Of Stars and Savannah

[Allu'rah Danan]

Akira was shaking by the time the speeder stopped. Elliot probably didn't feel the small tremors produced by her quivering frame, or didn't notice, but that she let him just carry her on board the ship was indication enough of how drained and exhausted she was. She had to admire the man. She didn't think he was strong enough to run along side her all through the night while carrying such a pack, nor did she know how he was still able to keep going, and carry her as well.

The gel in the bed did catch the Togruta off guard. While she wanted nothing more than to sleep, the sensation of this substance piqued her curiosity. It felt similar to thick mud, except it adhered to itself better. And it molded to her every curve, aiding in the alleviation of pain in her aching joints and muscles. As she sat up, she watched the perfect impression of her hand in the surface slowly reform and smooth into a flat, unblemished plane once more. How intriguing.

Akira flinched at the sudden motion of Elliot flinging away his food ration and expressing his displeasure as he rose and left the room. Even though he found it unsatisfactory, it still seemed to be edible, and the gnawing hunger in the Togruta's stomach was to a point where each growl was painful. Picking it up from where it had fallen by her dusty feet, she nibbled on a corner of the ration cube. It did taste pretty awful, not unlike that bar she had tasted when first sneaking into their camp. But it was full of protein, and she was dying for sustenance. Akira looked up as Elliot came back into the room and shoved what was left of the ration into her mouth. She suppressed a gag, and forced herself to swallow the mostly unchewed hunk of protein. She coughed as she felt it moving painfully down her esophagus to her stomach. When she recovered, Akira looked at Elliot like a guilty puppy, fearing his disapproval.

 

[Ender]

Elliot stood in the door way with a cup full of tap caf, staring for a moment. Then he cocked an eyebrow and sat down in the nearest chair. "Don't look so guilty." he told her, crossing his legs and sipping his tapcaf, the brownish-black liquid washed down the taste of the ration cube and he pulled out a mint after finishing it. "So....mind telling me what happened down there?" he asked the Togruta coldly.

 

[Allu'rah Danan]

The look of guilt didn't diminish in the slightest. On the contrary, at Elliot's inquiry, it darkened and intensified. "Hunting when I find your trail," Akira explained, her eyes downcast. "I lead the hunt. But I decide to follow the tracks and let the others hunt. My actions kill a Ven. So when you leave, Zhane passes judgment. He takes away everything, my right to hunt, to lead, to leave the village. It is ideal to be one with the community, but if not, to be honored. Better to run away than live disgraced. Where better to run than beyond Ven's reach? I know you can get me there. So I run to you." She pulled her knees up underneath her chin and wrapped her arms around them. Blinking back a few tears and sniffing loudly, she still couldn't look him in the eye as she said in a hoarse voice, "Ven is not my home now. It is my prison. You helped me, so now it is a prison for you too. I am sorry."