Not The Best of Trips

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This little adventure had been voluntary. Normally, Graxin was called out into the far reaches of the galaxy on his father's orders. Today, however, he had set out on his own free will. Recent events had made it quite apparent that he needed to attain mastery of the force. His siblings were relying on him, and Krag was slowly degrading. When the Emperor died....well, he would need to be ready to defend himself.

Over the past few weeks, he had traveled from one mystical location to the next in search of knowledge in the force. From Naboo to Dantooine, he had traveled. He had left his Miraluka companion back at the fleet for the moment. He still did not know what to do with her, and frankly, he would rather train alone. His shuttle settled down quietly on the surface of Dathomir. He had heard stories of the Nightsisters and the Witches that ruled this world. He knew they were dangerous folk who traded men like cattle. He would not let his guard down.

The realist in him would never have come here, but there was something eerie about the world that demanded investigation. Graxin stepped down the steps of the shuttle clad in full body armor minus his helmet. His hood bounced behind him, and his cloak hung over the reinforced infiltration suit as his boots sank into the damp soil. He took in a deep breath, and did his best to expand his force awareness.

There was something very eerie indeed, and he would find the source.

[member="Desideria Dagan"]

 

[Desideria Dagan]

The breeze is so wonderful from the top of a rancor. That was the same thought Desideria managed to think every time she journeyed out into the forests of the valley. The shimmering air whispering around her smelled of... Honestly, it smelled of rancor, all 26 feet of her. Desi wrinkled her nose at the massive beast under her. Kama seemed indifferent to her own smell to the tiny girl riding on her back. Grey eyes blinked rapidly, as if that would help her think of something to say to the semi-sentient beast who lumbered through the towering trees reaching so far to the heavens that they seemed to touch the sky.

"Kama..." Desideria started, patting the broad, bony plate of skull under her thighs. "Do you thi-" Desi's light, girlish voice was suddenly drowned out by a whirring noise. Scrunching up her tiny face, Desi's eyes careened skywards. "By the Maker..." She breathed, shielding her good eye from the blinding sun. Some flying, metal... Thing was making its way down ward just outside the tree line, a good hundred yards away. Intrigued by the object and almost 92.5% sure the thing was dangerous, Desi made a light clicking noise. In a fashion that could only come from a rancor twenty-six feet tall, Kama darted off, lumbering at incredible speeds towards the object that had disappeared from sight.

As they neared, Desideria produced a bone staff from the strap across her back, absent-mindedly pulling at the collar of her long, stiff robe made of lizard-hide. She was suddenly glad this uncomfortable get up had been her choice this morning as she clicked Kama to a halt. She signaled for the beast to stay put, near enough for her to hear Desideria's cries for help, but deep enough in the shadow to be hidden. Creeping along the forest floor, Desi surveyed, sniffing at the air that nearly shimmered with the magic her people used. It seemed thicker here, as if something was causing it to stir up in anticipation. There. A spark of blinding light just beyond the trees. That was the thing she'd spied. Moving along with the shadows that seemed to make her vanish thanks to the coloring of her oil-spill lizard hide, Desi moved closer.

With a soft grunt, Desi began to scale a nearby tree, one that would have the best overlook of the space craft below. That's the only possible name for this... Thing. She'd heard of space crafts, but had never laid eyes on it. About twenty feet in the air, Desi peered down. She blinked, surprised. There was a man down there. He looked so... Odd, compared to the men of her clan. He radiated with powers Desideria couldn't comprehend. Since when did men have any sort of command to them? Her eyes narrowed, watching him closely from her branch.

 

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Graxin chewed down on his lower lip as he stared out into the wilds of Dathomir. The Witches had supposedly joined the Mandalorians, and those brutes were no friends of the New Order. Then again, Graxin had no sign of allegiance to the Sith on his person anyway. If anything, it was the wildlife and those clans of Witches and Nightsisters unaffiliated with the Mandalorians. They were wild, savage even. He reached into the side of his chestpiece and smiled as he felt the familiar form of his compact rifle. If anything came at him, that would do the trick. Gathering his courage, the apprentice strolled out into the wilds, completely unaware of his tiny stalker.

He arrived at a damp swampy area just a few paces away from the ship. A carcass of some massive animal lay half-eaten on the bank, and the bones of two other gargantuan beasts lay nearby. He could feel the power radiating from this area like a beacon. It was intoxicating, tempting, corrupt. His father believed Graxin was to be a Sith, and Graxin was unsure if he thought he would or not. He knew of his parentage, his mother being a Jedi Knight, and the idea of becoming the very thing that had ruined her life unsettled him. Still, he needed the power. People relied on him. Lives weighed on his decisions. He couldn't be squeamish now. He lowered down on one of the cleaner rocks near the muck, and closed his eyes. Slowly but surely, his awareness in the force extended, and the bones of one of the nearby corpses began to vibrate, The vibrations grew and grew, until finally, the rib cage exploded outward showering bone across the bank.

He cracked a satisfied little smile, and remained cross legged. His brow contorted in concentration, and the thigh bones began to lift up from the muck, and rotate three yards above the water. Yes he could feel it. This place would certainly help him progress...as long as he remained undisturbed.

[member="Desideria Dagan"]

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Desideria watched him closely, her one good eye never leaving him. She fidgeted, not wanting to give away her position, but wanting more than anything to get a closer look at the strange trespasser. It was her job as a sentry guard to do that after all. He was too close to the clan for her liking. The last person to come so close had been a malicious and evil individual, but Desi had been so young during that time. She barely remembered the lives lost. It was that battle that had actually prompted her desire to become a rancor trainer. The beasts had fought so bravely alongside their trainers and their power was unfathomable. That was expected of the rancors though.

He began to move away from his carrier, worrying Desi even more. Where was he going? What was his purpose, damn it? She leaped to the tree next to hers, following him among the foliage. She clicked at Kama, giving the beast her position, telling her what was about to go down. Maybe. It depended on what he did next. Desideria reached up, brushing her thick, shimmering silver hair into a loose pony tail atop her head. Fingering the wrap around her wrist, she watched. Intent.

Suddenly, her mouth dropped open, hanging by the hinges. He was making those bones float! He was using magic! But, she couldn't hear any words, any incantations. She couldn't believe her eyes. What man was this, that he could use the magic of the Witches? A man. This couldn't be good. There was no possible way he wasn't there to decimate their home. She couldn't stand by and let him just go. With a snarl, she fell from the tree, landing in a tight crouch about ten feet away from the man. Slowly, she rose, coming to her full 5 foot 1 height, shimmering like a mirage in the sunlight thanks to her gown of oily black scales. Her pewter grey eyes met his, wide with a fierce lust.

"Waytha ara quetha way. Waytha ara quetha way..." She began to chant, over and over, her hands balled into tight fists. Broken bits of the bone he'd shattered and stones began to roll over the forest floor, rumbling like an approaching storm. "Waytha ara quetha way." Her chants grew louder as the wind around them picked up, tearing at their hair, clothes, anything it could get a hold of. A rotting tree uprooted near by, branches began to slap at them as the cyclone surrounded them. The wind screamed, just barley drowning out her voice, until she began to shout the incantation that was. "Waytha ara quetha way!" Debris surrounded them, making it impossible to escape from the cyclone.

 

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So this wasn't on the travel plan. Graxen had felt the petite little thing's presence far too late. He turned--well, he tumbled off of the rock in a not-so-graceful shift into a combative stance. He had reached for his compact rifle; when the odd words reached his ears. What in Corellia's Nine Hells did she mean exactly? At first, he mistook the woman for a lost teenager, or perhaps one of the Nightsister's initiates. The rolling of stone and bone garnered his attention for moment and then--the force. Oh, shab. "Hey, hold on now!" He shouted. But oh, she certainly didn't seem to want to do that. A branch slapped him across the face and left a nice bloody mark across his cheek. His disheveled hair flew wildly, and as he turned to make his escape, he found himself to be trapped.

Graxen saw three solutions to this problem. Two of which happened to be very violent. Calling on the force, for he had a strong inclination if he didn't death would be knocking at his door soon, sparks of orange flame crackled at his knuckles. He was no fire lord like his father, but he shared the talent. The flames grew until they were encapsulating his fists, but they did not burn his flesh. He could have unleashed the inferno on the girl, but then it would have caught in the cyclone and singed him as well. Instead, he simply stood his ground; amber eyes locked with her greys. The fire around his hands served merely to intimidate--he had no lightsaber and the rifle wouldn't fire accurately with this much interference.

The apprentice leaned downward toward the much smaller female, and pressed his lips into a thin line. "I'm practicing. Nothing more! Don't make me hurt you....ma'am!" [member="Desideria Dagan"]

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Desideria kept her gaze locked onto the mysterious intruder. A fireweaver, huh? She always managed to burn something down to the point that no one within the clan would willingly train her in the art. That made her mad. Why did a man have the ability to control fire in a way she may never? Her pewter grey eyes sparkled with warring emotions, mainly temper. What a time for her uncontrollable desire to punch something to kick in. No, now was not the time for that. Doing so would require her to stop chanting and then he'd be free from the vortex she commanded around them. She'd find out who, and more importantly what, this man was and why he was there. Anyone with half a brain would know that "training" wasn't something an intelligent being would do in the middle of a Dathomir forest. He'd be rancor feed already if it weren't for her.

She scoffed at his words. Him? A mere man hurt her? A formidable force of nature with no regard for her own life, let alone his? She had to keep herself from laughing out and cutting off the incantation.

"Waytha ara quetha way."

Her eyes darted away from her target for a nanosecond, taking in their surroundings. There. A rotting tree just barely hanging by its roots to the ground behind the man. She urged the wind around her, coaxing it to rip the tree farther from its base. She'd use it against the man, there was just too much debris in the vortex to defend himself from all of it. She hoped that the larger debris would hit home.

 

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What was it about women? Oh, crazy, right.

Those words of wisdom from a friend long gone suddenly hit home now. Graxin wasn't exactly sure what to do, so he went by instinct. the fires around his hands dispelled, as he knew using that would singe him as well as the girl. There was one thing he had been practicing, though he was extremely rough with, but it seemed to be the only option here. He brought his fists close to his chest; took a deep breath, and winced as a rock slashed a shallow, bloody mark across his forehead. Concentration was key, even through the pain. Kinetic energy built up around his hands; demanding all of his attention. He simply didn't see the tree being lifted slowly behind him.

"Enough!" The apprentice roared as he threw his hands out wide. The effort was fueled with frustration and an intense fear. While Graxin held the lives of those whose own rested upon his decisions, he also feared for his own. The repulse of energy exhaled from his hands outward in violent push in all directions. He was trying to dispel the vortex and break free. The effort drained him of most of his energy, and the strength seeped from his limbs from the act. He tumbled down to his hands and knees, completely at mercy of the massive tree if the Witch maintained her control. It was reckless, but he had no other solution.

[member="Desideria Dagan"]

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Protect them. That's all Deisderia could think as the intruder began to raise his fists. She kept hers calmly by her sides, balled so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her lips moved quickly, smoothly, whispering the words that called forth this Force Storm. She wouldn't allow this man to out do her. She was a Witch of Dathomir! If anything, she'd claim him as her own after taking him down a notch. She had the advantage, she was raised on this planet, not him. She knew the ways of its gravity, something she heard was far heavier on other worlds - whatever that means. Not to mention the dark, looming shape behind her, concealed by the trees. She was pretty sure he hadn't noticed Kama quite yet and that would definitely help her.

Desideria was distracted by her own thoughts when a sudden blast of energy hit her in the gut. Hard. With a high-pitched squeal, she stumbled backwards, eliciting a cry of fear and rage from her partner. The rancor pushed her way through the tree line, scooping up Desi just as she was about to fall on her rear. The storm began to ebb away, the rotted tree falling to the ground with a loud thump. Kama steady her.

"Who do you think you are, man?" She hissed, standing stiff and tall. She scoffed at him, "Sorry, but there's no controlling a storm like me." She began to chant louder and faster than before, the tree easily uprooting itself this time. And the gale force winds were sending it right at him.

 

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Graxin wasn't ready for that. He had never seen a Rancor before, but recalled that he had been told they looked like miniature versions of the Graug warbeasts. Miniature was putting it lightly--it was gargantuan--but it was relatively smaller than the man eating warbeasts. His strength had been sapped, and he simply lacked the advantage here. He pushed himself to his feet, and tried to push the tree back with his Telekinetics, but it was just too much. The massive chunk of wood hit him right in the chest and sent him sprawling. He rolled twice down the bank and came to rest right by the water, his chest aching and his head throbbing. The armor had saved his life, but he was unarmed against any further attack.

He tried to push himself to his feet, but his limbs were just too weak. he had excerted too much, tried too hard to succeed. He should have ran. He should have stayed calm and at peace, like the Jedi had tried to preach to him about. Now he lay still, amber eyes staring at the milky sky in contempt.

It's just another test boy. Ready yourself.

The words of Krag rang out through his mind, and strengthened his resolve. He tried to stand once more, but caught on his bad leg--the one that had once been snapped in half-- and slumped to the ground. With a groan, Graxin looked up at the petite little thing and her pet. "That was rather pointless don't you think?" He growled. [member="Desideria Dagan"]

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Her whole body relaxed once she realized the fight had left her opponent. Relief washed over her, the village had nothing to worry about now. The winds died around them as her lips stopped moving, she was at peace. She'd protected those she loved and did her job. All she had to worry about now was getting answers. Who was this man? How did he control something no other man she'd met could? Where did he come from and why was he here? Rolling her shoulders, Desi stepped forward with determination. Until she winced, that was. Her midsection felt battered and bruised, it was probably going to be all black and blue tomorrow. But, she was okay with that. With battle, comes wounds. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle - whether Kama agreed or not.

With a stern brow to push back the pain, she started forward again, leaving Kama near the tree edge. She marched over to the kneeling man, ignoring his words. They weren't something she cared to hear. They meant nothing to her. Grasping his collar in her tiny fist, she yanked him upwards, putting her face rather close to his. From this small a distance, her tattoo was visible. And it was painfully obvious her left eye didn't work. But, that didn't deter her. She was a force of nature, wind ran through her veins, lightning ran across her skin, the earth built her bones. She was the approaching storm.

"Tell me, invader, why do you travel to my home planet? What is it you seek? Who do you think you are, to take on the Dreaming River clan?" The miniature creature shook him a bit, looking like an ant next to a beetle. "As your captor, I demand you answer me!" Her voice sounded much frailer than she ever intended.

 

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"Your planet is an epicenter within the force. I came to amplify my strengths, and I did. That, and I wanted to see it for myself." Graxin chided. He kept a straight face as he was pulled up into the small woman's face. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his amber orbs locked with her greys. Aye, something was certainly up with the girl's eye. "I'm not here to challenge your clan. I'd never heard of them until just now." The Apprentice brought a leatherbound hand to enclose around her tiny forearm, and frowned. "So I'm afraid, m'lady, you've been mistaken."

His words were simple fact. There was no defiance in his words, nor were they threats. He had no quarrel with the woman--lest she try and claim him as he had been told these people did. His whole body ached, but he knew that if he was in true danger, he would find a way to make his own escape. "I'm Graxin, by the way. Do you just like my face, or are we trying to intimidate one another."

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Desideria wrinkled her nose at him. What was this Force he spoke of? She'd never heard of it. She kept her bony fist tight within his collar, though she did move her face away from his. Sneering down at him, she shook him a little more. "Do not speak to me in such a way, man. I deserve more respect than that. If you are to visit another world, maybe you should learn their customs, no? Men." She huffed, looking away for a moment. She believed the words he spoke, her instincts told her he did not lie. But still, he was an off-worlder and could obviously turn dangerous at any moment. She must keep up her guard, otherwise Kama was going to have an early meal.

With a snort, she turned her attention back to him. "Alright, Graxin." She hissed the word. "If that is the case..." She dropped him, slapping her hands together as if trying to remove the filth of him from her skin. Curiosity got the best of her, he was no threat at the moment, and his craft was shiny and more interesting. Stepping lightly, as if she were a small child full of delight, Desi pranced over to his ship. Tapping on it, her eyes widened in wonder at the strange metallic ping she heard. It was fascinating.

"Tell me, male. What is this contraption?"

 

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This girl was odd. Just plain odd. He said nothing as she droned on about learning other worlds customs and hated on men and ya-da-ya-da-ya-da. Slowly, he pushed himself up to his feet. He kept a close eye on the Rancor--by the force, it was ugly-- and followed after her. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and watched as she tapped a small fist on the metal. "It's a Gulley Jumper...old ship. Doesn't fly well." Graxin sidled on up to the Nightsister-Witch-woman and folded his arms over his chest. Had she really never seen a ship before? Dathomir was far more primitive in this area than he had thought. "It takes me where I need to go. 'Fraid it's a bit too small for your buddy though." He jerked thumb back toward the Rancor.

With a sigh, Graxin began to patrol around the ship. It didn't seem to have been tampered with from the looks of it. He willed the force to strengthen his tired limbs, but to no avail. He was strong, but certainly no Master, or a Lord if you preferred. "What's with the male thing?"

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Desideria gave him a cross look, though the action looked off thanks to her bum eye. Not like she cared. She didn't even know it did that. She didn't care for mirrors or looking at herself, really. All she'd ever needed was one look at the damn, broken thing and that was enough. It was a good thing sh was able to forgive her rancor over a mirror. With a huff, Desi moved away from him. "Don't talk about Kama like that." She muttered, almost to herself really.

The frail girl seemed somewhat at ease now, especially since the intruder... Graxin, whatever, was obviously no longer a threat. But, his... Gulley Jumper was a different story. She was about to ask him more detailed questions about his vessel when his question took recognition.

"Male thing?" She asked, confused. "You act as if you've power where you come from." She leaned sideways around the ship, enough to see him from the opposite side. Her silver hair flopped across her face in a childish, but charming way, as her eyes captured his. "I know if any man from this world spoke to me the way you have, he would be punished." She blinked, her lips pursed quizzically. She was honestly intrigued by the fact that this Graxin, a man, had no fear of her. All the men of her village knew the type of person she was, the powerful potential she held. Most were afraid of her, which is part of the reason she owned no man. Yet.

 

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Graxin pressed his lips into a thin line. So the man eating monster thing had a name? Lovely. The Apprentice turned partway toward the Rancor and gave it an apologetic wave. "Sorry Kama." He grunted. Graxin had to physically restrain himself from saying that sarcastically. He shoved his hands into his pockets and, not for the first time, wished that he and just taken the time to build a lightsaber already. "I do, actually. Gender doesn't mean much in the big wide galaxy." He stated matter of factly. Honestly, Graxin was a bit pleased to throw that in the small girl's face. He did his best not to show it however.

His amber gaze drifted from hers toward the Gulley Jumper. He was slowly forming a plan of escape in the back of his mind. Sure, the small slip of a woman was entertaining in her own little way, but the Rancor....well, Mister/Misses Kama was not. The last thing Graxin wanted to do was be sent back to her village. "And I'm afraid I'm not the type to be punished. I'm a warrior where I come from, not some criminal."

[member="Desideria Dagan"]

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Desideria seemed detached from the situation. "You should know, coming to a planet whose ideals you know nothing of isn't the safest of ideas." She said, very matter-of-fact. She looked up at him, sensing him out. He obviously had an air of power about him. But, on her home turf, he wasn't much of a match for her. She could tell. "Just because you have power off this world, does not mean you have any here, man." Her words were almost ominous, but the feeling was thrown off by her curious features. Crossing her arms over her small chest, she gave him an irritated glance, "Do not act so cocky, you've already been punished by my hand as it is. Do not make me do it once more." She pointedly stared at the bloody marks her magic had left on him.

With an exasperated sigh, she slide her gaze to Kama. She whispered the chant of creature understanding before addressing the beast. "Kama, recon." The giant nodded, grunting words only she could understand. Kama's words brought a smile to Desi's face. "You are the nastiest rancor I've ever met." She laughed, looking towards Graxin as if they spoke of him. The rancor stomped off as Desi turned back to the man. She ran her eye over him, a thought taking hold in her little noggin.

 

[Revenchent]

((Wrong character))

 

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Graxin shot a glance up at the Rancor as it made that strange grunting noise. Then the woman--he still hadn't learned her name-- chuckled at the beast. We're they communicating somehow? Graxin shook off the uncomfortable thought, and stared at the woman with narrowed eyes.

"Thanks for the words of wisdom." He grunted; fingers flexing slowly. It had only taken a moment, but he'd connected with the force here. He knew what he wished to know, and this girl was making him a bit uneasy. The Apprentice brought a hand up to his cheek, fingers trailing the bloody marks across his skin. Lovely.

"I'd better go then, as I'm such a bother." He stated simply. In reality, he wanted to bang out before things became chaotic. He began to move toward the Gulley Jumper's landing ramp, rather ready to try and make his escape.

 

[Desideria Dagan]

Desideria blinked confused before she realized just what he was getting at. With the agility only a minuscule body like hers could promise, she was suddenly in front of him, hands on her narrow, bony hips. She stared him down, hard. "Go? Where do you think you are going, man?" She asked with a slightly harsh edge to her voice. Her left hand moved to rest lightly against her whip where it was attached.

 

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Graxin didn't look the least bit intimidated. He glanced down at the girl, lips pursing in silent amusement. Was she challenging him again? "Mytus. there's a war to fight after all." His amber gaze shifted up toward the landing ramp, and his hands slipped into his pockets. The Apprentice was dreadfully aware of the Rancor behind him, but for the moment, he tried to pay it no heed. "Your people allied with the Mandalorians, and those brutes are trying to keep hold of the Sith capital We'd like it back."

Graxin leaned down to her height, and raised a brow. For a moment, the muggy weather of Dathomir became an afterthought. He considered trying to manipulate her mind, but opted to use his words instead. "Why? Would you miss me?"

[member="Desideria Dagan"]