The Fall of Ciomia (Jedi Shadow mission)

[Kian Karr]

​

The planet came into view and Kian crossed his arms in front of him. The planet was dangerous. Kian had stumbled upon Ciomia years before when he was investigating rumors of a darkside cult that was active in the region. It had been all for nothing, the cult had been an ancient order that was neither dark nor light and which had been extinct for hundreds of years. But the mission still almost claimed Kian's life. The planet below was deadly, with dangerous storms occurring daily and predators on the ground that were the stuff of nightmares.

Kian did not plan to return to this planet, but he had no choice. Word had reached the order that all communication with the planet had been lost. Kian had been sent, due to the fact that he knew the planet better than others. To say he was not thrilled with the prospect of returning to Ciomia was an understatement. The airspace around the planet was dangerous and Kian had left The Shadow on an asteroid some ways off and completed his voyage on his starfighter.

A series of beeps and twirls sounded and Kian looked down to see the message on the display from the astromech droid. "Nothing at all?" Kian asked, his brow crinkling with confusion. "No emergency beacons, no communications what-so-ever?" Kian asked and reached a taloned hand up to scratch at his mask. There were 10s of millions of people in the one city on Ciomia, Theron. It was highly unlikely that they wouldn't pick up something. Some more beeping sounded. "Encrypted communications?" Kian said, his eyes widening behind the goggles. The only communications being picked up were encrypted.

Kian was unsure of what to do. Without Theron to guide him in, an attempted landing on the planet was dangerous. Violent lightning storms assailed the planet daily and the jungles of this world were scattered with the remains of many ships, and their crews, who had dared to navigate their own way in. But there were people here who might need help and Kian needed to investigate further.

"Send an encrypted communication. Relay it through the Shadow." Kian said sitting back. "Tell Gnost I am investigating further....tell him that reinforcements are likely necessary." Kian took a deep breath and brought his ship down toward the planet. It wasn't long before he was through cloud cover and skirting the tops of the jungle, making his way above the dense canopy toward the capital city. Kian was only a few kilometers out and just thinking that he might make it, when suddenly a barrage of lightning assailed him. Kian pulled hard on the stick, attempting to divert the ship, but the lightning was attracted to it. The ship bucked and shook....then with a sinking feeling in his stomach, the engines died and the ship dove toward the trees.

~ ~ ~​

​

Consciousness came to Kian slowly, his awareness of his surroundings first began to trickle in through his connection with the force, but it was several minutes before he was able to actually perceive the world around him. The world around him was upside down and Kian looked down, through the viewport of his ship. It appeared he had gotten caught in one of the strong, thickly branched trees of the planet. Kian reached up and he took in a deep breath as his hand found the gash in his forehead. Luckily the eyegoggles were keeping the blood from blocking his vision.

Assessing his injuries, Kian was glad to say that the gash in his forehead appeared to be the only significant injury. Kian hit the released his straps and, with the aid of the force, planted himself right side up. Igniting his lightsaber he cut an opening in the side of the viewport and pulled himself out, cautiously, onto the large branch supporting much of the ship. Kian knew from experience that he couldn't wait here. The predators of this planet were ambush and often nocturnal hunters, but they wouldn't turn down the chance at an easy meal, and the crash would have alerted predators for many kilometers. Climbing his way down the tree, all he could hope was that Gnost brought those reinforcements soon.

~ ~ ~​

​

Gnost Karr sat up with a start. The dream he'd had was so vivid....He'd been dreaming that Kian was in trouble and he was going to save him. Another example of Gnost's adolescent hero worship and delusions of grandeur at play. He turned to the side and ran his hands over his face, happy to be able to take the mask and goggles off in his room at the Temple. Pulling the covers back over him, he had just started to drift back to sleep when the console began to chim. Gnost jumped out of bed and answered the call. Across the screen was a message.....send reinforcements.

Maybe his dream, wasn't a dream after all....

​

[member="Lynette Lykova"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Jerek Morrows"] | [member="Tathra Khaeus"] | [member="Zhar Xirces"] | [member="Celiana"] | [member="Raria"]​

​

Spoiler

OOC: The first few posts will be setting up the capture and then we can get going with the proper storyline after that!

 

[Lynette Lykova]

​

Naarl Valley Royal Compound
Kashyyyk

Relaxation.

Lynette Lykova sat in a cushioned patio chair out on the concrete promenade. Overlooking the wide Naarl River, she was spending the warm morning sipping a glass of lemonade while polishing a pair of ruby-tinted sunglasses. Her wild blue hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her giant signature fur coat was tossed over the back of her chair. She looked every bit of the relaxed royal diva she truly was. Vacationing beside her sat Professor Catherine M. V. McPhee of Denon. The professor was dressed for the summer occasion in a light tangerine spring dress and tall cowgirl riding boots of wildly expensive taste. The two women sat, adorned and atop plush cushions, reading some frivolous novels about lost Mandalorian lovers on their bright blue holopads. Just, relaxing and enjoying the air.

Alas. Their picturesque vacation scene was ruined yet again by another loud and noisy starliner flying in low from over the mountain tops. Cruising over the valley from the direction of Silver Rest. The Silver Jedi's headquarters and temple proper. Leaving a loud engine-orchestra in it's wake.

"Goodness Lynn. Did you really have to build your condo right next to the largest Silver spaceport on the planet? I mean, heavens. The noise pollution is horrible out here. Hehe."

"Oh hush Catherine." Lynette smiled and turned over the sunglasses in her hands, "You'd never even notice it if you were inside the house anyways. In fact. The library downstairs is boorishly quiet, if you'd so prefer? Though the view is no-where near as nice."

"Pfft. I'm just teasing. You know I love the patio anyway. Besides. There is something rather charming about being this close to the Silver's headquarters anyway. I feel like I'm vacationing right under their nose on some sacred tropical island. Hehe."

"Well. I did pick it for it's proximity to the temple. That's true."

The blue haired woman smiled and leaned back into her chair. Taking another sip of her summertime 'ade and adjusting the nearby sun shade for cooler weather. Smiling in satisfaction as her servant droid slid open the patio's glass doors. The silver butler leaning out and coughing slightly for attention,

"Ahem. Mistress Lynn? Telephone for you. And, my apologies for the interruption ladies but... I do believe it's Jedi business?"

Lynette placed her sunglasses upon her head and tossed her holopad aside. Moving to stand from her chair,

"No worries Stevens. Jedi business always takes priority. ...Cat. I'll be back in a minute dear. And don't be afraid to order something from the staff either. God knows it's hot out here. Hehe."

She left her cushioned patio behind and slipped through the glass doors back inside the concrete compound. The nearest private phone was in the kitchen. Sighing hopefully that the call wasn't about anything serious. She'd just gotten back from Nar Chunna was desperate for some down time with friends.

Alas. When the Jedi Shadows were involved? It was always something serious. Mmm.

Poo.


* * *

 

[Celiana]

Recently I'd been re-organizing my home, the haven I had buried beneath the Shadowlands was wonderful but I'd also started looking at other spots for a secondary home base. After H'ratth..... I wanted clear line of sight to The Temple. As it stood now I'd been ferrying supplies, furniture and the like to an overlook several kilometers away from the temple. It'd been an outpost long ago based on the tech still here. I'd been having the droids use stealthed vehicles to bring the supplies in as well, the less known about my little sanctuaries the better.

The more I'd been thinking the more I realized I wouldn't be a horrible Master to a padawan. My experiences for certain would serve as what not to do and I did have much to teach... "Excuse me Mistress, there's a call for you on encrypted comms. Jedi Shadow transponder codes were detected." Blinking I went to my in progress armory and strapped down. Looking towards the droid I said "thank you for the notification." Sending a notification to The Morrigan to prime the engines I loaded the needed weapons and gear into my heavily modified speeder and engaging the stealth drive I rocketed down to the ground and shifted gear to get me to the temple fast and silently.

Just another day....

 

[Ehud]

DRAEMIDUS PRIME​

XAELDRASK​

​

Ehud's meditation was different than the average Draelvasier seer.

Then again, Ehud was not the average seer.

The hunchbacked Baedurin had always felt most in-tuned to the Force when he ate. So he sat at his dinner table, alone as always, and quietly chewed his meal. His eyes, golden and pure, were open, staring ahead, at nothingness. His bleary eyes were of little use to him, so he need not close them.

He stewed on his anger for his Chieftain. He understood the leader's ruling on the matter, but that didn't mean he liked it. He would not be given non-Drael to study; he would have to get them himself. Ehud was half-convinced [member="Tathra Khaeus"] had considered it impossible for the disfigured seer to catch any prisoners for himself, so the matter would have been decided.

Ehud let his defiance fuel his visions as they came, tinted in a gold hue. Something yet to be.

A circle. No, a planet. A swirling blue gem, mantled in white cloud. A falling ship. A man, crashed upon the ground, recovering. He is one Ehud has never seen. Orange skin, face covering, inorganic eyes. A strange weapon. The Force.

Karr.

Ehud snapped his head to the side as he tore a piece of meat from his plate, a satisfactory grin on his face. His first subject awaited him.

- - -​

​

Ehud the Seer had called an Eish-ma.

It was a tradition of the Draelvasier; a great hunt. It was reserved for of beasts of great strength, but Ehud doubted any would care if he called it on sentient prey. They most likely did not see this mission as anything more than to test their strength anyways, prove once again that the Bryn'adul were more powerful than the untrained, weak beasts of the galaxy.

Ehud had his doubts. He'd been rather vocal about them with his Chieftain, and it had earned him this opportunity to prove it. He had a habit of making use of his opportunities when they came.

Ehud and the party careened down on a Hel Shard Drop Pod towards the surface of Ciomia, the whistling sound of atmosphere being pierced the only indication that they were moving at all. There would be no escape from this world. Not until they all succeded, or died. This was the way of the Drael.

"Karr." Ehud savored the word, the only word on his mind since he had received his vision. "He is to be taken alive. Any additional threats may perish."

Ehud didn't say more. He didn't need to. The Drael didn't need glorious speeches before a battle. Battle was in their blood.

The Drop Ship crashed into the canopy of the massive forest, only a kilometer from Kian Karr's position. But a light jog to the glory Ehud had promised the Bryn'adul.

- [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Lynette Lykova"] - [member="Celiana"] - [member="Zhar Xirces"] -​

 

[Kian Karr]

​

Kian's forehead throbbed and he found himself having to rely on the force and his training to keep himself from becoming disoriented. The strike to his head likely left him with a concussion....but he couldn't think about that now. Not with the canis chasing him. Kian had managed to get a few kilometers away from the crash before they caught up to him. Kian had attempted to field bandage the cut on his head as best he could, but the scent of the blood and his own scent drew them too him.

Kian leapt over a fallen tree and stopped for a moment to get his bearings. The last time he had been on this planet and hunted by these things it was night and their hunting strategy had been much different. Then, they had been all over him, nipping at his heals to drive him like a heard beast. Now, however, they stayed further away, keeping him moving. Seeing them closing in, Kian ran once more. He believed he understood their plan. They were running him to exhaustion to ensure he couldn't put up a fight when the closed in for the kill. Apparently, they were much more cautious during the day.

That was likely the only thing keeping him alive. Kian could fight them, but it would be futile. This was a pack of four of them, and they were hard to beat even when one was at 100 percent. If Kian could just find what he was looking for, he might stand a chance. If he could only find.....there is was.

The ground ahead of him was covered in dew and a shinny material. To someone who hadn't been lost in this jungle before it would mean nothing to them....and it would be deadly because of it. But Kian recognized it for what it was. An opportunity. Kian ran right at the shinny material and allowed himself to take several steps along its surface before leaping into the air using the force to propel himself up. Kian grabbed a hold of a branch high up on a tree and pulled himself up. In their haste to catch him, it appeared the canis did not recognize their surroundings.

That was a mistake.

As the four wolves surrounded the tree he was in, they did not notice that behind them, two large holes appeared in the ground as two flat trap doors were pushed aside. From within those hole two nightmares appeared. As terrifying and dangerous as the canis were, the Liphisti were so much worse. Two of them crawled out from the depths, enormous spiders. One was easily 5 feet across, colored in light brown with billiant yellow strips along its arms. The other was smaller, maybe 3.5 feet across and pitch black. Kian new that this one was a male, as the species was sexually dimorphic.

The canis had made two mistakes. They hadn't noticed the webbing that lined the ground and acted as a detection system for the underground spiders. Their second mistake, was in not noticing their approach due to their focus on Kian. The large spiders were ambush predators and would not take on a pack normally, but the distraction of the large wolves made the reward of the meal too great for these two large arachnids. The first to strike was the smaller male, darting forward and sinking its fangs into the hind quarter of the largest of the wolves. The howls that escaped the animal was ferocious and it leapt away, spinning to face the spiders. The other three turned in response, but the larger spider was moving forward already, sinking its own fangs into the side of another. The injured wolve snapped at the spider but quickly fell to its side and began to convulse, a behavior that was occurring to the other bitten wolf as well. The other two, seeing the large predators before them, were intelligent enough to quickly flee. The spiders, satisfied with two victims, began to drag them towards their tunnels. Kian's stomach churned as he watched the wolves vanish into the tunnels and the spiders pull the trap doors closed behind them. Kian new the two wolves were alive, and would be kept that way until they were entirely consumed.

Kian leaned back against the tree for a moment, wanting to rest, but willed himself up. He had to get away from the tunnels before they decided he was a tempting target as well. Luckily, Kian was able to use the trees to get some distance and by the time he descended he was out of the reach of their webs. Kian moved slowly and cautiously through the woods and had just settled down to rest when he heard a booming crash of something tearing through the canopy and colliding with the ground.

What now. Kian thought, forcing himself up and continuing on toward the city of Theron.

[member="Lynette Lykova"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Jerek Morrows"] | [member="Tathra Khaeus"] | [member="Zhar Xirces"] | [member="Celiana"] | Raria​

 

[Allyson Locke]

Kashyyyk
Silver Spacy Hangers

The hanger bustled with life, there were several preparations to be made and people were consistently on guard. The galaxy hadn’t changed much, was still riddled with war and chaos. It was an unfortunate situation, but it was the way it had always been. Even if it hadn’t, it still felt that way, every day of the year.

Down a long line of X-Wings, techs and mechanics worked diligently making sure each fighter was up to peak performance. Sound of machines echoed and drowned out the sounds of chatter, leaving Allyson some sort of peace in a sense as she continued to work. She had let the techs and mechanics have the day off for the most part – she was always fond of working on her own machine. The technomancer could feel what the fighter needed faster than a computer could run a diagnostic. An arm reached into the engine panel and continued till the Corellian was in at her shoulder. Her lower lip sank between her teeth as she stretched the best she could as she tried to reach for a wrench she had dropped.

“Skrag, I can’t believe I dropped it.” Allyson continued to reach as the tips of her gloved fingers poked at the curved bottom of the wrench.” She pulled her arm out and knelt before the engine and stared at it while softly muttering under her voice. “Sweet sookie, I’m screwed here.” Soot and grease covered her face for the moment as she pouted and tried of a different route to the place the wrench had fallen. It didn’t take long till she was once more arm deep into the X-Wing’s engine, continuing with the string of swear words in old Corellian and in Basic.

She only had a limited amount of free time till she was back on duty.

Spoiler

[member="Jyoti Nooran"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Lynette Lykova"] [member="Jerek Morrows"] [member="Tathra Khaeus"] [member="Celiana"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Eish-ma.

Perhaps some of her honor could be returned upon such a hunt. To locate, capture, and return one of these individuals that Seer Ehud wanted. Specifically, alive. For whatever reason was his own, Naramphra jumped at the chance to prove herself once more.

Yes, she had proven her innocence in the rather unfortunate situation on the Emboldened Brothers Supply Rig. Most importantly, the Chieftain and the others knew she was innocent. But the shame, and the placement for following such an event to occur, still cursed her. And so, she was placed under Ehud's command as a form of penance. Whether he welcomed such or not was another matter.

She wasn't quite happy with it, but none would know her inner feelings.

And while she found it irrational for her duties to be wasted in such a place, she had accepted her opportunity to redeem herself there. She sat in the drop ship, behind other figures as she cleaned her weapon. She only gave a small nod towards Ehud's words. It was a simple mission, really. Capture the prey.

The ship landed and the form of Naramphra exited into the massive forest, her senses lightly overwhelmed for a brief moment. A quiet snarl as she prepared herself for the hunt.

[member="Allyson Locke"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Ehud"] | [member="Celiana"] | [member="Lynette Lykova"]

 

[Ehud]

The hunt is upon us.

The drop pod's door blasted open, dispensing it's cargo. Ehud was the last out of the device, blinking away the sudden brightness of Ciomia. He glanced around, his golden eyes seeing into the infrared spectrum. He noted the trees, the sound of buzzing insects, the movement of things in the deep underbrush.

This was his first few steps on a new planet. He took one, noting how the earth felt. How the Force felt. It was lighter here. More feral than Draemidus Prime. Instead of an ever-present fog, it was a whooshing river. Ehud felt presences out in the woods. Creatures not worthy of their hunt. Skittering and loping things that would die easily. But the diversity of life here astounded Ehud. How interesting. He could have stood there for years, exploring the extent of the differences between his home planet and this new world.

But no. They had a job to do.

The hunched seer, nodded to [member="Naramphra"] with solemnity. The two of them were kindred spirits among the Drael; deformed, yet powerful. Flawed, yet inherently perfect. And, not in the least, they were both on the chopping block, so to speak. Despite her reasonings, Ehud was glad for her presence.

Ehud stared out into nothingness, reaching into the whooshing river, looking. He stretched his feelings over kilometers and kilometers, searching for the man he'd seen. He stared for a while, so long that the Drael around him began to bounce on their heels impatiently. Then, he felt it. That tantalizing light.

He smiled, and pointed a large, clawed hand. "That way. Go with haste, our target is moving." If Ehud went, he would only slow down the forces. Instead he sat on the ground, out in front of the pod, and reached his clawed hands into the ground. He reached out his mind to each Drael, hardening their resolve and sharpening their reflexes as he used his battle meditation.

"Claim my prize, Bryn'adul."

[member="Allyson Locke"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - @Celiana ​

 

[Mauda]

Wrong account lolol

 

[Hrajlmak'Natok]

In the darkness of the pod, Hrajlmak’s armoured robes shook and clanked in an eerie choir, co-ordinated by the planet’s aggressive turbulence. He stood in silence alongside those he forever deemed below him. Incompetent. Lead by the hunchback, Hrajlmak had joined the Eish’ma not as a Shaman, but as a killer. Violence was woven into his being as intricately as the Force itself. To pass up an opportunity to convey this aspect of his soul would be a tragedy. To pass up such an opportunity as the Eish’ma. An opportunity to prove his strength, his power, his superiority. He would rather die.

The pod slammed into the forest floor. It’s occupants evacuating almost immediately. Hrajlmak savoured the moment and deliberated in exiting, succeeded only by the Hunchback, Ehud. He stepped out and came to a halt. Breathing in the stormy forest air, he stretched back his tremendous arms, staff in hand. Every fibre of his back flexed and contracted, a gutteral growl emanated from his throat. He brought his arms back to his sides and gripped his staff tight.

Hrajlmak was as much a Warrior as he was a Shaman. He looked down upon those of his kind who fought from deep behind the lines, protected by their anointed guardians, cowering from battle out of fear of death. Of course it was no lie that the death of a Shaman was a blow to the Bryn’adul war machine. But to Hrajlmak, if they could not even function on the frontlines, they are worth only as much as their drones. And so it was here he stood, his instrument of slaughter in hand. Surrounded by no creature under his influence. Only the warriors of his species. He was alone so to speak. And it was alone that he revelled.

The hunchback commanded a hasty forward, and for the first time, Hrajlmak operated under the word of one below the Chieftain. But any feeling of arrogance or inferiority was smothered by the thrill of the hunt. Staff in hand, he ran ahead, eager to annihilate the light.

[member="Ehud"]
[member="Allyson Locke"]
[member="Celiana"]
[member="Kian Karr"]
[member="Naramphra"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian could hear them closing on him, the thunderous footfalls crashing through the forest were unmistakable. Whatever they were, they certainly were not one of the local predators. Neither the wolves nor the spiders would so clumsily give up the element of surprise by rushing through the forest like this. Kian took a moment to catch his breath against a tree, surveying the layout before him. He would need to find a place that would neutralize their numbers. Judging from the sound alone, he was going to be heavily outnumbered. Not far ahead there was a steep rock face with a path winding through the rock. The opening was only two and a half meters across. Kian made his way toward this, hearing the footfall get louder and louder. This would allow him to hopefully neutralize their numbers...whoever they were.

When the first of the creatures emerged from the brush before him, he sucked in a breath. Never had he seen anything quite like them before. They were large, multi-armed, and black as night. The snap-hiss of his lightsaber igniting brought the attention of the creatures to him and they thundered forward with abandon. They didn't seem to be fearful at all of his presence and they were clearly seeking him. Kian drew heavily on the force, the dizziness from his head wound dissipating slightly.

When the first one reached him, Kian dodge a blow from one arm and removed another from the creatures body, but it didn't seem to bother it in the least. Arms punched and grabbed at him and Kian cut sweeping arcs with his saber, removing limb after limb and head after head from the creature's bodies....but they just kept coming. Kian found himself backpedaling further into the crevice in the rocks. Kian's foot found a loose rock and his balance faltered for a brief second. It was all that was needed.

A sweeping blow sent him sideways into the wall hard. Kian brought his saber up in time to remove the hand reaching for him, but before he could bring the weapon around for another attack, a black fist struck him in his already injured head and Kian saw stars. It took several moments to realize that he was now laying on the ground staring at the rock wall. As hands grabbed him and lifted him into the air, Kian's vision blurred and darkness crept in upon him.

~ ~ ~​

​

Gnost stood looking out the window into the darkness of space as the ship propelled itself toward the planet of Ciomia. Turning he saw the Jedi before him at the table. They had all come to answer the call to help his master, Kian Karr, and for that they had earned his eternal gratitude. He knew they wouldn't see it that way. They were doing what Jedi did....helping those in need. But this was more than merely a mission to save a fellow Jedi. Kian was the last family Gnost had left and, despite his masters discussion of attachments, he was too attached to his uncle to lose him.

"Thank you all for coming." Gnost said and pressed the console before him. In the center of the table the planet of Ciomia appeared. "This is Ciomia, where Kian sent the call for aid from."
"His report seems to indicate that the planet had gone silent." Gnost shrugged as he said this, "But more than that I can not say, it was not included in the reports. Kian was doing this mission covertly and went alone." As Gnost said this, a small bit of anger crept into his mind but he released it, allowing a calm to creep back in. Kian risked too much too often.

"The planet is known for its violent storms that have downed many vessels that enter the atmosphere, they are chaotic and very hard to predict. In addition to this, the wildlife is dangerous. The wolves on the planet are large and hunt in packs and have an almost sentient level of intelligence."

"Additionally, you should avoid any blankets of silk like strands on the grounds. The planet has a large spider species that ambushes from trap doors." Gnost pressed another button and an image of the animals appeared for everyone. "These two species seem to have out competed most other predators on the planet, aside from small non-dangerous ones."

"There is one city that house the entire population of Ciomia, Theron." Gnost said and transitioned the screen to the next image. "But as indicated....the city has gone silent."

Gnost looked around nervously for a moment. He was a mere padawan speaking to these seasoned Jedi before him. "I am not sure how we should proceed from here. A part of me considers Kian the priority....but he is my uncle and master. Another part thinks that it is more important that we ensure the safety of the people of Theron. And I sincerely hope we can do both."

[member="Lynette Lykova"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Jerek Morrows"] | [member="Tathra Khaeus"] | [member="Zhar Xirces"] | [member="Celiana"] | [member="Raria"] | [member="Hrajlmak'Natok"] | [member="Ehud"] | [member="Naramphra"] | [member="Orex Mauda"] | [member="Allyson Locke"]​

 

[Lynette Lykova]

A blue hologram of Lynette's white trooper helmet floated near the table arrayed before Gnost and the others. She herself was in her Travelsprite Interceptor nearby.

"A silent city and a missing shadow. Two events that are likely llnked together. Figure out one problem, and we'll likely figure out the other. Anyway. I recommend we recon the system and then planet itself from orbit. Logs taken from nearby Hyperspace Beacons can tell us how the flow of traffic has been affected to nearby star systems. We're like to discover fleet movements, storm adviseries, and maybe some pirate chatter too if we get lucky. ...And. If all of this was just a pirate raid against a lone system? Well. Hopefully we've missed the dicey part."

She nodded and waited for the others to chime in too.

Fringe worlds often had fringe world problems. Pirates, lawlessness, lack of technology, Hutt economies, and solar storms, etc. Basic stuff that really no Jedi Guardian would ever volunteer to get assigned to. Though, what really worried her was the fact that Kian Karr had sent so little information back with his distress call. It was down right un-Shadow-like to send a signal with no intel attached. Not even a peep about what had worried him enough to drop the lone wolf act and request back up.

Hopefully it was just a case of broken Hypercomms. Well. Hopefully.

[member="Kian Karr"]​

 

[Crona'Tas]

Crona stood in the command center of the flag ship, starring into the great abyss of space, clawed hands behind his back. with a few flaps of it's wings a draeyde landed on his shoulder and nudged his head. "Don't worry my servants, food shall come." Crona said with a cold lifeless voice, that moment a small drone came through the blast door and collapsed to the floor, "My holiness, master Ehud has captured a creature on the planet ciomia." the drone said, while keeping his head down as to avoid being the next meal of the draeyde. "And tell me, what about this creature." Crona said as he began striding towards the small drone "It's fast and strong, it wields a blade of light." the drone fell backwards as Crona began to tower over him. Crona was suddenly taken a back for what he said, a blade of light? This could only mean you thing, well a handful of things but one of which is very is likely, he'd fought these creatures before and there use of the great cosmics was vile. Crona turned back the empty space that he had been marveling at for so long, "Go... Prep the shuttle, we must meet with Ehud." The drone gathered himself as quickly as possible and began to run down the hall with the speed of a fleeting life. ​then a sickening smile crept across Crona'Tas' face and he whispered to himself "Heretics."



Crona marched through the forest, along with two of his most trusted soldiers, and soon they would be upon Ehud's camp. Now Crona'Tas would be able to cast another pathetic worm into the void.

 

[Ehud]

The camp was a simple thing.

Ehud didn't need anything more to do his work.

The Bryn'adul warriors had set up simple tents for sleeping and rest. These meager defenses were, of course, augmented with the best defensive technology the Drael had to offer. Ehud had requested a quartet of Detrimus Tanks to make sure he was undisturbed, plus whatever else the rest of his operatives thought prudent.

The hunt had been short, shorter than even the legendary foresight of the Seer had forseen. According to the drones, Karr had been in a weakened state. The burning wreck of a ship they found minutes after was the obvious reason why. It was fortunate, if one believed in something such as fortune.

Still, he had passed a message along to the warriors he brought along. He still felt the tautness in the air. As if Ehud's sight were trying to focus on something. Something important. He had a suspicion that others would come for this valuable prey, and he'd told them to be vigilant. The large Drael cruiser they came in on had been ordered to block transmissions to and from the planet, to ensure Ehud had the time he needed.

The bulky Baedurin was in a seated position in his tent, a mere meter away from his acquisition. The Kel Dor was chained to the floor by heavy iron, the key on Ehud's belt, along with the strange weapon he found on the being's body. He had taken the time to study that particular find with interest.

The being known as Karr had a powerful mind. More powerful than his own, if Karr had been awake. But he was asleep, and Ehud had time, and boundless enthusiasm. Hours of constant prodding could weaken the mind far better than one minute of brute force.

Ehud's mental touch was delicate for this step. He simply needed to twist Karr's subconscious mind enough to make it perceive itself as a threat. Then, the defense Karr had would tear itself apart. At least, that was the theory. Ehud had yet to see if he had been successful.

Either way, Ehud figured it was time to awake the unconscious Jedi. He extended his large, beastly hand, and with the Force, brushed away the neurotoxins keeping him asleep. Then, golden eyes flashing with power, he prodded the mind to action.

"Awake, Karr." Ehud's basic was rough, heavily accented, but proficient. It held an unbound curiosity.

This was the first time he had ever spoken to one not of his people. What would it say?

[member="Crona'Tas"] - [member="Lynette Lykova"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Naramphra"] - [member="Allyson Locke"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Wait. Shadow? Like the Jedi Shadows?" Kahlil couldn't hide either the surprise or awe in his voice as he glanced to [member="Lynette Lykova"] . During his time as a Sith, they were rumored but even then there was nothing concrete about them. They were a myth, a legend of the stars much like their counterpart the Assassins. But Kahlil knew the Assassins, unlike the Shadows. He stared with disbelief for a moment longer before turning his gaze to Gnost.

The Kel Dor he had taken on as a padawan. It was the only reason Kahlil even knew that something was wrong, and why he was even here among the Shadows. [member="Kian Karr"] had gone missing, though he had no idea that the Master was one of the Shadows. Maybe that's why Gnost was placed with him? To keep an eye on the Zambrano in case the Shadows had to strike him down.

No, that was thinking too much into it. What mattered was there was a fellow Jedi who needed help.

Right. A plan. Kahlil cleared his throat as he pushed back his surprise from earlier, nodding once to Gnost. "I am sure Master Karr would want us to place the well being of those in the city above him. More importantly, that was why he came to this planet, correct? By helping the city, we could find his trail and thus, him. We'll take up his mission, and hopefully we'll find him along the way."

[member="Ehud"] [member="Crona'Tas"] [member="Hrajlmak'Natok"] [member="Naramphra"] [member="Allyson Locke"] [member="Celiana"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

((Apologies, late to the party. I'll catch up within a couple posts.))

Then

"Fixing my X-wings instead of breaking them? What a development."

Jyoti approached Allyson at the engine block, hand gliding over the back edges of the X-wing's closed S-foils. The sight of the Corellian doing mechanic work reminded her of endless hours spent tuning up her personal courier down in the hangars. It served as a form of active meditation for the Echani, a great source of stress relief as she could put her engineering skills to use building instead of destroying.

"If you have the time, then I'd like your help. Something just came up. A distress call was relayed from the Outer Rim, another Shadow requesting reinforcements. It looks like some of our counterparts are already gearing up to answer the call. What do you say?"

[member="Allyson Locke"]

 

[Kian Karr]

"Would you stop it!" Aria said, swatting Kian's hand away from her swollen stomach. Kian rested his head on her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her waist. Kian didn't need to feel the kicking of the child in her womb to know his son was there. It had been weeks since he first felt the forming child in his wife's womb and four days since his mind and the child's touched. ​

"You should eat." Kian said smiling. "Plo is hungry."​

"We are not calling him that." Aria said but only halfheartedly. ​

AWAKE KARR​

For a moment, Aria's face faded but began to appear again.​

AWAKE KARR​

Kian heard it again, this time so loud it seemed like a shout and the dream faded more.​

​

"Awake Karr." This time Kian heard it through the unfogged brain of consciousness. His eyes opened but it took several moments for his eyes to focus. His head throbbed, but despite this, his body felt rested more than it had previously. His time unconscious had at least done that for him. While Kian tried to focus, he felt a pressure on his mind. Whoever was speaking wasn't simply observing him. He was a telepath and he was trying to gain access....or control. Despite the pain, Kian threw up whatever meager defenses he could. He did not know how strong the man before him was....but he hoped he could defend against him in his weakened state.

....not a man.

Kian's eyes had finally cleared and he beheld the hulking creature before him. The first impression Kian got was the size of him. To say he was large was to make an understatement. He was at least 7' tall from what Kian could tell in his bonded state, but Kian was certain had the creature stood up straighter he would be closer to 10'. His skin was reptilian and he had the hands and teeth of a predator.

Kian's eyes settled on the man's belt and he saw his lightsaber dangling there as well as a key. Shifting his arms and feeling the chains bite, Kian hoped it was the key to his bindings. Looking around the room, Kian began to take in his surroundings, trying to gauge any options he might have for escape. The chains felt strong, even with the forces aid he wouldn't be able to break them. Even if he could, unarmed against the man before him, Kian would almost certainly die. Taking in a deep, calming breath and letting it out slowly, Kian's eyes fell back on the face of the man before him.

"You seem to know my name," Kian said sizing up the man as he spoke, "but you have me at a disadvantage." Kian said and smiled beneath the mask, then jiggling his hands so that the chains rattled, "or perhaps several disadvantages."

[member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] | [member="Ehud"] | [member="Crona'Tas"] | [member="Lynette Lykova"] | [member="Hrajlmak'Natok"] | [member="Naramphra"] | [member="Celiana"] | [member="Allyson Locke"]​

 

[Allyson Locke]

Then

Allyson looked up from her crouch and smiled seeing the Echani woman. Her friend had a knack for catching her in these situations. An open hand and finally giving into the Force, Allyson used a small bit of telekinesis to draw up the wrench. Pulling her arm out of the engine block, the grease stained Corellian gave the woman a grin. “How times have changed, but I still fly without the safety – gotta live up to my callsign right?” She put the wrench down and grabbed at towel to wipe her face.

As the Corellian cleaned up a bit, she listened to her friend, it seemed the day off was now over. Nodding, the towel found its place on the small work trolley and Allyson continued to grin. “You know, even if I was busy – I have a terrible track record of telling you no.” A pause. “We’re not going on a space station, are we? Because then I might have to give it some thought.” No, Allyson couldn’t tell Jyoti no, it was hard telling your closest friend no when they were asking for help.

Now

Allyson sat in the meeting with her arms crossed as she absorbed the information. Her and Jyoti were able to slip in. There were new faces in the Shadows, which warmed Allyson’s heart – she remembered for the longest time a good chunk of the work was done by her and her favorite partner. It had been awhile since she had been in a briefing with the Shadows, so she remained quiet for the time being.

A padawan spoke up, which was a surprise, but even back then there were padawans in training for the Shadows. The lack of information in the distress call didn’t surprise her, when you were undercover the last thing you wanted was to blast your exact location. Usually though there was a communication with a handler and the agent. Sitting up, Allyson spoke after letting the padawan finish.

“I’m not surprised of the lack of information – doing some sensitive work myself – I wouldn’t have sent everything in one call. Do we have any logs of contact with Master Karr and someone who was monitoring him? Or did he do this all on his own?” Allyson wouldn’t be quick to judge – during her disappearance from the Silver Jedi, she had done her own undercover work without a contact. “We need to find any and all communication logs between Karr and the Order before we barrel in and get ourselves killed."

[member="Jyoti Nooran"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] [member="Lynette Lykova"]

 

[Dhalinar Greystar]

As far as Morteg knew or understood the planet of Ciomia held little strategic importance to Corellia, but the planet's ties to the fallen New Republic had made more than a few Green Jedi feel responsible for the world when it went dark. As expected the CDF had given them the same excuse they always did: "They didn't have the man power to move ships so far out of Corellian Space with tensions high with the CIC." which meant that they would be of no help and that the Green Jedi would have to handle it...Which they had. The Shadows were the best fit and Kian had been selected for the mission due to his experience.

But now...

Morteg shifted from side to side uncomfortably listening to the young Padawan speak. When the Green Jedi had received Karr's message from the young Gnost he'd assumed the worst and thought it was better to leave the mission unfinished. However when he told him other Shadows would be mounting a mission to complete Karr's original task and also to find Karr himself the Green Jedi couldn't simply stand by and let the other Jedi take care of their mess. Even if this new Jedi Network was made specifically for these types of situations...It still left a bad taste in the fiercely patriotic Jedi.

The little green Jedi shook his head, his long locs swaying back and forth, and he addressed Allyson's request.

"Little communications did we have with Master Karr. His arrival to the system, the last thing we heard was." He looked to Padawan Karr and smiled hopefully. "But perhaps to his nephew, did he pas information to, hm?"

[member="Kian Karr"] [member="Allyson Locke"] [member="Jyoti Nooran"] [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] [member="Lynette Lykova"] [member="Gnost Karr"]

 

[Ehud]

Ah, it speaks.

Of course, Ehud knew the being was capable of speech. Any creature with such a well-guarded mind had to have that capability. But that it had chosen to speak at this time was what interested him. It spoke of a confidence of self, one the strong might have. Ehud was beginning to doubt himself, but this gave him hope.

"I do," Ehud began, his sybilline, gravelly voice strangely smooth and grating, traveling from vowel to vowel like a constant brook, and hitting the consonants like jutting stones. "And I do."

Ehud simply began to touch the surface of the being's mind, like a claw tapping at glass. When he chose, he could try to break through. But until then, he wanted to try a more diplomatic approach.

"I am Ehud, Seer of the Bryn'adûl." The bulky Baedurin studied the breathing apparatus on Karr's face, obviously interested in every little detail. He didn't care much for secrets. "I wish to learn about you. Nothing more."

Ehud tapped the mental barrier again, making sure his own alterations were in place. With the correct prodding and preparation, he hoped he could overcome the man's defenses. If not, he had a little time. Before They came.

"If you resist, this will be a painful experience for you. If you do not, I am willing to make it a pleasant one."

The hidden meaning was clear; if Karr did not offer up his mind willingly, Ehud would tear them out. Strength was all he knew, after all.

- [member="Morteg"] - [member="Allyson Locke"] - [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Jyoti Nooran"] - [member="Lynette Lykova"] - [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] - [member="Crona'Tas"] - [member="Hrajlmak'Natok"] - [member="Naramphra"] -​