Anika is grateful that everything is bolted down in the hold, grabbing at one of the seats to stop herself from falling. When the vessel seems to have settled, she lets go to slide down the floor. The side of the ship is now on the ground, everything comically tilted like a funhouse.
Hux rights himself, helping Darial up. "What is it?" he asks urgently, keeping his voice hushed. "What's out there?"
"Giant starfish that want to eat us," Anika replies. The shuttle creaks as something bangs into it, sending them all scrambling to stay on their feet as it rocks. Kylo turns around to scan the view out of the front.
"We need to arm ourselves, then," Hux decides, going for one of the storage lockers that is now at his feet.
He has no sooner stood up with a blaster, than something slaps down over the viewport. The fleshy arm flails for a moment before the suckers stick, grasping as they cover the transparisteel. The metal of the hull gives an ominous groan from the rear, the noise suggesting another creature has climbed onto the shuttle near the engine.
"I think we need something bigger than a blaster," Kylo decides, moving to the controls. He goes for the laser cannon, the only weapon the shuttle is outfitted with. It's mounted at the top, and is probably partially covered by the starfish's body.
"We don't have enough power to last, this may only have a couple shots in it," Kylo admits.
"Then we should abandon the shuttle," Hux decides. "Head inland, away from the water."
Kylo nods, grabbing his helmet from where it was lodged under the pilot's seat. "When I start firing, get the emergency hatch open. It should be facing the trees. Clear the way, and I'll bring up the rear."
Hux nods, making his way to the wall that used to be the top of the shuttle. The hatch there is only meant for an evacuation, as once it is opened, it can't be resealed.
Kylo gives Anika a look, his expression revealing concern. "Be careful," he says quietly. "And don't go running off into the forest alone."
Anika nods, then scrambles to grab a weapon from the locker for herself. She hasn't practiced with a blaster in years, not since the basic training the First Order provided. Here goes fucking nothing. She joins Darial and Hux at the hatch, the latter giving Kylo a nod when he's ready.
Kylo starts shooting, and the sound the starfish makes when hit is disturbing. It's a deep, vibrating squeal, somehow making the whole vessel shake with it. The arm slides down off the viewport, damaged and smoking, as the creature drops loose.
Hux opens the hatch, and fires off a few shots before he crawls out. "Come on, get out! Get to the treeline!" he shouts, turning to give Darial a quick wave. She looks paralyzed, though, hovering in front of the opening.
Anika moves her forward, as gently as she can while basically shoving her to the hatch. She pushes Darial through, following a moment later to see an unfortunate sight. Hux has managed to pick off the smaller starfish that litter the ground between the shuttle and the trees. But there is definitely a huge, monster of a star that is currently perched over their engine. It's already moving in their direction.
"Aim to stern!" Anika shouts, hoping Kylo can hear her over the commotion. "Another at the back!"
The laser cannon swivels and fires. She flinches when it connects squarely with the star's body, blowing a smoldering hole through the center. Well, that's nasty. She would feel bad for it, if it weren't currently trying to eat their ship. And them.
"Move! Get to the trees!" Hux screeches, still firing. The noise and movement has only attracted more starfish, and they're now swarming around the shuttle towards them. Anika makes a face as she sees some of them attacking each other, cannibalizing the smaller ones in their frenzy.
Darial must have snapped out of her daze, grabbing Anika's hand. She tows her along, running for the forest. There's a star blocking their path, and it takes Anika half a dozen shots before she finally hits it. It reacts immediately, shooting its tentacle out to snatch at whatever has hit it. Before she can shoot it again, it goes flying sideways, out of their path.
Anika risks a glance back, seeing that Kylo has emerged from the shuttle. He follows them with Hux, and together they make their way to the beginning of the wooded area. They have a few near misses, and Anika is appreciative of the First Order's footwear. The barbs don't get through, as long as they keep moving. They make some awful uniforms, but these are some damn good boots.
There's a grinding, groaning sound that catches Anika's attention. She pauses to look, witnessing the shuttle being crushed beneath another starfish, this one almost the size of the ship. Kylo grabs her, pulling her into the forest.
They find shelter there, leaving behind the horrors of the shore. The creatures seem reluctant to push between the trees, and the plant life is dense enough that it would be nearly impossible for the bigger ones to pass. The planet is darker without the lights of the shuttle, however. They have to slow down to avoid tripping on roots or vines.
Soon, the canopy of the forest blocks out the only light from the moons overhead. Once the moonlight has vanished, a different sort of light appears. Something is flashing, deep inside the forest. Sparks of light peek between the trees and vines in the distance.
Anika is curious, trying to catch a longer glimpse of what could be making the lights. She keeps walking, oblivious that the others have stopped until Kylo catches her by the arm to stop her.
"Night isn't the time-" he begins.
"To explore a strange world, I know, I know," Anika grumbles. That's Survival Lesson #1 from you. She looks up, expecting a scowl on his face. Instead, she sees the smallest hint of a smile.
"Is this far enough?" Darial asks anxiously, looking around. "What if they keep coming?"
"It would be almost impossible for them to cross this terrain," Kylo points out.
"We'll keep a look out, just in case," Hux says, trying to reassure her. He pulls a small flashlight from somewhere on his uniform pants.
I don't want to know where he was hiding that. Anika thinks it's probably too much to hope that Hux also has a tent crammed somewhere, maybe up his-
"We won't be here long enough to need a tent," Kylo interrupts her thoughts. "The Knights have left the Supremacy. They're on their way."
"The question I have, is why weren't they already on their way?" Hux demands. "We should have been off this planet hours ago."
"If you hadn't pissed yourself and passed out, I could have told you they were delayed," Kylo retorts, his voice antagonistic. "The blobs attempted to take the command center of the Supremacy."
"I didn't piss myself, I pissed on myself," Hux begins to argue. "There's a difference.
Is there, though? Anika really doubts anyone would draw that much of a distinction.
"And I didn't pass out, you drugged me," the general concludes.
"You asked to be drugged," Kylo points out. "All that matters now, is they're on the way."
"Good. I hate this planet," Hux complains.
Anika privately agrees with him. He seems to be in a foul mood, but it is understandable. Not only had he woken up to chaos, he probably stinks like a Nar Shaddaa cantina. She tries to keep the smirk off her face as she contemplates how much that must annoy a man like Hux.
"Well… We just have to survive a few more hours," Darial concludes, her strained voice sounding like she's trying to force an upbeat tone. She looks around, spotting a fallen tree and sitting hesitantly on the trunk.
Anika sighs, plopping down next to her. At least there's no mushrooms. The forest sounds strange around them, much louder than she'd been expecting. That same sort of chattering noise she'd noticed earlier is amplified within the trees. And the flashing lights keep dancing in the distance.
A While Later
The precipitation that had started out as a light, refreshing mist grows heavier. A steady rain starts falling, the droplets getting bigger and more annoying. Kylo takes his cloak off to offer to them. Anika and Darial can both fit underneath it, if they squish themselves together. Between the drenching rain and the loud jungle noises, it's easy to feel on edge while they wait.
"Well, this is miserable," Hux remarks under his breath.
Kylo immediately retorts, "I thought you wanted a shower."
"I'm getting soggy," the general complains, throwing a glare at where Kylo is leaning against one of the larger trunks.
"That must be so hard for you," he comments.
No sooner has the snarky remark left Kylo's mouth, then there is a loud thunk sound. He flinches, jerking away from the tree to glare up into its branches.
"Yes, Ren. Very good. Rain does come from up there," Hux mutters sarcastically. Almost immediately, there is a second thunk. Hux recoils in pain, making a noise like an indignant squeal. He rubs at his head, where something had apparently hit him.
"Wait-I saw something that time!" Darial insists, pushing the hood of the cloak back to look upwards. "Something fell from the trees."
Anika blinks against the rain, but she can see nothing but dark branches swaying overhead. The chattering noise is loud enough to border on offensive now, an annoying racket filling the forest around them.
Anika looks back when Hux turns his flashlight on again, focusing the beam on something on the ground. It almost looks like a tropical coconut, but uglier and with points. Is the rain making fruit fall from the trees?
"Look out!" Hux warns them, but both girls only flinch in place. Fortunately, Kylo has a quicker reaction. He uses the force, stopping the mystery fruit in midair above their heads. Anika looks up, following the beam of Hux's flashlight as he aims it above where they sit.
There, in the top branch of the closest tree, is a face. She squeals, tripping over Darial's legs in her haste to get off the log. Darial makes a muffled noise, attempting to move at the same time. They end up tumbling to the ground in a jumble of limbs, tangled up in Kylo's cloak. That face above them just watches, before it is joined by a second.
Kylo ignites his lightsaber, and the extra light illuminates more of the branches overhead. The canopy above them is filled with the creatures, some kind of primate lurking there. Their faces are furry, and might even be cute if it weren't for the curled-back lips. They bare their fangs, clearly showing they are not happy with the intrusion into their territory.
The chattering picks up in intensity, seemingly in response to the red light of Kylo's saber. Another one hurls something down, and Kylo flings a hand out. The fruit goes flying, smashing into the trunk of a tree to drop, cracked, onto the ground.
"How much longer until your Knights arrive?" Hux yells to be heard over the chaotic noises.
"They'll be dropping out of hyperspace soon." Kylo's attention is focused upwards, his eyes scanning the treetops.
"We'll start heading back to the beach, then," Hux suggests. He moves quickly to gesture back the way they'd come. His motion triggers an onslaught of fruit hurling down at them.
Anika ducks, and she and Darial manage to avoid most of it. One piece collides with her lower leg, stinging in the aftermath. That's gonna bruise. She peeks back at Kylo, finding the sight of him glaring up at the trees, contemplating violence, to be oddly hilarious. The mighty Commander Ren versus a horde of pissed off monkeys.
"We'll slowly start heading back to the beach," Hux amends, moving with more caution this time.
"But what if those star things are still feeding?" Darial points out nervously.
"Well, we can't stay here," Hux insists. "Unless you want to see Ren massacre the local wildlife."
Anika would love to say he'd never do such a thing, but the angry look on Kylo's face speaks for itself. "The stars didn't come into the trees," she points out. "Maybe we can find some safe middle ground." We'll just split the difference. Murder starfish on one side, assault monkeys on the other.
They slowly withdraw from the area, trying to not upset the creatures overhead further. The chattering continues, flashes of snarling teeth illuminated by the dull red glow of the lightsaber. Anika takes one last glance, back at the lights dancing deeper in the jungle. I wonder what's making those lights.
"I think it's better we leave without finding out," Kylo insists, shooting a departing glare at the primates before he joins them in retreat.
Later
It has at least stopped raining by the time they get back to the edge of the beach, and the starfish seem to be returning to the water. Dawn isn't far away, judging by the hint of light at the horizon. The day and night cycle on this planet seems to be accelerated, each lasting a much shorter time span than on any standard planet she'd been to.
The shuttle they had arrived in is trashed, smashed down in more than one place. The engine looks worse for wear, the external part partially dislodged and hanging crooked.
Fortunately for them, they won't be needing it. The Knight's vessel, the Night Buzzard, is as loud as it is noxious. They can hear the ship entering the atmosphere before they can see it. Kylo pulls his helmet back on his head, striding out onto the sand to wave them down. Darial and Hux both look relieved, though Anika feels more hesitant.
At least one of his Knights had referred to her as a problem. She can't help but feel a bit wary getting onto their ship. Though surely, none of them would act against Kylo's orders? Right? Right. I'm sure its fine…
She tries to shake off the nervousness as the ship comes down for a landing. It's a great blocky thing, a transport vessel that the Knights took liberties modifying. It matches them, she thinks. Dark, ominous, and with a lot of weaponry. The fumes reach them as it touches down, and Anika coughs against the stench.
Technicians have tried to work on the thing before, but the Knights are picky about who they let touch the ship. As the plume of dark smoke trails out of the rear, she just covers her mouth and raises a skeptical eyebrow at it. Guess they like it offensively smelly.
They cross the sand quickly, the few remaining starfish far enough down the beach to not be a concern. They're already in the waves, disappearing back into the water they'd crawled from.
The hatch opens, and Anika is surprised to find herself feeling happy at the sight of Ap'lek. He gives his master a nod, stepping aside so they can shuffle onboard. Anika shuts the door once they're all on, casting a curious glance at the two. Neither Kylo nor Ap'lek speak, but she's fairly certain they are still communicating. Must be nice to have psychic chats… Wouldn't know…
She joins Darial, plopping down onto a seat. She's tired, and can't wait to find a bunk and pass out for a bit. Hopefully they can get temporary quarters on the Supremacy until Starkiller Base is operational again.
"We made it," Darial says, giving her a sleepy smile. She returns it, trying to get comfortable for the flight.
Arriving at the Supremacy
The flight to the Supremacy is smooth and without drama until they exit hyperspace in a rush. Anika sits up from where she had been slumped, half asleep. She is confused by their sudden erratic piloting. The ship switches hastily to sublight engines, veering sharply.
What the fuck?
She gets up, almost losing her balance when the ship turns a second time. Then Anika manages to make it to one of the viewports, looking out to try to see what is causing the commotion. The Supremacy looms in the distance, hanging in the black of space like a massive floating city. A ship darts by, and Anika's eyes widen.
Is that Kylo's ship?
She grabs onto the wall when they bank again, pursuing it. She catches another glimpse, definitely recognizing it. Judging by the way the Night Buzzard is flying, the pilot is trying to force the shuttle back towards the Supremacy.
Anika returns to her seat, nudging Darial awake. Somehow, her friend is tired enough that she has managed to sleep through the hectic piloting.
"Huh?" Darial murmurs, confused.
"We're almost to the Supremacy," Anika explains. The ship decelerates as she speaks, probably coming in on approach for the hangar bay.
Darial makes a sound, pushing herself up straight. She rubs at her eyes. "Mm. That's good."
Both girls turn towards the cockpit when the door slides open. Kylo stomps out, managing to keep his footing even as the ship lands with a thump. He doesn't break pace, striding towards the hatch and smashing his hand into the control.
He exits before the door has fully opened, his lightsaber flashing to life as he takes the ramp into the hangar of the Supremacy. Anika scrambles out of her seat to follow him, curious to see who has taken his shuttle. She practically runs down the ramp, squinting under the harsh lighting. The interior of the Night Buzzard was dim in comparison to the massive, bright hangar of the Supremacy.
The hangar is crowded with ships, droids, and personnel. It's easy enough to follow Kylo, though. His ignited saber clears a wide path in front of him, as no one seems to want to get in his way. His shuttle has landed nearby, and he is storming towards it like a man on a mission.
He's almost to it when the hatch opens, and the maintenance officer emerges. Anika cocks her head in surprise. Zach? Out of everyone she might have suspected of taking the commander's ship, Zach was not on the list.
A second man emerges from the shuttle, and she blinks in confusion. It's Zach again. Clearly, one of them is the blob that had been impersonating him. However, looking between them, she can't tell who is the real maintenance officer and who is the copy.
One Zach holds up his hands at Kylo, face worried. "I know this probably looks bad-" he starts.
"Well, it certainly does not look good," the other Zach chimes in. They exchange a scared glance, chuckling uncomfortably in unison.