Myriad Reckonings

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terrible AI image but https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIG3.ppawbqHq ... ?pid=ImgGn

"Defeated by superior intellect." Vader walked around to a few other piles of bones and examined them. The whole place spoke to Tarkin's ruthlessness and resilience.

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I shan't lay eyes on it lest it influence my own mental image. I want to go into a drawing like that fresh.

"Just so." He studied Shadow's skull for a moment, gazing into the eyeless sockets. Perhaps if the veermok had been smarter, he could have brokered an alliance with him. Shadow had used him as an excuse to usurp Lord, and Tarkin in turn had allowed him to sow discord among the ranks before executing him in front of the troop as an intimidation tactic. He was sure if the roles had been reversed, Shadow would have done the same.

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honestly makes sense.

I can't wait to get back to Tarkin and Sirejj's nonsense. Once they get away from Vader they're going to start giving each other hell again. Their relationship is hilarious in that so long as there's a bigger more terrifying enemy than either of them, they get along as a team, but the second it's just them two, immediately back to the bickering.

Vader caught glimpses of the past through Tarkin's mind and the empty battlegrounds around them. It would have been a sight to behold Tarkin's conquest of the Carrion. "Though despite these creatures' primitive nature, they put up a considerable fight I see." Some massive claw marks dug into the volcanic stone were still visible.

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I'm so excited to see them interact again. I was reading back through our stuff and enjoying the arguments so much!

"They're some of the most brutal creatures on the Carrion," Tarkin agreed. "I wonder how a pack of them would hold up against you."

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Tarkin has an upper hand on sheer cunning. Sirejj, despite being quite the cunning hunter himself, is a Zabrak. There's a part of him that's hugely instinct driven and I feel Tarkin likes to try and push him over that edge. Sirejj doesn't like allowing that because it further allows Tarkin an excuse to treat him like a lesser being.

Zabraks are just wild. They're incredibly smart if they can control their own savageness. As a species they seem to all struggle with that balance. It's an innate strength, but also the downfall of many. Sirejj would probably be dead now if he was as prideful as Maul. Him having a healthy dose of fear has sharpened many of his senses and intelligence and reined in some of the bloodlust.

"That would be an interesting scenario to be certain." He mused. These were certainly ferocious creatures, but especially armed with his saber, he felt he could drive away any threat that dared face him. "I would not place the odds in their favor."

Tarkin gave him an impish smile. "Would you like to find some tomorrow and test that bet?"

"What else did we come here for?" Vader said, his tone changed a little so that one who knew him well might sense some of the same mischief that was in Tarkin's eyes while still maintaining his foreboding presence. He was a Sith. He would not step back from a chance to hunt.

"Very good." He looked around. "We'll get out the open and set up camp, then seek some out in the morning. They moved away from here after I completed my initiation, but one or two troops have established a presence half a day's journey from this part of the forest."

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been thinking about some lore and discovered it's a somewhat common nightsister practice to corrupt kyber so they can bend it to their will and use it for weapons. I imagine on Dathomir Maul would try to get Sirejj to bleed the crystals he stole from the Jedi since that would surely bring him closer to serving the sith...instead Sirejj would sneak off and make some kinda cool nightsister weapon and Maul would be mad.

"And growing restless no doubt. I'm sure they will leap at the chance to take on two unsuspecting travellers." Vader didn't look unsuspecting, but he was still smaller than a Veermok by a long way. They were cunning creatures but still bound to the fate of the human higher intelligence.

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That sounds in character for both of them and extremely cool

"I should hope so." Tarkin hadn't tackled a veermok in too long. Cooped up in his star destroyer all day, it was difficult not to miss going up against an eight foot primate with the intent to kill. The best of it was when he had a good knife on hand; his sharpest one could get through the tough hide in no time at all.

Vader shared similar sentiment. He felt the memory of restlessness and boredom being made to command incompetent soldiers on the daily. He too wanted a fight. A pack of wild beasts would prove a new and interesting challenge.

"Be sure to leave a few for me to kill, Governor." He felt Tarkin's focus sharpen slightly as it always did when he thought of a hunt.

"Only if you do the same for me."

Spoiler

Wanna skip now?

In the mid-afternoon of Tarkin and Vader's fifth day away from the compound, they returned bloodied but in good spirits. Tarkin could speak for himself on that front, at least--he'd taken a harsher beating than he would have liked when they fought the veermoks. He wasn't as young as he once was and his heavy limp as they approached the compound doors betrayed that. Despite his injuries, though, they had won that battle and returned with a few trophies tied to the backs of their speeders. Servants were carrying them off as they walked, preparing to dress and skin them as needed.

Tarkin shook a bit of dried blood off his torn vest, pausing as the air conditioning hit him full in the face. It was his favorite part of coming home--the controlled climate and welcoming chill. He was exhausted; the ride from the Carrion had calmed his nerves slightly but now he wanted nothing more than to shower and crawl into bed to sleep for three days. First, though, he needed to check on Sirejj.

****

Thalassa had left Eriadu for a short time on Day 2 to attend some business on Phelarion, but she returned the day before Tarkin and Vader did. Gideon had gone away as well, back to his family without much more than a word to his sister in-law. Thalassa was in the middle of a meeting with other members of the Treacle.