Lions and Biths, oh my!

[Ryan]

Cathar Savanna​

​

The sweeping savanna of Cathar, divinely beautiful with its rolling grasslands, splotches of shrubs and the sparsely places acacia trees. The cradle of life on cathar, where the natives lived in gargantuan trees known as Life-trees. Hooved herd animals would wonder the lands in the for ever cycle of life. But beyond the savanna there were the rough lands, the kiltik death zones that the overzised beetles had laid waste too. They were an ongoing threat to to all that called Cathar home. To keep them at bay, the locals had a ritual known as blood hunts where they would either form hunting party or go in alone to prove the prowess in battle, with the one objective of total annihilation of the nest. As harsh as life could be on Cathar, those that live their would call it home over any other luxurious planet location in the galaxy.

"Keep up brrrother!" Kirill's only surviving litter-mate taunted as they ran through the long grass. Kirill and Ryn were taking in in the start of the day, the sun peeping over the horizon and sparking life to the savanna. The lion-men, clad in only loin cloths and hunter spears, were jovial for the day's hunt. It had been a while since Kirill had return home and his brother was going to make the most of it " Zink zose jedi have made you soft!"

Has a point, Kirill thought to himself as he watched his brother keep lead on him with ease. Life out in the galaxy could be unforgiving, but the daily hardships on Cathar were unmatched by most days at the temple or field missions. "Just vatch wherrre you arrre going, RRRyn, Niet need to vorrry about me!" He growled back, patting his lightsaber making sure it was secure to the rope that kept his loincloth from disappearing.

A gust of wind, stopped Kirill in his tracks as he instinctively crouched beneath the height of the long grass. His brother, without hesitation mimicked Kirill, turning his head back seeing the fragmented view of him through the blades of vegetation. "vhat is it?" Ryn would softly question as he inched towards his sibling.

Kirill sniffed the air, picking up a sent that he did not recognized. But that was not what had him worried. It was the distinct disturbance in the force he felt that matched the direction to the scent. A dark presence.......

"RRRun now brrrother! RRRun home!" Kirill hissed as he had the overwhelming feeling of eminent danger. A force that he was not going to have his brother fall victim to. Kirill could not bare to lose more family than he had already. Ryn hesitated, but knew better to challenge his brother's demands. He kept low while he darted east.

Kirill would stand, there was no point in hiding in the grass. As much as he could smell the intruder, he knew that the darksider more then likely already felt his presence and had zeroed in. Plus, he wasn't one to slink in the shadows, especially when there was a threat in his own pride lands. The Cathar bellowed a few mighty woofs that was followed up by a lion's roar that signaled clearly that the intruder was trespassing.

[member="Dravis Rosilla"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

The serengeti grasses swirled around in lazy loops, entertained by light winds and bright sunlight. Cathar was a primal, predatory place, where the food chain ruled over all. It was a place where power ruled, where only the strong could survive.

It was the perfect place for a Sith to train.

Since the downfall of his master, Darth Ambroscus, Dravis had needed to create his own lessons. In the absence of a strong Dark-sider to guide and shape his growing power, he required something just as unpredictable and dangerous to follow. His new teacher was the environment itself, a step away from Chaos. One might say the Force was his compass, pointing him towards power. It had pointed him to Cathar, and more specifically, the nearby Kiltik death zone.

Dravis Rosilla stood calmly amid the breeze, his black cloak drifting to the side of his form. His ever-open eyes glared at a massive form tied up ahead of him, the black orbs containing burning yellow balls of rage. The creature was chained to the ground by massive metal links, restricting it's movement to only slight shuffles. The thing was enormous, with a tough carapace, and skittering, trunk-like legs. The Kildik roared as best as it could, its body scarred with various unnatural marks.

The Bith stood in front of the creature, arm extended, focusing. He let his oppressive presence envelop the insect, trying to invade its mind. Just like the last hundred times, the bug shrugged off the effect, but it was weakening, and Dravis's power was growing with practice. Eventually, this creature would bend the knee to its superior. In a fit of anger, the Sith pulled an ornate hilt from his belt, and let a spool of cord fall from it. The shock whip sparked to life, a snake of blue electricity, that quickly slashed across the Kiltik's armor, scarring it with another groove.

"You will obey me, creature!" Dravis snarled, the folds of his face contorting into an expression of pure distaste. Then, he felt a change in the wind.

No, a change in the Force.

He was not alone.

Dravis retracted his shock whip, and pulled his cape up around him, before turning around. He saw a Cathar, standing proudly against the skyline. The distinct taste of the Light wafted off of the cat-man, and the Acolyte couldn't help but frown.

Dravis studied the Cathar, just as the Cathar no doubt studied him. He crossed his arms, staring silently, even as the wounded Kildik screeched behind him. From what he understood, the Cathar didn't like the Kildik. Perhaps he could use that.

Finally, the Bith spoke, his voice curling through the air, even as the wind rushed around them. "Good day." The tone was quite obviously dark and threatening, Dravis couldn't keep the disdain and malice out of his greeting. He didn't want to, anyways. "You are a local, yes? Quite the planet, you have here. This beast, it is beautiful." The Bith fell silent, trying to gauge the Cathar's reaction.

Dravis didn't like the idea of a fight. He would rather battle on his own terms.

- [member="Kirill"] -

 

[Ryan]

The craniopod form hidden below the dark robes was visible enough to for Kirill to make out the species of this intruder. The cathar was slightly taken back for the Bith were famously known for being a race of peaceful beings and yet here before him in the middle of the savanna was one of them that just radiated evil. Even though the words he spoke were not aggressive in nature but just the very tone and nature of origin reverberated provocation. He didn't need to have the force to see that this being was of the darkside. The sterotype was written all over him, from the robes, the way he held himself and the very way he spoke.

Was it fate that had drawn him to this bith? Was the force at work here, or was it just by pure coincidence that the light and dark would meet in the middle of no where? Were they to engage in the never ending battle of good against evil or was their another way to this encounter? Kirill had a lot of questions tearing through his mind as he cautiously stepped forward, passively closing the distance one step at a time. The cathar itched to grip his lightsaber, all his primal instincts pinged with danger but it was hard discipline that kept such aggression at bay.

Peace had to be explored first " You arrre korrrect, I of zese lands!" His low resonating voice was rich with the catharese accent. His predatory yellow hues would not break the lock he had on the bith. " I have never hearrrd anyone descrrribe live beetle as beautiful beforrre. Forrr my people prrrefer zem dead!"

"What is yourrr business herrre?" Kirill inquired, getting to the meat of the mystery as bluntly as he could.

[member="Dravis Rosilla"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

The Cathar neglected to attack immediately, which gave the Bith some hope. Perhaps he could talk his way out of this yet.

Then again, his eyes screamed I want to murder you in your sleep.

As the Jedi stared at him with yellow eyes, the Sith stared back, endless black pools with but a hint of Dark fire. He forced himself to return his shock whip to his belt, resisting the urge to grasp it protectively. There were other ways to get what one wants.

Dravis gestured behind him. "I'm surprised you don't think this creature is a work of art." The Kildik screeched again, in obvious pain from it's wounds. "It is large, tough, has a surprisingly large pain threshold." Dravis reached out with his mind again, pushing against the mind of the insect. He felt it give way for but a moment, but then immediately regained control. Dravis scrunched his forehead. "... A surprisingly tough mind as well." Dravis turned back to the Cathar, crossing his arms. "I came here to train in my ways, to let the Force guide me. Apparently, it has guided you to me as well."

Dravis didn't think of the Force as a living being. His late master, Ambroscus, had taught him it was a tool, to be used and shaped at his discretion. Now, he shaped the Force, subtly charging his words with the Dark Side, aiming to cloud the Jedi's judgement slightly. "Perhaps we can be of use to each other."

The Sith's use of Dun Moch was small, but that made it all the more undetectable. The only goal was to make the Cathar more open to working with a Sith, something no Light-sider in their right mind would do.

Perhaps all Dravis needed to do was get him in the wrong mind.

- [member="Kirill"] -