Ask Kalee Plight of Kalee

[Severus Creed]

Kalee was home to the great Kaleesh warriors, one of which made history a little over a century ago during the Clone Wars. General Grievous had used cybernetic upgrades and implants which probably made him a devastating foe to face on the battlefield. Luckily, Severus was not here to fight Kaleesh warriors. He was here to assist in supplying resources to the people to earn their respect and loyalty. It was a relatively simple mission, but the beast they were to hunt was the mighty Mumuu.

Severus didn't know who he was working with, but hopefully they were competent enough to keep up with him. The Acolyte was dying to get his promotion to Champion, and something like this might just do the job. For now, however, Severus could only wait by his ship for the arrival of his companion. Mumuu were a ravenous species that were not to be taken lightly, so they needed to devise a quick and decisive plan.

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

As Zactar slowly descended through the Kaleesh atmosphere, he realized that he knew very little about Kalee and it's people. All he knew was that they were proud warriors and that a Clone Wars-era general was one of them. Who or what these people were made no difference to him. He was a devout follower of the Sith way - a zealot - and he knew that whatever people were waiting on the surface for him, they would benefit from following the Sith way or remaining submissive to their empire. He wondered who would be joining him for this humanitarian effort as he prepared his ship to dock with the flips of a few switches in the cockpit.

With the hiss of a sealed door, Zack hopped down from the ship's cabin and took a deep breath - swirling and tasting the air as he always did when he landed on a new planet. This was his first mission in quite some time, and he was equal parts anxious and excited. With a quick scan around the docking pad, he saw a young looking man who he assumed might be the Sith partner he was expecting. With a distant wave, Zactar made his way over to the lad before offering a light bow and greeting:

"Hello, I'm Zactar. Are you also here to assist the Kaleesh with food and resources? I've heard we could do so quickly with the kill of a single beast."

@Charles

 

[Severus Creed]

When the Sith Champon arrived, Severus was reminded of his own personal strength. Severus may have been at the rank of Acolyte, be he knew he was more than that. There was a potential he had unlocked on Mustafar that gave him a burning desire to rise up in the Empire. Zactar would never know the feeling of being restrained as Severus did- and that reason alone was going to make today a long day.

"Greetings, Zactar. Our prey is a tusked Mumuu. A few hunters have shown me where one of them grazes in the planes." His mask altered his voice to sound much deeper and digitized. With that, he began to lead his companion towards the open planes. The grass was tall and yellow, reaching to just below Severus' chest. Maybe they could use the grass to their advantage to ambush the beast they sought after. "Keep your eyes open and stay silent. I do not feel like partaking in a wild goose chase today."

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

With a polite gesture, Zactar motioned for the young Sith to lead the way since he had already completed some general reconnaissance. As they walked, Zack casually looked over his companion's armor and enjoyed the modifications he could see made to the standard Senshi helmet. As a fellow mechanic and tinkerer, he always enjoyed seeing other people's work whether cosmetic or otherwise. Even though he was unable to see the man's face, he could feel the strength and determination radiating off him - could feel the masked individual size him up silently. No matter though; the days of Sith infighting were in the past. If they wanted to forge a stronger Empire, they would have to do it together.

"I'm glad to hear you've met with the hunters already. And trust me, I've no interest in wild goose chases at my age," he said with a chuckle and a quite rasp of his knuckles onto his duraplast chest piece. "I think it might be beneficial if one of us were able to lead the mumuu to the other, where we could pin it between us, unless you have other ideas. Oh and before I forget, what is your name?"

As they got closer to the overgrown plains of their quarry, Zack hunkered down into the grass to keep out of plain sight and gestured to the commlink on his bracer once he was sure the Acolyte was looking in his direction. He pulled his saber hilt from his belt and held it unignited below the grassline, waiting for their next move.

@Charles

 

[Severus Creed]

Zactar was already two steps ahead of the Acolyte. Cornering the beast was probably their best option as of yet. Severus, too, dropped into a low crouch, but did not activate his saber. Zactar was older and probably slower, and Severus had been in shape for a while now. Zactar Hakka was a peculiar man- especially for a Sith. He was oddly polite and patient, not the stereotypical edgy brooding types with too much anxiety. If his blade wasn't red, Severus might've mistaken him for a Jedi.

"Good plan. I will chase it towards you. Aim for it's legs and ankles. If we can slow it down, we can finish it off quicker." Severus said through his helmet's integrated comlink. Then, the Acolyte had begun the prowl, keeping a low profile as he scouted out the terrain to find any sight of a Mumuu. It was either the giant land beast, or a water predator, and Severus didn't have the greatest experiences when it came to the water. The land was where he was most comfortable and where he would stay.

"And you may call me, Severus Creed."

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

Zactar felt a small measure of relief as his Sith companion confirmed their plan. He was more than mobile even at his age - especially with the Force empowering him - but he was at the age that he preferred not to exert himself if not necessary. He could likely keep up with his younger companion but would feel doubly as sore the next day and take longer to recover from such forays. Such was the life of a Sith who joined the Empire a bit late and devoted much of his time to scholarly pursuits. Unfortunately the mystery of Sith alchemy and magic was still lost on him, but he would only learn what he sought by traveling and making connections.

Into the commlink on his gauntlet, he spoke, "Aye, I'll make my first attack at its legs and follow up with a burst of Lightning to hopefully seize its muscles and give us an opening. It is a pleasure to hunt with you, Severus."

Zack slowly crept through the grass, maneuvering himself nearer the bottom of a cliff face to give the Sith hunters a natural wall to their advantage, before whispering into his commlink an update of his position. As he waited for a signal from Severus, he squinted and peered out across the tops of the grassy plains, searching for any sign of their quarry. Zack knew the sun's light would hinder his vision or play tricks on him. He methodically slowed his breathing and closed his eyes, reaching out to his surroundings with the Force. Between the thuds of his heart beats, he felt two large presences off in the distance and quickly brought his commlink to his face.

"I feel the presence of two large creatures. I don't know if they are the mumuu we seek, but they are about 300-no, about 400 meters east of here." he said, setting his footing to prepare to launch himself when needed.

@Charles

 

[Severus Creed]

Severus saw exactly what his companion had sensed. The giant tusked predators were feasting on the corpse of something much bigger. This was going to be hard. Mumuu were huge and aggressive, which was not the best combo as far as hunting them went. Severus was going to have to play this just right if they were to leave with at least one of the beasts heads. So, he made sure to stay low and made sure he was moving downwind towards the Mumuu so they wouldn't smell him coming.

"I'm in position. Give the order when you're ready- I'll try to steer them to you. Stay hidden even when you attack. These things don't need two distractions." Severus warned when he got close enough to them that he would be able to easily get their attention.

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

Zactar sensed the slight movements of his companion and internally praised him for moving downwind; it would be necessary if they wanted to surprise their quarry, which they definitely did. Facing such large, deadly opponents after they’re already aggressive would be foolish, and it would be nearly as foolish to lead them in a chase in their natural habitat. At least the Sith would have the opportunity to take down two beasts for the locals if one of them happened to get away. Zack exhaled a deep breath, tightened his grip around his saber hilt, and focused his mind on the field between him and his quarry.

“Ready. Make your move.”

@Charles

 

[Severus Creed]

When Severus heard the order, he quickly took action, keeping a low profile while he darted towards the two. When was close enough, he ignited his blue lightsaber, grabbing the attention of both of the Mumuu. He stood tall and stared down the two beasts which began stomping and roaring angrily. They both were ready to charge, Severus could sense it. When the first one bolted towards Severus, he leaped over it using the Force and prepared for the second one to charge, dodge to the side with ease.

Then, when he was sure he had their undivided attention, he began running in the direction of Zactar. Hopefully he was ready, because Severus was not keen on being trampled. The two beasts chased after the Acolyte, gaining on him gradually. If he hadn't been using the Force to augment his speed, he would've been Mumuu fodder by now.

"This is going to be close!"

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

Zack had been curious about Severus since they'd met and the ignition of his blue saber only further piqued his interests. As the chase began, Zack chuckled quietly at the large dust cloud forming, thankful to be on this end of the chase. Even from this distance, the mumuu were intimidating beasts and it was immediately understandable why hunting these creatures was legendary even beyond the Kaleesh. His companion's speed was also quite impressive, surely empowered by the Force, he thought. Waiting motionless in the tall grass, Zactar kept a keen sense of their approach through the Force. His timing had to be perfect if he were to disable a mumuu while also not injuring his companion.

"You've got this. Almost there..."

Every massive hoofbeat that pounded the ground echoed Zactar's growing heartbeat as his internalized anger bled through his mind and strengthened him for combat. He found himself involuntarily grinding his teeth; could feel sweat start to bead on his forehead as his rage consumed him. Through his senses, he could feel them a hundred meters out...
Fifty...
Twenty...
Now.

As the hum of Severus's blue lightsaber undulated past him, Zactar sprang to action, the dark side fueling his movements. Between the Acolyte and the beasts, Zactar slid across his armored knees, spinning his red lightsaber across the leading mumuu's front legs. Since there were two of these titans, their plan of attack may have to change slightly. Now to the side of the leading mumuu after his sliding maneuver, Zactar launched a cone of Force Lightning at it from behind with a roar, impacting across it's legs and underside. Zack planted himself to launch into chase should his initial attacks not immobilize the first mumuu or get it's attention.

"Watch the second one! I only hit the first," he exclaimed into his gauntlet's commlink.

@Charles

 

[Severus Creed]

Severus' heart raced as he swore he could feel the giant beast breathing down his neck. Zactar's first attack worked like a charm and the Acolyte felt bad for thinking so little of him before. He wasn't a Sith Champion for nothing. But, Severus was more concerned with the tusked predator stampeding right behind Severus. It didn't take long for the black-haired man to think of something, however.

In one quick movement, Severus lunged backwards into the air, poising his lightsaber down upon the Mumuu that passed by below him dragging the saber through the beast's back. But when Severus landed, expecting the beast to fall, the Mumuu whirled around and snorted. The attack must not have gone in deep enough as now the Mumuu only seemed to be more agitated than before.

"Bull fighting isn't my forte." He retorted into his commlink before preparing himself for the inevitable. The Mumuu charged and when Severus tried evading it, the beast read his moves and rammed into his side, sending the Acolyte flying a few feet in the air. Severus gasped for and heaved himself back on his feet to face the beast. "Okay...Now I'm pissed off..." He snarled.

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

Planted firmly into the Kaleesian soil, Zack marveled as Severus flipped through the air and solidly struck the second mumuu all the while. Quite an acrobat, he thought to himself. With the other mumuu distracted entirely, this was his chance to pounce. As the mumuu recovered from his initial blows, Zactar charged in with his saber aimed at the beast's chest. The lightsaber forms Zactar had studied and perfected were mostly based on humanoid opponents. He had perfected Makashi, seeing it as the most elegant and deadly form of combat. He also adopted Shien/Djem So to further aid in his dueling style, but neither form had prepared him for a wild, aggravated beast whose only instinct was survival.

His straightforward attack landed him on the unpleasant end of a mumuu tusk, breaking through the duraplast armor on his ribcage and nearly into his lungs. He gasped in pain, unfortunately through the commlink - "AaaHHH!!!" - before landing sloppily on his back. He was out of shape and out of practice. This experience would prove that more than anything.

"Ahh, but bullfighting is only a game of deception," he laughed with a grimace, equal parts fun and advice, before flipping himself back onto his feet and readying himself.

Initially hurling toward his mumuu's right side, Zack stopped and shifted direction as soon as his foot touched the ground, spinning clockwise to now attack its left side. His crimson blade pierced the beast's thick hide along its side, earning an agonizing wail out of the mumuu. The creature stomped around to face its adversary, grunting and pounding the grass laden soil, roaring to prepare for a charge.

@Charles

 

[Severus Creed]

When the Mumuu charged a second time, Severus wasn't going to move at all and instead began gathering the Force within him. This was going to be proof of his strength. He was no lowly Acolyte- Severus Creed was a Sith and deserved to be treated among the higher ranks of the Empire. The Force continued to swarm inside him as the beast pressed forward, and Severus finally let it out just mere inches from becoming gored by the Mumuu. It was a powerful blast of raw Force power that stopped the tusked predator and toppled it over on it's back.

"Now we're equal." Severus muttered as he simply walked over to the dazed and disorientated Mumuu, his blue lightsaber glistening at his side. When the beast got up on it's feet, Severus slashed his blade across it's throat before plunging his saber just above the Mumuu's shoulder where it would puncture lungs and hopefully the heart. The animal stomped and gagging on it's own blood before limply falling on it's side.

"I have greatly deceived my bull. How are you fairing with yours?" Severus turned to look out the progress Zactar had made.

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

Zactar was surprised by Severus's immense control of the Force, watching as he toppled the beast while charging at him with all its strength. Somewhat inspired, Zack readied himself against the mumuu he had injured, pulling his saber to his cheek and readying himself for a counterattack. As the beast charged, Zactar feinted right before spinning on his feet and attacking to the left, slicing across its side as it charged him. The mighty beast skidded across the plain's grasses with a groan before stopping, breathing heavily as the red lightsaber blade of Zactar plunged through the center of its skull and ended any semblance of sentience the creature had remaining.

"Deceived and dead," Zactar snickered, unigniting his lighstaber and fastening it to his belt.

With both hands extended to the corpse he'd created, Zactar reached out with the force and telekinetically lifted the body of the mumuu with slight effort. With telekinesis being one of the fundamentals of Force training, he'd figure the Acolyte had mastered the craft enough to hopefully carry the corpses back near their ships for easier transportation.

"Would you mind leading the way to the tribes? I haven't met them yet."

@Charles

 

[Severus Creed]

Severus did as Zactar had, using the Force to carry the corpse of the large beast he had slain. "Yes, I can lead the way back." Severus gave a small nod and then began the journey back to the settlement the Acolyte had been to earlier. This was a good day for Severus. He felt like he finally proved himself to the Sith- and he had a witness to prove it further. Zactar was not the stereotypical murder-bot that most Sith sort of gave into. The refinement the man had given him strength.

When they arrived back in the Kaleesh settlement, they were greeted with congratulations and praise. Severus dropped the beast on the doorstep of the hunter that had given the Acolyte all the knowledge they could on the Mumuu. The Hunter gave both Sith a nod of approval and began cutting into the beast, tearing off it's hide. After he finished with his work, the Hunter gave both Sith a large bundle of the highly resistant hide.

"Champion Hakka, it was a pleasure." Severus gave the man a quick bow before walking off with his newly won Mumuu hide towards his shuttle. The Acolyte could almost sense a promotion...

[/Exit Thread]

@Burpee

 

[Zactar Hakka]

Zactar followed Severus to the Kaleesh settlement, floating mumuu corpse leading his entrance. He reveled in their praise and gratitude, conveying to the people he'd met that the Sith Empire was stronger than ever and able to assist their world as long as we had their loyalty. Among the tribes was a young male Kaleesh who seemed excited about the Sith before him. Opening his senses to the Force, Zack could feel some semblance of sensitivity in the child and crouched to speak to him.

"You look like quite the warrior, little one! How would you like building something like this?" he said with a smile as he detached his saber hilt from his belt and ignited it safely to their side in demonstration before unigniting it and reattaching it to his belt.

"The Sith could teach you many things...including how to take down a fully grown mumuu by yourself." he added with a slight nod towards the corpses he and Severus had brought that were now being skinned and butchered. The Kaleesh child bounced with excitement and spewed forth questions as Zactar scanned the crowds for any elders that might claim the young one to no avail. "Come with me, child. Korriban has greater purpose for you." Zack added, holding his hand out as an offer, which the Kaleesh anxiously accepted. With a new companion in tow, Zactar acquired the hide of his mumuu with a reverent bow toward the butcher for his work. As Severus bid him farewell, Zack waved.

"The pleasure was mine, Champion Creed." he said with a grin. "Never forget, your anger is a tool. Unleash it when needed and stow it when done."

After his Kaleesh companion gathered what meager belongings they owned from a nearby hut, Zactar led them to his BNG Y-Wing, stowing the mumuu hide and leading the child aboard. He took a look back across the planet, taking it in for his memory. He wouldn't soon forget his bout with the dangerous mumuu or his curious Sith companion who was surely not long for the rank of Acolyte, as he had proven during their hunt. With himself and the young one strapped in, Zactar flicked through his ship's navcomputer, setting course for Korriban to drop off his charge at the Sith Academy.

[/Fin]

@Charles