[Jedi Mission] Dragons, Danger and Dunes, Oh My!

[Raif]

The small freighter hurtled through hyperspace towards the planet Tatooine. At the controls, Jedi padawan Owyn Deak took the moments before reversion to real-space to reflect back on what had led to this point.

~~~

After only a hand full of days studying under Grand Master Keldroma, Owyn and his fellow padawan Aria Dran had been assigned a mission...on their own. The normal mix of excitement and trepidation had crept into Owyn's mind upon hearing the news. Solo missions were a huge step for a padawan, a sure sign that they were viewed as holding promise to one day be Knighted. It also came with a lot of responsibility, but Owyn was confident that he and his new friend/team mate Aria could accomplish whatever was put in front of them. They had so far been proving to be quite a duo in their training.

The mission seemed like a pretty straight-forward one, at least as far as Jedi missions go. Moisture farmers on the planet Tatooine were disappearing, their entire homesteads decimated off the map by some unknown entity. There didn't seem to be much in the way of local authority on the planet, despite being Hutt owned, so the residents had to fend for themselves. One man in particular, an ex-AgriCorps member by the name of Arrl Venn, still held enough sway with the Jedi Order to ask for their help, though he refused to give any details about the issue except face to face.

And so Owyn and Aria had been dispatched. They would meet with Venn and ascertain the nature of the destructive force causing all of the problems. If possible, they would end the problem themselves; if not, they would contact Master Keldroma and await further instructions.

~~~

As the countdown timer beeped to bring Owyn out of his own thoughts, he had but a moment to spare glancing over to the copilots seat. There sat Aria, his only companion on this mission (aside from Tikk of course). He grinned as his eyes took in the beauty of the young woman, who was currently meditating. Owyn could no longer avoid admitting to himself that yes, he was attracted to her, and his "first crush" was coming at a less than perfect moment. Having led a rather sheltered life up to this point, this was the first time his attention had been so firmly grabbed by the fairer sex.

Shaking his head and focusing on the task at hand -- namely, safely reverting to real-space and landing on the arid desert planet in front of them -- Owyn deeply hoped he could keep his gawking to a minimum and not embarrass himself on this mission.

"Aria, we're about to come out of hyperspace. After that it will be a short trip before we're cleared for landing at Anchorhead. If you've got anything you need to do before we land, I suggest you do it now."

He flashed her another half-grin before pulling the lever and watching the blue whirl of hyperspace switch in an instant to a few star specks and a big, ugly orange planet directly in from of them.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria wasn't having much success meditating. She was simply too nervous - which was exactly what the meditation was supposed to remove. It was working to an extent, but she just couldn't make all of her nervousness about this mission go away. This was largely due to it being her first, and Owyn's first mission for that matter. She wasn't sure that she was ready - Owyn was ready though, she knew. He was farther along in his training then she was, and she was glad he was coming along. She would more then likely just let him take the lead in this.

She opened her eyes as Owyn spoke to her, turning to catch his eye and that half grin. She smiled back at him and nodded. He was always giving her funny looks lately - she wondered what that was about. Did her hair look stupid? She wasn't sure. She moved to stand, thinking of an excuse so she could go and check her hair in the mirror - and then she remembered that they were going to an arid, desert planet.

"Actually, I need to get changed, since we're going to such a hot planet. I should be ready by the time we land."

Well, she probably would anyways. She brought her hand up, fingers curling in a wave before she stood and made her way to ger provate quarters. They were nothing special, but they at least had a mirror. She checked her hair first, and was relieved to see that it was all in place, then changed as quickly as she could, so it only took her ten or fifteen minutes. She had brought clothes along specifically for this mission - she hated hot planets. She was used to Alderaan's climate, and she knew this planet would be like death to her. She slipped into a backless shirt which also bared her midriff and a loose skirt which stopped just short of her knees. Neither would hinder her movement and it should keep her as cool as possible as well, and as an added bonus they were both a light green - her favorite color. She added a pair of matching sandals, done up tight enough to be sure they wouldn't fall off.

She clipped her training saber onto her belt as the final touch - it was out of place, in it's bland bulkiness - she couldn't wait to design her own. It would be much more fashionable, that was sure. She opened her door and stepped out, making her way back to the cockpit to find Owyn and see if they had landed yet.

 

[Raif]

Once Aria went aft -- and Owyn almost succeeded in not following her with his eyes as she left -- his only task was to safely land the ship. Oh, and deal with Tikk's annoying chittering of course; the small primate thought it was hilarious that Owyn kept stealing glimpses at his teammate.

Blocking out the noise, Owyn brought the craft to a pretty damn good landing if he did say so himself; after all (though he would never admit this to Aria) it was only his second landing behind the controls of a spacecraft.

Flicking the necessary switches to shutdown the craft, Owyn released his safety harness and stretched as he stood. He then grabbed a lightweight, dull-brown poncho and threw it over the rest of his outfit- simple white tunic, khaki cargo pants with pockets big enough to hide his saber, his trusty boots tied tight to keep out the sand, and a pair of sunshades to keep out the glare. He finished dressing just as Aria came out to meet him.

He was pretty sure he didn't stare too much at her, though not for lack of trying. She looked incredible in her outfit...so incredible, in fact, that his eyes almost missed the one problem.

"Uhh, Aria, you look great and all, but you're going to need to hide your saber. This is a Hutt world, and last I heard there's still a bounty for any Jedi they can find. We'll need to play incognito until we're out of Anchorhead."

 

[AriaDran]

Aria glanced out the window and smiled as she saw that they were landed already. Perhaps she had taken longer then she thought to get ready. Her smile faded as he mentioned needing to hide her saber - his reasoning made sense, she didn't want every bounty hunter in the place after her. But where was she going to put it? She unclipped it from her belt and looked at it, then down at herself. She stared, frowning at herself as she considered how she could hide it, and then looked back up at Owyn.

"I've got no place to hide it."

She walked up to him, her free hand reaching down to open up the cargo pants pocket on his leg where he kept his own lightsaber, her other hand depositing hers alongside it. She looked up at him and grinned impishly.

"You don't mind, do you? Oh... and you might want to stare less and actually focus on the mission when we're out there."

She winked at him, then turned and made her way out of the ship. Once outside, she would let him take the lead as she wasn't exactly sure where they were going.

 

[Raif]

Owyn maintained his cool as Aria deposited her saber in his cargo pocket, but lost it when she made the comment about staring. His face had to have lit up like a Rutian twi'lek, and he just stood there opening and closing his mouth in silence as she stepped down from the ship.

Whirling quickly towards Tikk, whose fur was a brilliant shade of green in amusement, Owyn stabbed his finger towards his small friend.

"Not a word, Tikk!"

Taking a deep breath, he started for the ramp as Tikk bounded up his clothes and took his perch on the padawan's shoulder. Pretending as if nothing had happened, Owyn met up with Aria and then walked past her.

"This way...I think."

He was heading in the direction that every other sentient being he could see seemed to be heading as well -- a dimly lit entrance way with a flickering and half-smashed holo-sign above the doorway. Though Owyn had never visited a cantina, he assumed that's what one looked like.

As they entered, Owyn had a moment of worry as he wondered whether animals were allowed inside. Sensing this, Tikk crawled under the hem of the poncho and disappeared from sight momentarily. Getting past the non-existent security at the door, Owyn paused for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the gloom. He also hoped their contact would somehow make himself known to them. He and Aria had not really been given a very good description of the former AgriCorps worker.

((OOC: Alrighty Kali, you're up. Let's see what the boss lady's got ;)))

 

[Sreeya]

Arrl Venn was impatient. As he waited for the Jedi to arrive, his fingers drummed on his legs, anxiety consuming him. The thoughts of the moisture farmers encompassed his mind constantly and he cursed himself for not being able to actively take care of the problem himself. The man had once dreamed of being a Jedi, but he simply did not live up to the standards. The news was devastating, though he turned to AgriCorps as a result, where his mediocre abilities with the Force allowed him to fit right in. His connection to the ethereal phenomenon that not many understood gained him popularity around his hometown. He was the go-to guy for any problems, which is exactly why the problem with the recent deaths had fallen upon his shoulders. Arrl did not see it as a burden, but it was a painful reminder of his own incompetence.

As he realized that the Jedi ship had landed, he jumped to his feet. Arrl was in his mid 40s, though his thin connection to the Force allowed him to retain a refined, almost sophisticated visage that could be considered rather appealing. He was adorned in typical robes that mimicked the sands of Tatooine. Arrl quickly strode over to where the Jedi would be emerging. Like an animal catching a scent in the air, he let the gentle nudge in the Force guide him towards the Jedi. The journey took him minutes, but he arrived right before two young Jedi, a male and female. Arrl beamed, feeling a wave of familiarity splash over him at the Force energy emanating from them. It was an alien feeling, one he hadn't been around in too long. Arrl's face did not betray the worry constantly tugging at the back of his mind.

"Welcome! You are the Jedi I have asked for, yes? I hope you had no trouble getting here. I apologize for having you come on such short notice. I'm Arrl Venn. It's a pleasure to meet you."

 

[Raif]

Owyn glanced quickly around to make sure no one had overheard him refer to them as Jedi. He was probably being overly cautious, but he was a relatively cautious young man by nature, so it couldn't be helped.

Finally satisfied they were not about to be set upon by Hutt-employed bounty hunters, he nodded his head and reached out his hand for the older man.

"Yes, I'm Owyn Deak, and this is Aria Dran. What seems to be the problem, sir, and how may we help?"

Owyn hoped he sounded confident and mature, but truth be told he had no real idea what was supposed to be said in situations like this. He had never been the best talker in the world, and the Jedi didn't offer a "How to talk like a Superhero 101" course at the temple.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria followed along beside Owyn, and once inside the cantina would make sure she stayed close to him. She would keep up a look out as besta s she could without looking too suspicious. She acknowledged Arrl Venn with a smile and a nod, but wouldn't say anything. She was content to just let the two of them work it out while she kept a sharp eye out for evil bounty hunters and sneaky assassins, or... well, Owyn had said it was someone like that who was out to get them.

 

[Sreeya]

Arrl enthusiastically shook Owyn's hand, nodding in return to the female. He turned his attention back to Owyn, glad that he had gotten right to the point.

"It..has been difficult. There have been so many deaths and the local law enforcement can't do anything about it. As a former padawan, I can sense that there is a great disturbance in the Force that could be a connection to the killings that have been taking place. I can recognize it, but I'm not in tune with the Force as a Jedi would be. That's where you guys come in."

He bade for them to follow. There was a land speeder waiting for them outside. Arrl knew they had to jump into this right away to prevent any further casualties. He hopped into the speeder, making room for both Jedi to join in as well. The engines began to hum as he started the vehicle. The hot suns of Tatooine bore down upon them with angry glares, causing Arrl to throw up his hood. He glanced over to make sure the others had jumped in before taking off.

"With this war going on, no one's paying attention to the lower class citizens. Entire villages are being wiped and no one has done anything. It's been awful! I have a suspicion about what's causing this, but I also know I can't handle it on my own."

He glanced over at Owyn, raising an eyebrow.

"I do hope you know what you've just gotten yourself into."

 

[Raif]

A disturbance in the Force? That would explain why Jedi - or rather, Jedi padawans - had been dispatched to a seemingly random case of destruction. Speaking of the distinction between Jedi and padawans, Owyn noticed Arrl refer to him and Aria as Jedi. For a moment he thought of speaking up to correct the older man's mistake, but then thought better of it. He didn't want to worry him, and besides, Master Keldroma wouldn't have assigned them this mission if they couldn't handle it.

Following Venn outside the cantina, Owyn waited a moment and allowed Aria to enter the speeder first before he climbed in next to the driver. He adjusted his sunshades firmly on his face as they took off. He could feel his exposed skin begin to bake under the twin suns above them, and hoped he wouldn't be too pink by the time they were done. Next to him, Tikk peeked out from his hiding place under the poncho and was almost blown away by the wind wipping by them. Uttering a shrill squeak of displeasure, the little creature burrowed back down within Owyn's clothing.

The young man nodded his head as Arrl spoke. Owyn knew the war had been raging for some time now, but he had been sheltered from most of it thanks to residing on either Ossus or Alderaan. Here, though, he was getting a first-hand account from Arrl about what it was really like, and Owyn shook his head in disappointment. This sort of state was not natural, and he longed for the day when he could play a more active part in helping to heal the galaxy and return it to a natural state.

Owyn's eyebrows rose as Arrl made his claim as to the culprit of the destruction. Why hadn't he said anything sooner?

"Well, Arrl, who - or what - do you think is behind all this? And between the two of us, I'm sure Aria and I can help figure out a solution."

There, that sounded pretty good right? Owyn was getting more and more comfortable speaking in his calm, grown-up Jedi voice.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria hopped in the back of the speeder, then leaned forward so that she could continue to be part of the conversation as the speeder took off. A worried look came over her face as he mentioned entire villages being wiped out. It sounded like it was a good thing Arrl had contacted the Jedi Order if the local law enforvement couldn't deal with it. She also wondered what it could be that they couldn't handle it - something bad, she had no doubt.

She was sad that the war had brought the galaxy to this, where noone cared about the little people. She decided then that she would always keep an ear out for the so called 'lower class citizens' in the future. She reached out with her hands and clasped Arrl and Owyn's shoulders, smiling wide.

"We will handle it. The Force is with us all."

She brought her hands back down to her lap, hoping that her words had been reassuring to them, if even somewhat. She shifted her eyes to look out over the desert, a hand movnig up to brush her blowing hair from her face. it was certainly hot now, but she hoped that this mission wouldn't take them too long - she would likely freeze if she were out in the desert at night in this, regardless of how much it helped cool her during the day. She scolded herself for not thinking ahead.

 

[Raif]

As Aria's hand clamped onto his shoulder, he started to bring his own hand up to rest on hers. He stopped mid-motion, however, and tried to play the act off as if he had just needed to adjust his sunshades.

What was he doing? Trying to hold her hand in the middle of what seemed to be turning into a dangerous situation--what a bonehead move. He turned away to hide his embarrassment and waited for Arrl to voice his suspicions.

 

[Sreeya]

Arrl pondered over Owyn's question, feeling Aria reassuringly pat his shoulder. He nodded back at her, turning his attention back to Owyn.

"I think it's a Krayt Dragon. Those aren't unheard of, but there's something odd about this one. Granted, that's if it's just one at all. There could be more."

His eyes were trained forward, a village slowly coming into view.

"I have been tracking it for a while. I think if it shows, that's the village it will come for. I still don't understand what's causing this, but it's said that Krayt Dragons are lured by dark side energy. Problem is that I don't know what could be projecting that type of energy. I wish I didn't have to put you both right in the jaws of the action, but we have no choice really."

The speeder came to a stop as Arrl parked it. He hopped out and glanced over to the sparsely populated town. Moisture vaporators were erected at random spots throughout the area, the townsfolk busy at work collecting the yields for the day. Arrl bade for the two Jedi to follow him as he walked towards the town. He glanced over at Owyn.

"I think we should camp near here tonight. We will go through the town and wait in the camp I have set up near the outskirts. I'm sure that's where the dragon will come from. We will have to wait till nightfall, I surmise. It irks me to see how unprotected these small cities are.."

True enough, there was not a single hint of any law enforcement officials in the vicinity. Arrl nodded at those that recognized him. Many of the villagers looked over at the two Jedi with awe, knowing that Arrl was planning on bringing Force users the next time he passed through. He flashed a grin at the two young padawans.

"Feeling like celebrities yet?"

 

[Raif]

A Krayt Dragon?! Owyn had spent time during the trip to Tatooine reading up on the planet as much as possible. Given his own history, his eye had eventually been drawn to the local flaura and fauna of the planet. He had read about Eeopies, Banthas, Womp Rats...and Krayt Dragons. The gigantic beasts were near-legendary, their rarity matched only by their ferocity. Or at least, that was what the few stories about them told. In truth, no scientific expedition had survived the attempt to study the creatures up close.

Well this was just great. Owyn had begun hoping this whole issue could be attributed to a bunch of drunk and psychotic swoopers. Now, with a possibly force-maddened Krayt Dragon thrown into the midst, Owyn was getting nervous, to say the least. He couldn't let that show, though. He and Aria were, for the time being at least, the only hope for these people.

Smothering any negative feelings rising up, Owyn tried to project calm confidence as he and Aria followed Arrl through the small village. He was a bit embarrassed at all the attention they were getting from the farmers, but Tikk -- who had come out of hiding as soon as they got out of the speeder -- was soaking it up like a holodrama actor on the red carpet.

As Arrl asked them if they were enjoying the "star" treatment, Owyn cast a quick glance to Aria before answering.

"Hopefully, if this Dragon does appear tonight, we can give these people something to actually cheer about. Speaking of which, is there anything we can do to prepare? Defensive emplacements, fortifications, anything like that?"

 

[AriaDran]

Aria looked at the back of Owyn's head after he 'adjusted his sunshades', considering him quietly for a few moments until Arrl mentioned Krayt Dragons. That got her attention. She didn't know much about them, had only heard of them in stories as a kid - in those stories they had been ferocious, indestructible beasts. She sat back and nervously rubbed her temple with her right hand. Suddenly she wasn't so sure that they could handle this.

She hopped out of the speeder after it landed and looked around the town, smiling nervously back at the villagers. She wasn't sure she could put on a brave face at first, but then she saw Tikk's antics and let out a giggle. The little primate sure knew how to lighten the mood. She was glad he had come along.

She looked to Arrl, frowning slightly as he explained wher ehis camp was, then to Owyn as he talked about fortifications. She wondered what kind of fortifications he meant - what could they possibly build in half a day that could withstand a dragon? Nothing came to her mind, anyways. She moved in closer to Arrl and Owyn, her shoulder brushing against Owyn's as she spoke quietly so that the townsfolk wouldn't overhear.

"What makes you think that -this- is the town the Dragon will come for if you don't know what is projecting the dark side energy?"

 

[Sreeya]

Arrl grimaced at his question.

"This town is poor and I'm in no position to really do anything to offer real protection. The reason I'm camping so far out is because I'm banking on being able to take the dragon down before it ever reaches the village. I can do it, but I can't without the aid of you two."

The journey to the outskirts of the village took them no time. The suns had begun to descend slowly, taking the glare off the desert sands. Arrl put his hood down, relieved to be met with a gentle breeze instead of blistering heat. He had thought about Aria's question, though he hadn't voiced an answer immediately.

"I have been following its patterns. Wherever it comes from is slightly north of here, though I can't pinpoint exactly where. Every village has been decimated on the way and this one happens to be next in line, if my calculations are correct. As for the dark side energy...I think it's too risky to investigate alone. I can't convince a team to go with me.."

He looked over at the two of them, beaming with pride.

"Until now, of course."

Arrl pointed them to the two tents he had set up. It was more than enough to accommodate them, though one was primarily for supplies. There were guns, blasters and grenades stocked in one of the tents, complete with modded binoculars and some armor. There was also food for them, though primarily MREs. Arrl climbed into the first tent, reveling in the cool atmosphere inside. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sharp tooth, setting it in front of them.

"What do you two know about Krayt Dragons?"

 

[Raif]

Owyn listened and followed along as Arrl led them to the tents. Entering, Owyn immediately felt a drop in temperature; it seemed he hadn't fully realized just how blazingly hot tthis planet could get. Dropping into a seated position, the young padawan took off his poncho and gratefully opened a package of the MREs. He was starving, and compared to the bland gruel they often served at the temple this prepackaged stuff was delicious.

His eyes widened and he let out a deep breath when Arrl set the tooth down in front of him and asked what they knew about Krayt Dragons.

"Well, I know a bit, but it's only what I was able to download from the temple's mainframe. The order has named one of its lightsaber forms after it due to its power and aggression, so that's just wonderful for us isn't it? Other than that it doesn't seem much is known; they're giant reptiles, rarely seen and even more rarely survived from what I can tell. There's rumor they have some sort of weak spot, but I didn't read anything more specific than that.

Owyn looked over to Aria with the MRE outstretched. He was both offering her something to eat and opening the floor for her to add whatever else she may know.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria smiled as the man answered her question - it made sense, at least. She entered the tent and was also glad for the coolness inside. She took in a deep breath of the cool air and grinned, until she saw the dragon tooth. The thing was huge! Getting bitten by one of those would not be very fun, let alone multiple. She took the MRE from Owyn as she moved to sit beside him, facing Arrl.

"I'm afraid I didn't even know that much."

She smiled sheepishly, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders. Her first mission out and she didn't know a darn thing about their suspected target - that would surely look great on the mission report. At this point she was just hoping they could actually make it to the mission report. She glanced at Owyn, noting that she had sat a bit closer to him then she had thought she meant to, their shoulders almost touching.

She looked back to Arrl, waiting for him to continue, and after thinking about it for a moment shifted to lean on Owyn's shoulder, for support. She hoped he was up for giving it at the moment, because she was feeling more and more underprepared for this mission the more they found out.

 

[Sreeya]

Arrl smiled at Owyn's response.

"Good. You know enough. Also..the weak spot is in the sinus cavity. Don't let it bite you, as its teeth can produce venom."

He ran a finger along the edge of the tooth, where the venom had dried off years ago.

"Krayt Dragons have horns and a two pronged tail. The one we're hunting is a canyon Krayt. It's not that big, but still pretty damn ferocious. We don't have to worry about it showing up till much later tonight. I suggest relaxing for now."

Arrl rose to his feet and grabbed some MREs for himself.

"I'll gather our supplies for us tonight."

He smiled at the both of them and exited the tent. In his age, he hadn't missed the tiny gestures between the two padawans. It reminded him of when he had first met his wife, a distant memory that existed only in his thoughts now. Arrl decided to give them some privacy and walked over to the next tent, immediately going over the weapons and armors he would be using for the encounter. He knew he would have to remain agile in order to keep up with the beast. Aiming for the head would be the goal, but usually proved to be immensely difficult. He would have to come up with several strategies to tackle the monster.

 

[Raif]

Owyn nodded and waved as the older man left the tent, and then turned his attention fully on Aria. He had felt her lean against his shoulder, and that contact had been like a momentary connection; he could immediately feel her uneasiness, and her worry, and her need for support. He turned his head to look at her and reached up with his hand, gently touching her chin.

"Hey, you alright there?"

He honestly had no idea where this sudden confidence had come from on his part. For one thing, this was a complete turn around from his normally awkward attempts at romance. For another, if he were here on this assignment solo, he would probably be pissing himself out of fear. This dragon was shaping up to be one scary opponent. And a weak spot in the sinus cavity? Are you kidding? Owyn had become a pretty good shot with the old hunting rifles the gamekeeper at Ossus had owned, but this was just ridiculous.

All that went out the window when he sensed that Aria need him, though. Owyn grinned as he looked into her eyes, and then broke away to gesture towards his small primate friend, who was curled up on Owyn's discarded poncho.

"Don't worry Aria, we will be fine. After all, with Tikk on our side what could we possibly have to worry about?