Kalevala: 36 BBY
Clan Ralius Territory
Nakoa Sen

Everywhere he looked, there were flames. Smoke swirled in the snowy air. Timbers creaked and groaned before collapsing into burning heaps. Nakoa cried out again, but there was no sign of his parents.

Mandalorian warriors soared through the air, grappling with one another. Blaster fire erupted every few seconds and bodies fell. Nakoa recognized the insignia of Clan Vizsla on one fallen warrior. He knew the symbols of all the Clans. His mother had taught them to him as soon as he could walk.

Nakoa stumbled back towards a house that had yet to be touched by flames. He had no idea where he was. His own home had long since been burned. Close by, he spotted Ellis and Fey, the leaders of Clan Ralius.

"Nakoa!" He turned as a familiar woman ran towards him. She gathered him into her arms and started running before he had a chance to speak.

"What's happening? Where's Dad?" Nakoa whimpered.

His mother didn't answer. Nadi kept running and pulled a blaster into her free hand. Nakoa noticed her blood spattered armor, marred also by soot. Nadi skidded to a stop near a building at the far end of their small village. She set him down and pulled a vibroblade out of her boot.

"Take this. Do you remember how to use it?" She wrapped his small hand around the hilt of the blade.

Nakoa nodded and swallowed hard. He dropped his head, tears burning in his eyes. Nadi removed her helmet and tilted his chin up, forcing him to meet her gaze. "You'll be all right, my son." She gave him a small smile.

"What's happening?" Nakoa asked again.

"Clan Vizsla made good on their vow. They intend to wipe out Clan Ralius, but they will not succeed."

She stood, but Nakoa grabbed her by the wrist. "Why do they want to kill us?"

"Because of our ties to Clan Kryze. Our houses have always carried tensions between them. By destroying us, they hope to weaken Clan Kryze. No more questions. I have to go find your father and help." Nadi kissed his forehead, then threw her helmet on and activated her jetpack. She rocketed out of sight.

Nakoa clutched the vibroblade and stared at the battle around him. No one seemed to notice him. His luck was short lived. Another Mandalorian plummeted from the sky and hit the snow with a thud. Sparks flew from his jetpack. He tugged it off and cast it aside, before catching sight of Nakoa.

The warrior extended a blade from his vambrace and stalked towards him. Nakoa stared in fear, the small amount of training he'd had quickly slipping from his mind. The vibroblade shook in his grip.

"Where are the heirs?" The warrior snarled. He latched his free hand around Nakoa's throat and pressed the blade up against his cheek.

Feton and Tai, Nakoa realized. He'd only interacted with them a few times. Feton was just a year older than him. He became aware of the vibroblade he still held. Nakoa slashed it towards his enemy's fabric clad neck.

With a cry of rage, the warrior dropped him. "Blasted kid!" Nakoa took off running. He looked back once, in time to see blood drip from the man's wound. It didn't look deep enough to be fatal. It only seemed to have angered the man more.

Nakoa ran faster and heard footsteps crunch on the snow behind him. A blast bolt whizzed past him, singeing a lock of his dark brown hair. Another shot caught his leg. Nakoa sprawled in the snow. He flipped himself over and made sure his grip was still tight on the vibroblade.

The warrior loomed over him. Nakoa could feel the anger that rippled off him, as red as the blood that dripped from his neck. Nakoa screwed his eyes shut as the warrior lifted his blaster.

The shot never came. He heard a crunch and opened his eyes. Nadi slammed her knee into the warrior's jaw. His helmet had been knocked off during their initial collision. A second later, another Mandalorian joined them. Nakoa recognized his father, Raada.

Nakoa clawed his way backwards until his back pressed against a building. He could barely keep up with his parent's movements. Where one ducked, the other attacked. They forced the enemy warrior away from him slowly.

"You're starting down a violent path young, Tarek," Raada growled. "What are you trying to prove?"

"That I'm the better choice to lead my Clan and House," Tarek spat.

"In my opinion, neither you nor your brother are worthy," Nadi replied. She landed a firm kick to his chest. Tarek staggered back and fell to his knees.

"Look out!" Nakoa cried. It was too late. Tarek threw the grenade.

It exploded midair, the shock wave sending Raada and Nadi flying backwards. Nakoa dropped the vibroblade and shielded his head with his arms as the building behind him quaked. Tarek threw another explosive. This one detonated on the building itself. Rubble rained down and smoke filled the air.

Nakoa screamed as a beam landed atop him. More fell, closing him in. He looked around as much as he could. There was no sign of his parents. Nakoa hollered again, but to no avail. Smoke hung thick around him. Darkness tugged at his young mind. Despite himself, he gave in.

He didn't know how much time passed before he woke again. All he knew was he heard voices. Nakoa cracked an eye open and brushed ash out of his face. Somehow, the fire had burned itself out before it reached him. He listened again and heard voices outside. He tried to speak, but found his throat too raw to manage anything more than a whisper. The voices faded soon.

Something metal met his gaze. Nakoa grabbed the vibroblade and started chipping away at the beam that trapped his legs. He wiggled, making sure he could still feel them. He had no idea how they weren't crushed. Nakoa struck the beam again. The blade slipped and clanged against something below it.

He stiffened, recognizing the sound of metal. Nakoa lowered himself back to the ground and peered beneath the beam. His eyes widened in terror. It was a metal clad hand. His mother's.

Fear gripped his mind and he screamed, ignoring the pain in his throat. He couldn't stop screaming. Not as he became aware of what he was seeing. His parents lay beneath the beam. It was their bodies that had kept it from crushing him.

"Over here. I hear something!"

Nakoa managed to make himself stop screaming as the debris above him shifted. He coughed as ash fell. A moment later, sunlight exploded around him. He shielded his eyes against it.

Someone leaned down and gripped him beneath the arms. They pulled gently and he slid out from beneath the large beam. Nakoa couldn't stop his trembling.

"Make sure there's no one else down there," the female holding him said. A few of her companions slid down and began searching. The woman carried Nakoa a short distance away and set him down. She quickly checked him over for injuries. "What's your name?"

"Nakoa Sen," he whispered.

"What is your House and Clan?"

"House Kryze, Clan Ralius."

"Who attacked your people?" She lifted his hand and motioned for him to drop the vibroblade. He set it down beside him and she checked his hand.

"Tarek Vizsla and members of his Clan," Nakoa replied. "Who are you? You don't have a Clan signet."

"I am Ketei Arvis. My Clan has no name or signet." She straightened and offered him a hand.

Nakoa grabbed his blade and took her hand. "Were you here earlier?"

"No, but we saw members of Clan Kryze leave with two children."

A man joined them shortly. "There's no one down there except..."

"The boy's parents?" Ketei finished. The man nodded. "Very well. We'll take him with us, then. We must assume there are no other survivors."

"Are you sure that's wise? We're still trying to find a place to form a covert for our Clan. Now isn't the time to bring in a foundling."

"We can't leave him here, Galaar. If he chooses to come with us, he will be my responsibility." Ketei dropped down to her knees and planted her hands on Nakoa's shoulder. "We follow the ways of Mandalore the Great. We are bound to the Creed by the strongest vows. If you choose to come with us, I will teach you our ways."

Nakoa hesitated for a moment. His gaze flickered around the remnants of his village. He nodded at last. "There's nowhere else for me to go."

"Then welcome to our Clan." Ketei stood and lifted him once more. She activated her jetpack and her clanmates followed suit. Nakoa stared at the devastated land below them. His home, his family...it was all gone.