Surviving on Seelos

[Roth Likonis]

The dirty huttian skiff thrummed noisily, hovering a good twenty-five meters in the air - the harsh wind making it bob ever so slightly. As it did so, Jashin scrabbled from side to side frantically, trying to keep his balance on the thin gangplank that he currently found himself on. "Don't you think this is a slight overreaction?" Shouted Jashin over the howling wind. The gale was freezing, and Jashin could barely feel his fingers. If he fell, he doubted he'd have the strength to grab and hold onto anything. Far below, semi-frozen sand and jagged rocks awaited him - even if he survived, he'd be stranded in this lifeless place.

On the main deck of the skiff, three sentients eyed Jashin dubiously. One, a thin-lipped and squint-eyed Pantoran, was currently patting the butt of a heavy pistol at his side - on either side, a pair of Nikto in crude armor and wielding pikes sneered at him. "Jo hoska! Be wona wubba!" Growled the Nikto in its native tongue, slamming its pike onto the gangplank.

"I think we need to - talk - about this!" Pleaded Jashin unsteadily as he held on for dear life as the plank bobbed and shuddered in response.

"Talk? Where was this talk on the ride here?" Asked the pantoran, his nasally voice oddly menacing in a godfather kind of way. "Why would you do this to me boy? You're like a son to me." The pantoran adjusted his zeyd-cloth business suit slightly, unholstering his blaster casually - inspecting it for dirt - before making some adjustments. The motions were slow, deliberate, languid; he knew he had all the time in the world.

"I was unconscious for the ride here! I don't even know where we are! What did you use, a Headbanger?" Protested Jashin, distracted by the man's movements. As the pantoran drew his own blaster, though, Jashin couldn't help his own hand from slapping against his thigh - an almost unconscious reflex, despite very well knowing his equipment belt was in the hands of the ugly Nikto to the pantoran's side.

"We're on Seelos." Offered the Pantoran helpfully, as he leveled the blaster at Jashin's feet.

"I've never even heard of it! Come on, Boss Rana, a man should know what planet he's gonna die on. Come on!" Said Jashin quickly, his eyes flicking from the blaster, to the ground below, to the gangplank that seemed to get thinner and thinner.

"That's Lassa Rana to you, boy! You don't work for me...not any more. Not after what you did." The pantoran, Rana, leveled the blaster and squeezed off a shot - the cyan bolt sparking against the durasteel of the plank a good two meters away from Jashin at the base of the plank.

"So I gambled away a few crates of merchandise; who hasn't? Who hasn't?" Spluttered Jashin defensively as Rana took aim once more.

"Cho huma raba dinga!" Offered the Nikto to Rana, who nodded in agreement.

"You're not helping!" Snapped Jashin in response.

"Koro has a good point," said Rana as he took aim once more - this time a little further up the plank, closer to Jashin's feet. "After all, it was nearly ten thousand credits. That's not a few crates. Then there's the matter of poor Haruk." Another squeeze, another bolt sparked across the plank, this time halfway between Rana and Jashin.

"He was asking for it! It's not my fault he couldn't hold his liquor!" Protested Jashin as he raised his arms defensively as Rana took aim directly at Jashin's feet.

"You shot him dead in cold blood! He wasn't even picking a fight! Poor Haruk, all he did is knock over your drink." Rana shook his head sadly, and the two Nikto bowed their heads in respect. "Rest in peace Haruk!"

"He knocked the drink right onto Sho Chi! Right onto her chest! Shouldn't I defend the honor of your one and only daughter?" Spluttered Jashin, eyes darting, hands waving.

"And then there's my daughter. My only daughter. My beautiful daughter." Growled Rana threateningly. "I've watched you two together...you, always so respectful, her always so aloof! Never did I suspect! When we searched your quarters, we found the love notes, the bottles of wine! How long? How long have you taken advantage of my beautiful Sho Chi?"

"I deny everything!" Retorted Jashin, his hands still up defensively

"How do you deny this picture!?" Snarled Rana, taking out a flimsi-photo and flashing it to Jashin. Marked with a kiss from lipstick, Rana disgustedly turned the "autographed" photo over and read from the back. "My darling Vycarian, how I long to hold you in my arms again! My life has been so dull, so guarded, and this forbidden romance has woken me up to the stars in the sky..." Rana flicked the photo over the side of the skiff, and it fluttered downward to the rocks below. "It continues on like that for some time. In graphic, graphic detail."

"I see. So...I guess this is the end of the line?" Asked Jashin, his left arm coming out towards Rana in a pleading gesture. "No more, the two of us?"

"No. No more. And now...now you die, Jashin Vycarian." Rana leveled the blaster, and grinned wickedly. "Jump, or die here on the plank. Your choice."

"...It seems negotiations have broken down." With that simple proclamation, Jashin twisted his outstretched hand - just a few seconds ago extended to plead with Rana - and a spring-rig in Jashin's sleeve thrust a small hold-out blaster into his hand. The tiny double barreled derringer only held enough energy for two shots - but was powerful enough to kill, even out to forty meters.

The weapon pulsed, once, twice, and the first bolt struck Rana in the arm sending him spinning to the ground - the man cursing as he did so. The second bolt struck the Nikto holding Jashin's utility belt in the chest, the creature falling forward, forward...forward over the railing, and down to the rocks below.

"I told you to practice with that thing more!" Roared Rana as he clamored to his feet. Rana's pistol swinging upright, Jashin raised his hands, opening his mouth to speak. "No more talk!" Rana's blaster spat cyan fire, the neon bolt striking Jashin in the shoulder, and carrying him off the gangplank to the ground below.

Downward he tumbled, twenty-five meters seeming like an eternity. The rocks below spun, the white sands filling his vision. He impacted the ground next to the dead Nikto - heard a sickening crunch. And then...he knew no more.

High above, Rana panted, cursing as he pressed a hand to the blaster wound in his arm. The glancing shot had thrown off his aim; he had meant to shoot the little sneak in the head. Peering over the side, he took in the crumpled form of Jashin, the man's leg very obviously broken, and blood leaking out from the man's cranium. His last remaining Nikto guard took out a pistol and leveled it Jashin's way, but Rana held up a hand. "No. Out of respect for my daughter, we'll leave him be. That is the only mercy we will grant him. Besides...if his wounds don't kill him, this planet will. Take us back to the ship."

Hours later, a ship would be seen rising into space in the distance - no doubt carrying a certain huttian skiff. Jashin, though, would never remember this. No, he had a mind only for the searing pain that filled his body, and the stench of burnt flesh wafting from the Nikto corpse to his left. He couldn't even open his eyes. But as he lay there, a single finger slowly twitching, then scratching against the ground as he found his strength, one thing was for certain...

...He knew the planet that he was going to die on. Its name was Seelos; and it sucked salt.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(To be continued)

 

[Ronak]

Eager to leave Uvena Prime as quickly as possible in search of his lost family members Ronak had hired on the first ship leaving the planet without caring too much about the assignment except that it was not a military one. A hunting mission had sounded like the perfect mission to the young Shistavanen scout. The alien who hired him had told him that they wanted to hunt down giant worms named Joopas on planet called Seelos. Appararently, they wanted to sell the carapaces and in some places worm meat was considered a fashionable delicacy nowadays. A strange planet, mysterious creatures – his curiosity would have been sparked and driven him to go, even if he did not feel obliged to leave his home for other personal reasons.

The travel aboard the starship had been his first one and he found himself quickly on the receiving end of insults by the experienced crew members for his lack of knowledge and skills aboard a starship, although he learned quickly once terms were explained to him or he was shown how to perform simple tasks. The droids aboard the ship gave him the creeps – one could never tell their feelings, neither by features, gestures nor smell. They were just too artificial for his taste and he tried to stay out of their ways.

Finally, they arrived at their destination, the Seelos system. Upon entering orbit anyother ship speeded off quickly. Hunting for worms seemed like a big business nowadays. Their captain decided to land the vessel not too close to the mountains, a few days march into the salt desert where the worms where supposed to live.

Orders were given to all crew members, some to maintain and guard the ship, some were to set up a camp and others to prepare themselves and their equipment for the hunting trip. „Scout, start looking for tracks or signs of those worms!“, Ronak was ordered and quickly turned to fulfilling his task. The sand consisting of tiny salt crystals gace the surroundgins an overly bright glare when the sun was shining on them directly.

Fortunately, it was not the time when it was standing in zenith, but already a bit past that hour, not blinding him too much. Climbing a dune hill some few dozen meters away from the ship‘s landing spto and their camp to gain a better view, Ronak scrutinized his surroundigs consisting of hundreds of dunes creating a constant up and down in the landscape which made orientation by eyesight extremely hard. No worm creature was anywhere in sight.

Thus, he decided to give his other senses a try, pricking his ears which among the sound of his crew mates building a camp or preparing their gear, the ships engines working to maintain the energy even when being landed made out the howling of the wind, but little else of interest. Inhaling deeply he tested the scents immediately smelling the ship‘s exhaust fumes, his crewmates sweating in the burning sunlight and the wind carried another ever so soft smell. Concentrating more intensely, unknowingly focussong his force ability on increasing his senses perception, the smell became more intense. Now he could even distinguish two types of smell, the smell of burning flesh and the one smell any predator recognises immediately: blood.

Checking the direction of the wind, he tried to make something out, but the dunes were hiding whatever source of the smell behind them, so that not even the sharpest eye could make out anything. Quickly, he returned to the camp to report his insights. The smell of blood could mean an injured or killed prey and a hunter nearby or the chance that a carcass would attract hunters and carrion eaters such as the worms. This was a perfect chance for tracking one down!

A team of 5 armed hunters quickly gathered to explore the source of the smell with him. While struggling to climb the dunes and sliding down on the other side, he could tell that they were closing in by the smell intensifying. It could not be much further than one dune ahead, when the ground under his feet started to quake, not because of the dunes normal sliding behaviour making climbing them so difficult, but because of something closing in on them. The quakes were still soft, but perceivable. They hurried to get up the flank of the dune as quickly as possible. This was their chance. A joopa worm was coming.

When finally reaching the top of the dune, he could see the valley below with two bodies lying there - no one of them was moving slightly. As quick as he could the Shinavastanen glided down the dune trying to reach the person lying at the presenter.


@Jashin Vycarion

 

[Roth Likonis]

It was hard going; first a finger, then a hand, then an arm. The rest of him followed slowly, his strength returning, and the horrible pain ebbing enough for him to finally regain consciousness. Soon enough he was sitting upright, propped up by a small boulder, surveying his surroundings with blurry vision. The dead Nikto, clutching his utility belt, was his first concern. Scooting closer, cursing and grunting as he did so, he tore the belt out of the alien's death-grasp, inspecting it to make sure everything was in order. Emergency med-kit, energy rations, general purpose scanner, DL-18 blaster, one-use ascension cable, five spare ammunition cartridges, and a single tiny travel-datapad of rugged construction. Struggling to fit the utility belt around his waist, Jashin eventually collapsed backward against the rock once more - panting and sweating - finally clasping the belt shut and securing the belt around his waist. "I'm...I'm in trouble. Kriffing hell, I'm in trouble...if that's all I can do."

Pulling out the datapad, wincing as he did so, he powered the small device on - the pad beeping at him in response. His species was isolationist; there were many things the galaxy took for granted or knew as common knowledge that the Epicanthix would either marvel or be overwhelmed by. As a result, many travelers took infopads with them, more or less interactive dictionaries, which could identify words and display associated images and information. "Seelos. Planet. Identify." The machine beeped in response, displaying a sad little white rock-ball while a synthesized buzzing voice helpfully droned - detailing the world. "Seelos, Seelos system, Kwymar Sector, Outer Rim Territories. Dessert planet, primary composition; salt deserts and mountains. No native species or settlements. Primary fauna; burrowing carnivorous sand-worm "Joopa." End entry."

"Dorothy, we're not on Coruscant anymore." Muttered Jashin, quoting a line from the classic tale about a girl and her pet voorpak who got sucked up into a wormhole. "The outer rim! Weeks away from the core. No settlements, no help...all salt, which means any water is going to be deep underground, where the Joopas live. The Joopas that are going to eat me."

The ground rumbled. Not much, but just enough for one of the dunes to shift and dribble a trail of sand-salt onto Jashin's boot. It didn't take a genius to know what that was. "And here come the worms. Come to eat my tasty tasty flesh." Struggling to pull the blaster from his holster, Jashin weakly waved the weapon around. There would be no way of telling which direction the creature would come from. If anything, it would probably come from below, like a fish. He doubted he'd get a shot off before it swallowed him. Maybe, though, if he was lucky, he'd get a few shots off while inside the thing. "Yeah, right, and what, kill it underground? How would you get to the surface then, genius?" Dead either way, in other words.

Or...maybe not. Five sapients gathered at the top of the dune - hunters by the look of their clothing and weapons. A sixth member, some kind of canid, was hurrying down the dune towards Jashin. The rumbling grew louder. There was no time to question the alien's motives. "Faster. Must go faster. You need to go faster wolfy!" Jashin's words edged up into a shout as the rumbling grew even louder, and sand began to displace. Soon, the worm would be upon them all.

@Ronak

 

[Ronak]

„I‘ll try and get him! Keep the blasters ready!“, Ronak barked over his shoulder while sliding down the dune. It took all his concentration to not roll over while getting down as quickly as possible. The rumble was increasing, by now the earth was shaking clearly perceivably which made the descent along the dune hill even more tricky. Drawing his blaster midrun, he prepared for the worm‘s arrival.

„You need to go faster wolfy!", his ears could make out between the rumble, rustling of sands all around and shouts of his hunter colleagues behind him. „Move away from the dead guy!“, he barked back, while speeding up to reach the man. Desperation seemed to push his speed beyond physical limits, as he rushed towards the man who was clasping his own blaster and slowly trying to scramble away avoiding to use his leg at all cost.

The ground was shaking incredibly now and Ronak made a desparate decision. Running to the dead body stinking of burnt flesh, he drove his claws into the alien‘s neck cutting the jugular and shaking him to spill some blood on the ground which was not flowing anymore on its own in the dead body. Hopefully, it would distract the worm a little, while he tried to get the other man out.

With a final leap, he closed the the gap between himself and the stranger. When the Shistavanen arrived at his side, so did the worm, breaking out of the underground at the spot where the dead Nikto‘s body had lain and swallowing it whole. At the same time blaster fire filled the air with buzzing noise and ozone. „Give me your hand … quickly!“, he growled at the stranger who seemed fairly cooperative. They had to use what little time they had, while the cover fire kept the worm busy.

The man felt surprisingly heavy, standing almost as tall as the wolfman who tugged his arm over his shoulder to keep him standing upright. „Keep the blaster out and shoot the beast, if it turns to us. Don‘t attract its attention before that!“, Ronak barked curtly, while taking the first cautious steps toward the dune where his companions crouched in firing position. Being amiable was never his forte and in life-and-death situations even less.

A whirring sound, an explosion where once the worms head had been that not only cost the beast its life, but also threw the staggering pair off-balance toppling aginst the sand which somewhat cushioned the fall. Finally, the hunters had used the heavy projectiles brought for hunting down these creatures.

@Jashin Vycarion

 

[The Wayfarer]

Oda trudged through the salt plains of this burning planet for sometime. The bitter winds caused his robes to flow gently in the breeze behind him. The salt stung his eyes and he found himself tilting his straw hat at an angle to block at least some of the stuff. The chill had not effected him, but even so he knew if he did not find shelter soon he would freeze to death. He found that the predators of this planet left rather homely burrows that one could shield themselves in for the night, but Oda usually left before he was asked to leave by the homeowners. He had feasted on worm eggs and drank salt water for days and now he was border line delirious.

He kept seeing visions.

Whether it be that of the planet's doing or the force he did not know. He saw a scoundrel, often the vision came in the form of the very salt of this planet. A sort of statue if you will. A man as harsh as the world they were on, every time the Wayfarer touched the statue it crumbled and slipped away. He had yet to discern meaning from this. But, another being he saw too. This one a familiar presence. A lone wolf formed by sand howling at the moon. He had no clue how to discern such visions and so he had no clue what any of this might have to do with him... He was lost in another one of these strange visions, when the rumblings started again. The earthquake warned him of the worms presence and he rushed forward.

He could sense it beneath the ground and felt a general location. It seemed as though the worm were going after the visions... It rose out of the earth and Oda spied five hunters firing blaster's at the beast. That's no vision! It's real! Oda charged toward's the five hunter's and fell too hands and knees.

"Water, food, please!" Oda begged a hunter, tugging on the man's pant leg as he did so.

The Hunter looked down at him curiously then unclipping a pouch on his bandolier he handed Oda a cantine and some rations.

"Hey boss, this guy a local?" He asked the lead hunter and the man shouted back "Keep firing you idiot!" To which the hunter responded by firing upon the worm.

Oda decided he might sit and watch whilst he ate. He crossed his legs and stared after the wolf as he carried the scoundrel towards Oda and company. Still half unsure it was illusion or real, he simply opted to eat rather then help. He munched the jerky methodically washing it down with the ambrosia that was water. He supposed if it was real the worm would probably simply eat them all. So, he found solace in enjoying what quite possibly was his last meal. It was far better then the worm eggs he had been eating. The Jerky tasted of Bantha, while the water seemed to have some berry flavoring in it. He sniffed the stuff curiously and was almost certain he had guessed correctly.

[member="Ronak"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]

 

[Roth Likonis]

„Move away from the dead guy!“

Oh. Of course. Why hadn't he thought of that? Dead and burnt flesh must smell awfully tasty to a Joopa. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a part of his brain born from his service in the Reach Navy screamed at him; he wasn't thinking straight because blood loss was the cause. The blaster burn on his shoulder wasn't that bad, he wore armored clothing for a reason, after all. Had to be the leg. Or from his head smacking into a rock. The thought sent a thrill through him, and, with it, a sudden surge of energy and clarity; he needed to live. He had to live. He didn't come up from the streets and slums to die on the planetary equivalent of a salt-lick. He scrambled backward, not daring to move the broken leg for fear he'd lost consciousness - no, he simply dragged it along with him, using his free leg to kick-scoot his way across the ground.

The canid - he was either a shistavanen, defel, or amaran for all Jashin knew - rushed past him on the ground and grabbed ahold of the dead Nikto, slashing the alien's throat and scattering blood. Maybe it would buy them some extra time. Or maybe the thing would be so huge that it would just swallow them all whole. Jashin didn't dwell on it; he just kept backing away, as steadily as he could.

„Give me your hand … quickly!“

No sooner had the canid growled the words out, then did the worm appear. It was large. Jashin didn't know how large, but it was large enough to swallow the Nikto whole in a single fish-like gulp. The thing was covered in bony plates, with a toothless mouth that split open into many mandible-like appendages - a great many red eyes lining a crown-like plate on the creature's head. Jashin didn't even hesitate; immediately slapping his hand into the canids.

„Keep the blaster out and shoot the beast, if it turns to us. Don‘t attract its attention before that!“

The canid helped support him, and the pair started awkwardly heading towards the main group at all available speed. Blaster fire filled the air, many bolts deflecting off the creature's bony plates, though several struck home at the creature's mandibles and mouth. The beast seemed to spin in its hole, attempting to orient on the attacks - or perhaps preparing to burrow away. No sooner had Jashin raised his blaster, though, did he hear a thump, a thud, and was blinded slightly by a flash. Not a hair second later the creature was sagging onto the ground, quite dead, bits of gore and flesh from the Joopa's destroyed head raining down around them.

The silence that followed seemed deafening, and, belatedly, Jashin realized the explosion had knocked them both onto a nearby dune. Rolling over, taking in the sky overhead, the clouds, the almost imperceptible swirl of salt-sand in the wind - he began to laugh. And laugh, and laugh. It wasn't from shock, though, but rather exhilaration. "Whoo! What a story that will make for the ladies! And so much of it will be true this time! Bwahaha!"


[member="Ronak"]
[member="[URL="http://starwarsrp.net/user/20377-the-wayfarer/"]The Wayfarer[/URL]"]

 

[Harli Hayes]

Salt and rock as far as the eye could see. That's the only thing this entire cursed planet was made of. During the day, the sun glistened off the salt flats and anyone unfortunate enough to be out in it. At night, the temperature drops drastically low. Then there was the wildlife...

Harli had come to this planet with a team of scavengers. The rumor of a massive bulk freighter that went down somewhere on this planet was circulating quickly through junker groups. A ship that large, unclaimed, could bring a small fortune to who ever found it first. There was only one problem though. The ship her and her team were on had gone down in a massive sand storm. Half the team died on impact, two had been killed by a Joopa, and the last succumbed to their injuries. Harli was now the only one left and with dwindling supplies.

Harli watched the explosion of salt and dirt rise into the air through the scope of her cycler rifle. Explosions like that didn't just happen on a planet like this. No, something or someone had caused it. She lowered her rifle and grabbed her duffle bag of supplies. Harli was traveling light but prepared. She wore a black armorweave suit, brown cargo pants and black combat boots. A mask with a filter covered her mouth and nose to keep out salt, as did the red tinted goggles she wore. Over her clothes, she wore a light brown cloak that was turning white from the salt.

Keeping a steady pace, Harli made her way to the source of the explosion. She came to a stop a short distance away and brought up her rifle. It didn't take her long to find the source of the explosion. Remains of a Joopa lay scattered across a small area, while on the opposite dunes lay two humanoid beings. She could tell they were alive by the ones excitement. Lowering her rifle, she moved in till she was a short distance away. "Are you boys alright?"

[member="Jashin Vycarion"]
[member="Ronak"]

 

[Ronak]

No sooner had he shaken the sand out of his fur and ears than the laughter of the man he had just saved split the planet‘s silent atmosphere. A movement from aside the Joopa‘s carcass raised his attention, mescles tensing to fight or try to flee again, but it turned out that another humanoid clad in light armor and properly dressed for exploration on this desert planet approached them. Her scent showed neither fear nor aggression, so he turned his attention back to the stranger next to him, still laughing his head of. For an uninhabited planet, there were a lot of people around who had not come with their vessel. Joopa carapaces and meat must be really big business nowadays.

„Are you boys alright?“, she asked. Baring his teeth in a smile, Ronak yelped: „I am, but not so sure about him.“ It was good, he was laughing, otherwise he should have been howling with pain. The leg was standing out under the body in a more than unnatural way. Two heavy falls had taken their toll. Taking a stimpak out of a belt pouch, he quickly injected an application close to the leg wound where the trousers were already torn.

Looking back up at the young woman, the Shistavanen asked: „Can you help me get him to our camp? We need to keep his leg as still as possible to not hurt it any more.“ Finally remembering that he how to behave friendly, he also held out his hand speaking to both humans near him: „I‘m Ronak.“
He was not sure, how dilirious or still aware of his surroundings the guy he had just saved was and whether he was in any condition to response, but the woman was clearly in good shape. While waiting for an response, he felt a tingle - not a sound, not a smell, a feeling deep inside - he had not been aware of before, when the whole rescue had distracted him. Looking up the dune, he could make out a familiar figure kneeling next to his hunter companions. „Oda!“, he yelped the name quite happily. They had already suffered through some strains together after all.

[member="The Wayfarer"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]

 

[The Wayfarer]

Things did not go as the Wayfarer had anticipated. As he continued to sniff the berry drink in his hand he wondered, what the hell just happened? He knew not how it happened, but it would appear as though the worm had somehow spontaneously exploded. Covered in worm juices and gore Oda decided now to be the best time to hail his savior. Who ever that was. He stood and without waiting he left the hunters standing where they were, scratching their heads like the dim witted dolts they were. Once he was some distance away he could hear a distant "Hey! That's my canteen!"

Oda simply shrugged and continued to sniff the berry liquid in his never ending quest to identify it's contents. He walked towards the wolf-man and his new chew toy with diligent steps. He looked to the scavenger and gave her a slight nod. The dirt and grime had made Oda's robe less than clean, but still it somehow managed to flow serenely in the wind. As he neared the trio he handed the canteen to the wolf and asked plainly

"Would you mind identifying this fruit drink for me,"

Without waiting for an answer the Wayfarer moved to the scoundrel. Kneeling next to his leg he gave the man a simple poodoo eating grin.

"Sit still won't you?"

Then without warning he grabbed hold the scoundrel's leg and set it in the correct position. He was sure this caused immense pain to the man, and immediately sought to soothe it with the force. With hand raised he began to heal the man's wound. He saw torn tissue bind together, felt cells reproduce at an accelerated rate, even bone seemed to bind together, and in little time Oda knew the wound was healed at least to the best of his ability. The cartilage was still frail, but this way he might be able to walk. Standing once more The Wayfarer regarded the group of strangers.

"My ship needs repairs and a captain, it would seem my piloting skills are less then... Efficient," He eyed Ronak especially when he said this.

The others were strangers, but Oda knew he could trust the wolf and friends of his were friends of Oda's. They had been through hell and back on Coruscant and he could not leave the alien alone on such a world. So he looked round at the party and offered them a large grin. Still half delirious he waved his hand in the air as if to illustrate his very name "Oh, I am, Oda Nobunaga!" He said grandly, and for some reason believed they would break out in applause at hearing this. As if he were the one who had slain the worm instead of the broken man at his feet.

[member="Ronak"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]

 

[Ronak]

Oda‘s arrival truly improved this day for Ronak. However, he was still surprised when the man pressed a canteen in his hands, stating in his characteristic aloof way: „Would you mind identifying this drink for me?“ Perplexed, the Shistavanen took the canteen and sniffed it once. Immediately he curled his sensitive nose. „Blumfruit juice mixed with water“, he growled in a low voice. How he disliked this stuff, since his shipmate had once spilt a whole pitcher of the sweet sticky fruit juice over him. Washing it out again had been a painful task lasting hours.

Oda turned to taking care of the rescued man in the meantime. Setting the leg back into its correct position again already looked painful and Ronak winced slightly at the sight. What followed afterwards was a true amazement for him however. Seeing the bone, muscle, tendrils and sinews mended by itself or rather by the power of the force was a sight of pure bliss for him. Even his hard-bitten hunter companions stopped dead in their tracks quitting the rants immediately.

By the time the leg looked like it had had weeks for healing, the whole group of hunters stood in a semicircle around the injured man and his healer. Oda looked quite unimpressed by this: "My ship needs repairs and a captain, it would seem my piloting skills are less then... Efficient," He eyed Ronak especially when he said this. One of the hunters started laughing derisively. „I wouldn‘t let the mutt touch anything on your ship, if I were you!“

Ronak was hanging his ears at the words; although they had some truth to them, they stil hurt. True enough, he had only been aboard a starship for a few weeks and learned a great deal during this time, but was far away from being an experienced pilot or engineer, let alone a captain. „I can help you out on a ship, but I‘m pretty sure you are still a better pilot than I would be“, yowled at Oda who was waving his hands in a strange way. With hope in his eyes, he looked between the woman and the man they had saved, both looked like they could handle themselves and in order to get here, they would have needed ships. Chances were that one was a decent enough pilot to get them out of here.

„Don‘t forget your contract, Wolfy!“, shouted one of the hunters. „The Joopa‘s dead, I did my job tracking down a beast and helping to kill it. I‘ll take my pay and leave“, he snarled back at the insolent woman. They had been unfriendly towards the Shistavanen on a good day, rather hostile the rest of the time. Going with Oda was a much more better option, if they could find a pilot. Whatever mechanism in this universe had brought them together, fate or the force, possibly there was some yet unseen reason behind it. He trusted this man more than any of the dubious mates aboard of his now former crew.

„The boss might be interested in selling you some parts for the repair of your ship. That could help with getting it back flying again“, Ronak suggested to Oda.

[member="The Wayfarer"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]

 

[Roth Likonis]

"Are you boys alright?"

Turning his head slightly, Jashin squinted against the sun trying to see the source of the undoubtedly feminine voice. Black suit, combat boots and cargo pants, a rifle, a brown cloak, and a filter-mask; as the wind blew, the cloak seemed to hug the woman briefly, and Jashin narrowed his eyes. "I think I'm going into shock, now. I'm starting to see beautiful women that don't exist. That's never a good sign."

„I‘m Ronak...Oda!"

"You'll always be Wolfy to me, Ronak, but I'll keep that in mind. What the hell is an Oda?" And then there was another apparition, a man in a straw hat with billowing robes. "I...does anyone else see the Samaradjin Bladesman?" Asked Jashin slowly, referencing an order of ancient sword-users in his home star cluster that no longer existed - not after the rise of blasters.

"Sit still won't you?"

"Oh, shut up, apparitions don't talk-arghhhhh!" As the apparition took ahold of his leg and snapped it back into place, it occurred to Jashin that, perhaps, he wasn't as delirious as he thought. Despite the searing pain, Jashin didn't scream out - well, besides the strangling noise that came out around his gritted teeth. A hard life in the slums, and a harder life in the navy did that to a sentient. He must have blacked out - and, indeed, missed the entire healing of his leg - because the next thing he heard was Ronak speaking.

„I can help you out on a ship, but I‘m pretty sure you are still a better pilot than I would be“

"I'm a pilot." Grated out Jashin, slowly opening his eyes. He felt...good. Way, way too good. looking down at his leg, he yelped and scrabbled backward - the healed leg jerking along as it should. "What did you do to me? Wait. No." He held up a hand. "I don't want to know." He knew how this worked - find a guy, rescue him, then heal him up with frakking knows what kind of expensive technology, and then set the bill on the poor mark who just got saved, making a fortune in the process. It was a good con.

„The boss might be interested in selling you some parts for the repair of your ship. That could help with getting it back flying again“

Jedi had force sense, Mandalorians had their armor; Jashin, well, he had the nose for opportunity, among other things. "Ahhh...about that." Standing up unsteadily, flexing his leg before putting some weight on it, he leveled a finger at Wolfy. "Technically, I played the largest and most dangerous part of this hunt, what, acting as live bait and all for the giant worm - me and my deceased, ah, friend." He hitched a thumb over his shoulder at what remained of the dead Nikto, a severed arm being all that was left. "Seems only fair that I collect a share, two shares, actually - one for me and my dead friend." Jashin swung around, looking for the hunter who had been talking down to the wolf-man, the one Jashin presumed to be the leader. "Or...you could just give us the parts we need, and we'll call it even."

[member="Ronak"]
[member="The Wayfarer"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]

 

[Harli Hayes]

Harli rolled her eyes when the injured man called her beautiful. "Uhh...men." She removed the face mask and pushed up her goggles. Her bright green eyes scanned the injured man, the wolf man and then to Oda. Apparently she wasn't the only one lost on this planet, some seemed more lost than others.

Then Oda mentioned a ship, one that needed fixed, but still a ship. This drew her attention and her curiosity. "A ship? I'm a decent mechanic if you need some repairs?" She moved in closer to the group till she was just a few paces away. Harli wasn't entirely sure about this group, but her options were limited. Passing up an opportunity like this could be fatal.

[member="Jashin Vycarion"]
[member="Ronak"]
[member="The Wayfarer"]

 

[Ronak]

Ronak pricked his ears quite astounded at the change occurring in the man. A minute ago he had been lying in the sand looking half dead, now he was up on his feet and boldly started haggling with Reena, the chief huntress, in a silver-tongued way, he could only admire without actual envy. Dealing with people was not his forte; if they let him talk at all and did not label him a brutal stupid beast right away. The news that he was a pilot and the woman knew her ways a a mechanic, increased his confidence that going with Oda was the right way fate or maybe the force meant for him.

The huntress sneered at the man. „You can discuss this with our boss at the camp, lad. I‘m just in charge of taking this carcass apart and bringing the useful parts back to camp. You could make yourselves useful or your friend Wolfy there can show you the way right now.“ She indulged in not using his name, but the derisive nickname instead. Ronak flattened his ears, indicating light anger for those who could read Shistavanen body language.

Turning around to leave, he snarled back: „We‘ll leave you your job then, Reena!“ „I know the way. Just half an hour walking. Come on, let‘s go!“, he added in a more friendly tone directed at Oda, the man and the woman. Pointedly ingnoring the huntress, the Shistavanen started to climb the dune, leading the way for the small group towards the camp and hopefully their much needed repair parts.


The Wayfarer
Harli Hayes
Jashin Vycarion

 

[The Wayfarer]

Oda listened curiously as the woman spoke to the Shistavanen and the Epicanthix. She did so with disdain, it seemed almost, border line xenophobic. He held contempt for such people. Those who would not trust another based on their species. Oda merely shook his head in a sagely manner. With arms crossed he made a simple mm mmm mm mmm mm. To which the woman simply gave him a nasty snarl. Oda was prepared to be rid of these hunters, but was disappointed when the hunter he had originally approached marched towards him and snatched the canteen out of his hand.

"That's mine!" The man said angrily.

Oda simply continued to shake his head in that sagefull manner. He watched as Ronak began to lead the way and Oda decided now was the best time to let him know. So as they left ear shot of most around Oda spoke in low whispers

"The force flows through you young one, in most unpredictable ways," Oda said solemnly and then spoke again "I believe it is why your senses are so heightened, even for a Shistavanen your's are particularly keen," Oda talked softly so as not to be overheard by the others. "I can teach you to control these powers if you will allow it," Oda finished in a murmur.

Oda was still unsure as to how well they could trust the others, but he suspected the scoundrel at the very least to be of the irreputable type. On his home planet force users were forced to fight for the dark ones. They had to hide themselves whenever they discovered their powers lest they be taken... Perhaps things were different here, but once Oda brought them to his ship they would surely be able to track him for... Imperial elements.

[member="Ronak"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]

 

[Ronak]

Growling he had ascended the dune, anger speeding his tracks. Oda seemed the first to follow suite, the others following shortly after. The man‘s softly spoken words „The force flows through you young one“ caught him completely off guard, making stop mid stride to stare incredulously at the speaker. ‚Are you sure?‘, was the first thing springing to his mind, but he never asked the question. By now he knew this man well enough to know that he would not have spoken, if he were not sure.

„I can teach you to control these powers if you will allow it“, his companion added. Still confused, Ronak at least remembered to continue walking, as the Ronin was already on the verge of overtaking him, marching steadily in spite of his exhausted state. „Me? How?“, were the only stuttered words he could muster, being aware how stupid he must sound. Oda did not have to answer. His look spoke very clearly that here and now was neither place nor time to discuss this in detail. Possibly, this was an advantage for the Shistavanen, as he gained time to gather his thoughts and calm his agitated and conflicting feelings.

On the one hand, little good has ever come from force users in his home and some of the force users he had met during his travels - more than one a Sith - made him rather shy away from handling the force than embrace it. On the other hand, stories were plentiful and he had himself witnessed more than once how this could be used for a good cause - the images of the broken leg healing in front of his astounded eyes were still fresh in his mind after all. The man following them up the dune would not be able to walk now, if it was not for this way of using the force. But could he imagine ever doing something like this himself?

The walk back to the camp felt almost like no time at all, as he just kept walking without spending much thought on finding the way. His sensitive ears led them directly towards the noises of the camp and the freighter, there was no need for navigational skills.

[member="The Wayfarer"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]

 

[Harli Hayes]

Harli's ears folded back some as the female hunter spoke to the Shistavanen. She seemed to have a great dislike for the being that was trying to help the injured man. Hopefully they would be away from her soon enough. Her eyes turned to Ronak when he said he'd lead them back to the hunters camp. Maybe the rest of them wouldn't be so bad.

The female hunter eyed everyone as they passed. When her eye caught Harli's, she couldn't help but give a mocking grin, as she did she revealed sharp half inch long canines. Before the woman could respond, Harli was already over the top of the dunes and following the small group. She caught up with Ronak and walked beside him. "So...I know your name isn't wolfy, contrary to what that woman back there said. Since we're going to be traveling together.." She stuck out her hand to Ronak. "Harli Hayes."

[member="Ronak"]
[member="The Wayfarer"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]

 

[Roth Likonis]

"Uhh...men."

"Don't get too excited sweetheart, it would never work with us." Said Jashin matter of factly, offering a conspiratorial wink. Why, exactly, he didn't elaborate on. He stopped suddenly, bending briefly to retrieve something from the sand; a piece of carapace from the Joopa had, somehow, impacted the pin-up of the beautiful Pantoran Sho Chi from the skiff - the photo becoming wedged in a crack of the carapace in the process. "Now that...that's a good memento. You can't plan for things like that." Reverently, and perhaps a little sadly, Jashin put the piece of carapace into his jacket pocket. He never had the chance to say goodbye. That fact bothered him; scoundrel he was, but he had genuinely like the girl. She reminded him of himself before he had escaped the Imperials and the Reach. "Damn Imperials." He muttered under his breath. He pushed the thought aside...the past was dead. He had made sure of that.

„You can discuss this with our boss at the camp, lad. I‘m just in charge of taking this carcass apart and bringing the useful parts back to camp. You could make yourselves useful or your friend Wolfy there can show you the way right now.“

Jashin didn't know much about hunting, but he knew an insult when he heard one; the ears on the wolf-man were down, and Jashin figured it was relative to most canines - either fear or anger. Given the fact the canid had run down a dune into certain death and danger, it was likely the latter. "Yeah yeah...don't get all bent outa shape cause Ronak can't help it that he charges into danger like an idiot instead of hanging back like a coward." Somewhere in there was either a complement, or a double insult - though the use of the wolf-man's proper name was probably a good indicator of which, if Reena could parse it out anyway.

And then they were off, trudging through the sand - a half hour according to the wolf-man. Jashin figured he could make it; his leg was protesting, and his head was pounding, but the stim-shot and his remarkably well mended leg were doing wonders. "I should get an implant that controls pain." Muttered Jashin absently, hanging towards the back of the group. It wasn't that he didn't trust these good samaritans - but he just didn't trust these good samaritans. Not to the degree that he'd present his back to any of them anyway. Especially not the woman. She had a rough, wild look about her that while fetching to Jashin's eye, also screamed danger to him; she wouldn't play fair, not like the honorable monk man, or the naive wolf-man. No, she'd smile at him while she stabbed him in the gut. "I like her more and more."

"Since we're going to be traveling together...Harli Hayes."

Jashin made a note of the name, storing it away for a later time. In the interim, he listened to the conversation, and watched his new companions; their movements, their mannerisms, their weapons. Even if they were friendly, it was good to know people's abilities. The monk-man, Oda, scared him. All Epicanthix had martial training - all had military service, no exceptions. The man reminded him of one of his instructors back in the day, a martial artist of Palawa. His movements were too smooth, too fluid...he knew how to fight with his body as a weapon. He likely knew how to use a sword and other physical weapons. The woman moved like she was a soldier...like she was used to armor. The wolf-man like, well, a wolf. He was likely a feral fighter.

They'd be fine if they ran into trouble. Appeased, Jashin looked away from them and pulled out two small energy cartridges - ejecting his hold-out blaster to change out the spent ammunition, he cleaned it briefly before retracting the rig with a hand movement. Pulling out his DL-18 from its holster, he cradled the weapon in his hands, unsatisfied. It was a piece of steaming bantha turds; cheap and mass produced, the weapon lacked any power, any precision, and was so ubiquitous across the galaxy that it was practically disposable. It would have to do, till he could buy, steal, or loot a better weapon.

"What brings you to this planet Harli? How do you know Oda, Wolf-man? And what is your species, while we're at it - I've never met your kind before." He asked suddenly, as the conversation lulled.

[member="Ronak"]
[member="The Wayfarer"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]

 

[Ronak]

The young woman‘s voice startled him, drawing his thoughts back to the here and now. "So...I know your name isn't wolfy, contrary to what that woman back there said. Since we're going to be traveling together..." She stuck out her hand to Ronak. "Harli Hayes." Although he had not experienced them too often himself, he recognised a friendly gesture, when he saw one. Her smell showed no fear or aggression, she seemed honest enough for him. Shaking her hand back, he tried a smile which bared sharp teeth: „I‘m really happy to meet you. You are more friendly than all of these bunch“ - he gestured behind him towards the hunters - „put together.“ Unsure how to continue, he focused on the immediate. „How did you end up here in a desert in the middle of nowhere. Were you also hunting Joopas?“, he asked curiously pointing at her equipment.

Leading conversations was not his forte, unlike the eloquent man they had saved. Thinking of him must have triggered some of the unseen forces of the universe, as he chose just this moment to approach him and and Harli, speaking smoothly: "What brings you to this planet Harli? How do you know Oda, Wolf-man? And what is your species, while we're at it - I've never met your kind before."

Cautiously, he eyed Harli giving her the chance to answer before he did, if she were to start talking. At his turn, Ronak answered curtly: „I am Shistavanen, Uvena Prime is my home. Forests, plains“, he mused. How he missed trees providing refreshing shade right now or the smell and sound of a fresh spring and its cool clear water. Thinking of his home also reminded him of his reason for leaving, his mother and siblings lost somewhere out there in this vast galaxy. The friendly look turned more solemn.

Being caught in his thoughts for a few moments, he finally remembered that there was a second question. „We met on Coruscant. Oda helped me out of a“, Ronak hesitated, „an unpleasant situation.“ Carefully, he eyed Oda, if he wanted to shed some more light on the events in Coruscant.

[member="The Wayfarer"]
[member="Harli Hayes"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]

 

[Harli Hayes]

Harli returned Ronak's toothy smile with her own. Showing him that she had fangs as well. "They didn't seem like the greatest bunch, did they." As if on que, both Ronak and Jashin asked why she was on this planet.

"No, I wasn't hunting Joopas. I was with a salvaging part, searching for a bulk freighter that went down somewhere on this planet. We got caught in a sandstorm...well salt storm technically." She paused for a moment. "Ship went down. Half the crew died on impact. The other half either died from their wounds afterwards or got picked off by a joopa. Once the power ran out for the distress beacon, I packed some supplies and ventured out in the direction I saw a ship descending."

Harli ended her story and listened to Ronak. She had heard of his species once before in passing, but never actually met one before. Her gaze went from Ronak to Oda and back. So the two had met before yet ended up here, small galaxy.

[member="Ronak"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]
[member="The Wayfarer"]

 

[The Wayfarer]

Oda's fell silent as the rest neared. The things he had told Ronak were for he and himself only. At least until he could get on to his ship.. Then he might reveal more to his new traveling companions, but that was yet to be decided. He listened quietly as the other's spoke and did not say a word when the conversation fell on home. It was a painful memory best forgotten. For that is all it would ever be. A memory... Oda said a silent prayer for those on his homeworld. His straw hat tilted at an angle so that none may see his face as it contorted into one of suffering. He let the fates guide his prayer and hoped that they might here his plea.

Oda heard the girl speak of the fate of her crew and felt sympathy for them. Perhaps if he has found them he could've saved more. But, even so it seemed unlikely. He found it strange that she was the only survivor. There was either something she was omitting or she was simply tougher then she looked...

Ronak brought up Coruscant and Oda was eager to change the conversation. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes Coruscant was a rather tricky endeavor, laden with women, spice, and... Well blaster bolts," Oda began jovially then continued "Slavers had lured us into a trap where they sought to capture us... Well they did capture us.. But, that was of my own choice!" Oda said pridefully, as if being fooled by a bunch of spice addled children was something to be proud of "Once in the heart of the slave ring, we destroyed it. Not much else can be said,"

Having finished his piece he stopped speaking and waited to hear if any of the others had questions. He knew not what happened to the poor addicts the slavers had captured not in body, but in mind. Their horrid drugs were truly a blight upon the galaxy. He felt a pang of regret as he remembered the Spice child playing with his hat as if it were a ship. If only he could've done something. If only the authorities would help... Regardless he had fallen on solemn thoughts and again thought to change the subject.

"It is a nice day outside," He said simply, as if the freezing salt winds were to be admired like a sweet wine. He inhaled deeply with an enunciated breath and was immediately gratified with a small nose bleed for his efforts "Yes, very fresh," Before Oda could go on off in the distance The Wayfarer spied lights. As they drew closer he thought he saw the silhouette of a ship. Still unsure he was simply not half delirious he spoke to Ronak for confirmation "Is that your camp?"

[member="Harli Hayes"]
[member="Ronak"]
[member="Jashin Vycarion"]