Private Children of the Wastes

[Jared Starchaser]

He may want to be the one who is the hero, but he was smart enough to not get involved in someone else’s fight. Specifically if they called him off of it. In a war zone? Well, he and the Underground had to do what they had to do, but it didn’t mean he was just going to step in when someone else clearly had it, or didn’t want him involved.

For Choli, it was more than just glory of a war or single combat. This was her life, her coming of age. Maybe after this? He could help her get off this world and back into the galaxy at large. Tossing a glance to her to make sure she wasn’t dead, since this was more him being here to support her. As he watched her move, he swung his lightsaber around, using the shoto to pin one of the beasts down and his full blade to finish it off. The split-saber was a wonderful tool to use, and just felt utilitarian.

As the cry came, Jared stepped a foot back, his full blade pointed up across his body, and the shoto pointed at the incoming. Extinguishing the short blade, he called on the Force to form a barrier as the smaller demons jumped for him. Most were stopped, still a few got through and he was working to pick them off with the lightsaber.

A roll, to loosen them from him, and he bent the Force to launch the small creatures into the wall, a bit of ballistikinesis, a trick of the Jenssarai. Still, a few bites through his tunic. He could feel the blood trickling over his greened skin as he stepped up again. Ready for the next wave.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser

The Force was with Choli.

Or perhaps the skills she practiced growing up in the dunes of Tatooine finally culminated to this one moment when she could finally claim the Sand Demon for her rites.

The massive beast buckled underneath Choli, but the woman managed to hold fast. Another slice and savage thrust of her knife and it was plunged right into the vulnerable section where the Sand Demon's organs lay. She gave a grunt, using the force of the buck to follow down and under to the Sand Demon's belly, where her blade scored and sliced through the now vulnerable carapace.

The Sand Demon gave a banshee screetch, before attempting to trample at Choli. Yet by this point it was too late. The woman's legs worked like pistons, darting from under the creature until she managed to tumble and roll out of the way, the Sand Demon teetering and tottering before it finally fell, crashing fangs first into the ground.

With her heart hammering in her chest, Choli breathed in and out. I did it.

I did it!

Although the celebration was short lived, as a sudden swipe from her right from a smaller insect let her know they were not done yet. Only a few more of the smaller ones were left, and with Jared's skilled fighting, they would be able to take them on quick enough.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

An eye over his shoulder, Jared could feel the Force changing behind him. Did he know why? Not exactly. He had his focus on himself. Jedi and the others who used the Force on the average couldn’t focus on so many things at a time. Perhaps when the battle was truly bringing them deeper into the Force, but Jared was working to keep himself alive.

And to keep the smaller beasts on him and away from Choli.

What he didn’t sense, he heard a few moments later. Choli got herself the advantage and the sound that was filling the area was definitely the Sand Demon collapsing into the sand. The smaller ones saw their protector, leader, or sire, fall to the ground. They immediately went even more feral as they came faster towards Jared, some running towards Choli as well. Jared swept his saber in an arc, and threw the shoto into another spin, hitting the sand between them and the one he was here to assist.

Bringing them back towards him, he readied to make short work of those that approached.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser

They worked in tandem, and this time, Choli plucked the lightsaber dagger from her hip, igniting the yellow blade. While it didn't have the reach that Jared's had, it at least allowed her to slice and carve through the smaller Sand Demon spawn. She had already made short work of the adult, it didn't matter if she used a saber this time around with the smaller ones.

With a grunt and a deft move of her feet, Choli summoned the Force to telekinetically pull at one of the beasts towards her, using her light dagger to stab at it, sending bits of charred husk onto the floor as it squealed in its death throes.

Finally, heaving of breath, the pair stood, having made short work of the rest. At long last, Choli collapsed onto the floor into a sitting positon. The air smelled distinctly of scorched chitin and blood soaked sand. She just needed a breather.

Falling back onto her palms, leaving her deactivated lightdagger and hunting knife on the floor, she began to laugh.

"I did it. We did it." Choli's olive sweat soaked face would beam a massive grin over to the Mirialan.

"Thank you."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Mopping up. The worst part of a job when fighting after monsters. Some beasts just didn’t quit, and Jared was too well aware of that. But when it came to the larger picture, of beings, and sentients? They’d just surrender and prevent the further loss of life, the unnecessary loss of life. As much as he was a fighter, and a hunter, he was a Starchaser, and life had a value to it. Even a beast’s life.

Seeing the small yellow blade, he nodded. She did mention a Warden. And being another vagrant of the Force. There was more to Choli than met the eye. She was making short work of the other spawn, the ones that he wasn’t able to get to.

When there were no others, he doused out his blades, affixing them together, and to his belt, they hung, joined, but bent, ready to be separated, or joined, depending on his need.

“You did. What comes next?” He looked around, then at her. “Are you hurt? I know a little medical… well, you saw, enough to use bacta…”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser

It took a Jared asking the question for Choli to realize she did have a few cuts. One along the back of her hand, and her arm certainly had nearly overextended itself trying to hold onto the Sand Demon. There was a distinct soreness that in the wake of the adrenaline rush was revealing; she'd feel this for several days if not weeks.

"Hah... just a few patch-ups. It is the muscle soreness that will get me." She admitted, flopping back fully onto her back to continue catching her breath. "I'm just glad I didn't get stabbed with a pincher... not sure if that would have hurt worse than a sniper shot or not." her hand unconsciously came up to rub along the right side of her upper chest, where that warlord sniper had managed to get her a few years past. She almost hadn't made it then.

"I'll need to scavenge the carapiece and some parts for crafting my mask... but otherwise, do you want any of the parts? They make good armor pieces, either from the mother or the smaller ones." Choli offered. Once she gathered what she could, it was just a matter of going back. Might take a bit to make sure she prepped the parts for travel, but wouldn't take that long.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

After a fight, Jared knew that sometimes self care and being self aware were the last things to come back. Combat was challenging, and it brought some people either deeper into themselves, or further from themselves. And it was worth it to check in to see where the folks were afterwards. Seemed like Choli was a bit better than most would be after fighting one of those larger Demons. Jared had the small ones, and barring a few knicks and scraps was not too far off fine.

“No poison in anything that the Sand Demon could have gotten you with?”

“I may, if that offer is true, take some from the smaller ones. The large one is your kill, your prize.” He nodded as he used the Force to start gathering up some of the smaller bodies, their shells clinging together. “Is it safe here for the evening?”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser

"None that I know of." At least from what she understood. Then again, who knew? Choli wasn't the best when it came to healing through the Force or sensing that sort of thing, and her specialty lay in field medic practicality and Tusken Raider herbalism.

"Would you be able to find out if there was?" She asked, curious, moving up to a sitting position again. When he agreed to the smaller carapieces, Choli gave a confirming nod. "I can prepare the smaller ones for you. Their shells are made out of a very strong material." Choli elaborated, giving a grimace as she tried to get to her feet. Now that the adrenaline was gone, the soreness of her muscles and the aches and pains were rearing their painful head.

"Just.. might take me some time. Maybe an hour if you don't mind the additional wait." She was already pushing her luck with his goodwill, she didn't want to continue to bother him if that were the case.

"It should be safe here for now for the evening, so we can set up camp." Choli added, "Get some good rest before leaving back to town before the suns get too hot."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Was that a statement for the sheer number of people who didn’t get glancing blows from a Sand Demon, or just no knowledge. Perhaps people were better at fighting these things when they were thrown into it. “I can see if there is anything going on…” Jared was a Hunter, and part of that was knowing what was ailing those he was trying to help, though he’d have to bring anyone who needed serious Force-healing assistance to Kattada and the attention of Celeste Rigel.

Taking a knee, he reached out to the Sand Demon and focused his attention. Nothing seemed to be oozing, no sense of danger beyond the obvious. He looked up to Choli and shook his head. “Shouldn’t be any poison. And yes, if you can prepare those, we can use the swoop to get them back to the ships.” He had an idea to dress up some of his Jensaarai armor pieces. Should be enough to let him slip through ranks of over zealous Vong, should he need that.

“I will be honest, Choli, once we’re done here, I have exactly zero places that need me, so my time is as long as it takes.” He offered with a laugh. Looking to their gear, he began to busy himself with camp. “Better than traveling at night, for sure.”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Chloe gave a nod and then exhaled a brief sigh of relief, bringing her hands to rest at her hips while evaluating the scene, only to give a grimace at the sudden protest of her arms. Yeah, she had certainly put them through the wringer. Her body would be complaining for the next several days if not weeks, even with additional poultices. She wasn't a healer by any means, so it would have to be dealt with through time.

"I am glad then, there isn't any poison to worry about," she began, adding, "I will get started on getting these carapaces prepared then. Once the camp is set up, we can go back for Arr-Four and Hopper." only for pearly white teeth to flash against her olive skin regarding Jared having absolutely no other place to go to once they are done.

"Really? Do you have no other plans? Did you just decide to wander your way across Tatooine and see what comes up?" she asked in an amused and incredulous tone, humor coloring her eyes from a hazel to a vibrant green. Choli got up to her feet, stretched a bit to get a feel for her limbs, and then put away all her weapons except for her hunting knife. It was a multiuse tool that will help her get through the tough bits and scrape off the innards. If she needed something with more omph, she could bring out her light knife to cut through.