Star Wars Chaos : The New Generation

[Micah Talith]

[member="Vexen"]

"Hey wait!" Micah cried out, giving chase -- and getting a lot of odd looks in the process. But how does one chase down a fleeting shadow? A blur at the corner of the eye? Bright orange eyes would narrow, and in that came the surge of the Force within the young Talith. Out of all of his siblings, he was the one gifted with the aspect of Sense.

Most specifically, in tracking down the threads that would connect all through the web of the Force.

"Oh no you don't," Micah would utter out, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes. He would focus on that fleeting shadow, tracking what he could of it. It was difficult, as the objective was unlike anything he had ever seen.

But all life was touched by the Force. Even this one. With the fluttering pitter patter of a startled heartbeat, Micah would be in pursuit.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]

Vexen pumped her little legs hard, skittering away. She nearly took a tumble at the corner of two streets, her arms flailed and a claw managed to grab a branch to steady herself. Even in the most built up areas, the Gardeners ensured there was plenty of foliage.

Vexen risked a look over her shoulder. The man was gaining on her. He was so tall, and looked so fierce. Were his eyes actually glowing orange, or was she in a nightmare?

Her heart pumped hard and fast, her paws shook as she ran. She could see the glint of metal in the bushes ahead. A door into the Hidden Places.

Forget me! Forget me! she demanded. The last person to catch her had bundled her up in a foul sack and carried her off. She wouldn't have that again. She wouldn't! She could always make them forget, always.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Vexen"]

He could feel the flutter in his mind. A sort of clouding sensation that would feel as if he was being stifled by a thick blanket. He shook his head, fighting against it, but the sheer panic and drive sent by the Defel was strong.

Why was he running again? Why was he chasing -- wait! FOCUS!

His mother and father had taught him how to shield his mind with a little bit of extra resistance. It wasn't much, but he hanged on to a thread on the reason he was giving chase. Lightsaber.

He went skidding across the road, rocks and pebbles scattering as he would stumble, fixing to regain his balance. Almost....

Micah shot forward, Force enhanced speed closing the distance a bit more. He may not be as skilled as Aela with it, but he could handle his own. And right now, his mind was solely focused on gaining on Vexen.

A metal door was up ahead. Would he slip into it?

Welp, only one way to find out.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]


No, no no! He was still chasing her. He was tracking her with those terrifying orange eyes. He wasn’t forgetting. As she passed through the half-open grate her fur was almost immediately heavy and damp with moisture. Vexen pushed on through the rolling clouds of warm steam and into the Hidden Places. He won’t follow me here, he just won’t!

She took a left into a narrow, circular tunnel, scrabbling down it as fast as she could. The air was much cooler here, and the metal beneath her paws no longer pained her. Her mind was adept at mentally mapping out the tight network of tunnels in the Hidden Places, and already she had a route in mind.

At the end of the circular tunnel she slid down a long ladder and pulled open a hatch. Was that noise him following her? Oh no. He was going to catch her. Catch her and kill her. On the other side of the hatch was a much wider, square corridor. She allowed one paw to run gently across the rough breeze block walls. It was a gamble, taking the lower path. It was flat and wide, and the human could use his long legs to catch up. However, it was near-complete darkness down here, and she was hoping he’d lose sight of her as she turned off down a tight side passageway towards her home.

 

[Micah Talith]

Follow her he did.

Blame that Talith stubbornness and top it off with his mother's own dollop of tenacity as the cherry on top. Hot moist air would blast and coat Micah's skin as he made his way inside. His eyes would start to adjust to the lowlight, steam coming out from various vents.

His jaw would clench, ears perking before he would follow that instinctive guide through the Force for his objective. He ran down the network of tunnels, following the sound of scurrying clawed paws and that frantic flutter of a heartbeat through the Force. The air was pretty rank in here, and there were questionable puddles on the ground of indiscriminate color.

The deeper he went, the warmer it became. Micah would slide to a corner, coming to a fork. He gave a frown, searching left and right. The sound of a hatch opening and closing darted his attention to the right.

Following in pursuit, he found a ladder down a manhole of some sorts, leading to a darker area. Not one to consider the consequences before doing, down he went, using his gloves and his boots as protection against the friction as he went sliding down.

He landed with a soft splash - again those puddles, ick - but into near-complete darkness.

Oh great, this was going to be interesting. Then again, instinct and the Force were at his side. As his mother would say; use the Force Draith.

So he did. Trusting in the Force to continue to guide him near complete darkness, Micah would continue down the passageway, the flat and wide area allowing him to close the gap further despite the dark.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]

Her ears swivelled back at the sound of the splash. The boy was still coming. Her heart raced even faster as panic threatened to overwhelm her. He made so much noise to her keen ears, boot splashing with every step.

She abandoned caution and skittered down the side passage, her claws making a noise against the floor. It was just a short stretch now to her home. Almost tripping as she reached the entrance, she grasped the sides of the small opened and pulled herself through, ignoring the way it scratched her side painfully.

The gap needed widening again. She was relatively broad across the shoulders compared to a human, but she was still a fragile thing compared to the human boy. Perhaps he wouldn’t even fit through. Maybe he’d get bored and leave. Or maybe he’d become lost, left to wonder the Hidden Places forever.

The dark shape darted into a corner of the tiny little room she had taken up residence in. Behind a bundle of stained rags she had stolen to make a nest, she cowered. Utterly invisible in the darkness, but still she whimpered at the sounds of his footsteps approaching.

Vexen growled quietly. It sounded pitiful to her ears, but maybe the grumbling sound would give him pause.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Vexen"]

Micah heard the sound of claw marks against the wall, and he would continue the pursuit. Every sound went resonating on his heightened Force senses, vibrating like tiny tremors along a shellsilk spider's web. The sound of dripping water filled his senses, the scent of stagnant water, runoff, and stale air in the air.

He took slow, careful steps, loose gravel under his boots. That's when he heard the low growl, rumbling from a distant corner. A warning. It was in stark contrast to the anxious fluttering heartbeat he would narrow his force enhanced senses on.

Taking another careful step, he finally spoke. "Hello?.." The child asked, peering towards where he could faintly discern the growling was coming from.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Mark nodded a goodbye to Aela, and out of curiosity, followed the younger boy, presumably a sibling and possibly fellow padawan or youngling of hers by his appearance and the similar aura they emitted. He'd nearly lost him when he saw the boy dash off somewhere. Mark gave chase, though he didn't think the boy saw him.

The boy ahead of him was chasing something. That much was clear enough. Mark did his best to keep up with the younger padawan, though kept a small distance so not to sneak up on him and spook him. They'd now entered a dark place, and all that Mark could see of the boy's quarry was a shadow. The boy stopped and looked off somewhere in the darkness. He could hear the boy say something that he couldn't quite make out.

What on Yavin was he after in this dank, dark place?
[member="Micah Talith"]
[member="Vexen"]

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]

Vexen could see now that the boy would be able to fit through the small opening into her home. Those daemonic eyes materialised before her, but she could make out his shoulders too – narrower than the opening, though it would be a squeeze. She chastised herself for not running further. Perhaps in the narrow winding passages should could have lost him, or perhaps even gone so far she could have bartered her life for safe passage back to the gardens.

This place had always felt so safe to her. A hidden place in a hidden world. Her home. The pipe brought her warmth, the walls brought her safety. Already tired and murky from the journey from the surface, just a faint sliver of light was cast on her room. Perhaps he wouldn’t even be able to spot her in such complete darkness? Maybe she could rush past him after he’d squeezed through the hole and escape.

Who was she kidding? This place had felt safe, and now she was going to die here. Stabbed to death and left to rot where nobody would find her, just like that boy from the Hidden Places. The one she’d watched kicked and dragged into a back alley before the man had casually finished him off with three thrusts from a rusty knife. Nobody but Rajik would recall her, and she doubted he would mourn her passing. Vexen closed her eyes and found herself hoping that it wouldn’t hurt too much. Maybe it would be quick. Just a sudden pain and then asleep.

“Please leave me be,” she found herself muttering meekly to herself, but in the silence the boy would probably hear. She curled up into a trembling ball and tried not to urinate herself.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Muffled words came from in the shadows of the pipe. It sounded something like 'leave me be'.
"Be careful." He whispered to the younger boy in front of him, taking a place next to him now so as not to scare him. "Anything can be dangerous when cornered, even if you have good intentions."
He thought for a moment. Then added one more thing.
"Oh, and don't worry. I won't tell your mother where you were when you get out. I'm as curious as you must be. Do you know what it is?"
[member="Micah Talith"]
[member="Vexen"]

 

[Vexen]

Oh feth, there's another one! That meant one of them could guard the entrance whilst one came in after her. Vexen bit her tongue to stop herself from whimpering loudly, feeling the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Mark Sage"] [member="Vexen"]


“GAH!” random voice totally threw him off, so much he too kinda skittered. Where the heck did this one come from? Wait was this a trap?!

Figures…

“Who are you?!”

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

"Sorry. I tried not to sneak up too quietly, but I didn't want to throw you off your game."
Sensing the boy's uneasiness, Mark comforted the boy.
"Don't worry. It's not a trap. At least I think it's not a trap."
He extended a quick hand to the younger one.
"Mark Sage. Jedi padawan and xenopaleontologist in training. I assume you're part of the Talith family? The resemblance in the eyes in you gives it away. I had stumbled across your sister, Aela, on the way into the city to help with stuff after the whole dimensional anomaly thing and we hadn't gotten to say much when you burst through chasing... Something. And so, I was curious what the situation was. Though, I think I'm more confused than I was when I started following. But, back to the situation at hand. What is that that you were chasing? I've never seen anything like it. It's quite fascinating. Almost just a shadow."
He bent down to take a closer look at it, then looked back to the boy.
"What's your name? And how did you come across this?"
[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]
[member="Mark Sage"]

Very slowly, a claw reached out from behind the bundle of rags. It wrapped around a wooden box on the floor and yanked it back to her. It had taken all of Vexen’s courage to unfurl that arm, but now she held the small box tightly to her small form and cracked open the lid. She breathed in the smells. That box contained everything she owned. A dirty rag she used to wrap her eyes during the day, to keep out the light; the brush she had broken just that morning to her dismay; a colourful pebble she’d collected; a napkin from a restaurant where she had once hidden in a tree, enraptured in a musical performance; several other bits and bobs she'd taken for herself or as mementos of events. Their smells brought back memories, those few memories she could recall without them threatening to smother her with dark feelings. She had almost nothing in her life, so she clutched this small broken box as she waited for the end to come.

 

[Micah Talith]

@Vexen @Mark Sage


As it was, Micah’s focus was on @Vexen. He gave a frown, his dirty childish features contorting as he would try to make sense of the broken basic. He gave a mental sigh, feeling his heartbeat get back to a more stable beat. Aela and Maleah were better at this. From what he could gather, it was some kind of animal. Well, a sapient one. Or just a smaller furred species that could communicate. Either way, a pickpocket none the less.

“I’m Micah,” he would introduce himself. “This is…” if there was enough light he’d give the random dark shadow a frown.

“We are not gonna hurt you… I just want my saber back.” he said -- and to figure out what it was. He could barely see it as a shadow in the light. Definitely not a ghost.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]
[member="Mark Sage"]

A part of her screamed at her to bolt, to take advantage of his hesitation and to try and run. Her legs had other ideas. Nothing moved or responded. She stayed tightly curled in the small ball, claws lightly shaking. It took her a moment to even register that the daemon had spoken to her; she had been focussing so intently on her few cherished memories, trying to shut out reality for her last few moments.

Her jaw did not want to move either. It was set firm, the muscles on her neck aching from the strain. After a few moments she managed to slow her breathing from its frenetic pace. Slowly her jaw unclenched and she removed her tongue from the roof of her mouth. That voice had almost sounded friendly. Anguish still rose up from her gut in waves, drowning her thoughts. The last time she’d been this afraid, she’d been tied up in a cloth bag that was being dragged slowly across the ground towards what she assumed was a river.

She opened her eyes. She had thought to look for the shiny object she had taken. It was here somewhere, but she had dropped it unceremoniously. He probably wouldn’t be able to see it in the darkness. Then she saw those terrible eyes. Of course he would. He wasn’t of this world. Her jaws snapped shut, probably sounding like an aggressive noise. Vexen couldn’t tear her gaze from those orange orbs. Now he knees shook as well as her claws.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Vexen"]

Micah heard the clatter of wood on on the ground, along with a splash. He gave a grimace. He was not looking forward to what questionable liquid it may have falling into. Either case, blind as he was, the lightsaber crystal inside was attuned to the boy. He would be able to sense its whereabouts. Ignoring the older boy, he would scout closer, scooting forward across the dirt and permacrete debris.

His boots would give a slight splash against that puddle, hand outstretched. His mother had taught him and his siblings long ago how to manipulate the Force to manifest a small orb of light at his palm. He figured that would help out matters here.

Soft light would bloom in his outstretched palm, and he would blink rapidly as his eyes would start to adjust to the faint glow of the light. It was then that he could see more clearly the Defel's abode. Curiousity sparked his childish features, and the organized - and one could say clean, as much as one could make it - nook was rather impressive.

"Is this your home?" he would ask, piqued interest in his voice as he bent forward to get his saber.

"Pretty neat."

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]

Gaze locked on those orange orbs, she stayed rooted to the spot with fear. The only motion was the occasional involuntary tremble. Her head followed his movements as he bent over, eyes turning to his outstretched hand. A brilliant light appeared in his hands. She yelped, legs scrambling beneath her and forcing her back into the corner of the room.

She wasn't dead yet. Nothing hurt. The sudden burst of light that burned halos into her vision, and then the dawning realisation that she was still alive shocked her out if her stupor. Eyes just slits, trying to keep out the light, she regarded him carefully.

Despite his eyes, he didn't really look that scary. He looked big to her, but then from a naturally short species, and having been perpetually malnourished, most did. Pretty average human boy, all things considered.

Her jaw trembled as she tried to reply. Instead she just nodded her head. Her eyes and teeth would be visible at least, so the gesture was not in vain.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Vexen"]

My, what big teeth you have...

Micah could have sworn he heard a bedtime story about a kathhound, a girl with a red cloak, and cookies. Fleeting remembrance aside, he stayed in that half crouching position, wiping his saber hilt against his pants leg with a grimace.

"It's not gonna burn you." he said, referencing the orb of light floating above his palm. "I just can't see things too well down here." he would explain further. His eyes would squint, trying to get a good look at who he was dealing with. It was just hard. He felt the fear, it was almost tangible with how much it clouded over the Defel. Worry. Concern.

He frowned. There were little tell tale things he picked up during his time with his Oma and Maleah. How animals and creatures who were afraid expressed that fear. The hunched thin shoulders. The scruff at the neck standing on end. His face contorted anew in confusion.

"i'm not going to hurt you." Micah finally said.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]


Vexen’s stomach was a tight little ball of emotions. She would have liked nothing more than to calm down at that moment, to release that tight little knot and let it all go. Unfortunately she couldn’t. She couldn’t go from this worked up to calm and rationale on the flick of a switch; she was still a young child really, and not an emotionally balanced one at that. Her conscious mind took a moment, before decided to believe the boy. She wasn’t going to die yet. Soon he'd leave her all alone again, and she could try and forget this sorry saga.

That little ball started to unravel. The tight, icy cold fear started to recede, but the relief was clouded in a complex cocktail of emotions her juvenile mind could not easily handle. The relief alone was overwhelming. Her claws still trembled as she clung to her tiny box of belongings, her knees still shook.

“Okay,” she said quietly, but she’d already started to sob. Her eyes welled up with tears, which started to clump the fur along the sides of her muzzle as they rolled down her face. Her breathing was still quick and shallow and she grit her teeth together. It would take time, she knew, to feel alright again, to let it all go and stop being overwhelmed by her feelings. She would probably stay all alone in her abode for a few days, ignoring the hunger and thirst, until she felt composed enough to go back to the surface.

Rajik would be annoyed. That thought was enough to stir up another turbulent storm of feelings. She’d only found one thing for him. When she didn’t come for a few days…that meant no food. It meant no food at best, at worst…