Ask Building up a Score

[Izel Thral]

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As Izel looked over the railing of the flying fortress into the heavily forested landscape below she recalled the last time she had participated in a hunt. The maalraas of Dxun had not been easy prey, she didn't relish the idea of facing something three times their size and ten times as vicious. But it had to be done. The issue of Trandoshans raiding Wookiee villages and enslaving their people had to be resolved somehow. If the Jedi could do so without initiating a major conflict all the better. She had to admit she didn't much care for the lizards' culture of collecting Jagannath Points to please their goddess. It seemed to her a terribly violent and cruel lifestyle. But it was what they respected. If the Jedi could retrieve the horn of a bull rancor they would be rewarded with many points, which would give them greater influence over Trandoshan society. Nevertheless it was a daunting task despite her slight degree of experience in the field, so Izel was grateful to have the company of an experienced Knight in the form of Kori. From what she had seen of her Zeltron elder so far she seemed a competent fighter, if not a bit unorthodox in her approach to things.

The Padawan turned and looked back at the assembled hunting parties waiting for the ship to reach the hunting zone. Aside from herself and Kori they were all Trandoshan. Three pairs all together, the Vratix had taken some time to subtly investigate their competition during the journey here. First were Chorssk and Zykresh, two veteran hunters, quite old for Trandoshans. They seemed very revered by the others, likely to be their biggest hurdle. Although their advanced age might slow them down a bit. Next were Rassh and Trura, a brother and sister duo. They were much younger and inexperienced, but they displayed an eagerness and ferocity that somewhat frightened the Padawan. Finally there were Kurssk and Khrek, an uncle and nephew she believed. Khrek was young and struck Izel as unusually timid for a Trandoshan, this may have even been his first foray into the wilds. Kurssk was harder for her to read. He was older than the siblings but not as old as the veterans. He was clearly experienced and confident by the way he carried himself but quiet, didn't like to talk much. She would need to keep her eye on him.

They were all acting fairly chummy with each other now, but the Vratix knew that would end once the competition began. The rules were clearly left vague enough to imply stealing the kill of one's opponent would be acceptable. It wouldn't be long before they'd be stabbing each other in the back for those much sought after Jagannath Points. While the lizards seemed to be happily chatting with each other in their native language they were pointedly ignoring Izel and Kori. Perhaps they didn't think much of Jedi, or aliens in general. Though the Vratix did catch the young Khrek stealing curious glances in their direction every now and again. Perhaps they could form a temporary alliance? She supposed that depended more on Kurssk's feeling about them.

A series of hisses in the native Trandoshan language came over the intercom, followed by a slightly annoyed reiteration of the message in Basic. "Five minutes until the hunt begins! Prepare to deploy!" The other hunters started moving to their speeders to secure their weapons and equipment for the drop. Izel looked to Kori expectantly. "Well?" She asked with a curious twitch of her antennae. "What's the plan?" Although less formal Kori was still technically her superior on this mission, so the Padawan naturally turned to her to take the lead.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Hunting? Killing not in self-defense, not even for food, but for sport? How the kriff have you gotten yourself into this, Nykoria?!

Despite almost a decade on Ajan Kloss, the Zeltron was still more of an urban type, not the "track-down-and-slay-giant man-eating-beasts" type. Kori enjoyed the beating pulse of the cities, experiencing the emotions of others around her... But this time all she could sense was anticipation of the hunt, along with some arrogance and condescendence towards the new "hunters". Nykoria was confident she could defuse a conflict. Still, she couldn't help but feel out of place. Well, Padawan Thral is here too, so you've got a rep to live up to... Jedi Knight.

For this mission, Nykoria had chosen her standard lightly-armored outfit. Her only decent ranged weapon against predators was a heavy stun pistol in the holster on the hip. In case things turned south, the lightsabers were clipped on the sides of her belt as well, for everyone to see. In the wilderness, the Zeltron didn't have to conceal her Jedi identity.

When the Trandoshans announced that the hunt would be beginning soon, the Padawan turned to Kori with a question. "Kriff me if I know" was the first thought, but wasn't on the table; the Zeltron Jedi Knight had appearances to keep up. She turned to Izel, replying in a hushed tone, so that the nearby Trandoshans wouldn't hear them: "The plan is simple. Track down the rancor, most likely with the Force. Ideally, put it to sleep and take the horn without killing it. Return here with the trophy and in one piece." The simplicity of it, when verbalized, made Kori smirk and wink confidently to her insectoid colleague.

The fortress had a few swoops and skiffs for hunters. The bikes were faster, and normally would've been Kori's first choice. But then she cast a glance at her companion—bulky body and multiple legs wouldn't mix well with bikes. Kori didn't have anything against the Vratix, let alone Izel in particular. But admittedly, the prospect of driving a bike while being hugged from behind by a giant insectoid also played a part in her next decision.

After taking one more glance at the swoop bikes and Izel again, Kori turned to the Padawan and pointed at a skiff-like hover pod: "We'll be better off with this thing. It'll be easier to concentrate and reach out through the Force than on a speeder. You ok with me being the driver? Your senses are rather keen for a Padawan." The Zeltron remembered how the Vratix had sensed the presence in the temple on Ontotho before her; and Kori herself had been a trained driver since her Coruscant days. Playing off the strengths of each other seemed logical.

If Izel didn't have any objections, Kori would take the helm and cast a glance at the remaining hunters. The siblings, Rassh and Trurra opted for swoop bikes for speed and covering more ground. Uncle and nephew, Kurrsk and Khrek, took a skiff, much like Kori and Izel. The veterans, Chorssk and Zykresh, opted for the best of both worlds: each had their own skiff. Being old hunters, they might have found swoops too much to handle. But the benefits of being able to split and coordinate were obvious.

"Well, let's go get'em!" Kori cast a sideways glance at the Padawan, firing up the engine. She'd dart off as soon as given the signal, letting Izel get the sense of the area and a possible location of the target.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Unfortunately Izel didn't share the Zeltron's confidence at all. Put it to sleep? She thought to herself with mounting horror. How in the galaxy were they going to do that? Certainly not with Kori's stun pistol she hoped. She had dealt with wild animals in the past, not only on Dxun but on her homeworld of Thyferra. Killing local predators was sometimes a sad necessity in the cause of protecting their crops and livestock. She understood it wasn't the Jedi way to kill without need, but she wasn't certain her companion had a full grasp of what they were walking into coming from an urban center like Coruscant.

The Padawan just took a deep breath and tried not to look too incredulous in front of the Jedi Knight. No, surely she knew what she was doing. No doubt she had knowledge of some kind of Force ability that would allow them to soothe the bull rancor to sleep. Right? Yes, definitely. Something like that. She just had to trust in her ally.

Kori's suggestion to take a skiff instead of a speeder made sense to Izel. It would allow them to operate close together, and she certainly had no reservations about not being the one to drive either. It was far from one of her strong suits. "Oh, thank you..." She responded to the Zeltron's compliment of her Force sense, surprised. "I'll do what I can. A rancor's being should be easier to detect than other creatures, but it still won't be a simple task in such a densely populated forest."

The Vratix climbed aboard the skiff beside Kori, taking a deep breath to center herself and begin her concentration. There were a few tense moments of engines revving as each of the hunting parties prepared to begin the competition. After what felt like far longer than five minutes the sound of a blaster went off, and everything happened at once. The siblings screeched vehemently before being the first pair to launch off of the fortress towards the forest below. Next were Kurssk and Khrek, followed finally by the veterans. The old ones were clearly taking a measured approach. Despite the fact this was a competition with only one bull rancor for the taking, they appeared to be in no rush at all.

As the Jedi descended on their own skiff Izel began to reach out with the Force, feeling the life energy of all the forest's inhabitants flowing around her. It was a wild cacophony of life, chaotic and vibrant. The Vratix's antennae twitched furiously as she struggled to maintain her concentration. This would take some time, but so long as they had the Force at their disposal they would still be at a great advantage to the other hunters. The hunt was on. While Izel focused most of her thought on her objective of locating the rancor, she couldn't help but wonder in the back of her mind how the Trandoshans would approach things. And whether or not they would try to take out the competition now or later...

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Kori wasn't certain herself whether her pistol would work against a beast as large as a rancor... Even though it was claimed to be good against heavy droids and even vehicles. She was hoping that the blaster would work; otherwise, her and Izel's options would be even more limited. It was either "Try to touch the beast's mind with the Force and pheromones and slice off the horn" or the less preferable "Kill the beast" or "Steal the horn from other hunters". The further down this line, the less Jedi-like the options became.

Distinguishing an incredulous Izel from an angry Izel, bored Izel—or any other Izel, for that matter—was difficult, even though Kori took some classes regarding it back during her Coruscant law enforcement academy days. Luckily, the insectoid agreed to take the skiff. And it didn't even seem like she took offense. Diplomatic as ever, Kori!

The started off well. The Trandoshans had rushed off to track down the rancor, and none of them even tried to interfere. Meanwhile the Jedi were taking it slow and trusting the Force. Kori would try to reach out herself and guide the speeder where she felt the rancor would be... But soon realized that it was futile. Having to control the skiff and use the Force at the same time meant that the Zeltron Knight was at a severe handicap, even when compared to the Vratix Padawan.

That realization made Nykoria change tactics. Instead of searching for a specific beast through the Force, the Zeltron tried to let go of her thoughts and their very purpose on this hunt as well. Some of the Masters had mentioned that the Force could guide Jedi's actions better than the Jedi themselves. Perhaps, if she were to just let go of everything... For a moment it even worked. Her own hands just turned the speeder randomly towards a destination she wouldn't have considered otherwise...

But then the dry chortle of the engine interrupted Kori's exercise, as the skiff slowed down. "Of-kriffin'-course!" the Knight cursed at the vehicle, which was slowly but steadily descending towards the ground and slowing its pace. So that's how they deal with competition early on! To think that Nykoria, a Jedi Knight, hadn't sensed tampering with the vehicle, or even bothered to check for it... What a fiasco!

"Time for plan B!" Kori looked at her companion, who must've been distracted from her search by then. The vessel had just breached the forest canopy by then. "Once we land, check the direction we were going into; I have a good feeling about it," the Zeltron shrugged. "I'll see if I can quickly jump-start the skifff again. If not, I'll catch up with you. Sounds good?"

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

The roar of the skiff's engine wasn't exactly helping Izel in her efforts to concentrate, but she fell back on her training, shutting out the rest of the world as she did when meditating and focusing only on her goal. Just as she was starting to feel out some shapes in the endless sea of life energy that might have been their target she was pulled back into reality by the sudden groan of their dying vehicle. It seemed they had been sabotaged.

Kori was at least able to guide the skiff down to the forest floor with minimal damage, although Izel did need to duck to avoid being smacked in the face by some tree branches as they descended. Once they were safely on the ground the Vratix hopped down from the disabled skiff, turning and waiting expectantly for the Zeltron to follow. When she suggested they split up the Padawan tilted her head and looked back at the Knight, concerned. "Is that wise?" She couldn't help but ask. "The other hunters have already shown they have no qualms in sabotaging us. Whose to say they won't come back to try and finish the job? Not to mention these forests could be quite dangerous on their own. I think it would be better for us to stick together..."

She would of course follow Kori's orders if the Knight was insistent, but she didn't see the logic in it. As far as she was concerned they would be far more effective, and far safer, working together rather than separately. Predators loved picking off lone prey, be they animal or otherwise. But this all might have been irrelevant, as the Vratix picked up a very faint rustling in the underbrush not too far off. It would have been very difficult to notice for a non-Jedi, but both she and Kori easily would have been able to sense it were they the least bit on alert. For her part Izel quickly ignited her saber and turned to face the brush, waiting guardedly for what was to reveal itself.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

As Nykoria shut down the systems and pulled away the maintenance panel, she realized that Izel's suggestion had more going for it. "I guess I really should remember Ontotho." That was a good example. That time, splitting up only led to more danger and rushing to regroup when the poodoo hit the fan. Furthermore, the Zeltron had to admit that she wasn't as good with tech as she'd hoped.

However, even though she admitted that to herself, she didn't have to admit that to Izel. "You're probably right. We'll return here later then, after we get the horn." Secretly, the Knight hoped that they would find some other way back to civilization, just so that she'd save face in front of the Padawan.

Too distracted by those thoughts, Kori picked up the movement nearby a couple of moments later than Izel. She did take one of the saber hilts off her belt, but didn't ignite it just yet. If the Zeltron Knight felt any danger, she would ignite it at any moment though. But right now, she sensed... Curiosity? Something she had briefly and faintly experienced aboard the fortress. "You can show yourself," Kori said calmly, putting her hand on Izel's "shoulder" (Do the Vratix even have shoulders in the usual sense?), to help her calm down. "We won't harm you if you don't try to harm us."

"Don't harrrrm. Currriousssss," a hiss in a heavily-accented basic made in clear that it was a Trandoshan. As he stepped out into the clearing, Izel would recognize the young Khrek. To Kori, they were all pretty much the same though. "Why are you here?" she asked somewhat cautiously, albeit without prejudice.

"Ssssaw your ssskiff land," the young lizard-man replied. "Uncle sssaid to invesssstigate. You find prey?" The young hunter tilted his head and hissed, looking at Izel's ignited pike curiously, as he circled around slightly: "You ssssseek to ssslay beassssst with thisssss?"

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel cringed slightly at Kori's mention of Ontotho, that certainly wasn't a pleasant memory. But at least the Knight was agreeing with her. When the intruder came and her first instinct was to pull out her lightsaber she felt a little embarrassed that her companion felt the need to put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. She supposed that was a result of her behavior in the Zeffo temple as well.

Izel immediately recognized the newcomer as one of their hunting rivals Khrek. Her antennae twitched thoughtfully at his words. This was interesting, perhaps her idea of an alliance could actually work out. It was worth a shot at least. She quickly lowered her weapon as he approached, sensing no malicious intent from him. The Padawan watched curiously as he cautiously stalked forward to inspect her lightsaber. With a showy flourish she spun the pike around, it's glowing green blade letting off the distinctive sound of a lightsaber in motion before she extinguished it as a show of good faith.

"The weapon of a Jedi." She explained to the young hunter. "There's none greater. It can cut through anything, deflect blaster fire, a well-trained wielder is nearly invincible." The young Trandoshan was clearly mystified by the weapon, reaching out instinctively to touch it but stopping himself. He shook his head and tried to focus.

"Very impresssive," He said in what sounded like a genuine compliment. "Have heard talessss of Jeeedi. Uncle sssaysss they are great warriorssss, though too sssoft." It sounded like he didn't quite agree with that last part of the assessment. "But he sssays you have power. Power that can help you hunt." Perhaps he really was offering an alliance. Although it was obvious it would only be temporary. Only one team could win. Eventually they would have to turn on each other, so it may have been better not to bother forming a truce. The Trandoshan struck Izel as an honorable individual though, and it seemed his uncle respected the Jedi if nothing else. Maybe they would agree to a fair fight over who got to take the horn afterwards. And there was something more about this young hunter that Izel couldn't quite place her finger on, something that made him feel different than the other Trandoshans. Still thinking on these things the Vratix remained silent, looking to Kori for her opinion.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

The Knight stood aside and listened to the exchange between the Padawan and the Trandoshan. She couldn't but smirk as Izel demonstrated her weapon to the curious alien. However, the notion of near-invincibility made the Zeltron Knight raise an eyebrow. It was confidence, but slightly bordering on arrogance.

Kori had seen all too well that even well-trained Knights can fall to overwhelming firepower, subterfuge... or their own personal weaknesses. Kori checked the holster to make sure that her own heavy stun pistol was still with her. Sometimes it was a good alternative, and non-lethal as well.

Even though the Trandoshan didn't seem hostile, Nykoria was hesitant. The lizard asked more questions than he answered. And it didn't really seem like he was there to offer help. It sounded more like that they'd use the Jedi help to track down the rancor. Then again, it could be just suspicions. And leaving him alone in the woods, where predators could find him, wasn't the Jedi way.

"Where is your uncle?" she addressed Khrek with some restraint. At the same time, she tried to reach out with the Force and survey the thickets surrounding them. Khrek's skiff must have been nearby. "He awaitssss usssss." That reply made Kori raise an eyebrow: "You said us. Why'd he await us?" In response, the lizard tilted his head: "Your ssskiff isss busssted. You can come with ussss. Help ussss hunt." After a brief pause and moving his gaze from one Jedi to the other, he added: "Our team gets the prize, you get sssome pointssss."

That reply made Kori even more suspicious. Khrek had found him pretty soon after the crash. Could he or his uncle be the ones to have staged it? Outwardly unfazed, Nykoria tried to reach out to her Vratix colleague silently, to share her thoughts, or at least the general sense of where it was going. Along with the notion that they still needed a transport.

"That sounds... promising. I'm afraid we can't settle on 'some points' though. I'm open to negotiation, but we'd have to do it after we've found and slain the rancor. Otherwise, we'd waste precious time." Hopefully, that would convince the young Trandoshan without having to lie to him.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel felt the signals Kori was sending to her. It was clear she was suspicious of their newfound "friend", and the Padawan could see why. His appearance and offer to help were all very convenient, perhaps too convenient. But they didn't have many options. It was possible Kurssk was watching them from the shadows, ready to gun them down if they made a negative response. And it was likely these hunters knew the terrain much better than they did. They could be very useful allies. So Izel returned Kori's feeling of caution, as if to say that they should play along for the time being, but not trust just yet.

For his own part Khrek hesitated a bit when Kori refused to split the prize, seeming to have expected more cooperation out of the Jedi. Whatever he may have been thinking he tried to maintain a diplomatic tone. "Yesss, time isss wasssting. Other huntersss have head start. We mussst go." He made a gesture for them to follow and disappeared into the brush again. Izel looked to Kori briefly before she started walking after him. The way she figured, if they couldn't agree to terms with Kurssk and Khrek they could at least incapacitate them, remove them from the competition and make things a bit easier.

"Did you sense anything... strange about the young Trandoshan?" She asked the Zeltron softly, so as not to be overheard. "There was something distinctly different about the energy surrounding him." She paused, thoughtful. "You... you don't think he could be Force sensitive do you?" Normally it would take a display of power for Izel to be able to feel such a connection, but the aura radiating off of Khrek screamed that he indeed possessed that connection. If her hunch was correct, he must have been very strong in the Force, though perhaps unaware of the gift. It might have been why he had taken such interest in them. Or she was just imagining it and this was all a blatant trap. Only time would tell.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

As Nykoria followed the young Trandoshan to the skiff, she couldn't but feel some relief. They'd have a vehicle! And the Padawan would never have to find out that Nykoria wasn't able to repair their own skiff. Face saved, an ally gained, and transportation acquired. The catch was that the ally could turn into an enemy at any time, but the Zeltron was confident she'd feel it before they strike. After all, it was supposed to be her forte.

"That's... Possible," Nykoria shrugged, replying in a hushed voice as well. "Though I was more focused on other aspects of his presence," she referenced the emotions, that she'd concentrate on, to make sure Khrek wasn't leading them into a trap. "But we'll see soon enough." The young Trandoshan slowed down, allowing the Jedi to catch up. They all made it into the clearing, with a similar skiff parked there, trampling the grass.

"Ssso, you're in?" the older Trandoshan asked, without nearly as much accent or employing the words convenient for their tongue. "Get aboard! We don't have long." Khrek was the first to get aboard the skiff, followed by Nykoria. "They ssseek more pointsss," the young hunter turned his gaze from the uncle to the Jedi. "And maybe even the prize." The older hunter scoffed while starting up the engine: "Figures. I'd leave them here, but they will help. Take the controls." He said it with some strange confidence. How could he know that the Jedi would agree to help?

Khrek was at the wheel, adressing both Jedi: "Can you senssse the prey? Show us the way. Time's a wastin'!" His uncle just looked at the Jedi expectantly. Nykoria leaned on the guard rail with her left hand; the right remained on her belt next to the saber hilt and the blaster. She was curious how the Vratix would react to the request. After a brief pause, the Knight would say: "Same plan, except I'm watching our back instead of driving this time." The older Trandoshan chuckled at Nykoria's cautious, if not distrustful approach: "Nobody plansss on attacking you now." With that, he'd take the binoculars and continue to search for the mark.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel nodded along with Kori's response. It made sense to be on guard here. They didn't know these two, and they were in competition for the horn. Best not to get too comfortable. The older hunter Kurssk immediately struck her as being remarkably articulate for a Trandoshan, clearly possessing an intelligence that wasn't shared by all of the other hunters. She could tell he was dangerous, strategic. And from his words quite assertive as well. He immediately acted as though it was already a forgone conclusion that the Jedi would help, and demanded they use their Force sense to track the rancor. Izel supposed it could be inferred that since they had followed Khrek here they intended to make an alliance, but she was still taken aback slightly by his controlling demeanor.

She looked first to Kori for the Knight's approval, and upon receiving it nodded and turned her head downward. Once again her antennae began to twitch as she reached out to feel the forest around them. Kurssk leaned back against the skiff's railing, crossing his arms and watching the Padawan with a neutral expression. Occasionally he would glance towards Kori as well, but his face gave no tell as to what he might have been thinking. The young Khrek was quite fascinated to see the Jedi at work as well, glancing over his shoulder with a toothy grin.

After a few moments of searching Izel honed in on a large presence that might have been the rancor. Slowly she turned her head up and looked to Khrek. "That way," She said confidently, pointing out into the forest. "East northeast, about four and a half kilometers." Khrek nodded with enthusiasm and fired up the skiff, wasting no time in taking off. As they moved Izel looked towards Kurssk. "I can't be certain it's the bull rancor. But it's big." She shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't familiar with the creature so she really couldn't get much deeper then that. Kurssk simply grunted in reply and nodded, then looked forward. Whatever they found could be their target, or some other large and dangerous predator. If it was the rancor, hopefully they'd reach it before their competition did.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Nykoria remained silent throughout a trip, pretty much in the same pose: one hand on the guard rail, and the other next to her saber. Pretending to contemplate the lush green canopy down below, the Zeltron Knight also tried to reach out and sense the big and supposedly deadly beast. But since she had to keep her guard up, it was an attempt to prove her own capabilities to herself more than anything else.

When Izel gave directions to the Trandoshans, Kori compared it to her own conclusions. Although not as certain as the Vratix Padawan, she was inclined to agree. This made Nykoria feel better: both because Izel was more likely correct than not, and because Kori's own senses were keen enough. "I ssssee it! The beasssst!" Khrek shouted rather enthusiastically. Kurssk simply put a hand on his nephew shoulder, gazing at the large clearing down below.

The grass was trampled all over the clearing. It was obvious that the hulking giant had made this place its home: bones of various sizes were lying around, picked almost bare by the beast. Darker stains on the ground indicated that a lot of blood had been shed there. And there it was: a bull rancor in all its glory. Standing right outside the entrance of a case that must've been his lair. At least he... she... it... wouldn't be running away from here. Right?

The rancor itself was scarred and burned—a result of confrontation with other animals, and maybe even hunters. Noticing the skiff hovering in the air out of its reach, the beast made an angry thunderous roar; no doubt heard far away from the area. "I'll give you one ssshot to take the horn for yoursssselvesss," Kursssk hissed suddenly, turning his head towards his unlikely allies. "If you fail to do it in time, it will be oursss." The sound of speeder bikes in he distance meant that the rancor's roar had attracted someone's attention. Probably the brother and sister—Kori honestly couldn't remember their names at this point. "Ssso, what'sss your plan, Jedi? You don't have long before others arrive."

Nykoria was caught off guard by the question. She didn't expect the old Trandoshan to make that offer. The cold-blooded lizard's emotions were hard to read as well. What sort of game was he playing? Still, everyone would probably look up to her to make the decision. Kriff that responsibility! "Lower the platform!" the Zeltron finally managed to pull herself together and make a decision. "We don't have time to kill it. I'll throw a saber and try to slice off its horn. Izel, you seize it and get it aboard!"

"Undersssstod," Khrek began to comply. That was a dangerous move. The Jedi would be distracted, and leaving themselves exposed to the Trandoshans aboard their skiff. They'd also be more open to blaster fire from the ground. Yet the Zeltron Knight saw no other option, and Kurrsk didn't have murderous intent... yet. What happened next would depend on Kori's throw and Izel's skill with the Force.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel was quite pleased that she was successfully able to locate the rancor considering it was a being she hadn't encountered before. It spoke to the great progress she had made in her training. So she was in high spirits when the action began, even if Kori's plan concerned her slightly. The beast's attention would be focused on the skiff, so she figured she should be able to grab the horn once it was severed and escape fairly quickly.

"Right!" She said to Kori with a nod as the Knight gave her orders. The insectoid then crawled over the skiff's safety railing and clung to it's side, prepared to jump down on a moment's notice. The roar of the speeder bikes was increasing rapidly, so time was of the essence. In the back of her mind Izel reminded herself the rancor wasn't the only thing to be wary about, as their "allies" could turn on them at any moment.

Once the skiff was lowered enough Kori ignited and hurled her azure lightsaber at the beast, aiming for one of it's great tusks. The saber hit it's mark, but the horn was perhaps thicker and stronger than the Zeltron anticipated. It cut mostly through, but the tusk still clung on to the creature's face just barely. The rancor roared with fury and began swinging it's clawed arms violently at the skiff, forcing Khrek to move the vehicle away. Izel remained focused however, her eyes fixed on their prize. Reaching out with one hand she summoned the Force, and grabbed the damaged horn, trying to yank it off of the beast. Again the rancor let out a frenzied roar and shook it's head from the pain, but the horn was pried loose. Yes! Izel thought triumphantly, but tried to maintain her focus.

Still holding onto the horn with the Force she began to bring it towards the skiff, but then the siblings appeared. Rassh and Trura burst forth from the forest on their speeders, shrieking wildly and thrusting their weapons in the air. At first they sped towards the rancor, but upon noticing the Jedi and their allies had already seized the horn they immediately turned their attention towards the skiff. They fired their weapons, forcing Khrek to once again take evasive maneuvers. This sudden movement caused Izel to lose her concentration, and drop the horn to the ground several dozen feet below them.

"No!" Izel shouted, and without thinking leapt down to retrieve the horn. Meanwhile Khrek was forced to fly further away to avoid blaster fire, with Kurssk hissing in anger and firing his own blaster back at their opponents. Izel retrieved the horn once more, and looked up to see the bull rancor now rushing towards her hungrily. "Oh that was a mistake..." The Padawan muttered to herself in terror before turning and leaping away to just barely avoid a swipe of the predators claws. In just a few moments the clearing had transformed into a warzone. And the elder hunters were still nowhere to be seen.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

What have I done?! As Kori caught the hilt in her hand, she realized two things. Firstly, the horn was harder and probably heavier than it looked. And secondly, the dehorning procedure wasn't as painless as the Zeltron Knight had expected. She tried to find solace in the fact that the rancor didn't really need a horn, and that it would remain alive. But then Kori had to forget about all that, and desperately grab at the skiff's guard rails, as the younger Trandoshan tried to take it away from the furious animal.

Maybe it's not too late to fix tha... before the Zeltron Knight could figure out how and what exactly she wanted to "fix", the Vratix Padawan yanked the horn with the Force, inflicting even more pain. And angering the beast beyond belief, which Nykoria also sensed. To the Zeltron, every crack of the horn and a subsequent roar felt like a screech of metal on wet glass, or chalk on a blackboard... Amplified at least 4 times. But finally, the horn was loose, and the poor rancor was saved. It wouldn't make sense for other hunters to try and kill the beast now. A horn was available already, and possessing it gave too much of a head start.

"Karabasssssst!" Khrek cursed, sending the skiff into another evasive maneuver to dodge the rampaging animal and the fire from the speeders below. At the same time, Izel leapt off the skiff to the ground to retrieve the fallen horn. "Karrrrabast!" Nykoria grumbled in agreement, following the headstrong Vratix into the frey. The Zeltron landed on the ground in the wake of the rancor's stampede. However, she was soon presented with a challenge of her own.

One of the Trandoshan siblings has entered the clearing on the speeder bike, made a sharp turn and directed the vehicle at Kori. However, before he or she could accelerate, the Zeltron extended her hand, sending a wave of Force energy to swoop the aggressive lizard off the bike. It was your fault for making me do this. After a moment of hesitation, the Knight leapt onto a bike and sped towards the rancor and the escaping Vratix. The prospect of sharing a ride like that with an insectoid didn't bother Kori anymore. Izel's life was at stake, and a Knight was responsible for a Padawan.

"JUMP ON!" Kori yelled, approaching the rancor from behind. Circling around the beast's leg, the Knight sliced at it with the blue blade to buy Izel some time. A roar and a sweeping move of the heavy clawed paw made the Zeltron flatten her body against the speeder's frame, and even tilt the speeder to the side slightly. She hoped that Izel would get behind her in time, and hopefully with the horn. Then Kori intended to gun it.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

This was bad. With both hands needed to hold onto the large and unwieldy horn Izel had no access to her lightsaber. She had no means to protect herself. All she could do was jump from one spot to the next in an increasingly desperate effort to avoid the rancor's swinging claws. And the creature was getting a little closer with each strike.

Meanwhile it was Rassh that was thrown off of his speeder by Kori's attack, the young Trandoshan crying out in surprise as he flew through the air and hit the ground, rolling to a stop. His movements were slow and sluggish as he struggled to get up, likely concussed from the attack. In the air above them the other hunters were engaged in a sort of dogfight, with Trura trying to blast the uncle and nephew out of the sky. Khrek continued to make surprisingly adept evasive maneuvers while Kurssk fired back at the enemy.

Seeing Kori coming to the rescue with her commandeered speeder Izel breathed a sigh of relief, dodging one more attack from the rancor before jumping towards her ally. The Padawan landed heavily and awkwardly on the speeder bike. Alone she would have had trouble balancing on a vehicle built for humanoids, but with another passenger she had to cling to the bike with all four legs to keep from falling off. While fumbling to hold onto the horn with one arm she wrapped another around the Jedi Knight for support, oblivious to the Zeltron's apprehension.

The rancor made a futile swipe at the speeder as it passed him by, roaring with rage and frustration. With no prey now in sight, he turned his focus to the still discombobulated Rassh. With his sister too busy engaged with the other Trandoshans he was left completely alone and defenseless. Well, not entirely defenseless. The lizard shrieked in terror and drew a blaster pistol, firing wildly at the creature. But all it served to do was enrage the predator further. "Look!" Izel blurted out, directing Kori's attention to the stranded Trandoshan. We have to help! She wanted to say. Unfortunately she realized now might not be the best time for charity. Still, it was the Jedi way...

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

In the heat of the moment, the Zeltron didn't mind "a hug from a bug" (not that she'd ever say anything like that to Izel's face). The jagged tarsus of a friendly Padawan was largely inconsequential. Especially when compared to the clawed paw of a hostile rancor. Kori's heart was pounding, and the speeder was finally out of the predator's reach. Then Izel pointed out that one of the Trandoshans was about to meet a rather unpleasant fate in the mouth of the monster. Despite his prior attack, the Zeltron would've been the one to blame. Kriff this karking poodoo!

Kori shifted her body to the left, sending the speeder in a sharp U-turn. That proved to be a mistake bordering on fatal—with Izel and the horn on board, the weight distribution was different. The Zeltron's knee scraped against the ground, tearing through the pants and leaving a nasty scratch. The Knight gritted her teeth, stabilizing the vessel again and going after the rancor. Igniting her azure blade again (she didn't have the time to clip it to the belt after she had picked up Izel), Kori used the dial to make it even longer.

"Hang on!" that yell was addressed mostly to Izel, as the speeder darted on a collision course with the rancor's healthy leg. At the last moment, Kori would alter direction again, using the speeder's momentum to amplify the saber stroke. Judging by the roar of the rancor, it worked. At least, the beast would get distracted from the Trandoshan for a few moments. After that, the Zeltron would finally gun it, hoping to leave the blasted clearing behind.

Was leaving there and then the right choice? Should the Jedi have stayed to make sure that the other hunters would survive and the rancor would not? To prevent the competitive infighting? To have young Khrek tested for his apparent Force-sensitivity? Perhaps. But the Jedi had a mission: to deliver the horn. Doing that would stop the attacks on the Wookiees, who didn't have a choice in the matter. The hunters, on the other hand, knew what they had signed up for.

That's how Nykoria would try to justify her decision as she and Izel were steadily leaving the battlefield.

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel held onto both Kori and the horn for dear life, her strength straining to it's limit as the speeder bike swung around, threatening to throw her off. As the vehicle started to tip over and Kori struggled to get it back under control Izel supplemented her efforts will a well placed Force push aimed at the ground, helping to level them out again. Internally she wasn't sure whether to be happy the Zeltron Knight had opted to go back and rescue Rassh, or terrified that they were speeding right back into the jaws of the massive predator. Thankfully her companion just got close enough to deal one more harrying blow before fleeing into the forest.

The rancor roared and collapsed to it's knees, and as Izel glanced over her shoulder she was pleased to see the Trandoshan hunter scrambling to safety. As he cried out for help in his native tongue his sister swung her own speeder bike low to pick him up. Thankfully both they and Kurssk and Khrek were too busy fighting each other to come after the Jedi. The Vratix sighed as they continued through the forest, leaning back a bit and giving Kori some space. "We just used those two and then stole the prize didn't we?" She asked somewhat disappointedly. But in the end she knew something like this was inevitable. It was the nature of the task they had been given. "I suppose there's nothing for it..." She muttered, then remembered her manners. "Oh, thank you by the way. For saving my life." She said a bit awkwardly.

Of course there was one more factor that the two Jedi had perhaps forgotten about. Izel certainly had. As they continued to speed down the path there was suddenly a loud and disorienting explosion, sending dirt and debris flying everywhere. Izel ducked her head behind Kori's back to shield her eyes from the flash, and when she raised it again gasped in surprise and fear. A massive tree had fallen directly in their path, the speeder bike now hurdling straight towards it. So that's what the elder hunters were doing.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

"Don't mention it," Kori replied to Izel's "thank you", feeling rather exhilarant. They had taken the horn, the rancor was alive (although subjected to a lot of pain), and they didn't even have to attack the Trandoshans. Who would've known what Kurssk and Khrek would've done if the horn ended up aboard their skiff? All in all the outcome was among the best ones possible. Even if the Jedi had to steal the prize.

Nykoria hadn't forgotten about the older pair of hunters. In fact, she had that feeling, as if they were being watched all the time. And then the ambush came into play. The tree blocked their way, and any sensible person would've stopped... and got sniped by the old hunters from the skiffs. There had to be another way. "Watch out, this will be rough!" Nykoria warned her companion before taking the bike off the trailed path, into the forest.

It turns out, maneuvering between the trees was pretty much like riding a swoop through the traffic on Coruscant. Of course, back then Kori didn't have the branches scratching at her skin and clothes. Nor did she have an insectoid and a giant horn on board. But this time, in addition to this handicap, she also had the reflexes of a trained Jedi Knight.

Luckily, this dangerous game of "dodge the tree" wouldn't last too long. The speeder reached a narrow stream, and the Zeltron Knight decided not to tempt fate, and just follow it instead. It guaranteed that there'd be no trees in their path; but also made their path very predictable, with little room for maneuver (apart from altering speed). And as Kori saw the skiffs flying in the sky up ahead, she realized that the Jedi might need room for maneuver soon enough.

The "old-timers" had prepared well. Worst of all, each of the two Trandoshans had a pilot droid on board. That way, the hunters could focus on the sniping, each from his own skiff. "Karking geniuses," Kori mumbled, gunning it again. "Brace yourself, Izel!" she added that outloud. "Can you reach for my gun and shoot them?"

@Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel held tight to Kori as the Zeltron changed course into the thickest parts of the forest. The move served well in getting the elders off their backs. It served less well in that Izel was now trying, and failing, to dodge a constant barrage of irritating branches. Her Jedi senses were attuned and helped her to duck out of the way of the larger more threatening ones, but she was still too large to dodge everything without leaning too far to one side and tipping them over. So within a few minutes she was covered in tiny nicks and bruises, with twigs and leaves clinging to her robes.

She had a small moment of relief when they emerged over the clear air of the stream, but it wasn't long before the Trandoshans were shooting at them again. The worst part was that they seemed to be directing their attacks at the Vratix Padawan. She was the bigger target after all, and she was the one with the horn.

"Got it!" She shouted in compliance with Kori's order and reached forward into the Zeltron's holster, pulling out her stun pistol and aiming it back at their pursuers. The Padawan had never been a great shot though, and had only ever practiced with long blasters to begin with. That paired with the fact that the M3 didn't have a very impressive range and all of her shots either went wide or never even got close to their intended target. "Ugh this thing is useless!" Izel exclaimed with frustration.

One of the hunters managed to land a blow on the speeder, causing a fire to burst from the engine and for the vehicle to start trailing smoke. Izel nearly fell from the shaking of the bike, but just managed to hold on by hugging tight to Kori. The speeder was damaged but still running... for now.

"What do I do?" Izel asked Kori with growing concern. "I can't hit them with-" She cut herself off, antennae twitching as a thought came to her mind. "Wait... I have a lightsaber why am I..." She shook her head and returned the pistol to Kori's holster before taking hold of her lightsaber pike and igniting it. "Idiot..." She chastised herself under her breath.

This time when one of the hunters fired at her she spun the bright emerald blade behind her and deflected the blast right back at the skiff. She hit her mark this time, and the skiff went down in the trees with a great crash. That was one down. The other Trandoshan remained though, and the stream was leading into a waterfall up ahead.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Having let go of herself and trusting her instincts, Nykoria still sensed everything. Izel's relief as they cleared the forest; fear of being shot at, frustration of missing a target... A blow on the engine, and the scent of burning machinery. "Kriff," the Zeltron cursed what must have been a hundredth time that day. She tried to go evasive, banking the speeder to the sides, circling around the areas where next shots were most likely to land. Her Jedi senses allowed for that, to a degree.

Then the Vratix ignited the pike behind their backs, and the Zeltron could sense a whole different spectrum of emotions... As well as hear the crash behind her. One down, one to go. However, it was easier said than done. The Trandoshan skiff was hovering up ahead, slightly farther and above the waterfall. The lizard was taking aim with his rifle, and there was nowhere to turn away. Only one way remain. "Try to get off the speeder!" the Zeltron grumbled through her teeth, unusual determination in her voice. "Or hold tight until we're in the air!"

Regardless of Izel's choice and actions, Kori already had a plan. With a grunt, she reared the speeder just as the Trandoshan fired his shot. The blast aimed at Kori's chest landed on the hull of the vessel; burning through it, damaging the circuitry. While the Trandoshan reloaded his weapon, Kori pushed the pedal to the metal. Fire was building up, making the speeder leave a black smokescreen behind. One more shot, and it would be done for. However, the Zeltron didn't intend to give her enemy that chance. She had a mission to accomplish, and a Padawan to save.

A rock was exposed above the flow surface; a natural ramp. Kori steered her vehicle up, using whatever power it had left, and augmenting it with the Force. The speeder had turned into a smoking and blazing torpedo, headed straight for the skiff hovering above the waterfall. Before the inevitable impact, the Knight would push off her speeder with her legs, and make a somersault backwards, intent on landing on that ramp.

However, as the speeder crashed into the skiff, the resulting explosion tossed the Zeltron away from her planned route. Instead of landing on solid ground, Nykoria was sent down, to the bottom of the waterfall. All she could do was brace for impact before her body hit the water.

@Reyn