Faction Contemplation of Stone (Rimward Jedi)

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

CONTEMPLATION OF STONE

A DISTRESS SIGNAL HAS BEEN DETECTED IN AN UNEXPLORED PORTION OF LEAGUE SPACE, REQUESTING THE HELP OF THE JEDI ORDER.

THOSE JEDI WHO ARRIVE FIND A WORLD OF TOMBS, TOMBS OF ANCIENT JEDI FROM MANY AGES, ALL BURIED WITH HONORS. A GREAT CITY OF STONE AND KYBERS OF MANY COLORS, IN RUINS BUT STILL GLORIOUS.

WHAT SECRETS CAN BE FOUND HERE? WHO WERE THESE JEDI? WHY WAS THIS WORLD FORGOTTEN. GRAB YOUR LIGHTSABER AND FIND OUT

OBJECTIVE 1: NECROPOLIS

A PLANET WIDE CITY OF STONE AND KYBER SHOWS SIGNS OF HAVING BEEN CONSTRUCTED BY THE JEDI AS A HAVEN FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN AND OPPRESSED LAYS IN RUINS ACROSS THE WORLD. PRELIMINARY SCANS SHOW SIGNS OF POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY STILL FUNCTIONING. TECH MINDED JEDI SHOULD FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS HERE, FOR WITHIN SURELY CONTAINS BENEFITS THE LEAGUE AS A WHOLE COULD USE

OBJECTIVE 2: JEDI TOMBS

AS INTRIGUING AS THD CITY ITSELF IS, THE TOMBS THE CITY AS BUILT AROUND ARE EQUALLY INTRIGUING. ARCHEOLOGY MINDED JEDI SHOULD BE RIGHT AT HOME HERE, TO BRING THE LOST WISDOM OF THESE ANCIENT FORBEARS TO THE SAFETY OF LEAGUE JEDI

OBJECTIVE 3: BYOO

SCANS FROM ORBIT INDICATE OTHER SPOTS OF INTEREST, ABANDONED HANGARS, POSSIBLE PIRATE ACTIVITY. WHATEVER SUITS YOUR FANCY.​

Arrived in: U-Wing Transport (Natalya's Grace)

Wearing: Prototype Armor

Armed with: Nathan's Saberstaff

Equipment: Medkit, Fusion Cutter, Climbing Equipment.

Objective: MIXED


Two days Earlier, Epica.

Nathan worked the fields the same as any Epican Citizen and gave no indication in his duties that he was anything other than a very quiet and stern man in black ranch hand clothes.

No one knew he was in charge of a company now. No one knew where he went for long stretches, vanishing and reappearing as though he had never left. He never called attention to himself. Never spoke unless spoken to first.

When his duties were over, he would depart for an abandoned house in the plains he had commandeered. It had little. Despite having basic control of an entire space station he found he much preferred the quiet, lonely poverty of the grasslands and the people who asked him no questions.

There was suitably little in the shack beyond food supplies, some emergency armor and his Lightsabers, and a mattress lying on a stone floor with a thin blanket. Basic, almost primitive restroom with a shower. One light for the entire one story cube.

As Nathan walked to the shack he felt something terrible and ugly freezing him up on the inside, a presence in the old house. He walked up to it hesitantly, cautious, pulling out his pistol, swinging the door open slowly.

He found her there, meditating in white biker leathers in the middle of the room. She looked so much like Lysandra that for a moment his heart lurched.

Laertia Io , now known as The Parliament, stared at Nathan with yellow eyes that had no pupils. Eyes like Darth Phyre. Skin like fresh snow, hair the color of raven feathers.

"I have so much to be grateful towards you for, Father..." The Parliament spoke with a polite tone, rising. "I hardly know where to start..."

Nathan kept the gun trained on her forehead, even though his aim trembled.

"Paranoia...a good instinct to have in this era..." The Parliament said respectfully.

She took a step closer and he didn't fire, despite keeping the pistol trained on her.

"I used to fantasize about meeting you, when I was in the slums. That you'd come and whisk me away from the darkness. The suffering. The stink of the alleyway and it's denizens. Foolish sentiments, of course. Deep down, I knew you weren't going to get me. That I was on my own. But I never gave up wanting to meet you. If only so I could ask you why. Why I was left there."

"It wasn't part of the plan." Nathan answered. "I have no idea how or why you ended up there."

"Strange...I'd have thought the first words out of your mouth would be an apology for not being there for me."

"You lost your right to that when you married her." Nathan spat.

"Elaine makes me happy. I forgave her...so that's one thing, at least, that I can say I have surpassed you in." The Parliament replied. "Besides...if not making her spend the rest of her existence as something her mortal self would have hated the ultimate retribution from you...what would sate your vendetta?"

"The Cult has twisted your mind, Julia. They're evil."

"What the Order did during The Bryn'adul wars was both evil and insane..." The Parliament hissed in deep rage at merely mentioning Jedi.

"Imagine it, Dad. Leaving billions to their death to settle a grudge with the Sith. It's a bigger crime than anything Phyre ever managed. Or even your crime..."

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Although, come to think of it, their crime was your crime. The only difference was the scale...like you, they refused to unite in a moment of crisis with a sworn enemy, because it would have meant swallowing their pride. Like you, all that has resulted is a disastrous domino effect from their spite. At least when you did it I got a bride out of it eventually."

Nathan's eye twitched.

"Why are you here?"

"To try and save you from the mistake you are making..." The Parliament answered, stepping closer.

"What mistake?"

"Father, why are you going back to work for Jedi? What can you possibly gain from them at this point? Their solution is the same one it's always been. It's like the Old Republic never ended for them." The Parliament snorted, taking another step, so close the gun was centimeters from her forehead.

"They still operate under the delusion that if they fight hard enough, remain true to the light, that everything will eventually go back to the way it once was, where they dominated everyone and you could never challenge their thought process without getting exiled or killed. And you know they would do it in a heartbeat if it was all in their favor. Even someone so crushed by their code as you would get their brain scrubbed to fall in compliance."

"You paint them as tyrants..."

"What's more tyrannical then enabling a Genocide because your ideology says killing your philosophical rivals is more important than actually saving lives? " The Parliament asked. "And you have the nerve to question how I could choose the Cult..."

"They murder and sacrifice the innocent in perverse rituals. You're not saving lives any more than the people you hate. It's all bullchit, coming from you." Nathan hissed, aimm trembling. "Maybe...maybe it wasn't always bullchit. There might have been a ring of truth to your words, once. But it's all poisoned by hatred and pride, even if the point you're making is technically correct."

"Have you walked one of the Scar Worlds, Father? Entire planets, people, memories. Cultures. Wiped out, blotted from existence by the Bryn'adul while the Jedi were out chasing down their Sith." The Parliament snapped. "What the Cult does is merely a tax. A price to maintain our strength. A we gave back far more than we took."

She was fast. Too fast. She disarmed him of the pistol, flipped him over to the ground and made him watch as she disassembled it effortlessly, tossing it's constituent parts to the side of her. (Who's afraid of a little thunder?!: 700 XP)

"Father, look at how you live. One broken down old shack that barely keeps the rain out? A space station that isn't even military grade? Forgotten. Discarded." The Parliament observed, circling him as he lay in the grass, staring, unsmiling back at her.

"What have you gained for your loyalty to the Jedi, Father? Peace? Fulfillment? Purpose? You don't look like you've found any of that. Did the Light protect you and Mother when one of the Force's true masters found you? Hell, you only live because of some quirk of the Dark Side from Darth Solipsis."

Nathan felt his Lightsaber more and more these days at a distance. He teleported it to his hand, teleported behind her and she wheeled around, catching his blue blade as it swung for her with a purple blade of her own, grinning.

He slammed his blade against her and she parried almost as an afterthought, casually stepping back as he swung for her again and again, each blow easily deflected as they fought on the plains.

He recognized Elaine's Makashi in her tactics. Ghost like evasions and ripostes that forced him back due to their lethal swiftness. She was a master duelist. Grandmaster, really.

She was testing him. Toying with him. She gave a light chuckle, as she swiftly parried his next stab for her, a strong punch cracking his ribcage and flooring him as she teleported his Lightsaber to her, using it to make an 'X' with her purple blade and hold both to her Father's neck as he was on his knees, coughing and in pain.

He looked up at her playful smirk.

"Do it..." Nathan breathed. "Do it! C'mon, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! KILL ME! I'M HERE, KILL ME! DO IT NOWWWW!"

The Parliament laughed.

"I love being insane enough to get that reference..." she said to herself.

"No, Father. I won't kill you. I want to save you from the Order's brainwashing. But the only way I can do that is for you to walk amongst them. To experience their hypocrisy at full strength."

She pulled the blades back, shut them off, grasped both with one hand while reaching into her jacket with the other.

She kicked her coughing father into the grass...and deposited a small trinket on his chest.

"I can give you a family bigger than the one Elaine took from you..." The Parliament said. "I have one of the most advanced Droid Armies ever created...your grandchildren. Sons and Daughters to me, all of them. Did the Jedi ever give you anything worth more than what you gave up to follow them?" The Parliament asked, crouching down beside him.

"What was it like, Father? Dying the first time?"

Nathan didn't answer. He only glared.

The Parliament sighed, placing a hand on his chest.

"I have nothing but the highest respect for you and Mother's sacrifice. Your actions set me on my destiny. A glorious destiny. Of Ripping! Of Tearing! Until it is done..." The Parliament said with seeming sincerity that greatly disturbed Nathan, mainly because he knew that, in a twisted way, she was telling the truth.

That's what he hated most about the Cult's "Goddess"...it left emotions in place as it regarded as useful in its servants.

"Go to one of the Scar Worlds some time. See the devastation the Jedi Order enabled because every head-in-their-rear Knight wanted the glory of striking down someone using a red blade. The Bryn'adul were not important to them. Nothing that has nothing to do with the Sith or the Dark Side truly is. They 'help' others only to feel good about themselves. What they did was wrong. What they did was one of the worst crimes of this whole century, and they'll never admit it, Father. They would rather die or kill than admit it was wrong to not do everything they could to stop the Bryn'adul, even if it meant a blow to their pride." The Parliament insisted. "When they did that, and committed to it...that was when I realized their philosophy was full of chit...my entire life, fighting their enemies, a waste...they were no longer worthy of respect, worthy of loyalty."

She blinked, trying to formulate her thoughts in the matter better.

"So I figured...if my belief about the Jedi was wrong... maybe going to my worst enemies wasn't such a bad idea. You know what I found when I did? Happiness. Purpose. All that I was devoid of, serving the Jedi."

She stood up. "Enjoy your keepsake, Father. It was the least I could do, considering all you've been through. You would be welcome in House Io. The Cult would forget the past. Leave the Jedi. They will never care about you, personally, only that you go along with every silly little decision of theirs. They deserve the pain I inflict on those they claim they protect."

The Parliament walked away from him.

Nathan struggled to breathe as he stared at the old watch Lysandra had given him. He crawled painfully through the grass into his shack, reaching his comlink on the Mattress

"Moya..." he called out after dialing her frequency. "Need...help..."

Hours later.

Nathan woke up in a Bacta Tank aboard the Luxury station, now slowly being repaired and renovated. Moya Virtu stood in front of him, arms folded, wearing a dark blue gown. He could hear only his breathing through the oxygen mask.

"When I found you, you were barely breathing. You had severe swelling." Moya explained. "What the hell happened?"

"Julia paid me a visit. Toyed with me." Nathan answered.

Moya's mouth fell open slightly.

"She tried to convince you to join her." she postulated after a second.

"Yes." Nathan answered grimly.

"Try not to move too much. Your ribs are almost healed, but not quite. She must've not wanted you dead...I've seen blows from her liquify a man's insides." Moya explained, approaching.

"Nathan...what was she like?"

"The Cult has eaten her alive from within." he answered bluntly. "Are the Scar Worlds really as bad as she says?"

"Probably, yeah." Moya admitted.

Nathan blinked.

"Leave me alone for a while..." he said through the mask.

Moya nodded and left, and Nathan gave a scream of anguish and despair through the mask.

Present

Nathan piloted the U-Wing through League Space, with Moya in the passenger section. He'd just purchased it with some of the early profits. It was used of course. Needed tune ups across the board.

Nathan had been very quiet since that encounter. Moya didn't blame him. When she had felt Laertia fall, she had cried for days.

Then earlier, Nathan had been assigned to investigate a strange distress signal in a part of League Space that wasn't traveled often.

He had complied with the request, bringing Moya along in disguise, he wearing dark green hooded robes and a bronze mask.

Nathan was in his scavenged armor, once built by his father, which obscured his features. Based partly off temple guard armor. He hadn't known what to expect upon finding here, but he was relieved when he saw other league ships already in orbit. He transmitted his ID as a member of the Wild Knights and was permitted to land on the surface.

Nathan was deeply surprised at the strength of the Force on its surface, and by the great, elegantly carved ruins on the surface.

"So Moya..." he said in his typical grim, cold tone. "Where should we park?"

"Take us down to that ruined promenade. Nice and flat..." Moya said.

Nathan did as she asked and parked his vessel right down in a clear part of ancient streets, where he saw other starfighters bearing league symbols and those of the Jedi. He stepped out of the craft looking at the clear Sky's and damaged eco-architecture...

"What is this place?" Moya asked.

"I get the feeling the league doesn't know any more than I do..." he replied. Let's find a place to set up a good FOB. Looks like we got here just as the League Jedi started the Party....

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Nathan Bloodscrawl

This was one of the joys of the Outer Rim. You never knew what you would find. And this was one she had really not expected. An ancient Jedi world of some kind, including necropolises and ruins, and based on initial scans, some sort of technology.

She couldn't guess what it was, but it would be something interesting to find out. She was practically itching with excitement at the possibilities. They knew nothing about this world, in any of the Jedi archives.

Was it from the 400 Years of Darkness? Something older? Did it predate the Old Republic? A U-Wing approached and Alana looked up, shading her eyes.

That must be Nathan, while the others were filtering into the surface. The Development Corps would be nice, but she couldn't guess if they would be on the way or not. They had a lot of work to do.

 

[Mig Gred]

Objective: 1
Location: Valiant-class Arms Freighter Proximity Mine, aka Proxy, in hyperspace

Mig sat quietly in his quarters aboard the Proxy, letting Leddie Gred have the Echo's Light to herself for the trip. He'd just told the crew about what he felt, and was rerouting the cargo fleet to... something. The Proxy was followed by a pair of Neebray-class Cargo Frigates, one half converted to a carrier for escort. What he was carrying right now in this convoy? Some Directorate parts for various Gred ships that needed them, but more importantly, some Beskar from an old Sith foundry, some he could feel they'd done... something to. He was hoping some of his old friends could possibly help clean whatever had been done to it. His clan didn't have much, so any little bit helped. Hints why it was aboard the Valiant and not the ship parts. right now though, he was getting ready to follow whatever it was the Force was leading him to.

It was then that the door opened, and a young Zabrak peered in.

"Take it you noticed, Ledd'ika?" Leddie rolled her eyes a little.

"Jagyc'buir (Dad) I'm not a kid anymore." While that was what she said, she didn't seem to mind all that much. "But yeah. What's with the reroute? Thought you were ready to get back to Tanaab?"

"I felt... something. Don't really understand it yet."

"Something as in Force something, or gut something?" Mig smiled a bit.

"Force. Hopefully it's nothing. With where we are though I told the captain to be honest about what we're hauling. You should st...." The man didn't even get to finish before his daughter stopped him.

"Oh I'm definitely coming! Beats being stuck with nothing to do here." She then ran out, saying she'd get the ship ready before Mig could stop her. He just chuckled and shook his head, walking back over to get his gear ready. Armor, weapons, all good. He'd head down to the support hanger as the vessels left hyperspace. He looked to see Leddie in the pilot's seat.

"You've payed attention to your be'ba'vodu (aunt's) lessons, right?"

"Ha ha. Very funny. I've got this." And with that, the courier would slip out of the armed freighter and make its way... somewhat shakily at times, down to the surface. Leddie looked a bit surprised as she adjusted some things, rolling the ship a little to get a better look. "Looks like some folks are down there already. Any... specific feeling on where to go?" Mig chuckled a bit.

"I'm not that good, Leddie. Go ahead and bring us down. Be careful though. Not sure how this'll go." And with that the Echo's Light would land well away of the other ships, landing a bit hard (and Mig thankful that Kessels were made to be flown rough), then the ramp would lower as Mig stepped out with Leddie in tow. Hopefully no one would be too mad right?

Nathan Bloodscrawl Alana Sunrider

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan had not gotten far before he ran into a familiar face. Padawan Kinea Lewellyn. She was dressed in a bronze flight suit, brown hair in a tight bun, her dented, rusty looking Lightsaber dangling from a belt. She had fought alongside him at Kirdo, rescuing hostages. He regarded her as competent, just inexperienced.

"Nathan? That you?" Kinea called out.

"Lewellyn..." Nathan replied stoically.

"Been a while since Kirdo. How you been?" she asked.

"Surviving. Yourself?" Nathan asked.

"Scavving!" Kinea replied with excitement. "You ever seen anything like this? There's Jedi symbols all over the place!"

"I've been in Jedi ruins before. But never one quite this large." Nathan replied, featureless crimson mask reflecting her face. He was incredibly still.

"What were you planning?" Kinea asked.

"Not sure..." Nathan answered.

He turned to Moya, still wearing a bronzium face mask that obscured her features.

"Where you heading?" he asked.

"The tombs." Moya answered.

"Call me in three hours. And watch yourself. Jedi Tombs are sometimes just as dangerous as anything the Sith craft."

Moya nodded, and headed off. He turned back to Kinea.

"Take care of yourself Lewellyn. Don't get your head blown off by some trap." Nathan said.

Kinea, realizing that was the nicest thing she had heard him say so far (He was never rude, but he was never friendly either.) nodded graciously and wished him well before departing to join her friends. Nathan went back to the U-Wing and retrieved an old shotgun along with an ammo belt of shotshell and headed over to Alana Sunrider .

"Master Sunrider." he spoke formally, otherwise still as a statue.

"Ruins stretch over the whole of the Planet. Multiple tombs. Never seen anything like it." he remarked in a bloodless tone.

"I'm thinking of scouting the area. This place likely has security systems still active. It'll be essential to clear out anything nearby so a base can be safely established."

Mig Gred

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Alana Sunrider | Mig Gred | Nathan Bloodscrawl | Valery Noble
Exploring a Jedi necropolis on an UNCHARTED WORLD...

The Calypso had landed almost an hour ago, but Elias remained inside the ship. He sat on the floor of the onboard meditation room, which was little more than a small storage space left empty for Jedi passengers to convene with the Force. It came in handy during moments like this, when Elias found himself a visitor of the unknown. He'd been focusing on the movement of the Force, feeling the ebb and flow of the Light Side in the veins of the planet, when a striking voice broke his concentration.

"I do say, Master Edo, this world is simply magnificent!" KT-77 said as she toddled into the room. Her rough, white plating was contrasted by shades of red and blue, adorned in several places with the sigil of the Jedi Order. Never would Elias have imagined the Coalition would see a protocol droid serve as its archivist, but here "Katie" was, babbling about the mineral composition of the concrete structures outside the ship.

Elias sighed, a tired smile on his face.

"… and therefore, I believe these ruins to be- oh, you seem rather distant, Master Edo. Have I upset you?"

"No, Katie, you're fine," he said as he rose to his feet. He crossed the chamber, patting the droid on the shoulder as he stepped by. "There's a lot of history in these old stones, and much of it is unrecorded. It's a bit... overwhelming."

Katie nearly chirped as she walked behind the Jedi Master.

"Oh, I know!" she said excitedly. The daunting amount of work that awaited them was incredibly exciting to the droid.

"I'm quite chuffed to be here. Thank you, Master Edo."

"It wouldn't be Jedi archaeology without our archivist, now would it?"

"Technically-" she started, before his meaning caught on. Her eyes flickered as her processors stored away the sentiment.

"I see. I'm honored to serve," the droid said with a prideful bow. Elias tapped at the console, opening the landing ramp with a steamy hiss. He nodded to the opening, gesturing for Katie to go first.

"After you," he said, following the droid down and onto the smooth stone landing zone.

He watched, smiling as Katie once again prattled about the architecture. Elias tried to pay attention, but his eyes were scanning the gathering of League vessels in search of Master Valery Noble . She was meeting him at the necropolis to help in their excavation, and perhaps to visit her Padawan, Cailen Corso . Elias smiled to himself, his thoughts turning to his own Padawan back in the Core. He had every intention of seeing Orson Velus soon, once things settled with the Coalition. Perhaps he could even convince the boy to accompany him to the Dagobah temple full-time.

​

 

[Mishel]

ARTIFICER + JEDI
RIMWARD JEDI COALITION
UNKNOWN SYSTEM
[T H E M E]

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The mention of kyber crystals was really all Mishel needed, not that Lav appreciated it. The Selonian pilot grumbled as the Princess Leia cut through the void and began to make her descent into the unknown world. With them was Kurayami Bloodborn the Corellian Pilot and Jedi Master who was being dragged along for the ride. As an artificer, any journey that ended with crystals was one well taken. The necropolis world, Mishel hoped, would offer her more insight into crystals and kyber especially when having been entombed with the Jedi dead. Having come across crystals of varying powers when associated with the dead such as Lady Invicta's Deathtouch, the Blood of the Ancestors, or even the Tombstone Crystal. Thus her piqued curiosity at this particular world, and Kurayami was here simply because she hoped to have someone to ramble to about her findings.

The Tygaran may have also promised the drunken savant food, beer, and a chance at a new lightsaber when it was all said and done. Although she wasn't sure if he cared much for the latter, Mishel was certain of one thing and that was that this trip wasn't going to finance itself. Thus she had once more asked her sister Alessandra Creed for money, which was sent with a stipulation that she sends her sister receipts. The Selonian barked that their arrival to a nearby landing pad was imminent and so Mishel gathered her gear from her quarters. "Alright Kurayami, let's get ready to depart, yes you can bring your flask but if you end up falling into an open tomb," Mishel paused momentarily as a small smile crossed her features. "I'm not only going to laugh, but I'm taking pictures."

Mentioned matter-of-factly as that smile grew into a smirk. Undoubtedly more of the RJC were likely to arrive at the world, and as the Princess Leia began to land. The Jedi Master hoped she'd run into a few more friendly faces, artificer's gear stored along her belt, lightsaber neatly clipped on, the brunette was more than ready. The ramp from the Leia unfolded and revealed to them the rather lush, yet still tomb world. Disembarking from the freighter Mishel tugged at her leather jacket and flipped her hair out of the collar. She surveyed their surroundings and took a moment to center herself with the Force.

Paces away from the ship, Mishel felt a few familiar auras within the Force. Namely that of Elias Edo someone she had only briefly met on Dagobah and had only a handful of interactions with.

Tags: Valery Noble | Nathan Bloodscrawl | Cailen Corso | Orson Velus | Alana Sunrider | Mig Gred




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[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Kurayami was kicked back, enjoying a drink, dressed casually as Mishel dragged him somewhere else in the galaxy. This time it was something to do with a necropolis from times long lost to the ages. Preliminary scan had shown massive amounts of kyber, Jedi buried all over the place with high honors, and in addition there was all sorts of other tech that was still functioning. Normally he didn't really hold a lot of love for archaeological digs, though he had done more than a few in his time. In fact the armored flightsuit he most often wore had been developed from a suit of expeditionary armor.

Still he was dressed similarly to how he had been during the mission to Kazarak, simple black slacks with the first class bloodstripes displayed proudly, a dark olive green tee shirt, scuffed up black combat boots, and the utility belt with its many pouches completed the get up for the time being. Behind him draped over the chair he sat in was a well worn chocolate brown flight jacket, this one, surprisingly bare of any patches or markings of any sort. His gauntlets were close at hand as always, but resting on the table for now. As he listened to the Selonian pilot grumble, Kurayami could only chuckle as he took another swig from his flask.

Normally the promise of food and drink was more than enough to get him to go with Mishel on an assignment, but the promise of a new saber had admittedly piqued his interest as well. The one he had crafted had been destroyed long ago, and he had only ever used that of his slain fiancé since that time. Maybe it was time to build a new one. didn't mean he couldn't still carry hers with him after all, just that he wouldn't have to rely on it wholesale any longer. Apparently they were closing in on the landing pad, so it was time to suit up. He shrugged as he clipped the saber to his belt, and holstered two DE-10's along with extra power cells for each. After slipping the jacket on he capped the flask, slipped it into the right side inner breast pocket and finally slipped on the gauntlets. Helmet might have helped today, but he had no plans of headbutting any walls or anything else. "Yea I know you will. Hell, I want to see the pics you get after you pull me out of the tomb if it happens. Then again I did break into a Sith Temple on uh...was it Dromund Kaas? While there was a battle going on. Had to climb a wall and everything, only fell 15 feet that time, dislocated shoulder was fun to pop back into place. Basically, ain't my first rodeo Mishel. Sadly, no one took pics of that epic faceplant..."

While Mishel was busying herself with getting her hair situated correctly, Kurayami closed his eyes and took slow, measured, b reaths as he centered himself. He could feel the man presences of others that had gathered here, some were ones he recognized as having felt in passing during other times he had worked with the League. Others he was not so sure about, time to simply follow Mishel's lead.

Valery Noble | Nathan Bloodscrawl | Cailen Corso | Orson Velus | Alana Sunrider | Mig Gred ​

 

[Cailen Corso]

Objective III: BYOO | Location: Uncharted world | Soundtrack: Vigil

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“… and perhaps most importantly,” the Bardottan Master said in a fanciful voice, “please do not wander beyond these antechambers without accompaniment.”

“These ruins are ancient, sacred, and largely unknown to the Jedi of our time. Your respect and attention are important for this excursion. Now,” the saurian Jedi said with a finger pointing to the sky, “have you any questions?”

Several younglings inquired about the age of the necropolis, or who built it, but one young Ithorian asked the question they were all wondering: “Will we see any bones?!”

The Master shook his head discouragingly.

“The Ossuary is strictly forbidden until it has been properly disinterred by the Council.”

Cailen felt his eyes widen. There were still Jedi crypts in the city? With bones inside?

It was a little creepy to imagine, especially considering that Jedi are traditionally cremated with a funerary pyre. He wondered if that hadn’t always been the case, or if perhaps there were special circumstances that called for these ancient Jedi to be buried rather than burned.

When the crowd began to move, the Master now focused on the symbolic inscriptions along the eastern walls of crypt, Cailen stayed back. He followed slowly, keeping up with the group, but his focus was elsewhere. Something was stirring in the Force, and for once, it seemed like a good stirring. Or at least, a neutral one.

Nothing like the Sith spirits he faced with Valery Noble on Ravaath.

It felt like a soft hum, distant yet strangely close. Cailen let his eyes wander about the temple structure, then over the other Padawans. None of them seemed overtly aware of the presence he sensed, most of them being either completely engrossed or entirely bored with the Bardottan’s lecture.

Then, his eyes found Cai-Lan Raeth, a fellow Padawan he hadn’t met yet. Cailen offered a subtle wave, and said in a hushed voice, “Hey! What do you think of the crypt?”

It was lame small talk, but Cailen had never professed to be couth. He paved the conversation on, hoping the awkwardness would sort itself out along the way.

“I didn’t know Jedi were buried. I’ve always thought that-” his mind flashed to the only funeral he’d ever attended, “-y’know, they were cremated.”

He looked to the tomb’s entrance, where the Master was seemingly debating the age of the stone with a particularly haughty Padawan.

“Wonder what we’ll see in there,” Cailen said.

“Jedi bones?”

---

Tags: Cai-Lan Raeth; OPEN to Padawans​

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[Valery Noble]

Uncharted Planet

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

From above, Elias would be able to see an X-wing coming down after he had left his own ship. Valery was a little later than she would have liked — family business had kept her busy. But there was no way she'd miss a request from an old friend, no matter how far away he lived and worked these days.

Once the X-wing settled, Valery climbed out of the cockpit and took off her helmet, allowing her long, dark-brown hair to cascade down behind her. She fixed it up quickly with a hand going through and enjoyed the gentle breeze she felt now that she was no longer trapped inside the cockpit.

"Master Edo?" she asked, as she made her way over with a smile. "It's good to see you again," she added before dipping her upper body into a respectful bow.

"Where do we start?"

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

Cailen Corso

[ post theme ]​

The Dathomiri breathed deeply.

After having been cooped up on the metal coffin that these Jai referred to as a star-ship, it was most agreeable to be back on a planet. To that end, the deceptively Zabrak-looking youth had opted to go barefoot, to feel the broken stone, dirt, and grass beneath his feet. His leather attire was a contrast to the more human styles adopted by his companions.

The large lightsaber was folded at his side, bouncing and brushing against his leg as he made his way through the ruins alongside the red-haired human boy. A small, squat krayt dragon romped alongside them -- darting ahead and then circling the pair or dashing between them as it played among the rubble and rocks.

“Hey! What do you think of the crypt?”

It was lame small talk, but Cailen had never professed to be couth. He paved the conversation on, hoping the awkwardness would sort itself out along the way.

“I didn’t know Jedi were buried. I’ve always thought that-” his mind flashed to the only funeral he’d ever attended, “-y’know, they were cremated.”

He looked to the tomb’s entrance, where the Master was seemingly debating the age of the stone with a particularly haughty Padawan.

“Wonder what we’ll see in there,” Cailen said.

“Jedi bones?”

"Curious," the Dathomiri uttered aloud.

Never before could he recall the Jedi so interested in death. Or the state of remains. For the Mistwalkers, such things were sacred. The end to one journey and the beginning of the next.

"I have wondered why the Jedi cremate their dead. Among my people, the bones of our brothers and sisters are sacred," Jorah commented, choosing to omit the fact that they not only talked to the bones but also had conversations with them. Quite regularly, in fact.

There was no deviating from Aunt Koratas' blondie recipe when she would, quite literally, come out of her grave to lecture you on it if you did.

"Perhaps burial of the dead is a custom that my people retained of our shared Je'daii past, which your people evolved from."

After all, customs and societies did change over time.

The fact that his people would view the Jedi as friends would evidence enough of that.

 

[Moya Virtu]

Wearing: Hooded Robes (Dress Underneath)

Bronzium Mask

Armed With: Decoy's Blade (Black Blade, Green Aura)

Equipment: Medkit (2), emergency flare (2)

Moya walked alone, on a very lonely route from the other teams, having decided to single out a rather large tomb for exploration. It would also give her time to think.

She had hardly had a spare moment to herself since encountering Nathan. Working with the Father out of desperation to prevent him from becoming like his daughter.

Moya lived with the weight of her failure with Laertia every day. It gnawed at her biot heart. At her databases.

Moya at last spotted the tomb. Built into a city Pavilion and surrounded by petrified trees. Age had partly crumbled a wall and she got in through that way.

There were tree murals, with multicolored kybers embedded in the branch images. She slowed down, spotting the mummified corpse of a blonde woman that made her freeze in place. It was clad in a metallic silver catsuit. Moya didn't dare get near it. She knew a Force Spawn when she saw one. It was slumped against one mural surrounded by runes. Moya gave it a wide berth and prepared an emergency flare, which she tossed at the corpse, setting it on fire. The mummified skin bubbled, seeming to release a greasy substance before erupting from inside out in blue flame. Moya stayed and watched, making sure it was ashes before proceeding any further. She encountered a room filled with large columns upon which green kyber grew upon in large growths.

Moya took off her mask to stare with her sight unobstructed, in total amazement. She lowered her hood, staring at the various murals of Jedi fighting off various warriors clad in red armor wielding katanas.

Moya removed her hood, completely at a loss as to what it all referenced.

She caught sight of four pylons each with a different colored ring of energy and a nearby console. She had heard of these types of puzzle locks. Naga Sadow's tomb supposedly held one, long ago.

Moya examined the system carefully after restoring power to the console. The rings had to be transferred completely over to one pylon in a certain order above and below one another. She would have to be cautious. These puzzles were deceptively simple.

Moya's brain carefully plotted out the sequence from top to bottom how to transfer the rings, and did so in the span of a minute, opening up a chamber beyond the current one.

Moya stopped spotting another corpse of a mummified blond woman in a catsuit, this time right at the entrance. As before she lit her remaining flare and threw it at the corpse, watching it burn up, before immediately pulling out her Lightsaber and proceeding ahead, now very on edge as she entered what appeared to be a great museum of ancient relics. She felt her flesh shudder and put her hood and mask back on as she got near one relic, a tablet.

Her Force Senses flared as she saw something skittering around. Three things, actually...

Moya stepped back in alarm as she saw three tentacle creatures, whose main chunk of body was the ambulatory face of a wrinkled old woman.

"Chit. CHIT!" Moya yelled, flinging bolts of green lightning at the moving tentacle-faces...

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Nathan Bloodscrawl Elias Edo Mig Gred Moya Virtu Cai-Lan Raeth Mishel Kurayami Bloodborn

"Good call," Alana said, recalibrating the sensors on the gauntlet, but she overheard words from a Bardottan that snapped her head around. "Disinterred? Why in the Force's name would we disinter the dead? This was their home, they were here first."

She frowned, forehead wrinkled. "With recent tech developments, we can do noninvasive surveys and studies without taking them away from where they wanted to rest."

Even Ambria had its problems with the restless spirits of the dead, or somewhat dead. She was never entirely sure, but she knew now they had been Sith spirits trapped there by an ancient Jedi along with her distant ancestor.

"Or are we worried about Dark Side corruption and possible undead contamination?"

 

[Mig Gred]

Mig chuckled a little listening, looking at his daughter as she somewhat surprised look at the younger Jedi that were there.

"Didn't think jetii'ika (Padawan, literally little Jedi) would be at a place like this yet." Mig shook his head.

"You're helping me on missions right now, aren't you?"

"Hey! That's.... I'm at least a bit older than them...." He'd then walk up a bit, looking at the Jedi who seemed to get annoyed at the idea of moving the bodies that be here. So, this was some sort of tomb maybe? Many passed Jedi. Maybe all he felt was the planet itself? Not some call.... Well they were already landed at this point, plus he needed an explanation for Aries and Fred about why he was late with parts to begin with. He also didn't quite know if tis would go well or not, but as more people showed up with various plans, he figured he should speak up now.

"Excuse me, jetii. Name's Mig, clan Gred, house Solus. I was running a shipment when... well it was like I felt something here. Not sure if it was just the planet. Look I get this is your thing, but if you need a hand, me and my daughter here, Leddie, can offer some help."

Alana Sunrider Nathan Bloodscrawl Elias Edo Moya Virtu Cai-Lan Raeth Mishel Kurayami Bloodborn Cailen Corso

 

[Mishel]

ARTIFICER + JEDI
RIMWARD JEDI COALITION
UNKNOWN SYSTEM
[T H E M E]

​

"Now that is truly, a crime, Kurayami." Mishel responded matter-of-factly as she began to walk beside him. The Necropolis was she admitted to herself, quite the find, and perhaps should remain off the official astrogation charts. The place held a somber vibe, as well it should, the Tygaran took in a deep breath and exhaled. It wouldn't have been hard for the woman to feel the call of kyber crystals. As an artificer, it had become a unique call indeed, but it had its dangers as well. Akin to the Siren Calls of old Galidraani and indeed Dosuunian shores, it could lure one into danger if they were not careful.

As they walked a bit further from where their ship had landed, Mishel felt the presence of Elias Edo and Valery Noble and soon enough they came into view. "Master Edo, Master Noble!" Called the Jedi Master just as she descended from the rows of monuments and humble stones that honored the dead that lay around them. "Also, Kurayami, I gather this is like your three-hundredth rodeo, given all the bonks to noggin you've told me about." She said in jest with a smile on her face as they closed the distance between them and the other two Jedi Masters.

"Master Noble, Master Edo," greeted Mishel once she was close enough, "this is my good friend, Kurayami, a Corellian Jedi Master." She looked at Kurayami and then toward the two Jedi Masters, "Kurayami, this is Master Noble from the New Jedi Order and my colleague Master Edo."

"A pleasure seeing the two of you here, could we, perhaps join you on this... " Her mind lingered a moment as she thought of the proper word for the day's events, "expedition? An archaeological one, or perhaps more anthropological today."

Kurayami Bloodborn




​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

"I don't disagree, although now that I think about it...there might be video from a first person perspective. Not sure if I had the recording equipment active at that time. I'll have to check back over the logs from that time." As Mishel matched his pace to walk next to him they both began to look around the Necropolis more closely. He had to admit that the scale was extremely impressive as was the architecture on display the sheer presence of this place within the Force made him wonder how it had managed to stay off the radar of the galaxy at large for so long. He assumed that knowledge of the route was passed between Jedi wayfinders through some means so that they could then bring those who had earned the honor to be buried here to their final resting place.

Though he was not an artificer by any stretch, it was clear how different such a large concentration of kyber felt through the Force, and it was a strange feeling, at once calming yet slightly disorienting. Certain areas seemed almost 'louder' than others through the Force, which reminded him of something he had been told once long ago but didn't recall at the moment about the nature of the crystals. His ruminations and trying to recall the information was interrupted as they descejnded thr row of monuments as Mishel lead them towards two Jedi. Kurayami didn't question the change in direction, simply followed along. Her comment made him laugh, smiling slightly as he replied to her. "Only three hundred? You wound me madam! Probably I mean I lost count how many it was after that accident during CDF training. there is a reason the visor on my NightOps armor is mirrored gold, and it wasn't because it came that way from the factory." The smile faded back to his ever present smirk as they neared the other two Jedi Masters and Mishel introduced them.

He inclined his head in an informal bow towards each one in turn. "Master Edo. Master Noble. A pleasure to meet you both. I would give a more complete list of titles, but we would all shuffle off our mortal coils before I was done. Mishel has done a fine job of keeping it succinct so I have to thank her there. I look forward to working with you both in future endeavors. Archaeology was always a bit of a hobby for me, anthropology was a field of study for one of my former flames, though I never picked up much from her on that front sadly...

Realizing that he was rambling yet again the Corellian trailed off suddenly and made it exceedingly clear why he was a soldier and not a diplomat.

Mishel | Elias Edo | Valery Noble

​

 

[Cailen Corso]

Objective III: BYOO | Location: Uncharted world | Soundtrack: Vigil

​

Cailen grinned, mischievous eyes looking over the ruined complex ahead. The Bardottan seemed to have won the argument, or more likely the Padawan gave up. The group was passing under a large archway, entering what looked like some kind of foyer separating the courtyard from the inner halls of the necropolis. Cailen set forth to follow them, though he hung back enough to converse comfortably with his new acquaintance.

"I'm actually really interested in checking out the ruins. I wonder how they were buried... do you think they were embalmed like mummies? Or put into big, stone boxes?"

On Anaxes, they cremated those who'd passed, but Cailen suspected that it was less ceremonial than it was necessary. He wondered what led the ancient Jedi here to bury their dead rather than participate in the traditional pyre ceremony.

As they made their way into the temple, the first thing Cailen noticed was how remarkably cool the air was. It had an earthy scent, dense with moisture from centuries of overgrowth. The high vaulted ceiling made the youthful chattering of the Padawans echo softly throughout the chamber, rippling through the hallways that branched off from the antechamber.

"Notice the motifs," the Master said as he delicately brushed his fingers across the chiseled stone wall. Depictions of what looked like ancient Jedi adorned the stone, but most were worn beyond that general recognition; Who they were, or what they were doing, was lost to weathering and lichen.

"Much can be learned of the ancient Je'daii by studying these reliefs. Perhaps one day, with enough diligence and contemplation, we can one day understand who these Lightsiders were."

Cailen stepped closer to the wall, squinting his eyes in the dim light to study the imagery. Very little stood out to him. He looked to Cai-Lan Raeth with curious eyes.

"See anything interesting?"

---

Tags: Cai-Lan Raeth; OPEN to Padawans​

---

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

Cailen Corso

[ post theme ]​

"See anything interesting?"

A better question might have been, what didn't the Dathomiri see?

The spirits of the stones themselves. The animus of the grass, the trees, the air. Fickle wisps. The whispers of ancestors whose names were lost in the cruel and endless annals of time.

Sadly, he did not know how to put any of that into terms that the Jai could understand. He'd tried. But it seemed that the Jai and the Children of Dathomir interacted with the natural world in ways that left them bereft of a common or shared perception of what the youth would have termed magic. Where the Jai spoke of the Force in neutral language or even cited midi-chlorian counts as if to quantify or assert knowledge over the workings of the universe, Jorah saw the hands of the gods themselves. The invisible evidence of that which is felt, but unseen. The subtle reminders that they lived in a magical place, filled with wonders beyond mortal comprehension.

And terrors beyond imagining.

So what could he say that his companion might understand?

The Zabrak-looking youth's eyes finally fell on the ruins of a stone vessel. There was a spirit there, but he could not discern it clearly.

They were likely disturbing it by their being there. Or perhaps it merely wished to remain aloof. Whatever the case may have been, it was that vessel that the Dathomiri spoke of as he offered, "What about that box over there?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

Objective III: BYOO | Location: Uncharted world | Soundtrack: Vigil

​

“Huh,” Cailen said, puzzled as he cocked his head to the side. The hazy blue lighting made it a bit difficult to make anything out, but he could vaguely see what Cai-Lan Raeth was talking about.

“It’s kinda small to be a sar- sarcoph- a coffin,” he stammered. “Maybe it’s some kind of crate? Or a box for holding things?”

It looked more cuboid than rectangular to him, but that could also have been the distorted result of erosion and poor visibility. He initially thought to ask the wizened Master about the shape, but another idea came to mind. Cailen turned to the other Padawan with the look of someone who’d just hatched a brilliant plan.

“I have an idea,” Cailen said, inching toward the wall.

“I’m psychometric. I could try to see if there are any clues in the Force.”

His hand absentmindedly moved to the defunct lightsaber on his belt loop. Psychometry worked on Tython, when he and Valery Noble discovered the weapon after following a strange series of visions from the past; Why couldn’t it work here?

---

Tags: Jorah zos Darnus; OPEN to Padawans​

---

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Alana Sunrider | Mig Gred | Mishel | Nathan Bloodscrawl | Valery Noble
Exploring a Jedi necropolis on an UNCHARTED WORLD...

"It's always a pleasure," Elias said with a bow. "I'm glad to see you again, especially now that the war- well, you know..."

He trailed off, and counted himself lucky that Valery knew of his predilection for non-violence. Elias hoped that his congratulations wasn't lost in the awkward delivery through which it was sent. Thankfully, she was more eager to delve into the necropolis than discuss the fall of the Brotherhood.

"Where do we start?"

He grinned, turning his golden eyes to a nearby section of the temple. Several chambers had been unearthed already, its secrets disinterred and pondered by some of the Coalition's scholars. The portion he sought to visit with Valery was one of many still yet to be explored. The possibility of discovering new pieces of Jedi history with perhaps the most prominent member of the NJO was a mighty first step in what he hoped would be a powerful brotherhood between their Orders.

"Well, I was thinking-" he started, just as Mishel and her companion approached the pair. He turned to them with a grin.

"Master Kryze!" Elias returned with excitement. He offered her a bow, then looked to Kurayami Bloodborn with a hand extended.

"Yes, I remember meeting you on Kirdo. Fine work back there, especially with the Padawans in tow. It's never easy guiding the young ones on missions like that." Despite the risks, Elias was glad to have had the Padawans accompany them to Kirdo III. It was nasty business dealing with slavers, a seemingly never-ending battle against the deepest depravity, but one that is an unfortunate part of life in the Outer Rim. It was important for them to learn what they were up against, if there's to be any hope of standing up for those who need the Coalition's help.

Still, he hoped that their field the necropolis would be a nice break from the violence. Great lengths were met to ensure the ruins were safe for the Order's younger Jedi.

"Excuse me, jetii. Name's Mig, Clan Gred, House Solus. I was running a shipment when... well it was like I felt something here. Not sure if it was just the planet. Look I get this is your thing, but if you need a hand, me and my daughter here, Leddie, can offer some help."

Elias looked from the Mandalorian to his daughter, and then to the rest of his Jedi company; The Coalition served seamlessly alongside Strill Securities and their Mandalorian commandoes, so he figured none would be opposed to a couple of freelancers lending their skills.

"You're more than welcome to join us," Elias said with a smile. "Both our preliminary scans and the reports from our scouts suggest the ruins are clear of any noticeable threats, but we all know just how quickly that can change. We can use every pair of eyes and hands we can get."

With that out of the way, and their part two members stronger, the dreadlocked Jedi turned to ruins ahead.

"Right then" Elias went on, hands on his hips as he continued. "I was just telling Master Noble about the section of ruins I'd like to explore. It looks like some kind of repository, maybe an archive or other ancient data vault. Force-willing, it contains something that can help us better understand this place." Truthfully, anything they find could be of immense value. It's not every day you stumble upon a forgotten Jedi necropolis nestled away on an uncharted planet. His inner explorer was just teeming with excitement at what they may happen upon down inside the crypts.

​

 

[Jorah zos Darnus]

Cailen Corso

[ post theme ]​

“I have an idea,” Cailen said, inching toward the wall.

“I’m psychometric. I could try to see if there are any clues in the Force.”

The young Dathomiri tilted his head to one side. His facial expressions betrayed his confusion. At first over the word that had been used, but then at the very concept itself.

Then he had to remind himself that the Jai did not perceive spirits as the Dathomiri did.

Was psychometric the term for the spell that they used to commune with... well, he supposed the Jai term would be the Force.

Stooping low, the young Nightbrother errantly scratched the head of the squat krayt dragon. Whatever this psychometric was, it would be interesting to see just how the Jai interacted with the ghosts of their past.

...so odd to be in a graveyard, yet not have it be filled with conversation. The Jai seemed so disconnected from the spirits, he wondered what communion would even look like for a Jedi. "What's that like," the Dathomiri asked, adopting for a direct approach.

The Nightbrother grasped the concept, quite well actually, but more so still struggled to understand the relationship between the Jedi and magic -- as much as he knew that word would offend their sensibilities regarding the Force.