Ask Kalee Old Friends and New... Friends?

[Arla]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

It had been a while since Arla had been back to Kalee, and from what she could tell, the Empire hadn't been doing much here in recent days. As a "backwater" planet, it wasn't likely to draw much attention, but even so, Arla found herself glad that her official departure from the Sith should mean she wasn't too terribly bothered by anyone when she tried to land.

She had spent the last several days among the tribes that she had met during her time as the Sith, working to build up an alliance with them once again but this time for a more independent type of operation.

They had troubles of their own, still. A group of their hunters had gone missing in the jungles without so much as a word. Evidence had been found of blasterfire and perhaps a large animal that had trampled through the area, but little else. In hopes of gaining some good will, Arla had agreed to head out and track the danger herself, but even as she moved through the jungles now, she couldn't help the feeling that she wasn't alone out here. She thought she sensed someone else who was strong in the Force.

She made a mental note to stay wary as she pressed onward, finally bending down when she reached the scene of the slaughter and death to examine what evidence remained.

 

[Ambrosia]

Ambrosia had never been to Kalee before. It was a backwater planet that she would have never been brought to, and she knew next to nothing about the inhabitants there. From her research on the way over, she knew that they - the Kaleesh - were a tribal people and that the planet was a wild, harsh world. She didn't understand why the purpose of her coming here, but she'd been told to, so she'd come.

"Search. for. the. ..." Ambrosia held the datapad closer to her pale eyes, squinting at the brightly illuminated screen under the shade of a tropical canopy. She'd never learned to read until she came to the Sith, so she often came across words or phrases that she'd never seen in writing. "...in...dig...ee...noos... tribes?" Ambrosia's brows furrowed over the word she'd never seen before, and her failed attempt at pronouncing it aloud didn't clue her in any right direction. Frustrated, the Arkanian pocketed the device, took a second to clear her composure, and continued into the jungle.

She didn't know what an 'indigenous' tribe was, but she could at least attempt to find someone. Her mission wasn't difficult - or so she'd been told. She was just supposed to find some willing to talk and report them and their location back to the Sith. She hadn't been told why, or really even how, but Ambrosia did as she was told.

A familiar scent struck her nostrils after walking for a little longer. It was sharp, almost metallic, and she felt herself walking off her path to investigate. It wasn't long before she found it. The wretched, almost sweet, smell of death enveloped the clearing, and her doe eyes settled on the corpse(s) and the stranger kneeling at one's side.

With a face and expression as clear as the cloudless sky, she levied her eyes on Arla, unwilling to speak first, but reasonably wary.

tag: @Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla didn't stand but spun spun slightly on the balls of her feet while still crouched, turning to face the newcomer with an almost angry-looking gaze. She had no idea who this was, and she looked incredibly out of place here in the middle of the jungle.

The kriff are you? she spat. She clearly wasn't a local and she was the only other person that Arla sensed out here. The other Force user? One of those Imperial Knights? Probably not, and even if she was, Arla hadn't actually done anything against the Imperial rules out here.

She stood up and didn't turn her back to the woman as she kept combing through the area. Bodies were strewn about in various states of destruction. Blasters, spears, and swords littered the ground. Arla wasn't as familiar with the local fauna as she was with Dathomir, but she could assume that whatever it was was extremely dangerous. It had brought down six trained hunters by itself.

The tracks led off deeper into the jungle before just disappearing. A flying creature?

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

"Ambrosia." She answered without a lick of hesitation, the words dropping like a rock from her lips before she even thought to reconsider. Her expression remained unchanged as Arla went about whatever she was doing, and Ambrosia's pale violet eyes followed as she went about.

"I don't mean to intrude," she said aloud as she crouched down to inspect the nearest corpse. The Kaleesh's head had been almost completely decapitated, its torso and face torn to bits. "I'm looking for an 'indigeenoos' tribe," she continued as she reached forward and yanked a bloody beaded talisman from the corpse's bloodied, broken neck to inspect. The pendant seemed iconic in a way, and Ambrosia felt that perhaps it held some significance. But she could be wrong, because she knew nothing about these people. "Though it appears something found them before I did."

Whatever tribe these Kaleesh belonged to, they certainly weren't benefitting from their members being dead. Perhaps she would be obligated to help find what slaughtered them if she was to try and find one that would be friendly to the Sith. Ambrosia wiped her bloodstained hand off on the corpse's trousers, then stood back up, eyes wandering back to Arla.

"I- "

Before she could continue, a deafening screech tore apart the clearing as the canopy above them rattled and shook under the pressure of something coming through. Outstretched talons reached tore through the air, likely hoping to snatch up the two loitering force users.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla looked back at the other woman for a long moment after she mentioned "indigeenoos" tribes. The silvery eyes studied her for a long moment, and she let whatever passive information the Force could provide her flow in as well.

She looked a few years younger than Arla, but she seemed far more lost and uncertain of what she was doing. Like she had been told to come here with no idea what to do once she arrived. Normally, Arla wasn't one to just help people, but this struck her as odd enough to draw her attention. The woman didn't wear the red armor of an Imperial Knight that she always saw Wodan wear. Perhaps she was a Jedi or a Sith?

The girl opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could get more than a word out, the creature seemed it had returned. Or something else wanting to feed on the remains.

Arla dove to the side, unable to swing her bow off her shoulder in time and cast up a small, green shimmering barrier over herself that the talons bounced off of, sending the creature skidding into the ground, slightly off balance but quick to recover its footing.

It was large and almost hairless, not quite like a dragon but with a large horn on its face. Smaller as well, but no less dangerous, Arla was sure.

It leapt again, this time at Ambrosia, trying to tear with claws and teeth. In the back of Arla's mind, she couldn't help thinking that this creature was not large enough to have slain all the hunters, but she had no time to say as much now.

She raised her hands in front of her, fingers altering their shape as she let the Shadow flow through her. She let an orb of green float over her finger before sending it careening into the flying lizard creature.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

The creature went for Arla first, but the stranger was ready and was able to deflect the attack with some sort of shimmering green barrier. Ambrosia did not have time to have her interest piqued, as the hairless horned creature came for her next. Its claws swiped and its teeth snapped at her, missing only because the Arkanian had the good sense to put Force between the ground and her feet and leap back out of its way. It might not have been far enough, but a glowing green ball of ichor slammed into the animal, sending the lizard flying perpendicular to Ambrosia.

It was momentarily stunned, so the Sith took advantage of that as she followed in its direction. She had no lightsaber of her own, so she drew a stun baton from her belt and slammed it into the hairless lizard's outstretched wing as soon as she was within range. There was a sickening crack as the hit broke through the winged creature's brittle, hollow bones, leaving it handicapped and unable to fly away on its own.

She might've continued further, but its other wing slammed into her, sending her flying back as the lizard struggled back onto its feet, pushing weight away from its mangled wing. It let out a pained, ear-bursting cry and lunged after Ambrosia.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

The creature was durable, but that wasn't really any surprise to Arla. Predators like this one were rarely weak or easily felled. It took the hit from the stun baton and moments later the strike from Arla's concussion bolt. Both hits knocked the creature around, but didn't kill it. It was times like these where Arla remembered the value of lightsabers. But the Shadow was far stronger than any simple blade.

The creature lunged for the other woman again, and Arla lashed out again. This time, the Shadow wrapped around the creature's back legs, dragging it backwards even as its jaws snapped at the pale woman.

With a shout of strain, Arla yanked it hard and threw it into a nearby tree, cracking the trunk in two and stunning the creature momentarily, long enough for Palegirl to land the killing blow.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

Ambrosia regained her balance and rose up, quickly reacting to the sound of snapping wood. She advanced on the creature, taking quick step after step until she reached it, her torso twisting around with her arm as she prepared her strike. The Force strengthened her arm as she brought the baton down and into the side of the creature's skull, hitting it right beside its right eye.

If not immediately dead, the creature was certainly knocked out and would unlikely live to see the end of the day. Ambrosia took a step back, breathing heavily, a burning feeling in her chest and an ache in her swinging arm. She'd never been particularly strong, and it took a lot of energy for her to bring the Force into her limbs to augment her strikes like that. She really needed to get a lightsaber, or something a little sharper than a baton. But if one thing was for sure, the adrenaline in her veins was invigorating.

"Thank you," she managed in between heavy breaths, pale eyes looking over to check on the stranger. She appeared unharmed, which was no surprise to her after seeing how the woman had fought the thing off. Whatever magick or energy she conjured - Ambrosia couldn't help but grow curious now that the fight was over. She had no idea what it could even be.

"D- do you think this is the same thing that killed them?" she asked, hesitantly at first, as she gestured to the corpses in the clearing. She had no skills whatever relating to tracking, hunting, or anything like it. If not for her training, as lackluster as it was, she would likely be another corpse in the forest. But looking at the size of the monster they'd fought and the way the corpses around them were so violently torn apart, she... wasn't sure.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla watched as the woman beat the creature down behind its head, silencing it moments later as it lay still. It still had some ragged breathing, but Arla could feel the life slipping away from it.

She said nothing to the woman's thanks. She hadn't really done it for her, but there was no need to point that out. Arla was satisfied it was dead, but she still wasn't sure who this woman was or why she was out here. As usual, Arla was all scowls.

No, Arla said, offering no further elaboration other than the simple answer to her question. She kept looking around the scene for a moment before starting to head off in the direction that she estimated the real culprit had come from.

In the distance, she could make out what looked to be a cliff face rising upwards, and she tilted her head to the side. If I were a bird, that's where I'd make my nest, she thought to herself, moving over to the cliff to start looking for places to begin the climb. Sure, she could teleport to the top, but at the moment, she wanted to save her strength in case she'd need it against the creature she would have to fight.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

'No.' No further explanation was given. Anyone else might find it stifling, or perhaps feel irritated with the short, almost complete lack of a real answer, but Ambrosia... well, she was kind of used to it. The children had often given her little to no explanation for anything, and the parents- she would not dream of asking for anything more than what she was given.

Because Arla said nothing else, nor did Ambrosia. She did not think to, and as she watched the tattooed woman walk away, she began to follow several strides back. She made no attempt to hide her presence, but she did her best not to draw attention to herself either. For what it was worth, the Sith did her best to tread quietly, though her best was about a hunter's worst. She was clearly not used to a forested environment, nor did she seem to have much of an idea of what to do, nor did she even seem suited to such long treks. But she kept up, and she said not a word in the meantime.

As they walked, when her attention was not steadily remaining on Arla, Ambrosia's eyes studied the bloody talisman in her hands. She wondered who it had belonged to, and if there was really any point for her to keep the blood-soaked beads wrapped around her wrist. Perhaps not, but she liked it, so she held onto it.

Eventually, they reached a cliff. Ambrosia watched Arla begin to study it for a way up, and she felt a disappointed sigh ready itself in her chest. She did not let it out, but the woman was not looking forward to following her up the side. Still, she'd been told to find a friendly tribe, and this was her only lead, especially since she hadn't been chased off quite yet.

"... Over here." They'd both been searching, and Ambrosia had torn away foliage blocking what appeared to be an old rock fall. Large boulders littered the slope that was, while still a climb, much gentler than the sheer sides of the cliff. Rain, wind, and other elements had removed any loose debris. Unless she wanted to walk all the way around, it was the most plausible way up. She began the climb up herself, using her baton to give her leverage when needed.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was acutely aware of the woman behind her as she made her way through the forest, and still no explanation had been given. If she was looking for the indigenous population, Arla wasn't it.

She shouted out as Arla looked over to the rocks, and finally Arla spun to look at her.

Why are you following me? You know I don't live on this planet, right? she asked. She doubted the woman was stalking her simply because she knew who she was, but Arla wasn't accustomed to being... followed.

She simply stood there, staring at the other woman and not climbing until she received an explanation, silvery eyes piercing the woman's pale features.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

Ambrosia paused and turned around to face the Nightsister.

"I was sent here to find a tribe," she began simply. "It appears to me that you are tracking down something which has killed the members of one. I wish to aid you."

She did hope that she was correct in her assumption because she was going to be completely lost on what to do if it was wrong and she had spent the last few hours following around a stranger with some other purpose. It would even be embarrassing, and that was an emotion that Ambrosia did not chase.

But, if the stranger asked to her to leave, she would, assuming she could find her way back.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla continued to stare at the other woman, and though she received an answer, it didn't seem to really be an answer. She had been sent to look for a tribe? By who? And why?

Normally, Arla might not have cared about the answers to these questions, but as it stood, she had a vested interest in the fate of the tribes in the area after her previous work with them. They were an asset to her, and an asset she wasn't interested in having... tampered with.

I am, but why are you looking for them? Who sent you? she asked, being as pointed in her questioning as ever.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

"I was asked to find a tribe that would be willing to speak with the Sith," Ambrosia stated. She appeared to chew on her words for a second, then added, "They weren't very specific other than that." She didn't know what the Sith wanted with the Kalee, and frankly, she didn't much care. She was just doing as she was told.

"I have no other intentions."

She remained perched on a large boulder during this time, eyes levied on Arla. They seemed to spot something in the meantime, however, and her pale violets fell down to the ground between them where there appeared to be some kind of shiny object glinting in the sunlight. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be strung around a wrist coming out from under the rubble.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

So she was Sith. Arla's suspicions were confirmed, though at this point in time, saying that one was "Sith" could mean many different things or nothing at all. The Sith were scattered and divided, running around with their tails tucked between their legs.

She was going to ask the girl more questions (because apparently this had turned into an interrogation) but before she could do that, she followed Ambrosia's eyes down to the dead person's wrist and their jewelry.

Arla let out a huff that sounded more inconvenienced than alarmed that someone was dead here. She reached out with the Force and began to pluck the arm from the ground. Layers of fresh dirt and rock sprung up as she pulled free, finding the entire body of a local attached to the other side.

Wait, no, scratch that... half of a body of a local. Everything from the waist down seemed to be a bloody and twisted pulp of entrails and dirt that caused even Arla's face to scrunch up in revulsion.

Clearly the killing had been going on for a while... longer than Arla had known. They were on the right track. She turned back and started climbing, making her way up the side of the cliff and in the direction of the top where they would no doubt find the nest.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

She hardly reacted when the body came out as a half rather than a whole. She was a bit concerned about what sort of thing was running about that could just bite someone in half though. Kalee was not proving to be very hospitable.

The climb to the top was more difficult for Ambrosia than she would've liked, but she managed regardless. The weather was beginning to cool off as the sun made its way toward the horizon, leaving them just a few more hours of daylight before the sun left them for the moon. Though she wasn't thrilled at the thought of being out at night, the cooler temperature that was creeping up on them was a welcomed feeling.

At the top of the cliff, there was more than just a little bit of evidence of something in the area. There were countless marks on the ground that looked like indents. There were parts where the grass was sparse and parts where the grass was quite thick and healthy. Something definitely lived up here. Ambrosia avoided the particularly green patches.

Further, up ahead the ground sloped even more upward, and she could see some sort of pile-up of material near the base of a particularly large jungle tree.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

The climb wasn't very quick, but it would have been even slower were the two not Force-users. At several points, there were almost no footholds, and Arla had had to backtrack before moving up again. She paused three-quarters of the way up at a small ledge to rest, flexing her fingers and looking out at the setting sun.

She turned back to continue only a few moments later and they crested the top shortly thereafter. Arla gave a look around. There was no question that a creature had been up here, and Arla wandered around, looking at the things in the clearing.

She motioned toward blood on the ground, though it looked like too much to have come from a humanoid.

It may have been wounded, she said, her eyes moving over to land on several humanoid-esque footprints. She knelt down to look at them closer.

Hunters, she muttered to herself before standing and making her way toward what appeared to be a pile of nesting materials. Smashed eggs lay inside as well as the body of one of the creatures.

Female, she said. Had the locals killed the female and the eggs and now the male wandered about? But the blood was fresher than this body was. Had the male been wounded as well? Where were the hunters? It had led to more questions than answers in its own way.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

'Wounded.' 'Hunters.' 'Female.' Ambrosia regarded the smashed eggs with a lack of concern at first. She was, in incredibly simple terms, a 'city girl.' She did not understand the relationships of animals, so that mixed with her lack of empathy for them meant it took her longer to come to the same conclusion that Arla had silently come to. 'Hunters.' There was a body and smashed eggs. They must have killed both. 'Female.' The eggs must have belonged to the body, which was female, and likely had a mate.

Lightbulb. Ambrosia looked up to regard the sky as if the widower would come swooping down to make his presence known. There was no such event, of course. The sky was still clear of everything but fluffy clouds slowly fading from white to gray.

"Perhaps we should set a trap," Ambrosia suggested, stepping into the nest and using her foot to rock one of the smashed eggs, revealing a partially-developed baby inside. Dead, of course. "If we can lure it out, we can take care of it."

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla's mind was lightyears away when she heard Ambrosia speak again and she nodded.

That might be a good idea, she agreed. They were dealing with an animal that Arla wasn't incredibly familiar with, but hopefully they would be able to figure something out. She looked down at the remains of the nest including the dead body that Ambrosia was toying with.

We could burn the nest, but I'm not sure it has been coming back here anyway, she said. It seemed to have fled this place when its mate died, which would make trapping it all the more difficult.

Arla moved over and sat on a corner of the nest as she stared at the corpses in thought.

If this were Dathomir, you'd find what it eats, bait the trap, and make something to hold it and damage it, she thought to herself. Was it so different here?

Go see if any of the hunters had explosives on them, she said, not caring for how difficult that might be to accomplish. For her part, Arla started looking around the nest, examining the bones and looking for clues about the creature's usual prey.

@lizziie

 

[Ambrosia]

'Why would the hunters have explosives?' Was it normal for hunters to carry explosives on them? Ambrosia would have no idea, and she kept her question to herself, so it was up to the Arkanian offshoot to find out for herself. She turned and left the nest, leaving Arla to continue to examine the bones and look for clues while she went bomb hunting.

It took her a while to trek all the way back to the hunters and all the way back, but when she returned, she did not return empty-handed. A few of the hunters had some sort of grenade on them, and rather than note that and walk back, she'd plucked them from the body corpses and did her best to follow the path back once again. By then night was beginning to fall, the sun already having dipped below the horizon.

"Two of them did," she answered after taking a moment to catch her breath, leaning on whatever was close by after she found Arla again. Though the world around her was becoming increasingly more gray, the Arkanian offshoot was still able to see relatively well thanks to her infrared vision. "Any luck on your end?"

@Phoenix