They spent the next few hours walking from various skill show to various skill show. They stopped at each and watched for a few minutes before adding a show of their own.
They eventually gathered a bit of a following of their own, and there was quite a bit of alien chatter in the crowd about the off-worlders and their Weave abilities. It was a sight to see for the two Sith, as they were displaying uses of the Force that they'd known for quite some time, perhaps with a bit more skill... but still rather elementary displays overall. The crowd was eating it up though, and absolutely loving it.
Occasionally the Sith could hear murmurs of "Wahnri Rahz," amongst the natives as they performed. Later they asked Gavrik what it meant. "It is hard to translate. Literally it is, 'not from ground,' but it is the closest thing to 'off-worlders' in our language."
As they continued performing, the only moment that was tense at all was when Raezyr jumped up near the top of one of the buildings, drawing a gasp from the crowd, and not one of their normal appreciative ones. It was then that it dawned on him that the buildings were probably designed taller here with a purpose, with so many leaping aliens about, and made a mental note not to jump that high again.
Gavrik walked up to Raezyr and quietly told him that the meetings had already started, and they needed to get in there. He turned and headed off to the large building in the distance without them.
After a few minutes of applause and laughter, Raezyr put down the little girl he'd been levitating in the air. The two brothers took a few last bows and headed off to join Gavrik. They weren't too concerned about losing track of their translator for a little while, as the reason Gavrik had been sent first and foremost was that he spoke the language of the Elders - Basic.
They walked into the giant arena, and were surprised to see that it was even more crowded than the busy walkways out in the city. In the end, it made sense that most of the aliens who were attending were there in an official capacity for the meeting, and there wasn't many who were not there to be in the giant conference.
They managed to work their way into the main chamber, and could see the native warriors and delegates stretched throughout the open bowl shaped room, all with slightly unique versions of the face paint. It had never been so obvious that the patterns were tribe related until seeing them grouped as they now were.
They knew very little about the purpose of the meetings, other than little snippets that Gavrik had given them during the journey. Some tribal leader named Seiriss had been pushing for more unification amongst the tribes, and had already gone from the leader of a small group of warriors to the leader of a large group of unified tribes. Their ability to thrive under a structure like that had gained interest of rival tribes, and Seiriss had been pushing for mass unification for the benefit of all.
The local politics were a bit beyond the understanding and care of the two Sith, so they resigned to stay towards the back and not risk infringing on some unknown rule, until they found Gavrik or were called forward in some capacity.
To their dismay, they found that Basic was not being used in the meeting afterall. They were stuck listening to gibberish for nearly an hour before a hush came over the room as a rather large and ornately painted elder walked to the head of the room.
The native they could only assume was Seiress began what turned out to be a rather long dissertation to argue his point. He was obviously well respected, and when parts of the crowd disagreed, they merely shook their heads rather than scream and shout as they had done for the previous speaker. As his speech went on, larger sections began to cheer in agreement with his statements.
Every so often, he would add a dramatic pause and follow it by yelling "GANYU DIGGI!!!" which was getting louder and louder shouts of encouragement from the crowd.
He went through his cycle of explaining supposed benefits of his stance and yelling to the crowd over and over, with the yells coming increasingly close together until most of the giant arena was cheering non-stop and nothing else could be heard.
A lance of light stretched out from somewhere to the right of where the two brothers were standing. The bolt hit Seiress directly in the temple and he collapsed to the ground immediately.
It took the crowd several moments to realize what had just happened. Many continued cheering, not seeing or hearing the blaster fire as it happened. There was a crowd around the elder's body frantically attempting to revive him to no apparent avail. As the full crowd began to finally quiet under the full realization of what had transpired, the group surrounding the corpse of Seiress began to scream in anger and accusations.
The discontent spread quickly throughout the room until the arena was even more deafening than before.
Maybe we should get out of here... Trychon suggested to the younger Sith through their Force bond.
They turned to head back through the entrance they came, when a piercing shout came from behind them.
By reflex, they turned to look at the source. "Gavrik?" Raezyr asked more to himself than anybody else, as he saw their guide and translator standing a mere handful of meters away, pointing an accusing finger at them.
"WAHNRI RAHZ! WAHNRI RAHZ BIKA MONDU!" He yelled in the same piercing tone, his voice somehow cutting through all the commotion.
That's not good...
That's not good at all. Raezyr noted as the crowd began to look in their direction.
March 30, 2011
March 28, 2011
654. Earning Their Title - Trychon
Trychon and Raezyr woke the next morning to the streams of sun light pouring in through the openings in the walls. It appeared as though they'd actually managed to catch up on some much needed rest from a week's worth of long travel.
As they rubbed the weariness from their eyes and gathered up their belongings, which was little more than their lightsabers and watersockets at this point, they were greeted by the friendly maidens again. In the better light of the late morning, they were able to see that the women who were serving them now were every bit as beautiful as the ones Rodas had in his home. Clearly these women had lived a very protected life from the harsh conditions outside the towns. Their robes were clearly designed with comfort rather than function in mind, though some consideration may have been made to showing off their physique as well.
They spent some time being waited on and massaged by the servants, and found the general experience to be very relaxing. Trychon was doing his best to flirt through the language barrier, and was having moderate success considering the limited shared vocabulary. Raezyr kept giving him somewhat admonishing glances, but couldn't help but smile and try to talk to them as well.
Eventually, they were urged out in the streets with the promise that Gavrik would find them soon enough.
They were surprised to see the streets full with what seemed to be a celebration of sorts. There were aliens filling every corner of the walkways, gathered around various performers and displays. They walked past quite a few of the performances that were clearly impressing the locals. They were doing a number of trivial acts that seemed to be intended for the sole purpose of showing off some meager Force or 'Weave' ability. They stopped to watch a small group do a rather impressive juggling routine that had garnered a rather large crowd.
"Kinda makes you want to give them a little push, doesn't it?" Trychon quietly asked his brother.
"It would be good to show some of your skill, yes." A voice from behind them caused them to turn and see Gavrik approaching. "It would garner some respect from others and get them talking. That is part of why you came. Please no disturbances though."
Raezyr shrugged and began to gently push his way to the front of the crowd. When he managed to get through to the front of the group, he waited until one of the performers was looking in his general direction and he gestured to let him join.
The alien glanced at the Sith and chuckled to himself before nodding. He snatched a fruit out of the air and threw it as quick as he could at Raezyr's head.
Raezyr reacted quickly and knocked it up into the air. It passed over his head and landed in his other outstretched hand behind him. He casually tossed it back to his front hand and simply began tossing it up and down in place.
The alien nodded again and tossed two larger oblong shaped fruits to Raezyr, who again caught them deftly before tossing them through the air between his hands.
After a few tosses, the alien started to lose interest and was shaking his head at Raezyr's lackluster style. The Sith grinned at him and tossed one several meters into the air.
Trychon vaulted himself over the crowd and caught the fruit out of the air on his way down from a long back flip. The crowd suddenly was taking notice, and gave a short applause. Trychon gave a short bow and then waited to receive the rest of the fruits from his brother. After juggling them for only a moment, he caught them all and threw them up in the air towards Raezyr again.
Raezyr jumped high in the air, and then flexed one arm out towards the other Sith, causing the fruits to stop midair and reverse direction to their origin, where they were caught and juggled again.
The applause came once more, with greater volume and length. Both of the Sith bowed and then clapped after tossing the fruits back to the performers. They vaulted over the crowd again and looked for another crowd to impress for a while before they headed to the meeting.
Gavrik pointed at another acrobatic group. "This is very exciting. Once in the lifetime meetings don't happen very often."
Raezyr got a confused look on his face at that comment and saw his brother did the same. "But I thought Rodas said..."
Gavrik had already walked out of hearing range though. They decided to ignore the contradictory statement, and moved in to get a closer look at the next performance they would join.
As they rubbed the weariness from their eyes and gathered up their belongings, which was little more than their lightsabers and watersockets at this point, they were greeted by the friendly maidens again. In the better light of the late morning, they were able to see that the women who were serving them now were every bit as beautiful as the ones Rodas had in his home. Clearly these women had lived a very protected life from the harsh conditions outside the towns. Their robes were clearly designed with comfort rather than function in mind, though some consideration may have been made to showing off their physique as well.
They spent some time being waited on and massaged by the servants, and found the general experience to be very relaxing. Trychon was doing his best to flirt through the language barrier, and was having moderate success considering the limited shared vocabulary. Raezyr kept giving him somewhat admonishing glances, but couldn't help but smile and try to talk to them as well.
Eventually, they were urged out in the streets with the promise that Gavrik would find them soon enough.
They were surprised to see the streets full with what seemed to be a celebration of sorts. There were aliens filling every corner of the walkways, gathered around various performers and displays. They walked past quite a few of the performances that were clearly impressing the locals. They were doing a number of trivial acts that seemed to be intended for the sole purpose of showing off some meager Force or 'Weave' ability. They stopped to watch a small group do a rather impressive juggling routine that had garnered a rather large crowd.
"Kinda makes you want to give them a little push, doesn't it?" Trychon quietly asked his brother.
"It would be good to show some of your skill, yes." A voice from behind them caused them to turn and see Gavrik approaching. "It would garner some respect from others and get them talking. That is part of why you came. Please no disturbances though."
Raezyr shrugged and began to gently push his way to the front of the crowd. When he managed to get through to the front of the group, he waited until one of the performers was looking in his general direction and he gestured to let him join.
The alien glanced at the Sith and chuckled to himself before nodding. He snatched a fruit out of the air and threw it as quick as he could at Raezyr's head.
Raezyr reacted quickly and knocked it up into the air. It passed over his head and landed in his other outstretched hand behind him. He casually tossed it back to his front hand and simply began tossing it up and down in place.
The alien nodded again and tossed two larger oblong shaped fruits to Raezyr, who again caught them deftly before tossing them through the air between his hands.
After a few tosses, the alien started to lose interest and was shaking his head at Raezyr's lackluster style. The Sith grinned at him and tossed one several meters into the air.
Trychon vaulted himself over the crowd and caught the fruit out of the air on his way down from a long back flip. The crowd suddenly was taking notice, and gave a short applause. Trychon gave a short bow and then waited to receive the rest of the fruits from his brother. After juggling them for only a moment, he caught them all and threw them up in the air towards Raezyr again.
Raezyr jumped high in the air, and then flexed one arm out towards the other Sith, causing the fruits to stop midair and reverse direction to their origin, where they were caught and juggled again.
The applause came once more, with greater volume and length. Both of the Sith bowed and then clapped after tossing the fruits back to the performers. They vaulted over the crowd again and looked for another crowd to impress for a while before they headed to the meeting.
Gavrik pointed at another acrobatic group. "This is very exciting. Once in the lifetime meetings don't happen very often."
Raezyr got a confused look on his face at that comment and saw his brother did the same. "But I thought Rodas said..."
Gavrik had already walked out of hearing range though. They decided to ignore the contradictory statement, and moved in to get a closer look at the next performance they would join.
March 25, 2011
653. Earning Their Title - Raezyr
They completed the journey, arriving at their final destination on the evening of the eighth day. It was immediately apparent that this settlement was not typical of those they had seen so far. The city, for it was much too large to be called a village, was built on the shore of the largest body of water they had yet seen. A river ran down the long shallow valley and emptied into a massive lake which appeared to be several kilometers across.
The city itself was built in a semi-circle with the center at the shore of the lake. It was walled-in with some sort of mud brick and inside, the numerous buildings on the outskirts seemed to be made of the same substance. From their hill top vantage point, they could tell the dwellings became more elaborate as they drew toward the center of town, constructed or perhaps even sculpted out of the red rock, adorned by numerous columns, similar to the architecture they had seen back at Vathka Rados' village, though all the buildings were taller.
Outside the city walls, and all along the valley was the lush tropical foliage to which, by now, they felt was typical of the planet.
The thing which instantly drew their attention was a structure unlike any they had seen on this planet, but one whose purpose they recognized. It was by far the largest building in the city and was in a bowl shape, similar to many sporting stadiums and coliseums they had seen on other planets. Gavik began to point it out to the brothers, but he needn't have bothered. They guessed it's purpose.
"It'll take a lot of emissaries to fill that place," Raezyr remarked.
"I was just thinking the same thing, dude," agreed the elder brother.
"Dude?" Raezyr replied with a confused look on his face. "Are you a surf-rider now?" he asked sarcastically.
"Shut up, Raez," Trychon responded. "Let's just head down and find some lodgings. It's getting late." He spurred his mount before his brother could reply.
But when they reached the gates of the city, Gavik pulled them all up short. "No, no, no. No weapons must enter," he insisted.
Raezyr groaned. He had thought they were done with this conversation when the trip began. "We told you that we take our 'light tubes' with us."
"No, no. Not you. Your servants. They no take off-world weapons," he said, pointing to Schyrt and Reed. "This gathering sacred. No weapons except Ceremonial Guard."
Trychon turned and walked over to Reed and Schyrt. "How does he know you brought your holdout pistols?"
Schyrt grimaced. "I'm sorry Master Trychon. I accidentally left mine out the other day when changing clothes. I saw Gavrik looking, but since he never said anything I didn't think he noticed."
"Well, I doubt we'll need them, and if we do, just get behind Raez and I," Trychon stated. "For now, put them in a bag and go hide them up here on this hill."
"Yes, sir."
Once the issue of the weapons had been settled and Gavrik calmed and assured they no longer had any weapons other than the 'light-tubes,' they continued on down into the city. This city was much like the many others they had passed through on their journey, but everything was done in a grander scale. The walkways were wider, the buildings were taller, and even the plants seemed larger.
Gavrik told them he had to take them to the 'Hohkhae' first, and then to their beds. They were unsure what he meant, and they could not come up with a proper translation until they arrived there. When they arrived, the 'Hohkhae's purpose became evident. It was a large rectangular area fenced in with only one entrance. The fences were very high, and upon entering they found large amounts of bloody meat. It was some sort of holding pen for the saurens. Surprisingly, it was fashioned to be more like the desert than it was the lush cities. Gavrik explained that the saurens prey upon the forests, but the sleep and race through the deserts, and that they would be restless if left out in the city.
After that, Gavrik took them to a large building that was likely owned by Vathka, as it seemed to be a smaller version of the one back where they had originally met the aging aristocrat. A lush, but well manicured garden was surrounded by the various rooms of the residence.
Both Trychon and Raezyr were bathed and then dressed in robes by the servant maidens who staffed the dwelling. A cool breeze was beginning to blow through the opulent rooms to which the Sith were given, and soon the two warriors-turned-political emissaries were fast asleep.
The city itself was built in a semi-circle with the center at the shore of the lake. It was walled-in with some sort of mud brick and inside, the numerous buildings on the outskirts seemed to be made of the same substance. From their hill top vantage point, they could tell the dwellings became more elaborate as they drew toward the center of town, constructed or perhaps even sculpted out of the red rock, adorned by numerous columns, similar to the architecture they had seen back at Vathka Rados' village, though all the buildings were taller.
Outside the city walls, and all along the valley was the lush tropical foliage to which, by now, they felt was typical of the planet.
The thing which instantly drew their attention was a structure unlike any they had seen on this planet, but one whose purpose they recognized. It was by far the largest building in the city and was in a bowl shape, similar to many sporting stadiums and coliseums they had seen on other planets. Gavik began to point it out to the brothers, but he needn't have bothered. They guessed it's purpose.
"It'll take a lot of emissaries to fill that place," Raezyr remarked.
"I was just thinking the same thing, dude," agreed the elder brother.
"Dude?" Raezyr replied with a confused look on his face. "Are you a surf-rider now?" he asked sarcastically.
"Shut up, Raez," Trychon responded. "Let's just head down and find some lodgings. It's getting late." He spurred his mount before his brother could reply.
But when they reached the gates of the city, Gavik pulled them all up short. "No, no, no. No weapons must enter," he insisted.
Raezyr groaned. He had thought they were done with this conversation when the trip began. "We told you that we take our 'light tubes' with us."
"No, no. Not you. Your servants. They no take off-world weapons," he said, pointing to Schyrt and Reed. "This gathering sacred. No weapons except Ceremonial Guard."
Trychon turned and walked over to Reed and Schyrt. "How does he know you brought your holdout pistols?"
Schyrt grimaced. "I'm sorry Master Trychon. I accidentally left mine out the other day when changing clothes. I saw Gavrik looking, but since he never said anything I didn't think he noticed."
"Well, I doubt we'll need them, and if we do, just get behind Raez and I," Trychon stated. "For now, put them in a bag and go hide them up here on this hill."
"Yes, sir."
Once the issue of the weapons had been settled and Gavrik calmed and assured they no longer had any weapons other than the 'light-tubes,' they continued on down into the city. This city was much like the many others they had passed through on their journey, but everything was done in a grander scale. The walkways were wider, the buildings were taller, and even the plants seemed larger.
Gavrik told them he had to take them to the 'Hohkhae' first, and then to their beds. They were unsure what he meant, and they could not come up with a proper translation until they arrived there. When they arrived, the 'Hohkhae's purpose became evident. It was a large rectangular area fenced in with only one entrance. The fences were very high, and upon entering they found large amounts of bloody meat. It was some sort of holding pen for the saurens. Surprisingly, it was fashioned to be more like the desert than it was the lush cities. Gavrik explained that the saurens prey upon the forests, but the sleep and race through the deserts, and that they would be restless if left out in the city.
After that, Gavrik took them to a large building that was likely owned by Vathka, as it seemed to be a smaller version of the one back where they had originally met the aging aristocrat. A lush, but well manicured garden was surrounded by the various rooms of the residence.
Both Trychon and Raezyr were bathed and then dressed in robes by the servant maidens who staffed the dwelling. A cool breeze was beginning to blow through the opulent rooms to which the Sith were given, and soon the two warriors-turned-political emissaries were fast asleep.
March 23, 2011
652. Earning Their Title - Raezyr
The journey was anything but short, and most days were spent crossing the endless hot, red sand and rocks. They stuck mainly to the road, if such it could be called, and the Sith were glad of it as the terrain all began to look much the same from one day to the next. It was a wonder to them that anyone had ever been able to navigate it to begin with.
According to Gavrik, they had to take a very specific path because their watersockets would only hold freshwater for 14 hours before it went sour. Thus, the days were punctuated by cool nights spent at various watering holes. Large oasis' where villages and settlements had sprung to life and with little wonder. All around the small lakes were lush, tropical vegetation which grew thick as if no one had bothered to tell the plants that this was a barren planet.
The days were a bit longer than the Galactic Standard of twenty-four hours. Trychon marked it at around twenty-five and a quarter, and the gravity felt slightly heavier, which made the days especially tiring, even riding on the back of their bipedal mounts. They reminded the brothers of a scaly, hornless version of the tauntauns back on Hoth.
In most of the villages they came to, the natives treated Raezyr and Trychon with a mixture of awe and reverence, and fear and hostility. They wanted to see the off-worlders who did the bidding of Vathka Rados, but at the same time the ancient stories only told of those who came to steal their treasures. In the beginning, the brothers wanted to speak with the natives, hoping to find out more about the legends surrounding the Meisos Crystals, but Gavrik strictly forbade it. He claimed that it would be a huge breach of their caste protocols.
The one exception to the villages was one that seemed to be more matriarchal in nature. The male Meisosians seemed to be almost non-existent there, and not only did the females not seem to be afraid of the new-comers, they went out of their way to offer their hospitality and services, including some of a more amorous nature. Trychon had wanted to spend some extra time there, seemingly fascinated by female of the species, and had Raezyr not been in a hurry to reach their destination, he probably could have been persuaded to stay a bit longer himself.
"This is no time to get side-tracked, brother," Raezyr admonished.
"You should loosen up a bit, Raez," the elder brother countered, looking around to make sure Gavrik didn't over hear. "We just made a deal that lets us ride this whole on Easy Street. We take a sight seeing tour of this dust ball planet, rattle our sabers a bit, then head back and get our crystals.
"And then we don't even have to do much work convincing Rados to tell us where he keeps his stash. He's going to show us. After that it's just a matter of persuading him that living without his crystal is better than dying with it... and then being buried without it anyway," Trychon explained, grinning. "So, relax."
"I know it's supposed to work like that," Raezyr explained, "but I feel like I'm waiting for the other grav-boot to drop. It just can't be this simple."
"Even if it isn't, we don't have much of a choice. What were we going to do?" Trychon asked. "Pillage Meisos with an army of four and force them to give up their crystals? No, let's just play along. Best case scenario: Things work out as planned. Worst case: Rados decides to renege and Rae-rae has to twist an old man's arm. One thing is for sure, despite being a Force user, he's no match for us, or we would have sensed it."
"Or maybe that's what he wants us to think," Raezyr said warily.
"Have it your way, Darth Dreary."
According to Gavrik, they had to take a very specific path because their watersockets would only hold freshwater for 14 hours before it went sour. Thus, the days were punctuated by cool nights spent at various watering holes. Large oasis' where villages and settlements had sprung to life and with little wonder. All around the small lakes were lush, tropical vegetation which grew thick as if no one had bothered to tell the plants that this was a barren planet.
The days were a bit longer than the Galactic Standard of twenty-four hours. Trychon marked it at around twenty-five and a quarter, and the gravity felt slightly heavier, which made the days especially tiring, even riding on the back of their bipedal mounts. They reminded the brothers of a scaly, hornless version of the tauntauns back on Hoth.
In most of the villages they came to, the natives treated Raezyr and Trychon with a mixture of awe and reverence, and fear and hostility. They wanted to see the off-worlders who did the bidding of Vathka Rados, but at the same time the ancient stories only told of those who came to steal their treasures. In the beginning, the brothers wanted to speak with the natives, hoping to find out more about the legends surrounding the Meisos Crystals, but Gavrik strictly forbade it. He claimed that it would be a huge breach of their caste protocols.
The one exception to the villages was one that seemed to be more matriarchal in nature. The male Meisosians seemed to be almost non-existent there, and not only did the females not seem to be afraid of the new-comers, they went out of their way to offer their hospitality and services, including some of a more amorous nature. Trychon had wanted to spend some extra time there, seemingly fascinated by female of the species, and had Raezyr not been in a hurry to reach their destination, he probably could have been persuaded to stay a bit longer himself.
"This is no time to get side-tracked, brother," Raezyr admonished.
"You should loosen up a bit, Raez," the elder brother countered, looking around to make sure Gavrik didn't over hear. "We just made a deal that lets us ride this whole on Easy Street. We take a sight seeing tour of this dust ball planet, rattle our sabers a bit, then head back and get our crystals.
"And then we don't even have to do much work convincing Rados to tell us where he keeps his stash. He's going to show us. After that it's just a matter of persuading him that living without his crystal is better than dying with it... and then being buried without it anyway," Trychon explained, grinning. "So, relax."
"I know it's supposed to work like that," Raezyr explained, "but I feel like I'm waiting for the other grav-boot to drop. It just can't be this simple."
"Even if it isn't, we don't have much of a choice. What were we going to do?" Trychon asked. "Pillage Meisos with an army of four and force them to give up their crystals? No, let's just play along. Best case scenario: Things work out as planned. Worst case: Rados decides to renege and Rae-rae has to twist an old man's arm. One thing is for sure, despite being a Force user, he's no match for us, or we would have sensed it."
"Or maybe that's what he wants us to think," Raezyr said warily.
"Have it your way, Darth Dreary."
March 21, 2011
651. Earning Their Title - Trychon
They met up with Gavrik outside of the Elder's chambers and informed him they were going to be underway as soon as he was ready. He remarked that he was, and he yelled in his native tongue to two nearby warriors who seemed to be wandering around while waiting for Gavrik's call. Apparently it was assumed that the Sith would accept the deal from Vathka Rodas, and were prepared. The two warriors gave punctuated bows to the Sith and then waited for Gavrik to lead the way.
They made their way back through the forest to their speeders, and were met there by some smaller natives who were watching over five very large and aggressive looking reptiles. They stood close to five meters tall when fully stretched out, and were probably as long as nine meters from nose to tail. They had short front limbs, though they were equipped with razor sharp claws to match the giant talons on their hindquarters. The Sith couldn't help but wonder if it was as hard as the Meisos crab's outer shell, or the spidac as they now knew it was called.
Their interpreter saw them staring at the reptiles which whipped their tales back and forth and tapped Raezyr on the shoulder. "Sauren."
"Right." He replied. "Why?"
"Long trip."
Trychon laughed. "They look really friendly, Gavrik... but we brought our own transportation, and there's not enough anyway."
"No. You cannot bring offworld metals and technology to the meeting. Defeat the whole purpose. You would not be accepted. Five travel, five sauren. Excellent."
"No... we have our men to bring too."
The ensuing discussion was drawn out by some small language barrier issues. Trychon and Raezyr raised their voices several times to get their point across, but to very little avail. Gavrik was not intimidated by them in the slightest, possibly assuming that they needed him too badly.
After nearly an hour, they managed to convince the stubborn alien to allow Schyrt and Reed to come along, provided that all technology was left behind, and they were marked as lower caste servants. 'Forgettables', Gavrik called their status.
Per Gavrik's orders, one of the Warriors went to retrieve two crimson tunics to denote the lower caste. Trychon and Raezyr went to go tell their loyal servants about the agreement.
"Just holdout blasters?" Reed complained, not arguing, yet clearly upset.
"What about all our preparations?" Schyrt added.
"Relax, guys..." Trychon whispered at the men. "We may still have use for them. We're going to go on this cake mission for these guys, show off a little... and then when we have information we need... we're going to take what we want. Possibly by force."
The two men cheered up at that note, and began locking everything up in the speeders.
"What about those?" Schyrt asked, pointing to the lightsabers and Trychon's datapad.
"These are extensions of our very beings, and are not negotiable." Raezyr said as he flipped his weapon hilts around.
Gavrik overheard them and stormed over, resuming their disagreement. This argument was much more short lived, as the Sith brothers began maneuvering their lit weapons through the air and closely around Gavrik's head through use of the Force. He was convinced that they were part of 'The Weave', and that was good enough for him and the elders, he said.
Trychon's datapad was not so lucky. He capitulated, mumbling something about not having anything to crack into anyway. Reed snickered.
They were ready to head out after Schyrt and Reed had changed into their new tunics when it dawned on them that they were still a few transports short.
Reed looked at Raezyr. "We have to share a ride?"
Trychon copied his laugh from moments ago. Pointing to the warriors, who seemed to be arguing something with Gavrik. "You each will share with one of them. Servants don't ride 'sauren' on their own of course."
March 18, 2011
650. Earning Their Title - Trychon
After an uneventful trek through the jungle forest that surrounded the small town, the Sith and their escorts found themselves finally reaching what could be described as near-civilization. The majority of the structures they passed seemed to be of a nomadic nature, easy to set up and take down at a moments notice, though they had been in place for quite some time at this point. They passed by them without any word from any of the aliens, led by the one who interrupted them, and trailed begrudgingly by the two bruised warriors.
They had left Schyrt and Reed with the vehicles outside of town, not trusting locals to be not overtaken by interest in the fascinating technology. The warriors were very unhappy with not taking all of their 'prisoners', but Raezyr simply removing his gloves again was enough of a threat for them to capitulate. Neither the translator or the larger fighters said a word from that point on.
They hadn't gotten much in the way of an explanation from the translator, who referred to himself as Gavnik. Still, he said he knew why they were there, and that was enough of a start for the brothers. Either this would put them on the right track already, or they would be at least get a hint of where to proceed next.
Finally, they arrived at a large open circle where the tent like homes and artisan buildings dissipated and they found instead four rather large ornate rock structures. The structures looked like something out of a history vid, with large columns of smoothed red rock bracketing giant entrances.
They were led to the largest of the four structures and stopped at the entrance. Gavrik winked at them and gestured for them to enter, though he remained rooted to his spot as did the beaten warriors.
Not even bothering to shrug at the ordeal, Trychon and Raezyr entered. The inside of the building was no less stylish, with multiple of the open entrances leading from the sides of the building to the covered courtyard they found themselves in. They passed countless of the local plants in the ceremonial garden as they headed to the far side of the room where there was a closed door that presumably lead to the rest of the building.
As they neared the other side, the stone door cracked open and a white robed female stepped through it. Her skin tone matched that of the other aliens they had encountered and passed in the town, and she had a similarly muscular build for a woman. Other than that, she looked very little like their would-be captors. Her skin was smooth and unblemished by scars or signs of labor and her robe, while loose, showed off her gentle curves. Clearly she had a pampered life, possibly spent entirely in the safety of the stone buildings. When she smiled as they approached, her teeth were naturally straight and unstained, in stark contrast to the sharp edged broken lines of the others they'd seen.
She beckoned them through the doorway, and it was clear that she must have led a very privileged life indeed. The room was a bit smaller than the Grand Hallway they'd just past through, but impossibly, it was even more lush. Instead of the large trees and brush that dominated the outer part of the building, there were a number of different fruit bearing plants, which all looked delicious. There was even a few colorful birds flying about and sharing songs amongst themselves and small four legged creatures that also somehow looked delicious.
They were led to a set of benches on the outside of a ten meter circle, opposite of a large cushioned rock chair, which was clearly as close to a throne as could be expected in such a place.
They sat on their benches, staring at their surroundings as the maiden smiled at them and headed off to the side where she joined a few others who looked as they had also been raised in posh captivity. After a few minutes with the only sounds coming from the domesticated wildlife, the brothers felt a very faint beckoning call in the Force. They would have debated how to respond to it if two of the females hadn't dashed gracefully past them with a long, flowing robe.
They stopped at the edge of a long freshwater pool, and waited. In moments, another alien slowly emerged from underneath the water. They hadn't even noticed the man before, but he walked slowly up the steps from the pool, completely ignoring them for the moment. He was clearly an elder, given that the massive wrinkles covering his entire nudity were too much to be caused by moisture alone. He stopped at the edge and allowed the maidens to cover him in his robe before kissing him on the neck and bowing before dancing to the side of the room again.
The man walked slowly to the large throne they faced, grumbling in his alien tongue to himself. Clearly, this was the native they were brought here to speak with, though they wished they still had the company of the translator, rough as his basic had been.
The elder reached for a fruit that was beyond his arm span, and another maiden appeared to grab it and hand it to him. He took a bite and smiled as the juices flowed down his chin. "So... you have come for the Meisos Crystals."
Trychon nearly jumped when he spoke, as both he and his brother were surprised, whether they should have expected the man to speak basic or not.
"Yes, I believe we are... how could you know that?"
"Over the years, many travelers have supposedly come for one of the Crystals. I have never seen them, but I have heard the stories since childhood. Travelers from beyond the world coming for one of our precious Crystals. The travelers had a deep furrow in the Weave, as you do. The stories claim that none of the Travelers ever managed to leave with one, and this is how they became protected by tribe elders. It is also why the we chose this language as our language of elders, so that it is not forgotten should more come."
Raezyr nodded. "It sounds like that is exactly what we are here for. We are indeed strong in the Force, what I believe you referred to as the Weave. Could you tell us why they are so sought after? We don't exactly know ourselves."
Trychon gave him a brief nudge, as though he was saying too much.
"There have been many thoughts on the matter over the years, though none have any more proof than the children's stories that we have all known. It is said that the crystals are not just what help us to hear of the Weave. That perhaps they came from the sky and actually brought the Weave into existence at the birth of our world. Their odd shape makes them seem as but shards of something much larger and even more grand, and it is said that the giant spidacs that predated our forefathers bashed the crystals from their original form because the powers they could give us were too much for our ancestors to handle responsibly. It's legend that by combining them, one could claim a space among the gods."
"Right." Trychon nodded, doubtful but understanding. "That sounds like exactly the sort of thing we'd be sent for."
"Yet, it doesn't sound as though it has worked out so well in the past. You seem to welcome us though." Raezyr shook his head at the old man.
"You are in luck. I am an old man and could use a favor. I have managed to gather a few extra crystals for myself, hoping to avoid the bloodshed that was involved in thwarting previous would be pillagers of lore."
Raezyr saw this statement gathered a nasty look from one of the women, though it was gone in an instant. It made him wonder if the maidens also spoke the language of the elders, or if she was reacting to something else.
"So you just need a favor? Pardon my skepticism, but that sounds too good to be true, and that usually means it is."
The old man cracked a smile and chuckled a bit. "You're wise for your youth. Surely you know that the value in a favor lies in what the value to the recipient is. I have, in my time, gathered more than my fair share of prestige and power amongst the elders of this land. I'd like it to last as long as possible. However, there is a meeting taking place in which those who looked to take that from me would salivate if they saw my frail condition."
There was a pause, as they waited for more detail.
"By sending powerful emissaries in my stead... my power becomes obvious, and none would try to overtake my position here."
They waited again for more detail. The old man seemed jovial, but he either wasn't very forthright with information, or in his old age he figured it really was so simple they had all the information they needed.
"So, you see... I gain potentially years of continued happiness, which is a rare gift indeed... and you obtain what no outsider has ever managed to procure. Neither of us has to endure bloodshed! It seems more than fair to me."
Trychon nodded. "Yes... we agree to the terms, provided you tell us a bit more of this exchange so we're not going in as blind as a Kothlis nightwing."
"Bah. You'll be fine! It's really very simple and routine. Happens every few years. Gavrik can fill you in. It's time for me to get my midday nap."
With that, the elder waved them off and two mistresses came to help him from his chair and off to a room in the side, where the rest of the women joined them.
They had left Schyrt and Reed with the vehicles outside of town, not trusting locals to be not overtaken by interest in the fascinating technology. The warriors were very unhappy with not taking all of their 'prisoners', but Raezyr simply removing his gloves again was enough of a threat for them to capitulate. Neither the translator or the larger fighters said a word from that point on.
They hadn't gotten much in the way of an explanation from the translator, who referred to himself as Gavnik. Still, he said he knew why they were there, and that was enough of a start for the brothers. Either this would put them on the right track already, or they would be at least get a hint of where to proceed next.
Finally, they arrived at a large open circle where the tent like homes and artisan buildings dissipated and they found instead four rather large ornate rock structures. The structures looked like something out of a history vid, with large columns of smoothed red rock bracketing giant entrances.
They were led to the largest of the four structures and stopped at the entrance. Gavrik winked at them and gestured for them to enter, though he remained rooted to his spot as did the beaten warriors.
Not even bothering to shrug at the ordeal, Trychon and Raezyr entered. The inside of the building was no less stylish, with multiple of the open entrances leading from the sides of the building to the covered courtyard they found themselves in. They passed countless of the local plants in the ceremonial garden as they headed to the far side of the room where there was a closed door that presumably lead to the rest of the building.
As they neared the other side, the stone door cracked open and a white robed female stepped through it. Her skin tone matched that of the other aliens they had encountered and passed in the town, and she had a similarly muscular build for a woman. Other than that, she looked very little like their would-be captors. Her skin was smooth and unblemished by scars or signs of labor and her robe, while loose, showed off her gentle curves. Clearly she had a pampered life, possibly spent entirely in the safety of the stone buildings. When she smiled as they approached, her teeth were naturally straight and unstained, in stark contrast to the sharp edged broken lines of the others they'd seen.
She beckoned them through the doorway, and it was clear that she must have led a very privileged life indeed. The room was a bit smaller than the Grand Hallway they'd just past through, but impossibly, it was even more lush. Instead of the large trees and brush that dominated the outer part of the building, there were a number of different fruit bearing plants, which all looked delicious. There was even a few colorful birds flying about and sharing songs amongst themselves and small four legged creatures that also somehow looked delicious.
They were led to a set of benches on the outside of a ten meter circle, opposite of a large cushioned rock chair, which was clearly as close to a throne as could be expected in such a place.
They sat on their benches, staring at their surroundings as the maiden smiled at them and headed off to the side where she joined a few others who looked as they had also been raised in posh captivity. After a few minutes with the only sounds coming from the domesticated wildlife, the brothers felt a very faint beckoning call in the Force. They would have debated how to respond to it if two of the females hadn't dashed gracefully past them with a long, flowing robe.
They stopped at the edge of a long freshwater pool, and waited. In moments, another alien slowly emerged from underneath the water. They hadn't even noticed the man before, but he walked slowly up the steps from the pool, completely ignoring them for the moment. He was clearly an elder, given that the massive wrinkles covering his entire nudity were too much to be caused by moisture alone. He stopped at the edge and allowed the maidens to cover him in his robe before kissing him on the neck and bowing before dancing to the side of the room again.
The man walked slowly to the large throne they faced, grumbling in his alien tongue to himself. Clearly, this was the native they were brought here to speak with, though they wished they still had the company of the translator, rough as his basic had been.
The elder reached for a fruit that was beyond his arm span, and another maiden appeared to grab it and hand it to him. He took a bite and smiled as the juices flowed down his chin. "So... you have come for the Meisos Crystals."
Trychon nearly jumped when he spoke, as both he and his brother were surprised, whether they should have expected the man to speak basic or not.
"Yes, I believe we are... how could you know that?"
"Over the years, many travelers have supposedly come for one of the Crystals. I have never seen them, but I have heard the stories since childhood. Travelers from beyond the world coming for one of our precious Crystals. The travelers had a deep furrow in the Weave, as you do. The stories claim that none of the Travelers ever managed to leave with one, and this is how they became protected by tribe elders. It is also why the we chose this language as our language of elders, so that it is not forgotten should more come."
Raezyr nodded. "It sounds like that is exactly what we are here for. We are indeed strong in the Force, what I believe you referred to as the Weave. Could you tell us why they are so sought after? We don't exactly know ourselves."
Trychon gave him a brief nudge, as though he was saying too much.
"There have been many thoughts on the matter over the years, though none have any more proof than the children's stories that we have all known. It is said that the crystals are not just what help us to hear of the Weave. That perhaps they came from the sky and actually brought the Weave into existence at the birth of our world. Their odd shape makes them seem as but shards of something much larger and even more grand, and it is said that the giant spidacs that predated our forefathers bashed the crystals from their original form because the powers they could give us were too much for our ancestors to handle responsibly. It's legend that by combining them, one could claim a space among the gods."
"Right." Trychon nodded, doubtful but understanding. "That sounds like exactly the sort of thing we'd be sent for."
"Yet, it doesn't sound as though it has worked out so well in the past. You seem to welcome us though." Raezyr shook his head at the old man.
"You are in luck. I am an old man and could use a favor. I have managed to gather a few extra crystals for myself, hoping to avoid the bloodshed that was involved in thwarting previous would be pillagers of lore."
Raezyr saw this statement gathered a nasty look from one of the women, though it was gone in an instant. It made him wonder if the maidens also spoke the language of the elders, or if she was reacting to something else.
"So you just need a favor? Pardon my skepticism, but that sounds too good to be true, and that usually means it is."
The old man cracked a smile and chuckled a bit. "You're wise for your youth. Surely you know that the value in a favor lies in what the value to the recipient is. I have, in my time, gathered more than my fair share of prestige and power amongst the elders of this land. I'd like it to last as long as possible. However, there is a meeting taking place in which those who looked to take that from me would salivate if they saw my frail condition."
There was a pause, as they waited for more detail.
"By sending powerful emissaries in my stead... my power becomes obvious, and none would try to overtake my position here."
They waited again for more detail. The old man seemed jovial, but he either wasn't very forthright with information, or in his old age he figured it really was so simple they had all the information they needed.
"So, you see... I gain potentially years of continued happiness, which is a rare gift indeed... and you obtain what no outsider has ever managed to procure. Neither of us has to endure bloodshed! It seems more than fair to me."
Trychon nodded. "Yes... we agree to the terms, provided you tell us a bit more of this exchange so we're not going in as blind as a Kothlis nightwing."
"Bah. You'll be fine! It's really very simple and routine. Happens every few years. Gavrik can fill you in. It's time for me to get my midday nap."
With that, the elder waved them off and two mistresses came to help him from his chair and off to a room in the side, where the rest of the women joined them.
March 16, 2011
649. Earning Their Title - Trychon
The natives jumped back in reaction to 'mysterious' attack on their fellow warriors. Before they could react any further, two more fell victim in successive shots without the prompting of either of the Sith.
Raezyr held up his hand in a closed fist by his shoulder to indicate a temporary cease fire, but maintained readiness. The three remaining aliens tensed to pounce at them but halted curiously when Raezyr held his hand in front of them, signaling them to stop.
He removed his helm and handed it to Trychon. His expression remained neutral with a hint of disinterest, but his brother could feel through the Force an amusement at the natives. He tossed his gloves to his brother as well, and then shifted his head to each side while moving his shoulders in a circular motion as though loosening up.
He then quickly dropped into a fighting stance and waved for the aliens to attack. They did as he asked, the nearest to him taking two steps and lunging at his now unguarded face with his long spear.
Raezyr was at a disadvantage in overall size and reach, but he was not at a loss for speed, even in comparison to the athletic aliens. In one fluid motion he moved inches to his right to avoid the piercing edge of the weapon, while his right hand shot out and grabbed the staff just below the joint, breaking it off.
He backhanded the sharp point through the air and into the unsuspecting neck of the warrior second nearest to him, who had been mentally changed to 'Target two' when the others went down.
Bringing both hands back to the staff of the spear, he wrenched it away from the warrior who was holding it. The warrior was not inclined to give it up easily, but he was already outstretched in his lunging movement, and was easily pulled to the ground where he began a roll to return to his feet.
Raezyr took one step and then placed his other foot on the moving back of the grounded aggressor. Using it as a platform, he launched himself at the last warrior still standing. He came down with all his weight and strength as he had the night before in the cave. The last warrior was holding a set of their rock swords and crab-shields, which he raised and braced to block the attack from the Sith.
The staff of the spear was not as sturdy as the stalagmite though, and it shattered into three smaller pieces and a number of shards as it knocked the warrior backwards. To its credit, it managed to keep some of his balance and attempted a wild swing of the sword as he reset its footing.
Raezyr allowed the swing to pass harmlessly in front of his eyes by only a few centimeters. As the sword was swung through the end of its arc and was starting to come around on another angle, the Sith shot a powerful hook punch to the side of the alien's throat.
The alien began to fall now, arms coming together to clutch at its neck and check for structural damage. Raezyr was pretty sure it wasn't a fatal blow, but he'd be down for a minute.
The first target had come up behind the Sith and was swinging its massive arm at his head. Raezyr ducked underneath the attack without so much as glancing back. He followed through on the motion, pulling his torso downward as he pulled his knee to his chest before launching it into a sidekick at the center of the warrior's bare torso.
Raezyr paused then, glancing at the two fallen enemies that still lived, clearly deciding their fate when a voice called out from the edge of the clearing. Shouting for volume more than urgency they heard the rough semblance of basic.
"WAIT. I KNOW WHY YOU COME."
Raezyr held up his hand in a closed fist by his shoulder to indicate a temporary cease fire, but maintained readiness. The three remaining aliens tensed to pounce at them but halted curiously when Raezyr held his hand in front of them, signaling them to stop.
He removed his helm and handed it to Trychon. His expression remained neutral with a hint of disinterest, but his brother could feel through the Force an amusement at the natives. He tossed his gloves to his brother as well, and then shifted his head to each side while moving his shoulders in a circular motion as though loosening up.
He then quickly dropped into a fighting stance and waved for the aliens to attack. They did as he asked, the nearest to him taking two steps and lunging at his now unguarded face with his long spear.
Raezyr was at a disadvantage in overall size and reach, but he was not at a loss for speed, even in comparison to the athletic aliens. In one fluid motion he moved inches to his right to avoid the piercing edge of the weapon, while his right hand shot out and grabbed the staff just below the joint, breaking it off.
He backhanded the sharp point through the air and into the unsuspecting neck of the warrior second nearest to him, who had been mentally changed to 'Target two' when the others went down.
Bringing both hands back to the staff of the spear, he wrenched it away from the warrior who was holding it. The warrior was not inclined to give it up easily, but he was already outstretched in his lunging movement, and was easily pulled to the ground where he began a roll to return to his feet.
Raezyr took one step and then placed his other foot on the moving back of the grounded aggressor. Using it as a platform, he launched himself at the last warrior still standing. He came down with all his weight and strength as he had the night before in the cave. The last warrior was holding a set of their rock swords and crab-shields, which he raised and braced to block the attack from the Sith.
The staff of the spear was not as sturdy as the stalagmite though, and it shattered into three smaller pieces and a number of shards as it knocked the warrior backwards. To its credit, it managed to keep some of his balance and attempted a wild swing of the sword as he reset its footing.
Raezyr allowed the swing to pass harmlessly in front of his eyes by only a few centimeters. As the sword was swung through the end of its arc and was starting to come around on another angle, the Sith shot a powerful hook punch to the side of the alien's throat.
The alien began to fall now, arms coming together to clutch at its neck and check for structural damage. Raezyr was pretty sure it wasn't a fatal blow, but he'd be down for a minute.
The first target had come up behind the Sith and was swinging its massive arm at his head. Raezyr ducked underneath the attack without so much as glancing back. He followed through on the motion, pulling his torso downward as he pulled his knee to his chest before launching it into a sidekick at the center of the warrior's bare torso.
Raezyr paused then, glancing at the two fallen enemies that still lived, clearly deciding their fate when a voice called out from the edge of the clearing. Shouting for volume more than urgency they heard the rough semblance of basic.
"WAIT. I KNOW WHY YOU COME."
March 14, 2011
648. Sith Hunt III: Revenge of the Fish - Raezyr
The female Nautolan Jedi Nal Talla sat meditating in the cockpit of Firaxa1, while the blue male Chiss Jedi Val did the same in the cockpit of his own starfighter, Peacemaker. Their meditation allowed them to slow their body functions down to minimal, and thus be able to spend the last couple of days sitting in their respective ships. They were waiting for the moment they were given the order to launch, waiting for their quarry to finally fall into the trap they had been carefully setting for weeks now. They had been waiting for a long time, especially Nal, and neither had wanted to waste any more time than they possibly needed to.
A couple weeks ago they had finally been able to get close enough to the Sith's ship, the Wasted Rancor, for Geoffry Spickolly to remotely slice their ship's computer with a modified version of the very same "vibro-jack" program which they had found planted deep within the systems of the Republic Hammerhead Unity. The very program which had allowed the Sith and their small band of brigands to abscond with a large shipment of aurodium that had been under the protection of the Unity. Nal and Val still felt they could have staved off the pirates had they been there instead of investigating a dead end on Corellia.
But it was all in the past now. Since planting the infectious computer program, they had been able to track down the Sith's ship, eventually following it to a remote, uninhabited system and to a planet which, although seemingly habitable, lacked any intelligent life.
AXV-0092 was the alpha numeric designation of the planet around which the Sith's ship was orbiting. All sensor data and even close visual inspection showed no signs of anyone aboard. Captain Wash Moklam's first officer had wanted to confiscate the ship, pull it into the bay and tear it apart in case the Sith were hiding. The Jedi and the Captain had decided that forcing a boarding party on, either in space or in the landing bay might be a contingency the Sith had planned for; instead, they had decided to wait. Eventually the owners of the ship would return from whatever Chaos hole they were currently hiding in.
When they did, the Jedi and a squadron of Republic fighters would be waiting to pounce on them. Two and a half Galactic Standard Days, the Jedi had to wait before the signal came through their comm. They had attuned themselves to the comm beeping so they would become fully alert from their trance upon hearing it.
As they launched they were given the details. "Firaxa1 and Peacemaker: One small, heavily armed transport just exited hyperspace on the other side of AXV-0092," came the communications officers voice through the speakers. "It appears it's final destination is Rancor."
"Tank you very much, Ensign," Nal replied. "Please inform us when dey begin da docking sequence. Firaxa1 out."
----------
The Nefarion Wraith exited hyperspace on the dark side of AXV-0092 and the pilot of the small transport starship hit his comm panel and passed on the news to his only passenger. "About damn time," Anya replied to Tyr.
She appeared in the cockpit moments later and slid into the co-pilots seat. "I can't believe this. We've had nothing but bad luck since we ditched those losers back on Hoth."
"Well, I did get us some work, didn't I?" Tyr countered.
"Yeah," the blond Sith girl said, whirling on her companion. "You got us some lame job as hired body guards! We're Sith, dammit. We shouldn't be doing this kind of work," she fumed.
The dark haired man remained silent for the moment. In the last day or so he'd begun compiling a mental list of reasons. Questions really. Questions about why he was following this girl. "Maybe we should split up, or even go back and see if Raez and Trych will let us back."
"What are you? Stupid?" Anya glared.
"And that's another thing," Tyr said, beginning to get angry. "I'm getting a bit sick and tired..."
Anya suddenly slid into his lap and interrupted him. "I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean it." She pressed her lips to his, kissing him violently. For the briefest moment Tyr thought he felt tendrils of the Dark Side slipping into his consciousness and thought about putting up his mental defenses, but then the moment was past. All he could think about was how much he loved Anya. He tried to remember something. A list of questions... but they were gone.
A beeping sounded on the navigation panel, and Anya slid out Tyr's lap so he could operate the controls. "We're coming up on the Rancor." He looked to Anya for instructions.
"Well, start the landing cycle and then go get our things, idiot," she stated, glaring at her love slave. The dark haired man did as he was told with that sappy love-sick gizka look in his eyes. Something was going on. Usually after she turned her charms on a man, they stayed pretty loyal for a few weeks, but she'd never used it this often on a Force user before. Tyr seemed to be growing immune to whatever it was she did, because his periods under her influence were becoming a bit shorter each time. This time it had only been eight or nine days. She was either going to have to figure out how she did that trick and improve it, or figure something else out all together.
A couple minutes later she followed Tyr over onto the the other ship. She had just secured the airlock when the entire ship shook. Instantly alarms started sounding all over. She dropped her gear and followed Tyr at a run to the cockpit of the Wasted Rancor. The comm was barely audible over the multiple alarms. "...cor, dis is da Peacemaker and Firaxa1. By order of da Jedi, and in da name of da Republic, you are ordered to surrender. If you do not, we will continue firing."
"Go to Chaos, Fish-head!" Anya screamed over the comm in response. "Tyr, get us out of here!"
"But..."
"Don't 'but' me, you moron! Break dock and move!"
A couple weeks ago they had finally been able to get close enough to the Sith's ship, the Wasted Rancor, for Geoffry Spickolly to remotely slice their ship's computer with a modified version of the very same "vibro-jack" program which they had found planted deep within the systems of the Republic Hammerhead Unity. The very program which had allowed the Sith and their small band of brigands to abscond with a large shipment of aurodium that had been under the protection of the Unity. Nal and Val still felt they could have staved off the pirates had they been there instead of investigating a dead end on Corellia.
But it was all in the past now. Since planting the infectious computer program, they had been able to track down the Sith's ship, eventually following it to a remote, uninhabited system and to a planet which, although seemingly habitable, lacked any intelligent life.
AXV-0092 was the alpha numeric designation of the planet around which the Sith's ship was orbiting. All sensor data and even close visual inspection showed no signs of anyone aboard. Captain Wash Moklam's first officer had wanted to confiscate the ship, pull it into the bay and tear it apart in case the Sith were hiding. The Jedi and the Captain had decided that forcing a boarding party on, either in space or in the landing bay might be a contingency the Sith had planned for; instead, they had decided to wait. Eventually the owners of the ship would return from whatever Chaos hole they were currently hiding in.
When they did, the Jedi and a squadron of Republic fighters would be waiting to pounce on them. Two and a half Galactic Standard Days, the Jedi had to wait before the signal came through their comm. They had attuned themselves to the comm beeping so they would become fully alert from their trance upon hearing it.
As they launched they were given the details. "Firaxa1 and Peacemaker: One small, heavily armed transport just exited hyperspace on the other side of AXV-0092," came the communications officers voice through the speakers. "It appears it's final destination is Rancor."
"Tank you very much, Ensign," Nal replied. "Please inform us when dey begin da docking sequence. Firaxa1 out."
----------
The Nefarion Wraith exited hyperspace on the dark side of AXV-0092 and the pilot of the small transport starship hit his comm panel and passed on the news to his only passenger. "About damn time," Anya replied to Tyr.
She appeared in the cockpit moments later and slid into the co-pilots seat. "I can't believe this. We've had nothing but bad luck since we ditched those losers back on Hoth."
"Well, I did get us some work, didn't I?" Tyr countered.
"Yeah," the blond Sith girl said, whirling on her companion. "You got us some lame job as hired body guards! We're Sith, dammit. We shouldn't be doing this kind of work," she fumed.
The dark haired man remained silent for the moment. In the last day or so he'd begun compiling a mental list of reasons. Questions really. Questions about why he was following this girl. "Maybe we should split up, or even go back and see if Raez and Trych will let us back."
"What are you? Stupid?" Anya glared.
"And that's another thing," Tyr said, beginning to get angry. "I'm getting a bit sick and tired..."
Anya suddenly slid into his lap and interrupted him. "I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean it." She pressed her lips to his, kissing him violently. For the briefest moment Tyr thought he felt tendrils of the Dark Side slipping into his consciousness and thought about putting up his mental defenses, but then the moment was past. All he could think about was how much he loved Anya. He tried to remember something. A list of questions... but they were gone.
A beeping sounded on the navigation panel, and Anya slid out Tyr's lap so he could operate the controls. "We're coming up on the Rancor." He looked to Anya for instructions.
"Well, start the landing cycle and then go get our things, idiot," she stated, glaring at her love slave. The dark haired man did as he was told with that sappy love-sick gizka look in his eyes. Something was going on. Usually after she turned her charms on a man, they stayed pretty loyal for a few weeks, but she'd never used it this often on a Force user before. Tyr seemed to be growing immune to whatever it was she did, because his periods under her influence were becoming a bit shorter each time. This time it had only been eight or nine days. She was either going to have to figure out how she did that trick and improve it, or figure something else out all together.
A couple minutes later she followed Tyr over onto the the other ship. She had just secured the airlock when the entire ship shook. Instantly alarms started sounding all over. She dropped her gear and followed Tyr at a run to the cockpit of the Wasted Rancor. The comm was barely audible over the multiple alarms. "...cor, dis is da Peacemaker and Firaxa1. By order of da Jedi, and in da name of da Republic, you are ordered to surrender. If you do not, we will continue firing."
"Go to Chaos, Fish-head!" Anya screamed over the comm in response. "Tyr, get us out of here!"
"But..."
"Don't 'but' me, you moron! Break dock and move!"
March 11, 2011
647. Earning Their Title - Trychon
They decided to play it safe and leave Schyrt and Reed following them at a distance as they approached the settlement. This provided them with multiple tactical advantages particularly if the Sith were approached or attacked first, which was by far more likely, given their travel vector.
As they pulled within 100 meters of the oasis, they slowed their vehicle to a halt, knowing their rear guard would follow suit and keep their distance. The sudden outcropping of forestry was extremely thick and would limit their mobility in the speeder, if not get them stuck entirely.
They signaled for Schyrt and Reed to stay back and cover the vehicles as they went into the settlement and they began their hike. Trychon pointed out to a grumbling Raezyr that approaching on foot may actually have diplomatic value in an unknown situation such as this.
They had only managed to cover a handful of paces when a spear type weapon pierced the ground between them.
They both stopped and Raezyr put his hands on his hips. "So much for your diplomatic value, Darth Courteous."
Trychon rubbed his chin, seemingly musing his options. "Son of a kotich... Well... this won't do at all."
He reached his hand out to gesture at the protruding handle of the weapon. With a little concentration, he pulled it free and turned it around before launching it on a reverse trajectory from its landing angle. He had no real target, but figured his point would be understood.
The spear could have only just landed when what must have been a different spear emerged from the same location.
"Unbelievable." Raezyr shook his head as he backed up. The projectile was headed towards their speeder, and though it was unlikely to do more than chip the paint, someone clearly was not understanding their thoughts on weapons being chucked in their direction. He used the Force to slow the spear down just enough as it came down towards him, and he snatched it out of mid-air with his hand as he began a spin.
Snapping his head around to look for a target as he completed his turn, he was rewarded with a view of a native who must have just then stepped out from the trees. Mentally marking the alien as 'Target 1' due to his old piloting habits, he pushed off with his back leg and launched the spear at it.
Raezyr's attack was the definition of precise, approaching at a much higher velocity and lower arc. The being had just enough time to jump up and over the pointed end as it drove itself into the tree base.
A half dozen aliens joined the one in the clearing. If the attack or warning shot or whatever it had been was not enough to tip them off, their appearance made it clear they were facing a group of warriors. They were humanoids with a red hued skin and colored paint following the lines of their faces. They had a very muscular build shown off by their minimalist cloth coverings, and were clearly agile, based on the maneuver of the first alien from the forest.
They began walking towards the Sith, various weapons at the ready, but no longer attacking. Half of them carried some sort of makeshift shields that appeared to be crafted from the shell of the Meisos Crab or a similar creature.
They stopped well out of a normal fighter's reach, perhaps aware that the brothers' reach was not limited to a few shoulder lengths. They maintained defensive postures, but did not make any further moves.
Now that they were closer, it was clear that they were not only muscular, but a head and a half taller than even Raezyr. One alien pointed what appeared to be a stone sword at them to gesture as he began spouting off some sort of request or demand in his own native tongue.
Raezyr shook his head and started babbling nonsense, mocking the aliens with a straight face.
Trychon snickered before uttering the one phrase he hoped the red warriors might know.
"Vathka Rodas?"
The natives clearly took some meaning from the phrase as they began speaking much more rapidly and waving their weapons much more animatedly. Two of them stepped forward and switched to an offensive posture. One waived his hand to indicate they should attack.
Trychon looked at Raezyr and shrugged.
He held out one hand and pointed his fingers like a blaster at one of the aggressors. He jerked his hand back as though firing off a shot as he made his own sound effects, switching aim at the second warrior and 'firing' again. "Psoo... Psoo..."
From over the hill at their backs, two shots rang out right as Trychon mocked the action at the second target.
As they pulled within 100 meters of the oasis, they slowed their vehicle to a halt, knowing their rear guard would follow suit and keep their distance. The sudden outcropping of forestry was extremely thick and would limit their mobility in the speeder, if not get them stuck entirely.
They signaled for Schyrt and Reed to stay back and cover the vehicles as they went into the settlement and they began their hike. Trychon pointed out to a grumbling Raezyr that approaching on foot may actually have diplomatic value in an unknown situation such as this.
They had only managed to cover a handful of paces when a spear type weapon pierced the ground between them.
They both stopped and Raezyr put his hands on his hips. "So much for your diplomatic value, Darth Courteous."
Trychon rubbed his chin, seemingly musing his options. "Son of a kotich... Well... this won't do at all."
He reached his hand out to gesture at the protruding handle of the weapon. With a little concentration, he pulled it free and turned it around before launching it on a reverse trajectory from its landing angle. He had no real target, but figured his point would be understood.
The spear could have only just landed when what must have been a different spear emerged from the same location.
"Unbelievable." Raezyr shook his head as he backed up. The projectile was headed towards their speeder, and though it was unlikely to do more than chip the paint, someone clearly was not understanding their thoughts on weapons being chucked in their direction. He used the Force to slow the spear down just enough as it came down towards him, and he snatched it out of mid-air with his hand as he began a spin.
Snapping his head around to look for a target as he completed his turn, he was rewarded with a view of a native who must have just then stepped out from the trees. Mentally marking the alien as 'Target 1' due to his old piloting habits, he pushed off with his back leg and launched the spear at it.
Raezyr's attack was the definition of precise, approaching at a much higher velocity and lower arc. The being had just enough time to jump up and over the pointed end as it drove itself into the tree base.
A half dozen aliens joined the one in the clearing. If the attack or warning shot or whatever it had been was not enough to tip them off, their appearance made it clear they were facing a group of warriors. They were humanoids with a red hued skin and colored paint following the lines of their faces. They had a very muscular build shown off by their minimalist cloth coverings, and were clearly agile, based on the maneuver of the first alien from the forest.
They began walking towards the Sith, various weapons at the ready, but no longer attacking. Half of them carried some sort of makeshift shields that appeared to be crafted from the shell of the Meisos Crab or a similar creature.
They stopped well out of a normal fighter's reach, perhaps aware that the brothers' reach was not limited to a few shoulder lengths. They maintained defensive postures, but did not make any further moves.
Now that they were closer, it was clear that they were not only muscular, but a head and a half taller than even Raezyr. One alien pointed what appeared to be a stone sword at them to gesture as he began spouting off some sort of request or demand in his own native tongue.
Raezyr shook his head and started babbling nonsense, mocking the aliens with a straight face.
Trychon snickered before uttering the one phrase he hoped the red warriors might know.
"Vathka Rodas?"
The natives clearly took some meaning from the phrase as they began speaking much more rapidly and waving their weapons much more animatedly. Two of them stepped forward and switched to an offensive posture. One waived his hand to indicate they should attack.
Trychon looked at Raezyr and shrugged.
He held out one hand and pointed his fingers like a blaster at one of the aggressors. He jerked his hand back as though firing off a shot as he made his own sound effects, switching aim at the second warrior and 'firing' again. "Psoo... Psoo..."
From over the hill at their backs, two shots rang out right as Trychon mocked the action at the second target.
March 09, 2011
646. Earning Their Title - Raezyr
The next morning Reed and Schyrt broke down the make-shift camp while Trychon and Raezyr took a few sensor readings. The incident with the Meisos Crab, as they had taken to calling it, had gotten them thinking. A creature that large would require a large amount of water, not merely and underground stream, or even a river.
Something that large would require either an underground ocean, or a network of waterways in which to live and breed. They did their best to determine if either existed, but if it did, their limited equipment was unable to detect it.
Once they were under way and heading in the direction of where they had seen the glow from what they could only assume was some sort of civilized settlement, Trychon checked his data pad. "Vathka Rodas," he said to his brother.
Raezyr took his eyes off the terrain ahead of the land speeder he was piloting for only a brief moment, and even though his expression was masked by the dark blue helm, Trychon could easily imagine the confused look on the younger Sith's face. "Um... bless you?" the big man offered.
Trychon chuckled. "No, that's the name of the guy we need to find: Vathka Rodas," Trychon hollered above the noise of the wind.
"Alright," Raezyr turned his attention back to the terrain ahead. Trychon could imagine the apathetic look he had probably been given. The big Sith piloting the speeder checked it's sensors, noting that the trailing land speeder which carried Schyrt, Reed and most of the gear was following at a safe distance.
They made good time. They were able to travel at nearly top speed due to the barren terrain. It was mostly sand, rock and not much else. Pretty soon their sensors began to pick up a faint power source in the distance and Raezyr eased back on the speed. The group had traveled mostly up hill during their short journey so far, and they were nearing the hill top they had been aiming for.
Soon Raezyr came to a stop and jumped out of the vehicle which bobbed up and down as it hovered half a meter off the ground. Trychon was a step a head already, having pulled out the range scope and had leaped from the speeder before it even came to a complete stop. The Sith warriors motioned to their employees to stay with the vehicles and they began to creep forward for a first look at this settlement, or whatever it was.
The two hunkered down as they reached the peak, and they were surprised at what they saw. Sprawling before them was a lush, tropical river valley. Grasses began just a few meters down the hill below them and quickly transitioned into thick jungle-type under brush, towered above by trees. They could smell the thick vegetation below and feel the cool breezes as they rustled the leaves and trees down below. Birds flew just above the tree tops, and every once in a while they could see other animals moving about.
Amidst the heavy vegetation was a decent sized settlement, and this is what they mainly focused on with their range scope. There was a rather large compound in the near the center of the town which seemed fairly modern. The rest of the town was made up of what they could only describe as huts, and seemed almost primitive in comparison.
"Well, I'm assuming we'll find this Rathka Vados somewhere in that compound," Raezyr mused aloud, still observing through the binoculars.
"Vathka Rodas," Trychon corrected.
"Whatever."
Something that large would require either an underground ocean, or a network of waterways in which to live and breed. They did their best to determine if either existed, but if it did, their limited equipment was unable to detect it.
Once they were under way and heading in the direction of where they had seen the glow from what they could only assume was some sort of civilized settlement, Trychon checked his data pad. "Vathka Rodas," he said to his brother.
Raezyr took his eyes off the terrain ahead of the land speeder he was piloting for only a brief moment, and even though his expression was masked by the dark blue helm, Trychon could easily imagine the confused look on the younger Sith's face. "Um... bless you?" the big man offered.
Trychon chuckled. "No, that's the name of the guy we need to find: Vathka Rodas," Trychon hollered above the noise of the wind.
"Alright," Raezyr turned his attention back to the terrain ahead. Trychon could imagine the apathetic look he had probably been given. The big Sith piloting the speeder checked it's sensors, noting that the trailing land speeder which carried Schyrt, Reed and most of the gear was following at a safe distance.
They made good time. They were able to travel at nearly top speed due to the barren terrain. It was mostly sand, rock and not much else. Pretty soon their sensors began to pick up a faint power source in the distance and Raezyr eased back on the speed. The group had traveled mostly up hill during their short journey so far, and they were nearing the hill top they had been aiming for.
Soon Raezyr came to a stop and jumped out of the vehicle which bobbed up and down as it hovered half a meter off the ground. Trychon was a step a head already, having pulled out the range scope and had leaped from the speeder before it even came to a complete stop. The Sith warriors motioned to their employees to stay with the vehicles and they began to creep forward for a first look at this settlement, or whatever it was.
The two hunkered down as they reached the peak, and they were surprised at what they saw. Sprawling before them was a lush, tropical river valley. Grasses began just a few meters down the hill below them and quickly transitioned into thick jungle-type under brush, towered above by trees. They could smell the thick vegetation below and feel the cool breezes as they rustled the leaves and trees down below. Birds flew just above the tree tops, and every once in a while they could see other animals moving about.
Amidst the heavy vegetation was a decent sized settlement, and this is what they mainly focused on with their range scope. There was a rather large compound in the near the center of the town which seemed fairly modern. The rest of the town was made up of what they could only describe as huts, and seemed almost primitive in comparison.
"Well, I'm assuming we'll find this Rathka Vados somewhere in that compound," Raezyr mused aloud, still observing through the binoculars.
"Vathka Rodas," Trychon corrected.
"Whatever."
March 07, 2011
645. Earning Their Title - Raezyr and Trychon
The thrum of the ignited lightsabers mingled with the clicking of crustacean legs on stone. As the brothers took up defensive stances, preparing dodge and counter whatever attacks were to come, the creature suddenly hesitated in it's advance, almost as if it could sense that their moods had changed from surprised to aggressive.
"What the...?" Raezyr wondered aloud.
"I hate Force sensitive creatures," Trychon said and launched himself over the creature in a leaping somersault, slashing as he spun. Both Sith were quite surprised to notice the energy blade merely scored the carapace of the animal.
The beast spun sideways, now trying to watch both Sith at the same time, apparently aware the attacker had now become the prey.
"The shell is harder than I'd imagined," Trychon stated as much to himself as to his brother.
Suddenly Raezyr put one of his two blades away. "I've got an idea," he called. "Hold it immobile."
Without hesitation, Trychon stretched his hand toward the beast and stretched out with the Force. Immediately the creature reacted, acting as if it were in pain, but try as it might, the most the beast could manage was to scrabble it's legs on the stone below.
Raezyr used his lightsaber to break free a rather large stalagmite from the ground, and lifted it after deactivating his lightsaber. At nearly two thirds of his own height, and possibly as heavy as himself in all, it made for an impressive blunt weapon. He hefted it up on his shoulder, holding tight to the tapered end, and swung it off his shoulder and down as hard as he could on the armored back of the crustacean. Its heavy body crashed from its suspended position to the ground, and appeared stuck there as Trychon continued refusing to let it move itself.
Raezyr was then able to heave the stalagmite in a full arc up and over his head and down as hard as he could, reinforcing his own considerable strength with aid of the Force. The sound of the object hitting grew with each strike. The animal continued to struggle against the invisible grasp it was held in, showing no ill effects from the attacks.
Trychon was about to interject when Raezyr jumped in the air mid-swing. He grabbed his makeshift spearhead by its base and thrust it down as he landed on the chitinous back. The point broke several pieces of the armor off and continued through into the meat of the body.
---------------
While that final blow from Raezyr hadn't killed their prey instantly, it didn't take much work thereafter to finish it off. They were able to dismember it neatly after finding the weaker spots in its joints as they figured there would be. They hoped that the remaining corpse would work as a decent warning sign to any family the creature may have had. It usually was a pretty decent deterrent for most animals.
They took back with them two of the large claws, to give a tentative test to the meat it held. Nearly anything they could scrounge often was better than the bland but filling rations they brought with them. One claw probably would feed the whole group, but alien animal flesh could sometimes be touchy when it came to overcooking or undercooking.
Upon reaching the entrance of the cave, they were happy to see that not only had Trychon's wind shelters held, but Schyrt and Reed had already built a fire and had unpacked some other basic provisions they would need for shifts resting.
They were successful in carefully removing some of the muscle tissue from the claw and cooking it over the open fire, and the resulting meal was more than enough for the four of them. After their supper, Trychon and Raezyr headed out into the open to get a general lay of the land, and look for probable approaches should they be attacked. The three mid size moons that hung over head gave them plenty of light to survey the surrounding area and make what plans they had to.
On the horizon, they could see a large hill that was surrounded by a light back-glow. It flickered gently against the sky. The two brothers turned back to their camp, satisfied that they knew not only what direction to keep the closest eye on, but also where to point themselves when the sun arose.
"What the...?" Raezyr wondered aloud.
"I hate Force sensitive creatures," Trychon said and launched himself over the creature in a leaping somersault, slashing as he spun. Both Sith were quite surprised to notice the energy blade merely scored the carapace of the animal.
The beast spun sideways, now trying to watch both Sith at the same time, apparently aware the attacker had now become the prey.
"The shell is harder than I'd imagined," Trychon stated as much to himself as to his brother.
Suddenly Raezyr put one of his two blades away. "I've got an idea," he called. "Hold it immobile."
Without hesitation, Trychon stretched his hand toward the beast and stretched out with the Force. Immediately the creature reacted, acting as if it were in pain, but try as it might, the most the beast could manage was to scrabble it's legs on the stone below.
Raezyr used his lightsaber to break free a rather large stalagmite from the ground, and lifted it after deactivating his lightsaber. At nearly two thirds of his own height, and possibly as heavy as himself in all, it made for an impressive blunt weapon. He hefted it up on his shoulder, holding tight to the tapered end, and swung it off his shoulder and down as hard as he could on the armored back of the crustacean. Its heavy body crashed from its suspended position to the ground, and appeared stuck there as Trychon continued refusing to let it move itself.
Raezyr was then able to heave the stalagmite in a full arc up and over his head and down as hard as he could, reinforcing his own considerable strength with aid of the Force. The sound of the object hitting grew with each strike. The animal continued to struggle against the invisible grasp it was held in, showing no ill effects from the attacks.
Trychon was about to interject when Raezyr jumped in the air mid-swing. He grabbed his makeshift spearhead by its base and thrust it down as he landed on the chitinous back. The point broke several pieces of the armor off and continued through into the meat of the body.
---------------
While that final blow from Raezyr hadn't killed their prey instantly, it didn't take much work thereafter to finish it off. They were able to dismember it neatly after finding the weaker spots in its joints as they figured there would be. They hoped that the remaining corpse would work as a decent warning sign to any family the creature may have had. It usually was a pretty decent deterrent for most animals.
They took back with them two of the large claws, to give a tentative test to the meat it held. Nearly anything they could scrounge often was better than the bland but filling rations they brought with them. One claw probably would feed the whole group, but alien animal flesh could sometimes be touchy when it came to overcooking or undercooking.
Upon reaching the entrance of the cave, they were happy to see that not only had Trychon's wind shelters held, but Schyrt and Reed had already built a fire and had unpacked some other basic provisions they would need for shifts resting.
They were successful in carefully removing some of the muscle tissue from the claw and cooking it over the open fire, and the resulting meal was more than enough for the four of them. After their supper, Trychon and Raezyr headed out into the open to get a general lay of the land, and look for probable approaches should they be attacked. The three mid size moons that hung over head gave them plenty of light to survey the surrounding area and make what plans they had to.
On the horizon, they could see a large hill that was surrounded by a light back-glow. It flickered gently against the sky. The two brothers turned back to their camp, satisfied that they knew not only what direction to keep the closest eye on, but also where to point themselves when the sun arose.
March 02, 2011
644. Earning Their Title - Trychon and Raezyr
The four travelers watched as their ship took off to dock with its larger partner, figuring they'd both be more safe (and available for recall at a moments notice) in orbit than on ground. Going into a mission with very little knowledge of what is ahead always calls for more caution. Or at least that's what Raezyr kept insisting on to his older brother. Until Trychon could come up with a better way to settle such disputes besides sparring match, he had to concede on some finer points such as this.
"Raez... the ground keeps making crunchy noises when I walk on it, and the air tastes like dirt." Trychon complained after they parked their vehicles outside what they hoped was an uninhabited cave to set camp for the quickly approaching night.
"Well, hopefully things will go well enough for us that we won't have to do too much sneaking. As for the air... it tastes fine to me. The little pieces of rock we call sand that's flying through the air though... I bet that tastes a bit like dirt. Bet you won't make fun of me for taking a mask with me when we go out in public in the future."
Trychon sat down and began assembling part of a portable structure. "Doubtful, but I get your point." He said as he tossed the instruction pad over his shoulder after a glance.
"Trych, what are you doing? We don't need to set up camp if this cavern turns out to be a safe place... come help me check it out."
"It'll give us something to block out the bad taste from the air. Give me just a few. Only need a couple of walls, really."
Raezyr stood and kicked a few pebbles while watching Trychon finish. He gazed up into the darkening sky, the reddish sunset adding to the already crimson landscape, bathing everything in a blood-red light.
"You coming?" Trychon asked from behind him, causing his brother to come as close to jumping as any Force user might possibly come.
Together they turned and headed deeper into cavern. They didn't bother telling Schyrt and Reed to stand guard, as they knew what their duties were and didn't need to be reminded. The two were nothing if not efficient and loyal. Not for the first time did the brothers feel lucky to have found employees as good as these two had turned out to be.
Quickly, Trychon snapped on a glow rod, while Raezyr activated the night vision on his helmet, casting the underground tunnel with a green glow and giving him just a bit of a visual advantage. Not that he'd really need an advantage. Both should be able to detect any living threat before it came into visual range.
The sand on the floor of the cave eventually lessened and finally disappeared altogether, giving way to courser gravel and finally solid rock. They were going to turn around when Trychon noticed something peculiar that wasn't readily visible under Raezyr's infrared vision. "Check this out," the elder brother said, running his fingers along the wall of the cave.
Raezyr removed his glove and did like-wise. He noted the damp feeling on his fingers. "Must be water farther down."
Suddenly they both turned toward the darkness deeper in the cave. They could sense something living coming their way, it wasn't sentient, that was for sure. The mind wasn't a complex one. What concerned them was the size of thing.
Raezyr held his forearm in front of him. He had upgraded his armor a bit when they were last on Den Var. Adding a limited sensor package was one of improvements. He checked the read outs. "It's thirty-five meters and closing fast," he told his brother. "I don' think it's friendly."
The creature came into the beam of the glow-rod, it was two meters wide, a meter and a half tall and flat. It had a tan chitinous shell and eight legs, but what they focused their attention on were the two massive pincers it held in front of it, and the loud clacking sound it made as it approached.
"Raez... the ground keeps making crunchy noises when I walk on it, and the air tastes like dirt." Trychon complained after they parked their vehicles outside what they hoped was an uninhabited cave to set camp for the quickly approaching night.
"Well, hopefully things will go well enough for us that we won't have to do too much sneaking. As for the air... it tastes fine to me. The little pieces of rock we call sand that's flying through the air though... I bet that tastes a bit like dirt. Bet you won't make fun of me for taking a mask with me when we go out in public in the future."
Trychon sat down and began assembling part of a portable structure. "Doubtful, but I get your point." He said as he tossed the instruction pad over his shoulder after a glance.
"Trych, what are you doing? We don't need to set up camp if this cavern turns out to be a safe place... come help me check it out."
"It'll give us something to block out the bad taste from the air. Give me just a few. Only need a couple of walls, really."
Raezyr stood and kicked a few pebbles while watching Trychon finish. He gazed up into the darkening sky, the reddish sunset adding to the already crimson landscape, bathing everything in a blood-red light.
"You coming?" Trychon asked from behind him, causing his brother to come as close to jumping as any Force user might possibly come.
Together they turned and headed deeper into cavern. They didn't bother telling Schyrt and Reed to stand guard, as they knew what their duties were and didn't need to be reminded. The two were nothing if not efficient and loyal. Not for the first time did the brothers feel lucky to have found employees as good as these two had turned out to be.
Quickly, Trychon snapped on a glow rod, while Raezyr activated the night vision on his helmet, casting the underground tunnel with a green glow and giving him just a bit of a visual advantage. Not that he'd really need an advantage. Both should be able to detect any living threat before it came into visual range.
The sand on the floor of the cave eventually lessened and finally disappeared altogether, giving way to courser gravel and finally solid rock. They were going to turn around when Trychon noticed something peculiar that wasn't readily visible under Raezyr's infrared vision. "Check this out," the elder brother said, running his fingers along the wall of the cave.
Raezyr removed his glove and did like-wise. He noted the damp feeling on his fingers. "Must be water farther down."
Suddenly they both turned toward the darkness deeper in the cave. They could sense something living coming their way, it wasn't sentient, that was for sure. The mind wasn't a complex one. What concerned them was the size of thing.
Raezyr held his forearm in front of him. He had upgraded his armor a bit when they were last on Den Var. Adding a limited sensor package was one of improvements. He checked the read outs. "It's thirty-five meters and closing fast," he told his brother. "I don' think it's friendly."
The creature came into the beam of the glow-rod, it was two meters wide, a meter and a half tall and flat. It had a tan chitinous shell and eight legs, but what they focused their attention on were the two massive pincers it held in front of it, and the loud clacking sound it made as it approached.
March 01, 2011
643. Earning Their Title - Trychon
Traveling through hyperspace does not give any general sense of direction or destination. Still, the subconscious is in most cases aware of where the destination is, and how long it should take. The mind knows on some level or another, roughly where it is and where it is going without referring to instruments on the ship.
Traveling out into mostly uncharted space robs the deeper levels of the conscious of these reference points and can create a sense of unease and uncertainty. Safe travel itself is pretty much a guarantee, but not knowing anything about where you are has a tendency to rob the deeper recesses of a being's sense of self. It's easy to feel disconnected from a general collective that most seldom even acknowledge exists.
Despite everything working out markedly better than either brother could have expected when dropping Mannix on THX, the trip that followed still went surprisingly quietly. It was a few days before they started using the normal areas of the ship for the activities they'd become accustomed to doing in the med-bay. Neither one really knew how to feel about Mannix's condition, or how it would turn out. Combined with the unknowns involved in the upcoming mission, nobody really had anything to say.
They never really liked spending too much time planning out their missions, but not really being able to plan one out at all turned out to be unnerving as well. Regardless, they went through what other motions they could, spent some time with readings and holocrons just trying to get a steady information base running through their head again to be as prepared as the situation would allow.
Schyrt and Reed seemed rather ambiguous about the whole mission. They were more than happy to be on the mission, as Trychon had threatened to leave them on Hoth if they asked too many stupid questions. They didn't really know or care what they were headed into, and were simply glad to be involved. Deep down they knew that ignorant bliss wasn't necessarily the best outlook to have going on a mission with a couple of Sith, but they didn't let that get in the way of their preparation. They spent good time double and triple checking the vehicles and also trying to find as many ways to stash weapons as they could. Preparation could be key, and if they were to fail their masters, it would not be for a lack of preparation.
There was no circumstance, and very little pomp when the ship finally arrived at its mysterious destination. The group of travelers was ready to be off their ship and headed towards... whatever it was they ended up headed towards.
Reality finally started to set in for the group as they gathered on the command deck. They had little information about the planet they were headed to other than a name and the fact it was out on the fringe of charted space. Now they could all actually visually take in their target, or at least the planet that whatever their target was on. Using their own senses gave them information that a datapad entry never could. If a datapad entry existed, it could have told them that the planet Meisos was arid, with mid-to high level temperatures. Its primary makeup was mountainous, but with few large peaks. The red geological formations had been worn over time and largely granulated, though the remaining formations were cavernous.
Since there was no datapad entry for them, and they were getting their first knowledge from a first hand look as they slowed in for a landing in the general radius they'd been given, Raezyr summed up most of these facts in a way that they could all agree on.
"Great.... We're landing on a giant, hot, red ball of sand."
Traveling out into mostly uncharted space robs the deeper levels of the conscious of these reference points and can create a sense of unease and uncertainty. Safe travel itself is pretty much a guarantee, but not knowing anything about where you are has a tendency to rob the deeper recesses of a being's sense of self. It's easy to feel disconnected from a general collective that most seldom even acknowledge exists.
Despite everything working out markedly better than either brother could have expected when dropping Mannix on THX, the trip that followed still went surprisingly quietly. It was a few days before they started using the normal areas of the ship for the activities they'd become accustomed to doing in the med-bay. Neither one really knew how to feel about Mannix's condition, or how it would turn out. Combined with the unknowns involved in the upcoming mission, nobody really had anything to say.
They never really liked spending too much time planning out their missions, but not really being able to plan one out at all turned out to be unnerving as well. Regardless, they went through what other motions they could, spent some time with readings and holocrons just trying to get a steady information base running through their head again to be as prepared as the situation would allow.
Schyrt and Reed seemed rather ambiguous about the whole mission. They were more than happy to be on the mission, as Trychon had threatened to leave them on Hoth if they asked too many stupid questions. They didn't really know or care what they were headed into, and were simply glad to be involved. Deep down they knew that ignorant bliss wasn't necessarily the best outlook to have going on a mission with a couple of Sith, but they didn't let that get in the way of their preparation. They spent good time double and triple checking the vehicles and also trying to find as many ways to stash weapons as they could. Preparation could be key, and if they were to fail their masters, it would not be for a lack of preparation.
There was no circumstance, and very little pomp when the ship finally arrived at its mysterious destination. The group of travelers was ready to be off their ship and headed towards... whatever it was they ended up headed towards.
Reality finally started to set in for the group as they gathered on the command deck. They had little information about the planet they were headed to other than a name and the fact it was out on the fringe of charted space. Now they could all actually visually take in their target, or at least the planet that whatever their target was on. Using their own senses gave them information that a datapad entry never could. If a datapad entry existed, it could have told them that the planet Meisos was arid, with mid-to high level temperatures. Its primary makeup was mountainous, but with few large peaks. The red geological formations had been worn over time and largely granulated, though the remaining formations were cavernous.
Since there was no datapad entry for them, and they were getting their first knowledge from a first hand look as they slowed in for a landing in the general radius they'd been given, Raezyr summed up most of these facts in a way that they could all agree on.
"Great.... We're landing on a giant, hot, red ball of sand."
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