Ask E-woke Endor

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
The cage swayed slightly as the Knight stirred. "Fine, huh?" he spoke quietly. "You have an odd definition of "fine" he added with a quiet snort. He had noticed they had been stripped of weapons. Well, that was to be expected; the furry bastards had already outplayed them. His first mission while in command was turning out just fantastic. "Yeah, and the comm devices," he added. It will be hours before we miss a check-in, and the rest of the platoon know to come to look for them.

"Feel like I was hit by a bantha..." he said. With both of them sitting, the cage was quite cramped, clearly designed for Ewok prisoners. "...Maybe a cracked rib." he said, feeling at his side. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a ration bar they had left on him. He snapped it in half and handed one half to Kalique. "Here, probably should eat something," he said, taking a bite of his half. "Might help absorb whatever they used.."

"So, any idea how to get out of here?"
he asked. Jonathen was thoroughly embarrassed. How had they gotten the drop on them?! "If you have any of those creepy magic tricks you all are so fond of, now would be a great time," he said, tilting his head so he could see the forest floor below them.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
A slight, pained wince escaped her as she tried once again, pushing herself up with the small extent of strength she had already regained. "I've been worse" she admitted truthfully, still wanting to take this either more positively or even with a trace of humor as she added, "but those little beasts got us good. They even took my sling-shot". Obviously, Kalique hadn't brought it along as she had only packed the essentials, but perhaps there was a way to lighten the mood a little.

Finally seated, she let out a sigh, but gratefully accepted the ration bar that had not been taking after all. So at least they hadn't searched them thoroughly, unfortunately for them though, he had a point about comms as those devices were truly gone. As he mentioned the rib, Kalique moved the cuffed hands closer to him and let the tips of her finger hover over the spot. Not that she could mend it, but she could at least try to check on whether it was broken.

"Hm..." her fingertips just slightly grazed his side before she added, "I'll go with bruised for now". As for her own shoulder, she was just actively blocking out the pain, not letting it dull her senses further before she starting chewing as well.

It was hard to stretch her legs, but she managed to extend them a little further by putting them over his, trying to force the tension out of her muscles before she planned on moving into a squatted position. "Sorry...it's a bit too cozy in here" she threw him an apologetic smile after having repeatedly nudged and bumped into him before she was all set.

"Okay...so loosening those restraints isn't hard" she began to explain, closing her eyes and coiling the Force around her before she yanked them apart forcefully with the help of the Force. They snapped open, but the little trick immediately took its toll as her vision faded into black again. A severe headache hit her at once and she toppled over once again. "Kriffing bears...and whatever they gave us. I need a little more time" she whispered quietly, but a hint of annoyance now blending into her voice.

"I'll free you in a minute, don't worry" once her body would allow it, she'd indeed get them free, but the question still was whether they'd find a quick way to reach the forest floor unharmed as the height they were dangling in was not exactly neglectable. Another frustrated sigh escaped her as she rolled onto her back and faced him again, intending to use the little break she needed to distract herself from the pain and to learn some more about the man she shared a hanging Ewok cave with. "How long have you been a Lieutenant? Did a mission ever get wrong like this before?".

@Raydo
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
"Those bastards..." he said with a chuckle causing his side to sting. He would have actually liked to have the slingshot right now; it was a quiet weapon. He eyed the Ewok guards; even if they got ahold of one of their bows, he doubted it would be of much use to him.

At least the rib wasn't cracked; that would make fighting extremely difficult. He was used to discomfort; he could live with it. They shifted uncomfortably, Kalique trying to find a position to stretch out. "You know, I was about to complain it was a bit too roomy in here," he said, shifting one last time.

She moved on to her restraints, closing her eyes and drawing on whatever power she had before becoming overwhelmed and falling back over. He caught her, keeping the cage from swaying too much. "Hey now, stay with me." he said, seeing the restraints broken apart. "Holy shit..." he said, somewhat awed. "You just snapped the ropes..." he said. "Remind me never to get in a scrap with you." he joked.

"Take your time. I don't have anywhere else to be," he said

They shifted around again, letting Kalique regain her strength. Jonathen leaned his head back against the wooden bars of the cage, his head still swimming slightly.

"A month," he said honestly. "This was my first mission to command. So no, this one is going uniquely horrible," he said. "I'm sure they will have me heading up a squad of janitors after this." he said with a sigh. He pictured his first command being...different than this. Pictured himself being...more heroic...less captured.

"What about you? How does one become an Imperial Knight?" he asked. He truly didn't know much about them.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
Apart from their dire situation, Jonathen's comment actually lightened the mood once again, so that Kalique joined in on the chuckle before the strong, stinging sensation radiating off her shoulder caused her to hiss. It felt like it was dislocated, but nothing that would prevent her from getting them out she thought.

After their tirade of shifting to find a more helpful position, but almost tumbling back over as the short Force use had almost knocked her out again, Kalique actually needed a few moments before she felt well enough to sit back up with her own strength, thus leaving the position supported by Jon.

"Thank you...you've got quick reflexes, so don't worry. I wouldn't just toy around with you either". While the enhanced senses of Force users and their abilities usually let them deal with non force senstives quite easily, there was always the risk of getting caught off guard. Also, given their position, there was obviously no scenario in which Kalique would use her powers against the Lieutenant, unless it was for training purposes.

With her back uncomfortably pressed against the bars, she was directly facing him while they were chatting a little, listening intently but his reply drawing another soft chuckle from her. "Hmm...let's just say this was bad luck. I'll still make sure you put a good work in for you as your skills in negotiating with an Ewok child were remarkable", she quipped back cheekily, however actually hoping his career wouldn't suffer from this little detour.

As he asked her about the Knights, she began to wonder whether he was one of those who weren't exactly fond of their Force sensitive supporters, but she figured she'd find that out rather soon. "Well I was not actually a Sith that simply changed lightsaber colors. I went to the academy on Ord Radama and followed my military career while training with the Sith every now and then. I wasn't planning on wasting my powers, but all I ever did was supporting the Empire and not following that filthy cult". Despite having trained with some of them, she had always had little love for the religious aspects they pursued. She too, obviously drew power from the Dark Side, but never had she ever dedicated herself to it.

"I welcomed the split severely as it was lomg overdue, even though there are some amongst my rank who are not as dedicated to this new course...". This was known all around and the reason why being a Knight of the New Order wasn't easy - it simply meant you'd constantly be confronted with mistrust and bias that derived from the shared past with the Sith.

"Let me try again" she announced rather enthusiastically after another moment, her head still spinning but with new found dedication as she reached forward and encompassed his restraints with her hands. Instead of bursting his open, she coiled the Force around her embrace to create an immense heat that only spread between her palms and burnt the rope open without letting the heat touch the Lieutenant. "There. As a Knight, I'm in control of what I do and everything I do is for the Empire" she added to her explanation as it was quite fitting and fortunately the strain wasn't hitting her this hard this time.

"I can surely break this cage apart but we'd fall...given the height, we definitely shouldn't. Option B is I'll try to access the rope that is keeping us up and slowly try to let us down...". While plan B was safer, it would require her to be fully focused again and this would still take a little longer, but she was curious to see what he had in mind. "Maybe you can even think of something better...". While she threw him a quizzical look, she was fumbling around the ropes on her ankles, trying to slip out quickly.

@Raydo
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
He listened as she explained a little about her past. Jonathen understood some but didn't understand others. He didn't know what the colors of lightsabers meant. Though he had known the Sith had used red ones, he assumed this was a stylistic choice.

He nodded when she spoke of the split. She didn't seem at all like he pictured a Sith would be like, but now that made a little more sense. Sure, he still had his doubts, but Jonathen was a huge believer in letting people prove themselves before he judged them, well at least, he tried to be that way. Kalique didn't seem like the monster he had painted in his head, maybe he had misjudged her, or maybe she just happened to be a rare good one, or maybe she was lying to him. Jonathen didn't have a clue.

"Hey hey.." he said, squirming slightly as the roped started to smoke and then quickly burn away, though he felt none of the heat he thought he should have. "I bet you all a blast at parties," he commented.

"Well, I prefer the option that doesn't involve both of us breaking both of our legs. Your plan seems as solid as any. We could try swinging the cage towards one of the nearby platforms and breaking out to drop out, but that is going to be....complicated," he admitted. No, he liked her idea if she could pull it off.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
Judging from his reaction at her subtly pyrokinesis trick, the mysterious nature of the Force unsettled him a litte, but she was assuming that most parts derived from the fact that they didn't know each other too well and that despite working together, the trust he placed in her was rather fragile.

Kalique wasn't fearing he'd act against her, yet she couldn't blame him for being careful as he couldn't rely on senses enhanced by the Force. "Absolutely. I've got a few magic tricks to fascinate my audience", she replied jokingly, smirking up at him before she was done with the robes tied around her legs, checking whether he'd manange to get his own off and otherwise helping him before focusing on the plan.

"Good". So he agreed, that was at least something. There was indeed probably no better way, but she had to test the water first. She turned around, so that she was facing the rope mechanism that was holding them in place inbetween the trees and trailed along its progression with her eyes.

Unfortunately, the rope was wrapped around the other side and she assumed that they had tied a knot at the huge tree's backside, so she knew what she had to do. "The swinging plans sounds risky..." hers was too, at least to some extent, but it was at least slightly safer."I'd say hold on tight. If we do crash, I'll try to cushion the fall, but then it's best if you aren't on the cage's bottom". It would happen within a few seconds, so actually they had to rely on the Force and a little bit of luck.

"Actually, one more thing. Check that no one breaks my focus. If a guard would see what we're about to do and tries to shoot, it would be good if you could...distract it". She threw him an almost apologetic look over her shoulder, knowing that in this leap of faith, he had to place his trust in her, but as their attempts to remove the restraints had gone unnoticed, she was optimistic.

"Okay...here goes nothing". After having double checked that he was ready as well, she closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled slowly before she reached out with the Force and tapped into Force Sight for a moment to check on the rope situation. As expected, it was indeed coiled around two metal pieces that were hammered into the tree and there was no guard close by, which was good for them. With invisible tendrils she tightly grabbed the thick ropes end and began to peel it off before it was only wrapped around once, which immediately made the cage move.

It was faster than expected and Kalique immediately grimaced under the strain, her left hand tightly gripping the bars while her right hand held the end of the rope that was no longer fastened around the metal through the force. She tried to let it down as slowly as possible, yet the weight of the cage and themselves was only partly redistributed by the way it was wrapped around the thick branch above and so by the time they were hovering over the ground, her stamina was already close to full depleting, thanks to the aftereffects of the sedatives.

She collapsed against the bars as the last centimeters were overcome, making the cage land with a quiet thud but a metal thrum. She had to blink repeatedly to push through the stinging pain her head was giving her and to work past the vision that was fading to black again, but she was fighting hard to stay conscious. "Damn it...they can't spot us now. I'll open the cage in a second". Again, she had to regain some strength to bust the cage open, but she had no idea how much time they had. Also, where the kriff was her lightsaber? That would have made things much easier...For now, she felt like laying down was great idea, but even if she was swaying, she wasn't allowing herself to take a quick nap as they simply couldn't afford it.

@Raydo
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
Jonethen had never felt so out of control. What did she mean distract them?! How the hell was he supposed to do that? Before he could ask, she was already facing away. Her face furrowed in concentration. Jonathen had assumed she would break out of the cage and climb on top somehow, but apparently, her space magic had an answer for this.

The cage lurched, and his stomach was left behind as he clutched onto a bar. This sudden movement got the attention of the guard, who drew his bow. Unsure what to do, he pulled a boot off and threw it at the Ewok just before he shot. It wouldn't do any harm, but it bought them a second, and that's all they needed. The cage lurched down again, heading towards the ground at much too quick a pace.

He fell backward, sure they would crash into the ground, but the cage slowed and then stopped before they hit. Kalique looked on the verge of passing out. They needed to get out now. He pulled on the bars, but they were thick logs and wouldn't budge. "We need this cage open now." he said, scanning the area.

If she could get them out, he would be able to get them...somewhere to barricade themselves.

He turned to Kalique and placed a hand on her arm. "You can do this," he said reassuringly.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
Kalique was relieved after the cage had come down, however the sedatives in her system were still fighting for control. It was quite obvious that both actually needed rest, but with the imminent danger, they couldn't afford any breaks. She perceived his voice through her dulled senses, yet as she turned her head and directed her gaze back to him, she stared at him wide-eyed. Now?!

He had a point though...As Kalique realized the guard who had already gotten alerted, she knew she was left without any other choices. It had to be now. Her gaze flicked to the bars as she forced her eyes open and her mind to focus, relying on the adrenaline. As his skin grazed hers, she was almost a little caught of guard, but his attempt to reassure her did actually work.

With a hint of fierce determination crossing her face she focused on the bars right in front of her once again before she took hold of them and busted them outside with full force, thus breaking not only the lock apart but the whole door. "It's...open" she announced as her eyes roller upwards, the sheer exhaustion washing over her once again, the strain taking its toll.

Her body collapsed to the side motionlessly, leaving him in control for now. She was still conscious to some extent, but still too knocked out to move. They were in dire need of more time as the sole guard was about to call for reinforcements, however this woukd give Jonathen the opportunity to get them out of the cage for now.

@Raydo

14/20
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
The door blasted open when spent them spinning slightly. As he finally regained his balanced, he saw Kalique's unconscious body. Placing both arms under her, he lifted her onto his shoulder and then leaped to the forest floor.

An arrow shot wildly past them. Jonathen looked over his other shoulder to see the two Ewok guards running down the tree ramp towards them. Without knowing where their gear was, he wasn't sure where to go. He picked a direction away from the Ewok guards and ran. A few seconds later, an arrow caught him squarely in the back. He grunted slightly, stumbling. He managed to keep ahold of Kalique.

He took another step, pain shooting through his upper body. He couldn't outrun their captors in unknown territory with this kind of injury. He barged into a hut carved into the side of a massive tree. Luckily it was empty. Another arrow stuck in the side of the tree as he ducked inside.

Jonethen lowered Kalique to the wooden floor and slid a chest in front of the door before sinking against it to add his weight.
He hoped it would buy them a few minutes as he reached over his shoulder, feeling the arrow. That was a problem, but not one to worry about this second.

He glanced over, checking Kalique's pulse. It was there. He didn't know if this was common, but he hoped it would wear off before the Ewoks found their way past his barricade.

1 oof
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
There was nothing but darkness, but Kalique did feel how her body shifted into weightlessness as she could feel the strong arms under her, carrying her to safety - or so she hoped. Despite not literally seeing, she could feel how Jonathen was hit by one of the arrows and began to stagger.

She found it remarkable how he carried on despite the pain and after arriving in their provisional safe space, Kalique was hoping that they'd have enough time, or at least some time. She forced her eyes open once again after laying on the floor for a few moments, but couldn't find the strength to stir yet, however, as their gazed met it wasn't hard to tell that he was in severe pain.

"Jonathen..." she mumbled, knowing that the adrenaline was probably also the only thing keeping him going for now but even forgetting to adress him as formally as she had before. "Don't pull it out". She could hear more and more Ewok voices excitedly but angrily milling around outside and already pounding against the door, making her once again realize that she had to do something right now.

"I'm losing patience with them" she announced, her voice suddenly much colder and stronger than before as she was beginning to do what she had wanted to avoid at first. Tapping into the dark, drawing from the pain and deciding that the time for compromises was over for now. Instead of viewing the situation as hopeless, she was focusing on how infuriating it actually was. The Force flowed vividly around her as Endor was a very lively planet and it would keep aiding them. It had to.

"Have you spotted a hut that looked like a storage room?" she asked him as she pressed her palms against the floor, slowly pushing herself up before she crawled over to him, squeezing herself next to him to add her weight to the chest. with furrowed brows she examined the wound, but from how it was looking it was relatively deep inside. Hopefully it was no more than torn tissue, but the arrow reminded her of her own pain.

"They're assembling in front of the door from the sounds of it...any chance your soldiers might have already noticed we haven't been in contact for a while?" it was not like all she wanted was an answer from him, but she also kept the conversation going to distract him from the pain.

@Raydo
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
He sighed in relief when she started to stir, even if she still seemed out of it. He did not want to deal with the growing number of thuds on the door alone. Sooner or later, they would get an axe and start hacking the door down, and then it wouldn't matter how much weight was behind the door.

He moved over and looked at his shoulder; his arm hung uselessly down at his side. He hadn't time to process it, not being able to move it properly. Jonathen thought for a moment. "There was a small shed back towards the clearing. Maybe there? I was being chased at the time, sorry didn't get a great look around." he said.

Each slam against the door sent a new bolt of pain through his back.

Her tone was different, almost distant. The warm tones earlier were replaced with ice. It was unnerving.

"What if one of us held the door here and the other climbed out that window." he nodded to a small window cut in the back wall of the tree about six feet off the ground. Maybe it will buy us a few seconds of being able to look around.

"That would be pretty great, wouldn't it? Well, assuming something didn't happen to them as well, I wouldn't expect to see them for another couple of hours. We are alone, at least until we can get that comm device back." he said.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
The way his arm was dangling already told her a lot about his state and also that he was apparently in no actual condition to fight back again. Weighting her options while continuing to gather that last strength, she began to coil the Force around her.

They had weapons, but presumably of rather primal nature. They had the numbers and knew the terrain well, yet they were neither extraordinarily quick nor technically advanced. They could use that all for their own advantage, yet this constant pain and the fact that they had been fooled by the little beasts was annoying her severely.

Also, his men weren't on his way yet and they couldn't afford sitting in the hut for much longer as he just made another good point. They'd find a way in sooner or later. It was a miracle that the little window seemed all clear for now. Letting out a deep sigh, she gritted her teeth and finally pushed herself up to her feet.

Around Jonathen was already a little pool of blood and while it wasn't really flowing out, there was still some slight dripping. "Shed...okay that's a lead. No need to become all sarcastic" she replied. While it wasn't exactly snappy, there was still some disdain bleeding into her tone as she was starting to see some actual concerns her.

Assessing him one more time, she was done pondering on their options and started to rummage through the little boxes and drawers until she stumbled upon a crooked, yet relatively sharp knife. "The window is a good idea. I'll do it. I feel like it's our best chance" he wasn't in a shape to climb out and a knife alone wouldn't help him much. With the Force though, it was a damn deadly projectile.

"Don't you die on me here though, Lieutenant. I might not be the one to give you orders, but honestly, hang in there. The medics will fix you, but first we got to get out of here alive". Another sigh escaped her before she inhaled deeply. If she could slip out relatively unnoticed, she could try to find their equipment. They had to contact reinforcements quickly...

Rummaging through the last cupboard, she found at least some dried fruits and nuts and quickly brought it over to him before she moved to the window. "If I...fon't come back, try to keep up the barricade. Try to talk to them. They might still want us alive and it will buy you time". She bit her lip, hoping that this was no actual goodbye and they could simply start knocking those bears out soon, but with their bad luck today, they clearly couldn't be sure. Still, she was willing to sacrifice herself for that course. If there was a way to still end this peacefully and thus accomplish their goal, she'd do whatever it would take.

@Raydo
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
Tempers flared as they prepared the plan. He lifted his hands when a tiny part of that energy was directed at him. He wasn't about the provoke the woman who had ripped the bars off of a cage only moments ago.

The plan was settled. He would hold here for as long as possible. He had a brief flash of the scene where Imperial Officers went to his parent's shop to notify them of their son's death at the furry hands of Ewoks.

"I don't plan on it. Hurry back," he said, shifting to hold the door better. The exchange had a bit too much finality in it for Jonathen's liking.

The beating on the door intensified as more Ewoks arrived. "Good Luck, Knight." he said as he braced against another push.



Outside the window, the Ewoks had sent two guards to watch and make sure no one slipped out that way. They kept peaking around the tree, trying to see what was going on in the front, clearly feeling like they were missing out on the excitement.

They would need to be dealt with quickly and quietly if Kalique didn't want the who village on her back.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
She didn't miss how Jonathen wasn't pleased with the way she was speaking and how her demeanor hadn't change, but the truth was, she needed to do it to keep him safe after all.

As a Knight, it was her duty to protect not only the Empire but the individual soldiers, so he was absolutely no exception. Also, despite him not being in a very good mood either, she found his humorous traits rather pleasant and before everything had gone south, their collaboration had gone exceptionally well.

With a last nod she squeezed herself out of the window, swinging herself down as quietly as possible before she immediately ducked down, thus neatly missing catching the Ewok guards' attention. She was still already well aware of the furry beasts that were supposed to keep watch, but unfortunately they had missed their chance to do so.

With the knife in her hand she sneaked closer, fully undetected before she was close enough to reach out with both hands and knock them both out swiftly with a little trick of the Force. Dulling senses was a cheeky little trick, but it meant that she quickly had to drag their unconscious bodies into the nearby bushes to hide ay traces.

With the Ewoks main attention focused on tbe front of the door, Kalique felt extremely bad for Jonathen and his wounded shoulder, but it gave her even more reason to hurry. She carefully sneaked closer to the shed, however was forced to force pull the female Ewok that was guarding it with a spear out of the way before she managed to wipe her out as well.

Once in the shed, Kalique's eyes immediately scanned the gathered stuff and while their weapons weren't here, she did find their comms in a little box.

She was overly relieved and immediately assembled it before she sent their desperate distress call, hoping the platoon would respond and obey, even if she wasn't the one in charge of giving orders like that. "This is Knight Demici. We were ambushed, please move in immediately. I repeat, move in now. The Lieutenant is still being held, I'll keep him safe before- her distress call was suddenly interrupted by the voices of Ewoks who had apparently stumbled over the guard's lost spear, resulting in a wild commotion.

"Thek ta, treek E s'eesht!!", a squeaky voice cried out before more battle cries followed. Kriff. She had to think quickly as a whole horde was suddenly moving in on her, but it was as if they were not leaving her much of a choice. Without thinking twice, she moved back to the entrance of the shed where she yanked the nearest bear towards her with the Force.

The Ewok let out a panicked shriek, yet she pressed him close to body as she moved the knife to its throat. "Wait!" she roared, gesturing to stop with her free hand while the Ewok squealed in front of her. "Meechoo...jeerota" she nodded for the hut where Jon was caught, hoping she remembered the right term and its pronunciation.

"Meechoo jeerota, kush jeerota" she jutted her chin towards the hut once again, before glancing down, hoping to emphasize her point. A hostage for a hostage. It was obvious that those rebellious Ewoks were not to toy with, so her plan was to do the exchange before she platoon would hopefully assist them.

Her heart was thundering in her chest as her gaze wandered across the feisty herd of Ewoks who seemingly weighted their options. Would they waste a life? She stared at them intently, until she could suddenly hear a deeper voice call out in Ewokese. From behind the treeline, an armored Ewok emerged, judging from his headpiece - the leader of this revolt. He looked everything but pleased, but there was something in his gaze that told her he didn't want to provoke an escalation.

He started instructing his men and women and while Kalique didn't understand a single word, the commotion in front of Jon's hut was suddenly dissolving. "Out. Man out", the leader said to her in broken Galactic Basic, but she understood enough to slowly moved forward.

The Knight's mind was racing as she moved over, her own shoulder still stinging and the Force still coiled around her as she expected just another trap, but as she was close enough, she positioned herself in front of Jonathen's hut entrance and called, "Lieutenant...come out slowly, hands raised please. I think...they'll let us go". This part, she said aloud in case the Ewoks understood, telepathically she added, 'your men are on their way I hope. I reached them'. She was ready to shield him in case they fired, but despite the immense tension of the situation, everyone held their weapons for now. Not a single arrow was loosened even if there were a few pointed at her as she just held her breath. They were in no position to negotiate, the language barrier alone prevented that, but as risky as the situation was, Kalique was just hoping they'd be allowed to retreat for now.

@Raydo


 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
Soon, the hard thudding against the door turned to cracking noises as they finally got tools to break the door down. This was it. He had idealism get the better of him. It had been a good plan, except he had underestimated the Ewoks. He had wanted the option that would keep his men safe while saving the most Ewok lives. He had done all of this at the expense of the mission. Now, he was about to pay for that mistake with his life.

The door started to splinter. Hopefully, Kalique got out. She could lead a counterattack; the mission would be saved. He could see the Ewok attackers through holes in the door now. He abandoned trying to hold the door, pushing himself to his feet. Injured arm, dangling at his side, he found some halfway broken tool to take his last stand with.

Then...nothing. Everything grew quiet. There was yelling in the distance, but Jonathen couldn't make out what they were saying.. A moment later, Kalique called out. A few seconds later, he was stumbling out of the building, one arm raised and the other clearly not a threat, an arrow still protruding from his back. He felt her words in his mind again and replied with a pained nod as he walked over to her.

"I am glad to see you..." he said under his breath as they started to back away. They made it 10 feet, then 20, and no one chased them. It would take his soldiers just over half an hour to reach them. The pair was not able to travel quickly. "That was fun... let's never do it again," he said with a coughing chuckle as his platoon joined them.

The platoon medic approached quickly, examining the arrow wound. Jonathen's second in command, a grizzled older man, approached Kalique. "We got here as quick as we could, mam. We found several traps along the way. What happened out there." he asked the woman.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
Kalique could still hear her own heart but was momentarily distracted by the racing pulse of her little hostage. The leader glared at her angrily, but let them Jonathen come out without giving any command to shoot. "So am I...this might not be over though" despite the relief that bled into her voice it was also fairly obvious how tense she was. She kept an eye on all of them while they slowly retreated.

While backing away further, Kalique kept trying to analyze the Ewok's psyche until she reached the following conclusion: The leader really didn't want to see any of his soldiers fall and thus he hadn't risked it. It had been fairly obvious that their ambush had been sucessful and given their injuries, the rebelling Ewoks might have assumed they had reached one goal: Intimidation.

Maybe that was it. Maybe they wanted to intimidate them to make their point clear: They wouldn't bow to the Imperials. Maybe that's why they let them go. Maybe they wanted them to spread the news. Little did they know though that this wouldn't go unanswered.

Until they passed the camp's borders, Kalique didn't let the Ewok go. Only after making sure they were not followed she let the half feisty, half frightened sentient run back to the others. They regrouped with the platoon and Kalique watched the medics examination worriedly before Jonathen's right hand adressed her.

"Thank you for answering the call...They had poisoned the water, thus having us sedated and locked into a cage. We managed to escape, but not unscathed" her gaze traveled over to Jonathen once again, before it flicked back to the older man. "They might think they have won right now. It would be a good chance to strike. I've seen the leader...he's rather rigid from the sheer looks of it, but as discussed with the chieftain, I'd suggest we move in right away and knock them all out, so that he can deal with the rebels in a way that complies with their traditions...If he stays true to his word, the conflict would then be resolved and seeing that the New Empire follows a different direction will aid our reputation".

@Raydo
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
"I agree." Jonathen replied. "We need to press the attack before they have time to dig in." he added. "...Sir, I don't think you should..." the medic started before the Lieutenant cut him off. "Just get that arrow out of my back and get my arm in a sling," he ordered before turning back to the Imperial Knight and his XO.

"We have seen their force; they are armed mostly with bows and arrows. It should be over quickly. SON OF A...." he yelled as the arrow was pulled from his back. He regained some of the movement in his arm, but it was still basically unusable. "Sorry, Sir.." the medic apologized. Both knew it was better that it happened quickly. A bacta patch was applied, and his arm was put in a sling.

"Someone give me their sidearm," he ordered. A soldier quickly stepped up and handed him his blaster pistol. "Thank you." the Lieutenant said with a nod.

The medic spoke up once more. "Sir, I really must insist..you are in no condition..." Jonathen was angry at the medic for doing his job. "Your objection has been formally noted. I am going, soldier," he responded, pushing himself to his feet. He suppressed a wince, not giving the doc the satisfaction.

"Let's move out.." he said, stomping back towards the camp.

@LadyRen
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
As Jonathen suddenly chimed in from the side, she immediately met his gaze, realizing that despite the pain he was fiercely determined to carry on. Stubbornness. Well a trait they absolutely shared, but unfortunately for her, she was in no position to argue with him, even if she shared the medics opinion. The arrows removal triggered a pained reaction from the Lieutenant and this alone proved that he belonged into the makeshift med bay and not back in the camp, but Jon simply refused to listen.

He was about to endanger himself. It was not that he was slowing them down, but Kalique would have to keep an eye on him all the time as he was truly in no condition to lead the assault. She bit her lip as she watched him setting himself into motion, but held her mouth as she hurried to fall back into step with him, preparing herself to function as his shield why he would lead the attack. She wasn't blaming him as she knew she would act just like him, but it was always easier to citizen behavior from an outward perspective anyway.

With the sedatives finally metabolized, Kalique kept reaching out with the Force as they were approaching the camp's outskirts, already sensing that the first row of scouts was relatively close, so she signaled the platoon to stop before she got on her tiptoes and leaned closer to the wounded Jonathen. "Wait for a minute. I'll take them out before they alert the rest" she told him, hoping he'd let her before they could storm the camp and capture the leader.

@Raydo
 

Jonathen Baize

Character
Independent
Rank
Citizen

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Raydo
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
596
Reaction score
211
The platoon dropped to a knee, and Jonathen shot Kalique an inquisitive look before scanning the area ahead of them; he didn't see anything. If anyone had earned a bit of trust with him, it was her. He nodded, letting her go and pivoting to face his squad leaders.

"Squad A, moved to our left and prepare to attack. Squad B, you do the same to our right. I will lead Squads C and D in the main push up the center." He looked each of the squad leaders in the eye. "I am all for saving civilian lives and giving peace a chance, but if killing means the difference between bringing all of our people home today and not...you do it," he whispered. "Understood?" he asked, waiting for all of them to respond.

"Go." he motioned to the squads. "I will signal you when we are attacking." he continued in a whisper.

Now they waited for Kalique.
 

Kalique Baize

Character
Empire
Rank
Lord-Commander

Character Profile
Link
OOC
LadyRen
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
1,018
Reaction score
292
There was a brief moment where she wasn't entirely sure whether he was ready to trust her until, without any objections, he agreed. Her lips curled into a soft smirk, knowing she'd be able to make this much easier if she was about to be sucessful, yet as soon as she set off, her mind was wandering right back to Jonathen, hoping that while her own focus laid on the scouts, they wouldn't be surprised yet again.

She hurried, but kept a very low profile in order to avoid alerting them prior to her attack and thus chose a route right through the thicket, but as soon as she was in reach, she put all her concentration on knocking them out in pairs. It was no more than a gesture with her hand and the Ewoks toppled over motionlessly, leaving than incapacitated and allowing the soldiers to move in with ease, so that they could hopefully even surprise the whole rest.

As soon as the sector was cleared, Kalique headed back, this time taking the direct, not secluded route until she was back in sight. She jogged back to Lieutenant Baize, removing a snapped branch from her hair "All clear. They can move in. I'll keep an eye out for the leader". While she curtly reported that, it was obvious that she was also keeping an eye on him as she wasn't going to take any chances this time.

He got hurt once, but they wouldn't hit him again, now that she was conscious. Obviously, that also applied to the rest of his man - when there was a way to interfere and protect the soldiers, she'd find it. Yet for now she was waiting for all of them to move in to finally end this.

@Raydo
 
Top