Promise of a Future - Jedi Sparkle of Hope Mission

[Marcus]

Promise of a Future
Dantooine
A Jedi Mission from Sparkle of Hope
@Marcus (Jedi General Marcus), @Shalken (Jedi Knight Shalken Tanari), @StormWolf (Jedi Padawan Rhonan Tor)​

Our casual relationship with the people of Dantooine has grown over the years as Jedi seem drawn to it. Many of the locals call on us for help with everyday tasks both big and small. They have begun to count on us for advice and defense. It seems a more permanent outpost and relationship is the next step. Looking into the future we can feel nothing but good vibes on this planet. We are hopeful it will become a safe place for Jedi to gather both during and after the war. Establish a military outpost on the plains near the capital city. We can use this as a midway point in our push forward. A refuel station and place of refuge. Clear the Kinrath from the plotted area and finalize the land plot. The desired location seems to have a large hive of Kinrath in a local cave. Those things breed like crazy, clean them out enough so we can at least build our base.

OOC Note: The image above is what the Jedi would HOPE for in this area - there is presently no temple there.

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The landing zone was clear - plains, foothills, some small wooded areas nearby. One could possibly catch a glimpse of the main capital city if they had the proper viewpoint on a hilltop. But the landing zone, clear as it was, with visions of a future outpost or temple in the minds of the Jedi, was not far from danger. For in these foothills, nearby caves existed. And in these caves, existed creatures known as Kinrath. And from initial reports - a LOT of them.

General Marcus had selected a few Jedi to come with him. They had to secure the zone and then clear out the caves. Well, it was one large cave according to the surveyors, but it was large and complex indeed. The Jedi General nodded to the pilot, who would stay behind and safeguard the ship - after Rhen Var, Marcus took no chances. The standard Jedi transport was set down and secured. Marcus did not say a word and got up, pulled the hood up over his head, and headed out the now-opening hatch and ramp.

Outside, the wind blew over the tall grasses, and scents of the plains flew through their nostrils. It was a pleasant sunny day, and picnics would have been in order had they not been here as exterminators. Marcus looked around, trying to use his senses as best he could. There was a lot of life here, nothing extremely sentient nearby, but plenty of life.

What the group might not know, and would not necessarily sense on landing or in the Force, is that the Kinrath tended not to stay in those caves, and the tall grasses were great for hunting prey.

 

[StormWolf]

No matter how many times Rhonan traversed the far-flung arms of the galaxy, he felt he would never shake the vice of unease that came with the tight and sterile confines of a starship. The cramped corridors, the stale air, and the unfathomable blackness of the void all set Rhonan's hackles on end and put a panicked tightness in his chest. He could only try and meditate his way through the irrational fear; legs tightly crossed and hands clutched to the ivory beast-fangs that hung about his neck. In the face of such darkness, Rhonan relied on the Flame and the Void, feeding his fears and anxieties into the flickering fire in his mind's eye. It wasn't perfect, but it worked as a temporary measure until the ship lurched out of hyperspace.

Rhonan waited until he felt the tall-tale rattle of a ship entering atmosphere before cutting his way through the sharp-angled hallways to the cockpit. There, the viewports could at least give the Padawan a wide view of the world on approach. Dantooine seemed plain to Rhonan. Rolling hills and waves of wild grain and grass that rippled in the draft of their ship touching down. Absently, Rhonan drummed a few fingers at the pommel of his saber, unable to help the curious thrill of setting foot on a new world or the promise of a new hunt. As soon as the loading ramp was down, Rhonan was all but running to feel the give of soil beneath his feet again.

 

[Shalken]

Shalken frowned as he scrolled through the information sheet on his datapad. Always the analyst, Shalken had found the Jedi Archives' article on Kinrath, and the information he had discovered was quite intriguing. Unlike what he had previously thought, the Kinrath were absolutely massive, and disgustingly ugly to boot. Their primary method of attack appeared to be the long, poisonous leg-thing that stuck out of their mouths. How did they actually eat things? Gross creatures, Shalken would have no qualms about removing their presence.

Setting aside the datapad, Shalken did his customary lightsaber check before pulling up his hood and following the other two out into the wild. Breathing in the fresh air, the Knight stood for a few moments, taking in the view. Though he'd never visited Dantooine before, Shalken quite liked it already, with its rolling grassy plains and agreeable weather. The Jedi Council chose the new location for their temple well; Dantooine was sure to bring peace of mind to those that visited.

However, in order to ensure that peace, the Kinrath presence must be greatly reduced, if not entirely removed. With renewed determination, Shalken pressed forward, chuckling at the young Cathar's exuberance. "Don't like flying, Rhonan? Me neither."

 

[Marcus]

Marcus began to walk about, keeping his hood up, and his weapons on his belt. There was no cause for alarm right now. Perhaps the reports were exaggerated. Or perhaps the Kinrath were nocturnal. "Ok, let's go over the details of these things: insectoid-like, rather large, hive clusters, spear-like attacks. What else?"

The Jedi paced a bit around as he let his comrades reply. He tried to use his senses and reach out. Again, without a target, or without truly sentient beings, and with the vast natural surroundings, it was hard to see with the Force. Eventually though, after moments of focus, the seer would pick up on something. Or some things. He would stop his pacing and look out in a specific direction, off towards some of the foothills. It was as if he was looking through the hills... "We're not alone."

The general lowered his hood and grabbed both saber hilts. He did not ignite, as he would wait for whatever was coming before he did so. But there were many heading towards them, although he couldn't yet count them. The team was about to face the first wave of their enemy.

 

[StormWolf]

Shrugging slightly and rolling his neck at Shalken's inquiry, Rhonan felt the corner of his lip twitch ever so slightly. Rhonan obviously need more control over himself if he was going to successfully shield his thoughts and feelings from another... or was it even more evident that Rhonan thought? Something to fret about at a different time.

"Flying is not so bad. The tight spaces and stale air are a different matter..." Rhonan mumbled, flexing and relaxing his dominant hand, warming the muscles and ligaments as General Mor ran through a checklist of what exactly they would be facing. At face value, they sounded similar to the kiltik of Rhonan's homeworld, or at least how he imagined they would be... only far smaller. Being his first jaunt to Dantooine, or anywhere in this particular branch of the galaxy, Rhonan felt underwhelmed by what he knew. He recalled the last time he tried voicing his thoughts before superiors, and the memory was still sour on Rhonan's tongue.

"Being insectoid, would it be safe to assume they move as hive-minded creatures? It may make dealing with them considerably easier," Rhonan had managed to at least get something out, but he was still unsure if it would be useful to anyone at all. When the General muttered his foreboding warning, Rhonan's saber flew from its belt clip and into his hand, twirled in place, and a twitching thumb eagerly hovering over the activation switch. Turning his nose to the sky, Rhonan sampled the scents on the wind, trying to see if he could scry anything from their surroundings.

 

[Shalken]

Shalken in agreement as Marcus and Rhonan discussed the details of their arachnoid foes. However, the Knight had picked up something else from the Jedi Archives that would be of assistance to them. "Very good, Rhonan, you are correct. The Kinrath do work as a hive unit, as they have no proper sense of sight. However, the mind that controls them is the Queen, who is likely burrowed herself deep underground in her nest." Shalken caught up with his comrades, scanning the horizon contemplatively. "Because of their lack of vision, the Kinrath primarily rely on heat signatures to hunt their prey. In order to differentiate friend from foe, they also store special pheromone glands in their abdomens. If we can obtain some of these glands, perhaps that will give us an edge as we remove these pests."

Upon hearing the General's warning of approaching danger, Shalken again appreciated the presence of a seer in their midst. Though he had trained his senses to detect nearby imminent danger, he was unable to detect nearby lifeforms as well as an experienced practitioner could. Slipping his lightsaber hilt into his hand, Shalken also drew his hood back, crouching into a defensive stance.

The team of Jedi were wise to prepare themselves. With an alien, insect-like bellow, a group of five Kinrath charged over the hill, their ugly appendages digging up chunks of dirt as they rushed towards the group.

Igniting his azure blade, Shalken took a strong stance as he waited for the Kinrath to close the distance. Two of the kinrath split off to the side to flank the group, walling the Jedi off from retreating. Somewhat surprised by their tactics, Shalken realized why they had become such a menace to the population. Seeing one of the charging Kinrath single him out, Shalken quickly dodged to the beast's right as it lunged at him, arcing his blade through its front leg before planting himself, prepared for the next attack.

 

[Marcus]

Marcus, although happy with his companions' intellect and intuition, was now looking at the Kinrath coming over the hill. They were his targets now. Two split off, and one went after Shalken. Marcus ran to the side to head off the flank. "Shalken, watch those three." He knew the one the Knight had dismembered was not quite out of the fight, depending on the damage done. "Rho... there are more."

And sure enough, another pack of four came rolling over the hill.

The general was at the two who had attempted to flank them. And actually the insectoids were successful to a degree, but the Jedi could make quick work of these... for now. Marcus, while running, did a forward roll on the ground, aiding his abilities as best he could with the Force. It was not his forte, but it gave him a slight edge, allowing him to dodge the first one's running barrage.

Upon coming up off the roll he ignited his two sabers and used his left arm to slash up and slice into the leg and thorax area. With his right arm, noticing the other bug slowing to face him, he slashed out in an arc parallel to the ground, catching two legs of the bug. A third leg would have connected with Marcus had it not been for the successful strike. An audible "whoah" could probably be heard from his companions. It had been a while since he had faced beasts, but those training and experience memories were quickly flashing back.

 

[Shalken]

Spying the four newcomers, Shalken grit his teeth as their opponents nearly doubled. This infestation was much worse than he initially thought. If this was merely a hunting pack, who knew how large the hive was? Though idea was troubling, Shalken forced himself to re-focus on the task at hand.

Not giving the victim of his initial strike any time to recover, he sidestepped the scaly beast, dislocating the insect's abdomen from the rest of its body. As the other two Kinrath closed on his position, he slid under one of the charging beasts, dragging his lightsaber along its ugly underside and splitting it in two.

Rising to his feet, the hairs on Shalken's neck immediately crawled as the Force alerted him of incoming danger. Turning to face his opponent, he found it winding up its deadly proboscis to strike. The Knight quickly realized that he lacked both the agility and time to dodge the oncoming attack. Instinctively dipping into the flowing energy of the Force, Shalken formed before him a solid, invisible barrier just as the Kinrath struck.

Ramming its proboscis into the walll, the creature screetched in pain as the poisonous tip of its "tongue" crumpled into a useless mass of exoskeleton. Seeing his moment of opportunity, Shalken dashed forward, decapitating the miserable insectoid's head at the base.

Shalken panted as his energy dipped slightly; the barrier was a great deal more taxing than he had initially predicted. He resolved to be more careful in the future. Lucky for the Jedi, the group of four Kinrath were much more wary of their prey than their late companions, giving them time to prepare for the next onslaught.

 

[StormWolf]

Before the skittering beasts even stepped from the veil of tall grass, they were heralded by their unbecoming stench. Bitter, peaty soil-stink smeared over a putrid natural odor. Rhonan's nose scrunched up as his face expressed something between a snarl and a grimace. Still, he wasted little time as he hastily studied the creatures, how they swarmed and attacked Masters Shalken and Marcus. Snatching his lightsaber from his belt clip and flicking the azure blade to life.

Pouncing forward with a boost from the Force, Rhonan sped towards the flanking mass of Kinrath in a small arc, pirouetting at the apex of his leap into a powerful Falling Leaf strike, cleaving the first skittering insectoid in half across its center of mass. Chitin had little choice but to abide the humming blade, splitting grotesquely and filling the air with an something most foul. Twirling his blade in a flourish, the Padawan batted aside an incoming stinger, beads of venom glistening on the tip. A ragged screech tore from the Kinrath as it's appendage was neatly seared from the main body. Rearing on it's hind legs, it flashed savage, chittering mandibles, slick with saliva. Rhonan's eyes goggled as the beast loomed, but the Cathar steeled himself.

Stretching his conscious mind outwards, Rhonan made an effort of will, channeling his thoughts through the Living Force. Hooking the fingers of his left hand like a claw, Rhonan imagined filling the quasi-spherical negative space in his hand to be filled with raw kinetic energy. Hackles rose at the back of Rhonan's neck, sending a shiver down the length of his spine as the energy field of the Force used the boy as a conduit. Baring his fangs and hissing quite literally into the face of danger, Rhonan let loose the burgeoning energy in his palm. Slinging his hand as if he was throwing a ball, the unseen energy made a noise like ripping canvas as it tore through the space between Rhonan and the Kinrath. The membranous underbelly visibly buckled under the impact, then split in a visceral display of green-white ichor. Thrown back several meters through the tall grass, Rhonan heard the crunch of chitin splitting on impact. There was a brief rush of triumph, but Rhonan's left hand felt as if he had spent the morning punching the trunk of a wrorshyr tree.

Shaking his hand out, the Padawan grit his teeth and placed both hands on his lightsaber hilt again, raising his blade into a Djem So guard as his eyes studied the movements of the enemy swarm.

 

[Marcus]

Marcus watched his friends take down the insectoids, as he handled his own. They were downed within a few strikes, but then again he had somehow picked the dumb ones - they came in fast and stumbling, and they were easily downed (even if one almost stabbed the Jedi General). He quickly went over to join his comrades, blades still lit. "Ok, keep it going," he said, readying for another group. "Let's keep pressing forward if we can. We need to get to the cave our scouts picked up."

The Jedi would swing both blades around as the next wave of several Kinrath made their way to the group. It was just a few, so it would seem they were not sending an army to meet the Jedi. But these sentinels were definitely seeking them out. Marcus got in close, slashing with one blade, defending and blocking with the other. That was his style, with his twin shotos. And in this kind of arena that worked well. "Two more down," he said, looking back over at the damage Shalkin and Rho had done.

And that was when he saw it. As the two gents fought off that small wave, a larger group had managed to come up over the hill and through the grasses. This was not good, but Marcus had a trick up his sleeve that would hopefully help. "Hold tight!" he would shout as he leapt up into the air and thrust himself with the Force towards the large grouping, switching off his blades. And with a similar push with the Force, he would land on the ground, in a kneeling position, one hand holding his saber hilt in a fist, punching the ground. A slam - a quake - would hit the ground, sending a ripple of some epic proportions in a complete ring around Marcus. The Kinrath would stumble, fall, break appendages, stab each other, knock unconscious, and otherwise fall into chaos. A powerful and effective strike for minions just like this.

Marcus stayed in his kneeling position, sensing for movement, for his friends, and recovering with heavy breaths and closed eyes from the massive exertion of the Force. As he looked up and opened his eyes, it would appear it was worth it.

 

[Shalken]

As Shalken recovered from his Force barrier, he watched as Rhonan took on and dispatched two Kinrath, impressing the Knight. Despite being a Padawan, he could certainly handle himself in a fight.

Nodding to the General, he replied, "One moment, I must gather some things." Stooping down to the disgusting Kinrath corpses around him, he carefully drew his lightsaber blade near the base of thorax, separating the abdomen. Picking up the body section, he grimaced and shoved it into his pocket before repeating the process on to two other corpses.

Shalken looked up right as Marcus shouted his warning, spying the new assauting insectoids. Before he could react, however, the General performed a Force maneuver that completely annihilated the oncoming swarm, leaving the Knight momentarily slack-jawed.

Hefting the two abdomens, he rushed over to the kneeling Marcus. "Impressive, I've never seen anyone successfully perform that feat before." Offering one of the crusty lumps of exoskeleton, he added, "Cointained in this is, hopefully, the glands Kinrath use to detect each other. I'm unsure if they will work in our case, but it's definitely worth a shot." Looking to Rhonan, he extended the other abdomen.

 

[StormWolf]

Blood rushed in Rhonan's veins, pounding in the Padawan's ears as the symphony of combat washed over him. Every sinew sang with adrenaline, the Flame in the Void bursting into an inferno as the Cathar bared his fangs to the skittering beasts. Twirling his lightsaber in a flourish, Rhonan settled into a low guard, sweeping his blade in scything arcs as the Kinrath crawled too close. Like beasts to a torch, they reeled back a few steps. The sizzling report of contact crackled through the heated air, the shell of one particularly aggressive Kinrath blackened and bubbling.

It was then that Rhonan heard the General's warning. Hold tight? Hold onto what?! Rhonan glowered to himself, but settled for a wide stance. Seeing Master Marcus leaping through the air in his peripheral vision, Rhonan felt the draw of the Force; invisible strings being tugged by Marcus as he neared the ground. Rhonan had only enough time to quirk an eyebrow before the ground seemed to turn to water beneath his feet. Eyes goggling, Rhonan dropped a hand to the churning earth in an attempt to prevent himself from getting thrown. He was partially successful in this regard, getting forced to his knees by the tremor.

Muttering a rumbling Catharese curse, Rhonan took in the scene around him. "Master Marcus... when can I learn to do that?" Rhonan said, managing a toothy smirk.

 

[Marcus]

Marcus looked around at the insectoids. They were not all dead and done, a few got back to their feet but a couple had run off and the others could be killed easily by the Jedi. He was panting a bit, and looked up at Shalken and Rho. He took a whiff of the chunk from Shalken and shook his head looking over to Rho. "In due time... when it won't cause you to pass out." Marcus had caused himself some pain and unconscious spells throughout training over the years. It had taken much time. "Start with shielding or pushing and work your way up." He chortled, managing to catch his breath and stand up.

"Now then," he said looking back to Shalken, clasping his hilts on his belt. He straightened his robes and took a quick glance around, sensing no approaching bugs or waves at this point. "You want us to stink up before we go after these things' nest?"

Marcus almost didn't wait for an answer and shrugged. "If that's what works, let's get to it." Perhaps the stink would stave the Kinrath off for Marcus to regain his energy and composure. He needed the time after his little feat.

 

[Shalken]

Having given Marcus and Rhonan the pieces of exoskeleton, Shalken rolled up the sleeves of his robes as he replied, "Though the Kinrath haven't proven a major threat to us yet, we have no idea what's in store for us in their hive. Any edge we could have against these creatures will be beneficial."

As if to punctuate his statement, he grimaced, shoving his hand into the Kinrath abdomen. Shalken gagged as the disgusting creature's insides sloshed around his hand. Finally, he grasped something that felt like a gland. Grasping the sac, he quickly extracted it from the body section. Eyeing the gland, he commented, "I don't think we have to douse ourselves in it - carrying it should do the trick." With that, he shoved the gland into his pocket, wiping his soiled arm off on the grass.

 

[StormWolf]

Pass out? Just how much of a flower does he take me for? Rhonan brooded, his stern brow inching closer together for a moment as Master Marcus spoke. Curling his lips and making a soft chuffing noise in retort, the Cathar twirled his saber and thumbed the switch. With a static hiss, the sapphire blade blinked out of existence. Not all the kinrath were dead outright, but Rhonan was confident there were no threats left. Hilt clipped to his belt, Rhonan crossed the churned clearing to one of his own prey. The beast had been all but popped by the impact of Rhonan's push through the Force. Membranous shell had snapped away, spilling putrid entrails to cool in the dirt.

"There's worse things to do on a hunt..." Rhonan said with a mirthless chuckle, his nose scrunched deeply against the odor. Taking one of the kinrath's pheromone glands, Rhonan split the tissue with a flick of his claws, applying the pinkish-grey to his wrists, temples, and his neck beneath the jaw. Bile rose in the Padawan's throat, his mouth turning greasy at the intimate closeness of the kinrath's curdling stink. Naturally, it was only after Rhonan had slathered the insectoid paste on himself did Shalken speak his peace,

"Well, if you want to do things the easy way, go right ahead..." Rhonan muttered, his ears folding back tightly against his scalp in an attempt to hide the reddening bloom of embarrassment.

 

[Marcus]

Marcus gave a slight grin to Rho's reaction to the Force slam/quake effect and training. He knew how the padawan felt - a strong warrior, probably capable of the task, waiting to learn how, gaining even more strength. Some of the things Marcus could do were innate, but most were learned over a great many years. Even the strong Rhonan would appreciate that, in theory. But that discussion would come another day.

Marcus watched the two interact differently with the Kinrath and how to mask themselves. Marcus did not want to lather up, but he didn't want one of those glands in his pocket either. He went to Rho's position and grabbed a handful of guts and blood, and smeared a bit on his forearms and neck, and then tossed the remainder on the ground to stomp out with his boot, adding more stench to his body. "Onward," he said plainly.

The master walked in the direction of the small hills from whence the bugs came. This obviously correlated with what their scout teams had found. And after a short hike through the plains and to the edge of the mountains, they could see and smell and probably sense the Kinrath's cave entrance. There was little activity on the way there or at the entrance, but as they would draw closer, they could start to pick up another sense - sound. A skittering and even the lashing sound the creatures made orally could not be heard from the area.

Marcus, feeling a bit better now, took his saber hilts off his belt and waited to ignite them just yet. "Ok, we don't have a decent map of this cave, but it could go deep. We need to figure out how to get to the queen or hatchery and drop a couple thermos. Unfortunately, that path will likely have the most resistance. And that may be our answer to finding our target." He paused, with his eyes still on the cave entrance. "Tactical thoughts?"

 

[Shalken]

Seeing his two companions "grease up", Shalken had second thoughts about keeping the gland in his pocket. What if it didn't work? Seeing he would have to wash up after the mission anyway, he pulled the pheromone sac from his pocket and punctured it, smearing the rancid contents onto his wrists and below his chin like some vile perfume. Nodding to the General's remark, he kept pace with his companions as they approached the cliffside.

After the short debrief by Marcus, Shalken interjected, "If these creatures work as a cohesive unit through a hive mind, the queen must be giving off a powerful psychic presence. Unfortunately, I am not well trained in the aspect of sensing through the Force, but perhaps you are, General? If you can detect the strands of mental direction from the queen, perhaps you could lead us down the correct path."

 

[StormWolf]

"Forgive me, Knight Shalken, but it doesn't necessarily need to be psychic," Rhonan said, his speech somewhat congested as he attempted to ward his nose against the still-pungent odor of the creatures, "The massive predator-insects on Cathar use pheromones to mark their territory and command the lesser drones in their nests. If we aren't facing a similar situation, I'll eat my boots," Rhonan was as much speaking to the other Jedi as he was thinking out loud. The logic and science behind it was sound, but Rhonan had learned that many strange and impossible things happened daily across the galaxy. A psychic bug would seem like small change in comparison.

"Using a sample of a drone's pheromone gland with a multi-spectrum scanner should at least give us a direction other than 'down'."

 

[Shalken]

Shalken chuckled to himself at the Cathar Padawan's response, mentally slapping himself as well. Perhaps he relied on his Force-given benefits so much that he even forgot the natural ones of other species. "An excellent suggestion, Rhonan. Let's get ourselves another gland, then."

The stench wafting from the cave was palpable, causing Shalken to gag in disgust. It could only get worse from here. Just as the three Jedi approached the entrance, they were met by another patrol of lumbering Kinrath, four strong. Though the Jedi readied themselves for a fight, their precautions seemed unnecessary; for unlike their previous encounters, these insectoids did not attack on sight. Rather, the beasts decided to cautiously "sniff" the intruders down, seemingly confused by the strange scent of intruders mixed with their own kind. Deeming the newcomers harmless, the Kinrath decided to move on, their patrol apparently the more important task at hand.

 

[StormWolf]

Despite himself, Rhonan couldn't help but beam. He was, after all, still a student of the Force and the disciplines therein. To be praised by any stretch was a breath of fresh air from the correctional harshness doled out by his usual teachers. Dark lips spread apart from his leonine teeth, sharp and savage. Following after Knight Shalken, the Cathar kept himself hunched in a hunter's prowling stance. Whenever the insectoid beasts skittered by, Rhonan froze in place, holding his breath. While their pheromone bath seemed to be working, how long until their own natural scent broke through? Or the monsters caught on to the unusual bipedal gait of would-be intruders? Suddenly, the Padawan's throat felt terribly dry. As a patrol of drones passed, Rhonan gasped a long-held breath. Heart pounding thunderously, the Padawan collected himself and kept close to the Knight,

"Any idea how deep these things go?" Rhonan rasped in a whisper.