Public Odessen Archaeological Dig

[Jacen Nimdok]

“I’ve always wanted to visit this planet,” Nimdok said. He stood at the bottom of the ramp of the ship which had brought them—himself and a small excavation crew—to the surface. They had landed in the midst of a lush forest on Odessen, a world in the Unknown Regions. It was the early hours of morning, and the trees around them were still dark, scraggly silhouettes shrouded in shadows. “It’s a Force nexus, but unlike most other planets, it is perfectly balanced between the light and the dark. Nonetheless, it seems to have been largely abandoned by sentient life. There are a few native species, some of them dangerous, so we’ll have to be careful and stay together.”

Regardless if any of the crew was actually listening to him, Nimdok continued to talk, prattling on about the planet’s history. The man seemed to love the sound of his own voice, which was admittedly easy on the ears.

“In the Old Republic era, Odessen was chosen as the headquarters of the Alliance against the Eternal Empire. When the two eventually fused into the Eternal Alliance, it became their capital.” He looked around at the mountainous, overgrown terrain in which they had landed. “This place has seen its fair share of fighting—two major battles were fought here. There may be some wreckage, even after 4,200 years.

“But I am interested in following another thread. A Jedi master exiled herself to this planet. The former Jedi Grandmaster Satele Shan—a descendant of Bastila Shan, the great Jedi sentinel whose battle meditation helped turn the tide in the Jedi Civil War. She may have also been descended from the great Revan himself, if the rumors about their relationship are true. The Jedi clearly had a strong presence here—there should be some ruins nearby.

“We must approach this dig with the utmost care. Holocrons and other such Jedi artifacts tend to be somewhat fragile. We should avoid the use of explosives to avoid damaging them, and do our best to preserve the structures that house them. We are here to retrieve the most valuable items, and leave everything else as we found it.”

With his datapad tucked under one arm and a shovel in the other, he nodded to the others. “Dawn is approaching. The nocturnal predators will be returning to their dens. Now would be an excellent time to begin.”

Spoiler: OOC Info

This thread is open to anyone who wishes to join, though I recommend you PM me before you post here just to make sure it doesn't get too messy. You can join as either a member of Nimdok's crew, or as competition trying to loot the ruins first.

Spoiler: Tags

Ravenous | Lucien Dooku | Alistair Abbott

 

[Elise Ike]

It was nice to see the history of this planet had not been lost to time. Even in her time, such events were a century of two old, many aspects still not crystal clear, but here was this man, reciting a brief overview of the planet around the days of the eternal empire like it was nothing. Needless to say she was impressed, even if the man like herself wasn't the age they appeared to be. She could feel that this expedition would be a fruitful one indeed, herself never having the chance to visit the planet in the past due to it's location and family... 'problems'.

Walking down from the ship Elise clutched her own data pad in one had, while carrying a container in the other. Said container holding several sampling devices and other excavation hand tools for the coming work, but before that. With a quicken pace she worked her way through the small crowd that made up the rest of the crew, approaching Jacen Nimdok . "Mr Nimdok, I would just like to thank you for organizing this little outing, I tend to perform my own field once in a while but am limited by my expenses". "For introduction since I do not believe we did so before arrival, my name is Dr Elise Dixon, my field of expertise primarily being Osteology and Anthropology".

"I look forward to our time together today and any possible future ventures, please accept this", one of Elise's hand reaching into her pocket and producing a small business like card. "My current address is a manor on Saleucami, it also doubles and a private musim if you are interested in visiting some time, ah but I've kept you to long, let us return to the current task at hand".

 

[Alistair Abbott]

Alistair trailed down the loading ramp, breathing in the fresh morning air. The damp forest soil squelched underneath his feet as managed his heavy load – a large backpack of heavy tools and some sort of scanner he was unfamiliar with.

‘God, it’s good to get out of that thing’' he thought, his mood brightening as his face caught the dappled sun filtering through the canopy overhead. He was slowly coming to despise long space voyages. His ‘gift’ (although it felt more of curse at the time) meant he could feel the intricacies of every machine aboard, from simple door mechanisms to the subtle complexity of the hyperdrive. The movement of electrical signals throughout the entire vessel flooding his brain nearly drove him crazy.

He grinned at the surrounding foliage, his vision awash with the bright colours and his nose filled with an earthy aroma. Very much a ‘city-boy’, he always relished a job in the wild - though he knew he was very much out of his element. And this place was the best he’d seen so far; the air was rich, the temperature pleasantly cool – everything seemed to thrum with an unseen, nameless power.

He reluctantly pulled himself back into reality, only now taking notice of the boss-man, Niddok or Jacen Nimdok or whatever, as he briefed the crew. He fiddled as the man spoke, eager to begin traveling and to shed the heavy weight from his back. The information the older man imparted mostly went over his head (Alistair could barely differentiate Jedi from Sith, let alone quote their lengthy history) but he perked up at the mention of valuable artefacts. An honest wage was good enough for a meal, but a paycheck like that was what he really needed.

He approached the man, catching the tail end of the conversation with Elise Ike . When they’d finished, he stepped forward and offered a crooked smile. “I’m ready when you are, Boss” he said in his best ‘yes sir, happy-to-help sir’ voice. “But just know I’m dropping all of this stuff as soon as one of those beasties you mention gets a sniff of me”.

 

[Ravenous]

Ravenous trudged through the endless flora of Odessen his cloak having been ripped in multiple places and his body having been covered in dirt and other filth. His mask was dented slightly and the skin on his body that was exposed bore scratch marks, bruises, burns if it was an injury Ravenous had it. By his account, it had been a full month since he ventured to this world in search of a treasure with unknown value. A Lightsaber its origin being dated to over 4000 years in the past, Its power beckoned him now and yet the intense energies of Odessen were enough to shroud the saber in seclusion. Ravenous pushed through a few more bushes before being overcome by fatigue from a full night of running.

A beast of some kind attacked his nook in the jungle and almost brought a tree down upon him before his head was levitated of its duties. Ravenous knelt before reaching into his cloak and pulling out a spiky orange fruit, One of the few edible foods in this dense jungle. It had been a full 3 days since he had eaten but even then he was able to push forward...With the aid of the Force. The raven like warrior pushed a button somewhere behind his ear deactivating the magnetic clamp on the mask, It fell into his hand and allowed him to take an audible crunch out of the fruit. Juice dripped from his chin as he threw the core on the ground and began his trudge once again.

There wasn't anything or anyone that had the power to stop this force of mayhem from claiming his prized decadence. The air around here was humid and moist and the ground vibrated constantly, the soil appeared acidic and there were far more birds here than anywhere else he had been so far, There was only one logical conclusion...Water! Ravenous almost tripped as he broke into wild sprint thoughts of refreshing cool water filling his head as the sound of running water was heard in his ears. Ravenous cut a bush in half with his indigo crossguard when droplets of water began sprinkling him. Beyond the now smoldering flora was a lively river filled with fish and minerals of one variety or another.

The stream maneuvered around scattered boulders in the water the occasional wave crashing into it. The man rushed over towards the shoreline scooping up the mineral-rich water with his gloved hands. He couldn't stop himself from smiling as the water hit his dry mouth, He dipped his head in the water washing the dirt and twigs downstream. With this body clean for the most part it was time to get to the task at hand...Food. During his time here with the elements Ravenous learned their properties and how to best deal with them. He sat down in a meditative position and reached out with the Force arousing its whispers to his willpower, He could feel the water and then the compounds, the molecules that made those compounds and the atoms that made the molecules. The almost nonexistent space between atoms was apparent to the Dark Jedi, the energy that flowed between the water was small but enough to bind the atoms to eac-

“In the Old Republic era, Odessen was chosen as the headquarters of the Alliance against the Eternal Empire. When the two eventually fused into the Eternal Alliance, it became their capital.”

Ravenous jumped behind a bush and placed his left hand on the hilt of his saber. Who the hell is giving a history lesson in the middle of the Jungle?

Jacen Nimdok | Alistair Abbott | Elise Ike ​

 

[Lucien Dooku]

Lucien trailed slightly behind Nimdok and the Doctor, maintaining a healthy distance in between them and the other guy behind him. The job was simple enough for being what it was. And truth be told, Luc would've done it for free considering the sure nature of Nimdok regarding the artifacts they would find. It was a solid change of pace from having to engage in the typical spacer activities of the era. Smuggling helped to keep the Captain's ship warm, but even a youthful guy like him occasionally got tired of being crammed in a ship for long periods of time. So when this job fell into his lap, Luc took it without hesitation or second thought.

He was an adventurer by trade, first and foremost. The acquiring of Jedi and Sith artifacts was what he did for fun, and eventually it became a way to make a living after being exiled from his home. There were many who were skilled at the mapping and excavation of these aforementioned artifacts, but just how many were willing to test the odds when danger entered the picture? He'd seen Sithspawn defending their master's tomb massacre entire groups of unprepared archaeologists before, and that didn't mean Jedi temples were anymore safer. Puzzles, mind-tricks and crumbling architecture were all possibilities in the search for treasure.

These things required quick-thinking, quick-reflexes, and sometimes a bit of brute force helped too. Altogether, that's where Lucien came along. It was his hobby as much as it was his profession, and he'd been involved in those kinds of fun activities for as long as he could remember. Traveling the galaxy with his master, who introduced him to it all, was one of the most enlightening aspects of his training. Holocrons sure sold well, but there was much for one to learn if the path they chose led to its activation. He wasn't sure which path he walked on now, but the force would guide him, and of that he was sure.

He covered his mouth with a yawn as the man behind him caught up with the rest of the group. Luc had quietly followed the conversation between the two intellectuals for quite some time by then. Their leader fluffed up much of the history of the planet, and he did a damn good job at it too. He remained quiet up until Alistair finished speaking, his lips perching into a grin before adding his own comment into the conversation as well. "If one of those 'beasties' happens to show up, I wouldn't fret too hard about it. We've got numbers and tactics on our side." He shrugged. "And if all else fails, just try and not drop the goods. Everything else? Sure~"

Jacen Nimdok Elise Ike Alistair Abbott Ravenous

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia’s footfalls were heavy as she walked up toward the group from her own ship, a red gauntlet fighter a Mandalorian classic and staple, in her left hand she held her VAARS rifle while bringing up her left arm and using the command interface in her armor to link up to the ships sensors, bringing additional information into her battlefield analytics then she executed a ship lock down before looking up and securing her weapon in both hands. Her armor was not subtle but it did not need to be, at one point it was probably quite shiny but it was not the case anymore it was a dull grey with crimson highlights and a red cape extending down from the neck she she had come to a stop near the group next to Jacen Nimdok her head turned scanning the entire range around them

“Nothing out of the ordinary out there at the moment” she rolled her eyes at the impromptu history lesson, luckily, her eyes were hidden behind a helmet, but she was paid to do security not comment on the client. To her Odessen was another mudball where a war was fought. Come to think of it actually, she wondered if there was a planet a Mandalorian had not fought on, if there was she would have to put that on her bucket list.

Tags: Jacen Nimdok Elise Ike Alistair Abbott Ravenous Lucien Dooku

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok turned to face Elise Ike as she addressed him. The woman had seemed rather aloof when she initially joined their crew, but it was clear that he had impressed her with his knowledge of the planet's history.

"My pleasure, Dr. Dixon," he replied, accepting her business card. After briefly glancing at it, he tucked it into his pocket. Perhaps he would take her up on her offer to visit her manor at a later date. "I hope our time here together will be productive, if not fruitful."

He pursed his lips at Alistair Abbott 's comment, preparing to give the young man a lecture, but Lucien Dooku beat him to the punch. For good measure, he added, "Losing the artifacts would make our trip quite pointless. I agree that in the event we are outnumbered by our attackers, you would do better to drop everything but the loot."

Where other archaeologists might fuss over etymology, he didn't mind calling the artifacts loot, plunder, or even booty. As far as the builders of the tomb were concerned, they were no better than thieves and robbers. Nimdok had no illusions about the dangers they would face, both from the jungle and from the ruins themselves. It was why he had tried to gather as many people as possible, in hopes that larger numbers would mean fewer casualties. In addition to the obvious treasure hunters among them, most of the scholars had at least basic combat training. Some, like the Mandalorian Aselia Verd , had been hired on purely for security reasons. If they were going to get out of here alive and unharmed, let alone with anything to say for their efforts, they would have to work together.

Hoisting his shovel against his shoulder, he turned away from the group. "To start, we'll be heading northeast. There's a mountain that way which is supposed to contain a hidden tomb complex cut into the rock." Just what they would find in there, or where the entrance to the tomb even was, was less clear, but he had a few theories. "The entrance will likely be somewhere at the base of the mountain. Expect it to be totally obscured by the undergrowth by now. There's also the possibility of mountain slides covering it with fallen rocks." Hence the shovels.

"This planet is known to have cave jurgorans, so I wouldn't be surprised if we found some inside. In the meantime, there will be shade stalkers in the jungle, as well as other wildlife we'll have to deal with." He shrugged. "As long as everyone is ready, we might as well head out."

He waited a moment for any potential protests or questions, then started walking. The presence of an unknown individual watching the party from the bushes went seemingly unnoticed by the archaeologist.

Ravenous

 

[Ravenous]

He should have been found by now...He shouldn't still be able to watch the group from afar. Their prattle was surprisingly objective, not like the other travelers he'd killed thus far. These people were different not simple tourists rather...Treasure hunters. And this group was interesting to be sure, out of the five people there 4 of them had some affinity for the Force...The galaxy was getting larger by the day and with it the life energies that fueled the binding power of the universe...The force was getting stronger. With this newfound strength, it is imperative that it didn't fall into the hands of those unfit to wield it...Especially Sith Lords. Yes, the mark of a powerful Sith was unmistakable by any measurement. She couldn't be allowed to leave Odessen not, in the same manner, she arrived anyhow.

Attacking would be a foolish and unobjective course of action. He didn't want to kill these people he didn't even want to kill the numerous travelers that came before them but his hand was forced and if he played his cards correctly his hand would lay stagnant yet. Ravenous' eyes flashed yellow for a second before his body was propelled away from the bush at inhuman speeds, A mixture between the Force and adrenaline pumping through his blood supply sent the dark shadow across the river and in front of the group before him. He stood slightly above the group being elevated by a small patch of land. He carefully surveyed the group taking note of their appearances, weapons, armor everything. Few things made it past the gaze of Ravenous but once his third eye came into play even the rate of your BLINKING was taken note of. Ravenous' senses were preeminent he was sure of this and even then overcaution wasn't an abnormity for the Dark Jedi.

A brief survey of the environment and those he had come into contact with had given him the knowledge of what to say in an instant.

"Yes, this planet is very dangerous. Even then you're forgetting the hazardous obstacles and flora that line these jungles." Ravenous turned and pointed at the left foot of Alistair Abbott . "Such as that those Parcel vines your stepping in." The vines seizing their opportunity for a meal began to wrap the ankle of the man and attempt to drag him upwards towards the truffle of the tree they hung from.

"I suggest you dispose of those vines hastily, Their thorns are poisonous and can paralyze an adult male like yourself in a matter of moments." Ravenous hopped from his elevated position and began approaching the group with his hands folded behind his back. "First the venom will enter your bloodstream and render you unconscious so the vines can hoist you upwards without any..." Cough "Resistance...Then while you are unconscious the vines will split open and release ACID that will burn through your flesh until your muscle turns to liquid and seeps into the ground providing a nutrient of sorts to our dear tree here. Oh and I forgot to mention by the time the tree has already begun melting your flesh you would have awakened by then. Quite painful to be sure.

Ravenous halted his advance mere inches from Alistair's face. "It's beginning to take hold. Might want to cut through the vine before that happens." Ravenous stopped terrorizing the young man and turned to the rest of the group his sharp mechanical voice tearing through the air as he spoke. "Already after having observed you for mere moments, I have deduced that you are here on false hopes of plunder and glory. I am here to deliver you a hideous revelation...You are here on a fool's errand. You cannot find your treasure for there is NONE here! I have scoured this planet for the past 30 days and have not found a single thing. Your search will prove equally futile."

He turned to Elise Ike . "Your face does not appall me. That is a sincere compliment." Ravenous reached into his pocket and pulled out three datapads all with the exploits of travelers recorded on them.

"They as well as I have failed and if you don't turn back you will too. Im a survivor." He pointed upwards towards around 20 corpses of travelers that had been slain...Recently. "They, however, are not."

Jacen Nimdok | Aselia Verd | Lucien Dooku ​

 

[Elise Ike]

She gave a small smile towards Jacen Nimdok as he accepted the business card, followed by a short customary bow that most Atrisian's gave, "it is my pleasure". All in all the currently assembled crew though not the most professional was quite skilled, discarding her own hidden 'talents' she was confident everyone here could hold their own in combat and were wise enough to not do anything stupid once inside any of the tombs.

To many a times she had witnessed glory hogging hunter running head first into the nearest room they could find, only to meet unfortunate ends at the hands of traps and automated guardians. It was unbelieving frustrating how stupid some of the children in this galaxy could be, but it was to be expected, not everyone had her experience when it came to this sorts of things.

Focused returned to Nimdok as the man continued giving a run down of their current plans, Elise nodding and taking down any necessary notes on her own data pad, observing a copy of the current geological lay out. Her mouth began to open in hope to talk some more with the expedition leader and convey some of her own information, but was suddenly halted as she felt and smelled an incoming danger. The appearance of the dark cloaked figure making Elise take a defensive stance, hand instantly reaching for her saber, only stopping mere inches from her belt as the incoming being halted.

Was she startled? Yes, surprised no, these sorts of old tombs attracted all sorts of people, Dark Side users were no an uncommon occurrence... technically speaking she was one herself, even if it was hidden from most people. Elise's relaxed her stance a bit as the cloaked being began to talk, a quirked eyebrow being her only response to the mans short essay on the flora surrounding them, he would make a great, if morbid, lecturer. The women only seeming to show any reaction as the so called 'compliment' directed her way, such words carrying quite a decent amount of meaning.

It would seem this slightly insane man could see through her false light side aura, it was probably just as likely he knew her true nature race, interesting. Stepping forward with hands on her hips Elise somewhat confronted the man, "I am not so sure about the others here but I will have to disagree with you statement about glory and treasure, personally I do not need either of those, the former I tend to try and avoid". "To be honest from your actions and those bodies how do we know you are not trying to keep this place for yourself and simply kill anyone who steps into your so called domain"?

Ravenous Lucien Dooku Aselia Verd Alistair Abbott

 

[Alistair Abbott]

Upon witnessing the scowl on bossman’s face, Alistair realized he’d taken the wrong tact with his employer. He was too used to gang leaders and improvised smuggling groups – casual go-getters who appreciated a good laugh. But Nimdok clearly ran a tight and professional crew, one that didn’t mess around and focused on the goal at hand. Alistair couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the admonishment he received, but nevertheless nodded to show he understood.

His gaze shifted to the rest of the crew as they arrived and gathered around. They were an eclectic bunch, for sure. Seeing the weapons and equipment they’d brought showed how woefully underprepared he was. The most he had in terms of defence was a hold-out pistol in his jacket and a small knife in his boot.

Thoughts about his inventory reminded him about the heavy device he was balancing over his right shoulder. It was a scanner of some sort, but how did it work? Someone would know, or there would be an instruction manual lying around. But he knew of a much faster way to find out.

Nimdok continued speak, with Alistair barely listening. The boy sat down on a patch of brush and vines, taking care to avoid the mud, and placed both his hands on the cool metal of the scanner. He kept his eyes open, watching the real-world bleed away as his consciousness melded with the device.

Spoiler: *Within the machine*

He could feel the small fine wires running through the scanner, the tiny pulses of energy as the electrical signals traveled back and forth. He pulled his view back, watching as the bundles of wire coalesced into a fine network of shifting light. In the real world, he sat perfectly still, glassy-eyed. Only his hands moved, tapping on different functions from the screen. He watched the entire network light up, the signals now travelling with a purpose. At his command, the device activated, generating waves and pushing them out into the environment. At the same time, he received information from a separate part of the machine. A receiver that read the waves coming back and translated them into usable data.

Satisfied, he pulled his consciousness out, back into the real world. He’d deduced that the scanner worked much like sonar, only more powerful. With it, he’d be able to detect pockets of empty space behind solid rock.

His musings were interrupted by arrival of a newcomer, a tall masked being in a ripped dark cloak. The man elaborated on the danger of the planet, coming in close to Alistair and spouting warnings about vines that tangled around his feet. Face-to-face, Alistair could see the fine detail of the mask – from the small scratches to the dent in one side. He gazed into the darkness where the eyes must be and felt the pull of something (the force?) dark and foreboding.

His hand wrapped around the knife in his boot, ready to stick it in the stranger’s neck. But the man backed away and continued his lecture to the rest of the group. Alistair gazed down at the vine. Sure, he was tangled in it but was it really that dangerous? Surely the man was playing some sort of cruel joke. And yet when Ravenous gestured to the bodies hanging above, fear filled Alistair’s body and he moved to quickly cut away the vine with his knife. He rose to his feet and hastily moved out of the brush and back into the mud, fighting the nausea rising in his stomach.

Jacen Nimdok | Elise Ike | Ravenous | Lucien Dooku | Aselia Verd ​

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia may not have noticed at first but the moment Ravenous began to move he was being tracked, her integrated hud and battlefield analytics kicked in immediately showing his projected path and speed though she took no action until he appeared in front of them at that juncture there was a Mandalorian aiming a rifle at his forehead and she moved forward keeping the rest of the team behind her and the mystery man in front of her. She listened both to his warnings which to her sounded more like threats and to the response of Elise, she stood unmoving even when he backed away from them.

“Do you honestly think I am looking for glory here?” she spat the words at him, there was no great battle to be fought here, no war to be fought. To a Mandalorian glory and honor was earned on the field of battle not escorting a bunch of eggheads on a potentially hostile world. Without looking away from Ravenous she spoke out to the rest of them “Stay behind me and see to Alistair’s leg." she then directed her next words to Ravenous "Sorry I am not the trusting type, you delivered your warning I think it is time for you to go”

Tags: Jacen Nimdok Elise Ike Alistair Abbott Ravenous Lucien Dooku

 

[Lucien Dooku]

Admittedly the treasure-hunting noble was slightly caught off-guard by the appearance of Ravenous, who came with their own mixture of doom and gloom that seemed all too familiar for Luc. It wasn't too uncommon for the occasional third party to interject into his affairs when working. Whether they were old and potentially senile seers, rival groups of adventurers, or even Jedi and Sith who took to 'protecting' the artifacts that he was after, Luc had just about seen it all during the dozens of excursions he made into force-related temples and ruins.

Luc chuckled, his hands exiting from his pockets as he removed the stylish jacket from his torso and wrapped it around his waist. The shoulder-holsters carrying his favored weapons were free to sway with the wind as he sauntered ahead of the group and stopped to the right of Aselia Verd . "You heard the beautiful lady-- Your 'warning' has been duly noted, and your presence is no longer appreciated." Luc was grinning as he spoke, his arms dropping to his side and relaxing in anticipation for whatever the man's next move would be.

"You may have ran into a hard time locating whatever's on this forsaken world, but don't lump the rest of us in with the deceased. You'll find this group is more far capable of defending itself than the former." His tone remained polite, his stance loose and relaxed, and still he grinned no matter the firmness behind his words. Between the Sith dagger and Lightsaber now visibly hanging on either side of his chest, Luc was clearly attempting to give the man a polite warning before the situation escalated even further. The Mandalorian spitting in his direction didn't help, but he could appreciate the woman's sentiment, considering the entrance that Ravenous chose to make.

Jacen Nimdok Alistair Abbott Elise Ike Ravenous Aselia Verd

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Nimdok's path was abruptly blocked by the arrival of Ravenous . As the masked figure gave his speech, the archaeologist frowned, but otherwise showed no signs of panic or fear. An individual such as this appearing out of the blue was too convenient. Nimdok didn't believe such a sinister figure had ever traveled with a crew, let alone that he was the sole survivor of a doomed expedition.

But there were other matters to attend to - namely, the parcel vines snaking around Alistair Abbott 's legs. Nimdok resisted the compassionate urge to rush over and help the young man; doing so would only result in him getting entangled in the vines himself. He waited as Alistair frantically hacked through the predatory plants, listening to Dr. Dixon's bold retort. Why the masked one had deliberately singled her out for a particular "compliment", he did not know - perhaps there was more to the woman than meets the eye. Fascinating.

Alistair broke free of the vine's grasp. Once he was out of their reach, Nimdok approached him. "Are you all right?" he asked, his tone carrying just the faintest edge of concern. "Any pain or strange sensations, cuts or bruises?" Even if Alistair could still walk, Nimdok wanted to avoid any potential complications further down the road.

Meanwhile, Aselia Verd and Lucien Dooku did precisely what Nimdok had hired them for. A heavily armed Mandalorian woman and a Jedi-trained adventurer were an unlikely pair, but their display of bravado was much appreciated. Nimdok himself was armed with only a machete tucked into his belt; the tool was meant to be used for cutting through the undergrowth, but it would suffice if the situation required he defend himself. That, and the shovel - though it would make for a rather unwieldy and crude weapon.

"If you think we can be easily intimidated, sir, I'm afraid you are mistaken," he said, addressing the masked fellow. "It is obvious you have your own plans for the ruins. But we are not mere treasure hunters. We have come to claim the artifacts for study, not to sell them to the highest bidder. Ours is a noble, intellectual goal - can the same be said of yours?"

Elise Ike

 

[Ravenous]

Ravenous stood complacently content with simply analyzing his prey as they poured themselves out to him. They were (rightfully so) highly cautious of the Dark Jedi and seemed keen on asserting dominance over himself. If only they knew...It was noteworthy that Elise Ike had rather quickly pierced the veil that shrouded the true circumstances of the deaths of the travelers that decorated the trees above. Ravenous lept backward distancing himself a couple of meters from the group in front of him.

"Im not going to lie, Im egregiously disappointed at how quickly you were able to deduce how those travelers REALLY died. Yes, I did kill them and I mangled their bodies to lure other people into thinking it was the plants doing. But that's not all..."

The dark Jedi reached into his bag once more and pulled out a human heart still dripping with blood.

"This is but one of many tools that will lead to my coveted decadence. In fact, if you were to all rush me right now and succeed in killing me you would be in the right. I would not find any fault in your actions. But I don't think you're going to do that. In fact, I think if you'd have me you would learn to appreciate my assistance in locating artifacts of sorts."

Enough grandeur had been exchanged it was time to advance. He knew nothing of these people and even now he feared they had learned more of himself than he would have allowed, He needed to probe them, analyze them, find the heart of who they were and how to understand its strings. The first step was to find who's mind would be the easiest to break...

Pretty face, Lucien Dooku and Alistair Abbott were automatically deducted from the list of candidates just based on their sensitivity to the Force. That leaves Jacen Nimdok a because of his unshielded mind and Aselia Verd because of her unknown affinity for the Force which by default made her more prone to its influence while still being unable to connect with it. After careful consideration, Ravenous deduced Aselia to be the better choice simply because Nimdok showed almost no emotion in his words while the mandalorian...wasn't exactly in the same boat. And to think she was convenient enough to provide the gateway into her mind.

"Sorry I am not the trusting type, you delivered your warning I think it is time for you to go”

A trust problem, A common character defect and one he was experienced with breaking. Ravenous reached out through the Force and listened in on the whispers running through Aselia's mind. She wasn't expecting nor shielding against a mental attack thus it was easy to read the passing thoughts that ran rampant through her mind. His exsertion was faint as well his presence in her mind for if he wanted to read something of value he would have to go deeper.

"Oh, Im afraid I cannot leave just yet. I came to this wretched world for one purpose and one only. To find a specific artifact one that could easily 'Make or break' or galaxy. I do believe that is a worthy cause. Furthermore, look at you scoundrels, There is no way in my mind that you strange assortment of individuals would ALL simply converge here to study the artifacts you hope to recover. No you all have another auxiliary reason for being here and it is MY duty as a keeper of the playthings of religious fanatics to find out that motive and crush it if need be."

He smiled behind his metallic mask.

"I propose a 'Trust' exercise. We all teel each other the REAL reason we're here, after all our trust in each other can only increase! Me and this my good archeologist friend here have already gone so its someone else's turn."

Ravenous pretended to scan the crowd for a quick moment before landing his gaze on his preferred target.

"How about our dear Prince of Serenno here!"

 

[Ravenous]

OOC: Sry This took so long the WEIRDEST chain of events has happened recently so don't expect too much consistency.

 

[Elise Ike]

To be honest her thought about the man having killed those people was just a blind stab in the dark, she hadn't actually known about it. Then again this Ravenous was a probably insane dark side users, she knew first hand what things they could do when pissed off. Not that it mattered, the man quickly revealing himself to the rest of the crew who for the most part were not the happiest to see him.

Didn't help when he decided to make a short show of it with the bloody heart, during which she had to fake being shocked. It wasn't really a sight to be concerned about, in actuality it made her slightly hungry, it had been while since Elise had last fed. A small issue to deal with later, perhaps one of the members of the crew would be of help in that manner... or if they managed to kill the strange being in front of them she'd not hesitate to sink her fangs into him.

Both Lucien Dooku and Aselia Verd were ready to fight at a moments notice, both probably skilled though when against a Dark Jedi like the person before them the two 'body guards' weren't much better then cannon fodder. If the encounter came to blows she might have to step in to avoid two children getting themselves killed.

Once again he went off into a ramble, partially due to @Nimdoks own short speech causing Elise to cock her head to the side even more at the mans confusing words. Quite the hypocrite if she had to give him a label, true she may be hiding her true nature, but at no point had Elise actually lied any of the people in the crew, nor tried to manipulate them. "SO let me get this straight, you, the person who lied to us, held up a heart covered in blood, proclaiming themselves to be the keeper of certain artifacts wants us to complete a trust exercises"?

"I am not one for rude words most of the time but are you a karking nut job"?

Alistair Abbott