Excuses and self-justification…

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus descended into the harsh, bright light of the Onderon sun. In this solar system, only one planet was habitable — Onderon itself — and it held a grouping of four erratic moons, including the beast moon of Dxun.

She pressed her lips together, muttering quietly as she handled the ship’s controls. Her ship plowed through interplanetary space, cutting its way toward Dxun, where she hoped to put to rest her morbid fascination with a dead Sith Lord.

The leprous green moon hung directly within her navigational circle. Though squeezed and cracked by tidal stresses, Dxun was overgrown with a cancerous covering of wild life-forms, twisted jungles infested with predatory creatures more horrific than any Jedi could ever imagine.

She sighed audibly as she began descending into the beast moon's gravity well, for once she had no flowers with her. Suddenly, with no warning, sparks flew like fire geysers from the ship’s control panel. The engines gasped as if they'd been strangled, then gave out with a disheartening thunk. The damaged craft rattled and shuddered as it dropped through the air like a wedge-shaped stone. All the ship's systems had gone completely dead.

She struggled to reignite her thrusters, attempting to squeeze just a little more energy from the repulsorlifts. The hull heated to a cherry red as Raven tore through Dxun's atmosphere. Lightning crackled around her. Storm explosions hurled her ship from side to side.

“Great, an ion storm," she said in a dry throat.

As the treetops rushed up at her, she fought back her panic, cast away her helplessness, and used a desperate snatch of Jedi powers. The Light-side energies buoyed her failing craft just enough so that it crashed into the treetops with slightly less than lethal force.

Branches splintered. Leaves burst into flames from the friction of her passage. The Raven’s hull tore open, shredded by the sharp boughs. She shielded herself with all the Light-sided power she possessed, forming a cushion against the impact.

The Raven broke through the forest canopy and slammed into the soft, mucky ground. The careening spacecraft ripped a long furrow and uprooted trees and plants, setting them afire behind her.

When the ship finally came to rest, she found herself intact, though the ship itself would require months to repair — if she even had the capability at all. Weak, and yet revitalised by the very fact of her survival, Corvus pried her way out of the damaged spacecraft. The smoking hull burned her fingers as she climbed free. She dropped to the uneven torn ground.

She carried nothing. Her saber, shoto and katana were clipped to her belt. She stood with her hands on her hips, surveying the furious jungles of Dxun, and contemplated her next step. Given there was no time for a distress call and she’d travelled some distance under any radar, she would be here a while.

Lightning continued to roar overhead like shattering electric crystal. She stepped away from the crash site into slashing rain in the black of night. She didn't know where to go... other than away from the ruined Raven. The beast moon seemed to be crouching and ready to spring.

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax was in his interceptor with his new apprentice [member="Quincy Evelyn Sharpe"] he wanted to take her here for two reasons.....one to experience how to survive on a place as deadly as Dxun and how to combat the many beasts that are drawn here to its moon. The other....was to show her the tomb of one of onderons darkest secrets....the tomb of freedon nadd it self it held much darkness within and it will be a challenge for her alone just to experience the presence of the tomb...but she needed the experience either way. All was going well until the ion storm struck . The ship sparked and parts of it exploded into flames, Rapax used what little power was left to try and find a landing spot...however there entry to the planet was probably the most obvious to any dwellers on the planet. the ship bounced off a couple rock faces before skidding into one of the old craters that riddle this ancient world.


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Quincy Evelyn Sharpe]

"So Master Rapax, what exactly is this planet? It looks like it would try to kill us before our trials here even begin." Spoke the young Acyolite as the ship pounded its way into stopping in what looks like a crate. "If you ask me there is nothing here other than ugly wildlife and a harsh sun, which is indeed going to get annoying for my eyes." She started compaining about being here, mostly because she had no idea what the heck was going on around her.

[member="Darth Rapax"][member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax got up from the cockpit, The ship was rather trashed.... but rapax noticed a piece of shrapnel stuck in his side....he simply ripped it out and used one of ferus's new gifts he was given to fix up the rest of the damage. He looked around for a moment before looking towards his apprentice who was complaining about the planet already...He sighed and simply said" The plan was to give you some survival training ....as this planet is a harsh beast even to the strongest warrior.....but apprently now its turned into survival for the both of us....oh well.. grab your gear and any other supplies you can carry....we will be moving soon." was all he said...right now he was trying to see what he could salvage....communications....toasted just his luck...so much for a distress call...best to find what he could in the meantime... supplies and such needed ....the beauty about his species is that certain needs humans have he can live without for a long time, so food and water would not be a terrifying issue not yet...it was more the beasts here that are bigger worry.

[member="Quincy Evelyn Sharpe"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Igniting her lightsaber, she trudged into the jungles, using the throbbing blade as a machete against the fang-clawed vines that writhed at her. She sliced through a thicket, but the foliage only grew denser, more resistant.

Behind her in the morass of undergrowth, a loud boom ripped through the jungle. A pillar of fire erupted, vaporising more of the oily foliage. A shockwave from the exploding fuel cells and cracked engine core flattened the forest for a hundred meters around. Smoking shrapnel, hunks of metal hull plates hammered around her like a meteor shower. Now, nothing remained of her damaged ship but a smouldering crater sizzling in the cold rain.

Corvus shored up her determination and pointedly refused to look back as she pushed into the wilderness of Dxun. She thrashed through the jungle, which never seemed to give her three steps without fighting back. The ground beneath her feet trembled from the moon's tidal instabilities. Ominous hunting noises filled the jungle, and Corvus remained on her guard. She knew the dark and bloody history of this place and was aware of her own peril.

The once-great Freedon Nadd had ruled here for a time, and the ancient nobles, King Ommin and Queen Amanoa, had also used Sith secrets to cement their rule. Ommin and Amanoa had been entombed beside Freedon Nadd here on the beast moon. Years later Exar Kun, the Dark Lord of the Sith who had first resurrected the Sith Brotherhood, also came to Dxun, raiding Nadd's ancient tomb in search of dark side secrets. And Bane too.

But she was thinking too much and not focusing enough on the here and now.

So…light as a feather, yet moving with an assassin's power and grace, a sleek feline creature dropped out of the gnarled branches above. The creature was a dynamo of muscles, claws, and fur.

Though she was astonished that the predator could creep up on her so easily, thankfully her Force senses tingled at the last moment.

[member="Darth Rapax"] | [member="Quincy Evelyn Sharpe"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax grabbed what survival gear he could find.......the interceptor he made sure was data whiped of anything valuable incase a salvager finds the ship.He walked out of the ship waiting for his apprentice [member="Quincy Evelyn Sharpe"] to finish her gathering before they could move.....he had his lightsabers near by incase he had to quickly use them....whats he talking about When he had to use them. This is Dxun you dont stay free from its ravenous hunger for long. Never the less blood trickled down from the shrapnel injury but his wound was minor....and he will tend to when they find better shelter. He beckoned his apprentice to follow him....there where 2 known places of shelter and it will take quite the journey....one being the old mandalorian camp that shouldn't be too far away from here. Then theres freedon nadds tomb that was slightly farther....decisions decisions...

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She had sensed the beast at the last possible instant, her Force awareness giving her a precognitive warning that allowed her to duck clear of the lethal claws. Even so, the massive body of the beast slammed into Corvus, sending her reeling.

She might have died right there had the creature not been momentarily stunned by the unexpected failure of its ambush. The beast's confusion gave Corvus the second she needed to roll clear of her enemy and fall into a fighting stance.

With the beast no longer concealed by Dxun's forest, she got her first good look at the thing that had nearly killed her. It studied her with luminous green eyes that were definitely feline, though its fur was a metallic grey coat flecked with tiny bronze plates that shimmered as the muscles moved beneath the skin. It stood a meter and a half at the shoulder, easily weighing three hundred kilograms. It had four thick, muscular legs that ended in razor-sharp retractable claws.

But the feature that drew Corvus' immediate attention was the serpentine twin tails, each tipped with a deadly barb that dripped glowing green venom.

She retreated slowly until her back came up against the gnarled trunk of a tall tree. The nameless monstrosity advanced, then with a low growl that made her skin crawl, it leapt at her again, twin tails whipping wildly. Corvus lunged to the side, wanting to gauge her opponent's tactics before she engaged it in direct combat. She saw the front claws slashing and flailing through the suddenly empty air, and she watched as the twin tails arced up over the beast's back to stab at the space she had been standing in a moment before. The barbs slammed into the tree she had been backed into.

[member="Darth Rapax"] | [member="Quincy Evelyn Sharpe"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax was pacing around his ship for a moment....he wanted to goto the tomb ...yet supplies are more likely to found in the camp......the girl was not ready to face the darkness of the tomb un geared......look at him he was acting like the girl was his own offspring. She is a mere apprentice...a tool to be used and thrown away when the time comes...however now any help would be welcomed .....even if its mando help...he hoped there was no mandos there other wise this will be a rather awkward encounter....He grabbed the gear and motiond for [member="Quincy Evelyn Sharpe"] to follow him...... they where going to the old mandalorian outpost first...the tomb can wait..

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

The blow had enough force to split the trunk, injecting their corrosive venom into the wood and leaving two smoking black circles.

The creature landed on all four feet simultaneously and spun to face Corvus again before she had a chance to strike at its unprotected flank. Once more it began a slow advance. But this time when it pounced, Corvus was ready.

The beast acted on instinct; it was a mindless brute that relied on strength and speed to defeat its enemies. Its methods of attack had evolved over countless generations until they were second nature, and it was inevitable it would use the exact same sequence of movements to bring Corvus down a second time.

It came in high, leading with its claws just as she had expected. The natural reaction of most prey would be to retreat from those claws by leaping backward-only to be impaled by the deadly barbed tails lashing forward. Corvus, however, ducked down under the claws and then stepped up to meet the creature's attack, her lightsaber held high above her head.

The blade sliced through the beast's underbelly, carving flesh and sinew and bone. Corvus twisted the blade as it ran the length of the creature, redirecting it into a slightly diagonal stroke sure to cleave several vital organs. The move was simple, quick, and deadly.

The feline's momentum carried it over Corvus’ head and it crashed to the ground behind her, its body split open from mid-chest all the way to its still-twitching tails. The body shuddered once, the tails went motionless, and a milky film spread out to dull its luminous eyes.

Corvus's heart was pounding. She stepped away from the corpse of her defeated foe, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. With a sigh she looked down at her arm. It had clawed her during the fight. She could stop the blood-flow but if she was poisoned, she had no way of telling what effect it might have, or how quickly it would take effect.

[member="Darth Rapax"] | [member="Quincy Evelyn"]

 

[Rapax]

A bright cyan beam would be fired from the shadows of the jungle aiming towards her back it was close either way. Rapax couldn't tell who the jedi was yet her aura he could feel being this near to her that it felt familiar...however he didn't like the fact of speaking to a armed jedi so he wanted to make sure that she was under his control and not armed first...that is if this worked...if not he had another idea.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

In this jungle, Dark-sided auras were swallowed up - and so even Corvus was not aware of the Sith nearby.

Had she not been wearing Braith's necklace, the energy beam would have hit her. But the gift wasn't entirely cosmetic, or personal. It had a few practical applications. So a Force Barrier was thrown up around the Jedi before the beam hit home.

Corvus span in the direction of the shooter. She spied a figure, maybe two, hidden in the undergrowth. "I suggest you come out now," she said, pulling the Force to her. She quickly entered Center of Being, but she stowed her saber away...for now.

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax was tempted to strike again....however he stopped when he felt her presence...it sparked a memory he had when he was a acolyte.......the girl that was approaching his battle with the blue skinned jedi at the temple of pain attack....same woman?...here?.....he knew that even on dxun enemies must be used as allies to live....his attempt to capture has failed and he knows even now hes no where near strong enough to even fight this creature...he growled for a moment and with hesitance walked out of the shadows to face her...he was in his Iron cladded armor nothing but two red eyes glowing behind the helmets visor. She could tell on his side that he too was wounded a little from the blood trail, He looked and saw her arm that was injured as well..ironic...both injured yet if this wasn't such a deadly place they would no doubt be trying to kill eachother. Nonetheless he spoke first to her...he had a question that needed answering first " Your aura....feels familiar.....what is your name ...."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus only knew the truth. Regardless what sharing it meant, she would only share what she believed to be facts and handle the consequences.

“My name? It is Corvus. Corvus Raaf. I am a Jedi as you have no doubt ascertained.”

She had questions of her own, but suspected they wouldn't be considered until the person she was speaking to had finished his own line of thought.

“How may I help you?”

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]......that was a name he will remember for a long long time...he remembers her presence ...strong as ever....he kept a distance from her due to his ....recent transformation and her powerful light sided aura he had to be not close to her ..... not that his transformation would have been better incentive to not be near her just her being a jedi or having a speck of light side power would have been enough never the less whether he liked it or not she is needed if he wants to stay alive here ....so he spoke to her again he was being honest in his tone which is surprising for even a sith to do. "My name is Rapax.......i have met you before in the attack upon Fresia ...whilst i was fighting another blue skinned Jedi * He described to the best of his abilities of Braith*.....it appears that due to our wounds....this world will require our combined strength and resources......If that wasn't the case then you would not be standing there having this conversation...so what say you to a....temporary.. truce until we can leave this world.."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened and smiled. Perhaps it was not the best response, but hearing Braith referred to as blue-skinned brought out that reaction. She was pale, certainly. But blue?

But he deserved her full attention. He’d tried to kill her, or incapacitate her, or something less than friendly just then, so he was to be taken seriously.

Fresia was a recent memory, but this figure was not. Corvus had been on the peripheral of the action — not directly engaging anyone. But with Dawnbringer on show, she would have stood out like a beacon to anyone around.

So she listened, and he had a point. The tomb was at least a day’s walk away and individually they had less chance of making it out of the jungle alive than together. And neither would have to be looking over their shoulder for the other trying to ambush them.

“Agreed,” she said simply. Long speeches were sometimes necessary, but not now. “My plan was to walk to Nadd’s tomb.” She pointed in its general direction. “Unless you have a better plan?”

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

He pondered...the only issue with the tomb is that its a dark side pool of power....more likely to draw the strongest of beasts to it instead ......however a shelter is a shelter despite its danger...and even so its more of a benefit to him he has more of a powerhouse to drain from should he in the end have to face this jedi in combat...he would need all the help he could get for the case.

" I was going to go to the old mandalorian camp before heading to the tomb however....the tomb is closer then the base so the tomb would seem the best course of action"


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. The Mandalorians and Republic were no longer allies and there was no telling how a Sith and Jedi would be received by them — for she was sure the camp was active, even if not officially.

“I have visited the tomb on many occasions, so I am familiar with the challenges we may face. There are many creatures in these jungles. I’ve had a run-in with one already,” she indicated her arm. “So we will have to work together. Is that something you can do? To set our differences aside?”

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

He was hesitant on responding ...he never was fond of the idea of working with a member of an order he has been fighting against since the dawn of the Hyperspace wars and even then the hatred runs to the core....however she was right on this planet any help ...even from the enemy will be needed and as much as he hated the fact....he needed her help as much as she needed his...so with hesitance he merely nodded and waved his arm in a after you manner.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus had been here before. Not in the physical sense. In truth she’d been here many times before. But she once crash-landed on a desolate planet at the same time as a Sith Lord. Only together had they been able to cross an inhospitable desert.

So the concept of working with someone was not lost on her — even if they were a Dark-sider.

She took his silence and nod as an acceptance and started forwards. Conversation might be strained, but she’d found that silence made the mind focus on the negative — and dialogue might make it easier to forget their differences, at least for the majority of the time.

“So, what brings you to Dxun?”

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax despite his hate towards some jedi this one was different...He noticed he felt calmer around her and he couldn't figure out why...however he noticed her attempt to start a conversation to try and edge out the differences between them. He sighed and decided to humor the woman no need to be a stick in the mud here like most sith He responded to her with truth given no harm would come from it at this point. " Survival training for my self and my new apprentice...What brings you to dxun.....its hardly a place for a jedi to venture to."

@Quincy Evelyn Sharp [member="Corvus Raaf"]