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Post by Shaman Anaxilea on Mar 3, 2013 8:02:45 GMT -8
Belkadan's Terrain consisted of swamps and rainforests.
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Bruce Terry
Member
Posts: 42
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Bruce Terry on Jan 10, 2014 15:55:57 GMT -8
*So in a strange turn of events, Bruce Terry had already found himself promoted to headmaster of the Jedi Safe Haven here. It had been surprisingly simple and unexpected; after meeting with Michelle and Annabelle, they had contacted their brother so that Bruce could speak with him. After expressing surprise to see him, they had a pleasant conversation, and then, upon learning that he was intending to stay for a while, given administrator access to the facility. Touched by the level of trust the Jedi had in him, Bruce then spent most of his time familiarizing himself with the facility and its inhabitants, and also venturing out into the terrain now and again to survey the land. It was also nice to just get outside and meditate in the peaceful, quiet nature here. Why would Aerandir want to leave this world behind? No, that was a fleeting thought; the man would have his reasons, of course, most likely duty-related. And Bruce would be paying him a visit eventually, but already he had his own duties to attend to before he would journey elsewhere.
He released a sigh and opened his eyes, staring out across the water of the lake before him. This was definitely one of the most serene locations for meditation he'd ever been to, that was for sure, but now he had to return to the academy and see to some more duties, so he unfolded his legs and stood, returning to the academy.*
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Bruce Terry
Member
Posts: 42
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Bruce Terry on Mar 13, 2015 22:10:28 GMT -8
Two children of about ten years had found their way fairly deep into the forest near the academy, having taken some time for themselves to spend the afternoon with some fun adventures in the wilderness. Well, it had been more the black-haired Lorrdian girl's idea; the blond Farghul boy had been a little less sure about this whole thing.
"What if we get lost?" he worried as his eyes darted back and forth, ears flicking at the faintest sound, which was often merely a twig cracking under their feet, or the distant takeoff of a bird.
The girl only giggled. "You're such a worrywart, Hssan," she teased. "I thought kitties liked being outside!"
Hssan glared sideways at her. "Stop calling me that, Janie..."
Janie responded with a snicker as she started to skip further into the world of dalloralla trees. She'd never gone this deep before and was actually quite excited; the trees were quite beautiful, and indeed it was a nice change of pace from being cooped up in the Academy all day.
"Janie..." Hssan almost-whimpered.
She frowned and stopped when she realized the Farghul had also stopped a few feet behind her. He was looking around nervously, ears perked, nose twitching as he sniffed at the air. "What's wrong, Hissy?"
Normally he might have snapped at her for that nickname he despised, but he ignored it. He was too focused on the combination of strange sounds, smell of anger, and sense of danger. "We're not alone... there's something else here..."
Janie frowned, hoping he wasn't just making something up as an excuse to go back to the Academy. But for now she gave him the benefit of the doubt and opened up her senses to the world around her. Sure enough, she felt other beings on the approach, angry, threatening. Janie's eyes widened and she drew her training saber, not lighting it just yet, and turned in the direction she felt the threat, only to see figures creeping up toward them. She gasped and activated her weapon on instinct, a gesture that was met by snarling. "Hssan, stop that..." She almost-whimpered in a similar fashion to Hssan a moment ago.
"It's not me..." He replied worriedly.
She knew.
Three large felines charged from the jungle toward them, Janie backing up on instinct futilely. Fortunately, Hssan had come to her rescue, running up in front of her and throwing up his hands, creating a barrier of the Force that the creatures slammed into with yelps. As they stumbled about in brief confusion, Hssan backed up, holding up a hand behind him, indicating Janie should do the same. As she complied, bringing her weapon up to a defensive position, Hssan explained, "Redcrested cougars. They used to live on this world. I mean, they still do?"
The cougars reoriented themselves and bared their fangs, now even more angry. That may have been a mistake, but regardless, the children now had to defend themselves and make it out of here alive. Shouldn't be hard, right? There were only three of them, and they were just animals. And at first they were doing just fine, dodging, sidestepping, ducking attacks, using their basic telekinesis skills to defend as well as their training sabers to beat back the cougars, hopefully to scare them off.
For a little while, it appeared to be working. But as Hssan fended off one cougar with a Force push, another slashed at his left side, tearing through his clothing and drawing blood.
"HSSAN!" Janie shrieked, batting away a cougar with her saber before pushing the other away using the Force. Hssan staggered, but managed to stay on his feet, his free hand over the wound; blood flowed profusely from the wound. She stood close to him, wanting to brace him, but if she did that, she'd be even less effective in defending not only herself, but possibly both of them. There was little they could do, and another was already pouncing toward them. She managed to deflect its charge with the Force, but another's jaw latched onto her left thigh, tearing through the fabric of her robes and latching onto her femur, eliciting another shriek from her.
But suddenly the feline yelped and released her, backing off. Janie looked through stinging eyes at the figure of a man who'd appeared to surprise the cougar with a kick to the gut. Suddenly, the cougars slid backward for a moment before they scrambled, clawing at some invisible wall. They looked angry and had unfinished business to do with the children, but the man only shouted, "Begone!" with the weight of the Force behind his words. The barrier must have exploded, for the cougars hurtled several feet backward. Once they recovered, they turned tail and fled. The man quickly knelt down beside Janie to examine her leg before looking up into her eyes. "Can you walk?"
Janie finally recognized the man as Master Bruce, the new headmaster of the Academy. He'd come just in time... she tested her leg by taking a few steps, wincing each time, causing Bruce to shake his head and remove the jacket of his robes. "No good." He tore the shirt into strips, instructing Hssan to remove his own shirt before Bruce first bandaged his side, then Janie's thigh. Hssan was struggling to stand. Bruce glanced into the distance, where the cougars had fled, then nodded to himself and presented his back to Janie. "Climb up. We need to move quickly. Just don't choke me." He was clearly making a lighthearted joke, but Janie had no time to appreciate it. She only did as instructed, and when she had securely attached herself to him, he then stood and took the swaying Farghul child under the shoulders and knees. Then he turned and made for the Academy at a brisk jog.
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Xeonon Solomon
The First Order
Posts: 2,206
Affiliation: First Order
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Xeonon Solomon on Apr 21, 2015 7:13:41 GMT -8
Inside a small homestead a family of five lay dead, their throats torn out, eyes and tounges gone and all manner of their bodies eaten. Surveying the scene was the lone survivor of the attack, Fredric Wunohfohr a tall man whos face appeared to not have been shaven for several days. Scraggly facial hair was longer than that on the top of his head, which he scratched as his grimset eyes took in the carnage. He had been the reason for this, 3 days earlier he had crashed on the planet, not a big deal except for the fact that it seemed that Red Crested cat/dog things kept after him. The family had let him in, and they had saved him. At the expanse of their own, the fathers hand still clutched tufts of fur that he had ripped out of the cougars that had eaten him alive.
There was nothing special about Fredric, he was just a regular spacer caught in a bad circumstance, and had hidden in the attic as the cats had torn not just the family apart but the house. It was as if they could still smell him, over the coppery smell of blood and the pungent smell of death. He had often heard tell that animals could smell fear but had always figured that was a bunch of poodoo. Now though... He wasnt sure. Walking outside with a bloodstained machete in his hand he hotwired the families T-95 and sped back towards his ship. He knew its cargo could help. Hell maybe the distress beacon would have brought in someone to save his ass by now. If not, well staying at this scene would sooner get him killed by his own hand than the wild beasts.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2015 18:52:16 GMT -8
The Phaethon swooped low, it's anti-gravitic field slicing through the dense surface of foliage. Shorn leaves were scattered about in the vessels wake as it made it's way towards the designated point, stirring up the avian wildlife. Birds flocked from the transport's path, some were frightened by the unstoppable advance of this metallic juggernaut, others simply followed suite - unknowing of the fate that would befall them should they seek to stop the tide of lusterless steel.
Yet, on it's own accord, the vessel had slowed. Coming to a halt high above the forest floor, Naiad eased back on the controls, only to glance over his instruments thereafter. Mere moments before, after his sensors were free from the fiery grip of the atmosphere, the vessel had acquired something faint in it's readings. From his current position, the Sun Guard couldn't tell what it was, although the rhythmic pulse had somehow been familiar. Running a gauntleted hand across the surface of his terminal, Naiad manually determined the direction of where this beacon was visibly thrumming. While it was out of range, the point of origin seemed to be located upon the far side of the continent. Something only determined by the most luckiest of guesses.
Grabbing hold of the steering yoke, Naiad turned the vessel about; letting the underslung gravitic plates swivel the massive Hulk, rather than wasting the ever expensive fuel. Life in the fringes of the galaxy was never easy, thus every drop of concentrated Tibanna was as precious as a Corscua gem. Pushing the controls forward ever so gently, the Sun Guard eased his vessel forward, allowing it to build it's momentum by warping the very fields of gravity. Once the craft had regained its previous speed, the Thyrsian activated the autopilot, letting the ancient consciousness buried deep within awaken. He roused himself from the pilots chair and headed into the darkness beyond the cockpit.
It was there he had found his weapons upon an arming rack, and his golden yellow battle helm affixed above his tools of war. A warm smile of pride crossed his face then. His family, nay his entire culture was built around the very foundations of warfare. Combat was the epicentre of life, as every moment is always different than the last. Change is constant. The thundering of one's heart, and the passion one feels in bettering your enemy. That was the truest form of expression. The very essence of life. His Echani cousins, blessed their small minds were, believed that only through the body would life be truly experienced. Each snow crested monk fought with fist and covered themselves with paper, unwilling to change in the coming of the future. Naiad's people were smarter than that. They adopted the ways of tomorrow, and had survived the coming of the Sith.
Lifting his helmet from its resting place, the Sun Guard's smile was afflicted by a longing nostalgia. It had belonged to his father, once, before the old man had perished in the heart of some war on some ill begotten world. All that remained of the man whom sired him, was this ash covered helm. Naiad had taken it when presented, and had cherished it like everything else he was gifted. Living life from moment to moment, the Old Man had once said, that's how you survive. Damn the gospel of the Jedi and Sith, for they will seek to corral your blazing spirit. Be true to yourself and none other, for the Son of Suns beats within your chest. You, and those that have come before you, are the truth of this universe personified. The galaxy beats within you. Now show me that you're worthy of the life you hold so dearly.
Pulling himself from the recollections of the past, Naiad became one with his armour as the environmental seals locked into place. Breathing in a heady mouthful of recycled air, the Sun Guard adorned himself in the accoutrements of war with practiced ease.
:: Approaching signal anomaly. ::
The autopilot had intoned over the vessel's speaker system. Pointing his golden visor towards the sky, an act that had seemingly given life to an unliving sentience, Naiad replied,
"Have the sensors determined what this fluttering signal is?"
Silence answered the armour clad warrior, only to be broken seconds after.
:: Affirmatve. Anomalous signal is a civilian-class distress beacon. The interference from the local flora has hindered a more thorough scan. However, the location this vessel is about to pass has been earmarked as a small homestead by local authorities. ::
"Biosigns?" He asked, once again waiting in the silence that followed.
:: Negative. No sentient biosigns detected. ::
"Very well. Bring us about and, hover above the settlement." Naiad stopped himself from carrying on past the simple order, forgetting that the computer was not a being for conversation. Spending so much time in the darkness of the void, it can change your perception on the simplest of things, like how an inanimate computer could be considered a living being. Shaking the thought from his mind, Naiad trodded through the darkness of his transport, halting before the cargo ramp. Once his ship had come round, and the darkness broken by the creaking assault of the light from the descending metallic gradient, Naiad's eyes widened at the scene below. His helmets sensors had picked up traces of various corpse gasses and told the man within the golden armour that these people were dead. Even without the scrolling feed beside his eyes, the man could tell that nothing living laid claim to this homestead any longer.
When the ramp had fully extended, Naiad stepped off the angled platform and fell onto the world below. His knees had bent to absorb the impact, and then straightened as the Sun Guard willed his body to move closer. He had to inspect the scene, and learn more of the prey he had been contracted to hunt. Little was known about these Red Crested Cougars, other than they were larger than Corellian Sand Panthers, and supposedly extinct. How they had returned in such violent manners didn't matter to the Thyrsian, only how many credits he would get for each head taken from the beasts. Shouldering his rifle and scanning the homestead, Naiad began to search for any signs of life. Had there been any, his vessel would have found it - even as old as it was, a lifesign was still a lifesign.
After a half hour of searching, rebuilding the scene of the attack in his mind, the monotonous voice of his craft crackled to life upon his suits communication system.
:: Scanners have determined a vessel fled from this homestead. The pattern of its Ion trail matches our internal database classification as a T-95 Skyhopper. Possible heading uncertain from this altitude. ::
"So, there were survivors after all. Smart move." Naiad mused aloud, his words meant more for himself than for the benefit of the machine hovering above. "Phaethon, contact the local authorities and relay the information from my HUD. They'll need to know of this." Looking to the sun drenched sky and the vessel that hovered above, Naiad added, "And pick me up. We're heading after that Skyhopper. Whoever is piloting that craft might have an idea where these beasts make their home."
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Ayeniner
Member
Posts: 149
Affiliation: The Vanguard
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Ayeniner on Apr 30, 2015 1:25:47 GMT -8
The Yorik-Vec descended to the planet slowly. Duni Nim tapped her shaper's hand on the living hull, and it went transparent to her touch. She gazed out, catching the odd abomination of lifeless machinery. Compared to reports of other planets, however, this one seemed to be relatively and thankfully free from mechanical influence. Her headdress twitched as she smiled. "What can she smell?" She asked the pilot.
The pilots voice replied in a muffled tone due to being enclosed by the fleshy Tall-Yor. "The servant can smell blood," the pilot replied. "It is getting stronger as we approach. She is not afraid, however."
It was not often that a Yuuzhan Vong living servant became afraid, so that did not surprise Duni Nim. She wondered how much blood would have needed to be spilt for the vessel to be able to smell it from so far above. Her headdress twitched again. "Perhaps these creatures we seek might be worthy of shaping!" She squealed, momentarily losing her air of command. She righted herself quickly. "Follow the scent to its freshest source. We will find what we are looking for."
She removed her hand from the yorik wall and it became opaque again. The pilot asked the ship to do as commanded, and it altered course slightly. It was a few more minutes before it landed gracefully, and extended its tongue for the shaper to depart.
Apart from the pilot, she was alone. She did not like to work with others, for even most of the Yuuzhan Vong did not understand the greatness of her mission. She had more than enough guile and intelligence to defend herself. As she left the living servant, the scene of the settlement filled her with glee. Whatever had survived had become dangerous. She bent by one of the corpses and withdrew her small qasha, shaped to react to her biological imprint only, and described the scene to it. It drank in the information. She did not notice the infidel in yellow armour or his ship, within walking distance, as she was so engrossed in the death all around.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 17:14:37 GMT -8
As his eyes descended from the hovering craft high above, Naiad turned to look at the shredded remains of those that called this land home. He felt no pity, and no remorse as he viewed their corpses. Instead, there was a hint of disappointment worming it's way through his thoughts. These people should have known better. Even though the species, whose rotting corpse lay before him, had been supposedly extinct for generations; it did not excuse the foolish decision to make a life for themselves where they were furthest away from the light of civilization. This family had brought their ruination upon themselves, thus deserved their fate. Naiad only hoped that they met their end with some dignity, though considering the positions of their cadavers, that aspiration had been quickly dashed to the ground.
Sighing heavily, the Sun Guard slipped his head under the sling of his rifle and began searching for a tool in which to dig a grave for these fallen few. Even though he felt nothing for the dead, their bodies deserved some sort of passing right. In Naiad's culture, the Sun was reserved for those that still drew breath, as the Sun was the giver of life. Through such beliefs, the Thyrsian's allowed the dead; either those that they had inflicted or those they had accrued, to be buried and therefore hidden from the Lifegiver's light. Thus, as he was the only living soul still standing upon this Homestead, he would bury them in accordance to his way of life.
When the procured shovel had bit deep into the soil, the Sun Guard's mind was devoid of any ritual hymns and prayers. These people were not of his homeworld, and therefore did not garner the right to be buried with such ancient traditions. However, to soothe the poisonous ire building within his breast, Naiad silently bid their spirits adieu. Atleast then, should their ties to life prove strong after their passing, they wouldn't be bound to him in any way other than gratitude. Thyrsian's were a strong and hardy people, but when the aspect of the spiritual life came to the fore - many were oddly superstitious.
Slamming the tip of the shovel down into the dirt, signaling the tasks completion, the armour clad warrior moved towards the bodies of the fallen Cougars. He was being paid for each head he had taken, and as the family was not around to contest his claims, these would serve nicely as payment for their funerary rights. Withdrawing his force pike from it's leather bound holster, Naiad extended the weapon with a practiced flick of his wrist. Thumbing the activation switch and feeling the thrumming vibrations pulsate throughout his palm, the Sun Guard set about decapitating the dead. His weapon easily cut through the pelts of the fallen, leaving nothing more than the scent of seared flesh and burnt hair behind. It wasn't pleasant work, but then again when could something so grim ever be?
Gripping his newly claimed trophies by their bloodied manes, the warrior turned about and made for his ship. Whilst he had been digging the graves for the fallen, the HWK-290 had taken the liberty of touching down just outside the boundary of the complex. It's raptor shaped maw had dug deep into the soft pasture, eager to swallow its master and take to the skies once more. Naiad smiled at how alive the vessel had seemed, even though the girl was not in flight. In more ways than one, this ship was more of as Sun Guard than he could ever be. At least until he himself had tread upon the surface of a hundred worlds, guided by the light of a hundred alien suns. Tossing the severed heads into the small cargo compartment after having boarded the vessel, the Thyrsian turned about and took his rightful place within the cockpit. Sealing the craft with a touch of a button, the warrior had begun the startup sequence - letting his fingers dance across the various displays in which would trigger the ignition of the HWK-290's ion engines. Pulling back upon the controls and feeling the gravitic plates assume control, Naiad restored the image last recorded by his shipboard sensors. Comparing it to what was displayed before him currently, the Sun Guard silently cursed underneath his breath. The ionic trail of the T-95 Skyhopper had grown far too sporadic to get a fix on the craft's location. At best, he would be able to determine the direction in which the vessel had gone, though considering the age of his own starship, that alone would be a miracle.
"One of these days..." He told himself.
Shaking the thought of the future free, Naiad pushed his vessel forward and let the conflicting forces carry the aging hulk to it's newest destination. Though, as the sun began to set, the Sun Guard wondered if these beasts would react in the same way that others of their feline kind would. If that had been proven true as some reports suggested, he would find himself swimming in a haughty sum of potential credits. If not, well then he would have the time of his life searching for their lairs on foot. He desperately wished that it was the former, as then he could compare these beasts to the dreadfully pale Echani back home. They too worshiped the moon, and lived to prowl the streets in the dead of night. No wonder his ancestors had rebelled against the Command - for who would want to live a life as a warrior in service to feminine felines?
The comparison had brought a savage grin to Naiad's lips, one he hoped to one day share with his clan, so that they too would laugh as he had. However, such a chortle was short lived as a loud bang echoed throughout the holds of the small freighter. Whatever it was, it was heavy. At first, the Sun Guard believed he had let the vessel skim too low and the hull had impacted the bark of a greatwood tree. Instead, as the sound continued to echo throughout his craft, he knew that the noise was caused by something all together more sinister. These feral beasts had somehow managed to board his freighter, and as they raked their claws against the hull, he knew they wanted what lay beneath. Could their small minds ever comprehend what it was they had foolishly attempted to commandeer? That was unlikely and improbable to boot.
Nevertheless, he had to get them off the hull. There was no telling how sharp their claws were, or if it was the prey he sought, how many more there would be waiting in the growing shadows. Banking the HWK-290 sharply to the left, Naiad felt the craft become significantly lighter. Unsure if he had got them all, the warrior kept the craft unleveled for some time - though such a deed had proven to be a mistake as the port side accelerators had dipped into the underbrush, colliding with the hardened trunk of a tree. A loud metal bang was heard within the cockpit, and the confident grin that had adorned his face mere moments ago, dissolved into a look of stupefied horror. With the realization of what he had done coming to the fore, Naiad prepared for the worst. He had scant seconds to act before his raptor nosed vessel dug a deep furrow into the planet's surface. Not wanting to waste the time he had been gifted, the Sun Guard locked himself into the embrace of the crash harness. When that moment's grace had expired, the flight of the Phaethon had come crashing down on an unforgiving and now sunless world. Metal, Flora, and Earth had been tossed into the air as the raptor shaped prow bit deep into the surface of the planet, leaving nothing behind but a telltale trail of destruction. It had taken several seconds for the speeding craft to come to a halt, the forces of gravity finally asserting its jealous hold. Smoke rose in billowing pillars, whilst small fires born from the shorn electric conduits burst to life. This was the final resting place of the ancient craft, as anyone could clearly see, such a vessel would never take to the skies again - even if it had crashed upon a world closer to the Core Systems.
In the silence that followed the violent descent, malevolent eyes glittered in the moonlit shadows. The predator's had come to claim their prey...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2015 16:09:27 GMT -8
Of all the things Naiad had felt, it was the pain that shocked him most. He knew his small vessel had been boarded, as soon as whatever it was that had announced their arrival with all the bravado of a coming storm. Yet, he could’ve never expected their claws to rake the surface of his craft with such force. Whatever brought this supposedly extinct species back, had clearly done some work in making their more dangerous than ever before. Biting back the urge to scream, the Sun Guard pushed himself free from the pilot’s seat. His landing hadn’t been the best, and he doubted that he that the Phaethon would ever feel the satin kiss of the void again, but the positive thing he took away from this, was that he survived. That was a bonus, right? Being stuck on a planet that was supposed to be barren, with a rare breed of beast that had died out long before his time. Normally, he would say that the galaxy was just chocked full of surprises. However, as he miraculously survived the close encounter with his vessels sensorium terminal, his thoughts were more concerned with piecing together what had taken place.
Cougars, cables, and a bad time. Got it.
Exhaling a heavy sigh of relief, followed by a sharp inhalation of agony, Naiad had managed to crawl into the rear of the broken starship. His hands groped through the darkness, meeting only shredded metal and the absence of what he had been looking for. His helmet’s systems were still rebooting from the connection it had made with the control terminal, and his vision was slightly blurred by the impact. Had it not been cushioned, well, sufficed to say he doubted even he could see himself walking away from this crash. Grunting in pained frustration, the Sun Guard pushed himself through further through the wreck. It had to have fallen somewhere around here, he thought to himself as his gloved fingers danced around the shorn metal grating. That was when Naiad heard something resonate through the shattered corridor of his craft, something he really didn’t wish to hear.
It was a low, bestial growl, followed by the prideful grunt of a predator claiming its prey.
The Sun Guard suddenly stilled. Naiad knew that any sudden movement would cause the oversized cat to act sooner than he would like. Perhaps if his gestures were slow, he might be able too.. As soon as his arm had snaked towards the holster at his hip, the Red crested Cougar roared. It was an act to cause his prey to cower in fear, but the warrior did nothing to halt his hand’s advance. Snatching his pistol after the beast had roared a second time, Naiad withdrew the weapon that lay within and aimed it at his predator.
“Smile real nice for me, would ya?”
He said, as his finger hammed the trigger home.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2015 13:46:37 GMT -8
It was over almost as soon as it had begun.
As his finger pressed the trigger home, two silvered azure bolts catapulted themselves from the barrel of his sidearm, and tore into the taut flesh of his adversary. Seared flesh and fur were all that remained of it’s face, when Naiad had finally released the trigger and the beast had collapsed to the sundered deck. His heart had been thundering in his chest, as the thought of this being the moment of his death had fluttered through his thoughts. What an embarrassing way to go, he had mused. He had expected his death to occur upon the killing fields of some unknown worlds fighting a faceless enemy, not on a backwater world chasing an extinct animal. The Sun Guard painfully laughed then,as he pulled himself atop the corpse of his fresh kill. He withdrew his blade, the one that hung like a forlorn lover from his breastplate, and plunged it’s monomolecular edge into the cougar - spearing the still beating heart. Even though the superheated plasma had lanced through the beast’s skull, there was still a chance that it could recover from the fatal blow he had dealt it. After all, these things had somehow returned to the land of the living, so who was to say what was within the realm of possibility.
Cleansing the knife of it’s recent impurities, leaving a stain of the creatures life fluids across it’s unkempt hide, Naiad slipped the weapon back into its sheathe. From there, the man heaved a heavy sigh of relief. This was the first beast he had killed since he had brought his ship down from orbit, and the experience was far more thrilling than he had believed. Sure, he had lost a ship, one that was given to him by his late father, but in the end; it was nothing more than a scrap of metal that somehow managed to fly. The sentimental value had lay somewhere and in something else. His armour. Like those that came before him, the Solari family wore this armour with pride in service to their ideals. Supposedly it dated back to the Dark Times of the Sun Guard, when they were split down the centre by the treachery of the Sith. Naiad knew little of those days, as with the passing of every new Sun, the memory became less coherent and more muddled by imperfections. Never the less, as long as he kept the one thing that made him who he was, a ship mattered little.
Removing his helmet and taking in the scent of death and despair, the Sun Guard began fiddling with it’s interior systems. He wasn’t truly qualified to handle such delicate repairs, as his training only covered the most basic of mechanical services, yet as his father had taught him before he had passed on, the restoration of power within the battle helm was easier now than it had ever been. Most likely due to several upgrades throughout the ages. Flipping open the seal about the rear of the helm and jamming his finger into the small induction port, the Sun Guard felt something click into place. Power began to once again flow through his helmet, and his visor flickered to life in the darkness that threatened to engulf him. Placing it atop his crown and locking it into place, the night vision setting had activated and bathed his surroundings in a soft emerald hue.
Once again able to see, Naiad was able to find where the medkit had fallen. Reaching over to grasp onto it’s plastoid handle had caused the man to groan in agony, as the muscles within his chest began to stretch, pulling at whatever wound ailed him. Yet, as his gauntleted fingers curled around the lip of the case, his smile had returned and grew ever wider. Pulling it close and popping the lid, his eyes devoured the contents in search of something that would numb the pain enough for him to make it to someplace for proper medical attention. Upon finding the stimpak hidden underneath several medical items of various medicinal purposes, the warrior popped the cap with a flick of his thumb and jabbed the tip into his thigh. Even though it was far from the wound, the stimulant laden bacta would enter his bloodstream and kick start his body's natural healing properties into overdrive. That, however, would come in time. And, as he turned his eyes towards the darkness that lay beyond his ship, he feared that if he remained here, that time would be something he’d find in a short supply.
So, with a grunt of effort and a groan of pain, Naiad stood from the deck and hobbled over to where his rifle had been tossed. Hefting it from the ground and slipping it over his head, the Sun Guard withdrew his pistol and limped off into the heart of the forest, searching for assistance he doubted would ever come.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 23:59:49 GMT -8
Nala had her knife drawn and at the ready as she crept forth through the underbrush towards the clearing ahead, making sure to keep downwind of her target so that she wasn't sensed before she could spring her own trap. The cougar, which she had been tracking for a couple hours now, had been harassing a nearby village for the past couple days as a part of the recent resurgence in the animals numbers in recent times, for reasons unknown. It wasn't exactly her job to know why they had returned in such large numbers at the moment, instead, it was to hunt this cougar down and remove it as a threat to the local populace and get paid, and that was exactly what she intended to do. It was in this brief moment of pause, that she started to feel like something was not quite right about the current situation, as her quarry seemed a little too calm and relaxed now that there was a slight change in the wind direction.
Whilst Nala was busy trying to work out what was wrong, a second cougar that had gone unnoticed by her had started to leap forth from her left flank, only to have it's life cut short seconds later as Varg's sword cut down through the air and cleaved the beasts head from its body. Nala just about broke her cover, such was her apparent surprise at his arrival and subsequent actions that had saved her life, which added another notch to the list of times he had bailed her out of a trap. He'd been keeping his distance since she had ran on ahead, eager to cash in on a pay check, allowing him a chance to see just how much she had improved and how much of her training she had been paying attention to. For the most part, it did seem she had come a long way from the young girl that he had found huddled at his doorstep all those years ago, but it was quite clear she still had some ways to go Always check your surroundings! How many times do I have to tell you?
I'm sorry...
You can be sorry later, for now, we have a cougar to catch... Varg then quickly drew his crossbow, which he had preloaded with a broadhead bolt, and fired off a shot at their prey, taking only long enough to aim at the cougar to wound it, since the creature was already starting to run off. The bolt struck true and hit the escaping cougar in its back right thigh, bringing forth a brief yelp of pain from it as it continued to make its escape, now leaving behind a blood trail for the two hunters to follow. Varg then holstered his crossbow, before motioning for Nala to follow him as he lead the out into the clearing and then off in the direction that the cougar had sprinted, using the various spots of blood as a guide for the direction they needed to head. Although the cougar was now wounded, he was doubtful they would catch up to the beast relatively soon, since it seemed to be somewhat larger than the others they had encountered, possibly even a progenitor to a number of the younger cougars in the area.
It was a good couple hours later before they tracked the cougar down to a nearby cave that it seemed to have only recently started inhabiting, since there appeared to be no signs of previous litters, which was a good sign for them. Still, they both remained on the lookout as they moved closer to the cave entrance, flanking it on either side as Varg held his primary longsword at the ready and Nala drew her own Longsword. Varg slowly moved out to the middle of the cave entrance, kneeling down to pick up the crossbow bolt that the cougar had managed to pull out of its thigh, quickly returning it to a small quiver on his left thigh before he drew his sword into a guard position as the cougar came rushing out of the cave and pounced on him. As Varg was pushed onto his back under the Cougar's weight, his armour taking the brunt of the force, Nala struck at the cougar's side, grazing the beast's side as it dodged out of the way, allowing Varg to push himself up off the ground and stand upright.
Nala then pulled out a small stone with a rune inscribed upon it from one of her pockets, before aiming it just behind where the cougar was standing, causing a wall of fire to ignite, trapping the cougar between them and the flames. Varg twirled his sword from his left side, to his right side, and then back again, before pointing the tip of the blade at the cougar and rushing forward, thrusting the blade into the cougars mouth and down it's throat, to pierce its heart. Nala then pulled out another stone from one of her other pockets and flicked her wrist, causing a pulse to extinguish the flames as Varg withdrew his sword from the cougar, before giving it a swing through the air to shake off any loose blood. Nala then sheathed her longsword and pulled out her knife as she moved forward and cut the cougars head off, using some nearby vines to tie the beasts head up and hoist it onto her back, whilst Varg wiped his blade over the now headless corpse, cleaning some more of the blood off before sheathing his blade Nicely done.
I honestly didn't do a whole lot...
Well yeah... I mean, you did almost get killed.... and then you missed the cougar.... But, you did manage to trap it with the fire, so, there was that...
Let's just go collect our reward...
Sure thing, and on the way back, we can talk about what you did wrong...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2015 17:07:01 GMT -8
The Sun Guard had lost count of how many steps he had taken from his crashed vessel, and his vision began to blur the world around him. The shapes of trees became hazy and indistinct, leaving his drug addled mind to believe that danger was lurking around every corner. As the sharp hues of the world began to fade, the pain of his injuries began to flare up in it’s stead. Everything hurt, so much so that he couldn’t tell if anything had broken, or if he had ruptured something important. Grunting in gradually increasing agony, Naiad stumbled to the forest floor. The fall had spiked the fires in his nerves, and his sight slowly began to blacken. He couldn’t pass out now, not when he was far from civilization and supposedly surrounded by hostile wildlife. No, he had to hang on. Clenching his teeth together and biting back the fresh surge of mortal torment that washed over his body, the warrior scholar shifted his body only to then crawl towards the nearest tree. His gauntleted fingers dug deep into the foliage covered soil, pulling his ravaged form ever closer. Several items had come loose from both his belt and armour, leaving a short but scattered trail behind him as he pulled himself towards the towering tree. Once he had found himself near the roots, Naiad began to push himself over, and pressed his back into the bark covered trunk. He grunted once more as he groped around his belt for what remained of his medkit, hoping to find something to ease his suffering.
It had been months since he felt like this, and even then those fateful days were nothing compared to this. Sure, he had found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, but his armour had shielded him from the most grievous of injuries. The weapons that the Swoop Gang had were more like peashooters in comparison to his own, as they did nothing more than paint his golden yellow armour with streaks of carbon. It wasn’t until he had taken his revenge upon that blasted worm, that things had gotten more interesting. Some karking Hutt had done the most stupid thing any up and coming crime lord could do. He placed a Bounty on the Swoop Leader’s head, and publicly said that Naiad was the sole hunter involved. It wasn’t a random slander, earlier the Sun Guard had refused the Hutt, and after everything had been said and done, Naiad believed it all happened because he didn’t want his reputation dragged through the mud by a simple Mercenary. Never the less, Hutt Cartels, no matter how big or small, seemed to have the more dangerous weapons in their arsenal. He couldn’t tell how many times he had to actually adopt his older special forces training in order to overpower his foes. Who drugged their men to gain an advantage these days, like honestly?
Spiced up junkies with military grade firearms proved to be more troublesome than he had first realized. However, like the Cougar that had sought to make a meal out of him just hours before, they died in the most ignoble way imaginable. Bolt to the brain, or a slash from his Force Pike. Some actually had the audacity to use their noggins and somehow managed to ambush the Sun Guard during his relentless advance through their Master’s palace. Punches, back up by various other tools of close quarters death had bypassed his unsteady defensive stance, and he ended up with dozens of new scars to impress the ladies. Shame they’d never see them due to the Thyrsian choice of fashion. As he had regained his footing and managed to crank up the voltage in his pike, the cartel thugs fell dead in short order. With no-one standing in his way, the Warrior stormed into the Hutt’s private chambers and ensured his revenge was dealt with a personal touch. Using what energy he had left, augmented by the rage welling within his gut, Naiad bashed and battered the Hutt into submission, leaving him mere inches away from death. Satisfied, the Mercenary fell to the ground beside the unconscious form the worm, and like now, began to stitch himself back together.
His fingers fumbled through one of the many pouches on his belt, withdrawing a small emerald crystal vial filled with a milky white solution. It was a pain killer of sorts, one that the Doctor had assured him would take away whatever pain he felt, leaving him in a state of bliss - at least until the chemical concoction was filtered out of the blood stream and the pain would once again surge back into his nervous system with a vengeance.He laughed then, as he turned the vial about in his covered fingers. This would be the second time he doped himself up in a year, both times, though differing situations by far, had him roughed up around the edges. Sighing heavily before pulling his helmet free, Naiad popped the seal and poured the milky contents into his blood stained mouth.
With dilated pupils and not a care in the world to addle his mind, the Sun Guard leaned back onto the trunk of the tree, letting his mind coast through the various pleasures that feeling nothing brought.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2015 20:36:02 GMT -8
It was a fair trek back to the village of Belkarus from the cougars den, the pair having to retrace some of their steps since they were in relatively unknown country, before they managed to pick up a good trail leading back to the village. It gave Varg plenty of time to point out a number of failings that Nala had exhibited in the hunt of the cougar that she would need to improve upon if she ever hoped to become a Hunter in her own right, and not rely upon him to bail her out. She definitely had the potential, of that, there was no doubt in his mind, after all, she had already passed a number of the initiations, and was well on her way towards completing her final tests, even if he was unsure how he intended to complete the rituals. But that was a matter for another time, for now, he would need to continue her training and continue to help her improve, which, thankfully, wasn't quite as arduous with her as it had been with others he had trained.
A handful of villagers were waiting at the entrance to the village as they returned, the group quickly noticing the cougar's head that was strapped to Nala's back and letting out a shout of joy at the beasts demise. The villagers quickly lead the pair of Hunters straight to the center of the village, where the current elder of the village and an officer of the Belkadan Security Forces were both waiting, having already been deep in discussions regarding the cougar issue. Nala then slipped free of the vines and tossed the head onto the ground in the middle of the clearing, before the elder moved forward and examined the trophy, quickly confirming that it was indeed the same cougar that had been harassing the village. The elder than produced a small bag with the agreed price and handed it to Varg, at which point he slipped it into one of his pockets as the officer moved forward and gave them a nod That's some nice work you've done friend...
All in a day's work...So, who might you be?
Me? allow me to introduce myself, I am Captain Vance, of the Belkadan Security Force. You two must be Varg and Nala, the villages around this area have been singing your praise for helping with the cougar problem...
Just doing our job, for the right price of course... You got some work for us?
You catch on fast, I like that in a man... As you can imagine, our forces are spread pretty thin with this cougar problem... Villages are being attacked by cougars, and with the small amount of help that did respond to our plea, we've gotta concentrate resources more on defending people, meaning we are a little short handed. With that in mind, I was hoping you might be able to do a little job for me... Vance then pulled out a small datapad and brought up a map of the forest with a small flashing beacon emanating from a few miles to the north of where they were, with various readouts about the area popping up around the edge of the screen, and a few markers tracing a path from the air down to the ground. Although he was still somewhat unaccustomed to some of the technology that these people used, Varg could still get a gist of what he was being shown, despite many of the readouts making little sense to him. Nala still got a little doe eyed when it came to technology, having never been as acclimatized to the few pieces of technology on their homeworld as Varg had been, leading to a number of situations where Nala showed her more innocent side. Vance, at the very least, picked up that Varg understood already what was about to be asked of him, which was a good start As you can see, we picked up an emergency beacon a few miles north... Scans indicate that a ship crashed in this area, but beyond that, we don't know a whole lot. What we do know, is that they need help...
And you want us to find them?
On the ball again. Like I said, we're short handed and spread thin, we dont have the man power to mount a proper search and rescue, but... If you could swing that way and check it out, I'm sure it would be an easy task for the pair of you to take care of. I'm more than happy to compensate you for your trouble...
Sure... why not, We'll have a look and see what we can find. Got anything that can drop us off closer to the site?
I've got you covered... Vance then lead them to the other side of the village, where an old Republic LAAT/i Gunship was sitting that appeared to be suffering from some lack of maintenance, based on the fact that it appeared to be missing a number of weapons. Vance was the first one in, soon followed by Varg and Nala, both of whom noted the abundance of space that was formerly occupied by soldiers who were likely now helping get the local villagers either better defended or prepared to move to a safer location. After a quick checkin with the captain, the side doors slid shut and the Gunship rocked a little as it rose up into the air, causing Nala to grab a hold of Varg to steady herself as he held onto the overhead hand holds. She didn't release her grip until a couple minutes later when the LAAT was safely back on the ground, and the doors slid open to allow them to exit the craft, revealing the remnants of the crashed ship.
The pair of Hunters quickly exited the ship before the doors closed again and it took off, heading back in the direction they had come from, in no real mood to stick around and wait for results. Varg looked down at the small device that Vance had handed him on the way over, the man calling the device a communications link, something that would allow the two of them to communicate over vast distances. These people seemed to have a machine for just about everything these days he thought to himself, before placing the device in one of his pockets, before motioning to Nala to follow him as he headed to the wreckage, since that would be where they would pick up any trails, if there was any to follow. It wasn't long before the pair began to piece together the cause of the crash based on damage to the ship and the surrounding area, all of which pointed to an attack by a pack of cougars, which was further supported by the cargo in the ships hold.
As they made their way into the cockpit, they started to trace the trail of whoever had been flying the ship back out of the wreckage, passing by the corpse of a beheaded cougar that had likely tried to take advantage of what was likely an injuried foe. They then followed the tracks out into the forest, Nala picking up on the way the weight displacement affected the prints that were left behind, indicating that he was limping, indicating that they wouldn't be too far behind the person, since people were generally loathe to travel far, or fast, when injured. Soon enough they had a feeling they were gaining on their target as they found an accompanying trail of items that had either been discarded or dropped, either on purpose in an attempt to lighten the persons weight, or by accident due to injury. Neither situation really indicated a particularly good ending for their search, but at the very least, even if they found only a corpse, they'd still get paid.
It wasn't long after the trail of items started, that they quickly found its end at the base of a tree, where they found a man clad in some yellow armour unlike anything either of them had ever seen. At first glance, both of them had almost assumed the man was dead, until they stopped a few feet away, and they realized that he wasn't actually dead, but he definitely didn't look like he was in any shape to be smiling like he was. Varg motioned to Nala to stay where she was, as he cautiously moved forward, staying alert for any possible traps that he might have just walked into, since it was likely someone or something was using this guy as bait. He then paused again, deciding it best to not get any closer in case the man in the yellow armour decided they were foes and tried attacking them You're sure he isn't dead yeah?
Seems to be alive enough... Looks like he drunk something, maybe a relaxant... Hey! Wake up!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2015 16:14:17 GMT -8
Shrouded by the long shadow of the canopy, and bereft of his helmet, Naiad couldn’t tell how much time had passed since he had taken the euphoria inducing narcotic. He could not see the blazing sun from this angle, nor feel it’s warming embrace. It was a shame to die in the shade, if he was to die at all. Had his death been of his own choosing, the Sun Guard wished that he would’ve fallen in battle against a superior foe, one that had seen him laid low onto the sun baked lands of an alien world. His last thoughts, like any man of Thyrsus, would have been of the Sun and of home. Though his nerves were deadened by the drug, and his mind had become blanketed in a hazy mist, the warrior scholar began thinking of those he had left behind. His father was long dead and buried at this point, but his mother and siblings still dwelled upon their ancestral homestead. They worried about him, sure, but they also respected his choice to follow in his father’s footsteps. Hell, one could say that they encouraged him to walk down this path. Even though the way of the warrior had led him to this disgraceful point, he was thankful none the less. Without the backing of his family, he doubted his own resolve would’ve carried him through the grueling year of initiation.
Drawn from the depths of his reminiscence by the throaty thrum of ancient gravitic plates, Naiad turned his gaze towards the sun streaked canopy. High above the leafy coverage, his golden brown eyes had spotted something had would have never expected to see in his lifetime. An LAAT/i Gunship soared overhead, the gravitic plates violently rustled the canopy as it had made its first pass. As it had passed beyond his fading sight, the Sun Guard let his focus shift to his ears, willing to hear the echoing sounds reverberate throughout the forest. Somewhere far away, no doubt near the smoking wreckage his Father’s vessel, did the Gunship touch down. The roar of gravity reasserting it’s jealous hold over the hulking behemoth was soft and distant, but it was distinct enough for a man in his position to hear. That or it was simply a figment of his imagination. The doctor hadn’t been very clear on what the side effects of this narcotic were, and as he was on a world that not only wanted to kill him, but stuck in the most unlikely of ruts, one would dream up all sorts of things to consider as their salvation.
He laughed loudly at that prospect, stifling it seconds later as he felt some awkward shifts in his ribcage. Naiad couldn’t tell how many ribs were fractured, or broken. With his nervous system essentially shutting down much of the pain he felt, any and all assessments of his state of being would’ve been inaccurate. Everything hurts! Well, yes, Naiad, but what hurts- exactly? I have no idea, as I can’t feel my everything. That’s helpful… He chortled once more as the scene had played out in his head. What a great patient he would be if rescue had ever come. They’d think he was being smart with them, and possibly just leave him here to rot. Though, the Sun Guard doubted that would be the case. Everyone loves an arsehole! Well, at least that’s what the Swoop Leader had told him, right before Naiad put a bolt between his eyes.
Grinning like an idiot, priding himself on the simple fact of living for yet another moment, the Sun Guard leaned back onto the tree and waited to see if this supposed hallucination proved to be real, and bore some form of a rescue party. Within several beats of his heart, he had begun to hear voices. At first, he had stilled his mind in the hopes of quelling his own consciousness developing a split personality. Gods above knows that a dying man needs to leave his body in the care of two freaks that don’t have a clue of what to do. However, as his heart beat once more, he could tell that these voices vastly differed from his own. One had sounded somewhat feminine, and the other was like an avalanche of gravel rumbling within his chest. Two people, or one extremely deranged bastard that loved differentiating his personalities with a high pitched tone. From the angle he had sat himself, he couldn’t see their approach until they were already upon him. Naiad’s grin faded into an arrogant grimace as the two had swung wide and came into his visual arc.
Even drugged as he was, he could tell that these two were somehow related to the Echani. It was their white hair that had given it away, yet, as they drew closer, Naiad’s eyes had seen they carried a vast assortment of bladed weaponry. Uncharacteristic for a fey-dancing moon worshiper. When they had stepped closer, he could hear their voices more clearly, and was relieved to see that he had not encountered a single being speaking with two tongues. Perhaps this won’t be a bad situation afterall, though as they seemed so much like the Ancestors his family had rebelled against so long ago, Naiad wasn’t willing to trust them with his welfare just yet. Sure, they seemed like capable and kind folk, but so too did the people he met on Taris - and look what happened there!
Letting his left hand fall limply into his lap, and letting the right slide down towards his holster, the Sun Guard listened to the two Echani-ish figures speak, and call out to him thereafter.
“Wake up?” He said, his voice parched and groggy. “Son, I never fell asleep.”
Placing his gauntleted hand upon the grip of his trusty sidearm, Naiad narrowed his eyes and stared at the more prominent figure of the two. The man that had cautiously approached him, with his hands ready to spring into action should anything go awry.
“You need not worry about any traps, Echani, at least none of my own making. Can’t say anything about those damn Cougars though, they’re smarter than the ones some of these folks tangled with previously.” He gasped in pain, as the narcotic slowly began to wear off, bringing back a plethora of sensations to his foggy state of mind. “Say, care to help an injured soldier out?”
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Menzine
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Affiliation: Shaper Arts
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Post by Menzine on Jun 16, 2015 12:33:06 GMT -8
The Yuuzhan Vong ship had slipped down from the clouds to drop elegantly through the canopy and onto the surface of the planet, its presence barely noticeable both on visual scans and sensors. With the myriad lifeforms dotting the planet's jungles and forests, as well as said lifeforms containing both Vong and local DNA, it would be difficult to pick out a single organism, even one as large as the Ush-hrok. Settling down in a plant-dotted chasm the ship was nicely concealed from either side as well as difficult to discern from above, such circumstances luck more than anything else as such considerations were far from the minds of those aboard her.
Nor were those aboard her, both passengers having left the ship as soon as it touched down, both springing down the ramp in an excited fluttered of sound and movement, disappearing into the trees as heedless of danger as only those of a scientific persuasion can be...
"I can't believe it! This plant still holds traces of Yuuzhan Vong DNA yet is clearly of infidel origin..."
Menzine drew the gurgling creature back from the plant she had been allowing it to chew on, holding out her hand while it deposited stool on her open palm. Using her thumb she smeared the stain a little, staring intently at it before leaning forward to sniff. He headtails writhed slightly as she analysed the sophisticated data, eyes widening as they turned towards Yem.
"I think the plants have adapted by absorbing the traits of each other, both ours and local."
Yem nodded eagerly though such details were well beyond her experience. She had been comfortable helping Menzine with her samples on Zonama Sekot but here she was well out of her depth. She merely wandered around in a daze of fascination at the sights, almost lost in the wonder of a new world. It was thus that she didn't really notice a low growl from the bushes, falling back in alarm as a large creature burst forth from the undergrowth.
He stratled yelp brought Menzines attention back around from where it had drifted back to her samples, eyes managing to track the blur of fur and teeth before it landed in all its glory right on top of Yem...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2015 0:04:22 GMT -8
Well that answers that... It was the only comment that really came to mind as the man groggily replied to Varg's statement, further evidence to the fact that he had taken some sort of relaxant drug before hand, though its effects appeared to be losing their grip over him. Nala dropped her own hand to the hilt of her knife as she noticed the armoured man reaching for his pistol, ready to finish any fight the man might intend to start if he mistook their intentions as hostile. The fact the man seemed to mistake Varg for someone named Echani was proof enough to her, that he might not be fully possess of his mental faculties just yet, which made things all the more dangerous if this was indeed a trap set by the cougars. Varg was at least glad the only survivor they had found wasn't dead, and he intended to keep it that way, as he chose to meet the man's suspicion a little more light-heartedly than Nala We've tangled with a few of the cougars ourselves, and the fact they've not eaten you yet makes me suspect that you're meant to be bait... Varg then moved a little closer and offered his right hand forward for the armour-clad man to take a hold of, so Varg could help the man up onto his feet, assuming he didn't get shot at first or nothing jumped out of the bushes to attack them The name's Varg, and that's Nala, and helping you out is the reason we're here, since I assume you are the one that owned that ship back there?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2015 7:39:44 GMT -8
When the man, who identified himself as Varg, put out his hand Naiad stared at it for the span of a few heartbeats. It was a matter of pride that caused this moment of hesitation, as not in the entire history of the Sun Guard, had one of their Soldier’s taken assistance of any kind from their mortal enemies. Who was he to break such a time honoured tradition? Yes, he was the Son of a Stellar Tribune, but that mattered little in the end. That bastard was dead, and Naiad was several steps away from literally following in his father’s footsteps.
He was alone on the rim of the Galaxy, far away from home. No ship. No support. And finally, someone actually giving a damn to lend him a hand. What more did he need, flashing lights and several marching bands? This was the only chance he would have at standing and leaving this disgraceful end behind. Damn his pride. Damn it to the depths of Hell. He let out a pained gasp, as he swung his arm away from his pistol and let the other one grip the proffered hand. His armoured fingers grasped the meat of the man’s forearm, giving him the leverage he needed in order to stand. Pulling himself to his feet, a loud bellow of agony echoed through the forest. Well then, the world hadn’t ended. No legion of Sun Guards came popping up from the darkness to chastise him. What could he have been so worried, and prideful about? Damn fool.
“Yeah.” He managed to say in between ragged breaths. “That was my ship back there. Nothing but scrap now.” Naiad cursed under his breath, something in his homeworlds language that equated to carelessness and something unmentionable being placed somewhere in the Mother of Nature.
It was in that moment that he had turned his head, and bore witness to the white haired woman coming up upon his flank. If he had been bait, well, it was without a doubt that the two of them would’ve cut him down long before whomever set the trap could manage to spring it. Never the less, finding himself indebted to an Echani coupling was as distasteful as it could ever get, but having already swallowed his pride, Naiad figured that it wouldn’t be too hard to simply do away with his prejudice for the time being. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t gun them down should the slightest hint of betrayal become apparent, it just meant he would take their, no doubt contracted kindness, into account and reap the benefits. Well, at least until he was combat ready once again.
Breathing a reedy sigh, Naiad steadied himself against the trunk of the tree he once called his own. His gauntleted hand dug deep into the bark, as the last traces of the milky emulsion had been purged from his system. The sensation was nothing pleasant, but it was enough for the medical kit’s injector to take effect. His flesh began to re-knit, and the wounds that he had garnered from the crash slowly began to heal. It would take him a few days to recover enough to move around without having to stop frequently, and weeks after that to become whole once more, but Naiad didn’t care. He was alive. That’s all that mattered in the end. Praise the Sun for such small mercies.
“Listen,” He said, not one for small talk and cutting straight to the heart of it, “Thanks for the assist, but know my gratitude is hollow. You’re Echani, and I’m Sun Guard. Two opposites of the same coin that want to kill one another. So, why did you help me when you saw my battered armour? Why not let me die, like your sisters would?”
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2015 3:24:45 GMT -8
Varg grinned when the man finally agreed to take his hand and heave himself up, since it meant they wouldn't have to try move the man against his will, which would have been a real pain. Nala meanwhile moved her own hand away from her dagger hilt just as the man had moved his hand away from his pistol, no longer presenting any immediate threat to the either of them, especially considering how much pain he seemed to be in. She then moved a little closer as the man steadied himself against the tree, stopping just a little behind Varg as she kept an eye on their surroundings and weighed this man up, still somewhat confused by some of the terminology he used. Varg wasn't altogether too sure what this Echani and Sun Guard stuff was really about, though he had heard the head of the Hunter Order once mention something about the Echani, the exact meaning being a little beyond even his comprehension Who, or what, is Echani? I'll admit I'm kind of confused now, at first I just assumed it was a person...
I honestly don't understand it myself. Greymane once mentioned them, saying that we were like them in appearance. That said, Sun Guard, we are not these Echani that you speak of. We are Hunters, from Eregion, and we bear you no ill will. I'll admit, your armour is a bit strange looking, and makes you stand out like a sore thumb in this forest, but nothing worth letting you die over...
Though, we would still get paid for finding your body, if you would prefer us to let you die?
Nala...
I'm just letting him know his options, thats all...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 7:30:49 GMT -8
Hunters, from Eregion.
In all his time spent studying the galaxy map aboard the Phaethon, Naiad had never come across such a world. To be honest, he wasn’t sure if it was a world at all. It could’ve been a small feudal region on Eshan, that loved their medieval weapons and secretly worshipped their pagan moon gods. Although, with the way they had acted when he called them Echani, and how they were put off by his ‘strange looking’ armour, Naiad was starting to think that maybe they weren’t his genetic cousins after all. It was a big galaxy, and what remained of the Arkanian race did like to dabble in their gene pools now and then. For all he knew, these two could be the culmination of dozens of years of genetic manipulation, monsters made manifest. Wouldn’t that be an interesting turn of events.
Shaking the thought from his mind, and feeling a numbing sensation of cold linger where the man named Varg had grasped his forearm, Naiad begun to wonder just what these people were doing here. As if the woman could read his mind, she had mentioned in the most challenging of tones, that they were hired to find him - the pilot of the downed vessel - and most likely bring him back to the colony. The fact they’d still get paid if he was dead or alive was a little unnerving, but such was life.
“Well aren’t you a charming little minx.”
His words were like venom, and his voice was kept low. Though she was hired to help him by the loving people of this world, she wasn’t going to get away with her veiled threats of death so easily.
“Alright, let’s get back to town - so you can get your credits, and I can get something a bit stronger than bactade and hallucinogens.”
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 18:47:32 GMT -8
Nala gave the Sun Guard a playful smirk in response to his comment about her, apparently having taken her earlier comment a little more seriously than she had intended. Varg just rolled his eyes, certain the pair were going to get along famously with the rate things were going, though it would be a short lived friendship, depending upon how long it took for their ride to show up. He then reached into his pocket and withdrew the comm link device and looked it over, still not entirely certain he understood what he was meant to do with the thing, his eyebrows creasing a little. "These people and their tiny machines be damned" was his sole thought before he gave a nod to the Sun Guard in response to his inquiry about getting to town and offered forth the device Sounds like a plan to me... though, if you know how to work this thing, we can get someone to come pick us up... Well, this was going to be the most open hit to his pride anyone was ever going to get, and considering how well things had gone with this Sun Guard so far, it was not like to be something he would live down too soon either
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2015 23:28:27 GMT -8
It took a considerable amount of Naiad’s willpower to refrain from making a comment on Varg’s inability to work a Commlink. Normally, he had expected a man of his age to at least encounter some form of technology in one way or another, especially if he had made the trip from the system of Eregion, or whatever the hell it was he called home. Pushing that thought to the side, the Sun Guard reached out and accepted the proffered device. Mockingly pushing the transmission stud as to show his ‘Saviour’ how his personal communicator worked, Naiad deftly swung the device about in his hand so that it would garner a better position when the communicator thrummed into life.
Upon the holoprojector pad, an azure image of a man dressed in the combat fatigues of the Belkadan Security Forces began to materialize. Naiad could tell that this was almost at the end of it’s life, as the image flickered with distortion endlessly. Inspecting the device to see if there was someway he could enhance the projection, the Sun Guard noted that this was an older model that somehow checked its way through whatever lackluster quality programs the Republic had in place. No wonder that government had found itself grinding towards stagnancy. Flipping the device over once more to have the projected image of the man with Captain flashes adorning his combat fatigues, the warrior scholar offered a slight smile.
“Sorry about that. Seems you gave those two white haired Hunters a faulty communicator.” Though, that’s to be expected from a Republic Backwater world. He had left those words unsaid, and instead steered the conversation towards a more amiable conclusion as he knew that the two before him wanted to get out of here just as much as he did. This world had taken from him much already, the least he could do was cut his losses before they began piling up. “I’m the Pilot you sent these two to track down. Thanks for that, but we’ll be needing an extraction soon if you can spare the craft. Perhaps a Medic too, if you can spare one. My medkit was damaged in the crash, and all I was able to do was stabilize myself for transport. If these basterds attack again, the wounds will open and no-one’s gunna have a good day.”
The Captain simply responded with a nod, before raising his arm and communicating with someone unseen. No doubt coordinating the relief efforts to their most effective positions. That made Naiad believe their ride might not be coming anytime soon, as from the sounds playing through the filtered background of the device, one could tell things were slowly taking a turn for the worst.
:: I’ll see what I can do, Pilot. Things are getting a bit rough out here and we’re stretched thin as it is. My advice, keep that comms unit with you so the transport can home in on your signal when it’s dispatched. until then, try to make it back here on foot, and stay alive. ::
Handing the unit back to varg, Naiad looked at his two newest Companions with a pained look of exasperation.
“Well, shall we?”.
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