Open Event An End to the Killik Threat

[Alhazred]

Team big mound left

Alhazred gazed upon everything with a muddled look. Unsure of himself, he looked to the others for support. The unanimous decision of being quiet was enough. Alhazred nodded with everyone and began to follow the padawan called Rain. At least this bridge didn't seem too dangerous, and she seemed sure of herself

@Altaris @Narzen @StephDLegend @Mythos @Wills

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t help but grit his teeth - frustration bubbling to the surface initially. The Force was clouded and turbulent, making it impossible to discern the path ahead. His fingers coiled tightly around the silvery hilt of his lightsaber, full-aware they might as well have been walking into a trap.

The massive chamber they came upon - and the hundreds of Kilik’s that worked below them -did little to settle his nerves. The Pantoran was silent as a ghost, golden eyes surveying the sentient masses working below.

“Workers?” He asked after a moment, glancing to the others. “Manual-laborers for the hive, rather than warriors or joined.” It was the only explaination - short of something sinister - he could think of to explain their non-aggression. Even still, Ferrin made no moves to provoke or gain their attention. He had little desire to test his theory.

“Quietly,” Ferrin repeated, clearly skeptical. Nevertheless, the Pantoran slowly moved to stride beside Rain - making his way across the larger bridge. With any luck, they weren’t about to encounter big momma Kilik waiting for them somewhere.

 

[Akari Moriko]

Team Main Mound; Left Tunnel

Stepping into the crevasse that forged into the left hand tunnel, A'kari had felt the resistance of the Force, the reluctance to clear the clouded view. She shook her head in silence, antlers briefly rattling in the action. There wasn't just Killiks and their Queen here. There was a void in the darkness, a hidden and unnatural aspect. Her gaze fell upon the others as they approached the massive cavern, and then into the depths below.

"Don't make a sound..." She suggestively spoke in silence amongst the group as she peered into the pit below. "And keep all lightsabers ready, but not ignited."

They're best qualities at the moment had been stealth and luck, and she didn't want to test either. Moving back to the group and away from the ledge, she followed in unison with the others as they began to trek the larger bridge across the ravine. They held an advantage in numbers when it came to strength, even if the Killlik held an even larger one with sheer adolescent forms. But stealth would be the essential key to their success.

The bridge would sway upon the pressure of their forms as they crossed, and the rope like vines seemed to be stable in holding them up. But even still, A'kari walked as lightly as she could as carefully as she could until they would reach the other side. No sense in trusting makeshift walkways.

Tag: @Narzen @Altaris @Wills @StephDLegend

 

[Vanya]

Team Big Mound Right​

Although the focus of the Jedi had been on those who had been flayed - for obvious reasons - it wasn't just the flayed who seemed to suffer. Almost under compulsion, those who wandered the area - and likely perpetrated the flaying - seemed almost hollow and empty as if they were unable to control themselves.

The man that Theia spoke to didn't seem to be capable of saying more than a few words at a time.

Down... tunnel... monstrous queen... he gasped, seemingly unable to control where he went or what he did. There didn't seem to be any way for him to lead them, though his eyes flicked to one of the tunnels in particular that led out of the room, a possible route to their objective if the man could be trusted.

@GABA @The Good Doctor @Arcangel

Team Big Mound Right​

As the Jedi decided to cross the bridge, they would be able to advance to the other side without much effort and their path would begin to take them down, deeper into the hive and they also would begin to see the same horrid combination of things that their companions across the hive saw.

Strewn about husks of body, drained of blood and organs would begin to litter the ground, and the darkness, too, would begin to deepen.

And yet, amidst the darkness, they might begin to notice a faint glimmer of Light. It was their companions from the small mound drawing closer to the same horrid, repulsive darkness. It would be time to steel their nerves for what was to come.

@Altaris @Narzen @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos @Wills

Team Small Mound Advance​

They would continue onward and those who stopped to investigate bodies would be able to see that the bodies appeared as if they had been penetrated by a proboscis or something similar in order to drain them. Perhaps first they had even been injected with some form of liquifying acid to more easily allow their organs to be drained and digested.

It was all pretty horrifying.

The further in they proceeded, they would being to see markings drawn on the walls in either blood or organ juices (it was difficult to tell) that showed two red eyes and the vague shape of a mask "painted" on the walls.

They, too, were close now. The winds of valor seemed to bring up people's spirits slightly and push the darkness back for now, but there was no question that a confrontation was coming.

@Rom @Scoobert @TheDudeMike @Aberforth @Xorism

Team Small Mound Prisoners​

Vanya looked to Natalie (@TheDudeMike) and snickered at the comment about going somewhere better. Yes, that would be nice one of these days.

Someday... she said. Ultimately, Tycho left the pistol behind and Vanya took it with a sober nod.

Thank you, she said (@Rom). Between she and Ezra staying behind for now, hopefully they would manage.

As Ezra reached out to the prisoners, he would feel the utter panic of the woman behind the glass. The desperate desire to be free, and the first inklings forming of a connection to something beyond herself.

Although the power of the Collective was not at its maximum yet, the woman's mind was slowly being whispered into by the hive, and with each passing hour she lost more of the Her to the Us.

What do you sense? she asked Ezra after several moments, wondering if they could find out anything more about what made the Hive here so much darker than... well, any Killiks in history.

@Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[Natalie Hope]

TEAM SMALL MOUND ADVANCE​

Natalie took a moment, crouching down at a body and examining it. To say getting closer was just about the grossest thing Natalie had ever done would be an understatement. The stench was awful, the sight was awful, and the particular body she crouched over was a killik which made it tripley as awful. The puncture wounds were relatively small compared to the absolute soup that was the insides of the body. What wasn't gone completely, was liquefied- the puncture hole just big enough to maybe stick a couple of fingers through- not that Natalie did, it just looked that way.

"Their insides got turned to soup," Natalie said bluntly, standing back up. Her eyes caught the drawing on the walls of the masked being. Masked beings were already ominous enough, but add the oppressive Darkside surrounding them AND soupified bodies? Yeah, this was starting to be a classic page out of Nope-Ville; the greatest comic of all time where no one said "let's go deeper" and just left whatever this Nope was to it's own devices.

But now innocents were on the line, and not just from the killiks. Natalie cursed her Jedi ways under her breath, knowing it was the right thing to do; didn't mean she wouldn't bitch about it, though! She looked at the Jedi with her that had forged ahead. Well, they certainly had enough firepower for a fight. "Has anyone seen these markings before?" she asked, pointing toward the paintings of the masked entity on the walls.

Regardless, they couldn't stop now. She pressed on deeper into the darkness.

Spoiler: Actions

• Checks out a body that's been soupified
• Asks if anyone else has seen the markings on the walls before
• Continues on deeper

@Phoenix

 

[Drexus Brogroo]

Team Small, Advance​

Looking around at the carnage he could still feel the darkness like a fresh wound. The light being given by the other Jedi was helping significantly though. Seemed they didn't like the cold feeling they were receiving, and Drexus had to admit, neither did he. For what felt like the first time, he wanted to be good. Not for himself either, for others here looking to stop these bugs.

Walking up next to Natalie as she examined the body of the killik, Drexus could only shake his head in disgust. "Not an ideal way to go.." Something about this place was absolutely awful, maybe it was just the place itself. Then looking over he noticed the painting on the wall. A mask of sorts, "I wish I could say I did. It's not ringing a bell." The Zabrak felt within himself the uses of the light clashing in the darkness might be giving them away on the surprise entry.

He definitely didn't need to be dealing with the darkness though, it was calling to him like a long lost love. The Zabrak would walk alongside Nat and begin his way deeper, the faster they beat whatever is down here, the faster they can get the helpless out. "Let's hope this thing is weakened if it's relying on killing its own to survive."

Spoiler: Drex

Disgusted by killik, doesn't recognize the mask painting, presses forward

 

[Alhazred]

Team Big Mound Left​

I don't like this... Alhazred thought to himself as the sounds of the killiks below. Being so close to such a lethal force of mandibles and chitin... even with those who had weapons like lightsabers and being armed with the Force, Alhazred felt closer to the void than ever. Well, except that one time with the Starweird, but that was a different kind of fear.

Once on the other side, Alhazred continued to follow the others. He had to pause however when his foot came into contact with a dead body.

"Hmm... interesting..." Alhazred whispered to himself, kneeling to look at the remains momentarily. "Why would a swarm of Khilliks, capable of integrating all other species, simply kill off potential tools? Seems...illogical."

Alhazred's eyes glanced upwards. In the distance, the light of a fellow group. A glimmer of hope within companionship and added numbers? Or is it merely a trick of the light?

"I have a bad feeling about this place..." Alhazred stated simply aloud to the others. "We are huddled together, furtive and vulnerable․ Like rats in a maze"

This darkness was consuming and pressing from too many sides. The Song of the Force wasn't correct, but he couldn't place why. Quietly, Alhazred moved behind the others. Better to let the saber wielders take the front, and for him to man the rear.

@Altaris @Phoenix @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos @Wills

 

[Theia Durand]

Team Big Mound, Right

Theia listened carefully as he struggled to speak; normally the padawan would be highly irritated by how slow someone spoke but for her this situation felt different. An urgency to do what was right and find a way to save those here from further suffering. She noted his eyes moving to a specific tunnel and Theia glanced to the Knights making sure they picked up on it too.

The padawan remained weary, the darkness that resonated in these tunnels and corridors still felt heavy, though she also felt they didn't have much option on knowing which tunnel lead to which. "Thank you." Theia whispered to the human. There was a very well possibility that the three of them were walking into a trap; everything seemed rather...placated for the moment unless there was a hierarchy in which those here did not participate as warriors for the hive. That was probably a question for another time for her to ponder or as the masters say, meditate.

"What do you guys think, we don't have too many options, I think we should go down that tunnel he was eyeing and stop the queen or whoever is controlling all these Joined." Theia said, "Whatever you decide, I'll follow, but staying here much longer in trying to decide is fatiguing." Her gaze briefly flickered to the bodies before returning to the knights; despite her best efforts in trying to ignore what was around them, it still was bothersome to the padawan.

@Arcangel @The Good Doctor @Phoenix

Spoiler: tl;dr

1. Theia remains alert and cautious, thanks the human Joined
2. Converses with Mako and Harald to determine if they go down the tunnel eyed by the Joined
3. Theia will go with whatever decision the Knights do

 

[Harald av Svendsen]

Big Mound | Right Side — And the path forward was apparent, courtesy of the man in pain, he saw the tunnel the other glanced at. They were terse and pained words, but they know of the tunnel to the Queen it says. "Nice diplomacy work" He would also nod at Theia. Her line of questioning was simple and direct and they got a good lead out of it. Unfortunately there isn't much they can do the Killik prisoner and the others at the moment, indeed ending the Queen is the best shot at all this.

As for the path foward. "We don't have any other options. Lets go that way." he said, then he started to move that way. "We need to be vigilant though. Anything and everything could be lying in wait." It is in the realm of possibility. It is odd how they gotten so far and haven't encountered any resistance yet even though this is apparently the main stronghold of the Killiks.

And yes, staying in this room the flayed bodies is something Harald would rather not do he could help it. If Mako is on board with this too, Harald would proceed into the tunnel, drawing the Light Side of the Force to him while being alert.

Spoiler: Abridged

Dialogue, Harald opts to go through the tunnel to the queen. in doing so he would be alert and be drawing the force to him.

@GABA @Arcangel

 

[Akari Moriko]

Team Main Mound; Left Tunnel

A'kari let out a sigh of relief as the group managed to cross the bridge with little to no notice by the Killiks below. It was a brief moment of respite, but it was a welcomed relief. For the time being, A'kari was able to let her guard down and truly see the hive for what it had been, not only life, but an entire culture based upon the aspect of a shared mind. As primitive as it may have seemed, grotesque even, it was still a part of the Living Force and therefore held a certain semblance of balance within the Force, a balance they had come to tip to their side.

As the group ventured further, however, A'kari's mind upon the extermination of the Killik only found a deeper solidification. At first, it was but a necessary action, one meant to finally end their plight upon the lives they threatened, an extermination meant to save more lives than what was taken. But as the forms came into view and their macabre existence was illuminated, it became more than necessity. It became a harbinger of the Light, not just an extermination, but a Crusade against the Darkness.

Hearing @Alhazred's words, A'kari responded in agreement. "Illogical and Chaotic." She spoke, prodding one of the desecrated forms with the tip of her boot as she gazed upon it's emptied form. "This isn't the work of simple Killiks. Research into the subject provides that this is only an occurrence of weakened forms, but these beings were healthy." Shifting her gaze toward the encroaching light, she smiled. "Over here! Do you guys see this?"

As horrified as she was by the strewn corpses, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by the turning of events. And the additional man power brought greater chances of success, especially in the deafening silence of the darkness that permeated around them. She couldn't help but feel the unease of the Force that swirled around them, an unnatural cold escaping their breaths with each exhale as it only seemed the thicken the deeper they delved. Turning her gaze back to the forms, she made her own observation in response to the Nu-Vaal.

"This isn't natural for the Killiks. And given the darker presence that I'm sure we are all feeling, I believe the Darkside has a hand in this. We should keep our eyes peeled for the handiwork of the Sith... or perhaps even something more primordial and ancient. We definitely don't want to be caught off guard."

Tag: @Altaris @Narzen @Wills @Wit @StephDLegend

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin kept pace around his allies - golden eyes narrowing as they delved deeper into the hive. The Pantoran had all sorts of suspicions and worst-fears of what they would encounter as they delved into the Kilik dwelling, and some of those fears were certainly made reality by the bodies they encounter. His frown deepened even as his feet carried him onward, his gaze lingering on those fallen behind.

Those they hadn’t been able to save. Those they had, on some level, failed.

That they might find rest in the Force was his only solace.

The Pantoran ignited the golden blade of his lightsaber - allowing its brilliant hue to decorate the ground beneath his feet. Step by step, Ferrin delved deeper into the hive. Step by step, he attempted to steel himself for whatever was waiting for him.

Whatever stood between them and that glimmer of light.

 

[Mako Krim]

big mound right​

It was clear to Mako after a few moments that there was nothing to discover in the chamber. Other than the information that Theia was able to get out of one of the joined.

The Pyke Jedi Knight eyed the tunnel that supposedly led to the queen warily. It would be easy to lead the Jedi astray, conveying through a joined human that ahead lay their goal. It could easily be a trap.

"We must keep going. There is nothing we can do for those here, now." He nodded to the pair of Jedi in agreement. He had no liking for the idea of staying in the slaughter room either.

"Only through moving forward can we help these." He concluded. Decision made, he pressed on into the darkness, leading the way deeper with the flow of his saber.

@Phoenix @GABA @The Good Doctor

Spoiler: DM notes

Mako agrees with the others and continues deeper into the tunnels down the indicated path.

 

[Rain]

TEAM BIG MOUND - Left​

As the way got darker, Rain could sense a similar echo in the Force, suppressing her revulsion at the sights they had seen of the victims of the killiks. The Jedi were taught there was peace after death, it was but one stop on a journey we all took, death was not something to fear. But this, this wasn't right. None of the bodies they crossed had deserved to die, specially not like this.

As Ferrin ignited his lightsaber, it's light fighting against the growing darkness, Rain pushed away those thoughts and did the same. Blue light radiating from her lit blade, she focused on the feel of the blade in her hand, and on the other Jedi with her.

Whatever awaited them, she was ready to face it.

Spoiler: tl;dr

Rain ignites her blade and continues walking onwards.

 

[Perun]

TEAM SMALL MOUND - ADVANCE

Amidst the macabre and sinister tableau that enveloped the Killik hive, Perun felt a frisson of unease crawl up his spine, his fur bristling in response to the dark energies suffusing the air. He listened intently to Drexus (@Scoobert) and Natalie (@TheDudeMike), their observations a cold comfort amidst the horror. "Not the ideal way indeed, Drexus. Such savagery..." Perun murmured, his gaze scanning the grotesque scene with a mix of sorrow and resolve.

Turning towards Natalie's query about the ominous markings, Perun's gaze narrowed thoughtfully. "These symbols are unfamiliar, yet they exude an ancient malevolence," he commented, his voice tinged with a deep-seated wariness. "We tread on the threshold of something abhorrent, a malignancy that transcends mere Killik instinct."

As the group pressed forward, Perun heightened his Force perception, extending his senses like tendrils, seeking to pierce the veil of darkness that shrouded their path. The Force around them was turbid, a maelstrom of shadow and malice that sought to disorient and overwhelm.

With each step, Perun readied himself, his mind a bastion against the encroaching dread. He could sense the convergence of their allies, the faint glimmer of their light a distant yet comforting presence. He knew that the culmination of their mission loomed near, a confrontation with an entity that defiled the natural order.

Preparing for the inevitable clash, Perun's hand rested on the hilt of his dual-phase lightsaber, ready to ignite it at a moment's notice. He channeled the Force around him, ready to lash out with the winds he had gathered to shield his companions from harm.

OOC: Perun doesn't recognize the markings. He heightens his Force perception and prepares for an imminent confrontation, while remaining ready to use his aerokinesis for protection against any environmental hazards or attacks. @Rom @Phoenix @Scoobert @TheDudeMike @Xorism

 

[Tycho Denarii]

Tycho grimaced as he stepped away from the killik corpse, the sight of the slurry still lingering within the jagged hole and the mental image it conjured of an insectoid proboscis draining the husk like a smoothie through a straw making him want to gag and lose what little food he'd been able to stomach before they'd boarded the strike team's shuttle. Swallowing back the bile rising at the back of his throat, the Ossein Knight stepped forward near Natalie (@TheDudeMike) and Padawan Drexus (@Scoobert) peering at the markings on the wall, not recognizing them. Shrugging at Natalie he murmured, "I feel like it's watching me..." and adjusted his grip on his lightsaber, the weapon held at the ready but still unlit.

The kyber within, his old master's, chimed softly, brightly against the darkness and as he looked at Master Perun (@Aberforth) he raised his hand in unison, shoring up the wind shield and making ready to lash out with his own blast of wind should the encroaching darkness finally decide to strike. "Stay close... the Darkness is strong, but together we can withstand and overcome it."

Spoiler: Actions

1. Paranoid about the markings but not recognizing them
2. Ready lightsaber.
3. Ready aerokinesis gust should they be ambushed or encounter environment hazards.

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan had crossed the bridge with his peers. It was still quiet and stealthy so there wasn't much to worry about. He felt safe enough. He was still ever-cautious. The worst thing that could happen would be for him to be caught off guard. That simple thing could result in life or death. As they advanced deeper into the hive, they saw some horrific things. So much death and for what? The Jedi were keepers of the peace but had they fallen so far off their duty that these things happened without action being taken?

There was also some sort of light, albeit it was faint. It was then that Alhazred brought up an interesting point. Why would the killiks kill possible tools? It wasn't something truly made sense unless there was a bigger problem at play that they were missing. Jedi Knight Moriko believed the dark side was at play and with the way everything felt, Kaedan could jump on board with that hypothesis.

As they continued moving, Jedi Knight Ferrin activated his lightsaber. It did provide some light but the young man feared it would attract some unneeded attention. He could only hope that it wouldn't. Rain activated hers soon after. Well, whatever was to come next, Kaedan had his hand steadily on his hilt, not activating his lightsaber just yet. "Are you guys sure activating lightsabers is the wisest choice right now? We wouldn't want to attract any unnecessary attention to ourselves." His voice was merely a whisper.
@Wit @Altaris @Mythos @Narzen @Wills

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra closed his eyes as he prodded at the mind of the woman behind the glass. He took measured steps, first to see if she was joined. He was a Councilor rank with his abilities, so he could fight back if the hivemind was close to being triggered. It felt like navigating through a laserfield to get to the destination. Slowly but surely he began to have glimpses of a dark ritual, one that predated even the Sith.

The woman was taken against her will and brought here, but she hadn’t seen the queen. Ezra didn’t push further, drawing back from the woman. His brows furrowed as he looked at Vanya, “All of this seems to be to work up towards a ritual of sorts..one that existed before the Sith,” He explained, “We need to look for signs of what that is and what the goal is. This goes beyond just Killik and their hivemind,” Ezra said, alarmed.

“Let’s look for clues on this ritual," He said as he started to investigate the chamber, "Perhaps runes and markings? An altar? Signs of the practice."

 

[Vanya]

Queen's Chamber​

From all across the various portions of the mounds, the Jedi began to converge on a single location. Perhaps it was a miracle they had gotten this far without the hive being aware of them or perhaps it was the Force's will or perhaps still it was the plan to empty the hive of its soldiers in order to strike a critical blow.

Whatever the reason, they seemed to have made it. Almost all at once they would arrive from different tunnels, seeing each other but having no real time to offer greeting as their attention would quickly be drawn to the far side of the room.

The room itself was large, at least 50 meters across with a large ceiling towering above, a true cavern it could be called.

The room itself was littered with bodies that had once been the victims of the Queen Bug just like the tunnels leading up to the cavern. The sacrificed had been strewn about like refuse just as they had outside. In fact, as they entered the room, they might find it more difficult than expected to maneuver the room without tripping over the half-flaccid bodies of the dead.

Their attention would be drawn quickly to the far side of the cavern where the Queen Bug herself lay... feeding. From her mouth extended a long tongue-like appendage that impaled the victims, pumping in the aforehinted digestive juices and digesting them alive from the inside out before the internals were sucked out.

She, herself, was massive and it was no doubt that it took dozens if not hundreds of people per day to feed this beast, and they might begin to wonder if those dead in this room were merely from today's feedings.

No less than a dozen more people stood in line before the Queen, many weeping at the fate that awaited them but unable to turn away or leave.

The Jedi had about 5 seconds before the Queen discovered them and all chaos would begin to let loose.

Meanwhile, the next weeping victim stepped up to be devoured as the Queen spotted them and shrieked an ear-splitting cry.

@Altaris @Narzen @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos @Rom @Scoobert @TheDudeMike @Aberforth @Xorism @GABA @The Good Doctor @Arcangel

Team Small Mound Prisoners​

Back with the prisoners just a short distance from the final confrontation, Vanya and Ezra would see the panic in the prisoners begin to grow stronger as the Queen became alerted to the presence of the Jedi.

If Ezra hadn't begun to shut the prisoner out yet he would hear her voice scream out in his mind to "Go! For the hive is coming!"

Either way, the pair of Jedi would be able to see that to the far side of the room a single runish marking was etched into the wall and the indentations were filled with what looked like clotted blood. Gallons and gallons of it.

I think it's a resurrection rune. Or maybe a summoning rune for calling the dead back, she said. It wasn't incredibly different from something that Shaman of Dathomir used to speak to the ancestors, except... it was different.

For the moment, she was unaware of the Joined woman's warning or the battle that was about to take place deeper within the nest.

@Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[Theia Durand]

They were in an agreement to keep moving forward, it was probably one of the hardest lessons she was learning as a Jedi, the feeling of helplessness she would experience when there was nothing more that could be done for someone in need. So, their best option was to continue despite the risks in itself. There was a growing sense of fear and despair as they walked on their path through the tunnel. Theia was cautious, vibroblade at hand, ensuring she marked their path but as they ascended to the larger cavern, the surrealness of what she witnessed was stunning...and not in a good or impressive way.

"Oh hell no..." she spoke just above a whisper as she watched the husk of the victim dropped to the ground, "Get those Joined away from here and out of here if you can-" she looked at Harald. Luckily as she and the Knights entered, the other teams converged here too just in time for the Queen to move to her next victim and then she saw them.

Theia gritted her teeth as the Queen let out the ear-splitting shriek, "We need to form up!" Theia shouted, "Knights, Master Perun, stay on her corners, four- eight- o'clock! Watch that tongue!" The padawan moved, mindful of the bodies that still littered the ground, "Padawans watch their backs, watch the tunnels for guests to show! Help Master Harald getting the living out-" she ordered as she joined them, keeping vigilant of any defenses that the queen tries or her help arrives.

@Altaris @Narzen @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos @Rom @Scoobert @TheDudeMike @Aberforth @Xorism @The Good Doctor @Arcangel @Phoenix

Spoiler: Sum-Up

1. Theia gives directions in the possible chaos that is about to errupt
2. Tells Harald to get the living joined out of the way
3. Tells the rest of the Knights and Master P to flank the queen on her corners (4 and 8 o'clock)
4. Tells the padawans to watch the tunnels for additional killik warriors and help Harald get the living joined out or out of the way, in which Theia does that too, keeping her eye on anything else that protrudes from the queen.

 

[Natalie Hope]

Natalie entered the main chamber. The thing that caught her eye was the group of Jedi that had gone to the big mound. Hey! Even Theia was with them! And none of them particularly looked dead so that was good. The same could not be said for the bodies strewn about the chamber floor. It would be hard to fight with the bodies in the way like this. Tripping hazards were a abundant, and movement had to be deliberate.

The biggest problem was the queen. Natalie had expected a big, gross bug, but wasn't expecting what she got. The soupified remains they'd seen in the corridor made all the sense now. The queen was using that tube like appendage from her mouth to turn insides into soup and suck in the remains. It was sickening enough that under normal circumstances Natalie would have wanted to puke up any lunch that she may have had. Luckily she did not have lunch, and luckily these weren't normal circumstances.

The line of people took priority over everything. There were a lot of orders being barked, and it was clear they had little time to waste. Natalie shot a glance to the Jedi that had come with her out of the small mound (@Rom @Scoobert @Aberforth ). "Help me grab the people," she said, but instead of moving she reached out with her arms and the Force. The line of people would be too much on her own to handle, she would need the help of a Master or another Knight or two. The more the merrier really, at least for the people about to get digested. The Force coiled and surrounded the group of awaiting, and even Natalie didn't get the help she had requested, she would at least attempt to pull them- just enough to get out of the queen's way so they could start running to safety.

Spoiler: Actions

• Natalie is asking any Jedi to help her user the Force to grab the people in line
• Natalie attempts to pull the people in line out of the way of the queen so that they can start running themselves while the Jedi take up positions.