Private Law of Nature

[Colette]

The prairie buzzed with life this morning. Yesterday’s thunderstorm had come and gone and left plenty of pools in its wake. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but the worst of it had already passed along with the rain. There was a fresh crispness to the air and Colette took a deep breath to revel in all the smells and sounds she experienced. Worms seeking air and birds seeking to feed; preferably on the worms.

The morning sun peeked through the scattering clouds to offer its colors to the world and for a moment all was right again. She’d have enough of life’s smaller things that she could forego one or two of the truly horrific ones. Today there would be no injustices, only the open terrain and a good hunt.

And a good hunt wouldn’t be such a thing without good company. She’d signed up with a smaller crew on this one but a crew that she knew to be a good bunch. Perhaps not as rigorous in their field dressing as she was, but that could be excused.

Four people in total, two groups of two. The two beer-knocking elders in one and the juniors in the other. Which was to say, a recreational team and an actual hunting party with Colette’s being the latter.

“Sleep okay last night?” Colette asked and rolled her shoulder where she’d slung her rifle. “Storm got pretty loud when it rolled over.”

Drifter

 

[Drifter]

Colette
​

Drifter stood with his hands on his hips, surveying the wide stretch of prairie that glimmered under the fresh light of dawn. The air still smelled of wet earth, puddles catching flashes of color as the clouds drifted past.

[ Welp, here we are, ] he muttered to himself, visor angling down toward his datapad. The bounty list flickered across the screen. He was here to try and bag a critter or two, with some of those required by Black Sun.

With a lazy swipe of his gloved finger, Drifter scrolled down to the name Oggdo and gave a low whistle. [ ...Well, feth, that's a doozy. ]

But a voice nearby drew his attention, his polarized helmet swivelling over toward Colette, where her reflection shimmered faintly across his dusty visor as he gave a loud snorting laugh.

[ That wasn't the only thing that was loud, ] he replied with a wry grin in his tone.

Everyone knew what he meant. The Devaronian's snoring had nearly blown the tent stakes out of the ground last night. But hey, a good joke never hurt before a hunt.

[ Alright, looks like we are dealing with a heck of a critter. Full of teeth, lightsaber resistant hide, spikes, and a sticky eight foot tongue that will nab you right into its mouth. Not too shabby right? ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

There was no outright laughter, but it could still be seen in the gentle squint of Colette’s eyes and the lopsided smile. Once you learned how to fall asleep hidden in caves during a sandstorm there were very few places you wouldn’t be able to fall asleep in.

“Right. Bogano native, likes to bite.” Colette said and gave their surroundings another scan. “More than just a pest.” she said and frowned. “Someone must have put it here on purpose.”

Which wouldn’t make a lot of sense unless it was some sort of targeted attack. A prairie was a poor location for a creature that’d otherwise thrive in the crampedness of a swamp. Extend the tongue and the target would have plenty of time to dodge, at least if they were capable of using the force.

“Haven’t been able to hunt one until now,” she added. Her eyes flicked to the scratches on Drifter’s armor with a curious glance. “Take it you have and that’s why you’re so kitted out?”

 

[Drifter]

​

Colette

Drifter gave a scoundrel's shrug, the black leather of his songsteel-plated armor flexing as that polarized helm turned toward Colette. Amusement edged his voice when he drawled, [ Well, a little bit of column A… a little bit of column B… ]

The easy confidence in his tone said plenty. He'd done this sort of hunt before and didn't doubt his skill when it came to tracking down beasts, big or small.

[ What about you, kid? How good are you at tracking these things? ] he asked, curiosity slipping through the usual sarcasm.

The last thing he needed was a squealer. A runner, though, that wasn't so bad. Runners made for good moving bait.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

It had been a while since someone last called her kid. Colette threw another curious glance in 'Drifter's direction and shook her head.

"Never tracked this type of creature before." She admitted and shrugged. "But I've taken down a voxyn, so I imagine this is about the same thing if things go south."

The mention of the beast made her otherwise happy smile fade for a moment. Her attention set on the ground beneath her boots. How long had it been since then? Seemed like the other week, yet so much further away. Reina had been there, and now…

… Now she was not.

"It was an experience," she said and swallowed the maudlin feeling at the back of her throat. "In that… Morbid kind of way."

"That whole beauty in its horror kind of way."

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter gave a low whistle, that polarized visor tilting toward her in what could only be described as impressed disbelief.

[ A voxyn, huh? Didn't take you for the type to wrestle death itself for fun. ] He gave a short laugh, shaking his head. [ Gotta admit, kid, that's pretty damn impressive. ]

The Hunter shifted his weight from one foot to the next, his gloved hands settling at his belt as he glanced over the prairie ahead.

[ You're right, though. Nature's got that kind of irony, so damn pretty you forget it's trying to kill you. ] A pause, then a smirk behind the visor.

[ Guess that's why the galaxy came up with the crazy hot scale, huh? Applies to people and wildlife. ] He joked, giving a short mischevious laugh that was the kind that carried just enough self-awareness to soften the tease. He turned back toward the others, jerking his chin toward the horizon.

[ Alright, enough standin' around. Let's get to it before the suns bake us where we stand. ]

A gloved hand gestured for her to follow, the crunch of dirt under his boots sounding with every step.

[ So, tell me, how would you start trackin' this critter out? ] Drifter asked, curious. He wanted to see just how sharp the girl's instincts really were.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

For fun was certainly one way to look at it. Colette's head was shaking back and forth and she hadn't even noticed it. The headshake would switch to a nod real fast once the man started talking about the beauty of nature for a moment, but then stopped when he mentioned the 'crazy hot scale' which was a concept Colette was not at all familiar with.

Her brow rose but quickly sunk for a moment when she was asked how she would track the beast.

"Eyes and ears." She said and began to scan the horizon. "Creature like that will have a difficult time staying quiet. Heavy footfalls, tiny growls, that kind of thing. Given the open terrain, I'd say we're more likely to hear it before it even gets close to us."

"Overconfidence will get you killed. Eyes on a swivel, try to stay quiet."

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter gave a low chuckle, his lips twisting in mirth under his helm. The sun caught the edge of his visor, throwing a gleam across his faceplate as he watched Colette with an amused tilt of his head.

[ Eyes and ears, huh? ] he murmured with a chuckle, hands finding their usual place on his belt. [ Smart. Practical. You might just make it out here longer than I thought. ]

He moved forward with an easy going gait, but also the kind born from someone who'd been in too many bad situations to ever truly let his guard down.

[ Don't worry, ] he added, a smirk clear in his tone. [ Overconfidence isn't my problem. My problem's usually the part after I get confident. ]

The wind carried across the prairie, brushing against their clothes and the hum of the distant thunder. He tilted his head, scanning the horizon. [ Alright then, kid. Let's see whose eyes and ears pick it up first. ]

And with that, the scoundrel set off into the open wild, the gleam of challenge in his stride.

The land stretched endlessly ahead of them, sun-warmed and shimmering. Every sound stood out, from the chirp of insects, the soft creak of shifting grass, and somewhere distant, the low rumble of something heavier. Drifter's helm tilted slightly.

[ Hear that? ] he said quietly, brows drawing close, his gruff voice adding as he mused what he was able to sense. [ Off to the east, past those rocks. Something big. ]

Quietly, he moved and crouched low, pressing a gloved hand to the ground. The vibrations thrummed faintly against his palm, and he gave a small, crooked grin.

[ Hmm... looks like you were right. Our dance partner's already warming up. ]

That polarized helm popped up, scanning the area, his senses reaching out into the Force for what was there beyond the life that fluttered around them.

[ Question is, do we sneak up on it... or let it come to us? ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

A shot of indignation pierced through Colette's pride at the remark that she 'might just make it out here.' She gave the man another once over and tried to figure out who he was and what he looked like beneath the helmet. From the looks of it he was just some guy. The way he spoke and how he walked put his age range somewhere a bit higher than she might have expected at first.

That meant that he was for all intents and purposes talking mad chit. She had been shooting vermin since he was about yay high, or at an age far earlier than he could have dreamed off. She kept her expression still. A slight raise of her brow gave her feelings away, but that was it.

She continued walking towards their target's last known location. Her ears and eyes attuned to her surroundings as they crept closer to their destination. Something felt off about it and she slowly reached for her rifle to hold it at the ready. A simple slugthrower made from worn ash and steel, but no less deadly than any other weapon. Clearly old and well-maintained from an uncountable number of hunts before it.

"Both." Colette whispered and got low, placing her knee to the ground. "We take a shot at it to get its attention. If I can get it's attention, you might be able to ambush it from the tall grass. Would need something sharp to get it through all that skin and sinew though…"

"Got any knives on you?"

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter let out a knowing chuckle that rumbled through his chest more than his lips. He tipped his head toward Colette, visor catching the sun.

[ Do I have a knife? ] he asked, the grin evident even through the polarized helm.

[ Oh yeah. I got a knife. Don't you worry, kid. You grab its attention and I'll come up behind and saddle it. ]

The Hunter straightened with the swagger and confidence of someone who'd been skinning beasts since he was small. He reached for an alchemized slim blade at his hip and flicked it free, tossing it in a lazy arc. The knife spun once, then hovered in midair above his gloved palm, courtesy of a little telekinetic help for the theatrics.

[ Sharp enough to punch through hide, light enough to work with. ]

A small jut with his chin pointed toward the east, where a scatter of jagged rocks rose out of the prairie like broken teeth and a shallow watering hollow glinted in the heat. That was the kind of place an Oggdo liked, cover to crouch and the water to hide by. Tall grass ribboned the approach, perfect for an ambush and perfect for the kind of trap Colette described.

[ We push it toward the grass by those rocks, ] he instructed. [ You draw it with a shot, I come out of the grass and make it regret everything. ]

The world narrowed to the sound of distant insects for what was to come up next.

[ Ready? ] he asked, the grin back in his tone.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

There was a saying. Better to be quiet and be taken for a fool than speak up and remove all doubts. It was a saying that Colette held particularly dear that Drifter very clearly did not. He wanted a reaction and he got none. No ogling the blade, no hint to feed his ego. Not even a recognition that it was really there.

Hunting was important to her. It was something that she felt extremely passionate about, and it reminded her of what mattered. Hunting was a combination of nature and survival, the two pillars of her existence.

Drifter crawled through the grass and so did she. Where he was armored, she was not. Dirt and mud smeared across her entire body to help mask her presence in the wind. She caught sight of Drifter's go ahead signal and gave him a quiet thumbs up.

She brought her rifle to her shoulder and looked down the scope. The oggdo rested in a nearby pond. Alert, but not aware of the predators encircling it. Colette let in a deep breath, and then let it out. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip, nostrils flaring with one more breath.

The beginning of the end for this creature started in 3…

2…

1…

Bang.

Colette eased her finger off the trigger to chamber a new round. In the distance, the oggdo had recoiled in pain and confusion as its leftmost eye blew out. A frustrated groan blew through Colette's gritted teeth. She had aimed for the mouth.

She took one more shot, this time on target. She threw her rifle to the side and got up on her feet again to fully draw the attention of the now charging beast. Colette spread her arms wide and shouted at it. With luck, Drifter would be able to get it down fast.

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter felt the vibration of the first shot roll through the ground before he heard it. The crack of the slug echoed across the prairie, followed by the guttural roar of the wounded Oggdo. His grin spread wide under the helmet.

[ There we go, kid. Nice and angry. ]

He moved fast, low to the ground, muscles coiled as the creature thrashed in the water. Mud splattered up his armor, and he could smell the metallic tang of the beast's blood even through the filters. The thing was huge, skin like wet leather, jaws snapping wide enough to take a man in two bites.

Drifter didn't flinch. Nah, he liked these odds.

The Oggdo turned toward Colette, its bulk surging forward in a spray of muck and water. Perfect, exactly where he wanted it.

[ Keep its attention! ] he called, the words rough and urgent through the voice modulator of his helm.

The hunter broke from the tall grass, sprinting hard. The knife in his hand caught the sun as he ran up, trying to wrangle it by jumping on its back. The Oggdo staggered with a bellow, thick limbs thrashing. Drifter didn't stop; he grabbed the hilt and then jabbed down hard. While its skin was lightsaber resistant, stabbing it worked just fine as it gave a huge bellow.

[ Told you I had a knife, ] he sang out, all smug...until everything went wrong.

The Oggdo let out a sound that was less a roar and more a guttural crack of fury. Its body convulsed, eyes rolling white, and in one violent motion, its massive tongue lashed out. The sticky, muscular appendage slammed into Drifter's chestplate, wrapping tight before he could move.

[ Aww, come on -- ! ]

The rest of the curse was lost as he was yanked off his feet. The world spun in a blur of mud, teeth, and sky before he crashed hard into the ground, the breath knocked clean from his lungs. His knife slipped free, skidding across the muck.

[ Yeah, okay, that's new, ] he wheezed, scrambling to his knees as the beast turned its fury on him. Its tongue reared back again as it tried to attack again.

The Hunter reached for his knife, summoning the Force to draw it back into his hand, mud dripping off the grip.

[ Yo kid! Any time now would be really awesome! ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

He just never shut up, did he? The oggdo found Drifter, and Drifter found the mud. All because he tried to be smug about how he 'had a knife.' The sheer lack of respect for their prey tangled Colette's nerves something fierce. This wasn't a toy, they were taking a life. That demanded their respect and understanding.

Colette groaned and reached for her saber to ignite it. The damage was done, an opening had been made on the back. An oggdo might have had lightsaber resistant skin, but their insides sure as hell wasn't. Drifter could hold down the front, Colette went for the back - her boots skidding off the mucus-like secretions and blood that oozed from the wound.

She swept the blade down into the wound and gave it a violent jerk front, back, and center until the oggdo collapsed. Not dead, but unmoving.

"Motor nerve's severed!" Colette exclaimed and jumped down in front of the wounded beast. "He's fading fast."

The blade of her lightsaber extinguished. The hunt was practically over by now. She placed herself by the dying creature, its hissing whimpers providing the last few moments of movement before the great silence took him.

"Shhh…" Colette tried to calm it. She put her hand to the giant frog's side and let the force ease its suffering. "You deserved better, your highness."

The oggdo's thrashes grew slower and slower. Weakness gave place for fear which in turn finalized in death. Colette let out a mournful sigh.

"No creature deserves this." She said and shook her head. "Uncountable miles from home, stranded in a place that they weren't built for. He was someone special at home, but here he was just…"

"… In the way."

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter pushed himself up from the mud, armor slick with muck and oggdo slime, the wind knocked right out of him. For a second, all he could do was wheeze through the filters of his helm and curse every Moross god that had ever decided to make amphibians this angry.

[ Remind me, next time I say 'I got this,' just stun me where I stand, yeah? ]

The words came out strained but laced with his usual humor. He watched as Colette moved with deadly precision, her saber flashing through the wound he'd carved. The smell of burnt flesh and ozone hit him at once. The Oggdo gave one final convulsion before slumping into stillness, the air thick with the fading hum of her weapon.

For a long beat, the only sound was the slow rasp of Drifter's breathing and the distant rumble of thunder rolling over the plains. Colette knelt beside the creature, whispering something soft, her hand pressed against its side. The Force shimmered faintly between them, a quiet thing, like a prayer.

Drifter watched her in silence. Maybe it was respect. Maybe it was guilt. Hard to tell the difference sometimes.

When he finally stepped closer, boots squelching through the mud, visor lowering toward the now lifeless Oggdo, his voice lacked the sass and arrogance from earlier.

Even he couldn't help the tang of guilt seeing how Colette took it harder.

[ You got heart, Colette. More than most hunters I've met. ] His voice was quieter this timewith no grin behind it. [ Galaxy'd be better off if more folks remembered what they were takin' before they took it. ]

Drifter crouched down then, retrieving his knife from the mud and giving it a quick flick to clear the grime. Then the grin returned in this voice, a crooked and tired one but none the less but genuine.

[ Still, nice work. Remind me not to get on your bad side. ]

Straightening, he glanced out over the field, the suns breaking through the clouds again.

[ Come on. Let's get what we came for and burn sky before more of his cousins show up. You interested in any of the materials? Can tan it up for you if you wanted to make anything for it. COuld make some good bracers.]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

She had more heart than most, and she knew that. Drifter's moment of honesty surprised her for a moment. Then he went right back to his nauseatingly jovial ways. Colette's gaze set on him with just the one question on her mind: "Why is he so afraid of the silence?"

Colette gently nudged the beast as best as she could to tip it over until the blood continued to spill onto the ground.

"He has no cousins here." She grunted under the beast's weight and gently kept her shoulder to keep the blood pouring. "Reports seemed to say it was just this one. Prairie is a poor place to be for something that thrives in cramped, wet spaces."

The stench from the body was horrid, but she wasn't one to care much. After enough time passed she eased up and gently let it fall back on its stomach again. She let out a disgusted cough for a moment before she looked back at Drifter.

"Tongue could be useful." She said and withdrew her own knife. "Tourists go crazy for eyes, for some reason." She smiled and shook her head. Memories of home. "Tan the hide and you have solid protection, but the meat is, uh- you might wanna smoke that."

"The rest we leave for scavengers. Let them have a feast."

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter stood there for a moment, visor catching the glare of the sun as he watched her work. She wasn't just cutting up a kill; she was honoring it, making him think back to those days when he went out hunting with his own father. That made him pause.

The Hunter let out a small huff through the modulater that sounded halway between a laugh and something that might've been respect.

[ Guess that's one way to make use of the galaxy's ugliest dinner guest, ] he commented as he crowed down low beside her. His gloved hand brushed over the rough hide.

[ It'll do well for all sorts of things and the tongue'll sell just fine. ]

A grin crept into his tone.

[ Eyes too, huh? Good to know someone else likes those. Makes great taco meat. ]

The humor faded as his gaze lingered on the lifeless creature and for a moment, he was quiet.

[ Poor bastard, ] he murmured. [ Wrong place, wrong world. Know how that feels. ]

Then he pushed himself up, wiping the mud off his armor. This time, it was him who put away the knife and then bent down to grab the creature after Colette bled it. He looked around for a good spot to start dressing it.

[ Alright, let's take him what we can before the scavvers come sniffin'. I'm not fightin' birds over a frog's tongue. ]

He started towards a dry area where a prarire tree gave offs some shade. That looked promising.

[ And if you start smellin' like him, you're ridin' in the cargo hold. No exceptions. ]

Soon as he got there, he set the Ooglo down and got himself situated. Withotu furter ado, he withdrew a different knife, one that had a far more slender and slightly curved blade to get to work in slicing into the frog. Despite his laughable ridiculous demenor, it was evident that he had plenty of skill with the quick motions and work he made to start gutting.

[ So where you looking to go next, kid? ] he asked, curious what was next for her.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

There was a short moment where Colette could feel the tingle of a connection once Drifter let his true self shine through the cracks in his armor. It was a moment of honesty and it put a warm smile on Colette's lips. Her cheek twitched for a moment in mirth as she slowly but methodically began to put incisions into the amphibian's carcass.

"Too heavy," she said and continued around the neck. "He's mostly cartilage and muscle. It'd be like carrying a pouch of meat and fat. And we only really want the skin for now."

Colette eased out of her spot on the creature and gently stepped over to the other side so she could continue.

"You do the legs," she ordered Drifter with an unthinking point of her knife towards him and the legs. "Saves us time."

The oggdo's mouth remained open. Part of her swore that she could still hear it breathing, but its absence in the force told her otherwise. A deep sigh swept through her nose and she found a moment's pause.

"I don't know where I'll go next. Coruscant was never my home, and we lost Tython, so…" Colette shrugged and went back to work. "I just sort of go where I feel like I might be needed."

"... Like you, I suppose. A drifter."

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter blinked at the knife pointing his way, the faintest laugh slipping through his voice modulator.

[ Well, aren't you bossy when you're in your element, ] he said, but he crouched down anyway, hands already moving to start on the Oggdo's thick legs. The hide was tough, slick with mud and blood, but he'd done worse jobs for less payoff. He worked in silence for a while, the only sounds the soft scrape of metal and the low hum of insects in the air.

When she spoke again, her tone was quieter, more honest. Something about it pulled him from his rhythm. He glanced up, watching her from behind the dark visor.

[ A drifter, huh? ] he echoed, voice low. [ Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it. ]

Although he was drifting, his was more due to a single minded objective. Finding his sister. The drifting part of it. The random jobs. The bounties. They were all the fuel to push him forward to find his sister. To pay the bills. To bribe and pay infochants and grab information. It wasn't so cut and dry with him. VBut that wasn't something the kid needed to know right now. Either way, Drifter sliced through a stubborn tendon, the motion sharp, deliberate.

[ Thing about driftin', though, is you never really stop. You just... pick up new directions when the wind changes....or something quirks your interest. ]

He paused, then added with a half shrug, [ Maybe that's not so bad. Means you're still movin'. Still alive. ]

The Oggdo's massive foot came free with a wet sound, and Drifter leaned back on his heels, wiping the blade on his thigh plate.

[ So, kid, if you're gonna keep wanderin', might as well do it with good company and bad ideas. Lucky for you, I'm full of both. ]

Even without seeing his face, the grin in his voice was unmistakable.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

Drifter had no idea how appealing that sounded. To roam and learn new things every day until you either got too old to walk or died for a good cause. Wandering was etched into Colette’s soul, but even so she had moments when she needed to rest.

“I appreciate the offer,” Colette trailed off with a small frown. “But I don’t know what that’d mean. How you think, and what you feel.”

She gave one last surgical cut to the beast’s skin and began to unfold it in its entirety.

“I’ve seen you hide behind jokes, but I’ve also seen that you have a good heart.” Colette continued to roll the creature over. “Would you be able to open up to a stranger like that? Could you risk having them tear you down where it hurts the most?”

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter paused mid-motion, the knife still in his hand, mud clinging to his gloves. His polarized helm rose to shine and reflect her face as she worked, her words hanging in the air longer than he'd expected. He wasn't used to that, someone seeing through the swagger and the smirks.

So he let out a low exhale that slowly turned into a wry chuckle.

[ You don't miss much, do you, kid? ]

Drifter leaned back on the heels of his boots, pausing his dressing to stare at the open plains stretching past them. The wind had gone quiet, leaving only the soft flap of the Oggdo's loose hide and the hum of faraway insects buzzing around.

[ Truth is, jokes are easy. They don't bleed. People do. ] he admitted, his tonr losing that easy edge for something real. [ I've opened up before. Trusted the wrong kind of folks. Turns out, not everyone plays fair once they see what's underneath. ]

For a long moment, the only sound was the wet scrape of his knife as he resumed cutting through sinew. Then almost reluctantlyhe added, [ But maybe… yeah. Maybe I could. With the right person. Someone who doesn't look away when things get ugly. ]

The scoundrel grin came back quickly even as his head gave her a faint nod as the last of the hide came free.

[ 'Til then, I'll keep hidin' behind jokes. They're a hell of a lot easier to patch up. ]

He admitted with a faint shrug. Besides, he had his sister to look into.

[ Got a goal in mind so it does tend to move my posts a bit more randomly, but that's fine. Gets me to meet more folk. Got a few more beasts I need to capture for Black Sun, then after that, depending on what info and credits they'll trade for them, head off to the next bounty. ] or clue.