Private Veridia | The Silent Shores of Veridia

[Braze]

TAGS: Kassogtha Cthylla

Braze had known of Veridia long before this mission. He'd been there once, spending an extended period at the old temple—now a serene retreat, restored by Tiri. The temple's peaceful atmosphere made it a refuge, but when rumors surfaced of a dangerous presence lurking on the planet, Braze immediately volunteered his knowledge. He offered to guide the Jedi librarian, knowing the terrain and the temple well.

Using a specialized prism for navigation, they crossed the treacherous nebula that shielded Veridia from the rest of the galaxy. Beyond the swirling gas clouds lay the planet—almost a paradise, with vast rural landscapes and breathtaking countryside. Their journey led them to the silent shores, where the shoals stretched out along the coastline. It was a lush, but perilous area, teeming with sea creatures when the tide receded. The rocky terrain was treacherous—slick with algae, and riddled with hidden crevices that could trap the unwary. The shoals, nestled in a secluded cove, were guarded by cliffs that housed a maze of cave systems, perfect for ambushes by the region's predatory wildlife.

Braze padded quietly to the edge of a cliff, gazing out over the blue expanse of ocean that stretched endlessly beneath him. He took in the sight of where the sea met the land, and then turned to the Jedi who had come in search of the ne'er-do-well.

"I think this is the place—the Siren's Shoals," he said, his voice steady against the sound of the waves below.

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

While slithering along behind Braze, Kass abruptly stopped and glanced back at the sound of her husband's voice calling out to her urgently. To her confusion, she found him trying to shoo a knee-high crablike creature back into the ocean.

"Is everything all right?" she asked anxiously.

Oukranos waved to her reassuringly, but then was forced to jump out of the way of the crab's snapping claws. "This fething thing's been chasing me!" he exclaimed.

"Maybe it likes you," Kass joked. Though Braze had warned them ahead of time about dangerous wildlife in the region, this creature wasn't physically imposing in the slightest and seemed more of a nuisance than an actual threat.

"Oh no." He darted out of the way of yet another attack by the crustacean's claws. "It's aggressive, and persistent. I tried to use Beast Control, but it's proven—irritatingly resistant!"

"We're probably in its territory. Let's just keep going, I'm sure it'll lose interest in you eventually." Kass resumed following Braze. Oukranos jogged after her, the crab trailing behind him, eight legs skittering across the sand.

---

Eventually they reached a cliff, which Braze proclaimed to be above the place they were looking for: the Siren's Shoals. "Thank you for guiding us here, Padawan Braze," Kass said. She didn't know him very well, but he was intimately familiar with Veridia, which was a boon to their mission.

The Sith Lord Darth Saya had participated in the kidnapping of Grandmaster Valery Noble and Oukranos. Though the two Jedi were rescued and their Sith captors arrested, Saya had managed to escape. Kass and Oukranos had tracked her to Veridia, where they believed she was hiding out. They intended to arrest her before she had a chance to cause more harm. Questioning the Veridians had led them to the Siren's Shoals, where the locals spoke of seeing a monstrous being with tentacles prowling amongst the sea caves. Saya was a female Pylantian, like Kass; the sheer rarity of their kind in the galaxy, let alone on a planet as remote as Veridia, meant that there could be no mistaking her.

"We better start looking," Kass said, peering over the edge of the cliff. "Is there a way down that's less steep?"

Braze​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Kassogtha Cthylla

​

Braze glanced back, studying the crab-like creature with mild curiosity before responding to Kass' question. His jade green eyes flickered between the landscape and the skittering nuisance behind Oukranos.

"That thing's got persistence," he remarked dryly, folding his arms. "You'd be surprised how many creatures are more trouble than their size suggests. Probably best not to underestimate it."

He then turned his attention fully to Kass' query about the cliffs. "There's a path to the right—narrow, but it should get us down without much trouble. Be careful, though, the rocks are loose, and the tide can surge quickly around here." He pointed out the hidden trail etched into the stone, barely visible from where they stood.

Then, as if deciding to share a bit of his own method, he added with a faint grin, "I usually take the fast route down—using a Force push to break my fall or manipulating the wind to slow my descent. If you're ever in a hurry, it's not a bad option. Just... make sure you've practiced."

Braze stepped up to the pathway, his keen eyes tracing the narrow, weathered trail that wound down the cliffside. It was clear the path had been carved out long ago, likely by the hands of local fishermen who made their living braving the treacherous waters below. The edges of the stone were smooth in places, worn down by years of foot traffic, and small indentations hinted at where ropes or railings might have once been used to aid those descending to the shore. The trail was narrow, no more than two feet across at its widest point, with loose rocks scattered along the way. Salt spray from the ocean below had left a faint sheen on the stone, making it glisten in the light. Braze knew there were many such pathways along this coast, each one a lifeline for the Veridians who ventured into the dangerous waters to catch fish, but none of them were entirely safe. He could feel the sea breeze tugging at his cloak, and the faint scent of brine filled the air as the tide surged below.

"These are called Fisherman's Ladders," Braze added, his voice carrying a note of caution. "Locals have carved them all along the cliffs for generations. They're sturdy enough, but when the tide comes in or the winds pick up, more than a few fishermen have lost their footing. Best to move carefully here—especially if you're not used to them." He glanced back at Kass and Oukranos, his tone lightening slightly. "At least the crabs usually stay at the bottom."

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

Fed up with dodging the crab’s attacks, Oukranos finally grabbed hold of the creature with the Force and deposited it at the bottom of the cliff. It was unharmed, of course, and immediately began skittering back up the slope toward them again.

“Perhaps its claws are exceptionally strong, with enough force to break through bone,” Kass suggested. “Or they secrete venom or acid to immobilize its victims.”

Her husband gave her a startled look, then smirked as he realized she was just messing with him. “That would be something,” he muttered, once again picking up and replacing the crab at the bottom of the Shoals.

"There's a path to the right—narrow, but it should get us down without much trouble. Be careful, though, the rocks are loose, and the tide can surge quickly around here. I usually take the fast route down—using a Force push to break my fall or manipulating the wind to slow my descent. If you're ever in a hurry, it's not a bad option. Just... make sure you've practiced."

Kass laughed, thinking Braze was joking. Surely the Padawan knew that she and Oukranos were Jedi Masters, and therefore quite “practiced” in using the Force. “It would be faster, I suppose,” she said. “But it’s not necessary, and besides, it could draw the wrong kind of attention. I will take the scenic route.”

She started on the winding path, her soft tentacled body easily traversing down the rocky cliffside. Oukranos followed her, his progress slightly enhanced by the Force as he bounded from step to step.

“I don’t like him,” Oukranos said suddenly, speaking softly to Kass in their native language. “He is proud and reckless.”

“Lots of Padawans are,” Kass replied good naturedly. “Besides, he’s willing to aid us. That is kind of him, you must admit.”

Her husband harrumphed, his attention drawn away by the sight of the crab creature drawing nearer to them. It had less distance to travel now that they were heading down. “Maybe I should just kill it,” he said, switching back to Basic.

“Oh no!” Kass insisted. “Let me try to calm it down.” She reached out with the Force, radiating serenity and peace.

The crab hesitated, its antenna twitching. Then it turned around and headed back into the sea.

“There we are,” Kass said. “It just needed a little coaxing.”

“It didn’t listen to me when I tried to coax it,” Oukranos protested, though he smiled at her. “Thanks. I hope that's the last I see of it.”

A few moments later, the crab returned from the ocean—with a small army of its brethren marching behind. Oukranos’ smile dropped into a scowl, his hopes dashed, while Kass' eyes widened. "Surely they will stay at the bottom?..."

Braze​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Kassogtha Cthylla

Braze stepped in front of Oukranos, eyes narrowing as the swarm of crabs scuttled closer. He held up a hand, almost reflexively, ready to defend them.

"Yeah, no. Crabs don't usually do this," Braze muttered, his tone shifting from playful to wary. "Something's setting them off—or someone. This feels... off."

He glanced at Oukranos and Kass, muscles tensing as the crabs kept advancing. "I've seen weird behavior in creatures before, but this? We might be dealing with more than just a crabby crustacean. "

Braze moved slightly in front of the group, adopting a protective stance. As the crabs inched nearer, Braze made his move. With a swift motion, he activated the golden saber shield on his right gauntlet, the light shimmering in front of him, casting a warm glow. His left hand slid to his hilt, drawing his blade—but he held off igniting it, waiting for the moment when it was truly needed.

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

Oukranos stared down at Braze’s back as the kid jumped in front of him. His brow furrowing, he cast a bewildered glance toward his wife, wondering why the Padawan thought he needed to defend two Masters from a crab army.

“It’s okay, Braze,” Kass said, her tone like that of a mother reassuring a child. “No need to bust out the sword and shield just yet. We can handle this peacefully.”

Her tentacles undulated as she concentrated on the crabs. The ground beneath them trembled as stones suddenly emerged from beneath the sand, forming a wall of rock around the creatures. While they struggled to climb out, clawing at those who were marginally successful and dragging them back down into the giant proverbial bucket, Oukranos caused the tide to rise, sweeping most of the would-be army out to sea. It was a temporary solution at best, but they were determined not to kill any life forms on this mission unless absolutely necessary.

"I've seen weird behavior in creatures before, but this? We might be dealing with more than just a crabby crustacean. "

“I agree,” Kass replied, eyes narrowed in thought. “Didn’t the locals mention that disturbances in the wildlife are common in these parts? It may be that our fugitive Sith Lord is aggravating whatever existing forces are at play here.”

Braze​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Kassogtha Cthylla

Braze relaxed slightly at Kass's reassuring tone, his stance softening as he straightened up. He shot a glance at the crabs struggling to climb the newly-formed rock walls, watching how effortlessly the two Masters handled the situation.

"They're way more resourceful than I give 'em credit for," he muttered under his breath, a hint of admiration mixing with his usual bravado. Even though they didn’t need him to jump in swinging, he kept a hand hovering near his saber, instincts still on alert.

When Kass mentioned the Sith Lord possibly being behind the disturbances, Braze tilted his head thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I've seen strange creatures made of light and crystal go haywire when their environment was disturbed—it's like their instincts get scrambled."

Braze paused, recalling an incident involving Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax . "She took this patch of glowing moss once. They've got something called... uh, ley nodes, I think. I haven't seen one, but it's supposed to be like a web of locations strong in the Force, all connected. Imagine a Force nexus made up of many small 'pools,' with energy flowing between them."

His voice grew lower, more serious. "No way this is just a coincidence... Most of the predatory animals around here either hide out in the water caverns or bask in the sun, not swarm like this. We're talking big reptiles, stuff that stays low and ambushes, not crabs getting all stirred up. Something's definitely pushing them out of their natural patterns."

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"She took this patch of glowing moss once. They've got something called... uh, ley nodes, I think. I haven't seen one, but it's supposed to be like a web of locations strong in the Force, all connected. Imagine a Force nexus made up of many small 'pools,' with energy flowing between them."

"I am familiar with the concept," Kass said. In some circles leys were considered pseudoscientific, but given the eccentric and spiritual nature of the Force, it was entirely possible there was some truth to the theory.

Braze agreed with Kass that something was stirring up the wildlife. “We need to find Saya, and fast,” Oukranos said urgently. Hee did as Braze had originally suggested and dove down toward the caves, catching himself with telekinesis before he could hit the slippery rocks below.

Muttering worriedly to herself, Kass followed his lead, her gelatinous body not so much jumping as flopping over the edge. She used the Force to slow her fall, landing gracefully at the bottom of the cliff. "Braze, can you get down on your own, or do you need help?" she called up to the Padawan. He had suggested this method of travel, but from the way he spoke about it, it sounded like he doubted his capabilities somewhat.

Braze​