Creature Handler Archive

Akaroka slowly walks into camp

head down tears rolling down her face as her babies follow her command to come and sit with her

sits down by her beloved babies one last time with her fellow CH's

hmm hot chocolate thank you feels good in my hands

looks around at all the faces and nods to each one

/sigh

think i'll be sitting here awhile for i am lost

The camp's master rises to his feet, looks around at the sad faces of his compatriots, and bows his head. Kneeling, he gently pets the heads of the two animals still loyally clinging to his legs, despite the command units resting in the ground at their feet. Lifting his head to the sky, a long ululating howl bursts forth from his chest, a release of his pain that causes birds to fly from the trees and brings the forest around the camp to stillness for a moment.

"My friends, what they are doing to us is painful, true... but so long as we carry within ourselves the honor and the spirit of our profession, they cannot sever us completely from these memories. Your stories... your presence will remain here as a testament of the love we bear for our furred, scaled, and feathered friends - and no one can take that love from me."

(This will be my last posting in this camp. If we CHs don't have a forum come the NGE, I'll make a blog just to carry on our traditions. It's been wonderful, people... too bad it had to end this way.)

please sticky this thread while we still have a forum. adn people please keep posting your happy storys of the old days.

*tear rolls down nilknocs cheak^

A large shadow blocks out the stars and a lone figure strolls in out of the darkness and sits down by the fire. As he takes his place by the fire the shadow settles down into a large dark mass. A large lizard head pokes into the fire light over the handler’s right shoulder. “Lie down Stretch” says Hei U-Guize sadly as he lovingly pats the large kimogila on the side of the head. The head fades away in the darkness but the eyes still burn brightly nearby. Hei’s shoulders slump as he sobs silently next to his unknown compadres.

A few minutes later, his composure barely back under control, Hei lifts his head and slowly looks everyone around the fire in the eye. “Friends” he says, “though I know little to none of you we all share a common bond that binds us and our pets together.” “No matter what side of the galactic struggle you are on, right here, right now, we are one together.” “Whatever happens to us we must remember…must remember those special friends who have brought us comfort when we were down, fought valiantly by our sides, and even laid down their lives so that we would live.” “Yes I speak of our creature companions, our steadfast steeds, our fearless friends.” He pauses briefly to again regain his composure then continues “In that vein I recount with fondness one of my adventures with my big friend back there.” He looks over his shoulder, the glowing eyes lift up a few feet, blink twice then settle back down.

The story goes as this:

Shortly after I began to sense a strong force which unites all I stumbled across this village of Jedi in the remotest parts of Dathomir. The village was being over run by sith bandits and did not have enough people to fend off the attack. I let out a loud whistle and out of the wilderness charges my trusty friend Stretch, the ground shaking with every step of his enormous feet. “We must save this village from those that would do it harm” I tell the scaly goliath next to me. I don my armor and draw my best rifle and take up a firing position a healthy distance away from the nearest siths. "Get ‘em Stretch!" I yell, andhe charges down upon the surprised bandits. The first one barely has time to register the enormity of the creature about to pummel him before he’s lying dead in the dust. Quickly the rest of the group falls in a flurry of teeth, claws and strafing rifle blasts. I get up, run to my friend and quickly tend his wounds, minor as they were. Together we move around the outside wall and enter the compound. There are sith everywhere and the embattled villagers are slipping fast. The ground nearly upends as Stretch charges into the fray. The sith scatter briefly caught off-guard but then quickly regroup and start attacking Stretch en mass. Well as big and strong as he is Stretch isn’t the smartest of reptiles. He starts getting confused with so many people attacking him at once. He starts twisting and turning, attacking anything that moves. He just can’t figure out to concentrate at one target at a time until its dead. Furiously I fire into the crowd and try to distract them from my friend. I see him start to weaken and falter. I jump to my feet, rifle in one hand, stim in the other and run into the battle. Still firing wildly I inject Stretch with a stim and drop the emptied injector. Ignoring the damage I am taking I fumble for another stim to heal my companion. My conciseness starts to blur while I try to keep my friend and I healed and continue to fight. As I slip into darkness, I seethe huge beast next to me stumble and fall. The force of the impact lifts me off the ground briefly and drops me back down, darkness overtakes me. Then a blinding light as my eyes jerk back open. A group with a doctor had joined the fight and he brings me back to life. I jump to my feet and start firing again and yell “Get my friend too”, pointing at the unmoving heap of scales. I’m relieved when I see Stretch get up and shake his big head to clear the confusion. Back in the battle Stretch, myself, and our new found allies push the sith into retreat and eventually eliminate them. The battle over, wounds healed, and fully rested I walk over to my friend and say…”Stretch, I love ya buddy but I’m gonna have to limit you to battles with only a few attackers…no more groups.” Somewhat disappointed he nods his head in agreement. “Don’t worry” I tell him.“I’ll still find plenty of big things for you to fight like Rancors and such.” With a gleam in his eye he flashes a big lizard grin as we head back toward the space port and home.

Message Edited by InspGadgt on 11-03-2005 11:12 PM

Wiping hot tears of grief from her yellow tattooed face, Paradigm- recalls the wise teachings of the enlightened Sensei, the one who showed her the joys and hardships of harnessing the special mental links only some were strong enough to build between humanoid and creature, only some could forge into the adamantine that is the core of a BH/CH, one of the last true Master Creature Handlers. “In the face of hardship, stoicism is both a handy and honorable trait, but just as hardening your heart allows you to do what is necessary, Grief plays an equal and greater role. You must allow your self to FEEL, for the loss of companions and pack mates, for the cunning and challenge of the prey and Marks of your trade. Never forget the rituals of taking; never forget to honor the sacrifices they have given to you”

Good words she would have to live with in the coming future. With a sigh, she attaches the last pressure seal to her Rebel Armor chest plate, feels the familiar, almost comforting cool pinch as the enhanced Biometric tendrils burrow in to her dark skin, another gift from her Sensei. Standing up from the camp chair, Hachimantai brand Sake bottle in her grasp, she sends the mental call to her reptilian pack mate from far way Mustafar, relishes the hot, eager, questing of a kindred spirit, of her companion, {is there danger!?$ Do we !HUNT!}. “No my friend, we shall give our respects, to this august gathering, then we shall go to talus, to free some of your sisters in arms, for the service they have rendered. Come into the light, so we may follow the rituals” Out of the darkness, the sleek form of Kimi, nearly sliding from the shadows, glides into the camp, alert to the tension in this now hollowed ground. The rituals are preformed, and thanks given to those who are known, and to those still to meet, to kindred spirits.

/Kowtow/Kowtow/Bow3

Arigato Minasan, Korekaramo, gambate kudasai (thank you everyone, I wish you luck in the future) paradigm- whispers sadly.

“Let us go my sister, lest we never leave this haven” the mental request is sent to Kimi. Hrs later, on the river bank across from Deric city on talus, a lone figure stands, wracked with grief, yet proud of those she gazes fondly at. The control devices she despised and shunned cracked and broken at her feet, she sends out the last mental touch, desperately hoping it is picked up “ Kaji, Shiram, Miki, my truest friends, you were my fire in many battles, you were my strength! You sacrificed your perfect hides, to keep me, your pride mate, from being scarred for life, as you are. I will always love you; I will always perform the rites in your memory. I hope you can find mates, build prides, passing on the enhanced traits you were bread with. You must always be wary of up-rites, you are a thing of wonder and fear to them, run strong and swift, and live your life. There are many here, like you, like your pride mates that will stay awhile longer with me. Be careful of the Giant Panthers, they are aggressive and brash, like you were when even cubs, fare well my brothers and sister.

{Grieve no longer! Pride leader!, we are free%$# to carry on the traditions you have taught us. We love you, we will remember your !scent! If ever you need us again, we will not forget the ways}

%alone!+**we are alone% paradigm- hears a faint yet strong plea, feel the odd itching on her neck, as she does when she connects for the first time with an animal, a baby. Equipping her Trandoshan stun baton, the best weapon to use in situations she is thrown into, when things could go wrong, and parents become enraged, but blasters may damage beyond repair. Heading due west, the pleas become stronger and harder to ignore

%alone!+** we will die with out a pride, without one to teach us%**!`+ we heard your call, feel your pain, please teach us, we will be strong for your pride%$*

Stopped in her foot steps, Paradigm- finely sees the source of these cries, two large cats, though babies, by the looks of the burned and hacked carcasses surrounding the den, I high price to pay for the young of this pride, though not in vain, it seems, as she spies the tattered, crushed and shattered remains of hard white molded shock armor, spies blood trails and foot prints heading east, back to deirc. Indeed, the largest Genus of the Sludge panther family, truly Great animals. A fleeting thought, stretched taught and wispy, “there is still time pride leader, you must take the twins, you must teach them”

There is still time…

Message Edited by Cloudwarrior on 11-15-2005 08:33 AM

Message Edited by Cloudwarrior on 11-15-2005 08:34 AM