Alone With the Howling Wind (Alkor)

[Ignatius]

V A K L I N
Howling Ruins

The fire burned brightly within the broken building. Ruins of an old city that had long been ruined. Hence their name. Left forgotten by many. A good place to hide out from the recent failures of the Eclipse religion. My sister in hiding as well, but far away from me. We needed to be left alone and to keep people off of us. Separate was better for now.

A camp fire with some lizards roasting over a spit. Cooking their scales off and falling into the coals. Sitting upon a lone brick formation that had enough dust upon it to make any man sneeze. Staying out here for four days, I had a feeling I will need to be moving on. Staying in one place for too long was dangerous for me. However, I didn't really have an avenue for which I could leave with. Already being on multiple sides of the galaxy, it was kind of difficult to just up and move.

I sighed ever so slightly as I leaned forward. Picking off the lizard from the spit and began to eat it. Getting what I could of the stringy meat from the bones. Even eating the fat and guts. Anything I could garner nutrition from, I would take it. Chowing down, I didn't realize how hungry I was until after I had cleaned it to the bones.

Standing up, I walked out of the destroyed door that had once led into this destroyed building. Leading out in the sunset as the star overhead was slowly being hidden by the rotation of the planet. Out once more to search for some of these lizards.

[member="Alkor Centaris"],

 

[Alkor Centaris]

V A K L I N

He stood on a flatter outcropping of rock, looking out over the lowlands that stretched beneath him in three directions. Behind him, the mountains dropped off for several miles forming a deep, long reaching canyon that curved off and out of view. Somewhere down there, in one of the myriad ruins leftover from the Imperial Era, Confederate Intelligence had tracked down the location of a renegade agent.

But not just anyone.

[member="Ignis Imura"] was the son of an old comrade, someone Alkor had met before during his time with the Sith, and from what the docket said, he had become an influential and dangerous individual. The Knights Obsidian prided themselves now in far reaching operations, beyond the scope of the Confederacy. In an effort to live up to the expectations of their Jedi allies, perhaps.

Alkor took this particular job for no such well-intentioned reasons. He wanted to learn from Ignis himself what had changed, who he had become. He wanted to see if time and other elements could give a man purpose. When they last saw one another, Ignis had hated him for comparing him to his Father. He saw himself chasing ghosts. Living under expectations.

Was he different?

Was hoping for change futile?

He glanced out and activated his rangefinder. "Three clicks," he whispered, "no sign. I'll keep looking."

 

[Ignatius]

Walking out, among the desert and sand. Much of it was harder than rock. The softer winds barely blowing loose pieces that have not found their place within the ground. Should anyone look at me, it was clear I had been out here for a bit. The black skin and metallic parts of my body covered in a soft red and brown dust. Blown upon in a gentle fashion. Only to thicken the longer I was out here. Closing my eyes, I slowly calmed my nerves. The pain from my body slowly faded into the void of my mind as I reached out with my presence. While the Taozin flesh that was formed upon me could hide my presence, it could only do so if I was not actively extending my self outwards.

I took a chance in exposing myself, to hopefully find a couple more of these lizards for food. In very little time, I did find some. A small den underground. I smiled ever lightly as I took control of them. While their minds began to fear this invisible force that was moving them through the tunnels of their home and out into the open. They growled and squealed ever so much. Reaching down, I picked the first one up. Twisting its neck easily to kill it. I placed it back onto the ground. Using that moment to grab a second one. Performing the same process, and making my way back.

I started to close my presence when I felt something off. Eyes. Not quite like the hairs on the back of your head, but I felt... off. At first I looked up and around me. Trying to figure out if someone was watching. I couldn't quite tell. I quickened my pace just a bit. Returning to my little hobo lifestyle and threw the bodies onto the spit. Just in case, I wrapped my set of belts around my waist and armed myself should someone show up. You never know who could be out here.

[member="Alkor Centaris"],

 

[Alkor Centaris]

There was no doubt in his mind that someone might hide in a place like this. As his swoop bike roared to life, Alkor dropped off the rock face and started to freefall toward the dirt below, impeded only by the repulsors that worked to keep the bike aloft. The best swoop racers threw stunts like that into their routine races all the time to goad hasty betters and high rollers into throwing credits their way. For Alkor, it was a matter of haste.

Why waste time going all the way around when the shortest distance between two points was a straight line? The ruins were at several points around the valley, all of them related in some way to an old operation, but separate due to the work that was done in each facility. At this point, it was indeterminate what type of business that had been running there; as if time itself weren't unforgiving enough, the Gulag Plague had expunged an entire era between Imperial rule and Present day from the annuls of history.

Dust from those days would have been a historical artifact.

He spun round to the furthest of the ruins first. Inspecting each one on its own would yield the greatest results, even if it took the most time. Unfortunately, the engine of his swoop had already given him away, if nothing else had. He didn't care- if Imura was intent on running away, emotions would flare. Fear would set in. There would be something to latch on to, and Alkor could give proper chase.

Ideally, [member="Ignis Imura"] would come to him. The boy he remembered was hardly one to be cowed by the possibility to discovery. If anything, he would come to meet Alkor head on.

And they would settle things accordingly.

The doors creaked open as he put his weight into the effort. Power couplings had long since gone bad, and absent the ability to move things with his mind, Alkor had learned that a sturdy shoulder and some effort could work wonders. Why so many Force Adepts shied away from physical labor was beyond him.

Light filtered in through the doorway and all the plethora of holes that littered the dilapidated ceiling. What was not exposed, Alkor shone his external flashlight over and inspected for himself.

"Anyone alive in here?" Alkor called. He didn't imagine an answer would come, but he gave the darkness a chance to answer anyway. Sometimes, the darkness surprised people.

 

[Ignatius]

It was without a doubt now, that someone was here. I began to enter my little hideaway with the lizards in my hand. Even though the vehicle may have been small, it roared loudly within the confines of the ruins. The waves of sound bouncing back and forth off of the broken homes, and buildings that were long considered gone literal eons ago. They were still searching for me. While I had not much on me, traveling light, I took my time to get everything ready. Even putting the dead lizards upon the spits Alternating their weight so that when they spun, it wouldn't have a heavy "bottom" and a light "top side."

I gathered my belongings. Just some clothes, some survival gear, and dry foods. It all fit into one moderately sized bag that was reminiscent of one of the many militarizes around the Galaxy. Which one? Even I was not quite sure. However, it served it's purpose. After such was done, it was back to the fire. Turning the reptilians over the coals to cook them. At one point it seemed like they were drawing closer. Even hearing the engine stop and shut down. They were outside but still a bit away. Cautious.

However, there was a voice ringing out. Sounded familiar to me actually. Asking if anyone was there. Staying silent for a bit, I reached forward and grabbed the spit from the rack. Lifting it up and smoothly walking out towards the voice. Coming out from the barely there doorway, I saw the speeder first. Nicely looking, and probably one that was high end, or military grade. Next came the man. I shook my head. I knew the man's face. Just barely. Names were more difficult for me, but faces? I could remember.

"Ah welcome to my little hide away. I beseech of you, what brings you to here? I assume not a conference call?"

Holding the spit with my left, the right reached up and picked the first lizard off. Biting down into the side of it and tearing off a piece of flesh. Chewing it within my mouth after speaking to the man who once knew my father. Or at least, the man he thought was my father.

[member="Alkor Centaris"],