A Storm of Sabers

[Fennex Zeerda]

Lost planet of Ellora
Early Morning- Local Time​

"AKK-CHUCK-HOWAOK"

Fennex hacked and coughed as the console sparked and smoked in his face. The ship had finally come to rest teetering on the edge of a rocky cliff, the cracked windscreen staring out over the windswept and volatile grey seascape. When Fen's eyes focused, he thought he could see some strange rope-like constructs pairing the rocks beyond the cliff face, like little ritual sites. Strange. The weather seemed to be tapering off, but the ship was still being blanketed with a layer of light rain. It was going to be wet. Fennex pushed away the control yoke and fumbled with his retraints before tumbling out of his seat. He hit the deck with a light thud.

"Ugggh... Well, at least we're not dead."

Fen glanced over his shoulder, looking to see if Jon was still alived. The skull rattling crash landing had left him feeling as though he didn't want to be, but it was better than drowning or being eaten or being smashed on the rocks or whatever else the Force might have in store for him. It was hard to predict these days, but sometimes Fen could swear the cosmic energy didn't much care for him. Bugger it, he thought.

@Wit

 

[Jon Atreides]

Jon groaned on hearting Fennex speak up, his words pulling him out of whatever semi-conscious state he had been drifting in and out of. His entire body ached, and there was a dull pain in the back of his head. Probably from having banged it one time too many on their tumble down to the surface. But as he gingerly began moving and somehow managed to unbuckle himself he was grateful that he seemed to be more or less alright. He might be banged and bruised, but nothing too bad. "Next time I'll going on one of the kid's rides. That was was far too much thrill for me."

Once free of the restraints, he finally noticed what lay beyond the viewport, his eyes widening as he instinctively gripped the console in front of him. Staring down the sheer edge of a cliff was not a very comforting sight to be waking up to, specially when he had just started hoping that maybe by surviving the crash they had put the worst of this trip behind them.

Slowly getting out of the co-pilot's seat, Jon followed after Fen, praying to any and all gods that were worshipped on Jedha that the ship didn't slip before they were able to get out. That would not be a pleasant way to go out. Gulping as the ship groaned with each step, Jon moved as carefully as he could. "At the risk of jinxing us further than we already seem to be, I have a very bad feeling about this."

@Loco

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"I'm the only one allowed to have bad feelings around here." Fennex quipped, shaking his head- bad choice. Shaking his head just hurt his tender brain right now. He should probably refrain from that.

The Jedi stumbled gingerly through the ship, worried that it could tumble over the edge of the seaside cliff, dashing him against the rocks or drowning him in the storm churned sea. It would be about par for the course. He gathered up his scattered possessions as he went- his lucky little tea decanter, not just a bit more battered than it had been before, his knapsack full of snacks, etc. He grabbed a medical kit and survival pack with a few basic items as well, just in case; a handheld long-range comm unit with adjustable antenna, an emergency blanket, some kolto patches, and a few ration packs. Who knew how much damage the ship had taken or how long they'd be stuck here? Better to be prepared, if they were going to wander about.

Fennex found the emergency manual release for the rear ramp, and reached up with his paw to hit the button. Nothing happened. Nervously, he pounded on it a few more times, expecting at any moment for the little impacts to tip them over the edge to their dooms, but it never happened. The ramp finally released with a hiss and a groan and slowly lowered itself to the ground, settling its base onto a patch of weather beaten granite with a loud clank. While he waited for the hydraulics to ease down, Fen noted that the escape pods had both been jettisoned. Hopefully that mean the others were safe as well- they stood a better chance in the pods than they would have in the crew cabins or cargo bay with Fen and Jon. The furry little knight descended slowly, cautiously, sniffing at the cool and humid air that rushed up into the ship. It smelled alright enough. He carefully touched at the rocky surface they had settled on and, deciding it looked safe enough, set paw on Ellora for the first time.

Fennex took a deep breath of the fresh, unspoiled and non-recycled air. The rocky patch the ships ramp had settled on did not extend far, he saw, looking at their surroundings. It stretched only a few dozen meters past the crash site, where it gradually gave way to some lush green tall grass, which in turn gave way to a verdant and dense looking rainforest, which seemed to rise up into the base of the mountains they had nearly crashed into. He could hear, smell, and feel the wildlife of the planet. Birds chirped in the distance, insects buzzed in the tall grass, and various other creatures cried and called in the dim grey morning light. This planet was strong in the Force. The thick rain they'd experienced during the crash seemed to have slackened, leaving only a light drizzle and rolling grey mist in its wake, but Fen could see dark storm clouds looming on the horizon and just beyond the tops of the nearby mountains, and he could feel gusts of wind ruffling his fur. This seemed to be only a momentary respite. Speaking of fur, he could already feel the stifling humidity frizzing his coat. His tail was already starting to puff. Great, Fen thought sarcastically and scowling. He hated being wet.

Looking out near the edge of the forest, he could make out more of the strange edifices he'd spied dotting the water outside the cockpit view screen. It looked awfully like primitive rope, but he supposed it was some sort of flora that grew that way. Strange. He'd have to get a closer look. Fen drew his coat tighter around him and pulled his hood up, dreading going out in even this light drizzle. Wet fur. Such an indignity. He looked up at Jon. He really didn't have a plan past this point... or ever.

"Well?"

@Wit

 

[Jon Atreides]

Jon rolled his eyes at Fen's comment about bad feelings, acting for once like others his age, exasperated by the words of an elder who never seemed to make sense to them. Deciding it was best not to respond, Jon began following Fen through the ship. Seeing the older Jedi gather supplies as they carefully made their way through the ship, Jon followed suit and began gathering what supplies he could. He was able to find a small backpack, probably left behind by one of the other Jedi when they had to rush to the escape pods, and complemented the rope, flashlight, and water bottle that were already in it with some ration packs he was able to find. He would never have thought of doing this on his own, so he was glad of the little that he was able to gather. Another disaster survived, another lesson learnt.

Once at the rear ramp, he flinched each time Fen pounded on the release button, expecting the ship to slip down with each smack. Thankfully their luck held and he was able to breath a sigh of relief once they were off the ship and standing on firm ground. He could sense the life all around them, it hummed within the Force. He had never been to Tython, but from what he had heard this might be what it felt like there. Well, if their history was right, then Ellora had a lot more in common with Tython. This was, or at least had once been, home to the Jedi. It was time to find out what kind of welcome it would give to its returning children.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Fen spoke, his voice reminding him that they had a purpose for being here and surviving the crash hadn't been the end of their day's work. Closing his eyes, remembering something he had read about the Temple in the old tomes, he opened himself up to the Force and tried to seek out the Temple. If he had understood the words correctly then there was a powerful wellspring of the Force below the Temple, and he hoped that it was strong enough to sense from however far away they were. Unfortunately all he could sense was the vibrance of the living Force around them, either his senses weren't refined enough or whatever he was seeing wasn't that easy to find, but he could glean little from the Force. Looks like they weren't going to sense their way to the Temple. "I got nothing, everything seems too muddled." Letting his eyes wander, he too spotted the edifices and paused to observe the closest one before looking around at the others. "Is it me or are those things all pointing towards something?"

@Loco

OOC: Rolled a 4 to sense the direction in which the Temple lies. Minor failure.

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

Fennex closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The light coastal breeze rippled his fur as he listened to the planet- not with his big fluffy ears, but with his heart, mind, and spirit. He let the Force permeate him, leading it where it would, one with the world around him which was bursting with life, despite its rough and storm wracked appearance. He felt the insects in the grass and the creatures in the forest, the massive beasts floating through the worlds great lightning storms without a care, the monsters stalking the deep grey seas. He felt them all. All of them. Wow, that was a lot of life. Too much. Fen shook himself back to reality. His senses had been overwhelmed and rendered useless, much like Jon's. Well, that didn't work. Fen sniffed at the air again the old fashioned way before replying to Jon.

"It might just be you, but I don't have anything either, so it's worth a look." Fen shrugged. One of his motto's had always been; "when in doubt, investigate." It certainly didn't always work out, but curiosity was one of Fennex's defining traits. He couldn't leave things alone- not without great effort- for better or worse. He'd keep reaching out and feeling for the presence of the other Knights and masters on the mission here, but he was about to set foot on the lost planet of Ellora! This was a first in an untold length of time! There was so much to discover and see and explore. The botanist in him was already fascinated in the incredible variety of local Flora that he could see from the ramp. Colorful (and potentially poisonous) flowers, strange lush trees, and interesting looking tall grass. Some of the species even looked like they may be related to other species throughout know space, which would be quiet a discovery indeed. Fennex started off from the ramp with gusto. "Let's find out."

He started out from the ship, plodding along on the dirt that he had deemed safe enough to set foot on. This place reminded him much of the swamp he and Wyck had crashed in, the way it was teeming with life. This world was only slightly less swampy, he noted with a huff as he huddled his hood and coat around him. The wet air beyond the protective covering of the ship was as bad as he'd thought it would be, but curiosity won out- not to mention the need to search out there comrades here. There was plenty of instincts and callings that overruled his discomfort. He strode his way to the first edifice closest to the ship, near the edge of the tall grass. It was a little weather beaten, but that was to be expected he supposed. It wasn't much, really, just a length of natural fibered rope- it was definitely rope, not natural growth, as he'd initially considered.

"Hmm, curious." he mused, wondering who had made these things and how long they had been there. He didn't touch them, for now. Who knew what they were marking, after all? They looked ancient, and Jon was right- they certainly seemed to be marking some sort of erratic path from the shoreline into the grassland and then into the rainforest. But leading to where?

@Wit

 

[Jon Atreides]

Jon gestured for Fennex to lead the way and followed after the more senior Knight as they made their way towards the nearest edifice. After the uncertainty each step had brought while walking through the precariously placed ship, Jon would have been glad at simply being able to walk on the firm ground. But the air felt fresh, albeit a little humid, and there was a breeze blowing that all worked together to bring a smile to his face. The place looked and smelled as alive as it felt in the Force. He could see now why the ancient Jedi had made a home here.

As they reached the edifice, investigating it and noticing the trail that lead into the rainforest, Jon traced the path with his eyes before turning back to the edifice in front of them. The rope caught his eyes and he knelt besides Fen and stared at the rope, wondering who put it there and how long it had been left there. With the humidity all around he doubted rope could last for long, unless it was some really special rope. Not as cautious as Fen, he reached out with a hand and touched the rope, hoping to learn more about it by touch. But the rope really was pretty old, and though it held under his touch, the moment he tried pinching a bit and rub it between his fingers the thing just fell apart.

"Oops."

@Loco

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

Fenenx dived to catch the crumbling rope before it totally feel apart, assuming that it had to have some sort of significance. His attempt, however, was not only in vain- it was ill conceived. Fen succeeded only in toppling the cairn to which the rope had been secured, sending the entire edifice crashing to the ground. Fennex cringed, both inward and outwardly... that was probably not good. These cairns and ropes probably meant something to whoever had built them, and Fennex just hoped that nobody was around to see he and Jon carelessly knock one over. Fennex froze for a few moments, paws suspended over the remains of the collapsed edifice. The area was dead silent- even the insect life had seemed to take a break from its constant buzz.

"I think..." Fennex paused to listen a bit longer, "We might be alright..."

A stone-tipped wooden spear sailed between Fen's ears as the tree line exploded in a flurry of shrieks and hoots and what sounded a lot lie war cries. Tree branches were shaking, grass was billowing, and Fennex could- for the first time, it should be noted- pick out the horde of angry planetary denizens that had just watched the two Jedi topple (albeit accidentally) an ancient religiously significant construct. They were clearly unhappy. Fen could tell by how loud they were now being. And then also by all the spears flying through the air- Fen dodged the next one after the first flew between his ears, and then two more that impacted where he had been standing after he ducked and dodged his way towards the trees. Bad moved, he decided after two more spears came shooting at him from that direction. Fennex waved his hand and swept the projectiles aside with the Force.

"Or maybe not. Maybe they saw the whole thing!" Fennex called over his shoulder to Jon as he fished in a pocket for one of his lightsabers.


@Wit

 

[Jon Atreides]

Jon was about to make some sort of comment about Fen's attempts at saving the rope, but he was cut short when a spear flew through the air and embedded itself behind Fen, barely missing his ears. His head whipped around to trace where the spear must have come from and his eyes came to a rest on the trees. He took an instinctive step back at all the shrieking and hooting, wondering how many voices were behind the racket.

His question was answered soon enough as he caught sight of the locals as well, getting a moment for their numbers to register before the spears came flying at them once again. Dodging one spear, then another, he tried to get a better look at the locals in between all the jumping and weaving around he was having to do to prevent himself from getting impaled.

"Can't you speak to them? Where's that murderous droid that keeps following you?" Not waiting for a reply, he summoned the Force as well and caught a spear that was flying straight for him, brining it to a stop mere inches from his face. Whatever the rope structure were, they seemed to have really pissed of the locals by defiling it. Pulling out his own lightsaber, he started cutting down spears that came to close and began running after Fen.

As they got a little closer to the trees, he decided to try a little diplomacy, it seemed like that better option than actually trying to fight Force knows how many of the locals that had surrounded them. "JEDI! WE'RE JEDI!" He had no idea if they could understand basic, but he hoped that the word Jedi would mean something to them. The temple was till here, so maybe they had some old stories that mentioned Jedi and hearing the word might make them pause for a bit. If not, well then the crash was probably not going to be the worst part of the day for the two Jedi.

@Loco

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"So he could what, offer them unlicensed medical procedures?!"

Fennex tucked his body low to the ground and scampered into the tall grass to dodge more spears coming from the tree line, only to quickly realize that now he couldn't see anything- he was far too short. He could hear the war cries echoing around him, seeming to come from everywhere, and he was shocked that he had not sensed any of the creatures presence before they attacked. Fen suddenly burst out of the grass into a small sandy clearing, and found himself face to face with one of their assailants. Furry, four armed, and angry, clad in colorful sashes adorned with what appeared to be intricately carved ornaments of wood and twisted grass... And it was holding a really big stick. The creature bellowed at him unintelligibly, and then after apparently not eliciting the response it was looking for, swiped at him with its staff. Fennex dodged backwards quickly, and the staff skimmed through his whiskers- this thing was fast! It was so fast, in fact, that the Knight was still thinking about how fast that first strike had come when the second one nearly bashed him upside the head.

Fennex leapt backwards with the Force, clearing the tall grass he had just burst through and landing near Jon, who had just activated his lightsaber and was shouting "diplomatically" at their attackers. Fen's new friend from the clearing was in hot pursuit, he saw, and made what for most creatures would be an impossible leap, following the Jedi's furry footsteps. Impressive, he thought. The creatures swiped again at him with the staff, and this time Fennex didn't have time for a proper dodge. His lightsaber sparng to life and intercepted the creatures staff, slicing through it and sending the end piece spinning into the grass. He reached out with his free paw and gave the creature a powerful Force push backwards, out of range. The creature seemed stunned by the blow, and even more stunned by the Jedi's weapons. Its eye flicked rapidly back and forth between Fennex and Jon.

"Jee.... Jeee'daaaiii?" The Elloran rumbled, semi-echoing Jon, recognition flashing in its big yellow eyes, "JEE'DAI!" It called out toward the forest and into the grass, and the flurry of spears and war cries ended as quickly as it had begun... "JEE'DAI!"

@Wit

 

[Jon Atreides]

"JEE'DAI!" The cry went up all around them as more of the Ellorans began to emerge from the forest. Jon had hoped that worked, but hadn't really been particularly optimistic, so this was a rather pleasant surprise. Some legends had survived after all, some good fortune at last. At least he hoped it was good fortune, for though quite a few of the Ellorans had taken the charge some were still quiet. They stood with spears still firmly gripped in their hands, still wary of them and not letting their guard down just yet.

The chanting was proof enough that these people knew of the Jedi, but maybe they hadn't really convinced all of them. A smile appeared on Jon's lips as an idea came to him. Spreading his hands out wide, he shouted out once more. "JEDI!!" With that he turned to face Fen, drawing everyone's attention towards the Amaran Jedi as he reached out with the Force and began raising him oh so slowly.

The Ellorans took a step back as Fen rose into the air and came to a stop floating a good three or four feet above the ground. Once more Jon shouted out, "JEDI!!" That broke the trance the locals seemed to have fallen into and once more the words were taken up, this time by one and all present there.

"JEE'DAI! JEE'DAI!"
@Loco

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"Wha… wai… Jon? JON! Knight Atreides. Put. Me. Down!" Fennex demanded as he floated into the air, saber waving around as the Ellorans continued their excited chanting. The creatures began cautiously emerging from the tree line and tall grass to gawk at the Jedi, and they oohed and aahed at the diminutive Fennex being floated casually through the air, waving a lightsaber. Ugh, Fen thought, what an indignity. The Amaran huffed in annoyance when Jon finally put him down, and the Ellorans crowded around them. The warrior whose staff he'd bisected and who started the chant worked his way forward, approaching the Knights carefully. He hooted at them and grumbled an unintelligible string of... something, and then waved them forward as he and the rest of the Ellorans started moving back towards the trees.

"Uh, I think we should follow him." Fennex shrugged as he deactivated his lightsaber, "Just for the sake of avoiding angering the very strong and very fast four armed native warriors, you know?"

Fen was apprehensive about following the creatures, but he also didn't see any better options. What were they going to do? Politely decline? The Ellorans guided them into the dense jungle, four armed warriors surrounding them on all sides, hooting and grumbling at them as they went. Fennex caught them sneaking sideways glances at the Jedi, and he could feel them gawking behind their backs, but he couldn't tell if it was in awe or fear or something else. He also spotted more of the relics he and Jon had toppled. They mostly took the same general shape as the first ones they saw by the rocky shore, but the more he saw the more he noticed how unique they were in size and adornment. They were clearly marking a rough path through the forest, but Fen thought they were awfully intricate for just trail markers. He wondered at the significance. He could also see a number of Ellorans moving through the trees ahead and to the sides of them. He envied the way the moved with such ease- he kept tripping over roots and busting through brush himself. He imagined they were sending runners ahead to wherever they were going.

The group progressed in this manner for some time until, finally, Fen stubbed his toe on a rough cut cobblestone.

"Ow!"

@Wit

 

[Jon Atreides]

Jon had to suppress a smirk as Fen started complaining about his little stunt and began demanding to be put back down. This wasn't going to work if Jon started laughing like a baboon right when they were supposed to be trying to impress the locals. Thankfully it did work, and soon enough the locals were leading them...somewhere. Hopefully this was going to play out the way he had hoped it would and they weren't leading them to sacrifice them in the name of some deity.

Thankfully their luck held and the two Jedi found themselves being led into a village, down an actual path with small houses on the ground and atop trees, until they were brought in front of a particularly large, and particularly old hut. "SpaceBnB? Prison?" Jon glanced at Fen as he asked the question, wondering what the locals had planned next. But at that very moment someone emerged from inside the hut. Withered skin, bent back, and shaky hands gripping what seemed to be a bone walking cane, it was the oldest Elloran they had seen so far.

Slowly walking up to the two Jedi, the old Elloran observed them up and down, even sniffing at them as if that would reveal something about them. He took particular interest in the lightsabers that hung form their belts, a small smile appearing on his face as he stepped back and barked something at the Ellorans who were still maintaining the guard around them. At once they fell back, bowing respectfully at the elder. Whoever he was, he was important.

The elder began walking back towards the hut, stopping at the entrance and turning back to glance at them. "Jedi. Come."
@Loco

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"We're going in a guess."

Fennex shrugged as the Jedi were ushered into the Elloran elder's tent. He was clearly important, Fen knew as they entered the smoky hut filled with odd trinkets and incense stacks and animal skulls- some of them quite large and toothy. This was clearly some kind of shaman, the Master could see. Such venerable elders were popular throughout the galaxy, and some of them even had varying degrees of connection to the Force. He wondered, if there had truly been a Jedi temple on this planet in the past, if shaman like this one grew in the absence of the Jedi, or if they had coexisted alongside the order. There was going to be a lot of studying done here if Fennex and company ever made it back to the rest of the Galaxy...

The Jedi were guided to plush floor pillows and quickly presented with tea and various platters of refreshments and snacks. Fennex tried his best to politely refuse the strange food items, but couldn't say no to the sweet smelling tea presented to him. As soon as their sudden horde of attendants finished serving up brunch they just as suddenly disappeared. The room was silent. Just Jon and Fennex sitting cross legged on pillows in front of their shaggy white haired host. Fen sipped his tea. It was delicious. Before long, the Shaman spoke again, and any hope that he had mastered galactic basic beyond the word "Jedi" were dashed. There were a few intelligeible words here and there, but for the most part they would all have to do with innuendo and tone and hand gestures and the occasional puff of colored smoke. The ashy clouds filling the hut seemed to take shapes as the Shaman spoke, occasionally throwing in a "Jedi" here and there, forming the familiar domed and arched outline of a temple, an island in a rough sea, and some sort of giant formless demon spitting lightning and smashing everything in its path. Hogwash, Fennex thought. But the Shaman seemed intent on enlisting their help to do... something. What exactly that was Fennex didn't know, but it was important to their host, that much was clear.

"Jedi..." The shaman started, pleadingly, followed by a "pindlepandlewhifflewhuffleblahblahblah" of unintelligible pleading.


"Well," Fennex began thoughtfully, looking sideways at Jon, sipping at his tea... "It sounds like they need help with something."


/thread