Swamp Walk

[Via Dolorosa]

[member="Faye Terrik"], [member="Harley"]


The time had finally arrived for her to return home, though it was not a joyous occasion or a permanent stay. The voices, all five of them, began to appear more often and in times when she needed to focus. They were not trying to bring harm to her, this much she pieced together, but were trying to give her advice. Some good, some not so good. And they all had one thing in common, an amulet. Xhexnaia had a faint memory of picking it up and then waking up miles away from her cave; dazed and slightly disoriented. But some of the voices, at least two of them, were dropping hints to her what transpired that day. Unfortunately, most of their words were gibberish because when they spoke of the amulet, excitement washed over them. So their hints were not mounting to much. But those were the only two that seemed to know anything. And they were just as annoying as the other three.

When she sat and meditated letting her mind wander through the Dark Side in search for them, they couldn't be found. She studied several different methods of meditation, and still silence from the five. She grew to understand that all five had some deeper connection to the Dark Side than her, so she visited places and sites rooted deeply in the Dark Side in hopes of waking them, and again still nothing. She became agitated with the whole business and finally gave up seeking them out. And that seemed to agitate them. On more than one occasion she found herself in a heavy debate with one or more of the voices, unaware she was speaking to them out loud, drawing stares from those around her. Did others believe she was losing her mind? At first she discarded the notions of others until she began to question her sanity. Were the voices real or just a figment of her own imagination? She needed to find an answer to that. So to Dagobah she went. And with her, two other Acolytes.

She was familiar with the region she grew up and that was were she ordered the transport pilot to take them. Hopefully they would not have to scour the entire planet because if that was the case, then she was doomed. "We will land in the Hy'r region and begin our search there. Dagobah is a world of swamps, bogs, and marshes but those are the least of your concerns," she said looking at the other two to make sure they were paying attention. Dagobah was dangerous. "Many predators hunt those parts...day and night...and we will need to be vigilant. They use the terrain to their advantage and will strike when you least expect it. And if we encounter any tribes of the Hepsalum Tash, do your best not to offend them. Peaceful by nature but they will prove to be a fearsome foe if provoked. Now let us go."

The moment her feet touched the moist ground of her homeworld, the first voice, male, rose up in her mind saying, "The time is nearly at hand young Sith. Soon all will be revealed to you." "Yes, yes! Find what you seek," a female voice chirped. "Hold us in your hands as we hold your mind in ours," the other female roared. "At last we will be together once more," another male voice chimed. "Welcome home, Xhexania. Come and behold what knowledge we have for you, our chosen one. Our keeper," the last male voice, and most dominating of the five, spoke.

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Xhexania"]

Harley got the ship with other acolyte, the planet was dark and damp. As she got of the ship, it was also wet and soggy. The ground also had slight bounce to it, as she began to follow her companion on her trek. It was not long before some insect tried to bite her, in the face. She put the helmet on infantry armour, she decide she was just going get helmet head it was going to be worth it. She then felt more comfortable, as she moved around the swamp. The woman she was following appeared to be talking to herself, she could not hear what she was saying, though it did make her laugh. People think I am insane, she thought to herself as she began move through the swamp, keeping an eye ground below her.

 

[Faye Terrik]

[member="Harley"] | [member="Xhexania"]

This was not the first time Faye had met Xhexania, but that memory still rested in the back of the teenager's mind. She had mixed opinions on her, and if Faye had to be honest, the woman came off as a bit 'weird'. Perhaps it was the discussion Faye thought she heard her have with someone who wasn't there. That, coupled with what Faye now knew was her homeworld didn't exactly resonate a reassurance of sanity.

Much of the trip there had been spent debugging a clunky homebrew program on Faye's datapad, something of which she knew would have little use on a planet of the likes of Dagobah. Still, it would keep her occupied on the way there. Alternatively, she had a medium sized vibroweapon which lingered in an awkward size that was too small to be a sword, but too long to be a dagger. Certainly, a more experienced swordsman would've been able to tell her what it'd be identified as. This would likely be her main tool, and the way in which Xhexania described the planet, it would likely come in use at some point.

The ship had touched down, and the two others had been the first to make it outside. Faye had seen a glimpse of the planet from the viewport, and it didn't seem like a place she would be too fond of. Reluctantly, she made her way outside, to meet with the other two. It did not take long for her to realize the planet would be against her every step of the way, with the faint buzzing of some sort of insect in her ears.

A few steps forward in the damp ground, she sighed, letting out some feedback on the planet. "What a hellhole." It wasn't exactly polite, but it was the only way for her to describe such a planet. Having grown up on a planet where organic plant life was limited, the idea of a world filled with it felt foreign to her. Of course, it had to be Dagobah of all places to give her a crash-course on organic planets.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The trio moved through the swamps, stale water splashing all around them and insects trying to make a meal of them, toward the cave Xhexania once called her home on this planet. Memories of that cave flooded her mind but she quickly brushed them away for she needed to focus the best she could and that was no easy task since the voices seemed to be more active since they arrived on Dagobah. It took all her mental training to shut them out but they were rebelling against her. "Why do you wish to silence us? Do you not want our help," the younger of the male voices asked. In truth, she did. Perhaps one, if not all, knew where this amulet was and if she asked it would save her time. But she wondered if there would be a price to pay for that answer. A couple of the voices seemed to help her but the other three, she had her doubts about them. No, their help would not be requested.

After trouncing through the wetlands and avoiding the predators along the way, they came to her former cave at last. She stared at the aged rocks and slime infested vines that littered the entrance. A quick scan through the Force revealed the cave was empty of living creatures, which she was grateful for. "Are you going to make us wait even longer why you decide what to do? So typical of your thought process," one of the female voices mocked. Turning to her two companions, Xhexania said, "Wait here. This cave isn't big enough for three of us...I doubt it will be big enough for me." Crouching down and lowering her head, she peered into the blackness of the cave. Grabbing her lightsaber with her left hand, she powered it up and moved the crimson blade out in front of her using it as a torch; and entered.

The cave remained the same after all these years since the day Ryi took her away from this place. The only difference, the vegetation now claimed her small collection of belongings for itself. She began to brush them away with her free hand until she discovered a cruelly drawn map on the skin of a creature she must have hunted. "I should have been the one to guide your hand when creating a replica of the amulet's location," another of the male voices said in his familiar condescending tone as Xhexania raised the map to her eyes. She spun around on her heels and left her cave behind, forever.

Displaying the map to the others to see, Xhexania said, "We have a location to concentrate our search thoroughly. It is located near Dragonsnake Bog but we need to tread carefully. That entire area is infested with..." Xhexania swung her head toward the rippling water, and ignited her blade. She knew only one predator that caused massive patterns in the water like that. "Swamp slug," she bellowed. And on cue as if hearing it species called forth, a massive full grown adult emerged from the swampy water.


[member="Harley"], [member="Faye Terrik"]

Swamp Slug

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Darth Venefica"] [member="Faye Terrik"]

The beast had thousands of teeth, and looked like a giant slug. It was hugh beast, that looked like it could eat anything. She stared at it, as it reared it's ugly head from the swamp. She wonder if [member="Darth Odium"] would like it as a pet, she then shook her head. Uncliped her lightsabers, and ignited their crimson blades and ready herself for battle. She took up ataru stance, it was an aggarsive forcew forum. She then thought inwardly, enfusing her body with the force. This would increase her speed and strength, and help her fight this slug. She grimaced, and looked at her guide as if to say what the feth is that?

 

[Faye Terrik]

[member="Harley"] | [member="Darth Venefica"]

Faye looked down at the crudely drawn map, unconventionally written on some sort of swamp creature. The decaying remnants of the thing brought a new, unpleasant odor to her attention. She didn't look at it for long, before looking off to the distance of what she thought was the right direction. It was only a moment before something had begun to move in the water, and then Xhexania proclaimed it's name. It was a Swamp Slug.

As it rose from the water, she unsheathed her vibroblade, hoping for it to be of some use. Comparatively, it would not be as effective as the lightsabers the other two bore, but was better than trying to wrestle it. Her eyes followed it as it rose, it held a few distinct features, and if she had no better way to describe the beast, she would've called it a 'feral hutt'. But somehow, it was...cuter, in a way.

Faye held onto her weapon with two hands, reminiscent of the Shii-Cho style, but in a much less trained form. This would be her first real test against a living enemy, where life was on the line.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The giant creature was a fearsome foe, possibly the second on the pecking order of predators on Dagobah. She had only come face to face with once before and that was not a full grown adult yet. She had barely survived the encounter having vivid nightmares of it as a child. But she was no longer a child. She was no longer a small defenseless whelp holding fast to a crude weapon staring into the mouth of death. She no longer bore the name Xhexania, a name that no longer had any meaning for her. She was Darth Venefica, the Sith from Dagobah and slayer of the weak. And this was her swamp. "The slug is slow and lacks the wits to realize that there far easier prey than Sith," she said to the others. She could sense they were apprehensive in attacking the slug head on so she would distract the creature while they attacked it from behind.

"I will draw its attention to me and when it moves to confront me...attack it from behind. The flesh of the swamp slug is very thin and easily penetrated with weapons," she announced while reaching into the Force, grabbing a medium sized rotted log and hurled it at the swamp creature. With a squishy thud, the log crashed into the side of the slug rewarding Darth Venefica with both an errie hiss from the creature and the attention she was seeking. Moving at a snail's pace, the slug slithered its way out of the swampy water and onto the moss covered ground. Darth Venefica slowly backed up baiting the creature to follow, which it did.

With the slug's entire mass on dry land, adding to its already slow movements, she quickly shot the two Acolytes a quick glance, and nodded her head that the time for them to attack was now.


[member="Faye Terrik"], [member="Harley"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

[member="Harley"] | [member="Darth Venefica"]

By the time the log was in the air, Faye had already begun moving behind the beast. Wet splinters briefly rained upon it's contact with the slug, and it let out an agonizing hiss. It was pissed, alright. Faye continued her dash, unsheathing her vibroblade in a quick motion. The teenager held her breath as she tried to focus. Focus on something that she had already seen the Dagobah native do on Sev Tok. It was some sort of way she sped herself up, to an unnatural speed. It had to of been the Force which made that feat possible.

She continued to focus, tuning out the war cries the swamp slug gave out, and the thick swamp air which nearly choked her. It was only a split moment, but it hard worked. Faye was not incredibly far from the beast in the first place, so that was all that would be needed. Unknowingly to the creature, the teenager stood behind it. Without placing a second hand on the blade, she took two swings at the beast's back, where she thought it's spine may be.. if it had one. The flesh ripped and the cries of the beast filled the air once more.

The large, yellow eyes turned away from Venefica, and then focused on Faye, leaving it's side exposed to the other two Sith. Faye took a step back, as the beast prepared to attack her.

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Faye Terrik"] [member="Darth Venefica"]

Harley was primed and ready, she was waiting for the moment for beast to strike. She planned her moves in minds eye, as it went for someone, she would roll left then leap across it back. She planned to bring her sabers in low to cut it's hide, and then land turn and slash. She was ready, her body was infused with the force. Her eyes narrowed watching every movement of the beast, she waited for it to begin it's attack. Seconds began to feel like hours, as tension built up inside her like a like tightly coiled spring. She had to wait for it to move, before she could. She saw other begin to move, she slowly moved in opposite direction. Her feet crossed each other with every slow taken step, her arms were apar,t and each had her lightsaber primed and humming in her hands.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The slug turned to address the one that attacked it from behind leaving itself open to the Sith Knight. She unclasped her weapon from her hip belt and with a gentle press on the stud, she called forth the crimson blade. Gathering the Force into her, she attacked. Her slashes, guided by the Force, cut deep wounds into the slug but it only seemed to make the slug more aggressive. The slug swung its head around, its eyes falling on each of the prey, as it passed from one to another. The slug hissed and Darth Venefica answered with a snarl of her own. Time was being wasted on this creature and the Knight wanted to end this quickly.

"Terrik...Harley...I'm going to force it to expose its underbelly. When it does, concentrate your attacks there," she said as she circled the slug drawing its attention back to her. She locked her blade and hurled the lightsaber, using the Force to guide it, over the beast's head. The slug reached up to snap at it but missed. But its underbelly was now exposed to the other two Sith.

[member="Faye Terrik"], [member="Harley"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

[member="Darth Venefica"] | [member="Harley"]

Not sure if Venefica had vision on her, Faye nodded regardless. She heard the new suggestion, and slowly began to creep herself closer to Harley, sidestepping to keep the beast's attention on the Knight. She was uncertain how well it's vision was, but it would be better to not find out this day.

Then she saw the Sith Knight throw her lightsaber. This must've been the distraction. Faye charged at the beast once more, with her vibroblade in one hand and took another swing at the beast, the underbelly instead. The creature cried out, turning it's attention back onto it's new attackers. The small, centipede like stubby hands began to flail, in a painful motion. Her blade hurt it, but it would take a lightsaber to get a finishing blow.