The Glittering Isles

[Bella Rimini]

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Over an Uncharted Gas Giant
Unknown Space

In the black darkness of space. A vessel emerged from Lightspeed. Silent and still. Quiet and serene. It glided slowly over the uncharted system.

Moments passed in the dark quiet of space and carrier ship slowly discharged a landing vessel. The tiny dart quickly flared it's engines and flew straight down into the purple alien mists of the gas giant planet below. Disappearing completely below the waves of endless fluffy clouds. Lost to it's purple alien skies with a puff and a swirl.

* * *

Inside the dropship. The emergency lights flickered on and off at random. The ship shook and bumped with a strange, uneven ride. First a passing shadow, then a blinding light. Outside the pilot's viewscreen there was only brilliant swirling mist and dense impossible clouds. Impossible to see through, impossible to guess the next bump. Flying headfirst into a mystery.

Bella Rimini sat in the back of the ship's trooper hold. Shuffling in her jumpseat and rocking with every bump. Fiddling with a Force Compass in her dark gloved hands. Letting her gentle fingers trace it's silvery surface and letting her mind unlock towards it's magical secrets within. There was silver fur about her shoulders. Covering the black bodyglove below and shadowing her well packaged metallic belt. A lightsaber hung at her hip and her boots glowed with modern technological soles. The jumpseat to her left and right were empty. As were almost all of the seats in the hold. Because she had decided this was a delicate mission that required a delicate hand. Rare was the Jedi who had signed up to accompany her too.

"Two minutes." A woman's voice from the cockpit.

Bella nodded and put her compass away. Looking back towards the viewscreen in the cockpit and the swirling bright masses beyond. It was almost time. So she turned once again to the only other person in the hold. [member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"] . A woman of volunteering regard.

"The Rannon Temple sends it's thanks Jedi Wu Yeoh-Mei. It was either bring another Force User along on this mission or, well. We'd probably have had to dispatch with a whole trooper squadron down to the surface. Mm. Well. I'm glad it wasn't the later too. These missions have a life of their own, once they get going."

She smirked softly and looked at the floor. Thinking of the last time she had set off to gather up another one of Master Dom's Gemini Boxs.

"The old sanctum down below is thousands of years old. I'm not expecting anybody to still be home, but still. These old temples have a way of dissuading the unwary. I suppose there is probably a good reason this place has remained hidden from the Jedi back at the temple for so long. We'll still have to be careful."

Bella looked back towards the cockpit,

"Say. I never asked why you wanted to come along on this little milk run of mine? Fancy doing favors for Rannon from time to time or? Was it something else hm?"

She smiled as the aircraft bumped and jostled again. Letting the emergency lights flicker on and off at random. Shadows and bright lights against the hold. Yes. It wouldn't be much longer until they landed now.

The Glittering Isles awaited.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Bella Rimini"]

She could feel the jostling in the ship as they went down. THe smoothness of her ship as it normally traveled was not ost to her and there was the runabout shuttle she had access to. Her eyes drifting around as she heard someone speaking to her... the one Bella who had agreed to bring her along. Her sleeveless black robes with her scarf as it hung over her shoulder. The force imbued items flexible but protective and it kept her warm before she was speaking. "What other reason would there be?" She said it with a smile on her face though warm and welcoming. Her hair in a ponytail behind her head with bangs lightly cut.

"The jedi orders are trying to unite, working with others is more important for everyone try to do. If it is only the leaders of the jedi orders working together it isn't going to go far." IT wasn't a good trickle down system, while some might want to talk policy or unity she would prefer that they better organized things like this. "As to the temple itself... we should be able to find anything down there... last hidden temple we went into there were some older jedi tombs near the bottom. She had her saber on her hip and the slimmer hilt as shaped to her hand with a small guard and the inth metal radiating warmth an the lightside of the force. "I am ready though."

 

[Bella Rimini]

Bella smiled as [member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"] described the Jedi Orders uniting. It was a grand dream. Perhaps. And, perhaps? Also a worthy goal too.

"Well. I'm glad you decided to come along anyway. I enjoy working with new people and sometimes, Rannon can seem so routine these days. Hehe."

She laughed and looked back out the cockpit window. As if she could see old Master Dom's swirling face smiling back at her out there.

"Ah. And I should mention. We found this old temple by way of a Dark Jedi's Force Compass. Tinged with both the Light and the Dark. I expect that whatever we find down there? Well. I suppose it could have a similar design philosophy as well. Skirting the edge of what is, both Ashla and Bogan alike."

It wasn't a comfort thought either. Mixed technologies like this were always unpredictable. Especially to a Lightsider who is ever wary of the Dark.

"Anyway. I've brought a new V.I. from Denon with me. So at least we'll have access to the JANs archives while we search."

She reached down under her seat and pulled out a holocron-like device from a backpack. It glowed a faint blue hue in the shadows of the hold but possessed no Force Aura like an actual holocron might emit outwardly. It was simply a very small, and very vast, talking library.

"Say hello V." Bella smirked.

~ "Hello Jedi [member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"] . Happy to have you with us." ~

A faint masculine voice emitted from the cube. The faint blue glow grower brighter and fading with every word.

"Here. Why don't you ask him a question."

Bella tossed her the cube with a smile.

"I think you'll find he's as smart as the Rannon Librarians could make him. Hehe."

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Bella Rimini"]

Wu was listening to her and had a look of interest on her face. She was wanting to hear about the other jedi groups and Denon was a place she had read about Ayumi had been a former senator there and worked to try and make it a place for the jedi but hadn't gotten far... she did make the ironmongers though using some of the older republic vehicles to defend with the security forces. Wu though looked at the compass and thought about it, Matsu had made something like that.. well a scouter and the jedi were able to use it to find force signatures. "The jedi artisan's made something like that but ti is not as easy to use and only points to the strongest signature."

She said it with a nod though and listened to the rest about the temple, about the ideas where they might be able to go. She was prepared with her equipment, she was prepared for anything with the field survival kit, with the field kit. It had rations, blinds for protection, glow rods and the database kits for locations and analysis. She looked at the voice speaking with a nod of her head. "Hello." With a look though she rolled her shoulders and she stetched outwards with her hands. "I am prepared, let us go and see if there is anything dangerous down there and maybe who knows.. we'll find out something interesting. I have been trying to study as much as I can of jedi history."

 

[Bella Rimini]

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Bella nodded. I suppose she was as prepared as she was going to get too.

Meanwhile, the viewscreen to their vessel began to clear. Illuminating their world in grand volumetric brightness. Outside was a pale blue sky filled with swirling clouds. A whole eternity of swirling purple atmosphere. Breathable, if the sensors were to be believed too. For down below their craft was a whole sky continent too. Floated jagged rocks filled with clear purple rock formation. Glittering onyx and robust crystal. The ground itself seemed to sparkle in the daylight.

"Just cleared the environment shield. We're inside the bubble now. Heck of a view." Gestured the voice from the cockpit.

Bella unstrapped from her jump harness and moved to lean against the cockpit door.

"Wow."

Down below it seemed like a purple spring was in full bloom. Windswept trees in a multitude of colors. Strange grass pods and grain-like yellow foliage. All growing between the cracks and wet hollows of the crystalline rock formations. A wholly alien, yet remarkably beautiful biome. Just ripe for the taking.

"There. I think that palace is our Dark Jedi Temple. Can you put us down on their landing pad?"

"Roger that. All green on the scanners here."

Bella nodded and moved back into the ship's belly. Reaching down and grabbing her backpack from the floor.

"Okay. Sensors show it's a type-one atmosphere with pressure and gravity. I suspect it's all as artificially maintained as that environment bubble we past through on our way in here. So we should be able to pick up on a few energy sources once we touch down. Maybe find out what's powering this place while we're at it."

Rimini took out her compass and watched the dials spinning. Just spinning, never stopping. Nothing new yet.

"Okay. Here we go."

The emergency lights flickered back on and then went completely red. The air hissed with a loud shuttering and then the back of the bay slowly began to open. Like a cargo plane, the whole back end of the bay was one large cargo door. Opening slowly to reveal the floating continent below.

"Ah. Breezy. Hehe."

Bella tied her hair back as the hold filled with a chill flowery air. The low pressure change popping her ears. Then quickly the white landing pad of the palace swooped in underneath them. Slowly rising up to the deckway of their vessel as their ship lowered itself for a sprite's landing. Their ship hissing with the vent of her thrusters.

The pilot gave a nod from the front, "You're out here. Dropping relay beacon now."

"Roger." Bella shouted over the din of the engines, "We'll check communications from the ground. Fifteen minute intervals from the beacon."

The ship lowered itself to mere centimeters off the ground below. Bella stepped off the platform and back onto solid ground. Quickly moving away from the ship and covering her eyes from the ship's disturbance. Their vessel unlatched a relay beacon from the side of the ship and it snapped down into place on the flat surface of the white landing pad.

When everybody had dismounted, the ship quickly hovered back into the air. Then with a spit and a roar, ascended back into the stratosphere. Leaving our two heroes to admire the quiet calmness that it had left behind. A quiet spring afternoon in the clouds.

"Coms check. We have signal. Check check. Check check. ...Roger that Corvette One. We hear you. Operation Glittering Isles begins now. We'll be in touch. Ground team out."

Bella smiled and tapped her earpiece. Turning to look down the long glasteel bridge walkway that lead up into the white palace beyond.

"Okay. Guess it's up to us now. Hehe." she giggled in the soft wind. Shielding her eyes against the bright glare of the afternoon sun. "Hmm. I'm not showing any heat signatures on thermal. Just like the ship's sensors. I suppose we're all alone for now."

She turned to look up at all the strange alien structures that littered themselves across every towering precipice of the sky continent beyond.

"I guess nobodies home."

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Bella Rimini"]

She listened and was processing what they had to deal with danger wise. A bubble for the environment could limit their options if it suddenly dropped or was damaged... SHe made her her blade was at the ready and her chevron pad with the scanner and connection to her ship. It could come and retrieve her in case of danger it had the beacon and slave circuits to be automated. The jedi master rolled her shoulders as she looked up and while being a traditional Jin with her short statue she had compensated for that with skill and.... she sliped a small packet out of her field kit when the ramp was opening and offered it.

"Jakobeast jerky." She had worked with it, seasoned it, dried it out but just enough for it to still be moist and soft but it wasn't wet. Just packed with flavor as she was starting to walk. She looked witht he scanners towards the temple. "So power sources, there weren't any visible to scanners from orbit? Nor on records?" She was looking at it and bringing up the scanner on her wrist to check out all that she could. "I am setting some of the passive scans to map the area, we should be able to connect to the AIs in the library still and they might provide information about a few things if they are able to or some of the jedi historians in the research division."

 

[Bella Rimini]

Bella moved across the bridge and up towards the palatal temple before them. Nodding to [member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"] question,

"Scanners don't work down here from orbit. The gas giant obscures all readings and masks this place like a shroud. It is probably one of the reasons nobody ever knew this place existed. It's a giant bubble environment hidden inside a dense cloud. Truth. The Rannon Temple never would have known this place existed if not for the compass we found. We're likely the first people to discover this place since the Great Darkness."

Which, seemed amazing really. The temple didn't seem overgrown at all. You'd think most of these buildings would be a ruin by now. Bella once again removed the compass from her pack. No change. It's dials were still just spinning aimlessly.

"Okay. I'm going to move inside the temple and see if any of the computer panels are still working. Why don't..."

She was suddenly interrupted by a beeping in her ear,

"Go ahead Corvette One." Bella raised an eyebrow.

~ "Ground Team be aware. We've got contact coming out of Lightspeed. Looks like that hunter gang out from Tatooine followed us here. We're showing landing ships heading your way." ~

"What!" Bella jerked.

~ "There's no time. We're outgunned up here. One corvette isn't worth much against their missile boat. We're sending the ship back down to pick you up. Return to the LZ. Over." ~

"No! Negative Corvette One. We haven't even started cataloguing this place yet? We can't just surrender a whole city to those lizard-faced freaks!"

Bella turned and looked at Yeoh-Mei for help. The couldn't just leave now? Could they?

~ "Ground Team be aware. We're showing multiple contacts dropping in from Lightspeed. The first ship was just a Coordinator. Note. We can no longer get to you. They've cut us off from the surface and are moving to engage. We're gonna have to bug out and come back for ya'll later." ~

"What!" Bella was just about in shock! How could they!

~ "We're release your ships from the hanger. Wu Yeoh-Mei can slave hers down to her. Rimini, you're droid will fly your's down to you. God speed and stay safe you too. We'll be back as soon as we can. Corvette One out." ~

"Wait! Corvette One! Corvette One! What's going on up there!" Bella stammered into her earpiece.

Then, just as suddenly. Three pirate vessels broke the edge of the sphere and busted through the clouds outside the purple continent. Landers. Just like theirs.

"Oh no. Not these guys again." Bella grit her teeth and began pacing around the bridge. "Big-game hunters out from Tatooine. Full of Hutt money and a taste for collecting ancient relics of great power. I had to steal back this compass from these guys once already. Damn."

Luckily, the three ships flew right over them. Looking to find the largest building possible and claim it's rewards first. They knew to avoid a fight with the Jedi if they could. Last time, Bella and her team had taken out thirty of them in one simple battle. Outnumbered ten to one.

"Damn. Looks like they aim to outrun us. Not take us head on. Smart."

Bella turned quickly to Yeoh-Mei and gestured her to follow.

"Come on. I'm heading into the temple right now. I don't care if our personal ships are on their way down. We can't just leave this place to become another scavengers den for those pirate scum. They'll steal everything of value in a week and sell it to the highest bidder back in Hutt space! We can't just run away now."

Her face seemed all kind of confused. But Bella Rimini had made up her mind. She wasn't going to abandon a thousand year old Dark Jedi Temple to pirates just yet.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Bella Rimini"]

She was listening in, at first only partly as it seemed to be a regular update and the information was standard... and then things changed. Something was happening up above and it was requiring that their ships be released and able to come to them. She was moving to find a better angle and bring up all of the information that she could. The jedi master was moving and she listened to everything sliding a comlink into her ear and followed the line of ships. Based on the size she was certain of one or two things.... mostly they had plenty to overwhelm the pair if they tried so would have to be smart about it. "I am not usually oone for rushing itno a fight but given the circumstances we might need to have an exception."

She said it less like a joke but it was meant to lighten the mood. She was watching and looking forward as the ships continued. "I am not leaving you alone but I am going to say that we shouldn't rush into the fight. If we can help it thinning out their numbers first before engaging would be a lot more ideal." THe jedi master moved quickly though with her scarf focusing the force and improving her, it wasn't like other objects that focused or held a single skill it made enlightening ones self... accessing the force and using several techniques at once and holding them as you had the stamina easier. Her blade was at her hip and the red of the scarf moved behind her.

 

[Bella Rimini]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

Just before Bella could reach the end of the sky bridge, a massive vessel breached through the clouds. A pirate super freighter. A starship big enough to fill it's belly with dozens of smaller vessels. Or perhaps, hundreds if not thousands of pirates.

Suddenly, all thought of resistance left Bella's mind. There was no way they could fight that. The logistics, the heroics required. No. It was just too much for two Jedi. And besides. Bella didn't know Wu well enough to ask her to give her blood to defend a lost Dark Jedi sanctum. It was done right impolite. This was supposed to be a milk run anyway. An easy touch-and-go. There was never supposed to be an army of pirates following them through Hyperspace.

"Damn it!" She finally relented.

Rimini kicked a rock and turned back around to face Yeoh-Mei,

"Okay. New plan. We find a computer and access as much data as we can. Then we take our starfighters and go. Fair enough?"

She looked just as defeated as she sounded. But what could she do? Every second they waited there seemed to be more and more pirate ships taking to the sky. This whole mission could easily go from bad, to worse.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Bella Rimini"]

She was looking up at the larger ship and then looked at Bella as she listened and spoke. "I think we might have to though my ship isn't a starfighter." Where she could see it a large ship like that would be a problem though her training ship had some weapons and heavier defenses to protect. "Whatever information we can find though would be beneficial." She said it and was moving bringing up the information on the chevron pad to present some of it. Her ship was coming down as the sensors gave her a display of the area around them when it got closer and itno the bubble. "THe Karakoa is outfitted with some systems that could help. The ember is great for hacking vessels to slave them to it and has ion tags to disable additional ships."

 

[Bella Rimini]

Bella raised an eyebrow as to how a star yacht was supposed to help their situation. Still, never hurts to be surprised I guess.

"Fair enough."

Then she quickly spun around and jogged into the temple. Finding herself surrounded by a majestic beauty. The walls and ceiling were like carvings of crystal. Towering statues and alien reliefs occupied reverent alcoves while small floating orbs provided brilliant white lighting. The floor was so clear and polished that the patterns inside the rock seemed to glisten as if wet. Better still, every room seemed to have it's own small hanging gardens. Full of lush greens and yellows that accented the blue and purple walls so brightly. This was truly, a palace built for a king.

Rimini approached what appeared to be hovering alien console. Noting that the floating symbols upon it's surface seemed more akin to a galaxy map than anything. Still, their situation propelled her forward. She reached into her pack and produced the V.I. assistant cube from earlier,

"V. Can I get some help here?"

~ "One moment madam." ~ The blue cube glowed.

With a flash of light, the V.I. seemed to interact with the console. Slowly the symbols on it's surface began to change.

Meanwhile, Bella's com beeped with the arrival of her ship,

"R2. Bring the ship around the back of the temple. There was a garden entrance into the hall big enough to get the ship through. Park her inside and kill the engines okay."

~ Dweet dwoop! ~ A happy beeping from her com.

Perfect timing too,

~ "Madam. I have hacked this console." V glowed a happy tune, "It appears this area is observatory. Built for capturing data about the swirling atmosphere beyond the shield bubble. Like a weather station, it's more sensitive systems are housed upstairs. In the dome." ~

Bella nodded and pursed her lips,

"How about a library V. Does this console mention any of the other buildings?"

~ "Yes. Much like a tourism directory. There is some information here about other points of interest. I believe you would be looking for the Jedi Archives, yes?" ~

"Yes!" Bella gasped.

~ "Very good. I assumed correctly. As such, the Archives are located in another palace. Just to the south of us. I'll mark it on your HUD now." ~

Bella pulled out her phone and checked the display. Perfect. Then she turned to [member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"] ,

"Okay. Libraries all yours. I'm going to head upstairs and download the weather archives from the dome. I'll catch up with you later."

Bella turned and put the cube back into her pouch,

"You're okay with splitting up yeah? We'll need to cover as much ground as we can before the pirates get a feel for this place."

Hopefully. Yeoh-Mei would understand her rush.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Bella Rimini"]

She looked at her and was listening as the thought of running off towards the library as her ship was moving around above ground. It might not be small but it did have a bomblet generator and could be programmed to swarm and slash while running around. "I am on it." She had a general direction of where to go and was moving quickly allowing the force to pull itself to herself. She let the force flow into her legs, she let it go into her eyes and senses. She was moving sensing the direction so she could try and find her way.. she breathed out stopping and leaping up to touch one of the walls before she was pulling herself up in the force. She was moving quickly and listening as her blade hua slid to her hand. THe scanner going before the jedi master started. "Do you see any of them?"

 

[Bella Rimini]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

If they split up, they could cover more ground. So Bella was glad when Yeoh-Mei immediately knew what to do.

Likewise, she also had a task of her own to perform. While Wu was busy locating the Jedi Archives, Bella would find a long circular stair and ascend to the top of the palace observatory. The architecture here was the same as below. Save for many more of those floating consoles located under a giant glass dome.

"Hmm. Better let V do the talking here." She mused. Unpacking the cube intelligence once again.

It would take some time for the duo to search the upper area. Hopefully Yeoh-Mei was having more luck on her end.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Bella Rimini"]

She moved quickly and was taking it in as the first sounds came to her. The smaller jedi master hugged the wall with her head going down before she was checking it out and there was a few pirates searching. They didn't have much in the ways of people which helped but they weren't here on the top level. She skirted around and pulled the force to herself listening to it and thinking about how much of a jump she could do to finish off the three of them. She listened and then lept slowly her fall but using it to pull the three of them a little closer and her small formed tackled into them to slam them into the ground itself with impact. The slap of skin on marble before she was sliding the cuffs out of her thigh pack and sliding them on the. Removing comlinks and dragging them over to the side out of the way.