Event Something Wicked

[The Gatekeeper]

Spoiler: Humble Town

HUMBLE TOWN

The corporate shuttle with the Systech Corporation logo touched down just outside of a town after much bickering had been done onboard. The ramp lowered to reveal an agitated Mik Deluto step down the ramp and take a sip from a durasteel hipflask filled with Agamar Cognac. "Ord Mantell Pilot School my schutta," he shook his head and then almost slipped down the ramp. The fog surprised him and was a lot colder than the shuttle's interior. He wasn't really dressed for a 'proper outside'.

He had been enroute to Quesh from the Corporate Sector together with Julia Hiporia, but the pilot -who he now doubt had ever gone to any kind of pilot school ever- had made a mistake with the hyperspace coordinates and stranded them... well, here. "Julia!" (@Nor'baal) he called back into the shuttle, "Does he at least know what planet this is? You know what-" he took another sip of the cognac, "-nevermind! We'll just ask the people in that village." Maybe they had a restaurant that served something with just a tiny bit more taste than those boring ration packs these shuttles packed.

@Nor'baal @Logan

HUMBLE TOWN

"Useless." Julia stormed off the landing ramp of theshuttle and down to, well, wherever the hell 'here' was. She was in her usual d'lesaneux suit, red this time around, and had a stim hanging lazily in her right hand as she gave Mik a withering look. "Sometimes, I really wonder if we're paid enough."

The fact that Mik was the Systech CFO was not lost on her, neither was the fact that she requently was on the 'Heralds Hottest 100 Earners' for the Corporate Sector.

She just liked winding him up.

Her pocket buzzed as she followed Mik into the village.

+++ Prez. Thorne / Emryc +++​

"Ew." she thumbed the red button to cancel the incoming call. "Busy, darling." she rolled her eyes and took a drag on her stim. Spying what appeared to be a diner, just -empty - she nudged Mik. "There you go, easy. We call HQ and we're outta here." she said, as though it was themost obvious thing in the world.

In her pocket, her phone started to buzz again.

"I need a holiday. Swear to..."

@Eccles

Humble Town​

Landing on a planet in a landing with more in common with a crash to most profession piloting landings was an altogether rather common occurrence when Crix Aran was piloting a ship. The ship itself was one of the X-Wings he had heard so much about and he really wanted to try it out, just in case it was the one ship he would be able to pilot with some degree of actual skill.

It wasn't and now he was on a planet he had never seen or heard of before after testing out one of the last known hyperspace jumps programmed into the navi-computer of the X-Wing.

The hell had the last pilot come here for? It looked like someone had decided that cutting this place off from the Galaxy as a whole was the absolute best idea. Stepping out from the rather awkwardly landed X-Wing, he patted the worried astromech atop the dome of it's head.

"See what you can do, yeah buddy?" he asked as he walked toward the town he could vaguely make out through the fog, "I'm going to see if the locals have anything we can use to send a message to the Order."

As he approached the streets of the town, Crix could swear that something just seemed to be telling him to turn around and leave but he waved it off as some instinctive fear of the dark. Evolutionary holdover instincts were all fine and dandy until they started to make even small town locations feel like they were out to get him - then it was just paranoia.

He resisted the urge to say the Most Dreaded Words That A Jedi Must Never Say - I have a bad feeling about this.

Because it would be fine!

@Logan
@Eccles @Nor'baal

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini Halrixien, grad student adventurer, shook the small comlink she was carrying with a growl of frustration.

"Zeezee I couldn't copy that last part! Repeat please?"

The voice of ZZ-4A4, Trini's droid copilot and friend, stuttered from the communication device from behind waves of static.

"I sai- ------ -omething mo---- out in the fo--st! It ha---- co-- -lose yet, but I do--- re---nise it!"

Trini rolled her eyes, although her hand strayed to the reassuring grips of a GFG stingbeam pistol tucked in one of her pockets. She was glad not to be traveling through these woods defenseless; recent adventures had of course shown her the wisdom of carrying some form of protection, which in hindsight was a lesson she believed she could have learned earlier.

"Of course you don't recognize it, Zeezee, it's an unknown planet! I don't know how you calculated those jump coordinates, but this is most assuredly not Rafa V."

Abruptly, the Amaran's ears perked, and she turned to look into the gloom off the trail, beyond the illumination of the feeble glowrod she carried. She paused for a moment, gritting her teeth in apprehension before speaking into the comlink once more.

"Look, the cannons are above the water, right? If it gets close, fire off a volley. Whatever it is that should scare it away. Oh, and stay with the ship!"

The comlink hissed static along with the droid's sardonic reply.

"Sta- with --- ship, she says! It-- not li- I ha-- a lot of choi--!"

There was more, but the static closed in around the words, making the droid unintelligible. Trini shook the comlink again, cursing.

"Zeezee? Zeezee! I can't kriffing- gah, piece of junk!"

Trini groaned, putting the comlink back in her pocket and continuing forward. Soon, she knew, she had to come across the settlement she and her droid copilot had spotted from the air; once there, hopefully she could get help hauling the Silver Bolide out of the marsh the little craft had been forced to put down in. It was just as she was thinking this that she rounded a bend in the trail she had been following, coming to a grassy landing field where a couple of ships already seemed to be parked. Beyond it was a town, the sight of which filled the little Amaran with relief.

Hopefully there is some help to be had here...

@Logan

HUMBLE TOWN

There were times when you regretted every decision you had ever taken, where you want to kill yourself to end the suffering, where the pain made you forget about everything else. Ten minutes ago that had been Ashla's world. A rather eventful visit to Canto Bight had resulted in her consuming some rather exotic dishes, but she had made the mistake of not reading the fine print that had come with the waiver they had made her sign before serving her.

Known side-effects include hyper-sensitivity to light, nausea, ... ... .... and possible hyperspace-sickness. Please consult a doctor if condition lasts longer than three days.

It had hit her on the flight to Felucia. Moments later she was curled up in pain on the floor of the shuttle and after the medical droid had figured out what was going on, Ashla had the droid drop them out of hyperspace, despite its warnings that an unplanned stop might drop them in the middle of a star. At the time she hadn't cared, and thankfully the worst that had happened was damage to the ship's hyperspace generator. Thankfully scans had picked up an uncharted planet nearby, and once she had recovered enough to pilot the ship once more, she had touched down.

With a ship that could not take her anywhere, a body that would not allow that even if the ship could, and an annoying droid that seemed to like reminding her that both were her fault, Ashla left the droid to look after the ship and disembarked to search for help. As she walked towards a town that scans had picked up during the descent, she pulled up the waiver from Canto Bight and went through it once more to make more sense of what had happened to her. In the list of possible side effects she spotted heightened paranoia, loss of motor control, dysentery, and vertigo. Suddenly she was thankful that she hadn't had the worst of the reactions, at least she didn't have the space-shits.

"Thank the Eternal for that!"

@Logan @Eccles @Nor'baal @Nefieslab @AutoFox

HUMBLE TOWN
​

Eri shivered as she stepped out of her ship. She could've sworn she had planned accordingly; enough consumables to last a week at least. Wait, has it been 6 or 7 days already? She didn't remember; a lot had been on her mind recently. Regardless, she had enough fuel to make if off this creepy planet and float about in orbit until she starved to death; that was about all. She need to find a way to communicate with someone in the Empire, or at least find someone for whom she could kindly take some fuel off their hands.

As her frustration grew, her eyes flickered orange in her dark surroundings, and she felt the demons seeping their way into her mind.

I like this place. Please be quiet. She had no idea where she was as she spotted a town up ahead, and, hoping for the best, began stalking towards the structures. Looking down, she found one of her lightsabers in her hand, no idea how it ended up there. She felt her fingers itching to ignite the blade and stopped, shaking her head. No, wait, why would it matter on this barely inhabited-

Here eyes flashed one more time before fading again to the lovely blue that would be inevitably helpful in trying to weasel some fuel out of a random stranger. Her lightsaber returned to her belt, next to her mask that dangled under her robes. Now was not the time to go berserk; this situation required strategy and caution. Careful to conceal her force aura as best she could, she spotted what one could call the "streets" of the town; more like a few crossroads with some random back alleys that led to no-where.

She didn't know what it was, but something was calling to her; something told her to keep moving forward, that what she was searching for was already in the town. Whether the Force thought she was searching for fuel or for death at the hands of some kriffing zombie...she shrugged and stepped out of the foliage into an alley.

@Logan @Eccles @Nor'baal @Nefieslab @AutoFox @Wit

The night before the strangers arrived in a strange place, the denizens of a humble town slept softly in their beds. Their dreams floated lazily through the air like clouds of smoke, invisible to anyone and everyone except for Them.

The path of dreams, to most, was a sacred one - a path not to be intruded upon, or invaded by those who did not belong. They held no such reservations.

With inconceivable brazenness, They stepped, barefoot, onto the dreampaths - idly running long, blackened talon fingers along the incorporeal walls like a bored student in high school. Darkness, the very essence of corruption snaked along the paths, following each one to where it originated.

They were looking for something, someone very specific but were in no rush. After a time, They found what was sought, and a small smile curled in the corners of Their mouth. They severed the paths to the other dreamers and followed only one, fingers no longer idly tracing lines but instead digging in deep, like nexu claws.

A woman, dark hair and green eyes, had until now been dreaming pleasantly; the kind you could not recall when you woke up, but left you content. Now, though, her sweet dreams twisted into something vastly different, darker, and dripping with vile malevolence.

Hello, young one. They said with a voice that shifted and contorted, somehow both motherly and strange, otherworldly. For there was nothing in Their eyes but the blackest night and the coldest stars. Remember, when we are finished, the price of getting what you want is getting what you once wanted.

The girl, remembering only the face she had seen in her nightmares, awoke and simply screamed until, eventually, her voice could do it no longer.

---

Each of the strangers had arrived by different means but their fates were now inextricably tied. The idea that venturing towards the quaint little town was of their own volition would be a false one, but each of them would inevitably find themselves in the same place, approaching nearly at the same time. A coincidence, maybe, but in this place there were no coincidences.

The fog that had been sitting and swirling around their feet since the arrival drew thicker and thicker as they neared the wooden fence near the perimeter of town. Should any of them choose to look back, they would see nothing but grey, and feel something tugging at their mind that the only path was the path they had already chosen.

As each of the newcomers coalesced into each others vision, they would suddenly notice that the forms they saw through the fog earlier were not people moving tither and hither, but shapeless forms of nothing but shadow, a trick played on them in the dark. The only thing they could hear - for if they hadn't noticed yet, there was nothing outside but silence - would be the distant sounds of weeping, coming from somewhere near the village center.

Garbled static would greet anyone still attempting to use technology here. Those that felt the force would suddenly find themselves shrunken, pulled inward, their senses only able to feel just outside their own proximity. They could call to it and it would answer, but as if it were far away, calling across a great distance.

Each of them may have been different, at least on the surface, but they had a common thread now whether they wanted to or not. Would they make the choices necessary to tighten their bond and survive, or choose to severe it and make this place their tomb? That would be up to them.. mostly.

The sound of gentle weeping continued to float on the air.

@Eccles @Nor'baal @Nefieslab @AutoFox @Wit @DarkSaber

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Abandoned Building​

The group would be "quickly" gathered in the courtyard outside the building. The night air was only getting colder by the moment, and there was a vague rustling from the bushes around. Attempts to shine a light on the bushes wouldn't actually show anything, though. Whether that was comforting or even more unsettling remained up to the individual investigator.

As they made their way up to the entrance, they would hear the sound of a distant shriek that sounded like an animal being viciously slaughtered. The sounds went on for a little under a minute before it ended and a terrifying silence gripped the night air. Somehow, they would all get the impression that whatever had killed it hadn't been another animal.

Going inside the building would suddenly seem like the safer of the two options, and as they did so they would be met by an open room. The "waiting area" contained a desk that had collected dust many years ago. Darkness saturated the room with shadows accumulated in ever corner. It was long and narrow with small hallways that broke off to either side shortly into the room.

If they looked up the walls they would be able to see the second story of the building as well. A balcony-type area that seemed to be made up of hallways was all around them above.

Poking around to the rear of the room they would find a very old elevator that seemed out of commission and a pair of locked stairs next to it that led both up and down. Another set of hallways were in the rear of the room as well, leaving them with many options on where to go.

But more than the room, the darkness, or the cold, there was something else in the air. Those who had developed the sixth sense of combat would feel as if they were being watched. Whether it was because one of the others gathered was watching with "stalker" vibes or there was actually something else here wasn't clear, but it was entirely unnerving.

@Sreeya @Altaris @christhebetrayer @Forsythe Crowholde @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab @LilyNion @Valen Pelora

 

[Veles]

Humble Town

---

"Shit."

He drew his cloak closer to his body as he walked, feeling the cool breeze tugging at his sleeves. There was a strange aura about this world, a sort of gray mist that one couldn't see through. That feeling had only amplified here. Everything seemed to be existing in a fog. He could feel it tug at his mind as well.

Cinere was headed to a village, reasoning that the best thing to do right now is figure out where he was and how he could leave. He wasn't really sure what had even happened--one moment he was on the way to Coruscant, the next he'd dropped out of hyperspace above a world he'd never heard of. His navigator didn't work, so he didn't even know what sector he was in.

The eerie sound of silence was stifling here. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears and feel his heart beating in his chest, which didn't help the growing nervousness. Cinere stared at the village and found his vision starting to tunnel. The more he tried to look anywhere but the village, the fog thickened, and he was blind. He could only stare at the buildings in the distance as he approached. By the time he reached the perimeter of the village, he saw nothing but fog. Stepping over the threshold, it cleared and suddenly he could see.

Dilapidated buildings hanging up toward the sky like scarecrows, with streets that were swept clean as though no one had lived here. Shadows wandered about, and he tried to reach out to them through the Force, but had a realization that hit him like a gunshot.

He couldn't feel anything through the Force. It was like he was surrounded by fog. He wondered if this world was some sort of Force vacuum, but he truly had no idea what was happening. He'd spent the past few months as a hermit training with the Force only to have it basically taken away at the first encounter with any danger. Disappointing, to say the least.

He sighed as he walked toward the center to the source of the weeping. Eventually, he could see shapes that were not just shadows, and he headed toward the people.

@Logan

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Crumbling Ruin
​

As the setting sun dipped lower toward the horizon, barely visible between the tree branches above, varied people arrived at the crumbling ruin's verdant threshold. To those sensitive to such things the abundance of life was obvious through the Force even as their connection felt muffled and strange, as if the clinging moss that covered everything had grown up across their senses. Before them all lay the ruin itself.

Just at a glance it was old enough the rock was heavy with time's touch and the colour of plants. Leaves crunched beneath boots and puddles of water stained them as green as the stone. A fog began to roll in through the trees as true evening approached, thick and heavy, making it difficult to see outside the overgrown clearing. Chilly air blew along with it carrying the scent of coming rain.

Even conversation seemed stifled at a distance in this place, like nature all too eagerly swallowed the sound whole. Regardless of where anyone stood the breeze would seem, ever so subtly, to be drawn toward the doorway up the short stairway. Like the yawning space was slowly, deeply breathing, another living thing in an area full of life.

While the shadows lengthened and fog built up around them, another set of footsteps approached barely at the edge of hearing, slow and steady through the mist. With so many arriving at once they may not notice until it was close by, a vague figure visible in the haze. Hunched and broad, a long object at its side that went hit the ground with every second step. At last it emerged in full from the east, behind the doorway itself.

It was an ordinary woman, bundled in jackets and shawls, lines and wrinkles of late age clear on her face. She gripped a well-used walking stick of smoothed brown oak in her hands. The woman's greying eyebrows rose in surprise at the sight of other people, looking around at all who weren't hiding somewhere in the bushes.

"Why, hello there," she greeted while making her way around a bit of puddle. "So many people wandering at night, oh dear, oh dear." Slowly the woman walked closer to the doorway itself, half leaning, half sitting against the squared stone to the stairs' side to rest. A sackcloth satchel hung heavy from her shoulders. Bright green eyes blinked around at them. "What brings you way out here?"

@Versok @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tulos @Tom

 

[Mik Deluto]

HUMBLE TOWN

Spoiler: DM post

Each of the strangers had arrived by different means but their fates were now inextricably tied. The idea that venturing towards the quaint little town was of their own volition would be a false one, but each of them would inevitably find themselves in the same place, approaching nearly at the same time. A coincidence, maybe, but in this place there were no coincidences.

The fog that had been sitting and swirling around their feet since the arrival drew thicker and thicker as they neared the wooden fence near the perimeter of town. Should any of them choose to look back, they would see nothing but grey, and feel something tugging at their mind that the only path was the path they had already chosen.

As each of the newcomers coalesced into each others vision, they would suddenly notice that the forms they saw through the fog earlier were not people moving tither and hither, but shapeless forms of nothing but shadow, a trick played on them in the dark. The only thing they could hear - for if they hadn't noticed yet, there was nothing outside but silence - would be the distant sounds of weeping, coming from somewhere near the village center.

Garbled static would greet anyone still attempting to use technology here. Those that felt the force would suddenly find themselves shrunken, pulled inward, their senses only able to feel just outside their own proximity. They could call to it and it would answer, but as if it were far away, calling across a great distance.

Each of them may have been different, at least on the surface, but they had a common thread now whether they wanted to or not. Would they make the choices necessary to tighten their bond and survive, or choose to severe it and make this place their tomb? That would be up to them.. mostly.

The sound of gentle weeping continued to float on the air.

Mik had been looking at his personav and the message of 'uploading maps' for a whole thirty seconds before he started to realize that the maps were never going to upload. "Reception out here is ridiculous," he complained to Julia as he finally looked up from his screen and suddenly saw multiple people with seemingly confused stranded looks as the fog kept getting thicker. What a weird place.. it kinda gave him the creep. "Your pilot karked up, too?" he asked a young Zabrak (@Nefieslab) but then as he turned to point out the Systech shuttle it was.. gone. "What is the name of Keywork Engineering Systems. Our shuttle was right there!"

This was crazy, this fog was crazy, but as it was common knowledge that the fog was always less thick in towns and there was one right... there. "Let's go find the diner and call from there," he turned to Julia, "they'll have a connection with the nearest comms-beacon in the sector." No way in this day and age someone could survive with such a bad reception that downloading a map onto your personav was too much.

Pocketing his personav, Mik took another sip of his Agamar cognac to drive way the growing nerves. It'd be good to have some dinner, too.. might feel less antsy with a full stomach. He continued his way through the gates, into town and towards the diner.

@Logan @Nor'baal

 

[Julia Hipori]

HUMBLE TOWN

"I don't like this planet Mik." she shouted over to the Chief Financial Officer. Julia was growing more annoyeed by the minute, and didn't care how many of the newcomers, of which their seemed to be many, heard her. She focused on her datapad, at least that was something she could control? Tapping away at the datapad, she looked at the recent news headlines, a news alert linked to ping her every time certain key phrases emerged online.

She trudged along next to Mik, huffing to herself at the unfairness of life.

"Has your beacon got signal?" she asked, referring to the distress beacon corporate executives at their level tended to carry with them. Not waiting for an answer, she checked her own and thumbed the alarm, as they approached the diner itself. "And, someone tell that wailing sop to can it." she asked nobody in particular.

Useless pilot.

Mist.

Annoying wailing.

This planet was just built to iritate.

 

[Arna Calldon]

Abandoned Building​

Everything about this planet was wrong. Due to the lack of battery power, his ship refused to take off. All of Arna's provisions were thrown away as a result of this. He had no idea where he was, and it appeared that this planet had been abandoned centuries before. Arna was fortunate in that he had landed the ship in the middle of a dead forest, which provided adequate cover. He drew his weapons and flipped open the thermal scope on his ZM-792 rifle, scanning the area around him. Nothing. He took a deep breath and moved forward.

It didn't take him long to find the forest's edge. "Wow." The structure loomed in front of him; of course, there would be an abandoned mansion nearby. It was the ideal location after all. Arna paused before approaching the structure. It might be booby-trapped. He carefully made his way to the front entrance of the structure. The structure resembled an old Earth hotel. He'd seen pictures of similar structures in books he'd read. As he entered the building, he stowed his rifle and pulled out his blaster. Arna doubted the presence of humanoid lifeforms in this structure, but he also doubted his own feelings. It troubled him. At least he had plenty of time to explore the building before him. This excited Arna.

 

[Drak Vúlfur]

Crumbling Ruin​

The Mandalorian quickly noticed the arrival of the man wearing a harlequin mask and stared at him from behind his helmet with an alert look, wary of the stranger that had come out of this planet just like that. Drak just shook his head when the undercover sith asked him if he resided on this planet. A fair question, given how Mandalorians lived everywhere, regardless of how abandoned or hostile a planet might be.

But that was just not the case, however, Drak felt a bit of relief as he had just found someone that could get him out of there "I'm the only survivor of a hyperdrive failure accident, if you have the spare parts, I'll help you in exchange of transport." The Mandalorian bluntly stated, it seemed like a fair trade to him and a quick way for both of them to get off this cursed planet that had caused two ships to end up here.

However, another person joined them, one with a funny accent that also claimed to be a person that ended up there by accident, the Mandalorian tilted his head as gears started turning inside his mind "We are in the same situation, yes...quite strange." three people ending up on a planet because of many different ship problems at the same time seemed like too much of a coincidence for the Mandalorian, who was now even more alert as a result, what cursed planet did he end up on?


And finally, besides the woman that had arrived but didn't say a word or the one that was hiding in the foliage who Drak didn't notice yet, an elderly lady that appeared to be friendly and all too used to the planet they were on "We are all people whose ships' malfunctions brought us here at the same time...Do you live here?" Drak asked without hesitation, he had already deemed the planet cursed in one way or the other, so meeting someone that actually lived there made him feel uneasy and distrustful, but for now he would wait and see what she would do.

@Mr. Teatime @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tulos @Tom

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Abandoned Building
​

As they approached the abandoned structure, several people became visible through the mist. That's odd? Perhaps the Force had something to do with it? ... So maybe it wasn't her fault after all!? No, no, no. It was. Nonetheless, the sight of several people making their way to the courtyard sent shivers up the half-Sephi's spine. Her nervousness and discomfort depicted themselves as a heavy ball curled up in her stomach, weighing her down. She felt so small, so weak and useless in a situation like this.

Then she noticed him. A man dressed in armor stands next to a flag. A woman stood close to him, and judging by her body language, she wasn't amused. Something didn't seem right about the sight. Then it hit her. His armor resembled that of a Sith. She'd seen images of it on the holonet before. And the flag? It was inscribed with the Sith Empire's crest. He was a Sith.

Another wave of fear slammed into her core and moved down her limbs, causing them to tremble even more violently than before, until she was shivering uncontrollably. Silently she snatched Ruz's arm, who was standing closest to her at the time, like a child grabbing their teddy bear for comfort. Be brave, she told herself, walk past the Sith without looking at him, and go into the house. It'd be unwise to fight him. Just walk.

The short half-Sephi began walking past the Sith and his sad-hanging flag, ignoring anyone who spoke to her or distracted her; she was determined to find the shelter of the manor, away from the Sith. And for a brief moment, it appeared as if she was controlling her emotions and fear, as she walked past the Sith without even looking at him.

Then a distant shriek echoed through the air, and Clove lost her nerves.

A shriek escaped her lips, and if no one stopped her, she dashed towards the Manor's doors, pushed them open at full speed with her right hip—ouch—and rushed into the waiting area. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for cover, but she was met by an armored figure who was glancing around. A Mandalorian?! Here?! Clove let out another terrified shriek and dashed past him towards the staircase leading upwards, her heart racing uncontrollably in her chest as she tries to climb it as quickly as she can.

---

Tag @Valen Pelora @Sreeya @Phoenix @Forsythe Crowholde @Altaris @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab @christhebetrayer @ ​

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Crumbling Ruin


The subtle changes in the area around them were picked up on by the raven haired man. The force began to grow obscured, as if it was being covered by... something? Regardless, his senses were dulled-- not enough to blind him, but enough to be noticeable. In spite of this, the rolling fog and odd movements of the wind were quite easily picked up on. The hairs on his neck would stand up as he stood there, eyes settling on the opened maw of the ruin. The empty blackness from which not even a hint of light was emitted unnerved him ever so slightly. The way air, light, all was drawn in, it was almost as if the building were...

He was interrupted by the sound of something clacking against stone. The smile had long since slipped off his face at this point, and his hand would come to rest on the hilt of his vibrosword within his coat. It wasn't impossible that the predators he'd felt approaching were beginning to grow more confident as light dimmed. Yet again, he lamented not having his lightsaber on him. That crimson light would be so useful with how dark it was getting, and the radiating heat could probably dry some of this soaked wood so their group could start a fire. The dead Sith's weapon had made him spoiled.

Fortunately, it became apparent that his blade wouldn't be necessary-- yet. Hobbling out of the fog was an old woman, with eyes as green as the waters and moss around them. Immediately, Laeonas relaxed, hand coming free from his hilt as she began asking their group questions. At the mention of how many there were, it began to dawn on Laeonas that their situation was... odd. Something about this didn't feel right-- a masked man, a mando, an old maid, and a merc all wind up at a crumbling ruin? It sounded like the start of a bad joke, yet it described their situation all the same.

It was the one in beskar who spoke up first, explaining his predicament to the one in the odd mask. Offering him a deal, Laeonas perked up a bit, taking a few steps closer to the men. "Transport, eh? Well, Ai don't suppose ya'v got any 'yperfuel left in that shattered drive of yours." He asked, though he didn't offer anything in return. He didn't know who either of these people were, and he wasn't about to reveal the extent of his situation to them, or offer help. For all he knew, nothing would stop them from gutting him the second his ship went into hyperspace.

When the Mandalorian pointed out the obvious, Laeonas would frown, tempted to make a joke at his expense. The man would choose to hold off however, reconsidering how truly odd it was. He'd only touched on it in his mind, but the more he thought, the less it made sense. Had they all arrived over the course of months, or maybe years, he wouldn't have questioned anything. Yet for so much to go wrong for so many, localized entirely within a few miles of a crumbling ruin that gave off some seriously odd vibes...

"Tha wills really ran out of creativity, eh?" He thought to himself, a smirk inexplicably finding purchase on his lips.

He could easily chalk it up to the will of the force. Nothing was predetermined, but he did genuinely think that the force's will had a tendency to put people in situations where they would meet. It explained why he'd encountered so many Jedi, Sith, or other important peoples over the years, when there were so few in the galaxy. But why would they be drawn together? Was it something involving all of them, or was it something about the place? His thoughts were drawn back to the ruin, and he would once again look into that gaping entrance...

The Mandalorian spoke up again. This time, Laeonas felt the need to interject, loudly interrupting with an "Ayy, speak fer yerself! Mae ship would be fine, if those no good, 'ydrospanner grubbin', bug eyed little PIT DROIDS 'adn't screwed me over!" He exclaimed, crossing his arms in frustration. "Kriff, Ai would've bankrupted maeself gettin' real people ta work on mae ship if Ai knew Ai'd wind up 'ere." He went on, cursing some more under his breathe.

He glanced over at the older woman, now occupying the space right next to that gaping maw of an entrance. "Soooo... are ya stuck 'ere as well? If not, yer tha first local Ai think any of us 'ave met."
​

@Mr. Teatime @llamallove @Tulos @Versok @LouJoVi

 

[Charlotte Le'Anna]

OOC: Abandoned Building

Why her? Charlotte thought very highly of herself. It was sort of justified, in a Sithy way. She had survived a childhood of torment and clawed herself free of servitude. She had earned the right to be a pain in the ass. The gate loomed closer causing everything to change. Charlotte had been alone for hours, walking ceaselessly across the grass. Suddenly, she was very much not alone. Her mental walls snapped tight. Her Force presence shoved deep. She tried to register exactly what she was seeing. A Sith trooper waiving a flag, something that looked like a Mandalorian, an unamused woman, and a pack of Jedi. Well…a pack of Jedi or a group dressed like a pack of Jedi. Awesome, great job Charlotte.

She somehow managed to stumbled into the only residence for miles and it attracted the most random collection of people. She took a deep breath, careful to ensure her face remained covered and her saber hidden. Her black robes were simple traveling attire. She took a few steps forward before the first shriek sounded. The second came slamming against her ears from the girl. Maybe they weren’t Jedi? The ones she encountered did not scare so easily. She raised her voice. “Hello! I’m going inside before any more of that happens…goodbye.” Charlotte walked by the assembled group to join the young Jedi inside. Her senses were immediately overwhelmed. Danger the Darkness whispered in the back of her mind. Chills crept up and down her spine. Fuck.

“Care to look around? Or will we be screaming more?” The nice she was, the less likely the Jedi would try to kill her…right? They had no reason to harm her if they never knew her heart. Charlotte had no interest in fighting alongside a dumbass who thought planting a flag on an abandoned world was a good idea.

@LilyNion @Nefieslab @Sreeya @SlagathorTheUnknown @Altaris @christhebetrayer @Forsythe Crowholde @Resonance @Phoenix

 

[Lorcan]

Abandoned Building​

Lorcan looked up from where he had been rubbing some mud off of his retrieved helmet and spotted a woman just kind of... staring at him. He stared right back in silence before hearing a small *Plop!* kind of sound close to his left ear. His shoulders sagged ever so slightly as he glanced at the literal birdshit on his left shoulder. Probably some old biddy of a grandmother somewhere who'd tell him it was good luck but old people were pathetic wastes of space without valid opinions so said hypothetical grandmother could stick it up her ass sideways.

"Says the chick who just rocked up to Sith territory." he shot back in a deadpan, "Think it's too early to tax you for being an Imp citizen? Think again; taxes get the Empress moist."

Could even be true for all he knew. The fuck did he know what got weirdo normies like the Empress raring to go? There was some kind of crash in the background and Lorcan desperately hoped that the casualty count was catastrophic but (again, bird shit on his shoulder) he doubted he would be that lucky. Of course then Hell showed up because everyone with half a functioning brain cell knew that Hell was other people and the collective group looked very much like people.

Fuck he was so glad he refueled the flamethrower.

So he decided to make himself feel better about the whole 'people' thing and marched forward with purposeful strides. The screaming/crying/dying in the distance wasn't something he wanted to have any part of without high ground and cover, especially since some of the fucktards in the courtyard looked very... Jedi-y. Fucking dripping with terrible life decisions and holier than thou attitudes no doubt. So, back to his marching, he made his way up to the doors and kicked them open - or tried to, apparently the scared child opened them first, causing Lorcan to very nearly lose his footing.

It made him feel slightly better even as he left his helmet at the door to hold his rifle with both hands. He checked out the entrance hall in the best way - down the barrel of a loaded rifle. Standing in the middle of the entrance hall, he could feel the feeling of something walking over his grace, the tell-tale shiver down his spine... so he forced himself to relax and rested his rifle on his shit-shoulder.

Crap, now it was on the gun too...

"Fucking hells, you're gonna die first." he declared, pointing at the blonde haired child Jedi (@Clove Vanhoop ) , "You've got shite horror instincts. Just try to be more like that one..."

He jerked his thumb at @Charlotte LeAnna .

"So bland that nothing even wants to try and eat her." he declared before nodding to himself, "That said; let's split up and look for clues on this, the Sith Empire's newest planet."

Lorcan immediately made to head up the stairs because fuck lifts.

@Phoenix
@Valen Pelora @LilyNion @Sreeya @SlagathorTheUnknown @Altaris @christhebetrayer @Forsythe Crowholde @Resonance

 

[Ripley Virago]

Crumbling Ruin
~~~​

More often than not circumstances were the opposite of what they appeared. Such was the case on this mysterious Outer Rim planet. Ripley had believed Ryker and herself to be the only sentient beings for miles, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Call it her sixth sense or chalk it up to woman's intuition, but the deeper she traveled the dirt path the more convinced she became that she was not alone in these woods.

The occasional snap of a branch and rustling in the bushes behind her gave her the uneasy feeling that she was being followed, and voices echoed through the trees, carried on the wings of the wind. As the ruins began to grow visible through the tree line, her suspicions were confirmed. Three figures stood around the entrance carved into the side of a hill, talking.

Ripley approached the figures that had gathered around the ruins, wondering what had brought each of them here. Her white eyes passed over each of them in turn, critically evaluating their appearances as well as their auras. They were as different as could be. Something told her that they meant her no harm (at least for the time being), so she offered them a nod in the way of a greeting.

As if this night couldn't have gotten any creepier, a thick fog had begun to roll in to accompany the darkness that fell over the forest.

Not in the mood to socialize with three complete strangers she'd encountered while exploring in the woods, Ripley forwent the social pleasantries and didn't say a word, opting to listen to their conversation instead.

Stepping over a puddle muddied with dirt and slime, she ran a slender hand over the cracked and aged stone, examining its craftmanship. This structure was ancient, but it was impossible to date it at just a glance. Any identifying markings had been lost to time and the wear and tear of mother nature.

"Is that really how you talk?" she eventually snapped, no longer able to bear the sound of the raven haired man's voice.

The Arkanian sincerely hoped his answer would be no. He had done most of the talking so far, and Ripley didn't have the patience necessary to put up with that accent for much longer.

She redirected her gaze toward the entrance of the ruins, where an aged woman wrapped in shawls and leaning against a walking stick had suddenly appeared. Running into strangers deep within the woods was strange enough, but surely this woman had to take the cake. Did she actually live here?

Following the aged woman's question, the people gathered gave their account of what had brought them here. Hyperdrive failure. A lack of hyperspace fuel. Each told a different story of misfortune, but all of them had one thing in common: they were all here.

Clearly, something had brought them here. Ripley had to wonder to what purpose.

@Mr. Teatime @Versok @Tulos @LouJoVi

 

[Crix Aran]

Humble Town​

The town was beginning to look eery as he approached and it already had been looking kind of sketchy to begin with so it was a very bad sign. Crix didn't draw his lightsaber but he did rest his hand on it as he walked, drawing some small amount of comfort from it as he approached. As he made his way closer to the town, the fog seemed to be thicker than it had been just moments before and he couldn't make out even the indistinct shadows he had seen upon his approach.

Then, all of a sudden, it was like he had walked through some kind of veil because he could see others around him who had been walking into the town. The effect was fight or flight, his grip tightening on his lightsaber as his breath became shorter, harder to fill his lungs entirely.

Part of it was the change to the Force, like he had been hearing the background noise of a city one moment and, then next, he was floating in space in a space suit. Almost total silence from the Force, even if it flickered within him, ever eager to be guided. He damned near jumped out of his skin when an older man spoke to him and Crix very nearly drew his saber at the jumpscare.

"Force and Hells..." he muttered, willing his heart to slow down, "Um... yeah, yeah it kind of shorted out. I've left my droid working on it but..."

But the com-link he had been using to speak to the droid was looking, for all the world, like a hunk of plastic with no battery. Wonderful. The crying was... haunting and he really had tried hard to avoid that word even in his thoughts. He took a deep breath and marshaled himself.

"I think we need to head further into the town; there's clearly someone in distress." he said to the older man ( @Mik Deluto ) and his companion ( @Julia Hipori ) before blinking once as he observed her, "... I've seen you on the holonet. Guess it's true that the camera adds ten pounds"

Thrilling observations aside, he couldn't stop himself from starting to walk toward the source of the crying. Crix didn't watch horror films because he was so very susceptible to jumpscares but he knew well enough to know it signaled nothing good. But... he was a Jedi and someone needed help - he could hope that they needed help in a well-lit area devoid of all spooky mist of course.

@Logan
@Eccles @Nor'baal @Wit @DarkSaber @vamp @AutoFox

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Crumbling Ruins

Senin was going to answer the Mandalorian’s question when he heard a too familiar voice. Turning to where it came from, he saw Laeonas walking toward them, gorgeous as always. The Acolyte widened his eyes in panic, what was the older man doing there? He couldn’t let the Brentaalan recognise him. At least his mask muffled his voice, making it unrecognizable. The only problem was his obvious accent and the use of words in the Sil-Cale language. He decided to speak as little as possible.

“The hyperdrive of my ship stopped working. It has some type of problem.” he said to the other two, forcing his voice to sound deeper than it normally was. It helped make it more unrecognizable. Deciding to not look directly to Laeo, Senin turned to the ruins. He started to analyze its architecture and the statue. The Acolyte wondered who could have built this place.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of another person. By her white eyes, the young man could identify her as an Arkanian. Senin answered her nod with one and continued to look at the ruins. He couldn't see anything inside the building, just darkness. This place was making him nervous. All of them were stranded on this planet because of similar reasons, this wasn’t normal. He also noticed that since he started to walk in the woods he had felt something strange with his connection with the Force. Like something was muffling it. He never had this problem before.

The Acolyte was going to walk around the ruins to see more of it, but stopped when he heard the comment that the Arkanian made about Laeonas’ way of talking. He stifled a laugh. Well, it seems that not everyone could appreciate the Brentaalan’s accent. For him it suited the older man very well, making him more sexy.

Then the fog started to get denser, as if that had been the signal for the arrival of the mysterious woman. The Acolyte narrowed his eyes, he was uncertain about what to think of her. He decided to remain in silence and watch the situation, letting the others interact with her.

@Mr. Teatime @Versok @Tulos @Tom @llamallove

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Abandoned Building​

As the Jedi approached the abandoned building, Ruzaan could make out several other figures nearing it. Perhaps they could point the way towards the nearest fuel station! Unfortunately, the humanoids didn't appear to be all that welcoming. One armored man stood next to a halfhearted Sith flag, while the others radiated auras ranging from "disinterested" to "do not touch". At least none of them were instantly hostile...

In truth, Ruzaan was more worried about what he didn't see. Years of growing up under the threat of Akul attack had given him a sixth sense when he was being hunted- other Padawans laughed and called it anxiety, but Ruzaan's instincts had rarely been wrong- and right now the abandoned building was looking nicer and nicer by the minute.

Then a pair of screams split the air- one something (or someone's) dying scream, far away but too close for comfort; and then another just inches from Ruzaan as Clove screamed. Ruzaan felt her hand close around his left wrist, an iron grip that he hadn't known the half-Sephi to be capable of, and then he was yanked off balance as she took off towards the manor.

"Ahh!" he screamed. Ruzaan had the same idea as Clove- get to the shelter of the building. "Clo-!" However, the other padawan's instant flight combined with his surprise inclusion had caught him off guard. "Ow!" Only his slightly longer legs and plenty of luck kept him from faceplanting en route to the-

Door! Ruzaan barely managed to avoid running straight into the doorframe, twisting his body at the last second so he scraped by instead of becoming just another smudge on the side of the manor. Mercifully, Clove screeched to a halt which gave Ruzaan just enough time to make out the Mandalorian in the room before she was screaming and running again, iron grip still dragging him along as she made her way towards-

Stairs! At least they were going up and not down... behind him, the armored man was saying something but Ruzaan was too busy trying to keep his balance to listen.

@LilyNion @Phoenix @Forsythe Crowholde @christhebetrayer @Sreeya @Valen Pelora @Resonance @Nefieslab @Altaris (hope I got everyone)

 

[Darius Belari]

Abandoned Building​

Darius continued to walk through the dense fog, making his way past the gate and eventually coming upon the courtyard outside of dilapidated building. It was at this point that the small group of other people became clearly visible. At that moment, the Lokkian began to serious wonder how they’d all winded up on the same planet, let alone the same sketchy-ass building.

Blue eyes first settled upon the robe-wearing woman and the token Mandalorian of the group. Both of them seemed to be off doing their own thing, so Darius didn’t really pay them any mind. Next, Darius spotted the group of literal teenagers that had somehow managed to make their way to the planet as well, looking as if they’d made a wrong turn during some school fieldtrip. It didn’t actually occur to the Lokkian that they might’ve been Jedi.

His gaze eventually flicked over to Lorcan, fixating upon the man who was quickly blazing a trail as the loud-mouth of their little group – and suddenly Darius was able to piece together who that proclamation from earlier came from. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the man. He couldn’t care less about the Sith or whatever ‘Empress’ the man was going on about. It was all way above his pay-grade, and they could have the planet for all Darius cared – just so long as he could get the hell off of it.

The whole bit on taxes was equally ridiculous. Growing up on a poor Outer Rim planet, Darius had spent the vast majority of his life evading tax collectors, and most of the ones back on Lok were twice as intimidating at this guy. Darius shook his head. It was going to snow on Tattooine before he forked over a single hard-earned crown to Sergeant Jackass over here.

Last but not least, Darius picked out Livi from the group – immediately recognizing the ISC armor that she wore. He didn’t have the slightest clue who she was and didn’t care to know, but at the very least she was a friendly. And more importantly, she was armed. Naturally, Darius began to gravitate in her direction. He lightly waved towards her, flashing his ISC badge for her to see.

After a moment of pause, Darius finally decided to say something. He opened his mouth to speak, but was summarily cut off by the bloodcurdling screams that came from the forest, the sound echoing through the air and hidden beyond the dense fog. His body visible tensed at the sound, a bit of the color seeming to drain from his face. Another voice added to the choir when Clove took off running, and yet the Lokkian did not move immediately. When the sound finally died down, Darius simply blinked a few times.

“Naaah, man. Fuck that.” Darius declared flatly.

The Manor-from-Hell suddenly seemed like the safest option available to them. Without another word, the Lokkian abruptly turned on the heel of his boots and started hauling it towards the manor – powerwalking his way towards the entrance. He hadn’t the slightest clue what had made that noise, but there was approximately zero chance he was going to stick around to find out.

When he passed through the entrance of the building, Darius immediately narrowed his eyes at his surroundings. Just as he guessed earlier, the interior of the waiting-room looked like something straight out of a Horror holo-movie, and he had this eerie feeling that something was watching him. The screams from earlier were quite frankly the only reason he didn’t book it right then and there.

Darius turned to look at Charlotte as she spoke, and then to Lorcan again. He squinted his eyes when Sergeant Jackass suggested splitting up – suggesting that the man had equally terrible horror instincts as the half-Sephi. The Lokkian watched as the man made his way up the stairs, blinking a few times before shrugged his shoulders in response. If the man ended up getting murdered on his own, at least Darius wasn’t going to have to worry about someone barking at him for unpaid taxes.

He sighed, watching as the Togrutan and half-Sephi scrambled towards the stairs. Why? What possessed these people into thinking that splitting up was somehow a good idea? It was becoming abundantly clear they weren’t going to stick together, and so Darius begrudgingly began to scope out the options available to them. He briefly glanced towards the stairs that led downward, steps vanishing down some dark corrider.

“Maybe this place has got a generator we can kick on?”

@Phoenix @Sreeya @SlagathorTheUnknown @LilyNion @Valen Pelora @Forsythe Crowholde @christhebetrayer @Resonance

 

[Livi Cross]

ABANDONED BUILDING
​

Livi had no idea what the man was on about. What the hell were Sith? She blinked a few times, glaring at him.

“I’m about to shove that flag pole so far up your rear end that you’ll be vomiting patriotism,” She said sternly. Before she could act on that very lofty promise, an unnatural shriek erupted from the distance. Livi grimaced, realizing that it didn’t sound like anything she had heard before. She knew the sound of the infected by now, and this was something else entirely. As much as she despised the thought, the creepy manor appeared to be at least some form of shelter.

Livi walked behind the ‘Sith’ man, not yet realizing that her potty mouth and attitude problem was more likely to make him a friend than not. She winced as she heard more shrieks coming from inside the manor, realizing the area was packed with people. She wasn’t sure when this became a full fledged party, but she was still here to do her community service. A glance to the side revealed that there was a fellow ISC guy. Excellent, he could vouch for her.

She cleared her throat and largely ignored that panicked mewling anyone else was doing, taking out a small notepad as she read off it, “Listen up! I’m Livi Cross, Ranger in training within the Independent Systems Concerts,” She squinted a bit, “Consortium. I’m here on behalf of the Independent Systems Consortium Refugee Agency and His Bastardcy Governor Galek Ordalos in an effort to aid refugees trapped whether by AMS or war. Are you in need of immediate assistance?” She glanced up at the cowering morons running up the stairs. Livi blinked a few times and scribbled down on her notepad “Refugees...killed...in...action.” Good enough. That was that.

Instead of making a beeline for the stairs, she walked around to investigate her surroundings. The desk randomly being in the room appeared oddly out of place. She walked towards it, looking for any drawers or any engravings or anything that might suggest a clue. With the others piling up at the stairs, she would hear soon enough what they uncovered.

@LilyNion @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab @Altaris @Valen Pelora @Forsythe Crowholde @christhebetrayer @Resonance @Phoenix

 

[Trini Halrixien]

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini's ears swiveled abruptly toward the source of the scream, and then the gentle weeping that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. The Amaran felt her tail frizz out in fear, her hand going automatically to the stingbeam she carried.

When had the fog gotten this thick?

"H-Hello??" She called hesitantly, looking around at the indistinct shapes of buildings looming out of the fog. "Is there someone out there?! I can't- oh! Hello! Sir? Ma'am? Can you-"

The shape - just a strange formation in the drifting fog, collapsed before Trini's eyes, the student giving a brief squeak of fear as she stepped back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw more humanoid shapes moving through the mist, but most did not seem to have any substance to them.

Some quirk of the weather here? She thought to herself. It couldn't be that-

The sense of being small, diminished, abruptly hit Trini, and made her clutch her shoulders, shivering as she looked around. There was something not right about this place. The fog and the shadows were one thing, but this feeling...

There were voices in the fog. Abruptly, Trini's ears flicked toward them. They were oddly distant and muffled, but the Amaran could make out figures in the fog; solid ones, not the phantoms she kept thinking she saw. Despite growing apprehension, she made her way toward them.

"Hello!" She called, almost desperately. "Is there someone there??"

@Logan @Eccles @Nor'baal @Nefieslab @Wit @DarkSaber

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Crumbling Ruins
​

Sah’ra remained in the brush, observing the gathered group continuing to grow as they discussed the eerily similar circumstances they had each befallen that lead them to where they now stood. And how curious it was that on a world such as this that they had all been guided here. There had been no evidence of civilization anywhere else she had witnessed since departing her own crash site, so the beaten trail that led to this ruin was the logical path for them all to follow. Yet when she considered the likelihood of them all touching ground in the same general vicinity and not spread out across the planet’s surface? No, something was far too suspicious about this. The Force was playing with them, pulling each of their strings and bringing them here for one reason or another.

Sah’ra did not immediately reveal herself as the old woman had arrived, instead choosing to continue to observe. She seemed familiar with this place, unphased by the advancing fog and the smell of approaching rain. If she had a guess, one that was shared by the Mandalorian as well, Sah’ra would believe this woman made these ruins her home. Perhaps she too had found herself in a similar situation once, possibly even many years ago, and simply had elected to survive here rather than search for a way home. Or perhaps there simply was no way home. Regardless, the Sith would finally step into the clearing as she brushed a collection of dried leaves and dirt from her black robes as she approached the group yet neglecting to announce herself immediately.

Sah’ra would wait silently until green eyes locked with blue, offering the elderly woman a gentle smile partnered with a slight bow of her head. Regardless as to whether or not this was where she resided, it was clear she was the greatest source of information as to where they were.

”Your bag seems heavy, m’lady. Perhaps it would be best if we head inside before dark. I could carry that for you,” Sah’ra offered gently with sincerity, holding out her hand to carry the burdensome satchel if she so chose to relieve herself of it. ”The sooner, the better. The last thing I need is to get caught in some downpour,” she thought inwardly, selfishly. Even so, her eyes and smile would not betray her.

@Mr. Teatime @Versok @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tom​