Reclaiming the Claimed

[Vuthari]

1 Mile from Fortune Stalkers Storage Depot
G’wenee

It was nestled in neutral territory, right between the “Old Empire” and Imperial Republica. G’wenee was a habitable planet, full of large ocean masses and jungle lands. Due to the thick jungle, only pirates and unsavories have made use of the planet over the centuries. However, it is also the planet that the Fortune Stalkers have chosen to set up a storage depot. The coordinates of the depot were discovered on Anoat and, according to the Fortune Stalker database, there are many items that have been collected over the last decade. But these items are not just any items: these items are artifacts from the Jedi Order from centuries past. As a whole, the Fortune Stalkers are a group of sophisticated mercenaries that travel the galaxy in search of ancient Jedi sites. Standing orders are to destroy any Jedi site discovered and collect any artifacts found. Eventually, there artifacts are turned in to their employer on Coruscant. Nothing is known about the mysterious employer of the Fortune Stalkers that hires these mercenaries to perform these tasks, but many whisper it may be a representative of the Imperial Republica…

The Apogee slipped into the atmosphere almost 100 miles from suspected location of the Fortune Stalker depot. From there, the ship dipped down to just above the treeline and streaked towards the storage depot. Once within a mile, the Apogee settled down in one of the few areas that would be able to fit a few ships in a landing zone. The Jedi walked out of the ship and set the security. Dressed in loose, dark clothing with his armor underneath the tunic, he walked around to the side of the ship. His DH-7 Blaster Pistol was strapped to his right thigh. On his back, a small backpack was worn with a port scanner, navicomputer, and a few other small devices within. Tucked within a hidden pocket in his breeches was his lightsaber.

Based on the information he had on this storage depot and the difficulty of the "reclamation", he asked for help from Valentine and Leah. At this point, he waited for them to rendezvous at this landing zone…

@Orbit
@Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

“Am I early or are you late?”

Jedi Master Leah Reach stepped out of the shadows in the forest. Emerging from the thicket, a ray of light glinted against her armored figure. She wore no robes, no extravagant cape, no makeup. Her shoulders were free of pauldrons and her face without a helmet but the female rebel was more than prepared for the operation ahead. Hair pulled back into an unceremonious bun and waist covered with everything from holstered blasters, ammunition packs and several vibroblades, she looked the part of a true freedom fighter. Even if the mission revolved around recovering Jedi artifacts, Leah had taken many steps to distance herself from such an appearance.

G’wenee was in the heart between the Old Empire and the Imperial Republica. Aside from the Fortune Stalkers, supposed mercenaries who hoarded ancient relics, there could be Sith or Imperials roaming the planet for all she knew. Journeying to the wayward world required utmost precaution and complete focus. The last time she ventured into enemy territory, she had been nearly shot down and killed by an unexpected ambush. There was no way she planned to continue that string of bad luck. Not on her watch. It was why she chose to arrive early to the rendezvous point and examine her surroundings and circumstances. She wanted to know her environment before risking her life in it.

Regardless, she presented a welcoming smile at her sharp quip. She may not have looked the Jedi and her lightsaber may be hidden deep underneath her outfit, Leah was still the Jedi that Vu’thari had first met on Al’doleem. Poised and self-assured, strong and willing. He would not need the Force to confirm she was who she said she was. Neither would Leah at recognizing the young Twi’lek Jedi and his personal ship. Trust went both ways. As long as she trusted in Vu’thari, then she was sure they could see the mission through. So, with lips pursed, she greeted him and continued, “I don’t believe Master Rayth will be arriving, on time or at all. But we should continue, even without him.”

Her suggestion was quick and blunt. Although she respected Valentine and had come to appreciate his work, she was not much of the patient type. Better they embark on the mission now, while they still had daylight, rather than wait around for the typically, fashionably late Jedi Master.

@Mithias

 

[Vuthari]

1 Mile from Fortune Stalkers Storage Depot
G’wenee

Sensing her presence, just as she stepped out, Vu’thari was amazed at how well the Jedi masked her presence. He had to remind himself that he was not the only one who hid from the Sith for many, many years.

“Am I early or are you late?”

Smirking, the twi’lek replied, “Depends on what tree you ask in this jungle…”

Glancing over Leah, she blended in as well as any. Looking at the pair of them, the last thing they looked like were the ancient Jedi of old.

“Thank you for coming.”

With a smile, she added that she did not believe Master Rayth would be arriving or would be typically late. The twi’lek nodded at her assessment at continuing without him.

“My droid will come in to pick us up if things go…awry. And if it doesn’t crash the ship into the trees. Anyway, off we go.”

With that, Vu’thari walked down the route he scouted out from the ship’s sensors on his way in. The route provided thick jungle cover. Sounds of wildlife teeming at their presence went on unabated as they made their way down one gulley to the next and up the hills in the thick brush. Stopping for a moment when they were some fifteen minutes out, the twi’lek pulled out his navicomputer, calculating their approximate location in relation to the base, then put the device back into his small backpack. At the same time, he quickly took out his canteen and drank some water as the dense jungle provided a haven for the thick humidity and high temperatures.

The pair continued on without incident until they came into line of sight of the base. Although a few predators stalked them during their transit, eventually the creatures decided to move on to other prey.

Just as they stalked down a river bank that led to the Fortune Stalker base, a patrol of the mercenaries scouted very close to their location. The four sentries seemed fairly vigilant as they walked towards Leah and Vu’thari’s position. Crouched down, the pair would have to make a decision soon, whether to ambush the patrol or hope they do not spot them…

@Deviant
OOC/Dice Thread

 

[Leah Reach]

“That’s a comforting thought.” She answered the Twi’lek Jedi with a similar smirk. The pair did not know each other very well and had met only at the Council meeting on Al’doleem, when they first convened. The two shared different opinions and beliefs on how they should approach the Empire and the restoration of the Order, but they were still Jedi. Still allies, partners and friends. Leah was to glad to have Vu’thari at her side. His unwavering loyalty to the cause and his own students proved that he was far more than some alien mechanic on Nar Shaddaa. He was a Jedi Master, and the best among them. She knew her husband would be proud to see him today. To see them together.

Brushing away the thoughts of the past, Leah nodded and continued through the jungle. Although she had been around the surface for a short while longer, the Jedi was still not entirely certain how to safely navigate to the enemy compound. At best, she trailed behind Vu’thari, lips sealed and body light as a feather. She was smooth and quiet enough that some predators thought her prey. One animal akin to a wolf had even veered a little too close for comfort. Sniffing and eying the woman through the foliage, Leah eyed it back. The two were having a stare down, and it wasn’t until her gaze narrowed and the Force reached out that the wolf-like creature backed down.

Eventually, she could see the base of operations ahead of them. Their target and destination. Before they could venture any farther, however, a patrol of the mercenaries she was warned about suddenly cropped up. Walking along the river bank, the Jedi was forced to take cover behind a rugged boulder. As the enemy came closer, she gestured Vu’thari to follow her back into the cover of the trees. Her breath stilled as they inched toward their position, armed and ready to attack, but Leah knew they couldn’t see them. They didn’t know, and neither would they. For a moment later, the patrol harmlessly passed by them, allowing the two to continue on like nothing had happened.

“Now’s our chance.” She whispered to the other Jedi Master and launched down the river bank. Pebbles crushed against her feet as they carried her to the base. The guarding mercenaries were far enough for them not to hear or see their escape, so Leah felt relatively safe. For now. She understood there was still quite a ways to go, including the matter of purging the base and liberating the mercenaries of all the prizes they had stolen or hoarded away. They would not get away with their transgressions against the Jedi. There would be hell to pay.

@Mithias

 

[Vuthari]

Outside of the Fortune Stalkers Storage Depot
G’wenee

“Now’s our chance.”

Leah was good. This was “not her first podrace” as the twi’lek watched her move towards the base. Vu’thari had worked with his padawans for so long, it had been since his Grandfather's presence that someone was as strong in the Force as he was. She would be a good Master of the Order if the Jedi Order ever came about—despite his contrary views to…well, just about everything.

As they sidled up next to the base proper, so far they had been undetected, which would help them in spades the longer they progressed thru the base in this state. Edging around the structure, they came to a side blast door that allowed entry…with the right code. Looking over at Leah and winking, the Jedi pulled out his port scanner and placed it on the ground at his feet. The twi'lek took on a conspiring whisper...

"No matter what you do, don't talk to Aurora about my proficiency in this endeavor..."

The next item he pulled out was a spanner, that deftly took the panel off the duracrete wall. Placing the hydrospanner back in its prearranged spot, the twi’lek picked up the port scanner and began gently connecting the leads to the wiring within the wall. A hologram materialized as Vu’thari studied the binary code as it scrolled by. With a urgency, he quickly detached his port scanner as the blast door shot up. He whispered, “Hurry…”

The pair slid inside and as soon as both were in, the blast door quickly closed, brushing Vu’thari’s small backpack in the process. Thankful the door didn’t snag the cloth, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Leah, “So we are undetected and inside…but I may have locked us out of this blast door as a way out…and the three doors closest to this one. We have one way out—the front gate.”

Looking around, they were at the end of a long corridor, fortunately no one was standing where they were when they entered, however, it was a long corridor with three intersections between them and the dead end in front of them. Pointing ahead of them and to the right, then looking over at Leah, Vu’thari whispered, “Their storage areas are at the northwest section of the complex, which is conveniently, northwest of our current position…”

With that they made their way through the long corridor without incident, but the next corridor to the right, which headed east, had a closed blast door….

@Deviant
OOC/Dice Thread

 

[Leah Reach]

“You know I can’t promise that, Vu’thari.” She joked and chuckled at the young Twi’lek’s earlier remark. Of course, she never would. She may have been good friends with Aurora, but she was the same with Vu’thari. Even if either of them rarely spoke to one another. Leah believed the camaraderie shared between all Masters was customary. Not because ancient tradition said so, but because they were among the last of the last. If they wanted to forge the future of the Order, they had to do it together and with a unified voice. It was one of the main reasons why Leah agreed to journey with Vu’thari: to shape a relationship of good will and understanding. Well, that and to kick mercenary ass.

Impressed by the Twi’lek’s quick slicing skills, or whatever he did to open the bunker blast doors, the female Jedi quickly slipped into the base unnoticed. However, she was not so impressed by the thought of having to exit through the front gate, knowing it was the only way out. If they were caught or pulled into a battle, a quick escape would not be much of an option. Leah hoped it would never to that. As long as she clung to her weapons closely and trusted in the Force, she prayed they could sift through the storage quarters, grab what was needed and steal a vehicle conveniently placed inside. Far-fetched as that sounded, the Jedi Master didn’t care.

With a quiet nod at his warning, she pressed down the corridor. At his last whisper, she answered back, eager to blow through the mission. “All right. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.” Neglecting the closed blast door to the east, which could mean an escape to the front gate, Leah pushed forward. Down the corridor, past one of the intersecting halls, sneaking past several stationary guards. When she spotted a surveillance camera, the woman made sure to hug the wall, slide outside its line of sight, and slither right on by. She was professional. It was not her first rodeo through an enemy installation, that much was clear to Vu’thari.

Then again, she quickly became lost. Allowing the Force to guide her ultimately led the older woman, along with her partner in tow, right into trouble. As she reached the next hallway intersection and rounded the corner, she spotted an entourage of six guards. Instinct immediately pulled her back behind the corner. Fortunately, none of them noticed her, but they were fast approaching. If she or Vu’thari didn’t think of something fast, their whole cover would be blown. The entire operation would shift from stealth to battle to escape real quick. A part of her hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Yet.

@Mithias

 

[Vuthari]

Outside of the Fortune Stalkers Storage Depot
G’wenee

“You know I can’t promise that, Vu’thari.”

The twi’lek smirked, answering as he began following Leah again, "I knew you were going to say that."

When they came to the hallway leading down the corridor, she declared…

“All right. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

After a minute or so of traversing the winding corridors, it was apparent that Leah was in a bit of a bind with where they were. Vu’thari grinned and remarked, “Remind me not to follow you if we get lost on Hoth…freezing to death does not seem ideal.”

As she made her wat to the next corner, she quickly backtracked to where they were. It did not take a mind reader or the Force to know that they had a patrol coming their way – a large one. Vu’thari quickly looked back and saw a fresher back a bit from where they came. Tapping Leah on the shoulder, he began creeping quietly down the hallway to the fresher. The pair slipped in the door and stopped moving, weapons at the ready. Listening, the pair looked at each other as the six sentries talked among themselves and continued on their patrol past their position. Once the talking had diminished, Vu’thari nodded to Leah and carefully opened the fresher door, moving again in the direction of the storage area.

The twi’lek led them to the intersection, closed his eyes and reached out. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Vu’thari turned down the north corridor and then east, which led them to a large blast door. The placard indicated that this was the entrance to the storage area. However, this entrance was one of the main entrances that could service freight coming into and out of the building. This meant that once the blast door opened, it would probably be apparent to any and everyone inside…

Looking over at Leah, he said quietly, “Once the door opens, it will get ugly. Are we lighting it up or not…?”

The twi’lek tapped his hidden tunic pocket where Leah knew his lightsaber was stored…

@Deviant
OOC/Dice Thread

 

[Leah Reach]

“Oh har har, very funny.” She said and mocked, not as amused as Vu’thari was by the fact they were lost in the maze of the complex. Especially after seeing the approaching sentries, Leah knew her laughable mistake was about to turn into a firefight. The scales of their little infiltration and assault would shift out of their favor. Except, it didn’t. Thanks to Vu’thari’s quick thinking, he pulled the older woman into a small room and the band of guards passed by them, clueless. With a loud sigh of relief once they did pass, she followed alongside the other Jedi Master toward the direction of the storage depot. This time, he knew precisely where it was, but the matter of dealing with what laid inside? Not so much. That was up for Leah to decide.

Hearing the Twi’lek tap against the lightsaber hilt stored under his tunic, she knew what he meant. Part of her wanted to do the same, to whip out the one weapon that could give them an edge in the coming battle, but she believed it was better not to. With the shake of her head, she answered, “You’re welcome to, but I think I’m going to save it only when the circumstances get dire.” She shrugged. “Trust in the Force.” She added, although one couldn’t be so sure whether Leah was talking to Vu’thari or herself. Regardless, she pressed the palm of her hand into the blast door. It wasn’t very thick, especially given they were entering the depot from the inside, so the Jedi Master opened it with ease.

The doors hissed open to reveal the warehouse— and three guards turned around to face her. Leah tensed but eyed each man. “Hello, boys.” Before any of them could react, she cocked back a fist and slammed into one guard’s face. The unexpected blow, as well as the Force driving behind it, sent the man straight into the ground. His skull rattled against the floor, knocking him out cold. The second guard had his hand on the blaster holster strapped to his waist. Fast but not fast enough. With a savage kick to his groin, the man collapsed to the ground, clawing at his poor nuts. Then, she smacked her knee into his chin. Another down for the count.

However, the third man had enough time to brandish an electric baton. Caught by surprise, he slammed its blunt edge into her left thigh. Aside from the force of the blow, a shock was sent throughout her leg. Leah grit her teeth. As she was wearing armor, and due to her superior reflexes, the Jedi could push through the torment. Using one hand, she seized the unenergized end of the baton, and with a strength the man couldn’t overcome, forced the baton right back at him. Pressed to his neck, electricity coursed through him until he likewise collapsed. “Asshole.” She spat before pushing a strand of hair out of her face like it was nothing. Easy.

@Mithias

 

[Vuthari]

Outside of the Fortune Stalkers Storage Depot
G’wenee

Leah keyed open the door and went into a flurry of movement as the doorway was immediately occupied by a trio of mercenaries. Using surprise to her advantage, she took down the three sentries with admirable skill…and quiet.

Nodding his head in approval, he twi’lek said quietly, “Handy skills in a cantina, for sure…”

Closing his eyes, Vu’thari took a deep breath and exhaled softly. Reaching out with the Force, the mind’s eye searched the room, looking for the items he sought. He was able to picture spot within the warehouse…

“In the center of the room, straight ahead of us…”

The pair stalked their way through the tall aisles of crates and storage containers until they reached the center of the building. There, in the middle of the warehouse was a glass chamber, lit from within, revealing the contents. Three racks of supplies, items and trinkets rested on the shelves of the racks. It was apparent that the Fortune Stalker mercenaries had been busy…there was a lot of supplies in the glass room. Vu’thari was quite sure some of it was junk, but he could sense some of those items strong in the Force.

Walking up to the glass entrance to the container, he looked within. Carefully sliding to the door, he accessed the entry point and the glass door slid open. It looked as if many of the items had recently been taken from the glass container. However, there was a unique looking lightsaber, datacrons, a nice supply of Jedi training gear, scrolls, a few weapons that were not lightsabers, a set of robes, a set of armor, and some other trinkets of interest. However, looking again, one of the datacrons was not a datacron at all—it was a Jedi Holocron. Vu’thari touched its side and felt the flow of the Force emanating from the item. Pointing to the Jedi holocron, he gave Leah a thumbs up with a smirk. The twi'lek said quietly, “I was hoping for more, but we have enough here to work with…”

The twi’lek began putting some of the small items in his backpack, including the Jedi holocron. Looking over at Leah, “Take what we can and get out of here?”

@Deviant
OOC/Dice Thread

 

[Leah Reach]

“Handy skills for a cantina?” She smirked and answered. “Without a doubt.” While she was among the finer duelists of the Jedi Order, at least before much of it was destroyed in the tragedy on Dantooine, Leah certainly knew how to use her bare hands when it came down to a fight. There were already several occasions where she had done the same. In a cantina on Ord Mantell, carving up several Enforcers of a rogue criminal syndicate. In a tour around Ifrane, where she beat a looter or two into a bloody pulp. This was not her first rodeo. Neither would it be her last. With her eyes wide, mind open and ears listening, she looked around the warehouse for another target. Fortunately, there was none but the prize they were looking for: a holocron and a few other trinkets.

Hope glimmered through. “Enough for me.” She said, honest. Leah would have chewed through the mercenaries even if she or the Jedi Order received nothing out of it. It was the least they deserved for their actions. Grave robbers, crypt raiders, thieves and hoarders. Their attempts to rob the Jedi of the past and undermine their future called for punishment. Although not much. A few broken noses and stealing said artifacts back was good for Leah if it was for Vu’thari. “Got it.” As he bagged the holocron and several of the items, she made certain to do the same. Her hand reached out for the lightsaber, polished and elaborate. It was no ordinary blade. There was a history that came with it, one the Jedi Master was curious to explore.

However, she heard footsteps approaching. “That’s our cue.” She whispered, finished stuffing as many items as she could into her own bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Given the pair were in the heart of the complex, she figured there had to be another way than from where they came in. But she needed to think, and fast. Her eyes fell on a convenient corridor on the other side of the storage room. “That way!” She pointed and rushed for the hall. Leah prayed she would not lose herself again and trusted the Force would guide her way. Once the other guards noticed the three she knocked out, she knew they would activate an alarm and force the entire complex on lockdown. Escaping out of that mess was the last thing she wanted to do.

Fortunately, as she charged down the hall, following her gut with one left to random right, Leah eventually found herself outside. And with a speeder barked neatly ahead. Truly, the Force did provide. Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy. The Fortune Stalkers were now warned, the storage depot was on high alert, and half a dozen mercenaries were charging for them from the corridor she just exited out of. Leah smashed her fist into the door controls. The blast doors slid shut but she knew it wouldn’t hold them back for long. The Jedi needed to get out of this mess. With a single, demanding glance, she hoped Vu’thari could slice into the speeder and carry her into the forest. If not, at least he might lead a way into the neighboring forest. Anywhere but where they were now was preferred.

@Mithias

 

[Vuthari]

Outside of the Fortune Stalkers Storage Depot
G’wenee

They quickly looted the glass container, able to quickly sift through what was of value to the Jedi and what was junk. Time would be given for them to sort through the items later. No alarms were triggered and as far as the pair knew, they were still undetected—Vu’thari could only hope it was remain that way…but it didn’t. The beating of footsteps could be heard coming towards their direction where they came from. Leah hinted that it was time to go and the twi’lek nodded, following her out the opposite side of the warehouse.

“That way!”

Leah moved quickly to a nearby corridor with Vu’thari right behind her. They were in a race against the clock at this point. The twi’lek didn’t know how many mercenaries were in this forward storage outpost, but he didn’t imagine it would be a number that he and Leah were prepared to deal with. Vu’thari let the Force guide him behind his fellow Jedi Master. She was flowing with the Force and guiding them through the corridors and they came to a blast door at the end of the winding corridor. It opened up to a speeder parked outside the door. Leah looked at Vu’thari. She could see the twi’lek grinning…

A DLS-35 Custom…I rebuilt the control panel on one of these a month ago. Nice.

The twi’lek gave Leah a wink, ripped out his port scanner and a spanner, and rushed over underneath the steering column. Without hesitation, Vu’thari attached his scanner some wiring underneath and activated his spanner. Seconds later, the DLS-35 Speeder hummed to life with its repulsors. The whole ordeal was just a few seconds long. Hopping over into the driver’s seat, the twi’lek waited for Leah to hop in. His hands danced over the controls, releasing the height governor safety switch as he went.

“Buckle up…”

Once the pair was fastened into the speeder, Vu’thari looked ahead as the speeder was already pointed towards the wall. The twi’lek gunned the accelerator. The repulsor engines roared to life, forcing both Jedi Master’s heads back to the headrest. The speeder began to rise and shot over the wall. Already at maximum speed and letting the Force guide his hands, with a bit of expertise on the speeder to boot, Vu’thari had them streaking across the water and darting to a break in the trees. With his full concentration, the Jedi Master weaved in and out of trees in the forest, rapidly putting speed between the two Jedi Masters and the Fortune Stalker outpost. Minutes later, Vu’thari saw they were in an ideal spot to leave the speeder under a thick copse of trees and almost equidistant to his ship and Leah’s ship. Shutting down the speeder, the twi’lek hopped out and looked over at Leah, “Well that could have gone worse…”

@Deviant
OOC/Dice Thread

 

[Leah Reach]

“Buckle up? Please, I think I can handle a little spee—“ The speeder gunned forward. Leah jolted in her seat, her legs pressed into the seat and her neck smacked into the cushioned headrest. The vehicle sure packed a punch, and at maximum acceleration, almost turned the brain in her skull into mesh. Her teeth rattled in her mouth, her lips pursed together. They shot over the wall, precisely as the mercenaries broke through the blast doors. She barely noticed with her eyes fixed ahead, blinking rapidly with surprise at their speed and velocity. For a moment, the Jedi Master thought she was about to light speed straight into the forest ahead, but Vu’thari darted between each tree like it was nothing. Not only was he a skilled slicer, but he was one hell of a pilot.

Hands clinging to the seat and the side door, nails digging into the cushion and the metal, she watched with anticipation as the Fortune Stalkers disappeared behind them. Even with speeders of their own, they would never be able to catch up to the pair. They were long gone by then, and with the Jedi artifacts in tow. The operation was a rousing success. Although Leah failed to maintain a completely stealthy approach, it didn’t matter. Master Vu’thari got what he wanted, and Master Reach received her share of adrenaline and the old lightsaber. With her bag tight between her feet, she made sure nothing flew out at the speed they were going, and didn’t relax until they came to a stop in a tiny clearing. A perfect place to continue to their ships.

Leah stepped out of the vehicle. Her legs wobbled and she staggered an inch to the left. Quickly, with the Force, she regained her footing and balance and shot Vu’thari a look. One finger raised, she warned him, “Amazing as that was, don’t do that again.” She leaned against the front of the speeder and caught her breath, even if she had done no running. “And don’t tell Hugo.” Slipping out a chuckle, the Jedi Master cleared her throat. While they did escape the mercenaries, they would descend upon the forest once they realized what they had stolen. It was about time to get going. So, with a nod, she shook the Twi’lek’s hand. “I think that does it, though.”

Rather than step away, she leaned in for a hug. Strange, knowing the two did not know one another so well, and while it was uncommon for the rebel ambassador, Leah couldn’t help herself. “Catch you later, Vu’thari.” She said before sliding away and disappearing into the forest. Back to her own ship. Back to her duties. Back home.

End Thread.​