Dark Side of the Moon

[Dutch]

Hjaff. Oh Hjaff... Of course it wasn't in the charts Kris had stolen, why would it? No commercial or retail store would own the location of such a backwater planet. Blue clicked with a hiss, a Tarc sigh, sitting back in the pilot's seat of the Shores. Kris had explained to him that if someone wanted to lay low for a time, and possibly find some less than legal astronavigation charts- the place to go was Nar Shadaa. Blue didn't like the sound of this place, a moon of Nal Hutta, home to some of the worse slavers in the galaxy.

But- it was decided this would be the best place, go get lost in the crowds for a while. Blue clacked as the ship slid out of hyperspace, the lines suddenly forming into dots framing the dark side of their destination. Even though it was the night side of the moon, the surface was completely dotted by lights from the city that spanned it. He punched the com with one of his hands and clacked for Kris to come out from her quarters.

Blue awaited Kris, his black eyes fixed on the moon in front of them. He wondered what this haven for outlaws and criminals would hold. Hopefully it wouldn't be like that sin bin Zeltros, maybe Blue could actually not be on edge for once. It'd be nice if he didn't have to worry about protecting someone for once in his 200 plus years. He waggled his antennae as a presence got within range, the Tarc, turning his seat around to face what he was guessing was Kris about to turn into the cockpit.

[Dire Wolf]

The journey to Nar Shaddaa had been a long one, as was most of the trips that started so close to the core worlds and ended so far into the ever expanding frontiers of the outer rim. She had spent most of that time doing an unusual thing, at least considering how she spent the last few years of her life: she had been sleeping. Truly sleeping, all curled up in a little ball of Kris within the heavy sheets of her overly comfortable bed. Not surprisingly, her former owners did not allow her the creature comforts that she was now reveling in... the soft silk sheets, the warm blankets, the plush bed.

Yet, her dreams did not mirror this level of physical comfort that she enjoyed. Flashes. The first was of her hand gripping an older looking man by the neck, holding him well off of his feet. He was saying something... something that she couldn't understand... and then her hand sharply twisted to the side, snapping the old man's neck like a frail twig under the treads of a battle tank. Many other flashes crossed her mind's eye, each one looking more and more terrifying than the last to the young girl.

Her central processor unit ordered her visual receptors to slide open with the haste of a great sloth. It was surprising to her, to awake so slowly after such a terrible nightmare. She shook her head slightly, no matter... none of it was real. Right? Her mind seemed to be fixed on the images she saw during her slumber, even as she slid into her electric purple leather clothing. It was barely a simulated heartbeat later before Blue's clacking came over the comm, asking her to meet him in the cockpit.

Kris gave a sigh before slipping out of her quarters and heading towards the bow of the ship, where the cockpit was located. "What do you need, Blue," she asked in a rather inquisitive tone. Her head tilted to side ever so slightly, that cascade of bruenette hair slipping past her shoulder and dangling down her frontside.

[Dutch]

Blue waggled his antennae pleasantly at the sight of his surrogate daughter. She was still wearing that electric purple scrap of animal hide- funny how sentients wanted nothing more than to see each other without their scraps of cloth, animal skin, and other materials- but in public, it was frowned on. He mentally shook his antennae in confusion before pointing at her with one of his hands while clicking.

"Would it make you happy to attain some more appropriate clothing on this moon?"

Blue was pretty sure he knew the answer to that, but still asked. He growled slightly before gesturing to the moon behind him.

"We're almost there, but no one has transmitted a landing code- do you think it's under attack?"

Blue didn't realize how things were done on the Smuggler's Moon, that he could just touch down his freighter at anytime. He stood up slowly and gestured for Kris to take over, the Tarc needed to check their supplies, make sure everything was full. And of course, after searching the galley, he slumped. In their rush to get off of Zeltros- they had forgotten food. His stomachs gave yet another audible rumble, he had kept quiet about his slow starvation, not wanting to worry Kris.

He moved away from the galley back towards the cockpit, placing a hand on the top of the pilot's seat as he watched Kris take the ship down towards the darkened moon.

[Dire Wolf]

((x.x for some reason my funny little brain thought that someone else would post. Anyways, here ye go...))

Kris gave a quizzical look at the larger creature as it clacked at her about clothes. Her simulated heart skipped a few beats at the thought... she'd have real clothes. Clothes that were modest... okay only somewhat modest... and not these straps of electric purple leather that would attract the eye of every horn-ball in the 'verse. A wide smile spread her lips thin as she practically jumped onto Blue, throwing her arms around him and squeezing as tight as her arms would allow her. "Would it make me happy?! YES," she exclaimed with a girlish excitement.

After his second comment, however, she tilted her head up at him... allowing a giggle to bubble out of her mouth. "No Blue, we don't need landing codes. We can pretty much land wherever we want to... unless its already taken." She sighed, Nar Shaddaa was a haven for smugglers... and she had grown up as a smuggler's daughter. Or so she was programmed to believe anyways. "No, we won't know until we land," she spoke up before he had the chance to. It was a truly broken system... but it was the system that the hutt's used.

"Speaking of that... I have some unfinished business with Greegar. He used to be my owner... and he still has a possession of mine," she was, of course, talking about a little ring that her father gave her as a child. It was completely fictitious, of course, but she did not know that.

A sigh pushed itself out as Krkx stepped out of the seat, allowing her access. She glanced up at him with that ever inquisitive look strewn about her face as she slipped around him and into the pilot's seat. After reigning the controls in, she moved to set them down on a rather junky looking patch of junk, but it was the best looking patch of junk that she'd seen on the smuggler's moon in a long time.

[/-Amy-\-Foxie Lady-/]

Ashla's ship landed on Nar Shadaa, and she exited with relief. She had been forced to prove to another member of the crew she was not interested in the slightest by his sexual advances. She was certain his cracked ribs had gotten her point across to him. She had forgone her traditional robes and instead wore an outfit of form fitting black leather, and a black died roncor hide trench-coat. Beneath wich hid her lightsaber, a blaster she had purchased from one of the crew, and the blade of her wan-shen safely in its sheith. Its staff was brken down into two segmants and concealed beneath her coat as well.

She left the docking bay with her duffle bag slunge over her shoulder and headed for a near by cantina the captain had directed her to. By Nar Shadaa standards it was suposed to be a legitamate buisness. As she walked through the croud she got the odd sense of being watched...of being followed. Ashla stopped by a bench and propped one booted foot on it and pretended to adjust a strap. What she saw suprised her....it was the human from two years ago on Tatooine in Anchorhead. Kellek, yes that was his name. He eyed her closely. He recognized her. She also saw several heavily armed men with him. One of them was in some sort of heavy armor.

She stood straight and contineud on her way and stepped into a side alley hoping she would loose the fool. It was a dead end. Ashla sighed to herself and took off her trench-coat, and prepared to draw her wan-shen blade, but she wasnt given any such time.For no sooner did she take off her coat than the men came rushing around the corner, and attacked her. She fought the first three who sushed her with nothing but her bare hands and feet. She was a blur of motion as she snapped out one blow after another. They swung at her with clubs, wich she easily deflected with the palms of her hands before in three quick snaps of her hand, her index finger and middle finger stiffened together all three fell to the ground. They were very much dead, they're wind pipes caved in.

Then came Kellek and his armored friend pluss one other. A red skinned twil'lek woman. The man in the armor drew a masive vibro sword and rushed in at her. He didnt giver her a chance to draw a weaon. It was all she could do to keep ahead of his blows. Then the Red skillned twil'lek attacked her, using nothing but her hand and feet. Ashla had been outmanauvered....and she knew it....

[Dutch]

Blue clacked happily as his surrogate daughter threw herself at him- the Tarc still not too familiar with softies' method of showing affection, but still appreciating it. He growled an 'OK' after she said she did want some new clothing. Blue resisted the urge to thump Kris over the head like a naughty hatchling as she giggled at him- the familiar Tarc way of dealing with children coming into his mind. But instead he nodded to Kris' words, she had obviously been here before.

As he got up she spoke of a Hutt- Greegar. He however, shook his head and clicked a response

"Little one, the past is the past, this Hutt would mostly likely have guards, and be protected- I will not be captured again this soon after escaping. Please, Kris, don't make me do this. Maybe one day when we're more than just two."

He had a feeling she wouldn't like his answer- but it was how he felt. After landing Blue motioned for Kris to follow him, clacking a reminder for her to grab the blaster he had given her. They needed to eat, this much he knew- and that would be their destination, or so he thought. Blue stepped out onto the Smuggler's Moon, the sheer busyness of it throwing him off a bit much like Zeltros. People of all sorts of species wandered about, Blue knew he was much larger than them, but figured they'd blend in with the crowd.

Blue began to walk in the crowds, repeatedly checking to see if Kris was still at his side. As they moved, the sounds of combat could be heard down an alley, every sentient passing by it, and only a few peeking in on curiosity. A small woman was fighting off three people, a large armored man, another man, and a red Twi'lek. If there was one thing Blue didn't stand for, it was hitting a female, but to gang up on one like that...

One wouldn't think a Tarc could move so quickly, but long legs will propel nicely. In only a few steps, Blue was right behind the three attackers, a loud bellow sounding from the massive crab. One claw went for the unarmored human, clamping tight around his neck. The other claw whipped a devastating back-claw at the Twi'lek, their bones snapping wetly as they were tossed aside. The free claw then clamped down on the helm of the armored man, using all his might to crush the helmet. And with the sound of metal wrenching, the helm was completely crushed in half, like a tin can that had been stepped on. Blue let the armored man drop but held the other one up to his face. With a clack Blue swung his arm, smashing the man's head into a building, red splashing the wall before Blue let the now headless body go.

Blue turned an eye to the small girl and clacked once, nodding at the girl as he did before turning around and walking back the way he came, placing a fatherly hand on top of Kris' head before clicking for them to go.

[Dire Wolf]

Kris gave a long sigh at Blue's reply. But she HAD to get her ring back... it was her last link to the family that she had lost but a few years before. Her chin began to quiver at the memories of her family, the family that had been killed by the loathsome, treacherous slug of a hutt. Her vision became blurry with the tears that built up, but refused to overflow onto her cheeks, as she set the Shores down on the pad. A sharp sniffle succeeded in keeping her nose from running at her surely coming tears.

An lance of sadness lanced towards her heart like an arrow shot by a world class marksman, striking true in that deep hollow that was left after the death of her family. The arrow, however, did not succeed in filling up that gaping maw, oh no, all that it did was smash the covering that she'd built up. Smashed it to pieces. The last of the shards of her heart were barely settled on the ground before those tears began to leak from her eyes. Their trail down her face as questionable as the trail of rain droplets on glass.

She'd tried to hide this from Blue as she walked through the crowd, practically attaching herself to the side of the great crustacean that she almost considered her surrogate father. Kris couldn't hide her tears, though, no more than she could hide her brown eyes or her tanned skin. The latter was especially hard, considering the... revealing... clothes that clung to her form. The sounds of battle that ripped at her audio receptors caused the woman to cling even closer to Blue's side, almost as if she were trying to crawl into his very shell for protection.

Kristinah looked up at Krkx with a look of horror as he began to walk towards the conflict, towards the fighting, towards the danger. Why? He may have been near invincible to most weapons that mercenaries carried, but Kris certainly was not. As Blue began to enter the alley Kris melded herself into the corner, watching the brutality that Blue was about to unleash on the three. She simply couldn't watch. His claw barely contacted the first man's neck before she hid her head behind the wall and covered up her ears, not wanting to know what was happening less than five feet away. Less than a few minutes later she felt the heavy hand of Blue on the top of her head.

Brown eyes smiled up at Blue as she uncovered her ears and unfolded her previously squatting legs. She got up and continued on with Blue, not particularly caring about anything other than getting out of Nar Shaddaa. Though, her father's ring was still prevalent in her mind... she needed to get to it... somehow.

[/-Amy-\-Foxie Lady-/]

Ashla had been able to score some minor hits on the man in armor, but even with her force enhanced strenght, she barely dented it, and the twil'lek was simply fast. Though Ashla did land one good hit sendint the red skinned witch stumbling back from the blow to her gut. This had left her open to Kellek who hit her in the side of her face staggering her back a few steps.

Then Ashla saw the largets creature she had seen in her life. Large , blue, four armed. A thick shell..oddly she thought of a lobster dinner she had enjoyed once. She thought this crab-man was there to help Kellek. She was merciffuly wrong. The crab-man grabber Kellek, destroyed the agile twi'lek with a single bone crushing blow, then crushed the armored mans head. Then with what seemed a casual flick of his masive clawed hand, smashed Kelleks head against the wall.....then simply walked off with a young gil dressed like a zeltron.

Ashla quickly gathered her things and then as an after though the credit chips from the six fallen slavers, and took ofter the crab-man and his young companion. She caught up with them quickly enough and fell into step beside the girl--"You have my thanks....I would likely have been killed or taken captive by those slavers if not for you"--She held out three credit chips to the girl--"these were on the ones your friend felled"

She calmly side steps a over tunred grabage can and looks at the girl. The force seems to flow oddly about this young woman walking beside the crab man. She also notices how uncomfortable the girl looks in her 'clothing'. Wordlessly Ashla hands the girl her trench coat--"I am Matukai Adept, Ashla Drexdrell, and I am in your's and your friends dept"

[Dutch]

Blue's antennae perked up for a second, a familiar presence dashing up to them. It was the small woman from the alley- the one he had saved. He said nothing as she addressed Kris- chances were she chose her thinking he was nothing more than a massive attack mollusk. Making a snort-like grunt noise Blue clacked his mouth and looked about, his stomach's gurgling loudly from the slow starvation that was beginning to affect him. The rumbling would be audible to anyone nearby, the Tarc however did his best to act normal to not scare little Kris.

His gaze did turn to peer down at the new woman as she spoke of the fresh corpses he had left behind, that they were slavers who would have captured her. A disdainful clack would sound from the massive crab, slavers- worst scum in the 'verse. Blue didn't realize he was slightly listing to the left, the world had been uneven since before they had landed on Nar Shadaa. A couple beings bumped into him as he stumbled into their path, none saying anything to the Tarc. It was unwise to yell at a Tarc.

He clacked a few nonsensical words before he realized his vision was beginning to cloud. With a grunt he shook his head and fell to his knees, a small growl coming from within his chest as he clicked the Tarc word for "food". Blue was sure Kris would get the picture, all he could do was shift across several people's path to lean his bulk against a building, the stomachs giving a loud simultaneous growl. His head dropped and his antennae drooped over his eyes, the Tarc giving a feeble clack before starting to snooze a bit. If this new stranger was as grateful as she said she was, hopefully she'd pull through for him...

[Squee]

The eyelids of the creature twitched, though they were shut and the world was blocked its eyes. The giant head rested on paws and some of the tail, the slant of the paw causing the head to incline onto the cheek. The ears of the beast were laid halfway back. The nose was dried and cracking, a scab splitting the rounded black right down the middle. The muzzle was scarred in several places. Some were fresh while others were marks from battles past. Curled into the tight ball as the animal was, its fur was spiking with a gel of filth, blood, and gods knew what else. The shoulders only completed the horrid appearance; there, standing out from even the grossness of its fur, were red, inflamed scars that oozed yellow liquid. Infection was in the enormity of such a creature, and therefore must have sickened the monster’s body. It would not provide much difficulty.

How wrong the enemy was.

They had come in strange furs that gleamed and were dented and bore scratches. It had taken the creature some time to realize the strange furs were an armor of some sort, just as his scales were. Except his scales were in poor condition, ill groomed, weak, and unhealthy. They did not provide much armor at this age of his life. Nevertheless, the aliens that always walked on two legs had tougher armor hand he did. Beneath that armor, he had discovered flesh. And not just any flesh, but edible flesh.

And so, every last one of the armored aliens carrying their long, bulky, stone staffs that fired projectiles (that hurt more than rocks) had, with a brief dispute, had become the food he survived off of. Now, since that discovery, he had moved many alleys to draw more attention and bring in more food. This alley he sat in now was behind a large, sentient-made mountain that had mouth-watering scents filtering through the front and back doors. He had settled somewhere near the backdoor, and he had caused a stir in one particular two-walker. That two-walker, one that the creature liked to refer to as the “Louder Mouth”, had discovered the difficult way that it was not wise to scream at the large, though scrawny, animal in his alley. The man’s rotund body had almost made a two day meal for the animal.

With the Louder Mouth surely aggravated at his presence, the Louder Mouth had helped him bring in food.

Today was no different. Piphire marked their footsteps as they entered his alley. The place was trashed to some comfort for his large body, which made it his claimed home. As the aliens, two of them by the uneven falling of footsteps, they faced the bones of past aliens consumed by Piphire. They found cracked and empty armors and blasters crudely tossed to the ground. There was a low odor of even Piphire’s biological waste. Yet, they came down the shadowed alley in search of him.

The eyelids finally opened and there were twin, cold ice blue eyes. Piphire refrained from twitching anymore, listening as for footsteps grew closer. He was certain, just like every day when the aliens came down in attempts to purge him, that there was a drawing crowd. Piphire had been behind this diner for some time now, and the eaters perhaps liked to come down and see if the monster in the back was gone yet. Or they just liked the mayhem. Piphire could hardly tell horror screams from excited screams in some of the different kinds of aliens.

These aliens, now his enemy, had come too far within his domain. Piphire growled lowly from the husk his throat was, unraveling his body and beginning to rise to his paws. He was thirsty, and their blood would make an excellent drink. As he stood, he saw his meal, and he bristled, the spikes standing straight on end. Though he seemed almost unsteady, Piphire was sure it was his size that had these aliens dumbfounded. Those stone weapons, that fired things more painful than rocks, started to raise and hideous snarl ripped from Piphire as he launched himself forward.

His chest hardly skimmed the ground. Overgrown claws snagged painfully on the firm ground. His heart was a small woodland critter hopping on his sore ribcage. By the time he had reached the two aliens, a slight zig-zag in his trajectory, Piphire’s breathing had already begun to labor. It was ridiculous how deep a hole his physical condition was in. The aliens had paused about a quarter of the way into the alley when Piphire struck the great man. He darted past the man’s legs, lowing his haunches some and sweeping a backleg. The large man began to fall forward even as Piphire’s body twisted in a u-shape and he hopped with his front legs. Poor teeth sank into the second aliens arm and an iron jaw locked. A crunch sounded and the alien’s scream followed after. With a loose shake of his upper body, Piphire sent the second alien thudding into a wall. He was instantly on top of the larger one, who wore a helmet. The mangy Piphire stepped on the alien’s helmet roughly, crashing the alien’s head into the ground while a dreadful crack announced the helmet’s split. Piphire grasped the helmet with his paws and pulled it off, rolling the alien’s near unconscious body over. He ended the life by sinking his front teeth into the neck and ripping out the jugular, slurping at the blood that ran across his teeth and tainted his tongue.

Footsteps. Piphire turned abruptly, finding his second meal body running out of the alley. Rumbles poured out of Piphire’s mouth as he let the alien leave. “Live again another day,” he said, though he knew aliens could not understand him.

Piphire went to twist his head, moving a foreleg, and the muscle in his shoulder protested. The enormous canine winced and whimpered lightly. He had busted open a sore. Blood and thick yellow puss were forcing its way out to gather and run across the already nasty, slicked fur. In quick fashion, and as a by-pass thing as his head swiveled to face front, he drew a tongue over the tender sore. He nearly gagged at the taste of the infection and bent down to lap at the open throat of the alien’s neck. The taste of blood rid of some of the sick tang.

Piphire paced around the bleeding body and wrapped his jaw around a shoulder joint, where his teeth could hook to the edges of the shoulder armor pad, and dragged the body further into the alley. He took the body away from the horror filled crowd outside the alley. Then with mouth and fingers paws, he began to separate the alien’s body from the shell. He went as far as ripping off the arms with audible pops as joints left the sockets and the squishing tear of muscle splitting. The crowd hadn’t need to hear what was happening to this unfortunate soul that was accepted as their own. As the synthesized fur and shell was removed, Piphire split the abdomen and pulled out the organs, separating the edible ones from the inedible ones.


“It is likely you hadn’t an idea of who or what I was. You were likely just following the Louder Mouth’s orders. You tried acting like a tribe, coming down this dark aisle of unknown and death with your brother warrior. He did escape, and hopefully he has enough sense not to return.” Piphire looked at the alien’s lifeless face and sighed once. “I’ve watched your kind. You live among other tribes, and you live among them in what seems to be some kind of peace. I only wish your kind would accept an outsider like me. As it is, you are sent to kill me. I live by myself. With your kind, your one big tribe, coming in to kill me, it is killed or be killed. I do not want to die, despite the misery of my life. But this age shall too pass and hopefully for the better.

“Now,” Piphire let blue eyes, now watery roam across the armless shoulders and the cavity in the stomach, “Being unaccepted I must find food. You are edible. Any one of you aliens is edible. But you are smart. You are not like the prey back on my homeworld that runs when they merely smell us. Your kind are smart. You can think. You can comprehend and make decisions and not run on instincts alone. Even now, by myself, and hungry, I refrain from my instincts. I keep my wits about me, because I know every life I take was thinking about the environment that surrounds him, and not fleeing at the smell of danger and disgust.

“But I must eat. And while I cannot obtain anything else, I will eat you and any other members of your tribe that enter this aisle. This aisle is my home and I have a right to defend my home and to defend my life if your tribe so threatens it. Out of necessity do I eat your corpse now. If you loved Blut Shrein, I am sure he will welcome you with open arms. Peace be in your death, alien.” At the end of his prayer, he leaned forward and snapped off one side of the ribs and began to eat.

-----

“Force curse the mother that whelped that thing!” the diner owner roared, seeing one of the men he had hired to kill the mangy mutt come back out. The man clutched a broken, bleeding arm and the left side of his face was blossomed in cherry red scraps. How many more hunters and other people willing to go in there was he going to have to pay for? When will that mutt finally die? It had been here forever! And that animal had not been helping his business. The gathered crowd murmured their abhorrence or even collected owed dues because they had betted on whether the men would kill the creature or not.

“Here!” bellowed the portly owner, throwing a bag of credits the man almost didn’t catch. With fright filling his eyes, he carefully brushed his way through the crowd and promptly left the crowd, alley, and frustrated owner behind.

The diner owner cursed under his breath, not seeing the second man come out and could only assume the dog had caught and killed him. The vile creature was probably feasting at this very moment. The crowd was beginning to turn their backs, some heading back inside his diner. At least some customers remained faithful to him, through thick and thin.

“Listen! All! Now! Passerby!” it was then the heavy man was grateful he had his business set up in a rather bustling area. Otherwise, making this announcement now, he would look like a fool. “Anyone who can get rid of the monstrosity in my alley way, you eat free in my diner. I don’t care WHAT happens as long as that… that… that DOG is OUT and AWAY from my diner! You won’t ever have to pay a single meal! Just, someone get that animal out of my alleyway!”

[Dire Wolf]

Innocent brown eyes fluttered back to the oddly dressed woman as she spoke and handed her a trench coat. The girl smiled lightly at the offering, and took it with a nod. Kris slipped her arms into the coat and zipped the thing up tight, though it was a little too long for her. "Thank you Ashla, I am Kristinah Jaeger and this giant Tarc here is-," she was cut off by Blue's incoherant clacking... followed by him falling to his knees and painfully scuttling over to a building. Fear struck her heart as his final clack registered in her central processor, "food." He was hungry... probably nearly dieing of it, too.

Brown sphere's turned back to the woman, and looked over her form. She seemed to be a capable warrior, one that could hold off anyone that would try and take advantage of Blue. "Please! Watch him... make sure no one takes him... his name's Blue," she exclaimed, a feared tone pervading her words. With that, she tore off to the closest diner. She may not have had money, but she sure as Chaos could steal some food... especially with Blue in the condition he was in.

“Anyone who can get rid of the monstrosity in my alley way, you eat free in my diner. I don’t care WHAT happens as long as that… that… that DOG is OUT and AWAY from my diner! You won’t ever have to pay a single meal! Just, someone get that animal out of my alleyway!”

Kris slowed down at those words, and her first thought was "PUPPY," though she wasn't quite as excited as she normally would be. Her surrogate father was dieing of hunger after all. She looked at the gaping maw of that dark alley without fear, the natural inhibitions that should have dinged her mental danger radar like a blue whale nonexistant. The brunette walked down the alleyway with the confident stride of fearlessness.

Until she tripped into a pile of bones. That was when the gore, the blood, the bones, and the smell of biological waste struck her eyes and nose. And the sight of a simply massive lupine creature. An immeasurable fear struck her heart at the sight of the giant wolf, a fear that rooted her feet and her hands to the ground.

Kris found it hard to breathe, for fear that her very breath might attract the creature that was feeding on the body of a dead man. Tremors began to quake at her form as that gory image of a man half eaten seared itself into her eyes, and a light whimper escaped her form. Soon she found that her tremblings were so fierce and powerful that she found it hard to breathe. Hard to think. She was going to die, be ripped apart by the mangy looking wolf.

And it was going to hurt.

[/-Amy-\-Foxie Lady-/]

Ashla moved quickly to suport and guide the large 'Tarc', and the girl called Kristiniah has named this sentiants race. Ashla was stronger than her slight frame sugested. She watched the girl run off with a frown. She seriously hoped the girl didnt try and steal anything. Theft was punsihed severely on Nar Shadaa. Then she heard the resteraunt owner yelling about getting rid of some dog. If it was merely a dog, a simpl blaster would end the poor creature.

Ashla shrugged. She trusted that the girl knew what she was doing. She turned her attention back to the Tarc. He realy didnt look good. She sensed that he was hungry. Very hungry. If he was anything like the crabs and lobsters she had seen on various worlds, he ate fish, or possibly shrimp. She turned her attention to a street vender who was selling various food items.

"You, do you have any sort of fresh, uncooked meats or the like. prefferebly some sort of fish"

The man eyed Ashla for a moment, as if gaging how wealthy she was. Her clothing was of plain quality, as was her blaster and everything else about her. I would sugest the corvakian skimmer fish ma'am. Mostly meat, and very hardy. I can sell's ye some fer say...five creds per?"
Ashla reached into her pocket and pulled out her credit chip--"I'll take three"--She took the three fish from the man and handed them all to Blue after she had payed for them. They were still raw.--"This will have to do for now. We will see about getting you more to eat very shortly."

[Grawn]

"Hey droid, wheres your master?"

The HK units head turned to regard a large burly man in rather sloppy dress style. It was a common theme for this planet apparently.

"This is none of your concern, move along" the HK replied. Nar Shadda was starting to vex him far worse then Tatooine ever had. While the constant sand in every joint of his body was quite a irritating experience, it was no where in comparison to the constant harrassment he seemed to receive from every person on this planet. If it wasn't some junk dealer trying to persuade him to come in the back with him, it was a random brute who got off on bullying what he considered lower beings.

"Oh i think it is. Scrap metal goes for a pretty penny here" the man grinned slowly as he pulled out what appeared to be a vibrodagger. The so called "droid" let out what would be considered by human standards a sigh as the man slowly started to approach. They were in a secluded alleyway so if the HK unit required assistance, none could be gotten.

Luckily for Garnet, he had the Force. And he was no droid.

While he wore the body of a HK unit, this was not the being named Garnet. The actual creature so to say, dwelled in the chest cavity of the droid, protected by extra armored durasteel. A small crystal laid in a special compartment where he could control the droid he wore as he saw fit. Not only was there this, he was also Force sensitive and KNEW how to use it.

"I wouldnt do that if i were you" the droid warned as the man wrapped an arm around the HK's waist and rose his dagger. The weapon could probably penetrate the head which would normally disable a droid, however, Garnet didnt let him bring it down. Without warning, the Force pushed the man backwards with tremendous speed. Letting out a sharp yell as he soared, Garnet watched with apathy as the man crashed into the end of the alley, stuck to the wall for a moment like off of some early morning Holo-Net cartoon show and then fell to the ground with a thud.

"They never listen" the droid said and continued on his way. Garnet had originally gone into the alley out of mere curiosity. He had felt in a slight adventureous mood only to be ambushed by that thug. While it was distressing to him on some degree why most sentients had to act in such a hostile manner, he didnt ponder on it much. His late Master had always told him that there were bad seeds of every race and gender through out the galaxy and all you could really do is hope they would learn with time to play together nice.

The Shard had his doubts personally.

Steping out of the alleyway, Garnet walked out into the street. He opened himself to the Force and let random thoughts of the numerous people trickle into him. Some were vile, some were sincere, others were in pain and oddly enough, some were just trying to make a honest living. So many races were intermingled on this planet and no two people were the same. While the Shard's knowledge of the universe at large was very small, he could only name a few of the races he saw.

Then something caught his eye. A large, blue creature sat in the middle of the street in what appeared to be possibily a display of pain. How could so many ignore this creatures plight? Clearly he needed help but despite all the people around, none offered to give any. The HK shell made its way through the crowd to make an example that even though he didnt appear to be anything but circuitry and metal, he had more heart then most people.

Plus he wanted to know what the thing was, it was fascinating! Large, blue, it stood out like a sore thumb.

"Pardon me" the droid addressed the female who was giving the large thing fish from a nearby vendor. "Is your friend ok?"

((OOC: No idea how to start it off, here you go. Dislike it? Ill get my lazor ಠ_ಠ))

[Dutch]

It was all a fog, the next several minutes. Blue's vision got dark, and his antennae could only feel fuzz. The world was muted for this time, the Tarc's mind beginning to stray as another hunger quake sounded from what seemed like miles away. The faces of his family began to drift in his mind, the longing for them greater than ever. People drifted past his vision, none caring to stop and help the man. His body began to heave as breathing got harder, the claustrophobic air of the crowded streets making it difficult to breathe. He clacked feebly a couple times as he felt Kris and not before long, this Kiala woman left as well.

So this is what it came down to. Kris got what she needed, off that slaver station, and Kiala didn't get captured either. They had used him, and now left him to die. Blue's hearts ached at this outcome, the older man cursing his trust of younger women. That's what he got for having a group of daddy's girls back on Hjaff. How he ached to go home, to be with those he loved, and loved him back. Blue's vision went completely black, and his body went limp, leaning completely against the wall and slumped against the metal ground.

Fish.

Antennae perked up, but nothing else moved.

Raw Fish.

Antennae twitched again, and still nothing more moved.

Raw Fish Nearby.

Blue's head shifted as his antennae waggled around almost frantically. His vision slowly began to come back, though was still cloudy- but he didn't need it to sense the fish was right in front of him. With a wet slurping sound the Tarc's head lunged forward, mouth gaping suddenly open to reveal his rows of needles. The needles sunk into all three fish at once, moving with a series of tinks As the fish were shuffled into his "mouth".

Eyes went from dull to bright and sharp as the Tarc seemed to just stare ahead, letting the juices from his body leak through the needles and past the scales, into the very muscle and organ fibers of the fish. For several minutes Blue just sat there, the first parts of digestion taking place then, the acids in his mouth starting to break down the meat and bones already. After just a moment more, Blue tilted his head back and pushed the meat down his throat with his needles.

The grumbling of Blue's stomachs ceased, and the man shook his massive head before turning an eye and an antennae towards this droid. But it wasn't a droid. His other antennae swiveled towards it to investigate. Under the metal and electronics, something else was sensed, mineral of some sort, but unlike any he's felt in person. It perplexed the Tarc, he had no clue what this contraption was.

Slowly standing to his feet, the Tarc clacked and stretched, ignoring a small stomachs growl as he did. He clicked a few words of thanks to them, but waggled his antennae to the sides in a sign of frustration, realizing they wouldn't understand. It took a moment for him to gain his bearing and remember where he was at. Nar Shadaa, new clothes, saving Ashla, and then nothing. Where was Kris?

Blue looked to the left and right, his antennae flipped forward and waggling out to sense her, but there was just too many people nearby to determine. Instead, he turned to the droid body and made a few gestures while clicking and clacking away, one moving his hands to about Ashla's height, then pointing at Ashla, then holding up two fingers on his hand, signifying that there was two small females with him, but now there was one. Hopefully this thing was as intelligent as he hoped, and know he was missing a companion.

[Squee]

He held the bone in his paw and crunched his teeth into it. Popping and grinding of his teeth finally broke the rib bone in half and allowed him to suck out the marrow. The one half of the ribs that Piphire and torn off the alien’s corpse were already clean of any and all meat. The heart from the pile of edible organs was misplaced into the large wolvdrachen’s stomach. He cracked open another bone, draining the delicious marrow. His muscles twitched and his heart lurched, both with impatience to the slow process of breaking the bones to get to the marrow. His stomach was craving, snarling with more ferocity now that he had eaten some meat. It wanted more, and instinct took over Piphire.

He brushed the bones to the side with his tail, something within him saying he could return to those later. He loomed over the dead alien body. His lower jaw dipped into the cavity in the abdomen, teeth sinking between the other set of ribs. His front paws steadied the body and Piphire called on his neck and back muscles, straining to tear the other set of ribs off.

A sickening “CREEEEEEEEEEEEACK!” announced the submission of the ribs. Piphire tore his head to the side, the ribs locked in the steal of his jaw. He dropped it on the ground and began to tear flesh, muscle, and ligaments from the ribcage. The tears and rips would have been disgusting to the ears of any of the alien’s tribe. Surely, though, had it been some unintelligent animal, the aliens would not have given the ripping a second thought. However, the understanding that this was indeed one of their own species was just stomach churning. It would be like Piphire witnessing the cannibalism of one of his tribe.

Past tribe.

There was a rattle and soft thump that startled Piphire. The noise jarred Piphire’s instincts and let his rational mind return to its rightful throne, which was previously usurped by said instinct. An aggressive growl through a partly opened mouth reverberated in the aisle. Piphire, consciously, drew lips back to bare his teeth, and his eyes adopted a biting cold stare once more. He turned his lanky body in a circle, stepping over the body that had become his dinner. Instinct to protect his food prodded his gut. His joints were bent slightly and he grew urgently tense, ready to spring.

The growl was short lived and the massive head suddenly rocked violently as Piphire shook it. He blinked his eyes several times, trying to determine whether what he saw was realism or fantasy. Suspicion entered him and he cautiously stepped toward the newcomer in his alley.

The alien was laying on the ground, halfway lifted up. Dark circles that made up the eyes stared back at him, large and brimmed with… with… it had to be fear. Piphire blinked, trying to remember the last time he had seen fear. He was careful as he approached the alien. Nothing had tried entering his domain quite in this fashion. Nothing had ever stopped moving on its own accord. Nothing had fallen in his presence. Nothing simply stared at him as he approached it. The alien didn’t even have one of the stone staffs! The fur was the alien was overgrown, too, and it did not burden itself with a shell of armor.

“Are you a trickster?” he said to the alien, staring down at the dark eyes. The face was softly curved. The alien looked soft, despite the fear, gentle instead of angular. Perhaps this alien was female? “Do you hide stuff in your fur?” The words he spoke were low and full of masculinity, rough, and harsh. Some were punctuated with growls and some with quick barks.

The alien was paralyzed, it did appear, and, with a glance at the aisle’s entrance, Piphire dipped his head over the very small alien. He touched his snout against her side, checking for things hidden in her fur. As he searched first one side, then the second side, he made snuffling sounds as he smelled over the alien. At one point, he did lift a paw and place it against the alien’s hip and gently pushed it. With the paw, he patted it across the alien’s stomach, feeling nothing. He snorted, curious why the alien was so barren of weapons. None of the others had been empty pawed.

“Can you understand me?” he rumbled, looking back in the alien’s face. Still so frightened.

Piphire stared at the alien for a long moment, trying to seem gentle. Even if it could understand them, even if it did know about him, there was the change the alien was in shock over his size. He tilted his head to the side to see it that would get a reaction. And then he cocked it to the other side. He was thinking. Maybe the alien couldn’t understand him? But then, why did it come down here without weapons, like the previous, to defend itself?

“Can you understand me?” He wanted to believe that the alien didn’t mean him harm. Maybe the aliens were beginning to know and understand him more? Maybe this alien did more than the others? It seemed at pretty good loss so far, the way those brown eyes were glazed in fear of him.

“Please…” the sound came out in a whine as Piphire took a step away. He lowered his head toward the ground, chin laying flat. Still, small sounds parted from him. His back end stayed in the air, tail giving a faint swish. His eyes danced back and forth between the alien’s, his head level the same as its. Maybe being down at its current eye level would soothe a fear or two. “Can you understand me? Please, let me know if you can.” He gave a little shuffle toward the alien, and small whimper parting him.

If the alien could not understand him, maybe it was simply here out of peace. Maybe it wanted to help him instead of hurt him. If this was the case, Piphire would be happy to keep peace.

“Do you understand? Please?”

[Deceit *Drinker of Jawa-Juice*]

Ss'sss'th had been watching.

The streets of Nar Shaddaa were vast and tangled, hard to distinguish and very open. But above it, higher where signs and lights were posted, there were ledges. Large ones, wide enough to hold a few humans. Used for the various droids or aliens to stand on and place or adjust signs of various sorts, and maintain the lights that were placed just underneath this ledge.

And it was from up here that Ss'sss'th had been watching, silent and unseen by all of the races, despite the thousands of creatures that passed beneath him every day. He had seen the departure of the Tarc and the woman, so young by his judgement, and delicate in appearance. He was impressed by the Tarc's size and even a little intimidated, though in his years he'd found little that can rival a Slith's power in close quarters! He could definitely see it posing a threat however...

He was more impressed with how unusual the pair was. He could tell that the frail female one had a paternal bond with the larger one, and it struck him as odd. There must be some history to them, and probably to some compassionate ends, with the Tarc taking in the human female. This theory had later been reinforced when he saw the Tarc show some great compassion. A woman in an alleyway was under-attack by several thugs of various races. Three soft skins, one with armor. She was little match, as far as he could judge, and they were gaining advantage quickly. Ss'sss'th himself had been greatly torn and felt compassion for the young woman, even enough to begin to move in.

But the massive form of the Tarc stomping into the alley made him stop, as it, with a single brutal movement killed the red-skinned Twi'lek. She crashed into the wall, bones broken form tangled. He reached of, and clipped the head off of the armored shell, pinching it together so forcefully and destroying the cretin with little mercy, but also little pain. The last one was picked up, and his dying screams silenced as he was slammed into the wall head first with a violent spatter of blood. The Tarc left without a word, and without asking for any form of compensation. The woman eventually went after him.

So Ss'sss'th had watched them run off for a minute, and lay still as he thought. The two were violent, but friendly as far as he could tell. Reasonable beings. Perhaps it would not be the worst thing of all for him to sneak onto their ship and hitch a ride to a more suitable planet, if only for that long. There was a certain danger in it, for that Tarc was posessed of many strengths, and they may have unknown allies. But nobody could predict how any creature could react toward another, not with absolute certainty or accuracy at the least. But with these people, he could at least feel assured that they weren't criminals; as far as he could tell, at least.

All Ss'ss'th knew, was that he needed off this planet, and they were his ticket off and away.

However, for the time being, he was hungry. He found a pipeline that stretched down to the floor and curled himself around it, clinging tightly and feeling his muscled contract and mold to the bar, but not too tightly as to crushed the metal entirely. He wriggled his muscles and made the slow, coordinated decent down to the shadows of the alley floor. His lengthy form his the ground and went into a coil, moving round and round until he was in a tight ring and his head rested softly upon his own muscled side.

His tail went up and out, searching the grounds. It found the Twi'leks now broken body, and, making sure none were looking, wrapped tightly around an ankle and started dragging the thing in. It was long since dead, so he need not worry about that. He simply took his sharp scaled tail and flung it across the body, slicing the clothing off of the creature. Any normal sentient would have found her attractive, but Ss'sss'th was not diverted by such pleasures, not for such a being as this anyway. Once both it and him were in the shadows, he moved the body to be in front of his head, and then raised his flat, angular head up into the air.

A sickening crack sounded as his jaw dislocated and started to stretch out, then went even wider, and wider, opening up like a Rancor's, wide and ready to devour. He moved forward and dipped his head around the toes, the shoes having been sliced to bits and removed. His lower jaw got around the foot and his head started slipping forward, taking both feet into his mouth. He made sure to press both the legs together with his free tail and then move his tail forward and take the arms, placing them against the body so they would cause little nuissance.

Now he was slipping up to her knee's, and his throat and body had already expanded a little bit, the scales and fleshy muscle beneath stretching to accomodate the meal. He pushed his body further forward, taking in the waist, and stopping, allowing his stomach and muscles to expand more, and then his throat to move, slowly pushing and pulling the body along, down the throat and toward the stomach. He moved forward a bit more, taking in the belly. His muscles eagerly pushed now, and he felt his entire throat open up wider for him to take a bit gulp. He rushed forward, going all the way up to her chest, the bottom of his massive fangs scraping against the top of her breast. He lay there, in the shadows some more, as his body suddenly expanded.

The process continued until the entire body was down, and then his throat took on the arduous task of pushing the body through him all the way to the stomach, where his digestive fluids would then break melt the body down and his digestive system could do its job in breaking down all the important nutrients that a massive snake needs to move on. This would keep him well fed for a number of days, maybe even a whole week or two.

For now, he just sat there in the darkness, unable to really move. He was confident that none would enter, and any who did would not see him. He'd have plenty of time to digest this ( Which could take hours! Though he could still move if he absolutely had to ) and slip onto the ship.

And so he waited.

[Dire Wolf]

Kris' eyes grew wide as the moons of Nar Shadaa in their sockets as she heard that feral snarl wash out from the giant lupine creature's throat. It was angry. She had angered it. The brunette tried to launch herself up and run out of the alley at her best speed, she really did, but fear kept her body rooted to the duracrete like an unmovable plant, or a great tree with roots that branch miles outward. Those wide brown eyes were sure to keep away from the brilliant sapphire eyes of the lanky, mangy, feral looking wolf as it stalked up to her prone form. Those low, malevolent barks, growls, and snarls washed over her form from above, and she feared to even look at his mangy fur for fear of issuing an unintentional challenge to the great beast.

"I-i-i-i-i'm s-s-sorry. I d-d-didn't know this was y-y-your alley. P-p-please don't eat me," she stuttered out, every last syllable plagued with utter fear. It was right then that she saw the gruesome body of the man that this beast killed, the bones snapped like twigs and the organs separated into piles. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she realized that she would soon be in that form, her intestines hanging out... rib cage exposed... and heart in the belly of the beast. It didn't take long for those tears to burst out of her eyes like water from a cracked dam, causing a powerful surge to toll down her cheeks like a mountain of water down a valley.

The poking of his muzzle into her sides only served to strengthen the salthingyer that flowed down her cheeks in already powerful streams. If one was to ever know dignity in death, Kris certainly wasn't one of them. With a sniffle of resignation, she allowed herself to be flipped belly-side up for an easy kill, hopefully this big creature would make it fast... rather than eat her alive. She closed her eyes tightly at the thought, as if the sudden loss of visibility would suddenly deaden the soon-to-come pain. But, instead of feeling the razor-sharp fangs of this giant would burrow into her soft belly, she felt the heavy paw pat at it. Perhaps it was testing to see what part was softer?

She could barely hear the whine that rumbled from the creature's vocal chords as he stepped back, dipping the upper end of his torso down to the ground in a position of play. What she did notice, however, was that he stepped back from her... that stench of dried gore and biological waste becoming somewhat less intense. It caused her to open those previously shut brown orbs and shift them over to his considerably... more playful form? Another sniffle tried to stop the flow of mucus from her nose as her brow furrowed in confusion. Slowly, ever so slowly, she got up to her feet... not yet willing to gaze into the creature's arctic blue eyes.

The tears slowed to a stop as her mind worked through her somewhat limited knowledge of lupine etiquette. Her first instinct was to turn tail and run, but showing one's back to a wild creature was never wise. There was something about knowing that an entity isn't looking that is just irresistible to predatory animals. Her next instinct was to back away slowly, which was the best call... but if he didn't want her to, or took the movement as playing, then it was likely that she'd be d-e-d dead. Scream? Unless he was deaf, and took kindly to her screaming for blue, who was incapacitated, he wouldn't let her live the next heartbeat.

Yet, against her best cowardly instincts, she took half of a baby step closer to the creature. Which had still been growling and barking... but the language didn't seem to be quite as malevolent as before. "g-good dog. You d-don't want to hurt me, d-do you," she asked in a questioning and over-nice tone, approaching the creature slowly. Once she got to him the woman cautiously patted him on the head once, hoping beyond hope that he would allow her to leave.

It was just then that she noticed those scars, over eccentric and circular in nature. They were a beat red with infection and seeping a yellow material, a bit of the still open scar was covered in cists, one of which had popped and was seeping septic material. Despite all of her fear, she felt a powerful pang of pity and anger for the creature. Pity for his pain, and the state he was in. Anger for his situation, and the cruelty of his previous owner. That was why he was so feral and angry! The last one to own him abused the big dog and kicked him out on the street!!

If she survived, she'd find out who did that to the big wolf and tell Blue to give them a good old fashion tarc-delivered arse kicking!!!

[/-Amy-\-Foxie Lady-/]

Ashla smiled ever so deintly as Blue began to eat. It didnt bother her in the least. She had seen tagrutie eat a small rodent raw. After sinking there fangs into it ofcourse. Many believed them to be venimous. Ashla knew beter how ever. They seimply struck the thimiar just right, causing it to convalse, despite being already dead.

Ashla watched the HK unit approach and frowned slightly. Her hand rested on the hilt of her wan-shen blade. --"He will be fine, thank you. He just hadn't eaten"--She frowned at the HK. An HK unit shouldnt have a presence in the force, yet this one did. Somewhere towards it's core. She shrugged it away as a mystory for another day.

Ashla watched Blue making various gestures. Pointing at her, then holding up two finger's. She frowned for a moment, then it dawned on her. She tapped the massive sentiant on the shoulder....of his lower set of arms, to get his attention.--"She went to get you more food. The owner of that resteraunt is offering a free meal to anyone that can get rid of the dog out back of his resteraunt"

Just then an odd little creature came up off of AShla's belt and climbed up her back to rest on her shoulder. It was an odd little droid no more than six inches across and nine or so inches tall. -- "Hello Odd, Can you translae what he is saying for me??" -- Ashla smiles at the starnge disk like droid. It turns its optical lense to Blue and makes a few odd clicking, and clacking sounds--"I'll take that as a yes"

Blue would have heard from the small droid-- Ofcourse I can translate the Tarc . Odd turned his attention to the Massive Tarc, almost seeming to be sizing him up and then said --My, Your a tall one"-- in basic. Odd skirted around Ashla's shoulder then eyed the HK, and began speaking in a series of beeps and boops to it--"These humanoids an others would be lost without us, wouldnt they-- in Bionary.

Ashla turned her attention toward the alley and reached out with the force to try and get a feel for what was going in there. She sensed Kris..she seemed fine. There was also a massive creature beside her. Nearly as big as the Tarc beside her. Then she noticed somthing odd about Kris..Ashla's neatly plucked brows knitted together.

"Kristinah seems to be fine. She is alive, but that is all I can tell you...but what ever is there with her means her no harm"--. She frowned ever so slightly again, and bit her lower lip in thought.

[Grawn]

That was a relief. The creature had just been hungry.

Tarc. The word that he had heard from the small droid that had come from the female humaniods belt, was apparently the name of the race of which this large blue behemoth was knwon. He would need to research them sometime, surely such large beings had a interesting history about them.

Ever since Garnet had departed from Tatooine, he was seeing more then he had expected to see. He had always assumed there were other races beside what he saw on the sand rock but it was exciting to see such interesting things all at once. Putting aside the vile side of them anyways, like the male he had met in the alley. The Shard had always wished he had a more natural body instead of being forced to wear this thing as a means of transportation and defense, other then the Force of course.

"I see. I shall be on-" the HK got out with the intent of leaving but something snagged him. In his little crystalline being, something told him not to depart. Not just yet. A undescribable voice seemed to tell him to stay put.

None other then the Force. And Garnet had learned long ago you should always heed what the Force tells you.

((crap-o-rama i know but its all i can dole out at the momet >_<))

[Squee]

Piphire did not know what to do. The alien went against everything he had adapted to in these past few weeks. It lay at his feet and made pitiful, whimpering noises. Water leaked from around its eyes, which made Piphire wonder if she was unhealthy. What kind of water sprang from eyes? It was stricken, stiff beneath his paws as he had patted her. She was tense, like preparing to attack him, but Piphire didn’t sense any weapons, or any bulges of hidden, malevolent tools. At least he thought it was a her. According to what he knew about females, they were kinder and more pleasing to the eye, and they smelled so fine. Piphire wasn’t sure if this alien was the definition of female. She certainly wasn’t a lean wolva, that was for sure. She didn’t have much smell to her, nothing unique about her, but her fur (Which he knew by now was removable. How much freakier could these aliens be?) smelled sour.

When he had backed off and lowered his head, he received his first response other than the whimper. Her eyes opened and she stared at him. Piphire pushed his ears forward, his tail moving slightly. Her eyes diverted from his face, looking around him, and gave a snuffle that reminded him of an ill pup. “Understand?” he whispered out. He barely shuffled forward, chin scraping across the stone. The way she didn’t look back into his eyes told him she didn’t. She didn’t understand.

After he lost her gaze, she began to slowly move. Her face twisted and folded, morphing her already ugly features to a more unappealing level. From lying on her back, she went to sitting. Her eyes darted everywhere but his face. Piphire lifted his head a couple of inches, rear end dipping faintly. So the alien couldn’t communicate with him verbally. As she rose to her two legs (another two legger. Were there any aliens that were four?), Piphire rumbled in his throat, “Hey, look at me,” and tried weaving into her line of sight. He kept his head low, since she seemed to react to it. He shifted to the side somewhat, and hardly crawled three inches toward her. She still didn’t look directly at him. Piphire huffed, a rush of air contracting his lungs together. This was so frustrating!

And then, she stepped to him. Piphire didn’t move, flashing his arctic eyes across her. Her mouth moved, creating high-pitched sounds that caused Piphire to lay his ears back. “That hurts. Stop.” But she didn’t stop, and Piphire shook his head, ears pressing to his massive skull, wincing at her voice. She was coming to him, at least, and he refused to move, his paws glued to the stone beneath him. Piphire allowed himself to raise his head some again, bringing him about chest level with the alien. However, his head still remained below even his own shoulders. The alien was smaller than most of the others. Her paw reached up, hesitant and trembling, and Piphire merely spied on quietly, daring himself not to breathe.

Her hand gently touched his head and recoiled. As soon as her hand was away, Piphire’s ears sprang up and he cocked his head at her. “What?” The skin along the ridges around his eyes, his own eyebrows, furrowed. His nose twitched subtly and his eyes jumped from one side of her face to the other. She was still scared, that much he could see. Piphire darted his nose forward, nudging her gently and said, “Wait there.”

He backed away calmly, deliberately slow, and then angled his body to the side. He trotted back over to his dinner with a small wag of his would be bushy tail. He sniffed over it, his stomach speaking its protest that he let the meat lie there. The parts of the ribs he didn’t eat would have to do. Carefully, he encased his front teeth around the ribs and easily lifted them. He padded back over to the alien, tracking and watching that his step didn’t startle her off. Piphire kept his head low, eyes on her face as best he could – still trying to get her to seek his gaze -, and approached her gently. His legs bent, keeping his body level, and crept to her. He stretched a paw out to her, his long appendages resting on her foot as he thrust the rest of the ribs to her, offering the peace gift.

And perhaps she was hungry, too.