The Ground, the Pack and the Quarry

[Olrunn Darr]

The table was made small by all the different objects and devices littered on top of its expanse. The gurlanin female, currently morphed into her human form, sat calmly on top of a box, the gauntlets of her armor close at her hands as she inspected them for what could have been the millionth time since she had crafted the thing. Olrunn believed in readiness and preparation, she was not planning on being unnecessarily injured due to a badly locked blade or an out of shape plate. Apparently satisfied with her review, she stood up and started making quick work of the articles on the table, swiftly and precisely putting them inside a big duffel bag. Each had its location she had by now memorized, this sort of organization had proved to be more effective in order not to forget anything. However, what was intriguing was that the Gurlanin was packing doubles of each thing. She finished by putting the two breath masks safely inside the bag and closed it. There were more practical, easier ways of preparing the necessities for her trip by having a droid make the preparations but to her, this step preceding a hunt was of a more personal nature. A sort of renewed familiarization with the instruments of her trade.

Olrunn lifted the heavy bag and swang its strap over her right shoulder with surprising ease before exciting her small chambers and making her way through the corridors of the Temple. Her intended destination was not too far, she was searching for a fellow acolyte. The young woman had an offer to make, one she was hoping would be well received by the man in question. Her steps were well measured, fast and otherwise unremarkable helping her keep the low profile she was always known to favor. There was no time to be wasted with innocuous conversation, she had limited time until she'd be required again by her Master or her duties and obligations as an apprentice of the Sith. Once she reached the corresponding door, Olrunn did not bother with knocking. She simply allowed her presence in the force to extend, allowed herself to be sensed and then awaited for the emergence of the one called [member="Xevek Rakama"]. Maybe the Zabraki acolyte did not have a taste for the hunt, that was a possibility, but most had a taste for reward and she was willing to deliver it.

Her intended mission was not precisely easy, and her mind was bigger than her pride. Enough to know that it was in her best interest to procure an adept pair of helping hands in case things went...not according to plan. It would be a shame should her offer be denied, losing this opportunity to retrieve much needed objects was simply not an option and she could think of very few other people to approach with proposal of a hunting trip. And even if there were other candidates, learning the ways of work of a fellow Dark Magus seemed far more helpful and logical to her than to ask any other apprentice with whom she shared nothing but title.

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

The sensation of a a flame flickering down to embers and then to nothing more than ash carried on the wind was not an uncommon sensation for Xevek to experience, despite how much he tried to logically convince himself that such an analogy was nothing more than a metaphor and, as such, something that he would not even know let along be able to experience. And, yes, every time he awoke, he awoke to that sensation and the metaphorical shards of glass it dug deep into his skin. It had become an expected experience to the point that as he transitioned seamlessly from sleep to alertness, he only vaguely recognised the fact that he was once more feeling the impossible as he slowly swing himself from the uncomfortable bed he had made his rest within.

Leaning forwards, letting the cool air of the quarters soothe burning that stirred along heated and tattooed flesh, Xevek stared at the mirror that hung opposite him, caught up in the terror of his own appearance. Slowly, almost disbelievingly despite having been confronted with the same sight for an age, the matt black metal of his cybernetic hand raised to brush along the deep set scars that wound across the right hand side of his face - deep enough that bone itself had been marked, a medic had once commented - and the deformed mess of bone that was his right eye socket, his empty eye socket. The cause of his hesitance was simple for him, every time he set his gaze upon his own face, every time he touched it, something always flared to life within his chest. What that emotion was, he did not know and it was that that caused his hesitance. He was not eager to feel something he could not recognise, something that could serve to disrupt his focus.

Grumbling softly to himself, Xevek pushed himself from the bed and to the floor, the sheets that had covered him falling away to reveal his naked form and the series of intricate tattoos that woven their way across scar-and-burn riddled tissue. Smoothly, with practiced ease, Xevek began to twist and bend his body into a series of unnatural looking shapes, ignoring the pain that seared its way through tense muscles at the beginning. For someone as tall as he way, he often found that his flexibility was harder to maintain than it had been for....

A fierce growl pierced through the quiet as the approaching Presence of someone else shot through his awareness, disrupting his concentration enough that the name he had been trying to remember, the name that had finally, finally, been on the tip of his tongue was suddenly stolen away from him, lost once more into the ether that was compromised of the voids within his memory. Untwisting himself, Xevek absentmindedly scooped up the mask from where it lay at the foot of his bed, fastening it into place as the person drew to a stop on the other side of his door. Pausing for a moment, Xevek inhaled sharply, carefully noting the unique aspects of the newly arrived scent, committing it to memory for later on when he had a name and face to accompany it.

Uncaring for his naked state (it was not unusual, after all, for members of his Clan to spar and fight bereft of clothing and weapons so as to learn what to do when in the most dire of situations and, as such, modesty had been long since driven from the Iridonian's focus), Xevek made sure the mask that protected his appearance was securely in place before letting the door slide open, revealing to him the appearance of the owner of the new scent as well as causing a brush of slightly cooler air to rush across him. Tilting his head to one side, Xevek stared down at the woman that stood before him with long, ashen blonde hair, steely blue eyes and the unnatural scent that caused a small snarl to pull at his lips now that he was confronted with it directly.

"Yes?" His voice, gruff and gravelly, was slightly muffled by the mask of bone but, even so, the slight undercurrent of impatience could be heard.


[member="Olrunn Darr"]

 

[Olrunn Darr]

Her patience was not easy to test, a trait she had picked up from her father. The instincts that guided her lacked flame, they were not hasty nor careless unless she found her self in the worst of situations. They were calm, methodical and relentless in their intent, Olrunn could wait years for a single thing to happen if this ensured the predisposition of the moment to serve her purpose. A temperament in such aspect had made of waiting for minor things an easy affair. In this case, waiting for a door to open. The Gurlanin kept her eyes trained in a particular expanse of wall as her thoughts flowed freely. She was remembering the last time she had been to Kessel, buried deep inside the entrails of one of its mines. Partially unaware of her movements she guided her right hand to her shoulder, pressing on the beginning of her scar, the wound that never healed. Had her arm possessed the ability to expand unnaturally, she would have been able to trace the whole of the scar down her back, across her shoulder blade, reaching her ribs. Truth was, she did not hate many things. Powerful emotions were hard to wake inside of her but once they did, they burned with a fire almost too strong to bare. And among the few things she was completely certain, was the fact that she hated energy spiders, the culprits behind her now damaged shoulder.

Today, should the Zabrak be willing to oblige her in her request, she would have another chance to face the damned creatures. Yes, this trip indeed held more than just material gains. Scores would be set, but this was of no concern for the one who was her potential companion in this mission. A few moments later she could sense the man moving inside the room and knowing she had been noticed, the Gurlanin pulled back her presence, dissipating it into nothing until she was no longer felt in the Force. She had grown comfortable in the nonexistence of a mark, she believed she was naturally designed to keep a low profile, an imperceptible one. For that was the objective of her species, predating and an easily noticed predator was a completely useless one. Of course, the years had taught her to use this natural skill in many more ways than just hunting, the applications were almost endless if one got creative enough.

Her train of though was suddenly interrupted when her ears were alerted to the sound of someone moving behind the door. It opened and her gaze was immediately raised to be met with the slits of a bone mask. She would not confirm her suspicions but she trusted her peripheral view enough to know not to let eyes wonder. Apparently the man had little care for modesty and though she would have agreed with the philosophy, given the fact that if one got technical she spent most of her time bereft of ware in her native shape, she herself only felt comfortable in such state with people who held her trust, most of whom were no longer roaming this galaxy as living beings. Consequently, her slight discomfort with the current situation was not derived out of pudency but of her lack of previous bonding with the Zabrak.

Olrunn did not allow this to affect her, and her exterior remained mostly unchanged and more so as she gathered her thoughts to deliver the intended message. "I came to you to ask if you would be interested in joining me in a hunt, Rakama. I've seen your people hunt and fight before and I could use the aid." Her voice was silky and smooth, extremely pleasant to the ear. Gurlanin were known for their enthralling voices and apparently she had been no exception in this aspect. "Of course, your help would be fairly rewarded. If you agree, we must depart right now. I've already prepared all that we should need so, if the case, I'd suggest you dress yourself so we can leave." She did not waste time explaining all the background information to this hunt. For the time being, she needed a yes or a no and would provide more information or not only in accordance to that answer.

[member="Xevek Rakama"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xevek's head titled to one side as the words uttered drifted past him. What was being said to him was being subconsciously registered only partially, the request being made of him being noted but not receiving any attention, instead being stored within his mind for him to look towards later. No, his focus was instead directed solely towards his eyes. Armour, weapons and equipment, all of it was recognised with a sense of detachment, seen through his peripheral only as his gaze remained locked with the woman's own steel-blue eyes. Within them, through them, he stared at the twisting nature of the Force as it coiled throughout her body, twisting into a canvas of emotion that made him hunger for more with such an intense drive that he could feel his hearts beating faster than normal. It was glorious to observe, the twisting colours that spelled out emotion and thoughts in a manner that he could see and understand but not fully read, only parts of the knowledge was present and he hungered to devour that which was being dangled before him.

Snapping out of his stupor sharply as the lilting sound of a silken voice halted, Xevek showed no sign of his start as he continued to stare in silence. Behind the mask and the guarded gaze, his mind was scouring through the words he had only partially listened to, tearing them apart with the furiousity of a predator as he sought to find any hidden meanings and traps within them. She was a hunter like himself after all, perhaps deserving of the title of Alpha and Predator, it would not be unexpected if the cunning of a hunter was present not only in the marks set upon her flesh but scarred into her mind and expressed through her words. As he finished his internal examination, a small smirk pulled at unseen lips.

"Olrunn Darr."

His voice was husky, rough and gravelly as it slipped from behind the leering grin that stretched across the mask. His words were intertwined with a subconscious growl that spoke to his history with the ancient language of Iridonina: Ul'Zabrak, a language where growls could signify words along with context and were paired equally with spoken syllables similarly to other languages. Still, even through the gruffness of his voice, it was clear that it had been breathed out, almost with a sense of reverence and enthrallment. However, should Olrunn have listened closely to the two words that broke the silence between them, she would hear something much more sinister lingering within his voice. Lust that was not sexually directed, hunger that was not food based - primal and dark it coiled around the Iridonian's words.

The door to Xevek's quarters would shut sharply in Olrunn's face after the two words had been spoken, sealed shut. However, from behind the door, sounds of activity could be heard up until it opened once more, the towering form of Xevek sliding past Olrunn to join her in the corridor. His mask had been joined by a thick, black robe that fell around his form in such a way that it obscured whatever lay beneath it - including weapons, clothing and the very outline of his figure. Staring down at the female, leering mask dropping slightly as he bent down, burnt amber stared into steel-blue once more.

"Olrunn Darr, I am Xevek.... Lead on, Huntress."



[member="Olrunn Darr"]

 

[Olrunn Darr]

Olrunn would have lied if she said she did not feel intrigued by the Zabrak. If it escaped his notice or not, she did not know but as the amber eyes of the man looked into hers, the gurlanin had every intention of reciprocating the action. A fire burned within the man, one that seemed to contrast so grimly with the dark glaciers of her own inner self. Yet at the same time, similarities laid hidden among the stark difference. There was no other reason as to why she had felt compelled to ask him for help, if not the fact that she found him more familiar than the rest of her fellow acolytes. The fact that he was able and had skill was simply a decor to add. Olrunn would rather have someone she trusted with her in a hunt over someone with mere skill, and she had yet to fully trust anyone within the Olrunn of the Sith. Might as well chose the one she felt most identified with, even if in ways she had yet to discern.

The shutting of the door was met with an unflinching acolyte. After all, she had not expected him to gather his clothes and bearings with an open door. The gurlanin made use of this time to guide her hand to one of the hidden pockets in her robes, producing a small frame that contained tablets of some unknown nature. Her fingers did quick work of the lid, proceeding to pick one of the white rectangles and guiding it to her mouth. The bitter taste was something she had grown familiar with, no longer a bother but rather just a minor inconvenience. Not wasting time, she chewed the medicine with ease before letting it travel down the back of her throat. In time, Olrunn had learned that the injury to her shoulder grew more painful the more she thought about it. And it was hard not to think about it when she was about to revisit the very same place where it was inflicted upon her. Slight anger slithered through her in the shape of a small surge of dark Force, causing the marred skin over the damaged area to become feverish and tingly. A welcome soothing provided by the Dark Force.

As the acolyte put the vial back into the pocket, the door was pulled open once more. She tilted her head upwards, eyes meeting once more those belonging to the Zabrak. "Xevek." She murmured, the silky voice and the slightest nod of her head showing recognition towards the man. For a second the remembrance of the raging emotion behind his eyes replayed in her thoughts as she heard his final words causing a diminutive curve to pull the corner of her lips. With no more to add, she turned and started her pace towards the nearest hangar bay to their quarters. She had previously had a ship prepared, alongside with its droid to pilot it. Soon enough the blast door to the hangar bay saw them walk through, and Olrunn lost no time in approaching the ship which was ready to depart. "Set the coordinates to Kessel, droid. We leave at once." The pilot droid nodded and disappeared into the cockpit as she climbed the ramp to the ship. Clearly it was far less developed and charismatic than her Master's personal droid, Fee-Too, but that was nothing that inconvenienced her.

The vessel was a simple transport ship, with enough armament to scamper away from any tight situation but little more to its design. It still had everything she deemed necessary: a place were to sit out the travel and enough space to bring back the game. She looked once more at the Zabrak, bidding him to follow her into the ship's sole lounge. She took a sit in front of a computer, a holodisplay next to it. The gurlanin had taken up little sitting space in the plasticast bench, gesturing for the Zabrak to sit next to her.

"This is what we'll be hunting," She said, as the tridimensional image of a Shell-spider appeared floating on top of one of the displayers. "and this, is what we have to be weary of." Her voice had taken a much lower tone, a display of her strong distaste for the beasts. A second image, one of an energy spider was brought to life next to the previous one. "Shell spider, energy spider." Olrunn named each of them, her eyes remaining on the figure of the latter one for a second too long, as she tried to refrain her dark emotions from overflowing into her gaze.

[member="Xevek Rakama"]