The Wild Hunt

[Xilo Gale]

I felt the pain before I heard the screams. It bit into my side like a wild animal but I drew on it anyway and cast a glance back to see what the insurrectionist were doing. From the way it looked their way of nursing was a bit archaic. They were to behind the times, how did they expect to win a war like this without things like bacta, or at the least kolto? Then I heard them the howls of the beasts that had attacked the group earlier. Probably alerted by the screams of the women in pain, but it didn't take a bilingual genius to know what the women was yelling. She wanted me to fight the beasts, to buy them the time they needed. Finally a true challenge had shown itself. So I did. Walking out into the snow bare chested I let the snow fall onto my body. The beasts were coming fast and I needed to be smart about it. There was no indication of how many were coming so I needed to be careful. So I drew both my sabers and bid my time drawing on the force and letting it bolster my body. I would need it in the coming moments.

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

The terrons saw the prey, and could smell their dead fellow on him.
They snarled, and circled him, snapping in his direction every few moments to test him.
Two of the pack broke off, and came at him from two directions, one's jaws aimed for his arm, and the other's for his leg.

Zoya worried about [member="Xilo Gale"]. She knew he was capable by himself, but also knew that terrons were dangerous creatures in packs.
But then the wounded woman whimpered, and Zoya took her hand, whispering assurances to her as the others tended to her.
She could only hope that their guest could handle himself.

 

[Xilo Gale]

They finally arrived, the beasts that tormented the nomads of this planet. That fed upon their flesh and tore into them, but I was no mere nomad. I would not cower before them, I would not allow myself to die here on this iceball of a planet. Even if I had to slaughter all of the creatures on this planet I would not allow myself to die here. So as the beasts circled me I watched them out the corner of my eyes as they broke off coming after me. The first two worked in conjunction as one came running for my arm and the other for my leg. They were using tactics to corner their prey, but I would not fall for it. I drew on the mystical power of the force and jumped high into the air. Higher then a human that would carry me over the creatures to let them collide with each other then on my way back down I attempted to drive my sabers through their respective skulls.

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

As the beasts closed in, they experienced a moment of satisfaction at their victory.

Then it jumped, and they crashed into each other. They now experienced confusion, and shock; where had their prey gone?
But as he came down, one of the terron caught on, and scrambled to get out of the way, catching the flames in it's tail instead of it's skull like it's brother.
The beasts were taken aback. How was this possible? They only prey capable of doing such a feat were the Boned Ones, and this prey did not smell like the Boned Ones.

But as their wounded retreated, another pounced while [member="Xilo Gale"] recovered, aiming to dig it's claws into his back.

 

[Xilo Gale]

That was one down and another wounded in a single action. The beasts worked well in packs, but they still lacked the coordination of humans. They hadn't realized what I had done till it was to late. At least one was smart enough to not have died from the simple attack. Yet it had lost its tail. I felt its pain radiate through the force teasing me as it tried to escape death. The beasts would rather retreat then face death with courage. It was a shame. The one at my back had almost gone unnoticed till I felt a tingle at the back of my neck. One of warning, and the sound of crunching permafrost and slow alerted me. Not rising from my crouched position I inversed both my sabers so they would be facing the incoming beast and I would wait for the last second to push off from my crouched position. Pushing off the ground I went into a forward flip that kept me close to the ground and similar to a deadly disk as my saber came up to intercept the beasts attack.

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

As his lightsaber pierced the beast's shoulder, the now-tailless terron dashed forward, snarling as it's jaws aimed for it's prey's leg.

Inside the cave, Zoya looked up at the whimpers of the beasts. She knew that the longer they stayed, the less chance they could get the wounded woman to a shaman. They could close the wound, but only a shaman could heal her.

The insurgent grabbed her rifle, and ignored the concerns of her allies as she stormed out of the cave. She took aim at one of the beasts, took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger.

Among the pack, one of the terron shrieked as a bullet tore through it's hide, blood leaking onto it's fur. Zoya quickly pulled back the bolt, and brought it back forward to chamber the next round as she she took aim once more.
If these beasts wished to get into that cave, they would have to go through her.


[member="Xilo Gale"]

 

[Xilo Gale]

There would be no escaping the next attack. I knew it, I saw it coming but there was little I could do. Either way it went I would loose a limb to the creature. It's wild maw hanging open as it charged me. If it wanted a piece of me so bad I would give the beast what it wanted. So I pulled back my right arm and shoved it forward, from the surface it would seem to be a regular human's arm, but during the battle of Mannan, I had lost it in battle. This was merely a replacement cybernetic. In many ways it was less useful then my other arm, but it made up for it in durability. So as the beast tried to bite my leg I instead deactivated my saber and shoved the cybernetic arm into the creatures mouth before reactivating the saber to shoot up through the creatures mouth.

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

The terron felt a rush of victory as it's maw closed around the arm of it's prey; and that was the last sensation it felt as the flames went through it's head, killing it instantly.

The pack howled in rage as another embraced death, and they snarled at it's killer; then their attention was brought to the other prey who was screaming at them and firing the death stick.

Zoya grit her teeth as [member="Xilo Gale"] was deprived of his arm, and told herself she would make up for his sacrifice. She tried to bring the pack off of hi, and distracted them, screaming obscenities and firing her rifle at them, hoping it would draw their attention away from her new comrade.

 

[Xilo Gale]

I felt the monster bite through the cybernetic arm and the sound of whirring servomotors going into over drive and fractured metal could be heard. The beast had damaged the arm beyond all feasible repair. That would be the third one in less than a year that I would need to get replaced. So as I yanked the stub back sparks were emitted from the end of what was left of my arm. Even when I had lost my original flesh and blood arm I hadn't let it deter me in battle and neither would I let this one. I turned to count how many were left to see only two of the beasts were left standing. But what I heard was more concerning the women, Zoya was out drawing the creatures attentions. Firing her rifle and yelling at them. So I ran. Ran as fast as my legs would carry me, then I ran faster drawing on the force, using my fear, my pain, my anger to bolster my body. I felt the darkside growing in me. A wild beast that wished for me to embrace it, to give myself in to its influence. To seize its power, and I did. With one last jump my body bolstered beyond a natural limit I crossed the last few meters between me and the beast. As I came down I would bring the saber in a arcing swing aimed to decapitate the beast.

One of the terrons angered at the shots being shot at it roared loudly as it reared up and began to rush the women. Huge breaths could be heard as it crossed the land between them blood and death hanging on its breath as its wild eyes stared at its prey.

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

Zoya calmly chambered the next round in her rifle, staring down the large beast bearing down on her.
She had faced the death of her parents at the hands of a Holy Crusader, she had faced the slaughter of her entire unit at twelve years old, she had faced every day knowing she was the cause of the deaths of thousands of her fellow soldiers as well as civilians.

This terron was about as intimidating as a child in the face of that.
As it pounced, she ducked, letting it fly above her as she brought her rifle to bear on the beast's stomach, and squeezed the trigger. The bullet tore through it's hide, blood showering the woman as the beast roared it's pain to the world in it's final moments. It landed on top of her, and the Zhornee let out a gasp as the corpse landed on her, bringing back memories of a battlefield years and kilometers away.

The terron facing [member="Xilo Gale"] was quickly killed, it's head rolling on the ground. Silence finally filled the air, excluding Zoya's gasps of terror.

 

[Xilo Gale]

No screams, or howls of pain came from the Terron as its head went rolling through the snow. The smell of burnt flesh and fur filled air as the wound had automatically cauterized. The terron had died before it even knew what had happened. Reigning in his rage Xilo looked down at the corpse before the gasps of terror floated to his ears. Off to his left he saw the corpse of the second terron laying upon [member="Zoya"] . The presence of the beast was slowly dying while Xilo could feel the fear coming from Zoya. Crossing the snow Xilo finally felt the exhaustion bearing down on him. Trying to take him, but he had one more thing to do. He had to at least get her from beneath the beast. As he came up on the terron and Zoya, Xilo poured what strength he had left to get the corpse off the young women before falling to his knees before her. The cold finally started to bite into him as his skin had lost three shades of color and his lips were dry. They had to get back inside near the fire, but he just didn't have the strength to keep going on. He had drawn on the force for to long, and his body had became weary.

 

[Nyx]

Zoya gasped for breath as she felt the corpse get rolled off, and she returned to the present, blinking as she glanced around. She saw [member="Xilo Gale"] on his knees, and quickly figured out that he had spent the last of his strength.

"Zoya! What's happened?!" Zoya glanced behind her, and found one of her group coming out of the cave. She quickly shouted at her to help get the man in the cave, and wrapped one of her arms around his shoulder, her comrade doing the same.

They dragged him into the cave, and set him down on the ground, next to Gerai. (The wounded Zhornee)
Gerai had long since passed from the world of consciousness, and Zoya was unsure if she was even alive.
But she got to work, skinning the dead terrons and wrapping him in them, as well as cooking their meat. It was tough and bitter, but it was better than the tubers they usually ate.

 

[Xilo Gale]

Breath ragged Xilo tried to contain what little heat he had left while he was being drug inside the cave. His vision had began to blur, and every breath took a great amount of effort to take in. He could barely feel the rest of his body, every command he gave it was denied as he soon found himself wrapped in the warm fur of the terrons that him and Zoya had not to long killed. Still warm from their bodies Xilo curled up inside the fur blanket and rested. He felt the presences buzzing around them as they set to work, and the one next to him was faint, yet it was still there. Fighting to survive, just like Xilo. These people didn't deserve to live this life, nor did they deserve the consequences that came with it. Bounties upon their head because they fought for freedom, the ever looming threat of predators killing them. The bounty was worthless. Xilo no longer held any intentions of claiming the bounty. This was not his place to interfere. If someone else did it fine, but not him.

Then he smelt it. The smell of real food. Something he hadn't had in two days. Xilo had been surviving off ration cubes for the past two days to satisfy his nutritional needs, but when confronted with the thought of real food his stomach growled loudly. It was almost painful as Xilo curled more trying to hold his composure waiting for the food to cook. Functionality slowly began to come back to him as he sat up warmed by the fur, but he did not yet have the strength to walk.

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

Zoya pulled the meat from the fire, her group practically salivating as the smell of the meat drifted through the cave.
She began handing it out, the starving women devouring it even as it scalded their hands.

The Demon In The Snow turned around as she saw [member="Xilo Gale"] sit up. She looked at the meat she was about to eat, then shook her head and scooted closer to him, ripping a chunk off and offering it to him. She could eat later.

"I. . . Don't know if you can understand me." She said quietly, so that the others couldn't hear her. "But I don't think it will matter. I need to thank you. If you hadn't been here, Gerai would be dead." She nodded towards the woman. "I owe you more than I can supply at this time."

 

[Xilo Gale]

Xilo felt like a stream of saliva would fall from his mouth if he opened it. The aroma of the meat strong enough to draw him to it. Yet all the others attacked the food grabbing their portions. He honestly couldn't blame them, who knew how long it had been since they had a real meal too. Yet the pangs of hunger became more brutal and frequent as he felt like someone was eating at his core. Grunting slightly Xilo had been about to go get his own helpings till he remembered that it was still somewhat hard for him to stand. He was surprised to see Zoya slide closer to him, but even though her mouth moved he did not understand her. What he did understand were the emotions she was projecting. Xilo felt them through the force and smiled placing his hand upon her head. Using the bit of telepathy he knew he tapped into the women's thoughts hearing her true meaning. He would then project his own thoughts directly into her head. "Don't worry about it. You owe me nothing. If anything you owe these people. The one's who follow you. You owe to show them the path to freedom. To inspire them. To lead them. Continue to do that and your debt to me is paid."

Taking the chunk of offered meat Xilo tossed it back into his mouth ignoring the heat as it burned the roof of his mouth. But he chewed through the tender meat grinding it to mush. Even the bitter taste didn't stop him as he swallowed it and felt a satisfying thump in his stomach. "You keep the rest. You'll need more strength to continue your fight."

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

When [member="Xilo Gale"] placed his hand upon her forehead, Zoya was surprised to say the least. But she was even more surprised when she felt his presence in her mind, and his subsequent thoughts.
She stared at him, her eyes bugging out of her head. The only ones she had ever heard of that were capable of such feats were the shamans, and now she was faced with someone who casually did something most Zhornee only witnessed once in a lifetime.

But she dumbly nodded and stuck the meat in her mouth, chewing it in thought.
Gerai would not last two days without the attention of a shaman. But the nearest she knew was several hours of travel, if not a day. She knew that Gerai could not make that, either. . .

She sighed, her course of action set. She would have to leave in search of the shaman, and hope she came back with one in time. She stared longingly at the entrance of the cave, her mind whirling.

 

[Xilo Gale]

[member="Zoya"]

With his limbs finally working again Xilo was able to stand and make his way to the fire where he grabbed a portion of the meat and began to shovel it down. He would need the energy. Leaning over the injured women Xilo also went into the robes he had once wore and pulled out three nutrition tubes and ate two of them off the bat before handing the third to Zoya. In turn for him taking a chunk of her meat. The cube was almost as white as Xilo's hair, and possessed no flavor. It was one of the least satisfying things one could eat, but it provided all the nutrients a humanoid needed. "I can do a great many things, but healing is not one of them. That is beyond my scope of power... Do you know any that can heal her? If so we must hurry."

Xilo saw the women looking at the entrance of the cave and knew that she did know someone that could heal her friend. "If you do, I shall be your protector. You have a better chance of making it with me helping you."

 

[Nyx]

Zoya took the cube and chewed it, appreciating the sentiment.
As his words resounded in her head, Zoya nodded, and gave some orders to her people to stay and watch Gerai.

She turned to [member="Xilo Gale"], and focused on his presence in her mind, hoping he heard her thoughts.
"The shaman is several hours away, in Imperial territory. The Crusaders have been on the hunt for her kind, so we will have to deal with them."

With that, she turned and walked out of the cave, rifle slung over her back as her boots once more touched snow. The trip would hopefully end with Gerai once more with a rifle in her hands.

 

[Xilo Gale]

Thinking about the time it would take for them to march across the lands and march back made Xilo a bit more worried. He may have recovered his strength, but he rather not have to waste it walking long distances. Reading ZOya's thoughts he projected his own back. "Getting into the imperial territory will be easy. You have a bounty on your head. All I have to do is call the imperials, tell them I captured you, and when they come to pick us up. We take their speeder, and kill them. No one will suspect a thing since we'll be in one of their vehicles. Simple, easy, and saves time." Xilo figured this would be the best way to go about the plan.

Walking to Zoya he held out his hand. "I need for you to trust me and give me your weapons. I won't let anything happen. Even with only one arm." Xilo joked as he pulled out his com and radioed the imperial base he had first arrived at to receive the bounty. After giving them the coordinates Xilo would turn back to Zoya. "We have thirty minutes till they arrive."

[member="Zoya"]

 

[Nyx]

Zoya hesitated. The Imperials were likely to jump at the opportunity, and she knew it was fairly easy to trick them. . . Unless they brought a Crusader. The zealots had strange powers, ones that even shamans feared.

But the insurgent decided that the benefits outweighed the risks, and handed [member="Xilo Gale"] her rifle. To give it a bit more believability, she reeled her fist back, and sent it into her face, reeling from the impact. By the time the Imperial speeder stopped at their location, she now sported a black eye and split lip.
As the speeder came to a stop, Zoya's blood ran cold. She recognized the silver armor and helmet of a Holy Crusader as she stepped off the speeder, her submachine gun aimed at her, along with three rifles from conscripts.
"Ah, Gale!" She called out, motioning for the conscripts to take her. "I trust this heretic did not give you too much trouble?"