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Post by Whill Shaman Xixo on Apr 5, 2013 6:34:03 GMT -8
*The Rancor Graveyard was an ancient site on Felucia filled with the bones of dead Rancor creatures. Bail Organa was held here during the Felucian genocide by Maris Brood, who had taken control of the Felucian tribes.
The ground around the area was seemingly unstable; when Galen Marek fought a Bull Rancor at the graveyard, he used the force to pick up and drop the rancor, causing the earth to collapse and opening up a large chamber.*
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Chalco
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Post by Chalco on Mar 13, 2015 21:16:39 GMT -8
The sky crackled with the hint of thunder, clouds rolling against each other to shroud the day in an ever deepening blanket of gloom. The air was more humid than normal as Felucia herself seemed to be uncomfortable with the conditions, building up to a cleansing rain in an effort to wash away the taint. To the south lay the fabled Rancor Graveyard, itself containing a nightmarish aspect that the murky conditions did little to alleviate. To the North, East and West the jungles of Felucia stretched to each horizon, the latter punctuated by the dirty grey ribbon of a river. Usually vibrant and garish in the light of the systems ultraviolet star the plant life seemed grey and decayed in the meagre light, absent the shining aspect it often portrayed. The normally bright and glittering fungai cast a forlorn look as it huddled mournfully beneath the grim skies.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, Chalco Gannor thought as he looked out towards the Graveyard, his thoughts as gloomy as the scene around him. Perhaps it was just his mood reflecting the dismal conditions, provoked to paranoid delusions of insidious designs. Alas, he thought, it would be nice if such worries could be explained by such anxious flights of fancy but he knew it not to be so. The Force thrummed with the signs of torments and corruption here, the symbiotic flow of the planet interrupted in fits and starts, drowned by strange pockets of absence that swirled through the teeming stream of life like poison. Felucia was the most Force-rich world he had come to know but here something had changed the life, a creeping illness that was now starting to spread itself across the world. While still isolated to an extent the malady seemed not only to effect the plant and wildlife but seemed to permeate the very soul of the planet itself. Some kind of deviation sinking its roots into the very being of Felucia. The Jedi here had felt it as Chalco felt it now and had taken steps to correct the problem, to little avail.
His gaze turned away from the distant bones to look down at the stricken creature that lay on the floor, tail half-resting in a small stream that tumbled over the rocky ground to pour down to a pool thirty feet below. The Flying Manta worked its mouth in what seemed to the Falleen Jedi to be silent screams and he could feel its pain as it died before his eyes. He had done what he could for the ailing creature but the rot inside had been too much for the Force to correct. He had wanted to end the creatures suffering but Molan Bawad had insisted that he'd get better data from it were it still alive, something that Chalco had conceded to with great difficulty. The Ithorian huddled over the Manta now, taking samples of the black fluid that ran from the creatures orifices, a vile liquid that seemed to sizzle the skin as it broke free. He could feel the wrongness of the fluid. Not anything dark, just wrong. Alien. It seemed to twisting the tendrils of life as seen through the Force, swirling it down into a black hole of nothingness. It disturbed Chalco more than the pain of the Manta.
=Molan Bawad=
"Its dead..."
Indeed the creatures mouth had stopped moving and the slow rise and fall of its torso had become still. Likewise the garbled presence of the Force had left, allowing the creature to return to its embrace. At least Chalco hoped so. With such pollution muddying the waters it was hard to say what deviations life took here...
He scratched his face just above where the breath mask covered his mouth, squinting his eyes at the approaching storm. The clouds were fighting now, thunder beginning to grumble its way towards an outburst as the static discharged became larger and more frequent. He tore his eyes away and glanced down into the slight depression where the stream emptied into the pool. The Spore Plant sat silently next to the pool, its tendrils and pod sack silent. Malan Bawad had thought that the Manta had drifted to close in an effort to drink and had been poisoned by the spores the plant could release. While usually a natural act on this planet it was the nature of the death that concerned the Ithorian scientist. While the spores could indeed be lethal they had never been contagious and had never killed in a way such as this, transmuting the flesh and tissue, even the very DNA, into something completely different. Something completely at odds with nature here. The black fiscal residue was high in nutrient and the like but seemed to work a different way than most of the life here, poisoning what couldn't absorb it. Chalco could see the black veins spider-webbing the surface of the Spore Plant, spreading up the stem and out through the pods.
A flash of lightning highlighted the scene, followed almost immediately by a savage snarl of thunder. The wind picked up, whipping his robe about his legs and flapping his top knot insistently in its grip. A drop hit his bare forehead, and another, and soon the rain was hammering down.
=Chalco Gannor=
"Come doctor. It is time to go."
The huge head turned towards him, the leathery skin glistening in the rain. Straightening from where he had been crouched over the poor Manta he gestured insistently towards the Spore Plant, words growling out from both mouths to give the sound a dual aspect.
=Molan Bawad=
"But.... I must study the Spore Plant. If it did indeed cause this illness then I must study it."
Chalco waved away the protest and turned towards the speeder.
=Chalco Gannor=
"Another time. This storm is going to get ugly and I have no intention of allowing you to poke around with a dangerous life form in it."
He gestured towards the speeder and waited why the Ithorian gathered up his equipment. Grumbling the scientist made his way to the speeder and got inside while another glaring flash lit up the sky. The rumbling thunder seemed like the discontent of the planet to the Jedi, a disquieting moan of sorrow for the departed Manta.
With one last look at the creature, now little more than a blob of disjointed flesh and bone as the black substance ate away at its physical form, Chalco Gannor got into the pilots seat. With deft movements he started the engine and got the speeder moving, steering it back towards the Jedi base.
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Post by Sakri on Sept 19, 2016 20:51:24 GMT -8
It had been a simple matter to follow the ripples, the tiny cascades left behind, to their source. She strode through the increasingly dank and dismal environment, the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. The stench of decay was in the air, bones littering the rather large area; the unmistakable bite of the dark side was present as well, hiding somewhere in the shadows.
The presence following her had kept its distance so far. She hoped that it would continue to do that, though with the increasing sparsity of foliage, the two would soon be in view of each other.
She didn't care. They would either stay out of her way, or they would try to interfere. But nothing would keep her from her goal.
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 19, 2016 21:19:58 GMT -8
*The figure was doing its best to keep out of Joey's line of sight, having detected him.They didn't exactly seem like they were attempting to lead a pursuit; after all, they were apparently looking for something in particular and therefore wouldn't want to lose their target. What that target was? Joey intended to find that out as well. He didn't exactly have a good feeling, considering they were a strange figure and trying to elude him... To be fair, he could have just spooked them, as it was an acceptable reaction to trying to lose someone tailing you.
But as the trek continued, Joey was suddenly aware that the current landscape was... dramatically different. During his tailing, he'd paid a little less attention to the environment, so he'd be forgiven if he wasn't exactly aware of the differences between various areas of the jungle. This however was too hard to miss... least of all due to the sudden lack of color.
Everything here was dry. Dead. Cracking and broken. What little flora remained was drained of color. The ground was parched and hard. The entire area reeked of death. And there were bones... large bones. Big as a rancor. And then it hit him: Was this the fabled Rancor Graveyard Felucia was host to? It almost made him shudder. This wasn't exactly the kind of place Joey wanted to be right now. Death pervaded, and there was even a touch of the dark side in this place, a whisper from long past.
He put aside these things and continued focusing on his target. They seemed more eager now... perhaps this was what they had been searching for. But why, for what perverted reason?*
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Post by Sakri on Sept 19, 2016 21:58:07 GMT -8
There.
She walked forward, seeing the ground drop a few meters away from her. Below that lay a pit, the reek of darkness and death strengthening with every step she took. From within, she could feel the focus of her desire. She chuckled, the sound carrying through the atypical emptiness of this part of the world. Her pace quickened, and she could feel the ground beginning to give way under her feet. Without further ado, she leapt over the edge..
..and, her descent slowed by the Force, landed in a crouch in the chamber below. The remains of a bull rancor were here, stripped clean by time and scavengers. Impressive though the bones were, they were not what she had come for.
She was pleased by the fact that her quest had led her down here. Now she would be able to properly identify her pursuer. She moved away from where her feet had first touched down, attempting to slink into the shadows..
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 19, 2016 22:46:13 GMT -8
*Closer. They were not far now. Joey picked up the pace; the sudden removal of dense foliage made it far easier to keep speed. And then he finally caught a glimpse of them... Her, he believed. It was a very quick glimpse of a figure hopping down into a pit.
His lightsaber flew from his hip into his palm; he had barely enough sense not to yet activate it, should this all be a misunderstanding. But now was the difficult part: How did he even confront her? Call her out to explain herself? Apologize for his intrusion and assure her he just wanted to know what was going on?*
"Alright, listen up," *he called out. Damn it, he wasn't even ready. Might as well run with it and hope his mouth didn't get him into too much trouble.* "I'm just a little suspicious, ya know? I just came walking out here and suddenly there's some stranger lurkin' around, gotta check it out. So just tell me what you're up to, and I'll leave ya be. Unless you're trying to do a number on this place, then I gotta step in."
*... his shirt was still off. What kind of diplomatic position was this? Not that he was the shining example of how to dress as a Jedi; he wore a beanie, for the Force's sake! Granted, Bix did as well... but he at least managed to look somewhat sophisticated. Joey... it was honestly a miracle he even got as far as he did with his typical attitude, and yet here he was. Interrogating a stranger with his shirt off. While suffering emotional issues.
What could possibly go wrong?*
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Post by Sakri on Sept 19, 2016 23:26:16 GMT -8
She sighed quite audibly. He was a Jedi of sorts, then, and one with.. unusual tastes in attire. Without any introduction, any indication why she should even acknowledge him, he was already making demands of her. But what truly annoyed her was that it always seemed to come to this: conversation.
Everyone seemed to insist on overusing their words. Powerful weapons in the right hands, reduced to inconsequential breaths expelled without proper cause. It sickened her. And in almost all of the locales she had visited during her time, the universal reaction to her avoidance of conversation was one of indignation and offense. Though it pained her to do so, she opened her mouth to reply.
"My quest is mine to know. I intend no harm to those who allow its completion."
She kept moving, slowly walking around the circumference of the chamber. Her hood was down, but all her other features were hidden beneath the traveling cloak. She kept her gaze focused forward, stretching out her mind to the tides around her, disregarding this annoying being's continued presence.
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 20, 2016 18:30:03 GMT -8
*Unmistakable agitation could be felt as Joey verbally confronted the figure. Joey didn't get that; he'd been on her tail the entire way, she knew that, and despite basically putting herself at a dead end—was there something in this hole?—she only now seemed flustered by him? He had a scrunched-up look of confusion on his face, but he shook it away as she answered him.*
"Oh yeah?" *he called back.* "Sorry if that's not good enough. I'm kind of a protector, and I gotta make sure whatever this 'quest' of yours is, it don't bring any problems to this planet or its people."
*There was a bit of an edge to his voice; after what happened on Deralia, he wasn't about to let any potential predator slip through the cracks. Not here, not anywhere he had a chance to take action. If she did have a neutral mission? Good. But words weren't enough, especially not words that confirmed nothing.*
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Post by Sakri on Sept 20, 2016 22:45:51 GMT -8
Irritating.
A sigh once more escaped her lips.
"I seek something that once was lost here."
The rumours she had followed had led her to this location, and the disturbance in the tide around her showed her sources to have been accurate. Still she kept moving along her path, wishing this Jedi would realize that everything would be smoother if he would just.. leave.
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 20, 2016 23:50:49 GMT -8
*Joey squatted at the lip of the pit, forearms resting on his knees as he did his best to track her movements.Something that was lost here? That could be... just about anything. If it were anywhere else, he might not have given it a second thought, but here, in the Rancor Graveyard? That raised some eyebrows.*
"What are ya, an archaeologist?" *he quipped, before scoffing and looking around again. What kind of history did this place have in the holorecords? There was a fight here, wasn't there? And... well, he didn't really know. Looking back into the pit, he asked,* "So what'd they lose? Speeder keys a rancor ate?"
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Post by Sakri on Sept 21, 2016 21:16:41 GMT -8
Great. He's a comedian.
"A holocron."
Hopefully that would satisfy this Jedi's curiosity. Even if it didn't, she hoped it would get him to take a moment to ponder and afford her a few seconds of blessed silence..
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 21, 2016 22:07:06 GMT -8
*Holocron? Out here? That took Joey aback a little. What would a holocron be doing out in this place? "... don't tell me a rancor actually did eat it," he thought. But wait. Holocron... that could be good or bad.* "What kind of holocron?" *he asked cautiously.* "Jedi? Sith? Cuz if it's the former, I kind of might need to look at that myself. If Sith... actually I'm not sure, but I don't know if I can just let someone make off with it."
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Post by Sakri on Sept 21, 2016 23:14:52 GMT -8
"Why is that?"
Finally, she stopped her circuit around the chamber, turning her head to look up at the shirtless Jedi. Her stare remained unblinking as the nictitating membranes slid across her eyes, her focus now wholly on him.
"I intend no harm with this Sith holocron. I seek only knowledge."
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 21, 2016 23:31:15 GMT -8
*Her continuous pacing had finally stopped as she looked up at him, stating simply she only sought knowledge, confirming it was a Sith holocron.* "Yeah, okay," *he thought aloud at the revelation, having made up his mind. He stood, then hopped down into the pit as well, slowing his descent with the Force and landing in a slight crouch, planting his left hand on the ground to steady himself and push himself back up to his feet.
Then he raised his right hand, which still gripped his inactive lightsaber, but held it in a horizontal position, facing away from either of them, as he pointed his two forefingers at her.* "Those things are dangerous, and I can't let just anyone walk off with them. And it doesn't paint you in a good light." *Joey's temperament was far more serious now, stern; the humor and laidback nature were gone.
No Sith-knowledge-seeking rodder was going to get past him here.
And yet, something about him tried to get him to calm down. He almost didn't listen, considering what he'd just been through, considering what he'd dealt with in the distant and recent past. And yet... he sighed and lowered his hand, looking disgruntled as he shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. Grunting, he finally offered,* "... let me see what's in there. I'll make a judgment call based on what I find. If what's in there is too dangerous... I'm going to have to take it."
*Would she even accept such an offer? Why was he even making it? He should just confiscate it on the spot and put it in confinement within the base. And yet, this was his offer. Did he even have much authority on this planet? He supposed he should, as a Jedi. Either way, he was not turning a blind eye to this.*
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Post by Sakri on Sept 22, 2016 0:14:23 GMT -8
She watched his descent into the chamber with muted interest, curious at least to see what he would do. At first, he was brandishing a weapon, and she raised a single eyebrow. Then, he offered her a deal of sorts. It amused her that he thought he could set any sort of terms for her, but she saw no harm in allowing him to view its contents. The end result would either be him leaving her alone, which was favourable.. or she would force her way past him with the Holocron in tow.
The latter, though she would prefer to avoid it, had been a constant notion in her mind since she had first sensed him.
She raised a hand from beneath her cloak and pointed to one section of the chamber wall (if randomly compacted masses of organic debris could be called a wall) before turning wordlessly and walking towards it. It wasn't an answer, but it wasn't a refusal, either. Both hands stretched out, feeling for the heart of the ripples in the Force, her presence slowly wrapping around it..
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 22, 2016 21:58:09 GMT -8
*She stopped speaking, not giving an answer except to point at a certain segment of the wall of crust. She approached it, reaching out toward it. She had located it? Joey assumed she was going to honor his request then. He simply stood and watched, not wanting to personally get involved with such an artifact unless he had to. And he hoped he didn't have to.*
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Post by Sakri on Sept 22, 2016 23:24:26 GMT -8
..and pulling it out of its resting place. Bones and various forms of debris came shooting out of the chamber wall, followed by the distinctive tetrahedral shape of a Sith Holocron. She turned her hands from palm out to palm up, catching the device and gazing at it reverently.
A smile once more alighted her golden-skinned face, green eyes widening with a sudden thirst for the knowledge held within.
She stood there, staring at it, seeming to ignore the Jedi at her eight. The Firrerreo had reached the next step in her journey, and progress already felt so satisfying..
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 22, 2016 23:32:16 GMT -8
*And there it was. Suddenly that weird little pacing she had done seemed pointless; she had become so drawn to it so suddenly it seemed like she knew all along. Maybe she was just trying to stall Joey. Whatever. Joey was, oddly, more surprised at the debris pouring from the new fissure in the crust. This place... was just gross.
She had it though, the unmistakable shape of a Sith holocron. And it had just been sitting here, underneath this place? Had anyone known? How did this stranger know? ... and was she just gonna stand there holding it like that?*
"Uh... yeah," *he broke the silence at length.* "You gonna open it?"
*It occurred to him he was taking this entire situation way too lightly, considering it was a Sith holocron, in the hands of a stranger who seemed... maybe too pleased to get her hands on it. Good thing he had his weapon in hand... if he needed to use it. Personally, he hoped not.*
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Post by Sakri on Sept 27, 2016 22:45:52 GMT -8
Her left hand came up over one face of the holocron, her fingertips trailing down the center of it. Red lines of light spread outward from her touch, slowly encompassing the entirety of the device. A hologram emerged from it, projecting onto the ground the image of a small wiry figure wrapped in robes. "You hold a piece of the puzzle. What is it you seek?" She turned her head to stare at the Jedi, then gestured at the Gatekeeper to indicate that he should be the one to answer them. He was, after all, the one who was insisting on performing this inspection. In the back of her mind, she was curious to see how far the Jedi would end up getting with this.. |
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 28, 2016 0:31:58 GMT -8
*The woman began to activate the holocron. Joey watched with bated breath, uncertain what to expect from this. He wasn't exactly fond of the atmosphere... but to be fair, he hadn't been since he arrived at the graveyard. It was then that the gatekeeper appeared in—*
"Is that a kriffin' dug?" *Joey asked aloud, head tilted to the side. Dugs were scoundrels, yes, but he wasn't aware of too many that were Sith, or Force warriors in general. Regardless, the holocron was open, stating it was "a piece of the puzzle" and asking what they sought.
Shockingly, the woman seemed to offer the first question to Joey. Why him? He even looked surprised, then he coughed into his hand, clearing his throat before placing his palm on his chest.* "... wait, a piece?" *Well, that suddenly came out. Granted, Joey hadn't been sure what to ask in the first place, but this seemed like a good place to start.* "What are you a piece of?"
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