Private A Sanguine Thirst

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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The forests of Firrere hung dark and low above the Echani, feeling the claustrophobia of the trees closing in and suffocating her. The girl cursed her luck as the woods came to an eerie life in the yellow glow of her glowtorch, praying that she wouldn't be stuck out here for long. It had been a simple search and rescue, a ship of the Sith Order crashing down to the planet below. They had intended to rescue the non-combatants and take the others into Alliance custody by the end of the daylight, but Firrere seemed to fight back at every turn.

The silver-haired padawan wasn't necessarily afraid of the dark, but she sure as hell didn't want to be trapped in the woods with all kinds of predators wanting to eat her. Chills shot down her spine with every pair of reflective eyes that caught the light. Fortunately they all seemed wary enough of her to not attack, but Ayra didn't trust that they weren't starved enough to try their luck.

A ray of hope shined on the padawan after some time, the red glow of hot flames shone through the trees. Making her way to them, the crash had been a violent affair. Whatever chance for survivors fled Ayra's hopes, as the ship was torn to pieces by the ancient trees that shielded the planet.

Her heels gently slide down a dirt hill as she looked over the wreckage, a transporter, though what it was transporting was immediately unclear.

"I've found the wreckage." The words came pitifully on the comms, worried that there would be nobody to rescue. "I'll look for survivors, but..." She continued as she made her way around the side of the ship. "It's bad."

The stench of blood took her nose, and a sleeve instinctively reached up to defend her senses. It didn't take long to find its source, a pair of bodies had been mauled just outside of the destroyed exit ramp. Ayra simply wanted to call the mission a failure and flee, but she had a duty as a Jedi to seek what happened here.

Originally, the Echani assumed that some creature of the night had found its way to the injured passengers first, but even with a surface level investigation it was clear that it had been some other beast. Their necks had been torn and limbs twisted, in a vain attempt to defend themselves against what happened.

Taking a knee, the Echani sought to better understand what had attacked them, not knowing that she herself would be hunted soon enough.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Ayra Lowe

The crash was sudden, unexpected. The young Sangnir had been horribly wounded by it and she'd lost a lot of blood; as a result her body had tried to heal itself as much as it could. So much so that she now felt the gnawing agony that was the red thirst as she had starved herself in her recovery.

Her thoughts were addled and hazy, memories fading just as quick as they were made. She knew the ship had crashed, she knew she was injured, and she knew there was flame. Fire put a primal fear into the Sangnir and so she had clawed her way out of the vessel with metallic claws in a blind frenzy. When she broke out she had seen two crew-members and in a bid to sate the agony of hunger within her she had ripped them both apart for their blood.

That was only minutes ago... Now the young Sangnir found herself in the tree line, just far enough away from the crash that her phobia of flame wasn't putting her into a senseless panic like it so often did. The blood from the two she had killed wasn't enough, their essence had been used to fuel the rest of her healing as she looked down to her arm; it was deeply lacerated and mangled before but now it had healed almost entirely; but the dried blood, her own and theirs, remained. Her face, her torn robes, her arm, all covered in crimson.

She felt the agony deep in her chest again, clutching and groaning at the pain that the red thirst brought about when she was hungry. It was a constant ache, a pain centered within her core that could not be reached unless she clawed away at her own flesh. Nothing could soothe that pain besides more blood and so her fixation on acquiring it became all the greater.

Her eyes sharpened into narrow slits as her thermal vision scanned the dark forest; life here was sparse and no doubt scared away by the crash. But then her pointed ears picked up a voice with her heightened senses and she peered out from the line of the forest towards the crash. The glow of heat from her thermal vision was bright, but there was something else there, the unmistakable heat of a human body.

Almost immediately did Valaine's body still like a predator in the dark having just caught sight of its prey. She leaned back slightly in the shadow of the forest more, avoiding the glow of fire as she kept her gaze fixated on Ayra. To approach her as she was was dangerous for herself, the fires still roared and she feared them greatly.

The feral beast within wasn't some dumb bear that charged its foes, no, it was clever and cunning, more of a snake laying in wait, or a spider. Her breath caught in her throat as she held it, steadily retreating further into the darkness of the forest as the stormy grey of her eyes kept its slit pupils eerily focused on Ayra.

Purposefully she stood sharply on a stick beneath her feet as it snapped harshly; a lure as she sank into shadow.

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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The blood still ran warm as Ayra touched it, pouring softly from the wounds on the figures. Whatever had done this to them hadn't done it long ago, a chill ran down the spine of the Echani as her eyes dart around hoping not to see the creature come for her. All of a sudden the woods felt like they would trap her in once again, looming above her.

A noise came from the woods as she looked around, sharpening to where it came from. Only pitch blackness answered her gaze, but she had a job to do as a Jedi, even if it worried her.

"Hello?" The voice was weak and scared, not even enough to be called a shout. "If anyone's there I'm here to help, just come on out."

Her fingers caressed the lightsaber tied to her waist as she spoke, unsure what would emerge from the woods. Carefully, she stepped forwards towards the edge of the treelike, crawling over the trunks that the shuttle had knocked over in its crash. The yellow light didn't reveal anything yet, but in the back of her mind the Echani could feel herself being watched.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Ayra Lowe

The Sangnir heard the weak and scared voice clearly as if it was right next to her. As she watched Ayra timidly approach the tree line she shifted deeper into the forest, as silent as a ghost when she desired to be, but never did her eyes break off of the heat that represented the Padawan. Her pale bloodied face was robbed of any emotion as each step back pulled her further into darkness and shadow.

She noted the saber at the girl's waist with a brief amount of interest; she'd fight if she had the chance, but the beast within was intent on this meal and intent on luring it further away from the flames.

Soft blood-stained lips parted as Valaine's voice came out in distant response, feigning weakness and fear within its tone; "Help...!" she called as she never stopped walking backwards, never tearing her predatory gaze away from Ayra. If the Padawan was brave enough to venture deeper into the darkness she would eventually come across the Sangnir, stood still and tall, pale skin stained crimson and her dark robes torn and cut. Blood painted her chin, falling down her neck, and her hands with covered in red all the way up to her elbows.

It'd be the tired grey stare that was most unnerving of all, a piercing lock of her gaze upon her would-be sustenance. She'd finally breathe in a shuddering breath as she stood still, waiting to see if Ayra would retreat back to the flames or try to approach her. Either way she would be within range of her at that point; the Sangnir's inherent speed being what it was.

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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The cry for help shook the Echani to her core, stumbling backwards as her senses told her to flee. Her blue eyes still failed to catch anything in the darkness, but she had to drum up what courage she had to find whoever was out there. If one of the passengers was in danger, then she was duty bound as a Jedi to help.

Quickly, the padawan moved forward, rushed by the urgency in the girl's voice. As the light itself moved forwards, shadows danced around the Echani in a macabre waltz, celebrating their prey.

Deep in the woods, the glow rod's yellow light eventually caught the legs of a girl, about the age of Ayra herself. But there was something wrong, something twisted about the figure in front of her. The girl was deathly pale and drenched in a crimson fluid that one might assume to be her blood. But the figure didn't look injured, despite her robes being torn apart.

It was clear the blood wasn't hers, not all of it at least.

The padawan's visage turned into a grimace of fear as her chest tightened and her breathing grew rapid, frozen in her place as she tried to understand what she was looking at. Her hand shook as it unclipped the lightsaber from where it rested, unsure whether she intended to run or flee.

But what cause her to freeze in place like a doe wasn't all the blood that drenched the girl, it was the pale stare of the woman. A stare that looked at Ayra like she was just common prey, no different than a rabbit in the snow. Her leg drew backwards, waiting for the girl in front of her to make the first move and praying that backup would show before it pounced.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Ayra Lowe

And there she was, a short Echani girl, frozen in fear at the sight of what had watched her from the dark of the forest. Valaine's tired grey eyes watched her as she came clearly into view, her thermal vision fading to get a better look at her as she looked her over like a piece of meat. When the Padawan clutched at her saber hilt there was the softest sound of amusement from the Sangnir's lips, and then again as steadily her chest rose and fell with a barely audible and contained chuckle as a gentle smile appeared on her painted lips. The beast within found the situation so very amusing, to have its prey walk straight into its arms...

There was no rush for the creature, not yet at least, and so Valaine took a single step forward. Her posture was confident, the type of confidence that was so assured and absolute that it alone could give pause to another. After all, whatever could she be so confident about if not her ability to subdue and feast on this girl?

Her lips parted ever so slightly as the glint of her short fangs would be seen in the light, her arms both slowly extended outwards as if she was readying herself for a lazy embrace. At the end of those fingers did metallic claws start to extend outwards slowly, caught by the glinting light, as if the anticipation alone was exciting the Sangnir. The shine of metal was clear to see and she took another step towards Ayra, she'd keep approaching until an answer was given. In this moment Valaine appeared unnatural, like a mockery of human emotion, something wearing her skin, and that stare of hers was empty besides the desire for its prey.

If Ayra threatened retaliation then the Sangnir would respond in kind, but if she chose to do nothing? If she chose to just stand there frozen in her fear? Then the Sangnir would surely be able to approach her freely and place her into a slow and deathly embrace.

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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The giggling in the darkness served only to petrify the Echani even further, every sense begging for the girl to turn on her heels and RUN. But she was a Jedi, and she couldn't run forever. She held her ground carefully as the creature grew nearer, bearing it's fangs that threatened to swallow her whole.

Ayra knew she was already prey in the jaws of a monster.

A pale Blue light grew to match the yellow of the glowrod as Ayra ignited her lightsaber, holding it out cautiously towards the girl inching towards her. She prayed that it still retained enough sense to be chased away by the threat of death, but as long metal claws took over the bloody fingertips of the girl, there seemed few options left to the Padawan.

Ayra's heart hardened as she made the decision to live, the blue light of the lightsaber being raised above her head before crashing down against the vampire. Those empty eyes would never taste her flesh, she would not be slaughtered like those helpless passengers. If the creature before Ayra sought another victim, then she would find one unwilling to go.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Ayra Lowe

The saber ignited and the Sangnir paused in her dauntingly confident steps as her grey eyes shifted towards the blade that was presented to her as a warning. The smile faded from Valaine's lips as her gaze looked back towards its wielder, this was no longer a simple and easy meal, it was a fight.

The lightsaber was raised high and came crashing down towards the Sangnir who lifted the metallic claws of her hand up to meet the blade as it was halted in its path, the Sangnir's inherent straight on clear display as it blocked the strike as intense heat crackled against the alchemized blades. That was when Ayra would come to the awful realization that those metal claws could withstand lightsabers, and perhaps she'd realize how much more of a threat Valaine was because of it.

When she used her unnatural strength to keep the lightsaber from pressing down against her she shifted forward with her other hand, attempting to grip the Padawan by the throat and force her back and down towards the ground. She sought to pin and disarm her if possible, those razor claws of hers a constant threat when they came towards her neck. They seemed to likewise bear the taint of the dark side within them, those runes weren't just for show, they were doing something else, something not quite perceptible in the Sangnir's current hungry state.

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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The lightsaber crashed against the monstrous figure in front of the padawan, and with that Ayra hoped the struggle to be quickly ended, her fear sated. But its trajectory didn't continue, halted just above the head of the pale figure. A shiver shot down the length of her spine as she could swear the vampire smiled.

Just as swiftly as the strike was blocked, one of the metal claws broke from the clash, darting its way towards the Echani's neck. As the creature's lithe fingers found purchase around Ayra's neck, she thanked the force that they hadn't been pointed to rip out her jugular instead.

"Chrt-"

An ugly noise escaped the Echani's throat as a hand fell away from the grip to parry away the vampire's grip before it tighten its grip around her jugular. Blood fell away from the scratches the claws left behind, a crimson trail dripping down from her neck. The same hand would rear back in one swift motion and aim for the cheek of Valaine, trying to knock her away from the closeness they now shared. At the same time, Ayra could feel the metal claws twisting the way her lightsaber was pivoted, an attempt to rip it out of the grasp.

The gears of Ayra's mind twist as she read the attacks of the vampire, still not sharing her people's knowledge of the language of motion. But it didn't take decades of Echani language to understand that the creature wasn't aiming to kill the Echani, she wanted to take her alive. The thought terrified the padawan even more, unsure of the goal of the pale woman she fought.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Ayra Lowe

The starving Sangnir fell atop her victim as she pushed her to the ground, the hold on her neck firmly in place while the other kept the saber gripped in its metallic claws as it continued to spark against them. It was becoming clear rather quickly that the creature atop Ayra was trying to restrain her rather than simply maul her as she straddled her hips and tried to keep her pressed down against the forest floor.

The strike of that free hand came as some surprise to the Sangnir as it glanced off her jaw but it didn't seem like it was going to get her off of her anytime soon as she turned her face to stare back down at her with increased malice. Her hand released her neck, the metal claws even retracting as instead it turned to try and pin that free hand down, to grab at Ayra's wrist and pull it up over her head to pin in place against the ground.

The claws wrestling the saber continued trying to wrench it free from the Padawan's grasp as finally Ayra would see what the Sangnir's true desire was. She opened her mouth, the fangs bared clearly now as she loomed over the Padawan; eyes fixated upon her neck. It was clear; this creature meant to consume her, feed off of her, and she wanted her prey to be still and helpless for it.

Her unnatural strength was awful to deal with for those Force Users that didn't know how to enhance their own strength; it would make it so that if she was able to pin Ayra fully she wasn't getting back up.

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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The heavy ground of the forest floor crashed against the Padawan's back as the pair fell down, the wind knocked from her lungs as the vampire landed atop her. Ayra didn't have the time to struggle back before Valaine's legs tightened their grip around her hips, pinning the Echani beneath her as she sat on top.

"Stop!"

The words barely came out as a whisper through the grip on her throat. Tears of fear welt in the corner of the padawan's eyes, the grip on her throat tightening as she struggled for breath, her lightsaber pinned against the floor of the wounds around them. Every inch of her body thrashed against the embrace, legs kicking wildly out of desperation.

Her terror only grew as the creature revealed her intention, sharp fangs shining against the pale blue light of her lightsaber. There was no fighting back against Valaine's strength, her mind racing as the girl inched towards her neck, ready for the feast to come. The hunger was plane in the raven haired girl's eyes, seeing Ayra as nothing but sustenance.


A final desperate ploy would hopefully save Ayra's life, dropping the lightsaber from its grip. Before the vampire could fully pin her hands down, the Echani reached out, pleading for the force to save her. With the power of the force, she gripped a log laying on the forest floor, and flung it as the figure straddling her. A final attempt to knock the creature away from her.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Ayra Lowe

The Sangnir almost had Ayra exactly where she wanted her, she didn't head her pleas to stop and she was just about ready to lunge down and sink her fangs into her neck, but it wasn't to be so easy for her.

After Ayra let go of her lightsaber Valaine was certain she was finished, but she hadn't noticed the motion of her hand or the log that was suddenly thrown straight at her. The Sangnir was shunted off of the Padawan harshly as she rolled along the forest floor and Ayra was free to recover, to get up and grab her lightsaber-

Her lightsaber... It wasn't where she had dropped it on the floor, it wasn't where Valaine had rolled directly over when she was struck by the log.

As Valaine steadily stood herself back up to her feet her hand clutched at the hilt of the Padawan's lightsaber, she had snatched it off the ground when she was thrown off of her either by mistake or dark clever design on the creature's part. The one saving grace was that Ayra had a chance to run, but would she simply abandon her lightsaber? Did the weapon mean anything to her? Did she think she could outrun the Sangnir before she caught her again?

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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A hand quickly braced itself against the thick roots racing along the forest floor, using it to scramble to her feet. A hand reached out to grasp her lightsaber once again, her best chance to fend off the creature seeking to consume her. But it hadn't laid beside her, the foliage of the woods having swallowed the blade whole.

The light yellow of the glowrod, now lying on the floor, was the only thing that illuminated this battlefield, bathing everything in a sickly light. The Echani's features twisted in panic as she thought over her options. There was space between them now, but the ferocity of the pale figure made Ayra unsure if running would be successful.

Sprinting through the bleak woods, she could easily trip and fall then be stuck at the mercy of the clawed beast.

Instead, her hands fell in front of her, taking the stance of a practitioner of her people's martial arts. Hopefully the vampire retained enough of its senses to be intimidated by the stance alone, because Ayra sure as feth didn't know the actual motions of Eshan. The difference in size and power between the two was just as plain to see, and the vampire now held the only weapon. The one saving grace was that the raven-haired girl was intent on feeding on Ayra while she still lived, meaning those claws wouldn't be pointed to rip her apart.

For now, Ayra would wait for the creature to make the next move, hoping it would favour caution for help to arrive. She had called in backup to the crash and the pair hadn't wandered far, if only she could survive just a bit longer. The Echani's resolve steeled, a timer in her head set for how long she needed to last.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Ayra Lowe

The figure of Valaine watched as Ayra took her stance, one that displayed she was ready to keep fighting back. The Padawan was right too; those claws seemed far less of a threat now that she knew the creature was trying to restrain her, but the greatest threat to the Sangnir had been robbed of her. Valaine looked down to the lightsaber of the Padawan that she now held within her own hand and peering back towards the white-haired woman a malicious smirk appeared upon bloodied lips as she started to stalk her once more.

The Sangnir walked in a steady and slow circle as she paced the Echani, the beast within was calculating again as it weighed its options, trying to move into position... It was clear Ayra wouldn't be the one to rush at her which gave Valaine the opportunity to circle and come to a stop before her; right next to that glowing rod of yellow.

Slowly Valaine reached down to grip it in her hand to demonstrate exactly what she was doing before standing back up to her full height. She maintained her smirk before she threw the Padawan's lightsaber away, somewhere into the dark forest behind herself. Without a pause she then made her most damning act as she swung her other arm outward as she let go of the glowstick; sending it far into the forest as its light left the space between them and shrouded them in darkness.

The Sangnir had taken her time to savor every moment of this hunt, time she didn't know she lacked, and long enough for Ayra to now make her choice once more; run or stand her ground in the dark; for the Sangnir was surely about to lunge at her.

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Objective // Find Survivors //
// Focus // // Valaine Valentine //

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Whatever resolve the Echani had managed to drum up as the distance between them grew visibly waned from her face as she saw the vampire holding her lightsaber, the tool casually dismissed in the darkness of the forest. Still, she held her ground, unwilling to yield in the face of the pale woman's intimidation.

Valine continued to circle her prey, hoping to let the terror sink in Ayra presumed. The vampire didn't rush in towards the Echani, however, instead moving towards the pale yellow glowrod that now lay haphazardly on the forest floor. Just like the lightsaber, it would be delicately picked up before being thrown away.

A trickle of sweat fell down the brow of the padawan as the light that washed over the both of them faded away, leaving them alone in the pitch black woods. The Jedi focused inwards, attempting to feel her opponent through the force. Sight now failed her, and she wouldn't be able to tell how the vampire would come at her. But at least with the force, she might know when.

Her hands stayed out in front of the girl as she shut her eyes, hoping to centre herself in the Force. But the fear she felt clouded her senses, a haze falling over them as she could barely feel Valaine's presence. She only needed a moment, to stop the charge of the Vampire and fight her on equal footing. The claws were dangerous but unwilling to slay Ayra outright, so she had to hope that her martial abilities would grant her enough time to be rescued.