Where the Kath Hounds Roam (Primeval Dominion of Dantooine)

[Onrai]

Slowly, the droids entered into the cavernous location, guns readied in the event that any kinrath appeared to emerge. They were machines, though - it was likely that they had no scent as they moved further inside. Soon they came across eggs, some of which the four squads inside began to remove to their waiting pod. These eggs could prove useful for future experiments. The other nine continued to scan back and forth, eying for any sign of danger.

Then the sign came. A large kinrath queen, surrounded by several others, began their move towards the droids. They opened fire, and some of the lesser kinrath were quickly downed by blaster rifle fire, but two of the droids found themselves pinned to the wall by kinrath who spat poisonous acid at their heads, slowly dissolving and damaging their circuitry. The kinrath in question were killed by shots at point blank range in order to cause the necessary damage, the droids throwing their downed comrades at the queen, plasma grenade primed. The resulting explosion was, to say the least, less than pleasant.

When the droids had gotten back up, only five of their number still remained. The pathway to this particular crystal chamber seemed to be clear, and they would enter further in. A multitude of crystals lined the walls as the droids began to collect whichever pieces they could grab(or snap off). They would soon return to their pod with a multicolored array of molecular shapes and sizes, soon placed in the pod as it exited the overall locale. Their fallen comrades(or what was left of them, anyways) would remain in situ, slowly covered by the mud and rain until they were discovered many years later.

At least, that was how such stories seemed to go.

 

[Delyna Karthoys Haymire]

Following the growing group of people into the caves sounded like an odd thing to do, they had their fair share of force users so what was her role? Anyways, she didn't really care enough to question it openly. Trusting her intuition the oracle was sure it would be an interesting sight. Continuing to looking around their surroundings as they moved towards the caves she hoped to find anything peculiar that could catch her interest.

Suddenly, the group passed a field of grass and mowed down a small patch of bright yellow flowers, Delyna looked back as they passed, seeing a small spider walk around confusedly. She let go of Mikkel and casually strolled back, kneeling down in the grass and capturing the small critter, putting it in a glass jar. She stood and smiled, examined it for a second, then picked up her pace to catch up with the group.

Placing the jar in a pouch, she quietly brushed some dirt off her rich blue robes as she once again placed a hand on her escort's shoulder - and then proceeded to examine the heavens. She muttered to herself. "There will be two obvious paths in our near future. The tail is spiralling hopelessly."

 

[Mikkel Markov]

Mikkel stopped and looked back and watched Delyna as she crouched down in the field. Turning off his lightsaber, but still wielding it, Mikkel decided it'd be best to only ignite it if they faced danger else he'd risk hurting Delyna. Waiting for her to get up and return to him, Mikkel smiled and picked up the pace to catch up with [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]. This woman is going to get us both killed, Mikkel thought.

Honestly, though, Mikkel liked escorting her. So often is he landing on a planet's surface killing aimlessly, feeling alone in his blood-lust even with comrades close by. Now he had a seemingly innocent woman following him, her hand on his shoulder the whole way. Looking over the shoulder she had her hand on, Mikkel let out a small chuckle as he saw her looking straight up, and then continued on, listening to Delyna talk to herself.

[member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"]

 

[Marth]

Marth held his gun pointed down, walking along with the group, slightly bored. He raised an eyebrow as Delyna paused to capture the spider. "Are you sure it'll still be alive by the end?" He called out to her, "It has air right..?" He turned to carry on as she came back over, shaking his head. The Umbaran turned his HUD on, blinking as it flicked to life. His face look confused as she stared at the sky, returning her hand to Mikkel's shoulder. Strange girl. He thought as they carried on.

 

[Delyna Karthoys Haymire]

As she folded her other hand behind her back, she stopped examining the skies and look towards the one asking her a question, [member="Marth "]. For a second it seemed she was considering something, then she spoke out. "The well being of the captured arachnid matters little to me, only the details surrounding its capture and its significance to the outcome of future events. This being has been marked as worthy of note, and must be observed carefully."

With that being said, Delyna gazed ahead, watching as they neared the cavern entrance. It would not be long now.

 

[Boethiah]

The Host Lord approached the crystal cave, the rest of the world was audibly coming into their clutches. The sound of death and despair carried across the sky in smoke and fire.

"I can feel a great presence coming from inside the cave, there is a history here.", she said loud enough for the entire group of followers to hear. Dantooine was mostly grasslands and valleys but it also hosted tree groves, caverns, mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans. It was in many ways considered to be one of the most beautiful in all the galaxy and respected as such. So much history existed. Anja's vibroblade was sheathed at her side, the weapon was one of the few that could withstand a lightsaber in melee combat.

Turning her head back, she sized up those who came with her -- to make sure they were ready for the trials within.

[member="Mikkel Markov"] @Marth [member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"]

 

[Mikkel Markov]

Mikkel, leading Delyna, stepped into the entrance of the cave. Motioning her forward, Mikkel took a moment to examine the visible crystals of the cave and admire the beauty. "Worth the walk?" Mikkel asked Delyna. It certainly was for him.

The cave contained enough crystals to last hundreds of years, and Mikkel would use a select pair of these crystals to be the basis of the new lightsabers he was designing. That was one of his motivations for choosing this objective of the invasion. Something didn't seem right though, Mikkel felt as if there was still danger to be had. Instinctively, Mikkel positioned himself between Delyna and the tunnels as a precautionary measure, waiting for further orders from Anja.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] [member="Marth "][member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"]

 

[Delyna Karthoys Haymire]

Although a tall person by human standards, and of a quite reasonable build, most people would doubt Delyna's ability to partake in any form of fight. Her eyes darted from place to place, trying to find anything interesting. Her stance was not that of a warrior or a fighter. Her skin carried no scars. Her hands held no weapons, but she was a force user after all. Of course, those who knew of her powers would realise that she had little utility to bring to standard battles.

The entrance to the crystal caverns was formed almost like a large halo, and already from the outside trails of its mystic nature were evident. It was as if something special was in the air, a sweet aroma associated with the raw power of the force. Delyna could not help but to look up in awe as they entered. As [member="Mikkel Markov"] spoke to her, she quickly responded, while still looking at the walls of the cave. "All actions an individual takes will involve setting in motion a new series of events. Consequences or rewards - it matters little. No matter what course of action we had taken, the travel to our desired destination could have yieled the same, unexpected results. At the moment, yes, this is a rather interesting find. Look here, at the crust. Others have been in here recently. An armoured group of beings, I believe." With those words, she let go of the man and moved closer to inspect fallen rocks and distrubed dust or crust.

 

[Garza]

Standing off into the corner of the Cave, hidden from sight, and in the force, A person that could only be categorized as a warrior by every right. I smiled as I could see a group enter the chambers. It was here that I watched and listened to them. Each feeling something was off, and yet only one seemed to pay attention to the ground. Troops had been there earlier. And now I finally spoke while exposing myself to them.

"The lass is right. There were armored troops here."

In my right hand was Dawnstar. A battle hammer that could clearly be used to put in nails as it could to smash heads.

"Now answer, Why are you in my domain?"

I was the protector of the Crystal caves. And as such, no one would just loot the place and sell the crystals. If you were here, you would earn your prize.

[member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"], [member="Mikkel Markov"], [member="Anja Aj'Rou"], [member="Marth "],

 

[Delyna Karthoys Haymire]

Was this what she had seen earlier? Who was this person? He was clearly a force user, one she had not been able to notice earlier because of the cave itself - or was his own power in league with the latent powers in this wayward location? There were many questions she could ask him at this moment, and many answers she would be happy to search for beneath the surface of Dantooine.

Perhaps it would not be that easy, though. Her group had certain objectives with this planet, that much she knew. Would she stay here for long? That was not certain, either. Once more she felt the thoughts wander aimlessly around within her mind.

He asked them a question, one she could answer. So she did. "I arrived here on Dantooine to investigate the rumors of this very cave system. So far it would seem that the legends hold true." That was, afterall, what she had been tasked to assist with. She knelt down once more, letting her hand trace along the wall.

 

[Marth]

Marth raised an eyebrow, the man bore a hammer that seemed as if he would use the force to throw it. Doing so would make sense, he didn't seem to have any other ranged weapons. Pity the force had gone awyr. The Umbaran slowly flicked off the safety mechanism of his gun looking around to see if there was anyone else. He was prepared for a fight, but didn't want to be the one to start it if he didn't need to. He eyed the guard with narrow eyes, how would he know there were troops here unless he sided with them? That or he was incredibly good at stealth. Marth shrugged, remaining quiet while the others conversed.

 

[Boethiah]

Anja looked to the man who stood guard. His domain? She wondered, it seemed her companions were looking for a fight -- how foolish.

The Host Lord took three steps closer, "Magic is too dangerous lately. I trust you have the wisdom to know what damage that might mean for this place... Let us not fight, defender of the cave. I seek entry.", she stated. The Host Lord would not seem false in her words. Truthfully she didn't want to risk damage to the cave, there was so much for them to discover and she wished to do so. Perhaps this Jedi was more reasonable than others she's faced in the past, when a master on Kashyyyk refused her challenge to a debate only to attack her instead.

Anja was now standing firmly in front of those who followed her and at a fairly close distance to the Jed.

[member="Marth "][member="Mikkel Markov"] [member="Xander Carrick"] [member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"]

 

[Garza]

Smiles were along almost ever side of my face as the young lady attempted to answer my question. She looked to be someone who sought knowledge, one raised his rifle towards me, which only prompted me to place my left hand onto my hip, They would be in for a surprise if they believed that the hammer was the only weapon I carried. I was a Jedi. No brainer.

It was however one woman who took a step forward. Her tone and attitude showed that she usually got her way. She was the leader. I smiled and shook my head.

"Those who seek knowledge may enter. Those who create weapons of the force may enter. Those who just wish to look around may not."

I could feel the force coming from the woman who stood smack between me an the group.

"I know of the force. I am the force. However, one does not need it to defend or attack miss. Keep in mind that here on Dantooine, Jedi don't only train in the force."

Force acted upon was messed up. however things like precognition came naturally for force users. While it was a manifestation of the force, once one being was used to having it, their body naturally caught on. Warriors were known to have a "Sixth sense" of feeling where their enemy was at, where hey were coming from. I had battled in wars and fights since I was a young 14 years of age. I had likely been fighting longer than this woman has been alive. Since I was going off of looks alone, I thought that she should know better.

"I will allow entry, should you answer, the riddle."

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"], [member="Marth "], [member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"], [member="Mikkel Markov"],

 

[Boethiah]

[member="Xander Carrick"]

"A riddle?", she pondered. "An acceptable challenge.", she responded. Perhaps that was too unusual for those behind her. Their reactions could cause an issue, but the Host Lord was not one to prefer fighting. That might seem like an oddity, sure she did just order the complete purging of the Dantari but that didn't mean she had bloodlust. Her own sense of enlightenment, really, that Anja was one responsible for many deaths yet never killed when deemed unnecessary.

 

[Garza]

She wanted the riddle. A woman of power who understood the sacred ideals of this cave would understand why such a being, large and daunting like myself, would guard such a place. It housed many dangers for those who wished to enter. It was the light haired woman who I was interested in. She sought knowledge above all else. And she knew it as well. She was not a fighter because she wanted to, but from necessity. The woman standing in front of me was one who sough such power and knowledge for personal gain as well as for those she led.

Nodding my head, I spoke.

"A single being walks the plains of Dantooine. In the morning it is small and walks on four legs. When the star is in the highest in the sky, the being walks on two, and when the star is leaving the sight of great plains, the being walks on three legs. What is this creature?"

A riddle that was complex and well thought out, however, one that with the only correct answer, could it be solved.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"], [member="Marth "], [member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"], [member="Mikkel Markov"],

 

[Delyna Karthoys Haymire]

Suddenly Delyna felt something tug at her thoughts, and she abruptly went from kneeling to sitting down cross-legged with her back against the wall. She gracefully pulled forth the previously collected spider and examined it once more, before placing it on the ground. Meanwhile her right hand went behind her back to produce a small pouch of clean white sand, which she evenly distributed on the stone floor before her. The glass jar was placed in the middle of the white square and she muttered something to herself;. "Ti-La'eh, Janesthra dij." A simple phrase which she repeated a few times. Using her finger, she carefully outlined circles and other round shapes in the sand, with the cold surface beneath it standing in contrast to the whiteness of the sand itself...

To her, the situation seemed to be going along as planned. Certainly they'd be able to pass his test with haste - she might as well start with the preparations in advance. She closed her eyes and allowed her force vision to take over, watching the energy weave around the cavern tunnels and through the people present. She saw small strands of energy leaking out from the roof and the walls, adding to the steady stream of natural power. Observing the force like this was more interesting to her than any entertainment media others had shown her in the past. Something went a bit amiss, as the rift event not so long ago had sent a shockwave out through the system, she felt a tiny crackle as the use of the force carried unexpected side effects. Her hair slowly arose, and small rocks around her were elevated into the air as well. For now, it was not so much of a bother.

Perhaps she was paying too little attention to the others, though. She'd make sure to focus a bit more on their exchange... Later.

[member="Xander Carrick"] , [member="Anja Aj'Rou"] , [member="Marth "], [member="Mikkel Markov"] , [member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Mikkel Markov]

Mikkel holstered his weapons and examined the Jedi. He seems wise enough not to attack while we're inside the caves, though he would win no matter where we clashed, Mikkel thought. Oh well, let us play his game.

Keeping an eye on what Delyna was doing, Mikkel thought about the riddle some more. There was a pattern in the riddle that Mikkel had heard before, but he was having a hard time remembering where. Oh bugger me, I heard it on my own planet! Mikkel thought as he was absorbed into a brief glimpse of his tragic backstory. He was just a boy on Umbara, walking with his brother during one of the dark days that were a trademark of their planet. Mikkel's brother always liked giving riddles to him for the sake of passing the time. One day, he came up with a riddle not unlike the one that the jedi had given them.

What crawls on all fours in the beginning, then gets up on two feet only to fall back down on three? Mikkel's brother asked him. It took Mikkel a good while to figure it out, and was only able to figure out the answer when he saw one of the elders caring for a newborn.

Snapping back into reality, Mikkel took off his helmet and faced the Jedi, almost staring him down. "Us," Mikkel said. "People. When we are newborn we crawl on all four legs, and when we are old enough we learn to walk on our two feet. When we get too old, it becomes hard to walk on our own and we more than likely end up using a walking stick, counting for a total of three legs."

Mikkel took a breath, and awaited the Jedi's response.

[member="Delyna Karthoys Haymire"] [member="Anja Aj'Rou"] [member="Xander Carrick"] @Marth