Public Like mynocks to a salvage ship (BOTM)

[Samantha "Sam" Kamura]

Location: Jakku

Krayt's Head salvaging outpost, a rusted diamond in the middle of the desert. A gathering of vendor stalls covered in colorful awnings, makeshift buildings pieced together from scrap and the remains of an Imperial star destroyer that gave the outpost its name. Not the most appealing place on Jakku, but for salvagers and junk dealers it was an oasis. This little island in the desert became a hive of activity over the past few days with the arrival of four Darius G-class freighters. These big lumbering freighters were loading up on as much salvage as they could haul, which was big business for some and great opportunity for others. So they came from across Jakku, the salvagers, the deal makers and the unsavory alike.

Sam dodged yet another repulsor vehicle loaded with scrap, and almost danced straight into a larger being. Every day since those freighters arrived, Krayt's Head just got busier. More vendors, buildings and tents popped up by the day. Along with a large influx of salvage and other supplies. The outpost seemed to double almost every day, which was good in some ways. For Sam that meant there was more stuff to see and more treasure to dig through.

The young teen stopped under an awning to watch one of the large freighters being loaded with ship parts. From what she heard, they were almost completely loaded up and ready to move the fleet off world. What that meant for Krayt's Head, she didn't know. Maybe it would thrive, maybe it would die back down to normal. She wished it would stay like this, maybe even become a small town of its own. Then she could visit more often and not see the same stuff every time. Whether or not that would happen ultimately depended on if these vessels returned or not for their next load of scrap.

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Since the second great disaster after Csilla. The Maw had started to spread from a bunch of dark side pagans of the Unknown Regions to the stars beyond. It had even started to spread towards planets such as Jakku, some believers practicing secret rituals to both the Heathen Priests and the Avatars most of all. But since the Alliance had controlled Jakku, even going as far as to establish a Jedi Outpost of sorts. Such dark practices had largely remained anonymous.

Kyrel would be one of the few dispatched secretly back to this force forsaken world. To spread the word of the Maw, and to offer the Avatar’s righteous blessings for all those that seemed eager to listen. The Master of Ren arrived stealthily into Krayt’s head. Thankfully the stealth systems of the Ren ship known as the Night Vulture had managed to avoid the likes of the Alliance with ease, and with the attention of the Jedi focused on other matters. He had assumed that gathering new converts would seem to be an easy task in of itself.

“Praise be the Avatar’s blessings.” He began to speak to a crowd of the desperate. “A great sign has been witnessed. With the Csilla cataclysm finished, those that wished to see the guiding shadow envelop them will be reborn anew. Not like the hypocrisy of a war torn galaxy. By Maw’s shadow we come to spread the great word of the avatars, and to offer a new path of enlightenment. Rejoice in the name of Shadow.” He said as if a holy man himself. The crowd was small but had gathered to hear what the followers of the Maw had to say. Unaware of who else might be here.

@Samantha “Sam” Kamura

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Csilla.

His birth world.

Gone.

And what was he doing? He was assisting his father, striking at small bases, protecting the flag of the Jedi. Protecting the light side. Wayseekers they were called. But with the feel of the ice world being destroyed? It was akin to when Corellia was broken. He and his father both felt it. Coren made his run back towards the galaxy’s center and potentially their wars, Jared was doing what he did best.

Being the striking edge of the Jedi. Working in the shadows as a Jensaarai, and taking the jobs a Jedi would not welcome. Loaded up in his new Blastboat, he was making his way towards the remains of Csilla, hoping to connect with the Syndic and the Expeditionary Force. A different ship, it wasn’t making the run from Kattada out to Csilla without a layover. Finding a landing space on Jakku, at the Krayt’s Head, the white and black vessel was landing.

Stepping down the gangway, Jared and Hopper tossed a few Outer Rim talons to the keeper of the station, refuel was needed. A new ship the Dark Gem was needing more time under Jared’s ownership before he could really understand it and effect change on the vessel.

The Jensaarai had a dark navy cloak over his piecemeal Jensaarai armor. White armor with a stylized version of a Csilla snow-tiger embedded with Corellian bloodsteel, Jared moved without the mask on his armor. It didn’t take him long to find the speaker, and hearing more of Csilla was not what the Jensaarai was expecting. Not here.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

The Qi-Kans had departed from the galaxy, their spirits becoming one with the Force at last, after millennia of waiting, disembodied spirits dwelling within the crystals that grew far beneath the surface. But in their passing, they had said there were three others worlds they had inhabited. Compass-worlds, they called them, to serve as compass points in the Force for those who would listen to its guidance. All lost eons ago, leaving nothing but rumors and the occasional dream to those sensitive to the Force.

For months now, Tiland had been tracking rumors and legends of ancient garden worlds strong in the Force along the far edges of the galaxy. Jedi star-compasses were no good, for the Qi-Kans were not Jedi. The thought had occurred to him that it would perhaps behoove him to learn how to fly a ship and the astrogation skills the Tillians and Starchasers possessed.

And eventually, it had taken him, ironically, back to Jakku to speak to the Anchorites about the Plaintive Hand plateau, and what little history remained of the desert world. Unfortunately, nothing came of it.

They knew little except the Consecrated Eremite once dwelt there before Jakku had been turned into a desert. And now his eyes were thoughtful as he strode back into Krayt's Head, but he stopped, perplexed. It was quite a bustling spot now. Bulk freighters, people coming and going. He had thought to hitch a ride to the Jakku enclave and find transport from there, but perhaps that was no longer necessary.

But there was something else, something more than the shockwave that had come from Csilla, akin to Corella before that, and even longer ago in his memory, the loss of Alderaan. Familiar presences. Some Light, some more gray, and one that tickled his memory from an incident years ago on the fetid swamp planet of Dagobah.

Tiland frowned and brushed sand from his face and ran his fingers through his sand-gritted beard. The First Order were here? What could they possibly be doing on Jakku?

 

[Kasia Celestyne]

://Jakku
://Obliterate the Dark

The Light often falls brightest where darkness lies. Kasia didn't have a ship of her own, the Crusade needed all operable ships in their sectors of space to both defend and project their strength against the Sith.

However, the Light did not work in purely spatial parameters. There was evil all around the galaxy, and she had felt pulled away from the center of the Crusade by the very Light she worshipped. It brought her to a fast courier that cut across the galaxy, then from where that courier stopped onto a freighter crewed by people who looked more disreputable than they actually were, which brought her here.

To Jakku.

The desert sun bleached her already pale hair and skin. Her clothing bore subtle symbols of her Crusade, as did the saber at her belt, but otherwise, she was just another person on the planet.

As she stepped out of the low slung building where she had eaten, she saw a person walking from the direction she had come only hours before when she had been dropped off. He wore a deep navy cloak and gleaming white armor that almost hurt to look at under the desert sun. She could also feel the Light radiating from him, and another presence from where ships landed that felt bright and powerful, though almost more languid like the light coming off of super heated magma compared to a magnesium flare. Elsewhere nearby a shadow blotted out part of her perception, a powerful presence that veritably perverted the force around it.

Her attention drawn to the feeling of the dark presence, she stepped into the street and almost bounced off of Jared Starchaser as he passed by. On instinct, her hands flew up, palms and fingers stretched.

"Ashla..." She paused her surprised expletive and looked at the Jensaarai. "My apologies for nearly running you over." The slight Echani woman said to the armored warrior.

She remained paused, standing near where she had almost bumped into him, but her head turned in the general direction that the darkness came from. It remained slippery, she couldn't get her mind to pinpoint where it was, and it was distracting her.

Samantha "Sam" Kamura | Kyrel Ren | Jared Starchaser | Tiland Kortun​

 

[Samantha "Sam" Kamura]

Sam's attention was pulled from the ships to a new sound, well rather an unfamiliar sort of sound. Someone was preaching out to the small crowd gathered around him. The mans voice held a strong conviction as he spoke of Csilla and a dark shadow that would guide them. Sam had never heard of such a thing before, besides what happened to Csilla.

The teen pulled her cloak a little closer and moved closer. Sliding into the edge of the crowd, she peeked out from under her hood at him. She could almost feel his force signature without having to search for it. There were whispers amongst those gathered, but she paid them little mind as she studied this preacher. During her time on Jakku, she had heard about the light side of the force, something about this seemed different. Not truly malevolent different, just out of the ordinary. Then again she hadn't been exposed all that much to the varying philosophies of the force. She wasn't sure what exactly made her stay put, even as a few others wandered away. Something about this, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Kyrel Ren Jared Starchaser Tiland Kortun Kasia Celestyne

 

[Maestus]

Jakku. Back here again. She was, once more, on the hunt. Not for Jedi. Not this time, anyways. She chuckled softly. No, she was hunting better quarry. She wasn't even here for slaves. Though she would those that caught her attention.

No, this time, she was looking for those who possessed the spark. The touch of the Force. Or perhaps those who believed in the Force. Or, even better, those with teachings in the more esoteric, mystical arts. Truth be told, she had many needs. Jakku was simply where she had chosen to come first to see if any could be met.

She moved wordlessly through the dust laden streets. Vendors and passersby made every attempt to avoid her. THe dark energy radiating was felt like a heat wave, roiling off of her.

Something caught her attention. A familiar voice doing...Street prophesying? Oh this was rich. She stepped nearer to Kyrel Ren though stayed at the fringe of the group he had drawn to hear his words. While she listened, she stretched out her senses. Searching for those with a Force signature.

Ah, and she found one. Her black eyes landed on Samantha "Sam" Kamura . Such a young girl, Maestus could tell. Barely a teenager. Maestus manuvered closer towards the teen, until she stood behind her, She spoke softly, very quietly, so as only Samantha "Sam" Kamura could hear.

His words intrigue you, I see. You want to hear more, my child?

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The armored Jensaarai was doing his best to not bring Force level attention to himself. He had traveled the Rim long enough that he knew how to give off an air of a bounty hunter, a gun for hire, not a follower of the hidden truth. It would be unwise for the Saarai-Kaar to find out he was reveling their kind in the galaxy.

His armor heavily influenced from the archaic Imperial Knights, and the Storm Commandos that his father had served with. The gun on his hip and back helped with the illusion he was crafting, that he was merely a gunslinger on his way to the next kill, the next war front. The fact that there was someone spouting off about Csilla’s fall was just a happy accident.

The Mirialan’s attention pulled away the flare in the Force the Echani was giving off. Almost bumping into him, but she missed. Holding up a hand, one without any gauntlet save for the bracer along his wrist, he made a move to offer to steady her. “You’re fine. In a hurry somewhere?”

His tone was calm, and trying to not expose that he was looking for any sign of why he was here. Was it this woman? Was it the darkness he felt?

Samantha "Sam" Kamura Kyrel Ren Tiland Kortun Kasia Celestyne Maestus

 

[Samantha "Sam" Kamura]

Sam never heard Maestus approach, as her mind was occupied trying to figure out what Kyrel Ren was speaking of. She jumped a little and quickly turned to face the woman. The first thing she noticed was the dark energy radiating from her, like the heat of Jakku's midday sun. Sam paused for a nervous moment before before adjusting her mask. "M..more? I mean...I don't really know what he's talking about. Never seen him here before."

She cast the man a quick glance before giving Maestus another once over. The woman didn't seem to share the same dark energy as the man, but he could have been hiding it better, or at least trying to. From the way she spoke, she must have known him. "Do you know him?"

 

[Kasia Celestyne]

Kasia smiled a bit. She cut a far different figure than the armored gunslinger before her. Only armed with a slim looking blade attached to her hip. Aside from almost walking into him, she moved with the confidence of a warrior.

“You’re fine. In a hurry somewhere?”

"That is certainly an excellent question." She chuckled. The feeling that pulled her here had redoubled when she felt the aura of Kyrel Ren . She turned her eyes to Jared Starchaser , looking him down and up appraisingly. She had thought she felt something off of the man, a presence of the Light, but when she focused on him she saw no more presence in the Force than any other creature. At that low level, she couldn't discern light and dark, merely a limited presence. "I..." She what? Will drop her whole life story at the drop of a hat for some guy she had walked into? Had she fallen into a holonovel?

She cleared her throat, smile still present, though the auras of darkness nearby caused a shadow over her features.

"I am a Jedi." She said by way of explanation; if the man was familiar with the iconography of the Ashlan Crusade he would know where she was from, roundabouts. "I don't want to bother you further, I just felt something that caused me a careless step."

Her face turned in the vague direction of the shadow, a feeling of the darkness deepening drawing her eyes and lips tighter. Maybe she was a fool to come here alone. The Force had not given her any clear insight into what it was drawing her towards, but backup was always warranted. Her posture shifted, formerly confident as a blade bravo and now resigned. She would send a message to the Crusade before continuing her investigation. She didn't think they would spare any resources, but they should know of the spread of the threat they faced.

And possibly the reason they had lost a Crusader.

Maestus | Samantha "Sam" Kamura | Tiland Kortun​

 

[Maestus]

Maestus smiled, and gave the slightest of nods in response to Samantha "Sam" Kamura question.

Yes, I know him. His name is Kyrel. What do you think of what he says?

For her part, Maestus was paying Kyrel Ren little mind. Not to say he was beneath her notice. Quite the contrary. She knew what Kyrel spoke of. She'd heard the message before. RIght before the Brotherhood of the Maw launched a battle. They were words meant to stir up passions, and instill in those hearing it a taste for blood.

She watched Sam, quite curious about the young one. Maestus could sense the untapped potential within the child. With the right teaching, training and molding, Sam could become quite a powerful Force user.

What is your name, my dear?​

​

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Kyrel remained surrounded by his Knights of Ren. They had all eyed the crowd of desperate and struggling scavengers. Some had taken a liking to the words the undead had spoke of. Even now as he felt some danger of the Force. Jedi perhaps? He wasn't entirely sure what it was was. Yet still Kyrel carried on, even as others of the Maw were present. Acting as if nothing was here but the downtrodden trying to seek a better life. Something of which he couldn't blame these people for, they lived on a rock drenched in wreckage on a constant basis. The same wreckage was the only way they could make some type of living. What he offered was so much more, something that was different.

Despite several signatures, his fingers gliding over to the hilt of his Lightsaber. The tension slowly rising, as he only imagined it wasn't long before anymore Jedi would arrive. He kept his composure as for now he didn't deem it necessary to start conflict. Only seeing it fitting for the Jedi to start one themselves due to his dark aura being sent out like a pulse of sorts. Seeing what reactions he would get from the champions of the light, to see if they themselves would do something rather foolish.

"While yes, you have known struggle, hardship and for what? Rations that do not sustain you? The hypocrisy of the Jedi abandoning you to scrounge and scrap to survive, while they live comfortably in a outpost. No, I do not seek to see you all suffer this way. Those that join me today. You all will see a new way. One that would satisfy every desire you all have, and to spread the word of the Maw. To live for something, a greater purpose molded by hardship and pain. I come to offer you all deliverance from the shackles that bind you here. If you only join me."

There were quiet whisperings among the crowd. As if his words had reached out and touched something within them. What that was, something that had stirred a fire as some of them started to come back. One an old man that had gone onto his knees towards Kyrel. "Please o lord... I seek such salvation, my family has died and I suffer so much. Pain is my only friend, please release me from this?!" He asked with tears in his eyes, desperation of the common man was in his voice. "No tears, for the Maw molds such pain into something stronger. If you wish to be free, the Maw will guide you."

He said to the man, as his eyes scanned the crowd. Wondering what would come from it, a grin coming upon his lips through his mask, as he found more eager converts.

Samantha "Sam" Kamura
Maestus
Tiland Kortun
Jared Starchaser
Kasia Celestyne

 

[Samantha "Sam" Kamura]

Sam turned to Kyrel Ren when Maestus told her what the mans name was. His speech grew longer as a few in the crowd began to voice questions or were drawn in further by his words. She turned back to Maestus. "Sam, Sam Kumara His speech is definitely....different then what I've heard before. What..is the Maw exactly?"

Jared Starchaser Tiland Kortun Kasia Celestyne

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Tiland paused where he was walking and wiped his brow. His skin burned to the touch, but it was dry, as it essentially always was. It was one of the downsides of being an Anzati. There were those who think they were walking corpses, which wasn't far off compared to human physiology.

He leaned on the Vor'cha stun stuck he carried with him now, since waking up unexpectedly with it in the undercity of Terminus. Although he had no memory of traveling there from Kathol, he had a strong feeling of how it had happened. He was on the edge of the settlement now before he headed further inwards.

A crowd was gathered, well, a crowd for Jakku anyway, around the familiar presence and Tiland paused to lean on it. The figure was different from what he remembered on Dagobah.

He couldn't tell what it was, but there was definitely something different. The face wasn't one he couldn't recognize either, but he scratched his forehead and frowned.

After a moment, he winced and sat himself down on the sand and let out a long breath. That was better. His bones ached from the trek through the sands and it was good to sit.

The Maw? Like, the Brotherhood of the Maw? Apparently the Ren had decided this new First Order was not to their liking, which he did find amusing.

"The Maw is exactly what it sounds like," he said finally after a moment to someone's question. "An endless desire for death and destruction that orgies in inflicting pain on others." He rubbed his eyes to block out some of the glare from the sun. "I suppose this new First Order wasn't violent enough for you all," Tiland said gesturing towards the center.

 

[Nathe'dok'diasa “Nate”]

Always so many different people to a place like this, isn't there? Well there wasn't anything wrong with stopping by the planet to have a look at what had been said so much now was there? Well with that being said, a very nice X-wing flew overhead, of course the ship only had the one pilot being the Chiss who landed the craft not far from the main entrance to which he walked forward with the S-195 blaster pistol slung in his belt line, tucked away out of sight and out of mind.

As he made his way closer to the wreck of what he had come to see, there was clearly regret that he couldn't have been there sooner, so much stuff that could have been his for the taking if he way only a few hours earlier. His feet led him toward the market, blissfully unaware of all of the tomfoolery with the Sith and Jedi around him. Though to be fair, it wasn't going to be an easy fight with him if he could get a shot with his blaster pistol, as the double barreled side arm could put a hole in just about anything unarmored from point blank.

Perhaps there was something to be learned from all of this however, and he was more than happy to come out and find what he could from something like this. If he was lucky, he could get in and get out with at least some blaster rifles like the e-11 before trouble kicked in, maybe even a tie-fighter if he was blessed by a god that day. though the odds of this happening were slim to none.

Of course this was all before his first actual arc would begin for him, seeing as his GR-75 was off planet and being guarded by it's crew in real space, ready to get the hell out of what ever came it's way if needed before he could return, lucky though, that wasn't much of an issue.

 

[Maestus]

As Tiland Kortun drew near to the crowd, Maestus felt him before she saw him. Black eyes scanned for the gathered for the source of the Force signature. Finding him, an old man, Maestus did not smirk or otherwise react. She knew well from personal experience that looks were always deceiving. He may be an old man, but the Force could augment, supplement the body and mind in miraculous ways. She would tread carefully with him.

She turned her attention back to Samantha "Sam" Kamura , and she smiled. The girl was curious. Inquisitive. A good sign, indeed. Maestus spoke in low, gentle tones so as to not frighten the child.

The Maw is many things. Yes, their methods are violent and vicious. But, from what I have learned, their goal is to remove the blight upon the galaxy. So creation can begin anew, as it was meant to be. They do not kill and destroy simply to kill and destroy. It is to provide better for all.

Kyrel Ren ​

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