Still isolated…frozen…crumbling…

[Roshki Belawiiks]

[member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

"Ha, ha, ha. You should be a comedian," I muttered. Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I continued to follow behind Karr. Out of nowhere, though, another Jedi popped up and began chatting pleasantly with him about the weather and other stuff. Jedi Vael, I thought I heard the Kel Dor call him. I also noticed how the human blatantly ignored me. Jerk. Well, two could play at that game.

While Vael and Karr gossipped like fish wives, I studied the human whilst pretending to shoot daggers at him. He looked nice enough -- blonde hair, nice skin, not too shabbily built. I bet he was a hit with the ladies. The human ladies, that is. Fortunately for me, I wasn't into that kind of type.

And yes, I was still miffed about being ignored. I mean, come on! It couldn't have been that hard to miss me -- my personality, after all, was....unique, as Boulder would say.

Considering the fact I no longer had an idea as to what the Jedi were talking about, I dug my hand into my pocket and fingered the pebble there. It had been one which I'd found out by a waterfall on Ossus. The waterfall where I first met Karr, to be precise. I didn't know why, but I'd become somewhat attached to it -- the small rock was like...like a good luck charm to me. Plus, it helped prevent boredom.

Suddenly a fresh gust of wind smacked into us, and I let out a startled yelp as the cold cut right through my clothes. "Double Kay!" I barked. "Why do these stupid crystals have to be here?! Why can't they be on a nice planet, like oh I don't know, Naboo?!" I made sure to pointedly ignore Vael.

 

[Kian Karr]

"Lightsaber crystals can be found on a number of planets." Kian said turning his attention to [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] and seeing that she was purposefully ignoring [member="Gherron Vael"]. It made him smile beneath the mask. "However, Solari crystals are very rare, and they are only found on a few select locations, of which only Rhen Var is open to us." Kian said pulling his clothing tighter to buffer him against the cold wind.

"Solari crystals create a thicker blade, making them more proficient for blocking blaster fire and they can only be wielded by a user of the lightside." Kian said, unsure if Roshki had heard this mentioned by [member="Corvus Raaf"] when they had first arrived. Kian had watched Roshki progress in her training, and he felt it was time they worked on constructing her a lightsaber. Once that was done it would be time to start taking her out into the field. It seemed like they were rushing it a bit, but that was the way of a Jedi Padawan. The galaxy needed them too much for their training to happen solely at the Academies. Besides, with the guidance of a master and the force, they could learn so much more our in the real world.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron started a little as he heard another voice close by. From Karr's reply, it seemed to be his padawan. Oh, of course. He'd somehow forgotten she was there. Chuckling softly, he noticed as she very pointedly tried to ignore him when she talked. Apparently, she thought he was doing the same to her... "I apologize for m brashness padawan", he said lightly, hoping to calm her a bit. "It is rather cold after all, and the storm is blocking my vision a bit. I didn't see you there." He let out a small smile. They were almost inside the caves. "Your master is right, however. These crystals are very rare. This is a good experience for you, I think."

[member="Kian Karr"] [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was keeping up the rear. She'd given them all the direction and was just making sure nobody got left behind. Plus, if something attacked from this direction, better she was here than a Padawan.

So she pushed out her senses. Something was bothering her and the Force rarely warned unless something was imminent. And then, without warning she saw them. Gleaming eyes through the snow. Six, no seven creatures. Feral, six foot long by the shapes she saw moving. Four on one side of them and three on the other. She was sure the others would sense them soon as she made sure she had unhindered access to her saber.

[member="Gherron Vael"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Jake Cabur Tor"] | [member="Marcus"] | [member="Steve"] | [member="Seamus Valik"]

 

[Sanya Val Lerium]

Sanya was stood near the rear next to Corvus. everyone else seemed calm but the cold already was getting to Sanya, she was never one for cold planets but this was different every padawan had to claim there own crystal. although Sanya could sence something, she couldn't make out what it was, all she knew is that it was large from the shadow it cast on the blizzard.

Sanya looked up to Corvus, she also could sence them from the expression on her face. Sanya tugged on her coat to gain her attention. "what are they master Raaf?" all sanya knew is the situation was not good.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Jake Cabur Tor]

"Something is wrong here, It feels like... like we are being watched." Jake muttered to himself. No! he thought as he turned to look at the others. "We are being hunted." Jake said alerting the rest of the group, so that they would know to be alert. Making sure he had his saber where he could reach it easily he kept moving with the others.

Gherron Vael | Kian Karr | Roshki Belawiiks | Jake Cabur Tor | Marcus | Steve | Seamus Valik

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Marcus"] | [member="Jake Cabur Tor"] | [member="Jack Rand"] | [member="Gherron Vael"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Jannik Morlandt"] | [member="Marakai Al'Orren"] | [member="Meeristali Peradun"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Lan Graendal"] (I've not been getting notifications, sorry folks)

Seamus walked just ahead of Master Raaf his blue eyes narrowed agaisnt the reflection of light off the snow. His hands plunged deeply into gis pockets as he walked. The snow and wind made hearing much of what the others said difficult at best and impossible during the gust. His own contemplative nature made the isolation of his own thoughts a welcomed thing and though conversation was often a great joy of his, few pleasures were greater than the peace of ones own company from time to time.

That, however, did not last as he felt the breif pang of alarm from the Master that he was successfully not thinking about for once. He turned his hood falling from his wheat colored hair which was quickly powdered with fresh snow. His hand pulled from his parka and found the training saber on his belt instinctively as he looked across the snowy fields to their rear trying to follow the woman's gaze.

"What's wrong Master." He said as the eyes suddenly drew his attention. He drew his training saber from his belt and moved to stand beside the beautiful Master. "We can hold them."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus glanced at the predators. They looked like a variant of Ganjukos. Almost three metres high and five metres long, they had sharp beaks and thick coats of almost white hair.

And they were closing in...

 

[Sanya Val Lerium]

Sanya could feel the presence of the creatures closing in. she pulled out both her sabers ready to defend those who didn't have the means to defend them self, after all a training saber wouldn't do anything to these beasts other than make them more angry.

if her feelings where right they would be in contact with them soon, leaving enough time to think of a make shift plan. "master Corvus? those with lightsabers would be best at the front ready to defend if it comes to it. all I can say is I have a bad feeling about what is approaching us."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian had been distracted by the conversation with Gherron and Roshki and hadn't noticed the approach of the predators. It wasn't until that all to well known tingle of alarm through the force that Kian suddenly became aware that they were in danger. Kian stopped abruptly and turned to Roshki.

"We're not alone." Kian said as he unclipped his lightsaber, leaving the blade deactivated for the moment. Smiling beneath his mask, Kian said. "Stretch out in the force. Find them. Feel their aura....do you think they mean us harm?" Kian asked using this as a teaching opportunity. It was important to be able to gauge the threat level of an adversary through the force. While he waited for Roshki to respond, Kian touched his mind to Corvus.

You know these guys? Kian asked, wondering if she had tangled with them on her previous trip to Rhen Var.

​

[member="Sanya Val Lerium"]​

[member="Corvus Raaf"]​

[member="Seamus Valik"]​

[member="Jake Cabur Tor"]​

[member="Roshki Belawiiks"]​

[member="Gherron Vael"]​

 

[Roshki Belawiiks]

[member="Kian Karr"] [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Seamus Valik"] [member="Jake Cabur Tor"] [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] [member="Gherron Vael"]

[SIZE=12pt]I harrumphed. “Still no excuse for having to trek around in the bitter cold. I thought we had the science to replicate crystals? Why not just do that? And why do you have to be light side? I thought the Force was indiscriminate?” I shook my head. These damned Jedi, I thought, rather than said (though I would have loved to share it aloud). So many contradictions, so little time! My snarkiness amused me greatly, and I couldn’t help but smirk.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]At Vael’s apology and subsequent chatter, I stuck my tongue out at him and blew a raspberry. If he thought I was going to be forgiving just because he was kinda cute a higher-ranking Jedi, he had another thing coming. Besides, it wasn’t often that I got to push other Jedi around. Try as I might, Karr just wasn’t bending. Speaking of which, I returned my attention to the Kel Dor. “And why is only Rhen Var open? I thought we were Shadows! We should be able to just, I don’t know, sneak around to the other planets! Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Suddenly, a ripple of – fear? Apprehension? – spread through the group, bringing us to a stop. The chick from earlier had paused, and looked like she was waiting for something. A few of the other folks had also moved into a ready stance, their sabers withdrawn. I looked up at Karr again as he spoke. Reach out with the Force, he said. Well, alright then.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]I ignored the other Jedi (which wasn’t all that hard to do – ignoring people was second nature to me) and shut my eye. Then, recalling a memory from a previous session with Karr, I stretched out my hand and, with it, I stretched out my senses.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Now, from what I gathered from listening to the other Jedi talk, each Force User experiences the Force differently. I wasn’t exactly an expert on it, but what I did know was that as I did what my Master said to do, I imagined a little wave rippling out, washing over everyone.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]And, I sensed…nothing. I lowered my hand and opened my eyes. “Sorry, Double Kay, but sensing folks ain’t my forte.” I looked out at the creatures which were what obviously had everyone on edge. They looked like they were malicious, but something about them seemed…familiar. Not the creatures, obviously, but the way they moved. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]I snapped my fingers. “Oh! I don’t think they hate us, I just think they want – no, need – to eat us. They’re just going on instinct, you know? Kind of like the little urchins back home. They steal because it’s a habit, but it became a habit ‘cause not only was it the only life they knew, it was the only way they knew to survive.” Like me, I didn’t say. Scowling, I crossed my arms and buried my nose in the top of my jacket. Without meaning too, I’d spoken like I was, well, smart. Like I was one of those goody-goody Padawans who knew every answer to every question a Master would ask. You know, the exact opposite of me. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]In any case, I didn’t draw my training saber, and not just because I was crap with it. Jumpiness was good, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes too much jumpiness caused more headache than anything else. [/SIZE]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus flashed a message straight back at Kian, 'Not these, no. But they seem as keen to eat us as the ones we met before.' No sooner had she finished than they advanced, each facing off to a different Jedi - and Corvus was aware she was about to be flanked by one, so spun to face it - and she drew the hilt of her saber.

[member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Seamus Valik"] | [member="Jake Cabur Tor"] | [member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Jake Cabur Tor]

Jake drew his hilt and split his staff into two and faced the beast that seemed to take interest in him, and tried to feel confident, knowing that he could outsmart the beast just wasn't enough in this case. he had to stand his ground to help protect the other Jedi that only had training sabers. "They are about to close in!" Jake said to the others, trying to alert the others. If only he had something that could distract the monsters, or stun them. "kriff!" he mumbled noticing that he didn't have anything of the sort. He would have to hold off his beast, or kill it to help save the others.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron paused when master Karr began to look around, then directed his padawan to search out with the force, and to try to sense something. He did just that, and no sooner did he see what he now felt through the force. Strange beings; large and furry, yet having beaks... As he probed into the force, he detected that they weren't there to make friends, though he could have guessed that from the jump. Slowly drawing his saber, he let his arm hang almost limply at his side, before he realized that they seemed to each be taking one target each; one for each of the Jedi there. "Clever..." , he muttered under his breath. Noticing master Raaf spin to face the creature that had chosen her from the corner of his vision, he quickly spotted the one that had decided on taking him on. It pawed the ground a few times, and he realized with a sudden dread that it intended to rush him. "Oh." Looking to each of his comrades in turn, he raised his weapon and ignited it, which seemed to make the beast pause for a moment. Holding the blade close to him with both hands, he brought himself into a wide Soresu stance. If this was going to happen, they needed to watch each other's backs.

[member="Kian Karr"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Jake Cabur Tor"] [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] [member="Sanya Val Lerium"]

 

[Sanya Val Lerium]

Sanya looked directly towards the beasts taking the sabers off her belt. she closed her eyes for a moment drawing in a deap breath and exhaling slowly 'there is no emotion, there is peace'. Sanya ignited both sabers the tips of the blades went into the snow almost instantly melting it.

'there is no ignorance, there is knowledge' she prepared herself in an offensive niman stance. 'there is no passion, there is serenity' she looked around to see [member="Gherron Vael"] had also ignited his saber 'there is no chaos, there is harmony'.

"GET READY! THERE ALMOST HERE!" the blizzard didn't help when it came to communication as it was almost drowning out the sound of her voice. Sanya was preparing to charge the beasts assuming the other would follow her advance to keep the ones without sabers safe. 'there is no death, there is the force'.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian watched as two of the creatures approached [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] and himself. Kian's lightsaber was still clutched in his hand, but he hadn't ignited the blade.

"Try and spare them if you can!" Yelled out over the wind to the others. "Their just hungry." He said more to himself, knowing that it might not be possible, but that they were just animals doing what animals did. Kian took a step closer and extended his left hand out in front of him. As he did this, Kian touched his mind to the animals.

Immediately he felt the rudimentary logic of the animals mind. He felt hunger and instinct....but also fear. There were risks in attacking a group. Kian could feel the creatures focus jump from Kian to the glowing lightsaber in [member="Gherron Vael"]'s hand as it stepped back. Kian closed his eyes and began to focus on the creatures mind, flooding it with emotion and suggestion.

Beast control was not something Kian had practiced much in his life, but he had used it in the past to deal with a katarn on Kashyyyk. As a telepath Kian found it fairly straightforward to delve into the minds of an animal. The difficult part was picking the right emotions and incentives to drive it away or get it to do what you wanted. Kian sensed the fear in the animal and thought it best to use that as the motivation to drive it back.....to get it to leave them be.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Jake Cabur Tor"] | [member="Seamus Valik"]​

 

[Uri Aureleos]

Uri stood back for the most part. The only weapons he had on him where two metal Sai he left them in his belt since they would do little to no good against such a massive beast. He didn't understand why the creatures would attack them like such and yet everyone else seemed too quick to fight. Uri was just a boy but he knew the bond he had with his own creature. He wondered if they could establish a connection with these creatures as well.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Despite their carnivorous intent, the creatures appeared to be pack animals. Once the one affected by Master Karr took flight, the others quickly followed suit.

"Well that went well," Corvus said, "But I suspect they'll be back soon enough. Now we need to get moving, and so if someone could pick up the pace again, maybe we'll get to the caves without any mishaps."

[member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] | [member="Gherron Vael"] | [member="Jake Cabur Tor"] | [member="Roshki Belawiiks"] | [member="Seamus Valik"]

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Seamus agreed! He moved a long back into the line and lo and behold they weren't far from the caves at all. He pointed throigh the wind and snow at the mountain before them and the subsequent opening in said great rock.

"I think we're there everyone." he said as he hurriedly trudged forth like a trudger ought to trudge and finally stepped into the cave mouth and shook the cold and snow from his limbs. Tapas was great and all but he would have liked a good old fashioned blanket and book by a heater as soon as he was able.

"Yup we're there." He said with a broad grin as he took in the sight of the other. He fished his glowrod from his rucksack. And promptly fumbled it until in finally hit the ground. With a humble grace he bent down picked it up and turned it on to illuminate the area more fully.

 

[Roshki Belawiiks]

[member="Kian Karr"] [member="Seamus Valik"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Uri Aureleos"] [member="Sanya val Lerium"] [member="Gherron Vael"]

As the creatures backed off, I couldn't help but stick my tongue out at Karr. "Told you, Double Kay." I quickly regretted the action, though, as my tongue felt like it was, well, a tongue-cicle. Not the most pleasant feeling, trust me.

Everyone began to put their weapons away, and one of the Jedi started to...well, I guess "trudge" would be the only way to describe it. Anyway. The group began to move, and I couldn't help but sidle up to Jedi Vael for a temporary break in my little pretend-he's-not-there thing. "You know, one would think that, being such a seasoned Jedi and all, you'd be a lot less jumpy with your weapon." I gave him a wink. "One day that glow rod of yours is gonna cause more trouble, not less." Grinning like I knew something he didn't, I then sashayed ahead of the group until I was only a few folks behind the leader. I actually had no idea what I'd meant by my words -- I'd just said them to poke at the Jedi's buttons. He was, after all, my new target.

Especially since that darned Kel Dor was about as provocable as a dead tauntaun. And just as smelly, too, I thought, snickering quietly to myself. Not true, of course, but it warmed my insides.

Soon, we reached our supposed destination, and I followed the other guy inside. While he was busy fumbling with a light stick, I began to toss my pebble up and down, taking in the sights -- when suddenly, an idea struck. Smirking, I took in a deep breath and, at the top of my lungs, bellowed, "The Grandmaster's a nerfherder!" I then cocked my head to the side to listen for the echo.