Populate Outbound Flight: Terms and Conditions [THR Populate of Emberlene]

[Pillar of Freedom]

Farreach was never meant to become anyone's home. Once perched between the Mid and Outer Rim, the lightly populated world offered little in resources and even less hospitality. Yet nearly 100,000 settlers found refuge there, clustered around a central city and its satellite communities while scattered homesteads endure beyond the frontier.

Now the Council of Three has agreed to negotiate with the High Republic over the Ark, an ancient moon-sized construct temporarily stranded in near orbit after attempts to tow it caused worrying microfissures across its hull. Their hospitality, however, comes with conditions.

The wildlife of Farreach is growing increasingly aggressive, and the traditional annual hunt is no longer enough.

​

THE TERMS​

High Republic representatives meet with the Council of Three to negotiate permission for the damaged Ark to remain in orbit. This account will NPC the Council throughout the diplomatic portion of the thread.​

THE HUNT
The hunt is already underway. High Republic volunteers join local hunters beyond the frontier, where increasingly aggressive wildlife threatens nearby settlements. Jedi are encouraged to seek non-lethal solutions where possible.​

THE ARK
Microfissures have halted attempts to tow the Ark. With its psychological effects diminished, researchers can venture deeper inside, investigate its strange machinery, and determine whether the ancient structure can safely be moved again.

Spoiler: TL:DR - The Ark

A moon-sized artificial structure discovered above a recently-discovered Force-dead gas giant. Its builders and purpose are unknown. Inside, a tiny hatch opens into a vast hollow chamber containing a rusted catwalk and an ancient machine of impossible geometry. Early exploration reported unease, insomnia and strange psychological effects.

Previous explorers include Tatiana Sah Sela Basran Kaia Starchaser Luke Montann Corazona von Ascania

Threads for Populate Submission: Naboo Cultural Exchange, The Bacta Riots

​

​

 

[Elionwy Tlestri]

The shuttle settled against the Ark with a dull metallic thunk that travelled through the docking collar and into the deck beneath Elionwy's boots. She remained aboard for several minutes after the seals confirmed atmosphere, seated beneath the pale cabin lights with the accumulated reports open before her. Her eyes continued to scan the schematics, partial translations, nonsensical sensor readings and testimonies from those who had already approached it. She had read them all before departure, and then read them again on final approach, as though repetition might uncover something overlooked.

It had not. That was, naturally, what made it interesting.

When Elionwy finally crossed the threshold, she did so slowly. The interior seemed less constructed than hollowed out by some impossible machine, immense surfaces disappearing upward into darkness while ancient conduits traced the walls like the exposed workings of the cavernous space that redefined cavernous. Somewhere far below, machinery produced a vibration too deep to be heard properly, registering instead through the soles of her boots.

She stopped at the beginning of the old catwalk. Beyond it lay the machine at the Ark's heart.

The unease was immediate. It had been documented even among those untouched by the Force...paranoia, waking visions and the persistent conviction of being watched. Elionwy felt the same pressure gathering faintly at the edges of her thoughts, an unwelcome presence tugging upon instincts older than reason.

She acknowledged it with the smallest of smirks. Fear advised distance, every sensible instinct suggested caution. Curiosity, though, would always win out.

Elionwy stared into the cavernous dark and wondered what, precisely, the Ark wanted them to be afraid of.

@Open​

 

[Isla Reingard]

Objective II - The Hunt​

War in the Mid Rim was escalating, and the violent clashes between Sith and Jedi brought back far too many childhood memories. Seeing the strain on the senior Padawans, the Masters dispatched them across the region under the guise of rest and relaxation. To Isla, the assignment felt less like a vacation and more like a punishment detail straight out of the Jedi Agricultural Corps.

When the Outbound Flight team requested volunteers to clear dangerous fauna on Farreach, she took the assignment without hesitation. It beat sitting idle, and her father had taught her the basics of communing with wild beasts during her early years... despite not knowing wherever he was now.

Humidity hung heavy in the dense jungle as Isla trailed a mix of local tracking teams and Republic volunteers. Vegetation choked the narrow path, yet after twenty minutes of relentless marching, the surrounding forest remained strangely calm.

"What's even out here?" Isla asked, stepping over a coiled root.

The lead hunter paused, eyes scanning the canopy without turning around. "Nexu, Anooba, and Vornskr."

"Great," she muttered, adjusting the grip on her belt.

@OPEN​

 

[Fiona Tierney]

Xandyr Carrick

THE HUNT
​

Stepping off the shuttle, Fiona had her trusty hunting rifle slung on her shoulder. A bit oversized she had to ensure she didn't turn and take out part of the vessel or Carrick himself. Slowly making her way down the ramp, their goal was Nexu. Fiona wasn't quite sure how to feel about hunting the creature with Carrick. They had met last time through a mutual safari club and took down an acklay. A deadly creature but not quite an apex predator.

Boots touched soft forest floor and she looked around the treeline. They were definitely at a disadvantage.

"Got another joke for you Carrick." The redhead began to check over her rifle before they ventured too far from the ship. "What did the sign on the closed Guildhouse say?"

A long pause as she waited, peering down her scope.

"Beat it."

Lips twitched in a smile at her own joke. She was trying to find one Carrick had not heard before and it was proving difficult. Yet she enjoyed a challenge and had quite a bit of downtime in between jobs. Hence the ability to spend time out with Carrick once again today.

 

[Xandyr Carrick]

Farreach
The Frontier, Beyond the Settlements

Fiona Tierney

Xandyr came down the ramp behind her and paused at the bottom, one boot on the soft forest floor. He gave the treeline a long, evaluating look.

The trees grew close here. The canopy swallowed sound. Somewhere in that green silence was an apex predator. And many other predators too. They needed a cull.

He set down his own pack and drew out the pulse rifle. It was long and old-fashioned, its stock worn smooth by generations of Galidraani hands. As a phase pulse disruptor it was also illegal in many sectors.

Xandyr shook his head, but he also smiled.

"Better than the last one. You are improving at insulting my profession, Fiona. If the companionship work ever dries up - and it won't I assure you - I shall consider a career as your writer."

He worked the action of the rifle and checked the cylinder. Six rounds, each one an entire charge, each one a single shot. The weapon did not forgive wasteful marksmanship. It was an heirloom from a world of gentleman gangsters, and he had learned to shoot with it before he had learned to pour wine.

"Nexu are the reason I brought this rather than the duelling blaster. Six shots, one each, no reprieves." He let the cylinder snap shut.

"For the record, the guildhouse has no signs. Invitation only for the most discerning and vetted customer of course. Hmm I had a joke..."

 

[Vornak]

VORNAK

The lead hunter paused, eyes scanning the canopy without turning around. "Nexu, Anooba, and Vornskr."

"Great," she muttered, adjusting the grip on her belt.

Objective: The Hunt

Allies: Isla Reingard

"Excellent!" Vornak said loudly. There could not have been a greater contrast between their responses.

He stepped over the same coiled root and tipped his head toward a scored trunk at the edge of the path. Claw height was wrong for a nexu that still feared people.

"What is your plan Padawan? Traps? Blasters? Or are you planning to truly test yourself and get close with a blade. Or perhaps use your mastery of the Force to convince them to move on?" he said, sounding thoroughly excited.

He kept walking. If the padawan wanted the beasts talked down, she could try it when they showed. He would be standing firm where the first one came out of the trees.

 

[Connel Vanagor]

RAIDERS OF THE NOT SO LOST ARK
FARREACH ORBIT
ARK

Companions/Droids Every Day Gear Locations

• COMPANIONS / DROIDS
  
  • Wife ("Lira Vanagor")
  • Gallinorese Mountain Aak Dog ("Buster")
  • BB4-80 ("Brad")
  • B5-55
  [Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
• 
  Rides
  
  • "Enterprise" Station Ship
  • "Jedi Defender" Corvette
  • X-wing
  • Speeder
  • Speederbike
  • Iron Psalm
  Gear
  
  • When in Regular Robes/Gear
    • Lightsaber
    • 5 Throwing Lightknives
  • Headset Microphone Comm-Link
  SURGICAL - CRYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
  
  • Repli Implants that would be for the limbs
  • Bonemer enhancements to strengthen structure of the body
  • Muscle enhancements.
  • Hemo enhancements for blood flow
  • Hawkeye implants for eyes
  • Advanced Medical Implant
  • Scentzy
  • Injected Nanotech upgrades
  
  
  
• Shadow Sanctuary - Enterprise

Connel stopped at the foot of the shuttle’s ramp.

There were large ships, there were space stations, and then there was whatever distinction someone had decided justified calling this thing an Ark. From the approach, its scale had been difficult to comprehend. Standing inside it did little to improve matters. He adjusted the strap of his equipment bag and lifted the (“Bodycam” Datapad and UAD Drone, link to Seraphim AI included) from its cradle. Local recording. Feed to my datapad. Start a route map from the shuttle and flag anything you can’t resolve.

The drone rose from his hand, steadied, and moved ahead.

Connel followed at a measured pace, studying the surfaces around the arrival area. His gaze lingered on joints, changes in material, and the places where one section met another. Decoration could wait. He wanted to understand how the structure held itself together. The briefing had mentioned microfissures during the towing attempts.

At this scale, micro offered very little comfort.

He brought the available damage reports onto his display, keeping them beside the drone’s growing map. Before anyone tried moving the Ark again, someone needed to establish whether those fractures had stopped growing when the towing stopped. Then they needed to establish how far inward the damage went.

Can I get the towing telemetry? he asked over the expedition channel. Attachment locations, tractor settings, acceleration, and the fracture surveys before and afterward. Whatever you have.

He glanced toward the others.

If it started cracking when they pulled, I wouldn’t count on another attempt going better just because we found the engines. There might be machinery aboard that could help. Structural reinforcement. Some ancient means of distributing stresses across a construct too large for conventional assumptions. There might also be machinery that had failed centuries ago, leaving an impressive shell with very little margin left in it.

He intended to find out which before anyone supplied more force.

Ahead, the UAD paused at the limit of its initial survey. Connel approached, studying the passage beyond it. The urge to venture deeper was there, quite comfortably sharing space with the knowledge that an ancient doorway could be the least interesting part of what lay behind it.

He checked the return marker on his datapad. Passive scans first, he told the drone. We’ll ask permission before we wake anything up.

A moment passed.

Preferably from something that understands the question.

He stepped forward.

TAGS • Elionwy Tlestri
[Text in Brackets is spoken on Comm-link] ~Like this is through the Force~​

 

[Elionwy Tlestri]

Approaching Connel in an almost leisurely pace, her attention divided between the drone's progress and the impossible architecture surrounding them. She stopped alongside him, close enough to study his set up without intruding upon his work.

"Can you patch the feed from your drone into my datapad?" She asked. "And have it prioritise anything resembling glyphs, inscriptions, linguistic structures, or repeated symbolic patterns. Structural issues are useful, certainly, but writing may tell us what the builder's believed this place to be."

Her gaze lifted from the display and travelled out across the vast hollow interior.

For all its scale, the Ark was strangely vacant.

That was an absurd thought, and Elionwy knew it. Emptiness was hardly remarkable inside something large enough to house whole fleets, particularly when so much of that interior appeared deliberately hollow. Yet the sensation persisted. There should have been something here besides the narrow bridge reaching toward the machine suspended at the centre, some evidence of habitation, or even maintenance. She would accept signs of some sort of ceremony, but there was nothing but the machine at the heart of the void..

"We know it is connected to the Force," she said, quieter now. "Deeply, apparently. Yet everything about it feels...absent."

Elionwy narrowed her eyes toward the distant machinery.

"Which makes me wonder whether we are looking at a vessel at all, or merely the casing which used to hold something else."

Connel Vanagor​

 

[Connel Vanagor]

TITLES ARE TITLES ABOUT TITLES
Far Reach Orbit
Ark

Companions/Droids Every Day Gear Locations

• COMPANIONS / DROIDS
  
  • Wife ("Lira Vanagor")
  • Gallinorese Mountain Aak Dog ("Buster")
  • BB4-80 ("Brad")
  • B5-55
  [Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
• 
  Rides
  
  • "Enterprise" Station Ship
  • "Jedi Defender" Corvette
  • X-wing
  • Speeder
  • Speederbike
  • Iron Psalm
  Gear
  
  • When in Regular Robes/Gear
    • Lightsaber
    • 5 Throwing Lightknives
  • Headset Microphone Comm-Link
  SURGICAL - CRYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
  
  • Repli Implants that would be for the limbs
  • Bonemer enhancements to strengthen structure of the body
  • Muscle enhancements.
  • Hemo enhancements for blood flow
  • Hawkeye implants for eyes
  • Advanced Medical Implant
  • Scentzy
  • Injected Nanotech upgrades
  
  
  
• Shadow Sanctuary - Enterprise

Of course.

Connel brought up the UAD’s connection settings and offered Elionwy the receiver code.

Structural survey stays running. I’ll give you a separate feed for inscriptions and repeated patterns, with their locations attached. A few adjustments sent the drone drifting higher, its sensor assembly turning toward the surrounding architecture. He checked that her datapad was receiving before lowering his hand.

Her suggestion about the casing held his attention.

Across the hollow expanse, the central machine hung beyond the narrow bridge. Connel studied it, then the space surrounding it, letting his eyes travel farther than the boundaries of the drone’s developing map. He had entered expecting to look for the systems that made something this large move. Now he found himself wondering whether movement had ever been its purpose.

A casing, he repeated quietly. He stepped aside from the display and unclipped his visor, leaving it hanging against his chest. For a moment, the incoming measurements continued without him.

Connel slowed his breathing.

The shuttle remained behind them, familiar in the small sounds of cooling machinery. Ahead lay an expanse that made even those sounds seem close and fragile. He opened his awareness carefully, attending first to the people nearby, then reaching toward the distant mechanism. The briefing had described the Ark’s influence. He resisted the temptation to fit whatever he might sense into that description. Expectation could supply an answer long before the evidence did. Elionwy had called it absent.

He let that observation remain a question.

After several breaths, he opened his eyes and crouched near the beginning of the bridge. His light moved across the junction where it met the surrounding structure. He examined the visible surfaces without touching them, looking for seams, wear, any suggestion of how this passage had been assembled—or used. Let’s keep both possibilities open, he said. Something housed here. Something held here.

His gaze followed the bridge toward the machine.

And whether it’s still here. He rose, bringing the visor back into place. The drone’s survey appeared over the architecture again, a sparse collection of measurements against an immense amount of unknown.

If you find writing, keep the arrangement around it. What it faces, what repeats beside it. We might need that before we can make sense of the words. Connel marked the bridge junction for a closer survey, then opened the available fracture records. For now, the cracks were damage. He had no evidence that they meant anything more.

But he wanted their locations preserved alongside everything Elionwy found.

I’d also like the earlier research logs, he added. Especially the accounts of what this place did to people, and when that began to change. He looked across the void once more. There was room enough here to make a man feel insignificant; the narrow crossing offered very little encouragement to forget it. Still, beneath his caution, curiosity was beginning to take hold.

Connel glanced at Elionwy.

You’ve given me another question. He directed the UAD a short distance ahead, keeping it within sight. Who was this bridge built for?”

Then he approached its first span.

TAGS • Elionwy Tlestri
[Text in Brackets is spoken on Comm-link] ~Like this is through the Force~​

 

[Dault Grimmin]

Dault reclined comfortably in the cabin of his executive shuttle as it came out of hyperspace around the Planet of Farreach. His attention was soon drawn to the holographic projector on the table, which he clicked with a simple press of his hand to activate it. A moment later the towering hologram of Viceroy Lodd Grimmin appeared, his expression rather grim despite being surrounded by the galaxy's luxuries.

"The Council of Three holds all the leverage over the Ark's presence," Lodd explained in a straightforward manner, devoid of his usual diplomatic tone. "I have no doubt that the Republic-aligned Corporate Alliance will make its presence known, in an attempt to profit off the mysterious construction. We cannot allow them the opportunity..." He said with a gesture towards the Neimoidian Senator before continuing.

"You must convince this council that any deal signed must come with a stipulation that this structure will not be commercialized." Dault nodded his head, taking a sip of the nearby spice wine on his dresser. He understood the assignment and would assure his hive-brother that the Council would see reason in the end.

"Do not worry, my Lord. Everything will go as planned." The shuttle slowly touched down on the landing pad, as the connection between them was terminated before the signal could be traced back to the source. He got up from the bed and made his way down the boarding ramp.

As he crossed into the grand stone archway leading toward the Council chamber, Dault snapped his fingers without looking back. On cue, a floating repulsorlift buffet glided up alongside his right arm, overflowing with fine wine, delicate pastries, and chilled delicacies.

Flanked by a pair of towering MagnaGuards whose electrostaffs hummed with low energy, Dault waddled into the council chamber, ignoring the stares from the delegates and promptly sat down at the far end of the table. It took him only a minute to grab a goblet from the buffet as the diplomatic session was being called to order.​

 

[Aiden Porte]

Objective: 2
Tags: Open​

Encourged to seek non lethal solutions where possible. That's easier said than done. If they start harming locals, than those means could go out the window. "What are we dealing with exactly." Aiden inquired to his team of hunters and trackers. As Aiden looked at the list, before nodding his head. "Some of you may want to take to the trees, myself and the other Jedi can draw them out." Aiden looked to them with a smirk. "I"m not hunter, I've been hunted before though, that part comes easy. If I stumble about long enough, you get into position and thats when the trap is sprung."

The hunters glanced to each other and nodded, agreeing to his plan. Aiden looked to Everlight and gave them a simple nod. "You guys as well, keep to the trees, should the hunters fail, I'll utilize what the force offers me, and then we will go from there. If it comes to life or death, its your lives over these creatures, is that understood?"

They understood that part, and Aiden wasn't going to let these people die if it came down to the creatures or his team, he would choose his team everyday.

"Let's get ready."

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"Does the chicken contain the egg, or the egg contain the chicken?" a feminine voice called out as a figure floated through hole in the chamber. Her blue eyes regarded Connel Vanagor and then Elionwy Tlestri as they stood near the entrance. A smile touched her lips as she regarded them and gave them a moment to contemplate her question. Or was it a joke? Perhaps both. "There may be nothing here at all, but a doorway. A conduit to something... elsewhere."

Her feet touched the platform, and Tatiana stepped forward with a hand out. "Knight Tatiana Sah. Logs are incomplete in circumstances like these. A great deal of unsubstantiated speculation and emotional supposition. I will gladly offer you a recount of our previous encounter with the artifact."

Tatiana had felt a connection with the device last time. It seemed only natural she'd return to complete what had been started. Her curiosity was endless.

Would these new faces feel as keen on the subject? One of them was a Jedi Master. Things could get complicated if he had a naturally suspicious bias toward what they'd discovered. Especially once he saw or heard the reports. Sadly, Tatiana could do little to alter the account of what had occurred no matter how it might feed into prejudices. She'd simply have to convince them all not to be so hasty in reacting to what happened next.

 

[Isla Reingard]

Objective II - The Hunt​

The boisterous voice shattered the quiet trail, forcing her to pivot toward the source. Stalking up behind her was a massive, four-armed Besalisk whose frame seemed composed entirely of muscle. Watching him inspect the claw-marked trunk, she figured the hulking alien could probably swat a vornskr into orbit without breaking a sweat.

"I would rather not face one head-on," she said, her voice dry as dust.

Vornak kept moving, his long strides effortlessly covering ground. Increasing her pace to match his rhythm, she pondered his list of combat tactics. Every lesson from the Temple urged restraint, though theory often collapsed when teeth met flesh.

"I suppose the correct answer would be the Force," she offered aloud.

Whether a Master would actually disapprove of putting down a manic predator remained an open question. Idealism was cheap until something tried to eat your face off.

"What would you suggest?" She glanced up at his broad profile, her expression completely flat. "For me, I mean. Clearly you could take on four at a time."

Vornak | Devi Jyn-tal ​

 

[Luke Montann]

⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Locations⠀ The Ark
Objectives⠀ Explore, Pontificate
Tags⠀ Tatiana Sah l Connel Vanagor l Elionwy Tlestri


⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀LUKE MONTANN.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Engineer.
"The stars are ours to see, the galaxy is ours to set foot on."
Follow the stars..

═ Man's Gotta Earn a Living⠀═

Luke was particularly... quiet during this entire ordeal. He wasn't a fan of The Ark, and he wasn't a fan of the recent direction Outbound Flight had been taking, according to the rumor mill. Luke followed behind the Jedi, his armor scanning this way and that way. His blue-light adorned helmet turned towards the Jedi Master, the woman. She seemed more curious than the others, and a bit less... outspoken.

Luke was clearly not a fan, and quite adverse to the entire ordeal apparently.

"This was not built for anything good." Luke said, crouching down and running a gloved hand over the grooves in the metal below them. "Whatever it is, I say we push it into the nearest star and be done with it." Luke strained his head. His face scrunched beneath his helmet. He groaned in pain. Something was.... clawing at his mind. He couldn't resist like the Jedi did.

It affected him differently. Headaches. Migraines. Tinnitus. Every worker, trooper, or explorer that had no connection to the force felt like this after some time on the Ark. The longer the non-force-wielding members of Outbound Flight stayed aboard or near the Ark, the worse it got. It was a documented case, and something to do with the pulsing and electromagnetic waves or some such- but Luke was pushing on. His suit had a number of enhancements purpose-built and tailored to explore the Ark.

His suit administered a low-dose stimulant to keep his body in regulation and prevent the fluctuations in his skull that were causing the headaches.

"Can a thing be evil? I can't fathom why we'd keep this around. This thing is just bad news waiting to happen."

 

[Elionwy Tlestri]

Elionwy regarded Luke for several seconds, although it was his discomfort rather than his opinion that seemed to interest her. When she answered, her voice was calm and clinical, carrying none of the alarm that his conclusion appeared intended to provoke.

"Calling it evil does not make it so. Your symptoms are evidence. The reactions experienced by others are evidence. Neither warrant an assumption that the symptoms demonstrate intent, evil or otherwise."

There was no rebuke in her tone, exactly, though there was the unmistakable patience of a lecturer correcting an argument that had wandered beyond its premises.

"Destroying it would be considerably more reckless than studying it," she continued, her voice becoming firmer. "We do not know what it does. How can we possibly fathom what its destruction would do?"

Connel's question drew her attention back toward the bridge. Her expression tightened slightly in concentration, and when she spoke again her tone had softened into something more contemplative.

"The bridge was built to reach the machine. Whatever its creators were, they evidently considered approaching it either necessary or desirable. I suggest we follow their lead until we discover a compelling reason not to."

Tatiana's offer earned considerably more immediate interest. "Please, regale us with your previous experience," Elionwy said, now almost formally courteous. "Leave out no detail that you actually observed, however trivial it appeared "

She lowered her eyes to Connel's drone feed, confirmed that the search for inscriptions remained active, and then stepped onto the bridge, walking steadily toward the device suspended at the heart of the Ark.

Tatiana Sah Connel Vanagor Luke Montann​

 

[Connel Vanagor]

Raiders of the Not so lost Ark
Farreach Orbit
Ark

Companions/Droids Every Day Gear Locations

• COMPANIONS / DROIDS
  
  • Wife ("Lira Vanagor")
  • Gallinorese Mountain Aak Dog ("Buster")
  • BB4-80 ("Brad")
  • B5-55
  [Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
• 
  Rides
  
  • "Enterprise" Station Ship
  • "Jedi Defender" Corvette
  • X-wing
  • Speeder
  • Speederbike
  • Iron Psalm
  Gear
  
  • When in Regular Robes/Gear
    • Lightsaber
    • 5 Throwing Lightknives
  • Headset Microphone Comm-Link
  SURGICAL - CRYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
  
  • Repli Implants that would be for the limbs
  • Bonemer enhancements to strengthen structure of the body
  • Muscle enhancements.
  • Hemo enhancements for blood flow
  • Hawkeye implants for eyes
  • Advanced Medical Implant
  • Scentzy
  • Injected Nanotech upgrades
• Shadow Sanctuary - Enterprise

Connel accepted Tatiana’s offered hand.

Connel Vanagor. I’d appreciate that.

He might have asked her to begin immediately, but Luke’s groan drew his attention. The armored man was pushing through something the rest of them could afford to discuss at leisure. Connel knew how easily endurance could become an excuse to ignore an injury. “An object can carry an influence,” he said. “It doesn’t need a will of its own to hurt someone.[/COLOR]

His gaze moved toward the machinery suspended across the void.

Whether that explains this place remained to be seen. A presence imbued into its construction, an effect of the machine, something contained within it—each possibility demanded evidence they did not yet have. And his own unease belonged among the things that needed examining. He directed the UAD to hold nearby, continuing its recording, then let his hand fall away from the controls.

One slow breath.

Another. Connel settled his awareness around the familiar weight of his own body, the platform beneath his boots, the people standing beside him. He acknowledged his curiosity and the suspicion accompanying it, allowing neither to lead him farther than he intended.

Then he reached into the Force.

Gently, he extended the quiet he had gathered, offering a small measure of calm to the space immediately around him. He kept it close. There would be time to consider the distant machine once he understood what happened here. Luke could accept that presence or resist it. Connel sought no purchase on the man’s thoughts.

If you’re willing, stay near me a moment, he told him. Tell me whether the pressure changes. Even if it gets worse.

His voice remained level, but his attention sharpened. He listened through the Force while the drone recorded, leaving room for the possibility that nothing would happen at all. A little relief would be useful. It would also be easy to mistake for an answer.

He glanced toward Tatiana.

Start with the first thing you noticed last time. Before you had any explanation for it. Beyond them, the bridge reached into the immense hollow. Connel remained where he was, holding that modest circle of stillness and waiting to learn whether it could endure.

Elionwy Tlestri • Luke Montann • Tatiana Sah
[Text in Brackets is spoken on Comm-link] ~Like this is through the Force~​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana tilted her head slightly as her smile never waned with her blue eyes now on Luke Montann . Not built for anything good? She was quite interested to understand how he reached such a conclusion. While he had been there as well, they'd hardly had any time for a proper study. Not that snap judgments weren't a known phenomena among Human-like species. Tatiana had observed it many times. Evolutionary instincts that could keep someone alive without all the facts, but she wondered if such 'gut feelings' really had a place now that they were out among the stars. Her people didn't have 'guts.' They were quite factual. She found constructing an analogous capability... challenging.

Elionwy Tlestri replied quickly concerning the whether a Thing could be considered evil. Tatiana might not have a gut, but she had learned Humans didn't appreciate being "ganged up on;" and, so, she remain quiet without something substantive to add to Elionwy's response. Nothing Luke wanted to hear under the circumstances, anyway.

Both she and Connel Vanagor expressed an interest in their last encounter with the construct, which prompted Tatiana's small smile to grow a hair. Were they interested in learning more about it as well? Elionwy sounded receptive. Too early to tell about Connel's private thoughts.

"It began before we entered this chamber... The crew aboard orbiting ships reported feeling 'disturbed' and difficulty resting. They felt as though something just out of sight were observing them. There was nothing out of sight and no intrusion penetrated our defenses, but," Tatiana conceded, "given the number and diverse nature of psychological stimuli reported there was a force acting on them mentally and emotionally. Though that could have been a byproduct of the energy radiating from the artifact."

"As for the away team consisting largely of Force sensitive individuals," Tatiana continued, "reports of unease surfaced as well. One described this chamber itself feeling 'unsettling.' However, while you might think the effect was strongest here it was, in fact, directed away from the chamber. Amplified and focused. It is the chamber itself amplifying the frequencies, which leaves those inside -- here -- bathed in unfocused and chaotic energy."

One palm swept over the other and suddenly a datapad a appeared. Tatiana extended it out before Elionwy and Connel. "All the observations the party recorded are contained here. Including many of my own. We did not have sufficient scientific equipment to engage in an in-depth study of the artifact, however." Some observations Tatiana had kept to herself. There data was not yet conclusive. Even after all this time review was still on-going.

"Our examination was cut short when Master Corazona von Ascania made physical contact with its surface." There was a pause as Tatiana's blue eyes turned toward the device. Perturbed at the thought it had ignored her own desire to establish contact with it in favor of Cora's touch, the recount proceeded, "The sound of machinery could be heard once her hand made contact. I too sought to find a means of interfacing with it to understand the purpose of the activity. It was only later that Master von Ascania spoke of its 'awakening' causing a sense of 'wrongness' in the Force. Given that it absorbed much of the Force through her, it seems only natural that would feel 'wrong' to someone used to harnessing it personally rather than as a conduit or -- colorfully put -- consumed." It had also drawn quite a bit of the Force from Tatiana herself, but when you were trying to metaphysically pry open its shell to learn its secrets a little exertion was to be expected.

"Unfortunately, the order to evacuate came before we could observe the full activation of the device." Tatiana didn't mention Kaia Starchaser drawing a weapon and her securing it afraid the device would be permanently damaged. It didn't seem pertinent.