Open A 'Simple' Experiment

[Alhazred]

OPEN TO ALL JEDI
SPACE. Closest Planet: Kashyyyk

Busily, but excitedly, Alhazred adjusted the placements of objects in the room for the 96th time. The 5 3-foot tall pedestals that could be magnetized and demagnetized on command, the large central bowl of silvery Murcury with a piece of floating wood, the opaqueness of the Sentinel-class landing craft turned research starship’s added windows, the temperature of the room, everything was constantly being measured, adjusted, and remeasured again by the small-squid like being’s webbed hands.

“And then, provide the distance between the five points to be exactly even, creating a equal semicircle in the direction away from the star system…” Alhazred whispered to himself, unable to contain his excitement. This experiment was one of his own creations, and recently he had received approval from everyone. The Jedi would provide the necessary materials, the Givin government loaned the spaceship in exchange for shared information on the experiment, and the ship was deep enough in space and out of space hyper ways to avoid any contamination from outside elements, both governmental influence and local random travelers. The only way something could interfere with the study was for someone to know about the study specifically.

This study wasn’t exactly an easy sell to all sides. His placement with the Jedi was still fresh and, in his mind, tenuous, and his people’s beliefs about celestial objects were still regular superstitions to most. Not to mention that Alhazred was just a masterless padawan within the Jedi, and had very little room to talk about scientific studies involving the Force. Still, his contacts within the Givin’s Body Calculus were able to voice enough interest to convince someone inside the Jedi Temple to give Alhazred the go-ahead.

Alhazred adjusted his turban and walked over to the wall. The recording sensor there was activated, recording the entire situation. After straightening himself, Alhazred began whispering loudly.

“This is Abda-Vaal Alhazred, of the Jedi order and representative of the Body Calculus of the Yag;Dhul. The time is now....” Alhazred paused as he timed himself to be exact. “2334 standard Corescant time. I have now finished setting up my experiment and study, and now await the arrival of members from the Jedi Temple.

"Precisely in 96 minutes and 43 seconds, the star system of Kashykk’s planetary bodies will reach the pinnacle of planetary alignment of 5 of its inhabited planets. Such an event, while not impossibly rare, is uncommon for most sentient beings. I intend to prove to the Jedi order, as well as the wider galaxy, that the placement of celestial objects influences the force in subtle ways. While this experiment may not prove the degree of how the Force is influenced, it will confirm the fact that an influence does or does not exist.

"Behind me…” Alhazred gestured to the room. “I have created the apparatus for testing. Soon, a member of the Jedi Temple will bring forth five Kyber crystals as well as one device known as a holocron. The Kyber crystals will be placed on the pedestals, each one representing one of the five inhabited planets of the Kashykk system. At the center of the room, I have placed a bowl of liquid Murcury. Measurements of placements and temperatures have been recorded. The Holocron will be placed on a piece of Wroshyr tree wood from Kashyyyk on the Murcury. At the time of alignment, the holocron will be activated and opened. If there is an influence on the Force from either the celestial objects or the beings on those celestial objects, the holocron will be drawn towards the Kashyyyk system. Measurements will be recorded automatically during the alignment“

Alhazred paused and gave thought to his next words. His thoughts drifted to the recording of the Jedi during the High Republic and what happened to initiates who never were assigned to a master: As Alhazred interpreted it, exile to some service corps.

“The following is private and to be deleted later. I confess my zeal in this study is due to the hope of inspiring confidence in my potential from the Jedi Order, as well as improving my own understanding of the Force. As an elder compared to most and as a masterless padawan, I have intuited that more is expected of me, despite verbal claims otherwise. I may be one with the Force, but I would like to find more proof of the Force being with me within my people’s beliefs”

Alhazred tapped the sensor, indicating he was done speaking and looked back over the room. It was just as precise and perfect as he had left it a moment ago. Silently he strode to the controls of the ship and sat down. Rubbing this throat, he picked up a small bottle of salt water and chugged it, soothing his vocal cords from the lengthy explanation just given.

After a moment of looking at the impossibly distant stars, Alhazred's mind got the better of him. He stood up and began to pace the length of the ship. Before long, he was once again remeasuring everything of the ship.

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Hiraya honestly had no idea what he was getting into, but since it involved another member of the Jedi Order and the proceedings (whatever it might be) were approved by the higher-ups, he was glad to be involved and to give his support to the endeavor. The Tiefling might as well be the personification of the phrase, I don't know what's happening but I'm happy to be here.

The Padawan tagged along Knight Zion who was tasked with delivering the kyber crystals required for the experiment. As far as Hiraya knew it was spearheaded by a fellow Padawan, and he heard that the Nu-vaal was literally decades older than the Tiefling. The teenager heard from Zion that Abda-Vaal Alhazred was newly-inducted into the Order. What better way to welcome Alhazred than to join in his experiment?

Hiraya, however, soon found himself boarding the Sentinel-class landing craft on his own. Zion, as it turned out, would just be there to escort the kid to the ship where the experiment would be held. Hiraya then spent the rest of the flight hanging out in the medic's cabin, playing games on his EZPhone and chatting with his parents. The box containing the kyber crystals was nestled carefully on his lap, with Itty Bitty snoozing peacefully on top of the cover. When the time for the experiment came, the young Tiefling - ever mindful of the box - hopped off of the bed and proceeded to the room where the experiment would be held.

Meandering down the hall with purpose, Hiraya did not let himself get distracted by the sight of the stars as he passed by one viewport after another. Scooping up the P9-H1 Bunbun, he repositioned the small droid atop his head and let her nestle on the space between his horns. The Tiefling then carefully adjusted his hold on the box as the door slid open, revealing Alhazred's experiment set-up in the middle of the room while the Nu-vaal himself paced around the room.

"Hi, hi! I'm Hiraya! Nice to meet'cha!" he greeted his fellow Padawan cheerfully, a bright grin adorning his face. Making sure to remain on the sidelines so as not to knock down the tools needed for the experiment, Hiraya carefully skirted around the room as he approached Alhazred. "Kyber crystal delivery!"

Despite his exuberance, the Tiefling held the box out for the Nu-vaal to take with such care that belied the energetic bounce to his every move. Crimson eyes swept over the tools carefully arranged in the middle of the room with wonder, an excited smile curving his lips and revealing sharp canines. He then asked Alhazred the age-old question posed by inquisitive children with an air of youthful curiosity,

"What'cha doin'?"

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred almost jumped at the sudden noise of the Tiefling who greeted him. The ship had been so quiet when it was just him, and he forgotten what it was like to have the stillness broken.

"Hello young master Hiraya" the Nu-Vaal whispered aloud to the horned being that easily dwarfed Alhazred. "The pleasure is mine. You may call me Alhazred."

Alhazred's eyes darted from the padawan's face to his head. "That is a very interesting....droid"

It was obvious that Alhazred was more eager to start the experiment than to spend time talking with other people. When he took hold of the box and opened it, his face tendrils widened as he smiled eagerly. Each Kyber crystal inside was no bigger than a finger, but to the scholarly being, they were perfect.

"Come, let me show you..." Alhazred gestered for Hiraya and the Jedi Knight to observe. "My people have a belief that the stars and celestial objects of the night sky impact our lives in ways not well-understood. I believe that such influences from the celestial objects are through the Force itself."

As Alhazred explained, he carefully placed each piece of Kyber on one of the pedestals, pressing down into the soft material so they would stand upright. Going from pedestal to pedestal, the small being's turban bobbed up and down with excitement from the tendrils underneath.

"This experiment will show if there is a connection or not. When the planets of the Kashyyyk system align, the crystals will act as a sort of beacon, or magnet, or more accurately a focal point for the Force. Should it work, we will see a very subtle reaction using this..."

Alhazred pulled out the final piece from the box. The small handheld cubical shaped object, its metal exterior intrinsically decorated to appear both fancy yet perfectly geometrical. The Jedi Holocron was a simple one. It only held some basic knowledge of the Force and its attributes, reserved for padawans and initiates when there was nobody else to teach at the moment.

"Holocrons contain knowledge about the Force, and can only be opened using the Force. When activated, it will become sensitive and responsive to outside influences. Should there be a relation with the celestial objects and the Force, we will witness the Holocron push or pull across this pool of Mercury as the influences from the Kashyyyk system travels across to the Kyber crystals."

Gingerly, Alhazred took the Jedi holocron and placed it on the piece of wood. Pausing a few moments to make sure his actions didn't disturb the placement of the wood. Once this was done, Alhazred checked the time again. Not long now. Alhazred stepped back away from the center of the room towards the Knight and the Padawan.

"Would either of you two care to do the honors of opening the holocron? I would offer to do it, but I want to remain focused on the experiment. Master Hiraya, I understand opening Holocrons is a good way of testing your connection with the Force..."

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Hiraya's smile brightened even further when Alhazred shifted his focus on him, the Tiefling fighting the urge to let his tail wag with sheer delight at having his presence accepted, let alone his question entertained. The Nu-Vaal was obviously eager to begin his experiment, and the horned Padawan was glad and considerate enough to keep his mouth shut to give the scholarly being the concentration and focus needed for the task at hand.

He didn't know much about the Nu-vaal, their way of life, and their beliefs, so Hiraya took point on Alhazred's explanations. The belief about celestial objects influencing the lives of their people, however, was something Hiraya already know. The Tiefling himself believed that it was the stars that brought his father, Pollux, to the teenager when he was just a small, lost child bereft of love and memories. He was convinced that it was the stars themselves that told him that someone would come and save him from a destitute life, and when he discovered his Force-sensitivity he realized that the Force might have spoken to him through the stars.

Hiraya watched and listened as Alhazred placed the kyber crystals on their designated pedestals. The holocron followed after, now nestled upon its rightful place on the wroshyr wood inside a bowl of liquid mercury in the middle of the room. At the Nu-vaal's invitation to open the holocron, Hiraya glanced at Zion, expecting that the Knight would do it. The human, however, glanced at the Tiefling and made a polite sweep of one hand in a silent gesture for the latter to take the lead and do it himself.

Pink burst across Hiraya's cheeks, suddenly apprehensive and shy. Still, he nodded earnestly and grinned at Alhazred, a non-verbal okay! conveyed in that single gesture. The Tiefling's booted feet made the barest of sounds when he gingerly took a step forward, his gaze focused on the holocron. Lifting one open hand towards the holocron's direction, Hiraya's expression softened as he reached into the Light within him and called to the Force.

He was running from the bad men as they chased him down the alleyway, barefeet thundering against the cold, wet ground. Rain pelted mercilessly against his small, thin frame, his lungs burning with each terrified sob that escaped him. And as the rain momentarily ceased, dark thunderclouds parting a little to reveal a sliver of the starry skies, the human he would one day call 'Pops' emerged from the end of the alleyway, his dark eyes burning with righteous anger as he engaged with the ruffians whose intentions toward the kid were anything but kind.

Warmth filled him at that memory, and Hiraya let out a toothy grin as he reached out to the holocron through the Force, his connection to the Light soft and grateful. Conveying his intent to help Alhazred's experiment and his attempt to open the holocron, the geometrical device began to shift and slowly open.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Spoiler: Music

Alhazred watched with eager eyes as the holocron opened up. Truth be told, he had never opened a holocron himself before. It always looked so fascinating to the outsider eye. It was almost magical, how the Force could be used to open up a box with a very special message or data set. Alhazred smiled as the small message inside that geometric box began to play. Still, its contents was not the main focus for the Nu-Vaal. The experiment had begun.

"Good, good, just keep it open a bit longer, alignment will be accomplished in three...two...one..."

At the precise moment of Alhazred's belief of planetary alignment....nothing happened.

Then, the Force rippled and resonated with itself. And in the next moment, it expanded and convulsed on the spot as the nexus was formed.

The Kyber crystals began to glow with indescribable colors. A sound enveloped the room, simultaneously both lower than the mating song of the Purrgil and higher than the death cries of the Nexu. The distance between the crystals and the holocron and all of the Jedi, no more than a few meters at most, began to stretch infinite times over and over again, only to snap back shorter than before. The rays from the lights traveled slowly, like bullets moving through water.

The feeling the three Jedi in the ship experienced would've been entirely unique to each of them: a vibrant reflection of their own beings and their own presence in the Force. Their histories, their futures, and For Alhazred, who had spent a lifetime enjoying the pleasantries of scholarly living with the Givin, the Force felt like a wave of music over washing his entire being and infusing directly into his soul. His senses felt more alive then ever before, and evolved beyond their normal capacity: The taste of light on his tongue, the smell of the noises coming from the holocron, the feeling of time passing between his webbed fingertips. Alhazred raised a hand to grab the Impossible Geometries that began to form in front of his face, only for them to elude his touch. Mathematical formulas began to stream down the walls like thick water.

"What...is...going...on..." Alhazred whispered with a booming voice that echoed all around him. He swore he could hear the Jedi knight telling the padawan to stop.

Then, everything realigned. The Force Nexus evaporated as quickly as it formed, unable to be held up for very long. Though the experience the three Jedi felt only lasted a fraction of a moment, the sheer backlash from the Force reacting to this momentary event was enough to send a wave throughout the ship. Everyone and everything would be thrown back with a wave of power. Alhazred himself would crash into a wall and be briefly knocked out before he hit the floor.

---

Somewhere deep in the darkness, the thing stirred. The brief Force Nexus that Alhazred and Hiraya unintentionally created caught its attention. Slowly, it began to traverse the starless void towards its prey. Such energy of the Force needed to be slaughtered with impunity.

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Admittedly, Hiraya did not fully understand what was happening. He relied on Alhazred's earlier explanation about his experiment, but even then he could not wholly grasp the events that followed next.

At first, nothing happened. Hiraya kept his connection to the holocron, keeping it open, even as he mentally chose the right words to tell the Nu-Vaal that if didn't work, it's alright! You can try again, and I'll help! He faced his fellow Padawan, compassion and encouragement shining in his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak. But before he could utter a single word as he stepped forward towards Alhazred, an explosion of memories flashed in the Tiefling's mind's eye, playing like the reels of a silent film. Emotions instead of words laced each flash of memory, and Hiraya could feel the Force weave and flow around him. He could feel the unmistakable warmth and kindness of the Light, and as the silent film of memories reached a crescendo, the Tiefling felt himself thrust tenderly into that fateful night-

-"I'm Pollux. You're safe now. Let's get you something to eat, yes?"

Small, bony hands met large, calloused ones, and indescribable warmth filled him as the Stars above rejoiced that he was now home.

Warmth bloomed from Hiraya's chest and spread through his veins. He smiled softly as he was brought back to the night he met Pops, the very first time he actually felt the Force. And if anyone asked Hiraya how he perceived the Light, well... he only ever saw his kind, loving adoptive father.

The Tiefling stood there, lost in the memories that made him who he was now as he drowned in the Force nexus that formed. Deaf to Knight Zion's urge for him to stop and close the holocron, Hiraya glanced at the human, the question what? evaporating from the tip of his tongue as the Force nexus evaporated as quickly as it formed.

Hiraya felt his booted feet leave the floor, felt his back collide with the wall as the wave of power crashed into him. His vision turned black for a moment, his ears ringing but not painfully enough to actually induce unconsciousness. When he came to and gathered his bearings, he found himself crumpled on the floor, chest heaving and vision swimming for a few seconds. Fighting the urge to shake his head, the young Tiefling pushed himself up into a sitting position. Spotting both Alhazred and Zion knocked out, Hiraya crawled over to the former since the Nu-Vaal was closer. Shakily, large, clawed hands settling gently upon the smaller Jedi's shoulders, Hiraya gently prodded Alhazred in a bid to bring the latter back to wakefulness.

"A-Alhazred," he stammered, still reeling from what had just transpired. "You o-okay? Hey, wake up-"

But the rest of his words were cut off when he felt a cold, sharp shiver down his spine. Sudden fear gripped the young Tiefling, the source unknown as he glanced around wide-eyed, trying to pinpoint what was causing his heart to pound against his sternum. Off to the side, Zion was beginning to awaken. Hiraya looked back at Alhazred, his prodding becoming a bit more forceful now.

"Wake up, hey... t-there's something-"

A faint shriek, unearthly, would then begin to pierce through the Jedi's minds, distant still but gaining on them steadily with each passing second.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

After the momentary black out, Alhazred awoke to the prodding and shaking of his padawan. Groggy and more than a bit confused, Alhazred moaned. His ears were pounding from his heart beating with adreneline trying to wake him back up.

"What happened...?" Alhazred whispered asked. There was a metallic taste of blood in his mouth, an after effect from the Force blast. His body felt strained, his back deeply bruised. Alhazred was wording his thoughts in Aklo, his back head tendrils wriggling around wildly underneath his turban. If anyone didn't know any about the Nu-Vaal's head tendrils, it would've looked like Alhazred's head was pulsating under the turban.

Then the scream came. Alhazred felt it in his soul and mind. It was the sound of pure dissonance in the music of the Force. Darkness without light. The Void given hatred.

"I...uh...no, its...um" Alhazred stammered, his confusion evolving into a panic. Whatever was happening, he had no idea. What had his experiment tapped into? Experiments discovering unknown things was nothing new, but this felt out of Alhazred's area of expertise. Noticing his own panic starting to rise, Alhazred called on the first thing that popped into his head.

"Uh, um... 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23..." Alhazred quoted the prime numbers as he picked himself up. A trick a Givin named Ficcabin Yule had taught him in his youth. Slowly, his stress began to quiet down, his head tendrils flailing less violently under his turban. Once standing, albeit using Hiraya as support as well as offing help up, he glanced at the still stirring knight.

"He..." Alhazred tried to think, that scream still echoing in his mind. "He might need medical attention. Um, there should be a medical kit somewhere near the rear entry ramp. We can..."

Alhazred's mind cleared for a moment to realize the significance of the situation. The thought that entered was enough to clear away the fact of something screaming in his head for a moment "By the stars, I need to check the recordings at the cockpit."

With newfound energy, Alhazred rushed towards the cockpit. At the controls, Alhazred began to look over the logs and the overview of the ship. It looks like whatever the experiment did, it was causing a cascading power surge. Soon, the entire ship would be powered off until a full system restart. However, a smile overtook the Nu-Vaal's face. The recording was still operating. Bless those Givin engineers and their applicational electrical physics departments! Alhazred was able to stop and save just in time before the power surge affected it as well. However, his joy turned sour as he was unable to retrieve the data before the system was overtaken.

With the entire ship powered down, save the emergency lights and life support working, Alhazred began to muse aloud.

"Ok, we got the recordings. The experiment worked, we got data to analyze later... but to get the ship running, I'd have to do a full system reset, and that could affect the recordings. No, I can't do that... I WONT do that...I just need to get the ship to safety..."

Alhazred stood and made his way to where

"Young master Hiraya, we need an exterior power source to jump start the engines." Alhazred advised as he approached. "Unless your ship is capable of towing mine? I don't know how much expertise you have in engines, but we need to get this ship to Kashyyyk now"

Meanwhile, the presence of the thing continued to approach, rapidly increasing in pace. Alhazred could feel it on the edges of his mind. That dissonance in the Force was becoming more profound.

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Hiraya's shoulders visibly sagged with relief as Alhazred regained consciousness. Truth be told he was so scared of trying to touch the Nu-Vaal's head or push aside the latter's turban to check for injuries, afraid of finding out what color the older Padawan bled if he was wounded. When the Nu-Vaal spoke the words were unrecognizable. The Tiefling did not know Aklo, so he simply stared worriedly at his fellow Jedi with confusion.

He carefully helped Alhazred into a sitting position even as signs of panic flashed on the Nu-Vaal's face. Piking up on Alhazred's attempts to calm himself, Hiraya helpfully recited the prime numbers with his fellow Padawan as they rose to their feet. He lingered by the older Jedi's side, letting the latter use him for support. Crimson gaze flickered over to Zion, before sweeping back towards Alhazred.

"Go check your recordings," he encouraged the Nu-Vaal, nodding to himself when the older Padawan hurried off towards the cockpit. Hiraya then did as he was told, heading for the rear entry ramp to retrieve the med kit immediately.

The phantom shriek still lingered in the Tiefling's mind, however, making his movements shaky. He nearly dropped the med kit when another pulse of that terrifying sound rang in his head, and Hiraya tasted bile on the back of his tongue. Sudden fear gripped him, and try as he might to focus on tending to Zion when he returned to the Knight's side, the young Padawan's focus began to waver. He jumped in surprise when Alhazred's voice broke through his own panic, eyes wide as he gazed dumbly at his fellow Padawan. It took Hiraya at least three tries to digest what Alhazred was saying before he nodded, finally understanding what the older Padawan was saying.

With Zion remaining down for the count, Hiraya finished bandaging the Knight's head wound before carefully adjusting the human into a more comfortable position on the floor. The Tiefling took his jacket off and folded it before carefully sliding it underneath Zion's head.

The Knight's ship, if he could remember correctly, was docked on the Sentinel-class. If it was capable of towing, that Hiraya had to check.

"I-I think I know enough. My Pops taught m-me," he assured Alhazred before turning tail to head where Zion's ship was docked on the Nu-Vaal's craft. The thought of Pollux' teachings offered a sense of calm to the Tiefling, a single-minded focus filling him as he began pushing himself past the docking ring and into Zion's craft. Despite the echoes of the unearthly scream coiling around the Padawan's mind, Hiraya countered it by singing loudly to himself to distract him from that horrible noise.

"Ashes, ashes, dust to dust!
I think I found a place for us.
It's down by Garden after dark.
It's in my arms, it's in my arms!"​

He did not care that he was practically shouting the lyrics now. All he wanted was to drown out the ghastly shriek as it picked up in intensity once again. Switching on communications with Alhazred's ship, Hiraya did not realize that he was practically yelling the words now.

"I can tow the ship! Gonna do it now!"

And as he engaged in the procedures, a growing pressure seemed to cram against the Tiefling's mind as the frightful presence in the Force continued its single-minded approach towards the Nu-Vaal's ship. A sense of utter dread that threatened to freeze him but he fought against it, even as he felt a pinch in his nose, and even as a trickle of blood dripped down his left nostril.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

"Excellent..." Alhazred whispered to the emergency comm device he found on the ship. It wasn't directly connected with the ship, and was still able to function aside from the emergency power the ship's systems was using to keep the oxygen pumping throughout its interior.

The fact that Hiraya shouted into his comm told Alhazred enough about the young man's mental status. He couldn't blame him however. Whatever it was that was screaming in the Force was continually getting louder and louder. Alhazred once had to perform a calculated study for the Givin in his younger years concerning a hyperspace engine that continually made a hissing noise that grew louder the more it ran. The noise back then was agonizingly constant. This noise that was ripping through the Force directly into Alhazred's brain was so much worse.

To take his mind off of the noise, alhazred retreated to the ship's cockpit and attempted to busy himself with restarting the engines without restarting the entire ship. It was painfully obvious Alhazred had no idea what he was doing. He was no mechanic. He was the guy who called for a mechanic. Still, it helped him push out the screaming in his -

Alhazred screamed in pain and fell backwards as a spectral hand erupted from the console and slashed the Nu-Vaal's arm. A thick spray of blue blood erupted across the console as the blood covered hand went up and grabbed ahold of the console's top. Alhazred watched in horror as another clawed hand shifted and phased through the screen and grabbed the floor. Slowly, the pale face began to break through.

Through the depths of space, the thing had finally arrived. Its skeletal face, its wild pale hair, its bony hands, its tattered robes... all these things spoke that it was ancient, even in the days of High Republic. While it had two arms and two legs, the gauntness of the entity made it look more monstrous than any breed of humanoid.

"By the void incarnate..." Alhazred breathed as he stared, unable to move from his spot as the monster literally crawled forward through the console and flooring.

Then it looked at him. In its eyes, Alhazred suddenly knew the existence of pure hatred. He had heard stories of what anger and rage the sith could conjure, but all of those stories instantly paled and died in comparison to the glowing white pupiless orbs inside the skeletal face that was the thing.

For a fraction of a piece of a moment, the two simply looked at each other. Then, it opened its mouth and screamed.

Panic took over. Muscles no longer obeyed as Alhazred turned and fled down the ship's halls, blood dripping from his arm and now his ears. He didn't know where he was running to, all he knew is he had to get away from wherever that thing was. Eventually, Alhazred found himself in the experiment room. Crouching behind the large pedestal that still held the bowl of mercury and the floating holocron, Alhazred hid himself as he fumbled at his comm device.

"Hiraya..." Alhazred whispered franticly, his fear all too evident. "There's something here... There's something on the ship...By the force, by the dead god of Vaal himself, help me please!"

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Hiraya was just finishing with the final preparations to tow Alhazred's ship when that same blood-curdling scream through the Force cut through the focused trance he put himself into. The Padawan gasped, choked on nothing but air-

-cruel hands tore him from a faceless woman's grasp, her terror-filled shrieks piercing him to the bone as he desperately cried, "Mama-!"

The Tiefling doubled over, spilling the contents of his stomach from the terror and the resulting nausea it forcefully induced as his body reacted in its attempt to combat the fear he felt. Pops said something about one's body relegating blood flow to the muscles and the brain blood for faster movement and thinking during fight or flight scenarios, and that the nausea Hiraya felt after confrontations was a natural reaction (at least for himself) because the blood moved away from the intestines, and that the neurotransmitters-

He banished away the Biology and Anatomy lessons his father taught him when the screaming stopped, and he realized a little too late that he had been distracting himself from the fear that gripped him by mentally citing what he learned. His thoughts brought him back to his companions, and fear for himself redirected to fear for them.

The fear was very much justified and sealed when Alhazred's panicked voice rang from the comms, telling him that there was something in the ship. What it was he did not know, and he would not know if he wouldn't move to find the Nu-Vaal and the barely conscious Knight in the older Padawan's ship.

With a single-minded focus sharpened by his intent to help Alhazred, Hiraya hurriedly made his way from Zion's ship and back to the Sentinel-class. The emergency lights dimly lit the hallways, and it didn't take long for Hiraya to almost smash his horned head against the wall when he slipped on something slick and wet on the floor. Barely catching himself, his gaze - quickly adjusting to the darkness - fell on the blue, viscous liquid on the floor that suspiciously looked like blood.

Humans bled red. This... This must have been Alhazred's...!

Hiraya would have began following the blood trail but then he heard what seemed to be long nails scratching against the metal plating on the walls. His sensitive ears flattened against his skull, tail flicking in agitation, as he turned to face the direction where he thought the sound came from.

And then it appeared.

Tattered robes, a skeletal body, and a pair of glowing eyes that looked at him with utter hatred-

Except the thing wasn't looking at Hiraya. It was following the blood trail as it floated a few meters ahead of him, seemingly honing in on the Nu-Vaal Jedi-

I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, Stars I don't know what I'm looking at I don't wanna die Ma and Pops would be so so so sad I can't die-

With a defiant snarl Hiraya bared his fangs at the apparition. "Hey, floaty jackass! Think it's fun hunting someone hurt? F-Fucking coward!"

He did not know where this arrogant courage, this defiance, was coming from. But then he remembered Alhazred's terrified voice, pleading for the Tiefling to help him. Hiraya really was his father's son, wasn't he, blood be damned?

The hateful specter turned its focus on Hiraya, mouth tearing open to unleash another telepathic scream. And just as the Padawan was readying himself for the aural onslaught, a flash of blinding white light - Force Light, he belatedly realized - sent the unholy creature slipping away, disappearing into the walls with a rage-filled glare.

Behind Hiraya stood Zion, the Knight shaky but fully conscious now. His eyes were wide, shocked, as he grabbed the Tiefling by the arm and began leading him back to where Alhazred hid in the experiment room.

"By the Force, what has brought its attention to this ship?" Zion muttered to himself, frantic but still so calm and composed.

"W-What is it?" asked Hiraya as he let himself be led, and not long after the pair found themselves in the experiment room. Zion wordlessly instructed him to look for the Nu-Vaal, and Hiraya found Alhazred immediately by following the drops of blood that led to the controls console on the corner of the room. "Alhazred! Y-You're bleeding! Where are you hurt?"

"You two, stand up. I need you to be vigilant," Zion instructed the two Padawans sternly but not unkindly. "A Starweird roams this ship, and it will be back for us."

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred had remained cowarding behind the podium, whimpering. His panicked mind turned to familiar subjects, but neither the mathematics of the universe nor his people's religion comfort him. In this situation, the mathematics came apart at the seams, with the laws of reality no longer bound by such petty hindrances, and his religion...

The religion of the Dead God was never a pleasant one. It was a nihilistic belief of the universe, and only offered the same ending for everything that ever existed: the void. And here, the void was incarnate, trying to destroy him and his friends. Not even the hymns that his host taught before he left helped the Nu-Vaal, even as if flashed in his mind over and over like a broken data file, specifically the words 'Cosmic things awaken, beating hearts stir. The abyss glimpses back, truths revealed for sure. What can we do, oh what can we do, when the ending void cannot be deterred?''

The voice of Hiraya broke Alhazred's panic. The Jedi knight was ordering him up. It took a moment, but Alhazred picked himself up and huddled behind the others.

"I have never witnessed such a thing..." Alhazred began to ramble, uncaring about the blood still dripping from his ears and arm. "It came through and the discord in the Force it brought was too much, I just simply ran and I don't know what to do now, I just don't know what is going on any..."

Alhazred was interrupted by another scream from the monster. Unlike with the roars of beasts, this thing's screech was directly inside their heads and gave no hints at where it would come from. But in the pitt of the Nu-Vaal's stomach, he knew it was preparing for another attack.

"That...starweird..." Alhazred began to think outloud as he fumbled for his blade at his side. "My experiment summoned it I bet. It was such a pure moment of the Force after all. And now its hunting us. It must hate the force..."

The objects in the experiment room began to rattle and shake. The thing was coming. And this time, it knew who of the three was the biggest threat.

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Zion realized the weight in Alhazred's hypothesis as to what might have summoned the Starweird to their location. His gaze darted between the two Padawans, before he gestured for the Nu-Vaal with a shake of his head.

"My friend, ditch the blade. No known physical attacks can harm a Starweird." Even as the Knight was affected by the telepathic scream, he maintained a façade of strength for the other two Jedi's sakes. "My Master told me tales about this creature... it is capable of attacking using the Force, and only attacks using the Force can harm, banish, or kill it."

Hiraya's pointed ears were flat against his skull, a pained snarl contorting his features as the telepathic scream echoed in his mind. His tail swished and flicked with agitation behind him, clawed hands balled to fists as he firmly placed himself in front of the much smaller Alhazred. The Knight noticed the Tiefling's movement and placed himself in a way that put the Nu-Vaal between him and the younger Padawan. And Hiraya was just grateful for it - he didn't want to leave Alhazred's back so open for an attack that none of them knew would com from.

For a solid minute there was silence, broken only by the sound of the three Jedi's breathing, the objects in the room rattling, and the loud beating of their hearts. Hiraya's gaze was frantic as his eyes darted to and fro, pupils blown wide with a mixture of fear and the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The Tiefling could hear in his ear how hard he was gritting his teeth.

And then it came from above.

Trained both in the ways of the Force and in the art of combat and defense that the two Padawans were not, Zion was the first to react. As the Starweird's clawed hands sought the one closest to its reach, the human Knight swiftly erected a Force Barrier to block the skeletal appendages' path. The spectral creature screeched as it clawed at the invisible wall that impeded it's path, glaring scornfully at Zion.

Following the Knight's earlier instruction, Hiraya drew his hands over his horned head, palms up and facing the Starweird. Channeling the energies of the Force and shaping it to his intent, he imagined the mystical energy coiling around the ghastly creature. It only partially worked, however, and the Starweird could break past it at any given moment.

"Assbutt!" Hiraya yelled angrily, petulantly, at the specter as it struggled against the Stasis, its hateful eyes glaring holes in the Tiefling's skull. He, in turn, snarled and bared his fanged teeth at it to show how very cross he was towards it. The Padawan knew that angering it would only lead to more trouble, but he couldn't stop himself from expressing his disapproval towards it. He didn't know why such a creature could exist. But then again, if a monster like Darth Raze wrought havoc in the galaxy, then why couldn't this specter?

Spoiler: Dice

Rolled 7/20 for Force Stasis usage

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

When it came from above, Alhazred whimpered as he almost fell down in shock. He stared in wide eyed wonder as the knight and padawan worked together to hold and push it back. But their efforts were only temporary, and Alhazred could see that. It was only restrained, screeching its terrible cry as it clawed forward, eager to destroy the life that was below it.

Alhazred clutched at his temples as the monster screeched again. The violent discordance the thing wrought in the music of the force was becoming unbearable. The barrier the knight conjured helped some, but that thing needed to be silenced. It needed to stop so alhazred could think clearly once again. This was no situation where a scholar could think. And if Alhazred wasn't a scholar, then what was he?

Alhazred opened his eyes in realization.

He was a Jedi.

Looking up, Alhazred focused less on the discord of notes in the force that came from the Star Weird, and more on the notes from himself. He began to pull at the chords he resonated. Fewer flat bases, more sharp strings, stronger flutes, softer harps. Raising one hand, Alhazred threw it up at the thing with a Aklo curse that strained his vocal cords as much as they could take.

"Back to pitt and let the maw take thee!"

Spoiler

Dice result: 7/20 partial success on force push

With the combined effort of the barrier from the knight, the stasis from Hiraya, and the push from Alhazred, the thing was sent back through the ceiling into open space. Momentarily stunned, the thing would very quickly recover and return.

Alhazred fell to one knee for a moment in shock at the situation and himself. Never before would he imagined he could have done such a thing as pushing a monster through a wall.

"That...thing, will return..." Alhazred stated the obvious. " Um, lets see, um..."

Alhazred glanced around the room and noticed the holocron sitting on the pool of mercury, somehow unspilled from the ordeal. Remarkably, the holocron was glowing and remained open, as if it was still flowing with energy from the force. An unexpected side effect of the Force Nexus perhaps? Alhazred knew very little of the effects of Force Nexus' and what properties they may invoke on objects, but the fact was the holocron seemed to be infused with the light.

An idea began to form.

"Master knight, is it possible to hide our presence in the Force?" Alhazred asked. "Perhaps we could lure it away from the ship and make an escape?"

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

The combined efforts of the Knight and the two Padawans were enough to drive away the Starweird. Hiraya, however, had a feeling that it would return at any given moment. Alhazred stating the obvious only made the Tiefling more agitated.

Zion glanced between the two Padawans, brows pinched with worry. "There is a way... but in my current condition, I..." The human hesitated, fighting the urge to shake his head, which was still throbbing from the injury he sustained after the explosion from earlier. "I'm afraid my current capacities are limited."

Though apprehension lingered, a flicker of understanding flashed in Zion's eyes. "This is not optimal for teaching, but I guess we all need to grab the opportunity now. The situation is dire, yes... but maybe it will lend enough drive for the both of you to learn."

Hiraya looked at Zion, confusion marring his pale face. "Master...?"

"You will need to suppress your presence in the Force," the Knight continued. "Force Cloaking. And since our ghastly visitor is attuned to the presence of Force users, then dampen or suppress our presence, we must."

"How, Master?" asked the Tiefling, mind already coming up with assumptions as to how to execute such ability. He'd experienced being sneaked up upon by Knights and Masters before, and he swore that he hadn't sensed any of them, especially in the Force. Were they cloaking their presence? quelling it?

"I am not a good teacher, but I shall try my best," Zion assured Hiraya and Alhazred. He motioned for the two Padawans to follow him, then his gaze flickered over to the holocron. An idea began to form in the Knight's mind. Carefully, he retrieved the holocron and closed it. Then, he moved to open the door and stepped out. "Alhazred, stand behind me. Hiraya, watch our backs."

As Hiraya followed the instruction, making sure that Alhazred stood between him and Zion, the Tiefling would begin to follow as soon as the Knight walked down the hall as quietly as he could. With the Tiefling's senses cast out as far as he could, he began to notice a subtle shift in the Force. Zion stood in front of him and Alhazred, leading the pair of Padawans towards his own ship, but something was amiss.

Slowly, deliberately, Zion's presence in the Force started to wane. Hiraya could see him physically, but it was like he was slowly disappearing in the Force.

What does it mean for the both of you to disappear? Zion spoke directly in Alhazred and Hiraya's minds. In a metaphorical sense, do you think disappearance equates to death? Or, for us Force users, a severance from it?

Hiraya's confusion only grew. Now he was given credence to Zion's claim about the Knight not being good at teaching. Couldn't the human just tell him and Alhazred directly how to do it? Or maybe... Zion really couldn't? Maybe that's why he's deliberately dampening his presence in the Force, slowly! For the two Padawans to observe and make of it what they could!

But agitated as he was, Hiraya couldn't quite manage it. At least not immediately. He tried to make sense of Zion's question, imagining that he was suppressing the Light inside him. Like cupping a tiny firefly in his hands. Still, Light spilled from the cracks, and subsequently, his presence in the Force only spasmed at best.

The ghastly wail returned, but instead of ringing inside their heads it sounded as if it came outside the ship. Zion's footsteps quickened, urging the Padawans forward.

"Head for my ship," he instructed the pair. "I will try to distract the creature."

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Truth be told, teaching on the fly was not Alhazred's preferred method of learning. By the Force, he was a scholar, not a blue-collared worker! His places of learning were inside school rooms and training circles, not in the field. But given the severity of the circumstances, Alhazred had no room to argue, especially since he was the one who suggested the idea.

As the knight began to demonstrate, Alhazred's own Force sensitivity perked up. The music in the Force that the Jedi emitted became softer and softer. The tunes became almost transparent with the songs that everything else around him produced. If Alhazred was one of those beings who saw things through the Force, he wondered if he would've been able to see him at all?

The Nu-Vaal tried to imitate the Jedi's actions. For him, and his Synesthesia, he quickly began to pick up on similar basics. In his practices of meditation, he often 'heard' the force, and attempting Force abilities often resulted in those esoteric tunes altering in the most subtlest of ways. The Jedi merely was quieting his own presence in the Force.

"1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23..." Alhazred began to recite the prime numbers as he focused more and more on the music of the Force. As his mind calmed, the music became more in tune. And as it became more in tune, Alhazred found quieting his own music was a matter of focus. His song, in all of its chaotic mess, was able to synthesize with the music around him, slowly blending in much like a fellow player in an orchestra.

Another scream in the Force outside the ship. The Jedi ordered the two to go. Accustomed to taking orders, Alhazred nodded and tugged at Hiraya's side.

As Alhazred led the way, he glanced at Hiraya. The horned being's confusion was palpable at this point. Alhazred sympathized with him. The young man had been so cheerful earlier, and encouraging. It broke Alhazred's heart to see the youth be so confused. But at this point, there was no time for confusion.

"Breath in, breath out... it's alright... You can try again, and this time i'll help" Alhazred whispered as the two stopped near the ship's docking area. He wasn't sure where the words he chose to say came from, but he felt they were right to say.

"Listen to the force. Don't block yourself from it, but 'blend' with it. Don't fight it. Work with it. It is as your teachers have taught: the Force is everywhere. You are with the Force. Be one with it."

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Hiraya was too caught up in trying to dampen his presence in the Force, too confused when his attempts did not work, that he barely noticed Alhazred taking the lead this time as the Nu-Vaal nudged and guided the Tiefling forward.

He had his hands cupped around the Light that filled his entire being, and yet It poured through the spaces between his fingers like melted snow, like smoke.

The Padawan practically jolted when Alhazred spoke directly to him, crimson eyes wide and bewildered. A quick glance told him that Zion was not with them, and Hiraya remembered faintly that the Knight volunteered to distract the Starweird so the two Padawans could get to safety. Hiraya felt his heart drop, ears drooping, at the thought of Zion possibly getting injured even further - or worse, sacrificing himself.

His vision blurred, turning the world a mess of watery colors. Hiraya belatedly realized that he was crying, hot tears blazing twin trails down his cheek. He focused his attention on Alhazred, listening to the Nu-Vaal as if the latter's voice was a lifeline. Try as he might to compartmentalize it never suited him, so Hiraya chose to be brave in the sense that he allowed himself to cry, the stressful situation finally sinking in to him further.

He always did wear his heart in his sleeve.

The young Tiefling sniffled and rubbed his sleeve over his eyes to wipe away the tears. Watery eyes stared down at Alhazred, grounding himself and hanging onto every word the Nu-Vaal said. The older Padawan was very kind, and Hiraya...

Hiraya was glad that he joined Alhazred on his experiment.

Taking deep, calming breaths, he followed the Nu-Vaal's advice. This time, Hiraya did not subdue the Light inside him, nor did he try to stifle it. Doing as advised, the Tiefling momentarily closed his eyes and searched for a much better analogy to cloak himself in the Force.

His father's voice floated in the back of his mind, asking him, How do you hide a tree in the forest? A fish in the ocean? A star across the vast expanse of the inky night sky?

Alhazred said not to block himself from the Force, but to blend in. So Hiraya imagined himself as a star in the wide, open night sky. He was one of the many, and without him a constellation would not be complete. And even as the Starweird's scream rang from outside the ship the Padawan focused on blending in, until he could
see his presence in the Force blending in with the harmonious undercurrents of Light weaving around them.

Hiraya's eyes fluttered open, the tears all but gone from his eyes and were replaced with burning determination. With a nod at Alhazred, the Tiefling then opened the door to the docking ring and returned his gaze on his fellow Padawan, eyes alighting upon the Nu-Vaal's injury.

"Has the bleeding stopped?" he gently asked Alhazred, his voice still a little tremulous from crying. "If it hasn't, I can apply first aid... bandage or tourniquet it as needed."

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred smiled slightly as the young man's song in the force quieted and began to fall in line with the music around him. As bad as this situation had become, at least he had done one thing right in assisting a fellow Jedi with learning how to utilize and be with the Force.

"What?" Alhazred asked, momentarily confused at the question. Looking down, Alhazred saw that he in fact was still bleeding. He had just been filled with so much adreneline and focus that he hadn't noticed it for a while.

"Oh, um, yes, just get me something to bandage it and I'll..."

Alhazred trailed off, his mind wandering back to the Jedi knight, who was now facing the Starweird alone. His own mind raced at what the Jedi was doing. If he was doing what Alhazred believed, he was utilizing the holocron as bait for the Starweird, and would make his way back to the ship. If he wasn't doing that, then Alhazred feared that the two padawans would have to abandon the knight to his own fate.

"Um, just maintain focus on your presence for now Hiraya. " Alhazred continued. "And get the ship ready for launch. When um..."

Alhazred paused, realizing he didn't even remember the Jedi's name.

Another wave of guilt overwhelmed the Nu-Vaal. Quietly, Alhazred took a seat and rubbed his eyes. His experiment, as successful as it was in proving possible correlational relationships between planetary alignments and the Force, had turned into a fiasco of catastrophe. He had summoned a once extinct thing from the abyss itself, leading to grievous injuries and newly formed fears. Should things continue badly, Alhazred believed he potentially caused the death of a Jedi Knight, the mental scarring of a fellow padawan, and tarnished any chance of advancement in the Jedi order. This was nothing to say of his relationship with the Body Calculus of the Givin gov...

Alhazred started up suddenly. His research! It was still in the ship! Instinct starting to take over, and Alhazred took a step towards the door before stopping just as sudden. Realization sobered the Nu-Vaal as he caught a glance towards Hiraya. As much as he wanted his research, he couldn't do anything to jeaprodize the young man's life further. After all, it was his drive for his research that caused a majority of trouble. If he had simply restarted the ship's systems, and said 'to the void' with his data, all three of them would've been able to escape much earlier.

"Just, get the ship ready." Alhazred stated as he sat back down. Forcing himself to quiet his mind, he began to quietly recite quadratic equations to busy himself from worry and to help focus on his own presence in the Force.

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

"Zion," Hiraya murmured gently as he followed Alhazred, grabbing another med kit along the way. He began to clean the Nu-Vaal's wound, applying bacta then bandaging his arm carefully. His name's Master Zion."

Even as the Tiefling managed to quiet his presence in the Force, he still felt worse for leaving the Knight behind. He glanced at Alhazred, catching the glint of guilt in the older Padawan's eyes. For someone who wore his heart on his sleeve Hiraya had a knack for sensing quite accurately how others felt based on their expression, eyes, and body language. His father taught him to watch for certain cues, and right now, Alhazred...

There was a shift from guilt, to sudden alarm, and then back to guilt. The Nu-Vaal was coming out of this experiment of his empty-handed, and Hiraya felt a pang of sadness for his fellow Padawan, and anger for the creature that threatened to harm the three Jedi. The Tiefling bit his lip, his mind alight with a flurry of thoughts, plans, and consequences. He couldn't let Alhazred's experiment, his findings, go to waste. He couldn't let Zion get hurt - or worse - killed, by that dreaded, spectral thing. So, even as Alhazred advised the Tiefling to get the ship ready, Hiraya remained standing resolutely, his crimson gaze flickering between the Nu-Vaal and the docking ring.

With hurried movements, Hiraya began the start-up sequence of Zion's ship. As the engines warmed up, he cast Alhazred a determined look.

"We can't just leave your research findings behind," he told Alhazred. "You worked hard for it. I ain't gonna let that... that thing be the one obstacle for your research's success!"

Armed with nothing but his sudden burst of courage and the Light of the Force within, Hiraya made his way back to the Sentinel-class craft, intending to retrieve the records of Alhazred's research and to make sure that Zion was safe, his own fears forgotten in his resolve to help his friends.

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

"Wait, wha?" Alhazred stated before fully processing what the horned man was saying. Before he realized it, Hiraya was already inside the Sentinel-class craft and out of eyesight.

"Stop! Wait, get back here!" Alhazred tried to shout, straining his vocal cords to the max. Stumbling afterwards, Alhazred tried in vain to stop the young man from going deeper into the ship. Still, he pursued. He couldn't let this young man make a mistake due to his own priorities.

Alhazred turned a corner after Hiraya. A sudden shrill in the Force warned Alhazred before the grip on his feet. His legs pulled out from under him, Alhazred fell to the ground and was slowly dragged backwards towards the engine room. Alhazred glanced behind him and saw the thing, arms outstretched as it slowly pulled the Nu-Vaal to a certain fate with the force.

"Hiraya, help!" Alhazred called out as his webbed hands tried in vain to grab onto something to anchor himself. Fingernails scratched along the durasteel floor. Arms flailed wildly and hands sought any kind of grasp. The Starweird shrieked loudly, splitting the Nu-Vaals mind with a headache and a newly formed bloodflow from his ears.

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

It was not Hiraya who came to Alhazred's aid but Zion, the Knight appearing just in time as the Starweird made a grab for the Nu-Vaal.

"You will hurt him no further than you already have, foul demon!" Zion shouted, summoning forth a strong burst of Force Light that blinded the creature. Startled and pained, the Starweird let go of Alhazred in favor of attacking the Knight. But Zion took advantage of the abberation's temporary blindness and bound it in a potent Stasis. The Starweird let out a frustrated telepathic shriek that reverberated across the ship, but its attempt to distract Zion proved futile, for the knowledge of what they were faced had given the human clarity on how to fight this thing to ensure the two Padawan's safety.

Freed from the Starweird's grasp, Alhazred would be given the chance to gather his bearings and move away from the wretched creature. Zion met the Nu-Vaal's gaze after quickly assessing the latter for any further injuries.

"Why have you returned? I told you to get into my ship!" Zion rebuked the Padawan, the heat in his voice indicative not of his anger but his worry for the Padawans. The absence of Hiraya only drew further concern. "Where is Hiraya?"

---

The Tiefling in question had already made his way back to the experiment room. The young Padawan made a swift beeline for the control consoles, trying his best not to wince at the sight of the blue blood - Alhazred's no doubt - that was sprayed on the surface. He looked around, trying to locate a datastick where he could upload as much of the Nu-Vaal's data and findings that he could scrounge up. Movement somewhere to his left caught his attention, and as he turned to face it, a look of surprise and relief crossed his features.

In his wonder of Alhazred's experiment and the ensuing chaos caused by the Starweird's appearance and subsequent attacks, Hiraya had forgotten that he brought his P9-H1 Bunbun, Itty Bitty. The droid must have shut down during the sudden explosion caused by the disappearance of the Force nexus Alhazred's experiment had temporarily created. Itty Bitty hopped towards Hiraya, to which the Tiefling caught the droid in his arms.

"Itty! Oh, Stars, I'm sorry, I forgot about you!" exclaimed the young Padawan. The droid was undamaged after a quick once over, which brought a smile to the Tiefling's face. Realizing something, he asked, "Bitty, I need a datastick!"

Obediently, the panel on the droid's belly opened and out popped a datastick. Luck was clearly smiling upon Hiraya, who gratefully took the datastick and began the process of transferring the recordings of Alhazred's experiment, as well as any and all data connected to it after putting it to one of the computer console's ports.

@Narzen