The next couple of days passed and things were much better. They made much better time and made up a lot of ground as they could sense the easiest routes of travel, with the least amount of underbrush, even finding game trails to follow for short distances until they petered out.
It was almost as if the Dark Side had drawn a map for them, and beckoned them on towards their destination.
They also found that if they let their concentration lapse, the dark, brooding moods would settle back in, without even realizing it. Several times they caught themselves snapping at one another for minor things. Each time the other would just respond by saying, "Fog." It was all that was needed.
The afternoon of their fifth day of travel, Trychon kept feeling... something... on the edge of his senses. He tried concentrating as best he could while still walking, but whatever it was seemed to flit in and out, just at the edge of perception. Finally he called a halt in a small clearing.
"Is something wrong?" Raezyr asked him. Noticing the troubled look on Trychon's face he asked if the fog was getting to him again.
"No. It's something else. Do you feel it?"
Raezyr gave Trychon a quizzical look, but stopped and concentrated, closing his eyes and tried to tap in to what Trychon was feeling. After a few minutes Raezyr started to tell him that he wasn't getting anything when Trychon interrupted him. "There! Did you sense that?"
"I did. What was that?" Raezyr asked.
"I don't know, but I've been sensing it at the edge of my range for the last twenty minutes or so," Trychon responded. "It's almost like it's pacing us."
They began to concentrate together, attempting to extend the range of their senses. It only helped a little, but it was enough. Whatever it was, was large. For a moment it seemed startled, almost as if aware that Trychon and Raezyr were sensing it. Rage replaced the surprise and it began moving in their direction.
Aitchkay spoke up. "Inquiry: Do the Masters sense something I should know about?"
Trychon and Raezyr looked at each other for a moment, before Raezyr responded. "We've got incoming. Whatever it is, is big, and it's not happy."
Suddenly they could hear trees crashing and a loud roar pierced the stillness of the fog. Raezyr and Trychon drew their lightsabers and took their stances. "Huck, get that blaster out, and take cover in those trees, cover us."
The ground shook as the beast neared, roaring as it came. It was on them quickly and they got their fist look. The creature was huge, standing nearly three meters tall and walking upright on two legs. It had spines growing from its back and a pair of tusks protruding from each side of it's mouth, and it was covered in what appeared to be some sort of chitinous layers, giving the beast the appearance of wearing armor.
Raezyr and Trychon dove to either side as the beast charged into the clearing, swinging it's massive arms at the Sith. They rolled to their feet and took up positions on either side of the creature. The beast swung to face Raezyr and took a swipe him. Raezyr ducked under the blow and swung his lightsaber, landing a blow on the creature's wrist.
The beast howled in pain as Raezyr rolled backward and got to his feet. He expected to see a stump where his blade had contacted the creatures arm, but it wasn't so. The claw-like 'hand' was still attached.
Trychon used the distraction to attack the beast from behind. He swung his lightsaber at the back of the beast's leg, attempting to cripple the beast, but the black beam of energy barely penetrated the animal's chitinous layers.
He succeeded, however in drawing it's attention and it spun around, it's clawed feet rending the earth below it, to turn it's wrath upon Trychon. The beast caught him with a backhand, sending Trychon flying through the air and into a tree nearly 7 meters away. It was all Trychon could do to cushion the impact by using the Force.
From the moment it appeared, Aitchkay had unleashed a hail of blaster fire on the beast, but the bolts bounced harmlessly of it's carapace, seemingly unnoticed.
The beast spun faster than Raezyr anticipated and all he could do was duck the blow by dropping to the ground. Seeing this, the creature raised his foot to stomp on Raezyr, forcing him to roll.
Trychon recovered as best he could and charged back in, slashing at the creature, but still doing little but superficial damage. The beast spun again, but this time Trychon was ready, and he flipped backwards just as the beasts fist whooshed through the place his head had been just a moment before.
Raezyr jumped to his feet and charged back in, raising his blades, over his head, but the behemoth turned and grabbed Raezyr by his upraised arms. It lifted Raezyr into the air and towards it's face, opening it's huge mouth to reveal several rows of razor sharp teeth. Raezyr looked helplessly into the gaping maw, knowing that he could do nothing to save himself from becoming this creatures fodder, when blaster fire began pelting the creature in the face and mouth.
It shook it's head a bit in annoyance, like a bear who had just been stung by a honey bee.
Trychon watched in horror as the beast was about to eat his partner like an appetizer, and realized he himself, would now be the main course. Summoning all the power he could draw from the fog and the gem and from his own command of the Force, he pushed the energy outward with a every bit of his being. Trychon expected the beast to fall forward, and hoped he would release Raezyr. The latter part happened, but not in the hoped for manner.
The beast wasn't even rocked by the blast, but it tossed Raezyr anyway, before slowly turning back around to face Trychon. Out of the corner of his eye, Trychon followed Raezyr's form as it sailed into the foliage of the trees and disappeared into the fog and leaves, some 13 to 14 meters away, before returning his attention to the creature in front of him.
Slowly it lowered itself to Trychon's level and began to forcefully exhale in short bursts like a bull getting ready to charge. It then raised it's head to the sky and let out a piercing scream.
Suddenly Raezyr burst back out the underbrush to stand next to Trychon. "We've got to run!" Raezyr yelled over the beast's screams.
"Should be a cave 200 meters that way," Trychon said, nodding his head and indicating the direction of the cave.
"Aitchkay! Distraction! NOW!" Raezyr yelled to the droid, who was still firing away at the backside of the creature, hidden on the other side of the clearing.
"Acknowledegment: Run... NOW!" the droid responded as he launched a small round object into the clearing which landed just behind the creature.
Trychon and Raezyr recognized the thermal detonator and turning, sprinted into the woods behind them. They felt the concussive blast wave as the grenade exploded beneath the feet of the beast.
For a moment the woods were silent except for their own panting and footfalls, and they dared to think that maybe the beast had been slain.
Then their hopes were dashed as the beast roared and began crashing through the trees, following it's fleeing prey.
Calling upon the Force and all the reserves their body could muster, they ran for their lives.
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