Legend of the Hidden Temple [SJO Dominion of Chalacta Hex AD-33]

[Varindar Asyt]

Location: Chalacta
Objective: Cloak-and-dagger
Allies: [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] [member="Alyisa Mithel"] [member="Sala'dine"]

So the two figures I met on Jakku during that botched mission have followed me to Chalacta, too, probably sensing that they have unfinished business from Jakku carrying over to Chalacta. The blonde human obviously never heard of the hotel, but where did the Mirialan even learn about my relationship to a hotel? Perhaps that Mirialan should book a stay at the hotel some time, she thought, while furrowing a brow when hearing about the Mirialan referring to her as Hotel, while the spaceport was being fumigated. She could also sense the gas mixture traveling through the spaceport's venting conduits, and also most of the slave staff being kept on-site close to the baggage handling terminal and the few gates the spaceport had. Which caused the slaves and the wardens, the slavers, to fall asleep while their holding area was, well, steadily decreasing in insect population. In the dead of night, they managed to fumigate a spaceport, with cleanup operations to be held after the slaves were secured and the slavers were arrested: she knew that the legitimate passengers that wanted to use the spaceport would not be happy with dead insects all over the place.

"Now, everyone, time is short: we must arrest the slavers, and also carry the slaves over to the tarmac. With the slaves under curfew, the slavers are easy to identify: they are held outside the holding cells"

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat's heart raced. Cortisol and adrenaline flooded his veins. His breathing became rapid, as his body tried to fight the anxiety and panic it was experiencing. It was like the Dark Harvest. All over again. The bodies. The darkness. He faced that darkness once before. He didn't need to do it again.

He could imagine the slaughter. Small space, with the proper combatant in a killing field like this- hallways were notoriously favorable to a single opponent. Funneled them. The slaughter must have been...quick. Brutal. He knew that because he'd done it before. The darkness around them, the all-consuming cancer of the dark side festered around Preliat. It fed off of him. Whatever was in the temple, it was drawn to Preliat.

He was walking in shadow, a darkness among the force. He had been touched by the Dark Harvest, and the cancer was festering inside of him for so long. The alchemical bonding of his leg, festered in him. Poisoned him. The dark side of the force swirled around him, especially here. He was never aware of it, and never would be. Preliat did not understand the force, did not know what it did to him. But even men like him could feel the darkness, it's sickness here.

For a brief moment, Preliat's eyes flashed a blue color, even in the darkness.

He swung the light around behind him. In an instant, a blink of an eye, the Wolf produced the Tomahawk that had taken so many lives, from the small of his back. He turned his head back to the Jedi.

"This place. What is wrong with it?"

His grip tightened on the only protection he had.

 

[Zavii]

Chalacta- Stardust Melody to Temple
[member="Cassius Droma"] [member="Gianna Aegis"] [member="Stephanie Swail"] [member="Zora Djo"] [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Darth Immortus"]

Zavii didn't even notice when the ship set down.

The young Zabraki woman had spent the trip sitting in a lotus pose on the floor of one of the freighter's cabins. She hadn't done much deep-meditation practice in the past few weeks and decided that this would be the perfect time to catch up- especially right before going to visit an ancient temple that was sure to be steeped in ancient Force Signatures. Thus, she sat and let herself get lost within the currents of the Force as they blazed through hyperspace. She was vaguely aware of the transition into realspace as they approached the verdant world, it's distant notes swelling steadily into a great Chorus of life that- while not nearly as dynamic as one of Kashyyyk's bustling biomes- still very much overtook the more-complex-yet-undeniably-less-powerful Songs of the other beings aboard the Stardust Melody.

Among the myriad intricacies of Chalacta's biosphere, Zavii felt as though she hardly even existed but as a thin shell through which the Force's omnipresent energy passed like wind through hanging chimes, or water through coral. It was an even more potent form of passive masking than the "compacting" stealth technique she usually used, and so the Padawan decided to focus on keeping herself that way, to see weather the other explorers would notice her sneaking up on them once they disembarked.

Thinking of her companions, she gently cast her mind about to find them, but even with special attention, she couldn't find their Songs among the myriad Notes of the environment. A slight tendril of sense cast toward the Stardust herself proved that her engines were no longer even idling. They had landed and disembarked without her! Eyelids tattooed black curled open to allow the violet-rimmed orbs sheathed beneath to focus on the slate-grey wall of the cabin around her. Zavii took a deep breath, still keeping herself transparent in the Force as she stood and padded silently through the ship's tight corridors toward the open ramp. Stepping down, she curled her toes into the thick grass and looked around for a sign of the others. They had reached some chasm before the mouth of a cave a few hundred meters away. A bridge of some kind was building itself for the small group to pass when there came some strange, low whisper through the planet's Aura.

Focusing on the strange new notes that seemed to hide within the greater melody, Zavii suddenly found herself on all fours. A blood-curdling screech of purest anguish and rage tore through her mind like lightning through an ultra-thin solar-sail. It lasted only a few seconds before reverting to a low growl that still left the young woman reeling as beads of cold sweat started to form on her brow. After a couple of ragged breaths her head shot up and she saw that the others had already crossed the chasm via the new path. They were heading directly into the cave's gaping maw as if they hadn't sensed a thing! Perhaps they weren't nearly as attuned as she was, from the last few hour's meditation. This place was surely more dangerous than they had realized. Zavii cursed herself for neglecting the research brief, but all the same she had friends to stand beside in the face of whatever was waiting inside that ancient Temple.

With a heaving exhale, the young Jedi bolted from her hands and knees into a sprint across the gently sloping grass toward the chasm, crossed the bridge and slowed only once she was inside the shadowy chamber. Coming up behind the new tawny-haired Human woman with her lightsaber hilt in hand, the only sound was that of her breath. Even her aura was still so transparent that she felt like a crystal glass that might shatter at the slightest fall, but something about the new Jedi's Song made her feel more comfortable and at-home within seconds. She searched everyone's faces and Auras while looking down at the dozens of dusty and broken skeletons strewn about the floor. The remnants of some ancient battle.

"Dud anyone else sense dhat.... scrreaming? Et soundud like a Mand'lorrian Brrserk'r- set on fhire!" Her words came slightly breathy, but not as shaken or panicked as she had thought they would be. This new girl really was good at projecting her own serenity; like a yellow sun on a beach. Perhaps too good for her own good. Zavii's bright eyes darted between those of her companions and her slender fingers flexed around her weapon as she straightened up with a deliberate sigh in a conscious effort to relax herself. "Ek het 'n baad feelin' about dis, guys."

 

[Audren Sykes]

Location: Nar Bo Sholla - Capital Building
Objective: 2-ish | BYO
Post: 3

True to his word, information from Kasra had shown up later that day. Tarion had been awake well into the local night cross-referencing grades of metals needed, quantities, and prices. The work itself was simple but time consuming, and he didn't have any high-powered processing available to him to automate the processes. Something to mention to Audren when it came time to put together kits for the sales team.

He was woken up in the morning by a message on his comm unit. Kasra had secured a meeting with the Undersecretary. It was stressed that this was a preliminary meeting only, that if things were to proceed the information would need to be heard in a more official manner. That was fine, the generally-accepted method. The Undersecretary liked the idea enough to be willing to waste some of her own time, but would put a stop to it before wasting the final committee's time.

When he arrived at the Department of Infrastructure's offices, he was stopped and searched. He'd gone through a standard screen the day before, but this time it was an in-depth sensor scan, with individual examinations of his datapad and comlink. When the guard was asked, he muttered something about the spaceport with a glare, almost as if he expected it to be obvious. Even if Tarion had wanted to press his luck though, he was passed through and his gear returned to him. On the other side of the checkpoint he was escorted by an intern to the turbolift, which was activated by a guard stationed there. At his floor, he was met by none other than Kasra himself.

"Mr. Kasra, good to see you again. If you don't mind, why all the extra security?"

"Likewise. You didn't hear about it? Last night there was an attack at the spaceport. It's been all over the local news broadcasts."

An attack on the spaceport? At night? That didn't make much sense. Most spaceports were slower at night, if not outright devoid of traffic. It was when most of the maintenance was performed. And a large portion of this particular spaceport was shut down due to the infestation, so it wasn't exactly the best place for an agency to make a point.

"An attack? Has anyone claimed responsibility?"

"No, not yet. Ah, here we are. Undersecretary Erinnen, this is Tarion Fenn, representative from TransGalMeg, Incorporated."

"Mr. Fenn, good to meet you."

"Undersecretary Erinnen, likewise. Thank you for agreeing to see me so quickly."

"To be honest, I have ulterior motives. Please, sit."

Ulterior motives? That didn't sound good at all. As she had invited, Fenn sat in one of the chairs before her desk while she sat in her normal spot. Kasra didn't leave, instead took a seat beside Tarion. Erinnen shifted in her seat slightly, facing Tarion more directly.

"Tell me what you know of the spaceport, Mr. Fenn."

An odd request...order, but simple enough. The representative started listing off basic information such as general size of the location, how many landing pads and bays were available, the largest size ships that could be accommodated, and what kind of facilities and services were generally available. All of it was public information that anyone could look up and were of particular interest in a company that sold ships and metals. He continued into the types of metals were needed due to the stone mite infestation - he clarified that this was based off the information Kasra had provided. His last information was that he'd been told - again by Kasra - that there had been an attack at the spaceport. Afterwards, the Undersecretary glanced at Kasra who nodded, apparently confirming the information he'd given.

"And what do you know of the environmental systems?"

"Nothing really. I'm guessing they're built into the facilities and have some sort of ducting, but that's not my knowledge area."

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

Location: Hand of Judgment >Saotome Tengu /// Saotome Tengu > space port tarmac (Chalacta)
Objective: Find out what is going on?
Items: Jedi Ace Flightsuit, Jedi Ace Helmet, Jedi Ace Emergency Unit, Ranger’s Field Pistol, Ranger’s Combat Knife, Sasori Cracken , Saotome Tengu
Interacting with: [member="Varindar Asyt"] , [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] , [member="Sala'dine"]
Posts: 1

Jakku was so confusing Aly did not wish to think about it. The opportunity to jump into an x-wing called a Saotome Tengu was a perfect opportunity to avoid that topic. Once in orbit she flew down the designated landing point and rallied as quickly as possible to the staging point.

Kark! “More slavers”, Aly asked with a sigh. It was sort of rhetorical, in a general statement to what Varindar just mentioned in the mission debriefing. Aly’s shoulder slumped. 'would notice if she cut a few slavers throats', she thought to herself...

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Somewhere behind her, Zora could have sworn she heard the accented tone of Preliat Mantis. Turning slightly, she spotted the Mandalorian at the back of the group. A brief nod was given in his direction. As she returned her gaze to the entrance, a soft smile formed on her lips as Elisea spoke. Letting her bespectacled eyes roam the walls and doorway, she had to agree.

“It is quite marvelous…” She spoke, words trailed off into quiet awe.

As Cassius began to move, she was close behind on his heels. Taking out a small light of her own, she let the small beam of light illuminate her way forward. Blinking hard, she squinted ahead to find that her light had found a dusty, skeletal form on the ground. And it wasn’t long before she could see that this skeleton was not alone, there were many. It was quite a grim scene, but such discoveries were part of the job, she supposed.

Some of the remains were little more than dust and bits, but others were still intact. As Zora knelt to take a closer look at one specimen, she could see that the jaw was twisted in a rather unnatural way. If only it could speak, she mused. However, the number of bones present in this place seemed to suggest a painful end for these beings. A curious hand reached out slowly and gently glazed the surface of an amulet that rested around the Sharukan skeleton’s neck. Needless to say, she was eager to pack some of these artifacts away for study. But, there was a strange feeling within… it was an odd thought, taking things from the dead.

There would be time later on. For now, she stood to continue following after Cassius and the group. Entering a large chamber, she took in every detail. This was a sight that would be remembered in her mind, just as it was. Zora’s head turned as Cassius addressed her, his datapad held out in her direction. A wide grin appeared on her face, and she accepted.

“I’d love to, thanks.” She said, walking forward slightly.

Though this area of the complex was dark, there were faint outlines of equipment nearby. Taking careful steps in the dim light, she activated the holoprojector just as Cassius had done at the entrance. Placing her hand into the blue beam, she watched with an amused smile as it was transformed into that of a Sharu.

A humming sound echoed through the chamber, soon accompanied by lights.

The consoles nearest Zora were blinking to life now, finally waking after such a long time. This was all supposed to happen, right? Eyes wide, she deactivated the projector and handed the datapad back to Cassius. The language displayed on the screen was a language that she’d never seen, and the various buttons were foreign shapes.

“What do you suppose this is?” She asked, stepping towards one of the consoles.

[member="Cassius Droma"], [member="Gianna Aegis"], [member="Darth Immortus"], [member="Stephanie Swail"], [member="Elisea Korrado"], [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Preliat Mantis"], [member="Zavii"]

 

[Sala'dine]

[member="Alyisa Mithel"]

The hand of judgement was there and Sala'dien looked at the information on the holograms. As Alyisa was heading towards the small group in the Tengu the admiral was going to work on what she could here. "Very well then contact the shadow and inform the fleet." She had a couple ideas of what they might be able to do... what they might be able to test but a smal fleet of patrol destroyers was one thing.. it needed a great deal more for the jedi to have some help. She was looking to bring out one fo the things they were testing. THe shadow was a plan for a ship that would be able to work on everything. "COnfirmed admiral, the shadow is on the way to the engagement zone with fleet escort."

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Objective: Gassing [member="Varindar Asyt"]
Post: 2

Yuvie could feel the froce signatures of the people in the station wain to a sleeping state, the gas taking affect over, now it was show time, the Mirialan slowly sneaking his way to meet up with Varindar to conduct the next stage of the operation. "We should detain the slavers in the port, as for carrying the slave I can help with that, unless you want me to take one objective while you take the other". Turning to [member="Alyisa Mithel"] he gave her a slight look, "just don't harm anyone yet, would be bad rep for the Jedi if we where rumored to have killed people", a slight down side of working with the Order, certain morals that he usually did not adhere too, but this was their operating. "Anyways we best be off, shall I take point incase we run into anyone that may pose a threat"? Never knew who would have a gas mask on or be immune to the effects, better be safe then sorry, and from what he had seen Varindar was not the front line combat type and Aly had a slight revenge streak. Not that the latter could not handle themselves in combat he just wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

 

[Varindar Asyt]

Objective: Cloak-and-dagger
Location: Chalacta
Allies: [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] [member="Sala'dine"] @Alyisa Mithel

"We ought to detain the slavers elsewhere in the port, like the baggage holding area; they will be asleep just like the slaves, and be outside the holding cells. Thank the Force the insecticide in use here is of little consequence to non-insectoids, and there are no insectoids among the slaves or slavers, but wait for my signal to start carrying the slaves to the tarmac"

For that she was lucky that the Mk8 Katarn armor had a rebreather in it, so she went around to handcuff every slaver she could find, while remaining mindful that permethrine was an insecticide, but the reason why that insecticide was sold here on Chalacta was because it was much less toxic to sentients provided said sentients were not insectoid. Luckily none of the slaves or slavers were insectoids; there were no Vratix in there, no more than there were Xi Charrians. So it was all too easy to handcuff a dozen slavers, all of which are humans, Near-Humans or at least humanoids, and detaind them in a baggage holding area nearby: since the spaceport was small, it did not have the automated baggage handling systems commonly used in larger spaceports. Varindar could then keep the sleeping, handcuffed slavers in the empty baggage holding area close to the baggage claim carousel. With Alyisa starting to get to the tarmac, Varindar was maintaining a close watch on the handcuff slavers as they kept sleeping, and they will realize in horror that their slaves are being evacuated while the slaves slept, too.

"Now, start fetching the slaves" she told Iturizu and Alyisa in a low voice so as to not awaken the slavers.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

@Cassius Droma, @Gianna Aegis, @Darth Immortus, @Stephanie Swail, @Elisea Korrado, @Sky'ito Yumi, [member="Zora Djo"]


"Ruug'la gota...Hodar baatir." 1


Violence usually caused a sort of silence after it was performed. He wondered whatever killed these people here did the same. Or if they died terrified and in deafening noise. Preliat had met many old machines, but he did not recognize the make and model of this one. He turned his head to Zora and shrugged.

"If this is a temple....this may be an early record keeping computer. Perhaps a training module. It is my understanding of the legend of Revan that he encountered many of them during his travels. Perhaps this is quite the same, if not similar. Or...it could be programmed to kill us all. Who knows."

Preliat was not unlike many Mandalorians, studying their greatest foe- Revan. Although he did not religiously worship the man as some force-users seemed to have, but he knew the man's tactics well. Revan sacrificed much to bring the Mandalorians to their knees. He wondered what the man would think of them now. Preliat slid the Tomahawk back into the sheath at the small of his back, his fingers resting on the beads that hung from it's handle for just a moment, before his hand returned to his side.

He approached the console first and spoke quietly, crouching to be level with it. He seemed unafraid of the danger that was looming inside. The dark side swirled around him. The force moved darkly around killers and those who had been plagued by it before. Preliat was an abyss in the darkness. If the force was a tapestry, he was a tear in it.

"Me'dinuir gar ranov'la..."2






Translation:

1. It's an old machine. Be careful.

2. Share your secrets.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Location: Vuxirm Starport, Nar Bo Sholla Capital
Objective: Extermination

A veteran of wars with the Vong and Sith, Jyoti was no stranger to biots and sithspawn, but this mite infestation was something else. During her inspection of Vuxirm, she couldn't move more than a few steps with her scanner without running into another colony of them clinging onto metallic support beams and surfaces, chewing chunks out of the stuff. Deeper into the starport, she could see large holes through starships had been lost to the infestation before they could be moved out of the red zone.

The sight of half-eaten structures and ships sent a shiver through her spine. As a cyborg, she was like a walking buffet, though the osmotic field generator mounted on her belt would keep the pests at bay. That's the only reason she hand dared to venture into the starport to conduct an assessment with the team.

"It's good they called in the SSC when they did," she told Charlie. "I don't think this Starport has more than a week or two left before it collapses in on itself from the lack of support."

It was a similar story in the districts adjacent to Vuxirm, many buildings at risk of breakdown. For now, the spread had been halted as the Silver Service Corps had helped the local authorities contain the spread by the use of osmotic fields, but they still had to deal with the infested areas before the locals were left with costly reconstruction on their hands.

[member="Charlie"] [member="Cody Beamont"]

Location: Vuxirm Starport, Nar Bo Sholla Capital
Objective: Extermination


The thought of metal eating bugs was baffling. On the way, Charlie had done some reading on the creatures that infested the starport. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something to prepare the Padawan for what she was getting into with her Master. Like, Jyoti, Charlie had on an osmotic field generator along with a new toy she had received. Her right hear being a hindrance for some missions, she now sported a new aid. She didn’t use it to its full extent, but being able to hear now from both ears made her more aware of her surroundings.

Looking around, she could hear the skittering. The mites seemed to be more interested in what they were consuming than worrying about the two Jedi making their way through their dinner party. Charlie nodded in response to her Master. “They made quick work of the starport.” Glancing around she questioned mostly because the thought she was thinking seemed straight forward. It was probable that she missed something in her lessons, but she had to ask.

“Why don’t we just EMP the entire place, they’re biots aren’t they?”

[member="Jyoti Nooran"] [member="Cody Beamont"]

Location: Chalacta

Objective: 2: Exterminate Exterminate

Post: 1

This was...more relaxed than past trips with the Silver Jedi, that was for sure. There was no threat of impending death, no threat of violent sith lords jumping out at them, threatening to cut off limbs and bring death and destruction onto the galaxy at large. Instead, they were dealing with...bugs. She'd found herself trailing behind Master [member="Jyoti Nooran"] and her Padawan [member="Charlie"] as they padded through the infested area, discussing the bugs that seemed to surround them, their chittering loud as the bigs seemed to shift over one another, a constant sea of movement that seemed to flow in waves. Gesturing with a hand the Padawan reached out with the force, plucking up one of the bugs to hold it in mid-air, letting it rotate slowly before she threw it to the side.

"It's not an unreasonable idea, it might make things a lot easier if we can figure out a way to take out a lot of them at once. It'd mean we lose the ships and any homes people have nearby but it's better than losing their lives." She looked away to the edge of the starport, at the osmotic fields put up by the SSC, "It just takes one but to breach the fields, to sneak out and then it's all over for the planet. If you can't contain an outbreak like this then you die under it." The young woman shuddered, wiping her hands on her top even though she hadn't touched anything, "Unless we have a better way to handle them?"

Location: Vuxirm Starport, Nar Bo Sholla Capital​

Objective: Extermination​

​

​

The term "extermination" was not something that Josh enjoyed. It was a term used by killers, murderers, to describe taking the lives of those considered below them. Yet in this case, it fit in a matter that he understood needed to be done. Though he was a veteran himself of the wars between the Republic and the Sith Order, the Republic and the Fringe, the Republic and The Black Sun, The Republic and The One Sith, The Silver Jedi and pretty much every Sith faction imaginable... He'd killed hundreds of men whether he'd wanted to or not... Killing was still not something he ever thought he would be able to enjoy.

Also the Republic had a lot of wars. Geez.

Regardless, these mites were a problem. They were going to cause the structures to collapse, and odds are innocent lives would be lost as a result. Watching them work, the Jedi Master would stride toward the group of [member="Jyoti Nooran"], [member="Charlie"] and [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] as he would begin evaluating strategies in his head. He spoke in a calm, but firm and serious tone. Very much unlike what they were used to from him in casual instances. This was a Josh who was on the field and completely focused on the job at hand.

"Whatever we intend to do, it would be best if we do so quickly. The sooner we do so, the less damage they can do."

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

Location: Chalacta Starport
Objective: Free Slaves, arrest slavers
Interacting with: [member="Varindar Asyt"] [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] [member="Sala'dine"]
Post: 2

“Harm anyone, why would I do that?”… A sheepish look danced across Aly’s sweet futures, answering Ituriza comment.
The rest of the debriefing was interesting. Varindar mentioned the slavers would be sleeping. Aly was all smiles there would be no awake slavers with darksabers.

Fetching though, it sounded so. If they needed anything fetched could they just get a wookkies to do it?

Despite the use of word play Aly started out heading in the direction with some SJO rangers. All the while being her silly joyful self!

 

[Sala'dine]

[member="Alyisa Mithel"]

Sala'dine could hear the plana nd stood off to the side, she was waiting for the judgement and fleet to arrive to mostly patrol but not show off what they had. She looked at the former slave and imperial pilot who was joining them and stopped long the way to the transports. Taking in the look of her in the suit and with the equipment. "Settling in well it looks like." She offered a small smile though while wearing her uniform and the more formal look of the skirt that functioned like a proper kama in protecting her legs and the frills of it. THe collar looked a little larger but it was made to be sealed and fit over her face with the hat for an emergency vac suit. THe heeled boots were shiny and crossing her arms over her chest the woman looked at her. "That is good, I was worried you might have been damaged from your time as a slave."

 

[Darth Immortus]

C H A L A C T A​

Approximately 100 Years Ago​

"Incredible, you see? Our astrogation charts have changed."

The Sharukan Jedi held his spindly blue hand into the air. The silver glow emitting from his proudly displayed ring illuminated the dome above them, which displayed all of the known firmament. Above them hung thousands of glimmering specs, each one a known star system. Now, a few more sand-specs shimmered where there was once nothing but darkness.

"What forgotten power is this? I advise we proceed with caution," Another Sharuka said, his blue face slinking back beneath his Jedi cowl. "Especially with that ring."

"Don't you see?" The first withdrew his hand from the air and clutched at it, his fingers caressing the onyx pyramid-shaped ring on his finger. "The Old Spirit has gifted us with this knowledge. It knows what our kind has sadly forgotten. The knowledge of our ancestors is at our fingertips once again!"

C H A L A C T A​

Present Day​

The Sharukan Jedi still clung to his ring. Only now, his body was perched next to the doorway leading to an unknown chamber, stripped of his blue skin, only the husk of a skeleton remaining. Yet the onyx ring was still wrapped around his finger as his body lay slumped against the doorway, his other hand possessing a cobweb-covered lightsaber hilt. There was a hole burned in the temple of his skull; upon close inspection it was apparently self-inflicted. But the skeleton would tell no stories as to why.

Even as the Force signatures approached, the Old Spirit fell woefully silent inside his eternal prison. He could sense light and darkness in the approaching adventurers, but even the presence of the Dark Side would not draw him out. The party would only see a map that displayed the rooms of the Temple before them. One pathway led lower, where the eternal presence beckoned. On the map it was a peculiar dead end; a doorway apparently leading to nothing.

[member="Cassius Droma"] | [member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Zora Djo"] | [member="Preliat Mantis"] | [member="Gianna Aegis"] | [member="Elisea Korrado"] | [member="Sky'ito Yumi"]​

 

[Darth Immortus]

/doublepost

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

Location: WIth Silver Team on route to planet
Objective: 1 (Indiana Jones)
Peps Nearby: [member="Zora Djo"] | [member="Elisea Korrado"] | Darth Immortus | [member="Zavii"]
Post: 4

Sukai kept close behind [member="Preliat Mantis"] as they stalked into the shadow, she could just imagin what happened her but what came as most shocking was that quite many of these people had been wounded and then finished off. People here were injured and then killed, not swiftly, slowly, with a death like movement people would be in pain, screams and other noises would echo down this hallway. It was chilling, but for some reasons she found the thought interesting... 'no now it not the time focus, there could be dark spirits here'.

It seemed even the usual peppy [member="Zavii"] was getting cold feet, something Sukai did not think would happen, "true, this may be a bad idea but if we just ignore it how many more people will fall to this darkness? perhaps you would prefer it if brother was here". A slight tease to lighten what little mood was left, but in all honesty Sukai would have like Tana to be at her side, it never hurt to have more people more so someone she shared a deep bond with. The two when together in combat or anything else where e deadly duo, a well oiled machine that could take down opponents much stronger then either of them.

Once again Mantis voice council, "that would be wise to seek out, any record that remained to make known what happened, but I have a feeling the most recent slaughter that happened here may not have been recorded in the main archives". That was unless such events where hastily scribbled down somewhere. Continuing on a small glimmer of slight reflected off a metal object on the ground, clutched in the hands of a skeleton remains was a ring, and a lightsaber hilt, seeming in decent condition, the young girl leaning down to inspect the objects.

"This person died with weapon and ring in hand, interesting, what do you people think of this", she replied turning around to face the other Jedi, the others most likely viewing the temple map, the array of different path that maz through the stone structure.

 

[Audren Sykes]

Location: Nar Bo Sholla - Capital Building
Objective: 2-ish | BYO
Post: 4

The Undersecretary's hands came up and clasped themselves on the desk. Belatedly, Tarion realized that this was the first time they'd been visible since all three of them had sat down.

"I believe you. I'm sorry for the questions, but you can't deny how odd it seems when you come in to make this offer and the same night there's an attack on the subject of the offer."

"I hadn't even considered it. I thought you were testing to see how prepared I was. Now I'm curious though, how much can you tell me about the attack?"

Erinnen hesitated for a moment, clearly thinking over what she could explain. Anything public was obvious, but no doubt she had access to additional information not yet made public. When she came to a decision, her face tightened. So, some restricted information after all.

"If this gets public from you, chances of a contract are a black hole. Understood? Last night, unknown parties sent gas through the spaceport environmental systems. It was a home brew, but our doctors have been examining it since we learned about it and they think it's a mixture of stun gas and some pesticide. Beings still in the spaceport - maintenance and reprovisioning mostly, and some security - were knocked out. The gas coated parts of their skin and they breathed in a fair dose. Humans are lucky, they only have breathing problems and some surface irritation, obviously the more contact the worse the problem. Non-humans though...their breathing methods can differ, and some of them have been hit hard.

That isn't all though. Apparently this specific mixture was flammable. Some sparks from a power line that the mites had chewed through lit it off. Burned fast, but the fire suppression systems were more or less functioning and kept it from spreading too far. And on top of that, we have a number of people reported missing."

Well, that was one heck of a fiasco. He didn't envy the security teams that would have to sort through all of that, or the doctors who had to figure out what kinds of gas were mixed together and treat those affected. A thought occurred to him though...how had the mites been affected?

"I'm sorry to hear about that, all of if. I'm not sure how I can help, but if I can please let me know. Tell me though, how did that affect the mites?"

"We don't know. If this was a strike at the mites you'd think some agency in the government would be consulted first, and we wouldn't have missing people. We could have told them that the pesticides don't work. Since this one is new though, it's theoretically possible it could be worthwhile. Scientists are checking the efficacy."

All three fell silent, each thinking over the situation. It wasn't a companionable silence, but neither was it awkward. It was pretty similar to a brainstorming session. Eventually though, the Undersecretary cleared her throat and brought the discussion back on track.

"So, Mr. Fenn, I'm told you brought some numbers for us to look at?"

"I did. Mr. Kasra was kind enough to provide a rough estimate on what might be needed. What grades of metals, alloys, and and quantities. I put together prices based on those estimates. Sorted by kilogram, metric ton, and overall prices for each, then compared against yesterday's market prices. We don't offer everything on there, but we do have most of it."

As he talked, Tarion drew out the datapad he'd been carrying and turned on the holoprojector. Rows and columns of figures became visible, and he oriented the projector in a way that all three of them could see the numbers. Some of the prices were fairly similar to market price and some were blank, but others had a hefty price difference. At the bottom of the list there was a direct savings comparison between market and TGM pricing, and it was significant.

"Send me the comparison if you would. Write it up as a bid for the metals you can provide at the prices you can provide, we'll present it at the meeting the day after tomorrow. I will warn you now, we'll be considering several bids. You might get some, all, or none of our business but will be fairly considered."

And that was the meeting. All three of them stood and shook hands once again, then Tarion was escorted to the turbolift and out the building. He wasn't the only one, each person who didn't already work there was being treated in the same manner. Apparently the Security teams thought the attack on the spaceport might lead to an attack on other government locations and had stepped up their presence in a big way.


((OOC Clarification: This and my previous post are told from the perspective a government agent and outsider, and is told from the time of the 'day after' the event.))

 

[Zak Dymo]

THE PLANET CHALACTA​

[ The Temple of Illumination ] [ Bring Your Own Objective ] [ Post 3: The Wrap Up ]​

A strange hush fell over the room.

The breeze blowing through the temple seemed to pause a moment, as though time stood still as the cub lifted open the top of the box.

And there, folded within, was a red cloth.

It was a marvel to behold. Dipping his paws inside the trunk, the small bear lifted the bolt of cloth out. His ears went back and his fur seemed to stand on end as infinite possibilities exploded into his mind's eye.

How wonderful the mind of a child.

This was no mere red cloth. It was a cape.

This was no mere Beorni. Throwing the red cloth around his shoulders, the cub dropped to all fours and began romping in circles as visions of superheroes danced through his mind.

Mild mannered Jedi youngling Kiriko Dawntreader by day... but by night, he was the terror that roared in the night.

He was the jaws of justice on the ankle of crime.

He was...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvUn6AWoqUE​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

LOCATION: Chalacta
OBJECTIVES: Survive the Mesharra Temple[background=#1e1e1e] | Personally avoid ripping off 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' in the process[/background]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZgvjAwIoPg

Stephanie said little as she helped the others over the bridge and ventured on.

Occasionally she’d feel a cold shiver up her back as she swore something brushed by her hand, and the number of times she scratched her head thinking she felt tiny feet or pincers in her hair was ridiculous. The natural light waned around them but the team had their own ways to illuminate the paths ahead.

She grimaced as they found traces of death in the skeletal remains the further they went in, and surely this was a warning sign. But, victory in numbers so they said. As the group stumbled through into a new chamber, their presence alone seemed to ignite surrounding lights and electrical current that hummed and fizzed quietly. They all formed a rough semi-circle, each looking at the consoles that blinked to life and the décor on the temple walls.

[member="Cassius Droma"] and [member="Zora Djo"] headed the front.

Stephanie looked past them at the symbols, language and displays and rooted for her red book. She’d seen something like those symbols in here. As a few of them conversed and tried to work out what this was, the Padawan thumbed the tatty pages and flicked to where she had seen them.

The Mandalorian [member="Preliat Mantis"] offered new intel on the wording – share your secrets.

Then, [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] found remains of an unfortunate explorer.

”Here,” she said aloud, finding what she was looking for, finger jabbing at the page. ”It’s a question. Share Your Secrets. I knew I’d seen this before.” She stepped forward and held the book up for Zora to see. ”These here? Pressure points. Exactly where we are stood. Sky’ito, be careful where you put your hands – we are all standing on a floor that could open up and drop us into a chasm, and it’ll be a real long death. We run, the points will fluctuate and we’ll be killed. Don’t…don’t make any sudden movements.”

She looked up and pointed to the display in the language.

”Share your secrets. The Chalactan’s believe in higher spirits, and that we are linked to them more than the Force itself. So we need to prove we are worthy to continue. Obviously these guys with their weapons and jewels didn’t. So one of us needs to stand on that alter - there,” she pointed before the display, ”and share…our secrets as to why we are worthy to pass. And to live.”

Stephanie frowned and lowered the book. That didn’t sound great now she read it out loud.

”Anyone know what a Chalactan would value most for their kind to not be obliterated seeking the mystery of this temple?”

[member="Darth Immortus"] | [member="Gianna Aegis"] | [member="Elisea Korrado"] | [member=Zavii]

 

[Zavii]

Chalacta

Survive the Meshara Temple

[member="Cassius Droma"] [member="Gianna Aegis"] [member="Stephanie Swail"] [member="Zora Djo"] [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Darth Immortus"] [member="Elisea Korrado"]



Zavii watched tensely as the chamber around them began to light up from various consoles, revealing more and more skeletons, each with the faint glinting of reflected light from various weapons and jewlry, none of which seemed to have been looted over the time that those people had lain in place. Even though the Padawan had seen death before- Hell, she'd dealt it to a few beings in the last few months- she was by no means used to it. The air seemed heavy and stale, devoid of the regular circulation caused by living beings moving, talking and breathing it.



"There is Peace amid Emotion" She began to recite an ancient mantra from some holocron she'd found deep within the Library on a sleepless night back when the Silver Jedi still lived on Voss. "There is Serenity amid Passion. There is Harmony amid Chaos. There is Life amid Death. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."



While she chanted under her breath, Zavii watched the older Mandalorian bend down to read a passage from one of the consoles while Sukai examined the remains of a Jedi who seemed to have ended her own life. Suddenly Stephanie started talking about her book about the Chalactan people and Zavii's calming chant dissolved into a string of multilingual profanities. This place seemed more and more like an ancient Sith Tomb from a holo than an abandoned Jedi Temple. Before she realized what was happening, the young Zabrak found herself padding silently forth, her dormant lightsaber still clutched in a white-knuckled grip while she focused on her relaxing mantra once more.



As she approached the stone dias, she forced herself to drop her lightsaber at the first step before ascending the four platforms and turning to face the group from the top. She was only a couple of feet raised and had grown visibly paler, but after a deep breath her hands stilled themselves. There was a pregnant silence while her bright, widened eyes flashed from face to face and her mind went totally blank. She had no idea why she'd come up here, but it was too late to go back now... she didn't want to be responsible for something horrible happening to the others... After a small eternity, she heard a whisper through the Force and began to sing in a soft low voice that tore through the silence like a lone flame in a basement...


"Over thinking, over analyzing, separates the body from the mind
Withering my intuition, leaving opportunities behind
Feed my will to feel this moment
Urging me to cross the line
Reaching out to embrace the random
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come"

Between each line and verse, her voice echoed slightly around the chamber, but Zavii didn't give the still air a chance to settle into silence before stirring it again;


"I embrace my desire to...
I embrace my desire to...
Feel the rhythm
To feel connected
Enough to step aside and
Weep like a widow
To feel inspired
To fathom the power
To witness the beauty
To bathe in the fountain
To swing on the spiral
To swing on the spiral
To swing on the spiral
Of our divinity and
Still be a human..."

With each line, her voice grew slightly more insistent, more heartfelt as she tried to convince whatever ghosts who haunted this place that she meant only to explore and learn through one of her favorite songs;

"With my feet upon the ground
I lose myself between the sounds
And open wide to suck it in
I feel it move across my skin
I'm reaching up and reaching out
I'm reaching for the random or
Whatever will bewilder me
Whatever will bewilder me
And following our will and wind
We may just go where no one's been
We'll ride the spiral to the end
And may just go where no one's been
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going..."

As the last notes of the song petered out into a roar of silence, the young Zabrak took a deep breath and opened her eyes to see what might happen...