A Quest of Odd Parameter [open]

Strae had been on Felucia for only four hours. Four long hours. At first, she had determined it best to get as use to this environment as possible. Her and two others had set up a small camp where one of the Shadow Arks's smaller ships had dropped them off. She wore her normal attire, even in this humid, ungainly weather. Standing in the center of the clearing, she stared into the darkness, trying to see something at least. Her trinkets were pulled tight and her boots set to make no sound in the least. She could move quietly, even here. But did that matter to the keen senses of the abominations that Felucia held? Was she just another naive passerbye who, to them, bumbles by with all the grace of a drunken Gamorian?

The two Upezza Keeza members with her were experts of Felucia, so she was comfortable with getting to where she needed to be, but something bothered her. A Hutt asking for a poisonous root? That was perfectly fine, but what did he need a rare, special root from the depth's of FELUCIA for? Hutt's had all sorts of poisons. The pay was good, however, so Strae took the job. This wasn't a job for a spy group of her class though. This was something he should have sent a bunch of expendable bounty hunters for. Her thought? Trap. She had ordered a few Spies to scout out the planet, and make sure there were no other ships. She looked back to the tents, concerned, then looked back out to the forest. "Well, stupid Hutt...The deal is made, and the Root shall be found. If this turns out a trap, your mine. Your whole DAMN GROUP, is dead."

(OOC: Sorry it took so long)

"We are on our final approach Sinvrick, You should probably suit up," Stated the pilot.

Sinvrick had been on the trader's ship for to long. He was beginning to question if the trader was any good at his job due to the fact of how long it takes him to get from place to place.

Sivrick went below deck. He began to put on hihs armor piece by piece. Finally his helmet went on. He went on into the hanger as he put his jet pack on. The ship began o rattle, it felt as if it was about to fall apart. They had entered the atmosphere. The ship calmed down into a smooth ride once again. Sivrick opened the hanger. A huge gust of wind entered the hanger which did not effect Sinvrick's stance.

"If your jumping out, your the craziest S.O.B. I have ever met, be careful down there, those creatures, they are monsters," The voice over the calm spoke.

"The only monster that should be feared, is me," Sinvrick spoke under his breath. With that last note, he jumped. Soaring though the air, at such high speeds, coordinates of the root, not to far from himself now. This would be an easy flight.

Reaching faster and faster speeds, arms wide open. Sinvrick began barrel rolling down just for kicks, as he fired his jet pack. He instatly pulled up, he was starting to get use to the wip lash this caused.

"Felucia, at long last, and the only thing to worry about is compatition, easy money," Where Sinvrick's thoughts. He didn't care he was working for hutts at the moment, he worked for slavers that use to take children from their families and turn them into monsters. This was a vacation for Sinvrick.

The lush foliage that covered almost every inch of Felucia's landscape rustled softly, so very gently it could be taken as the wind. However, the cause of this was no wind. Strae and her two spies moved as though they were specters, just gliding around; just there and gone. Like a whisper. Their progress was slow and steady, but they would take great care not to alert any of the natural, disgusting creatures here. Already they'd passed right by a great, green creature with four stalked legs, pincers, and a grotesque mouth with a small pair of mandibles. Strae shuddered when she had seen, but remained calm, and they passed it without incident.

Her body was drenched in sweat, and was in a constant state of heat as the clothes she wore pressed up against her, but still they traveled. Time was of the essence, that was for sure. Two other craft had arrived since she, and they couldn't be beaten to the root. There weren't very many times that she had competition, but when she did, she won. Slowly, her legs moved forward, picking her path in the dim, beautiful starlight carefully.

Moving around bulbous shrubs and flowers as though they were nothing, Strae looked at a Datapad with an image of a map, and another device to check her coordinates. They were less than an hour from the cave the root was said to be found. Her two spy accomplices moved beside her, constantly. It was rule that they were never to get out of eyesight of each other, and they even went so far as to tie knots around each other with a grappling hook.

As she walked, a repulsive smell hit Strae. She tugged the rope and launched herself to the side. The others went in toe instantly, not knowing why. All of them crashed to the floor painfully, and with a ton of racket. Looking over, Strae saw a cloud puffing into the air, and from her angle she could see under the branching out foliage. There was a mound of dirt, with a hole in the middle.

She'd be dead, or worse, if she hadn't jumped to the side. That mound was some sort of small, indigenous bug colony that would eat away at your skin, and the cloud above it was the buzzing of the monstrous things. Luckily they never went too far away from their mound. She sighed, then got up. There was a shriek behind them. All three turned back, then looked at each other, "RUN!" Strae shouted. The 'thing' they had seen earlier must have found them.

Still holding onto the rope, they all bounded straight through the underbrush with abandon as a crashing, *thump* was made behind them. The creature's stalky legs crashing down. Still incredibly quiet for running, they moved swiftly as possible. Each moment brought the vibrations of the horrid creature closer to them, and their only hope was to find some clearing in which to turn around and prepare for it. They could tell it was getting closer, could hear it distinctly, and Strae, for the first time in her life, prayed to whoever the fuck was listening.

Apparently some god loved her, because they all tumbled forward, down a hill. There was a small ditch, where a river ran through, and it offered clearing enough for a battle. "UP the other side, fast, then turn!" Strae ordered quietly. The three scrambled to their feet, splashing through the water, Strae making it to the other side in one gallant leap. Climbing as swiftly as possible, they all whipped around to wait for the emergence of the creature.

The Acklay burst out of the shrub line. One of the spies, who was an expert on Felucia, shouted, "Belly's the soft spot. Everybody fired their blasters. The two spies pulled out large rifles. One of them kneeled to one knee and fired out just to get a feel of the creatures armor. The bolt slammed into one of the Acklay's legs, bouncing off with little more than a singe. The other spy started pacing away from the kneeling one, firing off as fast as he could, generally centered onto the beasts neck, trying to get a lucky stomach shot. All of the bolts simply were deflected by the bony chest, though.

Strae grit her teeth and pulled out two twin blaster pistols. The Acklay roared and charged forward, great legs going right over the small river. In an instant it was on the other side, and one of its sharp legs were slamming down with great power to hit the kneeling man. He turned his kneel into a roll, and got safely away. The Acklay's leg pierced the ground with a thunderous effect, stabbing straight through the dirt. It lifted the same leg and sweeped it to the side in an explosion of dirt as the soft soil gave way, and the powerful leg smacked against the Spies body, sending him five feet through the air and landing in a painful smash against an outcropping root, knocking him out.

The Thud was so bad Strae knew he was out of the fight; maybe even dead. But she also noticed that the Acklay didn't have any practical means of striking someone directly beneath it. With a grin she tucked forward and rolled. The Acklay was just about to go finish its victim when Strae fired one shot into its belly. Instantly it curled its neck downward, bringing the unexpected master spy face to face with sharp teeth. She recoiled in fear, perhaps too far. The hind leg swept forward, striking her between the legs. It launched her into the air and a few inches through the foliage, bringing her into a soft landing into a bush.

Her butt stinging with the impact, she groaned in pain. The Acklay was right in front of her. Her eyes widened as she noticed that her blasters were not in her hand. She reached into her robes to the nearest weapon, a small vribro-knife, little longer than her own hand. The electricity shot up and down the Katarn blade in an instant. The Acklay's head leapt forward in a bite toward her neck. Strae dodge rolled the attack, sweeping out with her dagger and poking an eye out. The beasts mouth had clamped onto the roots of the bush, and when it recoiled its long neck in pain, the entire bush flew out, dirt and all. Strae hit the ground with a thud.

She gasped and rolled over to stare at the angry monstrosity. It stomped forward with its leg. Strae jumped onto her feet, dodging by half an inch. She dug the blade deep into the leg of the Crustacean, wrapping her whole body into a hug just as the leg swiped out to bat her away. Instead she was carried with it, holding on for dear life. As she was in the air, her arms reached up, stabbing the vibro blade further up and scaling the monster.

From a nice perch on its leg, she saw it curling its neck to snap at her. Her dagger hand sprung first, stabbing into the top of its skull. The thing was somehow still alive, and thrashed its neck from side to side. Strae, holding on in a death grip, screamed as the thing thrashed her from side to side, her body taking serious strain. She felt a crack in her back from the whiplash, and knew it would snap if this continued. Suddenly the thing stopped, looked forward and snapped its great jaws at her neck. She pushed herself away as far as possible, barely going out of the way, the second time it would be ready. It snapped forward and Strae let go, plummeting a few feet to the ground and onto her bum. The beast reared and readied for a kill.

Blaster fire was heard, and the final spy fired five shots rapidly into the great beasts belly, searing a great hole open. Innards fell in a pile, the monster swayed, and still more shots were fired. Still the beast held tight. Strae reached into her pocket and produced a small ball: thermal detonator.

The ball activated and she threw the thing into the Acklay's opened belly. The spy leaped back, and Strae ducked, covering her face. A tremendous explosion of heat and Acklay body parts ensued, she did not see it, but felt one of the legs slam into her body as it became detached from the now scattered body. She lay there, covered in Acklay blood, for almost three minutes. Finally, her spy walked up, managed to roll the leg off, and helped her up. "Do we have time to wash this off?" She asked, pointing to her bloody clothes.

"No, gather your weapons, and we carry him the rest of the way. We should move, NOW!"

Grizzelda heard a shriek in the distance, but she ignored it. She was instead watching a ship overhead, the one she'd heard. It drifted along the sky, cutting noisily across the starry background, like a gliding avian. Grizzelda watched with interest as it dropped a jumper, who tumbled and spun in a controlled manner as he fell.
Oh, so cool, way to make a dramatic entrance. Show off. Her mental tone dripped with sarcasm.
Her head suddenly whipped around, beckoned by a loud, sharp noise. She heard another animalistic scream, which she would have ignored, but then she heard,
Blaster fire!

~~~~

She could hear the Ackley shrieking ahead, and listened intently to the blaster fire, ( New models; powerful ), but she was having a hard time making her way through the under-growth. It clawed and grasped at her; the very earth of Felucia rejected her presence. She was a foreigner, an intruder.
Thinking to move a bit faster, she extracted a vibro-blade from her boot, smiling with satisfaction as it hummed quietly. However, she soon abandoned hacking through the forest when a particular vine burst, spraying violet acid across her hands. Grizzelda yelped as it began to melt through her gloves, which she hastily shed and threw aside.
"Damn wildlife," she muttered, peeved.
Grizzelda proceeded to press through the undergrowth...
And then she had an epiphany. If she moved with the forest... instead of against it... she vaulted over a low branch, slid up a vine, jumped across a mound of whirring insects, ducked around a massive fungus... before long, she had struck a rhythm, doing her best to move quickly toward where she still heard the miserable shrieks.

~~~~

She arrived just as the Ackley fell.
Krik'it, I wish I could have nailed that one myself...
Grizzelda hid in the foliage, assessing the situation, silent. There appeared to be two members of the party, a well-dressed woman, (She knew money when she saw it,) and a man who appeared to be serving as a body guard.
Strange, they usually travel in--
Grizzelda suddenly noticed a man lying crumpled on the ground; she could see only his grime-encrusted arm. A smile spread across her face.
--Threes.
She waited a few more minutes, watching as the man and woman slowly regained their senses.
Bah, it's just a little blood and gore...
At long last, Grizzelda deliberated that now was as good a time to introduce herself as any. She stepped from the foliage; three strides brought her within a meter of the shaken duo, who had just spoken
"Now would definitely be a good time to move." Grizzelda was twirling a sporting blaster in her hand, gazing balefully at the Ackley, still wishing it was she who'd dealt the death-blow.
"That's bound to smell like dinner for at least one critter out here..." She kicked a dismembered Ackley leg with the toe of her boot, grimacing as it made a low sploosh when the outer shell shifted.
Her attention then turned to the still conscious man.
"You know, a blaster bolt to the eye would have been much more effective. Fry the nervous system, problem's gone like -- " Grizzelda snapped her fingers, "-- that."
She did not sheath her blaster, keeping her senses as sharp as a Rancor keeps his claws.
Her muscles were tense, ready to move. She had no idea of how the two obviously-shaken humans would react to her sudden appearance.
I'll bet they're paranoid.
Regardless, Grizzelda had her mind set, and she took a step toward the fallen man, ready to hoist him over her shoulder. She expected at any moment to find herself staring down the barrel of a blaster, intentions misinterpreted.

Strae stared at the strange appearance. Her whole body ached with the violent battle, and now that the adrenaline was finished, she really felt the pain. Her eyes studied the person up and down as she spoke, paying very little attention to the actual words spoken. She looked over to her spy friend, who was standing with his hand on the trigger finger, and the gun ready to fire, but not quite aimed yet. They met eye contact, and Strae shook her head. The spy lowered his weapon safely and moved on to collect whatever they needed.

Strae holstered her weapon and wiped her clothing down. She quickly got her wits together and shook off the pain, walking toward Grizzelda slowly. Before she had reached Grizzelda though, the other spy walked up to her and handed something to Strae. The object was her hat, which had fallen off. It was a very wide brimmed thing, almost a foot long, and had outrageously colored feathered pluming rising high over the hat.

Strae's walk was graceful and annoyingly casual for such circumstances at the same time. As she came up beside Grizzelda, Strae tipped her hat to shadow her face. With a smirk she said, "So I assume we'll be traveling together...And I assume we're both after the same thing." One of her hands had already slipped underneath her robes, and she had a blaster pistol aimed thoroughly at Grizzelda's midsection. If Grizzelda went on the offensive because of this divulge of information, Strae would be ready.

The other spy finished gathering all of the dropped items, and joined the others next to their downed friend.

*Beep beep beep beep beep* "Life forms detected," The computer system in Sinvrick's helm informed.

"Why am I not surprised, what is it another Ackley?" Asked Sinvrick sarcastically.

"Negative, sentient life, detected," Responded the computer.

"What? Show me," Ordered Sinvrick. He landed on the closest cliff, which was actually I giant tree. Sinvrick's HUD turned from normal vision to enhanced mode. Four signatures just north west of his position. Instantly he figured them to be Hutt spies to monitor his progress, and make sure he gets the root. He thought for a second, this could of been a set up, they could be in league with the slavers that he wiped out in his past. With that thought anger took hold. He took his sniper out. He scoped one out, just to send over a warning shot. He fired at the group.

Expecting to see them confused, he was the one who became bewildered. A large buzzing sound erupted from under his feet. It didn't take a scientist to know what was happening. He was on top of a hive in which he just alerted to his presence. He slung his rifle over his shoulder to lock it in place, and ran to the edge of the hive. He jumped off, just as the first of the large insects began their swarm out of the tunnels that formed the inside of the gargantuan tree. The two collided in the air.

Falling now, Sinvrick withdrew his blaster pistol and shot the pathetic insect in the face as it turned to attack Sinvrick in return. The insect fell to the ground many feet bellow. Many more insects have now exited the hive at this time. This is when Sinvrick had fired his Jet pack and began his quick escape from his present location.

It didn't cross Sinvrick's mind anymore, that he had also alerted who ever the other sentients that he was also there looking for the abysmal Hutts damn root.

The insects where still chasing after Sinvrick, unaware that they where getting far form their hive. Sinvrick opened fire with what ever he could. He torched the closest insect near him for entertainment. It had been awhile since he was able to use his flame thrower. The last of the insects chasing Sinvrick had been dealt with. Sinvrick had to mount it's back and slice its hide open with his blade.

Sinvrick landed to check for the others, if they were around. the results came back negative, but that could of just meant that they are aware of him and that they have shielded themselves from his tracers. He also scanned his location to see how close he was to the location of the root. He wasn't as far as he thought. In fact the cave was only about a half hour walk from his location. Considering that it was now to dangerous to fly. he continued on foot, sure he was infront of all the danger. He couldn't`t be any happier.

Grizzelda nodded at the woman. She found her mode-of-dress quite... interesting.
I suppose I've seen stranger... but formal attire, on Felucia? She's in for a surprise...
Grizzelda felt a tingling along her spine... A gut feeling. Years had taught Grizzelda to trust her gut. She guessed the woman was eying her with less-than-friendly intentions, though, Grizzelda didn't hold it against her. (In fact, it quite bothered her when people were too trusting.) She'd've done the same. She was doing the same. One could never be too suspicious... one just had to be artful about it. This woman was. Grizzelda respected that, albeit a touch reluctantly.
"We shall be traveling together, I s'pose. Beats goin' alone in this sentient-forsaken jungle..."
Grizzelda was just about to haul the unconscious man over her shoulder, when she heard a familiar zing. It was high and fast, and brought a million memories; so many times before had she heard that same sound, that same exact sound... She once more smelled ozone...
Grizzelda swore.
"Duck down, that's sniper fire!"
In a flash, Grizzelda was on the ground, pressed against the foliage. Thorn laden vines scratched at her arms, and the damp began to seep through the knees of her trousers, but she ignored it; a low boulder was now providing her cover from the source of the shot.
As soon as she was less of a target, her mind immediately flashed to discovering the source of the shots. Without even thinking about it, Grizzelda had her blaster in hand, finger pressing ever so gently on the trigger... shooting whoever the nerf-herding-sniper was would be easy as offing a gnat...
There, high up in the trees--
Grizzelda instantly relaxed. There was a trooper, way up in the foliage a tree, being bombarded by a swarm of;
"Bugs." She chuckled to herself, standing up and leaning against a nearby boulder, watching the spectacle. Her brow raised with amusement.
"Flamethrowers... so much fun. But not for the bugs." She whistled when the jet pack roared to life. "Ah, the sweet sound of gimbaled thrusters... but they don't make 'em like they used to."
She sighed, and then returned to her original course of action; hauling the unconscious man. She beckoned the other over; there was no sense in her working by herself, not when there were other people around to share in the dirty-work.
"Soon as we find fresh water, we ought to be fine. We can get this guy up, hydrate 'im, and be on our merry way."
She started to sheath her blaster, but then seemed to remember something, turning back toward the woman.
"Oh, and if you need to get my attention, you know, if you're dying or some-such, the name's Grizzelda. Xanxere. Call me Grizz. Or Zel. Or whatever strikes your fancy. Except 'doll'; You won't live to regret that. Your names? Unless you don't mind being called 'hey you'. Works well enough for me."
She shrugged, her manner full of hidden contradictions. She appeared nonchalant, but her mind was on-edge; her mannerisms were relaxed, but her muscles tense... Tension hung as thick as the humidity, seeping into Grizzelda's bones. Felucia was not a place to be reckoned with... she did not like outsiders. 'twas only years of keeping a steady temperament that lent Grizzelda the will-of-mind to stay calm. It was easy to get paranoid in a jungle like this... She waited for the duo to respond.

"Location unknown, Destination near, Other Sentient Life, near" The computer informed.

Sinvrick decided to take a small break. He removed his helmet, and his jet pack as he sat down on a log near a small body of water. He sat there looking at his reflection staring back at the monster that stared back at him. He truely was a reaper, unsure if his inner human even exsists anymore. Laser fire and cries of death passed through his thoughts in memory.

Sinvrick's right arm had been slashed by one of the insects. As usual that only made him angry. With the injury, the memroies the rage serged through Sinvrick like a thing unherd of, a flamethat could mellt a star ship. He stood, and flexed every muscle in his body. He yelled, letting his emotion get the best of him. Exposing a weakness for the first time.

Sinvrick's yell had gained the attention of some unwanted company. A four legged foul beast nearly twice the size of himself, ratty fur and sharp teeth like daggers. The only weapon he could manage to think of grabbing was his sword. He charged the beast flipping over the creatures head. Landing on its back Sinvrick grabbed a hand full of its fur on the back of it head. With his sword arm he thrusted the blade into the creatures spine instantaniously causing it to fall flat on its stomach.

Sinvrick stood arched back starring the creature in the face eye to eye. Both breathing heavily. Neither one dead, yet the creature would not attack, thepain it felt was too emence. Sinvrick turned his sword hand backwards and grasped the hilt with both hands to prepare the killing strike. Straight into the creatures face. No human could of ever felt what a monster felt when he looked into the eyes of another monster, his own kind and claimed such a victory with such ease.

Sinvrick looked back into the water to see the sight of him standing before such a large carcus laying before him. He then laughed his weakness no longer exposed, he now felt better than ever. He felt that he could take on an entire sith or republic fleet and win with the same ease as his last kill was.

Beeping sounded off from Sinvrick helmet. The other sentient beings where close. It was time to find if the others here would be more victims, or some kind of benefit.

The shuttle Zeth had rented dropped out of hyperspace above Felucia, and he turned to face the translator droid he had brought, glaring at it. "How in the Galaxy can you confuse that," he said as he pointed out the viewport to the colorful planet below, "with that swamp planet you led us to?!" The droid said nothing. Zeth turned away, and glared back out the viewport. The Hutt had told him— or at least, the translator droid said the Hutt had told him— that an extract from the root could be used as a substitute for the gas in a blaster pack, and would make a blaster bolt nearly invisible to the naked eye, also making it a cheap alternative for the special energy packs used by the ICE-CAR to achieve the same effect. Of course, the droid had also mistranslated and led him to Dromund Kaas, a swampy planet that somehow felt... Dark. He didnt quite know how to explain it.

He scanned the planet for life-signs, and it came up with millions. He sighed. Well, of course there's gonna be alot of lifesigns down there... he thought to himself. Instead, he set the scanner for any ships or other such things. It picked up the ion trails of three, but he could only detect one on the surface. They had beat him there, thanks to the droid. He took the shuttle down to the surface, landing near where one of the ion trails disappeared. He got up from the pilot's seat, and headed towards the back. He made sure he had everything. Pistols, vibrosword, rifle, knives.... He reached under a floor panel, and pulled out the lightsaber. He didn't have the slightest idea how to properly use it, but he kept it with him at all times, just in case.

Finally, he secured his Jetpack on his back. After another mental checklist, he opened the hatch and stepped out onto the ground. He sunk to his knees in mud, and scowled at the ground. Just his luck, he had stepped out in a giant puddle of mud. Then, he heard distant screeching, and blasterfire. He pulled himself out of the mud with some difficulty, then dashed off towards the sounds. What a great way to spend my weekend off...

The 'duo' stood next to her, staring, Strae smiled, "Alright, Zelda, we'll work together. Strae Arhst, and Tal Mazendo. Your holding Will Bakrua." She then leaned in and helped Grizzelda hold Will up. Her amulets made no noise, and her footfalls were silent, even now. "We should move quickly." She turned, observing that local bugs were gathering to feast on the carcass. "Mazendo, Scout ahead, we'll follow the river."

Tal moved ahead, disapearing into the forest like an expert. "Come." Strae uttered, starting to move down the river's banks at a relative speed, "There's bound to be a small pond or pool further down stream." She waited a few moments, then turned to Grizzelda, "You move calmly and casually as I..." She mentioned. Grizzelda did move calmly, and spoke in casual manners, almost exactly as Strae, who moved as she would anywhere else; As if she owned the place, without any fear.

And Strae's exterior reflected her interior as well. Her thoughts remained calm and her resolve was that of steel. She had a strange way of moving, always seeming as though she wasn't ready, but at the same time in a constant state of readiness. She seemed cocky, but was afforded cockiness only by the simple fact that she *Was* ready for anything a jungle could present. There was no present danger, however, especially with the carcass behind her. Knowing that, Strae practically did own the place.

"But..." She cooed, "Your muscles are tense, which reveals your discomfort. Is it the sniper, or the creatures? Or me?"

Grizzelda ran her tongue along the insides of her teeth, thinking for a moment. Answering too quickly was a sign of being defensive, and that certainly wasn't the impression Grizzelda sought to give.
"Alert, more than tense, really... one can never be too prepared in a place like this." She offered a wry smile. "Paranoid, however, is a different story."
Grizzelda skirted giving a specific answer. It was something she was well-versed at. Usually, others didn't even notice, until some time later -- if they ever did. However, Grizzelda knew Strae was sharp... she just wondered just how sharp.
In truth, it was a combination of all those things that had Grizzelda on edge. That, and... she'd been to Felucia before. Nearly six years ago... Grizzelda's mind soured at the thought. She still didn't know how she'd been thick-skulled-cocky enough to even accept the bet in the first place... All over a crystal, a stupid crystal. She'd found it, alright... but only at the cost of a life. Grizzelda suppressed a mental shudder. She'd been so shaken, she hadn't even taken the crystal with her. It was still around... Grizzelda wondered if it was nearby. The foliage had changed so much in those six years... things grew, things died. People died. A single bitter thought crossed Grizzelda's mind as she wondered weather his bones were nearby too. No beast would have touched them after... after that.
Grizzelda suddenly realized her face was entirely blank. It was an instinctual reaction whenever she uncovered some emotion she preferred to hide. A blank face had a habit of being conspicuous, but at least it was vague.
And then Grizzelda realized just how tense her muscles actually were, and made an effort to relax. As long as she was alert of mind, she wouldn't be caught off-guard.
And so, in the gap of conversation, Grizzelda pressed outward with her senses, making a conscientious focus on observing.
A sharp smell twanged her nose as she passed a skittering beetle, soon replaced by the oppressive musk of the forest. A cloud the scent of rotting-flesh passed across her face as a flower nearby shifted, turning its bell to follow the humans.
Bright colors lingered nearby, crimson shades of red, blues like the seas of Alderaan, sunny oranges like the bright canopies of street-markets back home on Corellia. In the distance, colors faded to the same shade of greenish-teal, obscured by the mist, warped by the humidity that hung in the air as tavern-dancer's silken scarf.
If Grizzelda let her mind shift... she could almost feel at home here on the forest of Felucia. The whole mass of vegetation seemed to breathe, to pulse with the life-beat of the planet. Everything struck to the same organic rhythm, like none other in all of the universe...
And then, as Grizzelda let her conscious mind fade to rest, something became apparent to her. It was the Force that struck the planet's pulse... that flowed in and out of her blooming flowers, that eddied and swirled when the avians drifted overhead. Grizzelda felt the Force distinctly within the planet, just under the surface, just beyond the perceivable...
But then the revelation kicked her conscious mind back into gear, and the feeling faded once more to an after-image, fleeting, teasing at the edges of her memory.
Perhaps that was why the planet seemed so alive to Grizzelda... why Felucia seemed to glare harshly upon all that tread upon her earth. But perhaps... perhaps Grizzelda could somehow prove herself to this planet... to Felucia. To show her that she meant no harm. She'd certainly have to make up for the earlier incident with the vibroblade.
It was little wonder, reasoned she, that Felucia hated visitors. Look at what had happened already; her leaves had been torched, her trunks slashed, her flowers crushed... A child of her earth, the Ackley...
Grizzelda almost found herself feeling sorry for the planet. Then again, she was no tree-hugger. She'd respect Felucia, be in and out if she could... but she wasn't going to die to spare a planet a bit of pain, even if it was one as force-imbued as Felucia.
Perhaps Felucia had recognized her as she touched its flow... or perhaps Grizzelda was just making connections were none existed.
Either way, there was no mistaking the pool of clear, un-muddied water. The river eddied at a particular spot, and the slow swirl of gyrating water fed a trickling stream which hissed softly, like a viper's warning. The stream fed a pond, no more than twenty feet across, but deep and filled with water clear as crystal.
"Here, this ought to do."
Grizzelda set down the unconscious man -- Will was his name --, and proceeded to extract a short, stout cylinder from her belt. A gift from an old friend... a water-filter. According to Zet'clan, it would filter out every type of spore, and most pathogens. So far, he'd not been proven wrong.
Then again, I probably wouldn't live to tell him if he was wrong.
"Anybody care for a drink?"

"Anyone Care for a drink?"
The others had finally shown themselves. Sinvrick was near, hiding in the trees just above the party. Some of them had been injured.

Sinvrick left no signs of his pressence in the area. He was getting some stealth manouvers down quite quickly lately. The carcus hidden just fifty feet from here of the beast he had just slaid. His helmet and jet pack just a few clicks north of himself easy anought to find once he was done here. Sinvrick's blade still covered in blood, dripping down the side of the tree.

Sinvrick quietly moved to the other side of the tree. To be unoticed and jump down ever so calmly as to not alert his pressence. He sheathed his blade and withdrew his blaster rifle. Aiming at the closest one.

They weren't the Hutt's men. The hutt's men would of been already dead. The Hutt's could never have sent them here to search for the root, they have no sence of survival skill. Not like a monster such as Sinvrick does.

"No body move and Inch," Sinvrick spoke calmly and as intemadating as possible, the same way he spoke to his former captain, the same voice that sends chills down innocent peoples spines. "Who are you all?" He asked waiting a responce.

Zeth had been tracking the small group for several minutes now, and he believed he had finally caught up with them. His assumption was proved correct when he heard a female's voice asking anybody if they wanted a drink.

He was creeping closer, one of his blaster pistols drawn, for a better view, when he heard another voice not three meters to his left. First, it said "Nobody move an inch," then, "Who are you all?" Now's as good a time as any.... Zeth thought to himself. He crept up behind the newcomer, then pulled out his other blaster pistol, aiming one at his head, and the other in the direction of the others. "I'd like to ask the same question," he said. He glanced at the newcomer's blaster as he said this. "And put that down. You could hurt someone with that thing."

Grizzelda rolled her eyes.
"Oh, big boys with guns, I'm so impressed."
Beyond that, she didn't even acknowledge the threat. Instead, Grizzelda bent down near the edge of the stream, pushing hands into the cooling flow. It felt so wonderful on her palms, nicked and scratched from the forest foray.
"You know, it really is stupid to tell someone not to move an inch, then ask them who they are. 'tis impossible to do the both. Tsk Tsk, you ought to think your requests out just a touch more."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, like she was simply describing the trends of the Coroscant economy.
Grizzelda was quick in dunking a strip of cloth in the water, then placing it over the unconscious man's forehead. She then stood, her manner still non-chalant, and wiped hands off on her trousers.
She had a look of intense confidence, like the look of a cat when it knows it's wanted but lurks, just out of reach.
Immediate business taken care of, she extended a hand toward the closest man, the one who'd appeared first.
"You do shake hands, don't you?"

Sinvrick's plan had gone better in his head. Pistol in the back hand shake in the front. He lowered his rifle in defeat. "You know you lot are the first to of beaten me at my own game," Sinvrick answered spoke. He lifted one hand of his pistol. This was the second time he shown weakness that day. This day wasn't going to well for him. "My name is Sinvrick "Reaper" Hawlks, I am a Finger on the run, currently searching for a specific root, for the Hutts, I am assuming you are all doing the same?"

As Sinvrick spoke he walked over to a close fallen over log, in complete disregard for the one behind him threating his life, he leaned his rifle on the side. In that moment flashes of his past flashed through his mind. Completely side track he continued to wait. Sinvrick had a rough landing, his leg was a little sore, but his mind simply did not allow him to wince at the pain.

He sat rubbing his shin, waiting for a response.

Reaper? Well, that's a pleasant name. Grizzelda refrained from voicing the sarcastic comment; no use developing a bad rapport already.
A decision flashed through her mind as she shook Sinvrick's hand. She could take the momentary advantage, and quickly dis-arm him... It was something she'd had to do many times past, and she'd yet to fumble. However, there was still that other man, and a sudden, hostile movement might have set him off. That would have been unpleasant. Besides, this Sinvrick fellow seemed neither overly-suspicious nor paranoid, so Grizzelda reasoned the immediate threat was over with. There was, of course, the matter of that other man, whom Grizzelda assumed also had the same mission.
Fine, pop some champagne and make it a party; there're enough people in this extraneous place...
Her sarcastic running-commentary she kept to herself, and Grizzelda turned back toward the pond, leaving the waking-up of Will to Strae. Grizzelda's primary objective was getting safe water to drink, and she set to work with her little contraption. She glanced momentarily at the others. Will, Strae, and Tal seemed the most beat-up, Will especially so. Grizzelda did have wound dressings tucked away in case of emergency... but they were only enough for one major wound, and Grizzelda didn't like sharing emergency stashes. She did, and would, keep that information to herself. For now, at least.
"You know, I'm a slight bit offended that Slug Scat didn't extend exclusive invitations. I feel untrusted." Grizzelda's tone was one of mock-indignation. Under her breath, she muttered, 'Must be an important root...'
It was then that she noticed Sinvrick tending to a presumably-sore shin.
"I'd offer you a pain-killer," she said, "But all I have is Moor Pine. And hallucinations are a nasty side effect..."
Grizzelda's grin turned wry; she spoke from experience. Dismissing the subject, she returned to her collection of water, quite aware that she'd yet to hear from the other fellow, the one whose name she still didn't know.

Strae liked Grizzelda already. Her non-chalant and seeming sarcastic answers. Not to mention that she was eloquent enough to match Strae, and just as good at persuasive arts. When she saw the way Grizzelda dealt with the others, her smile spread wide in appreciation. She herself ignored the newcomers, instead making sure that none of this drew unwanted attention.

After a quick survey, all seemed calm, except for the people attacking now. She liked that the first man submitted, but the second man seemed persistent. Still, she paid little attention to it. Instead, she tended to Will, kneeling down to check on his wounds. He seemed to be stirring already, his unconsciousness breaking. She smirked. Will would be fine. Where was Tal?

An arm suddenly reached out and grabbed Zeth's gun. It wasn't forceful, it just gently nudged it away from everybody else, pointing it harmlessly at a tree, "Please." Tal said, emerging from the underbrush right next to Zeth, "There is no need for that."

Strae smirked, hearing his reassuring voice.

Zeth scowled through his helmet at the one who had grabbed his blaster. Had the galaxy gone mad? People disregarding the words of a Mandalorian, and now they were actually trying to disarm one? He let his hand holding the other blaster drift towards them. "No, there probably isn't, but I've learned not to trust anybody until I get to know them. Now please, kindly take your hand off my other gun." Not waiting for the grip to release, Zeth shook his hand free. "I'm Zeth Kor, Mandalorian Special Forces. Believe it or not, I came to this Force-forsaken rock on leave. And your names are?"