revivalproject | Heat Wave

Entry tags:

Heat Wave

WHO: Cal Kestis and you
WHERE: Temba & Sh'Ka
WHAT: Just keeping at it
WHEN: Post-Storm
WARNINGS: N/A

I. Finder's Keepers (Temba)
There are worse things than reliving memories. Cal had already been subjected to such, haunted by his past, hiding from it. But he's grown a lot since then. He's learned to accept things, to own up to the decisions he'd made and to learn from them as he kept going.

It's why he feels that the past storm hasn't been outright terrible, but he knows that others might not feel the same way. But it still hasn't gotten them any closer to figuring things out, and all that he thinks he's gained is a good soaking aside from a trip down memory lane.

The shift back to such awful heat surely isn't any better. At his feet, BD-1 borbles his concerns as they pick their way out of a collapsed building. Rain had weakened the foundation but also revealed some places to pick through, and despite the heat, Cal considered his efforts well-rewarded.

"Heh. Yeah, got it buddy," the Jedi replies as he unhooks the water bottle from his belt to take a long drink. There's way too little shade along the roads but it's the only way to get back to the workshop. "We can stop at the diner and I'll see about grabbing something to eat."

He can't help but smile crookedly as he spies someone else out and about in the sun, and he raises a hand to wave. "Guess we're not the only crazy ones."

II. Second Thoughts (Sh'Ka)
"Maybe we should just migrate for the summer," Cal suggests as he looks out from the shadows of the entryway he stands at. It's quite the contrast feeling the coolness of the air at his back, protected from layers of the stone edifice behind him, and the warmth that sat like an invisible wall in front of him, warmth he can feel on his face, stretching greedy fingers towards him.

BD-1 hoots pensively in consideration before turning a question towards his Jedi friend.

"Yeah, ready to go when you are. I know, I know- that'd make this so much easier but this way's kind of fun too, right?" He grins, stooping down to hold an arm out as his droid titters and hops up to clamber behind him again.

The paths between some of the places around the city here are at least plenty shaded by the plentiful and sometimes towering trees. Honestly, there are a lot of things that make Sh'Ka more preferable to Cal than Temba. But then there's plenty of reasons that it might not be the most ideal place either...

Coming across the Jedi, one might find his behavior a little odd then as his steps have slowed to a crawl, his attention drawn upwards towards the thick foliage above. He turns his head as he senses that they've got company, looking towards whoever's happened in this direction, and he raises his hands in quiet warning before gesturing up with a nod of his head.

Almost camouflaged against the deep greens, the large Deleons however are quite noticeable once one knows what to look for, and for the fact that there are perhaps an unsettling amount of them. A few stare back down with unsettling intensity.

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"Make them think twice about having us as a meal?" Cal suggests. "I'm not sure how many of them might be keen on trying, but hopefully if we convince them we're more trouble than it's worth, they'll change their minds... Duck for a second?"

Given the Soldier obliges him and heeds the warning, Cal flings the hovering Deleon at the other two.

"Got any tricks to make us look less delicious?" Hopefully without too much violence. Though if the creatures are thinking about eating the two of them, maybe their numbers need to be thinned out. Sh'Ka might not be hugely populated but people did come here, and not everyone had the means to defend themselves. "You didn't bathe in barbecue sauce this morning, did you?"

He ducks as ordered, the animal flying over his head to bowl the advancing two down. Unfortunately it's not enough discouragement to prevent another from springing at them, hissing angrily. The Soldier aims a punch at its side.

"Unfortunately no," Cal admits with a grimace. "And my animal handling isn't as great as say, someone like General Kenobi. Actually it helps when the creatures you're dealing with aren't already intent on eating you."

The Soldier's barbecue sauce comment still gets a snort of a laugh from him. He turns once he flings the creature, gasping as several more leap at them from the trees. Bringing his hands up, Cal sends them flying backwards, back into the canopy.

"Dinner and a show, except we're both?" Is Billy's stubbornness about treating the Soldier like a person instead of a weapon finally having an effect? Perhaps the time spent in the space station, falling back into the man he'd been in the Fleet had knocked something loose? Or maybe the Soldier just feels that much at ease with Cal, knowing that there's something of trust there. Whatever it is, he got Cal's back.

The trouble is, the creatures want to take a bite out of both of their backs. And their fonts and sides too. They're outnumbered, and they're only so much throwing the things back that they can do. "If we're keeping this non-lethal, we're probably going to have to run." Because the things keep coming despite Cal's wider efforts and the Soldier's more direct, catch-one-and-throw-it approach.

It's not a laugh, but it's a strange bit of levity in spite of an otherwise not very fun situation. "Eat and run without the eating part? Yeah, probably. That likely won't stop them from trying again if they get the chance though..."

Cal unclips his lightsaber, igniting it with that unique snap-hiss, the blue blade thrumming subtly with his movements as he gives it a twirl. "They'll probably all make a move the moment we try to make a break for it and I'm not sure how intent they'll be in pursuing us. We might have to get a little messy if they don't get the message."

He'd hoped that a glowing blade would give the creatures some second thoughts, but it hasn't seemed to slow them too much. "Guess we need to clear a path. You want to do the honors or should I?"

"We'll have to decide what to do about that." If the creatures pose that much threat, they may have no choice but to thin out the herd. The two of them are capable and combat-familiar, but plenty of others aren't. Still, it's a conversation that can happen once they've gotten away from their current predicament.

"You know I can cover you." The Soldier would prefer if they could keep things non lethal but he won't hesitate to use deadly force if necessary. He's not sure if Cal is comfortable doing the same, and if he can prevent his friend from being in that position, all the better. "The direction I came from was clear. Back that way?"

The Jedi nods his agreement. He's unsure whether later will be sooner than they both expect, but he's still pretty confident that between the two of them they can get away.

"Sounds as good a direction as any," he says. He's...unfortunately no stranger to applying lethal measures, kind of a necessity when they don't leave very much option for otherwise. It's not something he enjoys, but learning the hard way that survival isn't an easy thing to do when the galaxy writes you off as the enemy has toughened him to some degree. Being everyone's target just got you a little fed up eventually.

"BeeDee, tell me if those guys behind us make a move," he says, readying himself. Something tells him that the guttural sounds passing between the creatures is some sort of coordination effort, and he senses a split second before the droid screeches a warning as the Deleons make their move.

He turns, snatching one of the creatures out of the air to fling off to the side, his blade a whirl as it meets claws from another, causing the creature to yelp as it breaks off its attack. He throws his hands out to send it flying as well. "Come on!" Cal shouts over his shoulder, making a dash down their cleared path.

Any direction that gets then away from the current situation is a good direction. The whole situation concerned him though; what if the herd had come across someone not as able to defend themselves? They might have to put some thought into creature population control.

That could all come after escape though.

The creatures explode into action but so too do their supposed prey; the Soldier's movements might not be as elegant as Cal's lightsaber but his knives are no less deadly. And perhaps it said something that they could work so seamlessly together, covering each other's back and flanks while breaking for freedom.

The things might pursue but the two of them had enough skill in clearing various obstacles to make it difficult.

Cal's definitely had plenty of experience in running away from things. Although those things usually happened to be a lot bigger.

At least he knows he doesn't have to worry about the Soldier keeping up. His thoughts have touched on upon the same concerns that the other has had, and given that these are common creatures and not something storm-created, a problem that will likely have to be considered. ...once they're not fleeing from it themselves.

Cal tosses his lightsaber at a slimmer tree, the light blade flying like a laser discus and severing it before whirling back to his hand. He catches it neatly, turning to give it a helpful nudge with the Force once they've past it, sending the upper half of it falling behind them to help further dissuade their pursuers.

Calls little trick with cutting down the tree seems to work for slowing down their pursuit. A good thing too, as the Soldier spots a side alley that looks like it'll provide shelter and camouflage both.

"This way!" He darts down it, trusting Cal to follow, and presses himself into the shadows of an overhanging upper level. If they're quiet and hidden, there's a good chance the creatures might not realize they detoured to the side.

BD-1 helpfully points out the direction even as Cal turns to look. He shuts off his lightsaber as he dashes after the Soldier. He ducks in after, or rather tumbles, freezing in position as he comes into a crouch. Even BD-1 holds still, poking his head over Cal's shoulder from where he's been cradled, looking out towards the opening.

The sounds of the angry deleons screech and crash along through the underbrush beyond. It's quite a number by the noise alone, but eventually the bodies that pass by thin out, none backtracking to find their hiding spot.

They're in luck that the detour works — aided perhaps by the fact that they're both good at sticking to the shadows and staying quiet. Still, the Soldier waits for a few moments after the last of the noise from their pursuit fades before relaxing and finally sheathing his blades.

"Determined, aren't they?" The deleons clearly don't care that both men are much bigger than they are. They'll have to seriously consider thinning out the herd, but the Soldier would prefer to strategize before attempting such. "You can almost admire the tenacity."

There might be a hint of humor in it. Dealing with potentially dangerous creatures might not be most people's idea of fun, but the Soldier wasn't most people.

Cal flashes a lopsided grin at the Soldier then. "Almost," he agrees. "Still not fond of being chased by wild animals." He slowly lets himself sink back to sit, clipping his lightsaber back to his belt. BD-1 hops from his arms to wander back towards the opening, antennae perking as he presumably keeps an eye out for any more trouble.

"Never seen that many before. The mostly abandoned state of this city hasn't discouraged other things from moving in."

"Can't argue that." Though at least with the animals it was probably food motivated; the Soldier understands that well enough. People were usually more cruel.

He slides down the wall, mirroring Cal's position and trusting in BD-1 to let them know if the creatures decide to double back. He doesn't know if they're that smart though. Or that hungry.

"I haven't been spending as much time here as I used to." The Soldier had practically lived in Sh'Ka close to full time, before Billy had wanted to be roommates. Not that one person's presence made a huge difference, but he no longer hunted and patrolled the most-used roadways daily. He's not surprised the animals have gotten bolder with the absence of a predator. "Maybe it's time to come back and do some crowd control."

Hungry or territorial, or both. Cal's pretty sure just about everything on Dathomir was a combination.

"It's hard to manage two cities. I think it's only gotten harder after the whole volcano thing, and not as many are inclined to put time and effort into rebuilding." He pauses. "Not that the current weather is helping," he laughs.

"Crowd control or at least try dissuading the locals from going after people. The former will probably help with the latter. People do still come out here for shelter sometimes, so it'd probably be good to make sure this place is safe enough."

Both. Both is probably likely.

"I don't think many people have ever really cared about Sh'Ka." It didn't have the amenities, as bare as they were, that Temba did. Sh'Ka needed a lot more physical labor, and most people's efforts seemed focused more on rebuilding Temba. "But the weather definitely doesn't help."

It's hot. It's gross. And the stone-leafed trees don't offer much in welcoming shade. But Cal has a point in that, while not the popular city, people did often shelter here. It needed to at least provide the basics, even if only in a small area around the train terminal.

"If you're inclined to organize a hunt, we could potentially get others who might be interested in helping." Not that the Soldier really wanted to coordinate a large group effort. "But it might be best to stick to a small group of people who can handle themselves. If someone gets in over their head because they think they know what they're doing, it's only going to turn into a rescue mission."

Or — he chooses not to voice it — someone could potentially use the cover of hunting accident to injure another. It is what the assassin in him would consider.

The Jedi considers, resting his arms over his knees. "I'm sure we at least have a few capable people aside from us," he nods.

Organizing a party does sound like a better idea than trying to tackle anything on their own. "I'll see if I can work something out." Even unvoiced, Cal can pick up on the Soldier's concerns and he really can't argue that they're misplaced.

"I can think of a few names." The list is probably smaller than Cal's, just given that the Soldier doesn't trust many people. But they might not need a large crew of people, if those people are capable. If they tackle smaller zones of space, concentrate on the areas where people are most likely to shelter, then it may be feasible for a small group.

"I didn't mean to put the onus of organizing on your shoulders." Even though Cal might be better at it just given his more personable nature. He frowns, thinking. "I'm tempted though to spend a week here, see what's nested where. Try to identify the biggest problem spots. If we know what we're targeting, we're more likely to be able to focus concentrated strikes than a broad effort."

"It's fine. Gives me something else to do," Cal laughs. "But that would probably help, if you got a better idea of the situation. Is it just a bunch of big lizards we have to worry about? If they're swarming, then who knows what else might be moving in."

He looks over when BD-1 comes skittering back, beeping an all-clear. "Thanks buddy," the Jedi grins.

"That almost sounds like you're looking for a hobby." Cal certainly doesn't shirk work, not by any means. The man probably has enough to keep his hands full as it is. But privately the Soldier worries sometimes, because he doesn't often see people other than Cal in Sh'Ka; the city is far too big for two of them to affect all the repairs and maintenance needed. "But I can do the scouting. If I return to Temba on the next train, I can gather some supplies to tag problem areas. I thought I recalled paint laying around."

Spray paint, flares, supplies for a week of camping. It should be easy to put together.

The Soldier nods to the droid as well. He's come to trust Cal's companion in their time working together. "Thank you."

One of Cal's hobbies seems to be getting into trouble. Or maybe that isn't quite a hobby so much as a natural occurrence. It's been so weirdly calm and quiet most of the time here that it just doesn't feel right not getting into something.

"Sounds good. Maybe clearing out some of these overgrown areas will help too, but that's something better done when the weather's cooler."

He smiles as BD-1 wiggles happily at the Soldier's thanks, hooting something of a 'my pleasure!' in response. The droid then looks to Cal, tweedling a question.

"Huh? Oh! That's right." Cal looks over at the man again. "We were actually hoping to run into you. Just...not like that" he says, glancing back towards the opening of their little shelter.

Well, certain kinds of trouble are just fun. And the Soldier doesn't always trust calm and quiet, not where the Agrii are concerned.

"Agreed. That might also be something for a larger group, if one could be gathered." Those without the skill in hunting might be able to help with simply clearing out overgrown brush, once some of the animal population is under control. And much better suited to the fall, not the heat of summer.

He tilts his head curiously at Cal's next words. Not many people voluntarily sought him out. "Did I spoil your fun? Next time I'll let you handle the beasts on your own while I sit and watch," he teases.

Cal gives a huff, although he fails to keep a serious mien as it ends up being broken up in a laugh.

"I'm not that bored," he says before twisting slightly so he can better reach the pouch at the back of his belt to pull something from it. He brings out a rectangular-shaped object, roughly wrapped in a cloth, holding it up.

"Found something that might be of interest to you."

Call probably also knows that the Soldier wouldn't just leave him to fend for himself in a situation like today. He'd been fully prepared to jump into the fight; truly they're fortunate to get away as relatively easily as they did.

He takes the offered package though, wondering what Cal (or BD-1) can possibly want him to have. He's pretty sure he hasn't missed some kind of gifting celebration. But as he unwrapped the cloth he can't fully hide the shaking of his hands on seeing the familiar cover come into view.

"This— you found it?"

Cal would have fought as much off as he could but he knows he's fortunate the Soldier had made an appearance when he did. It would have been a lot harder to get away from the deleons for the number of them, otherwise.

The Jedi keeps his face politely neutral as he rests his arms over his drawn up knees. When the Soldier finally speaks up at the realization of what the thing is, he allows the faintest smile.

"Eventually! The good thing was that it was deep under one of the buildings that had collapsed during the volcano situation, so it effectively kept anyone from poking around."

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