Oya'karir!

[Dutch]

The dreadnought Par’jila hung where it had in orbit above Zeltros City for the better part of an hour. In that time a holosignal had been beamed across the planet on loop, the simple message in Galactic Basic spoken with a smooth mando’a accent; The Mandalorians had arrived for a hunt, and if they happened to aid the Zeltrons in that time, all the better. From the hulking craft a single shuttle would exit the bow docking bay, and glow red as it dropped into atmosphere. Once the heat from the shuttle’s forward paneling cooled, both side doors would slide open to reveal a dozen sets of armor. One of the largest shifted past his people to grip an overhead rail near the open port. A free hand pressed into the silver jetpack of his Tal’galaar, and Mandalore moved her gently aside to lean out and turn the mask of Mandalore towards the passing ocean below. She leaned, moving with the rocking of the shuttle to let her Mandalore through. One hand held tight to the overhead rail, the other moving in a quick motion.

Almost there, it said. A single nod of the great horned helm returned in reply.

A massive carrier lay wrecked within the waters, and the starship fuel fires still burned bright enough to reflect across Mandalore’s golden plates. In the fiery gloom of night a single engine would sputter and ignite, the audible boom of it answered by a powerful, primordial roar which echoed through the nearby city. From behind his T-shaped visor, the feeorin’s lips would curl with an excited smile, and a knowing elbow nudged the silver armored woman at his side. The helm would turn to follow the trail of starship wreckage which led towards the Zeltronian metropolis. Where there had once been some sort of docking bay for pleasure craft, now stood a graveyard of trashed expense. From beside him, a single, low note sounded. The bes’bev, dented and worn, echoed the creature’s roar as she tested the note, moving from one to another, then blending the two. A pause, then she played it again, cutting it off sharply at the end, a taste of what was to come, and the note struck something primal within Mandalore’s heartstrings.

Despite the path of urban carnage, fireworks and music still rang from Zeltros City in the midst of yet another wildly colored festival. Multicolored paper lanterns dotted the night sky, as did dozens of emergency response skiffs. Their spotlights only added to the dazzling Zeltronian display as they searched for the monstrous trespasser. The shuttle angled down to descend towards the largest skiff, and the golden armor shifted back within to retrieve a harpoon cannon from where it hung overhead. A thick leather strap would be moved over his wide shoulder and broad chest to hang the weapon at his side. The woman stowed her bes’bev on her belt, taking her helmet as it was handed to her and sliding it on over her painted face, this time decorated with three jagged lines of white paint from above her right eye to the lower left side of her chin.

The shuttle banked to adjust trajectory, and the grand set of armor would motion for any who wanted to follow as he suddenly leaped out the side door. The shuttle lurched as his weight rocked the vessel, all those within shifting to compensate. Right away a twin set of parallel lines would blink to life within his HUD’s view. A couple boosts from the jets at his calves would adjust the plummet to alignment with the glowing track, and the leather kama which hung from his hips flapped wildly. Wind whipped silently as the massive humanoid hurtled down through the night sky, dodging the occasional lantern.

Back on the shuttle, several T-visors looked back and forth between each other until the one clad in silvery white armor turned. The wind caught the edges of her blue half cape, pressed tight to her back by the jetpack she wore. From behind her own visor, she scanned the elite soldiers who all waited for Tal’galaar to follow their Mandalore. She waited just a moment longer, then leaned back, allowing gravity to pull her downward. She fell into the dive, eyes closing for a few moments in blissful weightlessness before a tone from her HUD signaled a proximity alert.

The largest police skiff rose closer with a swiftness, and Mandalore flipped with lively grace as all jets at his back and legs erupted to life. His descent slowed, and the flames roared in protest until cut silent with the great clang! of the Mandalorian's arrival. Knelt upon the skiff’s deck with one spiked fist pressed down to complete the three point landing. Still for but a moment, he rose to his feet smoothly with helm held high. Behind him, the woman’s form fell, spinning as her own jets ignited and caught her weight, lifting her to hover just beside the skiff. Slowly, she maneuvered to land behind her leader, silent as ever. Mandalore awaited the arrival of the other jumpers, and began to move towards the fanciest uniform on the skiff as they landed one by one. The Mandalorian shuttle arrived as he walked to deposit those who hadn’t jumped, and quickly departed once joined with their vode. Though the largest aerial craft, the skiff wasn’t alone as several others hovered in near formation. Their spotlights moved in unison to shine on a massive tail as it whipped behind a wall of skyscrapers, and the nearest rumbled as it crumbled into dust. Mortified screams echoed eerily with festive music from the city, and Mandalore’s visor looked towards it as he approached what looked to be the zeltron in charge.

“Looks like you got a beast problem. We're good at those. Why don't you focus on saving your people and anything you don’t want wrecked. We can handle the big boy.” The feeorin’s voice reverberated in basic with his velour mando’a accent, a single golden gauntlet gesturing to the variety of armor at his back. With no room for debate, their warlord nodded towards the recently downed building with his chin.

“Go on, ner’vode, show these pretty pink people who we are.”

Tal’galaar turned, one hand rising up to grip the handle of the bes’kad sheathed on her back between her armor and jetpack. She pulled it free, the Mandalorian iron glinting in the spotlights as she held it aloft. Behind her helmet, the woman subvocalized, allowing the HUD to pick up the speech that was so difficult for her to produce and amplify it through the comms of all those assembled.

“Oya Manda!” she declared, and ignited the boosters of her jetpack, lifting her into the air and off toward their rampaging prey.

Co-written with Meira

[Zarkan]

The dull lenses that acted as ark's eyes reflected the lights of the shuttle's control panels as he stood behind the pilot and copilots seats with his right hand resting on the empty copilot's headrest. The gyro's that served as the large cyborg's inner ear sent information streaming to his mind as the heavy suttle swooped and swerved through the gathering swarm of air speeders and other PDF, police, and emergency services aircraft. The old Mandalorian turned as the light sound of metal scrapping metal issued forth from behind him. Turning arkanados' photoreceptors caught sight of the retreating back of Dral’tranyc's golden beskar'gam. Frankly, he thought the armor was too ostentatious, but he supposed that Mandalore wanted to ensure he was always the center of attention. Ark's own matte grey carapace barely reflected any light as he stood up to as much of his height as he could in the low ceiling of the short corridor from the cargo area to the cockpit. "It looks like its time vod. Keep the suttle nearby and in the air, I will contact you if we need extraction or something to distract that beast."

Ark removed his hand from the copilot's seat gently grasping the leather cord wrapped around his wrist before removing it. "Mandalore didn't or-" Ark cut the man off his large left hand dropping onto the warrior's shoulders. "Mandalore didn't order you not to and I am requesting you do this." Ark waited until the pilot gave a slow hesitant nod to the cyborg before sliding his hand of the man's pauldron. "Thank you, and don't worry I will make sure you are not forgotten in the aftermath."

The cyborg shuffled to turn in the corridor before a single step took him out of the corridor. Many of the warriors had already followed mandalore out of the shuttle, but a few still set resting on the low bench seats as ark opened up his chest armored and placed the tooth-bearing length of cording in a cavity within his armored braincase. He walked up to the open hatch reaching his right hand out to wrap around the haft of his large two-handed beskar war ax setting in the weapons rack between a blaster repeater and a long-barreled marksman rifle. Lifting the ax out of the rack before dropping the head to rest on his right shoulder he half turned to look at the remaining mandalorians. "Well? Come on none of you want to miss killing a starship with teeth the size of a tank right?" His normal more mirthful tone returning after the more serious exchange in the cockpit.

Ark took a single step out of the shuttle before his frame plummeting like a missile towards the small skiff. Normally in a shortfall like this the man wouldn't bother with the large deceleration thrusters on his back his legs were more than capable of surviving a few story drop, unfortunately, the little skiff wasn't likely to survive the impact nearly eight-hundred pounds of durasteel and beskar crashing into its deck at eighty kilometers per hour so as he fell he sent messages from his brain throughout the frame small gouts of pale blue light; the result of his thrusters ionizing the air, shot out from small jets all over his body before the large powerful thrusters ignited bringing the bulk almost to a stop before his feet met the deck. Still, despite this effort, the deck of the skiff still creaked and groaned under his weight and the whole ship listed precariously as he stabilized himself.

Planting the butt of his ax on the deck like a walking stick ark was still straightening himself when he heard the dual bark of a war cry from his communication channels and exterior auditory sensors along with the roar of thrusters as the woman rose into the air. He swept his eyes across the cityscape before turning his attention to Mandalore once more and slowly ambled up to the large warriors' side. "What my terse brother here means is you should evacuate the people in its path while we make sure the wonderous creature ends its rampage forthwith." The large cyborg slowly made his way to the far side of the air skiff and looked over the edge at the carnage below before turning once more to the golden clad Mandalorian. "Dral? Please tell me your plan includes more than just jumping at it and stabbing it repeatedly with the equivalent of a toothpick," he asked sitting down gently on the side wall of the skiff and laying his ax across his knees. "As I remember it I had to come to pull you out of the fire the last time that was the beginning and the end of your tactical plan." He chuckled slightly remembering the events at the gates of Iziz's palace.

[CaptainBonkers]

Underneath the t-shaped visor of his helmet Jayec Veth was grinning like an excited child. Today’s hunt was going to be a double whammy off the ol’bucket list; hunting a Greater Krayt dragon and hunting alongside the Mand’alor. A Mandalorian could not ask for a greater honor. Still, as great an honor as the sole ruler’s presence was, Jayec was a little more excited over the great beast currently rampaging through the landscape. He had been trying to get a chance to hunt one of those things for years.

Unfortunately, the damn critters were really hard to find in the wilds of Tatooine. They spent most of their life burrowing below the shifting sands of the Dune Sea and thanks to the intense heat of the desert planet finding them with anything other than a network of seismic sensors, spread across the whole region, was next to impossible without a great amount of luck. Despite numerous attempts, luck had not been on Jayec’s side. And since he could not dedicate his whole life for a leisurely pursuit such as hunting game, he had not been able to even get a glimpse of a living specimen before now. And it was a glorious sight. Too bad he probably wouldn’t get to take the head home as a souvenir.

At least he seemed to have arrived with enough specialized equipment. Many others had come prepared for a fight but Jayec knew that this was going to be a hunt. Some of the equipment so useful in dispatching fellow sentients was going to be fairly impractical fighting a beast that size. Dart launchers, flamethrowers and regular cable launcher weren’t going to do jack against a beastie this huge. Which was why Jayec had left all that shit home. Instead he had come with a jetpack designed for prolonged flight strapped on his back, a large caliber slugthrower loaded with explosive bullets coated in an armor piercing shell in his hand and a bandoleer of sticky grenades swung over his shoulder.

The rest of his comrades from his little band of mercenaries accompanying him were similarly armed. Together with the rest of their brothers and sisters they ought to be able make short work of the dragon’s rampage.

Currently Jayec and his squad were circling their prey far above its reach. Not being one for dramatic entrances, Jayec had hurried ahead the rest of the hunting party to reconnoiter the target. So far he liked what he saw. The Krayt was a large one, even for its species. Fully mature though obviously untested in combat. Very few scars marred the creatures hide and the few that he could see were most likely result of poor handling or adolescence injuries. This would be a proper fight, that was for sure.

“Alright friends. I know you’re anxious to get the fun started but lets wait till the Mand’alor gets here with the rest of the vode, eh. We don’t want to rob them of the fun.” he said over the comm.

“Can’t we even harass it a little, chief, you know keep it busy until the others get here?” Kenna’s voice was a little wistful. No doubt she would have liked the chance to be in the midst of action when the sole ruler arrived. A sentiment likely shared by the others, though Kenna was the only one with enough years under her belt to actually voice her opinion.

“Fine. But just keep it chasing us and prevent it from moving any further towards un-evacuated areas.” Jayec shook his head and chuckled. So impatient but this was going to be fun.

[Dutch]

The zeltron officer blinked his chocolate brown eyes as the massive Mandalorians spoke, and looked from one metal mask to the other. He scratched at his short, tightly curled pink hair for a moment before that hand dropped to scratch at his similar beard. The expertly tailored uniform rustled gently with the motion of his arm, and a shrug rolled from broad shoulders. “Well, alright then, not like I can stop ya’ll if you go after it.” He replied with a Southern Province twang to his tone. The holocomm at his conditioned belt chirped an alert, and the man pardoned himself to take the call.

Mandalore let his hands fall to rest upon the large beskar belt buckle as he turned to step towards Arkandos. The visor of his horned helm angled to watch his people as they flew, leaped, and grappled off the skiff towards the rampaging beast- already surrounded by Veth’s vanguard as they worked to corral the dragon. For a moment he watched the younger generation next to his fellow old-timer. The feeorin drank in the moment; the bright Zeltronian display a flashy backdrop to his glittering armored warriors, the ripple of colossal muscle under the krayt’s dark blue scales, and the pulsing throb of exultant music.

“My plan as always, old friend, is greater than first appearance” The Regulator finally replied after a long, still silence, his tone touched with wonder as he watched. Hands lifted from the belt buckle up flip open a panel on the inside of his left forearm, and a thick finger keyed a couple commands into his suit’s personal processor. The officer turned back to the golden set of armor, and clipped his holocom back where it had been. His almond shaped eyes cast a wary look to the Mandalorian cyborg with the giant axe and watched the display with the offworlders.

“We already know who you are, Lord Mandalore. I’m Captain A’lex Dugmurph by the bye, but everyone calls me Dugs. This is still my show, alright? Try to keep it near the coast, and try not to blow up my town.” Captain Dugs said in his lyrical accent. A crimson hand rose to gesture towards the opposite way the Mandalorians were chasing their prey. “... and there’s a Neimoidian noodle shop nearby. I need it in my life.” The look upon the zeltron’s face was stone serious, and Mandalore respected that level of dedication to a dish. He turned his golden mask towards the strapping young officer, his smirk hidden behind the T-shaped visor.

“Who doesn’t love Neimoidian noodles, Dugs?” The captain nodded knowingly, and his attention was soon grabbed by a chirping comm again. He excused himself, and walked away to take the call. Mandalore awaited the green indicator to blip within his HUD, his hackers signaling an open channel into the holonet. Massive golden boots stepped to the very edge of the skiff, right next to Arkandos, and his long arms opened wide towards the Mandalorians on the hunt.

“Su’cuy, Zeltros City!” Mandalore’s voice boomed out across every local holonet channel in greeting.

“We humbly thank you for the welcome and opportunity to hunt this majestic beast! Please allow me to introduce the these noble and heroic warriors, all who have traveled far from clan and home, here for your aid, your glory, and your entertainment!”

[Zarkan]

Ark shrugged at the Zeltron captain. "You could certainly try, but no, I wouldn't advise it or rate your chances as particularly high." The side wall of the air skiff creaked as the massive cyborg repositioned us. "Neither myself or my dramatic friend here are particularly known for accepting 'No' as an answer." Ark would have smiled as he could before shaking his head. "is that more Mandalore mystique you're putting on 'cause last time you said that it turned out the 'more than they seem' involved logs, flamethrowers, and a very angry Bantha." He did break into a light metallic chuckle then. "I believe all the Bantha's down there are in steak form so I hope you're not counting on them this time." Ark cast a glance over his shoulder as Mandalore came to stand at the edge of the skiff. "Well, at least the vode isn't to wild yet."

Ark cast his attention back to the Zeltron. "Don't worry I know better than to stand between a man and his noodles I'll keep the younglings away from it. Speaking of which" he said using his ax to lever himself up to a standing position. "If you're done with the grandstanding I'd better get down there before the children get themselves in trouble." he said stepping up on the side wall with his left foot. "Oh," he said with a laugh in his voice. "when you decide to come out with the rest of your plan let me know I've gotta hear this one." He didn't even give Draal a chance to answer him as he stepped off the skiff and plummeted towards the ground.

Duracrete shattered and spread dust into the air as the Mandalorian came to a crashing halt against the paved walkway of the city. Looking around he could see the area was deserted and the glow of numerous spotlights a few blocks away made it laughably easy to find the dragon even with buildings standing between himself and the beast. Shouldering his ax ark took off in a moderate jog as he made his way to the loose Mandalorian encirclement.

[Dire Wolf]

"Noodles? Really," a modulated voice called out from behind the larger of the Mandalorians, this one standing barely past three feet tall. Beskar glinted from the numerous holographic lights as the diminutive shape stepped out from behind Ark; his body bristled with weapons and explosives chosen for the very hunt. A specially designed heavy repeating blaster sit compacted against his back via metallic hardpoint, somewhat folded in on itself so that the smaller shape could move with it stowed. A handful of detpacks, grenades, and shaped sticky bombs were likewise strewn about his form. People had the strangest priorities in the face of certain death; worrying after a noodle shop while a giant death beast attacked the city certainly qualified. Whatever.

Ori couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement as Mandalore's rich baritone flooded all around them and the rest of the city. Humble. However, the smallest of the group had never been one for being acknowledged. Rather than merely stand while the great Feeorin spoke to the city, Ori strode over to the edge of the skiff beside Ark. That T-shaped visor lifted up to the Beskar-clad cyborg, "hate to leave an old geezer by himself in a big city." A deft jump lifted the Kushiban up to the precipice of the skiff, where he reached back to grab the sideways handle of his heavy repeating blaster. After a few clicks, little mechanical servos whirred and whined before the barrel extended out from the receiver. A second handle sprouted out from the receiver just within arm's reach, so and after a small boom was attached to Ori's waist before he fell forwards. 

The world became little more than a tumbling blur before the armored figure's jetpack whined to life. Fiery red exhaust split the very air around him before his speed lowered, and crawled to a stop only inches from the concrete floor. Rather than disengaging it entirely, the diminutive figure urged his torso forward which sent him off after the larger cyborg. As they neared Jayec's vanguard, the smaller of the two gained some altitude and keyed into Ark's comm, "Just... are you sure I can't have an optic interface? Or, at least a finger? You don't look like you need all ten."

[Meira]

The charge, if that's what one wanted to call it, lasted long enough for Eris to rise up to the height of the nearest rooftop. There, she ran along, stowing her blade as she moved. That was not a weapon for fighting a krayt dragon. But it was a good visual for the Zeltrons back on the skiff. Now though, as Mandalore announced their presence to the planet, it was time to actually get to work. All around her, the Mandalorian hunters were fanning out. preparing to encircle their prey. When Eris reached the edge of her rooftop, she did not pause as she leaped into the air. Just as she reached the top of her arc, she ignited her jetpack once again and lifted ever higher. This brought her to the roof of another building, and the process was repeated. She could have just flown, but Eris wanted to get her heart beating and the blood flowing in her veins.

Unencumbered by heavy weapons and explosives, Eris quickly outstripped those who'd stopped at the skiffs and soon found herself catching up to the vanguard, lead by Veth. Eris knew little of the man, save for what had been said about him. And what had been said was that he was an exemplary Mandalorian. Did she really need to know anything else? Another leap from a rooftop, and another long burn of her jetpack brought Eris even with the man as he and his crew corralled the great beast, turning it away from the edge of the area that had been evacuated by the local forces. Looking down as she flew, Eris saw a large sign advertising a noodle shop just beyond where the destruction ceased. As she watched the krayt dragon lumber back toward the empty portion of the city, she smiled.

"Well done." she said, hovering closer to Veth. Her raspy voice came through the comms with an obviously augmented quality. "Mandalore will join us soon. Hukaat'kama?"

She continued to hover next to the man for a few moments. Around them, and on the comms, the whoops and hollers of their vode could be heard as more and more opened fire on the beast. What was being thrown at it now was hardly worth the krayt dragon's attention; the blaster fire was more to pester it than anything. In truth, they all looked like so many flies swarming around the massive beast. Eris had her rifle and her bes'kad, but nothing else. With a quick nod to Veth, she zipped away and down toward the krayt dragon. They all had a part to play in this great hunt.

She was the bait.

[CaptainBonkers]

Keeping the gargantuan beast busy was not a hard task. They weren't the smartest of creatures to begin with, relying on their immense size and overwhelming strength to catch their prey in the wild, and it was not in their instincts to deal with flying opponents. In the scorching wilds of their homeworld the greater Krayt dragons hunted the very earthbound banthas and dewbacks. Thus, when they were confronted by foes that hovered just beyond their reach, their brains had to work overtime to come up with an approach that would work. So far the only idea this particular Krayt had come up with was trying to swat Jayec and his comrades with its tail and claws or attempting to catch them within it's enormous maw if they happened to get too close. 

Unfortunately for the Krayt, the Mandalorians circling above it were far too agile for it to effectively catch them. Every powerful swing of its tail or powerful slash of its claws were easily evaded by the agile warriors zipping through the air on their jetpacks. At this pace the greatest threat they faced was running out of fuel. Of course, once the rest of the hunt got here things would get more interesting. Then the Tal'galaar swept in.

Jayec barely had time to give an affirmative reply before the woman dove in towards the Krayt's angry maw. He wasn't entirely sure about this plan but there were worse approaches. Hopefully the Mand'alor and his retinue would arrive before things got out of hand.

[Dutch]

”Behold! Tal’galaar! My Champion!”

Mandalore boomed as the skiff followed above the dragon’s reach, a single golden hand gestured towards her with grandiosity. The timing was impeccable, as the greater krayt whipped its serpentine head around to snap tremendous jaws at the silvery Mandalorian woman. They connected with a powerful SNAP!, and the momentum carried the colossal beast as it began the chase. Immediately Jayec’s crew began to intensify their attempts, and the Regulator moved his other hand to follow them as they gave chase.

“And Veth’s band of honorable mercenaries! See how they fear no dragon! Know that you too may be gifted with their gainful employment!”

The krayt roared with pure primordial frustration, unable to catch Eris nor stop the Mandalorians who assaulted it. A swarm of holorecorder droids followed the hunt, more and more joining as the event spread across the holonet. The feeorin smiled behind his mask, gleeful as everything fell together as planned. That was when the dragon’s tail swept the support structure out from a skyscraper. Mandalore and the zeltrons aboard the skiff could do little as it fell into another building, then another, and another in a wave of intercity wreckage.The sound was unlike anything he’d heard in decades, the rumble of each building the only outcry from the abandoned district. He imagined the ground shook from the shock, and his eyes widened as the final building to collapse did so directly on top of Dugs’ noodle shop.

His golden helm turned to look down at the zeltron officer, his face a mask of pure, mortified disbelief, but his posture that of a man fighting to stay stoic in the face of horror. The dragon roared again, this time more distant as it chased Mandalorians.

“Well. Shit.” Dugs finally said, and Mandalore tried to stifle his laughter.

[Dire Wolf]

A shrill whine keened from the nozzle of Ori's jetpack after he engaged its full power. Superheated exhaust rushed from the creature's back as he left the elderly Mandalorian in the dust to better catch up with his comrades. Jayec's mercenaries and Eris both seemed to be having little trouble engaging the rampaging beast, however there was no fun to be had in remaining behind while the creature's onslaught laid waste to the city around them. Or honor. Right. Honor was the word.

Another bestial roar erupted from the beast's fanged maw, this one powerful enough to rattle the diminutive Kushiban's bones even as he approached. While some may have been terrified by the Dragon's outrage, Ori found himself excited. It's bass roar may have shook his bones, but it also lit a flame in his heart. A wicked grin pulled his lips apart from beneath the T visor of his helm as he zipped up to a higher altitude. With little more than a plucky attitude and an ineffective but overly large repeating blaster, his clawed finger pressed down on the trigger.

Golden blaster bolts shrieked from the snubby maw of his barrel at low rate. Power reverberated through Ori's fingers as the gun shuddered under each discharge, and that wicked grin persisted even as he was pushed back with each successive bolt. Yet, in spite of all that kinetic force, each bolt dissipated uselessly against the creature's hide. A wicked grin turned into a snarl, even if the little mongrel knew full well that his weapon would do little more than irritate the massive dragon. It hadn't even given him the honor of an errant claw or tail lash, as most of it's attention had been focused on the silvery woman who darted to and fro. A snarl tugged at one corner of Ori's face as he released the heavy repeating blaster, which dangled uselessly on it's boom, so that he could retrieve those detpacks.

Ori didn't like being ignored.

[Meira]

She flew, landed, leaped, and flew again. Always just out of reach of the krayt dragon's snapping teeth. She couldn't help but laugh, and so Eris muted herself from the comms for a while, unwilling to let others hear the broken sound of it. As the rest caught up, the annoyance of the beast increased. It's movements were wilder, more erratic. Eris had to refocus, lest she become a quick snack. Soon, Ori's diminutive figure could be seen closing in on the dragon. It wasn't overly likely that the beast would even notice him for now, but Eris knew that he would be packing a punch that the dragon could not ignore. The challenge would be to ensure that the dragon noticed Ori... but only when it was too late.

So Eris cut the power to her jet pack, allowing herself to free fall from the short climb she'd been making to take herself away from the dragon's reach. She fell back down toward it. Seeing her, the beast opened its jaws ready to catch her and swallow her whole. Once she was close enough, Eris cradled her rifle into her shoulder and shot down into the creature's open mouth, even as she fell toward it. The softer flesh within absorbed two shots before the beast snapped its jaws shut and shook its massive head. Eris reignited her jet pack as the beast reared back, roared, and swiped at her with one giant claw.

She dodged, but lost altitude, bringing herself closer still to the beast. She was dangerously close now to the creature, but there were advantages to that as well. Its long limbs had limited flexibility to swipe at her if she maneuvered close enough to its body. But, she also put herself in danger of being hit by a stray shot meant to antagonize the dragon. She'd have to get some distance again, of she could.

Any time now, Ori, she thought as she dodged a massive limb. Her jet pack fuel wouldn't last forever, after all.

[Dutch]

Mandalore’s clenched jaw would be hidden by his helm as he watched Eris, concern only barely edged by the majesty of her skill. He watched in stoic silence as she dipped, zipped, and corralled the leviathan, keen eyes careful to note the way she moved. The rest of the hunting party took advantage of this, taking shots at the weak points under the dragon’s shoulders and beneath its long neck. Even at this distance Mandalore could hear the powerful SNAP! of the krayt’s jaws, with teeth as long as vibroswords and jaws as wide as a speeder. Jaws which missed his Tal’galaar by a hair. It would appear none but his champion were bold enough to move closer still, and Zeltros needed the show promised to them. Eris dodged a wicked set of draconic claws swiped her way, the aerial display of grace and daring raising the feeorin’s own blood. Hunting great beasts, was always a great thrill. A single wide, golden gauntlet would raise to flex fingers, the gentle whirring of micronized beskar and reactive fabric more felt than heard in the slight buzz which gripped his hand within. Mandalore did the same to check his other gauntlet, and turned a horned helm towards the zeltron officer.

“My turn.” The grand golden warlord rumbled simply, before suddenly leaping from the skiff. Dugs barked in surprise and gripped the vehicle’s railing to catch himself as it lurched from the shifting weight, the massive man who had leaped now hurtling towards his people. Even in plummet, his figure held steady and firm, almost casually securing the coil of starship-grade tow cable to an anchor fastened at the fauld of Mandalore’s armor; and the other end to the harpoon loaded into his cannon. Antennas and holo-advertisements atop the highest skyscrapers began to whip past the Regulator, the jets at his boots occasionally firing off to adjust his trajectory, smoothly edging from anything in his path. With a flare of ignition the jet at his back would flip him to now fall boots first, and the shuttle-grade harpoon cannon would be slung from his shoulder to take aim.

A moment. A little closer.

The cannon would fire with a sharp hiss!, and the tow-cable whipped audibly from behind the projectile which lanced towards the dragon. It would find purchase with the satisfying thud of metal piercing bone and meat, just behind the titanic creature’s left jaw. A roar of primal indignation howled from deep within the krayt’s endless neck, only to swing it- and the tethered Mandalore. Not before the feeorin ditched his now useless implement, which tumbled to a suspended street behind him. Instead golden gauntlets found purchase upon the cable, and the jets at his back and boots began to fire off. The cable, kept taut now by momentum and Mandalore’s audacity, swung him in a wide arc, and the gold armor would coil tight into itself to become more aerodynamic. His right hand released from the cable, and carefully folded each finger to form a single, solid spur with the spikes of said gauntlet crowning knuckles.

Over and over, Mandalore’s lengthy cable began to loop around the dragon’s neck, tight and constrictive. Much like the sheer rush of unadulterated adrenaline which gripped entire form, and ripped maniacal cackling from the Regulator as looped closer and closer. Laughter broadcast across the holonet, as he had forgotten with eagerness to end it before leaping. So close was he now, that the feeorin could almost meet the eyes of the dragon as he passed each repeatedly. It kept him focused. Kept him clear through the centrifugal force and threatening vertigo. Almost suddenly became reality as the warlord-king reached striking distance, and unloaded all that momentum, all that girded strength into a single, almighty right cross directly into one of the dragon’s baleful red eyes.

The following shrieks were unlike anything heard within Zeltros City, pain and surprise an uncommon sensation to greater krayt dragons. It thrashed violently, but with one arm buried into its eye and Mandalore’s free hand sinking a crushing grip into the thick bone of the beast’s brow, he wasn’t being dismounted. The golden fist would be pulled from what was once an eye, the shlick of its removal followed by a torrent of blood and aqueous humors which flowed to the flashing of holonet camera droids. But the Mandalore was not finished yet, as his boots swung and found purchase upon the dragon’s skull, and the great golden man began to drive his right fist into the wounded eye over and over, deeper and deeper, seemingly using every mighty muscle of his powerful form to drive in death. Only once past the rerebrace of his exquisite armor did the creature begin to spasm, legs as wide as ancient trees losing their footing as it thrashed in throws- unable to comprehend how something so small caused so much.

With one last, long, desperate and furious scream the krayt would collapse onto its right side upon the city street. No longer did it trample, no longer did it roar. The colossal rib cage would simply rise once, a long, last deep breath escaping with a dying wheeze, and a final grunt. From atop the dragon’s skull, Mandalore the Regulator rose to stand on it. One boot remained perched on the beast’s brow with bent knee, the other simply finding good and steady purchase. His gold armor splashed with a myriad of megafaunic blood and fluids, his brash and victories smile would be hidden behind the horned Mask of Mandalore.

In an unabashed display of enthusiasm and might, the feeorin’s arms would rise, one held high to display the grand length of his left arm, and the other curling over from his shoulder as Dral posed and flexed for the swarm of holonet droids, the beskar'gam plates visibly shifting over Mandalore's body glove, stretched from the swelling of powerful musculature. Soon the cheering crowd of vacationers and their zeltron hosts began to approach, eyes aglow in awe at the dead dragon and the armored warriors who had worked together to bring down such a beast.

They would see.

The whole galaxy, would see.