In search of the next story

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel quickly accessed the Jedi database. Chu-Gon Dar dated back to the Old Republic and he was based on Mustafar – back when there was an enclave there. It was said he was a master with the physical Force but his main claim to fame was his creation of a very special artefact – a cube that looked much like a holocron – that was capable of transforming items.

His résumé was a lot more impressive than his appearance suggested. Suitably awestruck, Sorel inhaled deeply and then addressed the Gatekeeper. “Master Dar, what can you tell us of the location we seek?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was interested as well, her mother had found the cube already but there was only one... if it was possible to construct more it could be like the joshu converters for themselves maybe or better even. Just a thought when the man was speaking. "It is an old world, mostly uninhabited and unremarkable. Which is why it is more appealing, you can use those to test out new things without the risk of innocent lives. So we set up labs, we set up testing areas to try out and discover new uses for our different things. To really bring the force into technology like the ancient civilizations did. Using ancient crystals and the life energy of the galaxy that is safer and cleaner we created wonders." Orihime was listening to it and thinking about it that was something that she was wanting to work with if there was still treasures within this trove that the jedi master had created.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel listened intently. This man had to be taken seriously and despite being from an earlier time, his work with the cube demonstrated that just because technology had moved on in the past millennia, that didn’t mean that the team on the surface hadn’t identified a breakthrough that would stand the test of time. And her mind wandered as she dreamed of finding wonderful uses of technology that would give the Jedi an edge in maintaining peace in the galaxy.

But she caught herself in time and re-focused on the task in hand. “How many were working down on the planet, and what facilities did you have?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at some of the things when they were working over the things there as the jedi master continued to speak. "We had around two hundred researchers from the tech divisions that was working on things with us there to experiment and develop new technology that the order was able to use. From experiments in developing the cubes to break down and convert force objects and artifacts to working on ways that the jedi would be able to pacify armies. One of our larger successes was a stun cannon that used large kyber crystals to power it and disabled droid armies, knocked people unconscious and left things intacts. They just stopped moving for several hours allowing the jedi to restrain them or surround them. We have also worked on developing more of bodo's belt with its many compartments and pockets so jedi could carry increased equipment in the field."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

It was like talking to a living history lesson. Things the Jedi Master was talking about as if they were matter of fact were aspects of speculation for Jedi scholars. But it was the mention of Master Bodo Baas that caught her attention most. Or rather an item of his clothing.

She caught Orihime’s attention. “The Belt of Master Baas was lost when Master Boda disappeared. It apparently had sixty-five separate pockets and defied conventional physics in that so many objects could be carried at once without over-encumbering the Jedi who wore it. Now if we stumbled on a couple of those, that would be a great find!”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

"There has been some ideas we have been wanting to work with and develop for ourselves if it was possible but there are chances for a number of things." The gatkeeper was looking at them as Orihime looked over the screen and was prepared to handle some of he information but there was a lot, this was a jedi master who was able to build things which meant he knew the technical aspects of many things the jedi had developed. "This would be something nice to find, I know my mother developed a belt and compartments able to hold many things for it but I am uncertain of how many things they would be able to hold in them ourselves. I believe the final count was seventy two compartments that would be able to be used."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel glanced at her own utility belt. It was standard Jedi issue and seemed to hold the essentials. But the idea of having even more compartments and therefore having the opportunity to carry more items was an intriguing and a desirable one.

She looked at the gatekeeper. “Such a find would be highly beneficial – but we should focus on finding the exact location first and worry about what we might find next.”

Then she turned to Orihime. “Any news on the probes, are we any closer to finding what we came for?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at it and the information was being provided on the probes when she set the holocron in her belts pouch with a nod fo her head. "The probes are at the coordinates and well there is something set up on the surface." She was looking at it and it was more of a dome where she was looking and guessing. "I am going to guess they might have had a shield to protect it and with the storms and no one around the shield ran until it got covered and a dome was formed then just kind of stayed there as opposed to coming down and hiding it. That means it is good for us as we can see where to dig and where we might be abel to with a power source get a shield going again."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was delighted at the good news. Of course, a snow covered dome was visible to unwanted visitors, but the landscape was white and you’d have to visibly search the whole planet to spot it, so it augured well for finding something useful down on the surface. Not a guarantee, but the odds kept shifting in their favour.

And the dome meant they were less likely to have to dig. This was another huge plus as time was always a valuable commodity and if the site was covered in thick snow and ice, it would take some time to access it. Hopefully, what they sought was simply hidden under a massive snow dome. As long as they got a new shield up, the risk of being buried alive by falling ice would be negated.

“So, are we ready to go?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime looked at Sorel when they were touching down on the planet and she had her equipment with a nod of her head. "I am ready." There was a grin of excitement and a chance for them to well get to keep going exploring around the planet. This was a great and amazing place that could provide all new ideas for the jedi or new information on what they were wanting to develop when she secured some solar shields over her eyes just in case of problems. The circlet could protect from the cold but the snow blowing in their face or the sun reflecting off of the snow into their eyes was not really in the wheelhouse of it. So the shields to see when she started walking out with her pack and the holocron.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel followed her friend out of the craft. Like Orihime, she had technology to thank for not feeling the cold – but that didn’t stop her skin from blistering at extreme temperatures or prevent snow blindness.

So she wore mirrored goggled and had a scarf around her face to protect her exposed skin. In addition, she wore gloves to ensure her hands did not suffer from the icy winds.

It was much like Rhen Var and so there was an aspect of familiarity. But it was dangerous to take terrain at face value, and so she was careful as she stepped out of the vessel and trod carefully on the soft snow that she sensed had impacted ice directly below it.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

She gave a nod of her head while heading out for them to turn the different things over now, she could see the area the coordinates were pointing at as well as the dome of snow and ice until she was out fo the ship and sending a small probe droid to go so they would be able to see it. "Alright lets head out." She was ready, she was going and she was going to have some fun when she got near the dome of ice on the planet taking out her saber as she started to slice into the ice and make them a small hole. Somewhere that they wouldn't risk the structural integrity of the dome but still be able to get in quickly when she motioned for Sorel to come up with her providing the cover over the area for Sorel when she spoke. "Lets get int here carefully."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel observed as Orihime led the way and then cut a hole in the ice dome – perfectly formed around a defensive shield that was no longer operational. It was a large enough hole to slide into and small enough not to risk the whole structure coming down around their ears.

Sorel climbed through and it took a while for her eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. Compacted ice and snow afforded virtually no light to permeate, so Sorel switched to Force Sight in order to take in the landscape.

Initially she was a little shocked and disappointed in equal measures. There appeared nothing to see. But then, that made little sense given someone had constructed a shield to protect this area. So she swept the area a second time – slower than before. And then she spotted it. It was as if it were a light leaking out from behind a trapdoor in the ice. Except it was an aura, not visible light. A light sided aura.

She indicated to Orihime what she’d seen and headed towards it.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

She stepped through it after Sorel and both of them were there able to see, she started focusing force sight to see so not to disturb the area and shift it anymore then they might have to. Seeing sorel as a blue being against the muted colors that were dark around them she turned where indicated to see the light just barely escaping when her body moved quickly. To get there and kneel down while she started to dig and clear the way as the doorway was metal and stone. She could see the systema nd understood it while she looked over some of the things with her attention to the other padawan. "These are locks that the ancient jedi used, my mother found them and showed me how to open them."

She stayed there workin on it, trying to get the door open as the one played a sound, the air rushing through different openings and resonating chambers to match it. Orihime stayed with it while she adjusted and listened to them slowly closing her eyes once she had an idea to better hear it until the time passed and the sounds were starting to match until there was a grinding sound and it cleared up. The console of the door disappearing before it revealed a large splash of bright light against her eyelids and stairs leading down a level that she could work with. Orihime climbed down and waited for a moment adjusting her feet and hands so she could slide down it with a nod of her head.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Not for the first time, Sorel was pleased that she was with Orihime. There was no knowing how long she’d be struggling with the locks if her fellow Padawan wasn’t with her.

On another day she’d asked Orihime to show her how to open the locks but for now she was just keen to have them opened and scanned their surroundings whilst Orihime focused on getting them through the trapdoor.

The noise was a distraction and Orihime did her best not to be put off her sentry duty by the work that Orihime was undertaking. But even without focusing on the locks, she could sense that her friend was making progress and finally she saw the light emanating from an open door and she glanced to see there were stairs leading down.

Once she saw Orihime descend, she gave the ice dome a final glance before following her.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

The inside of the facility was fairly simple with the panels on the wall guiding her through as she was happy to see the aurubesh script going for it. THey hadn't been in here long but the lights were going on as one of the displays came up and she brought up more of it. "They are using geothermal power, so we should be fine and the oxygen recyclers are kicking in to filter in case there were anything in them." Orihime was nodding her head to some of the nice things that they had been developing are in different rooms. We should head towards the security room to try and work with the system." She was uncertain for what they would eb able to use to get in but they might be able to connect to the jedi database and add themselves so they were needing to break into the rooms.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

The ancient building was doing what it was programmed to do – to activate when occupied. Fortunately the two primary functions appeared to be operational now – namely lighting and breathable air. Unfortunately, the same could be said for the security systems, that would almost certainly be locking down anything of interest to ensure that prying eyes and light fingers did not take what did not belong to them.

But they were Jedi and had both the holocron and access to historical records. Between all of these assets, Sorel was sure they would be able to access the systems and gain access to the facility – whilst leaving it secure once they left.

Fortunately Jedi architecture was rarely innovative, so they followed a logical path that they knew would take them to a central room that would house the security systems.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at her and at the place while they walked. Internal security might be a problem but she was also looking at some places. A secret base would want to make sure and would have defenses that didn't alert people it was a secret base. Something to distract and make you think you were in the wrong place sure but if they killed everything then eventually there would be a reputation or any number of things that could go wrong with it. Orihime was priving a few ideas in her head of what they might be able to do later with the right materials before she saw the doors and went inside of them. Security was simple enoughh and right across from medical should anything happen. The old model medical droids that were shut down in their alcoves, the security drones on a shelf in the room she could see but all of their internal power packs were frozen and dead. She moved toward sthe computer and started to boot it up as it was going slow. "Oh god I think they have a dial up."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel followed Orihime. The facility was not as sterile as a modern lab but nor was it an ancient and crumbling old building. In many ways it looked ordinary – not the stuff of legend that it promised to be. Perhaps that was because, in its day – it was just an ordinary building that housed Jedi. It was time and only the passing of time that made it seemed special right now.

The medical droids appeared basic but Sorel was sure they could perform most routine tasks should they need to be activated. Power seemed to be the main inhibitor – and it was the same for the security droids. Hundreds of years added to sub-zero temperatures have drained them of life. There was a chance that the power supplies might need to be replaced and were beyond recharging – but Sorel tore her focus away from tinkering with droids and back to the matter in hand. Accessing the computer might be more of a challenge than they initially predicted.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime kept at it while the power levels were rising, geothermal power was good as it could be constantly used but it might take a little time to warm up so they would be able to use anything really good.. and she was uncertain of alcoves that were around for them to be able to work with. "Alright we have some power, almost enough to work on the computers themselves." She was looking at the console though and some of the information they found while she went for the hard cipies and some information. Trust someone who would want to make sure there were records in case of computer failure or the needs to erase it all. "Looks like they were developing some rather interesting things here. New droid, new technology and a crystal reactor using information they found from study of old weapons and technology from before the republic. Their information was based on information about the large kyber crystals. They wanted to try and make something that could stun large crowds and armies without killing them. I know that my mother used some of the same technology on a smaller scale but if this could be made and put into operation, a cannon that could stun and knock out enemy force rather then kill them we could find a use for that."