Khatta "Cataclysmic" Kels'mek (Prosstang)

Born Khatta Kels'mek in 43 BBY on Mandalore in Negat Cube City, near Sundari to a widowed mother. After many years of being raised by her mother alone. Several years after her mother's death, she found the man she believed could tell her about her father, Tyro Kels'mek. He was one of her father's best friends, and a soldier for Jaster Mereel. He was Ferrigo Prosstang.

""....""

- Khatta Kels'mek, to ...

Early Childhood
""Your father died in a war...in a faraway place...""

- Khatta's mother, to Khatta on her fourth birthday.

The words my mother spoke to me on my fourth birthday never left my mind, they were and still somewhat remained into my earlier teenage years. Mother and I never really had a steady home for more than a few months at a time. We always stayed in small places we rented here and there from land lords who could give a flying osik about his tenants. I managed to get over these problems and found several younger ones than myself having trouble with their lot in life of our dirty lower end of town. I took them under my wing so to speak, helping them find their true heritage as Mandalorians, Teaching them to be proud and over come hardship, making them stronger in the end.

My mother, had several more children by various men in our back water end of town. One in particular I held, in my mind, much higher in regard than the others; Aniel'ka Kels'mek. Being my half sister and a few years younger than myself, Aniel'ka was just as wiry as myself, but a great deal smaller and less able to fend for herself much. I often found myself getting her out of trouble, then getting in many tough situations as a result of it. We both found our way though, with our small band of young ones trying to keep the Mandalorian traditions alive. We often would slip away from town for days at a time, and Mother never truly minded me and Aniel'ka being gone that long. Our band would find small jobs to pull for extra money the majority of the time. One time in particular, I remember quite well a local business man. I call him that, but he was no more than a loan shark needing his biggest debtor to pay up. He approached me for help in this matter out of the blue one day, while I was hanging around the back of the local bar. The bar was close to the apartment I shared with four other children and my mother. Being around 18, I blended right in with the rest of bar patrons there.

Mother Dies...the Journey Begins
""Where are you heading to, miss?"

"Nowhere, and I do not need someone hanging about me watching my every step.""

- Mandalorian grifter asking Khatta if she wanted company on her long walk to the forested regions.

The Precious Farewell
The path to the Prosstang Region was not well-worn from Negat....I knew this very well. I started out early that morning after a sleepless night after laying my mother to rest the day before. Most of my younger half siblings, had either run off with their friends, or had been employed as of late, and did not need being looked after by me. While I headed to tie up my last few loose ends, I poured over the clues my mother had left behind for me. Why did she leave that data card for me.... what did all of this mean, her words "Be careful and trust no one"... Mother this is so confusing what were you trying to tell me? These thoughts went thru my brain while I walked with Aniel'ka on my shoulders. I left her alone with her elder brother, who I am fuzzy on the name at the moment thinking back to these days.. I still remember her looking at me standing beside her older brother holding his arm tightly in tears calling my name telling me "K'oyacyi Khatta, gedet'ye!". I looked back over my shoulder, my heart breaking a little, as I left what felt like my own ad'ika behind while I went off into the unknown towards Prosstang Region and to find the man I thought would tell me about my own father.

Settling Scores and Being Wanted
With the images of my Aniel'ka in tears still fresh in my mind when I turned back around putting my helmet on that belonged to my mother, my clan symbol over the entire face of it, I walked quickly to collect from a group that owed me money that always hung out at the bar. I had to navigate the filthy streets of early morning city scum that hang about preying on unsuspecting people. This of course didn't bother me much, I could run with the worst of them. They all knew I could kick their shebse if they tried something stupid. I felt myself being watched the entire way to the shady bar on the worst side of lower end Negat there could ever be spawned out of filth and scum. When I reached the bar it was mid-day. It was swarming with random patrons who enjoyed starting the night off early, and loved starting trouble.

I walked in and stopped just inside the door scanning the crowd, which was fairly small for that time of day. I stood there my helmet still on with several people staring up from their mugs and shot glasses, some of them knowing exactly who I was with out having to take my helmet off. Those select few looked away quickly before I noticed them, but of course it was to late for them to escape detection. I walked in slowly toward the counter, being in my twenties, I drew some attention with my height and body figure. Only those who were regular patrons of the bar knew how much of a wild cat I was when I wanted my business done. When I approached one end of the bar, finally I removed my helmet and sat it down beside me, the symbol of my clan painted on the helmet facing the rest of the bar. When I sat down, I propped my head on my hand and ordered my drink in the softest, sweetest voice I could get out. I told the barkeep my mother just died. He noted my recent circumstances, nodded and got my drink quickly, setting it down in front of me and smiling sweetly. I just returned his smile with a sort of grim glare. I had my feet propped up on the bottom of the counter while I sat looking down the bar every so often while I waited for my targets to come in to kick off their nights.

I didn't have to wait to long on them to get there. Shortly after I got my drink and settled in, a group of loud patrons came in and among them was my first and main target for payment, A'denn Kadestoi. I had pulled a job or two a year or so back with him, and with his group of scum buddies. They double crossed me, and left me to rot so to speak. But... unlucky for them I survived and I had waited patiently for my time to reappear and get what was rightfully mine. I turned around on my bar stool and spotted him right off the bat. He was sitting at a table with his friends, in the corner over on the other side of the bar.

I had decided to wait until he had had a couple drinks in him, before going over to have a nice little chat with him. Acting like I was about to leave the bar room, I stood up, putting on my helmet and leaving the cash on the bar for what I had drank and what I was possibly about to break. The people I had been sitting by watched as I walked away, enjoying the view they saw, but as soon as I got near the table where my target sat they looked away. When I approached the table I removed my helmet, and pulled up my own seat and propped my feet up on the table in front of one of his buddies. I was met with odd stares and some glares as well, I paid no attention to them at all. A'denn sat across from me at the table, and when he looked to see who had crashed his party, he turned white as a ghost. I smiled grimly, and looked him right in the eye and said "So, ner vod, how ya been? Haven't seen you in so long I was beginning to think you were dead. Or that there was a list of bounties put on your head."

A'denn just sat there staring at me. Then his face turned back to normal coloring, and he relaxed back in his seat with a quick glance to the entrance before returning words. "Oh I could ask you the exact same thing, but then again, who really gives an osik about it all. A round of drinks on me!"

I shook my head and stood up looking at him severely and spoke. "No. I came here for one thing, and it wasn't ale. I want the money from that job that you double crossed me on." I tapped the table with my finger tips while I stared him in the eye.

He grinned at me. "Well well... what makes you say I still have your money?"

I stared him down and crossed my arms then my face went calm, and I shrugged. "I guess you are right A'denn. You never knew how to keep yourself employed. You always mooched off of little ol' me. You are right. How am I supposed to get money you don't have, hmm?" While he was thinking my words over I fiddled with my gauntlet some, and sat back down across from him, he motioned his buddies to clear out to another table.

I conversed with him a little while, slowly pushing him using persuasion to hand over the funds he had of mine. After a little while he looked at me and said, "How is Rel'ia? Haven't seen her since.....oh, about two years back?"

My shoulders dropped a little and he knew he had hit a raw nerve with his question by the way my lip quivered. I stood up again and said, "Alright this is getting nowhere. Either you pay up or I take it from you. I have places to go and people to see, and I don't feel like wasting anymore time here in this back water town."

He stood as well, and stared at me. "I already told you, I don't have your money, Khatta."

I grinned and pointed my left gauntlet at him. My face went straight and his look of surprise was priceless. "So you expect me to cave just like that?" He snapped his fingers together. "I'm not a soft person, Khatta."

I turned to one of his buddies, my gauntlet firing, sending one of my darts into his chest, an arc of electricity coursing through his body at point blank range sent him into violent convulsions. A'denn stepped back about to pull his blaster out, I turned back to him, rotating my wrist with a quick snapping movement to reload the chamber of my dart blaster. "So, you want to rethink your words now, di'kut? It would seem you don't have much of a choice." He had his hand on his blaster, but pulled it away and sat down slowly while I kept my gauntlet trained on him. He took out a bag and tossed it at me, which I caught it with ease, grinning. I nodded to him. "A'denn, it has never been a pleasure doing business with you," as I put the bag in my cargo pocket. "Until now." I grabbed my helmet, and saw out of the corners of my eyes that his buddies decided they would try to stop me. One of his buddies came from behind to grab me, I heard him coming, and I moved swiftly to the side, my elbow whipped back to catch his cheek bone, and my fist landing square to his jaw while he was still reeling from my elbow. The other two left standing came at me one at a time. When the first one grabbed my throat, I kicked his knee out of place and darted him with one of my sleeping darts...that would earn me a measure of infamy for their effectiveness. I laughed a little to myself when I thought of how bad he was going to feel when he woke up. The last one looked around seeing his buddies laying unconscious or hurt badly and he turned yellow and ran off out of the bar.

I nodded to the barkeep and grabbed A'denn's shoulder on my way out and said quietly to him, "Ret'urcye mhi." I got to the door and stopped my blood ran cold, I looked over at the bounty board I felt myself not able to breathe as I read what the words said under my image "WANTED: FOR THE DEATH OF REL'IA KELS'MEK, ALIVE 20,000" My hands shook as I stood there and thinking back to the dart I found and kept to myself at my mothers death place, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I took off running for the edge of town. A'denn had gotten up and looked at the bounty board and grinned evilly and just followed behind me slowly knowing exactly where I was going in such a hurry. While I ran my thoughts went thru my mind so quick it made me dizzy on several occasions and I ran into random people, I didn't even stop to apologize while they screamed curses at me and shook their fists angrily at me.

When I reached the edge of town I stopped and leaned on the tree panting for air. I heard the tell-tale sound of a jet pack shutting off and the thud of someone landing hard on their beskar'gam boots. Whirling around fast, my heart almost stopped. It was A'denn. He had followed me, no doubt, to collect the bounty. He held his blaster pistol in his hand, his arm bent up where the barrel scratched his head as he moved his arm up and down. His words were accusing as he spoke "So...my dear Khatta, tell me, what kind of person kills their only parent and then collects from an old friend and tries to leave town so quickly after her mothers death? Wouldn't you say that is the marks of a guilty person?" His face went completely blank as he stared at me.

I felt myself getting light headed and thought ''No no no no not right now any time but now! DONT PASS OUT DONT PASS OUT! YOU DO AND YOU ARE DEAD! YOU HEAR ME DEAD! GET YOUR SHEBSE IN GEAR AND DO SOMETHING!'' I suddenly twisted my wrist locking a knock out dart in the chamber of my gauntlet and fired it into his leg, hitting his artery. It worked a few moments after it hit. He didn't even have time to get out one word before he hit the ground. I took this as my chance, and I dragged him to the tree I had been propped up on, and turned his limp and heavy body to face the city. I took out one of my special memory erasing darts, and stabbed it into his neck. I had come up with that formula when working with an old Mando named Yoma Tre'vhek. He was one of several serious barves I had no interest in working with again. Word around on him was that he survived a bounty collected from a Hutt years ago, and that Hutt was still trying to get someone to put him on a shelf. For a moment, I even considered whether that old bear of a man might have been responsible for taking out my mother. I shook my head, clearing my mind and putting both darts I had used into one of my belt pouches. Taking my stashed backpack out of its hiding spot inside the tree, I removed my helmet took one last quick look at the city and took off north towards the Prosstang Region.

Approaching Kaitom'prosstang
I kept moving through the night and didn't stop until I was half way to the outskirts of Prosstang Region. The trees had been gathering more densely, and seemed to be, I don't know...healthier than the ones closer to Negat. I finally stopped for rest, almost falling down on the side of the trail because the entire time of me moving was fast walking, or running when I had overhead cover. It was the dead of night by this point I saw a small rock outcropping and I got up weary and went to hide there for the night until I was rested enough to continue. The next morning I awoke with the same sick feeling I felt the day before when I first saw the bounty board. All these years of helping my clans elders on their hair-brained schemes, and this... of all things is how they repay me. A bounty.. for a murder I didn't commit. I just had to find Ferrigo Prosstang.. he would be able to help, possibly. He knew my dad. Mom said he was my dad's best friend. I sat up pulling my gauntlets off my hands and putting them down beside me pulling my clothes out of my pack and changing quickly so I would not draw any attention to myself, lucky for me I thought ahead for times like these. I looked out from my hiding spot to make sure no one was coming from either direction, and I quickly got on the trail with my hand held holo-map showing me where and how far Prosstang Region was from me. A certain village caught my eye, small and secluded, and would be easily looked over for a bounty on the run from a clan out for blood. ''Perfect.. it will give me long enough to get to know the towns people, and find out some about this man my mother told me to find...'' I set out in right direction walking quickly, every step I took, I could feel my helmet moving against my back, and I felt a closeness to my mother who was not with me, for my armor had been hers when she was alive.

Rhell'cyok, the small village I set my sights on, was just in view ahead of me when something came out of the bushes towards me in a stampede of sorts. I jumped quickly out of the way and saw shatual, and a few men chasing them. One stopped to help me, I sat on the ground shaking my head, he put his hand out to me I took it and pulled myself up and put my pack down at my feet. He looked me over closely then said "Su'cuy. Are you alright?"

I nodded slowly and looked at him "Yes, I am ok, a bit shocked but other than that, fine. Now, why are you men chasing those shatual around?"

He shuffled a bit with his feet and looked down at me, him being a lot taller than me. And...handsome. "They got out earlier this morning. We have been after them all day. I'm Rhanin Kuporr," he said slowly, and casually pointed to the other guy with him. "He's Lhonin, my little brother."

"Would you happen to need help? I am good with animals." I tried to sound cheerful, but he saw through my forced happy voice, but said nothing to me. I noticed by the way his eyes looked he was suspicious of me, but he also seemed perplexed...maybe attracted. After a few awkward moments of silence, his brother turning around to look at a tree, Rhanin Kuporr gladly accepted my help. I picked up my pack and headed off after him and his brother to the rest of the younger looking men to herd the shatual. It took all in all about four hours after I started helping them to get them back up.

After checking the gate, I turned around and looked at Rhanin, and asked quietly "What is the quickest way to Prosstang Town? I need to head on out, because the sun sets in a couple of hours." He turned his face and met my eyes, a small glimmer of admiration in them. But it went away when he comprehended what I was asking. He replied a little unevenly. "It's a day or so out from here, but why you heading there...Miss...? Sorry, what was your name?"

''OSIK!! Why...did he have to ask my name?.....Just..WHY!??'' I looked up at him a few seconds, then spoke almost to quiet to be heard, from being so exhausted "Ke'ana. Widden..." ''Oh, please don't look at me suspicious again, Rhanin. Please, just buy the name as it is.''

"Ke'ana Widden..." Rhanin asked thoughtfully, as his brother Lhonin and a few of the other five guys occasionally stole a glance at me. "Why are you heading to Prosstang Town?"

I looked at him a bit awe struck at all his questions and him seeming to be interested in me and I spoke still in my quiet voice. "I'm...going to try and find an old friend of my mother.  I haven't seen him and I'm not sure I can even find him."

"Well, we know quite a few people, Miss Widden," Rhanin said warmly. "We might be able to help you.  Still, we think it would be best if you stayed with us tonight..."

"Rhan!" Lhonin Kuporr muttered sharply, turning back to look ahead.

"Lho..." Rhanin raised the hand closest to his brother. "I mean, you should stay in our village, Rhell'cyok.  You don't look like you've eaten, I don't hear any pots or pans in your gear bag, and it will be dinnertime soon. There are plenty of beds, and either our mom, or one of the guys' moms can put you up safe for the night."

"We don't bite," one of the other village guys said.

"Except Rhan, maybe!" joked another.

"Nice...very nice," Rhanin shook his head with a mocking smile. "I'll remember your wisecracking, ner vode."

I looked at each of them as they spoke, and then answered. "But, I really should..." I trailed off in my thoughts and agreed to stay for dinner and perhaps the night. From their reaction, for a moment I thought these guys scored a goal playing mesh'geroya.

Welcomed To Rhell'cyok
When we started to head to the village, I leaned over to pick up my pack, but Rhanin said "Ms. Widden, let me carry that for you; you look exhausted."

I looked up at him hesitantly, and said, "I can handle it.  It doesn't weigh that much at all." He didn't take no for an answer and kept insisting. With the greatest reluctance I let him carry it for me back to the village, where he arranged for me to stay the night with his mother.

The Determination of Rhanin
He disappeared into the house and I saw a large tree off to the side and decided to climb it to look at the view of the village and think on some things for a little while. Until Rhanin found me.

.. ''Ok...Khatta..think.. that dart you found in your mothers back was there anything special about it at all.... Yes.. that's right it looked like one of your darts you use... this is how they intend to have evidence against you... no one will be any the wiser to it either.. no one will think of or want to clear you of your supposed crime.. you are an outcast of the Kels'mek clan.. no one cares.....''

I looked down and saw Rhanin, he stopped and looked up in the tree. He chuckled and said, "Well, do you think I'm going to let you roost there for the night? The food will be ready shortly. Why not come down so we can talk?"

With a little bit of surprise I spoke in my quiet voice again. "Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

I slid off the branch and down to the ground slowly, and Rhanin walked over to me. He looked like he had so much to say to me. Instead of telling me about dinner, he asked of course where I had been traveling from.

I looked at him, my eyes blood shot and a deep worry line in my brow. I hardly spoke about that, being deliberately evasive, asking questions about the trees, shrubs and wildlife around Rhell'cyok.

He got a little frustrated, with me not giving him the answers he wanted. He finally got fed up with my evasion of his questions and stopped pressing me so much for answers. Instead, he and I went to dinner. There was so much talk and food, and appreciation for help with the round up, I couldn't take it much more. I finally slipped away unnoticed outside, or so I thought.

As I left the large room where the entire village was gathered, someone bumped into me and...guess who the someone was...yes...Rhanin. I quickly said, "Oh...sorry, I guess I'm not looking where I'm going to well..."

He smiled wryly and watched as I walked slowly toward where I was to sleep that night. When I had gotten half way to the house, he said, "Hey wait up!"

He came running up to me, smiling.

''What could Rhanin want... wait... why is he smiling like that.. he..his features are so attractive..wow...''

When he got to where I had stopped, he asked, "Would you care to take a walk with me? I would like to talk a bit more before you go to sleep, but I know you are tired so I will understand if you say no."

Why did he have to be so handsome...I'm so tired...this is nuts, and I will regret doing this...Don't say yes, Khatta...don't say yes...I looked at him and forced a grim, exhausted smile and said, "Ok. What is it you want to talk about?" .....Gar di'kut!

He lead me through the village, to a forest trail. After checking behind us, we walked on into the darkness. We walked for about ten minutes or so, then he stopped, turned around and leaned up on a tree beside the trail. He then looked at me, gazing. I looked at him barely able to see him in the darkness that gripped the forest at this time of night. He asked, "Why do you seem so depressed, or...nervous?"

I looked at him, glad it was so dark, I didn't want him to see my expression at his question. I answered quietly, as I had done all day. "I...just recently lost my mother, and my younger half sister that I practically raised as my own..." I didn't have to see his face to know his expression at finding this out. I went on. "I would rather no one know, and I'm still doubting if I can even find the friend of my mother...so basically, I've no where to go right now."

There was silence for a few moments on his part. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, I'm sure if you were to stay here at the village we could help you find that friend of yours," then Rhanin Kuporr stunned me a little, though it shouldn't have. "Perhaps you might find someone who can help you soften the pain you're in?"

''Is...is he hitting on me..... Did I just hear him correctly... I told you... DI'KUT!!''

I stumbled over my words a little. "Oh...I wouldn't want to impose on anyone, I just need time to think things out," I made an upward waving gesture at the tree. "Which is what I was doing earlier in that tree. Things just don't seem to add up to me at all. I wont return to where I came from. That is for sure." ''K'UURRRRR! GAR DI'KUT! stop giving him things to think on about you! Stop acting like you need so much help!'' I felt light headed again, this time I couldn't stop myself from falling down.

I awoke some time later, to find myself in a small room on a bed. Not knowing how long I had been sleeping so at first, I didn't know where I was and sat up quickly in a panic of sorts. Until I looked around the room and remembered I was in Amaana Kuporr's bed.

I moved to get up, but I saw someone standing at the door watching me. The figure looked to be female. I then realized it was Amaana Kuporr. She came in saying "Are you alright, Ms. Widden? Rhanin brought you back here the other night after you passed out with him. You have slept for two days straight."

I didn't know quite what to say, so I said nonplussed, "Yes, I am alright," in return. She asked if I wanted to eat something, which I gladly accepted.

Taming a Steed
After getting things taken care of, I decided to wander around the village a little, to see what was going on. In my wanderings, I came upon a fairly large stable area. There were guarlara all around, most of them young. I walked up and stood staring at them, and a certain one came up to me curious of my presence. It snuffled my hand and pockets thinking I had something for it.

I heard someone behind me. I turned to look. It was the stable owner. He introduced himself as Mu'uk Rhell. He said, "That little one seems to have taken to you, Miss. Do you ride?"

I looked at him and nodded "I have ridden before when I was much younger. Nothing this grand though. I have never seen one of these before, they aren't indigenous to my region I grew up in..."

He left my comment alone, not wanting to know my past. "They aren't indigenous to Mandalore, except that the Clan Prosstang chieftain from over 600 years ago received a few from the King of Naboo as a gift, and most of them ended up here," he seemed busy with feeding and inspecting them, and a little hurried in speaking. He said to finish our conversation, "If you would like to ride, there is a saddle and bridle in the stable for you. Help yourself." I nodded, and he led me to show where it was at. When I entered the doorway I looked up, and of course saw Rhanin saddling his own steed. He looked up and smiled at me, I returned a sheepish smile to him and turned around to catch up the steed that I had met moments before.

When I returned with him a few minutes later, and Rhanin's jaw dropped open. I looked at him and said, "What is it? Why do you look so surprised?"

He replied, "That guarlara is known as Firebrand. He never lets anyone...do anything...with him." I looked a bit dumbfounded at Rhanin for a moment, then saddled up and walked the Firebrand outside. Rhanin followed with his guarlara as I hopped up on Firebrand's back. When Rhanin mounted and sat down easily, he gazed at me, seeming to issue a challenge, a sort of I'm going to show off, see if you can keep up with me Little One look. He took off on his guarlara leaving a dust trail behind him. Firebrand reared as I held him back from following for a moment, then as I let the reins forward he took off after Rhanin.

I caught up to him in mere minutes after him taking off, the events that followed.. Were to say the least, crazy. Firebrand caught up to and almost ran into Rhanin's steed when he stopped short of a small stream running across our trail. When I composed myself again and shot a glare at him for stopping so quickly, he winked and took off again. I of course was ready for this to happen again, and followed him this time, and shorlty passing him.

Something didn't seem right to Firebrand, nor me. My steed halted with a hard slide and stood his head held high staring up ahead of us. I looked back over my shoulder, and saw that Rhanin was coming up on my tail fast. Holding out my arm motioning for him to stop or slow down he noticed and slowed to a stop beside me. I didn't take my eyes off the trail up ahead for a moment, he reached over and put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Ke'ana.. why do you seem so jumpy and paranoid?"

I looked at him for a moment, Firebrand seamed to relax when he had the other steed near him as I did also with Rhanin's touch. I shook my head, "I don't know what you mean.." Looking ahead again I nudged Firebrand on, but he would have none of it. He whirled around on his hind legs rearing up not wanting to leave the others. I held on to him tightly around his long neck, but that didn't help him rearing, for this time, he came back down and bucked several times sending me flying to the dirt trail. Rhanin chuckled at his behavior and dismounted to come over to me and help me up.

I had already sat up holding my forehead from being dizzy, sort of laughing at Firebrand's behavior. Rhanin stood over me unable to keep his deep laughing voice quiet, putting his hand out to me while saying "See? He lulls who ever rides him into a false sense of security...then completely loses it."

I looked up at him and blushed taking his hand. "Why does it always seem you are picking me back up?" That was more of thinking out loud than wanting an answer. He noticed my expression and didn't let go of my hand.

He said quietly. "You pique my interests Ke'ana. I want to find out more about you." I could tell that wasn't all he wanted to say. It seemed the other part would be I have too big of an ego to admit all of what I feel.

I got up and walked slowly to the Firebrand putting my hand out and caught the rein quickly before he had the chance to run off again. I leapt up onto his back quickly, kicking him into a gallop. Which he did at first then slid to a stop and reared up. Staying on this time, when he came back down I kicked him into gallop again back towards Rhanin. He again slid to a stop and reared in front of Rhanin's steed and started bucking again. I stayed on his back keeping his head up to make it difficult for him to buck. All this time Rhanin stayed back watching me and Firebrand work our problems out.

After a while of this Firebrand calmed down I was exhausted and patted him on the shoulder softly cooing to him "Good boy.." I looked up at Rhanin who sat there on his own steed in disbelief and he didn't say anything until we got back to the stable yard. Dismounting he looked at me while I removed Firebrand's saddle and set it down easily, saying "I have never seen anyone do that with him before...EVER. You have got to be something special to get him under control like that."

I turned to him "I don't know about special, Rhanin."

Journey's End
When I finally entered Prosstang Town, I asked several people where I could find Ferrigo Prosstang. Which being in my beskar'gam, I felt it made me look suspicious asking about a man not of my clan. I got over that feeling. I didn't care as much for my appearance as I did for getting some answers. The night before when I had stopped to rest I had been messing with my beskar'gam, and found a keepsake of my mothers... It was a torn bit of purple fabric with gold trim around it. Everything started to come together for me, why she had told me to find Ferrigo.. Why she never talked about my supposed father.. I barely slept that night after finding it and thinking everything out. When I found someone who would tell me where he was at, I went straight there. A place called The Itchy Strill. I stood outside there leaned on the wall, getting my nerve up to go in there and find him. Several people watched me closely as they walked on past me either leaving or entering the bar. Finally, I got my nerve up and walked in.

I had my helmet on, but took it off and shook my hair out when I got through the door. I made like a shriek-hawk in a predatory dive for the bar counter. When I got there, all of maybe seven steps through a small crowd, I turned to take my surroundings in. The crowd, the table lay out, and..a certain distinguished man sitting among several people at the table near the bar counter. He had brown hair, a full but well-kept beard, and from what I could gather, he appreared to be just over six feet tall. He wore a dark purple military frock coat with black shoulder bars with embroidered gold letters. He had an empty plate in front of him, like he had just finished his meal and was sharing drinks with friends. Hmm...he looks much more formal than this crowd, but doesn't seem out of place...I feel every eye in here on my back.. I closeed the gap to the counter and sat my helmet down on it, making eye contact with the Mon Cala bartender, and said. "Two glasses of the strongest stuff you have in house."

As I stood there a man, about five foot nine, came up behind me wrapping his hands around my shoulders, spoke next to my ear and said "Well, that.. would be me my dearest.." I turned my wrist quickly to the left, making a loud warning sound, the drunk man didn't seem to take. I turned my head and forced a smile putting my hand under his jaw, his smile grew wider. That is until I said through clenched teeth and with venom in my voice. "Let go of me... or I will pin your tongue to the roof of your mouth, di'kut!" I had turned my gauntlet under his chin, well-positioned to release my vibroblade and deliver on my promise.

At that moment, the distinguished man sitting at the table spoke up. "Take your hands off her, Vehrr'ik. Now." As he spoke, the entire room grew silent and watched as the drunk let go of me and backed away like a scolded animal. Then the man spoke again, "Now, get your shebse out of here before I let her do what she threatened."

I looked at the man giving the order, and lost my cool and said before I thought everything out, "Who in fier'fekking Keldabe are you and what makes you think you have authority over me?!" The crowd grew more silent. He stood up, and I crossed my arms staring at him.

He said "You won't get anywhere in Prosstang Town talking that way to the Aliit'alor Ferrigo Prosstang." He stared me down a bit, and I tried to hide my mixed emotions at this moment. "Come here and sit down. Fish, her drinks please.. on the house."

I stared at him wondering if he saw through my best efforts to keep my cool at this point. I came over and sat in front of him, in a seat someone cleared for me then practically tripped over himself to get away from me while I came closer.

I intentionally put my helmet down in front of me the symbol facing him, I saw.. my action got his attention. When I put my helmet down, he stared at it thinking deeply about it, then had to catch himself before he got too far in thought to keep focused on me. The bartender came and set my drinks in front of me which I nodded to him without taking my eyes off of Ferrigo Prosstang for a single moment. I held on to one of my drinks out of habit, and said in a quiet voice. "I just want to find my father's friend."

Ferrigo sat there one eye on the helmet symbol, and he said, "Well.. this is no way to go about it. By the way, sorry about Vherr'ik. He doesn't hold his drink very well."

I slowly told him where I had came from, and how I lost my mother three years earlier. I told him also, how my mother had told me about my father dying before I was born almost twenty four years ago. "It was the Battle at Galidraan," I tossed my 'fathers' shoulder plate in front of him on the table. Which he stared at, while I drank my entire first glass as soon as I lifted it from where it sat. I looked at him in the eye and said, "Tyro Kels'mek. Do you know him? No, of course you don't. He died at Galidraan," I noticed him thinking something over in his mind. "My mother always told me, we had some rough times, destitution, shame, and survival..But she always said to me..'One day, go find your father's best friend, Ferrigo Prosstang. He will help you understand who you are.' Well... here I am...with the only thing I have left of my mother. Her beskar'gam." I grimly laughed at my situation. Noticing that Ferrigo Prosstang was still in deep deep thought and staring at me so closely.

"THIS," I pulled out the worn purple cloth trimmed in gold from behind my breast cup where it had been stashed away. "I found this on my way here. All these years, me never knowing she had this momento." I stood up not able to hold myself back any longer than I had already done. I was beyond angry. "When I think back, she rarely talked about HIM.. SHE always talked about...YOU!" I pointed at his face and sputtered in rage. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!!" Feeling the hot sting of tears behind my eyes then finally stream down my cheeks. ''I don't care if I cry! I don't care if I am not professional!''

He stared up into my eyes, but I didn't give him any time to respond to what I had just said. I had already been pointing at him, and lowered my arm slightly and fired a dart into his neck, just as he got out the word "I..." He fell back onto the floor convulsing. I jumped the table and kicked him several times, then was grabbed from behind, while in mid-kick, by someone who was twice my size. My fury made me stronger than normal. I held on and jerked my weight forward and to the left to land on my feet, and body-slammed the huge man down next to his clan leader. Several others also tried to stop me, and they met the same fate as the first, but only one of them was thrown into the bar counter. Before anyone could grab me again I had my helmet and was leaving The Itchy Strill, my gauntlet raised ready to fire on anyone who tried to stop me again.

When I got through the door to The Strill I picked up the pace, running at first then when I turned the corner I stopped. There stood someone up ahead of me, a little too short to be a man of the clan. When I looked closer, I realized it was a young looking girl. She wore a beskar'gam with the Prosstang Clan symbol on it. I didn't much care if she was family or not, I walked toward her but stopped short when she screeched something through her emitter. "Take one more step, and you lose your head!"

I laughed out loud, and retorted. "Aww someone is angry. Do not test me little one. Move aside before I make you move!" My voice emitter crackling with my already failing voice. She didn't move. I shook my head and took a fighting stance.

She said, still enraged. "You attacked my father! Are you a di'kut or something?! I'm not moving! Only way past me is over my dead body!" She pulled a saber hilt from her belt and activated it slowly. It seemed to me, she of course was making a show to try and scare me into submission. Too bad for her I wasn't that type. While I was reflecting on the situation, she bounded forward at me slashing at me. I had just enough time to move to the side and kick her back hard as I could while back flipping to make some distance.

She caught the ground with her hand stopping herself from sliding too far back. I stood watching her intently now, trying to read her next move. I felt a sharp pain between my eyes. What the-! Just as my thought process wandered a bit she came again at me this time almost to quick for me to realize it, but again I some how figured out where her saber would strike. Moving to the side again I forced her to the ground, knocking her helmet off. I quickly racheted my gauntlet to load a saber dart. I fired just as she was about to regain her feet, and the dart landed deep in her arm that wielded the saber.

For a moment, my breath caught. How much like one of my mom's cousins this girl looked. She growled in pain, and switched her saber to her other hand after pulling the dart out. She stood quickly after throwing the dart down to the side, and leapt up before I could clear my mind of my mother. The girl came down with her heel forcing me to the ground as she kicked out into my side. I coughed hard and moaned, feeling the snap of bone in my left side. She stood over me while I writhed a bit in pain, and put her foot on my chest. I instinctively grabbed her ankle with all my strength and shoved her back off her balance. She jumped back as I climbed to my feet twisting my wrist quickly to the right. She spoke. "Just give up. You won't win. I am more agile and trained than you ever will be."

I laughed till it hurt. Which was a lot less than I would have otherwise given for such a boastful brat. "Honestly, child. You don't know who you are dealing with. Seems like it's time for a lesson." I raised my gauntlet to fire another dart at her quickly. When it fired, she wasn't able to get out of the way of it. It deeply embedded in her leg. The blades locked out and into her muscle. She tried to remove it but only found she could not with out inflicting more damage to herself. She gritted and let out a short shriek of pain, her eyes wet with tears. She left it alone, turning to me with a seething growl, and leapt up into the air. This gave me enough time to know where she would strike.

I knocked her saber from her hand, and across the market lane where she couldn't reach it. Grabbing her wrist, I jerked her forward and off balance. I then quickly twisted her wrist behind her back, and hard. With a bitter grunt, she thrust her elbow around into my side with the broken ribs, making me scream and release her wrist. She twirled around and kicked my right shoulder, her beskar'gam boot landing square on my collar bone, broke it in two. I gasped and let out a sharp sigh of pain, but I caught her leg as she was about to pull away, and shoved her back on her shebse and raising my left gauntlet fired a dart which she was able to dodge by curling her left shoulder across her chest. My vision at this time was blurred from overwhelming pain. I don't know how she recovered so quickly from being on her back, but before I focused, she kicked my body up against a stack of medium veshok-battened crates, cracking several boards and knocking what wind I had left right out of me.

I dropped down to my knees, and she came up to me and kicked the side of my head. My helmet came off and bounced and rolled a few feet away. I lay there on the ground a moment reeling from being thrown into the crates and the kick to the head. She grabbed me by my throat with her left hand, picking me up and slamming me down. ''Haar'chak! This little devil is so strong!''  My forehead began bleeding and I felt a trickle from my nose as I made my mind up for one last ditch effort to get this kid to stop.

Not sure how she had the time to find her saber, but she had, and was standing a few feet from me with the blade activated. Suddenly, I felt something grip my throat, and I clawed my hands at my neck to free myself. I gasped and grunted trying to call out, "Rha-!!," but I could feel no physical hand there. I was then picked up off the ground, rising in front of this young girl. And she held me in her sway as if for display. Shifting me slightly with the movement of her right hand, like an angry puppetmaster. I was furious, and this only seemed to make her sneer. ''Fierfek! Who in the name of Kad Ha'rangir is this kid?! I'm gonna have to kill her before she kills me!''

"For my father!" She snarled and held her right hand up slowly, likely feeling some effects of the dart serum, but still curling her fingertips toward each other.

As she began to make a fist, my coughing and gasping was uncontrollable. And my sight began to cloud over. Noticing that my torso was floating above the level of the roofs of the market stalls near us, I pushed aside disbelief and lack of air. Survive, Khatta!! I gritted my teeth and twisted both my wrists to the right quickly. I could barely hear each gauntlet click. ''Great. My hearing is also going out. She can't be a Jedi! I'm related...to this?! Fier...FEK!! ''

Through all the pain, pushed my fists downward and fired darts into each of her shoulders. As they hit, her face twisted with agony and she screamed into the air, squeezing her right hand into a fist, her left fist dropping the crimson bladed light saber. I saw the slowly forming darkness around the edge of my vision move quickly to the center of my focus, then saw a flash of my mother's face. Smiling. Falling backward, seeming to call to the heavens with another shriek, the tiny dark-haired demon-waif jerked her fist over her right shoulder. I felt my body jerk forward and sail several meters through the air, across the market lane onto the semi-firm fabric roofing of the carpet dealer's stall. Which collapsed dramatically under my weight, snapping or pushing out from ground several support poles.

I groaned deeply as the constriction of my throat eased, but I still couldn't take a full breath. My hands instinctively returned to my neck as I looked over toward my opponent. She was laying motionless on her back, several knock out dart plumes visible, one in each shoulder and one in her left thigh. I gasped and panted, thinking back to how many darts I had used on her. I tried rolling onto my side to get up, but returned gently onto my back gasping for air as I saw people tending to her, and around me. I then blacked out.

I opened my eyes what seemed like only a few minutes later. I lay in a hospital room groggy and in tremendous pain as I tried to sit up. Only to find myself unable to do so. I turned my head to the side and saw darkness outside the window. Turning my eyes to the corner of the room I saw only a small gleam of light from a lamp on a table. ''It is night time.. How long was I out for?'' I heard someone at the door about to open it, the tap of keys outside to the right of the pocket door. I was barely able to lift my head to look as Ferrigo entered the room shutting the door behind him.

He noticed I was awake, but just barely. As I met his stare he nodded to me and walked into the room farther finding a seat near the table that held the lamp. I noticed he had a bacta patch on his neck where my dart had hit, I felt no remorse or guilt over it at that point in time. He spoke finally

Subchapter Event #5
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- Someone talking about or being involved in an event or something.

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Subchapter Event #6
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- Someone talking about or being involved in an event or something.

More about this subchapter.