Open Event An End to the Killik Threat

[Zana Ryks]

The horrific gurgles and screams emanating from the enclosed capsules only compounded the ever-present desire to keep moving. It was indeed their way to stop and provide aid to those in need, but therein lay the problem. To stop and delay the mission risked the latter itself while ignoring the problem would be a bitter salve, even in victory.

Zana stood still momentarily, carefully considering both perspectives before making her own known.

"We don't even know if they can be safely removed right now, for all you know cutting open the sacs could kill them." She paused for a moment, glancing toward them. "The Killiks likely wouldn't attack them while they're in there, right? If we try to move them now, they'd be at a greater risk."

It therefore seemed more prudent to deal a blow to the hive and then return after to free them. "My heart aches for them, truly. But if we fail in our primary mission to save these lives, how many more shall we risk?"

Spoiler: text

Team small mound
Zana votes to continue the mission and come back for the victims later

 

[Johanes av Holsen]

TEAM BIG MOUND​

This wasn't too bad, Johan thought as they advanced through towards the heart of the hive. Weird though, he definitely expected more bugs along the way, but he certainly wouldn't complain about that.

Reaching the intersection, he glanced toward the right as Harald asked if he wanted to join them. Ominous... Though, Theia was right. It did feel like a trap, and enough of them already volunteered to follow her down there. "I'll go to the left, Master. Good luck." With a simple nod, he turned towards the path on the left and paused to listen while observing the tracks.

The bustling, the faint clicking of mandibles echoing off the walls— unsettling to say the least. With a deep breath, he glanced back at Harald, offering him a gentle smile before following the other Jedi down the trodden path, his lightsaber still drawn but not yet lit.

@The Good Doctor @Altaris @GABA @Narzen @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos @Arcangel

Spoiler: tl; dr

Johan picks the left, observing the tracks and the bustling down the path, lightsaber in hand, still unlit.

 

[Drexus Brogroo]

Team Small Mound

Drexus slid in with the group, and noticed the pods. Everyone began their debates on saving them, leaving them, stunning them. The ideas became plentiful but there was only one true answer. They had to leave them. Worst case they come back to attack as Killik, but best case they're still people and can be saved after the mission's completion. The Zabrak would stand tall and observe the area as Knight Ryks @Xorism would explain how the situation was in reality.

"She's right, if you care for their lives they're better where they are now. Once the Queen is dead we'll be able to save them." Drexus turned to nod to the worrisome Jedi Knight @Rom before speaking up, "My Father fought the Killik some time ago. Best we not feed into their killstreak." The Zabrak wasn't the kindest about how he said it, but he never was. Being a Padawan he knew he was outranked, but on a battlefield rank begins to fade as danger increases.

Pulling out his lightsaber in his right hand, he prepared to use it on any surprise attack. He kept it disengaged even though something about a Killik cave with a bunch of randoms who may possibly be Joined, screamed danger. He kept his head on a swivel watching everyone around the Jedi to make sure nothing was to attack randomly.

@Phoenix ​

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan stood with the others on the big mound path and thought about what was being said. The loud noise on the left screamed life and Killiks ahead but then there was the other path which was quiet, dark and had an ominous feeling. It led deeper into the hive but there was mystery shrouded on that path. If Kaedan had to guess it, the right path would eventually lead to the queen, hidden and hiding from threat but a trap set for those who dared to come near. Well, now it came time to choose which path he was going to go down.

Before he could answer, he heard the words of his fellow Jedi. Some wanted to go left and Theia decided that she and two others should go right. Harald the Jedi Knight and Mako the Jedi Knight both chose to accompany her while the others chose to go left. Even though Theia thought that a 3 man squad would be all that was needed on the right path, Kaedan looked at how many were on the main mound path. "While I do think a split is great, only having three on the right path while having six go the other way maybe isn't the best idea. Having too many eggs in one basket while not enough in the other could be a recipe for disaster. I would recommend a more balanced team of 5 go left 4 go right or vice verse. Ultimately, it comes down to if you think this change is necessary and if so I am more than willing to join you on the right path. Also, this side gives me the creeps which also could be more of a reason why it may very well lead to something."

Logically, Kaedan could see how a small team would have the added stealth and less problem benefit but in a hive those benefits could be very well flipped. The stealth would be robbed and they could find something so powerful that they would need additional help. This was what he thought of.
@GABA @Altaris @Wills @The Good Doctor @Wit @Narzen @Arcangel @Mythos

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred raised an eyebrow as the others discussed the idea of splitting up after his suggestion that something certainly waited down the tight tunnel. While such an idea did not initially make him feel comfortable at first, it certainly made the most sense.

Still, the possible problems of splitting up needed to be mitigated in any way possible.

"Young Javik..." alhazred spoke up to the fellow padawan, even though he himself wasn't addressed ( @StephDLegend) . "Provided each team has a comm ready, we should be able to call for help. And barring that, the force may be strong enough to at least sense if the other group is in peril. I believe I can get impressions at the very least from the other group, provided someone stays open to the force, and i will do my best to relay any emotions i have back. Other than that, perhaps it would be best if more went with the left side. Two knights and a padawan should be able to handle themselves I'd think, and it looks like numbers are to the left. After all, tracks are hard things to decieve, Are they not? "

With that, Alhazred made his way towards the left, more trodden path, all the while chanting small mantras in an effort to keep himself open to the force and to the others to sense him.

@GABA @Altaris @Wills @The Good Doctor @Wit @Phoenix @Arcangel @Mythos

Spoiler: DM Info

Alhazred Suggests larger group go the left path, where it looks like more killiks may be waiting
Alhazred also suggests to group to remain open in the Force to make it easier to sense and find each other, and possibly communicate via telepathy or comms
Alhazred chooses to travel the left path

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Small mound.

"Someone with a can should remain here with the prisoners, but we shouldn't release them yet," Ezra said, "I will venture forth with anyone else to check out the perimeters," He said before he strode off to do just that.

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t help the grimace that gradually worked its way across his expression. They had already divided their numbers in half to attack both mounds, and splitting them further brought a distinct spike of anxiety into the Pantoran. But what real choice did they have?

He took in a breath through his nostrils, nodding ever-so-slightly when Theia spoke. He took one final look at the group of them, a silent prayer to the Force echoing through his mind.

“Take care of yourselves,” He said, before turning himself towards the left tunnel. Ferrin fell into step beside Rain, offering the Padawan a small smile and nod as they continued down the narrow passageway. While his companions looked to the physical, Ferrin instead reached out through the Force - allowing his consciousness to expand all around him.

All life, sinister or benevolent, was connected in the Living Force. They were all a part of a greater whole - subject to the ebb and flow of energy all around them. And it was through this network that Ferrin reached out, peering beyond the darkness and maze-like caverns ahead of him. If the Queen or an ambush of her warriors was waiting for them, he wanted to know it. If there was nothing but stone and dead ends, he wanted to know it.

 

[Vanya]

Team Big Mound Right​

The small team that had gone down the rightmost path would find that the darkness within only deepened until they could barely see. Or at least until they activated their lightsabers to push it back.

They would travel for a time through a maze of tunnels, and it was prudent that Theia had seen fit to mark the path. Eventually, they would reach a location that opened into a large room again, this one with several humanoids inside, almost mindlessly milling about the area.

The horrors only deepened, though, as they would see that others still had been... carved up. Their bodies flayed in various unspeakable ways as if piece of them were being harvested for... something.

At the far side of the room was another corridor leading out, and one of the humans moving through the area looked to them, eyes wide with... fear? Surprise? It was a bit difficult to tell, and his mouth moved. At first the sound was difficult to hear, but on the repeat attempt, two quiet words could be heard.

Kill... me...

If they investigated further, those moving about the area seemed to be... similarly captivated, not raising the alarm but unable to break free from the Joining.

@GABA @The Good Doctor @Wills @Arcangel

Team Big Mound Left​

The darkness in this place made identifying anything with the sense of the Force far more difficult. Those who decided to reach out (@Narzen. @Mythos) would find that everything was obscured and as they opened up their senses, they would feel almost stifled. If they continued to try to search out the tunnels, they would quickly be overwhelmed if they didn't withdraw once again.

The path into the left side of the mound would only have the noise growing the deeper they went. As Rain (@Wit) started looking at the tracks in this place, she would note that the bulk of the prints were small and in keeping with the size of the bulk of the Killiks. She would also, however, note that at least one set of tracks was much larger than the rest.

Moving further, they would come to... could it even really be called a room? A massive cavern that went at least hundred meters down opened up beneath them.

To their left and right were bridges that extended over the cavern and dozens of other bridges beneath them. Across the bridges and caverns were swarms and swarms of Killiks. Although the hive had been "emptied" for the attack, there were still hundreds of Killiks below, though they would note... there did not seem to be any Joined in this room.

At the moment, there were no Killiks on the bridges in front of them, though how long that lasted would be in question. Surely assaulting the hive below would be suicide, but perhaps there was something to be learned here. Perhaps there was something they could use. Or perhaps they simply needed to move on before they were discovered.

@Altaris @Narzen @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos

Team Small Mound​

Vanya felt shocked as she looked at the people in their pods, locked away and imprisoned to be enslaved. Joined to a hive that clearly had some connection to the Dark Side.

If they killed the Queen would these people be freed? If they left them here would they be forever enslaved? What risk did freeing them pose? Could they trust them?

Vanya listened to the others, and found herself drawn to the idea of freeing and stunning them. Putting them all to sleep with the Force sounded... exhausting, but perhaps it would be necessary. If someone had a stun blaster it seemed as if it would be more feasible. Was that very Jedi of them? Maybe not, but dying for no reason was also not very Jedi.

Desperate times...

The vote seemed to be in favor of keeping them in the cells for now, and as much as Vanya hated it, it was probably the right decision.

So they would press on and find the first inklings of their target. The darkness in the Force grew deeper the further they went and they would be faced with the appearance of mangled bodies on their path. At first it was animal bodies, then humanoids, and then finally Killiks. Whatever was here was feeding on anything and anyone that it could get a hold of, leaving husked remains and old flesh sucked free of its innards. Everyone would begin to feel physically ill and it wasn't clear whether that was because of the sights they were seeing or the worsening darkness around them.

They were close now.

@Rom @Phoenix @Scoobert @TheDudeMike @Sreeya @Aberforth @Xorism

 

[Perun]

TEAM SMALL MOUND

Perun's heart weighed heavy with the decision to leave the captives behind. The guilt gnawed at him, like a relentless tide eroding the shores of his resolve. Yet, he recognized the necessity of their choice, the pragmatic calculation in the face of a greater threat. With a deep, fortifying breath, he steeled himself, his golden eyes hardening with determination. "We move forward," he declared, his voice a blend of regret and resolve. "But we carry them in our thoughts, vowing to return."

As they ventured deeper into the hive, the presence of the dark side grew increasingly oppressive. It was a suffocating blanket, smothering the light and twisting the air into a palpable miasma of malevolence. Perun felt it clawing at his senses, a sinister whisper trying to seep into the crevices of his mind. His fur bristled in response, each step a battle against the encroaching darkness.

The sight of the mangled bodies further tainted the atmosphere, a grotesque tableau of death and desecration. The stench of decay mingled with the cold, damp air of the hive, turning Perun's stomach. He recognized the onset of physical illness, a reaction to the horror before them, compounded by the growing darkness.

Instinctively, Perun reached out with the Force, his mind focusing on the air around them. He conjured a gust of wind, a cleansing zephyr to purify the fetid air. The wind swirled around the group, a protective cocoon against the unseen toxins and the suffocating darkness, the Jedi Master dreaded was responsible for his physical side effects. Perun was prepared to escalate his efforts, ready to transform the gentle breeze into a formidable windshield should the need arise.

The Ma'alkerrite Jedi Master's eyes remained vigilant, his senses attuned to the ever-present danger knowing he would not be able to maintain the technique for long. The dark side was strong here, but so was his resolve.

OOC: Perun ventures forth with his group and summons a purifying gust of wind to support his teammates, hoping it will alleviate some of the physical side effects they are experiencing. @Rom @Phoenix @Scoobert @TheDudeMike @Sreeya @Aberforth @Xorism

 

[Natalie Hope]

TEAM SMALL MOUND

Natalie breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the team seemed to vote against freeing the goo-ridden test tubers. Not only for the sake of not having to stay behind to watch them, but also for the sake of not having them end up being killik brained already and ending up in a two front fight. Still, the weight of the decision was heavy. She frowned, focusing on one tube in particular that had a kid no older than ten in it. Just a little longer, kid. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late.

The thought of being too late to save the people seemed to disappear though, the moment they began to go deeper into the hive. Animal bodies were to be expected, Natalie guessed. She had no idea what killiks ate, but she definitely didn't expect the bodies to be left around without care. Then the humanoid bodies started, and the prickly feeling of danger crawled up her spine. She could sense the darkness getting denser and denser the further they went. It was like a weighted blanket, and by the time the killik bodies started to appear, that weighted blanket was being pulled tightly over her mouth trying to suffocate her. It practically sucked the wonder out of seeing a killik for the first time away from her.

What was surprising to Natalie, was just how much that suffocation didn't bother her. Her senses were heightened, hazel eyes moving quickly from shadow to shadow. Even her right hand had instinctively grabbed the hilt of her lightsaber and kept it at the ready. She wasn't afraid of the darkness around them, despite the creeping feeling of dread. It felt as if she was thriving- not with the darkness, but against it. The feeling didn't stop her heart from trying to beat its way out of her chest though.

"Hey Vanya, can we maybe have like a tropical vacation in between terrifying situations?" Natalie quipped. She gave Vanya (@Phoenix ) a glance, eyes hardened and expression showing no real signs of joking. Honestly, even if they were on a vacation, the two would probably find some sort of darkness to quell; they were pretty good at that. "If any Padawans came with us, now would be a good time to get to the middle of the group."

Even with the MonkeyMan's (@Aberforth ) defensive breeze, the stench of death was apparent. She blocked her mind from focusing on it. Maybe it was the oppressive nature of the darkside that kept her nostrils blasted with it. They were getting closer.

Spoiler: TL;DR

• Natalie does NOT free people from the test tubes, and continues forward.
• Natalie calls for any Padawans to get in the center of the group of Jedi

 

[Ezra Thorne]

SMALL MOUND
​

Ezra had felt darkness before from the times he was pulled into the Mortis realm and came across the wound in the Force that was Raze himself. He carried a scar from that even today. He also faced darkness when he purged it on Byblos. Being a Jedi Master didn’t mean he lost all of his snobby traits. He almost gagged upon entering the smelly corridors and coming across the carcasses.

“I still maintain a bombardment would have been the better answer..” He said quietly, barely audible. He didn’t need anyone lecturing him on how there were prisoners. Jedi needed to operate on the actions for the greater good instead of trying to save every last person. He took a moment to investigate the bodies.

In conjunction with Perun’s efforts, Ezra focused the Force and applied Force Light to attack the looming presence of the Dark Side directly. It would be a searing and burning sensation for anything that channeled it, his powers in the Force now amplified.

“There is something other than simply Killik at work here,” He said grimly, noting that even Killik weren’t spared. His brows furrowed, “Or perhaps…some Killik are unjoining on their own and are eliminated..” He trailed off. That seemed unlikely, but he would assess every angle. He relied on his fine tuned hearing to listen for any noises and mitigate surprises.

Spoiler: actions

1. Ezra walks deeper in, inspects bodies for clues
2. Ezra casts Force Light

@Phoenix

 

[Drexus Brogroo]

Team Small Mound​

Drexus, taking note of his surrounding area, decided he didn't want to stick around a bunch of helpless liabilities. He wanted to push forth with the rest of the group. Knowing how the Jedi operate, he would usually be advised to stick back and defend the others, but he wanted to fight. He wanted to feel as useful as possible. Unfortunately it felt like the force was giving him a sign.

Just as he began venturing forth, he felt it. The familiar cold.. the darkness. The Dark Side was calling to him like a drug to an addict. He felt every bit of it. The wave the Monkey sent out was a little helpful but he still felt his urges to put the dark side to use. Drexus begin trying to take his mind off of it. He tried shrugging it off, tried scratching at the random itches, but it still ate at him. Taking this time to try and focus on the force light Ezra had sent out, he would try thinking of why he's learning the light. Why he became a Jedi.

The only thing he had hoped was the darkness would not be able to take hold of him. He wants to be better for the Jedi, and he can't do that if his struggles are met with failure. He gripped his lightsaber harder and pressed on. He really hoped he wouldn't relapse, or it's going to be one hell of a recovery again.

Spoiler: Actions

Pressed forth with the others, unless given orders to stay behind

@Phoenix

 

[Harald av Svendsen]

Big Mound | Right Side — "Great idea Theia" he as she was marking the path as they went along. They are in an unknown area, this place is a arcane maze, and only the Killiks and any other it's hive mind can understand it. There is no telling to what depths the maze this place goes to. As Harald went with the others, Harald had the lightsaber hilt in his hand.

Then they would come into the huge chamber, there would be people of various species roaming about, as if they are in a trance. Upon further going in, then the Sverend native would see flayed people who been carved out.. Harald was disgusted by this sight and he looked at the captives roaming about again. It really was unfortunate that the Jedi weren't here sooner...

Despite being woefully unprepared for this situation, this is but a taste of the full extent of what the Killiks have in store for the galaxy. These people walking are in docile and are left to their own devices, they aren't triggering the alarm, so they aren't a threat that needs to be dealt with. Harald started to look for things of potential interest , devices in the large chambers, and/or the next path forward.

Then there is one of the Killik captives that when heard aloud that has just asked to be killed. Harald would look to Mako Krim, the other Jedi Knight. "What should we do for them now you think?" the captives should be safeguarded and will need help asap surely, but they also need to continue .

Spoiler: the abridged version

dialog, moving forward, noticing the captives
dialogue to mako after seeing flayed one ask for death
also investigating the area looking for anything interesting or the way forward

@GABA @Arcangel

 

[Mako Krim]

Big Mound Right​

The light of Mako's lightsaber would lead the way through the ever darkening tunnels until they finally came to a chamber. The first thing that hit the Pyke Jedi was the smell. The smell of death.

Littered about the room were corpses, appearing to have been dissected for some nefarious purpose. Or perhaps just sustenance. Living joined littered the room as well, though they appeared to be docile, uninterested in the newcomers. Mako eyed them warily as he took it all in. If what he knew about the hive mind of the Killik and the joined were true, they no doubt had lost the element of surprise. If they had ever had it to begin with.

Mako moved to examine some of the bodies. Their appearance sickened him, but he had seen much that had sickened him in his time. It didn't make it better, but he felt a cold detachment come over him as he tried to ascertain what exactly had been taken from the dead, whether there was a pattern to the madness, purpose to the harvest. Or whether violence and carnage had been the point.

The voice of his fellow Jedi Knight pulled him from the task for a moment and he eyed the joined uneasily. He had not missed the quiet plea for death from the one man and he wondered what the 'right' thing to do would be. The fact that the Joined man had even been able to voice an independent thought from the swarm was something all on its own.

"I am... Not sure what we can do for them." He said after a moment of thought. As far as he was aware, once Joined, the process was permanent. They could give the man what he wanted, strike him down and release him from this prison of torment. But what would that make of them.

"The fact that he can even ask it of us... Is that significant?" He mused aloud. "Might the swarm be losing its grasp on itself?" And what would that mean if it was, he wondered.

@Phoenix @GABA @The Good Doctor

Spoiler: DM Notes

Mako examines the bodies for clues as to why they were dismembered.
Reply to Harald

 

[Johanes av Holsen]

TEAM BIG MOUND | LEFT​

As they ventured deeper down the path and into the large, what seemed like a cavern, Johan slowed his pace as he trailed behind the two knights. Gripping his saber, he cautiously approached the ledge just enough to take a peak at the hordes of Killiks beneath them, trying his best not to be spotted. His gaze shifted up at the bridges ahead— seemingly the only way forward— before returning his gaze to the abyss below, observing the swarm.

What are they doing? He wondered. The Killiks were clearly more than aware of the Jedi's presence here, so why no opposition? The thought was unsettling, and each passing minute further convinced him that this had to be a trap of some kind.

"Maybe we should try to be a little sneaky about this," he said, turning to the rest of the group. Getting the attention of a swarm that size would probably be a little more than they can handle without a plan, for now anyway.

@Altaris @Narzen @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos

Spoiler: tl; dr

Johan observes the cavern & the Killiks below, trying to determine what they may be up to. Then he suggests to the group to be stealthy going forward.

 

[Zana Ryks]

Progressing further along was a disturbing trail of entrails, a horrid mess of destruction carved through all in its path. Whatever it was, clearly was the primary theat down here and provided assurance that moving forward was the right move.

Although at the same time the graphic views and putrid smells did also provide push back on such ideals on one's senses. Zana's stomach struck back with a wave of queasy unease, as the knight fought to maintain composure.

As she walked along with the group going forward, she could only hope they could dispatch the enemy and depart with haste. Given their position, the Togruta was concerned by the possibility of an ambush and thus carefully reached out with the force for other lifeforms as they walked along. She wouldn't extend her touch far, to reduce the time an enemy would sense her back...

Spoiler: text

Team small mound
Zana goes forward and reaches out with the force to reducevtge chance theyre ambushedr

 

[Tycho Denarii]

Team Small Mound

​

Tycho dropped his hand from the pod with a frown, his heart aching for the people trapped within. He never regretted his lack of skill in the healing arts more than when confronted with the hurts that he could not soothe, the pain he could not ease. All he was able to do was to try and project a feeling of calm, a promise of aid to come, and leave them in the hands of others.

Reaching to the holster on his thigh, Tycho drew his blaster pistol and handed it and an extra power pack over to Vanya after showing her that it was set onto the stun setting. "Just in case a lightsaber isn't the best tool for the moment," he said with a strained smile and a glance toward one of the pods. He didn't know if they intended to try and remove some of the captives but it was better to have a non-lethal option if they needed it.

Following Master Perun and the others deeper into the hive, the Ossein Jedi tried to push his anxieties away as the Darkness drew closer around them, shoring up his mental shields against the oily presence that seemed to surround them. It reminded Tycho of the Sith Lord he'd faced on Denon - the sickly feeling of nature turned against itself, the twisted wrongness that the Darkside at it's most potent brought to bear. The bodies they found seemed to confirm his fears, drained and left as empty husks by something... other. Kneeling he looked at the mangled corpse of a Killik, examining it to try and determine what kind of wound or act had left such an empty husk behind.

Rising to his feet Tycho lifted his free hand and reached out with the Force, joining his aerokinesis to the (@Aberforth) Ma'alkerrite's wind shield and pushing the miasma of darkness that surrounded them away, hoping to ease the strain of his action by sharing the burden. All the while he kept his eyes and senses peeled, ready to respond should their foe reveal themselves.

Spoiler: DM Actions

1. Left DL-44 and an extra power pack with Vanya before joining the team progressing deeper.
2. Investigated the body of a drained Killik to determine how it was rendered into such a state (Force drain, physical wound, etc)
3. Bolstered Perun's wind shield against he miasma with his own aerokinesis

 

[Theia Durand]

Team Big Mound, Right

Theia continued to mark their path, instinct was right about the extensive corridors that seemed to continue onward in this hive. She was relieved to have the two Jedi Knights with her, the darkness was heavy, seeming to obscure the senses as much as the physical darkness. Though there was something else that continued to grow, an odor like no other; she couldn't pinpoint it, but her gut told her it was something beyond death and when they entered the larger corridor, it was certainly not death...something far worse. She had to hold back the queasiness she felt as her eyes scanned the room, seeing the atrocities that were being committed.

Though she found it odd that none of them were attacking them; any situation she had seen with the joined, they were either making their victims submit or be killed. These ones here seemed to be focused on their works, if she could even call it that, but one seemed to notice them; Theia's gaze caught his own as she heard the echo of his whisper, a plea to end his suffering. Master Harald (@The Good Doctor) questioned their next choice they needed to make, and Master Krim (@Arcangel) seemed uncertain of what they could do. Theia's gaze kept to the human before shaking her head, refocusing from the heartbreak she felt for the suffering that was happening in this room. Theia noticed the others who were working had stopped to see them present, " I think we should stay course..." Theia felt uneasy, "Continue upstream, we can better help them, or else we will lose our objective if we stop here." suggested Theia and turned her attention back to the human who spoke.

"There can be another way," Theia cautiously took a small step forward to the human (@Phoenix), "Help us, take us to whoever it is making you all do this and we will stop them." she said, hoping whatever hold was on the Joined was weak enough to allow the human to give them direction on their path.

Spoiler: tl;dr

1. Theia is disgusted and sus
2. Theia thinks they need to continue on their objective
3. Theia asks the pleading human if they can help them

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan had made a suggestion that they increased the smaller sized split to even out the teams. This was so that they wouldn't have too big of a team on one side and too small of one on the other. Even though this was a logical play, it may not have been the play that all would agree with. Quite frankly, Kaedan got shot down by one of his fellow padawans. Padawan Alhazred did bring up a decent point though. If they were able to maintain contact then it would be easy to compensate if something were to go wrong. "Alright, fine. Let's get a move on." And like that, Kaedan was on the left path.

Walking with his fellow Jedi, Kaedan looked around, trying to see what little his eyes could see in the dark. As the path continued to what was more of a cavern, he noticed that there was a darkness past the edge that would suggest that the drop was vast. Luckily there were bridges on both of their sides. On the other side of the bridges however was a large set of Killiks. Johanes warned that they should be sneaky about which Kaedan definitely agreed with. As long as there were none of the bridges, it made the young padawan feel more at ease. Even so, he had his hand on his lightsaber just in case. "I agree that we need to be very surgical about this. Now does anyone have any idea on how we could get across quietly without alerting the bugs?" His voice was a whisper but loud enough for his peers to hear him.
@Altaris @Narzen @Wit @Mythos @Wills

 

[Rain]

TEAM BIG MOUND - Left​

The solitary set of large prints had worried her, she wasn't sure what had left them, but it was safe to assume that the Killiks had something big waiting for them. And with the Jedi numbers dwindling with each branch they hit, she just hoped that whoever faced the big-bag up ahead didn't have to do so alone.

"There was something big with them," she shared with the group as they came to a stop before the bridges, "way bigger than your average Killik. I don't want to be facing it while on a walkway hanging over very inviting drop."

They hadn't been noticed, but who knew how long that would last, and standing about not really do much so she made a choice. Picking the the bigger of the bridges, thinking that would be the one that the big bug would have taken, she started moving. There was no point in going back, and someone was going to have to face the killiks, she rather it was all of them as a group, and while they were still fresh.

"We walk," she spoke up in response to the question about sneaking as she moved past them and onto the bridge, "quietly. This way."

@Altaris @Narzen @StephDLegend @Mythos @Wills

Spoiler: tl;dr

Rain picks the bigger of the bridges in front of them and starts crossing.