Myriad Reckonings

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he's a little better today, gums aren't so pale and he tried to knock me out with his big old head when I went to give him an iv injection. yesterday he didn't even try to fight.

also bro is his suit waterproof bc I feel like he'd just immediately sink like lead haha. imagine that, stepping into the water and then thunk he's at the bottom

"I will find a way." Vader looked around them. He did not know which direction they were headed and would follow Tarkin. The woods were so thick, every direction appeared the same. He could feel the rustling of the grasses of the plains a ways in the distance and could locate his position if needed, but Tarkin was the superior one with directions. He was impressed how well he know this place with only the most privative of navigational strategies.

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There's a comic where he spends the whole time underwater. It works down there but it is NOT buoyant.

Tarkin nodded, resolving to take them toward the fording area. It seemed a better bet than watching Vader totter over a log barely two feet across. "As you wish. Come with me, then." He headed west without another word, glancing over his shoulder. It was hard to say whether or not Jova was still with them, but now that he knew he might be, he'd keep an ear out.

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that's hilarious, bro just sinks. at least he's heavy enough to just walk through most water without washing away unless the rapids are truly wild

also sorry I've been trying to post and life just goes lol no

Vader followed, his heavy boots crushing the undergrowth. Tarkin was much lighter on his feet. Vader made a very visible trail behind him that even a blind man could follow.

It wouldn't matter- anything that may track him would have to actually face him, and Vader did not fear any primitive creature. Especially after a long knight of irritating noise, he could use a rush of adrenaline. He doubted they'd stand a chance against him in the least.

Tarkin pulled well ahead of Vader within the first ten minutes, circling back every now and again to check that his companion had not gotten stuck anywhere or lost his way. It made him feel like a hunting hound; he'd seen his father's dogs bound forward and back like this many times. He still wasn't sure how he felt about this notion--it was good to have this much space to roam through and his energy this morning was high, but it didn't sit right with him to view himself as the tool rather than the hunter.

That said, this analogy would probably never even occur to Vader. The Sith probably just thought of Tarkin's backtracking as exactly what it was; nothing more, nothing less. Tarkin resolved not to think of it as anything else as well.

The deeper into the jungle they went, the fewer rays of sun cracked through the canopy. There were different plants in this new darkness, and it was wetter and cooler all around. Fungi grew off of almost every tree and the bird sounds were more gurgling; unseen eyes watched them from all angles. Still, Tarkin was no more cautious here than he was anywhere else. He knew this area well, albeit not as well as some others. He turned to Vader, gesturing for him to keep any light to a minimum, then moved on.

They passed through three more sections of jungle before they reached the river, each one taking one to two hours to cross. The woods lightened after the first two, and by the time the roar of water could be heard the trees were thinning out into a rocky landscape.

The river was wide and silty, turned brown by the erosion of its banks. A few large volcanic rocks jutted up from the river, rounded at the bases but pointed near the top so anyone trying to leap from stone to stone was liable to slip and fall into the rapids. A few birds and reptiles dozed on top of them, and a herd of ungulates tested one of the slower sections for a drink.

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So if it's between the spider and the storm (something along those lines) for the next title and shadow and storm (or something close to that) which one do you like better? I thought of shadow the other day but spider sounds more unique. Spider fits Sirejj well and Tarkin too, and since spider tends to hint towards matriarchal/feminine power it could mean Thalassa as well. I'm undecided.

Sirejj being all slinky-creepy and climbing walls and ceilings needs to happen more. Just dropping on someone's head and getting them with his two knives like spider fangs is super terrifying.

Also would it be too overpowered for Vader to freakin part the waters like it's actually nothing because that would be epic

Vader stumped along, unbothered by his slow pace. He wasn't going to be as fast as Tarkin, so there was no need to try. When he reached the river, Tarkin was there waiting.

Relieved to be free of the winding forest paths and in slightly more open territory, he surveyed the landscape. He'd heard the sound of the river for some time and now walked closer to see the best point to cross, his boots crunching on stones now instead of dirt.


"Where might be the shallowest point? My best chances probably lie in wading across, providing the current is not too swift to steal my footing." Vader was heavy. He felt confident he could cross with little issue.

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I think spider works better! I see the reasoning for Shadow but that's also the name Tarkin gave to a veermok back when he was 16. I'm probably the only one who'l associate it with that, but also shadows by themselves aren't harmful whereas spiders can be actively venomous.

Also Vader has singlehandedly stopped a ship from taking off so I say it's not at all overpowered for him to part the waters.

Tarkin walked a ways up the river, scouting for a landmark that he knew well. It was a minute or two south of their current position, and he pointed it out: a dead tree still stubbornly rooted to the edge of the river banks. Erosion was pulling more and more dirt away each year, but the tree's roots ran deep.
"It's shallowest here," he told him. "But even then it goes just below my shoulders. I prefer to use the fallen tree a couple miles north to cross, but I anticipated you being too heavy to make good use of it."

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I think I like spider better after thinking about it. Far cooler.

Ok yesss. Skywalkers showing off is always great

"An astute observation." Most dead trees would struggle to hold his weight. Listening to the waters rush dangerously fast around the rocks, he thought about the best way to cross. An idea entered his mind.

He walked to the river's edge, just enough for his boots to enter the shallow water and mud about ankle deep. He felt the speed of the rapids and sensed the power of the water as it moved down its path. The river was wide and strong and had forged its way deeper and wider into the ground over time. It was a force to be reckoned with, but not an unstoppable force.

Vader was still for a moment. "This will be a good enough place to cross." He planted his feet into a fighting stance and, reaching out into the force, pushed against the flow of the river with both hands. The river roared upwards and over his hold and came crashing down on top of him over the break, spraying white foam and muddy water over anything nearby. His stance was unmoved by the onslaught. The waves leapt high again, rebelling against his control and raging to push him down and sweep away the thing that held it down. He wrestled the waters into submission, subduing them and sending the waves rolling backwards upstream. The river swelled and began to rise above its banks as Vader completely ceased the flow of water from where he stood.

"Let us pass." He glanced back at Tarkin and motioned to him with one hand, holding back the furious river with the other. Filthy water dripped from his black armor and pooled at his feet.

Tarkin, who had leaped back to avoid the torrent in favor of keeping his clothes dry--they had a long walk ahead after all--stood staring at Vader and the writhing water for a moment, nonplussed. Why it had never occurred to him that his friend could simply make his own path through the river, he didn't know. He shook it off after a moment and strode forward, glancing upward at the murky columns as he passed Vader. What this was going to do to the ecosystem, he could only guess. It would certainly be a curious time for the fish and some of the animals that relied on the river as a food source--redirecting a river's flow, even for a short time, was no small feat.

"Well thought-out," he said, trying to hide some of his astonishment.

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sirejj, trapped in a hangar with Vader and hiding behind a ship:

Vader: picks up the whole ship and tosses it aside like it's nothing

Sirejj: oh so im actually dying today good to know

Vader, always enjoying a demonstration of his own strength, allowed Tarkin to pass and then followed after him, still using just one hand to keep the river from swallowing them both. The river became angrier the long he held it back.

Once they crossed and Tarkin was a healthy distance from the bank Vader released his hold. The water came crashing down and roared back into its proper place, sweeping the banks clean of any loose dirt or stone and rising above the rocks that had once jutted out. The river was an entirely different sight now. Gone were any animals on the banks. In place of the swift running river there was a silty torrent of debris and foam sweeping away anything in its path.

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That can and will happen

Tarkin watched the river in silence, pursing his lips. He'd have to tell Jova to keep an eye on that; it looked like the next time it rained the waters would flood.
After a pause, he turned and strode off over the rocks. "Have you done that sort of thing before?" he asked over his shoulder.

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I almost feel sorry for him. Sirejj would try to hype himself up to maybe have a fighting chance and then Vader just gets immediately 1000% more terrifying and he realizes his goose is cooked.

"I have. But it is becoming more and more seldom I get the chance to be back in the elements. There is so much learning lost when we are confined to the starships." Perhaps the inquisitors would be better trained if they were forced to experience the elements more than man made training. Vader had to admit their training had been condensed to teach them the necessary things to be hunters and that alone. There was a benefit there; teaching them too much would lead to rebellion, as was the course of every dark side apprentice at one point or another. There must be a balance of ignorance. Just enough knowledge to hunt Jedi, but not enough to threaten the Sith.

"Perhaps you should be given more field work, then." Tarkin would certainly prefer that. Vader was a useful enforcer at his side, but the only people he really terrorized were unfortunate admirals and captains. The real enemy was out in places like these, and in towns. Palpatine didn't make nearly enough use of Vader's abilities, in his opinion--stormtroopers could only get so much done.

"It is frustrating indeed." Vader had similar sentiments. He'd had discussions with his master about this several times, but each time Sidious had come up with some kind of reason to keep Vader out of the field. "Perhaps soon we will get the chance. I know you share the same feeling. This is where battles are won, not just on steel warships." He gestured to the land around him.

"The upside is we don't have to babysit any inexperienced soldiers," Tarkin said with a wry smile. He remembered his early years in the Judicial forces and how his squad had ended up stranded on a jungle planet. If it hadn't been for his know-how, they'd surely have died. And he had lost count of the amount of close calls and casualties he had witnessed because of the clones' lack of basic survival skills. They'd been trained in tactics, but being out in the elements with no firestarters or shelter proved hard on them. He had whipped his squad into shape as soon as he took notice of the knowledge gap, but that didn't make up for the rest of the battalion by a long stretch.

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poor Killian wouldn't last 12 seconds in a place like this.

"There is that." He muttered. "But they will die inexperienced without correct training. Academy training will not get the average trooper very far in a place like this." Even in a galaxy of technological advancement, natural flora and fauna still proved a very real threat on many worlds, and no amount of training droids prepared soldiers for the hunger and the cold and the terror of what lurked in the dark.