Ask MISSING: PANGO COLONISTS

[Syr Bors]

Rago
Pango colony

It hadn't been that long since the 'liberation' of Rago from the Killiks and the slaying of the Killik queen by the Jedi. It had been even less time since the Pangos had colonized the planet and began to round up and devour the remaining Killik drones across the world. And yet, in that short time, the planet had changed greatly. The skies, once clear and blue, were now smoggy and grey. The rich farmlands had been raked over and broken up by drilling machines, and the rich blue rivers had been dammed and covered by long stretches of industrial development. The only thing that stood out as still part of the world were the giant Killik mounds that the Pango colony surrounded.

Bors couldn't have noticed all the industrial development. As he stepped off the Jedi shuttle, he took a deep whiff of the air, as if it wasn't stained by the smell of industrialization.

"Take it in fellow Jedi!" Bors proclaimed as he gestured around. Several other Pangos walking around, both of the large and small varieties, looked over at the stranger that had arrived. The large ones didn't seem to care that much. The smaller ones however studied the shuttle and the Jedi who landed curiously, as if they could smell opprotunity.

"You stand on the precipice of growth! Of development! Of..." Bors puased as he struggled for the right word.

"...something! Ach, I am no wordsmith. I am a Jedi!"

Indeed he was. He and another Jedi padawan had been sent to Rago to investigate reports of vanishing colonists, at the bequest of the Pango government. After all, the Jedi were the ones who had dealt with the Killik threat, so why wouldn't they double check their work to make sure nothing else was going on? Bors was sent due to being from the world. As for the Jedi assigned with him...

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Duma had heard about the Jedi mission to liberate Rago and the success they had of defeating the Killik Queen. He had also heard since the Pango had moved in to colonize the planet, bringing industry but he did not imagine what he saw as he exited the shuttle. He had been assigned along with the Pango Jedi, Bors to investigate some disappearances of some of the locals. Boss was assigned due to local knowledge and Duma since it wasn't just the locals going missing.

Livestock and all manner of life had been disappearing with more frequency of late.

As an authority on animals, tracking them and nature he was suited to help find out what was going on. At least that's he had been told. While Bors was excited, Duma was less so as he saw the sights before him. As he smelt pollution, and saw how industry had poisoned the world and nature. Killed animals as well most likely with the poison of industry. It was disheartening. How could anyone let this happen was beyond him.

He spoke "It's certainly something. Not sure growth is how I would call it, but it's something. Let's go find out some of the locals know something useful, see if they can provide some insight on these disappearances and where they were taken from."

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

Bors looked at the Orcalon and smacked his shoulder with a clawed fist. "Stick with me, you are in Pango territory now. If anyone knows anything, its the planetary council will know something..."

Bors led the way. As big as he was, he seemed to not mind his large size here. If anything, his and Duma's prodigious sizes seemed to be the norm, as other Giant Pangos mulled about with heavier labor while minuscule Tree Pangos either clung onto their shoulders or operated heavy machinery on their own. As the two traveled, it became obvious who held the power on this planet. As the districts got nicer and nicer, with well cared for streets and less choking air, the ratio of Giant Pangos to Tree Pangos became much distinct. Eventually, Bors and Duma were the tallest beings around.

The building Bors led to was the Central Complex, a ringed tiered building that seemed to house all sorts of governmental occupations. Through tinted windows the outlines of small beings could be seen scurrying around. The inside of the building was more extravegent, if less oriented for taller folks. While the golden rimmed and red carpeted rooms were still tall enough to house a Wookie with gigantism, the shiny doors were slightly smaller than before, the the desks were all close to the ground. Even the droids were more modeled after the Tree Pangos who worked diligently.

One Tree Pango near the doorway, a well dressed barely 2 foot tall individual who held his head up proudly, smiled at the approached of the two strangers.

"Greetings honored guests!" The Tree Pango said in an almost sing-song way while adjusting his green bowtie. "I was told of your arrival the moment you landed. It is so good to have Jedi enter our community! Please, I am Fleminan Gareth, speaker for the council, though please call me Gareth. I have been asked to help you in any way possible! Speak, and your wish is my command!"

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

As Duma stood there and Bors smacked his arm, he let out a small wince. His claws were sharp. He wasn't sure yet if it was a good or bad thing with Bors as his guide, considering what he had seen at the party with the bugs. Instead he gave a nod and a small smile as he spoke and allowed the Pango to lead the way. For here Duma was just a visitor, Bors knew the area more.

As they continued to walk, Duma looked around and noted the changes as they went further in. The gap between the poor and the rich becoming more and more evident as they proceeded, and the two sub-species differences could be seen. With the smaller ones, Tree Pango apparently acting as some kind of slave or servant caste. At least as far as he could tell. As they were greeted and brought inside, Duma offered a smile as they entered the large building and centre of government and met a Tree Pango with a bowtie. Duma had to attempt to hide a small chuckle at the sight. He found It rather endearing.

It was like something he had never seen, and he could almost imagine seeing Bors wearing one.

He listened as He gave a name, Fleminan Gareth. Bowing his head in respect, Duma remained smiling as he spoke "Greetings Fleminan. I am Padawan Dumaagorn, but you can call me Duma and this is Bors. It is a travesty that someone would do as they have, I will do all I can to help. What can you tell me about those affected? Who was taken and where from?"

Duma said trying to get straight into the heart of the matter and see what was going on here. Why so many species were disappearing.

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

Gareth's head tilted at the names. "Bors? Ah! Syr Bors! I recognize that name. You were part of our colony's early efforts yes?"

Bors nodded eagerly. "Right. I was told the secrets of the 'bug slayers' might be a worthy endeavor, and, well...it was!"

Gareth rubbed his hands together slightly. "And did you find such secrets to share? The Killiks are always a fearsome enemy across the other colonies after all. You do want to help your kind, do you not?"

Bors shook his head. "Of course I want to. But there are no secrets besides that of the Force."

Gareth looked slightly disappointed but shrugged. "A pity. Still, if you wish to return to us, your skills will always be of benefit for our community."

Gareth looked back at the Orcalon. "It is indeed a travesty Duma. As of now, 34 Pangos have gone missing. A mixture of both Giant and Tree Pangos, of both genders, and from various locations."

The small repto-mammal snapped his more precise clawed digits. A nearby astromech droid rolled up and handed over a datapad to which Gareth read from.

"Last one occurred two days ago in the Killik mounds. Routine round up of Killik specimens. However, neither the team of four nor the reported drones were able to be found. Very strange. Before that, a group of five maturing Pangos were reported missing after they decided to go 'dog racing and pango Striking' after a school shift. Their...huh... they were reported taking five hounds with them, but only one of them were found dead a day after. Looks like it bled out."

Bors looked slightly confused. "Any correlation between the groups?

Gareth held the datapad out to the Jedi. It was perfectly sized for himself, but for the others, it was comically undersized. Bors probably would've snapped it if he took it in his claws "We didn't see any, no. Different locations, no relations between the victims, vastly different age ranges. And to add on top of it, still no sign of where they went. But perhaps you will see something we don't?"

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

As Duma listened as the smaller Pango apparently knew of Bors and both went into something of private conversation that made him few kind of awkward for overhearing. He stood there trying to distract himself as they spoke, looking around at the strange architecture and other Pango around and various wildlife very occasionally. Like a bird in the rafters.

As Gareth explained 34 had gone missing, Zuma faced visibly sunk. His eyes wide and mouth in shock. 34 Pango missing!? And that wasn't counting however more of the other species around that were missing. He grew more determined to get to the bottom of this and stop more death. To protect not just the Pango but the other species as well and protect what remained of the wild here. He listened as the report highlighted how had gone missing after dog racing, and Pango striking. He wasn't sure what that was but hope it wasn't what it sounded like. Hitting Panto for sport.

He listened as they explained how a hound was bled out. It saddened him a creature could be treated like that. At least unnaturally and not for survival by other wildlife. Boss asked about any correlation, with Duma listening as it was explained they hadn't found any. Duma found that strange and unusual. Usually there was a pattern of some sort. That there was none was troubling.

It appeared random at best.

He wondered were there other bodies, more fresh. Perhaps now they were here upon inspection they could see something that connected the deaths and decipher what did it.

"34 you say? My heart sinks for them all, you have my sympathies." He said "Do you have any fresh bodies we could inspect? Perhaps a hound? We might see something that connected them you missed."

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

Gareth nodded. "We figured you would want to examine the bodies we have found, so they are in storage below. This building has a morgue below for security and such. Never imagined we'd have to use it for this. We have the dog, as well as two Killik drones that seemed a bit suspicious. No Pangos unfortunately, but they wouldn't be called disappearances if they were found. The Drones looked like they bled out as well though the wounds don't look the same as the dog, so we were unsure if they were connected. Only reason we figured it was suspicious was because we Pango's tend to eat the bugs rather leave it for waste. Here, I will show you to them..."

As the Tree Pango led the way through the byzantine maze of a government building, Bors looked at Duma curiously. "What are you thinking Jedi friend? It strikes me suspicious that no Pango bodies have been found..."

The Tree Pango led the two into the building's basement area. The basement, a series of smaller Killik tunnels that had been redone to suit the Pangos, were a but stuffy and a bit more cramped, but overall well maintained.

The morgue area was at least air conditioned. The bodies had to be pulled out of storage by two medical droids, and laid on the tables. The dog and the two drones, small in size but still fearsome in appearance, were laid bare. Cool to the touch, they were well still preserved.

So well preserved that Bors almost started to drool slightly. "Dang, those juices probably still taste good. Have you ever tried Killik? Each sub-breed of them taste different. Recently tried to introduce some bug delicacies to our fellow padawans..."

Bors' mind flashed back to the 'bug incident', forgetting how he actually collided with Duma at that BBQ. "It didn't go as I hoped."

"Another reason you should probably rejoin us sometime." Gareth remarked as he observed the Jedi at work, though keeping back to keep his bowtie clean.

@Akheron

 

[Karai Hekk-iv-Adas]

Duma listened, and gave a nod before speaking as he followed Gareth and Boss inquired "I'm hoping by seeing the wounds we might see what weapon was used. A closer inspection might reveal what inflicted the damage or who if we recognise the type of cut. And any traces of blood from whoever left it, if there was a struggle. Might be something."

When they got to the morgue, Duma started straight away as he approached the bodies. Although terrifying he still felt sad for the way they had died. Unnatural as it was. He gave a look that said he wasn't amused at the comment. Now wasn't the time for that type of talk and he found it disrespectful of the dead. They may have been Killik,but they were still sentient and a lifeform. None deserved to go as they did.

He spoke "I'm sorry, but I don't think that kind of talk is appropriate. I would appreciate if you both showed some respect for the dead while I am here, they did not deserve to go this way. No-one does."

Duma overheard the remark about rejoining, it appeared there was some kind of animosity there but he didn't say anything. Duma offered a small prayer from his people before looking at the corpses and beginning the grisly task of checking the wounds. He hoped Bors didn't decide to nibble some while they did it. Duma observed carefully, checking where the kill had been made and the angle. Seeing if this was amateur or a professional. A Hunter or Poacher.

He even checked the fingers to see if any scratched or caught who attacked them and left something beneath the nails that may have been missed by the initial inspection. Dried blood most likely, but it would be a clue to culprit. He noted it appeared to be only certain parts that were cut, or some bits removed entirely, meticulously. Targeted even. Like there was a method to the madness.

"Interesting." He said "These cuts look almost identical, on closer inspection. The same blade was used, but different parts, this was the work of someone skilled in their craft."

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

Bors held up his hands defensively. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be disrespectful. Just after living with non-insectavores, you get hungry for the...um, sorry, i'll be quiet now. "

With that, Bors almost shrank back slightly as he and Gareth observed the work.

"Skilled you say? Hmmm..." Bors commented. Then something caught his eye.

Or rather, the lack of something

"Hey look, this one is missing its inner proboscis ..." Bors pointed at one of the Killik drones. Sure enough, the inside of its jaw was lacking a piece of insect anatomy, or, more accurately, half of the proboscis that stood where one would expect a tongue.

"If i remember right, these drones use those to feed on dead corpses of their own kind... I've heard of them breaking off if not pulled out correctly. Maybe it was surprised during a feeding? Was the other drone found with this one?"

Gareth nodded. A quick examination of the other drone showed no insertion of such a proboscis took place.

"Does that mean these things were snacking on a dead Killik before it was wounded? If so...what happened to the corpse?"

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Duma listened nodding in understanding, or as much as he could about the difference in culture. He placed a hand upon Boss shoulder if he let him as he spoke after cleaning them. "I can't say I understand your culture, but I understand you have a different taste, at least in part. It's just...I was always taught to respect life and the dead equally. And the way they died well...It is a sad thing to me." He said respectfully and calmly with small smile As he removed his hand.

As Bors noted the lack of a inner proboscis, Duma observed closely and also took a look. Getting back to work. That was interesting. After looking at the others, Duma looked at the hounds, noting similar organs or specific parts missing. As Gareth asked if they were snacking on them while they were wounded, the Orc shook his head.

It didn't look that way.

Whatever they had removed had been taken out and moved elsewhere by the looks of it. They just needed to find out where and for what purpose. It made Duma worried slightly as to just what they were getting into and what was really happening. They would need to be careful.

"No, it looks like they were taken out and taken elsewhere. There is no sign of being eaten after the kill, not like we would expect at least. From my experience with the wild. This doesn't look like a traditional hunter, this looks like some type of poaching. Most look expertly done but the last one...it's sloppy. Looks like someone got careless."

He considered as he thought on it "Where did the latest dissapeance take place? Perhaps they left a trail or something behind you initially missed that might offer a further clue."

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

Bors dwelled on the words of the Orcalon. "That is strange. We aren't much of a hunter species except for the Killiks, and that is only because we fight and eat them. Most of worlds we colonize lack other fauna since, well...the Killiks eat everything else to extinction. "

"That is to say, we've had to deal with a fair amount of poachers." Gareth added. "With the open galactic knowledge that a Killik Queen was slain by the Jedi, we've had to chase away poachers and extremists who want to destroy any sign of the Killiks.

Gareth looked at his datapad again.

"Last disappearance was In the Killik mounds, northern edge. We've done our best to wall off connections into those hunting areas, so it should still be in a pristine condition for you. If you are ready, I can take you there myself."

Being done in the morgue, Gareth led the two out of the building. Taking the controls of a landspeeder designed specifically to hold the weight of Giant Pangos, Gareth drove the two through the winding tunnels of the Killik mound.

"I helped hold off a swarm of drones right over here..." Bors pointed out as they sat on the open air speeder, passing a branch in the tunnels. "Real big swarm. My commander had us smash the ceiling down in front of us to barricade the swarm off. The tunnel was much narrower then. No one really realizes, but after a Killik queen dies, the Hive began to subdivide into smaller swarms, lashing out wildly. Never fight each other, but they don't work together either. Still, they can ambush like a motherkr-"

Bors wasn't able to finish, as the group had finally arrived at the area. Bors explained that the large open chamber, with a two incomplete crisscrossing bridges overhead, must have been the beginning of a central 'highway intersection' for the Killiks, with the purpose of future excavations nearby. As of now, there were only three entrances into the chamber. The one they came in, one that led deeper into the Killik hive that, according to Gareth, was now a dead end, and a third tunnel that led outside the mounds into a still developing section of the Pango colony.

True enough, the place was sealed off for the most part. Guards and barricades stood at the two tunnels that led out from the chamber

"The bodies were found here..." Gareth pointed near a chamber corner. "...and there, up on first incomplete bridge."

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Duma considered what was said, taking in the information. It appeared some still had I'll feelings towards the Killik, although it wasn't so surprising with what had occurred. Nodding, he soon followed Gareth after another clean up and jumped into the landspeeder heading to the next location and potentially some clues.

Listening, Duma was intrigued.

He was certain it must have been something to face such a threat. Although the thought was soon replaced by another as they approached the location of the last known place where something took place. Looking around, Duma started looking for potential clues, claw marks, signs of struggle. Footprints left by those responsible, at least the careless one that might offer a view into who did it. Something that could offer insight beyond just the bodies they had inspected.

"Search the area Bors, but be careful of your step. We don't want to trample evidence." he said.

With that Duma begun to look around, searching for anything out of the ordinary, no matter how trivial it was. The smallest clues sometimes revealed the most. He checked for drag marks, how many possibly came and to see if they lost anyone in struggle.

He inquired as he searched "Did anyone see or hear anything strange the night of the disappearances? Lights, landspeeder engine sounds. Anything out of the ordinary no matter how insignificant it might appear. Who lives near here, someone might have seen something."

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

With a slight nod, Bors began to look around. Like Duma, he examined for potential drag marks, but not because of people. He was looking for drag marks of newly opened and then reburied tunnels, or signs of terrestrial activity. He was no tracker, but as he showed before, he had once made a living underground digging and fighting bugs.

Gareth shook his head at the questioning. "Not that we have been told. We sometimes have ships come in and out, but nothing unordinary concerning the nights of disappearances. Lets see...that tunnel..."

Gareth pointed at the one tunnel that was neither a dead end nor the one the group came through. " leads downwards, then up to the surface where a mining section was operating a few days before the disturbance. The mining crew left the site when a swarm showed up and made the work impossible. They were scheduled to move their equipment here to work on the dead end tunnel. Hmmmm...."

The small Tree Pango raised an eyebrow as he dug further into his datapad. "I don't know if this counts as unusual, but that mining team was partially filled out with off-planet hires. Ah, yes, I remember this. The council was trying off-worlders to observe and ste-, erm, learn, the secrets of other people's mining techniques. The hires were let go when it looked like the mining was going to be paused indefinitely, and the rest were rescheduled into other areas.

Bors had climbed upwards onto one of the incomplete bridges, across from where the body was found. He looked down from his 10 foot tall perch. "Out of curiosity, what kind of beings were the off worlders?"

"Let's see...two Humans, a bothan, an Ugnaught, and a Trandoshan"

Bors blood instantly ran cold as his memory flashed back to the slavers he dealt with on Kashyyyk. He looked at Duma with a cold glint in his eyes. "That sounds suspicious to me..."

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

As Duma looked around, he was growing more concerned for the well being of those missing. He listened as he looked around, attempting to find any tracks using his skills of the wild. To see if there as anything unusual left imprinted into the floor that might reveal who did tell crime.

He looked up as Gareth described the events leading up to the latest incident. He didn't think it unusual to fill such roles with co-workers not if the Pango were seeking or learn from them and he knew they couldn't judge people as not all off-worlders were bad. He knew it from experience in the Jedi so far, he had met a few. No, this had to be something else. He listened and nodded as Boss asked a relevant question, although he didn't necessarily agree with the assessment.

Bors appeared to be profiling them simply on what they were, they needed more evidence before jumping to such conclusions.

"Not necessarily." He said "We can't go just judging them based on appearance, if they are responsible we need to prove it."

He turned to Gareth, having an idea. "Where can we find this mining team? Locals and any off-worlders still here who were part of that team. They might have seen something that day you didn't and provide a crucial detail. Perhaps they can provide also a description of anyone that did look like they acting suspicious and what they might have been doing."

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

"Ach, have you dealt with Trandoshans before? " Bors asked as he turned back to his workl. "Slavers the lot of them I've read, and I've seen enough of them to know better to trust them right away. Id bet my blade there is a whole camp of them somewhere on world.

Gareth shook his head. "Not according to my records. And after we let the off-worlders go, we lost all contact with them. But like you stated, the miners may know something so I can do some digging on where they are now.Hheh, pun clearly not intended. Anyway, shouldn't take me too long to.."

Gareth was interrupted as Bors pushed on a rock wall on one of the incomplete bridges. The sound of rocks being pushed and toppled over was slightly noisy to say the least. The bridge under Bors feet shook slightly at the sudden weight influx from a few boulders rolling to his feet.

"Hey! This hole was covered up!" Bors called out to the others below as he pulled a few more rocks back. Peering into the darkness, Bors pulled out his blade and ignited it, tip forward into the hole. The light casted from the yellow blade revealed, sure enough, another tunnel. Smaller and narrower then the others, but clearly a tunnel.

"Not sure if this has been used recently though..." Bors commented as he studied the walls and floor. "But definitely more recently covered over. No way one could fit a land speeder through here. Its tight enough that one one being can fit through at a time. Not sure which way it goes, but I bet it leads upwards."

Gareth looked over his datapad. There were no records of an additional tunnel being here.

Bors pulled away and looked down at the others. "What is the plan? We could split up. I take this, you speak with the miners. Cover more possible clues that way. "

@Akheron

 

[Dumaagorn Yagah]

Duma listened as Bors spoke, considering his words. While he found it true of probably some Trandoshans, he didn't believe they could label them all under the same assumption. He found the idea quite specie-ist, and thought Boss was coming from a obviously biased view according to a certain experience. While tempted to take the bet, he decided against it.

He spoke "I haven't no. But we cannot label all under the same label, just because some give them a bad reputation. We must look for the best in people I think." he said no more on it as they proceeded. He listened as Gareth explained about the miners, and looked over as Bors found a new tunnel. One suspiciously covered up. It made him curious. Could it be how they snuck the carcasses out? It was very likely. There was a chance it wasn't but he figured it was in either case a lead.

They were getting somewhere as the evidence was lining up. They just needed more tout together the sequence of events and figure what was really going on. It was starting to seem a lot more complicated than a simple kidnapping case. It made him a little worried. But he didn't voice the concern just yet.

"I agree. You search the tunnel, but keep in contact with your com or EZPhone. And keep the GPS tracker on." he continued "You find anything, call right away. This is our first solid lead. I'll see what the miners and locals say. See if things can be lined up right and paint this picture."

@Narzen

 

[Syr Bors]

Bors nodded. With Duma's acknolodgement and permission, Bors returned to the off shooting tunnel and began to dig a wider path for him to follow. Gareth looked to Duma and gestured back to the ride. He would drive the Orcalon to the mining site the workers had been reassigned to.

(I leave what you find up to you. If you need me to write for the minors or whatnot, let me know)

It was slow going. The narrow tunnel was clearly not made for Giant Pangos. About ten feet in, Bors had to resort to crawling on all fours, pushing aside rocks and scraping the walls to made room for his large body. More than once, Bors started to get stuck, and had to wedge himself out backwards, but overall, the Giant Pango kept moving forward.

And upward. Sure enough, Bors guess about the tunnel going upwards was true, though not to this extent. Several times, Bors was actually climbing up rather than digging forward. Such a tunnel confirmed it was Killik origin, but didn't explain why none of the seismic sensors detected the tunnel.

That answer came a little later. As Bors turned another corner, a thick dull blue vein of mineral showed itself. Bors recognised it not by its official name, but its name given by the Pangos: ElectroBum. Darn mineral had a built up energy in it that caused havok on sensors. The entire tunnel must have had some of it laced around it, as an emergency exit tunnel for the Killiks. Bors had to admit, the bugs, when they were smart, were clever. It may even explained why no one detected anyone coming or going to the area he came from.

Of course, that meant that his own comm link was useless up here. But eh, there were no reported Killik swarms near here, so surely he was okay for the moment.

@Akheron