How Beastly

[ReTRAKKS]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Endor; The planet of trees and possible lakes was a paradise for hunters. Lush, full of living things; prey. The world to Gavrriks Arwell was even more vivid than she could imagine, for which the moon's non existent light only provided a small faction of visibility. Everything else was from her own Night Vision. Endor's forests glimmered in the moonlight, almost similar to the natural beauty of her home planet; Grieak.

A large dull brown wolf creature, roughly standing at a 1.6 meter height, darted through the woods on all fours, moving with incredible speed. Gav's animal nose was kicking in with overtaking results, taking in the scent of some sort of animal. It was close by, for all she understood. Taking a graceful turn to the right, dodging a couple of trees in the process, Gav spotted the small clearing. Alas, a small group of animals on all fours were eating a large patch of wild roots.

It was hard to focus in the state she was in as of now. It was almost like a trance, unsure if everything was real. As of now, this hunt was nothing more than a way out; a distraction. Gav had forgot why she was on Endor. Something about escaping- taking a break. Gav didn't care what of or why as of now. For which her priorities were on the animals.

Sitting crouched behind some bushes, Gav placed most of her weight on her back legs, prepared to pounce. Not even a moment later, Gav found herself shooting out of the bushes, easily taking one of the smaller animals by surprise. Gav's large jaw unhinged and clamped onto the poor beast. Teeth as sharp as daggers sank into the beast, not even allowing it to squeel in pain. The rest of the little animals had scurried off by now. Gav didn't care, she was only happy that she'd grabbed one of them.

Dropping the dead carcass to the ground, Gav used one of her giant paws to try and rip it open, and using her teeth to finish the process of the feast.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Endor; what a beautiful place. It was a world without pretence, where the laws of nature ruled and the strongest survived. Many had spoken of it as a "sanctuary moon", but they had never truly experienced the brutality of the local flora and fauna. Like a shipwreck island in the vastness of space, it appeared a paradise to passers-by, but those stranded in the forest told another story. Like a shipwreck island in the vastness of space, it brought out the dwelling savage in the sophisticated sentient. It was a world of beasts. As a Sith, Darth Ophidia could appreciate this.

However, the Sith Lord was not there just for the sake of scenery. There were some acolytes who one needed to keep an eye on. People just powerful enough to be dangerous, but hardly more. People who had a potentially wavering loyalty. So when an acolyte disappears into the unknown regions and was gone for a little while, someone was sent to investigate. This time, that someone was the Aspect of Death. It would seem she had run out of goons to send for the moment. Or perhaps she wanted to swing by her old neighbourhood. Who knew?

The Rattataki rested on her swoopbike and stared up at the starry skies. The stars was another thing she had missed during her stay on Coruscant. They reminded her of the vastness they could conquer, of how much they had yet to do. Her musings were abruptly dropped as a flock of quadropedial herbivores charged past her. One even jumped over her swoopbike and almost knocked her off. Ophidia's pale eyes stared into the gloom before she turned her head towards the source of their fright. The smell. It was the smell of blood. Some predator? A macabre curiosity filled her as she slipped onto her feet and sneaked through the shrubberies.

[member="Gav Arwell"]l

 

[ReTRAKKS]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

As soon as she'd sank her teeth into the dead animal, the taste of blood filled the interior of her canine mouth. Gav would have sneered if she could, but she was more focused on attempting to indulge herself. The animal that once laid lifeless was replaced with a large pile of gore. Gavrriks turned from the dead animal and looked off into the woods. Silently, Gav moved her canine snout towards the ground, trying to sniff out where the rest of the pack had come from.

Alas she found no use in looking, for which the scent was gone from the wind. Gav took the second to shake herself off, pawing at her head and arms, trying to brush off as much blood as possible. This would most likely be the first kill of the night.

Inspecting herself for any injuries, Gav looked over her giant wolf-like create form. dull brown fur, some tints of maroon from blood. Although she couldn't see her eyes, she could feel her sharp hazel and red color pierce through the night.

Suddenly, the wind blew once violently. Although the wolf didn't budge, Gav did however swing her head to the nearby gloom of the woods. Gav caught the scent of something. It wasn't an animal, but something different. The wolf narrowed it's sharp eyes, turning its body fully to see who or what it was.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Ophidia observed to begin with, perched behind shrubbery and next to a tree, she could see a beast feasting upon the fallen flesh of a herbivore. A hunter eating its' prey. On Rattatak, the only real predators were other Rattataki or alien raiders, yet she found a childish joy in watching the beast feast on its catch. When it turned away and into the darkness, Ophidia followed quietly. She stepped into the darkness of the clearing with caution, trying to keep her eyes on the beast.

When it turned towards her, she felt a strange sensation of familiarity. A thought gnawed on her mind, bringing back the memory of what she was here to do, and yet she felt somehow that watching this creature was more important. The Rattataki took a cautious step towards the canine and reached out her hand. Simultaneously with the physical reach, she also reached out with tendrils of her mind through the Force and prodded the creature's consciousness. Would it be mad? Probably. She did not care

[member="Gav Arwell"]

 

[ReTRAKKS]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

A low growl released from the large canine creature's intake. Gav's upper lip raised in anger, showing every sharp fang in her mouth. While Ophidia tooks a step forwards, Gavrriks took a step back, wanting to keep her space. Something about this person remined her of Darth Ferus, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Alas she went back to the current situation, keeping her eyes on the Rattataki.

Alas the large wolf side stepped, crouching down in a pouncing position. However, Gav would not attack this female. Not yet at least. Stay away from me. she wanted to yell. Stay back. Hopefully, her eyes said the same thing.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"There, there darling."

The Rattataki reached out a hand and opened her palm. It was not a gesture of power, but of welcome. The Sith stood strong and took another approaching step, trying not to get between the beast and its food. She did not display any obvious signs of aggression, but opened herself up and stared at the canine. She wanted to know what this creature was. It was not present in what she had read about the planet. Some foreign creature introduced? Or perhaps someone's pet?

"Who are you, or what?"

Her voice was low, yet her words carried well. They reverberated through the Force as well as through the air, carried by the cold, dry rasp of her voice. She touched the creature's mind carefully, or as carefully as one could touch something so fragile. Where one might expect there to be some level of care, there was naught but morbid curiosity.

[member="Gav Arwell"]

 

[ReTRAKKS]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

If only Gav could speak,she would have been able to respond to this women. Gav probably would have said something defensive, or maybe snarky- in this state at least. But alas she could not open her, for which her wolf intake and throat was incapable of a human voice. Gav inspected the Rattataki's posture. She didn't seem like she wanted to conflict harm, but it made her unsteady. Gav started to slowly approach the female, her wolf body still locked in a near pounce position. As soon as she'd covered a few feet, Gav's nostril was near Darth Ophidia's hand. Gav sniffed it aggressively, trying to get a good idea of this female's scent.

While sniffing, Gavrrik's nose began to burn with something she hadn't quite caught in the first place: death. Amongst her people on Grieak, there had been stories of how one's wolf nose could smell traits, or sins one has done. Since she'd joined the Sith Assassins, Gav had smelt the stench of death more than once. Especially Darth Ferus.

Moving away from Darth Ophidia's Hand, Gav scooted back a bit to circle her. Gav's wolf form had lightened a bit, but it still looked rock hard. Gav wanted to see if the female was armed. Better safe than sorry, right?

 

[Darth Ophidia]

As the wolf jerked back, Darth Ophidia rose to her full height and stared down at the furry figure. There were no apparent weaponry on the Sith Lord. She wore robes of black fabrics, and under the sash that fastened the waist of the robes to her slender figure, she had tucked away the hilt of her lightsabre. It showed as a small bump in the stiff sash, but no metal protruded. On the Rattataki's left wrist she wore the assassin blade, tucked away under the sleeve of her outer robe, but it was not clearly visible. Under her robe, there was a vibrodagger strapped to her back. It was a tool of utility as much as a weapon of self-perseverance.

"Are you checking me for weapons, my pet?"

Ophidia stood still to allow the wolf it's circling.

"Do you really think it matters?"

[member="Gav Arwell"]

 

[ReTRAKKS]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Gavrriks nearly completed her circle when the female loosely called her 'her pet'. The wolf merely snorted, but it was drowned in the midst of her search, compared to her louder sniffs. Finishing her first circle, she started on her second round. She wanted to make sure, even stopping once or twice to smell out a certain area. She stopped slightly in front of Ophidia. Although it was faint, Gav caught the scent of metal. The wolf's nose moved towards the hem of the Sith Lord's right sleeve, trying to nudge the sleeve upward. As she moved, the scent grew stronger.

Oh it matters. she thought. It gives me an idea of what you might be capable of. The thoughts were directed towards the Rattataki. Though, Gav doubted Ophidia could hear her.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

So the wolf had sniffed out one of her weapons. Ophidia cared very little. Even if she was disarmed completely, it would not have made much of a difference to her. However, as the Sith Lord had the tendrils of her mind probing the consciousness of the wolf, she could hear an echo of Gav's thoughts. If there was reason in the creature, then she could hear it.

"I am capable of more than you can imagine."

A wry smile spread upon her grey lips. Suddenly, electricity crackled between Ophidia's fingers as a warning to the snout that would intrude upon her sleeve. She did not send any complete lightning arcing at the lupine creature, but if she did not retract her snout from the sleeve, then the electricity would sting.

"Now, what are you?"

[member="Gav Arwell"]

 

[ReTRAKKS]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Gav had less than a split second to move her canine nose, narrowly missing the electrical shock. Gavrriks moved away from the Rattataki, growling in a small fit of anger. Gav mounted herself directly in front of Darth Ophidia's line of vision. She kept asking that single question: "what are you." if she didn't answer soon, this force user would most likely take lethal action. A few seconds after the Rattataki's repeated question, Gav loosened her stance. Then, almost as if she were to take a step forward, The Wolf stood up.

The transformation from wolf to man was less than a few seconds. There were no cracks of bone structure changed, or shed of hair. No, When Gavrriks stood up, her bone structure had changed drastically, and the hair seemed to merely disappear. Replacing the Wolf was a 5'11 Hunter. Tan skin, sharp Hazel eyes, and physically built to take on even the biggest foes. As of now, Gav wore a white tank top and baggy cargo pants. the hems of the Pants and shirt were partially ripped, and the blood from her previous kill stained her shirt. Blood tickled down parts of her neck. On her face, there were sprinkles of the liquid. Except for the areas around her mouth, they were soaked.

Gav stood there looking at Ophidia, letting her previous actions speak for themselves.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The area of Darth Ophidia's face that would have contained an eyebrow if she had them raised in a bemused expression as the wolf before her became a woman. A smile formed on her lips as her eyes fixated upon the humanoid form before her.

"Well, that sates my curiosity and saves me a lot of time. Acolyte Arwell I presume?"

No hand of friendship was extended, nor any bow of respect just yet. Ophidia's hands folded on her midriff, her thumbs sticking in between two layers of her sash and her palms resting on the faint bulge of her lightsabre hilt. Her position was not an aggressive one, rather, it she looked out of place to fight, but she knew she could defend herself from there. She did not step forward, but stood put on her spot like a long slender tree with judgemental eyes.

[member="Gav Arwell"]

 

[ReTRAKKS]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Gavrriks stood silently as well, looking at Ophidia. Unlike most acolytes, Gavrriks didn't quite understand why superiors called others by there 'rank' or 'title'. She's seen it vaguely on Grieak, which clansman would only call the elders by there title. But they were no different from any of the other clansman. The tribesman was slow to remember who this person was. She'd seen the rattataki before, but she couldn't quite place where they'd met. I most certainly hope I didn't anger her. she thought.

"Yes, That would be me." Gavrriks said shortly. Talking wasn't her favorite thing to do, for which sometimes her grieakian accent got in the way of her speaking. Sometimes she worried she'd start speaking her native tongue. "Who want to know?"

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The smile faded almost immediately, she did not frown, but adopted a stiff and plain expression. Even the judgement in her eyes subsided a little as the Acolyte asked for identification in return. It was to be expected, of course.

"The One Sith, and her agents. Does that satisfy your curiosity, or do we have to delve into semantics?"

Despite the lack of a smile, there was a certain dangerous playfulness in her voice. Even though Gav had quite literally been a beast only moments before, it sounded as though Ophidia was the one playing with its prey. Then again, the Sith Lord had slain quite a few great beasts in her time and service. Some humanoid, some monstrous, some a bit of both. A wave went through her fingers as she shifted her weight a fraction to the side, her eyes always observing some part of Gav.

[member="Gav Arwell"]