10-01-2016, 12:13 AM
Caira felt her ears pop as they approached the service. After her jaws feigning a yawn, she took another look at the maps of the ships, while Zack summoned the gear they’d need. Vaguely, while she was in Coruscant, had she heard of such a thing. It involved the technology to breathe underwater, and attachments to appendages like flippers. Hopefully, swimming wouldn’t prove too difficult. She’d done it once before and nearly drowned. But it was impossible to drown with scuba gear, right?
The prime found her eyes loitering on Zack, who’s Omnillium had nearly taken shape. Quickly, she turned her chin away, hoping he hadn’t caught a glimpse of her doubt. Gary raised a brow, and then bashed, “Is there something on yer mind, miss Ayryn?”
“Uh, what if we encounter a sea monster?” she asked, which was valid enough.
“I’ll try to torpedo it, but you do know there are worse things than monsters in this ocean, right?” Gary nudged.
“Worse things?” Caira’s violet eyes widened.
“Quit trying to scare her Gary,” Zack interrupted, handing the female a wetsuit made out of skin-tight fabric, not far off from what she was currently wearing.
“Scare her? You think she’ll be afraid of a little shark she can just punch in the mouth? Not this girl, no, she’s endured much worse. Even a sea monster is no match...” He appeared resolute with his chest puffed up.
Zack didn’t challenge him, and instead went over to Caira, “You’ll be alright, I summoned some good scuba gear, so it shouldn’t be that hard to learn. He’s just trying to scare you, by the way,” Zack crept a bit closer and spoke in a quieter tone so that it wouldn’t reflect off of the metal walls, “The worst we’ll encounter is a school of fish, other than the Empire’s guards. It’ll all work out. Stealth is our main priority, don’t even worry about the other stuff.”
“I suppose, if worst came to worst, you could just swing your giant sword at a sea monster... But I wouldn’t want him to eat you first because of that.” Zack offered a small laugh and as he did, dimples were revealed on his cheeks.
“Well now we’ve got a game plan for that too, don’t we? But I’ll warn you, that sea monster is no match for this sword. Ready to suit up?” he asked the knight, who nodded.
The weight of the air cylinder strapped on her shoulders was surprisingly heavy for something that was supposed to be full of air. Caira nearly toppled over when she picked it up. The suit she had slid on was sticky to her skin, not like glue, but snug like a firmly fitting shoe. The submarine crested waves and Gary opened the hatch, causing a hiss of air to shoot out, much like a whale. The duo of primes were ushered up. “If anything happens and I’m forced to change locations, I’ll be waiting near Cinnabar, got it? You can summon your own ride, if the Empire catch on and find me.”
Caira nodded sternly, Zack agreed this was a good course of action but he did not show it. Instead, after climbing the metal pegs that framed a ladder to the still darkling sky, the two paused as Gary sealed himself in again. Zack looked at Caira, who looked down at the waves with a strained expression. He could not see on which level she was perturbed, but he guessed it was the monsters, or perhaps, the fact that they could get caught. “It’s just like any other mission, Ayryn, and if we play it right, it will be a success, too.”
She appreciated his words, though they fell on hollowed ears. Caira was thrown back to her last encounter with fear, and realized it was surging up on her again. The waterfall pounded, its chants, louder than the memory, and Caira had nothing below her two feet, save an inch on each toe, of slick rock, and a thousand feet of air below her heels. If she fell it was instant death, that was, in itself, pretty scary. Now, if Caira breathed wrong, through the little pipe-thing that Zack called a respirator, she would drown, a not-so-instant death, which she would spend her last moments agonizingly kicking herself for her mistake. Humiliating, and the mission failed.
Her eyes lifted to him, heavy with worry, but also set free by his presence. She was glad she wasn’t alone. “You’re right, thank you.”
Whoosh!
Water filled her ears, trickling into ever part of her skin and filling it with a chilling glacial tingle. On her face, clasped a mask that wrapped around her nose, and below that, the little thing she was supposed to suck air from. Giving it a shot, she knew she was but a foot from the surface, and had little fear of failure. Fresh air filled her lungs and she exhaled through her mouth, watching the air bubbles rise. Through the goggles she saw Zack had started swimming lower, commencing the mission, and starting to act in stealth. It would be a long swim, since they needed to go in undetected, but they had the cover of night, and full tanks. Everything they needed to be successful. Caira moved her hands and used the extra length on her feet, to propel her forward into the murky darkness of the ocean.
To be engulfed by ocean waves on the surface seems so gentle, but hiding under the ever-shimmering surface is that of a cruel harshness. Caira’s eyes beamed through the night, grazing upon a few lurking fish and shark that ventured too near to them. Most of the creatures kept their distance, while the two Primes silently swished through the open water. Both of them had a flashlight attached to the top piece of their goggles, helping them see a narrow spectrum of distance in the unending water. It really was, vasty and deep.
Bubbles came from her mouth once more as she gulped down a fresh burst of air. It was a strange mechanism, but both picked up on it with some practice. Her black hair shimmered in the ocean around her, and flickered like a fishtail fighting a current. There was no way to speak during this time in their venture, so each Prime remained silent, and bubbled their air away. The ocean had a particular void sound, the sound of continuous currents, but it was very subtle even in her own keen ears. Zack lead the way, buster sword and all, as he plowed through the water. He seemed used to swimming, which probably tipped him off that Caira had not swam, ever, like this before...
Time rolled on, with the gentle sweep of her propelling feet so much so that Caira got used to the gentle motion of her own feet revolving. Zack suddenly slowed to a near-halt in front of her, and she did the same. Curious, Zack remained as still as the water would let him, and letting only a few scarce bubbles rise from his location. He clicked the headlight on his goggles off and Caira looked forward, straining to see what had caused this precaution.
A blink, another, and the water remained dismal and calm. Caira felt her awareness prickling, she felt the intent of danger, but she could not see what had caused it. Cold from the thrill of fear, and the lack of movement caused her muscles to grow numb, and her eyes swept side to side, waiting in the tension that had thickened the water around them to frigid ice.
Suddenly, invading almost every portion of her gaze, a dark shadow appeared, shapelessly looming over them. Caira could tell there was something there causing the shadow, but Zack had grabbed her wrist and not given her time to look at the thing. They swam off at full speed, his, much faster than hers when suddenly, something shot out of the cloud chasing behind them, and snatched Caira by the heel. Bubbles spurted everywhere, her mask was nearly flung off in the chaos, and the knight of Camelot was dragged away, with nothing to hang on to.
Zack spun around, and simultaneously drew the Buster Sword but too slowly, heeded by the sluggish churn of water. He grit his teeth through his breathing piece as he noticed she was no longer in sight. Whatever it was had been fast, no, supremely fast, and it was large too. He had to catch up to her, because if the unknown creature punctured her oxygen tank and continued to grab onto her, she’d be dead before she could reach air.
He tsked at the situation, shaking his head as he used the Buster Sword as an extra paddle, and followed the receding line of darkness, which signified whatever it was had gotten its dinner. He couldn’t accept that the girl was dead, not until he’d seen it, or at least seen the monster with his own eyes. There was no trace of any bubbles rising to the top, so his companion hadn’t left a remnant of a trail for him to follow. The idea of fear did not occur to the ex- SOLDIER, only how he would get her back.
The prime found her eyes loitering on Zack, who’s Omnillium had nearly taken shape. Quickly, she turned her chin away, hoping he hadn’t caught a glimpse of her doubt. Gary raised a brow, and then bashed, “Is there something on yer mind, miss Ayryn?”
“Uh, what if we encounter a sea monster?” she asked, which was valid enough.
“I’ll try to torpedo it, but you do know there are worse things than monsters in this ocean, right?” Gary nudged.
“Worse things?” Caira’s violet eyes widened.
“Quit trying to scare her Gary,” Zack interrupted, handing the female a wetsuit made out of skin-tight fabric, not far off from what she was currently wearing.
“Scare her? You think she’ll be afraid of a little shark she can just punch in the mouth? Not this girl, no, she’s endured much worse. Even a sea monster is no match...” He appeared resolute with his chest puffed up.
Zack didn’t challenge him, and instead went over to Caira, “You’ll be alright, I summoned some good scuba gear, so it shouldn’t be that hard to learn. He’s just trying to scare you, by the way,” Zack crept a bit closer and spoke in a quieter tone so that it wouldn’t reflect off of the metal walls, “The worst we’ll encounter is a school of fish, other than the Empire’s guards. It’ll all work out. Stealth is our main priority, don’t even worry about the other stuff.”
“I suppose, if worst came to worst, you could just swing your giant sword at a sea monster... But I wouldn’t want him to eat you first because of that.” Zack offered a small laugh and as he did, dimples were revealed on his cheeks.
“Well now we’ve got a game plan for that too, don’t we? But I’ll warn you, that sea monster is no match for this sword. Ready to suit up?” he asked the knight, who nodded.
The weight of the air cylinder strapped on her shoulders was surprisingly heavy for something that was supposed to be full of air. Caira nearly toppled over when she picked it up. The suit she had slid on was sticky to her skin, not like glue, but snug like a firmly fitting shoe. The submarine crested waves and Gary opened the hatch, causing a hiss of air to shoot out, much like a whale. The duo of primes were ushered up. “If anything happens and I’m forced to change locations, I’ll be waiting near Cinnabar, got it? You can summon your own ride, if the Empire catch on and find me.”
Caira nodded sternly, Zack agreed this was a good course of action but he did not show it. Instead, after climbing the metal pegs that framed a ladder to the still darkling sky, the two paused as Gary sealed himself in again. Zack looked at Caira, who looked down at the waves with a strained expression. He could not see on which level she was perturbed, but he guessed it was the monsters, or perhaps, the fact that they could get caught. “It’s just like any other mission, Ayryn, and if we play it right, it will be a success, too.”
She appreciated his words, though they fell on hollowed ears. Caira was thrown back to her last encounter with fear, and realized it was surging up on her again. The waterfall pounded, its chants, louder than the memory, and Caira had nothing below her two feet, save an inch on each toe, of slick rock, and a thousand feet of air below her heels. If she fell it was instant death, that was, in itself, pretty scary. Now, if Caira breathed wrong, through the little pipe-thing that Zack called a respirator, she would drown, a not-so-instant death, which she would spend her last moments agonizingly kicking herself for her mistake. Humiliating, and the mission failed.
Her eyes lifted to him, heavy with worry, but also set free by his presence. She was glad she wasn’t alone. “You’re right, thank you.”
Whoosh!
Water filled her ears, trickling into ever part of her skin and filling it with a chilling glacial tingle. On her face, clasped a mask that wrapped around her nose, and below that, the little thing she was supposed to suck air from. Giving it a shot, she knew she was but a foot from the surface, and had little fear of failure. Fresh air filled her lungs and she exhaled through her mouth, watching the air bubbles rise. Through the goggles she saw Zack had started swimming lower, commencing the mission, and starting to act in stealth. It would be a long swim, since they needed to go in undetected, but they had the cover of night, and full tanks. Everything they needed to be successful. Caira moved her hands and used the extra length on her feet, to propel her forward into the murky darkness of the ocean.
To be engulfed by ocean waves on the surface seems so gentle, but hiding under the ever-shimmering surface is that of a cruel harshness. Caira’s eyes beamed through the night, grazing upon a few lurking fish and shark that ventured too near to them. Most of the creatures kept their distance, while the two Primes silently swished through the open water. Both of them had a flashlight attached to the top piece of their goggles, helping them see a narrow spectrum of distance in the unending water. It really was, vasty and deep.
Bubbles came from her mouth once more as she gulped down a fresh burst of air. It was a strange mechanism, but both picked up on it with some practice. Her black hair shimmered in the ocean around her, and flickered like a fishtail fighting a current. There was no way to speak during this time in their venture, so each Prime remained silent, and bubbled their air away. The ocean had a particular void sound, the sound of continuous currents, but it was very subtle even in her own keen ears. Zack lead the way, buster sword and all, as he plowed through the water. He seemed used to swimming, which probably tipped him off that Caira had not swam, ever, like this before...
Time rolled on, with the gentle sweep of her propelling feet so much so that Caira got used to the gentle motion of her own feet revolving. Zack suddenly slowed to a near-halt in front of her, and she did the same. Curious, Zack remained as still as the water would let him, and letting only a few scarce bubbles rise from his location. He clicked the headlight on his goggles off and Caira looked forward, straining to see what had caused this precaution.
A blink, another, and the water remained dismal and calm. Caira felt her awareness prickling, she felt the intent of danger, but she could not see what had caused it. Cold from the thrill of fear, and the lack of movement caused her muscles to grow numb, and her eyes swept side to side, waiting in the tension that had thickened the water around them to frigid ice.
Suddenly, invading almost every portion of her gaze, a dark shadow appeared, shapelessly looming over them. Caira could tell there was something there causing the shadow, but Zack had grabbed her wrist and not given her time to look at the thing. They swam off at full speed, his, much faster than hers when suddenly, something shot out of the cloud chasing behind them, and snatched Caira by the heel. Bubbles spurted everywhere, her mask was nearly flung off in the chaos, and the knight of Camelot was dragged away, with nothing to hang on to.
Zack spun around, and simultaneously drew the Buster Sword but too slowly, heeded by the sluggish churn of water. He grit his teeth through his breathing piece as he noticed she was no longer in sight. Whatever it was had been fast, no, supremely fast, and it was large too. He had to catch up to her, because if the unknown creature punctured her oxygen tank and continued to grab onto her, she’d be dead before she could reach air.
He tsked at the situation, shaking his head as he used the Buster Sword as an extra paddle, and followed the receding line of darkness, which signified whatever it was had gotten its dinner. He couldn’t accept that the girl was dead, not until he’d seen it, or at least seen the monster with his own eyes. There was no trace of any bubbles rising to the top, so his companion hadn’t left a remnant of a trail for him to follow. The idea of fear did not occur to the ex- SOLDIER, only how he would get her back.
![[Image: mqdefault.jpg]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yEac52Ck_1A/mqdefault.jpg)