Private A Lutrillian Slip and Slide

[Amaris Tanenat]

The woman let out a long sigh of shame as they walked, her shoes sinking into the sand with each step. Karma never worked out for her, indeed, the young Felacatian should've known better. It was too late now, she had to pay for her sins or whatever. Instead of anger, or whatever, though, he pat her on the shoulder. What a blow to her already ruined ego.

He seemed to have been taking it better than she would have. And with that realization, her ears perked fully up and she craned her head to look into a smiling face. "Why are you smiling," she almost pouted. "Listen, the plan was perfect. There was just an unexpected issue," a slight, sly smile moved across her lips. "You seem awfully chalant for someone who almost got robbed but ended up stuck on a very unforgiving planet." She squinted a little, with a brow perked.

"I won't do it again," she admitted with some defeat as they pressed onward through the sand. "I learned my lesson or whatever," she added a few seconds later. Not like she would say she hadn't since she was counting on him to survive and perhaps vice versa. But, something told her she probably was with someone who could survive some things.

The storm was picking up - sand flying around their forms now, and the air became harder to breath. Her eyes stung with sand. Avo didn't have to tell her twice. She pressed herself further against him, wrapping one arm behind his back which hopefully would allow them to tighten the cloak around them more.

Although, they were... In a bubble? She glanced back up to him, "How are you doing that..." She asked, perplexed for a second. "One of those Jedi? Hopefully not a Sith," she was not a fan of those, not one bit.

 

[Avo]

"Perfect you say," his voice trailed off. "Well, it was one of the more, uh, extravagant robbery plots I've seen. And now you're stuck with me, so please behave yourself from now on." He replied in an amused, chiding voice. "And I'm that way because I have been to worse places. This is hardly as bad as the floor of Kashyyyk or the tropics of Felucia, where every living plant and creature wants you for a snack. You kind of learn to live off of the land, but it's definitely no Coruscant. Cities are much more comforting to me, where eyes and ears are all around to witness."

That's right, witnesses were always nice to have. Just in case another extremist tried to lay siege to the galactic capital, especially the guardians of the world: Jedi. Wearing their traditional robes, tunic, and carrying a lightsaber was practically like wearing a giant target on your back. Thankfully, backwater worlds like this didn't get too specific in their old tales of the Jedi. All that they knew of was their laser swords and mystic ways of speaking and behaving.

And forgiveness. Always forgiveness and compassion.

It didn't take long for the girl to catch on to his little trick. Lan lifted a hand to rub his fingers through his hair, pulling away sand as the storm raged around them. It was almost quiet, eerily so, whilst they walked within his bubble.

"A Jedi, yes." He nodded. "You will be safe, rest assured. We're far different than Sith."

Amaris Tanenat

 

[Amaris Tanenat]

Amaris used her free hand to, rather dramatically, brush through her hair. A cheeky grin stayed on her face as her ears returned to a more defensive, pulled back position. There was really no way to hear anything coming at them, even with the small bubble that Lan had created.

"A girl has to do what a girl has to do," she replied with a little shrug. Stuck with him? Well, Amaris guessed she was stuck with him. At least until they could get out of their current predicament. Maybe she'd give him some of her savings as a rather pathetic sorry. She didn't really have anything else to give, though. It'd be kind of sad, though. They'd probably never talk again and she was warming up to him.

She perked a brow, "Never been to either," she said somewhat quietly. She'd been around a few on the more Western side of the galaxy, but the east? Nah. "Coruscant seems like a fun place to go to, though," she mused as they walked.

But more importantly, her concern over his sudden magic tricks made her wonder about the green man. "Heh, alright, Jedi." She perked a brow, "I've never met one in person. But I've heard about what the Sith do." She shivered a little at her knowledge of the Empire. It was a big reason she wouldn't go there - no way in hell she'd risk getting put into slavery or some other horrible fate. He seemed confident that she'd be safe. Pfft, she could handle herself... Maybe.

"What's your name, by the way?" She asked, blue eyes scanning for anything that they could get down. And luckily, she caught something out of the edge of her eye. "There, it drops down some." She pointed for Avo to take notice. Maybe they could hide out there? Still, though, something felt... Out of place. Either way, she immediately turned the duo towards it.

 

[Avo]

He was wondering when she was going to finally ask his name. She knew he was a Jedi even before his own name crossed his lips.

"Lan, Lan Graendel." The Jedi Master replied evenly, "From the Jedi Order in the Grayson Imperium. It's, uh, nice enough in the Core. Far better conditions than this." A distasteful look flashed across his face as he gestured at the raging sand around them, threatening to consume and drown them in soot.

Holding a conversation, maintaining the small barrier, and walking quickly all at once was hard enough - so much that he strained to not let his discomfort seep into his tone. The Force could always do anything and everything, though he could not. His body was merely but a vessel for it, and even masters struggled from time to time. Be that as it may, it had been far too long since he'd been stuck in some asinine situation like this one. Master McMillan had always chided him as a padawan, threatening to drop him off on Mustafar to steel his nerves and collect himself. McMillan had always been calm - frighteningly so, and that unnerved him as a boy more than the Gnasps and Kinrath of Kashyyyk.

Lan responded evenly to her touch, angling his own arm to wrap around her waist and support her through the shifting sands. Though, when she mentioned the defilade in the dunes before them he frowned. Desert worlds were far from his area of expertise but McMillan had always mentioned the possibility of drowning in sand in those: especially since the wind can topple entire hills of it atop them.

But she was from here. She was the expert, and so he trusted her guidance.

"Alright, that way then," he tentatively agreed and altered their heading. "Just let it be known that this was your decision. I don't exactly like sand-baths, Amaris."

Amaris Tanenat

 

[Amaris Tanenat]

Lan Graendal. That was the green man's name. Jedi Master Lan? Or Graendel? Did it matter? One ear twitched as she pondered the proper etiquette of such a person. "Nice to meet ya, sorry it isn't under the best of circumstances but you can't ever say I didn't make an impression." She winked playfully at the man. She'd never met a Jedi before to begin with, or anyone with fancy space magic. The Grayson Imperium? She'd heard and read stuff about 'em. "Over on Coruscant, right?"

She laughed quietly, "I would say the Core's spoiled, but y'all have had some pretty bad luck. Talk about a Lost Decade," she mused with sympathy. Amaris assumed the Core's bad luck probably effected the economy around here, but she hadn't suffered much. At least as far as she could tell. Then again, considering her rather pathetic criminal attempt was still criminal... Nahhh.

"It's usually not this bad," she commented quietly. "You can see forever, it's usually pretty flat. And the food is delicious." Mostly, anyways.

Hope that they would be able to get into a nonsandy place for a bit made her energized with hope. It could also be a burrow for one of the carnivors but maybe they were going to be lucky! She glanced up to him with a scowl, "Sand doesn't go well with my fur," she muttered as they approached the entrance. "You know, I don't know why you're trusting me in this," she replied after a few seconds. One hand moved down her chin as if she was messing with a beard.

"But, it's just a little build up, the rest of this place is flatter than a pancake." Ugh, now she really wanted some pancakes... "Can your Force magic make food out of thin air on a side note?" She asked with a slightly perked brow.

Avo

 

[Avo]

Lan gave a snort at that. "Far from spoiled. Billions upon billions live in poverty in the undercities of the core, with only the tiniest fraction of that number being able to say they make more than enough to be comfortable. A wide disparity, though there is very little we can do to alter the course of the economy - not that such a thing is what Jedi do. We make life easier for many, or so we try."

The mirialan gave her another accusatory look, reminiscent of the earlier one. "And some people make lives a lot harder for others."

It was quickly replaced with a smile as he clapped her gently on the back. No point in dwelling on the past. The present was always at hand and demanded focus, all of it, to survive their current situation. The sandstorm hadn't faltered in the slightest, only seeming to become more and more enraged the longer the pair walked with it. Lan was nearly hunching forward at this point, the Force barrier barely holding on. It was straining, like static discharge sending his hair on end as a massive pressure built against him. The wind - it was absolutely unreal.

"We're going to have to stop soon." His voice came, albeit weakly. "I can't do this forever."

The divot looked about as promising as any. At least the small dunes surrounding it didn't appear too strange.

Though, far beneath them, tremors and rumbles came in bursts. Stirred both by the footsteps of creatures above and the whirling sand carried by the storm. Slowly yet surely, the sand at the center began to trickle downwards. Unknown, unseen. Who knew what lurked below?

Amaris Tanenat

 

[Amaris Tanenat]

Amaris gave a little nod of agreement. Yeah, they probably had it rough. Maybe one day she'd visit, see how it really was like. But so far, she had managed to avoid most of the Core worlds in her travels. It always seemed so... Dangerous. Between those Warlord people and the like. It seemed too messy for her to risk it.

"Everyone has to suffer some," she neary whispered. Reality of the galaxy - there was rarely peace, there was always danger, and you never knew who to really trust. Herself being example one, in this situation, at least. "Lots of stories about you guys," she commented as they huddled together, helping one another step forward in the increasingly dangerous sandstorm.

She scowled at his look, and especially his comment. "I said I was sorry," she retorted.

The pat on her back made her chuckle, though. At least she was stuck with a nice guy. Much better than most. Nonetheless, she could tell from his voice - and his own admission - that the storm was going to overwhelm him. Was this the time to change into her more feline form? She gnawed her lip momentarily as she thought about it before deciding against it. Not yet.

Plus, they were at the entrance to what looked like may have been an old mine. "We're here," she muttered as she used the arm along his back to practically shove him into the opening, herself jumping in a second later. "Good news: it's probably stable enough to hold us for a bit."

She paused, "Bad news? The the nippers and chompers don't have to crawl out, they can just walk up to his and start doing what they do. Nip and chomp." She sighed as she would, assumingly, help him sit against the cave's wall a few dozens feet inside.

"You going to be okay? Anything I can do to help? Seems like that took a lot out of you." Amaris shook herself, and used her hands to run through her hair and ears to rid itself of sand that didn't get off her during her brief shake.

Avo

 

[Avo]

Fatigue had set in long, long ago. Not everyday did he expect to literally swing down from a city using only his arms, nor did he expect to fully stave off an entire sandstorm that seemed to center around a four square foot radius. Back-to-back, and the mental exertion that not even the physical wear held a candle to. Lan's eyes were heavy-lidded, soreness crept into his muscles like a ghost, and an ever persistent voice called in the back of his mind: for him to lay down, for sleep to come, for a little water and a break.

The Jedi Master grimaced at the thought, his eyes longingly sweeping downwards to what appeared to be an old mine shaft. A weight came from behind, nearly sending him flying into the opening beneath them. Lan caught himself and turned to see the cat-girl pushing him inwards. She wanted him to rest too.

Drowsiness overcame all judgement in that moment. He nodded briefly and dropped into it, pulling the girl behind him and releasing his barrier. The howling winds raged with the fury of a thousand suns, yet inside this little hovel it was as if they had never existed. While the constant downward trickle of sand scared the life out of him, he figured it would at least be a quick and comfortable death. Maybe he'd even die in his sleep.

"No," the man stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. "Kind of chilly, surprisingly."

The place was dark, shielding them from the heat of the surface. It was at least forty degrees cooler in here than outside, and the sudden change of temperature made him even sleepier. Another yawn came and he didn't hide it this time. Rather, he flicked a ration cube into his mouth, washing the dry morsel down with a swig of water. His eyes were closed the whole time.

His cloak was swept around him like a blanket, half curling a portion of it to serve as a pillow. "Just... just give me five minu-...."

Then he was asleep.

Amaris Tanenat

 

[Amaris Tanenat]

While Amaris was happy to help the man get into the old mine, it was important for her to know her own strength. And Avo wasn't exactly a very light-weighted person. Still, she persisted as one arm held him and she let more of his weight bear down on her. Yes, she was glad she hadn't suffocated in the sandstorm but she wasn't prepared to practically carry a man.

Perhaps she wasn't being fair and maybe a bit exaggeration. But, that was just her nature, or so she told herself anyway. Once she made sure he was relatively comfortable, he already looked like he was about to pass out. Perhaps that was for the best. Maybe, if they were lucky, they could get a few hours rest. She rubbed the back of her head as she stood in front of him.

"It is cold," she confirmed, not quite realizing it until he mentioned it. Unfortunately for both of them, they didn't have a blanket. And the shawl she had wrapped around her was loose enough that it didn't contain heat. All for decoration and completely useless. He ended up using his cloak, though, so maybe he wouldn't freeze.

"Goodnight, green man," she commented as he zoinked out. What was she supposed to do? Blue eyes peered down into the old mine - the tunnels seemingly went on forever. It was a good thing she could see in the dark, though. She glanced back out at the entrance where sand was being flung all about. She nibbled her lip as she finally laid down in front of Lan, curling up in a fetal position to try to stay warm, her body shivering just slightly. Long tail practically curled around her body as one ear laid against her head while the other stayed up.

A perk of being feline - half asleep, half awake. It was crappy sleep, but at least she'd be awake and ready to go if anything came from any direction around them. Hopefully, anyway.

 

[Avo]

His dead slumber didn't last for long. It was the exhausted rest that he had grown accustomed to years ago. Full of tiny muscle spasms that awakened him briefly, and flashes of memories spent in passionate bouts of fighting. Always fighting, always running, always doing something. Lan's dreams always served to haunt him at every chance they could get - and it made even restful moments such as this utterly exhausting. That, and the cold. It was uncanny how steeply the temperature had dropped now that they were out of the sun.

The Jedi's eyes snapped open, silencing what remained of a snore. Lan blinked hard a few times, getting the groggy tears out of his eyes as his vision focused on the curled form before him. The cat-girl. Amaris. Curled with her tail, practically shivering in the cold dampness of the abandoned mine. Lan sighed internally, groaning as he forced sore muscles to awakened as he slid from the wall and onto the ground.

In one swift motion, he threw his cloak over the both of them and drew closer. Warmth, finally.

Then his eyes shut once more. Snoring the second they dreamily closed.

Amaris Tanenat

 

[Amaris Tanenat]

Amaris was careful to stay in her in-between slumber. A world between worlds, it enabled her an advantage of being awake yet asleep. Very bad sleep, but it worked, at least. An ear kept its watch carefully as she kept her body tense, ready to fight if something fell apart. And it could at any moment. She had no idea how to keep up with time, but there time was probably running out.

The shivers rolled over her body, despite her attempts to ignore the feelings. The sound of the storm actually had become somewhat melodic, keeping her more calm than panicked. Perhaps their existence was drowned out to the monsters that dwelled below by the ravaging winds and sand.

Either way, the girl felt a brief breeze and increased warmth nearing her. A tired blue eye peaked to see Avo crawling over. His cloak turned darkened her vision for a brief second as she felt him draw close. Her tale flickered for a brief moment.

A content sigh escaped her lips. Amaris pressed herself against him after a minute of deliberations - she was cold, after all. The ear that laid against her head slowly returned to normal as she fell into a deeper, more quality sleep - despite the risks that it brought.

 

[Avo]

With warmth at his side and snuggled cozily next to Amaris, Lan's sleep this time was far more restful than before. A second pair of eyes to watch over you was always a rather soothing thing to have, even if she had tried to rob him earlier. The Jedi figured she was well beyond that point, preferring to leave his credits where they were. I mean, where else could she run off to if she had decided to be a little thief once again.

His dreams were nonexistent this time. Just a soundless, peaceful sleep.

Until it wasn't. Nothing triggered his awakening this time, though his eyes jolted open as if something was coming for them. That pit of your gut feeling, a primal sort of feeling that set all of your senses on edge. Yet the room remained fairly quiet, save for the raging winds and whirling sand that cascaded outside and above the pair. Lan frowned deeply, not wanting to leave the comfort of his warm companion, but they needed to move soon. Something was coming.

Lan sighed, propping himself up on an arm and peering over the girl's face. A deft hand rose to gently rouse Amaris from her rest, nestling between the ears cresting her head, rubbing back and forth gently.

"Amaris," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear, "We should get up. I fear we may not be able to stay here for much longer."

Amaris Tanenat

 

[Amaris Tanenat]

"The catnip is in aisle 8," a muttered, sleepy voice proclaimed in the most confident way she could. It was immediately proceeded by a soft purr as Avo gently used his hand to pet the woman to wake her up.

It took a few seconds for her to awaken as one tired eye peered open before the next one. And then the realization hit.

AH. How long had they been asleep? Had the city passed back over? Both eyes popped open as consciousnesses finally hit her. Where they about to be eaten? She practically darted out from under his cloak, leaving a trail of sand thrown into the air, as she scrambled to her feet.

... Only to still see a sandstorm raging outside. Amaris took a deep breath as her heart pounded in her chest. She glanced back to Lan. Had they cuddled? Weird. It was cold, though. "How long were we asleep?" She asked after a few more seconds as one ear laid back against her head and the other twitched.

And her fur slowly began to rise as her tail jumped quickly back and forth. "They're coming," she replied quietly. "Yeah, leaving is a good idea." The young woman couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from - either deeper into the broken down cave or if they were digging through the ground towards them.

Each option had its own risks - into the deserty sand or further into the tunnel. "Where to go, though," she said somewhat defeated.

 

[Avo]

Lan was still blinking hard, working the sleepy grogginess from his eyes. The raw sensation of something biting right at your heels, however, did more than enough to work energy and haste into his movements. Stirring, waking, and getting out of here needing to be at the top of their to-do lists. While the comforting warmth that still lingered beneath his cloak beckoned his return, the Jedi begrudgingly worked the soreness out of his muscles and rose to stand.

"I have no clue, but long enough to where I don't feel entirely like poo-doo." The man sighed, still wishing for another half hour of shuteye.

Blue eyes glanced around them searching for a way out. They could certainly crawl out of the mining trough and get back to the surface - surely the sandstorm was either almost completely passed over now or about to. Or they could venture further into the mining caves to see if anything there would aid in their survival or escape. Honestly, Lan didn't particularly care for either of those options. Hiding in the dark made his skin crawl, as if something was already watching him.

"While I hate the dark, I'm apt to stay in the caves. Maybe the miners left behind something that could help us, food or something." He patted his utility belt. "All I have are these gross ration cubes, enough for a few days. But we'll need water very soon."

He was already thirsty, a bad sign.

Amaris Tanenat

 

[Amaris Tanenat]

Amaris walked towards the exit of the cavern, blue eyes peering out. The sandstorm outside was dying down - and luckily, it was just enough to make out the sun in the sky. It had been several hours, but several hours still meant there was many more hours to go. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm down. That meant they had several more hours of waiting for the city to return.

Amaris skulked back over to Avo . Her fur stayed puffed, and her tail whipped back and forth in quick, fast motions. Her ears stayed pulled back, down on her head. The instinct to survive pumping through her veins. "Glad you feel better," she mentioned more softly to the Jedi.

Amaris listened to him intently as she crossed her arms and rubbed them together. The Jedi opted to stay in the caves. He made a good point - there may be food or something to help them. There probably was sleeping areas, break stations, and other sorts of things in the mines. "I had heard that they'd pipe in water sometimes." She mentioned somewhat hopefully.

She was thirsty, too, which... Wasn't a good sign. "I guess... Let's go?" She replied as her blue eyes stared into the tunnel, which quickly went down. She wrapped her hand around his as she gulped down the fear that was bubbling up in her throat. With a final deep breath, she started moving further into the mine.