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[Other FULL] STAR WARS Jedi Outcasts, Act I (IC)

[PokeCommunity.com] STAR WARS Jedi Outcasts, Act I (IC)

[PokeCommunity.com] STAR WARS Jedi Outcasts, Act I (IC)

[PokeCommunity.com] STAR WARS Jedi Outcasts, Act I (IC)
Master Doro Saramarka
Master Peton Eraji
(& Pachiri)​

The party left the Enclave while it was still relatively early on Dantooine. Traveling on foot was assumed by everybody, albeit perhaps by some rather begrudgingly. During the two hours of walking, Pachiri Pawtear had probably managed to annoy each and every one in the group with her recurring moaning. Saramarka's patience luckily was great enough to not lash out at the cat woman this time though.

Eraji had come with, to oversee the group. In reality though, Saramarka suspected that the others on the Dantooine Council were mostly just glad to have a reason to get him away from them for a day. Master Eraji. It was the biggest joke on this side of Coruscant in space. Saramarka refused to sink to their level though. Even though she hardly respected this colleague of hers, she would treat him as she would any other. Jedis shouldn't be led astray by personal emotions and opinions.

They had finally reached the entrance to the vast underground system that was commonly referred to as the Crystal Caves by the locals. Saramarka signaled for the party to stop, and everybody rested for a bit at the cliffs they had halted at. Pachiri dropped her bags on the ground and slumped towards a rock, completely exhausted.

"Mikaraaaa. Why don't Jedis have speeders?" she groaned.

"This will be interesting!" Eraji said with an excited smile, walking up to the other Master Jedi. "They are so eager, both the newbies and the ones who already have their lightsaber in possession."

"They are not newbies," Saramarka said, not moving her gaze from the cave entrance, which was less than fifty meters away now. Right now, Eraji was mostly a distraction. She sensed a disturbance in the force. "I do not have a good feeling about this," she continued.

"Of course they are not. I apologize for my clumsy words," Eraji said, but didn't exactly look apologetic. "I have actually been feeling uneasy too. What do you think it could be about?"

Say what you want about his personality and wisdom, but there was no denying that Peton was very strong in pure force.

"I've been having a strange feeling for days. This could just be part of that. It doesn't have to mean that the Apprentices are in unusual danger."

"Well, they pretty much are," Eraji said, scratching his head and glancing back at the group near the cliffs. "We are sending them in among kinrath. Deaths are not completely unheard of, even among Jedis there."

"They are ready," Saramarka assured him, still without facing him, as she moved back to the group. She made sure to get their attention.

"Apprentices!" she boomed with her strong, dark voice, hands on her hips. "These are the Crystal Caves. A few of you have been here before, then together with others slightly more experienced Apprentices. Now it's your turn. Dantooinian farmers never venture inside. Raiders seldom do, and then only the foolish ones. The monsters likely to lurk inside are non-sentient beasts, functioning on instinct alone. They cannot normally be intimidated, nor fooled. Supposedly, only those in tune with the force can intimidate them or hide from them."

Master Eraji cleared his throat. Saramarka didn't let her annoyance show when she stopped talking and nodded towards him, who continued.

"However, I will be accompanying you into the caves today!" Eraji proclaimed with a grin. "Merely to observe, not to guide. Your every action will be important, as will your choice of crystals-"

"A choice which will not really be your own," Saramarka interjected, stepping forward. "If you let the Force flow through you, you will know which one to take. And where to find it. Give the Force the time it needs to find you."

"Preferably before the kinrath do!" Eraji added with a wink.

"Are kinrath cute?" Pachiri asked slowly, having finally sat up.

"Sort of in the same way a rancor is cute," the male Master replied thoughtfully.

"See you later, guys!" the Felacatian quickly said, suddenly very busy with fixing something on her big crossbow.

Saramarka couldn't help but letting a small sigh escape her lips. This would be a long day of waiting outside of the caves. Or night, even. There was no time limit on this mission - the Force had its mysterious ways, and didn't guide everybody as quickly as others.

[PokeCommunity.com] STAR WARS Jedi Outcasts, Act I (IC)



APPRENTICES: You may approach Saramarka or Pachiri or Eraji to talk, if you want. I'd prefer if we did that in back and forth posts rather quickly here (: I'll play them.
Else, group up as you like and head into the caves! Kinrath are nasty and abundant. No earthquakes in sight. Note that if you get ahold of a crystal of your preferred color, you should stop posting before you return to the surface. I repeat, this part ends once you've gotten a crystal. (red crystals grow inside unhatched kinrath eggs...)

RAIDERS: shenanigans commence.

BOUNTY HUNTER: kill or be killed! You can have followed the party at a distance, if you like, or have come out near the caves in some other way (you were actually allowed a speeder, I mean).
 
Apprentice, Aevux Sepo - Uneasy beginnings

"M-master Saramarka?" The Iridonian approached the woman, hands shaking and with his back to the fellow apprentices. "I have a question for you... but I'd prefer it if we could put some distance between us and the others first before I ask it. I'd rather they not hear. So long as you don't mind that is..." the young Zabrak man looked up to his superior with admiration. Anyone with the title of Master was worthy of his interest. But with his recent discoveries on the female species, he was more uneasy than usual with his approach. "It's... about the force... I hope you don't mind."
 

Rheed Vik - A Conflicted Mind


"Rheed, this is Mainx. Engaged a hostile sniper. Mando. Well-armed, well-aimed. I can't be sure, but my guess is she's with her."

The words from his scout continuously resonated in Rheed's head. In the years since his warring days, Rheed had traveled half a galaxy away to avoid the ghosts of his past. He never would like to admit that he was running from anything or anyone in particular. Only that he wanted to bury whatever he had been. But recently it seemed there was something tangible from which he ran. It's form was a person, in fact. Or rather, she appeared as thus. The way she pursued him, she was more beast than man. A vengeful spirit out for blood. A hunter stalking her prey across the plains of the galaxy.

And that bloodthirsty pursuer's name was Aayla.

Having heard that Aayla and her 'Bloodborne' were on Dantooine, Rheed's first inclination was to take the first ship off. In fact, that was exactly what he had stated they'd do. So why was he now on a speeder with the rest of the group headed toward the caverns? The others didn't feel the same. After Mainx returned, explained of his interaction with Akshae and received treatment, the others immediately began jumping on the idea of remaining and finishing what they set out to do. Vros, Drun, and Uku all wanted to continue on toward the caves. Even Braal, Xirot and the injured Mainx preferred to finish it. Rheed had to expect it. They were Mandalorian warriors. They yearned for a worthy opponent. The Jedi and the Bloodborne gave them that. Rheed only wished he felt the same. Damn it! Why did he have to feel so different? What was it about him that made him different from other Mandalorians?

Rheed shook his head and sighed. Seeing the caverns in the distance ahead, he began to signal for his gang to slow down as he began to park his own speeder among some elevated rock formations. The spot offered some nice cover while giving a decent view to the entrances of the caverns. They were also far enough so that they probably wouldn't draw any unwanted attention, a hidden motive for just Rheed. If Aayla truly was here, he'd rather avoid her at all costs.

"We'll set up here," Rheed ordered. He looked over his group. "Mainx, you go to the far side and set up away from us, just in case anything pops up... Xirot, go do the same. We'll have two back-ups this time around."

Mainx nodded and proceeded to head off, but Rheed grabbed his shoulder. "Take it easy, alright? We don't want you opening up those wounds."

Mainx nodded. "Don't worry, Rheed. I live for moments like these," The confident sniper answered with a smile before slipping on his helmet. Rheed frown from underneath his. Xirot took off in the other direction as instructed without a word.

"So what now?" Vros asked, somewhat impatiently. Rheed could tell the others were a bit skeptical about Rheed's plan. This usually didn't happen, they were generally quite receptive to his leadership. He had to cement himself as someone confident and strong in their eyes.

"We wait," Rheed answered. "The Jedi are inside now. If I'm guessing, Aayla and her pack may be too. And maybe others. We let them play around and then we'll dive in."

"Seems dishonorable," Drun commented. "Like we're playing the opportunist, hitting the opponent while they're weak. I don't think anyone here wants to do that, Rheed."

Rheed looked over the younger Mando in his armor. He had to keep their heads in line. "Not quite, Drun. We're only seasoning them. Whoever makes it out of those caves will be the stronger warriors. Why waste our time with the weaklings when we could just root out the ones we truly deserve to fight? It's not the weak who make it out, it's the strong who fight out."

Drun looked at Rheed in silence for a moment. Seeming to agree ultimately with Rheed's logic, he nodded, and took up position. Rheed silently sighed in relief, and steadied himself to relax on a grouping of rocks.
 
[PokeCommunity.com] STAR WARS Jedi Outcasts, Act I (IC)
Master Doro Saramarka​

"It's... about the force... I hope you don't mind."

Saramarka turned to look at the nervous zabrak who had approached her. She found this apprentice interesting. From what she understood, he hadn't had an easy life. But here he was, seemingly very eager to develop his connection to the Force and become a real Jedi. Saramarka had not told him, because she never quite told people, but she respected his attitude.

"Of course not, Aevux," she said, without hostility, and motioned for him to follow her a few steps away. It didn't matter if it was him or one of the others, if she would be honest. She would always listen to an apprentice with questions or concerns.

They rounded a cliff, just out of earshot from the others. "Now, tell me what is troubling you," Saramarka said with a furrowed brow.
 
Apprentice, Aevux Sepo - Uneasy beginnings

"Thank you Master." The young Jedi took a slight bow after the woman agreed without question. They went to a more secluded spot, out of the earshot of the others and Aevux took a few deep breaths. He was alone, with both a superior and a woman. The thought excited, but also frightened him. There was nobody to break them up, nobody to take her away, and nobody else to try and focus on. In this moment there was only he and her.

"Master," he began shakily, "I don't know what all you've heard from my past... but, ever since I was attacked at a young age I was left without the Force. Ever since that day, I've been completely unable to feel it. I can feel and understand where it should be, but when I reach for that place, when I grasp at that power all I feel is a deep emptiness. You said... you said that there were monsters who lurk inside the caves, and only those in tune with the Force can intimidate or hide from them... and you also say that if we let the Force flow through us, we will know which stone to take and where to find it... but what about me? I don't... I can't feel the force. I can't intimidate these beasts, and I can't find the stones I'm destined for." The young man began to shake as he fought back tears.

"I've never felt such fear in my life. Not even when I was a child did I feel as helpless and without hope as I do now. I know not how to proceed safely, and fear that even entering that place at this time will result in my most certain death. Help me Master, help me. Guide me. Tell me what I must do to survive! How does one without the Force proceed into such an event that so desperately requires it!" The boy's voice rose as he grew more uncertain of all that there was, and it continued to rise until it was almost to the point of a yell. The others had surely heard him, but Aevux couldn't hear anything at the moment. His mind was filled with fear, a cloudy red darkness lingered behind it waiting for his will to fully give way.
 
[PokeCommunity.com] STAR WARS Jedi Outcasts, Act I (IC)
Master Doro Saramarka​

Saramarka listened to the young man and when he finally stopped talking, she put a stern hand on his shoulder and forced him to look her in the eyes.

"Aevux. You would not have gotten here if we did not believe that you had potential. This might be early for you to enter the caves, but I also would have stopped you at the Enclave if I did not believe that you were ready."

She could sense the other Apprentices shuffling about and even saw Eraji peek at them from behind the cliffs. That nosy 'master'. She needed to make Aevux shape up before more Apprentices got second thoughts. She had seen that happen before, and it was only bothersome.

"But to ease your nerves, I will send master Eraji in with you. You will try to rely on your own senses, but he will not let anything bad happen to you." Hopefully.

She then gave him an unusual smile, but also a slight whack on the back. "Now, stop acting like you are a Dantooinian farmer girl and act like the brave jedi you are going to be."

 
Craw, Aevux and Eraji

"Yes master..." Aevux lowered his head as Saramarka rested her hand on his shoulder and turned him back in the direction of the caves.

"I understand for some of you this will seem daunting and frightful as it was for the young Aevux. As such, you'll be going in by groups. These groups have been predecided based on your applications and experiences at the academy thus far. The first group to go in will be Craw and Aevux under the supervision of Master Eraji." The master pushed Aevux forward lightly in the direction of the other Master who looked quite put out over the sudden declaration.

"Don't worry kiddo," Eraji sighed and closed his eyes, "I won't let the big scary things get you..... for I am... the great! Master! Eraji! Most powerful master of the force this side of the cosmos!" The master suddenly dropped down into a squatted position and began to sway side-to-side, waving his hands across his face mystically. "None have ever bested me in a fight! And none ever shall!"

"Itsa nota tha bigga scaries that meesa worried about." Craw muttered to himself, not enjoying the thought of spending several hours - if not days - stuck in a cave with the overconfident master.

"I don't know what you mean?" Master Eraji responded as he retook his normal standing position. "I personally can't sense any other danger in the vicinity, so no worries young one." The man patted Craw on the shoulder with a goofy grin on his face. "So about them caves. Daylight's wastin' away, and things start to get messy after dark."

Craw gave Aevux a look that more or less said "We're in for a long trip" before turning to follow Eraji into the crystal caves. Unlike many of the newcomers who had yet to forge their lightsabers, the caves did not give Craw much reason to fear, so he was quite calm. Despite this though he couldn't help feel a niggling doubt in the back of his mind, one that he was sure stemmed from the pressence of Master Eraji.

Almost immediately upon enterring the caves, most of the light seemed to vanish from the trio's surroundings with small crystal deposits shimmering in the darkness indicating numerous winding paths diverging from the first cavern. Eraji nonchalantly took the middle path and started walking, not bothering to see what either Craw nor Aevux thought on the matter. Craw sighed and followed on after the master, thinking all the while he'd rather be following the Force.

"Don't worry young ones, I know which way to go. All the good crystals are back this way. I know this cave almost as good as the back of my hands." The master chuckled lightly as he took a sharp left and led them down another corridor. "Taking that left path leads only to smaller crystals, and the right one is a mix of both but never very constant. If we go this way though we're sure to get you some real good crystals. They'd probably sell for billions of credits each... too bad..."

"Tha Force shoulda be guidin' us. Notta credits methinks." Craw said, not bothering to whisper at all. Eraji didn't seem to take notice of the apprentice's objection.

Eraji took them along a winding path as one of the other apprentices shouted from the entrance. The sound echoed through the caves, but distorted into nothingness. But as the sound of the shout faded, it began to be replaced by something else deeper in the caves. Some sort of rustling sound and the dripping of water.

"Well, looks like this won't end up being such a quiet trip then. Get ready boys, we might be having to fight something soon... what am I saying?" The master scoffed at himself, "don't worry, if we run into something I'll make sure to take care of it. Can't be having my little helpers getting hurt now. I'll let you take on the smaller ones so you can get a little practice though I guess. Can't be completely neglecting your training... eh. We'll just see what happens. I still don't feel anything so we should be fine." The master let out another series of lighthearted chuckles as he took another turn in the labyrinth of tunnels.

Aevux looked at the master with a confused sense of admiration. He didn't seem as powerful as the other master, but yet he still felt something about the man. He still had things that could be taught to him, and if there was any truth behind his claims then he should really try to stick close. If they did end up running into anything along the way he'd be sure to remember Eraji's every movement.

As they moved a few smaller crystals caught the Zabrak's eye. There were many small one scattered about, and each seemed to hold its own light. They sparkled and glowed as he approached, but somewhere in the back of his mind he felt that they just wouldn't be right. Eraji on the other hand was snatching up crystals as he saw them. Anything that seemed bigger than a thumb or so was quickly plucked and dropped into his pockets.

Then, in the middle of pulling a rather decent sized stone from the wall the master threw up his hand. He clenched his fist and pulled a smaller than average lightsaber from his belt. He crept around an upcoming corner and waved his left hand in front of him, holding the lightsaber straight out behind him with his right.

A few small rocks fell from the ceiling as the sound of scuttering intensified. Cracks began to form in the walls as a low hiss became audible.

"What the hell is that?" Aevux whispered to Craw.

The cracks in the walls grew as the creature came into sight. Its appendages stabbed into the walls and secreted a volatile toxin. As it saw Eraji it hissed violently.

"Thassa Kinrath. Theysa moi unpleast ta upsetta. Itsa bigga one too."

The creature leapt at the master, who ducked beneath the creature and slashed off one of its legs. "Come young ones! We must continue to move!" The master waved violently for the two jedi to come along as the kinrath began to turn around for a second attack.

Aevux looked at Craw for a split-second before following the master's command. He didn't know what else to do. If worse came to worse there was no way he could fend off one of these things. As Aevux began to go down the tunnel, the kinrath leapt towards him completely ignoring Eraji.

"Oh no you don't!" The master called out. Using both hands he reached out in front of himself, using the force to hold the creature back in the air. The kinrath hissed and spat its venom at the young Zabrak. "Craw? Would you mind possibly doing the honor?"

Craw sighed and walked calmly towards the struggling kinrath, pulling the wooden hilt of his lightsaber from his belt and igniting the vibrant green blade as he walked. The creature lashed forward with one of it's spindly, dangerous appendages. Craw leapt up, narrowly avoiding the appendage and plunging his lightsaber down into the head of the creature.

The kinrath screamed once before it ceased to move. Eraji let go of the beast, the kinrath's body dropping to the ground. Craw deactivated his lightsaber and returned it to his belt.
"Youssa know, weesa coulda porbably managed ta get away withouta needin' ta kill it."

"Ahh, yes most likely. But then how would we have gotten a hold of this beautiful creature's scent gland? If we rub this gland across our bodies we can travel more easily in here, staying under the radar of the other kinrath all the way up until we meet the queen! And you know, only the best crystals form around her don't you? So obviously that's where we're heading now. This was going to happen at some point of course. Better now than later wouldn't you say?" Eraji pried the scent gland off of the creature's corpse and began to rub it over himself before passing it to Aevux who did the same.

Craw accpeted the gland from Aevux when it was offered and did the same.
"Meesa woulda said different. But itsa too latea nowsa."

"Pish posh." Eraji brushed the dirt off his pants and then began to walk down the tunnel the creature had come from. "At least now we have a heading. As many times as I've been here before, I've never actually found the queen. But this time... this time will be different because I've got two wonderful young jedi with me this time. I can smell the winds of change blowing."​

 
Last edited:
Shiathium-Narcasius

A familiar feeling​

For his preparations Shia had, very begrudgingly, taken to wearing his robes. Squibs were different. Squibs breathed through their fur. Squibs felt things with their fur. If Shia had to compare it to anything else, it would be like fitting a mask upon one's face, and even if it was humid outside, even if it got so hot under it that you wanted to rip it off so you could breathe freely, you couldn't. He long despised wearing these long robes. Even short sleeved clothing was far better than this hell! Still, he relented and grumbled as he slipped his clothing on. He supposed that it would help with the image the Jedi held. No one here understood Squib customs, nor would they even try to understand.

He fixed his lightsaber upon his belt and headed back to meet up with the others and soon they were off. The trek across the plains wasn't all that bad. Shia recalled plenty of times in the past where he was required to walk long distances. One such time a speeder he was renting had its engine blow up and he had to walk all the way back to town to get the parts necessary to patch it up. Of course, he had the added irritation of humidity to deal with. Here, it wasn't so bad at all. Soon though he was finding Pachiri's whining to be rather annoying. He hadn't heard such whining in a long time. Even back when he was away from the Jedi anyone who whined would be quickly abandoned for a while or just sent to another part of the ship.

By the time they arrived Shia took a few minutes to stretch his arms out, letting out some deep breaths as he worked to relax his body. Relaxation was key here. He remembered the last time he had been in these caves. It had been frightening, but it had also been a trial that he had passed. Soon enough they were called together and groups were being formed. Shia held back his breath of relief at not being in a party with Master Eraji. All he could do was give a weak smile at Craw as he headed into the caves.

No matter who he was put with, he was sure they would all have a fine time. It wasn't like anything was inside that could seriously injure them, and they would have each other's backs. What was the worst that could happen?
 
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