22 bby
Arkanian Chill
Part 1: A Cold Reception
Day 13? Arrived on Arkania. Fairly confident Farg is NOT supposed to be
this cold. Farg has tracked the traitorous Sakiyan witch across many parsecs,
and to come here, to such a cold world, does not make Farg happy.
There is not much on Arkania that is good. Lodgings are tolerable, but
Farg prefers to stay on his ship. The people are ugly, even for Human stock.
They are not normal Humans, something about their eyes is wrong. Farg suspects they bleed as most Humans do, though. The truth will be revealed if one more of them approaches Farg to request paperwork. They seem to believe that because they exist on a frozen rock, mining frozen rocks and twisting the nature of things with their sciences, they are better than Farg.
They are wrong.
Arkanians are very tight. Their mouths turn down, almost always, but
their chins point upward. Farg is glad to have landed in a small settlement,
because too many such arrogant individuals might cause him to become violent. Or perhaps even this small number may bring about violence, but they are few enough that they pose no threat to Farg. If they harbor the Sakiyan witch, they will be made to pay. If they cooperate, they will be allowed to continue living.
Appointment with an individual who believes himself even more important
than the rest approaches. Will report on outcome.
Amazing arrogance in that one. It was very much wanted by Farg to do the
man harm, but Farg resisted, and the calm returns. The Arkanian is called the
Hyrim Focela, and he is older than one of his bearing has a right to be. He is
Security Master of this blip that fancies itself a starport, this “Novania”
with its 2,000 chin-tipped fools and its frigid temperatures.
Farg remains confident he should NOT be this cold.
The Hyrim Focela knew of the Sakiyan witch. She landed here five days
ago, purchased a speeder, and left to cross the tundra. The direction he
indicated is not the direction in which Farg feels her presence. She has
turned aside and is moving to the north. Now that Farg has made his way here, she will be Farg’s. The hunt nears its end.
Part 2: Hyrim Focela
Day 15 – Sakiyan witch is not moving, has not moved again since Farg
arrived on this spinning ice-sphere. Changed direction, moved for a time,
stopped. No speeders available. Every speeder in Novania is gone or under
repair. Farg would take his ship out over the tundra and search for the witch,
but he believes the Hyrim Focela is hiding something. If the Hyrim Focela
shows himself to be treacherous, Farg will have to kill him, which would be
unfortunate for the Focela.
Farg meets with the Focela after noonmeal. As ugly and unpleasant as
Arkanians are, Focela is more unpleasant still. His nose is too large, his
hair is too white, and his teeth are too straight. Farg does not trust him and
is almost hopeful that the Focela will give him reason for violence. Sitting
and waiting for a speeder is not the way of the Findsman. Neither, though, is
rash action; the hunt is an art, and above all things, must be treated with
reverence. Rushing the hunt will lead one into the beast’s lair too soon, and
Farg has no desire to be eaten by the Sakiyan witch.
It is impressive to Farg how anything can be bought on this spinning ice
sphere, including the Focela. The man makes much noise with his too-pink
mouth. He speaks as though he has power and authority, which Farg supposes he might. The Focela is a man of some importance, as he controls the flow of information. He found something objectionable about Farg’s presence, but a donation to the coffers of Novania quieted the Arkanian fool’s mouth, at least for a time.
All the while, the Focela remained reasonable. Farg was almost
disappointed that killing did not prove necessary. Too much sitting and
waiting, when Farg should have been hunting the Sakiyan witch.
Now Farg has a speeder. Now the Sakiyan witch will be made to pay.
Part 3: Ice Palaces
It would make Farg a poor Findsman not to know where the Sakiyan witch
is, now. Farg has made a full circle around the area in which the Sakiyan has
hidden. Initial examinations show nothing but ice. This puzzled Farg, but only
for a moment. The ice is white and silver, from here to the horizon. All of it
looks the same. And yet, in the center of it, is the Sakiyan, and she is
alive. For now.
Alternate imaging techniques indicate that there is a structure in the
ice, recessed and so perfectly camouflaged that Farg failed to see it with his
own optical array. Camouflage does not hide the Force, though, and the Sakiyan remains tied to the Force, as are all things.
Other creatures are present inside the structure. It is a busy place, and
initial surveys indicate it may be well-defended. Farg will meditate this
night in preparation, and in the morning will enter this strange structure.
Part 4: The Re-Engineered
If Farg had not captured a worthless Arkanian scientist near the entrance
to this strange place, Farg might have had some difficulty approaching his
objective. Fortunately, the mouth-breathing fool has assisted Farg in avoiding
numerous unpleasant security measures, and he will likely live to be
disciplined by his superiors after Farg finds and eliminates the Sakiyan
witch.
There is a strangeness here, though. There are things within these walls
that should not be. Farg has asked the scientist what it is that he has done
here, and he speaks as though he were one with the Force. “We have made life.”
He is small and pale and fragile, but Farg would not have thought him insane.
Still, there have been stranger things Farg has seen in the galaxy than an
nsane scientist. Arkanians have such a reputation.
But the things Farg feels – – they are living, but they are not right, in
the eyes of the Force. Farg senses them sometimes, beyond walls, waiting. They are hunters, but not hunters of the art. They are hunters who revel in the kill, and not the mystery of the hunt itself. Whatever has been created here, it is not something that is right.
The Sakiyan witch is moving! I must move quickly, or all will be lost.
Legends 