Faction The Protection of Selvaris [NJO/GADF]

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Engagement Ring
Tag: Valery Noble

Eve followed Valery down the ridge, her steps precise as they moved from the thick embrace of jungle into a harsher realm of rusted metal and stone. Vines crawled over collapsed struts, and blossoms in shades of crimson and violet clung stubbornly to life amid corroded panels. The humid scent of earth began to mix with the tang of metal and the faint sting of industrial fumes drifting up from the city beyond.

They slipped into cover behind a half-buried support beam, shadows wrapping around them as Valery raised a hand. Eve crouched low, eye narrowing on the patrol moving along the cracked maintenance road. Their mechanical implants glowed an eerie red, voices crackling through external speakers as they passed.

When Valery looked back at her and spoke, Eve stayed silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on the patrol’s measured movements. Different possibilities flickered through her mind: a direct attack, a mind trick, slipping through unseen. But the sight of the jungle creeping into the ruins sparked another idea, one that might keep blood off their hands a little longer. Slowly, she nodded and shifted closer to Valery.

"If we wait for them to circle back, I could use Plant Surge on that structure." She inclined her chin toward a steel lattice already sagging under the weight of thick, knotted vines. "Collapse it across the road. The noise should draw them off their path, and we’d have a window to get past before they figure out what happened."

She met Valery’s eyes, voice low but steady. "Cora's helped me a lot with my Plant Surge, I think I can do it. And it's fast and keeps us out of a fight. For now, at least. I'd just need to get a little closer."

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Objective 2: Strike Team Sunrider


Xuko was starting to get used to Jedi popping up, seemingly out of nowhere. He'd first encountered it in the jungles of Tython when he and a group of new Padawans had been set upon by fleshraiders. The reinforcements were just as welcome now as they had been then; if only slightly less surprising.

The "Flamehead" moniker from Rikuan confirmed his suspicions that it was Reina who was with them, but Xuko had known as soon as she'd reminded him about danger being a teacher; the subject of their first discussion together. She had acquitted herself well after that meeting when the Jedi had been attacked, and the senior Padawan took charge of the situation now.

Her arrival allowed Xuko to set down the immediate burden of their situation and their survival, and to focus entirely on himself for a few precious moments. The Zabrak paced himself through a quick breathing routine, doing his best to tune out the blaring klaxons, the stinging in his eyes, and the sense of helplessness he felt at losing his vision at such a critical moment. But Reina was correct; he didn't need his eyes to be able to sense what was going on.

Just to his left he could comprehend Reina's presence- like a wave crashing on the shoreline she battled with herself, but it was a regular rhythm at the moment; not a storm. Powerful too, and focused. For now.

Up ahead, Rikuan sparked brightly in the Force; a veritable lightning bolt of energy, moving in jagged and unpredictable patterns. Actions moving almost as fast as their thoughts, and now moving closer on a cargo skiff.

Xuko threw his focus wider, noting that his sense of detail dropped the further away he let his senses extend. Still, he could make out enough to sense incoming danger, and a moment later his own lightsaber leapt into action to deflect a pair of blaster bolts heading his way as the Iskalloni crew began responding to the intruders in their midst with lethal force.

"We need to get to the other side of the hangar!" he said as Rikuan pulled up with their commandeered ride. Going through the blast doors they'd escaped through would do them no good- they would be back in the toxic gas. Beads of sweat mixed with the tears from his streaming eyes as Xuko strained to continue using the Force to sense their surroundings; maintaining this skill was taxing for him, given his lack of experience with it.

The Zabrak stumbled slightly as he boarded the skiff, turning away a few more blaster bolts as the volume of incoming fire increased; and started coming from multiple vectors. "I'm on!" he called over to Rikuan.

Reina Daival Rikuan

 

[Reina Daival]

Tags: Rikuan Xuko Pagoi
Pequod
Anchor/Prosthesis Leg
​

"How did you-- what?! Where can I learn that?!"

"Tell you what. We get out of here, I'll tell you how I did that."

This is what Reina could do. Fight. Defend. She wasn't a talker. She wasn't some kind of scholar or good student. Slashing Pequod through the air to deflect blaster bolts back in the direction they had came to as she kept the Force flowing through her body. A constant but passive usage of Force Enhancement to push herself further. Of course, she wasn't fully letting loose. If she had done that, she'd be rushing through the hanger, flipping through the air and cutting through these cybernetic rustbuckets.

"Careful with the destruction. I'm not exactly ready to die today!"

Instead she was staying on the defensive, protecting Xuko as well as she could. Of course, she'd never admit to it if he asked her if that's what he was actually doing. As soon as the skiff was ready, she prepared to get on, turning her head for a moment to make sure Xuko was able to get on which is when she felt it.

A sharp sting of pain and warmth spreading throughout her side. It could be worse. Reina could deal with pain. This wasn't her first rodeo when it came to being shot. She clambered her way up onto the skiff, using a quick flick of her wrist to Pull a blaster to her hands. Reina wasn't the kind of person to lay down when they were hurt, especially when she adjusted her jacket, trying to hide the injury for now. Worrying about her would just be a distraction for the other two. It's what had happened to her. She got worried for Xuko, and the wound was her reward for losing focus...but she didn't regret it.

For now, she laid herself down on the skiff and prepared to start firing off shots around the hanger. Make herself as much of a small target as she could. Her aim was inaccurate, of course. It was hard to focus on where you were shooting, when your side was throbbing and your hands were slick with your own blood.

"Xuko...Take cover for a moment. Focus. Feel your eyes through the Force. The lingering gas. Try and...push it away. Flush it out..."

Curato Salva. A relatively basic skill for Jedi, but one that even Reina struggled with her. Healing had never been a strong suit of hers. Yet she was trying to follow her own advice. Using the Force to try and stem the injury. It wouldn't heal the damage, but hopefully she wouldn't get worse.
​

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan's fighter blitzed through another two enemy fighters, chasing them into a crossfire from other members of his stealth fighter squadron, noticing the erratic flying of the enemy. He sensed they were afflicted by something. Like a computer virus.

Nathan figured it was the military's doing. He almost felt bad but if there was one thing in this galaxy he detested almost as much as The Cult, it was slavers.

Feth 'em.

The rest of his Squadron carefully damaged the engines of the Convoy, and severely damaged any and all scouting vessels.

That was when about half a dozen enemy Squadrons came out of hyperspace at top speed, Nathan ordered his Squadron to finish disabling the convoy and their fighter defenses while he went to meet the enemy Squadrons. He had met worse odds, with much lower quality fighters.

He disabled his cloak, making sure they could spot him and then dodged incoming fire and retaliated with controlled, Force Guided bursts of fire from all his energy cannons, shredding four and weaving between streams of return fire, machine reflexes versus the Force's power.

It was no contest.

The excellent agility of his fighter allowed him to dance around their flight paths, executing tight turns, firing when the Force told him to and bursting apart another three, zipping around to fire and scatter another squadron as all the enemies focused on him...

Mykel Dawson

 

[Rikuan]

✦ RIKUAN ✦
"Ride the wind, dodge the rules."
✦ OBJECTIVE 2 - STRIKE TEAM SUNRIDER ✦​

LOCATION: Selvaris System - Iskalloni Capital Ship
OUTFIT: Tribal Jedi Robes
WEAPONS: Lightsaber
TAGS: Xuko Pagoi | Reina Daival

The second Xuko shouted that he was aboard, Rikuan yanked the throttle and the skiff jolted forward, nearly throwing him off balance.

"Other side of the hangar it is!"

His ears twitched with every bolt and klaxon, it was like being trapped in a drum filled with lightning. Smoke clung to the back of his throat. His tail lashed from pure overstimulation.

Then Reina climbed aboard, snatching a blaster, and smelling... wrong. He tilted his head upward, sniffing - he smelt smoke, burnt flesh and a little bit of blood. Like the type of smell from a lightsaber singe... or a blaster bolt. Someone'd been shot. Rikuan whipped his head around, facing the pair.

"Okay, who's been sho--"

Before he could get a word out, a blaster bolt saild past his head - nearly singing his reddish brown fur. Right, right, he needed to get everyone out of there. Worry about whoever was injured later.

Rikuan swerved hard toward the far end of the hangar, He pointed past some stacked crates and burst piping toward a secondary cargo shutter; mostly sealed, but not fully.

"Hang on!"

Then he floored it. The skiff slammed into the blast door, metal screeching against metal. For one tense second, it felt like they wouldn't make it but then the shutter gave way with a horrible crunch and a spray of sparks. They burst through into the corridor beyond, demolishing some of the corridor too.

When the skiff finally grinded to a halt, Rikuan coughed once. They'd only have a few moments before they'd need to be on the move again, but something need to be cleared up.

"Who's injured?!" he exclaimed "And don't lie either, I can smell it."
​

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Heart of the Iskalloni

​

Outfit: Combat Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery listened carefully, her eyes shifting from Eve to the lattice she had pointed out. For a long moment she said nothing, letting the sound of the distant city and the faint buzz of the patrol fill the air. In the current of the Force, she felt it... this wasn't just a suggestion from a Padawan. This was the Force nudging Eve forward, giving her the chance to step into something greater.

Her faint smile returned, warm and approving, and she gave a single nod. This mission was more than just their next assignment. It was a test — a trial — meant to offer Everest a chance to prove herself.

"Alright," she said softly, her voice low but certain. "This is your call. I trust you." Valery shifted slightly, crouching lower to keep herself hidden as her eyes swept the patrol route one more time.

"Lead the way, Eve," she added, her tone carrying both encouragement and pride. "I will cover you."

Everest Vale ​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Engagement Ring
Tag: Valery Noble

Eve felt the weight of Valery’s gaze on her, and for a brief moment, her chest tightened under the pressure of being trusted so completely. But as the distant hum of the city pulsed through the vines and steel around them, she let out a slow, measured breath. The Force settled over her like cool water, quiet and certain.

She inclined her head once to Valery, then shifted into a low crouch and began to move along the cracked edge of the maintenance road. Each step was placed with care, skirting loose gravel and rusted debris. The jungle seemed to press close, leaves whispering softly as if keeping her secret.

She stopped behind a chunk of collapsed durasteel, close enough now that she could feel the lattice in the Force, the living network of vines and the brittle tension of rusted beams entwined around them. Closing her eyes briefly, she reached out, sinking her awareness into the plants. She felt their veins pulsing, the hidden reservoirs of life waiting just beneath the bark.

With a steady exhale, Eve called on the Force. The vines began to thicken, their stems swelling as new growth burst forth in a rapid surge of green. Leaves unfurled and coiled around the metal framework, digging deeper into cracks and seams. The lattice groaned as the weight and pressure increased, vines wrapping tighter and driving wedges between corroded joints.

A moment later, the entire structure gave way with a shuddering shriek of tearing metal. Rusted beams, panels and a cascade of tangled vegetation crashed down across the road in a thunder of noise and falling debris.

Startled mechanised voices barked sharp commands as the patrol whirled toward the noise, weapons snapping up.

Eve wasted no time. She shot a look back toward Valery, silver eye bright with focus, and lifted two fingers in a quick signal to move. Then she slipped back along the road, keeping low, her footfalls swallowed by the jungle as the echoes of chaos rolled off the rust-stained walls.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

At the Heart of it all.
Iskalloni Capital Iskadrell
Strike Team Vos

ORBIT ABOVE ISKADRELL – A STRIKE TEAM VOS SHUTTLE – HOLDING PATTERN

The atmosphere churns below like a dying machine, Iskadrell's surface a grid of corroded cities and glowing scars.

Inside the cabin, members Strike Team Vos await clearance. Tension buzzes in the silence.
Lights flickered from intermittent jamming fields. A nervous Padawan checked her saber twice. Another Jedi Knight stared at the hollow planet with narrowed eyes. The team was battle-ready—but on edge.

And then—it hit.

The Force screams.

A violent, pulsing shockwave of presence erupted through the ether, raw and untamed, like a blade of intent cutting through fog. It wasn't rage. It wasn't fear. It was clarity fused with judgment.

One of the younger Jedi fell to a knee, clutching their temple. A seasoned Knight winced and steadied themselves against the hull.

“Vanagor…”

Master Virrell, a Master of the Temple on Selvaris opened her eyes and barely above a whisper “He’s not negotiating anymore.”

The ship’s co-pilot checks readings—no alarms, but the sensors spiked for a moment.

Then the co-pilot yelled out “That… wasn’t turbulence, right?”

“No. That was a message.”

---

ISKADRELL SURFACE – FORWARD INSERTION ZONE – MOMENTS LATER

A second shuttle descends in the shadow of a broken maglev line. The landing is rough—jammers keep automated protocols guessing. As the ramp lowered, Strike Team Vos’s advance party emerged, sabers unlit, cloaks drawn.

Everything around them felt wrong.

The city is half-alive: vents hissing like breathing lungs, lights blinking in deliberate rhythms, as if the city itself watches.

“It’s like it knows we’re here.”

“Keep your minds centered. The Force echoes across this place—but it’s polluted. Don’t lose yourselves in the noise.”

---

DEEPER INTO THE PLANET – CALTIN’S PATH

Caltin moved like a force of nature now, descending deeper through tunnels lined with hooked cables and forgotten screaming tech. Some were alive once. Some might still be.
His steps were heavy, but his mind was clear. In the echoes of the Force, he felt them.

Strike Team Vos. Close at least a portion of them. Alert. Awake.
And he felt something else, beneath it all—a tether. A cry buried under a mountain of steel and code.

Kywen.

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

 

[Ran Serys]

"Master," she said, eyes briefly flicking to the others. "Requesting to stay with you."

"I can be useful, and I want to see how you handle this,"

“Request Granted.” Ran replied evenly as she took a mental note. Vera was eager to learn and willing to speak her mind. Both qualities Ran found to be ideal for teaching and learning from the next generation of Jedi Knight. “Stay close and be mindful, padawan.” Ran continued without mincing words.

"Besides… someone has to make sure you don't take on the whole ship by yourself." There was the faintest curve of a smile at her lips..

“Funny.” Ran said wryly. “And here I was thinking we would split it down the middle. Well, you can forget about that, Missy.” Ran joked and smiled back at Vera as they began their way down dimly lit, metallic corridors.

Ran saw Connel & Omega Squad split from her side, and then split from each other. Led by Connel, the team was an effective sword in any operation, in this instance they were a dagger as they went without drawing much attention until it was too late. Ran knew the Iskalloni slavers were not ready for an Omega Squad or a Connel. She also knew it wasn’t them who had set off the sporadically placed but nevertheless sounded alarms.

Although she couldn’t hear them directly around her in the rotten and badly refurbished and retrofitted Iskalloni raiding ship, Ran could hear the alarms blaring in the distance. She reached for her communicator as soon as a message had come in from the Jedi Watchman from Bilbringi. “Don’t be too cross with me, Ran!” The Sullustan Jedi, Nunaan, said informally, as the sound of deflected blaster bolts could be heard from the other side. “But I immediately lost the padawans, or rather, I never had them. I’m on their tail though, everything should be fine.” He said. Ran was silent not knowing whether to chastise the young watchmen or chastise the padawans over comm. The right answer was both but that would have to wait. “Nunaan. Tell me everything is fine when you have them in your sights.”

She broke contact with the Bilbringi Watchman as she made a left down another wide corridor. Ran knew where she was going, the ship was an older one used by the Galactic Alliance’s enemies in the Second Great Hyperspace War. Ran wondered how the Iskalloni had got their hands on it, and wondered if Vera could figure it out yet. Ran thought she might be a little young to remember much of the details of that war, but she’d been surprised before.

“Come in, Padawans Pagoi, Rikuan, and Daival.” She repeated. “Come in, Padawans Pagoi, Rikuan, and Daival.” She waited with no immediate answer, and just a hint of worry for the trio settling in. “You’re providing an excellent distraction. But I need you to meet with Knight Nunaan, before your situation gets any more dangerous. Please Confirm.” Ran commed not knowing what sort of chaos the padawans were causing or dealing with on their end.

“You wouldn’t do this to me? Would you?” She asked Vera with a half joking tone but also trying to get to know the padawan more. “I’ve enough stress without having to worry about any wayward or audacious padawans.” Ran explained as another turn down a corridor had them meet a patrol. Before the Iskalloni patrol could notice them, Ran ducked into the shadow of a doorway, and gestured for Vera to do the same.

The sound of digitized and tech enhanced vocal chords was grating as the patrol discussed the alarms with their team on the bridge. “Ship’s systems are continuing to become inoperable at an accelerated pace,” the lead patrolman said. “Sabotage is the deduction of our leaders. We must get those crippled systems back online. Move.” He ordered the five other patrolmen in a canned tone. Ran wouldn’t let that happen.

The Mirialan looked at her new padawan with a look that said 'It may be time for a fight.' Ran reached for her hilt. She waited to reveal herself until the patrol unit had come in close enough to be easily dispatched with a lightsaber or at least until the master and padwan could find an alternative to fighting. After all, it may not have suited them to go straight into battle. With Xuko, Rikuan, and Reina providing a distraction, and Connel and Omega Squad supplying record sabotage. It was up to Ran and Vera to accept the Iskalloni’s final surrender. But were the Iskalloni ready to surrender? How many more complications did they need to know the Jedi would route them.

Tags: Vera Noble Connel Vanagor Xuko Pagoi Rikuan Reina Daival
​

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

"That is not... how the Force works" Xuko gasped, straining from the effort needed to compensate for his lost sense of vision. Force Healing was foreign to him, and there was a limit as to how many unfamiliar Force powers he could manage in a day. Even if he'd understood the principle of what Reina was trying to teach him, trying to reverse some of the damage to his eyes would take more nuance than they could afford in the moment; not with them barreling towards impact.

Only their speed, Rikuan's twitchy piloting, and dumb luck kept Xuko from being hit by any of the blaster bolts sent their way. Xuko did his best to defend himself with his lightsaber, but soon he was hanging on for dear life as the skiff accelerated over the final stretch of the hangar. Xuko wasn't the praying type, but he did really, really hope that these blast doors weren't as strong as they looked; otherwise the three Padawans would be killed from the impact.

SLAM!

Xuko was thrown clear of the skiff by the impact, rolling with the momentum and somehow avoiding being run over by the barge as it burst through the blast doors. His lightsaber flew from his grasp as he rolled, extinguishing automatically and flying off into the hallway while Xuko's world turned back to blurry. The Zabrak bounced along, collecting bruises and probably a few fractures, before coming to a stop in the hallway; supine.

{"...I need you to meet with Knight Nunaan, before your situation gets any more dangerous. Please Confirm."]

Xuko's drift into the welcoming embrace of unconsciousness was rudely interrupted by an incoming message from a familiar voice. Knight Nunaan... the name called to mind images of a Sullstan whom Xuko belatedly realized was supposed to be with them. Apparently, "I'll be keeping an eye on you" actually translated to "I'm leading your group's mission". He'd never understand the nuances of Basic.

For his part, Xuko was unable to keep an eye on anyone at the moment. The world was still blurry, thanks to the damage done by the gas, and trying to use the Force to Sense Rikuan or Reina just made his head spin faster. The Zabrak managed to perform the hardest sit-up of his life (so far), rolling onto his right hip. He could make out rhythmic metallic clanking approaching from the hangar that signaled the pursuit of more Iskalloni troops. Xuko scrambled around for a weapon, his hand closing around something alive- someone's robed limb, he realized, and mercifully still attached to their body.

"Rikuan?"

"Reina?"

Reina Daival Rikuan

 

[Reina Daival]

Tags: Rikuan Xuko Pagoi Ran Serys
Pequod
Anchor/Prosthesis Leg

That was literally how Curato Salva was meant to work! Urgh. This was why Reina hated men. It didn't help that she was already frustrated and throbbing with pain. That teaches her to try and help someone else. Hmph. First she gets shot, and then gets told that's not how the Force works.

Breathe. It'd be fine. Reina tried to brace against the Skiff as they sped up. This was what she hated. Not the speed. Even if it was somewhat similar to her and Klar 's time out on Tython. No. What Reina really hated was speed that was out of her control. Something that she couldn't control herself. As they crashed on through the blastdoors, Reina felt herself get chucked from the skiff.

A sudden jolt of physical impact brought Reina's senses to their limits as she laid against the ground, huffing and puffing. Pain throbbing through her body, from her side alongside her head as she reached her hand up to her forehead for a moment before pulling it back to spot blood. Well. That wasn't good. She still had usage of her limbs though. Reina wasn't going to let herself be dead weight as she pushed herself up to her feet, blood slowly falling down the left side of her face.
​

"Who's injured?!" he exclaimed "And don't lie either, I can smell it."

"Worry about Xuko. Not...me. I can still move. I've dealt with worse. Just...get him up...and let's go."

She waved her hand down towards her prosthesis at that. This pain was barely a drop in the ocean compared to when she had lost her leg. It was also far better for Rikuan to deal with Xuko than Reina, considering how much she wanted to give the Zabrak a hard knock across the back of his head. There were still more Iskalloni coming, and Reina wouldn't turn her back to them whilst Xuko was in danger.

<Knight Serys. This is...Padawan Daival. We'll...do our best to meet up with Knight Nunaan...But it might be...a while...little...Padawan Pagoi's vision is damaged from gas. I've been shot...and taken a hard head to my hit...I mean...head hit hard...I mean...>

Her own vision was somewhat obscured. Blurry. Double vision. But she could still stand. Even if her words were getting mixed around...Was...Was the oxygen in here getting low? Reina blinked to herself, rubbing her arm over her eyes to try and clear the blood from them as she found it getting harder to breathe. Okay...Maybe...Maybe that hit to the head was worse than she expected.

The passive usage of Force Enhancement she had been used had also faded away from the blow, causing Reina to be much more keenly aware of how sore her body was. How much her arms were starting to ache as Pequod shook in her hands. She wouldn't fall. Not yet at least. She might have been a Little Shield, but she would not buckle.
​

 

[Rikuan]

✦ RIKUAN ✦
"Ride the wind, dodge the rules."
✦ OBJECTIVE 2 - STRIKE TEAM SUNRIDER ✦​

LOCATION: Selvaris System - Iskalloni Capital Ship
OUTFIT: Tribal Jedi Robes
WEAPONS: Lightsaber
TAGS: Xuko Pagoi | Reina Daival

Rikuan blinked as a blur shot past him, then blinked again, when he realized that blur was Xuko.

"Oh, crap! Xuko, you okay?!... no, right, you just slingshotted down the hallway. My bad!"

This was a disaster. Xuko was blinded, bruised, and now airmailed across the deck. Reina? Shot, bleeding, and pretending everything was fine. Rikuan pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan. How did he end up as the one responsible for everyone's safety?

Then Master Ran's voice chimed in on comms. He braced for the chewing-out, but instead got praise. Confirmation that their little 'distraction' was indeed working. Nice.

He started toward Xuko, but paused mid-step when he caught the tail-end of Reina's reply. Her words were tangled and fuzzy. Slurring. That wasn't normal.

"Yeah, no." he muttered, spinning on his heel.

He moved to her side, carefully pulling her arm over his shoulder. His tail wrapped around her waist, steady and firm. He wasn't about to let her risk her life over misplaced altruism.

"Yeah, yeah, you're tough, you're resilient, you're super duper honorable. Got it. But don't be dumb, Flamehead." He bonked her forehead lightly with his knuckles. "You're no good to anyone if you collapse mid-sentence."

Then his amber eyes flicked up... Xuko was still down the hall, dazed and in bad shape overall. One broken Padawan. Sure. With a twitch of his toes and a breath through his nose, Rikuan surged forward in a quick Force-assisted leap, landing in a crouch beside Xuko with a thud of boots on metal - holding on to Reina tight to make sure she didn't lose her grip.

"Why are you like this." he muttered, grabbing Xuko under the arm and hauling him up with way too much experience for a teenager. "You, blind and busted. Reina, halfway dead and pretending not to be. I'm the only one not bleeding and that's clearly a mistake waiting to happen."

He grunted, stabilizing Xuko's weight against him as he heard the echo of footsteps get louder and louder.

"Alright, now we move. Before more murder-cyborgs show up."

Rikuan huffed, adjusting both wounded Padawans against his frame like mismatched luggage. His arms were hooked around their waists, Reina and Xuko were steadied by his opposite sides. His tail curled tight around Xuko for added stability, acting like a third limb to keep them all upright. They were definitely heavier than they looked.

The Makurian's legs bent low, muscles tightening like a spring. Then he launched into another Force-powered leap, clearing the rubble-cluttered corridor in one smooth, feline bound. His feet hit the metal deck with a sharp clang, knees bending to absorb the impact. Then he leapt again. And again.

He moved fast despite the weight, weaving through scorched walls and flickering lights, the thrum of distant klaxons still haunting the passage behind them. The Iskalloni were definitely still coming.

"Not to alarm anyone," he called mid-jump, "but I don't actually know where Knight Nunaan is. So, if one of you, preferably the one not least concussed, could figure that out on the fly, that'd be amazing!"

He gritted his teeth as sparks burst near his head from a ruptured pipe. The corridor started to widen... hopefully leading to a safer access point.

"C'mon, someone ping Nunaan. Before I run out of ceiling clearance."


​

​

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Something wasn't adding up. Xuko was confident that the large blurry shape that had bounded over to him was both Rikuan and Reina; the former's trademark movement patterns combined with the latter's unmistakable red hair. But if both of them had been over there...

...then whose robed arm had Xuko just grabbed?

The Zabrak didn't have any time to contemplate that particular mystery, however, as Rikuan hefted him up into a standing position ("Thank you") and leaped away down the hall ("Zhaqe-!"). But the further they got away from the crash, the more Xuko was confident that he knew where Nunaan was...

"I can stand by myself" Xuko insisted, wriggling free of Rikuan's grasp and finding it to be true, if challenging, before facing his fellow Padawans. "I think Knight Nunaan might have been on the other side of the door that we crashed through" he said. That probably wasn't what Ran Serys had meant when she'd encouraged them to make contact with the Sullstan... The Jedi wasn't dead, thankfully; Xuko had felt a pulse when he'd grabbed their arm. "I am sure it is nothing that Curato Salva cannot fix."

Xuko had other reasons for going back, anyways; his lightsaber was amongst the wreckage.

Reina Daival Rikuan

 

[Reina Daival]

Tags: Rikuan Xuko Pagoi
Pequod
Anchor/Prosthesis Leg

She could do this. Reina could still fight. She had been through so much worse in the past. Blowing up her own eardrums. Cutting off her prosthesis leg. Reina was built around being able to survive around pain. Being able to fight through it. And that's when it happened. Rikuan grabbed Reina's arm and threw it over his shoulder.

And in that moment, it was as if Reina had instantly been sucked away from the corridor. She wasn't with Rikuan and Xuko anymore. No. She was stuck in the worst place she could be in. Her own mind. It felt as if there was some kind of dark, cold tar sticking to Reina's arm. Slowly spreading as if it was some kind of infection. Because in a way, fear was infectious. If it hadn't been for the concussion, if it wasn't for the fact that Rikuan was basically a stranger to Reina, it might not be having the effect it was having on the woman...but alas...

A tendril of tar-like sludge seemed to wrap around Reina in her distorted mental landscape. It felt like she couldn't breathe. As if her breath was being taken away. Harsh rapid breathing was her response, her eyes dilating out of fear as she tried to rip the sludge off her, which in reality came in the form of her hands rapidly pulling at Rikuan's arms, scratching at it with her nails in some kind of frenzied response.

"Get off...Get off...Get off."

Her voice was rambling, muttering almost like a manic. Her eyes were unfocused. It was somewhat clear that whatever was going on in this moment, Reina wasn't there. She wasn't fully focused as her legs were basically being dragged in the direction that Rikuan was taking her and Xuko. More fear was building. More anxiety. Voices echoed within her mind. Her own and other.

get away. Get away. Get Away.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

It was a sudden release of her fears, her anxiety, her pain. A wave of Force echoing from her mouth as she involuntarily screamed. The Force carrying her voice through the corridors, echoing far beyond where Xuko, Rikuan and Reina were stood themselves. Tears were flowing at this point. And it wasn't the whole "cute" crying. It was full on ugly crying, fear evident in her face, snot and tears streaming down her face. Reina could deal with pain. She could deal with frustrations. But fear? Fear was what made Reina break. There was only so much trauma a single shield could endure before it snaps.
​

 

[Rikuan]

✦ RIKUAN ✦
"Ride the wind, dodge the rules."
✦ OBJECTIVE 2 - STRIKE TEAM SUNRIDER ✦​

LOCATION: Selvaris System - Iskalloni Capital Ship
OUTFIT: Tribal Jedi Robes
WEAPONS: Lightsaber
TAGS: Xuko Pagoi | Reina Daival

Rikuan blinked as Xuko wriggled free from his grasp, mumbling something about standing on his own. Then he said that they needed to go back. The Makurian pressed his palm into his face, dragging it and his skin downward.

"Are you kidding? Do you know how much ground I covered getting us here!" he sighed.

He barely had time to roll his eyes before Reina's breathing changed. At first, it was subtle, sharp inhales, a twitch in her jaw... but then her hands were on him, frantic, clawing at his arms like they were made of fire.

"Ow! Hey!" he gasped, jerking back instinctively.

Her eyes were wide, unfocused. Her voice had become a muttered spiral. For once, he didn't have anything to say - no word vomit, no jokes. Rikuan was completely dumbfounded at what was happening.

"What's--?"

Then the wave hit, smashing directly into him like a freighter. A Force burst so raw and emotional it sent him into the nearby corridor wall. The Makurian fell to his knees, tail lashing, ears folding. He raised his head, looking up toward her. She was crying--no, wailing. Rikuan didn't understand it, but he stood up and approached her carefully before crouching and raising his palms.

"Okay, okay... I'm sorry. I won't touch you, none of us are gonna touch you. Just me and Xuko here. That's it..." he glanced back at Xuko, pointing his thumb in the Zabrak's direction "Who, by the way, wants to go back the way we just came with... Wind knows how many cyborg killers are back there."

Rikuan sighed, hoping that maybe'd he'd cut some of the tension. Glancing back at Reina, he offered her an impish smile.

"So, if you wanna scream again. I get it." he paused "...Honestly I might scream too."

The silence that followed was tense, but Rikuan let it hang. He didn't push. Just waited, a steady presence amid the static haze of klaxons and scorched metal. Was this a growth moment? Was he finally on the steps toward maturity?... Nah.

Finally, he added. Gently: "We'll move when you say we're ready. 'Kay, Flamehead?"

​

​

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Objective 2: Strike Team Sunrider

Xuko didn't need his eyesight to understand that something was off with Reina, or the Force to feel the waves of anxiety rolling off of her. He was uncertain as to the cause, however; perhaps some kind of rodent or insect had hitched a ride? But then the physical manifestation of her pain, a Force Shout, they painted a picture of someone at- no, past- their limit. Xuko staggered slightly as her words washed over him; raw, powerful emotion.

Xuko wasn't about to judge Reina for having a breakdown, but the timing could've been a lot better. The Zabrak cocked his head, listening around the sounds of Reina's bawling for the equally-present sounds of clanking feet approaching.

He turned his head back towards where the fuzzy red crying blob was that he presumed to be Reina. "You have thirty seconds to cry until the Iskalloni arrive" he stated. It was probably less than that, but he was counting on Reina not taking him at his word and instead taking advantage of the brief break to let out whatever she needed to. "In the time before they arrive, do what you must."

Xuko turned to Rikuan; a fidgety brown blob. "You may also scream if you wish" he said, "since they know where we are already."

A faint glimmer of hope stirred in his chest that he dared not name; that if Reina's Force Shout had been heard by their enemies, that perhaps their allies would be able to locate them as well.

Rikuan Reina Daival Ran Serys Vera Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Heart of the Iskalloni

​

Outfit: Combat Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery stayed low behind the cover of twisted durasteel, her eyes on Eve as the younger Jedi worked. She felt the shift in the Force before she saw it, life gathering in the vines, pressing and pushing until the old lattice gave way. The crash echoed through the narrow cut of the road, and Valery's lips curved into a faint, approving smile. Eve had done it cleanly, without hesitation.

As the patrol spun toward the noise, Valery moved. Her steps were careful, measured, keeping to the edges where shadow and foliage offered cover. She fell in behind Eve, matching her pace, her senses open and reaching ahead into the city beyond.

The closer they got, the more she felt it. Threads of presence, flickering in the dark. She drew a steady breath, leaning just close enough for Eve to hear her voice. "There are more inside the city," Valery said, "Far more than the patrols out here. It will not be easy to move unseen, but it is the only way we reach what we came for."

She straightened slightly, eyes scanning the path ahead. "Keep your focus. You have the lead."

Everest Vale ​

 

[Rikuan]

✦ RIKUAN ✦
"Ride the wind, dodge the rules."
✦ OBJECTIVE 2 - STRIKE TEAM SUNRIDER ✦​

LOCATION: Selvaris System - Iskalloni Capital Ship
OUTFIT: Tribal Jedi Robes
WEAPONS: Lightsaber
TAGS: Xuko Pagoi

They'd gotten Reina back to the entrance. Or close enough. She wasn't in any shape to fight, not after what happened. The Force Shout, the breakdown, the way she just… shut down.

Rikuan hadn't asked questions. He didn't need to and now wasn't the time. He and Xuko got her somewhere safe, left her with a flare beacon and a promise to come back, then doubled back toward the hangar. Because of course they did. Apparently, today wasn't over.

He hated leaving her like that. But the Iskalloni were still crawling the base, and Knight Nunaan might've been on the other side of that busted hangar shutter. Also, they still needed to recover Xuko's lightsaber. Which meant they couldn't stall.

"So let me get this straight," Rikuan muttered as they crept down a darkened corridor, "We just survived a skiff crash, Flamehead had a breakdown, and now we're going back to loot a lightsaber and maybe rescue a mystery Jedi corpse? You realize how backwards that sounds, right?"

Suddenly, a metallic echo of armored boots somewhere ahead made him flinch. His tail curled inward, coiling slightly behind his legs as he lowered his stance. A maintenance tunnel fed into the side of the corridor ahead, just above a grated access point.

"We've got two options: straight through the corridor and hope the Iskalloni don't have ears, or…" He pointed upward. "We take the vent. Yeah, I know. Classic move. But this nose isn't just for charm, and I swear I smelled a way through. It should drop us just above the hangar."

He paused. "Your call. Corridor and carnage, or cramped crawlspace and hope?"

Either way, they didn't have long.

​

​

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Thank the Force, the Padawans had ended up close to the rendezvous point, and were able to ensure Reina was in the care of a pair of Alliance troopers. Xuko did not think any less of the redhead as a result of her breakdown; mental battles were every bit as real as physical ones, and the scars much less obvious. If anything, he respected Reina more.

Their number shrinking from three to two theoretically should've made being stealthy easier. However, with the ship now on high alert due to their incredibly-successful escapades earlier, the Iskalloni had taken to deploying regular patrols to sweep the ship for intruders. Just such a patrol as approaching now, and Xuko quickly weighed his options.

1) Stand and fight the Iskalloni while mostly blind and unarmed.

2) Follow a known scallywag into a tight space and grapple with his claustrophobia

Neither option seemed good, and the stakes were higher than a simple camping trip with Klar, but Xuko decided on option #2. He had been working to excise what he saw as a weakness, and had been training himself to exist in tight spaces without getting claustrophobic. He hadn't been very successful, but as Reina had told him; sometimes one's best progress came under pressure.

There were a few more factors in play, too. One was that most vents were consistent in their size, so Xuko knew that if he could get used to that sensation that at least it wouldn't get any worse. Second was that his blurry vision might actually work in his favor, here; without an exact idea of the dimensions of the space, it was possible that he could trick his brain into focusing on other things. He'd have to briefly use Force Sight in order to make it into the ventilation, of course, but then he could (theoretically) continue in mostly-blissful ignorance.

Or so he hoped.

"Crawlspace" Xuko said, hoping that wouldn't be the last word he said. As far as last words went, that was pretty lame.

"Lead the way."

Those were probably more realistic.

Rikuan

 

[Rikuan]

✦ RIKUAN ✦
"Ride the wind, dodge the rules."
✦ OBJECTIVE 2 - STRIKE TEAM SUNRIDER ✦​

LOCATION: Selvaris System - Iskalloni Capital Ship
OUTFIT: Tribal Jedi Robes
WEAPONS: Lightsaber
TAGS: Xuko Pagoi

Rikuan gave Xuko a sidelong glance when the Zabrak muttered "Crawlspace."

"Really? You picked the vent? What happened to the brave warrior from earlier who wanted to go waltzing back through enemy fire?" he whispered with a half-laugh. "Kiddin'. I'd pick not getting massacred too."

With a low hop and a deft grip, Rikuan launched himself toward the maintenance hatch he'd pointed out moments earlier. His fingers curled around the lower rim of the vent shaft, and with a monkey-like ease that came from years of climbing temple rooftops and getting into places he wasn't supposed to be, he pulled himself up.

The inside of the shaft was cramped and vertical, just like he'd warned. Narrow enough to make a grown man reconsider his life choices. Rikuan twisted his frame and planted his feet against the inner wall and started climbing.

"Come on, the sooner we get to the top, the sooner we find your saber and our maybe-dead Jedi." He whispered.

Halfway up, the shaft bent. He pressed his back to one wall and feet to the other, shifting his weight until the vertical tunnel flattened out into a horizontal crawlspace. Perfect.

The crawlspace was worse. Tighter. Claustrophobic. Even Rikuan had to flatten himself more than he liked, tail tucked close to avoid snagging. But he kept moving, elbows dragging him forward, heart ticking fast from more than just the climb. He didn't say anything for a moment, letting the silence stretch... giving Xuko space, in case he needed to psych himself up.

He pressed forward, eyes scanning for a vent grate or access panel above the hangar. The echo of boots behind them was faint now, but not gone.

"Almost there." he said under his breath. "Hangar should be just ahead."

Rikuan slowed to a near-stop, just before a grated overlook ahead. Through the slats, the hangar below came into view. Coast seemed to be clear. Pulling out his lightsaber, Rikuan carved themselves an exit before dropping down into the hangar below, right next to the skiff crash site.

"Xuko's lightsaber, where are yoooooouuu?" he said playfully, scanning the area both for the lightsaber and the maybe dead Jedi.

​

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