OhNoesBunnies
SWRP Writer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
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BARGE OF SHADOW
As the Sith retreat to the galactic north and the Republic gain strength with its new military, a small mining corporation on a desolate, unmapped moon unwittingly rouse something from a deep, dreamless slumber. Near the fringes of Republic space, skimming along the edges of the massive and mysterious Ghost Nebula is a powerful presence. A being with ties to the first days of the force and an overwhelming anguish that touches nearby force users with unwelcome clarity.
It brings dreams to distant worlds of nightmarish lands and beings, touching every mind within its reach all while the vessel grows ever near to Republic space. Sometimes it takes great leaps into hyperspace, bringing it closer to its unknown goal, while other times it seems to aimlessly drift, like a ghost ship, towards the nearest inhabited world. Pirates, scavengers, and even military vessels from different independent nations have made attempts to intercept whatever the object may be, only to lose contact with the outside world and become part of its dark design.
Jedi Master Khon-Loo, a Kel Dor, has heard the call and purchased the services of a corvette with a small crew to get closer to the distressing presence that neared Republic space. As they approach, the crew--even the Jedi--begin to grow uneasy as an old monolith comes into view; one of the vessels that had been reported missing was a large freighter of ancient design, having been retrofitted to carry archeological supplies, and was now drifting aimlessly past a white dwarf star...
It brings dreams to distant worlds of nightmarish lands and beings, touching every mind within its reach all while the vessel grows ever near to Republic space. Sometimes it takes great leaps into hyperspace, bringing it closer to its unknown goal, while other times it seems to aimlessly drift, like a ghost ship, towards the nearest inhabited world. Pirates, scavengers, and even military vessels from different independent nations have made attempts to intercept whatever the object may be, only to lose contact with the outside world and become part of its dark design.
Jedi Master Khon-Loo, a Kel Dor, has heard the call and purchased the services of a corvette with a small crew to get closer to the distressing presence that neared Republic space. As they approach, the crew--even the Jedi--begin to grow uneasy as an old monolith comes into view; one of the vessels that had been reported missing was a large freighter of ancient design, having been retrofitted to carry archeological supplies, and was now drifting aimlessly past a white dwarf star...
Somewhere outside of the Ghost Nebula...
In the distance, outlined by the glow of a bright white star was a pillar of darkness: An obelisk-shaped craft with a hull of rusted metal and patchwork repairs that denoted its age. Khon-Loo furrowed his thick brow and adjusted his breathing apparatus slightly, his eyes locked upon the massive vessel as it creaked and drifted past the cockpit's view. "The hangar should be in the rear section of the ship. That, I believe, is an old YT Freighter vessel. It was once used to ferry--" Khon-Loo's voice was cut off by the pilot, a rugged, portly human man with thick stubble and a receding hairline. "I know what it is. I used to manage the bridge of one back in the day before spice mining was outlawed by the Republic. What is it doing all the way out here? Ain't no spice or mining to be done for lightyears near the Ghost Nebula." A pink-skinned Twi'lek beside him glanced over nervously, "Somethin' dun feel right, Nolan," she started. Her bright blue eyes then glanced past to Khon-Loo. "Why you out here anyway lookin' for dis junk?"
Khon-Loo almost seemed to smile. The ship gently pitched and started to come around the old freighter's rear, spying the hangar. "Mostly a matter of curiosity." A half-truth. The presence coming from that ship had indicated to him that there may very well be something of extreme value to the Republic, and to the Jedi. A Holocron. Judging by the foul presence that tried to churn his gut and unsettled the others, however, it was certainly of Sith origin. Though his 'smile' withered away when they saw the rear of the vessel. The hangar doors were wide open and within was a plethora of smaller vessels--mostly passenger ships but many fighter-like designs from various independent governments--all huddled together as if they'd smashed into the back. "Guess we're not getting in that way," Nolan remarked, giving Khon-Loo a sidelong glance. "True. This vessel should have a hatch on its port side, however. We will need to make a hard-dock, so I may enter. I need to find what I'm looking for."
"What exactly are you looking for?" The Twi'lek asked, or rather demanded. Khon-Loo offered her nothing but silence in response while the ship swung around to the port side of the freighter. "We're going in with you," Nolan said. Khon-Loo had already tried to argue the point before but gained no ground. They wanted their salvage more than their safety, it seemed. "Very well, but you must remain cautious. Old wrecks such as these may contain dangerous surprises." Khon-Loo said such with a low tone, one Nolan hadn't heard before. Yet he shrugged it off with a smile, "Caution's my middle name, Boss."
Some time later, the ship had finally secured itself against the port side hatch of the freighter. Though it took some effort to seal the ancient docking bridge and seals to its own, when it had finally finished Nolan felt a unique satisfaction with having done such without even the slightest knock to his own vessel. "That was strangely easy. These things are usually difficult to hard dock on." He remarked. Khon-Loo kept that in mind, thinking perhaps all was not as it seemed. "From this point onward we should remain vigilant. We do not know what to expect inside, there may be a band of brigands waiting for us." Nolan looked to him with a slight squint. "You reckon with all those ships we saw in the hangar that there could be pirates aboard? Didn't detect anything with the sensors." Nolan then finished fitting his air-tight suit on, along with several other members of his crew. He secured his helmet last. Khon-Loo changed nothing with the exception of a small gas canister attached to the side of his mask. It would allow him to breathe in a vacuum, or in toxic environments.
When the door to the bridge finally opened, a gust of stale air rushed into them. It was musty, like the smell of old books and mildew. A first look inside through the docking port offered nothing but darkness until the Twi'lek nearby flicked on her headlamp. She yelped at the sight that presented itself. Within were at least twelve bodies, all hung by the neck with fiber-optic cables from the ceiling of the ship. Several of them were alien, but a few were human and uniform attire with various insignias that represented an assortment of mining corporations. The human bodies were ancient, having been dead for years at the least. The aliens, however, were far fresher. Barely a few days had passed since their demise and they showed no signs of decomposition. "What in the Maw are we walking into?" Nolan quipped before the docking doors behind him and his team slammed shut with a loud bang. Everyone but Khon-Loo spun around with blasters ready, while the Jedi Master kept his eyes forward, looking past the bodies to an unlit corridor.
"The Maaaaaaw...?" A voice rang out from the darkness, soft and feminine.
Khon-Loo flipped the right side of his robe open and brandished his saber in one hand, the blade glowing a brilliant green that illuminated the entire room. In the doorway now stood a hulking figure, leaning over and covered in various rags of ancient design. The creature seemed to stare at them despite having no noticeable eyes, and it hacked and heaved with every breath. "What the hell is that!?" Nolan cried out, raising his weapon towards the creature with an untrained finger trembling upon the trigger. Khon-Loo raised his free hand to prevent Nolan from firing, crying out sharply "Do not fire! You cannot handle her. Find a way back to the ship, NOW!" The creature cackled, taking a shambling step forward through its mess of robes and rags. "Run, run little ones. Don't look back, it isn't fun. Nothing here but those that died. Nothing here but those dead eyes."
As she reached out with lanky limbs garbed in strips of ancient cloth, the others took off to either side, running past her as she lunged towards Khon-Loo. He countered with a blow down her middle that just barely missed, forcing the creature to lurch backward and scream at the top of her lungs. He was unphased, both of his hands now cradling the hilt of his saber as the blade hummed and glowed so brightly. Then she opened the front of her robes, a small spinning sphere barely the size of his own head revealed itself, levitating and spinning. "What wonderful new lights you have brought me, Force-Herald. What wonderful new toys I shall play with." She said, black spittle dripping from beneath the garments covering her face hit the ground with a hiss. "What are you?" He asked while the spinning sphere before him began to take the shape of an ancient sword.
"AM I SO EASILY FORGOTTEN!?" She screamed with rage, the bulk of the ship shaking beneath the sudden burst of force power emitted from that single cry. Then she seemed to calm as a black, wrinkled--almost mummified--hand gripped the hilt of the newly-formed blade. The other soon joined it as she leaned in close, her garbed face nearly touching the brilliant jade saber. Khon-Loo could see her face through the veil with it so close to the light. Remarkably feminine features, untainted by time but marred in black with brilliant reflective eyes stared at him. "Has the galaxy changed so much?" Her blade clashed with his, he returned the blow and words melted into actions. Nolan and the rest continued running, panic gripping their hearts as they ventured aimlessly into the depths of the dark ship, leaving the Jedi to fight his own battles. A battle that would soon quickly become their own.
Meanwhile, the freighter and all the ships it had taken suddenly began transmitting long range distress signals. Creating a chorus of chaos that was certain to attract others like wombats to a starship...
Khon-Loo almost seemed to smile. The ship gently pitched and started to come around the old freighter's rear, spying the hangar. "Mostly a matter of curiosity." A half-truth. The presence coming from that ship had indicated to him that there may very well be something of extreme value to the Republic, and to the Jedi. A Holocron. Judging by the foul presence that tried to churn his gut and unsettled the others, however, it was certainly of Sith origin. Though his 'smile' withered away when they saw the rear of the vessel. The hangar doors were wide open and within was a plethora of smaller vessels--mostly passenger ships but many fighter-like designs from various independent governments--all huddled together as if they'd smashed into the back. "Guess we're not getting in that way," Nolan remarked, giving Khon-Loo a sidelong glance. "True. This vessel should have a hatch on its port side, however. We will need to make a hard-dock, so I may enter. I need to find what I'm looking for."
"What exactly are you looking for?" The Twi'lek asked, or rather demanded. Khon-Loo offered her nothing but silence in response while the ship swung around to the port side of the freighter. "We're going in with you," Nolan said. Khon-Loo had already tried to argue the point before but gained no ground. They wanted their salvage more than their safety, it seemed. "Very well, but you must remain cautious. Old wrecks such as these may contain dangerous surprises." Khon-Loo said such with a low tone, one Nolan hadn't heard before. Yet he shrugged it off with a smile, "Caution's my middle name, Boss."
Some time later, the ship had finally secured itself against the port side hatch of the freighter. Though it took some effort to seal the ancient docking bridge and seals to its own, when it had finally finished Nolan felt a unique satisfaction with having done such without even the slightest knock to his own vessel. "That was strangely easy. These things are usually difficult to hard dock on." He remarked. Khon-Loo kept that in mind, thinking perhaps all was not as it seemed. "From this point onward we should remain vigilant. We do not know what to expect inside, there may be a band of brigands waiting for us." Nolan looked to him with a slight squint. "You reckon with all those ships we saw in the hangar that there could be pirates aboard? Didn't detect anything with the sensors." Nolan then finished fitting his air-tight suit on, along with several other members of his crew. He secured his helmet last. Khon-Loo changed nothing with the exception of a small gas canister attached to the side of his mask. It would allow him to breathe in a vacuum, or in toxic environments.
When the door to the bridge finally opened, a gust of stale air rushed into them. It was musty, like the smell of old books and mildew. A first look inside through the docking port offered nothing but darkness until the Twi'lek nearby flicked on her headlamp. She yelped at the sight that presented itself. Within were at least twelve bodies, all hung by the neck with fiber-optic cables from the ceiling of the ship. Several of them were alien, but a few were human and uniform attire with various insignias that represented an assortment of mining corporations. The human bodies were ancient, having been dead for years at the least. The aliens, however, were far fresher. Barely a few days had passed since their demise and they showed no signs of decomposition. "What in the Maw are we walking into?" Nolan quipped before the docking doors behind him and his team slammed shut with a loud bang. Everyone but Khon-Loo spun around with blasters ready, while the Jedi Master kept his eyes forward, looking past the bodies to an unlit corridor.
"The Maaaaaaw...?" A voice rang out from the darkness, soft and feminine.
Khon-Loo flipped the right side of his robe open and brandished his saber in one hand, the blade glowing a brilliant green that illuminated the entire room. In the doorway now stood a hulking figure, leaning over and covered in various rags of ancient design. The creature seemed to stare at them despite having no noticeable eyes, and it hacked and heaved with every breath. "What the hell is that!?" Nolan cried out, raising his weapon towards the creature with an untrained finger trembling upon the trigger. Khon-Loo raised his free hand to prevent Nolan from firing, crying out sharply "Do not fire! You cannot handle her. Find a way back to the ship, NOW!" The creature cackled, taking a shambling step forward through its mess of robes and rags. "Run, run little ones. Don't look back, it isn't fun. Nothing here but those that died. Nothing here but those dead eyes."
As she reached out with lanky limbs garbed in strips of ancient cloth, the others took off to either side, running past her as she lunged towards Khon-Loo. He countered with a blow down her middle that just barely missed, forcing the creature to lurch backward and scream at the top of her lungs. He was unphased, both of his hands now cradling the hilt of his saber as the blade hummed and glowed so brightly. Then she opened the front of her robes, a small spinning sphere barely the size of his own head revealed itself, levitating and spinning. "What wonderful new lights you have brought me, Force-Herald. What wonderful new toys I shall play with." She said, black spittle dripping from beneath the garments covering her face hit the ground with a hiss. "What are you?" He asked while the spinning sphere before him began to take the shape of an ancient sword.
"AM I SO EASILY FORGOTTEN!?" She screamed with rage, the bulk of the ship shaking beneath the sudden burst of force power emitted from that single cry. Then she seemed to calm as a black, wrinkled--almost mummified--hand gripped the hilt of the newly-formed blade. The other soon joined it as she leaned in close, her garbed face nearly touching the brilliant jade saber. Khon-Loo could see her face through the veil with it so close to the light. Remarkably feminine features, untainted by time but marred in black with brilliant reflective eyes stared at him. "Has the galaxy changed so much?" Her blade clashed with his, he returned the blow and words melted into actions. Nolan and the rest continued running, panic gripping their hearts as they ventured aimlessly into the depths of the dark ship, leaving the Jedi to fight his own battles. A battle that would soon quickly become their own.
Meanwhile, the freighter and all the ships it had taken suddenly began transmitting long range distress signals. Creating a chorus of chaos that was certain to attract others like wombats to a starship...
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