Private Where the Jungle Dreams

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

The Flickerfox cut low through Teth's fog, engines throttled back so the roar didn't bounce off the cliffs. The jungle stretched endlessly below, a green sea broken only by the spires that stabbed skyward like stone knives. From the cockpit, Ace had to keep nudging the yoke just to stop the mist from swallowing their path entirely.

It wasn't a friendly place. The kind of world the Path bothered with because it was so far out of the way, so difficult to navigate, that the Empire would never waste time hunting here. At least that was the hope.

Zaiya rode shotgun. Ace knew her, not well, not like Aris Noble , Everest Vale , or Vera Noble , the ones they'd bled beside at the Forge. But he knew she and Aris were involved in some way. It was obvious. Still, she was more a face from the edges of his circle than someone he'd really had time to know. Until now.

The way the clouds pooled and drifted felt as if the whole place had a pulse. Tic whirred at his elbow, lens flickering as the droid tried to track heat signatures through the haze, only to spit back a frustrated chirp.

"Yeah, I know." Ace muttered, glancing sideways at the opalescent glow of Zaiya's skin "Not exactly welcoming, huh?"

The Flickerfox dropped through the last layer of cloud and settled into a narrow clearing, the trees pressed in tight on all sides. The landing struts hissed against damp earth, and the ramp creaked open to spill out humid air thick with the smell of moss and rain.

Ace glanced at Zaiya. "Path wants eyes on this basin, see if it's worth the risk. Nothing more." His tone was casual, but his eyes lingered on the treeline, restless.

The jungle loomed back at them, loud with insects, shadows shifting where the canopy met the fog. If they wanted to know what secrets Teth held, they'd have to step inside.

Zaiya Ceti​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Acier Moonbound

Domxite shifted on her shoulder, their little paint splattered metal claws clicking lightly as their lenses whirred, scanning the mist, before giving a little nod of their head in agreement.

"Ye-aah... doesn't feel too great either," she agreed softly, in a thoughtful hum.

Zaiya's head tilted, her opal blue eyes narrowing as she felt more than she saw, the jungle pressing against her senses like a damp cloth. The unease that clung to Teth prickled at her skin.

A shimmer of citrine rippled across her mottled spots, curiosity weaving through the wary haze. Her gaze lingered not just on the fog and shadows, but on Ace himself, the tension behind his casual tone stirring something she couldn't quite name, that and the Force seemed to swirl in all sorts of interesting ways with him.

"So we are here to chart and scout things?" she asked, already rising from her seat. The Lovalla tugged her satchel over her shoulder, bracelets and cuffs chiming together like quiet windchimes with every movement. She flashed him a bright sunny smile.

"Or are we setting up a specific perimeter? The fog might hide what her eyes could not see, but her senses stretched further. She could feel the tangle of life forces, faint threads of alignment, even little disruptions that marked when something was… off. And if that wasn't enough, well she had gadgets too. All the gadgets!

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace leaned back in the pilot's chair, fingers drumming against the yoke while Tic mimicked Domxite with a jittery tilt of his photoreceptor. The BD-unit squeaked something about the readings and Ace just huffed, sliding out of the seat.

"Chart and scout." He confirmed, rolling his shoulders. "Perimeter's for later, if the higher ups decide this rock's worth the trouble." His voice was level, but the way his eyes kept cutting to the viewport betrayed him. The mist pressed too close, smothering, like it wanted to creep into the Flickerfox herself.

Tic climbed up to Ace's shoulder, beeping affirmatively. Ace, in turn nodded at the little droid as a faint smile tugged, although it didn't reach his eyes. His dark eyes then flicked to Zaiya, head jerking as to signal her to follow before making his way toward the loading ramp.

When he stepped down the ramp, the jungle greeted him with the ambient melody of the wildlife. But, through the Force, he could feel something else. Like a singularity, drawing him... somewhere. He wondered if Zaiya could feel it too, or if it was unique to him. Tic's claws tapped lightly on his leather pauldron as the droid leaned forward, lens flickering into the green wall ahead.

His jaw tightned as he bit down, taking the first steps into the unknown.

As the pair embarked on their trek, Ace didn't say anything. Not at first. Making conversation was something he was still growing accustomed to. That, and he needed to keep his eyes peeled for any looming threat. Zaiya was his companion for this mission, and she was important to Aris - which meant he needed to look out for her.

For a moment, Ace opened himself up. Allowing his senses to soak up what was around them. Then he felt Zaiya. To Ace, she didn't flicker like most people did in the Force - a spark, a pulse, a flare here and gone. She was color, currents that shifted the way her skin did, ripples of gold and blue washing out in soft, anxious waves. Her presence was certainly interesting.

The jungle pressed in thicker the deeper they went, mist dragging low between the trunks. Ace kept his eyes on the shadows, but he couldn't help noticing Zaiya's feelings - she wasn't as wary as he, but leaned more toward curiousity. Every shimmer of color across her skin caught the filtered light, like she was tuned into something he wasn't.

"Do you..." He started, finally breaking the silence "You feel that? Like something's drawing you in?"

Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Acier Moonbound

Domxite gave a little click as if in answer before Zaiya even spoke, their paint splattered colorful head swiveling toward the wall of green ahead.

"Yeah I know. I feel it too," Zaiya murmured quietly to Domxite as she followed Ace down the ramp, the humid air already curling against her skin and making the iridescent shifts along her spots gleam brightly. She paused at the base of the ramp, bracelets giving another little jingle as she adjusted the strap of her satchel.

Opal blue eyes swept the jungle, but her senses pressed deeper, reaching out the way she'd been taught.

Yup, there was something there, like a tug at the edge of her chest. It wasn't sharp like sending danger or the soft tug of safety, but it was definitely insistent. Like a hum… right at the edge of her hearing.

Her eyes flicked to Ace, catching the tension in his jaw, the weight of how he stepped forward as though expecting something to leap from the fog. A ripple of citrine hues shimmered across her spots, curiosity bleeding through as she replied.

"I do," she said simply, commenting with another inquisitive hum, "like the jungle's trying to pull us further in."

Domxite whirred, leaning forward on her shoulder, and Zaiya gave Ace a small nod, signaling she was ready to follow his lead into the mist.

"Guess we're about to find out what it wants to show us."

As they started to walk, she smiled faintly, her bracelets chiming with each step.

"You can ask, you know," she added lightly, as if giving him permission to finally voice whatever kept making his eyes linger. She was used to it by now.

“I don’t mind.”

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace clenched his jaw and nodded. Zaiya's confirmation eased his tension a little, at least he wasn't going crazy. When the Padawan spoke again, a quiet huff escaped him, followed by a concerned warble from Tic.​

​

"You almost sound excited." He responded, tone even.​

​

His brows raised when Zaiya abruptly gave him permission to 'ask'. Casting her a sidelong glance, the corner of his lip tugged. She was a perceptive one, a quality he respected when he saw it in others.​

​

"Never met a Lovalla before. Heard stories about you, when I was a kid. Even then you sounded like something out of a fairytale." His voice was flat, but there was a hint of wonder if you paid close enough attention.​

​

The ashen haired rebel paused for a moment, gently brushing a vine out of his way as his eyes continued to search. Tic did the same, photoreceptors flicking through their surroundings - a learned trait from spending so much time with Ace.​

​

Then he spoke again "You're even different in the Force. 'S weird. Normally when I sense someone... like my brother? He's like tempered steel. Or Aris, a steady ember. But you? I sense colors." ​

​

Ace let out a chuckle, like saying it aloud was unbelievable even to him. But... the Force was a mysterious thing, and even now... eight, nine months in? He was still learning so much about it, and how it reacted around him and others.​

​

His face suddenly steeled, brows narrowing. Ace stopped mid-step, eyes now darting around the area. He'd sensed something and was sure Zaiya would have to. His hand hovered over his lightsaber.​

​

The jungle had quieted in turn, the constant insect drone thinning into a heavy silence. Then the mist parted with a low, guttural hiss.​

​

It came down from the canopy like a nightmare given form. Sinewy, scaled body rippling as claws dug into bark before it dropped to a moss-slick rock ahead. Its skin shimmered with stripes of deep cerulean, spines flaring violet along its back as though it meant to catch the dim light and turn it into a warning. Its face stretched long, jaws full of needle-like teeth that clicked as it snarled.​

​

Ace felt it before he even registered its eyes, the taint clinging to it like tar in the Force. Predatory, yes, but also twisted, steeped in something darker. As if the jungle itself had bled corruption into its veins.​

​

Tic squealed and crouched low on his shoulder, lens stuttering. Ace's jaw clenched as he slid a foot back into stance, fingers curling tighter above the hilt of his lightsaber.​

​

The beast's head tilted, studying them, spines twitching. Then it bared its teeth and let out a roar that rattled the mist, the sound carrying the same oppressive weight Ace had felt tugging at his chest since they landed.​

​

Zaiya Ceti​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Acier Moonbound

Zaiya's lips curved in a small, almost sheepish smile as she nodded.

"Yeah… we're rare. What you're sensing in me isn't the same as others because the Force reacts differently with our empathy does with my people. We're wired to feel and connect. My colors," she glanced down at the faint shimmer crawling across her arms, "they're just those emotions bleeding through. Tone, hue, brightness… it all shifts. So yes," her voice softened with a hint of humor, "I'm basically a walking mood ring."

She might have teased it further, but the sound of the jungle changing pulled the words from her mouth. The beast dropped before them, its presence so heavy it pressed in, almost stifling, dampening her glow into muted blues and grays. The Lovalla froze, her hand instinctively brushing against the satchel at her side before she caught herself.

Her eyes darted to Ace, then back to the creature, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"No sudden movements. Let me try."

Taking a careful step forward, Zaiya lifted her hand slowly, bracelets chiming with the motion.

She let her breath steady, her heart settle, then reached outward. The Force flowed through her like a current as she extended her awareness toward the beast. She didn't push, didn't try to bend it. Instead, she let it feel her intent, her calm, the quiet truth that she and Ace weren't there to harm it.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

His first instinct was to strike. Fight. Attack before it attacks you. His hand was already gripping his lightsaber when Zaiya's voice briefly snapped him out of it. Ace's eyes flicked to Zaiya - what did she mean 'no sudden movements'?

Then she stepped toward it, dark gaze following her as she approached the beast. His lips parted, ready to protest but then she lifted her arm. In the direction of the scaled creature. Even Tic emitted a whir of concern, tapping Ace's shoulder with its claw as if to get him to do something.

But Ace suddenly realized what it was she was doing. His mind drifted to Onderon, a month ago, when Vince had guided him in calming down a Rupin through the Force. It was what she was doing too.

And just for a moment, the beast faltered - its spines lowered and the air shifted.

But the corruption clung stubborn, like oil on water. Ace's teeth ground together. "Zaiya…" His voice was low, warning. "That thing's not just defending territory. It's… wrong."

The predator's head twitched at his voice, teeth bared, claws raking wet stone as though it hadn't decided yet if they were prey - or something worse. Ace wasn't about to take any chances, he unclipped his lightsaber and ignited it, its snap-hiss echoing throughout the jungle.

"Zaiya. Get back." He warned her, taking a single step forward. Ready to intervene if the beast were to suddenly attack.

The glow of his blade split the mist, blue light painting the trunks around them in cold fire. Tic shrieked, claws digging into his pauldron as the predator's head snapped toward the sound.

Its spines flared again. The brief calm Zaiya had coaxed into the air fractured, swallowed by the oily weight that clung to the beast like a second skin. Its eyes fixed on Ace now, teeth clicking, muscles bunching as if ready to spring.

Ace slid one foot forward, blade held low but steady, his gaze locked on the creature. Mist swirled around the three of them, and the only sound was the slow grind of the beast's claws against stone and the hum of Ace's lightsaber.

Zaiya Ceti​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Acier Moonbound

The Lovalla Padawan heard Ace's warning, but Zaiya had to at least try. Knight von Ascania taught her how to do this... so maybe it would work?

So there Zaiya stood, hand outstretched, trying her best to control her breathing as she poured calm into the bond. But the corruption clinging to the predator was like rot in the roots of a tree, and when her light touched it, but it didn't like that at all. No, in fact, everything felt worse!

Even her skin reacted, the colors dimming over her skin, muting under the oppressive weight.

Yeah this wasn't going to go well.

"Umm… Ace…" she said without looking back, her tone threading between focus and nervous humor as the colors over her skin rippled in anxiety. "So… maybe… you just might want to… start… backing up."

The words had barely left her lips when the creature launched. A yelp broke from her throat, her bioluminescence flashing bright yellow and white in a strobe of alarm. Instinct took over, the Force surged through her hands as she spun, snapping a bubble of protection up around herself.

The irridescence bubble of protection bloomed in a shield over her just as the beast slammed into it. The impact cracked the air, making her bracelets jingle wildly as she braced. The predator bounced off the glowing surface with a frustrated roar, floundering before catching itself on the ground.

"Oh blast! Okay... that... didn't work as intended!" Zaiya chirped out, looking for Ace.

The creature shook its head, then gave a low, guttural growl that rattled as it reared back, clearly intent on striking again.

"Ace... Ace?!"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace's grip on his lightsaber tightened, knuckles whitening, at the sound of her voice. The dimming colors across her skin told him enough, whatever she'd reached for, it hadn't taken. His brow furrowed.

"Zaiya…" he warned again, but the rest of the words caught in his throat as the beast launched.

The thing moved like lightning, Zaiya's yelp cracked the silence, her skin flaring in a strobe of yellow and white just before her shield snapped into place. The predator slammed into it with a sickening crack. For a moment his eyes widened in surprise and awe, he'd never seen anything like what Zaiya had just done before.

The Lovalla's voice snapped him back, calling his name. His dark eyes shifted back to the beast as it looked like it was preparing to lunge again. Without thinking, he threw out his off-hand and sent out a tidal wave of telekinetic energy at the beast.

It merely staggered, to Ace's shock. That was enough force to knock back a platoon of troopers. The beat's predatory gaze slowly and deliberately flicked to Ace. A faint smirk tugged at his lips. At least it's attention was on him now.

Tic squealed on his shoulder, lens flickering in frantic bursts when the purple spined beast began to charge.

Ace shifted his weight, blade rising as the creature thundered forward. Its charge shook the ground and when it closed the gap, Ace slashed low across its flank, the blade hissing as it carved into scale and sinew - only to rebound with far less effect than he expected.

The strike left a shallow, smoking gouge, the beast shrieking in pain but not faltering. Its hide was tougher than durasteel plating, resistant though not invulnerable. Ace's jaw clenched in frustration.

The predator barreled into him with terrifying force. Ace tried to pivot, but the bulk of it caught him square across the chest. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs, and before he could recover it lashed out with a forelimb. Claws like hooked blades caught his pauldron and hurled him aside like a ragdoll.

He slammed hard into a tree trunk, bark exploding around him. The crack of the impact rattled his bones and forced a grunt from deep in his chest. His lightsaber skittered across the wet ground, the blue blade hissing as it chewed into moss and soil.

Tic screeched, scrambling down to check him, while Ace forced air back into his lungs. Every nerve screamed at once. He blinked against the ringing in his ears and pushed to one knee, eyes locking on the beast as it prowled toward him, spines rattling like drawn blades.

The beast paced, low and deliberate. The ashen haired rebel tightened his grip on the earth, forcing his knees under him even as pain echoed throughout his body. He wasn't done, but another charge right now would finish him.

"Tic, Zaiya... get... out of here." He rasped.

Zaiya Ceti​