Save the Children! [SJO Mission]

[Liuna]

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It was a beautiful afternoon on Kashyyyk, the sun was out and the temperature was pleasant. However, in the distance… dark clouds loomed. Things at Silver Rest were winding down for the day. Training classes were coming to a close and most were beginning to settle into their evening routines. But this calm still was broken by the frantic feet of Celeste Rigel. The healer and counselor was normally charged with minding the younglings, but her afternoon at the healing hall had proven hectic. And it seemed that a group of mischievous young ones had slipped out of the temple alone.

She’d already been across the training grounds and through-out the temple itself. There were a few areas left to check – the courtyard, the tree-village, and the mountains. Oh, force… not the mountains.

Skidding to a stop outside in the courtyard, Celeste scanned the area. It was quiet here, only a few milling about. “This is all my fault,” She said, biting her fingernails. Her hands began to wring nervously.

“Excuse me!” She called out, waving her arm to catch the attention of any nearby. “Please, I need help!”


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Liuna stuck her hands inside the pockets of her leather jacket, walking at a leisurely pace towards Silver Rest. The Miralan had recently returned to the forest world after having spent time away on some Shadow missions. She was feeling the fatigue of working non-stop, and she was looking forward to a good meal and a bit of rest.

Narrowing her eyes, she spotted the robe-clad figure of a woman waving her arms.

Oh, what now? As she got closer, she could see that the brunette was a bit teary-eyed. Now, Liuna had a tough front, but she wasn’t made of stone. Her gaze softened slightly at the sight, and she approached.

“What’s wrong?” Liuna asked, tapping the woman on the shoulder.

“Oh, you must help me! A group of younglings is missing! I think they must have snuck out earlier this afternoon; I have no idea where they went. I need people to go our searching for them.”

[member="Sheila"], [member="Rhane Varless"], [member="Boo Heavenshield"], [member="Epistor"], [member="Tyluko Dubykee"]

 

[Sheila]

She stretched out, seeing anything that might be there.. the sounds of claws on the trees were coming.. the snarling of the creature when it was searching and then running around. Sheila sat there looking at the forest itself. It was an amazing scene to behold at they lept and her wings fluttered. The saber in her hand. "Tally'ho." She said it jumping off and flying forward through with a golden trail of light behind her when the small strill hissed then flew away. She laughed letting the sound of silver bells jungle before stopping and listening to someone. Her golden hair there as she buzzed around listening but not getting involved just yet in the conversation.

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Sidias Fable was an arsehole.

But don't let any of the adults hear you say it. The so-called Jedi hopeful was a Sith Lord in training if ever he'd seen one. And Boo had seen one. More than one. The raven-haired human was masterful when it came to manipulation and deceit. He knew all the right words. He knew how to put on a good face, a good show. All the teachers at the Silver Rest thought that Sidias Fable was a saint. The second coming of Obi-Wan Kenobi. And he was, to their faces. Behind their backs he was more like the second coming of [member="Sieger Ren"]. He wasn't just in with the cool kids, he ruled the cool kids. His dictates determined both what was cool and who was cool, and he wielded both with a magnanimity that was as false as it was fickle.

There was no loyalty there. Sidias played up favorites only until they either presented a threat to him or bored him, then he was merciless in casting them aside.

But those who wouldn't play this game?

Those he made certain to ostracize, so to reinforce that you wanted to be part of the in group. His in group. And you had better ask him nicely and then make it worth his while for you to be there, or else you'd be one of them.

Them tended to go by any number of names. Losers tended to be the generic catch-all moniker, though for at least the last week they had taken to referring to the Pantoran as Barf Vader. Boo Heavenchit, Sleemo Ren, and Primenerdal were three other common variations.

Auggie was another youngling ostracized into the Them category by Sidias. The Gran was most commonly Goat Boy, though there were just as many variations for him as there were for Boo. The Gran had told some of the other younglings at the temple that he had seen a flying rancor in the mountains, during a field trip with one of the Jedi Healers to retrieve a vine native to Kashyyyk that had medicinal uses.

Sidias had dared Auggie to prove it.

A double Force dare.

What the Hutt was that even supposed to mean? I mean, how stupid was that? A double Force dare? Auggie should have just thrown his blue milk in Sidias' face and laughed.

He didn't. And Sidias and two of his cool kids had escorted Auggie out of Silver Rest during their Force Refresh class.

They'd been good enough to have avoided the attention of their teacher, Miss Celeste. But not so good as to have avoided the notice of an Exemplar of the Primeval Bleeding Sun.

Boo, being un-cool -- or unclean, it was kind of the same thing -- had been asked to return to the Silver Rest. Being that Boo had no idea just what Sidias had planned for Auggie out of sight from the teachers, the Pantoran was disinclined to acquiesce to that request.

The two cool kids acting like Sidias' own goon squad were Kels and Rogan. Rogan was on the ground at the Pantoran's feet, nursing a bloody nose. He was a pretty stupid, follow-the-crowd kind of every man. He really wanted Sidias to include him, so he pretty much did whatever Sidias told him to. This made Rogan the biggest bully at Silver Rest, which was convenient for providing Sidias a scapegoat so that no one would suspect he was the Dank Lord of the Snark manipulating the whole damn thing.

Kels was just standing there, as afraid of Boo as he was of Sidias. So he just stood there. Unlike Rogan, Kels was actually a damn decent human being. Probably one of the most genuinely nice younglings -- boys anyway -- at Silver Rest. But he wanted to be popular. He wanted to be cool. Temptation bred a kind of two-faced behavior. He was nice to Sidias' face. Said what he thought he needed to in order to curry some scrap of Sidias' favor... but behind Sidias' back, Kels loathed the kid.

If Sidias told them to lose Auggie in the Wroshyr forest and then ditch the kid, they would. Which was what Boo imagined the sadistic Saint Sidias had in mind. The egotistical youth just gave a sneer as he watched Rogan picking himself up out of the dirt.

Sidias didn't offer a hand to help.

Neither did Kels or Auggie, but they seemed frozen in fear at the idea of a showdown between the Silver Rest's Jedi Golden Child and the Pantoran bastard child of Ren.

Sidias finally spit at the ground at Boo's foot. "Fine, just don't slow us down," the Jedi tossed haughtily. Then he turned his ire upon the Gran. "Well, you gonna show us where you saw that flying-rancor or not?"

The words dangled in the air, like a tempting offer to join the cool kids. Maybe. Maybe if Auggie could impress Sidias with what he had seen. Or thought that he had seen.

It wouldn't work. Boo could read the tone and inflection in Sidias' voice. He could read the kid like book. Part of him wondered how the other kids couldn't? Or maybe they could, and were just too afraid of losing favor with a kid who talked a very good game. Even if there was absolutely nothing to him but empty words.

So the five boys set out for the pass that would lead from Silver Rest up into the mountains.

[member="Liuna Ondizi"] | [member="Sheila"]​

 

[Liuna]

Liuna was left standing out in the courtyard as Master Rigel swept back inside the temple to look after all the younglings that had not wandered out unsupervised. The Mirialan raised a curious brow, blinking as she gazed around. Squinting, she thought she saw a rather small-ish looking… pixie? Shaking her head, she figured that she must be imagining things.

Spotting a young man sitting cross-legged on a nearby bench, Liuna ran over. He was dressed simply in the standard Jedi garb, his expression quiet and calm. Her hand reached out to tap his shoulder, but hesitated. He looked to be meditating… should she disturb him?

“Excuse me,” Liuna spoke up, “Did you happen to see some younglings wander through here?”

The man opened one eye and fixed a stern glare at Liuna.

“Okay…” She backed up, “I’ll talk that as no.”

Liuna ran about the courtyard, questioning a few groups that she happened upon. Two Knights had merely shaken their heads, seemingly clueless. However, there were some teen-age apprentices that snickered, but attempted to cover their grins with their hands.

“You!” Liuna pointed at them, “What do you know…?”

The two young women stood in quiet defiance, but soon got the hint that the Mirialan was serious. Of course, she wasn’t her to get into a row with any soon-to-be Jedi… but if she had to get info, she would. But after a moment of rather hard staring, Liuna learned that they had seen some rather notable young ones trotting off towards the tree line. Sidias Fable was one of them, the supposed ringleader. And another troublemaker – Boo Heavenshield, what kind of a name was that? Shaking off the thought, she knew it was time to get to work.

Wandering back the other way, she saw that her eyes had not been playing tricks on her after all. It was a pixie. Perhaps this small flying being could be of some assistance.

“Say, could you lend me a hand? Some kids have gone missing… They went that way.” She pointed towards the mountain trail. “Want to come along?”

[member="Boo Heavenshield"], [member="Sheila"], [member="Epistor"], [member="Tyluko Dubykee"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Boo Heavenshield"] [member="Liuna Ondizi"]

She was going around and heard a voice.. two voices before movign and just hovering there within the air. "Ah me." She pointed and her voice came out soft but louder then her size should have allowed. Looking at the other ones before she moved to dart back and forth in front of her. "Ah sure I can help, what do you need?" She was looking around and could see where she was indicating as well as a blue person when she fluttered around seeing Boo.. then "whoa... you guys are blue and green it is so cool." She said it with a laugh that was like a giggle but was wondering what they might be able to do for now. She flew up a little to look and try to find anything or anyone in the direction the woman was looking for them to go.

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko walked about in the court yard, enjoying the opportunity to get some rest and relaxation. As he walked about the courtyard he listened to the sound of the wind rustling through the jungle trees, the sound accompanying the chorus of bird and animal noises that echoed through the air. The amount of life on Kashyyyk was simply astonishing, the Living Force was ever present. Tyluko closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to sink into the living Force and enjoy the serenity around him. But something was there....nagging at his mind as if trying to tell him something. He eventually heard the words "Lost Children". When he opened his eyes he noticed a green skinned being speaking with some tiny winged creature. The wonders of the galaxy never ceased to amaze him. Tyluko approached the pair, bowing before them in greeting.

"Please excuse my interruption, I over heard you talking about lost children. Perhaps I could be of assistance." He said with a smile.

[member="Sheila"] [member="Liuna Ondizi"] [member="Boo Heavenshield"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Spoiler: Theme for the Shadowlands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bktdXW5SzHI​

Slender, blue fingers brushed through the verdant foliage.

As the group of five boys arrived at the edge of the temple grounds, the mountains lay out to the horizon. Between them was a vast sea of trees. Except, there were no bridges through the canopy from this side. Crossing through the canopy of branches would require passing across the populous and well-trafficked parts of Kashyyyk. Considering their status as unaccompanied minors, that wasn't a solution that was going to get them very far.

The alternative?

A descent to the forest floor and a trek out to the foothills. A path that would take them to ground level. A part of Kashyyyk that only rarely saw the sun, as the dense forest shielded the terrain below from the light, giving rise to the planet's terrestrial land becoming known as the Shadowlands. A place of darkness, where predators stalked away from the light of day.

"We're... we're going down there?"

Auggie's voice slipped up an octave, as the Gran shied back away from the edge that peered down along a broad tree trunk. Along which, the light slowly faded so that it's base was impossible to see.

Kels and Rogan both took an involuntary step back at the same time as Auggie. Sidias hesitated, but looked first to see if the Pantoran had taken a step back. When Boo didn't, Sidias' turned his fear into his usual aggression. "What's the matter, Primenerdal?" the so-called Jedi Hopeful demanded, mockingly. With a sweeping gesture, the boy seemed to invite the Pantoran to be the first to take the plunge. "It's the Shadowlands. You should feel at home, Barf Vader."

"Yeah, Barf Vader."

That was Rogan on the echo. Boo's amber eyes slid over to cut a sidelong glare at Sidias, then moved to peer back at the closely huddled trio of Kels, Rogan, and Auggie. Poor bastards, none of this was even any of their idea. Why were they even letting Sidias string them along like this?

Looking straight ahead for a moment, the young Pantoran stood on the edge and closed his eyes. For a moment, he let go his conscious self and touched the Dark Side of the Force. An invocation left his lips, as he uttered a cryptic phrase in Huttese, "Nan, acdha."

And, with that, the blue-skinned youth casually stepped off the ledge to plunge down toward the forest floor below.

It was a longer fall than one might have imagined. A rapid descent through branches. Through leaves. The light fading until only shadow remained. Stretched out his hand, the young Knight of Ren sent a featherpush downward. The telekinetic extension buffering his landing so that he seemed to hover for just a moment, before his feet touched down on solid ground.

The power of the Dark Side radiated back up to the precipice. A sharp chill causing all four of the remaining boys to take a step back, as Kels haltingly asked, "Do... you feel that?"

Sidias, however, was mortified. His challenge now threatening to make him lose face if he didn't show the same resolve as had the Primeval kid. A litany of emotions, none of them good, showed themselves on his face, before he turned a dark glare back at the three. "It's just the wind. What are you? Afraid?"

Sidias landed a minute later, his own featherpush putting him down safely. A fact for which he looked up at the Pantoran with a look of sheer arrogance, as Kels, Rogan, and Auggie came down after them. Kels and Auggie made the landing, though their featherpush was less polished than that of either Boo or Sidias.

Rogan was never going to make it. And Sidias wasn't going to help him. And Sidias was never going to offer a hand in help, so Boo raised his and gently eased the other boy's descent.

Sidias just watched the display with a dismissive scoff, reaching into his pocket to produce one of the luxury HoloBoy Advanced portable gaming datapads. Opening a compass app, the trust fund youngling casually let the expensive technology shoot the bearing for him and began walking toward the foothills without so much as a word to the other boys.

Huddling together, Rogan, Kels, and Auggie followed after. Leaving Boo standing there in the shadows. Turning his head, the Pantoran considered the darkness. Closing his eyes a moment, the boy again muttered the same incantation, "Nan, acdha."

They were being hunted.

Opening his eyes, the boy casually brought up the rear as the group made their way through the dark forest floor.

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

Epistor was walking back into the Silver Rest's courtyard from a day of training in the forest with a Ranger whom she had met a few days ago and made fast friends. She had picked the location to explore as well, but mostly for the prevalence of shadows. It was a good place to practice Force-imbued stealth, a skill she was steadily growing more and more adept at.

Her dagger hung down onto her thigh from off her belt and her hair was wrapped up into a chignon. Her forehead was lightly dewed with sweat and her legs were sore, but she did not seem to mind either, a carefree smile on her lips as she walked alongside her companion.

Suddenly, though, she stopped when observing a serious-looking conversation a ways off, occurring between a pixie, a Mirialan, and a familiar-looking Dolphinarian.

The man at her side noticed too, for he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Trouble?"

"Perhaps," Epistor mused back. "I will go see." She turned towards him and seamlessly cut him off as he began to speak something defiant. "No, no, no, back to the barracks with you."

His shoulders dropped, but he knew better to argue with her, even in her current exhausted state. "Call me if ya find yourself in over you 'ead, got it?"

The young Shadow learner nodded. "I will." She gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Thank you for today, Idris."

"See ya later, Epi," was his offered farewell before walking off past the gathered Jedi.

A few steps behind him, Epistor approached the same group. "Good evening. Is there a problem?" she asked, smiling sweetly even though such an expression seemed out of place.

~ [member="Liuna Ondizi"] ~ [member="Sheila"] ~ [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] ~ [member="Boo Heavenshield"] ~