Raiko nods at Tryfon, favouring him with a small smile. "Good to see you again, Tryfon." She seems to have come into herself well, there's something radiant in the how she is holding herself now. "I can only speak for myself, of course, but you need only ask. Of course we will help as best we can." It was probably a foregone conclusion, with Tenchi's own agreement, but even still. She clicks her tongue as they enter the room with the yong Sasquatch, unfettered curiosity in her gaze. "I've already agreed to help, but do you have any more information for us? What can we be expecting when we go out there? I'd rather go in as prepared as possible." Her eyes flick up to Tryfon before returning to the young cryptid on the table.

"You do have a habit of finding exactly who you need, when they're needed. What trouble was she dragging you into?" there is a certain dry humour in her tone as she nods to the Duros, before taking a seat. She shakes her head, before turning back to Navi "Rumours of my demise were grossly exaggerated, I've found" she states in a wry tone. "Though admittedly, it's not for lack of trying for some parties." she offers a shrug. "Florum was a miserable place, but it'll take a bit more than a Pirate with delusions of grandeur to put me down. You got what you were looking for in the end?" While ostensibly relaxed, she remains on a hair trigger. Most species had figured that trying to sneak up on a Mandalorian leads only to short bouts of extreme violence, but there was the odd one or two that still chanced their luck. She just wished she could have had her back to a wall. She shakes her head. "Either way, this isn't a social call. I have a need for some things, and you might be just the one to know where I can ."

Kafrene Moving through Kafrene with a single minded purpose, Kao had to appreciate the mindset of the people liable to inhabit places such as this. They looked, they saw the Armour, they saw the weapons, and while there was a wariness, there was none of the fear common to most "civilised" enclaves. It was almost refreshing. Idly noting someone spot her, before rapidly making an exit, she had to amend, at least from the General masses. Those with Bounties on their head usually had a "Run first, ask questions only if caught" mentality. She let him go. She wasn't here for a bounty, and didn't feel inclined to the chase right this moment so she let him go without even twitching in his direction. The watering hole was fairly standard galactic fare, as far as she judged these things. Too loud music that was more felt than heard, rotgut, and if that guy in the back wasn't dealing in some "recreational" substances, she would eat her Helmet. The only surprise was the food. They must be trying to make the place appear fancier than it was. Spotting her.... acquaintance... so early was appreciated. It saved her more legwork down the line, and she makes a line to the table in question, cataloguing her companion as she does. Duros. Pilot, by the look of him. Vaguely hunted look, or at least to her eye. Vail herself was about as she remembered her. She wondered what she was up to this far out. Sidling up to the table she opens with a simple "Vail. Do you have a moment?"

Raiko had spent much of the last week in quiet retreat. She'd attended to her work, of course, dodging the media with the ease of long practice and a longsuffering air of someone who was well used to it at this stage. Only her brother Tenchi and her mother saw her much during this period, and even then, they knew to give her the space she needed to come to grips with things. It was, if not a regular thing, a known occurrence. Particularly when she was grappling with hard decisions. While counsel was acknowledged and appreciated, she did prefer to have some time to herself to reason through whatever it was that was giving her trouble. She spent much of the last week with the gifts granted her by her patrons. Of course, only that given by her Mesopotamian forbear was acceptable in the public eye, a rendition of an ancient Star chart, done in gold on a necklace. Nevertheless, her sword was never far from her, and a ghastly grim and ancient Raven had taken to following her around in her day to day business. It was only in the last days that she had seemingly come to grips with her inner struggles and returned to mostly normal. Her team found her far more focused than ever before, a fact some lamented, but all respected.

JAKKU ********* Biting down another curse at the pretender, she took another moment to re-appraise the situation. Given that, with how both the Scum and the Imperials were acting, she had a sinking feeling that this was an ambush, and the chakaar was just there to act as bait. Marvelous. It was good bait, too. Even knowing it for what it was, the temptation was still there to throw caution to the wind. There were only 8 of them, not including the Moff. She'd seen worse odds. And if she could get up the ramp.... She reorients herself. Decisions, decisions. They were on the lookout, but honestly, they would probably still be ridiculously surprised if she went as brazen as all that. She couldn't help the almost feral smile at the thought. The adrenaline already starting to flow. She was marking her targets in her head. The gangers. Eh, most of them weren't worth the blaster at their belt. The Imperials were the particular worries. And the chakaar. If he wasn't a threat, it would just make the implicit insult worse. They took priority.

JAKKU ********* As the discrepancies start to add up, all she can do is let out a frustrated sigh. She didn't know who the hell they were, but this person was not her brother. Though that in and of itself was something of interest. She was not ignorant of her people's... foibles. They were a very proud people, to the point of obstinance at times. Few enough of them would be willing to work with the Imperials on an extended basis, their place under Imperial yolk saw to that. So, that being the case who was this Stranger wearing pieces of the armour of her Clan, but who was not her brother? Perhaps the two of them needed to have a little talk. If this person was Mandalorian, but had accepted a leash, well. Trial by combat was their way. And if he was just aping her people? Well. She needed to Sharpen her fangs either way. That insult couldn't be born. Even with the disappointment of missing her brother, this one might be able to provide her with the next leg of her Journey. All that remained was to figure out how. They clearly outnumbered her, and she was a close quarters fighter at best. So an ambush was probably for the best. It's just as well she knew where it was that they needed to go and could see to a few unwanted surprises. The Imperials themselves, she didn't care for. All she needed was to seperate the Mandalorian from the rest. There was no bounty on the Moff.... yet, anyway, and she didn't work for free. That could follow when he inevitably got in over his head and decided to cut and run rather than pay his dues.

Jakku ********* As she moved, she couldn't help but lament the circumstances that had brought her here. Her brother absconding with the Armour had rocked what was left of the house. No one had seen it coming. If her intel was correct and he was now acting as a glorified errand boy, it just added to the insult that had been paid to their people. But if that shuttle contained who she thought it did, then at least part of the insult could be salved. She had to quell her rising excitement, her uncles voice resonating in the back of her head and chiding her for getting ahead of herself. There would be plenty of time for celebration after the fact, but only after the fact. A deep breath, expelling the nerves steadied the quiver in her nerves as she settled into her new hideaway. Either way, with the Shuttles proximity, she would be able to get off this forsaken ball of sand soon enough. She quickly runs a hand over her gear, making sure that everything was ready for when things kicked off. She really did need to get around to adding the wrist blades to her armour....

Character Name: Kao Kryze Type: Force Sensitive Mandalorian Species: Echani (Near-Human) Gender: Female Age: Hard to Tell Height: 5’11” Eyes: Unknown Hair: As of yet unknown, but she has commented that her father was Echani, so one would assume White/Silver Physical Description: Clad in a set of unadorned armour, no one can honestly say that they know what the person underneath the durasteel looks like. The armour looks fresh, though, with only little of the battle scars that any Mandalorian picks up in time. Her own svelte build in combination with the traditional armour of her people leave her with an imposing presence. Background: To many in the Galaxy, all that is known about her is that she is looking for someone very specific, that a score can be settled and honour redressed. Who this person is or what they have done to warrant a Mandalorians personal attention to this extent remains shrouded in Mystery. In fact, she is hunting down her older brother, who had abandoned their way of life and absconded with a set of relic armour that was not his to take. In light of this, the clan dispatched her to hunt him down and bring back the armour, one way or another. ON a personal level, she just wants to know why it happened, and hopes that she can bring him back alive She has spent the last year in the Galaxy at large hunting down any word of him so that she can pick up the trail properly. Lately she has been hearing alarming rumours about a Mandalorian who has linked up with an Imperial Moff. She dearly hopes it’s just hearsay, but is resigning herself to her crusade becoming a lot more dangerous. Personality: So far in her time in the Galaxy at large, she has demonstrated a to the point and brusque manner. Keeping her relationships strictly business oriented where possible.. She doesn’t spend any more time in social settings than she has to. Only taking the time to pick up another job and move on. In truth, the reason for this is a level of suspicion held towards the Galaxy at large that has been drilled into her through the constant betrayals her people have endured. Below all this is a quiet loneliness. She hopes to find a group of people that she can work with on both personal and professional level. A Clan away from her Clan Objectives ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS Dexterity: 4D Acrobatics: 5D Blaster: 5D + 2 Dodge: 5D Brawling Parry: 5D Melee: 5D Perception: 3D Investigation: 4D Knowledge: 2D Willpower: 4D Strength: 4D Brawling: 4D Martial Arts: 8D Weapon Block, Multiple Strikes, Disarm. Mechanical: 3D Armour Repair: 4D Technical: 3D FORCE ABILITIES Control 0D - Knack Skill Powers: Sense: 0D Powers: Alter 0D Powers: Control and Sense: Powers: Sense and Alter: Powers: Control and Alter: Powers: Advantages: Sixth Sense: -2D Extraordinary Hearing: -2 Extraordinary Sight: -2 Disadvantages: Fanatic +3D Sworn Enemy: Brother +1D Target For Assassination: +3D Equipment: Move: 10 Force Sensitive: Yes Force Points: 2 Dark Side Points: 0 Character Points:

Good. Good. I'm planning some form of Force Sensitive, at least. Maybe not a user right out the door, but would definitely be planning for it.

Yes.

Raiko has to supress the urge to snort. With the news that had just been delivered to her, there was little doubt as to what her ultimate decision was going to be. And she suspected that her Patrons knew it as well. She inclines her head towards the trio.... who barring Ōkuninushi hadn't actually been introduced, now she thought on it. "I accept." It wasn't like, with her eyes being opened now that she could turn her back on the road put before them. That it would bring her closer to those who had attempted to harm her was just a happy coincidence. As she had said, for her, the choice wasn't much of one. And unless she missed her mark, Tenchi would feel similarly enough, if only because he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for turning his back on the option to make a difference to the well being of the world.

Raiko lets out a long breath with a simple "I see." and thoughts racing. The general consensus had been that it was a rogue group acting on their own merit that had been the ones to originally orchestrate the kidnapping. To find out that the mastermind was actually still around was not a pleasant experience. She would need to pick up her training even further now. For whatever about fighting this war for the Gods, this was now a personal matter for her. She hoped Tenchi wouldn't mind a few extra bruises. For now she would have to put it from her mind. She'd have to talk to Tenchi and perhaps Yojimbo if she could swing it, to come up with a new regimen. The rest she would need some time to internalise. It certainly sounded useful, but she imagined that there would be some drawbacks as well. If only by painting a giant target on your back. Still, while it gave them seome leeway, they would still need to be careful about being too blatant in their actions. It's one thing to kill giants, it's another thing for people to see you killing.... well. Maybe not innocent as such, but humans at any rate.

Raiko sat primly,palms resting primly upoin the sabre sitting across her lap. She waits calmly assessing as the others ask their questions, content to listen and learn what she can of their answers before she leaps to make her own decision. The primary worry for her so far was the enemies that they would be facing, and the considerations they would need to make for the fights ahead. Something told her that this would be an Ordeal. She would like to be able to make as much in the way of preparations as she could before they saw any more battlefields. Clearing her throat as the last of the chatter from the others cleared, she began. "I have many questions, more than I dare say we all together have been allowed. So I must beg your forbearance as I marshall my thoughts." With a deep breath, she begins. "You say that we share the blood of you and yours, that we are your Scions, and that we are privy to a world that most Mortals are incapable of seeing." she paused, thinking of how to phrase about 20 questions into 1 single one. "If this is the case, I assume that we will end up fighting those like us, albeit whose blood has woken to these Titans. How circumspect must we be in combatting them and the ilk of those giants already vanquished, the staff of the hotel here were cleaning up the mess we had made. Can we expect a similar sort of help from other allies in future, or are they a once off because of our proximity to your holdings?" She pauses once more, allowing a shaky breath out, the only sign of nerves in her otherwise stoic facade. "Secondly, this Legend you have all spoken of. You talk of it as if it were a tangible thing, as if it were more than simple story and tale passed down through generations, and from what you have implied, it is somehow tied to us and our... being, I suppose. From how you speak, it sounds as an intrinsic part of who we are, but what does that mean for us? Is it a being in and of itself, or is it more akin to a force? Is it something we must appease and placate, or sometrhing less overt? Technically multiple questions, I know, so I suppose the best way of putting it, would be: What is legend and how will it affect us as we fight and live our lives?" Up till now, she had been adressing the trio before her with no particular focus on any one of the three, though her attention had occasionally wandered to the man with Asian features. She had more questions, but she found herself hesitating perhaps, with all everyone had asked, it was all right to be selfish with this one question... ".... a long time ago, there was a little girl." From his position a besides her seated form, Tenchi frowned in concern, the minute waver in Raiko's voice concealed almost completely from everyone else. "She was precocious, and thought that she knew better than those older and wiser than herself, and so she strayed from where she should have been and was taken." Her voice cracks slightly on the final word and she has to swallow around the lump that had taken residence in her throat. "Those who took her hid her away, that they might reap the benefits of posessing her, or so the girl thought." She still hears the boisterous laughter of the men that first night, so pleased with themselves, and she shudders. "And yet time passed, and no riches did they accrue from their captive." No laughter then, only angry words and cruel commentary, day after day. "Eventually, they decide "Enough is enough." and decide to cut their losses." the dark tone of voice left no guess as to what they had meant by that. She wipes angrily at the tears building in the corner of her eyes, still furious at her own stupidity and huffs our a hoarse laugh. "But it was not to be, as the girl had someone looking for her, and this one man was more than any of them could hope to contend with." She would never forget the sounds of those men dying, nor the mess and smell they left behind, where she was found later, shivering in what was more akin to an abbatoir than anything else. "I can only assume that I have you to ultimately thank for his presence there," she says in a low rasp, still speaking around the lump in her throat. "And given that, you have been watching us for a lot longer than we might have thought. Tell me of Yojimbo, and what really happened during that time, because that little girl has a feeling that there was a lot more going on than she might have thought....."

"Feeling less and less like an interview and more and more like a hazing now." Raiko comments to Tenchi in an undertone. Idly, if somewhat hysterically she wondered if the word for a Collection of gods of different groupings was still Pantheon, or if they needed a new collective noun. This was utter madness. Juno's outburst allowed Raiko the brief moment to compose herself once more, nodding carefully in agreement. Her gaze was flitting over each of the present gods, mentally trying to associate Pantheons with names and faces. She almost had to wince at Ali's question. This was going to be an interesting conversation. Not every day you got to discuss Theology with actual divinities... or being approaching it, anyway. Though she doubted 'I don't believe in you' would hold much truck with their current audience. "Maybe the Chariot is Amphibious and they have a Time share" she returns, sardonic and head shaking. "It is certainly hard to believe, how does one reconcile the various creation myths when they were all so wildly different?" she was personally Agnostic and so was open to the idea of a God or Gods, but this was something else.

Raiko huffs. "I can't say that I care for it overmuch, if I'm being entirely honest. Disconcerting is one word for it." she reclines back, fingers drumming a quick tattoo against the scabarded blade sat across her lap, thinking. "And no, I dare say you're right. You don't go to that much effort unless you wanted something, so I daresay we'll see in short order." she lets out a sigh, some of the tension leaking out with it, before sitting up straighter, attention focusing on the Gods. ".... if you'll pardon the impertinence, are you actually related or is it pure happenstance that you're the spit of one another? I don't recall any Mythology where Odin and Zeus were Identical twins." focus on the little things first. She can freak out about the existence of gods in her own time. Apparently this was just how her life was now.