Private The Tusken Rain Dance

[Braze]

The heat had always been brutal, but now it was worse.

Tatooine was no stranger to suffering, yet something had gripped the sands. Moisture vaporators that once eked out a meager supply of water were failing to produce much. Black melons, the lifeblood of survival for many, had withered before they could ripen. Even the deepest underground wells, those that had persisted through generations of hardship, were running dry. The night air, which once carried the cool breath of the desert and the promise of condensation, now felt barren—absent of the moisture that once sustained life.

And the People of the Sand had taken notice.

Rumors spread through the settlements like wildfire. Some said the shifting sands had swallowed hidden reservoirs whole, sealing them beneath layers of rock and dust. Others whispered that something ancient stirred beneath the dunes, drinking deep from the world's veins. The Tuskens, once wary of outsiders but predictable in their patterns, had become restless, their war parties growing bolder, their eyes full of silent accusation.

Something was wrong.

The balance of the sands had been broken, and the cause had to be found—before the last well ran dry.
Tatooine was dying.
And if the sands dried up completely, there would be no life left to claim them.

Braze had brought Aris Noble with him back towards the canyons where he had left his care taker A'Runda .​

Perhaps having Aris along would make finding the oasis easier.

 

[Aris Noble]

"I keep forgetting the canyons are here now. The sandstorms change them so drastically. We're here to talk to that Warden, right?" Aris was, ultimately, still very unimpressed with how everything had gone down. Why Braze looked so crisp, why Braze was dressed like a child, the like. Whoever this Warden was, they should know better than to bring insult to the Tuskens, right? It didn't help Aris didn't know A'Runda was actually Tusken themselves.

Too much unknown for Aris to properly draw a conclusion, but the burden on his friend's shoulders and the pain clear with every step had filled Aris with annoyance and anger.

Braze | A'Runda

 

[Braze]

TAGS: A'Runda Aris Noble

​

Braze nodded slowly. He had yet to pull his garb back on. "Yeah... I think you can help us find the Oasis. " Braze offered lightly. "Thank you for coming..." Braze offered in a tiered tone.
The desert did not forgive mistakes.

Braze had been trying to find the oasis—A'Runda's oasis, or at least the one he had spoken of, that distant promise of shade and water, something more than just dust and pain. He had clung to the thought of it. But the truth was, he was running on little more than desperation. The wind had stolen his sense of direction, the heat had eaten away at his focus, and in the end, he'd gotten lost.

The Tuskens did not share their secrets lightly. If an oasis existed, it was guarded. Through whispers and misdirection, trails leading nowhere, rumors spun to keep outsiders confused. Braze should have known that. He did know that. But knowing and experiencing were two different things.

Maybe the land itself had rejected him, letting him stumble further into its grasp rather than toward salvation. Or maybe it had just been another illusion—hope shimmering in the distance like a mirage, promising relief only to vanish when he reached for it.

In the end, it hadn't been an oasis he'd found. It had been the settlement of refugees, of tired people scraping by in a land that wanted to bury them just as much as it did him.

His fingers flexed against the strap of his canteen, though he didn't reach for it. Although the Force was silent to him, it had still granted him the fortune of meeting once more both A'Runda and Aris Noble .

 

[A'Runda]

Location: Tatooine
Tags: Braze | Aris Noble

Sensing their arrival, A’Runda picked himself up off the ground. Sitting for a bit to meditate and find more inside on where he should be. Concluding that he had to make his way to the oasis to possibly prevent a greater conflict. Grabbing his backpack he hoisted it up onto himself and signaled his dewback, Darwin to follow him.

Walking up to the edge of a cliff he peered down to see two people approaching. A’Runda jumped down again and again to hastily descend the cliff side all the while the old dewback lazily crawled along behind him. Eventually getting close to the two of them.

He first looked at Braze, their head and face now exposed. He’s warned the echani about disrobing. The point of the garbs were not entirely for cultural validation but also to allow his skin to slowly heal on its own. Concerned now that Braze was undoing their progress from the suns and their gross incandescence. There was a silent judgment.

Then A’Runda’s gaze shifted toward the other individual. Another echani perhaps? They looked similar to Braze only with considerably more size. His eyes narrowed some from behind the red lens of his goggles. He wondered if they were a Jedi too, here to retrieve their lost absent member.

Looking back down at the echani he finally spoke. “Have you found what you were looking for, Braze?” He asked.​

 

[Aris Noble]

Ah.

Suddenly the pieces clicked together in Aris's mind as he looked at A'runda. A Tusken. A Warden of the Sky. Those two were mutually exclusive in.. Everything Aris had heard. The Tusken's refused to leave off world, refused to even think about such things as a culture, right? Or was that wrong? All of Aris's reading was thrown for a loop now as he glanced between Braze and this new figure.

Had he messed something up?

Braze | A'Runda

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble A'Runda

Braze felt a good deal better overall, thanks to Aris's help—food, water, rest, and medicine had done wonders. But the moment he caught the look A'Runda gave him, he shrank back instinctively. That wary, silent judgment cut deeper than any words might have, and he sighed, already knowing why.


"No… but I think my friend can help us find it." He gestured toward the taller boy beside him. "This is Aris. Aris, this is A'Runda."


Even as he spoke, he was already retreating, hands moving to pull his wraps back into place. He had enjoyed the brief relief of fresh air, but if it meant disappointing A'Runda, was it worth it? He hesitated only a moment before murmuring, "I'm sorry," his voice barely audible as he refixed the concealing layers, securing them properly this time. They'd help keep the moisture in, anyway.

But it felt too late—the damage was already done.

Trying to push past the moment, he cleared his throat and added, "He can… uh… hear things most people can't." A subtle deflection, shifting the attention to Aris. Maybe that would help. Maybe it would be enough to move forward.

​

 

[Aris Noble]

Ah.

Ahhh.

Ahhhhhhh.

Aris wasn't used to this feeling. The feeling of having sabotaged a friend, even by accident. Guilt? If he had known, he wouldn't have pushed Braze to dismiss the Tusken layers and be treated as he had. Trials were part of life. The Epicanthix had their own rites that were to be respected, even if they seemed harsh. Seeing how Braze dipped back, it was that much more obvious what Aris had done was bad.

He gave a brief smile, though, nodding his head.

"Right. Yeah. I can. Yeah. I can hear water, even deep under the sands."

Braze | A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

Location: Tatooine
Tags: Braze | Aris Noble

Hearing things that most people can’t. He could tell that the taller teen was Force Sensitive like them. So he found Braze’s words a bit odd. Did Aris have extra sensory capabilities beyond just that of The Force? “Impressive, but we won’t be searching for underground reservoirs today.” The Tusken explained to the two of them.

“I’ve sensed trouble, or at least impending trouble from the closest oasis and I plan to go there now. I know you’ve been eager to find such natural beauty here Braze.” A’Runda further elaborated, as he did Darwin finally managed to close the distance and approached the tusken from behind before letting out a loud Moo-like sound. He didn’t question the addition of a new face here. Trusting that a friend of Braze’s was a friend of his.

Knowing that Braze was very much still exhausted, A'Runda moved over to the smaller teen and casually picked him up off his feet. With the ecahni boy in his arms he set them onto the huge lizard. Who let out a grumpy groan over getting mounted now by a less familiar individual. [“Oh, So be such a grouch…”] A’Runda said to the dewback in his native tongue as he gently patted it's side.​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: A'Runda Aris Noble

Braze didn't put up much of a fight as he was lifted, though his arms twitched slightly in instinctive hesitation. He remained wary as he was placed atop Darwin, his brow furrowing at the uncertain positioning. He knew full well that if the massive creature wanted to, he could easily reach back, clamp those powerful jaws around him, and yank him off like an inconvenient burr.


Still, Braze, ever the cautious diplomat when it came to temperamental beasts, reached down and scritched the big reptile's scales, fingers working in gentle circles. "Easy, big guy," he murmured, his touch light but deliberate, an unspoken peace offering. The corners of his lips twitched as he felt Darwin's warm hide shift beneath his palm. "Guess we're in this together, huh?"


Settling into his new, if precarious, perch, Braze sighed, his fingers idly continuing their petting as he spoke.


"Uh... alright. I thought I saw something, but it was just a town... or at least, I thought it was. The heat was playing tricks on my eyes. Things far away shimmer like water..." He trailed off, resigning himself to the fact that he'd fallen for the mirage. His hand found a particularly scaly patch along Darwin's neck, and he gave it a few absentminded scratches, as if the oversized lizard might appreciate the consolation prize of head pats.


He glanced between A'runda and Aris, shifting slightly to keep his balance. "So, which way do we go then?"

​

 

[Aris Noble]

Oh no.

So even the fact Aris could hear the waters underneath the sands, the only real justification they had for Braze to have forsaken his trial, was moot now? Aris shifted his weight subtly from one foot to the other. To those who didn't know him, he looked calm as ever. To those who did? To Braze? He was actually panicking. He didn't want to ruin things for Braze, but he had.

And now he was just a tag along.

Grant it, he'd help without a doubt. A threat to this oasis was a threat to everyone. If the Tusken's lost it, they'd have to resort to more raiding. More raids would mean more death. More death, well. Needless death was wrong. He let out a subtle little breath before nodding his head towards Braze to echo his question. There was no time to waste.

A'Runda | Braze

 

[A'Runda]

Location: Tatooine
Tags: Braze | Aris Noble

A’Runda was a bit surprised that Braze didn’t fight him when setting him on top of Darwin. Either because they would be too proud to let himself ride the lizard, or just didn’t like Darwin enough to ride him. “You’re lucky then Braze. Most mirages are little more than a siren’s call. Driving people made with false promises. Tatooine must’ve been guiding you herself to safety.” A’Runda responded to Braze’s explanation.

There was a sense of gratitude in A’Runda’s voice. Grateful to the idea that Tatooine was looking after Braze. Even if the echani child might be thinking otherwise. “But you shouldn’t be testing your luck too much though…” He finally warned.

Looking back over to Aris, A’Runda nodded. “Thank you for helping Braze. I was worried that I would find him washed up once more in the dune sea… Now, follow me. Fortunately the closest Oasis isn’t too far away. Water pools there from the higher elevation of the Jundland Waste canyons. Because of its proximity to the wastes many outsiders can be very hesitant to go to it.” A’Runda explained as he began to lead the two teens and the Dewback.​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: A'Runda Aris Noble

Braze leaned forward, nearly collapsing onto Darwin, who felt like a warm rock beneath him, radiating the intense heat of the sun. The temptation to simply drift off into a nap was overwhelming, and for a moment, he wondered if he might actually do just that. The idea of fighting or arguing seemed distant, a thought that held no appeal in the heavy, sun-baked air.

As A'runda spoke, Braze responded with soft, noncommittal sounds—a casual "Mmhmn..." that didn't carry much weight. His gaze drifted toward Aris.

"Mmhm... why... what's so... bad about its location?" Braze asked, his voice light and unbothered, as if the question was more out of curiosity than anything else.

​

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris didn't really believe it. He didn't think he actually helped Braze in the long run, so he walked beside the Dewback with his gaze forward. If they were close, he'd be able to hear the waters soon enough. He did glance to Braze though, giving him a nod. Similarly, he was curious why people wouldn't come here normally. It was a source of water, a rarity here on Tatooine. Even if it was finite, people were greedy enough to make use of it regardless. In that vein it was good they didn't.

But waht sort of threat kept people away?

Braze | A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

Location: Tatooine
Tags: Braze | Aris Noble

"Mmhm... why... what's so... bad about its location?"

“There’s nothing bad about the location. There’s just a higher number of Sand People in the region. Oh, and plenty of wamp rats too. Very few settlers in the region and without any flying machines the rough terrain can be challenging.” A’Runda tried to explain to the teen duo. The ‘no man’s land’ was the closest thing to a safe haven for the tuskens and even jawas. “The rocky environment also thwarts many of the apex predators that dwell under the sands. Like a giant fortress made of canyons and mountains.”

With that said A’Runda continued to guide Aris and Braze through the jagged landscape. Eventually after coming out of the shadow of a large plateau the twin suns created the group once more. Glancing back at Aris through his red goggles, A’Runda retrieved something from his saddle bags on Darwin. A large piece of fabric before handing it to the tall teen. “Please use this, I wish I could offer more…” It was a raggedy hooded poncho to help offer Aris some protection from the suns. “Also we’re getting closer, can you hear it? The faint waves in the oasis?” If not then it was possible even the oasis was in a more dire state than he’d predicted.​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble A'Runda

"Oh..." Braze chirped, seemingly understanding now—maybe. He could feel the distinct emotions radiating from the two, but he was so out of it that he had no real space to confuse their feelings with his own.

"Mnn..." As they got closer, Braze slowly pushed himself up into a seated position. "It's okay, Aris..." he murmured before looking at A'runda. It was unclear whether he was reassuring Aris, easing any guilt he might have felt, or encouraging him to put the covering on.

Tuskens were just as wary of outsiders as town folk were of them.

​

 

[Aris Noble]

"I don't need cloth. The suns can't burn me."

Even now as they walked under the sun, the sands, the heat, nothing seemed to affect Aris's skin. He was unblemished, when he certainly should've been. He did pause though, glancing to Braze. What was okay? the cloth? He frowned briefly. At himself, no less. If they were going to the Tusken's land, then.. Ah, that's what Braze meant. Without another word he took the cloth, wrapping it around his head. It would be rude to be uncovered, right?

A'Runda | Braze

 

[A'Runda]

Location: Tatooine
Tags: Braze | Aris Noble

Could that be true?

The Tusken has certainly learned of more outlandish things than someone who could live unscathed by the suns. Given that Aris was Braze’s friend A’Runda would believe their words as genuine. He was almost about to pull the poncho back until the tall teen finally took it. “That does sound nice, to not be harmed by the embrace of the suns.”

With that the group traveled through lower elevations until the canyons began to meet one of the dune seas. By now afternoon was starting to turn into an early evening. They could see it too, the oasis. What looked to be a pond surrounded by dry trees and shrubs. In addition were many tents, banthas and Tuskens. As A’Runda suspected it was being guarded now. Turning to the teen boys with him he spoke. “Please leave the talking to me. I’m not expecting them to be in a very hospitable mood now.”

Approaching from the canyons A’Runda signaled the tribe with a big wave over his head. The Tuskens already seemed cautious and the men moved closer to A’Runda, Braze, and Aris. Once he was close enough to clearly speak and have his signs read A’Runda greeted them.

Even masked their scrutiny was obvious. A’Runda’s accent, the use of a dewback, the single 'Uli-Ah' and the tall foreign teen. To them it all seemed like a trick. ["Deceiver!"] One of the Tusken accused loudly. Talking over A'Runda's attempts to communicate.

[They come to rob us of what little we have! Pretenders trying to fool us!] Another shouted and signed. Fearing that A’Runda had stolen his garbs to gain their trust. They clearly wanted nothing to do with the three of them. The idea of them being imposters was gravely insulting as well. One of them even aimed their cycler rifle at the group. But before they could fire their weapon.

POWM!

Their rifle busted within their hands, startling the Tuskens. A’Runda had quickly drawn his own sawed off cycler rifle and blasted away the other firearm, disarming them. The sound of the gunshot carried through the dry air and landed around them.

Stunned at the accurate retaliation of A’Runda the tribesmen paused with concern. Some recognized that if he’d wanted to kill them, he could. That A’Runda had only close to harm their weapon and not them.

However, from below the sand they stood on began to shake and shift. A dreadful omen here on Tatooine. The tribes men, women and children began to scatter. Intentionally trying to get distance from one another. Then from below the sand a beast burst forth next to the oasis. A leviathan krayt dragon, an apex predator of the planet. With a mighty roar it scared the Tuskens off and away from the oasis. The colossal beast looked odd however. Swollen or even bloated. There also appeared to be a large wound on its head. With a single minded determination it dove it’s head into the water of the oasis to gluttonously drink it up...​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: A'Runda Aris Noble

Braze slid off Darwin, his feet hitting the sand with a quiet thud. He barely noticed as the dewback backed away, well-trained but tense, his large eyes fixed on the monstrous form at the water's edge. The krayt dragon moved sluggishly, its massive body bloated, its jaw dipping into the oasis in deep, greedy gulps. Water spilled from the corners of its maw, soaking the cracked ground beneath it.

Braze didn't move at first, just watched in awe.

His gaze drifted up the length of its massive form to the wound—an ugly, deep gash along its skull. That wasn't something just anything could inflict. This was an apex predator, the kind that ruled the sands unchallenged. Who, or what, had managed to wound it?

His fingers twitched at his side. Not in fear—he was too exhausted to feel fear properly, but in wary calculation.

"A'Runda," Braze said, voice quiet. His voice came softer than he meant, like he wasn't entirely sure he wanted the answer. "That's not normal, right? The way it's acting—drinking like that?" He glanced to the Tusken, then to Aris, searching for some kind of confirmation.

Braze shook his head sharply, trying to will the sluggishness away. His body still felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the heat pressing in around him. He lifted a hand, patting his own face through the cloth—once, twice—hard enough to send a dull sting through his skin, just enough to force himself back into some state of awareness.​

 

[Aris Noble]

He heard it before he saw it.

The ground shaking, breaking under something immense. Without his aural dampeners that Zaiya Ceti had given him, the sound alone would've made him flinch. And yet, it didn't. He'd have to thank her later, when he wasn't wide eyed in wonderment that something this large actually existed. Properly existed. He'd seen Krayt Dragons before, fought them alongside Jonyna Si and another tribe of Tuskens.

This one was decidedly larger. Almost as large as the beast of Onderon. Oddly, he was grinning. There was an excitement there, where it shouldn't be. His inner Epicanthix, relishing the challenge that this represented. It was injured, gorging itself on water in a way that suggested it was dying, or at least majorly concussed. Whatever gave it the head wound had it traveling where it normally wouldn't, and now it was going to bring a lot of destruction. Threaten the ecosystem.

Aris jumped. He was gone in an instant, a blur through the sands as he zeroed in on the hulking Leviathan. With it? He brought up a punch, swift and heavy, just as Valery Noble had taught him. Bakuuni Hand, in a way. He had no way to actually manipulate the Force, or at least in the normal way the Jedi did. He just.. Hardened. What he learned from Ko Vuto , to put his all in his strike. The ability to manipulate the electricity in his own body that Jonyna Si had taught him to increase his speed. Blue danced over his skin in sparks before the strike came.

One with his all, one without a follow. He socked the Leviathan right in the jaw, fully intending to send it right to the ground. It needed to be put down, for everyone and everything here.

Braze | A'Runda

 

[A'Runda]

Location: Tatooine
Tags: Braze | Aris Noble

“Correct Braze, something is wrong with it. It's hurting and sick.” The tusken quickly came to a harsh conclusion. “We need to put it down!” Just as he said that he saw as Aris dashed into danger. As the adult here he wouldn’t have encouraged the teen to rush the beast as he did. But getting to witness the epicanthix’s power and how he managed to knock the beast back with a single punch made A’Runda feel an unexpected sense of kinship with the teen.

A memory flashed through A’Runda’s brain. In an instant he was reliving his own trials as a Tusken to earn his status as an adult and the right to craft his own gaffi stick. Remembering the frightening power of his own attacks against the dragon he hunted. A power and wrath that scared him and his tribe. The uncertainty of it culminated in his exile many years ago.

A’Runda had only ever seen one other Force adept like himself. He was starting to learn that perhaps he wasn’t so alone. That others had the same affinity for internal energy as he did. With his free hand A’Runda pulled his gaffi stick off his back. “Braze! Catch!” He called out to the echani teen before tossing them his firearm. His compact, sawed off cycler rifle. Given some of the training he’s given Braze, A’Runda trusted that they could use it. “Trust in the force and your aim will be true! And mind the recoil...” He advised before finally dashing into battle after Aris.

The sudden acceleration of his body kicked up a fair amount of sand behind him. The Krayt Dragon began to reorient itself from Aris’s sudden attack. Such power was often jarring to experience when not coming from a similarly sized dragon. It focused on the tall teen before beginning to gag. Ready to unleash a geyser of acid from within itself to spray Aris with.

Once A’Runda was under it he sprung up with his legs. Channeling his energy into his gaffi stick to increase its power, with the weapon the Tusken hit it with a violent uppercut under its chin. Just as he did the dragon sprayed into the air rather. Sparing Aris from being drenched in the fluid. Now instead it went into the air. The corrosive enzymes turned into an irritating mist instead. That combined with it being diluted from the high amount of water in its body rendered the acid mostly harmless. Both his and Aris's attack likely gave the beast a fracture or two in its jaw.

Once A’Runda touched back down onto the sand, the Krayt Dragon noticed him. With a rather casually flick from one of its many large arms it launched A’Runda off his feet towards the Oasis. His body harshly skips across the water twice before sinking in.​