Together again.(Keturah)

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

The world around them was growing ever darker and wild. He could feel her apprehension, her guilt and her desire. He felt…he had no idea how he felt; angry, yes. But it wasn’t the normal smoldering anger he normally walked around with, it was anger fueled by shame and disappointment.

He knew what she felt, what she hoped he felt and that more than anything was contributing to his anger and confusion. He wanted to yell at her, to blame her for the terrible way he felt but he did not. It was not her fault, not entirely. No, blame truly did lay with him. He was the one who could not mange his feelings, he was the one who gave into base desire, who put these feelings in her head. He was the villain here.

 

[Slot 16]

Though it was dark, Keturah could see large tracks of some kind on the moist soil in front of them. She bent down and used her holo-computer to illuminate on of them. She gasped. They were HUGE! Whatever had these feet must be massive. And, no doubt, dangerous. She typed in what she saw, and looked over at Salvor. The fact that her eyes were pretty much glowing in the dimness only added to the look of nervous fascination on her face. "Salvor, do you see these? What do you think they belong to?" She asked.
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

Salvor looked around nervously. the tracks were big, too big. they had to keep moving, over staying their welcome could be down right deadly.

"Something we don't want to meet. we should go."

[member="Keturah Sin"]

 

[Slot 16]

She looked at the tracks once more before standing back up. As they turned and began walking in another direction, a sound could be heard in the distance. It was a low and powerful rumbling. And it was getting closer. On top of the rumbling there was also a high-pitched roaring. Keturah didn't need to be persuaded to move. She shot off like a bolt of lightning, fighting her way through the brush. She looked behind to make sure Salvor was there as her feet pumped harder and harder. She WAS NOT going to stick around to see what that creature was.
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

Keturah was moving fast but Salvor kept up with her easily. The beast what ever it was, was getting closer, he could feel it. It was almost inevitable that they would have to face it soon. All Salvor could do was stay close to Keturah and hope he could get her out safely.

 

[Slot 16]

That thing was FOLLOWING them! Keturah could hear it as they continued running. She knew that her legs would eventually give out. They'd have to find a place to hide before that happened. Her eyes desperately searched, looking for something, ANYTHING. But there was nothing. Running as all they could do...
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

The beast burst from the brush behind them. It towered ten feet tall and weighed at least four tons. 4 foot bone spikes protruded from it’s back, it had claws a foot long and teeth to match. It bellowed a deafening roar of rage.
As soon as the creature had come crashing through the trees, Salvor had his light saber out and turned to face the monster.

“Keturah! Run!.” Salvor did not turn to see if she had kept going. No, now he could not afford to focus on anything but the predator in front of him. Ten feet tall and grizzled, the creature was covered in scars and half healed wounds, many of which looked to have come from light sabers. It was a warrior and Salvor respected that, he was also scared out of his mind, but fear gave him focus and it gave him purpose.

 

[Slot 16]

Keturah turned around to see the creature, and Salvor taking it on. Fear gripped her small figure. She was almost unable to move. But her adrenaline kicked into full survival mode, and she sprinted like Death itself was right on her tail. Her worry for Salvor was backed with the primal instinct to live as she ran further into the wood. She noticed that there was a high ridge along her right side. If she could find a way up, maybe she could keep an eye on him and the creature without getting in the way...
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

The creature lunged, jaws snapping, hoping to tear into any bit of flesh it could find. It was fast but Salvor was faster. His saber flashed in a blur of crimson, slicing deep into the creature’s face. The beast belt out a roar of painful hate.

The terentatek eyed Salvor and Salvor eyed it back. Two predators sizing each other up, Salvor full of apprehension and fear, the towering terentatek full of contempt and ages of experience. The mighty beast swung a fist at the young Sith. Salvor’s attempt to dodge wasn’t entirely successful, he avoided the full brunt of the monter’s attack but was still hit hard enough to be sent crashing hard to the ground.

He looked up from the ground eyes full of tears as the terentatek bared down on him.

 

[Slot 16]

Keturah's head was reeling. Millions of ideas burst forth as she watched Salvor get thrown to the ground by the Terentatek. A Force-hunting monster... She had to do something. It was going to KILL HIM! She hastily dug out her Sonic Emitter. If she could draw the creature away from him, she could plant the emitter like a remote-control mine and detonate it with an app on her holo-computer. She took this plan and looked for a way to distract it. A fairly large rock sat beside the edge of the ridge. As she went to pick it up, she saw a place where she could jump down without hurting herself very badly. She grabbed the rock and leaped to the ground below. It was a painful way to land on her ankle. Keturah ignored the pain. She turned toward the creature's massive back and threw the rock with all her might. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!" She screamed. t hit the beast's back with a thud, and made it turn to face her. She swallowed the paralyzing fear threatening to consume her and began running in the opposite direction. As she wanted it to, the Terentatek followed. Keturah had to get it far enough away from Salvor so when the emitter mine went off he wouldn't be harmed. She also had to find a place to put the mine so that she could set it off without being blown sky-high.
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

Stupid girl! He thought as he tore off into the woods after Keturah and the monster that was on her heels. He had to stop it, but how? He scanned around the woods looking for something, anything and it hit him. Salvor skidded to a stop and began to focus. The force flowed through him and he pulled on it like a rope. He pulled hard and down came a tree 40 feet tall crashing down toward the beast hoping to either crush it or slow it’s chase.

 

[Slot 16]

A gigantic tree came down just behind Keturah. She looked backward just as it landed on the Tarentatek's leg. The beast was pinned, and now squirming desperately to free itself. She could almost feel sorry for it. You know, if it wasn't a hell-hound driven to kill them. She didn't take any chances. She pressed the button on her emitter and threw it right at the creature's face. The blast was surprisingly large. It sent out a hot shock wave that knocked Keturah off her feet. She hit the ground with a thud and a grunt. Yeah. May have over-done it a little bit on the explosive side. She sat up a little dazed, her eyes reflecting the large inferno that was once a flesh-eating monster.
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

Salvor made his way to Keturah, the smell of burning flesh stung at his nose. He ignored it and lifted her back to her feet.

“Are you hurt?”

 

[Slot 16]

Keturah rubbed her back a little bit. "No, I'm okay. Next time, remind me to tone it down on the boom factor. That shock wave was A LOT bigger than it was supposed to be." She replied. She looked at Salvor up and down, looking for anywhere he might be hurt. "What about you? Are you okay?"
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

He had a cracked rib or two, but that was all. He had been in much worse shape in the past.

“I’ll, live.”

He looked at the now dead tarentatek and could not help but feel for the great beast. It was a warrior and deserved a better death than it had gotten.

 

[Slot 16]

Nodding, Keturah looked at the burning remains of the creature as well. She had just killed something for the first time in her life. She was alive though. Shouldn't that make her happy? "I had to do it. It was going to kill us. But... That doesn't make me feel any better about taking a life..." She mumbled, more to herself than to Salvor. That's what she'd done. Taken the life of something else. Turned it into nothing by just pushing a button. The feeling was.... Uneasy......
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

“We, should not linger here, Keturah.”

The faster they were gone the better. Who was to say if this was the only monster that haunted these woods.

 

[Slot 16]

She hesitated for a moment. Her eyes stared into the fire, though they were distant. Somehow, she knew that this wouldn't be the last time she'd have to kill something. Or someone.... The feeling would haunt her for the rest of her life. Keturah blinked, then sighed and nodded her head in slow agreement. They began walking back through the deep, the area gradually getting a little bit lighter. As they walked Keturah spoke a little bit. "I'm sorry I brought you here, Salvor. It was stupid to come down here and think that nothing would happen. I'm such a juvenile moron..."
[member="Salvor Arnex"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Keturah Sin"]

“You did not bring me here, Keturah. The force did. I found passage to Kashyyk long before I knew you would be here. And you said it yourself, you are only here at the behest of another. The force brought us here, together, for what I do not know.” he thought back to the never ending tree and to his mother.

he placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “we both knew the dangers of coming here, your not a moron.”

 

[Slot 16]

Keturah looked at Salvor's hand on her shoulder. "I wish I could believe you." She said. She was a moron in her own mind. Why? Because she thought nothing would happen. That a little emitter with a mine planted in it would be enough to protect her. That she could be useful and take care of herself, not putting anyone in danger to protect her. But she couldn't. She was weak, both in physicality and in mind-set. This little trip had proven that. She could barely kill a mindless beast, for one. Not to mention thinking that Salvor's kiss actually meant something. No matter how much she wanted to be brave and to feel that she was right, she didn't.
[member="Salvor Arnex"]