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Post by Whill Shaman Xixo on Apr 5, 2013 6:35:32 GMT -8
*Kway Teow was the capital city on the tropical world of Felucia.*
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Hesper Calix
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Visiting Kuat City
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Post by Hesper Calix on Dec 8, 2013 2:34:38 GMT -8
The sun danced over the crested horizon when Hesper's public transport shuttle landed in the city. Kway Teow was unlike any other city that she had visited. This place was surprisingly small to be considered a planetary capital. It was nestled into the cliffs, and it was surrounded by a beautiful, blue lagoon on the southern tip of the continent. There were three ways for the locals to enter the city, either through the lagoon by ship, or by traversing through its fortified entrance by foot.
Kway Teow smelt of a mixture of ocean air, rotting garbage and people. The city wasn't sprawled out across the lagoon like a giant, beached whale. It appeared to have been built out of a motley crew of the parts of ships on stilts, wooden huts and other structures made out of more exotic materials that were likely brought here through trade. There were few roads here, instead there were many walkways, planks and ramps used to travel around the city and its many layers.
Hesper left the shuttle docking bay and began to make her way out of the city. The road from the shuttle docking bay lead her to a series of subterranean caverns that were brightly illuminated by metallic light conduits. The dirt road quickly turned into a rickety catwalk that was held up by wooden stilts, which snaked around the heart of the cavern. The cave had its own unique aroma of damp wood, sweat and steam. It smelt as if someone had taken all the Jedi Temple's dirty laundry and steamed it. She reached her hand to wipe the beads of sweat that had formed on her brow. It was hot here, very hot.
After a few hundred yards, she saw a series of metal posts, and the red lasers that marked the perimeter. She felt the rush of fresh air blow past her face. The giant, bleached jaws of a monstrous shark was used to adorn the entrance. She stopped to look at it.
It was a message to be read by all those who encountered it:
For the cautious, the sane - it was a warning.
For the reckless, the wild at heart- an invitation that they cannot refuse.
What lay beyond those jaws was a world where the creatures of nightmares gathered. They came here from across the ages to jostle for power. Even the trees themselves weren't spared.
Hesper had heard tales of this planet, and how it was alive. She had always dismissed it as being nothing more than a story that the Keepers of Lore used to tell young padawans to keep them from misbehaving, yet she couldn't ignore how the planet itself seemed to bleed with the Force. Light. Dark. It didn't seem to matter here. The trees seemed to resonate with their own Force-energy.
Kwae Teow was a city caught between the new and the old, founded eons ago and colonized by a war that should have never happened. This planet was the edge of the galaxy, the crucible of hypocrisy, a place where those whose souls had been destroyed in the relentless pursuit of money and power reside. The name of this planet was spoken in hushed whispers amongst the villains and heroes of the galaxy.
She could sense that many had come here to make a name for themselves, but were swallowed by the darkness, never to return.
There was a cruel fate that awaited any visitor who accidentally stumbled into Felucia's unforgiving jungles.
Now, another sacrificial lamb had wandered too farm from home.
Hesper looked back at the gates, which had been swallowed by the trees. There was only one direction for her to travel now.
The jungle awaits.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2014 16:41:19 GMT -8
The thick Felucian air caused the woman to cough the moment she entered the streets of the tropical city. Though she seemed to struggle for a moment to simply breathe, she continued her journey without a pause of hesitation. There was much to do while she was here, and even if she needed to hurry to the Jedi Base, she had business to attend to here.
Weaving her way through the crowds, she manages to find small shops off the to the side, each selling their exotic wares - at least, they all looked exotic to her. She was never a vain one, even if it was hard to tell by her apparel. She could feel the eyes of those around her piercing through her, as if searching for where she might have kept her credits. She grew up well, obviously better than most of those who surrounded her. She wasn't there for the exotic bouquet plucked from the dangerous forests or the glowing, leaf-woven rug, though. All she needed was a canteen of fresh water, and something to fill her stomach after such a long journey to this planet.
After a moment of looking through the rather odd concoctions of food sold, she finally settled on something that looked at least a little bit normal. Roasted meat on a stick, it's all it looked like to her. She didn't care to ask what it was. So long as she didn't know, it wouldn't hurt her - or at least that's what she's thought.
With a smile, she paid for her food and continued her journey, simply following a unspoken call she couldn't quite name. If it didn't reveal itself in a few hours, she would make her way to the Jedi Base. She couldn't travel through the forest by night, and she needed to reach there by today.
So the woman just wandered throughout the streets, eyeing the wares and the people until whatever this revealed itself.
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
Posts: 192
Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 8, 2016 16:47:54 GMT -8
The pod roaring in toward the city was roughly the size of a light freighter, if one could be found that looked like an oversized egg. The ship was flying more or less straight, but the internal deck was at a heavy slant. The ship began breaking hard, very nearly standing on it's nose & letting out a wail of tearing air. Managing to stop more or less over a landing pad, the pod slammed down hard enough that Mary's back bounced up enough to bounce off the low ceiling of the cockpit. After taking a few moments to catch her breath, Mary readjusted her notion of how difficult it was to fly a shuttle.
-Titana
Are we still alive?
Climbing back up into the main area, with only slightly shaky legs, Mary addressed her passengers.
-Mary
We have arrived. Dandy, feel free to lead the way.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2016 17:15:55 GMT -8
Dandleion hit the ramp and staggered out of the ship, his face white, his fists clenched so tight as to have the blood drain from them. "Wh...where did you learn to fly?!" Dand held up a hand before he could get a response. "No. No...I don't want to know." Dand dusted off his robes before straightening himself to a more Jedi like position. Clearing his throat, he gestured vaguely to the city before them. A city of scant skyscrapers, residential block, and a few factories, the capital city of Kway Teow was by no means a metropolis - but, still responsible for housing a good portion of the some odd eight million inhabitants of Felucia.
"Ok. Follow me. And quite seriously - only bring your sabers. The first impression on the local law enforcement is always critical." With that cryptic comment, he began to walk - through the streets, around blocks, across a haphazard path that followed few maps and fewer landmarks. Eventually, though, they came to a stop in front of a squat two story building, with slicing transparisteel doors. "Follow my lead." Straightening his robes, pulling his hood up over his head for effect, Dandleion slowly walked in through the doors with hands steepled together - in typical Jedi stereotype. The doors parting before them, the lower level of the local precinct station hummed with activity, with peace officers and police droids milling about, taking care of various criminals, or, otherwise, going about their day. A particularly surly looking individual, a somewhat obese Devaronian, sidled up to the pair - a good portion of the floor falling silent as they noticed their chief talking to the pair of Jedi.
"Oi. You lot the Jedi 'n such? Come to investigate that here Twi'leki harlot?" The Devaronian looked the pair over more closely, his nose wrinkling in distaste.
Dand, un-steepling his hands, pulling the hood off his head, inclined his head in deference. "Indeed. May have the case files Chief...Darvest...Darvesto..." Dand began, before stumbling over the aliens name tag.
"Darvestorandeelson." The Devaronian corrected, without paying it much attention. "Most call me Darvest 'n such." Darvest, waving a hand to a nearby police droid, fetched the case papers, and handing them over to Dandleion. " 'Ere, all we got 'n whatnot. Can take a cruiser out back. Just' don knick it up and what."
Dandleion inclined his head, taking the papers offered. "Thank you, will do." Nudging Mary, Dand turned and exited the station, cracking open the file to glance over the contents. "Take notes. Rule number one; be nice to the local law officers. They don't like people on their turf, and Jedi especially aren't welcome. The easier you can make the process, the more people you can save."
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
Posts: 192
Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 8, 2016 17:31:54 GMT -8
Mary decided to ignore the question, after all, that had been the first time she had flown literally anything before. She hadn't even had a speeder bike back on Coruscant. Instead of leaving her other weapons, something that simply wasn't going to happen, Mary took a moment to rearrange them so that only the lightsabre could be seen outside her coat. She wasn't happy about the extra time it would take to pull them, but it was still far better than not having them at all.
Motioning for Naan to follow along, Mary feel into step behind the large man. Unlike the strange lack of people she had been dealing with so far, Kway Teow was at least populated, though she wouldn't call it a city. Mary let Dandy do all the talking in the station, mainly because she didn't have the first clue as to why they were here.
-Mary
Ya, security is the same. Never Jedi. But guards get over territorial with cops around. I know your point.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2016 17:46:41 GMT -8
Dandleion nodded, slowly, listening to Mary's words. Eventually, he handed her the case file. Inside were details on the twelve year old Rutian Twi'leki girl Nalla, who had been killed on the ninth block of the commercial district. Her death was odd and warranted Jedi attention due to the manner of her death - a small internal explosion near the base of her skull.
"Our first case as handed down by the Order. Nalla, twelve, Twi'lek, died of small micro explosion at the base of her skull. Motivation unknown, killer unknown." Walking around the station, Dandleion curled his lip at the dilapidated looking speeders near the rear, instead opting to pop the cargo trunk on one of the speeders and rifle around. Taking out several standard issue law enforcement utility belts, he handed the binders on one to Mary. "Take the binders. Our first priority is to capture suspects ALIVE. Unwarranted death will be dealt with harshly...first by me, then the order, then by law enforcement." Dand, meanwhile, strapped the utility belt onto his person. Containing cuffs, a snap baton, a micro lab, and a pair of grenade sized forensics droids, it would do in a pinch. "Alright...you driving, or me?"
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
Posts: 192
Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 8, 2016 17:56:23 GMT -8
Taking the offered belt, Mary quickly looked through it & returned the lab & the droids. The hookup in her mask back to the Science Lab in the Tempest, piggy backed using the Pod, was better than anything that could fit in something that small. A moment later the next belt was hooked around her hips, joining the other already there. A third belt was handed off to Naan as well, who seemed to be mostly keeping quiet.
-Mary
You already said the no death part. You drive.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2016 18:05:27 GMT -8
Dand nodded once, glad that the ban on death had been understood. Hopping into the speeder, keying the repulsorlift engines, the speeder zoomed out of the precinct and towards the commercial district. After a short drive, the speeder pulled into an alley between two squat factories. Both abandoned, their only inhabitants were the police droids that had cordoned off the crime scene in the alley. Pulling the speeder to a stop, Dand hopped out and approached the police droids, waving away their requests for authorization by flashing his saber at them. Walking forward, Dand shook his head at the sight before them.
A twelve year old Twi'lek, a tiny hole in the back of her skull oozing blood and brains, had fallen down face first in the alley. Wearing typical loose and revealing garments of Twi'lek origin, the blue skinned Rutian wore high heels on her feet, golden bangles on her wrists - which covered slight abrasions and bruising. Around the hole in her skull, there was noticeable scarring around the wound - most likely from a blade of some sort. Her fingernails, though painted, were cracked and broken.
"Alright...what are your initial thoughts Mary?"
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
Posts: 192
Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 8, 2016 18:26:19 GMT -8
A quick glance over the body didn't tell Mary much of anything beyond the fact the girl had been far too young to have a fighting chance against whatever did this. Mary however knew her own strengths & weaknesses. She couldn't sense anything through the force, but she had a link-up to a powerful diagnostic lab with a full heuristic suite & that was linked to the holonet. Pulling up the functions menu on her HUD, she pumped up the feed strength of on her signal from the standby trickle to the full powered connection. Quickly flipping through the options, Mary pulled up the injury/autopsy program. It wasn't as effective as cutting the body up, but the high power scanners mounted on her mask were plenty good for everything down to skeletal scans at this range.
The program automatically scanned the body, providing an estimated time of death, age & injury readout after a few short moments. One thing that caught Mary's eye was most of the injuries were fairly older than the fatal blow. A glance at the possible cause for those injuries made something dark inside Mary harden in response.
-Mary
Kidnap victim. Escaped. Head wound is wrong for a projectile. Showing explosive residue. Seeking dart missile? Suggests a high value target. Leverage on a local functionary?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2016 18:55:55 GMT -8
Dand watched as his Padawan worked, nodding at her summation. "Not a bad attempt. Correct about a kidnap victim. Correct about escaped." Kneeling down next to the body, Dand used a gentle tug of the force to manipulate the corpse. "Cracked fingernails - fighting barehanded, more than likely trying to scratch her way out of something. Bruises and abrasions around the wrists - still healing, she was bound for a prolonged period of time, until recently. The scars around her skull, crude operation marks...to place the slave tracker, the small explosive device that was fused to her skull, in place. She was a slave - here, on Felucia, were slavery is illegal."
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
Posts: 192
Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 8, 2016 19:11:54 GMT -8
Mary paused, trying to think of the term. She couldn't place it but her mask's connection to the holonet was once again useful, if overly graphic in this situation. The hardness inside her didn't lessen on this new information & the disgust in her voice was plain.
-Mary
There are places where that isn't illegal?
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Nartaga
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Sometimes you must pick the gun up to put the gun down.
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Post by Nartaga on Jan 9, 2016 10:56:43 GMT -8
Naan had been quiet, deciding not to cause any trouble for her new shipmates, staying out of the way as they handled their business. She followed closely behind Dandleion and Mary, her eyes wandering as she looked around the city. It was more amazing than she would have every imagined. There were all kinds of different people here.
When Naan was handed a utility belt, she could not fit it around her tiny waste, so she clipped it around her shoulder like a bandolier. The speeder ride was exhilarating. Everything was a new experience to her, and she was taking it in as best as she could. She stuck close to Mary when they came upon the body. She was not frightened or upset about the corpse before then, but a dead body was the last thing she had expected to see in a city that seemed so much more advanced than anything she'd seen on Tatooine.
-Naan in Tusken-
"People kill other people everywhere. Why do you care what happened to her?"
Naan may have come off a bit heartless for a child, but she was raised on Tatooine, and as a Tusken. Death was an inescapable fact there. If someone died, most people just moved on. Ceremonies were only held when someone important died. She had never heard of anyone investigating a killing before. It was a foreign concept.
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
Posts: 192
Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 9, 2016 17:44:42 GMT -8
In that moment, Mary realized the vast gulf between the two women. At eight, Mary hadn't even had crime as a vague concept. Let alone murder. To Naan it was just another part of life. That anyone, at any age, should suffer that was just wrong.
-Mary (in Tusken)
Because when this happens it hurts everyone. Whoever this girl was. Whatever she could have done. Gone. Someone took that from her. Someone took her from the galaxy. The strong should not hurt the weak. The strong should guide & protect the weak. So the weak grow strong. That is what separates the people that fly with the stars & those that grub around in the sand.
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Nartaga
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Sometimes you must pick the gun up to put the gun down.
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Post by Nartaga on Jan 9, 2016 18:03:12 GMT -8
Naan rubbed the side of her mask in confusion. She still did not entirely understand, but she could see that her comment had touched upon a sore subject with Mary.
-Naan in Tusken-
"I'm sorry...I guess I can see it that way. She might have grown up to be a Chieftess, or a Clan Mother, if someone had taught her to become strong?"
Naan took a few steps closer to the body before turning back to Mary.
-Naan in Tusken-
"Then why didn't anyone help her?"
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
Posts: 192
Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 9, 2016 18:09:59 GMT -8
Mary's shoulders slumped a little, it was too close. For a moment looking at the girl on the ground, she could see her own face. Blank eyes locked forever on an uncaring sky.
-Mary (in Tusken)
Because the universe isn't prefect. We didn't help her. But we can help others. By finding the person that did this & stopping them from ever hurting another.
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Nartaga
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Sometimes you must pick the gun up to put the gun down.
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Post by Nartaga on Jan 9, 2016 18:19:57 GMT -8
Naan was still trying to wrap her head around why anyone would care about one life of a slave, but she was trying her best to understand the difference in culture. This was definitely something she would tell her friends about when she went home.
-Naan in Tusken-
"So it's like a war then? Like when a rival clan sends scouts that kill your hunters, so your clan begins attacking their hunters. Except...the girl is your clan, and the person who did it is the enemy clan?"
That was probably as close as she was going to get. Naan was still very much overwhelmed by the scope of everything around her, and she was still trying to take everything in. She looked back down at the corpse and stared for a moment.
-Naan in Tusken-
"I think I understand it now. So when do you find the enemy and disembowel them?"
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
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Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 9, 2016 18:24:47 GMT -8
-Mary (in Tusken)
Hopefully, very soon.
There was a slight pause as Mary unfortunately remembered the no killing order from before.
-Mary (in Tusken)
Though in this case it is more capture them. Bring them back so that they can tell us how to find others in their clan. Then disembowel them in public to keep others from joining the enemy clan.
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Nartaga
Member
Sometimes you must pick the gun up to put the gun down.
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Post by Nartaga on Jan 9, 2016 18:41:23 GMT -8
Naan took out her knife and held it in her left hand. The jagged blade shone with the light of the city. She looked back to Mary. Even with her mask the look of determination behind it could be felt. The fact that she had just a while ago been stowing away on a ship and crying about seeing the stars was unbelievable. She was raised among a race to whom war was always on the horizon. Tuskens had waged war all their existence, and they were very good at it, even their children. Even out of her element, away from her home, she would do what she could to help Mary and Dandleion avenge their fallen clan member.
-Naan in Tusken-
"I will help you find the clan responsible for this, and we shall cleanse them from this world!"
Naan ran the blade across her gloved hand, and blood started to creep out from the slit flesh. She held the knife out to Mary, hilt first.
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Mary Cerulea
The Jedi Order
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Affiliation: Jedi Lords
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Post by Mary Cerulea on Jan 9, 2016 20:39:09 GMT -8
Mary's mind went blank for a moment, not sure how to deal with the sudden self-destructive actions of the younger girl. The knife moving in her direction, however kick-started her brain. Only the last moment realization that it was the handle & not the blade kept Mary from lashing out with a focused beam of TK.
-Mary (in Tusken)
Hold on, what are you doing?
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