Private As The Snow Falls

[Redd]

REDD
Location: Hoth
Outfit: XoXo
Tags: Varion Talon

Hoth was as desolate as she had heard. With plains of icy dense snow covering its surface, that could allow anyone to see for miles. But occasionally the sun would reflect off of the surface and cause her to squint before tugging the hood of her cloak tighter around her face to lessen the effects. However, she paused and lifted her head just slightly as she peered up towards the sky, noting that the clouds were beginning to roll in again. A low growl rumbled from the Lupo and her footsteps hurried as they pushed through the snow at a faster pace and exerted a little more energy in the process. Why would she hurry? Well, from her time already spent upon Hoth, the woman had learned to recognise snow laden clouds and another blizzard was rolling in.

Pale, fingers that felt cold to the touch, reached out in front of her as she drew upon the anger and frustrations of the slow pace that she traveled through the snow with to channel the force. With a grit of her teeth, she swept her hands out to the side and snow erupted from its settled state out to the sides as it followed the path of her hand movements. The snow seemed almost as if it followed a path of a wave and flakes of snow skittered along the surface of undisturbed snow before finally settling in its new place, but as the woman continued to walk, Redd continued to sweep her hands out, consistently sweeping the snow out of her path. Footsteps began to move more quickly as the sun dipped out of sight and was covered up by the heavy clouds above, but that didn’t make the woman stop moving.

Her cloak billowed out behind her and she pushed forwards faster still. The last thing she wanted to do was have to deal with a blizzard, but at the same time, it was almost inevitable. For miles of open plains stretched out before her and her steps slowed back down to a walk. Either way, she was going to get caught in the storm and she had to find shelter in one of the rare rock formations which would produce caves. Yet, even as she traversed, the snow began to fall and she felt the cold begin to seep deep into her bones when the snow soaked through the clothing that she wore.

Snow was not something that the woman hated, in fact, she had always loved the small flakes during the winter times on Myrkr as a pup. Could remember the times of running through the snow with pack members and her shivering form stopped moving at the memory. Wind pulled at the cloak and threatened to whip her up into the frenzy that the storm created, but she used her connection to the force to ground herself, as the memories danced before her eyes in the snow drift. A fond memory of snow balls and hide and seek. Snow made everything so white, so cold and yet she had embraced the temperature change with enthusiasm. Her parents had even remarked that it must have been because she had been born during a snowstorm.

Slowly, Redd knelt down and pressed pale fingers into the cold biting snow which blanketed the planet. The colour was pure and yet it was deadly. It could become tainted with another colour and yet, when it would melt, the snow would change form and colour all over again. Such a thing was always shifting, changing but it always took on a couple of forms. Ice and water. Much like the Lupo; wolf and human. The duality of balance between ice and water, was what drew the woman towards the planet in the first place and a slow sigh parted her lips. It was a duality that the woman hoped to achieve one day and the fact that she had to focus now upon survival, was the only reason that she could focus and think so intently without the boiling emotions inside getting in the way. In fact, it seemed that the biting cold cooled off the emotions. At least, that was how she saw it.

Although, Redd knew that she couldn’t stay here, for she risked being buried by the heavy snow that was now falling from the skies above and so she rose to continue her walk through the cold. Except this time, instead of pushing it, the wolf began to move through the snow. She let it guide her through the blizzard that howled around her by noting every time that the wind was weakest until her hands came in contact with a rock wall. The Red Demon continued to walk alongside that rock wall, while her fingers caressed the rock’s surface and she finally felt, before she saw an opening yawn open before her. The woman didn’t need to think twice and she quickly entered the dark cave.​

 

[Varion Talon]

HOTH

The cold bothered the Echani.

From a tender age, the youngest of the Talon family had been brought up traditionally. That meant existing as a warrior - one who could face any hardship and perservere. Before he could properly compose a sentence on paper, he had wielded a blade. Before he was a man, he had been cast into all manner of world and been made to survive. From the most humid of jungles to the most frigid of tundras. The expectation was that he would see them all as mere obstacles to overcome. The notion of being bothered was a sign of weakness. It was unbecoming of any bearing their blood.

Var, soundly, said feth that.

What was off-handedly dismissed as rebellion was what the Echani called freedom. He had no desire to wear the yoke that his family expected. He would not be a pillar of ice wandering through life. Nor would he toss himself into bed with a "proper girl from Eshan" to continue their lineage. Var was adamant on making his own choices. That manifested in living a life completely contrary to the expectations of home. As soon as he was able, he flew away from Eshan like a bat out of hell. His family was order, so he thrived in the Chaos. He surrounded himself with good people - but their activities were the furthest from wholesome.

Spice. Liquor. Violence.

Every day was spent within the underbelly of society. And with such a harsh way of living, there was bound to be retribution. For Var, it came in the form of a powerful man being powerfully wronged. He owned the law enforcement upon his world, and descent upon the Echani's group like flies to chit. Var had been tossed into a supermax for a number of years. His former lover managed to escape scot free. His best friend? Larsa? Was gunned down before their very eyes. That day was sobering to the Echani and haunted him to the very present. So much so that he reined in his chaotic lifestyle ever so slightly. While he was the furthest thing from a good son, he did not run with the underworld any further.

He was a Knight Obsidian now. He was the law, oddly enough. He was, for the most part, doing good. One might even say that he was trying to put the chaotic chapters of his life behidn him. Yet, while he was ready to turn the page, fate was not.

A signal aroused him from slumber. It was a typical evening - yet the chime of his datapad tugged him alive prematurely. It was not from work. It was not from friends. It was from a man who was supposed to be dead. Larsa, who had bled out before his very eyes, had contacted him. The missive was coded to hell, and Var could hardly make out the contents. But it was Larsa, clear as day. The origin point? Hoth. A ball of ice in the ass end of the Galaxy. Great. Var just couldn't leave well alone. He could have ignored the message altogether, but instead leapt out of bed and borrowed the first Scimitar that he could get his hands on.

In short order, he was landed within the snow and navigating the tundra. Hooded. Bundled. His speeder cut above the ocean of white whilst his scanner bleeped. The source of the signal was drawing near. A...rock formation among the snow? Of all the places... Var swallowed hard as he pulled the vessel over and dismounted. As far as he could tell, he was alone. And, to make matters worse, there was a storm brewing overhead. No time to hesitate. No time to lose. With confident strides, he strode within the darkness - relying upon the silver blade of his lightsaber to see.

"Hello? Larsa?" he said into the dark.

Part of him hoped that nothing would whisper back.​

Redd​

 

[Redd]

REDD
Location: Hoth
Outfit: XoXo
Tags: Varion Talon

The first blizzard had blown through and she had spent the night resting. So when the morning had dawned, the wolf had gone looking for food. She had unlimited access to water, it was everywhere and she wouldn’t go thirsty anytime soon, but food was a different story. So, the wolf had gone out hunting in hopes of finding something, but hunting anything in the desolate snowy plains was not like the vibrant and ever fruitful forests of Myrkr. Which meant, the hunt had come up empty and she had a hunch that further hunts would be just as difficult in the days to come. That was until she could learn to hunt those that lived upon this planet, but she had a suspicion that the prey was staying huddled down due to the fact that the red wolf could sense yet another storm blowing in.

With a sigh, her steps had slowly begun to take her back to the cave that she had stumbled into during the blizzard of the night before. This time however, her line of sight was unhindered, so she could see the speeder as it sped right up to the cave and she crouched low to minimise her form’s appearance within the white expanse of white tundra. No one was supposed to live upon Hoth, at least that was the impression that she had gotten. Not to mention the fact that she had specifically told her brother not to send anyone after her. So why was this individual here and who was he? The woman questioned as golden eyes watched the man enter the cave.

She could leave, the storm was blowing back through and any trace of her footsteps would be lost in the fresh snow that was guaranteed, but there was only one problem. Redd had left the datapad in there. The one that she had told her brother she would take with her so then she would be only one message away should he need her and a growl rumbled through the woman. She could feel the frustration burrow deep within while her fingers curled into the snow that rested under her bare palms. Anger bloomed and the Red Demon felt the urge to kill, rise its head as the force beckoned to be satiated. If she hadn’t left the datapad, she would have been fine, but another person being present meant that she couldn’t just ignore the feelings of before and a chill slivered down her spine.

Redd took a brief pause, before the woman rose and fingers tugged at the hood as she approached the cave’s entrance. It was the man’s scent that reached her first before her golden eyes fell upon his visage, which was outlined by the glow of his lightsaber and the dimming light from outside. Fingers curled into fists and a snarl of anger parted her lips. The man was trespassing into her newly established territory and anger emanated from the woman in waves. She could feel her connection with the force strengthened and she drew upon the emotion, which seemed to act as fuel for the gathering power. Hands lifted and she thrust them forwards just as a wave of power erupted from them in an effort to push the man back further into the cave.

Even in the dark, she would still be able to smell him and that would give her an advantage. However, she was still inexperienced with the force and although she could feel the power at her fingers while it thrummed through her veins, the woman could only do so much. Slowly, she crouched down low and she sank her fingertips into the snow at her feet. If all else failed, she could attempt to dump snow on him and disappear into the blizzard that she could feel was beginning to stir up behind her as it rolled in.​

​

 

[Varion Talon]

HOTH

When the Echani spoke into the Darkness, Anger whispered back.

He had made the mistake of lowering his guard. The mission at hand - the chapter that he thought was long since buried returning - had temporarily blinded him. In typical circumstances, Var wasn't a god of the Force. He was strong enough to be considered a full-fledged Knight. Hell, they even wanted him to teach others at this point. But he wasn't devouring stars or anything outlandish. Yet, even at his level, he should have been able to feel the ferocity of the one approaching behind him. Were he fully paying attention, the Wolf's advance should have been as bright and as blatant as the lightsaber before him. Yet, he was focused on the past. Laser-focused upon finding out how and why Larsa's signal was on Hoth.

That cost him a tumble into the darkness.

The push wasn't world shattering, but it was enough to unseat the man momentarily. He found himself airborne and being hurled deeper into the black. A suprised ah! flew from his lips and he barely remembered to extinguish his saber. The light went out, enabling him to not accidentally impale himself upon landing. He came to a halt upon his knees and immediately turned around. Now he was paying attention. Gaze set firmly towards the mouth of the cave, he saw the outline of the figure advancing into the black. He felt the rage. He felt the animosity. And it wouldn't stand in his way.

"Just who the Hell are you?"

His dominant hand rose - and unlike the assailant, his might was targeted. The air around the woman would grow heavy, as if gravity were being multiplied. Doubled. Tripled. It would feel cumbersome to raise one's hand, let alone attempt an assault. In particular, the Echani too was pushing - but instead of a shove, he was pressing her form down. Immobilization, rather than destruction.

"Is Larsa with you? Answer me!"​

Redd​

 

[Redd]

Location: Hoth
Outfit: XoXo
Tags: Varion Talon

Golden eyes tracked the man’s tumble through the air and although the glow of the lightsaber was extinguished, she could still smell him; hear him even as he moved about a cave that she had recently decided to call home. Yet even as she listened to him turn to face her, she snarled at the words that he dared to utter. Who the hell was she? Who in the Hell was he? It was he who dared to enter her territory and he who had a weapon clutched within his fingers. Now he demands answers? Redd’s nose wrinkled as her top lip pulled back to reveal her pearly white teeth. Her fingers curled deeper into the snow underneath her crouched form as she prepared to launch forward. Except the man did something strange, something unexpected.

He lifted a hand.

She felt the air around her body grow heavy and she was rather thankful that the woman was already in a crouched position, for it helped her to even out the weight as it felt as if it was trying to force her to the ground. It wasn’t the first time that something like this had happened, but she remembered the feeling from her younger years in the fighting pits and another growl rumbled from the woman. Anger flared at the man’s audacity to restrain her and she fought against the cumbersome weight. There was no way that she was going to allow him to kill her, not like this. Not like a dog on its back. Except even with the strength of the force that she channeled, she only managed to force herself up to a stand and even then she struggled to maintain it. There was no way that she would even be able to move any kind of limb.

It was at that point when the howling winds of the blizzard swept over and snow began to fall down heavily behind her. The hood of her cloak was swept off her head and tendrils of red hair were suddenly set from their prison. Golden eyes flared at the man as he continued to question her. Who was Larsa? She asked herself and her fingers curled in to bite deeply into the palms of her hands. A sharp stinging pain distracted and reinforced her connection to the force, but she wasn’t yet strong enough to move. ”I don’t know a Larsa.” Redd spat only for the weight to seemingly feel heavier and her form dropped back into the crouch it had been in before. Her sides heaved with the quick breaths that she took and she felt sweat beginning to bead upon her forehead as she struggled to maintain her current position.

”I’m here alone, as was the intention.” She growled and her nostrils flared with anger. How dare he come into her territory like this, Redd thought to herself and began to imagine all of the different ways that she would like to kill him in. However a familiar tingling sensation crawled into her mind and her eyes closed while she whispered, ”Chit.”

Redd only got glimpses, feelings and very rarely, actual visions. They tended to come when she was asleep and very rarely did it happen during her waking hours. Never had she been able to control them. The last time had been when she had seen Confederate blood upon her hands and bloodied fangs.

This time however, she felt and heard rather than saw. She heard the sound of gunshots and felt the life begin to drain out of her body as her heartbeat slowed. Even as her eyes opened, she could still hear the deafening sound of silence after the last beat of a heart had thumped. ”But I’m guessing that your friend is dead; shot from multiple bullets from what I can tell.” She said as she looked away from the intruder. The wolf knew all too well about loss, because she was always losing people and she felt her own heartbeat slow. Could feel the pain of her own grief that threatened to consume her and she growled; she had to get away from this man before she really did kill someone.

”Let me go.” Redd demanded as her gaze fell to view her fingers; which curled deeper into the snow underneath her. Even now when she felt the red hot, teeth gritting flash of anger and the burning coals of grief, she could also feel the chilling cold of the blizzard; as it pulled at wild red hair and howled in its raging fury behind her. ”You keep the cave. I’ll just go and find another one.” She said even as the snow began to settle rather quickly, but she didn’t care; because all she wanted to do was scream.​

​

 

[Varion Talon]

HOTH

The Echani might as well have tossed fuel onto a fire.

At first, his rebuttal to the hooded one's assault was furious in nature. He did not yet exert all of his might, but he pressed with more than enough force to sink a grown man to his knees. His tactic seemed to have the desired effect initially. Already in a crouch, the assailant was all but pinned to the icy floor of the cave. Yet, they clawed back to their feet. Pushing against his might with a surprising sum of success. The Echani's eyebrows raised as the hooded one rose. Slowly. Agonizingly. Var was about to tighten his fingers into a fist - to pour into more focus into the tactic - when her voice reached his ears. I don't know a Larsa.

The whole reason for his coming to this godforsaken rock was to track down the signal within the bowels of the cavern. Yet this woman, who had attacked him out of nowhere, claimed to know nothing about him? Then just why the hell did she strike. As his features were yet obscured by the darkness of the cavern, her eyes might not have witnessed the confusion which rippled across his features. She continued, her tone was strained from the effort required to remain standing. I'm here alone, as was the intention. More confusion - for who the heck came to Hoth to be alone? Well. If one wanted isolation, this was surely the place.

She swore. She descended. Her fingers clutched the snow as if there were agony wracking her form. Var watched, before his jaw all but hit the floor. He could feel the Force resonating from her. But it wasn't the sort that would send him flying across the room. Again. It was different. Vastly so. And before he could so much as question its nature, she spoke again. But I'm guessing that your friend is dead; shot from multiple bullets from what I can tell. The Echani seethed, his fingers beginning to curl into a fist. Yet, she demanded freedom. Offered the cave in response.

A huff escaped his nostrils. His dominant hand lowered - his grip upon her form extinguished.

"I don't want your cave." he began. His tone was even, but marred with frustration. Confusion. "You. You don't know Larsa, but you know how he died? How. Are you in my fething head?"

The snow crunched as he took a step forward. The light would reach his face, revealing that he had both hands raised. He wasn't looking for a fight. But he would defend himself if need be. "Look. There's a signal inside this cave. It belongs to him. That's all I came for. I didn't come to fight or to feth with you, alright? Just let me find out what the hell is going on and I'm out of your hair."

He then reached for his utility belt. The light was clear enough that she'd see it wasn't a weapon he grabbed for, but one of the pouches. The result would be a familiar sight. A ration bar - the very same the Knights Obsidian would be issued for longer missions. Though he was off the clock, he certainly wasn't armed like it. "Here. A sign of good faith. Just...please. Tell me what you know."​

Redd​

 

[Redd]

Location: Hoth
Outfit: XoXo
Tags: Varion Talon

Redd heard the man huff before the weight was lifted and she shifted so then her back would be pressed against the rock wall in a sitting position. Her gaze on the other hand, followed the man’s movements. Every time his muscles shifted, she made a mental note of it. However, after the past couple of days of hard snowy weather, fighting against the heavy weight of the force and the vision that had just washed over her; the wolf was tired. Still, she drew upon the seemingly infinite pool of anger and grief, to stay awake and focused as she listened to the man’s words. Was she in the man’s head? The wolf didn’t know. She didn’t understand the mechanics of how it worked, it just did.

The woman stayed silent as the man’s footsteps brought him into the light and she saw that his hands were raised. So she lifted her arms and crossed them over her chest, only to divert her gaze out of the mouth of the cave. The red wolf watched the falling snow thicken as the clouds grew darker. It was a blizzard that she hadn’t experienced yet and she ignored him for a moment while she pondered upon the information that had been presented before her.

There was a signal of some kind, apparently and while she didn’t understand exactly what that signal was, she figured that it had something to do with technology. Except, there was only one piece of technology in this cave. The datapad.

Teeth gritted in anger at the KO member. Had they left the tracker on when she had specifically said to disable it? Second of all, how had she gotten this Larsa’s signal on her datapad? It made no sense to her, at least that was until her gaze shifted to view the ration bar in the man’s hand and she groaned. Her arms fell from their folded position while a hand rose to rub over her pale face. He held a KO ration bar. The man before her was a Confederate.

”Keep your ration bar, you’re going to need it as you’re stuck in here now. The blizzard is too thick to push through and if you try, you’ll only get yourself killed.” Redd said as she slowly rose up onto her feet, but made sure that she didn’t make any sudden movements. With slow, deliberate steps, the red head began to make her way into the dark depths of the cave. ”As for what I know. I don’t know anything. I especially don’t know a Larsa. I just get visions from time to time. Sometimes it’s a feeling, other times glimpses and very rarely do I get an entire scene. I just felt Larsa’s death. Nothing more.” She said and she slid a hand along the rock wall til she felt a lip. Fingers slid into the tiny crack, only to carefully remove the datapad that had been secreted away.

She owed him nothing, but considering the rations he was carrying, Redd could only guess that he was a Confederate. ”I came here because of those visions; as I saw my hands covered in Confederate blood.” Redd continued as she turned back to him and began to make her way towards him. She knew that she could no longer control her emotions. They were the equivalent to a volcano that had yet to erupt and when they did, death and destruction would follow; because death was all that she knew.

A hand fell to lightly touch her lower stomach and she once more, felt the hollow touch of grief. With the other hand, she held out the datapad to him. ”Here, this is the only thing that could possibly have a signal of that kind on it. The blasted Knight Obsidian member must have thought himself real funny when he defied my request for a tracker to be disabled. If he was here right now, I’d rip his throat out.” She growled as she turned away from him.​

​

 

[Varion Talon]

HOTH

Frustration defined the woman.

Although the Echani had made it evident that he was not her enemy, the woman was a wildfire in the Force. And, as he drew near, he could all but see the scowl which dominated her features. Of course, they had gotten off on quite the wrong foot. Such feelings were to be expected. But, given that this was the sole living face for miles - and it was one with some connection to Larsa - Var was determined to salvage the situation. He had to know every detail she knew. He had to know the significance of the cave. He saw the man die, it all wasn't adding up.

Keep your ration bar... she advised, rising to her feet. Her advance was slow. Calculated. The Echani tensed ever so slightly, bracing to defend himself in case anything went awry. Fortunately, she stepped deeper into the darkness. He heard a light sound - what could only be described as something scraping against stone. All the while, she explained the nature of her knowledge. Was she in his head? In a sense. Visions. Random flashes of what had occurred seemed to pop into her mind.

And thus the mystery was solved, slightly. She didn't know Larsa, but rather, had seen the man's demise through the Force. Var's shoulders lowered ever so slightly at the news. His search was promising for a moment, but had run into a dead end. Nonetheless, the signal persisted. He parted his lips as if to speak, but ceased when she added: I saw my hands covered in Confederate blood. Drawing near once more, she promptly deposited a datapad into his hands, remarking about an Obsidian Knight failing to remove a tracker from the device.

"I..." he breathed. There was a lot to unpack there. She was here, basically in exile, to prevent a vision from coming to pass. Her hands stained in Confederate blood. And she was convinced the only piece of technology present was her datapad. For a moment, he silently accepted the unit and powered it on... "I think...he actually followed your request." he said, finally. The datapad was then offered back to its owner. "The signal is still here, but I'm not reading it on the datapad. Must be deeper in the cave."

Once the device was back in its owner's hands, the Echani paused only to return his lightsaber to his hip. A hefty exhale fell from his lips. "Listen, I'm not your enemy. And...You don't have to stay out here all alone. Seriously. What you have? It's a gift. One hell of a gift. With some elbow grease, you could see the big picture I'm sure." He then offered her the ration bar once more. "Here. At the very least - you didn't have to give me the datapad. But you did."

"You don't know me from squat, but you tried to help. You're a good person."​

Redd​

 

[Redd]

Location: Hoth
Outfit: XoXo
Tags: Varion Talon

A light scoff parted her lips when the man mentioned that the KO member had followed her request. ”Probably didn’t want to face the consequences of not following my request.” She said softly as she felt the weight of the datapad returned to her hands and took a step back the moment that he shifted, only to realise that the man was returning the lightsaber to his belt.

This man was different, but at the same time she was hesitant. Redd found that she rarely trusted anyone anymore, but it was mostly because of the consistent losses that she always seemed to face. Every time it happened, it grew harder to grow close to anyone and it also meant that the grief and anger of such losses had built up. She’d lost three lives in a single night and she sighed at the man’s words. Did she really try to help? Were her motives that pure? No. They were not.

Slowly, the woman slid her foot back and walked back into the cave. ”I'm not a good person. I helped you because you’re a Confederate. My brother is Gerwald Lechner and I too am a Confederate, but I’m also The Red Demon of Myrkr. I’ve killed innocents for the sake of killing.” Redd said as a hand slowly slid along the rocky wall once more so then she could return the datapad to its hiding spot. ”I would have killed you too if you were not a part of the Confederacy, but like I said. The line is blurring. I’m angry at everything and everyone; which makes me dangerous, because I don’t know when I’ll finally snap and go on another killing spree.” Which was true. The fact that she had come to a cold planet had coincidentally been helpful. The biting weather had tempered her anger and allowed her to finally give it focus. Survival. ”Maybe I have a gift, but…” Redd hesitated as her hand lightly rested against the stone wall, ”I don’t think it matters. As I’ve only ever known a solitary life and those who do know me, die or leave.”

Her last words had gotten quieter, but she suspected that the sound carried through the cave as her hands began to undress herself, confident that the man wouldn’t be able to see her in the dark. Not that it bothered her, but often she found that it bothered others. ”Keep your ration bar. You’ll need it, as we will be stuck here for a few days. A pause. ”Besides, me and hunger are old friends.” The woman said before she went quiet in reflection. Indeed her time growing up and fighting in rings had seen many days of starvation. In fact, by the time she had broken out, she had been severely underweight and had spent a long time under the care of doctors at Gerwald’s request. Redd had gone mental with the amount of down time she had, but her brother had taken the time to establish a family bond. Brother and sister. Ever since then, he had been scarce but she had always been one message away should he call upon her. Which was the reason why she even had the datapad to begin with.

”Besides, maybe I’ll find a rodent or two.” Came the response after a period of silence. A response that lacked the usual cave echo, but what did echo were the subtle noises of claws against stone. Of fur being shaken out and the sound of a tongue rasping over a dry nose; until finally the red wolf emerged from the dark once more. She knew that the small pocket of light wouldn’t last long and suspected that they would get snowed in, but for one reason or another, she had to know where the signal was coming from. ”Do you have anything of Larsa’s that I might be able to get a scent from?” The wolf asked as she brushed against the man’s mind through the force in order to be heard, while golden eyes remained fixed upon the man.​

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[Varion Talon]

HOTH

Probably didn't want to face the consequences of not following my request.

The reply, given the situation, was somewhat humorous to the Echani and he did not know why. As the datapad was returned to its rightful owner, Var did his absolute best to keep a straight face. A bemused huff did escape his nostrils, but it was subtle. Enough so that the sound was muffled by the crunch of her boots as she walked back into the cave. He watched - listened - as the woman explained her thoughts. She disputed that she was a good person. Rather, she helped him simply because they were both Confederates.

...And as she continued, all he saw were scars. They were vastly similar, though she'd never know it at a glance. Var had lived his own share of nightmares. Done his own share of wrongs. Had to figure himself out time and time again. But, when he looked at himself in the mirror, did he think that he was a good person? Now he did. But in the midst of the storms? He surely didn't. Especially not after Larsa died. Especially not after he sent Sylvia away. Hell, especially not after watching Tellu die again. It was hard not to give up sometimes.

"You're not alone." he said simply.

"Even though I'm a Confederate, you didn't have to help me. You chose to. That alone makes me think that you're a good person. You've just...been through so much chit by the sound of it." As he spoke, he returned the ration bar to his belt. He wouldn't try and force the gift into her hands. But, later, if the situationed demanded, he'd make sure she didn't starve. "I'm no saint. I'm no Jedi. I did my fair share of killing good people, or seeing good people get killed. Like Larsa. I've done all sorts of criminal chit too. Before I joined the Knights, I was the sort of scum that the Knights hunted."

He then motioned towards her. "But my past doesn't define me, nor does yours. It's what you do each day with the life you've got that defines you. And look what you've done today." He paused, hearing sounds that he couldn't perceive. And then, he witnessed movement lower to the ground. She returned to the light in the form of a wolf. He should have expected as much, as she had said that the Lord Commander was her sibling. But he had never seen the man shift personally. Nonetheless, as bidded, he shrugged off the bomber jacket. "This once belonged to Larsa." he said, offering it to her.

He then lowered to a single knee.

"Listen...Since we're stuck here for a few days and all...Maybe I can help you? You're not alone, you know."​

Redd​

 

[Redd]

REDD
Location: Hoth
Outfit: XoXo
Tags: Varion Talon

His words, ’You’re not alone,’ echoed within and her head lowered for a moment as she looked away from the man. If she had been in human form she would have struggled to hold back the flood of emotions which would have crossed her face, but in wolf form it was harder to read. The only indication of the emotion, would be the pain which would flicker within the molten gold depths of her eyes. This would tell her one thing, that the lines between her human and wolf form, was no more. She felt every heartbreaking emotion even as a wolf and the wolf licked her maw while she contemplated on attacking the man once again. Killing had a way of dulling the pain and it was that dull ache that she longed for once again, except it was the cold which tempered the anger to a degree. It cooled the hot emotion and her ears flickered back against her head before her attention shifted back to the man.

Even after the man had finished speaking, the Red Demon remained quiet and instead, opted to slowly lean forward to sniff at the jacket. After committing the scent to memory, she turned upon her hind paws and began to walk back into the dark cave. There, she relied heavily upon her hearing to navigate her way through the dark, by listening to the small echos that her claws made upon the solid stone as it bounced from the stone walls and back to her. After some time had passed, the wolf continued to speak.

”I witnessed the death of my pack. I killed to survive slavery and even after I was pulled free of it by Gerwald and he called me his sister; he only cares enough to call upon me whenever he needs a set of teeth and claws to kill something. My brother doesn’t bother to interact with me unless he needs me for something. I’ve lost twin pups; I’ve lost a mate and I’ve killed hundreds of innocents without guilt. I don’t care to care about the loss of life.” Redd said as she paused in her movements, only to question as to why she was telling him this. Perhaps it was because she was trying to scare him away, or perhaps, it was because she expected to lose her mind from the pain of grief; which had worked its way ever so deeply within her heart. Either way, his words had struck a chord. For she felt alone. She had always felt alone, even when she had been with Haastal.

Her nose dipped for a second, but she disguised it as she scented the earth for anything that would give her a hint of Larsa, only for it to come up empty and she moved on. ”I’m only good for killing. A fact my brother had realised before me and anyone who gets close usually dies or…” She paused in her words, but continued to move while she chewed upon them before continuing her sentence. ”...Or they leave. I was a lone wolf for most of my life, why should it be any different now?” Redd queried the man. Truth was, she just didn’t know how to be around others, for she just wanted to kill in order to satiate the bloodlust that was very much a part of her. Perhaps it truly was the only reason Gerwald ever kept her around. She was a tool used to kill others, but it didn’t make any difference at all to her.

The wolf was cursed. At least that was what she believed. Anyone who she got closed to, died. Or, they left. The grief was just too much, but the cold helped to take the edge off of the memories. ”It’s better that I’m alone. Especially now when I’m so close to losing any conscious thought or action. Of losing rational thinking and turning feral. If that happens, I’d even attempt to kill Gerwald.” She admitted to the man. Only it was at that point when she heard something else and she froze. It was a musical sound, but it was far off. Extremely so, but the fur upon the back of her neck, rose up as her ears flickered forward. ”Something else is here.” Redd warned him.​

 

[Varion Talon]

The pitter of canine pads was the only sound.

At first, the wolf said nothing in response to the Knight's words. She simply lowered her head and sniffed the bomber jacket a few times - committing the scent to memory. Then, she strode back towards the rear of the cave. Her advance was slow. Deliberate, even. And Var kept pace with ease. His footsteps were light, intended not to distract from the search that was underway. After several moments of silent movement, the canine's voice echoed within his mind.

And as she spoke, the Echani understood.

Though Var was certain that the Lord Commander was a man of honor, it was far too easy to become swept under the tide of duty. To only reach out when the need for battle arose. And for one such as Redd, who had gone through the wringer of life and some - the bonds of family were pivotal. Yet, in this, she was alone. She was barely a sibling. She had lost the honor of motherhood. She had watched her family be destroyed. She had to kill and kill and kill just to remain free.

It was no wonder she blamed herself. Thinking that she was an animal on the edge of breaking loose. Beneath the fur, there were a myriad of scars that the naked eye could not see. But as she spoke, she shined a pivotal light upon them.

"I'm so sorry for your losses." he began, speaking lightly and attempting to find the right words. "The world is a cruel bastard at times. It forces you to do things that you were not meant to. Forces you to think that you are something that you are not."

"I don't believe that all you are good for is killing. I believe you've had everything taken from you - and now, the only thing that's left is fangs and claws. But that isn't you. You are a lover, a sister, a mother, and a friend. You have the capacity - and have proven - to be so much more. It's not better that you're alone. It's not better to give up after life has had it's way with you."

"I've bled. I've killed. I've lost. We all have. Some more than others. But we can't give in - else life wins. You're stronger than that. I can see it in you." He was about to continue when she paused. A warning erupted into his mind. Something else was there. The Echani halted his breath and listened. It...was a musical sound? An almost electrical chime? The Echani strolled forward, hand upon the cavern wall for guidance. As he advanced, there was light. A dim, shining light underneath a patch of snow. The sole contradiction to the darkness.

The Echani lowered to one knee and plunged his hand into the snow. When he retreived it, a datapad was clutched in his grasp - along with a skeletal hand. He tugged hard, and out popped the frozen remains of a sorry sod. Var knew it wasn't Larsa - he had seen the man perish. But...the signal...it was coming from this device all along. "How in the..." he breathed, before prying the device free. Eagerly, he tapped upon the screen - he knew this device. Though faded, on the back, a dragon sticker was yet present. Scribbles of marker - his scribbles - also adorned the chassis. This was Larsa's own device.

A new password was present. The Echani slumped down onto his posterior and began attempting to crack it. "This isn't Larsa." he said, motioning towards the dead man. "But this pad is. If I can crack this, maybe I can get some answers."

He paused, the reached out - as if offering to pat her upon the head.

"You've got so much greatness in you - and you don't have to be alone anymore. After this, you're welcome to come with me. To start over, if you want. I'll teach you how to beat life."[/indent]

Redd​

 

[Redd]

WOLF QUEEN
Location: Hoth
Outfit: XoXo
Tags: Varion Talon

The man’s words had her ears pulling back once again. She had never thought that she had been giving up. In fact that was the opposite of her intention, because she had promised Gerwald to return if she did manage to maintain her sanity and grow as an individual who hadn’t had a chance to do so even when surrounded by others. People hadn’t taught her anything, or been willing to help her train in any way. So removing herself to do so, to teach herself, even in this pivotal moment of potentially losing her mind, was just how the cards had fallen. The red wolf scrunched up her nose and would have scoffed if she had been in human form, but the man had managed to hear the soft sounds himself. So, she paused to allow the man to push forwards ahead of her.

Golden eyes watched him retrieve the device, only to slump down into a sitting position upon the rocky floor. He seemed to take great interest in the device, but she also maybe got a sense that the man was feeling something else. What that was didn’t seem entirely about grief, but rather… Reflection? Whatever it was, the wolf slowly sat back upon her hind legs as she listened to his words and looked at the offered hand. Only two people had been given the chance to pat her. One had been Gerwald when she had been confined to the infirmary after her escape from slavery and the other had been Haastal when she had first shown him her animal counterpart. Both times had been different and yet, she had never quite gotten used to the feeling. It was an intimate feeling. Whether it was a pat by a family member or by someone who had stroked her fur with such loving strokes. Anyone else who had tried, had gotten their hand bitten off because she didn’t like people touching her in that way. Because after-all, it was an intimate touch.

This man had stretched out a hand, but it was up to her to choose to reach for it.

Her nose dipped as she felt the basic instinct to reach out and be a part of a pack, but the wolf knew that it could never be a true pack. She would never feel like she would truly belong, because she would never be the one person that someone could truly care about in the way that she had always wished someone would. She would always come second to everyone and everything else. It was why she had felt so alone when she had needed something or someone to be there for her no matter the circumstances; a fact that had only proven to her time and time again, that she couldn’t rely upon or reach out to others. Gerwald only truly cared about his students and the one he had lost to the ghost world. Haastal had only cared about his future pups and his standing within his family and Redd had only been secondary to those factors.

Slowly, her nose turned away from the man as she looked to the half buried skeletal form in the snow. ”Once upon a time, I was a lover and a mother, but the reality of that, is that I am no longer those things and no one will ever be accepting of me as I am for it to ever happen again.” Redd said as a sadness seemed to linger over those words. She truly believed that such endeavours would forever be out of her reach. After all, how could anyone ever truly love a Lupo who had a thirst for blood and lived for the kill?

She continued. ”I can come, but…” The wolf paused as her tongue licked her black nose while she tried to formulate her words for the man. ”I won’t be what I was before. My parents had a dream that I would one day be Alpha of our pack, but it is a dream that cannot come true. So, I will rise to be something else. Something more...” Redd began as she rose up onto her paws once again and golden eyes stared at the man. ”I will be the Queen of Wolves and I will create a pack that is loyal to me. A pack who I can call upon to gather and destroy anyone who dares to think of me as anything less.” She said as she puffed out her chest and brought her frame up to its full height. How she was going to create that pack, she didn’t quite know, but as she had found on many occasions; her strength and determination had a way of making things happen.​

 

[Varion Talon]

HOTH

The canine turned away.​

​

Given what little the Echani knew of the woman's storied past, he understood. Walls were not erected in a day, a week, or even a month. It took years of heartache to close off one's soul. Years of being let down and forgotten. Only monumental pain could see one willingly exile themselves to an icy tundra like this. Thus, Var simply rendered a nod to the woman and returned his grasp to the datapad. He was silent for a few moments, fingers tapping upon the screen whilst he breached the relic from his friend's past.​

​

All the while, the canine spoke. Her voice was tinged with sadness at first. She spoke in absolutes - that no one would ever accept her as she is. That she could never be loved. That she could never share a mother's love again. The Echani was ignorant to that sort of pain, but he empathized nonetheless. He had known love and loss, but the magnitudes were far different than the Wolf. Thus, he nodded quietly. Listened intently.​

​

She then rose to her full height, a fact which caused the Echani's eyebrow to raise. There were...sparks to her words. A confidence that had found kindling and had begun to ignite. She had ambition - to become a Queen of Wolves. To build her own pack. She spoke of being able to call upon them in order to destroy anyone who thought less of her. But Var was able to read between the lines just fine. If she couldn't have those things she lost - love, acceptance - then she would make them. She would carve out a home for herself and fill it with those worthy of loving her. She wouldn't settle for the suffering that had led her to Hoth.​

​

"Now that is what I like to hear."​

​

The hand which had been extended raised again, this time giving her a thumbs-up. His lips curved into a genuine smirk. "To hell with anyone who'll give you less. You deserve to be happy. Make that pack, Queen." In the old days, Var was every bit of a hype man for his own "pack." If they wanted to shoot for the sun, the moon, and the stars - he'd tell them they could do it. And mean every word. "Now, I'm no wolf, but you've got my support - for what it's worth. The past can go feth itself - today marks a new start for you."​

​

The datapad suddenly chimed. Var quickly began to flip through the contents. His brow furrowed... "Looks like...someone had stolen this...and tripped the 'find my device' function when they got here. Maybe hoping to get some help." The Echani let loose a heavy sigh. "I guess that's it. Larsa is gone. No sense in chasing his ghost." Var powered down the device and cast it back into the snow.​

​

"Better take my own advice, right? Past can go feth itself." He then motioned towards the canine with his chin. "Name's Var, by the way. What should I call you?"​

Redd​