Rough Skies

[Judah Dashiell]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Generis | Ixo Wilderness Ranch [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]-Two Weeks Prior- [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Various insects chirped and croaked, breaking the relative silence of the planet. Sparsely populated, Generis had become a hot spot for those with too many credits to come and experience the untamed outdoors. Most ‘ranches’ were led by charismatic guides, taking various species of sentients deep into the rainforest or cliffs and mountains on adventures. White water rafting, rock climbing, cave tours and more were all on the itinerary. It offered the chance for something different while still treating the rich and powerful of the galaxy in relative pampered luxury. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Luxury was normally synonymous with plush and pampered things, or perhaps items laced in gold or encrusted with jewels. On most of this ranches one of the biggest challenges seemed to be power. Generis had no infrastructure to speak of, nothing to connect to to draw power from. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Word had reached Judah from a Salacia Consolidated employee who had just come from the planet on a vacation. Having a variety of homestead-like items in their lineup that generated clean energy, it was worth a shot. He could have sent someone else, a Representative of sort. There was a desire to see the operations with his own eyes, get a feel for operations such as the wilderness ranches. Perhaps he was missing a market with certain needs. After all, there were all sorts of luxury ranches, farms and out of the way retreats scattered throughout the ‘verse. No need to settle in marketing just to the average farmer. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Setting off in a company vessel, Judah took an array of products with him in an attempt to sway a buyer or two.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]-Present Day-[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]After a talk with the owner of the Ixo Wilderness Ranch, Judah had shown what the green energy products could mean for business. It wasn’t difficult for the owner to decide once he saw the products in action, especially a water-wheel like contraption that could produce enough power for higher end products that drew on high levels of power. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Ship packed back with the unsold items, Judah saw no real reason to stay. There were appointments to be had with [member="Danger Arceneau"] in the coming week and perhaps he could surprise her by stopping at home and picking up Makai. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Taking to the skies, Judah kept the vessel low at first. Peering out the viewport, he was taking in the landscape. Investment he was something recently interested in -- resorts, cities, farms and the like. Land that could generate revenue. Part of him felt it was a natural progression judging by the way his company had been growing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Alarms and klaxons pulled him out of his thoughts. Out of the temperate rainforest rose a large mountain peak and he was heading straight for it. Tightening the grip on the company vessel, Judah quickly pulled up but it was clear there was still going to be some form of impact. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]There was an incredibly loud crash, the groaning and crumbling of metal before everything quickly went black. [/SIZE]

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Saleucami
// Present Day

“How soon until the updated results on the Botanical project is ready?”

Danger stood in front of her desk, a series of holographic screens floating in a semicircle around her. PharmaTech in conjunction with the consultation of Silk Holdings, have been working towards a new project to bring back to a healthy population the endangered and extinct botanical plants and herbs of the known galaxy. Scouts under Arceneau Trade and the Research & Development department have hired and sent scouts across the galaxy to study and gather samples. Their mission was to document their genetic structure, use, and to submit them into the Project Eden, a new method of cloning that could potentially save these populations.

It was a project that worked alongside the Green Energy Campaign, allowing for the consultation from Salacia Consolidated for specific types of atmospheric stations and buildings that could provide the botanical biomes for the ongoing project.

[member="Judah Dashiell"] was set to meet her at Saleucami, at the newest facility constructed for this very purpose. Seeing as it was his homeworld, Danger reckoned he’d be okay with the location. He was set to arrive any day now, so the woman decided to arrive a few days early to review all the details.

“Bota is doing well. We’ve seen a remarkable progress with the Moridon slime. Yields are now 25% than before.” Was the information relayed to her by Aeri, the Zeltron Assistant who now oversaw a half of the conglomerate. Danger’s hand rose, a slight jingle of the jade green bracelet tinkling with the move, [member="Makai Dashiell"]’s gift that the woman treasured deeply.

“Good.” she gave a slow nod, her fingers zooming in on the holo-video image of the agricultural fields on Salacumi.

For once, the slow smile that curved her full red lips was genuine in reflection.
“Good.”

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Scale-speckled hand reached out from underneath the sheets, looking at the alarm chrono that sat next to his bedside. Squinting, Makai looked at the time and sat up in bed to listen. It was incredibly quiet out, even the ocean seemed to be churning less than usual. Sliding out his bed, barefeet were silent against the hardwood floors in his room and beyond, creeping out into the hallway.


Careful to make too much noise, Makai carefully opened the door to his parents room and peered in. He could only spot [member="Thessa Kai"] in the dark, no sign of his father. Driftwood brows knitted together, looking like a miniature of his mother for a moment. He was more than a little confused. Dad was supposed to pick him up nearly a day ago to head out on an adventure to Saleucami. Not to mention a bit of a catching up with [member="Danger Arceneau"] while exploring the somewhat barren landscape.


Closing the door back, he turned around and headed into the direction of his fathers home office. There was some wandering in the dark until the desk lamp was flipped on. Everything looked relatively undisturbed as Makai moved to sit in the plush chair facing out towards the door. Nimble fingers flipped on datapad and Holonet systems. Dad had taught him long ago how to use the Holonet to contact people in case of an emergency, back when his Mama was gone.


Missing Dad meant emergency, right? Maybe he had got to Miss Ar-cen-now's but didn't have the time to pick him up. Or forgot he was supposed to in the first place. Either way Miss Ar-cen-now seemed like the perfect one to get in contact with first.


Finding her on a contact list, Makai began the HoloNet connection. Hopefully one of her aides wouldn't answer. They'd probably hang right up on him.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"] was one of the few individuals in the ‘Verse who had Danger Arceneau’s direct line. [member="Makai Dashiell"]’s comm call would prompt Danger’s holoarray to beep in alarm. It was late on Saleucami, dusk barely grazing the horizon with its orange indigo glow.

Dinner had been served, and the redheaded Queen of Trade was in the middle of her steak and potato plate. A hearty meal, but one that she didn’t mind interruption when it came to humble Salacia CEO.

A smile went drifting across her lips at the name that indicated who the call was from. A motion would transfer the call to a small hovering holo droid, allowing the projection to flare alongside her to the right.

“Judah, I was wondering --” a pause came to her greeting, the smile that frosted her lips holding. While the individual certainly had the bright blue eyes and the mop of dark curls, the youthful, scale-speckled visage of the youngling was not that of Judah Dashiell.

“Makai?” There was a slight bit of confusion there, but the joy did not fade. “Well arn’t you a sight for sore eyes!” A glance would search for his pa behind him. Perhaps Judah had gone to pick up Makai up and allowed him to make the call.

“You doing well, sweetie?”

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Generis , Present Day


Nothing could be heard beyond the pounding of rain against metal. Some was leaking into the vessel, now damaged beyond any sort of repair. It had rolled - what was left of it - down the jungle mountain and rested upside down. The inside of the vessel looked like a warzone, debris of all sorts scattered around.


Eyes slowly cracked open. Between the pounding of the rain on the durasteel and the pounding of drums in his head, Judah wasn't sure what was worse. Narrowing deep blue eyes, he was trying to make sense of his surroundings. Straps dug deep into his shoulders and back, causing an extreme amount of painful pressure. Especially to the right shoulder...


Left hand struggled to reach across to feel the shoulder in question. It was warm and slick with blood. It was hard to tell but it felt if something rough and jagged was lodged in. The straps from the crash webbing making the situation much worse.


Mentally bracing himself, Judah found the emergency release. In an instant, gravity brought him back down in an unceremonious fashion, bringing a new round of searing pain. A grunt and he laid on the debris laden durasteel for a long moment, breathing hard.


There was a long pause before a rare curse touched his lips.


"Son of a queen."

 

[Makai Dashiell]

"Yes ma'am"


Tousled hair looked wild, the side where he had been sleeping was matted down, the curls all stuck to the side of his head. Yawning slightly, Makai did his best to adjust in the large chair and keep himself within the holoscreen. It took a moment but he was adjusted, leaning towards the screen.


"How have you been? I miss seeing you. How was your trip after the wedding?"


Makai knew she had been busy in addition to spending time with her new husband. At least that was the excuse his Dad had given him for not being able to spend the night. Hopefully some things would return to his old normal. There still was a toy dart gun battle that had to be won after all.


"Can I talk to Dad? He forgot to pick me up....Maybe he didn't have time."



[member="Danger Arceneau"]

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

What?

It was the strict control over her bearing the past few decades that allowed Danger to maintain her composure. A soft smile would linger upon her lips, but concern grew within the depths of her eyes.

"I've been doing mighty fine, darlin'" she answered him, keeping her voice calm. "Your pa didn't pick you up?" her mind began to race. That wasn't like Judah at all. Least of all the fact that Makai's father wasn't here. No hide nor hair from the man.

Off to the side, Aeri would move into action from a single gesture from the Queen of Trade. One that simply relayed - Find him.

"Guess your pa is getting a bit forgetful in his old age," she'd tease, giving the young half Galan a smile. "How bout I get a ship on over to come get you, hmm?"

"I'll go get a hold of your daddy in the meantime and you can come keep me company." she smiled out at him. "I've missed you somethin fierce."

 

[Makai Dashiell]

"Yeah, I guess he forgets sometimes. I could have called him instead of you, 'cept he's not in one of our ships. Uncle Chalu might know which one he's in....guess I shoulda called him."


'Uncle' Chalu being the right-hand of Salacia Consolidated. Outside of the family, the Mon Calamarian businessman would know exactly where Judah was....or where he was supposed to be at any given time. Makai moved about and looked through the contacts for his adopted Uncle. It was extremely late on Ceto and the boy wasn't so certain waking up someone else was the best course of action. Especially when [member="Danger Arceneau"] seemed to be on the case.



"I would love to come visit!"


Even with the prospect of his father not picking him up, a visit to Miss Ar-cen-now was always exciting. Besides, she was going to send a special ship? Just for him?! Like a real Holomovie star! Just as he got excited to go stay with Miss Ar-cen-now until his Dad arrived, that excitement was quickly squashed. He went quiet for a long moment.


"I can't come....Mama wouldn't let me."


Makai had heard enough snippets of his parents arguing to piece together what was happening. Mama didn't trust his best friend, didn't want him spending any time near her or around her. She would never agree to just have Makai board an Arceneau Trade ship and be whisked off to Saleucami. A look of sheer dejection came over his face.


"Can you....Can you just call me back when Dad shows up?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

There were a few times Danger personally wanted to give a good right hook to anyone as she did now.

Oh Noxu Za'tire would always have a special place in her heart where she wanted to knock him out cold. The former Lord Protector Potteiger was another. But right now, while her smile lingered upon her lips, there was a slight narrowing of her green eyes that shone with the desire to give a good piece of her mind to that nagging fishwife that was Thessa Kai. Her opinion was already low on the woman, and hearing the stories from Makai and what bits and pieces coloured her opinion, made Danger consider that woman all the more to be nothing more than a selfish excuse of breath.

"Are you sure honey?" Danger would ask again, trying her best to keep encouragement in her voice. "I'll call you anyways once your pa shows. But if you change your mind I'll have the ship and crew all ready for you." It broke her heart. It really broke her heart. Judah had done told her to keep her nose out of his business, but seeing Makai's dejected expression just struck a cord in her.

"Why don't you go get your stuff ready, eat your supper We'll talk more later okay?"

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Lower lip would start trembling as the boy looked at [member="Danger Arceneau"] . Hot tears stung his eyes as he started to silently cry. He was embarrassed, not wanting to shed tears in front of Miss Ar-cen-now. Head ducked down, hiding his face out of the holoscreen while little shoulders shook.


Sniffling, Makai wiped at his eyes in an attempt to make it appear he wasn't crying. It didn't seem to work as the tears just continued to flow down scale-speckled cheeks. It took a moment before he could face the holoscreen again.


"I'm sure." He sounded anything but. A sniffle and a hiccup followed a weak nod of her instructions. His stuff was ready, it had been since his Dad said he was picking him up. It was late and night and the only thing to do was to crawl back in bed.


Then figure out a way to skip school in the morning. Maybe fake an illness. Wouldn't be hard, he already felt sick to his stomach.


"Bye Miss Ar-cen-now."


Wiping his eyes again, he turned off the holocommunicator.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

First thing was first, assess the damage done. Making a homemade sling with a dress shirt in his bag, Judah began to pick around the vessel. Most of it was strewn around but nearly everything seemed to be in the ship or nearby the ship. Since it wasn't the Siren's Song or Sirena, the Salacia owned vessel didn't have a lot of the extra perks his personal vessels did. No extra food or medical supplies, just the standard allotment. Special tools were out of the question.


Shoulder feeling as it was on fire, he popped two low-grade pain relievers and some type of antibiotic. He'd have to figure out something to do on his own. Collecting a piece of a broken mirror, medical supplies and a blaster, Judah cautiously moved out of the ship.


It had stopped raining and turned humid as he set off to find some type of running water.

After a small twenty minute trek, he had found water suitable enough to actually stand in, some that wasn't infested with bugs or a brackish color. Stripping down to his birthday suit, clothes rested on the bank as he waded in. Gingerly, a bar of soap was set to the shoulder, trying to remove some of the caked on blood.


Fingers kept running across whatever was stuck in his arm so he abandoned attempts at cleaning up the wound more than he had. Wading back to his clothes, Judah found the bit of mirror and worked on angling it in just the right manner to see what was going on.


Frowning, it looked like a piece of durasteel was wedged in, and deep. What did his old X-Wing pilot survival training say. Wasn't it leave it in? Something about possible unseen damage? Besides, Judah was fairly certain he would pass out in pain trying to rip it out himself.


Using his shirt to dry off, he struggled back into pants. A wound such as his would get infected quick. Decisions would have to decide to hike back to the Ixo Ranch or try to fix something in the vessel to raise communications...

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"] [member="Makai Dashiell"]

The holo-communicator shut off, and what little had held Danger back fell down to the deck.

"Tian sha bu lang.. bu you qing wa... kao de liu mang!" the Zeltron curse ripped from her mouth with such viciousness, it twitched a snarl on her lips and her eyes blazed with emerald fire. That no good woman who had all of a sudden decided to come back into Judah's and Makai's lives after radio silence for so long. Long enough for Makai to feel as if his own mother left because of him and for Judah to overwork himself sick.

Her shoulders rose as she sucked in a sharp breath between her teeth, her knuckles turning white as her right fist clenched. If I could only give that woman a piece of my mind...

It was a rather dangerous path for the mind to tread upon. All the more after Judah explicitly told her to keep her business out of his marriage. Yet when it came to Makai, when it showed that her ways was doing more harm than good, it boiled her blood pressure with the furnace of Mustafar's lava pits.

Aeri was not surprised with the blue streak of Danger's curse. Her focus was on point on the matter at hand. Where Judah Dashiell had gone off to. He wasn't the sort to make a promise to his son and break it. Nor was he the kind to not call if he'd been delayed. A direct comm call to his private mobile comm frequency did not pick up.

Danger swiveled her head over to the Zeltron, "He ain't pickin' up?" her lips thinned. Could be in hyperspace. Yet something nagged at the rear of her mind.

"Get me his itinerary... there's bound to be someone on Salacia that knows where the bloody hell their cee-ee-oh went at."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Miss, I'm sure there is nothing to be concerned about."


Corel's fingers tapped through the holoscreen, searching for the information Arceneau Trade was looking for. She was the second shift office assistant at Salacia Consolidated. Her job was to handle all sorts of odd requests for information while the higher ups were sleeping. Or away. Or on vacation.


"Here it is. According to our records Mr. Dashiell should be arriving on Saleucami at any time now. Although Mr.Dashiell has been known to stop for burritos at the Arceneau Fuel Stations....at least thats what the notes in the file say."


Corel rarely worked with Mr.Dashiell, passing most of her notes off in the morning some one else. She'd seen him from time to time but didn't really have regular contact. The office assistant was chalking it up to normal behavior in her mind. All the higher ups she worked for seemed to wander 'off grid' from time to time.


"Ixo Wilderness Ranch. Back to Ceto for a brief stop, then onto Saleucami. I'll try pinging the freighter Mr.Dashiell took but its highly likely the vessel is in hyperspace."



[member="Danger Arceneau"]

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

"Ixo Wilderness Ranch."

Danger spun, her green eyes panning from her holoscreen over to the Zeltron. Her right arm was hovering beside her cheek, vertically held as her elbow perched across the arm bar of her left. She had been standing there mulling over things since her comm call with Makai, stewing. The youngling had a special place in her heart, and anything that would fret him so she took to heart. That it was the child's own mother causing the the stress and heartache made it all the worse.

"He was to stop at Ixo Wilderness Ranch on Generis, return to Ceto, and then head here. The onboard staff currently on call have attempted to ping him, but they also believe he's currently in hyperspace."

The news didn't sit well with Danger. Nostrils flared, and for a moment she let her mind race. Fingers tapped upon the other, until the pads of her forefinger and thumb began to rub. Right foot took a step forward, that slow hipped gait taking her a few steps towards the massive viewport that beheld the Saleucami PharmaTech BioDome. Those feline eyes narrowed in thought.

"Contact the ranch... I want to know when he left."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]


"You're looking at nearly a standard week ago now. Ixo Wilderness Ranch prides itself on privacy for our more exclusive guests, but I can say Mr. Dashiell spent one night and left shortly after breakfast the next morning. The planet doesn't have a centralized landing authority, its all but wilderness out here Ma'am."


"Its quite possible he went and sold his wares to another ranch or resort in this area. There are several dotted across the planet."


-----------


Arm in a sling, Judah walked carefully to a clearing carrying a bag of tools. Over the past few days he had been pulling various parts from the ship and green technology he had been carrying aboard. It was a final attempt to frankenstein together some type of communication system to reach the wilderness ranch for help. It was a long shot but there was also the issue of exhausting all options before trying to hike back in the direction of some type of civilization.


Moving into the clearing, the sun beat down on his shirtless back as he moved the solar panel into a better position. Grabbing a screwdriver, it took some effort to actually connect the last remaining wires. If both of his arms were in well working order his contraption would have been working on day one. Working one handed was a serious handicap he was still struggling to work around.


Rechecking his connections, eyes fell onto the switch. Elbow nudged it on,waiting for the battery to gain a bit of charge before trying anything. Nothing was on fire....yet. Always a good sign with hobbled together electronics. Tinny static came through the small speaker and he depressed the mic control.


"Hello? Anyone there? Hello? There's been a crash."


More static and a hiss.


"Hello??"


Nothing. He had wasted days on nothing.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

“What do you mean it's been a week?”

Perfectly shaped brows would arch in and up in growing confusion at Aeri, the Zeltron assistant who now ran half of the Arceneau Trade Conglomerate along with Alisha’ven.

Danger sat behind her desk, and her growing frustration was starting to show in the tension of her face. Fine lines would edge the corner of her eyes, and the mighty strong need for a smoke came thrumming through her. The flat edge of her tongue went sweeping across her teeth, lightly lifting her lip as she took on a pensive expression.

“They think he might have gone to another ranch or resort in the area.” Aeri would suggest, but there was an expression shared there that suggested that they both knew where this was headed.

“No, he ain’t the sort to go off on his own. Not without givin’ Makai a heads up.” Green eyes flicked towards the Zeltron.

“Get the ship ready.” She came to her feet. “We’re heading to Generis.”

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]


Arm still in the homemade sling, the sun beat down on his back as the current situation was assessed. Supplies were dwindling and the medical kit the company ship contained was nearly out of supplies. His mind had been warring on two camps. Stay put and wait out being found or search for civilization on his own. Both had their own advantages and disadvantages, nearly making both options a similar choice in his mind. Both carried out risks that could be harmful. Predatory animals could eat him on the way back. He could get lost further, fall to his death, drown or any other host of issues could happen on the trek back into one of the Wilderness Ranches. Staying in one spot meant he would have to fortify his shelter. Find food sources. Pray that his arm didn't become totally infected once the medicine ran out.


Judah didn't feel like losing his arm, so packing up and hauling it back to a Ranch was really the only option left.


Everything was stuffed into the bags he had found on board, taking only the essentials. By now he had learned where a major river was, although there was a great deal of uncertainty to where it actually went. A number of Ranches offered white water rafting or kayaking trips for their visitors, some fishing opportunities. Sticking to the waterways would give the best visibility in his situation.


Walking towards the large river from his crash site gave him a long moment to reflect. Was Makai doing alright? Why hadn't his family come to look for him? Had things gotten so bad with [member="Thessa Kai"] that she wouldn't bother to come look for him? A frown broke out on his features as he thought about it. There was a possibility....was he running all the time from the truth? Taking Makai on business trip after business trip as of late, was it a signal? Or after her absence was he still not used to having a wife,instead continuing on the path he had been on for so long.


For now, he would tell himself that his wife had decided their one and only child was her first priority.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Even with the speed of hyperspace travel, it would take time before they would arrive on Generis. Space wasn’t so instantaneous as most would like it to be.

All the while, the hours spent in that mottled tunnel of space had Danger fret. All she could see in her mind was Makai’s tearstained visage and hear the melancholy in his voice. That didn’t even include the growing concern she had over Judah as well.

It wasn’t like him to not give notice to her and much the less his son. Something had to delay him, and as the hours passed on by, the more Danger was sure of it.

A search party would need to be assembled if her fears proved to be correct. They would work backwards, starting at the ranch where he had been seen last.

If he left the planet, using the thousands of transponder readers scattered about the galaxy by Arceneau Trade could potentially pick up his signal.

If he was still dirtside… well…they’d start with orbital scans and work their way down.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]


It took nearly a day to work towards the largest river he could find. He remembered it from orbit, the large snaking river that the Ixo Wilderness Ranch proudly displayed in their sales pitches. White water rafting. Fishing excursions. Shallow cave diving. All things geared towards the rich and famous who wanted a thrill in a controlled environment. Judah declined to partake during his one night stay at the ranch after selling off a number of his items.


After constructing a crude shelter in a strand of thick brush, he had settled down for the night before continuing on the next morning. The sun was breaking through the thick trees, the river steaming in the early morning light. The humidity was already thick despite the early hour. A small smile touched his features. The weather was the type Makai would be running around in, declaring it was perfect. Judah was fairly certain the boy preferred to absorb his water through the air rather than actually drink it.


Shaking his head, Judah slung his bag on the good shoulder and started along the banks of the wide river. His injured shoulder had begun to burn and ache over the last day. Antibiotics had ran out and in the back of his mind he was fearing a growing infection. The rainforest-like weather was ripe for infections and fungus to grow. If he kept the pace up with any luck he'd find someone out in the rainforest within a few days.


Hopefully.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

There was no trace of Judah at the ranch.

Orbital scans commenced twenty-four hours ago, but even with the latest technology, it wasn't a quick affair. At the very least they had his transponder code.

"Where are you Judah?" Danger would murmur, standing upon the bridge of the orbiting Pathfinder freighter she'd taken to arrive to Generis. Worry lined her heart-shaped face, her lips drawing into a straight line. Neither hide nor hair had been discovered about the Salacia CEO in the nearby sectors. Which only meant one thing.

He hadn't left Generis at all.