First Reply Insidious Deeds on Jakku

[Ohois Qhut'eol]

​

Darth Grosnais, prowled through the desolate wastelands of Jakku in search for the Starship Graveyard, his crimson lightsaber humming at his side.

The harsh sun beat down on his armored skeleton, casting errie shadows on the sand dunes as he stalked his prize - salvaged starship parts scattered across the barren landscape. The Force whispered to him, guiding his steps towards a hidden cache rumored to hold the key to unlocking imaginable power should one claim it.

As he ventured deeper into the treacherous terrain, Grosnais noticed a flicker of movement in the distance.

His keen senses picked up on the subtle shift in the Force - He had known that the Jakku Jedi Enclave were operating on the planet, but they were supposed to be farther into the dune seas of the planet.

With a sense of added urgency, he reached out to a criminal syndicate known for their ruthless efficiency in smuggling operations.

Striking a deal to provide a distraction for the Jedi sent towards his location, while he carried on the search. The criminal syndicate set up camp on the outskirts of a bustling trading outpost, drawing attention away from Grosnais as he delved deeper into the unforgiving wilderness.

He navigated through the treacherous terrain, his senses attuned to every sound and movement around him. The wind howled, carrying the distant cries of scavengers and the haunting whispers of the ancient sands.

As he neared the rumored location of the starship parts, Grosnais could feel the power pulsating through the Force. It called to him, beckoning him closer with promises of untold riches and unimaginable strength.

The dark side of the Force swirled around him, fueling his determination as he pressed on through the blistering heat and shifting sands.

"I am close, closer now more than ever."

He exclaimed, slicing through the external panel of an old imperial star destroyer.

​

 

[Kornon]

Ohois Qhut'eol Sera Rosh
​

Their arrival was preceded by a steady stream of updates from the enclave -- a smuggling syndicate, operating loudly and dangerously at the edge of a trading post. Violence would soon take those sandy streets. It was a fortuitous, if unfortunate, situation for the Lightsworn. A chance to aide fellow Jedi, perhaps sway them to their side.

Kornon had few reservations about the Lightsworn now; they were as committed to fighting the Dark as he was, and the energy they carried with them had the strength to change the galaxy. Sera Rosh, the one assigned alongside him, was a dedicated Jedi. Their skills were far different, their demeanours as well, but their cause the same.

When he sensed the disturbance upon their arrival, he knew she could be trusted to join him in the pursuit of whatever darkness had come here. The grand graveyard hardly seemed undisturbed, but the Jedi Master felt a distinct presence, a creature of malice, walking with terrible purpose.

Purpose that had taken their quarry through the outer hull of an ancient Imperial Star Destroyer. Jakku's sun left little heat to be desired, but it was not hot enough to burn a hole through a starship's armour plating. The metal smouldered still.

"Sith," he said gravely. "Together. These ones will face it."

He forged onward.

 

[Sera Rosh]

SPARROW
GRAVEYARD OF GIANTS | JAKKU
TAG: Kornon | Ohois Qhut'eol | Lossa Aureus

WORLD ON FIRE​

There was no doubt about it.

The ideals put forth by Lord Ashina and others directly aligned fully with hers. When she was saved as a child, the Jedi were much more pro-active at keeping the Darkness at bay. Her former master had been one of them. Now it had all fallen to pieces and more planets were suffering under the yoke of said Darkness. And the Order in their hallowed halls did little to stem that tide.

Even Coruscant was being abandoned.

It was up to those that still remember what it means to stand against chaos to bring the Light back to the Galaxy. But just sometimes a less confrontational approach was needed, as much as it pained Sera to divert from the hunt for her fallen former master.

So here she was, flying over the Jakku sands on an assignment.

At least the company she had, was decent enough. Master Kornon wasn't much different from Senari Gravis in some aspects. Both of them exuded a peace that had eased some of her troubles at different times of her life. But at least the Barabel wasn't a drunk. He had strength and knowledge that she could definitely still learn from, even this far from the Order.

They had just received another set of information from Lossa Aureus from the Jakku Jedi Enclave, when Kornon yanked the ship in a new direction and set them down a little ways away from a star destroyer hull.
"Wha -?"

"Sith," he said gravely. "Together. These ones will face it."

Sera could kick herself for not feeling it before. She'd been too lost in her own thoughts and fiddling with the information Lossa kept them updated with, that she hadn't focused on the bigger picture.

Her face hardened.

Surely it wouldn't be him? She would have sensed the Nautolan. Either way, if it was Sith, they had to be stopped.
"Let's save one planet from suffering the Darkness." she said with a cold resolve before they undertook the trek to the ancient shipwreck. <Lossa, we stopped at the Imperial star destroyer in the Graveyard - there's more sinister forces at work here than just random criminals. We'll keep you updated. Do what you can for the outpost in the meantime.> she relayed to the Zeltron over the comms as they walked.

And soon found themselves at the hole cut into the hull. What could they possibly want in this old thing? Surely there couldn't be anything left to salvage in there?

"What do you think we'll face in there, Master Kornon?" she asked quietly, looking at Barabel, her unignited lightsaber hilt in her hand.

 

[Ohois Qhut'eol]

Kornon Sera Rosh Lossa Aureus

The crimson blade of the lightsaber gave off an eerie glow, casting shadows on the walls as the Krevaaki Sith Lord moved stealthily through the once grand corridors of the Imperial Star Destroyer being 15 minutes ahead of the Jedi Pair.

The faint mum of the weapon echoed within the vacant expanse, contributing to the somber ambiance enveloping him. Casting a quick glance at the skeletal bodies of Imperial Stormtroopers and Officers still wearing their proud imperial equipment, strewn amidst the wreckage and flickering sparks emanating from barely functioning wires.

With the lightsaber as a lightsource, Darth Grosnias was guided through the wreckage corridor by corridor by the whispering of the force around him. The corridors seem to stretch on endlessly, each one a haunting reminder of the destruction that had befallen the once mighty Galactic Empire.

The force guided him through the ancient medical-bays, long since been stripped clean by scavangers and criminal syndicates looking to make a profit, but lead him nontheless to the remaining untouched provisions like the beds and medical droids stationed in close proximity.

A small vibration in the force made him aware of the existence of two jedi, with one being bigger than the other. Extending a slender hand, the dark aspect of the force was released like a powerful wave into the skeletal remains of the stormtroopers, transforming these remains into something much more menacing with the help of sith sorcery.

The Undead Thralls emerged from said experiment, standing nearby for instructions.

"Delay our guests until my treasure can be found."

He said, with barely a whisper as the skeletons nodded in silent agreement and went down the corrdiors to play distraction.

​

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Wearing: Outfit
Tags: Kornon Sera Rosh Ohois Qhut'eol

The news of a troublemakers setting up shop on the edge of town didn't sit well with the newly minted knight. Something was off about their sudden appearance, and especially with their brazen acts of meddling with the locals and almost showcasing their appearance.

She'd seen similar distractions play out in the Outer Rim, and the thought of someone using the distraction to sneak around irritated her.

Dispatching a few knights and a handful of senior padawans with them to figure out the situation in town, she focused her senses and stretched them to their limit to figure out what was happening around the Enclave. Surprised to find something resonating with the dark side presence that remained as a testing ground for Padawans that came to the Enclave, along with the two foreign Lightsiders that had checked in earlier.

A final update to their movements came in, and a solid plan had been put in place

<Copy that, keep yourself aware inside that ship. It preys on your senses. Will keep you updated.> She spoke into the comm that Tythus has brought her, sitting in the audience chamber to focus herself as the Enclave set about closing itself off and securing the padawans remaining.

A twisting of the darkside made her flinch as her senses strained and focused on the place they were treading. Another part of her mind cackling at the surprise of power emanating from the ruined Imperial ship.

A small dip of dark power being supped from the ship by her other half making it appear all the more clearly in her minds eye.

This won't do at all. They've made something. How irritating.

Shaking away the words in her mind, she toggled the comm-line to Rosh rather than sit on the information. Coordinating the ship graveyard and town was going to a chore, but something she could do at least.

<Rosh. Update from my end on the ship you are in. Whoever is in there is meddling with the darkside and making something. I don't know if it's an ambush or a trap but be aware.> The best she could offer since her senses were playing on what she wad feeling.

 

[Kornon]

Sera Rosh Ohois Qhut'eol | Lossa Aureus
​

Kornon shook his head. "The Force is stifled in this place. But, a graveyard is a place for the dead. Luminous ones would best be cautious."

He moved as he said he would, advancing carefully through the sandswept corridors. They entered into one of the main transit corridors, a cavernous, extravagant, Imperial thing. The rotting guts of the ship spilled before them; at certain angles, he could see all the way to the main hangar. The sand absorbed their footsteps. For the most part, it was silent.

"This one has not seen an Imperial starship in many years," he murmured. "Your journey, Knight Rosh. Pray tell of it. Is this a sight familiar to you?" He gestured to their surroundings. His curiosity was genuine; he had not had much time to hear the stories since he'd been lost to the murky plateaus of his homeworld.

Soon after their peace was broken -- by the dead, no less. A hand fell to his waist, not to his saber but instead to the long hunting knife at his side, moments before decrepit, half-armoured stormtroopers rounded the corner a dozen meters away. The first bolt was deflected instantly, knocked aside by a swift stroke of the silver-white blade, but even in death they recalled their training. The last bolt of the burst struck him in the forehead, knocking his head back. He stumbled, regained his balance, and rubbed the smoking impact on his scales.

"This one has not seen an Imperial in many years," he said, brow furrowing. "Time to learn."

His hand snaked out, knife but a flash in the air until it shattered the skull of the stormtrooper that had struck him, only to be pulled back to his hand a second later.