Masters of Man and Beast

[Crim]

She sighed. There always had to be complications. Someone coming along to interfere with even the simplest operations. Ebiara had dealt with problems like this before. Yet, she realized that many problems and inconveniences are simply more of a chance to better oneself. To impress, to gain prestige. To gain power. Opportunity is often missed by people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Ebiara knew this, and it comforted her to know it.

First, the Zabrak saw someone. A Force Sensitive, he thought. Ebiara suddenly found herself admiring his keen eye. Perhaps he had a place in the Sith yet. Then, the other Sith saw something by the pack of acklay. Ebiara kept one hand on her saber and looked to the horizon. The dust-cloud seemed just that much closer now. "Whatever happens, we must finish it soon. We cannot stop the storm headed our way, regardless of how the battle transpires," she said.

@Jabonicus

 

[Jabonicus]

Vera cursed under her breath as her companion filled her in on what was happening, her left hand gripping her lightsaber pike as she stopped hiding her presence through the force. Instead, she used the force to reach out, to find all her targets, to get, at least, their general location. Many of them were either in the crag, unable to get her, or staring at her from a long ways away. "No, we're defending these creatures." She said sternly to the Trandoshan. "They want to hunt these creatures, I can feel it, so we're going to hunt them." She informed the cautious lizard. Turning the Acklay she rode, the Togrutan remain silent as she ducked down, keeping her mass covered behind the hulking neck and head of the Felucian creature.

The Acklay charged with a furious, echoing call that was repeated by of its fellow packmates. She had targeted Corvo, the one who was closest to her, on nearly the same level of ground. Thankfully, the other Sith were a small walk away, meaning that she would have some time, although little, to attack the intruder. Normally she would halt them, and ask them their business. This time, however, she didn't. She could feel their hate, smell the desire for bloodshed from some of them. These people were not peaceful. Preparing herself, she dropped the small use of the force she had been implementing. She knew where her current target was, keeping track of the others was a waste of energy.

Yet, as she charged, something nagged at her. What kind of Jedi would she be, what kind of person would she be if she simply attacked these people? With an annoyed sigh she changed course, pulling herself up more onto the Acklay's plated, rocky back as she stood several yards away and above the man. "Stop!" She shouted, pointing her unignited lightsaber pike at him. "These creatures are under my protection! State your business and lay down your weapon!" She commanded powerfully. If he complied, then she had nothing to worry about. If not....

 

[Oreus]

Chaos erupted as Vera rushed alongside the Acklay pack towards their new guests. Kwanli signed internally as it seemed they would not avoid a conflict this day. He opted to wield his bowcaster for the moment, leaving his lightsaber hilt clipped to his belt. A slow jog behind the herd gave him some good distance from the dark presence ahead. Dust from Vera and her creatures also would likely help mask his approach to back her up. Despite life away from Kashyyyk, the Wookiee still knew how to use the traditional bowcaster pretty well and preferred it to a blaster when it came to ranged combat.

There was no scope on the large weapon but there were iron sights. The force flowed through Kwanli as he focused on the being ahead of them with his bowcaster. If combat started he would not hesitate to give their enemy some new holes. It had been some time since he last fought against the Sith, but the Wookiee could feel it all coming back to him. The dark presences around him certainly helped spark his memory.

I hope we're wrong about these intruders.

 

[Arcangel]

Flicking his tounge at Vera’s stern reply, Karshk shrugged his shoulders slightly as Vera charged off. Breaking into a jog to follow through the dust cloud, Karshk made sure to keep a slight amount of distance between himself and Kwanli. On the off chance that the beings below were hostile, he would rather not be grouped up. Allowing the dust cloud to conceal him, Karshk would concentrate slightly, concealing his aura within the force.

As he jogged, Karshk eyed Kwanli’s bowcaster enviously. He wished he had had the forethought to bring a rifle. Since he had neglected to prepare for a fight however, he only had his two lightsabers clipped to the belt of his dusty red flightsuit. As he jogged, the lightsabers bounced gently against his thighs, and he had the urge to hold them in his hand. Suppressing the urge, Karshk did not want to be hasty in assuming that a fight was about to start. He knew well enough that the sight of a large Trandoshan with two weapons in hand charging forward could be enough to start a fight.

 

[Phoenix]

Well, fearstick. That was a Jedi, there was no mistaking it now. That disgusting hypocrisy masking a heart for bloodshed and conquest as bad as any Sith. At least he knew who he was, these people deluded themselves into thinking they were "keepers of the peace." They were conquistadors out for power who hid behind words like "peace" and "justice." As long as it was their peace and justice.

As the creatures charged he drew his bow back, waiting for them to come closer, taking quick steps toward the cliff edge so that his back was about ten feet from a rather sizable cliff. The drop was large enough to kill a normal person, and perhaps even a Force user if they weren't careful, but it afforded him the assurance that no enemies were coming up behind him. The sand seemed softer here and clumped off a bit more easily. With bow drawn he was preparing to strike when... they stopped. Now, true enough, the woman - who he noticed wasn't alone as his eyes flicked quickly over to a Wookiee as well - was within striking distance of his bow, but she stopped and addressed him so he paid the courtesy of listening a moment.

He let a puff of air escape his nose at her comments, a scoff he wasn't sure would be heard by the woman. Then he raised his voice louder, acid sarcasm dripping from his tone, Oh, yes, let me lay down my weapons while you still have all of yours. Every soldier knows that abandoning your weapons is a great way to survive a day on the battlefield. Why don't you get off your mount, leave your weapons, and maybe we can talk like civil people.

He awaited the Jedi, hoping his fellow Sith had enough sense not to get between he and his opponent.

@Sarok Magnarus

 

[Darth Magnarus]

One of his fellow sith was trying to communicate with the mystery person who he had been pointing a bow at less than minutes ago. Sarok thought "Such a sudden mood change to have did he no this person or simply wanted to talk." Both of these were highly unlikely so Sarok just went with the idea that his friend was just laying strap for this mystery person.

Sarok started to wonder what their mission was anymore. They had been here for a while now and just couldn't shake the feeling that they were doing the exact opposite of their actual mission, if Sarok wanted to talk all day he would have just stayed on korriban.

He walked over to his sith friend and this new comer and said " So what's your angle."

 

[Maxx]

The rider and her pack of acklay charged down the hill towards the group of Sith hunters. She straddled the back of the lead acklay, poised to attack Corvo, who was farther up the slope from Hades or Ebiara. Hades turned his walk into a run, and by channeling the Qyâsik, turned that run into a bound. With a few large strides, he was only a few feet behind Corvo. The heavily armed Sith had shifted his position to where his back was to a cliff, ready to defend himself. The rider, however, had apparently changed her mind about attacking the Sith, because she brought the herd to sudden stop, leaving a large cloud of dust behind her.

She commanded the Sith to put down their weapons. Hades was about to retort when Corvo did it for him. "Oh, yes, let me lay down my weapons while you still have all of yours. Every soldier knows that abandoning your weapons is a great way to survive a day on the battlefield. Why don't you get off your mount, leave your weapons, and maybe we can talk like civil people."

The dust cloud had dispersed, and it revealed that there were more than just the rider and her acklay. There was also a Wookiee with a bowcaster pointed in Hades' direction, as well as a Trandoshan that jogged along behind the walking carpet. At the reptile's waist two lightsabers hung from the creature's belt. "Acklay hunting is one thing, but I never imagined I'd get to hunt Jedi."

@Crim

 

[Crim]

The adrenaline pumping in the people around her sent tremors in the Force Ebiara could easily detect. Feed upon. What had been a simple acklay-hunting mission turned into an encounter with Jedi. It was obnoxious, of course, but there was no reason both parties couldn't get what they wanted. The Jedi had to be here for something. It didn't take three Jedi to protect a pack of acklay. These beasts were legion on Geonosis and they couldn't possibly save them all. It didn't help that Hades was antagonizing them. She put a hand on his chest, hoping to get him to stand down, and stepped forth, speaking up.

"We have no quarrel with you, good Jedi, but we will keep our weapons. We are tasked with obtaining a trophy on this planet. It needn't be your mount, of course. Tell me, why are you here? Perhaps we can assist each other," she said. She meant no deception in her words. There was no point in anyone dying over a trophy, yet the orders of the Sith are absolute. They wouldn't be leaving Geonosis without it. She did not know what drove her fellow Sith, but a fight here would not serve in anyone's interests. If the Jedi won the battle, the Sith Empire would respond with force. Wanton slaughter of their Sith was not something that would be overlooked. And if the Sith were forced to defend themselves and won, they would surely respond to Republic warmongering with a strong message, which would lead to aggression from the Republic. A vicious cycle that could be stopped here.

Still, she couldn't help but size up her opponents. If the Jedi started a fight, it'd help to know her opponents. A Togruta with a pack of pets. She could be emotionally compromised if her acklay were slain. Easy pickings. There was a Wookiee Jedi with a bowcaster trained on them. She knew by the way he carried himself that he was honorable and just. If anyone was willing to play ball first, she had a feeling it would be him. She didn't want to hurt this one, at least in dishonorable combat. And then there was the Trandoshan. Angry, temperamental, headstrong. He'd make a better Sith than he would a Jedi. If the fighting went down, she hoped for his sake that he could harness some form of focus, or he'd be slain quickly and his allies would be without backup.

@Jabonicus

 

[Jabonicus]

Scoffing off the violent and aggressive remarks of the Sith, she turned her attention to the single Sith that showed a degree a leadership and compromise between them. She narrowed her eyes at the group as they explained their purpose.

"I see. If you wish for the trophy of an Acklay, then I would be willing to assist. However, these Acklay, and the few tribes existing on this planet are off limits to your hunt. I'm not sure if you realize, but Acklay are not native to this dry planet. They are numerous and healthy on Felucia, where they originate." She explained.

"This sub-species is rare, and I am conducting research on them and how they respond to their environment. If this were any of sub-species, I would be hunting them myself." The Togrutan continued.

"I'd suggest you move your party to Felucia. While I am unsure of how close the planet is, I assure you that you'll have far greater luck, and far less opposition." She warned.

 

[Oreus]

As the dust began to clear it became obvious that no one was coming to blows yet. Kwanli found this both comforting and disturbing. Tension was high and he dared not take his iron sights off the large beast who made the easiest target from his distance. If something started, he would start there most likely. There was little need to get in a shouting match so he remained quiet as he watched the young Knight speak to their new friends. He could pick up some of what was being said from where he stood. Most important he did find it odd that this rare Acklay herd would be a target rather than the native Felucian Acklays on Felucia itself. Something wasn't right in this situation still.

Don't shoot them yet - he could hear his old master's voice from when Kwanli was a padawan two centuries ago. Peace may yet be possible. A Jedi is not a warrior first.

Sometimes he hated the voice. He knew it was right and there was no need to fire before the others attacked first. A lifetime of war had shaped the Wookiee into more warrior than monk despite the last 100 years of relative peace. The previous hundred years had been enough to set him in his ways. Inside he was a warrior trying to be a monkish Jedi still. The lure of the dark side never went away and he knew not to give in to the urges. He would be patient.

 

[Arcangel]

As the dust settled quicker than he anticipated, and the situation remained peaceful as of yet, Karshk felt it prudent to drop the concealment of his aura that had previously engaged his focus. Lacking a ranged weapon, he slowly approached the hunting group, hands near his weapons as he walked. Appraising the group he faced, his mind absorbed the details of the potential foes and filed them away for later use in the event of a battle breaking out between the two parties. A Zelosian woman of unknown potential, a four-armed monstrosity of a species he had never seen before, a Zabrak and a Human. The Human held in his hands a compound bow, drawn and prepared to loose. Karshk felt a sting of envy at the fine weapon, for hunting with such a weapon would require immense skill.

As he walked forward, Karshk let his mind and spirit slip into the current of the light side. He could feel the dark taint permeating off the four hunters. With a flick of his tongue he could almost smell the corrupting rot of the dark side in the air. An imperceptible shiver ran down his spine as he drew nearer, and the temptation to draw his sabers and cut down the abominations before him grew with each step. Suppressing this urge for violence, the Trandoshan Jedi let his mind continue its submersion in the light, the ebb and flow of the force swelling within him. Coming to a stop a few meters to the left of Vera, Karshk flicked his tongue, then began to speak.

“Peace huntersss, we need not come to blowsss over a matter thisss sssimple. You ssseek a trophy, but thessse beassstsss are hardly worth the effort. If you wish for a true challenge, you would hunt them on their native Felucia. Thessse offshootsss can hardly be consssidered worthy prey. What proof of skill would ssslaughtering Acklay on an open desert plain be? A true trophy would be better collected on Felucia, hunting the beassst in its native jungle where it isss at itsss prime.” Karshk hoped the Sith would see the wisdom in his words and depart, for if they were true hunters they would recognize that these Acklay were at a disadvantage and would not make worthy trophies. If they were stubborn however, Karshk was prepared for a fight, at one with the force and his hands hovering relatively near his lightsabers.

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo let his bow fall slightly and slack come to the string, indicating at least a momentary level of peacefulness. You want to study these animals, fine. I don't really care about these animals one way or another. But how about a deal? Something we'll all benefit from. We don't have time to waste traveling from planet to planet, but if you want to study these animals... I suppose I can appreciate your position. He paused a moment and then pointed slightly to his right and behind the Jedi with his right hand toward a massive rock structure a few miles away.

See those spires over there. The exceptionally tall ones. That's an arena. Gladiatorial and the like. Now, these Acklay you have here, inevitable came from that arena some time ago. Which means they've been replaced by new creatures. Believe me, the Geos like Acklays too much in their games not to ship new ones in. So here's my deal: you help us break into that arena and free the currently held Acklay. I'd wager there's, two, three, even four of them in there. They keep several on hand in case one dies in the fights. We get to take one and you lot get the rest for your study. It's a net gain for you allowing larger population tests which verifies your research and allows testing of Hardy-Weinberg and study of Mendelian Heritability of the desert survivability traits you're interested in. Plus we get what we came for. Everybody wins.

He paused a moment, If you're really serious about your research and not simply attempting to get in our way, it's a logical deal for you. And it's the most fair one that can be offered. He awaited their response, ever wary lest the "Jedi" turn out not to be as nice as they liked to claim. Hopefully they'd take the deal, everyone would win.

 

[Oreus]

The idea posed by the Sith to work together for all sides did have some good points to it. Kwanli didn't like the idea of helping them or even putting the tiniest motion of trust in them. His fellow Jedi naturally would look to him as the elder of the present group for some guidance here. The Wookiee disliked it but if conflict could be avoided it was best. Each day he lived he could help others and prepare to fight the enemy head on. For now he was content getting out of here without violence.

"We will go with this plan," he said after a moment, looking to the others to translate where necessary. "But we do so with caution and we will watch you closely."

So long as the Sith didn't pull off anything sneaky, the crew would work together to free the Acklay from the Arena. It was truly a win-win situation. Kwanli took all his inner strength to not attack the other party but he knew it was for the best that everyone was able to leave in one piece. Once the Sith got out the Jedi would need to leave as well. It would no longer be safe for them to remain and study these creatures. The time for knowledge was coming to pass for a time of combat.

 

[Phoenix]

Alright then. It was... not the situation he had envisioned, but it worked. He un-nocked the arrow and slid it back into its rack on the outside of the bow. It was one of the tensest alliances he'd ever been party to, but then, it was an improvement over being dead wasn't it? He wasn't the diplomatic type, but in this case it worked out all for the better so why not?

He kept his eyes wary of the Jedi and he imagined the other Sith would as well, but their little trip went off without a hitch before they headed back "home."

/thread