Raezyr woke to find his hand gripped loosely around the wrist of his companion from the night before. His head was still a bit fuzzy, and in the pitch black it took him a fraction of a second longer to register that the hand attached to the wrist was holding a knife, and it was bearing down on his throat.
It only took about two seconds for the Sith to get his wits entirely about him. It took less for him to pull the woman to him and snap her neck in near silence.
He reached out and could feel that his brother was still passed out, and that two maidens were hovering over him. He could barely make out their whispers through the curtain between them. He could sense impending danger for his brother, but he felt as though he should have enough time to remain stealthy. He slipped past his own curtain, and tip toed to the other side of the room.
With proper positioning and a snap-hiss, the danger and two life forces were gone.
Trychon woke with a start and batted away his brother's blade with his own before even realizing where he was. "Raez! What in the lamp..."
He looked around for a moment, clearly regaining his own senses. "I didn't think it went so badly... hmm."
"Two?" Was all Raezyr could bring himself to say.
Trychon merely gathered his things. "Seemed like the things to do at the time."
The joke wasn't even dignified with a chuckle by either as they continued to survey their surroundings through the Force.
"I don't feel anything out of the ordinary... do you?" Raezyr asked.
Trychon shook his head.
Raezyr grabbed a few of the plants the ladies had used to create the numbing salve and they quietly headed out into the town.
There was little to no activity to be found in the empty walkways of the Meisosian village. The sounds of a few nocturnal creatures was all they could pick up, even with their best efforts to enhance their senses.
They eventually found what they were looking for. A large fenced in area with none of the trademark greenery inside of it.
It took no time at all for them to slice their way through the lock and into the keeping pen for the saurens. There was more than half a dozen of the large reptiles spread out through the dusty habitat. They slowly approached what seemed to be the largest two of the ones nearest to them.
It was too dark still to make out any detail, but the Sith felt the eyes of several awakening beasts upon them.
They did their best to keep a commanding yet calm presence in the Force, and there was several moments of silence as they were sized by the saurens.
Breaking the silence, Raezyr clicked his tongue twice.
Whether the animals were very well trained, or it was the perfect command noise, or it was just their presence, they couldn't tell, but the two saurens they had approached stood and lowered their heads to be mounted.
The Sith hopped on top of their transportation and gave them appreciative pats on the neck. They walked them slowly out of the corral, then picked up their pace as they oriented themselves out of the town.
They only had to cut down one wandering guard on their way out of town, and even that didn't rouse the locals.
Hours later, as the sun was cresting the hills, they stopped to make sure they seemed to be on the path to at least some destination or another along the way to Vathka Rodas.
Satisfied that they were, they took off again.
"Hey Trych?"
"Yeah?"
"All in all... what would you call that whole experience?"
Trychon paused to think it over. "Winning..."
April 22, 2011
April 20, 2011
664. Sith Hunt III: Revenge of the Fish - Trychon
Anya and Tyr began packing up their rudimentary camp just before dawn began breaking over the treeline, in what was becoming their morning routine. In what was becoming a rapidly increasing part of their routine, they were at each other's throats.
"Will you hurry up, already? How long does it take to fold up a two person tent?" Anya sniped, sitting on a small rock at the edge of the clearing.
"I'm almost done now. If you were that concerned with it, you could be helping, rather than sitting on your backside, warming a stone and complaining." Tyr shot back.
Anya didn't budge from her spot, as she idly stared at her dirty fingernails in disgust. "You're a Sith. Use the Force. That's what it's for. You're going to let them catch us at this rate."
"At least we'd be off this useless rock..." Tyr mumbled to himself as he finished closing up the sack that held their shelter.
Anya got up and grabbed her backpack. "Well, I'll be a twi'lek's hairdo. You'd actually like to be captured and show your weakness to the Jedi, wouldn't you!"
"As opposed to what?" Tyr threw his backpack over his shoulder and picked up the shelter. "Wandering around an uninhabited planet aimlessly?"
"You enjoy asking stupid questions, don't you?" Anya stared daggers at her 'lover'. "We'll find the right time and place to set a trap for the Jedi, and once we've defeated them, we'll double back and take their fighters."
"Right. Like they fell for the trap we laid for them the other day." Tyr grumbled as he headed off in the general direction of the mountains in the distance.
The local sun was now rising behind them, and they needed to be on their way. The Jedi were never far behind them, almost as though they were stalking them like prey. They had laid out a few explosives and pretended to over-sleep just the other day. Anya hid the explosives through the Force, and Tyr had sent out the calming aura. The Jedi didn't bite on their bait, but they were most certainly keeping distance only while they waited for their own opportune time.
Anya followed after Tyr, seething at their situation almost as much as she was at Tyr and his attitude. He had been questioning her more and more as time had gone on, and their time on the planet had been an apparent breaking point. He was still playing along for lack of any other options, but she felt as though she'd lost her control over him. She'd have to find some way to smooth all their issues over once they found a way off planet. For now, heading to the mountains was about all they could do, hoping that they could find a good defensive position... or maybe even a spot where they could unleash a land slide, crushing the Jedi under the weight of some of the mountain.
"Well, I know that they didn't see the explosives I was hiding. They must have not believed your sense that we were asleep and helpless."
----------------------
"I still don't see why we can't just take dem down now." Nal said calmly as they began their daily journey of tailing the Sith's trail, but Val insisted that they do so at a distance.
They usually slept in later or just mulled around for a little bit before heading out. They had a ship dropping them whatever nightly supplies they needed as well as an enclosure kit for a temporary habitat. They left it behind so that they could remain unencumbered as they traveled. The same ship would come by during the day and use tow cables to pick up their pack again. They could easily keep pace either way, but this would allow them to be more prepared should the Sith try anything.
Val placed his hand on his fellow Jedi's shoulder. "We shall feel it when the time is right. When they attack us out of desperation rather than the other way around, we have the advantage. If they are panicked, they will be careless, and we are more likely to be able to take advantage of that to get them into custody."
"Are you afraid of killing dem, Val? Do you think you'll automatically fall to da dark side if you kill a lowly Sith?"
"No, I am not afraid of killing them. I have had to kill in the past, and under the right circumstances, I would not hesitate to do so again. If the Sith were threatening lives, and the best way to ensure the safety of others was to kill them, that's exactly what I would do."
"Dey are endangering people by dere very existence." Nal countered. "Dey have been endangering innocent people over and over."
"Dark Jedis have been rehabilitated in the past, and even gone on to do great things. There is no imminent danger here to us or to any innocents. It would be best if we could capture them and try to help them."
The Chiss could feel that she was about to protest that they weren't the sort that would be worth saving, so he continued. "Besides... there are only two here, and we are looking for four."
He knew that would end the argument, but her consistent need for revenge when it came to these Sith was not healthy. He had to find a way for her to see that violence is always best avoided. He was sent to work with her in part to lead her through this and to the other side still in the light. If he wasn't careful, he'd run out of time.
------------------
Tyr just wanted Anya to calm down. More than anything, that's what he wanted.
They had come out of the forest and upon the mountain range, but they did not like what they found. They were looking for somewhere they could climb to a higher ground, a defensible spot. What they found instead was something out of a corny holo-vid. The mountains came to an abrupt halt, with a nearly vertical climb in every direction they looked. It was as though either someone had laser cut a valley and a forest out of the mountains, or the mountains had been forced directly up out of the rock a few hundred meters. Tyr couldn't decide which. He'd never seen anything like it though. A bunch of impossible to climb walls of rock.
They couldn't turn back into the forest now, and the climb didn't look any more promising if they followed the edges of the rocks for a while in either direction.
Tyr started jogging down the valley without a word to Anya, who'd been cursing non-stop for the three minutes they'd cleared the tree line. With any luck, they'd find what they were looking for, or anything they could work with. She'd follow him. They didn't have any other options.
----------------
The Jedi stood at the very edge of the trees. It was an odd formation of mountains, to be sure. Nal commented that it looked as though someone had grabbed the mountains with several giant tractor beams, and pulled them straight out of the ground. Val couldn't disagree.
They watched through their macrobinoculars as the Sith ran down the valley away from them. They had a good kilometer or two on them still, but Val insisted that there was no hurry, to Nal's displeasure. They began their own trek down the canyon, holding their distance steady.
----------------
"Well, we're kriffed now, aren't we?!" Anya yelled. She was doing her best to just yell out of frustration and not yell at Tyr in particular, but it wasn't helping.
"This is better than it was when we got to the mountains. It's only a hundred meters or so up before you get to solid footing, and there's a few good creases for climbing. Maybe even a few good jumps." Tyr pointed to certain spots he felt would help them ascend the sheer face.
"Yeah, it's fracking great. I'm so pleased. Can I have a rancor for a pet next?" Anya spat.
It hit Tyr. Not physically, but emotionally and logically. He wasn't sure what had happened to Anya, but this was not the same girl he had fallen for. He was not even sure he really fell for her anymore. He didn't care for the woman in front of him at all. He had no desire to help her, or do what she asked.
Somewhere underneath this person in front of him was a weak Sith who had learned how to project power that she didn't have as a defense mechanism of sorts. He had allowed her to take charge of him for companionship and for the sex. Not because she was better than him. She wasn't. Not one bit.
He turned to her, and in as calm as a voice as he could manage, he told her. It came out cold. "I don't know you. I don't want to know you. You're not Anya anymore. You've become something else while trying to be something bigger that you're not. I'm no longer amused or under your spell."
Anya's mouth opened, but no sound came out. In her mind, she wasn't sure how to react. Something snapped in Tyr, and he was set on something. Yell or beg, it didn't seem to manner anymore. She closed her mouth, and let him continue.
"We have minutes before the Jedi arrive. If that. I know that's not enough time to climb those walls. Probably not for me, and definitely not for you. I have no desire to save you." He paused to let it sink in for a few seconds. "Somewhere underneath though, is a girl who may or may not have been my lover at some point. What she definitely was... is part of a group of friends who would not let each other down. Her, I would like to save."
Anya's mouth was open again, but words were not there. She wasn't sure which of them was confused.
"I'm going to hold off the Jedi for you to get a head start up the mountain. I hope that after I've defeated the Jedi, I find the girl I am looking for, so we can all go back to our friends. We were stronger as a group than we are now that we are apart."
Anya ran. Tyr turned and looked down the canyon. The Jedi were coming, and he could feel it. This would be his finest moment.
"Will you hurry up, already? How long does it take to fold up a two person tent?" Anya sniped, sitting on a small rock at the edge of the clearing.
"I'm almost done now. If you were that concerned with it, you could be helping, rather than sitting on your backside, warming a stone and complaining." Tyr shot back.
Anya didn't budge from her spot, as she idly stared at her dirty fingernails in disgust. "You're a Sith. Use the Force. That's what it's for. You're going to let them catch us at this rate."
"At least we'd be off this useless rock..." Tyr mumbled to himself as he finished closing up the sack that held their shelter.
Anya got up and grabbed her backpack. "Well, I'll be a twi'lek's hairdo. You'd actually like to be captured and show your weakness to the Jedi, wouldn't you!"
"As opposed to what?" Tyr threw his backpack over his shoulder and picked up the shelter. "Wandering around an uninhabited planet aimlessly?"
"You enjoy asking stupid questions, don't you?" Anya stared daggers at her 'lover'. "We'll find the right time and place to set a trap for the Jedi, and once we've defeated them, we'll double back and take their fighters."
"Right. Like they fell for the trap we laid for them the other day." Tyr grumbled as he headed off in the general direction of the mountains in the distance.
The local sun was now rising behind them, and they needed to be on their way. The Jedi were never far behind them, almost as though they were stalking them like prey. They had laid out a few explosives and pretended to over-sleep just the other day. Anya hid the explosives through the Force, and Tyr had sent out the calming aura. The Jedi didn't bite on their bait, but they were most certainly keeping distance only while they waited for their own opportune time.
Anya followed after Tyr, seething at their situation almost as much as she was at Tyr and his attitude. He had been questioning her more and more as time had gone on, and their time on the planet had been an apparent breaking point. He was still playing along for lack of any other options, but she felt as though she'd lost her control over him. She'd have to find some way to smooth all their issues over once they found a way off planet. For now, heading to the mountains was about all they could do, hoping that they could find a good defensive position... or maybe even a spot where they could unleash a land slide, crushing the Jedi under the weight of some of the mountain.
"Well, I know that they didn't see the explosives I was hiding. They must have not believed your sense that we were asleep and helpless."
----------------------
"I still don't see why we can't just take dem down now." Nal said calmly as they began their daily journey of tailing the Sith's trail, but Val insisted that they do so at a distance.
They usually slept in later or just mulled around for a little bit before heading out. They had a ship dropping them whatever nightly supplies they needed as well as an enclosure kit for a temporary habitat. They left it behind so that they could remain unencumbered as they traveled. The same ship would come by during the day and use tow cables to pick up their pack again. They could easily keep pace either way, but this would allow them to be more prepared should the Sith try anything.
Val placed his hand on his fellow Jedi's shoulder. "We shall feel it when the time is right. When they attack us out of desperation rather than the other way around, we have the advantage. If they are panicked, they will be careless, and we are more likely to be able to take advantage of that to get them into custody."
"Are you afraid of killing dem, Val? Do you think you'll automatically fall to da dark side if you kill a lowly Sith?"
"No, I am not afraid of killing them. I have had to kill in the past, and under the right circumstances, I would not hesitate to do so again. If the Sith were threatening lives, and the best way to ensure the safety of others was to kill them, that's exactly what I would do."
"Dey are endangering people by dere very existence." Nal countered. "Dey have been endangering innocent people over and over."
"Dark Jedis have been rehabilitated in the past, and even gone on to do great things. There is no imminent danger here to us or to any innocents. It would be best if we could capture them and try to help them."
The Chiss could feel that she was about to protest that they weren't the sort that would be worth saving, so he continued. "Besides... there are only two here, and we are looking for four."
He knew that would end the argument, but her consistent need for revenge when it came to these Sith was not healthy. He had to find a way for her to see that violence is always best avoided. He was sent to work with her in part to lead her through this and to the other side still in the light. If he wasn't careful, he'd run out of time.
------------------
Tyr just wanted Anya to calm down. More than anything, that's what he wanted.
They had come out of the forest and upon the mountain range, but they did not like what they found. They were looking for somewhere they could climb to a higher ground, a defensible spot. What they found instead was something out of a corny holo-vid. The mountains came to an abrupt halt, with a nearly vertical climb in every direction they looked. It was as though either someone had laser cut a valley and a forest out of the mountains, or the mountains had been forced directly up out of the rock a few hundred meters. Tyr couldn't decide which. He'd never seen anything like it though. A bunch of impossible to climb walls of rock.
They couldn't turn back into the forest now, and the climb didn't look any more promising if they followed the edges of the rocks for a while in either direction.
Tyr started jogging down the valley without a word to Anya, who'd been cursing non-stop for the three minutes they'd cleared the tree line. With any luck, they'd find what they were looking for, or anything they could work with. She'd follow him. They didn't have any other options.
----------------
The Jedi stood at the very edge of the trees. It was an odd formation of mountains, to be sure. Nal commented that it looked as though someone had grabbed the mountains with several giant tractor beams, and pulled them straight out of the ground. Val couldn't disagree.
They watched through their macrobinoculars as the Sith ran down the valley away from them. They had a good kilometer or two on them still, but Val insisted that there was no hurry, to Nal's displeasure. They began their own trek down the canyon, holding their distance steady.
----------------
"Well, we're kriffed now, aren't we?!" Anya yelled. She was doing her best to just yell out of frustration and not yell at Tyr in particular, but it wasn't helping.
"This is better than it was when we got to the mountains. It's only a hundred meters or so up before you get to solid footing, and there's a few good creases for climbing. Maybe even a few good jumps." Tyr pointed to certain spots he felt would help them ascend the sheer face.
"Yeah, it's fracking great. I'm so pleased. Can I have a rancor for a pet next?" Anya spat.
It hit Tyr. Not physically, but emotionally and logically. He wasn't sure what had happened to Anya, but this was not the same girl he had fallen for. He was not even sure he really fell for her anymore. He didn't care for the woman in front of him at all. He had no desire to help her, or do what she asked.
Somewhere underneath this person in front of him was a weak Sith who had learned how to project power that she didn't have as a defense mechanism of sorts. He had allowed her to take charge of him for companionship and for the sex. Not because she was better than him. She wasn't. Not one bit.
He turned to her, and in as calm as a voice as he could manage, he told her. It came out cold. "I don't know you. I don't want to know you. You're not Anya anymore. You've become something else while trying to be something bigger that you're not. I'm no longer amused or under your spell."
Anya's mouth opened, but no sound came out. In her mind, she wasn't sure how to react. Something snapped in Tyr, and he was set on something. Yell or beg, it didn't seem to manner anymore. She closed her mouth, and let him continue.
"We have minutes before the Jedi arrive. If that. I know that's not enough time to climb those walls. Probably not for me, and definitely not for you. I have no desire to save you." He paused to let it sink in for a few seconds. "Somewhere underneath though, is a girl who may or may not have been my lover at some point. What she definitely was... is part of a group of friends who would not let each other down. Her, I would like to save."
Anya's mouth was open again, but words were not there. She wasn't sure which of them was confused.
"I'm going to hold off the Jedi for you to get a head start up the mountain. I hope that after I've defeated the Jedi, I find the girl I am looking for, so we can all go back to our friends. We were stronger as a group than we are now that we are apart."
Anya ran. Tyr turned and looked down the canyon. The Jedi were coming, and he could feel it. This would be his finest moment.
April 18, 2011
663. Earning Their Title - Trychon
They arrived at the edge of the oasis and sat down in the shade to cool off for a few minutes. Trychon walked to a nearby pool of fresh water and filled their watersockets. After they'd both drank what they could stomach, he went and refilled them again.
As there were only a few hours left in the day, they were in no hurry to get into the town and get moving again. They couldn't possibly make it more than part way to the next stop before it was dark, and it if it was too dark at night for the natives to bother traveling, they would never find their way either.
They had actually decided that it was best to find a fairly enclosed area in the small forest, so they were less likely to be seen, and camp there until it was near morning before trying their luck with the saurens again. This would have been their plan, had they not run across someone while looking for a safe camping spot.
Raez... look! Trychon pointed through some branches off to their right
What, the woman? Raezyr frowned, afraid of where his brother might be going with his thoughts.
Yeah, the woman... Trychon hit his brother in the shoulder lightly.
I know we're a long way from home, and 'It's not cheating if it's a different star system'... but now hardly seems the time... Raezyr let his thoughts drop off. They were a long way from home, and he was ready to go back, more than anything.
I like where your mind's at Raez, really I do. I was thinking more along the lines of 'How many of these villages did you see woman out and wandering around in... and how many of the villages were openly hospitable to us on our way here?
Say what you want... Raezyr shook his head... I know what you're thinking.
We can stay out here, and hope that they don't find us and sneak up on us in the night, which they may be able to do, given their Force sensitivity... Or...? Trychon poked his brother in the chest.
Or... Raezyr sighed. We can go in and at least get a lay of the land, and see if maybe they're not hostile to us. Go in on our terms and not theirs.
Then he watched as his older brother went without another thought, waving down the woman who turned and smiled at him when he began approaching.
----------------
She was more than happy to lead them into the town, and she was chattering at them non-stop, though mostly in the language they couldn't understand her in. Trychon was more than happy to continue smiling and shrugging at her, indicating that they could not understand, though it didn't seem to phase her penchant for conversation.
They were greeted with equal fervor when the others in the village saw them walking through the streets. They were led to the same guest house they had stayed in just days earlier. Within minutes, there was a handful of servants there, preparing beds for them and providing platters full of food that they sorely needed.
Once they were fed and their accommodations were prepared, the maidens began doing their best to make the Sith comfortable. While Trychon was receiving a very enthusiastic back massage, Raezyr tried to fend off an examination of his knee. He eventually capitulated and allowed the ladies to help. The joint started to feel a little better through a little massage, but the best surprise for him was when they took a handful of plant leaves and squeezed out the juices to create a natural salve which alleviated the pain almost immediately. He tried to note the size and shape of the leaves they used.
After the salve had taken full effect, his knee was wrapped much more expertly than Raezyr had managed to cobble together on the road, and one of the maidens began massaging his leg again. Occasionally, he had to politely guide her hands back towards his knee as they had begun to creep further and further up his leg.
He turned to see if his brother was behaving as well, as they needed to keep their wits about them, but instead saw some sort of curtain had been drawn around his bed. The friendly maiden who had been rubbing his leg giggled, and got up to draw a similar barrier around his bed area as well.
He tried to communicate to her that he was not necessarily needing further attention. He shook his head and gestured repeatedly, until she sat down and stared at him with a pout on her face. She made him a tea of some sort, which he accepted and drank, and then she began to rub his knee some more.
Within a few minutes though, her hands were wandering once again. The edges of Raezyr's vision began to blur ever so slightly, and for some reason, Raezyr didn't mind either.
Across the room, Raezyr could hear his brother trying to be quiet as he enjoyed himself, though his 'company' seemed to be nowhere near as bashful.
As there were only a few hours left in the day, they were in no hurry to get into the town and get moving again. They couldn't possibly make it more than part way to the next stop before it was dark, and it if it was too dark at night for the natives to bother traveling, they would never find their way either.
They had actually decided that it was best to find a fairly enclosed area in the small forest, so they were less likely to be seen, and camp there until it was near morning before trying their luck with the saurens again. This would have been their plan, had they not run across someone while looking for a safe camping spot.
Raez... look! Trychon pointed through some branches off to their right
What, the woman? Raezyr frowned, afraid of where his brother might be going with his thoughts.
Yeah, the woman... Trychon hit his brother in the shoulder lightly.
I know we're a long way from home, and 'It's not cheating if it's a different star system'... but now hardly seems the time... Raezyr let his thoughts drop off. They were a long way from home, and he was ready to go back, more than anything.
I like where your mind's at Raez, really I do. I was thinking more along the lines of 'How many of these villages did you see woman out and wandering around in... and how many of the villages were openly hospitable to us on our way here?
Say what you want... Raezyr shook his head... I know what you're thinking.
We can stay out here, and hope that they don't find us and sneak up on us in the night, which they may be able to do, given their Force sensitivity... Or...? Trychon poked his brother in the chest.
Or... Raezyr sighed. We can go in and at least get a lay of the land, and see if maybe they're not hostile to us. Go in on our terms and not theirs.
Then he watched as his older brother went without another thought, waving down the woman who turned and smiled at him when he began approaching.
----------------
She was more than happy to lead them into the town, and she was chattering at them non-stop, though mostly in the language they couldn't understand her in. Trychon was more than happy to continue smiling and shrugging at her, indicating that they could not understand, though it didn't seem to phase her penchant for conversation.
They were greeted with equal fervor when the others in the village saw them walking through the streets. They were led to the same guest house they had stayed in just days earlier. Within minutes, there was a handful of servants there, preparing beds for them and providing platters full of food that they sorely needed.
Once they were fed and their accommodations were prepared, the maidens began doing their best to make the Sith comfortable. While Trychon was receiving a very enthusiastic back massage, Raezyr tried to fend off an examination of his knee. He eventually capitulated and allowed the ladies to help. The joint started to feel a little better through a little massage, but the best surprise for him was when they took a handful of plant leaves and squeezed out the juices to create a natural salve which alleviated the pain almost immediately. He tried to note the size and shape of the leaves they used.
After the salve had taken full effect, his knee was wrapped much more expertly than Raezyr had managed to cobble together on the road, and one of the maidens began massaging his leg again. Occasionally, he had to politely guide her hands back towards his knee as they had begun to creep further and further up his leg.
He turned to see if his brother was behaving as well, as they needed to keep their wits about them, but instead saw some sort of curtain had been drawn around his bed. The friendly maiden who had been rubbing his leg giggled, and got up to draw a similar barrier around his bed area as well.
He tried to communicate to her that he was not necessarily needing further attention. He shook his head and gestured repeatedly, until she sat down and stared at him with a pout on her face. She made him a tea of some sort, which he accepted and drank, and then she began to rub his knee some more.
Within a few minutes though, her hands were wandering once again. The edges of Raezyr's vision began to blur ever so slightly, and for some reason, Raezyr didn't mind either.
Across the room, Raezyr could hear his brother trying to be quiet as he enjoyed himself, though his 'company' seemed to be nowhere near as bashful.
April 15, 2011
662. Earning Their Titles - Raezyr
Using a semi-stretchy material he had found in the wagon, Raezyr wrapped his knee tight. It wouldn't stand up any long-term strenuous activity, but it would do for walking, and at least keep the knee from giving out again. The pain was another matter altogether. The only thing he had for that was a small decanter filled with a potent alcohol some of the lower castes like to consume, of course it didn't affect the natives of Meisos nearly as much as it did a human. Raezyr knew he'd have to be very careful with the stuff as it went down smooth, then kicked like a tauntaun.
They started off early. So far they hadn't seen any signs of pursuit, but the sun wasn't up yet and that might change. They wanted to put as much distance between them and the city as possible. Hopefully they could get to the next village before news of what happened arrived. If they could do that, they might be able to secure a set of sauren mounts to make the trip a bit shorter, although they were a big apprehensive after their most recent experience with the reptiles.
Neither of the Sith Warriors talked for a while, walking along in silence, carrying their few meager supplies in a couple of make-shift bags.
Finally Raezyr spoke up. "What do you think happened back there?"
"Why, we were crowned 'King of the Mountain,' he said sarcastically. "How the hell should I know?"
"Well, we aren't stupid. Maybe if we talk this out a bit, we can figure out some answers," he suggested, ignoring his elder brother's foul mood. "We know we were framed for that murder, and my guess is that Gavrik was in on it. He and those two warriors traveling with us are the only ones who knew where those blasters were hidden."
"We don't know that, Raez," Trychon corrected, softening up just a bit. "Someone could have seen us hiding that stuff, or maybe those warriors went back, stole the blasters, then sold them.
"It's even possible, however unlikely, that someone on this planet may possess a working blaster," Trychon supposed. "We're not the only off-worlders to have visited this planet, if you recall, plus we know the noble caste on Meisos has access to better tech."
"So you don't think..."
"I'm just saying lets not jump to conclusions," Trychon interrupted. "For all we know, Gavrik was telling us to run to safety."
"In a wakian pig's eye, he was," Raezyr spat.
"Well, I don't necessarily believe it either, but it's possible," Trychon said.
The older sibling paused a moment before continuing with his non-sequitur. "How's that knee of yours going to hold up?"
"I'll make it. It won't be a problem."
"As I recall, that's what you said shortly before Reed and Schyrt were killed," Trychon jabbed.
They walked on in silence for a bit before Raezyr replied. "There's a chance they're not dead, Darth Don't-Jump-to-Conclusions."
"Didn't I sense your irritation yesterday when others were being unrealistically optimistic?" Trychon said, clearly still angry about yesterday's final outcome.
"If you're trying to make me feel guilty, it won't work," Raezyr snapped. "They made a stupid choice. They could have left me there to deal with my problem. I didn't ask them to come get me.
Trychon opened his mouth to interject, but Raezyr continued. "Am I thankful? You bet your Sith ass, I'm thankful, but I'm not going to feel guilty for a choice they made on their own.
"And for your information, it's entirely possible, 'however unlikely,'" he said, mocking Trychon's earlier tone, "that Schyrt and Reed were taken prisoner. I can't assume they're dead. They rescued me when they didn't have to, and I owe it to them to at least make sure they're not rotting away in a prison or slave camp somewhere."
"I guess what I'm saying is, 'Don't get your hopes up,'" Trychon said.
"I'm not. I just feel the need to double check, you know?"
Trychon didn't have much to say to that, basically agreeing with his brother's resolution. They walked on under the hot desert sun for the next several hours, taking breaks now and again to allow Raezyr to rest his knee.
Throughout the day, they kept watch on their back trail, fully expecting to see a dust cloud, indicating mounted pursuit from the city behind, but it never came. That worried them more than had they seen the tell-tale dust cloud. The natives had seemed much to angry for Raezyr and Trychon to believe they'd just let the Sith walk away. No, the lack of pursuit only meant they had something else in mind.
By late afternoon, they crested a hill to see the first village at the small oasis below. Cautiously, they approached. They masked their Force presence, unsure of what kind of reception they'd receive from the natives below.
They started off early. So far they hadn't seen any signs of pursuit, but the sun wasn't up yet and that might change. They wanted to put as much distance between them and the city as possible. Hopefully they could get to the next village before news of what happened arrived. If they could do that, they might be able to secure a set of sauren mounts to make the trip a bit shorter, although they were a big apprehensive after their most recent experience with the reptiles.
Neither of the Sith Warriors talked for a while, walking along in silence, carrying their few meager supplies in a couple of make-shift bags.
Finally Raezyr spoke up. "What do you think happened back there?"
"Why, we were crowned 'King of the Mountain,' he said sarcastically. "How the hell should I know?"
"Well, we aren't stupid. Maybe if we talk this out a bit, we can figure out some answers," he suggested, ignoring his elder brother's foul mood. "We know we were framed for that murder, and my guess is that Gavrik was in on it. He and those two warriors traveling with us are the only ones who knew where those blasters were hidden."
"We don't know that, Raez," Trychon corrected, softening up just a bit. "Someone could have seen us hiding that stuff, or maybe those warriors went back, stole the blasters, then sold them.
"It's even possible, however unlikely, that someone on this planet may possess a working blaster," Trychon supposed. "We're not the only off-worlders to have visited this planet, if you recall, plus we know the noble caste on Meisos has access to better tech."
"So you don't think..."
"I'm just saying lets not jump to conclusions," Trychon interrupted. "For all we know, Gavrik was telling us to run to safety."
"In a wakian pig's eye, he was," Raezyr spat.
"Well, I don't necessarily believe it either, but it's possible," Trychon said.
The older sibling paused a moment before continuing with his non-sequitur. "How's that knee of yours going to hold up?"
"I'll make it. It won't be a problem."
"As I recall, that's what you said shortly before Reed and Schyrt were killed," Trychon jabbed.
They walked on in silence for a bit before Raezyr replied. "There's a chance they're not dead, Darth Don't-Jump-to-Conclusions."
"Didn't I sense your irritation yesterday when others were being unrealistically optimistic?" Trychon said, clearly still angry about yesterday's final outcome.
"If you're trying to make me feel guilty, it won't work," Raezyr snapped. "They made a stupid choice. They could have left me there to deal with my problem. I didn't ask them to come get me.
Trychon opened his mouth to interject, but Raezyr continued. "Am I thankful? You bet your Sith ass, I'm thankful, but I'm not going to feel guilty for a choice they made on their own.
"And for your information, it's entirely possible, 'however unlikely,'" he said, mocking Trychon's earlier tone, "that Schyrt and Reed were taken prisoner. I can't assume they're dead. They rescued me when they didn't have to, and I owe it to them to at least make sure they're not rotting away in a prison or slave camp somewhere."
"I guess what I'm saying is, 'Don't get your hopes up,'" Trychon said.
"I'm not. I just feel the need to double check, you know?"
Trychon didn't have much to say to that, basically agreeing with his brother's resolution. They walked on under the hot desert sun for the next several hours, taking breaks now and again to allow Raezyr to rest his knee.
Throughout the day, they kept watch on their back trail, fully expecting to see a dust cloud, indicating mounted pursuit from the city behind, but it never came. That worried them more than had they seen the tell-tale dust cloud. The natives had seemed much to angry for Raezyr and Trychon to believe they'd just let the Sith walk away. No, the lack of pursuit only meant they had something else in mind.
By late afternoon, they crested a hill to see the first village at the small oasis below. Cautiously, they approached. They masked their Force presence, unsure of what kind of reception they'd receive from the natives below.
April 13, 2011
661. Earning Their Title - Raezyr
Suddenly the native species of Meisos began running in Raezyr's direction. Every single alien in sight, and more still as they began to leave the surrounding buildings as well, many of them brandishing swords, spears or other weapons.
For the briefest of moments, the big Sith warrior considered igniting his light sabers, but immediately dismissed it. He wasn't ready to commit suicide yet. He turned and started hobbling as fast as he could toward the wagon. He could sense Trychon, Reed and Schyrt watching the situation unfold from the dark recesses of the wagon, and was thankful they had at least had sense enough to stay hidden. This was his problem and he'd deal with it.
Suddenly, in his attempt to move quickly, he put too much weight on his injured leg and it crumpled beneath him. Laying in the dirt, he looked at the on-coming natives, and then at the wagon making it's way toward the gate. Reality hit him like a ton of dura-crete.
He resolved to make them pay dearly with 100 Meisosian lives for every drop of his blood which was about to be spilled, and tried to get to his feet.
------------
Trychon heard his brothers voice in his head. Take care of Di, was all it said. Trychon swore softly. Without saying a word to the Sith assistants, Schyrt and Reed leaped from the back of the wagon before Trychon could stop them. Apparently they had figured out what their other employer was about to do. With their hiding place now compromised, the older Sith warrior sprung into action, a new plan in mind.
------------
Raezyr, bewildered, saw the two humans dashing toward him. They grabbed him by his arms started running back to the wagon with their charge. The big Sith looked over his shoulder at the oncoming hoard of aliens. They were nearly upon them, and looking even angrier than ever. Apparently word about the showdown at the Hohkhae corrals had spread quickly.
When they got to the wagon, they heaved Raezyr into the back. The pair of men dressed in red tunics then drew their weapons instead of climbing in after him.
"What are you doing?" Raezyr yelled at them.
Reed and Schyrt took fighting stances and faced the mob bearing down on them. Raezyr was never sure which one answered him, but one of them replied. "Just doing what you hired us to do."
-------------
Trychon slipped forward in the wagon. The alien driving the conveyance was trying to look around the side of the wagon to see what the commotion was behind him. It was a simple matter to place the lightsaber hilt in the back of the aliens chest and flick the switch on and off. He had thought about trying to reason with the driver, but he most likely didn't understand Galactic Basic, and precious time would have been wasted on hand gestures.
Instead, Trychon held the slain native in place with the Force and let the team of Meisos nerfs lumber onward by themselves. He took a quick peek at the guards at the gate, but they hadn't noticed the switch in the drivers posture or attention. They were also more concerned about the commotion going on behind the wagon, apparently torn between joining the fray and staying where they had been posted.
The Sith turned and looked back as well, watching and waiting for the right moment.
--------------
Raezyr drew deeply on the Dark Side, siphoning his pent up rage and hatred for these aliens and summoning all the power he could muster. He knew he couldn't save Schyrt and Reed. The two loyal employees had made their choice, but he could at least give them what little assistance he could. Clenching his fists and screaming in rage, he released the Force in two waves, each one passing the outside of the two men who had just rescued him.
The shock waves bowled over dozens of the aliens, causing them to fly backward into even more of the angry mob. Unfortunately for Reed and Schyrt, the crowd now numbered in the hundreds.
As the wagon lurched forward into a sudden burst of speed, Raezyr watched Reed and Schyrt, unable to help them any longer. They fought valiantly for a moment or two, the odds momentarily in their favor, but soon enough, the two were overwhelmed, drowned in the wave of angry aliens.
-------------
Trychon waited until his younger sibling unleashed the fury of his wrath into the Meisosian mob, then released one of his own. This one was directed not at the sentient natives of the planet, but at the team of nerf-like creatures pulling the wagon.
The elder Sith focused a wave of pure fear toward the consciousness' of the animals, and they reacted instantly, stampeding toward the gate as fast as they could move.
The wagon was close enough to the exit of the city that the guards posted there had little time to react. Two were trampled beneath the thundering hooves of the beasts of labor while the rest barely had time to dive for cover.
Once outside and into the desert sands, Trychon dumped the driver's body off the side of the run away wagon and, grabbing the reins, hopped into pilot's chair. He didn't slow down, however. Instead he kept driving the beasts, using the both the reins and reinforcing their already panicked state with further empathic waves of fear.
They finally stopped late in the night, not by any choice of theirs, but because their beasts couldn't go any further. They rested there for a couple hours before pushing on, just before dawn. They were forced to travel on foot from there as the nerf-like creatures died sometime during their brief sleep.
"We just can't catch a gorram break," Raezyr muttered, limping along next to his half-brother in the general direction of the next oasis.
For the briefest of moments, the big Sith warrior considered igniting his light sabers, but immediately dismissed it. He wasn't ready to commit suicide yet. He turned and started hobbling as fast as he could toward the wagon. He could sense Trychon, Reed and Schyrt watching the situation unfold from the dark recesses of the wagon, and was thankful they had at least had sense enough to stay hidden. This was his problem and he'd deal with it.
Suddenly, in his attempt to move quickly, he put too much weight on his injured leg and it crumpled beneath him. Laying in the dirt, he looked at the on-coming natives, and then at the wagon making it's way toward the gate. Reality hit him like a ton of dura-crete.
He resolved to make them pay dearly with 100 Meisosian lives for every drop of his blood which was about to be spilled, and tried to get to his feet.
------------
Trychon heard his brothers voice in his head. Take care of Di, was all it said. Trychon swore softly. Without saying a word to the Sith assistants, Schyrt and Reed leaped from the back of the wagon before Trychon could stop them. Apparently they had figured out what their other employer was about to do. With their hiding place now compromised, the older Sith warrior sprung into action, a new plan in mind.
------------
Raezyr, bewildered, saw the two humans dashing toward him. They grabbed him by his arms started running back to the wagon with their charge. The big Sith looked over his shoulder at the oncoming hoard of aliens. They were nearly upon them, and looking even angrier than ever. Apparently word about the showdown at the Hohkhae corrals had spread quickly.
When they got to the wagon, they heaved Raezyr into the back. The pair of men dressed in red tunics then drew their weapons instead of climbing in after him.
"What are you doing?" Raezyr yelled at them.
Reed and Schyrt took fighting stances and faced the mob bearing down on them. Raezyr was never sure which one answered him, but one of them replied. "Just doing what you hired us to do."
-------------
Trychon slipped forward in the wagon. The alien driving the conveyance was trying to look around the side of the wagon to see what the commotion was behind him. It was a simple matter to place the lightsaber hilt in the back of the aliens chest and flick the switch on and off. He had thought about trying to reason with the driver, but he most likely didn't understand Galactic Basic, and precious time would have been wasted on hand gestures.
Instead, Trychon held the slain native in place with the Force and let the team of Meisos nerfs lumber onward by themselves. He took a quick peek at the guards at the gate, but they hadn't noticed the switch in the drivers posture or attention. They were also more concerned about the commotion going on behind the wagon, apparently torn between joining the fray and staying where they had been posted.
The Sith turned and looked back as well, watching and waiting for the right moment.
--------------
Raezyr drew deeply on the Dark Side, siphoning his pent up rage and hatred for these aliens and summoning all the power he could muster. He knew he couldn't save Schyrt and Reed. The two loyal employees had made their choice, but he could at least give them what little assistance he could. Clenching his fists and screaming in rage, he released the Force in two waves, each one passing the outside of the two men who had just rescued him.
The shock waves bowled over dozens of the aliens, causing them to fly backward into even more of the angry mob. Unfortunately for Reed and Schyrt, the crowd now numbered in the hundreds.
As the wagon lurched forward into a sudden burst of speed, Raezyr watched Reed and Schyrt, unable to help them any longer. They fought valiantly for a moment or two, the odds momentarily in their favor, but soon enough, the two were overwhelmed, drowned in the wave of angry aliens.
-------------
Trychon waited until his younger sibling unleashed the fury of his wrath into the Meisosian mob, then released one of his own. This one was directed not at the sentient natives of the planet, but at the team of nerf-like creatures pulling the wagon.
The elder Sith focused a wave of pure fear toward the consciousness' of the animals, and they reacted instantly, stampeding toward the gate as fast as they could move.
The wagon was close enough to the exit of the city that the guards posted there had little time to react. Two were trampled beneath the thundering hooves of the beasts of labor while the rest barely had time to dive for cover.
Once outside and into the desert sands, Trychon dumped the driver's body off the side of the run away wagon and, grabbing the reins, hopped into pilot's chair. He didn't slow down, however. Instead he kept driving the beasts, using the both the reins and reinforcing their already panicked state with further empathic waves of fear.
They finally stopped late in the night, not by any choice of theirs, but because their beasts couldn't go any further. They rested there for a couple hours before pushing on, just before dawn. They were forced to travel on foot from there as the nerf-like creatures died sometime during their brief sleep.
"We just can't catch a gorram break," Raezyr muttered, limping along next to his half-brother in the general direction of the next oasis.
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