Blood, Sweat, and Tears

[Kerstas]

(( [member="Daxton Bane"] in case you want to read it and give me tips ))

Location:Demon Moon of Dxun, Hangar
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day One

((Any dialogue with this color is spoken in Sith, for when I don't feel like translating. For the phrases spoken in Sith, here is a good translator to use.))

After departing the labyrinth, Kerstas had once again reviewed the list, realising she'd misread a few things. It is a good thing I checked, she thought. Else I would have wasted precious seconds.

Next to the items, the names of planets were listed. These, she assumed, was where the materials could be gathered. The ones that had no planet next to them were ones she assumed could be found anywhere.

As the Buro approached Hangar 32-J, she took note of the ship which sat inside. Her curiosity piqued, Kerstas hurried inside, but was soon stopped by a human in a mechanic's uniform. "Are you...ah...Kerstas?" he asked.

The Buro looked down at the human -- he was at least four inches shorter than her -- and nodded. "Yes, I am. Who are you, and why do you ask?"

Keeping his distance from her, he jerked a thumb at the ship. "I'm Baxter, one of the folks who works in this hangar. Mr. Bane said this ship was yours to use on your quest." Baxter gave a crooked grin, adding, "A beauty, ain't she? Bit of an outdated model, but still fully functioning. The hangar crew and I fixed her up real good -- everything's updated that needed to be. She's even got a Class 0.75 hyperdrive. Not as fast as them other ones out there, but she certainly ain't slow."

The human stuck his hands in his pockets. " 'Course, she's nothing without a name. That honour is yours, m'lady."

Kerstas found Baxter's attitude to be slightly contagious, and she gave a small smile back. Of course, finding out that the surprise from her Father was a personal ship certainly helped. She made a note to send him a note of gratitude, after she'd cleaned up, that is. "It is my honour, then? Hmm." She closed her eyes, thinking. What would befit a ship as fine as this? After a few moments, an idea came to her. "I shall call her--"

"Whoa, whoa! Don't you know anything about namin' ships? Er, probably not." Baxter rubbed the back of his neck, taking a deep breath before making an I-wish-I-didn't-just-do-that face. "Sorry. Let me explain. See, it's considered bad luck to say a ship's name before the transponder is coded with it. Here, just type it down here and I'll have a droid program it in no time." The human handed her his datapad, and she quickly inputted her name before handing it back.

While he called over a droid, the Buro looked down at her apparel. "I have a few questions," Kerstas said.

"Shoot."

"What?"

"Uh, ignore it. What're your questions?"

"On board, are there fresh clothes? And fermenting fruits?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. Everything's stocked and ready to go. Even credits, just in case."

Kerstas gave the man a bow. "Thank you, my friend. Contact me when the transponder is ready." With that, she turned and made her way towards the ship.

"Uh, sure. Yeah," he said to her retreating back, seeming to be glad that the air smelled slightly less like rotten rancor.

 

[Kerstas]

Location: Demon Moon of Dxun, Hangar, Ship
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day One


Kerstas had just straightened her new, clean tunic when her comlink pinged. Picking it up, she said, "I am to assume the transponder is ready?"

"Yeah, everything's good. All I gotta do is come aboard and, ah, hook it up. With your permission, anyway."

The Buro marvelled at the behaviour of humans. Their general attitudes were all over the place. "Of course, Baxter. Unless you intend to hinder me?" The subsequent uneasy chuckle made the female tilt her head. Her question had been made in all seriousness. "What is humorous?"

"What? Oh! You were being serious. Sorry. Um. No, no, I ain't going to hinder you. Don't worry about that. I just, ah, didn't want to barge in on you on accident. You know?"

The human's nervousness and whatnot elicited her species' version of a chuckle. She walked out of her chambers, making a slight detour to select one of the fruits. Up until now, Kerstas hadn't realised how famished her trials had made her. Taking a bite, she met Baxter as he headed towards a side panel on the wall of the hallway. "That is where the transponder goes?"

The human withdrew a screwdriver from his belt and began to remove the panel. "Yep, I gotta hook it up to a few wires so it'll switch on when you press the button on the console. Then the planet control folks won't be all over you." He then took out what Kerstas assumed was the transponder and hooked it up. After he finished, Baxter replaced the panel and looked at the Buro.

Getting the sense that he wanted to ask a question, Kerstas finished off the fruit and tilted her head. "Well? Is there something else?"

The human shrugged and put the tools back in his belt. "It's none of my business, but... What does 'Noo-yak Veersoo-knee' mean? Is that even a language?"

"Nuyak virsune," she amended. "It means 'My Pride.' If there is nothing else, Baxter, I would like to depart now."

"Oh. Alright. Got it." As the human turned to leave, a http://www.staractionfigures.co.uk/user/products/large/r2q5.jpg]black astromech droid[/url] wheeled up, tootling a greeting. In response, Kerstas unfurled her whips, though she left them off.

"Kuris buti j'us?" she hissed. The droid simply blew a raspberry at her, while the mechanic held up his hands in an attempt to prevent any fighting, though everyone in the room knew if it came to that there was nothing he could do.

"Whoa! Whoa. Calm down, alright? Don't worry, he's with us. His name is R2-B3. I call him Arby. He's gonna help you on....whatever it is you're doing. Alright? Alright. Um. I'm gonna get outta your...uh...hair...now...so...see ya." With that, Baxter borderline ran away, his footsteps echoing off of the boarding ramp. A few heartbeats after his departure, Kerstas looked down at the droid, who had moved closer to her.

"Gal j'us kioska voy Tsis?" she asked. Speaking in Basic, as always, gave her a headache after using it for too long. Sith was much easier on her vocal chords. The droid made a sound that she took as an affirmative, and she bowed her head slightly. "Zyemus. Nu buti alsu iv byloti is Mibiâ." The Buro recoiled her whips and hooked them back onto her belt before gesturing in the direction of the cockpit. "Tegu mus stotis re faejon, na, yunoks doroti."

 

[Kerstas]

Location: Demon Moon of Dxun, Ship, Flying above the canopy of the jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day One


Kerstas and Arby sat in the cockpit, skimming the tops of the jungle as they looked for a good place to begin their quest. The ride on the whole had been largely quiet, with Arby monitoring the systems and she not only flying, but also mulling over their quarry: the anoa bird.

From what little she could dredge up, the anoa bird was just one of many creatures on Dxun. The size of a small bus, the bird was mostly a peaceful bird -- until someone or something trespassed on its territory. That was when things got hairy, and the creature was not known for being merciful.

But then, if it was, her Father would not have put it on her list.

Kerstas was especially looking for signs of the birds: stripped trees, nests, anything. Perhaps even the creature itself.

It was only about three hours until sundown when she finally spotted something through a gap in the treetop. Something was moving fast, something which was multi-colored and feathery. I have found you.

"Are you ready to land, Arby? I believe I have found what we have been searching for." The droid let out an affirmative whistle, and Kerstas began to lower the ship towards the gap. Branches whacked against the hull, but the ship still held.

Underneath, small creatures scurried away from it, and the vegetation shook with the gusts of wind from the engines. Though she managed to set the ship down, her landing was still bumpy, earning a grimace and a quick prayer that her Father wasn't there.

Quickly unbuckling, Kerstas checked that everything was well before standing up. "Arby," she said. "Please be on standby while I hunt down the anoa bird. I may be in need of a quick getaway. Understood?" The droid let out another whistle, and the Buro made her way to the boarding ramp.

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kerstas"]

((Just so I don't have to keep hunting for this thread... <_< ))

 

[Kerstas]

[SIZE=medium]Location: [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Demon Moon of Dxun, jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day One[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]Her shoulders were tense, and Kerstas forced herself to relax. Her clawed, bare feet sank slightly in the spongy ground, and the Buro assessed her surroundings the way she had been taught. After all, this was not a training session, and there was a greater chance of her actually dying here. That thought sent a pang through her heart, and she quickly dismissed it. Getting emotional would not be of any help to her. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]First, what could she hear? Kerstas shut her eyelids briefly, listening. Her immediate area was silent except for the hum of the engines and the beating of her heart. She was pleased to note that it remained steady, not at all elevated by the situation. Her Father would be proud of that fact. Farther away, though, a shriek pierced the air before being cut short. A moment later, there was a roar which rattled her bones. It seemed something had found a meal. As if waiting for such an invitation, the chirruping of insects and other wildlife started up, creating a chaotic melody which assaulted her auditory organs. Grimacing slightly, the Buro opened her eyes again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Next, her sense of touch and smell. Even though she possessed no nose, the Buro had, like many other noseless species, olfactory organs. The air pressed down on her skin, heavy with moisture and the scent of rotting vegetation. Humidity would be a problem – if she wasn’t careful, her comlink and whips could malfunction, leaving her both stranded and weaponless. Underneath her feet, the soil was squishy and mixed with plant material and rich minerals. Good soil for a garden, she observed idly. Not that she wanted a garden; Kerstas did not have the patience to wait for a seed to grow. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Now, what could she see? Her dull, red eyes slowly scanned the surroundings, and she twisted her head to get as many visuals as possible. The clearing they were in was filled with green vegetation, all of which was covered in drops of condensation. Thus far, there were no predatory animals around. In fact, there weren’t even any signs of animals in general. The landing must have scared them away, she mused. Even so, only a fool would assume that they were safe, which meant Kerstas would have to keep a constant eye out.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Speaking of keeping an eye out… Something colourful a few feet away caught her attention, and she walked over, picking it up. It was a feather, slightly dirty but obviously freshly shed. Ah, hah. Perhaps it belonged to her quarry? Closer inspection of the ground revealed a large set of prints, belonging to a heavy, three-toed avian. Her suspicions strong, the Buro tucked the feather away in her pack and began to follow the trail deep into the jungle, her body tensed for any type of attack.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt](( [member="Darth Vitium"] -- in case you're still interested, since Kerstas is now actually on Dxun. If not, that's fine ))[/SIZE]

 

[Kerstas]

[SIZE=medium]Location: [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Demon Moon of Dxun, Ship, jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day One[/SIZE]


Not even five minutes after Kerstas left the proximity of the ship, she was attacked by a group of cannoks.

Kerstas had heard something moving in the vegetation, and as such had paused, looking around to I.D. the suspects. That was when she heard the grunts of the creatures, which itself was followed by glimpses of eyestalks.

From what she could tell, there were at least four or five cannoks attacking her, though it was difficult to get a proper estimate. As soon as Kerstas had recognized what the owners of the eyestalks were, she'd unfurled her whips and activated them. This appeared to be a signal for the creatures to attack, and attack they did.

One jumped out of the plants and leapt at her. The alien, tall as she was, managed to duck down but was bowled over by a second cannok, who'd head-butted her. Hitting the ground with a soft "oomph", she kicked at yet another who tried to bite her. A fourth meanwhile charged and lunged for her arm. She jerked it back, but the creature's teeth grazed her arm and drew blood.

Letting out a hiss of pain, Kerstas began to crack her whip in the air. The noise temporarily distracted the cannoks, allowing her to recollect herself. Her reprieve was short-lived, though. As soon as the female had gotten to her feet, the creatures once again leapt at her.

Between the cracks of the whips and the kicks, the Buro couldn't help but feel a bit of respect for the creatures. They were relentless, straightforward, and surprisingly strategical. For an animal, that is.

After a couple minutes, Kerstas had given up on using her whips. Oh, they were beautiful for long-ranged combat, but for the up-close-and-personal attacks these creatures employed? Useless. And it didn't help that the skies had decided to unleash one of Dxun's typical rainstorms.

So, now she had to fight with her bare hands and feet. Not too bad, but the cannoks appeared to be advocates of dirty fighting. As soon as one was knocked back, another jumped up to takes its place. Despite only being a handful, it felt as if there were hundreds of cannoks attacking. Raking her claws down the side of one, Kerstas couldn't help but think, Father would be most disappointed with my display.

That thought gave her a surge of motivation and willpower. She knew that, of all her Father's experiments, she was his favourite. She was the one he'd put all of his resources into. She was the one he doted on the most. Well, his version of doting. Anyway. She was the one her Father had put his faith into to bring down the hated Jedi. She would not fail him now, not when she'd barely begun her quest!

With a blood-curdling snarl, Kerstas renewed her efforts to quell her enemies.

As the previously injured cannok leapt at her again, the Buro crouched low. Then, when the creature was almost on top of her, she shot her hand out and gripped the creature's face under its lower jaw. Her claws dug into the creature's skin, and it emitted several pain-filled grunts.

The cannok was heavier than she expected, and the momentum caused Kerstas to fall back. Going with the flow, though, she swung the animal around. Though two of the advancing cannoks managed to jump out of the way, the third wasn't so fortunate. Her cannok hit the other with a painful thwahp, causing both to grunt loudly and sending it rolling into the vegetation.

One down, two to go.

 

[Kerstas]

[SIZE=medium]Location: [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Demon Moon of Dxun, jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day One[/SIZE]


The other two cannoks continued to circle around her warily, keeping just out of range of her own cannok (which, by this time, had been knocked silly from hitting the other cannok). Since Kerstas didn't want to waste any more time, she openly taunted the creatures, baring her teeth and gesturing slowly. The smarter of the two stayed back, but the other jumped at her again.

Thwahp went the cannok-club, this time swinging up to catch the creature under its chin and scooping it over her. It landed on its back, momentarily stunned, and the Buro wasted no time.

Whirling around, she stomped down on its belly, pinning the animal to the ground with her sharp talons. The creature struggled, but Kerstas hit it again with her club. Then, with her free hand, she dug her claws into its stomach and gutted the creature, ensuring any movement would be too painful. And indeed, it was.

Leaving that creature to expire on its own, she turned to face the last cannok, but it was nowhere to be seen. Coward, she thought smugly. Now, where are my whips? she wondered, dropping the cannok she'd used as a club. The smug look was replaced with a frown as she looked around in the mud for her cherished weapons. She finally found one of them, sticking upright in the ground. A soft groan escaped her as she picked it up -- the entire length of the whip was caked in mud and probably damaged from the rain. But where's the other one?

A peculiar hacking noise startled the Buro, and she turned around. The last cannok had awakened and was hunched over, heaving. Dangling out of its wide mouth was -- My whip! With a furious snarl, the female ran at the creature, tackling it and ravenging it to shreds, almost. "How dare you eat my whip, you vile creature!" she roared. Kerstas cracked the jawbone and reached down the throat of the carcass, grabbing hold of her whip and pulling it out. A loud noise of disgust escaped her as she surveyed the whip, and then herself. This was almost as bad as the encounter with the rancor -- blood (both hers and the cannoks'), guts, and mud coated her from head to talon, and her entire arm was covered with saliva. The rain, at least, was washing it away, but it was also washing away the tracks. And with the state she and her whips were in, there was no way Kerstas would be able to go after the anoa bird now.

She sighed. Why was it, whenever things seemed to be going right, something happened to make it worse? At least I managed to get something off of my list. At the very least, there should be enough blood here for the "blood of the fallen" thing. The Buro sent Arby the coordinates, along with instructions to take the carcasses aboard and drain their blood, before walking in the last known direction of the anoa bird.

 

[Boomerang]

[member="Kerstas"]

Location: Demon Moon of Dxun, Walking in the jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day Two

Boomerang blew the smoke away from the barrel of her pistol and stepped over the body of the creature, a new hole in its head. She had recently secured a contract to bring in one of Dxun's rare anoa birds, and the pay of success was too much for her to turn down.

But out here, in the pouring rain and muddy...mud, with creatures wanting to eat her day and night, and the humidity making her clothes stick to her skin? Why, it was almost enough to make her reconsider, to turn around and say "screw it, I'm not putting up with this poodoo!"

Almost.

Shaking the mud from her boots, the Jumper continued on the trail, keeping an eye out for any signs of her quarry. So far all she'd found was a dirty feather and some broken foliage, but if the reports were true then she was luckier than most.

Suddenly, an odd impression on the soil caught her eye, and the woman knelt down. The prints weren't anything she'd seen before, but the way they were placed...As if belonging to a bipedal. An ally, perhaps? Tiola wondered. Or an adversary? She stood up, looking around. Well, there's only one way to find out.

Following the tracks, the woman soon came to a tree. No surprise, she was in a forest after all, but the tracks ended directly in front of it. So, she looked up. And there, amidst the branches, she saw a strange being...sleeping?

Letting out a sharp whistle, Boomerang called up, "Oi! You up there! Wake up!"

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Boomerang"]

Location: Demon Moon of Dxun, Walking in the jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day Two


After searching for several more hours past sunset, Kerstas had eventually given up on tracking; there was no point, not in the dark of the night, and she was tired. Thus, the only option was to find a secure place to hunker down. Or rather, up -- if the previous events had been any indicator, it was that sleeping on the ground would most certainly result in her death. As for her wounds, well, the only thing she could do was clean them off and hope they'd scab over before infection set in.

A sharp whistle awoke the Buro from her sleep, and she immediately went on full alert. Shifting slightly in her roost on the tree limb, she looked down to see a masked figure looking up at her. The mask was an interesting, if not lovely, sight to behold -- it seemed full of rage and sadness, vengeance and redemption...there was an aura of foreboding, too, as if the wearer of the mask would not hesitate to become a killer; as if the wearer was a killer. Hmmm... Kerstas narrowed her eyes, calling down, "Who are you?"

While awaiting an answer, the alien studied the figure before her, wracking her mind for any memories of meeting this person. Nothing was coming up, so she set about seeing if she could gather information based on appearances. The mask itself looked like something out of a nightmare, almost, and at first Kerstas wondered if this individual was a Sith, like her Father. But a quick investigation of the woman's outfit and attitude dismissed that idea quickly -- no Sith, not even a mere Apprentice, would act and dress like that. At least, the students at her Father's Academy and her Father himself neither dressed nor acted like that. For a moment, the Buro mourned her lack of Force Sensitivity. A simple mind probe would have been more than enough to put her curiosity at ease! But alas, she was bereft of that gift.

A mercenary, then? It would make sense; most if not all mercenaries and bounty hunters preferred to be masked, so as to conceal their identities. And the voice was almost certainly modified. There was no way the woman could sound as robotic and garbled as that.

The Buro had no qualms with mercenaries. In fact, she found herself almost hoping this woman was one. Then, at least, she might have assistance in seeking her target before continuing on her quest.

 

[Boomerang]

[member="Kerstas"]

Location: Demon Moon of Dxun, Walking in the jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day Two




Tiola tilted her head to the side at the female's question, though it was more at the accent than anything else. Interesting... This being's accent was something she hadn't heard before -- it was almost as if Basic wasn't her natural language. Very interesting...

The Jumper paused for a moment, studying the being more closely now that she'd shifted. Besides, she knew the favour was being returned.

Obviously female -- the creature's voice made that irrefutable. From her vantage point, too, she seemed to be about the same height as the blue woman, almost matching her in lankiness. But while Tiola's own movements attested to the need for stealth and infiltration, the stranger's were almost...graceful.

Species? Insectoid, by the looks of things. But which one? No idea. The face looked like it was more Duros than anything else, but the eyes were too small, and the skull was much more elongated. Same with the body, but that was it -- everything else looked almost Geonosian. At least, the claws and the feet did.

The manner of clothing combined all sorts of shades of orange, pink, and red, again reminding Tiola of an insect. But the style... It reminded her of a Sith, and beneath her mask, the woman's yellow eyes narrowed. A Sith, huh? Not a Lord or Knight, otherwise the stranger would've just ripped into her mind. An Apprentice, then? But where was her lightsaber? The only thing the Jumper could pick up on weapons-wise were two grimy shock whips, attached to the belt.

And what in the world was she doing here?

Crossing her arms, Tiola finally decided to reply to the stranger's question. "Call me Boomerang, Love. Who're you? And what're you doing?"

 

[Kerstas]

[member="Boomerang"]

Location: Demon Moon of Dxun, Walking in the jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day Two


"Boomerang...What an odd name," Kerstas whispered to herself. It didn't ring a bell, and was almost certainly an alias. But that was alright; Kerstas's own answer was not altogether truthful, either.

"Please, call me...Chi'ati." She sat up straighter, swinging her legs over the branch and leaping down gracefully. The landing, however, was more difficult, and the tall alien winced slightly at her wounds. Standing in front of the masked woman, the Buro discovered that the two were built in remarkably the same way, and there was only an inch in height difference.

"I am here because..." Hmmm. To tell or not to tell? On one hand, this being might be on her own quest, with no interest in what she herself did. On the other hand, though, if Boomerang proved to be one of her Father's enemies, well, things might not go so well.

But if she is no enemy, we may be able to partner up. It would make this quest much quicker.

Trusting in her gut and her ability to get out of a sticky situation, Kerstas brushed off her pants. "Because I search for the anoa bird, so that I may take some of its feathers." The alien peered at the eye holes of the masked woman. "Why are you here?"

 

[Boomerang]

[member="Kerstas"]

Location: Demon Moon of Dxun, Walking in the jungle
Item of Pursuit: Feathers from the Anoa Bird
Number of Items Left: 6

Day Two



"Chi'ati, huh? Nice ta meet ya, then." Chi'ati...what a weird name. Ah, well. It wasn't her place to judge.

The alien then swung herself off the branch, and Boomerang had to take a step back to avoid being squished. Instinctively, the woman reached for her blaster, but relaxed when she noted that the other was only landing. Odd... Tiola noted that the female was injured, and filed it away for something to address later.

The mercenary also noted that there was hesitation in regards to her question. Clearly, this being was hiding something. But again, it wasn't her place to judge -- she was here to catch an overgrown chicken, not ferret out secrets. At least, not until she was paid to do so.

But then, her ears perked up at the mention of the anoa bird. So, this Chi'ati being was searching for the anoa bird, too? And just its feathers? Even better! A plan began to form in her head, and Tiola smirked beneath her mask. "Funny enough, I'm searchin' for that chicken, too. So what say you and me pair up, and hit two birds with one stone?"

By her figurings, this would cut the effort expended in half, and then the two could part their respective ways.