Public Weekend Treasure Hunt 34: Eaters of the Holocrons (OPEN)

[Jend-Ro Quill]

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The Raskava Order, the so-called Holocron Eaters, are a secret society and a centuries-old Force tradition. They believe the Dark Age following the Gulag Plague has not yet ended. Their purpose is to acquire information by any means necessary and store it up for the eventual rebirth of galactic civilization.

A Raskava strike team has stolen the wrong cargo: a priceless Ithorian Combine seed bank containing more than a million plant species. To the right buyer, its scientific, medicinal, and military value would be off the charts. Desperate, the Combine has hired mercenaries to track the Raskava to their secret base: an abandoned shrimp-farming village on Sorgan. And word of the Raskava's loot and location has gotten out. Any number of altruistic or unscrupulous people might be on their way. Maybe even you.

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The village contains several points of interest with accompanying treasures:

• A ritual hut where Raskava are conducting a ritual that involves eating pieces of a Jedi Master's holocron to unlock and learn its secrets. Can the ritual book be stolen, or the ritual infiltrated? Can the delicious holocron be even partially saved? And if you happen to think the Raskava are right...can they be joined?
• An underground vault where the seed bank has been safeguarded. Can the vault be breached? Can its Raskava defenders be overcome or somehow suborned? And just how many camtonos of priceless seeds can you carry at a dead run? Also, the vault has only one staircase.

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• A laboratory hut where the Raskava are breeding and alchemizing more dangerous versions of the Dromund Kaas dart flower. Can you survive these lethal, cunning flowers? Does the project interest you, or the alchemy lab, or the conveniently concentrated and bottled poison of the dart flowers?
• A landing field, in the middle of the village, where this Raskava covert keeps two ageing Niathal assault shuttles and one unassuming, improbably rare, impossibly fast Pau City Blockade Runner. Do you like spaceships?

NOTE: FIGHTING THE RASKAVA
The Raskava are Darksiders, mostly at a Scriptor (Apprentice) or Journeyman (Knight) level, though an Elder (Master) or two might be present. They wear durasteel devilsquid masks that let them keep going despite severe wounds; the masks also cause an unnatural fear proportionate to the Raskava's strength in the Force. They carry blasters and lightsabers with a greasy off-white blade.

Like all Weekend Treasure Hunts, this is not a DMed thread. Please don't just claim treasures in a couple of posts. Make strange alliances, be desperate, have fun.

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A cool evening was falling over the Raskava village. Feral shrimp burbled in the ponds, underscoring the cool thwip-thwip of dart flowers killing rodents. In the ritual hut, a Journeyman crunched a piece of blue crystal between his teeth and replaced his mask to better ponder the holocron he was eating. Sorgan was on its way to a nice calm night.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The trick was that Jared didn’t know the first thing about what he was doing here. He took his E Wing and trusty BD unit out to the destination provided. This was supposed to be a bit of training in the real world. His Witch Teacher had armed him with several new spells and a desire to right a few wrongs. He’d heard the stories of the Raskava. The antithesis to some of the Force Users he looked up to. Now Jared wasn’t in this life to save things for the sake of saving.

But there were credits involved to help the Combine.

With the cloak engaged he knew he could make a landing here. Getting moving beyond that? Well he had Hopper and his new energy bow. How bad could these guys be?

The first thing he had in mind was to keep them from escaping and that meant finding his way through this bog to their ships. The droid moved ahead as he pulled up the hood of his cloak.

 

[Dante Castillon]

Theme

It had taken convincing to get Delila Castillon to agree to the idea, but not an undue amount. The Raskava were dangerous, yes. But the reward offered by the Combine for their help was absurd. He had made sure to arrange a good covert transport, and they had spent the better part of a day hiking in to where the Holocon Eaters were. Their next stop was aimed to be the Vault, but currently the younger Castillon was stuck staring at a positive beautiful-yet-ugly ship trio.

Assault shuttles of some variety, but the younger elbowed his aunt from his vantage and pointed out the blockade runner, offering the binocs to her to better see. He had been taking well to his flying lessons, almost unnaturally so. And he wasn't half bad at the shooting ones either. That is why he reached down to check the strap on his holster and ease his gun in it, just in case.

For now he waited for his aunt to notice, and see what she said. It wasn't the first time he tried to point out they could benefit on jobs from having a second ship or a backup stashed somewhere.

 

[Dani Stellaris]

Sorgen? She didn’t want to go. But Vooltroo asked. Well. Not quite asked. He demanded and persuaded. Sweet talker the old Ithorian was. He may not be welcome among his own kind but he still kept an ear out for the Mother Jungle. And Dani could support that. What she didn’t support was beings trying to rob any group of helping the galaxy.

Some called her a rebel. She called herself altruistic. Back in Firefist, on her world? Nature was sacred. The cities and technology all worked together with nature. Sure there was the hustle and bustle. But it was second to the world around.

And seeing the Scar Worlds and the penchant for war in this Galaxy gave her other thoughts. Thoughts that she could and should support those who were doing repair. That’s why the Fallanassi was here. She needed to do her part.

With her ship? It gave her a greater chance to make some change. But the main challenge was getting to the plants. She landed her ship a ways off and using an ancient Fallanassi trick got herself to the camp.

What she wasn’t expecting was the overwhelming darkness to hit her as she got close. There was a warning about the Raskava. But not one she heeded. The woman muffled her shout of agony as she saw where the vault was located. And what was between her and it.

Were they eating holocrons?

The Dark Tide was so thick here. She was almost drowning. If she pulled in the White Current, they’d feel it. If she didn’t. She’d pass out from being overwhelmed. Not a great choice but she breathed in and pulled to get herself to stand and move.

 

[Valery Noble]

Sorgan

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jared Starchaser

Valery had, admittedly, not heard of the Raskava order before. Even now, about a decade after her time in stasis, there was still so much more to learn about the Galaxy. But from what she had read, and judging by the reports she received, this was yet another Dark Side cult, just with a more unique focus. Holocron eaters, they were called, though what trouble they had caused this time around hardly seemed to revolve around that.

It didn't matter to the Jedi Master — she would always respond to a call for aid.

Not wanting to be detected on arrival, Valery had traveled to Sorgan in her old Stealth-X, a ship she had used in her early days post-stasis to get around unseen. It had served her well as a Jedi Shadow, and now, she hoped it would allow her to safely reach the surface of the planet.

Upon landing, however, her attention was drawn to something unexpected. A presence familiar, yet different from what she knew reached out to her through the Force. Coren Starchaser had once been the man to help her, only a day after leaving her stasis pod. With a single act of kindness, he had helped propel her into the Galaxy at the time, allowing her to make the difference for others in return.

To feel a presence similar to his made her smile, and gave her the impression that she might be able to find some help dealing with the cultists.

So, for now, Valery moved after him quietly.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

His research had given him a little understanding of what was going on with these people. Anti-Selabite and he could feel the dark side coming off of them. Good, it meant he had an easier target to find, and a gave him a better leg to stand on in the coming fight. The Force Wanderer was definitely waiting on the right target, and was more than eager to show the Reskava what the other groups of the Force users were capable of.

Witches didn’t have the traditional holocrons, they had oral tales, and it all was kept Teacher-to-Student and not in a way that left much to be intercepted by others.

His cloak was pulled up over his head as he looked forward. Whispering the spell to give him the ease of movement so associated with the Witches, he was feeling the other person in the Force, the one following him.

“Hopper, do you see anyone?” He whispered to the droid. Getting a trilling set of bees back, the Force Wanderer slowed down and looked over his shoulder.

“I feel you there.” Jared did not want to go into a fight with the Raskava with someone on his tail. Especially if it was someone who could help.

Valery Noble

 

[Delila Castillon]

| Dante Castillon |

Dante didn't have to do too much to convince her. The Saegassum was technically stolen by herself and Xin after her original ship had been destroyed. Herself and Xin Boa had talked at length before about a second ship or expanding the crew in one form or fashion. Dante had taken well to his lessons from Xin and seemed to get along well with the crew enough. Her end goal was to get the kid independent enough to hit the spacelanes on his own or as an accessory to the jobs they took.

Which meant everything is a teaching moment.

Dante was focused on the trio of vessels. They were well and fine, when one was stealing something it wasn't as if they could be picky.

Hand reached out and physically turned the boys head to the right. A large group of Raskava were standing by, milling about the area. Close enough to make her nervous. Typically these jobs were done with Xin and when one worked, lived, and slept with the same person for the last ten years, a bit of silent communication was built. Made things easier.The Nautolan would have spotted the danger right away - should have asked him to come along but how else was her nephew going to learn? Couldn't have him sitting on board with Skreech forever.

"Now whats your plan for them?" Voice was low, binoculars were taken.

 

[Valery Noble]

Sorgan

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jared Starchaser

"Good, I wasn't trying to hide," Valery said once Jared spoke up. She caught up with him a moment later, and joined him by his side before looking around to make sure nobody was watching them. "You likely don't know who I am," Valery then continued, assuming that his father hadn't really described the mostly random encounter he had with her. So, unless he kept up with the Galactic Alliance and the more recent galactic wars, she was a stranger to him.

"But I think I know who you are," Valery looked up at him and offered a kind smile. Judging by his age and even his facial features, she knew her senses hadn't been playing tricks on her.

"Coren Starchaser once helped me when I really needed it. If you're anything like him, I assume you're also here to deal with the cultists?" She asked, her tone lowered just to be safe.

"Perhaps we can work together?"

 

[Jared Starchaser]

A sly grin on his face, definitely coming from his Corellian side. The Mirialan-Corellian was aware of some faces, but not all the connections they had. And the Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order was a face he knew, but only by reputation. “I know of you.” But not all the connections to his father. That small bit of knowledge was not something Coren shared, as he didn’t need to be the one who orchestrated another Grandmaster to rise.

“You know me?” He raised an eyebrow.

Many did. Reputation followed a lot.

“I am here to deal with them, yes. But I’m…” He wanted to say ‘not like his father.’ But no matter how much he tried to deny that, it was always a lie. He was the type to be the hero, to be good when the opportunity arose. “I am here to deal with them, yes.”

"And another saber always helps with these types." Dark siders, not necessarily the Raskava.

Valery Noble

 

[Dante Castillon]

"Now whats your plan for them?"

Here the younger auburn-haired lad smirked as he caught sight of Valery Noble and Jared Starchaser to the left. The smirk positively screamed trouble. Reaching around, he gathered up two fist sized rocks and looked to his aunt.

"Nothing, actually. You take the shuttle. I got the runner. When this goes down, just run and take off. I'll be alright. We can meet up back with Xin Boa ..."

Hefting one rock he aimed it above the other two obvious Jedi types and let fly with an arm empowered by youth and natural dexterity and strength. The rock whizzed high but immediately after he hopped up the second and launched it after a micro pause to calculate. This would be a test of even his luck. As the two rocks smacked together with a clatter and fell to the earth above the other pair, the Cultists watching the ship whipped toward the noise and hissed as sight happened on the commotion, rolling to investigate.

Immediately as the opening happened, even before the Holocron eaters were clear, Dante lobbed a third rock to land right in front of the pair, who may or may not have reacted yet. The third lob wasn't accurate, and fell in the brush in front of them, rustling and scuffing it and drawing a faster response. Up and moving, Dante looked back over his shoulder to flash his aunt a grin that would likely see him killed later for such impudence.

But he was already beelining for the blockade runner and bobbing and weaving as best he could to stay out of sight, bryar pistol in hand.

Delila Castillon | Jared Starchaser | Valery Noble

 

[Delila Castillon]

What an idiot. All pretty face and no brains.

By the time she tried to stop her nephew it was far too late. She wanted to explain that they should stick together and focus on one ship and the why. Dells had zero problem throwing what looked like two Jedi under the proverbial bus so to speak. It would take a much larger crew and set up to pull of such a heist. Who the hell was going to man the guns for her vessel? Did Dante forget that she did not fly unless under duress?

A long-suffering sigh escaped her as he started to run. Blaster was pulled from her gunbelt, and she started at a much more measured pace. Only she wasn't going for the shuttle. Delila was going for the blockade runner as well ; no need to get blown to bits because she had no one to watch her backside.

Then the little bastard had the nerve to grin.

If she survived, it was going to take an act of great self control not to smack the back of Dante's head.

Dante Castillon | Valery Noble | Jared Starchaser

 

[Gweneth Zarari]

Location: Outskirts of the Village
Objective: Uncover the deed pods
Tag: Dani Stellaris Jend-Ro Quill

Equipment: Gwen's attire, Echo stone, carved luck charm, wooden quarterstaff, slingshot


As I crossed the swamps I wondered whether the thieves even knew what they had? Of course they probably knew the financial value, but that didn't matter, money meant nothing compared to the actual value of that seed library. I was angry that someone could steal something so special and it showed from my body language as I bounded hard through the swamps towards our target. I was in Narglatch form but right now I could not care less about how muddy my red fur was becoming.

Why was I so angry, I was a balanced person, I dealt with the destruction of my homeworld and I try to avoid that whole light and dark rubbish that the Jedi bleat on about. I was not to know that it was the corruption of the force created by our targets themselves that was fueling my rage, pushing me to a place that I did not normally go to. I bounded high again and as I landed I heard a muffled shout from a friend of mine nearby. <<What's up Dani?>> i sent to her telepathically, unable to speak in this form, but also unwilling to call out too loud. She sounded in pain when, but she did not appear to be under attack. I looked ahead of me and saw the gathered foes, they would spot us soon, and I had been warned they were dangerous enemies, but my training with master Vulpesen was progressing well and I too was a dangerous enemy.

 

[Dani Stellaris]

The White Current was giving her some familiar waters to swim in. The Dark Tide was there, but it was not catching her. She was flowing fast in the Current, but still could feel the evil, the pure hunger of these others, these Raskava, was overwhelming. Maybe she was out of her depth, maybe there was a time and place for people like her and a time and place for the more… martial of the Force traditions. She didn’t know.

Back home on Ralos, she and her people were more akin to the Ithorians, and it was why she was even here, why she contacted part of ZINO to come and assist. The Fallanassi was hoping to give people some hope by getting the seeds back. And to assist her she had a few items, ones that can distract or delay a foe.

She’d called it a rope launcher, and had seen it called a ropecaster. Following in Gwen’s footsteps, she had a small sling to launch imbued stones and other technological items. Dani couldn’t bring herself to launch anything that could harm another. Not since she tried to live in the Alliance war machine.

“They have so much darkness… why do they have the seeds?” Dani called into the Force. Well, more pictures, the beings in the demon squid masks, the seeds, the dark tides of a moonless beach.

Gweneth Zarari

 

[Dante Castillon]

Not bothering to look behind him for pursuit of the cultists, or reactions from the Jedi, Dante tucked and rolled, coming up in a zig-zag just as someone or something opened fire on him a few yards from the runner. Flipping the safety off on the bryar, Dante skidded on the ramp and his eyes widened to see his aunt right behind him. Firing off pot shots towards whoever it was, he drained the cell of the blaster in short order, but the return shots stopped at the barrage and he turned to his aunt as she got close enough and started to key up controls to close the ramp, cursing at security protocols.

Fly-boy maybe, but slicer he wasn't.

"Hey Dells, got a comp-spike? This damn lift won't go up and I'm ammo dry..."

Delila Castillon | Jared Starchaser | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sorgan

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jared Starchaser

"I know of you," Valery said with a grin of her own because she mirrored his response. "Enough to know you're good people." An assumption because she didn't know him too well, but good people had a way of carrying themselves that always resonated with her. His father would have probably also had a good influence on him.

Luckily, she was proven right when he confirmed his mission and offered to work together.

"Sounds good, let's-"

The sound of two rocks coming together above her head briefly drew her eyes up, and as soon as she looked back down, she understood. Several cultists turned their way, right as another rock landed by their feet. Another figure could be seen running, and while Valery wanted to smack the chit out of him, she had more important things to focus on.

"Let's do this together, hm?" She smirked and slipped a hand down to her belt.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

It probably wasn’t so bad that she knew who he was. His father was big name but Jared was only half his father. And the other half definitely made it so he was harder to pick out in a crowd. Being of Mirialan and Corellian descent gave him a green hue with a bit of the Forve reverence and wanderlust of his two people. Not to mention his Chiss adjacent upbringing.

“I try to be good. To be useful. These Raskava are more trouble than they are worth. So definite not something I’m gonna let stand.” The more he spoke the more a slack Rim accent presented. Not too much of a drawl but definitely not a Core founded accent.

As the rock hit the ground his eyes went wide. A hand to his hip.

“Let’s get to work.” It was going to be a battle and as his blade was in his hand he was not igniting it. Approaching the Devilsquid masks and giving a sharp whistle. Wanting their attention on him.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sorgan

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jared Starchaser

"We're on the same page, then." She flashed one final grin, before the clattering of rocks alerted their enemies to their presence. Valery wasn't quite sure what type of weapons they had, or what their preferred tricks were beyond what they needed to eat holocrons. But she was ready to find out, and kept the hilt of her lightsaber in her hand. Tension in the Force was growing rapidly, and with a focused gaze, she spotted a hand dropping down to a weapon.

"Now!"

A crimson blade ignited, but before the cultist even had a chance to move, Valery extended a hand and telekinetically forced his knees apart to unbalance his stance. She hoped Jared would be quick to follow up, but her own lightsaber ignited as well. A violet blade carved its way through the air, and Valery raised it up to defend herself against the other cultists.

Until she knew more about them, she would engage them more passively with a strong defense.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Getting attention and keeping it off of others was something Jared was good at. He followed his father’s footsteps in that regard. If a Starchaser was being shot at then others weren’t. And the Raskava were taking the bait as well as anyone else did. Being a sell saber gave him the other leg to stand on.

He used more than just the light side through the lens of the Jedi.

Red blade still meant a foe however.

His green blade snapped to life. Not a dark green. A brilliant emerald with a white inner glow. The saber went up and took the arm off of the one running. Turning Jared called on the Force in a way taught by the Witches. A blue glow in his hand as a tentacle came up from the ground to misdirect a blaster bolt away from him and towards, accidentally, Dante Castillon .

“No…” called the Journeyman before Jared. As sickly gaseous chains erupted from another to break the bind Jared had cast. Another blaster bolt with a sickly white energy came firing and the green blade was barely able to intercept before the black gas pulled his arm hard.

“The knowledge is ours…”

Valery Noble

 

[Gweneth Zarari]

Location: Outskirts of the Village
Objective: Uncover the deed pods
Tag: Dani Stellaris Jend-Ro Quill

Equipment: Gwen's attire, Echo stone, carved luck charm, wooden quarterstaff, slingshot

I heard the words of my friend in the force as we both prowled our respective periphery. <<I don't know why they have them, but I want to give them back to the Ithorians.... I feel like this is could get violent, are you OK with that?

I have another suggestion, I know a shape, the ground looks soft enough for me to burrow down to the vault and perhaps bypass the guards? Its called and Aelid I think.>> the ground was very soft, I could do this, it was fight or tunnel. One day perhaps Dreidi Xeraic might be able to teach me to teleport like she could, that would be a fun trick, but right now, fight or tunnel.

I continued pacing in my chosen form waiting for the telepathic response, Dani would hopefully know she could respond just by thinking and my telepathy would read it, but some people were not comfortable with the connection. I was aware of another group of force users attacking at a different locale, and from out vantage point there looked like some movement and a truck with several squid faces left into the distance. The time to act was now, any further delay and they might discover us somehow.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

As the two rocks smacked together with a clatter and fell to the earth above the other pair, the Cultists watching the ship whipped toward the noise and hissed as sight happened on the commotion, rolling to investigate.

I was in Narglatch form

Firing off pot shots towards whoever it was, he drained the cell of the blaster in short order, but the return shots stopped at the barrage

Approaching the Devilsquid masks and giving a sharp whistle. Wanting their attention on him.

A crimson blade ignited, but before the cultist even had a chance to move, Valery extended a hand and telekinetically forced his knees apart to unbalance his stance. She hoped Jared would be quick to follow up, but her own lightsaber ignited as well. A violet blade carved its way through the air, and Valery raised it up to defend herself against the other cultists.

His green blade snapped to life. Not a dark green. A brilliant emerald with a white inner glow. The saber went up and took the arm off of the one running. Turning Jared called on the Force in a way taught by the Witches. A blue glow in his hand as a tentacle came up from the ground to misdirect a blaster bolt away from him

Blasters! Sabers! A Narglatch! Several cunningly thrown rocks! An alarm call resonated through the village, some kind of Force-driven shout or howl. From several points around the perimeter, outside the buildings and inside the surrounding ring of ponds, concealed sentry turrets popped up from the ground. Blasterfire lit up the gloomy evening.

If the doors to the ritual hut, laboratory vault, and laboratory hut hadn't already been locked, they sure as heck were locked now.