Prey

[Vexen]

Kaili’s distress left a hollow feeling in Vexen’s stomach. Having to harden herself, to try and go back into the state of the survivor she had once been, did not shield her from this feeling. The young girl’s desperate need for Micah, which mirrored what Vexen frequently felt, was a sudden reminder that in many ways Vexen was the outsider in Micah’s life. She wasn’t family, she hadn’t been here long. Of course, she had never really put aside the notion that one day he’d abandon her somewhere and she would be left all alone in a cold, damp tunnel again. It was hard to trust anyone, but it was harder knowing one day she’d be fending for herself again, one way or another.

Vexen sighed a small, sad sigh. However, she still had the sense of mind to reach out and grasp Kaili’s shoulder with a paw. “Might’n be be’er if you didn’ go tha’ way,” Vexen said quietly. The Defel Wraith was small, but she held on tightly. She knew that even though there was very little light, in the next corridor, one of the other children was still impaled on a metal rod. Kaili might just be able to see Maisey’s body in the darkness, or worse yet stumble right into her.

She did a quick mental count: liam, Kaili, Kaia, Micah, Xaer, Sassi, Keedon, Shanere, Janis and herself. “I think there’s only ten of us left,” she said to Liam. Vexen couldn’t count too well, but she knew that was less than half the crew left.

It was at that moment that Janis stepped into the compartment, waving his arms widely. "The transceiver is on, but it's not bouncing off a relay!" he complained to them. “We've got rocks and caves reaching up on either side of us. We're going to have to move it to higher ground!"

Vexen still didn’t know what any of that meant.

 

[Micah Talith]

@Vexan [member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Kaia Starchaser"]

Kaili’s voice came echoing behind Micah, drawing the teenager from his grim set face. A glance at his companion would relay a silent understanding.

They would have to get everyone first and then move from there.

The closer his younger sister covered the distance, the better the Talith could feel her. That was the reason why he had such a level head right now. He was still able to sense the important people in his life. Micah may have been raised by his mum and dad to not fall to the way of the Dark, but when it came to those who he cared about, he still had a tendency to tunnel vision. He wasn’t a Jedi.

He was only human.

“I’m here.” he called out, but his voice really wouldn’t reach his sister. He had to go back towards his point of origin. Now to figure out what else everyone had found out.

Maybe even set up a camp and search party once everyone got situated.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was not so nervous that people were dead. Or dying, or in various state of mortally wounded. She was upset because she could feel the ship around her dead. It wasn’t a good sign. They might not be able to bring the girl online, and even if they did? They might not be able to get her spaceworthy. The Talith did her job of getting them to ground in a mostly intact state. She let Kaili go find her brother as the Starchaser looked around.

The ship, it was what her family did, build ships, repair ships, exist in ships. If she couldn’t get the ship ready, she could get the transceiver working.

“Do we know what the air is like out there?” The wanderer looked between Vexen and Janis. Kaia could take the transceiver up. “I can go on the team to try to get the transceiver positioned right, you’re saying its working?” There wasn’t much to worry on then, but if something did go wrong, then Kaia could help out.

No, not a technopath, just a sci-fi character that learned a lot by living on starships.

[member="Micah Talith"]
[member="Vexen"]
[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Vexen]

"We'll need at least three people to carry it. Looks like a big climb to get out of the ravine!" Janis replied quickly.

"We should all go," Keedon added.

Vexen wasn't sure if she should would be talking out of place. She didn't converse much with anyone except Micah. Given how desperate the situation was, she decided to chime in. "Ship's split in two," she said quietly. "So I reckon if air was gonna kill us, would 'ave done it by now!"

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Vexen"] [member="Micah Talith"]

She couldn’t remember what she was doing anymore. There were so many things about this that felt so wrong that the youngest Talith had simply shut her faculties down one after another as her mind tried to focus on hearing Micah’s voice. As more and more time passed she began wandering in the direction in which she could sense his presence. She was driven by her anxiety, letting her own mind slip for that of a familiar comfort, but it was nowhere to be found.

The sound of her boots dragging themselves against the metal ground of the ship was hardly known to her. All she heard was the ringing. The ringing and the whimpers. The panic that she so desperately tried to keep a lid on as she went looking for her brother until she accidentally tripped over and fell flat on her stomach with a thud.

Her arms lift her from the ground as she hazily spun around to sit in an upright position. Eyes rubbing against her eyebrows she blinked twice in order to see what it was that had caughter her foot.

A leg.

Weary eyes followed the pant leg. Up the waist and then there it was. The pole sticking out of the chest. Kaili gasped as the image was imprinted on her mind. Her attention slowly drifted to the left until eventually she saw her victim’s face.

Maisey.

Breathing got harder. Shakier. Kaili’s lower lip began to tremble.

“No.” She whispered. “Maisey. No.”

Her head slowly shook.

“No.”

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Vexen"]

A hand would curl around Kai's shoulder. A press of fingers, comfort and distraction.

It was Micah.

"We need move Kai." he drew her towards him, bringing her over to settle against his chest. His lips were a thin line, orange eyes catching sight of what remain of Maisey. "I'm glad you're okay." his voice would curl beside her ear, and he would give her a light squeeze.

He had crawled back inside after getting an idea of just what was the damage outside. His first task had been to find his sister. Catching up with Vex was next on the list along with the rest of the survivors.

"Come on," he would tell her, encouraging her to move.

 

[Vexen]

The surface of her goggles glared with an iridescent violet sheen as they caught a shard of light that crept through a crack in the hull.

“How's we gonna move that?” Vexen asked quietly as she looked up and down at the transceiver. The words were almost difficult to form. In the conditions that primitive survivor who had lived alone for so many years had come to the forefront.

“Laser cutters to get straight through the hull, strap down a power supply and use the piece of hull as a sled,” Jannis said, crossing his thick arms over his chest. No one disagreed, so Vex decided that meant it was a good plan.

“I'll get more bottles of water and food,”Vexen said. She didn't know much about emergency transceivers, but she knew what you needed to survive. “We should pack warm, in case the cold comes in quick,” she added.

 

[Kaili Talith]

Kaili’s cheek set against her brother’s chest. She shivered as her arms wrapped themselves around Micah’s waist and for merely a second she closed her eyes. The subtle beat of his heart helped her calm down. Not by a lot, but it helped. An indication that he was alive, indication that she had one less thing to worry about.

She chose not to speak. Her arm slid from around his waist and latched firmly onto his arm.

He would guide her through this. She pointed in the direction in which she had last seen Vexen.

[member="Vexen"] [member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Vexen"]

"Watch your step." Micah's cautionary words would guide his younger sister, moving them through the wreck of the internal corridors. There were still several warped beams, and as they would head off to the direction where the Defel had been last, a few crackling wires to avoid.

They finally came to the clearing where the collection of survivors had congregated. A familiar dark shadow and awareness through the Force drew the Talith to the Defel. "Vex!"

His hand would encourage Kai to move forward, and Maila would cut them off to cling to the youngest Talith with a tight embrace.

"Kaiiiiiiii!" there were tears in her eyes and stains on her face. Her body would give a shudder, but it was one of relief.

"I'll be over here, kay." a kiss would brush Kai's temple from her brother, and Micah would leave the pair of girls to head over to Vex.

"What's the status?"

 

[Vexen]

[member="Kaili Talith"]
[member="Micah Talith"]


Micah and Kaili would find Vexen standing with Shanere (the human girl) and Keedon (the rodian boy). There was a loud ‘thwump’ from the next room and Shanere started to unlock the door behind them.

“Janis is cutting through th’ hull,” Vex explained quietly. “Talkin’ ‘bout taking a trans…transceiver…yeah…up high. ‘pparrently the ship is dug into a valley and it’s not locking onto the nearest beacon. I got some water a food,” she said as she waved her arm towards the sled beside them. “We’re all gonna take it up, stick together.”

Vex peeped her head around Micah’s waist to look at Kaili. For a moment the cold walls she had brought up cracked a touch, seeing someone who was essentially family now so distraught. Then that stoic expression was back. She had to be a survivor again now. “She found Maisey?” she whispered in a matter-of-fact manner.

 

[Kaili Talith]

Arms wrapped themselves around Kaili and for a brief moment she panicked. She hadn’t known Maila for long. A majority of the time she had spent with the girl was when the crew were debriefing the kids about what they would be doing for the duration of the voyage. That was how she had met all of the people around her. One way or the other everyone had been in attendance, blissfully unaware of the coming attack, of the disaster that would fall onto each and everyone of their shoulders.

Micah gave her a kiss on her temple. A brotherly sign of care. The arms that had tensed up within the embrace of Maila softened up and fell by both of the girls’ sides before slowly sliding up along the other girl’s shoulders for an inevitable latch-on.

It wasn’t right, but hell, a hug was still just a hug.

“I am sorry.” Kaili muttered into the rough fabric of her friend’s jacket.

“For what?” Maila responded as she too returned the hug.

“Everything.”

[member="Micah Talith"] // [member="Vexen"]​

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Vexen"]


"Yeah." Micah told Vexen plainly. There wasn't more to it. It was what it was. Perhaps later, things wouldn't seem so surreal. But then again, this wasn't the first time they'd survived a crash. It almost felt like de'ja vu for the Talith. Only at that time, Aela had been severely hurt and Kaile had forgotten who she was. It was by some miracle and the attention of their aunt Amore that ensured both would heal quickly and to the fullest extent.

Turning towards the Defel, Micah gave her a nod, then a faint smile. "Good job, Vex." he praised her, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder in gratitude. "That will help out a lot." panning beyond, he scrunched his brows as if considering their next steps.

"If Janis will be working on the communications and getting that beacon... we should start scouting around the ship. Get a survey of the area while we still have some light." security measures were already being taken care of by the other survivors, checking for fires and any potential leaks that could escalate.

He turned back to Vex. "Want to come with? Or do you want to stay with Kai?"

 

[Vexen]

Vexen drew her shoulders in at Micah's complement and she allowed herself a self-satisfied smile for a moment. She had been self dependant for so long, yet for the last few months she had contributed very little. She'd simply been studying and living off of micah. And she's become too squishy around the middle from her idleness.

She looked up again at Kaili and drew in a deep breath. “I'll come with you,” she said with a stubborn nod. “I'll be more help when it's dark, but your hearing is useless.”

As black as black could possibly be, she'd stand out against the light sand and stones outside, but there was enough terrain to stay out of sight.

Whilst she was trying to channel to attitude of the survivor she had once been, she allowed a small glimmer of sentiment as she passed Kaili to get some gear. Her good paw came up to grasp her hand. She leant the furry side of her head against the back of Kaili’s hand and whispered: “we'll all get out of this together.”

Vexen grabbed a bag with water, a small snack, a comm unit and macrobinoculars and met Micah at one of the exits. The rocky terrain sprang up on either side of them, the sun was still up but angling back towards the horizon behind the ship. In the distance dark clouds were forming in the sky. It was going to be hard work getting the array up high, but there seemed to be several flatter paths they could use. That's what they needed to do, find the best path to get the transceiver and the rest of the crew up and out of the ravine.

There was a quiet popping sound, just on the edge of her hearing range. Vexen’s ears came up and she turned her head. Had that been a faint blue light in the distance? She cocked her head, but after a moment decided it was neither close enough to worry about or discern.
[member="Micah Talith"] [member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

For Kaili the world was starting to weigh on her like a bad headache. Tension set over her like a cramp that wouldn’t pain or quite simply an uneasiness equal to total petrification. She couldn’t move and for as long as she could she would remain within the grasp of Maila, wetting her friend’s jacket as if it was for the greater good of all or as if they needed the tears for later consumption. The other girl gently let the young Talith go. Kaili shook herself awake and watched as Maila joined Janis by the comm. terminal.

The young girl’s entire posture hunched. Her eyes set for the floor as Vexen snuck a smooth grab of her hand and subsequent stroke of the still-oddly-smooth fur. Kaili wanted to smile, the small twitches by her sides would indicate as such, but it would seem as if the mere will to maintain such a thing was all gone.

“Yeah.” Kaili looked around the area for a second. “No. Not all of us.”

But it was too late. Vexen was gone and Kaili was left alone in the dark corridors of her own disaster. It was proving hard to let that thought go. Micah would have told her to stop moping, that things weren’t really her fault. Yet how could it not have been her fault? Kaili could have let someone else take the controls, someone more experienced. Someone who wasn’t cursed.

What was she thinking? That curse would torment her forever. No changing that now.

Slow steps followed the others to where Janis was cutting his way to the transceiver.

“Captain said we-...” She started before the panicking anxiety took her over. “We-... He said-...”

“Watch where you cut, avoid anything vital.”

She took a seat on the floor. Arms wrapped around her knees she planted her head on top and remained silent.

[member="Vexen"] && [member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Vexen"]

/ I'll be near Nohei /

Micah's emotional support and assurance towards his youngest sister would be felt more than heard, a deliberate extension of his presence to console the youngest Talith as she sat. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew well from their father's and mother's training that they had to be practical right now. It would have been an entirely other story if Kai had been hurt, or if it had been Vex.

It was the knowledge that they were alright that honestly helped Micah seemingly keep a clear head. Had they not.. well... it wasn't the first time that Micah would get tunnel vision. His family and his friends were important, and he would put them above anyone else. While his mother had taught all of her children compassion and the desire to render aide to those in need, Micah had too much of his father in him to be able to selflessly sacrifice like the Jedi of the Order his mother came from.


"What is it Vex?" his inquisitive query came, their growing bond giving just the tiniest of flutters within the prospective tracker in training through the Force from the Defel. Vexen was a Force Sensitive, they had discovered that early on. Through it, there were natural skills and talents that came to Vexen easily, others that she had been forced to learn due to her upbringing in the streets. She was a survivor, thorough and thorough -- and those street smart instincts were honed to take in what he normally couldn't.

Coming to a stop beside the Defel, Micah narrowed his eyes. Twin suns would survey the ravine they were in. Fiery debris was scattered throughout, and the faint crackle pop of fire would draw his attention now and then.

His eyes cast to the distant stormy clouds, then up towards the arching sun that could very well soon set. They had no clue on just what timeframe of sunlight they were working with.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]
[member="Kaili Talith"]

"Thought I saw a light, out of the corner of my eye," she said in a hushed tone. "Nuffin' I think," she sighed. Yet her next few steps were tentative and she found that one eyes was looking to the horizon, whilst the other was making sure that Micah didn't go too far. In the dusk light she felt far more apprehensive than she would have done in total darkness. Her species wasn't meant to be out in the open in the sunlight, it didn't come easily to her and it set her nerves jangling.

She scrambled up a few rocks, her agility making up for her lack of size. Yet as she clambered over the cusp of the next jagged rock she found she had to pause for breath. "Less cakes, I think," she reflected to Micah as she waited for her breathing to return to a steady rhythm.

In a flash she span about and went down onto all fours. Her ears pricked up and her ears searched the crevices. There was a cave behind them and she was certain she'd caught another blue light. Yes, there it was, on the edge of her vision. Creeping forwards the found there was a cave nestled between the rocks. As the stood at the threshold she peered in with wonder. Brilliant blue strands lined the walls of the cave. Each strand had a translucent, almost otherworldly quality to it. Beads of water hung along the length of each fibre, each caught the blue light to give the appearance of a string of decorative lights or gems.

Yet she didn't cross that threshold. Either defel caving instinct, or a tremor through the Force kept her rooted to the spot. "Le's not go in there," she said to Micah. "Le's keep looking for the best path."

 

[Kaili Talith]

He would be near. It didn’t matter much, but Micah would be near her by the very least. She buried her face in her own lap as if she was trying to lock out the world. Perhaps that wasn’t too far from the truth. She certainly wasn’t in the mood to enjoy reality anymore. The bitter, horrible reality that would flash behind the cover of her eyelids like a bad dream. All the lives lost, the feeling as each candle in the night was extinguished during the crash like a fire that had just ceased to exist.

And Maisey. The pipes sticking out of her chest.

No, Kaili knew better than to enjoy the ‘simplicity’ of real life.

She didn’t speak, but in her mind she slowly began connecting herself to the different pieces of tech around the comm. unit. Father had taught her the wonders of technomancy. She wasn’t about to let it go to waste. Trauma or not, she would be helping in rebuilding the ship. Somehow. The first step was to assess the situation. Preliminary reports didn’t look good, but she kept her mouth shut about it.

The last thing they needed was Kaili’s pessimism to lighten the spirits.

[member="Vexen"] && [member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"] [member="Vexen"]

Micah gave a nod. He wasn't about to argue, but his more curious side would wonder why the Defel didn't want to go into that cave. He lingered for a moment, before the sound of pebbles and small bits of sand drew his attention.

Vex was climbing along, just a few meters ahead of him. She would stop at a specific distance, as if she didn't dare take a single step beyond a particular radius from the Talith.

"Right behind you."

He assured her, moving quickly on hands and feet to push himself forward. There were still bits and pieces of fiery debris, but the more they climbed the clearer it became. The sound of distant water, however, could potentially be a boon.

That is, if it was water.

 

[Vexen]

[member="Kaili Talith"]
[member="Micah Talith"]

Vexen had considered herself a reasonable climber. Down in the Hidden Places there were many sheer surfaces she had learned to scramble with her claws. Yet Micah was far more assured on the rocky surface than her. He never seemed to put a foot out of place. He had always said he was an experienced explorer. From up here, out of the ravine, Vexen had a good view of the ship and the trail it had cut into the landscape. There was no sign of any movement in the debris that trailed behind the main section.



Vexen perched on the lip of a rock, watching the others prepare the sled. Having returned to the ship the pair had mapped out the best path to get the transceiver up out of the ravine. It was going to be tricky in places, but the remaining members of the crew would manage. What perturbed vexen was the encroaching cloud cover. The thick dark clouds and the setting sun brought an ominous dark that settled over the unfamiliar landscape. Worry gnawed at the back of her mind, but they had to press on now.


[member="Micah Talith"]
[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

She got up from the ground before quickly kneeling down by one of the loose panelings on the floor. Something about it felt off. She couldn’t quite determine what it was, but something just felt out of place. The girl looked around her for any sort of clue why. In the distance she saw the other two, still working on the communications. It was a small workspace, she hardly needed to take up more of it. Besides, the less people had to see the small ripples and streams along her cheeks the better.

Hands tracing along the edges of the panel she couldn’t help letting her curiosity get the better of her as Kaili’s finger slipped into a crack, a handle almost. Hardly visible, but there. Latching on to the underside of the hatch she gave it a light tug to measure its weight. A slight groan forced her teeth to grit and she gave it another pull only to be met with the same result. Letting her arms fall by her side she shrugged in frustration.

Fire practically bursting from her scrunched nose she grabbed a hold of her left cuff and pulled it back as another deep breath forced itself from her nose. With her right shirt cuff up she deftly moved her hands up for her hair. It was not going to be pretty up in here. Kaili tied her hair up in a disgraceful knot, swayed her head back and forth as if expecting her neck to pop. It didn’t, but she very well had expected it to. She straightened her back, latched onto the candid handlebar once more and with a mightier tug than before she forced the panel out of it’s frame.

Kaili fell onto her back panting. One breath, two breath, three breath. Several breaths before she got up again. A wary eye shot out for the other two who were doing the very same towards Kaili. Kneeling by the panel the girl waved back at the other two as if to reassure them she had not died. Far from it, all the work was keeping the mere thought from her mind.

Waiting for the others to turn back towards their work she pushed the rest of the loose panel away hoping to find... Well, whatever it was that captains hid under panels. Salvageable wires, perhaps? Didn’t matter, Kaili pushed...

And Kaili fell.

Straight into a hidden compartment head first. An empty compartment, but a compartment nonetheless. Hand rubbing at her forehead she got herself reaquainted with her surroundings. One of the walls were loose in here and for a second Kaili rolled her eyes.

Oh she knew better than to check that wall out.

But she was going to do it anyway.

However, first she was going to rest. Catch her breath. Exploring was hard work.

[member="Vexen"] && [member="Micah Talith"]