Evil Hot Space Forest

[Vin]

Vin's feet had gone numb. Ever since KR3CH had woken her up for the final leg of their return journey to Onderon she had been on the edge of her seat, her leg shaking away as if in possession of a mind of its own. She sensed something was off, the closer she got to home the surer she became. Something had happened in the time she was gone.

The moment they touched down on the surface of Onderon, Vin was out of her seat and rushing for the exit, or at least moving as quickly as she could with her legs half dead. She almost face planted on the ground while running down the ramp, ignoring the snide comments KR3CH was making from within the ship. She made a beeline for the little hut she had shared with Fey for so many years, only to find it empty.

After making sure that Fey was indeed not there, she stepped out of the hut and made a quick round of the surrounding area, making sure Fey wasn't there. He had told her he wouldn't head into the forest before she returned, it had become too dangerous for either of them to venture in alone he had said. But of course the old fool must have gone in the moment she left the planet. She collapsed onto the ground and explored her options. She had found help as he had instructed, but then like the brash fool that she was she had run back before any of them. She had no idea when they would get here, if they ever did. And for all she knew Fey was dying somewhere inside the forest. She wasn't one to be so fatalistic, but she had this bad feeling in her gut that made her think the worst.

Finally, after almost half an hour spent contemplating her options, she got to her feet, dusted herself off, and started walking towards the forest. Only for a cold metal hand to grasp her forearm and stop her. Master Fey's orders were clear mistress, you are not to venture into the forest on your own.

Shrugging off the droid, Vin turned towards the forest once more. THe situation has changed. Besides, wouldn't you be happy if I went and got myself killed?

The droid actually seemed happy when he responded, his eyes seemed to twinkle with genuine joy. Nothing would please me more than mistress meeting a slow and painful death. But I cannot in good conscience let you go in alone. He raised his hand at that point and pointed it at the sky, at a ship that was descending towards them. Not when I can send more Jedi to their death with you.
@Valen Pelora

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Onderon gleamed as a perfect emerald in space. It belied the true dangers waiting below. Evalyn knew those dangers all too well. House Dan’ela of Onderon was unimportant but noble just the same. Her formative years had been filled with lessons of the dangers of Court and Jungles. There were vipers in both who could end you with one bite. She had never belonged. Onderon was not her home. House Dan’ela meant little and less to her. Besides, the Jungle planet was inhospitable to those with her gifts.

Strangely, Evalyn had felt drawn to Onderon of late. An odd pull calling her back to her home world. Like most Guardians she rarely left Jedha. The last time she left the safety of Jedha the Force had shoved her into a precocious young Jedi. Alais. Against her better judgment, Evalyn had bonded with the girl after a harrowing carnival of mishaps on Naboo. She had sworn to herself she would never make the mistakes she had with Vash. The Code forbade close attachments for a reason. She had cared for her former student and it had ripped her to the core when he died on Ilum. Years fighting ancestor’s wars did not make one wise. Evalyn had been a Knight for nearly a decade and a half, but she was still a young woman destined to make the mistakes of her past.

She liked Alais and she wanted to help the girl. Word had reached them of another Jedi seeking aid on Onderon. There was something spooky going on near the forest where the Jedi lived. Evalyn did not know much about Vin Pavan. Alais wanted to help and Evalyn would not turn her back on a fellow Jedi. They were so few these days. The nondescript shuttle shook as the autopilot prepared it for landing. Evalyn wandered back to find Alais. “Ever been to Onderon? I hope you brought something teeth proof.” She laughed as she reached up and grabbed a handhold as the ship settled on its landing struts and the ramp began to lower.

 

[Andraste]

Alais was all but hyperventilating as she looked out the window and saw that they were descending upon a forest. Her anxiety was through the roof, and she still had nightmares from the Vornskr experience. The planet was absolutely gorgeous, but she stopped enjoying it the moment she saw them veering towards an infernal forest. Why did it always have to be a Force forsaken forest?

As Evalyn made a crack about teeth-proof gear, Alais shot her a glare, “I didn’t think we’d end up in another forest! She just said something something haunted…something something dangerous. I don’t remember half of it and got you the coordinates,” She chewed on her lip, “Do you think we could comm her and say we were delayed and had to take on another mission? It’s not too late right?” She knew it was a fruitless argument. The ship was already landing and they were very much going to help Vin with whatever mess she wanted to get them into.

For weapons, she had a small blaster and a staff. That’s right, no saber since she had lost it at the other god damned forest. She had taken a staff that was lying around at the temple. Little did she know that it belonged to a grumpy old Jedi that was now making quite a fuss about losing his walking stick. Alais was blissfully oblivious and just glad to have a weapon that wasn’t an actual stick off a tree. The plus side was that it wasn’t lethal and she could continue her no-killing ways.

As they continued to walk towards the rendezvous point, she spotted a familiar asshat droid. Alais glared at once, “You?!” She glanced over at Evalyn and shook her head, “You should have let me land the ship. I could’ve conveniently parked us atop this obnoxious scrap of metal.”

@Wit

 

[Vin]

Spotting the approaching ship, Vin had opened herself up to the Force and tried to reach out to sense who was on the rapidly approaching vessel. Kreech might be convinced it was more Jedi for him to sacrifice, but her encounter with the Masters had left Vin skeptical. This could just as easily be an Onderonian task force sent to capture the Jedi living in their backyard.

Thankfully she sensed strength in the Force within the ship, and the refined presence of those trained in the ways of the Force. There were Jedi on board, and two of them. One felt familiar, but the other was unknown to her. Well, she would know who it was soon enough. As the ship landed, she walked ahead to greet the new arrivals.

As the two Jedi emerged from the direction where the ship had landed, Vin identified the younger of the two as the girl with the unicorns, the one who had claimed to be a ghost hunter, and Kreech had so unceremoniously lung upside down. The other one, an older woman, was totally unknown to Vin. She was about to speak up when Alais got the first word in as the two approached.

Ignoring the droid's offended expression, Vin let out a chuckle at the younger Jedi's response to their reunion. I would have been doubly indebted to you Miss Ghostbuster. This obnoxious scrap of meat has nothing but a pain since he came into my possession. Walking up to the duo of Jedi, she bowed towards the older Jedi, who she assumed was Alais' master. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Master, I am padawan Vin Pavan. Your arrival could not have been more timely, there is something very wrong in that forest and I believe we might be out of time.
@Valen Pelora @Sreeya

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Evalyn felt Alais’ anxiety humming in the Force. She could not blame the young Jedi, their last trek into the forest had been a less than enjoyable affair. Although, it made for one hell of a birthday story. She patted the girl on the back and smiled. “It’ll be fine. I doubt this is anything more than a spooked young Jedi.” Evalyn certainly didn’t feel anything nefarious in the Force. “The Exiles are scattered and defeated. There are no scary haunted forests.” Her boots clacked on the ramp as they descended. “We’ll be out of here in no time. Promise.” She smiled at Alais one last time and stepped into the familiar Onderonian air.

The muggy scent of the Jungle world assaulted her senses. It smelled like home, annoying. They were met by another very young Jedi. Sometimes she forgot just how young they all were. The girl seemed worried or lost. Whoever the droid was, Alais did not like it Evalyn laughed. “Oh, be nice. Remember the last time you piloted?” She arched an eyebrow at her young student. Her attention was drawn back to the Jedi who revealed herself as Vinn. Evalyn frowned in confusion. Padawan? That couldn’t be right. The Hapan Jedi Knight ran a manicured hand through her hair. She sighed.

“Not Master, just Knight. I’m not old enough to be locked in a Temple just yet.” She wagged one finger. “I don’t know how to break this to you, but, the records on Jedha list you as a Jedi Knight.” What in the name of the Force had she gotten herself into? A crappy looking droid, a fidgeting apprentice, and a Jedi Knight who didn’t know she was a Jedi Knight. It took all of Evalyn’s willpower not to smack herself on the forehead. “Now, tell me what is wrong with the forest.” She still didn’t sense anything strange but perhaps Vinn was more attuned. @Wit @Sreeya

 

[Andraste]

Alais snickered at Evalyn’s words, “You looked just as scared as me when we came across those vornskr!” She remained quiet as Evalyn went on to make a quip about her piloting skills. There was a tinge of red that appeared on her face as she remembered how much of a mess she had been in after crashing her ship. She had gotten quite the lecture for destroying Jedi property and was firmly advised to accompany others on missions instead of going on her own.

Alais felt significantly better when she remembered that Vin was just as annoyed with the droid. Seeing the girl had raised Alais’ spirits instantly and she pointedly ignored KR3CH. As Vin referred to herself as a padawan, Alais had to tilt her head in confusion. Thankfully Evalyn caught that too, revealing to Vin that she was actually a Knight.

As Evalyn asked Vin the question about what was happening with the forest, Alais felt suddenly uneasy. She turned towards the trees and the path that led deeper in, a strange nagging feeling making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Alais wasn’t paying attention to the conversation behind her. There was something odd about the forest, and something was luring her as if she were a hooked fish. She began to wander towards it, a vacant look on her face.

“Something….there’s something….there…” She didn’t know what that ‘something’ was, but it both terrified and fascinated her at once. The grip on her makeshift weapon tightened as she squelched through the mossy ground towards wherever the path led.

@Wit

 

[Vin]

Vin kept pace with most of the banter between the two new arrivals, letting the conversation flow over her rather than pay a great deal of attention to it. Her thoughts were still on the forest, on the uneasiness that was growing within her. It was only when she realized that the older Jedi was speaking directly to her that she pushed the forest out of her mind. She was about to begin explaining the situation to the Jedi when she finally processed everything that the older Jedi had said.

Knight?! I've never even left Onderon, let alone have my trials. What do you mean I'm a knight? She could see the confusion on the faces of the two Jedi, and was sure that the look was reflected on her own. There must probably be some mistake in the records, that was the only logical explanation. Someone must have made a mistake. But that doesn't matter, what matters is we find Master Fey. He's inside the forest, and I think he's in trouble. As she pointed back towards the forest, she finally noticed that Alais wasn't with them. Turning around she spotted her at edge of the forest, making her way down the path into the shaded woods.

NOO!! She let out a shout as she dashed after the girl, hand stretched before her in a desperate attempt to pull her back. She didn't look to see if Evelyn or KR3CH followed, focused as she was on stopping Alais from venturing too far into the forest on her own. She had almost reached her when something suddenly crashed into her. Sent tumbling and rolling to the ground, feeling something shard scrape against her arm, it was only when she came to a stop did she realize they were already starting to get dark, and they were in the woods.

Propping shelf up to her hands and knees, she looked around to spot Alais, but her attention was quickly drawn away by what had crashed into her. Standing before her was a large beast. Sharp fangs, bristling fur, it was something right out of her nightmares, a demon wolf from the depths of hell. She stumbled and instinctively opened herself up to the Force, and in that moment, with her mind unguarded and the shock of seeing the wolf, her mind was left vulnerable to darkness and it came swooping in. Suddenly she was back in her youth, a little girl trapped alone in the forest, arm broken, head blooded, and terrified that she was about to die. And through the haze of that memory she saw the beast, the real one. The wolf seemed to sense her fear, and she started clawing backwards as the wolf started moving towards her.

The memory was gone, but it had done its trick, left her a broken, shaken wreck. She pulled out the blaster that was still hanging at her waist, and held it up with shaking hands, pointing it at the wolf as it stalked her. Stay back...stay back! Finally she tried to shoot, but as terrified as she was she couldn't remember how to use it, the simple task of pulling the trigger eluded her. So she did all that she could, and threw the blaster at the wolf's head, it missed by a foot and vanished into the darkness. Her mind clouded by fear and darkness, she closed her eyes and prepared for the end.
@Valen Pelora @Sreeya

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

As usual, things went from strange to bad incredibly quickly. Evalyn was still trying to process Vinn thinking she was a Padawan when Alais started to wander off. She should have known the young Jedi would stir up some kind of trouble. Of course, toss two young Knights together and it only gets worse. Things spiraled out of control very quickly. Evalyn shifted as Alais was drawn to the Forest. She felt something pulling at the girl, sinking its claws into her. It wanted the young Jedi. No. No. It needed her. Evalyn latched onto the darkness following it into the forest. She had been terribly wrong.

There was something dark in the heart of the forest. Sinister, angry. Her revere was broken by Vinn screeching. Alais was being pulled into the forest. Evalyn’s eyes snapped to her student and then back to Vinn. Except, Vinn was gone. She quickly scanned the forest spotting Vinn on the ground staring down a nasty looking wolf. Fear pulsed in the Force. Damn it all. The Force rushed into her body. Her left hand shot out to send a small push towards Alais. She shouted at the same time. “Alais! Resist!”

Evalyn prayed her little Force nudge and voice would break Alais from the spell that enthralled her. The slightly overwhelmed Hapan Jedi Knight then swung her attention to the snarling wolf. Vinn was clearly close to paralyzed with fear. Evalyn remembered that feeling from her very first battle. She would never reach Vinn in time, not before the wolf sprung. She shouted again. “Hey! Hey! Over here!” One emerald green Lightsaber sprung into her and she began to wave it around like an idiot. “Fur ball!” The wolf heard the shouting, slowing turning to stare at her. “That’s right, let’s go gorgeous.” The creature raised hackling fangs. Evalyn deeply hoped Vinn would take the chance and shoot the bitch. @Sreeya @Wit

 

[Andraste]

Alais heard voices, saw images, saw shadows, saw light. There was power she felt, power she couldn’t explain, power she wasn’t taught anywhere else. She was drawn like a moth to a flame, as if some powerful entity were beckoning her. It was begging her to learn more, to drink from a pool of knowledge and give herself to it. She had never felt anything like this before, and her pace only quickened as she rushed towards it, “I’m coming… I want to…see…”

A small part of her mind nagged and protested. A part of her that was fundamentally her fought against whatever this was, but the rest of her yearned for it. Alais paused for a moment as she heard the cries of both Vin and Evalyn behind her. She twitched slightly, feeling a sudden surge of anger as she whirled around. When she did, her eyes were not her own, a brief flash passing through them as she glared at Evalyn and spoke with a hiss, “Why should I resist?” Her voice was dark, forceful and very much nothing the older woman would have heard before.

The moment was fleeting and disappeared as abruptly as it arrived. Her eyes were hers again and she looked terrified, her mouth hanging open. It was then that the reality of the situation came crashing back and she realized she needed to help. The wolf was moving in on Vin and Evalyn was trying hard to distract it.

Alais quickly drew her own blaster and fired off two shots at the wolf. They landed on the shoulder and only worked to piss off the beast more as it whirled around to bound towards her. The fangs were bared and claws were massive. Unfortunately, wolves seldom traveled alone. Within moments, two more wolves were circling around them. It was obvious that they drew from the dark energies in the forest and it powered them.

@Wit

 

[Vin]

Vin heard voices, but ignored them as she focused everything she had on keeping her eyes shut. Fey had warned her about the dangers of letting fear overcome her, but even after all these years she still held onto that childhood fear. And today it was going to cost her her life. So she waited, for the claws and fangs to start ripping into her, just as they did in her nightmares, but the pain she expected never came.

She finally forced herself to open her eyes, to find that the voices hadn't been in her head after all. Alais was there, as was the older Jedi, and they seemed to have distracted the wolf. Vin let out a sobbing chuckle as Alais fired at the wolf and she realized just how stupid she had been to throw away her blaster. She felt shame like she had never before in her life. Shame at having drawn others into her troubles, and then acting like a child while they fought her battles. That helped, as the shame grew it pushed away the fear, pushed away the dark memories that had paralyzed her. And as the fear receded, she regained some measure of control. It wasn't gone, but she had regained enough control to at least try and help the others.

She pushed herself to her feet, shakily rising and taking measure of the situation. There were two more wolves now, and if the effect Alais' shot had on the first one was any indication they were in a lot of trouble. She had thrown away her blaster, so all she had left was the training blade, and she had a feeling the shocks the blade could deliver would only serve to further infuriate the beasts. The beasts were circling around, so she started moving as well, edging towards the others. They probably had a better chance of surviving if they tried to hold off the wolves while Evalyn took them out, she had the lightsaber after all.

But the wolves it seemed were not to be so easily dealt with. As she moved, one followed, keep pace with her. She knew if she took her eyes off the thing for a moment it would pounce, so she wasn't able to see if the other wolves had peeled off to deal individually with the other Jedi as well. She had to deal with this wolf on her own somehow, at least for now. Holding her until blade in her hand, she took measure of her options. She still had the Force, but with how easily the forest had overcome her moments earlier, she didn't want to risk using the Force unless she really had to.

She was still searching for a way to get out of this predicament when the wolf pounced, cutting down the distance to her in almost no time. On instinct she ignited her blade and swatted at the wolf as she tried to jump out of the way. She felt a sharp pain as the wolves dug in as it flew past, but somehow that was all it managed. She was still trying to get back to her feet when the wolf spun around and darted towards her. Only for a metallic arm to swat it away. I would not suggest death by wolf mistress, very messy. I am sure it would complicate the postmortem examination.


For the first time in her life Vin actually laughed at something Kreech had said, and that literally shock of that helped clear her mind, pushing away the last vestiges of the forest's grip on her mind. She grasped Kreech's offered hand and pulled herself to her feet to find the droid had another surprise for her, for in his other hand he held her blaster. She actually did laugh then, and taking the blaster from him, turned to face the wolf. It was growling now, Kreech had definitely hurt it, and Vin intended to end what he had started. She let of a barrage of shots, emptying a rain of blaster bolts onto the wolf till her blaster stopped firing from over heating.

The wolf was dead, a burnt shell was all that was left. It was only then that she was able to think about anything more than surviving and could spare a thought for the other Jedi. Hopefully they had an easier time of dealing with the other wolves.
@Valen Pelora @Sreeya

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

She could not catch a Force forsaken break. If it wasn’t bloodthirsty Vornskr, it was rabid mangy wolves. Onderon’s furry denizens were legendary for their ferocity but this seemed like something else. Wolves were common on the Jungle world but typically not this aggressive. They might attack humans when starving or desperate. Outward aggression was unusual. Evalyn did not have time to contemplate the finer points of the behavior of wolves. Her distraction had worked for a moment, until Alais fired two shots at the beast.

Evalyn would have expected it to go down. Instead, it simply turned and charged the young Jedi. She met the charge. Alais still hadn’t replaced her lost Lightsaber, the blaster was clearly useless, and the ‘staff’ would just be another chew toy. Her long legs augmented by the Force carried her directly into the path of the snarling wolf. She was sprinting to intercept the beast before it reached her student. She skidded in front of the creature as it was leaping for Alais. Evalyn did not have time to bring her blade up. This was going to hurt. She raised one armored arm and felt the chomp. Pain laced up her arm into her right shoulder. The wolf was snarling and shaking her arm. Evalyn fought through the pain to call her second Lightsaber into her let hand. The hilt was pointed at the wolf’s neck. One flick of the ignition switch sent the emerald blade through the wolf’s spine. She immediately clicked it off.

Savage jaws relaxed on her arms as the wolf thumped dead to the ground. Blood was already beginning to pool under her armor. Hopefully, it wasn’t serious. Evalyn hadn’t noticed the arrival of the other two wolves. She was too concerned with protecting Alais. She didn’t see the other wolf rushing at her, but she certainly felt it when the beast slammed into her side. Evalyn went tumbling to the ground, sabers flying. Instinct took over as her hands shot up. Drool dripped on her face, she could feel hot rancid breath on her cheeks. The wolf’s mouth was inches from her pale features. Her hands locked on its jaws the only thing keeping it at bay. She fought desperately to keep the wolf from slamming down into her neck. The Darkness was swirling at the edge of her mind. Lost whispers creeping ever closer. Vash’s death was being replayed over and over and over again. She placed her faith in Vin and Alais. @Sreeya @Wit

 

[Andraste]

Alais was about to line up another shot before she realized the wolf was coming in far too quickly. She screamed as she began to rush backwards to quickly think on how to approach the situation. However, that was when Evalyn jumped in abruptly between her and the wolf, taking the full brunt of the attack, “NOO!” Alais shouted at the top of her lungs, darting back towards the woman.

The darkness in the forest had a strange effect on her, and she felt an odd sense of strength coursing through her. Seeing the wolf attack her master stirred up feelings she didn’t know she had, and amidst it all was pure and unbridled rage. Whereas her master may have felt compassion, there was a sliver of darkness in what Alais felt. It was rage entirely directed at this beast that sought to end the life of someone she held dear.

Alais saw Evalyn fend off the first wolf, but another one quickly took its place. She saw the saber fly out of her hand, the wolf pouncing on her and only mere inches away from her face. Alais closed the distance by then, screaming at the top of her lungs as she gathered the Force in her hand. Instead of using a weapon, she slammed her open palm with accumulated Force energy directly into the wolf’s face. The result was a powerful collision that shattered the wolf’s nose and sent it flying back. It was a burst of pure anger and rage, offensive energies delivered in a powerful blow in a way Alais had never experienced before.

She didn’t stop there, calling Evalyn’s saber to herself as she charged the reeling and whimpering wolf. She swung out with the saber, cutting directly through its neck in one clean sweep. She didn’t flinch as the head plopped to the ground next to her. Alais looked up at the other wolves in the vicinity that slowly began to back away.

She switched off the saber, darting back to Evalyn to crouch beside her as she handed the saber back. Alais was shaking from the ordeal, a thousand questions in her mind. She had the feeling she had done something awful, but she was too terrified to understand what. For now, she grasped Evalyn by the shoulders, her eyes wide, “Why did you do that?! Why would you risk your life like that! That was so stupid! You could have died. I can’t let you die!”

 

[Vin]

Vin's ears were still pounding to the beat of her heartbeat when a scream jerked her into action. She turned around just in time to see Alais charge a wolf that had Evalyn pinned down. She could only watch on in wide eyed horror as she first sent the wolf flying and then followed after it with her master's blade to cut down the whimpering beast. But it was not the girls actions that caught her attention, it was the shiver she felt rise up her spine as she saw Alais act. She could sense the forest's darkness in her, but it was stronger than anything she had ever sensed.

At that moment she wished that Fey was with them, he would know what to do, for she had no idea what to do. Just the thought of her master made her want to charge deeper into the woods to look for him, but then she heard's Alais screaming at Evalyn and realized she had a duty to them as well. Evalyn was hurt, and the state Alais was in it would not be wise to let her stay in the forest. They had to leave, get back to their hut and treat their wounds. The forest had drawn them into a trap, she was sure of it. It had known her weakness, but somehow it had baited Alais as well, and the two of them had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. No, staying any longer inside the forest at this time would be a mistake.

She let the two Jedi have a moment while she kept an eye out for any other threats. Once she was sure that they were not in any immediate danger, she walked over to them and crouched besides Evalyn. Are you two alright? I am sorry I dragged you into this. I was not prepared for this. She paused for a moment as she caught Alais' eyes and tried to reconcile her innocent face with what she had felt just moment earlier. The forest, it was doing crazy things to all of them. We have to get moving, get out of the forest. We don't want to spend the night here.

She got to her feet and started leading the way out of the forest and back towards her hut. As they walked, she started telling them what she could about the forest. There is a darkness in this forest, has been there for as long as I can remember. But this, this was unlike anything I have experienced before. I grew up here, and never have I experienced what I did in there.

A shiver ran through her at the very thought of the fear that she had felt, making her clinch her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood. She stopped and turned back to face the other Jedi. My master and I have been trying to keep the darkness in this forest in check for years. But now it has grown into something more, something that we can't handle on our. I know this is too much to ask, but will you help me? We need to stop this, whatever it is, from spreading any further. We're Jedi, aren't we? If we don't stop this then who will? The question was as much for herself as it was for them, for in that moment she realized that a part of her, and not a small one at that, wanted nothing more than to leave the forest and never return. And that, more than anything that the forest had thrown at them, terrified her.
@Valen Pelora @Sreeya

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Slobber drooped right on Evalyn’s forehead. Her arms ached as she held the wolf at bay. Her face was contorted with the strain of her effort. The Darkness was still whispering at the edges of her mind. It was a sinister feeling. She knew what it wanted. It wanted her to give in, let the wolf end her in one fell swoop. It implored her to join Vash. She could be one with the Force so easily. All she had to do was let go. Evalyn grunted. It would have to do better than that. She knew the temptations of the Darkness all too well. Suddenly, the wolf was savagely blasted backward. She could only watch as Alais brutally killed the creature. Evalyn’s eyes widened in shock. The Force was a mix of fear, compassion, and anger. It was the Forest. It had to be the Forest. The Darkness was twisting them all into perverted images of themselves.

She slowly propped herself up on her elbows as Alais came rushing over, the girl she knew returning. She smiled and brushed a stray hair out of Alais’ face. “No kid. I can’t let anything happen to you.” She groaned as she went to stand. “Stronger together remember? We protect each other. No matter what.” Evalyn finally stood. Her arm was sore. It might have been worse than she thought. “Besides, I’ve had much worse.” She beamed at the young Jedi to try and put her mind at ease. They needed to get the hell out of this forest.

Evalyn fell into step beside Vin while the young Jedi explained the Forest. She couldn’t help but notice the physical absence of Vin’s master. Troubling. If what Vin said was true, whatever power was infecting the Forest was getting stronger. It did not bode well for Vin’s master. Evalyn kept that particular thought to herself. This was beyond her. She could sense the Darkness, the familiar taint of the Darkside. But this was different than facing down an Exile. This was deep corruption.

“We won’t let you face this alone.” Evalyn looked back towards the forest. “But we need more help, young one. This is unlike anything I have felt in a very long time. It’ll take much more than just the three of us.” Even now she could feel the Darkness trying to worm its way into her mind. @Sreeya @Wit

 

[Andraste]

Alais opened her mouth to argue as Evalyn spoke, but the comment about stronger together caused her retort to die. Instead, she only managed a sad smile as she helped Evalyn up to her feet. She could tell the woman suffered some injuries on her arm. Alais looked down at the ground, sighing, “I’m sorry for wandering off. This is all my fault..” She looked up at Vin as she spoke as well.

As Vin spoke, she had to agree with Evalyn’s response, “We don’t know the extent of this. The pull though…” She looked from one woman to another, “Why did it hit me so hard but not you two? Am I…” That much weaker? She wanted to ask, but realized she was drawing too much attention to herself. Instead, she cleared her throat, making her way back towards where the supplies were.

Alais found some medical supplies, bringing some back for Evalyn to apply to her arm. She looked around the little camp before looking at Vin, “Are there any other Jedi in the area or anyone that can help?” She could see KR3CH walking around, and she had the thought of sending him to investigate everything first. With their luck, he’d most likely lure them into a trap.

She thought of something else, something none of them had mentioned yet, “What…kind of monsters lurk deeper in the forest?”

@Wit @Valen Pelora

 

[Vin]

Vin had no answer for Alais' question. She herself had been much younger on her first visit into the forest, and while she still bore scars from that encounter, it was nothing like what they had faced today. I am sorry, but I don't have an answer that would satisfy you. The forest, it almost has a mind of its own. I can sometimes sense a malevolence to it, lingering just out of reach. Maybe it sensed you were younger, maybe it thought that made you weaker. She was almost lost in thoughts as the words escaped her mouth, and it took her a moment to realize that the younger Jedi might not take them in the best way. But don't worry, you handled it much better than my first visit to the forest. She felt guilty as she said the words, because a part of her was] worried by the girl's reaction to the forest. She could always sense strong emotions in others, conflict, fear, doubt, and it had almost become second nature for her to say something to make them feel better when she sensed something. But she wondered, if they were headed back into the forest, might have been better to be more honest with the girl.

But that could wait, for now they had to figure out a way to survive the forest. She felt relieved that they had agreed to help her, despite everything that had just happened. But at the same time there was some guilt there, she was dragging them into dangers she herself did not understand completely. She had always suspected that Fey had never told her everything he knew about the forest, and there might now be things in there that even he didn't know about. That didn't really fill her with confidence. But maybe with more help they could do something about it.

No, we are the only Jedi on the planet as far as I'm aware. Onderon doesn't really like Jedi. But I'm hoping others might answer my call as you did. There was that little guy, Master Wyck. He said he would help, maybe bring others along. And they would need the help. Evalyn was right, there was no way the three of them would be enough for whatever was inside.

Bigger, stronger, more feral. The droid sounded almost gleeful as he started listed out the dangers that awaited them deeper in the woods. Probably because he through that they might finally do the job and finish them off. Statistically speaking, the odds of all of you surviving in the deeper woods are 45,671 to 1
@Valen Pelora @Sreeya

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Evalyn wished she had an answer for Alais or Vin. The truth was a great deal more frightening. She did not know where they would get help from. She had a few friends in the Order, but they were scattered across the various sects. Her fellow Guardian’s wouldn’t leave Jedha, Crusaders wouldn’t stop hunting, and Shadows were difficult to find. Evalyn hadn’t spoken with a Counselor or Emissary in years. It would not hurt to reach out, she was simply pessimistic about their chances.

If Vin had convinced them to come here maybe the girl could convince others. Evalyn was more deeply concerned about the forests pull on Alais. Vin’s crude analysis made sense, but left her wondering. She had felt something boiling in Alais when the young Jedi was attacking the wolf. They were emotions brought on by compassion but troubling just the same. She would have to speak with her student when they had a moment alone. Evalyn’s thoughts carried her back to the small camp. She plopped down heavily on a moss-covered log. She slowly pealed her armor off the injured arm. The bite marks were visible underneath. Evalyn took the medical supplies from Alais and cut away the fabric on her arm. She began to slowly tend to her wound.

“The Forest latched onto all of us. Vin has lived near it for a very long time, she is likely resistant to some of its charms. And I had to shield my mind from Darkness at each battle during the war, if my walls were lowered it would have sucked me in just as well.” She grimaced in pain from the antibiotic ointment. “We will work on shielding your mind from the Forest.” Evalyn hoped that put Alais’ mind at ease. For now.

She turned to Vin. “Send word to whoever you can, and we will do the same. Hopefully, someone will answer the call.” Finally, Evalyn glared at the droid. What an irritating model. “I don’t like droid but it’s right. Onderon is home to some of the galaxies worst critters. There are scarier things than wolves in that forest.” This was only the beginning of a difficult fight. One she was uncertain they would all make it out of. Evalyn grimaced again as she continued to work on her arm.

--End @Wit @Sreeya