Private Trouble on Kathora

[Naestra]

“Yes ma’am.” The Sergeant replied, before having his men form up behind the Jedi, their weapons out and ready to shoot anything that showed itself to be a threat.

“Understood Master.” Naestra said, already doing exactly that. Her mind reaching out to touch the nexus, the concentration of force energy on the planet was overwhelming. But she came to an immediate conclusion. “The nexus has definitely affected this area Master. I can’t sense any place within my range to sense that hasn’t been touched by the Nexus. It’s strange though, it feels like the Nexus is trying to speak to me, but I can’t understand what it’s trying to say. It’s like trying to speak with someone through a thick stone wall.”

The group would begin moving forward. And as they approached the dig site that they had detected the Sergeant was asked another question. He replied in an equally low tone, “Yes Master Jedi. There’s a large concentration of thermal signatures within the dig site. It looks like it’s occupied.”

As close as they were they were not really within earshot of the dig site itself. But they were definitely close enough to hear particularly loud sounds. And it just so happened that there was one to be heard.

A shriek came from the direction they were headed towards. It lasted a long while, and it sounded like someone in pain.

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Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's amber eyes narrowed as she processed the information from both Naestra and the Sergeant. The nexus's pervasive influence was unsettling, but Naestra's description of it trying to communicate added a new layer of mystery. What message, if any, was it trying to convey? There were no answers now, but it reinforced the need for caution.

"Good work, Knight Naestra," Valery said quietly, her tone steady. "Keep focusing on it as we move. If it shifts or you sense anything more specific, let me know immediately."

Her attention shifted to the Sergeant as he reported on the thermal signatures. A large concentration likely meant they were heading into an active site—one that could be hostile. Her hand instinctively brushed against the hilt of her lightsaber, the familiar weight a small reassurance.

Then the shriek pierced the air.

The sound froze the group momentarily, its agonized tone cutting through the stillness of the forest. Valery's jaw tightened, and her gaze flicked in the direction of the sound. It wasn't close enough to be an immediate threat, but it was close enough to make her heart race with urgency. Someone was in pain, possibly worse.

"Stay focused and keep your formation," Valery ordered, her voice calm but firm. She turned to Naestra, her expression resolute as she pushed forward. "Be ready for anything."

She looked back to the Sergeant. "Have your team cover our flanks. Let's close the distance, but maintain enough space to react if we're ambushed."

Naestra ​

 

[Naestra]

Naestra hefted her halberd, gripping it in two hands now that they were heading into a most definitely dangerous zone. The heavy axehead of the polearm gleaming in the sunlight, ready for action. Naestra wasn’t the most skilled fighter in the galaxy, in fact she was sub par when it came to physical altercations, but her choice of weapon helped offset that, not many Jedi or Sith were prepared to fight against a weapon like hers, it could strike from further away, and occasionally reach over a block to strike the opponent even if they got their weapon in position to intercept.

Her focus remained on the nexus, but she wasn’t able to glean any more information from it. She could still sense the attempts at communication, but they were always muffled and suppressed, impossible to understand.

The troopers acknowledged the order, and obeyed, the four troopers splitting into two fireteams that took off to either side, within sight and earshot of the other groups, but far enough away that if one was attacked the others wouldn’t be in immediate danger, and still be close enough to get help from their comrades.

They drew closer, and a few more times that pained shriek would be heard. But then it stopped abruptly, and there was silence. They were only a half mile away from the edge of the site now. When they finally got to the edge they would peer down into the dig.

It looked almost like a quarry. A massive hole in the ground that was being dug out by a massive collection of people. They weren’t humans, they were however humanoid. At first glance they appeared larger than humans by a good margin, they had a variety of skin colors such as red, green, blue, purple, yellow and a few others. And each of them had a set of horns, ranging from one to four, sprouting from their foreheads. All of them were carrying various tools used for excavating.

Also with these strange aliens was more recognizable figures. Imperial soldiers. Sith troops. Many of them carried shock-whips, and frequently cracked them on the backs of these odd aliens. Making it clear exactly what had happened.

“Master… if what I can sense is to be trusted… the Nexus is under this site.” Naestra whispered, trying to remain focused as she observed the cruelty on display. The pain in her chest welling as she saw these people put to work, in conditions that she couldn’t even fully understand yet, but she could only guess were horrific. The Sith weren’t known for being kind to their slaves.

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Valery Noble