Faction In the Jungle, the Quiet Jungle [Darkwire]

[Darkwire Prophet]

Three standard days ago, a new signal joined the cacophony of communications leaving the planet Bovo Yagen.

That much was not entirely unusual. After the once-beautiful resort world of Belazura was strip-mined into utter ecological devastation, the Corporate Authorities of Denon had begun creating a new tourist destination within their Special Economic Zone. They’d selected the sparsely-populated jungle planet of Bovo Yagen, still largely pristine thanks to the native Bovorians’ ban on heavy industry - which was quickly quashed by an army of lawyers.

Starting with the luxurious Ever-Summer Casino, the once-quiet world was rapidly overtaken by a construction boom. The trickle of holonet traffic leaving the planet became a flood as new resorts, agricultural plantations, and industrial fisheries went into production around the planet’s polar ocean, many thousands of messages flying off to other CAD worlds to coordinate the movements of contractors, supplies, and security forces to and from these fresh projects. Crowds of tourists only added to the chaos.

But this new signal wasn’t like the others. It wasn’t an advertisement, or a progress report, or a materials request, or a personnel assignment chart. It was a distress call. There were no words in the message, no images, no clear content at all beyond an endlessly looping request for assistance. Stranger still, it came from deep within the planet’s most remote jungle reaches - a region that contained no known settlements or structures, Bovorian or Corpo. An empty quarter home only to a jungle mountain.

The area was not empty of rumors, however. Over the past few months, corporate contractors have reported encounters with strange beings - creatures that match the description of no known species, and certainly none of Bovo Yagen’s native animals. The reports indicate that these bizarre beasts are cybernetically modified, transformed by deliberate tinkering into true apex predators… but who modified them, and why? No one knows.

Perhaps following the signal can reveal the truth…

… or perhaps it leads only to death.

Spoiler: OBJECTIVES

OBJECTIVE 1: Fight, Flight, or Befriend (The Dinos Roar Tonight)
It doesn't take long to discover that the quiet, empty jungle is anything but. Predators and prey alike flee in the wake of the real, live dinosaurs. Some scaly, some feathered, but all imbued with cybernetics driving their programming. Can you survive a fight with one of the large, super-aggressive therapods? Can you outwit the smaller, hyper-intelligent raptors? Or will you simply run for your life? Perhaps there's another way to turn this situation to your advantage and Darkwire's...if you can last long enough.

OBJECTIVE 2: The Call of the Mountain (Don't fear, my darling)
Perhaps you are drawn to the mystery of the distress call instead. Among the primitive, uncivilized jungle, there seem to be signs of intelligent life. There must have been someone to send that distress call, or to create the cybernetic monsters roaming the jungle, you need only search hard enough. Look high, look low, look underneath, and you may find the answers...or simply more questions. Like why the smallest of the raptors seem more interested in you as a person than prey. Or why a long-lost Ssi-Ruuk scientist named Ishikkir lives in a lab hidden beneath the mountain.

OBJECTIVE 3: Bring Your Own Objective (A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh)
As always, feel free to explore your own story alongside these two.

Spoiler: TAGS

Anakin Stormrunner
Aren D'Shade
Brie Jaxx
Cartri Keswoll
Cassus Akovin
Daiya
Daven Tooms
Das
Glade
Hex
Samuel Exel
Tarus Undara
Under Foot
Yula Perl
(Don't see your name here? Reply here to get added.)

 

[The Bounteous Hunt]

OBJ: MUNCH
​

A HUMBLE SSI-REX TRUNDLED THROUGH THE JUNGLE OF BOVO YAGEN, HAVING LOST SIGHT OF THE MARKERS THAT DESIGNATED THE PATROL PATH IT FOLLOWED SURROUNDING THE COMPOUND OF Maker Ishikkir.

THIS ONE FORGOT IT'S DESIGNATION AFTER LEAVING ITS ASSIGNED PATH, AND ONLY REMEMBERS WHAT IT IS, AND Maker Ishikkir. THIS ONE ALSO REMEMBERS THAT IT IS HUNGRY. AHEAD, THIS ONE SENSES A DENSE SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY, AND SMELLS THE OXIDES OF METAL. INFERIOR SOURCES OF BIO-ELECTRICTY AND METAL OXIDE BLOOD LITTER THE PATH OF THIS GLORIOUS SSI-REX, BUT NONE HAVE CAPTURED THIS ONE'S ATTENTION AS WELL AS THIS NEWEST SOURCE.

THE Maker Ishikkir DID NOT IMBUE THIS SSI-REX WITH THE MENTAL CAPACITY TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A TRAP. THIS ONE IS CERTAIN TO FALL INTO THE TRAP FOR WHOEVER SET IT; WHAT SECRETS WILL THEY LEARN FROM THIS ENCOUNTER? MORE IMPORTANTLY, WILL THEY SURVIVE IT UNSCATHED FROM ITS MECHANICAL FURY?

 

[Gweneth Zarari]

Location: Bovo Yagen
Objective: Help and Study the creatures
Tag: Jorah zos Darnus

Objective 1​

I had heard through that Darkwire group that this planet had a very unusual problem, gigantic wild reptiles that were being experimented on and modified by the corporations. I didn't do very many missions with Darkwire as they were a bit of a strange bunch themselves, but coming here to see if I could help these poor creatures out made sense.

I was flying over an area of grassland having made my way across a small wooded area to the east of the drop off point. Another shapechanger had joined me, a guy called Jorah zos Darnus that I could right now see out of the corner of my eye in bat form. I kind of liked having someone else join me up here, it was hard to describe the exhiliration of flying in this way. <<Spotted any candidates yet?>> I communicated to him telepathically, we were looking to find an isolated and hopefully weaker individual that we could safely subdue and examine properly to see if we could reverse this crime. <<Do you ever wonder what would happen if a shape changer ate another shape changer?>> I joked, feeling the predatory urges of my chosen form as a swept behind the bat. At least I assumed he knew it was a joke, humour doesn't often translate well telepathically.

I flexed my wings and went into another lazy glide to arrest my speed and get a good look at the terrain. We were a couple of hundred metres in the air so could see for miles in every direction. I could see a small outpost to our west, I couldn't truly tell from here if it was inhabited or not but there was no obvious signs of movement like spacecraft if visible emissions from the buildings. A roar from below brought me back into focus as a lizard with an enormous jaw erupted from the trees and gave chase on herd of smaller duckbilled creatures. <<We should probably avoid the larger therapods, they look a bit terrifying.>> Perhaps with study i could mimic their shape effectively, but study required proximity and proximity did not look safe.

There was a small lake a mile or from our position so I began to bank in that direction, it might be a good place to look for creatures to study, or at the very least, I and Jorah could stop for water ourselves. I could see the long necks of some kind of heavy sauropods standing in the lake they really were beautiful creatures.

​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

[ talisman ] [ armor ] [ lightsaber ] [ energy bow ]
Gweneth Zarari

[ post theme ]​

The wind buffeted against his fur.

Carried on the breeze, the small, brown mammal was raised up into the sky. The view was spectacular, vast swaths of forest with glistening waters of a sea sparkling on the horizon.

Leathery, bat-like wings stretched out as the creature traveled on the winds. Then the mammal seemed to dip to one side, as it swooped back down into the canopy of trees. Soaring through the branches, the bat snatched an insect from out of the air. Several beats of its wings pushing it upward again as the creature emerged back into the sky with its to-go order dangling out of its mouth.

<<Spotted any candidates yet?>>

For lunch? the young Dathomirian asked in reply, as the bat-like creature bobbed in the air as it flew and ate at the same time. It was known as a chiroptix, a creature native to Dathomir that bore a striking resemblance to a mouse or bat.

<<Do you ever wonder what would happen if a shape changer ate another shape changer?>>

Fluttering up near the raptor-like wild shape's form, the mouse-like head of the creature extended a pink tongue out at the hawk. I think it works a little differently for me than for you, the Nightbrother opined with a bit of a laugh.

He hadn't felt any magic when Gwen had changed. There didn't seem to be any connection to the spirits. In contrast, Jorah was clothed in the spirit of the chiroptix, his physical body swapped rather than transformed. A trade of spirit and flesh, something the Dathomirians only knew possible through totem magic.

<<We should probably avoid the larger therapods, they look a bit terrifying.>>

The mouse-like ears on his head seemed to pivot like radar. Some of the small ones are perhaps more dangerous, the boy warned. He couldn't see them, but he heard them moving below. Nature of the form he was in. Poor eyesight, great hearing. Pack hunters.

Jorah liked hunting.

Dathomirians lived close to the earth, taking only what they needed and returning back to nature their share so that balance was maintained in the circle of life.

That said, he didn't like when animals hunted him.

Veering right, the boy could hear something that was munching on the tender leaves that were higher up on the trees. Maybe one of the larger herbivores? They seem docile.

 

[Samuel Exel]

Bovo Yagen
Objective 1: Hunt the Creatures.
Tags: The Bounteous Hunt , OPEN

The CAD’s influence continued to stretch and sink its teeth into whatever promising enterprising it could get its hands on. And yet, at the same time, it found itself burdened by new threats, of more pressing projects. With terrorist threats at home, they had to focus more resources - and subsequently, contractors - inwards. As a result, projects that weren’t deemed in need of combative assets got the short end of the stick. Most certainly, one of these was the Ever-Summer Casino, owned by the well-known Luminous Sun.

Without the usual support offered, one would need a sizable bank account to have an asset like a Mercenary deal with threats no others were equipped to deal with, or would otherwise go near. And when hushed whispers of an individual becoming known within Corporate Circles from several successful forays made their way through, it was only a matter of time before Samuel Exel would receive a contract that suited his needs.

Luminous Sun had a public image to protect, and rumor of killer cybernetic beasts on a crown jewel was sure to damage it. Moreover, she was more than capable of paying the Bounty Hunter’s hefty price on a job done - that being, getting rid of the most pressing threats. These would be the rumor-spreading ‘apex predators'.

Entrenched deep into the jungles of Bovo Yagen, he had brought with him all plenty of armament, such as the fearsome Scattergun clutched firmly in his hands, fit to fell large beasts the likes of which he was hunting. Not to mention a multitude of explosives and other armament, his armor allowing him to bear the burden. What he did not bring, however, was bait. The local wildlife was more than able to accommodate. A couple of fresh bodies - unceremoniously ventilated and gutted - laid in a pile of a clearing, with Concussion Mines hidden in the ground beneath. Enough to attract the attention of some particularly hungry beast. A trap. Samuel figured that, despite the cybernetics, there must be some of that old instinct buried beneath.

Admittedly, the Bounty Hunter had hunted prey of the sentient kind more than the beastial kind. He supposed it was easier that he’d been given the parameters he had, for he didn’t need to take anything alive. Exel was able to resort to more destructive methods, and those would provide him the most surefire way of victory against such a threat. A shame, too, for he considered the planet beautiful and even marked it for a future vacation spot. Nonetheless, the outcome would not be one he would regret.

The hunt that laid before him would pose a challenge he never tackled before, one that would test his capabilities in his profession. But, that made the pursuit of it that much more thrilling - and profitable. And so, crouched low in the brush with a camouflaged form, the Hunter watched as his scanners continued to ping in his helmet’s HUD, patiently waiting for his quarry.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Objective 1: Specimen Acquisition
Tags: Samuel Exel | The Bounteous Hunt

The mercenary was there to kill, simpleton that he no doubt was, but Doctor Arcrin had been hired for a higher purpose. Her job was to examine the specimens he procured - living or, dead - for vulnerabilities both biological and cybernetic. Perhaps a viral agent could be synthesised to clear them out, or maybe their command signals could be sliced.

The paycheck was hefty. Despite this, the money was only of secondary importance - she was even more interested in studying the creatures in the hopes that their composition might aid her own research.

Not that she intended to create cybernetic dinosaurs of her own.

Brutish violence was such a crude form of conflict resolution.

Clad head-to-toe in airtight protective clothing, Zelannia hid in the underbrush not far from the mercenary; unlike most of his kind, he had a pleasantly quiet mind. A relief, that, as she had no desire to listen to his apish thoughts.

"Remember, I want the specimen as intact as possible."

 

[Hex]

​

Tag: Daiya Samuel Exel Zelannia Arcrin TWO OPEN SEATS IN ATV
Location: Bovo Yagen
Objective: Hunt dinosaurs

Spoiler: Equipment

• Neon Lady suit
• ap-25i SIMP pistol
• 'Candles' Heavy particle blaster
• 'confetti' Rocket launcher - in her ship
• Party Poppers (3 explosive, 3 gas)
• Firebee swarm - inferno pattern
• Chewing gum
• Dancer repulsor board
• Jade Void Amulet
• Dervish Knife

Spoiler: Hex dialogue colors

Poor Hex hears voices in her head

Hex speech to others
Hex speech to herself

Hexes inner voices
'...Neutral...'
'...Doubt...'
'...Anger...'
Coloured '.....' are also words that Hex can hear , but I decided not to write them to reduce clutter

Objective 1

The large all terrain vehicle careened over the ground, kicking up dust as it went and catching quite a lot of air as its gigantic reinforced tires hit the bumps. Behind the wheel was a blue haired storm that was Hex, wrestling with the steering wheel and gear changed to try and get as much as she could out of this powerful beast. She lived on Denon, you never get to do this there, repulsors are cool, but she was loving the feel of the heavy truck bouncing on the ground. Next to her was Daiya feeding her directions which rapidly as she followed the satellite navigation.

Daiya: "Turn right he..."

Hex slammed the vehicle right, crashing Daiya against the frame of the truck.

Daiya: "No, we have to turn around, we went the wrong way"

"You said turn right?" Hex replied confused.

Daiya: "You didnt let me finish, I was trying to tell you to turn left, i was going to say turn right here, left"

"Turn right here, left?"

Daiya: "Exactly!"

'...Its a good job she's hot!...'
"mhm..."

Hex gave Daiya a judgemental look out of the corner of her eyes and put the truck into a hard 180° handbreak turn. She had done this in video games and with speeders, but doing it like this was wild, she and the others were slammed into the sides of the truck again. As she straightened back up she floored it and with a cloud of dirt the truck picked up speed again.

Outside were a couple of large herbivores that had been spooked by the vehicle and now ran alongside them. Hex glanced at the speedometer of her truck and was impressed, those things were pretty fast. "Is there anyone else nearby? These things are so cool!" she asked Daiya during a moment of straight-line where her partner looked like she was checking herself for bruising. There should be others in the area, but the teens were currently tracking the GPS collar of a particularly interesting specimen.

'...Interesting? Its going to eat you...'
"Not now, yeah!"

She looked at Daiya with a wild grin again and adjusted her strap. She was wearing an unusual get-up, a khaki top and some hunters shorts, she thought the outfit was kinda cool, it made her look like an explorer, but she was glad that her tattoos and hair still added the much needed splash of colour to her outfit or she would go insane. The four seater ATV had her, Daiya and a couple of others in the back, it was a cool vehicle that she had acquired when they first landed, she was pleased that she had been the one who got to drive. She wasn't sure her passengers felt the same.

Daiyalogue added with permission

 

[Merlyn Ambrozius]

Towards Distress Signal - Jungle Region - Bovo Yagen
@Open | @Open

Pushing away different branches and shrubbery of the jungle with one arm, Merlyn squinted directly at the holographic display emanating a virtual map of his environment from a small circular device in his hand. Two dots displayed on the blue-shaded map. One green and one red, the former his location and the latter pinging the location of the distress call. There had been nowhere to land the Nimbus carefully without damage to the surrounding flora or the spaceship itself. Not to mention how it might attract certain wildlife as much as it might scare others.

So he simply trudged forward on foot after landing his spacecraft just outside the perimeter of the jungle. So far, everything had been quiet.

Perhaps too quiet for his liking, but he had been doing everything to mask himself to make it this far. A little bit of citrus, vinegar, and mint had been applied under his arms and back. Perhaps it would help keep certain beasts away or from sniffing him out. Control of his breathing would be essential too. Each breath careful and precise, maintained steadily and calm. Every footfall careful and avoiding any leaves or branches.

Letting mind and body slowly become one with the jungle, adapting to its flow within the Force. He was not a threat, just passing through. But that would not last long forever, not with reports of certain beasts on the prowl. Not if something or someone managed to spot him or decide to attack him for any reason, whether it be he was a threat or prey to any creature.

Any luck he had would not last forever. It would not surprise him if something was not playing the long game and tracking him now, waiting for him to rest or pause. Velociraptors had a nasty habit of that, they did indeed.

Most importantly, he needed to hurry. Anyone on the other end of that distress beacon could be terribly injured or have little time in their precarious state. A mixture of stealth and light-footed quickness would be needed here.

His pace picked up, foregoing the careful route for now in the interest of saving time. His feet leapt and carried him across a series of tree roots blocking his path before running across a moat of rocks jutting from the side of a large and steep hill. Slipping the device away intois hands and feet clambered and grasped the rough and coarse surfaces of these stone handholds before leaping from one to the next.

Muscles contracted and worked to launch him higher and higher. Before long his body launched itself into the air and his boots landed upon the grassy surface of the top. Just one of many obstacles, but nothing he was unprepared for. Merlyn took a moment to breath as he settled one hand upon his knee before wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and arm.

Hot and humid but it was not like he was not used to it. Just rusty. He had to leave behind his coat and scarf back at the Nimbus, but his books remained strapped to his person, same as ever. If anything, the weather may be his greatest enemy yet in these wild jungles. Pulling out the tracking device and, with his free hand, pulling the flask from his side before popping off its lid.

"Aahh," the only sound to escape his lips as he enjoyed ever sip he took.

Settling the flask away to the side of his belt once more, Merlyn marched forward, towards the distress signal.

I hope I'm not too late. Hang on.

 

[The Bounteous Hunt]

OBJ: SNIFF

THE SSI-REX RAISED ITS OLFACTO-MAGNETIC-SENSORS TO THE AIR AND BREATHED DEEPLY THE WAVES OF OXIDES AND INTERFERENCE PERMEATING THE AREA. IT REMEMBERED A TIME WHEN IT DUG FOR THE UNREFINED MATERIALS IN THE GROUND UNDER THE JUNGLE ROOTS, THE SMELL OF Maker Ishikkir MINGLING WITH THE REFINERY. SOON, THE SSI-REX APPROACHED THE PILE OF BODIES BUT SEEMED UNINTERESTED IN THE BLOODY CORPSES AS IT BEGAN TO DIG THROUGH THE PILE TO THE PRIZE THAT LAY UNDERNEATH IT ALL.

AT ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PERSONAL STARFIGHTER, THE SSI-REX WAS RIGHT IN THE RANGE OF WHERE CONCUSSION MINES WERE DESIGNED TO CRACK APART ON DETONATION. IT WILL COME AS NO SURPRISE IF THE VARIOUS ANTI-STARFIGHTER EXPLOSIVES RENT APART THE FLESH AND WIRES OF THE SSI-REX INTO SO MANY LITTLE BITS. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SPACE MINES BEING BURIED AND OTHERWISE OBSTRUCTED WITH BODIES, THE GROUND-SHAKING EXPLOSION, IMPRESSIVE THOUGH IT WAS, ONLY MANAGED TO MANGLE THE CYBERNETIC BEASTS UPPER TORSO COMPLETELY. DISPLEASED BY THIS TURNABOUT FROM WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MEAL AND COMPLETELY STUNNED IN THE PROCESS, THE NOW BLINDED, DEAFENED, AND CONFUSED SSI-REX TOOK A DEFENSIVE POSTURE.

THE SPIKES ON ITS BACK EXTENDED OUT OF THE BODY AND DIVIDED TO REVEAL INTERNAL BARRELS IN EACH ONE. MANIPULATED BY MECHANICAL TENTACLES, NEARLY TWO DOZEN OF THE SURVIVING SPIKES FIRED PENETRATING ION STUN BEAMS AT REGULAR DEGREE INTERVALS SURROUNDING THE BEAST, WHICH PERFORMED A SPIN AS IT TRIED TO LOCATE ITS HUNTERS. THE RANGE OF THE BEAMS WAS ONLY ABOUT TWELVE METERS, BUT THEY PASSED THROUGH THE TREES JUST AS WELL AS THEY DID ARMOR OR SHIELDS WITHOUT HARMING ANYTHING PERMANENTLY.

Samuel Exel Zelannia Arcrin Daiya Hex

 

[Gweneth Zarari]

Location: Bovo Yagen
Objective: Help and Study the creatures
Tag: Jorah zos Darnus

Objective 1​

Large herbivores? Perfect idea I thought Big, slow and generally docile, that was the assumption anyway. <<There is a female sauropod on her own over there, we should check her out.>> I communicated, banking again and flying over the main herd. There was a lot of them and they were close together. My fine avian eyesight allowed me to see the other specimens, they all had rows of metal bolts sticking out of their spines all along their neck, and metal segments bolted to their thick hides. Those poor creatures I thought to myself sympathetically as I circled the female we were interested in.

<<I'm going to land on her back and have a look at those bolts>>

I landed on the creature, shifting back into my humanoid form as I did. The bolts were large and metal, protruding about six inches from the flesh of the monster. It was very strange. I got a flash in the force and my eyes widened as there was a loud whine from somewhere and a crackling noise. I jumped as hard as my legs would go. It was about four or five metres to the floor so although my my body was durable and the force assisted my leap, it knocked the wind out of me and I turned just in time to see arcs of electricity coursing across the beast's back like some kind of defensive system. "Don't get too close!" I shouted to Jorah zos Darnus , having regained use of my own vocal cords.

The electricity didnt seem to damage hurt the saurapod, but it did alert it and I had to roll out of the way as it turned away from its lunch and nearly crushed me with its tree trunk like legs. Maybe the sauropod wasn't the easy study like I thought, it looked like it had been designed to ward off contact from other creatures. At least from this angle I could see the arc generator that fed the system, slung underneath its huge chest.

​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

[ talisman ] [ armor ] [ lightsaber ] [ energy bow ]

[ post theme ]​

The bat circled overhead.

The sparks jumping between the poles jutting from the beast's back made the boy wince. The poor creature. Even if she didn't seem fazed by the electrical pulse, the metal piercing the flesh had to be painful.

When it looked as though the dinosaur might step on Gweneth Zarari , the bat dove from out of the air, cutting a path close to the beast's face in an effort to help turn it a little more.

Why would someone do this? the boy thought, even as he fluttered closer to the ground as a swirl of greenish mist heralded the transformation back into his natural form.

"Let me try talking to her," Jorah uttered, standing several feet in front of the creature.

Of course, he'd never actually spoken to a dinosaur before. So even though the spell itself was simple enough to have been recorded in the Common Book of Spells, the actual nuance of communion was as complex as the creature before him.

Flashing the wildling a brief smile, the black-and-red skinned Dathomirian remarked, "Don't let me get stepped on," before he adopted the neutral pose, lowered his head, closed his eyes and prepared for casting the magic.

Breathe in.

Breath out.

Goddess in Her heaven. All will be well. "Ama het lora," the boy intoned, feeling himself slipping into the mystical trance as the Paecian slipped from his lips. It was not the Force. It was the same, yet somehow different.

God in His underworld. All would be as it should. "Ama het edalinare aek shuree," the horned youth continued, his head coming up even while his eyes remained closed, as the spirit ichor began to appear and swirl around the boy.

It wasn't a spell. That part had been more of a prayer.

Spellweaving demanded much of the witch. One had to prepare their mind, body, and spirit. A common prayer to the ancestral spirits of Dathomir was an accepted means by which one focused their mind on the task at hand.

Now, the real magic began.

"Yinara..." the boy intoned, the first word. His eyes open, shimmering with the same eldritch light as the will o' wisps that seemed to surround him.
"...selaseyak..." he uttered. As he gave the second word, one arm was outstretched toward the creature. "...likhits."

Three words.

To the Daughters of Allya, three was sacred.

What you do to one, comes back to you threefold. It was their most ancient law. A testament of magic's power. And a cautionary tale.

"Yinara selaseyak likhits," the boy repeated, as the spirit ichor extended from around him to tenuously caress the dinosaur's form, as he began the final recitation. "Yinara selaseyak likhits."

He felt the magic move as the spell was cast. It was Allyan magic -- what the Jedi call the Light Side -- so at least the lion's share of the burden put upon by the casting was born by the planet itself. Or, rather, the spirit's of the world who had lent the boy some measure of their power.

The rest..?

That was up to the dinosaur.

The greenish light faded from the boy's eyes, as the eldritch mist faded back into the world. There was a pause, then the dinosaur's head dipped low until it's nose rested against the boy's outstretched palm.

"I believe that I've conveyed that we're friends," Jorah offered, with a glance over to the wildling, as he swapped back to the Basic tongue.

 

[Daiya]

Objective 1​

Her body bumped and rattled in the seat as the vehicle sped over the ground, roughly scrambling the teen's brains. Fingers gripped the few handlebars in the ATV as she eyed the jungle rushing past the open sides. Daiya threw her gaze over to the older girl piloting the craft, driving it, really, wheels bouncing against the rough, untrodden ground of the jungle world. "I've been in janky speeder rides smoother than this, Hex.."

Daiya gasped and groaned as the ATV bucked beneath her, throwing off her concentration. She squinted at her datapad, which had mapped out a rough path through sparser areas of the underbrush that walled off the jungle from view. The screen came into focus just long enough for the teen to give Hex the next directions, or try to.

If the young shadowrunner had not already been holding on for dear life, she would have been unceremoniously ejected from the vehicle. Daiya had no intention of living out her life as a junglerunner, gritting her teeth against the rough shift in their direction. Her heart sank when she saw their position marker on her datapad moving farther and farther from the tracked route, deeper into the unexplored jungle instead of closer to finding the mysterious distress call. And the even-more-mysterious GPS signal that had appeared on the move recently.

To the extent that Hex argued, Daiya wondered if that was exactly what her friend wanted. That they'd get away from the life under the Corpos, throw away all the efforts they had made toward changing that on Denon, and just go native on Bovo Yagen. The teen had to admit it for a moment, the thought was tempting. Then she shook her head and made sure Hex knew what direction to really go, Daiya wasn't ready to trade one jungle for another just yet.

"It's just ahead," she offered after a moment of hesitation, caught off-guard by the giant creatures crashing through the trees alongside them. Their long lopes easily covered the speed of the vehicle, and the young shadowrunner wondered idly how easily they could crush the girls under one of their mighty legs. Daiya didn't have a free hand for her blaster, but for the moment the creatures seemed content to compete with them rather than eat them. "We'll have to go on foot from here."

She was only partly suggesting that to avoid abusing her sore bottom any longer.

Daiya scrambled out as quickly as she could once Hex parked the vehicle, pulling one blaster off her hip. The giant, long-necked creatures stared at her, or perhaps at the vehicle, for a few moments before turning away. "If you're not interested, I'm not interested..." the teen told them, but kept her blaster out. She hadn't mistaken the exposed wiring and cybernetic components embedded into the creatures, whose crashing footfalls made the ground shudder in retreat.

"Did you see that?!" Daiya looked over to Hex, then glanced back at her datapad. Their signal was close by, moving around in circles somewhere back in the brush. If she strained her ears, the quiet, chirping sound and a rustle of feathers was almost audible to her. The young shadowrunner beckoned with her blaster for Hex and the others to follow, pointing out in a low voice, "They're modded."

Daiya was surprised to find that not everything in an unexplored, empty sector of the jungle world was Factory Default.

Hex​

 

[Hex]

​

Tag: Daiya Samuel Exel Zelannia Arcrin TWO OPEN SEATS IN ATV
Location: Bovo Yagen
Objective: Hunt dinosaurs

Spoiler: Equipment

• Neon Lady suit
• ap-25i SIMP pistol
• 'Candles' Heavy particle blaster
• 'confetti' Rocket launcher - in her ship
• Party Poppers (3 explosive, 3 gas)
• Firebee swarm - inferno pattern
• Chewing gum
• Dancer repulsor board
• Jade Void Amulet
• Dervish Knife

Spoiler: Hex dialogue colors

Poor Hex hears voices in her head

Hex speech to others
Hex speech to herself

Hexes inner voices
'...Neutral...'
'...Doubt...'
'...Anger...'
Coloured '.....' are also words that Hex can hear , but I decided not to write them to reduce clutter

Objective 1

"I've been in janky speeder rides smoother than this, Hex.."

"Please, between Knuckles and me, have you ever liked it smooth!?" Hex cackled as they continued before bringing the vehicle to a stop and hopping out with Daiya . The two girls went on foot, Daiya looked kind of cute in her explorers gear and she was partly distracted, not hearing exactly what Daiya said to the gigantic creature.

"They're modded."

"Modded... like modded modded?" she asked, looking for herself and seeing some serious hardware. "Can you imagine? Shadowrunner dinosaurs, that would be so cool." she continued to examine it from afar really puzzled what they might do, they had no way of reversing this as far as she could tell. But maybe the hardware could lead them back to who had controlled them. She pondered and then went closer, the monster barely even reacted to her, it was a thousand times her mass and could crush her like a bug, why would it bother with her. "This thing had got to have some kind of makers mark on it right? A big fat globex stamp somewhere."

'...left...'

Hex tuened and saw something flashing through the bushes nearby, and a strange noise that sounded like coughing and whistling noise.

"Left? any more information?"

She grinned and peered into the trees, desperately trying to see what her friends might have spotted. There was a loud screech as something ran towards her, it was a couple of metres tall and ran rapidly on two legs. The larger created began to turn to present its tail. There was no doubt in Hex's mind that these things were aggressive. She opened fire with candles blasting a hole in the lead dinosaur that had no been joined by another pair of monsters. They were fast, the girls had moments to react.

 

[Samuel Exel]

Bovo Yagen
Objective 1: Hunt the Creatures.
Tags: The Bounteous Hunt , Zelannia Arcrin , OPEN

“I am aware.” Came a monotone reply, as the weapon in his arms was brought to bear. “Do not count on it being perfectly intact unless you wish to increase your chances of being its next meal. I will try to keep the head intact.” The helmeted individual held no mind to nitpick with the woman who had been assigned to accompany him on the contract. There was naught he could do about it, except get this done quickly and efficiently; he figured the head would be the most valuable to her figuring things out here. Thankfully, his job as a Bartender made him well-acquainted with the blithering of others.

A good Bounty Hunter was nothing if not prepared. Exel was hard-pressed to ensure he was a cut above most brutes, and prided himself on his technical know-how. Cybernetics, though, was an area rarely dabbled in. Preferred tech that was of equipment, of arms and armor. But in this situation, the potential of tracing the tech back to its source - or more importantly, the possibility of reproducing it - was not lost to him. Surely, he would receive an even higher pay should such a thing be achieved. Alas, he would need the help of the other contractor to look into this.

He heard the footsteps coming a mile away, and the sensors in his helm started to ping. He turned them off not long thereafter; didn’t want to give away his element of surprise should the beast somehow be able to detect such signals. Then, Exel was witness to it: a gigantic reptilian creature, glistening with cybernetics all across its body. He would call it a technical marvel, if he didn’t consider it an abomination foremost. And to say the least, it was big - which made him all the more sure he made the right choice in using more substantial armament to contend. The only way they were going to salvage any of that was through a nasty fight, much to the woman’s likely chagrin.

As it made its way through, it seemed like it ignored the bodies completely. Rather, it started to dig - was it looking for the mines? Regardless of the reason, they blew in its face and chest, mangling its torso. If he was lucky, it would’ve taken it out on the spot, but it was never a smart plan to base it all around luck. The Bounty Hunter had it right where he wanted as he took aim, until he heard the hum of energy come from its back as spikes extended. And on a double take, they looked less spikes as time went and more like blaster cannons.

“Down!” He urgently whispered through the commlink, and as the lasers shot out, he dropped himself on instinct as it would move over the thick brush above him. It was a damn good thing he was blind and he hadn’t taken flight; he could’ve been swatted out of the sky by those. He expected the sound of trees falling, but from what he could see, such was not the case - it passed through the environment harmlessly. Nonetheless he had no time to lose; if he gave it time to recover, the ambush would be for naught. Best to strike while it was blinded and confused. “Best to press the advantage, either keep down or help.” Murmured through the commlink once more to the other contractor. Prone on the ground, the grenade-laden Scattergun was hefted and brought to bear against the beast as he took aim from the brush. His breath held for a moment as he waited for it to pause in its thrashing, before he squeezed the sizable trigger. With a soft ‘thunk’ an EMP Grenade was sent straight towards its neck-and-head area in an attempt to further disorient and disable it. Immediately thereafter, he got ready to take some extreme evasive action, for it would no doubt not take kindly to being shot at with a grenade.

 

[Zelannia Arcrin]

Objective 1: Specimen Acquisition
Tags: Samuel Exel | The Bounteous Hunt

This one was coherent enough to form complete sentences; a step up from some mercenaries.

That said, the only response his reply warranted was a condescending "Hmm."

The arrival of a worthy specimen soon drew the bulk of her attention - it was beautiful, if a bit inelegant. Potent, but with room for improvement. She could do better. Would do better, if the merc did his job and secured the specimen.

The mines certainly did a number on the creature, but they did not incapacitate it.

As a result, she huddled to the ground - pre-empting the merc's warning.

The size and firepower of the specimen made it clear that a live capture was infeasible, at least with her current manpower. For once, she and the merc were in accordance. He opted for a grenade of some sort and she did something similar - unholstering a canister from her hip, she flipped a switch then threw it in the general direction of the beast.

Her aim was good enough to not bounce off the flora, but it still landed half a dozen metres away from the target. Immediately upon striking the ground, the canister released a cloud of sickly yellow gas. Nerve gas.

Specifically, a variety absorbed through the skin - one illegal in most jurisdictions.

<Don't break your environmental seal,> Was the only warning she deigned to comm-in.

 

[Gweneth Zarari]

Location: Bovo Yagen
Objective: Help and Study the creatures
Tag: Jorah zos Darnus

Objective 1​

"Don't let you get stepped on? Sure... just let me hold the fifty ton lizard back." I replied sarcastically to Jorah zos Darnus as he started to perform some kind of dathomiri spell. I don't speak dathomiri but my interest in their culture had taught me a few basic words so I could sort of grasp a very simple understanding of the spell's intention.

He continued for a few moments and I took the time to properly reasses the creature in front of us. It really was huge, it looked friendly, like an oversized cow, I had little doubt that we were dealing with something peaceful that had been corrupted to so...something. But what?

"I believe that I've conveyed that we're friends,"

"Yeah, I get that impression." I gestured with my eyes, up and behind Jorah at the creature that had folded its neck in half and was now sniffing at the boy in the same way a dog my sniff a trusted owner. "So what now? Do we just ask it who did this to it?" I asked, unsure at the next step. I reached my own hand up and started stroking the muzzle of the gentle beast, whispering something to myself in druidic. I couldn't feel much intelligence in the creature, it really was close to a cattle creature in its mentality. "I don't think it would be able to understand the question if I'm honest, or at least wouldn't understand the concept of what I want to ask. We need to find something smarter?". The monster's only impulse seemed to involve obtaining food, and not getting eaten. As I tried to connect more deeply I could feel that someone or something had tried imprinting more advanced behaviours on it, perhaps training it for something.

"What do you think? See if it wants to come along and look for something else to examine? It seems to like you." I laughed as the dumb looking creature nuzzled Jorah gently, but probably with enough force to knock the small zabrak boy down.

Something did however catch my eyes, there was a device that looked like a small uncovered computer terminal on the creature's stomach. I couldn't reach it from here... maybe.

In front of Jorah my body distended and darkened as deep red fur began to cover me. I skin shifted into a large simian creature that would extend my reach, then lept up and with my strong left arm, I held the thick cabling that ran out of the top of the device. <<Let me know of that stock thing starts again>> I sent telepathically.

In this form my arms and my hands were many times stronger than my near-devaronian form, and I was able to extend my fingers almost the whole way around the machine, pulling on it to test the response of the dinosaur. It didn't respond yet, so I pulled a little harder. It appeared to be attached to a plate screwed into the thick outer skin of the creature, and with some manipulation I was able to get it loose. Enough to turn to face me. It was not powered at all, that was very curious. I was able to unscrew the power cable and then drop myself back down to the floor without any adverse effects to anyone. I shifted back to my devaronian form as I walked toward Jorah and showed him the device.

​