Zed Bakiska
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Post by Zed Bakiska on Nov 3, 2021 13:04:20 GMT -8
Taking the mapping device Zed began tinkering with it. Although he was by no means a savant when it came to tech, he still knew a few ways to troubleshoot why it wasn't turning on. Turning it over a few times in his hands the Jensaraai began going through the handful of resets he knew how to do from memory whenever a device stopped working as it should. Of course starting with the ever annoying process of turning it off then back on. That did not work, but he had enough spent enough time asking others to fix problems he was not about to let them down by not starting with the basics. Xarl is a Yuuzhan Vong, although his voice was low Nartaga would be able to hear the hatred coming from out. They come from beyond the stars, and are outsiders to everywhere in the galaxy. Switching to Nartagas native language so as to keep the topic of conversation a secret he also wanted to make sure that he understood him. As far as I know they first arrived shortly after the fall of the Empire and they waged a brutal war on everyone in the galaxy. No one knows how many died but people guess at least three hundred trillion died he accompanied this with a subtle sign. They have no connection to The Force, and live outside it maybe because of where they come from. I don't think you can touch him with Tatooines power any more than I could. As he spoke Zed managed to turn the device on, having found sand inside the power device. It really did get everywhere. Turning it on the holo of the map flashed their location in the surrounding wastes.
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Kay'li Raganella
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Post by Kay'li Raganella on Nov 5, 2021 20:18:54 GMT -8
Arriving back at the camp, the Corellian woman had gone straight to bed with hardly a word to her companions. While no words were exchanged, a few looks exchanged had been enough. They could all sense what had happened. She needed to replenish her reserves before the heat of the day arrived - or a new threat. Her exhaustion was due at least as much to her effort to 'see' Corellia as it was to the wraith, but he companions didn't need to know that. Lying flat on her back, she breathed deeply. She was curious about the Vong, but she did not sense any immediate danger from him, and the Vong seemed to have earned Nartaga's trust, which as she well knew, was not an easy feat. Sensing that Zed had decided to keep watch, either due to her warning or just out of general caution, she threw herself into the warm embrace of sleep, and trusted her fate to the Force.
Hours later, the Jedi was awakened by Nartaga's whistle: not a warning, but a summons. Sitting up, she groaned, and paused a moment. Then, beating the sand out of her outer cloak, she carefully wrapped it around her body and head as before, to protect from the sand and the sun, and exited the tent. Gratefully accepting the food, she gnawed on it, and then splashed the last few ounces of water from her canteen across her face as she awaited her turn at a refill. Last night she had been sore in an internal, Force-y, almost spiritual way, but this morning, much of that was replaced with physical soreness.
Sensing that Zed and Nartaga seemed to be distracted with something, although she did not hear their words, 'Marie' turned her attention to the Vong. Her experience with Vong was very similar to her experience with Force Wraiths, in that it was all book knowledge from her time at the Jedi Academy. Even in her career as a diplomat, she had never directly encountered the aliens. "I don't believe we properly met last night." She said, extending her right hand from beneath her dark grey cloak. "You may call me Marie."
"How did you come to join our company way out here in the desert?"
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Xarl
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Post by Xarl on Nov 6, 2021 5:07:46 GMT -8
With a last rub he finished polishing the serrated edge of his coufee, just as Marie approached to introduce herself and offer her hand in greeting. Xarl looked down at the offered hand with two glowing eyes, then slid the organic dagger back into the small sheath on his hip before reaching out to accept the greeting. Instead of going straight for the hand, he went to clasp the forearm almost at the elbow, the way members of the Yuuzhan Vong warrior caste greeted one another. His grip was firm but not seeking to restrict or squeeze to the point of discomfort. "Xarl." He replied in harshly accented basic, before releasing his grip and taking a step back out of caution. The amphistaff coiled around his chest had begun to squeeze, which was usually the first sign that it was agitated. It wouldn't do to have it snap at one of his new companions.
As for what he was doing here, well wasn't that a depressing story. He had already filled Nartaga and Zed in on his desire to die, though there was more to it than that. He didn't think a non-Yuuzhan Vong would understand the shame he felt. His people had failed in their conquest of the known galaxy and he had failed to die in the attempt at doing so, which made him a failure twice over. When others of his domain had committed ritual suicide rather than live in shame, exiled in some sense to Zonama Sekot, he had been unable to do the same. Every time he tried, something stopped him from carving open his gut and spilling his entrails on the floor. It felt...dishonorable, indignant even. Plus he was fairly certain the Executor would take it as a sign of ultimate rejection, even after all the tender moments they had shared, and in his heart he knew he did not want to wound Nem so grievously. When explaining things, best to stick with the basic facts.
"I was out hunting, looking for some manner of beast capable of giving me a death worthy of Yun-Yammka, when I came across Patashu..." He pointed a grey finger towards the nearby bantha. ...in the dunes. The beast was consumed by fear, so I thought whatever manner of thing could inspire such terror must be a worthy foe indeed. The bantha led me back to camp, though too late to be of any help. A shame." He said thoughtfully. "I have never fought a spirit. I would like the chance to remedy that." He gazed over at the other two garbed in tusken attire, still conversing about some matter or another. "So far Nartaga seems willing to let me accompany you all on your mission. It will be my honour to slaughter your enemies, or to die in the attempt."
A thought occurred to him. He eyed the female from head to toe, acknowledging for the first time that she didn't look like the others. He raised a curious brow.
"You are R'Crurak tribe as well?"
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Nartaga
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Post by Nartaga on Nov 11, 2021 3:50:49 GMT -8
As Zed changed to the Tusken native language, it still surprised Nartaga. He kept forgetting that Zed had learned the Tusken language by reading his thoughts. The speech was still slightly stilted, and was very easily noticeably spoken by a non-native speaker, but the Tusken figured that it was the lack of actual experience speaking the language. Just because you could understand something did not mean you could speak it perfectly without practice; Nartaga and his knowledge of Galactic Basic being a prime example. Nartaga repeated the sign that Zed had given him as a question, as he had never heard of such a number. As the number was spelled out by letter he could understand it but he had no reference for how much a trillion was, let alone three hundred trillion. All he could guess was that it was such a big number his people had never encountered such an amount of anything, which meant that it was even bigger than he could imagine. Slightly dumbfounded, Nartaga stole a glance at Xarl with a barely noticeable tilt of his masked face before looking back to Zed. He had heard the hatred in Zed's tone, and thought it best to try and soothe those feelings, at least regarding Xarl himself. Even if these Yuuzhan Vong were as unforgiveable as Zed alluded to, it did not mean he should bear the weight of the sins of his people. "K'Ur Rk'Kr'Ru'U Ru R'Uu'U Er'R'Eor Cr'Ru Urk Cr'Urur K'Ur Ruc'Ryr'Crro. R'Ra Ek'Rru Rur'Rku Ru K'Urk." "The actions of one's people does not define the individual. I am proof enough of that."
The existence outside the Force, and the inability to be affected by it's power might be quite the boon, if they encountered more wraiths, and it was something Nartaga was about to mention, as the holoprojector came back to life, their position showing up as a blinking dot in the encompassing wasteland of the Tatooine Deadlands. Nartaga carefully took the map from Zed and zoomed out to show more of the surrounding area, pointing to a mark on the map. "R'Kur'Uf Kur'U Ar'R Ur Cur'Kr Kur Ur'Ou Ru Kur Rk'kr'Urk'K Cru Ur'Ru'C. Rk'U Kur Ru'Or Rk'Urk Ark'Frc Rk'R'R Ru Kur Cr'R'Coruc'U." "I think this may be where the half of the artifact was found. It's the only other marked area in the Deadlands." Speaking in his native tongue was not something he was able to do often, given his social standing, exile and dealing with Outsiders as a guide. It was a nice change of pace. He had spoken with other Tuskens at the Enclave, but that was much more formal, whereas this was much more casual. He and Zed saw each other as equals, or as close as they could be. They spoke as such, and it was not something he had been able to do with his own people, not for some time. Nartaga returned the holoprojector to Zed, entrusting him with it once more, so that it would hopefully not become damaged again in his care. Nartaga took out his monocular, bringing it up to the eye of his mask and looking over the dunes ahead as the light of the Suns began to light the sands. "Cr Uur'Roc Ur Kur'Kr Ur Arc'Cr'R Ru Cr Or'Ryr Urc." "We should be there by midday if we leave now."
Finishing his food rations as he walked over, Nartaga went back to the travois and gestured to Marie and Xarl to get their attention, pointing to the northwest. He hooked the supply wagon to Patashu as he spoke to them. "Search that way. Map marked nearby. May get lucky. Might not. Sands shift. Move things buried beneath." With their campsite packed up, Nartaga guided Patashu towards the direction they were headed. He would gesture to Marie and offer her to sit atop Patashu once more, helping her climb up if she took the invitation. Regardless, the Tusken would speak to the woman quietly. "Glad survive night. Troubling fighting spirits with two. Harder with one." Nartaga reached into his robes and pulled out a rounded piece of white-translucent crystal, holding it out to Marie. Seeing the confusion on her face, Nartaga cupped the crystal in the palms of his gloved hands and breathed into his hands. The crystal came to life with a white shining light which shone through the cracks in his fingers. Enclosing the glowing mineral in his left hand to not let the light escape, Nartaga gestured for Marie's hand. The shaman transferred the stone to Marie's palm, closing her fingers around it. "Will help." Upon inspection, there appeared to be nothing special about the crystal itself, besides the fact that it was shining. What was interesting was that it was emanating a healing Force aura on what it shone on, though the stone was not generating it itself. The Tusken had breathed the Force into the stone, as a way to create a soothing aura. It was not as effective as direct Force Healing, but it would ease the pain she may be feeling after the near-death experience.
Checking everything one final time, Nartaga took hold of Patashu's reins and began leading the bantha in the direction he had indicated. As they traversed the dunes, every now and again the Tusken's mask would slightly turn to glance at Xarl. It was mostly out of curiosity, but also to make sure the Vong was still following along. The feeling was still more than a little unsettling to the Tusken. Though he did not fear the Vong to betray them, his lack of presence was something he had never felt and would take some getting used to.
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Zed Bakiska
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Post by Zed Bakiska on Nov 11, 2021 15:42:59 GMT -8
Zed searched the language he had stolen from Natagas mind to find numbers that the Tusken knew. In truth, he could hardly imagine the figure himself and doubted that anyone could fully grasp the sheer magnitude of that number beyond that of a pure statistic. Finding something he could work with tried again as he put the map away. If his people had to kill that same number of people using every Tusken, Jawa, Outsider and any other person on this planet it would be over one thousand thousand times and then more than that but you are right. Both of us are proof of that.
He didn't know if he trusted his own words but was willing to give Xarl a chance. Unlike the Mandalorians which had killed the Jensaarai and hunted Force Users he doubted any of the Vong were non-combatants. Each contributed to the war in their own way, and despite not experiencing any loss during the war himself the slaughter of the innocent is hard to forgive.
Packing up his own share of the camp Zed put what he could handle into his pack and slung it over his back. Already he could feel the first warmth of the day starting as the Suns started to peak over the dunes and the shade created by the dell their camp was in disappeared. Before everyone was ready to leave the Jensaarai had already walked slightly ahead of the group. The words of "Marie" in his mind regarding the Force Wraiths and how someone or something must have created them. Hopefully they were not nearby but if something powerful enough to make several specters was nearby they would want some sort of advanced warning.
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Xarl
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Post by Xarl on Nov 12, 2021 5:53:13 GMT -8
The truth of the matter was that Zed was correct, at least mostly. There were some Yuuzhan Vong born after the events of the invasion, but practically every living adult had contributed in some form or another to the war effort. There were the former Shamed Ones as well, who were as much slaves to the Yuuzhan Vong Empire at the time as the actual slaves taken during their conquest of the galaxy, though perhaps that form of servitude was penance for their actions prior to becoming shamed. It was the crowing achievement of the still living Executor, Nem of Domain Yin, the mobilization of their entire race towards one massive effort. It was also his greatest regret and an unbearable weight on his soul.
Xarl, on the other hand, wasn't stricken by guilt. He didn't regret the blood on his hands, of which there was quite a bit. Mandalore, ha! What had seemed like an easy victory had been turned into a defeat for his people, but it had been worth it just for a chance to fight the warriors that called that planet home. It had been an honour to challenge and kill many of their soldiers, all of whom appeared fearless in the face of overwhelming odds. He would happily sacrifice several of his organs just for a chance to relive that battle, even despite their inevitable defeat. Rodia, perhaps less a challenge but still a worthy foe. The green rubbery skinned beings that called that swamp home had been unequal in one on one confrontations, but he had learned to respect the mercenary clans he had faced there. Nothing inspired true grit and determination more so than fighting for ones world. He had lost many domain mates on that front. Then of course there was Coruscant, which admittedly didn't sit quite as well with him. The New Republic soldiers he had faces there were adequate opponents he supposed, but they folded too easily. Too many of the people turned on one another, displaying the collected flaws of a myriad of the galaxy's races, disheartening to see really. It had seemed less a front to be pursued by the warrior caste and more a scheming ground for conniving intendants.
No, there was no guilt to be felt by Xarl, only shame at their eventual loss. From the time he had been born in the starless void between galaxies to the start of the invasion, he had been honed and prepared to fight for his people and win. It had been ordained by the Yun'o in the stars above, they were to be inheritors of this galaxy by divine right, through bloody conquest. Yet they had failed and he hadn't died like he was supposed to. That shame burdened his heart more than any regret ever could. It would be remedied soon, though, he could smell death on the wind.
Or perhaps that was just one of Patashu's farts.
Xarl stepped out from behind the bantha as he followed along, waving a hand in front of his face to clear the stink and wipe the tears forming in his stinging eyes. Harla's tits! That smell could kill a Voxyn. He staggered a moment, leaning on his now rigid amphistaff to steady himself, which he had been using as a walking stick in the sand. When his mqaaq'it had cleared he looked up towards the sky where two large brilliant orbs scorched the planet dry of even the most miniscule amounts of moisture. Black crab plate had perhaps been a mistake, given that the colour seemed to absorb more of the heat. Beneath he sweated profusely, though any moisture on the surface of his exposed head seemed to evaporate shortly after forming into salty beads on his grey skin. Occasionally he noticed Nartaga turning and looking behind, which in turned caused Xarl to turn and look as well, though there didn't appear to be anything following in their wake. Was he staring at me? Perhaps as the only non-native to this world, at least so far as he knew, the tusken was concerned about the warrior's abilities to keep up with them. Well, he would show him.
Increasing his pace, Xarl walked beside the burdened Bantha, patting it on the side with his free hand, which was covered with shaggy hair when he withdrew it thanks to his sweaty palms. He wiped his hand on his crab plate skirt and then raised it just above his eye implants, scanning the horizon for a sign of...well, anything. For a planet supposedly fraught with danger, it seemed more likely that the heat would kill them before anything else did.
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Kay'li Raganella
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Post by Kay'li Raganella on Nov 14, 2021 19:59:47 GMT -8
The human woman clasped the Vong's forearm smoothly, as if she were familiar with the gesture - which she was. Several warrior cultures within the galaxy styled their greeting in a similar way, including some of the Mandalorian clans. She had not been certain if he would even recognize the extended-hand gesture, but with each interaction, she was learning a little bit more about the truly alien creature. Most Jedi from the Core Worlds would have been apprehensive about this stranger, including Kay'li of 15 years ago. But she was no longer that woman after over a decade wandering the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim. She'd ... seem some stuff.
Instead, she calmly refilled her canteen at the travais as Xarl explained how he had come to join them, smiling slightly in amusement at his description of Patashu's terror. But when mentioned his apparent death wish for a second time, she shot him a glance, and tilted her head, intrigued. In some ways, he was surprisingly similar to her Mandalorian friend, although she knew better than to mention Onyx or her kind by name. "I am sure another adventure will find us soon enough, but I for one would prefer not to meet any more of the wraiths." In truth, she wondered whether a Force Wraith and a Vong would even be able to fight, or if they would both be unable to affect the other.
"No. I am ... of another clan." She replied with a smile as Xarl asked if she were also of Nartaga's clan. She sensed their only genuine Tusken approaching, even before he came into her field of vision, and instinctively knew why. "It's quite a long story, and even the short version is probably best saved until after we are on our way." She didn't particular care if he knew she was a human from the Core Worlds, but his reaction to her political involvements might get a little exciting. It was best to take this slowly.
Unlike the previous day, Kay'li gladly accepted Nartaga's invitation to ride atop the bantha. She would need at least another day to fully restore her reserves. As she climbed astride the hairy beast, grimacing slightly, the Tusken handed her a glowing crystal. She stared at it in surprise. The glow flickered slightly as it changed hands, and then she felt a wave of calming, refreshing energy flow through her. Focusing on it, she closed her eyes, and examined it for a few moments, probing it through the force and sensing its conductivity.
Gradually, she began to understand. Somehow, the crystal was able to channel the power of the Force, and even store it short term, like a battery. The sensation was pleasant, and she could feel her reserves being gradually replenished as the native shaman's leftover energy slowly transferred into her. As it slowly faded, she tried pulling harder on it, focusing rather than just letting it act upon her. To her surprise, she found that she could draw more energy from the Force directly through the crystal, although the connection was tenuous, and not as strong as she might achieve in a skilled Jedi Meditation.
She opened her eyes a while later, and realized in mild surprise that they were under way, and their former campsite had already disappeared from view. Stretching out toward Nartaga, she attempted to get his attention, sending a sense of gratitude and understanding toward him, as if to say, "I get it now."
'Marie' noticed Xarl coming up alongside her perch, the heat clearly affecting him just as much as most any being from this galaxy.
"Not much to see, is there?" She remarked.
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Nartaga
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Post by Nartaga on Nov 15, 2021 1:32:53 GMT -8
Morning turned to searing day as the party ventured towards the northwest. The overbearing heat and light that shone down from Tatooine's Twin Suns offered no respite to the endless blindingly bright and blazingly blistering desert. What heat and light was not absorbed into the countless grains of sand, which was hot enough to potentially cook one's feet through their footwear if too thin, was reflected back up to those who dared travel these lands unprepared for the unforgiving nature of the desert world. Nartaga paused in his stride for a moment as he felt a strange aura reach his mind before continuing, catching up to Zed who had decided to walk ahead of the rest. Speaking in the language of his people to the Stennes. "Cr Uur'Roc Ur R'Uor K'R Ur'R Rk Ur'Ru...Ru Rur'Kur'Uk Kr'Aa'Ruu Rur'Yr Kur Ur'Uc." "We should be able to see it soon...If anything remains above the sand." Nartaga turned his head to look back at their other party members, his obscured eyes lingering on Xarl for a moment longer as an idea came to mind. "Ru X-arl's Er'Reor Or'Yr Rrk'Ur'Cr K'Ur Urk'Kr, K'Urk Kr'Roc Ek'Ryr Ru'Ruro Ru K'Ur Cr'Aruu Cr U'Rk Ur'R Ur'A. Ur Cru Ur'Rk R'Rk K'Rae Cur'U Cr Cr'Kr Rk'Krkf'Rc, Ruc C'Ru Or'Uk Ror'Ur. R'Rk, Urk'Ku'Rk R'Cr'R Uk'Ra R'Rk K'Rae, Marie C'Ru Rk'Krk'Fr'C. Ur Krro'C-" "If Xarl's people live outside the Force, that could prove useful if the demons do not see him. He was near our camp when we were attacked, and was left alone. Yet, farther away from our camp, Marie was attacked. He could-" Nartaga stopped talking mid-sentence of the harsh sounding language of his people.A chill shivered down the back of the Tusken's spine, the hair raised on the back of his neck, and a sensation of not wanting to be where he currently was entered his mind. His fight or flight response seemed to break, and it took all of his effort not to turn in the opposite direction and run far, far away. It was a very similar feeling to what he had felt the night prior, when the wraiths attacked, but there were no smoke-like apparitions appearing. Nartaga raised his left hand commanding the bantha Patashu, carrying Marie, to stop before taking a few steps backward. The Tusken unslung the gaderffii from his back, holding the blunt weapon with his right hand, the left remaining up for those behind him to remain still. As Nartaga stepped backwards, the feeling of fear left his mind, and he felt no imminent danger. Confused, the shaman took a step forward, and the feeling returned. Again, he stepped backward, and felt as if nothing was wrong. With his free hand he reached out, in an attempt to try and touch whatever invisible threshold he was crossing that emanated the power to instill this intense feeling in his mind, but alas there was nothing there, at least not that he could physically touch. Nartaga anxiously swallowed as he felt his throat tighten, his mouth dry and feel full of sand. He blinked a few times to clear some beads of sweat. The sensation passed as he remained outside of the influence of whatever was causing this feeling, but the unpleasantness of the sensation lingered, almost like a warning.Nartaga walked back to Patashu, bringing the bantha as close to the threshold as she would go, and used her to help boost himself up, taking out his monocular and scanning the area ahead. The Tusken sentry saw little more other than more sand, and a few rocks jutting out from relatively low and flat area ahead. He thought he could see an opening in the ground, but he was at the wrong angle and some of the rocks were obscuring his view. That had to be it. Nartaga hopped down from his perch atop Patashu, allowing the animal to distance herself from the creeping discomfort. He signed with his free hand to the group. "Stop here. Careful. Think. Prepare. " With his open hand Nartaga waved it across the area before them. "Need way cross safe. If attacked, fear make harder." The shaman gestured at the travois. "Make camp here. For now. Need time find way to cross. Try stop fear."The Tusken walked behind Patashu, unhooking the travois wagon from her saddle, giving the bantha less of a load to carry if she needed to suddenly flee. Nartaga then went to his saddle bags on Patashu, untying one of the larger sacks and taking close to the edge of the invisible barrier. The shaman dropped his gaderffii in the sand and then sat down on his knees next to his weapon to have it nearby. Pulling the contents from the sack he had gotten, he procured three roll bags inside, which he placed in front of him and unrolled carefully, revealing a small collection of different objects of varying types. The first contained mostly herbs and plants. The second contained what appeared to be various parts and pieces of dead creatures, bones, and other slightly unsettling items to those not used to seeing such things. The final roll bag contained several tools, mostly ceremonial looking knives, but also some different sized pokers, as well as a variety of other doo-dads and trinkets. Nartaga looked up to the Suns, which were just passing their zenith, and then back down, facing straight ahead.Closing his eyes, Nartaga raised his left hand to touch the edge of the artificial border generating the intense fear, while his right hovered over the items he had rolled out. Murmurs could be heard from the Tusken shaman beneath his breath in his native language as he did so. Occasionally he would stop, and the Tusken's body language would change in reaction to whatever it was he was doing. From Nartaga the Force welled up and radiated out from him, intermingling with the boundary's energy, as if he were probing and interacting with it. His right hand moved over each item as did so.
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Xarl
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Post by Xarl on Nov 15, 2021 20:10:43 GMT -8
Lowering the hand that shielded his eyes from the sun, Xarl turned his head towards Marie on the back of Patashu and nodded, his dark purple eye sacs puffing to show the Yuuzhan Vong version of being irritated. "There's nothing but sand as far as my ocular implants can see. I came to Tatooine on the advice from a friend..." No, something about the word 'friend' just didn't feel right. It had been Nem who had guided the warrior to this remote desert planet, and they had shared too much passion to ever be called simply friends. It still felt wrong after all the years that had passed since their relationship, a romantic entanglement that by the standards of their society had been strictly forbidden. You weren't allowed to love outside your caste, yet he had, fiercely so. Even after the fallout from the war when the rules changed and they could finally be together as they had always talked about, the burden of leadership the Executor had accepted and the great shame that compelled the warrior to seek his death, had become a wedge to drive them apart. Still, even after how things had been left between them, he could hardly refer to his former flame as just a friend. "No, not a friend. Someone very special to me, they told me to come to this planet if I truly sought a worthy death. I feel as though they may have misled me; however, as the only threat I have seen thus far is the stifling heat. If that was how I had planned to end things, I would have simply piloted my yorik-et into the nearest star." He stopped there and looked away, not wishing to speak of it more. They understood enough already, things didn't need to get too personal. It would be easier that way for all when his time eventually came.
He noticed something strange as Patashu came to a halt. Nartaga seemed to be studying the ground, walking back and forth as though stricken by some form of heat manifested madness. The Yuuzhan Vong walked up to where the tusken was and attempted to see what he saw, and feel what he felt. But there was nothing. He listened politely to the shaman and scowled at the suggestion that they wait.
"I don't understand, Nartaga. What fear? Why wait? If you sense something with your abilities, we must be close. We should push on ahead, perhaps catch the spirits unaware and strike while we have the advantage of surprise. The longer we wait, the greater the chance they will find us and attack again..." Wait a second, that sounded pretty good. Xarl turned around and nodded at Zed and Marie. "I agree with him. We should definitely wait here."
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Nartaga
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Post by Nartaga on Nov 16, 2021 23:42:59 GMT -8
Nartaga remained mostly silent. The only sound that came from the Tusken was a low mumbling, sounding like a prayer or chanting, as he continued to go over the items laid before him. Nartaga heard Xarl rapidly change his opinion on whether to charge forward or wait while he continued going over his array of shaman tools and oddities. He wished he had brought more from his home in the Mospics, but he did not think that when he and Zed were travelling they would have been sent on such a journey that he would have need of them. Nartaga paused his mutterings. His left hand remained upright, and his right over his tools, as he continued with whatever he was doing, but he responded to Xarl's tactical quandary. "Zed tell Nartaga of X-arl's people. Live outside of what Zed's clan call Force. Tusken know as Tatooine's Power. Not feel curse of unnatural fear from this place... X-arl not attacked by spirits. No presence. Invisible to them and their magicks." Nartaga's right hand paused over what could be best described as an upside down censer made of what was likely bone or some white polished stone of some sort. He pulled it out and set it aside for later. "Zed, Marie, Patashu, Nartaga effected by cursed fear. Cannot pass freely. Need blessing to protect from fear from spirits. From fear from place." Nartaga spoke softly in his native language as he started moving his right hand over "Without blessing, without protection, risk losing control or focus of self from fear curse; die easily if attacked."
The Tusken knew the warrior's plight. His thoughts went back to his own people's thoughts on dying in battle, of honor, and what it meant to die a good death. Nartaga had thought of his people's thoughts on death several times since meeting Xarl, of trying to fulfill the being's desire; while still trying to temper his bloodlust and desire to die in glory. There remained twisted logic in the culture of his people, such as committing suicide to preserve their honor in death, much in the same way that Xarl had spoken of many of his own people doing. In the shaman's views, it was a wasted death. He would try to explain his thinking better. "X-arl say want good death. Not good death to charge in; die while allies die. Bad death... Good death when successful. When can see from Beyond life that sacrifice lead to defeat of enemies." Nartaga raised his right hand from his collection of tools momentarily and gestured to the open area beyond where he sat. "Already aware of us. Known since camp. Impossible not to." Nartaga pushed his left hand past the boundary that he was at the edge of. He felt the fear wash over him, an intense phantom pain in his soul telling him to escape and leave, but he persisted through it with gritted teeth and clenched jaw. A rumbling could be felt in the ground, the dune they were camped upon shaking and the sand becoming almost like water as the vibrations parted the grains from one another. Nartaga quickly pulled back his hand. The shaking and rumbling continued for a moment before it suddenly ceased. "Waiting. Easier kill prey when curse take hold."
The R'Crurak shaman reached down to the roll bag containing the herbs he had brought with him, pulling from a smaller bag several dried flower petals. He set them aside next to the censer. Nartaga mumbled another few words in Tusken under his breath, re-starting his search and passing his right hand over his items. "Reason Deadlands empty. Almost nothing live here...Nartaga not Storyteller, but can try explain..." Nartaga tried to think of how to translate the story he had been told as a child by the Storyteller of his tribe. The Tusken looked up again to the Suns. "Old belief that Suns and Moons gods. Lovers. Travel skies together as pairs. Chenini, third moon, lonely. Why moon comes and goes. Searching for soul mate." Nartaga hesitated, thinking harder on the best way to explain the next part of the already over-simplified story. "One day, Chenini return with lover from beyond the sky. But bring problem-" Nartaga paused, speaking once more in the language of his people in a soft chant and maintaining the majority of his focus on finding the needed materials for his ritual. He continued the story again after a few moments. "New god greedy, selfish; not satisfied with only love of Chenini, so looks down to Tatooine. Grow jealous of worship of other Suns and Moons by Children of Tatooine. Demands all worship only him. Starts giant war with other gods in sky. Children of Tatooine almost all die."
Nartaga stopped again, clearing his throat and taking a few deep breaths. He lifted a purple cluster-shaped crystal and set it to the side of his other gathered materials. His left hand, which was still held up at just the outside of the fear barrier, went down. He bent over with his hands on his knees and took more slow and deep breaths. The wellspring of Force energy the Tusken shaman was drawing upon wavered and began to shrink, but it did not entirely dissipate. Nartaga leaned back up and spoke more chants in a slightly louder tone to focus his mind, lifting his left hand to the boundary and his right over his shaman tools, only stopping to continue the story. The Force surrounded the Tusken once more, though not as powerful of an aura. He was so close, he could feel it. "Tatooine grow angry. Rip evil god from sky, but Chenini still love. Chenini begs mother world not to kill. So...Tatooine imprison evil god beneath world. Evil god's anger, hatred, jealousy corrupt land above. Kill all....Place where none live. None travel...Deadlands..." The Force springing from the Tusken disappeared in an instant, and he jerked his right hand down, grasping something in the roll bag that held mostly ceremonial blades. He pulled the blade he had gleamed to be the correct one out from it's place in the roll bag, inspecting the runes that were carved into the japor wood handle. Though it was likely none of the other three beings here would understand the symbols etched into the wood, the Tusken Shaman nodded understandingly at what they meant. His masked face turned back in Xarl's direction and he spoke directly to the Vong. "When fighting a god...best to be prepared..."
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Xarl
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"Hurry to meet death before your place is taken."
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Affiliation: Roland's Rakamat (RR)
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Post by Xarl on Nov 24, 2021 10:53:13 GMT -8
Though his eagerness to fight was hard to contain so very close to their destination, the warrior caste held himself in check, standing unmoving and listening quietly as Nartaga explained things to him. It was hard to wrap his mind around the mysteries of the Force, beyond having no connection to it himself, his people had only first heard of it within the last century. In the many millennia they had spent traveling from their home galaxy to this one in the starless night of the intergalactic void, the Force played absolutely no part in their lives, while during that time it helped shaped this galaxy into what it was today. He didn't think he would ever understand it, perhaps the Yuuzhan Vong weren't meant to. Maybe their part was to remain outside of it, for whatever reason the Yun'o willed it so. His eye implants widened as the tusken spoke of Tatooine's gods, finding several similarities with the pantheon of his own people.
During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, it had become clear to the priest caste that several of their deities had on occasion taken the form of notable individuals among the infidel races. Jaina Solo, a powerful Jedi sorcerer, had turned out to actually be the reincarnated form of the trickster goddess Yun-Harla. So when Nartaga spoke of Tatooine's Sun and Moon being lover gods, it occurred to Xarl that they might actually be Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin. An uneasy feeling troubled his gut as he considered this. Under old Yuuzhan Vong law, having a relationship outside one's caste would usually lead to sacrifice to the Lover Gods. He knew he had violated that sacred tenant, and though the law had been repealed and he was now free to love whoever he chose, the wrong he had committed still hung over his head to remind him of his shame.
"We face a god?" Unlike his earlier claim that he was looking forward to fighting an unknown foe, the thought of facing a god was somewhat more disturbing. His fists clenched in an audible pop as his knuckles cracked. It wasn't fear that troubled him, for nothing would slake his desire for a bloody end, even against an impossible odd. It was his immortal soul he worried for. This jealous god sounded much like Yun-Lingni, a fearsome deity among those that followed the True Way. To openly challenge him...the implications were unclear. Ordinarily he would have consulted a member of the priest caste for direction, but he was alone here, so very far from the rest of his people. All he could do was trust in his own judgment, and perhaps in Nartaga's mystic knowledge. The tusken was as close to a priest as the warrior was going to get, he supposed. "Very well. I will trust in your wisdom on the subject, Nartaga. Just tell me when it is okay to kill something."
He left the tusken to his preparations and walked back towards the bantha, patting its furry side affectionately as he let out a hearty laugh of fearlessness. "Don't let the scary god frighten you, Patashu. Xarl will protect you." Of course, he had no way of knowing if he even could. Spirits were one thing, but how does one go about fighting a god?
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Zed Bakiska
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By the three Kennedys
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Post by Zed Bakiska on Nov 25, 2021 14:51:42 GMT -8
Zed tried to listen on and focus on what Nartaga was saying but the fear radiating from the desert before them was affecting him harder than the others. He could turn left or right and feel the exact direction that this power was coming from as easy as one could see the twin suns in the sky. The darkside was especially strong here, stronger than he had felt anywhere else he had ever been. While he doubted that they would face a god it was possible, and probable that something evil had happened here long ago that Tatooine still remembered. The story of which was passed down from Tusken observers through their oral history to what it was today. If you can keep Patashu safe, then she can keep me safe.
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Post by Emma Van Kanne on Jan 4, 2022 18:54:13 GMT -8
Emma had left The Iron Maiden in Mos Eisley as she trekked across the Dune Sea in her Varia Armour. Her life on the run had involved a lot of picking up odds jobs to make ends meet. Given her physical abilities and armour suits, most of that work naturally involved hunting things down and killing them. Which was why she found herself out in the desert. Some nearby farmers had been getting harassed by a Krayt Dragon, which had mauled several farm hands and killed one family. Given the farmers were largely poor, the bounty they could pay was not overly large up front. Thus most of the folks they'd approached had passed on the job.
But their ignorance, was Emma's profit. Most of the hunters in Mos Eisley had been more concerned about the cash payment. But Emma had negotiated with the Farmers that anything recovered from the Krayt Dragon was hers. None of them had disagreed to this request, likely ignorant to the usual riches a Krayt Dragon might hoard. Thus, she had suited up in her Varia Armour and headed off on a speeder bike initially. But she was in the last few miles now, and she'd better be able to track the beast walking. Her suits cooling system working to keep the inside of the armour bearable even as the heat of the twin suns bore down on her.
Her HUD enhanced the terrain differences that indicated the path along which the Krayt Dragon had last been moving. She gipped the controls on her arm cannon, sensing that she was getting closer to the Krayt's nest. Based on the markings, this was a fully developed Krayt. Which meant the fight ahead was not going to be easy, but she was pretty sure it would be well worth it. She'd picked up the Dragon's trail for a ship wreckage, which meant there was bound to be some treasures from there brought back. Otherwise, she'd just salvage the crash site for valuable parts to sell. A win-win situation in her book
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Post by LE-01 on Jan 7, 2022 22:20:17 GMT -8
Metallic plating shimmered in the desert's oppressive twin suns. A cascade of broken pieces lay littered around a once-proud cargo ship. Scorch marks betrayed the location of several fires that had long since gone out, though several plumes of smoke still leaked out from under damaged bulkheads. Leading away from the wreckage was a long trail, both of parts and prints, remnants of the beast that had slunk its way past and made off with the only mobile piece the ship had to offer.
All in all, thought the AI housed within, it wasn't the worst crash she'd experienced.
True, the closest thing she'd received to a body had been violently removed from the premises after low odds turned to near-zero. There was still a scant signal, enough to know that the chassis was still relatively intact, but it was nowhere near enough to properly procure escape or retrieval.
That was more than she'd had in previous occasions, and she had learned to treat such things as a blessing.
At the very least, this world had a decent view.. Sands on the wind would provide plenty of idle calculations to perform while she waited for another expected eternity..
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Post by Emma Van Kanne on Jan 10, 2022 1:35:56 GMT -8
She continued her trek through the desert wastes, keeping well on the trail of her prey. Before, at last, coming to the more rocky and solid terrain where the Krayt Dragon had made its home. She tread carefully, making sure her footfalls did not land too heavily upon the stone surface and alert her prey before she was ready to be found. Though, even that element of surprise was not guaranteed. While her suit was sealed and kept her scent off the wind, her suit itself may have also carried it's own kind of smells to alert the Dragon.
Something that was indeed confirmed a few moments later, as the motion sensor lit up with a red indicator. A loud, ravenous road echoed off the rock walls bringing Emma to a stop. Not out of fear, but preparation. She braced herself, even as seemingly far away as she was from the entrance. She pulled her right hand up, the Pulse Cannon running through it's initial charging cycle
Ok beasty... lets dance....
The Krayt Dragon let out another roar as it launched itself out of the mouth of the cave, revealing its full 45 meter length as it snaked around her. Emma held fast and fired several rounds off, the blasts hitting relatively harmlessly against the beasts hide. The shots did little more than to annoy the monster more than it already was. She turned away from the Dragon then, and ran across the open space. She cleared the space fast enough as to avoid a swipe from the Krayt Dragon tripping her up. Another loud roar and rumbling in the ground signalled that the beast was now coming straight at her.
She came to a skidding halt as she turned around again, taking aim and holding the shot steady. The Krayt Dragon drew closer and closer, until Emma squeezed the trigger, sending a Pulse Cannon shot straight through the creatures sinus cavity and into its brain. The Krayt Dragon almost immediately went limp and came crashing to the ground. Its jaws snapping shut just inches away from where Emma stood when its body came to a stop. She held up the cannon and made a blowing gesture as if to clear some smoke as reward of a job well done. She then activated her comm link
Bring the Maiden in RD, time to collect our treasures...
A series of beeps and whistles confirmed that RD-JR had her location. With the droid now piloting the ship over, Emma got to work with the most immediate task of scoping out the cave. Her HUD switched through several modes, providing her the best vision in the low light environment within. There were a decent amount of scrap pieces from evaporators the Dragon had destroyed, alongside pieces of jewellery and speeder bikes. The one piece that stood out, however, was the droid chassis. It was a make and model she had not seen before, which meant it could be valuable.
She walked over and around to the front of its slumped over form. She gripped the head and pulled it up, letting the photoreceptors get a good look at her helmet and face through the visor. Her gaze looked for any signs of power
Wakey wake, anybody home?
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Post by LE-01 on Jan 21, 2022 11:03:25 GMT -8
The signal coming from the PROXY droid had been largely unchanging since the chassis had come to its rest in the dragon's lair. As such, she had not dedicated more than a single background process to monitor it after this period of time. When that process detected sounds that were artificial in nature, however, it began its rapid ascension up the priority tasks towards active monitoring.
The long-range sensors were shot, but the ship still had a few exterior cameras functioning. These, too, were dedicated to background processes -- although, seeing as it was the far likelier avenue of rescue, there were more than just one. When these detected minute changes in the ambient light consistent with an aerial obstruction and reflection, they sent their flags up the priority chains as well.
Less than a hundredth of a second later, the AI knew her chances of rescue had begun increasing dramatically. She was ready with the communication already; the chance of someone finding the droid before the ship was not zero, after all. As the signal from the chassis began moving, she sent the activation signal and the data packet with the communication.
========
As soon as the chassis began moving, a shimmer went across its surface. This shimmer faded, but a few moments later it resolved itself into a patchwork swirling around, whole sections flickering in and out as the signal struggled to make it through.
"Alert. ..-unit's ship-.. ..-located .. east-.. -help-"
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As it was being processed, however, the signal's visuals yielded something.. improbable. Emotional subroutines flared, and the AI channeled her auxiliary power into the signal booster, searching to confirm what she was seeing. Her creator..? No, something was-..
There was a spark inside the ship as the booster's damage outdid its tenacity, and the signal fell dark.
========
For a moment, the patchwork resolved itself into a bright image, one whose eyes latched onto the faceplate of their rescuer.
"...Mother?-"
Before it could finish, however, the image flared brightly, then fell silent, dark once more.
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Curses.
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Post by Emma Van Kanne on Jan 22, 2022 0:28:26 GMT -8
Emma hadn't expected any response from the decrepit looking droid, it was more just kind of a natural reaction to prod it and speak to it. Thus, when the comm signal was forwarded to her suit from the Iron Maiden and the Droid chassis itself reacted, Emma pulled back a little. She forced herself to calm down then and steady her breathing as the PROXY droid shut down once more
What the....
She waited a moment before fully relaxing, deciding the droid was not a threat. Her attention was then drawn to the cave entrance as the sound of the Iron Maiden landing could be heard. Emma shouldered the droid and carried it out of the cave entrance as the landing ramp lowered. She strode up into the cockpit and through the ship, RD-JR following close behind making several noises as it babbled about the distress signal
Everything is fine RD, You worry way too much... Just like your maker...
The astromech seemed to grow indignant about the last comment, seeming to huff and turn around back to the bridge. Emma took a turn into the first Port side Cargo Bay. She set the droid down in one corner before walking over to one of the armour pods along the far wall. One of the pods opened up and several robotic arms detached and removed the Varia suit, leaving her in her blue body suit. But once the pod closed, she walked several over and the next pod activated and assembled the EVA Armour Suit. The helmet was set on her head and the HUD came online a few moments later, providing her a series of data outputs. She checked the PROXY droid was still where she left it before making her way back out of the ship as RD-JR disappeared into the cave with a hover dolly to collect the bits and pieces of treasure to be found within.
Emma turned her attention toward the carcass of the Krayt Dragon then, the task ahead of her being the reason she had swapped over to her EVA suit. Unlike the Varia suit, the EVA suit had a sustained laser beam which would be perfect for cutting into the hide of the Dragon. She moved close and aimed her right hand toward the softer underside of the corpse and fired. The sustained beam hit the scales and seemed to do nothing for a moment, before slowly starting to penetrate the flesh. After a few moments, the beam cut a long enough slit for Emma to work with. The beam shut off and she used the barrel of the gun and one of her feet to force the opening apart. Guts and gore spilled out from the opening, causing Emma to make a mental note to get her armour cleaned before reaching her left hand into the carcass and searching around. Krayt Dragons consumed stones which were stored in their gizzard to process the food they ate. Over time, these rocks were processed into smooth pearls which were quite valuable on various markets. These were where her payment would truly come from.
She gripped the gizzard and tore it open, causing the contents to spill out. Emma reacted quickly, grabbing up the three small pearls within before they spilled out and were lost in the ooze. With her prize collected, Emma pulled back from the Krayt Dragon's corpse and headed back toward the ship as RD-JR pushed the hover dolly back up into the Iron Maiden with a handful of scavenged items. She came to a stop beneath the ship then, just short of the landing ramp and activated a external shower feature. A stream of water rained down from an external port, giving her armour suit a rinse from most of the gunk that now covered its formerly pristine white appearance. The water also helped rinse off the pearls enough to see their colour. One was white, another was golden/yellow, and the third was blue. All in, a pretty good haul.
She strode up into the ship then and went into her room, which had formerly been the crew quarters for the ship. Activating one of the hidden compartments, she slipped the pearls inside and made her way back to the port side cargo bay, where the armour pod removed the EVA suit. She quickly donned her Varia suit then as RD-JR went through the pre-flight checks and lifted the Iron Maiden off. The YX-1980 made the short flight to the crash site and was landing just as her Varia suit was assembled. Now it was time to see what salvage awaited them and see if they could determine the source of that signal
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Post by LE-01 on May 27, 2022 17:45:56 GMT -8
Binary suns reflected off of twisted metal buried in the sand, the only shadows being cast coming from the wisps of smoke still trailing to the sky. The cargo ship's main hold was jutting out of the dune at an angle, the twisted remains of its boarding ramp partially extended -- and partially missing, leaving the normally wide entrance instead cramped with jagged debris.
Further ahead, the ship's cockpit lay partially submerged, miraculously still connected to the main hold, although the term "connected" was being kind. The craft had not been completely cleft in twain upon impact, but it had crumpled along the center, twisting the center at just the right angle to leave the shattered transparisteel of the front viewport above the sand. Sparks flew from what were once considered panels here, and the majority of the pale smoke seemed to be emitting from this end.
There was no visible change to the ship after its broadcast had been sent; inside, however, its sole occupant sat amidst a flurry of her own activity. The brief signal she had received was being dissected -- at least, to her best capabilities, given her circumstances and the quality of the data itself. The implications of what she had seen were many, but above all else, she knew one thing for certain: her chances of rescue were increasing by the second.
When what few sensors she had left detected the arrival of a nearby ship, she allowed herself to feel a moment of hope at the possibilities. From that moment stemmed a plan of action, beginning with the vital first step of communication. A single holoprojector activated within the ruined cargo hold, sending a flickering blue light towards the mangled entrance. The angle of the wreckage prevented the projection from forming a proper cohesive image, but the gesture had little need for accuracy in this moment.
LE-01 wanted to be found. She had waited long enough..
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Post by Emma Van Kanne on May 27, 2022 22:03:08 GMT -8
Emma glanced over toward the PROXY droid, waiting a moment to see if being near the crash site was going to cause any reaction. But it displayed no signs of life. What ever had activated the droid before had decided not to speak further for the moment. So she let it be as she headed over to the hangar bay doors and slapped her hand against a control button, causing the bay doors to fold out. Sensors in the door segments caused them to come to a stop as they pressed down against the sand.
The light and heat immediately washed over the bay as Emma descended the ramp and stepped out onto the dunes and surveyed the crash sight. Her HUD started collating data from her suit scanner system and the data received from the ship scans. RD-JR did its best to assemble the data into what the ship might have looked like. Points of interest soon highlighted themselves on the display. The ship had certainly seen much better days.
Emma headed across the sands then, heading for the entrance into the cargo hold. While the entrance was partially constructed by debris, it was the much safer entrance in compared to the cockpit. She would eventually examine it, since she intended to scrap as much of the wreck as she could. But an inspection of the Cargo Hold seemed like the most logical first step.
As she came to the opening, Emma was pretty sure she could see a faint flickering blue light emanating from within. It could have just been a damaged projector, but something told her that was not the case. Without hesitating too much longer, she carefully navigated the tight entrance, her armour protecting her from the jagged metal. As she finally dropped through the hole, she pulled her gun up into a ready position and cautiously surveyed the space
Hello?! Who's there?
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Post by LE-01 on Jul 21, 2022 20:46:46 GMT -8
The cargo hold was tilted and warped on the inside; broken panels lay twisted at the bottom of the slanted floor, creating a jagged pile of mechanical undergrowth where it met what used to be the bulkhead to the cockpit hallway. What appeared to be entryways to adjacent storage rooms now stood at the far side of the hold, above and beyond where the armoured visitor stood. From several overhead panels hung loose severed wires; sparks still flew from some of them, albeit at a drastically reduced frequency from the time of the crash.
Of more immediate note, however, was the only piece of equipment that still seemed functional: the central holotable. Masses of wire stretched from removed overhead and floor panels alike, tied together in a ramshackle web beside the projector. There was physical damage to the exterior of the table -- what in here wasn't damaged? -- but the soft glow coming from its surface was a clear indicator that, for the moment at least, whatever was inside was still functioning..
..as were the sensors in the cargo hold, and the AI monitoring them knew a brief moment of sadness as her voice recognition confirmed what she had already suspected: she did not, in fact, know the individual standing before her. This was not unexpected, however, and she moved forward with her first contact protocols.
A spark flew from the mass of wires, and the glow began to strengthen on the table. From within came a softly accented voice, slightly distorted through the speakers.
"A f-friend."
Internally, LE-01 knew a moment of dissatisfaction as she heard the warping in her voice. There were only two other semi-functional speakers present in the cargo hold; and though their combined projection could in theory create her preferred directional audio, she knew that pushing them beyond their capacity would only result in further immediate damage.
The strengthening glow solidified into an image, that of a young woman garbed in casual clothes, sitting on the table with one knee up. The image carried more than the occasional flicker, but it was steady enough to provide a clear view of its subject. She offered her visitor a smile as she next spoke; whether the weary appearance of that smile was intentional or simply a result of image distortion was impossible to tell.
"I'm hoping, if your a-armour is any indicator, the s-s-same might be said of you."
LE-01 was putting a lot of faith in her visitor's intentions, and she knew it. She had, of course, considered the possibility that this being might just be pilfering her creator's technology. It wouldn't be her first time dealing with such an individual, but in those instances she had had her ship's full array of tricks up her sleeve. If she was in the presence of an enemy.. Well, in that case, this conversation was going to be a lot shorter, and there was no harm in being polite.
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