Snakes, Secrets, and Sith

[Orion Darkstar]

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The ship was set for landing as it broke into the atmosphere of Zonama Sekot. The churning of the I.M.D. Fury MkIII engines did their job. A smooth hum forcing it to lower its descent speed. The name of the little personal transport was Stigma I, given to her by Orion. He was the only one that picked her out of The Sith Empire's armory, dust filled and ready to be taken for a ride. The little vessel had its ups and downs, but it got him everywhere safely. The stealth capabilities were a saving grace when it came to strict travel like he had been doing for the past few days. ​

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Searching for the planet Orion and his companion [member="Garland Kramer"] sought after, became more time consuming than they thought. It had been days since their departure from Bastion. They stretched all across the outer rim and further into the unknown regions just to get to the Yuuzhan Vong homeworld. The tedious adventure had brought the two sith a little closer in terms of dealing with one another. Orion wasn't a fan of working with others, but things had to get done. Another sith meant quicker retrieval of plants and if lucky, another specimen for the labs. ​

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The ship slipped past the heavy thick line of trees and landed on the edge of them. The Tampasi or forest was huge. The wide spread of lush green that spanned for miles. The tiny window that Orion looked out of forced a risen smile. They had finally made it to the elusive planet. Still, Orion knew that dangers lurked abound the surface. He traveled light, weapons hidden underneath his light grey cloak. The chrome mask still graced his face. Being in a forest and looking for specimens would mean annoying insects, having the mask would help. Standing from the window he peered out of, he walked to the edge of a desk and grabbed a square, leather bag. ​

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He unzipped the bag and stared at the vials and clear containers. Velcro strapped them in nicely as a green light blinked at the top. The bag wasn't just a normal leather case. Orion could control the temperature of its contents. He placed his hand along the clear vial to the left and grinned. Soon he would have what he needed. He zipped the case shut and snatched it from the desk. Stretching his arm out, he grabbed a book and slipped it into his cloak. Orion tossed the strap over his shoulder as the leather case hung at his side. He exited his room on Stigma I and made for the exit. ​

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[member="Garland Kramer"] ​

 

[Garland Kramer]

Garland looked up from his book, noticing their surroundings had changed drastically, forest that stretched for miles lay right outside the ship. They had finally arrived at Zonama Sekot. This was no small feat, considering the planet itself was a sentient being and could move of it's own free will. His traveling companion, was a sith acolyte known as [member="Orion Darkstar"]. It had been a few long days of searching, and for the most part it had occurred in silence. They had not known each other for very long, so for the first few days, only small talk filled the cabin of the Stigma I. After a couple days though, the silence had gone on long enough and Garland decided to break the ice by force, with a barrage of Q&A sessions with Orion.

They talked about many subjects such as ideals, family, the force, power, and beasts to name just a few. Even though the tension in the small ship started to disappear over the course of the trip, Garland still felt as though both of them had not revealed very much at all, having secrets is part of being a sith i suppose, knowing full well that he had held back during their talks also. As the ship landed, Orion began preparing for the journey into the forest. He is efficient as he is secretive, Garland thought as Orion disappeared into his room, and returned with a leather bag.

Garland stood up and stretched, readying himself for the trek that was ahead of them. His left foot clanked on the metal floor of the ship as he walked to his room, he left the book he was reading on his bed and grabbed the lightsaber from the stand next to it. After today the lightsaber would no longer be a necessity, it would become a secondary tool for combat. He had come to Zonama Sekot for one reason, to acquire a new weapon, one that suited his needs and style much better than that of the plasma blade he currently possessed. A smile formed on his face as he thought about the hunt the was about to occur. He left his room, taking the lead out of the ship to find his prize.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​

 

[Orion Darkstar]

The hiss of the exit hatch snapped open as the bright light of three suns pierced through the inner corridors of Stigma I. The warm breeze teased Orion. He hated the heat, Tattooine ruined everything for him. He lifted his hand and placed it just above his eyes as they adjusted to the brightness. Squinting he stepped forward and descended onto the surface. The sound of a stream reaching his senses, almost immediately. Turning towards the sound, he looked at Garland. ​

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"You hear that?" Orion asked, his arm pointing toward the northeast. "Water." Orion paused, following the stream into the forest and back would make for an easy traverse. He examined around him, but all that was spotted were more trees. He looked up towards the peak of the elongated bark. Vine after vine drooped along the branches, a brown hue showing their process of wither. A light sigh escaped Orion, hopefully deeper in the forest would net fresher samples than above. Ignoring his own thoughts on the matter he walked a little closer to the edge of the bank they landed on. Checking for any potential intruders was always a good way to start. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, then again, Vongs were present here. Force dead individuals that were more than capable of dispatching of them both. The force wouldn't help them here. ​

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Orion turned back towards Garland. He knew that the professional beast master was more than capable of doing his own thing, but getting lost in the thicket of green before them could cause issues. Orion waited to decipher exactly what to do. ​

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"We'll take the stream north, we should stay close. Our comms are down. For good reason, I don't want any guests screwing this up."​

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Orion didn't care whether or not the other sith obeyed or not. Instead, Orion heeded his own advice and entered into the forest. The bramble barbs that first met him were swatted away by a steel blade, forged for only the Red Assassin, War's Edge. A slight cold overtook the tiny area, but as quickly as it came Orion sheathed the alchemized blade. The small chirps and rushing water greeted him as he vanished from Garland's sight. He hoped the other sith would follow.​

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[member="Garland Kramer"]​

 

[Garland Kramer]

He stood there for a moment, taking it all in. The dense forest was brimming with life, an assortment of sounds from both nature and beast could be heard from within. Orion had already assessed that they were near a water source, he turned to Garland and stated his plan of action. "We'll take the stream north, we should stay close. Our comms are down. For good reason, I don't want any guests screwing this up." Before Garland had a chance to respond to the young sith, he began blazing a trail through the forest. A solid plan I suppose. Garland came to the conclusion that this was what Orion was going to do, with or without his help. There was no point in being childish or stubborn over his behavior, after all, they both had come here for something, and Garland had no intention of dying because of his pride.

Garland hurried his pace to reach Orion, he had no intention of being left behind. He carefully made sure to not trip on the overgrown roots of the surrounding trees. When he caught up to his fellow sith, he tapped him on the shoulder. "Listen, not to say that your plan isn't our best bet, but this will go a lot smoother if you at least pretend to care about my input." Garland knew that his words may fall on deaf ears, but he wanted to make his point nonetheless. He passed Orion and continued onward following the stream, looking for signs that would lead him to his weapon. The forest floor was littered with a wide variety of plant life and tracks, yet none that interested him.

He was searching for polyps, for within them would be the creatures he came here for, amphistaffs. Amphistaffs were a breed of snakes, but they were also the Yuuzhan Vong's primary combat weapon, for they had the incredible ability to readjust their cells. It was done through a thin but razor sharp layer of power glands that ran along it's body. Garland knew that once tamed, the creature was bound to him for life, it would serve loyally and strike true. Amphistaffs were generally two to three meters long and possessed the capability of transforming into whips, spears, and staffs, not to mention the deadly venom it could launch up to twenty meters away. They were amazing creatures, they were lightsaber resistant and able to heal from nearly any wound due to their organic nature. A beast fit for a beast lord. Garland smirked as he thought of the power his new weapon would bring.

The tricky part of the tame is that he had to find a polyps that was still a host for the amphistaffs, for once they were grown, they left and would eventually become polyps themselves. He needed to tame one as it was leaving the host, which would prove to be no small feat, for within each polyp, was not one but three amphistaffs. While he intended on only taming one of them, he was unsure how the other two would behave during the process. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. That phrase had stuck with Garland most of his life after losing his left leg. He looked down at his leg and his mind began to wander to the past, he snapped out of it almost immediately. Now is definitely not the time to let my guard down, Garland scolded himself for being so careless in the dangerous jungle.

He approached a clearing, and what lay inside made Garland grow cold, despite the growing heat emitting from the dense foliage. It was a village, or at least had been at one time. Multiple small structures were barely standing, one of them collapsed and disturbed the layer black soot and ash on the ground, sending it into a upward cloud. In the middle of the village was a pile of corpses, they had been torched. The smell of burned bodies filled Garland's nostrils, and it took a great deal of willpower to overcome the urge to vomit. This had been done recently, as the fire was still slightly crackling on piles that he guessed were once homes of these people. Garland turned back and walked to Orion. He did not want to yell and attract attention, especially of those who had committed this act. He leaned over and whispered "We have a problem." Garland put his finger to his mouth to signal silence, and went forward to push aside the vines to show Orion the horrific scene in the clearing.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​

 

[Orion Darkstar]

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The forest was treacherous to those that knew little about the natural flora. The abundance of sharp and poisonous plants littered the wide opening he stood in. He knelt to examine a small bush that twisted upwards from the ground. Its pretzel like structure amazed him. Lightly, he tapped it. A sudden crackle reached him as the plant began to slowly untwist itself and lean backwards. Like a whip it violently lashed forward trying to bludgeon Orion. The force gifted him in time to react as he rolled safely out of the way, leaves sticking to his cloak as he did. With a light grunt, he helped himself to his feet.​

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"Excellent." Orion whispered to himself. He wiped the specks of dirt and tiny clovers from his attire before he averted to where he initially came in. Garland had tapped him on the shoulder gaining his attention. It seemed the sith knight was more capable of listening than he thought. Even so, Garland out ranked him. Orion had to be careful not to push too many of the wrong buttons. ​

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"Listen, not to say that your plan isn't our best bet, but this will go a lot smoother if you at least pretend to care about my input."​

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Orion grinned under the sinister mask barred across his face. It seemed that he was too quick to consider Garland's feelings on his orders. Orion didn't care for such things, but if the two were going to get out of the forest alive, he had to. He nodded at the beast lord and tapped his leather satchel. His fingers danced across it before a tiny flap greeted him. The metallic pin lifted and he reached in to grab a tiny tool. The long slender metal split at the end to create a tiny pair of tweezers. The twisting plant of death that resided near by, would be his first sample. He watched Garland continue forward, but ignored it. he would proceed without grabbing a few flakes. ​

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Circling the curiously dangerous plant, he stepped toward it. The plant remained still, not even flinching at Orion's close proximity. It must act upon contact. Orion deduced with his thought. He waited for a few more seconds before the tree laggardly began to re-twist itself into a staff-like spire. Perfect, just as I expected. This plant remains in a defense state for only the amount of time, it feels danger. Of course, only contact causes such action. When it decideds to revert back to the tightly knitted twisting form, I have a few seconds to scrape what I need. ​

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Orion set the leather case to the forest floor, unzipping the outside of it before tossing the flap upward to reveal a few containers. Some larger than others. He wouldn't need those yet. Alternatively, Orion grabbed a small vial. He lifted it to the air and shifted it back and forth. Having the vials be perfectly clean before use was a necessary precaution. Orion pressed his thumb along the side of the knob at the top and watched it pop off. Grabbing it with his tweezers he placed it in the case and turned towards the stiff pretzeled plant. As he extended his arm he plucked at the base of the plant, flakes shedding into the vail as he held it delicately between his fingers. As soon as he touched the plant, it slowly untangled. Orion pressured the tweezers into the core of the base and grab a large chunk of white fluff from its innards. Quickly he placed tha cap on and threw the tweezers into the satchel and zipped it up. The old crackle from before bellowed into an echo throughout the forest. The plant was ready to strike. It leaned ferociously backwards. Orion smiled, walking away from it. ​

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The loud snap that came after crashed into the earthly ground. Its target, no longer present. Orion made his way over felled branches. Until, he crouched under a fallen tree to meet Garland's concerned expression as they met eyes. ​

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"We have a problem."​

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The words sank in as the vines tore open to give him a canvas of flames. Old wooden huts ablaze from a recent attack. The most disturbing scene of it all was the large pile of bodies roasting in hot embers at the center. The heat stung, worse than the humidity of the Tampasi. Tiny ashes lingered about the air, the smell of rich burning wood and flesh filled the once docile village. Orion's emerald eyes watched as the fires roared in the distance. What caught his eye more, was a tall burning pole with a cloth still swaying in the light breeze. Its red color was painted with a black symbol, the image of an upside down trident with a dot staring back at him. He racked his mind for the answers to what it meant, but nothing came of it. Orion shifted to the opposite side of the small brush, looking at Garland through the mask with intensity. ​

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"I think you're right." Orion said, his voice holding a calming tone. "Did you see anyone before I got here?" ​

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The symbol still probed in his mind, as if he had seen it before. He stared back at the swaying flag as he watched the image ripple in the wind. What are you? Orion asked himself. Better yet, who are you? His focus was stuck on it, until he frantically reached for the inside of his cloak. A thick book rested in his pale hands, the binding lightly cracked from old use. He looked down at it, admiring the cover. Small inscriptions were stitched into it provided by alchemic practices that stained the front. Orion cupped the bottom of the book with his right arm as he sped through the pages. His eyes riffled through the content like a professor. Only attaining what needed to be obtained in their current predicament. He licked his finger and sighed. He turned one more page. ​

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A sly smirk curled onto his lips. The upside down trident symbol staring back at them both. He examined a few notes and motioned for Garland to look. ​

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"This is what we are dealing with."​

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[member="Garland Kramer"]​

 

[Garland Kramer]

"No, the village was empty besides fire and corpses." Just as soon as Garland had finished his answer, Orion was frantically searching through a book he had pulled from inside his robe. Garland noticed a small smile as Orion stopped on a page containing the image of an upside down black trident with a dot at the point where the tips met, the same symbol that was donned on a flag that was standing in the scorched village."This is what we are dealing with." Garland stared at the page, to see what Orion had discovered.

Underneath the picture was a long passage: This symbol is the calling card of a organization known as the Vong Cabal. It is said that they are a group of Yuuzhan Vong radicals that served to bring back the old ways of their culture. They believed in not only the caste system but in purity of the Yuuzhan Vong bloodline and would strike down those who defiled the old ways by intermingling with other species and the mixing of lower and upper classes. The government on Zonama Sekot has stated publicly that they do not endorse the group, and has branded them criminals. Though many believe that they are in fact a weapon of the political beast, set to destroy any who would pose a threat to their power. Responsible for the deaths of thousands, the Vong Cabal dispatches small strike teams to eradicate their targets. Their base is suspected to be located deep within the southern forests on Zonama Sekot. They are ruthless, having been known to raze entire settlements to complete their objectives. This group should be handled with extreme caution, if not avoided completely, very few have faced the Vong Cabal and lived to talk about it.

Garland finished reading, "It's never a simple mission, nope we had to go and find ourselves neck deep in some politically charged death squad's territory." He sighed, this made their mission much more complicated. Now they had to avoid the Vong Cabal while traversing through the forest, that they no doubt knew better than either of the sith. He looked to Orion, "if we have to fight them, so be it, but I'm not making it a point to find new enemies while we're here. This isn't our fight, and I have no intention of dying on this planet." Garland started to walk to the right, away from the destroyed remnants of the village, when he saw a polyp only a few meters ahead of him. His pulse quickened at the sight. Finally some good news, he thought as he approached the potential home of amphistaffs.

Garland's face was one of disappointment when he reached the polyp, it had died out, the amphistaffs had already left it to die. Not all hope was lost however, there was a good chance that more were in the surrounding area, knowing that amphistaffs eventually turned into polyps themselves to continue the life cycle. His excitement was quickly diminished however, as he heard a voice from the treeline on the other side of the village. "Over there, movement in the trees, leave none alive." The sound of fast moving feet followed the words, and Garland had a pretty good idea who it might be.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​

 

[Orion Darkstar]

"if we have to fight them, so be it, but I'm not making it a point to find new enemies while we're here. This isn't our fight, and I have no intention of dying on this planet."​

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Orion listened to Garland explain everything about the mark. On top of that what he thought of the entire situation. If only they had landed on a different section of the Tampasi. Apparently, this was Vong Cabal territory, something that in the long run would make their journey far more complicated. The words of the other sith stung him. Orion recalled his encounter with the first Vong he'd ever come across. The vile creature was an incredible opponent, more than capable than other sith he fought alongside. Its structure and biological advantages were unlike anything he had seen. If a group of them were in their way, they may not get out alive. ​

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"I don't think we'll survive a group of them. I fought one of their kind a long time ago. Not something we should really get into." Orion said, picking up the book and placing it back in his robe. He was careful not to crease the binding as it fell into his inner pocket. ​

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The symbol of the Vong Cabal still scratched at his mind. To think that such an organization existed to such an extent reminded him of Thyferra. To kill a monster, you had to be one. Thankfully, Orion was just that. The crimes he committed, were similar to the Vong Cabal's. Were they so different? Orion couldn't tell. Regardless, if they had to fight, Orion was ready. He looked to Garland and peeked upward. A new voice commanding with a gnarled voice. ​

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"Over there, movement in the trees, leave none alive." ​

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Orion tensed, were they spotted? They were the only ones around, it looked like the two sith would have to fight no matter what. Orion watched closely as the Vong Cabal stampeded through the heavy branches. Three Vongs scoured the area before the strayed away from Garland and Orion. The sound of screams lurched in the distance as Orion turned looked over Garlands head. A group of strangers were running frantically as the Vongs chased. He waited for the commander to pass by and leaned into the bush more. Nestled nicely under the thorns of it, Orion hid. If they were found, being burned would not be in the agenda. He grabbed onto Garland's arm trying to get him to duck lower, if they were spotted because of him, Orion would have words. ​

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All he wanted was to get his test samples and leave. Hopefully, that would be the case. ​

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[member="Garland Kramer"]​

 

[Garland Kramer]

Garland's heart raced and he held his breath Vong Cabal searched the area. They hadn't found them yet, and by a mere stroke of luck, the death squad passed their location. Screams emerged a short distance away from their location, Garland turned saw a small group of people running for their lives from the ruthless Cabal. Garland felt a tug on his arm and immediately followed it's silent suggestion. The two men waited there for a a few more minutes, until they were absolutely sure the Vong Cabal had left the area. "Way to close for comfort." Garland said in a hushed tone, still slightly rattled from what had just happened. We need to get what we came for and get the hell out of here, Garland thought, knowing that the longer they stayed here, the higher the chance they were found.

"What if we went to the left and followed the treeline to get to the other side of the village? We might find what we need there." Garland made the suggestion, since the polyps he sought after would probably be a little bit away from where the dead one now lay. They would have to move cautiously from here on out, as to not attract the Vong Cabal. Garland opted to take the lead, since what he was looking for was likely more dangerous. With every step, he felt the urge to check behind him to see if they were being pursued, but resisted, he did not want fear to control his actions, it would only cloud his judgement. After around twenty minutes, he could see the village once more, this time from the other side, where the Vong Cabal had come from earlier. By now the roaring fire that held the village had died down. Having nothing but dirt to feed on, the crackling flames were now mere sparks. The smell of the bodies remained as potent as ever unfortunately. Garland gave it one more quick glance and then turned to search the forest floor once more for the polyps.

A slew of amphistaff tracks were present in this area. There were markings in the dirt and the razor sharp cuts made into the bushes and tree stumps. Garland knew he had to be close to a breeding ground. His excitement that was taken from the Vong Cabal earlier had returned. He pushed his way through a few more meters of forest and then stopped. Before him sat two polyps, one of them was dried out and dead, the other however, appeared to be very much alive. Garland's eyes widened as he watched the healthy polyp open its maw, an amphistaff head lunged out and snatched a passing beetle, devouring it instantly. Jackpot.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​

 

[Orion Darkstar]

The thrum of his heart skipped as the back end of the Vong Commander came into his view. It was the first twinge of uncertain fear since Lahn, he had felt. He lived against a previous Vong, but this was different. Getting captured by a group of these vermin would surely mean death. Orion held his breath as Garland sunk lower into the bushy throns with him. The silence that surrounded them was deafening, the beat of his heart slowly receded. The commander had followed along the trickling path down towards the river bank on the south end. Thankfully, Stigma I was on a flat valley to the north. Unless the group of Vong Cabal changed direction they would be able to return to the ship with no issues. ​

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The slight shake in his hand told Orion his nerves were feeling the side effect of coming close to death. He was a mortal monster after all. A high pitched noise reached his ears, a ringing that drowned out the words of his allied sith. ​

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"What if we went to the left and followed the treeline to get to the other side of the village? We might find what we need there." ​

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Orion watched the movement of his mouth, until the ringing finally ceased. Catching the very end of the sentence, Orion sighed. Good thing one of them was keeping it together. He motioned to Garland that he would follow. He watched the Beast Lord carefully maneuver through the toppled branches and trees. A lush green opening found them, polyps sat at the bedding of the forest. Two of them, delicate in their demeanor. One, by the acts of nature was dried out, the grey infection of death present in its delineation. By the grace of the force, another quietly began to unravel, its contents sparking life as it did. An amphistaff snatched a beetle from the air. It was truly a sight to behold. ​

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Orion cared little for the creature, he had seen one before. Its poisonous was the only thing he really wanted for testing subjects. Getting such a sample, could make him go blind, worse than that it could suffocate him. The amphistaff's spitting technique was quite deadly, compared to other serpents in the galaxy. Ignoring the thought, Orion shifted his eyes to a tiny red flower. The middle lines held a glaze on them. Its inner anther filled with what looked like a yellow gelatin. His eyes widened as he approached the lonely flower. The vibrant red reminded him of his own deadly saber. He studied the stem, as he began to take small notes in a tiny booklet. Sketching the Flower, he finally knelled towards it. Orion went to touch the flower petal, his fingers lightly touching the clear sappy contents inside. He placed his finger under his nose a took a whiff. In some cases, just breathing in unknown extract could negatively impact the body, no matter what species. ​

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Orion didn't care, he knew that such was a risk when studying the flora of a Vong world. The flower was awfully rare and in any case, needed further study. Reaching for his satchel, he unzipped it once more. Finally, a smile reached him. Delicately, Orion lifted a clear vial to the sky, once more to check the cleanliness. Excitement brewed deep in him, the trip had taken a turn for the better it seemed. ​

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This will be perfect for the lab, I wonder what you're capable of little Red.​

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[member="Garland Kramer"]​

 

[Garland Kramer]

Garland's pulse began to quicken, sure he had found a live polyp that was hosting amphistaffs, but that was only half of the solution. The true test was yet to come, when he tried to tame one of the deadly vipers. Garland had prepared for this moment, having done copious amounts of research on the beasts. Given the length of the one that snatched a beetle moments earlier, they were ready to leave the host polyp. His best bet was going to be when another one came out to feed and attempt to coerce it then, as to not anger the other two, dealing with three amphistaffs at once was something Garland did not want to think about. Garland stood a few meters from the active polyp and began to meditate, focus on the task he was to perform, while he waited for one of the amphistaff's next meals.

A short time passed before Garland heard rustling in the nearby bushes. It did not worry him, as it was far too quiet to be a member of the Vong Cabal. He opened his eyes, a small creature that resembled a rabbit came bounding through the forest. It made a fatal mistake, passed in front of the polyp, and was struck down immediately by one of the amphistaffs. Garland watched as the life left the poor furry creature, its body went limp as the venom from the amphistaff coursed through its veins. The sounds of hissing and thrashing filled the air as the amphistaff ate it's meal. Garland wasted no time while the amphistaff was occupied, and began to use Animal Bond. As soon as it reached the amphistaff it took notice of Garland and bared it's fangs. Now this gets interesting.

The amphistaff darted toward Garland with haste, it's speed was incredible. Garland showed no sign of hesitation as he continued to enforce Animal Bond onto the creature. The amphistaff came to a halt a couple of meters from Garland, it had reached it's limit from the polyp. Garland smiled as the creature looked back and realized it had been outsmarted. "Come now, you surely know how to get me." Garland taunted the amphistaff in an effort to have it leave it's polyp, it was the only way he could tame it. The amphistaffs head spun back towards the mocking man and venom shot out towards him. Garland quickly sidestepped left, having anticipated it's next move. Garland's exertion of the force intensified, demanding that the amphistaff release its bond with the polyp. Venom once again flew at Garland, this time however, he wasn't quite fast enough to dodge the attack. Venom landed on his right hand, the mechanical one, Garland laughed, "No effect on this unfortunately." His replacement limb could not be poisoned by the amphistaff, for it had no pores for the venom to seep into.

The amphistaff was filled with rage at this point, it's attacks had yielding nothing against its antagonizing opponent. It turned to its last option, and fully disengaged from the polyp that housed it. With its restriction gone, it sped towards Garland, hissing loudly and ready to strike. Gotcha, Garland then used the full extent of his power and brought the amphistaff to a stop. "Beast of the vines, I claim you. I am the warrior, you are the weapon. Submit to my will." The amphistaff then slowly slithered towards Garland, it worked its way up his side, and onto his left hand, leaving not a mark. Garland knew what was happening, the amphistaff had accepted him as it's new master. The snake was now learning about Garland, feeling the flesh that controlled it, understanding how it was to be ordered. After a few moments, it descended from his arm and wrapped itself around Garland waist, where it would stay camouflaged as nothing more than a belt until it was called upon.

Garland was ecstatic, it had gone exactly as he had planned, and now he was armed with a new deadly weapon. He then decided to check on Orion to see if his search had yielded similar results, If it had, their time on this planet was coming to a close, as long as they could avoid the Vong Cabal for their departure. Garland hoped they wouldn't have to deal with the dangerous group. He approached Orion, lowering his voice in case he was doing something important. "How's everything going for you?"

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​

 

[Orion Darkstar]

The silver gleam of the tweezers kissed the sun. He plucked the crimson flower and tilted it upside down. The inner style of the flower began to lethargically drip into the clear vial. The aroma almost tickled his senses with the familiar scent of ginger. Orion carefully held the rare plant at an angle, waiting till the last drop filled the vial and sealed the top off. Tipping the plant upright, he rose it to the sun, checking for any signs of wilting. To his amazement, the petals remained the same vibrant red. It was odd to think that a plant capable of extract after being dried out, wouldn't wilt away. His eyes narrowed as he twirled the flower with the tweezers. Placing the vial of extracted gelatin back in the satchel, he grabbed a white bag. ​

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Placing the scarlet mistress into the bag he let go of the stem and retracted the tweezers. Orion slide his hand across the top of the bag and sealed it. Unsure of what use the rest of the flower would or could potentially have, he placed it into a different compartment of the satchel. Looking down at the forest floor, he looked at the sketch of the scarlet beauty and smiled. Orion took a moment to take in the actual beauty of it, he would add the notes later. ​

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Orion got lost into the image, until a voice broke his concentration. ​

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"How's everything going for you?"​

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Orion blinked away the sketch and closed the old notebook. Dust lifting to the air as he scrambled to tidy everything up and reached his feet. His tall stature lifted to the sky as he swung the satchel back over his shoulder. The chrome mask that stilled in the sunlit sky stared back at Garland before it spoke. ​

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"I'll need more time to find a few more medicinal samples, we might be able to take that way back." Orion pointed around the back end of the burned village. "It'll give me a second chance to find more than what I currently have for my studies and get us closer to the ship." Orion said, glancing down toward the beast lord's waist. The scaled design that rested in the loops along the edges of his pants was new. If Orion was one thing, it was observant. It looked so similar to a creature he studied before. Then it clicked, he deduced it all in one fell swoop. "It seems you've had far better luck than I." Orion motioned to the amphistaff belt, a sign of companionship between the two of them. It would be a deadly weapon, beyond measure. ​

​

Orion didn't give the sith knight a chance to reply. Averting towards the area he pointed towards seconds ago, rested a large mushroom at the top of a tiny hill. Its grey and blue tint meant it was a healthy fungus. Quickly, he took off through the bramble. Getting two lively plant samples would be more than enough. When he got to the ship he would take the natural soil from the Vongs homeworld. It would help him grow his own replicas. So excited for another physical sample, he almost forgot the dangers that resided moments before with the Vong Cabal. Luckily, he was in the clear as he reached the cusp of the hill and went to work. Mindful of his partner, Orion's arm waved him up.​

​

[member=Garland Kramer"]​

 

[Garland Kramer]

Garland followed his companion's suggestion, he went up and took a stance near the top of the hill where the mushroom that Orion was interested was growing. He turned and looked toward the village that had once stood in the clearing through a small set of binoculars. I wonder how many villages just like this one have fallen to the Vong Cabal? If he had to guess, the number would probably total in the hundreds, as the Cabal appeared to be quite efficient based on the remnants of this one. Without turning back to see Orion working he sparked up a conversation with the man. "So, mind if I ask what the plant samples are for?" Garland held a vast knowledge of beasts in the universe, but plant life was something he himself did not really dabble in, despite its obvious usefulness for poisons, cures, biological weapons, to name a few things. He figured that he could stand to learn a few things from [member="Orion Darkstar"], since even though he was a younger man than he, Orion clearly possessed knowledge in many fields that Garland did not. It might even make things a bit less tense between us, Garland thought.

Garland continued to stay fixated on the destroyed village, figuring that the Vong Cabal might circle back through it to go to their base of operations. Not exactly a group I want to be caught off guard with. Just then, Garland watched as a child appeared in his vision, they had walked over from part of the surrounding forest. It was a small girl, no more than seven or eight years old by the looks of her, she approached the pile of bodies that had been stacked in the village, holding her nose with hand in an attempt to stop the smell that the corpses emitted. it didn't work, when she reached the bodies, she burst into tears and then vomited from the sight and smell of the village. Looks like she was the only one who made it out, sad really, it might have been better for her to die with her family, now she has nothing at all. She stayed on her knees for a while,bawling her eyes out, and coming to the realization of what her life had become.

The silence was shattered by a war horn, the Vong Cabal had indeed came back this way. They began to enter the clearing of the village once more, three Yuuzhan Vong came into view, and behind them were 2 men in chains, being dragged behind the small warband in the dirt. I wonder what they'll do to these ones? Garland had to admit, as dangerous as the Vong Cabal were, their ferocity was to be admired, they held no fear and fought to win at any cost. It had not been more than a few seconds from the Vong Cabal entering before the little girl that was still beside the pile of corpses stood up. The warband immediately noticed her movement and loud shouting between them ensued, the leader, the one with the horn, pointed at her and a guttural roar came out of his mouth. The girl began to run away from the village as fast as her legs could take her. Not this way, not this way, don't do it. Garland's mind began to race the thought as she turned and headed straight for them. The leader of the warband and another were pursuing her now, all of them would soon be on their position. Garland spun around and grabbed [member="Orion Darkstar"] by the shoulder, hoping that he was done with his sample, since they were now out of time. "We have to go NOW."

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​

 

[Orion Darkstar]

"So, mind if I ask what the plant samples are for?"​

​

The question was hard to answer. The Entoloma mushroom was exceptionally versatile in its uses. Known to only grow on outer rim planets, Orion never expected to come across one on the planet of the Vongs. Still, the question remained, in common fashion Orion lifted the whole fungus to the air and lightly turned it with one hand. ​

​

"You see that blue swindle on the root of the core?" Orion said, pointing at the greyish, blue line following to the top of the cap. "It's a blue liquid embedded inside, extracting it takes hours and even in some cases results in small amounts of promising results. It can be used for almost anything, but my reason for it is to create. The liquid is known as fungi-plasma, its properties tend to speed up processes in biological growth. I'm going to use it for my own creations." Orion stopped and placed the large mushroom into a clear bag and placed it within his satchel. ​

​

In a sudden span of minutes he was tugged backwards as a hand yanked him backwards. The old fingers slipping from his cloth as he met eyes with Garland. ​

​

"We have to go NOW."​

​

Orion stood, the force dampening around him. The connection to the force blinding him from the impending doom. The Vong Cabal were clearly on the move. Time slowed, and before Orion assessed the situation; branches snapped under the thundering march of the Cabal racing towards them. It was too late, even with the incurring warning from Garland. The Cabal took to the trees and screeched as they spotted both of them as the small girl broke the plane of the hill and dove in between them both. Orion's eyes shifted to the small girl, tears pouring from her innocent eyes. It reminded him of a distant memory, a sin of the past. It swelled inside him, the roaring fires of the darkside toyed with his emotions. A tinge of anger brewed deeper in the young sith. Like an instinctual warrior, Orion evaded the first attempt from one of the Vong Cabals. Its warped arm slid passed his face. Ducking under and closing the distance with a sharp pivot of his right foot, his palm raised. A blast of erupting force fizzled away as the Vong still stood strong. It was a mistake on Orion's part, the slight anger clouded his judgement. ​

​

Kark...I forgot they aren't affected by the force. ​

​

Just as soon as the Vong realized he was unharmed, he latched onto Orion's throat and lifted him to the air. Its eyes peered into the sith's own. The shimmering opaque web that stared back at him, held no fear. The Cabal tightened its grip as small locusts like bugs began to emerge from the hive of its body. The tiny buzz of the insects grew louder as the rose above the Vong. The tighter the grip got the harder it was to breath. Orion could feel the clenching limbs like fingers pressing into his esophagus. The air left him and he gasped for air. A familiar cold finally granted him comfort, but perhaps this time it was nothing other than death. ​

​

A loud command echoed throughout the forest. A warleader of the Vong Cabal wasted little time to give the order. ​

​

"KILL THEM ALL!!!!!!"​

​

[member="Garland Kramer"]​

 

[Garland Kramer]

Garland watched as the scene unfolded before his eyes, the child had indeed headed in their direction, and as to no surprise, the Vong Cabal had noticed them as well. Within seconds of reaching them, the warband leader had made a move against Orion. Orion had forgotten that the Vong were scarcely affected by the force as he launched his attack, only to have it do nothing to the Vong except anger it more. The Vong lunged at Orion grabbing him by the throat, and began crushing his airway. Orion tried his best to struggle against the grip but Garland could see that it was futile. The roar that came from the leader echoed in every direction "KILL THEM ALL!!!!!!" The sound of the warcry sprung Garland into action, he had but one option as a Sith, he had to fight.

"How dare you lay a hand on him, you filthy mongrel." Garland's face and tone carried anger and fear as he started his assault on the Vong leader. The insult had gotten it's attention. The Vong turned to face Garland as an eruption of force lightning burst from Garland's hands, striking the leader squarely in the chestplate of his armor. He was pushed back only a couple feet, but the attack had done as Garland had hoped. The warleader had released his grip on Orion from the suddenness of the attack. Orion now lay at the feet of the Vong, Garland could see subtle movement from slow breathing in Orion's body. That takes care of one problem, now what am I going to do about the rest of them? "Disgusting human, I'll tear out your innards and place your head on a pike as a warning to all who dare trespass in the Vong Cabal's territory." Garland wracked his brain for an answer as the Vong prepared for battle, he tried to recall everything he know about the Vong. Highly aggressive, prefer to ambush prey, hates machines, honor above all.....THAT'S IT!! As the second Vong approached him from the side to help his leader in the attack, Garland uttered a phase that stopped both of the Vong almost immediately, "I challenge you to a blood duel." his right hand's mechanical index finger pointed at the leader. "If I win, we go free, If you win, you are free to do whatever you want with us." Garland hoped that even a sect as radical as the Vong Cabal would still honor the right to fight to the death for one's freedom. He had used his right hand for the gesture in an attempt to anger the Vong further, perhaps making him easier to fight if he was more impulsive. A smirk appeared on the leader's face and the eyebrows raised on his slanted forehead. "One who combines himself with blasphemous technology dares to invoke the right to fight for his life? How bold of you outsider, very well, but when I win I will parade you through the streets and expose you for the insect you are and you will become my personal slave for the rest of your pathetic life." Then the Vong turned to his comrade that was near Garland. "Stay back, I want no assistance in crushing this worm." For a brief second Garland felt relief, he had managed to turn his encounter of three Vong into a duel with just one, now all he had to do was win. I don't think I'll be able to outlast him in a test of stamina, but if I allow him to take the initiative, I might find a weakness I can exploit. Garland unsheathed his lightsaber and a red hue emitted from the blade that emerged from the hilt. Garland had decided to hold off on the amphistaff for now. It would be better utilized as a surprise attack, once he formed a strategy. For now he took a battle stance, lightsaber up, ready to fight for his life.

The Vong moved first, he pulled what looked to be a long tube from his back. Garland didn't know what the object was, but it was likely to be very dangerous. The Vong pointed the tube at Garland and activated something on it, immediately a a small bug came flying out of the launcher toward Garland at high speed, the wings of the creature beat loud as it flew towards him. Garland was surprised by the weaponry but was still able to bring his lightsaber in contact with the insect, splitting it in two. The Vong laughed "You move quick for an old man, let's see how long that lasts." More bugs came shooting out of the launcher, one after another, Garland swung wildly as he dodged and swung at them. One of them flew past him and into a tree behind him. A loud thud followed by a crash of the tree coming down behind him was what he heard. If that's what those things do to trees, I can't let even one of them hit me, they will bore right through me like butter. Garland was trying to pay attention to the Vong while he was launching the bugs at him, he couldn't see anything he could use to his advantage, the only part of the Vong that wasn't completely covered in armor was his head, and it would be quite difficult to get a hit in there. He needed to go on the offensive it seemed, the bugs kept flying towards him, and showed no signs of stopping, The Vong just laughed as Garland struggled to slash at the dangerous projectiles. Garland took a small window in between the shots and launched another volley of force lightning at his attacker. The Vong yet again slid back slightly, not being affected by the attack, but this time something else had happened, the Vong had gotten a bit of wind knocked out of him, he had slid back with his arms outstretched, presumably because he had not expected Garland to attack him while on his back foot. It was then that Garland got a stroke of luck, he saw that the armpit area of the Vong wasn't covered by his hefty armor, it was exposed. It was only seen for a split second, but that was enough for Garland to know that he could win this fight. Time to see if you can deal with the power of a beast lord, little Vong.

Garland rushed the Vong immediately after he had slid back from the force lightning, ready with his plan to bring him down. He began cutting through all the bugs that were still flying towards him. As he closed the gap the Vong had regained his stance and brought up his launcher again to stop Garland, but it was too slow, Garland's lightsaber sparked as it cut through the bug launcher, splitting it in two, and a few bugs fell from within the broken parts, but Garland had no intention of stopping there, he had the upper hand and wasn't about to squander this rare opportunity. He followed through with his strike and his lightsaber was heading straight for the Vong's head, ready to take it off. Within inches of the hit landing a loud hiss emerged and from the waist of the Vong appeared an amphistaff, It slid up it's masters body with lightning fast speed, and intercepted the blow of Garland's lightsaber. Sparks flew between the two combatants as the Vong held a grin on his face, clearly pleased with his pet's actions. "It won't be that easy to kill me, stupid human, I am Tssh'akti, warleader of the 3rd infantry of the Vong Cabal, I have killed hundreds of your kind, and will purge the universe of...." The Vong stopped mid sentence, Garland's teeth were gritted from the struggle, but a small smile emerged. The Vong looked over to his arm, in all the commotion of the attack and his counter, he had not seen Garland's very own amphistaff move from his waist. The beast was already on his arm, it's head was at the bare spot of his underarm he was unable to feel it from under the weight of his armor and the rush of adrenaline that had him fixated on Garland's initial blow. Garland looked at his beast and gave one order Kill. Garland's amphistaff tore into the armpit of the Vong, inflicting him with it's deadly poison and slicing upward. The momentum from being able to cut through the armpit allowed the amphistaff to slice off the Vong's left arm that left a stump that bled horrible black blood.The Vong's amphistaff lunged at Garland's own in an attempt to kill it's masters attacker, but Garland used all he energy into Animal Bond, the amphistaff turned and hissed at Garland as he exerted the force. "You have failed in protecting your master, this battle is over, BEGONE!" During his phrase the amphistaff lunged at Garland but halted as he finished. The creature seemed to be confused, it turned to the Vong that it served and stared, almost in a wondering gaze. A few seconds passed and the snake started to slither away from the battle. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY AMPHISTAFF YOU LOWLY PEASANT!!!" "I just helped him see that you aren't worth protecting." Garland got great pleasure from the words that he used to sting the Vong's pride. He had outsmarted his opponent, and would surely see him concede now. The Vong roared as he held his stump of an arm, he still had the look of battle in his eyes. He swung his remaining arm at Garland in a wild rage. Loud grunting and screams were all that Garland heard as he easily dodged the now slower Vong, His blood loss was taking it's toll as it poured from his wound, but the Vong cared little for it and was determined to claim victory at any cost. Garland blocked the swings with his lightsaber, and his blade bounced off the still strong armor of the fierce warrior. Garland snapped his fingers and his amphistaff lunged forward towards the injured Vong, making it's way up his back and latching itself around his neck. The Vong stopped his flailing, he knew what came next. Garland watched as the rage in the Vong's eyes turned to fear, it was something that gave Garland a shiver in his spine. With a crunch of bones, the Vong's life left his eyes as the amphistaff crushed the life out of him. His body slumped to it's knees and then to the side, where it lay motionless. The amphistaff then slid back to Garland and assumed it's spot as his belt.

He had done it, Garland had actually won against one of the Vong Cabal's warleaders. His happiness was quickly replaced with exhaustion, the battle had been hard fought and the adrenaline pumping through him was dying down. he watched as the two remaining Vong approached him, he hoped they would honor the conditions that the fight was based on. They walked past Garland and picked up their leader. Scowls were upon their face as one of them hoisted him onto his back. He looked at Garland and Orion. "You are free to take your friend and go, as were the terms of your duel, as for the ones still in chains they belong to the Cabal and they were not part of your arrangement. Leave now before I change my mind little human." The Vong started to head to the other side of the village with their slaves in tow, they were begging Garland to save them and take them with him. Garland did not care for their lives, he did not fight for them. He was just relieved that he wouldn't have to fight more Vong on this day. He walked over to Orion and poked him a couple of times, hoping that he might come to, "You're not about to make me carry you out of here are you?" Garland said with a slight chuckle.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​

 

[Orion Darkstar]

The gyrating motion of the organic tendrils suffocated his air ways. The slight crunch that came soon after sealed away the young sith's fate. Orion slightly twinged as he silently widened the crease of his lips for one last breath. Instead of a flooding release of oxygen. He was greeted with a dimming effect from his ocular nerves. The angular beast that stared viciously back at him began to slowly faded off into a distant grey plane. Spots of purple and green began to cloud his vision completely before all that was left was pitch black. ​

​

Orion's body went limp as it lifelessly hung from the grip of the Vong Warleader. Although it seemed that death had taken the masked warrior, something else began to morph in the Sith's mind. A slowly moving current began to reach him as he began to free fall in an endless space of nothing. Orion finally awoke in mid descent, the longer he fell the louder the current of waves became. In a panic, Orion tried to wiggle himself free from what ultimately might encapsulate him once he reached the bottom. ​

​

Water.​

​

In normal fashion the gears began to churn within the inner workings of his mind. There had to be an explanation for whatever was taking place. The only thing that confused him the most was the weightless feeling of his own body as he continued to fall. Questions began to arise and as soon as he tried to process everything, the blackness surrounding him began to peel away into a colorful world. The fierce plunge forced him finally to the bottom as a raging sea took him under. Fear, branched out into his entire existence before he frantically tried to reach the top of the waves. He swung his arms viciously downward to pull himself out of the current, but to no avail. Holding his breath as long as he could, nothing seemed to work and the taste of salty sea water began to fill his mouth like a torrent of smoke. ​

​

Gurgling for help he began to flail in the depths of the undertow. Paralyzed with fear, Orion tried to think logically, but instead a voice echoed through the dense waters of the vicious sea. It bellowed out to him like a gift from the force. ​

​

"Prove it, You need me..." The voice enticed the young sith and continued. "Fear has no place for kings in this world, Orion." ​

​

Orion's eyes scanned for the source and with a last attempt to speak out for the mysterious voice, he was flung upwards. Erupting from the waves of the entrapping sea below, he was thrown onto a sandy platform. Coughing up smoggy liquid from his lungs, he grunted. Bending on all fours, his drenched attire weighed him down, the strain in his lungs finally released his airways. Panting he rolled onto his back, a bright blue sky greeting him. A light grin began to form as he took a deep breath. Escaping death was exhausting. ​

​

What interrupted him next was the same mysterious voice that he heard in the sea. ​

​

"Well Orion? What do you say? Do we have a Deal?"​

​

Orion snapped upright to look around. He clearly was on a small island, but all alone. He hadn't seen anyone close enough to talk to him. Even so, the voice felt close by. Orion stood, sand clinging to his garments and finally spoke out. ​

​

"A deal? I don't even know who or what you are. Were you the one that saved me from drowning?"​

​

"You know exactly who I am Orion. Can't you feel it?" The hidden voice lightly chuckled, taunting Orion. "You saved yourself."​

​

"How?" Orion asked, confused by the whole conversation of riddles. ​

​

Almost immediately the unknown voice snapped. ​

​

"By calling on me!"​

​

"Enough of the games. Tell me the truth, where am I?"​

​

"Simple, an Island. Don't you get it? It's truly genius Orion, you've created all of this. Everything about you rests here. Even me." ​

​

"I created you?"​

​

"I'm not a teacher, Orion. I'm sorry, if you don't want my help I can no longer remain." As soon as the words spilled from his mouth a man in a nice fitted suit emerged from nothingness in front of him. A top hat accented his feature. A sly grin stretched across his face. His eyes were hidden away from the rim of the hat, until he slowly raised his head to reveal his icy blue eyes. Worst of all, the one that stood before him was no one of consequence. "Till we meet again, Orion." ​

​

Orion tried to find the words for the stranger but nothing came out. Regardless, the strange man vanished into thin air. Just as appropriate as the man vanished, a leaking liquid began to tease the young sith. Ripped from the inner solitude of his mind, Orion snapped awake to the real reality of the world around him. A black spongy blood leaked in through his chrome mask, accenting the corner of his eyes. ​

​

What the?​

​

"You're not about to make me carry you out of here are you?"​

​

Taking a second to process everything he slowly sat up and heaved in a large gulp of air. His chest expanded and with a nasty cough, he felt a throbbing pain in his neck. Slightly turning his head, he could feel a sharp pain from the events that unfolded prior to his strange dream. If it even was a dream. ​

​

"What the hell are you talking about? You're not carrying me. What even happened?"​

​

Orion looked down at his hands, a black liquid staining parts of his clothing. Shifting his eyes over to the Vong Cabal, he noticed a arm on the ground nearby. Clearly he owed Garland his life or maybe the man in the suit from his dream. Either way, he was still alive. ​

​

[member="Garland Kramer"]​

​

​

 

[Garland Kramer]

Despite him just having woken up from what could have been the brink of death, Orion was still as serious as ever, he began demanding information from Garland as soon as he came to. "What the hell are you talking about? You're not carrying me. What even happened?" Garland rolled his eyes at his confused comrade, "calm down, breathe for a second, after the Vong leader knocked you out, I took care of him. We are free to go now if we hurry." Garland would leave it at that unless Orion wanted more information, Garland was never one to boast about his fights or accomplishments, he knew he was a well trained fighter, and that was all that mattered. Orion could probably figure most of it out from the few bugs and broken launcher that lay around the Vong's severed arm, so why bother wasting more time. Garland had gotten his amphistaff, a priceless weapon that helped him greatly in his battle with the Vong, and he figured that Orion had gotten a few good samples for his alchemy experiments before the attack, so now they should make their way back to the ship and leave before the Vong come back.

They headed off toward the ship after he helped Orion off the ground, the two men moved with haste and in silence, after all, there could be more Vong in the jungle that would not be aware of the deal Garland had struck with his opponent. Thankfully nothing had happened to their vessel during their time away from it, they boarded the ship and immediately took off, leaving the dangers of the Zonama Sekot jungles below them. Orion had went to the front of the ship and presumably began plotting a new location for them, probably somewhere to lay low for a bit until something new came up. Garland on the other hand went to lay on the bed in his cabin, he laid down and felt a small sense of peace as the ship's engine purred during travel. He would sleep well knowing that his new beast would defend him, no matter the threat. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander to a time where power and violence weren't the only absolutes in his life.

[member="Orion Darkstar"]​