trans_9 | The Lurking Fear

Katara wiped her eyes. She knew she was going to beat away this fake Aang anyway, that wasn't the focus of her mind right now. Knowing that Aang was somewhere in trouble, and that it was partly her fault, was what she cared about: and now she was out of that place, she wasn't going to allow herself to be tracked again.

"Fighting is what I do," Katara said, "But I also have someone I need to help that's a part of this. Lets' get out of here: I've wasted enough time with this."

She followed Rtas, hoping to put this behind her. She could think about it later. Right now, it was all about finding Aang and helping all the people that she could.

"I'm Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. Who might you be?"

'Vadum swept his gaze once to their surroundings to ensure no other threats remained before returning his attention to Katara. A warrior indeed? One with some talent no doubt from what he had seen. At her wish to leave he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Indeed, for their sake, let us waste no time," The Sangheili replied with a calm air despite the emotions that may have simmered beneath the surface, as he took a second to get his bearings before he would stride forth through the swamp. "This way, follow closely,"

"An honour, Katara, I am Rtas 'Vadum, of the Sangheili Armed Forces, Shipmaster of the Shadow of Intent and Fleetmaster of the fleet of Retribution,"

Katara took this time to regard the person that had interrupted her Nightmare. Rtas was tall, taller than most people she'd ever seen before, and while she may have thought him wearing a Spartan suit before, she could see the differences that made her think otherwise. What was more, Rtas was certainly not human like Kelly: last she checked, humans didn't have mandibles, and the longer fingers and extra thumbs were confirmation that she wasn't looking at a human. This hardly bothered her though: it wasn't as if she hadn't met and befriended non-humans before. Granted, they usually weren't this tall, but she'd just have to adjust here.

She kept his pace, as of silently agreeing that wasting time was not an option for either of them. She moved swiftly, determined that she would get her own emotions under control. This was exactly how the King wanted her to go into battle: unfocused, distracted, an easy target. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction, and that included ignoring the pain at her back and arms.

"That's a mouthful," Katara commented as they started to leave their swampy surroundings. "So I take it to mean, from the little I know about the technology of other worlds, that you're versed at piloting ships?"

'Vadum picked his way through the swamp easily, confident strides propelling him onwards as he lead them toward the edge of the swamp itself and out. His mind and senses alert, gaze sweeping back and forth from time to time. He would not allow the Nightmare King to catch either of them unawares.

"Indeed," He would reply with that cool tone, though a hint of wryness at the very edges of it. The swamp seeming to blend into the more familiar streets as they left the nightmare's bubble, a dark shadow and haze was cast over the streets. Scanning the area ahead with his gaze briefly before the Sangheili would look back over his shoulder to Katara.

"Quite so, I am versed in the piloting as well as command of such ships as my kind utilize. From Phantom dropships to the much larger Assault Carrier's, such is Shadow of Intent,"

He was more of the silent type, Katara could see that much, but he was also more command minded than even she, so she followed him. He wore a coat of authority that Katara naturally respected, if only because it wasn't necessary for him to say "I'm in charge." You simply understood it and followed, and if help was needed, you gave it. For now, Katara needed a leader anyway: she was shaken up much more than she was willing to let on.

"So I guess waking up on Stacy didn't phase you all that much," Katara said. "It was definitely a shock to me. My world's version of ships are only the kinds that travel on water, and anything involving space and the stars are usually a mystery. Even different species talking would be a surprise."

When they touched ground on the streets, she stopped talking for a moment, her hands readying to her pouch. She had no doubt Rtas could take care of himself, and so it was more than likely she had to do the same and make sure no one got the drop on them. Leaving someone's dreaming space only meant they had new dangers to deal with.

The Sangheili moved quickly through the seeming neutral zone that the streets made up, ever alert even as he gave a light snort at Katara's comment. Not phased by waking up on an organic spaceship, with supposedly your entire universe supposedly destroyed, nope not phased, he hadn't had time to be phased.

"The abominations left little time to be phased during the initial time of my waking aboard this vessel," 'Vadum replied easily with a shake of his head. Inclining his head in acknowledgment of her explanation, the shimmering edge of a nightmare bubble made itself known as the Sangheili rounded a corner mere meters away.

"Ready yourself, another nightmare awaits," With but a glance and a nod back to Katara he strode forth through the nightmare's edge.

Katara knew that maybe her wording had been something of a joke: who wouldn't be jarred by what happened? She had, pretty hard: it was a bitter pill to swallow. But by the time she learned she had lost her world she'd met many people on the ship: Sokka, Zuko, Carol, Luna, Roxie, Jamie, so many others...they were her family. They had made sure that didn't break: her love of Aang had been the other thing that kept her moving.

Even now, Rtas seemed strong in this simple explanation: it was as if she could see the noble warrior in him, persevering, doing what was necessary to follow through. Katara was forging through too: she wanted to save Aang, to right what she'd done. Wallowing in the pain wouldn't help anyone.

"I'm ready," she said, steeling her eyes. "Let's go."

Edited 2010-02-24 04:16 (UTC)

The Lurking Fear - Group 15

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