A Forgotten World: Mandalorian Empire/Clans of Mandalore Dominion of Nellogant

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Nellogant, Bral’s Party
Objective: 2 Find the Moss Plants
Allies: [member="Valdus Bral"] [member="Beth Cadera"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Adenn Kyramud"] [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] [member="Rapax"] [member="Jahan the Lion"] [member="Cassiopeia Caranthyr"] [member="Tarre Saxon"] [member="Tyran Numeck"] [member="Kaine Australis"]

The corridor of ice expanded into a warm and stable place. Adenn and Tyran got medic care, Lori found something interesting enough to share.

“Leaves!? Leaves!” Yasha bolted over to Loreena, kneeling down to view the few purple buds. “Nobody step on them, Lori you did it. I’ll have to work extra hard to find that fauna for you… ooooo did you see that chlorophyll structure? It looks… hold on, let me see it…”

The chasm opened ahead, into the space between Nellogant’s Hearth Layer and Canyon Layer. Temperatures increased, her scanners began to acclimatize to the Hearth Layer.

“Guns? What for, Mama? Your sensors picking up… woa…” Around the bend, the planet opened up into a miraculous and sobering sight. A forest of pure green, flora as far as the Infernal could see.

“… Vode… we found it. The phrikite and tyridirium deposits have to be beyond that ridge. Scanning for… wait… Mama? That call for guns…

… form up. There’s a lot of something nearby. Anyone else getting a massive heat signature coinciding with Aditya’s scan? Is that a pack of something? A natural geyser?

Shields!!”

Better cautious than dead.

“Aditya! Go for the minerals! Any non-combatives go with her!”

 

[Tyran Numeck]

Tyran shrugged, he'd been injected with a strong numbing agent so he didn't feel much in his broken arm right now and wouldn't for a good few hours. "An unknown creature, probably bigger than a wampa, might be hostile...sure let's go poke it." He said as he grabbed his rifle and made sure it was in its assault configuration.

Suddenly there was a lot of movement from the Mandalorians as the Mand'alor called out orders. Tyran was indeed picking up massive heat signatures on his HUD scanners but he couldn't make out what they were. Personally he hoped it was one big target rather than a bunch of formidable small ones. "Guess this answers my question about their being life on the planet." he muttered as his head scanned around the area waiting for something to happen.

 

[Valdus Bral]

Valdus continued along with the group, rather silently now that they had gotten near the bottom. He turned his helmeted head left and right within the deep socket created by his large, protective neck guard. He thudded forward as [member="Yasha Cadera"] and others spoke about a large heat signature. Valdus had saw something large in his previous expedition, though he wasn't able to get a good look at it due to it blurring past him into the dark. However, this time he saw nothing, his infrared also was not picking up anything in the immediate area. " Some kind of large reptile." He snarled out, " Four legs and quick. Saw it once before, i've no idea what it is though." The growling canid voice drifted off as he drug his shield upwards in front of him. " This may be the beast spoke of in the missive for this expedition."

Valdus knew that he had the best defenses of the current group, a hulk of beskar, mechanically enhanced movement, and wielding the masterwork shield - Darasuum Morut . At this point his slow trudging would carry him past the front of the group once more, shield at the ready, bracing himself for what may come and hoping that he wasn't getting all worked up over a flock of insects or something equally unglorified. " Hukaat'kama. [Watch my back]." There was a faint glow that permeated the landscape now, moss and fungus of a variety of colors and densities gave off a subtle luminescence. There were small crystalline formations embedded beneath rock and the patches of ice that faded into barren dirt, some of these crystals seemed to glow, though if any would examine them they seemed to be of unknown minerals, perhaps valuable, perhaps not.

 

[The Skald]

A Forgotten World: The Hearth Layer​

Source​

[member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Yasha Cadera"] @Aditya Fitz @Kierke @Adenn Kyramud [member="Beth Cadera"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Tarre Saxon"] [member="Cassiopeia Caranthyr"] [member="Laandur Solus"] [member="Jahan the Lion"] [member="Mig Gred"] [member="Tyran Numeck"]





As the expeditionary group reached the outermost reaches of the Frozen Divide they were met with a sight unexpected of such a desolate planet. There they stood, upon the edge of a forest full of some familiar flora and some unfamiliar, with mineral deposits that were unknown to them. While these were not the mineral deposits that they were after, they did have the potential to be valuable. Though one could assume that previous expeditionary team had already scoured this entrance, including the materials, and with no such report - they were probably mundane at best. While the group decided to break off into two teams, one focused on finding the mineral deposits that Valdus spoke of, and the other group were moving forward towards the ominous heat-signature with Valdus spearheading the group, for better or for worse.

Valdus could continue his slow march into the dense, dark forest for several meters, all the while the heat signature would be unmoved. Was it even a living thing? Could it be a mineral deposit of unknown composition that radiated heat? Anything seemed possible in this other-worldly forest. Yet the heavy curtain of depression, annoyance, paranoia, and anxiousness would get heavier now - pressing into the minds of the force sensitive even more thoroughly than those were not. There was no sign of where this malicious aura was emanating from, but regardless where the party went, they would always been enveloped in the ever-present dismal presence.

As Valdus passed deeper into the forest he would find the trees began to become more scarce and less populated, while not quite a clearing it was close. When Valdus got into this clearing there'd be a sharp crack and rush of flora. In an instant the group would find Valdus being hurled across into a nearby tree. A feat that many would not realistically think possible for someone so dense and heavy. Though it did happen and in the stead of [member="Valdus Bral"] stood a towering mountain of scale, fang, and claw. It's four eyes blazing in the dim light like orange fires. It locked its eyes on the party, uninterested in Valdus. It sensed something, it sensed prey. Lower its head it let out a growl so low in frequency it almost was undetectable by human or humanoid ears, but it would cause vibrations within the chest cavities of those present, as if they stood near the engine of a starship. As it growled its wide neck fluttered with patterns of yellow and red bioluminescence. It had a mesmerizing quality about it, though it would be unlikely to daze any of the Mandalorians, it was a tactic for lower intelligence prey species that survived on base instincts alone.

The group only had three seconds before the large reptilian beast launched itself into a near vertical ascent into the canopy and low hanging caverns above. It was gone, for now, at least visually - those with sensors could tell that it was circling them, jumping from dark niche to niche, a titan of statue but an elegant hunter that stalked its prey in a near silent fashion. They were dealing with an apex predator species that had known no equal, those who were force sensitive could not sense the presence, nor would their abilities seem to work on the beast at all.

Enter the Dragon​

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Source​

 

[Nicair Claden]

He waited. He sat, and he waited. Meditation wasn't something only Jedi were capable of, in fact it was something he engaged in quite frequently. It helped him gather himself, focus on the task at hand. Which at this point in time, was waiting. He had much to think about, problems he had to solve some time or another, people he had to ask questions they may not like. But for now, he was getting back to basics, in a sense. Nothing a run on an ice planet couldn't fix for the briefest of moments. Though, like anything he did, his basic, was alone. He'd let the others get farther ahead, take their risks and look around. He wanted to test himself, see if he still had that hunter's instinct. Certain Mandalorians wouldn't be hard to track through the terrain, but by this point their tracks would probably be no small amount of obscured by the falling hailstorm and snow.

"Most of them have reached the bottom. You said to let you know." He grunted more than spoke to the voice that interrupted his thoughts. Without saying a word he rose to his feet and walked out of the transport with his gear and 'gam adjusted to the cold, no small amount of ice climbing additions to his forearms, knees, and feet would help him gain purchase. Something about this place was different, it pulled at him in a way he hadn't experienced before. He'd felt decidedly unnatural nature before, but this, no this was something else entirely. There was a hunter here, and its prey was getting close.

He broke into a jog, his eyes downcast to follow the quickly fading tracks of the party he'd let get ahead. He'd met this [member="Valdus Bral"] before in a bar or cantina on Mandalore if he recalled correctly. Before the man became a walking hulk of armor and Nicair still had his limp from an ankle that didn't listen to him telling it that it shouldn't be injured. If he remembered right, the mountain of a man was quite drunk at the time, almost fell on the table the Mand'alor was sitting at. Nicair had faded into the background since then, Bral's heavy bootprints didn't, however, and they gave him an easier path to follow. Not easy, but easier than all the smaller boots around them, most of which were already obscured.

The feelings the others had experienced didn't much phase him; he'd been raised on hopelessness, suckled from the bottle of despair, and nursed on paranoia, alongside a Sociph's general lack of emotional experience. With the rush of a dangerous pursuit going through him, he'd be fine. Still, something about this place was off. Didn't sit right with him.

His feet carried him quickly and lightly along the bridges, he wasn't necessarily light, but he could move well for someone his size. Years as a martial artist left him light of step. The path he was following, however, had been diminished in how much it could hold by the bulk of Bral's form. Once or twice he had to use the spiked end of his tomahawk to keep from falling over the edge as the bridge underneath him crumbled. He was able to make good time, all considered. Then he heard it. What exactly it was he didn't much know, it was... something, and it had feeling, sensation really, attached to it. His pace quickened.

He didn't reach the group in time to see Bral learn to fly, but he was able to see what any trophy hunter would travel across the galaxy end to end with only one foot to be able to take down.

"My my my, aren't you a pretty thing."

 

[Aditya Fitz Kierke]

Location: Nellogant, Bral’s Party
Objective: 1 Minerals to Plunder for Mandalore
Allies: [member="Valdus Bral"] [member="Beth Cadera"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Adenn Kyramud"] @Aditya Fitz Kierke [member="Rapax"] [member="Jahan the Lion"] [member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Cassiopeia Caranthyr"] [member="Tarre Saxon"] [member="Laandur Solus"] [member="Tyran Numeck"] [member="Kaine Australis"]

“Glory to Nussyn’s girdle, look at these mineral deposits! My scans… they don’t know what to make of them all! Ooohohohoh I am definitely taking samples!” I stop at each one I find, scraping a sample, each into their own tubes in a pouch on my belt. Is that my giggling like a maniac? Yes. So? You want to make something of it, recorded journal entry machine? I didn’t think so. “Yaaash? I’m having fun!”

A hearty thumbs up, and I scurry off to another mineral deposit away from the main group. So there’s a potential giant reptile. I don’t have to fight it.

“Guess so! Hey, Yash? I’m gonna leave the big scary teethy reptile monster to you, and go for the Phrikite. You copacetic? Yes you are, answered it for you. Mother’s prerogative! C’mere anyone who doesn’t want to fight a massive dragon thing!” I pat Tyran on the non-broken shoulder, glad for once that I have the luxury of making such a decision before the monster descends.

This really is a calming place… maybe a vacation home over that ridge… I skip off, gaining distance as I venture into the Hearth layer, wondering if any other non-combatants will follow. Our mission, while the Mandalorian Navy continues to put a defensive presence in the system, is to find those ores.

Valdus goes hurtling into a tree… kinda funny to watch him fly, the tank’s a big’un… poor guy… About time I checked on Daddy.

“Captain Kierke, hailing Captain Kierke.” I rush down another ridge, getting closer and closer to the Phrikite and other ores on my readings survey, courtesy of some particularly helpful sensor runs happening from orbit.

“… Aditya… you don’t have to call me Captain.”

“Right, Dad-Captain! How goes the defensive move-in? We taking control of the space lanes alright? I need to know how fast my mining ships can move on the territory.”

“It’s dead up here, there’s not a freighter in sight. This whole system was practically off the map. There’s no government to reach, no deal to be struck. Our fleet is moving right along, taking sweeping runs through defensible positions, and detailing sensor runs. Alor Bral was on his money, when he said this was worth the expansion. I’d say the system is ours. Want me to call in your mining equipment, Dita?”

“Sure! Right after the others defeat the massive dragon-thing, I can get the equipment triangulated for entry. Thanks, Dad-Captain! Love ya, bye!”

“Dragon!? Wait, Aditya what was tha-“ The line goes dead, and I grin. Nothing like freaking out my unflappable father. Good to know the Mandalorian Navy is moving in, though. Oh look! A vein of Phrikite!

"I FOUND IT!!"

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Nellogant, Bral’s Party
Objective: 2 Find the Moss Plants
Allies: [member="Valdus Bral"] [member="Beth Cadera"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Adenn Kyramud"] [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] [member="Rapax"] [member="Jahan the Lion"] [member="Cassiopeia Caranthyr"] [member="Tarre Saxon"] [member="Tyran Numeck"] [member="Kaine Australis"]

“I’ve got your back, Bral… oh my manda…” Plants… plants everywhere! Plants as far as Yasha could fathom! The flora of Nellogant was hidden and vast, even better than explosive moss! “Lori? I think we’ll find you a pet…”

Enter the dragon. Valdus went flying, and Yasha doubled back, raising her spear.

“… not that one. Medic! Go check Bral! Shields! Break rank, spread out! Don’t cluster or we’ll be too good a target! Blaster rifles, give it a volley! See how it reacts to ranged fire in the torso and limbs! Claden! What’s your take, buddy?!”

 

[Adenn Kyramud]

Adenn smiled to [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] pat on his shoulder, it warmed him. Turning to [member="Tyran Numeck"], Adenn shook his head and took note of his broken arm. He idly wondered how long it would be before he really noticed the pain from it. Grinning slightly, Adenn turns away and takes some steps away from the others. He's looking around when Aditya suddenly mentions some massive heat signature. Turning his sensors on to full, Adenn looks around and notices it as well.
"Poke it? If it's big enough, I want to ride it! That is if it's alive." Then she asked about guns and Adenn hefted his blaster carbine and did a flashy spin with it before resting the barrel on his shoulder. His cocky demeanor said it all, he was ready for anything.

They keep walking and suddenly they're finding leaves and then there's a forest. Shaking his head ruefully at the excitement, Adenn goes with the combatants while grinning. When [member="Valdus Bral"] spoke again, Adenn listened. So, some sort of reptile, and it was big, that meant Adenn could ride it. That slight grin turned into an ear splitting one and Adenn chuckled lightly. He followed close behind Valdus, hoping to be one of the first to see this reptile. When Valdus said to watch his back, Adenn merely nodded his head while looking around.

Onward they walked, closer to the unmoving heat signature. All the while, this oppressive feeling kept trying to get Adenn down, but he wouldn't let it. The simple thought of being able to ride, perhaps even tame whatever it was, was too great to let Adenn be depressed. Then a sort of clearing begins to appear and Adenn is close behind Valdus, head on a swivel. Then, one moment he's standing next to Valdus, and the next he's next to some massive lizard thing. It seems to rumble, and Adenns grin widens, if that's even possible. Then the creature is gone as quickly as it had come.

Adenn looks up to the ceiling, searching for the creature. Thanks to his sensors he can see that it's circling, but Adenn can't tell if it'll come down or not. So, he'd have to go to it. Still searching, Adenn idly listens as [member="Yasha Cadera"] starts giving out orders. Nodding his head along, Adenn laughs loudly.
"Oh, this'll be fun." He says to no one in particular. Still following the things movements, Adenn chuckles low. "Let's ride then lads, let's ride."

Before anyone could respond, Adenn activates his jetpack and flies up into the darkness, still searching. His sensor pings him and Adenn spins to the side with a spurt of fuel, narrowly dodging the reptile. He stretches a hand out and almost touches it before it's gone. Turning to where it seemed to be, Adenn let out a shout of "Oya!" before activating his flamethrower in its direction. It starts to move away but Adenn won't let it get too far. He lands in a dark niche and looks down to his vod, smirking slightly.
"Come on then vod! Let's hunt this beast, can't let it get away with hitting one of our own now can we." With that, he jetpacks towards where his sensor pinged him again, telling him the creature was close. As they near, Adenn lets loose a flurry of bolts before ducking into another niche. His smile is still there, and still earsplitting, while his blood is pumping. This would be a fun hunt.

[member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] [member="Nicair Claden"] [member="The Skald"] [member="Valdus Bral"] [member="Tyran Numeck"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Beth Cadera"] [member="Laandur Solus"] [member="Jahan the Lion"] [member="Tarre Saxon"] [member="Cassiopeia Caranthyr"]

 

[Nicair Claden]

Nicair was exposed, for a second or two it was an exhilarating feeling, the sensation that at any given moment the beast could just swoop down and attack. Then his better sense took over. Low self preservation tempered by a desire to die a good death, or at the very least a better one than just standing there. When fighting a dragon, never be the first to die. He figured that was a rule somewhere in the galaxy. If it wasn't, it should be. It took his Mand'alor speaking directly to him to remind him that his communicator was a two way street, he just hadn't been speaking through it very much.

"It's big, Mand'alor. Get it isolated, restrict its movements or we'll be chasing it all day. Let's get a little light in here. Less places for it to hide, predators like the darkness."

At this range his hand cannon Hullcracker would be hard to hit with. At an appropriate range and with enough determination he'd used it to get through the hull of ships, but this wasn't one of those times. The thing was fast; they either had to be faster, or far more likely, smarter, to get anything with meaning. Something was different in his senses. It was almost like he could see it, or he could see the outline of it and the general location if he couldn't make that much out, but it was as if something about it was missing. The closest he'd ever experienced anything like it was among Sociph who had succumbed to what they deemed Qerak's Curse and lost their minds in a violently psychotic rage to the point they could do nothing but froth at the mouth and kill.

Something's missing in this thing.

[member="Adenn Kyramud"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Yasha Cadera"] | [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] | [member="The Skald"] | [member="Valdus Bral"] | [member="Tyran Numeck"] | [member="Beth Cadera"]

(Sorry for any I missed)

 

[Tyran Numeck]

"If anyone had told me I'd be diving through an ice canyon only to land in a warm green landscape and eventually hunting a massive heat signature with a broken arm...I'd have called you crazy a few hours ago." Tyran said as he and the rest of the group hunting whatever they were hunting. "Yet, here we are."

[member="Valdus Bral"] was at the front of the group trudging a path through the slightly iridescent fauna. Tyran had never seen a world like this one, encased in an outer shell of ice and snow only to have a center lush warm center filled with life. The numbing agent was still helping his arm but he was beginning to feel a heaviness in it that told him it would be wearing off soon. He wasn't looking forward to that at all.

Then all of a sudden Valdus was flying through the air and there was a brief instant of inaction by the group before they reacted. Tyran brought his modular rifle up and unloaded on the target, but it was gone just as quickly as it had arrived. Tyran lowered his rifle and looked around as the group followed the Mand'alor's orders and fanned out searching for the monster "Now we're fighting some kind of dragon, didn't expect that either."

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: 2

Lori loved making her cousin [member="Yasha Cadera"] so happy. And it made her happy too. Family was important afterall, and she was family. Well, so were some others that were here too.

How some people claim the Mandos to be all evil instead of those that deserve such harsh judgement, she'll never know.

The warnings of the monster came out. Yes Lori knew how to fight, but nothing that big. That was a whole new ballgame.

Quickly she followed behind [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] , being sure to grab hold of [member="Beth Cadera"] and pull her along. "We'll help you gather samples while the others are distracted!"

 

[Laandur Solus]

Laandur walked behind the group, hiding his bored expression under his helmet. Yes, he just jumped across a canyon of ice via a gravity spear, but this was a man who flew a hyper fast stealth ship with almost no armor. It was honestly hard at this point for dangers to really excite him. Leaves began to show up. Still boring. Why the Mand'alor was so interested in planets was beyond him. That exploding moss was one thing, but normal leaves? Ok... it being under the ice was interesting, but over all... nothing interesting. Except the heat signature he was picking up, and what it turned out to be.

"A dragon!? Are you kidding me!?" Unlike the others though, Laandur hung back. He watched the dragon carefully, trying to pick out its movements and find a weak spot. If he did, they could use it to at least scare the dang thing.

[member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Tyran Numeck"] [member="Nicair Claden"] [member="Adenn Kyramud"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] [member="Valdus Bral"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Nellogant, Bral’s Party
Objective: 2 Find the Moss Plants
Allies: [member="Valdus Bral"] [member="Beth Cadera"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Adenn Kyramud"] [member="Aditya Fitz Kierke"] [member="Rapax"] [member="Jahan the Lion"] [member="Cassiopeia Caranthyr"] [member="Tarre Saxon"] [member="Tyran Numeck"] [member="Kaine Australis"]

“Never a dull moment with us, vod… you still functional?” Yasha called to Tyran, the concern growing in her mind, when she received his medical read-outs. If he was suffering, then it would be up to the others to cover for his injured arm.

“A freaking dragon! Lori, you good sweet pea?!” Seeing Loreena, Beth and Aditya’s locator signals rush further off gave Yasha a gigantic moment of relief. Her family would be safe, and she could help take this beast down.

“… See if our blasters will get through the hide… or get us a weak spot. Anything I can ram my spear into and trigger.” Taking position in front, Yasha held her spear aloft, triggering the dovin basal in its’ tip with a thin thrum. Her instinct told her not to challenge it outright, as it looked far too proud a creature. Too similar to the apex predator, which saw no challenger. No, this would be more the better for finding a chink in its’ armour, battering it away to find an easier meal elsewhere.

“Ready!? Fire!”

 

[The Skald]

A Forgotten World: The Hearth Layer​

Source​

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The Nellogant Dragon darted through the upper dark canopy, the bioluminescent throat going dark, only the four orbs of its eyes still glowed. This canopy was its primary habitat and those who dared to challenge in this place would soon realize it. The off-black and dark green scales blended in perfectly with the shadows of the caverns and tree canopy. As [member="Adenn Kyramud"] chased after it, flamethrower spewing forth a torrent of fire, the Dragon hunched its shoulders and turned, launching itself right into the fire towards [member="Adenn Kyramud"] with the same force and speed that launched [member="Valdus Bral"] moments ago. Even witht he fire washing over its neck , chest, and whipping at its scaled shoulders - it seemed nearly unphased. So enraged was the beast that it knew not fear nor pain. A large clawed paw that undoubtedly rivaled the size of Adenn himself would slash outwards towards the Mandalorian.

This action caused the Nellogant Dragon to hurl towards the ground. It smacked the ground with a thunderous, dull thud, a shower of irredescence as the moss and spores lifted into the air. It was now near the back of the group of the Mandalorians. The maw of the beast opened up and let out a near silent roar which again would cause an unwordly sense of intense vibrations within the chest cavities of those present, almost as if their hearts were fluttering; but alas it was nothing more than intense vibrations.

The presentation of its dominance over this area lasted half a second before it rushed at its predetermined prey, [member="Nicair Claden"] . The Dragon gave no signs of yielding should it be fired upon by blaster or ripper, stabbed at with spear or slashed at with lightsaber or beskad. Its scales were thick and any time they were hit with a blaster they glowed brightly and small shards burst forth from the dense layers. [member="Nicair Claden"] would not have ample time to line up a shot, however he still could attempt to fire off his Hullcracker disruptor before the beast made contact. Even in the unlikely scenario that the Hullcracker downed the beast in an instant, the massive creature had too much inertia to come to a stop. [member="Nicair Claden"] had two obvious options a) move out of the way of the dragon as quickly as possible, b ) stand his ground an attempt to do whatever damage he could with his formiddable weapon with a near certainity of getting the full weight of the multi-ton beast crushing down upon him.

Those who stood behind [member="Nicair Claden"] were in no less danger, regardless if [member="Nicair Claden"] attempted to halt the beast or not, it'd still charge or fall through the rest of the group. Depending on what [member="Adenn Kyramud"] 's actions were earlier, he may be in a position to attempt to mount the massive beast, if that is what he should choose. The rest of the group who were not the focus of the Dragon could also fire their weapons in an attempt at damaging the beast, but they would find all but the strongest weapons demoralizing ineffective. Brute strength and tenacity would not bring this beast down, it was the epitome of strength, tenacity, and combat prowess on this hellish planet - strategy and teamwork may be their only salvation. For the Mandalorians were no longer the hunters, but the hunted.

 

[Nicair Claden]

Timing would be everything. It was something that someone didn't need to learn even once to know. When a dragon beast is charging you, timing means everything. The next thing that means slightly less but just as much was composure. Nicair would need it for what he had planned. The idea that time slowed down when adrenaline starts pumping has small aspects of fact alongside it. What really happens is the mind starts to try and process everything at once without necessarily focusing on any one thing. With practice someone can control this response to a moderate degree, but when the sympathetic nervous system activates, it activates. There was something about this time that was curious. It was like time had slowed down just a hair. Just enough for him to think and gather his thoughts. Time enough to formulate exactly what he needed to do. Nicair did what any sane person would do when faced with a charging beast like that.

He ran.

At it.

To be fair, his run wasn't much more than a jolt in its directly, but it was enough of a push off to get him where he needed to go, underneath it. He had two steps before he threw himself into a heel slide underneath the beast, which due to the friction from one thing or another didn't end up being quite so impressive. No matter, it was the position that mattered, not the execution. Never sacrifice effectiveness for technique or flair. Most scaled creatures have a softer underbelly than the rest of their bodies. This thing was a predator, probably the highest thing on the food chain on this planet, but there was at one point something bigger and badder. The scales underneath it wouldn't be too terribly weaker, but it was a better option than firing at it head on, matter how much his instinct told him to stand and yell at it. Getting one or two hits from Hullcracker underneath it would be slightly more effective than yelling at it, though he found that hard to believe.

It was the follow through that was the problem, he had to use what limited momentum he had to propel himself up and either get one last shot off or roll out of the way of its back legs or tail. He was able to find some purchase with his foot and rise up to his feet. Keeping his body relaxed in the eventuality that the tail whipped back around at him was the main problem.

Sacrifices had to be made somewhere.

[member="Yasha Cadera"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Tyran Numeck"] | [member="Kaine Australis"]

(Sorry to everybody I missed! Got finals to get to work on)