Private Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate

[Pisti Caleida]

C H O L G A N N A​

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The eveningmists swirled and spun, like monochrome paints running together on a canvas. They clung to the orange-crimson canopy of the forest, but it was the steep-sided and immense valley - or crater - that made the structure that sat in the middle truly hard to see. The crater was so wide that even in daylight Pisti would have barely been able to see the other side. Now, in the oncoming darkness obscured by mist, the far edge of this massive hole was only a deep shadow.

Pisti herself stood on the northern lip of the crater. She kept her eyes fixed on the distant shape at the crater’s heart. Pisti knew ships. Especially starfighters. Their speed and sharp turns had always made her feel alive. But these hulking battleships - or freighters, as the Neimoidians called them -felt like prisons. Even wrecked, they loomed. That still counted for their remains, like this one. It was a massive spherical structure. Completely out of place, and it made her feel watched.

With a crack and three-tone beep, the comlink on her bracer came alive. "Knight Caleida? Please come in." Pisti felt relieved to hear another voice. Something about Cholganna in general made her feel paranoid. "Waddup cap!" She said a little to brightly. If only he could see her eyes darting from gnarling branches to slithering roots. "Our long-range scanners have identified the crash-site ahead of you. There are at least a dozen lifeforms inside, as we expected." His voice was neutral. Captain Demoux, a Ghorman who lacked their usual fiery passion, always sounded neutral and matter-of-fact. "Think it's 'em cap?" She eyed the structure, but even with help from the Force she was certain that she wouldn't be able to discern movement from this distance. "We cannot confirm that its the Red Knives, Master Jedi. But there is something inside. For certain." Pisti scowled. "Gah! Could just be the Nexu." She glanced over her shoulder again, peering into the tendrils of mist. "Them beasts are everywhere" Had she known ahead of time that this planet wasn't going to be a fun trip, she would have refused the mission. But now that was too late. Now, she felt a wave of anxiety at every twig snapping and every shadow moving. "Well, check it out." That was more like it. "Oh- did the authorization come through?" She was already moving to the edge. "It did. You're allowed to engage. But please do know that you're on your own out there." That made Pisti smile. Was she ever truly alone? The Force was with her. Always. Pisti knew that by heart.

"'kay! Gimme three hours. I'll take care of this." She didn't wait for Captain Demoux's affirmation. Pisti simply stepped off the edge, letting the crater claim her.

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

The jungle was loud. Annoyingly so. Between the hiss of steam vents, the distant shriek of something definitely not friendly, and the ever-present hum of insect wings, Acier couldn't hear himself think. Not that it mattered. He already knew what he'd tell himself.

Never trust a pilot named 'Skip.'

The deal was simple: discreet passage, no questions, low cost. And he got what he paid for. The ship's repulsorlift coil gave out mid-flight, nearly dumping him into Cholganna's canopy like a sack of scrap. Now Skip was back at the crash site running diagnostics with a hydrospanner and prayer, while Ace was the one picking through rusted wrecks in search of compatible parts.

His boots sank slightly into the moss with each step as he climbed over what looked like the skeleton of an old escape pod. Four Hundred Year Darkness-era? Older? Hard to tell. The jungle had half-eaten it.

"Figures." he muttered, yanking a scorched cable free. "The one time I don't overthink, and I wind up on Death World Bingo."

Still, there was a weight in the air. Familiar, almost. Like the Force was humming with anticipation. He couldn't place it yet, but he felt something nearby. A disturbance. A presence. Whatever it was, he didn't imagine it was anything the Jedi holocron taught him.

Ace wiped the sweat from his brow, eyes narrowing toward the east, where mist crawled like breath across the ridgeline. A shift in the air made him pause. It wasn't the wind, it was something else. A subtle weight pressing down on his skin, like the jungle had suddenly grown still to listen. The birds had stopped calling. Even the insects, ever-present and irritating, had gone quiet.

Ace stood slowly, one hand brushing his blaster out of instinct. His eyes scanned the thick underbrush ahead. There was barely visible path. Flattened foliage. Boot prints, recent and deliberate, winding toward a slope swallowed in mist. His brow furrowed. Someone else was out here.

And the Force, subtle as it was, tugged at him gently in that direction. Not a warning. A pull. He adjusted the strap on his shoulder, took one last look at the wreckage behind him, and started forward, quiet, steady. Toward whatever lay beyond the fog.

Pisti Caleida

 

[Pisti Caleida]

C H O L G A N N A​

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She skidded down the steep slope, a spray of pebbles and grit cascading in her wake. Dirt and gravelburied her heels when she finally felt even ground under her boots. Her hadn hovered over the comlink, but she decided against calling it in. There was no need for Captain Demoux to know her every move. She could do this without help from the Aeonia's crew. She would prove it.

First, she would have to navigate this treacherous place.

Pisti sought out one of the larger trees to climb. She picked one with gnarled roots sprawled across the wet soil, its massive trunk leaning slightly to the right. She bounced lightly on her heels - the Force flowed easier when she was in motion. When she'd found her focus, Pisti channeled the Force. Her body felt faster and lighter - as if strong breeze could take her away. Then, she leapt into the tree and began to climb to rise above the misty murk of the valley.

Perched in the treetop highest branches, Pisti finally broke through the mists. The remains of the lucrehulk-class battleship lay directly ahead of her, dwarfing the trees. It would take a good two hours before she would even get close enough to spot something resembling an entrance. That made her scowl. A lot could happen in two hours. It wasn't unthinkable that, by the time she arrived, the Red Knives were already gone.

There was more. The Dark-side of the Force had taken root in this valley. It was like a shroud of fog on its own. Debilitating, rousing anger and fear from within her. She felt it seep in from all around her as she sat there, open to the Force. It would have been overpowering, had she not been trained in the Light-side.

Gingerly, she stretched her awareness in the Living Force. There was a tremor only a couple of meters away. A sign of life. Raw emotions that held more complexity than animals did. Were the Red Knives patrolling this place?

With her weight reduced to that of a feather, Pisti knew she could cross that distance. She leapt from her outpost, soaring through the air until gravity threw her back in the mists below. Evading the branches, Pisti landed squarely on two feet.

"This ain't no place for-" Her eyes widened. "Wait. You! Freckles!" She was terrible with names. Worse with birthdays. But she'd never forgotten a face. "What'cha doing 'ere?" She watched him, one hand on her hip. The teen had a lightsaber, and she hesitated to draw her own. She'd seen him lob off a man's arm - would he attempt the same on her?

"Y'know this place is not safe, right?" As to emphasize her words, a shrill roar echoed through the jungle. Much closer than she would've liked. "Nexu. Gotta move Freckles, that beastie's lookin' for dinner."

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Ace didn't get very far before a familiar flash of orange dropped into view. He staggered back, hand instinctively hovering over the grip of his DL-27—until he got a proper look. It was the Jedi from Denon - no, not Aadihr Lidos - the other one. He didn't trust her as much as the Miraluka, but he knew she wouldn't harm him.

His posture relaxed slightly. Ace's lips parted to answer her first question, but another one hit before he could speak—followed by a string of words, one tumbling after the next. Then a piercing roar tore through the jungle, a Nexu no doubt. He gave her a moment, one brow raised, just to make sure she was finished. Then he spoke:

"Transport I hired? Its repulsorlift coil gave out." he said flatly. "And yes, I know this place isn't safe."

He didn't bother acknowledging the Nexu warning. Being on Cholganna and not staying alert for Nexu was like being on Nar Shaddaa and not keeping your wallet close.

"Name's Acier by the way." he added "Not Freckles."

The Nexu roared again. This time it was closer, cutting through the trees like a vibroblade through silk; high-pitched, wet, and close. Ace froze mid-step, the sound thrumming in his bones. His hand hovered near his blaster, but he didn't draw. Not yet. No sudden movements, not with that thing out there. The trees around them seemed to still. Even the mist recoiled.

"Don't run." Ace muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Pisti.

He moved beside her in a crouch, eyes scanning the treeline with deliberate slowness. Shadows stretched too long in the fog. He couldn't see it, but the Force? It whispered like breath in the back of his mind. Heavy. Coiled. Close.

"It's not charging," he said quietly, voice low and even. "It's watching. Circling. You feel it too, right?"

Somewhere off to the left, a branch cracked. Not a snap, but a slow, deliberate shift. It knew what it was doing.

Ace took a slow step forward. The damp moss muffled his boots, but the forest still pressed in on him like a weight. His senses stretched outward - not far, not well. But just enough. Enough to feel that they were still seconds ahead of becoming meat. They had time, but not much. The Nexu was thinking, plotting. Waiting for either of them to make a mistake to capitalize on.

The jungle pulsed again—mist curling around their knees, branches slick with dew and rot. Up ahead, the trees thinned just slightly—a slope leading down into the deeper vallery, where the Lucrehulk ruin loomed beneath the fog. Ace gestured toward it with a nod. It was decent cover. Then, almost to himself, as he tightened his grip on the DL-27:

"What the hell is my life?"

He exhaled through his nose.

"Hey." he added, flicking a glance to Pisti, "Can you still do that trick where you jump like gravity's optional?"

Because if that thing caught wind of them again, they might need to move vertically. Fast.

Pisti Caleida

 

[Pisti Caleida]

C H O L G A N N A​

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Pisti nodded, grinning. “Gotta get your money back for that flight!” She was no classically trained mechanic, but she had become quite the experienced tinkerer during her apprenticeship. Enough so that Kraud had trusted her with starship maintenance. And definitely enough to know that repulsorlift coils both didn’t give out easily and weren’t cheap to replace. Her best guess was that the lifespan of those coils had to be somewhere between six thousand and ten thousand landings before one even had to consider replacing them. If they gave out now? That reeked of neglect.

She gave him a thumbs up when he shared his name. He seemed a little stingy, but not unforthcoming. But where was the pilot? If he had indeed hired a transport, somebody else was around.” Say, is the pilot still kickin’?” It was possible that the pilot hadn’t survived the crash.

A second roar reverberated through the jungle. Much closer this time. Pisti's green eyes darted toward the dark shapes of trees. Only - it didn't need to hide behind those for cover. The mist was enough. She glanced at Acier. Could he fight it off? Did she want to risk finding out that he couldn't? "Feel?" She studied him for a moment. "I feel a lotta things, but stalked ain't one of 'em." Then came the snap of branches. Close now.

Ace took a step forward - only now did she notice his hand on the blaster. She laid a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "Ain't gonna be enough to put down a Nexu." He suggested a retreat. "Good thinkin'!" She beamed a smile at him, then switched in tone. "But I checked - it's decpetively far away. We ain't gonna get there in time if we run." They'd have to fight. It was the only way.

Pisti nodded. "Right. Patience." She drew a heavy breath through her nose. "Patience is the Jedi way." Silence. Agonizing silence. Each heartbeat confirmed that time ticked away.

Then it came rushing forward. A pale blur that matched her in height cutting through the mist, fangs bared, claws tearing up roots and earth. Pisti didn’t flinch. She stood her ground, hands on hips, and locked eyes with it.

Ferocity in blood-red gaze met defiance in sparkling green.

At the last second, the Nexu skidded to a halt, loosing a roar that rang in her bones.

It glared at her as the beast began a slow circle. "Don't do anythin'." She hissed to Acier. She unclipped the lightsaber from her belt, slow and deliberate. Her instincts had said that the first charge was for show. But the next wouldn't be.

Then it sprang - fast as lightning.

So did she.

Her saber flashed.

The Nexu landed in two even halves, split cleanly between the eyes.

Pisti stood over it. Her voice soft. "Would've let it go if it weren't for that pilot fellow of yours." Pity flickered in her eyes. But with another unprotected in the jungle, she simply couldn't let a predator on the hunt run loose. "Beasties like this? Rare to see 'em wild these days." She sighed and her demeanor changed, bright again as if nothing had happened. "You coming? We've got a mission to finish!"

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

"Pilot's still kicking, yeah. Sent me out to look for parts though." he answered, resentment in his tone at his current predicament.

Ace raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. She couldn't feel the Nexu watching them? It felt like someone was reflecting the sun over him with a magnifying glass, followed by butterflies in his stomach. Well, maybe that last part was more to do with him sensing impending danger, rather than the feeling of being stalked.

He felt Pisti's hand touch his shoulder, he didn't turn to look at her but he listened. His blaster wouldn't be enough. Sighing, he reached for his lightsaber instead, wrapping his fingers around the hilt. He still wasn't confident in how to use it, but what other option did he have? The news that followed wasn't better either. The Jedi admitted that they wouldn't have enough time to flee. Fighting it was, then. Of course.

'Patience' she said, but it sounded more like she was telling herself rather than him. However, he nodded in acknowledgement regardless. The anticipation was excruciating. Ace could feel his heart pumping inside his chest and his ears were hot. He tried to stabilise his breathing but failed to do so.

Acier jolted as his saw the Nexu appear in view, he stepped back slightly as it skidded to a halt. Eyes wide, his left arm twitched, ready to ignite his lightsaber but Pisti ordered him to stay still. Everything in him screamed to do the opposite but, her calmness, her stillness amidst the tense air... it made him trust her word.

Then it pounced. His breath hitched and the galaxy slowed. In one single moment, Ace heard a familiar snap hiss before watching the Nexu separate in half at their feet.

He stared at its remains, wide-eyed and silent. The jungle seemed to exhale with him. Smoke curled faintly from the wound. Ace blinked. Not out of disbelief, but recalibration. His mind was still trying to catch up to what he'd seen.

One breath, one flash, and it was done. No hesitation. No panic. Just clarity. Movement. Control. His fingers loosened around the hilt of his own saber, and he let his arm fall slack at his side.

"If I'd shot it..." he muttered, more to himself than to her. "I'd've been fertilizer." He looked over at her, really looked this time. "That thing was a blur. And you didn't even flinch."

There was something quiet in his voice now. Not admiration. Not yet. But the start of it. He'd met Jedi, multiple at this point but he'd only spoke about or learned more about the Force. He'd never seen one action, what someone fully trained could really do.

He cleared his throat, trying to mask it with sarcasm. "So... is that like, lesson one? 'Intimidate the apex predator and cut it in half'?" But the joke didn't land quite right. His eyes were still on the Nexu. Still thinking.

He glanced back at her as she moved toward the slope, her tone bright again like it hadn't even fazed her. And suddenly, following her didn't feel like a choice. It felt like the only option if he wanted to get out of this alive.

The jungle had quieted again, but it wasn't peaceful. It was that tense silence that felt like something was about to go wrong. Again.

Ace moved ahead, eyes scanning the mossy ground, boots careful on the uneven slope. The ruins of the Lucrehulk loomed through the mist, closer now. Too close for comfort.

The jungle narrowed into a slope choked with moss and roots. Ace moved ahead, cautious but steady. That's when he saw it. Half-buried beneath vines was a scorched scout droid, its photoreceptor flickering weakly. The plating was singed black, but he could still make out a faint Red Knives sigil carved into its side.

He crouched, brushing debris off the metal. "There's others here... Is this your mission?"

A blood smear trailed into the underbrush. Not fresh. Not old either. He stood, eyes narrowing toward the foggy silhouette of the Lucrehulk ahead. Something in his chest buzzed, not adrenaline. Something quieter. Like... guiding?

Pisti Caleida