The Ascension

[Eisa Swan]

Looking back on the series of Darkened foot steps, left among the glistening dew soaked grass. The fiery haired teen looked down on the tracks that had been left in the wake of the four rebels, her emerald hued gaze panning over to the ever shrinking village they had left. Her lips pursing in thought as she returned her focus on the path ahead, the small band of Force Sensitive rebels had set off whilst the sky was turning a deep indigo just before dawn broke over the village. Even though Leah was unconscious, and the group were now ship wrecked upon this strange planet. They had collectively opted to carry on and complete the task that the Jedi master had discussed with them before thier unintentional crash landing on the planet, they were to scale the mountain to reach a long abandoned Jedi Temple that sat upon the summit, the details of what they were to do once they got there was however kept elusive from the group.

Having rested overnight, after tending to thier injuries and in the young teens instance satiated her hunger. The prospective Jedi left Leah in the care of the Elloran natives, with the firey haired teen's droid being tasked with remaining at the village to see if an encrypted distress beacon can be established to call for aid from the Galactic alliance, least they be stranded on the planet for the foreseeable future. With the Jedi master under the care of the natives, a fresh stock of the chalk like repellant, food supplies and various other sundries that would aid the group with thier navigation of the treacherous mountain path that lay before them.

Though at this point in time, all that the group were traversing was a steady gradient of lush rolling greenery peppered with loose boulders and a winding stream that cut its path through the terrain. In comparison to the towering dark grey jagged spire that stood looming above them, the rolling hills were somewhat of a serene sight to behold. As much as the firey haired teen enjoyed taking in the tranquillity around her, she knew deep down that the closer they got to the mountain path the greater their challenge would become.

Turning her gaze over the two males ahead of her, Devrin and Toland, before her gaze shifted to the side to cast the other female, Fey a light smile as she continued along the path, feeling the grass beneath her steps gradually become coarser as the dampened sound of foot fall became a rhythmic crunching of gravel beneath the soles of the prospective Jedi.

@Vosrik @Fey Aadedai @Shalken

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

theme — dice thread​

The thought of leaving Leah behind still gnawed at Devrim. While the Dxun extremist part of the rebel would have had no qualms about leaving someone behind for the sake of the mission, he had become someone much different since rejecting his former cell and their immoral practices. Much of his change of heart was due to Toland's influence — to date, Devrim had never met anyone, rebel or Imperial, who even held a candle to the former Imperial agent's moral code. However, the four padawans had all agreed that continuing onward to Felwinter Peak was a trial that Leah would have wanted them to do, with or without her. The Ellorans were some of the most friendly and hospitable natives that Devrim had ever seen or heard of, and they all knew that the Jedi Master would be well taken care of until she awoke from her injuries.

However, the group had been met with new they certainly did not expect. Having asked the natives about their knowledge on Felwinter Peak, they all trembled in fear. They had spoken of a great terror that lived in the snowy peak, some sort of colossal monster that guarded its home. According to the legends passed down by the Elloran's ancestors, none who went to Felwinter Peak ever survived. This information did not bode well for the Jedi Padawans, but they knew they had to undertake the journey nonetheless. With a great deal of coaxing, the four rebels had managed to find out exactly where the mountain was. After gathering some supplies that the natives graciously gave, they had set off.

The sound of crunching gravel gave way to the thud of rock as their path led them further up the steep mountain that lay before them. Slowly, the green from the jungles had begun to fade as rich soil gave way to solid rock. Looking around at the sky, Devrim was pleased to see that there were none of those bat-creatures in sight. "That substance they gave us certainly seemed to do the trick," the broad-shouldered rebel commented from the front of the group, craning his head as he turned to look back at the others. "I wonder what it was made from..." he wondered, though now speaking mostly to himself. Whatever it was, the chalky substance was potent enough to keep the bats far, far away.

Up until now, journeying through the jungles had actually been rather peaceful. Devrim was used to the dense forests of Dxun which were filled with a myriad of creatures attempting to eat him every waking moment. But here on Ellora, the atmosphere was different. Everything felt older and more calm, and the further inland they went, rolling mists seeped through the treetops. It was certainly a very grey planet, though not unpleasant in the slightest. Suddenly, hairs stood on the back of Devrim's neck as he sensed something. Holding up a hand to the rest of the padawans, his hand shot to his rifle. The roar of a beast echoed through the trees, with a powerful thudding noise shaking the rebels to their very cores. The Ellorans had also warned them of giant, apex predators that also resided within the forests inland — but the rebel didn't think they would have come across one this close to the mountainside."Something is coming..." Devrim stated the obvious. "Something big."

@Shalken @Fey Aadedai @Plebometer​

 

[Fey Meraska]

The Pantoran woman had not seen something quite like what was spread out before her now. By all accounts, she had been among cities and buildings her entire life, save the dunes of Tatooine a few times. Pantora was a flourished city, all parliament buildings and golden architecture, from what she remembered. But that couldn't compare the sight that was engulfing here now on Ellora.

The rolling hills looked to almost be moving as they waved along with a quiet breeze. Deep valleys cut through the somber hills, littered with grass that seemed to almost be illuminating its own glow. Fey was somewhat struck by the beauty, and she appreciated it in quiet somberness. She pondered the happenings of the past hours, how things had definitely not gone to plan. Leaving Leah hurt in a way she did not expect it to.

Although all the companions knew beyond a doubt that she would have likely forced them to go without her if she were awake, Fey knew it set a tone of some kind of gloom among the group of travelers. Leah was the most honest and generous person Fey had ever come to know, somehow even with the secured protection they had left her with still felt worrying. And beyond that, the fear that had tugged at the back of the young woman's instincts, emanating so easily from the Elloran natives when they had described their destination; Felwinter Peak, did not help Fey's slight worry.

Their path tuned from soft soil to stone in what seemed like little to no time, and Fey adjusted the front of her light tunic. She had loosened the fabric that usually clung tight to her in an effort to alleviate some of the rubbing against the abrasions that had formed from their crash landing. The skin around her bandaged leg throbbed with every step that she took, although it was a lighter pain than the day before. She had brought with them her same weapons, her staff slung around her shoulder, as well as the medkit she had salvaged from the wreckage earlier. Just in case, hopefully there would be no need for it on their ascent.

The young blue woman released a breath she had in her lungs in an attempt to completely clear herself, and lightly let her mind reach out like she sometimes did to her surroundings. She felt lightly the tips of the blades of grass as they danced with the breeze, and also the dull heaviness of the rocks beneath her feet. Fey felt a bit more grounded. It was easy to returned the small hopeful smile to Eisa whom she walked beside. Hopeful that this journey would go smoothly.

One could only hope, though. The team stopped short as Devrim hushed them, and fey couldn't miss the rattling roar that echoed through the trees, not too far off from the group. Devrim's words of warning definitely had fey reaching for the blaster pistol that was secured in her waistline, as well as pulling a vibrodagger from it's sheath and gripping it invertedly in her left hand.

Through the treelike, Fey could just make out the flash of something brown and fleshy as it rattled the shrubbery and plants in its wake. It looked...massive. "This doesn't look so good...What's the plan?" the woman couldn't move her eyes from the treeline. She had moved her feet to a defensive stance without fully realizing it. Wait for the creature to attack? Attack it first? They had to be smart about this. Even from the noise it was making and the energy it was exerting it seemed very dangerous. What if there were more?​

 

[Toland Vult]

Toland gripped the strap of his gun tightly as they trekked through the woods towards the mountain that towered high into the sky ahead of them. According to Devrim's memory crystal, this was their destination, but there was no sign of any civilization in the area. Toland wasn't sure exactly what to expect, considering it was located right underneath a powerful near-constant storm, but he hoped that their journey was not for nothing. He did his best not to think about the fact that the group was now stranded on this wild planet. Luckily the villagers were very hospitable, albeit difficult to understand at times.

One thing that they had made abundantly clear, however, was how dangerous the mountain was. When the group informed the natives about their destination, they had widened their eyes and cowered in terror. As best as Toland understood, they seemed to indicate a giant monster that lived there, killing and eating anything that dared set foot on those slopes. Now, as Toland eyed the large shape behind the dense foliage only a few feet away, he wondered if this was what they were referring to. The one thing that seemed off was that the natives had kept flapping their arms, as if the beast had wings — but this saurian creature had nothing of the sort. The lack of such anatomical features didn't make it any less deadly, though.

As the massive predator poked through the trees to observe the four little snacks en route to the mountain, Toland froze in place. "Don't...make...any...sudden...moves..." he whispered harshly to the others, having already drawn his gun in preparation for the fight. He didn't know much about this specific creature, but his Imperial general training about exotic predatory lifeforms gave him some insight into the situation. As the saurian observed the group, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed loudly, Toland gently unclipped a concussion grenade from his belt. "On my signal...cover your ears...and run." The beast had started drooling now. They had to be fast and smart to make it out of this situation alive. Swallowing and breathing in slowly, Vult pulled the pin.

"NOW!" he shouted, pitching the concussion grenade at the large reptile's sensitive nose. Whirling about and covering his ears, Toland bolted away, making a beeline for the mountain. Though he was not watching, the agonized roaring coming from behind him told the ex-Imperial that his explosive had done its job.♦ It was unlikely the creature would be scared away, considering how hungry it looked — but now they had a few moments of respite, and hopefully they could find a more defensible position from which to fight it.

@Plebometer @Fey Aadedai @Vosrik​

 

[Eisa Swan]

Freezing up as the hairs along the back of her neck stood up on end, as a large predatory presence touched upon her senses. The fiery haired teen cautiously looked about, before her attention fell onto Toland as he whispered a stern warning not to make any sudden movements. Like that was going to make much sense to the teen, her gut instinct was to bolt and get to cover as swiftly as possible before she became finger food for the towering predator. But her mind rationally opted to follow the man's direction, and remained calm and perfectly still all the while hoping that he had a cunning plan hidden up his sleeve.

Though whatever Toland had hatched up as a plan, the sound of a pin being pulled gave indication that it was going to be and explosive one of sorts. Waiting until the signal was given, Eisa did as instructed covering her ears and ran in the same direction that the others had as fast as she physically could.

The snarling pained Roaring, behind them sending a slight chill down the teens back, although it had stunned the beast long enough for the group to break into cover among a nestled out crop of rocks. The beast had charged towards the group as soon as it had regained it's senses, as well as acquiring a renewed predatory ferocity towards its prey.

Ducking down within the folds of rock formation the fiery haired teen did all she could to steer clear of the beast's fanged maw as it snapped feverishly around the spaces of the cluster of boulders. Eisa drew several long deep breaths to try and regain her composure, this was not how the teen had envisioned the hike up into the mountains to transpire. But given how the groups arrival to Ellora panned out, it seemed that they were doomed to be hunted by the local wild life.

Closing her eyes the teen reached a hand towards her chest to clasp around the concealed pendant beneath her clothing. "There are other options" a voice whispered out into the back of the teens mind, causing the teen to initially glance about disorientated. Though realisation had set in to the source of the unheard whisper, it was the Kyber that was reaching out to her, or the remnants of its previous owner. "What do you mean" Eisa spoke out aloud, appearing to the others as if she was talking to herself. The Force binds us all to one another, young one. We are all interconnected you just have to reach out and listen" the disembodied voice softly responded back into the teens mind.

The teen's features visibly contorting into and expression of deep thought. As her thoughts started to ebb into the currents of the Force, following the somewhat ethereal guidance that was being spoken out to her from the center of the Kyber crystal around her neck. She could feel the predatory creature in a way that lay beyond its resonating presence, there was almost an empathetic sensation emanating from it, she could feel the anger and pain that resonated throughout the creature as a result of the explosive diversion., the primal instincts to hunt and feed.

Trust in the Force, allow it to flow between you and the creature" the soft spoken words directed into Eisa's subconscious. Nodding as she slowly opened her eyes, the teen looked over the rest of the group, before casting them a light smile, as she held onto a object that was emitting a soft ice blue glow through thr threads of her fabric. The teens gaze lingered other the group for a moment before stepping out from her cover and into the open. The towering predator reared round and focused it's attention on the teen figure that it's muscular mass dwarfed, and howled a deafening roar at the Crimson haired teen. "Keep calm, focus on reaching out to the animal, focus in on its centre" the disembodied voice whispered out and guided the teen who remained still and unflinching to the beasts advances as she focused her mind on the Force and followed the mysterious voices guudance. The beasts gurgling maw opening briefly before sniffing at the teen, the forceful currents making her hair ripple as it inhaled.

Slowly the teen opened her eyes and raised her gaze towards the beast Eisa slowly and steadily approached the beast. Slowing down her breathing she allowed all lingering emotions to ebb away from her mind, embuing her body within the lightsided energies of the Force that radiated outwards from the teen as she calmly approached the creature, being sure to not make any sudden movements whilst she continued to stretch out through the Force, extending her thoughts and mind out into that of the saurian, causing it to instinctively rear up on its hind legs in confusion "Easy boy, it's ok" the teen softly spoke, before she continued to advance, after the reptilian beast lowered it's stance, turning to face her through a large yellow eye.

"Now reach out and connect with the creature " the soft whisper instructed to the teen, Tentatively Eisa placed her outstretched open palm against the muzzle of the creature. Allowing the Force to flow through her and into the creature, forming a bond between them both. The armored scales of the reptilian creature were cold yet surprisingly dry to the touch. Slowly she ran her hand further up the beast's muzzle working her way over the ridges that formed the creature's eyebrow as it lowered it's head closer to the floor, the teens fingers instinctively rubbing against its temple, as if in understanding of what it liked. A dull guttural growl could be heard escaping the creatures maw as it expressed its approval in the gesture.

A light smile of satisfaction crossed the teen's features, as she looked over the tamed predator. Her hand continuing to stroke and caress the beasts head, whilst her gaze looked down towards the light ice blue hued glow emanating from the fabrics over her chest, before gently retrieving the pendant from the folds of fabric, before allowing her kyber crystal to hang freely around her neck out in the open.

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

As the entire group of Jedi Padawans and even the forest itself grew quiet with the approach of the apex predator, the voice of Fey reached Devrim's ears as his eyes scanned the foliage. He remained silent, but his hands slowly reached for the safety of his R5R blaster rifle, flicking it off and pressing the butt gently against his shoulder. The hardened rebel had encountered his fair share of predatory creatures in the jungles of his home planet, but they all had one thing in common — they were all capable of being shot and killed. This beast certainly looked no different, as its head protruded from the treeline and its footsteps caused the ground to shake. Though Devrim was no expert on exotic animal behaviour, but the look in this beast's eyes were clear — it was hungry.

Freezing instinctively as Toland whispered a harsh command to the rest of the group, Devrim had to suppress his immediate urge to fight. Eyeing the massive creature defiantly, the rebel remained still while further instructions were given. Knowing what was about to happen, the dark-haired rebel released the grip on his rifle the moment the concussion grenade was thrown. Bolting for cover behind a set of boulders, he snatched his weapon again and prepared to open fire to allow his fellow Padawans to continue up the mountain pass. The combination of the concussion grenade and the predator's pained roar was deafening — causing Devrim's ears to ring despite having covered them during his short flight. As the beast recovered and bared down ferociously onto the group, Eisa met it head on. "Eisa, no!" he called out, though he halted as he both saw and felt the rushing energies of the Force flowing through the girl. Eyeing the creature with suspicion, Devrim held his fire as he observed the strange encounter. Somehow, Eisa had managed to calm the beast and prevent it from eating them all...for now.

"Nope!"

A moment of peace and quiet had fallen upon the group of rebels as the teen stroked the spiny head of the predator. Devrim, after his initial exclamation, picked himself up from the rocks and spun on the spot, marching up the mountain. "Not today, not tomorrow," he continued his rant. Devrim turned back briefly and pointed at the massive brute. "I don't know or care what you did to calm it, but that thing will eat you," he stated defiantly. He'd seen far too many of his comrades turned into lunches in the dangerous jungles of Dxun. Predators, ravenous insects, man-eating plants — you name it.

"And in one bite too!" he called back to Eisa while facing the mountain pass as he continued onward. It was becoming colder and more treacherous, and as Devrim looked up the rocky, snow-blasted cliffs, he knew they still had a perilous journey ahead of them.

@Fey Aadedai @Shalken @Plebometer​

 

[Fey Meraska]

Upon the shout from Toland somewhere to her right, Fey needed no other convincing to run on his cue. By nature she had drawn her blaster pistol from its place against her waist, and easily turned heel to run. Somewhere behind them, the telltale sound of a pin being drawn was preliminary to the muffled bang Fey heard, thankful she had followed Toland's advice to cover her ears.

Not soon after did the young woman sense that the rest of the group members had halted behind her, she turned as well. "Why are we stoppi-" Fey's words fell short off her tongue as she saw the quite chilling sight of Eisa reaching out towards a massive reptilian creature.

In the stunned silence that befell the group of companions, the Pantoran couldn't help but break it with a harmonious fit of laughter. Not only at the complete hilarity that they had almost been made dinner by something the teen was now petting as if a pet, but also at Devrim as he deliberately was not buying it. "Kriff, that's crazy." fey chortled to, if the only one amused. Sure, the beast could turn any second on the group- but the way it was letting Eisa pet it's snout was kinda cute in a way, and fey had an inclination of her own to feel for herself.

Against that idea, she instead re-holstered her pistol and turned with Devrim to speculate on the rest of their journey. The trails ahead would prove treacherous, it seemed. But the the hike would be no test to fey's built endurance and the bitter cold was welcomed to her, as her people were naturally inclined to the cold.​

 

[Eisa Swan]

Looking over her shoulder, the satisfied smile that lingered over the fiery haired teens features, soon moved away from the small accomplishment she would never had fathomed possible, her brow furrowing as Devrin launched into a long rant over the fact that despite forming a connection with the creature, the teen would still become it's prey. Her emerald hued gaze looked back at the predator, who seemed pretty docile enough under the receiving end of a few caring pats and strokes along its snout.

"He's ok" the teen responded as the older male started to head off along the mountain path. "He's just a bit curious about our scent" she added whilst continuing to pet the creature, it was quite a fascinating sensation for the teen to have garnered such an insight into the creatures mind. The direction given by the disembodied voice that seemed to be tied to Eisa's Kyber crystal, seemed to atleast be steering the teen in rhe right direction.

A light grin crossed the teens features as she looked over the tamed beast, curious to watch Twobees reaction to finding out that the creature had been brought back to Star Base. A light chuckle escaping her lips at the notion of the droid having a core overload, knowing that such a beast as 'Mr Bitey' would be in close proximity. It was bad enough watching her freak out over the Wampas that tended to wander near the Base in search of food, but to have the large Ssaurian stalking the icey tundra would mean that the Wampa problem would be sorted. With a sigh the fiery haired teen shrugged off the notion, knowing that the reaction that Devrin had displayed would be repeated ten fold if she tried to bring the creature back. Hell that was if they were able to get back, given thier ship was totaled on arrival.

Giving tge creatures snout a few more parting pets, the teen looked into the large amber hued eye of the beast, her mind casting over some parting thoughts to the creature. "Gonna have to leave you to it boy" Eisa spoke out as she stepped closer towards the large eye that was perhaps larger than her head. "There's lots of bat things down by the woods, if your looking for dinner later" she added before giving the beast a last parting rub along its temple and stepping back.

The Ssaurian, rose back up onto its feet, rising to it's full height before reaching its fanged maw down a last time to sniff the teen. Rearing it's head back the beast cast a final lingering glance over the teen and the rest of the group before dismissing them and stepping away, it's heavy thundering foot steps carrying it back into the forests. Casting a wave over towards the creature as it left her sight, not really caring if the gesture was lost on it. Eisa watched as it disapeared from sight, before turning round and moving to catch up with the rest of the group, continuing the ascension towards the top of the mountain.

 

[Toland Vult]

Bolting as fast as he could towards the ridge, Toland could hear the angry roaring of the massive creature, the ground itself shaking as it lumbered after them. Vaulting over the rocks, he managed to duck into the crevasse — safe from the jaws of the large predator, albeit only temporary. Running scenarios through his mind, Toland drew his R5R to his shoulder to prepare for the tough fight ahead, when he suddenly felt the energies of the Force channeled nearby. It was one that was still quite new to him, as he had not yet become fully accustomed to his new 'senses'. Peeking out from his cover, he was shocked to see the smaller form of Eisa standing in front of the saurian, a hand reached out and resting on its nose. Toland slowly lowered his gun as he rested against the rocks, catching his breath from his momentary burst of exertion. "I hope you know what you're doing, miss Swan," he called out, still very unsure about what had just happened. So the Force can calm hungry predators too... he pondered, thinking back to Master Reach's lesson to him on Kashyyyk. Vult understood that the Force flowed through everything and could speed up plant growth, but manipulating animals was another ball park entirely. Fey burst into a fit of laughter from the situation itself and Devrim's blunt reaction, and Toland couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit himself. Though he knew Wolfe was naturally apprehensive to such things due to his harsh upbringing on the Demon Moon, the ex-Imperial was not unwelcome to the turn of events; he would rather not have a hungry beast chasing them for the rest of the journey up the mountain peak.

Despite their respite from the first natural danger the planet threw at them, the Padawans' journey was far from over. The rolling hills had now increased into a steep incline, the trees that were once abundant now sparse and thin against the wind-blasted slopes. The green of the lush grass was quickly replaced by the pasty white of the snow that blanketed it. While the threat of predators was gone now that they had emerged from the forest, the group was now faced with new dangers posed by the weather. The temperature began to drop sharply as the wind picked up, gusting fiercely through the peaks as the clouds roiled far above and thunder rumbled in the distance. "How do the plants grow if the sun never shines?" Toland wondered aloud as he glanced back down to the veritable sea of green that stretched out to the ocean. Yet another one of the planet's many mysteries, he supposed. Better to focus on the one inside Felwinter Peak itself.

The rocky path crawled slowly along the side of the mountain, and while the ground had been solid so far, they reached a point where most of it had fallen away and left only a thin line of rock stretching across a cliff to the rest of the path ahead. "We'll have to cross one at a time," Vult commented as he reached out a leg to test his footing. Seeming sturdy enough, Toland slowly began to edge his way across the stone bridge, making sure to keep his weight even. However, just as he nearly reached the other side, a gust of wind caused him to nearly lose his balance, and only managed to regain it by stumbling the rest of the way to the other side;♦ but in his rush, a large portion of the bridge fell away near the end, leaving only a very thin line connecting the path. The rest would have to be extra careful if they wished to cross without falling.

@Vosrik @Fey Aadedai @Plebometer​

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

Putting the thought of being eaten out of his mind, as the large predator ambled away from the group, Devrim set his mind on their path ahead. The group stayed largely quiet until Toland broke the silence upon reaching a treacherous part of the mountain pass. Scowling in thought, he nodded in agreement with Vult. Allowing his fellow rebel to test the narrow stretch of rock, it seemed that it was not as sturdy after all — chunks of rock broke away from the path, tumbling down the mountainside and dislodging further piles of rubble. "I'll go next — I'm heavier, so if it holds up then it should be safe for you two," Devrim volunteered. Stepping gingerly out onto the path, he slowly and steadily made his way across.

While no more pieces of rock broke away, the wind picked up and a gust forced the dark-haired rebel to halt in his tracks. He lowered himself to his hands and knees, edging carefully along until he reached the other side. "Blast, that's unnerving," he commented, breathing a sigh of relief as he reached the more solid ground on the opposite side. For now, Devrim really didn't want to have to think about how they would be getting back down — or if this entire journey proved to be fruitless. The good news was that the rocks did indeed hold the broad-shouldered rebel's weight, which meant that if Fey and Eisa came across one at a time, they would be fine unless the wind kept up.

Looking back toward the two girls, Devrim noticed that a light dusting of snow rolled down the mountainside, impeding his vision somewhat. ♦ "Don't worry about the snow!" he called back to his fellow Padawans across the chasm. "It should still be safe to cross!"

@Fey Aadedai @Plebometer @Shalken​

 

[Fey Meraska]

Fey was contented to walk in silence between her fellow padawans. The brisk cold only increased as winds picked up, and the mountain path began to narrow and twist with the rigid peaks they trekked. Fey pulled her thin white outer robes a bit closer to her side to keep them from flapping wildly in the wind, and she couldn't help but feel bad for the humans she was surrounded by, especially Eisa, whose slight frame she knew would be effected by the cold they endured.

Fey paused behind Devrim, and since they were all single file now due to the small width of the trail, had to peer around the taller man's frame in order to watch as Toland cautiously maneuvered his way over a patch of broken trail. The pale blue woman watched idly, and felt herself struggle to gulp as Devrim moved to cross after the ex-imperial agent. Her eyes widened a bit as she realized it was her turn next, and she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth nervously.

Although she could hear Devrim, the wind blew a dusting of snow around them so that she could hardly see the two men on the other side.

Approaching the chasm, Fey forbid her eyes from glancing down to her feet, and instead kept them trained slightly on where she knew Devrim and Toland were across the way. The slight pantoran was halfway across and in reach of the other side, when the stones that held her right foot began to crumble away from the ledge, causing Fey to subsequently feel herself fall.

"Oh, kriff! I'm-"

Something like a tickle in the back of her mind had warned her, though. Some kind of gut reaction kicked in within an instant, and it all seemed to happen like flash frames behind her eyes. The tug at her mind, the crumble of rock, propelling herself towards the rest of the path where the two men were already, and feeling her fingers catch on the cold rock ledge. In that small space of time where she felt herself simply hang against the ledge of the chasm, her chest pressed against the rock and her legs scraping for any purchase in the cliff, her robes whipped wildly by the wind. ​

It only felt like a moment, before Fey was pulling up with all her might to lift herself. She didn't really feel like dying on Ellora, it was a beautiful planet she was sure, but she really wanted to continue this adventure with her new companions. And before she knew it someone was pulling her up until she could successfully get a leg up on the ledge and crawl on all fours away from the chasm. Once she was a safe distance she would roll onto her back, and allow herself to pant the fear out of her chest for a moment. ​

 

[Eisa Swan]

Huddling herself up tight with in her clothing, doing all that she could to cover any exposed skin of her extremities, the fiery haired teen stood and waited as Fey attempted to cross the narrow ledge that veered around an extensive and intimidating looking fall into the casm below. Through her shivering, the teen suddenly felt her blood run cold as she watched as the rocks that served as the young Pantorans foot holds give way, instinctively wincing and about ready to throw her gaze away not wanting so see the other young female fall to her death. A steamy cloud escaped from the teen as she breathed s heavy sigh if relief to see that Fey had been able to get to where the others were. Albeit extremely precariously!

as soon as one of the male Padawans had helped Fey get her feet back onto the ground. The fiery haired teen looked up and down the length of the ledge, her gaze lingering at the large gap that had since formed and now rendered the narrow path impassable.

As the teen continued to look over the ledge then the surrounding area, the teen's gaze narrowed as she searched all over for an alternative route, but unfortunately with the driving snow and winds. There appeared to be no other alternative route open to the teen to allow her to rejoin with the other Padawans. And with the worsening weather, it seemed as if she was well and truly cut off from them now.

Slowly she started to jog and move about of the spot, the bitter cold winds were now starting to cut through her shivering body. As her eyes continued to scour the area for a slight glimmer of a reprise and a means to not be left stranded. Though thr more she looked the fewer the possible options became as one by one she rulled out what else wold provide her with a safe means of crossing. Having very little else open to her, the teen reached into her satchel to see if there was anything that she was carrying that could assist.

All that she could find was a length of high tensile wire that she was due to use use re stringing the manual flight controls of a sguttkevdhe had been repairing before departing for this trip to Ellora. Kneeling down thevteen picked up a stone and wound part of the wire around the first sized stone, figuring that if she could get the weighted end of the wire to the other side they might be able to pull her across or use it as some form of safety line to help her cross the broken ledge. Looking once again over the distance between Eisa and the others, she realised there was no way she could throw it clear to the other side.

The only option she had open to her was to possibly try and use the Force to assist her in throwing it the distance. Raking a deep breath, Eisa readied herself to call upon thr Force to assist wager before twirling the tethered stone about her to try and build some additional momentum. Once she was sure she could channel the Force as best she could, knowing that when it came to it, she had only started to pick up on the basic fundamentals of manipulating the Force to enhance her throws. Internally hoping it would work, the teen released the impromptu sling shot, before expleting loudly as the wire fell cleanly short of those on thr ledge. It soon became clear that the wire was perhaps too short to reach.

Well this wasn't good, not at all! She was now stranded on rhe wrong side of the ledge, tge weather was getting worse. "I've not got any ideas"Eisa called out over the raging weather, hoping that the others heard and could come up with a plan, least she now get herself into serious trouble or attempt to make the long walk back to the Base of the maintain m.

 

[Toland Vult]

Though Toland had made it across safely enough, he watched carefully as the others began to follow, starting with Devrim. Though he had high hopes for the others, Vult quickly realized that the gust of wind that nearly knocked him off balance was only the beginning. Luckily, the thin bridge held firm under the broad-shouldered rebel's weight, but the weather did not show any signs of decreasing in strength. Another gust dislodged a bank of snow from a ledge high above them and gusted about, blanketing the air with white flakes and reducing their visibility. Peering ahead, Toland was able to make out the shapes of the two Padawans left on the other side.

The next person slowly began to make their way across, but his vision was so obstructed that he only knew it was Fey by her height. "Don't worry; we're the heaviest, so the rocks will support your weight," Vult reassured, reaching out to help steady her once she reached the other side. It seemed he had spoken too soon, as the stone bridge crumbled beneath the Pantoran's next step. Lunging out, she barely managed to catch hold of the far cliff. Crouching down in the snow immediately, Toland reached out and grabbed Fey's arms, hoisting her up from her precarious ledge. "It's okay, I've got you!" he reassured once she was on solid ground once more. Looking across once more, Toland realized that they would have a great deal of difficulty returning to the village, never mind off the planet itself. We really are risking everything for this, he thought worriedly as he watched Eisa struggle to find another way across.

With no other method of crossing, Eisa pulled forth a length of wire. As an engineer, it was fitting that she would be prepared for any situation, and this was no exception. However, it seemed her luck had truly run out, as the cord was simply too short to reach. Not even her use of the Force could have helped her, and Toland was at a loss.

The Force.

He turned to the other Padawans beside him. "We have to use the Force to carry her across! It's our only option!" he called out over the winds, looking back to Eisa's shivering figure on the other side. Even though she wasn't very big, Vult had never levitated anything nearly as large as her with the Force; but with all three of them working together, he believed that they could do it. They had to. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted across the gap, "EISA! We're going to lift you across!" Reaching out with both hands, Toland focused his mind as he allowed himself to tap into the latent energies of the Force, centering about Eisa's dim form on the other side as he attempted to lift her into the air and across the chasm. Though not sure if he could do it alone, he believed — no, he knew — that he, Fey, and Devrim could do it. They had to. Toland would never leave anyone behind.

@Vosrik @Fey Aadedai @Plebometer​

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

Despite both Devrim and Toland's reassurances that the rocky bridge would hold, it crumbled away the moment Fey moved across it. The dark blond-haired rebel reached out and caught the Pantoran first, saving her from certain death from the fall down the mountainside. But not all was well — Eisa was still caught on the other side, and if they didn't find this supposed "Crypt" soon, they would all be caught in a raging snowstorm with no shelter. Devrim knew that they couldn't let the fiery-haired girl just walk back to the native Elloran settlement alone either, whether she had the company of that apex predator or not. Eisa did not come all this way just to be impeded by a broken-down bridge. Through the sound of the whirling winds, Devrim heard the suggestion that Toland called out to them both. Though they were inexperienced, surely the combined efforts of all three would allow them to bring Eisa safely across the chasm.

Though his heart pounded with uncertainty inside his chest, Devrim took a moment to breathe and center his focus. Still new to the technique, he reached out for the Force and found its flowing energies readily available to him. Looking through the whirling snow at the girl across from them, the rebel stretched out both his hands toward her. "Together now!" he called, and as one they lifted up Eisa from the ground. Though at first he may have doubted, seeing their attempts working instilled more and more faith within Devrim. They were accomplishing the impossible — within moments, Eisa was by their side and across the chasm without a scratch on her. Laughing and smiling with the exhilaration of their feat, Devrim gripped the mechanic on the shoulder and asked, "Are you alright, Eisa?" With her response, it was time for them to move on. It was growing colder by the minute.

The group continued up the mountain pass, following what vaguely resembled a path. At first, Devrim didn't believe it — how could there be a man-made path this far up on a mountain peak? But sure enough, before them were a set of stairs that rounded a corner and continued upward. Peering up the stone steps, the rebel saw the snow dissipate as the path led into a wide cavern in the side of the mountain. To his shock, there stood none other than Master Leah Reach and another who Devrim didn't recognize. After the whole ordeal the Padawans had just gone through, it simply didn't make any sense. Approaching them both and getting out of the snow, it was clear now from a few feet away that Leah and this stranger were not apparitions at all. How did they...? Devrim thought, speechless in his confusion. His eyes drifted from his Jedi Master to the far wall of the cavern. It seemed their journey was not for nothing, for lo and behold was the door to the Deep Stone Crypt.

Fin​

@Fey Aadedai @Plebometer @Shalken @Deviant​

 

[Leah Reach]

Dark had been her dreams of late.

Leah came to when her first student arrived on Ellora. Days ago, the Jedi Master told her of the faraway world and the Deep Stone Crypt hidden on the surface. She would have personally joined the group of Jedi hopefuls had it not been for her obligations to the rebel cell on Ifrane. It was in good fortune that those obligations had dissipated. Asha had come to the planet, found the comatose Jedi and along with the help of the natives, saved her from certain death. Like she was in the cavern on Ifrane, she arrived in a beacon of light. And through the Force, managed to pull the older woman out of the darkness. She was alive. She was well.

Not as well as she would have hoped. Every step she took, she could feel her brain sloshing around her skull. A throbbing headache plagued her. Her eyes stung and her throat ached. She received some sinister lacerations to the back of her head and deep bruises across her chest from her strap. Her legs were like lead, she felt blisters on her feet even if she hardly walked. Bed sores lined her lower back and upper legs from the awkward position she was carried or left to lay in. Leah was anything but completely healed. Still, she was glad to be conscious again. Glad to have Asha at her side. Glad for everything.

To her shock and awe, her other students chose not to remain in the village and wait until she woke up. Although the Jedi Master was not offended at the notion. In fact, she was impressed by their initiative. They had also carried her to the natives and persuaded them to help. How they were able to, she didn’t know, but she was proud. If she had injured herself, she would have wanted them to continue on the journey. They deserved to uncover the Deep Stone Crypt without delay. To learn to strike for themselves without relying on her. That was the purpose of a true Jedi Master: to push their students to fly. Indeed, they were flying. Well, climbing. She was the one who had been flying.

Asha arrived in an Alliance shuttle. In spite of her injuries, Leah hoped to reach the doors of the Deep Stone Crypt to discover if her students had reached it. The raging storms made it difficult for the pair to see or search for the four aspiring Jedi during their ascension. It took everything to even maneuver through it. She was left instead to hope they would be at the doors when they could. After being forced to park the transport in a strange cavern, they had climbed to where she believed was the Crypt, only for the Jedi Master to find nobody. But moments later, she had recognized the figures of her students at the end of their climb. A wide smile tugged her lips. She wanted to rush and hug them. Instead, she crossed her arms and settled for a cheap one-liner.

“Well, what took you guys so long?”

Next Thread.​