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​

 

[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 heart jumped into her throat as Ace slammed into the tree, the crack of impact making her flinch.

"Ace!" The Lovalla Padawan cried out before she could stop it, her skin washing into a silvery hue as fear spiked through her.

No nono no no!

Domxite let out a trill from her shoulder, providing support she could feel through their bond as the beast prowled closer.

Focus!

Zaiya threw her hands forward, the Force rushing through her like a tide breaking free. Once again, the Force shield snapped outward in a shimmering wave, slamming into the predator back and staggering it just enough to buy them a heartbeat.

She didn't waste it. Bracelets jingled as she darted to Ace's side, dropping beside him. One hand steadied against his shoulder, the other raised in warning toward the beast. Her glow still flickered with edges of silver, but determination rippled through her spots in a faint flash of orange and cobalt as she narrowed her gaze decisively.

"Forget running," she said firmly, eyes locked on the predator.

"We're not leaving you. Domxite, help Ace." May sound weird but Domxite had been the one training Zaiya in battle meditation and how to work as a team; the rainbow gem inside of that little droid chasis more than able to touch the Force.

Soon enough, the empathic hum of the Force bloomed warmth over the pair as Domxite focused in.

As if sensing it, the beast hissed, throat clicking, crouching to spring again. Zaiya pushed back to her feet, jaw tight, her colors shifting with a ripple of dark orange focus as she planted herself between Ace and the nightmare, drawing the Force into her chest as she brought her hands up only this time, she plucked two white pearl beads from her bangle.

"Come on then," she whispered, bracing for its charge even as she removed the activators on the pearl jewelry and used the Force to direct where it was going to hit.

Pearl stun grenades no bigger than pearls on jewelry. Enough to strike a three meter radius.

Here's hoping the creature could get knocked out.

Otherwise Zaiya was going to have to escalate matters more quickly than she originally thought.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace's breath came ragged, vision swimming, Zaiya wasn't leaving. Why wasn't she leaving? But then, suddenly, warmth. Not just Zaiya's hand steadying his shoulder, but something deeper, humming through the Force. Tic's worried warble blurred into Domxite's trill, and suddenly the haze lifted. Ace felt the surge of Domxite's focus threading into him. His breath was steadier, vision sharper, the pain in his ribs pushed to the edges of his awareness. It didn't just feel like the Force was flowing through him, but enhancing him.

"We're not leaving you."

He met her gaze for a moment but no words came. She was stubborn. Or maybe incredibly brave. Ace couldn't help the ghost of the grin that tugged his lips. His lightsaber twitched in his grip as he dragged it back into his hand with a flick of will, the blue blade igniting again with renewed strength.

The predator hissed, crouched to spring. Ace rolled his shoulders, forcing himself upright just as Zaiya whispered her defiance and flung the pearl beads.

The flash flared like lightning in the mist. The beast reeled with a guttural roar, spines snapping tight against its back as the stun's shock washed over it.

"Nice trick." He said, flashing her an approving grin.

Meanwhile, the beast had regained its bearings. However, he noticed its movements were slower - Zaiya's beads had definitely had an effect. But it wasn't enough. Not yet. Ace stepped beside Zaiya, watching as the beast paced, calculating. He mirrored its movements, waiting for it to make a move instead of attacking first.

When the predator lunged, he didn't meet it head on. He pivoted, letting its momentum carry past him, lightsaber flashing to carve across its flank. The blade hissed but left only another smoking scar across thick scales. Then it slashed again, cutting through the air, but the rebel dropped low. Pivoting, he drove his lightsaber at its foreleg joint. It staggered, momentum carrying it forward as Ace turned with it, striking once more at its exposed joints.

He wasn't overpowering it, just reading it, letting its own fury and animal instincts trip itself up. With a final sidestep he caught it off balance, blade biting deep into its shoulder. Sparks hissed as plasma scraped bone, driving the predator to its forelimbs, still snarling, corruption bled off it in waves.

Ace figured, hoped, that this was enough. Enough to really put it down. He leapt back, transitioning into a backflip to get himself a safer distance away. Then his head snapped to the Lovalla.

"Now, Zaiya! Finish it!" He called out.

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

Finish it!

Ace's words rang though Zaiya's mind. She knew she couldn't hesitate now. Her hand finally went to her hilt at her belt, her fingers wrapping tightly around the familiar weight. She flicked through the settings with care before she made her choice.

The snap-hiss filled the mist, but what bloomed in her hands wasn't the familiar glow of magenta plasma. An icey blue blade shimmered out, its edges trailing with that strange void-like energy. Entropite. Cold and hungry, the blade wasn't meant to kill, it was meant to drain, to stun, to stop.

She steadied herself with a quick inhale.

"Here we go!" muttered, more to herself than anyone else. She was finishing it. Just in her own way.

Then the Lovalla leapt in a flurry of bioluminescence and rippling colors.

The predator snarled and swung its massive head up as Zaiya vaulted, bracelets chiming as she landed on its back with a hard thud.

"Whoa!" She cried out, the impact nearly throwing her off. The beast bucked and twisted beneath her, spines scraping her side, but she gritted her teeth and held fast.

"Stay down!" she cried, driving her blade down. The ice-blue edge sank against its hide, not cutting, but draining. A shudder rippled through the monster, muscles spasming under her weight. It roared, bucking harder, slamming itself against a tree in a desperate bid to shake her loose.

"Gah!"

Zaiya clung tighter, her glow flashing faint orange streaks of focus as she pressed the blade down again, feeling the Force churn through her. The entropic hum deepened, the creature stumbling once, twice… then finally collapsing with a guttural groan. Its legs gave, body slamming to the mossy floor with a quake that shook her bones.

"Oh geezus…." She huffed, then waited until its sides stopped heaving, until its snarls slipped into ragged breaths. Then, with one last check that it was unconscious, Zaiya switched off her blade and vaulted free, boots skidding against wet stone as she ran to Ace.

"Oh my stars, Ace!" she cried, dropping to her knees beside him. Domxite skirted in, their own support through the Force felt as Zaiya's hands hovered frantically over his chest and shoulder before she pressed them down, warmth pooling into her palms in a soft, golden light.

"You're hurt, hold still," she urged, panic flickering across her voice as she leaned in, desperate to knit back the worst of his wounds.

"I've a med kit if we need it too." It was best to use both just in case.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace blinked against the haze, the blue glow of his lightsaber dimming as he let it fall to his side. He'd seen plenty of insane moves in his time, but watching Zaiya vault onto the beast's back and drive that strange ice-blue blade into it? That was one for the books. He couldn't help but smile, she was as crazy as he was.

When the predator finally collapsed, the ground shaking under its weight, Ace's chest heaved with relief he'd never admit out loud. He let himself slump back against the tree, extinguishing his lightsaber as he slid down, ribs screaming with every breath.

Then she was there, hands hovering, panic laced through her voice. Warmth pooled into his chest where she pressed, golden light easing the worst of the fire in his side. It was always his ribs.

He huffed a laugh, though it broke off into a grunt. "Guess… you weren't kidding about not leaving." His lips tugged faintly, the closest he got to a smile in moments like this. "You okay?" His tone was a little softer now.

Then his dark eyes met hers, steady despite the pain. Ace still wasn't used to people looking out for him and even more so when others actively risked their lives for him. For that alone, Ace muttered a quiet and uncharacteristically soft "Thanks."

Tic chriped anxiously at Zaiya's side, lens flickering as if trying to join in, before huddling close against Ace's hip with a relieved warble. Ace shifted, testing his ribs, then let his head tip back against the bark. The pain was tolerable for now.

"Save the meds until we really need it. I'll be okay." He assured her, nodding.

Ace rose to his feet, rolling his shoulders before offering her a hand up if she hadn't stood up already. For a moment, he scanned the jungle again - not looking or searching for anything. But gathering. He let his senses gently expel outward again, sensing the dark taint that surrounded both the felled creature, and the surrounding area.

"Whatever that was. It was corrupted. You sensed it too, right?" His gaze slid toward the mist-choked jungle, caution tugging within him.

This simple scouting mission had apparently evolved into something grander. For Ace, it wasn't about looking for potential outpost sites, now it was finding out more about what this taint was - and if there was anything that could be done about it.

He turned to Zaiya, momentarily scanning her bright and colorful skin, hoping to see any indicators of where her head was at.

"We should find the source of whatever this is. Then report back to the brass, or the Jedi."

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 gave a small huff, her mottled spots flickering with a faint lavender hue at his stubbornness. Without a word, she reached out and flicked his forehead, just as Aris Noble often did to her when she was being just as ridiculous.

"No. You get taken care of now. The last thing we need is for you to not be at your best in case we come across… whatever that was."

Domxite bobbed their paint splatted droid head in agreement, chirping as if to back her up. Zaiya unclipped her medkit from her belt, pulling free the basics she needed. She readied a pain stim but paused, those opal blue eyes lifting to meet his.

"Are you allergic to any medications?" she asked, careful but firm.

Her gaze drifted briefly toward the felled predator, unease tugging at her chest.

"And yeah… I felt it too. Something was wrong, like it had been corrupted... which means something might be out here that caused it." Which meant potentially deviating from their original task to find out what that was. "Entropite should have it knocked out for a few hours at least. I'll take a better look when you're patched up."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace noticed the Lovalla was now glowing lavender. What could that mean? He watched as she reached out, a single brow lifting, then he felt her flick his forehead. He blinked in surprise, silent, before reaching to touch the point of impact. It didn't hurt, it was more for confirmation - did that really just happen?

"What was that?" Tone filled with bewilderment.

Tic glanced up, photoreceptor darting between the pair before emitting something that sounded too much like a chuckle. Ace's gaze flicked down at the BD-unit, dark eyes glaring at the little droid.

Zaiya's sudden sternness drew surprise, even from him. He took a step back, holding his palms up - he wasn't going to try and argue his way out of this one. Felt like he was being scolded. For a moment, his thoughts drifted to Aris, wondering how he handled Zaiya when she was being stern.

Sighing in resignation, he lowered his hands and simply studied her as she pulled out the medkit. Then her eyes met his, his brow raised as if to ask what it was. Then she asked him if he was allergic to anything.

"Lovalla medics." He quipped, bluntly. Although a small smirk tugged at his lips.

Then he nodded his head, as to tell her it was fine. He wasn't allergic to anything - as far as he knew, anyway. Ace's gaze tracked Zaiya's, landing o the unconscious beast. She confirmed that she did indeed feel the predator's corruption.

"No doubt there's some source out here." He wondered if that was the strange pull he'd felt earlier, although he didn't voice this thought verbally.

"Entropite." He echoed "Never heard of it." Still, impatience stirred under his skin. He shook his head, patting her shoulder lightly. "I'm good, I'm good. Let's check out that... thing 'fore it wakes up and carry on."

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

"Hmph! Just a way to reset your brain from being way too silly," Zaiya shot back, puffing her cheeks in mock sternness even as the corners of her mouth twitched into a grin. She couldn't quite help it, seriousness always seemed to slip out of her in a way that invited a little lightheartedness with it.

Domxite hopped up onto her shoulder, little claws clicking as he settled in and chirped a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

Either way, Ace was stuck now. Zaiya pressed the pain stim to his arm before he could argue again, then worked quickly, disinfecting and patching his cuts with efficient motions. Her palm glowed softly as she swept her hand over his ribs, reading the damage through the shifting colors that bloomed through the Force faintly against his body.

"Oh… Entropite," she explained while she worked. "It's a kyber crystal that resonates cold instead of hot. The blade drains energy from anything it touches, enough to knock someone out or shut tech down. Lets me fight without hurting people more than I need to."

Once satisfied he was stable, Zaiya stowed the supplies and rehooked the kit at her belt. Straightening, she held out her hand to help him up.

"Such a sassy patient," she teased with a grin. "Are you this sassy with every medic?"

Her brightness dimmed into thought as she turned back toward the predator. She crouched low beside it, cerulean eyes glowing faintly as she studied the strange beast.

"This… feels so-o off," she murmured, glancing up at Ace. "But I don't think it was always like this."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

He fell quiet as she explained Entropite, gaze drifting to her blade hilt, then back to her. The idea of a crystal that drained instead of cut was new to him. A blade that wins without killing. Not long ago, he'd have loved to own something like Entropite. He struggled greatly with harming others. But now? It was as normal as breathing to him.

That probably wasn't a good thing... but there was no time to unpack that.

"Figures you'd be the one carrying it." It wasn't a jab, more an acknowledgment of who she was, and how different that choice was from his own.

When she teased him again, his lips pulled into something that was halfway between a smirk and a scoff. "Sassy? No. Just don't like being fussed over." The way Tic warbled at that, almost like a laugh, made him add dryly, "Don't you start too."

Ace noticed Zaiya's bioluminesence dim as she turned toward the creature. He followed her, standing beside her as she studied it. The Force pressed around it like tar. He felt it crawling, seeping, as though the jungle itself had bled into the creature and warped it from the inside out. Its scales weren't uniform either: patches discolored, warped with a faint violet sheen that didn't belong. Spines pulsed faintly even now, like embers refusing to die.

"No. It wasn't." He confirmed, thinking back to Onderon "I've seen something like this before. A village of Beast Riders, back on Onderon, they were wiped out by their Rupings after they went crazy. I sensed something like this then too."

Tic emitted a chirp, sounding like as if he was confused. "It was before we met." He said, answering the BD-unit.

His words faded into the mist, but the jungle didn't fill the silence. No birdsong, no insects, just the low pulse of corruption that seemed to vibrate through the air itself. Ace's jaw tightened as he felt it pulling, faint but insistent, somewhere beyond the treeline. The predator at their feet twitched once, a final ripple through its spines before stilling again. Even unconscious, the taint clung to it like rot.

Ace's eyes narrowed. That pull he'd felt earlier gnawed sharper now, insistent. Not a direction so much as a gravity dragging at his chest. Tic clicked uncertainly, lens swiveling toward the jungle. Ace gave a faint nod, more to himself than the droid.

Stretching his side in a slow roll to test the work she'd done. It hurt, but less than before, enough that he could move. "It's this way." He muttered, that dark pull serving as his northstar.

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 iridescent blue eyes flicked up to Ace in avid curiousity as a ripple of citrine tones went dancing over her mottled spots.

"Oh. What do you mean figures?" she asked, head tilting to the side like a curious little bird, the long length of her multicolored magenta, cobalt, and teal colored hair brushing her bare shoulders.

"And this isn't being fussed over. It's making sure you're well so we can keep each other safe." She explained. It was a rather simple matter in her mind. Iris Arani always told her the healer was the most important one in a fight. If she fell first, she couldn't protect anyone else. Balance meant looking after herself and others in turn. And that meant that Ace had to buckle up and take her ministrations to keep him in tip top shape. They had to protect each other, so she couldn't have him be hurt.

But as she listened to Ace's story of Onderon, the Lovalla couldn't help but wonder what other places she'd also seen such corruption. It made her think back to Tython when she met that corrupting Sith Lord... and then to Tython Station there after, with the former Sith Lord who had made the dead walk and attack them.

"I've seen something like this before… but it followed a Sith Lord. I'm not sure if it's the same." She admitted, rising to her feet before she dusted her hands against her thighs and gave him a nod. "But let's find out."

However, before they took a few steps, a thought stirred, and she glanced his way.

"Hey wait up. Just in case…" She began, her hand coming up towards his direction as she summoned the Force. The colors and hues of the Force around them, as the Force danced at her encouragement, flowing outward in a ripple of warmth that wrapped them both in a subtle glow. The weight of the corruption around them didn't vanish, but the light dulled its edge, offering its welming comforting support in its place. It carried the same comforting morale boosting Ace might remember from the Forge.

"It's always good to go into some of these crazy places with a little extra protection," she added with a grin, dropping her hand to her side before joining him to continue their investigative trek.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Teth

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace snorted softly at her question, glancing at her as if weighing whether to actually answer. "Figures." He repeated, tone edged with wryness. "'Cause I can already tell that you don't look for a fight first. You look for ways around it. Can't say that about many people I know."

Her reminder about taking care of each other earned him a flicker of guilt he didn't show. He just exhaled through his nose, lips twitching faintly. "Guess I'm not used to people making that argument. Where I'm from, you walk it off, or you don't." His gaze slipped from her face to the trees, like the memory of it was better left unsaid.

When she brought up her own encounters: Sith Lords, Tython, corruption spreading behind them, his gaze drifted in deep thought. She had a point. It could be Sith, or something older. Either way… it was poison. His eyes lingered on the felled predator.

Ace had only made it a few steps ahead when Zaiya called out to him. He stopped, turning to her, then he felt a warmth ripple through the air. It was a veil, or maybe a shield, the edge of the jungle's weight dulled against his chest, focus clicking sharp where it had been frayed. Ace blinked once, rolling his shoulder, surprised at how steady he suddenly felt. He remembered something like this back when they were at the Forge.

When she grinned back and called it protection, he dipped his chin "You did this at the Forge, too. Your toolkit's a lot deeper than mine, huh?"

It was a statement, Ace was aware his mastery of the Force was rudimentary at best - despite how powerful he felt the Force surge through him. Zaiya's capabilities were more than impressive.

Then, he finally stepped forward. The pull growing thicker and denser with each one he took, thankfully, whatever Zaiya had done - held off the worst of it. Tic clicked uncertainly on his shoulder, lens flicking toward Zaiya as if to ask if they should really be following this.

The undergrowth thickened as they pushed deeper, vines clawing at their legs, mist dragging low between the trunks. Every so often, Ace slowed, head turning as if listening to something only he could hear. The air was colder now, shadows pooling darker than they should.

Finally, he stopped, lifting a hand to signal Zaiya to hold. The mist curled, thinner here, just enough to reveal a shape breaking the rhythm of trees and stone. At first it looked like cliffs, but the lines were too straight, too deliberate. Steps carved into the slope, each one choked with vines, sinking into the earth as though the jungle had been trying for centuries to bury it whole.

What little broke the surface was enough to mark its scale: a wide base of blackened stone blocks, edges worn and fractured, but still aligned in a perfect geometric rise. The ziggurat's crown had long since collapsed under moss and roots, yet the angles that remained carried weight. Not just in stone, but in the Force. The pull sharpened to a spike, cold and insistent, dragging at his chest with every breath.

Ace's eyes narrowed. "Think this is it."

Zaiya Ceti ​