Ask BIO 301: Marine Biology

[Connor Vance]

When he saw Nash’s face soften there was a glimmer of hope. Connor poured himself out to her, he told her most of what he had been planning to tell her. Once he was done, he’d fall silent but his gaze never strayed from her. It wasn’t just his ears that were red with embarrassment, his whole face matched them. He’d wanted this to be private but it was better like this than never.

When Connor watched Arak walk up to Nash, he ignored his instinct to do something to stop him. He felt his roommate’s guilt and how deeply he felt about her as well. While Connor didn’t feel bad for asking Nash out in front of him, he did understand how Arak felt. His ears dipped slightly when Arak hugged Nash, they drooped completely when she hugged him back. He felt his heart drop into his gut. Was he too late now? Had he missed his opportunity? His eyes fell from the pair of them finally, unable to watch the intimate display of affection with another guy. Connor felt sick from embarrassment but he held it back, instead he chewed on the inside of his lip.

When Nash asked why they both had done this now his gaze would return to meet hers. He instinctively took a hesitant step forward when she back away from them.

“Becau-“ Connor went to begin when Xo cut him off.

At first Connor bristled. What the hell was he doing? Then he looked back to Nash, she was just as embarrassed, nervous, and definitely more overwhelmed than either of them. Xo was right and Connor couldn’t believe he was agreeing with him. He’d said what he needed to, he’d told her how he felt, there would be time later to answer all her questions. But for right now, they had an assignment to finish.

“Yeah…” Connor muttered as he looked at her. “…whenever you’re ready Nash, I’ll answer any question you have.” He forced a smirk onto his lips, it seemed more like a sad smile though.

Xo forced cooler of fish into his hands, tossed Arak the dataslate with a map, and walked by the pair of them briskly and protectively. Connor slowly walked over to Arak and placed a hand on his shoulder to get his friend’s attention.

“Truce?” He asked. “I don’t want to fight, if she likes us, she likes us.” Connor muttered. “If she doesn’t? I don’t want lose one of my only other friends…” Connor admitted.

He’d fall silent for a few minutes before glancing back to the hover yacht he’d stolen. Then he winced from the pain everywhere. Yep, she still hurts when she hits.

“Come on Arak, I’ll show you how to captain a hover yacht.” Connor offered with a nod. His ears finally returning to a more neutral position.

As he walked back to the boat, his mind still dwelt on Nash. Every memory ran fresh in his mind. He’d answer whatever she wanted to ask him but not now, there’d be lots of time to do that later. But he couldn’t help but realize that he never wanted to be closer to someone than her. And that no longer scared him.

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus @Rom

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak did the first thing he could muster a thought of and hugged Nash. A part of him expected her to fight against it or attack him in some way like she normally did in uncomfortable situations. But this time she was quiet and rigid, unmoving. He kept hugging her using it to hide his own purple face from the moment. He thought she was just going to stay there ignoring it but then she began to hug him back. His heart began racing and his mood perked up a little.

He was prepared to answer her question but wanted to do it to her face. As she pulled back Arak was prepared to answer then he saw her face, the realization hit him, Nash had been crying. It wasn't just his face, or heart, or even demeanor, his entire being Force presence and all plummeted. He had done the one thing he never wanted to, he had caused Nash to cry.

His arms lowered to the side and he sat there frozen. Only grabbing the datapad out of muscle memory. He heard the words of Xo as he spoke about giving her space. He agreed completely but couldn't snap out of his funk. He stood still as he pulled her away still falling into the pit of despair. As they walked past and he knew they couldn't see the tears began to fall. Arak was silent yet his eyes wept louder than even the ocean.

When Connor placed his hand on his shoulder Arak began to wipe away the tears. Partially snapped back by the potential of being caught. He looked up to the sky as Connor spoke, "Truce." He said his voice slightly quivering. He took a deep breath, I never thought it would hurt this much to see her cry. He thought as he began mentally repairing the broken walls desperately trying to regain emotional control.

The few minutes of silence were used by Arak to fully restore the mental blocks and trying to recover. Though he did mostly the fact she was crying still hung over him. It was then the pain began to set in fully as the adrenaline subsided. She really does hit hard.

He looked over to Connor his eyes still a bit bloodshot. He gave him a nod of agreeance, "Is it like a speeder?" He asked remembering the first time he met Nash and surprisingly was able to pilot the water speeder.

They began walking back and Arak was planning on giving Nash space. She was already overwhelmed and he refused to let her know he cried. He never answered her question, and though he wanted to he was going to wait. Now wasn't the right time or place. He also wasn't really in the mood to go on another emotional roller coaster. He was sure of two things though, he liked Nash more than he had ever realized. And he had a suspicion it might not be as one sided as he thought.

@Rom @Apollyon @Sreeya

 

[Nash]

Nash felt entirely out of place and awkward. She wanted to disappear and be alone with her thoughts, but she knew that wasn’t an option right now. She averted her gaze from both Arak and Connor, not wanting to broach the topic with either of them at this moment. Her mind was reeling and her heart thundered against her chest. How did she spend all that time being this oblivious? A part of her still wasn’t convinced they weren’t just trying to one up each other.

She looked over at the Falleen, giving him a rare, genuine smile, “Thanks Xohhar..” She muttered quietly, as if looking at him for the first time. He behaved like a true friend when he saw she was having a crisis. Nash quickly shuffled away to get on the boat, moving to where Xo was and sorting through the bait.

With Arak’s instructions, they would venture out into the water. Nash stayed near Xo for now, leaning over the edge of the boat and gazing out to sea, “Thanks for that..” She quietly to him again, “I’m.. really bad with feelings stuff but you can probably tell, you’re smart,” She said with a chuckle, lighting nudging his arm.

After a moment, she squinted as she gazed up ahead. There was a weird mist covering the ocean where they needed to go. The water was eerily calm and yet there were no boats out here. Nash got an eerie feeling, realizing they hadn’t actually done much research on the leviathan. Goosebumps lined her skin and it had nothing to do with temperature. She could sense some stirrings in the Force, but perhaps Arak would feel it the strongest. Whatever this creature was, there was a Dark Side element to it.

Nash tossed off her clothing, leaving her in her swimwear. It was surferwear, but did wonders for her beskar buns. Her attention was focused strictly on the mission right then, prepared to jump into the water, “Everyone got their cameras ready? Xo, we ready to drop the bait? I can’t see shit..” She added as they drifted into the thick fog.

@Javier esschoolbus @Rom @Apollyon

 

[Xohhar K'liir]

Xo ushered the somewhat emotionally shellshocked Twi'lek back down the path toward the stolen yacht, a half step behind and somewhat in her wake so that she wouldn't have to feel the eyes of the others as they forlornly watched her retreating back; he could tell from the inward curl of her shoulders how much part of her was wishing for the ground to swallow her up out of view. He felt a rush of gratitude at the sound of his own name, returning her smile with another of his own and dipped his head as she quickly shuffled up the gangway onto the yacht. Lifting the two coolers off of the sled the Falleen acolyte stowed one midship on the portside and one toward the bow on the starboard side.

He studiously ignored Arak and Connor outside of a single nod when they boarded as Xo grabbed the third cooler from the Half-Sephi and moved it to the stern, figuring that both men would prefer some time to regain their composure. With the bait safely squared away Xohhar moved toward the front of the boat and leaned against the side as they set off toward the northern waters of the island. When Nash joined him he gave her another smile and looked out over the water.

"Youre welcome Nash, but there's really nothing to thank me for; I'm not so great at dealing with the idea of people having genuine feelings toward me either." It was said in jest, but the Falleen couldn't help the old bitterness that slightly colored his words. Shaking the grim thoughts from his mind, the Falleen nudged her back with a grin and stood a little straighter while brushing an imaginary piece of lint off his shirt, "Well, its about time someone around here started recognizing and appreciating my brilliance!" He held the pose for a moment before he couldnt hold back the soft bark of laughter, shoulders shaking slightly.

The joking mood died as they drifted forward into a bank of fog, the water still as glass while a sense of unease washed over him at the primal sensation of being seen by something far larger than himself. As Nash began stripping out of her over clothes Xohhar was doing the same, his shirt neatly folded on the deck beneath his floppy hat as he tightened the utility belt around his waist over the boardshorts and checked the holocamera dangling around his neck.

"The bait's ready to go, my source in the market said that it wouldn't take much blood to get the thing to surface... camera's ready as well. We've gotta be careful to keep away from the boat, it's sunk more then one craft apparently." Looking up toward the controls, Xohhar waved up to Arak and Connor to get their attention and called out, "We're gonna dump the first bit of bait, keep us moving so it doesn't come up under us and one of you man the harpoon!" Grabbing the knife from his belt, the Falleen grabbed a hammerfish out of the cooler and cut it before tossing the first piece of bait into the surf and watched it drift away in their wake.

"Here fishy fishy fishy..." he murmured under his breath, already reaching for another Hammerfish.

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus @Apollyon

 

[Connor Vance]

Connor recognized the red eyes of someone crying. He averted his gaze to give Arak some space and fished something out of his pocket. A small bottle of eye drops.

“Bisine.” Connor told him. “One drop in each eye, it’ll clear the redness.” He explained.

Connor walked a little ahead of Arak to let him regather himself. He didn’t speak at first. He was lost in his own mind. He had hurt Nash, even if he hadn’t meant to, he’d contributed to that. And strangely enough, Arak had been the brave one. He simply hugged her and all Connor did was talk. All he did was explain himself.

He was selfish. He always had been. It has always been just him and his siblings. Now? He found himself worrying about a chick who he couldn’t read. Who he thought about all the time. Who right now he was pretty sure was into his roommate. And he was pretty sure that he didn’t care, he just wanted her

When did life get this complicated?

He was drawn from his thoughts when Arak asked him if it was like piloting a speeder. He shrugged in response. “It’s a little more complicated than that. It’s easier to show than it is the explain.” He replied. “Come on. Time to make you a yacht captain.”

Connor walked up the ramp to the ship, his gaze flickered to Xo and Nash for a brief moment. It was long enough to cause his ears to droop again. Fuck. Connor would captain the vessel to the first danger zone. He’d explain what he was doing and why to Arak as they traveled.

Eventually, they got to the hunting grounds. A fog immediately rolled in, the silence of these calm waters was deafening. Connor felt the cold predatory chill of the Dark Side here. He slid into the seat of the oversized harpoon gun, strapped himself in, and used his cybernetic to rack in the first harpoon.

He was momentarily distracted by Nash’s buns, memories threatened to roil to the surface. Connor blinked them away and tried to think of anything else. Toxic sludge. Stray Akk Dogs. Nash’s ass. Fuck. Connor really needed to think of anything but her ass.

“Someone drop the ladder so we can climb back up after!” He called out.

His mood was broken at the sound of the water breaking somewhere around them. His grip on the gun tensed to the point he was white knuckling it. His jaw tightened as his green eyes blindly searched the mists. Then he remembered Arak’s lessons, he had to use the Dark Side not trust his eyes.

Connor closed his eyes and tried to feel for the Leviathan. He felt something coming towards their ship. “Here it fucking comes!” He shouted as he prepared to fire his first harpoon once Nash had scored her hit and they’d scored the photo. Someone had to dissuade this thing from murdering them after all.

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus @Rom

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak looked over as Connor mentioned the bottle. He eyed it unsure what to make of it. He had been acting against Connor this entire trip. Trying to prevent something that ended up happening in the end. There was a large part of him, the part that still thought like the galaxy was Korriban, that fought the idea he was being genuine and trying to help. But yet the rest of him believed Connor. He took the bottle and squirted a drop into each eye blinking repeatedly as the drops left an odd sensation.

He followed Connor after he had gotten over the sensation the drops left. He made his way over to the ramp trying to avoid looking at Nash his eyes were plastered to the ground. He took in Connor’s lesson in controlling and driving the boat, writing down the important parts into his notebook. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t prevent his gaze from wandering to Nash. She naturally drew him to her and even when he wanted to avoid her he still couldn’t do it fully.

Connor drove them until they were surrounded by an unsettling fog. Arak felt outward with the Force just wanting to get an idea on the fog. What he felt terrified him, the fog itself was a product of the dark side. They were being hunted by the leviathan the hunger and anger palpable through the Force. Araks hand uneasily reached for his saber hilt and stayed there as the drifted through it.

He was scanning through the fog with both his eyes and the Force till he saw it. A sight he only got in passing once before, the buns of beskar. His gaze lingered on Nash after she got into her surf wear, he never really thought of looking at her like this till now. In fact he didn’t ever really take into account her looks, it was purely how she acted and carried herself that dragged him in. Now that he was looking at her, she was beautiful. He caught himself looking a little too long and quickly averted his gaze once again trying to focus on the job but the image of Nash’s body began to run wild through his vivid imagination.

He shook his head forcing the image from it. That’s when Arak felt it the killer intentions through the Force coming straight for the boat. Shortly after Connor called out pointing it out. The water was disturbed towards the front of the ship and if Connor noticed he’d see the spinal pods lining its back and the size this creature truly was. It dwarfed their ship and likely could swallow the group whole.

Arak pinpointed the beast, “It’s at the front of the ship! Make sure you hit it with the harpoon should it start charging the boat.” He said both informing and warning his crew mates. He wouldn’t like to die after all the drama and the emotional roller coaster that was today. It would be kind of a shitty day to die on.

@Apollyon @Sreeya @Rom

 

[Nash]

Nash’s smile faded slightly when Xo remarked about not knowing how to deal with genuine feelings towards him. It was easier to believe it was all some prank, but did even Xo so easily see that both Connor and Arak were completely genuine with how they felt? All while she was oblivious? A whole new wave of guilt shot through her for kicking them in the nads. Unfortunately, there was no time for apologies as the leviathan decided to make an appearance.

She could see a fin or some sort of appendage cresting the surface of the water, a huge wave rocking the boat. Nash gripped the railing and looked over at the others, “Remember we only really need a pic! Don’t stab it if you don’t have to!” She called out, surprised at her own air of caution. Perhaps hanging out with people smarter than her was finally beginning to pay off.

And then she followed that up with a cheerful yell, “ALL RIGHT LET’S GOOOO!” She screamed before putting on her rebreather, hopping up on the railing, giving a peace sign to the boys, springing up into a backflip somersault and landing into the water without a second thought. She had her camera ready to snap some pictures once she was down there.

The water was cold, dark and eerie. She couldn’t see the bottom, but she hoped all the commotion would distract the beast so she could snap some pics. Nash swam under the surface, expecting to see the monster easily. However, to her horror, she didn’t see it. It was empty depths.

There was an eerie calm under water as she swam around to search for the beast that should have been obviously there right in front of her. Nash broke the surface of the water, treading for a moment, “WHERE’D IT GO? IT WAS JUST HERE!” She shouted to the others before popping her rebreather back in. Almost a second later something coiled around her ankle and yanked her down. She didn’t even have the time to yelp in surprise before she disappeared back into the depths.

@Javier esschoolbus @Apollyon @Rom

 

[Xohhar K'liir]

Xohhar felt the general sense of unease ratchet up to an overabundance of caution as the water crested from the passage of the Leviathan, his eyes jumped toward the harpoon Connor had manned and Nash as she gave a jaunty peace sign and back-flipped into the kriffing water with the kriffing sea monster. Sighing and reaching into the cooler with his knife, the Falleen quickly began cutting the hammerfish down the middle, the ice and water turning crimson as he made quick work of preparing the bait for chumming if they needed to get the Leviathan to follow them toward land. Standing up with a flayed fish and knife in hand, Xo turned his head as a splash drew his attention and looked up to see Nash treading water before suddenly being yanked beneath the glassy surface.

"NASH!! Guys, it pulled her under!" The normally unflappable Falleen was gaping at the spot she had been just a moment before, the fog seeming to roll in even denser as the Darkness he could feel at the edge of his senses pulsed and drew closer. The boat suddenly rocked to the side as if struck and the fish fell to his feet as he grabbed for the railing to steady himself, his eyes sweeping over the churning water for some sign of Nash or the Leviathan when he spotted it directly below; a shape in the water, malevolent and with a spark of something... more than just base predatory instincts in the way it moved before diving out of sight.

Hefting the cooler under one arm, Xo started walking toward the starboard ladder when his foot came down on the dropped hammerfish and, with a strangled yell of "Fuck!!" the Falleen tipped overboard along with the open cooler, getting covered in hammerfish guts and blood, smacking his head on the hull and landing unmoving in the water surrounded by an expanding pool of chum.

@Apollyon @Javier esschoolbus @Sreeya

 

[Connor Vance]

Connor was preparing the harpoon gun when Nash chose the worst option and jumped into the water. Connor’s eyes grew wide with horror. They only grew wider when he heard the next report. Connor panicked. It got Nash while they were busy moping up here. He quickly unfastened his restraints, snatched the harpoon gun up, kicked the ladder over the side of the craft and leapt in behind Xo.

Who had knocked himself unconscious. Connor flipped him over so he wouldn’t drown.

Connor dipped his face beneath the water and looked for Nash. The water was murky and now that there was chum in it, spotting her red skin wasn’t easy. Don’t trust eyes, feel through Force. Arak’s words echoed in his mind.

Connor took another breath. Closed his eyes and delved into the darkness below. He hunted for Nash by her signature in the Force and not by sight. It took him a little bit but eventually he was able to sense the faintest blip of familiarity.

Connor used his tireless cybernetic to swim towards where ever she was until he knew somehow she was close. He raised his harpoon gun and fired the shot. There was silence for a moment before a dull pained vibration echoed back.

He hit it? He fucking hit it! OH FUCK HE HIT IT!

Connor felt the water shifting around him even as he swam for the surface. Somehow he knew, he likely wasn’t going to make it.

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus @Rom

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak was moving to get a look at the Leviathan. He quickly scrambled to the harpoon gun next to Connor as he looked for the creatures silhouette. But it was like it had disappeared from the surface of the water. As he tried to sense for it the entire area around them was suffocating in the dark side.

He was trying to sense through the fog when Nash called out. He turned just in time to see her peace out and flip into the water. He ran to the side of the boat she was on and looked into the water trying to find her. He could faintly sense her presence meaning she wasn't to far gone. She the popped back up saying it was empty. Then Arak's eyes went wide as she was pulled under before him.

He jumped without a second thought. He didn't grab anything off the boat just flinging himself into the depths. As he entered the water he pulled the dagger from his back sheathe. As he delved deeper into the water he could sense it. The coil of the water pressure. The beast using the sea around them to impede his movements.

Then it happened, he was grabbed and pulled downwards. He couldn't sense Nash, or Connor, or even Xo. His rage was bubbling as he sliced down trying to cut the tether. Yet what he found was that there was no tether. It was the water itself dragging him down. It was coiled into the shape of a beast, or did it cover the beast? Arak couldn't tell and he wasn't in the mood to do so.

@Apollyon @Sreeya @Rom

 

[Nash]

Everything was black and Nash felt the water pressure collapsing her chest inward. Whatever got a hold of her was pulling her in deep. However, something happened on the surface to make it suddenly lurch up in that direction. The beast took a hit from a harpoon and whirled around, shaking Nash like a ragdoll and almost making her pass out. She whipped out her knife and vigorously cut through whatever had a hold of her leg. Fortunately the thing released her and she tried to swim back towards the surface.

Meanwhile, the beast was pissed at being shot but it couldn’t whip around to quite eat Connor yet. However, the beast had other abilities that were put to use at once. Connor would feel his very life energy start to get sapped away by the beast, a Force power being utilized by the hunter as it began to consume his energy.

Arak was temporarily released because the beast was focused on the chum and draining Connor. Hundreds of rows of teeth broke the surface of the water as they chomped and gnashed at the chum, some of it likely grazing and chewing into Xo in the process in the feeding frenzy.

Nash broke the surface right in time to see this happen. Her eyes went wide as she spotted Xo inches away from being swallowed whole and she coiled the Force around him, yanking him out of the giant pool of chum. Unfortunately she had no way of knowing what was happening to Connor or Arak right then.

@Javier esschoolbus @Apollyon @Rom

 

[Xohhar K'liir]

Xohhar's head was pounding as he slowly came to awareness, the overwhelming scent of fish guts and salt water filling his nose as he floated bonelessly in the water. He lifted his left hand to his head, feeling the cracked scales and the bump from hitting the hull and letting out a hiss of pain as he prodded around it. For a moment he was content to just float there, the dizzying ache in his head receding as he tried to focus on where he was and what he was doing; he'd been preparing the bait for the sea monster. When Nash had been pulled under by the sea monster. The sea monster who lived in the sea Xohhar was currently floating in. Surrounded by the chum the sea monster would go into a frenzy for. The sea monster, who in all likelihood, was just beneath him. The Falleen acolyte blinked convorishly, the facts slowly coming together like a puzzle, and after a breath his body tensed as everything clicked.

"Oh kriff m-"

The ocean seemed to explode around him as the Leviathan surfaced, wicked rows of curved teeth flashing in the low light as the Leviathan tore into the hammerfish bait - and Xohhar. He screamed as the teeth closed around his right arm, shredding through his scales and sawing into the meat of his arm as the Leviathan feasted, frantically trying to pull himself away from the open maw trying to suck him in. But the Leviathan had him in its grasp and was not letting go, Xo's body being shook like a ragdoll as it tossed it's head and the Falleen screamed himself hoarse from the agony until an invisible hand suddenly closed over him and started pulling. The Leviathan turned as it sensed the Force momentarily pulling Xohhar away with a long tooth plunging through the meat of his arm between the radius and the ulna while his hand stuck in the grasp of a row of smaller teeth, and then the Force yanked harder and he was skipping across the water like a stone to land in a daze near Nash, weakly treading water as he tried not to look at the shredded strips of scales and hamburger meat stuck through by a long tooth, all that was left of his right arm from the bicep down... or the way it ended at the wrist, his mangled hand left behind in the beasts mouth.

"Ho-hope y-you choke," he spat viciously toward the monster, letting out a pained moan as he felt Nash grab him and pull him close to keep him from drowning. He looked down at the mess of his arm and retched at the sight and from the pain, trying to remember the lessons in using pain to strengthen yourself but he could only feel himself growing weaker as the arm bled freely into the water. He'd blame the pain and the saltwater for the tears that sprung to his eyes, but Xo knew what he needed to do. Reaching for his belt with his one good hand, Xohhar lifted one of his petars out of the water and twisted to try and find a good angle, but the water and his injuries made it impossible.

"Na-Nash?" He called her name softly, almost regretfully, twisting his head to look at the Twi'lek girl who was keeping him from sinking into the water. "Thanks f-for saving me, b-but I... I'm afraid I need you to finish the job." He met her eyes and tried to give her a reassuring smile, though it was more a grimace as another wave of agony washed over him when the waves jostled his arm. Pressing the petar into her free hand, he hit the button and watched the monomolecular energy sheath light up a burning crimson red, hissing where ever the water touched. "Take the arm. You have to cauterize it before I bleed out. Please." With his good hand unoccupied Xo reached over and ripped the tooth free from his mangled arm with a pained gasp and choked out a weak laugh saying, "A souvenir," before gripping it as tight as possible and turned his head, forcing himself to watch as Nash took up the blade.

It would be cowardly, he thought, to look away from the grisly task he'd asked of her.

@Sreeya @Apollyon @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Connor Vance]

As Connor made a break for the surface he felt himself growing heavy. His body grew sluggish. His mind began to grow foggy. He felt the harpoon gun slipping from his grasp as black rings started appearing at the edges of his eyes.

Help! Something wrong. Getting so tired. He mentally pulsed to anything and anyone that even felt remotely familiar.

Connor watched the surface of the water as it grew more distant. The air bubbles that escaped his own lips seemed unfamiliar. He felt something tugging him down, pulling him into the abyss. Parts of him wanted to embrace that cold chill, to just close his eyes and rest.

Then he remembered what was down here with him. What was likely causing this. He reached up with his cybernetic and began to swim upwards again. He forced his body to continue the upwards climb until he broke the surface and gasped for air. He sputtered and coughed.

“WHERE IS IT?” He screamed as he peered into the fog, looking for his friends.

Connor glanced down at his reflection and saw a rapidly growing silver streak in his hair. What the fuck? The empty cooler broke the fog and floated towards him. Connor threw his weight on it and he racked the harpoon gun. Only five more shots. Shit.

“GUYS?! WHERE ARE YOU?”

Connor found himself isolated by the fog. Alone in a predators hunting grounds and terrified of the unknown around him.

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus @Rom

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak was still being dragged by something. He couldn’t exactly understand what. Though it started to shift after a few seconds and Arak got a glimpse of the leviathan. He realized what was holding him and sliced again this time getting free and rushing to the surface. As he broke the water he was alone and isolated.

He began trying to swim where he thought the boat was when he was grabbed again. He was pulled under much quickly this time it was as if the creature was lashing out. He sliced frantically again this time feeling the pulling stop but something still gripping his leg. He must’ve sliced off the appendage. Panic began setting in overpowering his worry for Nash.

He once again reached the surface. The exertion catching up to him as he began panting. He could feel an overwhelming sense of anger directed at him. He began frantically swimming trying to get distance as quickly as possible. He could sense it coming for him and it terrified him. He could just barely make out what looked like one of the coolers. As he got closer he could see what looked like Connor on/in it. “It’s com..” He was interrupted when he started calling out.

He was dragged under violently before his trajectory was altered to go back to the surface. He was launched up and out of the water being held by some form of appendage before it abruptly pulled downwards back towards the water. There was a loud smack on the water. Arak was pulled back out one of his arms and legs dangling and contorted as he was letting out a blood curdling scream that they could all hear.

The appendage went back down with another thud. This time Arak came back out of the water unconscious and limp. Most of his ribs were either broken or fractured. He faded from consciousness at the intense pain he was subjected to. The beast slammed him down again before releasing its hold. The final one taking care of the rest of his limbs. His body floated on the surface lifeless and quiet not even groaning could be heard.

@Apollyon @Sreeya @Rom

 

[Nash]

The beast seemed to leave Xo alone at least for now, allowing her to swim to him. When she saw his mangled arm, her eyes popped wide open, “Holy shit dude what-” She gasped as she grabbed a hold of him to keep him from sinking. He was weak and could barely get across what he was trying to say, but she took the petar in her trembling fingers. He wanted her to do what?

“Bro I ain’t no doctor, I can’t-” She saw the way he looked at her, the way he was growing pale, the way his mangled flesh just barely clung to his body, “I.. dude..” Her voice broke as she looked at her trembling, unsteady hand holding the weapon.

She tended to behave strangely when she was panicking. And so she started to beatbox and make record scratching noises with her mouth before she started rapping to a popular old song. Nash was spitting the lines as she held Xo tight with one arm, her rapping actually steadying her hand. She cut through the mangled arm, cauterizing the flesh. Smoke began to rise from the site, Nash grimacing as she looked down at it, “Holy shit this is so…” And that’s when the stench of cooked flesh hit her. Without warning, she projectile vomited right there, some of it landing on Xor, “Oh fuck sorry man holy shit this is so fucked!”

Nash was done and tried to hand the weapon back to Xo before remembering she just cut the arm off. Great. Cool.

She pushed him towards the boat as she heard Connor somewhere in the water. Nash used her strength to flop Xo unceremoniously into the boat, keeping his petar in her hand for now. She remained in the water, “I’M COMING!” She called out towards where she heard Connor.

Nash couldn’t see anything through the mist, so she relied on playing Han Solo. It was when someone called out Han in the water and others called out Solo, “HAAAAN!” She shouted, listening for Connor to call back Solo.

Unfortunately, what she heard next made her blood run cold. She heard Arak’s frantic yells and some splashing. Nash couldn’t tell where he was but she started scrambling to swim towards him, the fog preventing her visibility. His screams grew worse and she could vaguely make out his outline being tossed around and hit the surface of the water and getting yanked up again, “NO!” Nash cried out, hearing his horrific, anguished and broken scream resound before a thud resounded.

She had been around him when he experienced agony, she had felt that pulse through the Force. This was something far worse. This was something much more painful, much more awful, and a part of her wondered if Arak had died, “Arak? Arak?” He was dead. He was gone. The monster got him, “Arak?!” No answer.

“ARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!” Her voice resounded in a loud scream, but it didn’t echo simply in the physical plane, but also in the plane of the Force in the form of a Force Scream. It was a culmination of anguish, rage, hatred, agony and everything else all at once. The scream would reverberate through the water, sending a concussive blast through it. It tore into the beast, the pods of Force sucking sacs on its back overheating and combusting. Its skin began to tear away from the searing blast that charged through the water and through the air. She wanted the beast to hurt. She wanted it to tear. She wanted it to suffer.

Nash’s normally blue eyes had streaks of gold rapidly forming in them as the Force coursed more powerfully through her than ever before. The beast began to thrash around in the water, releasing Arak and rapidly withdrawing back into the depths.

A moment later there was nothing but silence, Nash left panting and reeling from the experience. She wasn’t entirely sure what happened, but she knew it felt good. Was that the Dark Side? Was that what the academy taught her about? Had she experienced it for the first time?

Nash haphazardly began to swim towards the others, stunned from her own actions. She came up right as Connor would be able to pull Arak towards him and to the boat.

“Is he…is he…is he..” She swam closer and only then did she confirm he was still alive. Nash released her emotions then, tears freely flowing now from relief. She moved closer to Connor and threw her arms around him, holding him tight and thankful to find him also alive.

“Let’s go..Let’s get out of here.. Please,” She whispered.

Her eyes were still tinged gold.

@Javier esschoolbus @Apollyon @Rom

 

[Xohhar K'liir]

Agony.

Xohhar fought against the blackness clawing at the edge of his vision, the siren song of oblivion that would take him away from the burning pain engulfing his already ravaged arm; he refused to allow himself to fall unconscious and be even more of a burden while his friends were fighting. He focused on Nash's voice as she sawed the petar's energized blade through scale and flesh and bone, her hand steady despite the trembling of her voice; the lyrics stumbling in places where she went too fast or too slow, words skipped when she hit bone and had to bring more of her strength to bear. Gritting his teeth and breathing harshly through his nose, the Falleen acolyte tasted copper on his tongue as he slipped and bit through the inside of his cheek - and all the while his good hand gripped the Leviathan's tooth as if he was strangling the beast that had done this to him. The scent of burning flesh was heavy around them and when Nash vomited Xohhar had to fight the urge to do the same, swallowing back the pain and bile as he desperately fought to stay conscious.

And then it was over, the petar cleaving through the last of his flesh as the mangled arm floated away from the pair of acolytes. Shoving the tooth into a loop on his belt, Xo hooked his arm around Nash's neck and squeezed her shoulder as he weakly kicked and tried to assist her in bringing him closer to the boat. "Nothin' to be sorry for, Doc. Wha-what's a little vomit between friends right?" He tried to joke as they got closer to the yacht, but a roar in the fog made them both turn to look out where the Leviathan was still rampaging. "Go on... I'll be fine. They need you." He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, not knowing how the blood filling his mouth had stained his teeth red, and a moment later he was tossed up onto the platform at the stern of the ship as Nash paddled back out into the fog.

Standing on shaking legs, Xohhar leaned against the side of the ship and tried not to think about how lopsided he felt, the way he kept reaching to steady himself on the railing with a hand that wasn't there, or how the only part of him that didn't feel cold in the sea air was the recently charred stump. The holocamera, still miraculously hung around his neck, bounced against his chest as he leaned forward, eyes straining to pierce the fog when the distant calls of Han Solo petered out... and then he heard her calling Arak's name. He heard it again, Nash's voice getting more shrill and distraught as she repeated it a third time. Cursing his weakness, Xohhar lifted the holocamera and tried to use the viewfinder to see what was happening out there. And then he heard her scream, the anguish and hatred and sorrow cutting through the Force like a shard of glass, blowing the fog back like a bomb as the pulse of power burst out of her and homed in on the Leviathan with devastating force..

Whirr-snick.

Xohhar didn't even realize he'd taken the picture at first, his jaw dropping as the pods on the Leviathan's back burst and it's ancient pock-marked hide charred and crumpled. He could see Connor, slumped over the cooler Xo had fallen into the water with holding a harpoon gun, and further out the unmoving and broken form of Arak. And in the center of it was Nash, shoulders heaving and lekku curling around her shoulder as the water steaming and roiling before her and the Leviathan screeched in pain and fled back into the depths.

"Stars...we'd better get a fucking A on this assignment."

On reflex he lifted his right arm to smack himself in the back of the head for voicing the errant thought, only realizing there was nothing there when the cauterized stump radiated sharp pain at the movement. Casting his eyes about, Xohhar quickly found a few rescue lines and tossed them toward the others as they got close, Connor pulling the unmoving Arak behind him. "Here, let me give you a ha... let me help."

@Sreeya @Apollyon @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Connor Vance]

Connor heard movement before he saw the source. He was panicked and still feeling this draining sensation. His heart was thundering as he spun around in the fog. The harpoon gun raised, his breath coming in exhausted ragged gasps. And then he saw Arak, relief washed over him, a smile broke his lips.

“Thank the gods your ali-“ Connor’s words were cut short by Arak saying something.

Arak was ripped under the waves.

“NO!” Connor screamed as his friend disappeared. Horror danced behind his eyes as Arak re-emerged from the depths with blood curdling scream.

Connor saw the massive tentacle wrapped around his friend. He raised his harpoon gun and fired once as he screamed. “ARAK NO!” Then his friend was brought down into the water. He slammed home. Connor heard a wet crack of bones snapping and being pulverized. “NO NO NO NO NO!” Connor screamed as he racked the next harpoon. “NOT LIKE THIS PLEASE GODS NOT LIKE THIS!” He screamed as he fired the next harpoon.

Connor would hear Arak’s choked screams. He could see the blood as it poured from his mouth and wounds. Panic and fear gripped him. He watched helplessly as Arak was brought slamming into the waves again. Connor could feel the sick satisfaction of the Leviathan. It didn’t even want to devour Arak, it just wanted to destroy him and cause suffering. Connor let out a mournful wail when Arak’s body dipped below the surface. He was afraid there’d be nothing left to take home for Arak’s family. There’d be nothing left for any of them to say goodbye to.

And then Connor’s world erupted into a single scream that rocked everything. Someone unleashed power that even Connor felt. The creature wailed in reply as sacs burst and skin burnt. It released Arak and his body floated to the surface. Connor tossed the gun and swam to his friend.

When he reached him Connor tried to grab his arm only for it to bend in unnatural ways. He wrapped his arm around his back to his chest and felt it gently cave beneath the waters.
“Oh fuck. Oh fuck.” Connor muttered. His eyes wide with panic.

He gently rolled Arak over and put his hand near his mouth. The faint warmth of breath kissed his palm. Connor started gently pulling Arak along behind him, taking care to keep his head above the waves. Nash quickly came into view. She swam to him, threw her arms around him, and held him tight. Had something changed about her eyes? Connor wrapped one arm around her and in a moment of sheer relief and adrenaline kissed her on the side of her head several times as he held her. He broke away from her embrace after just a few heartbeats. He nodded frantically at her request to leave.

“Nash you gotta help me.” He told her between sobs. “It’s Arak, he’s bad. He’s really fucking bad.” He glanced back at his friend. “He’s all broken, his chest it’s fucking shattered Nash.” He started trying to swim with his friend again. “We gotta him out of here. He needs help.” He told her. “Help me get him on the boat.”

Connor was clearly in shock. He’d seen people die. He’d seen a lot of terrible things, he’d done some of them himself. But this? It was a horror that only belonged in holo-flicks. But they’d come face to face with it. Once they’d all three heaved Arak’s limp form as gently as they could onto the deck Connor would help Nash up. He would be the last out of the water. He couldn’t bear to watch another person he cared for potentially disappear beneath the waves.

Once on the deck Connor would leap towards the captain’s station. He tore through the drawers until he found a first aid kit. He tossed it onto the deck. “Nash, Xo find kolto, find bacta pads. Find whatever we can use to help him!” He cranked the engines on the hover yacht and started speeding them back to the shore line.

His mind flashed back to just a while ago. They’d been moping over Nash together. He’d given him those eye drops to hide that he’d been crying. He was teaching him how to captain the boat. Arak was his best friend and Connor was afraid he was dying. And there was nothing he could do about it. He was too weak to protect the people most important to him. He wouldn’t let it happen again.

Even as they raced towards the shore Connor wasn’t sure what to do. But he knew they had to help him. They had to help Arak. Because they were like family. They were all Connor had.

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus @Rom

 

[Arak Ragnos]

Arak only truly felt the first slap into the water. His arm and leg shattering against the water. The scream he had no control over that escaped him. He saw the water rising towards him again. Just as he felt the first feeling of getting splashed everything went black. Was this it? Is this how he died?

After a few moments his vision was back. Something odd had to be happening, he was back on Nar Shaddaa dancing with Nash. He saw her smiling and how happy she was as they twirled around. The memory faded and it was of them in her room. She was playing the guitar and he was dancing to it. It then faded back to the darkness. Arak had heard you go through important memories when you died but he didn’t know it would be so true.

He then was taken back to his childhood. To the various experiences that have shaped how he acts. The time he was poisoned by his siblings but they used to weak a dosage. How it caused him to always sniff his food for any peculiar smells. The constant fear of sleeping never to wake up causing him to sleep so light the wind blowing made him look around. The constant feeling that no one cared about Arak but just the Ragnos. This causing him to never openly share his heritage in the academy. His underlying paranoia a byproduct of the rivalry between him and his siblings.

He was then sitting in the darkness alone. He could hear the rhythmic beat of his heart though it sounded significantly weaker. Did that mean he was alive? Why couldn’t he move or anything? He couldn’t hear anything or tell if he was moving. What was going on? Was he alive or dead? Could he even think if he was dead?

@Apollyon @Rom @Sreeya