Ask Hungry Eyes

[Ciri]

Rumors long had it that the deceased Sith called Celeste Stythani had begun to bend the wills of Rattataki Saber Wolves that roamed the rocky, barren mountains of the hot, dry hellhole called Rattatak. Chirikyât had started her research and so she had learnt that after the planet had gone independent right before the split, it seemed like it had now fallen back to its old patterns of tribal clans and war.

There was chaos all around the great cities, but in the middle of nowhere there was not a single sign of struggle around. While she was alone in her ship, she had called up on two Champions who'd come in handy as the endeavor she had in mind needed more man and willpower.

Those packs of feral Wolves had piqued her interest and she had chosen a bigger transport she had 'acquired' on Nar Shaddaa and once the other two would land, they'd find her a bit offside, standing on a ledge and attentively watching the valley down below, waiting for her companions to join her while observing the cattle like, horned, starved creatures below that were desperately trying to find some remains of food the drought hadn't destroyed just yet.

She was certain that sooner or later, the hunters she was waiting for would claim their prey and when it was about time, they'd strike. For Ciri, this wasn't just about rounding up and catching some of the predatory, fearsome canines - she actually intended so much more. She was relatively versed in Alchemy and Sorcery and was thus confident that with the right spells and substances, they could actually create Sith Warbeasts that wouldn't be bound to their animalistic intelligence and physical features.

@lizziie @DMCK

 

[Ambrosia]

'Focus.' Ambrosia breathed in, then out, focusing solely on the hammer in front of her. It had once been nothing but a tool used to beat swords into shape, and now it was the subject of invasive and violent correction. How ironic. 'Exert your will. Change its very nature.' Alchemy was not something easily learned, but Ambrosia's first taste of it had been on Korriban, deep within the hidden forge of an old master of it. Surrounded by the Dark Side and equipped with the knowledge of the master's old writings, her first step into the art had come easier than most. Here, in a ship traveling lightyears a second, it was more difficult, but still easier than if she had not found that place.

The hammer rose, hovering above the table and emitting a soft glow as the runes Ambrosia had engraved into it shone. 'Stronger.' She repeated it like a mantra, allowing the Dark Side to fully flood through her. Then, as if it was an extension of her very soul, it flooded into the hammer. The thing shook violently in place as if it could barely contain the intrusion. The kyber crystal hanging from her neck cried out through the Force.

"Kahh!" Ambrosia's eyes shot open as the hammer clanged onto the duraplast table. She felt invigorated and exhausted all at once, and it was for that reason she knew she had succeeded. Though the hammer was nothing special, it had become her focus of experimentation. Until she was ready to alter flesh and bone, it would bear the brunt of her practice.

---

The woman was not too pleased to be on yet another desert planet - being a native to the icy Arkania and all - but she felt like she was slowly getting used to the oppressive heat of such places. Like always the Arkanian offshoot was dressed in light colors. This time, to suit the desert heat, it was a light, white fabric that covered the entirety of her arms and legs, billowing at the wrists and ankles. The top was made of loose, shapeless fabric that crisscrossed across her chest, creating the illusion of a poncho and hiding her petite figure underneath. A cotton scarf was tied loosely around her neck and over her head, shielding her delicate, porcelain skin from the angry sun. There was a bit of pink in her cheeks already though.

"Chirikyât?" Ambrosia approached from the woman's right, stopping a meter or so back and calling out the woman's name in a soft, unassuming voice. Even though her figure was hidden by shapeless fabric, it would be clear that the doe-eyed woman was quite small. On her hip hung the hammer, humming angrily with its new alchemical alterations, and on the other side, a stun baton. "I'm Ambrosia," she would offer next.

Knowing that there would be a third, the Arkanian offshoot turned to look behind them as the sound of footsteps in the sand caught her attention. Her pale violet eyes sparkled with recognition. 'Him? Again?' She would offer Thel a slight smile whenever it was that he joined them. She didn't know much about him, but they'd fought together several times now. He, at least, had her respect.

Ciri, on the other hand, was a mystery to her. Rumors prevailed about her prowess with alchemy and sorcery though, so Ambrosia was at the very least very curious about her.

@LadyRen @DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel had not visited Rattatak before. He knew it was mountainous and arid. His recent travels had taken him to a number of inhospitable places. He spent most of his time in the outer rim, so he wasn’t unfamiliar with unpleasant planets. I suppose it would be good to go somewhere nice for a change, in future.

He hadn’t met Chirikyât before, but she was supposedly powerful. Potentially a useful ally if he could earn her favour. He knew there would be another with them, but he wasn’t sure who.

Upon exiting his ship, the heat became immediately apparent. Not as bad as Mustafar. Despite his pale complexion, he had become fairly accustomed to hotter climates. He had chosen to wear black robes and a black cloak. No different from what he usually chose to wear. His leather boots offered adequate protection from the rough terrain.

He approached the two figures he saw, gradually getting closer. One seemed familiar. I’m sure I recognise them. Then they turned around.

Her again. He had worked with Ambrosia before and respected her abilities. The other didn’t turn around. He assumed it was Chirikyât. “Lady Chirikyât,” he said politely, addressing them. He gave a bow of his head. “My name is Thel.” He looked at Ambrosia and gave her a slight smile, before turning back to who he assumed was Chirikyât.

@LadyRen @lizziie

 

[Ciri]

Chirikyât didn't like the hot, dry air, but she knew it would have to do for today. The sooner they could fight and capture the first pack, the better. She didn't have to wait much longer before the first ship crossed the horizon and the Force gave the approaching Champions away.

She didn't turn at first, her yellow eyes still narrowed and fixed onto the herd like a predator cat watching its prey, but a little after Ambrosia adressed her, she did turn. She studied the doe-eyed woman with mild curiosity, wondering whether there was a capable Champion hidden behind the innocent features. She was still young and thus malleable, yet it remained to be seen whether she was worth of the carving.

"Ambrosia", an interesting name and she said it as though weighting its worthiness, however not adding another word of acknowledge or whatsoever. The other, admittedly taller and slightly older offered her respects and she was pleased with the gesture, however she greeted him with an equally chilly "Champion Xeros".

She reached into her pockets to offer both of them electric binoculars before she turned back to the canyon. "Champions...we have work to do", she curtly explained before she motioned for them to follow. She continued along the ledge, the sun mercilessly shining down from above. "Do you have experience with hunting?", she asked, gaze directed ahead.

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[Ambrosia]

"...not significant experience," Ambrosia answered. She glanced down at the herd of animals below, wondering whether or not the question was related to the cattle. She'd hunted down some sort of bird creature once with a Nightsister named Arla, but she had followed the other woman's footsteps more than anything.

They all began walking, so Ambrosia fell in stride behind Ciri. She walked beside Thel on the cliff-edge side, half watching him and the woman ahead and half watching the animals below.

@LadyRen @DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel bowed his head again slightly, in acknowledgement of Chirikyât’s response. He took the binoculars that she offered and surveyed the area down below them. Horned creatures moved around slowly. He quickly returned the binoculars to her. She gestured for the two Sith to follow her.

He walked alongside Ambrosia. Similar to her, he didn’t have much experience of hunting. “Only a small amount of experience. From when I was an acolyte.”

@LadyRen @lizziie

 

[Ciri]

So they had no idea. Ciri didn't react at all, even if it slightly displeased her. Maybe they'd learn something useful here, but this wouldn't come without a prize. They continued along the edge with the sun just continuing to burn down on them and potentially making their steps more gruesome.

There were still no signs of the hunters they were looking for, but Ciri decided it was about time they were being led in on their task. "You might have noticed I arrived with a huge ship. I intended to catch a whole pack...preferably around 20 animals to provide us with plenty of opportunities to experiment", she explained, however not using words this time and projecting it into their heads instead.

"We need them mostly unscathed, so I trust you know how to incapacitate them without harming them?", it was rather a rhetorical question as they were about to find out what would happen if they fucked it up rather quickly. "They're also naturally shy. A feature we will intend to erase later on, but for now this means we can't let them panic and attend to flee". They definitely needed a decent degree of finesse here and couldn't just bluntly storm in.

@lizziie @DMCK

 

[Ambrosia]

Ambrosia didn't ask, but she wondered what sort of experimentation Ciri intended to inflict upon the animals. With her being Sith, she suspected alchemically, which was intriguing to think about. Her own studies into alchemy were going well, thanks in part to Cyutadakyr taking the time to try and teach the Arkanian ur-Kittât. Of course, reading was always a struggle for the woman, but still...

"If you want many of them incapacitated without harming them, are you suggesting we could try and corral them somewhere?" Ambrosia asked, eyes falling toward the many boulders and fissures within and around the cliff. Indeed, if they managed to trap a portion (or all) of the herd in one place, they could all combine their powers to try and put the herd to sleep.

@LadyRen @DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel continued to follow Chirikyât. Instead of speaking aloud, she opted to use telepathy to communicate with him and Ambrosia. She wanted to capture creatures for some sort of experimentation.

She made it very clear that she wanted the creatures unharmed. Before he had a chance to respond, Ambrosia spoke. Herding the creatures to a place where they could be more easily subdued seemed sensible. Easier said than done though. Still, even though he and Ambrosia lacked experience with hunting, he felt that they were capable of adequately supporting Chirikyât in completing the task at hand.

@lizziie @LadyRen

 

[Ciri]

As they carried on, the female, doll-faced Champion jumped to a rather logical conclusion Chirikyât approved of. "Indeed. If we can round them up we don't have to target them one by one", she voiced, this time alp again, knowing there was no creature near enough for now.

"They are strategic hunters, always keen on preventing losing too much unnecessary energy, so when they're hunting, they keep close formation. If we cleverly position ourselves, we can redirect them", she explained before she came to a halt, her eyes narrowing on the rock formation below.

"We'll wait here. The grassing herd is still nearby and the pack will home out around dusk". Not that she was particularly fond of waiting, but it seemed like they had to. She leaned against the nearest boulder, her yellow eyes flicking towards Ambrosia first before she met Thel's gaze. "How capable are you with alchemy?", she asked the two, her voice not giving away any emotions.

@lizziie @DMCK

 

[Ambrosia]

How capable was she with alchemy? Ambrosia tilted her gaze toward the woman, curiosity sparkling behind her blank expression. "I have practiced with it," she answered, intentionally keeping her response vague. "I am familiar with it."

While Thel responded, Ambrosia looked out toward the herd. She could see some shapes moving in the distance beyond them, but it was too difficult to get a perfect read on what they were from where she stood.

@LadyRen @DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel had no real interest in alchemy. He had practiced it with his master, when he was only an acolyte. It never really captured his interest though. He allowed Ambrosia to answer first. “I am also familiar with it,” he said looking at Chirikyât.

He wondered what sort of monstrosities she wanted to create.

@LadyRen @lizziie

 

[Ciri]

While both ensured her they had some experience with it, it remained to be seen whether they'd truly be of help. Chirikyât wasn't one to just share her knowledge, she'd get something in return. "Very well then. We'll have to wait a little". The sun was lowering itself, yet it would take some more time until dusk and so they did, indeed, wait.

It might have been an hour that passed until finally, they'd be all able to sense presences that were much more violent than the grassing herd. It was faint at first, but slowly and steadily the impressive beasts stalked closer to their prey. She threw both of them a short glance, ensuring they were both aware of needing to jump into action in a bit and started to descend soon after.

With the Force, she could easily jump from one ledge to another, however made sure she was moving without any sounds. They couldn't notice them just yet and so she did move silently, hoping the others would follow.

The wolf pack, consisting of the at least 15 animals she could count right now, approached the resting herd with care, finding strategically advantageous positions to separate individual animals, however this meant that they were spreading.

"Spread out, Champions. Round them up. Find a way to get them into the canyon". She instructed the others through telepathy before she broke into a sprint to cut of the five animals that were moving to the far left. Now, they had to bring a certain level of finesse with them in order to handle the pack appropriately, but Ciri was hoping that their large numbers wouldn't pose an issue as she soon learnt that there were even two more.

@lizziie @DMCK