Private The Great Bantha Chase

[Tyr'ra]

TAGS: Balun Vale

​

The twin suns of Tatooine rose fiercely on the horizon, casting long shadows over the bustling spaceport of Mos Eisley. The air was already shimmering with heat, a promise of the scorching day to come. Amidst the throngs of traders, wanderers, and creatures of all sorts, Tyr'ra stood distinct and poised. Her long white hair reflected the early sunlight, and her piercing blue eyes surveyed the chaotic scene with calm resolve.

She turned to her companion, a rogue Jedi like herself, her voice carrying over the sound of the crowd. "We need to be cautious today," she warned, her tone serious yet tinged with excitement. "The bantha we're tracking isn't just any creature; it's Boulderdash. Legend has it that he can vanish into the sandstorms as if made of the wind itself."

Tyr'ra adjusted the gear on her utility belt, ensuring her lightsabers were within easy reach, and her supplies were secured. Her gaze drifted towards the vast expanse of the Dune Sea stretching beyond the town. "They say he's guarded secrets of the old Jedi for years, moving like a ghost among the dunes. The map we need is on his collar. "

With a nod to her companion, she stepped forward, her boots sinking slightly into the soft sand. "Let's make sure we're ready for anything. Boulderdash is no 'ordinary' bantha, and today's heat could make him even more unpredictable."

As they left the relative safety of Mos Eisley, the desert awaited them, vast and merciless.

 

[Balun Vale]

"Boulderdash? What a name." Balun chuckled under his breath as he strode alongside Tyr'ra through the Mos Eisley street, the hardened sand beneath his boots making it an easy walk, soon to be missed as they were intent on crossing the dunes for their objective. It was an interesting change of pace, taking on a job like this with a stranger. She wasn't someone he had worked with before, but she had required another to assist her and Balun couldn't help but take pride in his willingness to help others, as well as yearning for the adventure that such a job might provide.

Tyr'ra was seeking an old legendary Jedi artifact, a lightsaber to be specific. Balun wasn't fussed about it himself; she could keep it if they were successful, as he had his own firmly in place against the Magna-lock plate on his utility belt. He only needed a single weapon, one that was only ever used in self-defence as an absolute last resort. He didn't enjoy sparring in general, let alone open combat where he could lose a limb or much worse.

"Where'd you hear about this Bantha anyway?" Balun asked as they left the outskirts of Mos Eisley and began the long duty across the arid desert. Fortunately, Tatooine was well known for its humid climate, and Balun had come dressed for the occasion, wearing brown trekking pants and a plain grey singlet, his arms bare to the conditions. Any threat of sunburn had been thwarted with the appropriate skin care and he was otherwise feeling light on his feet and relishing in the freedom that was being out in the open dunes.

Being away from the New Jedi Order for more than a year now, Balun hadn't been paying much attention to gossip or rumours, myths and legends and so on. Thus he was interested to hear more about this supposed bantha with the curious name and uncanny association with the Jedi of old.

 

[Tyr'ra]

TAGS: Balun Vale

​

Tyr'ra glanced at Balun, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Boulderdash," she repeated, her tone mingling respect with a hint of mirth. "Is a legend. As for where I heard about it," she continued, shading her eyes with her hand as they stepped into the vastness of the Dune Sea, "it was from an old hermit living on the edges of the Jundland Wastes. He spoke of a bantha that appears and vanishes like a mirage, always eluding capture. Funny old man he is. The locals called him Crazy old Maurice. "

Her stride matched Balun's as they walked, her gaze scanning the horizon. "This bantha supposedly guards a Jedi relic, carrying it's map through the sands. The artifact isn't all that interests me," she admitted, her voice lowering to a more reflective tone. "It's the challenge, the mystery of it all. Can we outsmart a creature that has evaded so many before us? I'm certain he's real since other locals said they have seen him before. "

She turned to look at him, her blue eyes bright under the twin suns. "Who do you suppose came up with such a ploy?" She was dressed in light cool and breezy fabrics with a long dark cloak to shield herself from the sun.

 

[Balun Vale]

Maurice? That was as bad a name as Boulderdash, Balun had to swallow back a chuckle that threatened to escape him at their mere mention. "I've always been good with wildlife and I'm not a half bad tracker either, but this sort of thing is a whole new kinda game in my experience", as limited as his experience was. If there was some sort of secret Jedi artifact hidden out there in the middle of nowhere, Balun couldn't help why a Jedi would choose Tatooine as their home.

It was hot, sand was...-the least appealing sort of environment, there were no plants and it was just boring to Balun; whereas he would have chosen a lively, green planet with plenty of forests and open plains for his home. Somewhere that he could grow his own garden of flora and care for the environment around him.

"I suppose someone who's trying to hide from something or someone. Someone who doesn't want other people learning whatever it is that they were doing out here" Balun suggested. This supposed Bantha was either a pet or this person had some form of bond with them. If the animal had survived this long in the wild, then Balun was of the opinion that they were able to tame the creature using the Force or perhaps some kind of lure.

Tyr'ra

 

[Tyr'ra]

TAGS: Balun Vale

​

Tyr'ra brushed a lock of white hair from her face, the desert wind whipping around them. "Maurice might not be the most intimidating name, but every creature has its secrets," she said, her voice steady.

"Tracking Boulderdash requires understanding patterns and behaviors. Tatooine's harshness hides many truths. Maybe the Jedi who lived here found solace in its emptiness, a place to reflect and hide what needed to be hidden. The Force moves in mysterious ways, guiding even banthas to their purpose." She glanced at Balun, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"We'll find it, together." Tyr'ra glanced at Balun, noting the skepticism in his eyes.

 

[Balun Vale]

"Right, so I guess we start with what we know of Bantha's then" Balun theorized aloud, trying to consider what information would be important to their tracking of the creature down. "Bantha's are herbivores, but they can go weeks without needing to eat so locating vegetation out here in the dunes won't necessarily lead us to our animal. Is Boulderdash a bull?" the name sounded like a male's name so they were likely tracking a bull.

Whether or not Boulderdash was a sub-species of Bantha wouldn't factor into their likelihood of tracking as Bantha's moved in similar mannerisms regardless of whether or not they were a Dune or a Dwarf Bantha. "The interesting thing will be figuring out how to find a single Bantha in the middle of all of this territory. Bantha's usually roam in herds like normal cattle" Balun explained further. He wasn't exactly an expert on Bantha's but he did have a passion for natural life, whether fauna or flora. "If this Bantha formed a strong bond with this Force User, then it's likely to frequent the area where this person might have been known to live. Do you know anything about them? This Jedi or whoever they were?".

"Keep an eye out for tracks too, we're looking for fairly large paw prints", he mentioned thereafter, keeping his eyes low as they moved across the tundra, "three-pronged prints" Balun clarified to ensure Tyr'ra wouldn't mistake other animal prints for the Bantha they were seeking.