A Not-So-Simple Recovery

[Jabonicus]

Five days ago, a test flight from an experimental ship failed horribly, the engine disconnected from the main thrusters, and the ship crashed to the planet below. The ship crashed into one of the many crevices of Utapau, vanishing into the rocky depths of the planet. Several search parties were sent, and once word was spread to the Jedi of the possible danger of the engine should it be compromised.

The engine itself was a danger due to how it would operate. The engine, in its whole form, was practically harmless. It was only when its inner core was compromised that it became a threat. The core was highly radioactive, and should it be compromised near people? It could cause a lot of deaths.

That's why Vera volunteered to help track down the fallen ship, and the seemingly simple task didn't seem like much of a threat. So she found it as an opportunity to have some field training with a Padawan.

With a holo communicator strapped to her hip on the self made belt she wore, she was ready to contact the robotic recovery crew once they had secured the vessel. She also had a small device that would scan and detect if the engine was compromised.

She had previously contacted the authorities of that sector of the planet to explain the situation, and they were given two large Varactyl's to traverse the almost unnatural terrain.

Vera looked over the map once more. Other recovery teams were searching through less populated areas, but the ship itself was last recorded falling in this general location. They stood on the surface of the planet, above the crevices, on the tan rocks. All the buildings and civilizations were built down into the crevices, while they stood on the empty, vacant surface. Looking to the young, brown haired girl next to her, she gave the Padawan a smile. "So, you ready to start searching?" Her heavily accented voice asked.

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara tightened her belt a bit more and made sure her lightsaber was clipped in correctly. She was truly afraid of heights and was reluctant to even volunteer for this mission, but she needed time out to anything other than study or train at the temple. There was no going back now and she was trying her best to look as fearless as she thought Jedi were supposed to be. Besides, her trials are coming up in a few months and she wouldn't look good if she was still afraid to stand at the edge of a cliff leading into a massive sinkhole.

But what ever.

She was grateful to come along with and learn from a Jedi Knight other than her own master, and she was even a Togruta. Tamara was hoping she would learn some more about her own heritage. And Vera seemed more traditional and less Jedi like than her mom. Even better.

She looked up at the older woman as she spoke slightly smiling at the accent that she herself almost started to pick up on, "Phew...yeah sure. Let's go"

She shaked in excitement and fear as she stared down at the bottom of the hole, and then back at the reptiles behind them.

"Couldn't we fly rather!?"

 

[Jabonicus]

Vera quietly observed the Padawan, taking notice of her reluctance around the cliff. Vera shrugged once Tamara asked her, simply walking over to a light bluish Varactyl, climbing onto the saddle on its back. "This is what we've been given, it seems that the local government either couldn't, or wouldn't spare any of their flying mounts." She responded. "Besides, Varactyl's can climb all over the walls, as long as you stay strapped in, you won't fall out." She reassured. "The flying native mounts here have to keep moving, so we wouldn't get as good of a look as if we did take the Varactyl's."

Strapping her legs into the saddle, the Togrutan gave a concerned glance over to her companion. "How about we do a quick warm up, so you get used to the Varactyl before we descend?" She offered, making sure her lightsaber pike was firmly strapped onto her back. Even if somehow Tamara fell during their journey, Vera would have been preparing to catch her, saving up a moderate amount of energy, making her seem more calm and focused.

Looking down at the straps buckled around her legs, she pondered them for a minute. She had ridden Varactyl's before, and it was entirely possible for force users to ride them without buckles, using the force to keep them on top of the creature. But for a Padawan who seemed to be afraid of heights? ...It was probably best for her to stay buckled up.

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara eased up a bit after she stepped away from the cliff, but then got nervous again after she was reminded she was supposed to ride one of these beasts. She wasn't scared of them at all, in fact she really liked them, but was fearful of what might happen to her once the start running along the walls,"I-I meant couldn't the Council atleast give us one of those ships the other teams have...or am I supposed to learn a lesson like most of the other masters make me do?"

Nonetheless she Force jumped up o to the back of her mount, as she loved to do, and made sure she was completely safe and remained that way once they started their climb. She buckled up and made sure she was tied down. After hearing her master's offer for a test run, Tamara gently nodded in agreement and rubbed the side of the Varactyl to indicate she was ready to roll.

 

[Jabonicus]

Vera guided the Varactyl over to Tamara, going around her to make sure her bluckles were properly strapped in before they began doing anything. "Well, this is more of a Republic issue than just of the Jedi." She replied. "Other teams are using ships because they aren't going down into crevices like we are, other groups that are going down into crevices like this are also riding varactyls." She added with a grin. "Besides, they're well trained. Even if you do fall, I'll catch you." She reassured.

"And for learning?" She grinned. "Well, it never hurts to learn how to ride something like this, plus, I could probably teach you a thing or two about communicating with animals through the force." Turning the varactyl towards the flat, unbroken ground that lay behind them, Vera motion for Tamara to follow her. "Let's do some simple exercises, so you can get used to riding them." She suggested, before she tapped her bare heels against the sides of the Varactyl, causing it to burst into motion. It began to run at a rather quick, yet moderate speed. It could quite obviously move faster, but Vera wanted to be at a speed that Tamara could match. "Come on!"

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

"Thanks....I feel much safer now..", Tamara was being a bit sarcastic, but togruta where no doubt strong and athletic much like herself. Vera could most definitely save her if she fell and being a Jedi only made it easier.

Hearing that she could possibly learn to interact with animals through the Force got her all excited. This was an ability she really wanted to try. Sure it was really just a bit of meditation to perhaps calm creatures instead of attacking you, but still,"Can we do that as soon as we are done!?" Tamara could hardly control her excitement and as soon as Vera yelled 'go', she ran off without her, causing her to shout,"Wait!" She quickly pulled the Varactyl's bridle up and down and it shot after her. Tamara nearly fell off from the creature's sudden burst of speed, but she quickly managed and caught up with her master.

 

[Jabonicus]

Sarcastic or not, Vera couldn't really tell, so she took it at face value. Even though the Togrutan had been speaking Basic for years, she still had issues with more complex or tone-based interactions.

Glancing behind her as the Varactyl began running, she adjusted her course, planning to go in one large circle for a few times. Holding the reins tightly in her hands, she decided to concentrate on communicating with Tamara instead of influencing her own mount. Her mind connected to the Padawan's, allowing her to send thoughts into her head.

Can you hear me? I would talk, but while moving, this is a bit easier. We can certainly begin learning about interacting with creatures through the force. It's something I've been doing for a long time, and it shouldn't take you that long to figure out.

The two Varactyl's raced over the rough terrain, going over small, rocky hills with ease. Even on horizontal surfaces, it was easy to see why they were common modes of transportation. They gave out their short, echoing calls that rang out over the vast expanse of bare surface around them.

Varactyl's are good practice, as they're loyal and obedient, even without use of the force. Vera guided her mount around an outcropping of sharp, jutting rocks. Simply put, there's a simple, but very important method to interacting with any animal through the force. Your mind must be clear of worry or doubt, and you must place your mind on the level of the animal. You must think as it does, and you must trust it in the same way you wish it to trust in you. And then, once you have reached its state of mind, you guide it gently, to a... Halfway point. Where it can understand you, and you can understand it.

Now, slow to a stop, watch me. I'm going to let go off the reins, and I'm going to steer this one simply through my connection to her. She withdrew her mind from Tamara, instead, connecting to the blue-ish Varactyl she sat on. At first, it was foreign, unintelligible, until she began to connect. It took a short moment, during which she was strapping the reins into the saddle so it would not fall out and wrap around the legs of the creature. Then, the reptilian creature turned, jolting forth with a newfound speed towards a pinnacle of rocks near one of the many chasms.

The Varactyl went practically vertical, climbing swiftly with a noticeable agility as it jumped from rock to rock, climbing and traversing with an almost improbable courage, no doubt coming from its Togrutan rider. After a short time, the Varactyl leaped from high up, angling its body down as it began to run down the steep slope of the outcropping, before coming to a stop next to the Padawan. With a toothy grin, the multi-colored Togrutan picked up the reigns from the harness once more. "Ready to try, or do you have any questions?"

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Being as young as she was, Tamara still found it incredibly difficult to keep her balance on a giant lizard and still concentrate on what Vera was 'saying' to her. She could still manage a bit, but would often sway from side to side and felt rather light-headed as she spoke back. I-I think I understand. But how can you do this and ride an animal at the same time?

Vera wouldn't have time to answer, because as soon as Tamara was done, she began to display her Force connection to the varactyl. It was quite fascinating to watch and it got the padawan excited, beaming a smile at her, but she was still a bit hesitant to try it out herself. The way her master explained seemed so much simpler than it seemed at first, and when she had finished her display and asked if she wanted to give it a go, Tamara agreed,"Alright...I'll try"

"Here it goes..."

She let go of the reins and mimicked what Vera had done and tuck it away under the saddle. She stuck her arms out, then placed her palms on the rims of the saddle and closed her eyes to concentrate. She took slow and steady breaths and visualize the creature she was sitting on. She did her best to clear her thoughts and tried to tap into the varactyl similar to the way she would talk to others telepathically, just on a more basic level.

This varactyl was more playful and hyper than it's companion next to him and often turned it's head around to observe the surroundings and his rider, though however after about a minute of Tamara's meditation it began to calm down and felt a lot more relaxed.

She slowly opened one eye and looked around for her master,"Did it work?"

 

[Jabonicus]

As Tamara took off, Vera quietly followed her by her side observing her so she could correct any mistakes. Watching Tamara intently, she tried to pick up any stray thoughts or ideas that the girl was having, before she turned to the Togrutan to ask if it worked. "Well, kinda." She replied, not having to speak very loud due to the rather consistent, medium speed of the two beasts. "You calmed it down, which is close." She added.

"Remember, you're the one that needs to be calm. You need to come to a spot in your mind where you think and feel what it does. Once you're on his level, you can make a halfway connection, where you both feel and understand one another." She replied. They were coming around in their circle, back towards the outcropping of rocks in the pinnacle that Vera had climbed with her Varactyl.

"You're doing very good Tamara." She complimented with a wide, toothy smile. "It just takes a bit of persistence to get used to."

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara nodded and smiled right back after she noticed that familiar set of sharp teeth. She closed her eyes and rested her hands on the creature once more and this time she was starting to get the hang of it. Well she thought so. She was ever so slightly more in touch with the creature's thoughts and emotions. This sensation of feeling the creature's thoughts were unsettling at first, but soon she and the creature felt a bit more comfortable with one another.

She slowly opened her eyes and thought of where she needed to go. The varactyl began to climb and move around Vera and her mount, just as Tamara had wanted. She gave a wide grin and giggled,"Like this?"

 

[Jabonicus]

Vera nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Just like that! It will take a bit of practice to really get the hang of it, but it will be like second nature by the time we're done today." She reassured. "Alright, now follow me!" She commanded cheerfully, turning her mount, the lizard letting out a short, echoing hoot. She guided it over to the ledge they had started at before the quick lesson had begun. She slowed to a stop, just beside the edge they had begun at.

Looking down into the deep, appearing bottomless from where they stood, the light ending long before the actual ground began. Gazing out across the large chasm, she could see many of the small towns that existed within the chasm walls. Small tunnel-roads could be seen, dug out to use a paths between them. There were several possible locations marked on Vera's map where they were supposed to check. Even if the remains of the ship wasn't in the area, it would only take a few hours to check all the spots.

Turning to the Padawan that accompanied her, Vera smiled. "You ready?" Recalling that the Padawan seemed fearful of heights, her smile turned into more of a reassuring, accepting grin. "If you feel afraid of how high up we are or anything, just tap into your Varactyl's emotions. They're so used to it, he should be more than willing to share his comfort with you."

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara smiled and followed Vera towards the edge of the sinkhole, her fear slowly crawling back up to her as she looked down. She gulped and attempted to calm herself as she did before, and it seemed like it was working. She tightened her harness in preparation for the descent just as her master asked if she was ready. She slowly nodded and looked down the hole one more time,"Just a sec....master can I ask you one quick question?" She looked back up at Vera.

"Don't you think it is a bit suspicious that nobody in town had noticed this falling engine and whatnot? Sure we got maps and all but those aren't from the locals. I certainly don't think they all happened to turn away just as falling debris fell hit the bottom of their chasm?"

 

[Jabonicus]

Vera was just about ready to head down into the chasm when Tamara asked her the question. She thought about it for a minute before shrugging. "To be honest, those towns aren't very well connected with the rest of the Galaxy. They're Utai, generally a working class. As far as I know, they're treated fairly well by the local government systems. I don't see why they would knock much about it, but we have sent them requests to give us any information regarding it they have."

She pointed down to the towns built into the walls. "They actually have given us some pointers, their Pau'an representative showed us possible places where something could have fallen. He's also given us permission to ask around his towns." She replied. "If we don't find anything, we could always ask around the citizens. Any other questions?"

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara listened and then shrugged once Vera was done,"Nope. I think we can start now" She sighed and waited for her master to go first, then she would follow on.

 

[Jabonicus]

Vera nodded, before gripping the saddle tightly, connecting her mind to the Varactyl. She kept her body low, so she wouldn't bump around too much. Then the lizard went over the edge, vanishing out of sight as it gave several long, hooting calls. Vera remembered the three main locations they were supposed to search, and one was just below.

She went at a rather fast pace, just below a freefall speed, so it wasn't hard to stay in the saddle. It could even be considered a comfortable ride, considering they had their leg straps on. The creature sped around several jutting out rocks, heading towards what appeared to be a large cave opening hundreds of meters down from the top.

The wind was rough against them, and Vera had to squint her eyes to keep a clear vision ahead of her. Within a few short minutes of riding, she veered the creature to the right, right as they approached the cave opening. Turning sharply, the beast slowed down as it rounded the corner, entering the cave before running down to the flat ground of the opening. It slowed to a stop, and Vera would wait for the Padawan, who would hopefully have kept pace behind her.

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara looked down the cliff as Vera jumped down into it. She sighed and briefly closed her eyes as she slowly followed her down. Once she and her varactyl were almost completely vertical and stable, she opened her eyes and stared down the chasm in a bit of shock mixed with thrill. She patted the side of the creature and it made it's signature echoing noise and ran down the side of the cliff walls quickly catching up to Vera in the cave.

Tamara was now more excited than scared when she saw that she held on quite well. She rounded the corner of the cave and was next to Vera once again in no time at all. Her heart was racing and she struggled to catch her breath, but when she finally did, she spoke up,"Alright master....where now?" She looked around for a second and came to a realisation,"Falling debris won't fall inside a cave, shouldn't we look at the bottom of the chasm?"

 

[Jabonicus]

Vera shrugged in response, turning the varactyl towards the cave, which was going at a downwards angle. "Anythings possible." She replied, as the varactyl began at a slow pace. "If it was coming down at an angle towards the walls, the cave might be big enough that it took a while for it to actually crash. The issue with when it crashed wasn't that it lost control of where it was going, it's that the the engine gave out. It couldn't keep altitude."

The smell of something singed was filling the air, and there seemed to be scratch marks tinted black on each side of the wide cavern. "The droid pilot could have flown into a cave, trying to slow down by scraping against the walls to keep the ship in one piece." She suggested. "Besides, we have scanners down in the canyons. If they find the ship? They'll let us know." She reassured.

"Besides.." She added, pointing down into the cave. "Something landed down here." Moving deeper into the dark cave, the Togrutan motioned for the Padawan to follow. "It'd be nice to know what it is, be it the ship or not."

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara did well in her physics classes, but in all honesty, Vera lost her quickly when she explained the possibility of the engine landing in the cave they were in. She must be a bit sick from running down the cliff wall a few seconds ago. However after hearing they were going to continue down this massive cave they were in, she was a bit more enthusiastic about going on an adventure and exploring down here than standing a chance to fall to her death while riding a loud and over sized lizard.

"Sure! Let's check it out! I hope we find a bit more than space junk"

It had been too long since she had the chance to trek into dangerous and uncharted territory with her real master.

 

[Jabonicus]

In all honesty, Vera just knew where they were supposed to check on the map. Had she gone to school, she would have been voted 'most likely to crash any ship unfortunate to have her as a pilot.' She simply didn't want to admit to the Padawan that she didn't have the slightest clue of how and why a ship would end up there. As they went further, the burnt markings along the sides of the cave vanished, as the cave itself got larger, wider and taller.

The cave opened up quite a bit. It seemed they entered some sort of naturally occurring system of caves. They branched off in many directions, and near the center was the smoldering ruins of some ship. "Well, we found something." She remarked, moving the Varactyl towards it. She swung her legs over the beast, standing up on the ground as they neared it.

The cave itself was quite dark, but the Togrutan didn't have much issue finding her way around. "Help me look for any identifying marks." She requested, as she slowly moved around the smoldering wreck of a ship.

@Tristyn

 

[Tristyn]

Tamara could see perfectly well in the dark, thanks to certain genetic mutations. She was rather dumbfounded we she first saw the wreckage. Damn...she was right. "Well I'll be damned....I hope this is what we are looking for" She stopped and got off her varactyl to look around the wreckage. She picked up some parts to examine it, got inside what seemed to be the cockpit and got out again to look some more,"What sort of marks should I look for? This is definitely a ship for sure, but which one are we looking for?