Ask Treasure Planet

[Indy Sati]

It had been some time since Indy had met the Mandalorian Ranger Roland, but out of any outside help that she knew of, he seemed the most likely to help in this particular mission. It seemed especially apropos that , considering his interests, he could come along to this planet... but as she researched its' history, she was beginning to have second thoughts. True, it was millennia ago, but what if he was aware of it? What kind of a Jedi would she be, showing a planet glassed by his people so many eons ago? One that was once steeped in her own adopted culture?

She stood aboard her freighter the Galahad, mentally berating herself for her shortmindedness. Perhaps he would overlook this accident on her behalf... but probably not. The man was definitely intelligent.

But until he would make an appearance, she sat back in the cockpit, turning on her datapad to start reading the latest reports of outreaches to far-flung planets in search of ancient culture. Perhaps she could also visit there in search of Jedi artifacts...

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

THEME​

The rapid deceleration of coming of hyperspace made the armored Mandalorian's chest plate press against the seat harness he was strapped into. The Cobalt Viper rumbled in the void, making its way towards the cracked planet's surface. Roland found himself staring at the planet. It was not the first time he had seen such a devastated world. Concord Dawn was still partially habitable as were its three moons but Jedha had experienced their damage more recently from when the Empire had originally tested their super weapon.

Roland had yet to learn about the history of his people and the assualt the Mandalorian ancestors had carried out on the Jedi temple thousands of years ago. Knowledge was lost with time and after the Great Purge his people's culture was in danger of being erased. It stood to reason why some Mandalorians were not taught about their history when those that knew were dead or silenced.

Thankfully, like Concord Dawn, the planet was still habitable at certain points on the surface. Allegedly there were still kyber crystals in pockets on the planet or in the rocks that managed to achieve escape vilocity. Miners, scavengers, imperials, pilgrimes, they all had come to Jedha at one point or another. Pulling himself out of his contemplation a few gloved hands flipped some switches to begin scanning the traffic in and out of the system. Soon enough a ship's tag that he recognized popped up.

Reaching over to the dashboard the helmet that had been hanging off the side of an arm rest was picked up and placed back on his head. A few more taps and the Ranger sent her a holo-connection. "Knight Sati, hope you weren't waiting long on my account." His ship's thrusters accelerated, propelling the firespray class patrol ship towards where the Galahad was sitting in stable orbit for the time being.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

She glanced up at the familiar voice rasping across the dash to the Galahad, giving an open grin to the T-visor. "Not at all," her violet head shook in addition, golden eyes glinting with genuine warmth. "Thank you for coming; I would have asked another of the Jedi, but I wanted an outside view far more. I appreciate you taking time." Her words were open, honest, as she set her datapad aside, stretching a little.

"I'm following a rumor; I'll patch you some of the details momentarily."

She quickly sent over a visual; a few artifacts, most of them screenshot from a bidding website. The user's tag location was highlighted, indicating the surface of Jedha itself. Below, the desolate landscape seemed to swirl ominously. "Supposedly, this person deals with selling finds from some ruins below, and I wanted to investigate. I'd appreciate the backup."

She waited for a response, negatory or affirmative. In either case, she began preparing her ship for descent for the planet's surface, to the approximate location of this dealer. Perhaps he had more in his wares that she could use... or at least some useful information pointing them in a somewhat useful direction other than straight into a sandstorm.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

"Sure thing. After what happened on Mandalore..." He knew that Oren and the other Jedi that had seen the Eternal's mask would have reported it. Roland assumed she had knowledge of that event by now. "...I think its appropriate to investigate this sort of thing.." Artifacts that were imbued with the Force or held great significance could be on the cracked planet below. The Ranger was mostly worried about making sure nothing fell into the wrong hands.

The Pantoran transmitted the specific information that was gathered so far. His eyes scanned over and made notes to himself, saving the information so he could review it again later. "Can you tell if any of the items he's sold so far are important?" If they needed to chase down a buyer and not just a dealer then that would need to be brought up. But Indy's senses were probably limited by proximity so checking this ruin-delver's inventory. "Are you thinking he'll have his ship somewhere on the surface? Not many settlements around here anymore." Just ships passing through. He doubted anybody here would be threatened by the law either so his badge was just a paper weight for the time being.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

She gave an affirmative about Mandalore; the events that transpired sounded too odd to be real.. yet they seemed real enough according to all reports. But of trees on a planet so devastated seemed wild enough. However, she doubted anything of that significance would be there. Perhaps it was a wild goose chase... but perhaps not.

"Some of them seemed ancient Jedi artifacts," she affirmed, beginning her own descent. "Lightsaber hilts devoid of crystals, a supposed minor holocron or two. But I have a feeling this person is hiding more than they let on, and if their tag location is correct, they can't be far."

She paused, then glanced to where his Firespray was located. "If there's anything major down there... who knows what we'd be up against. It might become a bit of a struggle. I don't know what's down here."

She paused, mostly muttering this to herself. Like on Kashyyyk, there was something here that seemed to almost lurk, waiting. And she wasn't sure that whatever waited down below would come peacefully. Perhaps her instincts were off, but... "I'm not sure about what we might find," she muttered quietly to herself, pressing the controls to bring the Galahad to the surface.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

She explained more and Roland thought about what he would do if the tables were turned. What if there was some Mandalorian artifact, some important piece of his people's culture being traded by arutiise like a collectible. Well he would admit he would want it to stop. Though he wasn't quite sure if he would reach out for assistance, let alone to a Jedi. He didn't know that Many of his fellow Mandalorians, not these days at least. Otto, his mentor, taught him that while he was a Ranger, and one among many trying to keep law and order, he was also still only one man and not an action hero that could do everything alone.

'Backup Kid, there's nothing wrong with having backup.' The words made the Mandalorian think and consider the fact that he was considering Knight Sati a comrade in a sense, at least to the degree he shared with other Rangers.

"One way to find out." He said with a bit of a gravely voice. Roland was confident in both their abilities but wasn't moving forward without caution. The ship's speed was moderate and not in any rush. The Cobalt Viper's scanners were making sure thee weren't any opportunistic hostiles trying to make a sneaky approach. But nothing came back that showed any threats. It was quiet for a bit with the macabre sight of a shattered planet. It wasn't the Force but the Mandalorian felt a connection with this planet on some level and he wasn't sure if he liked it. Behind the cross visored helmet his face tightened.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

As they descended, it seemed obvious that there was no one in sight, despite the popularity of some of these bids. Her partner seemed curious, but wary, and she had to admit there was more than some edge of wariness on her own part. It all seemed too good to be true; but as they approached surface it seemed as dead as it looked from above.

A prickle of apprehension trickled down her spine at the dust and barren horizon stretching out as far as the eye could see, only broken by a few mountains, the occasional pile of something resembling rubble. Scanners earlier indicated a life form not far from here, and yet even through the viewports there was nothing visible.

That was, until she saw something shifting in the sand... and then the glint of something metallic.

A blaster rifle, lying in the sand.

She sat in her seat, tapping a finger on the dash, then sighed and unclipped to stand.

"This is already looking fun," she muttered, mostly to her companion, but also to herself. A blaster rifle out in the middle of nowhere? Sure, sounded really safe and fun. But part of her job as this was half the fun; the danger and anticipation only made it all the better. She waited for Roland to make an appearance; perhaps he would make better heads of this abandoned rifle.

But if there were also tracks...

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

Roland wondered if there would be any stations or settlements on the planet or in orbit but it seemed absent. It was likely the black marketeer might just be transporting and storing them somewhere else after recovering them from the planet below. The two ships flew through the atmosphere that seemed to be retained. The cracked surface was still a large mass with significant gravitational pull though he wondered if it would be wise to take extra precautions in case the environment was just as hazardous as the looters they were planning on meeting.

"It probably takes more than one guy for this sort of operation. If we find someone they won't be alone." Roland was confident and brought his own ship a little bit away from the Galahad. Before even leaving the cockpit he filtered through his vision modes to see if he detected any temperature abnormalities. It was an open area area and Mandalorians also had a history of ambushing and Roland knew what to look for. But nothing showed out of the ordinary as far as he could see.

He stopped by his arms locker and debated whether or not he should take the long blaster he had. Bringing his hood up over his helmet he grabbed an E-11d he kept. It was longer range than the carbine but also half the weight.

The opening and unique landing appearance of the firespray had the Mandalorian walking out into the air of the planet. His ship told him it was safe enough in the immediate area. "I got some tectonic abnormalities earlier. Well...abnormal for a planet that doesn't have a hole busted through it." It was probably normal now sadely. But that meant the two of them would have to deal with quakes in addition to anything else they came across. That's probably why nobody lives here. The Ranger thought to himself and got close to the rifle laying out in the dirt.

Sand covered a portion of the weapon. The model, an older design, had been left in the sand. Roland looked around again but there was nothing. A few indents in the dirt indicated some foot steps heading towards one of the mountain ranges. "Can you...do your...." The Mandalorian made a little wiggling mystical hand motion and then shrugged. "Psychometery," He added, remembering the word after a moment. He wanted to also check to see if there was any tibana left in the blaster. At least he thought it was a blaster. It could be a slug thrower. All the same, the Rook clan member didn't want to taint whatever feeling or vision the Pantoran Jedi might get.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

She couldn't really sense anything off about the planet, aside from the rifle. But having Ranger Rook along was better, as he had a sense for the less savory members of the galaxy that she hadn't quite gotten an instinct for yet. Perhaps that was the reason she got shot at so frequently... but nonetheless, seeing him wiggle his hand in emphasis for Force capability made her crack a grin, one violet brow perked.

"I can, yeah," she agreed, golden eyes glimmering with amusement. But it was clear in her tone and posture she wasn't laughing at him, but it helped break some of the tension.

As she approached, she took off her pilot's glove, crouching low beside the rifle. When bare hand met hot metal, instantly images flashed to life.

Gasping, frantic footsteps. A low roar from behind; the scene shifted wildly, a man shouting something in what sounded like Huttese. But then the rifle was flung down; it jammed, something wrong with the trigger. The man's footsteps faded, but the roar sounded much closer, and a heavy booted foot stopped right beside it--

She broke free of the link and released the barrel, pushing it away from her. A visible frown dented between her brows, jaw clenched. "They were being chased..." she muttered quietly, slipping her glove back on. "It was jammed. They were trying to get ho--" she stopped suddenly, then peered towards the nearest cluster of rocks, "--home... Tell me Roland."

She put her hands on her hips when she forced herself to stand, peering through the harsh desert light. "If we were smugglers, selling 'found' items... where would you rather live? Above ground in a ship... or belowground closer to the source of your income?" She couldn't rightfully explain it.. but perhaps their answers were not as far away as she first assumed.

Fun times were ahead.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

The Force was a subject Roland had been indifferent about for a long time. Most of his life it was just seen as part of a spiritual outlook shared by many in the galaxy. There were no strict teachings or practices exchanged among people but rather just an understanding that the Force could and did exist. Individuals among both Jedi and Sith could bring the Force that supposedly existed in all things to their own will. It was like seeing a river and then watching someone think the river into changing its flow. It was no surprise that some people considered those with an affinity to the Force as holy or blessed with borderline divinity. Roland was learning more as his life had continued and he found comfort in coming across answers though not nearly as quickly as he would have liked.

While Indy checked the blaster it was clear her psychometery technique was providing something. The Ranger wondered how it compared to the lightsaber he now carried on his person.

Hearing her question he looked around for any sign of hole or entrance to something subterranean. But so far he couldn't see anything. "If I were a smuggler that chose to live on this planet I'd be dumb or lucky. But sometimes it's the daring di'kut that gets overlooked." It certainly would explain why the ship's scanners didn't pick up anything. Roland wasn't educated on what sort of interference naturally came with a planet that had a hole in it but it was evident he wasn't going to rely on his technology like a crutch. The Jedi had her own capabilities that he considered were more appropriate for this 'hunt' than just traditional means. Abnormal times called for abnormal methods.

"don't know too much about caves but...I have dealt in tight quarters before." He thought back to the number of times he dealt with hostiles in a space station or on a ship. The main difference was earth quakes or the risk of cave ins. In space it was being surrounded in a hunk of metal with only the vacuum of space. Ironically for a man who kept himself in armor, he preferred open spaces where he could move freely.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

She frowned absently, obviously reluctant to pick up the rifle. But she finally did, slinging it over her shoulder. Waste not, want not after all. "Can you track footsteps?" she asked, golden eyes glimmering in the harsh light. Sweat was already starting to bead on her forehead; violet tendrils started to cling to her cheeks and neck, the braid slung over one shoulder. She grimaced at the mention of tight quarters, shoulders shrugging absently as though to ward off a bad memory.

"Being in caves is part of my work but by the Force, I hate them," she stated plainly, peering into the distance. It hadn't been too long since the owner of the rifle had sprinted, but she didn't see anything now. But if those rocks were any indication...

"Perhaps we ought to check over there," she nodded towards a cluster of what looked like worn rocks, clustered together. "What do you think?" she deferred to his own experience. As far as people were concerned, she hadn't a clue. But perhaps finding something of value could begin there... one could only hope anyways.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

"I can do my best." He replied. There was no telling what they might find. It was nice to hear he wasn't the only one that had reservations against going underground.

The Mandalorian pulled out a pair of macrobinoculars from his side and looked towards the mountains and any other notable land mark. He tried thinking about which place he would go to if he were in the smuggler's shoes. When Indy pointed towards an assembly of worn rocks he brought the viewing tool up to his visor and took a look. "You want to walk or take a speeder?" He had a swoop bike in the hold of the Cobalt Viper but if they were going underground anyways it might not be needed. "On second thought. Let me grab something else from my ship." If they were going into confined quarters he didn't want the blaster rifle he was using.

Heading back to the ship, Roland stowed his blaster rifle. "I can give you something non-lethal." He said and showed the stamped durasteel frame of the foe sweeper scatter blaster. The Mandalorian was averse to killing if needed and the scatterblaster was especially useful in close quarters. "It's set to stun but it does have a lethal setting, neither is very power though." The charge setting indicated it was ready to be used if needed with fifteen shots. "Your sidearm hits harder but if we're heading underground you can fire from the hip and be more likely to hit." After saying that he wondered if she would take it as an insult. Technically he had never seen a Jedi or Sith use a blaster before. Maybe she was an excellent marksman.

The cloaked Mandalorian glanced at the flame projector in his armory. It was also great for close quarters. If the man wanted to exterminate a vermin infestation or was on maybe on Hoth he would take it. But it seemed like overkill and the projector was heavy. If Indy wanted to take a reload it was there for her but the Ranger decided to stick with just his sidearms.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

Rather than being insulted by his offering of a foe sweeper, she seemed amused, setting the tossed-aside rifle by side and taking up his offer. She was a decently good shot, but that didn't mean she was going to take her chances with her own blaster. In tight quarters, it was hard to be a fast draw and a reliable one. "Couldn't hurt," she answered honestly, nodding once.

"On foot would be best," she replied simply, but... the heat was never the Pantoran's favored climate. So far he seemed willing to go as she would, but...

"If the location of the artifacts is far, it may be best to have something faster," she mused aloud, frowning. At the end of the day it was his choice, but.. she wished she had the foresight to have bought her own swoop. But truth be told, she rarely used a bike of any kind to get from A to B; she typically preferred to park her ship as close as possible and go on foot.

Though there wasn't an outward sense of malignancy... something wasn't right here. And until she could figure out what was wrong here, she wouldn't rest. Besides, it was time to hunt some smugglers.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

"Let's take my swoop then." He said. Roland was also aware of anti-air armaments that could be in place. So far there was nothing to lead him to believe the enemy was capable of those kinds of emplacements but non-the less the two of them could be scouring the planet for days if they just hopped two ships from point to point. It was more efficient for them to just take a swoop bike to scout and then return. If these smugglers and tomb raiders were indeed underground, even the Cobalt Viper would have limited capabilities in collapsing any tunnels and they weren't out here to just outright kill these smugglers.

"Grem, Grim..." He called out to the surveillance droid and seeker droid that he had in their charging bays. Both machines had their photoreceptors brighten and return from their hibernative state to look towards the ranger for instruction. "Watch the ships. Sentinel protocols. Understood?" He looked betweent he saucer and sphere. Both gave their own unique warble of confirmation which he gave a nod and stepped aside as they floated out to watch over both his and Indy's ship. "Lock your ship down." He said like it was as common as locking the house door behind him.

In the cargo hold he guided the swoop out and locked the ship behind him. He waited for Indy to join him before leaving. Until then, his senses, as limited in comparison to the Jedi Knight, still searched for the slightest hint of hostility. "Maybe it's an animal instinct..." He said to his pantoran cohort. "...but I have a bad feeling about this." It was what he imagined a strill felt before a storm.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

She had already raised the ramp and put in the lockdown sequence by the time he was suggesting it, glancing in his direction. She paused at his words, head cocked slightly. She was grateful she wasn't the only one that had a bad instinct about all this... and then a thought occurred to her.

"You don't have to come... but it's appreciated, Roland," she spoke quietly, staring ahead at the rocks. It was true; in this name of the game, it was far more a mission for the Jedi than for the Ranger, and his putting himself at risk on her behalf wasn't something she had truly considered before. She had some respect for the man in the beginning, both for his consideration of herself and of the Order, but knowing he was willing to come along in spite of the risks made her reconsider the Mandalorian in a new light.

Hearing him have a bad feeling about what they were about to do made her nod once. "Glad I'm not the only one," she replied quietly, lightly touching a hand over the foe sweeper, the other perched on her hip. "But hopefully we can get some information before they get nervous."

It was a fools' hope, but that was the hope of much of the galaxy anyways.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

A soft smile came across Roland's face underneath his helmet. "I appreciate the concern, Indy. But I didn't come all the way out here to sit on my butt." If, or rather when they found these smugglers, they were still criminals and justice had to be served. Roland was still believed that the law needed to be enforced by the Sector Rangers. Not the Jedi Order despite their intent on being the galaxy's peace keepers.

The two headed towards the formation of rocks. A wind swept across the open area as they made their way closer. The brown cloak fluttered in the wind but the Ranger's hood remained over his helm. "If they use this entrance then where is their ship?" Either there was more than one way in or they weren't home. Of course it could also mean someone had dropped any occupants off and then left or hid the ship. He wasn't sure what limitations a Jedi Knight had but he didn't want to ask if her abilities could accomplish every other task.

"I think we'd best-" His sentence was interrupted by his body sent reeling from a blaster bolt. A second one followed shortly after but streaked past him, missing him. Roland dropped down into the sand, knowing that it had come from the formation of rocks. The recoil from the first shot had probably been what made the second one miss. But the first one still hurt. His teeth gritted as adrenaline began to run through his body. "Sniper" He warned the Pantoran, hoping she would take cover. They were still two hundred meters from the formation, but even further from their ships. Laying prone he was out of sight. But anything more than rising on his hands and knees would probably earn himself another blaster bolt. Unbeknownst to either of them, thanks to the shade of the rocks a camouflaged B1 battle droid armed with a long blaster had been set to guard the entrance. "Well at least we know somebody's home."

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

She grinned at his own response, nodding once. "Worth a shot to ask," she replied lightly. Pleased with that, she nimbly stretched, then stared at the dusty track ahead with something akin to trepidation. It was no secret her peoples were from an ice-crusted moon, but a desert was a desert, and hearing him question the smugglers' own ship made her question just how they transported in the first place. It seemed they had forgone the swoop in favor of tracking by foot, no less arduous, but certainly something that meant a stealthier approach.

At the sound of a shot, however, that thought went out the window.

"Rook!"

She exclaimed the name just as he tumbled down, also ducking down herself beside a small dune. The land itself was relatively flat, broken up every now and then by the wind-carved dunes by the sand. Hearing his statement and seeing him still alive made her nod once, grateful at least he seemed alright.

Hearing his own words earned a slight huff from her, part sigh and part laugh. "A dubiously good sign, then," she replied calmly, unholstering her own blaster. She couldn't shoot that far ahead-- the maximum range was forty meters--, but she could certainly sight it better their opponent.

She had to lie low, impressed that anything had made a shot this far to begin with. Perhaps Roland would have binocs on hand to see better; if she could somehow get him to come closer and take cover with her. "Can you possibly crawl to me? Are you hurt?" she asked these calmly, still looking down her sight through the M3, but visibility was still hard to pinpoint without added help. She squinted through the harsh light, attempting to peer down. Another shot went, this one wide from her own location.

It seemed their sniper also had some limitations of fire, but if they got lured out into the open, that wouldn't be the case for much longer. Perhaps, however... that could be an advantageous risk. They just had to get within range of her blaster.

Or the foe-sweeper. Either or by this point.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

Looking towards Indy he could see she was out of the sharp shooter's line of fire and had not sustained any damage. Luckily the shooter had chosen to target the more heavily armored of the two of them. The Pantoran jedi could have been killed outright.

For the moment he stayed in place. The ranger checked his armor and felt the painful area where the shot had hit him and the carbon scoring would leave a mark. "I'm fine." It wasn't the first time he had been shot. His helmet turned to look over towards Indy with her M3 pistol out. "You so much as stick your head out right now you're picking suicide by sniper." He gave her a warning. People's curiosity to try and get an eye on a sniper was usually the last thing they did.

Who-ever was shooting at them was good enough to hit him from this distance on the first shot. "Have you ever dealt with a sniper before, Sati?" He asked, and began checking his jet-boots, making sure they were ready for use and set to flight mode. He also made sure nothing had been dropped in his rough greeting with the sandy ground moments earlier. But everything was still secure and in its place. There wasn't anything that he could use at this range so there was no point in having his hands full.

@Killa Ree

 

[Indy Sati]

It was sweet of him to warn her about the sniper. She merely nodded once slightly, flattening out further on the hot sand to adjust position, then caught his question, sliding a golden-eyed sideways glance. She then remembered the jammed rifle, and an idea came to mind. Probably a long shot, but if she could get it to working order...

"Once," she replied simply, scooting further down for greater cover. "Dig on Poyl; angry ex-military did not approve of our landing on his land. Diplomacy at 400 meters is just about as fun as it sounds." As she spoke, she holstered her M3 and shrugged off the rifle, careful to check the power pack, output, and trigger. "Looks like it overheated," she stated calmly, frowning. "Not surprised; a relic like this is temperamental even on the best of days."

Clipping the power pack back on, she scooted back up, eyeing his boots. It seemed he was already prepped to cause a distraction; she flicked the safety off, bracing it against her shoulder. "I'm guessing you've had your share too," she continued, focusing down the sight towards the rocks in question. "This thing has three shots left."

Hopefully, if he was planning to be a distraction, she could disarm the sniper. There wasn't any a luxury of an 'if not'.

@Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

"So how'd you resolve it?" He wanted to hear how she got out of that situation, or maybe she wasn't the one that dealt with it. Roland was not a sniper. Sure, he was a great shot but he wasn't a master marksman when it came to long range. But he could get a pretty damn good grouping in conjunction with a fast draw.

The Ranger brought out his comlink again and tried sending a message to his seeker drone, Gremlin. It had a scope among its built in equipment so having it scout out ahead would be useful. "Move eratically and see if you can spot who or what it is that's shooting us." A binary confirmation came back. It wasn't the fastest droid and the Knight and Ranger be waiting a few moments since it had to fly a few hundred meters just to get as close to the sniper as they were.

"You could say I've been shot at a few times, yeah." There had been times when people had the draw on him. But sometimes that wasn't the only thing that mattered. It didn't always take him shooting someone to keep from getting shot either. In this case though, the Mandalorian doubted he would be able to talk their shooter down from continuing. Usually when they started firing they didn't stop until they were out of ammo, their target was dead, or they themselves were neutralized. In this case, the two of them were still going to have to get a little risky. Just at the thought of that Roland felt like he should limber up. But that was also because he needed to stay put few a few more moments until at least his seeker droid got closer.

@Killa Ree