Chapter Text
“There are two kinds of strength in this universe: strength of the body - which anyone can claim with proper motivation and training - and a much more Elusive kind of strength. That net Vod is the strength of the will, and the strength of the will is far more important of the two, for Will shall carry you far even when your body has long since failed you'' - Derrick Vhett, Mandalorian political advisor.
(No relation to the Fett family)
January 10th, 2011, the docks.
The Soldier.
Miriya crouched low behind an overturned car as bullets pinged and kicked the cement around them. As they turned to look at Cassandra, The sergeant was cackling with the faceplate and a pistol in hand, having braided blonde hair, ice blue eyes, a nose piercing, and a jagged scar along her left eye and nose. The woman stood 6 feet tall, crouched low with a police officer between the two. The man had chestnut brown hair.
Grizzled from years working in the Brockton PD, he had brown eyes with a growing beard along his face. Pistol in hand as they were stuck between gangsters in the street with ABB gangsters pinning them down.
Miriya stared at her NCO, waiting for orders to take in the storm as sirens from a broken police cruiser rested nearby, its warbling getting on her nerves as well with the screams of Pvt Jenkins as he bled out far away from him.
“Fuck, why are you cackling, Goon?”
Cass turned her head to the cop with a smirk on her lips, baring her sharp teeth. Having a Montana accent,” Yeah, shut it blue, and how come I’m a Minion, to be exact!”
Miriya let out a soft laugh while being shot at as their radios crackled, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves.
“Are you getting anything to command like us being fucked sideways by gangsters!”
Miriyas own voice was strained with a standard north American tone. Hands white-knuckling her pistol as the shots slowly dwindled as Jenkins cries in pain and begs for someone to save him. The cop who saved his life lay dead on the ground. Eyes were sightless as blood pooled from their open skull, and she turned away from looking at that, cursing under her breath.
“Already did, and we can't shoot back console orders, the fuckers….”
Miriya and the copper stared at her. With blank dry looks.
“You're kidding me, right, Jesus christ. It's like they want us to be fucking die god damn PR…..”
“Yeah, well, fuckem. Officer getting through to your boys in blue, any chance for backup?”
The copper sighed
” it's Hendricks, and no.. cities are currently on fire after that whole Winslow swarm incident… kicked things off. Jesus, fuck, I hate capes….”
Miriya darkly chuckled, looking at Jenkins writhing from across them and the bullet-riddled PRT van close by, its engine block stuck in a street lamp. Smoke billowed out, and sirens filled the city.
“Join the club, Hendy. So fuck the rules and deal with the captain's angry noises?”
Cass nodded, her face turning grim, checking her clips, then to Jenkins.
“Miriya, get to Jenkins and stop his bleating! Hendricks keeps asking for backup. Well, keep them pinned on my go.”
“Understood, trooper.”
Hendricks grip tightened on his pistol as Miriya stayed low, ready to run over to Jenkins at full sprint. Giving Cassandra a nod, the sergeant and trooper broke cover to fire down range to keep the fuckers pinned.
“go!”
Miriya sprinted towards Jenkins, dragging him further behind the cover. A PRT van stuck in a warehouse wall, smoke billowing from it. Its back doors opened as the pinging of rounds bounced against it.
The roar of 9mm pistols responded to the clack of AK-47s. Miriya rushed forward, hearing the gangsters yell in some foreign language she could give two shits about, sliding on her knees to Jenkins's side. She was dragging them to cover and pulling out her triage kit.
“Momma! I want my momma!”
Miriya kept her face firm, squeezing the kid's hand as they saw the wound. She was tearing open his pant leg with them, seeing the bullet that had dug deep inside him. Jenkins's right knee was blown out from a round earlier in the fight. She turned to look at Cass firing her pistol with Hendricks yelling into his radio and firing back at the gangsters. Seeing 10 of them at the other end of the street. 2 poking out from behind a dumpster.
“It’ll be ok, kid. I got you. Armour took most of the bullets meant for you. Just stay with me; keep your eyes focused on the helm.”
The kid nodded at Miriya; it was like he was staring behind the famous PRT trooper, face plate that reflected the fires and smoke of the street around them.. Hence the goon squad. Mind back on track Miri; she was not going to lose another trooper fuck the villains. Pulling out a tourniquet to cut off the blood flow.
“Fuck I’m going to lose my leg. Aren't you a corporal?”
“No, you are not well begging panacea to help heal your leg, kid…be like they never shot you in the knee.”
Jenkins let out a weak laugh at that common joke with the troopers. Unable to give panacea a break, they all saw that tiredness in her eyes, just like them—the unrelenting march of villains and gangs of brockton.
“It hurts, man! The fucking gangsters got me where the damn heroes!”
“Occupied too busy fighting villains to help us lowly grunts.”
They replied dryly at this; they stopped the bleeding wrapping his leg in gauze, turning to look back at Cass as they ejected a mag smoothly, putting in a new one.
“This is Officer Hendricks pinned at the docks near the old Dobson and co. Warehouse. I repeat, I'm stuck with a couple of prt troopers pinned by gangsters. Yes, you what!? Sir, the DWA is on fire right now, and I can't do it. Are you insane? You're forcing me to hold fire!? Jesus Christ!”
Miriya could hear his screams, the tension in the boy's voice, and the strain on Cassandra's face as they tried to get back up. Only for the shooting to stop for a few moments, and Cass screamed into her radio for backup. Both turned to stare out and saw a Gangster with RPG instincts taking over.
“RPG!”
The trio moved away, scrambling out the explosion of the car, sending her across the pavement and Jenkins. The screams of Cassandra, and Hendricks were heard, only to stop after two echoed roars that bounced along the street into the din of the night; they felt their body ache.
She was pushing herself against the ground with a grunt. She didn't know how much time they were out for—seeing smoke fill her vision only to grunt as a boot kicked her rolling them over. Her visor cracked as dark brown eyes stared at the sky and a gangster with a bandana covering his face. The boy had a pistol pointed at her face with a scrunched nose. Jenkins…wasn't moving; blood pooled around them, and bits of smoking debris were embedded in the boy's back. Hendricks Cass. Cass, no, they moved to get up only to be put down again by the foot on her chest.
“Don't move bitch, or I’ll end ya.”
They felt dark alone, unable to talk or think as she thought of her baby girl, little verity, and her husband luna; oh luna, why couldn't they have just left when they could have? Her tears filled her vision as well with acceptance.
“Why not end the bitch Johan!”
“Fine, I’ll end he-”
This voice was gruffer as a much larger man with unique tattoos on his arms and a katana. Former yakuza? He had a thick Japanese accent, only for him and the other gangsters to scream as Miri saw a biblical plague of bugs. Swarming through the street as they swarmed the gangsters hearing them scream or run. And the gasping cries of a girl. Miriya was stunned, ready to move as she knew who this was. The Winslow swarm saved her life; why? They were supposed to be a villain.
“Oh, oh god… I Are, are you .a-alright?!”
The girls' voices were young, strained, wearing bloody clothes and no masks as they rushed to Miriyas' side. The corporal grunted as her helmet was pulled off, letting out a wince.
“Hgnn…fuck…your…Tayl-”
“Taylor Hebert…I… I didn't mean to attack them or anyone or or”
Tears streamed down her face as they looked Miriya over.
“I…”
“Kid… the others, Cassandra…Hendricks Jenk-”
The girl's face went stone-cold slack as they stared at Miriya, yet she knew the answer then.
“I…I’m sorry your friends didn't make it….”
“Fuck….not…not your fault…didn't have back up…thanks for…the save though…have a little girl to go home to.”
“I… I should go….”
“Yes…kid…why?”
“I…I…wanted to be…a hero….”
Miriyas heart ached at the young teen before her, only to hear the crunch of dirt on boots and the sound of commlink chatter and gravelly speakers. Both turned to see a small squad of. What she knew was as Mandalorians bucket heads fucking mercs. Then a tall woman in armor curled in feathered wings and a unique helm. It was dark with light blue highlights and a fur cloak that fit between their semi-armored wings.
“Adii’ka, come here; we must go. Vahora, help the trooper.”
“Elek Alor”
The tall woman in armor at around 6.2 inches in height turned to two other armored warriors; one was massive; they were 7 feet with bits of fur poking out of the armor and a head hidden in armor. It was a unique brown with mixed green like a forest and what looked like bark added in bits. A bandolier around their chest as a special weapon was carried in their big hairy arms. She must be high or more hurt than they initially thought.
They saw a more petite 5.3-inch woman walk over with white and red stripes on her shoulder and helm. She was telling them they were a medic, pulling out a pack and scanner to examine them. Huh, tinkers, most likely or bought. Miriya had thought Mandos were a myth or just in wartorn states.
“So…you must be cute unde-”
Miriya teased while looking at the medic. Only to see the tensing of the petite woman's shoulders as they punched her without warning. The crunch of their armored fist against her nose caused their vision to go blurry. Crying out in pain
“The fuck! Woman!?”
“I’m not cute.”
The furry case 53 laughed as the leader looked at another average male human; it seemed not as fancy as armor, like a proper merc or ex-military.
“Pirunir sur’haaise!”
The man had a broad southern accent.
“Oya”
The two moved ahead into the street, weapons in hand, as three more armored warriors watched the sides as Miriya held her most likely broken nose Vahor went to patch up the burns she got from the explosion, and a splint out and was ready.
“Left leg is broken. Nose too.”
“Yeah… you bitch..fuck, I can't believe you're a medic.”
Taylor just stared at the group.
“Wh-”
“You'll learn in time, little one, what it means to be mando’ade. Your one of us now aliit ori’shya tal’din.”
The girl looked confused as Miriya cursed under her breath.
“Fuck, what does that mean, you winged bitch… fuck.”
“Ungrateful… aruetii”
The woman grunted; her voice was smooth old yet firm, arms crossed, looking at another of her clan members.
“Is the area clear for exfil?”
“Ja. So we let the white hat live?”
“Yes.. let her tell the story of how the girl saved her life and is now under clan volk’yrrs protection. You got mando’karla if you tire of working for a corrupt organization that leaves its brothers and sisters to die. Join us. Let's go.”
The woman walked, pulling Taylor in close with a wing and arm as they began to walk down the street. Vahor finished patching her up. Putting her tools away and walked off, picking up a rifle as the mercs left her behind, wounded and alone. She was pulling herself to lean against a warehouse brick wall. Tears streamed down her face as they stared at Miriya's blood hair and burnt body. Her sister in her arms, her friend. She cried and raged in pain, grief, and sadness, letting out ragged sobs as they hit her at once, the stress, the pain, and the inability to fire back. Until they slowly passed out on that street, that cold night full of fire, brimstone death, and a flicker of hope. She was not even registering the PRT sirens and sounds of a motorbike moving closer and closer. Tears streamed down her pale, freckled cheeks.
// and this ends part 1 of foundation, a three-parter. First focuses on the Soldier Miriya Candovis. Part 2 focuses on the aftermath, the politician, and their schemes. Part 3 sets the stage with Taylor and the Alor.
Past times in the edits, I haven't had any help after today; I felt a bit lost so. I got Grammarly premium. My god, is it a worthy investment? Thank you all for sticking with it. I hope it's better than the last versions.
I leave my last try in Apocrypha to show my growth and help. Thank you all.