Ask Wasskah: It's In The Blood...

[Sybella Demici]

Wasskah, forest moon of Trandosha - 0241 hours
​

Arriving under the cover of darkness, Sybella had landed her ship within the confines of the moon's mountainous peaks; the rocky alcoves and dense cloud cover would conceal her craft well enough. Quickly (without much delay) the Jedi scaled down the perilious cliffs, jumping from one drop off to next - she wasted no time getting to ground. The jungle floor itself was thick and lush; trees, the size of skyscrapers, were so great they created a dense canopy. It took some time, but soon Sybella's kohl-coloured eyes accimlated to the low levels of light.

This mission was of the upmost importance. A Wookie padawan had gone missing; reports implied he had been taken, along with others of his species. The culprits were supposedly members of some illicit hunting ring. Transdoshans, to be more precise. If Sybella recalled correctly, the reptilian species seemed to relish the thrill preying on others; they were even known to embark on a hunting-related rites of passage. That particular piece of information unsettled her most of all...

Yet she wasn't alone. A Mandalorian by the name of @Kotii Solus would be joining her, as requested a senator representing the Wookie people. Sybella couldn't possibly refuse. She was, however, surprised. A Jedi and Mandalorian, working together? Admittedly, it wasn't completely uncommon; In the past, their people had been known to collaborate. That being said, they had also been known to go for each other's throats.

Such was the way of the Force, always working in mysterious ways.

Checking her chronometer once more, the Serennian waited - she had made it to the rendezvous location. As soon as she met up with with Kotii, they could begin their search for the missing Wookies. As she looked out over the expansive lands, Sybella couldn't help but be reminded of Yavin IV. Wasskah was very similar. It was a wild, almost primal place and its inhabitants flourished under one universal law: survival of the fittest.

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

Spoiler: Continued Theme

Dosh, the Trandoshan homeworld hung in the night sky. Light reflected off the planet's surface and provided some measure of illumination in the darkness of the hunter's moon. Normally people referred to Dosh as Trandosha, but Kotii already knew the Senator of Dosh on a personal level and wondered how Rrodossk would feel if he knew the Mandalorian was prowling one of his people's moons.

Black Hand had landed his non-descript ship, Pauper's Harvest in a growthy alcove that could fit the light freighter's bulk. It's computers and logs had limited data and were regularly maintained by and in addition to the smart AI suite integrated to its systems. The vessel would lock down and conserve power until Kotii's return.

The Solus was garbed in black robes and a matched body glove making only his dark grey armor plates stand out in semi-darkness. Only his new helmet had the colors of his clan painted on it in addition to a dozen orange stripes along the left crown. Furthermore, two golden claw marks were recently painted by Van'Aria from his top left brow to his left cheek. The sigil of the Mythosaur and Badger were on either shoulder respectively in addition to a patch of Rancor Squadron on his chest plate.

The Mandalorian knew the reputation of the Trandoshans and their home territory. They were hunters and additionally tracked dangerous game. Both hunter and prey were not to be underestimated and that went double for the Mandalorian as well. But the Echani offshoot was not alone as a Serennian Jedi Knight came into view.

Kotii kept his low light vision modes active and could see well in the darkness. So far he dared not use his jetboots or risk attracting attention. There were other things were low light and infrared vision or lacked eyes in the first place and could see by other means. For example, he was not confident his presence was unknown when he approached so he decided it was best to ease his way out of his covert position.

The Mandalorian exited the cover and came into clear view of the Jedi. He was not carrying a weapon in his hand yet but his sniper rifle was slung along his back. Weapon attachments were on his gauntlets along with other tools and devices of warfare were outfitted on the warrior's person. With a somewhat quiet tone, muffled partially by his own helmet he spoke to the Jedi. "Knight Demici? Kotii Solus." He brought a hand to his chest plate as he introduced himself officially, face to helmet. "I'm here to rescue a Wookiee."

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

Despite all that gear, all that armour, the Mandalorian was surprisingly silent. Whilst the jungle's ambient noise certainly helped to conceal much of his movements, Sybella was nonetheless impressed. This Solus fellow was no amateur; a fact which the Jedi could greatly appreciate. It meant that should things devolve into conflict (and she was almost certain they would), the warrior would -at least- be able to hold his own.

"Charmed, I'm sure. I must say, your reputation proceeds you." Lowering her veiled shawl, the knight greeted Kotii with a subtle nod. Unfortunately, it wasn't the time and place for formal pleasantries.

Still, Sybella couldn't help but acknowledge the importance of this momentous meeting. A Jedi and a Mandalorian, working together? The hunters didn't stand a chance.

Getting right to business, the lady Jedi (clad in hues of blue and red) produced a small, hand-held projector. Holographic images were then displayed in quick succession, following in correlation with her equally quick brief. "During a celebratory visit, Padawan Wallabecca and several relatives were abducted. Luckily, there were witnesses and they identified those responsible. Apparently, this isn't their first offence."

From the looks of the images, the padawan was still fairly young, no older than a child. Apparently, he had only recently been granted his new rank, hence the familial celebrations. Several mugshots of Trandoshans then followed; all criminals, with varying bounties.

"Many of our ranks, especially the young ones, have utility belts outfitted with precautionary trackers. The last location Wallabecca sent us was here, on this moon... Unfortunately, the signal went dead soon after." Deactivating the holograms, Sybella tried to mask her otherwise obvious concern. She knew it meant either one of two things. Either the tracker had become damaged, and could no longer function, or it had been discovered and then (consequently) disabled. Force willing, it was the former of the two possibilities.

Looking outwards, towards the jungle's great expanse, the Jedi felt rather daunted; the task of tracking in such terrain would not be easy, given the obvious disadvantage: this was the hunters' home turf. Who knew what lurked within the wilds of this moon?

"It's my understanding several of these hunters have bounties. You're more than welcome to claim them. Of course, Wallabecca's safety will be my top priority."

The sooner he was safe, the better. Bringing justice down upon those hunters? That would be a bonus.

Assuming Kotti was content in proceeding, Sybella would retrieve another gadget. At first glance, it looked like a rather archaic compass and, to a certain extent, it was. However, this particular variation was powered by a single kyber shard. In the past, the Jedi of old used such devices when divining for crystal caves. When near one of its brethren, the gem would cause the compass' mechanics to alter and shift, better directing the user towards the more potent deposits. Sybella had actually reworked the design herself, making the model smaller in size and thus easier to use. Knowing that Wallabecca had his lightsaber with him, the compass would surely react to the crystal core.

Despite the beliefs of many, the Force didn't work like magic. 'Sensing' for Wallabecca's signature was a feat far beyond the knight's ability; the planet was simply too vivacious, too abundant with life. Trying to find the padawan amongst it all would be near impossible, given the situation. For now, the compass was their best option; it could, at least, point them in the right direction.

After adjusting the gears, and factoring in her own sabers, Sybella marvelled at the device's rather anatomical response. It clicked and spun, before finally settling in a single direction. North. With a final nod to Kotii, the Jedi would move, following the direction of the compass and altering their path when it began to deviate. Moving as swiftly as a pair of nexu, it was only a matter of time until the two came across an encampment in the not-so-far distance.

Occupying a position on the ridge, Sybella determined they would need a closer look.

"Can you see anything from here?"

 

[Kotii Solus]

Kotii looked to the side at the comment Sybella made about his reputation. The Mandalorian had extensive history since he was pushing into his third decade, but his reputation varied in hues depending on who's perspective was retelling it. As Black Hand, he was an armored blaster slinger and bounty hunter that go the job done. As a Mandalorian he was an rebel, a coward and worse, a traitor to his people. As man, he was a father, freedom fighter and teacher to those in his community. But for the Jedi before him, he did not know precisely how she saw him. Kotii figured it must be a positive opinion otherwise she would not have requested his aid.

When the Jedi produced her holoprojector, Kotii gave another look around to make sure the ambient light from the device would not give away their position. They were safe for now and so he took a few steps closer to see more details as Sybella briefed him more. "How long ago did you last get a signal from their beacon?" How cold was the trail was what he was trying to ask with a slight Corellian accent. He had tracked down targets for a living and was good at what he did. It was a bit ironic to be using these skills developed as a hunter to help save someone but it felt good to try to make the galaxy a safer place.

The Badger began to look over the specific targets. He looked at the price on their heads, not because he wanted the money, but because it would indicate how much the Trandoshans had been charged with so far. Criminals operated under the radar so for every crime that they were charged with, who knew how many more counts of barbarity have they performed in secret.

If it worked out that Kotii took the bounties of the Trandoshans then so be it. But the Solus was not here for the credits. Slavery of any kind, the hunting of sentient beings for sport, these were damnable sins that deserved only death as a punishment. "The Wookiees come first." He replied simply with a nod, confirming he was prioritizing Wallabecca just as the Jedi Knight had.

The compass that Sybella presented looked like a strange work of technology. It looked like something old sailors would have used to cross oceans or belong in an inventor's workshop. The device certainly looked like it was different from anything the Mandalorian had ever seen. He could only cock an eyebrow and tilt his head to the side in curiosity until the Jedi Knight saw fit to explain what it was.

Without saying another word the device finished ticking and clicking. The pair headed out after the Wookiee and their captors, nary a trail left behind by the Mandalorian as he tried to move without a trace. The duo came within sight of a camp. Kotii could smell the makings of food along with an open fire somewhere. The sounds of reptilian barks and growls obviously belonged the Trandoshans moving around its interior.

Unslinging his Zok-10 sniper blaster, Black Hand sighted in with the scope on the guards. "There are definitely some of those bounties down there." He told Sybella without taking his eyes from the lense. The low light vision of the scope allowed him to see well in the darkness from a distance. "There's at least twenty Trandoshans." He gauged the hunting party's size by the size of the camp. There were roughly a dozen or so visible but chances were there were a handful out of sight. "I don't see any Wookiees." That was a good thing, he hoped. No pelts, no humanoid carcass roasting on a spit. "Shall we get closer?" He asked as he looked towards the Jedi, mostly to see if his cohort was ready to move up.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

Whilst it wasn't the news Sybella had hoped to hear, perhaps it was for the better. It meant the hunt had not yet started; with any luck, the Wookies were already out in the jungle, trying to gain some ground ahead of the Trandoshans. Sickening, the fact these lizardmen considered this sport.

One thing was for certain, however. The compass had led them here, which meant Wallabecca's lightsaber was most definitely somewhere in that camp.

Taking a moment to think, Sybella finally settled on a plan. Glancing down at the ground, she then looked to Kotii and asked, "Get closer, if you can and when I give the signal, cover me."

Cryptic as it may seem, the Jedi trusted the Mandalorian would catch on rather quickly to her ploy. Scaling down the ridge, Sybella wasted no time in breaching the perimeter of the Trandoshans' camp; it wasn't like they had set up defences to stop her. Why would they? As far as they were concerned, they were the apex of predators and the moon was their home territory; so hunters had little to fear. Perhaps that would explain their rather raucous mood. One in particular, green in colour, was waving around something Sybella instantly recognised. A lightsaber, small enough for a padawan.

Bristling, and without fear, Sybella called on the Force to steal it from him. Flying into the palm of her hand, she inspected the shaft all whilst stepping into view of the fire. Naturally, the reptilians were less than welcoming and within seconds, several weapons were trained on her.

"You gotta death wish or something, meat saaack? Walkin' ere like thisssss. Who da ya think you ar'?"

Looking thoroughly unimpressed, Sybella gave the camp one last cursory look. Indeed, no Wookies in sight. Perhaps a blessing in disguise, considering what was to come next. "One of the Wookies you took was a padawan of the Jedi Order. This is your one and only chance to make things right. You are to return him, and his kin, to me and surrender yourselves to the authorities."

There was silence. A tense and awful silence. Soon enough, however, the Trandoshans butchered it with their cackles. They laughed as if she had just told them a joke.

Flicking out his tapered tongue, the leader seemed less than impressed. "Or else what?"

Undeterred, Sybella met his gaze, steely-eyed as ever. "Or else you will face consequences most severe. Of that, I can assure you."

Once again, the chieftain chortled and then looked at his men as if in disbelief. "Ya hearing thisssss, boysss? Dis Jedi done lost their mind." Stalking forward, the Trandoshan soon towered over Sybella in a blatant attempt at intimidation; scoundrel even had the gall to take hold of the knight's jaw and give a mocking shake. "Take a look around, meat. You're outnumbered."

Now it was Sybella's turn to laugh, though there was no humour in its core. "Outnumbered, yes. But not outmatched."

With that, the Jedi drew her saber and in one swift sweep, she sliced the Trandoshan's offending arm clean off. Screams of agony filled the jungle's night but before taking any fire, Sybella ensured the fire of the camp was promptly doused. It wouldn't hinder the Trandoshans much, given their 20/20 nocturnal vision but she certainly hoped the sudden darkness would help Kotii and his sight.

 

[Kotii Solus]

Black Hand would give a nod silently. “You might want to keep some distance when things pop off. At least at first.” He cautioned, knowing that Jedi excelled at close quarters. It was more for her own safety than anything else. The Mandalorian was adept at stealth and knew he could close the distance without being noticed as long as he was careful. The sniper rifle he carried could have started picking the Trandoshans off at a good distance but he would only be able to kill six at most before they started coming after him with their long range hunting weapons.

As the Jedi moved into the undergrowth so too would the armored form of the Solus. The Mandalorian took care in his steps and movement so as to not alert the Trandoshan camp. Their sense of smell was sharp and their vision in the dark did not require a power source like his visor did.

Their senses of smell was strong and a the Trandoshan’s night vision was reliant on infrared radiation. The Mandalorian tapped the controls on his wrist to switch from infrared to low-light vision. The sniper rifle would remain slung along his back. The weapon was not practical for close quarters combat. Instead, the man pulled out the first of three grenades he would prepare to throw.

Hefting a G-20 glop grenade in his cybernetic left hand, the man wished he still had his magna-gloves. They would have made guiding the devices into position easier. But in this case his throwing arm would have to do.

In his right hand the Mandalorian pulled out a smoke grenade, tossing it only a few centimeters in the air before letting it fall back down into his as he tested the weight. By now Sybella had begun to approach those in the camp.

Kotii could not help but smile as he heard the Jedi Knights words. She had guts and style to match. Sensing the moment was nigh, he threw the Merr-Sonn manufactured glop grenade into the center of a group of reptilian hunters. The device would activate at the feet of six Trandoshans standing together in a ten meter diameter area. Kotii had seen fit to set it to trigger on impact because he was already throwing the smoke grenade just within range of the glop grenade’s sticky area of effect.

With an explosive hiss the glop grenade expelled its contents of adhesive foam that would harden to the likeness of duracrete. Even the strong Trandoshans struggled and realized they were not going anywhere until they dealt with the substance.

The smoke from the other grenade dispersed in an area that obscured any vision that required direct line of sight. The smell of the chemical smoke would mask the scent of the Jedi and the Mandalorian, making it difficult for hunters in and around the cloud of obfuscating gas that was impossible to see through at night. Even in infrared it would appear as a hard to penetrate cloud.

Two grenades was not enough. Kotii pulled out a concussion grenade and a stun gas grenade. He lobbed both of them through the dark night sky, landing among the glop grenade before it fully hardened. The stun gas grenade would burst its stunning gas in an even larger twenty four meter diameter area. The whole camp would essentially be filled in a semi-transparent mist. Betting that the Trandoshans did not wear rebreathers or masks to better use their sense of smell, most of them would begin to feel its effects immediately.

Last but not least, amid the smoke, the gas and glop was a resounding explosion that would deafen the Trandoshans near the center of the other grenades. The camp would be sufficiently weakened in the initial attack. He drew the twin pulse wave pistols on both hands and began moving into the camp. His helmet's filter would allow him to deal with the stun gas's affects and the smoke while the Trandoshan's coughed and began falling to their knees if they were not on the ground already. Hopefully Sybella had heeded his warning and was not breathing in any of the stun gas or suffered the other grenades' effects.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

With the entire camp plunged into chaos, Sybella was quick to make herself scarce.
Using the Force to aid her, she jumped up and into the canopies of the trees. From her high advantage she sat, watching as the carnage began to unfold, and (honestly) she was quite impressed. The Mandalorians had made rather short work of the Trandoshan encampment; he was methodical in his assault, using a variety of weapons and tools to simultaneously confuse, stun and conquer a number of enemies. Whilst the Jedi debated in offering a helping hand, she ultimately decided that placing herself out of the way was more than helpful enough.

The sight, whilst splendid to behold, was also quite sobering. Given their prowess in battle, and their purchase for combat, it was little wonder Mandalorians were able to rival Jedi so well.

As the fighting itself started to simmer, the knight looked out once more from her advantage point to scan the rest of the expansive jungle. Walabecca was still out there, as were the rest of the Wookies. Were they safe, she wondered? Though it seemed a majority of the hunters were situated there in the camp, she couldn't know for certain if indeed that was all of them. Had some Trandoshans already moved out, to get a head start? Sybella needed answers.

Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath, all whilst interlacing her fingers with that of the vines on the tree. She wanted to try something - she wanted to see if the plants could 'talk'. In theory, it seemed quite plausible. The Order's archives stated that, on more than one occasion, a Jedi had used the Force to commune with nature; admittedly, that one particular master had belonged to the Neti species but that was beside the point. The possibility alone was enough for Sybella. Opening herself up, both to the Force and the forest, she reached out and spoke.

The jungle's response, however, was loud. Incredibly loud. It was as if every living thing was speaking at once, yelling in a cacophony of sound. Sybella had no choice but to sever the connection. She should have known better than to attempt such a feat; the jungle planet was like a living entity; it would not be swayed so easily, not by a single, mere Jedi knight.

Grunting at her apparent failure, Sybella punched at the trunk of the tree, her head then falling back in pure dejection. There she saw them. A flock of curious convors, perched overhead. The birds were quite beautiful and they resembled a species similar to that of regal owls; they apparently also had an affinity to the Force. If the jungle wouldn't help, perhaps its animals could offer aid instead.

"Hello there, my fine, feathered friends." Reaching out to offer her arm, one the convors was happy to accept it as a new perch. With a gentle touch, Sybella marveled at the exquisteness of its feathers. "I'm looking for some friends. Wookies. Have you seen any in the area?"

There was a chrip. And the Jedi (surprisingly) understood. "You have? Show us, please."

The flock took flight and, not wanting to lose sight of them, Sybella jumped on to a series of branches, calling to Kotii below. "Mister Mandalorian! The game is afoot! Think you can keep up?"

She would have explained more, but the convors were surprisingly quick; she had to move quickly in order to stay within range of her new found, avian allies. In the trees, the badger would see how agile the Jedi could be, moving from one great tree to the next. When the jungle thinned out into a clearing, Sybella abandoned her position and jumped down, rejoining Kotii on the ground below. There was a rumbling of sorts, the source of which was soon made clear; in front of the pair was a giant waterfall.

Looking confused, the knight looked upwards once again, towards the circling convors, "I don't understand...If the Wookies were here, where are they now?"

The ground was wet from the misting of the waters. Upon closer inspection, one could see a distinctive trail of prints. Some belonged to Wookies, some did not. There was also a great amount of disturbance in the soil, almost as if a scuffle had taken place. There were scraps of fur trodden into the dirt; also in view were small traces of blood. Not a concerning amount, it was still rather fresh.

Spoiler

Dice roll:
Plant surge: 8/20
Animal friendship: 18/20

 

[Kotii Solus]

Kotii was not a stranger to warfare, to violence or brutality. Partially obscured by the smoke from his grenade, the Mandalorian walked through the camp raising both pistols in turn and firing the pulse wave weapons. They were archaic but were devastating to anyone within their optimal range. Kotii fired one blaster bolt onto the chests and heads of each Trandoshan still standin. Without hesitation, and without so much as having one of them raise a weapon in defense, one after another as they tried to rally from the barrage of explosions and the effects of the grenades.

A stray blaster bolt was squeezed off from one reptilian slaver as his life was cut short by Black Hand. A hissing cry for help was silenced as their life was blasted out of their skul. The Trandoshans were normally the hunters and would have made dangerous enemies to face but Kotii had caught them with their guard down and hit them with both surprise and overwhelming force. A few of the Badger’s nefarious victims were armored to a degree and for them, Kotii simply fired into them twice.

The tips of his dual pistols smoked slightly as their muzzles were heated from repeated firing. The two weapons were not empty yet but were sufficiently depleted. Kotii would reload later but for now he stood still, surrounded by a score of corpses and a handful of unconscious bodies. Most of the occupants of the camp had tried their best to respond to the threat. Only three of the Trandoshans caught in the glop grenade had succumbed to the stun gas grenade before they could warrant a blaster bolt to the face. This was perfect for Kotii since he wanted someone to interrogate.

Hopefully the Jedi was not squeamish. Reiel Crowholde knew the badger and if she were here she would remember how he had acted on Pzob. That was the day he had saved Hauron from smugglers that moonlighted as slavers. The information he had extracted from those criminals had led to the destruction of the Zyggerian Royal Palace and the death of one of their monarchs. Maybe something similar would happen here for Trandosha.

The Jedi Knight seemed to have listened and backed off. She was somewhere in the wood, keeping an eye but seeming to commune with nature. The Mandalorian flicked through his visor modes just to make sure he could keep tabs on her in the event she suddenly disappeared or was attacked. She would have to learn not to take it personally if the Echani-Offshoot just slunk into the shadows without a word.

The smoke would disperse but the smell of carnage would waft off the bodies. Holes from wounds would cool and the settling of disturbed objects would happen as Kotii stepped over the non-sticky surface towards the Trandoshan prisoners. They both were unceremoniously stun cuffed and then spartan kicked in the chest since they had fallen asleep standing up. Both would fall back one after another and onto the ground, flailing their bound hands until they each let out a respective grunt.

“I have just captured you alive and I can give you a quick death before this battle can be considered over if you tell me which way the Wookiees went.” Every Tranodshan that Kotii had met so far believed in the Score Keeper and aimed to gain Jagannath points. To be captured alive was to be the greatest shame of their people. “...if I or my Jedi associate feel your lying I’ll maim you so you’ll live the rest of your life you'll wish you were a neutered tadpole.” The pistol in his right hand was holstered smoothly and in the same motion he pulled out his vibroblade from its sheath. “Pleasssse, we’ll tell you! We’ll tell you, pleassse.” Kotii stayed stoicly silent as he stared at the prone bodies of the two Trandoshans. One of them began describing their hunting patterns and where they had last seen the Jedi.

The two hunters were continuing to give him information when he heard Sybella’s voice call out to him. Kotii looked after her to see which way she was heading. It seemed she had managed to divine a new heading. Kotii turned back towards the Trandoshans “Sssoo–”

*PEWWPEWW*

The muzzle of the pulse wave pistol in the Mandalorian raised hand discharged twice, once into each of the Trandoshans, killing them swiftly. Stepping up to them, he unclasped the stun cuffs and returned them to his belt. Lastly, turning from their bodies he scooped up the dropped padawan lightsaber and clipped it to his belt before taking off after Sybella.

The man was forced to break into a run and even use a burst of his jetboots to get around the tangled territory and to catch up. Once he knew he was close enough he would keep his side arm out but finger off the trigger. The Trandoshan had said that was their entire hunting party. But there could be other parties still in the area. Plus the now dead slavers could have been lying.

“The waterfall makes it hard for things to be heard from a distance. The water hides their scent and it would make tracking them harder. It’s not bad as far as hiding places go.” He whispered and nodded in the point of interest’s direction. “One of the Trandoshans said they knew the Wookiees were over this way and were going to start hunting at first light. How do you want to proceed?” They did not have to worry about the encampment that had been left behind. There were no survivors.

Spoiler: Dice Rolls

Interrogation:
Rolled 2d20 + 2 and picked the highest of the two rolls since Kotii is both a level 2 and just barraged the crap out of them. (advantage)
result: 15 & 16
Total: 18

 

[Sybella Demici]

The waterfall was a colossal one; its dark, cascading waters moved like liquid shadows. Its roar was a deafening one and spectral mists rose from its depths, shrouding the area in an ethereal haze. Casting her gaze over the imposing edge of the cliff, Sybella admittedly could not quite gauge its bottomless plunge. Haunting whispers rode on the winds that swept through the ancient trees; given the nature of this planet, it was actually rather unsettling.

Weighing up on the options, Sybella chose the most direct course of action. Looking at Kotii, she nodded at the great expanse below. "Let's go find those Wookies..."

With that, the Jedi launched herself over the edge. She didn't want to waste any time, trying to find a more amicable; scaling down its side would also have needed time. Sybella didn't have the gear for that, but she did have the Force. Spreading out her hands, the Jedi cushioned her fall as if by magic. Her descent slowed until her teeth touched safely upon the sodden ground; the plumes of mist also dispersed, giving @Kotii Solus a direct line of sight as to where to land, should he choose to use his jet pack or grappling hook. If the mood had struck her, Sybella might have launched him over the cliff with her but she did not know the Mandalorian well-known to pull such a jape.

Looking around, the Jedi searched for signs of life. "Wallabecca? Wallabecca, can you hear me?"

Chances were slim, given the thunderous crashing of water. With a parting of the hands, the waters of the fall began to separate, dividing down the middle until a clear path was made. It was as she suspected; the torrent had cut a great crevice into the rocks. It was narrow, but nestled in its confines were several pairs of sentient eyes. The Wookies. They instinctively growled at her, bearing sticks and rocks, but the smallest amongst dashed forward almost immediately.

“Rrrruuuurrr! Rhawk-arrgh, rrrooaarrgghh!”

The youngling clung to Sybella, and she would have returned the gesture, had she not needed to maintain her focus. Thankfully, the rest of the Wookies seemed reassured and extracted themselves from the crevice. There were about eight of them in total; they looked rather ragged, but none the worse for wear. It would seem Sybella and Kotii had arrived just in time, thank the Force. The mission wasn't over yet, however; they needed to get off this damn, forsaken moon. The Jedi didn't have enough space in her starfighter...

Looking to the Mandalorian, she wondered aloud their next course of action. "They need a ship; I noticed a couple of Trandoshans transports when flying in. We could help the Wookies commandeer one and then, when they're safe, we will...?"

Sybella trailed off, taking note of Wallabecca's apparent fixation. The padawan was staring at Kotii with a mixture of emotions. There was confusion, yes, but also a sense of amazement; being a tinkerer himself, the Wookie was immediately drawn in the sheer amount of gear on the Mandalorian's person. Grenades and a SB-17 combat fusion cutter? The man was like a walking armoury.

"Wallabeca...it's rude to stare."

 

[Kotii Solus]

The Mandalorian looked towards his Jedi counter part and nodded at her words before she leapt over the edge. The man thought a moment about her using the Force to simply move him with her mind. But for now is seemed early on in their relationship to expect such a thing. Perhaps with time and practice they would be more in sync.

The badger fired the ascension gun attachment onto a secure point which gave a his as it triggered. The more heavily armored Kotii followed Sybella before coming to a quiet and gentle stop beside her. He unhitching the anchor point of the attachment before it rapidly began to wind back into the spool's housing.

Water pummeled the surface of the shallow pool and rocks with what was probably dozens of kilograms of pressure. The Mandalorian walked beside the Jedi as she called out for the Wookiee padawan. He watched from behind his visor as she seemed to easily part the falling waters as if it were a clear curtain.

Kotii half expected a beast or a hunting party of Trandoshans would be on the other side of the waterfall. But instead to their pleasant surprise it was the Wookiees they were looking for. The echani-offshoot was still working on their Shyriiwook but he could gather the gist of what was being said.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder, ever aware of the danger that might be sneaking up behind them. But there was nothing beyond the cave mouth so far. Turning back he caught Sebella and Wallabecca looking his way. "We can take my ship. It's a modified AMS-8500 light freighter so there should be room enough for everyone." His visor panned to look at the adult Wookiees since he assumed some of them would be able to understand his galactic standard basic. "I could also go get the Pauper's Harvest and bring it here. It might be safer than taking everyone there through the jungle." Kotii settled his gaze on Sebella since she was the one he had arrived with. The Wookiees had been trapped on the moon for some time already and may be privy to local dangers. If they were not up for traveling by foot, he did not want to force them.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Sybella Demici]

If Sybella didn't know any better, she might have thought Kotii was a little disappointed. Maybe she should have used the Force to aid his descent. The Mando might have actually liked it, but there was always another chance, next time round. Turning her gaze to assess the band of Wookies, Sybella could see many of them were not in the best of conditions. Though there was strength in numbers, travelling through the jungle (with so many in tow) could also make the group ideal targets for any remaining hunters. Wallabecca looked especially tired. It had, after all, been days since their last sighting.

"Let's do that then. Head back to your ship and bring it here. The sooner we get them off-world, the sooner we can-"

Stopping mid-sentence, the Jedi became aware of something. Multiple pairs of glowing red eyes were watching them from the edge of the forest. They weren't natural, however. One might expect eye-shine from predators, but the trio of luminescent orbs seemed almost...artificial. It came as no surprise when three animatronic hounds stepped into view. K-9 model hunting droids. Being absent of life, there was no way to sense their approach. How clever. Sybella never would have expected the Trandoshans to use such mechanical monsters. They certainly had their advantages though; the bionic beasts didn't need to rest, nor did they require food or drink. Programming alone dictated their movements and their sole purpose (at that moment) was to hunt down prey. Sybella, Kotii and the rest of the Wookies were that prey.

Yelling over the raging of the waters, Sybella motioned for the others to flee. "The cave! Get back to the cave!"

The droids were like no other she had encountered before. Their frames resembled fearsome canines, bristling with sharp and deadly appendages. Without hesitation, they lunged toward Sybella with lightning speed, their joints whirring and servos straining as they closed the distance between them. Activating one of her sabers, the Jedi deflected the droids' initial onslaught of laser blasts. The K-9 droids, however, were relentless. They moved with calculated efficiency, utilizing their superior speed and agility to their advantage. Their razor-sharp claws slashed through the air, testing Sybella's defences. Each time she managed to dodge or parry, they adapted and adjusted their strategy, probing for weaknesses.

When one tried to dash behind her and chase down the retreating Wookies, Sybella rounded and used the Force to halt its movements. The damn thing dug in its claw, using its grip on the ground to resist her pull. With her back momentarily turned, one of the remaining droids charged; it collided with the Jedi with such power, it sent her sprawling to the ground. Sybella groaned, but she didn't have time for much else before the metal beast tried to latch its jaw onto her ankle. The grip was insanely strong, and though she tried to repeatedly kick herself free, the droid continued unencumbered.

It was trying to drag her off, towards the underbrush. Towards its nearby masters, perhaps?

Spoiler

How many hunting droids - 3

 

[Kotii Solus]

The chin of Black Hand's helmet raised, beginning to nod but turned to the side sharply so that its wearer could catch the danger approaching in his periphery. He was not force sensitive, but a certain amount of experience had told him something was closing in on them. The Mandalorian did not have time to hand off one of his weapons to the wookiees. Instead he drew both of his pulse wave pistols and took a half step back away from the curtain of water that was all that separated the canid-droids.

Underneath his helmet, Kotii's face contorted into an expression of aggression as he felt his will to fight burn hot. The Solus Mandalorian was backed into a corner with his Jedi partner and their Wookiee companions. The badger pointed the muzzles of both sidearms but held his fire until the quadrepedal trackers got closer. The nature of his weapons meant they had significant damage falloff past ten meters.

Normally Kotii might have reservations about killing a dog or other living being. But the droids were vicious machines and were just a facimile of life as far as the marksman cared. But it would not matter since when they dashed to close the distance he would fire at them in rapid succession.

The warped image of the waterfall led to the first two bolts missing his first target. Its clawed feet scrapping the wet cave floor where it landed before it pounced again. Mid air the head of the K-9 droid would burst into a blasted cloud of metal and circuitry. The momentum still carried the machine into Kotii's lower torso. While small, the neutralized tracking automaton was still heavier than an organic beast of the same size. The Mandalorian let out a grunt as he was sent falling onto his butt and one of his blaster went skidding behind him towards the feet of the wookiees.

Laying on the ground, Kotii was in a bad spot to help Sybella who was being dragged away towards the mouth of the cave. Kotii's visor saw the other K-9 unit, no longer being slowed by the Jedi it maliciously barked a threatening robotic noise in an effort to intimidate its prey. "Hey!" He shouted to get its attention. The red photoreceptors turned to look at the Mandalorian and give a warped vocabulated growl in response. At this distance the blaster pistol would be enough to punch through and kill the droid in one shot. But the man fired twice, puncturing two holes in its side.

"RRGggraawwwrr! Grrwrruwa! Grrwrruwa rwuuhk!"

Wallabecca shouted and pointed from the back of the cave towards the K-9 machine dragging Sybella. "I know! Sorry in advance!" Kotii replied through gritted teeth. One other aspect of his blasters was they lacked a stun setting. Which meant he did not want to fire at the canine droid without risking Sybella's well being. So instead he brought his left arm to bear in the direction of both his prone Jedi companion and the small vicious hunting droid. Using a series of hand motions he activated the gauntleted function that mimicked that of a force-weilder by sending a non-lethal repuslor blast towards its target.

The small machine could not hope to hold onto Sybella and maintain its grip on the cave floor despite its claws. It was sent tumbling out past the waterfall. Sybella on the other hand would roll a shorter distance and stop from going beyond the waterfall. Kotii threw his blaster to the other palm with practiced ease and fired his wrist rocket on his other firearm. The warhead rocketed from the cave mouth, splashing through the water and flying out the other side to detonate in the ground beside the last remaining droid. A plum of water, mud, metal and rock was sent into the air from the partially submerge explosion.

As far as he could tell there were no other threats in the immediate area. "Knight Demici. Are you alright?" He asked her first before turning to look towards the Wookiees. "Is anybody hurt?" They gave an 'okay' series of growls and rumbles. The Jedi and him seemed to have gotten the worst of it.

@HoneyMagpie

Spoiler: Dice

Barely a success 38/100

 

[Sybella Demici]

Groaning, Sybella sat up and tried to wave off the first of Kotii’s concern, “I’m alive. That’s good enough…”

Attempting to stand, the Jedi would then feel a searing pain in her ankle. Leaning against wall, she almost collapsed finding that she couldn’t even tolerate bearing even the slightest of pressure. Wallabecca let out a cry of distress. He saw the true extent of the damage before anyone else. That K-9 menace had shredded a good portion of Sybella’s ankle. The flesh, badly torn, was barely able to cover the ligaments and bone; blood was also seeping out at an alarming rate. If left completely untreated, the whole foot could vert well be lost.

Knowing this, Sybella acted quickly, cursing her luck. Gritting her teeth, she would lower herself to the ground once more in order to better inspect afflicted area. “It’s fine, Wallabecca. Nothing I can’t handle…”

She was, of course, trying to placate the youngling. Looking then at the badger, her expression became more stoic. He was a warrior and likely he had seen injuries of severity. With that in mind, he would hopefully then be more willing to accept her next request. “Leave me. I might only slow you down…”

Overhearing this, Wallabecca tried to protest, clutching onto Kotii’s waist with a furious shake of the head. “Rwwww! Grrrrafffffffffgrrr!”

“Padawan, this is not up for debate.” Sybella spoke sternly, all whilst attempting to make an improvised tourniquet from a strip of her robes. “If I am to heal, I will need time. Time we do not have... Follow the Mandalorian and get to safety - I will catch up, if I can.”

Closing her eyes now, the knight tried to focus. Healing wasn’t an area of expertise for her, but she had learnt enough to manage. Healing others always came easier to Sybella than healing her own wounds. Apparently, that particular caveat was quite common. Taking a deep breath, Sybella allowed the Force to flow through her and extended her hands towards the injured ankle, palms facing the wound. Gently, and ever so carefully, the knight began to channel the Force, directing it towards the area with the most amount of broken flesh. The process would not be a quick one, and that in itself made Sybella worry.

“You and the others should leave soon, Mando. Those K-9 droids might have had tracking capability. The whole area might now be compromised…”

Spoiler

Healing ankle - 15/20

 

[Kotii Solus]

"Osik!" Kotii's pale complexion grimaced at the sight of Sybella's injury. It was clear the Solus was concerned about her wellbeing. He was no stranger to bloodshed, but it did not make him any happier that it had happened to the Jedi. She was a comrade and the arkanian offshoot was not going to leave her behind either. When she tried to stand he moved to catch her and dissuade her from rising again. He said the obvious, "You're not going anywhere, not anytime soon."

The Mandalorian gazed at the grizzly wound, trying to think of how he could help her. His first aid skill was limited and so were his supplies. His visor turned towards Wallabecca as she pleaded for his help but Sybella drew his attention again. Kotii looked at the Knight, debating how to proceed in his own mind. It was quick but just as fast, he pulled the blaster from his right hip and spun it around so the grip was pointed towards one of the Wookiee prisoners. Next he unslung his Zok-10 blaster and handed it over to another. He handed over ammunition for both. "Make your shots count." They seemed familiar enough even though they were not bowcasters.

Turning away from the slightly more well armed Wookiees than before, the Mandalorian was a bit surprised by what he saw. The Jedi began to heal herself. It was slight at first but the Hunter could swear he saw the flesh repairing itself.

The badger listened to the words of the Knight but was not going to disagree. Instead he produced a commlink from one of his numerous pouches and called his ship. Pauper's harvest had a S3 AI onboard which more or less functioned as an astromech droid. The ship had enough power to send and receive transmissions still. "Black Hand to Pauper's Harvest, I'm sending you my coordinates. Come as quickly and as quietly as possible." It would take the ship a minute to fly to them but that was fine by Kotii. He was aware of the dangers the dogs possessed which was why he was making his present choice.

The young Wookiee padawan was happy to hear Kotii was not going to leave the Jedi behind. Together they all had a fighting chance. The Solus's mind was made up just like the Knight's was. "Guess you're stuck with me." At least this way she would have plenty of time to heal herself and be protected at the same time.


@HoneyMagpie

Spoiler: Dice

success 59/100

 

[Sybella Demici]

Choosing to focus on her breathing, Sybella continued to assess her wound and its steady rate of healing. Underlying layers of tissue were still very much exposed, revealing the torn muscles and tendons beneath; blood had trickled profusely from the wound, forming a dark, crimson pool on the ground. The Force, responding to Sybella’s beckon, began weaving its mending energies through the damaged tissue. First, the flow of crimson visibly slowed, as if the damaged vessels were constricted and sealed. The torn muscles and tendons also started to knit together, guided by the gentle touch of the Force. Raw edges of rendered flesh finally aligned, drawing closer with each passing moment. A sheen of sweat soon formed upon Sybella’s brow, her concentration in conflict with the pain still present.

Wallabecca watched all this, his features still touched with visible trepidation. Sybella, wanting to comfort him, beckoned the Wookie closer and offered a reassuring pat on the head.“Fear not, young Padawan. Everything will be fine...” With that she passed him his recovered lightsaber, much to the child’s relief and delight. “Remember, the Force is with us.”

She hoped to see him and the others reach safety. Imagine her exasperation then when Kotii armed them instead, intent on fortifying their position. It clear she vehemently disapproved of this course of action. “Force,” she muttered, shaking her head, “spare me the stubbornness of warriors.”

Nevertheless, the Jedi smiled. At least she knew for certain the Wookies were safe. If they ventured off into the jungle, who knew what else they might encounter. Strength in numbers, and all that jazz. Turning attention back towards her wound, Sybella found a good portion of it healed. It was viable enough now that she could stand and apply some pressure. The sooner she was one her feet, the better.

Catching the tail end of Kotii’s commands via transport, Sybella offered the Mandalorian a quizzical look. “Pauper’s Harvest? An interesting name. Mine was named the Medea.”

It wasn’t anything fancy. At best, it was a scout freighter ship. It wasn’t the fanciest of vessels but it did the job. Anything more extravagant and Sybella would likely draw more attention, especially when visiting worlds less scrupulous in nature. Look at Kotii’s personal arsenal, she could only imagine to what extent his ship would measure up.

Limping towards the mouth of the crevice, the Jedi’s eyes narrowed. There was visible movement out there, though she couldn’t quite determine its exact nature. Signalling for silence, Sybella slipped herself into the body of water, submerging herself low enough so that she could pass under the torrent of water. Resurfacing, only enough for her eyes to break water, the Jedi observed something curious. It appeared to be a droid of some sorts, capable of aerial movements. A probe. It was scanning the area, even inspecting the remnants of one of the K-9 units. With her suspicions confirmed, Sybella submerged herself once more, rejoining Kotii and the Wookies.

“It would appear they have eyes in the sky. Prepare for company…”

 

[Kotii Solus]

"hm." The Mandalorian murmured a sound of amusement at hearing Sybella's protest and call him stubborn. It was his stubbornness that was defying the tenacity of their attackers. Badgers prided themselves on their determination and the man could not help but grin slightly at seeing her smile.

Kotii thought his naming was clever if not a bit optimistic. "Was?" He replied curiously since she had used the past tense about her ship. Maybe she had lost it. "Why did you name it that?" He assumed she was the one that picked it.

Amazingly the woman was able to stand on her leg and what's more she moved towards the mouth of the cave despite her injuries. Kotii was impressed by the woman's own stubbornness and her will to endure. When she came back he looked back towards the curtain of water that separated the cave from the outside world.

"I'll fly out there, draw their fire and try to get behind them. After I've got their attention they'll try to move on the cave probably and be bottlenecked." He pointed towards the relatively narrow cave mouth. It would be more dangerous for the Jedi, Padawan and Wookiee prisoners to leave the cave and go into open ground.

Brandishing his only remaining blaster pistol, Kotii made sure he prepared for the enemy he was about to face. Taking a deep breath he ran towards the cave of the mouth and activated his jetboots. Like a beskar torpedo, the man launched out of the waterfall and into the air. The hurtling badger course corrected and was making a b-line for the flying probe which appeared to be a lone blackhawk security droid. It let out a robotic sqwuak and tried to retreat, likely to sound the alarm and report but it would get dismantled by a direct pulsewave bolt.

Half a dozen blaster bolts fired from the treeline. The Trandoshans and their K-9 units growled, barked and hissed from their previously hidden locations but they were all hungry to sink their teeth into some prey. The Mandalorian continued to fly over the position and outflank the Trandoshans just as planned. Soon his body was lost from sight as he dipped below the canopy. his jetboots diactivated and allowed the soles of his boots to rest on a large treebranch while he used his free hand to stabalize himself. "Where isss hee?" "Did you hit him?" The voices of the reptilian poachers echoed and tried to coordinate. "Move on the cave. Take the Jedi and the wookiees. Sssave the peltsss."

@HoneyMagpie

Spoiler: dice

successful mandalorian manuever
50/100

 

[Sybella Demici]

Sybella’s ship (the Medea) had been been a gift given to her at the behest of her parents. Though the heiress had forsaken much of her privilege, she had accepted this one particular luxury; the logistics alone made it worth considering. It certainly came in handy, especially in terms of transport. The name, however, was not the most germane.

“It’s a long story…” Though cryptic in nature, Sybella followed the statement up with a fleeting promise, “If we survive this, perhaps I’ll tell it to you all about it”.

Finding merit in Kotii’s plan, the Jedi would nod; though she would’ve met the hunters head on, out in the open, Wallabecca and the others would be the ones most at risk. Literal walking targets. At least with their backs against the rocks, they knew nothing could sneak up on them. Instead, the Mandalorian would be one doing the flanking - they could wear their adversaries down on both sides.

“Do it. We’ll hold the line the best we can here...” With that, the armoured warrior vanished passed the waters, leaving Sybella and the Wookies with nothing else to do but ready themselves.

As the turbulent water cascaded down the cliff face, the air quickly became thick with mist; the sound of a weapon could be heard, likely Kotii dispatching the probe. Soon enough, the Trandoshans began to breach the cave. They were towering in height, with their scaly reptilian hides now wet from the water. Sybella took the frontal position and so was the first to be encircled; their eyes gleamed with malicious intent but the Jedi remained resolute. Armed with jagged vibroblades and deadly energy weapons, they approach their prey with predatory grins; their toothy maws promised nothing but pain and death.

With a deep breath, Sybella centred herself and felt once more for the Force. She then ignited one of her lightsabers just as the first Trandoshan lunged at her; evading the lizard man, the Jedi’s swift movements would soon mirror the dance of the falling droplets. Yet despite her skills, the Trandoshans were relentless in their assault. They worked in tandem, attempting to exploit any opening in her defenses. Claws slashed at her, cutting at her upper arms and straining legs; the spilling of blood seemed to excite them but their primitive lust blinded them to the dangers that stood behind Sybella.

With growls of outrage, the Wookies (armed by Kotii) opened fire on their ancestral foes; those without weapons had grabbed clusters of rocks and began hurtling them as well. A couple of Trandoshans were hit by the blaster bolts, causing them to fall back dead in the water. Those who survived snarled and hissed, easing back until they were once more out of sight.

Several of the Wookies hollered in triumph but Sybella knew it was too soon to celebrate. “It’s not over! Not - GRENADE!”

As she feared, the hunters decided to fight dirty. A stun grenade had been thrown into the cave, through the water. It detonated almost instantly, leaving little time for any to react; the best Sybella could do was throw herself over young Wallabecca in hopes of shielding him from the worse of it. A blinding light filled the cave, momentarily blinding many within. The loud explosion that followed also robbed Sybella and the Wookies of their hearing; only an irritating ringing persisted after. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Trandoshans breached the cave once more and found only Wallabecca in a fit enough state to defy them.

Locking his knees, the padawan bared his teeth with his saber drawn, at the ready.

Spoiler

defending the cave = Dice = 3/20

 

[Kotii Solus]

Spoiler: Music

On the forest floor, clawing their way over the moon's undergrowth were four Trandoshans. Their eyes darted about, trying to find the Mandalorian that had flown over head. "Maybe he rrran away." One of them said. "Have you ever heard of a Mandalorian running from a fight? Go afterrr the Jedi! Move!" One of them was clearly the wisest by making the comment and the leader, or at least the most threatening since the scaly squad of would-be wookiee-hunters continued to approach the waterfall.

The badger was about to prove the pack-leader correct. His hand freed a thermal detonator from his belt and set it to detonate on impact. Several K-9 units ran at the sides of the Trandoshans, ready to move and engage the Wookiees once the breach had begun. The crested pack-leader of the Trandoshans kept his eyes towards the trees and for good reason. By the time the hunting party made it out into the open a small explosive sphere was flying through the foliage. This unfortunately did not stop the front line of hunters throwing their own concussion grenade inside the cave and moving inside to fight the Wookiees and Jedi.

Two of the doglike battle droids were instantly vaporized by the thermal detonators fearsome explosive power. The blast disintegrated two Trandoshans and caused one of the other Trandoshans to go flying with severe injuries to the sides of their body closest to the explosion. The crested leader however managed to dive out of the way just in the nick of time.

Bursting from the tree line at canopy height, Black Hand outstretched one arm and pointed it at the muddied Trandoshan. Without hesitation he fired his second wrist rocket of the day at the poacher on all fours. The reptilian eyes of Kotii's enemy widened and with surprising reflexes, he evaded the warhead. However, not so fortunately for the Trandoshan hunter, the missile detonated and shredded his left side down to the bone in a violent fiery blast.

Not wasting a moment, the Mandalorian continued his traversal over the hunting formation. The two remaining able bodied Trandoshans and lone droid-dog hesitated in their breach maneuver long enough for one of them to take a pulse-wave blast to the head. A lucky shot from the last standing Trandoshan impacted Kotii's chestplate and sent him spinning slightly off-course with a grimace hidden by his helmet.

Too close to the ground, Kotii dropped into the river in front of the cave's mouth with a splash. He scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could but his blaster had fallen into the water. Not even wasting his breath on a curse, Kotii brought his other gauntlet up and braced for the repulsor's recoil. The dog-droid dashed through the water on all fours, its machine brain hungry to sink its synthetic teeth into the Mandalorian's skin. But the man had other plans and sent the quadruped back into its master. The heavy metallic body of the K-9 unit flew into the Trandoshan, knocking the wind out of him and sending him into the mouth of the cave on his back. His head smacked the hard rocky ground and knocked him out instantly. His tongue hung out of one side while their eyes rolled into the back of their head.

Getting up from the half-kneel with a grunt, Kotii eventually found his blaster a few feet away. Staggering out of the water he made his way into the cave to find the Wookiees and Sybella safe. The blaster mark on his chest plate had cooled but the skin underneath would hurt for weeks probably unless he got some bacta. It was a minor injury and the echani-offshoot had survived far worse.

A few minutes would pass and the familiar sound of the Pauper's Harvest's engines would rumble over the terrain. The ground was littered with dead Trandoshans and marked with the signs of battle but the Wookiees, Jedi and Mandalorian had survived. "Let's get the kark off this moon, shall we?" He said and ushered the former prisoners towards the light freighter. Some of the Wookiees approached the bodies of the Trandoshans and took weapons or just to kick their corpses as they passed by. Black Hand walked with Sybella and made sure she had a shoulder to lean on if she needed it.

@HoneyMagpie

Spoiler: Dice

4 trandoshans