Down in the Sands (Reisier, open) [Geonosis]

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

As the dark blue hull of the Aviana’s Talon swiftly flew through hyperspace, the stars streaked past the cockpit viewport. In the commander’s chair overlooking the pilot and co-pilot seats, the bird-like pilot laid in the leaned back chair, her eyes closed as she slept after a hard few days of a job. Usually, she would have taken the trouble of stumbling back to her chambers to sleep, but this job had been too stressful for her and the moment she had saw the star turn to lines, she had leaned the chair back and fell asleep without effort. For the past day and a half, she had slept as the ship traveled, but with how deep she was in her dreams, she couldn’t feel the coming situation.

Dreaming of the lush fields of Naboo, the fresh waters of Mon Calamari, and the dark forests of Dxun, Avegira was pulled from her dreams as the ship lurched forward bluntly, nearly knocking her out of the chair. Quickly rubbing her eyes clear of the fog of sleep, she quickly moved over to the pilot’s chair as the star lines outside began to return to dots of light. Quickly checking the console next to her, she was able to check where she was when the entire power system was cut as the ship passed through an electro-magnetic storm. Prying open a panel next to her left foot, she kicked a lever and a console popped open next to her right arm. Typing in a few keys, she heard the familiar sound of the emergency power kick in. as the ship soared aimlessly through space towards the ringed planet of Geonosis, Avegira waited until the ship entered the atmosphere to kick in the manual flight controls.

As the ship began to be consumed in the heat of reentry, Avegira watched through the flame engulfed viewport as the ground below came into view. Pulling a lever next to the one she had kicked, she felt the locked controls unfreeze, allowing her control of the ship. Twisting a pair of levers, she felt through the ship as the strike foils opened. Gaining the full mobility of the ship, she activated the emergency thrusters as the ship began to loss altitude quickly. Before the thrusters could kick in, Avegira noticed the small canyon the ship was heading for and quickly lurched the controls to the side, making the ship turn on its side and slip into the canyon before turning to scrap. The canyon wasn’t that long as the ship came out of the end into a large plain of sand as the thrusters kicked in. feeling the suddenly loss of speed, she was sent slightly forward as the ship slowed to a more manageable degree.

Landing the Aviana’s Talon in an area that was clear of rocks, Avegira let out a loud sigh when the feeling of the landing passed through her feet. Climbing out of the pilot’s chair, she took off her shirt and whipped the excessive amount of sweat from her face and neck. Making her way to her quarters, she threw the shirt into a basket and walked into the bathroom. Removing the wrappings around her chest area, she pulled out a fresh set of wrappings from a chest next to the sink. Wrapping the clothe around her chest area, she lightly made sure that it was secure, but comfortable at the same time. Turning on the sink and placing her head under the cool water, she was amazed that had worked, seeing as she never had tested out the system until now. After a minute of the running water running through her feathered hair, she turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying her head. Walking out of the bathroom and checking the temperature on a self-powered computer, she moved to her wardrobe. Opening it and looking through the articles of clothing, she picked out a shirt with no sleeves, and a pair of shorts. Replacing her lower garments with the newer ones, Avegira put on the shirt and grabbed a cloak hanging on the wall. Making her way to the loading ramp, she grabbed her utility belt and a pair of vibroblades and her two lightsabers, attaching the lightsabers to her belt and fitted the vibroblades into hilts and placed them on her back.

Opening the loading ramp, she put on her cloak and pulled the hood over her head as the hot air of the desert world of Geonosis rushed in. walking down the ramp and onto the course sand, she pulled out a device and with a few clicks, the ramp closed and the faint hum of the emergency power was shut off. Clicking one last button, she put the device back into her belt and began to make her way towards the arid landscape.

[Reisier]

It almost seemed as if fate kept pulling a series of pranks – mishaps that were quickly evolving into an odyssey to the young Jedi Knight. Shortly after her departure from Taris that she had found the Starfighter she had borrowed from the Order to begin giving out. After silently pleading and begging for the ship to continue working, all while falling unto deaf ears, she was forced to break through the Tatooine atmosphere. She was lucky though, she had not found herself stranded in the middle of nowhere and instead had found the city of Anchorhead; with a mechanic right around the corner.

But, this time, fate had decided to be less kind.

Apparently, shortly after her departure from Tatooine, the Starfighter had somehow managed to find itself stuck in the middle of an electromagnetic storm. While at first it seemed that the pulsing fields had done little to no damage to the ship, it was as she closed on the planet of Geonosis that the ship had started to give. Once again, the female found the ship to be sluggish, lugging forward with great difficulty. With a curse rolling off her tongue, though this she will greatly deny, Anahid forced herself to reroute towards the ringed planet. Instead of finding herself in the middle of the city, buzzing with life and with available help, she was now in the middle of nowhere – stuck between canyon wall and a dried-out riverbed. Had it been under different circumstances, she might have found the situation to be amusing, comical in fact; of course, after this becoming her second mishap in the course of a day, she was less than welcoming to the whole ordeal.

“Patience, Anahid, patience.” She whispered, fingers clasped protectively against her temple. Though, patience certainly was becoming hard to come by. It was fair to say that Anahid Reisier was becoming irritated – her jaw was clenched tightly, her eyes narrowed as she slumped forward in the pilot chair. The engine was overheated, apparently, dead for the next couple of hours, as far as she knew. She sighed heavily, grimacing as she did, before she straightened up, trying her very best to relax her aching muscles. Dammit. It had to be a desert planet. Correction – it had to be yet another desert planet, Geonosis. Hot, humid, and uncomfortable through and through; which was further proved as she propped the cockpit open and pulled herself out. It didn’t take long for the woman to accept her current situation – there was no point in sitting around doing nothing.

Still, Anahid uttered darkly under her breath, taking her lightsaber and securing it on her belt – a protective measure, she’d say, to the sometimes hostile wildlife. With the cockpit closed and with her saber by her side, Anahid Reisier found herself braving the arid landscape that was Geonosis.

Truth be told, there was nothing much to see in the planet save for large plains broken apart by deep canyons. Caverns and spiral rock formations were common enough; visible upon every turn the woman took. For a good while, the jedi found herself walking around aimlessly without much thought or direction, perhaps only with the intention of having time pass by faster. As she found herself coming down a relatively steep hill, the familiar pressure of a presence shattered the monotony that the Force had previously enjoyed. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one trekking this forgotten landscape.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

for over an hour as the sun blazed down, Avegira had walked, never stopping for more then a few seconds. with each step that she took, the hot sand shifted with her footsteps, quickly trying to burn her bird-like feet. having been used to this type of world and its landscapes, she found a small outcropping of rocks and began to move to them. because of the way the heat distorted the view of things, she had estimated a walk of maybe forty-five minutes. as she began the trek to the outcropping, she to feel the presence of another.

after forty minutes of walking, Avegira let out a sigh when the coolness of the shade covered her. sitting down on a large rock, she took off her cloak, letting her feather-hair slightly flow in the breeze. folding her cloak into a bundle and laying it next to her, she heard the sound of her datapad. pulling it out of one of her belt pouches, she flipped in on, smiling when the screen flashed with the transfer of the ships computer systems. typing in a sequence of keys, she looked over the data of the scan of the ship, pleased that only the shields had suffered the blunt of the damage. typing in a set of keys, she powered up the ship's sensor system, which quickly showed the region she was in. scanning for anything new, she soon got the readings of a downed ship a ways off and a humanoid signature, though she couldn't get more details with the majority of the ship's systems offline. putting the datapad back into her belt, she shock out her cloak and put it back on. getting up from the rock, she was about to head out of the shade when her holo-communicator alerted her to a transmission. quickly pulling it out, she saw that it was on her secure channel, which only high ranking Mandalorians knew. playing the transmission, she saw the is was a recording, and not an actual call.

[Reisier]

The heat lapped incessantly at her heels, each step taken feeling heavier than the one before. The humidity in Geonosis could be only described as unbearable, unlike anything Anahid had experienced before. Truth be told, in her many years within the Order, Anahid Reisier had never quite become accustomed to desert planets. More often than naught, she had found herself exposed to milder climates, those whose temperatures rarely seemed to vary if at all. Anahid moved forward, her steps faltering once in a while as a result of the loose sand and red algae that covered most of the planet. Anahid came to a sudden stop, hands jutted against her hips. Well, it seemed that she was in fact right, the planet didn’t have much to see except for the endless valleys and canyons.

Anahid grimaced slightly as she continued to walk – perhaps it would be wise if she looked for some water, it would come in handy if she was stuck in the planet for much longer. For a while now she had been ignoring the presence she had felt earlier, push it deep into the recesses of her mind. It would pass soon enough, she figured. But the presence did not waver and with every step taken, the closer the woman seemed to be getting to the source. Soon enough, her eyes caught sight of a figure in the distance. Small, barely visible, but still clear.

“Afternoon,” She called out over the distance, making her way closer to the odd figure she saw. The closer she got, the smaller the figure seemed to become, until soon enough she was greeted by the tiny figure of a Fosh. It was extremely unusual to see this particular specie outside their home planet. But it was odd, the Fosh appeared to be preoccupied with a transmission coming through – though, what it was regarding, she could only assume. “I presume you were also the victim of the storm?”

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

just about forgetting the presence of the person that approaching her, Avegira intently listened to the transmission. just about not hearing the call from the person because of the wind and the transmission. expecting the transmission to be shorter, she listened for several minutes, her attention fully to the Mandalorain plans and details. when the message finally ended, she began to place the datapad back into her belt when the senses of her surroundings were fully focused. focusing on the presence of the humanoid, she heard the female's voice. because of the way the wind sounded within the rock outcropping, the voice was changed slightly. spinning around quickly, she had her one of her lightsabers and a vibroblade ready, the crimson blade bathing the shadowed area in its light.

finally seeing the female, she dropped her stance as she deactivated her lightsaber. "sorry for that. i thought you were something else," she said, placing her lightsaber on her belt and placing the vibroblade back into its hilt. noting the female's clothing, Avegira estimated that she was of the Jedi, and could sense it. giving a slight bow with her hand on her chest, she said, "greetings Jedi. i'm not really a victim, so to say, just a unfortunate occupant to it. i'm guessing you also went through it?"

[Reisier]

The Fosh’s reaction certainly was surprising. In a matter of seconds, Anahid found herself stepping back, the bird-like creature spinning around, lightsaber and blade in hand. The humming of the lightsaber spread through the opening like wildfire, consuming all in its immediate proximity with a ghastly red glow. Anahid felt as the tension grew, her hand falling instinctively on her lightsaber’s hilt. At the time, she had not yet drawn her own blade, hoping it had all been a misunderstanding, that no blood spill was necessary. In this day and age, however, the latter seemed far more ludicrous. They were, in fact, in war – as much as that distressed her – and hostilities were bound to be encountered. Yet, even as the minutes had dragged by and Anahid saw herself getting closer to drawing her own blade, the Fosh’s once tense form dropped, her blade deactivated in the process.

“No need to apologize,” Anahid started slowly, even if her hand was still settled comfortably on the hilt. “after all, I seemed to caught you off guard.” An apologetic smile crossed the female’s lips, her hand dropping to her side. The gracious greeting that followed the Fosh’s words were quickly returned. In a single motion, Anahid bowed her head before refocusing her attention on the female before her. “Unfortunately, yes. I somehow was unable to pick it up.” Anahid’s hand motioned to the blade on the female’s waist, “An unusual blade you carry.”

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

Hearing the female speak of her weapon, she took the crimson bladed lightsaber from her belt. “if you think its unusual, then check it out yourself,” she said, throwing it to the female. Lowering the hood of the cloak, Avegira began to take it off, showing the two vibroblades in their hilts on her back, and the second lightsaber on the other side of her waist. Without warning her drew both of her vibroblades. “Unless you were talking about these,” she said, joking tone in her voice. Letting her grip loosen on the hilts, she placed the hilt-ends to each other and twisted, hearing a click as they connected into a double vibroblade. Sticking one end into the sand, she placed her cloak on one of the hilt guards, and then sat down on the cool sand. Taking the second lightsaber from her belt, she ignited the blade, staring into the azure color blade. Looking into the blade for a minute, she closed her eyes as she turned the blade off.

Setting the lightsaber on her lap, she reached into a belt pouch as she reached her other hand towards the female. Concentrating on her lightsaber, Avegira used the Force to levitate it to her hand. Placing it with the other lightsaber, she pulled out a small canister of water. “come sit, you must be thirsty from this heat,” she said, holding the canister out to the female with a smile. Waiting for the female’s actions, Avegira added, “my name is Avegira. Its nice to meet you.”

[Reisier]

Instinct took hold of Anahid’s body, her hand reaching out to catch the hilt before she could fully process the thought. Her hand turned slowly, hilt in hand, examining the curious weapon. “Ah, thank you.” It was not often that the Jedi found the pleasure to examine a weapon like this, a lightsaber created with a synthetic crystal. Yes, she had seen it before, but generally speaking, the Jedi abstained herself from asking the said request, most people saw it as a bit odd, in a way. She turned it, grasping it gently in her hand, her arm extending to measure it’s full extent. It was strange, felt very different from her own blade. It seemed somewhat heavier, foreign; then again, perhaps it was the fact that it belonged to a stranger and it wasn’t her own. Suddenly, Anahid shifted, glancing up to see as the Fosh drew two vibroblades from her back. The Jedi chuckled, extending her arm after the female spoke.

“Actually, those are very curious as well.” A small smile crossed Anahid’s cupid lips, watching as her Fosh counterpart settled down on the sand. It was not long after that Anahid felt a small tug on her hand, the foreign hilt that been secured there, pulled toward its owner. “I see you have been trained.” The lighthearted comment escaped through parted lips, Anahid settling down across Avegira after the gracious offer. A small sigh followed as Anahid sat on the ground, an odd numbing spreading across her tired limbs. She glanced up as the woman continued, finding a canister stretched in her direction. “Thank you, this is much appreciated.” Yes, she was beyond thirsty, if she were to be honest; dreading the very thought of enduring this weather without a drop of water. So she drank, small sips to ensure she quenched her thirst and left enough liquid for the Fosh.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Avegira” She heaved with a smile, closing the canister before returning it to its righteous owner, “I am Anahid Reisier.”

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

Watching the female take small sips of the water, Avegira could sense the questions, even though they were subtle. When she handed the canister back to her and gave her name, Avegira smiled, pushing the canister back at her, saying, "you keep the rest, miss Reisier. You’ll need it. I have been trained to handle this climate, but I doubt a Jedi like you could for long." letting a minute pass before she spoke anymore, she looked at Anahid's features. Finishing up her observation, Avegira began to speak, "its ok for you to ask your questions. I doubt there is anything you could ask that is too personal." suddenly, the sound of her datapad filled the outcropping. "One minute," she said, pulling out her datapad and pressed a few keys. Seeing the diagnostics scan of the ship, her mouth turned into a smile as she read the positives of all the systems, even at the neutral state of the shields. Before she could do anything, a transmission began to play, a job from the Sith Empire. Quickly cutting the recording short, she looked to Anahid, and then dropped her head, letting out a sigh. "Well, that was good and bad, and maybe a little personal," Avegira said, slightly looking up at the Jedi, a nervous smile on her face. Slowly raising her head to look Anahid in the eyes, her feather-hair turned a mix between a blush red and a light blue, she knew that gave away her nervousness.

"Well Anahid, before you judge me too quickly, you might want to ask your questions first," Avegira said, placing her datapad back into its pouch. Taking the lightsabers from her lap and placing them on the straps of the sword hilts, she positioned herself so that she could lean against the flat part of her double-vibroblade. Waiting for Anahid to begin, or to take an action, Avegira placed her hands together, laying them in her lap like she was meditating.

[Reisier]

She smiled gently, a small chuckle rolling through her throat. “Actually, the Jedi are extremely well trained,” She spoke while tilting her head, “I am just horribly unused to this weather.” It was true as well. For many years she had grown accustomed to the temperate weather that Coruscant had to offer and after that, she found herself traveling often to planets of similar temperature. “However, you do appear exceptionally adapted to this weather, miss Avegira.” She raised the canister to her lips once more, enjoying the refreshing liquid that rolled down her throat. A sound chirped in the clearing, causing Anahid to glance up. Avegira excuse herself momentarily and Anahid gave a nod, her attention shifting to the sole of her boots – she picked at them lightly, furrowing her brow. It seemed like the grip on the boots were starting to smooth out, she would need to get them fixed soon.

But the chirping soon changed, became static and clipped, almost as if a voice was beginning to speak. Anahid froze, looking at the Fosh. The words came clear now, orders spoken towards the female. The Jedi frowned, the realization hitting her in a wave – this was a transmission from the Sith.

“You are a dark user--” Her eyes narrowed, posture stiffened, though it was not as a result of hate. No, Anahid Reisier felt torn, looking at the Fosh across from her as living being and, at the same time, as a culprit in this unnecessary war. A soft sigh escaped her, eyes falling unto the canister the female had offered, studying it silently for a moment before she found it in herself to speak once more.

“There are innocent people amongst those you hunt. So, why?”

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

"That is the same question I ask myself when I accept a job. I have hunted every kind of rank and scum I can think of, and always, I ask that same question. My most basic answer to that is I want to live," Avegira said, pulling out a datacard from a device next to the pouch with the datapad. Passing the card to Anahid, she spoke, "I rarely accept hunts from the Sith, since it is easier for them to try and confront me. This is what the job is, mostly just an information job." taking the two lightsabers from where they hung on the hilt straps, she laid them in her hands in front of her. "My masters trained me in both the light side and the dark side of the Force, so I know what both can do. Their deaths were a blow to me, and it’s a reminder that even though the Force helps us Force users, we all are still mortal. These are my symbols of those two sides," she said, thinking of the good times she had with her masters. Feeling the double-vibroblade give slightly in the sand, she reached up and removed her cloak from the hilt guard. Laying the cloak in her lap and placing the lightsabers on the cloak, she then removed the double-vibroblade and held it in front of her. "Because I’m telling you about my dealings with both Sith and Republic, I might as well tell you the rest. This blade isn't just a standard type. It is Mandalorian-made, crafted by the finest weaponsmith I could find. I have earned respectful place among the Mandalorains," she said, laying the blade inbetween herself and Anahid.

Closing her eyes as she set her hands on her knees, Avegira let Anahid process what she had said. As several minutes passed, she had begun to think about the very first training session she had with her masters. As the memories flashed within her mind, she couldn’t help but have a smile on her face when she remembered the arguments between her masters those first few days. Opening her eyes, Avegira looked at the female Jedi, waiting for her response, or her decisive actions.

[Reisier]

“Living by taking a life – destroying in order to preserve?” It never truly made sense to her. This war was beyond confusing, full of opposing factions and rolling lies. But what gave Avegira the right to justify murder – fear? No, that was not a good enough of a reason. Sith or not, Jedi or not, insurgents, criminals, civilians -- a life was a life; taking one destroyed any sense of goodness, any sense for which the light side of the Force stood for.

Did Anahid, however, hate the Sith? No. She hated their ways, their actions, their loss of appreciation for life. For some odd reason, the Sith seemed unable to understand the lingering horror of a kill. And yet, they weren’t so different, the Jedi and the Sith. One sought war in order to prevail, the other fought in hope of having goodness prevail; and none were willing to accept the full survival of the other.

Anahid fidgeted, eyes following the movement of the female as she reached across, resting her lightsaber between them. She could feel the force pulsing strongly between them, rolling up and down their bodies, folding upon itself and dispersing to the ground beneath them. There was no movement, no further exchange, the only available sound created by the roaring of the desert winds. Anahid studied Avegira, watched her silent form, and how she almost seemed to be waiting for something, for anything to happen. It was obvious what the female was wondering, the curious thoughts that rolled through her mind, increasing the tension slowly as the minutes dragged by. Finally, after minutes had come and gone, the Jedi managed to force herself to speak. “I will not raise my weapon against you.”

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

"i thank you. i just wish you could see what my master had taught," Avegira said, bowing her head a little. placing the lightsabers back onto her waist, she heard the sounds of her datapad once more. pulling out the device, she pressed a few keys to be met with the Aviana's Talon's system chart. scrolling through the info quickly, she soon got to the data of the scan from earlier. looking up from the screen, she looked at Anahid, thinking of what to do. letting out a sigh after a few seconds, she put the datapad back into the pouch. standing up, she brushed the sand from her clothes, then grabbed up her cloak. putting it back on, she then grabbed her double-vibroblade and twisted the handle, disconnecting the two blades. placing them back into the hilts, she turned her attention to the Jedi. "if it would be ok with you, i would like to extend a hand of help with your ship? judging from the scans i was able to get, you may need the help," she said, reaching her hand to Anahid.

[Reisier]

“Believe me, I wish I could.” Maybe that way she could have a better understanding of what exactly was going on through the Fosh’s head. Or, for that matter, what went on through most of dark jedi and sith’s minds. Perhaps then, all of this unnecessary chaos would end. Anahid watched as Avegira rose to her feet, her hand stretched out before her as she pressed a few buttons on her datapad. The Fosh stared at the device with unblinking eyes, before she buried it deep within her pocket once more. In the meantime, Anahid pressed her hands unto the ground, pushing herself into a full stance.

Her attention had refocused, falling unto the Fosh as she began to speak. Anahid stared at her, unsure of what to make of it at first. But the Jedi relaxed, taking Avegira’s hand, she shook it. “That would be helpful, yes.”

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

thankful that Anahid had accepted her help, Avegira turned towards the sands. looking at the ground for a minute, she found her own footprints. "it will be an hour or so walk to my ship, so use the canister sparingly," she said, beginning to walk as she pulled the hood over her head. almost jokingly, she spoke, "i don't just carry my tools with me where ever i go." using her tracking skills to follow the path she had come from, Avegira walked as if she was being lead by something.

walking in relative silence for an hour, she soon came upon something that certainly disturbed her. kneeling down next to the corpse of a creature, she examined the wounds. "i don't like this," she said, standing up and quickening her pace. walking up a large hill of sand, she kneeled down as she got to the top. looking over the top, she could clearly see she ship. but it wasn't alone. near the loading ramp, close to a dozen rough-looking people of different races tried to open the ramp. judging by their clothing, they must of been gladiators from one of the nearby arenas. backing down the hill a little, she looked to Anahid. "must be escaped gladiators, close to a dozen. what do you say we do, even though they probably won't listen?" she asked Anahid, beginning to pull one of her vibroblades out and a vial of liquid.

[Reisier]

Anahid smiled at Avegira’s words, “I’ll be sure to remember that.” Little was spoken as they made their way back to the female’s ship. Common niceties were exchanged, but nothing beyond the former, making the trip rather uneventful, truth be told. It was as they neared the site that suddenly the surroundings changed – something felt very different, very chaotic compared to before. Anahid, however, ignored the sensation, watching on as the Fosh led her up the hill that eventually, she guessed, would open up on the landing area. But, before they reached the top, Avegira suddenly doubled-back, looking at the Jedi with solemn eyes.

“Gladiators?”

The Fosh pulled out her weapons without hesitation, her eyes meeting the Jedi’s own. It troubled Anahid slightly, if she were to be honest, the way Avegira almost seemed eager to spring into action. “I’ll go first…” Her sudden words even caught her by surprise, making her shift uncomfortably before she furrowed her brow. Actaully, now that she thought about it, it made a bit of sense. Even if the woman did not look it, she was an accomplished Jedi knight, an experienced Sentinel that had already seen her fair share of fights as well. Anahid stood silent for a few seconds before she found her voice once again.

“…it would be best to see their reaction to one of us before springing into action.” Besides, if hostilities were to arise, the Jedi would be keener on disarming the characters rather than killing them. Anahid shifted, pulling off her cloak and discarding it on the ground. “Besides, if they were to attack, it would be best if we could catch them off guard, wouldn’t you agree?” The Jedi spoke softly as she pulled the lightsaber from her belt. The blade was then pushed into her sleeve, out of sight yet still accessible to the woman. Anahid sighed, groaning gently as she pulled herself to a stance. There was slight hesitation as she began to move, venturing up the hill that had provided them with refuge. Fear did not cause her footing to falter, nor was it doubt, more so it was the knowledge that things wouldn’t go as she hoped. She could feel the creatures’ desperation as they ravaged through the camp, banging and clawing incessantly at the Fosh’s ship.

At first her presence went unnoticed as she slid down the hill, the sand beneath her feet shifting under the foreign weight. But, soon enough, the Jedi saw as a few creatures motioned at each other, bodies tensing as their heads rolled to look at the descending woman. With her feet planted on solid ground, the Jedi clapped her hands clean, studying the group that stood across from her – the Fosh was correct, a near dozen – ten or eleven. “Afternoon,” The female greeted with an absentminded smile; as if she did not notice the threatening stances the group now took. Anahid made her way slowly, hands raised to chest level, palms open. “…I have to admit, you really were wasting your time if you thought about opening the ship…”

She watched them shift as she walked, weary eyes studying the woman as she made her way across. There was growling, sneer remarks, but the Jedi ignored them all, instead focused on the way they moved. They were surrounding her, preparing for an attack – she could see the intention clear in the eyes; and still she smiled, as if nothing was wrong, glancing up at the ship, studying the imaginary damage that had been done.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

listening to the Jedi, Avegira's mouth turned into a smile when Anahid passed her and began to make her way towards the group. grabbing of the discarded cloak and securing it to her belt, she began to make her way around the hill. allowing the winds to mask the noise of the shifting sands, she made her way around the landing area and behind the ship. climbing the hill of sand, she looked out over the area and quickly made her way towards the rear of the Aviana's Talon. jumping up with a boost from the Force, she landed on the metal hull quietly. slowly making her way to the front area, Avegira removed the cap on the vial, applying the liquid to her vibroblade.

getting into a spot that she could see Anahid somewhat, she waited for her moment. smearing the liquid across the blade, she almost instantly began to feel the powerful toxin do its work, the feeling and nerves in her hand and wrist starting to switch off. knowing she won't be able to use her left hand for a few hours, she turned her attention back to the situation.

[Reisier]

The jeers seemed far away, produced by the dark recesses of the young woman’s mind – foreign and unwanted. The calm, steady rhythm that had flowed so easily before jerked capriciously, their voices coming louder than before. The atmosphere in the Force shifted again, from crisp and clear to stuffy and overbearing.

Their voices came louder than before, raging on the verge of becoming a full-blown storm. All around her the bodies had began to move, hollering at the Jedi words that she preferred to keep unspoken. A single sigh escaped from the woman’s lips, reverberating through the now busy clearing. While she had known for it to be unlikely, she had mostly hoped for the creatures to disperse, disheartened at the sudden appearance of the owner of the ship. Instead, they had become wild and unruly – unpredictable like animals trapped in a cage. And as such, they reacted – sprung into action quicker than the Jedi could expect.

Needless to say, the woman reacted in time – saber ignited as a boulder was thrown at her head. She sliced through it without difficulty, the stone left behind orange-red, where the saber had cut through. The saber’s sudden intrusion made the group hesitant enough for the woman to speak, her voice suddenly dangerously low, “I would suggest not pursuing this further.” The warning fell to deaf ears, the group soon springing into action.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

seeing the boulder land onto the sand in pieces, Avegira stood up, facing towards the front of the ship. with a grace of a bird, she jumped and fluidly landed just behind Anahid, the tip of her vibroblade scratching into the chests of two. seeing the toxin do its work quickly, turned her head to see the Jedi. "i never plan on killing. what better way to fight then to disable your opponent," she said, facing towards a charging gladiator. using her left arm to divert the weapon it carried away, she expertly sliced the shoulder of the attacker, drawing a few drops of blood, but not much. as the attacker dropped from the toxin, she allowed the Force to flow through her body, increasing her speed.

within the span of less then a minute, she was able to drop three more. turning towards another, she suddenly felt the prick of a dart, fired from a twelfth gladiator. feeling the substance the dart was coated in start to take effect, Avegira was able to use the last of her enhanced strength to punch out another gladiators lights. dropping to a knee, she threw her vibroblade to Anahid, saying, "your turn." as the last of her strength was sapped from her, she fell on her butt, dropping to her back.

[Reisier]

The subsequent skirmish was fast-paced; the gladiators were well-trained to say the least, fueled by the very instinct of survival. Their methods were unusual, unexpected, but the Knight used her trainings well, moving out of reach before blades could nip at her skin and parrying well-placed jabs that could have been fatal. “Oh, I could think of multiple ways this could be better,” for instance, not having to fight at all. But the damage was done. Anahid watched from the corner of her eyes as the Fosh ran off, her speed suddenly increasing by using the Force.

Anahid moved out of range of a halfhearted kick, her breathing easy as she studied her surroundings, “…you should be more careful.” She watched as the male heaved and buckle forth, the sound of snapping branches erupting in the quiet corners of his head – the lightsaber that Anahid had been wielding connecting with the back of his head, sending the male flying forward. Her hand shot forward, a burst of the Force erupting through her body – the male was sent soaring, crashing and rolling until he came to an eventual stop.

She shifted, feeling the blast of air as a male sped by. He doubled-back, his body twisting as the axe flew over her head. Her eyes narrowed; her hand shot up, open palm colliding with the male’s nose. There was blood, but the male seemed unmoved, growling as he lashed out at the Jedi. The blow of his axe was caught by the Jedi’s blade, though the sheer force behind it made her cringe. Her feet dug into the sand with the following blow, which shook her down to her knees. Another of those and I…, the thought trailed. Anahid stepped back just in time, his final blow crashing down with tremendous force – but she was ready. As the axe crashed Anahid used Force speed, using the weight of her body, her knees crashed into his chest. The man collapsed and Anahid ran.

The pricking at the back of her neck made her twist around, blade drawn as she hacked through a dart. Her eyes flicked to the left, glancing momentarily over her shoulder as she identified the attacker. More darts followed, closer to reaching her each time, making the woman opt for avoiding them rather than trying to outrun them. It must have been a mistake of the alien that allowed Anahid to draw near, close enough to the one that had shot it. Horror was drawn across his features, curses leaving his lips as he tried to fire again, but the weapon was jammed – luck had been on her side. A single swing of her blade cut the weapon in half, an additional force push sending him flying back.

The Jedi breathed out, steadying her breath, eyes flicking towards the remaining figure. She raised her arm, lightsaber pointed in his general direction. The warning was clear and so he ran. Her arm lowered, a gentle sigh escaped her – they were just desperate, all they needed was to ask for help.