Survivor: Knights of Ren

[Ara Zambrano]

Challenge #1: Force Ability
Post: 2

She glanced back at the leader of their group, an easy nod of agreement as she released her hold on the power, her mental map and sight fading. She noted that the other group had held back, their voices carrying for a ways but the words lost to the distance. Interesting how the two groups approached the challenge in two very different ways. They'd find out which method was superior soon.

She paused as [member="Jaron Lesan"] mentioned Beast Language. She'd heard of the ability but personality had no use for it and hadn't bothered to ask anyone for training in it. It seemed a far too specialized skill to be of much use, but obviously here was one such situation that they were at a disadvantage over the leader of their team. She supposed this was just one reason he was in charge instead of one of the women, rank another.

"I do not." She shot him a quick glance, noting the smile that hadn't been present before. She raised an eyebrow in question.

She followed the path before them, keeping a close watch on the others, ensuring she was staying the right course. They were nothing but shadows in the haze of the jungle. [member="Perth Levov"] was off to her left, [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] somewhere off to her right, the Knight bringing up the rear. A few times she almost tripped over an exposed root or hidden rock. Quick reflexes and dexterity saved her from an inglorious faceplant.

She shrugged, her attention pulled to the wilds surrounding them as the sounds naturally occurring in the forest started to die, their footsteps and the crack of dry leaves and twigs under their feet, the only sounds this deep. They were getting closer. She didn't need the Force to tell her that silence usually meant the presence of something large and dangerous, and hopefully the creature they were seeking.

Spoiler

[member="Zmej Ren"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Kyrel Ren"] | [member="Mishel Ren"] | [member="Garett Van"] | [member="Torian Pierce"] | [member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Perth Levov]

Post 2 of 4

Perth had a small advantage over most inhabitants of the galaxy and even over the average Disciple. She was born and raised as an Echani warrior. She did not need to use the Force to be a lethal warrior – but it was a useful addition to her repertoire.

The trail ahead was easy enough to follow and so she held a spot in the middle of the group and away to the left. When she was needed, she would act. Until then, she would allow others to share their natural talents and allow them to make progress as a team.

The footprints revealed what she suspected. It was a large creature. And as she reflected on the fact, she listened to their team leader. She shook her head when asked about dealing with beasts through mental manipulation. Her experience to date had only been with fellow humans.

She kept pace with the group and wondered if she were the only one able to walk through a jungle without snapping every twig and branch they came across. If the plan was to alert the creature they were coming, they were doing a fine job of it.

And then she sensed it. She did not proactively seek the creature’s presence – there was no conscious tapping of the Force. Rather she felt it wash over her, and she was immediately on edge and ready for the ensuing fight.

[member="Ara Ren"] [member="Jaron Lesan"] [member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

CHALLENGE: Force Ability
POST: 3 / 4
TEAM: [member="Kyrel Ren"] | [member="Mishel Ren"] | [member="Zmej Ren"]

--

Connor looked away for a moment, gauging the other team and where they were. They were far enough away to be close in aura, but not in terms of sabotaging their effort. When Zmej moved forward and spoke, Connor turned back to give her his attention and knelt down by the track.

"Single track. Heavy imprint, which means it's carrying weight.”

Nodding, he placed his hand on the track, indicating for her to do the same.

"Feel the aura of the beast. Read the size. The feelings. Was it angry? Hungry? Scared? The Force is much more than a weapon - it's a tool to read all things bound by it.”

Looking ahead into the foliage, Connor pointed to where the track went.

"I say we take Zmej's finding. Follow the track. And if we find our prize, two will immobilize, two will kill. Easy as that. Sound ok, Leader?”

He flashed a grin at their masked team leader, as he stood and brushed his hands down.


[member="Kaalia Voldaren"] | [member="Ara Ren"] | [member="Jaron Lesan"] | [member="Perth Levov"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Torian Pierce"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Challenge: 1
Post: 2

Kaalia Understood [member="Jaron Lesan"]'s words, and when she saw no clear sign of their target she let the Force loose, letting her own vision take back over. The redhead remembered what Isla Ashen had showed her on Kaeshana, where they shrunk their presence in the Force to stay hidden. Her mind went over what she did before, and mirrored it. The aura around her became smaller, and now only tangible to her allies directly around her. "I was taught to shrink my presence in the Force in these kind of situations, that way we can move unnoticed more easily."

The leader of the group found a trail, and stopped the group. He mentioned Beast Language, something Kaalia had read about before. She didn't possess the knowledge on how to use it however. "All I know is that it allows you to communicate with beasts, but I have never used it before. In what way do you look to communicate with it, what message should be sent?" The woman felt the presence of the beast nearing, and took a deep breath. She readied herself in case a fight broke out, but it wasn't the preferred course of action. Whatever Jaron was planning was a more subtle way of taking it out, and the redhead agreed with that notion.

Spoiler

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Ara Ren"] | [member="Jaron Lesan"] | [member="Perth Levov"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Torian Pierce"] | [member="Kyrel Ren"] | [member="Mishel Ren"] | [member="Zmej Ren"]

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Challenge 1 Force Ability
Post 2/4

Kyrel had sensed some uneasiness especially from [member="Mishel Ren"] whom when he gazed at her, she seemed to be giving him a warm smile, he knew that she didn't like him and Kyrel felt anger boil in him, he hated on how he had worked months serving the Supreme Leader carrying out every task, and reach a status of Knight only to be disrespected by Disciples or Knights alike. This was a chance to prove himself, to prove that he had great power, and was capable to lead his brothers and sisters. He would not let anyone think badly of him, and even thought of saying something but had decided against it in favor of seeing the task complete.

He had listened to the former Jedi [member="Connor Harrison"] words with great interest. It would be a wise move to follow his advice, as Kyrel never encountered such a creature before, his breathing was the only sound heard until Kyrel nodded and said through his commanding baritone. "I agree that would be the best course of action, We shall go ahead with the plan and try to catch the beast first." He than proceeded to walk forward through the jungle.

He stretched out through the force, using Connor's advice he used the force to sense the surrounding area, connecting with the trees and vines, with every bird carnivore or insect using it to the find the beast, as he advanced forward he sensed the beast was close and getting closer, he sensed the anger and pure hunger the beast felt, using it to his advantage he used it to track the creature down following [member="Zmej Ren"] to it.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Flexing her hand, Mishel could only nod in agreement with those in her party. "Connor," she asked, "how do you sense and feel when you use the force?" It seemed somewhat random but for Mishel. Sensing with the force was a bit like getting a lot of noisy feedback without being able to tell which was which. With the exception of Samka or Zmej as she was closer to either one of the sisters rather than anyone else. How then she wondered would she be able to sense a target that she had never met, or even seen. "I've not met with this beast before, so far I've only really been able to discern my brothers or sisters."

She could see the tracks and supposed tracking without the force would do just as well. However, in a battle she would need to be able to see her enemy just as well as they could her. Most especially since there seems to be an abudance of force users in the galaxy. At least she swore that to be true as of the last gala, the ball where it seemed everyone had turned their auras up to show off their powress.

Mishel tightened her hair and followed the party, as silence fell over the lot. "Sister, do you hear something?" She turned to Zmej for confirmation, as between the others - she knew Zmej the most. Even if she yearned to inquire about Siobhan from Connor, she supposed she could ask him later when they were not hunting some beast. The girl also watched Kyrel's motions, and actions studying how he moved and recalling how stiffly he did so in his suit, curious, she wondered what drove him to craft such a foul thing in the first place. Putting it aside she returned her attention to Zmej.

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Torian Pierce"] | [member="Garett Van"] | [member="Kyrel Ren"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Zmej Ren"]

 

[Zmej Ren]

Challenge 1
Post 3
Teammates: [member="Mishel Ren"] [member="Kyrel Ren"] [member="Connor Harrison"]

With so many lifeforms filling the surrounding jungles, finding one particular beast equalled firing off several blind shots and hoping one hits the target. Eyes shut closed, the blonde delved deep into the currents of the Force, brows furrowing. Yes – she could feel many signatures, some closer than others. Ruling out the obvious sentients did little good though. Overwhelmed, deciding to focus on the visual tracks instead, she paused her efforts and listened to her sister. After all, Mishel’s question mirrored Zmej’s own concerns – although she knew how to reach out through the Force and feel various lifeforms, distinguishing them was an entirely different matter unless it came to the few she had memorized.

Golden eyes shifted back towards the tracks imprinted in the dirt as slow, methodical steps carried her forward. More and more prints appeared, marking a way to follow. Zmej advanced according to her doubtful skill as a tracker until suddenly coming to a stop. Completely still, listening, Zmej expanded her awareness after Mishel voiced her concern. At first she registered nothing else than the jungle’s usual ambience. About to report failure at registering anything out of the ordinary, the pale skinned disciple picked a sudden disturbance. The rustling of foliage as something approached left no doubt about an incoming visitor. Turning in the direction, Zmej steeled herself and eagerly awaited the beast to break the thick green wall.

Covered in thick armour-like hide, the gargantuan animal emerged, bigger than she imagined. Denying the situation’s urgency to cloud her mind and throw her off balance, the dark disciple raised her hand at lightning speed, pouring the Force into keeping the beast away. Without anything covering her soft, fragile body, a physical contact with the Zakkeg would undoubtedly be fatal.

“Kyrel, help me hold it still.” She barked at the group’s leader, leaving the other with the task of killing it.

Whether the encounter spoke in favour of her tracking skills or not would be decided later. For now they had to survive and emerge victorious.

 

[Connor Harrison]

CHALLENGE: Force Ability
POST: 4 / 4
TEAM: [member="Kyrel Ren"] | [member="Mishel Ren"] | [member="Zmej Ren"]
--
Mishel spoke up, and so walking behind Kyrel and Zmej along the track, Connor explained.

"The Living Force, Mishel. It’s what binds us all together. You, me, the beasts of this world. Everything. Much like you could take a piece of fabric from one of your friends and feel their aura on it, their Force fingerprint if you will, you can do the same with a track from a beast.”

He pointed around him at the jungle and their allies.

"The Force connects all living things, hence the ability to manipulate the minds of others or accelerate healing. The beast would leave its Force signature within the tracks, and you must feel it, and embrace it, and connect with it. Feel where that aura is now, regardless of what it is. The Force will guide you if you allow it to connect, and from then you can gauge where that same aura is, and hone in on it. It’s sort of…complex to explain and I didn’t go a good job, but I can help you another time if you wish.”

Their attention was drawn to Zmej with Mishel’s own awareness – right there, the connection was clear that she had been alerted.

Connor took a step forward, looking into the foliage around them. And then, their beast came lumbering out. The four of them were dotted around the Zakkeg as it burst forward to surprise them. He had to act fast to help Zmej – he had to hold it. Gripping his hands tight, he focused not on the hide, but the muscles of the thick legs. The internal workings to cripple and hold the beast. He pulled inwards and felt the muscles contract.

"Kyrel, no time! Take it down! Mishel, what I just said; connect with the beast and the life Force of it. Find the beating heart and destroy it!”

All he could do was hold the beast and erode it’s muscle with Zmej and pray the others would take it down in time.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"] | [member="Ara Ren"] | [member="Jaron Lesan"] | [member="Perth Levov"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Torian Pierce"]