Taylor, Victoria and others are transported to the Star Wars Universe- But something is clearly very different about some.
The Weaving Force
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Prologue
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Prologue: Vicky woke with a gasp of air that sounded and felt like she was trying to suck in the world's oxygen all in one gulp.
Her limbs moved sporadically, fumbling and reaching, like someone who didn't know how to swim, waking up in the middle of the ocean and drowning.
She tried to reach her feet, but stumbled and fell, tried again and stumbled and fell again.
She could taste salt water in her throat, though she hadn't been swimming in forever, her limbs felt like jelly in spite of her brute rating; she tasted cotton in her mouth, her stomach roiled and heaved and it was all she could do to lurch onto her side like a beached whale before she emptied what little had been in of her lunch all over the dirt she was resting on.
When she opened her eyes, the world was opaque, and blurred, like she was staring at it through dirty, warped glass and she wondered for a moment what the hell was wrong with her eyes.
Heaving and groaning- she blinked, beginning to clear her sight, realizing with a slowly mounting sense of dread… she didn't recognize where she was.
More than that, she wasn't anywhere near… anything she'd ever seen before.
After all, Trees as tall as skyscrapers tend to stand out as potential tourist spots.
And these were trees.
Through the gloom of the night she could see the bark, smell the scent of wood and leaves and grass and dirt.
Victoria stared, her head leaning back and back and back, until she realized she couldn't see the sky above beneath the boughs of the massive branches.
Trees shouldn't grow this tall.
Correction. Trees *didn't* grow this tall. Anywhere.
Oh god- she thought in dismay.
I've been shrunk!
At that thought the faux Alexandria Package began to try and think back- she was in her costume so she'd been in a fight… Uber and Leet maybe?
Did that idiot make something that both blew up and teleported her to the ass end of nowhere and shrank her to someone that saw trees taller than any building she'd ever seen?
She was gonna punch him. Really freaking hard too!
God please let this be temporary!
If not… well… Amy could fix her… Right?
Yeah. Totally. Amy could probably fix her if she was just a lump of meat or something as long as she was alive.
When she finally stopped gawping up at the trees, and had enough presence of mind to keep looking around, she discovered quite a few other oddities.
Oddities being the half shattered ruins of the city around her…
Crumbling buildings, shattered glass, various foodstuffs and bits and pieces you'd find in any number of homes. Cereal boxes, broken appliances, utilities, crushed cars…
What the hell? Did Leet shrink half of Brockton Bay?
The forest around her was littered with the refuse, the concrete jungle, or what was left of it- seeming distinctly out of place in this world of flora around her.
"Okay Vicky… Okay." She swallowed. "Don't panic. You're a Brute. And even though you're tiny you can probably punch out anything nasty that comes at you. So… first things first, gotta get higher and find out where there are people that can help."
So, with resolution firmly in mind she stood up on legs that felt far too wobbly, dusted herself off and made ready to fly.
Then, as she reached her full height, she froze for a second time.
There, half hidden by the gloom and the tall shrubs she was laying on- the Bug girl. From the bank.
Vicky's face twisted in rage, anger now coloring her features.
The Undersiders. Did they have something to do with this?
Can always ask her… from a few dozen stories up.
People, she found, tended to lie very little at that altitude.
So, with that decision made in her mind, Vicky started marching closer to the Undersiders' 'Bug Girl,' ready to grab hold and yoink her up to the higher branches. When she woke up and Vicky threatened to leave her there she'd talk.
Perhaps it was the gloom of the dark forest around them. Perhaps it was the color of her costume, making it hard to see details. But whatever the reason, Vicky never noticed that the bug girl was, in fact, moving.
Her movements weren't obvious, not like Vicky's had been when she woke up. Even if it hadn't been dark, one would be hard pressed to notice them at a glance or from a distance.
She trembled. Fingers twitching, eyes rolling behind her mask.
Vicky didn't notice a thing.
Then her hand reached out.
Barely a hair's breath from touching the bug girl, the villain's own hand snapped out, lightning fast fingers gripping Victoria's wrist with a white knuckled grip.
Then she howled.
That's the only word Vicky had to describe it.
If horror had a voice… that was it.
Vicky's blood went cold when she jerked her hand back. It was in an unthinking reflex, not wanting to get anywhere near the source of that noise, and before she knew it she was hovering in the air, as horrified of the girl as the girl seemingly was of Vicky.
Then the forest came alive.
A canopy of bright huge fireflies, each about the size of a basketball, lit up, turning the gloom of night into a beautiful field of starlight.
Then she heard other things.
Something big heading her way.
Vicky suddenly remembered what 'bug girl's power' was.
Bug control… gee.
And she's been shrunk enough for fireflies to be the size of basketballs…
How much bigger are a million roaches or bees going to be?
Beginning to feel the edges of panic creeping up on her. Vicky had a moment to decide what the hell to do.
Standard practice when dealing with a Master was punch the shit outta the master.
But frankly, after listening to the pain in that voice… whatever had hurt her Vicky didn't want to add to it.
So, doing the only thing she could, Vicky released her aura. All of it.
And not to make the bug girl scared.
The girl's scream didn't abate for a moment and Vicky wondered if something was wrong with her aura at all before the comparatively smaller girl lunged for her.
Reflexively Vicky put up her arms, ready to defend herself when she realized the girl wasn't attacking her, but clutching onto her for dear life; like the last piece of driftwood cast into the sea she could reach.
She was mumbling something, repeating it over and over again in Vicky's ear as her hands pawed with desperate strength at the blonde's back.
"TaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTaylorTay-."
The Dallon girl's eyes went wide.
Her name?
No. No Couldn't be. Had to be someone else's name.
Maybe whoever did this to her? To both of them?
"Hey…." She hesitated, hands stiff at her sides before she slowly brought them up to bug girl's shoulders. "Hey… it's ok. It's… Who's Taylor?"
The girl shuddered, her whole body trembling as her legs suddenly gave out and Victoria was more holding her up than simply holding her.
"Don't let me forget…" She begged. "My name is Taylor."
Vicky's eyes went wide.
"I'm not her…" was her broken whisper as she pulled away, staring up at Vicky, the Dallon girl floating above her.
Something moved in the underbrush.
Vicky felt the blood drain from her face.
… This wasn't a bug she recognized… if it even was a bug.
It was enormous… the size of a double decker bus or something at least. Its head was long, with sickle like mandibles that looked like they could flay the flesh off the bone.
Where the fuck did Leet send them? Australia?
Other critters started to emerge, but nothing like the… whatever the fuck this was.
They were still bugs, fuck-huege spiders the size of small cars. But… Jesus Christ was is that thing?
… at least the fireflies were pretty? Though they were making it easy to see these things in all their gruesome details…
The Bug girl, Taylor- looked at her.
"My name is Taylor-" She repeated- "-Not… I'm not the monster… I'm not-" She sobbed.
"I'm not Khepri!"
(X)(X)(X)
The image of 'Tourist' wasn't one they could shake. Not really.
From their clothes to their bearing to their naked surprise at what they were seeing; they screamed 'newcomers'.
So given the… type of individuals surrounding them, she's not wholly surprised their first few dealings were little more than swindlers finding easy marks.
It took her less time to learn how to 'read' the various new faces she was seeing.
Once she did, it took significantly less time to receive some 'honesty' from those around her.
Specifically after she broke some bones.
Information started coming even faster once the tough guys realized that their 'blasters' didn't exactly do much of anything beyond burn patches of her clothes.
She broke more bones. And took some spare clothes.
From there, it took very little indeed to discover a canteen of water did not cost one hundred credits. No matter how 'valuable' water on a desert planet actually was.
Stepping out of the dusty cantina, Rebecca Costa Brown, now going in a rather more permanent fashion as 'Alexandria' for the foreseeable future she made her way across the dry arid streets of what the locals called 'Anchorhead
Stepping up to the Spaceport she held her procured gallon out.
"What are we looking at?"
Perhaps it was insensitive to say it- but Hannah looked like a local. Looked like she belonged in these sand beaten streets.
The woman who was once her Ward shook her head."No one with transportation has heard of Earth," she lamented.
"And Transportation is a bit more expensive than water, I'm guessing," a third voice called, its owner reaching forward to take the water with a grateful sigh.
He peeled off his cloth mask. The cloak tossed over his distinctive Clock themed costume did a decent enough job hiding his attire--
But they needed resources.
Food. Water. Clothing. Lodgings.
They needed money.
Alexandria offered a nod.
"Alright." She said, turning sharply.
"What are you going to do?"
It wasn't Hannah who asked. It was the boy; Dennis.
She turned, watching him, and she was surprised to find… a wariness in his eyes. A certain fear. Like someone watching an animal they knew would bite inching closer to them.
Odd. Most Wards eyed her with complete trust. Even devotion.
"This place," she began before offering a shrug, putting the expression out of her mind, "has bounty hunting as an option. Criminals are criminals."
Hannah offered a nod. She wasn't happy. But she recognized their situation and what they'd need to pull themselves out of this hole.
At least until Contessa or Doctor Mother found them.
The boy gave a sigh of relief.
She didn't pay it much thought.
She stepped back into the heat of the twin suns of Tatooine.
Last edited:
Chapter 1
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Chapter 1:
There was a heavy meaty thump that startled Vicky awake. She jerked where she lay, eyes flying open as she moved her head on a swivel, searching.
When she found the gaping bleeding maw of a very very dead… thing, she screamed and rushed backwards on her ass before shooting up into the sky.
Now, in the air, she could see that the… carcass of the… Gorilla? Bull? Rhino thing was being dragged by two very large volkswagen-sized beetles.
"NO! NO, FUCK THIS SHIT!" She screamed pointing with her finger before rounding on Skit-... Taylor somewhere behind her.
The maskless villain sat in the hollow of a building sized tree, the boughs of the roots and the gnarled bark cradling her like a crib of wood and leaves. Insects lined the twisting, stretching woods with rows upon rows of webbing, a football field's worth made in just a night: a canopy of gloom; chittering, cutting mandibles and softly padding legs.
The giant crab-- monster-- thing was laying in front of her like a guard dog, a single eye opening to glare at her with an unsettling intelligence
"The fuck is that!" She screamed, pointing again at the monster.
Taylor didn't speak, not in her own voice. Instead the whole of the forest for a single, crawling instant came alive.
"Food."
Vicky Fought down her revulsion, fought down her instinctive feeling of pure fear, shoving it down somewhere the same way she always did when she had to do something she was scared of.
Even so… when in the blue shits did the Undersiders' new girl learn to do that?
She swallowed, gritting her teeth as she forced herself forward, past the giant crab-insect-monster-thing and getting right in Taylor's face.
"Don't do that shit! Talk like a normal fucking person," she snarled.
As soon as she did, she regretted it, not because of anything Taylor did, or tried to do… but because of the cringing, fearful look on the girl's face as Taylor backed away from her, retreating deeper into the hollow.
It made her feel like she just kicked a puppy or something.
Vicky's anger cooled, her temper abating. "H-hey… I--"
She trailed off.
Shit… way to go feeling like an ass Vicky. Not like she was out of her mind screaming hysterically just yesterday or anything.
"Tay?" She hedged. Lowering until her feet touched the mossy forest floor and damp dirt again. "Tay, I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to snap. Just… what the fuck is that thing?"
A moment of hesitation. Then the forest around her came alive again. Countless wings and legs and mandibles moving in complete synchronicity.
"Need Food. Hunted. Food."
Vicky swallowed. Licking her lips as she breathed in deep and slow.
"Okay… why are you talking through your bugs Tay?"
Silence met her question.
Vicky felt her irritation spike, but also a sliver of concern.
She'd been reading in Parahuman studies that powers could have a lot of fucked up side effects on some capes. People losing their minds wholesale. Burnscar was a huge example, but to a certain degree, so was Myrdin.
Just yesterday Taylor had been hysterical about forgetting her name, and now she's just talking through a freaking swarm voice?
She held out her hand.
"Tay… look. Just…" She breathed. "Take my hand. Come on out of there and lets- let's just talk ok? Whole sentences?" She even allowed a very slight bit of her aura to slip its leash, adding just that little extra kick to what she was asking.
If Tay's power was gonna mess with her head, maybe Vicky's power could help… or something.
The prompt and/or the power seemed to work.
After a moment's hesitation, Tay stretched out her hand and grasped Vicky's fingers in her own, letting the New Wave Heroine pull her free from the small insect fortress Tay had turned her tree into.
She took a breath, half in relief, half to gather her thoughts.
"Why don't you want to talk?" She asked. "And I mean, like, with your own voice."
Taylor's eyes darted this way and that way, a far off look to her gaze, like she was trying to remember something, or read a line on a script.
She opened her mouth, and Vicky thought she might answer 'in her own voice'
But she merely let out a breath.
"It's the only way I could. The only way she could."
That… was weird. `
"'She' who?"
The change in Taylor's expression (and wasn't that an odd thought, being able to see a villain's face) was a gradual thing, but the fear that overtook it was unmistakable.
"Ok! Ok! Hey!" Vicky rallied quickly, looking to cut off the ensuing panic attack before it really took hold. "Look at me. Look at me!" She cried as the insects buzzed and began to make the forest come alive.
Taylor did. Vicky released a bit more of her aura, seeing the effect take hold and calming the shaken villain, if only just.
"Deep breath." She enunciated, one hand making gestures as she sucked air in and let it back out, giving Taylor a moment to mimic her. She remembered the courses she took.
Taylor did so, and soon the swarm of death monsters settled around them…
Christ she was gonna get early grays out here soon.
"Look, ok, you don't have to answer right now, just… answer when you're ready and try to speak up without your swarm… when you feel up to it. You can do that."
Vicky really really wasn't sure anymore what had hit them to send them here, or why Taylor was clearly so much worse off… upstairs than she was. Like… yeah, she'd been a villain at the bank but she didn't seem like a basket case then. Besides the villain thing.
Looking for something of a… distraction or at least a change in subject she turned around towards the very dead… carcass, monkey, bull, rhino thing.
…
Urgh…
"Ummm." She hedged. "Look, Tay, thanks for the… meat but like- How do we-"
Her question, or at least one of the many many many questions she had was answered before she could finish voicing the thought as the giant death beetles began to literally carve up the very dead… thing.
Vicky wasn't sure what would make her sicker. The sounds, the sight, the smell or the fact that she was, in fact still hungry despite all of that.
(X)(X)(X)
The meat was tough.
Like… break your teeth on it tough. Her jaw was starting to ache. And she had a Brute rating.
But she refused, absolutely refused to have Taylor's monster bugs… tenderize it for her.
How exactly Taylor could chew on something that a bug had been grinding down was lost on Vicky. Even if the Mandibles could double as car crunchers it was… ugh…
Yeah… she just threw up a little.
She decided to try and take her mind off of it.
"Ok so. I'm not a survivor girl, but like… what do we do with the rest of i-"
She shouldn't have asked.
About two minutes and seven seconds later, give or take, there weren't even bones left…
Yeah. She kinda had to get out of here. Bug girl had been annoying when she was just bugs. Now she was bordering on 'No one will find your body' bad. Literally.
She set down the… forearm? That she'd been eating; suppressing a shudder as she did.
Then, standing up, she sighed.
"Ok." She took a look around. "Like I said, not a survivor girl but I'm guessing we need to find water pretty fast and then start trying to find where this forest ends. I mean. There have to be people around here somewhere."
'Water'
And by god was that never gonna stop being creepy.
Taylor for her part delicately placed another sliver of meat back in her mouth, chewing before she pointed somewhere to their left and… up?
Vicky trailed her eyes that way but couldn't follow through the gloom of the canopy and perpetual night of this… wherever it was.
"Ok." She took a breath, floating just a bit off the ground before reaching for Tay who reeled back.
"Hey. Relax." She grumbled. "Just gonna carry you. It'll be faster if we fly."
Even with the explanation Taylor didn't ease up, staring at Vicky's arms as though the New Wave member was going to crush her in that grip.
Even so- she nodded.
But she didn't approach Vicky to accept the offer, instead, Victoria was subjected to the growing very loud buzzing she could almost liken to helicopter blades.
Something busted through the canopy and Vicky could only describe it as a cross between a giant lizard, a scorpion and a Dragonfly. Six insect wings buzzed angrily at its side, its multi-eyed gaze was blank and dead before it touched down on clawed, blade-like limbs.
It was the size of a car.
Taylor without further hesitation, walked up to the thing, and got right on it… like a pony.
Then she stared at Vicky expectantly.
Vicky stared back.
"You know." She began. "While that is… actually pretty cool. I am fucking insulted." She stated flatly, turning her nose up and away before beginning to float in the aforementioned direction.
If she'd have looked back she may have seen the faintest hint of a smile tugging at Taylor's lip for the first time since they arrived, chasing away the perpetual, anxious fear, if only for a moment.
As they flew, the forest came alive around them, the insects that could follow doing so. Other animals ahead of them were stirred by the waves of unnatural movement through their environment as they scuttled and skittered away into their hidey holes, wondering why the great insects of the forest were behaving so unnaturally.
It took a few minutes to reach the water source, and when she found it, Vicky couldn't help the sound that emerged from her in a breathy whisper: "Wow."
It wasn't a stream, or a river of some kind.
It was a waterfall… unlike any she'd ever seen before.
It trailed down from the trees above, falling between the cracks and crags of the branches and giant leaves, pooling in hollows, street wide barks and cascading down to the forest floor, far below them in a million droplets and a thousand trails of fountains.
It was beautiful.
But…
"It hasn't rained." She noted.
Not once. Not once on the forest floor had they seen a drop of rain.
Vicky's eyes trailed upward to the impossibly high trees above.
She swallowed, her own eyes starting to fill with tears that she struggled to fight down.
Fuck…
FUCK!.
She felt a hand at her shoulder and nearly jumped, whirling around to find the flat blank expression on Taylor's face, undercut with the barest hint of concern… or compassion.
Vicky breathed, sucking air through her teeth as her voice hitched.
"Where the hell are we!?" She howled.
Her voice bounced off the trees, swallowed in the blackness of the shadows.
She felt the strength leeching out of her legs and before she knew what she was doing she was gripping Taylor's shoulders, using the girl to hold herself up.
She'd thought, at first, that Leet had shrunk them down or something. The bugs and weird animals had driven that thought away. But it wasn't until now, until this second staring at a waterfall born in the heart of an endless forest that swallowed the world did she realize…
She wasn't going home.
There wasn't a quick fix. There wasn't some… button she could press or villain to punch.
Hell.. She couldn't even remember how she got here.
And her only company was a girl who was out of her mind; and a villain to boot.
Taylor's hands rose, grasping her triceps awkwardly to try and hold her up. Her face didn't change, but she didn't protest. The insects buzzed and swarmed, surrounding them, turning this place into another fortress for the two of them as Vicky started to cry.
(X)(X)(X)
The water was cold. And it was refreshing. Even without soap - and by god were they going to need that soon, and razors because - urgh- hairy legs - it felt good to get inside one of the hollow pools and paw the grime and grit off of her body.
Taylor hid in the shadows. Vicky wasn't sure if the girl watched but she couldn't bring herself to care. When it was her turn to bathe, strangely, the villain girl brought in dozens of tiny little… things into the water with her. They looked like grubs, or maggots. Tiny little feelers that swam in the water and crawled all over her skin.
Vicky could guess and hope that Tay was using them like little cleaners, their tiny bodies 'eating' all of the bacteria and such off of her but she really really didn't want to know.
If Tay was going off the deep end then… well… best to talk softly and mind her own business.
She might just be the only other person on this world.
Speaking of..."We need to head up," Vicky said.
Taylor, in the middle of putting one of her spider silk boots back on, turned to face the New Wave Heroine with a blank look.
"There has to be something." She half stated, half pleaded. "Something that isn't trees. Maybe if we get high enough we can see… lights? People? The goddamn sky."
Taylor stared at her. Blinking slowly, languidly.
Then, she nodded.
Standing up with an air of purpose she marched towards the edge of a branch, her dragonfly dragon monster thing buzzing down from where it had been hiding to once more ferry her like a loyal mount.
"You gonna give it a name?" Vicky half-joked, smiling.
Taylor paused.
Then the forest around them whispered.
"Atlas…"
Huh… The titan who holds up the world. That was a nice little-
"...-two"
And just like that Vicky was lost again.
—-
They flew for hours.
It wasn't the fastest Vicky could go. Not by a long shot. And Taylor's… Atlas-two could get tired unlike her, so rather than a straight flight Taylor had him hopping from branch to branch, like Mario from Nintendo getting from one platform to the next, to save energy.
But they climbed for hours.
When they first saw light - actual, genuine light - Vicky almost cried.
There was a world above the trees.
The illumination gave them a fresh, new surge of energy and they climbed even faster, finally breaking through the topmost canopy of trees to a sky that was hues of orange and purple.
It might have been the most beautiful sight Vicky had ever seen.
Panning her eyes around them… it was green. Nothing but forests for miles and miles in every direction.
An ocean of leaves, wood and nature.
She swallowed, again feeling emotion well up in her throat.
"There is a sky, at least," she tried to joke. Her voice emerged with a watery warble through the forced laugh.
There was a hiss, sound beneath them and Vicky turned, realizing that the sound was Taylor's insects, the cohesion and how understandable her swarm voice was; became lost as the larger, climbing species weren't able to follow so far or so quickly.
She turned to Taylor, who had a moment of dismay over her face before she scrunched up her features, clearly placing in an effort as her mouth moved, trying to form the words.
Then her shoulders sagged, giving up before she pointed off to the right.
Vicky blinked, confused, before she turned her eyes to follow the pointer finger.
"I'm… not sure--"
She stopped.
She could see it.
It was thin. Barely visible in the distance.
But it was there.
Smoke.
She smiled, and the scream of pure joy that escaped her couldn't be contained, when she lunged to hug Taylor she barely noticed the girl going ramrod stiff, and didn't see the pure panic on her face before she pulled away and started flying in the direction of the smoke.
Behind her, Taylor hovered on her mount. Instinctive, primal fear rooted her in place even as her mind tried to remind her that Vicky wasn't trying to kill her.
Vicky wasn't someone that would try to kill Khepri.
—------
It was night by the time they reached the place.
It was a city atop the trees.
If Vicky had hoped that there would be humans on this version of earth… well…
She was disappointed.
But some people were better than no people.
Even if these people were ten foot tall walking, brown koalas… or bears. Either or.
They hadn't been spotted yet. In spite of Vicky's very white, eye-catching costume in the night sky, the walking koala people didn't exactly have much to fear above the forest canopy.
It's the crap underneath them that they should be scared of.
"Ok…" she breathed. Taylor hovered behind her, her dragonfly mount's wings buzzing softly in the night. "They might be friendly?" she hedged, turning to look.
Taylor blinked, staring at her. Then shrugged.
"Great help." Victoria deadpanned.
In response, Taylor allowed several more near invisible insects to open their glowing yellow eyes in the sky around them.
Vicky hissed, waving her arms frantically. "Tone down the 'devour your children whole' thing!"
The insects shut their eyes.
"Ok… look." She mumbled, rubbing her temples. "Just…" She held out her arms. "Come down with me?" She asked. "I'm not exactly an expert diplomat here and having Spyro the man-eating dragon-fly thing here isn't exactly going to make a nice first impression if they turn out to be friendly."
Taylor's displeased frown told her all she needed to know about what the villain thought about that idea without a single word needed.
"Please!" She begged. "This might be our only chance to find out where we are and maybe get home! Please!? If they even look at us funny you can call the murder monsters! But… just level with me on this! Isn't there someone you want to get back to at home?"
Taylor's face went through a rictus of emotions. Sorrow, grief, anger… settling on conflicted for a good long moment that lasted a goddamn eternity.
Then… she nodded.
Vicky felt her shoulders sag in relief. She floated closer as slowly and carefully as she could so as to not startle the villain into changing her mind.
When Taylor settled into her arms, Vicky offered a smile. "See. Not so bad right."
Taylor cast a look at Atlas-two.
Vicky humfed.
Then, taking a deep breath, she began to descend.
When the Bear people finally saw them they were almost at the edge of a platform, torchlights glowing bright enough to reflect off of Vicky's white suit.
They let out startled roars, pointing with meaty paws. Small… cubs? Rushed back to the adults. What she could only assume were men rushed out of their huts, with spears and crossbows in hand.
By the time she was an inch off the platform floor a semicircle of armed bear people were watching them.
Taylor turned to her, and her face said everything.
"I got this." She hiss-whispered back at Tay's silent judgment.
Vicky cleared her throat.
"Ahem…"
She took a deep breath.
"Take us to your leader?"
Taylor's facepalm was very very loud for such a quiet girl.
(X)(X)(X)
Ok ladies and gents so this is my next big project
Obviously its a Star Wars Crossover, the five characters were transported into the SW universe. Fun times will ensue.
For a single dollar per month The next three chapters are available on Patreon and supporters will remain three chapters ahead of the curb; the link for my Patreon page for those interested is below in my sig.
There was a heavy meaty thump that startled Vicky awake. She jerked where she lay, eyes flying open as she moved her head on a swivel, searching.
When she found the gaping bleeding maw of a very very dead… thing, she screamed and rushed backwards on her ass before shooting up into the sky.
Now, in the air, she could see that the… carcass of the… Gorilla? Bull? Rhino thing was being dragged by two very large volkswagen-sized beetles.
"NO! NO, FUCK THIS SHIT!" She screamed pointing with her finger before rounding on Skit-... Taylor somewhere behind her.
The maskless villain sat in the hollow of a building sized tree, the boughs of the roots and the gnarled bark cradling her like a crib of wood and leaves. Insects lined the twisting, stretching woods with rows upon rows of webbing, a football field's worth made in just a night: a canopy of gloom; chittering, cutting mandibles and softly padding legs.
The giant crab-- monster-- thing was laying in front of her like a guard dog, a single eye opening to glare at her with an unsettling intelligence
"The fuck is that!" She screamed, pointing again at the monster.
Taylor didn't speak, not in her own voice. Instead the whole of the forest for a single, crawling instant came alive.
"Food."
Vicky Fought down her revulsion, fought down her instinctive feeling of pure fear, shoving it down somewhere the same way she always did when she had to do something she was scared of.
Even so… when in the blue shits did the Undersiders' new girl learn to do that?
She swallowed, gritting her teeth as she forced herself forward, past the giant crab-insect-monster-thing and getting right in Taylor's face.
"Don't do that shit! Talk like a normal fucking person," she snarled.
As soon as she did, she regretted it, not because of anything Taylor did, or tried to do… but because of the cringing, fearful look on the girl's face as Taylor backed away from her, retreating deeper into the hollow.
It made her feel like she just kicked a puppy or something.
Vicky's anger cooled, her temper abating. "H-hey… I--"
She trailed off.
Shit… way to go feeling like an ass Vicky. Not like she was out of her mind screaming hysterically just yesterday or anything.
"Tay?" She hedged. Lowering until her feet touched the mossy forest floor and damp dirt again. "Tay, I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to snap. Just… what the fuck is that thing?"
A moment of hesitation. Then the forest around her came alive again. Countless wings and legs and mandibles moving in complete synchronicity.
"Need Food. Hunted. Food."
Vicky swallowed. Licking her lips as she breathed in deep and slow.
"Okay… why are you talking through your bugs Tay?"
Silence met her question.
Vicky felt her irritation spike, but also a sliver of concern.
She'd been reading in Parahuman studies that powers could have a lot of fucked up side effects on some capes. People losing their minds wholesale. Burnscar was a huge example, but to a certain degree, so was Myrdin.
Just yesterday Taylor had been hysterical about forgetting her name, and now she's just talking through a freaking swarm voice?
She held out her hand.
"Tay… look. Just…" She breathed. "Take my hand. Come on out of there and lets- let's just talk ok? Whole sentences?" She even allowed a very slight bit of her aura to slip its leash, adding just that little extra kick to what she was asking.
If Tay's power was gonna mess with her head, maybe Vicky's power could help… or something.
The prompt and/or the power seemed to work.
After a moment's hesitation, Tay stretched out her hand and grasped Vicky's fingers in her own, letting the New Wave Heroine pull her free from the small insect fortress Tay had turned her tree into.
She took a breath, half in relief, half to gather her thoughts.
"Why don't you want to talk?" She asked. "And I mean, like, with your own voice."
Taylor's eyes darted this way and that way, a far off look to her gaze, like she was trying to remember something, or read a line on a script.
She opened her mouth, and Vicky thought she might answer 'in her own voice'
But she merely let out a breath.
"It's the only way I could. The only way she could."
That… was weird. `
"'She' who?"
The change in Taylor's expression (and wasn't that an odd thought, being able to see a villain's face) was a gradual thing, but the fear that overtook it was unmistakable.
"Ok! Ok! Hey!" Vicky rallied quickly, looking to cut off the ensuing panic attack before it really took hold. "Look at me. Look at me!" She cried as the insects buzzed and began to make the forest come alive.
Taylor did. Vicky released a bit more of her aura, seeing the effect take hold and calming the shaken villain, if only just.
"Deep breath." She enunciated, one hand making gestures as she sucked air in and let it back out, giving Taylor a moment to mimic her. She remembered the courses she took.
Taylor did so, and soon the swarm of death monsters settled around them…
Christ she was gonna get early grays out here soon.
"Look, ok, you don't have to answer right now, just… answer when you're ready and try to speak up without your swarm… when you feel up to it. You can do that."
Vicky really really wasn't sure anymore what had hit them to send them here, or why Taylor was clearly so much worse off… upstairs than she was. Like… yeah, she'd been a villain at the bank but she didn't seem like a basket case then. Besides the villain thing.
Looking for something of a… distraction or at least a change in subject she turned around towards the very dead… carcass, monkey, bull, rhino thing.
…
Urgh…
"Ummm." She hedged. "Look, Tay, thanks for the… meat but like- How do we-"
Her question, or at least one of the many many many questions she had was answered before she could finish voicing the thought as the giant death beetles began to literally carve up the very dead… thing.
Vicky wasn't sure what would make her sicker. The sounds, the sight, the smell or the fact that she was, in fact still hungry despite all of that.
(X)(X)(X)
The meat was tough.
Like… break your teeth on it tough. Her jaw was starting to ache. And she had a Brute rating.
But she refused, absolutely refused to have Taylor's monster bugs… tenderize it for her.
How exactly Taylor could chew on something that a bug had been grinding down was lost on Vicky. Even if the Mandibles could double as car crunchers it was… ugh…
Yeah… she just threw up a little.
She decided to try and take her mind off of it.
"Ok so. I'm not a survivor girl, but like… what do we do with the rest of i-"
She shouldn't have asked.
About two minutes and seven seconds later, give or take, there weren't even bones left…
Yeah. She kinda had to get out of here. Bug girl had been annoying when she was just bugs. Now she was bordering on 'No one will find your body' bad. Literally.
She set down the… forearm? That she'd been eating; suppressing a shudder as she did.
Then, standing up, she sighed.
"Ok." She took a look around. "Like I said, not a survivor girl but I'm guessing we need to find water pretty fast and then start trying to find where this forest ends. I mean. There have to be people around here somewhere."
'Water'
And by god was that never gonna stop being creepy.
Taylor for her part delicately placed another sliver of meat back in her mouth, chewing before she pointed somewhere to their left and… up?
Vicky trailed her eyes that way but couldn't follow through the gloom of the canopy and perpetual night of this… wherever it was.
"Ok." She took a breath, floating just a bit off the ground before reaching for Tay who reeled back.
"Hey. Relax." She grumbled. "Just gonna carry you. It'll be faster if we fly."
Even with the explanation Taylor didn't ease up, staring at Vicky's arms as though the New Wave member was going to crush her in that grip.
Even so- she nodded.
But she didn't approach Vicky to accept the offer, instead, Victoria was subjected to the growing very loud buzzing she could almost liken to helicopter blades.
Something busted through the canopy and Vicky could only describe it as a cross between a giant lizard, a scorpion and a Dragonfly. Six insect wings buzzed angrily at its side, its multi-eyed gaze was blank and dead before it touched down on clawed, blade-like limbs.
It was the size of a car.
Taylor without further hesitation, walked up to the thing, and got right on it… like a pony.
Then she stared at Vicky expectantly.
Vicky stared back.
"You know." She began. "While that is… actually pretty cool. I am fucking insulted." She stated flatly, turning her nose up and away before beginning to float in the aforementioned direction.
If she'd have looked back she may have seen the faintest hint of a smile tugging at Taylor's lip for the first time since they arrived, chasing away the perpetual, anxious fear, if only for a moment.
As they flew, the forest came alive around them, the insects that could follow doing so. Other animals ahead of them were stirred by the waves of unnatural movement through their environment as they scuttled and skittered away into their hidey holes, wondering why the great insects of the forest were behaving so unnaturally.
It took a few minutes to reach the water source, and when she found it, Vicky couldn't help the sound that emerged from her in a breathy whisper: "Wow."
It wasn't a stream, or a river of some kind.
It was a waterfall… unlike any she'd ever seen before.
It trailed down from the trees above, falling between the cracks and crags of the branches and giant leaves, pooling in hollows, street wide barks and cascading down to the forest floor, far below them in a million droplets and a thousand trails of fountains.
It was beautiful.
But…
"It hasn't rained." She noted.
Not once. Not once on the forest floor had they seen a drop of rain.
Vicky's eyes trailed upward to the impossibly high trees above.
She swallowed, her own eyes starting to fill with tears that she struggled to fight down.
Fuck…
FUCK!.
She felt a hand at her shoulder and nearly jumped, whirling around to find the flat blank expression on Taylor's face, undercut with the barest hint of concern… or compassion.
Vicky breathed, sucking air through her teeth as her voice hitched.
"Where the hell are we!?" She howled.
Her voice bounced off the trees, swallowed in the blackness of the shadows.
She felt the strength leeching out of her legs and before she knew what she was doing she was gripping Taylor's shoulders, using the girl to hold herself up.
She'd thought, at first, that Leet had shrunk them down or something. The bugs and weird animals had driven that thought away. But it wasn't until now, until this second staring at a waterfall born in the heart of an endless forest that swallowed the world did she realize…
She wasn't going home.
There wasn't a quick fix. There wasn't some… button she could press or villain to punch.
Hell.. She couldn't even remember how she got here.
And her only company was a girl who was out of her mind; and a villain to boot.
Taylor's hands rose, grasping her triceps awkwardly to try and hold her up. Her face didn't change, but she didn't protest. The insects buzzed and swarmed, surrounding them, turning this place into another fortress for the two of them as Vicky started to cry.
(X)(X)(X)
The water was cold. And it was refreshing. Even without soap - and by god were they going to need that soon, and razors because - urgh- hairy legs - it felt good to get inside one of the hollow pools and paw the grime and grit off of her body.
Taylor hid in the shadows. Vicky wasn't sure if the girl watched but she couldn't bring herself to care. When it was her turn to bathe, strangely, the villain girl brought in dozens of tiny little… things into the water with her. They looked like grubs, or maggots. Tiny little feelers that swam in the water and crawled all over her skin.
Vicky could guess and hope that Tay was using them like little cleaners, their tiny bodies 'eating' all of the bacteria and such off of her but she really really didn't want to know.
If Tay was going off the deep end then… well… best to talk softly and mind her own business.
She might just be the only other person on this world.
Speaking of..."We need to head up," Vicky said.
Taylor, in the middle of putting one of her spider silk boots back on, turned to face the New Wave Heroine with a blank look.
"There has to be something." She half stated, half pleaded. "Something that isn't trees. Maybe if we get high enough we can see… lights? People? The goddamn sky."
Taylor stared at her. Blinking slowly, languidly.
Then, she nodded.
Standing up with an air of purpose she marched towards the edge of a branch, her dragonfly dragon monster thing buzzing down from where it had been hiding to once more ferry her like a loyal mount.
"You gonna give it a name?" Vicky half-joked, smiling.
Taylor paused.
Then the forest around them whispered.
"Atlas…"
Huh… The titan who holds up the world. That was a nice little-
"...-two"
And just like that Vicky was lost again.
—-
They flew for hours.
It wasn't the fastest Vicky could go. Not by a long shot. And Taylor's… Atlas-two could get tired unlike her, so rather than a straight flight Taylor had him hopping from branch to branch, like Mario from Nintendo getting from one platform to the next, to save energy.
But they climbed for hours.
When they first saw light - actual, genuine light - Vicky almost cried.
There was a world above the trees.
The illumination gave them a fresh, new surge of energy and they climbed even faster, finally breaking through the topmost canopy of trees to a sky that was hues of orange and purple.
It might have been the most beautiful sight Vicky had ever seen.
Panning her eyes around them… it was green. Nothing but forests for miles and miles in every direction.
An ocean of leaves, wood and nature.
She swallowed, again feeling emotion well up in her throat.
"There is a sky, at least," she tried to joke. Her voice emerged with a watery warble through the forced laugh.
There was a hiss, sound beneath them and Vicky turned, realizing that the sound was Taylor's insects, the cohesion and how understandable her swarm voice was; became lost as the larger, climbing species weren't able to follow so far or so quickly.
She turned to Taylor, who had a moment of dismay over her face before she scrunched up her features, clearly placing in an effort as her mouth moved, trying to form the words.
Then her shoulders sagged, giving up before she pointed off to the right.
Vicky blinked, confused, before she turned her eyes to follow the pointer finger.
"I'm… not sure--"
She stopped.
She could see it.
It was thin. Barely visible in the distance.
But it was there.
Smoke.
She smiled, and the scream of pure joy that escaped her couldn't be contained, when she lunged to hug Taylor she barely noticed the girl going ramrod stiff, and didn't see the pure panic on her face before she pulled away and started flying in the direction of the smoke.
Behind her, Taylor hovered on her mount. Instinctive, primal fear rooted her in place even as her mind tried to remind her that Vicky wasn't trying to kill her.
Vicky wasn't someone that would try to kill Khepri.
—------
It was night by the time they reached the place.
It was a city atop the trees.
If Vicky had hoped that there would be humans on this version of earth… well…
She was disappointed.
But some people were better than no people.
Even if these people were ten foot tall walking, brown koalas… or bears. Either or.
They hadn't been spotted yet. In spite of Vicky's very white, eye-catching costume in the night sky, the walking koala people didn't exactly have much to fear above the forest canopy.
It's the crap underneath them that they should be scared of.
"Ok…" she breathed. Taylor hovered behind her, her dragonfly mount's wings buzzing softly in the night. "They might be friendly?" she hedged, turning to look.
Taylor blinked, staring at her. Then shrugged.
"Great help." Victoria deadpanned.
In response, Taylor allowed several more near invisible insects to open their glowing yellow eyes in the sky around them.
Vicky hissed, waving her arms frantically. "Tone down the 'devour your children whole' thing!"
The insects shut their eyes.
"Ok… look." She mumbled, rubbing her temples. "Just…" She held out her arms. "Come down with me?" She asked. "I'm not exactly an expert diplomat here and having Spyro the man-eating dragon-fly thing here isn't exactly going to make a nice first impression if they turn out to be friendly."
Taylor's displeased frown told her all she needed to know about what the villain thought about that idea without a single word needed.
"Please!" She begged. "This might be our only chance to find out where we are and maybe get home! Please!? If they even look at us funny you can call the murder monsters! But… just level with me on this! Isn't there someone you want to get back to at home?"
Taylor's face went through a rictus of emotions. Sorrow, grief, anger… settling on conflicted for a good long moment that lasted a goddamn eternity.
Then… she nodded.
Vicky felt her shoulders sag in relief. She floated closer as slowly and carefully as she could so as to not startle the villain into changing her mind.
When Taylor settled into her arms, Vicky offered a smile. "See. Not so bad right."
Taylor cast a look at Atlas-two.
Vicky humfed.
Then, taking a deep breath, she began to descend.
When the Bear people finally saw them they were almost at the edge of a platform, torchlights glowing bright enough to reflect off of Vicky's white suit.
They let out startled roars, pointing with meaty paws. Small… cubs? Rushed back to the adults. What she could only assume were men rushed out of their huts, with spears and crossbows in hand.
By the time she was an inch off the platform floor a semicircle of armed bear people were watching them.
Taylor turned to her, and her face said everything.
"I got this." She hiss-whispered back at Tay's silent judgment.
Vicky cleared her throat.
"Ahem…"
She took a deep breath.
"Take us to your leader?"
Taylor's facepalm was very very loud for such a quiet girl.
(X)(X)(X)
Ok ladies and gents so this is my next big project
Obviously its a Star Wars Crossover, the five characters were transported into the SW universe. Fun times will ensue.
For a single dollar per month The next three chapters are available on Patreon and supporters will remain three chapters ahead of the curb; the link for my Patreon page for those interested is below in my sig.
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So it seems they're likely from different time periods? That's going to be awkward for Taylor and Rebecca
You really should fix that @LD1449, I nearly didn't open it because it said only 1.2k words.
Great start, following this with great interest.
I swear I've seen Alexandria-on-Tatooine before but no idea where.
I really like this story. Post-canon Taylor interacting with early canon Victoria is always a win.
The fact they're all from different time periods is also very interesting. Based on Dennis being wary of Alexandria, I have to assume at least he is from a time post echidna. Also, if Taylor is taken from moments after Khepri, it might make sense for the other characters to be from the moments before their death/mind break too, which would mean Alexandria is immediately post-suffocation by bugs, although her limited narration can't confirm or deny that theory. The only thing that goes against it is Victoria... She sounds early canon, not how I would picture her if this is immediately pre-flesh sarcophagus Vicky.
The fact they're all from different time periods is also very interesting. Based on Dennis being wary of Alexandria, I have to assume at least he is from a time post echidna. Also, if Taylor is taken from moments after Khepri, it might make sense for the other characters to be from the moments before their death/mind break too, which would mean Alexandria is immediately post-suffocation by bugs, although her limited narration can't confirm or deny that theory. The only thing that goes against it is Victoria... She sounds early canon, not how I would picture her if this is immediately pre-flesh sarcophagus Vicky.
- Location
- Te Ika-a-Māui
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I think this RCB might be from when Miss Militia was a Ward, but certainly pre-Echidna.
captain_belgica
But you'll call me Captain or Sir
- Pronouns
- Captain/Sir
When I first read "giant monster bugs" I thought Felucia, but this is Kashyyyk isn't it?
Or is it Yavin's moon?
Crossbows are probably wookiee bowcasters, meening Kashyyyk.
Or is it Yavin's moon?
Crossbows are probably wookiee bowcasters, meening Kashyyyk.
Chapter 2
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Chapter 2:
They were sleeping in a hovel.
And that was putting it kindly.
To be more accurate, it was the ruins of a shed. There was a hole on the roof, there was no floor to speak of and doors and windows were alien to this structure, things to be seen in the houses across the way.
Alexandria had lived in - and through - worse. Distant, near faded memories of the time her mother had practically driven herself into destitute poverty to pay for her medications, of the ruins of New York after Behemoth attacked, the days of trying to hold the entire Protectorate - and seemingly the nation - together as it threatened to buckle under the weight of that first titanic blow from the Endbringers.
Yes. She'd lived through worse.
But she'd be damned if that thought brought any comfort now.
Militia didn't ask her where she got them clothes, or food. And Alexandria was grateful she wouldn't have to lie because of those questions.
Clockblocker hadn't asked either. But she could see in his eye a very clear, very pointed suspicion.
She brushed it off… for now at least. Whatever his problem was, it was not a priority in comparison to the myriad of challenges facing them here.
She gazed out through the hole in the wall that could generously be called a window. Staring at the yellow lights that peeked, blinking through the openings in the other dome-shaped homes that were scattered across the city of Anchorhead.
For now, they were ok.
Food. Clothes. Bedding.
That would be enough.
"Do you remember?"
The question came softly, almost whispered so as not to disturb Dennis, sleeping in the corner.
Alexandria had known it was coming. It was inevitable. And yet she wished it hadn't.
She'd wished it wouldn't be asked for many reasons, but the most prominent was because of how very dangerous the implications of the answer were.
But she wouldn't lie. She couldn't.
If she was compromised…
"Not entirely," she answered. And it was the truth. "All I know is that it was the Simurgh."
Militia sucked down a sharp breath.
"We were fighting her. Brockton Bay," she summarized briefly.
It wasn't a memory, not a normal one anyway. Flashes, glimpses. She remembered Brockton Bay, so she remembered where the fight took place by specifically noting the surroundings of the memory as she was driven into the ground via impact. She remembered it was the Simurgh because the sound of her goddamn scream was deafening in the cacophony of battle within the brief flashes she could recall
"Some Tinker device she crafted," the Triumvirate member explained. "Dimensional displacement. Transportation." She shrugged. "I can't say for sure."
"I can't remember, even when I sleep," Militia confessed. Her voice was small, almost guilty. But, beneath that, Alexandria could hear and feel a very potent fear.
She understood that fear. The power to remember everything perfectly… to suddenly have it nullified, to have that gap in your memories… or worse, for the Simurgh to have removed those memories was… disquieting to say the bare minimum.
"Tomorrow we'll be heading towards the Bounty Hunter's Guild?" Militia asked behind her, no doubt changing the subject. "Did you find out where it is?"
"I did." She nodded.
Turning, the strongest woman in the world was seized by a sudden, crystal clear memory, Militia - in the room, the gun shifting in her hand - hesitating.
She heard the buzzing. The endless, ceaseless buzzing. Felt their bodies squirming, vibrating in her throat.
She couldn't breathe!
She couldn't breathe!
Then, the memory was gone and Alexandria sucked down a sharp inhale through her teeth, reminding herself that she could breathe.
She was alive…
She shook her head.
"Are you alright?" her one-time Ward asked.
"I'm fine." She tried not to snap, tried not to notice how her hands shook, tried to ignore the memory of the feeling of bugs crawling down her throat making her violently ill.
The concern in Militia's eyes was obvious. But regardless, she nodded; no doubt in a sense of understanding. After all, there were a million reasons to be troubled, even for the normally unflappable Alexandria.
Their arrival here, their inability to return home. The chaos that must be ensuing back on Earth Bet with one fewer of the Triumvirate there to hold things together.
Body doubles and other Brutes could pretend for a time. But how much time did they have, really? How much longer before Legend would have to give a statement that Alexandria had fallen against Behemoth? Or Leviathan?
What then?
How much longer before Costa Brown was killed in a tragic car accident?
How much longer before Cauldron stopped looking?
Yes. There was plenty to be worried about.
"Get some rest," she said instead. "We'll need to be sharp tomorrow. Who knows what exactly this planet has in store for us."
(X)(X)(X)
The place smelled.
Piss, sweat, booze, and foreign alien smells that made her lip curl.
Perhaps it was racist, but she felt like she was stepping into a zoo. A mess of freaks and walking, talking animals.
If they were human she might have thought the same.
The way they moved. The way they walked, spoke to each other, sized her up, checked her for weapons, sizing her up for violence and other appetites. She could read it on their faces.
Behind her, Militia and Clock stepped inside.
Alexandria took a moment to figure out who to speak to. With her cold reading ability, it didn't take her long. Body language, it seemed, was universal.
Marching through the busy cantina, she felt eyes on them, saw hands fingering blasters. Militia knew it too. Her power was in the form of a knife for now, but she was ready; only Clock seemed more distracted than focused, taken in by the menagerie of aliens - still fascinated even after a week here.
Walking up to an older man - human, this one; small mercies - she spoke: "You're the head of the Bounty Guild on this world."
"That'd be me." The man smirked. It might have been the sun, but his skin was like old leather, tanned and rough looking. She couldn't rightly place his race if he were on earth. "Lookin' for a job, or turnin' one in?"
"Looking," she answered. "Local. Nothing that requires off world transport for now."
"Hmpf," the man snorted. "Easier time working with the Hutts if that's the case; they run Tatooine."
"Rather not get involved in the power structure here. We won't be long," she sidestepped.
Hutts, if she understood, were the large slug like aliens. Wealthy, slavers, crime lords.
Even if she wanted to get involved with them - which she didn't - she doubted either Militia or Clockblocker would agree.
"Do you have something?" she asked pointedly, cutting off the chit-chat before it could start.
The old man leaned back in his seat, seemingly sizing the three of them up.
"Yeah," he finally said after a long moment. "I got something."
Reaching down under the table he pulled out a small, disc like object. A hologram appeared above it.
"The Tyram brothers," he said. "Small time splicing experts. Rodians. Pissed off some people."
The hologram showed two bug-like aliens. Their bulbous eyes and heads looked almost mosquito-esque with their small, straw like mouths.
"Don't need their backstory," she said. "Any leads?"
"They're hiding out in Mos Eisley last I heard," He said, nodding. "I'd ask around there."
"How much?"
"One thousand if either are dead," he answered curtly. "Three, if they're both brought in alive."
"We'll take the three," she said easily, reaching down for the disc.
Taking it in her hand the Bounty Master huffed, "We'll see."
She turned and marched out the door.
Militia and Clock followed behind her.
(X)(X)(X)
"So where's Moss Eisley? First time tourist visit you see, not very familiar with the area." Clock commented as soon as they were out of earshot.
"East of Anchorhead," Militia answered before Alexandria could.
"What concerns me more is the size of the city," Alexandria stated. "We don't know who to squeeze for information. We can certainly go fishing, but we need to make money and make it fast. Finding two Rodians in a place of any significant size and this much of a criminal underworld will be… irritating."
"We won't be hurting for informants once you do your whole 'Walk through the brick wall' trick a few times," the boy cheeked.
There was something there, hiding in his voice. She'd never paid attention to the Brockton Bay Wards but it didn't fit the profile she'd perused in the past. Dennis was a laid back 'joker.' He had the potential for good leadership…eventually. After he accrued some years under his belt.
This barely there, hidden suspicion… She didn't care for the mystery behind it.
Militia sighed, "Let's simply reach Moss Eisley first." The Heroine turned to look at Alexandria. "I know you wanted to keep a low profile but unless we have the money to pay for a transport you flying us there is probably the best and fastest option."
Alexandria nodded. "We'll have to leave from somewhere out of the way, and land before we're visible to the city proper. But yes, I agree."
The boy raised his hand.
"Question," he began. "Just… kinda putting it out there but… like. How can we tell what Rodians we're looking for? Rodians all kinda look the same to me."
"Clock!" Militia chastised, though a smile was tugging at her lip.
"What! It's true!" He threw up his hands. "Or are you two experts in alien faces after a week?
Alexandria let a smile tug at her own lip in spite of the situation. "Given Militia's eidetic memory…" she trailed off with a smirk.
Clock's expression was quite humorous. "Oh that's just cheating!"
(X)(X)(X)
Alexandria was immune to the heat. But even with that and the (frankly ridiculous) speeds they traveled from Anchorhead to Mos Eisley, she could tell that Tatooine bore an obscene temperature, easily cracking over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit
The twin suns hung high in the sky by the time Alexandria's flight brought them to Mos Eisley, with Militia and Clock carried one under each of her arms like sacks of potatoes.
They touched down in the wastes just a mile or so outside of the city and made their approach easily.
Clock's costumed footwear wasn't ideal for traveling in sand, and the boy's physical fitness wasn't the best either. He tired easily, but Militia kept by his side, urging him on and helping to tie a proper turban around his head to keep cool as they marched.
Even after just a day, the redness around Dennis' nose and cheeks was noticeable.
Before long, they reached Mos Eisley itself. It wasn't wasn't an overly large city, thankfully.
It was large by the standards of this planet - Tatooine - but it was about a fourth of the size of Brockton Bay by her own rough estimate.
In the states, it would qualify as perhaps a densely packed town.
But it wasn't a city by the standards Alexandria was used to, which was good. Fewer places to hide.
But something that worried her was what was in the city itself. It was likely the reason for Mos Eisley's existence the same as Anchorhead, and Mos Espa as cities on Tatooine.
A spaceport.
Mos Eisley had a very large, very active spaceport.
If the Rodians took a ship offworld…
…
No use thinking about that now.
If it happened, they'd deal with it. If not; they'd find the two brothers and get paid.
Getting closer to the dirt roads off the street itself, Alexandria could see the difference between Anchorhead and Mos Eisley immediately in just the population itself.
Anchorhead was the de-facto 'seat' of what little passed here for a capital.
Mos Eisley by comparison, was a wretched hive.
It seemed to mostly be populated by smugglers and outlaws, judging by the passers-by surrounding them. Everyone was carrying some kind of weapon. All of them watched the three of them like they were being sized up by people weighing the risks against the rewards for attempting to rob the three parahumans..
"Well, aren't we popular?"
The comment came from Clock, and despite the attempt at humor there was an air of seriousness to his voice that surprised her.
She turned, eying the boy over her shoulder, but rather than a general sense of nervousness; the boy looked… serious. Sharp eyed and clear headed.
He was assessing threats.
He was checking for weapons, wandering hands, and potential combatants.
Militia was doing the same, but Alexandria herself had trained her to do this. Had taught her to be a good soldier, a good hero.
But Clockblocker… Alexandria wasn't surprised often but this… where on Earth had this come from?
Before she could think too much more on it however, a particular… structure caught her eye.
"What's wrong?" Militia noticed her distraction, it seemed.
Alexandria jerked her head towards the very large, grand building."That's an arena," she stated simply.
"It certainly looks like one," agreed Militia, tone uncertain about where this was going.
"Arenas have contests. Contests are worth prizes."
Now they seemed to catch on.
"Wait, you're planning to enter?" Clock asked.
"Why not?" The Triumvirate member shrugged. "It would be the most expedient way to make enough money for a transport off this world, perhaps even a transport of our own.
"It just seems…" Militia hesitated, "...beneath you?"
Now, Rebecca snorted.
If only they knew.
"I'm a big girl, Militia," she drawled. "I believe I can bear the indignity."
"So…" Clock began. "We split up? Militia and I head off to go get the two bug-eye-bros and you go be the best gladiator you can be?"
Alexandria turned to the boy. "It's worth pursuing."
The boy frowned.
Then he shrugged.
"My DnD knowledge says don't split the party- the part of me that wants to sleep in an actual bed tonight says, 'fuckit.'"
And just like that she wondered where had that maturity she'd seen vanished to.
(X)(X)(X)
So the way I'm "running" this fic is basically "One Chapter for Vicky and Tay, one chap for Lexi and co" At least for now. the two groups should get out of the "prologue" phase at *relatively* the same time. So letting them "leave their planets" at the same time by pacing the chapters like this now gives me a lot more freedom later when I'll need to juggle them across more complex plotlines.
So, next chap we get to see Vicky and Tay along with the wookies and the one after that we see Alexandria and co searching for cash on Tattoine and who they maybe juuuust maybe, might run into
As stated previously, the next three chapters (Up to chapter five) are available on Patreon; which is about to add a brand new tier with book club and discord Link is in my sig below
They were sleeping in a hovel.
And that was putting it kindly.
To be more accurate, it was the ruins of a shed. There was a hole on the roof, there was no floor to speak of and doors and windows were alien to this structure, things to be seen in the houses across the way.
Alexandria had lived in - and through - worse. Distant, near faded memories of the time her mother had practically driven herself into destitute poverty to pay for her medications, of the ruins of New York after Behemoth attacked, the days of trying to hold the entire Protectorate - and seemingly the nation - together as it threatened to buckle under the weight of that first titanic blow from the Endbringers.
Yes. She'd lived through worse.
But she'd be damned if that thought brought any comfort now.
Militia didn't ask her where she got them clothes, or food. And Alexandria was grateful she wouldn't have to lie because of those questions.
Clockblocker hadn't asked either. But she could see in his eye a very clear, very pointed suspicion.
She brushed it off… for now at least. Whatever his problem was, it was not a priority in comparison to the myriad of challenges facing them here.
She gazed out through the hole in the wall that could generously be called a window. Staring at the yellow lights that peeked, blinking through the openings in the other dome-shaped homes that were scattered across the city of Anchorhead.
For now, they were ok.
Food. Clothes. Bedding.
That would be enough.
"Do you remember?"
The question came softly, almost whispered so as not to disturb Dennis, sleeping in the corner.
Alexandria had known it was coming. It was inevitable. And yet she wished it hadn't.
She'd wished it wouldn't be asked for many reasons, but the most prominent was because of how very dangerous the implications of the answer were.
But she wouldn't lie. She couldn't.
If she was compromised…
"Not entirely," she answered. And it was the truth. "All I know is that it was the Simurgh."
Militia sucked down a sharp breath.
"We were fighting her. Brockton Bay," she summarized briefly.
It wasn't a memory, not a normal one anyway. Flashes, glimpses. She remembered Brockton Bay, so she remembered where the fight took place by specifically noting the surroundings of the memory as she was driven into the ground via impact. She remembered it was the Simurgh because the sound of her goddamn scream was deafening in the cacophony of battle within the brief flashes she could recall
"Some Tinker device she crafted," the Triumvirate member explained. "Dimensional displacement. Transportation." She shrugged. "I can't say for sure."
"I can't remember, even when I sleep," Militia confessed. Her voice was small, almost guilty. But, beneath that, Alexandria could hear and feel a very potent fear.
She understood that fear. The power to remember everything perfectly… to suddenly have it nullified, to have that gap in your memories… or worse, for the Simurgh to have removed those memories was… disquieting to say the bare minimum.
"Tomorrow we'll be heading towards the Bounty Hunter's Guild?" Militia asked behind her, no doubt changing the subject. "Did you find out where it is?"
"I did." She nodded.
Turning, the strongest woman in the world was seized by a sudden, crystal clear memory, Militia - in the room, the gun shifting in her hand - hesitating.
She heard the buzzing. The endless, ceaseless buzzing. Felt their bodies squirming, vibrating in her throat.
She couldn't breathe!
She couldn't breathe!
Then, the memory was gone and Alexandria sucked down a sharp inhale through her teeth, reminding herself that she could breathe.
She was alive…
She shook her head.
"Are you alright?" her one-time Ward asked.
"I'm fine." She tried not to snap, tried not to notice how her hands shook, tried to ignore the memory of the feeling of bugs crawling down her throat making her violently ill.
The concern in Militia's eyes was obvious. But regardless, she nodded; no doubt in a sense of understanding. After all, there were a million reasons to be troubled, even for the normally unflappable Alexandria.
Their arrival here, their inability to return home. The chaos that must be ensuing back on Earth Bet with one fewer of the Triumvirate there to hold things together.
Body doubles and other Brutes could pretend for a time. But how much time did they have, really? How much longer before Legend would have to give a statement that Alexandria had fallen against Behemoth? Or Leviathan?
What then?
How much longer before Costa Brown was killed in a tragic car accident?
How much longer before Cauldron stopped looking?
Yes. There was plenty to be worried about.
"Get some rest," she said instead. "We'll need to be sharp tomorrow. Who knows what exactly this planet has in store for us."
(X)(X)(X)
The place smelled.
Piss, sweat, booze, and foreign alien smells that made her lip curl.
Perhaps it was racist, but she felt like she was stepping into a zoo. A mess of freaks and walking, talking animals.
If they were human she might have thought the same.
The way they moved. The way they walked, spoke to each other, sized her up, checked her for weapons, sizing her up for violence and other appetites. She could read it on their faces.
Behind her, Militia and Clock stepped inside.
Alexandria took a moment to figure out who to speak to. With her cold reading ability, it didn't take her long. Body language, it seemed, was universal.
Marching through the busy cantina, she felt eyes on them, saw hands fingering blasters. Militia knew it too. Her power was in the form of a knife for now, but she was ready; only Clock seemed more distracted than focused, taken in by the menagerie of aliens - still fascinated even after a week here.
Walking up to an older man - human, this one; small mercies - she spoke: "You're the head of the Bounty Guild on this world."
"That'd be me." The man smirked. It might have been the sun, but his skin was like old leather, tanned and rough looking. She couldn't rightly place his race if he were on earth. "Lookin' for a job, or turnin' one in?"
"Looking," she answered. "Local. Nothing that requires off world transport for now."
"Hmpf," the man snorted. "Easier time working with the Hutts if that's the case; they run Tatooine."
"Rather not get involved in the power structure here. We won't be long," she sidestepped.
Hutts, if she understood, were the large slug like aliens. Wealthy, slavers, crime lords.
Even if she wanted to get involved with them - which she didn't - she doubted either Militia or Clockblocker would agree.
"Do you have something?" she asked pointedly, cutting off the chit-chat before it could start.
The old man leaned back in his seat, seemingly sizing the three of them up.
"Yeah," he finally said after a long moment. "I got something."
Reaching down under the table he pulled out a small, disc like object. A hologram appeared above it.
"The Tyram brothers," he said. "Small time splicing experts. Rodians. Pissed off some people."
The hologram showed two bug-like aliens. Their bulbous eyes and heads looked almost mosquito-esque with their small, straw like mouths.
"Don't need their backstory," she said. "Any leads?"
"They're hiding out in Mos Eisley last I heard," He said, nodding. "I'd ask around there."
"How much?"
"One thousand if either are dead," he answered curtly. "Three, if they're both brought in alive."
"We'll take the three," she said easily, reaching down for the disc.
Taking it in her hand the Bounty Master huffed, "We'll see."
She turned and marched out the door.
Militia and Clock followed behind her.
(X)(X)(X)
"So where's Moss Eisley? First time tourist visit you see, not very familiar with the area." Clock commented as soon as they were out of earshot.
"East of Anchorhead," Militia answered before Alexandria could.
"What concerns me more is the size of the city," Alexandria stated. "We don't know who to squeeze for information. We can certainly go fishing, but we need to make money and make it fast. Finding two Rodians in a place of any significant size and this much of a criminal underworld will be… irritating."
"We won't be hurting for informants once you do your whole 'Walk through the brick wall' trick a few times," the boy cheeked.
There was something there, hiding in his voice. She'd never paid attention to the Brockton Bay Wards but it didn't fit the profile she'd perused in the past. Dennis was a laid back 'joker.' He had the potential for good leadership…eventually. After he accrued some years under his belt.
This barely there, hidden suspicion… She didn't care for the mystery behind it.
Militia sighed, "Let's simply reach Moss Eisley first." The Heroine turned to look at Alexandria. "I know you wanted to keep a low profile but unless we have the money to pay for a transport you flying us there is probably the best and fastest option."
Alexandria nodded. "We'll have to leave from somewhere out of the way, and land before we're visible to the city proper. But yes, I agree."
The boy raised his hand.
"Question," he began. "Just… kinda putting it out there but… like. How can we tell what Rodians we're looking for? Rodians all kinda look the same to me."
"Clock!" Militia chastised, though a smile was tugging at her lip.
"What! It's true!" He threw up his hands. "Or are you two experts in alien faces after a week?
Alexandria let a smile tug at her own lip in spite of the situation. "Given Militia's eidetic memory…" she trailed off with a smirk.
Clock's expression was quite humorous. "Oh that's just cheating!"
(X)(X)(X)
Alexandria was immune to the heat. But even with that and the (frankly ridiculous) speeds they traveled from Anchorhead to Mos Eisley, she could tell that Tatooine bore an obscene temperature, easily cracking over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit
The twin suns hung high in the sky by the time Alexandria's flight brought them to Mos Eisley, with Militia and Clock carried one under each of her arms like sacks of potatoes.
They touched down in the wastes just a mile or so outside of the city and made their approach easily.
Clock's costumed footwear wasn't ideal for traveling in sand, and the boy's physical fitness wasn't the best either. He tired easily, but Militia kept by his side, urging him on and helping to tie a proper turban around his head to keep cool as they marched.
Even after just a day, the redness around Dennis' nose and cheeks was noticeable.
Before long, they reached Mos Eisley itself. It wasn't wasn't an overly large city, thankfully.
It was large by the standards of this planet - Tatooine - but it was about a fourth of the size of Brockton Bay by her own rough estimate.
In the states, it would qualify as perhaps a densely packed town.
But it wasn't a city by the standards Alexandria was used to, which was good. Fewer places to hide.
But something that worried her was what was in the city itself. It was likely the reason for Mos Eisley's existence the same as Anchorhead, and Mos Espa as cities on Tatooine.
A spaceport.
Mos Eisley had a very large, very active spaceport.
If the Rodians took a ship offworld…
…
No use thinking about that now.
If it happened, they'd deal with it. If not; they'd find the two brothers and get paid.
Getting closer to the dirt roads off the street itself, Alexandria could see the difference between Anchorhead and Mos Eisley immediately in just the population itself.
Anchorhead was the de-facto 'seat' of what little passed here for a capital.
Mos Eisley by comparison, was a wretched hive.
It seemed to mostly be populated by smugglers and outlaws, judging by the passers-by surrounding them. Everyone was carrying some kind of weapon. All of them watched the three of them like they were being sized up by people weighing the risks against the rewards for attempting to rob the three parahumans..
"Well, aren't we popular?"
The comment came from Clock, and despite the attempt at humor there was an air of seriousness to his voice that surprised her.
She turned, eying the boy over her shoulder, but rather than a general sense of nervousness; the boy looked… serious. Sharp eyed and clear headed.
He was assessing threats.
He was checking for weapons, wandering hands, and potential combatants.
Militia was doing the same, but Alexandria herself had trained her to do this. Had taught her to be a good soldier, a good hero.
But Clockblocker… Alexandria wasn't surprised often but this… where on Earth had this come from?
Before she could think too much more on it however, a particular… structure caught her eye.
"What's wrong?" Militia noticed her distraction, it seemed.
Alexandria jerked her head towards the very large, grand building."That's an arena," she stated simply.
"It certainly looks like one," agreed Militia, tone uncertain about where this was going.
"Arenas have contests. Contests are worth prizes."
Now they seemed to catch on.
"Wait, you're planning to enter?" Clock asked.
"Why not?" The Triumvirate member shrugged. "It would be the most expedient way to make enough money for a transport off this world, perhaps even a transport of our own.
"It just seems…" Militia hesitated, "...beneath you?"
Now, Rebecca snorted.
If only they knew.
"I'm a big girl, Militia," she drawled. "I believe I can bear the indignity."
"So…" Clock began. "We split up? Militia and I head off to go get the two bug-eye-bros and you go be the best gladiator you can be?"
Alexandria turned to the boy. "It's worth pursuing."
The boy frowned.
Then he shrugged.
"My DnD knowledge says don't split the party- the part of me that wants to sleep in an actual bed tonight says, 'fuckit.'"
And just like that she wondered where had that maturity she'd seen vanished to.
(X)(X)(X)
So the way I'm "running" this fic is basically "One Chapter for Vicky and Tay, one chap for Lexi and co" At least for now. the two groups should get out of the "prologue" phase at *relatively* the same time. So letting them "leave their planets" at the same time by pacing the chapters like this now gives me a lot more freedom later when I'll need to juggle them across more complex plotlines.
So, next chap we get to see Vicky and Tay along with the wookies and the one after that we see Alexandria and co searching for cash on Tattoine and who they maybe juuuust maybe, might run into
As stated previously, the next three chapters (Up to chapter five) are available on Patreon; which is about to add a brand new tier with book club and discord Link is in my sig below
I am compelled to correct this.
I see it in so many fics.
Militia having Eidetic Memory is Fanon.
Miss Militia DOES NOT HAVE EIDETIC MEMORY!
She simply has a perfect recall of the events involved in her Trigger Event, including the Trigger Vision, but ONLY WHEN SHE SLEEPS.
Which is why she rarely ever sleeps.
Guaranteed Nightmares that never change.
It helps that sleeping is entirely voluntary for her and not a requirement.
Noctis for the win.
I'm gonna assume that this Wormverse is AU on her powers, accept it, and move on.
Other than that, this story is off to a great start and this is now Watched.
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MaimakteriAnn
(Verified Sleepy)
- Location
- Enormous And Round Terran Homeworld
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Dr
Wondering how long each group can go without realising they aren't from the same times.
Wondering when MM is from. Tay is from between killing scion and head bullets, Vicky is from ... Somewhen? (She is established as after the bank job but before skitter was named at first, but then she starts referring to Taylor as skitter mentally too) Dennis is post Echidna, Lexi is from an alternate time where ziz hit the bay, possibly instead of the airplane?
Wondering when MM is from. Tay is from between killing scion and head bullets, Vicky is from ... Somewhen? (She is established as after the bank job but before skitter was named at first, but then she starts referring to Taylor as skitter mentally too) Dennis is post Echidna, Lexi is from an alternate time where ziz hit the bay, possibly instead of the airplane?
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Chapter 3
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Chapter 3:
They were, in fact, taken to their leader.
Or at least Vicky assumed the great big guy with the fancy hat was their leader.
Fancy hats always meant leaders.
The big bear man was… well… big. And probably very old since his fur was already graying if not white. He roared, growled, and chuffed at them, seemingly trying to communicate.
"I don't understand," she enunciated clearly, trying to smile despite the relative tension of the situation.
The bear man chuffed again, his meaty paw reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. The first blow made her forcefield flicker off for a second. These bear things were pretty strong.
The big guy growled and chuffed something at another of the bear people behind her who shuffled out of the tree house hut thing.
Vicky turned to an unimpressed looking Taylor with a beatific smile on her face.
"Whelp!" She grinned. "Either he sent him to go get the translator or maybe the spices to boil us all in tonight's soup; one or the other."
Taylor, once again, did not look impressed.
Tough crowd.
The bear man roared something, shaking his head and for a moment Vicky wondered if he understood her joke.
Then, the bear guy that left came back, this time with a… robot?
That's what it looked like… a fully formed robot. With metal legs and arms. Its head/face was blank with just a screen for a face but that's what she was looking at.
She looked to Taylor, but the bug girl looked just as dumbfounded as Vicky felt.
The robot-thing was set down on the floor, where it slumped forward.
The big bear man roared something.
The robot did not move.
Another roar.
…
Nothing.
"Maybe it's broken?" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Taylor, who shrugged.
The big ol' bear gave the bot a mighty wallop with his furry paw, the sound echoing with the metal clang! …and the bot booted up to life.
She smiled. "Guess engineering is the same no matter what planet you go to!" she laughed.
The machine's face sparked and whirred before coming to life, a pixelated set of eyes and a mouth finding her.
"Oh… Hello," the machine spoke, its voice warbling to life with a staticky crackle before stabilizing. "I am DX-four-oh-four. Designated Translation Protocol Droid for the Karrashkirt tribe of the Wookie people and their leader: Chieftain Attichitcuk."
The droid turned its head, seemingly taking in the room, then looked back at Vicky and Taylor. "I see you're already acquainted."
Vicky felt her eyes going wide. All but popping out of her skull.
"Wait! Wait! Hold the phone!" She screamed. "You- W- You speak english?"
"I am well versed in over three thousand forms of communication spoken throughout the galaxy." The droid offered an affirming bow, seemingly proud of the fact. "I assure you, I do speak Galactic Basic, and can guide your negotiations with the Wookie peoples efficiently. Not many understand the Wookie tongue, which is why this unit was provided by the republic to facilitate off-worlder communications.
Vicky felt… faint, her head spinning.
"I think I need to sit down..."
"You are sitting down, Miss."
Oh… so she was.
She turned, looking to Taylor, who's features showed her own shade of concern even with her silence.
"Did I just hear the robot right?" she asked, semi rhetorically. "That he speaks three thousand languages spoken across the galaxy!?"
Taylor nodded.
Vicky breathed…
It didn't make it better.
"Ok… Ok. So…we're on an alien world-"
"Correction:" the machine cut in, "the Wookie homeworld of -Kashyyyk- has been charted and cataloged in the republic database for thousands of years. And has existed as part of the galactic community for just as long. There is very little that would classify it as 'alien.'
Vicky stared at the bot…
She turned to Taylor.
The dark haired girl looked pained, then turned her head away.
She opened her mouth. And even just mouthing the lone word seemed to cause her pain.
"Home"
Vicky took a moment to gather what Taylor meant before her eyes widened, realization dawning over her.
"Ok. Look, robot!"
"Droid, Miss-"
"Droid!" She stood looming over the slightly shorter machine. "We're not from round here; that's obvious. Me and Tay woke up on the forest floor and need to get back home. So tell Mr. Wookie man-"
"Chieftain Attichitcuk," the Droid corrected again.
Said Chieftain barked something.
"And he says he can understand you quite well and would appreciate it if you looked at him when speaking."
Obligingly, she rounded on the very big bear man, utterly fearless.
"We need a ride home!" She threw her hands outward. "Like… we're really really not from around here. We don't even have space travel unlocked yet so please get us a ship and maybe drop us off and we'll be out of your hair in no time."
The Chieftain tilted his head, huffing something.
"Chieftain Attichitcuk remarks that he has never met any humans who claim to not have space travel."
Vicky turned, staring at the thing.
"Alright. Your translator thing must be busted. Humans can't get out into space even on other Earths!" She knew that for a fact. Many had checked to try and escape the Endbringers when Earth Aleph became known to Earth Bet.
Another series of barks.
"Chieftain Attichitcuk wonders if you hit your head on one of the trees while flying…" More growls. "He would also like to know exactly how you were, in fact, flying." This time the droid turned towards the Wookie, warbling something in electric staticky growls, that the chief responded to. "I asked him to clarify, since humans cannot fly. He insists he said what he meant."
"I'm special," she groused. "Look. I… don't know what we're doing here and I'm pretty sure we must be breaking several thousand laws not even invented yet, but please tell me the chief here can get us back home."
Attichitcuk's head bobbed, neither nodding nor denying.
"The chieftain," the droid began, "does not have any vessels capable of transporting you off world. He is, however, able to contact those who might have such transport and help those who are considered 'special.'
"Grea-"
Tay's hand clamped on Vicky's wrist like a vice.
The Dallon girl turned, blinking as Tay stared at her with a palpable concern decorating her eyes.
Taylor shook her head.
Vicky frowned.
"It's not like we have much of a choice, Tay. And he hasn't cooked us or had our heads shrunk so… we're doing ok so far."
A roar.
"The Chieftain would like to inform you that he is, in fact, a vegetarian."
Vicky winced. "I am the worst diplomat ever…" she hissed to herself under her breath.
She heard Attichitcuk chuckling. Or at least… assumed that sound was a chuckle… hoped it was… either that or he was coughing up a hairball.
The droid spoke again: "In the meanwhile, the Chieftain will have the guest hut prepared for you and your acquaintance; and invites you to tonight's dinner." A pause. "Also, this one is your designated liaison during your stay with the Wookie people."
Vicky offered Tay a hesitant, reassuring smile, as if to affirm the point that they weren't quite doing so bad.
Taylor didn't look very at ease, but she released Vicky's wrist.
Vicky patted her hand and turned back to the chieftain and droid.
"That sounds great! Thanks!"
(X)(X)(X)
Their 'hut' was… large.
Very large.
Vicky shouldn't be surprised. Wookies (She learned a new word, Yay!) were a large people. None of them were any less than eight feet, and a huge one she'd seen decked out in what she assumed were weapons seemed to be almost twelve feet tall.
But still, the word 'hut' didn't exactly bring about the 'vision' of a large place.
This 'hut' was different.
It had beautiful rugs of some material she'd never seen before; they had beds of furs and thick heavy blankets that were almost plush. Drapes were strewn about the insides for decor, reds and greens and yellows, giving it a very warm feel.
And it had running water!
The bear people had running water. And soap!
Soap!
She loved them!
The translator droid was very specific about how Wookies had a fairly high level of hygiene standards. Fur got messy and smelly if left unwashed
Only downside was the water was fairly cold. Wookies liked it cold. Again: fur. But hey. Soap and running water. This place was the four seasons as far as she was concerned.
Stepping out of the shower feeling clean and refreshed Vicky let out a contented sigh as she flopped down on the bed.
"I have no idea what this stuff is made out of, but we gotta get Wookies to open up a shop back on earth!" she said, toweling her hair dry. Well…it functioned like a towel. It was actually a giant spongy leaf, or so the droid explained.
Her comment was referring to the clothes they'd given her. It was a simple design similar to a greek chemise in orange, red, and deep yellows. The fabric felt as smooth as silk but heavy and warm like wool. It would be a wonder back home in the colder months.
Yes, the Wookies could definitely open a shop.
Taylor offered her something akin to a smile. If a face could approximate a shrug with a smile, that was the expression right there.
Vicky's own expression twisted with an impatient huff. "Maybe if you got out of that suit you'll see what I mean. It's silky smooth. Feels nice."
Taylor's eyebrow rose, unimpressed.
"What?" She huffed. "Everyone loves the feel of silk on their skin."
Now Tay's expression was interesting. Somehow managing to be both amused and unimpressed.
Vicky glared…
Then Tay raised her arm, the other hand fingering the fabric of her sleeve.
It took Vicky a second… then she facepalmed.
"Batting a hundred on the foot in my mouth contest today aren't I?" she muttered.
Taylor's smug little smirk said it all.
"What are you doing anyway?" Vicky asked, trying to change the subject. "Shower's free."
In response Taylor tapped her ear.
"Uhhh… Listening?" She guessed.
A nod.
"To wha- Wait." She paused. "You can hear through your bugs?"
Another nod.
"Of course you can… you can talk through them; why couldn't you hear through them?" Then her face scrunched up. "But you can't understand the language?"
Taylor shrugged then mimed sleeping and someone… slitting their throats…
"Paranoid much!?" she exclaimed.
Another unfathomably unimpressed shrug.
Vicky rolled her eyes, stepping closer to grab the surprised bug girl by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "No one poisoned the shower. So go. Take a bath without bugs crawling all over you, and let's go to sleep. We still have to figure out how the hell we're getting home from this place."
Shoving some of the Wookie clothes into Taylor's chest, Vicky bodily turned the girl around and shoved her towards the bathroom, her Brute rating making it impossible to resist the physical manhandling.
Taylor shot her an irritated look. Vicky answered back with a winning smile as she shut the door.
…
Ok. On to the next crisis.
"Do they have any kind of TV… Or internet!? Maybe we can see what other aliens look like!"
(X)(X)(X)
They, in fact, did not have a TV…
Nor did they have internet. At least not on this planet.
The Wookies lived simple lives. And what little they had in terms of 'modern amenities' (besides their weaponry) was reserved for the offworlders who occasionally came to Kashyyyk.
Made sense.
After all, why would the twelve foot tall Wookie have dresses in proper sizes for a relatively average tall blonde from earth… or clothes at all come to think of it. They didn't seem big on clothing around here.
It was the fur… again.
But still, that was ok for now. She was tired. So was Taylor. So, after showering and changing, they went to bed in their separate little rooms, warmed by the outside fires and listening to the crickets and insects of Kashyyyk chirping and singing their lullaby tunes.
It was fine. It was ok. It wasn't home. But they'd be alright.
But still that presented her with another problem the next morning.
"I'm bored!"
Taylor, with a tablet the droid had provided for her, pursed her lips before she typed something out.
Strangely "Galactic Basic" sounded like English easily enough; but the writing was… very off. Right now they were making due with *similarly shaped* letters to write. It was probably complete gibberish to a native speaker but for their purposes of letting Tay 'talk' well, it was fine…
'Go out and see the sights.'
Taylor's face was completely blank, almost unnervingly so.
That was 'usual' for her, Vicky noticed. Sometimes she was expressive, then others she just became a flat wall. No rhyme or reason for it but it happened.
Either way, in moments like this, it made it very hard to tell if she was joking or serious.
Still even without the expression Vicky could see dark circles under Taylor's eyes, not helped by the paleness of her skin.
"How much did you sleep last night?"
For a second Taylor averted her eyes, her gaze far away. Then she shrugged.
Not much then…
Oh well.
Whatever was bugging Tay, she'd deal with it, or she'd tell Vicky if she wanted to. They were stuck here, working together, but she wasn't sure if that made them friends…
Time to change the subject.
"Like… I don't understand what's going on!" she groaned. "What if I, like… pick a fruit and end up causing an inter-planet incident"
Now there was an expression- one that Vicky was becoming increasingly familiar with.
More typing.
"You implied the chieftain was going to eat you last night. And now you're worried?"
She winced, "That was… a cultural misstep."
"Misstepped your boot into your mouth you mean."
"Shut up!" she huffed. "Fine! I'll go out--" Then she pointed. "But you're coming with!"
The deer in the headlights look was utterly priceless.
(X)(X)(X)
The Wookie tree house village was large. Very large. Not quite a "city" to be sure but still much bigger than anything atop a tree had any right to be.
It had fifteen different "centers" Vicky learned, situated atop the boughs of Wroshyr Trees. Each tree housed a town "square" connected by large, sturdy bridges. Shielded above from the harsh sun by the thick canopy of leaves and shielded below by giant networks of constructed thorn fences.
In the sunlight, the village was a beautiful thing. Simple, true, but still very pretty. Some of the Wookies looked at them with curiosity. Others paid them no mind at all. Like they were used to human visitors.
That… worried her wasn't the right word. She wasn't sure what the right word was but it made her hairs stand up straight along her arms.
How was there a whole galaxy already populated by humans to the point that they were commonplace?
Was this another Earth, like Earth Aleph? Is this what could have been their species without Endbringers. It was strange.
Beyond strange.
They didn't understand a word of what the Wookies chuffed, huffed, growled and roared. But they seemed friendly enough. Offering them fruits, water canteens. The small Wookies, who had to be kids - or maybe teens - tried to cajole them into playing.
Taylor didn't, but Vicky was willing, throwing some Wookie kids on her shoulders to float around.
They squealed and roared and their parents (she assumed) pointed and gasped, but no one tried to stop her soooo… Great diplomatic overtures made!
Taylor sat quietly on the equivalent of a bench. Or at least, for Wookies, it was a bench. It looked like Tay was sitting on a table.
Some of the cubs went up to her, pointing towards Vicky as if asking Tay if she could take them flying too.
Without a word, Taylor shook her head. The cubs soon got the hint and gathered more and more around Vicky's little flying service for their turns.
The adult Wookies seemed to take the whole flying thing in remarkable stride, truth be told. Sure they gasped and gawped but after a little bit shrugged and moved on with their day, casting only the occasional side eyed glance their way.
Maybe some people flying was an old hat to them? For all she knew they had magic space wizards or something.
(X)(X)(X)
"Hey look!" Vicky smiled, "I've got a fan!"
Taylor offered her a sardonic little smile.
Vicky's "fan" - such as it was - was a little Wookie cub.
The little sweetie pie was hanging off her neck like a Koala limpet; his mother hovered nearby. She looked amused at the spectacle - at least if Vicky was judging Wookie facial expressions right.
She was getting a bit of practice on that front.
"So what are you up to?" she asked. "Still listening to everything?'
Taylor's expression shifted, losing the amusement with an irritated glance. The sudden shift in mood took her off guard, and she actually found herself stepping back.
When she saw Taylor casting an eye towards the Wookies around them she realized what exactly had pissed her off.
She wants to keep her power a secret…
That… made sense, considering that Tay thought they might get murdered in their sleep.
Still paranoid as all shit, but in her mind it made sense to keep it a secret.
Vicky offered a semi apologetic shrug. Then, she changed the subject. She seemed to be doing that often recently. "So what do you think Tay!?" She smiled, hefting up the little fuzzy cub. "Isn't he the cutest thing you ever saw?"
The villain rolled her eyes.
Vicky stuck her tongue out at her. "You're just jealous because he likes me more. He is the cutest and he's gonna grow up to be big and strong. Yes you are. Oh yes you are!"
D4, dutifully standing by the sidelines cut in. "The cub you are holding, Miss, is, in fact, a female…"
Vicky might perhaps some day convince herself that she did not, in fact, die of mortification as she heard the cub's mother laughing beside her. Or growling; one of the two.
(X)(X)(X)
Ok mannaged to get this one out today;
Just a bit of lighthearted "fun" for Taylor and Vicky for now, and them realizing where they are, figuratively speaking.
Now with the holidays coming up, I can't promise we'll see another update this year seeing as how I want to finish the Outcry rewrite and spend time with the family.
On that note, for those interested Outcry only has about sixty-ish pages left in its rewrite to go- so that's coming to an end soon too
For those interested as usual the next three chapters of the weaving force (4,5,6) are available on Patreon for merely one dollar per month, once we reach 120 patrons there will be a new tier for the patrons and something very special for those patrons so think about it if you enjoy my works
Links to Patreon and Discord down below in my sig
They were, in fact, taken to their leader.
Or at least Vicky assumed the great big guy with the fancy hat was their leader.
Fancy hats always meant leaders.
The big bear man was… well… big. And probably very old since his fur was already graying if not white. He roared, growled, and chuffed at them, seemingly trying to communicate.
"I don't understand," she enunciated clearly, trying to smile despite the relative tension of the situation.
The bear man chuffed again, his meaty paw reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. The first blow made her forcefield flicker off for a second. These bear things were pretty strong.
The big guy growled and chuffed something at another of the bear people behind her who shuffled out of the tree house hut thing.
Vicky turned to an unimpressed looking Taylor with a beatific smile on her face.
"Whelp!" She grinned. "Either he sent him to go get the translator or maybe the spices to boil us all in tonight's soup; one or the other."
Taylor, once again, did not look impressed.
Tough crowd.
The bear man roared something, shaking his head and for a moment Vicky wondered if he understood her joke.
Then, the bear guy that left came back, this time with a… robot?
That's what it looked like… a fully formed robot. With metal legs and arms. Its head/face was blank with just a screen for a face but that's what she was looking at.
She looked to Taylor, but the bug girl looked just as dumbfounded as Vicky felt.
The robot-thing was set down on the floor, where it slumped forward.
The big bear man roared something.
The robot did not move.
Another roar.
…
Nothing.
"Maybe it's broken?" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Taylor, who shrugged.
The big ol' bear gave the bot a mighty wallop with his furry paw, the sound echoing with the metal clang! …and the bot booted up to life.
She smiled. "Guess engineering is the same no matter what planet you go to!" she laughed.
The machine's face sparked and whirred before coming to life, a pixelated set of eyes and a mouth finding her.
"Oh… Hello," the machine spoke, its voice warbling to life with a staticky crackle before stabilizing. "I am DX-four-oh-four. Designated Translation Protocol Droid for the Karrashkirt tribe of the Wookie people and their leader: Chieftain Attichitcuk."
The droid turned its head, seemingly taking in the room, then looked back at Vicky and Taylor. "I see you're already acquainted."
Vicky felt her eyes going wide. All but popping out of her skull.
"Wait! Wait! Hold the phone!" She screamed. "You- W- You speak english?"
"I am well versed in over three thousand forms of communication spoken throughout the galaxy." The droid offered an affirming bow, seemingly proud of the fact. "I assure you, I do speak Galactic Basic, and can guide your negotiations with the Wookie peoples efficiently. Not many understand the Wookie tongue, which is why this unit was provided by the republic to facilitate off-worlder communications.
Vicky felt… faint, her head spinning.
"I think I need to sit down..."
"You are sitting down, Miss."
Oh… so she was.
She turned, looking to Taylor, who's features showed her own shade of concern even with her silence.
"Did I just hear the robot right?" she asked, semi rhetorically. "That he speaks three thousand languages spoken across the galaxy!?"
Taylor nodded.
Vicky breathed…
It didn't make it better.
"Ok… Ok. So…we're on an alien world-"
"Correction:" the machine cut in, "the Wookie homeworld of -Kashyyyk- has been charted and cataloged in the republic database for thousands of years. And has existed as part of the galactic community for just as long. There is very little that would classify it as 'alien.'
Vicky stared at the bot…
She turned to Taylor.
The dark haired girl looked pained, then turned her head away.
She opened her mouth. And even just mouthing the lone word seemed to cause her pain.
"Home"
Vicky took a moment to gather what Taylor meant before her eyes widened, realization dawning over her.
"Ok. Look, robot!"
"Droid, Miss-"
"Droid!" She stood looming over the slightly shorter machine. "We're not from round here; that's obvious. Me and Tay woke up on the forest floor and need to get back home. So tell Mr. Wookie man-"
"Chieftain Attichitcuk," the Droid corrected again.
Said Chieftain barked something.
"And he says he can understand you quite well and would appreciate it if you looked at him when speaking."
Obligingly, she rounded on the very big bear man, utterly fearless.
"We need a ride home!" She threw her hands outward. "Like… we're really really not from around here. We don't even have space travel unlocked yet so please get us a ship and maybe drop us off and we'll be out of your hair in no time."
The Chieftain tilted his head, huffing something.
"Chieftain Attichitcuk remarks that he has never met any humans who claim to not have space travel."
Vicky turned, staring at the thing.
"Alright. Your translator thing must be busted. Humans can't get out into space even on other Earths!" She knew that for a fact. Many had checked to try and escape the Endbringers when Earth Aleph became known to Earth Bet.
Another series of barks.
"Chieftain Attichitcuk wonders if you hit your head on one of the trees while flying…" More growls. "He would also like to know exactly how you were, in fact, flying." This time the droid turned towards the Wookie, warbling something in electric staticky growls, that the chief responded to. "I asked him to clarify, since humans cannot fly. He insists he said what he meant."
"I'm special," she groused. "Look. I… don't know what we're doing here and I'm pretty sure we must be breaking several thousand laws not even invented yet, but please tell me the chief here can get us back home."
Attichitcuk's head bobbed, neither nodding nor denying.
"The chieftain," the droid began, "does not have any vessels capable of transporting you off world. He is, however, able to contact those who might have such transport and help those who are considered 'special.'
"Grea-"
Tay's hand clamped on Vicky's wrist like a vice.
The Dallon girl turned, blinking as Tay stared at her with a palpable concern decorating her eyes.
Taylor shook her head.
Vicky frowned.
"It's not like we have much of a choice, Tay. And he hasn't cooked us or had our heads shrunk so… we're doing ok so far."
A roar.
"The Chieftain would like to inform you that he is, in fact, a vegetarian."
Vicky winced. "I am the worst diplomat ever…" she hissed to herself under her breath.
She heard Attichitcuk chuckling. Or at least… assumed that sound was a chuckle… hoped it was… either that or he was coughing up a hairball.
The droid spoke again: "In the meanwhile, the Chieftain will have the guest hut prepared for you and your acquaintance; and invites you to tonight's dinner." A pause. "Also, this one is your designated liaison during your stay with the Wookie people."
Vicky offered Tay a hesitant, reassuring smile, as if to affirm the point that they weren't quite doing so bad.
Taylor didn't look very at ease, but she released Vicky's wrist.
Vicky patted her hand and turned back to the chieftain and droid.
"That sounds great! Thanks!"
(X)(X)(X)
Their 'hut' was… large.
Very large.
Vicky shouldn't be surprised. Wookies (She learned a new word, Yay!) were a large people. None of them were any less than eight feet, and a huge one she'd seen decked out in what she assumed were weapons seemed to be almost twelve feet tall.
But still, the word 'hut' didn't exactly bring about the 'vision' of a large place.
This 'hut' was different.
It had beautiful rugs of some material she'd never seen before; they had beds of furs and thick heavy blankets that were almost plush. Drapes were strewn about the insides for decor, reds and greens and yellows, giving it a very warm feel.
And it had running water!
The bear people had running water. And soap!
Soap!
She loved them!
The translator droid was very specific about how Wookies had a fairly high level of hygiene standards. Fur got messy and smelly if left unwashed
Only downside was the water was fairly cold. Wookies liked it cold. Again: fur. But hey. Soap and running water. This place was the four seasons as far as she was concerned.
Stepping out of the shower feeling clean and refreshed Vicky let out a contented sigh as she flopped down on the bed.
"I have no idea what this stuff is made out of, but we gotta get Wookies to open up a shop back on earth!" she said, toweling her hair dry. Well…it functioned like a towel. It was actually a giant spongy leaf, or so the droid explained.
Her comment was referring to the clothes they'd given her. It was a simple design similar to a greek chemise in orange, red, and deep yellows. The fabric felt as smooth as silk but heavy and warm like wool. It would be a wonder back home in the colder months.
Yes, the Wookies could definitely open a shop.
Taylor offered her something akin to a smile. If a face could approximate a shrug with a smile, that was the expression right there.
Vicky's own expression twisted with an impatient huff. "Maybe if you got out of that suit you'll see what I mean. It's silky smooth. Feels nice."
Taylor's eyebrow rose, unimpressed.
"What?" She huffed. "Everyone loves the feel of silk on their skin."
Now Tay's expression was interesting. Somehow managing to be both amused and unimpressed.
Vicky glared…
Then Tay raised her arm, the other hand fingering the fabric of her sleeve.
It took Vicky a second… then she facepalmed.
"Batting a hundred on the foot in my mouth contest today aren't I?" she muttered.
Taylor's smug little smirk said it all.
"What are you doing anyway?" Vicky asked, trying to change the subject. "Shower's free."
In response Taylor tapped her ear.
"Uhhh… Listening?" She guessed.
A nod.
"To wha- Wait." She paused. "You can hear through your bugs?"
Another nod.
"Of course you can… you can talk through them; why couldn't you hear through them?" Then her face scrunched up. "But you can't understand the language?"
Taylor shrugged then mimed sleeping and someone… slitting their throats…
"Paranoid much!?" she exclaimed.
Another unfathomably unimpressed shrug.
Vicky rolled her eyes, stepping closer to grab the surprised bug girl by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "No one poisoned the shower. So go. Take a bath without bugs crawling all over you, and let's go to sleep. We still have to figure out how the hell we're getting home from this place."
Shoving some of the Wookie clothes into Taylor's chest, Vicky bodily turned the girl around and shoved her towards the bathroom, her Brute rating making it impossible to resist the physical manhandling.
Taylor shot her an irritated look. Vicky answered back with a winning smile as she shut the door.
…
Ok. On to the next crisis.
"Do they have any kind of TV… Or internet!? Maybe we can see what other aliens look like!"
(X)(X)(X)
They, in fact, did not have a TV…
Nor did they have internet. At least not on this planet.
The Wookies lived simple lives. And what little they had in terms of 'modern amenities' (besides their weaponry) was reserved for the offworlders who occasionally came to Kashyyyk.
Made sense.
After all, why would the twelve foot tall Wookie have dresses in proper sizes for a relatively average tall blonde from earth… or clothes at all come to think of it. They didn't seem big on clothing around here.
It was the fur… again.
But still, that was ok for now. She was tired. So was Taylor. So, after showering and changing, they went to bed in their separate little rooms, warmed by the outside fires and listening to the crickets and insects of Kashyyyk chirping and singing their lullaby tunes.
It was fine. It was ok. It wasn't home. But they'd be alright.
But still that presented her with another problem the next morning.
"I'm bored!"
Taylor, with a tablet the droid had provided for her, pursed her lips before she typed something out.
Strangely "Galactic Basic" sounded like English easily enough; but the writing was… very off. Right now they were making due with *similarly shaped* letters to write. It was probably complete gibberish to a native speaker but for their purposes of letting Tay 'talk' well, it was fine…
'Go out and see the sights.'
Taylor's face was completely blank, almost unnervingly so.
That was 'usual' for her, Vicky noticed. Sometimes she was expressive, then others she just became a flat wall. No rhyme or reason for it but it happened.
Either way, in moments like this, it made it very hard to tell if she was joking or serious.
Still even without the expression Vicky could see dark circles under Taylor's eyes, not helped by the paleness of her skin.
"How much did you sleep last night?"
For a second Taylor averted her eyes, her gaze far away. Then she shrugged.
Not much then…
Oh well.
Whatever was bugging Tay, she'd deal with it, or she'd tell Vicky if she wanted to. They were stuck here, working together, but she wasn't sure if that made them friends…
Time to change the subject.
"Like… I don't understand what's going on!" she groaned. "What if I, like… pick a fruit and end up causing an inter-planet incident"
Now there was an expression- one that Vicky was becoming increasingly familiar with.
More typing.
"You implied the chieftain was going to eat you last night. And now you're worried?"
She winced, "That was… a cultural misstep."
"Misstepped your boot into your mouth you mean."
"Shut up!" she huffed. "Fine! I'll go out--" Then she pointed. "But you're coming with!"
The deer in the headlights look was utterly priceless.
(X)(X)(X)
The Wookie tree house village was large. Very large. Not quite a "city" to be sure but still much bigger than anything atop a tree had any right to be.
It had fifteen different "centers" Vicky learned, situated atop the boughs of Wroshyr Trees. Each tree housed a town "square" connected by large, sturdy bridges. Shielded above from the harsh sun by the thick canopy of leaves and shielded below by giant networks of constructed thorn fences.
In the sunlight, the village was a beautiful thing. Simple, true, but still very pretty. Some of the Wookies looked at them with curiosity. Others paid them no mind at all. Like they were used to human visitors.
That… worried her wasn't the right word. She wasn't sure what the right word was but it made her hairs stand up straight along her arms.
How was there a whole galaxy already populated by humans to the point that they were commonplace?
Was this another Earth, like Earth Aleph? Is this what could have been their species without Endbringers. It was strange.
Beyond strange.
They didn't understand a word of what the Wookies chuffed, huffed, growled and roared. But they seemed friendly enough. Offering them fruits, water canteens. The small Wookies, who had to be kids - or maybe teens - tried to cajole them into playing.
Taylor didn't, but Vicky was willing, throwing some Wookie kids on her shoulders to float around.
They squealed and roared and their parents (she assumed) pointed and gasped, but no one tried to stop her soooo… Great diplomatic overtures made!
Taylor sat quietly on the equivalent of a bench. Or at least, for Wookies, it was a bench. It looked like Tay was sitting on a table.
Some of the cubs went up to her, pointing towards Vicky as if asking Tay if she could take them flying too.
Without a word, Taylor shook her head. The cubs soon got the hint and gathered more and more around Vicky's little flying service for their turns.
The adult Wookies seemed to take the whole flying thing in remarkable stride, truth be told. Sure they gasped and gawped but after a little bit shrugged and moved on with their day, casting only the occasional side eyed glance their way.
Maybe some people flying was an old hat to them? For all she knew they had magic space wizards or something.
(X)(X)(X)
"Hey look!" Vicky smiled, "I've got a fan!"
Taylor offered her a sardonic little smile.
Vicky's "fan" - such as it was - was a little Wookie cub.
The little sweetie pie was hanging off her neck like a Koala limpet; his mother hovered nearby. She looked amused at the spectacle - at least if Vicky was judging Wookie facial expressions right.
She was getting a bit of practice on that front.
"So what are you up to?" she asked. "Still listening to everything?'
Taylor's expression shifted, losing the amusement with an irritated glance. The sudden shift in mood took her off guard, and she actually found herself stepping back.
When she saw Taylor casting an eye towards the Wookies around them she realized what exactly had pissed her off.
She wants to keep her power a secret…
That… made sense, considering that Tay thought they might get murdered in their sleep.
Still paranoid as all shit, but in her mind it made sense to keep it a secret.
Vicky offered a semi apologetic shrug. Then, she changed the subject. She seemed to be doing that often recently. "So what do you think Tay!?" She smiled, hefting up the little fuzzy cub. "Isn't he the cutest thing you ever saw?"
The villain rolled her eyes.
Vicky stuck her tongue out at her. "You're just jealous because he likes me more. He is the cutest and he's gonna grow up to be big and strong. Yes you are. Oh yes you are!"
D4, dutifully standing by the sidelines cut in. "The cub you are holding, Miss, is, in fact, a female…"
Vicky might perhaps some day convince herself that she did not, in fact, die of mortification as she heard the cub's mother laughing beside her. Or growling; one of the two.
(X)(X)(X)
Ok mannaged to get this one out today;
Just a bit of lighthearted "fun" for Taylor and Vicky for now, and them realizing where they are, figuratively speaking.
Now with the holidays coming up, I can't promise we'll see another update this year seeing as how I want to finish the Outcry rewrite and spend time with the family.
On that note, for those interested Outcry only has about sixty-ish pages left in its rewrite to go- so that's coming to an end soon too
For those interested as usual the next three chapters of the weaving force (4,5,6) are available on Patreon for merely one dollar per month, once we reach 120 patrons there will be a new tier for the patrons and something very special for those patrons so think about it if you enjoy my works
Links to Patreon and Discord down below in my sig
- Location
- Russia
D'AAAAAAAAAW! This was cute.
But
Vicky is holding it. Barely. Searching for distraction
Taylor is barely coping and can't sleep. If not for the Swarm dispersing her emotions I bet what Jedi and siths could have felt her overwhelming emotions across the galaxy
I wonder if she theorize what this Vicky is a clone
But
Vicky is holding it. Barely. Searching for distraction
Taylor is barely coping and can't sleep. If not for the Swarm dispersing her emotions I bet what Jedi and siths could have felt her overwhelming emotions across the galaxy
I wonder if she theorize what this Vicky is a clone
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
Hmm, ok, seems interesting and well done enough, lets see how this goes.
So, we have 5 characters from Worm ending up in the Star Wars universe, and all of them (or at least most of them) are from different timelines. Taylor is right after killing Scion, Vicky is from shortly after the Undersiders bank heist (recognized Taylor as the Undersiders bug girl and later used Skitter to refer to her, so she knew the name but wasn't familiar with her [and one of them bought a piece of a city with them]), Dennis is from post Echidna but probably before Alexandria's death (no shown surprise of Alexandria being alive or remarks from Alexandria of seeing him surprised), and Alexandria seems to be from fully alternate timeline where Simurgh, not Leviathan, attacked BB and from that moment. It also seems that whatever Simurgh did put some Bet!Alexandria's memories into her head, namely "her" death. Militia is still a question mark, though she seems to be from the same timeline and moment as Alexandria.
As for where they are in the SW timeline, mentions of the Republic and the appearance of Attichitcuk mean we are somewhere before the Clone Wars. I could narrow it down more if I knew whether we are in the Legends or Canon timeline.
So, we have 5 characters from Worm ending up in the Star Wars universe, and all of them (or at least most of them) are from different timelines. Taylor is right after killing Scion, Vicky is from shortly after the Undersiders bank heist (recognized Taylor as the Undersiders bug girl and later used Skitter to refer to her, so she knew the name but wasn't familiar with her [and one of them bought a piece of a city with them]), Dennis is from post Echidna but probably before Alexandria's death (no shown surprise of Alexandria being alive or remarks from Alexandria of seeing him surprised), and Alexandria seems to be from fully alternate timeline where Simurgh, not Leviathan, attacked BB and from that moment. It also seems that whatever Simurgh did put some Bet!Alexandria's memories into her head, namely "her" death. Militia is still a question mark, though she seems to be from the same timeline and moment as Alexandria.
As for where they are in the SW timeline, mentions of the Republic and the appearance of Attichitcuk mean we are somewhere before the Clone Wars. I could narrow it down more if I knew whether we are in the Legends or Canon timeline.
Careful there, Vicky, Wookkies only look primitive, they have very advanced technology. They just like to make things look rustic and use lot of wood in everything. Making it easier is the fact that Wroshyr trees are very malleable and durable enough to make starship hulls out of it when properly handled.
Nitpick, but English and Galactic Basic are two different languages, but I doubt any of us would want to spend months in-story time with Vicky, Tay and others trying to learn a new language when no one can understand them.
jesus
Arasaka VTuber PsyOps
If this is the Legends continuity, it's actually explicitly the same language, not some LotR Westron/WH40K High Gothic situation. They convergently evolved a German-flavoured ancestor language, which then evolved into Galactic Basic which is just English with a few weird words.
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
You're correct, I accidentally got it mixed with High Galactic.
Chapter 4
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Chapter 4:
When Alexandria entered the Mos Eisley Arena, there was already an event in progress. Bookies were behind reinforced steel cages, queues were forming for bets, money was exchanging hands, and enforcers were watching everyone for any kind of violence.
It seems the crime lords liked their betting areas peaceful… for a certain definition of it.
Marching forward, the heroine cut through the crowd like a knife through rice paper. Anyone foolish enough to bump into her - or fail to get out of her way - had the rather uncomfortable feeling of a wall slamming into them at a leisurely walking pace.
Reaching the guard in charge of this block she spoke: "What contests do you have here?"
The guard raised a brow ridge. "You wanna compete?" he asked, his voice holding a strange dual tone somewhere in his throat. By his wrinkly face, he was a 'Weequay,' assuming she'd mapped species names to descriptions accurately in her recent observations and eavesdropping.
"Depends what the competitions are," she answered. If it was some absurdity her physicality couldn't push past, then it would be foolish to waste time here.
"Jabba's always looking for new blood," the Weequay drawled.
Shit.
She'd heard about Jabba. Basically the de-facto king of Tatooine. She hadn't wanted to get involved with Hutts, but if needs must….
The Weequay turned, pointing. "Head on over to the green zone; you'll find a Toydarian named Jukko. Talk to him. He'll get you set up."
"Toydarian?"
He gave her a funny look. "Never seen one? Little gas bags have a snout and can fly. Jukko talks like an ass and smells like one. Can't miss em."
Lovely.
She nodded.
Turning in the direction the Enforcer pointed, she was glad the arena grounds were color coded as opposed to enumerated in the strange writing that constituted Galactic Basic or Huttseze. Though she could 'cheat' - as Clock so eloquently put it - with her thinker ability, that only went so far. Reading, for now, was well beyond her.
She'd have to remedy that as soon as possible if their stay here was to be an extended one.
She reached the 'green zone, having passed orange and blue behind her.
Luckily, finding the Toydarian was easy. He was the only sentient there who was flying.
As she approached she heard him barking out orders - not in basic, but Huttese berating several droids and their… mechanic? Handler?
"Soc-chu butta! Schutta ba-"
"Are you Jukko?"
The Toydarian rounded on her. He had a stubby, long beard; crumbs of food and other debris littered its wire-like hairs.
The Weequay had been right. He did smell like ass.
"Huh? Wha-chu want eh? I'm not in the mood for slave girls right now."
Alexandria sneered, lip curling. "I was told you were in charge of who'd be competing," she pressed.
The look he gave her told her just what he thought about that idea. "Wha? You? A human woman? Hah! There's easier ways to die quickly girl."
His wings were cartoonishly small; by sheer weight alone they'd never be able to hold him in the air…and yet they did.
The Weequay called him a gas bag. Maybe he had some compound in his body that was lighter than air. Helium? Methane? Something that was bearing the bulk of the weight while the wings merely provided direction and control.
Thoughts for later.
"Not planning on dying," she answered, crossing her arms as she shifted her weight. "I can fight. I want the prize money."
"Keh. The Pits can always use more entertainment before the main events," he chuckled. "But you want the money eh? That explains it. Usually you girls try sleeping with the winners to get out from under your master for a bit. Fighting yourself- what? You hiding a scar that made you not so pretty under that helmet?."
"Not here to give you my life story," she sneered. "What contests do you have worth actual money to the winners?"
He scoffed, "Fine fine. See if I care. Not my job to clean you up off the arena grounds." He reached behind him, pulling out a datapad. "Alright, we've got the standard brawl pit tournament. You fight. You kill, or get killed. Last one standin', he gets the fifteen thousand credit prize money."
"Fifteen thousand? Seems low."
"You're new," he sneered. "Barely worth Jabba flicking his snot your way. The Winner here gets better fights. Better fights means more money. Or were you expecting me to just put you up for the grand prize because you think you tough, eh?"
She snorted.
"Not my job to make you happy. You want in? Go to the lower pit grounds. Wait there with the other fighters. When they call for the brawl, get in the arena. Or don't. Not my problem anyway."
She took a long, slow breath. "Fine. Have the money ready."
He scoffed. "I'll be sure to pay the champ double if he's the one that kills you." He flapped away.
…
Sometimes… it would be so easy.
(X)(X)(X)
Hannah
If Hannah were honest with herself, she felt a little… out of her depth.
Not because of the alien world thing, honestly. In truth, she found the sights and sounds, species and groups, somewhat fascinating. And so human to boot. They felt like normal people, albeit in an environment that was entirely deplorable.
Slavery, smuggling, exploitation, a harsh environment and the struggle to survive every day.
She could see the similarities to humankind at their worst; perhaps on another world she'd see the similarities to humanity at its best.
So that wasn't causing the disquieting nervousness in her stomach right now, truth be told.
No, it was the whole "Bounty Hunting" thing.
She knew how to conduct an investigation... at least in theory.
In practice… well…
Protectorate Heroes fought villains, fought Endbringers, and served as inspiration and pillars for society to rally around.
But when it came down to investigating crimes like detectives, that wasn't necessarily their job.
PRT specialists, police detectives, and other such people usually led investigations. Handled the logistics and wetwork.
Certainly powers could be and were often useful. Her eidetic memory, for instance, had been used hundreds of times for its sheer versatility and convenience in simply "photographing" a crime scene just in case anyone screwed up. Armsmaster's technology could almost recreate the entire sequence of events leading up to the murder itself based on his prototype predictive software.
Powers were useful and she was used to being useful; but she'd never, on her own, led an investigation.
And the stakes felt so much higher now.
No backup coming. No one to catch an error or bounce ideas off of, save perhaps for Dennis. But as good a hero as he was, he was lacking in this field even more than she was. And she couldn't let on that she was as uncertain as she was because he needed to feel that things would be ok. He'd been remarkable in his resilience and his handling of the sudden circumstances, but placing her own hangups on his mind would serve to everyone's detriment.
So yes. Miss Militia was nervous.
She understood why Alexandria had decided to split the group and head to the arena. It made sense. But right now, she missed her one-time superior and mentor, and wished she was here to take the reins.
But she'd never backed down from her duty, and she wouldn't now.
"So what's the plan Ms. M?"
She turned looking towards Clock before turning her gaze again to the building in front of them.
"This place is the last known sighting of them. Go in; ask." She shrugged.
"That's it?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting something more exciting?"
He smiled. "Good cop bad cop?"
She chuckled, "I don't think you can pull off bad cop yet."
"Maybe I should grow a beard; would that help?"
"If you call peach fuzz a beard."
"Oh, ouch," he laughed.
It was good that he could laugh.
Turning to the building, she started marching up the three steps into the little domed hut.
Entering through the beads on the open door, it became apparent rather quickly that this was a shop of sorts.
There were parts strewn about the shelves; droid parts, if her amateur eye wasn't steering her wrong.
"Hello?"
There was a tremendous clatter of steel crashing down somewhere inside and a hollering shout, "WHO DA HELL IZ ZAT!?"
She raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the anger in the voice.
Was it a repair garage rather than a shop?
An alien came out the back. Flappy wings and a pudgy face.
"What you wan', eh?"
"Hello." She smiled. "My name is Hannah."
"Watto," he barked.
He didn't seem angry, just loud.
"Now, whatchu wan', eh? Ever since I lost mah boy, I been rushed in here."
"I won't take up much of your time," she promised, reaching behind her for the bounty holo.
"These Rodians," she explained, displaying the image, "were last seen here, in this shop."
The alien, Watto, nodded. "Yah, I remember 'em, twins." He explained, "It stuck out because all Rodians look the same to me--"
"HAH!" Clockblocker guffawed, tossing her a cheeky look.
"--an' these two were the same. So I remember."
"We're looking for them," She said, ignoring the boy's smug look. "Might you know where they are?"
"Might be I do, might be I don't," the alien replied. "What's it worth to ya?"
"We're short on… credits." She stumbled over the currency name. "But if you give us the information, when we collect the contract I'll come back. Pay you one hundred for the information."
"You aint been on Tatooine long, have you? No deal."
"Is there anything you would accept that's legal that isn't credits?" She hedged.
Watto rubbed at his chin, she noticed small stubby hairs. These aliens could grow facial hair.
"Your boy."
She balked.
"Loan him to me. I need an assistant to do things 'round here."
"He isn't a slave!" She screamed, angry now.
Watto backed away, arms rising as if to ward her off.
"Hey, hey, no slave, but two hands and he can carry better than these droids!" Watto's wings flapped faster, trying to carry him farther into his shop. "So you loan him to me-"
"That's not-"
"Miss M, it's ok," Dennis cut her off mid sentence, placing one calming hand on her shoulder. "We need the bounty, right."
"Dennis, you are not currency!"
He smiled, but there was something strange about it. Like somewhere along the way he'd… grown up.
"Think Alexandria said it best: 'I can bear the indignity." He shrugged. "You go after the bad guys, and Watto gets someone who can carry heavy loads around here."
Dennis leaned in, whispering in her ear, "Besides. We might find out more about the galaxy around us faster by talking to him or the people who come in here. I'm a great conversationalist."
She pulled away, eying him and his too easy, too sincere smile.
Her stomach flipped.
"I'm not comfortable with this." She argued.
His eyes shifted, turning from her to Watto and back. "Miss M. We're short on options right now."
And they were, weren't they. She felt her fingers clench, her fist shaking.
When she turned to Watto the calm fury took the alien aback. "Anything happens to him, you and I will have words."
The alien groused. "Eh, You came to me empty handed wanting information." He pointed. "I don't need this headache."
Dennis stepped forward. "Look. I'll help. It's fine. Just tell us what you know about the Roid boys and you get my help for like… what? A day?
"Three." Watto smirked.
"One." Militia snarled over Dennis's shoulder.
"Let's meet in the middle and say two," Dennis said, smiling placatingly and holding his hands up as if to physically keep the two from coming to blows.
"Deal!" Watto smiled, his stubby suction cup fingers reaching out and grabbing Dennis's hand in a firm handshake.
The Ward smiled at Militia, the faintest bit of unease lining the very edges of his features.
"See, it's all good. We're all good here."
Militia glared at the man. "Tell me what you know."
Watto's wings flapped, carrying him up towards a top shelf.
"The Rodians, they came looking for parts for a cooling unit."
"On this planet? No," Dennis gasped over dramatically.
She elbowed him in the ribs, asking him to be silent without asking.
Watto descended. Cradling in his hands some part or other, he showed it to them. "Funny thing, tho: its a cooling unit for air conditioning. Very expensive; stupid expensive. They can't maintain it. Even more than that, Rodians don' need it. have high heat tolerance, eh? Waste o' money."
"Then why get it?" she asked.
"Tells me they need to keep something that runs hot in a cold room. Difficult on surface, so they need to keep it underground. Sands are cooler. Sun can't hit that deep." He began fiddling with the device in his hands.
"Computers, perhaps?" she asked,
"Maybe. Doesn' matter." He shrugged. "What matters is this cooling piece," he showed off the device, "can only be hooked up to certain cooling units."
Flapping himself over towards the window sill, he pointed.
Up above another house or building she could see a box, not entirely dissimilar to an air conditioner from back home. Only difference is that it looked like a ball of some kind, rather than a typical box unit.
"That," the flying alien said, pausing dramatically, "is Hutt-made. This," he said, holding up the part he'd been fondling, equally dramatically, "goes on 'Hutt-made.'" He nodded.
"Those," he pointed to another cooling unit, slightly to the left, "are cheaper. For normal people. Not Hutt-made." He set the part down with a clatter. "So, you can find buildings with Hutt-made vents, likely one that looks recently repaired or installed, you find your men."
She glared."That's not much of a lead."
Watto shrugged. "What do I look like? Guy who installs parts too? No. I tell you what they buy, what they need it for, and where to look. Hutt-made vents on Hutt planet run expensive, locals and slaves, hardly use em. At most you've got, ehh, maybe a hundred in Mos Eisley. Knock on doors."
"It's more than we had before," Dennis tried to console her. "It does… narrow things at least. They're computer hackers, if I understand what they do. They might not know how to install it either."
She nodded; that was a good point.
"Where would they go to get it installed or repaired?"
"Ehh, for Hutt goods?" Watto shrugged. "Only place that would go fixing it. The place Jabba owns. Cordelo. A Dug. That's where they'd have gone if they needed it fixed. Jabba gets his cut."
Then that's where she was going.
She looked to Dennis. He offered her another slightly nervous smile.
"I'll be fine, Ms. M," he assured her. "Go kick their asses."
Militia turned to Watto, glaring. He glared back.
"I already said he'd be fine. Now get out of my shop. You're taking up too much of my time."
She turned and left.
(X)(X)(X)
Last update of the year boys and girls
Happy New year everyone
And here we get to see things starting to shape up for our Tatooine adventurers.
As usual next three chaps are available on Patreon (5,6,7) for one dollar a month. Link is in my sig below.
When Alexandria entered the Mos Eisley Arena, there was already an event in progress. Bookies were behind reinforced steel cages, queues were forming for bets, money was exchanging hands, and enforcers were watching everyone for any kind of violence.
It seems the crime lords liked their betting areas peaceful… for a certain definition of it.
Marching forward, the heroine cut through the crowd like a knife through rice paper. Anyone foolish enough to bump into her - or fail to get out of her way - had the rather uncomfortable feeling of a wall slamming into them at a leisurely walking pace.
Reaching the guard in charge of this block she spoke: "What contests do you have here?"
The guard raised a brow ridge. "You wanna compete?" he asked, his voice holding a strange dual tone somewhere in his throat. By his wrinkly face, he was a 'Weequay,' assuming she'd mapped species names to descriptions accurately in her recent observations and eavesdropping.
"Depends what the competitions are," she answered. If it was some absurdity her physicality couldn't push past, then it would be foolish to waste time here.
"Jabba's always looking for new blood," the Weequay drawled.
Shit.
She'd heard about Jabba. Basically the de-facto king of Tatooine. She hadn't wanted to get involved with Hutts, but if needs must….
The Weequay turned, pointing. "Head on over to the green zone; you'll find a Toydarian named Jukko. Talk to him. He'll get you set up."
"Toydarian?"
He gave her a funny look. "Never seen one? Little gas bags have a snout and can fly. Jukko talks like an ass and smells like one. Can't miss em."
Lovely.
She nodded.
Turning in the direction the Enforcer pointed, she was glad the arena grounds were color coded as opposed to enumerated in the strange writing that constituted Galactic Basic or Huttseze. Though she could 'cheat' - as Clock so eloquently put it - with her thinker ability, that only went so far. Reading, for now, was well beyond her.
She'd have to remedy that as soon as possible if their stay here was to be an extended one.
She reached the 'green zone, having passed orange and blue behind her.
Luckily, finding the Toydarian was easy. He was the only sentient there who was flying.
As she approached she heard him barking out orders - not in basic, but Huttese berating several droids and their… mechanic? Handler?
"Soc-chu butta! Schutta ba-"
"Are you Jukko?"
The Toydarian rounded on her. He had a stubby, long beard; crumbs of food and other debris littered its wire-like hairs.
The Weequay had been right. He did smell like ass.
"Huh? Wha-chu want eh? I'm not in the mood for slave girls right now."
Alexandria sneered, lip curling. "I was told you were in charge of who'd be competing," she pressed.
The look he gave her told her just what he thought about that idea. "Wha? You? A human woman? Hah! There's easier ways to die quickly girl."
His wings were cartoonishly small; by sheer weight alone they'd never be able to hold him in the air…and yet they did.
The Weequay called him a gas bag. Maybe he had some compound in his body that was lighter than air. Helium? Methane? Something that was bearing the bulk of the weight while the wings merely provided direction and control.
Thoughts for later.
"Not planning on dying," she answered, crossing her arms as she shifted her weight. "I can fight. I want the prize money."
"Keh. The Pits can always use more entertainment before the main events," he chuckled. "But you want the money eh? That explains it. Usually you girls try sleeping with the winners to get out from under your master for a bit. Fighting yourself- what? You hiding a scar that made you not so pretty under that helmet?."
"Not here to give you my life story," she sneered. "What contests do you have worth actual money to the winners?"
He scoffed, "Fine fine. See if I care. Not my job to clean you up off the arena grounds." He reached behind him, pulling out a datapad. "Alright, we've got the standard brawl pit tournament. You fight. You kill, or get killed. Last one standin', he gets the fifteen thousand credit prize money."
"Fifteen thousand? Seems low."
"You're new," he sneered. "Barely worth Jabba flicking his snot your way. The Winner here gets better fights. Better fights means more money. Or were you expecting me to just put you up for the grand prize because you think you tough, eh?"
She snorted.
"Not my job to make you happy. You want in? Go to the lower pit grounds. Wait there with the other fighters. When they call for the brawl, get in the arena. Or don't. Not my problem anyway."
She took a long, slow breath. "Fine. Have the money ready."
He scoffed. "I'll be sure to pay the champ double if he's the one that kills you." He flapped away.
…
Sometimes… it would be so easy.
(X)(X)(X)
Hannah
If Hannah were honest with herself, she felt a little… out of her depth.
Not because of the alien world thing, honestly. In truth, she found the sights and sounds, species and groups, somewhat fascinating. And so human to boot. They felt like normal people, albeit in an environment that was entirely deplorable.
Slavery, smuggling, exploitation, a harsh environment and the struggle to survive every day.
She could see the similarities to humankind at their worst; perhaps on another world she'd see the similarities to humanity at its best.
So that wasn't causing the disquieting nervousness in her stomach right now, truth be told.
No, it was the whole "Bounty Hunting" thing.
She knew how to conduct an investigation... at least in theory.
In practice… well…
Protectorate Heroes fought villains, fought Endbringers, and served as inspiration and pillars for society to rally around.
But when it came down to investigating crimes like detectives, that wasn't necessarily their job.
PRT specialists, police detectives, and other such people usually led investigations. Handled the logistics and wetwork.
Certainly powers could be and were often useful. Her eidetic memory, for instance, had been used hundreds of times for its sheer versatility and convenience in simply "photographing" a crime scene just in case anyone screwed up. Armsmaster's technology could almost recreate the entire sequence of events leading up to the murder itself based on his prototype predictive software.
Powers were useful and she was used to being useful; but she'd never, on her own, led an investigation.
And the stakes felt so much higher now.
No backup coming. No one to catch an error or bounce ideas off of, save perhaps for Dennis. But as good a hero as he was, he was lacking in this field even more than she was. And she couldn't let on that she was as uncertain as she was because he needed to feel that things would be ok. He'd been remarkable in his resilience and his handling of the sudden circumstances, but placing her own hangups on his mind would serve to everyone's detriment.
So yes. Miss Militia was nervous.
She understood why Alexandria had decided to split the group and head to the arena. It made sense. But right now, she missed her one-time superior and mentor, and wished she was here to take the reins.
But she'd never backed down from her duty, and she wouldn't now.
"So what's the plan Ms. M?"
She turned looking towards Clock before turning her gaze again to the building in front of them.
"This place is the last known sighting of them. Go in; ask." She shrugged.
"That's it?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting something more exciting?"
He smiled. "Good cop bad cop?"
She chuckled, "I don't think you can pull off bad cop yet."
"Maybe I should grow a beard; would that help?"
"If you call peach fuzz a beard."
"Oh, ouch," he laughed.
It was good that he could laugh.
Turning to the building, she started marching up the three steps into the little domed hut.
Entering through the beads on the open door, it became apparent rather quickly that this was a shop of sorts.
There were parts strewn about the shelves; droid parts, if her amateur eye wasn't steering her wrong.
"Hello?"
There was a tremendous clatter of steel crashing down somewhere inside and a hollering shout, "WHO DA HELL IZ ZAT!?"
She raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the anger in the voice.
Was it a repair garage rather than a shop?
An alien came out the back. Flappy wings and a pudgy face.
"What you wan', eh?"
"Hello." She smiled. "My name is Hannah."
"Watto," he barked.
He didn't seem angry, just loud.
"Now, whatchu wan', eh? Ever since I lost mah boy, I been rushed in here."
"I won't take up much of your time," she promised, reaching behind her for the bounty holo.
"These Rodians," she explained, displaying the image, "were last seen here, in this shop."
The alien, Watto, nodded. "Yah, I remember 'em, twins." He explained, "It stuck out because all Rodians look the same to me--"
"HAH!" Clockblocker guffawed, tossing her a cheeky look.
"--an' these two were the same. So I remember."
"We're looking for them," She said, ignoring the boy's smug look. "Might you know where they are?"
"Might be I do, might be I don't," the alien replied. "What's it worth to ya?"
"We're short on… credits." She stumbled over the currency name. "But if you give us the information, when we collect the contract I'll come back. Pay you one hundred for the information."
"You aint been on Tatooine long, have you? No deal."
"Is there anything you would accept that's legal that isn't credits?" She hedged.
Watto rubbed at his chin, she noticed small stubby hairs. These aliens could grow facial hair.
"Your boy."
She balked.
"Loan him to me. I need an assistant to do things 'round here."
"He isn't a slave!" She screamed, angry now.
Watto backed away, arms rising as if to ward her off.
"Hey, hey, no slave, but two hands and he can carry better than these droids!" Watto's wings flapped faster, trying to carry him farther into his shop. "So you loan him to me-"
"That's not-"
"Miss M, it's ok," Dennis cut her off mid sentence, placing one calming hand on her shoulder. "We need the bounty, right."
"Dennis, you are not currency!"
He smiled, but there was something strange about it. Like somewhere along the way he'd… grown up.
"Think Alexandria said it best: 'I can bear the indignity." He shrugged. "You go after the bad guys, and Watto gets someone who can carry heavy loads around here."
Dennis leaned in, whispering in her ear, "Besides. We might find out more about the galaxy around us faster by talking to him or the people who come in here. I'm a great conversationalist."
She pulled away, eying him and his too easy, too sincere smile.
Her stomach flipped.
"I'm not comfortable with this." She argued.
His eyes shifted, turning from her to Watto and back. "Miss M. We're short on options right now."
And they were, weren't they. She felt her fingers clench, her fist shaking.
When she turned to Watto the calm fury took the alien aback. "Anything happens to him, you and I will have words."
The alien groused. "Eh, You came to me empty handed wanting information." He pointed. "I don't need this headache."
Dennis stepped forward. "Look. I'll help. It's fine. Just tell us what you know about the Roid boys and you get my help for like… what? A day?
"Three." Watto smirked.
"One." Militia snarled over Dennis's shoulder.
"Let's meet in the middle and say two," Dennis said, smiling placatingly and holding his hands up as if to physically keep the two from coming to blows.
"Deal!" Watto smiled, his stubby suction cup fingers reaching out and grabbing Dennis's hand in a firm handshake.
The Ward smiled at Militia, the faintest bit of unease lining the very edges of his features.
"See, it's all good. We're all good here."
Militia glared at the man. "Tell me what you know."
Watto's wings flapped, carrying him up towards a top shelf.
"The Rodians, they came looking for parts for a cooling unit."
"On this planet? No," Dennis gasped over dramatically.
She elbowed him in the ribs, asking him to be silent without asking.
Watto descended. Cradling in his hands some part or other, he showed it to them. "Funny thing, tho: its a cooling unit for air conditioning. Very expensive; stupid expensive. They can't maintain it. Even more than that, Rodians don' need it. have high heat tolerance, eh? Waste o' money."
"Then why get it?" she asked.
"Tells me they need to keep something that runs hot in a cold room. Difficult on surface, so they need to keep it underground. Sands are cooler. Sun can't hit that deep." He began fiddling with the device in his hands.
"Computers, perhaps?" she asked,
"Maybe. Doesn' matter." He shrugged. "What matters is this cooling piece," he showed off the device, "can only be hooked up to certain cooling units."
Flapping himself over towards the window sill, he pointed.
Up above another house or building she could see a box, not entirely dissimilar to an air conditioner from back home. Only difference is that it looked like a ball of some kind, rather than a typical box unit.
"That," the flying alien said, pausing dramatically, "is Hutt-made. This," he said, holding up the part he'd been fondling, equally dramatically, "goes on 'Hutt-made.'" He nodded.
"Those," he pointed to another cooling unit, slightly to the left, "are cheaper. For normal people. Not Hutt-made." He set the part down with a clatter. "So, you can find buildings with Hutt-made vents, likely one that looks recently repaired or installed, you find your men."
She glared."That's not much of a lead."
Watto shrugged. "What do I look like? Guy who installs parts too? No. I tell you what they buy, what they need it for, and where to look. Hutt-made vents on Hutt planet run expensive, locals and slaves, hardly use em. At most you've got, ehh, maybe a hundred in Mos Eisley. Knock on doors."
"It's more than we had before," Dennis tried to console her. "It does… narrow things at least. They're computer hackers, if I understand what they do. They might not know how to install it either."
She nodded; that was a good point.
"Where would they go to get it installed or repaired?"
"Ehh, for Hutt goods?" Watto shrugged. "Only place that would go fixing it. The place Jabba owns. Cordelo. A Dug. That's where they'd have gone if they needed it fixed. Jabba gets his cut."
Then that's where she was going.
She looked to Dennis. He offered her another slightly nervous smile.
"I'll be fine, Ms. M," he assured her. "Go kick their asses."
Militia turned to Watto, glaring. He glared back.
"I already said he'd be fine. Now get out of my shop. You're taking up too much of my time."
She turned and left.
(X)(X)(X)
Last update of the year boys and girls
Happy New year everyone
And here we get to see things starting to shape up for our Tatooine adventurers.
As usual next three chaps are available on Patreon (5,6,7) for one dollar a month. Link is in my sig below.
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
Huttese.
Yeah, even cheat skills only take you so far.
Pretty much.
That is true, becoming a detective is not part of standard Ward curriculum.
This Dennis is more grown and resilient than you know, Militia.
Oh, now this narrows the timeline considerably. But why is he here, considering that his shop is in Mos Espa, not Mos Eisley.
...Huh. seems that this is referring to Anakin, which would mean we're between Episodes 1 and 2.
- Location
- Russia
Ah, yis. Update!
I felt a Disturbance in the Force))
Now, we now when our heroes are))
Dennis gonna start a slave revolt isnt he?
Dennis can meet Shmi! Shmi from her experience of rising Anakin can recognize what Dennis too have powers! Our heroes can become interested in Shmi as a mother of a powerful local parahuman
And I love idea from several good fics what Shmi actually also have Force Potential as a descendant of Jedi Knight from Mandalorian Wars era, but she is untrained and only use her powers subconsciously to conceal her (and Anakin) Force Presence
I wonder if in that case Alexandria notice what Shmi is a Stranger
I felt a Disturbance in the Force))
Now, we now when our heroes are))
Dennis gonna start a slave revolt isnt he?
Dennis can meet Shmi! Shmi from her experience of rising Anakin can recognize what Dennis too have powers! Our heroes can become interested in Shmi as a mother of a powerful local parahuman
And I love idea from several good fics what Shmi actually also have Force Potential as a descendant of Jedi Knight from Mandalorian Wars era, but she is untrained and only use her powers subconsciously to conceal her (and Anakin) Force Presence
I wonder if in that case Alexandria notice what Shmi is a Stranger
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
I've read some of those fics, I recall one in particular where Shmi ended up being trained by Shaak-Ti. But I don't think I'll be making her Force Sensitive; making Shmi special just feels like trying to hard to *make her special* as opposed to the innate message that you don't have to *be* special in order to be good/great as the implicit thing when she's just "normal"
- Location
- Russia
I love that one
Still, Shmi can hAlp them.
Chapter 5
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Chapter 5:
Vicky was quite literally jerked awake, feeling fingers shaking her shoulder she hastily moved in her bed, swatting the hand away and hearing a hiss of pain before her eyes registered who exactly was standing over her.
"The fuck Ta-"
"Trouble," Taylor's tablet read in bright green letters. Again the villain's face was blank- no expression in her stone-like eyes.
Vicky's eyes darted towards Tay's other hand, cradled to her chest. "Shit! Did I hurt you!? My family never wakes me up like that so it was refle-"
Taylor dropped her pad, snapping her fingers in front of Vicky's face. She pointed at the tablet again, as if demanding Victoria focus.
"Trouble," Vicky read aloud, her mind still trying to catch up. "Trouble. Trou- Shit. What's happening?"
Taylor swiveled the pad around with the one hand, quickly typing out something.
"Gathering. Village center, Male Adults. Armed."
Vicky blinked, then cast her eyes off the tablet and back onto Taylor's face.
She looked ghoulish; her skin now sallow and corpselike in its paleness and again, now with much more concern than yesterday, Vicky had to wonder if Tay had gotten any sleep last night.
"Maybe they're going hunting?" she hedged. "I mean, they do live off the land he-"
"Seen their hunts. They don't usually carry grenades on those," came the quickly typed reply.
Vicky swallowed. "I…" She paused.
Back home this felt… so much easier. Something was going down; Glory Girl could come in and save the day.
Here though…
…
No.
Here wasn't any different than back home, right?
People needed help so why shouldn't she?
"I'll get D-4," she answered. "Maybe he can tell us what's going on?"
Taylor nodded, expression still unnervingly blank.
(X)(X)(X)
Taylor had been right; something was indeed going down.
Vicky wasn't an expert but it looked like the Wookies were getting ready for a big fight.
"Oh, dear me," D-4 exclaimed.
"Translation for the non linguists over here D-4!" she hissed, leaning closer towards the droid.
The droid blinked, seemingly remembering she was there. "Oh. Well it seems, Miss Victoria, that there is a slaver raid inbound."
Vicky balked. "Slavers!?" she screamed.
The droid nodded. "Trandoshan slavers, Miss."
"Why!?" she spluttered.
How in the blue hell do these people still have shit like slavery!?
"Trandoshan slavers sell Wookie slaves for their labor. Wookies possess extreme physical strength in comparison to most species," the droid explained, misinterpreting the question, "which, coupled to their comparably peaceful sociological nature makes the Tradoshans view them as ideal for such tasks. The Tradoshans are , as a race, physically comparable to the Wookies, and much more sociologically prone to violence. Trandoshans are one of the few races physically capable of attacking Kashyyk with any chance of succe--"
"Not what I meant!" she screeched before rounding on Taylor, hands on her hips. "We're helping the Wookies!"
In response, the villainess raised a slender eyebrow.
"Don't gimme that look! If the Wookies go down we're out of any help we've got! So, villain or no, you're helping! Being a Hero for five minutes isn't gonna hurt you"
Taylor opened her mouth, then scrunched her features up in frustration.
Vicky didn't give her a chance to protest overmuch before she reached over, grabbed Taylor's wrist (the one that wasn't injured earlier, luckily), and bodily dragged the bug girl forward.
They found Chieftain Attichitcuk in the center of the village square, decked out in ceremonial armor with a monstrous crossbow in his arms and a stupidly sized sword-spear at his back.
Marching straight past the cavalcade of Wookie warriors, Vicky noted somewhere in the back of her mind they must have looked ridiculous next to the towering bear people.
She didn't let that stop her. "Where do you need us, Chief!?"
The Wookie chieftain roared something at the droid behind them.
"The Chieftain asks if you are willing to fight or if you're asking to be evacuated with the females and cubs?"
"Fighting, thanks!" Vicky answered.
The chief apparently didn't need to hear more, grunting something he soon had two smaller sized weapons.
"They are for children, but they will kill a Trandoshan easily," the droid said.
Vicky was perhaps mildly irritated at being given a 'child's' gun, but seeing the large unwieldy monsters in the hands of adult Wookies…
Yeah, made sense.
Taylor held up the "child-sized" pistol she was given like a rifle, examining the weapon with a critical eye.
Yeah, Tay would probably need the gun. Vicky wasn't sure how good bugs would be against aliens.
Then, Vicky remembered the bugs on this world.
Scratch that. The gun was probably just excess baggage at this point.
(X)(X)(X)
When the attack came, it came quick.
One doesn't fully appreciate the term "raid" until they're part of one.
Raids, by definition, were fast. Get in, fuck shit up, get out before you could get fucked up in turn.
That's how they worked. But again, it's one thing to hear about it, and quite another to experience it.
One moment, Chieftain Attichitcuk was barking orders and preparing a defense while sending out runners to call for help. The next, fire was raining down from the sky.
For a moment, Vicky saw a flash, a glimpse of somewhere else, screams, fires. Orders being shouted, names--
-valier: Down D-6, Gunsmith: Deceased D9, Alexand-
Then the moment was gone and she was back on the treetops of Kashyyyk, howls in the air marking the enemies and Wookies roaring in defiance as they opened up with their guns.
Vicky sneered.
Alright.
Shooting up off of the ground like a rocket, Vicky's fist punched forward as she closed the distance. The first pilot either didn't notice her or didn't have the speed to react because before he'd even tried to move away she was punching a hole straight through the fuselage, ripping off one of the helicopter rotors on the gunship's side.
Vicky heard warbling screams, throaty roars, and growls from within. The fuel burst in blue fire, spilling heat and flames across her face that her forcefield protected her from as she rose in the air, the gunship beginning an uncontrollable spin.
The Wookies roared in triumph, and the remaining four gunships in the sky wheeled about with uncanny precision that made her wonder how the ships functioned and differed so dramatically from their own back on earth.
Then they started shooting.
Blasts of poison green energy lanced through the air, looking to shoot her out of the sky. But for all their speed Vicky could move faster than them- rushing straight down into the canopy of trees to take some cover. She wasn't sure how well her shield would hold up against those blasts and she wasn't gonna risk it.
The Wookies fired up into the sky, seizing the opening for all they were worth, the males climbing even higher to the very tip tops of the trees to drop down onto the gunships in range, literally beating their fists against the bulkheads and clawing panels off of the machines.
Staring up from beneath the shroud of the treeline Vicky saw the gunships swooping down, their doors opening up to unload dozens of hulking aliens in heavy armor and weapons onto the village platforms.
She heard and recognized Attichitcuk roaring somewhere above her, and saw Wookies charging headlong into the fray.
Vicky was about to shoot upwards again, ready to rise and join the fight herself when she saw something slithering upwards alongside a tree.
She didn't want to look.
She really really didn't.
With a resigned groan she turned her head and looked.
…
Nope!
Vicky decided that the trees were… not a nice place to be right now and took again to the skies.
Looking down again; she could see the Wookies engaging in a straight up melee brawl with the alien Trandoshans.
Similar in size and bulk, the two species seemed to be smashing each other to pieces…and doing a damn good job of it.
Vicky had wondered, leading up to this, how monstrous these aliens had to be in order to fight and enslave such a physically overpowering race like the Wookies. She'd seen, even in her short time here, grown males lug around tree trunks that would give a powerlifter back home several hernias like it was nothing. And chew through the toughened hide of a fruit that Tay couldn't cut open with a knife when she tried.
The answer now became blatantly obvious.
The Wookies lived 'simple' lives.
They didn't have any armored vehicles to speak of, or hell any vehicles at all as far as she could tell. Their weapons were simple and personal. Swords, axes, rifles and their bare hands… claws? Claws.
Trandoshans weren't quite so primitive in their methods.
Gunships, heavy armor that could tank blows from the Wookies, superior weaponry both up close and at range, coupled with a physiology that allowed them to go toe to toe just by default…. Yeah… yeah she could see how and why the Wookies would lose to these guys.
Luckily, today, the fuzzy boys were gonna have help.
There was a howl above her, wind whipping her hair across her face as she turned and looked towards another gunship hovering in the air over her head.
The Trandoshan pilot pitched the thing forward, seemingly confident in the fact that ten tons of armored 'fuck you' was about to win out in a fist fight against her.
She smirked.
Oh buddy… you're really barking up the wrong one today.
With a smirk, Vicky cocked back her fist, waited until the thing was getting in close in its attempt to ram her… and let him have it.
Her fist ripped through the gunship armor like wet tissue paper, fire and shrapnel bursting out everywhere as she carved her arm up through the guts of the machine.
Then she grabbed the screaming pilot and ripped him off of his seat.
The alien was battered, bleeding, in retrospect, she was surprised she hadn't killed him, tearing him out of his seat and through the cockpit window, but he was alive, screaming and flailing, clawing at her as his gunship crashed down into the treetops in a smoking ruin of fire and twisted metal.
She smirked at the alien, his reflective helmet showing her the whites of her teeth.
"You came to the wrong neighborhood, buddy!"
It hissed something at her, the sound made her think of a snake gargling. Shoving with considerable strength she catapulted the Trandoshan pilot down onto the Wookie platform, his armored ass cracking through thick wood with a deafening snap of splinters and shrapnel.
There was a loud, deafening buzz and Vicky turned, finding Taylor riding on top of Atlas two, the super dragonfly darting and weaving through the air, slipping between Gunships as its large, club-like tail battered the bulkheads, knocking the ships off target.
The wookies roared, some pointing up towards Taylor, it looked like a rallying call, those who spotted her on the giant bug charging in with renewed vigor.
It didn't last long.
The gunships turned, ignoring Taylor as they realized her mount didn't have the strength to truly threaten their ships before they sent a rain of laser fire and missiles downward; tossing the Wookies into disarray, Vicky was just about ready to go after them--
Then the other bugs showed up.
And not bugs in the normal sense: fucking monsters. Because of course they were. Why would this planet ever deal in normal bugs?
If a centipede crossed with a crocodile and decided to become the size of a yacht… yeah that would about cover it.
They rose up from the trees, skittering on seemingly a thousand legs as they lunged.
Something that big didn't have the right to fly without wings…
They slammed into the remaining gunships, coiling around them like constrictors, crushing the metal bulkheads and tightening their hold even as the vehicles fell to the village center in burning wreckage.
She heard soldiers screaming.
Vicky blanched, realizing that the Trandoshans in the gunships were being burnt alive.
"Taylor!" she screamed.
But she couldn't see her, Taylor had rushed down between the trees somewhere, escaping the immediate firefight and Vicky didn't know where she was.
She flew as fast as she could, now beginning to frantically search for the girl. "Taylor, let them out!" she screamed.
The chaos of the fight was cacophonous: fire, smoke, laser fire, Wookie howls and Trandoshan hissing-
She didn't see her.
She tossed her eyes this way and that way and it wasn't until a blast slammed into her side - knocking out her shield - that she remembered they were in an active warzone!
Throwing her attention towards the fight, she tried not to think of the screams quite literally dying off as the Trandoshan pirates tried to rally one last time.
Their last stand didn't last very long.
Victoria punched through their hastily formed firing line like a battering ram. The Wookies charged in after her.
Vicky didn't consider herself a sheltered girl. But this… this was very different to the fights she was used to.
Heroes and villains: They took prisoners.
Wookies didn't do the same.
With crude melee weapons and brute strength they tore into the slavers… and hacked them apart.
Vicky hovered in the air, watching the massacre as it unfolded.
The village square ran red with Trandoshan blood.
(X)(X)(X)
Hours later, as the bodies were piled up, the wounded were taken to the healers and the other villages called, Taylor found her.
She skulked out of the shadows like a wraith. Silent. The light of the torches making her already gaunt features look ghoulish and severe.
Vicky stared at her, mouth parting to say… something.
Then she stopped.
The question hovered at the tip of her tongue. She could taste it between her teeth.
Did you know? Did you know they were burning?
And she realized…
This was it.
Taylor was it.
All that was left. All that connected her to home.
…
She didn't want to know…
She swallowed down the words, choked on the bile and tears and Taylor's face shifted, becoming something softer, almost pitying.
She knew what Vicky wanted to know.
The Heroine's smile was watery.
"Hey Tay-" She didn't sob. "I found the lizard people! Folks back home are gonna flip!"
…
She didn't cry…
Taylor hesitated a long time- before reaching forward to place her hand on Vicky's shoulder.
(X)(X)(X)
And here we see the... vestiges of who Taylor became shining through just a bit.
I'm a little surprised by how much I'm enjoying writing a "Silent" Taylor (for a certain level of silent.) There's quite a bit that shines through even without Dialogue and I think it makes Vicky's dialogue by virtue of sheer contrast even more powerful, which is something I did not expect when I started this.
I'm also happy to definitively confirm that *yes* By chapter 10, everyone will be off their starting planet and the subsequent chapters will become *much* more streamlined and longer, so that's something to look forward to.
Anyways; my thanks go out to @Segev for his work Beta-ing this chapter for all of you
As usual the next three chapters (6,7,8) are available on Patreon for just 1 dollar per-month. We're just *10* subs away from our next community goal and my god did that happen FAST. I thought I'd have more time xD
As promised once we hit our next goal a new tier will be available on Patreon with something very special for the subscribers that I think (and hope) you'll all enjoy.
So follow the link in the sig below if you're interested and would like to make my Birthday (the third) all the sweeter by helping me reach this goal- and I'll catch you all in the next one,
Vicky was quite literally jerked awake, feeling fingers shaking her shoulder she hastily moved in her bed, swatting the hand away and hearing a hiss of pain before her eyes registered who exactly was standing over her.
"The fuck Ta-"
"Trouble," Taylor's tablet read in bright green letters. Again the villain's face was blank- no expression in her stone-like eyes.
Vicky's eyes darted towards Tay's other hand, cradled to her chest. "Shit! Did I hurt you!? My family never wakes me up like that so it was refle-"
Taylor dropped her pad, snapping her fingers in front of Vicky's face. She pointed at the tablet again, as if demanding Victoria focus.
"Trouble," Vicky read aloud, her mind still trying to catch up. "Trouble. Trou- Shit. What's happening?"
Taylor swiveled the pad around with the one hand, quickly typing out something.
"Gathering. Village center, Male Adults. Armed."
Vicky blinked, then cast her eyes off the tablet and back onto Taylor's face.
She looked ghoulish; her skin now sallow and corpselike in its paleness and again, now with much more concern than yesterday, Vicky had to wonder if Tay had gotten any sleep last night.
"Maybe they're going hunting?" she hedged. "I mean, they do live off the land he-"
"Seen their hunts. They don't usually carry grenades on those," came the quickly typed reply.
Vicky swallowed. "I…" She paused.
Back home this felt… so much easier. Something was going down; Glory Girl could come in and save the day.
Here though…
…
No.
Here wasn't any different than back home, right?
People needed help so why shouldn't she?
"I'll get D-4," she answered. "Maybe he can tell us what's going on?"
Taylor nodded, expression still unnervingly blank.
(X)(X)(X)
Taylor had been right; something was indeed going down.
Vicky wasn't an expert but it looked like the Wookies were getting ready for a big fight.
"Oh, dear me," D-4 exclaimed.
"Translation for the non linguists over here D-4!" she hissed, leaning closer towards the droid.
The droid blinked, seemingly remembering she was there. "Oh. Well it seems, Miss Victoria, that there is a slaver raid inbound."
Vicky balked. "Slavers!?" she screamed.
The droid nodded. "Trandoshan slavers, Miss."
"Why!?" she spluttered.
How in the blue hell do these people still have shit like slavery!?
"Trandoshan slavers sell Wookie slaves for their labor. Wookies possess extreme physical strength in comparison to most species," the droid explained, misinterpreting the question, "which, coupled to their comparably peaceful sociological nature makes the Tradoshans view them as ideal for such tasks. The Tradoshans are , as a race, physically comparable to the Wookies, and much more sociologically prone to violence. Trandoshans are one of the few races physically capable of attacking Kashyyk with any chance of succe--"
"Not what I meant!" she screeched before rounding on Taylor, hands on her hips. "We're helping the Wookies!"
In response, the villainess raised a slender eyebrow.
"Don't gimme that look! If the Wookies go down we're out of any help we've got! So, villain or no, you're helping! Being a Hero for five minutes isn't gonna hurt you"
Taylor opened her mouth, then scrunched her features up in frustration.
Vicky didn't give her a chance to protest overmuch before she reached over, grabbed Taylor's wrist (the one that wasn't injured earlier, luckily), and bodily dragged the bug girl forward.
They found Chieftain Attichitcuk in the center of the village square, decked out in ceremonial armor with a monstrous crossbow in his arms and a stupidly sized sword-spear at his back.
Marching straight past the cavalcade of Wookie warriors, Vicky noted somewhere in the back of her mind they must have looked ridiculous next to the towering bear people.
She didn't let that stop her. "Where do you need us, Chief!?"
The Wookie chieftain roared something at the droid behind them.
"The Chieftain asks if you are willing to fight or if you're asking to be evacuated with the females and cubs?"
"Fighting, thanks!" Vicky answered.
The chief apparently didn't need to hear more, grunting something he soon had two smaller sized weapons.
"They are for children, but they will kill a Trandoshan easily," the droid said.
Vicky was perhaps mildly irritated at being given a 'child's' gun, but seeing the large unwieldy monsters in the hands of adult Wookies…
Yeah, made sense.
Taylor held up the "child-sized" pistol she was given like a rifle, examining the weapon with a critical eye.
Yeah, Tay would probably need the gun. Vicky wasn't sure how good bugs would be against aliens.
Then, Vicky remembered the bugs on this world.
Scratch that. The gun was probably just excess baggage at this point.
(X)(X)(X)
When the attack came, it came quick.
One doesn't fully appreciate the term "raid" until they're part of one.
Raids, by definition, were fast. Get in, fuck shit up, get out before you could get fucked up in turn.
That's how they worked. But again, it's one thing to hear about it, and quite another to experience it.
One moment, Chieftain Attichitcuk was barking orders and preparing a defense while sending out runners to call for help. The next, fire was raining down from the sky.
For a moment, Vicky saw a flash, a glimpse of somewhere else, screams, fires. Orders being shouted, names--
-valier: Down D-6, Gunsmith: Deceased D9, Alexand-
Then the moment was gone and she was back on the treetops of Kashyyyk, howls in the air marking the enemies and Wookies roaring in defiance as they opened up with their guns.
Vicky sneered.
Alright.
Shooting up off of the ground like a rocket, Vicky's fist punched forward as she closed the distance. The first pilot either didn't notice her or didn't have the speed to react because before he'd even tried to move away she was punching a hole straight through the fuselage, ripping off one of the helicopter rotors on the gunship's side.
Vicky heard warbling screams, throaty roars, and growls from within. The fuel burst in blue fire, spilling heat and flames across her face that her forcefield protected her from as she rose in the air, the gunship beginning an uncontrollable spin.
The Wookies roared in triumph, and the remaining four gunships in the sky wheeled about with uncanny precision that made her wonder how the ships functioned and differed so dramatically from their own back on earth.
Then they started shooting.
Blasts of poison green energy lanced through the air, looking to shoot her out of the sky. But for all their speed Vicky could move faster than them- rushing straight down into the canopy of trees to take some cover. She wasn't sure how well her shield would hold up against those blasts and she wasn't gonna risk it.
The Wookies fired up into the sky, seizing the opening for all they were worth, the males climbing even higher to the very tip tops of the trees to drop down onto the gunships in range, literally beating their fists against the bulkheads and clawing panels off of the machines.
Staring up from beneath the shroud of the treeline Vicky saw the gunships swooping down, their doors opening up to unload dozens of hulking aliens in heavy armor and weapons onto the village platforms.
She heard and recognized Attichitcuk roaring somewhere above her, and saw Wookies charging headlong into the fray.
Vicky was about to shoot upwards again, ready to rise and join the fight herself when she saw something slithering upwards alongside a tree.
She didn't want to look.
She really really didn't.
With a resigned groan she turned her head and looked.
…
Nope!
Vicky decided that the trees were… not a nice place to be right now and took again to the skies.
Looking down again; she could see the Wookies engaging in a straight up melee brawl with the alien Trandoshans.
Similar in size and bulk, the two species seemed to be smashing each other to pieces…and doing a damn good job of it.
Vicky had wondered, leading up to this, how monstrous these aliens had to be in order to fight and enslave such a physically overpowering race like the Wookies. She'd seen, even in her short time here, grown males lug around tree trunks that would give a powerlifter back home several hernias like it was nothing. And chew through the toughened hide of a fruit that Tay couldn't cut open with a knife when she tried.
The answer now became blatantly obvious.
The Wookies lived 'simple' lives.
They didn't have any armored vehicles to speak of, or hell any vehicles at all as far as she could tell. Their weapons were simple and personal. Swords, axes, rifles and their bare hands… claws? Claws.
Trandoshans weren't quite so primitive in their methods.
Gunships, heavy armor that could tank blows from the Wookies, superior weaponry both up close and at range, coupled with a physiology that allowed them to go toe to toe just by default…. Yeah… yeah she could see how and why the Wookies would lose to these guys.
Luckily, today, the fuzzy boys were gonna have help.
There was a howl above her, wind whipping her hair across her face as she turned and looked towards another gunship hovering in the air over her head.
The Trandoshan pilot pitched the thing forward, seemingly confident in the fact that ten tons of armored 'fuck you' was about to win out in a fist fight against her.
She smirked.
Oh buddy… you're really barking up the wrong one today.
With a smirk, Vicky cocked back her fist, waited until the thing was getting in close in its attempt to ram her… and let him have it.
Her fist ripped through the gunship armor like wet tissue paper, fire and shrapnel bursting out everywhere as she carved her arm up through the guts of the machine.
Then she grabbed the screaming pilot and ripped him off of his seat.
The alien was battered, bleeding, in retrospect, she was surprised she hadn't killed him, tearing him out of his seat and through the cockpit window, but he was alive, screaming and flailing, clawing at her as his gunship crashed down into the treetops in a smoking ruin of fire and twisted metal.
She smirked at the alien, his reflective helmet showing her the whites of her teeth.
"You came to the wrong neighborhood, buddy!"
It hissed something at her, the sound made her think of a snake gargling. Shoving with considerable strength she catapulted the Trandoshan pilot down onto the Wookie platform, his armored ass cracking through thick wood with a deafening snap of splinters and shrapnel.
There was a loud, deafening buzz and Vicky turned, finding Taylor riding on top of Atlas two, the super dragonfly darting and weaving through the air, slipping between Gunships as its large, club-like tail battered the bulkheads, knocking the ships off target.
The wookies roared, some pointing up towards Taylor, it looked like a rallying call, those who spotted her on the giant bug charging in with renewed vigor.
It didn't last long.
The gunships turned, ignoring Taylor as they realized her mount didn't have the strength to truly threaten their ships before they sent a rain of laser fire and missiles downward; tossing the Wookies into disarray, Vicky was just about ready to go after them--
Then the other bugs showed up.
And not bugs in the normal sense: fucking monsters. Because of course they were. Why would this planet ever deal in normal bugs?
If a centipede crossed with a crocodile and decided to become the size of a yacht… yeah that would about cover it.
They rose up from the trees, skittering on seemingly a thousand legs as they lunged.
Something that big didn't have the right to fly without wings…
They slammed into the remaining gunships, coiling around them like constrictors, crushing the metal bulkheads and tightening their hold even as the vehicles fell to the village center in burning wreckage.
She heard soldiers screaming.
Vicky blanched, realizing that the Trandoshans in the gunships were being burnt alive.
"Taylor!" she screamed.
But she couldn't see her, Taylor had rushed down between the trees somewhere, escaping the immediate firefight and Vicky didn't know where she was.
She flew as fast as she could, now beginning to frantically search for the girl. "Taylor, let them out!" she screamed.
The chaos of the fight was cacophonous: fire, smoke, laser fire, Wookie howls and Trandoshan hissing-
She didn't see her.
She tossed her eyes this way and that way and it wasn't until a blast slammed into her side - knocking out her shield - that she remembered they were in an active warzone!
Throwing her attention towards the fight, she tried not to think of the screams quite literally dying off as the Trandoshan pirates tried to rally one last time.
Their last stand didn't last very long.
Victoria punched through their hastily formed firing line like a battering ram. The Wookies charged in after her.
Vicky didn't consider herself a sheltered girl. But this… this was very different to the fights she was used to.
Heroes and villains: They took prisoners.
Wookies didn't do the same.
With crude melee weapons and brute strength they tore into the slavers… and hacked them apart.
Vicky hovered in the air, watching the massacre as it unfolded.
The village square ran red with Trandoshan blood.
(X)(X)(X)
Hours later, as the bodies were piled up, the wounded were taken to the healers and the other villages called, Taylor found her.
She skulked out of the shadows like a wraith. Silent. The light of the torches making her already gaunt features look ghoulish and severe.
Vicky stared at her, mouth parting to say… something.
Then she stopped.
The question hovered at the tip of her tongue. She could taste it between her teeth.
Did you know? Did you know they were burning?
And she realized…
This was it.
Taylor was it.
All that was left. All that connected her to home.
…
She didn't want to know…
She swallowed down the words, choked on the bile and tears and Taylor's face shifted, becoming something softer, almost pitying.
She knew what Vicky wanted to know.
The Heroine's smile was watery.
"Hey Tay-" She didn't sob. "I found the lizard people! Folks back home are gonna flip!"
…
She didn't cry…
Taylor hesitated a long time- before reaching forward to place her hand on Vicky's shoulder.
(X)(X)(X)
And here we see the... vestiges of who Taylor became shining through just a bit.
I'm a little surprised by how much I'm enjoying writing a "Silent" Taylor (for a certain level of silent.) There's quite a bit that shines through even without Dialogue and I think it makes Vicky's dialogue by virtue of sheer contrast even more powerful, which is something I did not expect when I started this.
I'm also happy to definitively confirm that *yes* By chapter 10, everyone will be off their starting planet and the subsequent chapters will become *much* more streamlined and longer, so that's something to look forward to.
Anyways; my thanks go out to @Segev for his work Beta-ing this chapter for all of you
As usual the next three chapters (6,7,8) are available on Patreon for just 1 dollar per-month. We're just *10* subs away from our next community goal and my god did that happen FAST. I thought I'd have more time xD
As promised once we hit our next goal a new tier will be available on Patreon with something very special for the subscribers that I think (and hope) you'll all enjoy.
So follow the link in the sig below if you're interested and would like to make my Birthday (the third) all the sweeter by helping me reach this goal- and I'll catch you all in the next one,