[Jedi Mission] Dragons, Danger and Dunes, Oh My!

[AriaDran]

Aria felt like time stopped for the few moments they stared into each other's eyes, then looked quickly over at Tikk a moment after Owyn did. A blush crept into her cheeks and she cleared her throat quietly, still leaning on him. She could feel his confidence flowing from him like an Aura and it made her feel much better about what they had to do. She felt her fear and worry slipping away more and more the longer she leaned on him, borrowing his strength.

"Thank you."

She spoke in a quiet voice, her eyes shifting back to his face for a moment before she looked down to the ground in front of herself. Her hands nervously folded in her lap and she wasn't sure what to say, so she just let the silence stretch for a few moments.

"You're right, no enemy could ever hope to be a match for Tikk."

She looked up at the primate and smiled shyly, her attempt at breaking the awkward silence was obviously shaky at best. She let out a sigh, tilting her head to lean on Owyn's shoulder.

"Do you have a plan?"

 

[Raif]

Owyn found himself shifting comfortably into this new mental role he was in. Just hours before he would have been freaking out to be sharing such a moment with Aria; now, though, being her support just seemed natural and right.

He rested his head gently against hers as she asked about a plan.

"A plan? Well, we'll need to go over everything with Venn first, of course, but I had an idea.

He took a breath before he continued.

"This may sound crazy, but I don't want to kill the beast if we can help it. It's just an animal after all, and if it can be driven off safely then I'd like to give that a try. I have a connection with most creatures, hopefully that can come in handy here.

He let his hand fall gently onto her knee as he continued speaking.

Of course, if Arrl is right and there is some sort of Dark side taint affecting the creature, we may have no choice but to put it down. If that's the case, I think it would be best if we try to to engage it up close while Arrl goes after it with one of the long guns he brough along.

He turned to look at her at this point. He was originally going to tell her to stay back if fighting broke out, but stopped himself. She was a jedi, after all, not a little girl. This would be an important step for Owyn in learning to put his emotions aside to complete the mission, especially when those emotions dealt with her.

If things look bad, I want you to try to evacuate as many of the farmers as you can.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria listened quietly as Owyn explained his plans, smiling to herself when his head rested against hers, her eyes moving to his hand as it rested on her knee. It felt right to her - something about Owyn just made him fit with her mentally. Perhaps it was just a sign of how much her trust in him had grown as they trained together.

She sensed him turning to look at her and wondered why he would ask her to do this. Really, it would make more sense for Arrl to be the one evacuating the townsfolk. Was he just trying to protect her? The thought made her smile wider, and she shifted her arms to hug his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Let us hope it can be driven off, then."

If not, then they would have to try and kill the Dragon - which would not be easy.

"If it can't, though, then we have to stop it. There are too many villagers; it would take too much to evacuate them all in time. I will do my best, but..."

She faltered, not wanting to think about how many villagers would die if they didn't stop it. Even if she could evacuate most of them, she knew she couldn't save them all that way. She closed her eyes and took in a slow breath, drawing again on Owyn's strength before opening them again.

"It would be better if we can stop it."

 

[Raif]

"Then we will just have to stop it, won't we?"

Owyn sat for a bit in the tent with Aria, then got up to go share his plans with Arrl. As he was standing, his eye caught on the Krayt's tooth which was still sitting in the tent.

Owyn made the split-second decision to take the tooth with him. If he had the time, he would meditate with it, hopefully gleaning something from the tooth that would help him in what was sure to be a difficult test for the young padawan.

For now, though, he went to discuss things with Arrl, and Aria as well if she came along. They would make their battle plans, equip themselves for the fight to come, and then...wait. Arrl would take first watch, then Owyn, then Aria.

~~~

"DRAGON!!!"

Arrl's yell made Owyn's eyes snap open immediately. He was sitting outside of the supply tent, cross-legged on the sand with the dragon tooth resting gently on his upturned hands.

Almost without conscious thought he was up on his feet, the tooth tucked away in a pocket and his saber in hand. His head had already turned in the direction he knew Arrl had been during his 'watch.'

And there, exploding over the crest of a dune in a spray of sand, was the largest damn lizard Owyn had ever laid eyes on. It was all teeth, horns, and claws, and it let loose a tooth-rattling howl that would have immediately awoken anyone within a several mile radius.

Trusting Aria to be close behind him, Owyn immediately set off to confront the beast. If he could he would do everything possible to save the poor creature. If that wasn't possible, though...Owyn's hand tightened on his unlit saber as the reality of the task before him set in.

He would do what needed to be done.

((OOC: Alrighty, the beast is here. I don't really have much of a posting order in mind, so I guess whoever wants to run with this first is welcome to.))

 

[Sreeya]

Arrl was glad to see Owyn jump to action right away. He had a slugthrower in his arms, a vibrosword on his back. He cast the padawan a sideways glance, a grimace on his face.

"Damn thing snuck up on us!"

With surprising agility of a man his age, he dashed forth, laterally to the beast. The Krayt Dragon followed his motions, guided by Arrl's constant yelling. He kicked up sand behind him as he ran, causing the dragon to pivot around, his tail swinging back and flying right towards Owyn. Arrl had successfully caused it to turn away from the village, which was step one. He knew there was no reasoning with the beast. It came right at him, teeth bared and horns pointed downwards. The dragon charge, making the earth shake underneath it. Arrl had to struggle to keep his footing. He fired off a shot, but it only managed to piss the beast off more. With a rambunctious roar, it tilted its head forward and charged again, merely stunned by the slugthrower.

"Son of a..."

Arrl cocked the gun again, dashing to the side. He looked almost ridiculous, light on his feet and jumping from side to side. The dragon was beginning to fall for it, head following the motions and getting confused. It roared and stomped the ground in anger, though it failed to focus. This gave Owyn and Aria an opportunity to attack, though very briefly. The dragon's two pronged tail waved behind it, threatening to disembowel them both.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria slept restlestly, with visions of dragons killing helpless townsfolk and destroying their homes dancing through her head. She even let out soft 'nos' in her sleep, but not loud enough for anyone to hear it. Then she was startled awake by Arrl's cry. The time was here. The dragon had come.

She was up and out of the tent in only a few moments, but already Arrl and Owyn were charging towards the beast. She grit her teeth and took off after them, eyes moving to take in the awesome beast they would have to fight. She could almost swear she felt the darkside taint oozing from the thing - or maybe that was just the fear coursing through her?

She watched as Arrl got the beast turned around, almost losing her footing as the dragon stomped the ground. She and Owyn needed to get in and attack it quickly or else Arrl would be in real trouble. She reached to her belt for her lightsaber, and then as her hand grabbed air remembered that it was with Owyn. She narrowed her eyes at her own foolishness, then shook her head to banish her thoughts for now.

She opened herself to the Force, asking for its help respectfully, as she always did. A smile found her lips as it answered and filled her with its power. The sinus cavity was where they had to strike, but that was all the way on the other side of the dragon. As she neared the dragon's tail, she leapt through the air, the Force guiding her leap. As she past over Owyn's head she called his name, her hand open and reaching towards him, trusting him to get the message to toss her her lightsaber. Her leap would bring her up and over the two pronged tail, then back down to land on the dragon's back, if all went according to plan.

 

[Raif]

Owyn knew exactly what Aria was thinking as she rushed up from behind, and he already had her saber waiting in his left hand. As she leaped over him he tossed it upwards and with a little help from the Force heard it smack into her outstretched palm.

With that done with, he got down to the task at hand. With both of his arms reaching out in front and eyes half-closed, Owyn opened his mind and attempted to communite with the Dragon via the Force.

We mean you no harm. Please, just let us be.

He poured as much friendliness, warmth, and positive energy into these thoughts as possible, but what he was met with was like a smack to the face. No beastial fear, no predatory hunger, just maddeningly malevolent hatred. It felt cliche to say that the beast's mind was completely corrupted by the Dark side, but Owyn knew no other way to describe it.

The discovery left Owyn so shocked that he couldn't even make an attempt to get out of the way of the Dragon's tail, taking the blow across the chest and flying backwards several meters on impact. Luckily he had adorned himself with a plastoid armor chest-piece before combat had begun, but looking down at himself he could see it was shattered from the force of the Krayt's tail. And, if the sharp pain in his chest was any indication, Owyn himself had at least two broken ribs, possibly more.

Hopping back to his feet as quickly as possibly and pushing the pain in his chest away for the time being, Owyn settled his mind on what now needed to be done. Opening himself up to the Force more than he had ever done before, he reached out and with a jerking motion of his hands attempted to Force-pull one of the beasts rear legs out from under it.

Hopefully this would get the creature's attention and would provide an opening for Aria to nip in and get a hitt with her saber.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria caught her saber and held tight to it as she came down to land on the beast's back. It was an easy landing, and hopefully wouldn't draw much of the beast's attention due to her small size. It might not even feel her through its scales. She glanced back at Owyn and gasped as the dragon's tail slammed into him. She held her breath, forgetting that she was standing on the dragon itself as she watched Owyn until he stood up again.

She turned quickly, all at once embarassed that she had forgotten about the task at hand, and sought out Arrl with her eyes, making sure he still had its attention before she darted forward, keeping her footfalls as light as possible. She used the Force to aid her movements as she went forward, towards the dragon's neck and head.

She kept moving until she got to the base of its neck, and then she brought both hands up, her saber igniting in a reversed grip, then she stabbed it down with all the strength she could muster for the back of the dragon's neck. She knew it wasn't the dragon's weak spot, but hoped it would be good enough to get the dragon's attention, and keep it from looking at Arrl for a few moments. She was counting on him to make those moments count and see about putting a shot into the dragon's weak spot, or she would likely be in trouble very soon.

 

[Raif]

((OOC: Since Kali is south of the border I'm going to keep NPCing things until she gets back))

Everything came together almost as if they had planned it.

The dragon hadn't noticed hitting Owyn with its tail, nor had it felt the lithe form of Aria drop onto its back. It was focused on Arrl, who was retreating rapidly but still not all-together safe from the beast's jaws.

That is, until Owyn's Force pull took its back left leg out from under it. The sudden loss of footing did nothing to hurt the creature, but as it slipped it swung its head around to find out what had caused the stumble. With a moment of freedom, Arrl scrambled up onto a small rise and dropped to his belly, his trusty rifle cocked and ready to fire. All he needed was a shot.

Which came when Aria attacked from her position on the dragon's back. Plunging her blade down into the mighty Krayt's neck was not a killing blow, unfortunately. It was, however, horrendously painful for the reptile and it immediately whipped its head back around and opened its jaws to let out an ear-splitting cry of pain.

As the jaws opened, time seemed to slow down for Arrl. He could see the weak spot, wide open and waiting for him with a target practically painted on it. Gently squeezing the trigger, a bullet rocketed forth and pierced the sinus cavity, ending the Krayt Dragon's life in the blink of an eye. The beast immediately dropped to the sand where it twitched violently for a moment and then lay still.

Silence. Where moments before there had been the sounds of battle, now there was...nothing. Arrl quickly hopped to his feet and called out to his two young companions.

"Everyone alright?"

~~~

Not far away, Owyn sank down to one knee and gripped a hand to his chest as he saw the mighty creature fall. He was in pain, both physically and emotionally. The pain in his ribs was beginning to get white-hot as the adrenaline of the battle ebbed away, and in his mind he could not help feeling deep remorse for the Dragon's death. He knew it needed to be done, but that didn't mean he couldn't regret the necessity of the action.

Raising his hand as Arrl called out to him, Owyn tried to answer loudly enough to be heard without passing out from pain.

"Yeah, I'm here. I could use a little help though..."

 

[AriaDran]

Aria let her lightsaber retract as the beast twitched and then finally laid still, killed by an excellent shot from Arrl. She closed her eyes, feeling remorse for the loss of this dragon's life. She wished there was some way they could have avoide this, but the reality was that many more lives would have been lost if they hadn't struck it down. That still didn't make it easy to take a life, however.

She opened her eyes and spun quickly as she heard Owyn call out, hearing the pain in his voice as he asked for help. She rose from her crouch and ran as fast as she could without losing her footing on the dragon. Once she hit the sand she was over to Owyn in just a few moments, looking him over to see where he was hurt. She took in his posture and guessed that it must be his chest from the way he was grabbing it, though she knew the injuries were deeper then that. She knew Owyn well enough to know that he had felt the death of the dragon much more keenly then she had, with his affinity for animals.

"We had to do it."

She whispered it, trying to reassure him, but she also didn't want to embarass him in front of Arrl, in case Owyn cared about looking like a man in front of Arrl. She wouldn't blame him if he did, so she didn't try to take that from him. She brought her arm up and placed it lightly around his shoulders, silently offering a hug that he could take if he wanted.

Her other hand droppe her lightsaber on the ground and came up to rest lightly on his, over his chest. She closed her eyes and concentrated, asking the Force to flow through her. She was more insistent then normal, because it was Owyn who was injured, and soon he would feel the Force flowing into him from her and starting to mend his chest.

 

[Raif]

"Yeah, I know..."

He gladly returned the offered hug and grimaced silently from the pain it produced. He didn't want to scare her away by gasping in pain from her physical contact, but he was hurting pretty bad.

That immediately started to fade as Aria began mending his broken ribs. He let out a sigh of relief as the pleasant feelings spread throughout his body, and he sat back and let Aria work, knowing that she would take good care of him.

~~~

Over by the Dragon's body, Arrl was doing a quick walk-around to get a good look at the beast they had just felled. He allowed himself a big grin of triumph, knowing that the shot he had just made was one in a million. His grin faded, however, as he came to a troubling realization about the animal.

He walked quickly over to Aria and Owyn, where he was glad to see the boy was not seriously hurt. In the not-too-far distance, the villagers were beginning to rush their way amid hoots and hollers of joy. They had obviously heard the battle and were rushing out to see the victorious aftermath. Arrl knelt down and whispered urgently to the two Jedi.

"I'm glad everyone's ok, but I've got some bad news about the Dragon. That there was a juvenile; in the heat of the moment it didn't register, but it was much too small to have created the sort of wide-spread destruction that has been seen recently..."

He stopped speaking and waved happily at the first villager who rushed by to celebrate over the dead dragon. Once the first wave had passed, he returned his attention to Owyn and Aria, eager to hear what they had to say to his less-than-stellar news.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria smiled to herself as Owyn returned the hug, knowing that it hurt him to do so. She held him gently as the Force mended his body. As the healing neared completion her hand moved to feel gently over his ribs to be sure they had set right, then moved back to his hand. A few moments later the healing would be complete. She let the Force fall away from her, feeling tired from the healing. She would have to work on it more so that she could heal more effeciently.

Her eyes opened quickly as Arrl related his knews to them. This one was only a child? That would mean Arrl was saying that there was a larger dragon out there somewhere, right? Without really thinking about it her arm tightened around Owyn, and she also leaned in to bring her lips closer to his ear. She whispered now so that the townspeople wouldn't hear her, and didn't care what they thought about her hugging Owyn.

"How could we possibly stop something bigger then that?"

She was all at once very worried again. This time her adrenaline had been enough to get over her fear of the dragon so that she could act, but she wasn't sure that would happen again when faced with something bigger then this dragon. This one was -huge-... just how big could an adolescant dragon be? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, continueing to cling to Owyn. If he made to stand she wouldn't hinder him, but would try to hug his arm or even just hold his hand. He would easily be able to sense that she was afraid.

 

[Raif]

Owyn's eyes fluttered a bit as Arrl told them the bad news. A baby? Great, maybe the next one would succeed in snapping him in two where this one only crushed his chest. His eyes fluttered a bit as Aria leaned in to speak with him. He was incredibly exhausted and was having difficulty staying awake, which just added to joking tone with which he answered her question.

"We'll just have to let Tikk handle the next one, of course. Hey, where is he anyway?"

Upon hearing his name the small creature came bounding up from his hiding spot in the sand and chittered animatedly. He had successfully leapt clear when the Dragon hit Owyn, and was berating his friend for not having the presence of mind to dodge the attack himself. Owyn just shook his head and scratched Tikk behind the ears.

~~~

Arrl suppressed a grin as he watched what was going on. Here was a boy who had just been smacked around by a Krayt Dragon and he was making light as if it was no big deal. He was either brave or stupid, possibly both. Or maybe he had a concussion?

"Well, there's nothing more we can really do tonight. The body should keep any other Dragons from coming near, so we should be able to get a good night's rest. In the morning we'll see if we can't retrace the big boy's tracks and find out where he came from."

 

[AriaDran]

Aria looked over at Tikk and couldn't help but smile, and also would reach over to pat its head gently.

"Alright. The next one is all yours."

She would look to Arrl, then nod and move to stand, helping Owyn to stand as well if he needed it. She was impressed that he wasn't already unconscious as it was. She looked to Arrl, then to the villagers. She smiled softly, then would start to walk back towards the tent they had been resting in, either simply walking with Owyn or helping him to walk as necessary.

"I wonder if we could track down the source of this dark side energy instead of the larger dragon, since we should have a bit more time now?"

She asked it loud enough for both Arrl and Owyn to hear, but only after they were all back to the entrance to their tent. She let the question hang as she moved inside, and if Owyn were leaning on her would quickly get him to a bed so that he could get some rest.

 

[Raif]

Owyn leaned against Aria during the walk back to the tent. Whether this was because he needed the assistance or simply wanted to be close to her he would never admit, but he was a bit groggy from the whole ordeal.

"Did anyone get the number of the speederbus that hit me?"

After this weak attempt at a joke, he allowed himself to be led inside and put down on one of the bed rolls that Arrl had provided. Wiithin moments the padawan was unconscious, with Tikk curled up asleep on his chest.

~~~

Arrl chuckled at Owyn's joke but said nothing else until they were inside. Once he had been put to sleep he answered Aria's suggestion.

"You know, Aria, I think that's a good idea. And if I had to wager I would bet whatever tracks we find will lead us to the cause of this all. They say Dark energy attracts the dragons, so maybe this one made a lair out of whatever tainted it."

He left unspoken the fact that he was pretty sure finding the Darkness and finding the larger Dragon would turn out to be the same thing. He respected Aria, and wasn't trying to shelter her or anything, but there was no point in needlessly worrying her either.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria giggled at how fast Owyn fell asleep, turning and moving to sit next to where he was laying, facing Arrl. She bowed her head slightly as he spoke, thinking on his words. Following the tracks might lead them to the source of the dark side energy - she wondered what it could possibly be. And if this one was moving away from that source - well, why would it? It all didn't make much sense to her.

"I guess we'll find out. We don't really have much to go on besides them."

She closed her eyes, meditating for a few more moments, probably to the point where it would get awkward for Arrl to just be standing there waiting for her to speak again. Then she finally opened her eyes and looked up at him once more.

"We should get some rest, though. It wouldn't do for us to be tired in the morning."

She stood and moved over to her own bed roll and laid down to sleep.

 

[Raif]

Arrl said his goodnights and ducked out of the tent as Aria settled onto her sleeping roll. He gazed at the carcass of the Dragon, which at this point was a hive of activity as the villagers worked to strip it of everything valuable; meat, hide, horns- on an arid and tough world like Tatooine, you never pass up an opportunity like this.

After being alone with his thoughts for a few moments, Arrl headed for the other tent to sleep. He had seen the blossoming connection between the two Jedi and would give them their privacy.

Come the morning, the hunt would be on. And they would be ready.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria opened her eyes again as Arrl left the tent, staring up at the roof of it for a few long moments. She slowly sat up, looking to the entrance, then over at Owyn. Today had been hard, especially on Owyn as he was the only one to be injured. Tommorow, though, would make today seem easy, she knew. They were either going to fight a larger dragon or perhaps something darker - the source of the dark side energy driving the dragons mad.

She was nervous, not at all certain that they could do it, just the three of them. arrl was a good shot, but she had to admit to herself that they had gotten lucky with how everything had worked out today. The chances of everything coming together like that again were slim to none. She brought a hand up to her head as a shiver ran down her spine. She had a bad feeling about tommorow, and she couldn't shake it.

How did Owyn do it, she wondered? He had expressed some nervousness back on the shuttle, but ever since they had touched down he had been a model of strength, at least in her eyes. He always seemed certain of what needed to be done and didn't hesitate. Something in her mind told her that she would stronger to not rely on him, to find that sort of strength herself, but - she didn't like the road that was leading to. No, she would not forsake her feelings and simply seek to always grow stronger. That path, she was certain, was one that led to the dark side.

She slowly stood and walked over to Owyn, then sat gently next to him. Her hand moved to lay lightly on his chest, she was as quiet as she could be as she didn't want to wake him. She concentrated, again asking the Force to come to her and then flow into Owyn, reinforcing the healing she had already done. She had to make sure he was ready for tommorow, it would mean the death of them all if any one of them wasn't at full strength.

She opened her eyes after a few moments, finally sure that Owyn was as healed as he could be for now. There was little more she could do for him, anyways. Her hand slowly rose from his chest, then fell back onto it.

"How do you fill me with this confidence, even while you sleep?"

She had whispered the question, and it was entirely meant for herself as she was fairly certain he was still sleeping, or at least good at pretending to be asleep. She looked over at her own bedroll, then back down at Owyn. After a moment of thought, she slowly laid down next to him, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand remaining on his chest. A few moments later her eyes closed, and she would quickly be asleep now that she felt safe and calm.

 

[Raif]

Owyn's eyes blinked open as the first rays of light streamed into the tent. He had slept incredibly well considering he had been knocked flat by a Krayt Dragon the night before, though things were fuzzy towards the end of the night.

For instance, he had no idea why Aria was currently sleeping next to him, with her arm draped across his chest. Not that he was bothered by his current situation - far from it, in fact, and a big grin flashed across his face as he looked over at her sleeping face. She was beautiful, that was for certain. And she seemed to be just as interested in him as he was in her. Whatever lingering pain remained in his chest - which was not much thanks to Aria's ministrations the night before - vanished as he was filled with an overwhelming pleasant feeling due to her close proximity.

Which was all dashed as Arrl came stomping into the tent.

"Good morning friends! I trust you two had a...restful night." He winked at Owyn before continuing. "Now let's shake the dust loose and get on the trail. We're burning daylight, and we've got lots to do today."

Arrl had already been up for a while, making arrangements for the quest they would continue this morning. Several of the older boys from the village were standing by, ready to make a few easy credits by packing up their gear and stowing it on their new mode of transport for the day: three Eeopies which were standing not far enough away to mask their less-than-pleasant stench and generally foul demeanors.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria slowly opened her eyes as she groggily heard Arrl speaking, somewhere not too far away. She blinked a moment later, her hand shifting slightly as she stared at Owyn's shoulder, which her head was still on. Then she shot up to a sitting position as she woke up and realized what Arrl had just walked in on. Her cheeks flushed red with embarassment and she looked quickly away from the two of them to hide it. She had meant to wake up before them and move back to her own bedroll, but apparently she had fallen fast asleep.

"Right. Time to go."

Her voice faltered, but she cleared it quickly and moved to stand. She walked back to her bedroll and picked up her lightsaber, avoiding making eye contact with either of them. She let out a mumble about waiting outside and then was quickly out of the tent, taking a few steps away before bringing a hand up to rub her foreead.

Well, that wasn't how she had meant to start the day. Now everything would likely be awkward with both Owyn and Arrl. She hadn't even looked to see what Owyn's response to her sleeping on him was. She hoped he wasn't going to be mad. She wiped away a tear with the back of her hand - it wasn't her fault, she was jut emotional sometimes, and bein that embarrased made her want to cry. She did a fairly decent job or holding it back though, she thought. She didn't have time for that, they had a dragon to kill.