Private The Familiar Surroundings of Bog and Forest

[Zinayn]

Zinayn's newly acquired shuttle cruised over the vast, tall forest of Kashyyyk. Various species of avians flocked to the east in the distance, and their cries could be heard through the hull of the ship. A slow smile spread across his face. He hadn't been to this world in a long while. All the memories of training and pushing past his limits flooded back. The running, swimming, and climbing, all while under constant attack by the local fauna and flora. Now he could relive it again with a friend by his side.

He found a small opening in the trees and guided the shuttle down with the repulsors. Tree branches scratched against the metal all the way down. The transport touched down softly, a stark contrast to the shuttle he'd used to travel to Moltok for the mock battle. Zinayn unbuckled his crash webbing and turned to Laphisto . "We've arrived. Make sure to leave your weapons. The Force is all you need," he said, unclipping his lightsaber from his belt and stashing it beneath the control board.

He headed over to the landing ramp and waited for the High Commander, feeling a sense of excitement. He was finally back.

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto had agreed to follow Zinayn to kashyyyk to learn more about the man that had been a key figure amongst the Lilaste orders force organization, he had helped sculpt the Kirima force academy helped design it's literature and education program for force users, that was until the Royal Naboo Republic came in and the Order was faced with the decision of trying to fight the new government or leave on Thier own terms.

Laphisto had personally instructed every station, every ship yard, and even the force academy was scuttled and destroyed to ensure it didn't fall into the hands of the RNR. In hind sight it night have been an over reaction but in the moment of things, they had no way of knowing the goals of the RNR.

The Chiss's voice broke laphisto out of his thoughts and his gaze snapped up and he looked over at the man, grabbing his broad saber from his hip which pulled away with a metallic clink. His other hand moved to pull the LO-22S pistol from its holster before then pulling the LO-18D Rifle off his back. Setting them with zinayns light saber

"Alright then, let's see what kashyyyk is like. The last time I was here the Silver Jedi concordate was here, before I was the High commander, back the. I was still a prisoner for the Jedi, a weapon. " Laphisto gave a small frown as he stepped off the ramp and up next to the man " I was so lost to the current galaxy. So lost on what I was doing and where I belonged"

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn breathed deeply, the sounds of nature surrounding them. The shuttle was the only form of technology for miles, he'd bet. As Laphisto stepped off the ramp by him, the Chiss nodded knowingly. "I was the same. Although I may not have been from a different time, I still didn't know where I belonged either. As a midager, I could have never imagined myself anywhere other than Csilla living out my days. But of course they took me to be an ozyly-esehembo to guide their ships, and I didn't want to live my life sitting at the helm of a warship for hours at a time. The other children usually lost their Third Sight (that is, their ability to navigate the ship through the jumbled hyperlanes of the Chaos) around the years of a midager. I didn't have to worry about that though. The war came..." Zinayn blinked and returned to the present. "But excuse my rambling. I noticed that I did not lose my Force abilities like the other sky-walkers, so I trained. I was driven by hatred for those that destroyed my home, hope that other Chiss might have survived, and some odd sense of determination to fill the void in my being with countless hours of grueling work....to be too fatigued to feel."

He stepped forward to create some distance between him and the dragon before going through a few familiar stretches. As he looked around, he noticed the surroundings were...familiar. More familiar than just the general biome of Kashyyyk's forests. This location specifically gave him a strange sense of deja vu. When he had trained here years ago, he never landed at the same spot twice. However, he'd done this dozens of times. What were the chances that he had been at this specific location before? The bog stretched out before him, its waters seeming calm and inviting. Even the bank to the right of the lake, with the tall grasses farther out and the wroshyr trees looming over, he recognized. Odd.

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto stepped forward, wings folding slightly as he came to stand beside the Chiss. His arms crossed loosely over his chest, and for a moment, his eyes shimmered with a flicker of the Force subtle flashes outlining the trees, the bog, the distant birdsong rippling through the canopy. His gaze swept the terrain, but his attention remained on Zinayn's words.

"I can promise you this," he said, voice low, thoughtful. "Others like you did survive. I've met one a young Force-sensitive Chiss. Not a navigator. Just… lost, like we all are at times. That means there are more. I believe there are thousands still scattered across the stars." He paused, letting the stillness stretch between them like the moss-draped branches overhead. "You've given everything to the Order. Whatever help you need to find them your people you'll have it. You've earned that, and more." Turning to face him fully, Laphisto brought a hand to his chestplate with a soft thud, then dipped his head in a warrior's bow silent, resolute, respectful.

Zinayn

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn was overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia as he sloshed through the muddy ground, breathing in the unique scent of Kashyyyk's ecosystem. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been to this specific patch of forest before. The entire world was covered in this same biome; same trees, same grass, same sounds. This sense of nostalgia was not so general. Before he could dwell on it further, Laphisto 's voice broke through the ambience of nature. The Chiss paused on the shore of the bog, his gaze lost in the murky depths.

"Yes, after I had trained here for several months, I actually took my talents into bounty hunting. Just for a little while to make some credits to get myself in a comfortable financial position. During that time I saw dozens of my people; usually on the more shady worlds, like Nal Hutta. But they were out there," he said, his voice taking on a more wistful tone. "I thank you for your offer to help...but to bring my people back together would require extraordinary time, effort, and manpower. To rebuild the Chiss Ascendancy would be even more ambitious. Many people and organizations have tried and failed to do so. I do not wish to direct so much of your time nad so many of your resources for something that seems to never work. At least not now," he said, returning Laphisto's bow.

He looked back at the bog for a moment before they trudged through the increasingly tall grass and put the bog behind them. The ground became firmer and the ambience resumed. The Force flowed into him with renewed energy, refreshed by the harmony in this forest. It seemed to hum and sing within him to the rhythm of life, untainted by the dark or light sides.

"Do you feel that? The Force is so...pure here. No dark side. No light side. Just the Force," he pointed out.

A rustling in the underbrush fifty feet away silenced him and seemingly the rest of the forest too. And then a warning from the Force, and Zinayn threw himself to the ground to the left. Powerful jaws snapped shut from above where he was standing as a Wyyyschokk hung from a silk thread attached to a wroshyr tree that he was standing under. He got to his feet and swept his gaze around the area of the underbrush where he heard the distracting rustling. A towering terantatek lumbered through the grass, munching on an unfortunate avian. The terantatek, slightly smaller than the average rancor, spotted him and let out a shrill cry before advancing on him.

"You take the Wyyyschokk, I'll take the tarentatek!" he yelled to the High Commander before channeling the power of the pure Force through him and throwing a storm of emerald lightning at the beast.

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto took in a deep breath, his gaze drifting across the verdant expanse of Kashyyyk before settling once more on the Chiss beside him. He gave a small nod at Zinayn's words. "At the very least, we can make a concerted effort to reach out to your people offer them a place within the Order. A home, or honest work. Whatever they're willing to accept."

He paused, thoughtful. The Chiss Ascendancy… Laphisto had never heard of it before. He could only assume it was a faction that rose and fell during one of the many centuries he'd spent in carbonite. But if they were anything like the man beside him sharp, driven, powerful then he could only imagine what they had once been at the height of their strength. When Zinayn spoke of the Force, Laphisto stilled. His taloned feet dug lightly into the forest floor as he allowed the world to breathe through him. The Force, here, was not pulling or pushing. It simply flowed alive, harmonious, whole.

"The true state of the Force," he said softly, almost to himself. "Balanced… as it should be." Then it changed. The silence struck him like a sudden chill. He felt it in the roots beneath his feet, the stillness of the canopy, the pause in the wind. His instinct moved faster than thoughthis hand reached reflexively toward his hip, only to meet empty air.

No sword. He hissed under his breath. Of course. No weapons. Just like his verd'goten trial on Agamar. A chuckle rumbled in his throat as he shook his head. No blades, no backup just the raw Force and the will to survive. The Wyyyschokk descended, its massive form coiled and ready. Laphisto crouched low, slowly beginning to circle the beast. Sparks crackled faintly in the back of his throat the flintlike bones clicking together, igniting soft bursts of fire behind his teeth. It was a primal warning, an ancient instinct surfacing in the moment. The moment the spider lunged, Laphisto would be ready.

 

[Zinayn]

The lightning coursed over the tarentatek's skin, charring the flesh and making it howl in agony. However, the beast, known for its viciousness and hunting Force-sensitives, continued its relentless approach, the lightning merely an annoyance to it. The channel of electricity stopped abruptly as Zinayn backpedaled, buying himself more space and time. His eyes went to the ground beneath the creature and he had an idea. He was no elementalist, but even he could manipulate the earth with the Force. He drove a palm down into the soil, driving the Force through the surface. A fissure appeared in response, and the ground split beneath the terantatek, causing it to stumble and fall partly into the crevasse.

With his opponent occupied at the moment, the Chiss spared a glance towards the High Commander. He was circling the spider, and Zinayn could see bright orange flames building in his mouth. Confident that Laphisto could take care of the Wyyyschokk, Zinayn focused the Force again and unleashed a devastating blast, causing the ground to splinter again, and the terantatek to be driven back through the fissure. He found the Force to be more powerful and effective when used in its whole; no light side and no dark side.

Zinayn noticed that its leg was now stuck and bleeding on the serrated rock. All that for a drop of blood? He remembered fighting these beasts all those years ago, but he never remembered them being this tough. Unless he'd gotten weaker.

His enemy stabilized itself on both sides of the fissure with its claws and pushed forward with its unstuck left leg. The ground seemed to explode behind it as its other leg came free, blood now drizzling into the soil. Then it dashed forward with great speed, its claws swinging and aiming to rip anything of Zinayn's. He quickly drew his outer robe around himself as he stepped to the side. The terentateks left claw impacted him, but his robe refused to tear beneath the sharp claws, and the danger passed by, its back now facing him.

His gaze locked onto the beast's injured leg, and he reached to the Force again, swinging his arm diagonally downwards. A larger cut appeared on its leg, as if a strong piece of glass had sliced through its flesh. Blood poured freely now, but so did its rage, seeming to numb the pain. It reminded him of the Sith. There were theories that the tarentateks were created from Sith alchemy experiments on rancors. That would explain their resemblance. And this use of rage to quell pain. He squatted down low and prepared to evade another attack.

 

[Laphisto]

As Laphisto and the massive Wyyyschokk circled one another, the air thickened with tension. His wings flexed slightly for balance, talons curling into the forest floor with each precise step. The spider hissed, legs twitching as it gauged the distance. Laphisto's expression remained unreadable calm, patient, inevitable.

Then it struck. The Wyyyschokk lunged downward in a burst of speed, its limbs a blur of clawed fury. But the Dragonoid was already prepared. With a sharp exhale, the click of sparkbones ignited in his throatand a violent jet of fire erupted from his mouth, spiraling upward in a controlled column of searing orange and white flame.

The Wyyyschokk screamed as the fire struck it mid-leap. Its body writhed violently, instinctively trying to twist away from the inferno but there was no escape. Laphisto's hand raised, his fingers curling with purpose as he reached into the Force and held the beast in midair, suspending it like an insect trapped in amber. "You chose the wrong prey," he murmured, voice low and reverent, as if delivering a eulogy rather than a threat.

The fire consumed the creature, skin and shell blackening, cracking under the heat. Its legs kicked helplessly in the grip of invisible pressure. The smell of scorched chitin and acrid smoke filled the air around them. With his free hand, Laphisto reached once more into the Force not with fury, but with finality. The grip tightened. The Wyyyschokk compressed with a wet crunch, its body collapsing inward under the weight of an ancient will. Limbs twisted. Plates cracked. It gave a final shriek before going limp. Then silence. The corpse hit the forest floor with a dull thud, steaming and motionless.

Laphisto exhaled slowly, the inner fire within him dimming as he straightened his posture. His gaze drifted toward the fissure in the distance where Zinayn fought the terentatek. He watched the beast's wounded charge, the way Zinayn turned it aside with calm and precision. It reminded him of his own early battles of what it meant to fight with purpose rather than rage. He wiped soot from the corner of his mouth with the back of his wrist, a faint glow still flickering in his throat. "No blade," he muttered to himself again, half-smiling. "Only the Force." And fire of course cant forget that. he turned to watch Zinayn in his own duel. he would jump in and help but only if the chiss needed the help.

 

[Zinayn]

Even though his back was turned to Laphisto , Zinayn could still hear the roar of fire as the dragon presumably roasted the Wyyyschokk to death. It seemed his guest was finished with the entertainment for now. So he would be a good host and not keep him waiting.

Zinayn had fought tarentateks many times on this world, and knowledge came with defeating an enemy. In this case, anatomical knowledge. His gaze focused on the snarling creature's middle chest area as it turned around, and he reached out a hand. In a pinching motion, he closed one of the many arteries leading into its heart. He visualized the normal bloodstream being disrupted, and more blood flowing suddenly into the heart. The sudden difference made the organ burst with the pressure.

The tarentatek's eyes widened and it let out a strained screech before collapsing with a thud. It wasn't the most...humane way to kill, but the tarentateks had caused him many problems when he had been on these trips in the forest, so he didn't feel especially bad. He turned back to Laphisto to find him watching next to a scorching, charred black spider corpse. "Couldn't keep you waiting," he said truthfully. He stepped back onto the more level area of ground next to Laphisto and warned, "Those spiders are in no short supply here. They'll either descend on you like that, or spit a paralyzing substance at you from the top of the tree and wrap you up in silk. The tarentateks are less stealthy, preferring to strike fear into their prey and root them to the spot. We'll be encountering a lot of the latter. They like to hunt Force-sensitives."

He continued on the path like nothing happened after delivering such an urgent and important warning in such a casual tone. Something had him uneasy, though. The tarentateks were aggressive, yes, but never so tanky. He had fried it with lightning enough to kill dozens of men, created a fissure in the ground for its leg to get stuck in the tough ground (which it broke without a problem), and opened a gash on its leg with enough blood pouring to make it faint in seconds. And yet it lived on. The resemblance to Force Rage was uncanny.

Also uncanny was this patch of forest's familiarity. His eyes were drawn to a path of tall grasses fully covered by the shade of the wroshyr trees. He diverted course, looking back to make sure Laphisto was following, and took the path. If he was right about this place, this 'road' would lead him straight to...

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto followed at Zinayn 's side, wings folded loosely and his stride steady. The charred remains of the spider were already behind him, but the scent of scorched chitin still clung to the humid air. He glanced briefly at the corpse of the terentatek as they passed it. "Stubborn thing," he muttered. "Took more punishment than it should've i would think." His gaze shifted to Zinayn as the Chiss casually explained the dangers of the forestparalyzing silk from above, ambushes from below, more creatures on the way. Laphisto gave a small snort, equal parts amused and annoyed.

"So I'm walking through a jungle full of Force-eating predators... without a weapon, Remind me again how this is supposed to be relaxing?" he let out a small chuckle arms crossing over his chest before being forced to move a branch out of the way as he followed the new path Zinayn had taken.

"Those things tarentateks? they always like that? I've read records, seen data, but I've never fought one myself. That one felt... off. Too resilient. Felt like it should've dropped the second time you hit it. Something's wrong with it or something changed it maybe? i know the mandalorians have layed seige to this world recently but i dont think even they could have done something liek that." He let the idea settle a moment, then added with a shrug, "then again, we have seen far far stranger things in this galaxy."

As they moved deeper into the shaded trail, Laphisto tilted his head slightly, his vision shifting in that subtle way unique to him watching airflow patterns, movement in the canopy, life through vibration and motion. his eyes remained alert. and he didn't question Zinayn's path. The Chiss knew this place. and Laphisto trusted Zinayn. and that was enough "You lead," Laphisto said simply, "I'll watch your back."