A New Day Dawns (all)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

It was like any other sunrise on Onderon. The slightly noxious atmosphere, transferred to the planet from the moon, Dxun, refracted the rays of the rising sun into a brilliant display of color.

The soldiers on the wall never watched the sunrise, however. They were too busy scanning the jungle that surrounded them, watching for movement. It had been a week since the near fatal attack on the Queen, and the Princess Razielle was out of her sickbed. The General was also recovering from his wounds, at a greater pace than the doctors had hoped.

Salem Ave thought about the jungle, and of the ever present Mandalorian threat. And he wondered...

One of the men on the wall shouted an alarm, and the thick barrier was soon bristling with activity. Beast riders were launched from the towers, and word was sent back to the kennels on the hill for more. The Prime Minister was woken up and alerted, as well as the General's second in command.

A small group of armored Mandalorians were approaching the wall, accompanied by an unarmored woman.

(ooc: The unarmored woman is no one you will recognize)

[Hawkins Grime]

Grime's eyes opened slowly and he sighed. He would have to get some kind of dampners that turned his new bedroom into a place where nothing, not even a supernova next door, would bother him. He hissed through his teeth as he heard the reason he had awoken. People. Large groups of them. They were making noise outside. Loud enough to pierce the walls and window of his fourth floor room. And they were screaming about the blasted savages. He stood from the new bare mattress he had been lying on.

She'd been gone for so long, five days; he'd grown incredibly impatient and annoyed with his new residence. The former owner, who's remains had been in the room he now occupied, had left the building in quite a disarray. It had taken him five days to clean out the entire building and he still hadn't made it to the clean all the junk collected on the roof. He had managed to work in practicing trying to levitate objects like she had taught him. All he did was keep trying until his anger and frustration became unadulterated hatred for whatever object he was attempting to move.

He grabbed the electronoculars and his hat and donned it as he stepped outside into the morning light. She had better make this worth his time. The city was making such a big deal, one would think the Mandalorians were a problem or something.

[Salem Ave]

Informed of the presence of an advancing party of Mandalorian's, the Prime Minister of Onderon remained calm. While the military rushed here and there, preparing themselves for battle, Salem made preparations to leave the palace. Although the decision was protested by the cities security forces, it was his intention to meet with the Mandalorian's face to face. He said that he wanted to look into the eyes of the one who had ordered so much destruction upon Iziz. Begrudgingly, it was agreed that he would be taken to the city walls.

It seemed that this was the wish of the Mandalorian leader, who had not yet spoken a word, in spite of the gathering crowd. Dressed in the traditional clothing of an Onderonian diplomat, with a pale scarf tossed over one shoulder, Ave stood confidently atop the towering city walls, flanked on both sides by armed guards. The murmuring of the crowds subsided and Salem fixed his eyes upon the leader, Mandalore.

“Why have you come here?”

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Mandalore, in the distinctive black and white armor, looked up at the speaker on the Wall. Surrounded by a group of only ten warriors, with the girl beside him, the Lord of the Mandalorians seemed... shorter.

"I come to talk to the Queen." The vox twisted the voice, but it was different than what many of the watchers on the Wall expected. "Mando'ad kandosii sa kyr'am ast... but today a new day dawns for Onderon." He took the girl's arm and repeated, "The Mandalorians are as ruthless as death itself! But the Queen is as a river of life. Death cannot overtake the river, and the river cannot wash away the children of Mandalore."

With a little push the girl, Hanna, was sent out of the protective circle and towards the massive gates that were hardly ever opened, as a gesture of good faith. Though, whether anyone believed it was not a trap remained to be seen.

[Razielle Alastor]

She had been preparing to visit the Queen when the guards began acting strangely. It would seem that something more pressing than standing around her room's watching for any sign of activity had drawn their collective attention. They shuffled about uncomfortably listening to their radios, tossing glances back and forth to each other. Unable to restrain her curiosity she just came right out and asked them.

"Well.. what is it?"

"A disturbance at the gates, Your Highness. Mandalorian's."

Razielle's eyebrows went up a notch. Surely they wouldn't just waltz up to the gates? Iziz was under heavy guard, it would be their casualty.

At her questioning glance, another guard replied. "A small force, they do not seem to be bent on hostility at the moment."

"Well, I wouldn't want you boy's to miss out on my behalf. Let's go."

[Salem Ave]

The woman, released, rushed towards the bars, feeling her freedom only a few feet away. Salem held up a hand, to let the guards know that they were not to open the gates. Yet.

“You wish to propose a cease fire, a treaty of some kind?”

[General Devious]

Dalamar could barely move when he heard that the Mandolorians where at the front gate. He had two guards help him dress in his battle armor and help him out of the room. Salems voice could be heard echoing down the hall as he aproached.

“You wish to propose a cease fire, a treaty of some kind?”

The guards where still helping him walk. "Lead me to the side. I want them to know that I'm here." Propped up against the stone pillar. He looked down on the Mandolorians.

He said nothing, his late arrival made this Salem's show and spider or not they had to show a united front to there enemies. He looked strong and sure but little did they know that he could barely stand.

[Adraudia Basillie]

Adraudia, garbed in full regal attire, marched down the hallway to where Salem was addressing Mandalore. After all these years, he wanted to negotiate peacefully. Her father had tried similar methods in the past but failed. The Mandalorians were too driven by their desire to claim Onderon as their own. Even when she was crowned, Adraudia tried to offer peace and for her troubles, one of her soldier’s decapitated head was left at the front gates as promise that more blood would be shed.

What changed Mandalore's mind?

The Queen stayed away from the balcony incase of an attack. She could hear the Prime Minister fine from this distance and waited to hear more.

[Hawkins Grime]

The scope of his vision zoomed in on the group of Mandolorians at the gate with his electronoculars. Eleven Mandos and that same chick that he had seen earlier paired with her. Hawkins blinked a few times, zooming in on the one in silver and black. He sneered with impatience at the whole thing.

The moment, the crowd, the fancy looking people, with ring side seats to Hawkins noted with annoyance, and the Mandolorians were lost on Grime who was more or less oblivious to Onderon's political theme. All he knew was that the City of Iziz and the Mandolorians had been at it for a while regardless of how insignificant either one of them were in the grand scheme of things. De'Ville had pretty much left Hawkins in the dark so far, all things coming to light 'eventually.' So were the Mandolorians hiding in the shadows, ready to ambush the innocent bystanders of the city? Maybe they already had people on the inside and they were just going to throw down right there, coup the government and watch the leader's of Iziz hang from the gates. He spent a few moments complicating different ways that De'Ville might have them executed before he refocused on the event once more.

Maybe he'd get lucky and the helpless woman's own people would gun her down and just flat refuse the Mandalorian's, scorching them with mines or some other hidden weaponry he was sure they had somewhere he was unaware of. But that would mean the end of De'Ville, as she surely stood right there, not the most imposing figure of Mandalore he'd ever imagined. And it was another one of those scenes where he wasn't close enough to hear anything really so he had to wait for the murmurs through the crowd of people on the walls to get back to him. And by then he couldn't even tell if it was true or not. For all of this, Hawkins wished his electonoculars were simply the scope attached to a high power sniper rifle.

He lowered the electronoculars from his eyes, and pushed through the crowd to the walk way, hoping to get closer to the scene and maybe be able to hear something for once.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The figure nodded, "A temporary truce. Until I am allowed to meet with the Queen and discuss a mutually... beneficial arrangement."

Seemingly impatient with the way things were happening at the gate, Mandalore reached out his hand towards the girl. "I give you my word that your people will suffer no harm as long as we are within your city."

He added, "Unless we are not allowed entrance, in which case this girl's life is forfeit, as are everyone's inside."

[Salem Ave]

Again, the civilians began to murmur. The thought of Mandalorian's entering the city proper ws horrifying. Let loose, they would surely pillage every house and rape every woman they could find. Such was the propaganda in Onderon against them, that they had become completely demonized – and not without reason. Yet, in spite of this, it seemed that the Prime Minister was willing to enter the prospect of a treaty.

“Very well. You and a small number of your men may enter. You must, however, surrender your weapons to our guards, while you are within the walls of Iziz.”

A large number of the guards stepped forwards, creating a semi-circle around the gates. They were poised for battle, with snipers too at the ready, as one guard flipped the switch that would allow the Mandalorian's access inside.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Mandalore nodded in agreement, and after a series of hand gestures five of the Mandalorians, including one in blue and silver armor, stepped backwards. They turned and walked the distance to the treeline. There they stopped, and there they would wait.

The other five arranged themselves around Mandalore in a loose circle. The gates opened and the girl threw herself inside, sobbing and calling for her family. She was quickly taken from the walls and to a safe house, so that officials could find out her story and who she was.

The Mandalorians walked forward with the easy gait of warriors, three of them taller than Mandalore. Just inside the gates they stopped, and there was a pause before they began stripping off the weapons they wee carrying. Antique shell guns and retrofitted blasters were turned over, as well as a few interesting panels from the suits of armor. None of them had been wearing the standard jetpacks, perhaps because they had anticipated such a request from the City.

[Razielle Alastor]

Simply watching the ongoings from the battlements, as her guards had suggested, was not what Razielle had in mind. It didn't take much on her part to get them to escort her to the Queen's side. Completely surrounded by armed men, she emerged onto the wall and walked quickly to Adraudia's side, saying nothing. Her complete attention was drawn to the Prime Minister and his negotiations with Mandalore.

She eyed them up as they rid themselves of their weapons. Her mistrustful nature wondered what else they were carrying that wasn't so obvious. However, the thought in the back of her mind was that with Mandalore here, if they truly wanted Salem Ave assassinated, now would be a grand time. Her eyes slid to the General, recently risen from his sick bed. She wisely looked away. The truth would be known soon.

[General Devious]

His strength was to slow in returning. Behind the face plate of his armor his face grimaced. One of the Guards had handed him a cane to lean on. Not wanting to seem weak but also not wanting to be held up by the guards he took it. His eyes followed the the Queen as she moved to get a better vantage point. Razelle was with her, Salems puppet. He had heard later that she had taken the hit for Salem and that she was moderately wounded. He was sorry for that. He had no interest in hurting her. He found her quite charming but she had a weakness for Salem he could not admire.

He wished to apologize to her but then that would reveal his duplicity. But most of all Salem had suprised him most of all. He thought that surely he would strike at him when he was weakest. But according to Sting he filled the gap and took care of extra security ran extra sweeps and increased army surplus supplies for his men. He verged on thinking that Salem wasn't the Spider that he thought when Sting informed him that he also named himself Prime Minister. Granted more power no doubt by this new ambitious title.

Salem was slick Dalamar would give him that. Young women flocked to him. Razelle and Araudia and how many others had he beguiled and tricked? Dalamar did not know. Another sharp pain shot up his leg and his breathing grew more shallow. He was pushing himself to hard to soon. The armored warriors approached. Devious's guards stood near him and he signalled them to silence so he could hear. His Mandolorian was extremely rusty and he needed quiet. The small one seemed to be the Leader. He waited to hear what would be played out.

[Salem Ave]

“Guards – escort these men to the royal palace.”

The soldiers fell in line around the Mandalorian's, leading the way towards the Queen's residence. Excitement and anxiety buzzed in the air, as the citizens of Iziz watched the procession go by. Two distinct parties were visible – the Onderonians and the Mandalorian's; the first lead by Salem, the second by Mandalore. It was not long before they had entered the palace grounds and were joined by more guards, who trooped towards one of the palace's historic halls.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The Mandalorians might have been walking alone, or escorting the Onderonian guards, for all it showed in their demeanor. Even though there were only six of them, and they had disarmed, they exuded a quiet confidence that unnerved many of those who watched them walk by.

They were stopped just outside the hall, presumably waiting for the Queen to attend. She would have to be seated and all would need to be secure inside before the Mandalorians would be allowed anywhere near her. The armored men stood silently, while the guards around them shifted just enough to betray their nervousness... or excitement. Some of the guards noticed that in the six Mandalorians in attendance, the three shorter ones (including Mandalore) were wearing armor of a slightly different fit. It wasn't something that they had ever noticed before, but in the heat of battle there was little time to critique the fashion sense of your enemy.

[Hawkins Grime]

"Who says the public aren't allowed in?"

The guard pushed the civilian back away from the door, the other guards regripping their weapons. Grime twitched, he could feel his skin crawling in an sneer. He wasn't close enough to the door or the inquiring civilian to see the guard's face but he hoped the guard was ugly enough to make up for keeping him from what was going on now.

"Only authorized personnel are allowed onto palace grounds now, royal security is currently on a lock down."

Hawkins would give them something to lock down on. A city wide massacre would take their minds away from the Mandalorians for a moment. Maybe only a moment with the way they were so captivated with them. He grimaced, pushing his way through the crowd to the sides. Once he had made it to the fringes, he moved farther out.

He debated what he was actually striving for at this point. Was it worth it to make his own way in? But he knew she had just gone in there with the rest of those savages. That he wouldn't be able to know what was going on edged him in such a way, it was giving him a headache. Did she do this to him on purpose?

Regardless of his irritation in the amount of effort this might take, Hawkins began to examine the immediate area as he walked farther along the wall.

[Adraudia Basillie]

The Queen was led by heavy armed escort to the throne room with purpose. Even her guards were hard pressed in keeping up with her speed. It had been a long time since they've seen her Majesty burning with such tangible resolution. But weren't they all? Mandalore's appearance and proposal for a peaceful settlement had taken everyone off guard, and Adraudia could sense their hope, their doubts. The general mood surrounding her entourage was mostly of fear for the Queen's well being. The attempt on her life was still fresh in everyone's minds and no one was too naive to presume that this might not be a trap.

As she entered the throne room, the guards in attendance presented arms. Upon taking her seat, they grew at ease. Giljir, the Queen's attendant, moved into position to present her and Mandalore as was proper. He had long served the Basillie line faithfully but even today the possibilities of what could happen had the old man spooked.

"Be calm, old friend." The Queen's voice held much strength that those near her needed. "A new day dawns for Onderon, one way or another. We'll find peace or Mandalore shall not leave this room alive."

She looked down at the Guard at the edge of the dais. “Everyone is in place?”

The Guard bowed. “Yes, your Majesty. No one shall lay a hand on you.” Tar had taken great care in positioning his men in key positions so that anyone could intercept an attack.

“Very well.” Her eyes drifted to the thirty men that outlined the carpeted floor leading to the large double wooden doors, in which Mandalore waited on the other side. “Send them in.”

[Razielle Alastor]

Still partially surrounded by her own guards, Razielle had been led into the throne room, declining any sort of annoucement. The last thing she wanted right now was to draw attention to herself. The Mandalorians would have heard of the scandalous events occuring after their foiled attack on the Queen. Razielle was sure that they had taken no part in the assassination attempt on Salem, but she felt certain that Adraudia had been a target.

Razielle had no need to add her own diplomatic skills to this encounter. Adraudia could handle the likes of Mandalore, she was certain. Instead, she stepped into an alcove to the side of the dais and contented herself with observing. It occured to her that she was witnessing a historical event that would be recalled for generations of both Mandalorians and the citizens of Iziz. She met the eyes of the Queen briefly, not smiling for once. The event was far too serious. She simply nodded her head, silently telling her Queen that she was with her.

[Salem Ave]

The doors swung open. The high throne room walls, hung with vast mirrors, reflected the entering group so that it appeared as if they numbered three times as many. Salem walked ahead of the Mandalorians and bowed before the Queen before taking his place upon the dais, arms folded behind his back. He looked down onto Mandalore and his brood from the raised platform, and waited for the Queen to address her 'guests'.