Event Something Wicked

[Arna Calldon]

Abandoned Building
​

At this point Arna had no fucking clue as to what was going on. Without any warning a woman faced him and dished out an order “Do you have an HUD in that helmet? Can you look out the window and tell us if we’re surrounded?” Arna just nodded and headed down the one hallway that was empty. He pulled his sniper rifle and flipped open the thermal scope and scanned the area.

So far there was nothing to be seen, he turned the corner of the hallway and kept scanning with his sniper rifle. A figure had appeared out in the distance. He tried to zoom in on it to decipher whether it was an animal or a humanoid but he couldn't get in close enough. Arna couldn't see what it was with the HUD in his helmet either. He skipped the rest of the hallway and headed back to the woman who dished out the order. He faced her, still with his sniper drawn "One figure out in the woods, it was too far away to decipher what it was. It gave off a strong heat signature, other than that, nothing else. At least for that end of the building..." He paused for a moment. "Arna, by the way." He reached out for a handshake and a response. This is just getting too weird for him.

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

 

[Trini Halrixien]

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini stopped in her tracks as the sobbing faded, only to be replaced by something new. The warbling, alien speech seemed to fill her awareness.

"Who said that?!" She called, jerking the puny stingbeam from her pocket and looking around wildly. "I didn't-... I didn't abandon them! W-What was I supposed to do?! They had blasters! They had... had..."

Grisly memories flooded through Trini's mind. The massacre at the camp, the escape, the siege at the processing station...

"Kark you, you don't know me, whoever you are! Show yourse-"

The little Amaran stumbled over something in the fog, and when she looked up, she found herself in a pocket of clear air. There were others - solid shapes, not the strange illusions the fog seemed to generate - but Trini's gaze was immediately drawn to a figure sitting before her.

"Can you help me?"

The voice was different. Trini blinked, confused, and glanced around before settling her gaze back on the figure.

"I... can try?" She replied. "What is it that you need? And, er... who are you?"

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

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Crumbling Ruins

When the woman said that her ship crashed in this planet a long time ago, Senin started to feel nervous. What if he ends up stuck here forever? The Acolyte had many plans for his life, places he wanted to visit and parties he wanted to attend. He didn't want to end his days trapped on a planet forgotten even by the Force. Even if Laeonas was there.

Watching Laeonas and the Arkanian argue with each other because of his accent was amusing. Poor Brentaalan, no one seemed to appreciate it. Although, even he needed to agree that it could be annoying sometimes. Senin raised an eyebrow behind his mask, so the older man was using a fake name. Well he couldn’t judge him, after all the Acolyte was using a mask.

Then Senin heard a roar in the distance, coming through the fog. He wondered what could have made it. Soon the old woman was scolding Laeonas, saying that he should speak lower. The Acolyte needed to agree with her, he didn't want the owner of that roar to come to them. Whatever that was.

After another person arrived at this strange place, this one a female human, the old lady invited them to enter the ruin. Since he didn't want to be eaten by the creatures that were in this forest, the Acolyte decided to enter. Senin stopped briefly when he passed near Laeonas “I don’t mind your accent. I think that it’s cool.” the young man said in his muffled voice. Then he continued walking toward the darkness inside the ruin.

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

 

[Drak Vúlfur]

Crumbling Ruin​

The Mandalorian just stared at the two people that were arguing about an accent blankly, on one hand, there was no need to insult someone because of their accent, but that being said, good lord that was one thick accent, even the Mandalorian had a hard time deciphering the man's words, as a result, Drak decided to take neither of their sides in their argument and just decide that both of them were quite annoying so far "... Ut an chaavla sa shebs be'striili, gurtala me'suum, Ni kyr laam o'r solus wyutayi be bic b biayagr." The Mandalorian muttered in his native language, shaking his head before focusing on other matters.

The Mandalorian hoped the woman was some sort of native, that would've meant she could've brought them to a proper civilized place. Unfortunately her fate could very well be theirs if they didn't manage to repair one of the many ships that ended up on this planet...And with so many people being stranded at once, Drak's theory of the planet being cursed didn't seem to be a crazy one, but for now he had to hope he would find a way out of the planet.

"...I'll help you repair your ship tomorrow morning." ...And his best bet, of course, was helping the one that just had hyperdrive problems, Senin. Drak was quite adept at taking proper care of ships after being part of a space faring clan for most of his life, the Mandalorian was confident he could take care of his ship's problem as long as the hyperdrive was not damaged well beyond repair...And he would pray that was not the case.

Paying the others not much mind, the Mandalorian followed the old lady inside the ruins, now alert not only because of his inherent paranoia and superstitions, but also because of the distant howling, this was their best bet for a place to stay at night, but that didn't mean Drak liked it, the old ruins of what probably was a long gone civilization could hold many secrets and dangers, even if the old lady made it her home, but he just didn't have any better choice

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Crumbling Ruins

​

As the sun continued to descend beyond the tops of the trees, washing the landscape in a dark coolness that permitted the cloud of fog to ebb deeper and deeper into the woods, Sah’ra began to curse the day she decided to set foot on that damn freighter set for Dromund Kaas. It seemed that the old woman was exactly as she had suspected; yet another victim of this mysterious world. The possibility that she could one day share the same fate as this elder, living in some decrepit ruin surviving off the land, was painful to consider. She had done enough of that during her tenure on Teth. All the woman craved now was civilization… and perhaps a hot bath.

As the elderly woman refused Sah’ra’s offer of aide, she would recall her hand and politely bow her head in deference. A small smile would tug upwards at the corner of her lips but as the woman continued on to instead demand her help, her brow furrowed slightly.

”Of course…” Sah’ra thought inwardly as a soft sigh escaped her. ”She’s off her rocker… Three batha short of a herd… Living alone for so long can do that I suppose,” Even though she kept these thoughts to herself, Sah’ra was not about to simply turn away the woman’s hospitality. The sounds of wildlife began to come alive in the forest and she knew all to well from past experience that being outside after dark on a world like this could only breed danger. Then again, this collection of ‘survivors’ was hardly any better than squaring off with whatever else called this place home. While Sah’ra quite enjoyed the Arkanian girl’s quips directed at the man named Canary, she could tell this would be a long night already. Especially if she was forced to listen to the banter between them.

”You know,” Sah’ra would whisper to the other young woman in their group as she approached her shoulder. ”Cutting bird boy's tongue out may well save everyone from a headache later. You hold him down while I do the surgical work?” she would continue teasingly, only half joking as she pushed on to the old woman’s side and gingerly extended a hand to take her satchel, unsure if she wanted help or not.

As they crossed the threshold of the chamber’s entrance, Sah’ra spotted the amber glow further down the passage and quickly surmised it to be the lamps and torches this old woman used to light her home. And if this truly was her home, it was perhaps a good idea to learn the name of their host yet just before she could ask the woman to properly introduce herself, the Arkanian asked about a symbol she had found. Intrigued by what the response may be, Sah’ra instead opted to bide her time before asking everyone their names and turned to the elder with curiosity.

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

 

[Felix]

Abandoned Building​

Felix's eyes glared at the trooper, but he wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a reply. he would ignore him even if he wanted to retort back.

he would watch the other two make their way back downstairs they're heads held low in shame, he felt for them, he knew all too well the feeling of shame and regret. he wanted to offer them some comforting words but before he could Arctus offered them to go down a hallway. Felix wouldn't object to the matching order proposed, it made sense to keep the least experienced in between the most and he doubt the other two would argue against it either after what just happen.

As they started moving he would get Clove's attention, "Hey, don't feel ashamed at what happened, it was perfectly natural to be scared, I'm scared too" He touched her hand so she could easily feel his quickened heart rate and faster breathing. "You just need to remember not to act on these feelings, it gets easier with time, trust me." He would give her a soft smile before letting go of her hand. hoped he would bring her some comfort she wasn't the only one and help relieve some of the ashamed.

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

 

[Darius Belari]

Abandoned Building
​

Despite his very clear apprehension about splitting up, Darius begrudgingly began to explore the different paths before them. The group of teenagers were screaming up and down the stairs and Sergeant Jackass had yet to stop talking, and for the moment the Lokkian tried to tune all that out.

Instead, he made his way to the top of the stairs that went downward. The basement seemed like the one of the worst places to go wandering, and yet it was the most likely place they were going to find a generator. Which, true to Charlotte’s words, would’ve made the entire place feel less haunted.

Darius reached for the door, giving the knob a twist. There was almost a sense of relief that washed over Darius when the door turned out to be locked, and the man made zero attempt to force it open. If the room was sealed, there was probably a good reason for it.

Instead of lingering on it, the Lokkian’s attention was drawn back when Livi spoke. She wanted to explore the hallways, and he wasn’t about to argue with her about it. He shrugged his shoulders a bit, turning on his heel and leaving the door. “Fine by me.”

He briefly turned to look at the Imperial trooper, watching as Livi threw a commlink at him. The man was still clearly intent on going it alone, and Darius wasn’t about to try to convince him otherwise. Instead, the Lokkian gave him a two-finger salute and went along his merry way.

With that, Darius picked up the pace and began to follow after Livi, Charlotte and whoever else, joining them in the hallway. Instinctively, he kept a hand hovering over the holster of his blaster pistol, blue eyes narrowed as he began down to walk with the group.

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

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Spoiler: Humble Town

HUMBLE TOWN

The diner was just depressing. Just that. Mik had been in bad places before on far off remote worlds like.. Byblos...ugh. The almost empty flask of Agamar Cognac dangled in his hand as he strolled up to the bar with searching, somewhat arrogant, eyes. There wasn't a lot of liquor on the shelves here. Even the Systech employees bar at the Quesh Adrenal Synthesis Facility had the good stuff on display. What did they have here in... whatever this town is called on.. whatever planet they were on. By KES there were a lot of unknown variables on this trip. They really had to fire that pilot. "Hey bags," he nodded to the bartender and pointed at the non-existing bags under his own eyes and then at the bags under the eyes of the bartender. Kriff, he shouldn't visit one of Etti IV's spa's some time. "got something to drive this bloody fog out of me?" Mik shivered, thinking as unexperienced as he was to live in "poor people conditions" that having a creeping fog inside was perhaps normal.

Then he took a bottle of Mandalorian Vod'ka, from the old world, mixed with Chandrilitini and shook it for just the perfect amount of time before pouring it in Mik's ready glass. He followed it up with some sage advice, or some foreboding, but Mik had eyes and ears only for that beautiful drink. "I didn't even know they still made Vod'ka," the Systech CFO muttered as he took the glass, "Cheers," and took his first sip.

and then a second and then he emptied the glass and let the best drink that was ever poured glide down his throat. Wow. It wasn't until he reopened his eyes that he heard the whispers and grabbed the counter to keep his balance while the entire world around him flashed between shots of darkness. Once it was dark he tried to look around, "Julia, what the Czerk is happening?"

Did he just die?

@Nor'baal @Logan

HUMBLE TOWN

She was far from impressed with the 'diner', if one could even call it that. Drab and miserable, like her ex-husband, the 'diner' left much to be desired. Deciding that this was the last time she travelled anywhere without sending an assistant ahead of her, she sighed and took the wierd drink that was poured out. She didn't even read the label as she took the beverage.

Holding it her hand she immediately put it down, and scowled as the barmans 'no phones' remark hit her. Levelling her very best death stare at the man, she got a small bottle of hand sanitizer out and rubbed some into hands, before wiping the rim of the barely clean glass off with a handkerchief from her pocket. By then, Mik was already chortling to her.

"Julia, what the Czerk is happening?"

Mik grabbed the counter as Julia rolled her eyes and necked her drink ''Stop being such a wim -''

She black out, and fell off her stool onto the floor.

HUMBLE TOWN

The sound guided her, having given up on trying to see where she was going through the fog. But ultimately it did clear a little, and through the thinning fog she noticed that she was in a clearing of some sort, probably the town square. But as that thought crossed her mind she noticed something else, she couldn't hear the weeping anymore.

In its place she heard something else, something much more direct in its eeriness. As words started forming around her, Ashla stopped in her steps. Few knew of her connection to the Cadre, and she did not expect to find any of them here. The fact that it knew these things should have interested her more than the words themselves, but the words were not alien to her. They were things that she had herself thought in the past, and that gave them strength.

"I.." She started in a quiet whisper, before stopping and steeling herself. Her Cadre was dead because of her, she had killed her masters, and they had killed her siblings because they had followed in her revolt. But it had been the right thing to do, it had been right. "I will fix myself." She had said something similar to Aadya and Stolas on Moraband, but then it was her saying it. Here it felt like she was agreeing to someone else's accusations.

Shaking away the unease as best as she could, with the voice having thankfully receded, she continued walking till her eyes fell on the lone woman. As she stopped farther away from her than the others, letting them deal with her while she observed, an echo still rang within her head.

It is redemption.

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

Humble Town​

Crix left the two well-dressed people when they seemed to peel off to go and headed towards a diner of some kind. He was tempted to follow them, the fog and the town in general was putting him on edge. But there was someone crying and there seemed to be no one who could help them and, damn it if that wasn't everything about being a Jedi in a nutshell - and he refused to ignore the call as it came.

Pushing on through the fog, toward the source of the cries, Crix's grip on his lightsaber tightened as he arrived in the town center to find that it was remarkably... crying-free. He didn't get much in the way of a chance to ask questions as he was immediately spoken to. Spinning in a circle, Crix drew his lightsaber and ignited the pale blue blade as he rapidly looked around himself for the speaker.

It wasn't a person nearby - it was in his own head. Was it even someone else's voice? He had... there had been a time when he had thought the same things himself in the past. The shame, the regret, the anger and the disgust all aimed inward, he had felt them all and he still remembered them.

The words seared into his mind.

They didn't go away because they joined the same words he had whispered to himself by his comatose mother's bedside. The same feelings that had run through him ever since he had discovered that it had been entirely possible to heal her and, yet, he had delayed and not been able to bring her back. They were wounds he carried with him...

But they were old wounds, scars, rather than open injuries.

The marks they left were never going to go away but that was alright because those marks, those scars, had helped shape him. That was what he had to accept about himself in his Trial of Spirit and it was the same strength and ownership of his flaws, his failures, that allowed him to extinguish his lightsaber and force himself to relax.

"Not telling me anything new, here." he spoke back to the voice, his shoulders hunched slightly, "And you're less creative with the wording than I was."

He pushed onward, his lightsaber in his right hand but deactivated for now because he wasn't about to face combat in the most obvious way. As he approached the young girl he judged to be the source of the crying, he could see others around her. For now though? He ignored them, dropping to one knee and holding out his free hand to the little girl as he did what he always did when he covered his pain - he smiled, bright, clear and reassuring.

"I'm here to help you."

It felt Right to say it.

@Logan @Wit

HUMBLE TOWN
​

Eri rolled her eyes as a voice spoke in her head yet again, but this time it had a different tone. Wait a minute... Of course I don't fucking trust her. She doesn't let me do shit.

"Shut up!" She hissed, feeling more and more terrified every minute. The dark side wasn't readily responding even to this level of fear; she wasn't about to go berserk without knowing what kind of situation she was in.

I know you understand. Stop shutting me down. Let me free, I'll take care of everything... just for you. Eri had a sudden falling sensation, felt herself slipping as she lost control...but a voice reached into her mind and grabbed her arm as she fell into the abyss, pulling her out of the stupor. She had been stumbling almost blindly, unconsciously, towards what she now saw to be a young woman. I can't help myself, let alone help you.

Eri utterly despised whatever this place was doing to her. She could normally control herself so well, and she had almost completely given in involuntarily. Just because of a voice in her head, something she should be used to at this point. Her blue eyes looked around at the others surrounding her, but she said nothing.

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

HUMBLE TOWN.

Trini stopped in her tracks as the sobbing faded, only to be replaced by something new. The warbling, alien speech seemed to fill her awareness.

"Who said that?!" She called, jerking the puny stingbeam from her pocket and looking around wildly. "I didn't-... I didn't abandon them! W-What was I supposed to do?! They had blasters! They had... had..."

Grisly memories flooded through Trini's mind. The massacre at the camp, the escape, the siege at the processing station...

"Kark you, you don't know me, whoever you are! Show yourse-"

The little Amaran stumbled over something in the fog, and when she looked up, she found herself in a pocket of clear air. There were others - solid shapes, not the strange illusions the fog seemed to generate - but Trini's gaze was immediately drawn to a figure sitting before her.

"Can you help me?"

The voice was different. Trini blinked, confused, and glanced around before settling her gaze back on the figure.

"I... can try?" She replied. "What is it that you need? And, er... who are you?"

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

When @Mik Deluto spoke out into the darkness that surrounded him, his words would almost seem to bounce back and reverberate inside of his ears like he was standing in a room that was much too small. The air around him was thick, somehow weighted and it pressed into Mik's eyes like thumbs.

It would push, harder and harder until the pressure would be so much that Mik would think his entire head was about to burst. At the zenith of his pain it would suddenly vanish, and with it, the darkness. In its place, Mik would find himself in a square room with no windows or doors.

Looking up and around, he would see no sources of light, yet the room was illuminated with the harsh, sterile white light of an emergency room. Across from him, laying on the floor, he would see a woman curled in the fetal position. Sickly thin - her skin was dry, scabbed over in numerous spots from constant picking. Hair was greasy and matted, and occasionally the woman would twitch violently.

So far, it was as if the woman laying on the floor did not notice Mik. As he stood there, the faintest scent of something familiar would hit his nostril, but he wouldn't be able to place it at first. Once he took a step forward it would come to him, though, an epiphany through the haze his mind was in. It was perfume, the kind his wife used to wear, before the accident.

Before the spice.

---

The sudden influx of people surrounding her made the dark haired woman anxious, her heart beating so rapidly it wouldn't be surprising if those with above average ears might hear it. Her attention locked to @Crix Aran, the one who had offered her a hand.

She took it, and the young Jedi Knight would notice that her skin was ice cold. Curious, considering the air around them was tepid, even a little humid from all of the fog.

Allery, She said, answering @Trini Halrixien's question. I dont know how you can help me, but I'm scared. Allery winced hard, like someone who just got stabbed with an overly large needle. We need to get.. Another pained expression, but worse this time. The knot in Allery's jaw from gritted teeth bulged. We are running out of time, we need to get to the manor. You ha-

Allery fell back to her knees and covered both of her ears with her hands. The others would hear it too, a sound that seemed to be coming from deep inside their own head. Shrieking, mind numbingly high pitched and loud, would be all anyone could hear. It would break the focus of even the most stalwart will.

Well, except for @Ashla Ti, of course.

Instead, the young Togruta would hear a familiar voice whispering into her ear as the fog started thickening around them all. Ashla wouldn't be able to make out what was being said, but it was all she could hear. Almost like dozens of voices whispering over each other in languages she didn't understand. Eventually, the cacophony would sound like water rushing over her ears, nearly deafening. And then..

It was gone, and standing before Ashla, visible only to her, was the shadow of a being she didn't recognize. Its outline was black and sharp edged, but still ever wavering, like heat haze. It reached out an incorporeal hand, fingers long and talon ended. It spoke nothing, and would not wait for long.

A blood curdling scream coupled with the stomach dropping sound of blade rending flesh would break them all out of their reveries. A large, muscled creature had emerged from the fog, and brought its blade down into the top of Allery's head and cleaved her straight through. Blood and brain splattered on those who were nearest as the young woman's body split into two separate pieces and fell to the ground.

The creature faded back where it had come from like a phantom, and as it did the fog would recede just enough to make it easier to see. Looming in the distance, visible for the first time, was an imposing manor nestled on a hill that overlooked the hamlet.

A single light was on upstairs.

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

 

[Veles]

Humble Town

---

He reached the woman at the same time as the others, sizing her up as he approached. A Zabrak was the first to offer her help and he lifted her off the ground as Cinere reached a stop. There was a small group huddled around her, which only made things weirder. Looking around, none of the other people looked like they were from here either. And they all looked just as confused as him.

Cinere was about to open his mouth to say something when a large, hulking shadow appeared from the fog. He blinked and when he opened his eyes, gore splattered against his chest forcefully from the powerful impact of the weapon on the woman's head. He watched the decapitated body collapse and the figure fade away, aware that there was nothing to do and they were very likely defenseless.

The fog cleared just enough for them to see a house, and he looked around at the group again. A silence had settled over the scene, the corpse quite clearly the elephant in the room. Cinere was never the type to try to rationalize when that was impossible, so he spoke up for the first time since joining the group.

"Only way to go is forward," he chimed in, echoing a slogan seen often on the new Imperial propaganda posters that had started publication with the restructuring of the army.

@Logan

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Abandoned Building​

Lorcan was the first person to begin pushing into one of the rooms, and his would be the first bizarre sight of the night. Inside, the room was mostly dark except for whatever light he brought in and there was a man in the far corner of the room. He was faced away from the Imperial, wearing nothing but a pair of tattered pants. If a light was shined on him, Lorcan would be able to see that every inch of his exposed body from his neck down was covered in tiny lacerations. Row upon organized row in varying states of healing. Most were scarred over, but a few still oozed with fresh blood. He was crouched and facing toward the corner, seemingly toying with something and muttering, though both what he was playing with and what he was saying were all but impossible to hear. He seemed completely oblivious to the appearance of the Lieutenant.

As the rest picked their hallway, they would find their progress through the building unimpeded. Another switch was on the wall as they entered the hall and the smell of the air was a combination of copper and must. Not the most pleasant sensation that one could experience. Rooms lined these halls as well with several even having partially cracked doors on either side. As they reached a T-split in the hall, they came to signs that indicated "infirmary" and "chapel" in opposite directions from one another.

@Darius Belari would be faced with a decision for as soon as he tried the lock to the door, he would feel a chill sneak over his back and the door immediately creaked and clanged slightly as the lock failed and the door to the stairs opened slightly.

Without warning and before anyone had strayed far from the entryway, the doors to the building swung closed with a loud slam. To those who looked back, they would not see anyone there or any mechanical devices that empowered it. No explanation for the sudden closure, but an eerie feeling that there was no longer any way to go back.

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

 

[Crix Aran]

Humble Town​

She looked so small.

How could he keep focusing on his own problems when there was someone so small, so vulnerable, who needed his help? He didn't even know what he could do to help but, damn it, he would do everything he could for her. How could he do otherwise and consider himself a good man, let alone a good Jedi? Her hand was so cold in his own but that was alright - he would make sure that she got chance to warm up. She must have been out for a long time considering the air around them wasn't too bad.

Poor circulation maybe?

He turned to the woman with the large ears and made a mental note of the young girl's name before waving slightly to Trini.

"Crix Aran - Jedi."

Brief and to the point but without a breath wasted - and it was a good thing too. A scream tore through his mind and it was everything he could do to keep himself from squeezing his eyes shut and trying to block out the rest of the world. It was only because he hadn't closed his eyes that he was able to see the hulking figure as it appeared.

Paralyzed by the pain and unable to stop the blade as it cleaved through the little girl.

How could he consider himself a good man if he didn't help this little girl in need?

"NO!"

His lightsaber igniting, he swung for the figure as soon as he was able to force himself to move, ignoring the splattering of child all over his front in that instant. When his blade cut through nothing but retreating fog he stood there, hyperventilating.

The lightsaber winked off.

Her name was Allery and she was all over him.

Crix stared down at the bisected body of the child he had failed to save mere seconds after resolving to help her and he felt physically sick. The gore was bad but it wasn't the reason he felt so sick, so nauseated to such an incredible degree. Bile thick in his throat, Crix staggered away from the corpse of the child.

Fear.

Revulsion.

Anger.

It all swirled in his chest, burning like a furnace, and it hurt to keep it there but he refused, point blank refused, to let it out. To let it pollute him even as he aggressively tried to wipe some of the blood and brains from his face.

Wipe some of Allery off of him.

"I wanna kill it..." he whispered despite himself as he started to trudge up to the manner house, "There is emotion yet peace... emotion yet peace... peace yet... I will KILL it..."

@Logan @AutoFox

 

[Lorcan]

Abandoned Building​

Lorcan caught the comlink thrown his way by the ISC Ranger without verbal comment - if he had it probably would have been to bitch about being called an officer like he was some namby-ass REMF - though he did give her a nod and the bird. If he was Captain Birdshit then it was part of his gimmick and that was his excuse. Rigging the comlink so that it was attached to his left wrist so he wouldn't lose it or confuse it for his own.

She raised a good point which was amazing considering the rest of what passed for company in the bloody house. Ignoring the gaggle of Jedi was the order of the day as far as Lorcan was concerned so he didn't actually acknowledge the alien Jedi's indignation. He just didn't care enough to figure out which part, specifically, the kid took umbrage to.

The door was more interesting and... yeah interesting was a word to use.

Staring into the room, Lorcan stared at the figure in the corner, mostly in the dark. It was toying with something to it's front, crouched in the corner while half-dressed. Lorcan just stared for a second or two before sighing ever so slightly.

"Nope."

With his pistol raised, Lorcan fired a shot at the head of the figure. He did, however, fire with the stun setting on. As much as he didn't want to act the part of the Ranger, he needed more intel and even he wasn't good enough to get answers from a headless corpse. He brought his free hand up closer to his mouth to speak into the comlink.

"Found a local playing with himself in an empty room Ranger Bad Touch - fucking flashers, I swear to god..."

He didn't move from the doorway and he didn't lower his pistol - instead his thumb flicked it to lethal rounds instead. Playing Ranger was all well and good but if the creep didn't lay down and play dead he would make sure he did his best to make sure the wall behind him ended up with a splash of claret.

Really brighten up the room.

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Erialex]

HUMBLE TOWN
​

Eri had barely begun to reorient herself from her near mental crisis when the screeching began. She honestly didn't care, covering her ears in annoyance and wincing at the strength of the sound. It still wasn't near as bad as what might happen if she never regained control over her own mind. Her eyes were on the ground, avoiding contact with the young woman weeping on the floor. Then she sensed motion.

Her head jerked up and she took a step back as a massive blade swung in her general direction. It only took a second to realize the attack was not projected towards her...but she still suffered a consequence. Blood, brains, and gore spattered all over Eri's white skin, contrasting sharply. She inhaled the scent, in complete shock. Oh hell no. Get me the fuck out of here.

That we can agree on. Her hands were not the only thing trembling anymore; her whole body was shaking violently. The sudden distance from the force, the voice in her head, the death of the woman right in front of her...

Eri had killed plenty of people in much more violent ways, but this was something different. She couldn't explain it; it was too much. She glared at @Cinere Autem and hissed, "You're wrong. That...thing didn't come from the direction I think my ship is...so there's backwards as well." At that moment, Eri realized she had no sense of direction; the fog had receded, but she didn't know how many times she had changed directions in a near drunken stupor.

No matter. She wasn't going where this damned thing wanted them to go; she wasn't going to listen to the word of someone who now lay on the ground in two pieces. Without saying anything else, she turned around 180 degrees and began walking towards the thick fog again, hoping she wouldn't smack into some hidden building or invisible demon.

She slipped on her mask and grabbed both lightsabers, holding them out in front of her, still shut off to avoid attention; she wouldn't die weeping on the floor.

Her eyes glinted red as she let go, strutting alone into the abyss.

@Logan

 

[Darius Belari]

Abandoned Building​

Darius had already begun to turn and walk away. A part of him was relieved that the door turned out to be locked after all, even if the thought of finding a generator was promising. Why? Because splitting up was an objectively terrible idea and the Lokkian had no desire of poking around, alone, in some spooky-ass basement, that's why.

He only made it a few steps away from the door before he stopped dead in his tracks, a chill running up his spine as the door began to creak open. As if in slow motion, the Lokkian twisted his head around and looked back at the partially open door, blinking at the sight. Darius took a few very slow steps backwards, turning towards the mysteriously opened stairwell. He didn’t actually touch the door with his hands, but instead nudged it open the rest of the way with the tip of his boot, in order to get a better look.

Instead of stepping down the hallway, Darius merely peeked his head around the frame, squinting into the darkness. It was difficult to see much of anything with no lights, though the Lokkian could see that the stairs seemed to spiral downward.

He stared for a solid thirty seconds.

“I think the fuck not.” He finally declared, grimacing at the door.

With that, Darius turned on a heel and started hauling ass away from that mess and towards the hallways. Screw the generator, that door and whatever was down there. Locked doors didn’t just open on their own. That whole stairwell just screamed bad vibes and every instinct in the Lokkian’s body told him to book it in the opposite direction.

As if the downstairs hallway wasn’t creppy enough, Darius only made it half-way through the lobby when the doors to the outside of the building suddenly swung closed, slamming loudly. Blue eyes suddenly went wide and the all color seemed to drain from the Lokkian’s face. If the man had even a single doubt that maybe, just maybe, the previous door just opening wasn’t sinister, they were summarily dashed in that moment.

“Nooooopppee.” He said flatly.

Darius markedly picked up the pace after that, practically breaking into a full-fledged sprint as if he was being chased, making his way to rejoin the group. His boots skid across the ground as he suddenly brought himself to a halt, narrowly weaving around the crowd of Padawans until he stood at the front of the group. It was a testament to his feline reflexes that the man avoided bulldozing through poor Clove like she was a bowling pin.

With that, Darius tugged the hem of his jacket to straighten it, ran a hand through his auburn hair, and started to walk down the hall at a perfectly normal pace. As if nothing had happened.

He continued with the group until they came upon T-shaped split in the hall, his hand still hovering above his blaster pistol. He squinted at the signs, blue eyes flicking back and forth. While neither the infirmary nor the chapel sounded like particularly appealing options, Darius hadn’t gone to church a day in his life and he sure-as-hell wasn’t about to start today. He looked back to the group, jutted his chin towards the infirmary, and started to go in that direction.

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

 

[The Gatekeeper]

There was yet more screaming but this time the old woman didn't seem to see fit to comment on it. Laenas' loud rant was meet by a silence in the forest, a cease to the howls and calls of wild birds. Now the only sound were created by those in the clearing, feet on wet ground and moss-ridden stairs. Regardless of everyone's mixed conversations they all ended up moving up and toward the dark doorway deeper into the crumbling ruins.

"Oh... No, no, that's not necesarry," the old woman told Sah'ra breezily, vaguely waving a hand shakily through the air. The Sith's hand was slapped away from her bag and the elder instead took her arm to help her up the stairs. She wasn't allowing anyone to take her bags. "Tongues are wagging, not cutting. Or yelling," she added to the young man who, despite her warning, had decided to yell long and louder than before.

Gray fog followed slowly in behind them all. It moved like almost as a living thing, blanketing the clearing in their absence as the gathered folks found their way into the ruins. Slowly the old woman walked down the entrance hallway, releasing Sah'ra's arm and moving under her own power toward the light around the corner's edge. Symbols here were less common but more visible, fragments of ancient sigils none of them had ever encountered.

As they approached the light Ripley asked her question of the old woman, her bright green eyes turning to look toward the curious historian, worn walking stick clacking across the stone floor. "A fish? Ohoho," she chuckled, coughing slightly near the end. "That's the mark of the people who built this place." Her progress down the hall was slow given her advanced age although she seemed well determined not to need help on her way through.

Finally, at the end of the hall, the yellow-lit corner was turned around to reveal- an ordinary looking campsite. A model of electric lantern at least several centuries old flickered in the center, bags and boxes of supplies scattered around the edges of the room. Drying herbs hung from the ceiling on strings, scenting the chamber in earthy tones. In a far corner of the room there was a pit of soil where stone would normally be, a single unusual flower growing upward. Mauve and white, with up-curling petals around on the sides. Curling silver shapes formed upward from inside the petals, almost as if protective of a single golden pearl at the very center.

It cast an odd shadow on the wall behind it originating from the lantern. "Be a dear. Would you mind watering my poor flower? Old bones, old bones..." she asked of Ripley, indicating a rusted watering can sitting atop a box. She turned to the others. "Make yourselves at home, strange folks. You'll be here a while." Outside the sound of pouring rain echoed down the hallway, thunder cracking from grey skies above along with a single, muffled thump.

At the far end of the room was another doorway, this one half-shut with a stone slab. Getting through it, should one be curious, would take crouching down or wedging it open somehow.

@Versok @llamallove @LouJoVi @Tulos @Tom

 

[Ripley Virago]

Crumbling Ruin
~~~​

The corners of Ripley's lips twitched upward into an almost sadistic smile at the newcomer's suggestion. She glanced over at the raven haired man, as if seriously considering the woman's proposal. "Maybe," she replied under her breath, her tone light and playful. She had no intention of picking a fight with a man almost twice her size. At least, not a physical fight. "If he doesn't learn to mind his manners."

The group of stranded wanderers followed the elderly woman through the entrance, plunging into the darkness with only the light at the end of the hallway to guide them. These five strangers, Ripley included, were wholly at the mercy of this mysterious woman for the time being. Thankfully, she appeared to be in a hospitable mood and had offered to bring them in out of the rain and the fog.

Although Ripley would wager that the Mandalorian could easily hold his own, no one wanted to spend the night in the woods and be left to whatever natural predators lived and thrived on this planet. If that roar was any indication, there were some pretty big animals around here. On that, at least, they were all in agreement.

"Exactly who built this place? How long has it been here?" Ripley asked as soon as her first question had been answered, unable to resist the curiosity that this bizarre situation and place elicited. She wanted to probe further and ask, "How long have you been here?" but she refrained, not wanting to overwhelm the old girl with too many questions.

Rounding the corner, Ripley's white eyes scanned the room. It was a humble setup, but the smell of herbs and the glow of the electric lantern oddly enough made it feel more comfortable and... homey even. It did beg the question though—how had this woman managed to survive out here all alone for all these years?

"Of course," Ripley replied, offering their hostess an understanding smile and crossing the room to retrieve the rusted watering can. The Arkanian knelt down beside the single flower, watering the soil around its base. Horticulture had never been an interest of Ripley's, so it did not surprise her that she did not recognize the plant.

"What sort of flower is it?" she asked, reaching out to gently stroke one of its mauve and white petals. Realizing she might have been asking too many questions, she added as an afterthought, "If you don't mind my asking."

@Mr. Teatime @Versok @LouJoVi @Tom @Tulos

 

[Ashla Ti]

HUMBLE TOWN

Watching the young woman speaking with the Zabrak who had approached her, Ashla's brows furrowed in a frown as she noticed the woman wince as she began speaking. That was when a whole lot of things happened all at once. The woman fell to her knees, arms covering her ears. Ashla half expected her to start screaming, but instead what she heard was something else altogether.

She couldn't make out what was said, she couldn't make out how many voices said it, and as they rose in volume all she could do was assume that this was what had brought the woman to her knees, what she was trying to shut out. And then it was gone, almost as suddenly as it has started, replaced by silence. And in that silence was the figure, who seemed to be there yet not there. As it reached out an hand to her, the young Togruta finally ripped her eyes away from the figure to glance at those around her, to get some sort of reaction. But their eyes seemed to be no the woman, which only made this situation all the more curious.

She started reaching out, a little hesitantly, till the scream made her pause. She watched in horror as the young woman was bisected by a figure that emerged from the fog, and slipped back just as quickly as it had appeared. Her eyes darting from the remains of the woman to the manor that was now visible through the fog, her mind was racing. There were answers at the manor, there might be safety back the way she had come, and then there was the figure in front of her. She could possibly turn back, steal one of the ships the others arrived on, and get off the planet. But there was something holding her back, something that had a grip on her. Something...redemption.

"Oh bugger it all."

With a determined step she reached forward and grabbed the offered hand, ready to see how deep this rabbit hole went.

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

 

[Livi Cross]

Abandoned Building ​

Livi was not at all thrilled to have somehow inherited the group of children. She blinked at the declaration of ‘all four of us’, followed by the oldest among them getting them into line as if they were on a school field trip. She said nothing on the topic, turning around and walking forth down the hallway. If they became a liability, she would drop them faster than Ordalos dropped credits on shoes.

She noticed the switch on the wall and tried it to see if anything happened. Livi kept walking, smelling the copper and must. That gave her a slight pause, “It smells like blood,” She announced grimly, “See if that copper smell gets stronger,” She was all too familiar with the smell. It usually came from bodies left half devoured by AMS infected. A lot of times it accompanied screaming victims that were still alive. She was no stranger to the sights, and she had largely become desensitized to things like that.

The doors slammed behind them and Livi jumped slightly. She wasn’t afraid to display that even she felt fear, her eyes wide at the sight. She was suddenly far more on edge, a sick feeling settling in at the pit of her stomach. However, she knew they couldn’t linger around.

Livi looked back at the group, "Try some of the doors but very carefully. Don't stick your entire fucking head in to look. Shine in some light first and keep your distance."

As Birdshit’s voice buzzed into the comlink, she drew it up to speak on her end, “I hope you didn’t kill him,” She commed back, “Our main exit point is blocked. Can you get the fucker to talk? From the signs we’re seeing, this might be some sort of hospital. See if you find more clues,” She glanced behind her and spoke in a quieter hiss when she was sure she wouldn’t be overheard, “And how the fuck did I get stuck with the daycare?”

Livi was staring at the infirmary sign when she heard a noise behind them. It sounded like someone running and thundering towards them. Without thinking twice, she whipped around and had her blaster drawn.

“Get down!” She shouted to the entire group of people standing in line behind her. If they did as commanded, she would fire the blaster directly at the figure barreling towards them. But let's be real, she'd fire even if someone didn't duck in time.

If the bolt found its mark, it would be aimed for Darius, slamming him with a stun. Livi lowered her weapon after a moment, grimacing down at it, “Stun only? For fuck’s sake, ISC…” She grumbled as she looked up. As she moved towards inspecting who she downed, her eyes went wide, “Oh...oops..” What the hell did he expect for running at them like a maniac when they were already freaked out?! "Damn it, now I'll never get out of doing community service.."

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

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Abandoned Building
​

Clove was quickly lined up, with Ruz in front of her and Felix behind her. It was absurd; she felt like a child who couldn't cross the street on her own. However, she has been behaving as a proper child, so perhaps it was justified.

Felix was kind enough to take her hand and show how scared he was, which calmed her down a little. Yes, she was acting like a child, but at least she wasn't the only one who was scared. "Thank you very much, Felix. That's very kind of you. I'll try to act more like a Jedi." She lowered her voice at the word 'Jedi,' considering their company, and smiled at him briefly but warmly. After her attention was drawn back to the group as they moved down the hallway.

The familiar scent of copper hit her. There was almost no doubt about it; blood. She'd smelled something similar in her father's clinic before, but never this... rancid. The girl leading the way through the corridor confirmed what she was thinking, including her concern that the scent had to come from somewhere. Clove wanted to speak up and agree, but the girl was already irritated, and she didn't want to aggravate her. So she remained silent in line, doing her best to remain calm and avoid being a burden.

Then, after a loud bang, she was launched into the air, and her heart skipped another beat. The door had closed on its own. Nothing terrifying about that, at all. Despite her desire to run again, she clenched her fist so tightly that her knuckles turned white in an attempt to concentrate and told herself to breathe.

A pair of frantic feet dashed straight towards her just as her breath began to slow. Everyone was ordered to duck by the ISC, which Clove instantly followed as she tossed her body to the ground. Then another loud bang rang out, and she realized why they had to duck.

She had just enough time to look back and see the man from earlier fall to the ground with an audible dut. The ISC ranger muttered something about the gun being on stun mode, which was relieving because it meant that the man wasn't dead. But why in the name of the Force was he running towards her like that?! That could have gone horribly wrong if it hadn't been for Livi. And now there was a new issue: a stunned ally. Really, it was the absolute last thing they needed.

"... Erhm. We can't leave him behind... Do you know how strong the stun on your gun is?" She asked Livi, her voice dripping with shyness. Please don't be grumpy, please don't be grumpy. "Worst case he might be out cold for a few minutes at least. Maybe we should find a bed or bench to lay him on?"

She was going to be grumpy for sure.

---

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

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Crumbling Ruin


It was seconds after he'd finished speaking that the woman bit back at his words. He genuinely couldn't tell where this hostility was coming from. Bigotry was a possibility, though those who held contempt for his obvious socioeconomic origins usually just dismissed him or insulted him for being "unwashed." Perhaps she was just high strung, and from there it was possible to empathize. She'd probably gone through hell in the past few hours after winding up on this planet; maybe in any other situation, she'd be calm, or she'd at least have the decency to keep her comments to herself.

Maybe she wouldn't be terrible to deal with. Unless she was an absolute knob, there wouldn't be any reason to keep on hating him, surely. He could calm down, move past this. He hadn't been lying when he'd told her that their situation was bad. Surely, getting caught up in such a petty squabble would be pointl-

"And just what did you intend to do with that?"

Her whispering cut off his train of thought, as they moved through the hallway of the entrance.

"Hack an old lady to death?"

The man in black would suddenly come to a stop. Turning around, the analytical recesses of his mind disregarded the strange way the fog rolled in. It disregarded how absolutely quiet it had become in such a short period of time. All of these details he might have otherwise picked up on were put aside, as his gaze squared in on the white haired witch.

The look his aquamarines gave her was one of barely contained malice. He didn't take any steps forward, but he'd lean. His face, angular and pointed, would remain blackened by the dark, only the lines of his cheekbones, jawline, nose and brow really getting a hint of light. Those eyes of his were practically bulging out of their sockets. He was taller than her-- not by a small margin, but he wasn't bulky either. Yet the waves of anger that radiated off of him, and the way he bore down on her, had to inspire a hint of intimidation.

There were other, simpler ways he could've achieved these ends. Physical intimidation like seizing her by the collar always had a tendency to work. He could pull out a page from the old gangster playbook and snap one of her thumbs. Or, he could employ the force. Lifting her off her feet and strangling her with his mind would probably keep the biting comments to herself.

Yet the chime of the masked man's compliment suddenly broke his train of thought. Pulling back, he'd turn around, blinking in surprise. He said nothing, suddenly remembering that he had more important things to do. It took a bit longer for him to realize that he'd seriously considered assaulting a woman just for insulting him. Even if she was a miserable sentient, it would've still been uncalled for.

That didn't mean he'd listen to her, ofcourse.

No, she'd wanted him to stop speaking-- to shut his yap. She'd brought up something about the symbols outside, like they were in any way relevant to the situation. No, she was clearly a civilian-- an ungrateful, inexperienced fool in over her head. She had no right to antagonize him for the simple act of speaking. He would do as he pleased-- and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

So, when the other woman leaned in and whispered something in the albino's ear, he'd ignore it. When something of substance was brought up, he'd open his mouth.

As it turned out, it did. The albino seemed to be especially curious on the builders-- something Laeonas couldn't help but chime in on. "Galaxy's a big place, and this world look's laike it's deserted, save fer us unlucky sods." He'd chime, sitting down near the oddly old looking lamp. "Unless one of ya's learned enough ta recognize anythin' a'bout this place, whoever built it doesn't matter-- this was their only world. There's probably a thousand world's out there like this one; 'ad people on it a long taime ago, they died, and now all th'at's left is their bones, their buildin's... and tha rats." He said, smirking at the last line.

He'd turn his attention to the various crates of supplies, ripped open and worn after assumedly decades. Than, he'd turn his attention to the lamp. He'd sit there for a few seconds, looking at it, before a thought crossed his mind.

"'Ow's this lit?"

When he'd crashed on dantooine, the emergency lantern he'd had had lasted a year before it had gone out. The old ones tended to be more reliable, and this one was certainly reliable-- but how much better could it be? She had to have something to recharge it, or additional fuel, or power cells.

This woman had to have quite a lot of supplies. Supplies that she might not share... or that he might need to take.

He'd spot the doorway on the other side of the room. Glancing over at the older woman again, he'd wear a frown on his face. "So, 'ow'v ya stayed fed after all these years?" He questioned, crossing his arms and cocking his head to one side. "Must be 'ard, rummagin' around these forests fer edible plants. Ai mean, 'ow d'ya know if somethin's poisonous or not? Trial and error?" He said, adding a bit of dry humor towards the end.

​

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