Ask Event Deepest Dark

[The Gatekeeper]

The blue majesty of hyperspace began to pass by as the ship, The Wildcard, lurched into the different plane of existence for the sake of speed. As a converted LH-1840 Control Core, The Wildcard had fewer of the point defence cannons but the captain had carefully maintained the high-powered hyperdrive, along with converting space within the ship for more laboratories and the like.

All of this would be immediately visible to those who had recently boarded the ship, the protocol droid that had collected them guiding the way and opening the main doors to the bridge as they travelled.

"Welcome, honoured guests, to The Wildcard on our scientific mission of inquiry!" the protocol droid, CO-6T, droned on, "Due to the nature of the readings recorded from The Maw, some of you were asked to join as subject matter experts and due to this you may have... strong opinions regarding other honoured guests..."

If a protocol droid could give a shift eyed look, CO-6T would have been giving said look as his optics moved between those who were obviously Jedi to those who were obviously Sith. The fact that there were a number of people here who didn't seem to, upon first glance, be either was only somewhat reassuring for the poor silver protocol droid. The bridge crew eyed the assembled group as they were led closer to the captain's chair, which had been repositioned to sit almost touching the glass of the observation port, turned so that the captain was not visible as they viewed the hyperspace tunnel before them.

Before the captain's chair, two sentients seemed to be in deep conversation before they took notice of the assembled group. The conversation died as the smaller of the two, a Chadra-Fan with a snazzy tabard and an overly-full messenger bag, twitched a nose in their general direction and spoke. They were visibly muttering in their native tongue but the collar around their neck translated to Basic, broadcasting at a conversational level.

"Ah! It seems our intrepid scientists and experts have arrived!" the female-presenting Chadra-Fan piped up through their piped in speakers, "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Professor Hanami. Those of you interested in the history of The Maw and the study of the Light Side of the Force energies being emitted will be working with me!"

Professor Hanami waved a excited paw at the group.

"You'll be my Hanamites!"

There was a silence where the professor's companion, a willowy Chiss with a carefully maintained beard and precariously positioned spectacles, seemed to be resigned but in an amused kind of way. He adjusted his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose to stare at the group. His crimson eyes tracked certain members of the group, seemingly at random.

"And I am Doctor Lile. I hold two doctorates, one in gravitational physics and one in the Practical Applications of Dark Side Cult Rituals." he introduced himself with a small smile, "It was a very permissive time at the university you understand... those of you interested in the hard science and the Dark Side energies being released from The Maw will be working alongside myself. As I'm sure you can guess, the Captain feels it would be best if certain divisions were maintained."

A sharp, high pitched, sound came from the captain's chair and CO-6T turned to the assembled group.

"Captain Outcard asks if any of you forsee having any issues with such a separation during this critical mission..."

The chair turned dramatically, clearly set up to do so precisely for this moment. A series of shorter chirps came as the chair turned to reveal Captain Outcard - the military officer's uniform crisply ironed, a riding crop of all things firmly in hand. The Captain's hat was slightly askew but there was no movement to make an adjustment as the Captain stared up at the assembled group with his beady black eyes.

Feathers along his back puffed up in an attempt to display dominance, flaring his red cape as they did so.

"... that you report your issues directly to him, so that he may see to your major malfunction. Now... are there any questions?"

Translation finished, the protocol droid nodded to itself in congratulations for a job well done while both the Professor and the Doctor seemed entirely at ease deferring to the almost 30cm tall Banchiian.

@Zay @The Good Doctor @Narzen @LouJoVi @Logan @Laskt @GABA @AutoFox @Apollyon @Charndley @Akheron @StephDLegend @René @Volene @Remileah @Interdictor @Sreeya

Spoiler: OOC Notes & Reference Pictures

• Please indicate which team your character shall be joining but noting at the top of each and every post with either "Team Professor" or "Team Doctor". This is to make sure that other players will be able to gloss over people not in their immediate group when the event progresses.
• Remember that this is set for a 48 hour posting window, please do your best to stick to this timeframe.
• Always tag the DM in your posts, @Nefieslab . Tagging your party members is optional but just good manners.
• Typically it is one post per character per DM post - the exception is this initial opener, where there will be no set post limit until the second DM post.
• A TLDR at the end of your posts is appreciated but not required.

Spoiler: Professor Hanami

Spoiler: Dr Lile

Spoiler: Captain Outcard

 

[Nye]

The Maw was one of the most dangerous and dark places in the known galaxy. But there was a cosmic phenomenon happening in the cluster. Even Blackwell noticed and felt the need to act.

This is where Nye Arden comes in. He is a very intelligent prodigy himself, a pure clone of one of the most brightest minds of this century and given the best education money can buy. So he easily fits the scholar and intellectual type that were requested of this expedition. Nye would personally be somewhere else, but his father commanded him he needs to be eyes and ears for him.

Nye listened to the expedition leaders of the Wildcard give their speeches. The Captain is... not someone who Nye pictures as a captain. Anyways, this is connected to this Force as well? Dark and Light? Unfortunately, the Force isn't something that Nye isn't versed with. That does explain the presence of Jedi and Sith

Although he does have enough knowledge of the Force that he should probably keep his distance from anyone who has a doctorate in the 'applications' of dark side cult rituals. He would feel unease being around Sith as well. They will separate at some point they said? Nye will make note that he should stick with The Professor.

When asks of for any questions, he would raise his hand and then ask. "At this stage, do we have any rough ideas of what could be possibly be going on in the Maw?" There are many possibilities and he was wondering if they had any idea of what to expect. He is expecting one of the Black Holes to be rapidly expanding, or something of that nature.

@Nefieslab

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

The Maw, probably one of the most dangerous places in the Galaxy. It black hole was a force of nature that could rip any ship, even a large dreadnought, apart in a matter of seconds. It was also mysterious, there were several legends about its origin. Every single one of them was more interesting than the other.

If the mysteries around it couldn’t get more interesting, some type of phenomenon was affecting it. The chance to study such an event and learn more about the Maw was an opportunity that Caerllion couldn’t miss. This is why he had immediately joined other seekers of knowledge in the Wildcard expedition.

He paid close attention to what the two scientists were talking about, but his attention was already settled in the Doctor. Learning from someone that had specialized in Dark side cults was a good opportunity to understand this side of the Force beyond what the Sith and his sorcery books said.

The Annfyn remained in silence for now, listening to the questions being made. He was dressed in his armor, not that he expected the Jedi here to recognize him. However, the use of it in public was a habit left by his old Master, one that he would continue having as a matter of precaution.

Paranoia? Maybe.

“Is there any device measuring the disturbance coming from the Maw?” he asked, while wondering what type of captain was piloting this ship.

@Nefieslab

 

[Rina Oziaf]

Rina Oziaf, looking on at the conversation taking place just across the bridge from her, wondered if she was actually meant to be present for what was taking place as she wiped lubricating oil off her hands on an old rag, a partially disassembled MSE-series maintenance droid on the floor before her. Stuffing the rag in a back pocket of her crew jumpsuit, she hefted the casing of the small droid up and reattached it, securing it with a sonic screwdriver. The droid, which had suffered from a bad motivator, chittered its gratitude before speeding off.

Rina watched it go, unable to help a small smile, before returning her attention to the small group of people who had assembled in front of the command chair, the two leaders of the expedition giving them an explanation for why they had been invited to share in this "most historic occasion."

Rina, for her part, knew that she was not part of that esteemed group. Oh she was part of the expedition, no doubt about that; she had her first pay stub to prove it. She was part of the support, though; she had been hired onto the crew because the expedition's HR had mistaken her degree in droid and computer management for expertise in fixing such machines, and Rina hadn't had the heart - or the extra credits - to correct them. Luckily, she had enough practical knowledge to fake it, and even if the mistake were to be caught now she doubted they would turn the ship around just to get rid of her.

Even so, as she stooped to gather her tools, she listened to the Doctor and the Professor explain what was going on. Rina was no scientist, but she was interested in what was going on; she'd been interested in the Maw as a pup, and had often wondered what mysteries the region might conceal. She wondered if she might be allowed to tag along with one of the teams; Professor Hanami seemed the most approachable, but then she and Captain Outcard were some of the only people aboard whom she could literally see eye to eye with.

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

I can't believe I'm heeeeeere!!!

The Maw! Incredibly deadly! Absolutely dangerous! Endlessly fascinating! Especially since those strange readings had started. For once, Linny was caught between two extremes of personality: endless nerves over what might be happening with the Maw, versus boundless enthusiasm for history and learning. Why had Linny been picked as an 'expert' to help out there? She didn't know why, but she didn't care! If the other Jedi didn't want to do this, then it was their loss.

She stood beaming around, with her own satchel bag hanging from one of her shoulders. Clutched in the opposite arm was a chunky datapad, her stylus already gliding over the screen to note down anything and everything that she'd learn on this expedition. Surely, it would all be safe and academic! Especially under the guidance of Professor Hanami! Linny had only just seen him for the first time but she was quite ready to apply to be his research assistant.

possibly make hanamite badges???? she scrawled quickly on her datapad, before she raised her hand. She stretched it as high as she could go, reaching onto her tip-toes. Her eyes opened wide in eagerness as she sought attention.

"Oh... oh please... please professor.... please...." she murmured quietly, before setting out her question.

"Oh! Professor Hanami, sir! Have there ever been any readings like this in the recorded histories of the Maw? Like... of this magnitude?" Linny asked, with stylus poised and ready to write down everything the good Professor might say.

@Nefieslab

 

[Kaala]

Kaala watched, half-interested, as the three people introduced themselves. She had technically been hired as security, but her job contract said nothing about participating in this event. Honestly, for someone studying the Dark Side, the Doctor looked…normal. Friendly, even. With a barely-suppressed laugh she wondered what the Sith would think of him. Now for choices. Go with the Professor or the Doctor? After thinking it over, she went with Prof. Hanami. As the people around her started asking questions, she listened. Okay, some of these questions actually seemed interesting enough. Beside her, an energetic teen scribbled something on her pad and raised her hand. The Togruta slowly raised her own hand, suddenly very self-conscious about the fact she was wearing her armor, and her helmet was tucked under her other arm. Ah, well. Hopefully she wouldn't need the armor or her weapons. "Professor, do you have any more detailed information then what we already have?" Vaze sat quietly on her shoulder.
@Nefieslab

 

[Myla Lessi]

Myla stood quietly in the back of the room, observing the three beings warily. Apparently, her Clone Wars instincts still were on high alert. The Doctor seemed kind for a Darksider, and the one Myla was with, Professor Hanami, seemed nice as well. The Mirialan sighed, feeling the clash of both Dark and Light in the room. In front of her, several people asked questions and a maintenance worker fixed a droid. One exceptionally bubbly Padawn asked a question in front of her, while next to that person an armored Togruta with a small droid on her shoulder also raised her hand. Myla squinted at the armor. It was grey, and loked like some kind of clone armor. No, that wasn't it…stormtrooper armor! Myla had learned about the Empire on her flight here, and the white-clad soldiers appeared often. It was bold of that woman, wearing such equipment.
@Nefieslab

 

[Trodai Narat-iv-Adas]

Team Doctor

Trodai had been keeping to himself mostly up to this point in the journey. Only lifting his head when taking notes and making his own observations. While by no means an expert in the field of gravitational physics of science, he understood very well the Force and it's darker applications having spent time around Darth Arcanos and other Sith. It was partly why he was here, to study the Maw phenomenon and see how it might air the Order of at all.

The fact it was behaving as if was did not bode well especially as he recalled the research he had done before undertaking the endeavour. Rumour had it the mask of the Eternal had once been cast into the Maw, at least the older texts indicated as such and he wondered if this was the cause of the disturbances. Another reason he was here, to ascertain the truth and see of what use the Maw might be. Could the mask of something else more ancient and dark be the cause. He noted how he was not alone in his undertaking.

A familiar face appeared. Caerllion, his former master, one of his few genuine allies in the Order.

A small smile crept across his face at that under the mask he wore and the distorted voice modulator. His Armour hid most of his features, except his tall height and restored muscular build. In the Force he felt the Jedi, and was the squid Jedi Knight he had previously encountered, Alhazred. He had no doubt they would need to be careful with the Jedi about.

Approaching he listened, observing some very short members of the crew and the captain, who he literally had to look down upon to see. He was curious about the Chiss. He hadn't yet encountered one, perhaps this could be a stepping stone ontto their planet. Regardless they appeared his best bet, especially with knowledge about Dark Side related cults, and so he joined the Doctor and Caerllion.

Perhaps he could be of future use, he would see soon enough.

Trodai sent a telepathic message to Caerllion. Greetings Caerllion. It's been a while, looks like we are thrust together again my former master. Let us work together again and see what use the Maw has.

He nodded with approval as the question was asked "I was about to ask the same. What do any probes reveal about the phenomenon? Do the readings suggest anything...unnatural besides the obvious? And what kind of readings are coming from it? Does it suggest use of a Dark ritual?"

@LouJoVi @Nefieslab

 

[Kaedan]

Team Doctor
Kaedan had decided to make a trip to learn more about the maw. Now that he was a Jedi Knight, there were things he should learn about the universe and he figured that this was one of them. With his lightsaber hidden in the satchel he wore across his shoulders, he joined the expedition on The Wildcard. He was far from alone. Many had decided to take this trip including people he knew.

He walked around for a bit, observing the area before he and the others were addressed by a protocol droid. Then they eventually ended up being in the presence of the ones who they'd be following for the trip; Professor Hanami and Doctor Lile. As the two of them addressed the group, Kaedan listened attentively. He was of course going to be joining the Hanamites. There was so much to learn about the maw and the light side. Could they possibly learn it all on this one expedition?

When it came time for questions, Linny showed interest in asking. He smiled as he observed his friend's eagerness for knowledge. He hoped that the answers to all questions and any other information given were understandable to all, especially him. He was no scientist nor was he an expert. Simply a guy willing to learn all he could. For now, all he could do was listen and be patient.
@Nefieslab @Charndley

 

[Alhazred]

TEAM PROFESSOR
Alhazred pondered over the words of everyone. The outward eagerness of the Professor , the stoic professionalism of the doctor, and the unreadable captain; all of these things were interesting to the Nu-Vaal.

Of course, not half as interesting as what was happening with the Maw itself. Alhazred was here not by accident. As an unofficial representative of the Nu-Vaal species and partial representative of the Jedi and the Givin, Alhazred brought a great deal to the table. True, he was a Jedi and had knowledge of the Force, but he also was a Nu-Vaal who studied star patterns and their effects, not to mention the one who accidentally rediscovered the presence of starweirds.

Alhazred started to follow the other Jedi, Kaedan (@StephDLegend), Myla (@Interdictor) and Linny (@Charndley ). The sheer excitement coming off of Linny almost made Alhazred scowl in disdain. The Jedi needed to show some professionalism, and he knew from personal experience how cutthroat some academics could be. Even if they were working along the Professor apart from the Chiss' team and their possible sith cultists, they needed to show the Jedi were to be taken seriously.

"Excuse me, captain..." Alhazred tried to speak up while adjusting his turban. He hoped his whispering voice could be overheard. "...are there possibilities that Summa-verminoth may interrupt our research? What will be expected of us if they do?"

He tried to sound concerned , but Alhazred was honestly slightly excited that one of his species deities might actually reveal itself during this excursion.

@Nefieslab

 

[Azathoth]

Team Professor

Azathoth was entirely unimpressed with the ship. In her mind, venturing into unknown things in a place like the Maw should have dictated a full on battle cruiser loaded to the tits with as many uh - oh what did they call those big guns again, mondo lasers? No, that wasn't right - ah, turbo lasers. There was no better way to greet whatever it was they happened to find than with pure, unadulterated force.

But she was not in charge of such things and the ship was what it was, so she kept her disapproval to herself and remained quiet as the two aliens said their separate pieces.

Hm, separate indeed. To the casual observer it was fairly obvious that the darkside representative was the team she would belong to. But Azathoth never liked being put into such tedious boxes. Plus, learning of the lightside anomalies could give her insight on how to corrupt them, which tickled her curiosity more than aligning with the Doctor.

Plus, she hated being stereotyped. It was the principle of the thing. And other than her pupil-less, crimson eyes there was no direct indicator she belonged to once force sect or another. She had even left her cloaks and fishnets behind and opted for more a more pragmatic adventuring outfit.

Hanamites us, one and all, Aza said, a playful smirk creasing her alabaster lips.

Aza would move to stand near the Chadra-Fan, burying her true intentions deep and putting on her best attempt at seeming genuine and - (ick) - friendly.

@Nefieslab

 

[Kaala]

Team Professor

Kaala watched the newest arrival to their group with caution. The strange Tiefling was wearing a outfit which seemed strange for a Jedi. It could just be a normal Force-user, but that gut feeling which had saved her from being fried several times in her life was telling her that this one was…odd. Kaala gently lowered her stormtrooper helmet down onto her head, making sure her montrals and lekku were all where they needed to be-that is, sticking out slots in the helmet, then activated the HUD. Next, the Togruta decided to exercise her authority as security and walked up behind the woman, then tapped the suspect on the shoulder, ready to jump away if need be. "Ah, are you in the right group, ma'am?"
@Nefieslab
@Logan

 

[Iymril]

Iymril had heard of the anomaly that was the Maw. It sparked interest in them. Iym found themself wondering how the energies of the Maw could be effectively harnessed and weaponized to extend agendas. Thus they had come to the Wildcard to study the radiating Dark Side energies.

They couldn’t be caught looking unkempt. But they had come dressed in a manner that was unusual for those that had encountered them before. They wore a purple dress shirt, grey dress slacks, and a pair of black dress shoes with a black belt. The sleeves of their shirt had been rolled up and pushed up to just below their elbows. Their nails were painted a deep purple that matched their lipstick. They wore a pair of bled kyber stud earrings and their white hair had been done meticulously.

Iym listened in silence as the objectives were explained to them. Their ruby eyes watching and studying those that had come to study the Maw. They’d have to remember the faces of the foolish Light Siders for future reference. But with that settled, they silently strode over to stand next to The Doctor.

“You will have to tell me of the rituals you learned during your studies Doctor, they sound fascinating.” Iym told Chiss Doctor. “I am Iymril, student of the Force and a Professor of sorts myself. What do you think of the Maw from your studies?”

While they would wait until the others had finished speaking to him, their ears perked slightly as they spoke. Their interest was undeniable, even if their facial expression and neutral tone didn’t show it. The Doctor would remain the focus of their interactions. They’d come for power and gaining insights were more important than anything else.

@Nefieslab

 

[Rhyss Mar]

Emotion, yet peace. Passion, yet serenity. Remember the blasted code.

To put it bluntly, Rhyss was not a happy camper. When he had heard about this mission, he had practically fallen over himself to volunteer. Traveling to mysterious frontiers of the galaxy? Learning about things no being seemed to have even the foggiest clue about? To the adventurous Kel Dor, there was no temptation sweeter than this. And the nice part about not having a formal master was that his schedule was very flexible.

Of course, all of that was before he had come to terms with what "a joint study of the ambient Force energies" really meant for the demographics of those attending. As the protocol droid, the professor and the doctor introduced themselves, Rhyss politely paid as much attention as he could, but it was obvious to anyone watching that this wasn't really where his focus was.

From behind his specialized goggles, Rhyss surreptitiously peered at each of the four dark siders in turn, taking measure of their power. If his senses were any judge, any one of them seemed to be a match for Master Kaedan or Master Alhazred. This was not optimal. While the Sith admittedly were not engaged openly with the Order right now, Rhyss had not lived this long by trusting others not to have a hidden blade.

Thankfully, everyone seemed to be behaving themselves, for now at least. Rhyss folded his arms into the folds of his Jedi robe, following the other Jedi as they broke off to join the Professor's group. He was content to merely listen for the moment, Linny and Alhazred seemed to be taking the lead on asking interesting questions. Despite his pessimism, Rhyss was actually quite interested to learn more about this singular event.

 

[Rowan Allaird]

To say that Rowan felt out of place was an understatement. Everyone else was a ‘Force user’ or some other sort of crazy profession. He was just a medical student. He was lured here with the promise of scientific research and this was marketed as an internship opportunity. Rowan had to resist the urge to read the fine print again, wondering if he seriously missed something.

The Arkanian was adorned in smart business casual, prepared to do research. Everyone else looked as if they came prepared for some sort of battle. He came here with his strong math and science background and to understand the unnatural phenomenon occurring in the Maw. As an overachiever, he qualified for a dual Masters program in addition to the MD he would obtain. His masters was in quantum physics. For a final paper he hoped to write about this and get first hand experience. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

In truth, he was dismayed at having to choose. Both the Professor and the Doctor had their appeal and he couldn’t deny he was fascinated at the prospect of a breakdown of the ‘Light Side’ of the Force. In the end, he stood closer to the Doctor because the line of study aligned closer to his own.

“There is no…combat expected on a purely academic expedition such as this, correct?” He asked, his slight discomfort palpable as he took stock of everyone around him.

@Nefieslab

 

[Theia Durand]

Hanamites

Theia grew up with stories about the galaxy, some came from truth and origin, while others were twisted with a pinch of fiction to give a child a wild imagination. So when Theia had this opportunity to assist with investigating the abnormalities within the Maw, she of course took it. She attended with many others, a wide variety of a team put together to assist the two scholars on their investigation as to why the dark and light side are fluctuating as they are. Curiosity and excitement wrapped around the young Jedi's mind; it was too bad her mom was overworked and would not be able to talk about this for some time.

She decided to dress a bit more casual, she didn't want to overtly look like a Jedi knowing this was not really necessarily a "jedi" thing that called for formal attire. With a roll of her shoulder, Theia adjusted the strap of her pack; she had certainly done her homework, reviewing what she knew about the Maw and hopefully wouldn't be without ideas on how to help, and hopefully some guidance from the Force would lead her and her companions to the right answer.

As she listened to the scholars speak, her attention floated from face to face of those in attendance. Definitely saw those she recognized from the temple, but one in particular was Nye (@The Good Doctor), someone that was familiar with the workings between her mom and his father at Blackwell. Sometimes he looked just as bored as she felt in those meetings between their parents. She would give him a small wave before her attention turned to the captain and she had to muster all the willpower to not yell out as to how adorable the ship captain was. Luckily her attention turned to a striking white-haired individual who inquired about combat. She understood where he was coming from, and her face contorted with concern as to a similar feeling of not wanting things to break out in violence.

@Nefieslab

 

[Merian Sere]

Team Doctor

Not so long ago, the Empire would have had as many delegates as the Jedi and Sith present. Merian knew the war had spread her faction thinner than they’d like, too thin to commit more than a token delegation to an exploratory trip that at first glance didn’t threaten its territory directly. At least she’d be there to take notes and report back.

Two of them was all Raxus had seen fit to spare. Though Merian knew the fatale Fiani right away from their memorable date on Nar Shaddaa, she knew better than to look twice in a way that could compromise her fellow agent. With only two of them, they couldn’t do much but split up and at least have an Imperial pair of eyes on both groups. The Knight-Captain would follow Doctor Lile as the dark side adept; that left the agent to cover the professor and her Hanamites, and they’d keep in touch using the buttons they were familiar with. Though that left the question of the freak in stormtrooper armor. Unaccounted for as far as the Imperials were concerned. Impostor or deserter? Either way, if the opportunity presented itself, Merian wouldn’t hesitate to incapacitate her and bring the armor back to Raxus, empty or with a dead body inside.

Merian took a step towards the Chiss doctor but remained quiet. Interestingly, she noted the Hutt Cartel didn’t seem represented. Curious. And good. She’d left the crimson armor and dress uniform behind, opting for a burgundy tunic that brought out the traces of red in her hair.

No combat expected, she thought after the young man spoke up. Right. With these around.

In her experience, ‘expected’ yet had to prove safer than a lightsaber at her side.

@Nefieslab (@Remileah @Interdictor @Sreeya mentioned)

 

[Kyssiara Serket]

Team Doctor
No doubt like the other Sith present, Kyssiara was interested in the possibility to learn from the energies being thrown off by the Maw. As such, she moved over to align herself with the Chiss doctor's "practical applications of Dark Side rituals."; that was an intriguing concept in itself, but that wasn't entirely what the Pureblood was here for. She recognized two of the other Sith at least, her ever-chatty master Trodai (@Akheron) and the elegantly intelligent sorcery professor Iym (@Apollyon).

Unlike the former, Kyssiara wasn't in a complete disguise; well, not one that covered her face at least. She wore an all-black dress with matching leggings and boots, a few basic necklaces, a satchel slung over her shoulder for her notebooks (and her lightsaber, as her master had insisted on bringing), and a wide-brimmed hat. The ensemble was meant to play up the more academic nature of the acolyte's interest in the matter at hand while still appearing casual and relatively unaffiliated, though she supposed it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that a red-skinned girl hanging out with the "Sithy" study group was probably one of them herself.

For now, at least, Kyssiara was content to watch the others in the group and listen for Doctor Lile's responses to the other's questions. Specifically, she shuffled closer to the front of the group with a notebook at the ready in the hopes of catching any details about the Maw the Chiss may provide. Especially if he answered Professor Iym's question about rituals.

@Nefieslab

 

[Cipher Four]

___The Empire was in disarray as it recovered from the infiltration and subsequent dismantling of the Hutts. Although Altair Din had assumed the Grand Marshall's mantle and led the Empire toward healing and rebuilding, it still had a long way to go. The Empire could spare only two people for this expedition into and towards the Maw, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Four was once again assigned Merian as an accomplice for the mission. Although her methods were unorthodox, the Imperial Knight had proven herself a capable companion, and Four could entrust her to take note of and report essential details.

___As Merian split off to follow Doctor Lile, Four approached Professor Hanami. It was an easy decision; Merian was a Force-user and capable with a lightsaber. She would have an easier time fitting into a group of Sith, as opposed to her. Four had no doubts that an Imperial Cipher would be a target the Sith would love to get their hands on, and that was not something they could risk.

___With a quiet sigh, the Fiani moved to stand with the rest of the group. Her eyes closed, her ears flitting as inquisitive minds posed questions and sought information. After a few moments, her eyes opened, scanning the collection of people now colloquially known as "Hanamites." Her gaze transfixed on the captain as he turned to address everybody. Four did not attempt to steal a glance at Marian to ensure her safety. They were on their own now, and betraying the idea they were here together as units of the Empire was something better left undone.

___The woman lifted her arms and crossed them under her breasts as she waited, listening intently.

@Nefieslab

 

[The Gatekeeper]

All​

@AutoFox

As the mouse droid scurried off, after its maintenance from the even more mouse-like @Rina Oziaf , the assembled crew were assessed by Captain Overcard. The captain was a bird of adventure but even he could see that the group assembled had come very armed and very interested in The Force.

It was during his examination that the first alert came in from one of his bridge crew and the Captain turned away from those assembled, squeaking and squawking to his crew as readings came in.

The ship seemed to groan slightly as the sound of hyperspace travel became louder for a couple of seconds before returning to their typical, background, level.

"Chirp? Cheep!"

Team Professor​

​

@The Good Doctor @Charndley @Interdictor @StephDLegend @Narzen @Logan @Laskt @GABA @Remileah​

Professor Hanami eagerly accepted those flocking to him, the Chadra-Fan's ears twitching slightly in barely subdued happiness as people seemed genuinely interested in his work. With the group assembling, the Professor drew himself up to his highest height and tried his best to adopt his "lecturing" voice - by subtly pressing a button on his translation collar to make his translated words slightly deeper in pitch and louder in volume.

"What is going on? That is an excellent question and the answer is quite fascinating - we have absolutely no idea!" he squeaked in excitement despite himself, "Never in the recorded history of The Maw has there been such a collection of phenomena; surges in gravity strength, reports of massive 'waves' of both the Light and the Dark side of the Force. Why there have even been some monitors from the closest station, our destination, that say that The Maw has gotten bigger! Now wouldn't that be a sight?"

Turning to one of the Jedi, Professor Hanami rubbed at his chin with his clawed hand before making a note of something on a datapad.

"The Summa-Verminoth? Yes... that would be something to look into... we've had no run-ins with them at all so far and that's quite unlike them. Perhaps the behaviour of The Maw has caused them to change their hunting grounds?"

It would make sense - after all animals tended to notice changes in their territory on an instinctive level. A topic for discussion with some of the extra-planetary biologists available on the station. Seeing @Kaala making a point to try and push @Azathoth out of the group, the Professor had a momentary flashback to a time when he had been told that he was in the wrong group - when he was told to sit with the other Chadra-Fan and work with droids, rather than history.

"Miss... you are in the right group if you seek knowledge, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

Team Doctor​

​

@René @Volene @Sreeya @Apollyon @Akheron @LouJoVi​

Over with Doctor Lile, the Chiss adjusted his glasses once again as he was surrounded by his own team. It was a nervous tic that very few knew he had and came from his time studying with practising Dark Side cultists. If there knew he was unnerved, they would turn against him so he did everything he could to remain placid - that he was now surrounded by armed people was something he found quite nerve-wracking.

Because the med-student had a point; there shouldn't be any combat on this expedition and, yet, he was surrounded by people armed and armoured.

He, on the other hand, had no weapons at all.

"Indeed, there should be no combat on this expedition. Unless, of course, any of you happen to know how to harm a Black Hole?" he tried to lighten the mood slightly with a joke, "I'm afraid the probe we have nearby, and the station we're heading to, have given us readings on the changes in gravity but nothing about their cause. The Maw just seems to be getting more aggressive in its power; which was why they started bringing in Dark Side sensitives to test to see if it had any connection."

The Doctor frowned ever so slightly.

"I'm afraid none of the rituals I have personally studied, or any I have researched, would fit this kind of situation. My studies have primarily focused on planetary rituals, such as rituals to bring storms through sacrifice of lungs and crop growth through causing the victim's circulatory system to become co-opted by the local flora. But this?" he shook his head, "I'm afraid my own existing knowledge is blank here. Perhaps you shall have insights when we get closer? Although..."

He paused as a shiver ran down his spine.

"Does it feel... colder, to you?"

All​

The Force Sensitives of both groups would feel the Force reaching out to them with the cloying touch of the Dark Side, screaming in inarticulate rage at them through the Force. Those without Force sensitivity would feel a shiver run down the length of their spines - a reaction shared by every member of the crew as well.

Outside the viewports, the familiar glowing lights of Hyperspace seemed to flicker and the ship shuddered violently for a second before stilling.

Then the entire ship lurched forward, shaking people from their sure footing, as the Wildcard was forced out of hyperspace suddenly. Sparks flew up from consoles around the bridge, several members of the crew being killed as their consoles just outright exploded up against them, metal and plastic acting as shrapnel against the unprepared crewmembers.

"Squawk!"

Where before the viewport showed nothing by hyperspace, now the view was much changed. At first it appeared that the ship wasn't able to see anything - there was just blackness out ahead of them. It was only when looking at out the secondary viewports that the accretion disk of the black hole was visible. The frontal view of the Wildcard's bridge was darkness because it was staring directly into the heart of The Maw.

"C-captain! The guidance signal... it's coming from The Maw!" the navigation officer shouted up from his post, frantically trying to make adjustments, "The astronavigation computer isn't responding to any commands - we can't jump away, it says we're preparing for a second jump!"

A second jump.

Aimed directly into the heart of The Maw.

The unmistakable sound of groaning, shearing, metal rang out throughout the bridge. Rents and tears began to build up around the bridge, causing fires and showers of sparks to break out even as the crew tried desperately to keep the Wildcard under control. The protocol droid, dashed against the ground, rapidly translated the chirps of the Captain.

"Masters Jedi and Sith - please do what you can to maintain the integrity of the ship's bridge. The Captain is... oh my! The Captain is launching us into hyperspace again!"

Indeed, the acceleration began again as the Captain took the leap of faith that the guidance signal would not lead them astray. That something was reaching out to them and needed them to answer, to arrive safely. To do nothing was to be torn apart by the gravity of The Maw.

Instead of the streaks of blue-white light that typically accompanied hyperspace travel, light seemed to vanish as the ship lurched forward. There was no light outside the viewport and there was no light inside the bridge either - every person was physically blind as all light ceased to exist as they powered forward, into The Maw.

Then, suddenly, it was over.

Light returned and everyone could see again, the entire bridge bathed in bright, burning, red light as the ship shuddered to a halt, listing on through space. Sparks flew and smoke billowed from the damaged bridge as the ship spun almost lazily, its engines having cut out. A nearby red star was the clear source of the light, even as the unmistakable profile of The Maw was visible in the distance.

And, all around them, the metal structure loomed.

Like a halo of different metals and systems, the ring-shaped space station they found themselves surrounded by was unfamiliar to all of them. Neon signs in a language none of them understood glowed against the hull of the station, half of which seemed to be fully powered and half of which seemed almost powered down. One central point caught the eye, a spire from the inner edge of the ring that jutted towards them, the lights along its length dark save for a single, red, light that pulsed in time with a light "ping" noise from the astronavigation console.

The Captain squawked and the protocol droid, pulling itself up slowly, translated.

"Doctor... Professor... prepare your teams for an expedition. The Wildcard is dead in the water - we need you to confirm if this station can change that."

"Chirp..."