Ask [Dagobah] A Knee-Deep Expedition

[Mikko Falco]

Objective: Plant local probe droids by the caves that hold Dawn of Dagobah crystals.
​

An inexperienced Jedi, even a Knight, could easily become lost in the treacherous landscape of Dagobah. This lesson echoed in Mikko's mind as soon as he had landed on the planet that was familiar to him only by teachings. It was even more overwhelming in person to see the mysterious network of roots and vines that shrouded the land in darkness. Not to mention the stink of the swamps and trails of unknown creature muck dripping all around the place. He knew he couldn't let the nerves get to him. It will take only a single moment of disorientation for him to get thrown off his path and never find it again. But the task isn't meant to take long, and he would not be alone.

He stayed close to the X-Wing for now, allowing his senses to adjust in shadowy world. On his own he could tell how it was pure with the Force, yet heavily corrupted by the dark side. Everything around him was tangled together, wholly connected by nature. And yet when he tried to reach out and see farther through the Force, he was met by a wall of fog in all directions. Just before frustration grew, an obnoxious metallic tapping pulled Mikko's gaze back to the starfighter.

A pair of Prowler 1000's tap-danced off the nearby wing and joined him on the ground. Their legs folded up, leaving disk-shaped bodies that could be mounted with one's gear. They were small and unarmed, but the two crab-like droids were perfectly suited for the mission. It was simple — the Prowlers would transmit information if they scout any disturbances within the caves that hold crystals known as the Dawn of Dagobah. Unfortunately they were old-fashioned short-ranged probe droids, which meant that their group will have to navigate the planet's surface to properly station them.

"I must wait for them," he muttered to the droids, though mostly to himself. He wasn't well-acquainted with his incoming companions, but it relaxed him to know that there would be a somewhat older Jedi Knight in the group. While he had been on solo missions before, they weren't in this type of environment. The group and his own training were the most he could think of to keep up the blaze of hope inside him. All will be well, despite the itching feeling that something was watching him from beyond the reach of his senses. Mikko took a deep breath, watching the thick jungle fully alert, as he waited.

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

Jungles hated him but Crix was really hoping that swamps didn't count as jungles so they would be much less likely to try and kill him - he got enough of that through the jungles and he really didn't need to add another biome to his 'avoid' list. Arriving in his VCV-100 had proven to be all but impossible so, instead, he had 'parked' and locked his ship in orbit and taken the auxiliary fighter that came with the freighter. Even with his terrible piloting skills, it was easy to land with such a small ship.

Landing on the planet had made his senses come alive within the Force as he was suddenly assaulted from all sides by the busy-ness that came with a planet that was utterly filled with living beings. None were intelligent beyond a kind of feral cunning but he wasn't about to underestimated them because of that - he'd over-estimated plenty of people's intelligence by assuming that they had any after all.

Following the mechanical readings of a ship's IFF tags, he made his way through the thick undergrowth of the swamp. At only a few points did he have to give in and use his lightsaber to cut through some of the plants in his way. A lot he was able to walk around but some was just impenetrable without the use of the wicked blade.

"They're a twitchy breed, aren't they?" he called out to Mikko as he approached, gesturing to the probe droids as he extinguished his lightsaber blade, "Crix Aran - don't believe we've met."

@Iyan @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

Finding a good landing spot for his light courier was tough business in this swamp-covered planet, let alone doing the actual landing itself. And while he somehow made it work – a blessing by the Force, perhaps, or just sheer dumb luck – Haldir wouldn't be surprised if he returned to find the Kogitsunemaru getting claimed by the bog.

The Arkanian Offshoot never really had too many complaints about life, but being bombarded by the life that was teeming all around him made him somewhat wish that the Force had a temporary off switch. A funny thought to entertain as he made his way forward, following the same mechanical readings of a ship's IFF tags a certain half-Zabrak did. It was hot and humid, all the more made unbearable by his typical black clothing and the bandages concealing his face. Giving in to the temptation while still free from another sentient's prying gaze, Haldir pulled down the black bandages to free the lower half of his face.

Maybe I should've forgone wearing all these shit now, mused the Knight as he made his way through the wetlands, minding his footing along the way. It's not like they're lifting off my status in the family as disowned already. Why bother sticking to their teachings, their principles, really?

The simple answer was he couldn't. The much more complicated one?

His brothers never cast a vote each, so the status was only in favor of his delightfully wonderful parents. His clan, despite its size, prided itself on it's perceived complexity and the anonymity it possessed.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why he chose to return to the Jedi Order.

On his way to where his companions were waiting for him, Haldir had been accosted not just by the wildlife but also the local flora as well. He'd left an unconscious animal here, a bramble cut apart by his lightsaber there. By the time he found his fellow Knights the Arkanian's temper was finally recovering from a particularly annoying plant that had clung to his clothing. The bandages were back to fully concealing his face, and he was prepared to sign a greeting when he caught sight of a familiar face.

"Knight Falco," Haldir said by way of greeting. "I'm honored to meet you. And it's been a while, Knight Aran," he continued, using Poet's voice like he did when he first met Crix on Dxun, and tipped his cap to the young half-Zabrak. "Congratulations."

@Iyan @Nefieslab

 

[Mikko Falco]

The humming of Crix Aran's fighter broke through the natural silence below. Through the thick vines, Mikko could barely spot it during its landing. When the humming had died down, he waited for a few minutes for the pilot to appear. When they didn't, Mikko started moving to the area it had landed on. It was highly likely that the pilot was one of his fellow Jedi; still he kept a hand close to the handle of his lightsaber in case he finds himself mistaken. He was only a few feet away from the starfighter when he realized that his surroundings were blocked by webs of vines. So he got to work, getting them out of the way to open new paths ahead. He found that some could easily be pulled away with his bare hands, while others required a few cuts by a lightsaber blade.

As soon as the he made a good enough opening to the clearing he was waiting in, he saw a figure coming down — lighting the path with their own blade. Mikko looked up and exhaled as he approached, deducing that this could be Crix Aran based on the man's Zabrak features. Soon enough, the Half-Zabrak confirmed it himself. Mikko extended a hand out to Crix when they came face to face.

"No, we haven't." At most he could gauge that they were close in age and may have passed each other by during their Padawan days. "Mikko Falco." A relieved smile appeared on his face when he introduced himself. Before he could mention the third member of their group, his eyebrows raised to something that scratched at his senses. In the small radius that he felt with the Force, he felt an aura that resisted against the overwhelming nature around them. When he turned his gaze to the left, he saw the figure fully covered in black.

Mikko recognized the older Jedi Knight from their database, noting the peculiar outfit that reminded him of military officers. He wondered what was behind those bandages that concealed his face, but wouldn't dare to ask during their first meeting. If Haldir Eressëa's fashion sense didn't catch one off guard, his height will. He towered even more than a foot higher than the young Jedi, who made sure not to get too close or else his neck will break soon from all its craning.

"It's an honor to be in your company, both of you," he genuinely said in return. "I hope your landings weren't too rough." While Haldir greeted Crix, Mikko attended to a datapad that connected with the probe droids. A grid map was displayed on the screen. On the upper right quadrant was an unmoving green dot that signified where they would be going. On the left was a blue dot that blinked every...eight seconds, Mikko counted. Though it meant little for their current task, he decided he would explain that part to them on the way. Just in case.

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

See the Galaxy and meet new people - that had been a recruitment promise of pretty much any organisation throughout Galactic history. Since he had joined up with the Jedi Order, Crix had to admit that they had done their best to ensure that he got a chance to do both of those things. Crix grinned and raised his hand in a greeting close to a salute but not quite.

"Good seeing you Mikko." he greeted the now named Knight with a wide grin, already showing his lack of formality, "We waiting on someone, right? Who did you...?"

He paused, sensing a familiar presence a few seconds before Haldir emerged from the undergrowth. The half-zabrak sighed in a rather exaggerated fashion tinged with a small amount of fondness that was clearly heard as well.

"Haldir we've talked about this - you don't have the arse to be using that voice." he joked before nodding, "But thanks. Trials might not be in style or even required anymore but I feel like they worked out well for me."

Turning back to Mikko, Crix focused on the datapad that the first knight had with him. From what he could see, it seemed to be a grid map with a dot that was available. He wasn't sure if that was their destination or just a marker that Mikko was using but he could assist. He tapped on his own datapad as they began walking.

"I have a ship up in low orbit - if you grant me access I can route it's own scanning data to your datapad." he offered, "Get a view of the physical area from above."

Even as he was speaking his eyes were searching the local area - not for anything in particular so much as he was very aware that jungles didn't like him. Whenever he thought he was going to be alright, they tended to throw things at him that would try and eat him.

@Forsythe Crowholde @Iyan

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

The corners of Haldir's lips tugged upwards in a genuine smile at Crix's joke. The Knight offered Mikko a respectful nod first before shifting his focus back at the half-Zabrak, gloved hands rising to chest level and signing,

"I'll stick with this, then?" he joked back, still smiling underneath the cover of his bandages. "I guess I have the arse to be doing this instead of using Poet's voice."

The Trials did work out fine in Crix's favor, observed the Arkanian Knight. Haldir had always been privy of the Padawans' progress since his return from the Jedi Order, and while most who have progressed to Knighthood skipped the traditional Trials there were still some like Crix who chose to partake on them. He'd heard tell of another Padawan who was quite close to facing their own Trials, and the Knight hoped that things would go well for them like they did with the half-Zabrak.

Haldir did not know if Mikko could understand sign language, and he would not assume that the younger Knight did. The heat and humidity was starting to get to him once again, however, and he was feeling less inclined to speak through the bandages covering his face. He shoved aside the irritation he felt – there was no need to think of the family who imposed this strict rule of face concealment. Crix already knew what he looked like but Mikko didn't, and Haldir wasn't too enthused about showing his face again this soon. At least not yet.

He approached Mikko, lightly tapping him once on the shoulder and would sign again once he caught the latter's attention. A gloved hand gestured at the grid map, one finger pointing at the green dot. Pale blue gaze flickered to the other dot, but that was not his current concern.

"Is that our destination?" asked the Arkanian Knight, head tilting a little to the side as he watched the blinking dot this time. He hoped that Mikko could understand his signed question, and if the younger Knight couldn't Haldir would turn to Crix expectantly. The half-Zabrak understood the Arkanian back on Dxun, but Haldir wasn't sure if Crix would be amused or annoyed to be playing the role of translator during the expedition.

@Iyan @Nefieslab

 

[Mikko Falco]

After their little conversation about some...voice, the other two Jedi were standing on Mikko's sides, all eyes on the datapad. He didn't have the time to get to know the two, but he figured that'll be saved for when they're out of this swamp world. So he went on with the task at hand. Crix's offer brightened him up a bit — an overhead view of their path would certainly make things easier.

"It can? That'd be perfect. Here..." he tapped around his own datapad to give access to the Zabrak's ship. When the access was confirmed, he gave Crix a small nod. The ship's scanners would certainly make the group feel safer down here.

The tap on his shoulder almost made Mikko jump, but it turned out to be Haldir. Though this time the Arkanian didn't speak and instead used hand signs to communicate. He narrowed his eyes at the much taller Knight who was speaking just earlier. Maybe it has something to do with the voice they were on about? None of it made sense from the younger Jedi's perspective. At the least, he could tell that Haldir was inquiring about the dots on the screen.

"This one..." Mikko pointed to the green dot first, the one that was stationary. "...is our destination. The last probe droid that the Jedi left on Dagobah sent an alert right around that area. Means someone was in the crystal caves we're going to now. But the droid was damaged after the alert, and didn't send any more info." He knew that it was unlikely for a random creature to trigger the original droid. It wouldn't have reacted to creatures that weren't foreign to those particular caves. Though whatever they might find there, it's not going to be friendly.

He briefly looked to the two probe droids on the ground near them. "These guys are tricky though. Even when they look destroyed, they might be able to send info and signals." He then gestured to the blinking dot. "That's the original droid, still signaling its current location. It has a little delay. Never mind it, the droid's pretty much down for the count. These guys will replace it."

With a few extra taps on his datapad, the two probe droids popped out of their disk-like forms and raced towards Mikko. The first one hopped onto his back, attaching itself to an upper body harness. Almost like a backpack. The second one went in circles between the group. It seemed uncertain about where it would mount itself after its partner snatched the only spot. Eventually, it found itself at Crix's feet. Meanwhile, Mikko looked up at Haldir to check if he got the answers he needed.

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

Connecting his own datapad to Mikko's offered sensor data, he communicated with Sebastian and Red Lancer up in the ship in low orbit. Sebastian sent a sarcastic text message back but Crix noted that it did contain an acknowledgement of the request and it was only a few seconds later that they were able to see the greens and browns of the swamp overlaying their new projected maps. One of the handy things was that this allowed them to see what routes might be best for reasons aside from distance from point a to b.

He gestured to a rather large river between them and their intended destination.

"We've got a river that's wider here but narrower just slightly further back." he explained, "Just so we don't need to discover what underwater nasties we have on this planet."

He rolled his eyes slightly in fondness as Haldir before signing back.

You're an Arse. Just pick a voice - just not Poet's and not Willa's, would you?

Willa's voice from Haldir would be even stranger than Poet's. He nodded to Mikko after his explanation and started in the direction that their shared maps suggested was the best way to actually arrive at point b. Point b being one of the adorable little droids that someone had thoughtlessly slaughtered - not something Crix ever agreed with personally.

"Don't mind Haldir - he's got terrible accents but he knows what we're doing." he assured Mikko as he cut through some thick undergrowth, "What about you Mikko? Tell us about yourself - we've got a little time before we need to focus up."

Crix knew when to focus up, even if some people he knew doubted that he ever did. Part of his training with Hans had been about learning when to be flippant for good, when you were scared and, on occasion, when to just focus up and get the job done. Judging by the scans, they might be walking into one of those cases right now.

@Iyan @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

Oblivious to the stare Mikko gave him, Haldir's gaze remained on the datapad the younger Knight was holding. The first and only time he had been to Dagobah was during his earlier days as a Padawan. His Master was the adventurous sort, always taking the Arkanian Offshoot places not just to teach him but also to get any positive reactions out of him. He knew that Rudra only meant well, but the first time Haldir set foot on the planet his patience was put to the test, what with his Master catching him off guard by playfully dousing him in swamp water and mud.

The Knight blinked in surprise at the sudden flash of memories long gone, and subtly shook his head once almost wistfully. With a grateful nod for the answered inquiry Haldir stepped away and gave the probe droids a cursory look. Beneath the cover of his bandages his gaze swept their immediate surroundings surreptitiously. Catching the signs Crix sent his way and the assurance he gave Mikko lit the Arkanian Knight's face with a small but rather mischievous smile.

Him, an arse? That was kind of true – no reason to refute that, eh?

Following his fellow Knights and letting himself fall back to guard the rear, Haldir mentally went over the voices he could use other than Poet's. He had no intention of "stealing" Willa's voice, and doing that to Crix's would either exasperate or creep out the half-Zabrak. And besides it would take him a week or two at most to practice and get the nuances, accents, and speech patterns of someone whose voice he was copying. Brushing some vines and a leaf or two that ended up sticking to his hat and bandages, Haldir cleared his throat once before speaking once more.

He really didn't want to verbally communicate right now, but he pushed aside his discomfort and instead gave consideration to the Knight he had just met today.

Since this planet reminds me of you, then why not use yours, Master Rudra?

"Now I do know what we're doing here," he stated plainly, but a hint of a joke laced his former Master's voice – a light, easygoing tone that was both open and friendly, a contrast to the appearance of the speaker himself. It was Rudra Severino's voice when the days were kinder, when Haldir was content with being the Morellian's Padawan. "And I agree with Crix– ah, shit–"

A vine snake fell unceremoniously on Haldir's left shoulder, catching the Knight by surprise. Before the poor, bewildered creature could decide to either bite of hiss threateningly at the Arkanian Offshoot, Haldir had already carefully wrapped a gloved hand around the snake's neck to dissuade it from attacking. The snake's body coiled around the Knight's wrist defensively, and instead of shaking the creature off of him Haldir instead pushed calm into its mind. Passing by a branch hanging low he paused for a moment to free the snake before resuming on their trek.

"I hate snakes," the Knight deadpanned before another slithered and wove between his booted feet.

@Iyan @Nefieslab

 

[Mikko Falco]

The ship's overhead feed turned out to be a good idea. It looks like Crix has already used it to find a safer path than the one that was right in front of them. So they began following that route instead.

"Nice work." His acknowledgement was almost a whisper, just enough for Crix to hear. Though the terrain map may have helped his feeling of unease down here, Mikko decided to stay as cautious as he was before. The swamp was unpredictable even with the Force as his ally. Crix's attempt at better introductions was brushed wasn't something he was interested in for now.

"This isn't the time," he replied to the younger Jedi's questions with a tone that contrasted Crix's easygoing spirit. It wasn't that he didn't want to know his fellow Jedi. But the fog was getting thicker as they followed the path, and Mikko was almost certain that he saw a glimmer of movement above.

Behind him, Haldir was talking again, this time with a new voice. He then wondered if this was the Arkanian's true voice. Before he could think any more about it, something interrupted the Arkanian mid-sentence. Mikko instantly turned around to find a vine snake in Haldir's grip. It seems that it had already been dealt with, until he spotted a second creature at Haldir's feet.

Slowly, Mikko lowered into a crouch, giving the warning to Haldir in response. "Then you should probably stay still for a moment..." He had seen the Arkanian's effect on the first creature earlier, it barely resisted against influence. But it wouldn't be helpful if somebody stepped on its tail. Sure enough, Mikko found little resistance as he reached out through the Force.

Cold. Danger. He easily found what the vine snake felt. In return, he sent feelings of peace, calmness. It slithered away from Haldir's feet and found its way to Mikko instead. But it was no longer a threat to the Knight. Mikko stood straight, eyes on the snake by his feet. For once, he found something that he liked on Dagobah. Not vine snakes — but creatures he could connect with. Though he knew it wouldn't work on everything they might come across. Still, it was something.

"Come on. Don't worry about it." Though he looked up to the two other Jedi after speaking, it almost looked like the invitation was for the creature by his feet.

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

Well Crix wasn't going to push for his backstory but he understood that Mikko probably felt like they needed to focus on up as quickly as possible. Crix didn't disagree so much as he was of the opinion that they could do both if they put their minds to it. Hopefully their styles of Jedi-dom didn't clash too much but, hey, Crix wasn't going to claim there was a clash over the first time they didn't act all buddy buddy.

So he shrugged but nodded and accepted Mikko's point before deciding to focus up a bit more himself. Not that anyone who didn't know him better would be able to tell - he was still smiling and still going ahead with the same easy energy. It would take someone knowing him to know that it was a mask he wore when he was being very serious.

Crix would have to admit to not having any issues with snakes either way but that was fine - Crix had his issues with spiders rather than snakes or anything else. Too many legs and eyes, ick. He moved on ahead carefully, leaving the two other Jedi to keep the snakes from attacking. The young Jedi managed to avoid a couple vine snakes himself by noticing them early thanks to knowing they were in the area.

That meant he reached the river first.

It was wide enough that it would take a Jedi-level running leap to make it across but, thankfully there was a fallen tree that crossed the river. He eyed it for a moment before speaking up.

"This tree didn't fall." he remarked, pointing to the base of the tree across the river, which was blackened, "It was felled."

His good cheer was still there in force but it didn't take much to notice how much tighter he was keeping control over the Force.

"I'm going to cross while focusing on keeping the tree steady - watch the treeline for me?"

With that said, Crix would begin the slow and steady walk over the river.

@Forsythe Crowholde @Iyan

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

He felt like a child on an expedition he never experienced as he watched Mikko tend to the vine snake that looked as if it had found something interesting on his booted feet. Haldir didn't tense but simply stayed still as he was instructed, letting the younger Knight converse with the snake as it now slithered over to the latter. Blinking beneath the cover of his bandages, the Arkanian lifted his gaze to meet Mikko's and gave the young man a grateful nod.

"Thank you," he said anyway, remembering his former Master's advice about being vocal with expressing gratitude. Pale blue eyes discreetly lingered on Mikko's face for a second before drifting off to Crix who forged ahead towards the river. "The fog is getting thicker. We should move on."

Keeping to the rearguard, Haldir would follow after Mikko until they caught up to the half-Zabrak Knight. He stopped by the fallen tree Crix had found first. The comment about the tree being felled automatically made Haldir's gaze narrow with suspicion, but without knowing who or what did it he kept his suspicion to himself to prevent his fellow Knights from falling into supposition.

"Consider it done," he replied. With a straight face Haldir added, "Don't go for a swim."

He said it with as much seriousness he could muster, Rudra's voice when he was younger sounded like he was always trying to crack a joke almost every damned moment. The Arkanian shifted where he stood, gaze forward towards the treeline but his body angled more towards Mikko's direction. After spending a few years as a Sector Ranger, Haldir had learned to keep a close eye on another person's behavior not only through the Force but also their body language. And while it was understandable that all three of them needed to be on their guard here on Dagobah, he could tell that something else seemed to garner Mikko's concern. Was it that moving dot on the map? Or was it something else?

"Is something troubling you?" Haldir asked, seemingly out of the blue. He decided not to be specific, instead letting Mikko take the question in whatever manner he saw fit.

@Iyan @Nefieslab

 

[Mikko Falco]

Though the fog limited their sights, nothing but harmless rodents emerged from the treeline while the Zabrak Jedi went across the makeshift bridge. Whoever cut the tree down must be far ahead, if they were even still on this world. Nevertheless, Mikko kept watch, realizing a few seconds later that Haldir was speaking to him.

"This place troubles me in general," Mikko replied honestly as he kept his eyes on the thick jungle, thinking that his wariness was justified as long as they were here. "And if..." This time, his voice faded away as he listened instead.

A peaceful melody filled the eerie silence. It was coming from above. Some type of songbird, maybe...its song seemed to come from far away, yet somehow felt close. A song that traveled through the Force. It had a calming effect on those who could hear it, including the three Jedi. Mikko felt a sense of peace that drowned out the worries he carried just moments ago.

Eager to find the source of this music, his gaze panned across the trees until he spotted it — perched on a branch across the river was a Jubba bird, easy to spot with its purple skin. It swooped down, opening its bright yellow wings to cross to where Mikko and Haldir stood. Two others just like it came out of the fog and joined the first on its flight.

But before the birds could get far, a giant mouth emerged from the water about thirty meters away from the tree-bridge that Crix was crossing. One of the jubba birds falter after its wing was caught by sharp fangs. It flapped its wings aggressively in an attempt to fight off the predator in the water. The other two did the same, clawing at the larger beast's eyes at the same time.

Mikko's eyes were wide as he watched the struggle. He was frozen for a moment, unable to recognize the predator, especially when most of its body — who knows how big it truly is — is hidden in the murky water. He estimated that it would take a few seconds for it to deal with the birds before it might look for fresh targets, and he wasn't sure about the Jedi's odds against it.

"Crix...faster..."

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

Don't go for a swim huh?

Good advice he would keep in mind actually - he could sense life through the Force all around them and the rushing water was no different. He really didn't want to linger so he didn't spare the time to give Haldir a verbal response either. Rushing across the wooden beam as quickly as he could without making it harder for himself to actually stay atop the felled tree.

Reaching the 'safety' of the opposite bank, he blinked as he watched the snapping teeth of some creature he had never seen before tearing into a rather lovely bird. Given that the bird's song had felt quite nice in the Force, Crix was rather sorry to see it go. He gestured to his fellows to follow him over.

"Time to go gents." he urged them, "Think I've had enough of the river."

Of course the bird didn't so much as touch the sides when it came to food and the creature was soon hungry once more and seemed to be actively looking for food. Reaching out with the Force, Crix didn't touch upon the mind of the water-bound creature but, instead, encouraged another mind he touched to keep it busy instead.

With an almighty roar, a reptilian monstrosity lunged out from the treeline further down the river and launched itself at the first creature. As they started to battle, Crix shook his head and made sure he had his lightsaber in his hand.

"I'd make a comment about there being a bigger fish but I'm not confident they won't both take exception to our continued existence if we don't get a move on."

@Iyan @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

The honesty with which Mikko responded prompted an approving nod from the Arkanian Knight. Dagobah reminded Haldir of Dxun and at the same time it didn't. Both contained peril of varying degrees, and only a fool would scoff at the mention of either place.

Pale blue eyes narrowed in curiosity as the younger Knight stopped speaking. Haldir didn't remove his gaze from Crix and the other side of the river, but the moment he heard what Mikko did the Arkanian was unable to stop the urge to look for the source of the birdsong. It was his first time hearing it, and Haldir was visibly caught off guard by the calmness that washed over him through the Force. His shoulders tensed, the haunting but peaceful melodies the Jubba birds serenaded them with sending the Knight's mind back home – more specifically the brothers that patiently waited for his return.

Hyarantë, returned to the waking world. Sitting by the older Erennor twin's bedside was Hasebe, smiling happily up at Haldir. All around them the song of the Jubba bird floated serenely within the room, and Haldir reciprocated the smile his brothers gave him.

The emergence of the dragonsnake brought Haldir's consciousness back to the real world, and the Knight was surprised by the sudden blurry quality his vision had taken. Blinking the wetness away he immediately searched for Crix and found the half-Zabrak already standing at the opposite bank of the river. Before the dragonsnake could even look at either of the three Jedi and consider them its next meal a massive, reptilian creature had burst from the treeline. Haldir briefly watched as it launched itself towards the dragonsnake, equal parts fascinated and curious.

While the reptilian creature and the dragonsnake fought, one of Haldir's gloved hands would find Mikko's shoulder. He would then steer his fellow Knight towards the fallen tree trunk, gaze flitting between the battling creatures and the makeshift bridge.

"Go. I'll watch your back," he would tell Mikko, giving the latter's shoulder another gentle push. Should the younger Knight heed him and move onwards Haldir would do exactly as he told Mikko, keeping watch on his fellow Knight and the two creatures while the pair of Jedi make their way across the river.

@Iyan @Nefieslab

 

[Mikko Falco]

Mikko's jaw had almost dropped when the reptilian monster jumped out of the fog. Unaware that this was Crix's doing, he muttered a relieved "thank you" at the new fighter.

Beforehand, he almost thought that maybe he was being too cautious compared to his companions. Now that doubt was gone. He'd never seen anything like the dragonsnake before, and he wouldn't want to see one again. Thankfully their figures were almost shadows in the dark, he didn't need the dreadful image of songbirds getting mangled. As much as the creatures piqued his curiosity, there were details he'd rather not see.

But there was no time to worry about them. With a quick nod to the Arkanian, he rushed across the bridge, feeling the trunk shaking beneath his boots. Perhaps it was the mesmerizing melodies of the Jubba birds that helped the Knight take his mind off the rushing river below and allowed him to cross with perfect balance. Along with the new distraction that Crix provided, they had certainly bought time for Haldir to cross as well.

"Come, Haldir!"

After he gestured at the other Knight, Mikko's gaze was set on the path that they had come from. He watched the area behind the Arkanian, noticing that the vine snake that had followed them was now retreating far from the river as well.

"We'll watch your back," he assured, returning the favor that they'd been offering each other as each Jedi took the bridge.

@Forsythe Crowholde @Nefieslab
[the dice gods are in my favor]

 

[Crix Aran]

There was no such thing as Luck when you were a Jedi and it seemed that the Force had decided to favor them today because none of them had ended up having to combat anything large, scaly and mean so far today. Given his own experiences with swamp and jungle planets, Crix had had very little in the way of faith. Thankfully it seemed as if the Force itself was willing to throw him a bone and showcase just how it had his back.

About time when it came to jungles.

"Alright time to step away from the water." he urged his fellow Jedi with a wave of his hand, "The cave isn't too far away."

Left unsaid was that they weren't entirely sure what they could expect from the damned cave. Already they knew it had done away with a probe droid but that was, really, all they actually knew about it. Was it the same cave that the ancient teachings spoke about Master Skywalker facing?

If it was, Crix wasn't looking forward to it he could say that for damned sure.

Reaching out with the Force as he continued to lead the way, Crix felt a shiver go up his spine and narrowed his eyes. Eyeing the treeline suspiciously, he spoke up to his fellow Jedi.

"It feels... cold."

Nothing on this damned planet was cold. Wet? Absolutely but it was a humid heat rather than cold and wet.

@Forsythe Crowholde @Iyan

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

Haldir was already crossing the river once Mikko made it to the other side, long legs taking equally long strides while minding his balance and the fighting creatures busy tearing at each others' throats. He could hear the wood splintering halfway to his destination and, drawing on the Force within him and augmenting the strength of his legs, Haldir leaped from the makeshift bridge to the opposite bank. A loud crack came from the fallen tree and as the Arkanian landed on his feet beside his companions the monstrous reptile that had previously launched itself towards the dragonsnake found itself crashing on the bridge.

With another roar the dragonsnake propelled itself towards the fallen Scrange. Taking his gaze off of the two creatures Haldir was quick to heed Crix's words, following after the half-Zabrak but not before smiling at Mikko beneath the cover of his bandages.

"Thank you," the Arkanian told the human Knight.

Falling back to rearguard once more, Haldir thought back on the lessons his former Master taught him with regards to the trio's destination. Rudra mentioned in passing that the former Padawan was lucky that the latter's search for his kyber crystal didn't bring him to Dagobah.

"The crystals from that Cave are dangerous, simply put," Rudra revealed. "It's like putting something corrosive and uncontrollable in your own saber. Something that will bite not only your enemies but also yourself even if you're being exceedingly careful."

One gloved hand hovered over the lightsaber clipped to his belt, the recollection prompting Haldir to double his vigilance as their group ventured deeper into the jungle with Crix on the lead. The Arkanian was tempted to make a joke about Crix's luck when it came to jungles but refrained from doing so. It would probably turn out bad, and the reminder of what had happened to Willa on Dxun turned the air around Haldir a little somber.

The Arkanian felt what Crix did the moment the latter spoke. Haldir paused, feeling cold even through the layers of bandages and clothing he wore. Earlier he had mentally complained about the heat and humidity, but the sudden drop of temperature sent red flags waving frantically in the back of his mind.

It was both curious and alarming.

A twig snapped behind Haldir and when he looked over his shoulder he thought he saw something shadowy move from within the fog.

@Iyan @Nefieslab