Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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A Forest, a Monster, and Cat...What could go wrong?

Kashyyyk
The Shadow Lands
Harrip Far: Current Alias: Ghoul
Harrip ran through the rough jungle floor, moving the fastest he could. His robe was currently wrapped around his arm, tightly to keep from slipping or being damaged. This was one of the few times he had ever been in the open without wearing his robe. It was understandable though, because he was running from a strange beast he had met while exploring the area. He jumped over a fallen log before sliding into a small cave. Where he was met by the sounds of many bats fleeing the loud monster that had violated their sleep. The strange beast he had been running from walked by the cave, apparently it had lost interest in its hunt.

"What a strange place. One moment you are being followed by a beast intent on eating you and the next you are inside a cave and the animal just walks right by without a second thought. It's a nice place though. No people, no one to scare with your monstrous looks and your background." He though to himself as he stepped to the edge of the cave and took a deep breath. He could smell the lush woods, the awe-inspiring creatures, and the age. The mustiness was something he had never smelt before. Taris was similar in all but its age. It might be a good home for him. No fear of people coming to hunt him, if he wore his robe when Wookiees came through he could be happy here. He had already set up a small camp, it had a garden in which he could grow the plants needed to keep his Rakghoul side under control. It had a bed, leaves moved into a pile. And a cooking station, a fire with a pot and water. He felt that this was a good place to be. All he had to do was keep his robe clean and cared for, that was his only worry.

As Harrip moved into camp he slowly dropped his robe into the pot of water, there was already boiling water in there and it would clean the cloth mostly. In the mean time he pushed some more leaves into his bed pile and checked some of the plants. They were growing nicely in the tropical environment. But he stopped he smelt something. Something out of the ordinary. Just for a moment he thought he had smelt another being. But it disappeared soon after and he went back to caring for his little plants. Unaware of anything around him.

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar sprinted through the underbrush, wild and free as she headed back to her cave. She cradled the edible plants she had been foraging in her arms. They were good raw, but would taste much better in the soup she was preparing. The water was already boiling when she went out to get them. It was nice of the Inquisition to allow her a two-week leave. She'd been on assignment on Coruscant for so long, she'd almost forgotten the smell of a forest. She was so happy to be away from civilization for a while. As she neared the entrance to her cave, an unfamiliar scent filled her nostrils. It was coming from her home. She stopped, sniffing for a moment. Katar stashed her plants in a fern and decided to investigate. Cautiously, she crept to the cave entrance. Inside, she saw.... Something, observing her plants. Strange. Those were supposed to keep animals uninterested in the cave. Katar walked in slowly, her bright green cat eyes staying on the creature.
[member="Harrip"]
 
Harrip was working on the plants, he picked a few of the leaves. He broke one and smelt the liquid oozing from it. He felt the calm return to his body. It was removing the urge of his Rakghoul to attack sentient beings. It was a good smell, maybe not a perfume but it was better than the smell of rotting flesh. "Wait, that smell?" He thought, there was something else in the air.

The leave's aroma had quickly dissipated and he could smell something else nearby. He could swear it was a sentient, maybe an Iridonian. But there was something else, that was what was throwing him off. He turned and looked behind him to see if anything was there. His raspy voice came out in its quiet fashion, "Someone there? Come out! "

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar's eyebrows raised. This creature could speak? She used the Force a little, as her master had taught her to, to sense its mind. Why, this thing was sentient! But how? The things he must have gone through... She stepped a little closer, the firelight illuminating her features. Her eyes were almost luminous. She stared at him curiously, tilting her head.
[member="Harrip"]
 
"Hello there. Who are you? Give me a moment." He asked and then hurriedly ran to pull his robe out of the boiling pot. Left to itself to much longer and it would boil. He then removed the pot and put it on the ground and laid the robe over metal rod suspended by wood poles over the fire. He threw some of the leaves into the still boiling pot of water. At least while he talked he could have that preparing for his next injection. Then he stepped towards a litter of leaves on the ground. He sat heavily upon them and looked at the new-comer. "Sorry, what was your name? If you want you can have a seat." Harrip said, indicating the larger pile of leaves he considered his bed. He felt very both quiet anxious in front of this person without his robe, but then also he was surprised that she wasn't running to go and call someone to help her. That was the usual response. He rubbed on of his large shoulderpads, making sure there were no dents in it. He often did that when unsure of himself.

Around the camp there was a small container, the only thing that appeared unnatural to the setting. It was an injection kit, portable obviously, for his shots. There was also a small spoon, the thought of Harrip's large clawed hands using the tiny spoon would seem almost comedic. But it was his way of keeping his ability to his claws as fingers sharp.

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar looked over at the pot of now dirty water. Well, soup was now off the menu. She then looked to the pile of leaves the creature was sitting on. Looks like her bed was ruined, too. Normally, Katar would be annoyed and a bit angry that someone had just barged into her obviously inhabited cave uninvited, but she was too curious to be mad. When he asked her to sit, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. When he asked her name, she took a deep breath. "Kkkttarrrrr..." She said. It sounded more like a growl than a word. She bit her lip. To Hell with words! Why were they so easy to understand but so difficult to say?
[member="Harrip"]
 
Harrip heard something like a growl come from the woman, or at least he guessed it was a woman. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. My name is Ghoul, for obvious reasons." He said moving himself off the pile of leaves and fixing the pile. "So are you from around here?" He began mulling around, checking the water and robe. He found the water to be ready and so he pulled his small case of injection equipment out.

As Harrip listened for a response from the woman, he pulled out a vial which was completely empty. He dipped it into the pot of hot water. He grimaced slightly as his claws burned slightly before he pulled his hand back along with vial. He screwed a lid onto the vial and placed it in his kit. He pulled two more vials and began the same process with each.

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar studied the man's actions carefully. He was saving the water and putting it in a case. How odd... She sat down across from him. She shook her head to answer his question. She began sniffing his scent, getting a little closer to him than a normal person might. He smelled so strange, like a human, but sick. He acted fine. Was he just really good at masking his pain? Did he know he was sick?
[member="Harrip"]
 
Harrip watched the new lady, though he made it appear as though he was concentrated on the vials. Once they were all filled he placed the vials back into the container, and secured them with the straps to hold them in place. "You alright? Got a cold or something?" He asked, noticing the sniffing that [member="Katar"] was making. He knew that his sniffing would likely be heard by this woman, she showed signs of being more than normal for her species. He pulled the robe from above the fire and looked it over as he spoke, "You enjoying Kashyyyk? I only just got here, set up a camp, and was taking a look at the wild-life. Though this may not be my camp, it looks similar though. That creature was going to attack me so had to run and hide thought this was my little place." As he spoke, he looked around. He was pretty sure this was the camp he had set up, but then in that dash away from beast he could easily have gotten lost.

"Maybe this isn't my place. This yours?" He asked, meaning the camp, as he slipped the clean robe over his form. He felt a little less conscious of his appearance when wearing the cover.

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar nodded. She'd found this place two days ago. It had taken her three hours to find the necessary plants to keep the local animals away. It wasn't that she didn't love animals, she just didn't want them to mess up her camp. Thinking of the plants made her suddenly remember her dinner outside. She quickly darted out of the cave. She returned with her arms full of edible fruit, leaves, and roots. She sat back down and spread them out in front of her, looking up at this man-creature to see if he wanted to share.
[member="Harrip"]
 
"I am so sorry, got mixed up again." Harrip said, when [member="Katar"] nodded. "I really should remember the paths better. So sorry." He moved around a little, embarrassed.

When the woman offered food, Harrip shook his head. "Oh, no. I could not impose. Especially after I have messed in your camp." He was trying to be polite, he knew he was hungry after that run he had been quite hungry. He didn't wish to take any thing else from this person, he felt quite stupid to think this was his camp.

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar shook her head, and pushed some fruit toward him. She didn't mind. It was just an accident, right? No harm done. Besides, she was curious about him. As she munched on a root, she pointed at the little kit he had, her eyes wide with fascination.
[member="Harrip"]
 
"Thank you." Harrip said, as he took one of the fruits and began biting into it, the sharp Rakghoul teeth easily piercing the skin of the fruit. When the lady pointed at his injection kit he smiled, though he may not like having to inject himself he did enjoy explaining it to other people. "This is my injection kit. If you want me to explain why I need it and what it does, do you mind listening to me for a while? It is a pretty long story." Harrip never tried to cut out pieces of information, it was a little thing of his to try and explain things to the fullest.

[member="Katar"]
 
"Alright then. Make yourself comfortable." Harrip took a seat on the floor of the forest. Making sure not to sit on anything of hers. Once [member="Katar"] seemed comfortable he started his story, which he told just as that a story. As he began he lowered his hood until his head was completely uncovered. He never meant to but he tended to tell stories, whether fiction or fact as a story that one would tell their children at the bed-side.
"It happened many years ago, many years ago. When the stars were young. I was a slave for a great Sith Lord. He was a good Sith, which sounds strange, but I thought he was. I saw him as a benevolent man who cared for us. He took care of me and the others, in return we built cities for him on the planet Dromund Kaas. However during that time of construction I was brought before my Master. He told me that he required me to go along with an expedition team to collect Rakghouls for use as new subjects for the Sith. So I left with ten men to Taris, the world of the Rakghoul and of Malek's destruction. However at the time it was not the ruined world of today. It was a magnificent city planet, rivaling even Coruscant in splendor. We made our way to the Undercity, a dark land with refugees from the Upper levels. They helped us capture a Rakghoul for study and we promised to take them with us off planet when we left. However the other people in the Expedition locked me in an elevator shaft with the Rakghoul, I thought I was dead. But before the beast could touch me, some of the refugees managed to break the lock and slay the Rakghoul. But when I stepped out of the shaft, the Refugees fled before me. At first I didn't know why, I tried to chase one down and I found I was faster than all of them. I caught one, but she started to weep. Her tears broke my heart and I asked her why she was crying. She pointed at a gash along my right arm. The Rakghoul had gotten me before they could save me. I let her go and told her to run. She did. She must have called the expedition crew because a minute later they were on the scene with blasters in hand. I yelled at them not to get close, to shoot me now before I could hurt anyone. But they didn't they stood there watching; as before their very eyes I began to become one of the mindless beasts we had been sent to collect. When I was on the verge of losing my mind to the Rakghoul one of the men shot be. All the rest did so, until I felt the burn of blaster fire against my ribs. I fainted and thought I had died. But it was not to be, for I awoke several days later in a cage. When I was able to look around me properly I found that the cage was in the meeting hall of my Master's citadel. He stood before the cage saying something. At first I couldn't hear, but then I began to understand. It was as if the words were being forced into my head..." At this point Harrip took a moment, he blinked slowly as he remembered the words and the emotions.

Then mastering himself he continued, "He said, 'My pet, you are almost perfect now. Soon you will become my hand. You will be the Abomination of Vitiate. When we are done you will be the most feared creature in the galaxy, your power will burn planets and consume stars.' I cringed at first, from my Rakghoul body to the frightening figure of my Master. He was now shown for what he was a manipulative Master. Over the weeks to come I was put in stasis for days on end. I gathered what I learned from the person who placed me back in my cage after each session, I was put through many Sith rituals. I was able to speak, I could stand upright. These shoulder pads were fused to the bones of my shoulders. My Master had a warrior teach me to fight with my claws and to control the Rakghoul to a degree. I thought it would never end, he would have me put under for a ritual and I would awaken days later feeling corrupted and evil. But one day the Master's apprentice, who lusted for his Master's power, defied the Sith Lord and attempted to kill him. I can only assume he succeed for over the next few days I was taken into hiding and the rituals stopped taking place. I found that the evil inside me was easier to control over time. Then one day a man who I guessed to be a scientist gave me an injection of some tranquilizer. I fell asleep, to awake a week later. When I awoke I found myself back on Taris, I was released into the infested Undercity. Once I was released I never saw anyone but Rakghouls or the Refugees. In time I became leader of a pack of Rakghouls and with my 'friends' I kept the largest quantities of Rakghouls away from the Refugees village. One day they left however, I sent my pack away to forage for food so that the Refugees could leave easily. I entered what used to be their camp to find nothing but empty tents. I waited hours for them to return, but they never did. I was leaving when I heard crashing from above. The Upper levels of Taris had been destroyed and the ruins were falling into the Undercity. I was fortunate enough to survive the wreckage falling over my head. Over the next years I tried to find the Refugees who moved from the village. But I never found them again, they had probably perished at some point before I could find them. There had been a time when the Republic and the Sith Empire came and fought over Taris's broken surface. The Republic was trying to rebuild the world and the Sith were trying to stop the Republic. I had my pack of Rakghouls hinder both sides. Eventually both people stopped coming to Taris, it fell further into ruin. But the animals there finally found a balance. Where there once were towering skyscrapers there were fields of trees and bushes. The metal of the Upper levels slowly sank into the surface and people never came to collect it because of fear of the Rakghouls. Through all of that I had had days where I would lose consciousness, I would awake hours or days later to find that I had lost control of the Rakghoul and it had wreaked destruction in an area. During those years of solace, teaching my Rakghoul pack how to control the ecosystem to a degree, I was found by a research team. They tried to help when I explained what happened to me. They found that certain plants would subdue a Rakghouls natural instinct to hunt and attack Sentients. They taught me what plants they were and how to prepare each one for use. It allowed my human mind to control the Rakghoul mind. They taught me how to use the equipment necessary, though they had to spend months teaching me how to work the needles and to screw and unscrew the lids on the vials. After that they were forced to leave, being called by someone off planet. They were ready to take me with them. But who ever was in charge of the team decided it was not safe to take a Rakghoul off planet. Many years later a transport would crash down on the surface, by then the planet had changed significantly it had become a beautiful world with exotic plants and strange animals, and only a few spots where the wreckage of the cities used to be. The transport was filled with people who feared leaving the ship because of the Rakghouls, who had become the major creature on the planet. I tried to help them, but at first they feared me and it took a number of weeks before I could get close enough to make them understand that I was there to help. I had my pack, now many time larger that before, find materials needed to repair the ship. When the ship was prepared to leave I went with them, and they allowed me. From there I went on to find my purpose in the galaxy. Through many adventures the search has led me here."

Harrip took a moment to grab his injection kit and pull it in front of him, "This kit was given to me by the people on that ship in thanks for helping them. The leaves on those plants act as calming agents to the Rakghoul. When injected into the blood stream it helps subdue the mind of the Rakghoul allowing me to have better control. That is my story. That is why I have this kit with me. Does that answer your question?" Harrip felt a little tired after that. It might not have been physically wearisome, but it had been emotionally tiring. But he kept a smile on his face.
 
Katar sat staring at him, wide-eyed. Their stories were somewhat similar, in a way. Both of them, subjects to cruel and painful augmentation from their slave masters. She nodded, getting a little closer to him. So that was the sickness she smelled. The Rakghoul virus mixed in with his blood. That's why he looked so strange. He was an experiment, just like her. She studied his features more, now that everything made sense. Then she noticed that he seemed a little tired. She was getting ready to make a second bed when she sensed something outside. She darted to the cave entrance, staying in a crouch. With her keen night-vision, she scanned the forest warily. From a great distance, she could hear rumbling, as if something very large was walking. Her mind instantly shifted to the legendary Terentatek. The beast feasted on the blood of Force-sensitives.... She quickly went back into the cave. She took the man by the shoulders, careful not to dig her claws into his skin, and pointed to the entrance. Her eyes were panicked. She then put a finger over her mouth. Frantically, Katar grabbed the pot of water and poured it over the fire. The cave was now pitch black. The only light came from Katar's green eyes. The rumbling was getting closer... She'd led it here.
[member="Harrip"]
 
Harrip wondered what the woman was doing when she ran to the entrance of the cave. He thought he smelt something in the air, it was fleeting and not worth much attention. But as she came back and held his shoulders, making a signal for silence, and then grabbed the pot of water and poured it over the fire, he figured something was wrong. His nose began to pick up the smell of another animal. "Terentatek. Oh yes another great beast to worry about." He thought to himself as he smelt further. He couldn't figure how far the creature was based on the smell of the beast itself. And his ears were not quite as sharp as this woman's so he tuned his nose to the smell of the Force, which he had practiced with for much longer. He smelt two sources though, it was odd. He hadn't realized it but the person in front of him was a Force sensitive. He berated himself for not instantly smelling to check, but he knew that he had been surprised by her appearance and then too busy with other things to think about it properly. However the important thing was that he could smell the Terentatek, some people had made the mistake of believing the those beasts were devoid of the Force, but in truth it was because they were Force sensitive that they could hunt Jedi and Sith so well.

Harrip wondered if he had accidentally led the beast here when he had been chased by that animal earlier, which now that he thought about it was likely a Kinrath. He took off his robe, wrapping it around the wrist of his left hand. That way it wouldn't be damaged as easily. He looked upon his claws, making sure they were in good condition. There would be a fight, that much was certain. If this woman was a Force user, then she would be hunted by this beast. Hiding in a cave wouldn't help, he knew that. He stated, "Do not worry. We can take it. There is only one of it and two of us. Will you be okay?" She looked frightened and that concerned him, he had a soft heart, as most would find, beneath that hardened Rakghoul exterior.

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar could feel the creature approaching. She had heard stories of entire groups of Jedi and Sith being devoured and never found. They are said to have 5 rows of sword-like teeth, gigantic claws, a magnanimous size..... She swallowed her fear, as her master had taught her. Looking over at the man, she narrowed her glowing eyes, nodding. She curled her hands slightly, readying her claws. A deep guttural growl rose from her chest. She was ready.
[member="Harrip"]
 
Harrip heard the growl that [member="Katar"] made. He added to it with his own Rakghoul attack call. It consisted of the spines on his head and arms to vibrate to the the point that they create a sound similar to that of cicadas during moulting season. This was combined with a growl that was a vibration of the special secondary vocal cord in the back of the throat. When it was vibrated it would create a sound that would rumble and normally cause the raising of hair on a scalp or goosebumps for most people.

Harrip too was prepared, he had fought worse and he was sure that worse would come his way.

[member="Katar"]
 
Katar stepped out into the Kashyyyk night, firmly planting her feet and facing the direction of the oncoming Terentatek. The beast was within visual range now. Her pupils became two black slits in her narrowed luminescent green eyes. She got down on her haunches, her claws poised to slash. Memories of Corellia came back into her mind. She had fought a starved Rancor in the arena there once. She barely came out alive, but she slayed it nonetheless. This beast shouldn't be much more difficult. Her growl wasn't human. It was that of a savage animal.
[member="Harrip"]
 

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