Ask Threshing Table

[Shaw Amaris]

Of course they had teeth. It just had to have teeth. Shaw wasn't convinced that this thing didn't eat meat, including the human variety. There was no way that something that big with teeth didn't like to chow down on some fresh meat. At least that was Shaw's logic. If it got its jollies from munching down on minerals, why was it swallowing up entire villages? Where were the people? Maybe they would find out when they reached the bottom.

Inside the hovercraft Shaw slipped the headlamp on but not before accidentally flipping it on and almost blinding himself. Their descent was slow. Painfully slow if you asked Shaw, Mindor's breathtaking sunset replaced by nothing but dirt and darkness. When they reached the bottom, it took Shaw a few seconds to work up the nerve to slide off the hovercraft.

"Whoa," he breathed out, looking around by the light of his headlamp. A subterranean passageway stretched on either side of them. It looked like one of Coruscant's subways, but instead of durasteel with design it was hollowed out of nothing but dirt and rock. "So this is how the worm gets around," Shaw said, voicing the obvious out loud. He looked over at Elidan. "Which way we goin?"

They had two options. Shaw knew which way he would go if he was a worm, but Elidan was the expert here. Whichever direction the knight chose, Shaw would fall in line, slinging one of the emergency packs over his shoulder. The soil was soaked along the passageway, puddling occasionally. Their boots sunk with every step. Please be water... Please be water... Shaw kept thinking to himself, loathing the alternative.

"Sooooo," he spoke up as they walked. "Any idea what these things are called or we got a working name?" Or they could just stick to big worm thing. That worked too. @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

Given how unstable the ground that surrounded the hole was, Elidan was forced to slowly pilot the hovercraft. Due to that, their descent into the darkness was even more terrifying. Only with the light of their headlamps, the two Jedi were able to see how the worms had carved through pieces of rock like they were nothing.

These animals were really powerful.

Elidan looked at Shaw out of the corner of his eye, wondering how the boy was feeling at the moment. The half-Annfyn was sure that he was scared, hell, even himself was scared with this entire situation. However, as he had said early, they needed to stay calm. As a Jedi, they would face worse situations than this one.

After all, Raze’s followers were still out there.

After a long descent, the hovercraft finally reached the bottom. Elidan jumped the vehicle first, noticing how his boots got soaked with something. Mucus. It explained how the worms could move so fast through these tunnels. Their bodies produced this substance that allowed them to slide without much effort.

It was as fascinating as it was gross.

While Shaw took courage to leave the vehicle, Elidan had retrieved his emergency pack and was now staring at a large tunnel in front of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching his surroundings through the Force. As a half-Annfyn, the Knight always had a good connection with nature, both fauna and flora.

He could feel it, all the small creatures slithering through the ground around them. However, they weren’t his focus. After some time, Elidan located it. A large presence in the Force, which seemed a bit distressed. He also felt smaller presences around it, but they were too weak for him to identify. “It’s at the end of this tunnel.” he signed, after having turned to look at Shaw. “But I felt something strange there. We need to be careful.”

They started to walk, their boots making splashing sounds with the mucus soaked ground. Elidan smiled a bit with Shaw's question, any distraction would be better than thinking in the oppressive feeling of being thousands of meters below the ground. “Locals call it as were-worms, but scientists named these animals as Megalolumbricinia minbariensis. A fancy name for giant worms from Mimbar.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Something strange? What did that mean? Shaw wasn't afraid to ask. He had a habit of saying whatever came to mind first. Something that often got him into trouble, but this time he didn't care. If he was going to just waltz right into some werewolf worm's lair he wanted to know what he was getting himself into. "What do you mean strange?" he asked, glancing over at the Jedi Knight.

Then his mind got busy conjuring up what a werewolf worm hybrid might look like. Would it be hairy or slimy? Would it howl at the full moon and travel in packs? Or would it be more of a lone were-worm? How would it reproduce? Okay, that was it. Ew. Enough conjuring. He had followed that line of thought far enough.

Deeper and deeper into the passageway they marched. Shaw had lost all track of time. He didn't know how far they had walked. Neither of them really said anything, just in case they should round a corner and come face to... worm face with the were-worm. The silence went unbroken until Shaw's boot sunk into a particularly deep puddle that came up to his knees. "Oh that's NASTY!" he cringed, making a face as the liquid soaked his pants. Great. Now he had to walk around with mystery liquid that he was hoping was water all over his pants.

That was when both Jedi would hear a noise. A distant rumble that grew louder as they both stood there with baited breath. It was coming from the passageway, from the direction they had just walked. Not from up ahead, where they already knew the were-worm was. That meant... "Is... that what I think it is?" Shaw swallowed. A second were-worm headed right for them. The entire tunnel began to shake. The teenager's mind raced. There were only two options that came to mind. Attempt to outrun the were-worm or dive under the mystery water at the last second and hope the creature passed over them. @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

Elidan turned to look at Shaw, his revelation probably left the Padawan concerned. However, he wasn’t sure if the explanation would be comforting. “I felt several smaller presences around the worm. Perhaps even thousands. They were faint, as if in some type of slumber. I can’t identify what they are, so we are going to be careful while approaching, okay?”

He hoped that it would be enough for Shaw to stay calm, but he wasn’t so sure. Even Elidan was feeling nervous in face of the unknown, but was maintaining it under control.

They continued walking through the tunnel, with the only sound being their feet splashing through the gross mixture of mucous and mud. Elidan was usually a silent Jedi, given his condition. However, from this short time that he met Shaw, the half-Annfyn already noticed that he didn’t seem to be the type of Padawan that remained a long time in silence.

Suddenly, he heard Shaw’s complaints. Elidan turned right on time to see that the Pdawan had sunk in a hole in the ground. “Are you fine?” he signed, before examining the boy in search of wounds and sighed in relief after finding nothing. Looking around, the Knight noticed that there were several holes where the mucus had accumulated. Some were so large that someone could fit inside them completely. “Let’s avoid those.” he said, before walking around a particularly large one.

Before they could continue, Elidan heard a loud rumble. “A were-worm.” he muttered, more a whisper than anything, but Shaw would be able to hear that the half-Annfyn had talked. With the Force, he was able to feel the creature approaching. It was coming so fast that he wasn’t going to be able to connect with it through the Force.

They weren’t going to escape running from it either.

He turned to look at the holes. It would be a pain to wash his hair later.

When the were-worm was close, Elidan screamed at Shaw. “Hold your breath and jump in the mucus, now!” there wasn’t even time for him to sign, with his voice being the fastest way to express what the boy should do in the short time that they had. The half-Annfyn would do exactly that, disappearing in a deep hole. Soon the large animal would pass over his head.

He prayed that Shaw did the same.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"That's what I was afraid it was," Shaw said, rooted to the spot. He stared down the passageway, back the way they had just come. Falling clods of dirt pelted the two Jedi as the tunnel continued to tremble violently, puddles swashing back and forth from the vibrations. A horrible whooshing sound grew closer. They had seconds until the were-worm was upon them. Seconds to make a decision. Seconds to wonder if these were their last.

The last thing Shaw would see in the light of his headlamp was a massive, moving silhouette skating across the left side of the tunnel, headed right toward them. Then he would take a deep breath and plunge beneath the puddle. That's when everything went dark. The dirt corridor quaked, the puddle where the two Jedi had taken their sanctuary swashing first one way and then the other, tossing them into the walls of the pool and into each other.

Seconds felt like minutes, and then just as suddenly as the were-worm had come it was gone. Shaw emerged from the puddle with a gasp, fingers clawing at the soil as he pulled himself up and out of the liquid. There was a horrible smell in the air. Shaw was soaked, covered head to toe in a light yellow goo that clung to his clothing.

"That is not water," he rasped. What was it that Elidan had called it? Mucus? The padawan couldn't even register yet that Elidan had actually spoken. "I—I think I'm gonna be sick," Shaw muttered before he doubled over and puked. @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

It took seconds for Shaw to follow him inside the hole. While it could perfectly fit the two of them, the fact that they were completely surrounded by mucus was disturbing. It was even worse when the were-worm passed over them. The rumble made the liquid get agitated, giving the impression that the two were inside a very gross washing machine.

He was certain that his elbow hit the Padawan’s back sometimes. He was really sorry about it.

When the animal went away, the half-Annfyn was the first to leave the hole. He was completely covered in the mucus. The good part was that it wasn’t toxic, with some scientists even saying that could be used to make some types of medicine. The bad part was that it smelled very bad. And the worst part, well, it would take a long time until Elidan was able to remove the stench from his long hair.

Perhaps he should have adopted a short haircut like the adult Jedi that took care of him in creche used to say.

While he shook his arms to remove some of the liquid, Shaw left the hole. Elidan immediately turned to look at the boy when he started vomiting. The half-Annfyn couldn’t blame him, it was really gross and the smell didn’t help. He approached the Padawan. “I can help you with the Force.”

If the Padawan allowed him, Elidan would place a hand on Shaw’s shoulder and use the Force to relieve him from the nausea. “Think in a good way, a good shower and you’ll be completely clean. Meanwhile, my hair will be smelling like that for months.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

The teenager shuddered, coughing out the words, "Bro—anything," in between heaves. Shaw was willing to try anything Elidan had up his sleeve. When the knight's hand slid over his shoulder, he tried to make a joke about holding his hair back too, but he just retched again. Something originating from Elidan's hand would spread through the teenager's body, and gradually the waves of nausea that had overtaken him began to ebb and wane.

The stench that hung in the air and clung to their clothing was still stomach churning, but its after effects were more manageable. "Thanks," Shaw would eventually say, leaning back against the tunnel wall to catch his breath. What he wouldn't give for a glass of fresh water and a hot shower right about now. One hand rested on his stomach, and he stared at the light yellow goo that webbed between his fingers on the other. "Dude, this stuff is nasty." He didn't envy Elidan the task of washing out his hair later. The older man did have some pretty sick locks, but this was just another reason to be thankful for his fade. Maybe one day he might grow his hair out, but this worm mucus was certainly no incentive.

That's when Shaw looked up. "Wait. Bruh— you spoke!" It had just dawned on the padawan.

Down the passageway all they had to do was follow the pools of fresh mucus the were-worm had left in its wake. It led them to a large underground chamber where something (one guess what) had been bedding down. Nestled into the bedding were round cocoons in different shades of red. Shaw peered in from outside in the passageway, both Jedi hiding behind a large rock that gave them a little bit of cover, and whispered, "Those things are as big as my head!" What were they? Babies? He had a feeling they were babies, and there had to be a hundred of them. @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

With Shaw's consent, Elidan put his hand on the Padawan’s shoulder. Then, he left the Force flow from himself to the boy, removing from him the nauseous sensation. “Done! You’ll start to feel better.” he said, before smiling at the younger Jedi. Unfortunately, his abilities couldn’t remove the stench from them.

“Yeah, but it isn’t toxic. Some scientists even say that you can do medicine out of it.” he said, trying to dismiss any fear that the Padawan could have about the substance. However, he couldn’t do much to stop the two from thinking how gross it all was.

Elidan blinked when Shaw told that he had spoken. “It seems so.” he smiled at the boy. Everything happened so fast that the half-Annfyn didn’t notice that it had happened. “Welcome to the small group of people with whom I can have a conversation.” these days there was so few of them that seeing it grow again made the Knight feel a warm feeling in his chest.

Now that the were-worm left, the two Jedi continued walking down the tunnel. The fresh trail of mucus left behind by it allowed them to find the right path without any trouble. They arrived in a large chamber with clear signals of the animals. “It’s a nesting chamber.” Elidan whispered, while guiding Shaw toward a large rock.

Indeed, the Knight could easily recognize the eggs of the worms lying in the ground. “These are eggs. The larvae are defenseless when they are born.” Elidan explained to the Padawan. “They don’t have teeth and need to eat the…” the half-Annfyn made a pause, trying to find a word that didn't make it sound as stupid as he thought. “feces of their parents.”

“There is another tunnel on the other side. I think that we should proceed.” before they could do anything, the ground started to shake again. However, this time it didn’t seem to be a were-worm.

Something else was coming.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Dude... I feel honored. Seriously," Shaw replied, and his face said everything else. He had been working under the impression that Elidan couldn't speak at all, so this was a big deal. Nothing like getting tossed around in a puddle of were-worm mucus to bring two guys together, huh? Back on his feet, the teenager raised a hand in solidarity to Elidan but thought to wipe the goop off on his pants before bringing the dap home. It didn't really work since his pants were also coated in the mucus. There was no getting away from it. Not until they could take a hot shower and change clothes. Nah, better to burn them on second thought.

Elidan really had a lot of knowledge about the were-worms bouncing around in his noggin. It would have been impressive if 90% of the facts that he spouted off weren't thoroughly disgusting. Shaw got the ick every time he learned something new. "Bruh. You're telling me they feed the sarlacc and their young at the same time?" The thought alone made him gag. Good thing Elidan had the same train of thought—get out of this place as quickly as possible. Shaw didn't want to be hanging around when all of those were-worm babies hatched out and started feeding. One traumatic experience a day was plenty.

Best laid plans of mice and Jedi and all that... A noise bounced off the walls of the tunnel opposite the Jedi. This time it was something with legs and feet. Instinctually the teenager ducked down, only peering out when he heard voices. "We've hit the jackpot this time!" the leader whistled, sliding off his mount and nudging one of the cocoons with his boot. "Just look at all of em. Radio the others. Tell em to— AY!" His boot struck the jaw of his mount. Blood splattered, and the cocoon the creature had been attempting to eat split in two. "Every time I turn my back! Filthy little—"

"They need to eat," a calmer voice interrupted, the creature's handler. She dismounted and ran a gentle hand along the creature's jawline. "How many times must I tell you? You've been pushing them too hard. Running them ragged for—"

The leader waved a dismissive hand, silencing her. "Yeah, yeah. Heard it before. They can eat Trenton for all I care when the job's over." He threw a thumb in the direction of one the other men. Trenton looked like he very much did care. "Now come on. Snap to it! We gotta get out of here before the creepy crawlies return."

Shaw glanced back at Elidan, waiting for orders. So far they had gone unnoticed. Whatever their next move was they would have the element of surprise. @LouJoVi

dice roll for hiding 18/20

 

[Elidan]

Elidan hid behind the rock with Shaw, with the sound getting closer at every second. At first, he couldn’t identify what it sounded like, with the sound being too far away even for his keen hearing. Slowly the sound of steps became discernible for the half-Annfyn.

Unless the were-worms developed legs, beings capable of walking were approaching the chamber.

The sound of voices revealed that there were people and Elidan immediately focused his hearing on them. Apparently, they seemed to be talking about the cocoons. However, why were a bunch of people interested in baby worms? Besides the possible healing properties of their mucus, there was nothing worthy of many credits.

The grotesque image of them wanting to sell the animals as some type of fancy food crossed his mind, making Elidan immediately feel nauseous. Would were-worm eggs be the new caviar?

It was repulsive.

While they were distracted talking with each other, the half–Annfyn turned to Shaw. “There are three of them, but I think that we can take them by surprise.” Elidan whispered. “By using the Force, we can knock down two of them. The last one needs to stay awake, so he’ll explain what is happening.”

After giving Shaw the instructions, Elidan gestured with his fingers a sequence of numbers. “Now.” he whispered to the boy, before jumping from behind the rock. His movements were being enhanced by the Force, allowing him to be faster. In a flash, he was in front of the men and used his telekinesis with the purpose of pushing one of them against a wall.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

By using the force? Uh oh. Shaw made a face. "Now might be a good time to tell you that I don't actually uhhh know how to use the force," Shaw whispered back. Was that something he should have mentioned earlier? Yeah, it probably was. At least they had the element of surprise on their side. That would be their—or maybe more accurately Shaw's—saving grace. Ready or not, the padawan wasn't going to let Elidan charge headfirst into battle all alone.

The poachers had their backs to the two Jedi when they attacked, one of them bent over trying to tug a were-worm egg from the bedding. He never knew what hit him, Elidan's concussive push hurling the man clear across the cavern and into the opposite wall. He slid down cartoon style, unconscious by the time he hit the ground. The leader—that was Shaw's target. Go big or go home, right? Actually he really would like to go home right about now. Or anywhere really that had a shower and a toothbrush.

Shaw's options were a lot more limited. He hadn't actually decided on an attack until he was inches away from the poacher. Lack of planning and forethought resulted in the simplest of the options at his disposal: a good old fashioned shove. Couldn't go wrong with the classics, right? He threw his shoulder into the man's back, propelling him forward into one of the eggs, tripping him up. Yep. Can't go wrong with the classics. Then Shaw whacked him over the head with his training lightsaber. No, not with the blade. With the hilt. It made a pretty decent club, all things considered. Better than a rug anyway.

Two down. Three to go! @LouJoVi

dice roll with advantage 18/20

 

[Elidan]

”Wait, what?” it was the only thing that Elidan could say because he was already jumping from behind the rock. Now the half-Annfyn couldn’t ask Shaw for a better explanation, he needed to capitalize on the surprise and bring down these people. At least his Force push had already made one of them fly away against a wall.

The half-Annfyn took a brief moment to look at Shaw, feeling relieved when he saw that the Padawan had successfully knocked down another of the criminals. Even if he wasn’t capable of using the Force, the boy was able to fend himself in this fight. And by the look of the guy that he defeated, he probably was the boss.

Elidan's suspicions seemed to be correct, because as soon as they saw their boss in the ground, they rushed back to their mounts. Before they could escape, the Knight used the Force to yank them out of the back of the animal, who continued running away as if nothing had happened.

“There are pieces of rope inside your bag. Can you bind these two?” Elidan told Shaw, before he turned his attention to the person that was trying to rise from the ground. He was a male human, who seemed to be dressed in some type of uniform. The half-Annfyn used to immobilize him, while he walked slowly toward him.

Most of the time, Elidan was a very nice and peaceful person. He rarely used his lightsaber and preferred to heal rather than fight. However, if there was something that he detested was seeing animals and children being hurt. After all, he nearly lobotomized a Trandoshan bounty hunter to save an orphan when he was Padawan.

He still regreted that, though. Nowadays his reactions were far more controled, but could still seem scary.

“Tell me, what are you doing here and who are you?” his voice was calm and cold, very different from earlier.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Nodding, Shaw stuck a hand into the supply back, trying not to think about all of the light yellow mucus all over the bag. At least the rope was dry. Pulling it out, he would tie the wrists of the two poachers Elidan had immobilized behind their backs. He was no knot expert, but he suspected it would hold. It wasn't hard to tie up two people already being restrained by the force after all. He would know because this was the second time that he had done this.

"You scared off our mounts," the woman spat, tossing her head back in defiance of Elidan. As if she were speaking to a child, she added, "How do you expect to get out of here now? That worm will be back any minute. This is its nest." She met his eye. "What are two Jedi doing down here anyway? Ain't no kyber crystals down here or don't you know? Nothing but worm poodoo."

"Maybe we oughta just tell them—" the one the leader had referred to as Trenton spoke up, but she shushed him.

"We're not telling them anything."

"I mean..." Trenton looked between Elidan and the handler. "Quicker we talk, quicker we can get outta here!" That just elicited a strong eye roll from the woman, but she didn't say anything. The look on her face said your neck. So Trenton continued, swallowing as he began, "We sell the eggs to an offworlder. Real silk stocking sort. He raises em or hatches em or whatever. Pays us a nice price, too. That's all I know! Honest!"

Shaw bought it, but then again what did he know? He looked over at Elidan to see if he thought the poacher was telling the truth. @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

Once Shaw tied the criminals, Elidan released his grip from over them. They didn’t seem dangerous, looking like any thug. Even the leader has the appearance of a thug, lacking any sense of ‘leadership’. There was also no honor between them, because they were already arguing with each other.

At least one of them decided to spill the beans. Elidan frowned when the man told them that they were stealing the eggs for someone outside of the planet. This could explain why the worms were furious, but still didn’t explain why they were targeting the villages. Unless…

“Are you hiding the eggs in the villages?” Elidan asked, now remembering that he saw that man in the village some days ago. Only that could explain why the worms were going after the human settlements. They had been following the tracks left by these idiots and trying to find their child.

Whatever the answer that they give to him, Elidan would turn to Shaw. “Let’s return to the hovercraft and return to the surface. We need to find the eggs and find a way to give them back to the parents.” then he turned back to the criminals. “And I want to know who is this offworlder to whom you sold them.” for now, they needed to leave.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Where else?" Trenton replied, hands fidgeting uncomfortably as the rope cut into his wrists. "But with those slimy things attacking above ground now, boss thought it best if we get one final load and—"

"Ugh." The animal handler threw her head back and groaned. "Would you shut up already or do you intend to fill them in on every little detail regarding your dating life too? How about what you had for lunch? Last time you fed the sarlacc?" Trenton looked thoroughly cowed, so she redirected her glare to Elidan. "Your hovercraft's in pieces, wizard. Bent in half at best. Or didn't you see that giant worm that slid through here a little bit?"

Shaw chewed on his lower lip. That worm had come from the same direction he and Elidan had walked from, so the odds that it hadn't destroyed their hovercraft? Probably pretty slim. He just hadn't thought of it until this moment. The mucus had distracted him. "What do we—" he started to ask Elidan, but it looked like the decision had been made for them. A rumbling from within the tunnel to the left that shook the entire cavern.

"It's coming!" Trenton squealed, blanching.

The animal handler tried to keep her cool, but her eyes darted between the Jedi and the direction of the sound. "Those mounts are our best bet. They'll answer my call. You wanna get out of here alive? You're going to need me."

The way Shaw saw it two paths lie before them—chasing down the mounts in the tunnel to the right or backtracking the way they had come and hoping the lift hadn't been damaged beyond operation. If Elidan knew of a third option, Shaw was open to it. He just wanted to move. That worm would be upon them any minute now, and he didn't imagine it would be happy to find them in its nest. @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

The woman was right, the hovercraft having been in the path of the were-worm. It was probably smashed when the animal came rushing. They would need to find another way to go to the surface. However, the half-Annfyn had no idea of how they were going to do that. He couldn’t even send a message asking for help, since there was no signal.

Elidan was going to say something, but a sudden rumbling coming from one of the tunnels made him close his mouth immediately. The worms were coming and very fast. Probably they were attracted by the smell of their eggs being crushed. Now they really needed to find a way back to the surface.

He stared at the woman, then back to Shaw. There would be no time for the mounts to arrive before the worms. It was even less improbable that they would reach the hovercraft before the angry parent came. Elidan took a deep breath, they had only one choice.

“Shaw, go after the mounts. It’s time to have a conversation with an angry parent.” Elidan said, while slowly walking toward the hole from where the rumbling was coming. This time he knew why they were angry, so the Knight could use it to establish a bond with the anime.

Closing his eyes and stretching his arm, the half-Annfyn focused in the presence of the animal. He focused on its rage, showing that they weren’t there to hurt it. He also showed that they would find their babies. Soon, the worm became overwhelmed with the Light Side of the Force. Elidan smiled when he felt that the animal was calming down.

But it was still coming.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Are you crazy??" Shaw started to ask when Elidan moved toward the direction of the incoming worm instead of away from it, quickly adding when he realized that that was totally disrespectful, "Uhhh sir. But seriously— I'm highkey freaking out right now. I don't think—"

It was the animal handler that spoke up and interrupted Shaw. "Do what he told you," she spat, jerking her head toward the right tunnel, where the mounts had run off. "Or you'll get us all killed. You want that, huh? They won't have gone far, not without me. So get!" Then she muttered something under her breath about, "When are these stupid wizards gonna learn not to bring literal children along..."

Against his better judgement, which he supposed should have been the first sign that it was the right decision, Shaw did as he was told and went after the mounts. He broke into a run, dodging eggs and ignoring the splatter of mucus as his shoes hit one puddle and then another. He tried not to look back, tried not to think about what might be happening with Elidan and the massive worm writhing its way towards him.

Eventually he caught up to the mounts. Their handler had been right. They hadn't gone far, huddled around a spilled egg and lapping it up with their long, forked tongues. "Ewwww," Shaw grimaced, which caught their attention. Before Shaw knew what was happening they were running toward him, and he was entreating, hands raised, "Easy now! Easy now! Please don't eat me... please don't eat me..."

Eyes squeezed shut, he would feel a long, rough tongue scrape the side of his face. And then another. And then another. Opening one eye, the mounts were licking all over him, tails... wagging? As if happy to see him? More like happy to taste him. The mucus. They liked the taste and the scent of the mucus he was covered head to toe in. At least it had come in handy for something. Fending them off as best he could, he would mount one, grab the reins of the others, and hightail it back toward Elidan. @LouJoVi

mount handling 20/20

 

[Elidan]

Elidan didn’t pay attention to Shaw’s voice, he had to focus on the worm. He was establishing a bond with the creature, calming it. The half-Annfyn had to work fast, because the animal was still coming with full speed toward them. If he wasn’t able to stop it soon, the Knight would end up being run over by it, which was probably a very stupid way to die.

Imagine in Elidan’s funeral, when the other Jedi ask how he died and people say that he was run over by a worm. It would be a stark contrast to everyone else that dies fighting the Sith. Although, it would be a fitting end for a mediocre Jedi like him. But he was being heroic too, by giving time for Shaw to find a way to escape.

With Shaw alive and finishing their mission, the half-Annfyn would die happy.

However, no one was going to die by being run over by a factory of mucus. As soon as the worm appeared in front of the hole, it stopped. Then, the animal slowly crawled to where Elidan was, touching his palm with its head. A smile appeared on the Knight’s lips, the creature understood that he wanted to help it. The rage was still there, but wasn’t focused on him.

He let go of the were-worm and stepped away, allowing it to nurse the eggs. If it wasn’t for all the mucus, Elidan would even say that it was tender how the animal gathered its offspring and curled protectively around them. Now he would leave them alone and find the Padawan.

They had more eggs to rescue.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw expected to find Elidan and the two poachers crushed beneath the weight of an enormous worm, flattened like a Saturday morning cartoon character. Panic and guilt had already set in when he rounded the corner, crossing the threshold into the nesting cavern. The teenager expected a bloodbath, a sight so grotesque that he would never be able to get it out of his head should he make it out of these tunnels alive. Instead he would find Elidan standing there, hand outstretched and palm touching the head of one of the were-worms like they were bonding.

It was a hideous creature, a large mouth crowded with teeth at the center of its face. If what it had could even be called a face. Around the mouth stretched fleshy appendages that would have almost looked like flower petals in full bloom if it wasn't for all of the mucus and crusty parts. Trenton was shaking in his boots, which was pretty much what Shaw was doing on the inside. The animal handler just looked amazed.

"Is... are we sure that thing isn't gonna attack?" Shaw whispered to Elidan, stretching a hand out to give Elidan the reins to a mount. He didn't want to get too close, just in case.

"Let's get out of Mos Eisley before we have to find out," the animal handler piped up, already on her feet and shimmying up the side of one of the mounts, hands still tied behind her back.

Nodding, Shaw pulled Trenton to his feet and helped him climb up, all while keeping an eye on the were-worm. Just in case. "What about them?" he asked Elidan, pointing to the two poachers that had been knocked unconscious. "Do we take them too?" He assumed the answer was yes. @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

When Elidan turned away from the worm, he saw Shaw and the poachers staring at him with amazement. The half-Annfyn had no idea of why they were looking at him this way, since doing a force bond with an animal was a very simple Jedi technique.He also didn’t know what to say.

Due to that, the Knight stared back at them in silence. His body immediately reacted in the way that it didn’t when faced with an awkward situation: blushing.

The half-Annfyn blushed with embarrassment. At least Shaw decided to start talking, which ended the awkwardness of the situation. “Yes. I was able to connect with it. Now they know that we want to help.” Elidan said, turning to look back at the were-worm. It was now covering the eggs with mucus to maintain them hydrated.

A really gross scene.

“But we should go. They can still be mad at the poachers because they smell like eggs.” Elidan turned back to the Padawan, leaving very clear to the criminals that they were still in trouble.

Elidan followed them toward the mounts, taking a moment to pet the bolotaur on its head. It wasn’t their fault if their owners used them to do terrible things. The half-Annfyn turned his attention away from them when he heard Shaw’s voice. “Of course, we aren’t leaving them behind. I think that the local authorities will be very happy in dealing with them.”

Once they mounted, the bolotaurs would enter in one of the tunnels and walk toward the surface.

@throwitintothefire