Change of Plans

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Arms wrapped around the branch. Legs wrapped around it too as she barely found purchase. She slipped and slid down,
Closer to Riggs. And for a wild moment of shock and absurdity, she wanted to laugh. Because, she certainly was no monkey.

"Oomph," leg slipped and she found herself squeezing and clinging to the bark a bit tighter.

The healer heard Trex and Riggs moaned again. "Shhh," she whispered back, chestnut-haired head tilting up at the ship's opening she jumped from to shush the Jedi justicar. The spindly legs of what she figured as an acklay crunched outside on the other side of the ship.

For a moment, it went quiet.

She scrambled further down the branch and ended up clinging perilously so she could hang beside the pilot. "What a landing," he muttered and winked at her, blood on his mouth. "Nice of you to drop by, sweetheart."

Trying to wedge herself along that same Y in the bark, she released one handhold to work on getting him unstrapped. She'd also have to figure out the extent of his injuries and if it was okay to move him. "Will you please shut up? We're being stalked by predators." His eyes widened like saucers.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Trextan finished sliding the powerpack home. The rifle gave a faint buzz as the gas chamber was changed. For now he let it hang at his side on its strap. The mirialan shushed him so he remained quiet and calm. He stretched out with his senses. The Force danced around the area; it was so full of life.

His heart was in his mouth when Taheera nearly slipped. For a moment he was torn between jumping after her or looking for some other way to help.

The chair Taheera tried to pull him from was suddenly stable in its resting place. Trextan was stood as before but with his left hand outstretched and his eyes closed.

The frown was because of Riggs continued flirting and not because of the concentration he was holding.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

The empath felt the surge of force as the precarious pilot's seat became stable. She spared a glance at Trex's form in the gaping hole of the ship just above. One hand finally broke through the second strap keeping Riggs in.

Thank you.

Riggs looked around, taking a big swallow. Palm hovered over him and she risked a quieter moment to close her eyes, trusting Trex would have their backs and, or Riggs would scream like a baby if anything came their way. She sensed a few broken ribs and mild trauma to his head. Nothing more life threatening than the beasts near them. She'd have to find a longer moment to heal them if they made it to some shelter.

"Okay," she whispered, eyes snapping back open. "I'm going to lower you to the ground with the force." One arm still strained, keeping herself from falling as well.

"What?! Down there? What if-if there are those things," panic began to eclipse Riggs' eyes. She handed off one of the rifles, trying to release a sense of calming through the force into the pilot.

"There's this. I'll be right down after you. I pro-," a scream suddenly ripped through his throat and he jerked in front of her, the barrel of the rifle swinging up against her rib, knocking her off balance, he released a shot aimed at the acklay emerging behind her.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

His cry of warning was drowned out by the screech of the massive predator. Long legs anchored onto the branches as he reached out towards the pair with long fringe limbs.

Trextan found the groove of his shoulder with the scatter blaster. It had a tight spread at this distance so he wasn't going to take the Jedi healer and pilot out in the same shot.

He fired three shots into the flank of the acklay. It didn't hill the beast but it left tight patterns of scorch marks that must have cut into its hide. It certainly drew the acklay's attention as it made one final snatch at Taheera before turning and scuttling for the crashed ship.

"Oh hell."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Myrtle-ellipses widened. Her center of balance was already off and she felt herself tip off her precarious position from the tree and into the air. One of the acklay's long legs sliced just past her arm, where her gut would've been, cutting through fabric and across her green flesh like it was nothing. Riggs tipped back, getting another shot at the beast as it turned to Trex.

The shot didn't slow its spindly charge at the justicar.

Using the force, she channeled it toward the ground, slowing her fall before she hit against the swampy-mud. The beasts looked a lot bigger down here. The swampy-ground slurped at her legs, trying to cement her in. Ignoring it for the moment, she reached forward with the force, sensing an old wound in one of the acklay's leg and taking advantage of it with shatterpoint.

She felt herself sink an inch further in the ground.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The back four legs of the acklay spread to anchor the creature on the hull of the ship. Trextan had backed himself to the far corner of the room and was reaching for the button on the door to the next section of the ship. It didn't work. There was a loud crack as the chitinous hide of its middle right leg cracked. The acklay had been about to reach for Trextan when the leg collapse under it. The front two legs went scrabbling across the deck of the shuttle instead of cutting the justicar in half.

Trextan didn't wait. he let the scattergun hang from the strap as he ripped the panel for the emergency release away from the wall. He pulled the lever and the doors clunked and opened an inch. He forced his hands between them and made a gap to squeeze himself through. A few pumps of the emergency lever on the far side locked them closed again just as the acklay pushed itself into the ship and gave chase.

Trextan's chest was heaving. He back away from the door slowly, expecting something to come through. Nothing did. Now he needed another way out of the ship.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Riggs managed to shoot the rifle a second time as the now one-leg-less acklay scrambled into the ship's gaping hole after Trextan. He screamed like a madman, probably with adrenaline and shock rushing in and whooped when one of the shots connected with one of the creature's remaining back legs before it disappeared after the trapped jedi knight.

Worried eyes that matched the greenery of the jungle strained from below, heart leaping in her throat every time she heard the scrape of the creature's legs and its shrill, echoing scream. She strained her feet, trying to pull herself free, thinking of what she could do. She could try tipping the ship with the force, as if she could shake the acklay back out of the hole in which it had climbed. But that risked shaking up Trex as well and bringing the entire ship down on top of them.

Frustration etched its way along her tattooed-brow as her feet remained stuck in the mud, now past her ankles.

"COME AND GET ME YOU KARKING BEAST! AHHHHHH" The scream ripped through the jungle from Rigg's throat as he waved his hands up at the crashed ship that was tangled within limbs and vines and the tops of several trees. No, no, no, others would hear....There was a crack and the branch he'd been precariously perched on snapped. With a different kind of yell, he pitched forward toward the ground.

Green hand flew forward as she wrapped the force around the pilot to cushion and slow his blundering fall to the ground. Concentration wavered slightly as two echoing acklay screams filled the jungle around them and not too far away.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The things claws pounded against the door several more times as Trextan walked between the two rows of bunks. Every single time it made him flinch. He moved quickly, stuffing a bag full of supplies and stuffing them into a bag. He found two thermal detonators and took those as well.

When it stopped trying to break through he moved with greater haste. There as natural light filtering through the hold as well as the emergency lighting so he assumed there was a crack somewhere back here.

It turned out the emergency pod had been jettisoned during landing. Another quick release lever and the circular door was forced out of the way. He crawled through the cramped space to the end. Trextan had to twist awkwardly to find a handhold and pull himself up onto the hull of the ship. He was breathing hard as he made his way over the cockpit. The acklay had emerged once more and had spotted Riggs shouted.

Trextan drew his blade and ignited it.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Riggs grunted and landed in some shrubbery, cushioned by Taheera's use of the force. "Thanks for the assist, lady jedi!" He saluted her and began picking himself up, only to see the acklay from the ship begin to drop toward him.

Myrtle-ellipses widened. "MOVE it RIGGS!" She yelled and sunk another inch, now up past her knees. Hand fumbled for the cortosis staff slung over her back. Igniting the plasma blade on one end, she dipped it in the quicksand-type muck she was stuck in, trying to loosen it up enough to move her leg or something. It didn't seem to be working. Wrenching the staff out, she saw the acklay making a quick advance to Riggs who was shooting wildly.

Behind her, that second acklay scream loomed closer. She saw the flash of Trex's lightsaber from above. A flicker of relief eclipsed her tattooed-face. "If you're coming down, watch where you land! Ground is....tricky." Head tipped back, looking for a vine or branch she might be able to wrap around with the force and bring toward herself.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Tricky. A particularly vague description. Trextan had enough wits to notice that she was staying static in the face of the oncoming acklay. The youth turned his head back and forth as he tried to formulate something resembling a plan. He had never been very good at thinking things through before acting.

Pushing off the cockpit he slowed his descent with the Force, coming to land on a thick branch above the creature. Fortunately its spiny limbs were not well suited to the soft ground and it was picking a slow, careful path. Trextan ran down the branch, keeping his balance as it wobbled with his weight. Without a second thought he leaped. His right prosthetic hand grasped a thick vine that snapped taut. He let the vine slip through his hand to adjust the reach.

He swung past the back legs of the acklay, his saber came around in a wide sweep and he severed another back leg.

Of course he hadn't planned beyond that and had to release the vine and roll to a stop.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

The acklay screamed as it lost another leg. She grimaced, tuning out the trickling of pain through her empathic connection. Force wrapped around a vine and she tugged it down until her fingers could clench around it. With a shrug of her shoulder, the staff strap went back over her curved shoulder so she could hand-over-hand her way out of the quicksand.

The ground slurped and gurgled as she began to pull herself free.

But the second acklay was already at her back. Myrtle ellipses widened. One hand released her vine and the other shot out, wrapping the force around the beast she quickly tossed it over her head and straight into what was left of the other one. Good news: she had a few more moments to pull herself free. Bad news: Trex had a brand new one to deal with. And a ticked off old one.

"Coming!" With a grunt, she continued to climb up the vine, muck clinging to her clothes as she went. Oops. And there went a boot.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Trextan landed on wet, but stable ground. He rolled back onto his feet to end up covered in a layer of mud. Turning on the spot he found himself facing down a pair of the creatures. The one he'd just struck moved erratically on its remaining limbs. It made a tentative strike with one of its front claws, but wobbled off balance. The newcomer came in quickly, rushing in on all six legs before drawing itself up on the back four legs. Fortunately for Trextan he wasn't its target.

Deciding that the first one looked wounded and vulnerable it went to challenge the larger creature to claim the prey for itself. Clack resounded around the area as their armoured claws clashed. The wounded acklay was thrown off balance quickly. Its remaining limbs flailed wildly but the new acklay was relentless. It raised its claws high and stabbed down, piercing the wounded acklays hide in several places. Thick ichor ran free, staining the jungle floor.

Trextan held firm, eyes watching their movements carefully. He waited for an opening and times his run based on what he saw and the gentle guidance of the Force. He darted between the rear pair of legs and brought his saber in a high over head swing before throwing himself to the left. The new acklay suddenly realised the prey was fighting back and skittered away to rally. It took the beast a few moments to realise its belly had been opened up and it was spilling its insides across the jungle floor.

Trextan moved towards Taheera, ready to make a stand against anything else that was coming their way. Now he was well coated in both mud and acklay blood.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

With a grunt and resounding squealch from the ground below, she finally broke free from the quick-sand type muck. Distracted gaze remained of Trex and those acklays the entire time. With a kick and swing of her mud-soaked legs, sans one boot, she got enough momentum to land on more solid ground, bumping lightly into the Jedi justices before righting herself. This time she didn't blush. She was too tired.

"Good show!" Riggs bumbled toward them through the vegetation. "Whew. But you two are disgusting." He eyed their mud-covered forms, turning his nose more up in Trex's direction.

Hands wiped down her own clothes, pushing off a layer of mud. The rest refused to budge. "We can't stay here. I bet these are hunting grounds. We've got to move on. Maybe find shelter?" Myrtle ellipses like the very jungle they were stranded in flickered to the teenager.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Trextan let out a weary sigh as he deactivated his blade. "Yeah," he agreed softly. He stretched out with his senses. The world was teeming with life. There was nothing with that distinct aura of a predator too close.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the shuttle above. It appeared to be relatively stable where it was, but that wouldn't necessarily hold true.

"There are a lot of supplies up there," he remarked. "It might be worth getting some down before we move on. Maybe a longer range comm and a shelter. And food, obviously," he added quickly.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

"Yes," she agreed, lips twitching slightly. "Food is very important." And it was and it was serious but she couldn't help think about their night out not so long ago. The awkwardness of the memory threatened to make her laugh or cry. More so laugh.

"I'll see what I can find. You stay with Riggs and make sure he doesn't kill himself."

"What, me?!" Riggs piped up, tone indignant. Sighing, she looked down at her one shoeless foot before gathering the force around herself. Crouching, muscles coiled and she leapt vertically, landing lightly into the opening of the ship, above.

Weight tipped toward so she wouldn't tumble and fall back out.

Chestnut-haired head poked out of the opening to look briefly at the boys below. "Any particular ration flavor requests?" She smirked.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Trextan was instead reminded of the first time he'd met Taheera. That droid factory felt like a lifetime ago now. He'd been confused, hurting. A little bit of teasing from the mirialan before she'd gone leaping over things had actually brightened his mood. It had turned out that he hadn't really needed time to get himself back on track, but challenges to focus on. There were parallels to his own father's younger years, but Trextan didn't always see events from another point of view easily. He didn't see that his father had buried himself in military life after his failings in the Jedi Order.

At her call he looked up sharply, senses extended to feel out any more local creatures surprised by her voice. He didn't sense anything now. Perhaps the acklays had cleared the area of other predators. Even though felucia was teeming with life the predators still had a large territory of their own.

"They all taste the same any way!"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

There. Some duffel bags. Dragging some from a tipped open compartment seat, the healer zipped them open. They had supplied already: more bacta patches, MREs, water filtration units, thermal blankets, two tents, and some clothes. Thank the stars.

"Well," she called from just inside the ship, rummaging around from a comm-booster. "If you think that, then you can have the fish ones and I'll stick with the vegetarian and nuna. And I guess that means all the dessert ones are mine too!"

He wouldn't see the grin but he'd probably hear it in her tone.

Zipping up a bag, she dragged it over to the edge. There was nothing breakable in this one. She'd pack the comm equipment in the second one. "Incoming. Heads up." With that subtle warning, her one booted-foot nudged the bag over the edge.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"I wasn't involving the dessert ones in that comparison!" Trextan shouted up. Riggs was being uncharacteristically quiet. The situation was still sinking in it seemed. Trextan followed his gaze to the pair of acklay still twitching on the ground.

"What did she say?" He asked Riggs as he turned back to him. Just as a heavy duffel struck the ground a foot from him.

snap-hiss

The Justicar had leapt back on reflexes alone, drawing his saber in a blur. He stood there looking at the bag accusingly, his heart thundering in his chest. With a whine his saber snapped away. With his left hand he dragged his mud-flecked hair back as he turned that accusing gaze back towards the wreck if the shuttle above them.

"More warning next time?" He shouted up.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

Even up in the derelict shuttle, the Mirialan's ears heard the unmistakable snap-hiss of a lightsaber. Lugging the second bag of her shoulder, she quickly went to the ripped-open entrance. Myrtle-ellipses frantically looked around for another Acklay or other predator.

"Don't scare me!" She yelled, not seeing anything. "And maybe if you actually listened Voidstalker."

She smirked.

"You might not give up the dessert ones so easily." Was she being unfair? Probably. It's not like she wouldn't share. Well, maybe. Chocolate was one of her weaknesses and perhaps a fatal character flaw. With a start, she realized she'd never had chocolate in this body yet. What if this Mirialan was allergic?!

Strap adjusted on her shoulder as she gathered the force around herself, feet hanging over the edge. She'd found another boot for the other boot, though it was a bit big. Better than going barefoot through a jungle.

"Coming down. Please don't stab me."

Then, she jumped.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Come on Riggs you know. The rations taste the same, but that's not like saying the dessert ones taste like the meals right?"

"No I'm with you on that. That's obvious."

"Obvious."

Taheera landed near them and Trextan managed to avoid drawing his lightsaber. Instead his prosthetic hand took the straps of the first bag and hefted it over his shoulder as if it was as light as candyfloss.

"Riggs agrees you have to share the dessert rations," Trextan announced stoically.

"Hey, that's not exactly what I said!" The pilot chuckled. "Don't put me in the middle of this."