For days I sat in this shuttle. I would stare out the windows and at the viewscreen watching the beasts of this world paw, scratch, bite and even relieve themselves on and at my shuttle. It was recently claimed by the biggest rancor I have seen through a process I could only describe as disturbing. Boredom eventually got the better of me. I mean, I braved a Krayt Dragon on Tatooine and Mandalorians on the forest moon. I was pretty sure I could handle surveying a few dozen meters from the relative safety of my shuttle.
I lowered the ramp and stepped out onto the hard ground. The heat and humidity assaulted me immediately. It was almost as bad as the assault on my Force senses. As I walked around, I discovered that the landscape was just as inhospitable as the life forms. Jagged mountains gashed by deep jungle filled valleys extended as far as the eye could see. Scraggly, crooked trees littered the plateaus and mountain tops while towering behemoths of trees cloistered the valley floors. Even in daylight it was very dark as if the light of its nearest star was afraid to get too close. Yet life thrived here, even with the darkest of energies flowing through the planet. Some of the creatures too, seemed fairly passive, though they certainly were the minority. Were it not for sheer size or speed, they likely wouldn’t have been able to survive with all the predators around.
I wandered for a long time, feeling my way around more than seeing. It wasn’t until I heard the sound of my own lightsaber igniting in my hand that I realized I had been wandering in a near trance for quite some time. I had strayed much farther from my ship than I had wanted to and was now standing a mere 100 meters from a nest of horribly ugly, leathery skinned, flightless birds. The smell of singed flesh permeated the air. I looked down at my feet to see one of the birds lying, cut in two by my lightsaber. The others eyed me intently. I could feel the aggression coming from them. I had a clear size and strength advantage over them, but they seemed to pay no heed and charged me.
I was like a puppet on strings and someone else was in control. My saber flashed quickly, dancing through the air, severing leather bird parts. Lightning arced from my fingertips in an electric light show. I moved acrobatically, nimbly jumping, dodging and lunging at precise moments. I was a spectator at a show where my body was the star. If it were possible, I am sure my eyes would have emitted rays of death at them.
Before I knew what had happened, it was over. Corpses knee deep littered the ground around me. The vile little critters had not bargained for that. Nor had I for that matter. I am not sure really what happened other than the fact that my body did things as fast, or faster than my mind could process them. I started to head back to the ship having had enough excitement for one day. I looked back to see scavengers of all types descending upon the feast I had left them. It was a gruesome spectacle.
Since then I have wandered out every day observing the environment and keeping a lookout for her. Knowing that my body is capable of the things it did, I don’t worry too much about being caught outside other than running into King Scaly (that’s what I named him), the clawed, toothy owner of this territory. Of course I haven’t seen him since he violated my shuttle last week, nor any other rancors for that matter. He probably has a large territory he patrols. I keep my eyes, ears and Force senses attuned though. I don’t want to get caught by him. I don’t think any manner of acrobatic, lightsaber flurrying, lightning producing attack will easily bring that beast down. I would like to live to see my mother, even if she kills me when we meet.
Hey speaking of the king of the beasts, I think I hear him coming now. The grumbling voice and tremors in the ground definitely preclude his arrival. He must be an ambush predator because he certainly couldn’t sneak up on anything making all that noise. I’d better raise the ramp before he gets here lest he decide to have a peek inside.
Ok, the ramp is up and he is getting very close now. I am panning the area in the viewscreen while typing this out and looking for him. He’s got to be cresting a ridge soon. I can feel him coming through The Force. And I can feel something else too… something… OH! She’s with him and there are more. Yes many more! I can hear them now! I’ll be a rancor’s chew toy; she’s riding on King Scaly’s gigantic head! Wow, some of her friends are riding rancors too! I am suddenly questioning my motivation for staying here.
So that’s my mother out there at the head of an army of witches. I would have expected the Queen of the Nightsisters to be wearing more clothing. However, what she is wearing is quite ornate. Dark flat colored material with black gloss scrollwork forms a pair of triangles, wide at the sides of her body narrowing until it they join each other in the middle of her chest. The same dark material with gold edges band her torso exposing most of her skin. More bands of that same gold edged material of varying widths encircle portions of her arms from the wrist to the bicep. Her shoulders are armored though they are partially obscured by a display of black feathers. Her hood’s outer edge is patterned with ancient symbols and a crown of boney claws protrudes out from under the front of it. At her waist, a belt of bones holds up a long flowing and ornately decorated skirt. But the thing most noticeable are her eyes. No amount of darkness from under her hood can obscure their glowing yellow color. She sees me with those eyes, looking at me through the viewscreen as if I were standing in front of her. The time has arrived. I must go outside and confront her.
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