Faction Rumination and Reprieve [NJO]

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

​

Braze, tucked behind a natural rock formation, watched as Ko navigated the muddy terrain. He was about to whisper a warning about the mud, yet hesitated. It was a delicate balance: his desire to protect his friend versus his need to let Ko explore and learn through the Force. But before he could make a decision, Ko walked into a particularly muddy area, and Braze held his breath.

That's when Ko sensed something. Braze was skilled in concealment, but he wasn't perfect. A surge of unease rippled through him as he saw Ko step closer to a strange patch of mud. Three eyes, an unnatural emerald in color, stared back at Ko.

In a heart-stopping moment, an enormous Oggdo Bogdo burst from the mud. Braze's eyes widened in horror as the creature's massive maw snapped shut, swallowing Ko whole. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think—only feel the overwhelming dread that came with witnessing a friend in mortal danger.

The creature turned its eyes toward him, its gaze predatory yet defensive. Every instinct screamed at him to attack, to draw his weapon and charge. But he also knew that a rash move could make the situation far worse—for both of them.

The Oggdo Bogdo crawled closer, its multiple eyes never leaving Braze. It was a standoff, a battle of wills he didn't dare lose. Braze's hand itched towards his weapon, but he held back, clenched his fists, and steadied his breathing. His mind raced. Ko was inside that creature, but he was still alive, he had to be. Ko was resourceful and calm, even in the direst situations.

Braze looked directly into the creature's eyes, channeling his energy into a focused beam of intention through the Force. "Let him go," he willed silently, putting every ounce of his focus and need into the command. Would the creature understand? Could it? He had to try.

Inside the creature's mouth, Braze felt a ripple in the Force—a sign of life, a subtle manipulation of energy. Ko was alive, and it seemed, he was attempting something. But what?

Every muscle in Braze's body was tensed for action, prepared to make a split-second decision. It was a dreadful waiting game, each moment stretching long.

 

[Amani Serys]

Bogano - Objective I
Valin Zenth - Gabriel Pryce - Elias Edo - OPEN​

---

Amani had become so subconsciously invested in her people-watching, that she failed to even notice the one person approaching her. She turned at the last moment, startling slightly as she nearly bumped into the man and his platter of hors d'oeuvres, "Oh! Sorry," Amani mirialan stammered a chuckle. This individual towered nearly two feet over her, and wore an electrical scar across his face almost proudly. It reminded the mirialan of her own, not that it could be seen so publicly as his. She touched her chest, under which the Lichtenberg figure spidered out across her flesh, fading just below the decency of her collar.

Amani's insistence on silent musing nearly distracted her from the fact that she hadn't even answered his question. His mechnical hand still laid outstretched with treat in palm, awaiting her reply. "What? Oh— No, thank you. I shouldn't." Another chuckle. She offered him a flat smile, holding another pause that lasted just a moment too long before she settled on the only apt question she could think of, "Sorry— Again. I guess I'm a bit distracted today. I… don't believe I know you, do I?"

 

[Thelma Goth]

Thelma listened intently to Lyli’s instructions, her brow furrowing. It sounded complicated, requiring precise timing. If she failed to pass through, she would become trapped behind the wall… or perhaps she would become stuck in it.

She put such grisly thoughts out of her mind and focused on accomplishing the task. Lyli unleashed a gout of pink flames at the wall, and leaped through them. Thelma followed suit, staying close… and made it to the other side.

But there were still more, and Lyli was energetic. She hardly stopped between phases, jumping through the walls as if they were hurdles and she was running a marathon. Malnourished and weakened from not being able to feed, Thelma could barely keep up.

By the time they reached the speeder bike, the little vampiress was panting and just starting to slow down. The most physically strenuous part of her escape seemed to be over, at least.

"Hop on! There will be a ship waiting to intercept. Get ready for speed because the temple security force is about to be on us like flies on Poodoo!"

Thelma climbed onto the bike and clung on for dear life as they sped off. With foul-smelling wind whipping at her red hair, she glanced over her shoulder—and saw a Jedi Master running after them. With a little help from the Force, he was closing in on them rapidly, his lightsaber drawn and ready to cut them down.

Lyli Dragi​

 

[Lyli Dragi]

(Obligatory Chase Music)

Lyli gunned it through the stink of the sewer. She sensed it also. She dared not glance behind her. The sewer was getting narrow.

The Jedi Master leapt. And missed the engine (He wasn't trying to hurt either of them, just disable the engine) by a tenth of a centimeter.

The tunnel had a LOT of twists and turns. But Lyli didn't dare slow down. Jedi were giving chase on their own speeder bikes now.

"Grab on to my waist tight and do not let go!" Lyli ordered Thelma Goth . "Even if you think you're going to crush my ribs, do not let go! And definitely don't look!"

Lyli twisted and turned like a cobra in the tunnels, spinning in mid air to match certain curves (the Jedi matched all of her moves) in the sewer tunnels. Lyli forced herself to keep track of every winding in the tunnel, even as the surface of everything went past in a blur.

But she didn't lose control. She lived for this. The adrenaline.

She saw light at the end of the tunnel and zoomed out of it. The other Jedi had slowed down, as Lyli had been willing to execute maneuvers too dangerous for their liking. She exited into open air into the bare fringes of the underworks but it wasn't long until she heard the pursuit of Jedi speeder bikes. Lyli gunned the engines to maximum for a heavy industrial area filled with smoke and steam, she dove into another tunnel...

And veered off to the side of It, where a Taozin Amulet had been set up a day prior into a recessed alcove that she grabbed and gave to Thelma as she parked into the darkness with Thelma, switching on a holographic projector that blended them into the background.

"Stay quiet." Lyli whispered, watching Jedi pass through the tunnel. Over a dozen, all slowly passing through the tunnel with search lights, unable to sense any of them. Eventually, they passed through the tunnel and grew farther away from her Force Senses.

Lyli looked at the mouth of the entrance and then back to Thelma.

"That bought us five to seven minutes..." Lyli whispered. "We can't stay more than a minute. So catch your breath while you still can but hold on. Are you injured?" she asked Thelma.

 

[Rowena Soh]

Tag: Justice Lesan

Rowena watched in awe as the secret entrance revealed the hollowed out cave within. She was taking mental notes in abundance, so she could record her experience in a holo-journal when she returned. The padawan arched a brow when Knight Lesan asked about Master Endo Cordova.

"Well, he's known for his expertise in the Zeffonian civilization," Rowena said. Though, she wondered if rather than expertise it was more like obsession. It was difficult to say based on text alone. "Of course, he's also famed for the information he hid here on Bogano."

A light bulb went off in her mind. Rowena blinked and turned to Justice.

"Hidden in a Zeffo vault," she added.

Was this the place? Or one just like it?

It didn't matter to Rowena, whether it was or wasn't... the experience alone was fascinating.

 

[Ikenna Tahj]

Cailen Corso | Ilo Aduni | Silas Westgard | Iris Arani | Eloise Dinn​

Ikenna picked at his poncho and furrowed his brow.
"No," he said, dropping the synthcloth from between his fingers, "There are lots of old hives from when the Kilik helped re-stabalize Alderaan's biosphere after they put it back together," he explained, "I grew up exploring them." He grimaced from behind his collar and cringed back.

"I just...Don't like the water much." But he was a padawan. A Jedi in training. He'd have to get over his childish fears sometime. Why not now? He pulled out of his poncho and suited up with the others and took a deep breath.

"Ready."

 

[Ikenna Tahj]

Double post? DUmb.

 

[Thelma Goth]

They managed to evade the Jedi Master, but more of their pursuers were giving chase on speeder bikes now, ruining the advantage of speed they had possessed. Thelma obeyed Lyli’s command to hold on tight, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt them go airborne, but she didn’t let go even when the feeling of weightlessness made her stomach drop.

Then, they were outside. The underworks of Coruscant. She could tell by the change from sewage stench to choking pollution. Lyli brought the bike to a stop and hid them from view using a holographic projector. She handed Thelma a taozin amulet to obscure her signature in the Force.

Thelma’s fingers closed around the amulet. This was it. She was going to disappear. No one she cared about would know where she was or what had happened to her. There were ways to get messages to her loved ones later, but for now it would be as if she had ceased to exist. She sent a final pulse of warmth and love through the Force toward Silas Westgard , then let her presence vanish from the cosmic landscape.

Over a dozen Jedi passed them by, none the wiser. Thelma released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and replied, “No. Just weak from… a poor diet.” She glanced down at her hands, the nails dry and brittle with malnourishment. “I don’t want to linger here any longer. Can you get me to a starport?” She wanted to leave Coruscant as soon as possible.

Lyli Dragi​

 

[Ilo Aduni]

Location: Bogano
Objective: II
Tags: Ikenna Tahj Loomi Cailen Corso Eloise Dinn Silas Westgard

"That's good! You will do just fine underwater. Just..." Ilo took some time to think about what to say, because she really didn't have any advice. She just knew how to swim because she was born swimming. "Just pretend it's a giant bathtub!"

Even if it sounded embarassing, Aduni was satisfied with her encouragement. Finally, the whole group was ready and over any fear.

"I can lead the way and scout the route for us. If something looks iffy, I'll let you know. Also, if something happens, I can quickly take one of you back to safety. Let's go!"

Without further do, the Nautolan naturally got into the water with a very marvelous, acrobatic and unecessary dive. No headlamp, no oxygen tank, it felt like she was home again. Swirling like a fish, Ilo started to swim and weirdly spin, fooling around underwater. It was the only possible enviroment she didn't feel clumsy at all, and quickly enough she was following the pace of the instructor.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Bogano
Objective: BYOO (Bogged Down By Boglings)
Tags: Braze​

Stuck inside the clutches of the beast's maw, Ko squirmed around a bit. It felt really weird to be stuck inside the beast like this. He’d never been eaten alive before, so this was certainly a unique experience for him. Wondering if this is how a bug felt after getting eaten by a frog.

Ko could feel the Oggdo Bogdo shift and move its body around before it tried to finally swallow him some. Causing Ko to worry more, as he fought to try and not get pushed further along into the beast. Straining against its powerful oral muscles. After which he started to sense another presence, a Force signature he couldn’t mistake, Braze. They were here too? Ko wondered where they came from.

Nonetheless Ko tried to calm himself, ignoring the sudden distraction of Braze’s appearance. Mentally trying to communicate with the rare Oggdo. Telepathcially telling it something along the lines of “Please Mr… or Mrs Oggdo, don’t eat me.” As he did the large amphibian began to try and continue gulping him down further into itself. Well, now he probably needed to be more direct with the beast.

Recalling some of the other creatures on Bogano, the Splox, Ko telepathically attempted to trick the Oggdo Bogdo that he was actually one of the spiky insects, and that its spines were hurting its mouth and throat. Suddenly causing the large amphibian to begin coughing violently. A moment later he was forcefully expelled from its mouth. Ko was dumped back into the mud, covered in mucus and saliva before the Oggdo Bogdo began to turn away from the two padawans and hop away.

Ko just laid there for a moment. Trying to mentally collect himself. He wasn't hurt, just felt really weird... and icky. “...Uuuugh…”

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

"Well damn... I didn't know you were that repulsive... " Braze trailed. "Wow... that's quite the mess you've gotten yourself into," Braze said, cautiously approaching the mucus-covered Ko. "Glad you're in one piece, though."

His eyes assessed the situation before scanning the ground for something useful. Spotting a sturdy-looking stick, he picked it up and extended it towards Ko, gently poking him in the chest to get his attention.

"Here, take this," he offered, holding the stick firmly on his end to help Ko find his balance and get out of the muddy predicament. "Let's get you cleaned up and back on solid ground, shall we?"

 

[Valin Zenth]

Amani Serys

Valin's expression brightened with a broad smile as he responded. "Not remotely intimately, at least, though I wouldn't mind ah... remedying such~," he added playfully, using a term that Tirin Raene might employ. His one good eye was focused on the smaller Jedi, and his exuberant energy was vibrantly on display.

"I'm Valin Zenth, at your service, madam," he chirped happily. Without a second thought, he popped down several more treats from the tray.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Rowena Soh

Yes, she knew her history, and the pure excitement of knowing that she was standing in a place where the Master had once stood was noticeable. She seemed to approach it from a logical and studious palace, but Justice knew that often could turn into excitement over the smallest of things.

He smiled.

“Yes, he was and did all of that. This was his workshop from everything we have been able to gather. There are a few places on the planet he frequented, and murals and maps all over this place that he studied in order to retrace the steps of the Zeffo people.”

Justice walked further into the cave to reveal something that looked more like a makeshift office and workspace than natural cave walls.

His hand, the real one, brushed against the walls. He was not naturally left handed, but had learned to touch things of importance with a less dominant hand. In many ways it had become the one thing he needed to do in order to keep a connection to what was real. The wall was real, and he wanted to experience it.

“Now we look for clues, for anything pertaining to the Zeffo. Maybe we do not know everything, or maybe we can recreate what was destroyed on Jedha. Either way, our work starts here, with what we know.”

Just motioned around the room to the loose papers and the rustic tools, even to the walls themselves.

“Nothing is too unimportant to pass over. We comb through everything.”
​

 

[Cailen Corso]

Bogano
Objective II: Cave Stories

​

“Best get it over with,” Cailen said with a shrug and a sigh. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as he was thinking. Ilo Aduni certainly had enough enthusiasm for the bunch of them.

He gave a final smile to Loomi and the new boy, Ikenna Tahj before pulling a rebreather over his mouth and diving into the cold water. It was an instant ice bath over his skin, chilling him to the bone as his hands cut through the water. He floated in place, watching his friends both for comfort and to keep pace.

He was liable to jet off and race through the tunnels just be done with the whole thing as quickly as possible.

All he could think about was how crazy they all were for jumping voluntarily into a submerged cave. But he supposed the New Jedi’s Padawans had done much dangerous work before. The frigid waters brought back harsh memories of Ilum, but he was quick to shove them back down.

<“I’m freezing!”> Cailen said telepathically.

He was sure the rebreathers had comlinks built in, but he knew his chattering teeth and nervous breathing wouldn’t convey through the Force.

---

Tags: Loomi | Iris Arani | Ilo Aduni | Silas Westgard | Ikenna Tahj​

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Bogano
Objective: BYOO (Bogged Down By Boglings)
Tags: Braze

“... Ha ha ha…” Ko sarcastically laughed, his voice muffled some from being face down in the mud. Rolling himself onto his back he listened to the younger padawan some more. “Where did you come from, by the way? Did you just happen to catch me getting eaten by our amphibian friend over there?” Funny that he called the Oggdo his friend. But Ko didn’t really have any hard feelings towards the animal. It was just hungry and thought it would be an easy meal out of Ko.

The fact that he was covered in mucus and mud didn’t really bother the Kel Dor all the much. Spending a day in a manure field or a night helping livestock deliver babies had made Ko build up serious tolerance to gross things. He began to feel Braze start poking his chest. Using a stick he wanted to give the older padawan to aid in getting out of the mud. Grabbing it he used it to help himself up. “Yeah, a shower sounds like it would be wonderful right about now.” Ko said to his friend before using his earth shaping to quickly shed himself of all the mud that covered him. He was still covered in icky Oggdo saliva though... ​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze would chuckle softly at Ko's sarcastic laughter and lack of disgust towards his current predicament. "Well, the Force has a funny way of putting us where we need to be, doesn't it? One moment, I was doing my usual meditative walk, the next I heard a scuffle. Lo and behold, it led me to you and your new 'friend'," he'd say, making air quotes at the word 'friend'.

Seeing Ko use earth shaping to clean off the mud, Braze would raise an impressed eyebrow. "That's a neat trick, Ko. Though it seems you've still got a bit of Oggdo décor left on you." With a gesture, Braze would focus a small whirlwind of air to help dislodge some of the remaining mucus from Ko. "There, that should help a little."

Braze would continue, "So, shall we head back? A hot shower and maybe some tea to cleanse the palate sounds good right about now."

 

[Amani Serys]

Bogano - Objective I
Valin Zenth - OPEN​

---

"Pleasure to meet you," The mirialan dipped her head in greeting, and offered Valin an amiable smile, "Amani Serys-Organa. Chief Healer for the New Jedi Order." She blankly studied the man's demeanor without much forethought, silently wishing she'd accepted one of the offered treats now if just to find something to do with her hands.

"So Master Zenth— It is Master Zenth, yes? What do you do among the Jedi? Are you NJO, or perhaps one of the other enclaves?"

 

[Rowena Soh]

Tag: Justice Lesan

"My goodness," Rowena said in a breathless whisper.

She took a few more cautious steps into the workshop and stood in awe. There was sure to be a wealth of information here. Rowena diligently began to scan the circular room – it was built right into the limestone.

"Scans indicate a second level," she said. Rowena turned to Justice, smiling. "Right above us." Sure enough, there was already a staircase visible across the room. Of course, her master probably already knew about it... but she was quite pleased with herself just the same.

Needless to say, Rowena took quick steps in that direction.

"What do you think we'll find?" she asked, not even looking back to see if Justice was there. Was it unwise to rush ahead?

 

[Lyli Dragi]

Lyli nodded to Thelma Goth . But she shook her head at the request for a Star Port.

"No way. We just stole you off their home turf. They will be going Jedi Ballistic trying to look for you. The call is likely going out at all star ports to detain you upon sight. But we prepped for this eventuality...Hold on tight."

Lyli gunned the engines and zoomed off and out of the tunnel at high speed. She sensed one of the other Jedi behind her, a lone scout on a bike that had stayed behind and didn't dare go near traffic, instead hitting the location beacon as more Jedi got behind her, giving chase once more as she weaved through buildings and obstructions, though due to her orders she couldn't use trick maneuvers that risked the death of her pursuers.

No matter what she did though, she couldn't shake them. They doggedly pursued them through the city scape, rushing lights and elegant facades all a blur to Lyli's need to escape.

Finally after an endless chase where seemingly more and more Jedi were chasing after them, She finally saw a distortion ahead that opened up into a loading bay in the sky as an X-70B got into position, piloted by no less than a Soldier Biot named Dulcinea.

The Jedi were almost in range, and Lyli rerouted every last ounce of power to the engines and just barely cleared the gap in to the ship itself with Thelma still holding on. The bike crashed onto the loading bay and both were flung off violently as the hatch closed, just as a Jedi was about to get in range. Lyli shielded Thelma with her own body to prevent the worst of the impact from getting her.

"Fly up! FLY UP NOW! NOW!" Lyli yelled on her comlink to the pilot.

The ship rocketed upward at max speed, going back into stealth mode once they cleared the atmosphere. It remained like this until it was the correct position for a hyper space jump, one of three.

Lyli got up, popping a dislocated shoulder back into place.

"Thelma? You alright?" Lyli asked, weary and exhausted as the ship leapt into Hyperspace...

 

[Thelma Goth]

So she couldn’t go to the starport and escape Coruscant that way. “I suppose I must rely upon you then,” she said.

Sure enough, Lyli had a plan: a waiting ship piloted by someone else. Thelma hung on tighter as the speeder bike went airborne, crashing through the hangar.

"Thelma? You alright?"

Lying on the floor of the hangar as they left the atmosphere of Coruscant behind, Thelma slowly raised her head. Lyli had shielded the little vampiress with her body, but the impact was still pretty rough. A particularly nasty bruise now darkened her left cheek.

“Nothing’s broken,” Thelma replied, slowly rising to her feet. Her dress was dirty and torn. “I just need… a really good nap.”

Her time as a Jedi had officially ended. Everything she knew was gone. She would have to forge a new life for herself now.

"I could use some weapons," she said. "How long should I stay with you? And is there a way I could get a message to someone without it being traced?" She wanted to at least let Silas Westgard know she was all right.

Lyli Dragi​