Ask Plot Careful Navigation

[Nykoria Tallis]

CAREFUL NAVIGATION

When Nykoria received a message that her friend Nara Allam had a line on the ship they could use, she was elated. When she learned that the ship would need to be repaired, she took it for granted—the Zeltron had no illusions that they'd something that big that easy, and in perfect condition off the bat. Even when Kori heard that the ship was on a planet called Bracca, she didn't think to ask what the catch was. Even though Nara sounded rather skeptical when mentioning that particular part. So what? I might not know what Bracca is, but it can't be that bad.

But apparently it could be even worse. Kori saw it first-hand when she first set sight on the planet: vast plains filled with rusty metallic hulks of all sizes. And all of that used to be working spaceships. Even the thought that Nara found something worthwhile in that dump seemed preposterous. But as her friends trusted in her, the Zeltron had to trust in them. After all, Nara had come to Bracca earlier, and had been working on that project for a while. She probably wouldn't have wasted all that time chasing ghosts. And now Nara needed Kori's help too...

...​

You thought that searching a scrapyard for a working ship was preposterous? Then how about going to a corvette that's dangling above a giant metal-eating maw called... Well, Ibdis Maw or something. Very original. Alas, that's the only place nearby where we have a shot at getting at least a semi-functional navigational computer. The first thing I'd do once we get a navicomp is plot a course as far away from this hole as possible.

...​

Having arrived to Bracca later than other Jedi, Nykoria quickly became her old reclusive self again. The Zeltron seemed sickened by the surroundings too. So much so that she hadn't even removed the helmet of her newly-customized flight suit ever since she set foot on the planet. Still unbeknownst to the others, Kori had more reasons than one for wearing the helmet after her return from Coruscant.

The people who were supposed to join her on the mission would find her on top of an old Imperial-I Star Destroyer hull, overlooking the Maw and the Corvette dangling above it. Having already taken in the view, the Zeltron was busy fiddling with her stun pistol, now outfitted with an ascension gun attachment.

Noticing footsteps behind her, she turned to face the people joining her. "Hey," Kori greeted them, her voice slightly rasp and distorted by the full helmet. "Looks like Nara got us the best job," she cast a quick glance at the maw and its tentacles again, before returning her attention to her companions. "Let's get this over with, shall we? An hour ago wouldn't have been a moment too soon."

@Mr. Teatime, @Topher Ridge

 

[Jago Haaldin]

Jago looked out over the vast landscape of nothing but old heaps and discarded ships and sighed as he made his way toward Kori. He wore his poncho with the hood up to protect his eyes from any of the loose dust that seemed to always fill the air here. The Nautolan had been many places in the galaxy, but this place seemed so lonely, almost like it was forgotten, despite the fact that thousands worked to break down and repurpose the ships here.

Jago would nod as he approached the Zeltron, and assumed that Hannibal would be right behind him. Kori's comment would break the silence and Jago would look to her and nod. "Yeah, this place gives me the creeps man. Sooner we can find that piece the better yeah?" He would crack his fingers and get ready to move. He assumed they'd have some climbing to do if they wanted to get at the nav computer they were here to collect. He just hoped whatever beastie was under the ship would keep to itself until they were done. Though in his short time as a Jedi ally, it was never that simple.

@Mr. Teatime @Catbert

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal stepped up the other two, having parked his swoop bike, Roxanne, somewhere back behind them. He'd chosen to don his San Se Hu armour for the mission, the RSKF holstered on his belt also featuring an ascension gun attached beneath the barrels. His Jedi belt contained the usual slew of utilitarian goodies, including its own grappling hook spool, as well as his original green-bladed lightsaber. Slung on a cross-chest strap was a pack containing various mechanic's tools for working with starships and the like, figuring he'd be the one to do the actual parts-removing. It wouldn't be the first time the Jedi Master had gutted a starship. Usually they weren't precariously perched above a ship-eating monstrosity, but y'know.

"What a mess, this place. The wasted resources of a hundred wars." He clicked his tongue in annoyance, looking over the target corvette in question from which they were to retrieve the navicomputer. Hannibal was sure this was going to be a pain. Nothing ever actually went to plan, Murphy be damned. At least it wasn't an ancient temple full of ghosts or a haunted forest this time.

"Well, shall we begin the looting? At your ready, Kori."

@Catbert @Topher Ridge

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Hannibal sure came prepared: with a suit of armor that could rival Kori's; but more importantly, with the tools for the job. That was more than could be said about the Zeltron. In her defense, she was anything but a techie, and had just arrived to the planet. The Nautolan—whose name was Jago, but which Kori had successfully forgotten after their rather brief meeting during a large gathering—seemed to be the only one of the trio dressed like a normal person. Kori had little knowledge of the Matukai, so she had her doubts if the stranger would be able to keep up with the Jedi.

"Yeah, let's get to it," the woman's the voice sizzled through the helmet. Then she turned to the side, hesitated for a moment, holstered her pistol... And leapt upwards a good few meters. Grabbing at an exposed bulkhead—first with one hand, then with both—the Zeltron Jedi pulled herself up, with some effort. Kori was still getting accustomed to the feel and the weight distribution of her new suit. Better do it now, rather than above the maw.

With an eye of a freerunner, Kori took a look around from her vantage point. It's just like Ajan Kloss alright. But with old metal instead of ground, old hulks instead of cliffs, and with a giant man-eating monster instead of a river. You just had to send me here, didn't you, Nara? Just you wait, we'll have a talk about it once I get back... Still, despite her reservations, Kori noticed a path or two that would lead them upwards, to the dangling corvette. Most importantly, they'd do so without going directly above the maw or its large tentacles. Kori couldn't stress enough how important that was.

"I think I see a good path," she spoke through the comlink, in case Hannibal and the Matukai had already rushed off. The adventurous pre-Jedi Kori wanted to offer a race to the top. However, Knight Nykoria Tallis realized that without any safeties that enterprise would be doomed to a failure. "Let's keep it slow and steady, eh? I'd hate to end up a purple stain." With that, she continued climbing her way upwards and jumped towards an adjacent hull. After a few minutes of jumping, wall-running, and cable-climbing, Nykoria finally saw what she wanted to see: a giant hull breach in the corvette's ventral side, just by the engines. "How are you doing, gentlemen? It looks like we have a way in, closer to the aft."

@Mr. Teatime, @Topher Ridge

 

[Jago Haaldin]

Jago would simply nod as the Jedi master arrived. He did take a moment to appricate Hannibal's armor however, it was as much a work of art as it was a protective measure. It was at that point that Jago realized that maybe he should've worn some type of protective gear, but he simply shook the thought and trusted in his own Matukai training to keep him clean of any toxins they might come across.

The Matukai would simply nod as Kori was ready to get underway. He watched her jump up and smiled now. The climbing should at least prove to be fun and if nothing else would help take his mind off the gaping, hungry maw beneath them. He followed the Zeltron up, the jump coming easy to him in his usual light attire. He noticed a few decent paths ahead of them as well and he would give Kori a thumbs up at her suggestion to take it slow. After Kori had set off he would follow behind on a slightly altered path on higher ground. No reason to follow her direct path and risk disturbing any loose rubble or torn metal twice. Also Jago was a bit of a free runner himself and it gave him a chance to express his own style as the trio made their way up.

His smile widened as the hopped, flipped, and climbed his way up. He would keep in sight of the other 2 Jedi as they climbed in case he slipped or needed to aid either of his allies if something happened. He would finish his climb just above Kori as he grabbed a pipe and easily dangled with his right hand holding his weight and he smiled down at Kori. "Doing great gentlelady." Jago looked ahead and into the black hole that laid beyond the twisted metal of the ships hull. "Umm so quick question....what does the computer thing we're looking for look like?" Jago would simply shrug as he remained hanging. He honestly figured he was here mostly for company as he was by far the least star ship literate of the trio. Well company and punching things if it came to it.

@Mr. Teatime @Catbert

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

The Jedi Master watched as the other two began their climb for a moment, appreciative of their athletic efforts. Then he turned back around toward his swoop bike. He was also trained in the running arts, but why bother when there was an alternative solution?

"Ego," he called out to his ID-21 droid, snapping his fingers and pointing up with his thumb. The droid floated over and latched itself to the shoulder of Hannibal's armour as he sat himself in the seat, the engine rumbling to life before settling into a quiet thrum. Steadily the bike began to rise, practically idling upwards and forward, but easily catching up to and keeping up with the two climbers. "Doin' just fine, Kori. How are you?"

He leaned forward in the seat, retrieving a holoprojector from a belt pouch, and projected an enlarged image over the front of the vehicle in Jago's general direction. "Looks like this," he replied casually to the man's question, the blued image of a detached CEC navicomputer slowly rotating in the air. "More or less, anyway. Should still be linked to the navigations console on the bridge."

@Catbert @Topher Ridge

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

You cheeky bastard! The Zeltron grinned widely under her helmet at how Hannibal cut the corners. There was no malice in her thoughts, of course. It was a more or less friendly mental nudge, hidden by the helmet from all but those who could sense the emotions of others. Meanwhile, the Nautolan demonstrated that he was more than a match for a Jedi in terms of physical abilities. Even without the hazard suit, Kori wouldn't be talking casually if she dangled above certain death on one hand. But the Matukai apparently was in his element.

"Likewise," she replied to Hannibal through the helmet. Unlike him, Kori didn't have a swoop bike of her own; and not even a ship to bring that swoop bike to Bracca. On the bright side, the Jedi Master would have his work cut out for him when it'd be time to remove the navicomputer. "And if the navicomp is linked, it won't be for much longer," Kori jumped upwards again, making a steady way towards the entry point that she had noticed earlier.

The fact that their goal was on the bridge was... troubling. The old CR90's aft side and engine block rested on the wrecked star destroyer. It was the bridge part that was extended dangerously, right over the maw. Don't worry, Purps. That ship is too big. Even if it falls, that thing won't swallow it whole... Right? The Zeltron tried to distract herself from those thoughts by continuing to climb, until eventually she would make it through the hull-breach inside the pitch-black interior of the old corvette.

In a few moments, the azure glow drove off the century-old darkness and exposed the corroded durasteel floor. The interior walls of the ship, once white, were now a mixture of grey, green, and dark brown. Even through the helmet, Kori could sense the mouldy smell. It made the purple woman sick, but she didn't switch to the closed oxygen cycle just yet. Better keep the air supplies for when it counts. I really should've considered a filter on this thing.

Either way, she was in, and hopefully her companions would be too; although Kori wondered where exactly the Jedi Master would leave his swoop bike. "Well, the floor feels much less shaky than I expected. Hannibal, care to take point to the bridge?" Realizing that her words could be perceived as a cop out, she quickly added. "I'll be by your side and give you some light while you're handling the computer." The Nautolan too had an important mission, although the Zeltron didn't announce it just yet. Someone had to help the Jedi Master carry the computer, after all.

So far, things seemed to be going well. All that was left was "find", "detach", and "leave".

@Topher Ridge, @Mr. Teatime,

 

[Jago Haaldin]

Jago laughed out as Hannibal just rolled up on his speeder. Seemed he was the master here for a reason. Not that it mattered much to Jago, he had enjoyed the exercise of making his way up to the crashed ship. He was also making a concentrated effort to not look down. The Nautolan wasn't afraid of heights by any means but it helped to not put an image to the giant monster that was underneath them.

He took a look at the holoimage of the nav computer and nodded. Shouldn't be too hard to find he figured, especially if they just needed to make their way to the bride. The bridge that was by far way to exposed over the chasm below the trio. Either way he was here to help so he swung from the pipe and kicked off a piece of wreckage to follow Kori into the interior of the ship. The stench of old mold and the droppings of no doubt thousands of various pests hit the Matukai like a punch from his old master. He could handle it but he feared the stench was only going to get worse as they made their way deeper and further from....well whatever it was that this planet called fresh air.

The glow of Kori saber filled the space around them and Jago would nod as Kori asked Hannibal to take point. "I'll get the rear then yeah? Keep the light in the center since I can see pretty well in the dark anyways." He didn't even require any force use for this, as his large black eyes naturally just absorbed more light from the surroundings. It was still dreadfully dark to him, but he could at least make out basic shapes of objects. He'd wait for Hannibal to take up position and he'd follow as they began to go deeper.

@Mr. Teatime @Catbert

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal looked down at the massive maw below the questionably suspended Corellian ship as he rose up, considering it. Sure was big, that thing. Oh well, a problem for later. The young Jedi offered a cheery wave to Kori on the way up in reply to her little ping, though as usual his own thoughts were quite indecipherable.

He stood up on his bike and walked his way into the breach behind the other two, the bike itself sitting in place with Ego at the helm. His footsteps were quiet and careful for a moment as he ascertained the relative balance of the ship. Seemed safe enough for the moment. He slipped to the front at Kori's word, slipping a glow rod from his tool bag and switching it on to properly illuminate the wreckage in clean, white light. He would never understand using a lightsaber as a flashlight.

"Yeah, sure," he responded, stepping forward through the ancient halls. The smell was certainly... something. But there were worse smells on Nar Shaddaa and the underbelly of Coruscant than a little mold, and it wasn't exactly his first time in a rotting ship. He moved at a moderate pace, cautious of any changes in balance from the ship. The three of them weren't exactly heavy, but one couldn't quite tell exactly how well this thing was balanced. Though that it hadn't fallen yet to wind, random debris, or the monster below were pretty good signs. Probably.

Even so, arriving at the bridge wouldn't take too long, assuming a lack of interruptions.

@Catbert @Topher Ridge

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

The trio would find no insurmountable obstacles on their way towards the bridge. Of course, some doors were locked and without juice—but a lightsaber would cut like through them, almost as easily as it cut through the darkness of the ship. Debris could be moved aside by using force or the Force. Any contaminants had long evaporated and vented through the holes in the hull. Only the smell remained, but it was a minor obstacle on the way to the bridge.

The bridge itself, however, was a mixed bag. On the bright side, it was... well, bright enough. The front window let in some light, illuminating the interior of a long abandoned. To think that it once was a proud vessel worthy of royalty. Now only the most ascetic of the Jedi would consider it a good enough refuge. That, or if you didn't have any choice. The good part was that the trio could see that.

The bad part also existed. It was called the Ibdis Maw, and the corvette was tilted slightly toward it, just outside the reach of the tendrils, and with a nice view on the ancient organism itself. The ship could be stable, and the maw definitely wasn't large enough to swallow it whole in one go; but still, staring at the danger at all times didn't add up to Kori's confidence. She turned away from the window and started inspecting the bridge, illuminating her path with the saber. Eventually, she'd spot something similar to what Hannibal had shown her on the hologram: "I think I found it!"

Without the power, there was no way to tell if the computer worked. But that thing was their best shot in the hemisphere, so it was worth a try. There computer's casing was old and dusty, but didn't seem damaged. All that remained was to detach the device and take it back to the Jedi corvette. No scavengers or even mynocks to write home about. For the time being, the Jedi would be left undisturbed, and could probably detach the computer without issue. Things were going well. Maybe even too well...

???, @Topher Ridge, @Mr. Teatime

 

[Curse]

Things were going better then she could have possibly imagined. It had taken all day, and enough effort to nearly wear out her power cell completely. But she had done it. Curse had gathered every cannister of fuel in a two mile radius and painstakingly brought and placed them within the star destroyer's decrepit hangar bay. If her calculations were correct, the explosive force should be enough to shear the abandoned capital ship clean in two.

//Eat your heart out Mandalorian.// The little Pistoeka chittered to herself as she used the last cannister to create a trail of fuel leading away from the highly flammable pile. She needed to give herself enough of a time frame to escape the blast radius of course. //My DeMoLiTiOn Is ArT.// She mockingly repeated a phrase her crewmate Minerva liked to use to feign superiority in the field of senseless destruction. //Organics think they can do my job better than me. You can't beat good programming! Let's see her answer to this.// Curse dropped the empty cannister and ignited her plasma torch. //Calculating... 48.6 seconds to chain reaction? Plenty of time... Probably...// Without giving it any more thought the buzz droid lit the fuel trail alight and turned to flee, cackling maniacally as she went.

__________________________________________________
​

Those onboard the corvette would be interrupted rather suddenly by the deafening sound of a massive explosion. Those not prepared would be thrown to the floor by the force as the center of the star destroyer the ship was perched on suddenly blasted open. A great cloud of fire and smoke erupted into the air, and durasteel screeched in despair as it tried uselessly to maintain the weight of the cruiser's bow. As the front half of the cruiser began to buckle and it's angle increased, the corvette would start to slide forward before falling off of the star destroyer and straight into the waiting jaws of the Ibdis Maw. Those enormous tentacles now wrapped around the ship they were all inside and dragged it towards massive gnashing teeth. The Jedi and Matukai would be given an excellent view of the black void of the Maw through the corvette's bridge viewport as the creature began chewing on the ship. With the bridge around them already starting to come apart from the efforts of the ravenous Maw, and with hunks of burning metal raining down from the sky, this whole place had suddenly become a death trap. They had to find a safe way out, and quick.

(OOC: As per Catbert's request, Curse is here to make your thread more exciting. You're Welcome!)
@Catbert @Topher Ridge @Mr. Teatime

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

For a few minutes, the Jedi on the bridge of the derelict corvette were left to themselves. Was that enough time to detach a navicomputer? It better had to be; otherwise their prize could very well end up in someone's belly.

Nykoria was left almost unprepared for the explosion. The only thing she had sensed before the event was the overwhelming desire to get away from the corvette. The Zeltron attributed it to the sight of the Maw and didn't give it much thought. But then... The thunderous roar of the explosion dumbfounded the Jedi. The entire corvette shifted: the previous moment's floor was steadily becoming a wall; and the viewport of the bridge was now a glass floor, with an even better view at the monstrosity beneath it, and its giant teeth. However, Kori didn't even have the time to enjoy the view as she slid down on her rear towards the viewport with a somewhat muttered: "Oooooooooh, KRIFF!..." The "kriff" followed when she landed with a loud thud of a Zeltron landing on the transparisteel. Face right on it, to see what was going on down below.

The good news was that the ship was indeed too big for the maw. Even the bridge itself wouldn't quite fit. The bad news was that the maw didn't care. Like a dog that got too much food for its own good, the giant mouth simply grabbed its derelict metallic snack with the tendrils and kept it suspended vertically. Meanwhile, the teeth started working on the bow of the corvette; which included the bridge. The durasteel groaned, pierced in various areas. At that rate, the bridge would be crushed soon. And then all the other areas of the ship.

Needless to say, Kori didn't lie and wait for it to happen. She jumped up as soon as she gazed into the abyss. After hurriedly reaching for her blaster on the hip, she switched the firing control to the ascension gun attachment and fired upwards, through the hole in the ceiling that once used to be a door. As the magnetic clamp secured itself, the Zeltron looked around to see where the rest of her companions were. "We need to get out of here! Anyone needs a ride?" However, it could be the navicomputer needed a ride more than most.

@Topher Ridge, @Mr. Teatime

 

[Jago Haaldin]

Things seemed to be going smoothly as they worked their way toward the bridge. Only the sounds of a few scampering rodents and the sound of Kori's lightsaber broke the stifling silence of the ruined ship. The quite walk gave Jago time to think about what his place was going to be here among the Jedi. He wasn't one of them, that was for sure. He knew none of them would say anything, but he knew most of them considered him an oddity. A strange man from a strange order, that most of them had never even heard of. He guessed that was one of the main reasons he was here, on this mission and more broadly; helping the Guardians toward their goals. He wanted to show them that the Matukai were a tradition worth being saved. That his people could be just a valuable to the galaxy and to history as the Jedi or Sith.

His thoughts came to an abrupt end as they made their way through the door into the bridge. This deep in a thick layer of mold and dust covered the equipment and various consoles splayed across the bridge. He'd let Hannible get to work and keep a look out for anything more dangerous than a few critters. This was the only reason Jago was even slightly prepared for what was coming. He felt he explosion before he heard or saw the result. A sudden vibration under his feet was the only heads up that something was amiss. The vibration was followed swiftly by the thunderous noise of the explosion came next and after that a blur of motion as the ship came loose and plummeted toward the maw.

Years of training and experience saved Jago from sliding down with Kori. A bit of luck as well since he just happened to stand next to one of the many consoles that were arrayed around the bridge. He quickly grabbed hold of one to his right and held on for dear life as the ship sank down until a nasty wet thud resounded through the bridge. The Maw had them and it was hungry, it didn't seem to much care that the ship was too big. Jago already didn't like being on ships much so the sound of metal crunching and screeching around the trio didn't much put the Nautolan at ease.

Kori's grapple line shot passed Jago on his left and he looked down....why the hell did he look down. The viewport was filled with the sight of pink undulating flesh and darkness beyond. He heard Kori shout about getting out and he couldn't agree more. "Yeah I'll be ok, don't trust that line to hold all 3 of us, just go I'll be right beside you yeah!" He fell into the force then, letting the light flow through his being. He clambered up to another piece of equipment and began to make his way swiftly toward the hallway, now vertical shaft, and hopefully escape.

@Mr. Teatime @Catbert

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Being in a corvette falling into the hungry maw of a massive junk beast was not something Hannibal would have put on the list of things he wished he had prior experience of, but about now he'd have liked a little something, y'know? But Hannibal was a little stubborn and he had work to do, so.

Plan B. Maximum effort.

The corvette quickly began to lean forward and Hannibal fell forward toward the front of the bridge- on purpose- turning his body mid-fall and drawing his lightsaber and blaster, glow rod forgotten in the fall. He slowed his fall with the Force, bending his knees to land near where the navicomputer should be. With a snap-hiss and a flash of green he ignited his blade and thrust it into the top of a console, quickly burning a chunk out of the aging, half-rusted metal where the main navicomputer should be. He risked shorting it or otherwise damaging it with heat, but repairing it was a lot easier than finding another one.

Choosing swiftness over being too careful about it, he looked up and fired his ascension gun upwards through the open hallway door past Kori, replaced his hilt on his belt, and began to rise up. The fingers of his left hand curled as he ascended and looked back down, arm pulled hard, the Force wrapping around the chunk of metal he'd mostly freed from what kept it attached to the bridge controls. With a wrenching squeal of metal on metal it pulled free under his telekinetic influence and flew up along just below him toward the open hallway entrance.

"Kori, help me with this," The Jedi Master instructed, managing to maintain concentration through the bridge steadily being crushed by the pit's slavering maw, eventually clambering around the edge of the door and pulling the chunk of metal onto his right shoulder. It wasn't terribly large since he'd given the cut extra space for safety, but it was still a chunk of metal and was just a little awkward.

"We should probably leave now, yes?" he said calmly over comms followed by a quick double-click to alert Ego of their general status, the little droid having already moved the swoop bike away from the falling corvette. The group would need to exit quickly through the halls, and he didn't particularly feel the desire to run directly upwards through vertical hallways.

"Nearby escape pods should work."

@Catbert @Topher Ridge

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

"Got it!" the Knight replied to the Master's request. As Hannibal lifted the severed navicomputer with the Force, the Zeltron engaged the winch on the gun and started her own ascension. Right hand extended, she held on to the prize as well, making sure that it wouldn't fall into a very hungry and very distracting by-the-Force-why-did-I-have-to-look-at-it-again maw.

Getting off the devoured bridge has bought the Jedi a minute or so. Enough time to help Hannibal secure the device in question and talk strategy survival. The only correct answer to Hannibal's question was an anxiously-enthusiastic "Yes!" The suggestion about the escape pods was sound. If they didn't work, they could at least be ejected with the Force to open some sort of a passage. They could also provide protection from the rain of fiery metal and debris outside.

"As long as the pod gets us far enough away from that thing, I'm in!" Nykoria used the time to recharge her ascension gun, in case she'd need it again. She probably would, as using the bridge escape pods was inadvisable anyway. They must've served as a snack for the ravenous creature already. Like it or not, the Jedi needed to get to higher ground. "Even if they don't work, we'll just levitate them outside, with ourselves on board."

The Zeltron turned to the Nautolan, whose name she still didn't remember, especially in this commotion. "I'll help Hannibal. Scout up ahead for a hatch or an escape pod, try to get inside. We'll be right behind you!" The plan was for the Matukai adept to use his superior freerunner skills and prepare the escape route, while the Jedi would levitate or carry the navicomputer.

It was a gamble sure; but anything was at that point. Hopefully, when Jago found and opened the hatch or the escape pod, the Jedi wouldn't be far behind, and would be ready to leave that blasted munching toy. Kori had every intention to see to that, even if it meant levitating each other with the Force.

@Topher Ridge, @Mr. Teatime

 

[Jago Haaldin]

Jago simply nodded at Kori's suggestion. He let the force flow through his being and began to scramble his way ahead of the 2 Jedi, his hands found whatever hand holds they could in what used to be the floor of the ship. The metal crunched around him as he made his way up, a reminder that time was quickly running out.

He lifted himself up onto the ledge of what used to be a door way and quickly scanned the climb ahead of him. Most of the panels along the walls were blasted out, or just empty, good he'd have good handholds at least. From his position it was a bit difficult to tell but it looked like the closest escape pods were in the next hallway, several feet above him. His hand found a hold in a alcove and he smoothly pulled himself up and grabbed a loose panel. As soon as his feet were planted he kicked off and jumped up and back, he twisted in mid-air to grab hold of the next hand hold. So far so good.

A sudden jolt rocked the ship again and he looked down to see the bridge, or at least what used to be the bridge. It was now consumed by the maw and all the filled the doorway below was more pink undulating flesh. He imagined it would take quite awhile to be digested by the maw, something he really didn't want to find out about personally.

He quickened his pace and used the force to jump up the last 6 or so feet to the escape pod. He didn't know his Jedi companions' location so he just shouted out as he clung to the wall. "Ok I'm here....ugh isn't looking too good guys!" The panel was corroded with fungus and rust, but he gave it a try anyway. After a few presses the panel lit up, but then sparked and died again. "The panel's out! I don't know maybe we can bypass it, but I'm no good for that! Maybe we can just force the door open between the 3 of us yeah!" The ship lurched again and Jago could feel the ship sinking again as the Maw continued it's relentless devouring of the vessel. Whatever they were to do, it needed to happen fast.

@Catbert @Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal chuckled good-naturedly at Kori's enthusiastic response. It was understandable given the circumstances of course, but he found something about it funny nonetheless. He looked up at the hall that had become something more like a tunnel and took a deep breath, allowing the Force to flow into and through him. He was no Matukai, this was certain, but he didn't advocate for his particular training schedule without reason.

"Right behind you," he told Jago over the comm line, bending his knees and jumping upward and at an angle toward the hallway wall, the Force lifting him up as he went. His boots met a foothold in the wall, exhale, inhale, jump, repeat, bouncing up the hall until he landed heavily in the same area Jago had just leapt to. He approached the door and examined it briefly, tilting his helmeted head.

"Door locks are simpler than consoles. Kori, Jago, pull it open," he said with the same icy calm as the last set of instructions, left hand raising up and pressing into the door. Most ships used a more or less standard set up for locking doors in place, but in this case Hannibal had determined their set up from the schematics he'd studied. Electric energy briefly sparked from his fingers into the metal of the door, shorting out the conduits and allowing him to physically release the locks with the Force. It was a more brute-force method than he generally preferred for opening doors, but it was also faster and took less concentration. The three of them were on a schedule, after all.

@Catbert @Topher Ridge

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Of course, the panel was out. It was a derelict ship, after all. What should Kori have expected? That things would go her way for once? Fat chance! Instead of competing with the Jedi Master and the Matukai—which she was perfectly capable of—the Zeltron just aimed her reloaded ascension gun and fired again. She'd need to save her strength for what was coming next.

The winch got her to Jago and Hannibal, admittedly a few seconds later. Just in time to see her colleague unlocking the door of the escape pod. Good trick, got to keep it in mind. All that remained was to get the door open, get inside, and somehow get the pod off the ship and away from the maw. Once that was done, the prize would be theirs.

When Hannibal ordered to open the door, the Knight complied. A part of her wanted to use telekinesis—a shift from her previous preference of using her hands and lightsaber—but she'd need every ounce of her strength for the escape. That's why she simply grabbed one of the door wings with both hands (the blaster got holstered, and there was no time to reload the ascension gun).

"On it!" she raised her voice, as the door wing started sliding to the side... painfully slow. Her physical training was put to the test. As much as Kori wanted to save strength, the Force coursed through her arms to lend her strength and offer the second wind and the final push that she so desperately needed. Once the passage was wide enough (hopefully, with Jago's help), Nykoria would let the Nautolan and the Jedi Master get in first; only then would she enter the escape pod, and steadying herself for what was to come.

Spoiler: OOC

It seems that the thread is coming to an end. Feel free to wrap up the thread this round, if you'd like.
@Topher Ridge, @Mr. Teatime

 

[Jago Haaldin]

Jago smiled as Hannibal unlocked the panel. So many neat tricks these guys had. It was another moment that Jago wondered if he'd been a bit too single-minded in his martial training, but as the ship once again lurched he put the thought aside to focus on the moment. The Jedi master held the navicomputer and Jago happily went to work on the suggested action of prying the door open, a task right in his wheel house. He planted his feet as best he could on the constantly shifting ship and hooked his fingers into the door panel.

With his and Kori's effort it didn't take long for the door to slide open, with Jago's own physical l conditioning only requiring a minute amount of force energy to slide the door back. Once it was wide enough to fit the trio and the somewhat bulky navicomputer through Jago would motion for Hannibal to enter first, physically helping him load in the navicomputer. He'd follow and help Kori in.

"Alright...um punch it?" Jago had little idea of how these things worked, and kinda just started to hit a few buttons. The panels inside lit up, ready for use. It confused the Matukai at first, but it would make since that an escape pod would have it's own power source in the event of a ship failure. After a moment either Kori or Hannibal would find the control to launch the pod and it would rocket forth from it's birth in the ship.....door still open. Jago held on for dear life as the pod tumbled away, with one final image through the door of the Maw as it consumed the hall they had only seconds before been in.

@Catbert @Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

With the Jago's help the young Master made his way into the pod and placed the still hot edge cut edge of the console chunk in the corner of the escape pod somewhere. He looked around, noticed Jago hitting buttons after he'd gotten in, briefly paused to appreciate the Matukai's sense of urgency, grabbed hold of the nearest wall-mounted handhold, planted a boot and the Force on the navicomputer, and sent a brief series of clicks through his commlink.

"We should probably brace for a shit landing, friends," he announced almost cheerfully.

Then the pod launched away from the ship, the jarring sensation nearly ripping him from his handhold. He was pretty sure his arms were going to be sore the next from this mess, no doubt. Almost immediately after the pod launched the proximity sensors triggered the descent jets to jar them yet again, at which point Hannibal reached his free hand toward the front of the pod and began to focus his will there in an attempt to slow their speed. He pulled against the ship's forward momentum, but it wasn't something he could do with great oomph on his own.

@Catbert @Topher Ridge