Choices Come with Consequences

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

A fetid smoke filled the healer's nose. It was the second time she was back at Kashyyyk. The first time? A sith had knocked her out and carried her away. However, that sith happened to be a jedi-in-disguise on a revenge mission. He also happened to be a master bladesman, so the jedi padawan didn't feel so bad about losing to him. She also didn't feel so bad because she got lucky. Plain and simple. She could've been dead....or worse, someone's slave.

Myrtle-ellipses refocused on the remnants of the battlefield. She wanted to be with the others, with the charging force that was going up against the sith to rescue the refugees that wanted to leave the forest-planet. But she was needed behind, to attend to the wounded. Eyes scanned the smoldering bridges and platforms. She didn't stop for the dead, her fallen friends; they were already gone. She was looking for those still able to be saved.

 

[Piraiba]

Jedi and Sith weren't common dead to be found on the battlefield. Premonition gleamed from the force was a useful ally in survival. Also the rarity of Jedi and Sith among the overall population of an army was the other big deciding factor. Most of the dead had been troopers, but there were a few charred robes on the ground not far from where Taheera stood.

Artillery was a deadly and indiscriminate enemy ... even to force users.


Smoke still rose from several bodies that had been caught by the salvo of energy blasts. Troopers, Wookies, dark robed figures, and light hued robed figures alike littered the area. The dread of death was as thick as the smoke that mingled with it.

Then suddenly a deep bass filled voice could be heard just ten feet away from the Padawan.

"Fething Sith and Jedi ..."

A demonic groan and growl emitted from the lifeless body of a nearby Wookie. The body shuddered slightly and then fell over as it was pushed out of the way by the survivor that had been under it.

A black fur and claw adorned hand gripped at a nearby tree branch and began to pull on it. The survivor struggled to pull himself out of the hole in the ground that had likely saved his life along with the body of the Wookie that had unintentionally shielded him.

Shockingly what came out of the hole was a couple feet larger than even that of Kashyyk's legendary natural inhabitants. The ten foot tall Togorian slid over the tree trunk in front of him and came crashing down to the ground in a loud thud. He then lied there and stared up at the sky while panting softly from the effort of uprooting himself.

The beast was clad in battered mandalorian armor over his torso, with worn out and highly mismatching pieces of durasteel plate on his shoulders and upper legs. Nothing protected his head, arms, or lower legs except for fur. A tattered and dirty cloth of beige color completed his ensemble. It was worn like a cloak, but seemed more likely a blanket than an article of actual clothing.

Whatever the Togorian was, he certainly wasn't a stereotypical Sith. However, the taint of the darkside did emanate from the massive feline. He hadn't seemed to have noticed Taheera yet. It was possible that she could kill it despite her lack of backup. Of course she'd also very likely notice the two lightsabers strapped to his belt, and the wicked claws that completed the ends of his limbs. It was a risky proposition. After all all choices came with consequences...

A groan came from his lips as he reached down looking for a large piece of shrapnel that was sticking out of his right thigh. He was sure to notice her soon if she stuck around.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

A cold feeling iced its way along the back of her neck at the animalistic-type sound that accompanied a stranger's words. She crouched low, quickly taking semi-cover behind one of Kashyyyk's massive tree-frames. A healer didn't typically go for a blaster first but this being was most certainly not a jedi. She reached out tentatively with the force, feeling the pain in his leg. A healer's trained eye could make out something that looked like shrapnel sticking out his calf.

She was still a little too close to her liking.

The cat-creature would hear an audible click from a woman who stepped partially out from her cover to his side. "Whoa there. Move slowly, please. I don't want any trouble. You're certainly not with the jedi who came here. Who....are you?"

Myrtle-ellipses narrowed. Would [member="Jaxton Ravos"] be disappointed in her for not shooting first?

 

[Piraiba]

The Togorian jumped swiftly to his feet and spun around to face Taheera with a freshly ignited lightsaber of an unusual white colored blade. The blade was almost twice the length of a normal lightsaber to compensate for his advanced height.

Unfortunately the creature quickly fell to a knee on his wounded leg with a grimace. Blood dripped into his left eye making him squint in an attempt to clear it. His saber was still held up, but it was in a defensive stance from his disadvantage.

"You won't kill Piraiba so easily, Jedi!"

The beast pushed himself to his feet again before almost instantly falling back to the ground on his knee with an audible grunt. With his free hand he reached down and pulled the jagged wood shrapnel from his leg. Blood spurted from the wound as he discarded the debris and then applied pressure to the wound with the same hand.

It was a moot point though. He couldn't patch himself up and keep an eye on her. He was also in no condition to dispatch her easily. Piraiba wondered why she hadn't attacked him yet. She was curious. Was it a ploy to buy time?

"What? Jedi? This one is Piraiba. Piraiba is mercenary."

The light saber lowered to the ground slowly before finally dropping from his hand and disengaging itself. He fell to his rear end and sighed wearily. The impact from the artillery that flung him into the tree earlier was not mixing well with blood loss.

His connection to the dark side could sharpen his senses and deaden the pain. It might have been enough to fight her off and get to cover. It was a risky proposition though. The darkness tended to push a body beyond what it could recover from. A heavy price for power.

Ultimately he became to tired to care. The Togorian fell back onto his back and stared up at the sky once more.

"Will you send Piraiba to his people then, little one?"

Jedi killed dark siders when the opportunity presented itself. Perhaps it was better than being finished off by the Sith though.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

Muscles throughout her body tensed and coiled as the ten-foot being whirled in her direction. Instinct drove the healer to take a step back but her hands remained steady on the pointed blaster. She saw the direction his paws moved toward the shrapnel. Healer instincts couldn't silence her next words, "No---don't...," voice trailed off as he slumped to the ground.

Chestnut brows crinkled in thought as she pieced together what the Togorian said. He was going to bleed out soon. He might make it. He might not. There was also the risk of infection. If she didn't do anything, there was a good chance he would die. But if she did do something, what would that mean for him tomorrow? What if he went on to kill hundreds of jedi?

Lower-lip jutted in a concentrated frown. The rut in her forehead deepened. She pieced together what he just said.

"Piraiba. You're a mercenary?" Blaster lowered slightly and she inched closer. "What if we made a deal? I'll take a look at your wound. I prefer to heal things rather than kill things." A bitter smile briefly tugged at her lips. "And you promise to leave this planet once we're done and not bash my skull in."

Blaster lowered to her side in a sign of good faith.

"I'm Taheera by the way, unless you'd prefer to stick with little one," a fleck of amusement flashed in her myrtle-ellipses. "Do we have a deal?"

Was she still scared? Feth yes she was. She was quite possibly about to make the biggest mistake of her short life.

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"] [Sorry for the wait!]



There was a pause as the Togorian processed her words while lying on the ground. His mind was a bit foggy from recent trauma, but he was coherent enough to understand her request.

"... No ... This one will not harm Taheera, but he cannot leave this planet. Piraiba is ... stranded," he added with grizzled facial features furrowing in a frown.

Learning to fly would have been an obvious advantage, but he was deathly afraid of ships. The Togorian shivered at the thought, despite his condition.

Did Jedi require payment for their good deeds? Truthfully he was ignorant of their ways. It was obvious that the Sith propaganda he had been brought up on was likely mostly fabricated.

"You are Jedi medic, yes? This one does not have much money, but he can kill Sith for Jedi in return for bacta."

The dark side of the force flooded into his body as he opened himself up to it. Eyes shot open in awareness as the pain and mental fogginess was temporarily washed away. The creature pushed himself to sit up and then reached for his lightsaber so he could cauterize the wound on his leg.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"] (no worries!)

Chestnut brows lofted in surprise at his offer. And maybe she was stupid for trusting his words, but she did. "No wait...," the healer quickly holstered her blaster and approached the Togorian. The young woman was cautious but her touch was firm as she knelt down next to him, fingers curling around that paw of his going for the lightsaber.

"Burned flesh may fix the short term but in the long-term, it's a beast to heal. Erm, no pun intended," she averted her eyes and focused on the bleeding wound. Hand hovered over it as she knelt by his side in the debris and body-strewn battle field. "Watch our backs?"

Closing her eyes, she dipped into those familiar waters of the force. Piraiba might feel a warm, tingling sensation on his wound as the blood began to clot and the cells slowly knit back together.

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]


The Togorian eyed her as she placed a hand on his paw to stop him from grabbing his lightsaber. He made no move to stop her, and left his weapon on the ground.

What she said had made sense, and he saw no reason to doubt a medic's knowledge. Instead the feline closed his eyes to focus on the task of watching out for trouble. His head and ears pivoted slightly as he leveraged his gift of sensitive hearing and force granted perception of his surroundings. There were others searching the battlefield, but no one was near for the moment.

"Why is Taheera not out killing with her people?"

Piraiba had been fairly ignorant of what she was doing to his leg. The force had kept pain out of his mind. This also counted towards small nerve sensations. Then he looked down and jerked his body away slightly out of genuine surprise. This was evident by the wide eyed expression that framed his features.

"How has Taheera done this? It is not possible..."

Certainly he had seen Sith who could heal their wounds somewhat faster than others. Still it was a far cry from the efficiency that she had shown. She had completed a couple weeks of healing in mere moments.

Only one thought could logically process from his mind. "You must be very powerful to do this. Good, the Sith are coming back. Piraiba will repay you."

Explosions and blaster rounds could suddenly be heard in the distance again.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

Face was drawn and slightly paler than it had been before the healing took place. She offered a weak smile to Piraiba, though wariness never left her eyes. She could heal well but she still had a long way to go. It took a lot out of her. "Sometimes killing isn't the only way to make a difference," she spoke to his first question as she brought her hand back down to her side as he pulled away.

Palms pushed against the earth as she wobbled to a stand.

"You'll have a scar on that later. It would be wise to treat it again." The ground shook beneath their feet. Chit. The sith were coming back. She felt it, a dark presence in the distance full of malice. More so than Piraiba. She took a staggering step back. "You know how you can repay me? Promise me you'll never kill another Jedi on this planet again."

She didn't ask something for herself, she never would. And she couldn't ask more of him. It was against his nature. She did have one more question for him, though. "Just who are your people?"

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]


He pondered over what she had said about making differences without killing. For him, his only talent was the hunt and termination of prey. Well he was pretty good at drinking games, but that wasn't going to pay the bills. How did Jedi make money? Perhaps that was a question for another time.

"A scar is just another story," responded the creature with a chuckle as he began to push himself to his feet. A portion of his body was shielded by armor, but many scars were visible in the areas where nothing covered him up. In particular was a slave symbol that had been branded into his bicep long ago. Piraiba seemed to wear it with pride like a tattoo.

The feline fell silent to her request. How could he not kill another Jedi here? They were sure to draw their blades and try to kill him before the day was up. Was she wise to something he was not, or was she simply naive to the way the galaxy worked? Surely he wouldn't just let them kill him...

Her last question reached his ears and gave him pause. There he stood towering over her at almost twice her height, and the creature had trouble finding his words. However, his eyes betrayed his emotions at that moment as it was clear that the question had saddened him.

"Piraiba ... does not know. He was Sith once, but ..."

There was another lengthy pause as the gears in his head turned. "Taheera will probably never see another like Piraiba in her lifetime."

He was likely referencing the genocide of the Togorians that the Sith Empire had carried out. It had been several years since then and that empire had ultimately crumbled to give way to the current Sith powers of the galaxy. Still the atrocity and devastation was unthinkable. It would take countless generations for an entire species to recover itself.

The beast shook his head to clear the uncertainty from it. It shocked him that he'd reveal weakness in-front of a Jedi. It was foolish to do such a thing for anyone.

The Togorian got down onto his knees and kneeled his body down low for her.

"Get on, little sister. Hold on very tightly. Piraiba will get you out of here."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

"No wonder why you feel different," voice-trailed off. He wasn't a jedi. But he wasn't all dark either. Jaw set in a stubborn line. "I can't leave my people. The plan was for them to get the refugees out and come back this way. I can't leave them to a slaughter."

Hand hesitated, but she grasped his shoulder firmly, fingertips digging into his fur. "Promise me you won't kill another jedi on this planet. Please. Promise me." With her free hand, she snapped a chain off from around her neck. A small pendent entwined with with the symbol of a healer and the jedi decorated the chain in silver. "The jedi won't just shoot to kill you, not if you show them this. At least here."

She gave one glance over her shoulder as the ground shook again.

"Please promise me. And go."

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]


Piraiba looked at his shoulder and then to her as she grabbed it. He then reached over and took the offered pendant. What power did this trinket hold over her people?

The creature gazed at it for a moment as she asked again that he would promise not to kill another Jedi on Kashyyyk.

He had learned long ago that promises were meaningless. Countless were the people who had broken such things to him. Yet he could tell that this girl put much stock in promises. She felt strongly for her people. She was young, but he didn't have the heart to try and set her straight.

"Taheera ..."

And go? Was she asking him to leave without her. Was she releasing him from any debt to her?

"Piraiba ... will not kill any Jedi on Kashyyyk." The Togorian had hesitated, but ultimately agreed to her terms.

Then suddenly the beast shoved at the Jedi healer in an attempt to knock her to the ground right before a nearby bush ruffled at the intrusion of a Sith trooper. Piraiba did not have time to retrieve his sabers from the ground as he instead opted to more quickly send a tendril of force lightning at the trooper instead. The soldier was knocked off of his feet just as another man flew out of the bushes at the feline. A red saber flashed to life, but was quickly stopped as the beast caught his hand with one massive paw, and grabbed the Sith's head with his other.

The inevitable sickening crunch of the man's neck being snapped could be heard right before the young Sith's body was discarded to the ground.

"RRRRAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHRRRRR," came the ear piercing roar of the Togorian as adrenaline and darkness flooded through him. He stood tall and defiant to make himself a big enough target to lure fire away from Taheera.

Still even more figures started to emerge from the bushes. The two of them happened to be in the middle of the battlefield ... the middle of hell.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

"OOoomfff," she hit the ground just as a sharp tingle of warning shot up her spine. She got to her knees as the first trooper was fried up medium-rare and to her feet by the time the second trooper was snapped apart. They were surrounded. Myrtle-ellipses narrowed as the cool-metal hilt of her saber found its way to her palm. A golden-blade erupted from the hilt.

Three troopers surrounded her, force-pikes extended. They showed no mercy and began their attack in-sync. The healer staggered and parried as she was forced further back. "Piraiba....get," she parried and released a weak force push, knocking one of the three off the platform, "out of here." One of the trooper's stabs made their mark as she felt an electric current pierce into her side.

Face-paled as she doubled-over in pain. She managed a parry, stumbled back, and released another sloppy force-push.

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Piraiba's hands extended outward as his two sabers flew into them. Brilliant white blades sprang to life as the feline spun around in a wheel of death. Extended length sabers combined with his extra height equaled a massive reach with each blade. Pikes and trooper bodies alike were literally cut in half as surviving soldiers started to fall back.

A pike caught him in the chest. It wasn't powerful enough to puncture his armor, but the electrical current was debilitating enough to knock him off of his feet. Or rather he fell off of his feet while delivering a stomp kick to the pike-wielders torso anyway.

The cat fell to his rear end, but noticed a bit of fire lapping at some branches next to him. He willed the force into the flame. A raging cascade of fire shot out in a defensive circle around Taheera and him. Screams of survivors echoed out as they started to drag themselves away as fast as they could.

"Tomorrow is always the day to die, little sister," responded Piraiba quickly while panting.

He had bought some time at least. They needed to get out of the kill zone.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

The remaining trooper facing off with the healer let out a surprised gurgle as the Togorian's blade stabbed through his back and out of his chest. She winced and stepped back, trying desperately to shutout his pain. Empathic senses made healers better able to perform but it could be a huge weakness for someone still learning control, like Taheera.

The heat pressing against her face was stifling. Breathing heavily and still clutching at her side, she nodded silently. Piraiba was right. They would die if they stayed here. At least with the fire, her people would see the trouble and not walk into an ambush.

"My shuttle," ash-streaked face turned to him. "We can go to my shuttle. I'll drop you off wherever you need to go. I promise."

With no small measure of reluctance, she began to retreat across the drawbridge behind them. The shuttle was in the next clearing if the sith hadn't found it yet. The other transports were hidden through the area. Her people still had a chance. They wouldn't return here. She hoped they wouldn't.

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]


Piraiba pushed himself to his feet as Taheera started to retreat back the way she had come. Fire still raged behind him with various corpse and wood fuel sources, but he no longer aided it with the force.

The Togorian was tired. The day had been filled with battling, various wounds, and the current fight with the Sith. The Darkside numbed the warning pain and fatigue away, but he'd soon falter as soon as he let it go. Shelter to recuperate was necessary now. The feline wasn't fond of ships, but her shuttle seemed like the best place if she could get past the Sith with it.

Thunderous foot steps pounded the ground as the massive Togorian followed after the Jedi Padawan. His body was suited enough for standing upright, but he seemed very awkward while running on two legs.

"Ossus... Piraiba has family there."

He never thought he'd seek out that side of the family. Was the force driving him? Was this the balance that his father had spoken of? Philosophy ... maybe he should have paid more attention to the lessons that weren't about staying alive.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

"Okay!" She yelled back, breathlessly. Breathing was making some sharp pains shoot up her ribs. She could do Ossus. Probably. Most likely. Stumbling along, she paused to knock some blaster fire back in the direction of the pursuing troops with a flick of her golden-saber. Up ahead, she shuttle door whirred open.

Once Piraiba was inside, she sealed the doors from the cockpit. Fingers flew over the controls as she sent a message to the other jedi and Republic members in the area, if they were still alive. She would rendezvous with them later. "Strap in!" She winced as she moved her side to adjust the controls. With a sudden lurch the shuttle was airborn and streaming to break atmo.

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Piraiba may have been somewhat awkward on two legs, but he was able to fly past Taheera on all fours to literally pounce upon a trooper that came into view. It explained why he didn't wear a full body suit of armor.

The Togorian stood up again and deflected back multiple blaster bolts with his own sabers as she made it into her ship. He could feel the adrenaline flood into his body as his heart seemed to seize upon turning to view the shuttle. He knew it would be a small ship, but he could never stop himself from cowering at the thought of boarding one.

The creature had to force himself up the ramp before quickly falling to his hands and knees inside. He could faintly hear her voice over the ship's intercom. Strap in? Good luck lady. They didn't make seats or seat belts for Togorians.

He fell over as the shuttle lurched off of the ground. All he could do was to grip onto a nearby support beam.

"Please let Piraiba die with his feet on the ground," he said almost inaudibly to himself.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Piraiba"]

With one last lurch, the shuttle broke atmo and made the jump to hyperspace. She allowed herself to relax, before finally un-strapping the restraints. She limped her way back to the Togorian. "Wow. You weren't kidding about not liking to fly." Voice was gentle but there was a certain spark of mirth within the depths of her myrtle ellipses.

"I think there are some ginger tablets in the med-cabinet if you want any. They help settle stomachs and I've been told...nerves."

He didn't have to know it was more for stomachs. With a grimace, she slid down on the floor next to the ginormo-man-cat-beast. "Do me a favor? I need to heal this," fingers lifted gingerly from their clutch around the burned and damaged flesh across her ribs from the force-pike. "It's going to take some energy and I might pass out. Nothing should happen. But you need to watch the controls. Even if you can't work a ship, I know you can drive something. And that's good enough for flying. Got it?"

 

[Piraiba]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

It seemed like they were in hyperspace now. She had made it past any Sith patrols. This comforted him considerably. The ship could always spontaneously explode, but it was always more likely to happen from blaster fire.

The Togorian slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position as she came back and found amusement in his predicament.

Piraiba simply nodded to her she slid down next to him and asked him to keep an eye on the ship. Truthfully he actually couldn't drive anything. The feline hadn't come across Togorian vehicles, or any that had been customized for larger beings. She didn't need to know that though. They both had time at least.

A large clawed hand reached over and gripped her shoulder to steady her body. "Piraiba will watch the ship. Rest."