In and Out, 20 Minute Adventure

[Arda Breaux]

Dantooine​

Arda had not certainly gotten the green light to be back in the field, but she knew she couldn't stay put in the medical bay for any longer. It left her thinking over past events, what could have been, what might have been and what could possibly come. It was driving her nuts, plus she ran out of canvas on the room's white walls and the nurses were not pleased that she was beginning to move to the adjacent walls to "give it some color" was how Arda had explained it to them. It was suggested she should find something else to do in order to curve her boredom while she rested, so Arda did.

In fact, she found others, Cessair Darkrose and Alexander Ayers who were more than happy to join Arda on a small adventure to Dantooine. She had heard there were possible kyber crystals that could be used to build lightsabers. She had one before her capture on Nar Shaddaa, one she had worked very hard to find on Ilum, but now it was probably in the possession of the Sith. The girl felt some defeat in the sense she had to complete this task over again, however, there was a bit more confidence in what she needed to do in order to find the crystal. She had decided she had enough of the extremes and heard about the chances of the forest world and once a former base of the Rebellion before the Empire ripped through, nearly destroying the Galactic Alliance in the process.

The trip there would be long, there were no short cuts to reaching the other end of the galaxy and when they touched down on the planet's surface, Arda was more than relieved to be out of the artificial atmosphere of the ship and back into a real environment. Arda placed her hands on her hips happy to be grounded as she was certain she was pretty moody being stuck on the ship for such an extended time.

"Should be quick, right? There are supposed to be crystals in the caves out on that line." she said pointing to large hills on the horizon, "Go get them, come back, and hopefully no one will notice we didn't fill out all the proper paperwork for borrowing this ship." she grinned before turning on her heel to lead the way.

@Lost Hero @Lucid

 

[Cessair Darkrose]

Cessair could hardly contain his excitement. With every passing day he continued to meet new people, fellow knights to be and practitioners of the Force. He wasn’t entirely sure what they were doing. He knew they were retrieving crystals of some sort, and he knew they’d help in some fashion with having a blade to call his own, but he wasn’t sure how the two correlated. A harsh reality he hadn’t expected was how long the trip would be, something that really took it’s toll on his resolve. He bored easily, so along the way he’d turn to the other two padawans for conversation. More than anything he had questions that needed answering. Questions like: What is the planet of Dantooine’s reputation? How did you come to learn you possessed a sensitivity to the Force? At what age did this discovery occur? Are we there yet? Will there be any mining necessary to procure the crystals in question? How long does a squire have to serve under their tutor to become knighted? In what way exactly do these crystals factor into the construction of a blade? He’d ask these questions to both compatriots, and if they engage din conversation he’d most likely continue to prod and pose questions for the entire journey. If his questions fell on deaf ears he’d take the hint and pull back.

Finally, after what felt like ages he disembarked from the ship onto the surface of Dantooine. He was similarly grateful to be off the ship, free to roam around as he pleased. In fact, he did just that. He bent and stretched just beyond the threshold of the ship, and with little anticipation starting a light jog around the ship and taking in the scenery. To be honest, it wasn’t exactly a sight to behold. He was certain that given enough time he could grow a liking to it, but he preferred more exotic locales. Or even just a cooler climate. Thankfully it seemed as if the goal was not a prolonged stay, making the average landscape less of a disappointment. After feeling the breeze and natural sunlight for a change, as opposed to the artificial lighting of the ship, he circled back slowing to a skipping stop by Arda. He followed her finger with his eyes towards the skyline, noticing the distance between them and their destination. Normally he would question why they hadn’t landed closer, but after being on he ship for such a prolonged period of time, he was grateful for the opportunity to stretch his legs.

“I’ve never been on such an excursion as this, I cannot assure a hasty conclusion, m’lady. But I do have one way of expediting the process.” With all the pent up energy inside his walk starting accelerating to a trot as he said “Last one there is a rotten form of food of your culture!” With that, he sped up once more into a full sprint towards the hills in question. He could feel every step digging into the earth beneath his feet, relishing in the wind whipping past his face. He wasn’t the most athletic individual, so he hoped his little head start would be enough to avoid being last. Not that he was terribly concerned in the moment. Right now, he’d just enjoy the newfound freedom as he raced across the vacant fields of Dantooine.

@Lucid @GABA

 

[Alexander Ayers]

"I still don't get why you won't just take one of these," Alexander gestured the many superfluous lightsabers at his belt. "I have more than I'll ever need! But if you insist on doing this let's at least be careful."

He flipped her a lightsaber as the ship touched down on the world. It reminded him a bit of home, with the lush grasses and the feel of the planet in the force. It was bright and good and untainted...a rarity in these times to be sure.


The trio disembarked the fresh smell of the grasslands filling their noses and the sound of wind on grass filling their ears. Alexander liked it here. He wondered why they hadn't simply rebuilt here. It would be the last place the empire would look...on a world they'd already taken from the enemy.

"So, Arda," he asked slowly, "what did you have in mind?"

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

Alex asked why she didn't just take him up on his offer on one of his own sabers he had collected over the years and the girl bobbed her head, as though she were trying to decide on something, but she knew her answer.

"What's the fun in that?" she asked him, more rhetorically, "Besides, it gets us away from the bases." she caught the lightsaber, examining it for a moment before clipping it onto her belt as they walked through the grass plain. Cessair seemed excited about the adventure, taking off towards the base of the mountains, she nearly pushed off her foot to race the padawan but paused as Alex asked her what she had in mind. Cessair would quickly see how the ground quickly became unlevelled and thus having to land the ship where they did.

"It felt right to come here." she glanced at Alex, "I know the Alliance had a base here once." she frowned remembering the history of the place prior to the Alliance evacuating after the attack from the Empire, "I don't know why the Alliance hasn't reached out to the systems in this area, or come back here." the padawan shrugged away her thoughts. She felt an itching to run, it had been ages since she had the chance and watching Cessair gain ahead of them only urged her further, "We should catch up." she smiled and then took off.

Her lungs stung at first, but it felt like a good, long stretch after resting and she felt a rush that she didn't realize she had missed. The world fell silent around her as she focused, letting go as the Force trickled through her limbs, speeding up just slightly until she could pass up Cessair.

@Lost Hero @Lucid

 

[Alexander Ayers]

It was a fair point. Why hadn't the Alliance returned to Dantooine? It was unlikely that the Sith would be monitoring the world, believing as they did to have wiped them out. Dantooine was a peaceful world, alive with the Force and existing (if damaged and abandoned) infrastructure. An idea began to crystallize in his mind as he sent the Force pulsing down his legs as he ran to catch up with Arda and Cessair.

"I don't know why they haven't come back," he mused as they ran along, catching up with Cessair and the trio moved swiftly--and with uncanny precision--as they crossed the uneven terrain. "While we're here, we should see what sort of state everything is in. See if something can't be salvaged." He added as a cluster of buildings came into view ahead. From a distance they looked intact but forlorn...the sort of utter desolation that comes from long disuse.

There was something else too, a shiftiness to the Force. Alexander slowed and motioned to the others to slow their pace as well. He'd never felt anything quite like it. It didn't feel evil, like the Sith he had fought on Jedha, it felt a bit more wild and alive. He started to ask the others what they thought it could be, as they ventured into the abandoned settlement, when a loud rumbling came from a building to their left. It was accompanied by a series of breathy huffffff-ing and a strangely wet smacking. Even more confused and now intimidated, Alexander's hand feel to his lightsaber. "Uhhh...anyone else think that sounds like a bear?" He asked his fellows. "Or several bears?"

@Lost Hero @GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

Arda had placed her trust in the FOrce, closing her eyes to feel the air rush pass her face as her hair whipped behind her; Alexander had caught up, thinking on the point Arda had spoken about moments earlier. She began to slow her pace seeing the abandoned settlement ahead of them as Alex had suggested they should check out the state of the old base to see if anything from it could be saved and repurposed. The padawan nodded, agreeing with the idea, she was certain they would have enough time, "We should, to show no matter the Empire's might, what we stand for is stronger." Arda flashed a smile, but it would fade quickly as she could tell Alex had felt something.

The girl refocused her attention ahead, she too could feel the shift, it told her to be cautious, that danger was possible and it grew stronger as they entered the ghost town. One thing she certainly learned as being a Jedi, she frequently was required to walk closer to the danger than away from it. Her senses reached outward, she could feel more clearly something primal and heard the wet smacks of jaws.

"A bear?" she gave him a quizzical glance, "I doubt there are any..." a large furred beast walked out from a rotted wood opening of one of the buildings, "Ok, maybe there are..." and another followed from behind, a low growl rumbled deep in it's throat, "Two, two bears, we can handle two, right?" she waved nonchalantly as though it were no big deal. However, as she grasped the lightsaber hilt a shadow cast from behind, an even larger bear rose on its hind legs and let out a gruesome roar. Arda ignited the lightsaber, the energies of the Force came to her aid as she jutted her palm, releasing a blast that seemed to only tumble the beast off balance.

@Lucid

@Lost Hero hop back in whenever you get internet

 

[Alexander Ayers]

Alexandre let the Force flow from him as the angriest of the animals reared up and roared. He had some experience with calming various species of indigenous life and wondered idly if he could do the same here. He felt the Force touch the mind of the larger of the two animals in front of them. Arda seemed suitably engaged with the one that had crept up behind them. In an instant he could feel the animal's fear, aggression and desire to protect its home. He also felt primal concern for something.

She had cubs nearby.

These animals had made this section of the old rebel encampment their home and what right did Alex and Arda have to interrupt them. Well they had a right, but the point was still there. Alexander worked quickly, unlit lightsaber in his left hand while his right was held casually before him to channel the Force. He used the bear's desire to protect her cubs to his advantage. He brought it forward to the front of her mind, at the same time impressing upon her the knowledge that this area was no longer safe.

He fabricated a picture of an area of safe caves, bountiful rivers and grass to hunt in and the sense that it would be safe. He included a complex bit of information that gave her a scent trail to follow to the northeast. The bear huffed and calmed. Without warning she turned and ran back into the house and came back out, nudging her cubs before her as Alexander turned to the second bear, hoping to the same thing. But it was not to be.

As he brought the Force up once again, the bear charged, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. He rolled out and around as it reared up and came in to attack. "Well at least it's still two!" He called to Arda as his lightsaber hissed to life.

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

One of the bears turned away with Alex's convincing in the Force, leaving them numerically matched, though Arda was not so certain they were evenly matched. The bear that she had pushed with the Force took a moment to get up, seemingly surprised by the suddenly invisible attack that threw it across the way. The other bear charged at Alex and Arda turned to see Alex hitting the ground, "Well, quit falling down and let's get these guys to back off!" she said backing up to Alex her saber pointed to the bear that was looking to see where its attacker had gone. Groggily, it got up, pawing at the ground, but it didn't charge.

"C'mon, I think we're the intruders here this time..." she told Alex, slowly stepping down the path, making sure Alex followed, she hoped that is why the other bear was attacking also, this was their home. The bear that had gone after Arda remained still, growling and bowing its head as she slowly passed, her saber used as a barrier in case it decided to get too close.

As they moved, it seemed like it was working, the bears began to back off as they moved out of their home, clearly, they might have been attacking from being startled by the sudden appearance of humans that have not been here for an extended amount of time. "Hopefully we don't encounter anymore..." Arda spoke, glancing to Alex before her gaze fell on the rocky cliffs ahead of them. "Rest should be easy, right?" she rhetorically and optimistically questioned as she extinguished the lightsaber and clipped it back to her belt, leading the rest of the way to a cave entrance that would be big enough for them to walk through.

@Lucid

 

[Alexander Ayers]

lol march 20th. @GABA I'm literally the worst

"I agree," Alex said softly as the pair made their way into the cave. It was dark as anything, though at the entrance Alex could see the outline of wires leading along the smooth walls above their heads. Arda had picked her cave well. The Rebels had dug command bunkers into the hills and she seemed to had found reference to one such. With the buildings outside still being reasonably sturdy, it gave Alexander hope for what they might find inside.

Alexander kept his lightsber lit and held above their heads, an old Jedi saying clawing in the back of his mind as he did so. A Jedi is at home in the dark. True enough, he figured but he couldn't deny that being able to see at least something, especially when they had no idea what they were actually looking for was a huge help.

It took the pair a few minutes of wary, silent walking to reach the first set of blast door tracks. With the blue glow from his saber, Alex and Arda could clearly see that the tracks were mostly undamaged. A bit dusty and in need of a good lubrication, he had no doubt that if they could get in further, things might still be at least partially operational. A few hundred meteres down the passage guarded by the doors, they reached an intersection. Alex sent the Force speeding down each hallway, searching for a particular sensation.

Somewhere along the line he had learned how to sense the movement of electricity in the Force. To him it felt like an annoying hum in his Force presence. From three directions (including behind them) he didn't feel anything. But from their right he could feel just a trace of something. He nudged Arda, "Let's try down there..." he suggested, leading his partner down the hallway and into a large circular room.

The light from his saber instantly revealed that they had found what they were looking for. Old but not too horribly outdated computer stacks and screens littered the area. Most looked damaged but, in the dim light Alex could see that maybe a couple were mostly still intact. "How many power cells did you bring?" he asked quietly.

 

[Arda Breaux]

Alex led ahead and Arda followed behind, looking carefully at the walls of the cave, her senses reaching outward to detect anything unusual. She could feel the ripples from Alex, but also the residue of history that laid in this cave, the anguish and urgency from when they were attacked by the Empire still could be felt. Running her fingers along the blast door tracks along the wall of the cave, "Probably just need to be rewired, it looks relatively intact." Arda spoke and they continued further into the former base until they reached the fork; she glanced at Alex ready to suggest they split up, but he seemed to detect which path would be the best.

Finally reaching one of the main control rooms and Arda smiled, it was a mess, but they could salvage much in here; he asked about the power cells and Arda nodded, "I brought three of them." she reached into her bag ans scooped them out and handed two to Alex while holding the third one. "I'll try that one over there." she gestured to a sensor computer; climbing over some of the equipment, it took her a moment to open the hatch, eventually using a flat edge to pop it open. She dug through the wires, finding the old cylinder and replaced it with the new power cell. A few chirps from the computer told her it was starting up, "GOT IT!" she called out excitedly and stood up to see how Alex was doing.

@Lucid