Dominion The Mines of Silence | THR Dominion of Kenari

[Taelen Velara]

Foward Operating Base
Kenari-One
Isobel Serraris ​

Padawan Taelen Velara moved among them, sleeves rolled, his tunic clinging faintly to his back in the rising heat. He wasn't above labor, that's why he volunteered to go with the first group. The Jedi had arrived days earlier along with the Army and following officers to oversee the establishment of the Kenari FOB, ensuring it could serve both as a staging ground and a humanitarian hub. Supplies arrived almost hourly crates of medical kits, rations, modular shield emitters and every set of hands mattered. He was just here to help, that's all.

From here, he could see the half-constructed command spire at the camp's center, its metal skeleton jutting up from the soil like the bones of a buried giant. Power conduits snaked across the ground, feeding life into the comm arrays and shield domes that would soon protect the base. Workers shouted to one another over the whine of droid welders, sparks cascading in showers of orange and gold.

A breath of wind swept down from the ridgeline. Taelen paused a moment to take it in, brushing dust from his forehead. Somewhere beyond those hills, Kenari's mines still echoed with the ghosts of the people who'd once toiled there. The locals avoided the area, saying the land remembered. He could feel it too the quiet ache beneath the surface, a resonance in the Force that hummed with memory and loss.

A voice crackled over the comms, pulling him back to the present. "Velara, we've got another transport inbound from Naboo. You're on off-load detail."

"Copy that." he replied, jogging toward the landing zone as a shadow swept over the field. A bulky transport descended, thrusters kicking up another storm of dust and debris. Taelen shielded his eyes, robe whipping around him, watching as the ramp lowered. Inside, the next wave of supplies waited along with the faint sense that something about this planet, about this mission, would test him more deeply than simple manual labor ever could.

Still, he squared his shoulders and stepped forward. This was the work of rebuilding the quiet kind of service that preceded every great struggle. And for now, Taelen Velara was content to carry the weight, for now.

"Isobel." Taelen showed a small smile, as the first of responders left the vessel. "Glad you could make it."

 

[Isobel Serraris]

THE MINES OF SILENCE​

Location — Forward Operating Base, Kenari
Objective — Aid the members of the High Republic in setting up their base.
Tags — Taelen Velara / Open
Paraphernalia — Lightsabers

The hull shook and rattled as the ship entered the atmosphere, struggling with the dense toxic clouds that hung over the surface. It was not the only thing bringing forth a disturbance, as the Force felt empty, it was present, but hollow. As if the garden of Ashla had been poisoned, and its flowers had been reduce to ashes and husks... The mere sensation brought an unpleasant ache to her body and soul, leaving her in a wary anticipation of how the soil may appear. Yet... no place could remain cursed forever, and mayhap nature would yet flourish once more.

Such a thought appeared a distant prospect--as the moment the ramp extended itself and the doors opened, the canvas of despair and death unfolded. Accompanied by a cruel burn in her throat with every breath. The air tasted wrong, not even akin to the poisonous spores left by plants, this burned more like a wrong batch of alcohol. But, it was breathable, as if oxygen still roamed shallowly over the barren planet.

The Padawan grabbed a box with medical supplies, and mostly Millaflowers (and their seeds), to both bring some colour and air to the new base. The container's weight lay heavy on her arms as she swayed lightly from left to right on her way down the ramp. Nearly tripping on her final step, before setting the contents down on the metal ground.

She barely had the time to catch her breath, as her name echoed in the landing zone, accompanied by the presence of a familiar face. "Taelen? Had I known you would be here-- No matter, it is good to see you." Isobel let out another tired sigh, her brown eyes trailing down to the crate. "We brought another batch of supplies. And I asked my family to provide a handful of Millaflowers to drive away the toxins in the air... By Shiraya, this planet is unpleasant." A soft chuckle left her and she reached down to grab one of the red and blue coloured flowers, holding it out to her fellow Padawan.

Though her father had warned her of the flowers tranquilising effects if they were used wrongly, she doubted the Republic would act so careless when provided with gifts. . .