Ask Jakku Observing the Darkness Beneath

[The Storyteller]

As the shuttle used by the Jedi Padawans touched down upon the rough sands of the planet, the holoprojector sparked to life with the visage of the Jedi Master who had sent them on the errand in the first place. The Jedi Master in question was one of the many who specialised in historic quests for lost knowledge both Force-based and beyond; Jedi Master Ri Lee. Even in the holoprojection before the assembled Padawans, Ri Lee was in the midst of a scrap - lashing out with his lightsaber against a droid enemy even as his astromech connected him to the group.

Snarling slightly as he extinguished his blade, combat over for now, Ri Lee turned to the astromech with a fond sense of exasperation.

"Really? You connected the call now?" he ran a hand through his hair, trying to make himself look at least semi-professional in the moment, "Sorry about that. Right so... You're the Jakku group, right?"

He eyed the assembled Padawans via the holoprojector for a moment before seemingly finding something he was happy with because he just smiled wider at them as he patted the ancient book he was carrying.

"Right! Jakku. We got some readings from the planet both on sensors and through the Force - apparently there's been a large up swell of life in the middle of the desert. Like an oasis. Two problems with this; one is that Jakku doesn't really have oasis. The other?"

The Master stared at them seriously.

"It's centred around Palpatine's Observatory. You guys up for this, right? I could send in some Knights if you're not..."

Spoiler: Jedi Master Ri Lee

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Jakku. The world was best known for not being well known. Ruzaan had figured that accepting a mission from Ri Lee would've included a trip to some obscure planet, but Jakku (Planet #14!) was about as obscure as it got. Oh well. The Togruta consoled himself that, in a galaxy full of unique planets, they couldn't all be winners. Jakku certainly wasn't.

The shuttle touched - or, more accurately, bumped- down on the planet's surface, and Ruzaan was grateful that the holotransmission came as quickly as it did; he was more than ready to stretch his legs after several days cooped up on one transport or another. What's worse was that he'd spent much of the connecting flights on a different transport than his fellow Padawans, having traveled from Shili instead of Yavin IV. Ruzaan hadn't been able to get to know Laeo or Quin very well yet, so he found a spot next to Elidan in order to receive the mission briefing.

"No! No, we can handle this!" he hastened to assuage Master Lee, then corrected himself. "Er, I mean, I feel ready for this." A quick glance around the room would relay the fact that he hadn't meant to overstep or speak for others. He wouldn't tell anyone, but Ruzaan was feeling pressure to prove himself to the Jedi Council so that they might assign him a master. As such, this mission needed to go well. It had to. What did it matter that he had a bad feeling about this?



@Nefieslab @Tom @LouJoVi @Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Here we go again! Quin braced himself as the ship lowered itself, albeit roughly, onto the surface of Jakku. He’d certainly had better landings, but from what he was imagining, whatever was ahead would make him forget all about it. Whether that was good or bad remained yet to be seen.

The transmission came in, and Quin leaned forward from his seat to listen to Master Ri Lee’s briefing. A sudden appearance of life on a planet where there was little of it was strange indeed, and the fact that it was concentrated around an observatory ruled out the possibility of it being a new settlement. Whatever they would find, Quin was just glad to have his companions with him. He hadn’t had much time to get to know them, but he wouldn’t hesitate to watch their backs during the mission and help out in case something went wrong.

“I’m ready too!” He added onto Ruzaan’s earnest response. “You won’t have to worry about us, Master.” Despite the misgivings he had, he didn’t want to let the Jedi Master, or his fellow Padawans, down before the mission even began. Might as well try to keep the spirit up and hope for the best.

@Nefieslab @Tom @LouJoVi @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Elidan]

Jakku was a remote and desert covered planet. While it was considered without importance for many in the Galaxy, the final defeat of the Galactic Empire by the New Republic happened there. Rumors say that even after so many years, there were parts of the ships used during the battle laying scattered on its deserts, as a forgotten reminder of when freedom defeated the opressition.

However, Elidan wasn’t visiting Jakku because he wanted to visit such a historical place. He had signed up to participate on a mission proposed by Jedi Master Ri Lee. He and a team of other three padawans were going to investigate some strange events happening there.

When the ship where the Padawans were landed, they started a call with Master Lee through the holoprojector. Elidan noticed that he seemed to be fighting against some type of enemy. Perhaps they should call him in another moment. However, the Jedi finished what he was doing and explained the mission to them. An oasis appeared from nowhere, at the same place where Palpatine’s Observatory was located.

Elidan frowned, not believing that it was a coincidence. From what he heard about it, the Palpatine’s Observatories were places where the Emperor stored several Dark side objects. Nothing good could come from it. He believed that this mission could be more important than what he had expected.

“We can do it.” he signed to Lee, at the same time that Ruzaan said that they could handle the situation. Elidan was happy for his friend being there. The two had already worked well together before, so he knew that he could trust on the Togruta. However, he didn’t know what to expect of the other two padawans. While he had some classes with Laeonas, he never interacted with Quin before. Hopefully no problem would appear between them.

Perhaps with Laeonas being the adult there, he could maintain the order between the group.

@Nefieslab @SlagathorTheUnknown @Sicadorito @Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Amongst the Padawans, most looked about as one might expect-- except for one. Whereas Elidan, Quin, and Ruuz all looked like they belonged, the man who was going on 30... well, didn't. Their youth, their hopeful, excited expressions-- they all stood in contrast to the man who'd been silent the whole time. Silent as he opened and closed his fingers, the barely audible whirr of machine in his wrist. The man's age didn't show in the more degenerative signs, with his face still devoid of most wrinkles and his contour remained the same.

No, it showed in... other ways. In the frown that now found itself plastered across his lips, in the ever deepening bags in his eye sockets. More than anything else, it was his eyes, just a hair's more closed than it had been years ago, wonder stripped from it after seeing and experiencing so much. Around these people, he could feel the years weighing down on him heavier than he ever had before. Just a growing reminder of how short his life would be.

Ofcourse, he said none of this aloud. Instead, as the master sparked to life and asked the group if they were ready, the man would slowly stand. As the others excitedly told him that they were ready, Laeonas would glance around the room, before taking a step forward. "You're asking us to check out some odd nature phenomena around some old imperial installation? Honestly, I think we're a bit overqualified." He would answer, the slightest hint of pride in his voice.

He let the words hang for a moment, before adding a quick, "Kidding; but I'm confident that we can handle this." He declared, before glancing around the room. He'd recognized the togruta from a single sparring session a few months ago, and the mute Sephi from some psychological training as well. He... couldn't read what the boy was doing with his hands. At all. That might be a problem, but he wouldn't bring it up. Yet.

"...but assuming we encounter any beasts, Sith, mad imperial scientists or long dead spirits, what exactly should we do?"

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@LouJoVi @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

The Jedi Master offered a teasing comment to the Padawans and was rewarded by an eagerness that probably shouldn't have surprised him. Waving his hand in amusement, he tried his best to wave off the multitude of assurances he received - they were all readily offering up their own comments on the subject. It was nice to see that they had both eagerness but, also, some self-awareness as they reigned themselves in a little bit as well. He smiled, bright and wide, and nodded.

"Alright I believe you guys - I wouldn't have given you this mission if I hadn't already looked you over don't worry." he admitted before giving Laeonas' own comments some thought, becoming more serious as he did so, "I want you to prioritise your own survival - whatever that means in the moment I can't say. All I can really say is to follow your instincts and let the Force guide you towards actions you know you can live with. If you can resolve something peacefully, please do. If you cannot? Make sure it is not done with malice."

There were any number of things that could happen after all. Adventuring into the depths of locations such as this one was like literally opening up pandora's box - but it was the duty of Jedi such as himself, such as the Padawans, to open the box regardless. To face the horrors that they released for the promise of the hope that could always be found if they went in deep enough.

"I believe in you. May the Force be with you."

The holoprojector cut off as the Jedi Master signed off.

Outside the ship itself, the Padawans would find that their ship had set down upon sand - and it was the last of the sand for some distance. Further to the north, the sand of the planet was replaced by greenary, first in the form of hardy shrubs and then, further ahead, into small trees. The further from their ship they would travel, the larger and more established the trees and undergrowth would get, as though the planet was supporting something of a jungle within it.

From within the ship, a small beacon receiver let out quiet little trills as it advised the Padawans that a probe sent down ahead of them was located north of the ship - into the jungle that had not existed mere weeks beforehand.

@LouJoVi @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @Tom

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

"May the Force be with you" Ruzaan murmured in response to Master Lee, the wind somewhat taken out of his sails by the Jedi Master's premonition that this might turn into a survival mission if things went south quickly... which they tended to do whenever Ruzaan was involved. At least there were no flash bangs around...

When Ruzaan had first heard he was being sent to Jakku he'd made sure to obtain a pair of boots for the desert, remembering how helpful they had been against the hot sand when he visited Tatooine. The first steps out from the transport nearly made him ditch them, however, as a lush jungle lay ahead of them. Seeing so much greenery after over a week cooped up inside various transports left him a little emotional, but upon further investigation his unease began to grow and he decided in favor of keeping his boots on for this mission.

The Togruta wandered over to a plant near the edge of the jungle, a frown crossing his face as he inspected it further. For one, it was like nothing he'd ever seen before- and Ruzaan had spent too much time inside an exotic plant shop during one of his first missions. Second, his innate echolocation was telling him that these plants were hollow- or, perhaps more accurately, more hollow than they should be. It was a sensation that Ruzaan recognized all too well; like a humanoid hitting puberty, the plants were growing faster than they could handle.

"These plants grew incredibly quickly" he said aloud as he rejoined the others. "I don't trust that they're stable." Now he was getting a bad feeling about this- what if trees and plants weren't the only thing that grew in this jungle?- so he reached out mentally to Elidan in order to create a Force bond with the other Padawan. That way he could translate Elidan's thoughts for the group and receive the comfort that the other Padawan's presence provided.

@LouJoVi @Nefieslab @Sicadorito @Tom

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Laeonas asked a good question, and Quin listened carefully for the Jedi Master’s response. His explanation was simple enough. Follow my instincts. I can do that. Quin gave Master Lee an appreciative nod at his last note of encouragement; it meant a lot to have a Jedi Master believing in them. If he thought they could do it, then Quin did too!

The Padawan made his way down the ramp and onto the sand below, briefly stretching his legs as he looked over at the jungle looming ahead. It reminded him a little of the forests of Kashyyyk, but he had no idea if it would be as dangerous. He hoped not.

As he approached the jungle, he noticed how the larger plants and their leaves seemed to cast a shadow over the smaller ones underneath, shielding them from the unforgiving rays of the sun and surely providing some cover for any wind or sand as well. Plus, looking at the way the sand on the ground seemed to give way to the vegetation growing on top of it, it seemed like the plants were perfectly suited for their harsh environment. Whether that was the case because of intentional design or very, very rapid evolution, they would probably find out soon.

Quin headed back to the group, and nodded as Ruzaan told them what he’d observed. “I agree. They seem to fit this desert perfectly. Too perfect for my liking.” This was already starting to head in the direction that Quin didn’t want to go in, and they were only at the edge of the jungle at the moment. Who knew what they would find once they went in?

@Nefieslab @LouJoVi @Tom @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Elidan]

Elidan watched Master Lee’s holographic image disappear. His comment about them needing to prioritize their survival wasn’t comforting. While he knew that the circumstances behind it could be dangerous, since they were going to investigate a place that was related to one of the most powerful Sith Lords, the Padawan still hoped that no problem would appear during it.

He followed the other padawans out of the ship. From where they had landed, Elidan could see the green forms of the trees on the horizon. If he didn’t know the circumstances behind its existence, the boy could say that it was a normal oasis like any other that appears on deserts.

However, soon he changed his mind about it being normal. While the group approached the trees, Elidan could see how the oasis looked more like a jungle. A place like this one would never grow in a desert like this one in such a short time. The ecological succession would need to take years, or even centuries to reach this point. Indeed, something strange was happening in this place.

When Ruzaan said his conclusion about the plant that he inspected, Elidan thought that it made sense. In normal circumstances, a plant would never reach the size of this one in this short period of time. Even the ones that grow fast would at least need a month to be like this one.

While he thought about a possible scientific explanation for this phenomene, the auburn-haired boy felt the Togruta establishing a Force bond between them. Happy for feeling Ruzaan’s comforting presence through it, Elidan smiled. “I like your boots, they are really nice.” he knew that for Ruz, wearing shoes was really uncomfortable. So he thought that giving him a sincere praise would distract him.

After Quin gave his opinion about the plant, Elidan decided to use the Force to feel if this place was like any other forest that he visited. However, it was a terrible error. As soon as the Padawan opened himself to the Force, he was overwhelmed by how much life there was in this place. It was as if he had rested his ear to the skin of a kick drum right as someone kicked it.

This sensation made him feel pain. Starting weak, he was able to close his Force bond with Ruzaan, saving the other boy from sharing this pain. Thankfully, he did it before the pain became strong enough to make him fall on his knees, while his hands held his head. After struggling for some minutes with the pain, the auburn-haired boy was able to block the Force presence of his surroundings.

Even after the pain disappeared, he continued kneeling on the ground, trying to control his breath. He had visited some other forests and jungles, some larger than this one, but it never happened before. What was happening with this place?

@Nefieslab @SlagathorTheUnknown @Sicadorito @Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Ah, so it wasn't a question of skill-- just a question of confidence. Right, yes, that made sense. "Mhm." The man grunted in response, the expression on his face showing how thoroughly unconvinced he was by the compliment. His answer to Laeonas' question about what to do only left the older Padawan more unsatisfied-- essentially telling them to wing it and not die. The man had been doing that since he'd left his mother's womb, he didn't need some middle aged twat carrying a book around to remind him to do that.

"Perhaps he'll remind ya th'at ya need ta breathe and drink water next." He thought to himself, but he didn't dare to speak his mind. He was used to his superiors not taking criticism well, since most of them had been violent, temperamental drug lords. Ofcourse, if they had been more open to criticism, the man might not have developed a habit of jumping ship whenever one of their rivals offered to pay him more. Obviously the Jedi were different-- they didn't pay him at all.

As the holo shut off, Laeonas would walk out into what he expected to be a desert. He was, by this point, familiar with places like these. The man had spent days in the Dune sea of Tatooine on his own a handful of times. Yet as he stepped out, expecting sand for miles on end-- he spotted what looked like greenery. Blinking, the man squinted a little. "Weird. The mirages usually come later." He said aloud, walking out with the other Padawans.

When they came upon the greenery and discovered that, no, it was not a dehydrated delusion. The mild greenery would grow more and more dense, and as they looked out ahead, it shifted to a full on jungle. Common sense dictated that this was indeed utterly bizarre, and two of the Padawans-- the togruta and the human-- seemed to conclude the same. But instincts often failed to find the truth-- so, he reached out. The force extended before him, and he tried as best he could to sense anything that might indicate what this place was.

And what he felt was... well, it was what he always felt when tossing himself into a forest or jungle. All around him, he felt the force permeating his surroundings. This was life-- raw, untamed, and free. It was everywhere-- but not in the desert. The desert was the absence of life-- not even death. This was the force, and this was life. Opening his eyes, the man wore a conflicted expression as he turned his attention back to the other Padawans.

"Your instincts... might be right. This is bizarre, but when I reached out, all I felt was... well, the force. Might not have been drenched in light side like the surrounding jungles around the temple on Yavin, but I mean... ofcourse it isn't." He declared, crossing his arms. "Obviously the way this jungle cropped up is weird, but I don't think there's anything weird about the jungle it-"

Before he could finish his thoughts, the knife eared ginger would drop to his knees. Laeonas' aquamarine eyes widened as his fellow Padawan emoted distress, grasping his own skull. "Shite!" He hissed, dropping beside the boy and seizing his shoulders. "Breathe kid, back and forth! Stay calm, don't panic, just keep it t'gether." He went on, trying to search for any calming words he could tell his comrade. Usually when Laeonas bothered to do something like this, the person in question had been shot.

The man remained by the teenager's side before he glanced up at the other two Padawans. "...forget what I said." He stated flatly, glancing into the thickening jungle just a short distance away. "I've... I've only seen something like this happen once before. The kid isn't going mad, but that kind of reaction doesn't come from nothing." He declared. He wouldn't tell the Padawans what and who he was referring to. It probably wouldn't improve team morale if he revealed that Elidan's reaction reminded him of the time he'd been driven stark raving mad.

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@LouJoVi @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

The first thing that the Padawans had learned of the oasis was that things that might very well be non-hostile were not the same as things that could not harm them. Even just by trying to sense the area with the Force, they were taken aback by just how vibrant it was… even if the plants themselves did seem stretched in an odd way.

Something that none of them needed to strain themselves to hear was the absolute absence of something that they might have expected; there were no animal sounds. The chittering of insects or the movement of larger animals or the calls of birds – sounds typical to tropical oasis and jungle climates were entirely absent here.

It was as though the oasis had grown without the eco-system it would typically need to support its own growth.

With the way it throbbed and pulsed in the Force it was clear that it cared little for the lives or comfort of the Padawans but it seemed to be utterly focused on growing instead of fighting them. Ahead of them the oasis stretched out toward the desert but it was clear that it was expanding from a central point and even from where they had landed they were able to see that central point through the growth.

As the oasis had grown so quickly, it had not grown as thick as naturally occurring woodland was want to do. Between gaps in the trees, the Padawans would be able to see the source of the Oasis and their current predicament; the durasteel vault doors of Palpatine's Observatory. A thick carpet of vines paved the way for the Padawans as the doors stood tall, cold and imposing as though awaiting their arrival.

By all accounts the doors seemed to have been partially closed, with a gap mere inches wide between them through which huge tangles of vines and roots seemed to emerge. The gap was far too small for even the smallest of the Padawans to slide on through and the doors seemed unresponsive.

@LouJoVi @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @Tom

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

The Force Bond closed as quickly as it had opened, leaving Ruzaan confused; but only for a moment. He glanced over at Elidan and immediately rushed to the boy's side, taking one of Elidan's hands in his while glancing around for possible danger. Poor Elidan; of all the times to have a panic attack! Not knowing what else to do, the Togruta tried to control his breathing and made soft trilling noises- nearly inaudible unless close by- in order to try and calm his friend down. His mother had made similar comforting noises when Ruzaan was a child, and it always made him feel better.

Even after Elidan recovered, Ruzaan made sure that he stuck by his friend. The Togruta felt a great deal of protectiveness for Elidan, and he wanted to make sure that the other Padawan felt supported. Ruzaan would keep an eye out for danger, noting the distinct lack of wildlife sounds which on Shili often foretold an akul attack, but otherwise made no significant movements to investigate the doors until his friend seemed to be back to full functionality.

@Tom @Sicadorito @Nefieslab @LouJoVi

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Quin had been considering Laeonas’ words and was about to agree with him when he suddenly saw Elidan collapse. He reached out to help catch him, but the Laeonas and Ruzaan had already gotten to him. So instead, he focused on sending out waves of calm as his master had always done for him, trying to soothe the other Padawan with the Force as best he could.

Once Elidan looked to be feeling a little bit better, Quin offered a hand to help him back to his feet. Regardless of whether he took it or not, Quin couldn’t help but notice the looming durasteel doors in the middle of the jungle, and he thought of what Laeonas had been saying. He was right, a reaction that strong hadn’t come from nothing. There was something there, something they didn’t fully understand. Dangerous? Possibly.

But seeing how close Ruzaan was sticking by Elidan, Quin was glad that the group had each other. If they were going to make it through this, it would have to be done by working together. For now, he would wait for all of them to be ready before he made a move.

@LouJoVi @Tom @Nefieslab @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Elidan]

Elidan was certain that if he was alone there, he would have fainted due to the pain. The comforting presence that the other Padawans were projecting in him helped alleviate it, but he still had a pounding sensation on his head. The auburn-haired boy happily accepted Ruzaan’s hand and comforting sounds, he even leaned against his friend's shoulder while taking more deep breaths.

When the pounding on his head stopped, Elidan opened his bond with Ruzaan. “I tried to use the Force to look around, but it overwhelmed me. I felt so much pain, so I closed the connection so you would not feel it too. But I’m fine now.” he gave a weak smile to his friend. It would be terrible for this mission if the two ende falling to the ground like him. “It never happened before. There is something very wrong about this place.” this wasn’t normal. Not even the jungles of Yavin IV and Myrkr, which were larger than this one and even more full of life, made him feel this way.

Turning to look at the strange jungle in front of him, Elidan noticed the durasteel doors. It must be the doorway to the infamous Palpatine’s Observatory. How many terrible and dark things were being stored inside this place. The boy didn’t expect anything good coming from this place. After what he felt, he started to have a bad feeling about all this.

Then, he noticed that Quin was offering him a hand. Accepting it, Elidan would get up from the floor and only now he would notice that he had been holding Ruzaan’s hand during all this time. “Sorry.” he would say through their bond, after quickly dropping it. Turning back to the doors, the boy would take a deep breath. “I think that we need to enter there, but I really have a bad feeling about it.”

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[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

It took less than a minute for what looked like a disaster to hit, and than settle back down like it had never happened. As the Togruta came upon the ginger and began calming him, Laeonas would stand up and pull away, recognizing that his help was no longer needed. It was probably for the best; he hadn't really known what he was doing anyway. Once the boy had calmed, Laeonas would glance his way, piercing aquamarines staring for an uncomfortably long amount of time.

The boy's body language had become relaxed, and despite being mute, everything about his facial expression and movements suggested he was... communicating? The boy hadn't pulled out his datapad or started doing that weird fucking hand thing he did, but from Laeonas' point of view, it looked like he and the Togruta were in the middle of a conversation. It was by that point that he realized he'd been looking at them uninterrupted for 45 seconds-- so he'd abruptly turn and begin walking deeper into the "jungle."

Theme​

For how... alive this place felt in the force, in the profane world, it seemed increasingly barren. The contrast between the desert and jungle scenery was undeniable, and yet, chillingly, it felt nearly as dead as the dunes around them. He didn't dare to reach out again after what he'd seen had happened to the boy, but he didn't need the force to tell him that this wasn't natural. His teachers had always taught him to trust it over his senses, yet how could he believe something like this was normal, as the force was telling him? It's very existence defied natural law, and the deathly silence was only a reminder.

But... did that make it wrong?

As he approached the old imperial observatory, the man instinctively reached for the hilt of his vibrosword. He'd never stopped practicing with the blade in his off time, honing his skills with it as well as his lightsaber. With it stolen by the Mandalorians, he'd proven to have made a good decision, with his preparedness for the current situation greater than if he'd solely worked with the traditional Jedi weapon. Yet as he approached the large, barely opened doors, he remembered a painful truth-- that Vibroswords could not cut through durasteel like a knife through butter.

The door just... stood there, opened just a crack. Laeonas didn't see any light coming from inside, either because the facility was without power, or because the foliage was so thick inside that any lightsource was blocked off. Moving closer, his grip tightened around the hilt of the blade, lips pursed. He'd glance over his shoulder a few times, uncertainty filling him as he watched the Togruta and his knife eared friend hanging in the back, with the other human just a bit closer. He took a long, deep breathe-- and than he walked forward.

Unsheathing his blade, the man would begin to thwack at the vines. Without regard for the consequences, he started to cut, sparks flying off the door as the cortosis blade skidded along the edge. They could take their time, but Laeonas wasn't going to waste his.

​

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@LouJoVi @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

With the jungle seemingly not actually wanting to harm them but managing it regardless, the main concern for the group going forward were the doors of the observatory that had profaned the planet for centuries at this point. They had endured sandstorms and turbolaser fire but one of the weaker points at the moment were the vines that protruded through the gap between the doors. Laeonas' vibroblade would cut through the vines without issues, but every time the blade would impact the door the blade would shake within Laeonas' hand.

It would be incredibly clear that the doors were hardier than typical old-school Imperial design.

Destroying some of the vines did have the added bonus of causing a small groaning sound from the doors. Before his eyes, the doors would close in front of Laeonas as the long-in-place obstruction was finally removed. The doors themselves were obviously resistant to the vibroblade but they did not appear to be anything but thick durasteel.

To one side the control panel for the door was embedded within sandstone. Crusty with age, it would be clear to all of the party that the controls had not been used in a long time.

Despite this... the terminal is active, powered on and waiting for an access code.

@LouJoVi @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @Tom

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Quin helped to pull Elidan up, and once he was sure that he was alright, he turned to see Laeonas slicing at the vines with his vibrosword. It seemed that he had already cut enough for the doors to slide shut, and the Padawan made his way over to his older companion. Once he got closer, he noticed what looked like a control panel embedded in sandstone. Could that get the door open somehow?

He didn’t know much about slicing, but he was able to pry part of the panel open to reveal the wiring underneath. Some of those he knew— he had spent some time repairing his droid back on Naboo and this wouldn’t be too different, right? Pulling a couple wires and pressing a couple buttons that he thought would work, he was pleased to see the screen light up.

Peering over at it, it appeared that the last time the doors had been opened was three weeks ago. But what was even more interesting was that it had been opened with a correct imperial access code. Unfortunately, the screen didn’t show what the code was, and Quin was left to try and open the door with just the panel. A little lost, he looked back at his companions for some help.

“Uh… any of you know which wire gets the door open?” When no one seemed to be able to provide a good answer, Quin looked back at the tangled wires and made a decision. Master Lee had said to follow his instincts… so that was what he was going to do.

“Well, I’ll just pick one and see what happens.” Reaching for a green one, he pulled it out. For a second, nothing seemed to happen and he was about to pick another one when the groaning sound started again and the doors slid about halfway open. Quin glanced at the screen, scratching his head before he turned back to the others.

“Looks like it’s open for the next two hours. I hope that’s enough.”

@SlagathorTheUnknown @LouJoVi @Tom @Nefieslab

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

A quick hand squeeze from Ruzaan followed Elidan's mental worries about the place; it was a simple gesture that conveyed all of Ruzaan's affection of and reassurance to his friend. The older Padawan- Laeonas- began wisely hacking away at the encroaching vines with his vibrosword, and soon there was a path through to the heavy durasteel doors. Idly, Ruzaan wondered which setting his training lightsaber was set to, and received the answer a few seconds later as he picked a nearby vine and neatly sliced through it. That was good- he didn't know how to change it back and forth, and he felt comforted by the idea of having a fully-functioning lightsaber given that this place had done nothing but give him and the other Padawans bad feelings.

Ruzaan would've been happy to start guessing passcodes to the doorway, but thankfully it didn't have to come to that. Quin instantly earned Ruzaan's admiration and respect by tugging on a few wires and opening the doors further so that they could be accessed. The human made it look so easy, but Ruzaan knew from experience that it wasn't- his attempts at techy stuff usually ended with him frustrated, electrocuted, or both. "Nice job! Two hours?" the Togruta said, stepping forward and igniting one side of his lightsaber, bathing the immediate area in soft blue light. "Let's not waste any time." Behind his seeming confidence was a deeply-rooted desire to get in and out of this place as quickly as possible.

The interior of the bunker, to those who had interest in design, would be distinctly old-school Imperial. No space was devoted to creature comforts, and the angles were hard and unforgiving. Durasteel was the main construction component although vines, shrubs, and other plants covered nearly every surface; coating the coldly functional interior in a carpet of green that no Imperial designer would've signed off on. As he led the way ahead, Ruzaan kept his senses on alert for possible danger.

@Sicadorito @Tom @Nefieslab @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

After getting up with Quin’s help, Elidan continued staring at the doors of the Observatory. He couldn’t stop the feeling of dread that was starting to grow on him. The Padawan knew that there was something wrong inside this place, the faint throbbing on his head was proof of that. Perhaps he should return to the ship, contact Master Lee and ask him to send Knights.

However, these negative thoughts disappeared when he felt Ruzaan squeezing his hand. It made him remember their adventure back on Yavin IV and how the two worked well together. Knowing that his friend was there with him, Elidan calmed down. He also remembered that Laeonas and Quin were there. The three of them would fulfill this mission, he was certain of it now.

Elidan watched Quin approach the doorway and work with the passcode. The auburn-haired boy wondered if the other Padawan knew what he was doing. This building probably had a hundred years, would the system of passcode still be working? And more important, would the other boy know which code would make it open?

In the end, the code wasn’t necessary. Quin did something with the wires that made the door open. Elidan smiled, the other boy really knew what he was doing. However, the knowledge that they only had two hours made his smile disappear. “We can’t waste time! We need to enter there and start to look around!” he showed this message on his Datapad, before following Ruzaan inside the Observatory.

Inside it, Elidan found the typical Imperial building, with the addition of the plants that seemed to be growing from nowhere. “Don't walk away alone. We don’t know what is happening in this place.” he said to Ruzaan. It wasn’t an order, but more of an advice. “I have a bad feeling about this place.” now it became officialy his motto for this mission.

@Nefieslab @SlagathorTheUnknown @Sicadorito @Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

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The shaking in his hands was a bit surprising; he'd never attempted to strike something so thick before, and Cortosis was a notoriously firm metal. Ofcourse, the door hadn't been his target, and he hadn't expected that the vibrosword would do anything other than scratch it-- yet the blade didn't even leave a mark. Nobody put doors like this over something so unimportant. "What'd ya build 'ere, ya scrotum faced planet killing fuckwad?" He thought to himself, slashing through a couple more vines.

When Laeonas finally chopped through everything, he'd hear a groaning from the doors. His face lit up, expecting to see it loosen or even open-- and than the few open inches promptly closed shut. "Ofcourse." He spat, rolling his eyes. Why did he even bother? Turning to the crusted over control panel, he stepped back. "I give up. One of you can take a crack at the controls. With my luck I'll set off a self destruct sequence." He joked harshly, before muttering, "If the guys behind the Death star built this place I wouldn't be surprised..."

When the only other human stepped up to the plate, Laeonas would observe closely. The boy asked for help, and Laeonas resisted the urge to reply "What'd Ai just karkin' say?" Than the boy said he'd pick a random wire, and low and behold, the doors opened. The man's jaw hung open in surprise, and any snide comments or insults melted away. "...goddamn, nice job." he praised, actually smirking a little bit.

Inside, the old base was, as to be expected, completely overgrown with greenery. There were still no signs of animal life, apart from the four humanoids no prowling in it's depths. He felt like he ought to provide some serious advice-- but really, what was there to say that they couldn't figure out on their own? He wasn't their babysitter-- they were Jedi. Regardless, he tossed out a quick, "Don't do anything stupid." anyways.

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@LouJoVi @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab