Defense of Lamaredd: Farsands, Little Mon Cal

[TAC]

THE DEFENSE OF LAMAREDD
Farsands, Little Mon Cal​

Farsands, Little Mon Cal, Lamaredd

Pirates, Lamaredd Natives, Etc
TAC

Jedi Defenders
Jedi Master Reland Gil
Jedi Knight Lutomi
Jedi Padawan Marrab Jarcka​

---

The wind howled as the cold breeze swept up from the oceans that dominated Lamaredd, chilling the already desolate night. Two days prior, Lamaredd officials had discovered a plot by pirates/slavers that had been lurking within the sector to attack Bartyn's Landing. The government of Lamaredd, although small and somewhat non-essential to the operations of the mineral rich world, had requested the aid of the New Jedi Order.

Jedi Master Larik Novan, leader of a small, secret Jedi outpost on the watery world, heeded the call. With the Council's blessing, the Corellian requested that fellow members of the Order aid him in the defense of one of their new strongholds. Many Jedi answered the call, and the night before the attack, the Master Jedi met with the three teams that would be carrying out the Jedi operational defense on Lamaredd.

"Master Gil, Knight Lutomi, Padawan Jarcka," the Jedi Master said, smiling and greeting the three Jedi. Master Gil was the least known to the other Master, but he had heard good things about him. Lutomi had once upon a time been one of Larik Padawans, and Marrab had taken a special interest in Larik & Lamaredd, applying to be the Master's new Padawan. Unlike the other two meetings, which had taken place in Bartyn's Landing, the four Jedi were gathered in the main hall of the new Jedi outpost deep under the oceans of Lamaredd.

Taking their seats, Larik poured them some water. "Well, welcome to Lamaredd. I wish you could be here under better circumstances, but thank you for coming nonetheless. As the message I sent out stated, we are expecting a pirate attack on Bartyn's Landing sometime tomorrow morning. We have been called in to join the small militia the locals have called, but I wouldn't expect much out for them." The Jedi Master took a sip of his own water before continuing on with their briefing. "The three of you will be traveling by boat to Farsands, the capital of Little Mon Cal, the second biggest continent on Lamaredd. We have tried to reach them to warn them about the imminent attack, but our communications are already starting to get static thanks to the anomaly I mentioned in my message."

"Now," he continued, "I don't know what you're going to find over there. My only contact that knows about the outpost in Bartyn's Landing, and I haven't made it over to check out Little Mon Cal, so tread carefully and say we were called in- that's the only reason we're here. The raiders mentioned Farsands, but we didn't get any more information then that, so you'll be walking in blind. I trust the three of you to handle it, though. There is an underwater craft waiting for you at the entrance. It's programmed to take you to Farsands, and you'll get there by 06:00 local time."

With that, the Jedi Master stood, a hard smile on his face. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Bartyn's Landing. Master Gil, you can contact me if you have questions, but I leave this in your capable hands. And remember, the natural phenomenon will cut communications and put on quite the light show. Just try not to get distracted!"

"May the Force be with you." And as quickly as he had come, the Corellian left. There was work to be done- by everyone.

 

[Mistress]

In the elaborate underwater base, the Knight sat and listened intently to the briefing as it was given by her old Master. It honestly felt good to finally be put back in service after her recent suffering in life which caused her faith to waver and had temporarily incapacitated her. She has found growth amidst the devastating loss of her twin sister, taking her two young orphaned nieces and nephew into her care. Lutomi heard the call for assistance here, and upon her arrival decided to take Larik up on his prior invitation to remain here on Lamaredd. If it is to be anything like her time spent with her fellow Jedi on Abra, then it's already home. And like any home, Lamaredd needs to be protected, especially it's natives.

Lutomi smiled as Larik poured them all some water. This planet has plenty of the stuff. She is certain this will quickly become an inconvenience. It was bad enough having to dive down into the depths of the ocean, not having any education regarding what manner of beasts dwell within it. They could have posed a challenge in the least. If she wasn't a Jedi, she might have been extremely concerned for their safety.

Lutomi absolutely detests slavers, like the weed upon sentient beings that they are. The idea of scrambled communications doesn't appeal to her, but she certainly has faith that whatever may occur the Force will guide. What might seem as an inconvenience for the Jedi, will also effect the pirates so this isn't necessarily a loss.

Lutomi nodded to those assigned to work with her, the Master first.

 

[Raydo]

Reland had received the call to come this planet's natives defense as he was sure the other two Jedi in the room had. The cloud of despair had finally began to settle down after the battle of Anoth. It wasn't that he had gotten over the death of all the Jedi, but merely had accepted his role in all of this. The Jedi needed warriors so that is what he would be. So he came to new underwater outpost that was being built by the Jedi. It sure seemed like a secure location and there was plenty of space to train and teach new Jedi. He was very curious about the unexplored area of the tunnels and hope he might be able to do some poking around after this pirate ordeal was settled.

As Jedi Master Larik Novan came in the room Reland stood and gave a slight bow. Reland had only recently been promoted to the rank of Jedi Master and still highly valued the other Masters and looked up to them.

"It is nice to finally meet you Master Novan."

He had briefly encountered the Jedi Knight Lutomi when they were both Padawans before the battle of Coruscant, but had never seen the Padawan before. This was not surprising to him. There was so many new faces around the Order. This brought a smile to his face before Larik began with his mission briefing.

It was obvious that their group would be the most cut off. If things went south they would be another continent with no way of communicating for help, but Reland had confidence in his Jedi companions.

"We will leave at once Master Novan, and we will check in as soon as possible."

As soon as the other Jedi Master had left the room, Reland stood as well.

"Lets get this over with shall we." He said with a smile

He began to make his way out of the room.

 

[Schwarz]

The life of a Jedi, at that time, was nothing different from any other nomad. Traveling from planet to planet looking for a place to call home, but still without a proper ground to them, which they could rest, train and live together in peace - perhaps never would have such a place during the Sith govern.

Lamarredd was one of that places. Hostile and unknown, especially for the padawan Cross Vhanler. He never before had stepped on those wetlands, and it was a surprise to see a enclave established there so hiding beneath that waters - looked like a very safe place - also for the simple fact that the Jedi Master Novan was there, a renowned Jedi.

Having been called to one mission there, Cross promptly went to the meeting place, where they would have more information on that matter, however what he heard was not very nice. When Larik left, Cross just nodded thanking the master.

So he walked further - in the dark without any more information and with just great uncertainties ahead - but it seemed to be the common life of a Jedi at that time.

Along with him were two Jedi that he had never saw before, but he could feel the Force strong in them. While leaving in the direction of the underwater boat he waved toward his companions saying

"A honor to be alongside you in this mission"

 

[Mistress]

Travel by boat and spend the night with the natives, not an uncommon call for the Jedi. Lutomi is quite accustomed to eating local cuisine. No doubt some sort of fish, stinky fish, will be on the menu day and night!

The Jedi Master left for higher purposes along with his new Padawan in training, named Marrab Jarcka. Lutomi used to be in that very same position of trailing after the very same Master a long time ago.

Another Padawan named, Cross Vhanler greeted them as they followed along the corridor leading to their little floor to surface submarines. "It's nice to meet you," she returned. Lutomi has lead a few Padawans through missions before. They survived.

She hadn't been on planet for long, and has no idea about making her way around, except for her designation on a 3-D holomap she wore around her wrist. Thank god it's 3-D because she needs to know how to make her way from underwater bases to surface entries. It reads the position of the device itself in relation to the map, but it doesn't determine life readings! She once heard about a giant thing called a Squid, that lived in an ocean. It trapped an entire vessel and drew it into its mouth. Such a thing would prove to be a hiccup even for a Jedi. Also, there was a story about a huge snake...'I hate snakes.' She was daydreaming as they walked along. Anticipation, or less hopefully, intuition, isn't exactly a bad quality to have. She caught herself and brought her thoughts back on track.

She examined the holomap as they walked. "Well, Master Gil, I'm accustomed to sailing through the sky. What are the chances we will be hooked up with a Mariner?" Certainly Lutomi has never navigated a vessel through the ocean. But she already knows that the answer to her question is NONE! The two Jedi bases were successfully built in secret from the natives. The Jedi are present under the ruse that they are here to run environmental testing. The shore based outposts are the actual disguised exit and entrance, which lead to their two much larger bases, one on the ocean floor and the other inside a mountain. This proves to Lutomi how Larik Novan sure is a creative and sneaky guy. Lutomi thought surely she had missed this lesson during her time in his tutelage. In all honesty, she would love to watch him more closely now!

Making their way to the ocean floor based submarine dock, Lutomi took a look at her map to find the shore outpost they should aim to come up directly under. She had read in the report that they absolutely must not damage the reef. She has a feeling she will be asked to pilot by Master Gil, or at least made to believe she is steering the craft; so if there is a problem it's the little guy who takes the blame for anything that goes wrong. She saved Master Gil the breath and once inside settled herself down into the Captain's chair.

 

[Raydo]

Reland walked out of the room when they were joined by another Padawan. He gave a slight nod to boy as they continued.

He let out a small laugh at the Jedi Knight's question. " I am sure we will do just fine. Master Novan said the ship was already programmed. If that doesn't work, we will make it up until it does." He smiled at the woman as he continued down the hall.

The hall opened into a large submarine bay. It was obvious which vessel would be theirs. They began making their way to that side of the bay.

He sensed a small wave of anxiety as Lutomi sat down in the pilots seat. He took the seat next to her and settled down into the seat. They would be traveling all night so there would be plenty of time for them to discuss anything that would need the be discussed.

He gave a mock serious look towards Lutomi. "Please don't drown us all. That would be a quite anti climatic end to all of our lives." he tried to hold the serious look, but another smile broke through.

 

[Schwarz]

Really that was a memorable day to Cross, standing alongside two great Jedi. The Cross path - to become a true knight and even one day, a master - was just beginning.

Cross was always aware of all movements and actions of those more experienced and wise in the way of the lightside. Each gesture, expression, look, word. It was all being absorbed by him. Everything had too much value - that mission was a precious pearl that Cross grabbed to him.

That was indeed a great opportunity to him, that was a very important mission in Lammarred, something that could change the destiny of their enclave and hideout on that planet. Then he rejoiced that he could count with an experienced Knight and Jedi Master.

Cross just opened his ears and closed his mouth. Hear would be his most wise deed. Since he went down in silence, toward the place where was a submarine waiting them. That would be their road to the city which they should protect. Inside the ship, Cross just took a empty seat and remained silently, just watching their conversation of his two companions during the trip.

 

[Mistress]

The Master gave his splendid and very precise advice, 'Please don't drown us. It will be a very anti climactic end to our lives.' Lutomi quirked a bow in return. "Anticlimactic? I promise not to bore you...if we die." There is all manner of attributing factors that have the potential to progress to a very climactic death. She looked over the control panel once...twice...and yet again. A quirky smile crept over her face as she awkwardly reached for the red button. A grunt of uncertainty escaped from her lips, recommending "Brace yourselves!" She elaborated her decision to stop the motion her hand abruptly, without palming the red button...and pointing at the panel, counted over three gray switches to its left. She flipped two of those at once, which closed the hatch door of the sub and oxygen began to pump into the vessel.

"I hate autopilot! How will it account for a storm surge? Sea Monsters? Are we supposed to just blast our way through? A fine way to conceal our presence, sending sushi up to the shoreline!" She was joking, but maybe not exactly. Nightfall, on a planet surface comprised of mostly water, there is bound to be a storm effecting the currents. And nighttime is feeding time for very big sea creatures.

Cross, she observed to be very quiet, like the shadows. Lutomi smiled his way before she hit another switch. The vessel pressurized before she rested her hand over the dreaded red button once again. "Now you should brace yourselves. I'm sure of it this time!" Compressing the red button sealed the chamber around the sub and flooded it with water. Within a minute the outer hatch opened out to the sea and the sub dislodged from its anchors and it drifted down towards the ocean floor. Despite the spot lights, the sea is very, very dark indeed, with limited visibility. Lutomi won't be playing any travel games on this trip. The engines fired up with a grinding roar.

 

[Mistress]

Elevating to the surface in the submarine was quite eerie. The Master was correct, that it sure did take a while, only not all night. But being alone in a sub with strangers, contemplating a mission possibly consisting of a skirmish, makes this trek seem like it is taking forever.

The massive sea life was pretty creepy. Luckily after observing the console, it was discovered the sub has tazers for defensive measures. It would emit enough of a shock to deter anything in their immediate path from wanting a taste.

Being responsible for the welfare of the Padawan, Lutomi wanted to engage Cross. He would need to come out of his shell before they engage anyone on the surface. "Cross, come up here to the viewport and practice Illusion on these creatures." She had been creating a strange light apparition ahead of the sub, and watching the startled sea life avoid them because of it.

***​

After time, they rose underneath the Jedi's shore based port, and finally broke the surface. The sub settled into a clamp and the hatch opened on its own. Lutomi powered down the sub and stole outside. She was happy to see other Jedi already here. Checking her wrist device, she discovered the path they would need to take to get to the locals who were in need of assistance. But first, she would greet the others.

 

[Jaime]

The port was quiet. Very, actually. Cal-doran was not used to the silence. He had lived on Naboo for months, where civilization was loud and thriving. Bartyn's Landing was basically the unofficial capital of Lamaredd; hosting one of the only spaceports on the planet, it was rightly so that it was so named.

Cal glanced around him; some other Jedi had joined him to await the arrival of Master Reland and Knight Lutomi, along with another padawan that Cal had only heard whispers of, but none of them mentioned his name. Some of the Jedi were robed, but most weren't; there was no need for hiding here. Nevertheless, Cal was one of the former. His brown robes flapped in the humid air as the wind picked up. Even with the wind, it's kriffing humid here. Naboo was much more cooler. And less sweaty. It didn't help that his robes were probably heavier than a bantha. What kind of material is this? He halted his wandering thoughts abruptly when he saw the submarine surfacing under the port.

Upon seeing a woman exiting the surfaced submarine, Cal-doran walked forward, extending his hand in greeting, however sweaty it may be. "Knight Lutomi. I am Cal-doran Varmesceance, newly arrived here on Lamaredd. A pleasure to meet you." He then backed away, allowing the others to make their greetings.

 

[Emerald Iris]

She knew she was supposed to be here at an earlier time at a different place for an entirely different reason. Never the less, she was here and that is what mattered.

Sionann had dropped in from the Ghost Avril making a quick fly by, letting the Force guide her safely to the ground, so that Gunny could take the ship back into orbit, in case it was needed for other reasons. The silver haired knight had arrived to the rendezvous point not too long after Cal-doran had, as she was coming from a much more remote location. She was dressed in the same white and blue exotic attire that Lutomi was familiar with, though the beautifully designed saberstaff laced along her utility belt was a dead giveaway that it was to at least the lead knight.

Fixing her comm piece into her ear so she had a line to her ship, Sionann approached without being overly cautious of her surroundings, after all, friends were here.

"Sentinel Knight Lutomi," The sage knight responded to her and the group. "I am here to lend a hand should you require my services.

 

[Schwarz]

During that trip Cross was very aware of everything that was happening, and seeing that Lutomi tried to be friendly, Cross nodded and thanked her with a smile.

"Lutomi... thank you for your advice and your dedication, you are very kind"

And so passed the rest of the voyage contemplating the vast depths of the oceans and the impressive way that Lutomi dominated the illusions by the Force.

***
​

Soon they arrived at the port where they should find other Jedi, and there were definitely a padawan and a knight already awaiting. They greeted each other and with all the required formality, Cross also demonstrated his joy and satisfaction at being helpful and for be among his precious friends.

"Great honor is to be with you my comrades, I hope we can solve this whole situation in the most faster and peaceful way we can, after all nobody wants to see more deaths and destruction than we've already seen..."

Cross had a peaceful heart, but the battles and confrontations seemed to pursue that young Jedi.

 

[Mistress]

Lutomi greeted the others in the dock warmly. Sionann was already family. They had classes together, and that strange event with a very pompous Master during a slave trade crackdown.

"Now for the bad news." All of this planet seemed like bad news already. Her ears are still popping. Larik never told the inhabitants they are Jedi, or they wouldn't have agreed to there presence. He told them the Jedi are Scientists studying the watery ecosystem, promising no harm to the resources. "We are Militia, not Jedi." She looked at the Padawans, "No lightsabers. You can do this with award winning acting, basic Telekinesis," she turned to Cross, "and Mind Tricks. Scare them to surrender with sounds and Illusions which we practiced back there." At that she tucked her Lightsaber away and made her way towards an armory to hand out phasers, swords, and grenades, and whatever else tickled anyone else's fancy. "Just in case, of course."

It is still dark. A bright glow began to illuminate the horizon at a great distance, followed by a succession of sonic booms. "Briefing cut short...Master Larik said there are speeders in a shed nearby! Let's get a move on, or we might not have anyone left to aid!" These pirates will be after the planet's natural resources.

 

[Emerald Iris]

Lutomi made the announcement about being militia and not Jedi, and it made Sionann's face fall a bit, but at least she had some preparation. The sage knight took her saberstaff, and hid it underneath the cloth in her back utility pocket, while pulling out her old extendable quarterstaff that looked more like a black bar as it was clipped to her belt. In reality the weapon, which she has had for a good twenty years now, could extend to almost nearly mimic her saberstaff.

When the sentinel knight handed out the devices, Sionann only took a several of the grenades, knowing that she had better luck hitting something with a thrown object then trying to shoot a blaster. She would rather not harm her allies at this point, so no guns for her. The sonic booms caught the silver haired knight's ears and she looked up towards the sky after emerging from the armory, and the shed for the speeders was nearby.

"Then le..le..let's not waste anymore time," Sionann gestured towards the group after Lutomi mentioned the shed, moving in the direction while her hand went up to her ear. "Gunny, prime the weapons and keep your eye on me."

"From this height, I'll try, no promises on how accurate it's gonna be, but don't start worryin, I'll bring in the Avril nice an close." Came the gruff reply in her ear

Sionann took a deep breath and followed over to the speeder shed, making sure her equipment was secured.

 

[Mistress]

Lutomi set her blasters to stun and clipped them to her side. She had stun grenades and flash grenades. She had already dealt with pirates before. Some were truly sadistic, while others were men who live by a personal code, respectful of when they are bested. Those men don't particularly esteem a fight to the death as being a personal victory. But either side of the morality spectrum, Pirates are an experienced organization that need to be dealt with abruptly.

The speeder quickly carried them towards their destination. Lutomi can hear the bedlam of the Menahuun, and gunfire echo off in the distance. She pressed the speeder to go as fast as it can. Approaching the confrontation, phaser beams shot past her head. Lutomi held up the flag of Lamaredd in her hand high for all to see. The emblem unravelled in the air as she approached. Everyone cheered as they arrived. Lutomi jumped out and let the soldiers lead them to the ranking officer. "We are sent by Larik Novan, to assist in any way necessary." Lutomi didn't see many women present, so she waved a hand lightly as she whispered, "Front line defense," to the Captain, to help guide him in his decision on their placement.

"Very well! To the front line of the invasion! Let Larik Novan earn his keep with my people!" he shouted his order so all could hear. Lutomi followed with a squad of men who were on their way up the mountain. It didn't take long to spot the Pirates spread out in numerous landing parties among the mountain range. Their firefight could be seen from where she was.

Gungan were tacking up Cavehoppers for the soldiers to mount. There were many different species of sentient beings pulling their load to defend the planet.