In the Marshes [Training Mission] [Republic]

[Tallia Farn]

Tallia took a deep breath as she walked down the shuttle ramp onto hard ground. She expected to be greeted by the sweet smell of organic atmosphere, but instead, she nearly choked herself. The air here was musty and damp, and smelled like rotting carcasses, something she had unfortunately experienced first hand. She gripped the hilt of her vibrosword, which hanged comfortably at her side. Though the sword lacked the lightweight feel of a lightsaber, and required some of her force aura to take the place of the muscle that she simply didn't have, it seemed very well balanced. She was sure it would feel more natural after she got some use with it.


She opened her black, flowing robes and drew out a datapad. Tallia flipped through menus until she brought up a topographic map of the area. She handed it over for @[member="Cale Gunderson"] to see and said, "those beacons are where the pods landed. They probably haven't traveled too far from there." She took the datapad from his hands and stowed it back into her robes. "Im going after my padawan first," She said "but I'll keep my comm open in case you are looking for company." Finishing her sentence, she dashed off into the direction of @[member="Valx Raizod"]'s pod, covering her force identity so he wouldn't be able to sense her coming.

 

[Akodya Mune]

Akodya stared at him in silence for what seemed like forever. Her heart sank as the blushing boy stammered out the words she knew were going to leave his lips eventually. At that moment he resembled a child, turning his embarrassed away. Damn it! why'd he have to do in do that? After THAT. She did not follow him. Her fingers curling up into fists she felt her blood begin to boil.

"DON'T YOU LOOK AWAY AFTER SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT! DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE EMOTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT SENTENCE?!" She screamed at him. She had had enough of the emotional roller coaster that was @[member="Valx Raizod"]. One minute he hated her, then he was hugging her, and then he confessed his love to her, without explaining any of it it her. Didn't he realize how hard it was for her to understand people, she'd been avoiding them her whole life! Anyway, how could he feel so strongly for her, the only time they spent together was just her healing him! How could he love her when she had darkness inside of her that she didn't understand, that was probably making her yell right now. A violent wave of emotions surged through her body at such a pace she felt she was going to explode.

"HOW CAN YOU LOVE ME? VALX? HOW!? YOU HATE ME! YOU'VE ALWAYS HATED ME!"

 

[Valx Raizod]

Valx continued walking as she screamed and yelled behind him. He shook his head, smiling, then turned around to face her, "Don't you get it? I wanted to hate you! But I cant! I'm drawn to you! Haven't you heard people say when you were younger 'he is only mean to you because he likes you'?" Valx sighed and sat down.

Why couldn't she just accept it? He loved her and that was that. He picked at a blade of grass and sighed. Now was not the time to be having this conversation. They had to get down to work. He stood back up and kept walking away, knowing she would follow eventually.

"Accept it, Akodya," he hollered behind him, "or you'll always be contemplating this."

@[member="Akodya Mune"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen stretched, smiling under his mask. "I'll take the team of three." After a quick dip with the shuttle, he leapt from it's interior, using the force to slow his descent as he landed on a large plant. "Let the games begin." He checked the signal receiver, seeing that he wasn't far from the team's crash site. Sure he was Amaran at heart, but very few people realized how canine that made his nature. As such his voice would be unrecognizable as he tilted back his head and let out a long howl, trained to a grand level capable of being heard over long distances while sounding much like a beast, and very little like a human.

Still, it wouldn't do to get slowed by the swamp's bogs, so he leaped from plant to plant, using the fauna to keep himself over the ground, while also using it and the darkness to hide him from site until he wished for himself to be seen. Yes, he would have some fun in this mission, though he was likely try and terrify these apprentices within the process. Within reason of course.

@[member="Tavjurn Phil"] @[member="Aronis Vilgar"] @[member="Miri Shorn"]

 

[Cortana Jade]

She held close the ideas of floor panels, and trip wires, but it was the writings and the carvings that had her in awe. Nala had ignited her saber, and filled the massive hallway with its purple shade, and Sochi in turn did the same thing. Ru held her saber close to a wall to get a clear look at the carvings, promoting her to place her hand on her chin. She couldn't quite make them out. She squinted her eyes, but her attention quickly turned to a massive room they had entered. Her head was tilted up, tiny hole within the ceiling had cast pillars of light throughout the room, but it still remained full of shadow. One could hear the scuffling of tiny animals running away from the light of their sabers. She came to a halt, and began looking around till Nala took her attention. She turned and walked behind her. Trying her hardest to see, she took a quick glimpse down and ended up running into Nala. She peeked, and saw her pointing down. She was grateful for her, because she would've walked right through it, and who knows what type of trap she would've triggered.

"Oh dear, thanks Nala. I'm glad your the lead, because I would've walked right through it. I need to focus." She said softly, and stepping over it after her. It was quiet, possibly too quiet. Maybe it was because it wasn't home to anyone, at least she thought it wasn't. I guess they would have to go further. She didn't know she walked over a skeleton.

@[member="Nala Tu"]

 

[Nala Tu]

Nala nodded when Sochi stepped over the wire before they made their way down. She kept her free hand on the wall as they proceed downward, eventually coming to a long hallway. Nala's light couldn't illuminate the path ahead which made it more dangerous. Nala took careful steps forward only to feel one panel slide down as she stepped on it. "Oh poodoo...." she said before spikes jutted from the wall towards her. She leapt out of the way before more spiked began to pop put here and there, one starching her shoulder when she ducked. Looking to Sochi she said "Quick find something to stop it! Or something!"

@[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Akodya Mune]

"No, BECAUSE MY CHILDHOOD DIDN'T EXACTLY EVOLVE AROUND THE MINDSET OF JUVENILE MALES!" She hissed in response, his answer less then satisfactory. How can you be drawn to someone? How does that even work? Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose and began pacing around. This was not the time to be emotional. Nor was it a time to loose her head.

"How am I to accept what I don't understand? I don't even know how you can..." she murmured with words fading away, trying to regain control once again.

Looking back at @[member="Valx Raizod"] Akodya was overcome with a need to turn around and storm off in the opposite direction. But instead she stood still, trembling a little. She had a training mission to complete, even with emotional mishaps. Groaning, Akodya had no choice but to follow him, keeping a far distance behind him at all times.

 

[Arrol Balloch]

@[member="Sochi Ru"], @[member="Nala Tu"]

As much as it was 'fun' remaining by the side of Iella on her tree high up over the marshes guarding the Holocron and preparing for the Padawans finally get there, Arrol decided it was time for a stroll. The blonde woman is pregnant, constantly eating and making the most unusual noises through her stomach, at least that was what Arrol hoped. Something Arrol could no long bare. Woman! he has no idea how they work, how they think, or why they are so emotional, and what was even more alarming is that they do not hesitate to show it. His friend Chora for one, a Ghost of a woman that has taken to emotional out bursts at the most inconvenient times.

So, as is his will, he decided to go find some of these Padawans and see how they are going in their quest. Instantly, through the Force, since he is the Force now, he located the Ruins, he would not appear in his blue shimmer, no, he did not wish to have his presence felt, well they would not anyway, because he would not allow it and they are not attuned to him.

He found them deep within the ruin in all sorts of a pickle. Standing directly behind them now, he looked over their shoulder to see what the trouble was. It seemed they had set off a trap of some form and now dealing with it. Well they seemed to have it in hand, good, a test that will ... test them?. However, he did not bother to walk around them, he walked through them and they would feel the icy chill in the bones. Not that he intended this to happen it just did. As his force presence passed through their bodies and out, he stood looking at the situation. Stroking his beard contemplating what they might do. He would not allow anything to befall them, but he would watch.

 

[Alan]

@[member="Rasu Gan"]
@[member="Vexander Graves"]

There was a snapping of a twig behind Vex, and then in separate directions. In an instant, the thermal image that the girl tried to focus on disappeared into the thick fog, and Roland was again, behind them. He tapped his foot on the ground, gaining their attention. He wasn't wearing a mask now, and he smiled at Vex. He took up a sort of comical kung-fu crane stance, and then lept backwards. Roland had created a simple snare trap was sure to entice the two, thanks to him going backwards. If they stepped on the trap, their legs would be taught and they'd be dragged upwards, but no harm done. Infact, it was quite obvious Roland could have at least maimed, killed, or hurt them both terribly. He was either testing, or toying with them.

A bit of both.

He was also in the mood to kill something, so there was that.

 

[Cortana Jade]

Their lightsabers weren't helping much, it seemed as though it remained dark no matter how hard they tried to illuminate the pathway. She heard floor panel activate, for a minute she looked down thinking she had activities it but she came to a revelation when she heard Nala say, "Oh poodoo..." She saw her leap out of the way, and so did she so she didn't become to target. They seemed to go in a pattern coming from many directions. Nala called out to Sochi. She quickly used her lightsaber to block the ones that came from in front of her. Then quickly used the force to catch the ones that came from behind her. She wasn't quick enough to take care of the ones that came from her left side, so she just ducked. They seemed to end, but she wasn't sure she was gonna be able to do that agin. They got lucky. She placed her hand on Nala's shoulder, "Seems like we'll be fine for a time. There's way more where that came from." She said softly and slightly out of breath.

While looking up and smiling at Nala, she received a chill, one that made her shiver, prompting her to place her free hand on her chest. She took a deep breath and her breath became visible. It had suddenly got cold, extremely cold. "Hey... Did it just get cold, or is it me? She said with her voice slightly shaky.

@[member="Nala Tu"] @[member="Arrol Balloch"]

 

[Nala Tu]

Nala noticed Sochi's breath as well before breathing herself and seeing her own. She looked about and wondered aloud "It can't be this cold all of a sudden. We're in the middle of a marshland underneath the ground." Still looking about Nala did not see any signs of any frost on the walls or ground. Standing she said "Let's just move on." She hissed a little as she felt her shoulder again and looked at the wound. Thinking for a moment Nala used her saber to cut a small piece off which she tied around the wound. It already began to darken after she put it on but at least it was better this way. With a quick nod to Sochi they proceeded forward.

@[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Arrol Balloch]

@[member="Nala Tu"], @[member="Sochi Ru"]

Arrol frowned at the sight of the Youngling injured, not much he could do to help her, but he reached out with the force and probed her trying to ascertain the extent of her injuries. If she is attuned enough to the force, she would feel his presence only for a moment, before he broke it off, noting that she will be fine and more so when she receives medical attention. He did not know what they are looking for down here, the Holocron nowhere near this place, he only assumed they are curious about ruins. However, these places are usually riddled with dangers and he sensed they where about to discover another one. Well he smiled at that, as the danger was about to be designed by him.

This mission is not that unusual, he remembered a similar event in his youth when going through his trails to become Knight. Hmmm he thought, what could I do.

It was a force of habit he guess, but he raised his hand and summon the force. The could sense the living things around the ruins, the vegetation visible through the force pulsing with life and a glow of blue around them, their auras in the force, everything has it's auras. The air in the ruin chamber, swirled and shifted around their feet in mini whirlpools, kicking up dust and old leaves. He reached for them through the ground directly under the ruins, their root system vast and wide spread. He focused on them and manipulated the roots to burst through the floor of the ruins, they wriggled there for a moment, like serpents, before he pushed them to one called Sochi. The roots wrapped around her legs and tightened as they traveled up her body and held her firm, her arms pinned to her side, not painfully so, no that would never do, but they secured her to the wall of the ruins.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The man kept mocking them in several ways and taking the advantage of the enviroment for his own purposes, nevertheless, Vexander remained thinking in the same thing more than once: he was just trying to provoke them. There couldn't be other reason after all, if it was really a fight to the death that he wanted to do they would both be done for or at least heavily wounded.

Vexander had to find an opening... especially when he made himself visible at them. He taunted them in several ways and this time he had the face completely uncovered. There seemed to be no skill that could get them... until he made himself visible. Within a couple of seconds, the man took a Kung-Fu type stance and then leaped backwards... that was the time when Vex reacted.

In mid air, taking advantage to the fact that he didn't have traction at all, the young man performed the same action he did back in Valen while he was trying to escape. With the help of the Force and his now enhanced Telekinesis, Vexander extended his hand and drawed raw power from the Force to attract his whole body back at them... the padawan aimed for the man to be left just a couple of meters away from them... although Vex didn't know that there was a trap around, chances were that either @[member="Roland"] would trigger his own trap or get so close to the team that they would be within reach to incapacitate him.

To put an end to the confrontation and to get answer, Vex finally ignited his lightsaber and, regardless of the outcome of the Force Pull, he would approach Roland and place the lightsaber a few centimeters away from his chin as a signal to surrender himself and to explain the situation "Now this time will be different from what happend back in Valen... you better explain yourself"

((OOC: Took advantage of the fact that you didn't explain where you landed so for me you are still in the air or about to land, also gave you a few options to decide but in the end you might come up with something... your call, just wanted to make a move ))

 

[Cortana Jade]

It definitely was weird, and Nala had a good point, they we underneath the ground, and deep within the Marshes. It couldn't have gotten that cold within a matter of seconds. Nevertheless Sochi had no explanation for it, and so after looking around, and went along with Nala. They couldn't do much, but continue along their path. Now she would be more on guard before, especially with their run in with the spikes and the walls, and trip wires, and now the cold. Sochi had only wished she continued her study, and received an mentor in order to learn how to heal through the force, at least then she could distribute aid to her friend who had now received a wound. She sighed, and continued on walking besides Nala. But as she looked forward, she felt the ground beneath her sudden tremble, from what she could see due to the darkness, was what seemed like plants growing rapidly underneath her, "Ugh, what?!" She yelled out, and suddenly her legs was wrapped up. There was just too much to cut with her blade, and it happened so fast she wouldn't think she could've reached for her lightsaber anyway. Before she new it they were tugging on her, and pulling her quickly into the wall. She was pinned to the all within seconds. She wasn't being strangled, but the grip was strong enough to keep her from moving. She was breathing heavily when she quickly looked up at Nala, "You have to cut me down!" She said.

@[member="Nala Tu"] @[member="Arrol Balloch"]

 

[Nala Tu]

With a touch from some otherworldly presence, Nala looked behind her. There was nothing and yet for a brief moment she'd felt something. For a moment she didn't realize what was happen to Sochi until she yelled out. Nala looked back to see the plants wrapped around her limbs and pin her to the wall. After Sochi asked for help Nala nodded and said "Hold still." before igniting her saber. "I don't want to make any mistakes." Carefully she pointed the tip of the saber at certain spots on the vines to burn them off while not singeing her friend in the process. First her legs then moving up to her arms and body before finally managing to free her. "There we go." she said, after helping her friend out. Nala looked down at the plants and nudged them with her foot before saying "These don't seem the type to just spring to life."

@[member="Sochi Ru"] @[member="Arrol Balloch"]

 

[Arrol Balloch]

@Nala Tu, @Sochi Ru

Ah! Very good Padawan, Arrol thought at the comment of the one called Nala. They are indeed not the trees that would move about by themselves. He began to chuckle, his time audibly.

But that would be all they would sense. He walked away a bit more down the ruins, with his hands folded behind his back, looking about as if on a sight see tour, Yes dangers indeed. This is an old place, that he could sense but long gone are the Ghosts that might have dwelled here, however the traps remain, some still in operations others not. He shot a look over his shoulder toward them again, to see if they are both alright. But he would await their next move.

He liked these two, the one called Nala and the one called Sochi, he wanted them to win.

 

[Rasu Gan]

"Stang," Rasu muttered under her breath as the man escaped her vision yet again. Her infrared vision, supplied by her Trandoshan form, allowed her to pinpoint the location of the mysterious man. However each time she finally honed in on him, he would suddenly change positions, never remaining in one spot for too long. His method began to frustrate the Shi'ido, but she didn't give up, she knew this man was dangerous and it was up to her to keep her eyes locked on him, for the safety of both herself and Vex.

A dull thud resonated from behind her, drawing her attention away from the treetops, she turned to find the man standing behind Vex. She was about to call out to Vex, however stopped when the man leaped backwards towards the swamp. You're not getting away, she thought, preparing herself to jump straight at the man. She was caught by surprise, when the human was suddenly flung, in mid-air, towards Vex, who she now realised had caught the fleeing man in the Force and had thrown him towards the human Padawan. Leaping to Vexander's side instead, she activated her own lightsaber, her yellow blade shone as bright as the cyan blade already activated next to hers. She became aware that Vex may know the man, but decided not to ask, now was not the right time. She hoped that they could finally rid themselves of this pest, and finally get back to their mission. I'm sure that the other teams are already far ahead of us, she thought to herself, trying to remain focused on the task at hand.


@[member="Vexander Graves"], @[member="Roland"]

 

[Valx Raizod]

@[member="Akodya Mune"]

Valx continued walking away, noticing she was about 30 meters behind her. This bothered him. He wanted her with him. He loved her, but they were both too blinded with rage and anger and anxiety for either of them to realize it. Surely all this bickering gave the other teams an advantage. Teamwork--something they both needed to work on...desperately.

"Are you coming or not," Valx said in his thick Irish accent, "In case you haven't noticed, we have to find this holocron soon. It will be nightfall in about 4 hours!"

Akodya knew which buttons to push and she manipulated him without even realizing it. Valx was wrapped around her finger. He'd do anything for her at the drop of a hat, and that was what scared him. He was too blinded to see clearly the emotions in his head.

"Akodya...please..." Valx said, his tone and features softening.

 

[Alan]

Roland was being pulled, and smiled as the blade came up to Vex. He glanced around, and then looked him dead in the eye. He put his hands up in a faux-surrender, and the grin faded and turned into a snarl. Using the armored shoulder he had, he dug it against the lightsaber blade, forcing it upwards. This left Vex completely exposed, and Roland rotated his hand and went to palm-strike him straight in the throat, rendering him particulary useless for a few seconds. Turning to the girl, Roland went for a simple sweep-kick to knock her down to her feet. Given that she didn't look the combat ready, and the fact that Roland was a straight-up murderer, he might have been successful or at least at the most hit her in the foot. He wondered if his armor could stand another blow in the same area like that, however.

@[member="Rasu Gan"]
@[member="Vexander Graves"]

 

[Akodya Mune]

Sighing Akodya studying the blind padawan, his usually tense appearance softening. "Fine. Lets get the holocron, I don't want to stick around here when it gets dark." She said firmly, deciding to just go about the mission as if nothing ever happened. All this relationship stuff was a little hard for Akodya to wrap her head around. She just needed to return her focus on the task in hand so she could return to her normal studies. The two pressed on, Akodya still keeping her distance from him. She had no idea how to go about him anymore. As they tread through the thick greenery the air not noticeably colder as the planet began to prepare itself for nightfall. A heavy silence fell between them as they walked.

Finally, Akodya cleared her throat. "So, Valx, I don't think I've ever asked you but...where are you from?" She asked without looking him in the eyes, recalling his odd accent. It sounded a little imperial, but not quite.

@[member="Valx Raizod"]