Campaign Spring Break Adventure

[Jaeson Starchaser]

And so Jae did what he was told and shut down his mind. Or rather closed it off. He compartmentalized everything internally and stopped any seeping. He hated doing this, it made him feel slow and cold, an emotionless void. He considered that this must have been how Damian Starchaser felt all the time, a horrible uncaring being.

Staring at the artifacts he saw Tobias leave and turned to stare at Kyra. The two were alone together for a moment and his mind raced. His eyes examined her features for a moment watching as she breathed in and out. The wall fell, the compartments disorganized as his cheeks flushed and he hurriedly studied the artifacts in front of him.

Something here, they had to be after something. The horn with writing was the most obvious one, perhaps if he translated it. He brought up his datapad and began to read the words and look at the pad. Language changed over the thousands of years it existed, and even dead languages had their variation and yet his heart started to beat hard as he translated.

Was it just Kyra’s pheromones? No, it was anticipation. Each word was leading closer to knowledge, further from ignorance.

Scanning for keywords he saw a reference to a long road, the golden path, a house of void or perhaps just a flowery text for empty temple. There was further reference to a deathworld, and a key hidden in….

“The Garden of Qadesh…..” he said in a barely audible whisper staring at the artifact. This was it, this was his big break! Fortune and glory…..

Kyra Perl Tobias Katarn

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra peeked at Tobias left the room, her attention following him for a moment before she could readjust and try to focus again. No amount of breathing made it easier to settle her thoughts, the girl squirming on the padded carpet every five seconds or so. Jaeson's wayward focus brought heat to her cheeks. She did not open her eyes to that, squirming that much more. "Quiet, Jaeson~"

Another deep breath. Slowly, slowly... it got a little easier, nonsensical images flicking up to her as she concentrated on the object at had.

“The Garden of Qadesh…..”

Kyra startled hard, a temple in the thicket of a juggle flashing clearly to mind. Stolen, sensed clearly. The horn in her hand was being taken from where it belonged. It's new master ran hard, tripping over roots. A fanged lizard came charging at them at full speed, and she could feel the mossy ground under foot as and unfamiliar language was uttered desperately into the air.

Sith language.

Something dark touched her from inside the horn. She gasped, dropping it and her eyes tearing open. "Uuuuuuuuuuuuh," she squeaked, flushing pale. "This really shouldn't be here!"

 

[Jaeson Starchaser]

Doing his best to calm down Jae watched in wonder as Kyra did… well whatever she was doing. He was attuned to the force and could feel her doing something but not identify what. Edging he watched with a bit of fascination as she concentrated over the artifact. She wasn’t much older than him, so seeing her instead of an older Sith use the force was fascinating to him.

And then it happened. What exactly it was he couldn’t tell, but suddenly she had started to talk about the artifact. It didn’t belong here? He stared briefly at the horn looking at the writing and then back to the girl.

Kyra was clearly distraught. Jae slid over towards her and put an arm up… wanting to wrap it around her but… he paused for a second taking a deep breath. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “It’s alright,” he said giving her a comforting squeeze. “I’ve been carrying that thing around since Zoist, so two weeks.” Smiling his best grin he looked over at her in the eyes.

He paused, his gaze lingering on sea blue eyes. “It can’t hurt you.” It’s just an ancient horn. Then again there was the one artifact that had a gene triggered booby trap known for poisoning enemies of the species that made it. Sith Spirits likewise could cast fairly long lasting magics on the various artifacts… “It can’t hurt you can it?” he asked with sudden concern.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra dropped the horn, shoving it back faaaaaaaaaaar and wide. Her movements were hasty and panicked, like a worm had been discovered half bitten through an apple in her hand.

She actively flailed, her hands shaking through the air as if that would clear her senses. As it turned out, the motion was useless. Was probably why it wasn't taught at Silver Rest! She flailed a little more anyway, her mind reeling for words to put to the moment. She had seen someone... die? And something dark had touched her.

"Ew, ew, ew, it's corrupted," she complained, her voice hitting a whine. She shrugged his arms off as if they were slime, his own teenage angst just too much for the moment.

Too much!

"That!" She declared, standing up, "Is bad! We need to put it back! Right now!" She flailed in place, then picked up Jaeson's musky swim speedo and tried to pluck up the horn without directly touching it. "You know a jungle planet with bad things that bite you everywhere?"

 

[Jaeson Starchaser]

And in that moment Jae wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, not fully. He did know one thing though, he barely made it out of prison the first time. On instinct he shot his hands up in the air to his side so he wasn’t touching the girl. Taking a step back he held his arms up.

The artifact sat there on the table and he looked down at it and briefly over to Kyra. “Let me just…” his right arm started to slowly move to the horn, “just,” his hand touched the ivory surface and slowly started to take the horn back towards away from Kyra. “take this….”

Pulling back he wrapped the artifact in a towel and placed it back in his bag. “See, it’s gone, away, in the bag. Are we okay now?” he asked with concern for the both of them. All he needed was another incident with the local security.

Kyra Perl Tobias Katarn

 

[Kyra Perl]

"Nope!" She declared, force-grabbing his bag and chucking it dramatically onto the couch across from them. Ok there, better. "You!" She declared, pointing at him. "Are totally a sith! If that's aren't what they're here for I'll kiss a turtle, I mean seriously! Did you feel that thing?" Her voice rang loudly throughout the air, echoing across the marbled tiles of the cold space.

"We're taking that back! Like! Now! You got a ship? I'm ordering us a ship--"

She pulled at her holotablet, at the exact same moment, the door bell rang. A picture flickered up across the many screens of the house, showing Tobias Katarn the image of a delivery being waiting to be let in.

He had tentacles. Like. Nice ones.

 

[Tobias Katarn]

Jaeson Starchaser Kyra Perl

Tobe's voice percolated from somewhere in the vicinity of the kitchen.

"I'll get it!"

About five minutes later, he rejoined his associates with a) the food, b) a goofy grin, and c) the strong scent of Joza Perl 's very best bottle of wine.

"You two look like you need to relax." He plopped the food down on the nearest flat surface and started cracking containers. "Heck, this smells great. Especially on an empty stomach."

Between the hot chocolate, the wine, and the missed dinner date, he was running on a liquid diet right now.

"Everything all right?"

 

[Jaeson Starchaser]

Tension eased a bit from the room as Tobias entered with food. Jaeson let his eyes fall towards his bag, discarded roughly on the nearby couch. His eye glanced back and forth from Kyra to Tobias and the bag checking for any sign of… well anything.

Deception came naturally to Jedi, and a spacer was born with a liars tongue. That’s what he’d been taught. To him however the girl seemed genuinely distressed and disgusted at the artifact. It wasn’t a reaction he’d expected or prepared for.Still there was a twinge of guilt having brought it here despite not knowing the effect it would have on Kyra.

“We’re fine,” he said. He wanted to argue the point of not being a Sith to Kyra foir the nth time but knew it was hardly the moment. “We just made a breakthrough I think.” he changed the subject accepting some of the takeout and set it on the little table in front of the couch.

“Kyra wants us to bring this artifact back to whence it came.” Jaesons smile increased. “Not where I found it mind, but where it came from.” Of course Jae could take it right now and sell it… “But for that we need a ship, and not a Jedi ship. I have a contact on Lianna who might be able to help us. It’s just a matter of getting there and a Jedi ship wouldn't help with that.”

Kyra Perl Tobias Katarn

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra rolled her eyes, mumbling under her breath. "Sure, if you call fine having a possessed artifact sitting in your bag, we're greaaaaaaaat. Oh- gimmie that-
She snatched a roll from Tobias Katarn 's hands, shoving the steaming goodness in her mouth. Her eyes rolled, the food more than needed. It was heaven.

"What's wrong with a jedi ship?" She protested between bites. She looked to Tobias and gestured haphazardly-- "Dun unpack it all the way, we're taking it wif us-- " She grabbed a fried chicken leg and took a large bite, standing. "That thing isn't staying in my mums house. It's out to get us. Lessgo, we gotta bury it."

 

[Jaeson Starchaser]

Standing up Jaeson walked over and grabbed the bag. Kyra might have had motives to bring this artifact back but for him it was something more. He was in search of the Garden and this artifact would lead him there, otherwise why would he give up something that was clearly of value? That’s what he told himself anyways, he wasn’t prepared to admit to any other truth.

Looking at the datapad and examining the various ships currently taking passengers he started to book passage. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable trip he ever had but it was the quickest and most direct way to his destination.

“If we’re going, then let's go.” He didn’t wait long before leaving the estate waiting only briefly to see if the girl was following.

Kyra’s vision aside they were going to an ancient location which meant there could be digging deep into the earth or searching through thick underbrush. In addition the search could be nearly planet wide unless they got clues to narrow it down. He’d seen digs or other explorations take months, which meant provisions were needed and specialized equipment and hell even a custom ship with specialized topographical and ground penetrating sensors.

“I have a contact on Lianna who might be able to help us out, procure the proper permits and credentials, gather equipment and supplies and of course get access to the academy database.”