New World, Old Habits

[Caligula]

Tatooine, Mos Eisley Spaceport

Earlier that Day​

Fearoes watched as the Imperial Shuttle flew away, a small smirk on his lips. He felt the dry heat of the new planet. He had learned a few things about the planet prior to landing; for starters, it was covered in something called "Sand." In fact, there were such great quantities of this "Sand" that they formed "Deserts" where there was no water. Fearoes had never heard of this stuff but the Imperials had assured him it was safe. Secondly, he learned that the planet was called Tatooine and that it was a very dangerous planet. He remembered laughing at their warning. The word seemed to have a hollow meaning to him now, dangerous. He knew danger more than anyone and he was willing to gamble that fact. Finally, he had learned that credits were the language of the Galaxy; this had become apparent when the Imperial Officer on board had attempted to bribe Fearoes to let them go. Fearoes chuckled, remembering the fear in the officer's eyes as he handed the young man the data pad. Fearoes still had the data pad, not sure what to do with it. But it didn't stop him from keeping the shuttle under his control.

Fearoes walked out of the landing area and into the main street, his senses instantly bombarded with sounds, sights, and smells that were brand new to him. He smelled good, delicious smelling things as well as things that smelled like they came out of a Rancor. He heard the sounds of languages he'd never heard or considered to exist, the beeping of droids of all kinds, and the bustle of city-life. He saw much more, his eyes observing the species that called this cesspool a home. Tall creatures, short ones, clothed in many different garbs, sentient and non-sentient; they all buzzed together in a strange sort of harmony that seemed strangely familiar to Fearoes. He felt a strange sense of order among the chaos. It was like on Felucia, how the plants and animals would interact with each other in different ways. It made Fearoes comfortable.

He continued down the busy street, following the flow of movement. His attire wasn't very attractive; a brand new, shiny set of Imperial-Scout Trooper armor. He refused to wear the helmet because it interfered with his natural senses. He felt the eyes of many species watching him as he walked behind a small, hooded creature. His head continued to swivel as he assessed his surroundings, checking for dangers or patterns that he could exploit somehow. As he walked to nowhere in particular, he talked to himself.

"So, what do you think of this place?" He asked himself, speaking out loud to no one in particular.

"It's a shitty planet with shitty people; it seems like a good fit for us." His inner voice spoke, Fearoes being the only person who could hear him.

"Well that's good. I wonder where we can get something to eat. You think we have to hunt for our food here?" Fearoes asked again, his stomach agreeing with an audible grumble.

"Wait and watch, food will show itself if you're patient." His inner voice replied.

Fearoes nodded, shuffling past the small hooded creature. But as he passed the creature, a potent odor struck Fearoes’ nostrils. The smell burnt the hairs in his nose and made him regret not wearing the trooper helmet. It was a horrid smell that Fearoes couldn’t identify with anything he’d smelled before. He covered his nose and bolted away, trying to flee from the terrible odor. He ducked behind one of the many domed huts that acted as local living arrangements. He coughed several times and his eyes watered.

“What the hell was that!?” He asked himself through coughs and sneezes.

“I don’t know, but it might’ve had something to do with that shorter creature.” His inner voice responded with a hint of disgust towards the rodent-like being. “Stay clear of those things.”

Fearoes coughed and cleared his throat. “Right. Now,” He straightened himself and ran his hand through his oil black hair. “I’ve got to find some food.”

Fearoes spent the next few minutes following his nose. He smelled many delicious scents, but one thing stood out in particular amongst them; meat. Fearoes stalked his invisible prey, slinking through the streets and ducking around huts until he found the source of the wonderful smell. A small clearing was inhabited by a large humanoid alien. Around him, several other aliens were sitting and eating their food. But what amazed Fearoes the most was that they had hunks of meat just hanging from strings around the humanoid’s cart. It baffled Fearoes, but he didn’t complain as he slowly approached the meat. Once he was close enough he reached out and snatched the hunk of meat, cutting it free with his Aklay knife. He took a big bite and tore a piece of the meat off, chewing it slowly. It tasted very sweet which confused him as meat had never tasted sweet before.

Before he could take a second bite however, the large humanoid had hobbled over and started yelling at Fearoes in its native language. Unfortunately, Fearoes couldn’t make a lick of sense out of what the alien was saying. He only knew Felucianese and Basic, and that was because the Imperials on the shuttle had given him a translator which changed most foreign languages into Felucianese. Apparently whatever the alien was saying didn’t register.

Fearoes just stood there, starring in amazement. Then he took another bite of the meat. Again the sweet taste of the meat flooded Fearoes’ taste buds. The alien seemed to get angrier however and advanced on Fearoes. His instincts took hold and he instantly whipped out his knife, spinning it in his hand before catching it blade up. The alien hesitated before taking out a large knife. Its shape reminded Fearoes of the skullblades used by the Felucian Warriors. But this weapon was shorter and thicker. It didn’t matter to Fearoes; he’d killed worse. Both combatants starred each other down before the alien croaked something and rushed at Fearoes. Fearoes moved with grace as he effortlessly dodged the weapon and appeared behind the alien. He was about the deliver a death blow when he heard an outside voice shout, “Freeze! Both of you!”

Both Fearoes and the alien turned to see 3 humans running towards them. They were dressed in white armor, armor similar to the set Fearoes was currently wearing.

“They must be Imperial soldiers.” Fearoes said to himself.

“You’ve tangled with their kind before,” His inner voice replied. “You’ve got nothing to fear.”

“That was when I had the element of surprise. I’m not sure my luck will be so good here.”

One of the Imperial soldiers focused on Fearoes. “Stop talking! Both of you are coming with us. You’d better close your shop, Dracets.”

The alien started to make a series of noises and gestures that resembled pleading or explaining. Fearoes just smirked. He quickly swiveled his head around to get a feeling for his surroundings. As the Imperials began to advance on the two fighters, Fearoes made a break for an open alleyway. As he passed the cart he cut another hunk of meat free and tipped the cart over, sending sauces and credits all over the street. Other aliens rushed in to collect the fallen currency as Fearoes dashed down the alley. He made several turns and maintained a steady, quick speed, yet he could still heard the Imperial soldiers following him. He rounded a corner and saw a series of boxes stacked on top of one another. He quickly judged the distance and ran towards the boxes. Once there, he leapt up and pushed off the top box, propelling himself onto the rooftop nearby. From there he continued to sprint across the dome shaped buildings, smiling the whole way. After a few minutes of running, he slowed down and checked his surroundings. No pursuers.

After getting down from the rooftop, he sat down in the shade and started munching on the meat.

“It’s strange” Fearoes said to himself. “But it tastes better knowing that I hunted it.”

“But you didn’t hunt it.” His inner voice answered. “You took it from that other predator. And when he tried to take it back, you were better in the end.”

“I would have killed him if those soldiers hadn’t showed up.” Fearoes shrugged as he took another bite of meat.

He was about to get up when something caught his attention.

 

[Vexillar]

Raith was just about to get on the cruiser to leave this hellhole of a planet. Seriously, he hated Korriban, hated it, but this? Come on. THIS was way worse than anything he had to survive on Korriban. Too hot, too crowded, too many shady people. He would have preferred this world be bombed instead of countless others. That wasn't his call though. So why was he here then for the fourth time this month? This planet had incredibly low droid part prices. That's why. He didn't need anything fancy, just standard parts that did simple things to keep his beloved Eezeo operational. The droid was polished and fit as a fiddle today, and beeped annoyingly loud as he picked up an alert for some theft. Normally this wouldn't have gone through Eezeo's filters, but Raith had, admittedly, forgotten to turn them back on after his latest update. He was simply going to ignore it when he felt it...It was quiet, faint, like a whisper in the middle of a Cantina. The universe was filled with sounds of the Force, things that pulled your attention one way or another, but those who were trained could look beyond that, could feel the ebb and flow of smaller movements within the Force.

Movements like this.

He told the ship to just leave, he'd catch another shuttle home, and turned on his heels walking away. He used his commlink to order a cease and desist on the target. There was little argument to be had. Raith quickly made followed his senses to the target. His signature in the Force was missing as he kept it buried under the shifting tides of the Force. His mind was well guarded, and in his Sight he could see the boy. He was eating, that must be the food he stole. The Arcanist removed his cloak, remaining in just a pair of casual clothing for now. A black long sleeve v-cut shirt, pair of jeans and some boots. He hated wearing robes to Tattooine. No sense in getting them all dirty and such. His saber was clipped to his belt, the Yorik Coral was also polished to perfection. "Enjoying yourself? If you wanted food, all you had to do was ask." He reached into his pockets and tossed a few dozen credits over to the boy. He could feel his mind was...scattered, fractured was a poor word for what he felt in the child but it was fitting enough without further information. He would have to proceed with caution here, less they end up in a city-wide chase.

 

[Caligula]

“Enjoying yourself? If you wanted food, all you had to do was ask.”

The voice didn’t startle him as much as it bothered him. He lazily looked up as the man tossed him some credits. Without thinking he snatched the credits out of the air. He didn’t know how money was supposed to work but he knew that people wanted it. So why was this person throwing it at him? He didn’t worry about it as he put the credits into a pouch on the side of his armor. He didn’t like the constricting feel of the Scout-armor but he knew that he didn’t have any better clothes. Clothes were something he’d have to get used too.

When he raised his eyes to meet the man’s he was surprised to find that the person was, blind? A strange mask covered the man’s eyes, allowing no holes for vision or even light. It startled him a little but he quickly fixed his mindset.

“I’m not afraid to fight a blind opponent. If he forces my hand, I’ll have no mercy.” He told himself, taking another bite of the meat. He was almost finished with it and it got his mind thinking about the flavor of the second piece of meat. It was at this point that the man’s words actually hit Fearoes.

“Ask for food? What do you mean?” He asked. He had never asked for anything before. He grew up and survived on taking what he needed, no questions asked, no matter who stood in the way. The idea of just asking for something and expecting it to happen was beyond his understanding.

He began sweeping his eyes around the area. He was unconsciously searching with the Force as well. He may have grown up on one of the most Force-influenced planets in the Galaxy, but he lacked any kind of training, making his abilities more emotion based and less concentration on the skill itself. He felt uneasy and desired to know what was around him; the Force complied and moved to his will, telling him all there was to know about the area around him and its inhabitants. But something was wrong. He didn’t sense anything from the figure. Usually, everyone and everything gave off some kind of feeling, be it good or bad. But he felt nothing from this man. It was as if there was a void in the Force.

“Who are you? What do you want?” He asked, his muscles tensing in anticipation of whatever was going to happen next.

 

[Vexillar]

The Arcanist chuckled at the boy's actions. The boy had clearly not spent much, if any, time around civilization. He was curious where he came from. His unprotected mind betrayed his thoughts which drew out an even more joyful chuckle from him. "Child, if you could hit me I'd pay for your meals for the rest of your life. I see more than anything you've ever met before." He shook his head slightly and took a seat where he was, a safe distance away from him. More for the younger male's safety than his own. He could easily take care of himself, but he didn't want to scare to boy. He was...curious. Raith found himself taken by the boy's lack of culture, and terrible mannerisms. He was moved by the almost animalistic nature of the creature before him. He had to know more, he craved it. This was his flaw, this was what would get him killed one day.

"Who I am, child, is the one who told those Imperial Troopers to stop chasing you. And ask for you, yes." His voice was hauntingly beautiful. His own gentle masculine voice being overlaid with the female voice with a heavy Dathomirian accent. "As in saying 'May I please have food?' You can get in a lot of trouble by stealing like you did. This is civilization, dear boy. You need to be careful. You can call me Raith. What do they call you?" He tilted his head slightly in a curiously manner. Of course he could rip any information he wanted from the boy's head. He could manipulate his senses until Raith was the only guy he trusted. That would get him nowhere, however, and would only coast him more time and energy than he really cared to put into such tactics.

 

[Caligula]

Fearoes starred at the man, a confused expression dominating his face. Had he heard Fearoes’ thoughts? But that was impossible, right? He wasn’t eager to see what kind of power this person had, so he tried to act “civilized.”

“I am called Fearoes, of Felucia.” He said, not wanted to say anything else that could compromise him somehow. Everything someone did was simply a hint or a clue about their true self. Whether it’s a choice of words or a mindless shift in weight, anything could give away more than one intended to say. Whenever he went hunting in the dangerous fungal jungles, he would always watch his prey to see any of these types of clues; raising their head, a muscle twitch, any noise they made would tell if he would eat that day or go home hungry. He treated this the same way. The man in front of him was a predator, much like Fearoes himself. But he had proven that predators weren’t invincible. If he made the wrong move, read the signs wrong, he could either get out of this with no problem, or die in this dusty street.

He reached back and took out his Rancor Spear, twirling it for a moment before stabbing it into the dirt in front of him. He felt more comfortable with the spear in easy access, just in case something happened. His Acklay knife was always within reach, but the spear was closer to him emotionally. He probably wouldn’t have made it as far as he did without that spear. He reached up and touched the Rancor tooth that hung around his neck. It was his good luck charm and he trusted that it would get him through this encounter.

It must have seemed odd to Raith, seeing this young man in modern Scout Trooper armor wielding such a primitive weapon, but that didn’t concern Fearoes. He had spent his silent time looking Raith over. Outfits always confused him but as he got to the man’s waist, he noticed something shiny. He reached out and without thinking about it, pulled the object into his hands. When he caught it, it felt hard and cold, like stone. But this wasn’t made of stone, no, it was more like something better. It reminded him of the credits in his pocket or the hull of the Imperial Shuttle. Whatever it was, it didn’t look like a weapon. It was missing a blade of any kind. It was just a handle. Perhaps he needed to repair it?

“What is this?” He asked, looking the shiny cylinder over.

 

[Vexillar]

"Ah...Felucia. I've been there many times before." And he had...a lot. In fact, he was working on a small project for Felucia. He wondered how this Fearoes managed to get off of Felucia. It wasn't exactly a planet that was riddled with spaceports. Maybe he stowed away? That would explain the fact that he had on an Imperial Suit...which did have to go. He couldn't simply walk around like that. Raith couldn't save him if someone decided to target him for that, he'd have to get this stranger from Felucia changed into something else.

When the boy displayed his spear he admired it. Crude in design, but clearly something that had seen plenty of action before. He noticed the Rancoy elements on it, and had to wonder how he came across it. Did he slay the Rancor? Or did he loot a dead one? Either way, to have fashioned such a weapon was very impressive. The boy had some survival skill, that much was obvious. He began to wonder how long he had been on Felucia. That answer came to him when he displayed interest in his lightsaber. He scooted closer a bit so the curious one could grab it. His saber was only activated when someone channeled the Force into it, so he wasn't concerned about him accidentally turning it on. Though he could sense Fearoes' energy and see it too. The boy could be trained, taught to wield the Force. How interesting...though not terribly considering this boy was potentially born on Felucia. The planet was incredibly in-tune with the Force. The flora even had a tendency to be Force enriched. It wasn't a surprise that those born on the planet had a higher chance of having a deep connection.

"It's called a lightsaber. A powerful weapon, that can cut through almost anything. I use it to protect myself, just like you and your spear." He gently reached out to take the weapon from him, and slid closer to the boy again. "It's a special blade. Look." He activated the saber, the deep violet blade rising from the Yorik Coral. "Here. It's okay..." He spoke softly and reach out to take the boy's hand in his free hand. If Fearoes let him take his hand, he'd place it on the saber right under his own. Positioning it that way so the blade would remain out. "It's a unique blade, that remains out as long as I channel power into it. So I have to keep contact on it." He explained. "Like it?" He flashed Fearoes a smile and chuckled gently.

 

[Caligula]

“Light. Saber." He said the words slowly, trying to gather memories to see how something like that would work. He knew what light was and he knew that a sabre was a kind of sword. So, a light sword?

Raith took a step closer and Fearoes’ instincts took hold. He snapped his attention to Raith and his hand twitched as he considered whether he should us his knife or his spear. But he steadied himself when he saw that it wasn’t a hostile advance. He kept his eyes locked on Raith as he explained how the lightsaber worked. Everything was going smoothly until Raith turned the blade on. Once the violet beam came into view, Fearoes leapt back in surprise. His hand instantly went to his belt and he pulled out his Aklay knife. He took a defensive stance, a wild look of fear obvious in his piercing green eyes.

Raith’s smile and slight chuckle threw him off a little. He had associated smiling and laughing with happiness. There was no reason he should have been happy. Fearoes carefully watched him, the desire to know what Raith really was became a physical force with the Force. He was channeling his mysterious energy to try and access Raith’s mind, without even realizing it. He had done it many times before even knowing what he was doing. He’d just look at something and then suddenly get flooded with voices and words. But at this point, he would welcome the haunting words if they told him anything about Raith.

 

[Vexillar]

He felt someone pushing against his mind, his Thought Shield would only relay thoughts of droids. It's what kept his mind safe, what kept his mind protected. The thing he knew the most about. Droids. Fixing them, their parts, the manufacturers, the uses of various droids, and tips and tricks for cutting corners when in a tight spot. Currently his shield consisted of thoughts on the once popular IG assassin droid unit. Specifically their uprising, and thoughts on the restraining bolt and how it could be affixed to droids to keep it from happening again.

"Interesting...I should expect no less from one who was raised on Felucia. The Jungle Felucians are quite skilled in telepathy. Though you lack skill, you have power. That's a good start." If he even saw the knife, he didn't show it. In truth, he didn't care. He had a lightsaber. That knife was like paper to him. Even so, he could just heal his wounds. "It's okay. Here. Come hold it. I won't hurt you." Eezeo watched the boy carefully. He wasn't sure what to make of him, but his master didn't seem to be in danger so the droid kept it's tentacles inside it's golden arachnid body. The droid simply watched and waited, looking for signs of danger like a good guard. Raith held the saber out to the boy with one hand, careful to keep the blade active so that he could see it. "Don't touch the blade though. It'll burn you." To demonstrate that point, he picked up some dirt and dropped it on the blade. The dirt didn't stand a chance against the highly concentrated energy beam. He smiled at Fearoes again. "It's okay." He reassured him again, motioning for him to hold onto the hilt with him.

 

[Sreeya]

As the cart was toppled, so was the plethora of sauces and other condiments. There was an explosion of red, yellow and other colors. Most of it splattered on the bottom of her dress. Unlike the person that had nonchalantly stolen food and dashed, she had planned on actually paying for her food. The woman sighed, gazing down at the disgusting sauce now dripping from her dress. She left it be, shaking her head as she continued down the streets. She had no intention of hanging out around the Imperial soldiers and others that caused such a commotion.

Her visage was hidden from view, and she grimaced as she thought about the next place she would have to find for a bite to eat. In truth, that cart was the only one that didn’t look horribly suspicious. She wanted to have some sort of inkling about what she was eating. The woman waved aside any other merchants that came to her, continuing slowly down the path and cutting into random alleys. She didn’t have a clear sense of direction, and she quietly hummed to herself as she walked.

She had masked her Force signature, as that was always a way to draw more attention than necessary. She saw a faint glow in the corner of her eye, the light leading her towards it. She came to a stop before the two, a lightsaber between them. The sight was interesting to say the least, and she most definitely contributed with her sauce drenched dress.

“Sorry to interrupt..”

What an awkward spot to be in..

“Er.. either of you know any good dessert places around here?”

Crickets chirped.

“Nice saber by the way.”

 

[Caligula]

Fearoes grit his teeth in pain as the wave of droid knowledge flooded his head. He reached his free hand up and rubbed his temple, trying to figure out why he was listening to different types of power couplings and the several models of astromechs. He filtered out the useless noise and severed the connection. He glared at Raith, a small fire burning. He was about to do something when his inner voice stopped him.

“Hold it!” He shouted and Fearoes froze in place. He looked straight ahead at Raith, though his attention was elsewhere.

“Why? What should I do?” He asked himself aloud, talking to his inner voice.

“Just stop freaking out and wait. Just roll with what this man, Raith, is suggesting. I get the feeling that if he wanted to attack you, it would have happened by now. Maybe he’s trying to help you.”

Fearoes’ eyes began darting between the lightsaber and the man holding it. The violet light seemed inviting; like a moth to the flame. He hesitated to reach his hand out, still weighing his options and wondering whether or not he could trust Raith. And then it hit him; he couldn’t trust Raith. All he could do was trust himself to not make a mistake.

He slowly reached closer towards the lightsaber. Suddenly he heard the girl approach them and his eyes locked onto her. She was wearing a strange dress with an odd design, like some kind of liquid was flowing down but got stuck halfway. He raised an eyebrow and then looked back at Raith’s lightsaber. He slowly grabbed the handle and felt the energy flow through it. It felt, familiar. The surge of power moving around reminded him of Felucia, the way that the planet was infused with the Force always calmed him down. Then he began to add his energy to the device.

The violet blade began to vibrate as the access power flowed into the handle. The tidal wave that was Fearoe’s energy crashed down and enhanced the blade to its max, and then some. It caused the handle to shake a little as Fearoes became more comfortable with the weapon. He even forgot about the world around him. At that point, it was just him and the Force.

 

[Vexillar]

Raith felt a tug, a pull, that annoying itch just under the base of his skull that told him someone was nearby...but was hiding from him. He frowned internally as Erchitu manifested in his sight only, as she always did. Do you feel that? It was a rhetorical question of course. They felt the same things, heard the same things, he was her prison, yes, but also her eyes and ears for the outside world. He felt it alright, and he didn't like it.

His curiosity was answered, and discomfort increased, when the female spoke. He turned to eye her, and one look confirmed everything. His Sight told him what his mind could not confirm. Her aura was dimmed, repressed, gently, but the burning light was still there, centered in her being, this woman was Force Sensitive, and she was hiding it. So was Raith, however, so he couldn't judge her for that. She didn't look like any of the Sith he had known. Her aura's color wan't dark enough for that either. So who was she? Why was she here? His attention on her was broken as Feareos took hold of his lightsaber. There were checks and balances to ensure that there was no unfortunate accident, and the additional energy flowing through had activated the dual phase setting. He chuckled softly.

"Gentle. Lightsabers are special things. We must handle them with care, be gentle with what energy you put into it." He spoke calmly, and he cupped the outside of the boy's hand with his own, and reduced his own power output. Sabers like these ones needed a fine control over your energy, less you overload it. Which was hard to do, but not terribly impossible.

He tilted his head up to the girl once more and arched a brow at her. He didn't know what to make of her. Right now he still held the advantage. He doubted she knew who he was, unless she was with the Sith, which he was incredibly sure she wasn't. So she had to just be a passerby. The question then became, why was she here? What did the Force want from her that it dragged her into this situation? "Ah, apologies...my manners." His dual voice, his own gentle voice and the heavily accented female Dathomir voice of Erchitu, came out evenly. "I do not know of any dessert places. I try to limit my time on this planet..." He needed her to stay.

If she was an enemy, then she needed to be stopped now. She could also be out to hunt for Fearoes...which was equally unacceptable.

"What's your name?" He asked with a warm and welcoming smile. He was still checking on Fearoes as he addressed the woman, he didn't want the boy to injure himself with the blade. Curiosity had a funny way of overriding common sense.

 

[Sreeya]

The woman watched the boy become fascinated with the saber. Truth be told, so was she. She had never been able to master the saber, always relying on the Force. This boy was already leagues ahead of her in skill, a thought that made her grimace at her own ineptitude. She turned to face the man that had addressed her, curiosity piqued at the strange dual voice. To her it sounded like some sort of demonic possession, but she stifled the urge to crack jokes. She had little room to talk, what with being drenched in sauce.

“Er...my name?”

The woman rubbed her chin in curiosity.

“Call me Ana. We’ll go with that. And yours? Are you his master?”

She glanced back at the boy in the strange armor.

“I wish I knew how to use a saber. Fascinating things..I seldom know which way to point. One time I actually ignited it in my face...took off a chunk of hair. Nasty business.”

There was something odd about the woman, other than the fact that she kept her hood up and preferred to stay cloaked. She looked back at the man that had addressed her. He was rather pleasant to look at, once you got past the creepy voice.

Before she could say anything else, the mighty roar of a krayt dragon ensued from just the outskirts of the town, much closer than they normally came. She shifted uncomfortably, wondering if it was time to bail. However, this duo had definitely caught her attention. Something told her that tonight wouldn’t be an ordinary visit to Tatooine.

 

[Caligula]

Fearoes’ now wielded the lightsaber by himself, his power fueling the blade with power. He noticed that a second blade had appeared on the other end of the handle. He didn’t panic, but instead began to move the blades around, making sure not to hit anything with them. He twirled it around with expert skill, his spear training coming into use. He moved it like a band leader twirling a baton. He felt completely at ease with the weapon in hand, almost as comfortable as when he used his spear or knife. It must have been the connection to the Force that the weapon required. He used the Force when using his own weapons, but this was something different. Eventually he decided to do a trick; he twirled the long, dangerous weapon up into the air, causing it to spin rapidly from flight to descent. With perfect timing he spun once and caught the handle as soon as it came down and continued to spin it in his hands. After a few rotations, he stopped spinning it and ceased the flow of energy. The dual violet blades vanished, leaving Fearoes with only the handle.

Then he looked at Raith and then at the girl. He heard her name, Ana. It seemed like a nice name, though he hadn’t heard many names yet. But the word seemed to fit the girl standing in front of him. He caught himself watching her carefully, starring at her with great interest. He had never met a human female before; the Imperial Shuttle had only males and Felucia wasn’t really “Human Friendly.” He looked her up and down, trying to figure out the differences between her and him. But she was wearing a cloak, making details impossible to distinguish. The only thing he could call a difference was her voice. It was a higher pitch than his own and she spoke softer than Fearoes.

It made him feel strange. He felt his head get hot and he beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. His knees felt weak and he realized it was getting hard to think. He began to panic. Had he become ill? Had this damned planet given his some kind of disease? Or was Ana the cause of it? Was this just a reaction that human men went through whenever a female is around? Whatever it was, he didn’t like it.

He looked away from her and handed Raith back his lightsaber. That’s when he heard the roar echo across the city. His body moved on its own. He dove towards his spear, which was still lodged in the dirt. He rolled and when he came up his spear was in his hands, pointed in the direction of the sound’s origin. His mind began to process the sound and attempted to put a picture together of what the source could have been.

“Reptilian, large, carnivorous, most likely hostile. It sounds like a Rancor. A desert Rancor?” He said, talking to himself.

“I’m not sure. But whatever it is, it sounds close.” His inner voice responded.

Fearoes had a special place in his heart for large, predatory animals. It was a Bull Rancor that helped him become free from the Jungle Felucians, and he had honored that creature by leaving Rancors alone. He never hunted one and only used what he could from ones that were already dead. He would always try to avoid them if he had to and even if he was being attacked by one, he never raised a weapon against it. He had no trouble with anything else, whether it be an Aklay or the dreaded Sarlacc. Although, he never did hunt the Felucian predators. He would defend himself from them if they attacked, but he would never instigate them. In many cases he formed friendships with them, although it was only temporary. The next day they would be right back to trying to kill him. He remembered the long hours he’d spend in the Ancient Abyss, communicating with the mighty Sarlacc that rested there. Though neither of them used words or sounds, the Force was their connection.

“Raith, Ana, what was that sound?” He asked, wondering if it was something nonthreatening.

 

[Vexillar]

The sound of a large reptile broke his focus on the group around him. Though he had no eyes to observe, so such a lack of focus would be relatively unnoticeable. He just continued to look where he was, though before him a very different scene was playing out. His world dimmed just a bit as his friendly neighborhood ghost appeared before him and him alone, and, as usual, speaking to him and him alone. Hm...sounds like a beast that has decided to come out of hiding. What shall you do? I know you want to go on the hunt She was right. He did. She could feel him, just as he could feel her. She was filled with curiosity, wishing to understand what he wanted to do, wishing to know which path he would follow, and in truth he wanted to know two. Did he wanted to go after the beast? Did he want to kill it, bury it beneath the sands once again? Yes and yes. He didn't have to go inspect the sound to understand what it was, he knew what it was. He spent enough time on this Force forsaken planet to understand what it was. They weren't exactly common, but they were far from uncommon as well. The only reason he wanted to go hunt the beast was for it's pearls. They were valuable things, special to the right people. Selling it held little meaning to him, though selling one could easily fund a few of his projects, he wanted one for the simple fact that he could use it in his lightsaber. He was very interested in that.

However...

He was with a feral child in presumed to be stolen Imperium Trooper gear, and a woman with a messy dress. Of course he knew better than to assume she was only that. He could see beyond such fleshy shells. He could hear how the Force beckoned to her with it's call and a curl of it's finger. She spoke little, and yet told him much. She had experience with a lightsaber, which means she had come into contact with one at some point. She didn't have much, by her own admission, but she knew enough to have held one and thus probably obtained training from it. A lightsaber wasn't something Jedi and Sith just went around giving to people. There was always a reason...She also seemed curious to know if he was the boy's instructor. Would he ever take Feareos back with him to Korriban? Probably not. No. He wasn't needed there, Raith liked having contacts on the outside. It made things...easier. Still, the trio wouldn't make a grand hunting party for the Krayt Dragon. Of course...his head tilted just slightly as his vision shifted, like someone might shift their eyes, to look at the spear the boy had forged. Maybe they weren't exactly as powerless as Raith initially thought. The boy managed to outwit a member of the Armed Forces, and kill a rancor. The girl had to have had something going on with her, and he, of course, was...well him. Yes.

They weren't ideal, but surely they'd be enough.

He flashed the woman a smile. "You may call me, V." He bowed his head respectfully and then looked over to Fearoes with a chuckle. He stood and gently took his saber away from the boy. "Why don't we take a look and find out, my dear Jungle Boy." He offered Fearoes his hand and smiled. "You're welcome to come too, Ana. I believe the Force brought you to us with the intent of putting you on the path to victory. So shall we?" He tilted his head again as the beast roared once more as if confirming his thoughts. Yes, there were very few true coincidences in life. They were much more akin to silly superstitions like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, but this? No. This was real, and he believed Ana was to come with them. Why else would she be here? To simply compliment his lightsaber? Hardly...The Force brought her here for a reason, and whether or not it was to hunt the dragon was irrelevant, because the reason had something to do with one of them. Why not take down a dragon in the process?

((OOC :: Apologies for the delay. Was unexpectedly without a computer for a while ))

 

[Caligula]

Fearoes looked at Raith’s extended hand for a second before shaking his head.

“I’m not a child. But I will join you on your hunt.”

He gripped his spear tightly as the three of them started to make their way towards the noise, moving with haste for their own reasons. Fearoes wanted to see this new prey and if he could possibly befriend it. From the sound of it, it was angry about something. Fearoes was a sort of nature lover, but if the creature needed help, he’d offer it. On the other hand, if the creature was mindlessly destroying things then he’d have to interfere. It would all depend on the first few seconds of the encounter.

As they got closer to the source of the commotion, blaster fire was heard. It was mixed into the chorus of destruction as cries of terror, anger, and the monster filled the air around Mos Espa. When they rounded the corner, there it was.

Fearoes had never seen a Krayt dragon, nor did he know it existed. But the second he laid eyes on it, he knew that the next few minutes would be a little crazy. The scene in front of them portrayed a large Krayt dragon destroying a block of the city. Domed houses lay in ruins, bodies littered the street, and all the while the air was filled with the smells of death and fear. The noise was constant and concentration would be less than impossible. Scattered around the ruins were several Imperium troopers who were struggling to handle the situation and other citizens who were using their own weapons to try and stop the beast. But it was clear that their firepower only annoyed the dragon, as it continued to rampage around and crush more buildings and people.

Fearoes was instantly amazed by the creature. Its size, its power, its raw emotion; it all captured Fearoes’ attention. It reminded him directly of a Rancor. Only this desert Rancor was different in several ways. For starters it moved on 4 legs and had a long tail. Its head was much narrower than a Rancor. It also had two horns on its head and had a series of spikes going along its spine. Fearoes’ mind began to work, wondering how he’d approach the situation. He knelt down and put his hand to the earth. He felt the vibrations of the dragon, the sounds reverberating through the sand. He smiled a little as feelings of adrenaline washed over him. In one swift motion he looked up and bolted towards the dragon.

The Lizard lifted its gaze from its most recent kill and focused on Fearoes instantly. It roared a deafening roar and began to run to meet Fearoes. The young man had taken out his spear and was holding it in an offensive stance. When they clashed, one of them was going to feel it.

 

[Vexillar]

Feisty one.

He shouldn't have expected any less. He walked through the streets to find that the dragon's rampage had gotten out of control. It was quickly approaching the main city, but had easily destroyed the outskirts of town and was showing no signs of stopping. Raith was immediately curious about something. Krayt Dragons didn't usually get this close to town. In fact, they almost never had the gall to stroll up and start wrecking the place. So what happened? What had set these events in motion? Whatever it was, this place wasn't terribly equipped to handle a dragon of this magnitude. It had to be contained, and it had to be done now.

He looked at the boy who so boldly decided to charge the beast. Yes. Fearoes was a magnificent creature. All the power, skill, and brazen attitude of a larger creature, backed by sentience. Fearoes was a treasure, a gift from the Force, and Raith would see him well taken care of, provided for, and trained. Such was his silent decree. He made no motion to help at first, wishing to see how this would play out. He reached out to speak to the young man's mind, keeping his voice just above a whisper inside of his mind. Feel, don't think. Thinking is what gets our kind killed. The Force is our greatest ally, and it will see you conquer this beast. Just feel the universe, it's power coursing beneath your skin, in your veins. You can hear the gentle hum just before the beast strikes. And in that moment, you must counter, you must show him that Fearoes is not prey...but predator.

He retreated from the other's mind and waited to see if his words fell on deaf ears, or if the young male from Felucia was capable of understanding the meaning of his aid.

 

[Caligula]

The distance between the young hunter and the massive dragon quickly decreased as they charged. A wild grin was clear on Fearoes’ face as he readied his spear, aiming the Rancor Tooth point at the beast’s heart. The Krayt Dragon was the same; it bared its teeth and released a deafening roar that echoed across the street. They were a couple yards away from each other when Fearoes heard Raith’s helpful words. The world slowed down around him as his mind began to process everything.

“Counter attack eh?” He thought to himself, his eyes fixed on the Krayt Dragon’s. Then he flashed a quick, almost invisible grin. “I’m one step ahead of you.”

The Krayt dragon was close enough to strike first. It opened its mouth to snap its massive jaws onto Fearoes. At that moment, for Fearoes, time seemed to stop completely. His eyes were focused on every detail he needed to see, and then some. He could count the individual scales on the dragon’s face, the color of its eyes, and even the number of teeth in its killer jaws. His eyes caught the glitter of particles in the air, dust particles. Even a droplet or two of saliva from the Krayt Dragon’s mouth caught the light of Tatooine’s twin suns. Fearoes blinked, and in that millisecond of blindness he heard it; the all too familiar sound of a heartbeat. He had heard the sound several times before; but in combat, on the hunt, he heard it for a specific reason: it told him when to attack.

His eyes snapped open as his legs propelled him up and, with some help from the Force, over the Krayt Dragon’s jaws. He flew like a pole vaulter, his back aimed at the ground as he flew headfirst and backwards over the Dragon. He tucked himself into a ball and rolled to his feet, landing on the back of the dragon’s neck. He quickly started to remove the glove on his right hand, but the Krayt dragon was quicker than he had originally planned. It began to buck and move, making staying on difficult. Fearoes reached out and grabbed one of the dragon’s horns for stability as he tore of the black glove, revealing his bare hand. The dragon was struggling to find Fearoes, roaring and spinning around like a dog chasing its tail. Fearoes’ simply held on for his life. If he lost his grip, he’d lose his tactical advantage and his plan would have less chances of succeeding.

Suddenly, for some reason, the Krayt dragon stopped moving. It turned its head to focus on a new target, Raith. The dragon seemed to have a strange attraction to Raith, but Fearoes didn’t worry about that. He took the pause and moved to right above the dragon’s head. Then, channeling a large amount of Force energy, slammed his bare hand down onto the dragon’s skull. But it was not an offensive strike; it was a passive move. He channeled the large amount of energy and established a direct connection to the Krayt dragon’s mind. From there, he worked to calm down the rampaging monster.

For anyone watching, they would have seen Fearoes, kneeling down and eyes closed, with his hand pressed against the Krayt dragon’s head. The dragon itself would be standing relatively still, its eyes lowered to the ground as both beings appeared to be in a trance-like state. The surviving humans took the opportunity to flee from the area, heading deeper into the city and hopefully to safety. As long as no one bothered either Fearoes or the dragon, nothing would happen until Fearoes severed the connection.

“Hello?” He asked once the connection was established.

“VILE CREATURES!” The voice of the Krayt dragon blasted in Fearoes’ mind. But something confused the hunter. The Krayt dragon’s voice was feminine. “WHERE IS YOUNG ONE?!”

“Krayt Dragon!” Fearoes silently commanded. “I need you to calm down and explain what is wrong!”

“DEMONS, SLIME, FLITH! THEY TOOK YOUNG ONE!” The Krayt dragon continued its yelling. The booming voice in Fearoes’ head was nothing new. He’d had many conversations with animals before, most often deep, base voice Rancors or rapid, tenor voiced Aklays. For some reason he began to remember the old, sagely voice of the Sarlacc Pit in the Ancient Abyss back on Felucia. Every creature had their own voice; he was just glad that he could understand them.

Realizing that he’d get nowhere with the dragon until it calmed down, he played his Ace. He began to use the Animal Friendship technique as he spoke again.

“Krayt dragon, I’m here to help. I just need you to calm down.” His words came out with a soothing tone, his silver tongue working its magic. Each word was coated in the Force as it calmed the dragon down so that she had at least stopped shouting.

“Monsters… they took Young One.” She said, obviously troubled and angry.

“What kind of monsters?” He asked, negotiating with the dragon.

“Two legged, like the Sand Walkers. But these were not Sand Walkers. These demons were whelps who hid their faces. But I tracked them here by scent; demons smell horrible.” She said.

“Where did they go?” Fearoes asked, getting closer to the cause of the dragon’s rage.

“Demons took Young One to thin mountain, deeper in this nest of demons.” The Krayt dragon seemed to switch from anger to sadness. “I could not reach Young One in time. They fled here and I was attacked.”

“Dragon,” Fearoes began. “What if I go into the thin mountain and retrieve Young One for you?” He understood the situation. Some spineless bastards went into the desert and took this dragon’s child. Then, realizing how badly they had messed up, fled here to the city. The dragon followed and Fearoes saw the rest. He wanted to help the animal, especially now that he knew the reason for the dragon’s rage.

The dragon paused for a moment before answering. “How can I trust you?"

Fearoes managed a smile. “Because I am no demon.”

The dragon seemed to accept this answer, but not easily. She nodded and Fearoes smiled.

He severed the connection and both of them “woke up” from their mysterious trance. He slid off the dragon’s head and looked up at the magnificent creature. She was just a mother looking for her child, not a mindless animal like everyone must have thought. It was Fearoes’ blessing and his curse to know the truth about the creatures of the universe. He knew the truth, but no one would believe him if he tried to tell them.

Fearoes began to walk back to Raith and Ana, the dragon following him. He looked behind them at the main city and saw many different buildings and spires that looked the same no matter how hard you looked.

“There,” the dragon’s voice boomed in his head. Apparently they were still connected somehow. Perhaps a psychic link? “That’s where Young One is.”

Fearoes followed her gaze and saw a large, stone spire rising out of the ground. It was taller than any tree he had ever seen but it looked the same as any other spire. He continued to look for any distinctions in the tower when he sensed something. It was a different kind of presence, a bad feeling. His eyes looked to the sky and he saw a few flashes of sunlight reflecting off of something. Then he realized what it was.

The locals must have called the Imperium to deal with the dragon, for 2 small ships were flying towards them. They were the same in design and shape but they looked like a threat. Fearoes frowned at them and began to wonder what he was going to do. They were going to attack the dragon, and he was going to stop them if they did.

 

[Vexillar]

How curious. Disappointing in a way, but this wasn't because he was a brute looking for a fight. He simply required the pearls of a kraut dragon. Shame, but he'd get it later. There was always time for later. He didn't worry too much about things that could be controlled. Something like this? A mild annoyance at best. He'd make up for it later. He had something of far greater value before him now. Something he didn't long for, but that he wanted nonetheless.

He observed this transaction between feral man and feral beast. The Force flowed between them and he recognized that hypnotic gaze in the dragon's eyes. He had seen it before. His lips pursed as he observed the exchange. It didn't take long, but when he was done the Arcanist walked forward slowly, before stopping to follow the other's line of sight.

Two Imperial cruisers. He hmm'd softly as he watched them come at them. He could potentially drive them away, but he didn't have much pull in the affairs of the army. Of course he could claim that this was under control and they would not be needed. Which it was. Still. Depending on who made the call...it could be bad news. He sighed slightly and turned to Fearoes.

"You should get her out of here." He said sternly. "I'll catch up with you guys, but the last thing you'll do is engage the Imperials. I can't help you if you attack them." He said, commenting on the man's stray thoughts of violence. He didn't want Fearoes making a scene. Raith could handle the troopers, but it would go smoother if the Wild Child and the Dragon made their way away from the town.