[center][url=https://fontmeme.com/fonts/laceration-font/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200327/ed6b2976dce2448b059ebe3296dc7489.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/Vvv932bT/toryndral3.png[/img][/center] [hr] [hr] [b][u]Nau'ur kad be Dral[/u][/b] [b][u]Isle of Kad Ha'rangir, Mandalore[/u][/b] [color=#B30000]”Son of a- Toryn, I’ll meet you when you get here. I’ve got another call coming in.”[/color] And then the line went dead, leaving Toryn to just pause and stare at his inactive comm link in silence for a solid few seconds before his arm flopped back down to his side and he carried on. [color=orangered]"Well, that kinda figures..."[/color] The Mando grumbled and shook his head ruefully— not out of any offense, mind; Talik was a busy lady these days what with that whole 'Rebellion spanning a good chunk of the galaxy'. Life was like that, he got it, and he'd never be so petty as to hold that against his old friend, even [i]if[/i] that five minute call was the most he'd spoken to the twi'lek in a year or two now. Rather, it was her timing— Juhn, bubbly lil' blue-skinned bundle of hugs that she was, might forgive him for running off again less than two hours into his Founding Week holiday (Not even long enough to remember to take off his armour, in fact), even [i]after[/i] he'd been off-world for a solid three months... but that didn't necessarily mean he was going to be forgiving himself so easily; Though he'd never say it out loud— least of all to a friend in need— this neglect of that most curious of Mandalorian traits, the innate need to be at home with clan and kin, well, it was really to starting to nag at him, truth be told. [color=slateblue]"Heya, Toryn!"[/color] Wearily, the Mandalorian's head rose and came crashing back to reality, catching perhaps the least helpful sight for those heavy thoughts in his head; Juhn's mother, Tanis, with the sleeves on her mechanic's coverall rolled and a bit of grease smudging her cheek as she waved him down with a warm smile and Rhea, grinning like she hadn't a care in the world. Or at the very least, for any of that dirt and grime she got on her while helping her mom pull the repulsor out of that old work-speeder she'd had up on blocks behind the house since he got back. The smile on the Chiss woman's face noticeably fell slightly and whatever she was about to say died on her lips as she got a better look at him and realized what he was up to, a conclusion his niece seemed to come to as well as her grin outright [i]melted[/i] her eyes cast down and she just walked right past him to meet her twin by the lake. If Toryn felt bad before, he felt like an outright [i]bag of shit[/i] right now. [color=slateblue]"...'Nother assignment, Kiddo?"[/color] Tanis stated more than asked, crossing her arms and raising a brow. His shoulders slumped a little as he cast a glance Rhea's way. [color=orangered]"That obvious?"[/color] [color=slateblue]"Well, you're all geared up, spacing out and heading for The Dog like my foot's already been up your ass, sooo..."[/color] She replied with that cutting precision her people were known for... but also just a bit of her own trademarked smirk and humour. [color=slateblue]"Like a whore on 'Shaddaa, Tor."[/color] Toryn ducked his head a little and scratched the back of his neck through the armourweave, though he couldn't help but let out a bit of a rueful laugh, something she joined in on with her own snicker. He'd taught her that one, after all. [color=slateblue]"So I take it there's no way to pass this one on to someone else?"[/color] Tanis finally spoke as the moment of mirth passed. [color=slateblue]"You really gotta go?"[/color] [color=orangered]"A friend of mine's in trouble, Tanis."[/color] Toryn said, shaking his head but at least sounding a little less down about it now as his visor rose to meet her eyes. [color=orangered]"Can't turn my back on that."[/color] The Chiss just sighed in response and lowered her head in thought for a quick second, taking a two toward as she did. [color=slateblue]"Alright, alright... you do what you gotta do, I'll talk to Ruusad and the girls. Maybe butter 'em up with Founding Feast desserts or something."[/color] She said, opening her arms wide with false exasperation, dramatic flair and a sarcastic smirk. [color=slateblue]"Now get over here and pay your toll, you little shit."[/color] A modulated little chuckle escaped Toryn as he stepped forward into woman's hug and wraped his arms around her in kind, something that had remained unchanged since he was a boy. [color=orangered]"Thanks, Tani."[/color] The Jedi said with a squeeze. [color=orangered]"I shouldn't be gone long."[/color] [color=slateblue]"See that you aren't— between you leaving and Dad being late, I'm not gonna have enough room in my fridge for all the leftovers."[/color] She replied with a snort and mock-annoyance. [color=slateblue]"But with any luck, you'll still beat the old man back here and he won't be all grumpy that his [i]Verdika's[/i] missing."[/color] Now it was Toryn's turn to snort, but he said nothing more as he squeezed a few extra seconds outta that hug to make up for lost time.. ...Well, that is, until something suddenly occurred to him. [color=orangered]"Tani... aren't you covered in grease right now?"[/color] He felt the near-human squeeze him tighter at that. And the impish grin form on her face through the armourweave on his collar. [color=slateblue][b]"Yup."[/b][/color] [hr] [b][u]On Approach to the Liberator[/u][/b] [b][u]High Orbit, Mandalore[/u][/b] A short trip, a change of robes and a quick scrub of degreaser on his armour later and Toryn was in the hot-seat of that space-capable relic of a ship he called home. And, as per usual, was currently [i]arguing with it.[/i] [color=orangered]"No, I don't care what you say, Teeth. Keldabe's got it this year."[/color] No sooner had the words left his mouth did the disc-shaped head-unit of an old T3-Series droid whirl around on it's roost atop the central console that divided pilot and copilot seats to fix him with some fascimile of a glare through it's optic sensor. Letting out a short series suspiciously [i]sarcastic[/i] sounding chirps and beeps as it went. Something that seemed only to annoy Toryn further. [color=orangered]"Oh, fer... [i]Two Words— [b]Canderous Fett.[/b][/i] He's been kicking all [i]kinds[/i] of ass since we got him back from Taris!"[/color] This was followed by a few more agitated beeps and whistles. And Toryn actually taking his eyes off the control yoke to glare daggers through his helmet. [color=orangered]"The fuck do you mean 'Too old'? Guy's barely thirty!"[/color] He replied, the quick few chirps he got in response before he was even done talking doing nothing to improve his mood as he raised a hand at the increasingly irate droid's optic. [color=orangered]"Okay then, [i]wiseass[/i] who do [i]you[/i] have for the cup?"[/color] A short pause followed. Then two beeps, a whistle and a decidedly defiant [i]doot.[/i] [color=orangered][b]"Concordia?"[/b][/color] The saucer-like head of his ship's droidcore nodded excitedly. [color=orangered]"...I oughtta melt ya down for that kinda talk."[/color] Before the Mando Jedi and the droid that was hooked into his ship's hyperdrive, lifesupport and damn near everything [i]else[/i] could get any further into it, however, there was a slight flicker on Toryn's console as the somewhat familiar voice of Talik's Comms Officer filled the ship's cockpit. [b]"Lucky Dog, this is Liberator, over."[/b] Casting one final glare that screamed [color=orangered]'This isn't over.'[/color] even through his helmet at the synthetic (which responded with a sarcastic bobble of it's head), Toryn flicked a few switches on his console to open the audio channel as the distinctive shape of the Lucrehulk docked with Mandalore's new orbital ring steadily came into view. [color=orangered]"Liberator, Lucky Dog. Go ahead, over."[/color] [b]"Ah, there you are. Lucky Dog, we've got you on an approach vector and have been advised you'll be looking to dock. Is that correct, over?"[/b] Flicking a few more switches on his console and stretching himself out slightly in his seat in preparation for the whole pre-dock rigmarole, Toryn replied; [color=orangered]"That is correct. Waiting for instructions, over."[/color] [b]"Alrighty then... Permission granted for Lucky Dog to approach and dock at bay One, O-N-E, B. Slow to twenty, two-naught within five hundred, five-naught-naught of the doors and five, F-I-V-E when past. Channel open, landing lights will be on. Good for readback, over."[/b] Talik's radio guy rattled off, quick and machine-like as if he'd been doing this all day, every day for years. The Jedi just throttled down slightly and adjusted his roll a bit clockwise. [color=orangered]"That's permission for Lucky Dog to approach and dock at bay One, O-N-E, B. Slow to twenty, two-naught within five hundred, five-naught-naught of the doors and five, F-I-V-E when past. Channel open, follow the lights."[/color] Toryn said back in a tone that suggested he'd done this too many times to really give it much thought at this point. [color=orangered]"Good copy, over?"[/color] [b]"Solid."[/b] The comms officer said in a suddenly [i]less[/i] robot-y tone. [b]"...And it's good to have you back, Toryn. Liberator out."[/b] [color=orangered]"Good to be back, Dex. I'll see you inside. Lucky Dog out."[/color] All that done, the man visibly relaxed a bit as he started guiding his ship the rest of the way to Talik's gargantuan murder-donut. [color=orangered]"...But seriously, [b][i]Concordia?"[/i][/b][/color] Aaaaand the droid started chirping again, and back to square one they went.