Open Killik Investigations

[Zerath Eblon]

Spoiler: Mission specifics

Rumors are floating around Phindar that a small village has become Killik joiners. However, with no evidence to prove otherwise, the local authorities cannot come to any solid conclusions. The Jedi have been asked to investigate and First Defense Mercenary Enclave mercenaries have been offered credits to assist the Jedi as well. Councilor Hera has put a bounty on live Killiks and requested that, should one be found, it should be taken alive.

Zerath Eblon tried to find comfort in the calming waves of the Force as the small transport he was on bucked and rattled its way through the turbulent atmosphere of Phindar; on its way to a small village that had requested Jedi help. There was a need to investigate whisperings of Joined in the village of Ta'nega, but that was only part of the mission. The Council wished a Joined to be captured alive, if possible.

The Miralukan had spent the trip to the planet racking his brain to try think of a way to determine if someone was Joined or not, but had eventually come to the conclusion that the only reliable method of getting Joined to reveal themselves was to walk into whatever trap they had set. The Killiks- and the Joined, by extension- seemed to love springing nasty surprises on their enemies, making Zerath was both grateful and nervous that he wasn't alone on this mission.

The Jedi Knight glanced over to where his Padawan, Lakay'la, was sitting across from him on the shuttle. The half-Twi'lek hadn't been his Padawan for long, but she had shown both great courage and great potential in their short time together. Now, she was about to follow him into an environment where trust and allies were at a premium, and danger could be lurking in every friendly smile. The Jedi had been told to expect support in the form of mercenaries from the FDME, but Zerath hadn't heard if anyone had accepted the bounty; like too many things about this mission, there was only one way to find out.

The shuttle bumped down on a landing pad, signaling their arrival just outside Ta'Nega. Zerath rose and stretched, trying to banish his worries with an attempt at a reassuring smile directed at Lakay'la. "If it helps, I'm nervous, too" he said. "There's a lot of things we either don't know or can't control about this mission, but I do know that we can trust each in other and the Force." Zerath also wanted to promise that everything would be okay, but that was out of his control as well. "Come; let's go see if the FDME has sent anyone to assist us" he said, leading the way down the ramp to the landing pad.

@Faded @Roobi

 

[Lakay'la]

She'd never seen a Killik before.

Lakay'la had viewed holos of varieties of them and heard firsthand accounts of how terrifying they could be, but she was rapidly learning that experiencing and researching were vitally different. All life was connected to the Force, she had been taught, yet the Padawan could not help the shudder that went up and down her spine at the thought of having to face down an insectoid foe. Even if she had full-fledged lightsabers, she learned that it would still take strength and skill to penetrate the chitinous exoskeleton most Killik possessed. But that wasn't even the most worrying part of Lakay'la's very first formal mission.


Dressed in her actual padawan robes for once rather than something more casual and airy, the young half-Twi'leki had been wringing her hands for the better part of their shuttle ride like she were trying to coax water from them. She tried to picture the jungles of the planet they flew over teeming with life.

Each time she did, Lakay'la could not stop wondering how many Joiners were in them.

He must have sensed the turmoil within her, for the already-familiar smile of her master seemed to prelude his reassurances and the Padawan attempted a feeble grin of her own in reply. Despite herself, she did feel a lot calmer with just his very presence nearby and took solace in the knowledge that she traveled in step with a great warrior. Lakay'la had witnessed the blindfolded man's might for herself and seemed to be forming a soft idolatry after their time on Ord Mantell. If anyone could succeed here, it was Zerath.


"I'm right behind you...once my stomach agrees to come with me. It's probably unessential for the mission anyway, right?"

Sweat drenched her quickly as they left the shuttle behind and stepped into the tropical climate that awaited them. The Padawan groaned softly and pulled at the sticking clothing, feeling suddenly very oppressed by even the light layer. All the meanwhile, her eyes scanned their surroundings.

"Are we really supposed to work with paid mercs, Zerath? I mean- can we even trust them?"

@Faded @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Romeo Solus]

.

Phindar.

A lucrative FDME contract brought the Mandalorian warrior to outskirts beyond which he had travelled before. Though not against venturing into unknown territory, Romeo never thought that work would lead him to this village. However, he had helped Jedi before and the newly formed Mercenary Enclave was generous with its hazard pay. An encampment was set up in Ta'Nega, anticipation for arrival of the adventurers and several tents with supplies, food, and armaments stood around the general ship landing area.

Romeo glanced at mission details through his datapad, a soldier entering into the camp and motioning as the Jedis' shuttle landed. "They are here.." He said. The last time Romeo encountered Jedi was during the battle of Onderon, where they had jointly fought back the Sith invasion attempts and successfully thwarted capture of the planet, albeit with some casualties. Considered as one of the heroes of Onderon, Clan Solus brothers took part in the victory parade shortly afterwards. Fun times, funny how much the galaxy had changed in such a short duration.

Romeo waited at the bottom of the shuttle ramp, his battle clad armor freshly polished and radiating a shimmer, matte black finish given its scatterweave coating. While not force sensitive, the Mandalorian was equally prepared as the dual Jedis; characteristic of his culture, he was armed in an assortment of immense firepower. His customized T7 Disruptor rifle was slung downwards in his grasp; the dangerous weapon was growing popularity amongst elite Killik hunters for its ability to disregard the instectoids' natural armor encasing and reduce them to nothingness.

"Jedi Knight Zerath Eblon. It is good to see you again. I hope you're still not mad about our little tussle on Onderon with those two Exiles. No hard feelings mate.." He said, chuckling as he did so to reflect a light hearted and joyful demeanor. Romeo shifted his attention briefly towards the Padawan and then back to the Knight, "I hope your journey was pleasant..."

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Roobi

 

[Zerath Eblon]

The humid air of Phindar hit Zerath like a wave, and he could feel humidity gathering on his skin before he and Lakay'la had even reached the bottom of the shuttle's short ramp. The Jedi Knight tugged at the collar of his robes; glad that he'd opted for a more breathable fabric, but still feeling uncomfortable in the heat. At least he had plenty of fabric to wipe away moisture with.

After the bumpy ride down to the surface of the planet, Zerath didn't blame Lakay'la for feeling like she'd left her stomach somewhere in the atmosphere. The poor half-Twi'lek didn't look her natural shade of red, so Zerath decided to stall. "Give me your lightsabers one at a time, please" he said, an idea occurring to him. Lakay'la had fought with training lightsabers on Ord Mantell, and their low-power setting would be useless against the armored carapaces of any actual Kiliks that may be present. Knowing that both he and Lakay'la would be less nervous if she could properly defend herself, Zerath set about disabling the security features on her lightsaber and her shoto. "Your battery will be drained faster, but they'll function like the lightsabers that they actually are" he said, as he fiddled with them. For this mission, Lakay'la would be lethally armed.

Her question about the FDME's trustworthiness was one that the Jedi Knight didn't know the answer to, if he was being honest. He was about to be optimistic and answer with a 'yes', when said mercenary arrived and introduced himself to the Jedi. Zerath didn't often make a habit of frowning, but even he couldn't hide the momentary displeasure that darkened his face as Romeo Solus reappeared in his life. Forcing himself to remain calm, the Jedi Knight bit back the first words that had popped into his head and went for a more diplomatic approach.

"The past is in the past, Solus" Zerath said, meeting the man's helmeted gaze evenly. Privately, he wondered how much the FMDE was paying Romeo, in order to be able to gauge just how much loyalty they could expect from the Mandalorian. "I am certain that we have both learned from that experience." The slightest hint of a warning in his tone; Zerath had forgiven, but he hadn't forgotten.

The Mandalorian had attempted to kill Zerath on the words of an exiled ex-Padawan at the drop of a hat, which hardly made Zerath excited to be working with Romeo again. As far as the Miralukan was concerned, Romeo was opportunistic; the least trustworthy kind of person to have watching one's back. Zerath knew that he would have to fill Lakay'la in on the details of that particular mission, for her own safety, although it seemed that she already held a healthy dose of skepticism about working with mercenaries.

That would be a private conversation, though; feeling a sudden urge to get this mission over with as soon as possible, Zerath decided to trust that, for the moment, Romeo was on their side. "Since you arrived before us, have you gained any intel?" Perhaps Romeo had already begun an investigation.

@Faded @Roobi

 

[Lakay'la]

The ideal Jedi formed few, if any, attachments and this was never so clear to her as when her Master asked her to give up her weaponry. Lakay'la was surprised for the pang of instinctive worry that shook her as she gave Zerath both hilts, detaching them from the maglocks on her utility belt. She had to remind herself of lessons long since passed. These were simply tools. Symbols.

The half-human's sapphire eyes widened as she finally realized what Zerath was doing and before she could think to protest or argue that she was not ready he had returned the lightsabers. She stared at them in her hands and swore they felt heavier despite logically knowing they had not changed in mass at all.

"I...understand, Zerath."


She was in the process of clipping her shotosaber back onto the belt when Lakay'la finally saw the man waiting for the Jedi at the bottom of the ramp and visibly jolted. The Padawan had not even noticed him, much less sensed the presence of the black-armored warrior until he was directly in front of them. You've started relying too heavily on one sense at a time. She internally chided herself. Next you'll forget to open your eyes in the first place!


Now that she was focused and reaching out with the Force, it was easy to tell why the man hadn't immediately registered on Lakay'la's trained efforts. He seemed to radiate a cool confidence that almost had a camouflaging effect upon her. This warrior was experienced, calm, and assured in his own skill. Dangerous. It was like spotting a hunting bird of prey with white feathers against a snowy sky. It was like just barely making out the shape of a lurking predator hidden within a tree. The Padawan felt admiration well up within her, as well as a nagging sense of familiarity for some reason.

It took her a few more silent minutes to understand why this mercenary's whole aesthetic stuck out more than his competence: this was a Mandalorian. Lakay'la had never met nor seen one in person but had heard endless tales from one of her fathers about them. The Union man had openly admired the Mandalorian way of life and had a way of referencing it even in conversations where one might never expect it.


A bolt of homesick feelings crashed through her at the thought of her old life and briefly threatened to overtake her until Lakay'la pushed both memory and feeling to the back of her mind. There was a job to do here. People needed her help.

And besides...things had rapidly grown very interesting between her Master and the Mandalorian. What exactly had happened between the two and why did the air crackle between them like lightning?


Despite the blindfold over his face, Lakay'la felt certain that her Master knew that her gaze was locked onto him.

@Faded @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Romeo Solus]

.

Romeo continued his light chuckle, responding to the Jedi's quick witted comments with a few of his own. "I trust that most take lessons in every experience they encounter. I am sure that you took some from the war that soon followed as well." Obviously, the Mandalorian was talking about the Battle of Onderon, where his brothers in arms fought alongside Jedi to resist Sith invasion forces. It was a reminder to Zerath that the Jedi alone would have likely fallen; Vahliri Kahtal, the new Dark Lord was virtually unstoppable in her campaigns, slaying countless Jedi in her wake. It was only one fateful day and an epic rooftop battle against the Solus brothers where the mighty Sith tasted her first defeat.

Romeo's attention drifted back to the Jedi Padawan for a moment, giving her a slight nod in salutations. "Welcome to Phindar my lady, Romeo Solus at your service.." He said, his armored torso bowing slightly forward in a notion encased with charming demeanor. There was a mutual admiration on the Mandalorians' part towards the padawan as well, though he made sure not to linger on such emotions too long as he didn't want them detected through the force by his companions. "Is this your first mission outside of Jedi space?" He asked to the Twi'lek, genuinely curious if she had spent much time tracking dangerous creatures. In either case, Romeo figured it would be good experience for her to work alongside Zerath and him. Afterall, The Order did do a good job of training their padawans prior to sending them out on duty.

Romeo nodded to Zerath's inquiry, grabbing his datapad and sending an airdrop map to both of the Jedis. "I have, I'm uploading several images to your devices, it highlights most recent locations of tribal movements. The largest is towards our East, perhaps we can begin our journey there.." He said. Romeo wondered if Zerath had informed Lakay'la of their little history, and curiously, the Mandalorian glanced between the two to get a better gauge of their relationship.

@Roobi @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Lakay'la's gaze on him was even more uncomfortable than the oppressive humidity of Phindar. This was just their second mission together, if one even counted their get-to-know-you adventures on Ord Mantell- so they hadn't had much of a chance to talk about their respective pasts. Even if they had, Zerath wasn't certain that he'd have told her about the events surrounding Jade Hart on Onderon, nor his near-deadly encounter with the armored man standing within arm's reach.

Even Romeo's seemingly innocent questioning of Lakay'la carried with it a potential threat. Was the Mandalorian gauging her capabilities as he considered his chances of betraying them later on? Zerath swallowed once, pushing his fears to the back of his mind for the moment. He didn't make it a habit to be untrusting, but he'd never had to work with someone who had tried to kill him before. Somewhere, the Force was probably having a good chuckle at his expense...

As soon as the thought hit him, however, Zerath considered that perhaps he was in the right place after all. He himself knew enough about Romeo to be wary around him, while also being granted the opportunity to bury the hatchet with a potential future ally. Romeo's reminder of his role in the defense of Onderon gave Zerath the willingness to push ahead with their mission.

"East it is" Zerath agreed, scanning through the images Romeo had sent them and hoping that Romeo wasn't leading them into a trap. "We'll meet you there" Zerath said, hoping that a mile-long hike through the humid jungle might not appeal to a heavily-armored warrior. The trek walk to the nearest village would have the added benefit of giving both Jedi a chance to stretch their legs after a long space voyage, and Zerath could use the time to bring Lakay'la up to speed.

@Roobi @Faded

 

[Lakay'la]

It took the Padawan the better part of a few minutes to realize that she was the one being addressed and Lakay'la did a double-take at the Mandalorian. Her mouth opened to spew out some idle courtesy when blood sprinted to the forefront of her face and turned her cheeks a sort of crimson red. Her lekku, much thinner than those of a full Twi'lek, twitched bashfully at the very ends. She'd never been called a lady before.

After opening and closing her mouth a couple more times, the Padawan's voice finally lifted enough to be heard. "Oh, wow- yeah. Err, I mean no! I mean...sort of." Lakay'la sighed and powered through the rest of her stumbling sentence. "Don't worry about me, I mean. I won't slow anyone down."


Her Nav chimed upon her belt and following the two men's examples the Padawan retrieved the device to scroll through captured images of the jungle around them. She frowned at the dots that indicated large swaths of Killik-allied movements and wondered just how in the hell they were going to accomplish their task when they didn't even know who was a Joiner or not.

She'd just have to keep trusting in the Force and in her master, Zerath.


It turned out to the surprise of no one that the idea of slogging their way through the humid rainforest was almost as bad as actually doing it. Lakay'la's boots were quickly coated in a generous layer of grime not even ten full minutes into their journey. Already insects were biting at her sweat-sticky skin. Briefly, Lakay'la wondered if her Twi'leki ancestors would have had an easier time and if that adaptation would have passed down to her in other circumstances. Ryloth was supposed to be hot and humid and jungle-choked too, at least based from her father's stories. The Twi'lek man would most likely be ranting on and on about the history of this planet, were he here.

Lakay'la pushed that pang of sorrow to the back of her mind, focusing instead upon the Jedi in step with her rather than how much she missed her family.


"Soooo..." She mused aloud, ducking beneath a low-hanging vine that was in her way. "Um. Not a friend of yours, I take it...?"

@Faded @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Romeo Solus]

.

Romeo smiled under the concealment of his helmet as he saw the visible effects his charm had on the young twi'lek. He couldn't deny feeling a level of attraction for her but as Zerath was standing near by and considering their history, he assumed the Knight would try to blockade any type of romantic encounter between the Padawan and the Mandalorian. So for now, Romeo kept things pure business, after all, they did have a job to do.

Romeo nodded as Zerath informed him of their decision to walk alone and meet up with him later. If the Knight thought himself clever, he should reconsider his deceptive ploys; the Mandalorian quickly realized that the Jedi didn't quite trust him yet. "I would have offered the speeder but I suppose a walk through dense forests also works.. " he chuckled, Romeo's voice drifting softer as he made the comment while the two Jedi were already walking away.

Simply shrugging, the Mandalorian turned towards the tent and grabbed himself a bottle of high end tequila. Much like his time fighting in campaigns on Mandalore, he found that the liquor kept him well hydrated for adventures to come. After taking a few swigs, he handed it back to one of the militiamen before activating the wrist mounted controls of his jetpack. A whistling roar came from the device as the armored warrior propelled himself quickly into the air and buzzed overhead towards the location of their meet. Romeo tilted his torso downwards to embrace his landing, armored boots smashing into the ground as he came to a skidding halt. Switching the jetpack to combat mode, Romeo raised his rifle upwards and held it against his chest frame.

For now, eyes simply scanned the little village they had came upon, all the while waiting for the two Jedi to make their track through the forest to meet him.

@Roobi @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath was almost grateful for the distraction that the heat, humidity, and insects offered as he and Lakay'la trekked through the jungle towards the East. The Miralukan preferred any of those annoyances to the whirling storm of emotions clouding his mind, to the point that Lakay'la's question was almost unwelcome. Zerath motioned for a stop, choosing a downed tree trunk to sit on and pulling out his canteen to buy himself a few precious moments to gather his thoughts.

The Jedi Knight found himself unconsciously settling into a breathing technique that usually calmed his thoughts, and when this failed he exhaled sharply, nostrils flaring, and admitted defeat. "He tried to kill me." Zerath held up a hand to forestall any questions, knowing that there was a lot more to the story than that.

"I was on a personal mission to Onderon" he began, his blindfolded gaze locked on a horizon in the past. Zerath much preferred the rehabilitative approach rather than the punitive approach that the Justicars sometimes took. "There was an exiled Padawan named Jade Hart who I tracked there, with the intention of seeing if she had learned from her exile and was interested in being my Padawan." Certainly, Lakay'la had heard the story of the human, whose very public mistakes during the bombardment of Kashyyyk had led to a fall to the dark side. Zerath sometimes wondered what had happened to the film crew who had broadcast the Padawan's monkey lizard tying Wookiees to her ship in desperation while the Wroshyr trees burned around them. Certainly, they had perished in agony along with millions of Wookiees in the bombardment.

Zerath was silent for a few more moments as he shooed away those thoughts. "When I found Jade, she was not in her right mind." What teenager would be- exposed to the horrors of war, derided on the galactic scene, and then kicked out of the Order she called home? "I sensed a presence gripping her mind; ancient, powerful... and evil." A shudder at the memory. "I fought against it through the Force." A battle that he knew deep down he hadn't won. "It released her, and a few moments later Romeo and one of his clanmates arrived."

As odd as the mission had been, things had gotten weirder. "Jade Hart proceeded to put a 10,000 credit bounty on my head, claiming that I tried to kill her." Zerath shook his head sadly at the memory, the girl's actions still haunted him. "Romeo fired at me, and only the timely arrival of Jade's former master and another Jedi helped deescalate the situation." Zerath had been certain in the moment that he was going to die.

Finally, Zerath found the strength to look over at Lakay'la. "Given that, it is difficult for me to trust him" he concluded. "I see in Romeo a man who is motivated by credits, or else isn't thorough in whose words he puts his trust." Few 15-year-olds in the galaxy had 10,000 credits to spend, and none of them were exiled Jedi Padawans. "Neither of those qualities will help us in this mission." A harsh appraisal, but Zerath felt better with his concerns in the open air; who knew what kind of resources the kiliks had to offer?

"I didn't mean to keep this from you" Zerath said, a final thought occurring to him. "Given our short time together we've not had the opportunity to talk about our lives prior to this, and even if we had, there's no way that we know every detail about each other's lives. So as things come up- from your life, or from mine- I promise to work with you to resolve them. How does that sound?" He'd talked a lot and now he was ready to listen; Romeo would beat them to their rendezvous coordinates, but Zerath knew that he and Lakay'la needed this time to discuss this.

@Roobi @Faded

 

[Lakay'la]

The moment Zerath's first sentence left him uncharacteristically frustrated, Lakay'la's head whipped towards him so fast that she nearly smacked herself in the face with both lekku.

"He tried to wh-?!"

Her question was met with an urge for patience at the end of a palm, prompting an internal sigh from the Padawan until the name Jade Hart left his lips. Her own parted softly and a quiet sound passed between them. Lakay'la tried to picture the Mandalorian whom had appeared so polite just a few minutes ago leveling a blaster at her Master and she felt a shudder roll down her spine. Though she hadn't been learning from the Miralukan for very long, the Padawan already felt a strong connection to his presence ever since their adventures on Ord Mantell and seeing him affected like this was unsettling.


Lakay'la was quiet for a series of lingering moments following her Master's explanation while she processed what she'd just been told. The only sounds around the two were the living symphony of the rainforest and the soft crunching of their boots on the trail.


"...You say that, Zerath. At least until I reveal to you the twenty-thousand credit bounty that's on MY head!" She couldn't help the grin and chuckle that proceeded the joke, even if both were short-lived. "In all honesty- thank you for sharing this with me. I know it probably wasn't easy to...I guess all I can really say is that I'm glad you survived all of...that."

It was quickly becoming obvious that their hike was nearing an end when the objective of their mission could be spotted through the trees, the distant huts of the little village pervading the underbrush like the mounds of insect hives. Lakay'la stopped in her tracks and took a deep breath. The next words burst from her like a shattering dam.


"...my family doesn't know I'm a Jedi. I don't know if they think i'm dead or anything, but I...I had to leave them. I almost killed someone, Zerath. Maybe I did- I didn't exactly stay to see if he was okay. I wasn't thinking clearly. He had...had just hurt my family so much and I was so angry. I never said it out loud before."

Lakay'la trailed off, her cheeks burning with shame. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd just ended her life as a Jedi before it had even begun.

@Faded @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Romeo Solus]

.

Romeo wasn't sure where his two Jedi comrades were at, but there were quite a few interesting looking individuals in the small village. One such person had slightly greenish tinted skin and their eyes were almost jaundiced to an extent. Perhaps they went heavy on the alcohol or was a Kilik in disguise. Regardless, the Mandalorian continued to stare at this individual for several more minutes, certainly making the villager rather tense and uncomfortable.

Not to mention, the warrior was still holding his disruptor rifle and one accidental discharge of that could likely disintegrate any poor sap and reduce them to nothingness. "Damn, these Jedi are taking their sweet ass time..."

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Roobi

[OOC: Didnt really have much to write in this one, as Romeo is just waiting for the two to arrive].

 

[Zerath Eblon]

A wan smile crossed Zerath's face, appreciating the humor in his Padawan's words despite the serious nature of their conversation; as well as her sentiment that he'd survived. "So am I" he responded after a moment. "I don't know if I believe in the saying, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger', but I've certainly learned from that experience. And I'd be a terrible mentor if I didn't pass along some of what I've learned to you." A sigh through his nostrils that probably came off as a grunt of exertion- although the jungle did give them privacy for their conversation, it was not an easy hike.

Their destination was almost in reach, though, when Zerath was reminded that unwanted experiences from the past were not limited to him. The Miralukan stopped alongside his Padawan in the aftermath of Lakay'la's revelation, taking a moment to choose his next words carefully while giving the half-Twi'lek time to grapple with the memories that had clawed their way back to the surface of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry that you were put in that position, Lakay'la" he finally said, sincerely. Zerath had been with the Jedi since infancy, and didn't have experiences- both good and bad- from a life before the Order that many of his fellow Jedi did. "I wish that we had more time to talk about this right now, but we're almost to the village- so for now, here's what I'll say." Hopefully he was correct in his guess that she was looking for his thoughts on the matter.

"Everyone makes mistakes, and those who try to tell you otherwise aren't being honest with themselves." A slight tug at the corner of his mouth as a couple of current Padawans came to mind. "We all do our best to avoid mistakes, of course, but it's inevitable; so when they happen, we can either let them define us... or learn from them." Zerath favored Lakay'la with a quiet smile, fixing his blindfolded gaze firmly on her and resting a hand on her shoulder in solidarity. "Your core instincts- namely, your desire to protect others from harm- will make you a good Jedi. Your ability to learn and grow from experiences like the one that you just shared with me will make you a great Jedi."

Suddenly, his earlier criticism of Romeo felt slightly hypocritical; hadn't the Mandalorian fought alongside the Order against the Sith once or twice following their run-in on Onderon? "And in that same sense, perhaps I should give Romeo another chance." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he frowned slightly- his mistrust of Solus wouldn't go away that easily- but Zerath was nothing if not a cautious optimist. "Speaking of; shall we go see how our armored ally is doing?" Perhaps Romeo had already found trouble.

@Roobi @Faded

 

[Lakay'la]

Lakay’la found it difficult to put into words, or even thought for that matter, exactly how she was feeling as Zerath’s hand left her shoulder and he turned to lead them into the village proper. It was as though the Miralukan had found a thorn that Lakay’la hadn’t even known ailed her and had tugged it out then eased the open wound. It was a relief of the spirit; a burden lifted from her shoulders that she’d grown so used to that it had seemed like part of her until it was gone.

It took her a few moments to put herself together enough to follow her Jedi Master. Then the village was upon them.

Her fear had subsided by the time they began to pass simple folk going about their simple lives, crushed by the stalwart forces of Zerath’s words and intensive training. Lakay’la almost felt like a real jedi as they walked through the unrefined pathways that made for streets that had been created more by convenience rather than any sort of pre-planning. Structures were made up of whatever must have been most plentiful at the time and so most buildings were a rustic blend of wood, panels of durasteel, leaves, and electronics. Wiring crisscrossed high above heads, often slouching beneath the weight of the vegetation they’d accumulated through the years.


Eyes followed the pair wherever they went and left Lakay’la feeling especially paranoid when they finally re-joined their heavily-armed companion. It seemed as though the entire village were leaving them a wide berth, yet at least a few always seemed to be around finding something nearby to idly busy themselves with as they pretended not to be watching the three. The atmosphere was tense. Lakay’la noticed a distinct silence about the entire village- and even a few windows being closed and shuttered tight.

“Sorry for making you wait.” The Padawan said as she leaned in close to the Mandalorian and her Master. “Uhh...is it just me, or does something feel really…off?”


Inexperienced as she was, Lakay’la’s first instinct when she finally noticed that they’d been encircled by villagers that were now utilizing their knowledge of the layout to close in quickly was little more than confusion. A few moments later an unmistakable jolt of hostile intent rippled out from all around them through the Force. The villagers were systematically revealing hidden weaponry. Blasters, vibroblades, and more crude implements were being pointed their way. The Padawan was probably the last to realize it but the first to gasp the word that summarized their new predicament.

“Ambush!”

@Faded @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Romeo Solus]

.

Romeo wasn't surprised to see them arrive a few minutes after him, after all, he figured that the blind man would have caught his beautiful padawan up to speed on their prior engagement. He sure hoped the twi'lek preferred bad boys, otherwise, he imagined she would be pretty upset with his previous actions.

"No worries at all, I hope your talk went well..." He spoke, armored hand affectionately brushing against her own as the two were in close proximity. Little jittery feeling and a wash of warmth over him was soon dissolved as he noticed the villagers approaching them quicker than anticipated. When the hidden weaponry was revealed, it was obvious as to the nature of this visit. A ploy..perhaps the trio had been sent there to be murdered by a Killik mastermind.

Regardless, Romeo sprung into action the very second Lakay'la shouted ambush. His Mandalorian frame took a step forwards, shielding the twi'lek with his own body as he leveled his left wrist towards the group of hostiles. The tracking system in his HUD display came to life as the warrior unleashed a flurry of concussive missiles at their enemies.

Whistling Birds as they called it, hoping to incapacitate and stun the villagers. Raising his disruptor towards them, Romeo shifted his attention back to Zerath to see what the Jedi would suggest.

"Should I kill one?"

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Roobi

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Lakay'la was right; something was off in the village. Zerath was used to being stared at because of his blindfold, and a trio of strangers in a small village were bound to attract plenty of attention, but there was no curiosity behind their glances; only intent. Frowning, Zerath wondered if the Mandalorian sensed it, too, or if Romeo was too busy trying to flirt with his Padawan to stay focused on the mission. Either way, Zerath's blindfolded gaze could've burned through beskar if given the chance as Romeo tried brushing his hand against Lakay'la's.

"None of that." The Knight's tone brokered no argument; his Padawan could speak for herself, but even so Zerath felt compelled to step in. It was difficult enough to be working with Romeo to begin with, but he found the Mandalorian's attempts to romance his Padawan inappropriate at best and downright insulting to Lakay'la at worst. She deserved better than to be subjected to repeated advances just because she was a female.

The rest of that conversation would have to be put on hold, however, as the trap was sprung. Lightsaber already in his hand, Zerath's green blade hissed to life and he deflected the first flurry of blaster bolts aimed his direction. What the Joined lacked in technique they more than made up for in numbers, which was evened somewhat by Romeo's Whistling Bird attack and a well-timed Force Push by Zerath that sent another group tumbling to the ground.

Romeo's question prompted another frown from Zerath as he recognized that the entire village was Joined. Although the Council wished a Joined to be captured alive, the unfortunate truth was that capturing this many Joined was simply impossible. Not only did the small forward base lack the facilities to intake prisoners, the unknown nature of the Joining process made even capturing one a risky task. "We only need one alive" he answered, knowing that he'd take no delight in what was to come; raising his lightsaber in a defensive pose as the Joined pressed in.

"Lakay'la, you'll need to summon reinforcements" he ordered his Padawan; unfortunately that meant a dash into the forest, but the static from his commlink meant that there was some kind of short-range jamming device nearby. Lakay'la would have to get some distance away before contacting the forward base for reinforcements would be possible. Zerath was loathe to part with some of their firepower, but there were too many Joined for the three of them to safely go about their capture mission.

Spoiler: OOC note

I think Roobi is on hiatus, so it's just the two of us for now.

@Faded @Roobi