Ain't That a Kick In The Head

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The galaxy was a charming place. Charming in the way that it would abduct you, fill your mind with thousands of years of galactic history, and dump you on a new world with the task of forming an alliance with its leader. Charming indeed.


The pod that Gravesen found himself encased in lay on the floor of a massive forest. Small animals scurried around and clawed at its durasteel sides. Leaves fell down upon it, and the straw like pines of the trees above dusted its surface like an amber coat. A single pale light glowed from a transparent window from within the pod. It cast an eerie white light up toward the orange sky.

Then, something within the pod stirred. The top hissed as pressurized air escaped, and white mist flowed from its edges. Suddenly, the covering flew up a meter or so in the air, and landed a foot away from the coffin.

Two leather bound hands rose up like those of the dead, and gripped either side of the casing. A white tattooed head poked out from within; gray eyes narrowing as the low amber light of the setting sun filled his eyes.

With an audible groan, Gravesen heaved himself up out of the pod, and promptly stumbled to the lush forest floor. His long black coat hung out from under his, and his chest heaved with every breath.

Roon. I need to find Norongachi. The Architects gave me a second chance; best not to waste it.

The former fugitive forced himself to his feet. His limbs ached and his bones popped as he stood to his full, intimidating size. The colors of the forest drew into sharp contrast, and he drew in a short breath as the reality of his situation dawned on him.

The Harbinger quickly turned back to the pod, and began to dig through everything else that he had been given. His bone machete slid into its scabbard neatly, and his rifle hung from newly sewn straps over his chest. A small pack was slung over his shoulder full of the things any being needed to survive.

"Wonder what happened to Zeer." . He mused aloud as a blaster pack was slid into his rifle.

The weapon gave an audible click to show that it was ready for use. With a final sigh of finality, Gravesen closed the pod, and turned north. Civilization couldn't be too far.

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[Una Gal]

The landspeeder sunk as Una's weight settled into the seat. She squeaked a little and wrapped her fingers around the handle bars, flexing them against the soft rubber. The two padawans behind her had set a challenge. Apparently riding through the streets of Corillea at high speeds wasn't enough proof that she could adequately operate one. The stretch of forest ahead of her was filled to the brim with thick tree trunks and protruding roots. It would be difficult, but she was confident she could ride one. If she came back alive there were promises of blue milk. It wasn't worth it. But there was no backing down now, this was a question of pride.

She revved the engine slightly, turning her head just in time to see the last of her fellow padawans fingers close into a fist. The bike jolted off, jerking her body backward as it sped down toward the forest. The first tree came up, zipping past her head in a blur of brown and green. It was distracting to say the least, one moment the path was clear and the next you were heading for a mouth full of bark. She hauled the speeder to the right, narrowly avoiding particularly large trunk. She barely had time to consider what a close call that was before the speeder was turned again in the opposite direction. She ducked under arching roots, swerved around pools of shimmering water and cut through spotlights of sun that broke through the canopy of leaves.

In the midst of the green hue supplied by the thin leaves and the blurring textured wood, she caught something in her peripheral vision. Something not brown and ten times the size of her head. An animal maybe? She narrowed her eyes. Her fingers tightened around the handle. Should she go back and investigate? It could be dangerous, her lightsaber was on the other side of the forest. But then again, what if it was something dangerous. She cursed aloud and spun the speeder around the base of a trunk as she turned back. It might cost her the bet, but her curiosity over took.

She picked up the lost speed quickly, heading back in the opposite direction. Hopefully, she hadn't veered off the course too much. Suddenly, the same black shape drew closer and closer to the front of the speeder. Una almost screamed, swerving it and pushing herself off the seat. As the metal crunched against the bark of a tree, it exploded. Flames licked their way across dead leaves and died out slowly as debris rained down on the forest floor. Una grunted as she touched the floor, tucking into a forward roll and stopping just short of the edge of a pool. Her body flopped backward onto the mossy carpet. "Kark. That was way too close!"

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What in Corellia's Nine Hells?

The familiar tingling sensation at the edge of Gravesen's brow was acting up again. His knowledge as to why it happened was next to none, but he had learned to trust it.

A moment later, the familiar, characteristic scream of a speeder's engine filled his ears. Had the ASA sent a recovery group?

No, they had no way of knowing he was planet side. This was an unknown.

He took a position right behind the pod; the former enclosure at his front, a massive tree at his back. He clutched his rifle close to his heart, and took a deep breath to steady himself.

The rifle gave a loud, satisfying click as the safety was flicked off. Gravesen pushed up to his feet, and brought it level with the forest. Then, something far more alien resounded in his ears.


Fire billowed up a few paces away, and the ting ting ting of metal breaking against wood register just above him. Smoking shrapnel fell at his feet.

The Rattataki grimaced, and walked free of his hiding place. He pointed his rifle at a low figure sprawled out on the grass: his mind an impenetrable wall in the force, and his body cast in the stark amber light of an afternoon sun.

His tone was calm and in control, albeit rather cautious. "That yours?" He asked, jerking his head toward the twisted wreckage that had been a speeder bike.

His brow was knit, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. He did not look pleased.




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[Una Gal]

Her head was spinning as she steadied herself on her hands. Something twinged horribly in her foot but she ignored it for the mean time. Una shook her head free of leaves, patting her hair to find any strays that had managed to cling on. Once all the dead ones and been pulled from the thick locks of her hair she decided it was best to get up. Completely unaware of the presence behind her she stood up, spinning on her feet and taking a step forward. Her hands shot up immediately. For a few moments she just stared at the black figure, covered by the bright light of the sun. "Well, I didn't come from the karking sky did I?" She huffed toward him. It was so hard to make out his facial features, especially with her full fringe swinging annoying in front of her eyes. If he had malicious intent then she was doomed...

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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Gravesen said nothing for a long, uncomfortable moment. He just stared at the girl; gray eyes narrowed into thin slits. He looked her over, and fought back a sigh.

He had drawn on an average girl.

"You could have. Speeders tend to go down when they stop working." The Rattataki commented.

His rifle clicked once more as the safety was selected, and he cautiously let it hang from the leather straps. His arms fell to his sides, and he took a step or so forward.

The vibrant light of the sun left him, and his pale, tattooed face became discernible. "Why were you moving so quickly? The woods aren't exactly hospitable for racing." He added quietly.

The Harbinger turned partway to look at the girl, and the flaming metal wreck a few paces away. He frowned, and shook his head. A spaceport wouldn't be far, at the very least.

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[Una Gal]

Her shoulders relax the second the weapon went down. Now there was no immediate threat it felt like a weight had been lifted from her. She pulled the hem of her crop top down a little and brought her body up to it's full height. If only to make her seem a little more protective of herself. Now that she could see his face she felt a little more calm about the situation. The interesting tattoo's decorating his face would make for an interesting story on the walk back. Assuming that he was coming with her. He did look a little lost.

She took a few steps forward and around the male, walking toward the speeder. There was a vane hope that a few of the things she'd brought with her remained undamaged by the crash. They could all easily be replaced but it was much less hassle this way. As she walked toward it she spoke loudly, unafraid of any other danger that may have lurked in the forest. "I'm from Corellia. We used to race them through the buildings at night. Tree's are no different." She paused for a second and pondered what the crash would do to her reputation. After a few moments she grumbled something softly. "You weren't supposed to be in my way."

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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Gravesen shoved his hands in his pockets, and looked at the woman funny. He wasn't supposed to be in her way? He had heard of Corellia, of its allegiance to the Omega Protectorate and its people's strong sense of pride. That hadn't seemed to fade in this individual, either. Still, seeing a Corellian on Roon was very odd, though not unheard of. The Rattataki tilted his head back in an almost condescending manner, and watched as she went to inspect the speeder.

"Well, if it isn't working, I suppose you're walking." He grunted, utterly stating the obvious. "And Roon is a very dangerous place to be in the forest at night. The Kalaks will get you." He added quietly. It was true, Roon was a monstrous place to be when the sun fell beneath the distant mountains.

He turned out toward the forest itself. The massive trees shot high up toward the sky, and the amber light of the sun was slowly slipping away. As if on command, far down the canyon below, a distance howl broke the cool silence of the landscape. It was low pitches and brutal; a beast on the hunt. More howls joined in from the other side of the canyon, all eerily identical. Gravesen and this young woman were caught right between them.

The Rattataki grimaced, and turned to face her. "Can you call anyone, or are we on our own?"

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[Una Gal]

Metal scraped against metal as she used the tip of her boot to shove pieces of the broken speeder aside. Huffing heavily she swooped down to rummage for a few unsuccessful seconds. Her hand went to her head and ruffled her full fringe as she brought herself to a stand again. For the best part of the conversation, she hadn't really been listening, focusing too hard on finding remaining supplies. The second the sound of the Kalaks echoed through the forest, her body tensed and she jumped in the direction of the howl. She gritted her teeth, grumbling as she stepped over the wreckage to return to the strangers side.

"We're alone and I have no weapon." She glanced up to him with big, hopeless eyes. Though she didn't doubt the ability of the man she felt that nobody could protect herself quite like her.

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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Leave her.

Gravesen fought with himself internally far longer than he would have liked. He had never been the most morally guided man, but he still had them on the hard issues. A hand drifted to the machete hanging from his hip, and his lips curled into a tight frown.

"Welcome to Roon." He grumbled, both to himself, and the woman. He turned off toward the forest; out toward a break in the canyon at the far west. There were many miles between it and their location, but it was certainly the most assured way of escape. Gravesen breathed a heavy sigh, and tilted his head toward the woman. "My name is Gravesen. I need to make it to the capital....and I suppose you do too now."

Grudginly, he pulled the machete from its scabbard. The pure white bone of the blade glistened in the dying light. He examined it, frowned once more, and reached into his coat. A small holdout pistol, filled with kinetic slugs instead of a blaster pack, was pulled free. He offered it to the girl. "Do what I do and what I say. We may avoid the Kalaks. May."

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[Una Gal]

A long and exaggerated sigh escaped her lips. The look on his face was one she had seen many times before. He was debating with himself on whether to leave her or not. She watched him walk away for a few moments and debated heading in the other direction, but she knew she was hopeless on her own and without a weapon. Spurred on by another howl that seemed much closer, she turned on her heel and jogged to catch him. As she reached his side the blaster was brought out from his jacket. She puIlled her head back and curled her fingers around it, with a funny look on her face. "I've never fired one of these before." Walking at a quick pace to keep up with him was hurting her legs.

"You know, you're going the wrong way, the city South from here. I have friends waiting at the other side of the forest..." Her fingers motioned wildly in the direction she really was supposed to be going, but that didn't stop her from following his every footstep.

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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The other direction?

Gravesen lofted a brow, and stopped in his tracks. The sun slipped below the mountains, and the weak amber light that had filled the forest was replaced with a dull darkness. Above, the moon shone bright against a sea of stars, but the heavy forestry above let only the weakest threads of light break through the forest.

The Rattataki grabbed her gently by the wrist, and placed his free hand over the hammer of the sidearm.

"You slip a magazine in the bottom of the gun. The....handle. The button on the side is the safety. If its on, the gun will not fire. When its out of ammunition, the top will slide back and the magazine will call out. You slip another magazine in, and click the other button on the side." He lectured.

In the weak light, Gravesen have her a serious look. "They'll find us in the dark. If we head the direction you say at night, we'll walk right into them. We make camp, and a fire. That should keep them at bay. Then we'll head your way in the morning."

He let his hold on her wrist falter, slipped his machete into its sheathe, and began to bundle up sticks that had littered the ground. He moved the massive armful to a dead section of grass, and repeated the act a few more times.

"And your name?" He asked quietly.


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[Una Gal]

A high pitched squeak escaped her lips as his fingers encircled her wrist. If only because it took her by surprise. He was gentle about it but she could still feel her ribs almost breaking at heavy thump of her heart. There was a degree of trust that she held in this man but he was still a stranger. She knew nothing about him. There was something funny about him that made her uneasy. She flexed her fingers in his grasp, glancing toward him as he explained the mechanics of the weapon. Point and shoot basically.

Her eyes met his and she raised well groomed eyebrow slowly. Their closeness was making the air around them tense. In the moments of silence that followed she shuffled her weight awkwardly between one foot at the other. "Right..." Her wrist fell limply to her side and she wrung her other hand around it a few times. Watching him with dark eyes she replied to his question in a low tone. "I'm Una.." Another long pause as she stood motionless, her head moving back and forth in time with him. "What are you doing here?"

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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Gravesen dusted the pieces of wood and dead leaves from his leather gloves. The pile at the center of dead foliage was sizable enough now. Another had been set at its side, and a circle of rocks had been erected around it. The Harbinger removed his gloves and flexed scarred, pale fingers.

"I came to speak to the leader of the ASA. I...may have had some difficulties landing." He lifted his shoulder in a slight shrug, and couched next to the bundle. "Thankfully, and oddly, this isn't the first time this has happened. Just the first time I've been alone."

He reached into his coat as true darkness began to fall. The last of the sun's merciful rays disappeared behind the mountains. Inky blackness filled the forest, so strong that one would have issue seeing a few feet in front of their face. That is, until the bright orange sparks of Gravesen's lighter lot the mound of sticks like a life day tree.

He winced at the sudden rush of heat, and cracked a slight smile as the familiar scent of burning wood filled his nostrils. Cast in an eerie amber light, he stood up to his full height, and turned toward Una.

"Not alone, I suppose. The pod is big enough for you to stay in for the night." He motioned toward the protective, durasteel casket. "I can get to work on some kind of shelter for myself...we'll be fine."


Then, for the first time since making Una's acquaintance, he smiled. It was small, yet genuine, and confident. He made his way toward the edge of the camp and began to shift nearby logs around on top of one another. Each was about three feet tall, and served as a small wall against whatever might come.

The fire crackled and reached up in vain toward the sky. Gravesen set up the second makeshift wall, when the howling began once more. It was far closer this time, and the a panicked screech followed. The planet's predators had found some sort of animal.

Gravesen grimaced, and tilted his head back toward Una. "Perfectly fine. Promise."









[member="Una Gal"]

 

[Una Gal]

Una watched him intently, with wide eyes. If she hadn't have turned around she would have been on the other side of the forest right now, drinking blue milk with her friends and chatting like giddy teenage girls about attractive Masters. Huffing at herself for the stupid decision her face twisted into a grimace as she watched the last specks of sun fade out on the shimmering water. At least he had made the same mistake as her, to a degree. A few moments later the surrounding area was filled with the orange hue of the flickering fire. Una was grateful for the heat and shuffled her body closer so the flames almost licked her trousers.

"Won't it be dangerous to stay out here?" She held her hands up in front of the crackling logs, resting the blaster on her hip. With more concern for him now that he seemed to be genuinely concerned about her, she felt cruel for taking up the only viable protection they had. "If there's room for two I'd prefer you to stay in there with me." His smile immediately brought out one of her own. She flashed him white sparkling teeth with as much gusto as she could manage. Una enjoyed it when people felt comfortable enough around her to smile. Eventually she moved around the opposite side of the fire, to watch him erect his small wall. There was nothing they could do now but wait and she amused herself by making small force bubbles around glowing embers that drifted upward from the main fire.

Then the howl echoed through her ears. She scrunched her body up, her hand darting toward the blaster at her hip. As he turned his face to reassure her she relaxed, fearful of what he might think. "Yeah. It's totally fine.."

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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Gravesen paused in his work. He lowered the final log on the northern wall, and turned to scoot toward the fire. He watched her catch the fire in the tiny bubbles, and blinked in surprise. How had he not sensed it?

"Are you with the Jedi?" He asked quietly, as if the trees themselves could hear if he spoke any louder. "That explains why you might be on Roon..." He added quietly.

Wordlessly, he meandered back toward the cold wreckage that had been her speeder. He grabbed the twisted metal surrounding the seat with both hands, and pulled. His chest heaved and a bead of sweat ran down his brow before the seat finally gave. It came away with a groan, and then fell silent.

The Rattataki strolled back to the fire; drove the seat into the dead earthy and plopped down on it. He breathed a heavy sigh, and began to fumble through his small backpack.

"It's big enough for one." He finally answered. "Two if we got in very close. Kalaks are smart though. They would wait until we left at morning and pounce us. Someone needs to stay out and keep them at bay." He motioned toward the rifle hanging off his shoulders. "This is a lot better at that job than the sidearm."


He pulled free a small plastic bag of.....sandwiches. Little sandwiches with pieces of meat stuffed in between the loafs. He popped the bag open, offered a single one to Una, and bit thoughtfully into his own.


"You'll be safe in there so long as someone is outside shooting. Kalaks are nasty. About a meter tall, half a meter wide. Short fur, long snouts, big claws, and even bigger teeth. When they see you, they scream like a human. It's terrifying."

He tilted his head to look at her, and the smile had faded. Truly, he was trying to scare her into the coffin. "So I'd rather have you in the coffin. This is, like you said, my fault."



[member="Una Gal"]

 

[Una Gal]

Leaning her body back against the cold metal of the escape pod gave her the exact jolt she needed to stay alert. Already her eyes were closing a little, partly because of the heat of the fire. She lazily continued with her bubbles, each time managing to hold the ember a little longer before it escaped and hissed out in the gentle breeze. "I'm part of the Silver Jedi order..." Her fingers wriggled on the ends of her palms as she let the last bubble pop of her own accord. Watching wordlessly, she cursed herself. Why didn't she think of pulling the seat off her speeder? The floor was uncomfortable and bumpy. There would be bruises in the morning, though that didn't make much of a change.

Turning her head to look at him properly across the fire was effort enough. "So.. you're going to sit up all night and defend us?" She was skeptical once again. It showed in her tone of voice this time. Una didn't really want to wake up in the morning just to get pounced on by a bunch of over sized puppies. "I'll stay right out here with you, thanks very much..." She crawled forward, reaching her arm out for the small sandwich. Admittedly, though only to herself, she was a little scared sat out here in the open. But her back pressed against the cool pod and her fingers twitching readily near her blaster, ridding her of at least some of the fear. Una didn't like the way he called it a coffin. Her face scrunched up, wrinkling the bridge of her nose and her forehead. "Why are you calling it a coffin?"

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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"The Silver Jedi Order?" Gravesen asked quietly. He had not heard of them before--though that wasn't to be unexpected. His time in the known galaxy was short, as of late. He lofted a brow at the girl, and tilted his head to the right. "I've never heard of them."

He paused, and turne don his heel as something rustled in the brambles across from the fires. "I call it a Coffin because nothing other than whoever is within will open it..." He explained with a low voice. His hand came down to wrap around the machete hanging from his side. His fingers laced around the leather hilt, and his brow contorted with fear, and determination.

Slowly, he put himself between the rustling forestry and [member="Una Gal"]. His lips twisted into a tight frown. "It smells us."

 

[Una Gal]

Her head nodded in response as she nibbled on the bread. It was strange to find herself in a situation like this. Survival had never been one of her key training points and honestly, she never expected to need training in it. Glancing up from her small meal, her shoulders shrugged up gently. "They're low key I guess... Or maybe you've just been away for that long." The rustle in the bushes hit her ears like a thousand tone of bricks. She knew they were there, lurking in the dark. It was only a matter of time before the two of them saw the angry red glow of their eyes, even against the bright of the fire. Finishing her sandwich, she pulled herself to a stand and un-clipped the blaster from her side.

"You know, people can open coffins from the outside." Her tone was playful and jokey but it had a sense of underlying fear. It shook as she tried to remain calm. His shadow fell over her face as he stepped out in front of her. Una spun on her heel and pressed her back to his, finally making contact with the angry red circles that started out from the cover of the bushes. She could feel her heart pounding all over her body. "We're gonna die aren't we?" She asked in a low whisper, her voice barely carrying on what little wind was left.

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

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Silvers?

Gravesen locked the name away for later research; if they were going to get out of this alive, that is.

He took comfort in the light pressure at his back. He would not need to spin about to catch a glimpse at his aggressors, and the presence of another gave him some sense of comfort.

"Nah. I made it through Telos. I'm not getting eaten by Kalaks after that." He grunted. His free hand slipped around the trigger of his rifle, and he pushed the stock heavy against his arm.

The stark white bone of the machete shone in the firelight as it was drawn. The blade as razor sharp and well maintained. The Rattataki opened his mouth to say something more, when the first of the pack made its move.

The leathery beast spring from the brambles with claws outstretched. Its frothy mouth was parted in a wild scream, and its jagged teeth were stained red from its previous kill.

Gravesen's rifle roared as a torrent of azure laser fire flew toward the beast. Two bolts pierced its midriff, and sent it tumbling to the forest floor. It gave a small whine, then lay still.

Other tool its place, and Gravesen motioned to Una with a gentle nudge in the back.

"Hold your ground. They'll run, eventually." He yelled over the screams of the beasts. Another descended upon him, and met a similar fate as the first.

A third charged then, and shrugged of the bolt that clipped it in the shoulder. Gravesen let the rifle hang, and drove his blade through the monster's chest as it sunk its claws into his arm. Black blood spurted from the torn artery, and a similar red trail flowed freely from Gravesen's arm.

The animal whined, and went still as Gravesen ejected the blade from its spine. A number of other circles around the camp, waiting.

"They must be starved." Gravesen grunted, obviously in pain from the wound on his arm.




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[Una Gal]

Her hand shook as she raised the blaster upward. She steadied it with her other hand, placing it on the bottom of the handle. Tensing as she felt him rest the stock against his shoulder. Any second now they'd come diving through the bushes, and if his word was anything to go by, screaming like humans. The thought alone was enough to make her hand shake already, but after inhaling a few deep breaths she felt it stabilizing again. She felt the gust of wind before she heard the screams. They were ear piercing. It took all of her might to not turn around and pull the trigger. Gravy was behind her and she trusted him enough to protect her now.

She was away with her thoughts, only snapping two as the huge shadow came over her face, plunging her into darkness. A scream escaped her lips, almost matching the tone of the kalaks surrounding them. It all happened in slow motion. First she watched the slug escape the blaster and zip through the air. It found its mark. Una couldn't watch, her eyes scrunched up. When she opened them she was staring straight through a gaping hole of flesh and muscle. The slug had ripped its way through the kalals chest and sprayed her with flecks of red as it started its decent. She had pushed her weight back against Gravesen and each of her muscles had locked into place. Some funny emotion was making itself present in her body. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins. As she turned her gaze to look at the dead body again she found herself unable to look away. It was a mix of satisfaction and the hunger for more that eventually tore her away from the dark blood that pooled around it.

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]