Wind in My Sails

[Adder]

When Adder finally stumbled back into their clearing, she did so with a slew of colorful profanities on her lips. Caked to her neck in mud, she looked like the Swamp Thing from the old holovids, all choppy effects and shoddy makeup work.

Well, an R-rated holovid, probably.

With a growl, the woman stomped off towards the shore and unceremoniously threw herself into the sea.

“Good news is, there’s a small stream a click or so into the jungle,” she called out after a few minutes of frantic scrubbing.

“Bad news is, this frakking island’s trying to kill me!” Her voice rose in pitch and volume as she waved in the direction of the forest. “I see the water, and of course I want to get closer, right? But then guess what happens — quickmud! Oh, yeah, that crap exists. I manage to drag my ass out of there, and then this— this thing comes snapping out of the water, nearly bites my arm clean off! Frak!”

Adder reemerged dripping wet and sporting a scowl to end all scowls. She laid out her drenched boots to dry, the plopped down on a nearby trunk with a long-suffering sigh.

“Nice hut, by the way.”


[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

She suspected that what Adder had encountered was the least of their problems. Though the Islands creatures and landscapes were an issue, she knew that the longer they stayed out here the longer they would be exposed to the weather.

Naboo generally wasn’t known for its fierce storms or huge weather patterns, but every planet had them, and especially in the summer. There was no telling of a storm before they had left, but these things could develop rapidly. She looked up towards the sky, watching the area around them for any sign of a storm. Thankfully she found nothing, though a part of her stomach was still in a twist.

”Thank you.” Aela said in regards to the hut.

”It’ll do for now.” She also pointed to a small pit that she had managed to dig into the sands, rimmed with a few large stones. ”Fire is next. I doubt it’ll get cold during the night but it’s a good thing to have.”

They also had to start thinking about an exit plan. If things got really bad she could always call her father, but they weren’t quite there yet. Eventually the Alliance would wonder where she had gone, and they would come looking.

 

[Adder]

“Ain’t gonna be an issue, that.”

This, at least, Adder could take care of with absolute certainty that she wouldn’t fail. Within the blink of an eye, the redhead produced a weapons-grade lighter out of her jacket. The scratched metal gleamed in the evening sun, but when she flipped it open, the flame flickered even brighter.

“This baby never lets me down,” she grinned and tucked it away. The cool breeze felt like a caress on her heated skin as she went to collect the kindling leftover by Aela’s efforts.

Two rounds about the clearing saw her return with an armful of twigs and branches. She stacked them into a neat pyramid inside the pit, flicked on the lighter and plopped down to watch it burn.

“Just in time,” Adder murmured and gestured towards the horizon. The sea was growing darker as it swallowed the sun, and color was fleeing with it.

“Only thing missing is a bottle and some marshmallows, and we’d have ourselves a right adventure, eh?”


[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

She offered Adder a smile, but didn't say anything.

In truth, a bit of concern was setting in.

The Alliance would come looking for her, that was only natural, but Aela had absolutely no idea where they were. Naboo was something of a paradise world, dozens of islands, hundreds of different places all over the plant where they could be. Searching for them could take months, perhaps even years, and after a while...she frowned slightly and unconsciously reached back to brush against the tattoo that sprawled across her back. Her head then shook, no, it wasn't time for that just yet.

Her gaze panned up towards the cliffs in the distance. "We'll have to check those tomorrow."

The young Marshall had an idea of sorts, though in truth it was a long-shot. Still the memory of the last time she'd come to Naboo was fervent in her mind, and if they had a shot at getting off this island...well then it would at least be worth a try.

"Perhaps we should have tried catching some fish." Aela suggested. "Now we just have an empty fire, and stomachs."

Her belly let out a slight growl.

 

[Adder]

Adder shrugged, pointing a sage stick at the purpling waters. “We still can. They bite better at night, you know?”

With a pop and a stretch the redhead rose to her feet again. “A few years ago I spent three months with these guys from— but why am I telling you this?” She laughed, gesturing at the sea. “You grew up on a damn island.”

“Come on, it’s not like we have anything better to do until the morning. Going into that jungle now would be begging for a broken neck.”


[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Aela knew that fish bit better at night, but so did the bigger fish. Calm was one of the best ‘all clear’ signals for most fish, and that included predators. Once things started to waggle and move around alot...that was when things got interesting. Her concern was that whatever that red thing had been, massive as it was, had smaller cousins that would be waiting for them once they went fishing.

The thought was a bit far-fetched, but still concern.

”Take a torch.” She suggested, pointing to the fire. Certain types of fish were attracted to sources of light, and hovering the flames over the water could be enough to get them to come, thus making finding them easier.

The Jedi Marshall stood, casting another glance towards the distant cliffs.

She found herself once again wondering what they would find there. A part of her had a slim hope that it would be...well exactly what she wanted it to be, but she knew it was a rather out there concern. Together she and Adder wandered down the beach, Adder wielding a small torch that they had crafted with scraps of leaf and bits of cloth.

 

[Adder]

So Adder took a torch. Well — what she took was a nice, sturdy stick, and then she tore a couple strips off her tattered clothes. They'd been hanging under the scorching sun most of the day and were dry as the sand stretching every which way. She then wrapped the fabric tight around the wood and dragged it along some of the sap seeping from a wounded tree nearby.

A torch, now.

She followed Aela across the dunes, thankful for the cooler temperatures that had descended upon the island with the setting sun. She reckoned it would get unpleasantly cold later on, but she was grateful for the reprieve nonetheless

“You know,” she started as they neared the shore, “we can always leg it if something way big starts biting.” A hint of a smile curled her features in the flickering shadows. Her hair looked like fire in the red light of the torch, cascading in loose waves down her bare back.

“In case we haven’t had enough excitement for today, right?”

When you had the choice between the two, it was always better to laugh than to cry — the one parting wisdom of her father.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

"Someone very wise once said something about Naboo." Aela said as they splashed into the water, her eyes wandering across the expanse of the ocean.

She had no idea where they were or what was around them. For all she knew there was a Gungan city just a stones throw away from where they were now. There was simply no way of telling, no way of actually pinpointing there location. Slowly she ran her hand through her hair.

"There's always a bigger fish." She said with a smile. "Hopefully we don't have to experience that particularly adage."

Aela would really rather not encounter a Sando Aqua Monster. "Tomorrow when it's light out we should swim around the island."

It was a long shot, but perhaps they would be able to find something.

A gungan city was unlikely, but maybe something. A sunken ship, a broken down boat, even a submersible. They had to find something if they were going to get off the island.

 

[Adder]

Adder frowned, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her free hand. “Why swim? We could just walk along the shore. Less dangerous that way, right?”

She cast a questioning glance Aela’s way as they waded into the shallows. The cool water lapped at her bare legs as she sank her toes into the smooth sand with an indulgent smile. Just at the edge of their flickering circle of light, her sharp cybernetics zoned in on the glimmering streaks of scales under the surface. Fish were gliding in and out of sight, visible only when they caught the firelight just so.

With a finger on her curled lips, Adder inclined her head towards the school playing in the lazy waves. They seemed silver, with long green stripes on the sides. She didn’t have the faintest idea what they were, but her empty stomach grew less picky by the hour.

‘Force?’ she mouthed at Aela. They weren’t quite so desperate so as to resign to the use of spears.

Jedi: uncommon applications include fishing while shipwrecked. Who would’ve thought?

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

"Gungans." Aela explained as she concentrated for half a second.

The force really was a wonderful thing. She had certain advantages in life that other people simply couldn't have. She shifted slightly, the force pulling through her, and then suddenly the grasped a wide berth of the water in front of them. A translucent bubble formed within the water, lifting into the air in a heartbeat. The bubble, along within the water within began to rise, the torchlight illuminating the inside of it almost instantly to reveal six of the odd fish.

"That should be enough." More than enough, but it's not like they had to put any of them back. She turned, her fingers remaining up and the bubble floating along behind them as Aela begant o lead Adder back to shore. "Gungan's build cities all over Naboo."

She explained to Adder. "Mostly underwater obviously. The greatest one is confined in the swamps, but there are some in the oceans as well."

The Jedi Marshall had learned that on their last trip here.

"Usually they like to build near some sort of landmass." That was how it had always been anyway. "They're deep though, so we'll have to do some swimming to see if there's any sign of them."

Or she would have to.

 

[Adder]

“Gungans,” Adder repeated, brow furrowed. “Why would they help us? We’re basically… trespassing?” She trailed off in thought as they trudged back to the beach. Wet sand clung to her feet like a thousand ticks, itching and prodding between her toes.

“Or are we? Frak, I dunno…” The redhead shrugged half-heartedly and lifted the torch a bit higher. The light spilled over the next dune and glinted off the bubble of water suspended in the air in front of Aela.

“Shet, those fish must think it’s the end of the world as they know it,” Adder laughed, leaning closer to the sphere. “Think they’re okay to eat?”

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

She gently guided the bubble in front of her forward, the fish frantically dipping around as they tried to escape, finding that of course they couldn't. She smiled at Adder's laughter, it was nice to know they could at the very least keep their sense of humor while they were here. Aela didn't expect to be stuck here forever, of course, but they were still stuck here without a sure way off.

"Probably." She told Adder with a shrug.

There was no real way to avoid that, but the only other thought she had about getting off the island was wrangling a few Titavians, and it was doubtful that they were currently nesting. The Jedi Marshal frowned for a few moments as they stepped out of the water and onto the beach. "I don't see many other options though."

"We'll just have to explain what happened." A shrug rolled over her shoulder. "Hopefully they'll understand."

Not all Gungangs were friendly, but some were at least.

 

[Adder]

“At least if we’re wrong there’s nobody around to watch us puke our guts out,” Adder said with a shake of her head.

They were back at the camp now, and she made quick work of some thinner branches, fashioning sharp tips with her blade. Before long the fish were impaled on the sticks and suspended over the crackling fire.

“Beats sitting around waiting for rescue.” She turned a few of the fish and closed her eyes as the smells of cooked meat teased her nostrils. “Wait— underwater. You got some Force Oxygen power or some shet?”

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

"It's called 'breath control'." Aela said rather flatly.

The force was about as versatile as one could imagine. There was no real limit to what you could do or imagine with the force, there was nothing you couldn't do if you properly set your mind to it. Aela knew this because her father and mother had instructed her for years to do any number of nearly impossible things.

"It'll let me hold my breath for longer." It was a poor explanation, but anything more would have been too complex. "But we don't really need to dive all that deep to see the citiy...if it's out there anyway."

That wasn't how the Gungans built. "If there is one, it'll be near the island, likely in an underwater crag."

She shrugged.

"Reaching it will be hard, yes." She glanced to Adder. "But I can always go first and then come back with a rebreather."

 

[Adder]

“Really,” Adder deadpanned in the same tone. Mirth danced in her eyes along with the fire, and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing.

The fish were coming along nicely, scales crackling as the flesh underneath cooked on the flames. Adder was quietly salivating.

“Alright. It’s not like I can come with you the first time.” She remembered some of her mates on the force being jealous of the Jedi something fierce. Most of them tried to hide it, or pass it off as admiration, but a couple were damn vocal about it. Used to be that Adder was one of the silent ones, nursing resentful drink after drink in the local cop bar as she seethed at another piece of news that lauded the grand feats of the Order.

Then the War happened, and suddenly every soul in the galaxy was blaming them for not stopping it. Yesterday’s heroes became everyone’s favorite scapegoats overnight. Responsibility and guilt were heaped onto their shoulders at every turn. Oh, being a detective on Coruscant sure wasn’t easy, but it beat being that.

Adder was just fine without the meddling of some invisible space-magic, thank you very much.

“They’re done,” she announced with a hungry grin. They were the last words she spoke before she tore into a steaming fish.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Aela began to eat rather quickly, if only because she was on the verge of starving. People always thought that using the force was drawing something out of nothing, but in reality the force was as taxing as running a marathon. Doing what Aela had done today wasn't exactly easy, especially what she had done with the ship. There wasn't quite as much strain as when you fought in a battle, but it was still pretty bad.

"We just have to hope they're there." She told Adder as she ate.

There was only a small chance after all.

"I don't really have any other solutions." A shrug rolled over her shoulder. "We can't really build a raft, not with those monsters out there. I doubt Titavians are nesting here, and it's unlikely someone will just pass by."

Though the fire was a good signal just in case. "The Gungans are really our biggest hope."

That was a statement no one ever wanted to say.

 

[Adder]

Swallowing a mouthful of fish, Adder gave a slow nod. “Not ideal, but we’ll see.”

She scrunched up her nose, eyes visibly dilating as she stared at her thigh. Then, quick as a snake, she brought down her cybernetic arm. She frowned at the sting, removing the metal palm to inspect the reddening skin underneath. Midway up her leg lay a small black smear, formerly some kind of bug. Carefully reaching forward, Adder pinched the insect and held it up to the flickering light of the fire.

“Bastard tried to bite me,” she declared, then flicked it into the flames with a smug smile.

“But let’s say they’re not here. We both saw the size of that… thing. Doubt anyone’d want to come close to that. If you don’t find any Gungans, what do we do?”

She turned and reached behind her to retrieve her wristpad. When they’d come stumbling out of the sea it was obviously clogged with water, but the scorching sun had dried out the components Adder had laid out on one of the fallen trees.

“I can take a look at this tomorrow,” she said without taking her eyes off the tech. “Maybe I can rig some kind of transmitter at least, get a signal to the mainland.”

Though by the tone of her voice, the odds weren’t looking to good.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Aela shrugged.

"Honestly I don't know." There wasn't really much to do in this situation. Rescue was unlikely, though she figured they could survive on the island for quite some time. Her lips thinned for a moment as she tried to do some math in her head. "If we can get some Fresh Water...we have enough food, fire, shelter...we can survive here for a long time."

At least she figured they could. "Eventually the Alliance will send someone for me."

That wasn't just her ego talking either. Jamie would notice, her family, someone. Then of course there was always her Tattoo. She was loathe to use it in a situation like this, mostly because her father would not stop laughing at her for...well probably ever.

"But..." She trailed off and turned her back to Adder. "If we're here for more than a month I'll use this."

She pointed to the massive drexl painted on her back. "It'll call my father, and he'll come get us."

 

[Adder]

Dark eyebrows climbed a pale forehead. “Your dad?” Adder bit back a laugh, made do with a wide grin instead. Their situation wasn’t exactly desperate – not yet – so what’s a girl to do in a SNAFU this shy of catastrophic?

Laugh.

Because the alternative (crying, weeping, wailing, whatever you wanna call it) was just plain worthless.

At least laughing, she could ease some of that weight pressing down on her chest. Felt like an X-wing or two had chosen her ribcage to land on, expelling every breath of air from her lungs. Yeah, it was a shetty situation, but at least she wasn’t alone in the middle of this mess.

“Then let’s get out of here, yeah? ‘Cause if your dad’s anything like my dad, he won’t ever let you live that down.”

Chuckling, she finished off the last of her fish and slid off the log. “First guard?”

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Aela looked around at the calm peaceful beach. She frowned for a few seconds. "I don't think we'll need a guard."

It couldn't hurt really, someone watching for ships, but they would need to be prepared before they did anything else. The fire they had now would work to cook food and keep them warm, but it wouldn't do much for signalling a ship.

Aela could always make a light with the force, but that would take time and concentration.

"Let's gather some more firewood." She said. "Dry leaves and such."

It was the smart play. "We need something incase a ship comes by."