They had taken twelve ships intact, destroyed a score more and nearly fifteen thousand prisoners now sat on the rocky, desolate moon around which the battle had been waged. The camps had been Val's idea, a way of handling these prisoners in a timely fashion. The prisoners were free to run if they wished, the world was incapable of sustaining life and there were no ships outside of Imperial control to rescue them. Few guards were needed, as the threat of a turbolaser barrage was ever present with the Triumphant docked in low orbit for the duration of the events unfolding.
Val and Chiko strode through the camp without fear. Though surrounded by their enemy, every Mandan now knew the power of the Imperial Knights. A few of those number had not returned, but even those fallen few had laid terrible waste to the defending Mandan ranks. Val searched their eyes, finding that their beliefs were not a monolith. In some he found hatred and revulsion, in others, an abiding awe or grudging respect for a class of warrior alien to their own understanding.
He was searching for a particular face amongst the crowd, that of Arren Tsetch, clan Fulrau. As the prisoners had been disembarked, they had sought out their clan members amongst the multitudes. Now those clans had dispersed across the great valley that would be their home for a short while. Clan Fulrau, as Val had learned from the few and far between Mandans willing to speak to them, was a large and ancient clan well respected by its peers and coveted by its lessers. As such, the clan had left the valley and established a camp on the western ridge.
From atop the ridge the clan could see the entirety of the assembled mass. A hundred small camps spread across the whole of the valley floor. Huddled together these Mandans contested against the harsh conditions of their temporary home on the fair but not enjoyable rations afforded them by the Imperial navy. At the center of the camp was the landing pad and fortress, a pre-fabricated compound ubiquitous across the Empire. That fortress was the only route off the moon, the few shuttles allowed to dock at one time always manned by a full complement of Marines.
Val approached a set of kind eyes, removing his helmet. This was dangerous, as a thrown stone could easily reach him through the PDS as it moved much slower than a blaster bolt. It was a sign of trust and it immediately drew Chiko's ire. What are you doing you fool? She asked, her hand resting on her belt just short of her lightsaber. Val moved forward regardless, he sensed the mind of the woman he approached and there was no violence there. "So, you are human after all." The Mandan woman said without surprise. She turned to the man next to her and thumped his cuirass with a closed fist, "I told you Syl, but you can pay up once we're off this rock."
Val smiled cordially, "I had the honor to face one of your clan in battle." He stated, addressing more than just the woman. "I wish to meet and speak to him again, his name is Arren Tsetch." Val explained. The woman's eyes widened in recognition. "You know Arren?" She asked with a smile. "My cousin is on watch." She said, pointing to the far end of the camp where a spite of rock jutted jaggedly out above the canyon. Val nodded, "Thank you." He said shortly and began to move away.
The woman stopped him with a shout of, "Hold on!" Chiko's eyes scanned all around them and her mind strayed toward violence. The Mandan woman raised a hand to point to her side where her belt would be. "Show us the weapon." She said with a grin. Chiko's blade was in hand and ignited in an inconceivably fast draw. Those around her took a step back, some into a fighting stance, while others merely away from the threat. Chi. He thought, knowing she was still coming down from the battle on the bridge. She sighed through the visor and relaxed her pose. Val drew his own weapon and ignited it, holding the blue blade a few inches from his face in a salute.
The Mandans relaxed, a chorus of discussion broke out as the knights posed before them. Val flourished the weapon, then tossed it in a spinning throw toward a tall but thin rocky outcrop. The blade cleaved through, then with a flick of his wrist soared back into his waiting hand. With his left hand he reached out, lifting the top of the rock with some exertion before pushing it away. It shattered against the ground and pieces tumbled over the cliff side into the canyon below.
The chorus fell quiet for a moment. Val turned to Chiko, who was in the process of removing her helmet. Her hair was tightly bound and braided so as to accommodate the helmet, her face was still affixed with a restrained snarl of discomfort. Though the threat these prisoners posed was minimal, Chiko would be Chiko. He deactivated his saber and tossed it to the woman. "Be careful, the activation switch is just below the emitter." He stated. A flash of murder shot through Chiko's eyes as she beheld what he had just done. He smiled sheepishly, knowing he would pay for that later.
The Mandans around the woman stepped back as she eyed the weapon in her hands. With a moment of hesitation beforehand, she placed her thumb on the activation switch, then keyed it. The lightsaber blade sprang forth and Val watched as she felt the power of the lightsaber coursing through her hand. He remembered the first time he had felt that sensation, an overwhelming sense of control and mastery that few other experiences since could match. She held the weapon out, "It's heavy!" She exclaimed in surprise.
Val nodded, "Quite tiring to wave around when you've not practiced." He said, holding out his hand. The woman did not hesitate in handing the weapon back to him. "Perhaps one day I will take a trophy like this." She said with a confidence that unnerved Val momentarily. It was the determination behind her statement, the unwillingness to accept the superiority of her foe. This woman was a fine warrior, of that he had no doubt, but against his comrades all of her skill would be wasted.
"I wish you luck." He stated, his smile dimming as he turned his back on her. He noted Chiko's disgust, but it came from a misunderstanding. Though it had been a short tenure, Val had spent as much time as he could speaking to these people whom had been made his enemy. There was no malice in the Mandan warrior's statement, no implicit threat; her desire was a genuine one. As had been proven in the battle above, an Imperial Knight was perhaps the most dangerous foe that they could face on any battlefield. If his growing understanding of their ethos was correct, the conquer of such a foe would be glorious beyond imagining.
These were a warlike people, their honor and prestige gained through feats of gallantry in line with their code. In many ways they were not unlike Knights, bound by oaths that each individual would reckon with. It was a grim portent of the future that these prisoners were not cowed by defeat. They held their heads high despite what must have been a humiliation. They did not shrink from his gaze, nor did they flinch at his approach.
The stroll was punctuated by brief instances of shouts and jeers from the crowd. Val did not know the Mandan language but the meaning was clear enough. Though this was a moderate clan in large part, there was a large minority that retained the superstition Val had witnessed upon his last meeting with Arren. He would make their language his priority in the coming weeks. Understanding his enemy would allow him to not only communicate more effectively, but also to understand them implicitly in time.
Arren sat on a rock while the other guards stood. He was notably atypical of the others, older by a decade at least and with far less to prove. The guards postured against the approach of the Knights, though it was only for show. Attacking the pair was suicidal and even these young and inexperienced warriors knew that. Arren's helmet was at his side and so Val noted the wide smile that appeared as the man recognized him. Val had requested that their armor be returned to them upon arriving on the surface as a show of good faith, it was obvious the armor held significance to them.
Most of the warriors wore suits of heavily customized durasteel armor not dissimilar in composition from Stormtrooper Cuirasses. The exceptions were rare and immediately notable. Though formed in the same style, some suits of armor were far more ornate and perceivable archaic in design. The luster of freshly forged Durasteel was unmistakable when compared to the alternative. Val had counted and found that one in twenty of the assembled number bore armor in this style. As Val approached Arren, he recognized that he was one of these few.
"Hello there." Val said, returning the warm smile Arren had provided him. The Mandan stood slowly, seemingly working through some lingering pain from the battle days before. "Val of house Kidann." Arren said with a groan. "I do hope the intent of your visit is kinder than the last." The warrior said with a grim chuckle.
"I assure you that it is." Val replied, then turned and gestured toward Chiko, "This is my partner, Chiko Suvan." He explained briefly. Chiko nodded toward the man, but kept her eyes on their surroundings. Arren nodded in return, then pointed toward a collection of boulders nearby. "Would you like to sit? I observed your journey from the fortress, a frighteningly long and arduous hike that is."
Val nodded, "After you friend." Arren turned to the two young guards and muttered something in Mandan that struck Val as a very precise set of orders. Undoubtedly relating to what they should do if these Knights seem about to execute him. Arren had little to fear from them in that regard but Val sympathized nonetheless. The Mandan bounded quickly toward the stones and took a seat at the farthest of the cluster. Val took one just across from him while Chiko remained standing, peering back at the Mandan camp.
"I would like for you to accompany me back to Raeth." Val stated waiting to gauge the man's response. It was somewhere between a request and a threat, an intentional measure on Val's behalf. Arren was slow to respond, his face retaining the passive friendliness that characterized his features. The only visible shift was in the eyes, an almost imperceptible narrowing that Val believed signalled confusion rather than anger.That's good. Val thought, maintaining his poise so as to not alert Arren of his approval. Val had little doubt that the man would accompany them, but he would prefer if the Mandan had no reservations about it. Chiko spoke up suddenly, surprising Val, "As a guest, not a prisoner, of course." She clarified, her voice alarmingly even. More alarming to Val was that he had not anticipated her outburst, the internal dialogue between them had been momentarily extinguished.
Arren put his balled right hand beneath his chin and leaned forward in contemplation. "The Mand promised that we would all reach Raeth eventually." He said mockingly, but it was evident in his tone that the mocked party was the Mand. "I must be honest with you Knight Kidann that I have a very good memory and sharp eyes." His meaning was clear in that, all that he saw would be reported up the chain of command. Val nodded and grinned, "That is exactly why I sought you out, Arren." he said, using the man's name to emphasize that the joking was only a pretense for a more serious conversation to follow. Arren nodded, "I am to be a messenger of sorts then?" The Mandan asked, reaching down to grab his helmet, dusting off the bottom as he did so.
Chiko spoke again, though Val had regained their connection and was thusly was not surprised as before, "An observer as well." She stated, illuminating Val's purpose. Arren would serve as the first step in a mutual understanding, a bridge from which the future war may be prevented. The toll was already far more terrible than either side had truly prepared for. It was plain to see on the faces of these Mandans, they had never known defeat. Without this understanding, the resentment would grow and with it the desire for vengeance.
"I believe we have been maneuvered into a conflict designed to weaken all involved." Val said, placing faith in this enemy warrior. "The motivations for this I cannot yet determine, but I suspect it is that of dominion." He said, emphasizing the word as it felt right in his forming of it. Arren's guise fell as Val stated plainly what he had obviously long suspected himself. He leaned back, his eyes searching the faces of his distant kin.
A false smile spread across the Mandan's weathered face, a performance for the benefit of those observing from afar. "The shadow of this war stains all that it encompasses my friend." Arren said from behind that faux smile, pain was in the man's eyes and a deep sorrow dripped from his words. "The Mand has been twisted by this darkness, I think." There was a finality in that admission, as if closing the seal on a casket. "I do remember a time when we were not this." He waved a hand out across the valley below.
Val nodded, feeling Arren's forlorn longing for those older days. Val spared a glance to Chiko, imagining what they may have been without the blood feud that had defined them. Perhaps she may have been a dancer rather than a warrior, and he merely the second son, a ship without a set destination. Had he still a choice in that? Could he break those bonds now and secede into the obscurity that was beyond that? No, too much lay upon him now to shed his burden.
"We need you." Chiko spoke for him, his own thoughts drifting too far away, forcing him back into the present. Arren nodded at that, agreeing."I will be your messenger."