The Voice in the Wilderness

Posted on Fri Feb 28th, 2020 @ 2:24am by Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Chief Warrant Officer Ryi "Taffy" Amlari
Edited on on Fri Feb 28th, 2020 @ 2:25am

Mission: Mission 29: Songs Around the Campfire
Location: Planet Surface - Yeneer G1
Timeline: 1100Hrs - March 10th, 2391 - Time Dilation: 5 Years, 3 Months

Cadet Rachael Yamaguchi had long since developed her hunting skills and now she was a true force to be reckoned with. "Taffy, walk slowly...no not like that..."

Taffy said something unkind about Rachael under her breath. She was clad in her shirt and shorts, her flight suit too uncomfortable to be worn casually. Taffy was a trained warrior and infantryman but her skills were a little rusty. Compared the the keen edge of Rachael's skills, Taffy especially needed to improve.

As Taffy stepped, Rachael drew an arrow as she spun, looking to take aim at whatever was approaching. "Control, Control... you must learn control." Rachael sighed softly, She was now a couple of years younger then Taffy, age nineteen and the two of them were at the base camp and not in any sort of danger, nevertheless Rachael wasn't dismissing it lightly.

Taffy sat down in frustration. "I'm trying Rachael. I've improved a lot since I crashed here."

"You're getting better but those Orobirds are death on legs... They are the biggest cause of our issues and losses.." Rachael who now stood about 5'9 explained, she had leaned out and lost all of her baby fat, she was also deeply tanned and was clearly used to wearing very little. "Well.. Its almost the start of Autumn... and.. this is where things get ... interesting, the Orobirds generally start a migration.. a large number of them start coming through this area in the next couple of weeks.

"Well, it will break the boredom." Taffy casually dismissed Rachael's warning.

Rachael sighed. "I can't believe you just said that... Let alone that I just heard that.."

Taffy smiled at Rachael. "Oh come on. You've been here for years and even have a child. Teval has a whole litter of offspring. I think you are overreacting."

Rachael indicated Halftalon who was busy eating his 'dinner' under Siaxx's careful eye. "Does he look like a pet to you...?" the young woman inquired. "Siaxx treats him the way she does because its what Greywolf taught her..." she let out a sigh, clearly the name meant something.

"Greywolf? Who is he?" Taffy asked.

"A friend to Siaxx and to myself... He was...my hero." Rachael admitted. "He wasn't a part of this crew... but he was kin to Siaxx.. and to a lesser degree... me."

"Sorry to hear he is gone." Taffy told Rachael. "If he was kin to Siaxx was he a Bolian?"

"No... He wasn't Bolian." Rachael answered evenly. "He was a Wolfman... I don't know what species..."

Taffy decided not to ask anymore questions about that guy. She was curious as to how he got on the moon and survived before the Roanoke people crashed. Taffy wanted to forget about the miserable situation they were in.

"Alright, back to practice?" She asked Rachael.

"Yeah..." Rachael handed Taffy two spears. "Alright.. try again to hit the target over there..." she commented. "hold one arm before you to aim."

Taffy grabbed the spears. She threw the first spear at the target and it went wide right. Taffy cursed and made another attempt. The spear was closer to the target but too high.

Rachael extended her hand as both spears came to her, she then came over to Taffy before she in turn took aim and struck true with both spears.

She paused before calling them both to her a second time, then she handed them both to Taffy again. "You're trying too hard... let it flow naturally."

Taffy hurled the spear towards the target and it missed. Taffy growled in frustration. She wiped the sweat from her hair. She took aim and flung the spear again. The spear glanced the target but didn't stick.

"I'm getting better." Taffy told Rachael.

"Yeah you are.." Rachael said evenly as she retrieved the spears, then she handed them to the taller Andorian. "Again."

Taffy groaned loudly. She aimed and threw the spear. It grazed the target. Taffy let fly the second spear. It hit center mass and stuck. "Finally!" Taffy said, exasperated.

"Nice.." Rachael called the spears to her. "Again.."

Taffy flung both spears and scored two hits. "I think I'm feeling the art of this Rachael." Taffy told her.

"You are.." Rachael commented as she picked up an a spear thrower.
"Let me show you how to use this... when tracking. you'll get one shot so whatever you do... do not miss." as she showed Taffy how to use it. "I think you could kill a predator with one hit. You have the size and the upper body strength for it."

"Feels a little awkward." Taffy admitted. "Wouldn't it be easier just to throw it?"

"Try it." Rachael commented as she nocked her own spear, then she aimed and let fly, it went though the target. "Spear thrower is what lets us kill dinner."

Taffy notched a spear and shot it at the target. The spear flew too high over the target. Taffy turned to Rachael. "I need a little practice."

"I've seen worse... go and fetch your spear..." Rachael responded quietly. "we'll try again when you get back."

Taffy mumbled something in Andorii under her breath about Rachael and went to retrieve her spears. It took her several moments to find the spear in the under brush. Taffy was in no hurry to go back to Rachael.

Rachael stood as she waited for Taffy as she heard something move, she turned her head as a large ambush predator made its move, she shot at it with her bow and while she hit it, all she did was piss it off.
"Taffy. move!"

Taffy quickly loaded the spear thrower and shot it off. The spear hit the bird in the wing and the creature shrieked in pain. The bird was wounded but not down. Taffy cursed as she drew her Usaan-tor.

The creature lunged at Taffy. Taffy tried to dodge but it was too fast. The bird's large beak dug into Taffy's left shoulder. Taffy screamed in pain as she brought her right arm around and repeatedly stabbed the giant bird in the neck.

Rachael showed up at that point as she drew the sword that she had replicated and with one swing, she decapitated the bird-like predator, she turned to Taffy. "Let me take a look... Oh yeah... you need to see Siaxx for that.." she commented as she looked down at the fallen bird. "Can you walk?"

Taffy struggled to sit upright. "I think a clavicle is broken." She moaned. There was blue blood all over the rags that were once her shirt. "I think I can walk back. I just need to bandage my wounds before I try to move." Taffy winced, obviously in pain.

Rachael reached into her pocket and she pulled out some bandages. "Let me bandage you.."

"Thank you. I think I can make it back." Taffy told Rachael.

Rachael proceeded to wrap Taffy's shoulder. "Okay... head on back and see Siaxx... I'll handle this.." she indicated the massive bird-like creature.

What was left of Taffy's shirt was used to hold the bandages in place. Taffy warily stood up and gathered up her weapons. She looked at the giant creature. "Are you going to harvest that?"

"Yep." Rachael responded with a smile. "I process things like this in a weekly basis... " as she smiled at Taffy.

"Wonderful," Taffy mused "I'm going to get to eat what almost ate me."

"Pretty much, yes... once we finish preparing, gutting and skinning it.... yes." Rachael responded. "Still think its boring around here?"

"Yes I do." Taffy replied. "Boredom punctuated by a few minutes of soul fucking terror."

Rachael looked at the bird as she mentally began to drag it back to base camp. "Oh I hear ya.. imagine growing up with that..?"

"I can feel it." Taffy told her. "This planet is no place for children."

"Yeah... I raised Saki here..." Rachael responded with a smile.