Private Wild & Free

[Haro Aven]

LOCATION: OUTERRIM TERRITORIES > SITH HOLY WORLDS > KORRIBAN > KOR'ETHYR ACADEMY​

EQUIPMENT: BODIE | TERRABOARD | BASIC PROVISIONS​

OBJECTIVE: TEST OUT THE TERRABOARD PROTOTYPE WITH Naamino Zuukamano ​

TIMESTAMP: AFTER THE SITH HOLY WORLDS TOUR...BEFORE PRIME DAY NIGHT FIREFIGHT​

The sensation was exhilarating. The sand was a blur of red beneath Haro. The cool Korribani air whipped against him, stinging his cheeks and piercing through his layers like they were made of flimsiplast, but he didn’t care. He just laughed into the wind, sparing a glance behind him to make sure Naami was still following.

The board responded to every shift of his weight, subtle and eager, skimming close to the sand that grains sprayed up in crimson arcs around his boots. A large dune rose sharply ahead, its slopes collapsing in lazy avalanches. Haro leaned in without thinking. His Terraboard surged, repulsors whining, and then the ground vanished. For a breathless moment he was weightless, suspended over the desert like some foolish, grinning god. The board dipped on the landing, nose pulling hard to the left, and Haro swore as he windmilled an arm, before the stabilizers caught and he evened out, surfing the slope down. Haro made a mental note—thruster housing ran hot at high output; left stabilizer lagged by a fraction of a second.

The pair carved across the flats, between clusters of jagged stone where ancient ruins jutted from the sand like broken teeth. Shadows swallowed them whole, then spat them back out into Horuset’s red glow as they closed the distance to the spire.

The final ascent Haro recalled huffing his way up during that first ruck with Naami was conquered easily with the Terraboard. What had taken the two of them the better part of half an hour to march took them only a handful of minutes to climb now. Before he knew it, Haro was cresting the plateau. He slowed to a stop once he reached the spot where the two of them shared that picnic lunch together many months ago. It felt like years had passed with all that had happened.

The view of the vast desert landscape made him feel simultaneously small and mighty, just as he remembered feeling the first time. The pounding of his own heart and panting breath filled the silence. There was a faint tremor to his hands, not from fear but from adrenaline, as he reached for a canteen on his belt and took a sip. The flavored stim packet he’d added to the water danced on his tongue and made it taste like candy.

He glanced over at Naami as he pulled up beside him and grinned, offering a sip from his canteen.

“So? Whadya think so far? Pretty astral, huh?” His enthusiasm combined with the effects of the stim made his tone quick and buoyant.

“Wanna go explore? I’ve always wondered what was beyond that ridge over there.” He pointed to a flat-topped mountain of stone about a half a mile out.​

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Outfit:
Belt of Strength, Field Com-Scan Link,
Well Worn Boots, Athletic Wear

​

There was no thrill quite like it. Naamino wasn't a "thrill seeker" per se but the boy clearly enjoyed the pursuit of that which pushed him to his limits. There were few joys greater than testing the capabilities of one's body and mind to find that you're capable of so much more than you ever gave yourself credit for.

He'd raced speeders, starships, gotten into deadly dogfights, started taming his own Sithspawn and mastered one saber form thus far. Naami had seen gains in the gym and wins on the battlefield, his physical and Force prowess seemed to grow daily. But there was nothing that had prepared him for the sheer fun and exhilaration to be gained with a device like the Terraboard. Particularlay considering the epic views and excellent company.

His hearts soared with every dip and turn, the heavier board very nearly squirreled away from him at one point and Naami could tell he'd escaped eating chit by centimeters. Competitive as ever, Naami pushed the tech to its limits in pursuit of his more wily friend. Despite his every effort, Haro pulled out ahead on the rise to their old ruck spot.

Pupils shrunk to dark pinpricks behind goggle lenses, chest heaving with the excitement of it all, Naami skittered to a stop beside his friend and eagerly accepted the canteen to sate his suddenly dry mouth. Taking a huge swing expecting water, the zabrak spluttered and nearly choked.

"…KGGHT…!"

Suddenly doubled over, the response was all the more dramatic because of the adrenaline running through his veins. It took the teen a solid minute to recover, which was made all the more funny given that he was on unsteady footing. Finally he stood tall, eyes watering and voice hoarse, handing back the spiked canteen.

"…Aven, why you gotta make everythin' so sugary…"

He coughed again, seeming to finally clear his throat and was able to properly look out on the view. The thrill hadn't abated despite his sudden coughing fit and he was able to grin sidelong at his buddy about how awesome it all was.

"Feth yeah… Sounds wicked," he agreed to the plan, a glint of mischief entering his bearing.

"Race ya, and last one there's a rotten porg egg!"

With a flip of his fingertips he used the Force to flick sand up into Haro's general vicinity and tipped his own board to speed forward. Without looking back, Naami tried to press his advantage.

​

​

 

[Haro Aven]

Naamino Zuukamano ​

The zabrak's dramatic reaction to the flavored drink made Haro cackle before he took another swig himself and tucked it away.

His response to Naami's challenge was cut short when a blast of sand kicked up into Haro's face. He brought his hands up instinctively, swatting at the air and spitting sand from his mouth.

"Oh you're goin down, Zuukamano!" He called, grinning wildly as he sped off after him.

His stomach lurched when he tipped the board off the edge of the plateau and plummeted down the steep decline. Fighting his natural inclination to counter balance by leaning back, he crouched low and leaned forward, using gravity to increase his momentum and speed. Then he cut to the side before the ground bottomed out, surfing the cliff edge like a stagnant wave. He angled for the sloped edge of a jutting rock and hit it like a jump, becoming weightless for another few thrilling heartbeats before he nearly landed on top of Naami. The board fishtailed a bit before he got it under control again but, much to his satisfaction, it adapted rather well to the sudden transition from rocky terrain back to sand.

The two boys kept pace with each other for a while, adapting to the nuances of this new form of transportation more with each passing moment. Cresting one of the dunes, a small lake revealed itself at the base. The head and shoulders of a massive stone statue jutted out at an odd angle at the far edge of the water. The quickest route to the finish line was to cut straight through, so Haro angled toward the water's edge. He didn't slow as he approached, hoping beyond all hope that the Terraboard would do what it was supposed to. Haro swore when he suddenly dipped just a tad, the bottom of the board skimming the water in a terrifying moment, but he was soon whooping and pumping his first in the air, weaving S curve along the glassy surface, kicking up little sprays of water in his wake.​