Private Howl of the Wolf

[Aiden Wolf]

Location: Planet Stewjon, at 150 feet and holding in the GS-77 Gunship
Local Time: 1800 hours
Equipment: Body/Suit/Sword, M-18 Pit Viper, SYC Grenades, Ion Grenades, DEX Satchel charges
Tags: Gerwald Lechner

Spoiler: Theme

Aiden paced back and forth across the deck of the ship as it came down through the clouds. His next target, was a new Lord Marshal that had just been appointed to his position. One Gerwald Lechner. Aiden perused the files as he looked over it once more. A shifter, or more correctly a Lupine shifter. It was noted in his file that in Wolf Form he'd experience increased strength, speed, and other traits more commonly associated with a "Wolf".

How ironic, Aiden thought.

A member of the Knights Obsidian, this one was no stranger to combat. And on his home world no less, which made him feel safe. He would believe himself untouchable here, able to counter any perceived threat. And normally Aiden would agree, except that he was no normal being that this Lechner had ever encountered. He checked his blade once again, and dagger making sure both locked into place properly, ensuring that on the drop they wouldn't go flying away. This ship, it had been Sergei's before the construction of his first capital ship, The Aegis. Aiden could almost feel the spirits of those left behind on such a vessel, he could feel Sergei's gaze upon him. That the old man had wanted him to stay away from this. To make something else of himself.

Then he shouldn't have died.

Aiden held his helmet in his hands as he remembered his attack on the TDW's one place where they kept the GS-77 and his new "gifts" since the sudden disappearance, no, sudden death of Sergei. The Hope, a Dire Wolf class Star Destroyer, the first of its kind, and the herald of many more like her in the Confederacy. He had to board under false pretenses, taking a false name and donning a disguise to sneak aboard while the ship was in drydock. And then using Sergei's credentials, something only he and Sergei ever had, to bypass security locks. No one had thought to shut them down when he died, as there was only one Dire Wolf, and none had stepped up to fill the rank. So the seat would remain vacant, until someone who all believed was worthy of that title stepped up to claim it. Which meant that Aiden was perfectly fine using the credentials to get access to the secure vault of the ship where he'd found his gear, and a droid. A TCD-1D, which called itself "John" and nearly strangled Aiden the moment he turned it on. It claimed to be Jack's, but he'd have his doubts, as Sergei never mentioned it. The two of them however managed to sneak from the vault to the hangar, and stole the GS-77 from her berth, and managed to make a fast, if very loud escape. The carbon scoring on the hull from Hope's laser cannons trying to disable the ship were evidence enough of that. First Voph, who had told him that Sergei had died, and now onto the next piece of the puzzle.

Of the people with Sergei when he died, the easiest one to find by far with this Lechner. A brand new Lord Marshal, Aiden would find him. His files were quite encrypted as well, but with less on the line for Aiden to lose this time, he didn't bother holding back on them. This planet, Stewjon, a relative backwater. More tribal, less technological than other planets that Aiden had grown used to. But not unfamiliar with. In his time as a child soldier, Aiden had fought on many a world like this, either in sandy deserts, or wet forests such as this one. He'd killed many, slaughtered even more, and wreaked unimaginable destructions and horrors as a boy. His hand would tighten into a fist at the thought making itself known like this. Sergei had given him this new life, a life with a chance at causing no violence. To not be a tool of destruction, of war. To not have to survive by slaughtering enemies until you were knee deep in their corpses, blood and gore. Aiden would raise his helmet up and click it into place, the hiss of seals engaging and the momentary darkness as he willfully shut his one human eye and turned off his receptors in his cybernetic one. The helmet was now feeding sensory data directly to Aiden, giving him the ability to "see" all around him. Which was an odd way of putting it. It was moreso that he was now aware of everything around him at once. The droid would call from the cockpit of the vessel.

"Ten seconds to the drop off point,"

"Once I'm on the ground, radio silence until I call you to pick me up,"

"And if you get in trouble?"

"I won't,"

Aiden would step to the ramp which now was lowered and watched the ground rush past them below. It was a significant drop, but Aiden knew exactly how to do this, he'd done it multiple times before, his body's new augmentations being able to easily handle it. With no less flair or a second thought like he was simply stepping out for a Sunday stroll, Aiden simply walked forward and let gravity do the rest. His body would tumble out of the ship, spinning once through the air as he seemingly went limp, hitting the ground in a roll to dissipate the force of impact. As Aiden finally came to a stop, he would watch as the ship peeled off and went to be out of sight, out of mind. It had taken him some digging, but Aiden had finally found the reason why this Gerwald might come to this world. The man having been born and raised here, having the luxury of remembering his home. Aiden would stand and his visor would light up in a low red hue, as it engaged night vision. Aiden would begin walking, thanking whatever gods, or if the Force had even bothered to listen, for the fog and light rain. It was slightly calming for his nerves, the white noise of the rain hitting the ground. It would seem the Force was making it so that he could have this meeting. Aiden would tread lightly as he made his way to the home of the new Lord Marshal. He would not rely on luck, the force, or whatever gods might be looking down on them for help. They all had forsaken Aiden in his childhood, made him the mechanical monster that he absolutely despised. They had let him suffer a thousand lifetimes of pain, hunger, hatred, and agony. And in their single most cruel act.

They took the one thing that gave Aiden hope most in this galaxy. The one thing that kept Aiden on his path of becoming something different, something better, something more. And now the Dire Wolf was slain. The Dire Wolves missing a true head to the organization, and Aiden missing a father. John Locke was a great teacher, a wonderful father figure, and Auntie Gianna Aegis , was the most kind and caring soul a person could meet. The two had passed on many lessons, many teachings to the Reformed Wolf. But neither had the special bond between them and Aiden that Sergei had. Sergei had fought Aiden to a draw with his bare hands, had broken him of his indoctrination, and in all essences had seen exactly what Aiden had experienced. The horrors of war, the unforgivable strife of seeing people at their worst, and going for years doing nothing but fighting, killing, and destroying just to survive. What terrible lows a person could stoop to when the difference between life and death was fighting like an animal. It was why Aiden had to do this. He would hunt down whatever this thing was. He would kill it.

He would avenge his father's death, and if this Gerwald got in the way, he'd make him hurt as well.


Word Count: 1326
TWC: 9,207

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aiden Wolf

He was home... the one place in life which was supposed to bring comfort, and yet it did not. This was the site of his most tragic failure. Gerwald had abandoned his family which led to the events that saw him stand by as his sister murdered their parents. Gerwald had tried to forget that night as much as possible, and then he could not, the lupine often found himself wondering if there was anything he could have done differently. In truth, he knew there was nothing. The truth would have come to them eventually. All of them would have learned their mother had been lying to them, and their father was party to it. Gerwald had reconciled to himself that the only outcome was the one which had already happened.​

​

Then why was back at the site of his childhood home?​

​

Naalol.​

​

The events of that mission were still with him. Had it been a success, by no means or any stretch of the imagination. Everything about Naalol had been a failure, save for the fact the beast which they had faced found itself trapped in the Nether once more, or a world between worlds. Gerwald was unsure of how it all worked, all he knew was that he failed Naedira, once more, and those who had died in keeping the beast at bay. His mind was focused on them. He should have been the only one to sacrifice. Gerwald should have been the only one to pay the price of sending the beast back where it came.​

​

Gerwald was supposed to have destroyed the ring, and yet it did not break. It still hung around his neck, a duty, a burden, and his honor. How something could be all at once was a mystery to the wolf, and yet it was.​

​

A smile forced itself on his face as a hand touched the remains of a structural beam that had fallen to lay diagonally across the ruins of his home. Naedira would have liked it on Stewjon. She had been there before, but he was certain she had never seen his part of the planet. It was that she would have liked more than the palace reserved for the Viceroyal perhaps.​

​

As he reflected on the events which had led him here, Gerwald knew his course was forward. Many times he had made the decision to stop looking back without dealing with the first event that had led him to where he was. It was time to remedy that. Tossing the jacket aside, Gerwald began to clear the rubble.​

​

It was time to rebuild his home.​

 

[Aiden Wolf]

Location: Planet Stewjon, at 150 feet and holding in the GS-77 Gunship
Local Time: 1800 hours
Equipment: Body/Suit/Sword, M-18 Pit Viper, SYC Grenades, Ion Grenades, DEX Satchel charges
Tags: Gerwald Lechner

Aiden would tread lightly as he made his way through the surrounding woods. The damp air, the lighter rain under the trees surrounded by the rain falling through the gaps in the canopy. The actual smell of the mud, moss, trees, and rain surrounding him as he walked forward. He would walk forward in a fast but quiet pace, a small indicator on his HUD showing him the way as he not so much looked around him constantly, but essentially could "see" all around him. In another light, this place would have been beautiful. A place for Aiden to sit and contemplate himself and the galaxy at large. To meditate as Gia had taught him.

But now his mind saw none of that. He only saw a hunting ground.

He saw the trees as cover, the rain masking any noise his boots would make on the floor of the ground. He would briskly walk from one shadow to the next, seeming to blend into and out of them, the only thing visible was his visor, and even then the faint red glow was something that only those with sharp eyes would be able to pick out. He moved with the grace of a predator, quietly moving forward to stalk his prey and approach where he might be. Aiden's very heart beat was kept quiet to discourage the faintest of sounds coming from his body, a trick he'd learned and mastered as a slave. In those days though, he'd fought as a monster. He'd been a living weapon.

Of which the reminder of that still followed him around.

A black figure, darker than the very shadows themselves seemed to float behind Aiden. It's two beady red eyes would watch the young man with interest as it followed him quite closely. This shade would smile as it drank in all of the information and fed on Aiden's more base, more animalistic urges. The urge to take his combat suit and gloves off. To begin clawing various trees just to feel the bark and wood gave way under his fingers. To hunt like he used to, to embrace the ways Aiden had been submerged in so long. To fight like he was little more than a feral dog. To know what it was to once more feel a person's flesh rip, tear, and give under his wrath. To hear the screams of the living in fear, and to drink in the cries of the dying.

Aiden jerked his head to look the shade directly into its beady little eyes. He would not give into these urges. He would not be what he once was. He would never again let himself become the monster made flesh he used to be. The shade would smile with ghastly jagged white teeth.

Don't say never, it would tease. You'll slip at some point. And when you do, I'll still be here.

Aiden would shake his head and continue pressing forward, staying low as he continued moving towards the location of Gerwald's home. He would reach the edge of the treeline surrounding the house, looking out to see if he was there or yet to arrive. He couldn't see clearly on the inside of the remains of the building, but he could feel that someone was here. Aiden would begin walking out of the treeline towards the house, now more casually walking as if this Gerwald were to look at him now, he'd clearly see him. There was no hiding that. Aiden would look towards the house and begin scanning, knowing that if he didn't find the man here, the house would be perfect to ambush.

And while more traditional senses would be able to sense that someone, or rather, something, was outside, Aiden knew that none except those who'd encountered those like TDW and Aiden would know how to sense them. A gap, or as much, a void in the force. A point where there should be something, except there was nothing. Aiden would continue walking as lightning began to strike outside far off. The light would illuminate his form in the night, making it plain as day for someone to see if this Gerwald cared to look. If only for a few seconds. That being said Aiden had no misgivings about his possible foe. Wolves, and so by extension Lupines, would have excellent night vision, and he was sure the alien scent that his armor would give off would be enough to alert the Lord Marshal that someone was here. As while the rain was falling washing away most of it, this was Gerwald's home, and Aiden was sure that he'd know every scent there was to know here. The shade would be there behind him, hovering as it watched Aiden intently. It would silently goad at him, telling him to draw his blade and finish destroying the house. Aiden would ignore it and the urges to do so, his hands staying at his side, and more or less relaxed. He didn't want to fight this Lord Marshal. If TDW had gotten to him first however, he'd do whatever it took to get his answers.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that.


Word Count: 866

TWC: 10,073

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aiden Wolf

It started to rain... Frak!​

​

Gerwald had just enough of the home rebuilt in time for him to find some semblance of shelter under the roof of the building. It seemed he would not be getting much work done until the storm passed. A small part of him was tempted to rid himself of his clothes and shift. A run through the woods as it rained was something Gerwald missed. He quite enjoyed the rain for the most part, but it was not fun to work, train, or fight in. One could make a mistake, or they could lose their footing if it was not sure. Certainly every soldier was meant to train and learn in every condition, but Gerwald found there were not many which were less appealing than rain.​

​

He sighed.​

​

The Lupine paused as the breath came into his nose. There was something off about it. Yes, it was raining, but it carried a different scent, something... new.​

​

Leaving the dry space he had found for himself, the Lupine looked out in the direction of the new scent. It took him a moment to discern where it was coming from, but Gerwald had a keen sense of smell and hearing. They were beneficial in most situations, especially when someone was trying to sneak up on him.​

​

"I can smell you, and it won't be long until I hear you moving in the wood. You would do well to show yourself now. If you insist on behaving like a hostile, then you will be treated like one. I am not one you would wish to have as an enemy."​

​

The warning was made loud and clear. Now it was time to wait and see what sort this intruder was.​

 

[Aiden Wolf]

Location: Directly in front of Gerwald
Local Time: 1800 hours
Equipment: Body/Suit/Sword, M-18 Pit Viper, SYC Grenades, Ion Grenades, DEX Satchel charges
Tags: Gerwald Lechner

Aiden kept walking closer to the house, hearing his target yell clearly from the house itself as it seemed his scent finally gave him away. He walked around the side from where he was, keeping his gait natural and his speed leisurely now as he wasn't worried about trying to stay hidden. As he got within view of the front of the house and well within view of Gerwald, he would turn and stand across from the man that knew what he sought. The man that had known of his father, and fought alongside him more than a few times.

The man that had been there and watched Sergei die.

"Mr. Lechner, you and I need to have a conversation. You have information, information I want. And whether you know it or not, you owe me the information at the very least. So don't do anything stupid, and lets talk like we're somewhat civilized. Or you can decide not to, and well... you're going to tell me regardless," He paused as he looked at the man before him, studying his features and looking for any hidden weapons.

Aiden knew that by now, Gerwald would be able to pick up that his entire being would seem dead to the force. A void where there should be life. Something quite reminiscent of others, including Sergei's armor. Aiden didn't see anything, but knew better than to short sell the man. And despite him being quite clearly a head taller than Aiden, he expected him to be much taller than he appeared. He would speak again as he projected a hologram of Sergei into the air between them.

"What my name is, is not important. What is, is this man. You where there when he died. You saw what happened. And unlike the reports I have, you know either of what killed him or where it came from. You have this information, and please don't play dumb. I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to fight. But if you keep me from finding this man's killer, I will make you regret it,"

Aiden was watching the lupine for any sudden movements. He was the Lord Marshal for a reason. He was no slouch at combat. He would have to be on top of his game to keep up with such an opponent. But Aiden also knew that this man knew nothing of his own capabilities, or of him. The only hint he would have was the armor and the information he sought. He sent up a small prayer to whoever might be listening that this man before him, wouldn't try to prove he was the manliest man to ever man. Aiden hated fighting. He hated hurting other people. But right now he hated whatever killed Sergei more.

So he couldn't let this man stop him from getting his revenge, and letting his father rest peacefully knowing that he'd been avenged.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aiden Wolf

Gerwald rolled his eyes. A child looking for revenge. The story almost wrote itself, as did the ending if he was insistent on following that path. He would have shown the child where his story would end, but there was something missing, intentionally missing. The lupine smirked as he looked to the boy's armor.​

​

"Smart," came the words as he took two steps toward the stranger.​

​

He wanted information, but he did not give Gerwald a name. There was nothing they could discuss without a name at least. Crossing his arms over his chest Gerwald paused as he sized up the man in front of him. There was a determination, one which carried over in his words as well. No, Lechner knew there would be no dissuading this one from the course of action he would take, nor from the answers he would seek.​

​

Yet, Gerwald felt a lesson was needed first.​

​

"...and foolish."​

​

Gerwald shifted his feet.​

​

"You want answers yet your first instinct is to make demands and attach them with idle threats. We know nothing of each other, but the fact you chose to wear armor which makes you able to defend yourself against the force tells me you are at least aware that without it, your threats would be less than idle, in fact they would be quite useless."​

​

He paused, knowing his estimation was likely correct.​

​

"What you failed to factor was how I would respond to ultimatums, or whether you are even in a position to offer them. I have information you want. You have come to my home to find them. I know these woods better than you do, and if I chose, I could hide from you for a very long time. Perhaps you would like to rephrase your question, and give me a name. My civility in this matter will be determined by the civility given on your end first, no exceptions."​

 

[Aiden Wolf]

Location: Directly in front of Gerwald
Local Time: 1800 hours
Equipment: Body/Suit/Sword, M-18 Pit Viper, SYC Grenades, Ion Grenades, DEX Satchel charges
Tags: Gerwald Lechner

The old man stood before the boy, arms crossed, knowing that he was definitely more than capable of handling himself. His words would strike Aiden as the kind of person who was trying to pass on wisdom. He told Aiden that his threats were idle, that without his gear they would be absolutely useless. He grit his teeth under his helmet as he listened closely to what this Gerwald had to say. It seemed that he would be amenable to conversation, that they wouldn't have to fight. But he was wrong about one thing.

Aiden had been taught by Sergei that his word was his bond, and that you should never say something without planning to follow through. And while this shifter was the current Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian, Aiden was an unknown party to him. His armor would be a void in the force, the only thing he'd given as clues to him was his size and voice. That and he was quite armed. Aiden knew that this man was capable of great feats of strength, valor, and cunning. Aiden knew that as the Lord Commander he was expected to be one of the very best of the Knights Obsidian force order. That to fight him, he would have to give it everything he had and even then it might not be enough. That to hunt him would be a daunting task indeed. But even Gerwald was a man. A shifter with access to the incredible powers of the force, but he bleed and felt pain just like any other being. That meant that he could be beaten, and Aiden knew he was such a being as well, even if his body was more machine than flesh. And he only needed to win once. His first response after he waited for Gerwald to finish would be something that his father had taught him almost immediately after he'd broken through his indoctrination and gotten all of the drugs out of his system.

"My father Sergei once told me that it doesn't matter who you presume to be, or what strength you think you have, to never disrespect an opponent by thinking them incapable. He's the reason I'm here. At all. I might be in your homelands, but don't ever underestimate what I have gone through or am capable of," He paused as he reached to his forearm, pressing two buttons on his Wind Talker comms to project a hologram showing a still of Sergei vainly trying to fight the Nocna Mora.

"You were there when he died. You saw what happened, and these reports have little to no information on what killed him. Sergei Jachovich, my father, gave his life trying to turn the tide against something he saw as a threat to the galaxy. There's no other reasoning I can think of that he would have charged so recklessly into that fight. He sacrificed everything and more in service to his cause of protecting as many lives as he could. And I will not rest until I have hunted down the thing that killed him, and tear its head from its shoulders with my bare hands," He paused as he collected himself, noting that tears of sadness and rage were building, causing his voice to slightly tremble at the end. He was still just relatively a child after all, compared to the likes of hardened combat veterans such as Sergei and Gerwald. Was he a trained killer like them? Probably more so, but he'd only been free from his indoctrination for a few years or so, meaning dealing with real emotions was still very difficult.

"You have the information I need to make this happen. And while Sergei would tell me to not walk this path, he's not here anymore. He's dead and gone, and there's not a god forsaken thing I or anyone else can do about that. All I can do, is kill this thing so his soul can rest easy. It's all I have left. So are you going to help me or not?"

His voice even through the speakers would be a clear enough tell that he wasn't bluffing. The still he'd displayed was something that if the Lord Commander read reports of and reviewed would know was extremely classified information that no one without very high levels of clearance should have. Aiden was watching the Lord Commander intently now. At the first sign of trouble he would be ready, and while he certainly didn't want to fight the man he didn't fear doing so. Fear was the last thing his mind thought about right now, center stage right now was his rage at how even through this man the very Force itself seemed to mock him. Told him that he was no one. Nothing but an insignificant gnat that was of no importance. He'd prove it wrong.

He'd prove them all wrong.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Aiden Wolf

"Sergei," Gerwald nodded as he took a step back.​

​

It made sense now. Gerwald took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Gerwald could see the resemblance, not in the face, but in the attitude.​

​

"You say that, but trying to rip the beasts head off was what got him killed in the first place. I told those fools to run, but instead they charged the beast and tried to kill it. They would all be alive, all of them, if they had just listened to me."​

​

If he wanted the truth, he was not going to like it. The lupine motioned toward a stump and invited the boy to sit.​

​

"SO, you have seen the reports from Naalol, but what you can't know, because I left it out of the reports was that the beast is connected to this." Gerwald pulled at the chain around his neck revealing the ring which had been under his shirt. "I lost someone a few years ago. She was killed doing her duty. Her sacrifice saved the lives of many other Knights Obsidian, but the Sith she had fought decided to bind her soul, spirit, essence, to this ring. She is tethered to this world because of it, and yet she is also in the Nether. The beast, is a creature of the Nether which chases her, haunts her, is trying to devour her. We were on a simple mission, but there was a tear in the Nether, a veil that had been weak. She was there, but the beast... it got through as well."​

​

Gerwald put the ring back under his shirt. His blue eyes looked the other in the eye.​

​

"I have gone after this Sith responsible, and almost died myself. You have yourself set on a fool's errand, but I won't stop you from trying. If you want to avenge your father, then your only hope is helping me to free Naedira from her prison so we can kill this beast. The beast you can have, but Prazutis, the Sith... you will leave him for me. You will not rob me of my own vengeance as you seek to find yours."​

​

Did they have an agreement? That was up to the boy.​

 

[Aiden Wolf]

Location: Directly in front of Gerwald
Local Time: 1800 hours
Equipment: Body/Suit/Sword, M-18 Pit Viper, SYC Grenades, Ion Grenades, DEX Satchel charges
Tags: Gerwald Lechner

Once more, he called Aiden the fool. He'd professed as much that going after the beast was what had killed Sergei. And while he'd submitted the portion of the after action report, there was a key piece that he was missing. Aiden knew Sergei wasn't some crazed blood thirsty merc that sought violence for violence's sake. He wouldn't charge in without damn good reason, and faith that if even should he fail his allies would succeed and win the day. Sergei's cause of death had been verified by tactical review of TDW, lack of preparation. Sergei had at most the barest of equipment, no intelligence, and no reinforcements. And still he had thrown himself into harms way to try and save another. Aiden cursed the damnable fool for doing something so reckless, so stubborn in his ways that regardless if it was even just one more Sergei would destroy whatever obstacle put before him. That Gerwald had withheld this information from The Dire Wolves caught Aiden's attention, but something else did too, the Lord Commander having let a name slip.

Prazutis. A Sith, and judging by the fact that the current Lord Commander had gone after him and lost meant he was a truly powerful foe indeed. This, this made things even more complicated, especially with this ring supposedly being some kind of link to someone connected to the creature. That meant there was a way to track the beast. Aiden's reply was one that he thought might cause the Lord Commander anger so he kept his distance, still knowing better than to trust the man as he'd just come to his home and not so politely interrogated him.

"I promise that I won't try to kill the man responsible for these creatures. But that is all I promise you. I will find this Prazutis, whomever he is, and I will find the answers I seek. Clearly the majority of you who encountered this thing," he spoke almost spitting the word "Survived and managed to beat it back to where it came. That means this thing isn't invincible, nor immortal. Which leads me to conclude that you are wrong on one thing, Mr. Lechner,"

"If I am to hunt this thing, I need to be prepared. I need to have a plan. I don't have to win but only once. And even if it is only just once I can succeed. Which means I have a chance. If Prazutis doesn't force me to I will not seek to kill him. But nothing will stop me from finishing this. I will walk to the very gates of hell itself if that is what is required to win. Thank you for your cooperation Lord Commander. I'll be back for that ring when I have all that I can find,"

Aiden would turn around as he prepared to walk away, sort of agreeing to this accord if only because it was the only way for him to make less enemies. However his attitude would change as he heard a ring come from Gerwald's comlink. His own comms tapped into the transmission as it recognized the security protocols, identifying it as coming from The Dire Wolves.

Chit

Aiden would break out in a sprint as he knew he needed to get away. Now. If Gerwald told them he was here, they'd be on top of him in moments. He would radio John in the gunship.

"John we've been made, get to the rendezvous now!"

His auditory sensors could hear the ship put power to its engines overhead. They had been on the run too long to be caught now. The only thing he hadn't planned for was whether the Lord Commander would take his chance to chase him down. He had a couple of tricks prepared in case, but right now he focused on running.