On the High Ground [JEDI MISSION]

[Ral]

Vaynai, Vaynai Spaceport
Outer Rim Territories, Imperial Space
0900 Local Time​

Spoiler: Mission Briefing

Heavy rains have threatened the isolated islands of Vaynai. Inhabitants are struggling with finding higher ground and escaping the flooding lands as the ocean levels rise. Most of those in threat are the poorer farmers of the system. The Grand Master has ordered for a team of Jedi to aid the people in working together and using the skills they know to help them find high, habitual ground on islands around the world. In exchange, the farmers have offered a portion of their seaweed harvest which contains healing properties. However, Vaynai lies deep in Imperial Space, Jedi need to be on the up-most vigilance in keeping inconspicuous and not triggering their presence to Imperial Forces or the Sith.

The world of Vaynai was another water world that reminded Jedi Knight Kai Sera of Lamaredd, or perhaps Bestine, or Mon Calamari. As the knight landed the VX-700 light freighter he had maneuvered and piloted through Imperial Space undetected and without having been spotted to get to the water planet he could tell that they had come to the right place. Rains were falling rather hard, the sky was a dark gloomy grey, much the same color as Kai's eyes. With the freighter touching down somewhat securely to the slick permacrete landing pad Kai turned around in the pilot's seat and looked at the two Padawans with him. One was a half-human, half-Epicanthix named Iris. She had long, flowing white hair, sapphire blue eyes, and attractive features. The other was Zian, a human-Chiss half breed with black hair, light blue skin, and rather unsettling black eyes, although Kai would take the black ones over the red ones any day, and oddly enough was fully grown at the age of ten.

Smiling, the Knight began to speak, "Are you two ready for your first real mission? Remember, we need to do our best to conceal our true identity from any of the officials. We're in Imperial Space and if the Imperium, especially the Sith, discover we were helping the locals there'll be hell to pay. So, be careful about what you say and how you use your powers..." He remarked looking at Zian. The young Chiss' difficulty to control her abilities might prove to be difficult, and in this mission it might cause problems. Best to teach them Stealth now, before they go out there and realize they should have known it. With a little sigh, Kai looked between the two females. "Do either of you know how to use Force Stealth?"

Knowing that Zian didn't, Kai beckoned the pair to follow him to the cargo hold. Sitting down, he motioned them to do the same. "Alright, let's start with the basics. First, let's feel our own Force presence and understand how it flows and radiates and affects the Force around us. Then, I want you to either focus on manipulating it; shrinking it until it is imperceptibly small, or spread it out like an early morning fog so that it because unnoticeable against the energy of the Force everywhere else. Give it a try, once you get the basics of it down we shall leave. This is how we'll be moving about this planet so a Sith or Force Hunter will not notice our presence on this planet."

 

[DaBomb]

"I guess I can try..." Iris pouted. Iris closed her eyes and tried to spread out her force signature. She grasped and tried to make it decompress and guide it around her. As she did so, she could sense her presence became less noticeable. She then opened her eyes and looked back at Kai. "That's as good as it's gonna get, can't do much better then that." She nodded waiting for his next order.

 

[Zian]

The sith that very word was cruel in it's self. The Sith had done so much to her people, betrayal, trickery, war, these were just a few things that had all but left her people in ruins and to rot. Luckly her mother and the other Sith that were spirited now forged a group to rebuild the ruins of a once proud people. 'To think if she had returned home sooner.' The thoughts had crossed Zian's mind, but there was no dwelling on the what ifs she was working on being a Jedi.
This was her first mission outside the temple, though it was a new world she also had to focus on the task.

Kai had wanted them to use something called Force stealth, Zian didn't. She became a little worried it would require force use. Her light tended to act up when she used the force. She had some basic control over it, but it still needed work. This power though seemed to suppress ones presence. Zian wondered if this would trigger her light. She took a breath and would try. She tried to find her power first, once she did, she began to push it away like hiding it under a rock. There was no light when she tried to do it, she keep pushing it deep within herself. She hoped against hope that she was doing it right and that her light wouldn't act up.

 

[Ral]

Watching the two Padawans sit and focus, Kai watched through the Force as the two tried to suppress their own Force presences. It wasn't something that was normally easy for any beginning Jedi to do. Oddly enough, after several minutes of trying, Kai noticed Zian doing quite well at it, and better yet she didn't glow. Iris did a fair job, her presence was less noticeable, but Kai felt she could do better. So, when she stated rather absolutely that's the best she could do, Kai frowned. "Is that so? You can do better than that, Iris. Don't limit yourself, open your mind up to the possibilities of the Force. All that it requires is focus and determination. And in the future, don't remark how you'll try to do it. Either do it, or don't do it. Your focus determines your reality. There is no harm in trying, but it is for not if you don't put the required effort and dedication into making it come to pass. Now, you've both done well for starters. Unfortunately, we can't spend all day sitting on this ship practicing. The field will have to be your real test of skill. I hope you're both prepared for that. It will require constant focus so a passing Sith or Force Hunter will not be able to detect your and determine your true identity. Remember, focus and determination."

Standing, he offered a hand to both of the females there. Nodding to each of them, he led them out of the cargo hold and towards the boarding ramp. Picking up his thick black cloak laying on a nearby crate, the knight put it on as he walked out into the blowing rain. Their first thing to do was find one of the locals, a magistrate who was expecting outside assistance. But, to do that, Kai would first have to find this magistrate, and he had an idea about how to make an exercise out of it. "While using the ability I taught you it will be harder to follow the Force and sense things, but it will be a good exercise to trust in the Force while having to focus on keeping yourself hidden in it. To this end we are to meet a local magistrate, why don't you two try and use the Force and lead me to him?"

 

[DaBomb]

Iris nodded in approval from Kai's lecture. She knew she could do better with work and determination but she also knew they didn't have time to do so, she must work with what she has at the moment. She again took her force signature and spread it thin and more spaced out, to try to avoid detection. She then tried to search the force to find the person she was looking for, until a law hit her. "Who are we looking for exactly?"

 

[Zian]

Zian was doing good by suppressing her power, but now Kai wanted her to find this magistrate with the force while trying to keep herself hidden. She had struggled before trying to do two things at once, her light liked to act up when she tried to use the force. However she wasn't sure, Zian would start with keeping her power suppressed first, it seemed to deal with her light. Making sure her power was still hidden, she tried to move it just a little to see if she would get a reaction on any level from her light. There was nothing not even a little light, but she didn't feel safe just yet, so she pushed it a little more. She still got nothing from her light, so she kept going pushing it a little by little until she started to move it to try to sense things around her. Zian pushed hard to keep her power low while trying to sense, she didn't see any light.
She could sense the ground, the paved walkways, people, buildings, animals, and all sorts of things. She kept going till she thought she found him. "By the square waiting there's a man." She said. Zian was happy though she didn't show it, this was a big thing for her. She had been able to keep her light suppressed while trying to sense. Even if she was wrong about the man, it was a big step for her.

 

[Ral]

"You must use the Force to figure that out, Iris. Sometimes you will only have very limited information, you'll have to use intuition and the ability to feel and trust in the Force to determine who someone is and where they are. It is a vitally important skill every Jedi must learn." Kai stated simply as they walked. The knight pulled at the hood of his dark cloak as the wild wind and rain pelted at him. The constant tap-tap-tap and the near howling of the wind making it much harder to hear the Padawans if they tried to speak, so Kai had to use the Force to enhance his ability to hear them over the storm. Of course, during this time, Kai had shrouded his own presence in the Force, but was doing his best to still reach out and feel everything around him. In the back of his mind he could feel a certain distinct tugging sensation which he elected to follow believing that it was where they needed to go; whether to the magistrate or to find someone else Kai would only find out once he got there.

Approaching a square in the town Kai could hear Zian state that she saw a man, and indeed, Kai also felt himself being drawn towards this man. Turning to her the older Jedi gave her a wink and a nod of the head. Kai could feel Zian's elation at being able to sense and control her Force presence while also not emanating light like a beacon of Force Power. Motioning to the pair of Padawans, Kai slowly and cautiously approached the man. Glancing at Iris he nodded in the direction of the man, "What do you feel Iris? Reach out and get a sense of this man. Is it the one we are looking for? Try and get a read on him, his disposition and what his surface thoughts are. Zian, you do the same, but be mindful of your power and your control over it, I don't want you to end up drawing unnecessary attention to us." Kai whispered to the two, he wanted to see what they could do before they made their move, but also knew it was a bit of a risk.

 

[DaBomb]

Iris gave Kai a nod and stared at the man for a few moments. She then closed her eyes for a few seconds and concentrated on reading the force to understand more about the man. As she did, she felt that her force was going back to it's original state and immediately stopped. She begins to shake her head side to side. "I can't do it without making my force signature too obvious, I can tell you the man is looking for someone or something, however..." Iris says with a tone filled with failure.

 

[Zian]

Zian could see that Iris was struggling. She went to touch Iris on the shoulders. "Believe in yourself and you can push through the walls before you." She said. It was the way Chiss saw through their troubles. She hoped the girl would take the words to good use. She knew she had just over stepped hers at least for that moment, it may have just been a moment but it was still an accomplishment. Zian knew she had to continue with her achievement. Reaching within she continued to keep her power hidden like a blanket she stretched out again to try to sense the man again. It seemed clear that the man was patiently waiting, but his thoughts. They were unclear, that was something that seemed harder to do. "He's waiting patiently, but I can't read his thoughts." She said. She didn't want to push to much on this cause she didn't know how good she could keep her light contained and reading thoughts was a first for her.

 

[Ral]

The knight smiled as he listened to what the two girls had to say on trying to use the Force to sense things while still remaining invisible in the Force so that Force Hunters would be unable to spot them off hand. At least they were both trying and were helping each other and encouraging each other. Placing a hand on each girl's shoulder Kai smiled warmly at them. "Very good, Iris, and you too Zian. Know your limitations but always strive to push that boundary. Pushing your own limitations is one of the best way to grow. In normal cases I would have encouraged you to push that limit until your stealth failed, but given the sensitive nature of our mission this will have to do for now. In any case you're both right! He is both waiting and looking for someone. Us to be exact. Come, let us not be rude and keep him waiting."

Beckoning for the two girls to follow him Kai approached the magistrate. The walk was short but slightly difficult due to the rain in the eyes and the sheering cross winds that kept wanting to toss the three onto their sides and blow them around. Once they were close Kai raised his hand in a greeting and bowed a little before he spoke his greeting. "Hello magistrate! Seems like it's a bit of a rainy day you're having here! I am Kai Sera, these are my companions Iris and Zian; we will be here to assist you in any way possible. I have been informed that you are looking for people to help you relocate your people to higher ground and plan?" He asked doing his best to get him and the girls out of the rain into the cover of the awning the magistrate was waiting under.

"Ah, Mister Sera, glad you could make it. Your journey here was uneventful I take it? Glad to meet you both as well," the magistrate smiled as he offered a hand to both girls. "Honestly, I'm a little lost on what to do. You're appraised on the situation I take it? Do you have any suggestions on what to do?"

Kai turned to the two Padawans as he examined each one of their rain drenched faces. This would be a good way to practice what he was trying to teach them earlier about trusting in the Force and following their instincts and he wanted to see what they had learned since then. "What do you think, ladies? What do your instincts tell you to do?"

 

[Zian]

"We should have a plan first, those injured or sick should be loaded into anything that can transport them. They will take the longest to move, then any cattle or machines that can be moved, after that those mobile and their belongings." Zian said. This was just a basic plan, they would have to get a head count of actual things they would have to move. Buildings can always be rebuilt on higher ground, the important thing was to move the people everything else was secondary. Cattle was a choice to move because they would need any and all food sources in their new location till they got new crops grown. Zian may not have had experience in such things but these were essentials that the library held back home.

 

[DaBomb]

Iris nodded. She also believed that anyone sick or injured, otherwise not able to do it on their own. "I agree with everything she said, but I'd think it would be wise to bring building supplies and some food supplies." Iris knew that cattle wouldn't be any use if they had no way of feeding the cattle and they should bring supplies to survive their stay on higher ground, and build shelters to block the rain.

 

[Ral]

Kai smiled at the two Padawans with him after they spoke giving him their ideas. With a wave of his hand Kai motioned towards one of the nearby speeders parked on the other side of the street through the wind and the rain. Kai wasn't worried about the two of them going off on their own, in fact it's what he wanted; he wanted them to prove themselves without guidance. "Then that is what your job is going to be. Take that speeder, I'm sure the magistrate here won't mind, and start organizing those that need to be moved first. I'm going to remain here with our new friend and try and find a suitable location for everyone to head to. If we finish quickly then I shall join you two in helping the others move. I trust you both are up to this task? Now go on, and remember what I said earlier."

With that, Kai gave each girl a parting nod before turning back to the official. Next to him, the Magistrate bowed respectfully and gave a smile to the girls. The knight hoped that the two girls would be up to the task given to them, he believed they were, but he needed to test them to find out for himself. Depending on how they handled themselves would determine their future with him and their future in the Order. "Now, tell me Magistrate, what is the current situation looking like?"

The Magistrate gave a polite smile before pulling a holoprojector out of his robes and into his hand. "There are a few islands with high ground. We're a little worried about a few of them though as they used to be volcanic, or still are. Most of the islands we've found with sufficient elevation fall into this category. We're not entirely sure what to do... we were helping you and yours could assist in this department."

"Naturally, that's what we're here for!" Kai returned the man's smile. "Now, I'll need all the relevant information on the islands you've surveyed. History, geographical data, geological, everything. Where do you keep your records?

(OOC: Okay, I want you two to go out on your own and have some fun. Create a few NPCs and play them yourself. Take this thread in an interesting direction. Talk to each other and see if you can come up with any ideas about what to do!"

 

[Zian]

Zian moved hopefully with Iris. "Perhaps we should split up and met back here with the people that need to be moved first. It just might be faster if we do." She said. Zian would move to the right side of town and start with the hospital to see who might be in there first. There was about ten people total there that would be gathered first. "What can we do to move them?" Zian asked the nurse. "It would take a few hands to move all the equipment they need and about an hr." The nurse said. "Let's get started on getting those hands I will return after I find out who at their home might need assistance to move and where we going. Anyone else here that might take longer than them to move?" Zian asked. "Most everyone else can walk on there own or would need only one person to assist them." The nurse said. Zian nodded. "Gather who and what you can. I will return when I have more information." She said. The nurse nodded and made a call over the pa for all the staff to gather. They would start gathering supplies in bags, even if they didn't need them now they needed enough to get them through to next shipment.
Zian would make her way from one house to another seeing if there were any old or ill people that might need assistance in moving to the new location. She would find at least twenty more elderly that would need some help and one near death person. The near death person would take hours to move, they had an uncurable disease, it wasn't contagious just deadly. They couldn't walk and had machines that were delicate to move, their machines would have maybe ten minutes it could they could last without power. She would return to where she said she would met back up with Iris.

 

[DaBomb]

Iris nodded at the idea. "I'll go to the farming area, if you go gather the sickly." She offered, leaving when they agreed. Iris walked to a nearby farm and started talking to it's owner. "I need you to gather all your seeds and whatever else you need to start growing crops." The man nodded and told one of his son/daughters to do so. "I also need you to gather all your cattle or as much as you can get, stand by with all your materials, then I will return with more information." She said. The farmer nodded once more, then went out to do so, himself. Iris repeated this with all the nearby farms, telling them to do the same thing, she had told the first farmer. Once she had given everyone the orders, she walked back to the meeting spot, to meet up with Zian.

 

[Ral]

Kai had spent the last hour sifting through piles and stacks of old datacards, notes, and ancient scrolls. He viewed holoprojections of topographical map after map for several minutes trying to get an idea, a feeling of a place for him to move all of the threatened locals to, but no matter how long he looked at them and how much he tried he didn't seem to be able to find a place. Sighing, Kai sat back into the chair he was using and shook his head. "This is kriffing impossible..." He rubbed his temples, massaging the skin and muscles underneath. Taking a deep breath, Kai opened his eyes and looked at the small mountain of information in front of him. There was everything from historical accounts, to geological and geographical surveys, to satellite scans and images. But through all of it there wasn't anything that would work well enough as a place where they could take the people to. "Alright all powerful Force, give me a sign here..."

Just then he got a little tickle in his mind as a window burst open and the breeze scattered some of the documents and maps on the table in front of him. He swore quietly to himself as he stood to go pick up some of that which was blown around. As he bent down to pick up the first piece of fallen parchment, he noticed that it was of an ancient archipelago he hadn't noticed before. This is it, this is what he needed. Taking it into his hands, his eyes scanned over the paper before looking up to smile. "I've got it!" He said aloud to himself.

Taking out his comlink he signaled the other two girls with him. "Iris, Zian, I've found the place where we can take those. It's an island chain not too far from us now. It's all volcanic, and it should have plenty of high ground with space for livestock and housing! When you get your people ready we'll get started on moving them!" He stated rather excitedly when he felt a cold wind wash over him. No, no it can't be. His mind raced. Hesitantly, he spoke again, "You two, be careful, make sure you're still using the Force to hide your presence. I think we might have just received some unwanted company..."

 

[Zian]

She was sure she was still hiding her presence to the best of her abilities. "Kai there's a man near death that would take a great deal of effort to move. I am not sure what we can do, I know he would take a great deal of attention but leaving him here to drown is not the answer either. What can we do?" She asked. Zian wasn't sure, there was a limitation on what they could actually do for the man, he couldn't go long without his machines. However leaving him here to drown was the same as killing him. She wanted to try to help him by giving him the best option, but she wasn't sure how to achieve what needed to be done. Even if this man was at the end of his life he deserved to die a peaceful death.

 

[DaBomb]

Iris had just finished talking to the last farmer when she got the report from Kai. "Alright, I'll get a move on." She told the farmer to meet her on the coast, near the coordinates she was given by Kai. She began walking back to the other farm houses, so she could give them the coordinates as well. It quickly became a tedious process, but once she finished talking to the last farmer, she made her way to the coast to meet up with all the other farmers. Once there she let out a sigh of relief. "Kai, I have everyone on the shore, how am I gonna get them to the island?" She said into her intercom.

 

[Ral]

Picking up his black cloak the knight made his way to the entrance of the building he was in. Hearing the Padawans reply, he paused for a moment before thinking of his responses to each of them, a frown forming on his face as he did so. Finally, he decided on what to say. "Zian, do you best to get him with the rest of the group. If you can get him out without risking everyone else do so. We're here to help where it's needed, and if moving the infirm and elderly is what is required of us that is what we'll do. But if it looks like you and others aren't going to be able to make it then you'll have to make that call." Pausing he decided to address Iris' question. "Iris, I'll arrange with the local authorities to have ferries sent to a dock nearest you so they can transport the civilians. If either of you encounter a Sith or Imperial official, do not engage directly them directly. Understood? I'll see you both soon. Kai, out." With that the young knight made his way to where the magistrate was so he could present his findings as well as his request.

 

[Zian]

She let the hospital know to start moving the patients to the spot where they could met up. Her concern was for the man that was close to death. Zian touched him carefully as he eyed her. She knew he had never seen a Chiss before, few had but she was here to help him however she could. "Is there anything I can do?" She asked him. "You can let me die with honor, without these machines." He said. She looked at the machines that were keeping him from death, he would rather die than to risk others lives for his. Carefully she removed the machines from him, but took his hand as she removed the last of them. Zian would stay with him for as long as she could. He smiled. "Thank you.."He said as his voice trailed off. She watched as his eyes closed and his hand let go, he was gone.
She took a blanket to cover him, there was no time to bury the man his body would most likely get pulled out with the waters. Zian knew that cost, perhaps not with waters, but some of the Chiss bodies had gotten lost in snow and ice. She went to catch up with the others.