Faction Troubled Waters [Jedi Outcasts + FWA]

[Vohm-Raet]

Vohm-Raet held his hands motionless above the water, keeping the heavy root mass suspended between his palms. The orange cat shifted its weight on his shoulder, its tail flicking against his neck as it stared down at the amber jelly and the pulsing turquoise larvae trapped within the roots.

Before calling out, Vohm paused, taking a moment to glance along the banks to see how the others were faring. A short distance away, Braze was bracing his boots in the mud alongside Dirk, the two of them preparing to heave together at a stubborn, deeply embedded root.

Nearby, Leos was still testing the angle of his tool, struggling to find the right leverage against the dense weeds without the physical muscle to back it up.

Up on the dry path, Casaana had already abandoned her new loadlifter droid to scoop up the cat Dirk had accidentally startled, fussing over it in her lap while the blue machine stood knee-deep in the water, blinking its single photoreceptor as it waited for someone to give it orders.

Near the edge of the line, the former soldier, Sindar, stood with his shovel, looking absent-minded and lost in his own thoughts despite the box of fresh bakery buns sitting forgotten nearby. Vohm adjusted his grip slightly, keeping the dripping tangle perfectly level.

"Braze," Vohm called out softly, keeping his voice low, so as not to disturb the fragile clutch or startle the cat on his shoulder. "I have a nest of amphibian larvae here in these roots. The egg cases are delicate. We will need a bucket of clean water brought over before I can safely detach them."
​

 

[Leos]

Veridia
Tags: Vohm-Raet, Braze , Casaana , Dirk , @Others...

Epo-1, YT-1760 small transport
​

"Leos, could you and Casaana keep an eye out for any critters we may need to relocate?"

Leos turned his head as he fumbled with his tool. Critters? That was interesting wording, he really only saw cats around. What sort of-

"OkaAIIIIIPE!" he began to say before he nearly fell backwards, lifting his right leg up in a panic.

Clamped onto his big toe was a crab looking thing. Or maybe it looked more like a lobster. It was long and had large claws, but was rather small compared to some of the other ocean things he had seen on the plate of his father's extravagant meals. He reached out and carefully coaxed the claw of the critter open with the Force so that he could carefully remove it.

"I found a critter..." Leos muttered, his face darkening with embarrassment.

 

[Dirk]

Location: Veridia
Tags: Braze | Leos | Vohm-Raet | Casaana | Sindar Malik | Sergeant Omen

Dirk turned back towards Cassana after hearing her comment about kicking cats. Than shifted his gaze back to the pestering feline and back at her. He only shook his head in response. Now next to Braze Dirk crouched down at the lodged obstacle, his brown eyes looking it over.​

Braze turned toward him. "On three? Care to count us in?"

He reset his grip upon the stubborn length of vegetation, bracing his boots in the mud now that Dirk had come to lend his strength.

Dirk nodded to what Braze said before gripping the stuck root with calloused palms and fingers. “Ao, do… so!” He counted before moving in tandem with braze to properly dislodge the root.

The moment Dirk made his attempt one of his feet slid some against the slick and scummy waterway. Quickly catching himself and adjusting his posture. Once he got proper footing he was able to exert much more force and leverage onto the root. His natural strength as a dantari belied his youth as the old root began to snap and crack itself loose together with Braze.​

 

[Braze]

Leos Dirk Vohm-Raet

After pulling the stubborn root free with Dirk’s help, Braze’s attention was drawn by Vohm-Raet’s call.

His head perked up at the sight of the problem. Braze scampered out of the muck and hurried toward one of the carts, fetching several buckets and filling one with clean water from the canisters they had brought. He set it down beside Vohm-Raet before reaching carefully through the Force, attempting to tease the delicate eggs from the tangled roots and guide them into the water without damaging them.

Leos’s startled sound briefly drew Braze’s attention. He paused and glanced over to discover the little creature clinging to the Padawan’s exposed toe.

“This is why you should have worn shoes,” he offered lightly. “We can gather the critters in the buckets as we come across them, but if you want to keep that from happening again, or avoid stepping on anything venomous, I highly recommend finding some boots for those feet.”

Braze looked pointedly toward Leos’s bare toes.

“If we come across a lionfish or a rockfish, you’re not going to be happy.”

 

[Vohm-Raet]

Vohm-Raet remained still, holding the heavy root mass balanced across his palms as Braze set the bucket of fresh water beside him. The cat on his shoulder shifted again, purring softly against his neck as it watched the Jedi Knight use the Force to gently tease the pulsing amber eggs free from the tangled vegetation.

One by one, the translucent cases slipped from the roots, floating safely down into the clean water below. Vohm kept his breathing slow, holding his posture until the last fragile egg cleared the mud and settled at the bottom of the bucket. Once the clutch was safe, Vohm slowly lowered his arms and laid the stripped root ball onto the bank.

He reached up with a thick hand to offer a gentle, two-fingered scritch under the orange cat's chin before turning his head toward Leos . The boy was looking down at his feet in dismay, a small native creature clinging stubbornly to his bare, muddy toe.

"Braze speaks truth, Padawan," Vohm said. "Mud hides many sharp things. Walking barefoot in an unknown riverbed is a quick way to end up in the infirmary." He reached back down into the silt near his knees, his fingers finding another knot of weeds beneath the surface. He gave it a slow pull, peeling it free from the clay without splashing the bucket beside him.
​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Leos Credit Wizard Vohm-Raet Dirk Casaana Sergeant Omen Sindar Malik

​

The work did, in fact, take several days, even with so many helpful and gifted volunteers.

Little by little, the neglected channel surrendered years of growth and accumulated silt. Tangled roots were dragged from the mud, loose stone scrubbed clean, and the smaller creatures uncovered along the way were carefully moved somewhere safe until the work was finished.

At last, after following the trail through the surrounding area and overcoming the obstacles that had delayed their progress, they reached the source of the trouble.

With the final blockage cleared away, the channel stood open as the first rush of fresh mountain water spilled through. It came hesitantly at first, curling around newly exposed stones and carrying the last traces of cloudy sediment downstream. Then the current strengthened. Cool, clear water filled the old creek once more, spreading steadily through the path that had been carved for it so many years ago.

The river settled into its restored course along the bank, though it was hardly the sort of work that would find its way into great histories…but perhaps that was part of what made it worthwhile.

Before long, one of Shiomura's cats crept down between the stones. It sniffed cautiously at the moving water, lowered its head, and began to drink.

A small smile settled across Braze's features.

"Well… I'd call that a success."