Mission: Crystal Caves (Open to Jedi)

[Jsc]

Sam nodded to all present. With caution, they appeared ready to proceed. [member="Tracyn Ordo"] had yet to speak, but Sam expected that he was simply pondering. He was a man of action, after all. So she continued,

"The entrances to the Crystal Caves are just a few meters off this hallway. Go down the Painted Hall, past the glass bannister stairs, and keep on going straight back. Can't miss it."

She rubbed her chin,

"I'll stay up here closer to the surface and look around the Temple corridors. If I can find the kitchen, I should be able to have lunch setup and ready by the time everyone returns. ...The power here is geothermal and in many ways magic. Still, many of the Temples ancient doors and functions remain offline and warded. Truthfully I don't even know what a Jedi light switch would even look like in here? But. Well? I very much doubt that you will need flashlights anywhere you go when you're this near the surface. The natural lighting of the crystal formations seems to never waste away. Many of the functions of this Temples seem to 'sense' the presence of Jedi and activate almost automatically. Facinating! ...Though? I can't say how much alien technology you'll encounter down in the caverns. Few, if any, probably."

Sam shrugged,

"Best of luck guys. I'll be here when you get back. If anyone would like to stay up here with me, that's fine too. But I know most of you came for the caves anyway. So, good luck down there. Hurry back. Hehe."

...

The blond stepped aside and let everyone journey forth.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

[member="Hatake Mutashi"] [member="Peritus Vis"] [member="Talon Vosra"]

Strangely enough, as Tugoro entered the large structure, he began to feel eyes fall upon him. Clutching his warm jacket he had worn over his cloak. It was really cold. Bowing politely, the boy would acknowledge the Jedi superiors and the fellow padawan. Approaching the group, Tugoro would listen to all of the words that were soken around him, by the Knights, Masterss, and even padawans. After a few seconds, Tugoro had gotten a basic feel for what was happening at the moment. Walking forward, he would try to get ahead of them by a bit, eager to see what was within. Hesitating, he would remember hearing something about encounters within the cave. He didn't even have a weapon. No matter, he would stay with the group. Tugoro simply stood quietly and patiently, awaiting to enter.

 

[Vala Melina]

Vala nodded as Sam explained how long she has been out here. Did she saw a team? Team of what? Her attention was then focused on Gherron who mentioned he had some bowls but no utensils for the soup. Vala wasn't above slurping it out but Sam insisted they wait until lunch. Soon the others began filling inside the Temple and any attention on her was lost as they saw the broken droids and began forming a plan for whatever attacked the droids. She also heard her Master mention something called Tapas. What's Tapas? She never heard of it before. They never taught her that in the Temple. It was too late to learn a new technique so she will have to do without it.

A new face then joined the group. She never seen him before but that wasn't saying much. She was raised on a backwater Enclave and was only place in a true Temple fairly recently. They were all ready now but no one has made any move to go forward for the Masters were still busy debating their next course of action. Vala wasn't quite sure what to do herself. From what she heard traditionally Jedi Padawans would travel the caves themselves with the Masters only in the Temple but now circumstances have changed. What were they going to do? She had to find out. She was the designated leader after all.

Vala went over to the group of Masters, waited for a pause in the conversation, than asked, "What are the other Padawans and I going to do?"

Talon Vosra Tugoro Taidarious Sam Jhovna Gherron Vael Hatake Mutashi Vala Melina Tracyn Ordo

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"] [member="Vala Melina"]

Talon watched and waited as long as he felt was necessary. His emerald eyes shifted from the Padawans and knights to the entrance to the actual crystal caves.

"Well this mission is not meant to be overly complicated." He said clapping his hands, "lets get those crystals so we can get those sabers made shall we?"

He waved his padawans along and began into the caves. The cold air grew more still and may have even gone up a degree or two. The crystals were not far in. If they chose they cpuld pick from those nearby or deeper in there were more.

 

[Vala Melina]

Vala waited for an answer for awhile. It almost seemed like they ignored her until her own Master, [member="Talon Vosra"], echoed her own thoughts and said that this was getting overly complicated and they needed to be on their way. He waved for them to go along and Vala happily followed. As they went down through the tunnels it seemed to get colder. Vala shivered a little. She also began to feel something. She couldn't quite place it but she knew was based in the Force. It was like something was calling her. It was unnerving but also a little...exciting.

She looked to her Master and said, "Thank you for guiding us, Master. Was this what it was like when you got your lightsaber crystal?"

[member="Talon Vosra"] [member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Finally, they can now obtain the crystals so they could create their lightsabers. Hopefully it wasn't that complicated since Master Talon said that this was getting complicated. He followed him into the tunnels with Vala and noticed it got colder. He felt something in the force and thought it was just the force itself or his crystal.

"Master Talon, will we be going separate ways or stay in groups?"

[member="Vala Melina"] [member="Talon Vosra"] @everyone else

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

It seemed his patience had paid off, for Talon Vosra had decided to begin. It was true, they had been waiting for sometime, it seemed overly complicated. Seeing as the doors had already been opened, Tugoro rushed forward, aiming to keep up with the group. Ahead was [member="Vala Melina"], a very familiar face for the boy. Having taken off his jacket, the boy was left in his padawan robes, topped with a thick brown cloak that he wrapped around himself. Tugoro could see every breath he took, it was very weird, he did not like the cold. "Hello!" He would say to the female padawan, giving her a grin before averting his attention back to the shining crystals that were scattered throughout the dark cave. Echoes could be heard, though Tugoro knew they were not produced my sound waves. They were voices conjured by the force, drawing his very consciousness to the crystal that was his.

"Strange." He spoke to himself almost, not turning to anyone as he walked along with them. The cold, metallic handle of his saber hung at his belt still, even though he was on this mission.

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Vala Melina"] [member="Hatake Mutashi"] [member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

Talon called on the force for sight as they walked along and his Zelosian eyes began to fail him. He thought back to his lightsaber crystal quest.

"I went to Dantooine for my Crystal Vala." He said not bothering with titles or formalities. These Padawans were students, true, but they were Jedi first and he felt the formal impersonal manner of some masters was choking the Order, "Zoey Marix, a darksider now, and I traveled there without masters to find our own crystals. It was foolish but we did it. I have built 4 sabers over the years on the plains of Dantooine. And you can call me Talon now."

Talon could feel the force eddies as rhe padawans embarked on this milestone mission. He wouldn't interfere unless it was necessary to save a life. They each had their own choices to make and they had to do it by trusting in the force.

"You may each split up but don't stray to deep without telling me. When you have your crystals comback to this chamber we a about to enter and I will show you how a saber is properly made. Remember to care for your crystal if it is anything less than flawless it won't work and you'll need to start again."

He could feel the crystals strongly now as they entered a large chamber filled with thousands of various sized crystals. He heard the reverberations and knew that the crustals would reflect what was in the padawans themselves the only dangers were what they carried with them. Talon found the center of the cave chamber and sat on the floor. His legs crossed and his eyes closed in meditation.

"Trust the lightside of the force. Feel it guide you there is nothing that it can't help you accomplish if you let it.

 

[Vala Melina]

A familiar voice sounded behind her. Vala turned to see Padawan Tugoro catching up to her. Her smile was concealed behind her scarf but she gave him a nod of acknowledgement before turning back to her Master. He spoke of how he got his on Dantooine. Vala hasn't been to very many planets but she did know that Dantooine was home to an Enclave at some point. The fact that Master Vorsa built four lightsabers made Vala's jaw drop slightly. Four lightsabers? That's pretty cool. He gave them the rules then with one final bit of advice set them off.

"Yes Mas...Talon," she remembered what he said and caught herself. It felt a little weird. She looked inside the crystal cave and let her eyes wonder in amazement. So many crystals, all so beautiful. And one of them was going to be hers. The Force was almost alive in this place. Then she felt it again. The beckoning. "Ma...Talon," she tentatively spoke up, "I feel something. It's like...like something is calling me. What is it?"

[member="Talon Vosra"] [member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"] [member="Hatake Mutashi"] [member="Vala Melina"]

Talon kept his eyes closed in the center of the cave. His darklight armor made little sound as he shifted slightly.

"This place has a strong connection to the force." He said calmly, "I you feel the force calling answer, but be mindful of your feelings. The force sometimes grants visions of the future and sometimes it test you with your own feelings. It can also guide you to your goal. The only way to know for sure is to answer the call."

 

[Kian Karr]

Ki'an Karr had learned of the expedition to obtain lightsaber crystals upon his arrival at the Jedi Academy and had set off at full pace to try and catch up with the others. Having arrived at the entrance to the caverns he hesitated for a moment. He was unsure what he would find in there. Closing his eyes, he used his Baran Do training and stretched out into the force, both searching for those within and alerting them to his presence. He wouldn't want to stumble upon them in the dark and be mistaken for a threat.

Ki'an took a deep calming breath and strode into the caves. He pulled his dark grey outer cloak tightly around the green tunic and pants he wore. He had brought no weapons other than a small vibroblade, used more as a tool than a weapon. He felt the force swirling around him as he entered the caves. This place was powerful in the force. Walking further and further into the darkness, he began stretching out with the force, calling to anyone near by. Trying to get an idea where the others were. He didn't know who was in the caverns, being new to the order most of the names he had been given when he left were unknown to him. One stood out though: [member="Talon Vosra"]. He had been contacted by the Jedi Master and offered the opportunity to train under him. Ki'an's head was still spinning from the offer. He was exhilerated to be starting his training, and apprehensive at the idea of failing, but Ki'an pushed those thoughts aside as he focused on the task at hand.
[member="Vala Melina"] [member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Hatake didn't stay around to ask questions. He was hasty and he began wandering through the caves. The force was strong in here. He could feel something calling him and he followed the call. He was walking at ease and thought there was no reason why to finish the mission soon even though he was hasty. Inside of him he could feel someone or something following him. He pretended to not notice it but with quickness he pulled out a throwing knife and threw it behind him. There was nothing, not even footsteps. Confused he was but he kept on going to the call, walking further into the darkness of the cave.

@Ki'an Karr [member="Talon Vosra"] [member="Vala Melina"] [member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Vala Melina]

The young Jedi Padawan listened to her Master's words of wisdom. She needed to answer the call but she will heed her Master's warning. That was what she read about in the library. "Yes...Talon," she said. She was getting a little better at skipping the formality.

She closed her eyes and reached out into the Force. She felt it again, the beckoning call. She focused on it, trying to sense where it was coming from. She walked toward it for a little bit then opened her eyes to find herself standing at the entrance of a tunnel. This was where she was supposed to go. She gave her Master one last look before she tentatively walked into the dimly lit tunnel. Where will this take her and what will she find here?

[member="Hatake Mutashi"] [member= "Ki'an Karr"] [member="Talon Vosra"] [member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Ki'an had been walking in the dark for a few minutes when suddenly he heard a noise not far from him. It sounded like metal hitting rock. Ki'an pulled his cloak tighter around him and pulled the hood up, he would be hard to see in the dark like that. His eyes, shielded by the googles necessary for a Kel Dor to leave Dorin, had adjusted to the darkness and he was able to make out shapes and some textures around him. Following the sound, Ki'an felt something small and hard beneath his boot. Leaning down he picked it up and winced when the razor sharp blade of a throwing knife cut his finger. It wasn't a bad cut and would heal quickly.
"Curious." Ki'an said to himself and walked further down the passage. Using the force to amplify his words, Ki'an called out. "I am Jedi Padawan Ki'an Karr, in search of the expedition of Jedi who came looking for lightsaber crystals. I'm no threat." Ki'an continued to walk down the passage, hoping that whoever was ahead of him heard him. None-the-less, he began to walk along the wall of the passage, rather than directly in the middle, in case another knife came flying down the corridor.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

A large grin adorned the boy's face as he rushed forward, aiming to catch up to his new friend, [member='Ki'an Karr']. "Hello!" He would say, giving the older Keldor a friendly wave before he darted off at full speed, attempting to get ahead of the entire group. He was going to find his crystal, and he would hopefully be the first to do so. It would be a much shorter process for him, seeing as he only needed to replace the crystal within his current saber. Or so he thought. Peering ahead, Tugoro would manage to make out a nearby ledge in the darkness. The shadows ran down apparently, giving no insight as to how deep they truly were. The group would watch as the young boy literally leaped from the rocky path, spiralling downwards to a lower level.

It was extremely dangerous, not to mention stupid, but Tugoro had confidence in his abilities, having swung along the vines of Kashyyyk many times over. However, this was rather different. Extending his arm, the boy would just barely catch himself on a rock wall, his feet tucking in to place themselves firmly against it's damp surface. The shadows were still present, giving Tugoro a rather ominous feeling. Of course he would slip, his feet losing their grip, resulting in his body plumetting towards the ground. Which was only about ten metres away. The landing was hard and painful, however it was worth it, for as he looked up he noticed the strange lights surrounding him, crystals having been ignited by the force energy around. "Woah.." He would mutter in awe, examining the several colors that were around him. Hopefully Ki'an would keep up, to share such an experience.
[member="Vala Melina"]
[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Vala Melina]

Soon the tunnel entrance could no longer be seen as Vala traveled through it. It seemed to be getting dimmer until she can barely see through it. The feeling in the Force was also getting fainter. She wasn't sure why but she had to keep going. As she ventured in the darkness she began to hear dark whispers. Though she knew she was alone, it seemed almost as if they were talking right behind her. They were incomprehensible at first but as she kept going they eventually formed into words.

Weak
Worthless
Alone
Powerless
Useless
Nobody
Loser

Fear

Unable to ignore it no longer, Vala looked back but all she saw was darkness and the voices ceased. She could no longer feel anything in the Force calling to her. She was alone in the darkness.

Suddenly she saw her shadow. Confused, she turned back around to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Being her best lead, she went toward it.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"] @Ki'an Karr [member="Hatake Mutashi"] [member="Talon Vosra"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Ki'an was taken by surprise when [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] flew past him at break neck speed. Ki'an shook his head in exasperation and followed after his new friend. He had to keep up with him, if anything to try and keep him from getting himself killed. Ki'an ran, more cautiously, than Tugoro did and used the force to try and stay on the right path. Suddenly he came to a drop off and looking down saw a faint light glowing from below. Tugoro had gone this way. Ki'an felt confident that he could use the force to soften his descent, given his training with the Baran Do, but didn't want to take any chances on how far the drop was. Tying off a piece of binding he had in his pack, he lowered himself down. Reaching the bottom Ki'an rounded on Tugoro.

"You are going to get yourself killed, do you have any idea how dange...." Suddenly Ki'an trailed off. His eyes falling upon the crystals surrounding them. The light danced off the walls and Ki'an felt his breath leave him. It was a magnificent sight, and it emanated force energy. "Whoa." He said turning to Tugoro and laughing, the sound coming out of his anti-ox mask as bursts of static.

"The others have got to see this." Ki'an said kneeling down in front of the crystals and stretching out with the force. Meditation was one of the main teachings of the Baran Do and when faced with something as awe-inspiring as the sight before him, Ki'an felt that stretching out into the force was the best thing to do. He hoped to help guide the others to this spot as well as learn something from the experience. "I wonder if the others are finding similar caverns." Ki'an said turning toward Tugoro.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

"Which color's yours?" He asked, managing to climb to his feet, his bottom still aching rather violently. The drop he had suffered wasn't exactly high, but it still hurt. The boy's palms would push against the cold, damp ground of the cave, his body turning with his head in a full three-hundred and sixty degree angle. "Wow!" He shouted once again, his voice echoing through the caverns most likely, perhaps the others would find the place he had managed to discover. The cliff-side cave was massive, surely there would be others like it. [member='Ki'an Karr'] had decided to follow the boy, causing him to grin widely.

 

[Kian Karr]

Ki'an considered [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] 's question for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and raised a hand. He moved it from side to side for several minutes. He shut out his senses, he didn't want to choose based on what he saw, he wanted to make his decision based on what he felt. After a few minutes he stopped and opened his eyes. His four fingered hand was pointing a taloned finger at a cluster of green crystals. Ki'an was sure of it.

"That." Ki'an said and turned to Tugoro. "What about you?" Ki'an asked and turned his gaze back towards the opening they had come down from. Ki'an was unsure of how to proceed. Identifying the crystal was only part of the process. They would now have to construct their lightsabers. Ki'an, always the one to do research ahead of time, had studies the archives for information regaring this process. He had drawn up schematics of the saber he wished to construct. It was a relatively simple design, meant to augment his preferred style of fighting, Shien.

 

[Vala Melina]

Vala reached the end of the tunnel and her hands went up as she was blinded by a sudden surge in the light. When the light receded to normal so did her arms. Her eyes adjusted and she saw a being standing before her. Their back was turned but Vala could tell from the robes they wore that they were most likely Jedi. Vala was about to call out to them but the being's movement caused her to stop. The hood turned slightly as if it heard something. Suddenly a shadowy assassin leaped out of the darkness and attacked the Jedi. With incredible swiftness the Jedi blocked the assassin's blade with their own. Vala had a better view of the Jedi and discovered that they were a well muscled and fit woman that was maybe an inch taller than she was. The blades were locked for a moment but the woman was strong and eventually broke it, shoving the assassin backward. With brutality characteristic of Form V: Djem So the Jedi cut down her attacker.

There was barely a moments rest when another assassin stepped out of the shadows and activated his red bladed lightsaber. The dark Jedi thrust his saber forward but the Jedi was quick and easily dodged it. Another thrust but same result. Frustrated, the assassin raised his saber high in to deliver a downward blow but he then found himself flying in the air as the Jedi delivered a powerful Force Push. The assassin hit the wall and crashed onto the ground, dazed. He looked up to find the Jedi flying toward him. Her blade sunk into his chest and the fallen assassin's saber fell from his hand. The Jedi got back up and stood in a Djem So stance, ready for another attacker.

Vala was stunned by the impressive display of prowess. Then the shadowed hood looked at Vala. The Jedi tensed at first then she brought her blade down as she relaxed. A hand reached up for her hood, paused for a moment as if unsure, then pulled it back. Vala studied the face for a moment then gasped when she recognized them. Though fit and strong, she had chocolate brown hair tied back with a red bandanna and ice blue eyes. It was slightly altered due to the muscle but she knew the face instantly.

It was hers. The Jedi standing before her was Vala. Or more like the opposite of her. Instead of being scrawny, the Jedi was strong. Instead of standing with little confidence, the Jedi stood proudly. Instead of hiding in the background, the Jedi stood in the spotlight. They simply stared at each other, both baffled by what they saw but Vala was better at hiding it.

@Ki'an Karr Tugoro Taidarious Hatake Mutashi Talon Vosra