Private Jungle Creatures

[Inanna Harth]

Jutrand, the Outer Rim

The Shi’ido gazed out at the ecumenopolis, her eyes scanning a skyline studded with starscrapers as tall and shiny as Coruscant’s. This was the jewel of the Outer Rim, she supposed, though no one actually called it that. Inanna had never much liked city-planets—something in her nature revolted against all the steel and duracrete. She was a jungle creature, after all… but then, isn’t everyone?

At any rate, she’d have to search this little slice of civilization for signs of another jungle creature: her niece, Ashmedai Hoole.

Inanna was shocked by how easily she was able to trace Ash’s movements. The girl had utilized the most basic methods of covering her tracks, while the more obscure routes remained untraveled. These were the roads Inanna used to follow her to Jutrand, a corporate world in the Outer Rim. Ash likely intended to abandon her stolen ship and get lost among the hustle and bustle of a distant metropolis.

That meant Inanna had to find her here and now.

The Force had proven a poor guide in the past, but she had little else she could rely upon. Her instincts led her to a drainage tunnel. Rainwater trickled over the floor beneath her feet, mixing with dirt and trash. Graffiti lined the metal walls, some of them dating back to the Outer Rim Coalition. Ranger symbols. Someone had even sprayed the entire Je’daii Code on a slab of duracrete.

Something stank. She wasn’t sure if it was just an unwashed body, or a corpse. If it had been Ash, she would've sensed it, she was sure. But why else had the Force brought her here?

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Jutrand,
The Outer Rim.

Caedyn Arenais had been on Jutrand for a couple of days now, first visiting the Jedi Academy there before setting off in search of any truth to the rumours of an old and long-time abandoned Je'daii sanctuary, a harbourage used as a stepping stone for Journeyers on their pilgrimage across the stars. Je'daii Journeyers were tasked with visiting the great Tho Yor, of which there were nine, ancient and sacred as far as the Order was concerned.

These vast and previously mobile temples were used to transport the original Je'daii Order through space, where they would establish the various temples of dedication. Akar Kesh. Anil Kesh. Mahara Kesh and so on. During Caedyn's Padawan years, it was the paths of Qigong Kesh and Stav Kesh that he had majored in. The knowledge and sanctity of the Force, and the discipline of body, mind and spirit through mastery of one's physical limits: Put simply Martial Arts.

Much to Caedyn's disappointment, his search had led him underground to a very wet and disgusting channel or silage tunnels. He had relucted to disregard his dark blue robe, taking to the sewer in his tunic, his comlink and Lightsaber exposed, though he hadn't expected to find many others desperate enough to travel the unseen channels.

"I'm not sure what I expected to find..." He spoke to himself aloud, sarcasm heavy in his words and not having sensed a need to mask the volume of which he spoke. The Je'daii of old had long been gone, and from what he could discern, Asha Vynea had not used the tunnels since her time with the new Order of Je'daii of today's Galaxy.

Wading his way gradually through the tainted green waters of the underground corridor, Caedyn held his omni-torch out before him, lighting the way meters ahead as he searched for what little signs of a Je'daii presence he could expect from such a place. Centuries of sentient architecture had long been constructed since the days of any such harborage, as far as he guessed. Frankly, he could have been down there forever...-But something compelled him to continue, and against his better judgement, he listened and continued forward.

Inanna Harth

 

[Inanna Harth]

"I'm not sure what I expected to find..."

Inanna’s pale eyes darted toward the source of the noise, but otherwise she froze in place. Someone else was in here. Either they were up to no good, or they might think, based on the corpse smell, that she was up to no good.

Had the walls not been made of durasteel, she would’ve been able to change the color of her skin like a chameleon to blend in with her surroundings. But she couldn’t realistically mimic metal or any reflective surface. With hiding in plain sight not an option, she moved deftly out of view, ducking into a shadowy side tunnel and waiting for them to pass.

Caedyn Arenais​