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 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.

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 and returned 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. 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.

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 "Khatta. Widden..." ''Oh, please don't look at me suspicious again, Rhanin. Please, just buy the name as it is.''

"Khatta 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 speak 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. He put the bag down on the bed I was to sleep in and came back outside to where he left me at, but I wasn't there. He looked around the house for me, and then around the village asking if they had seen me, to no avail. When he headed back to his mothers house thinking I could have returned there, he stopped and looked up in a tree that stood off to the side of the house. He was chuckling to himself while he 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?"

I looked down from my branch I had sat down on, and had been in much deep pondering thought when he walked up. 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 the to the ground slowly and Rhanin walked over to me. He looked like he had so much to say to me. He, 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. 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... 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 thru 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 leaned up on a tree beside the trail and looked at me. I looked at him barely able to see him in the darkness that gripped the forest at this time of night. He started to ask, "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. Perhaps you might find someone who helps you forget your pain you are 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, 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.

Rhanin, knelt beside me as soon as I was on the ground with his hand on my shoulder saying "Khatta?!" He picked me up in his arms to carry me back to the village, where his mother was waiting for him.

Subchapter Event #4
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- Someone talking about or being involved in an event or something.

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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.