Ask In the Shadow of the Storm

Izel Thral

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Eadu was a dark and miserable looking world. It made Izel wonder why anyone would bother to make a home here. The ship that she was on shook with displeasure as it was buffeted by the relentless thunderstorms raging across the planet. They flew along the jagged rocky coast of the southern continent, searching for any signs of civilization.

One of the local villages had sent out a distress signal right before being hit by an unusually massive hurricane, even for Eadu. Normally ships had a great deal of difficulty navigating the skies of the planet because of the powerful storms, which was why the search and rescue team had requested the assistance of the Jedi to help find their way. With the Force at their disposal, sensing a safe path through the gale would be simple work. Izel had been paired with a Knight, Eileen Van Alasdaire, to accomplish this task. The Vratix had never gone on a mission with her before, and was somewhat unnerved by her young age. The Vahla was even younger than she was! That meant either she was extremely talented or had very recently been knighted and could still lack experience. Izel hadn't gone so far as to mention these reservations, but had not made any effort to conceal her feelings from a probing mind.

As the ship drew closer to the craggy coastline Izel stepped up to the open door and leaned out slightly, the wind and rain battering her robed form instantly. She held her stance and reached out with a hand, feeling for any signs of life with the Force. She could sense the concentration of sentient life up ahead, but there was more than that. This hurricane had battered the high standing rock spires of the coast, knocking many of them down and revealing ancient caverns within. There was a darkness radiating out from the ravines beneath the village, something very old and malevolent. This didn't bode well.

"I can sense them! Put us down up ahead!" She shouted to the pilot over the howling storm. The ship swung around a massive rock formation to reveal the destroyed remains of a village perched on a cliffside. The shattered debris of the buildings were spread out over several rock spires and connected by rope bridges, although most of these bridges now hung down below uselessly, trapping the villagers on each of their rocky islands. These settlers are insane... Izel thought grimly to herself.

As the ship started to lower itself down towards an open space the Padawan looked back inside. A team of paramedics and other emergency responders were readying themselves to get to work, and Eileen was standing beside them. "You're the ranking Jedi here." Izel said with a respectful nod to the Knight. "I'll follow your lead Master Van Alasdaire."

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Eileen Van Alasdaire

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It was an interesting day for Eileen. Interesting in the sense that this was one of the first Padawan she’d met older than herself. Eileen could only imagine the Jedi had been selected for training later in life, as the Force emanating from them was clearly strong enough to merit promotion. However, if being a Knight was about skill alone, then there would hardly be any Padawan.

As a species they were naturally attuned to the Force from birth - adding that to what her family taught her, she progressed to the rank of Knight quickly. One of the things she’d been taught was flying. Which was coming in handy avoiding the durasteel bending gusts. Eileen didn’t have time to warm Izel as she shifted the ship rapidly above the wave, soaring low to hit the coastline.

The freighter entered the airspace around the jagged beaches below, clearly devastated by additional travesty; perhaps it has once been beautiful. Eileen’s thoughts were interrupted as she pulled back on the yoke of the freighter’s joystick, angling it so the metallic walkway could extend. Whistling at the astromech she’d brought along, Eileen made her way to her fellow Knight’s side.

“Land the ship, Lieutenant, and keep it hot. We may have to make a quick exit.”

As her queries were spoken, she could tell that Izel was very polite in the extreme. She immediately recognized that Eileen was a Knight, whereas she herself Padawan, not that it had actually registered to the Vahla. She was the ranking Jedi for once. That was odd, Eileen wasn’t used to being in hazardous situations without at least one more Knight present, but she knew what to do, she had trained Padawan before.

Izel would learn by doing - Eileen’s way. And the first thing to do was to eliminate any confusions about rank. This gal didn’t operate traditionally, as she wasn’t a Master yet and even if she was Eileen hoped her attitude wouldn’t change as a result.

“Good senses, Izel.”

I Eileen didn’t wait for second thoughts. Izel would learn quickly that the Vahla moved very quickly, as the Knight jumped from the open doorway, trusting the B-series and co-pilot to land the ship appropriately. It set down in the open area as the freighter’s medical crew began to file out. The Knight had taken on the role as pilot as the realization of the local storm hit, a force sensitive at the helm was always a plus for navigating safely. She stepped onto the shale flooring, looking towards the caverns in preparation to move forward.

“Please call me Eileen - titles make my skin crawl. We work as equals here. Think of me like a cool aunt - ask if you’re wondering, but do your own thing, I can already tell you’ll keep up.

I don’t like the feel of this place - it draws negative energy, from where exactly is beyond me but that chasm radiates it.”


Eileen started forward, gently keeping pace with Izel. The medical staff kept behind them, with one or two civilian guards at the very rear of their troop. To the girl specifically, the Vahla gently hummed,

“Keep your guard up. I’d like to avoid an ambush today, if at all possible. Been too many of those this week.”
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Izel Thral

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"Oh thank you-" Izel started to reply to Eileen's compliment, only for the Vahla Jedi to leap out of the ship before it had even landed. The Vratix waited patiently for the ship to touch down on the drenched earth before stepping off, the search and rescue team coming down after her. Eileen's attitude reminded Izel much of her master's, although he still carried himself with a clear authority. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"As you wish." She replied to the Knight's words. The prospect of 'doing her own thing' was becoming more and more attractive to the young Jedi. She had been on many challenging missions by now and had come considerably far where confidence and ability were concerned. She hoped soon she would be able to share the same rank with Eileen.

She nodded as her companion spoke of the dark side energy. So they had both felt it then. Something was definitely wrong here, more than just the hurricane. She would like to find out what it was, but their mission came first and foremost. Izel reached out with the Force, trying to identity any survivors nearby.

"I feel someone in that wreckage over there!" She called to the rescue team while pointing out the remains of a destroyed hovel. While they moved towards the debris Izel got closer to Eileen to speak to her personally. "Ambush?" She asked somewhat skeptically. "I feel the tension no doubt. But do you really think we're in danger of being attacked here? Eadu is a sparsely populated world. There are nothing but nerf herders and fishermen here. Why would the Sith be interested in this place?"

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Eileen Van Alasdaire

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“Then that’s where we are headed.”

Eileen took the woman’s queue and picked up her pace. Her lightsaber gently unclamped from it’s wrist holster, spinning it to ignition. It’s emerald blade cast a gently glow ahead of them as the pair of Jedi and their civilian counterparts made their way within the collapse, locating a downed ship. Eileen didn’t stop speaking, however.

“Not necessarily Sith. We have no reason to believe they are here, but you’ll find local cults can be just as dangerous. If there are Force Sensitives in the area, dark energy of this magnitude would draw them here.”

Eileen calmly sighed as their detail reached the edge of the debris. It was a freighter, it’s durasteel melted and mangled at an odd angle, pinned down by shale-like chunks of stalagmite. The cockpit was facing the team, though the cylindrical window panes had been shattered and warped due to impact. Nobody alive was visible in the cockpit, but within a faint flicker of life could be felt. Nothing was on fire, but the Jedi would have to sift through the collapsed ship to retrieve them. Eileen made a sharp motion to the civilian staff with them, telling them to stay back. To Izel, Eileen chimed directly,

“We’ll take care of this part. Keep an eye on those rocks. If they shift, the entire freighter could roll further.”

To the Civilians, the Vahla instructed them aptly, raising her voice to projection from her diaphragm to ensure she was heard clearly.

“Stay clear. Med, be ready to move when the Vic is clear.”

Approaching the ship’s cockpit cautiously, the Vahla’s eyebrow rose. The ship was lodged and pinned, sure, but the contents of the ship were totally dislodged, from what she could see. At the sixty five degree angle it hung right now, the pair could enter from the cockpit and climb through the vessel until they located their quarry. But Eileen knew that was a risk, perhaps not as much to Jedi, regardless unnecessary. They could simply cut through the bottom of the hull with their lightsabers, but that would take precious time.

“How do you want to do this? Straight inside?”

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Izel Thral

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Izel nodded to Eileen's words. She had never encountered any of these supposed dark side cults but had gathered bits and pieces about them in her studies. Even the Sith had been thought extinct until just recently, so it was more than plausible that other such groups could be lurking in the lesser traveled parts of the galaxy as well.

As they approached the precariously trapped freighter Izel inspected it closely. It looked as if any small shift in weight could send it hurdling into the water far below, and that was a death sentence. She could also more clearly feel the life within now using her finely attuned Force sense. Most likely the pilot. She didn't feel fear or distress, so they were probably unconscious. That was good, at least their panicking wouldn't be a risk. When Eileen asked her how she wanted to proceed the Vratix tilted her head and clicked thoughtfully, antennae twitching slightly as she considered their options.

"It's very unstable, the both of us going inside might tip it over." She explained. "Perhaps one of us should remain behind and use the Force to hold the ship steady while the other retrieves the pilot?" She looked at the Vahla Jedi. "You're lighter than I am, but it may be easier for me to maneuver inside the wreckage. What do you think?" Her insectoid biology made it possible for Izel to cling to the walls and ceiling of the ship if need be, and she also assumed Eileen had a stronger command of the Force than her, which would mean the Knight would have an easier going holding the ship steady. Then again Eileen would be less likely to cause a shift in the ship's balance, and the Vahla were quite athletic and nimble themselves. Either way, Izel wasn't sure she was comfortable with the both of them entering the ship together.

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Eileen Van Alasdaire

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Eileen didn’t like it one bit. The idea of a Padawan going into that shuttle was stressing, but the Vahla trusted her peer. Besides, she wasn’t exactly the most graceful at times, whereas Izel’s biology would become a severe advantage in a wrecked vessel like that. Nonetheless, the Knight felt necessary to be concerned anyways. She didn’t trust this whole situation - natural disasters didn’t usually leave this profound an impact on the spirituality of a location. The Jedi sighed calmly, deactivating her saber as it disappeared into the folds of her robe.

“Alright. Go on inside, and be careful. Get in, get out, and trust your instincts. I still don’t like the feel of this whole thing, the quicker we are the safer it’ll be.”

The girl’s mouth gently frowned as she looked at the freighter. Through the way it was pinned, Eileen could tell that support to the starboard side of the hull would be necessary if it started tipping. But right now, she wanted a wide safety net around the ship. It wouldn’t exactly be difficult, per say, as much as it would be taxing and take absolute concentration. The Knight could hold up a starfighter, sure, but keeping an entire light freighter in place was something else entirely.

Reaching out with the Force, and hoping Izel had already seen to heading into the vessel, the Vahla spread her influence around the exterior of the Nella 342. Instead of trying to hold it up with the Force, the woman instead attempted to hold the ship in that space by slowing it’s ability to move down to molasses. Force slowing was slightly easier than telekinesis on larger objects, as she didn’t have to focus on the entire thing AND keeping it afloat, now all she had to do was slow it down to a halt. The durasteel wouldn’t even screech or groan, it would only be coated with a strange, rippling motion effect.
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Izel Thral

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"That's the idea." Izel replied to Eileen with an affirmative nod. She could tell from the Knight's expression that she was concerned for Izel's safety. The Padawan appreciated she was willing to let her attempt the rescue anyway.

While Eileen approached the ship and began focusing herself Izel slid her lightsaber pike through her backpack's strap to keep it there and free up her hands. Once her companion began to use Force Stasis to hold the ship in place the Vratix got right to work. Understanding that time was of the essence Izel quickly scuttled forward and up onto the ship, slipping through the shattered viewport of the cockpit and into the freighter. It was a strange sensation moving across the surface of the freighter as it was held under stasis. Every time she placed a foot down it was like stepping in thick mud, taking a slight effort to keep moving. Thankfully it wasn't too much of a hinderance to her movement.

The ship's cargo seemed to have broken free of it's restraints during the crash, leaving crates strewn across the floor of the freighter. Izel avoided the mess by clinging to the wall of the ship, almost upside down because of the angle the ship was at. She hastened to the common room of the freighter, both looking and feeling for any sign of the pilot. As she moved she couldn't help but notice some of the cargo crates had busted open. The pilot was a gun runner, and while Izel wasn't exactly an expert, many of the blasters appeared illegally modified. She had to agree with Eileen. Something was definitely going on here besides a simple hurricane. The Padawan made a mental note to question the pilot on their business practices once she found them.

A cursory inspection of the freighter's interior didn't reveal the location of the pilot, but Izel knew they were somewhere onboard. She could sense them. She was running out of time though. Knowing the pilot was likely a smuggler given the cargo she assumed he might have been hiding in a hidden compartment somewhere. Slowly the Vratix crawled down to the floor of the ship and began inspecting it closely. She kept one hand on her saber, ready to draw it at a moment's notice, while using the other hand to feel out the floor and try to find a crease where a hidden compartment could be.

"It's ok..." She said slowly and urgently, eager to be out of this death trap. "I'm not a Sector Ranger, and you're not in trouble. Just come out so I can get you off this ship. We haven't much time..." No answer. Izel was liking this situation less and less by the moment. She only hoped holding the ship wasn't putting too much of a strain on Eileen.

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Eileen Van Alasdaire

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The freighter croaked and gently shifted it’s weight as Eileen held in in place. It was exhausting, at a bare minimum, as a stasis field of this size would’ve been difficult for even some Masters. The only thing that prevented her from draining herself completely was the wedges pinning the vessel in place. If those failed, Eileen wouldn’t be able to keep the freighter stationary and would likely faint after guiding it to a stop. The Vahla knew she wasn’t strong enough to do this for an extended period of time. The comlink activated as she spoke through gritted teeth.

“Izel? - hurry!?!”

The Knight felt movement inside the vessel again. It didn’t cause a shift, but the sound and vibrations were distinct. Hopefully that meant Izel had found someone relatively unharmed. If it was the case that the injured civilian could not move, then Eileen or Izel both would have to cut them out of the wreckage. The Vahla would need to disengage to do so. Almost as though the medical staff knew what she was trying to do, they began to fire rope into the hull of the ship and the low hanging ceiling above them. It was helping quite a bit actually, but ultimately it was just as fragile as her stasis, if not more so. The stalagmites began to gently crack and splinter, but still held, barely cracking to a stop.

“...I don’t know how much longer I can hold it..!”

Within the vessel itself, the pilot stirred. His body moving in rapid, sudden jerks. The Twi’lek doesn’t seem to be himself, or perhaps he is in shock, regardless he remained seated, thrashing and groaning in pain, unaware of what had awoken him. His aura was also very strange and sickly, he did not appeared trapped.
I’ll leave what’s going on with him open-ended. I was likely going to have some monster or virus similar to the Rakghouls affect him, but you can change that :)
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Izel Thral

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Hearing Eileen's words Izel immediately began to search more frantically. She couldn't afford to waste any more time. "It's really quite important that we get out of here... Now..." She said, trying to convince the pilot to reveal themselves. The result was not what she suspected.

Suddenly a man leapt onto her back, wrapping his arm around her throat and trying to choke her out. "Filthy Jedi!" He shouted in a crazed and feral voice. "Die! Die!" Izel struggled with her assailant, floundering back and forth and rocking the ship as she did so. His attack was more than physical. The Padawan felt her head being bombarded by dark energy, as though someone was trying to probe her mind. She wondered if perhaps the man was Force sensitive. If he was, he was clearly untrained. If anything it felt like he was consumed by the dark side of the Force, turned into a wild animal by it.

Finally she was able to get a good hold of her attacker and throw him over her shoulder. Immediately the Vratix gasped for breath, the mysterious assailant taking the chance to get up and lunge at her again. This time Izel was able to defend herself, holding out a hand and throwing him back with a Force push. The man slammed into the wall, knocked out as his head smacked against the steel.

With the ship now on the brink of falling Izel rushed forward, grabbing the unconscious attacker and hoisting him over her shoulder as she made a break for the cockpit and her only way out. She leapt at the last second, reaching out and trying to grab onto the rock to prevent herself from falling into the watery chasm below.

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Eileen Van Alasdaire

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The instant the Eileen felt the ship tip and sensed danger, her eyes started to do that thing where they sparked and started to glow. Her hair stood on end as well, both as a result of the wave of aggression that shot from the ship, and her own survival instincts. Her heart immediately picked up pace, her mind closing in a focusing on the one thing that mattered - the vessel, and Izel inside it. When she heard a blaster shot, and the ship itself started to give way, Eileen knew she had to release it in such a way that Izel was unharmed - she couldn’t hold it.


As the Vratix and pilot began to grapple with one another from within, Eileen released the starboard side of the freighter and it fell abruptly to the cave floor. The resulting imbalance would make sure she was alright - she doubted Izel would have a problem. When she felt a rather nasty thud against the hull, and no more struggling, Eileen knew the Jedi was fine. But there was still the matter of the freighter - which was very slowly tipping over the remaining stalagmites and collapsing in on itself. The Vahla had released it to save both Izel and herself - she’d likely have passed out keeping it steady - and now was the time to pop it open like a tin can. The anchors were holding long enough for Eileen to rush to the hull of the vessel, activating her lightsaber around where she felt Izel and the hostile’s presence and carved a hole into it, kicking it in and immediately seizing whatever wall she saw with the Force to hold it in place. The resulting effort caused her left knee to buckle, but she held it regardless, her voiced filled with alarm and exhaustion.

“Go!”
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Izel Thral

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Izel stumbled as the ship lurched from Eileen's efforts to keep it up, thankfully managing to keep her balance. She scuttled towards the exit, beginning to fear she wouldn't make it in time as the freighter began to slide off it's precarious perch. Then she was surprised by her companion's lightsaber bursting through the wall nearby and cutting a hole for them. The Vratix wasted no time, leaping to safety moments before the ship broke free and tumbled into the chasm below.

As Izel collapsed on the ground the emergency responders were quick to jump into action, coming to make sure that she was alright before tending to the pilot. One of them went to check on Eileen as well and ask her if she was injured from her efforts as well as congratulate her.

"Be... Careful... With him..." Izel warned the medics through heavy breaths as they inspected the unconscious human. "He's... Corrupted..." That was putting it lightly. The man's skin was a pasty, clammy white, dark rings around his eyes. The dark side practically radiated off of him. But just as Izel felt before it was wild and unchecked. She had never met one in person, but she had a distinct feeling this was no Sith.

Turning towards her comrade Izel stood and bowed deeply in gratitude. "Thank you Mas-" She caught herself. "Eileen." She glanced back at their survivor/prisoner. "This one isn't at all what I expected..." She looked back to the Knight. "He attacked me, was quite intent on killing me. Judging from the fact none of the other townsfolk have come to greet us or call for help I'm thinking they feel similarly about Jedi. He had brought illegal weapons here as well. There's more to this place then just a village in need." She wasn't sure how to proceed from here. They could be dealing with a potentially very large threat, and she and Eileen were the only fighters in the group. This situation could go very badly for them very quickly.

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