Private I Do Like Sand

[A'Runda]

Location: Jakku, Ghost Town
Tags: Kurenai Yumi
​

It had been about a month or so since A'Runda had left Tatooine and CIS territory for good, and thus left behind his Tusken garbs and his identity in the shifting sands of that forsaken world. Seemingly trading on desert planet for another wasn't as simple as he'd like, even with a partly new identity. Even a month into this new life of his he still felt naked since he wasn't fully clothed. He still wore masks and a lot of clothes. But who could blame him. For 25 years he lived as as Tusken and by Tusken values as best he could. Now he needed to put that behind, for personal and practical reasons.

However, despite covering his tracks well, and he did do it well. He still wasn't perfect. When he saw or heard injustice I couldn't help but go after it even to his own detriment while in exile. For the clever hunter, seeing a pattern of one red lightsaber wielding vigilante on one desert planet, leaving, and the same thing happening on another desert planet right after was too similar to pass up. It was for this reason that one with enough determination to hunt A'Runda down could still do so.

Lately to settle into Jakku A'Runda has taken refuge on in an old, and abandoned ghost town deep in the desert. With of course his Dewback steed and friend he managed to leave Tatooine with. The two had grown a close bond and he knew he couldn't leave the animal on Tatooine alone. After most all the good salvage was taken during a great scavenger rush tiny towns like this that were made began to become abandoned. For A'Runda he believed it to be the perfect place to work on both hiding and settling down on the planet. He just needed to remember, he wasn't the native in the desert anymore.

To help keep food on the table for himself and his steed, A'Runda worked as a guard of sorts for a band of Jawas that made Jakku their home. Helping to protect them in their savaging of old bygone star destroyers. He would scavenge himself. But he didn't know machines and tech well enough to know what to look for or how to trade it. Not to mention he felt a kinship with the fellow immigrants from Tatooine.

Currently A'Runda was making his way back into the ghost town on his Dewback, with some of the supplies the Jawa's paid him with on him to take back home until their next outing he'll be needed in. It felt quite in the ghost town, almost too quiet...

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

Jakku was basically a ball of sand, it was the definition of a desert planet. Even Tatooine or other places had water to some extent and a difference in scenery and landscape. This graveyard though wasn't anything like that, only stretching plains of sand dunes as far as the eye could see, littered with crashed ships, some from her youth but many more from the recent wars. "Hmmm, well, It's not like I came here to stay long, time to put my nose to use".

She had arrived upon reports of a saber using vigilante and while nothing was wrong with such a thing she the Knights were required to look into force users with each sector, though something about this stranger tipped her the wrong way. From what she gathered in the reports this person was skilled, very skilled, no mere self trained and with the borders of the CIS more strict these days it probably wasn't some roaming rouge.

Already a list of possible suspects formed in her mind, but Kurenai couldn't be sure until she met the person face to face. Fortunaly she didn't need to know the person inn question that well to pick up the usual scent around the rumored areas of his activity. Jakku had no natural population and the range of species that came here were quite defined, this other scent though stuck out like a sore thumb among the typical scrap peddlers on world.

Throw that in with a short ask around at the ghost town and the residences not wanting to possibly face the wrath of an Obsiden Lord it didn't take long for Kurenai to narrow down her search range. The women standing atop one of the houses, her black armor covered in a simple brown poncho as she scanned the dusty wastes, looking for a certain humanoid figure a top a dew back through her scope. "Come out come out where ever you are, even if you are trying to hide all beings need water at some point".

Her gaze soon shifting to a figure in the distance as it slowly approached, a small hum echoing from the women. "Seems they have arrived, lets see what he does". After all, hunting was just as much about waiting as it was action, and she needed to conform the persons identity, something that slowly got easier at their scent became more distinct... familiar, she had met this person before... but where?

A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

As A'Runda approached he perked up, catching a slight trace of Kurenai's Force signature. But it confused him. He had a very sensitive connection to The Force. Typically able to feel a Force Sensitive from across a planet, especially on such a dead planet as Jakku. He didn't didn't know exactly where it was coming from. But he knew they were around, and since he didn't notice them earlier.

The former Tusken feared the worst now. He'd been tracked down and hunted, most likely from the CIS, and possibly their best as well. Making his way down the empty main street of the equally empty ghost town on his dewback steed he looked around some. It was early in the evening and night would be upon them in a few hours, and the nights were long and cold in the desert. Not to mention the coldblooded dewback would become weak and tired without the warmth of the sun as well. So for all intents and purposes A'Runda was stranded every night with his dewback. Not to mention the distance from the ghost down to anything else on the planet.

Getting into town A'Runda hopped of his steed, and looked wary, Kurenai could most likely tell he sensed her presence given this concerned mannerisms. He would cautiously take his slug thrower, The Sandman. Sliding the bolt back he entered a round in the chamber. Clearly fearing a fight. Holding the sawed off Tusken Cycler rifle in one hand as he moved around to the packs on the saddle of his steed to unload his supplies and head towards one of the empty buildings that he's taken in as his house cautiously. Laying his supplies by the entrance before looking like he was ready to start checking the empty abandoned houses for the intruder. Clearly ready to take action when he finds them if necessary.

Kurenai Yumi

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

(delete)

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

Her eyes continued to look at the man as he rode in, waiting and assessing the person with each step he took. Said actions proving useful as she spied the slugthrower, herself noting the slightly similarities between them and the ones used by Tusken raiders, if but shorter and a slightly different color. Still that was enough for her to get a sense of the man in question, on a Hot planet, using a Tusken styled gun and a force user, not many fit that description except A'Runda .

She had heard a little about the former Knight, though what had exactly gone down between him and the CIS hadn't been much of her business, until now. While loyal to the Confederacy she wasn't going to follow any of their orders blinding, and being a Marshal she got to play by her own rules. Only the Extrach or Vic lord held direct authority over her anyways.

Placing a hand on her holster Kurenai dropped down from the building she was stationed on, slowly walking towards A'Runda as they approached the empty house, clearing her throat when but a few meters away. "Long time no see, not that I think we interacted much but you were certainly a one of a kind if that is anything to go by".

 

[A'Runda]

Hearing the intruder step down he perked up and turned to face them. Seeing Kurenai Yumi finally and recognizing that she was the one he was sensing the Force Signature off of. However, the dewback steed A'Runda rode in on saw her as well. The large reptile was fairly distrustful of strangers and cried out. Making some aggressive noises, but before they could do something too rash A'Runda quickly came to his steeds side. Patting it some and speaking in his native language to sooth the beast. Almost prioritizing it's own concerns of his own. "Uuurkrukruk..." He said to it before it calmed down and backed away some. It was clear that A'Runda cared for the creature.

Hearing Kurenai speak he finally brought his full attention to her. He knew a bit about her from his own time in the Knights Obsidian. Looking over some of her files, or more so listening to them in audio form since he still has trouble reading let alone how he was back then. So he knew that she was of a high ranking back when he was still in the same order. He only imagined how much more authority she had now.

Holstering his sawed off rifle he did minor bow, showing some respect even for someone he rather not see at the moment. Also being of the same Force order commanded respect from him nonetheless. "I feared that my uniqueness would get me in trouble, even all the way out here. That's why I've forsaken my Tusken background in the shifting sands of my home planet. In hopes of never being found." He had become far more articulate since he was in the KO as well. "I would ask why you're hear but I fear I may already know the answer, Mrs. Yumi."

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

The reaction from the mans beat of burden wasn't of any real concern to her, if needed she could easily flip her finger and chuck the large animal to the side but she wasn't about to be so rude. Herself slowly stepping closer towards the front door to the two wouldn't need to shout in order to speak to one another.

"Well you are right, though for someone in your case is very unquie, I think there have been more Hutt force users then their have been tuskens". The fact A'Runda was fluent in basic and had traveled off world was already enough to be a once in a century occurrence considering the natives rather hostile and reclusive nature.

"To be honest I am not fully aware of what transpired between you and the CIS, and as you may know I've been around quite a long time and while loyal to the CIS now It had only been for a fraction of my life". That and just from jumping from faction to faction over the last centuries she knew traitors and their reasons where not always clear and cut. "So I will hear you out and I may become more lenient, but do remember I am here to arrest you and their is a high chance that will not change".

 

[A'Runda]

A'Runda took a deep breath and sighed, feeling almost like he'd been holding his breath since he sensed her. Lowering his head for a moment he wondered how to explain himself. All the while his dewback moved away from the two of them. Looking to head to bed for the night. Fortunately since they weren't on Tatooine anymore there weren't any more natural predators in Jakku.

He listened to what she said, and wondered how old she actually was for a moment.

"Mrs. Yumi thank you for letting my explain myself, but my decision to turn my back on the CIS had nothing to do with politics. In fact I probably wouldn't have left. After all I was still in love with Damsy." He said somberly before looking back at the women standing before him.

"In one of my darkest hours it was Madalena Antares that offered me salivation from my situation. I don't mean to give you a lesson on Tusken culture and values. Just know that the ability to properly wield a gaffi stick is a huge factor in whether or not someone can call themselves a Tusken, before he came to be I could not." He tired to explained to her. Hoping she understood where he was getting at. "During then my identity as a Tusken was very important to me, so I offered her a life debt. It was at that moment I offially turned my back on the CIS, strictly for personal reasons."

He hadn't ever actually explained to anyone before, it was a little nice to get it off his chest. But he needed to at least see what would think of what he had to say. "Even after becoming a traitor, I never really acted against the interests of the CIS. After all I have spent enough time and developed enough connections to want to truly hurt those I worked with."

Kurenai Yumi

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

She cocked an eyebrow at the mans words, actually a little surprised by his reasoning for leaving. It was somewhat believable but she had seen if before, if but with younger and less high ranking soldiers in her past lives. When things got hard or when family was on the line it wasn't hard to know why some people left the military of office to spend time with them. Though for A'Runda his was a little different, being a knight and having fallen in love during his time.

Never the less she could have some sympathy, though that didn't absolve him of everything. "I can understand to an extent why you did what you did". "I myself when meeting my husband did put my old life of a mercenary on hold to help raise my children and be together with him" A decision which ultimately saved all their lives at some point. "Still I did give them forearming and I didn't depart them in a time of need".

"I am not usually one for rules and being strict, but you to my knowledge you did abandon the CIS and the Obsidian Knights". "Not only is that desertion but as an Atrsian 'turning your back' as you stated is a personal dishonor something I take somewhat personally". After reuniting with her family she had embraced her home planets culture more and more, turning her from somewhat of a brutal mercenary to a formidable but for the most part more honorable fighter.

"As it stands I am going to give you an option A'Runda, you can come with me and we can sort this thing out, I doubt anyone will want to see you locked up for long, you can serve a punishment and then live normally, non of this on a desert planet hiding away". "Or you can resist and we can 'spar', and though I know you are quite skills fighter I think we both have and idea of how things would end". She hadn't been promoted to a Lord for no reason.

 

[A'Runda]

Eyeing her as she replied, he was glad she at least to some extent understood why he's done the things he has done. However, seemingly for worse he listened to her explain that she wasn't just going to just leave him be. Which to be fair why would she.

"I understand, however, if I can't even try to stand my ground here to protect myself and my goals now, than what hope is there for me as a warrior doing so in the future." He said, even if his train of thought wasn't very rational, he believed it had a sense of honorable logic behind it. He noted her use of the word 'spar'. It was very likely that any conflict with her was going to be considerable asymmetric to say the least.

Walking away from the doorway into the ghost town proper he looked to his friend, his steed, the dewback before reaching out with The Force to it as it stood by. Hand extended out he tapped into the darkside to force his will on the beast and knocking it out with fatigue. He pained him to do so to his reptilian friend but he wanted to make sure the stubborn beast wouldn't interfere and get itself hurt.

Turing back to Lord Marshal before him he spoke. "Miss Kurenai, I won't be coming back to the CIS with you willingly. But if it means anything now, I'm thankful you gave me the chance to explain myself." He said before taking the boney hilt of his lightsaber in his hands from it's holster on his side. The unique curved handle fitting well into his palm before he ignited it's vibrate crimson blade. It sparked and crackled some given the unpolished state of the krayt dragon pearl in the handle. After which he went into a one handed low guard position. Peering at her from his hooded head, his eyes taking on a yellow tint now.

Kurenai Yumi

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

She gave a slight not while beginning to take off her heavier equipment. Tuskens often got a bad rap for their ways back on Tatooine, but to their core the people were a warriors class and would fight for what they believed in. She herself could respect that and to an extent had fully anticipated and also looked forward to having some sort of fight with the former knight.

"Stand your ground and do what you wish to protect your goals, if you do lose the battle you will have not failed as fighting in the first place shows you really believe in them". "But bare in mind that I will not simply back down either simply because I share similar views to your own, steel yourself". Her armor and other bulky equipment fell to her side, Kurenai using the force to move it away, on her person only being now her saber, side arm and combat knife, though for the time being she hadn't drawn either.

She began to lightly strech her arms, getting warmed up while keeping eye contact with A'Runda "No thanks needed, we Lords are put in our positions because of our disposition not to kill eveything we don't agree with". These days their position was less military and more civil distpute, not unlike the Jedi of old, just not tied down with any 'code' or counterproductive laws. "I see you are armed and ready, let us begin".

As her opponent got into a stance so did she, but bare handed. Kurenai placing her left foot in front of her right, arms straight down until the elbow where the wrist would be perpendicular to the body, left in front of the right. A simple Judo or Tai Chi like stance, her body slowly edging forwards towards her enemy. She would await a reaction from the man, but if not she would send out a strike with her right arm, a short jab aimed at his sternum, only to stop half way and thrust a kick at his lower left caff.

 

[A'Runda]

A'Runda nodded to her, glad that he seemed to have commanded some respect from his opponent. However he watched as she removed some of her armor. Seeing more of her what she looked liked under all of it kind of caught him of guard a little. After all any shedding of clothes was still a difficult thing for the former tusken to wrap there heads around. Even if he wasn't fully covered at the moment.

Also seeing that she didn't really show any weapons on her he raised an eyebrow. His free hand would reach over and turn a little dial on his lightsaber, lowering the intensity of it. Even if this was going to be a one-sided fight he'd prefer not maiming Kurenai even on accident. However as he did this he looked up to see her coming at him. He tired to swat her arm away with his crimson blade but it turned out to be a faint. Overextending himself he found the feeling of being kicked in his lower left calf. "Gah!"

This in conjunction with having overextended himself with a false parry cause him to loose balance as his left leg lost it's footing causing his right leg to kneel down into the sand. Sensing the venerable state he was in. He darted his eyes at her before swiping his lightsaber at her. More so to keep her back before he threw his body to his right side. Deftly rolling on the sand in a fluid motion back onto his feet from a crouched position. With his blade drawn inwards with his right hand. Sprung forth from his crouched position at her with one fell strike with his blade to abdomen. Even though his blade had the power of a training saber it would still hurt on contact if he made it.

Kurenai Yumi

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

She was kind of disappointed that he had lowered the level of his saber to a more stun. Her whole reason of going in hand to hand was to give the man a fiar fight. With her pain tolerance and healing a low intensity saber would probably do little to stop her upon being hit. Not that she had much time to say such as no sooner had her opening moves struck did the Tusken retaliate.

Kurenai arching her body back to doge the upper swipe, herself doing a backflip to put more room between her and A'Runda. Getting back to a stance she watched as the blade came at her, Kurenai slamming her right fist against the blade as it got closer, before sending a flat palm directed towards the Tuskens chest and lungs. Pain shot up her arm as it hit the blade but she took it in stride as she aimed to literally knock the wind out of her opponent.

A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

Maybe now A'Runda saw where he went wrong after adjusting the setting of his blade. As he surely didn't expect Kurenai to put her own fist as a guard for the incoming blade. He eyes went wide as she stopped the still searing blade, and with this surprise came opportunity, one that would surely be taken advantage of.

There was a noise that came from A'Runda as he had the literal air knocked out of him. Stumbling back some as he tried to regain his composure. Bringing the crimson blade with him he held it out extended between himself and her defensively. But considering how sure could probably just grab at it with out much care he panicked some. Coughing as he tired to breath as he backed up some more. In a moment of desperation his free hand shot down to his waist, and upholstered his gun.

Quickly drawing the heavy bolt action with one hand he aimed it the best he could given the circumstance and pulled the trigger.

k-BOOM

The slugthrower sounded loud and more akin to a musket firing than a normal gun. With the jerry-rigged nature of the firearm it created a bright flash out the muzzle and a cloud of smoke from the combustion as the blur of a yellow bolt shot out of the weapon. It was a big gamble using this weapon like this. He would need to slide the bolt if he wanted to fire another round which he probably couldn't do soon enough. Also firing it one handed in a high stress situation like this it was pretty up in the air as to weather or not he hit his target. Also the recoiled strained his arm as he shot it given the power of the slug. But A'Runda didn't really wanna use this as his trump card so soon and feared he'd regret it.

Kurenai Yumi

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

She felt her blow strike home, almost hearing the gasp of air leave his chest as her opponent fell back. Kurenai hissing a little as she clenched her wounded hand. It was a tense burning pain but it would heal in but a few minutes, she had experienced worse. Not wanting to let up she pressed the attack as A'runda fell back, her eyes catching his hands moving for the gun he was carrying.

Thrusting her free hand to the side she sent out a force push, lunching her body to the side as the loud bang resonated. Being so close her ears were ringing from the explosive sound. A whiz zipping by her body, a sharp sting in her shoulder as the bullet grazed her shoulder, crimson blood splattering onto the sand as she planted a heels into the ground, getting a better footing before lunching her knee towards the Tuskens face.

A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

With pain still very much felt within his chest and having trouble breathing A'Runda saw for just a moment off to his side just a little that Kurenai had just managed to dodge his slug. At least for the most part. Yellow eyes gazing at her intensely as she lunched herself towards him.

The next thing A'Runda knew was that he had a hard knee to the face. The force of the impact easily catching him off guard as he was knocked back even harder and off his feet. Falling onto his back has his red mask/headpiece flew off his head. His dropped his rifle off to the side and his lightsaber deactivated as it fell opposite to it. Landing on his back in the sand. A'Runda groaned, before looking up at his opponent. Feeling the brisk wind of the desert on his face as he lost his mask. His half tattooed face, a permanent reminder of his background.

However, there came an inhuman cry away from the two of them. A'Runda's friend and steed dewback had awoken. Surely from the loud bang of his rifle easily waking it up from being put into a slumber. The beast had already been worried about what was happened before A'Runda tried to get it out of trouble. But even still groggy it saw that their human friend was in danger. Crying out once more as it saw Kurenai over him it began to rush the women.

"NO!" A'Runda called out as the dewback charged Kurenai. Reaching out with his hand to try and stop it. But sadly for A'Runda telekinesis was never his something he as good at with the force. Even now he could hardly make small rocks float let alone a large creature like a raging dewback that weighed almost a ton. Nonetheless the creature came at Kurenai, it's maw open ready to bite down on her.

Kurenai Yumi

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

She felt the tell tail sign of her knee hitting something hard as her attack landed. Kurenai taking in a deep breath to help make the pain in her limbs subside. Given 15 minutes the wound would hopefully be fully recovered but before then she would have hopefully already detain A'Runda, though it would seem her list of opponents was getting longer.

Though unable to hear the beat or the Tuskens shout to stop it Kurenai could very much sense the hostility and see the beast as it charged towards her. For some a massive mount such as it would be a daunting sight but she had taken on much larger monsters in her service within the Knights.

Leaping back she pushed her hands out with the force, sending a strong way towards it in hopes to slow and stop the massive beast. Another blast aimed for it's stop tp pin the beast to the ground, if fully halted she had a way to keep the thing in a literal cage. Though killing it would probably be easy her quarrel wasn't with a simple beast of burden loyal to it's master. Any would do the same should a person they care about be in danger, and she very much doubted it was wise enough to know the two's fight wasn't to the death.

A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

A'Runda would quickly scramble to his feet reaching out once more to the beast. He was thankful that Kurenai hadn't just obliterated it with The Force. As he reached out to it himself a powerful surge of darkside energies rushed into the dewback. Passions running though A'Runda made his ability to stun the beast far more potent than he meant to.

As the dewback tried to get to its target it was kept in place by Kurenai. Crying out some and confused as to why it couldn't move. It saw A'Runda reach out to it before suddenly collapsing. Almost violently having been knocked out cold by the tusken. Seeing it's body go limp frightened A'Runda. He wasn't sure if he'd just overdone it in the heat of the moment or possibly accidently killed his friend. The uncertainty hurt him some on the inside.

Turning his bright sithy gaze back to Kurenai he reached out to her. A growing desperation taking over him and his thoughts as he wished to rid himself of his opponent quickly. Taking a very grounded stance and inhaling sharply his gut contracted some as he held his hand out flat to Kurenai. There was a good deal of energy coming off him as yellow sparks of electricity. He was trying to cast what he thought was mere force lightning but some evidence suggested it was electric judgement.

However, internal conflict wrecked A'Runda, he didn't really want to hurt Kurenai, a former ally, also the conflicted emotions about what he just did to his dewback friend. But it was too late, a surge of brilliant yellow electicty could be seen rushing from his feet up to his extended hand before...

BOOM!

The Force ability backfired on A'Runda, the energy discharging right in front of him in a violent combustion more akin to an explosion more than anything. This easily knocked A'Runda back into the sand behind him. Practically rag-dolling his body away from Kurenai. He was knocked out cold by his own attempt to take out Kurenai...

Kurenai Yumi

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

As the threat of the beast of burden subsided she quickly turned attention towards the Tusken, seeing the crackling electricity from it's hands. Kurenai firmly putting her feet to the ground expecting a cascade of lightning to rain down on her, only to have sand blown up in her face but a sudden explosion. At first she thought that perhaps some would be bounty hunter had taken a shot at A'runda, only for herself to feel a wave in the force, her eyes going wide upon realizing it had originated from her opponent.

Shaking the sand from her body Kurenai raced towards the fallen man, rolling him over and checking his vitals. A small sigh escaping her lips as it was reveal the man had simply knocked himself out. "Such a shame, I would have liked to continue, may as well take you in now". Herself reaching out with the force to pick up the wounded man and his mount, slowly making her way to the ship she arrived in. leaving the latter out the front in the shade while the Tusken was relegated to a bed, the ships medical droid slowly working it's magic on the man while Kurenai sat to the side, waiting.

A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

It was a bit until A'Runda finally came back to it. Having blasted himself pretty hard mere moments ago. But thanks to the medical treatment he wasn't gonna be as in much a rough shape. He couldn't have really imagined that in his haste and possible overconfidence that he would've lost himself the fight the way that he did. Slowly, one eye opened before the other.

The former tusken winced some from soreness in his body. His inside feeling like he'd been turned to a painful jelly. As he slowly looked over to Kurenai Yumi his eyes went a bit wide. Realizing he didn't really know where he was. Could he be back in Confederate space already? His brief rival would be able to take not in the lack of bright sithy eyes anymore on him. Having returned some to its normal dark color.

Most likely do to what he just did he had a good deal of clarity inside of him. He was too exhausted now to feel the negative passions that were filling him earlier. A bit weakly he spoke. "I'm sorry... I should've never have run and hid like I did. I should've-" He was interrupted with some pained coughs. "I should've face my problems sooner. I had bottled up so much I didn't know what to do..."