Prospecting the Rimma

[Jsc]

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Prospecting the Rimma​

Adventure Underway: PM for Invite​

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Tundra World, Sirax Three
Just outside Omega Space

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Karen Roberts of Fondor was out prospecting today. Her journey along the Rimma Trade Route had taken her far out from Omega space and into regions now colonial. Sirax Three was one of these such colonial installations. A large red planet with two massive polar ice caps, north and south; and a rocky desert in between. It was a mostly empty canyons just waiting to be explored.

The Brigarians held a large colony here almost big enough to be a city. They had firepower, frigates, and elite guardians too. But their numbers were far too small to actually control much outside their city limits. They preferred to stay inside their walls even when the weather was nice. No. This planet belonged to the desert. With all it's strange creatures and fierce some lightning storms. Not even the purple skinned Brigarians lived without massive iron walls on this red planet. Only the crazy and the bold dared to venture out here. Which was perfect for Karen Roberts. Because she always considered herself something of both.

~ / beep beep beep ~

A computer beeper went off nearer the silika bush and Karen shouldered her rifle so she could finally come see the good news,

"Mmm. Looks like the water sample is finished running. Took long enough. So... Let's see how we did."

The armored woman knelled down and tapped her helm's faceplate. Changing her EVA's visor color from sunglasses black to scientist's ultra clear.

"Hm. Still dirty in this area. Radiation is still a bit high. Must be ground water somewhere here. Otherwise. Well. Everything on the surface is just mud and tickers. Nothing immediately useful."

She eyed the plastic cup that held her water sample and lifted it up to the sun. It was mud brown. Just like the rocks that surrounded them.

"Well. Let's move on to valuable minerals then. R2! Got that scanner equipment unpacked yet?"

~ / whoop whoop. / dep dittly bop bop ~

"Good. That will do just fine. Let's see what we can find out here. Fire her up."

Karen tapped her helm and returned her visor color back to normal. The little astromech droid could run the scanner from just outside her Jedi X-Wing Recon VI. She wouldn't even have to bother with the datapad this time.

As the clouds rolled over the dusty borderland crags, Karen couldn't help but smile at this place. The endless red tundra. Open blue sky. The breezy green plants and the blue scampering beatles. Yeah. Wow. This planet really was a great beauty. Karen smiled and put her elbow up to the sun. It was the perfect place to find another great adventure.

___

 

[Aela Talith]

She huffed, a puff of air blowing bangs out of her face and away from her eyes.

“I told you there was nothing here.” Aela's voice was filled with annoyance and more than a hint of snark as she spoke to her younger sibling. It had been [member="Micah Talith"] who had wanted to land on this barren world, and it had been his idea to go out and find something to do here.

She had no idea why she had agreed.

Mother and Father were expecting them, and this little detour would cost them far too much time. They were going to be late now, no matter when they left. Another puff of air blew out of her lips as the wind pushed her bangs back into her face, teasing her nose for a few seconds before she moved them away.

Mother had wanted to cut her hair, or at least trim it back. The long blonde locks now nearly extended to her waist.

“Micah!” She called out to him, not using his real name just in case someone else was near. “Lets go! You know how Mother worries when were late.”

After the last few incidents Aela could hardly blame her for that.

 

[Micah Talith]

There came a roll of his eyes.

He was well ahead of his oldest sibling, having wandered a few steps from their ship, his boots crunching down on the tundra terrain as he walked. With [member="Aela Talith"] shrieking like a nagging banshee, anyone would have difficulty concentrating. However, maybe it had something to do with his XY genes that allowed him to tune out specific octaves of the feminine voice and turn it into a white noise.

The air was crisp, the sky blue, and who knew what was out there! [member="Kaili Talith"] would so be into this. Even [member="Maleah Talith"] too. He could only imagine what sort of adventure there was out there; what they could very well discover.

[SIZE=11.9999990463257px]“Micah!"[/SIZE]

There she was again. He gave a heavy sigh.

[SIZE=11.9999990463257px] [/SIZE][SIZE=11.9999990463257px]“Lets go! You know how Mother worries when were late.”[/SIZE]

"Ah, the shrill call of the filial daughter." he'd utter under his breath, gesturing with his hands as he'd give a half turn towards Esmae.

"Listen to her in her natural habitat as she sucks the fun out of life with her screeching cries."

Oh that was going to get him hit. But SO worth it.



___________

[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

Thump thump.​

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Heavy footfalls that surprised both [member="Micah Talith"] and [member="Aela Talith"]. Oh dear. Eight new friends had come to play.

~ "Zer trcc nik?"

The local Brigarian warparty. How fun! Though, dumbfounded at the size of the newest intruders to their red planet. The massive titans looked from one another and back again to the next. Well? What was three hundred pounds of alien muscle to do?

~ "Nac tik? Vass. Kas vot!"

One of the large Brigs shouldered his arm cannon and withdrew a black rod. Slapping it hard with gusto, the rod drew glaring blue sparks. The most colorful Brig, likely a captain Brig, shouted with booming glee,

~ "Kk. Kas vot! Na tik!"

And slowly, the lead warrior began his advance toward to adventurous youth. Stun rod crackling and pounding in his giant hand. If a helmet could smile, the Brig's might have. Here kiddy kiddy.

___

Karen remained wonderfully, oblivious.

 

[Aela Talith]

The sound of stamping feet caused Aela to whirl around, bright sun colored eyes growing big as she saw the goliaths approaching them.

“MICAH!” She screeched the name, her feet involuntarily stepping back, her hand fumbling for the lightsaber at her hip. Panic tore through her, until her fingers curled about the silver hilt of the lightsaber. Immediately a calm began to float over her, a stunning cord of relaxation that strummed against powerful notes of pure fear.

Her feet began to take larger step backs, her eyes fixed on the figures.

She reached out with the force, trying to get a sense of them. Shouts began to ring out, those that were not her own. Her fingers fumbled around her hilt, thumb pressing against the activation switch, but not yet triggering it. Aela's eyes cast towards her brother, trying to find him and call him over to her.

They had to stick together.

“Micah!” She shouted again, less shrill this time, more reassuring. “Micah come here!”

She was the oldest. She had to keep him safe. Bright orange eyes fluttered from her little brother and back to the giants, her thumb pressing into her ligthsaber. A bright pink blade sprang to life.

[member="Karen Roberts"] [member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

The snap hiss of Aela's magenta blade went to life, shining her in a sphere of pink.

"Well, this escalated quickly." Micah would breathe out just a few feet from Aela. Both his brows went straight up and disappeared under the fringe of brown blonde forelocks.

Eight titans were coming down at them; one could almost practically feel the ground shake from each of their thundering steps.

"You think that perhaps we should have said, 'Hi, take me to your leader.' instead of pulling out a glowstick?" Micah would mutter. Much like his mother, he was prone to smart alek jokes when finding himself in a nerve wracking situation.

This definitely qualified as such.

Maybe he was the sane one for once! Well, more like he was really hoping that looking at the bright side in an optimistic way would hopefully prevent any kind of escalated situation.

So, with this in mind, he gave a short wave -- the universal sign of hello.

"Hi. I'm Micah!" he'd cry out to the towering eight coming at them still... with those crackling force spikes. Okay, they were really big.. and they were getting really close...

He would move over towards Aela with slow purposeful steps, trying to seem as non threatening as possible.

"This is my sister..." his elbow would poke at Aela's ribcage. "We've come to visit..."

He gave a wide friendly grin -- or attempted to, considering he was muttering between his teeth. "Smile Aela... "


[member="Aela Talith"] [member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

Thump thump.

The lumbering giant towered ever closer. He seemed unphased by [member="Micah Talith"]'s humor or [member="Aela Talith"]'s slightly smaller glowstick. But just as he stepped within a few meters of the two adventuers, he paused.

... "This is my sister" Micah would say. And the giant's head lifted up just slightly. Now looking well above the two and behind them. The other giants seemed to notice it as well.

The ground began stir.

~ "Vac net! Treb Un Yaa! Treb Un YAA!!"

The Giant dropped his rod and just as his fellows began to shout, the air became a torrent of sound,

~ "SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

A gust of wind blew out from behind the twins and almost threatened to bowl them over. The Briganians kept screaming and shouting but non could hear them now. The sky was awash with the terrible call of the creature. The war cry of a hungry nature.

The Treb Un Yaa.​

___

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[member="Micah Talith"] and [member="Aela Talith"] found themselves caught at a crossroads. Before, the mighty war party of the Briganians. Firing round after round of heavy weapons right across and over their heads. Yet still the air hung heavy with the cry of the mighty war bird, Treb Un Yaa. Behind, they found a rearing saurian of colossal thunder. The apex predator of the canyon desert. Flexing of stone and barrel lungs. Terrible and heavy, that even the earth behind their feet rose and fell with it's every roar.

Your ears might even start to bleed.

Bowed and unbroken the sands beneath their feet began to stir. The Treb Un Yaa took flight and soared right over the youthful's head. Echoing a roar for every dozen bullets that smashed against it's beak. Gun fire that seemed unending. Biting into rock and bone. Splintering canyon wall and tearing through dusty sand. Frap frap frap. The guns of the war party thundered. Scree and roar. The bird of prey consumed them.

And just before the world could rise up and swallow the pair whole. A Jawa appeared.

~ "Em tee dee!"

The happy fellow rushed to [member="Micah Talith"] and [member="Aela Talith"]'s side. Holding out a happy hand the silly little fellow beckoned them follow him. For he had emerged out from underneath the red earth and jumped out of a proper tube in the ground.

~ "Em tee dee! Wabba wabba!"

He darted back to his hideaway in the sand and waved them over. Even as the sands washed over his brown robes with a crackling thunder. A battle raging all around.

Follow or stay. Tube or trodden well underfoot? Even Aela might judge the odds to their favor. Which would it be?

___

Yet. Not far away. A blue-haired woman could not help but wonder aloud,

"Good heavens R2? What is all that racket?..."

The dust was brewing not afar off.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Karen Roberts"] [member="Micah Talith"]

Her eyes darted all around, her grip tightened on her lightsaber. The steady thump of her heart beating within her chest. The calm of the crystal within her lightsaber helped her remain steady, even as the great rolling beast flew forth from the sands themselves.

At first she tried to grapple with it.

Aela's mind stretched out and tackled the creatures own, sensing its rolling rage, hunger, and even fear as it began to battle the giants. She sensed its strength, its power, her own gift at dealing with the animals of the galaxy seeming like a useless ripple against a massive tsunami. Her head shook, her eyes wandering over to Micah as a round of heavy laser fire seared just above her head.

She pushed her brother down, ducking as the bright red streak shot overhead, barely missing them.

The call of the Jawa echoed in her ear.

Bright burning suns turned towards the little man, her lightsaber flicking up to deflect a stray blaster bolt just as the little creature waved towards them. The teenager hesitated, unsure of what to do, eyes flicking back and forth. From the Giants, to the beast, then to Micah, ultimately landing on the fleeing Jawa as he scuttle down the tube.

“Go!” She had no chance to tame this creature, not yet, and with the Giants still around any place was safer than here. "Go Micah!"

Aela yelled to her brother, using her off hand to grasp him by the scruff of his neck and practically toss him towards where the Jawa had been moments ago.

 

[Jsc]

___

As one of the giants turned his attention back to the young adventurers, a lone disruptor bolt zapped across the wind and flushed his head clean off from his shoulders. The massive body slumped to the battle ground with only a smoking vapor to announce it's demise.

The shooter overlooked the party from a nearby ridgeline. A silver soldier with a woman's form, contrasted against the sun. She held up a fist to the air and signaled the end to the fight below. On que, twin torpedoes rocketed out of the banks of a soaring X-wing starfighter and flew across the sky like twin streaking stars. Smashing headlong into the colossal avian creature and sundering the air with a double cavalry of explosive triumphs. The hungry predator shouted with surprise and anguish. It's leathery wings aflame in gasps of red and yellow. Flapping with all it's strength. Frantic to get away from it's new flying foe. What remained of the Briganian war party quickly pitched it's own retreat as well. Not even stopping to collect their fallen. The shouting giants were unable to face yet another volley from the titanium starship that dared to circle overhead.

"Way to go R2! Yeehaa!" The silver soldier shouted with a cheer. The X-Wing fighter piloted by the cunning droid was now only a speck on the distant horizon. Easy come, easy go. Ha. And that was how you mop up a fight between school-yard bullies. Pew pew.

___

Karen saddled her helm against her hips, nearer her rifle, and approached [member="Aela Talith"] and [member="Micah Talith"] with a happy trot. The Jawa having popped open his iron hatch again to come up for air. Curious little creature wasn't he. Robert's would address all three of them as they gathered together to survey the outcome of the battle,

"...Well well. Now that the fun parts over? Mind telling me what a bunch of children are doing all the way out here? ...It's alright you can speak freely. Those giants won't be coming back anytime soon. It's at least another hour until they'll make it back to their base camp on foot. So? ...I think we've got some time to talk. Hm?"

The silver woman noticed the kid's ship as well. Despite the melee, it didn't look damaged at all. Good for them.

"So yeah. Anybody want to tell the stranger what that was all about hm?"

The Jawa looked confused at the query,

~ "Em tee dee!?"

"No. Not you. Shut up. I meant the humans."

The Jawa shrugged, muttered something under his breath, and then gave her the finger. He obviously didn't like being left out.

 

[Micah Talith]

Well at least this one wasn't trying to blast them, mused Micah, his spare hand reaching up to dust as much of the grit, sand, and dirt that had latched itself to every part of his skin. He was practically covered from head to toe, even giving off a bit of spittle as he attempted to clear his mouth.

"Kids?!" he'd say with mild affront, bright orange eyes peering and squinting at the woman with the obnoxiously bright blue hair. That managed to distract him for a second, half pondering if she dyed it or not.

Okay on to the more important things!

"I'm almost thirteen!" most definitely not a kid. A guy had his pride. Even if technically... not even a teen yet. But it was a matter of principal. The jawa beside them was along the same mindset of being a bit miffed.

~"Wabba em tee! Ootini Icka tada bidni!"

That prompted a heavy snort half giggle. "Well we only just met her, so that isn't very nice." he'd add, shaking more dirt from the length of his bangs.

"Well that's my sister," he'd point at Aela, who was likely about to have coronary sometime soon.



[member="Karen Roberts"] [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Karen Roberts"] [member="Micah Talith"]

Aela frowned.

She still gripped her lightsaber tight, her thumb fingering the activation switch. Her eyes flickered over towards her younger brother, his friendly tone with both the woman and with the Jawa making her somewhat nervous. It was true that she didn't seem threatening, but after what they had just experienced...she was weary.

The young woman took half a step forward, positioning herself between Micah and the woman.

“We don't know.” Aela said truthfully. “We were just...exploring and they attacked us for no reason.”

Not to mention whatever that beast had been. She didn't really understand, all she understood was that she had to protect Micah and get him home safe. Her heart beat hard in her chest, thumping over and over again in a steady rhythm.

 

[Jsc]

The silver woman was perfectly calm. Even smiling now. It was a sharp contrast to [member="Aela Talith"]'s mood and [member="Micah Talith"]'s dirty clothing. She, um. Ignored the Jawa and his commentaries.

"Brother and sister is it then? Just... Exploring? All by yourselves?" She squinted. Not likely. Not out here in the middle of planet nowhere. "Well. That's... Odd. If only different."

She shrugged and threw her rifle over back. It could rest there for now. These two didn't sense as threatening. Just surprised.

"Karen Roberts of Fonder. I'm traveling the Rimma on behalf of Omega Intelligence. A scout, if you must."

The blue-haired woman waved the comment away quickly. What could teenagers know about politics anyway.

"...Anyway. I have a good reason to be out here. You two should probably scurry on home. This planet was charted decades ago and not all the Holonet Data is up to date. Whatever brought you out here? Well... You two are in for more surprises than it's good for. It's dangerous out here."

The Jawa shrugged. He seemed to be of a different opinion entirely. Karen scolded the small creature and shook her head.

"And yes. You should go home too. Leave these two young explorers alone. They are not for hiring."

The Jawa looked everyone in the face and scratched his head. He might not have understand all of that.

 

[Micah Talith]

Well, here was the conundrum. To introduce themselves as Micah and Aela Talith or no?

"Karen is it?" he'd repeat, still dusting himself off to find some measure of presentability. There was no tell in his casual demeanor; well beyond the fact that he was taking this far too lightly.

Then again, the worrying and overprotective paranoid schtick was Aela's domain, not his.

"Name's Kirk," he'd say, well practiced at giving every indication by his Lorrdian mother that he spoke no lie. Her craft took to the sole male pre-teen better than the rest of his siblings in the form of mimicry and even in reading others.

"Kirk D'arva," he'd then point another hand over at [member="Aela Talith"], "That's Meg."

Yeah, Meg. A wrinkle of his nose and then those bright orange eyes would survey [member="Karen Roberts"].

"Scout for the Protectorate eh?" curiousity would spark in his eyes, "Scouting for exactly what?" well he clearly ignored the last recommendation for them to simply go back home.

"Treasure of some sort? Ruins? " there was a half smirk dancing now against his grimy face.


[member="Karen Roberts"] [member="Aela Talith"]