Dominion Sandcastles | SJO DOM of Klatooine

[Amani Serys]

Objective 2

Amani glanced over to see Kyra Perl with her own candle blown out, "You too, huh?" She huffed with impatience until one of the masters relit the candle.

Taking the advice from Kei Amadis , she concentrated yet again, holding her focus the same as before. As she drew in the heat more, she was able to loosen her concentration a little bit. Peeping open her eyes to look around her, she could still feel the warmth, giving her a new boost of confidence. Amani waddled out from behind the rock and into the wind. The first gust nearly made her lose her concentration , but she stayed focused, and kept moving into the cold. Before long, the wind blew out the candle, but Amani kept holding on to the heat even with it extinguished.

"Hey! Not bad, right?" she smiled at her accomplishment. She still wasn't exactly warm, but the chill was diminished to the point of no longer being a distraction.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Location: Klatooine, entering ancient fort
Objective: Explore the ancient fort, assess for future use as a base
Allies: Elise Corte Fletchador Klesta Sinestra
Enemies: Snarlin' beasts
Armor: OS-114 "Katarn Mk. II" Combat Armor

Primary Weapon: OS-109 Fate Assault Rifle (chest rig)

Secondary Weapons:

• OS-104 Reaper Blaster Pistol (drop holster, right side)
• OS-101 Retractable Vibrosword (On belt)
• Krath Itak Sword (back scabbard) Note to Force Users/Force Sensitives - this blade emanates a strong Dark Side aura
• Beskar Sword (back scabbard)
• 8 x frag grenades (chest rig)

Misc Gear:

• OS-112 "Valkyrie" Jump Jet System (Mounted on back)
• OS-108 Energy Shield (Left wrist)
• 2 x OS-107 "Hermes" Sensor Drones (chest rig)

Beltran had held his ground as the beasts had advanced on the group, his held at "high ready". He had been about to put his finger on the trigger and open fire in support of Corte Fletchador when Jedi Master Elise spoke up, ordering the group to hold. In cases like this, his instincts were to shoot first and ask questions never but his discipline kept him from ignoring the senior Jedi's orders. In his experience, the Jedi tended to be a little too hand-wringy about violence for his taste-but they were the ones signing his pay cheque.

So who was he to argue?

He waited while Elise did...something to one of the creatures and a few seconds later it began to move off, away from them. The Force, he mused, was a very effective tool when it wanted to be. His mind briefly went to the old holocron and lightsaber that he had retrieved from Lorrd not so long ago, apparently the only remaining possessions of a dead father he'd never known. Perhaps one day he too would study this mystical thing and learn of its powers.

"Nice trick," He told Elise, moving past Sinestra to stand next to her at the head of the group. With his rifle still at the ready, the soldier would continue to move deeper into the fort with the group, ready to defend them from whatever monstrosities popped out at them.

 

[Klesta]

Objective 1: Fort Exploration
Allies: Beltran Rarr Elise Sinestra

And there was no telling about the contamination risk of the fortress that needs to be addressed before it comes to putting it in service. The Jawa has his hands full in his reporting actions and he would need time to get the reports done. It was a patrimonial asset, so he would need to send the report to the engineers before he can even think about getting funding for the project: if there was one thing that he knew about projects alleged to be shovel ready, it's that shovel readiness, that is, whether funding was the only remaining thing preventing construction, was subjective. Kintan and Eshan were deemed to be high priority worlds for construction funding, but Klatooine was still considered for this reason.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra sputtered, whiiiiiiiiiping the fine coating of sand back off her face in countless swipes. Very well! Fine! Guess she deserved it. She tried to settle down and focus, a task that proved fruitless. By the time the girl could manage to take a deep breath, Amani exclaimed her own progress.

Kyra shivered, opening her eyes and looking over at Amani’s success. A frown touched her lips. “Hey... look at that... guess you did...”

She looked around, realizing that by now everyone’s has done the same. And then there was really no getting her to calm down and close her eyes, her frustration growing by the minute. “Stupid, it’s just a candle.” She snapped it, the flame going out.

 

[Corte Fletchador]

Location: Klatooine, entering ancient fort
Objective: Explore the ancient fort, assess for future use as a base
Allies: Elise, Klesta , Sinestra

As Corte watched Master Elise communicate with the creature, he felt a tad embarrassed. He knew that his first instinct should have been to do the same, instead he fought. My apologies Master, I should have used the force for good first before allowing the creature to attack. I will be better about that in the future.....Shall we explore the depths of this fort? We still need to investigate the conditions below.....

 

[Jasper Candos]

Desbre Gensan Kyra Perl Amani Serys Milla Caranthyr Desbre Gensan Kei Amadis

OBJECTIVE 2

Jasper looked over to Valrel when the Jedi Master moved over to him. Japser thought it would be best for him to stop practicing and learning Tapas in order to pay closer attention to the female since he didn’t want to mishear anything important from her. “Thank you for the comment.” He said in a quick mellow tone, with no hint of emotions in response to her praise of his attempt at trying to learn the force technique. He didn’t really thank her from an emotional sense but from a tactual sense as he didn’t want to take any chances of the woman taking his silence from the praise she gave him the wrong way. He knew that she and the other Jedi Master knew some things about the force that could assist Candos in the long run. This made Jasper willing to learn from them in order to gain that knowledge and not take any chances with them.

Hearing her asking about what he sensed while he was training made him think about it. “What did I sense you asked?” He said, taking a few seconds to remember what he was sensing when he was trying to use Tapas the first time. “The flame itself…” Were the first words that came out of his mouth as one of the answers to the woman question he drifted off at the end of the sentence in an attempt to figure out the other things he was sensing minutes ago. One word soon made its way into his mind that became another thing that he sensed along with the flame. “Force..”

His mind went back to reality when she talks about his breathing. He tries to think back to when he was starting the training in order to discovered how his breathing was. He knew for a fact he wasn’t breathing in and out hard like when someone stops running after a long time and get tired from it. He didn’t want to stand out from the rest to the point where some of them would look at him. He didn’t like being the center of attention since people could get ideas from him that he felt could lead to Jasper being at a disadvantage. His breathing was silent, and Jasper knew this now after thinking and wondered if he should inhale and exhale more.

After hearing the Hapan final advice to all of the students in the class including him, he nodded to her and got himself back into the position he was he a second ago and began to continue his tapas training. He took it slower than he did before and he slowly inhaling the air around him before he exhales the air out. While he exhales, he used the force to keep the flame lit and slowly drew in the heat around him taking his time not to make any mistakes. The stress and pressure that starts to approach no began to disappear with each inhale and exhale and as the candle continued to stay lit.

 

[Kei Amadis]

Tag: Jasper Candos | Kyra Perl | Milla Caranthyr | Amani Serys

Objective 1,

At this point, both Masters were constantly moving to students as they struggled or had success. Kei was doing the rounds, hands behind his back, slightly limp as always if you looked close enough, Valrel with a bit more subtlety.

Milla Caranthyr

Reminding him of himself, or rather what he always aimed for. There was a grin and a nod, a simple nod. She’d fully got what he was trying to offer them. You can do a lot with a little, that was the Jedi’s advantage over all the loud sith saber-rattling. He tapped the Padawan on the shoulder as he did the rounds through the students and nodded.

Amani Serys

Valrel looked at Amani and began to smile. “What is heating you?” Hopefully, that would begin to take her technique to the next step. There is no spoon… or in this case there is only the spoon! The Hapan Jedi master watched carefully to calm any sudden increase of technique, hopefully, it would remain a gradual increase if not she would help balance the student's external focus on stimuli. Happy that Amani seemed to be taking good steps towards understanding.

Kyra Perl

Kei stopped at Kyra again, he didn’t try to calm her down, letting her get all the anger out. Back in the day at the temple other Jedi would have wagged their finger, told her how she was doing it wrong, telling people their emotions were wrong was futile. He just nodded, understanding fully, “nobody gets every technique first time, not even the oldest of us.” Calmly, no judgment. Plenty of techniques he’d never be able to achieve. Offering her one his many scarfs instead, a red wooly-nerf one with a grin, it was comfortable but lacked any fashion sense whatsoever. He’d told nobody but, "barely succeeded myself. When in doubt,” he looked at the scarf he'd offered, "wooly-nerf it." With or without Tapas, more than one way to skin a one-legged bantha. Hoping she’d understand it wasn’t all or nothing, failure was part of it. "Keep trying."

Jasper Candos

Much like Milia with Kei, Jasper had this. He was really connecting the dots, still dots not one flow but the padawan had made a great step on his journey. It would probably take training but he had such a strong foundation and understanding. Valrel smiled brightly, sensing Jasper didn’t like being singled out she didn’t linger long, “well done.” The Jedi Master congratulated, quietly, “that peaceful flow, breathing, hold onto that.” Like all the most well known Jedi did. It could benefit him through many challenges and times in his life.

@All
With the temperature dropping as time passed on. The lesson was slowly concluding and it had been a successful one he was happy to say. They hadn't had a lot to work with, a desert, a prop and a technique that was largely internal. All in all he was very impressed that they'd focused this long. He'd answer any last questions they had before it ended, and offer what parting advice he could. Picking up his walking stick at the front of the group to ease the limp.

 

[Sinestra]

Reinforced durasteel looked like chewing toy to these beasts' fangs, so when the Jedi snapped into a self-preservation mode chopping down the predators Jude could only cheer him. He would've done the same; but apparently not Elise. She stopped the Jedi Knight in his tracks and preserved the life of the beast with a neat mentalist trick. Nice trick, he reiterated in his mind what the soldier said. The agent wouldn't have been as merciful. It's a dog-eat-dog galaxy, after all.

"Ain't seen it but feel it." Jude replied gloomily. "You've felt it too - the hunger. Dark endless hunger." it's how he felt its presence through the Force and he knew nothing bode well when someone was hungry. "It's comin' from down there." he pointed from where the beasts came from and it came to him - they were fleeing. Fleeing their homes from the foreign invader who, he darkly concluded, was not the Silver Jedi expedition.

Something far worse.

And much less forgiving.

"Lead the way, Master Jedi." he grinned like an idiot at Elise, then tilted his head at the Jedi Knight beside her. "Better yet - let him lead the way. He looks like a natural at solving problems."

Ain't no way in hell he was goin' in face-first. Life's priceless.

A venomous hiss echoed through the fort.

Elise Beltran Rarr Corte Fletchador

 

[Corte Fletchador]

Location: Klatooine, ancient fort
Objective: Explore the ancient fort, assess for future use as a base
Allies: Elise, Klesta , Sinestra

Knowing how he needed to correct his actions from here on out, Corte said at Sinestra 's comment, I would gladly lead the way friend. To Elise he said with your permission of course Master....

 

[Kyra Perl]

Objectives: Tapa Class

Kyra looked at him in teary-eyed frustration, her cheeks growing redder by the moment as she processed his words. It would have been wise of her to take the scarf and his kind words and simply try again, but those that knew Kyra well knew she rarely listened to reason. She wavered in place, then snuffed and turned to storm away from the scene altogether.

Everyone had seen that. Everyone had heard. Her finger nails dug into the wax of the candle stick. She tossed it onto the ground, storming her tush right back to the ship.

You didn't need tapas in a ship.

Kei Amadis

 

[Elise]

Elise gave Corte Fletchador a soft smile and nod, a reassuring hand lingering on his shoulder as he moved to take the frontward position. "A time for everything."

She didn't think he was wrong for how he protected them, only that she had personally seen another way. That was the thing about perception-- everyone's was different. She was here to guide him on seeing it all-- A hard task, no doubt.

She often failed herself.

She followed in behind Corte, and every member of the group would feel the subtle buffer of strength and stamina in their sytems-- force valor, and from the Master no doubt. They pressed in deeper, only the sounds of their steps and dripping water splatting onto metal filling the air.

Whatever waited for them, it did so silently. As they entered the large engine room, a set of a hundred eyes flickered open above their heads.

Spoiler: Don't look up.

Far away, safe from harm, the padawan shuttle concluded their lesson and left Klatooine space-- blissfully unaware of the dangers that still lurked in the deep.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Location: Klatooine, inside ancient fort
Objective: Explore the ancient fort, assess for future use as a base
Allies: Elise Corte Fletchador Klesta Sinestra
Enemies: Whatever the feth that thing is!
Armor: OS-114 "Katarn Mk. II" Combat Armor

Primary Weapon: OS-109 Fate Assault Rifle (chest rig)

Secondary Weapons:

• OS-104 Reaper Blaster Pistol (drop holster, right side)
• OS-101 Retractable Vibrosword (On belt)
• Krath Itak Sword (back scabbard) Note to Force Users/Force Sensitives - this blade emanates a strong Dark Side aura
• Beskar Sword (back scabbard)
• 8 x frag grenades (chest rig)

Misc Gear:

• OS-112 "Valkyrie" Jump Jet System (Mounted on back)
• OS-108 Energy Shield (Left wrist)
• 2 x OS-107 "Hermes" Sensor Drones (chest rig)

Beltran fell in behind Corte Fletchador as the young Jedi took point for the group. He kept back about ten paces from him, holding his rifle at the "low-ready" position so as to keep the barrel facing away from his ally. Muzzle discipline was extremely important at any time, but especially in close quarters like this. Accidents could happen to even the most experienced operators, that's why they were called accidents, and Beltran was damned if he was going to be responsible for a friendly fire incident.

As the group moved every deeper, Beltran became aware of a strange feeling from inside him. It threatened to replace the normal cold, steel-like resolve that was his default operating procedure with something...different. It was almost a warm sensation, comforting and calm. It didn't lull him into a false sense of security, or keep him from staying alert but he found that it was an emotion that was far easier to sustain. Something like...courage.

He wondered whether the presence of the senior Jedi had something to do with it and he also wondered what his ability to feel it said about his own possible Force sensitivity. Since his return from Lorrd, and learning that his long-lost father had actually been a Jedi, his thoughts often turned toward what that might mean for him. Beltran could never see himself in the image of the squeaky clean, serene archetype that most Jedi he'd encountered seemed to adopt.

He was too far gone for that. He'd seen too much, done too much, enjoyed too much to ever be able to be that innocent. But perhaps there was another path he could take. Perhaps the answers laid in the mysterious holocron he'd found. Perhaps...

Beltran was suddenly brought out of his reverie by a notification from one of the scanning drones that had moved further beyond the group. It had picked up a life-sign, briefly, before going inactive. "Corte," He spoke to the man who was leading them. "There's something ahead. Got a ping from my drone and then it went dead. Keep your guard up. Whatever it was, it wasn't small."

He didn't bother reiterating his words to the others behind him. Elise and Sinestra would make themselves useful if things went south, and the Lieutenant had already seen Jedi Fletchador in action on Kiros. The younger man could be a little impulsive, but he was plenty capable. Instead, he would raise his rifle to the "high-ready" position and step to the left so that he could cover Corte's advance without having the Jedi in the line of fire.

 

[Corte Fletchador]

Location: Klatooine, inside ancient fort
Objective: Explore the ancient fort, assess for future use as a base
Allies: Elise, Klesta , Sinestra , Beltran Rarr

After hearing that Beltran Rarr 's drone had picked up a rather large life-sign ahead of the group, Corte could sense the creature. He could sense that even though it was large, it was afraid of the group. Perhaps it had heard the fight that occurred upstairs or perhaps it was afraid of the invasion of multiple beings in its home environment. Whatever it was, Corte was committed to not making the same deadly mistake twice - he was going to communicate with it thorugh the Force and find a peaceful solution to the situation at hand. Corte told the group I can feel it, it is very afraid of us. While we shouldn't let our guard down, we should press on and find it - there is a peaceful way for us to be here with the creature..... With that, Corte kept going.....

 

[Desbre Gensan]

Objective: 2
Tag: Kei Amadis | Milla Caranthyr | Kyra Perl | Amani Serys |​

---

The shielding had only been with her hand. And ineffectual at best.

As Kei Amadis made his rounds helping guide, Desbre opened her eyes. “You’re talking about thermodynamics,” Des said aloud though her voice was barely more than a murmur. In truth, she was using the first law of thermodynamics to reignite the candle. Energy could neither be created nor destroyed. It can only change form. In this case, she used the Force to create energy. Or as some would say, change Force energy into thermal energy. It was taxing, despite her skill level.

The argument presented was that it was more efficient to take from the environment. It was low-hanging fruit. Desbre, in her own way, was brute-forcing it. Sort of. She’d used her own bodyheat for a significant portion of the flame since other than flame it was the largest heat source she had. And cold bothered her little.

She supposed in a desert environment, she could more rapidly and much more efficiently transfer her body heat into the air around her. Or rather slow down the vibrations of her own molecules. Another idea came to her with that. If she could do that, she might be able to induce herself into stasis, or even a cryogenic state. Something that could potentially save her life later, but not something to experiment with now.

Taking a moment, she deliberately snuffed out her candle, and then let it cool. There was heat all around them. Unlike most, she could see it as part of her natural vision. She could feel it more than most. The photons striking her imparted their own heat. They heated the ground. Every motion of her body and chemical reaction produced heat. The ground, layers down, was warmer than the air. Wind was only possible through heat differentials of night and day creating atmospheric pressure. Though colder than was comfortable, the entire planet was a hot rock by comparison to the cold of space.

Holding her hands out in front of her, cupped like a bowl with the candle at the bottom, she reached for the Force. She expanded her awareness out, taking in the class, and the tiny insects in the sand, the few avians in the area, other small creatures hunting. The sand snakes nearby, and more. She wanted heat. Almost immediately her mind began exploring those sources of heat, creating a heat map. And then she began to draw on the closest sources besides her classmates, drawing those bright spots in, at first like streams and eddies, pooling between her palms, where it focused like light through a sunglass down into a single point.

Within a second, the wick glowed red, then burst into flame. She closed her hands, then drew in the rest of that heat into herself, filling her up until she began to sweat. Not with the effort, but with all that she’d drawn in. It was more than her body could immediately vent. She let the rest dissipate into the ground, warming her seat rather pleasantly while returning to protect the flame from the wind with her hands.

”Like this,” she asked as she sat, eyes closed still, beginning to direct only a trickle of heat, swirling, spiraling it through her and into the ground with the excess. It had taken maybe a minute from blowing out the candle, to reignition. She was more curious if she got it right, if she understood as well as she thought, rather than any kind of smugness or arrogance. There was no ego in her efforts, only her best efforts to grasp the lesson and techniques.