Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Jedi Shadows: Search for the Dark Casket

In Transit to Nyriaan

Selena had been baffled by the order to take charge of the Shadows. As far as she knew, this was the first time a Shadow had been placed over the collective group of Shadows. Typically, they had answered directly to the council, or some other authoritative body. But this was also a new time in the galaxy, where things were just starting to come together after the 400 years of darkness. A lot was changing because of that fact. She was surprised also because she was not a master, but she was not one to argue. If the council saw her worthy of the position, then she would handle it with diligence and care.

Upon getting the charge she set her eyes to seeking out an artifact, though potentially far more than that, she had read about. It was a lost Oubliette, and one that had a name tied to it. It had been used by Darth Glovoc, a Sith Lord that dated back to the ancient Jedi Civil War. It had gone missing long ago, and the last rumors about it were about six hundred years old. But if it had survived the thousands before that, then it could very well have survived the last six hundred. It was a potentially problematic item, because of what it could contain, so she wanted to see it contained.

While not the norm by any stretch of the imagination, she had gathered a team of Shadows to hunt it out. Typically Shadows worked as individuals, but in rare instances they did come together as teams. Both had their advantages. Alone they were better able to not draw attention to themselves, however, this had far higher risks. From the temptation of the artifacts they hunted, to the threats around them. Teams drew more attention, but were safer and could hold one another accountable. Given the location they were heading to, it just made sense for a team to be gathered.

Nyriaan, the last known location of the oubliette, was in a troublesome sector of the galaxy. It was near Mandalorian space, which was good, but it was also rather close to Sith space. Given that they were hunting for an artifact with Sith origin, it was at least plausible they could find themselves entangled with the Sith.

Selena Halcyon found herself seated in the cabin area of the transport the team was in. Her eyes looked over information on a datapad. Around the ship were other shadows that had been asked to come. She imagined that some of those on board might feel a little strange. After all, there had been no meeting prior to the ship leaving. Selena did not like meetings. No, all of them had received the same document on their datapad with details about the mission and when they were leaving. Given that all had arrived more or less on time, she assumed they had read it.

Greetings my fellow shadows,
I am building a team to go after the lost oubliette of Darth Glovoc, and you have been chosen for the task. While a simple stasis chamber is not much of a cause of concern on its own, this one has gained my attention because of its potential contents. Darth Glovoc himself may still be alive within it, given that the chamber is quite well designed and is capable of keeping someone alive for thousands of years. For those of you who have not heard of him: he was an ancient Sith Lord during the Jedi Civil War who had a rather keen gift for seeing the future. He was a military commander at the time and evidently rather gifted and influential. No records exist of him leaving the oubliette, so it is safe to assume that he is likely still in it. Should he be, that alone is a threat to the peace of the galaxy, but more still if the Sith Empire finds him and he joins them. The last known location of the oubliette is the planet of Nyriaan, which is where we will be heading to first to try and locate it or pick up any leads as to where it could be. The planet has its own risks, and is rather close to Sith space which is why a team is being gathered for this. Information on the environment is attached to this document, I recommend you read up on it.
We depart at dawn this coming Benduday from hanger bay 6.
May the Force be with you till then,
Jedi Knight Selena Halcyon

Attached Document: Nyriaan


While she had read about the planet at least a dozen times before, she kept on reading the information on it while she waited for the transport to enter the atmosphere, a moment she was not looking forward to. The idea of having her ability to sense the force disrupted, even if for a time seemed frightening to her. And the risks in landing also troubled her, but not as much. Regardless, she waited and read.
 
For the first time, Padak had been recruited to be a Jedi Shadow. He was happy to have been chosen, as he had an interest in history. Perhaps one day, they would find Rakatan artifacts, but for now, a Sith casket was a good adventure. He was onboard the transport bringing the team to the supposed resting place of Glovoc.

He was in his quarters, reading the planet file for Nyriaan. Seemed like a somewhat dangerous world. He had never been, and he was always up for an adventur. What better adventure than looking fpr the casket of an ancient Sith Lord?
 

Ashin Varanin

Professional Enabler
The earliest signs of middle age slowed Boolon's usually sedate walk to a positively tranquil crawl as he moved through the ship.

Boolon knocked gently on the piece of wall that adjoined both Selena's cabin and Padak's. "Good evening," he said. "I've been looking over the files again, and I find myself, well, a little concerned. I've dealt with, shall we say, degenerate Dark Side groups before -- the Rhandites, Sable Dawn, the Blackguard -- and I never like to visit them in their homes if it can be avoided. If this group still exists, and if its members still worship Lord Glovoc, how do you two feel about pacification? Conversion, even? Do you think they can be bought, or reasoned with? I'd hate to suggest trickery."
 
Au'Rus decided she would tag along with Knight Murr, some field practice of what she has learned would do her some good. But besides, that Au'Rus' passion for healing the force, for subduing the encroaching darkness fuelled her actions even more. Seated in a chamber corridor near the chambers which Knight Padak, Selena and Murr had congregated, Au'Rus was deep in thought- searching the force of naunces and fluctuations in the streams of life the force controls. With her head low and her breething deep, the miraluka was transported to a different realm. This realm projected before her was the presence of worlds they were travelling to manifested in flames, some dark and some light. Each time Au'Rus took in a breath the world became clearer, this was the "Far-Seeing Eyes of Ashla" that she had been taught be her previous master, a Luka Sene Miraluka.

In the distance she could feel a dark flame that raged with an ancient fury. As she came close to see it she was repulsed and suddenly thrown out of her meditation. She raised her head in a sudden jerk and gasped for air. The Sith poison that ran through her veins erupted in violent excitement for being near another dark taint. Au'Rus' body seized up, she grabbed onto her being clinging to her chest. She began to cough violently and choke on her own saliva. The poison was more active than usual. Au'Rus centered herself and her force presence pushed the poison back into subjugation. "Not this time Bogan..."Au'Rus passionatley proclaimed, still clinging onto her chest, "Not.....this time. As a servant of Ashla, I will burn you away and your shadows shall not hold dominion over me no more!"
 
Selena looked up from her notes at the question of the Ithorian Jedi. She nodded slowly, "I'm not too keen on deep trickery either. I also do not see them being too willing to negotiate. They've survived thousands of years and a yuuzhan vong invasion while still worshiping a sleeping Sith Lord. They must have some strong indoctrination to keep the faith that long. Directly asking about the oubliette seems impossible," she smiled at the thought of just walking up and asking a bunch of cultists for their most prized possession. "We could observe. If they still have it then some of their ceremonies might involve it. But we could also approach the Yuuzhan Vong refugees on planet, I would guess that there might be conflict between the two groups. They might know something as well. But I am willing to take suggestions."


The Jedi Knight typically was rather in tune with her sensory skills. But being on a transport, she was not as focused on them at all. If she had been then she would have definitely noticed the padawan in the other room having an attack. However, as it stood she was incredibly unaware.
 

Ashin Varanin

Professional Enabler
"I agree with your analysis, friend Selena. Observation of ceremonies, discussion with the Yuuzhan Vong -- these sound like promising and creative solutions..."

The Ithorian trailed off.

"I think my Padawan is in some distress. Will you excuse me?" His great three-lobed feet padded down the hall, almost silently; nobody had yet managed to invent practical shoes for Ithorians. Rounding a bend by instinct, he sat beside Au'Rus in sympathy.

"Friend Au'Rus, remember, you are not accountable for the tug of Sith Poison upon your blood. I had a friend once who served long and honorable years as a Jedi, even with the same affliction. I honored her struggle, I knew her heart, and I saw her triumph. And thus, I know that it is possible. I say this not to make you feel like you should be doing better than you are, but to give you hope. There is nothing worse than a cage."
 
The vibroblade sword that was hovering before his face weightlessly kept A'donari's full attention while his thoughts remained at bay and his mind opened to the light side of the force. A focusing point expanded his mind outward and connected him to the strength of the light side that was moving through the Jedi within the ship. Some of the Jedi he had fought with before on Cato and the minor connection he shared with them gave him peace of mind while others on board he had never met before. Truth be told, the Jedi who he'd fought with had never met him before until the moment before leaving for battle and it had worked out well enough on Cato. A sense of tranquility washed over him and he mentally accepted their company happily. He made his vibroblade spin twice before stopping abruptly in the same blade down position in front of his face. It was a way of building control of his subconscious. The longer he could go without needing to refocus on his blade the stronger his control of his thoughts would become. Which in turn would allow him to connect with the light side of the force subconsciously without allowing himself to mistake the power that came from the dark side of the force disguised as help from his inner hate filled emotions. His practicing had paid off considering he had only lost control twice in the past few months of training with his master; or as he preferred to be called, Ben. A'donari was filled with respect for his Master who had guided his own mind away from his hatred and doubt by accepting who he wanted to become, he had said. He had chosen to become a Jedi and from that day on forced himself to live up to that standard without faltering. This amount of dedication and understanding of the life he would have to live consumed A'donari. Striving to become connected to the light side alone was something he had worked endlessly towards throughout the months past using his Master as a role model. Jedi Master Ben seemed to have been a good choice for A'donari for even then as he sat within the ship among the Jedi Shadow's he refused to waste time.

A 'Clang' sounded out from the vibroblde hitting the floor in front of A'donari who had stopped his meditation instantly. There was no way he had tapped into the dark while his mind was on his master. He sat staring at his blade stunned. There had to be another explanation for such Dark strength to break his concentration so fast. The Ithorian who A'donari recognized from Cato, who had destroyed a Ion Cannon with little more than thousands of vines that had moved at his control and some musical notes, rounded a corner in front of him moving quickly without noticing A'donari sitting in the corner. He grabbed his blade and stood while sheathing it in one smooth motion before following the Jedi. His worry was turning into slight curiosity being that he hadn't noticed anything strange or corrupt within any of the Jedi who had boarded the ship at the departure. When he rounded the corner that the Ithorian had just vanished behind a moment ago his questions where answered, though what he saw was nothing like what he expected. The Jedi was sitting next to a young woman who convulsed and foamed from the mouth as she laid on the floor. Her muscles locked and clenched in unnatural manners causing her face to look evil and grotesque in his eyes. All the while the Ithorian sat beside and spoke to the woman. A'donari wondered if the Jedi had a hum for this occasion as well. He knew better than to voice his thoughts during such a serious matter. The Dark side of the force was the enemy to everything he stood for and it was something he knew not to take lightly. Just recently he had been shown how lost he was during his years of training. He wasn't fixed from his old ways of tapping into the dark side completely yet considering it would take a life time to concur but he was going to do everything in his power to stop it from happening anymore. The Dark side left an insatiable urge for power that couldn't seem to be quenched. Bathing in the light side through meditation was the only way he had been able to cleanse his mind from breaking his oaths. Still, his temptations didn't compare to what he was looking at. The Dark side wasn't asking this woman to play but looking to consume.

(Internal post -character building -responding to actions but I had no reason to speak so I didn't)
 
The call had been sounded. The Shadows were to collaborate, in a change of tact, to seek out the oubliette thought to still contain a Sith Lord. Cooryn had assessed the situation from every angle with what limited information they had available. Had this simply been an excavation mission for a relic, he likely would not have answered the call. But the possibility of encountering an ancient Lord of the Sith, rumoured to have the power to see into the future beyond what most Force-users were capable, was not an opportunity he would pass up. Even without the cultists that likely worshipped Darth Glovoc in his stasis, the planet presented enough problems alone. Its volatile atmosphere, with powerful magnetic field and thick cloud meant that not only would they have difficulty landing a ship on the planet, but their connection to the Force would be inhibited as they passed through the atmospheric cloud, a mixture which did not bide well for those on the transport.
He rested his eyes in preparation for their mission, monitoring the Miraluka Padawan's state in case she needed his healing powers.
 
No further suggestions came from the Ithorian, and Padak seemed to be content to remain silent. However, the words of the former afterwards concerning his apprentice got her senses to instantly become heightened. Immediately, she could sense the distress of padawan. The Jedi Knight had somewhat heard whispers about this sort of thing and particularly the fact that Boolon's padawan suffered from it. It had been cause for her to be hesitant to invite Au'Rus to the mission, but at the same time it would be interesting to see how she would hold up when encountering those that actually used the darkside. It had its dangers, but her master could have asked her to remain behind if he thought there were risk. Really, Selena left it to his judgment.

She rose and set the datapad where she had been sitting before following the Ithorian part of the way. She stopped in the common area of the room. She watched the Twi'lek padawan follow Boolon Murr into the room of Au'Rus. Curious, she thought. She had been tipped off that he had struggles with the darkside, but seemed dedicated to leaving that temptation behind. Selena would look forward to seeing that devotion first hand.

She noticed Cooryn Folcoer, a rogue Jedi of sorts. From what she knew of him, he seemed to share her sense of justice. Contacting him had not been easy, but she hoped that by reaching out to him and possibly providing a place for him to get involved with the Order he might once again come into the fold. She was sympathetic to his lack of agreement to the council, and while the Shadows were definitely under the council they also had a sort of autonomous nature to themselves. Selena did not spend much time thinking about this though, instead her attention was shifted when she heard the hyperdrive engines shut off and the primary thrusters turning on. A display in the common room showed that they would not be waiting long to enter the atmosphere. She wondered if the atmosphere effecting their ability to touch the force before landing would help ease these padawan's distress.
 
Padak had joined the others in what served as the conference room, but did not speak.

Silence was necessary when one had nothing to say, in Padak's opinion. However when he noticed through the Force that something was a bit off, he looked around, trying to find it. When Boolon approached a Padawan slightly older than himself, he had a felling she was the source of the disturbance. He heard something about poison, and assumed that Boolon needed to heal her. But when his aquantance did no such thing, he got curious, but held his tounge. He listened to the plans put forward, then thought about them for a minite, then spoke. "Are we sure we want to go to the Vong? Many of them dislile Jedi, but far more hate anyone within our numbers. They would not be likely to cooperate."

He decided to introduce himself to Boolon's Padawan later, when and if she was feeling better. He knew most of the Shadows on board, but the Padawan he did not. It was important to know who one's allies are, after all.
 

Lucien Gaunt

Defiance Industries CEO
A small chime rang out from Selena's datapad... an incoming message.
"Knight Halcyon," it read. "This is Lucien Gaunt. I apologise for my tardiness but events have conspired to delay me. I am nearing the Luire system with a small Defiance Industries battlegroup, and will make contact upon arrival." There was a large break, before another chime sounded.
A second message appeared.
"PRIORITY: FLASH.
TEXT COMMUNCATION FROM LUCIEN GAUNT TO SELENA HALCYON.
LOCATION: MID-HYPERSPACE-JUMP.
MESSAGE READS:

BEWARE THE ATMOSPHERE OF NYRIAAN.

MESSAGE ENDS."
 
@[member="Boolon Murr"]
"I am alright Murr....I am alright." Au'Rus spoek out to her master by stretching out her arm and holding onto his shoulder, "I saw it. I saw him through the force. The darkness that rested on that planet. Powerful it is. But, isolated. Enough incursion by the light-side and he could be ripped from his connection with this realm and cast back into the force." Au'Rus using her master as leverage pulled herself up. She breathed a few deep breathes and continued her discovery. "The ancient lord has erected a force barrier around his imprisonment. It his held together by pools of dark energy. Theoretically, if enough light energy is applied the darkness can be absorbed and the power drained. Though my skills are lacking, I can lend a hand in this situation." She looked at her veins, black and cursed. "After all it is how I contracted this cursed poison in the first place."

She looked around to notice other Jedi had congregated near her position, she grew slightly embarassed and ashamed. She bowed to the other Jedi, "I apologize if I had caused a scene. The poison from time to time, during heavy bouts of meditation will try and devour my force connection. I shall have to meditate more later to keep it at bay. But for now, it is defeated."
 
As Cooryn sat in silence, he listened to the voices around him, tuning in and out of conversations as they peaked his interest. Due to the nature of the clique, and what he knew of its new leader, it was likely there were members present who shared his predisposition towards how their role should be performed, in protecting the galaxy and serving justice. Then, a male Jedi spoke in error about their plan...inciting Cooryn's correction.

"You need not be concerned with these issues...she spoke of approaching those who have sought refuge on Nyriaan, peoples displaced by the wars brought by the Yuuzhan Vong, not of seeking out the Vong themselves." Cooryn sounded plainly, eyes still closed and expression unchanged as he addressed the Knight's misconception.

At the Padawan's suggestion, he offered a rare hand with her predicament. /Padawan, if you so desire I could meditate with you, as having my particular skill set at hand may be beneficial to you./ While he transmuted his words telepathically, Au'Rus would be able to ascertain who had spoken to her if she had basic training in the Force. He was by no means concealing his presence.
 

Ashin Varanin

Professional Enabler
"No, friend, she said that we would visit the Yuuzhan Vong themselves, and so we shall. There was a time, after the war but before the great darkness, when the Yuuzhan Vong worked in harmony with the peoples of the galaxy, and with the Jedi. During that time, a number of Yuuzhan Vong refugees settled on Nyriaan, and were accepted as equals by the existing settlers." Though Boolon addressed Cooryn, his physical attention remained on his Padawan. Emanations of the Force soothed her, eased away the pain. "It's all in the file, friends. The odds are good that the descendants of these Yuuzhan Vong will have inherited peace. Of course, there is no way to tell for certain. In either case, they may be a wonderful source of information.

"Be at peace, Au'Rus. We have enough Jedi here to handle most difficulties, if we do not yield to pride."
 
She nodded at the words of Boolon Murr. "The Yuuzhan Vong like this planet because of its effects on force users in atmosphere. They were also allowed to settle here after their defeat, so it is reasonable to think they are peaceful. However, if they are in conflict with the acolytes of Darth Glovoc, they might be less than welcoming to us. It is still worth possibly looking into." Her eyes drifted back to the display on the wall.

As the shuttle approached the atmosphere she could feel the sensation she was so used to drift from her. The Knight felt so strangely alone and cut off. Even with people present here with her, she felt strangely distant. More than usual. The Force, in so many ways, was what kept her grounded in this world. She could see, touch, and know so much with it. Without it, even for these few minutes of descent through the atmosphere, she seemed... lost. She had no way to know if she was suddenly about to be betrayed. Attacked. She could not guess at the the intentions of those around her aside from what she saw. And she knew very well that people could put on great acts.

While going through the atmosphere, Selena closed her eyes and centered her thoughts. Meditation was different without the Force but it is what she knew to do in times of distress like she felt now. As such, she never noticed the message sent to her by Lucien Gaunt.
 
In response to Boolon's correction and Selena's affirmation, Cooryn found it curious that anybody would refer to the Vong as refugees, least of all Jedi who had exhausted all their resources in combatting the Vong at their destructive peaks in history. "In that case, I must sympathise with your concerns." He addressed Padak initially and then directed his insight more broadly. "Using such a turn of phrase, given events that have transpired throughout history, is misleading and I would caution calling any Yuuzhan Vong refugees. They may have migrated here after their defeat, but it is Nyrian's populace that will likely be turned refugees if history serves as precedent. Given the possibility of Glovoc living on in his oubliette, however, I feel that seeking their cooperation, and their first-hand insight into Glovoc's supporters, may help to alleviate the greater danger presented us, over that posed by approaching the Vong."

As he looked inwards, for some guidance as to the path they should take, he found that he was unable to reach that ethereal precognition he had become so accustomed to taking advantage of. Its absence was a strange feeling; so foreign given the decades of habituation to it which had resulted in its utilisation being mostly second-nature. Now he actually had to search for it, but it did not come as a surprise, given his reading. Instead of applying himself to extending his senses in the hope of finding its ebb and flow, he opted to enjoy the peace. True peace, above and beyond that granted by meditation alone, which he had not felt since he was a boy. The screams of the galaxy, the incessant foreboding feeling that weighed on all protectors...silenced. This was his final opportunity to truly centre himself before being exposed to the Force once more and the dangers on the surface.
 
The cold metal wall felt comfortable on A'donari's back. It had been hours since he had allowed himself to break his meditation position. The muscles in his lower back released the pressure that had built up and thanked him with a feeling of almost euphoria. His reason for sitting was not only for relaxation but also for strategic purposes. What he had just witnessed forced him to acknowledge something he had been hoping to avoid. The group of so called Jedi had never worked together before. Who could he trust? Who would betray those around them at the drop of a hat to satisfy ulterior motives? Questions passed through his mind while he scanned each and everyone of the Jedi who had piled into the room to see what had transpired with the female padawan on the floor.

The connection he had felt internally between those around him vanished. A'donari knew they had entered the atmosphere before the slight shaking of the ship began while it bounced in the sky due to the planets gravity. With a hand remaining on his hip for good measure he thought back to his Master's Wise words and combat training. The defensive ways and motions of Soresu calmed his thoughts while clearing his mind from any fear he held towards those around him. If something happened in the coming moments he would be ready to block or dodge any threats. Still he wanted nothing more then for everything to go peacefully. The battle on Cato had caused him to remain alert continuously. That was only one battle in the long war that had been transpiring for years. He could only wonder how Ben must have felt.
 
Thankfully, the sensation was over within a few minutes as their ship went through the atmosphere. She almost over compensated having her senses back by reaching out to a rather large extended area. In fact, it had some uses because it made her very aware of the location of Yuuzhan Vong camp where noticeably blank space was in the Force. The droid pilot was already moving in the direction of the Yuuzhan Vong. Good she thought, but she had a feeling of sorts.

She walked to the cabin and approached the droid. "We should land a kilometer away from the Yuuzhan Vong compound, but try to do so so that they can see us. I want them to be very aware that we are coming but do not intend to be in their way. Relay a message to them that we would like to get some information from their leaders." With that said to the Jedi Knight rejoined the group of Jedi in the main room.

She sat down and waited for the ship to land. When it did she got up and moved to the docking ramp where she exited the ship to find herself on the planet of Nyriaan.
 
The ship shook lightly when touching down onto Nyriaan's surface. A'donari felt around him with the force connecting himself with the world that sat just beyond the metal walls of the ship that were surrounding him. He had been hoping for the weather to remain dry on the planet and was pleasantly surprised that the huge clouds hanging above them in the sky weren't releasing any moisture. For now.

A'donari made his way down the ramp to stand next to Selena who had already exited the craft and was looking around for those they had come to contact. Looking to the clouds it was clear that their fortune of good weather could change at any moment considering the size of the thick dark clouds sitting above them. 'Ughhh. Just another beautiful day on Nyriaan.' The thought running through his mind was cut short after looking around to Selena who was standing motionless and focused. Following her Lead A'donari refocused his thoughts towards the mission at hand. "They're not going to give up the location of a sacred relic on their home world. You know this. We should start considering what our plans C and D are going to be if the unexpected takes a turn for the worst. There are six of us. They're not going to allow six randomly armed Jedi to, in their eyes, go defile what is most sacred to them." he said to the female Jedi Knight who was still looking at the city Yuuzhan Vong camp.
 
She looked at the Twi'lek padawan. "I do not expect the cultists to give us the location of anything, at least not intentionally. We could try and infiltrate them or observe them but those have obvious risks. No, I am hoping that these Yuuzhan Vong might already have done some of that work for us and have noticed a place that the cultists go to frequently. They may even know outright where the Oubliette is. I hope the Vong do, because that would mean less conflict with the Cultists in theory. But I imagine there will be some nonetheless."

It took awhile but some Yuuzhan Vong began to approach. A small party. Three warriors, a priest, and one that was clearly a shaper. She bowed to the group, and said, "Thank you for meeting with us. We wish to cause you no trouble, and are just here to ask about the Cult of Glovoc."

The group of Vong nodded at that, and the warriors eased up a little on their amphistaffs. "What is your business with them?" asked the priest with a bit of skepticism.

"Just if you know where they keep the Oubliette of Glovoc. It is something they would likely worship. We are trying to take it because it could be very dangerous and we would like to remove that danger from the galaxy."




((( feel free to RP their response. Be creative :) )))
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom