Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on May 6, 2018 6:55:57 GMT -8
What the Historian found dismayed him deeply. The sacking of the Enclave had been very thorough, and the normal terminals that Picas would use to access the data that he himself had contributed to during his training under Master Starfall were in ruins. Wires were everywhere and random sparks cast an eerie glow in the long room attached to the courtyard. "What could have done this?"
He saw scorch marks on every surface that suggested an indiscriminate barrage of destructive blaster bolts. The air was heavy with the smell of burnt electronics. Picas approached the blue terminal that looked the most intact, looking for an access port for a storage device. The input screen was cracked and would not respond to his touches, and his normal Jedi patience wore thin, resulting in a clenched fist bashing on the wall next to him. "It's all gone..."
Picas and the other Jedi had never imagined the need to store any information in another place. Disaster recovery was not something the Jedi had thought of; they were, after all, the finest warriors in the galaxy and for the majority of their history were peacekeepers of one galactic government or another. The loss was indescribable. Picas now had a dilemma. Should he stay at the Enclave and rebuild what he could, or should he go searching for Karrus and Wyt? What if either of them decided to return and encounter danger? That decided the matter; Picas would have to stay. He could not allow the love of his life, or the young Wyt, to walk into a trap.
He had another question that needed answering: was this destruction restricted to the Enclave, or had it been Dantooine-wide? What about Garang? Picas needed to find out what had transpired.
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on May 8, 2018 11:46:55 GMT -8
A high-pitched rhythmic sequence of beeps came from his pocket. Picas looked down and reached into his white Historian robes to withdraw his comlink. Interference crackled through the receiver, indicating the call was coming from a long way away. He could just about make out Wyt's distinctive voice, as distorted as it was, coming through. He grabbed the device tightly and shouted into it.
"Wyt, can you hear me? Where are you? I'm still on Dantooine!"
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on May 10, 2018 11:56:11 GMT -8
There was interference, but Picas understood the message well enough. Wyt had found someone of interest on the world of Geonosis, and that someone needed help. Being a Jedi, the Historian was obliged to at least try. But what of Karrus? What if he should return, and find the Enclave ruined and Picas nowhere to be seen? He exhaled deeply, which often helped him think, and decided that his worries were more centred on the inexperienced Nautolan. Karrus, a former Sith Lord, was more than capable of handling himself.
"Alright, Wyt; I'll try and find my way there."
The end of Wyt's sentence had been scrambled with interference and he did not hear about the part where someone would come and collect him.
"Geonosis, eh?" He said to himself. "Time for another adventure, it seems."
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on May 13, 2018 1:15:18 GMT -8
Picas could not leave just yet. He had to see if anyone was alive in the Enclave, and if there were any valuable Jedi artifacts that could be recovered. The terminals from the archive were damaged beyond repair; so much so that he couldn't even access them. Maybe there were other options. He turned and headed for the private quarters, beyond the now-smoking tree that had been the centre of Enclave life for so many decades.
Picas kept the feed from the Force to a minimum. He did not want to experience what others had experienced here, during the sacking. Residual emotions from such a horrific event would still echo in the Force and the Historian did not need that to realise something awful happened here. The doors to the private quarters - where the Jedi slept - had all been forced open. Here another piece of the puzzle presented itself. Picas could definitely see gouges in the surfaces caused by the plasma blade of a lightsaber. Using his excellent mental acuity from decades of Jedi training, he forced himself not to dwell on the possibilities and 'what-ifs'. Picas had an objective, and solemnly - as if in grieving - he entered the first room, looking for anything that could be saved.
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on May 19, 2018 10:58:10 GMT -8
Picas searched through the different chambers that were accessible. Some weren't; debris lay all over, sometimes damaging door controls or blocking his path entirely. Whoever had committed this atrocity had done so thoroughly. The Historian could find no memories worth saving; no objects that he could pick up and protect from further damage. He only found destruction, charred remains, and the stench of death.
The enclave was disturbingly silent. Where birds could normally be heard in the trees dotted around the building, or playing kath hounds in the distance, there was nothing. It disturbed Picas' concentration, then, when the distinct whine of a speeder approaching could be heard.
Careful not to disturb any of the bodies on the floor, he rushed to the entrance. Again, he decided not to open himself up to any other sensory input from the Force.
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on Jun 8, 2018 11:22:21 GMT -8
Picas stood at the entrance door. There was no use in trying to hide; he had bright white historian robes on. He could have tried to make himself one with the White Current and hide that way, but he decided against it. Perhaps the being approaching knew what happened to the temple.
The man who dismounted from a speeder was elderly. Not too old, but definitely aging. Older than Picas, that was for sure. He had the presence of a military man, though, which intrigued the Jedi. The man knew what he wanted and approached Picas without hesitation, but caution was apparent in his eyes. He stopped a few feet from the entrance and nodded, hand hovering over the blaster at his hip. "Picas Dixon?"
Picas nodded, surprised that the man knew him. "Yes."
"I'm Jensen Lorgo. I'm here to help you get your ship."
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on Jun 18, 2018 3:52:53 GMT -8
It turned out that Jensen was the gentleman who was charged with Picas' request of finding a ship, and he had indeed located an ideal specimen. Unfortunately, that specimen was also in the hands of Knoxia, who had requested an audience with Picas himself before arranging the drop-off. Picas had asked why, as it seemed suspicious, but this just drew a shrug from Mr. Lorgo. "She doesn't ask me about my clients' requests, and I don't ask her why she requires certain things."
Picas was very much aware that he may still be in danger in the Enclave, but he had nowhere else to go. Reluctantly he agreed and they proceeded to what was the Council Chamber. The large, circular chamber was littered with debris from the sacking, and bodies still lay where they had fallen. Picas kept an eye on Jensen, who seemed relatively at ease with the death presented before him. Perhaps he was not all he seemend...
It wasn't long before the hologram of Knoxia appeared in life-size dimensions before them. She was a Twi'lek, her face angry and her stance full of attitude. He could not tell the colour of her skin through the hologram and simply bowed. "Good day, Knoxia. My name is Picas Dixon - Mr. Lorgo tells me you wanted to talk with me?"
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on Jun 29, 2018 1:57:09 GMT -8
Jensen observed as Picas, the Jedi who had requisitioned a ship from him, made small talk with Knoxia. It didn't feel like small talk, though. Picas seemed as wise as Jedi come, and was able to answer all of the astute woman's questions with complete sincerity, and yet he gave nothing away. It was a skill that Jensen was severely lacking. He was a former admiral, and a good one at that. He was used to be direct and his conversations were normally short and to the point; orders had to be clear, after all, and short. Especially in the middle of an engagement.
Warships were designed for massive destruction. Being in charge of a flotilla and seeing the power he could wield humbled him somewhat, but that still didn't change his skillset.
"Are we agreed, then?" Picas asked.
Knoxia thought for a moment. She had been incredibly hard to please. She had initially wanted to know why the Jedi wanted such an unusual and antiquated ship, but the questioning went way further than that small topic. She had asked him about his past, about his plans with the ship itself, and talked about the galactic issues of present. A big touching point was obviously the First Order, and she had been very clear about this ship not being used to benefit any of their efforts. Jensen knew that Picas was telling the truth when he explained it would not be used in that manner; he was going to use it as a base of operations during his travels and the first stop was Geonosis, to pick up a Padawan that had become stranded.
Knoxia seemed fine with this. She smiled and nodded. "Wait there."
Jensen's eyebrows rose. Why had she told them to wait?
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on Jul 1, 2018 11:51:10 GMT -8
Knoxia had told them to wait because, apparently, she was in the area and wanted to drop by. In a ship. In Picas' new ship.
The globular spy ship looked a lot bigger than the Historian had expected. He whistled as it approached, noting how quiet it was on its advanced repulsorlifts, before setting down in the courtyard. Picas could see the smaller scout ship nested in the 'front' of the transport. Well, as much as a sphere had a 'front' at all. Steam and pressure was released as the Skyblind settled on its four landing struts.
A few seconds passed and Picas' white robes billowed as air rushed past him. Then what he could only describe as a lift appeared beneath the craft. Its doors opened and there stood who Picas assumed to be Knoxia, leaning on her right shoulder and smiling mischievously. The admiral who had found the Jedi at the Enclave walked towards her. "Nice ship!" He shouted. She gestured for them to get in the lift with her.
"She's a beauty? Want to see more?"
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on Jul 1, 2018 12:29:23 GMT -8
Picas definitely wanted to see more. He stepped into the lift with Jensen and watched as the doors closed. It was a few moments before they opened again, but his view was completely different. The Jedi was impressed, and he expressed this feeling. "I didn't even feel us move," he said. The Jedi Historian was now looking at quite an empty deck. The room he stepped out into encircled the central turbolift, and there was only one room of importance. Directly ahead of Picas was a doorway leading into the bridge.
"This is deck six; the bridge. Empty rooms line the corridor that you stepped out into for extra cargo, and there are some backup systems in two separate computer rooms here. The Skyblind has one pilot only, and everything can be controlled from that room." Knoxia pointed to the bridge that Picas was now approaching. "The first thing you'll see and have to get used to is that there are no transparesteel viewscreens. Everything you see will be from data input from the ship's shields."
Picas looked at her, confused. She shrugged. "You wanted the ship; I suggest you read the manual."
The Jedi Historian would do just that, and gave a small shrug himself. "I'm not going to be the one flying it. Jensen is."
The former admiral had been quiet and only stirred at the mention of his name. He thought he would openly protest, but the Jedi must have been sensing what Jensen had been feeling for a while now. He yearned for something more; to get back into the fray. It was something he could do with the Jedi. He shrugged and made no comment. Knoxia continued her description of the ship.
"Deck seven has all the escape pods; enough for six people. Deck five is the general living area; crew quarters, 'freshers, dining area; everything is there. Deck four has the engine rooms and mechanical rooms, but also small spherical shuttle you must know about already. It's called the Landing Sphere, but normally it's given its own identification. I'm sure you'll come up with something. Deck three is for mainly cargo, plus it has the two major airlocks. Deck two is the torpedo bay, and finally deck one houses the repulsors."
She looked at the Jedi and admiral and smiled; her job done. "Any questions?"
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on Jul 1, 2018 14:01:53 GMT -8
Both Picas and Jensen shook their heads. Picas felt extremely lucky; he had a ship with exactly the correct features befitting a Jedi Historian. And now it was time to put it to use. Knoxia bade her farewells and left via the central turbolift. Picas gestured towards the single-seat bridge. "You get yourself acquainted, Jensen," he said. "Take us to Geonosis at the earliest opportunity."
"Where are you going?"
Picas turned towards the turbolift once Knoxia had cleared the craft. "I'm going to claim my bed!"
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Picas Dixon
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Post by Picas Dixon on Jul 2, 2018 2:36:20 GMT -8
Jensen took a few hours to familiarise himself with the controls and get used to the fact that there was no transparent viewscreen for him to look out of, only an artificial display that was apparently fed by data received by the shields. Did this mean the shields had to be on constantly for him to be able to see anything? He would have to get used to reading data and not looking at a landscape - or spacescape - when the shields weren't raised.
The sphere was a perfect shape to allow for a calm and smooth ascent on repulsorlifts, until they were high enough for the ion engines to kick in and take it out of the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Picas had claimed the bed he thought was most comfy.
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Post by Nicademus Delvardus IV on Oct 28, 2020 16:32:35 GMT -8
Voon Ostrenis-Massa It was the ideal place. After the Battle of Dantooine, that sparked the Third Galactic Civil War, the Jedi Enclave was left in ruins. The Imperials had planned to turn this into an outpost for the Imperial Knights, but the planet proved too hostile to Imperialization, so the project was abandoned. Construction had already begun, but was left in neglect now. The ruins remained one of the testaments to the vicious war that had seen the resurgence of an Empire within the galaxy. Now, perhaps, it could serve as a symbol of hope for the future.
The Huurton Front, one of major rebel cells on Dantooine, answered the call from a hidden frequency, once used by the old Rebel Alliance. It brought their commander, a self-proclaimed Brigadier of the Front by the name of An Sovv, a Sullustan native to the planet, and the rest of his leadership, into contact with the Resistance, a military organization that had the backing and support of the democratic successor to the Republic, the Corellian Coalition. It was an opportunity to get off the world, supply a greater cause, and take their fight further than just Dantooine. If they could succeed, in any degree, then it would give hope to the other rebel cells on this planet. After talks, it was agreed that the Jedi Enclave's ruins would be an ideal place to be spirited off world. Over the course of a month, the Huurton Front began hiding its supplies of ammunition, weapons, food stuffs, medical supplies, and such within the ruins. A small company of their own kept watch day and night.
However, the threat to their escape was not something physically seen. Imperial Intelligence had managed to pick up the signal just a week after plans were set into motion. Huurton Front did its best to keep things quiet, but their radio traffic was becoming a buzz. Agents of the First Order gathered intel and sent it to the I.I. leadership. From there, orders were sent off to Malleus Squadron at Yaga Minor and one of the Stormtrooper garrisons, a full legion of men and vehicles with a complement of starfighters. On the auspicious day, the rebels and their collaborators would be in for a surprise...
INCOMING!!The voice rang among the personnel of the Resistance and the Huurton Front who gathered in the ruins of the Jedi Enclave with transports ready to take them to the fleet in orbit. The sound of the arrival of a pair of Resurgent-class Battlecruisers, in orbit, alerted them to an Imperial armed response. The alert, yelled by a sentry, came from the sighting of TIE/fos, screeching from the garrison. Their pilots aiming to strafe their foe. Yet, there was cause for alarm.WALKERS! IMPERIAL WALKERS DUE NORTH!!Another sentry yelled as a pair of AT-M6s, along with a swarm of Imperial Armored Transports and smaller walkers peaked over the horizon. The soldiers of the 87th Garrison Legion were the responding force to attempt to escape off-world. Taking down the Huurton Front was now within their sights and the Imperials saw the opportunity and seized it. It would not be long before the Garrison Legion was within firing range and their troopers unloaded for a massive assault against the hastily fortified ruins of the Jedi Enclave.
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Post by Voon Ostrenis-Massa on Oct 30, 2020 10:37:59 GMT -8
"Curses"
Said the Duros senator behind his teeth and the complex shaked. The Sullustan punched the table.
"They got us..."
Ostrenis knew this was a risky operation, they were far too deep into enemy territory.
"What kind of defenses do we have?"
"They're a paltry thing compared to those walkers. Only a score of turbolasers and a number of turrets"
The men and women rushed themselves grabbing ammo packs and rifles, a few carried larger blasters, to cut down the approaching enemy infantry. Mortars were being fired and few artillery pieces while concrete flew off in all directions every time it was hit by the walking behemoths. Voon keyed something on his vambrace.
"Flame squadron, take off! Protect the freighters! Iden, defend the perimeter. Captain Lantt, engage the turbolasers and provide covering fire"
The camp was almost crowded: rows of people loaded into the freighters, some of which were close to departure, engines already engaged. The senator and chief of state's own ship, the Dodonna, was close to the cell's commander center and its shields were raised, covering up the estructure, while the turbolasers directed their fire towards the enemy walkers. The Flame squadron and a score of other fighters took flight from the compound, supported by the Iden Versio, a Raider-class, with its quick-firing cannons.
"The freighters, brigadier, they must be loaded inmediately, we must leave for orbit in less than half a hour, else we'll be annihilated! Kaminoan vulture's food!"
Fighters engaged in dogfights while the defenders started a fierce brawl with the incoming foes. It was a fight for survival.
"Thrice-damned Sith-spawn..."
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