Private Children of the Wastes

[Choli Vyn]

Choli gave a grateful sigh of relief that they didn't attempt to jump the ravine. Catching her breath, she slowly felt her thundering heart start to clam, although the amount of adrenaline rushing through her meant it might be a while before it was back to normal.

[ Give me a minute. ] She told Jared Starchaser , her tinny voice resonating as she stood up and took a look around. For anyone else, it just might seem like any other canyon without any discernable identifiers, but for Choli, there were always a few place markers that allowed her to figure out it out.

Arr-Four gave a hoot, and Hopper seemed to ask why can't they just use sensors. Choli answered [ There are magnetic deposits in the sandstone that obscure sensors. Have to use landmarks and the suns' trajectory to find out where we are. ]

After a moment, she identified the Three Sisters in the distance. Taking into the suns' setting arc and then trianguling the ravine they were in, she had an idea.

[ We are near B'Thazoshe Bridge. It is considered to be a holy site for the Sand People. ] a pause then she bit her lip. [ But I know of a place to set up camp for the night. ] With Hopper's map, Choli pointed out where they were to go.

[ If we follow this trail then curve through here, we will make the bridge. Do you have a slugthrower?]

That last part was important.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared was a risk taker, but he wasn’t that level of a risk taker. He wasn’t about to cause them more problems than he rightfully knew how to solve. And honestly? Who knew what was beyond that ravine on the other side. Not him. But lucky for him, local passenger on board. A good thing, really.

Locals always knew their planet. He recalled time being near Csillia, or even on Corellia or Mirial. He’d have tried to scan this world, but giving the person who lived here the due respect, he waited. Hopper asking Arr-Four a question about the scanners and why not use them, it’d be faster.

“Oh, no-tech orienteering huh?” The Force User nodded and looked around. Sand, rock, canyon, two suns. Clearly identifiable. Of course.

“I’ve got my ky—- my energy pistol.” He didn’t know if he should be sharing that it was kyber based. His bow was back on the E-Wing. "Will that do?"

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

[ An energy pistol? Is that the same as a blaster pistol? ] Choli hoped so. All she had was her QQ sidearm, which was more like a paddle beamer, not a blaster pistol.

[ According to Tusken superstition, it was bad luck not to release blaster bolts before passing through the Bridge. As the stories say, every single time this has not been followed resulted in terrible luck. One entire tribe of Sand People were almost completely decimated after they failed to do so. ] With the oral histories worked, it meant that it was true. Call her silly, but Choli was the superstitious type. Would be curious where Jared Starchaser landed on that end.

[ If it is, we need to make sure we send out a few blaster bolts before passing the bridge. After that, I can lead you to the cavern we can set up for the night. ]

 

[Jared Starchaser]

“Yeah, I mean, basically. Outer Rim tech.” A lie. It was bastardized Jedi tech. He’d gotten to the point where he knew how to make a lightsaber, so long as he had access to kyber. And he could take it and modify it enough. “But yeah.” No need to display that he has two kyber crystals on him. People thought Mandos were hunted for their Beskar? Try coming after the Force secrets of the gems.

“I thought the Tuskens primarily used slugthrowers?” He queried as he reached for his hip. “My father was a Jedi, I’m not about to tempt any fates.” Even if they were possibly not based in the Force and just based on legend. But where did most of the Force come from? Legends, he was finding out. The Moross Crusade was filthy around a part of the galaxy, and that made a lot of legend become fact.

“Lets get moving!” He said, as they approached the Bridge, he pointed to the sky and fired four bolts, all of a yellow hue. As he fired, he turned to look at Choli. “Two for the droids too.”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Choli's rebreather gave her laugh a metallic ting. [ Arr-four and Hooper; looks like your luck is not running out tonight. ] Both droids gave a sharp, pleased whistle. The last thing Choli, or either of them, needed was a bout of bad luck. Especially considering that they were on the route to try and track a Sand Demon.

Bringing it down will be an exciting endeavor. The old stories tell of valiant warriors, tracking, and hunting the Sand Demon, drenched in its blood to reflect the passage of the initiation of coming of age. Some say there were other ways to do it other than killing the Sand Demon, but methods of doing so were not confirmed. As it was, Choli was intending to slay one, then, take whatever parts she would need to make a ceremonial mask out of it. She had no one to prove it to but herself, but it meant a lot to her. It was her first step in moving forward without regret or feeling as if she were casting her past to the side.

About twenty minutes after passing the bridge, Choli gave directions towards the secluded section of caverns alongside the craggy canyons. They arrived at the entrance of a low silhouetted cavern with enough room to slip the speeder bike in. It had a low ceiling, but after a few feet, it opened up to at least fifteen feet in height.

[ This should protect us from any wandering raiders or swoop bike gangs. ] Choli told Jared Starchaser . [ Do you feel comfortable making sure this place is free from critters so I can go hunt our dinner, or would you rather I do it instead?]

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared, like many of the Fringers, liked taking care of droids. The Yuuzhan Vong came in and messed up a lot of machines for no real reason, and sure, they were automated beings but beings nonetheless. And with the Mechanic Empire out there now, he wasn’t about to make any droid have a beef with him. And Hopper had gotten him out of some tight binds, he assumed Arrfour was equally important to his passenger. But he hadn’t known a Tusken to really have droids.

Dewbacks sure, but droids seemed to always fall into Jawa hands, at least according to the local spacers.

What he didn’t hear much about was the Sand Demon they were out after. He assumed it was going to be a fight, and probably a rough one at that. Jared should really brush up on his research in the Force to help out with these sort of things, but for now? As he followed her path, he found them going deeper and further out from the main trail. Seemed smart, unless someone was out to get them.

“I am not too worried on critters. You’ve got home field advantage, you hunt I’ll secure the area.” Jared nodded and looked to Hopper. “Come on bud, lets see what there is to see.” His lightsaber in hand, but dark, the first time he took the weapon out, he thought. But it’d do better than firing something that could and would echo.

He made his way to get to work.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

[ Perfect. Arr-four can help as needed. ] the Pebble drone had a paddle Beamer as well if needed to stun any large beast should there be any of the four or two-legged kind. Not that Choli didn’t believe that Jared Starchaser wouldn't be able to defend himself. He has proved himself plenty.

[ I may be half an hour at most. If I take longer wait an hour. Any longer than that may require some help. ] not that she was expecting any issues but one had to prepare for any event.

Slinging a leg off the speederbike, the Epicanthix located her satchel. Digging through it, she pulled out a large hunting knife and then clipped it to her magnetic belt harness. A smaller satchel with emergency essentials was next. She wished she had a rifle but this will have to do with her QQ- Sidearm.

[ I’ll be back shortly. ] she told him, before heading off out of the cavern and into the night.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

He could always use the extra help. Something about Choli made Jared think that she had this whole hunting for food thing in the desert down pat. Jared was never one to turn a gift down. And an extra eye or two was always more than helpful. Lightsaber, Force, and blaster, all he really needed.

“Any longer than an hour. Got it. Arr-Four can find you, I assume?” He looked to the other droid, her droid. He could find her, he assumed, but it’d be easier if there was a sure-fire, and quicker way to locate her.

Following suit after parking the bike, Jared checked his gear. Had what he needed.

“Meet back at the bike in an hour tops.” He nodded as he made his way deeper into the cave, wondering just how big this place was. When he was hopeful she was out of earshot, the green of his lightsaber ignited.

“Get a scan of the place, Hopper.”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

While it may be hard to discern her nod with her neck gaiter and bindings, Choli confirmed with Jared Starchaser and said [ That is correct. If I need help he can locate me and come back to request aide if needed.]

It was short order getting out of the cavern. Standing outside, the milky swath of a multitude of stars dotted the sky. It was a clear dusk, the last vestiges of light from the twin suns a lingering Amber indigo glow in the distant horizon.

It made her think back of the last time she’d been here. With Trextan Voidstalker . Thoughts percolated her her head for a moment, mulling what he was doing, if he was okay, and if he still thought of her. It had been so long since she last saw him and had the ability to just be with him. Chloe had mentioned in her past just how things drifted away between Jorus and her in their past and the Corellian’s regrets at not acting on time.

Time changes things. People. Just like war. One never knew what could occur.

With a heavy sigh, the former Rogue Pilot cast it from her mind. It was time to hunt for dinner.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

“Roger that.” He gave a nod, not wearing near as much as she was, not worried about being covered as she was, maybe for a lack of education on the planet, but also for the freedom of movement he needed to perform some of his own feats, as a Force user and as a Mirialan, he preferred to move quickly. Part of being a Sentinel, he supposed.

He moved quicker than his father, wasn’t the one who needed to be the center of attention, contrarily, he was more akin to a Consular or Shadow, if he was on the Jedi payroll. Lucky for all involved, he wasn’t. He was a Hunter, and used his abilities to better the world around him. Technically he was good, but sometimes the ways he achieved that were less-than-lawful.

But here it was merely time to help Choli get to her target and support her how he could.

As they parted ways, Jared made to search the cave deeper, really hoping that there wasn’t anything here. He heard some sounds but he didn’t know if they were in or out of the cavern. As he made deeper, Hopper warned him of a fork and Jared took one path. He felt it before he heard it and fell hard to the ground. His hand reached for his lightsaber a bit too slow as it fell aside.

A massiff had tackled him to the ground. An arm moved fast to use the Force and throw up a small barrier before the Massiff could bite down.

“Karabast…” He muttered looking for his saber. Hopper beeping and hopping over the location of it. Jared still had to deal with getting a hand free from this creature. Not so easy when it was constantly biting at his arm. The Force affording some protection but the tension and strength of the jaw was present as he reached for his saber.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Unbeknownst to Choli Jared Starchaser 's predicament with the Massiff, the former Rogue pilot carefully hiked her way down towards the ravine in search for food. She'd hope she could either trap a jakrab or perhaps another similar creature. However, ten minutes into it, she could not locate any jakrab droppings.

Searching a bit more revealed that there weren't any smaller game animals, either. She did, however, manage to find a series of Profogg burrows.
Profoggs were small rodents that were builders of complicated underground "towns". These rodents were the scourge of many an Eopie rider, who were often thrown to the ground when their mount stumbled over a hole. Each profogg town could span several hectares and contain 50 to 100 profoggs, with each compartmentalized burrow serving a specific function to the community.

Profogg would still be something to eat, but upon closer inspection, Choli cursed that the burrow town she discovered was empty. All was not lost. As she inspected the burrow, she could see the telltale signs of hardened saliva cocoons: Gorgs.

Happy with her luck, she set about digging out as much of the dirt as she could around the Profogg entrance. Another few minutes and she was covered in sand and dirt, but she had three gorg cocoons. These would grill up nicely.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Another roll on the ground to get away from the Massiff was not enough, the beast was still coming after Jared. Looking up he could only wish that his Witch instructors had given him something more to deal with getting away from a problem. He looked, as Hopper caused a small flash to illuminate the room. He had a few seconds to get the lay of the land, something he was capable of from his past, a paramilitary brat as a child.

Turning, he ran for the short wall. It was a jump to get the hand hold and pull himself up. As he got up, the Massiff was still moving, trying to get up and to him, searching for the way up. Calling on the Force, and whispering a spell, almost a song, tendrils of blue energy crawled out of the cave, weak and flickering.

No water. Not easy to summon a tentacle of a water spirit through a desert. But he had another spell. Switching gears, Jared put a hand up and summoned the storm that he knew was in him and was something he could summon even here. A crack of lightning erupted, not the purple lightning of the Sith, but something yellow. Something unique.

It raced to the Massiff and struck it, stunning it, after a few seconds. That gave Jared time to pull out his Kyber cannon and line up his shot. One, two, and three shots to the neck fell the beast.

Getting down from the ledge, he moved to help Hopper up from where the beast’s tail flung him. “Any more life signs?” Hopper beeped in the negative.

“Good, lets go back.”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Choli trudged back to the cavern, her steps purposeful despite the weight of disappointment lingering on her shoulders. The hunting expedition had yielded no game to snare, but the disappointment turned to a glimmer of satisfaction as she stumbled upon a cluster of gorg cocoons tucked within a damp crevice. Though unappetizing at first glance, these bulbous, slimy structures harbored a delicacy within the plump, amphibious reptiles that made for a savory meal once grilled.

Aware of the disdain most may hold for the gooey, squirming cocoons, Choli set to work outdoors. She deftly peeled back the layers with practiced efficiency, revealing the wriggling inhabitants within. The process was messy, but she was undeterred, driven by the prospect of a flavorful feast waiting to be savored.

Upon her return to the cavern, the sight of three elongated bodies suspended from a taut string would sway gently in the evening breeze.
Each creature, skinned and gutted, hung like eerie ornaments, lengths almost as long as her forearm. Dipping inside, Choli pulled her goggles away from her face, looking around.

Arr-four rolled over to her, giving a series of hoots and whistles that Jared Starchaser had left to scout the cave and had not returned yet. A frown of concern percolated over her brow.

[ How long ago? ] She had to get a fire going, but if Jared and Hopper were in trouble, she would search for them.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

This was what he knew, combat, fighting. Defending himself and others from whatever was sent his way in the Force. Raiders, sure, but his speciality was in beasts, what others would call monsters. He was a hunter, and creatures were the bane of many settlements on the Rim. He had been working with his mentor in the Witch traditions, but had not fully devoted himself to learning all of the skills. Including the summoning spell the Witches seem to be capable of.

Imagine that, summoning a spectral-ichor beast that he had killed. It would definitely be a good jump off point for him evening the battles he found himself in.

Following Hopper, Jared had extinguished his blade a while back, no green glow going to light his way back, no one going to see the lightsaber in his hand. A small limp in his leg as he made his way back to camp. Hopper a few feet above him.

The exploration droid tweedled a greeting at Choli and her droid. Jared stepped into the light of the camp next. “This planet has so many creatures. Your people are good at surviving, huh?”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

A small limp in his leg as he made his way back to camp. Hopper a few feet above him.

The exploration droid tweedled a greeting at Choli and her droid. Jared stepped into the light of the camp next. “This planet has so many creatures. Your people are good at surviving, huh?”

Thankfully, as soon as Arr-Four detailed the length of time Jared Starchaser and Hopper had left to investigate the channels and areas of the cavern for hostile creatures, she saw the Mirialan's face.

Choli unclipped the breathing mask from her face, and with the goggles perched on top of her head, Jared would finally be able to see his companion's face. She was human, a young woman in her early twenties with olive skin, either due to too much sun or her genetics, with bright gold hazel eyes. The slanted almond shape those golden orbs were encased in indicated that perhaps she may be of Atrisian descent or perhaps Jedha. Maybe even an Epicanthix? Should he attempt try to converse with her or conduct a mind trick telepathically, if it failed, then he would have his answer. That is, if Jared were of the sort to try such a trick.

"Are you alright?" without the mask, her voice held only the slightest of accents reminiscent of those he'd have heard along the various outposts on Tatooine. So, she was indeed a native. While it may not be so evident, her golden eyes melted into a blue-green hue of concern, an indication that the state of her emotions would change their hue.

"I have a medkit and some herbs," she offered, coming to a knee to grab at her satchel. Beside her, Jared would see that she had collected brush and combustible materials for a small fire. Turning towards Arr-four, she told him, "Arrfour, get the fire going. " he gave a chrip and rolled over towards the collected brush. A small appendage arm ejected out, and he used a small laser to try and ignite the brush.

"Arr-four can get the fire going, and then I can get these grogs to grill. Shouldn't take long, so I can look after your injury if you like."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Some worlds were just easier than others to deal with. Some didn’t have fauna that was always trying to eat anything that had a gooey, liquid center. But not all worlds were a desert like Tatooine. Others were like Jakku, a complete wasteland. He wasn’t familiar with any life there. But then again, Crait had their foxes, so… Who was he to judge? Corellia was an urbanized planet, Csillia was once an ice ball, now destroyed, and Mirial was pretty sparse.

What he hadn’t expected when he got back was that Choli was already going to be there, or be talking about maybe him? Least of all was he expecting her to remove her mask and goggles. Wasn’t that a taboo on this world, for those raised here? His own eyes, blue that seemed almost hazel against his green skin, still did a quick once over of her. He hadn’t known what to expect. But not someone of possibly Atrisian descent?

“I’m fine, just Massiff?” He ran a hand over the bite on his arm. The rest were superficial bumps and bruises from the fight. “Anything I need be concerned about? Venom?” He looked at what she had, food, for one. “If its not a poison we can get food going. I should have some bacta patches on the bike.” Healing was not something he had found he could do.

At least not like his father

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"A massiff?" Choli frowned, the blue-green hue of her eyes converting to a gray in contemplation. "Other than normal infection no. No venom. We will need to ensure it is cleaned properly." she relayed.

"Give me a bit, and I will set this up." a pause, and then she turned to look at Jared Starchaser . "Did it appear rabid? If not, if you could guide me to where it is at, I can harvest the meat as well." no sense in wasting anything.

R4 managed to get some kindling ignited, and before long, a fire was gently crackling. "Bacta patches should be fine after."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared took a second to consider. Was that what it was called? He supposed she would be better at naming the wildlife on her own planet. He was glad to hear that there wasn’t any venom, or toxin in it. The man watched Choli and considered her next line. “Didn’t seem to be rabid no. Back in the cave a few hundred feet.”

Jared looked at the med-kit. At his bike, there was a bacta patch set up and the wanderer took to tending to his wounds.

“A good meal should get us through, yeah? Then we make our way to your sand demon? Give me a few and I can help haul it back here with you?”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser

Choli nodded, moving towards the fire Ar-Four started and began to set things up to grill. With the light of the fire, they were basked in a warm honey glow. She crouched down on her haunches, setting up the fire and subsequent coals for the skewered Gorgs.

"That's right. Luckily, I can pick up on the canyon trail, not the dunes. It would be too open for risk if we were out in the open." she explained, "If we can manage to pin it with nowhere to go, I should be able to take it. Otherwise, we will have to improvise." She'd heard tales of how other warriors would hunt the Sand Demon. Unfortunately, as the rite was to hunt, the knowledge that there was another way to capture the exoskeleton of a Sand Demon without killing it but convincing it to shed its skin in a splash of blood was not privy to the young woman.

It wouldn't take long for the lingering aroma of grilled meat to waft from the crackling fire. Choli knew the sight of the skewered Gorg bodies might be disconcerting, even repulsive, to those unaccustomed to the realities of survival in the wild. However, they were tasty nonetheless. Some might say it even tasted just like grilled Nuna.

Jared Starchaser

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Rapid fire questions, he realized he didn’t delineate the topic of each question. Moving fast was a problem, he supposed. The fire was feeling nice and it pulled Jared’s mind back to the present. The man was here to help and getting into bigger problems too fast was not going to help anyone.

He nodded as she explained the tracking. He was all for helping find it, and when they got to it… Well, he may have to show her a few tricks he tried to keep under wraps until he absolutely needed to use them. With the Sith and Mandalorians out there, he didn’t want to be mistaken for a Jedi. He was trained, and his family was of the Order, but he… wasn’t.

“Improvisation is one of the things I’m good at.” Pulling a win out of a bad situation? That was definitely something a Rimmer like he could do. He eyed the meat as he ran a few combat scenarios in his head. “So, what is this again?” Indicating the meal as Hopper scanned it.

Choli Vyn