Private PLANESHIFT: Rishi Labyrinth

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Ship: Blue Lightning
Crew: Apollo and Navi
Tilon Quill | Jared Starchaser | Kaia Starchaser | Spark Finn | Mercy | "Cobalt" | Delila Castillon | Atlas Drake | Shade of Decay | Trextan Voidstalker | Othin Kells | Choli Vyn | Chloe Blake
​

Unfortunately, the man's ship was already leaving the upper atmosphere when the emergency call went out from the Quasar Ghost.

He knew that there will still others planetside that would be able to assist Atlas and his crew, but it still didn't sit well with the man that there was already a ship facing issues this early in the expedition. Hopefully it was just something minor that won't cause too much trouble.

Returning into the space surrounding Wo'theth, the spacer guided his vessel along smoothly, resting it near some of the over convoy members hovering nearby. Okkeus flicked a switch on his control panel, sending the Blue Lightning into idle mode, conserving as much power as they could before their next stop. A small sigh was exhaled as he leaned back in the captain's chair, resting for a few moments. While the man drifted off into a small nap, Navi and Apollo were wandering around the ship, finalizing the storage of their newly acquired goods.

Unbeknownst to Okkeus, the two of them had gone out to the market while the man was exploring the temple. The duo were both admirers of the stars as well, so they were searching for anything that could help out along the journey ahead. Using some of the Duggots, they each purchased one item. Apollo was first, who purchased an asteroid orbital drift chart. The droid planned to use it for their next jump point. Being able to record data such as they would be beneficial to the convoy. Second was Navi, who located a very old hyperspace sextant. While unfamiliar with how the device worked, he hoped to understand it more as the expedition went on.

Suddenly, the whole ship rocked and spun, thrown off by something.

"What was that?"

Navi looked towards Apollo for an answer but was only met with confused beeps and whirls. Okkeus was quickly awoken from his slumber. All three made their way to the cockpit, staring out the viewport at the creatures that now laid before them.

 

[Tilon Quill]

-

EMERGENCY UPDATE

Unknown dimensional distortion or transition. May be Planeshift aftershock.

Liquid water between asteroids. Floral readings on asteroids consistent with forests.

Kite's Roost confirms all FTL nav data obsolete. Pathfinders attempting to recalculate. All stars different. All comm links and relays nonresponsive.

Spacefaring megafauna sighted, possibly transited from system blue.

All 12 convoy transceivers pinging as present. Best guess is Wo'theth region has entered alternate plane in some way. Temporarily we hope.

What the hell did you prophesy down on us, Ebion?

"Elsie" Eldritch Mercy Okkeus Dainlei Jared Starchaser Delila Castillon Spark Finn Shade of Decay Atlas Drake Chloe Blake "Cobalt" Trextan Voidstalker Othin Kells

 

[Spacer NPCs]

There's arrived and all was good. The Mon Cal commander of the Kite's Roost was paying special attention to the Starchaser vessel that was here. Sure it was not her boss, but it was her brother. Big eyes watched the screens as all ships that left were reporting in.

A repair and protective vessel, the Roost was keeping an eye on everything and everyone. And when the Quasar Ghost was in distress immediately some droids were dispatched but the ship was moving in the wrong direction and fast.

The smaller vessels were moving and the Mon Calamari kept her ship in orbit.

From navigation, a Selkath sat up. "Maam. I don't know how to say this, but our data… it's changed. We're not recognizing any constellations…"

The commander moved her chair to look out the view port. "Contact each vessel. Cease any hyperspace jumps. Aside from the Pathfinders. Allow them to micro jump. Ally, link systems. All the Pathfinders to pull data. And make sure they can find us for a return trip. Pathfinders. Take your directions and get us a location…"

It was going to be dangerous but those pilots and crews? Trained.

 

[Shade of Decay]

As the Ebion approached the planet, rapid changes suddenly began to affect the surrounding space; not merely localized to the planet's surface itself, but at a system-wide level. A shockwave passed through the fabric of space-time, sweeping up the convoy with it...and the fluctuations stabilized, at least for the moment. Asteroids floating close together, atmosphere shared between them. Water, liquid water, flowing in every direction possible as the gravity affecting it changed from moment to moment. The planet was still there...but the ships were different, outside of the convoy and a few stragglers that had been swept up with them. If it even was the same planet.

Immediately, the comms began to explode with activity.

"This was not my doing," came the uncharacteristically irritable response. At the very least, not in the manner that it was put forward. The Ebion's commander had no power of prophesy, not usually. Certainly not something that could cause so drastic a change. If his aura had affected that of the planet, however, approaching too closely, and caused a hyperspatial rebound as the universe attempted to correct itself...

An intriguing possibility.

The corvette's shields were pushed to full strength as the droid brains and few organic pilots evaded the spaceborne leviathans that wished to observe the vessel.

"The Ebion is available if anybody needs medical aide after the warp. I sense..."

The comms died to silence again, before coming back to life nearly a minute later, pushing every ship's speakers to static.

"There is something more which calls to me. I will return before long. Do not attempt to force my attention unless it is absolutely urgent. My attendants can handle you as needed."

The voice was gone.

 

[Atlas Drake]

Othin Kells Tilon Quill Trextan Voidstalker Choli Vyn Jared Starchaser et al.​

---

"Everyone on board alright?" he asked Atlas. He looked to the ship and then the local tech crew.

"Thank the stars we're all safe. Just a small malfunction."

Crew from another ship in the convoy were drifting over to lend a helping hand. Out here in the deep black they would need to rely on each other for survival. While Othin inspected the damage Captain Drake offered his hand out to greet the new arrivals.

"From the Aurora Hawk? Give Captain Blake my regards," he glanced back at his wounded ship, "I'm sure Rama would appreciate your help. I know the Ghost may not look like much, but she's got it where-"

Atlas ducked just barely avoiding a thrown magnaspanner aimed at his head. Rama Tok shook his little fist glaring down at them from on top of the fuselage and babbled another furious stream of words in anzellan. It seemed the meknek did not share their captain's sentimental attachment to his ancient starship.

"Barter it is then," Drake's face brightened when the local mechanic reached their decision since he probably couldn't afford to pay for a new motivator anyway, "We're loaded up with supplies for an expedition into the Maze. Rations, power cells, spare medical equipment. Believe I've even got a crate of Antakarian Fire Dancer I was saving for a special occasion. BD-7 can fetch you the full manifest."

"Folks have been sayin' that the routes into the Maze have shifted," the man continued.

News up here did not travel as fast as it did nearer the galactic disk where holonet relays were far more prevalent. Like most folk on Wo'theth the mechanic was looking for some answers.

"It's not just the Maze. There's been some kind of great hyperspace disaster. Only the most reliable lanes are still more or less stable. There's a fortune to be made in updated starcharts if you're interested. Could always use an experienced gearhead."

His comlink beeped seconds before there was some kind of disturbance in the sky. Drake looked up and wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. His face went pale, superstitious mind reeling with ghost stories.

"Is th-that a normal ph-phenomenon?" he gulped, "This system isn't really...haunted?"

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Atlas Drake Othin Kells Choli Vyn

Location

When Trextan glanced back at her, she gave a nod, as if indicating, well time to help out, adding wryly to him, "Hope you've retained some of what I taught you on turning a wrench."

"Yeah, tell me which wrench to turn and I'll manage..." he muttered back.

"From the Aurora Hawk? Give Captain Blake my regards," he glanced back at his wounded ship, "I'm sure Rama would appreciate your help. I know the Ghost may not look like much, but she's got it where-"

"Will do," Trextan said sharply. He glanced up at the furious anzellan. He had never learned any of their language. Fortunately this one made it's feelings clear.

He glanced at Choli. He offered a brief, challenging smile. The gravity here was half the usual. Holding his tools tightly, Trextan gathered the Force around him and leapt up onto the hulk of the ghost.

Rama Tok expressed his displeasure, but had been too long since he had done something a little silly. The planet had a pleasant climate and he wondered if they could go for a walk, try a local drink and watch some sky jellyfish.

"How can I..."

Trextan felt a shift. It was like the sensation of dropping into hyperspace. Something had changed.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

It was good to get the ships moving. This was why the company made the purchase and order for the flight. Hyperspace, and navigation was what the family did in spades. But the other piece? That was helping other pilots. Jared was more than happy to do that. And well, Delila and Spark were stuck to his whim for a moment. There were pilots in distress and with this gathering?

Someone needed to help.

And sure, Chloe was there, he saw the Aurora Hawk, and was fairly certain that it meant a Voidstalker and maybe Vyn were aboard.

Touching his haulcraft down, Jared made his way to the gathered, and gave a low whistle at the relic that was the Ghost. In a state, for certain. “Got your hands full on this one, huh, Drake?”

Old Outer Rim folks.

Atlas Drake Trextan Voidstalker Choli Vyn Chloe Blake

 

[Othin Kells]

Wo'theth
Tags: Atlas Drake , Trextan Voidstalker , Jared Starchaser , Chloe Blake , Choli Vyn

Epo-1 Interceptor
​

"Fire Dancer, huh?" Othin frowned. "Would probably get good trade value. Imports like that aren't... common..."

The young man glanced up, momentarily removing the blade of grass from between his lips as he took in the strange sensation that seemed to wash over the air around them. This was strange. It was almost like something above had been violently ripped away.

"What in the..."

"Is th-that a normal ph-phenomenon?" he gulped, "This system isn't really...haunted?"

"Haunted, sure," the mechanic muttered. "Spirits are known to linger here. That wasn't them though... ain't ever seen that before." Was the rest of the convoy... gone? "Whatever happened... you may be needing the extra hands after that... whatever it was."

A cold chill went up his spine. It was akin to the dread he had felt at the Battle of Coruscant. What a terrible feeling.

“Got your hands full on this one, huh, Drake?”

"You have lots of friends, Captain," Othin noted.

The man sighed as he began to relax again.

"The phenomena here aren't that... intrusive," he remarked. "I'm not sure what happened up there, but you may wanna hail your convoy. I don't need eyes to know that wasn't good."

 

[Chloe Blake]

Outfit: x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Tag: Spacer NPCs Trextan Voidstalker Jared Starchaser Choli Vyn Atlas Drake Okkeus Dainlei​

Chloe felt it before she saw it. A subtle hum, like a vibroblade held too close to the bones. Her teeth ached. The Aurora Hawk thrummed beneath her boots, not from any malfunction-- no, this was deeper. It was the galaxy itself whispering sideways, pulling at the seams of the map like someone'd decided the stars weren't stitched right after all.

Ren stiffened beside her, her little hand slipping instinctively into Chloe's. That grip said something's wrong, but her wide eyes said I want to see anyway.

"It's alright, min larel," Chloe murmured, voice low, steady, soft as star-velvet. "Keep lookin'. That's what we're here for."

The viewport ahead lit up, not with weapons fire or engine flare, but with light. Pure and blinding, like someone had torn the sky open with a firebrand. For a moment, darkness didn't exist. Then, just as fast, it was replaced.

Asteroids bloomed with greenery with lush trees growing where they had no right to. Between them, oceans hung in open vacuum, and within them… creatures. Not the cold, monstrous things she'd seen cataloged in deepspace surveys. No, these were graceful. Vast. Old. Living legends.

Vantasanth Leviathans.

Ren gasped. Chloe widened her blue eyes and watched in concerned wonder.

"Look at that..." she breathed. "Blue really meant blue."

Behind her, alarms were howling in every key known to sentience. The navcom was throwing errors like it'd lost its mind, and maybe it had. Chloe glanced at the new star maps being generated on her display. They weren't just garbled, they were rewritten. And Wo'theth… even that looked off-kilter now. Its silhouette had shifted, its orbit skewed, and the ships circling it? Sail-bearing, organic... impossible.

While chaos abounded, it was hard for the elder Warden astrographer to keep a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Momma, are we safe?" Ren asked, her voice trembling slightly, though she tried to mask it with curiosity.

Chloe didn't lie. Not out here, not to her. She looked down, brushing a thumb over the girl's knuckles.

"I reckon we are, for now. But the rules just changed. Space don't work the way it used to. And when the galaxy changes its rhythm..."

She looked out again, watching one of the sailing ships drift toward the convoy.

"You either learn the new tune, or you get left hummin' to yourself."

That was when the Aurora's comms lit up.

"Contact each vessel. Cease any hyperspace jumps. Aside from the Pathfinders. Allow them to micro jump. Ally, link systems. All the Pathfinders to pull data. And make sure they can find us for a return trip. Pathfinders. Take your directions and get us a location…"

"Time to review any damage and if anyone needs any help. Ren, comm Trextan and Choli. Want to know her and the folk over at the Atlas are safe or need help."

Ren spun her chair towards the viewport and grabbed the other comm, doing exactly that as Chloe had taught her before.

Another crackle on the channel.

"The Ebion is available if anybody needs medical aide after the warp. I sense...There is something more which calls to me. I will return before long. Do not attempt to force my attention unless it is absolutely urgent. My attendants can handle you as needed."

Chloe gave a concerned furrow of her frown. Something that calls them? Everything including the Force was spinning sideways here. Going out on one's one was not the best, not when things were shifting. Regardless, she toggled the comms, her voice crisp as she reached for the shared frequency between pathfinders and captains.

<< Aurora Hawk to Kite's Roost. We've got eyes on the change. Unless you need a helping hand to get you situated, I suggest anyone with dust in their boots and instinct in their bones get to work. You're gonna want every seasoned flyer pullin' data...'>>

She cut the channel and glanced back at Ren, smiling just a little despite the weight of it all.

"Guess we got ourselves a proper mystery, huh?"

Ren's grin was small but brave. "Do we get to explore it?"

Chloe leaned down and kissed her temple, then turned back to the controls.

"'Course we do. Wouldn't be Corellian or a Warden if we didn't."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker Chloe Blake Atlas Drake Othin Kells Jared Starchaser Spacer NPCs Tilon Quill
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli had to purse her lips to keep the twitch over her lips in place as she watched how Atlas had just barely dodged a thrown magnaspanner, Rama's highpitched cursing trailing down like comets. She glanced at Trextan, who'd already leapt onto the Ghost's scorched hull with a little Force flair, gravity barely registering in his movements.

Show off.

The Warden followed up with a lighter step, snagging a worn tool kit off her hip before giving Othin a small nod.

"Extra hands, extra eyes. That is the deal, right?" she said, tossing the kit up onto the hull before pulling herself after it. Her boots clanged softly as she crouched beside a scorched access panel.

She was halfway through unlatching the casing when it happened-- The stars exploded.

Choli squinted upward, tipping her head back as one hand shielded her colorshifting eyes as the light fractured across the sky. The air shimmered, like a sheet of flimsiplast held too close to an engine vent. That eerie pitch, the vibration that crawled down the spine and into the teeth....she'd felt that kind of wrongness before, deep out in the black while traveling deep within the Kathol Outback. But not like this.

The former Rogue Pilot exchanged a glance with Trextan again. His eyes seemed to mirrored her own: tension, curiosity, and that subtle flicker of oh-kriff-what-now.

The sensor data on Choli's wristpad kept blinking red, new coordinates overlapping the old ones, like the galaxy was being redrawn in real time. Choli stilled, just for a second. She didn't like how the air felt now. Heavy. Electric. Like the moment before a ship broke atmo, except this time, space was the one breaking.

A second later, Choli adjusted her gloves and scanned the blinking red on her pad again. Activating it, Ren's voice crackled through, asking if they were okay.

<< Still alive, but would like a report on what is going on. >>

The Warden caught as Atlas looking at her now. Worried. And Othin, too, probably wondering if they'd all just stepped into a folktale gone bad.

The need to rush crackled around them, and Choli's hands began working automatically, flipping open the access panel. Then, with a faint click, she twisted the motivator housing free and passed it to Rama, who grabbed it with the speed of someone not totally opposed to having help, just annoyed by it.

Choli then pushed herself upright and gave the sky one more long look.

"Best we get this fixed up quick," she said, eyes colorshifting to a slate of determination, her tone firm now, like she was setting a course with her voice alone. "Because whatever just cracked open above us? That is no ghost story."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Atlas Drake Othin Kells Choli Vyn Chloe Blake

Trextan's smile was gone. He offered a single solemn nod and got to work. The anzellan pointed at things that needed opening opening or closing or torquing and Trextan quite obliged.

He tried not to glance towards the skies. Trextan had grow powerful and confident in his own abilities, but things were happening that were well beyond his understanding.

"Chloe and Ren give a clue?" he asked.

He looked down at Atlas and the local mechs. Trextan usually preferred to have his feet on the ground, but suddenly he felt vulnerable.

 

[Atlas Drake]

Othin Kells Tilon Quill Trextan Voidstalker Choli Vyn Jared Starchaser et al.​

---

"You have lots of friends, Captain," Othin noted.

"What can I say?" Drake shrugged at the local shipwright, "I'm a popular guy. Might could also have something to do with your spaceport being the last stop for hyperfuel within a hundred parsecs."

He shook Jared's hand with a firm grip. Tales of haunted space was a spacer tradition and so the casual way Othin confirmed Wo'theth was visited by the unquiet dead unnerved him. Starchaser might be a sorcerer, but he knew how to survive out in the black.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts," he lied, "But I've got a bad feeling about whatever's going on up the well."

Meanwhile the Quasar Ghost's damaged sublight engine belched smoke at the meknek and Aurora Hawk crew. Rama Tok blinked soot out of his bloodshot eyes grumbling expletives in anzellan. The captain's little droid stumbled down their transport's boarding ramp with a datapad in its humble claws.

"Thanks Seven," Atlas passed the manifest along to Othin, "Seen much of the Maze, Mister Kells? Our convoy could always use another meknek especially once we reach uncharted stars."

 

[Tilon Quill]

The North Ridge touched down at the spaceport beside the Crosscurrent. This was primarily because Tilon was shook. He'd had his share of berths on a few other expeditions, but none of them had seen anything like this.

He let himself through the Crosscurrent's airlock.

"Hello?" he called into the freighter. "It's Quill. I could use some advice."

Everyone in here was more experienced than him. Even the damn droids.

Jared Starchaser Delila Castillon Spark Finn

 

[Delila Castillon]

Bonding over shared jerky with the blonde nerd, Delila was more than a little bored. Astronavigation? That was best left for the nerd types and weirdos like the Starchasers. Really, droids could pull off astronavigation and the computing was best left to their brains. There was more to life in her opinion than not getting ripped apart in the spacelanes.

Action soon came in the form of being boarded. Which she was sure was a friendly but it gave her a chance to put down the nerf jerky bag, place a hand on her blaster, and meet the 'intruder' half-way down the corridors. Disappointment washed through her when she caught sight it really was a friendly face. Which meant there would be no shooting. For now.

"Welcome aboard Quill." Delila motioned for him to follow to the cockpit. "Everyone is this way."

Jared Starchaser Tilon Quill Spark Finn Mercy ​

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared could feel the sheer amount of Wardens on this trip. It was good. His family was a proud Warden family, with his father being public about it, and his sister being all but. Jared was a saber for hire but he had the knack and skill of a navigator that this trip would need. Besides, he also had the durasteel balls to run whatever blockade could be trapping his team.

And with Delila and Spark here? They would be providing all the support he’d need. Fire support and system support.

As he was with Atlas, and the others, Jared nodded. There were enough hands here, like the other was saying. He didn’t recall the name, not sure he ever caught it. Giving Atlas a handshake, Jared laughed a moment.

“My ship has some gear to help you replace what you need. Nothing like two OPA hands out in… that.” He pointed up, in the direction he knew was the deeper direction for the Rishi Maze.

He heard the call come in from the Kite’s Roost. Another call for more eyes.

Jared looked to Atlas. “You and your crew got this? Send me what you need and I can have it run over but seems like we may be needed, back up.” And with that he was already turning back for his ship.

Atlas Drake Trextan Voidstalker Choli Vyn Chloe Blake Othin Kells Okkeus Dainlei

Tilon Quill Delila Castillon Spark Finn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker Atlas Drake Othin Kells
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli caught sight of Jared just as he turned away, boots kicking up little puffs of dust as he headed for his ship. Jared Starchaser . She hadn't seen him since Tatooine since he had assisted her with her Rite of Passiage.

For half a heartbeat, she almost called out, Jared! But the words caught somewhere between her chest and her throat. He was already moving back to his ship.

So, he was in this group as well? She hadn't thought to ask before. Another question for later once they figured out just what fresh cosmic mess they were tangled up in. Assuming they all made it through this storm in one piece.

Choli shook herself back into the now, turning her attention to Trextan.

"Not yet," she answered him, thumbing dirt off her sleeve and dropping down beside him again. She looked down at the soot-covered meknek barking more orders.

"They are conducting some scans, trying to figure out just how deep this Gundark hole goes. But you won't believe what Rue's reporting -- Those space leviathans? Well we do not have to go jumping to that blue route, they are here."

The young woman took a deep breath then gave a nod, as if confirming their next steps.

"Let's finish helping the Captain here, then we'll break off. Chloe wants us to run a few sweeps, see what we can find."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Those space leviathans? Well we do not have to go jumping to that blue route, they are here."

The young woman took a deep breath then gave a nod, as if confirming their next steps.

Trextan glanced up at the sky. He gave a sharp nod and set to finishing up resealing the panel beneath him with the hydrospanner. He still didn't understand mechanics at all, but he could do manual work with direction quickly. An artificial arm helped with the old bolts that didn't want to work.

He glanced up in the direction Jared had left in.

"You know Coren's son?" he asked. He didn't know many of the Starchasers, though he supposed Kyra counted. His father had been very closer to Coren.

Trextan grabbed a rag and started wiping down his hands.

"We'd best get airborne and see what's happening. The local team can finish up I think. The danger was past, fires extinguished and power diverted from failing systems. He didn't want to be accused of stealing their work on the replacement parts.

 

[Tilon Quill]

"Welcome aboard Quill." Delila motioned for him to follow to the cockpit. "Everyone is this way."

CROSSCURRENT
SPACEPORT
Delila Castillon Spark Finn Jared Starchaser

Castillon carried a reputation. Cross her, it was said, and she'd either vaporize you or disappear herself, no in between. Tilon got the distinct sense she was less relieved by the friendly encounter than he was. Boredom, perhaps. He got the equally distinct sense that, in the near to midterm future, as a matter of prudence, he should find something for her to shoot that was not him.

He followed her to the cockpit, a spacious place. The captain was just getting back from something or other, maybe helping out the grounded ship over there or just comparing notes.

Notes or plans. The game, perhaps the universe, had changed. Could be that some convoy members might hive off.

He took a seat by some back panels.

"I could use advice," he said. "Getting lost was always a possibility, but this is more lost than I expected. I need a direction, everyone does, we've got hundreds of people on this expedition...and I don't know which way to point."