On the Edge of Expanion (IC)

Breakfast was good; Vra'fa clearly had skills outside the realm of oratory. While it wouldn't press you to new heights of greatness, it filled your bellies and left you satisfied. That and the fact that the contents of your meal weren't violently coming up again spoke well for the Water Caste's abilities.

Soon after breakfast, the camp was quickly packed up and stored in the back of the TX5. The piranha explorer variant sat idly as the twin suns' first warm rays began to reflect off of it. Without further delay, you're all inside and heading toward the destination.

It takes no time at all. Just ahead was the lip of a drop off that none could see over yet. But if Na'no's alculations and Gorthrax's intimate knowledge of tracking were correct, it should open up into the Oasis.

There was still time to stop the vehicle and approach on foot. Of course, there was the much more entertaining method of driving over the hill at full throttle. Or something in between. It was up to you.

Elanro napped in his seat, completely unaware of any potential accidents. Nothing too dangerous seemed to be nearby.

As she leaned back in her seat, stretching out her aching limbs, Vra'fa thought longingly of the oasis that was somewhere in front of them. The thought of properly cleansing herself and purifying the river within her was eating her up from inside and felt more important than almost anything else at the moment. And yet....

Vra'fa bit her lip and cast a guilty look at the rest of her team. She was not alone and couldn't force the others to wait while she completed her ritual. They all looked so relaxed, well Elanro did at least. Perhaps the other castes did not have similar ceremonies? Warriors like the Fire Warrior and Gorthrax might find such a thing ridiculous and ill suited to the field. And it was, truth be told. But regardless of what she tried to think, she still couldn't relax- she felt sub Tau, discombobulated and out of sorts.

Rubbing her forehead with one hand, she closed both eyes and concentrated on the feeling of air moving over her face. It was almost felt like the real thing.
She must have dosed off for a second before waking suddenly as the engine note of the Piranha changed. Glancing up she noticed the lip of the drop off coming up ahead, too steep to see whatever was below or beyond it.

Masking a yawn, she waited a few seconds before speaking.
"I'd suggest we maybe take a walk up to the edge and 'scout' the situation? Is that the correct term? Give our best look of Sun’sha’oni"
The smile that followed this though brief was clearly illustrative of her short lived glee. Her expression had returned to normal though, as she continued.
"We wouldn't want to encounter any more spiders."

Her eyes couldn't help but stray to Na'no as she finished. While she hadn't been sure what the Earth caste might have said to her earlier question, she had not expected the other to completely ignore it. What exactly had she been asked to do?

Sun’sha’oni n. ‘smouldering eyes’, a look of deep desire performed by young fire caste men to impress women

Gorthrax sat in silence, clearly brooding over something. For those with a modicum of perception there was tension in the air. He was focused inward, his thoughts a turmoil over his confrontation with the Tau so he did not notice that were drawing close to the oasis until Vra’fa spoke. Looking up he noted signs that they were getting close to water; vegitation, avians in the air etc.... He sat up a little in his seat and processed what had bene said and if he even cared.

It was important that he regain standing with Angpak so yes it was, he has strong meat to hunt and tales to return with. “Yes Vra’fa that is wise. Approaching to quickly would likely spook whatever uses the oasis.”

Gorthrax bangs his fist on the hull to get the attention of Nano although it probably wasn’t needed “Stop, we go on foot from here.”

Elanro jumps out of the vehicle and starts stretching. This was going to be a busy day.

It seemed like there was a majority for her plan, Gorthrax with his words and Elanro with his actions. Now all she had to do was climb out of the Piranha again.
For a second her vision got hazy, her blood rushing to her head, seemingly in response to the thought. Gripping down hard on the lip of her receded seat, she closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. This did seem like it was going to be a busy day.

Opening her eyes, she caught sight of the Kroot again. It was odd. He was like her reflection in the sky. Physically powerful, while she was broken and shattered, the endless blue looking down at the puddle drying in the creek. And yet while her mind was still, he was ravaged by storms.
Was this still about last night? Her failed words of comfort driving the dagger even deeper. It hurt her, to see him so tense and conflicted, and knowing that she was probably the last Tau he wanted to talk to about his issues.

She caught his eye, her eyes wide and glittering.
"Race you down. Last to get there cooks dinner tonight"

Slowly she started to manoeuvre herself out of her seat and make the long way back down to the ground.

Gorthrax stood on the hull and was about to jump down when Vra'fa caught his gaze. The Tau was struggling to get out her seat. She was weak as a hound pup and the kroot wondered why she was even here, she'd better serve sat behind a desk.

He looked around at the others; Nano who seemed far to young, Elrano was perhaps to old, Vra'fa the cripple and me. A washed up hunter, weak meat. Some one was surely playing a joke. Gorthrax barks out a laugh, but when he looks back at Vra'fa his eyes are dull and lack the sparkle that laughter often brings.

Vra'fa was pack he conceded "You can cook." he said as reaches down and gently gathers up the cripple with ease. A few short steps and a jump and they are both down on the ground.

Vra'fa had just pushed herself up so she had got her bad leg resting on the lip of her depressed seat, while her other foot was bent on the seat itself. She was just about to lean over she could sit on the lip, when two powerful limbs wrapped around her chest and lifted her up. For a second she went rigid before she automatically relaxed. She'd learnt through painful experience that all tightening up ever did was lead to future breakages.

Leaning her head backwards she looked up and caught sight of the pointed maw of a Kroot. Was Gorthrax carrying her down? This was most unexpected. Especially considering his feelings towards her at the moment. Was he....? Her heart had started to pound again and her face became flushed. She didn't particularly like being carried. While she was a veteran when it came to feeling vulnerable and helpless in another's arms, she hated being an additional burden to the group. However in a situation like this it was better not to say anything and trust him. Gorthrax was eminently practical and if he judged this was the best move, she would not bother arguing. She had little choice anyway. Leaning back she rested her head against his chest and listened to the sound of his breathing, like a sea lapping the shore.

"I guess I can cook yes. I wasn't much looking forward to hunting in any case.

Vra'fa and Gorthrax share a moment as Na'no stood and hopped easily out of the TX-5.

"Are you coming, Shas'la?"

Elan'ro shrugged. One could imagine him sighing under his helmet. "I will hang back from the main group. Keep an eye on the vehicle if we are leaving it behind."

Na'no smiled innocently and moved forward to join the Kroot and Water Caste Envoy. Ecclectic and eccentric, their small band was a perfect microcosm of what made the T'au so special. All sticks, regardless of type, were stronger when combined. Each one of them served a purpose no greater than the other, and each was as useful as the next.

Hard earth thumped underfoot. The lip came up before you. Gorthrax, ever the hunter, advised the three of them drop to their stomachs. It would break up three silhouettes on the horizon - three easy targets. It is a struggle for Vra'fa, but the three crawl forward all the same.

As they break the lip, the valley falls away in front of them at a gentle slope. Hundreds of meters away, hard, packed earth gives way to a sandier texture. For a moment, it seems as though your eyes deceive you, but sure enough - just as Na'no's calculations and Gorthrax's natural understanding of the landscape had forseen - the oasis bloomed off in the distance.

From here, hard details couldn't be made out with the unaided eye. It was still at least five hundred meters off. But tall trees with thin, lanky trunks and sharp, bushy blue tops sprouted. They were few at first, but the farther into the oasis they went, the more numerous they became. The water source immediately drew the eye as the central point of focus for everything surrounding it... including animals!

Large beasts, some with six legs, lumbered and roamed, drinking and cooling down. Smaller flying animals swarmed around, in and out of the strange trees and down onto the tops of the land animals. Of the mega-predator Gorthrax had been promised, he saw no sign.

Gorthrax looked back a few times in irratation at Vra’fa as she struggled to crawl forward. Gor thought about sending her back but as far as he was concerned he was better equiped to guard the two Tau than the Elan'ro who seemed to sleep most of the time. If Gorthrax was lucky some predator would eat the elderly Tau, leaving behind his meds of course.

Breaking the lip Gorthrax settles as comfortably as he can on his stomach, the tight scaring across his side making it a little uncomfortable. He was used to it though so largely ignored the light pain. As he surveyed the distant oasis he spoke quietly to his two charges “We wait, we watch while the sun moves one finger.” He then looks pointedly at Vra’fa “If you grow uncomfortable in the dirt back up before sitting up but do not go far. Elan’ro no doubt sleeps.” There is a bit of harshness to Gor’s voice as he mentioned Elan’ro. What had happened the night before?

With that his gaze shifts back to the oasis. He wasn’t surprised the strong meat was hidden some place or just concealed from view, that was not surprising. He would hunt later. For now he watched the other animals; how alert they were for danger, places they avoided, anything that would give him an edge.

Rolls:

Vra'fa's eyes were opened wide as she stared down at the multitude of life, which seemed to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. For the moment he wonder helped completely mask the pain and discomfort she had been feeling as she dragged her cracked bones across the rough ground.
While some of the fauna displayed a superficial resemblance to creatures she had seen before, they were so definitely different, so alien, that she could barely concentrate on anything else.
She was witnessing life on the edge of the frontier, wild and untamed and free to take any shape that suited it. The purity of its force was daunting, indeed a little scary, especially to one like her that lived in a completely different world. But just because it was scary didn't mean it had to be rejected, or even fully understood. She just needed to appreciate it for now.

Still though, even while watching, she was struck again by that old question. Why exactly was Na'no here? There were hints and suggestions of a mission of some kind but what an Earth caste could want in this landscape was beyond her. Na'no had ignored her earlier question which only served to heighten her curiosity. She would need to get the Earth caste on her own again.

Gorthrax's words were a little faint and she had to concentrate to focus back on the present and understand what he had said.
She nodded back at him, her eyes still wide and cheeks flushed, but her expression serious. In a low voice she replied
"Understood. I'll keep low and out of sight."
It was only after she spoke that the nature of his final words resonated with her, and she gave him a curious look. She debated for a moment about how to broach the subject before deciding to be direct. Her conversations with the Kroot hadn't been numerous but she was starting to get the sense that he preferred this to more subtle probes.
"Did you two have words this morning? There's been some tension between the two of you since before we left."
She kept her eyes on his face, watching but without any particular judgement.

Gorthrax lets out a snort of irritation at Vra'fa, although he didn't not turn his head from the oasis. It was a difficult question for Gorthrax, he could not show weakness, it was not the Kroot way. Na'no was within ear shot as well, the Tau picked a poor time to ask such a question, not that he'd tell the entire truth if they were alone.

The Kroots gaze glances at Vra'fa for a moment. He did not want to lie, he was not a snake in the grass. He would say as little as possible "We had disagreement. It will be fine." he says forcefully and with some finality to it.

Gorthrax turns his gaze back to the oasis.

For Vra'fa:

Gorthrax was clearly unhappy with her question. If his snort wasn't clear enough, then the shortness and forcefulness illustrated it quite vividly. However from what she could see, he didn't look perturbed by her question, just annoyed by it being asked in the first place. Vra'fa was suddenly filled with doubt. Could she have read too much into something that was essentially minor? Was all that she was doing now, was raking over the coals of a fire almost extinguished? That would be going against her express position here.

Nodding back at the Kroot, she offered a half smile and replied
"I'm glad to hear that."
before turning back to the oasis again. Now was perhaps not the time to talk any further.

Gorthrax's well-trained eye captures every nuance of animal cohabitation at the oasis. He saw herds of large dune-beasts moving together, taking turns filling up on the life-giving water. Avian creatures flocked around and moved among them and atop them. Lankier animals, whose details were hard to make out, moved in smaller groups. They had the look and movements of predators, but they apparently posed no threat to the bigger herds based on how they reacted one another.

There were others too. Animals with long necks that reached up into the trees to get at the sweet fruits there.

There were multiple rocky outcroppings that overlooked the oasis spread around it. If they moved on the oasis from their current position, no doubt the animals there would be alerted. If they swung out and approached the outcroppings from behind, the team could get a much closer look at the situation, potentially without disturbing the animals.

With the what seemed like a constantly questioning Vra'fa silenced for a least a short while Gorthrax drank in the oasis, its sights and sounds.

It was rich in life and would be hard to approach directly without revealing themselves. He also considered that he had two clumsy charges with him, best make a different approach.

Despite having a plan he waited for a while content in silence. Eventually though he turns to Na'no and Vra'fa to make sure he had there attention.

"If we approach from here we alert the prey." he then points at some of the rock formations. "We'll back up, swing around and approach from there. The rocks will hide us."

The silence seemed to hang over their group, pressing down on them like the oppressive force of a teacher standing over you while you wrote each individual letter of your answer. There was a pressure to it, a pressure that both longed to be broken and was so anxious over what that first sound would be.

Blinking, Vra'fa attempted to ignore it and concentrate on something else. Gorthrax would speak when he finally worked out what they would do. The different fauna still moved in front of them, but as interesting as they could be, they were lessened by the silence. Alone in her own head she had quickly made her observations and comparisons but without someone to discuss them with, she was simply an echo chamber. Morosely, she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

The brilliant blue of the oasis itself had soon caught her attention, but this was also an element of frustration. She longed to sink her body into it, and conduct her long delayed water ceremonies. However the reality of the oasis was quickly becoming apparent. Their need to keep from spooking possible prey for Gorthrax would probably mean their time at the Oasis would be limited.

When the Kroot finally shifted in his position, Vra'fa turned her head to look at him.
"Your suggestion appears thorough. We will follow on your advice."

Pushing back, she started to slide herself away from the edge, taking care to keep her body low.

Na'no simply nodded and crawled back. The Earth Caster's eyes were wide as she surveyed the life on a planet she had seen so little of. If it was teeming in such an arid place, statistics alone said dictated that it would be abundant in all its other climate zones.

"This planet is rare," she said as they walked back to the TX5. "Planets are abundant - even those that harbor some sort of life - as we all know; but planets in the gold-zones of their stars, with diverse ecosystems and climate zones all capable of sustaining such diverse life, like this one we stand on, are relatively rare. We are so lucky to be here doing what we do for the Greater Good."

She smiled at the others and practically skipped up ahead to the vehicle. She was still young, and perhaps naive, but she was correct.

Elanro said nothing as the other two of the group made their way back. He let them pass him, resumed his role as rear guard, and boarded the vehicle last.

+++

Na'no had no trouble guiding the vehicle back and around as per the route Gorthrax had laid out. There were no unexpected surprises as all of the animals feeding and taking water were all gathered in one place. Only before you were approaching from the east and now were approaching from the north. The outcropping of rocks appears before you. The TX5 hums quietly and powers down with little to no sound - having been put into energy-saving mode long before approach.

A hill of rough sand rose up, completely blocking your view of the oasis - and its view of you. Before long the hill turned to hard rock. The climb up was not arduous, but if being silent was a priority it might be prove difficult.

Spoiler:

Gorthrax jumped down from the TX5 and called Bok with a soft whistle, the faithful hound was quickly to his side. Kneely down before his companion Gorthrax holds the hounds head and looks into its eyes.

"Stay. Guard" Gorthrax says in kroot and then points to Vra'fa and Na'no. Standing he looks over at the others, he'd already decided he would go alone. They would be too noisy and while it was an easy climb it would be hard for Vra'fa. Besides he was just going to have a quick look and it would give him a little solitude he was starting to crave. He had spent to long in his hut.

"I'm going up there, to have a look beyound" he gestures back with his head at the rocky hill. "You will all stay here."

With that the krot moves off and up the hill. His footing sure and quiet.

Stealth:

Gorthrax expertly moves up the cliff. The avian-fluidity of his movement were at their apex as he moved from surface to surface, avoiding loose earth.

Before cresting the top, just as before, he bends down and lays his body softly to the ground. It was warm, becoming hot. He crawled the last few meters and peaked his head over.

The beasts were even more magnificent up close. Perhaps Gorthrax didn't put much thought into it, being the hunter who had seen other worlds and their fauna before, but the Tau would no doubt appreciate it.

Scores of smaller animals, roughly the size of a human-grox, moved in herds, shifting in and out of watering or lazing in the sun:

Spoiler:

While they were the most numerous, other species moved around and interacted with them, clearly not posing a threat to one another. Some were twice as large as Gorthrax was tall at the shoulder.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Some of the beasts were absolutely enormous, easily reaching up into the trees to get at the leaves and fruits hidden within.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

From here, you can see that the oasis goes on for some distance, becoming more surrounded by rocky outcroppings and foliage. It is more like a lake in the middle of the desert than anything else, no doubt supplied by a massive underground reservoir as there are no streams leading into this area.

In the distance, perhaps half a kilometer away, the rocks and trees start to move. Gorthrax immediately recognizes the signs of a tectonic shift - an earth quake, but quickly realizes that he doesn't feel the ground moving under him at all. It takes him a moment to understand what he is looking at until the full immensity of the creature before him comes into view. It was unlike anything he had ever seen...

Spoiler:

When he pulls his jaw back up from the ground and looks a bit more, he finally sees what appears to be an actual predator sitting by itself, taking in the sun near a particularly small pool of water. While the other animals don't appear afraid of it, they give it a wide birth, clearly respecting its boundaries.

Spoiler:

At its shoulder, it is a head and a half taller than the Kroot. It appears to be napping some 300m away.

Tests:

Gorthrax drinks in the sight of the oasis from his raised vantage point, it was as to be expected; an abudnance of wildlife called it home or at least used it as a drinking hole. The kroot measured them, weighting the effort it might take to bring each animal down for food and its skins. He could live here for the rest of his days if he wished.

When the huge creature that made the ground shake came into view Gorthrax was left dumbstruck for a while. The immense power of the thing humbled him. He wondered if might be tamed, a small tribe could ride it into battle. Minutes passed as he lay there watching it, day dreaming about riding it.

Why he was here eventually came to the fore so he continued to scower the oasis for strong meat. A predator. At first glance he wasn’t sure, the beast sat on its won and it looked like a heribvore but the more he studied it with his critical eye he saw it bore the markers of one who took meat.

Awareness:

Vra'fa's eyes tracked the Kroot as he made his way expertly up the cliff, her brow furrowed. The order might have been given to all three of them but it still felt like she was being left behind. Once again.
Logically it made sense. Gorthrax was the hunter, he clearly had skills beyond the rest of them, and especially her. It still felt like she was being singled out due to her condition. Why was she even here if she was just to sit safely in the ship? Had she not come out all this way with the rest of them?
That was mostly in the ship though, a wry voice inside her head seemed to reply, stop being a baby. For a second her right fist clenched and then she relaxed, not just the hand, but the rest of her body too.

It was true. She was frustrated. A mixture of exhaustion, the grainy dirty feel of her skin, the constant dull pain of her limbs and an impression that she had done very little to justify her presence in the group. There was little point focusing so hard on them though. One had a better chance holding on to water..

Casually she glanced around her, noting nothing significant, but letting the easy rolling slopes and fresh coarse sand relax her. Looking over at Na'no, she gave the Earth caste a smile.
"Of all the fauna we've seen so far, what would you most like to get a closer look at?"

Na'no blinked. Her face showed that she was not expecting such a question.

"I... well, I don't rightly know. Don't suppose I have thought about that at all. There were rumors back in the shop that this planet used to belong to the gue'la aeons ago!" She exaggerated the last part as would a child who was blown away by the thought of something.

"Only rumors though. I guess they needed to make up stories to explain the large presence of Earth Caste on such a backwater. Logic answers it easily enough: backwater planets don't have as much support and are generally tougher on vehicles and tech. Not to mention who builds up our settlements so that they become metropolis'? Earth Caste of course."

She giggled.

+++

Gorthrax was too busy staring at the predator to notice the subtle shift in the herds. Heads moved up, sniffed the sky, and looked around. Some drew in closer with the biggest members shifting to the outside. Others moved farther down the water cautiously.

+++

Perhaps Vra'fa was far too into Na'no's story which is why she didn't hear the flapping of wings. Nor did she see the large shadow that descended over the group. None of them had. The screaming gave it away.

From her vantage point, Vra'fa saw the claws descend from the heavens. Huge and wickedly sharp, they punched into Elanro's shoulders, digging into his armor and gripping tightly. He was lifted high into the sky, hollering all the while. He very well have been asleep as the beast came down, its death grip a rude awakening indeed.

Spoiler:

It flies high into the air. Elanro, desperate to free himself, drops his pulse rifle. As it climbs, two more of the creatures converge. Vra'fa and Na'no watch in stunned horror as they start to fight over the elder Fire Warrior. There is a sickening crunch as two sets of talons sink into his leg and twist. Na'no screams as the leg comes free and turns her head from witnessing anymore.

The trio of creatures fly off to the east. Perhaps there is time to save his life? Perhaps he is already dead.

Vra'fa's chin was resting gently on the palm of her right hand, as she leaned towards Na'no listening intently. There was a calm smile on her face, which was entirely genuine. The excitement and enthusiasm of the other was infectious, and she could feel her own mood noticeably improve. However though water may lap gently on the surface, the strength of its purpose is entirely hidden. Vra'fa couldn't turn off this side of her, and indeed she had no desire to. Some of the other Tau saw it as over thinking, but to the water caste ideas and thoughts had the same importance as breathing.

It was not her belief that Na'no was deliberately trying to deceive her. Still though, that comment about the Earth caste was curious. It came off a little pat, an easy answer on the face of it, but logically if every backwater required this many Earth caste, then why would it be remarkable that this planet had so many. Could it have anything to do with the rumoured past Gue'la settlements? Possible of course but this might also be a bit of wishful thinking on her part. The chance to make initial contact with an alien spec...............

The speed and violence of the attack was petrifying, shocking her numb and still. Her eyes, followed the scene helpless as the other animals joined in. She was silently pleading as they fought, and then it happened. She had a brief glimpse of the limb being torn free, and with a scream ringing in her ears she went limp and fell into the blackness.

She wasn't sure how much later it was when she found herself coming back to the surface. Seconds? Minutes? She had fallen sideways against the lip of the ship and.....
A violent splurge of sick erupted out of her and down the side of the ship. Black spots and tears were filling her eyes but she couldn't afford to think of them now.
"No'no..." she whispered.

Not now. She couldn't give into weakness now. She couldn't let him down. He was one of the four. This was for Tau'va!
"Na'no" and this time her voice was louder and more distinct.
"Can you still see then? We need to follow them! If we move fast... We can save him!"

Gorthrax scrambled around when Elrano yelled out and instinctively pulled his kroot rifle around into his shoulder as he took up a kneeling position. He looked down the iron sights at their latest calamity. Not good. Elrano was already 40 feet in the air so would probably snap his neck if he fell, the creature and the Tau tumbled about making a shot problematic. Gorthrax was willing to take that risk.

He takes a breathe then lets it out, then another and holds it as he starts to depress the trigger. Then more creatures join in making the shot almost impossible. It had all been instinct up to now but then Gorthrax remembered the trouble Elrano had caused him. He lowers his rifle.

He watches on dispassionately as a leg is torn off, Gorthrax didn’t think that Tau would survive that. It was one big problem resolved. Then he remembered that Elrano carried his medication, he hoped it was in the TX.

Gorthrax runs down the hill, throwing scree about not caring for stealth, it didn’t matter anymore with all the yelling and dying going on. Ignoring Na’no and Vra’fa he leaps up onto the vehicle and peers into Elrano’s seat…

... the medication is nowhere to be found, which could only mean one thing; Gorthrax's fears were confirmed. Elanro still had the medication on him.

The sheer horror of the situation crawls through Na'Nos body entirely. She tries to avoid thinking of that scenery and Vra'fas words leaks through to her. We know the direction at least. Without turning the head to the beasts she tries to think of a way of not keeping track of Elanro. Is he dead? Na'No breathes flat. Vra'fa! Do you think you can make it to the TX5? We need you to come with us.

While speaking out "us" she was wondering where Gorthrax was. Her eyes wander over to the TX where the big, clumsy Kroot could be seen. He is at the TX5. Nan'No speaks into her communication tool trying to reach out to it's counterpart at the vehicle: Gorthrax! Her voice was sharp and rash. Can you hear me?

Gorthrax was in a mild panic, his Tau companions voices seemed distant. He had to retrieve his medication. He had gone cold turkey before and it wasn't pretty. He'd be useless for days and he wasn't sure Vra'fa and Na'no would survive out here, perhaps it would be better if they all died, his shame kept secret.

No, he could still turn this around.

He had to act while the trail was fresh, his focus entirely on retrieving the drugs, Elrano was surely already dead his life blood would flow quickly from wound.

Jumping down from the TX5 Gorthrax whistles for Bok and then runs off in the direction the creatures had flew off. After about half an hour of searching for a blood trail Gorthrax stops his pursuit, had he taken a wrong turn? He'd found nothing. Looking back the way he'd come he finally realised he'd left the Tau behind. They could cover more ground in the TX5 he thought. Begrudgingly he heads back to the camp.

Vra'fa's head spun as out of nowhere Gorthrax was back in the Piranha. The shock and violence of the last few moments had blinded to anything beyond itself. At least though their companion was back with them. They were much more likely to find suc....

The water caste's mouth slackened as the Kroot was suddenly out of the Piranha and away. He hadn't even said a word to them. All he had done was search Elanro's seat and then he was off. There was something deeply odd about this last action, something that didn't make sense. But she had little time to think about this now. The old warrior might not have much time left.

There was obvious panic in the voice of her one remaining companion, so with real effort Vra'fa steadied her voice again.
"Na'no can you take us high up and towards the east? I'm sure that was the direction they took him. We can see better from up there. With Gorthrax hunting from the ground and us the air, we have two times the chance"

She hoped Na'no did not hear the shake in her voice. Hopelessness was starting to rush in, like water though the breached hole of a sinking ship. She needed to present confidence. If at least one of them believed in her they might survive.

Gorthrax is halfway back when the TX5 flies over him searching for the predatory birds.

Spoiler:

Perhaps the duo was so focused on finding Elanro that they missed Gorthrax and Bok as they worked their way back entirely.

Spoiler:

Na'no pilots the TX5 right over Gorthrax and Bok. The Kroot attempted to send a signal via his microbead, but apparently no one was listening. Frustrated, he sighs and looks for the trail once more. With some luck, the hunter finds it again and begins following it, Bok leading the way.


Na'no keeps her eyes out sharper than her Earth Caste comrade. In the distance, she sees three big, avian forms some 300 meters out...


+++

Kobras' eyes only:

Ril'arn dropped to one knee and raised his carbine to line up a shot. He held is breath. His sights were set on the bird carrying the fire warrior, but he hesitated. If his aim was off, the fire warrior might be finished.

Cursing, Ril'arn stood and quickly scanned his surroundings for a more advantageous firing position, finding none. He grumbled to himself, "This is ridiculous. Solo scouting duty with only a carbine? Damn commander couldn't even see fit to assign me a rail rifle? Maybe its more punishment."

Without any nearby vantage points, Ril'arn dashed towards the nest in an attempt to close the distance. Rescuing a wounded comrade from such dire circumstance would be heroic act, if only a small one, and Ril'arn was hungry for glory.

Gorthrax gestures in irritation at the TX as it flies overhead, did Na'no and Vra'fa have sand in their eye's to match the water in their ears? He hoped they at least had a bead on the avian creatures. Sighing the Kroot starts to jog after the the craft all the while shouting expletives into his microbead at the TX5.

As he runs he keeps an eye out for Elrano's lifeblood on the earth...

Vra'fa gripped on to the the side of her seat as the TX5 powered through the air. Occasionally she glanced down hoping to catch sight of their Kroot companion but she was afraid to spend more than a few seconds exposing the back of her neck to the air. If they could catch Elanro unaware...

Blinking she stared back into the sky again, trying to catch sight of the birds again. If she could at least see them.... Clenching her fist, she tried to calm the ferocious hammering in her chest. She wasn't thinking, she was panicking. So afraid of what might happen to her, and forgetting about her brother. The Greater Good wasn't about selfishness, it was sacrifice. Lifting others up, even if it made you sink.

And in an odd way, this was where she had always wanted to be. The experienced elders were gone, it was just Na'no and her. Whatever decision they made could save or lose a life. Had she not fantasised about being in such a position? True, she had never imagined that she would feel so lightheaded, her ears ringing with the beating of her heart. Or that the terror flowing through her veins would cause her skin to retract, and her stomach to flip and flop like dancing spider. Scared as she was though, there was a certain tiny feeling of exhilaration hidden beneath it all, as their ship powered forward.

"Na'no, once you spot them, see if you can get us a little closer, though not too much. I'm hoping they will put Elanro down. Once they do so we can open fire and try and scare them away."

While she could hear every quaver, she hoped the Earth caste couldn't.
"One other question. I'm guessing if you are flying, I'd better try and do the shooting?"

Hui'lala was sitting in her lap presently, there being no need to waste the energy of the gun droid. Soon enough though she would be in need of its protection again.

On the ground, Gorthrax and Bok easily locate the blood trail on their second attempt. Bok's nose was completely attuned to it and the two zeroed in on its source.

The TX5's sophisticated sensory suite quickly pings information back to Na'no. It was picking up readings of four lifeforms... no, five. Another had just appeared on the radar, but farther out.

Na'no pointed as she piloted the craft. "They are there," she said almost a little too excitedly. When Vra'fa asks about the vehicle's weapon systems, she simply nods.

They press forward. They cover some 50 meters before two of the predators flap into the air, headed directly toward them.

+++

Ril'arn quickly realizes that his hunger for glory completely cost him the element of surprise. Two of the avian predators flap into the sky and move away from him, but the third takes wing and starts heading directly in his direction.

Round 1


Ril'arn snaps his carbine up to his shoulder. Remembering his training, he takes a breath and aims before firing...

...the shot goes wide. In response, the avian predator angles up and flaps its wings furiously. At this speed, it would be hard to hit. Worse, it would be on the pathfinder in only a handful of rai'kan (seconds).

The two others screech loudly and move off at a similar pace toward the TX-5.

+++

Gorthrax was sure he heard a shot coming from the ground some distance away, he squints into the distance but can't pick anything up. Had it sounded like a pulse weapon? Sure enough one of the avian creatures broke away from its pack and made to swoop down on something. Whoever it was would have to look after themselves, while Na'no and Vra'fa had the protection of the TX, he didn't rate either of their combat experience. If they had any or not, they were weak and needed his help.

In a fluid motion Gorthrax brings his rifle from its postion across his back ready for a shot. He had no time to aim, he hoped to at least distract the beasts and to draw their attention. The crack of his rifles echo's out...

...The bird roars as the shot smacks into its body, but it looks no worse for wear. Worse still, Gorthrax now has its complete attention.

Na'no wasn't quite sure what to do. She brought up the TX5's targeting systems and focused on one of the birds.

Spoiler:

+++

Vra'fa stared as the dots before them suddenly started to grow in size. She didn't need to wait to see what they looked like again. The image of their attack on the Piranha was burned into her mind. It would be easy now to transfer herself for the Fire Warrior but she wasn't going to let them in. She couldn't. She wouldn't. The choice had been made, the dam unblocked and the water would flow where it did. As it was, dripping down her spine, making her robes cling to her.

She was distracted from her thoughts by a movement for Na'no. In front of her the monitor screen had switched its image. Crosshairs had appeared in the centre, and red squares surrounding the x shapes dotting closer to them. She had seen such a display before, in one of her classes. There wasn't time to recall the memory fully, but she understood how to operate this, even if some of the numerical data rapidly pooling at the edge of the screen was beyond her.

As she prepared to fire the ships weapon two shots sounded. This confused her momentarily before she concentrated again, and brought the crosshairs towards one of the moving squares and fired...

...the shot barely misses its intended target.

+++
Ril'arn - 13; 96m from enemy.
Enemy A - 12; 96m from Ril'arn, full run (flying//-20 to hit)
Enemy B - 12; 96m from Gorthrax, full run (flying//-20 to hit); 4 damage
Enemy C - 12; 70m from TX5, full run (flying//-20 to hit)
Gorthrax & Bok - 11
Na'no - 7
Vra'fa - 3

Round 2

Ril'arn curses as the first shot goes wide, wishing he had a superior weapon. He pulls the trigger again. It clicks. He looks at his carbine in shock and checks the power cell. Empty, he could have sworn he checked it. Did they give him a faulty cell? Someone must be trying to have me killed!

The beast keeps pumping its wings at full speed, still angling itself higher into the air. Ril'arn had hunted these birds before and had seen this kind of behavior before.

Gorthrax watches his target angle up as well as it closed the distance.

Tests for Ril'arn and Gorthrax:

The last creature seems to slow its flight slightly. Perhaps Vra'fa's shot had scared it?

+++

Gorthrax remained calm as the beast closed in, his rifle was also a melee weapon, he was ready and was just as adept if not more deadly at close range. He felt the gnaw of his need though, suddenly he felt a little light headed, his aim lowered a little. Anger his addiction almost immediately griped his mind in retaliation, he must get his meds back. Almost snarling Gorthrax ups his aim again and snaps off another shot...

... Gorthrax's aim was true, but just as he squeezed the trigger, the animal jerked left and then down slightly, causing the deadly round to pass by harmlessly.

Vra'fa blinked and then watched the light blink past the enemy square. She'd missed.

While she knew truly that in staring at the screen instead of out of the cabin, she was deluding herself, she accepted it for now. She could consider the real world once they were safe again. Instead she was presented with a puzzle that she had to solve.

The square she had attempted to shoot earlier had angled itself in a different direction, but one had suddenly come much closer to them. She maneuvered the cross-hairs until they were over the center of the square, following its movement and then shot.

While she concentrated fully on the task before her, she was only dimly aware of the drone floating above her also discharging its weapon...

...the pulse rounds slam into the predator almost simultaneously, melting flesh and innards the same. There is a screech and the beast free falls into the earth in a tumble of broken bones and dust.

+++
Ril'arn - 13; 16m from Enemy A; used 1 reload - pulse carbine is empty.
Enemy A - 12; 16m from Ril'arn, full run (flying//-20 to hit)
Enemy B - 12; 16m from Gorthrax, full run (flying//-20 to hit); 4 damage
Enemy C - 12; 20m from TX5, full run (flying//-20 to hit) DEAD
Gorthrax & Bok - 11
Na'no - 7
Vra'fa - 3

Round 3

Ril'arn drops his carbine and draws his sidearm. He fires a single shot, but his breathing is off and he jerks the shot wide and to the right.

The creature, almost as if in response, angles downward and shoots straight at the Pathfinder, looking to dig its claws deep.

+++

Ril'arn froze. He had followed his training exactly as instructed. And he had missed. He was so in shock that he hesitated a split second to dive out of the way of the winged beast. It crashes into him at full speed before flying off again behind him. He feels a lot of pressure on his left leg, but looking down can see that his armor soaked all of the blow.

Some 300m away, the second predator drops from the sky and dives at Gorthrax. It misjudges the distance, however, and its claws snap shut well above the Kroot's head without any sort of threat to him.


+++

Gorthrax wipes the sweat from his brow as the creature started to swoop in, his graving was playing havoc he felt drained and now a hot flush. He was lucky it misjudged its attack pattern and flew wide. Despite his 'hunger' he was still a Kroot; a predator. Pivoting on the spot Gorthrax follows its trajectory and fires two shots in rapid succession...

...he cannot see the immediate effects, but the target did seem to twitch involuntarily and droop down. It struggled to say airborne, wings flapping awkwardly.

With their target down, Na'no gently turns the TX5, which is hovering some 5 meters above the ground, to face the other avian predator that had flown roughly in their direction (1/2). Finding it, she sets up targeting vectors as before (1/2).

The red square blinked and then disappeared from her screen. A wave of satisfaction rose up through, a wave that Vra'fa let take her, offering no resistance. There would be time to consider this later. This was not a time for contemplation.

As Na'no manoeuvred their ship through the air, she focused her eyes on the screen, waiting for the red squares to move into her cross hairs again. One came quickly into target, moving as swiftly as the last one had, but she felt more confident about predicting its next move, and threading the needle. However just before she was about to shoot, something pulled her out of her focus. There was a green square, very close to the red. Green was marked Tau friendly. Who.... Gorthrax!

Her fingers flexed and the shot missed her target completely...

...or did they? The predator flaps erratically and crashes into the hard earth.

+++
Ril'arn - 13 [pulse pistol]; 10m from Enemy A; used 1 reload - pulse carbine is empty; 1/2 move to turn and face it
Enemy A - 12; 10m from Ril'arn, full run (flying)
Enemy B - 12; 10m from Gorthrax, full run (flying//-20 to hit); DEAD
Enemy C - 12; 20m from TX5, full run (flying//-20 to hit) DEAD
Gorthrax & Bok - 11; 10m from enemy (1/2 move to turn and face it)
Na'no - 7; 26m from Gorthrax/166m from third bird in opposite direction.
Vra'fa - 3; 26m from Gorthrax/166m from third bird in opposite direction.

Round 4

Reeling from the blow delivered by the beast's talons, Ril'arn's hand flies to the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He's shocked when it turns out the wound is barely a scratch. He whips around to continue firing at the bird, this time blasting wildly at it...

..the Pathfinder's squared stance keep a tight grouping on his shots. They tear into the beast's legs from behind, severing arteries as a fountain of deep crimson juts out. There's a wickedly loud screech that ends quickly as it slams face first into the hard rockface of the low hills.

IC IS OPEN! WELL DONE!

+++
Ril'arn - 13 [pulse pistol]; 10m from Enemy A; used 1 reload - pulse carbine is empty; 1/2 move to turn and face it
Enemy A - 12; 10m from Ril'arn, full run (flying); DEAD
Enemy B - 12; 10m from Gorthrax, full run (flying//-20 to hit); DEAD
Enemy C - 12; 20m from TX5, full run (flying//-20 to hit) DEAD
Gorthrax & Bok - 11; 10m from enemy (1/2 move to turn and face it)
Na'no - 7; 26m from Gorthrax/166m from third bird in opposite direction.
Vra'fa - 3; 26m from Gorthrax/166m from third bird in opposite direction.

Cursing under his breath, Ril'arn retrieves his carbine and begins recalibrating it. He heard gunshots, and the other birds are nowhere to be seen. Another pathfinder team maybe? They might have saved my life, if all three avians had... No I still could have handled them by myself, even with the misfire. My sidearm seemed sufficient.

Ril'arn surveys the environment to see if he can spot either his unexpected allies or the fire warrior that the birds had.

Gorthrax rushed forward to the fallen beast, it was still but he still delivered a strike to its throat with a sweeping cut from forward blade on his rifle. It was best to be sure. Kneeling down Gorthrax places his rifle to one side and draws his knife, as he starts looking over the body for areas that would wield most meat. He tries to haill Vra'fa and Nano once again on his microbead "You safe? You have eyes on Elrano?" he asks sharply. He was almost certain the fire warrior was dead.

The thigh looked best. While waiting for a reply he starts to butcher the creature taking strips of meat from its leg. The first strip and a small one he throws to Bok, the hound yaps and then darts forward and eagerly wolfs down the meat. Gorthrax then takes the second strip and takes a large bite.

Ril'arn spots an unmoving body some 150 meters away. In the distance, he can make out a hovering vehicle of some sort that the birds had gone after.

Spoiler:

+++

The meat is sweet to the Kroot. A good meal after a clean kill. This was the Kroot way. A quick scan of the corpse reveals that the feathers were of exceptional quality - good for insulating, protection from the harsh sun, comfortable, and extremely aerodynamic. They would serve well for trade or research purposes.

Vra'fa let go of a breath she hadn't been aware she was carrying, and finally moved back away from the monitor. The last of the red square's had blinked out, indicating that the ships computer didn't judge any immediate threat in their vicinity. She was aware of her body again. Aware of the dampness of her robes, of the twisting of her insides, and how she couldn't stop herself shaking. She tried to grip the side of her seat, but her fingers were nerveless and all she succeeded in doing was rapping her knuckles against the rim. Suddenly the urge to void her insides rose up inside her, and she had to desperately focus her fluttering mind on the monitor again to stop herself getting sick over herself again.

There was a mechanical peep and Gorthrax's voice sounded through the ship. This distraction was a welcome floating branch and Vra'fa seized it immediately.
"We are both fine, thank you. We cannot see him at present but he shouldn't be too far."

Turning now to Na'no, the water caste spoke gingerly.
"Could you fly over where we first saw the ... birds before they moved to attack us? They may have dropped him there."

Gorthrax was looking down at the avian, appraising the body when Vra'fa replied. "Good. Don't fly to low on your way there so I can mark your way. I'll be there soon." the thought of his medication nagged at him but he also had things to prove to the Kroot. The feathers were interesting. With speed on his mind he contents himself with taking its wings. He gathers up his knife and saws through each wing. They'd be bulky to carry but once he'd got to the TX5 he could store them.

Satisfied he heads off...

Action:

Na'no seems to let out a breath as well. "Y-yes, yes, of course Por'la. That was amazing," she added with a slight more cheer in he voice as she moved the vehicle forward.

"That was my first aerial combat. Although, I don't know if you could call it 'mine' as you did most of the work, nor 'aerial' as we are only about 3 meters above the surface, but what a victory."

Perhaps her nerves were on high and talking helped calm her, knowing what was to come. She expertly guides in the vehicle. The TX5's sensors picked up a figure and immediately painted it in red some 150m distant. It was shaped nothing like the birds, however.

In fact, though fuzzy and far off, it looked Tauoid...

The TX5 sets down a few meters from Elan'ro. The elderly fire warrior's leg, or lack there of, was an absolute mess. Blood had pooled around the stump, deep and dark. He was unmoving. Around his chest hung a saddle bag. Some of the contents had spilled out around the body. Among the odds and ends were medical supplies of some sort...

Spoiler:

Ril'arn rushes towards the body, watching the skies for any new birds of prey. He kneels down next to the body to apply pressure to the mangled leg. "Rest now, Shas'la." Ril'arn quietly tells the warrior, unsure if he could hear him. "Help is coming."

As he sees the TX5 close in, Ril'arn waves in an attempt to signal them to his location. Perhaps this is the rest of this warrior's patrol?

Vra'fa had closed her eyes momentarily, and after taking a few deep breaths, opened them again to look at her Earth Caste companion. Her face was pale and she looked clearly shaken, but there was a ghost of her old humour when she replied.
"Mine too actually. If word of this ever gets back to any of the Por'El's the shock will be too much for them. We may lose the finest of the Water Caste. In seriousness though, you should be proud. Without your skill at flying and aiding me with the targeting controls I would have been little use. We have both done something today."

Her attention was immediately captured as the ships sensors picked up on a new target. It was a new figure, but its shape seemed familiar. And yet it was not one of them. Vra'fa hesitated. The fearful voice inside her might be crying out that it might be another enemy waiting to attack them, but her natural caution was stronger. It had not attacked them.

"Na'no, when we land, stay in the ship and keep an eye on that target. If its a friend come out and help us, but if not... keep yourself safe. Even if it means leaving me behind. Should it be an enemy, you and the ship are our only chance of getting help

Vra'fa's tone was firm as she spoke. She did not particularly want to get out of the ship, but she had little choice. Na'no was fit and able but if she left there would be no-one able to fly the vehicle. She might be a weak broken thing, little use practically out in the field but there was no one else.

Getting out of the ship was as difficult as always. Owing perhaps due to distraction and attempts to move quickly, Vra'fa slipped at the end and falling flat into the mud. Thankfully though, it was soft and with the aid of her stick she was able to get back to her feet and hobble over to the prone body. And then she caught sight of his leg.

For all her logic and planning, it had skipped her mind entirely that Elanro might be bleeding. The earlier urge to get sick came back with a vengeance and before she knew it, she was on her knees again next to the fallen figure, expelling her insides with violent force. As the retching finally ended, she sat up, gasping clean air back into her lungs. This was too... she couldn't...
She couldn't do nothing though. If she failed now, then she was exactly what they had always said. A drain on the Tau'va.

Crawling forward, she knelt beside him. Pointedly not looking near his injury, she noticed instead the saddle bag. Gathering it up she poured the contents over her knees. Perhaps there was something here that might help. Before she could examine them too closely, she heard the approach of the new arrival. He would see a young water caste envoy, with dark blue skin and large green eyes, dressed in a formerly white robe which was now dirty and stained with green and brown. Her left arm was in a crude sling and a walking cane lay on the ground beside her. Her face as she saw him showed a distracted surprise, behind which was an obvious strain and tension.

"Tau'va.... Greetings, Shas'la? Excuse my lack of courtesy but could you please help us? I think my colleague is in serious trouble."

As Ril'arn rushes to assist the envoy, he discards his helmet to reveal a broad face with intense eyes. He tries to apply pressure to the leg, desperately trying to recall his basic first aid training. He notices the mix of blood and vomit on the ground, as well as the envoys sling. "What is an envoy doing this far away from civilization?" he wonders silently

"Por'la, are you injured? I am Shas'La Tash'Var Ril'arn, pathfinder. Do you have a medic? Is there more of your patrol?

Ril'arn tried to keep his composure as a flood of thoughts rushed through him. "How to proceed? Apply pressure? Yes, but is the area safe? Set a perimeter? But then no one is holding pressure! Where's a medic?" Beads of sweat formed on the pathfinder's forehead as his indecision grew.

Vra'fa kept her eyes on the face of the new arrival, rather than looking down at what his hands were doing. She didn't think she could take it if she saw it again. It was as much as she could do, to keep the memory of it from out of her mind.

"Shas'la Ril'arn, I am Por'la Dal'yth Vra'fa. Shas'la Elanro's needs are much greater than mine currently. There are two more in our party, a Kroot warrior named Gorthrax, his hound Bok and our technician and pilot Fio'La Na'No. She may be able to aid us."

Raising her voice, she turned to look up at the Piranha.
"Na'no, do you have any medical experience? If so I think it would be safe to leave the ship and aid us. I found some medical drugs here which might help."

Her face was very focused as she looked at Ril'arn, her eyes staring into his and not looking down.
"We did not know who you were so had to take precautions. Are there any others with you?"

Na'no nervously nodded at Vra'fa's suggestion she leave the Water Caste Envoy to get help if needed. She didn't want to, but she wouldn't disobey someone she saw as an authority. Same rank technically meant less than caste, and Na'no was acutely aware of that.

When Vra'fa called to her, she immediately set down the TX-5 and hopped out of the cockpit to join them. Her surprise at the newcomer was immediately overtaken by the ravaged, elder fire warrior lying in a pool of his own life fluid. She too looked as though she might lose her lunch, but kept herself in check.

"I... my... training is basic at best. Crash course at the academy.. I, I don't..." Na'no obviously had no idea what to do from a technical standpoint, and was desperately hoping for instruction.

She knelt down next to the body and inspected the medicine. While she couldn't identify the name, the vials were definitely pain killers of some sort.

It had been naive, she could see that now. Naive to think that Na'no might jump out of the ship and start to put Elanro back together like she did for the Piranha. Even she had even been able to add a helping hand with that. Looking back into the face of the young earth caste before her, desperately hoping for instruction, she was suddenly struck by the bitter irony of their situation. A fu'lasso that Elanro would have gladly told round a campfire. The old experienced campaigner bl...... bleeding out and the two babies who hadn't listened to him while alive, just sitting there and waiting for orders that would never come.

Something stirred in her. Whatever he said, Elanro couldn't have believed that and she wouldn't either. They were Tau, they worked together. Here sat Por, Fio and Shas. Three disparate elements to be sure. Fire could burn earth until it was dry and dusty. Earth could dam water, until it was nothing but a damp puddle. And water of course could choke fire and starve it of fuel to burn. But together with air, they were everything. From every simple village, to the Shas'por'sha, to the Gal'leath bringing new life beyond the stars.

Looking across at the Earth caste, she gave her a smile.
"All we can do is try our best Na'no. Trust in our own skill and the Tau'va and we will be clear of malk."

Screwing up her face for the pain which was to come, she released the sling from around her broken arm and quickly handed it to Na'no before letting out a violent exhalation. She was feeling dizzy but keeping her eyes on the comforting face of their pilot and distinctly away from Elanro's lower half she continued.

"Radomil, if you can continue keeping pressure on the wound. Na'no stop me if any of this sounds wrong, but could you tie that tightly around his leg? I think that might prevent further blood loss. And these pain killers? I suppose we should give some to him. It might calm his heart."

Unbidden and unspoken was one other thought for this, one whisper from the previous fu'lasso. If he was beyond their aid, then it might at least ease his passing.




fu'lasso- 'bitter mind knot'
Shas'por'sha- steam engine
Gal'leath- 'Discoverer deep space vessel', a Tau navy SX-58 Battleship
Malk- judgement