Waking up on Endor

[21:43] Soron narrowed his eyes up at the forest-ridden sky, the incense of grass and mud filling his copper-filled nostrils. He grunted a groan, "Nnnrrrgh." in propping himself up onto his undersuit-covered ass. His nose was bloodied, forehead mildly bruised -- in its early stages at least --, and chin bearing a bloody split along the skin (which painted some of his soft facial hair red). He forced himself onto his knees and essentially crawled towards Nicci, grasping a shoulder plate in order to shake her awake, "Ordo."

[21:50] Nicci's crimson hair was covering her face entirely where she had fallen.  She was out cold and there were bits of glass still stuck in her cheeks.  When she was shaken however, she sat up abruptly, not knowing if friend or foe in complete disorentation, and just threw a punch in the direction of whatever was shaking her, having no idea it was Soron and probably at that particular second, didn't even know where she was.

[21:59] Soron's own training kicked in once his blood-shot eyes recognized the aggressive action. Though slowed by the state of general disorientation he'd been in, the Mandalorian's left armored forearm shot up to deflect the fist, though a knuckle did manage to scrape his cheek-bone. His head jerked aside as another bruise formed and droplets of blood splattered from his nose. He spat a drop of blood and allowed his gaze to re-focus on Nicci. Remaining upon a single, armored knee, he huffed, "I reckon... we had enough."

[22:08] Nicci Ordo's eyes came into focus on Soron once her hand was stopped, recognizing the familiar paint of his armor but not so much his face, since she had never seen it before today.  She remembered where she was and what they had been doing in that moment.  She merely moaned in agreement, and started carefully trying to get the bits of glass out of her face.  "That was stimulating," she commented, referring to the fight.  "Hadn't had one like that since....a long time."

[22:15]  "Elek. Jate akaanir." Soron complimented, quirking the side of his blood-stricken mouth before raising his heavy armored figure to his feet. He offered a single gloved hand to help her up, "You're quite something in close quarters. Your aim just as good, Nicci?" he spoke her first name.

[22:20] Nicci Ordo would be heavy.  She had more armor than the average mandalorian.  She grunted as she got up, definitely needing the hand, but also having to use her legs to heave herself up.  She started scanning the forest, specifically for one of the swords she had lost.  They were very VERY important to her.  "I prefer melee combat but yes, I have been known to rip apart my enemies with my repeater just as well," she commented, but not at all in any kind of boasting manner.

[22:24]  "Heh." Soron huffed a brief chuckle in response, "I can respect that. There's no match to a good blaster at your side." he professed, "Jetpack maneuverability helps. Creates distance. I prefer to fight ranged, it has multiple advantages." he said, which was pretty clear by the combat pattern he'd just exhibited.

[22:29] Nicci Ordo smirked, peeling another piece of glass out of her face.  Her green eyes landed on her beskad that she had thrown,  nearly buried to the hilt in a tree.  She placed her boot on the trunk and her hands on the hilt, and with considerable effort, ripped it free, then sheathed it back in the holster.  She walked over to her helmet on the forest floor, the glass in the visor completely smashed.  "Haar'chak...that's the 3rd time this month," she grumbled.  "Lek, I gathered that you liked ranged combat better.  I made it a point to train heavily in both, but I was trained as a hand to hand warrior first.  It feels more natural to me to fight in this manner." she replied, her accent thick in the Ordo moon dialect.

[22:36] Soron 's gaze followed Nicci as she collected the sword and then the helmet. His keen ear just about recognized the dialect's origin. His back never faced her. He eventually walked over to his own helmet, landing on one knee to pick it up and stare into its reflective, T-shaped visor, "To each their own, I suppose. Our training makes us sufficient in both." he concluded, raising to his feet to face the other, his helmet still held out front, "I'd... like to hunt with you. I'm tracking a sorcerer. I can try take him alone, but such space magicians ought not be underestimated." his dry sense of humor boasted, "Two Mandalorians eliminating a Great Hunt target -- there's a thrill of the hunt in that, wouldn't you say, Ordo? Join me." he proposed, his copper lips offering something rare -- a smile.

[22:47] Nicci Ordo's face screwed up in a scowl, like she just ate a lemon or something.  "I don't work for fat cowardly slugs.  I do not work for any aruetii, in fact.  I find bounty hunting work to be offering us up as attack dogs to the aruetii, and I happen to think our people are much more than that," she replied, rather bluntly.  She regarded him for a moment, then released a resigned sigh.  "However, if you need my help, I will never refuse to aid my people.  Not for any bounty, but because you are mando'ade.  And well, mostly because I never refuse an offer to kill a sith." she admitted.  There was quite a story behind that, but Soron had not unlocked that influence gain level yet!

[22:51] Soron exhaled a sharp snort past his bloodstained nose, "Vor entye, vod. Sorcerers are no easy prey, it's honorable work. Besides, the Great Hunt is so much more than the Cartel. It's a generation-old event that our people have participated in, even the Crusaders of old -- the likes of Ordo's originators." he said, "And you won't have to work for an aruetii. I'll compensate your ammunition and the like, but for all intents and purposes, you're simply on the hunt." he offered a sage-nod, "A worthwhile one."

[22:54] Nicci Ordo just shook her head. "Agree to disagree, on honorable work," she grunted.  She was about to put her helmet back on, but the glass still falling out of it made her change her mind.  "Have to fix this first, obviously.  I am only doing this because you said Sorceror.  It has been too long since my blade has fed on sith blood, and it is hungry." she commented.  There was a story behind that too, but more influence gain was necessary for that as well!

[22:59]  "Jate. We have an option to pursue one of two Sith I'm tracking -- Darth Nemesis or Darth Ulterius." Soron proclaimed, "Both exist within the sphere of the Dark Lords of the Sith, whose joint-council and Emperor are said to rule Byss. I am uncertain of who the current Emperor is, but transportation, tracking, and ambushing on the Core World is not bound to be difficult." he outlined general facts, "How about.. how about we head over to a forge and repair that helmet of yours. Plot a course back to... Dxun?"

[23:01] Nicci Ordo nodded.  "I personally would not mind seeing either one of them buried, but have a preference for Darth Nemesis." she stated.  It was of course up to him, he made the proposal.  "I can meet you on Onderon if you want, after I repair my buy'ce.  Unless you are stranded here without a ship for some reason or wanted to come with me..."

[23:05]  "Nayc, I'm not stranded. I travel in my Fang fighter, suited for one." Soron replied, "I'll plot a course to Onderon, in that case, and help you with the helmet at the forge. I'm quite acquainted with working on helmets." he said, his chin jerking towards his right shoulder-plate, which possessed a forge-like emblem, the flames of which oddly resembled... Black Sun insignia? He looked upwards, allowing more blood to run across his short, short beard and down his throat. His eyes spotted his own ship landed far above, on one of the trees' landing pads, and then he scouted for hers, "What vessel did you arrive in?"

[23:15] Nicci Ordo spoke into her wrist comm and after a few moments, a ship landed in the clearing near them, blowing smaller trees and underbrush almost flat against the forest floor.  "That one." she replied.  "And I was still going to go to Dxun.  I do not have a forge on Onderon.  But the climate is inhospitable there and I did not want you to inconvenience yourself.  You aren't the only one acquainted with working on helmets you know.  I have worked on mine for 30 years now." she chuckled, headed for the back hatch on her vessel.

[23:19] Soron rolled both armored shoulders into a shrug, "Eh. Suit yourself." he replied as she headed for the ship, before placing his helmet upon his head. He tucked the neck-seal into place and latched the technological marvel on, before barking a verbal command that would active his Z-6 jetpack's thrusters and send him upwards, towards the landing pad where his fighter remained.