Dominion Cubed | GA Dominion of Janara III

[Jasper Kai'el]

Janara III
Tags: Aaran Tafo , Dagon Kaze , Bernard , Aeson Keel ​

"Jasper, do keep your senses alert, this is a good learning experience for you.

Jasper nodded to the master as he stepped back, though he knew all too well that Master Tafo was, indeed, blind. Not that it mattered too much. The most important thing was that the young duelist knew what it was that he was here to do. Aaran was right. Jasper would need to learn what to do when encountering such an artifact in the future, especially if it should possess the means of attacking the mind.

"Yes, sir," Jasper finally said. He wanted the verbal confirmation, at least so that the masters knew he had been listening.

He proceeded to sit on the floor, crossing his legs and folding his arms. If Jasper was to be intently focusing in order to protect his senses, it made sense for him to try out something he had been practicing for a few weeks now. The duelist honed his thoughts, allowing a faint aura to radiate around him. Jasper had begun to learn what this strange ability was. Force light is what it was called, it was capable of warding off the dark side. In some rare cases, users were capable of cleansing dark side nexuses. His light was basic, as Jasper had only begun to learn how to utilize it, but if it could help protect his mind, and perhaps the minds of others in the room. There was no harm in trying.

Faint effects of Force Light are active.​

 

[Korvan Toldreyn]

​

Janara III | Rakaan Horne​

​

If there was one thing he could expect from Rakaan, it was a disagreement. Some might have been displeased, disappointed in their students inability to see things their own way - but Korvan welcomed it. Korvan himself had spent much of his life among the Jedi questioning the way they did things, questioning the decisions of the Council, and even the way individual members of the Order conducted themselves. Of course, Rakaan's own struggles and disagreements had pushed him too far from the Jedi once, but his willingness to disagree was something to be cherished.

Of course, there was still some concern on the Jedi Master's part as to exactly what his pupil was disagreeing about. "There are many things that our connection to the force grants us, Rakaan - by tapping into it, by manipulating its currents and listening to it, we can do and see much that those who lack sensitivity to it cannot. But that perspective is all we have, we cannot ever hope to see things through the eyes of those who don't feel the Force, and so there is much we are blinded to." His words were gentle, not a scolding by any means, but a lesson - as near everything he told Rakaan was.

"The agents of the SIA are not any less part of the galaxy, or the Force, for their inability to touch it - and there is value to be found in what they see in such artifacts. Never let your abilities blind you to the fact you are just a man like any other, Rakaan." A soft squeeze of his shoulder, and Korvan lowered his hand to cross his arms, tapping his fingers idly against his bicep as his stance mirrored that of his student. Rakaan had seen and done much more than most Jedi his age, he had suffered and walked lines that many even of Korvan's age had not, and there was danger in that. But there was value too - so long as Rakaan was guided in the right way, so long as he was nudged toward the right conclusions.

A quiet sigh left the Jedi Master. "This war has not yet begun in earnest, my boy. And though there might be a 'sword' on the Jedi Council, you must remember that we are not soldiers. We are peacekeepers, diplomats." The sigh that escaped him did little to hide Korvan's displeasure with the term he used. He had a sort of respect for Valery, for her dedication to the Jedi and to the Alliance as a whole. But that did not mean he agreed with her sentiments, that he wholly accepted the vision she may have had for the order - and what it might unknowingly do to those beneath her.

To people like Rakaan.

"You're right that we should act swiftly, but we should act to ensure this war never truly begins, that the Alliance and the Empire can co-exist, rather than tear one-another apart. You know its inner workings, its people, well - better than most in the Alliance, and so you are uniquely positioned to bridge a gap that is only growing wider, Rakaan." It was the last thing in truth that he wanted to give Rakaan - more expectations, more pressure. And it was in truth not how Korvan intended his words, but he wished to guide his pupil's desire for action in the right way, not for violence, but against it.

"Those who seek conflict shall find it, Rakaan. Remember that."​

 

[Cordé Sabo]

D U L C E T
E M P R E S S T E T A | A T M O S P H E R E
______________________________________________________________

O B J E C T I V E III | G I H E N N O M I I
______________________________________________________________

Outside of the docking bay, the inner levels of the ship-slash-super-weapon were both more familiar and strange.

And what Cordé had originally convinced herself as familiar, quickly became strange.

Tube stops glowed, announcing line errors and encouraging the reader to please stand by. The ship still expected the crew to be alive or on board, to hear its pre-recorded toneless reassurances. Air recyclers hummed. The floors were relatively clean and clear. The sense of near normalcy made the changes and vacancies of the ship stand out eerily.

"You know, imagine if we randomly met here."
"I think I would have had a heart attack."

​

Despite the dread that hung about them on this strange, enemy ship, Cordé heard herself chuckle. Then she cleared her throat, horrified that his candour had charmed her for an instant.

After a few more steps, they made a mutual choice (not that there was much alternative) to drop.

As soon as they did, the ceiling sealed itself.

"Uh... oh... that can't be good."

"Don't say that." She murmured through grit teeth, as if undoing whatever they'd said already would reduce the implications of this horrible ship. It had been heavily monitored since it had been seized, but this was the first time official crews had been deployed to explore and inventory it.

​

"It might be an automated routine.." Cordé negotiated, lying to herself and him to feign a belief that The Maw had any consideration for their custodial teams. "..to prevent a crewmember from finding themselves with a broken leg after a fall?"

She glanced upward at the tubes running along with the ceiling. Flakes of something — her HUD couldn't index them — swirled about in nautilus patterns. She shoved her glasses back on top of her head and off her eyes, squinting instead. Her gaze was met with the shadow of a passing droid, who beeped at her.

With a frown, she turned to Sion.

His response was to light up the room in bright blue. She dropped her glasses over her eyes again to prevent the glaring glow from being too distracting — but she'd looked right at it, and little pockets of black bubbles were forming in her vision.

Sion asked if she was claustrophobic, and her mind went elsewhere. To being small and sitting in the cockpit of an old TIE with her brother in Bastion. He'd had to keep the hatch open to keep her inside with him and not freak out.

"No," she lied, and blinked through the blue-lit room. One, two, three, four walls. She could count them all.

And worse, she could see how many feet away they were from her.

Forcing out a sharp breath, she looked back up at the door in the ceiling they'd dropped through. Surely it would open again?

______________________________________________________________
Sion Lorray
______________________________________________________________​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

JANARA III - Korvan Toldreyn

​

In quiet thought, the Jedi turned aside. He craned his neck to meet his own boots shuffle across the fertile soil that that jungles housed, as well as the same lush shrubs and oddly rounded rocks - Rakaan kicked at them, softly, as if a bored child burdened with too much time left on his hand amid another one of countless lectures. It was common, common as the promise the sun would rise and set. Korvan had an endless amount of wisdom to offer his pupil, it seemed, whether that title was official or not. The two Jedi could never escape that bond.

Master Tolderyn had done much to quench the combative thirst that Rakaan so often felt in his youth, and even now. It was a fundamental failure to comprehend the role of the Jedi, of beliefs on what the Jedi could offer, should offer. Korvan was a man of the people, of those less fortunate, a saviour of the weak, overcome with knowledge and a desire for traditional and pacifistic sensibilities. As much as Rakaan tried, he was a warrior at heart. A fighter, ever since he was a boy. It was in his nature, and it was pointless to fight nature. It was the will of the Force, some may say. Korvan's own master certainly would have.

But even then, regardless of that, Rakaan could always admit to some form of defeat. Korvan seemed infallible more often than not. Rarely did that ever dissuade Rakaan from announcing his own beliefs, his own conclusions on what was undoubtedly a settled matter. The Jedi should allow themselves to be flexible, to be seen and cooperative. Just as much as the Jedi should try for peace over war. Though Rakaan could not ignore recent history, his history, galactic history. It was on fire, all of it, with more fuel for the flames each day. Something had to be done. Can the Jedi afford to sit by as these peacekeepers and diplomats when there was no peace?

"Then maybe that's the problem, Master." The Jedi Knight said with a troublesome, knowing look with eyes that settled over Korvan's own. "Maybe the Jedi should be soldiers. Is there much use in a peacekeeper and a diplomat with the Sith, what with all their warring tribes in the Maw? Or what if diplomacy fails between the Empire, are we still meant to be peacekeepers and diplomats then?"

Troublesome as it was, it was an honest question bred of curiosity. There was no malice, no antagonistic manner to his tone, only earnest wonder. The same kind that lingered on the mention of a new role, a new task that concerned the Imperials and his all too specific know-how of their functions. Few outside the Empire, if any at all, had his particular insight on the matter.

"But maybe I can help," he started with a hand set out in front of him, as if to tell Korvan to wait one moment. "If the council will listen, I can tell them every thing that I learned in the Empire. If they'd listen, maybe we do have a real shot at diplomacy here. Your way of things," a thin smirk spread across his lips, "But I want to be there. It was my mission, and I want to see it through."

​

 

[Elami Iria]

​

Location: GEHINNOM II
Objective III - Help where possible
Tags: Iris Arani | Zoar | Atlas Drake | Thalia Senn | Silas Westgard

Elami and Dizzy finally caught up to the other Padawan and already there was a splintering of the group. “I didn’t think this was that sort of mission,” she said to those remaining with a shrug. “Should we all be staying together or just let them head off on their own?” the Mirialan rubbed the back of her neck as she considered the next step.

“I know there are some things that the Maw left behind that we’re supposed to be making safe,” Elami said with a shrug. “But I was hoping to also get elbows deep in some grease and make this thing an asset instead of just a floating island of hate in the galaxy. This wasn’t meant as a prove your salt mission to the Masters was it? I’m not ready for that. Thought this was just an easy repair/purify job.”​

 

[Sion Lorray]

Cordé Sabo
​

"Don't say that." She murmured through grit teeth, as if undoing whatever they'd said already would reduce the implications of this horrible ship. It had been heavily monitored since it had been seized, but this was the first time official crews had been deployed to explore and inventory it.

"Bit late for that, lady..."

If words could invite calamity then Sion had already basically invited certain death and nightmare to them.

But he was too focused on their surroundings to say little more about it. It should be fine. Okay, even. The drones had passed through here and nothing living nor synthlike had been detected. The place was deserted for all intents and purposes. Corpses strewn around, yes. But... while it hurt to look at them (and to think of what was lost), dead bodies weren't a threat to them.

"I..."

He looked at her skeptically but felt her own disbelief at her own assertion. "...maybe." Sion allowed there, thinking to himself it was better to have that little lie.

Far better than to panic anyway.

While Cordé was staring at the ceiling chute, Sion reached out in the Force around them. It was like an echo that got back to him. From one of the walls... no, through one of the walls. "Cordé?" Hesitantly as he walked towards the northern wall. It was almost... a distorted cry that was coming back to him beyond it.

"I think there are Kyber crystals there. Corrupted ones."

His hand acted before his brain caught up with him.

The saber jabbed deep into the durasteel, beginning to make a cut that would allow them to pass through. The blue hue winked out in the room, instead the deep-red of the metal heating up. "There could be a way out there as well." Over his shoulder. Almost trying to rationalize it... even though there was a far more simple reason.

He couldn't allow those corrupted crystals to stay in such resonant pain.

Not if he could do something about it.

 

[Bernard]

Aaran nodded a subtle agreement. Small enough not to be too obvious.

Bernard relaxed a little, though his muscles stayed tensed up at the thought of how deep the SIA's influence ran. A Wayfinder in their possession meant nothing good.

The Wayfinder sat motionless in the room's centre. It seemed utterly harmless in its dormant state. Like any other piece of junk one might fish from a scrap heap, totally obscuring the darker secrets it hid within the clockwork under the intricate carvings of glass fastened on each side of the pyramid.

"You take the lead, Aaran," Bernard said when the other Jedi moved to begin probing the object through the Force.

It was evident to himself that he was too preoccupied to do anything more than sit back and keep watch over the other Jedi. Even as he immersed himself in the Force, the SIA agent's eyes on his back didn't leave his senses.

Aaran Tafo Jasper Kai'el Dagon Kaze Aeson Keel
​

 

[Iris Arani]

Confusion at first. Then disbelief. Finally, annoyance.

Iris just watched Silas and Thalia run off, blinking slowly. Then grumbled. Fine, whatever. They could keep an eye on each other, then. Sides, now she had a couple others to watch out for. Her gaze shifted up to the familiar suit of armor, earning a soft smile in turn. It was good to see him out and about. And, well. Hearing him start to ramble on about the tech here was just as good. For all the horror of the Maw, at least he could see a brighter side.

Until the others spoke up. Being careful, yeah. That'd be important.

"Let them go off. We have our task. .. And no, this isn't a prove your salt thing. We find the crystals, help them, then leave. The rest of the Alliance has their jobs with dismantling this.. Place."

Okay. Guess she's the leader of this tri- No wait, the pilot. She glanced to him, blinking. Watching. Studying his colors.

Wizard. Right.

"C'mon. You have a layout or map or something to at least tell us where we're going?"

Zoar | Elami Iria | Atlas Drake

 

[Sōla Taan]

A holo-recording was cast from Hamra to the Saber on Corellia, then forwarded to Master Dhalinar's personal ship and to the new temple on Coruscant. Per his orders, the recording had been labeled "utmost priority".

It was from Sola.

The audio was garbled and the visuals were blurred- she'd cobbled the holo-recorder together from an antique model she'd found in an old shop in Atirak. It was a wonder she'd been able to cast the recording at all.

Spoiler: The Recording Dhalinar Recieved

The recording flickered and wavered incessantly, but the discerning eye would be able to identify Sola Taan's youthful face, though her facial expression was hard to make out. Her specialized rebreather was down, hanging loose around her neck. Her robes were dirtied and rumpled as if she'd been fighting, she wore a crushgaunt on her left hand, and a Model 6 hybrid pistol hung from a well-worn holster on her hip.

"Master Dhal-...taken so lo-...reach you...the Saber by-...forced to...Hamra...-rted a turf war...syndicates, but-...everything is-...a Mando here...name of Kra-...-ound the edges...-ls like pene-...an alright...violent...the Sith wou-... me without...help. About th-....drat...about to...out!"

The recording ended.

Spoiler: What Sola Actually Recorded

"Master Dhalinar. Sorry it's taken so long to reach you. I would've been back to the Saber by now, but my ship was forced to land on Hamra. I sort of accidentally started a turf war among the local crime syndicates, but don't worry. Everything is fine- I have help. There's a Mando here with me by the name of Kragr. He's a little rough around the edges, and he smells like penetrating oil, but he's an alright guy. A bit violent though. The Sith would've killed me without his help. About that- oh drat, this thing is about to short out!"

Dhalinar Greystar​

 

[Zoar]

ABOARD THE GEHINNOM II
- Silas Westgard - Iris Arani - Thalia Senn - Elami Iria - Atlas Drake -
​

Silas' greeting was answered by a sharp nod of the power-armor's head. //Yeah. Glad to be here,// he said, semi-sheepishly, realizing he hadn't really bothered to talk with anyone, and deciding to rectify that immediately. A task he, for whatever reason, found more daunting than the systems of the Gehinnom II.

Zoar looked at Atlas Drake suddenly as he offered a warning, the Miln's sheepish tone only growing. //Oh. Right. Cool.// The mech took a deliberate step away from the console.

"The old man's right y'know. Maw don't look that smart, but they aren't dumb. They have some mean slicers. Station's still got power, yeah? Probably chock full of mean digital beasties... Probably don't want to touch anything either... Touch the wrong panel and any manner of nasty creature could find you. Technobeasts, voxyn, raging clankers, Nameless...Never know what these bastards have picked up in the Unknown Regions."

The more Thalia spoke, the more nervous the enormous power armor obviously became, until he was glancing around, mechanical hands fidgeting in front of him, edging closer to the other Alliance members. //Noted. Very noted. Suuuuuper noted.// He didn't even know what half those things were. That had to mean they were scary.

It wasn't long before both Silas and Thalia were gone, running through the battlestation alone. Zoar closed the distance between himself, Iris and Elami, deferring to the former's advice of letting them go. It wasn't safe to go off alone. Especially when there might be Nameless around. Whatever those were.

As Iris began talking to their pilot, Zoar turned to the mirialan, regarding her with a warm, if mildly anxious, voice. //Don't worry too much about it. It would take literal decades for one person to fix up this ship. I'm sure the Alliance has an army of techies to work on it.//

//I mean, think about the hull damage alone. You know how hard it is to repair and reseal that?// The Miln gestured emphatically with his arms. //It's really hard.//

 

[Zhea Nox]

ECLIPSE
GHOST TOWN | JANARA III
TAG: Yenna | Valery Noble | Kara Jade | Jand Talo | Miri Nimdok | Gotto Sorendu | Dhalinar Greystar | Ayra Lowe

BLUE HEALER​

"I'm not sure I can be of much help in regards to cleansing, but I brought along plenty of supplies to help the living if we come across them."

Zhea smiled at the young Padawan as she tugged a large bag higher up on her shoulder.
"Any help is better than none at all, Young One." she said to Ayra Lowe as they started walking toward the small town while Master Noble split off from the group toward the epicenter of the Wound.

The little Master Yenna was riding along on Padawan Talo's shoulder as the group trekked across the desolate landscape, the town getting closer. Master Sorendu stopped momentarily to at least provide some cover vegetation for the remains of an animal which did her heart some good as well.

"Occupants, if there are… killing them, our last resort, is. Restrain them, we must first. Help them, we maybe still can."

"Indeed. We have not come to kill." the Kiffar said.

"I can be of assistance there. My friends can aid us. Unfortunately, they don't seem particularly fond of the darkness. I'm afraid that I won't be moving as fast as I usually do." A grin spread across his face. "I'd save the rest of what's in your flask, Master Yenna. I have a feeling you're gonna need it when we're done here."

Zhea chuckled. "I think we'll all need some of what is in that flask before we are done." she said, "But your gifts would be highly appreciated, Master Sorendu." she added.

Just then, Master Noble's voice cut through on the comms.

<C> "I'm going to start cleansing this place. I'm sure it'll spark something, so be careful."​

Zhea raised her arm. <Thank you, Master Noble. Please look after yourself as well.> she replied. Time to be highly on alert.
But Padawan Jade's panicked voice cut through on the comms right after.

"I'm at the village, I repeat I'm at the village and under attack!"

The Sage went cold.
<We're on our way, Padawan. Just hold out!> she ordered as she immediately started sprinting, collapsing her staff as she did so.

She rushed into the town, knowing the rest would follow, and headed straight for the marketplace. There, she saw the young woman trying her best to keep rabid villagers at bay. Without thinking twice, she swiped them to the side and away from the Padawan with the Force while she extended her staff once more.

"Move, Padawan!"

 

[Korvan Toldreyn]

​

Janara III | Rakaan Horne​

A simple frown. That was all it really took to get Korvan's point across. He welcomed his student's disagreements, his difference of opinion, but there were some things that transcended opinion - at least in Korvan's mind. The Jedi were not soldiers, and nor should they have been, were they simply agents of the Alliance to wield in conflict, then they were Jedi no longer. The moment the Order gave itself to conflict, the moment it encouraged glory in the field or conquest over its enemies was the moment the order slid down a slope from which there was likely to be no recovery.

However, Korvan knew that his pupil meant nothing in truth from his question. It was one borne more of ignorance, of a lack of knowledge - more than it was an argument to push the Jedi from their true purpose. What was important now was not that Rakaan was scolded or put down for his questions - what was important was that he listened, that he understood.

"There are always those who will not share a want for peace - whose first desire will be violence and conquest, such as the Sith." The Jedi Master began with a hum, nodding once. "But the failings of others are not excuses for ourselves - consider, if our first instinct is to resort to violence, to destroy and dominate, then how are we any different to the Sith themselves?" Korvan left the question open, just as Rakaan's question had come, there was no malice to it, nor any goading behind it - it was simply a question meant to guide his pupil to the right answer.

"Our job is to do all we can to prevent violence, that role does not change even in wartime - we negotiate, we seek the peaceful resolution, and if needed..." Korvan took a moment, watching Rakaan closely before a gentle, sad smile split his lips. "We make our enemies see the folly of their ways, and turn them to the right side."

There was nothing more to be said there, Korvan was sure that was a message Rakaan would understand.

Yet, there was more Rakaan had said and asked. And this time it truly brought a smile to his face, a sense of pride dancing behind his eyes unbidden. Perhaps the two of them were not thinking in exactly the same way, but the intent behind what Rakaan was saying was what Korvan had longed to hear from the boy. "And you should, Rakaan - the council will listen to you, they should. We cannot let ourselves be bogged down in propaganda or vitriol, we need to extend a laurel of peace, not violence, and all you have learned can help with that."​

 

[Atlas Drake]

Thalia Senn Silas Westgard Iris Arani Zoar Elami Iria

"Silas Westgard, and who must you be?" Silas asked with a sense of maturity about him, one that seemed beyond his age. Everyone was equal here, no matter how ancient or rank they were.​

"Atlas Drake," he shook the young Jedi's hand, "Captain of the Constellation. Alliance asked for shipbreakers. Reckon I know a thing or two."

Drake frowned at the padawan's cryptic words. No one had told him to look after any passengers, but they were just kids, so he still felt responsible. Another padawan quickly chased after Westgard.

"Keep your comlink on!" was all Atlas had time to shout before both were gone.

"C'mon. You have a layout or map or something to at least tell us where we're going?"

"Sure do," the captain grinned, tapping his temple, "Wish I could say this was the first Maw station I've boarded. These kaiburr crystals you're after must be plugged into something."

He pointed up at a twisted nest of exposed cables stretching on into the black.

"Just need to follow those power conduits. Should lead us to the poor girl's main reactor."

 

[Rakaan Horne]

JANARA III - Korvan Toldreyn

​

Rakaan searched for answers, for a rebuttal. In them, the Jedi found none. For all it was worth, Korvan was correct. True to the Code of the Jedi, to their life. Even as Rakaan felt the need to shift and adapt to the environment that swirled around them, the circumstances and all that came with the reminder of war and a new one to be on the horizon. To believe otherwise, as Rakaan did in the bottom of his heart, was a fool's errand. It was un-Jedi, opposite to their supposed peaceful ways.

It was with eyes abound, as if on the prowl for an argument, that Rakaan shifted back and forth until there was no more movements. There was only acceptance, acceptance of defeat but with a tinge self-questioning as a result of the disagreement Rakaan found and yet refused to speak with. He was wrong and the Jedi Knight knew it, yet believed it all the same. His brow came together with narrowed eyes that softened on their return to Korvan's own, a playfully defeated look of acknowledge sewn across his youthful features, with the touch of a faint smile of sorts.

"I suppose you're right, Master." He conceded in the end, "It's not the Jedi way to seek out these conflicts, or to be soldiers. We are peacekeepers, diplomats even." Rakaan reiterated rather knowingly, although with some snark attached to the mention of diplomacy. A favoured skill of his own master yet one that Rakaan lacked himself. His nature never permitted that to be a tool in his arsenal, unlike all others that remained so thinly beneath the surface of his flesh. Dangerous should they become weapons.

He nodded in response to what Korvan had said afterwards, though. "Do you think that is what the Council wants, to search for peace with the Empire? I hear the Senate has other plans, some as far as to suggest the war with them has already begun."

​

 

[Korvan Toldreyn]

​

Janara III | Rakaan Horne​

A scoff left the bearded Jedi at Rakaan's concession, an almost surprised look crossing his face as he smirked at his student. "My, you have grown, haven't you? I thought the day might never come that you admit I am right." He intoned softly, allowing a degree of levity to return to what had otherwise been a rather philosophical and - in truth - fairly intense conversation given the positions the two of them had been standing in only a short while ago. Of course, they could not be defined by their past, if Rakaan was going to continue his life with the Jedi, to truly grow into what Korvan knew he could be, they would need to move beyond it.

And so, a few moments of levity, of comfort and relaxation in the midst of all his teachings could be savoured. Of course, their conversation was not done, and the question Rakaan posed brought another sigh of disapproval from the Jedi Master. Certainly, it was not directed at Rakaan - but at the subject of his question. Korvan had ever argued with the Jedi Council, and his disagreements with them were both myriad and well-known. But he still had his hopes, of course.

"I hope that they do, though it would seem some of them are more eager to rush into battle than others..." He sighed once more, and after a few moments, he decided to let his concerns be laid bare - there was no point in hiding behind formality, or presenting to Rakaan the idea that hiding one's true thoughts was any way for a Jedi to act. "Be careful of your friends on the council, Rakaan. Dagon and Valery are good people, their intent is decent - but their methods..." He did decide to leave that thought open, let Rakaan finish it for him, he figured.

Another sigh, and he clapped his student on the shoulder. "Bah, enough of politics. We've a mission to complete here, hm?"​

 

[Ayra Lowe]

// Padawan Lowe //
// Janara III //
// Objective - I // Unlight of Janara III //
// Focus // Valery Noble // Zhea Nox // Yenna // Jand Talo // Kara Jade // Miri Nimdok // Gotto Sorendu // Dhalinar Greystar //

---

---

"Any help is better than none at all, Young One."

A soft smile was returned to the elder Jedi and a nod towards the... shaggier Jedi. While Ayra had her wings clipped for this mission, it was nice to have the understanding from her companions as well as their confidence. Ayra could only return the favour as she followed behind them, chasing after Master Zhea as the panicked message came over the holocom.

A tightness took the young Echani's chest.

This was it.

Her feet didn't carry her quite as fast as the other Jedi, but the sounds of battle grew louder in her ears. The ravenous sounds of whatever was assaulting Padawan Jade ahead were quelled by the thoughts of her master— keeping the Shi'do's message of tranquillity in all things and all times as close to her heart and mind as she could.

As nice as the thought was, however, it quickly soured when the girl's pale blue eyes met the shambling silhouettes of the town's populace. A low and ominous growl turned voracious pitch as they made their way towards the target, a blonde woman astride a single market stall. Its panels and wrapping torn away by tooth and claw as they groped toward their prey. Ayra seized in her stride, sound falling away as she watched the girl's boot connect with the husk of what was once a human, kicking it back down amongst the rest before its ambition caught her leg.

The girl had prepared herself, she thought. Ayra presumed battlefield nerves were a lack of preparation. After all, she had known generals and soldiers that had told stories of glory she knew since she was a child. But as her grip tightened around the strap of her bag, Ayra reminded herself she wasn't a child at this moment, she was a Jedi.

"Th-this way!"

She pushed through the weakness of her voice to catch the attention of the other Padawan, gloved hands quickly slinging the bag around her front as she instead ran in a diagonal direction towards other market stalls instead of straight as the husks. Lithe fingers fiddled with the zippers and pockets of the knapsack as Ayra pressed forward, trying to find a choke point to use.

Master Zhea could take care of the bulk of them, what Ayra had to focus on was helping the other Padawan. Fingers finally reached a CryoBan grenade, part of her toolset that she had to disable enemies instead of kill. Master Ney'Vizz had stressed the importance of life, refusing to grant the Echani her lightsabers until she understood. So for now, she would just have to assist.

"Hey! Take this!"

The Echani positioned herself to baton the grenade towards the other padawan if she made her way towards her, preferring to not risk entrapping the woman with her persuers.

 

[Elami Iria]

​

Location: GEHINNOM II
Objective III - Help where possible
Tags: Zoar | Iris Arani | Atlas Drake

Elami gave a shrug as Iris to let Silas and Thalia go off on their own. Then sighed in relief that she wasn’t on some big test mission. She was prepared for helping some kyber crystals find their way to the light. Even prepared to make some small fixes to the internal systems of the space station as needed. The Mirialan had brought her lightsabers along of course. No matter what she was expecting or thought she was ready for, the Jedi always had to be prepared for something more.

//Don't worry too much about it. It would take literal decades for one person to fix up this ship. I'm sure the Alliance has an army of techies to work on it.// The large set of armor reassured Elami. //I mean, think about the hull damage alone. You know how hard it is to repair and reseal that?// The armor gestured emphatically with his arms. //It's really hard.//

Elami had never met Zoar before and her head tilted to the side as she wondered who was inside or if it was a droid. Jedi droids were quite rare so she assumed there was a being inside somewhere. “Thanks. I wasn’t planning on fixing the whole thing up, but I like to tinker. So a small project might be fun. But I don’t want to get in the way of the others. My expertise is in droids. Hulls aren’t my thing. I’ll leave that to the professionals.” She smiled. “I’m Elami by the way. Elami Iria.”

The pilot brought up a map of the station. Elami tapped Dizzy on the “shoulder” to record all the information possible. “Well looks like we have a place to start. Let’s get on our way.”​

 

[Yenna]

JANARA III | MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
TAGS: Valery Noble | Zhea Nox | Jand Talo | Miri Nimdok | Kara Jade | Dhalinar Greystar | Gotto Sorendu
GEAR: In bio

The easy smile faded somewhat as she looked at Miri, though she quickly set her concerns aside. She was simply overthinking things. Her previous padawan was a lot different from the new batch she received. They simply needed to spend more time together.

Listening in silence as the rest of the group spoke, her smile soon returned with the occasional chuckle escaping her. They were quickly approaching the town, the darkness emanating from it was heavy. Her gaze shifted to the others to make sure they were alright.

"I'd save the rest of what's in your flask, Master Yenna. I have a feeling you're gonna need it when we're done here."

"I think we'll all need some of what is in that flask before we are done."

A giggle escaped the little green Jedi. Yeah, they were alright. ”Stick you both, I will, after this.” She joked, turning her attention back to the town. But things didn’t stay calm and collected for long. A distress call erupted over the comms, spurring the group on to reach the town. When they arrived, another padawan was climbing for dear life to get away from the horde of rabid, corrupted people.

The group sprung into action. Yenna hopped off Jand’s shoulder and dropped her cane as she drew the Force through her body, Ayra rummaged through her bag, Zhea yanked them all aside while Miri… pulled out a shotgun.

Yenna stared with wide eyes for a moment as one blast followed after another. She didn’t have time to even address the padawan before another person charged at her. Jumping up from the ground, she landed on Miri's shoulder and lifted the charging being from the ground, holding them in front of Miri to knock them out with a blast. She spared a glance at Miri with a shrug. ”Onto something, you might be.” She quipped, hopping off her shoulder.

Once again she reached out with the Force, this time to lift Kara Jade off the ground and quickly bring her over to Ayra’s side before she attempted to stall the rampaging horde with the Force for her grenade to work properly. Though it took more focus than she initially thought. Their connection was far weaker to the Force than she was used to. The weight grew heavier as she stifled a groan, trying her hardest to help the padawans.

Spoiler: ooc note

Gonna be gone until Monday and likely only post again on Tuesday so feel free to NPC Yenna doing something in the background until then.

 

[Gotto Sorendu]

Janara III
Tags: Valery Noble , Yenna , Zhea Nox , Kara Jade , Jand Talo , Miri Nimdok, Dhalinar Greystar , Ayra Lowe ​

When they arrived at the intended destination, a horde of possessed townsfolk were there to greet them, along with another Padawan who seemed to be trapped on the top of a small structure in the town. Gotto wasted very little time jumping into action, leaping into the air and bringing his staff down on the temple of one of the zombies with an overhead strike. From there, he swept his staff low, taking three others off their feet.

"Secure our friend," Gotto told the others, gesturing to Kara. "I'll keep these guys off your backs."

It seemed that they were doing just that already, with Miri procuring a stun shotgun and Ayra tossing a grenade of sorts into the mix. From there, Gotto began to drop seeds on the incapacitated zombies. Slowly but surely, vines sprung forth to ensnare them, ensuring they would no longer be a threat. Unfortunately, it was not at a rate that Gotto had hoped for. The nexus seemed to be greatly diminishing force abilities, especially those aligned with the light. This was turning out to be a far more complicated mission than he had expected. The Kage manipulated the vines holding one zombie in place, bringing it closer to inspect the possessed being.

"Aren't you pleasant," the knight frowned, assessing the villager. "What is it that you're friends here were snarling about?"

"Liiiiiight," the possessed man groaned, writhing in his binds.

"I see," Gotto nodded. He rotated the man, looking for any adverse physical effects the corruption had taken, casually knocking down two more zombies in the process. "And what is it that you feel in this state?"

"HUNGER!!!" the zombie hissed, pulsating violently.

"Thank you for your cooperation," the Kage responed politely, returning the zombie to the ground before turning back to the others. "The corruption hasn't effected their physical forms as of yet," he informed them, "But it seems that their minds haven't fared as well. Cleansing them won't be straight forward."

Gotto turned to the padawans specifically, his expressions still calm, despite the present situation. There was no time to panic when there was work to be done, after all. The lives of both them and these townsfolk depended on the party remaining cool under pressure.

"The wound has inflicted these civilians with a craving," Gotto stated. "In some way shape or form, they want light. I suggest you keep at a distance. I'd rather not find out what happens when they grab hold of someone."

From there, he shifted his focus back to the horde. He had a lot of villagers to secure.

Spoiler: NPC Yenna

 

[Jand Talo]

UNLIGHT OF JANARA III

Jand hadn't quite known what to expect, but he supposed the small Jedi balancing on his shoulder was more graceful than being cradled in his arms, so he went with it. The traversal to the village was quick, there was reason to hurry, as Kara Jade seemed to be in danger. And once the group arrived, Jand watched Jedi Master Yenna hop away with incredible agility, to begin assisting.

That left Jand free to assist, also.

However, the village seemed infested with corrupted villagers that wanted to consume light. Whether that was literal or metaphorical, Jand didn't know, but what was important was the threat posed to the Jedi from the horde. Some began attacking with non-lethal methods, one even used a close range scattergun, while the more experienced Force users started to channel the Force and work on cleansing the area. After a few moments of thought, the Padawan supposed he would help with keeping the horde back; yet, Jedi Master Noble had indicated that the masses shouldn't be harmed...

And the Nagai only had his lethal weaponry, which included his newly crafted lightsaber.

"Hm."

Jand saw a fist-sized rock on the ground.

"This will do."

But, as the Nagai bent to pick up the makeshift weapon, there was a howl from outside the village--

"...corrupted beasts!"

--to which the rock was forgotten, and Jand spun to look in the direction of the dark side influenced animals. A pack approached, rapidly, across the dirt and dust, like bounding hounds with slathering jaws filled with teeth and wisps of inky smoke that trailed in their wake.

Jand smiled.

He drew his lightsaber, activated the blade with a * snap-hiss * and then adjusted the focusing lens to the desired setting. The blue blade thrummed with a sudden increase in power, as the Dragite function was activated. A more powerful, more lethal blade. Preserving the lives of the villagers was one thing, but the wild beasts in the wilderness?

"I will confront the pack!"

And without another word, Jand started to sprint toward the howling opponents, which saw half a dozen moving toward him in turn...

Valery Noble | Yenna | Zhea Nox | Dhalinar Greystar | Kara Jade | Gotto Sorendu | Ayra Lowe | Miri Nimdok​