Rescue Me - Zebitrope IV Mission Of Mercy

[Padmé]

Being a Jedi Consular has its ups and downs. Nothing that was unfamiliar to Nabooian orphan turned Jedi Knight- Haloburner Lamb. Unlike most adults (that she’d encountered) she never had a home, nor did she have a family- let alone parents. She practically raised herself from age nine. When the time finally came for her to join The Order, she willingly obliged. It was after all her way of escaping the dire emptiness, and sheer agony she faced on the streets of Coruscant's Undercity.

With great efforts, and tenacity the young Nabooian did, however, earn her way to one of the finest masters of The Order- Aÿisha Remy. Remy will later on fall to the darkside. Lamb, unlike her master, stayed the course and worked her way to the rank of a Jedi Knight. Shortly after Knighthood, she aligned herself with several wise, established and grounded Jedi. One of those Jedi was Jedi Master Dairx Talohn. Talohn, like Lamb lot his family at a rather young age. Despite that, his resilient spirit sought him through to eventually become someone whom Lamb respected and had high regards for. Lamb feed of the elder Jedi; even going as far as training her Padawans along the lines of his system.

The uncunning alignment that Lamb shared with Dairx Talohn also came in handy. It was that sense of alignment and single objective that led the council to select the pair on a the mission at hand. Lamb tagged along her newest Padawan, Vaiya Nex. The girl needed to learn patience in addition to other fundamental Jedi skills; one that really needed to be done through experience….



……………………………………

8:00 am Standard Galactic Standard Time
Tythonian Docking Bay in route to Zebitrope IV.


“ The four walls of the Jedi Temple could only contain one so long. Real experience lies beyond these four walls.”

The aforementioned were words from one of her mentors. Even as the words crossed Lamb’s mind she pondered on why the woman she once called master fell so quickly to the darkside. Shrugging, she made her way inside their ship, and patiently waited for the arrival of her constituents. As expected the three had been debriefed prior to the journey. While waiting, Knight Lamb replayed a snippet of their mission.


“This mission is a mission of mercy…..Word has it that one of the finniest orphanages on Zebitrope IV is engaged in illegal spice and other obscene activities.…One that sadly, involves poor young souls; anywhere from age 8 all the way up to 12 years. About a year ago the orphanage founder passed. The news came both as a surprise and shock to the council, as the Jedi played an instrumental role in setting up the facility. The facility has never been the same since the passing of its founder.

Go investigate, collect evidence and if possible make necessary changes that you deem appropriate.... May the Force be with you.”

 

[Damien Nightblade]

"Thank you T3, that will be all"

The astromech droid whistled in acknowledgement as the holo of the mission breifing slowly faded from view. T3 had been a close companian of Darix's since his early years. The little droid was primarily responsible for helping Darix escape the same fate that befell his father all thos years ago. The two had logged many successful missions together since they were introduced, and Darix almost felt a bit guilty leaving him behind, However there was work to be done at the Temple and T3 was the only droid he trusted to get the job done.
He stood up and straightened his robes as he checked his gear. The mission seemed as though it would be one of a more relaxing nature, though he enjoyed this type of work. As a Jedi he took great pride in doing all he could to give back to the people of the galaxy he devoted so many years to serving. This mission though had particularly sparked his interest. Given his past he eagerly awaited doing what he could to set things right on Zebitrope IV.
The door to the temporary quarters he resided in during his tyme on Tython slid open as he stepped within range of its proximity scanners. He glanced back at T3 and flashed a smile as he continued through the door towards the docking bay.
He went over the minor details of the mission in his head as he strode down the halls of the temple and towards the docking bay where the shuttle had been prepairing for takeoff. His paces were of an eager stride as he made his way past Glactic Alliance and Jedi vessels alike on his path towards his shuttle where he knew his friend Haloburner would be waiting. It had been quite some time since they had worked one another though he particularly enjoyed their time together. The way the two had become united with the Jedi Order was unfortunately simillar, being torn from their families as children. Yet although they shared a familliar path he felt it was part of the reason they had become so close, a bond he cherished dearly.
His boots echoed with each stride he took up the ramp and into the belly of the vessel. He enjoyed the flourescent glow of the ships illuminators, ships such as this had become a home away from home for the Jedi. Having no physical address as a child and then being introduced to the Jedi at such a young age he took comfort in the subtle roar of the ships engines as they fired up and began the launch sequences.
He rounded a sharp corner into the common area where he was greeted by a familliar face.
The young Knights hair was of a red-er color the last time he had seen her, however he welcomed the new sandy blonde hue of her lockes. Her eyes remained as blue and bright as ever and reminded him of the lightsaber he had proudly fashioned when he himself was honored with Knighthood.

"Haloburner Lamb, always a pleasure. Its wonderful to see you."

He was pleased to see that he was not the only one that had made a habit out of continually reviewing mission details in order to gain the most complete understanding of the tasks assigned. A trait he couldnt help but wonder if he had passed on to her during their early missions together.

"The other Masters tell me that you've taken another under guidance as a Padawan."

 

[Wit]

Dressed in tan colored Jedi robes, his beard trimmed and his hair now grown out, Moridin Zerga looked very different from the last time he had been on Tython. But the greatest difference from back then was the fact that he was a Jedi Knight now, completely recovered from the mental shock of the events on Coruscant. He remembered many of his friends tell him they felt a little odd just after their promotions, that it took some time to figure out how being a Knight had changed them. Moridin had thought he would feel something similar after being promoted, but events had played out in a manner that had wiped away any uncertainty from his mind.

His encounter with Master Delenzik had made him realize that he could no longer let himself be weighed down by guilt and indecisiveness. After that Halo herself had helped him regain control over his telepathy. As a result he felt more in control of himself than he had since before the bombing on Coruscant, he actually felt like a Jedi again.

As he walked through the corridors of the Temple, heading towards the landing bay where he was to meet the others, he passed a training chamber filled with young padawans and as he reached out and touched their minds, feeling their minds with perfect clarity, a smile came to his face. All was finally well with him, it was now time to do the same for the rest of the Galaxy. He was no fool to think that he could single-handedly change the Galaxy, but he new every small bit counted and this mission would be the first step in his attempts to do as much as he could to fulfill his responsibilities as a Jedi.

Finally reaching the shuttle that was to take them to Zebitrope-IV, he made his way to the shuttle's common seating area, where he felt the presence of two other Jedi. One was Halo, the other though was unknown to him, most probably Master Talohn. His suspicions were confirmed as he rounded a corner to find the two Jedi in front of him. He playfully reached out to Halo through the Force and sent a telepathic message to her. I seem to have lost my spukamas, haven't seen him have you?

Master Talohn he greeted with a respectful bow, "Greetings Master Talohn, I am Moridin Zerga, pleasure to meet you."

 

[Padmé]

As Lamb emerged from the meeting area, and rounded a sharp corner into the common area, she nearly bumped into her master and mentor. Words were quickly exchanged- "….always a pleasure. Its wonderful to see you." Laughing, the female Knight playfully hugged the man. Anyone else would have received a bow, but the girl hadn’t seen Master Talohn in quite some time.

Just as quickly releasing herself from the hug, Lamb uttered “indeed. …Pleasure is always mine.” Being a Jedi master meant lots of traveling and work outside the temple. Halo was okay with that, however of late- with the new GA draft set in place, it seemed Dairx Talohn was gone more than usual.

“..Yes, I now have several Padawans; one of which will join us on this mission. Padawan Nex, I believe…” Just seconds after uttering her words, Lamb felt a new presence followed by a telepathic nudge. By the feel of it it had to be none other than Moridin Zerga. It didn’t take long after that for Haloburner’s suspicions to be confirmed. Rodunign around the same corner Lamb had nearly bumped into Dairx came Moridin- decked in his best. His telepathic nudge finally registered in Halo’s mind- at which point the woman sobbed.

The mere mention of Moridin’s spukamas brought memories of Lamb’s man- Cat. Tears begun to flow, but Lamb quickly turned and buried her face in her hands. It’s been nearly a year, but yet no word from her beloved. Cat wasn’t dead- that Halo knew for certain, but like her old master, he’d disappeared without a trace….

Quickly gathering her wits, Halo interjected “Moridin!... Or shall I say Knight Zenga?... Glad you could join us. Master Talohn, along with Padawa Nex, will be joining us for our mission.” Halo started to walk again- heading towards the main cabin area.

“…Well, as you have heard our mission to Zehitrope IV is fairly simple. Investigate the orphanage in question, gather evidence and report back to the council. My contacts-“ Lamb’s words were cut short by a loud chime emanating from her pocket. She quickly excused herself and read the message. Minutes later she was back amongst the two male Jedi.

“It seems the new director will be meeting us at the docking bay upon arrival. That was him confirming our arrival time.”

 

[Fall]

There was a simplicity in change, you got used to something, it got taken away and you were left with two simple emotions, happiness, or pain. Vaiya felt both of these emotions equally, she now felt a growing happiness at the new Master she had yet to know, her first impression of the woman was kind and lasting, it made her want to follow suit in a way. But at the same time, she knew all too well how easily change could take, and give. In her case, it gave until she started to see the light in something, then ripped it away from her, making her very hesitant to develop close feelings for others.

The problem she faced, was that she could not help this feeling, this warm emotion towards this woman, there was a strengthening force bond there, just as there was with Avya Starfall, and her master before her. As she approached the meeting place where her mission was to start, her mind ran over old memories, then wise words seemed to trail across her mind from her late Master, and just a bit... Things felt better.

The ship didn't look to bad, better than the rattling tin can that had brought her to Tython, she swore if someone tripped in that thing it would have shattered. She was dressed in light-blue robes, with a mission the possiblity of combat was always lurking, as such her hair was braided into a long ponytail, with her own padawan braid somewhat hidden just under it. It was ironic, that without it in plain sight she was sometimes mistaken for a Knight, or Master... And to her that was humorous.

 

[Damien Nightblade]

"And you must be Padawan Nex. I am Master Talohn"

Having been born and raised a spacer, he claimed the Light of the Force to be his home. He frequented the company of a few comon Jedi however due to his extended time on the Jedi's flagship he was not as common of a face among his Jedi peers.
The head count matched up in accordance with the mission dossier and he commed in to the bridge of the craft notifying the pilot that they were ready to depart.
The ship lurched and shook a bit as the repulsors kicked into gear and propelled the ship from its stationary point within the hangar.
Tython air control allowed clearance for the shuttles departure and saw them off with the customary Jedi saying
May the force be with you

Darix took a seat among his fellow Jedi in the common area of the ship and made himself comfortable.
He quickly dismissed the thoughts of T3 steadily working to maintain the quarters back on tython and making adjustments to Araels Wrath. He cast aside the familliar thoughts of what the children were going through at the orphanage. He emptied himself of all thought and gave himself to the force. Sinking into it deeply and in turn allowing it to consume him.
Around him the Knights and Padawans exchanged small talk and enjoyed once again being in eachothers company.
Thinking back to the Jedi of old, his days in the archives and countless hours of research taught him of the past guardians of the force and how attachments were forbidden to them, and viewed as a pathway towards the darkside.
How difficult it must have been to operate within the restraints of the Jedi who came before them.
To him such attachments were a driving force behind his very existance. He understood the conflicting emotions such attachments caused, however it was his love for the Galactic Alliance and his fellow Jedi that served as a fueled his devotion.

The ships hyperdrive core hummed to life as the pilots plotted the jump to Zehitrope IV and began making the jump.
The Jedi Master relaxed and enveloped himself in the moment and opened himself to the mission at hand.

"Shouldnt be long now.."

“It seems the new director will be meeting us at the docking bay upon arrival. That was him confirming our arrival time.”

"What intel do we have on the spice operations the orphanage has been involved with? If we are dealing with a gang or group of mercenaries, they wont take kindly to our presence"

 

[Wit]

Moridin was shocked, and then deeply ashamed upon seeing Halo's initial response to his telepathic nudge as he realized what he had done. He had completely forgotten that mention of his old pet might bring up memories of Cat, bringing up a pain he did not want her feeling. He was about to reach out to her as she turned around and place a hand on her shoulder to comfort her when she suddenly turned around, greeting him as if nothing had happened and began walking deeper into the ship. Despite all his telepathic abilities and having known her for some time now, he still could not understand her. With a slight smile on his lips he began following the others into the ship.

With the arrival of Halo's padawan, they were ready to leave and soon the shuttle was soon racing out of Tython's atmosphere, the Jedi all seated in the shuttle's seating area. Moridin let Halo catch up with her padawan on the way to Zebitrope-IV, spending much of the journey in one of the small cabins, sleeping in a small bunk that was just big enough for him to be comfortable.

He was back in the seating area as they came out of hyperspace, settling down as Halo and Master Talohn began discussing the mission.

 

[waffles1123]

Zebitrope IV was not a world that came up amongst a normal conversation. There wasn't terribly much that made it noteworthy aside from a rare drug produced on the planet. However, it was in such places that there was often more than met the eye, more than mere savannah that covered most of the planet's landmass.

Chuq Rbans couldn't really say he was there for any reason in particular. In fact, he couldn't say that for most of the planets he'd visited in his wanderlust days. Most of the time he simply heard a planet name dropped in casual chats, and the Aqualish then took the liberty of seeing such planets for himself. It had simply sounded interesting to him, a simple and quiet world without too much activity. In short, a nice place to go to relax.

And he most certainly did relax. He currently found himself for the past few days he'd found himself in the main spaceport city of Zebitrope IV, seeking out the parks wherein he could relax and play music with his drixfar for the passersby. He'd met several nice people in his few days there, including a group of young children who had said they were from a nearby orphanage. They'd come back a few days in a row to listen to him play, but he hadn't seen them at all today. Perhaps they had something to do, Chuq thought.

It was a peaceful enough place, though the nighttime brought some shady characters. Chuq had learned long ago that it was better to just walk to another area when seeing such mysterious and suspicious people. Still, he couldn't help but wonder at it all, like what such people were up to. Maybe they simply looked out of place when their intentions weren't malevolent at all. Or perhaps the more likely is that there were some not so good things happening on Zebitrope IV. Chuq new all too well that even places that seemed perfect had their fair share of corruption.

After an hour or so more of playing music, Chuq decided he would go to the spaceport to at least look at tickets for shuttles traveling to other worlds. He'd earned a fair amount from his busking the past few days, and with a little more he could go a long ways with his next shuttle ride. Upon arriving at the massive building that was the planetary spaceport Chuq figured he'd go get a bite to eat. He approached the first food stand that caught his eye and shuffled out the appropriate amount of creds to purchase a beverage and small meal. Looking up to the skies through the spaceport's windows, Chuq saw the first ship that didn't appear to be a freighter or a junker. With a quickly passing thought, he wondered who was coming to Zebitrope IV on such a fine craft.

 

[Padmé]

Just as quickly as the sobs poured out of Halo, within minutes they were gone. Judging by the sheer look of confusion on Moridin’s face, the rest of the crew would probably want to know why Lamb looked teary eyed. Thankfully, Lamb’s Padawan arrived, which served as a distraction of sorts.

“Padawan Nex!” Lamb shouted while fast approaching the girl. “…Glad you found the right shuttle. I was getting rather concerned there for a minute. Come along,” the female Knight added as she led her apprentice towards the Master Talohn and Knight Moridin’s direction.

“Everyone, meet my Padawan, Vaiya Nex.” Lam continued with proper introductions. Shortly thereafter, she found a seat in the common area of the shuttle. The pilot wasted not a moment as soon as he received take off instructions from Master Dairx Talohn.

Once the shuttle hit hyperspace, Lamb sent a quickly telepathic nudge to Moridin ‘my Cat is gone…Has been for several months now.’

Later on she turned her mentor and friend, Dairx’s words:

"Shouldn’t be long now.."

"What intel do we have on the spice operations the orphanage has been involved with? If we are dealing with a gang or group of mercenaries, they wont take kindly to our presence"

“Indeed,” came Lamb’s one word respond, followed by an awkward pause. “..if anything I look forward to the picturesque rolling savannas…But to answer your question, yes, I do have some intel.”

Calling on the attention of the other Jedi Lamb continued “….what we have here is a very organized gang. Honestly I think the Hutts have a hand in it.. At any rate, based on my information, the nature of the orphanage changed shortly after the founder passed. The council noticed a drastic end to the monthly shipment of new Jedi initiates from the orphanage.


The orphanage for years had an agreement with the Jedi. We received the brightest older orphans once they turned 13. You’ll be surprised how many of the bright Jedi Knights we now have came through the orphanage.

At any rate, shortly after the founder’s passing, the Jedi stopped receiving the monthly supply of the Jedi initiates. Long story short, we finally realized that the newly selected orphanage director secretly has been using the orphans and the facility for illegal spice activities, among other things. As you well know Zebitrope IV is not only known for its rolling savannas, but also the lizard species that produces the drug lesai. The known side effect of the drug causes one to go without sleep for long periods of time.

We believe the orphanage about a year ago started administrating lesai to some of the older orphans. …The illegal spice allows one to go without the need for sleep. It thus effectively extended the amount of labor the orphanage can extract from the children. The Jedi intelligence believes the facility now utilizes the orphans in extracting and producing more lesai for the black market…”

Towards the end of her account the Nabooian Jedi words softened. She did her best to conceal the ominous feeling that suddenly weighted her down. To think that young children are subjugated to a rather cyclical experience gave her a sickening feeling. No child should have the misfortune of being exposed to such a lifestyle.


Shortly after arriving and exiting the docking bay, Haloburner couldn’t help but notice a rather tall Aqualish. To Halo, the Aqualish stood out like a banta in a chicken coop. A drixfar hang on his shoulder whilst he appeared to be juggling a drink and some sort of sandwich in his hands. Haloburner took delight in watching the man. For a moment she’d forgotten she needed to follow her team to their awaiting speeder….

 

[waffles1123]

"Good afternoon, Madam Knight," came the words from Chuq's tusk-covered mouth as he smiled at the lady Jedi.

He then remembered to brush at his mouth in case any crumbs were potentially stuck to his face. He wouldn't want to make too much of a comical impression: being an Aqualish musician certainly was unusual and humorous enough.

Waving and greeting complete strangers was not unusual for Chuq, despite the fact that he was introverted. He simply liked the idea of brightening people's days up with something as simple and easy as a smile and a word or two. Yet as he greeted the Jedi, he noticed that she was not alone. Perhaps these were the people that had arrived in the sleek craft. Their clothing made them just as noticeable as their spaceship had moments ago. Of course, Jedi Knights were recognizable anywhere with the flowing robes and customary hilt always dangling on a secure clip at their sides. But four Jedi on Zebitrope IV? The Aqualish man doubted it was diplomatic or anything so peaceful. No, they were likely here for secretive business, the keeping of the law that Jedi were so well known for.

But his curiosity couldn't help but wonder why. Was there a bigger picture he was missing, some interplanetary gang of a grand scale and design that had taken roots on the quiet planet? Maybe it was merely his imagination, but one didn't see emergency response speeders in groups of two or more unless something bad had happened to warrant their attention. He felt the Jedi's presence was analogous to such an example.

He silently reprimanded himself for staring a bit too long at the Jedi, not wanting to make anyone offended by his gaze. However it was most likely that four Jedi were not so interested in talking to a wandering and homeless Aqualish.

 

[Rev]

Young children dabbled in groups. The social bug which possessed each of them floating about the room as their young faces shined with an all too familiar light. They were safe inside the walls of the only orphanage the "smugglers" world cared to build. There was no common race or species to the children unfortunate enough to call the building home; all they knew were that few left and all that they would have were each other. It wasn't until recently that not only their headmaster's persona vastly changed, but children had turned up missing. Only a few, nothing to look into too extensively, but enough to draw interest. In the weeks that followed the older children became almost 'zombies.' The younger children fortunate enough to hold some of that 'glow,' most had turned to rage, anger, and confusion in the time that came with it.

One child sat outside the rest, different, yet all the same. Each day had passed and she remained unchanged, her appearance only changing in the dirt of the day and the clothes on her back. Her face held little expression, most would guess the ten year old sad.. Even depressed. Inside her emotions swirled with an energy that would be unmistakable to anyone who'd felt it. To a stranger, they would see life, feelings in their purest of form. Today she wore a white dress, it started at her shoulders and rode down her slender back before falling to the earth below. The white had faded once it hit ground, obviously worn from lack of credit to care for it; or the guardian to wash it. Looking about innocently, the young girls green eyes would pierce into the soul of any who dared look, and with it came a darkness unlike any they'd ever felt. If they dared look, they would know she was more than just a girl..

=================================================================================================

The headmaster walked slowly from the orphanage building to a small luxury speeder. Opening the door he'd sit and stare across at the poorly dressed mercenary. Blowing off a sound with his lips that would show obvious disdain, he'd roll his eyes and motion for one of the hands to bring the child he had personally chosen. Within seconds the young boy was loaded into the back of the luxury vehicle, a wide smile on his face. The headmaster would look to the boy, no emotion on his face before looking back to the mercenary.

"He's yours. The product will be at the drop off point as instructed. He'll cover your fuel fees and anything else you need..."

He'd look over the boy, the look of shock finally overcoming the 11 year old. He had been told he was adopted, now it was obvious he was being given away as a slave for payment. Smiling as he watched the lad swallow the lump that formed in his throat he looked back to the man who nodded in approval.

"You know where to bring the lesai. We've never communicated."

They'd exchange a firm shake and the headmaster would remove himself from the vehicle. As the door would hiss shut the boy would look out, his hands gently reaching "out" against the indestructible glass. Then in a moment the vehicle would zip away, the building becoming a small dot in a matter of seconds. His life was over in no less than a few blinks of the eye. This had been occurring for weeks, and would continue so. The Hutts appearing to be the benefactors of such treason. But in truth an Empire project, using the lesai industry to fund their war effort. It had paid off in the hundreds of thousands thus far, and their next shipment would more than triple their profits.

 

[Damien Nightblade]

The Jedi Master's strides down the loading ramp of the shuttle were quick and decisive. His eyes shifting and scanning the space port taking into account every detail and character that occupied the immediate area. The population was mostly made up of spacers and smugglers, though there were the occasional groups of civillian transports and scientific types who semed as if they had been there before.
Darix noticed an Aqualish man holding what appeared to be some sort of instrument brushing the crumbs out of his beard. The man appeared to be of a kind friendly disposition and he sensed no immediate ill thoughts or feeligns from the man, which put him a bit more at ease. The Jedi had spent many countless hours shuffling through space port foot traffic and had become quite adept and using the force to tap into the ebbs and flows of the world around him, tuning himself into the wavelengts and thoughts of everyone that surrounded him.
He sensed many different things, ambition, excitement, and pride. Though he also sensed a deep, solomn dispair, a desperation of sorts, many beings feeling as though their only hope was running out all too quickly. And odd wave of emotions he thought, considering the location, however he did not read into to this as much as he would like. Attempting to keep such thoughts from the minds of the Knights and Padawans that accompanied him, he didnt want to taint their thought process in anyway with such thigns. Especially when the mission at hand would require their utmost attention to the moment at hand.

"Good afternoon, Madam Knight"

The friendly greeting from the Aqualish drew Darix's attention, though only to confirm that his concerns had indeed been noted by the locals. Four Jedi making an obvious presence on this world would expectedly not go unnoticed. No matter, it wasnt as if they were on Korriban or Drommund Kaas. Though Darix preferred to keep a low profile where ever he found himself. It was just something that made him feel a bit more secure about what ever he was doing.
He seperated himself a bit from the rest of his Jedi companions and strode confidently towards the informational protocol droid who oversaw the various comings and goings of the space port.

"My name is Darix Talohn, im here on official business concerning the orphanage. The director has scheduled a meeting. I am supposed to be meeting him here.."

 

[Fall]

'They won't take kindly to our presence'

The words put a small thump in her heart, she had been learning a few things, and while it sounded harsh, she wanted to test some of it out.

The next thing she heard was her Masters cheery voice. After the needed introductions, she listened to the mission briefing, a bunch of mercenaries wouldn't be to hard to dispatch, her real wish for a combatant was leaked in the next question "Is there any possibility of Sith involvement? If so this could get hectic quick..." . She asked the question but didn't seem to hard-pressed about the answer.

Moments had passed, and soon they were planet side and Vaiya stood behind her Master, in the midst of conversation with an Aqualish. She knew there was a speeder waiting, but it was so hard-trained in her to follow her Master closely...

The conversation went on, and as Master Talohn spoke, Vaiya felt a strange cold about the area, it was passive growth in the force. She felt a strange emotion around her, it was deciphered as fear. And in a way, she felt she knew exactly which way to start walking to find its cause.

But for now, she would remain silent and listen, ready to do as told on a moments notice.

 

[waffles1123]

Though the Jedi appeared to be dedicated to whatever business brought them to this world, and Chuq certainly felt bad about interrupting people on business matters, he felt he should inquire about something. The absence of the children on this day seemed more than fortuitous. The orphans had come to spend time with the jovial and musical Aqualish all the other days he had been at the city park, but not on this day. A strange feeling about it all would not leave Chuq's mind, a thought that perhaps it wasn't mere coincidence that the orphans were not there to greet him, especially when they'd said they would see him tomorrow. Perhaps the Jedi would help: it was worth asking.

"Sorry to bother you again," he said as he approached the Jedi who now conversed with an information droid. "I just, well... there's an orphanage here and I know many of the children there. I thought I would see them today but they never showed up, and I just can't shake the feeling that something's happened to them. I understand if you're busy, but... well, with you being Jedi and all, perhaps you could look into it?"

He hoped he didn't come across as rude, but the unexplainable concern in his mind was too great to simply cast away.

 

[Rev]

"You will each line up according to age!"

The middle aged woman's voice would shout out to all the children who had been told it was recess. They had been allowed to play for no more than 10 minutes before they were assembled, first by sex, now by age. The boys older than 8 would be herded towards an open field to the groups right, the rest would be permitted back to the playground. As for the girls any older than 10 were also put in the field, but still separate from the boys. The rest were too allowed to return to play, a constant worry escaping their young minds and souls.

The children in the field would look at each other, the eldest boys bickering amongst themselves and some even fighting. An older boy would catch a younger one just below the eye, splitting it open and littering the young mans face with crimson blood. He'd cheer in celebration as the girls looked on, some laughing while the other boys all but held their ground.

"We will be going on a short trip, and be back in a couple of hours!"

The kids would look about at one another before beginning their short journey. 8 miles would pass and they'd find themselves in what the locals would deem a jungle. Throughout their walk they had seen exotic, deadly looking plants and wildlife. Standing about in an opening their shepherd would gather them up before again telling them what they had come to such an odd place for.

"You must bring me the purple mold off a lizard! Once you've done so we will return home! If you're unable, return to me, and I will help you!"

The children would look about at one another before inevitably splitting up, some formed groups of 2's. Others were forced to be alone, and some were able to form a small band. Each entity heading into the darkening night to catch what they hoped to be an easy prey and bring it back to hopefully return home. Ever since arriving to the Orphanage life had been difficult, more difficult than anywhere any of them had come from...

====================================================================================================

The headmaster sat within his office, staring across at the little girl who had lingered within the Orphanage for all too long. His eyes locked on hers, fear exploding out of the very sockets that held those orbs in place. His once pale skin had only taken to a sickening look which only grew worse in the short time in the young girl's presence. He'd gone from pale to grey, almost purple; as if the very life he held was being sucked out of him. The veins at his temple bulged with existence, though they too a pigment unlike that of a healthy man. They were blacker than the soul which had replaced his own. His body only appeared to be a shell of what it once was. A blonde haired man in his forties, ripe with a child's youth, a youth he'd only held onto in thanks to all the orphans he once loved. Now his hair had greyed, it was almost white, but that would show purity; instead it appeared dirtied, aged beyond his years, and in some places falling out. Wrinkles had replaced a once babied complexion, and his eyes went from green to a dark, absent, brown.

"More.... arrive... toooo...nigggght.........."

His voice was gargled with spit, it took every ounce of energy to speak the little girl's request. She would stand and move closer to the table. Each step the innocent child took sent shock through the man's body, he'd inch closer to his seat's back with each soft sound the girls black dress shoes made against carpet. It wasn't until her stomach met the edge of his desk that his movement backward finally stopped. As the beads of sweat dripped down his forehead and cheeks he'd hold his breath; the look of desperation riddled across his confused face.

"We need more Lesai. Put the ones who can to work immediately upon arrival."

The words would push their way into the weak minded fools thoughts. He'd scream out in pain as the words constantly rushed over him, he was losing himself more and more each day. Even she feared he might break at any moment, once he was lost her plan would have to vastly change. Perhaps it was time to ease up was her initial reaction, but to no end, here she sat pushing more painful thoughts into the poor souls mind. The sounds the headmaster made were enough to say he was close. Focusing on his bobbing head the child's voice would fill the room as the headmaster finally blacked out to the sound of her soft laughter.

[Laughs]"This will be fun!" [Laughs]

 

[Wit]

Even before the shuttle's boarding ramp had been lowered, Moridin was already reaching out through the Force, trying to get a feel of the beings in the spaceport. The Jedi shuttle seemed a little out of place in such a place, and if the appearance of the craft wasn't enough to turn almost everyone's attention to them, the emergence of four Jedi from the sleek craft surely would. If indeed the Hutts were involved in this operation then they would have eyes and ears in the spaceport, and he was sure that they would not react too well to the appearance of so many Jedi. That was what Moridin was hoping to catch, getting used to the currents of the Force before their appearance from the craft so that he could locate any particularly strong reaction to their appearance.

As he stepped out of the shuttle, the last member of their team to do so, he was greeted by the absence of an exceedingly strong negative reaction. But that didn't mean anything on its own, only that his hopes of finding a clue early on after their arrival had been unfounded. But it had been worth a try, after all if he actually had picked up on something then he would have had something to follow up on straight away. For now though, he would simply follow Master Talohn and keep all his senses wide open.

He was still trying to get a feel of the place through the Force, when he noticed Master Talohn walk away towards one of the protocol droids that had been most probably stationed in the spaceport to dispense information. At about the same time he noticed the Aqualish who had just greeted Halo walk up to the Master and begin speaking about the orphanage. Some would have called it coincidence that they would be approached to look into the very thing they had come to sort out, but any Jedi would simply say that this was no coincidence , simply the Force telling them that they were at the right place. But that did not mean that they would not be cautious, as this could easily be a trap for them, but Moridin could feel his emotions, the true concern that he felt for the children he spoke about. Whatever else may be, the Aqualish was not tricking hem. Moridin was not sure if it was his own gut feeling, or simply the Force whispering to him, but he knew that the Aqualish would have a role to play in all this before long, though he himself did not know what "all this"" would actually entail. For now he waited to hear what the conversation between the Aqualish and Master Talohn would to, if they would maybe get some new information about the orphanage.

 

[Padmé]

At the sound of the Aqualish’s words, Knight Lamb made a complete turn towards the stranger.

"Good afternoon, Madam Knight,"

Not only did the Aqualish’s courteous greeting catch Halo by surprised, but the sheer expression on the man’s face actually made her smile. As Lamb completed her turn she smiled back at the man, “and a good afternoon to you.” She offered to the man.

Mean while, Halo’s Padawan, Nex, and the rest of the crew were finally catching up with the blonde. Master Talohn, however, made haste to the protocol droid shortly after exchanging eye contact with the Aqualish.

"Sorry to bother you again," uttered the Aqualish while Master Talohn confidentially made contact with the protocol droid. “Not at all-” interjected Lamb. Before she could utter her next words, the stranger was already giving a telling of an orphanage…

“..just, well... there's an orphanage here and I know many of the children there. I thought I would see them today but they never showed up, and I just can't shake the feeling that something's happened to them. I understand if you're busy, but... well, with you being Jedi and all, perhaps you could look into it?"

Halo’s heart with needless to say succumbed to a rather ominous feeling shortly after the man gave his account of the children. Could this possibly be the same children that she and the rest of the Jedi were here to rescue? Perhaps, but for now the only thing the blonde could do- short of keeping their mission confidential- was to thank the man.

“Thank you. We will look into it,” Haloburner offered. As though on cue- a professionally arrayed Twi'lek approached the female Jedi Knight. “Good day Knight Lamb. Your transportation awaits you,” came the Twi’lek’s words. She went on to identify herself as the assistant to the orphanage director. However, in Lamb’s mind that was not necessarily a good thing. For all she knew the man was a shrewd-hardnosed- truculent headmaster. One that hopefully the Jedi will outs byt the time their mission was said and done.

Now looking up at the Twi’lek, the Nabooian Jedi quickly gave short introductions- albeit cautiously- and then bid farewell to the Aqalish. Strangely enough, the man’s words weighed heavily on Halo’s heart. “…I would see them today but they never showed up…”

Shortly thereafter, the team of Jedi were led into a landspeeder, and then off to the orphanage. The rolling savanna’s of Zebitrope IV was indeed breath taking. Enough to make Lamb wonder why an orphanage had become hidden illegal labor camp of sorts. The short trip from the docking bay to the orphanage gave Halo more time to contemplate on her actions ahead. Upon arrival at the orphanage, Lamb looked over to her left- where her Padawan was- and offered a smile. Nex’s question from earlier finally downed on Lamb:

"Is there any possibility of Sith involvement? If so this could get hectic quick..."

At that, she turned closer to the young girl and whispered- “I don’t think the Sith are involved, but with the Sith one never knows….Fear not though- you’re in good company.”

While the rest of the team exited the landspeeder, a male Zabrak, whom Lamb immediately recognized as Mr. Ttuh emerged behind a female Twi’lek. For an orphanage director, Mr. Ttuh appeared rather dashing, and splendidly adorned. The amount of jewelry he adorned could literally light an entire dark room. Haloburner unknowingly took a self examination of her robes- nothing that compares to Mr.Ttuh’s expensive garments. But that was a minor issue; fine garments or not the Jedi were present to put an end to evil, and usher in dawn of a new era. One that spells freedom-liberty; not tyranny, treachery, and mischief.

Lamb waited next to Jedi team as the director finally approached the group. Cautious as always, Haloburner had earlier tucked several hidden weapons on her. One can never be overly cautious when dealing with strangers on foreign territory. Let alone one aligned with the Hutts!

“Ahhh, you my dear must be Ms. Lamb-” uttered Mr. Ttuh as he finally approached the group while giving a semi formal bow. “…welcome-“ he added with eyes scanning down at Lamb’s young Padawan. “…I wish I’d been given more time… You know to give you a proper welcome…”

Lamb returned Ttuh’s short bow, then quickly gave proper introductions, emphasizing Master Talohn’s rank and position within the Jedi Order. “Mr. Ttuh, pleasure…. ” Halo’s three words came out as diplomatic as she possible without hinting to her internal disgust and indignation.

amidst the greeting time- Halo sent a quick telepathic nudge to Moridin. Strange... I see no signs of children.

“..shall we” Haloburner added as she made the effort to move away from the rather elaborate speeder pad into foyer of the orphanage facility.

 

[Rev]

Turning away from the group of Jedi the Twi'lek would make way towards the kitchen. The small confined quarters were rowdy with life. However, instead of the middle-aged men and women who had once prepared meals, it was instead done by children. Each of them held no expression, the joys of life had been sucked dry from their poor souls. Moving about the room with no preparation, the spastic children ran into each other, dropped objects, and ruined meals. Yet through it all their eyes never left their blank gaze forward. Their emotions never let loose, they either did not care, or they hadn't known how to. Standing amongst the lesai addicts brought a chill to the lekku woman's bike, the cool sensations shooting up and down her nervous spine. Leaning down to one of the oldest children's ears she'd whisper something into it; the boy would immediately go wide-eyed before running off, disappearing into the school. Reaching up to her ear piece she'd softly speak, the clatter blocking out any possible listening ears.

"Jedi."

=========================================================================================================

The headmaster could see the concern on the Jedi's face and quickly would speak, hoping to break up any ill thoughts she may be developing.

"The children are currently doing their chores about the Orphanage. The older children cook the meals well the younger ones clean. Some of them have been taken to some of our other facilities throughout Zebitrope IV.. Think of it as a day camp. They should be back before nightfall if you wish to wait for them."

He would close his lie with a smile. It would be hard to tell if the man was lying, but they were Jedi afterall. Looking about at the other three he wondered just how many of them there were for such a thing. Leading them up the stairwell they would be met with some of the normal children, the one that hadn't been manipulated with lesai or the darkside. They were as pure as any child, and they served their purpose just as much as the poor souls whom were affected with the Empire's hand. They were meant to defect the Jedi away, or anyone who came. The Orphanage would appear good on the surface, it would take deeper investigations to find the truth in their scheme.

 

[Damien Nightblade]

Darix enveloped himself in the convorsation, studying the most minute details of the words being spoken to them.
He did not consider himself a Consular by any means, though he took a certain pride in his speechcraft. In that moment he was not a master, but a student. Eagerly soaking up any information that was not being clearly presented to them. Exploring the depths of the words and body language the man used as he engaged Halo in coversation, Darix dipped a toe into the waters of the force.
He inhaled the energy field within himself as he allowed his ears to listen to what was not being said. Something didnt feel right, there was a disturbance in the force and the other Jedi acompanying him felt it as well.

"We are patient"

Darix interjected, the offer to wait for the children to return from their daily duties and routines was perhaps a ruse, the possibility that they were here on official business and would likely not have the time to simply stand around waiting for a group of orphans may have been enough to make the offer seem of good intent. He could not be certain in this moment and did not want to place any unnessicary stress upon the convorsation. However he would not satisfy in concluding that all was as it seemed, and decided to test the words of the represenative.

"Mr Ttuh, these children working off site. What are they doing exactly? Forgive my curiosity, but I would very much like to know more about your business beyond the walls of this facility. You see, some of the Order's best and brightest have been brought to us from this very location. However we have not seen a youngling from Zebitrope IV in some time.."

 

[Wit]

Moridin felt Halo's mental nudge and received her message, nodding in agreement, then stopping himself as he realized that he wasn't having a face to face conversation with her. Yes, something doesn't feel right here. Through the Force he could sense something very wrong with some of the presences within the orphanage. There were those who felt all right to him, but then there were some whose Force presence felt a little off, as if their very minds had been somehow turned off. It was as if their minds had flat lined, showing none of the ebbs and flows he would relate with a normal individual.

As the Twi'lek headed off towards another part of the orphanage, he felt himself oddly drawn to her, something pulling him towards her. As the headmaster lead them up a flight of stairs, he would follow a little reluctantly, a part of him wanting to follow the Twi'lek into the chamber. But he did maintained a tendril of contact with her through the Force. He followed the others as the headmaster spoke with Master Talohn, the point of discussion being the place the children were going to carry out their off site chores. He was sure all of the Jedi sensed the headmaster's duplicity, but the important thing was to somehow get the truth out of him. This tour of his was surely meant to show things to them that he wanted them to see, but what did he not want them to see? Just then he felt a weird blend of emotions from the Twi'lek, a sensation he could only relate with maybe slightly fearful repulsion?

Reaching out to Halo, he would send a message to her, Cover for me. He would gently run the headmaster's mind with the Force, distracting him for a second and simply jumping down the side of staircase to the floor below. His Force touch would hopefully prevent the man from noticing his absence for some time and hopefully Master Talohn and the others would keep him occupied him when he did. In the mean time he would look around for a bit, try to find what the man was trying to hide from them. And he would start from the room the Twi'lek had entered.

On the alert for any signs of danger, and avoiding contact with anyone, he headed towards the Twi'lek, finding her easily. As he came to a stop in front of the door she had passed through, he reached out into the room beyond and realized that the sense of wrongness that he was feeling was particularly strong in there. Taking one of his lightsabers off his belt, but keeping it hidden up the sleeve of his robes, he pushed the door open and entered the room, which turned out to be a kitchen.

The sight that met his eyes stunned him enough to bring him to a stop. There were children in here, but they were nothing like the ones they had passed on the stairs. Many of them had a glazed look in their eyes, a look he had seen before in addicts, and the way they moved around aimlessly confirmed the suspicions that were growing in his minds. They were the ones he had felt through the Force, the ones whose minds seemed to have turned off. Turning to look at the Twi'lek, an angry expression on his face. "What is going on here? What in the world have you been doing to these children?"