The legend of the Sarlacc Pit has become lost in the sands of time, yet the feast still cries out from its belly. Haunting secrets have been locked away behind teeth and voracious intent and only the foolish or insane would dare retrieve the treasures buried inside.
Zxyl Venzos stood at the edge of the great maw. Gurgling from below was heard and small tremors were felt beneath the grit. The mouth of the great creature was lined with teeth which made him second guess his intentions as he peered into the black abyss. He pondered the likelihood of survival had someone been unfortunate enough to fall in.
"One thousand years they say," the Zabraki hybrid thought "It has to still be here, the armor."
The Mandalorian ran through a mental weapons check and as usual, his gear was in pristine order. Valyr was fixed to his belt, the black metal bore the symbol of his Clan and was worn with pride, ever-ready to protect and serve. His scatter-blaster was clutched in his hands and his vambraces glistened in the light of Tatooine's binary Suns.
"Let's do thi-" his thoughts were interrupted as his focus shifted to the horizon. Streaking through the atmosphere his distraction became larger as it closed in with haste, "A ship?" his amusement was muffled by his helmet, "It can't be." Instantly he recognized the vessel, like a luminescent javelin it pierced the sky and came to rest above the pit, lingering like a vulture would over its prey.
"Aarush.."
The ramp to the ship lowered in mid air and standing on the platform was a man with fluttering blonde locks and piercing blue eyes that never left the Zabrak once they locked on. A red light flashed from within the ship, typically something of the sort was from a tracking beacon signalling close proximity.
Zxyl's lips slid into a smile as he realized that his former Clanmate was intelligent enough to keep tabs on his 'friends' when he abandoned Clan Taldryan before the Collective's surprise attack.
Selfishly craving power of self over loyalty, Solaar was always maneuvering for gains, yet one thing kept weighing heavily on his mind, the sudden advancement of his ally. His narcissism and jealousy couldn't be shaken.
There was no warm welcome, only tense stares as the two men waited for that tension to boil over. Aarush stood in radiance as his white robes caught the wind and Zxyl was down below, engulfed in whirling sand kicked up from the Spear.
Solaar's fists clenched and blood soaked through the back of his robes from the recent wounds inflicted by his harem. Getting pleasure from pain before battle always seemed to place him in the right state of mind. Anger welled up from within, written on his face with furrowed brows as his patience had run its course. Like a serpent, Aarush struck without warning, descending from his perch with a twisting flip. Before landing, his twin blades slithered from the accented cylinders in his hands and upon landing, he continued the momentum of his spin by lashing out with raw aggression.
Zxyl, no slouch, and certainly used to combating Force users had managed to perceptively slip beneath the whirlwind and fired off a rushed shot that unfortunately for him, missed its mark.
A smirk cracked Aarush's stony visage as he looked back and with tendrils of an invisible entity, shoved Zxyl back several meters, just far enough to leave him teetering on the edge of the ancient creature's nest.
The Mandalorian dug in and leaned into the blast of energy, avoiding spilling over, however the same could not be said for his blaster as it tumbled into the void, awakening the slumbering leviathan.
Six, six tentacles, shot out of it's mouth, three were an immediate threat, as there was one for each of Zxyl's legs and another for his waist. The Zabrak growled but with quick-wit sent a blast of fire into the snare around his waist, his jetpack created a shriek of pain but was not enough, in itself, to free him entirely.
Fast thoughts kept flowing as Venzos reached for Valyr, he thumbed the yellow blade to life, it snapped to attention, followed by the delayed guard.
This excited Aarush and like the predator he swooped in as, he would take advantage of his preoccupied supper. Zxyl turned his attention away from Aarush as the Sarlacc yanked him out of the air and back to the ground.
Not skipping a beat, Aarush locked the pommels of his hilts together to create one and fanned his extended weapon. Shimmer and Twilight moaned as each blade momentarily kissed Zxyl's jetpack, ultimately rendering it useless as it shuttered and erupted into a shower of sparks and flame.
The Augur was tickled by his handiwork and smiled as he heard the screams of his successor, watching as he vanished into the belly of Carkoon, but it wasn't enough. This was not the way. A creature would not rob him of this kill, it was finality that he craved.
Mustering his fortitude, there was no hesitation as Solaar's muscles engorged with the Force. He bound forward, propelled by sheer will and a hatred that carried him to the point of no return. Then, with reckless abandon, he took a leap of faith. His toes bit into the sand and the grace of a Twi'leki acrobat enabled him to fall with style, the only way forward was down.
White and gold blades fanned overhead, cleaving through tentacles and flesh as like a drill he penetrated the now writhing legend. A wet slap and a sudden stop caused his legs to spring as they absorbed the momentum of his descent but struggled to regain balance on the soft gelatinous floor. He looked up and in the darkness he could see a copper glow. Valyr was waiting.
