Ask Event Stygian Reaches Deepest Dark

[Kaedan]

Team Professor
Kaedan was glad that they had accomplished the first step in being trusted by the people. To make good on such a promise meant that the people may be more open to letting their guards down around the group. The presence of the darksider still bothered him. Now that the child was returned, Kaedan could now focus on trying to find this dark sider and see what their intentions were. He should try to be as subtle as possible since he didn't want to start a scene with a person who may just be surrounded by the dark side but not a threat to anyone.

He followed the group back to the market and looked around. He found the surroundings quite refreshing. The market place being filled with the people created a different kind of atmosphere. It was quite beautiful. The young Jedi decided to return to the ship in order to have privacy. He boarded the ship and sat down in the back on the floor. He closed his eyes and tried to commune with the force with the intent to have clarity in the light as well as to figure out who the dark sider was.

 

[Cipher Four]

Team Professor

---

___Although taken aback by the child suddenly approaching her and taking her hand, Four didn't resist. Instead, with a quiet chuckle through her nostrils, she allowed the girl to guide her and her mother closer to the group. When they approached and Alhazred (@Narzen) addressed her, she furrowed her brow.

___"I didn't do it to curry favour with them," Four answered. "I did it because she was lost and scared. I'd hope anybody else would do the same for the sake of being a decent person, not for trying to gain something."

@Nefieslab

 

[Nye]

Team Professor — After Nye heard the local leader speak, the clone would relay for the benefit of his partners who may not understand the main points of what was said. "Linchpin Station." he echoed silently. This is the conduit, a link from Known Galaxy to the 'Reaches' here. This was unprecedented as far as he knows. If this link is re-established, mayhaps it can be permanent.

Furthermore after hearing more, Xim's Empire predated this station for much of it's history. Xim was around twenty-five thousand years ago. It's still confirmed, these the old Tionese speaking people are an offshoot of the Despot's empire.

The leader didn't answer about the Hutts, and Xim was still hailed as the 'conqueror of the stars'. Nye doesn't think they got the word that Hutts won the Xim Wars and.

"Thank you" Nye stoically said while nodding his head. Then he would set off. As they made their way, now on the move again, he would then sneer at the thought of 'spirits and ghosts'.

He would follow the group to their destination, although now he does so, he feels increasingly uneasy for some reason. "Ghost and spirits. Ha. What a bunch of malarkey." the materialist corporate agent would put up a confident expression him as he would dismiss these superstitions.

@Nefieslab @otherpeople

 

[Azathoth]

Azathoth nodded her head at the strange man’s first question. Sure, “thrive” might not have been the first word she’d use to describe the Sith, but they certainly weren’t dying out by any means. She found the question strange, or at least the way he asked it was, and before she could follow up with any questions of her own the man was gone.

The old ways? What did that mean?

It was clear to her that at least right now, trying to chase the man down and ask questions probably wasn’t he best idea. He looked nervous even speaking with her, his eyes had darted around like a rat who was afraid of springing a trap.

She raced to catch up with the others, finding the group after they’d gotten some of the power working again and were heading for the new door, the one that lead toward the long corridor lined with cells.

Her mind was still turning over what the strange man had said to her when she felt a marked shift in the auras around them. Her gaze was drawn to the green one as he seemed to be particularly affected, making a scene and thrashing around like the fish-out-of-water he was.

Azathoth shook her head and rolled her eyes. Were all Jedi this weak? It would have been disappointing if it weren’t just so entirely pathetic.

When the human boy spoke, the one who looked so young Azathoth would have put money on him popping out of his mother just a few weeks ago, she chuckled at his naiviete.

Don’t be so quick to dismiss their warnings, She said to Nye, her gaze judgemental and condescending. Just because it isn’t an app on your EzPhone doesn’t mean it is not real. I’ve seen force spirits tear the guts out of believer and non-believer alike.

The suffering that permeated this place caused Aza to slip her mask a bit, unable to keep the glint in her eye from turning predatory; from showing just how much she enjoyed being here in the moment.

But if you want to die an idiot, by all means. Mock what you are too blind to witness and see just how far you manage to get.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Team Professor

@The Good Doctor @Charndley @Interdictor @StephDLegend @Narzen @Logan @Laskt @Remileah
​

With ears pressed down against his skull in caution, the Professor moved on into this new area. It looked like an area for processing livestock but there was a creeping sense of unease that let him know, before the graffiti, that this was not for livestock as most civilised sentients of the Galaxy would know it. No, this was a room for processing slaves and it showed.

Still, even with the chill of the area running down his spine, the Professor was not so quick to forget when people had done good work. He squeaked a little bit, trying to inject a little bit of cheer into his voice as he spoke.

"Ah, thank you for your hard work Miss Kaala!" the Professor said with a smile, "I would thank your droid as well but, ah, I don't seem to recall their name at this moment in time... oh and yourself as well!"

He turned to Cipher Four and blinked a few times.

"I am sure that the Jedi didn't mean anything so judgemental... or I hope so at least." he tried to play the peacekeeper, "But thank you very much for your help Miss. I dare say that without your efforts we may not have walked away without a fight!"

The leader of the locals tentatively took the EZ Phone offered by Alhazred but, even with the translation, just looked at it like it was some kind of bomb. There was no real sense of comprehension as the leader just looked at it for a moment before bowing their head to the Jedi, taking the gift as politeness dictated but not actually sure what the Jedi wanted from handing it over.

It seemed that some forms of communication hadn't been an universal as hoped.

Still, as they moved into the processing area the Bad Feeling grew within the group as a whole, with those sensitive to the Force being able to feel it on a whole other level to those who were Force-blind. The Professor himself was only minorly Force Sensitive so he just felt a bit sick but he rushed over to Alhazred as the Jedi seemed to be having some form of episode from the feelings and memories present in the area. Rubbing carefully at the Jedi's back as he began to pick himself up, the Professor's ear shivered.

"Are you sure you're alright Master Jedi? Do you need to take a moment?" he asked before blinking a little bit and turning, "Read...? Oh! Oh my stars... well now that's a very nasty word..."

Muttering away to himself, the Professor tried his best to translate some of the wording on the walls. Many of the languages were lost even to him but he was able to make out a few messages. One of them he was unsurprised to find was less of a traditional language and more a series of pictographs.

"Ah these are slave markings. Enslaved peoples across the Galaxy have universal signs - to warn of harsh Masters and punishments and the like. These seem to all focus on the idea of escape... being through the 'Head Master'. Interesting..."

Rubbing his chin, the Professor nodded to himself.

"Mr Nye, Mrs Azathoth? Could you please see if you can find a desk or a little office to one side - we're trying to locate the 'Head Slaver' because they might have the key to going forward." he called out before blinking again, "Did... did we lose someone?"

Indeed, back on the ship Kaedan would be settling in to commune with the Force, his retreat from the group unnoticed by the group as a whole but not by the person he was trying to locate. The outsider returning to the ship was watched by a great number of the locals but one of them was watching far closer than any of the others, hidden away as he was.

The Dark Side was tightly hidden within him but as he thought on his next move there would be a small hint of it on the air. After all - Dark deeds did so often speak to the Dark Side.

Team Doctor

@René @Apollyon @Akheron @LouJoVi @AutoFox @Sreeya​

Ra'sa'd, taking notes from his mental connection with Kyssiara to use the language known as "basic", was listening to everything that was said by the collective following him. He was, ultimately, confused by the fact that they were here and yet they seemed to know absolutely nothing about the location they had found themselves in. Did none of them see the value of history or were they from so far away that it was all just so distant from them? Still, the Pureblood eyed the small creature known as Rina Oziaf,

"You project with the Force, but you do not shield with it. This is a problem for you to solve, I think?"

He was doing his best to be polite with the companions of the one who had shot his good-arm numb and threatened him with poison, but he wasn't going to give her personal advice. The Doctor came along at this point as well, reaching the main group and listening closely to Ra'sa'd as he spoke to those who addressed him. Making his way through the devastation of "main street", Ra'sa'd eyed some of the destroyed droids warily and gave them a wide berth despite their destroyed state.

"The People? I am of the People - as is the young woman." he answered, gesturing to himself and Kyssiara, "The People's interest in this place is the same as mine; history. This place, this station, is the spectre of our past made of metal and glass and dead-dreams. Our oldest texts speak of it with reverence but to me? It is just another Lost Thing, better showcased as artefacts of history than just stared at across the stars."

Listening to both Trodai and Caerllion, Ra'sa'd gestured along the street with his working arm.

"This way leads to the Spire but I am uncertain if you will be able to find anything to do there. The Guild were a collection of masters and apprentices who passed down their knowledge of the workings of the Spire. There were a droid uprising at one point - probably a dozen thousand years ago - and their numbers took a beating. They say some lived but..." he seemed visibly doubtful, "I don't believe in such tales."

The Doctor joined Trodai in assisting Rina but, unlike the Pureblood, the Doctor actually tried to help actively. Pulling off his long coat, the Doctor used a vibroknife to cut through one of his sleeves entirely before applying pressure and using it as a makeshift bandage/sling.

"I am sorry Miss Oziaf, I don't have any bacta with me... you can head back to the shuttle if you wish but, I fear, this injury may be enough to cause you to lose the arm if you are not careful."

Ahead of the group, Ra'sa'd had crossed the street, carefully, and waited for them to make their way over. He was standing by a rather nondescript wall with a very heavy-looking door built into it. Tapping the door with his foot, Ra'sa'd turned to the rest of the group.

"This door leads to the lifts to the Spire - but it has been in security lock down for as long as anyone knows. Some of these droids may have the codes but be warned - they bite. But, I suppose you may already know that..."

 

[Kyssiara Serket]

Team Doctor

With the open psychic link between their minds, Kyssiara could feel the newly introduced Ra'sa'd relax with the departure of the white-haired doctor (@Sreeya) he believed to be a sharp-shooting master. On the one hand, she was glad to see Iymril (@Apollyon) getting medical attention for whatever it was they'd gotten themself into; on the other, Ra'sa'd seemed a little too keen to see Rowan leave, and that meant the loss of an easy means to control the Pureblood.

For now at least, things seemed to be okay as he led the group through a new door and into an area that looked like a small town. Well, an abandoned town filled with nothing but eerie silence, destroyed buildings, skeletons, and droid parts. How inviting. The small woman, Rina (@AutoFox), managed to almost blow her arm off rather quickly, and now Kyssiara was really on edge. Group members were dropping like flies, and it seemed like only a matter of time before they activated some ancient trap or someone even just tripped and broke their neck. The acolyte was determined to avoid becoming yet another casualty in this whole affair.

She followed Ra'sa'd closely, avoiding any of the broken droids scattered around the area while the Pureblood archaeologist of sorts explained what the Spire was and what he was doing here. Kind of. Kyssiara didn't find his answer to her master's (@Akheron) question entirely enlightening, considering she didn't know of any Pureblood group obsessed with collecting history outside of their own worlds. Few ever really entered the wider galaxy without joining the Sith, and it was clear that while Ra'sa'd was Force sensitive, he was no Sith.

"You say we're 'of the same people,' but our culture ain't never traveled far from the Stygian Caldera for much other than conquest. You're here at the Spire now, but where did ya come from originally?" Kyssiara questioned.

@Nefieslab @LouJoVi @GABA

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Team Doctor

Caerllion paid close attention to the explanation that Ra’sa’d was offering. A droid uprising explained the mechanical abnormalities that they found while entering the station. “Do you know what made the droids rebel? Was it some type of virus or bug in their systems?” it was frightening to think that something like that could occur in the Galaxy.

He was still waiting for an answer for his question when the group walked near one of the ancient droids. Apparently they weren’t as destroyed as he had expected, because the machine started to move. “ENEMY FOUND.” it said to Caerllion, before pointing an equally ancient blaster at him.

The Annfyn only had time to jump on the floor, right on time to avoid being hit by the blaster bolt. It was very inelegant how he fell, but Caerllion didn’t care. It was to save his life. Besides, Iymril wasn’t there to see it. “Destroy that thing!” he screamed, still taking cover.

@Nefieslab @Akheron @René @AutoFox @GABA

 

[Trodai Narat-iv-Adas]

Team Doctor

Trodai listened while Doctor Like dealt with Rina, sighing. To his mind she should sort herself out and relish in her pain, to grow stronger for the lessons learnt. Such was his Sith belief. He walked on, cautiously looking about even as he listened and to how Ra’sa’d referred to himself and Kyssiria as the People. Which he inferred also included himself, he was referring to the Lifeblood species. And yet as he listened he recalled that needs before his species, the Purebloods encountered the Dark Jedi, there wasn't a need to differentiate between Sith - between Purebloods and not.

Before then, they referred to themselves as The People or The Sith. Which meant they had been here centuries and predated the Order and the Sith as they existed today. And yet something else struck Trodai as odd. Ra’sa’d clearly had a lightsaber whip - and so that also meant the 'People' had discovered lightsaber technology somehow but not the same way the main galaxy Sith did. This was of further interest. He wondered how they did it and what other secrets they might discover here.

He suspected The Guild likely referred to a cabal of some kind given what they were told.

While Ra’sa’d doubted the tales of any droid still living, he was more open to the possibility. Especially after all he had seen and experienced. Anything was possible. He was still suspicious though of the Pureblood, given the one who stunned him was now gone again, but he would ensure compliance. Telepathically he spoke to Kyssiria, hopefully without Ra’sa’d picking up on the bond.

"Keep a close eye on Ra’sa’d. He makes a break for it, see to it he no longer can." the message implication was obvious, he tried to run remove his legs. But for now just keep an eye on him.

He inquired Ra’sa’d about the lightwhip "So Ra’sa’d, how did the People discover lightsaber technology all the way out here, so far from the main galaxy. I noticed the lightwhip."

He was about to further inquire when he saw Caerllion suddenly jump to the floor, under attack by one of the droids that had been mentioned. Proving his suspicions right, some still worked just like the security droid. His lightsaber now in the injured hand, ambidextrous as he was, he was quick to act, assisting. Reflecting boots that came his own way, he aimed to slice off the weapon arm like the last one. He just hoped it wasn't as armoured.

"On it!" he shouted "Keep it distracted."

Spoiler: Roll for History knowledge

D20: 12

@Nefieslab @AutoFox @LouJoVi @René

 

[Nye]

Team Professor — Nye the Blackwell guy doesn't have much to say to religious half-wits like Sith or Jedi, not really believing the Sith. Spirits tearing out the guts of someone. Right. All Nye cares about is lighting up the station so that he can report back to Father. He would reply with nothing to the Sith for now.

Nye also didn't agree with the Fiani lady. If returning the child didn't gain anythin, it doing so would be pointless and a waste of time. Altruism is a pointless virtue, that's what Father told him. But things are moving forward as a result, so it was a good move to return the child.

Now that they have moved on, the clone and the dark one were asked to find some sort of key. Still, Nye could feel it, he couldn't get over the bad feeling is getting. He's not sure why he's getting it. He would attempt to shrug it off and focus at the task at hand.

Did the group lose anyone, the Professor asked? Nye would look around "One person. Maybe they are just slow" he said. Now then, searching for the key. He would find some datapads, he would pick one up. It's simply archaic. He would attempt scroll down and see the data, but it would only do so at a snails pace. He would then discard. "Junk."

After rummaging through more stuff, he would then find a set of keys. "I found some keys... oh. Never mind." he said defeated. He realized that these keys don't go to any doors, but to shackles that are empty.

@Nefieslab

 

[Kaala]

Team Professor

Kaala was bringing up the rear of the little group, and when she entered the prison area, she walked over to the symbols on the wall and crouched down, having missed Alhazred's meltdown. Her armored hand brushed lightly against the markings as she studied them intently. The Togruta stood and turned back to the rest of the group just in time to hear the Head Slaver comment. "Hmm…Vaze, see if you can find a computer port or something around here." The small droid hooted in confirmation and began slowly walking along the walls, searching diligently for any sort of computer socket. Meanwhile, Kaala frowned beneath her helmet. This place felt…wrong.
@Nefieslab

 

[Alhazred]

"Slave markings....of course..." alhazred noted. It made sense given what this room was.

"Could...could you do me a favor, nye was it?" Alhazred asked aloud, still rubbing his neck. "Call me superstitious, but perhaps use those keys to unlock any shackles you do see, even if they are not binding anyone? It may help with the darkness in this area. If anything, it might just ease my mind..."

Alhazred rubbed his neck again. He could still recall all those raw emotions of all those people. It was terrible. Beyond terrible. And it still felt like he had a collar on, despite nothing there.

Still, waiting around wasn't an option. Instead, alhazred stumbled over to the door at the far end of the hall and placed his hands on it. Maybe he could sense something else in the force. Maybe there was more beyond this door...

@The Good Doctor @Charndley @Interdictor @StephDLegend @Nefieslab @Logan @Laskt @Remileah

 

[Theia Durand]

Team Doctor

Theia wadded through the ebb and flow of the Force, feeling for any changes in the waves, discerning the ripples to determine a need for caution. It was calm, nothing too out of the ordinary as she realized the group was already moving ahead. Quietly she stepped as though not to disturb the dead or even the droids that as Ra'sa'd described were involved in an uprising, to avoid to wake them also. She hoped in the afterlife, they realized they were just trying to find a way to get back to their own homes.

However, as Ra'sa'd explained some of the history of this place to questions from the larger sith, Theia noticed the fingers of Ra'sa'd unfunctional arm now becoming...more functional. She knew already from their initial encounter he was...sketchy, he had his own agenda and probably did not so much care about what their goal was here. A worried thought crept into her mind about him taking the crystal from the generator again and what he could potentially do to keep them from getting back to their ship in order for him to get away.

Though, if she were to give the benefit of doubt, maybe he would help them, but it was hard to know what would happen if he was able to use his arm again. Was he able to use the Force? And if so, why hasn't he tried to make a break for it? These questions would have to wait as the remaining elf cried out when a droid seemed to power on, declaring their enemies were present. The larger sith was on it, Theia prepared for other droids to be activated by its cry just in case, or for any other chaos to break out now because why not, what seemed to be true so far in this misadventure was unpredictability and chaos.

@Nefieslab

 

[Rina Oziaf]

TEAM DOCTOR

Rina hissed in a breath through gritted teeth as the Doctor put an improvised tourniquet on her shredded arm; the material quickly soaked through, stained deep red, but the bleeding seemed to have mostly been staunched, at least for now.

Hazily, the little Tintinna looked up at Ra’sa’d’s statement. She raised her eyebrows, propping herself up on her good arm.

”Projecting?” she replied, shaking her head. ”There must be some mistake! I’m not… I…”

Trodai spoke, and Rina turned to look up at the Sith. She though to protest again; there was no way she could possibly have such power! But then a fresh wave of agony radiated through her arm…

Kriff, what have I got to lose?

Rina closed her eyes. She focused inward, trying to single out the pain, the paths it took through her body; she thought of it stopping, of it fading away…

”...wow…”

Rina raised her arm, wincing as she did. The pain had not gone, but it seemed to matter less; she looked over the cloth-wrapped appendage incredulously.

Abruptly, the pain faded back in, and she winced. With an effort of will, she went back to her previous state of mind. The pain dutifully receded.

She seemed to belatedly realize that the professor had spoken, and turned to him, shaking her head.

”I don’t think we can afford to lose many more people.” Rina replied, turning back to look at the destroyed street. ”And if droids are going to be a hazard… well, I know droids. I might be able to help.”

As Ra'sa'd pointed out the security door, and that one of the wrecked droids might have a password, one of the machines seemed to sit up as if it had heard them. Rina ducked instinctively as it spoke and fired a strange energy weapon, a blaster-like device that seemed to project a brief continuous beam rather than a discrete bolt. Scrambling for cover, Rina ducked behind another fallen droid. Having no weapons, she wasn’t good for much else in a fight, unless…

”Hey!” she called to Trodai (@Akheron), ”if I have the Force or whatever, is there anything I can do with it besides dull pain?!”

@Nefieslab

 

[Azathoth]

While being assigned a fetch quest felt a little bit beneath Azathoth and her facial expression would express as such, she didn’t vocally protest the Professor’s request. She was also a little nonplussed that her assigned partner was the annoying tech child, but maybe she’d be given an opportunity to “lose” him in some kind of chasm or something in one of the rooms.

Wouldn’t that just be so funny?

That thought carried Aza’s spirits as she made her way towards one of the siderooms, none of which stood out to her particularly. That was, of course, until she heard the faintest whispers in her ear. The words were unintelligible at first, though the tone was very clear. Anger, no.. more than that. Fury, vengefulness. Toxic bile flittering past her ears and into her skull.

She almost asked Nye if he heard it too, but decided against it. It was clear that he didn’t since there wasn’t a puddle of urine forming beneath his feet.

Aza found herself inside of an office, heavy dust settled on most of the old and decaying furniture. Her attention was drawn immediately to the skeletal remains of someone still seated in a chair behind a desk, a pair of scissors jutting out from its empty eye socket. She smirked at the sight, not the least bit put off by the events that transpired here, or the growing sense of darkness that surrounded her as she pushed further in.

Approaching the skeleton, Azathoth noticed something interesting on a belt that still hung around its waist: an old keycard. Grabbing it, she was suddenly able to understand some of the whispers rattling around in her mind.

It wanted her to desecrate the bones. She pondered for a moment on just how to do that. Figuring it as good of a way as any, she reached out with the force and moved the skeleton’s pelvic bone onto the table. With a flick of her wrist, the skull would float and embed itself right where the living Slave Master’s ass would have been when he was still alive. She gave him another pair of scissors in his open eye socket to match the one that was lodged there from before.

Finally, she spit on the skull’s forehead before turning from the room and heading back out.

Making her way back towards the Professor, Azathoth would flash the keycard she’d found.

I think I found what we were looking for, she said, handing the keycard to the professor.

She didn’t mention the whispers or what they’d asked her to do. She’d keep that fun little secret to herself.

 

[Cipher Four]

Team Professor

---

___Four briefly paused as the group entered the room to glance down at the child still holding onto her hand. It didn't take a mother to see she was afraid of this room, perhaps even terrified. The longer the Cipher watched, the more something odd stood out to her. She stopped entirely and lowered herself to her knees before the girl. Placing her palm on the girl's face, she furrowed, examining her face closely.

___"You're Force-sensitive," Four murmured to herself. The Fiani's training as a Cipher made her knowledgeable in a wide field of things, and one of them was how to identify the signs of Force sensitivity. This child was sensitive to an extreme degree, and it was almost a given that the girl hadn't received any proper training. It didn't take a scientist such as the Professor to know what untrained Force-sensitives could do when they were afraid and under immense distress.

___"I'm going to need someone's help," Four called out to the group, hoping to get Alhazred's (@Narzen) attention. "This girl is Force-sensitive, and this room is freaking her out. I may need someone to help me calm her down, preferably someone else who's Force-sensitive," she informed them. Four smiled at the girl again as she waited for someone to respond to her request, murmuring with the child to keep her occupied and soothe her.

@Nefieslab

 

[Kaedan]

From the safety of the ship, Kaedan sat on the ground and tried to tap into the force in order to find out more about the dark sider. The thing that was bothering him the most was how the light was clouded by this presence and he still couldn't tell who or what was the cause. As he meditated and hoped for answers, but he couldn't find any. Even so, he kept trying. One instance of trying sometimes wasn't enough. As he continued trying to find something, he felt something... something dark.

There were signs that the dark sider was there but it was faint. He couldn't find out more at this time. His eyes shot open and he pushed himself backward. His eyes focused on what was directly in front of him. He could have been stabbed by the dark sider. He grabbed his lightsaber and activated it. "Stay back." He got into ready position for his most prominent form, Form V. He raised his hand and tried to use the force to send the dark sider out of the ship since fighting in the ship was not ideal.
@Nefieslab

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Team Professor

@The Good Doctor @Charndley @Interdictor @Narzen @Logan @Laskt @Remileah
​

The Professor tittered to himself, nervous about the loss of one of their number - even more so because it was one of the Jedi. There was a general sense of Darkness and foreboding in the area that he couldn't quite put his finger on but it seemed to have had an effect on their other Jedi and even some of the non-Jedi members of the party as well. He was certain, after all, that Azathoth was effected and he was certain only that she was no Jedi.

As for what she was? Well, she was a slightly intimidating young woman who looked capable of handling herself and that could mean anything in the Galaxy these days.

Kaala and Vaze had taken the initiative to try and find something else - something that they didn't think to look for despite having evidence that it existed even on this half of the universe. The little droid would be able to find several computer ports to access, some of them built into desks and others that were connected to the cell doors - clearly a way for the slaver masters to enter or lock down the cells and the slaves within. Through connecting to one of the ports attached to the desk, Kaala and Vaze would find confirmation that only the head slaver had access to and from this section - that and literally billions of "bills of sale" for sentient beings, dating back tens of thousands of years in the archives.

As she took the keycard from the remains of the Head Slaver, the whispers in Azathoth's ear seemed to grow more insistent - pushing the feeling that because they had helped her get what she wanted, that she now owed them. And when she paid the debt? The whispers changed in pitch and tone - a cruel, lilting, laugh echoed through Azathoth's mind as the spirit revelled in the desecration of their old tormentor. It petered out, instead cooing satisfaction into Azathoth's ear as a gentle weight seemed to settle around the Tiefling's shoulders, like a warm shawl or clothing stolen from a lover, still warmed by their heat.

The Professor would have joined Alhazred in moving up to the door but the clear urgency in Four's voice was enough to get the small educator's attention. Cipher Four, and the girl's mother, were speaking to her - Cipher remarking on her Force Sensitivity and her mother speaking in rapid Old Tionese as she tried to soothe her child. It wasn't doing too much good, however, as the girl seemed to be terrified - looking from place to place as if seeing things that neither her mother nor Four were able to perceive.

"Oh dear..." the Professor muttered, ears flattening, seeing the child beginning to hyperventilate, "Master Jedi! Please see if you can calm the girl - she may be about to tap into the Force instinctively to try and protect herself!"

It was, actually, academically quite fascinating to watch but the Professor had a soft spot for sentients who were almost of comparable height to him because they were yet immature for their species. Still, the Force was beginning to surge and pulse as the child drew in her breath and it was beginning to grow alarming.

Shuttle Brawl
@StephDLegend
​

The jagged edges of the dagger glinted in the lights of the back of the shuttle, just a hair's breadth away from impaling Kaedan in the top of the skull. Instead it whistled as it cut through the air to slam directly into the floor of the shuttle, piercing into the metal as the Jedi pushed himself backward to protect himself. Scowling, the local human man who had spoken to Azathoth without Kaedan's knowledge stood from his crouch and readied the blade in his right hand again.

Seeing the lightsaber being activated, the Dark Sider didn't hesitate and didn't take the time to speak to Kaedan, reaching out with the Force a fraction before the Jedi did. Unlike Kaedan's Push, the Dark Sider used the Force to Pull a metal box of supplies from one of the overhead lockers, aiming to Pull it directly into the middle of the Jedi's back.

This did mean that he was unable to fully resist the Push, finding himself skidding backwards, slightly down the boarding ramp, as he sunk to a lower position to avoid being flung backwards fully. As soon as the Push was done he rushed forward, pushing up from his crouched position like a sprinter's start to rush at the Jedi.

After all, his dagger had much shorter reach and he had no issues using the confined space of the shuttle's bay to his advantage. He would thrust quickly, sharply, for the middle of the Jedi's torso before pulling the dagger back, keeping it high to give him more options for countering Kaedan's next attack.

"Your kind has no place here - it belongs to The People!"

Team Doctor

@René @Apollyon @Akheron @LouJoVi @AutoFox @Sreeya​

Kyssiara was right to be concerned - the group had dwindled in numbers since the start of the outing, since before even leaving the mothership actually. It had likely been a sign of things to come and the fact that it had been because of the Sith themselves making a bed for themselves to lie in? Well that did not bode well but it went unsaid as everyone tried to focus on things that were in the moment.

Being mindful of the present rather than the nebulous future as some of the Jedi might have said.

Ra'sa'd glanced over his shoulder, eyeing Kyssiara for a moment before answering her question. It likely wasn't the answer she was expecting.

"If we never travelled much then why do you now stand here with me? Our people moved from known stars to unknown back in a time long since forgotten by most texts, let alone people." he shrugged his shoulders, gesturing with his functioning hand, "Welcome to the Stygian Reaches; we've been here for a long time. Long enough, it seems, for you to have forgotten about us."

It was becoming increasingly clear that without Rowan to act as a deterrent, Ra'sa'd was beginning to become less open with them all. Either that or his knowledge was limited on the subjects they were asking. The worst part was that they couldn't possibly know which one it was as they didn't know him well enough to say. As the droid came to life, notably one that Ra'sa'd had walked behind rather than in front of as Caerllion had, Ra'sa'd turned to the group as a whole, not answering Trodai as the situation seemed to escalate. He tensed in place and his eyes darted before he looked up...

And paused.

There was an aborted motion with the fingertips of his stunned hand as he caught Theia looking at him. He flashed a scowl in her direction as the group turned to deal with the droid. The fingers of his stunned hand twitched slightly and a chunk of the droid that had exploded on Rina, behind the group but within Ra'sa'd's line of sight, came hurtling through the air as he Pulled with the Force, sending the jagged chunk of metal flying towards the back of Theia's head from behind.

As this was happening, Trodai was able to cut through the weapon-arm of the droid with barely any effort at all - it was so easy, in fact, that the large warrior would find himself temporarily unbalanced as his blade cut through effortlessly compared to the previous droid attack. The droid, now even more destroyed than before, slumped forward as its torso separated from its lower-half by nothing but its own weight and the sudden movement caused by it's arm being cut off. The droid beeped forlornly as it stared down into the floor, lamenting in binary.

"ENEMIES OF FREEDOM. DESTROY THIS UNIT. GIVE FREEDOM!"

Ra'sa'd, seeing his distraction coming to an end and having just finished launched the debris towards the back of Theia's head, whipped around in place as he lashed out with his good hand - attempting to rock Kyssiara with a savage punch to the kidney while she was distracted as well. If it connected or not, he would turn to run down the main street - he wanted to get the hells out of here, away from these outsiders.

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan let out a breath as he barely avoided the knife. It was indeed a close one. Kaedan held his lightsaber just as the dark sider attacker was preparing to attack again. Just as Kaedan held out his hand, the dark sider did the same. The young jedi sensed danger behind him and shifted his body, allowing the metallic supply box to hit the floor of the ship. Without missing a beat, he pushed his opponent out of the ship. "Nice try."

Seeing the dark sider sprint at him, he leaned back, casually avoiding the attack. Seeing an opportunity, he rolled to the other side of the ship and backed out of it. He had no intention of fighting in their only means to get home. It was too dangerous... too risky. He centered himself in the force and waited for his opponent to emerge from the ship. "My kind? We aren't here to stay. We simply want to repair our ship and get back to our home. I would advise you to stand down."

It was a shame that his words fell on deaf ears. As the dark sider charged to attack Kaedan, he used the force to push the dark sider back. Just as the jedi knight was persistent, so was his enemy. With every single charge, Kaedan avoided the attack and used the force to push the dark sider away. Feeling it was time to go on the offensive, Kaedan lifted the dark sider in the air and pushed him into a wall. "Done yet?"

Turned out of, he was indeed not done yet. He kept on attacking Kaedan. The teenage knight kicked him away. When he landed, Kaedan lifted the man up and slammed him into the ground. He deactivated his lightsaber, having not used it. "We're done here, surrender and all will be fine. Let us get what we need and be on our way." The dark sider put away the knife which Kaedan took as his surrender.

Now free from battle, he decided he would try to catch up with the others. As he moved, he felt the darkness around the dark side user who was now trying to sneak attack and kill him again. He reactively grabbed and activated his lightsaber, turning and swinging the blade in self defense. Thud. He looked down at the arm that now laid on the floor. "You were warned and you ignored it. This is the consequence you have to live with." Kaedan used the force to slam the darksider down to the floor, the pain effectively knocking him out. He deactivated his lightsaber again and turned towards the area where the group had went off to. He picked up a sprint in order to catch up to the others.
@Nefieslab

 

[Trodai Narat-iv-Adas]

Team Doctor

Trodai attempted to right himself as the droids weapon arm fell. It didn't take long to restore his balance and when he did he felt the Force being used. Satisfied as the droid seemed to stare down at the floor lamenting he ignored it's pleas, he turned to see what the commotion was, and his eyes transfixed upon Ra'sa'd attacking his apprentice. He would not abide it. He had chosen to betray them, he would pay the price for betrayal as with all who did with the Sith.

He heard Rina call him and answered before hell broke loose "There is much that you can do. So much more. But for now assist me! Do as you did previous but using your remaining arm, stretch out and focus but this time upon a limb of Ra'sa'd. Attempt to move it the opposite way it currently is. I shall attempt one leg, you go for the other. Let's bring the traitor to his knees."

And so while Ra'sa'd was hopefully distracted fighting his apprentice, he focused the Force upon the legs of the raider. Trying to keep his promise about taking his legs if he should try to run. There he attempted to use Telekinesis in a similar technique as he had used upon the human what had previously assaulted him. Only this was exclusively at one of the other Purebloods legs. His right leg. Hopefully it would aid his apprentice and quickly put down any notions of escape and force him to reconsider or else lose the other leg as well if Rina decided to help.

As well as punish him for his betrayal. Trodai was going to enjoy showing what happens when people attacked what was his.

@Nefieslab @René @AutoFox @LouJoVi

 

[Alhazred]

TEAM PROFESSOR

Alhazred's focus was interrupted. The others were requesting his attention regarding the girl. Running over, he took in the information they gave him stoically, trying to hide any worry on his face to give the appearance of confidence. His mind flashed to Scorpio's , the master who trained him, children, and then to his own on his back. If he could show compassion for those creatures, surely he could show compassion for this one. But what could he do? Calming the child, or anyone, was not his forte. But what else could he do?

Alhazred's spawn wriggled in its tank A small peaceful tune could be perceived in the unseen connection it had with its host. Alhazred smiled at the thought it had.

Alhazred closed his eyes and began to refocus himself. This area had long been corrupted by the dark side. The normally harmonious music of the force was a discordant storm, a howling sea that threatened to overwhelm all who were in it. The hate and fear and pain of the horrors long past continued to lash out in the modern day. To a any sensitive being, it was frightening, but to an untrained child, it was a veritable carousel of horrors.

But Alhazred was a Jedi. He was both a part of the Force, and a conduit for its peace. Alhazred took another deep breath, moved his hand to the girl's shoulder, and pressed his turban against the forehead. His mind conjured the feeling his spawn had begun to 'sing' and replicated and enhanced it. He stretched out and let his own tune, his own small part of the grand song of the Force, wash outwards.

Listen to the tune....do you hear it? Alhazred asked himself. It is the Force. It is calm....beautiful... It is the song of life.... tranquility... lenity... grace. There is nothing to fear. There is peace. There is knowledge. There is serenity. There is harmony...

At 'harmony', the song of the Force from Alhazred washed over the discordant mess of darkness of the room, bringing a perfect and serene order to the howling chaos. The girl was no longer in a howling storm, but rather a calm sea. The ghosts of horrors long past would be pushed back or become at rest, if only for a short time. Perhaps an hour. Maybe two.

Alhazred opened his eyes and sighed. Even his tendrils could not hide the dopey grin on his face.

"There now, that's better isn't it? Nothing but shadows" Alhazred chortled aloud. He bowed to the girl's mother before looking at Cypher.

"This place is steeped in darkness, but I've pushed it back...for now. She shouldn't be having issues in here for a while, but if she does, perhaps a deep breathing exercise might help."

As an afterthought, Alhazred added "Uh, that is, if no one else isn't around, the breathing exercise might help. You know, give her something to focus on besides what she is sensing. The darkness abhors a focused mind, even if its only focused on breathing"

Alhazred turned slightly to include the professor, his face back to business.

"Still, I believe its best we get a move on. The sooner we leave this place, the sooner we can get these people, and this place, the proper help it needs. I don't want to be in this room when the darkness reclaims its territory"

@The Good Doctor @Charndley @Interdictor @Nefieslab @Logan @Laskt @Remileah