Private Treasure Hunt for an old Jedi Weapon

[Laphisto]

scattered around the Mid rim worlds were posters. and notice boards that went up. of a businessman looking to hire a crew to seek out some old and lost Jedi Artifact. the details of the poster are vague at best. only giving a location of a meeting place on Nexus Ortai.



as you arrive at the destination the city is bustling with activity. merchants yell and try to grab the attention of any and all passersby trying to sell whatever product they have on hand. the majority of their products being fruit and other food items. walking past the market square a symbol would catch the eye of those who decided to show up at the meeting. these symbols would reach back into the ally ways moving from the once-bustling town square. moving into what looked to be the slums hidden away and tucked from the eyes of any tourists that might be visiting the planet.

at the heart of the slums lies a large building. with the strange Symbol painted on its front doors. once inside a servent droid would quickly approach. requesting that any and all weapons be deposited in the bins next to the doorway. a soft metallic whine from two ancient Sith war droids and a third Droideka would help to reiterate the necessity of the disarmament.

with all members of the party Disarmed the Service droid would lead the group through the hallways and into the main office. the walls being lined with ancient artifacts ad old items. displayed most noticeably would be a Phase I clone helmet. a Mandalorian Neo Crusader Helmet. a lightsaber, and a few small pieces of jewelry where a human man would be sitting in a cair just finishing up a holo call. his attention turning to the group before letting out a loud laugh

" Welcome my friends welcome!" the man had a rustic tone to his voice one that resembled some on who had gone through years of smoking. the man himself appeared to be in his late fifties. a small flicker running over his body would prove him to be a hologram and not the actual individual before them.

"So glad you could all make it here!. now off to business, I didn't call you here to chat and make nice. you're here for a job and more specifically you're here for the treasure. now I assure you the treasure is more so a mere trinket. I'm a collector of old and unique items as you can tell. now I have found this Holocron and it tells of some artifact locked away on the planet of lothal. now unfortunately I cannot join you personally but my servant droid D-8h4 will be my eyes and ears on this expedition. for which I will pay you all a handsome lump sum. if you bring me the artifact in tact. so what do you all say? interested in the job eh?"

 

[Laphisto]

Finley Dawson

 

[Finley Dawson]

While Finley was still technically in recovery, he had promised everyone that he would take it easy while easy back into field work. Honestly, his doctors would have rathered have him stayed put at the Temple, but the Silver Jedi were a little shorthanded at the moment when it came to available Knights. He would have felt bad if he kept sitting around, even if he really needed it.

Now he was chasing a lead he had found on a Holonet bulletin, about the possibility of finding some lost Jedi artifact. It was in the interest of the Silver Jedi to see that any such items recovered, lest they be taken and exploited by Darksiders. There was also the possibility that the Silver Jedi themselves could benefit from the discovery.

Once he had touched down on the planet in a nondescript YT freighter, the Corellian searched for the appropriate cues to look for the employer's den. Eventually, he picked out special symbols to follow through winding aisles of the slums, feeling hidden eyes on him at all times.

After several minutes he came to the intended destination, a large building. Once he passed through its large double doors, he found himself before a set of mean-looking droids. Unsurprisingly, he was meant to give up his weapons. Rolling his eyes behind his shades, he whipped out a pair of chromed blasters from under his jacket, dropping them in the bin. His lightsaber hilt was absent, though - that had been left secured on his ship. The Corellian didn't want to immediately broadcast to the strangers around him that he was a Jedi himself, and he didn't trust these same strangers to handle his lightsaber.

Disarmed, he strolled deeper into the building to come face to face with a middle age man who appeared to be running the operation.

The collector wasted no time launching into the details of the op, seeking a particular piece of treasure in Lothal. That world, currently neutral, had been well known hub for the old Jedi Order. If there were ancient Jedi goodies still to be found, it would probably be there.

"A holocron, eh?" he questioned the collector. "Do you mind if we have a look at it before we set off?"

The Jedi artifact was certainly the object of his mission, but any holocron in itself was of great value.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

the man would let a small chuckle roll from his throat. his hands placed upon the desk. although his right hand would clip through some minor objects that were laid scattered about. giving the man a small smile as he spoke

"as much as I would love to show off my trinket it's here with me in person. i have a few lab techs looking through it, trying to find any more secrets of buried Treasures that it might hold"

standing back up the man would look to his wrist pulling back his sleeve to a beeping commlink quickly glancing back to the man before him and finishing his thoughts

"Unfortunately I am a busy man and I have other matters to attend to. if you do not have a ship readily available to you. I have an absolutely beautiful relic of a ship in the hanger for you to borrow. a Foray class Corvette to be exact. all original parts mind you. no after-market upgrades. took me years to track down and assemble this bea-"

the man would stop himself with a small laugh before shaking his head. and motioning for the servent droid to enter the room

"apologies I began to ramble there for a moment. this here is my servant droid he will be accompanying you to be my eyes and ears on this adventure. you can grab your weapons on your way out. unfortunately, I have to g attend this meeting. D8 please see our guest out and attend to his requests if he has any"

With a small flutter, he would vanish as the projector shuts off. the droid in the room turns to look at the male as if waiting to follow their lead

 

[Finley Dawson]

Unsurprisingly, the collector was quite stingy about the Holocron he possessed. He made a mental note to check back on its status following the trip to Lothal.

Transportation was to be provided if any of the explorers lacked their own vessels, and the whole operation would be overseen by one of the collector's droid, D8. The eyes and ears of the man to ensure that if anything was found that it would reach the hands of their employer. Finley wasn't keen on depending on the collector for transport or having D8 near him, possibly snooping on his freighter comms.

"D8, you take your corvette. I will follow you Lothal in my own ship."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

with a soft whirring sound, the droid would turn to make its way out of the room and leaving the man to his own departure. and making its way to lothal. where once in the spaceport. a hologram projection of the ma would be projected. almost frozen in place save for a small flicker here and there. only flicking to life when Finley came within view. the man giving a hearty chuckle once again

" oh, there you are my friend. I was beginning to worry about your safe arrival. I'm a bit saddened you didn't want to take a ride on my ship. She's such a work of art!"

with another small laugh followed quickly by a light cough the man would clear his throat whipping his mouth with a handkerchief. and then looking at him once again

" i have arranged some Transportation to get us to the coordinates of some old Jedi ruins. dating back to the Jedi civil war if not older. yknow these Jedi holocrons are fascinating. I would love to get my hands on a few more. willing to pay a pretty penny for any you might find in these ruins. call it a bonus to your original pay"

 

[Finley Dawson]

"The corvette is quite a piece of work," the Corellian answered honestly, "I just feel more comfortable in rust bucket, I'm sure you understand. I wouldn't mind a tour sometime."

It was actually quite impressive that the collector had been able to piece together a vintage ship. Growing up as a spacer, he sometimes took it for granted how hard it was for most people to even have their own ship. It granted anyone unparalleled freedom among the stars - provided you could keep up with the gas bill.

"If there's a place to find holocrons, it would certain be here," he replied while scanning the plains beyond their landing site. "I'll keep your offer in mind about the bonus."

As things stood, Finley would help the collector find the artifact, but he would probably pocket anything else aside from that for his fellow Jedi.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road. Please, lead the way."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Flicking his attention back to his wrist he would frown softly

"It would appear I am late for a meeting, but nonetheless a speeder should be here shortly. D8 will lead you to the location and from there you can locate the artifact"

With a small flicker, the hologram being projected from D8 would turn off. The droid turning and rolling down the pathway towards several speeder taxi services. Eventually stopping at one piloted by another droid and boarding the on-ramp without hesitation. The droid that was before you this time looked vaguely similar to a very outdated t3 series droid set but with several modifications. Once on board the speeder, the trip would be no longer than an hour and a half if that. The journey would lead from the city and into the nearby mountains stopping just shy in Infront of a cave. And without hesitation, D8 would spring back to life having remained still and quiet the entire trip. Performing a ninety-degree turn and pushing itself off the ramp and into the ground. Rolling off to the cave

 

[Finley Dawson]

Finley snorted at the collector made his exit from the holocall. For someone so keen on the artifact, the old man seemed quite occupied.

The Corellian nodded toward D8 and followed him to the speeder. He wouldn't be alone in boarding though, as Puck descended from closing ramp of the freighter. The hovering astromech would circle above D8 a couple times before settling down beside the seated Finley.

The trip was a quiet one for Finley, alternating between meditation and looking out toward the rolling planes of Lothal. The Jedi could feel that the planet was strongly connected to the Force. He knew from his studies that it had been the home of a Jedi enclave among other things. This was hardly a secret, so he imagined any ancient Jedi sites had long been picked cleaned. He wondered what made the collector feel so confident that he'd find something new centuries later - Finley really wanted to see the holocron.

D8 had gone into standby mode during the ride, but once they had arrived, he sprung back to life, leading the party to a cave entrance.

"After you," he waved to D8.

If there was anything dangerous within, he was making sure the droid stood between him and it.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

as the droid entered the cave it wouldn't give puck much mind, merely doing its own business as it began to search through the cave, scanning several rocks here and there as it rolled along. making several machine precise movements almost as if the droid was following something either that it could see or perhaps an internal map that was programmed into the droid. either way, the droid seemed to know exactly where it was going as it went through the wavering cave system. only seeming to stop once it hit an immovable object. a solid wall. the droid would stare at the wall almost as if it was trying to process why there was something in its way. as finley got closer a small tug would be felt through the force. and if he delved deeper into the feeling he would feel the mechanical gears within the wall. each linked together through the force some how.

D8 would begin to scan the surface of the rock starting from the upper right corner and stopping in the center merely staring fixated at the location. where a small cylindrical hole would remain. a hole that would suspiciously fit a lightsaber.

 

[Finley Dawson]

As Finley and Puck followed, the latter recorded their progress behind D8 for later reference. Finley himself was more focused on sensing potential threats within the cave system. Obviously, the scene was an ideal refuge from the elements, but he knew from personal experience that Force related artifacts attracted certain entities.

After a while, they finally came before a wall obstructing their path further. D8 began to scan the wall, seemingly transfixed on what looked like a port. Meanwhile, Finley could feel that the wall was strongly attuned to the Force. The exterior of the wall itself was covered in ancient glyphs and concentric circles forming mandalas.

It was all but certain that Jedi had constructed the barrier, which meant that D8 probably had no chance of passing through as a lifeless droid. Without any special tools, only another Jedi or Force Adept could pass through.

He could try something, but Finley wasn't yet ready to reveal he was Force Sensitive himself. Still, he wanted to try something.

"Hey D8, mind if I have a look with Puck? He has tools for lockpicking."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

the droid would look forwards at the wall. only moving when finley spoke. reversing backward enough to let the man do his work the droid making no noise other than the sounds of his wheels rolling along. a light blue hue would project from his view port almost as if the droid was viewing something. albeit nothing was seen in front of him. as the projection was using lights far from the human-capable light spectrum. if finely or puck were able to view such colors they would see a map of the potential complex or more so the building blueprints of the building. a small shift would be seen in D8s central compartment. and a small glimpse of a cyan blue object would be seen stored within the droid.

soon after the projector on D8 would kick on. the collector projecting through the droid via hologram once again seeming to be irritated

" what? a wall? this isn't supposed to be here. the blueprints state this is a straight path into the temple. how could this have been missed? oh Dank ferrick"

the collecter would grumble to himself as he grips the bridge of his nose. with a soft sigh escaping his throat. huffing lightly

"can you get this damned thing open?"

 

[Finley Dawson]

"Oh, you didn't think it would really be that easy did you?" Finley teased as he replaced D8 at the strange port in the wall.

"Jedi were keen on keeping their trinkets secured. That's why countless caches like these exist all over the galaxy. That said, if there's a silver lining to all of this, the closed wall means that no one else has probably made it through."

The Corellian was focused on the wall, so he didn't pay much attention to D8 making rather curious gestures. Puck took notice, chirping at Finley, but he just waved his droid off. It wasn't that he didn't care what Puck had to say, but he didn't want to cause an unnecessary commotion. D8 and his handler were already suspects, so he didn't need more convincing in that right.

With his cybernetic eyes he could scan the innards of the port. They lined up quite nicely with the basic shape of a lightsaber. If he was alone, he would have had little issue whipping out his own lightsaber hilt to test his theory, but he didn't want to reveal his true identity to D8 if he could avoid it.

An idea flashed into his head as he glanced at Puck.

"Hey, dude, jack in and give it a go."

He moved aside to let the hover droid move towards the port. Little doors in the front of its body swung open as multiple arms stretched out, each tipped with adjustable connectors. Puck fed one of these connectors to the wall's power. There came small clicks as the connector mapped out the grooves of the interior.

What followed was an audible rumble as the inner machinery behind the door seemed to come to life.

It appeared that his trial may pay off with Puck. Unlike most droids, the Jedi crafted droid was integrated with Force attuned crystals just like a lightsaber. Finley reckoned the special droid could work just like a hilt. For now, it seemed to be working.

"Looks like the slicing worked," Finley lied. "Good job Puck. Looks like we won't need any detours."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

as puck integrated and powered the door a large metallic clicking sound would be heard as the door sprung to life. and with a small groan it would shudder and shake before lifting up into the ceiling disappearing from view shortly after.

as the door kicks to life D8 would turn off its projection the compartment within his chest closing back up and the droid immediately pushing into the hallway seeming to be following its pre designated path once again. the hologram of the collect still being projected as he looks around


" aha! I knew you could do it. I had no doubts in you at all. my oh my look at the beauty of this place. never been touched for near five thousand years and all the treasures ripe for the taking!''

the room past the hallway would break into a small room with carvings and glyphs lining the wall. strangely enough this place resembled a tomb least in the simplicity of the area. there was another corridor that led to the left and another that D8 was already chugging towards that branched right. not giving finely much time to explore without being left behind


Finley Dawson

 

[Finley Dawson]

"Aha...nothing to it."

The collector seemed to take Puck's slicing sleight at face value, not suspecting the true power of the droid. Finley let out a soft sigh. They had gotten through one hurdle without the Jedi having to reveal himself, but he was sure there were more challenges to come.

The wall rumbled upward to reveal a chamber covered in alien etchings. The discovery of the etchings alone warranted investigation, but D8 ws quick to advance into another corridor.

"Puck, scan this all for future reference," he ordered. The astromech whistled in acknowledgement, its main eye glowing bright as the photoreceptor and other onboard sensors swept the room to generate a digital construct of the surroundings to be picked apart later.

Meanwhile, the Corellian pushed forward as Puck finished its work, triggering a flashlight mounted on the strap of his backpack.

"Are we close?" he asked D8.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

as puck scanned the area the other room would glisten with metal cages strewn about with the corpses of some reptilian species, as well as around seven dead humanoids, each either grasping a lightsaber in hand or having one several feet away from them.

the droid wouldn't say a thing or even make a sound, just flicking on its projector as a holo image of the collector would be thrown in front of the droid. the collecter would give a hardy laugh as he examines the walls around him


"yes yes we are so close to greatness, can you taste it my dear boy? the discovery of a lifetime aged several thousand years and unseen for generations! we are the first to make an appearance here and our names will go down in history.. my name leading the list of course"

. as the two walked they wouldn't need to go very far, as the room lead straight into another much larger chamber. the room was circular in design, with a consol to the left hand side, a control box o the right and in the center was a large presence in the force, what looked to be a humanoid encased in Carbonite. the humanoid would stand at seven foot eight, his wings folded at his sides and a tail wrapped in front of his digitigrade legs. and in his hands, the hilt of a sword through the blad was missing.

D8 would pause the collector grumbling about before being projected towards the console on the right-hand side, a square slot is located in the center, one that was about the shape of a Holocron.

"what is this? this looks more like a tomb than a weapon? maybe the weapon is within the sarcophagus?. quick my boy. located in D8s chest is that Holocron i spoke of earlier. grab it and insert it here in this slot, lets's turn this computer on and find out what exactly we are dealing with here"

 

[Finley Dawson]

Finley raised an eyebrow as the collector made plans to take the lion's share of the credit for the excavation. If it wasn't for the Jedi, the party wouldn't even had gotten as far as it had, and Finley could only imagine how much the old man had leaned on his research team to decipher to contents of the Holocron that lead them there. Unfortunately, that's usually how it went when it came to discoveries. The guy cutting the credits got all the recognition. Besides, Finley wasn't really there to be an explorer anyway.

The internal grumbling was immediately pushed to the back of his mind as they ventured farther into the next room. Finley wasn't exactly sure what to expect in the room, but the petrified figure at the center. If it wasn't for the lifeforce that emanated for the figure, he would have mistaken it for some kind of statue. Upon closer inspection, he found it to be some kind of being encased in carbonite. He had witnessed biologicals being frozen by carbonite, but he'd never even though someone could be preserved long term within the substance.

The collector suggested he use the original Holocron to activate a console in the room, provided by D8. Finley had been thinking about that Holocron, only to face the irony that it had been next to him the whole time. He snorted to himself as he retrieved the Holocron from the droid's chest, then attempted to slot it into the port. When he made physical contact with the Holocron, he could feel a spark of energy pass between him and the cube as it recognized him for what he really was.

The console in turn would begin to wake up. The collector's hunch was correct.

"Okay, it's working...if this is a tomb, then who's tomb is it?" He asked the collector, eyes glancing toward the dragonic entity frozen in time.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

as the Holocron is inserted into the computer its power would kick on using the Holocron as a sort of battery. as the screen flickers to life, several files would immediately scroll into view. neatly organized and waiting to be opened and read. when the power was restored the consol on the other side of the room would power on, its design much more simple in nature, having a single lever in its center.

D8 would roll up to the consol immediately plugging himself in. taking manual control over the screen. the collector would look over the files scrolling through and opening the most recent file. the time stamp reading " last opened 4834.4 Years ago." the moment the file has opened a hologram would be projected. a Jedi in robes with his arms crossed would begin speaking


" This is Jedi Master Aluk Tol. if you hear this message then I fear that means the sith has become a great enough threat to use the asset once again. with as great a threat as they can become before you free him from his Prison, it is recommended you use the Ysalamiri Lizards. they should be kept in the next room over. just to make sure they stay compliant. the asset has many uses for the Jedi order and has remained loyal to his mission throughout the years. I doubt they will be of much trouble but protocol or protocol. I hope this time his mission and sentence come to an end. good luck and may the force be with you. "

the collecter would grumble softly scrolling to the top and clicking the very first file. a different hologram would appear, this time of a Twielek male in a rather old set of armor, similar to the one the figure in carbonite wore


" We are gathered here, to Sentance Jedi Knight Laphisto Div'atori Gix to his eternal Prison. he is charged with Turning members of the Jedi Order to the Dark side, Credited with causing the Second Great Scism. if it were to me he would be put to death, but the order finds him a useful asset and he is ever so eager to prove himself. if you come across this message it's more than likely he failed his mission and now is going to try again. Make sure he does not fail a second time. "

the messages went on, each log being a different Jedi master and giving a short and brief messag for the next Jedi master who would wake them up.
scrolling through the messages the collecter would give a grumbled snort

"well this is useless, how am I supposed to put this on display or sell this to someone? this will take forever to remove and get out of this temple without killing this so-called "asset" i cant collect this, Carbonite is tacky and doesn't match my decor what so ever"

he would give a sigh shaking his head and looking around the room, as D8 begins downloading the files from the computer. the little robot spinning his head to make it look like the collecter was walking around