The forest of Yavin IV

[Blueberrypie]

The night air was thick and moist, shrouded with a chilling wind which had enveloped the nearby trees, ruffling their fat mane of leafs. It was such an ordinary, yet beautiful sight, enhanced even more so by the emanating sounds of the forest. The calm and relaxed way the oaken trees swung back and forth in the wind, reaching upwards towards the skies. Yet, beneath heaven's lid were the chirping birds and howling animals of Yavin IV, whose life was filled with naught but dread, malice and death. Daily, they were pitted against nature and its laws, forced to compete against their own kin and the scarce resources that the moon shared. It was a world where only the fittest survived. If not for his rationed supplies, Kelric doubted he would manage it in the wilds on his own. He might have equipment and the Force at his disposal, but he lacked the necessary expertise when it came to the base knowledge tied with hunting, such as tracking a prey or setting up traps. So far, he had found himself relying heavily on his own senses, which had been sharpened further with acute use of the Force.

Kelric paced determinedly past tangled roots and patches of mud; all traps that pestered him with the promises of embarrasment and shame. He had been traveling for about a week now, and as it had rained recently, the world had transformed. Damp fauna and a grimy ground was what he had encountered upon waking a forthnight ago, nearly blinded by a humid mist that was thick enough to shroud his every step. As the days passed, he had realized that it never abated, only thinning when struck by a chill wind. Some would have been bothered by such unsightly circumstances, but Kelric could not find it in himself to be slighted. There was nothing to do but simply accept the reality of things and overcome it like any odd hurdle and familiar challenge that was thrown his way.

Ahead was where he had agreed to meet his trainer, Darth Umbra in a days' time. A few hours by shuttle, a week by foot. The area was a small outpost meant for any and all who thought they could survive in the wild jungles of Yavin. Circled by thick trees and dense foliage, it was almost impossible to find the clearing were you not heavily reliant on the Force, or in Kelric's case - a map. The thing with Dark Lords was that none of them was especially well-liked, but the rumours presented Umbra in a very favorable light compared to others of his status. He hadn't decided if that was a good thing or not, and in his mind, only one thing was certain: This was a privilege and a honor others would kill for. (He might have given the chance). Therefore, he'd work himself to the bone if necessary.

As Kelric closed in, he couldn't help but sense the whirring sounds and clicks of machinery. Curiously, he expanded his mind; sharpening his eyes and ears as he walked forward, taking quick, furtive glances at his map. Yes, he had just passed a perimiter of sonic towers, and would arrive in another hour or so. The constructs kept most of the wildlife away, meaning the camp ahead would (hopefully) be undisturbed. Still, Kelric wasn't one for chances. With a gloved hand, he had his fingers form a tight grip around the holster of his blaster. It was a heavy-weight model, praised for its ability to wreak havoc and bring ruin to any and all. Thinking himself wise, Kelric unholstered the weapon from his belt, to so continue forward in a high-strung and cautious manner. The self-actualization and development that he so desired lay ahead, and damned be those whom stood in his way.

[OOC]
Alright, post is up.
Looking forward to RPing with you. Haugh!

 

[Zach]

(Sorry it took so long! :D)

A dropship soared overhead from the nearby temple, flying out to the destination to meet Kelric. This was for display in tracking the young acolyte from above, but Darth Umbra was not on board. His presence always covered in the Force, unable to be sensed, but intensified even now. The acolyte pushed through the forests of Yavin IV with amazing speed, even by Umbra's standards. The Sith Lord followed with ease in silence, accustomed to muffling the sounds around him and swiftly traversing a landscape with the Art of Movement.

They were nearing the approach point, passing by a number of towers and checkpoints. 'Perhaps if his training branches out further from the immediate area, those towers could be used in an exercise,' he thought to himself. The forests had proven to get thicker and thicker in its density, but the destination wasn't far. Perhaps there could be a different type of test, however.

As Ruthric followed his acolyte, he focused out in the Force, diverting some of his concentration from concealment, but remaining fully hidden. He activated the stealth-field generator and sound dampener belt around his waist, raising up the attachments on each of his forearms. The energy he used was to leap into the air, nearing the edges of the branches as the grapple hook protruded from top top of his right arm.

One of the branches even higher snagged, swinging the Sith Lord forward in silence, retracting into the cord as he acrobatically landed on the trees' limbs. With his left hand pointing to the acolyte in the forest, he charged the telekinetic gauntlet that was used by Rodian scrappers. The gauntlet pulsed once before blasting out with a sword of compressed kinetic energy, stabbing in a direct line. The blade struck down just to the side of Kelric, but with enough force to blow a portion of the ground away. At the very least, the acolyte might believe he'd been spotted by a group that settled near the towers, but the only fact that should matter at that moment is there s an enemy. Whether he would have the reactions to escape when realizing that he'd been ambushed in such an exposed position. It was very well that Kelric could fight back, if he was experienced enough to know it could be a test.

The Sith Lord processed the information, keeping in time with the maneuver he'd done. As he came to the top of his swing, he tugged forward and kicked off a branch to swing again. The motion was a continuous one, and manageable in pausing to catch a footing after each jump. It wasn't as fast as travel by foot, but the rush of being ambushed and forest terrain wouldn't help with coordination.