Darkness on Dantooine: Ep. 3, The Crystal Caves

[Fennex Zeerda]

Dantooine
Edge of the Khoonda Plains
1830 Local Time, Sunset​

This place was strong in the Force. Fennex could feel it deep inside him, drawing him further and further into the plains as he zipped along on the back of Art's speeder bike. The little fox knew now why Master Shivaaga had chosen the backwater world of Dantooine, but he was also curious where the source of this power came from, and how the Councilor had found it. He was even more curious why it now seemed so abandoned. His little group of crusaders had passed several smoldering remains of burned out farmsteads and ranches since they'd departed the ruined village they had investigated, and even more wispy columns of smoke were visible in the far distance. The only signs of life were flocks of birds and the occasional herd of Iriaz, which seemed unusually spooked and skittish. And yet, there was little trace of the dark sides insidious influence here.

As the sea of grassy plains turned into rolling hills and scattered copses of trees on the way to their rendezvous point, Fennex started noticing more and more terrain shifts that he knew Master Shivaaga would have seen as well- rocky outcroppings, narrow canyons and draws, and signs of some sort of cave system. If Fen knew the Councilor, it was just the kind of place he would seek out for an outpost like this- something defensible. It was a foremost concern of more militant Jedi who spent much of their time in the field, since you could never predict now when an attack might come. As they suddenly crested one of these rocky outcroppings, Fennex saw what he had begun to fear they might find- the Jedi outpost, in smoldering ruins.

"Be careful..." Fennex told them (unnecessarily) as they brought the bikes to an idle and dismounted.

The group made their way down to the ruins of pop-out tents and prefab structures that had housed the small band of Crusaders that Shivaaga had brought with him to Dantooine. The scene was eerily quiet without the whine of the speeder bikes- the only sounds were the quiet crackle of old fires, crunch of dirt under their feet, and the quiet swish of wind through the canyon mouth that led into the encampment. It was situated in a natural bowl, surrounded by steep, rocky cliffs and slopes like the one they had stopped on top of. Though it was surrounded by higher ground, the reverse-high ground position could be used to limit the number of weapons enemies could bring to bear against the almost certainly numerically inferior Jedi.

Part of the recruitment effort had been to provide healing and support to the locals, to regain some of the broken trust and support that the Jedi had lost much of during the war, and the outpost reflected as much. Fennex could see a half collapsed medical tent in the center of the empty compound. There was a mostly untouched pallet of packaged food stuffs- more than the Jedi would need for themselves- perforated by what appeared to be blast scores of one sort or another. The biggest thing that stood out in this place compared to the others they had passed was clear- the smell of death. It burned in Fennex's sensitive nose, and wafted around the place. Lightsaber in hand and ready to be ignited at any moment, Fennex pushed further into the ruined outpost and found what he had smelled. Bodies. There was several scattered across the encampment, and Fennex approached one.

Knight MacPherson... or what was left of him. The young knights fiery red hair and hulking frame was unmistakable, even lying face down in the dirt and half burned to a crisp. His dinner plate sized hand still clutched at his lightsaber, and he had clearly been shot several times in the back. Fen's heart jumped into his throat. Tomas Macpherson was an incredibly talented warrior, and despite the many battles he'd seen in his short life was one of the few crusaders who had never lost his youthful exuberance. Fennex placed a hand on the young knights body. There is no death, there is only the Force.

Looking around from his crouched position, it appeared as if the Jedi had put up one hell of a fight here. The blast scoring was far more significant than any of the burning homesteads. There had been a pitched battle here, and the burning wreckage told him that it had been hard fought. The ground at the mouth of the canyon entrance was stomped to dust and the vegetation crushed by heavy feet, and the air still stank of burning ozone, scorched metal, and melted plastic, despite being at least a day old at this point. Fenenx reached out with the force, sensing for survivors, but found nothing but a pulsating energy from the back of the camp that clouded his senses, but did not feel malevolent. It was just confusing.

What happened here?


@Black Noise @Ecclessey @Mr.BossMan @Sable @Valen Pelora @AutoFox

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Dantooine was peaceful. You could lose yourself in the quiet tranquility, forget the horrors of the galaxy. It would be so easy to just be forgotten. Master Evalyn Dan’ela held the controls of a speeder bike. She sped across the plains of Dantooine, following Fennex. The furry crusader was determined to find his lost Councilor. Evalyn fought the temptation to veer off towards the horizon and never be seen again. Maybe Master Shivaaga had the right of it. Life was better if no one knew where you were. Evalyn was slowly piecing herself back together after the trial. Each day it got a little easier to pretend she wasn’t cracked to the core. Each day it got a little easier to put on a happy face. She could pretend she was what she once was. She could pretend Alais and Kal did not intrude on every waking thought.

The looks were the worst. Some foolish Jedi looked at her with adoration, others with disgust. Her rank the only thing holding back more refined Jedi. Evalyn wished they would just say what was on their mind. The Conclave had created on awkward dynamic. If there was one good thing that came of that shouting match, it was Evalyn’s belief the Council needed to be whole. Their missing leaders had to be found. Thankfully, there was still some hope on Dantooine. The group makeup was odd. A mishmash of Crusaders and Guardians, with Fennex zealously leading the charge. Evalyn was happy to follow. She’d act when it was necessary. The coordinates of the Crusader base proved to be deep in the plains. The Jedi search party wasted no time in hurling themselves towards Councilor Shivaaga. The warning message had been crystal clear. Sadly, the signs of battle greeted their travels.

The longer they sped across the plains, the worse the signs became. Evalyn had a sinking feeling they would be far too late. There was no bundle of life in the Force, no beacon of the Light calling them home. There was nothing. Her suspicions are tragically confirmed. The outpost was ruined when they arrived. Signs of a tremendous struggle littered about the camp. The Jedi had fought hard against a disciplined enemy. Corpses of their brothers and sisters left behind without a burial. A pang of sadness rang through her heart. Evalyn spread her senses wide, searching for life. She felt nothing but the pulse of Dantooine. She dismounted from the speeder bike and began to slowly walk the camp. Her lightsaber hilt sprung into her right hand. The battle was old, that didn’t mean the danger was gone. She spoke to her fellows. “We should search for the Councilor’s body.” It looked like there had been some survivors. A tactical retreat of sorts, that didn’t mean Councilor Shivaaga was among them. “And where the any survivors may have gone.” There weren’t enough bodies. Some must have escaped whatever attacked. @Mr.BossMan @Ecclessey @Loco @Black Noise

 

[Cavalas Onn]

Cavalas' heart sank when he first spotted the camp with the dead bodies of the crusaders of Rem. "This cannot be-" he muttered incredulously, for he could not comprehend that the Exiles had grouped in such significance to overpower the combined powers of Shivaaga's crusade. The thirty-something Serenno noble had his lightsaber ready in his right hand as he watched his fellow Jedi examine what was left of Rem's camp. Cavalas, in his turn, feared the worst. "If Rem isn't here," his voice rose in volume to make sure everyone could hear, "-we must," he visibly hesitated as he was reminded of Evalyn's face at the trial on Ossus. "-we must consider that Rem's redemption was a mistake." In others words: that it was Rem Shivaaga who slaughtered his own underlings. It would also mean that master Evalyn should no longer try and redeem her fallen pupil, Alais Drast, in which case Cavalas was keen to see how the esteemed master Guardian would react to his hypothesis.

But wait. This scene looked like nothing Cavalas had encountered before. Even if it had been a large group of exiles to have ambushed them.. these were.. these were "Blaster marks?" Only now he realized that he very faintly caught the smell of burning metal as well. This didn't feel like a fight between Force sensitives. This felt like tactics training back on the Serenno Military Academy...but try as he might, Cavalas couldn't quite seem to remember what they used to mimic hostiles during those sessions.

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"Blaster marks." Fennex confirmed to Cav, "Or something like that."

The patterns looked off to Fennex. He'd seen plenty of blaster marks, and while the burn scoring was similar here, it occurred to him that in many places the damage here looked more... melty? The wounds on Macpherson's body were particularly troubling to him- the damage seemed far worse than a typical blaster- the burnt flesh twisted and warped down to the innards. It was a gruesome wound, usually associated with older, less refined weapons that modern times. He was reminded of the pulse wave weapons that some bounty hunters had used against him in the past, in Hutt Space. Crude and cruel. Fennex crinkle his snout at the heavy scent of death as he pushed further into the camp. Covering his sensitive nose with his hand, he looked over his shoulder at the other Jedi in the party aside from Cav and Master Dan'ela.

"Well, come on you dolts. Did you come all the way out here to help look for the councilor or are you just going to stand about and look edgy and brooding all day?" Fen shouted.

Fennex turned his attention back to the camp. There were surprisingly few bodies. He wasn't sure how well staffed the Councilors crusader outpost had been, but given its size the handful of bodies was low for the scale of the attack that appeared to have happened. That did not mean it was not still a devastating blow to the order. Their numbers had been dwindling for years, and the tragedy at Illum had been crippling to both sides in their war against the exiles. Their numbers ran in the scant thousand range, and already there were too many dead here on Dantooine. His family was dying off faster than they could be replenished, and every fallen Jedi was a hard felt blow to the Order. With Alais's violent departure, things seemed even more desperate than before- they couldn't afford losses like this. Not with the galaxy depending on them against the Exiles threat. They had to get organized and gets theirs heads in the game, and they had to do it fast, or Fennex couldn't imagine the irreparable damage the galaxy might suffer. Finding councilor Shivagaa was just the first step.

@Mr.BossMan @Black Noise @Valen Pelora @Ecclessey

 

[Artyom]

Art allowed his mind to wander as he drove the speederbike across the plains. His entire being completely numb to the devastation around him, he wondered what he would have done with his life if he hadn’t been a Jedi. He enjoyed carving small objects, but he always wondered what he could do if he had the time and resources to carve something large. Music wasn’t really his passion, as relaxing as it was, and neither was reading. If it wasn’t associated with learning a new ability or meditation, Artyom simply didn’t read it. Although Artyom wasn’t much of a man of action, neither was he a scholar, preferring to spend most of his time alone and in introspection.

Dismounting his bike, Artyom continued on and followed, silently, along with the group. The only sound that reached the Jedi’s mind was that of the scorched bits of earth shifting beneath his feet. The scent of the dead, an all too familiar smell, quickly reached Artyom’s nostrils. Grasping his lightsabers, Artyom stopped outside of the camp at the first body he saw. A female Jedi, Ithorian, much older than Artyom. With her robes scorched, lightsaber still loosely held in her hand, and her body barely battered, Artyom knew she did her best to fight but was likely the first to fall. Leaning down, he examined the body closely and reached out with the Force. Although he felt nothing out of the ordinary, it was the lack of sensing any dark side aura that offput Artyom.

He could see it in the faces of the others, they too sensed the lack of their enemy. Naturally, Cavalas initially jumped to conclusions, but Artyom would not fault him for his emotions. The dead incited sadness in the Jedi, comrades and friends alike laid before them, silent and cold. If Artyom allowed himself to dwell upon it, even for a moment, he would be overcome with sadness and grief. Perhaps he would see the face of that boy, the Jedi younger than even himself who lost himself in battle and died of grief. Artyom’s heart sank at the very thought of the boy, the boy whom Artyom felt for.

Sighing, Artyom cleared his mind and heart, letting emotions dry and logic spring forth. The blaster marks on the Jedi’s bodies, the lack of malice in the Force, it could all mean only one thing. Gripping both his blades tightly, Artyom called out to his companions.

“Be on your guard, we are likely dealing with droids. Surely you all feel the lack of the Darkness. Even mercenaries would leave a trail within the Force.”

He reached out with the Force. Droids would be hard to sense and predict. Not impossible, but hard. Especially so considering most of them held their training primarily in fighting blade to blade combat, not blade to blaster.

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Evalyn kept her thoughts to herself as she continued to walk about the ruined camp. Cavalas was on the war path as always. She understood the Crusaders need to find prey, but he saw an enemy around every corner. Deep seeded suspicion only served to drive them further apart. Fen was more reasonable. He had acted rashly at the trial, helping push Alais’ brutal actions. Her relationship with Wyck was a hollowed-out husk. Her opinion of Fen had changed. He was not a wise as she once thought. He certainly was a great deal easier to deal with than Cavalas. She knew next to knowing about Artyom. Evalyn was the lone Guardian among desperate Crusaders. For now.

She expected Calvyn to get his ass in gear at some point. Fen was right, they couldn’t wait around forever. Evalyn turned to look at Artyom. Droids could make sense, but that wasn’t how the Force worked. The Exiles could be hidden from them a variety of ways. A skilled Darksider would be smart enough to not continuing wielding the Darkside after a massacre. They would be too easy to track. Despite her quibbles, Evalyn had to agree. This did not have the feel of life snuffing out life. There were no echoes in the Force. No violent struggle for life. There was a void when she turned her gaze to the past. She frowned. It would take an army of droids to do this kind of damage. Droid armies were an artifact. “Dantooine is a natural paradise. No massive cities. No sprawling fortresses.” Evalyn spread her arms wide. “Where would a droid army hide? How the kriff did they get here?” None of this made any sense.

The Crusaders were exemplary warriors. The size of the encampment was indicative of an impressive force. They would not be so easily routed. “Nothing ordinary could route the Councilor and his warriors.” This was an ever-deepening mystery. “We’re next for the slaughter if we stay here.” Evalyn did not doubt the groups skills, but they were few. She scanned the ground. She certainly would not just stand about. She could brood on the go. Evalyn reached out in the Force, searching for signs of the retreat. There were no answers. They would have to do this the old-fashioned way. She began to follow the trampled ground. There was no way of knowing where it might lead, either to the retreating Jedi or whatever was chasing them. @Loco

 

[Calvyn Eltros]

Calvyn was in the back of the group and hesitated to enter the camp. The smell of battle, an all to familiar smell, lingered in the air around him. He could almost sense the death that seemed to pull this place into a never ending abyss. It didn't take much for him to know what he was going to find if he continued on after his fellow Jedi. With a deep sigh, Calvyn followed after the group, Fennex's taunt having pulled him out of his trance.

When he reached the Crusader camp Calvyn continued to observe in silence. He was quiet, as usual, and would remain so unless he had something meaningful to add. So far only the obvious was spoken, blaster marks, the smell of burnt metal and the absence of any dark trace within the force. All of it was valid, but to Cal, none of it had to be said as it could easily be determined. He saw both Fennex and Artyom look at the dead Jedi, Calvyn could almost feel their sadness just by looking at the two Crusader's. He, himself, saw another Jedi lying face first on the ground. Calvyn made no move to turn the boy over because he knew what he'd see. Another young Jedi, dead, all on some helpless crusade. The older Knight simply felt numb to the pain, it was a feeling one could only have after experiencing and witnessing death for far longer than he should.

He heard Cavalas speak up about Master Shivagga, how the councilors redemption might be a mistake. Cal simply shook his head in response, he hadn't known Cavalas long but he knew the type well. The hatred within the man would one day burn him up, Cal saw it before and he doubted Cavalas would be the last Jedi to hold such ideals. However it was what Artyom said that made Cal's ears perk up "droids?" Calvyn said with a half reply "possibly," it would make sense, but it was far from a solid conclusion. Like Master Dan'ela said, droids were artifacts and in all of Calvyn's time during the war he had never fought any personally. He'd only heard stories of droid armies and the kingdoms that once had them long ago.

Calvyn was walking ahead now, off to the side of the others when he heard Master Dan'ela speak up again. "You're right on both accounts," he'd say to her "I doubt no ordinary foe could do this to the Crusaders and we shouldn't stay here much longer. We need to either find something concrete or move along, soon."

@AutoFox

 

[The Storyteller]

@Loco

As the group of Jedi milled around, investigating the ruins of the burnt-out camp, there was a clatter of rock, and a small figure emerged from the boulders around the camp.
It was, it seemed, a small human female, young enough to have owned the doll which Fennex had taken from the village. She wore a ragged jumper, and that of her skin which was exposed was smudged with soot and scarred by untreated burns, which she seemed not to feel.
The child's expression was utterly blank, eyes blinking very slowly as she scanned around the ruined encampment in an almost mechanical manner. Abruptly, she stiffened, and her gaze seemed to focus on something.
She cocked her head.
"Target: Acquired. Instruct."

There was a strange headset perched on the girl's head, an earphone covering one ear with an extended microphone boom. From it trailed a cable, which connected to an unseen device in the wearer's pocket.

There was a muffled sound - a mechanical voice, it sounded like, though the words were indistinct - from the earpiece, and the girl straightened.
"Instructions received. Retrieving."
The girl marched forward mechanically, making a beeline for the corpse of a fallen Jedi on the outskirts of the camp. Stopping, she looked down at the body a moment, cocking her head again, before kneeling and reaching out to take up metallic cylinder of the Jedi's lightsaber in her hand. Clutching it securely, she stood, about-faced, and began striding back toward the rocks.
"Objective acquired. Returning."

 

[Artyom]

Although it could not be seen beneath the Crusader's mask, Artyom was taken aback by the arrival of what appeared to be a small child. His guard lowered for but an instant, his lightsabers almost making their way back to his belt. However, when the child spoke so coldly and simply, Artyom's guard was up again. With the hilts of his unignited blades held tight, he made his way towards the child while watching her closely.

She seemed, controlled by something, perhaps she was not a child at all? There existed no such technology that Artyom knew of that could replicate people with such precision, but perhaps Artyom was not remembering correctly. He did not keep up with the world of technology, and because of this he held a much wider set of plausible beliefs about tech that were, undoubtedly, wrong, but plausible to Artyom.

While his guard kept up, Artyom did not have the coldness to strike down a child whom he knew nothing about. He needed to categorize this child, he needed to know how to properly react to her. Should he help? Should he attack? Detain? However, his questions were quickly resolved internally when the 'girl' reached down to pick up the saber. The Crusader's mind instantly classified her into an easily identifiable category.

She was the enemy.

In an instant, Artyom charged forward with his blades igniting in glorious blue and green colors. It would be overtly clear as to his intentions to his companions, he aimed to strike the child down. Although no malice existed in Artyom's heart, the sadness that flowed through his aura like water could not be missed. He did not see a child before him, he saw something closer to an animal or a machine, something without heart nor soul. Half of his body moved against an enemy, the other half moved to protect the possession of their fallen comrade.

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Evalyn was slowly following the trampled grass. She was waiting for her teammates to get moving. Kriff, they were slow. Her eyes snagged on movement to her right. She shifted just in time to see a strange little child emerge from a small rock cluster. The child was visibly injured, a survivor of the battle. She was covered in burns and soot. Evalyn took one step towards her. Hesitating. The child was eerily still, her face an unmoving mask. She reached out in the Force. The child’s mind was a blank slate. There was physical suffering hidden beneath white noise. Her brow furrowed. Strange.

Those powerful enough in the Darkside could dominate a mind. This was not what she felt. It was almost like a signal being scrambled. She tossed the thought aside. It didn’t matter. The young survivor was clearly injured and in need of help. The mystery of the missing Councilor could wait. She ignored the odd behavior of the kid searching for the Lightsaber. Evalyn took one step towards the child. Her feet froze. The telltale sound of sabers snapping to life filled the silence. Evalyn spun, searching for the source.

Her eyes widened in shock. Artyom was charging towards the child. She didn’t think, she just reacted. Evalyn was not a good Jedi, but kriff she would not watch a child be cut down. The Force filled her body. She plunged into the Lightside, working the Force as only a Master could. Her left had reached shot out, her fingers twisting. The Force wrapped around Artyom freezing him in his tracks. No matter how hard he struggled he would be unable to move. She stopped his idiotic charge about half way before he reached the child. She pulled backwards, sending Artyom skidding towards Fen. Evalyn spun, scorn in her eyes. “The child is innocent. Control yourself!” Had they truly fallen so far that an injured kid was seen as an enemy? What had happened to the Order. @Loco @AutoFox @Black Noise @Ecclessey @Mr.BossMan

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

Fenenx smelled the girl before he saw her- sweat and soot stained, dirty and unkempt. In fact, it was difficult for him to see her at all at his height- she wasn't much taller than he was, and he had a hard time seeing over the scattered patches of tall grass in the encampment. He took a step toward her, but stopped. The girl was moving stiffly and in a rather odd manner, and her eyes were strangely blank. Fennex looked back to Evelyn and was going to ask her- as a woman- to be the one to approach the girl. Scary as the Jedi Master could be, the little human girl would probably see her as the least threatening presence in the group.

"Maste-" The words didn't finish leaving his mouth before the hiss of a saber burning to life yanked his attention away, "ART, NO!"

Fen launched himself desperately toward the girl, seeking to put himself between her and his brother before he could strike her down. WHAT IS HE THINKING? his mind screamed as he hurtled through the air toward the girl with a Force assisted burst of speed and strength. It was immensely relieving to feel Artyom stopped in his tracks before he could do something they would all regret, thanks to Master Dan'ela's powerful command of the Force. Now that he was closer, Fen could see the lightsaber clutched in the younlings grip. Unlit as it was, it hardly constituted a threat worth murdering a child for. Landing briefly in front of the girl, Fen knocked it form her grasp easily enough with a flick of his paw, sending it bouncing through the dirt a few meters away. Using his momentum, he proceeded to gently tackle her. They would tumble to the ground, the impact dislodging the strange looking headphones but leaving her unharmed.

Although it did irreparable damage to his delicate sensibilities, instead of struggling to hold the girl down Fennex would immediately begin cooing and purring and making other sweet sounds at the girl, nuzzling her and licking her face and generally letting her have whatever reaction she was going to have. He was braced for the potential loss of some chunks of fur, to say nothing of his dignity. His big ears, fluffy tail, and golden fur- for reasons he couldn't fathom- often brought incredible joy to human children. They saw him like some living toy or beloved pet- he was "cute". Normally he detested such behavior, but he couldn't deny it's usefulness in situations like this.

 

[Cavalas Onn]

There was a profound sadness in Cavalas' eyes as he began comparing the ravaged village to what used to be his home on Serenno. He knew that the others thought him to be depressed, paranoid and devoid of happiness and hope. He also knew that they were right. He hadn't always been like this, mind you, but Ilum had.. it had changed him. It had made him to way he is, it had both created and fueled his zeal. Before Ilum he had been the Serenno army officer who happened to also be a Jedi, fighting a war he neither believed in nor was against. He knew that feeling as he had been raised to accept it. Illum had changed that like only the worst battlefields could change something.

They died, his mind kept lingering on that single thought and while he meant the jedi that had fought alongside them, he didn't mean those that were slain by the exiles. With too many of his old friends he saw it in their eyes.. the change.. the moment in which their fall to the Dark Side of the Force became inevitable. Cavalas couldn't unsee it anymore. He couldn't unsee what he believed he had witnessed in Evalyn when Alais Drast was exiled. He knew it, he knew that it was that loo-

:: ART NO ::

Yanked from his absent state of mind, Cavalas turned around abruptly to see Evalyn freeze Artyom, who had ignited his saber to strike down a girl just before Fennex tackled her in a desperate attempt to protect her. Cavalas' heart sank, not Artyom as well. He tightened his grip around the hilt of his saber as he walked towards Artyom, Fennex and the girl. "How can we eradicate the fallen if it is us that fall?" he asked his fellow Jedi rhetorically. "We will only keep adding to their numbers," the blue hue of his lightsaber illuminated the scorched earth as Cavalas ignited his lightsaber. If it wasn't for Fennex' absurd behavior cooing and purring the child, Cavalas would've moved to strike Artyom down, yet instead the blue-hue disappeared again. "Master Dan'ela," he turned to Evalyn "Artyom must be sentenced, for he will fall. You have presided over a trial before and I ask you to do so again right here, right now, but-" he nodded towards Fennex and the child, "-not in the presence of the child."

 

[Artyom]

Artyom did not resist Master Dan’ela, allowing himself to be thrown back towards his companions. Calm within and throughout, he was prepared to immediately snap back at the more experienced Jedi. However, Fen’s cry caused his heart to sink and his voice to hesitate. His resolve did not falter, but he hesitated at the thought of creating more pain for his friend. Looking to Evalyn, Artyom attempted to speak with strength and conviction, but it was obvious Fen’s call had shaken him.

“That thing is acting as a pawn of darkness, it cannot be anymore innocent than those that struck down our allies. I will stay my blade, but I only hope your way will not prove fatal to us as it has to those around us.”

In the corner of his eye, he watched Fen seek out the child and take away the blade. It was clear he was attempting to break whatever spell was over the mind of the thing. It made Artyom uneasy. He felt as though his friend may be struck down at any second. Barely registering the words of Cavalas, Artyom shot him a retort without bothering to look at him.

“Silence backbiter, you have done nothing for our cause but drive others down the path of darkness! Now you demand that I face immediate trial? Hypocrite that you are! Search me! Look inside my heart, do you sense darkness or malice towards my fellows? You will not find the heresy that you seek, fool.”

Indeed, Artyom held no love for Cavalas. From their first interaction stemming from the Crusader’s failure to arrive on time to a combat situation, to hearing about how he killed the Palawan of a knight who, shortly afterward, fell to the darkness. Now he demanded a trial that, undoubtedly, would either end in Artyom’s innocence or exile. One would end in Cavalas’s humiliation, the other as just another addition in the crusader’s list of failures.

 

[The Storyteller]

((Sorry for not posting sooner, guys, I don't really have a good excuse besides work and Stellaris. >.<))

The girl was easily pounced to the ground by Fennex, offering no initial resistance. She lay impassively in the dirt, eyes staring up at the darkening sky, seeming utterly unmoved by the Amaran Jedi's coos and licks.
After a moment, her head turned, and she looked to where the headset had fallen. Mechanically, she reached out to try and retrieve it, her face bearing no expression as she tried to wriggle out from underneath Fennex and attain her objective. The headset, meanwhile, had begun to emit an indistinct electronic voice; the girl paused in her struggles, apparently straining to hear what was being said, before resuming her struggles.
Abruptly, she opened her mouth, issuing a weirdly constant, almost electronic tone. The voice coming over the headset abruptly ceased.
Somewhere, off in the darkness, there came an answering tone, and then, there was the sound of heavy, marching feet...

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Their search party descended into chaos. For a brief moment they had been united in their search for the missing Councilor. Crusader and Guardian working together towards a common goal for the good of the Order. A child split the Jedi apart in an instant. Crusader against Crusader, and a Guardian in the middle. Fennex’s quick thinking had saved the child from seeing the squabbling of those tasked with saving her. Strangely, the kid’s odd Force signature did not change. Something had taken deep root in the innocent’s mind. The girl needed help. They couldn’t help her if they were trying to cut each other to pieces.

As always, Cavalas flew off the handle in an instant. The man preached strict adherence to the Lightside but was an emotional timebomb. Cavalas made snap judgements. He could not see past his own preconceived notions or failings. It created constant friction with anyone he deemed dangerous. Evalyn had once considered Cavalas a close friend, now she could barely stand his insistent grandstanding. That didn’t mean he was wrong. Artyom’s actions were inexcusable. There was never a reason to strike down an innocent child. He was as guilty as Cavalas. A snap judgement. Artyom had judged the child without even a second thought. Evalyn was deeply disappointed.

The Order was broken, horribly broken. Evalyn sighed. She gave Cavalas a flat look before turning to Artyom. Thankfully, they were finished bickering. “Cavalas, try to contain your zeal.” She frowned. “Attacking an unarmed child is unacceptable. Darkness in your heart or not. There was no reason to rush the girl. A moment of second thought would have revealed she is under some kind of cloud. You will have to face punishment, Artyom.” She shot one more look at Cavalas. “After we find Councilor Shivaaga.” That was final. Unfortunately, things only got worse. The girl began to make a horrible sound, an inhuman sound. A thunderous marching began to fill the air, the girl’s calling being echoed across the hills. Kriff. One of her lightsaber hilt’s sprung into her hand. She started to walk towards the noise. Evalyn looked at Fen. “Do something with the girl!” She didn’t need to tell them to get ready. They knew what was coming. @Loco @AutoFox @Black Noise @Ecclessey

 

[Cavalas Onn]

:: “Silence backbiter, you have done nothing for our cause but drive others down the path of darkness!" ::

Those words stung Cavalas worse than he'd like to admit, but it was obvious if one were to observe his eyes who seemed to portray a crushed soul. "Backbiter?" he repeated Artyom's words even after Evalyn told him to contain his zeal. How did their view of things become so different? "Hypocrite and fool?" there was no anger in his voice, but the opposite as it cracked while Cavalas looked at Evalyn and Fennex to see if they agreed with Artyom. "It is my job in this war to hunt down and kill those that fall." he tried to explain it but the weakness in his voice made it sound like an excuse or attempt at begging. "I had to kill teenagers that couldn't resist the lure of the Dark Side-" he paused, now clearly turning to Evalyn, "-so they would not return to our temples and murder its protectors," he hesitated, "not scar and deform our masters." His reference to Alais Drast would be clear and she was his best example. Was there not the rumor that the Jedi had been unable to bring themselves to kill her? Now many were dead and Alais unleashed a power in the Dark Side that would cost more lives than they would be able to count. "I had to do that because their masters couldn't bring themselves to it." Suddenly the child made an inhuman sound and shortly after it echoed from behind the hills.

"Artyom," the cracked voice had disappeared as the vulnerability inside was closed off with the suspicion of incoming danger. "Your words betray passion and hatred, so calm yourself before we have to do battle," he turned towards the sounds of heavy marching footsteps, "-remember the code."

They would say that he wasn't allowed to give lectures, considering his track record, but he didn't care. Master Dan'ela wasn't one to lecture either, considering her success with mentoring young impressionable jedi and keeping them on the straight and narrow. Fennex was himself full of rash action at times and no master of his own emotions like a pure Force being.. and Artyom? All Cavalas knew about him was that he just tried to rush a child that posed no danger and then called out names to a fellow jedi. Perhaps he was still in denial that his passions lead him, still in denial that he had failed to live up to the jedi code and his adamant refusal to recognize that rushing the child was bad made his invitation to look into his soul one that Cavalas was sure to accept. Artyom misjudged himself, that much was clear.


[[sorrynotsorry for skipping @Loco]]

 

[Fennex Zeerda]

"Shhhhh shhh shhh shhh shhh..." Fennex cooed to the girl as he wrestled her away from the strange contraption, "Tch tch tch tch...." he tried clicking his tongue and purring and whatever else he could think of, but to no avail, "Come on youngling, come on..."

Nothing. Fen groaned as she nearly wriggled free of him, grasping desperately for that stupid head set and now started screeching in a pitch that rung in the foxes oversized ears. He could hear Master Dan'ela shouting at him to do something with the girl, and Cavalas and Artyom were both squawking and crying at each other like fresh initiates, and it was intensely distracting. His gentler methods had proved ineffective, and he decided he was done with this. Still cooing and whispering to the girl, Fennex planted a paw firmly on her face as he pinned her to the ground. Shhhhhhhhhh.... The shush came as much a mental command as a verbal one, echoing in the young ones mind as Fennex worked his way inside her thoughts. His eyes clenched shut as he delved into her psyche and took hold of her nervous system, and he was surprised at what he felt- nothing. It was like she wasn't even there. Just a blank slate. Sleep, he commanded her mind. The force pervaded her synapses and basic physiological reactions, taking hold, and then blocking off the ones Fennex needed blocked. The girl slumped and went limp, unconscious.

"HAPPY NOW? Are you two going to kiss and make up or kill eachother?" Fennex shouted at his "partners", before he breathed in deeply, briefly winded by his excursion into the girls head. This usage of the Force was not his strong suit. The childishness and rash action displayed here, and the moral grandstanding that followed was disheartening. They Order had enough on its hands without petty squabbles and wild indiscretions like this attempted child murder. They couldn't afford to pull every able bodied Jedi out of the field for re-evaluation- it would doom the galaxy- but it occurred to Fennex that maybe they should. He shelved the thoughts for later, when they weren't stranded here in a battleground surrounded by dead Jedi Knights....In the absence of the childs screeching, he couldn't help now but to hear the dull answering tone emanating from the headset, or the distant rhythmic thunder echoing in the distance. What is that? The Jedi wondered.

 

[Artyom]

Artyom looked to Evalyn, hearing her words, then turned to Cavalas, hearing his too, before finally ending his sight on Fennex, once more hearing the words of his companion. But Artyom did not listen. He heard a Master who led her apprentice to Darkness lecture him on what was acceptable, he heard a man who killed children who allegedly fell to Darkness lecture him on what was right, and he heard an angry fox shout in a futile effort to calm the others. In the midst of it all, Artyom heard but did not listen. Not a single word pierced the man's heart as his emotions dimmed like the light of a setting sun.

The Crusader temporarily retreated within himself, removing himself emotionally and mentally from the situation in order to allow his body to be engulfed with peace and calm. As the sound of loud, dull thuds echoed in the distance, growing louder, Artyom did not even allow himself the pleasure of vindication. The girl was connected with the enemy, he had been right. Blades still ignited, the Crusader moved to take point on the group to serve as a bulwark of protection from whatever came to eliminate them. However, his mind was not focused upon the battle yet to come.

As his mind and body drew closer to calmness, Artyom shifted focus to spreading out his emotions, or lack thereof, to his comrades. If they accepted it, they would feel the empathetic power of the Jedi to help strengthen the calm within and quiet the emotions of anger and passion. He pushed a single thought into the void and minds of the Jedi around him, 'Peace, be still.'

No matter their relationships, when the darkness came knocking directly on their doors, the Jedi standing on this battleground would answer it with dignity and quiet resolve. They believed so differently, their minds all worked so contrary to each others, but when push came to shove Artyom was certain they'd hold each others backs. Art knew he certainly would. Despite not having a favorable outlook of Cavalas, that would not change the fact that Artyom was prepared to lay down his life for him, indeed he'd do it gladly. Although, in this time of war, it was so easy to die.

 

[The Storyteller]

Fennex' efforts at last succeeded in silencing the girl, who fell limp, not dead but seemingly dormant, almost like a computer awaiting new instructions, her eyes all but displaying a blinking command line; if there was anything left of the child who had once been there, it was now very deeply buried.
Meanwhile, the tramping of heavy feet grew louder, and as it did, began to resolve itself as coming from multiple directions.
The footfalls - for footfalls they were - sounded heavy indeed, metallic in tone, clanking along over the stony ground. The noise grew nearly deafening, and in the gathering gloom, it was almost impossible to see the source of it, even for the Jedi.
And then, abruptly, it stopped.
The wind whistled through the rocks ominously as enormous, hulking shadows became visible around the borders of the ruined camp. The fading sun glinted off one or two, offering a glimpse of ancient, pitted, scarred armor which had nevertheless been maintained at a mirror-like level of polish.
Any sense of what the things looked like beyond this abruptly disappeared in a blinding glare as spotlights snapped on, obscuring the Jedi's new foes behind them. An electronic monotone thundered.
"ATTENTION, THEE IN THE CAMPETH. THOU ART DID ORDER TO SURRENDER IN THE NAMETH OF THE 80th AUTOMATIC LEGION. DID LIE DOWN THY WEAPONS."*
The words were in an archaic dialect of Basic, but their meaning was fairly plain.

*"ATTENTION, YOU IN THE CAMP. YOU ARE ORDERED TO SURRENDER IN THE NAME OF THE 80th AUTOMATIC LEGION. LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS."

 

[Evalyn Dan’ela]

Evalyn’s attention had shifted from Cavalas and Artyom. She was only vaguely aware of their continued bickering. She could hardly believe the foolishness of the two Knights. Something terrible was coming. The Force vibrated with sickening anticipation. Whatever had driven the Jedi from the camp would find them. Yet, the two Knights could not set aside their squabble. Evalyn tucked her frustration away. They did not have time for this, she did not have time for this. The unmistakable sound of heavy footballs rang all around the Jedi. It was a thunderstorm of sound, swelling with each passing moment. She could only guess at what approached. Evalyn sensed nothing in the Force. There was tight tension but no life.

Only heavily armored figures could make such noise. Try as she might, Evalyn could not determine where the sound came from. She spun this way and that. It was all around them. Finally, figures began to emerge. She could only see faint outlines in the fading light. The new arrivals were massive and gleaming. A pit began to form in her stomach. What the kriff was going on here. Evalyn took one more step forward and was suddenly blinded. Spotlights shinned impossibly brightly on the Jedi. She couldn’t see a damn thing. The distinct cadence of older model droids suddenly boomed. An odd, no longer spoken, dialect of basic boomed forth.

What were these things? Evalyn truly had no idea what they were facing. A decommissioned droid army just wandering the plains of Dantooine? How old were they? How old could they possible be? One thing was certain, they were surrounded and outnumbered. She looked around at her companions. Evalyn had a feeling igniting her lightsaber would be an utterly foolish idea. They couldn’t know the fire power the droids possessed. Evalyn reached for the Force. The Lightside filled her body, she held nothing back. Her body bristled with the power coursing through her. She wasn’t about to share the fate of this base. She’d give diplomacy a shot. “We are looking for our friends. They were camped here. Have you seen them?” Droid this old were notoriously straightforward, maybe they could pry some information free before the inevitable dance towards death. @Ecclessey @Loco @Black Noise @AutoFox