Faction False Judgement

[The Praetorian]

V O S S​

The morning sun on Voss was a thing few sights could contend with. Kyrus had been on the world for the better part of a week and every morning he rose early enough to see the sight, the golden sun rising over the horizon to shine upon the small settlement hidden within the mountains. There were a number of settlements across the planet, but this one was certainly something special. It sat in the center of a massive fissure that acted as a scar in the mountain ranges of the Western hemisphere. The people who lived there, equally fascinating. They were Tionese settlers whose ancestors had fished the rivers of these mountains for thousands of years. They knew nothing of war or grief, only a hard days labor and a fresh meal upon the table when the day was at its end. A refreshing life.

Kyrus had been lucky enough to find an abandoned woodshed on the edge of the fissure, overlooking the settlement. It had not been used in some years and would not likely still stand if not for the wooden logs Kyrus had placed along the side wall for more stability. He sat on one of those logs now, gazing down at the settlement as many of the men came to life outside of their homes. It was an early morning ritual of theirs. Gather their tools and fishing gear before first light, prep their nets and snares, and by the time morning's breakfast had been prepared they would eat and be out of the village by dawn.

The golden light finally filled the valley and as if on cue the men began their departure.

Kyrus chuckled softly to himself. "Seventy-two. Like clockwork."

There were seventy-two working men in the village and each day Kyrus took special notice that not a one missed the time to leave the village. He found a sense of respect in that as his fingers traced the rim of the tin cup he'd been drinking from.

In the sparse tree line nearby there was a rustling that caused the pureblood to smirk softly, though he drew his hood over his head in a fluid motion.

"Mr. Red!" A voice called from the trees, causing the man to half-turn towards the youthful voice. A boy, no older than eight or nine emerged with a large pack on his back and an eager expression covering his face. "Mr. Red! You haven't left yet? Usually you're gone by now! I was gonna be here earlier but mom wouldn't let me leave! Do you believe she was worried i will get lost in the woods and be late for studies?! That's so crazy! Did you have a mom?! Was she-"

The young boy's words were cut off by Kyrus holding a hand out to him, unable to hold the smile from his lips.

"Larthan. Remember what I told you yesterday?"

The young boy, Larthan smiled wide before scratching his cheek in an embarrassed manner. "I'm sorry Mr. Red, I just wanted to see you before you left for the day."

Kyrus repeated himself patiently. "Do you remember?"

Larthan nodded enthusiastically. "One question at a time or else I'm not really listening to the answer." He repeated.

"Very good. Now, what is your one question?" He asked the boy, standing from the log he'd been sitting on. The boy paused for a moment before answering. This caused Kyrus to nod approvingly. "Where will you go today?" He finally asked.

Kyrus found this to be a good question indeed, yet the answer was simple. He turned away from the village, towards the valley behind the mountain. The trees were thicker down the mountain, leading to a lush forest where one tree stuck out far higher than the others. "I would very much like to sit under that tree today." He said, pointing out towards the tallest canopy over the rest. Larthan strained to peer out before his eyes opened wide. "Woa! That's like a thousand miles away!" Again, Kyrus chuckled. "My rangefinder said it is a little over fifteen miles. I should be there by lunch. Now go, you need to hurry if you are to make your studies." Larthan huffed but did not care to argue with Kyrus, instead he nodded before reaching back behind him. "Oh wait! I had Mom make this." He pulled out a small metal tin, holding it out to the pureblood. Kyrus arched his brow before opening the container to see a bit of smoked fish with a biscuit as a pairing. "I told her it was for Mr. Red, she thinks you're my imaginary friend!" The boy chuckled.

There was certainly something to be said for children. Kyrus closed the tin container before tucking it into his satchel. He gave Larthan a kind pat on the shoulder. "Thank you young one, now hurry before you miss your studies. Remember, one question at a time." He said, smiling as the young child ran back towards the path he'd approached on. Kyrus watched until Larthan was off into the wood and then he too departed from the mountain peak, making his way down the path before him so he may descend into the valley.

Vaxis Inkara Liet Lothaire

 

[Vaxis]

Tags: The Praetorian , Inkara Liet, Lothaire

The calm, yet bustling village was a rather unusual change of pace for Vaxis. Most of his exploits had taken him to less than ideal locations, spanning from seedy cantinas, to planets cursed with a heavy dose of darkness... not to mention the various visits to an ecumenopolis or two. The life of a Juror didn't often bring one to a place of peace outside of the Jury's headquarters back in New Ruusan. It was the nature of the job, after all. They were meant to traverse the underbelly of the greater galaxy in an effort to root out the Bogan. As such, the change of pace was almost jarring to Vaxis, though he slowly began to find himself settling in to the serenity of the village.

"Strange to think that this planet had so recently been brought into the fold. You'd think that there was never a fight here."

The liberation of Voss had been a violent one, with the formerly lifted up Gormak putting up a considerable fight in their desperate attempt to retain power. The currently quiet nature of the planet would make one think as if it had never happened... yet, the people of Voss had endured such strife for countless years. Vaxis could only imagine that one would get used to picking up the pieces in such circumstances.

"I must say, it almost makes you want to settle down, maybe set up a small farm on the outskirts of town..."

He let out a soft chuckle at the thought. So many years had been spent on the hunt... Vaxis could hardly imagine any other life for himself at this point. He had little idea of what home would even look like anymore, as he had spent so much time bouncing from planet to planet. Yet, he would be a liar if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind now and again.

Vaxis stepped away from the shuttle, his company close in tow. The business of the day on Voss was a rather unusual one for a Juror. Generally, they were meant to be the hunters. Today, though... they were sent to protect a potential target, one that reports had shown to catch the attention of those that had less than sound jurisdiction within Ashlan Space. The lack of trouble told Vaxis that they had perhaps made it before the offending party, which meant that they had managed to buy themselves some time. Hopefully it would be enough to locate the target before the others came knocking.