Private Men Among Wolves

[Illian Dragos]

Credit to Kranak Vizsla for suggesting I use Kashyyk.

Everyone had something they'd always wanted.

And many people would die for that specific thing.

For months, Illian had been following what he believed to be a promising lead on a specific item on what he had wanted. Oddly enough, he did not know what it was. But he knew that it existed, and he believed it would serve as a foundation for him to grow stronger in the force.

For someone that had joined the Knights Obsidion some time ago, he was happy with the progress he had made. Whether it was learning tutaminis with a former Sith Empress, visiting the desert world of Yanibar, or most importantly, obtaining a lightsaber, he had moved far from the young boy who had left Nar Shadaa to seek justice for his deceased family. However, the young squire was not naive; he knew that he had a long way to go before he could fully call himself what he believed to be an apprentice. Moreover, knowing full well other people had most likely gotten a lead, it was of the highest priority to him to verify this lead quickly.

And that was why he was here on Kashyyk.

Of all the planets, it had to be Kashyyk. Whatever. Many men had gone through worse trials and emerged victorious.

Today, he intended to be among them.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

​

This was the absolute worst place for her to end up.

Alina pulled her way from the burning remains of her ship. She'd been shot down. Crashed into the Underdark of Kashyyyk. Not only was it already a terrible place to end up to begin with, it was on the Silver homeworld. The Sith had their alliance against the Bryn, but she was still a Sith on a planet with a large Jedi temple. The main one? She wasn't too sure, but it didn't matter. At least it was pirates that had shot her down before she could panic hyperjump to another system. Not the Silvers.

Now though. Now she needed to get out and find a place to hide. Above the crackling of the flames she could hear them. The creatures that roamed in the darkness. Scared, for the moment. But it wouldn't last much longer. Soon their curiosity would bring them close, and she'd be a slightly cooked meal for them.

Her walk was more of a hurried limp, trying her best to keep upright and not collapse. She couldn't do that. Not until she found a safe place. She needed to find a safe place.

Illian Dragos

 

[Illian Dragos]

A benefit and a detriment to Illian was that, at least from the data he had, the holocron was deep inside the jungle. It benefited him in the sense that he expected few people to dare to go there, but he knew the most skilled competitors would go there. And Illian wasn't that skilled. But he had heart , if that was important for anything.

Fortunately for him, the spaceport had speeders. Getting one, he hoped on them and drove as far as he could. Looking up in the air, he could see that the sun was setting. As he entered what could truly be considered the forests of Kashyyk, he opened himself up to the force. He could all the lifeforms that were here, and attempted to sense any hostile ones. The young warrior had a feeling that he'd have to rely on the force on this mission, which would benefit him. The more he used it, the more he'd catch up to his rival.

Descending deeper into the forests, he felt surrounded. There were enemies around him. Stopping his speeder, he attempted to get some wood and start a small fire in a secluded location. It was as if he'd returned to his childhood: survival his main goal, as he then looked for animals to hunt.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

A hiss of pain escaped the young Sith as she stumbled through the underbrush. The creatures were getting closer. Anger flashed in her eyes as one of these creatures decided to actually approach her. It didn't last long at all, not against her fury. The creature was drained dry, and already she was feeling better. The animals that stalked her had left. Fear was prevalent. She was a predator, and she needed the food to heal her body.

Alina liftened her head from the neck of the beast, fresh, warm blood dripping down her chin. Her yellow eyes scanned around. There had to be something more to eat.

Illian Dragos

 

[Illian Dragos]

A slight bzz sound could be heard as he activated his lightsaber, the young squire looking at the smoke from his fire rising from the sky. He could hear the noises that were being made from his stomach. Or was it another animal. Illian couldn't tell. What he did know was he was hungry. And he needed food, badly.

He closed his eyes and attempted to feel other creatures. All he could feel were small life forms; ants, and the sort. But as he focused, he felt other creatures near him. Perhaps the fire wasn't a good idea, but he had figured hostile animals could gravitate toward him.

One such creature, a wyyyschokk appeared to gravitate toward him. Believing Illian was meat, he brought in a host of other spiders, hoping to capture him. And immediately, he swung his lightsaber, attempting to kill as many as he could. Seeing that he couldn't defeat all of them, he brought them closer to his fire. After that, he attempted to set his fire ablaze around the surrounding area. The fire started setting one tree ablaze. And then two, and then three. Soon, a small forest fire had started.

And he was still hungry.

Cheers to the last of my snacks. Grabbing his grappling hook, he shot it, turning his lightsaber off as his face was hit with waves of water.

What a wonderful day to be on Kashyyk.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Fire?

Alina's gaze was pulled towards the smoke. A soft smile formed as she started to make her way towards the burning trees. Fire meant people. People meant fresher blood. Sentient blood. There was nothing better than sentient blood. And now that she smelled of blood, the creatures stayed away. No such Wyyyschokk or Kinrath bothered her. The only way they would is if she fell into their trap.

And she had no intention of doing that.

Well, until she got close enough to the fire and saw just how many of the Wyyyschokk were actually there. One on one, she could take them. Against that many? The young Sith's eyes widened before she immediately turned and started to run away. The smell of blood was no longer a shield, but a beacon. She needed to get in the water, as quickly as possible.

Illian Dragos

 

[Illian Dragos]

Alina Tremiru was lucky that it had began to rain. Not only would it save her from the fire, but the noise from the rain would cover her footsteps.

Of course, this meant any noises he made would most likely be covered. But Illian knew that he was dealing with keen predators. He made a note to himself to attempt to learn how to jump via the force. Indeed, he knew that he could use telekinesis, but an enhanced jump, especially in this large forest would prove useful. A grappling hook could only do so much.

He called on the force to see if the Wyyschoks were falling him. It appeared what the brief fire he made had stopped them, but he had sensed another dark presence. And it was closer to those crazy little spiders than him.

Great.

He was extremely tempted to hunt her, or at least to meet her, but he knew he was getting closer to where the holocron was. That holocron was his, and there was no way whoever he was dealing with would beat him.

"Thank you my little spiders." he muttered, as he went from one tree to the next.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Rain and fire. Smoke. It made it all too easy for the Sangnir to slip away. She couldn't hide in the Force, but her Matukai made her move faster than these spiders could keep up. Faster than most could keep up. When she did finally feel she was far enough away to stop, she did so on a low branch. Well, as low of a branch as the trees of Kashyyyk could be. Her eyes scanned about, curiously watching her surroundings for any other threats.

Then she felt it. Something human. Or close enough. Blood. Warm, sweet. Her gaze turned right to where she felt Illian Dragos was, a soft smile forming on her lips. She didn't stay still any longer. She had expected to have to munch on Madclaw Wookies, but an actual person? It was a wonderful surprise. A wonderful treat. She'd be able to use it to fully heal her body from the crash.

She just needed to catch up. She took off in a run, her smile ever present. Alina was the one who decided to hunt.

 

[Illian Dragos]

And here he was. He felt the presence instantly come closer and closer. Illian also felt other presences approach them, but they were had warming presences. The young squire increased his speed, knowing full well the rain covered for him. There was no way he would lose to them.

He was the first to arrive. And he examined the site. It was an abandoned ship. Skewering the area, the Epicanthix Warrior once more called on the force. A holocron would emit a force signature; he immediately focused on where he was, and soon, he had pinpointed the location. It appeared that the ship was the size a heavy cruiser; from what Illian knew, which admittedly wasn't a lot, it was a kilometer long.

Entering, the neutral force descended upward. He went passed various doors until he found where the room was stored.

It was time.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina paused once she reached the downed ship, tilting her head curiously. What exactly was the scent after? It wasn't a Wookie, was it? Her yellow eyes narrowed as she slowly made her way inside, one hand reaching for the saber on her hip. The red blade ignited, used as a torch in the darkness as she cautiously began to walk to the source of what she'd been smelling.

"Who's in here?" She called out loud, turning her gaze about to better try and find any kind of movement. "I know someone's here."

 

[Illian Dragos]

The young squire could feel it. The dark energy was coming closer to him. It was as if it was a fire descending from heaven seeking to destroy him. A monster who was hungry. Remembering his past difficulties and triumphs, the young squire faced an internal struggle. On one hand, he wished to control himself. But he always had relished a challenge, and now, Alina Tremiru had come to test him.

The neutral man was a slow learner, but he learned. Quickly, he went and got his holocron. Having spent time squiring the library, he had seen the schematics of various Star Destroyers, including this one. Looking up, he saw an air vent, and jumped up. He could feel his would-be enemy approaching, but by the time she arrived, if she was looking for the holocron, it wouldn't be here. No would he.

The Epicanthix warrior had one to the bridge, knowing full well the controls of the ship would be there. It was time to use his environment to his advantage, and make Alina's life a living hell.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Movement was there. But not the kind she wanted in the slightest. The young Sith's eyes widened as the ship came to life around her. So too did one of the sentry turrets just above. She barely had a moment to dive behind some rubble before the cannon burst to life, ripping into the durasteel plate she was hiding behind. "Chit! This.. What the hell!?" She wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, but the idea that the ship still had power was a horrifying reality.

The surprise faded after a moment. She'd dealt with this kind of thing before. Her saber ignited as she cut off a piece of her cover. 1.. 2.. 3.. Three long breaths to get herself under control, then she moved. Her burst of speed kept her ahead of the blaster fire, but it wasn't something she could keep up forever. So she retaliated. The metal was thrown like a disk, slamming and cutting through the base of the turret. The blaster fire ceased, leaving her in the room with the still smoking gun.

"Okay whoever you are. You're in for it now!"

Illian Dragos

 

[Illian Dragos]

When he went into the bridge, he could see a bunch of skeletons appear. The stench was unbearable. Holding his breath, he moved quickly, looking for the air-control system.

As he typed as fast as he could, he attempted to reduce the room temperature, hoping to use it to his advantage to below celsius. For someone who hated the cold, it would be an unwelcoming change. For Illian, bathing in cold showers and constantly training in simulated cold environments had allowed him to be somewhat prepared. However, the man with fortitude decided to decrease the temperature to even his own bearable level. He wanted this to be a battle of skill as much a battle of the will. It was foolish, but he needed to test himself.

And Alina Tremiru was the perfect test.

Where he had been the hunted, he was now the hunted. He pursued her, drawing on his own pent up aggression. He could feel her getting closer to him, and now, they would meet.

"Enjoy the cold?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Wait. Now it was cold? Cold!? The young Sith let out an annoyed hiss as she stormed through the halls to try and find the bridge of this infernal ship. She hated the cold. Part of her continued training with Matukai was to try and learn how to regulate her own body temperature, but it wasn't an easy thing. And she certainly hadn't learned enough to actually do it. She grumbled before lashing out with her saber at a holostation. Fire erupted from it, making the cold slightly more bearable, but the fire wouldn't last forever.

It'd be better if she got out of this damned ship.

She had every intention of doing so, too, having turned to head back the way she came. Then a voice hit her ears. Yellow eyes narrowed as she looked over her shoulder to Illian Dragos . "So you're the one who's making this so annoying. Why? Who even are you?"

 

[Illian Dragos]

"You don't need to know my name kid. The fact of the matter is, your in my way. I'll give you a chance to leave, before you end up on the wrong side of this ship."

Smirking, he felt a rush of his emotions come into being. If he couldn't beat her, he couldn't beat the person he wanted to beat. Illian attempted to gather up all the emotions he had made. He particularly focused on the memory of his parents killer; knowing full well the history of the Sith, and how they rarely left their combatants alive if victorious, he reminded himself of what would happen if he lost.

He would just be a name in history, and he didn't just want to be a name.

Not one to beat around the bush, he called on the force, his aggression fueling him as he pulled her toward him, activating his lightsaber on his right hand, the holocron somewhere in his closed backpack as he run towards Alina Tremiru , aiming for a diagonal strike at her chest, his lighhtsaber moving from left to right.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Kid? Kid? Illian Dragos looked way younger than her and he was calling her kid!? The annoyance was clear in her eyes as the sun on a cloudless day. And he was threatening her? Her blade flicked upwards, held in a much firmer grip as she glared at her apparent foe. This wasn't what she was expecting, but after the crash and all of the crap he pulled on her about the ship, well.

Alina burst forward from the ground the moment she felt the pull. He wanted her close? Good. She liked fighting up close. His strike came, but rather than try to block it she shifted. The momentum of his pull made it easy for her to duck right under the strike and rush past him towards the nearby wall. Which she jumped at.

The Force made her far more quick than she should of been, but that was the point of Matukai. Spring boarding off the wall she flew right back towards the human. She brought her blade around in a quick slash, using the momentum of her jump to put the strength behind it.

 

[Illian Dragos]

Illian had to give credit where it was due. Alina Tremiru moved quicker than most, and as soon as he saw that she didn't approach him, his eyes glowed, the power of force sight magnifying his reflexes

"Your quick. Show me some more tricks."

Most didn't know it, but Illian was a former MMA fighter. If she wanted a close quarters fight, she'd get it. He'd gotten his ass handed to him many times, and he'd pick up a few tricks along the way.

As soon as he didn't notice her, and felt something fly behind him, the future Knight pivoted 360 degrees to face her. He also moved back, creating some distance to allow him to react to their blades moving.

The momentum she generated had been strong.

Thank you for that.

For the young squire wanted to seize upon that momentum as a weakness. He used his muscular strength to block her attack, and immediately, he disengaged his blade lock, hoping to use the momentum she had generated, coupled with the loss of an equivalent force to meet her(ie, his blade lock) for her to lose her footing.

Feeling his adrenaline rush toward him, he could feel himself get excited. Too excited, as he pivoted toward her back, once more aiming a diagonal slash from his left to right with his lightsaber.

"Your disappointing me. Your nothing."