Bankor

It was stupid o'clock in the morning, but given the desert conditions it had made sense to Rav to switch his body clock. Now it was the middle of his day and he needed to work off some of those big Republic lunches.

The sound of the treadmill taking a pounding was, well, unusual. Shistavanen were bipedal, but they ran just as easily on all fours...

Odd hit the gym for much the same biorhythm-altering reasons as Rav, though he had been enjoying his afternoon naps long before coming to the Black Sands. Today was arms day, but some cardio before lifting was in good taste, so ho hopped on adjacent treadmill, dropping a casual greeting for the co-runner. He didn't comment on the quadrupedal use of the device other than with a small smile.

The wolfman nodded back, tongue lolling. A few more minutes of running and he slowed it down to a jog. Eventually he hopped off.

"Hey, if ain't the world's greatest dancer!"

Rav grinned and started running a diagnostic on the treadmill machine.

"That's a thing now about me?" Oddyn laughed briefly, not yet stepping off. "Not something I'd like my renown be about, but I am not going to be too picky."

A raspy laugh was forthcoming. "There are worse things to be known for. And I was there, you got moves man."

Finishing the diagnostic he remembered to come back with his tools. Next up was weight training.

"You know, I was sceptical about having Mandalorians along to fight Mandalorians, but I only ever fought Kryze. How you fittin' in around here?"

"The honest answer probably is: not very well?" Odd chuckled. "But I'm not bothered. It is what it is. I'm not here to be popular."

He looked at the wolf. "If you ask me if I have a problem killing Kryze, I largely don't."

The wolf chuckled. "Well I ain't exactly Mr Popular either, on account of my charming personality. And big pointy teeth."

He gave the man an appraising look. "My name's Rav. Are you here for the cause then, or the money? If it's personal feel free to tell me where to shove my question."

With a shrug he picked up some weights and started doing a set.

"It's personal, but i don't reject the pay." Odd hopped off the treadmill and looked at cable biceps bar. "And it's a grudge."

Rav gave the mercenary a serious look. "Huh. Not so different then. Kryze owe me a couple of years and a bunch of friends."

He ripped through a few sets of curls, his wiry form stronger than it looked.

"Seems them acting in a way brings about similar stuff to get back at them." Odd started pulling. "Responsibility is a tenet for Mando'ade. You spill shit, be prepared for a shitstorm. It's fine to let them face theirs."

The wolf looked over with a comically quizzical expression. "Don't know much about Mandalorians, beyond hating those Kryze folks. Maybe you can tell me something about 'em, you, however it works?"

He did a few different reps with the weights, working on some muscle groups that got right from all the detail work he'd been doing

Odd kept pulling.

"Well, then basics, I guess. We're a culture that has transcended blood and ethnicity. Once only the Taung were Mando'ade, but they have died out. You are a Mando'ad if you're accepted in a Clan and you've learned to follow our rules, usually through upbringing. The rules, Six Actions, Resol'nare, is what makes you join the Manda after death. If you disregard them, you cannot join souls with all other Mando'ade and become a dar'manda, an abomination." He paused. "Those are simple. Wear and care for your armour, the beskar'gam, speak the language and preserve the culture, defend yourself and family, raise your children as Mando'ade, contribute to the welfare of your Clan, and when the Mand'alor calls, join him in war."

He looked up. "The Taung had gods with names, fierce gods. But since Mand'alor the Indomitable we worship war itself. It is through war we can become ourselves, realise Resol'nare. Hardship and challenge make gems, peace and ease breed only rot."

Rav listened with interest while he continued with his own pumping of iron. It was interesting stuff.

"Huh. Well thanks for the history lesson, I had no idea. Or I did once and forgot it all. So the Taung were the founders of the culture, but they got wiped out and now you follow this Mand'alor guy or gal? So who is that now and how does that relate to House Kryze and their friends dropping in on Bankor and massacring civilians? I mean, my people are hunters and killers too, but we keep to ourselves for the most part."

He moved on to the next set of weights and started his next workout.

"Several centuries ago Jedi defeated us over Malachor and have gone to great lengths to prevent our resurgence as a nation. We haven't followed a single Mand'alor ever since. We have scattered. The Jedi fomented the Schism among us, and clans like Ordo, Cadera or Kelborn have chosen to accept the defeat and throw their lot with the Republic. Others have grown closer to the Empire. Some have chosen to be soldiers of fortune and have aligned with none, making their own lot and choices. Kryze are of that final kind. Most of them, as well as the Varads and Jendris are here for war in itself. Why Varo Kryze has chosen Bankor in particular, I don't know." His voice tensed at the end of explanation. He moved to the lifting bench.