi Council would hardly approve of him hunting down a Sith during his scarce moments of downtime, and more importantly wanting to reconnect with her goes against the Jedi Code. So, how far is he willing to go? His sister is important enough for him to break the very Code he's sworn to and risk his place among the Jedi, however he wouldn't put the lives of others at risk to make it happen. If anyone has to face the threat of death or exile it will be him and him alone.

🙈 - What's a side of your OC that they don't want to show other people?

Sehlaan - It may be cliché, but she struggles with showing vulnerability in any capacity, including her love life. She was raised to believe that any show of weakness was a death sentence—a belief that was often proven true, especially during her time at the Academy and during her apprenticeship. When she's on the battlefield, her stoicism is a virtue. She knows from experience that leading armies demands that she be a pillar of strength and resolve. Any crack in her façade could tank morale as well as put her ability to lead into question. This was especially true during the operation on Yavin-4 and during her leadership of the Alliance. One false move while commanding an army composed of two warring factions would have killed both endeavors in their infancy.

It's a different story when it comes to her relationships—both platonic and romantic. Her stubborn refusal to relinquish control and just allow herself to be a human being often did more harm than good. After being burned during her relationship with Malavai Quinn, she was determined to never let anyone worm their way under her skin again. Then she met Arcann, and she slowly began to open up in order to help him heal. She found it was easier to be herself around him, which in turn allowed her to open up in her friendships with Lana, Jaesa, and Theron. Sehlaan still has days where she struggles, but it's easier to remind herself that she doesn't have to be perfect all of the time—that she is allowed to have moments of doubt and to feel insecure.

🌌 - What was the inspiration behind your OC? What was the first thing you decided about them?

Sehlaan - I don't know if I had any particular inspiration for Sehlaan. She just kind of came to life in the character creator, and the more I fleshed her out in-game the more I loved her. The first things I decided about her? I knew that she would 100% be played neutral and eventually lean towards more light-side choices in a nice redemption arc. I also had her family tree sorted pretty much immediately. I knew she was going to be the daughter of my SI, and that she would have a Jedi brother.

✏️ - Is there a particular quote/lyric that you associate with them?

Jaidys - "A smiling face draped over stone cold eyes / reflecting a fire, fueled with lies" — "Vaudeville" by Priest

Lizseth - "She's a Killer Queen/ Gunpowder, Gelatine/ Dynamite with a laser beam/ Guaranteed to blow your mind" — Killer Queen by Queen (of course)

Sehlaan - "The darkness was a cocoon / Just like the moth, I escape the gloom / A sparkle deep within / Let out the flame that begot me to win" — "The Pit" by Priest

Edge lord lyrics probably but ✨oh well ✨

💘 - What traits do they look for in a relationship? Do they believe in love at first sight?

Sehlaan - Sehlaan does not believe in love at first sight. At all. She believes that you need to truly know the good and the bad that comes with a person—all of their quirks and annoying habits, the things that keep them up at night and the traumas that come into the relationship with them—otherwise you are simply in love with a façade. It's one of the reasons she and Arcann work so well together. She knows him inside and out, and every day she chooses to love the good and the bad that comes with him just as he does with her.

When it comes to relationships, she looks for comfort and solace. To her, being with your partner should feel like home no matter where you are in the galaxy. She also looks for a solid friendship in her partner. If she can't find common ground with a person and enjoy their company platonically, throwing romance/sex into the mix would only be a recipe for disaster.

Lizseth - Lizseth doesn't believe in love at first sight either. In her eyes, love at first sight is a prettier way to justify pure animal attraction. There's nothing wrong with lust. She just believes that there's a lot more work required than simply looking at someone and deciding you love them.

When it comes to partners, Lizseth wants someone who can make her laugh. If the person she's interested in has no sense of humor, she doesn't even waste her time. She also craves intimacy in all of its forms, despite being a bit of a hard ass in most other aspects of her life. She wants to be wooed by her partner—though not necessarily in the traditional sense of the word. She enjoys a good game of cat and mouse in her relationships. This means flirting, teasing, lingering touches, and heated glances—the thrill of the chase even if she's already in a committed relationship with that person. It all boils down to the fact that Lizseth needs to feel wanted. The moment she feels like she's a burden to someone, the relationship crashes and burns.

[cursedbeasts]

Bestia's Wrath Chapter 12: Common Ground

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Summary:

Bestia makes new friends and regains some old ones.

Beginning Notes:

Recommended listening for the droid factory segment: Berserk OST - Aria

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"So that went exceedingly well." Bestia remarked, grim sarcasm oozing from her tone. "Kaliyo decided to fuck off at the worst possible moment, and Havoc got nearly slaughtered."

She leaned onto the command table, looking over the meager gathering. Theron's holo was glaring at her. Aric was busy arranging funerals for the fallen Havoc members, so Bestia offered to report in his stead. Senya was pacing off to the side, her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Lana and Scorpio stood by the table opposite of Bestia. 

"The casualties could have been much worse if you weren't there." Lana said.

"I wish I could be inside the facility keeping tabs on Kaliyo but I guess I can't be in two places at once. At least I got to do some property damage."

"I have information regarding the Gemini network." Everyone turned to Scorpio. "Each Eternal Fleet ship has a mechanical captain linked to the network. They cannot be directly subverted."

"Why?" Bestia crossed her arms, glaring at the droid.

"Because they were based on me. I do not know how they came to exist, but I will not be imitated."

"You could sue them for copyright infringement," Theron chimed in.

"The captains are produced from a template: Gemini Prime. I have located the factory the unit resides in. It is located on the planet Darvannis." 

Bestia flinched a little at that name. It was where Styrak fell. Tired of the Dread Masters' constant blunders, Styrak had tried to take the matters into his own hands. He chose  Darvannis because of all the resources and people gathered there for a huge underworld auction. Styrak wanted to corrupt all of them with a massive Sith Alchemy ritual and come back to Oricon with a huge army and a pile of wealth and weapons. 

However, the Empire and the Republic learned of it somehow, and sent in a joint team of their strongest. The group swept through the city, found Styrak, and fought him to the death. The only reason he came back was the loyalty of his surviving apprentices. They sacrificed themselves to conduct a ritual that pulled Styrak from the other side. And now Bestia was going to the world that almost claimed her husband's life. 

"So, you want someone to steal that particular unit."

"Yes, very perceptive. Retrieve it, and I will decode the Gemini Frequency from its databanks." 

"Senya, can you tell us anything?"

"Darvannis was one of the first worlds we conquered. The facility is a key factory that produces droids, weapons and starships. So it's secured accordingly."

"Let me guess. We'll need a fucking army that we don't have."

"We have three ancient Sith lords." Theron pointed out.

"Sending Styrak to the place where he pretty much died is out of the question, unless you want a Force storm that will take out EVERYTHING. And turn Darvannis into another Dromund Kaas." Bestia snapped. "Also, as much as I hate to point it out, our powers are useless against droids. Unless someone develops a virus that teaches them to feel fear, we're pretty much just regular Sith folks against Zakuul. I'm still willing to go though."

"And you will. I've found some possible allies on the planet. They want to meet the one in charge of the Alliance."

"Who are they?"

"I can't say much, but they have skill and firepower, and they won't stab us in the back. They're more of a "shoot you in the face" type."

"I see. I have a feeling I will like them. We should prepare the Gravestone for combat. Once we get that droid, we can take the fight to the Eternal Fleet."

With that, the meeting was concluded. Bestia found Styrak and Rammas waiting for her in a hallway outside the War Room. Rammas walked up to her, and unclipped something from her belt. She held it up to Bestia to see: two lightsabers with golden hilts etched with curving dark stripes.

"Where'd you get these?" Bestia picked up one of the hilts, weighing it in her hand. 

"Eh, long story. A Jedi found me in the woods and had me make these for you. She said they'll help defeat Arcann." Rammas shrugged. "I kinda modified the hilts and put in orange crystals though."

"These are wonderful!" Bestia held the lightsaber up, and activated it. A fiery orange blade hissed to life. Bestia gave it a few swings.

"Thank you. Who was this Jedi?"

"Satele Shan."

"Wait, the Grandmaster of the Jedi order?"

"Yep. Camping out in the woods as a hermit."

"She could join the alliance."

"I asked. She said her fate isn't here."

Rammas rolled her eyes at the memory, then turned to leave.

"I'm gonna go visit Shyren."

Styrak lingered around after Rammas had left. 

"There's more to her story. She mentioned having a vision of Vitiate's original form in a cave during the journey the Jedi sent her on."

"They do have the same eyes. You think they're connected?"

"I don't know." Styrak said. "Do you remember the tests I carried out shortly after we were freed? You and Raptus were the closest matches. But there's also this unidentified part."

"Yeah and I said that I wouldn't have fucked Raptus in a thousand years. Not to mention we were both in stasis at the time of her birth."

"What I'm saying is, they could be connected. We know nothing about Raptus's background. He just showed up when Vitiate gathered us to be shipped off to Oricon for the first time. But it could also be a mutation or a throwback trait like in Vitiate himself."

"You think she could be some sort of sleeper agent sent by Vitiate? Like his Children of the Emperor project?"

Styrak shrugged his great shoulders.

"That is a possibility we should account for."

"Eh, I don't want to judge someone based on what their possible ancestors are like. She's a good kid. And you've pretty much adopted her."

Styrak hummed and nodded. Bestia couldn't see his face under his mask, but was sure he was smiling a little.

"I suppose I have."

The preparations for the mission took several days. Time that Bestia used to rest and recharge, find out some information about the planet, and train with her new lightsabers. They really did feel like an extension of her body. Bestia wouldn't be caught off guard with an unwieldy lightsaber spear anymore. Which was good, considering she wouldn't have Styrak around to save her on this mission.

Darvannis, Hutt space. The shuttle had trouble landing due to strong winds, but eventually it connected lopsidedly with the landing pad. Bestia was the first to hop out, and was nearly knocked down by the wind, but managed to right herself. Squinting, she looked around. They landed on the edge of a city filled with rounded sand-colored buildings that had tiny windows. A gap in the walls led into a yard, and beyond that, was a maze of streets. Bestia looked in the other direction, and saw a blank desert with a few thin palm trees bending in the wind.

"So this is the world that claimed my husband's life? I expected something more impressive…"

Theron didn't reply. He turned around and walked into the city. Bestia followed him. They walked until they ended up in a plaza. Several tents stood around the edges, proudly decorated with banners of various clans. People in armor walked around. A larger tent dominated one edge of the plaza, with a tusked skull hanging above the entrance. It was the one Theron led Bestia to. Two guards stood at the door, they nodded at Theron and let them pass.

Inside was a large central room, flanked by two wings. The wings were filled with rows of bunk beds and footlockers. The central room had a holo table, similar to the one back at the base, but slightly smaller. Several armored people stood around it, staring at a woman with shoulder length red hair. 

"You secured contact with the Mandalorians." Bestia said, impressed. 

Mandalorians were an interspecies gathering of warriors, recognized by their distinctive armor, united by a common culture, and led by a code of honour. Usually consisting of scattered clans and mercenaries acting on their own, sometimes Mandalorians united under a singular leader. It looked like Bestia was witnessing one such occasion. She wondered what brought them to Darvannis. Mandalorians usually sought out challenging opponents to fight, and Darvannis was an out of the way world. There was no Dread Master for them to tackle here anymore. Aside from herself, but she came to try and forge an alliance against Zakuul.

A man with tan skin and a close-cropped mohawk of hair fixed Bestia with a stare.

"You're on the wrong world, Sith. Belsavis prison is on the other end of the galaxy!" He laughed at his own joke.

Bestia simply glared right back at him, letting some of her power loose. The man flinched, but stood strong.

"Shut up, Khomo. I've heard of you, Dread Master. Shae Vizla. Mandalore the Avenger."

"Bestia. Dread Master." Bestia stuck her clawed hand out for a handshake. Shae shook it.

"I take it the Mandalorians have no love for Zakuul?"

"The bastards scattered our clans. What remains stands with Mandalore the Avenger."

"Nice title. How'd you come by it?"

"My clan did better than most in the past years. I ended up in charge mostly by accident."

"I can relate." Bestia sighed, and rolled her eyes. "I set out to avenge my family and take down the sith emperor and now I'm stuck leading the rebellion like some goody-two-shoes Chosen One from some kids' story."

"That's quite a tale. Is your fighting as good as your Force powers?"

"Oh, it is. I've had plenty of practice beating up droids, considering my fear powers are useless against them." 

"Good. We have assault teams hammering at the factory. Make yourself useful and disable the perimeter guns." She looked somewhere behind Bestia. "Torian!"

A young human stepped up. He had short blond hair and crescent scars on his cheeks. Seemed like some sort of ritual scarring. 

"Mand'alor." He said respectfully. 

"Torian will show you the way. He's the best scout we got." 

Bestia nodded at Torian. 

"My name is Bestia. Just point me at the enemy." 

"Guns are in sector six. I'll try to protect you." 

Bestia burst out laughing.

"I think I'll be the one protecting, but thanks all the same. We Dread Masters are pack beasts, after all. Maybe even to our own detriment."

Torian gave her a look.

"I've heard that this world is where one of your kind fell."

Bestia let out a sigh as the two walked to the speeders parked at the edge of the camp. 

"He didn't stay dead for long, but his fall did a lot of harm to us. One of the reasons I came out here. Wanted to see the world that killed my husband. Can't say I'm impressed, but I don't know what I expected. The other reason is that I want Zakuul gone as much as everyone else does. They destroyed my home."

"I see. Our heartworlds were taken by Zakuul." Torian said.

"I hope they weren't bombed like Oricon was."

They mounted the speeders and rode out into the city. They weaved through streets, dodging Zakuulan patrols until they made it towards the first gun emplacement. It was inside a building on top of a hill with a winding walled path leading up to it.

"Time to test my new lightsabers on some real targets." Bestia said, eyeing the Skytroopers patrolling the perimeter of the building. "Cover my back."

She grabbed her weapons, orange blades coming to life, and leapt forward. The Skytroopers didn't even have time to register what hit them as Bestia sliced one vertically into three pieces, and then spun around and cut down a turret that aimed at her. She saw a blaster bolt hit another Skytrooper in the head from the corner of her eye. 

"Damn, these lightsabers are good."

Bestia and Torian fought their way up the path and inside the building, where Bestia stood guard while Torian reprogrammed the gun. When they exited, Bestia looked up and saw the gun pointed towards the huge looming tower of the droid factory. 

They fought through to the other two gun placements without much incident. However, when Torian leaned over the controls of the final gun, a burst of transmissions came from his communicator. The guns were ready to fire, but there still was a group of Mandalorians trapped inside the factory. If the guns were to fire now, they'd get caught in the blast, but so would the factory. Bestia watched Torian consider the options, a deep frown on his face.

"These are your people. It should be your decision. I'd divert one of the guns to clear a path for them. Let them fight another day."

"There's no honor in running away. Besides, it would mean less damage to the factory."

He keyed in the command. All three guns pelted the factory, engulfing it in flames. The ride back was silent. 

They reconvened in the command center. A holo of the factory in flames floated above the table. 

"We reprogrammed the guns." Bestia said. "The factory is damaged, and the shields should be down." 

"And our losses?" 

"Twenty eight seasoned Mandalorian warriors." Replied Khomo, the man who tried to snap at Bestia previously. "How valiantly they fought against the spawn of production line fifteen alpha!"

Acrid sarcasm dripped off his mocking eulogy. Torian frowned at him.

"Don't mock the dead." Bestia said. "Unless you want to be haunted."

"You're no Mandalorian, but you pulled your weight." Shae said. "We'll plan our next move in the morning. For now, we celebrate survival and victory."

Bestia thought celebrating in the wake of their allies' death was odd, but decided against saying anything. Maybe it was the Mandalorian way of honouring the fallen.

"Let's see how you handle Mandalorian drink." 

"I drank stuff that would probably kill a regular person. Bring it on!" 

The celebration was, indeed, a way to honour the fallen. While the bodies couldn't be retrieved, the Mandalorians deemed the burning factory a fitting funeral pyre. At first, Bestia stood awkwardly to the side, but then someone challenged her to a brawl, and she found herself inside a ring of shouting and cheering people, faced off against a masked stranger. Shrugging, she summoned her own mask and assumed a battle stance. 

"No claws!" The Mandalorian said. "And no Force powers." 

"Alright. We fight till one of us is knocked down." 

Bestia charged forward, going for the opponent's midsection. For her, the best defence was offence, for better or for worse. She also didn't exactly need Force powers to scare someone. Being charged by a really tall, really beefy person would make most people flinch. Not this one, though. The Mandalorian stepped to the side, avoiding the hit. Bestia spun around and moved behind her opponent. Before they could react, they were lifted up and thrown to the side. The crowd cheered. 

Several more people lined up to fight Bestia, and one even managed to knock her down. It seemed like Bestia's displays of strength warmed the hearts of the Mandalorians, and soon she was sharing stories and drinking with them. In the end, Bestia passed out, exhausted but content.

She woke up with a mild headache. Those drinks must have been strong to get through her Sith Alchemy reinforced defences. She grumbled, re-did her hair into a long braid, and joined Shae and others at the command table. 

"Hangover?" Khomo ribbed.

"A bit. Must have been some drinks." She looked over at the table."What are we dealing with?"

"Power stations and a tactical outpost in the way. If we disable the stations, we can move on to the factory." 

"I'd give a lot for an actual opponent to fight." Khomo grumbled.

"Same. Like a big beast to wrangle or something. In the meantime, I could take the outpost. How big is it?"

"You're going to take on a battalion alone? Brave, but not very bright."

"I never claimed to be the brightest lightsaber in the bunch." Bestia shrugged. "Torian can vouch for my ability to cleave through metal, though."

Shae leveled a doubtful look at Bestia, but nodded.

"It's not a very big outpost. You holding the droids off would give the clans time to reach the power stations…" she mused. "I will trust you on this. "

Bestia was given coordinates, and left the meeting, walking to stand outside the camp. Torian would be accompanying her on this mission too, but for now she was alone. Her holocom beeped.

"Lana. What is it?" Bestia asked.

"Theron has procured schematics of the droid factory. They're incomplete, but they should help in planning."

"I sense a "but" coming."

"I have concerns about our new allies. Mandalorians tend to value war and challenge above all else. They're opposing Zakuul now, but when it's gone…"

"You could say the same about me and my family." 

There was an awkward silence.

"I have found a lot in common with them. I won't betray their trust."

She could see Lana's expression change to a frown.

"You must think about the galaxy. This arrangement will not last."

"I "must" nothing, Lana. I'm already thinking about the galaxy by trying to rid it of Vitiate. I'll do as much as necessary to achieve that goal. Beyond that, I simply don't care as long as me and the Dread Masters are left alone. If it doesn't last, then so be it. Just send me the damn schematics. I'll contact you when I have the droid."

Bestia cut off the communications, and kicked at a withered palm frond at her feet, sending it flying. Now on top of having a headache she was pissed. She paced around fuming until she saw Torian emerge from the camp.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Bestia did her best to erase the scowl off her face. "Let's go."

The outpost was a series of winding corridors. Droids were spat out by side tunnels and swarmed the place, but they stood no chance against Bestia's need to vent her anger. They were cut down, and the side gates wrecked with broken droids piled up to the ceiling. Finally, they made it to a control room and Torian started typing away at a console while Bestia stood guard.

"I overheard your call. Your friend thinks we're animals. We're not. We're warriors."

"I don't agree with her on everything. I'd wager that deep down she sees me as a dangerous beast too."

"Then I shouldn't have said anything." 

"We should report to the camp."

The mood back in the camp was cheerful, especially compared to when Bestia just arrived. 

"Well done, all of you. We will march on the factory within the hour."

"There's a droid within it that I need to grab. It holds the key to the eternal fleet."

"We're after weapons, not droids." Khomo said. "Just imagine: us with all these weapons, smashing apart the siege on our homeworld!" 

"You can dream of glory later. Go, prepare the clans!" Shae snapped at him. She leaned on the table, looking tired. "Half the time I struggle simply keeping my people together."

"At least they're your people. I'm stuck in a position I didn't ask for, leading several different factions, all of which have a warrant for my arrest and likely execution. Fun times."

"Looks like you've got quite a challenge on your hands. Come, let me show you the battle plan."

"Oh yeah, speaking of. My people sent me partial schematics of the droid factory."

"This is much better!"

Bestia followed Shae outside. The Mandalore climbed on top of a stack of crates, and Bestia listened to her speech. Her people cheered, and roared when she was done. 

Bestia rode at the head of the small army, clashing with the droids alongside the Mandalorians. Among the chaos, she and Torian made their way up the tower. The defences inside were minimal compared to all the droids crowded outside. The two wrecked production lines as they went, carving a veritable path of destruction through the factory and, probably, through Zakuul's budget. 

Finally, they made it to the topmost level. It was a huge room with several elevators leading to an upper level. And there, opposite of the entrance, Bestia saw the final prize: a skinny humanoid droid floating in an open glass tube, with countless cables connecting to it. The droid looked a little like Scorpio with the same face and halo, but whoever designed it decided against giving it a weirdly feminine shape Scorpio had. 

"So that's your droid?" Torian asked.

"Yep. Now to climb up there and wait till a contact on my side slices into it."

A faint sound came from behind them. Metallic footsteps. Far too many of them. The two turned around to face a horde of droids bearing down on them. It looked like they had a long fight ahead of them.

Some time later, Bestia and Torian stood on top of a growing pile of skytroopers, with more and more surrounding them. Bestia struggled to deflect blaster bolts with her lightsabers, and Torian's shield was running out of power. Was this how it was going to end? Overrun by machines? Bestia sneered.  Khomo Fett was right, dying by droids was a stupid way to go, unworthy of both a Dread Master and Mandalorian.

Suddenly, sparks fell from above, landing on top of the droids, and Bestia chanced a look up towards the ceiling. A cyan lightsaber blade was almost done cutting a circle in the facility ceiling. With one final flourish, the cut section groaned and dropped down, crushing several skytroopers and drawing their attention away from Bestia and Torian. A figure stood on top of the circle, with its back to Bestia. The stranger spun around, the giant lightsaber in their hands cutting a dozen skytroopers in half. Black wings spread behind their back, and glowing eyes bore into Bestia's. Torian aimed his weapon at the stranger, but Bestia forced it down.

"Hi mom." Sharack said simply. A large black and gold droid charged at her, but she simply kicked at it with one of her cybernetic legs. 

And suddenly, the droids stopped. Bestia watched, her mouth agape, as  their eyes went dark and their arms fell limply to their sides. The screens on the upper level flickered and glitched out, text and data in Zakuulan replaced with a triangular logo made of sharp blades. She hasn't seen this symbol in a long while. Not since she had left Oricon, for it was the Dread Masters' coat of arms. 

"We are right on time," A deep feminine voice spoke over the communication system. 

"Sharack? Brontes?!"

"Hey, don't forget me." Another voice cut in, a very deep and rumbly one.

"Tyrans?!"

"Who could ever forget you, brother?" Bestia could hear the eye roll in the tone of Brontes's voice. "You are after the Gemini unit, correct? Your path should be clear, and we can assist you in extracting her. Then, we can gather in person once you return to your base."

"Where have you assholes been? I could have used your help about two weeks ago!" Bestia yelled as she trudged towards the elevator. 

She stepped out onto the upper level, a long platform that circled around the entire room. Cables ran all over the walls and ceiling towards one point: a capsule with a humanoid figure floating inside. Sharack followed her. Now that they had a moment of peace, Bestia could sense how warped Sharack's presence had gotten. It felt unnatural, like it wasn't supposed to exist. Styrak felt the same way, as well as the Dark Side beasts that spawned from the Force itself back on Ziost. Bestia decided to not linger on it for the moment.

"We have been in hiding." Brontes said. "Sharack is a bit of a later addition to our team."

"There's so much I want to talk about, but we have a droid to retrieve." Bestia turned to Sharack. "Just, promise you won't disappear?"

"I won't." Sharack stepped up to the capsule and reached towards the droid. "So, do we just tear it out?"

"No!" Brontes sounded almost frantic, but quickly regained her composure. "We do not tear the unit out of its capsule. We carefully unplug her when I'm finished overriding her protocols."

"Got it." Sharack moved away from the droid. The screens next to the droid started glitching out, and an alarm went off.  

"Good news: Brontes is in. Bad news: there's a fuckton of skytroopers converging on your location, and your Mandalorian friends are pulling out. Take the Gemini unit and go." Tyrans announced.

Bestia and Sharack scrambled to unplug the cables connecting Gemini to the facility. Sounds of shooting came from downstairs. Sharack dropped the cables.

"I'll help hold them off." She vaulted over the railing. The droids were no match for her, even in their numbers. 

Gemini twitched and slumped over when Bestia disconnected the last cable. She hoisted the droid over her shoulder and peered into the level below.

"I got the droid!"

"And I have located the self destruct codes for this facility," Brontes's voice dripped with cheerful venom. "I suggest you and the Mandalorian vacate the premises." 

Bestia jumped over the railing, the Force cushioning her fall, and ran towards the exit. Sharack flew past, Torian held under one arm, and a heavy piece of machinery levitated by the other, acting like a battering ram and clearing the path. 

Explosions thundered out soon after the group cleared the exit. Sharack dropped Torian into his speeder and took the deactivated droid. She kept up with Bestia and Torian as they made their escape, the droid factory crumbling into flames and smoke behind them. 

The camp met them with celebration. Huge crates full of weapons now lined the edges of the camp, with Mandalorians going to and fro with new guns in hand. Bestia stumbled into the command tent.

"You two look like osik."

"We just fought through like a hundred droids. We got the one I needed though. And I suddenly reunited with some allies of mine." 

Shae looked past Bestia, and the Red Sith turned to see what she was staring at. Sharack stood at the entrance, Gemini still held under one arm. She waved at Shae and gave her a toothy grin.

"Hi, Torch!"

"Sharack Snow. The one even death can't hold back."

"You two know each other?" Bestia asked.

"Remember the whole thing with Revan and his cult bringing Vitiate back to power?"

"Yeah?"

"I met Shae while investigating. We fought on top of a volcano!"

"And then I assisted Sharack in a fight against Revan."

Revan was a legendary figure, a Force user who was both Jedi and Sith. The Sith emperor held them captive for several centuries, and Bestia remembered Raptus gloating about tormenting them. Then Revan was freed by a Republic team and disappeared, only to re-emerge years later at the head of a huge cult. The cult manipulated both sides of the galactic conflict, and the whole chain of events culminated in Revan bringing the Sith Emperor Vitiate back to almost full strength. Which, in turn, led to the destruction of Ziost. Which, in turn, started the entire journey Bestia was currently on. She groaned at the realization. 

"The factory is mostly online, and we have new weapons for the first time in years." 

"Thank your spy when you see him. He brought the glory days back." 

Shae shook her head. 

"Blast it. I won't be able to stop them from starting up some sort of a neo-crusade. They'll want to fight more than droids."

"I understand." Bestia said. "How about, once Zakuul is dealt with, you help me hunt down a god?" 

"That emperor of yours?"

"Precisely." 

"I'll definitely consider it. In the meantime, I think your alliance could use a representative of the clans." 

Bestia nodded. The hum of ship engines came from the outside. 

"Looks like our ride back is here. Welcome aboard, kid." 

Torian, Bestia, and Sharack exited the tent. A shuttle with a faded Zakuul insignia on its tail sat on the landing pad. 

"Goodbye, Darvannis, I guess." Bestia said as they all piled in.

Everyone took their seats, and for a while, no one spoke as the ship took off. After a while, Bestia shifted in her seat, and looked at Sharack. The Jedi sat slightly to the side in the opposite row of seats, her cybernetic legs taking up the entire aisle.

"What happened?" Bestia asked, and after that, more questions poured from her. "Where have you been? How are you…?"

"Alive?"

"Yes. You were on Ziost when…" Bestia shut her eyes, trying to prevent herself from tearing up at the memory. When she spoke again, her voice was full of pain. "When Vitiate devoured it. I felt you die."

"I did. But also I didn't. I'm not sure what happened, but I woke up after a while. And I was like this." Sharack held up one of her arms.

The arm was covered in dark grey scales that roughly followed the flow of muscle fibers. Bestia stared at it, and then recognition sparked in her mind.

"Styrak has scales like these on his right arm and leg." 

"You mean we're, like, both the same undead thing?"

"I think so."

"Brontes said the same thing." Sharack rubbed the back of her neck. "Man, this is ironic. I led half the group that killed him. Now I'm the same thing as him. And I never got to apologize properly."

"He's back at the base, so you have that chance now."

"I guess." Sharack shrugged. "So after I woke up, I wasn't really myself. I was numb and angry, and the only thing that mattered was tracking down Vitiate. I just kinda flew off into space, not thinking much. I can exist in space now. And then Zakuul ships showed up. They managed to knock me out, and when I woke up, I had Force suppression shackles on."

"I saw you in the throne room."

"Yeah. I was still not really there. Just, laser focused on getting to Vitiate, and here he was. The motherfucker. The tool. Right fucking there inside that old guy." 

"Then Marr set us free and you stabbed him."

"I think the dude he was hijacking wanted him gone as much as I did."

"I bet he did."

"For a moment, I think he took control back and asked me to do it. So I did. Ran him through, and Vitiate exploded out and escaped. I flew after him, but I lost track of him." 

"What did you do after? I was stuck in carbonite for five years, then Lana found me."

"Oh, shit, Lana's here too? This is gonna be awkward. I kinda broke up with her. Thought she wouldn't wanna be with a monster. I drifted around for a while. Eventually, I started to sorta feel like myself again, and decided to try and return to the Jedi. Except, by the time I did…"

"There wasn't really a Jedi order to return to?"

Sharack nodded, her ears lowered.

"Yeah. Coruscant was blockaded, and the Jedi were scattered. I don't know if they'd even accept what I've become. Some of them struggled to accept my species even after I literally beat the shit out of the Sith Emperor. I couldn't even contact my former master. So I went back to drifting and eventually Brontes found me and I've been with her and Tyrans since. Maybe I should ask them to find master No'ree. Just, to know if she's okay or not."

"Will you join the Alliance?"

"Sure. Seems like the only way to get to Vitiate is to get Arcann out the way. Annoying little man." Sharack grumbled.

"That, he is. I found Seid a bit ago on Zakuul." 

"He's okay?" Sharack perked up. "I never got to talk to him after Ziost…"

"He is. I didn't really talk to him much though." 

In truth, Bestia mostly didn't know how to approach her son. He had chosen to maintain a bit of distance from both her and Styrak, being Force-blind and wary of his sith parents. With the twins located, that left only one of Bestia's offspring unaccounted for: Mu'hass, her eldest. Bestia only knew that he escaped with Styrak and Rammas, but later on split off on his own. He'd be fine, Bestia thought, trying to soothe her worry. He's a grown man and a Sith, and he had a level head, meaning he wouldn't take unnecessary risks. He'd turn up eventually, or Brontes and Tyrans could track him down.

As soon as they landed, Sharack hopped out, carrying the droid towards the base entrance. Bestia ambled after her. An alarm blared, causing Bestia to grumble and reach for her lightsabers. She was exhausted, and there was sand in far too many places, and she was looking forward towards a shower and not another fight. Someone shouted, pointing up. A wedge-shaped vessel revealed itself in the air above Odessen. It was painted a faded red, and sharp white designs ran along its underbelly. A hatch opened and two small figures flew towards the ground.

"Do not attack!" Bestia shouted in her most commanding voice. "They are on our side!" 

Confused and angry stares were aimed her way, but no one fired. The descending shapes drew closer, turning out to be two people in red robes and golden crested masks. They both wore bladed cybernetic wings. They landed in front of Bestia, the wings folding neatly behind their backs, and Bestia pulled both of them into a hug.

"Hey." The taller one said.

"Hey Tyrans. I see you assholes still love to make an entrance."

"Yep." Tyrans sounded decidedly smug. 

"Hello to you too."  Brontes freed herself from Bestia's hug. "I would like to see the Gemini unit."

"You'll have to contend with Scorpio, but I got a feeling you two will get along. Let's head inside."

They met Lana at the base entrance. She frowned at the sudden arrivals.

"More Dread Masters?"

"Yep." Tyrans and Bestia said in unison, and then chuckled.

"Do not worry. With us here, there is only one Dread Master left unaccounted for." Brontes reassured. Lana didn't look convinced. 

"Raptus." Bestia rolled her eyes.

"I don't think he'll be joining us. Even we couldn't trace him. Bastard just disappeared." 

"Eh, good riddance." 

Lana led them all to the command table. Sharack sat in a chair watching Scorpio pick at a port on the back of Gemini's neck. She turned to look at the new arrivals, and beamed when she saw Brontes. Brontes in turn walked right to the droids. Tyrans sat on a smaller holotable by the wall that wasn't in use, and Lana took her place at the head of the table. 

"I believe we both have quite a lot to report."

End notes:

Osik means "shit" in Mando'a.

This was a surprisingly fun chapter to write and there's a surprising amount of common ground between Bestia and the Mandalorians.

Also a fun bit of lore that I wanted to include but couldn't find a way to do so organically: the celebration where Bestia suplexes a person is a Mandalorian death ceremony. The only outsider to be honoured with one was actually a female sith lord named Raze who fought off many Jedi and died fighting.

[alakirist]

Ok, it’s an old post but there’s too much I want to respond to to simply ignore it.

You are portraying her family and the outlander as if they are some innocent victims in all of this, they’re not. She wants to kill the mother who abandoned her and didn’t fight hard enough to save her, the brother who betrayed her despite years of loyalty and service, and the Outlander who used her conditioning two chapters prior to humiliate her in front of the galaxy and serves as the host for the source of all her problems, Valkorion. Yeah, killing is overdoing it, but at the core of it, she’s just angry at people who mistreated her and imo rightfully so. Senya and Arcann hurt her, she has no reason to trust them or accept their help. How is trying to kill your abusers and scorching one sparsely populated world in the process irredeemable, but bombing 5 populated worlds of people who never hurt you(aka what Arcann did) isn’t? It makes no sense.

You say Vaylin has been given chance after chance, but is it so? The best attempt is when Senya pours her heart out in the end of KOTFE, but even then she doesn’t say “sorry for abandoning you Vaylin, it’s my fault” or something like this. Arcann tried to speak with her once in chapter 6 but couldn’t even answer the question about whether he knew about the conditioning honestly. He’s lying straight to her face and deflecting, who would accept help from a person like that? And the outlander who made fun of her on that party and used Valkorion’s weapon to humiliate her? Yeah, I wouldn’t want to accept help from that kind of person, too.

What do you mean by “despite what we saw on Voss”? That’s exactly what it was, redemption by magic. He shows no desire to be redeemed until he gets brainwashed, saving his mother doesn’t count, it’s just that-saving his family member who was eager to help him and who he loved. And actions? What actions? He killed a couple of Zakuulan knights in chapter 6, that’s it, that’s barely an action. Arcann did nothing to earn his redemption, he even pussied out of going to Nathema where he could’ve had some nice character development.

Name me one time Vaylin looked like she could ever do that

Sure, when she gets genuinely furious when Scorpio betrays her. When she shows some emotion and vulnerability with fake Thexan on Iokath. Also in Echoes where she’s showing vulnerability(thought that was added after the post, but still). And her undermining Arcann? Seriously? She gave him sound tactical advice like attacking Darvannis or not killing half his knights. They were both petty at times, Arcann would use her as an outlet for his angry rants and Vaylin would troll him occasionally. Plus you know, this is the guy who never visited her on Nathema, never brought a single gift, and killed the brother who did. I’d say Vaylin is incredibly patient and forgiving with him.

if everyone got a redemption arc, there would be no villains

Agreed, but I’d rather this be applied to characters that are unapologetically evil, like Vitiate, Jadus, Baras, Thana Vesh etc…Not a child who was mindbroken and mistreated by her own family and who is somehow supposed to be hateable. Nah, that’s just nonsensical writing.

Senya Tirall would never have given up on her daughter and I am still angry about the end of KotET. 

Both Senya and Vaylin deserved better from the writers and the community.

[amarysso]

Nice form, Cadera

Torian Cadera, in combat: Admiring my form?

My Sith Inquisitor: Yeah, you’ve got a nice ass.

Torian: ...

Torian: You know that wasn’t what I meant.

Sith Inquisitor: Well, I’d be happy to admire your form properly someplace more...private. *wink wink*

[dottiechan]

Ner runi ca kebii’tra. // My soul is the night sky.

Bal gar me’suum’ika bal ka’ra. // And you are the moon and stars.

[swtor--screenshots]

[ineedthesons]

How far back do you want to go?

The last thing, the very last thing was Juice telling Jax that Gemma was the one who killed Tara. That was where Jax promised that Juice's death would be quick.

Before that, Juice revealed to Nero that he killed Darvanny--Nero's babymama-- but that Jax was the one to order her death. That got him sent to prison. Juice had run for this, Juice had offered secrets to run further but he hadn't given any so thre might have been a slice of hope that Juice could earn his way back, but it wasn't a very big slice and they both knew it.

Further back is Juice's involvement with the feds. However coerced, it put cracks in the foundation. He murdered a fellow Son. Jax put the leash around Juice's neck but really it was more of a slow-acting noose.

Juice would do anything to keep his family. Jax would do anything to keep his power. Those two things clashed, and I argue that that was why Juice died.

I still haven’t seen SOA except for clips on YouTube so I was wondering what was the worst thing juice did to betray Jax? Like what ultimately warranted for him to be killed?

Tagging @spaghettificationandpretzels bc I don't recall. Please do also view her Jax novel when you get the time.

[insufficient-focus]

Darvannis Sky