Dude, my ship!

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Midvinter; crashing and screaming

"Mayday, mayday, Jedi down!" There was likely nobody within thirty parsecs to hear the call, but it sounded cool anyway. It always seemed that while everybody else had nothing but blue skies, Gherron was always the odd one out. And this particular time, it had cost him. Rocketing down to the planet surface, he tried everythin he could. Flares. Flaps. Thrusters. Thrusters? Oh no. The screaming became even louder as the ship picked up speed.

"AHHHH!"

[member="Lok Jorunn"]

 

[Lok Jorunn]

"Dammit, Lars!" The heavily accented voice growled, the speaker pulling away from the dog covered in a light caking of snow. The thickly dressed man bent down to retrieve a scrap of paper from the mammal's mouth, yanking Lars closer to him by the collar. "I told you not to shred my things." Lok gave the panting hound a sharp pat to the head as he scolded him. With a heavy sigh, the man rose from the crouch and shifted his weight to throw himself back into his chair at his desk. The wooden frame creaked beneath him as he planted his elbows on it and placed the scrap of paper back onto his stack before withdrawing a clean sheet and delving back into his thoughts.

Dear Bjork,

I will be leaving the Far North within the next twenty four hours. Thank you for everything you've done for me, but it's time I stopped depending on someone to help me financially. You've been both a blessing and a pleasure to have spent this whole year with, but I must leave to draw my own path in this world. Save a spot in Beornskald for me if anything ever happens. First round's on me.

Lok

As the young Valkyri finished writing his three letter name with a flourish, he folded it up and slipped it inside of an envelope. Bjord was a great man, one of the few he slightly trusted when things went wrong. Together, the two similarly aged men lived in a double bedroom apartment as roommates. The young Valkyr lied a little about his time of departure, but planned to leave right after writing the simple letter. Knowing his luck, it would be best to at least ensure he could come back if things didn't work out in the early run.

As the man slipped the straps of his survival pack on, all of his belongings in there, he secured a steel sword to his hip and prepared himself to head out. The furred hood was pulled over his head, gloves were slipped on, and his boots were laced up. Within quick reach was his first aid kit and a small dagger, both made easily accessible by the utility belt he wore. Lok bent down to nuzzle Lars' head. "Take care, boy." And with that, he was out into the city bristling with activity. A solemn glance was all he gave the city in regards to a farewell before starting off out into the sea of white.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron woke up with a start, his vision blurry. How long had he been asleep? A few minutes? Hours? He surely hoped not. Getting up stiffly and with a small groan, he unbuckled his seat belt and stumbled over to the open hatch. Taking even a single step was unwise, as he found himself falling seven feet headfirst into a snow bank. "This is just my luck", he said as he stumbled back out. "Where am I?" , he asked sharply, apparently to nobody in particular. From his surroundings, he figured Hoth. Or Ilum. Strangely enough, the place had a much different feel from either of the planets. "Great. I'm stuck out here in the cold, freezing myself to death, and have no karking idea where I am!" The scream may have been heard for miles, but he figured he was in a place so desolate, the only living things in the area were wampas. Not like they could help, anyway.

[member="Lok Jorunn"]

 

[Lok Jorunn]

As the fully equipped man started off into the snow, he couldn't help but continuously look backwards towards the Far North. He was leaving again, the third time in the past four years. If only he could find a place to finally rest in peace and avoid unwanted attention or warfare. Granted, Lok could hold his own, but he never fought unless provoked. Very rarely did people challenge the outcast. Gaining their attention was a feat. Oh well, the only person he could trust was himself. Nobody else cared and life was dull. Dull and boring.

The man stamped on through the thick snow in rugged boots, scanning the horizon and all aspects of the environment. He'd learned at a young age that the terrain and climate wasn't the only thing capable of killing. A blaze of anger sparked in his heart as he recalled fading memories of his parents being torn apart by a Hrothwurm, never to be seen again. Before his thoughts could delve down into the darker sections of his mind, a ripping sound tore through the sky in a fury of smoke and screeching metallic plates. A high pitched wail sounded out as the object neared the ground before plummeting into a torrent of snow and tearing a gouge into the muddy earth beneath the frosted layer of ground.

"What the fu-?"

He silenced himself as his sword was drawn and he stampeded towards the billows of smoke as a sheet of snow began to drift down from the sky.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Sighing to himself once more, Gherron forced himself to remain calm. There was a fine line between being frustrated, and being a crybaby. Sitting cross-legged in the snow, he closed his eyes and delved into the force. What he saw bewildered him. He was on neither Hoth or Ilum, but another planet entirely. He'd never seen it on any galaxy maps, that's for sure. Was it possible he'd discovered a new planet? What life made it their home? He stretched his will outward to find out. Soon, he caught the signature of a very built man, quickly making his way over to Gherron's position. So, he had been heard after all. 'Might as well go greet the guy', he thought. Getting back up, he brushed the snow off of his robe and leaped back up to the opening of his ship. He needed some warmth first.

[member="Lok Jorunn"]

 

[Thulgar the Black]

From the abyss, Midvinter shone with the intensity of a nobleman's freshly polished pearl. Its crags and gullies were constantly covered in a thick blanket of snow. It was just as his father told him, yet words could never convey the beauty of his homeworld- the home of which he was robbed.

The thought made Thulgar's brow furrow and his grip on the control yolk tighten, until his knuckles matched the hue of the tundra-world. He took a few breaths the clear his mind. He could not get caught up admiring Midvinter's brilliance; he had unfinished business. He was a predator. the ever alert hunter, and the gift of finding his homeworld was only possible due to his prey's folly.
Thulgar had been hunting Gherron for some time now, following him as he flit from planet to planet, all over some silly wager gone wrong. While the offense was far from severe, in Thulgar's eyes, the slight required retribution by bloodshed, as did any slight against him.
But a simple back alley duel was not enough for Thulgar- his mind had been set on another quest when his disagreement occurred. Due to his father's exile, Thulgar only knew of Midvinter by his fathers story. Niether he, nor his father did not have the exact coordinates to his homeworld, yet through years of research, he narrowed the search to a specific sector of space. It was that sector of space that Thulgar sprung his trap for Gherron, tying his plans and intentions together in one felled swoop.
It started with hiring a mechanic to sabotage Gherron's ship, as well as plant a tracking device. Then Thulgar followed as his prey, biding his time until he entered the sector that his father deducted would host Midvinter. When the time was right, Gherron's ship would begin to display warning signals and sirens would be the only sound he knew. He would have to find a safe world to put his ship down. If Midvinter was indeed in this sector of space, that would be where he landed. If not, then Thulgar would simply have to continue his search.

Inhale, exhale; clear your mind.

His mind was clear, and he brought the control yolk forward, tilting the nose of his WR-542, named Drexyl Bane, towards the pristine white surface of Midvinter. His vessel screamed towards the atmosphere, glowing as his vessel's namesake.
The snow on Midvinter seemed untouched and peaceful, yet the reverberating thump of Thulgar's vessel breaking the sound barrier did a good job of disrupting that peace. The vessel shot over Gherron's crashed ship, then continued on before setting down out of sight behind a set of hills.

The hunter had landed.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Lok Jorunn]

With the pack hampering his movements, the Valkyr took longer than usual to reach his target, his blade still drawn. "You there, what's happened?!" He shouted, jabbing an index finger at the gouge in the earth and the smoldering debris that peppered the ground around him. Although he was rather tentative of the fact that his behavior had changed almost completely in a matter of moments, transforming from some wanderer to an investigator in a fraction of a second. Lok's eyes remained widened in bewilderment at the contraption that had smashed down and soiled the landscape of his home.

The blowing winds and falling snow didn't exactly help things in the least. "Are you injured?" Lok questioned the man, lowering his sword ever so slightly and moving towards him with measured steps and cold eyes.

[member="Thulgar the Black"] [member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron popped out a few minutes later, now donning a heavy winter coat in place of his Jedi robes. Jumping the seven feet back down, he dusted himself off, now facing the man whose presence he had felt earlier. "Wow, you got here faster than I expected." He raised an eyebrow at the man's question. "Well as you can see, I've crashed my ship here. I'm fine, but this hunk of metal is... well, nothing more than a hunk of metal with electronics at the moment. Where am I, exactly?" He made his way closer to the strangely-garbed man, inspecting him slowly.

[member="Lok Jorunn"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Thulgar the Black]

Amid the hills and crags, Thulgar found a small plain where his vessel touched down. Repulsors pushed mounds of snow away, revealing the stony ground. The vessel touched down with a light hiss, as the landing gear's hydraulics leveled the ship out. A second hiss followed the first as the boarding ramp lowered; the giant disembarked, footsteps muffled by the snow.

Thulgar felt his heart race with anticipation. He inhaled deeply, letting the brisk winter air fill his lungs. It was like breathing for the first time. Goosebumps crawled up his exposed skin; this place was home to him. The temperature was perfect, as was the weather. He rose his face to look to the sky, letting snow flakes kiss his rough tanned skin. Clad in his usual mosaic of mismatching armor pieces, along with his black cloak, made from the pelt of felled beasts, winters grip was nothing but soothing to him.
He checked his supplies before setting off. Across his back was an X-1 Disruptor Carbine, and a Massive claymore, while on his hips hung two vibrodaggers, each with 7 inch blades. Pulling his black pelt cloak around him, he began to walk towards the pillar of smoke which rose from the wreckage.

[member="Gherron Vael"], [member="Lok Jorunn"]

 

[Lok Jorunn]

White specks of frosted water vapor descended softly upon the pair of bodies standing amid a heaping pile of debris and scattered craters. The Valkyri lowered his sword even more, easing himself at the presence of a being who seemed much like himself. The man didn't have the build nor accent to be a Valkyr, and whatever this smoking next to him was would probably be deemed heretical to the traditional Valkryi way of life. Lok had read about these vehicles in the books he'd purchased from traders. They were known as starships, most advanced civilizations had them. As for Lok, all he had was stored in the backpack strapped to his shoulders.

As the stranger spoke, Lok's blade raised to his throat immediately. "Answer my questions first, outlander. Who are you and from what land do you hail?" A deep, but rather young voice commanded. "Answer me and I shall give you information, stranger."

[member="Thulgar the Black"], [member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron arched an eyebrow at the reply. Apparently, this wS a more primitive planet. Certainly not what he had expected, but he'd take it anyway. "My name is Gherron Vael. I 'hail' from a planet called Coruscant. It's... How do I explain this? It's covered in giant villages, some towering higher than others. It's a long ways from here, that's for sure." Looking around once more, he repeated himself. "So... Where am I?"

[member="Lok Jorunn"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Lok Jorunn]

Lok nodded slightly in acknowledgement as his questions were answered. His sword lowered as he assumed that the young boy was telling the truth, though he kept a close eye on him. "You are on Midvinter. Land of the Valkyri." He replied, hitting his chest with a balled hand in honor of the traditional Valkyr greeting. "Lok." The hand rested upon his chest for a moment. "My name is Lok." As Lok's steel grey eyes waved over the wreckage with another glimpse, a chill of the frigid wind sent him back into reality.

"Do you require assistance?"

[member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron looked around him, seemingly for the third time. "Mid...vinter? Never heard of it. Wait until the Republic hears about this..." Coming back to reality after his statement, he brought his back to the man named Lok. What had he called himself? A valkyri? Interesting name. "Actually, I require loads of assistance, but I'm not sure if you can give me any. Are you very handy with ships?"

[member="Lok Jorunn"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Lok Jorunn]

While the stranger spoke, Lok took the chance to sheath the blade back into its home upon his hip before setting down his backpack and unzipping the main pouch. After rustling past a few lighter sets of clothing, he found one of his spare coats near the bottom and pulled it out. The Valkyr zipped the bag back up and slung it over his shoulder. Just as he moved to hand the garb to the stranger, his words made him jerk his hand backwards. "Your Republic shall not hear of us. We are a peaceful people and you outsiders bring more than enough heresy and-" He stopped to glance back over at the wreckage. "destruction to our lands."

His face turned grim as he rose to full height and stepped closer to him. "I don't know much about your 'ships' except for the fact that they walk on air. If you wish for my help, swear that this encounter shall remain a closely guarded secret."

[member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Thulgar the Black]

Thulgar plowed through the snow with haste. His target was not extremely far away, yet if he were to tarry, he might miss his opportunity to end him. He made his way around one of the foothills that concealed his vessel. Behind him, his footprints were quickly shrouded by newly fallen snow.

His cloak was covered in a line of snow and ice as he reached the base of the foothill. He could see the wreckage now. Reaching over his shoulder, he unholstered his X1 Carbine, fitted with a long range scope, and peered through it, using it as an improvised set of binoculars.

His scope ran across the white tundra for several seconds before falling upon the crashed vessel, and near by, two men spoke. One he recognized immediately as Gherron, though the second was much larger. One of his kin- it did not take an anthropologist to know a Valkyri when they saw one. He watched in silence as the interaction took place.
[member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Lok Jorunn"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

"But why? This is an important find, for both my people and yours. We can learn about your culture, and both of us could benefit." He really wanted his ship repaired, but he was also looking out for the good of the Republic. A lot of benefit could come to both civilizations if more knew about Midvinter.

[member="Lok Jorunn"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Lok Jorunn]

"The decision to join two civilizations is not mine," he retorted, "and it isn't yours either." Without waiting for him to even formulate a reply, Lok had already shoved the thick coat into his arms. Steel grey eyes glazed over the landscape for a brief moment, detecting something different than usual. Maybe it was just a feeling in his gut, or even just the shock that an outworlder had crashed his ship a few miles away from the Far North. "Come, we must find shelter before the sun falls." He waved the boy over and cocked his head back at the city in the distance. "That is the Far North."

And with that, Lok started off towards civilization with the outsider in tow.

[member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Sighing, Gherron reluctantly nodded and followed the man. As they trudged through the snow, he noticed Lok had kept his eyes at the surrounding landscape almost the entire time. "I feel it too", he said, looking as well. Somewhere, in the mountains, Gherron could feel the faraway presence of another, which seemed to be watching them. He wasn't going to walk up there and demand answers, yet something told him it wasn't exactly a social call.

[member="Lok Jorunn"] [member="Thulgar the Black"]

 

[Thulgar the Black]

*Thulgar watched the men speak for a few moments, his target seemed to be insistent on something, but the Valkyri was standing his ground. Then the conversation ceased and the valkyri examined the land with a troubled expression. Thulgar stood very still, hoping that he was presuming that he some how spooked the pair rather than actually doing it. Then the jedi looked in his direction for a few seconds. That was the confirmation that Thulgar needed. They may not have known that they were being hunted, but they were weary. It made his job much more difficult now. He waited to see what the two would do next.*

 

[Lok Jorunn]

The man cocked his head towards the Jedi trailing him. "Felt what?" He asked. Lok wasn't sure how the young man following him had felt the same disturbance, but it was rather ominous. The Valkyri tended to get these glimpses of the future from time to time, and he wasn't so sure what to think about it. Sometimes he could feel people coming, sometimes he couldn't. During his younger years, Lok had heard tales of mysterious off-worlders with powers capable of doing anything. Their wars and conflicts stretched across billions of miles and warriors had the ability to even move things on sheer will. The man mentally shrugged, tossing the thought aside as his legs plunged knee-deep into thick snow.

"Where were you going?" A follow up question ensued. Even though this man had crashed his starship on Midvinter, he was obviously going somewhere.

[member="Thulgar the Black"] [member="Gherron Vael"]