Ask Under the Radar [Bogano]

Faen Akatosh

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A Star Wars Story




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Bogano.

This was one of the very planets Faen Akatosh had traveled to on his temporary leave from the Order. It felt good to be back here- especially with Boy, who seemed just as glad to smell and see all the familiar smells and sights. After exiting the Number II, Faen took a deep breath and sighed happily. Two other members of the Jedi would be accompanying him today, and luckily for them, he was the perfect tour guide. Sadly, Faen wasn't here to simply delve into the planet's rich Zeffo archeology, but to eliminate a Killik threat that had been quiet enough to almost go unnoticed.


Almost...

Today, Faen would be on Bogano to protect said Zeffo Archeology as well as another Jedi Temple they were infesting. On a separate note, the Half-Annfyn had a pretty strong feeling that the Zeffo were all but extinct, living and thriving in peace somewhere in the Unknown Regions. If time warranted for more exploration from the Jedi, Faen wouldn't hesitate to find the last of the Zeffo people. But with all of these mind controlling bugs everywhere, it was hard to find that time.

"The scout gave me the location of the Jedi temple. I'm assuming you all prepared yourself for this planet's natives, so let's get going." A Tiefling-Annfyn Padawan and a Serrenian Knight would be Faen and Boy's company. Luckily, Boy had previously been to the planet, so the Massiff would be fully aware of the threats that lurked ahead. So, with the canine up ahead, sniffing and staying alert, the trio would hopefully be able to take their time to get to their destination. "The Zeffo love their puzzles and traps, so be alert. The oggdos will be the least of our problems."




@Scoobert @HoneyMagpie @AdventCore
 
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Sybella Demici

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Ready as ever, Sybella disembarked alongside her Jedi companions. Though she herself had never ventured as far afield as Bogano, Knight Akatosh certainly seemed the more familiar with it. An advantage, most assuredly. Hoping to broaden the scope of her knowledge, Sybella took it upon herself to conduct some research of her own, some 'light reading' if you will during the long journey.

Garnering what data she could, the Serennian knight chose to focus her studies on the Zeffo themselves. Admittedly, sources were scarce with most denoting the same, similar statements. 'The Zeffo, also known as the Zeffonians, were an ancient sentient species native to the planet Zeffo; originating as a peaceful civilization, over time they supposedly became more and more corrupt, eventually falling into ruin. Facing extinction, the remnants of the Zeffo fled into the great unknown, hoping to finally find peace'. Sybella wondered if they had been successful in the search. @Faen Akatosh seemed hopeful if not optimistic.

Upon scanning the horizon, it was clear there was (at first) little in the way of structures; the surface of the planet appeared widely untouched, with its expansive grasslands and lush plains left to flourish without a taint. Sybella couldn't help but be reminded of her own homeworld, minus the odd sinkhole or two.

Still, the knight knew better than to become complacent. Attentive as Boy was, she herself would do well to stay vigilant. "Exactly how far will we be travelling?"

Her nose then wrinkled somewhat at the mention of oggdos. Such terrible beasts; supposedly, even their hides were resistant to the strike of lightsabers. Sybella hoped they wouldn't need to find out firsthand. "Least of our problems? How comforting."



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Lucifrey Sol

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It hadn't been too long ago that Lucifrey was training in advanced skills with both Knights she walked behind now. Her body and mind had both grown and matured quickly since the Kilik war had begun. She'd hoped to be a Knight herself by now, but had a deep sinking guilt that her outburst at the Jedi gathering on Yavin IV had held her back.

Luci was determined to make up for it. She was equipped with a loadout that fit about as much to her lithe frame as possible without sacrificing too much of her natural dexterity. At the back of a small magnetic pad on the back of her dry suit was her custom Freyray blaster carbine. At the right of her hips, her Neowing pistol secured in its holster. Both of which she'd made with the help and guidance of Knight Akatosh.

Clipped to the back of her hips, a small grapple gun she'd brought with her, since Lady Demici had helped her find information on the planet's environment together in the archives, and it seemed like it could come in handy for this dangerous mission. A small black pack hung tight to the left side of her hips and thigh, filled mostly with a few extra power packs for her firearms, a med-stim, and a couple other miscellaneous items. Her lightsaber remained concealed at a hip compartment in her suit just above and next to that.

"I can't believe this temple is infested..." Lucifrey took a couple steps forward and paused. Her azure gaze traveling up the height of the tall temple not too far away. Her hands were out in front of her, holding her personal rebreather mask. She lifted it to her face, covering the bottom half of it and connecting it at the back. It protected her nose, mouth, and ears from that Kilik juice that controlled minds.

"You both have something to keep that Kilik stuff out of you, yeah?" She spoke over the integrated comms in her mask. Then she reached up just below her shiny blue horns, and pulled her goggles down over her eyes. Her tail twitched from under her suit where it was wrapped around her hips. "Will Boy be okay?"

@Charles @HoneyMagpie
 

Faen Akatosh

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"It's not too far away." Faen was able to point out the temple jutting out of the ground in the distance. "If you're that concerned about the fauna, go for the eyes." Faen smiled at Sybella before making his way across the strange terrain with Boy. Luci was already on top of it with her gas mask, but with Areokinesi, the Seer would be able to create an air bubble that would protect himself and those close by from the Killik pheromones. "Boy will be our guide to the temple. Not through it, sadly." And it was probably better this way as well. The Massiff, though fairly competent, was not Force sensitive and still an animal. He couldn't risk losing track of him in a Killik nest.

"If the Killiks have burrowed inside the temple, they must have been able to get past the traps." Or they found them all through a gruesome cause and effect game. Either way, the traps would hopefully be disabled. "But, I doubt the Killiks have made it to the heart of the temple. They'll be closer to the surface. The Zeffo are clever, and they wouldn't let such a place become overrun." Boy stopped abruptly with one paw up. Faen stopped just as quickly and gestured for the others to do the same. Stay quiet and calm. Boy knows what he's doing...

"Sick'em!" Faen ordered in a hoarse whisper and the Massiff dashed off into a thicket. Whatever was happening, Boy was winning because the shrill cries coming from what sounded like a Bog Rat were cut off mid scream. Then, the Massiff padded out of the thicket with a dead Bog Rat in his jaws. He happily padded over to Faen and dropped the creature at his feet awaiting his appraisal. "Good, Boy! Very good... Now, get-a-bird!" Then, Boy went back to his fast paced sniffing and trotting. So far so good...


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Sybella Demici

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Though somewhat daunting, @Faen Akatosh's words were reassuring enough; they settled most of Sybella's reservations, allowing her instead to focus on the task at hand. The padawan @Lucifrey Sol, in contrast, seemed as ready as ever, fitting her mask and goggles as soon as the temple came into view; such practicality would not go unnoticed. Whilst their main objective focused on dealing with the Killik, the Serennian knight would be more than happy to put in a good word to the Jedi council, should the aspiring hybrid prove herself competent in the midst of chaos. Given the nature of their mission, it might as well be considered as good as any trial.

Donning a respirator of her own, Sybella added the extra precaution of veiling the lower portion of her face; in addition to this, the knight would also apply a protective visor, knowing it was better to be safe rather than sorry. Ensuring everything was tightly in place, she would listen as her fellow knight spoke. He seemed optimistic and that in itself was promising.

"Thank the Force..." Diving deep into a nest of Killiks wasn't the most pleasant of options. If indeed hindered by the Zeffo's puzzles, insectoids would be easier to confront. It was better to have them localised, rather than running rampant amongst the temple and its depths; the last thing they wanted was to be overwhelmed on all sides.

Boy's alert gave pause and it was then Sybella fell all but silent, her thoughts halted all at once. Boy had spotted something and Faen's gesture would confirm as much. Instinctively reaching for saber, the kohl-eyed knight watched as, in a flash, the Massif took off running; without fear, he dived straight into the brush and began to scuffle with some unknown creature. Whatever it was, it made some rather horrific noise - hopefully not loud enough to alert any Killik's scouts.

When Boy reappeared and was seemingly victorious. Chuckling slightly under the cover of her veil, Sybella couldn't help by admired the mission's first 'trophy'. "Behold ye mighty hunter..."

@Charles
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Lucifrey Sol

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Luci closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, then tapped into the vibe of the Living Force so she could reach out to Sense any other life forms that might be lurking around. She spent only a few moments doing so until she felt confident enough that the landing site was likely clear of burrowed Kiliks.

Satisfied enough that at least their ship was seemingly secure, Luci then tapped the small compartment at her thin hips and pulled up her smartpad dataphone. A couple thumb swipes and taps later, and a decently sized holomap of the area between them and the Bogano temple would project up from her device and hover in front of Luci's face, casting its gentle blue glow on the party.

"Yeah.. Having Boy stay with the ship once we get closer seems like a good idea. I'd hate to see something happen to him." She gradually moved her thumb's tip around the screen to pan and scroll the map around in a smooth motion, doing her best to memorize the strange terrain ahead of them.

Then she paused, and glanced at Knight Akatosh from the corner of her goggles, worried that the Seer's understandable attachment to the Mastiff could have quite the fallout if he were to lose Boy. She then glanced up at Lady Demici, wondering if her visions would be triggered in this ancient temple. "Or either of you.."

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Faen Akatosh

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Lucifrey's concern was well placed, and Faen had already thought about his canine companion. With Resistance backup, the Seer was sure that the trio would be fine without Boy. So, with a quick whistle and simple command, Boy happily padded his way back to Faen's U-wing. I do not plan on losing you anytime soon, my friend. The thought of losing Boy came across his mind every now and then, and at first it scared the See half to death. But, after long contemplation, he realized that Boy would never truly leave him if he was apart of the Force. They had made many good memories together and they wouldn't be so easily forgotten.

"Welcome to the temple..." Faen stopped right in front of the entrance to Zeffo structure so he could face the crew he was working with. A squad of ten Resistance troops outfitted with basic DH-17s and average armor would be joining them. "Before we go in, we need to understand how these Zeffo temples work. They are an incredibly people so do not expect pathways that don't require the Force to unlock to be safe. My fellow Jedi and I will lead the way and find the right path, but we'll need your help taking care of Killik ambushes nonetheless. I know what has been asked of you, and I am extremely grateful for all of your courage." And with that, the Half-Annfyn unsheathed his greatsword and placed his own full face mask over his head.

"Slow and steady, everyone. We have no deadline to meet but our own." Leading the group into the dark temple gave Faen a bit of an anxious feeling in his gut, knowing that it would be on him if anyone was hurt. I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me...I am one with the Force...and the Force is with me... It was an old motto that his master had taught him to use when he needed to focus. And soon enough, he felt the living Force pull him down the dark corridor deeper into the temple. If any others were paying attention to Faen, they would notice that his eyes were close- But I do not need them to see the Path for the Force is my Guide...


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Sybella Demici

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Watching Boy's departure, Sybella couldn't help but recollect the Jedi's ancestral dogma on attachments; once upon a time, such bonds were discouraged, being viewed as nothing more than a potential weakness. Though initially formed out of great care and love, they also invited passion and ardour. Even something as simple as a pet could sometimes create irrational emotions. The Serennian knight knew all too well where such a path could lead.

Still, Boy was a beloved companion, that much was clear, and Knight @Faen Akatosh seemed like the sensible sort. Level-headed, even as they entered the Zeffo temple. It reminded Sybella that this was not the age of old. Times had changed, and with it, so too had the Jedi.

Smiling at that, ever so subtly under her covers of cloth, the Jedi heiress decided to offer her friend a reassuring pat, "The Force is with us." With a squeeze on the shoulder, she then looked to @Lucifrey Sol as well, nodding as if to affirm, "All of us."

With that, it was time to make the advance. Whilst most of their party kept their eyes ahead of them, Sybella opted to scan the temple's interior ceiling. Killiks were insectoids, after all. It was not unheard of for them to drop upon their victims. A rather nightmarish thought, but having endured terrors of her own, Sybella was not longer easily frightened. Holding her saber at the ready, she instead focused her efforts on searching the darkness and its depths. Though limited with the light, her digital vizor was more than capable of remedying the problem, given how it was outfitted for such conditions. The device granted Sybella something akin to night vision, its monitoring system more than capable of tracking even the slightest of movement.

Still, the Jedi Knight knew better than to trust mere technology. First and foremost, she lay her faith within the Force. Much like @Faen Akatosh, she allowed herself to be guided by it and its unseen energy.


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Lucifrey Sol

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"Nn!" Luci nodded to the others' words. After deactivating the holomap and tucking away her smartpad dataphone, Luci reached back, pulled forth her Freyray blaster carbine, and activated it. The custom blaster let out a low volume hum as it powered up. A soft magenta glow lit up the tip of its sleek barrel, while a bit of blue barely flared out from near the fire selector and showed a full power pack's worth of ammo remained.

The blue-horned Padawan moved up between the two older Jedi and the Resistance troops, putting her at the core of the group. She kept her blaster's barrel down for now, with the handle near her sternum and her elbow by her side. She'd then tap a button on the top of the goggles she requisitioned for the mission, activating their thermal vision before entering the extremely tall temple with the others.

As they entered the temple she'd sweep her blaster around while searching for threats, making sure not to bring her aim in line with anyone. She'd then vigilantly move with the Resistance troops, readying herself to fire at any Kiliks in sight, or anything else that aimed to harm the group.

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Faen Akatosh

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It did not take Faen long to notice the Force tensing itself around the floor a few feet in front of him where the traces of past lives had been claimed. He stopped abruptly and signaled for everyone to do the same. This puzzle, though not Killik, was one that required everyone to focus with or without the Force. The tiles before the group all had strange engraved images that Faen remembered from his journey to Zeffo. There were twenty-six of these symbols- all of witch pertained to the Zeffo language.

"We need to look for...The Path Before You Is Always Beyond and not Behind. It's an old Zeffo parable...Is that a T or an X?..." Faen took a step on what he thought was the right letter, but was obviously mistaken. As soon as his foot pressed against the tile, the sound of gears moving followed by holes in the ceiling that opened, spewing fire, had nearly singed Faen's head. "Alright... So now we know that's an X..." Faen scratched the back of his head apologetically and gave everyone his winning smile.


"We need to remember to be quick and quiet- I don't want those bugs knowing that we're coming."


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Sybella Demici

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Stopping as soon as @Faen Akatosh did, Sybella found herself equally intrigued. Was the puzzle truly intact? The ghastly remains strewn across the floor confirmed as much. Kneeling, with much caution, the Serennian decided then to survey the tiles herself; though the carvings alone meant little to her, they clearly held some importance. A language perhaps? Faen's mutterings confirmed as much. Admittedly, the pieces of the puzzle were finely carved and Sybella had to stop herself from tracing their fine, artistic lines. A trap was still a trap, no matter how enchanting. The sudden spitting of flames did well to remind them of that.

"Faen! Are you alright?" Concerned for her fellow knight, Sybella considered stepping closer. She didn't want to disturb the seer's work, but if he wasn't more careful, he'd face the same grim fate as the visitors that came before them.

...Mada ... Xok...

Dread. The feeling was unmistakable. Rather than question it, Sybella listened; slowly, ever so slowly, her kohl-eyed gaze moved upwards towards the ceiling and its vast expanse. There, watching from the darkness, was a pack of glowing eyes.

What was Faen just saying? Don't alert the bugs? "My friend, I fear it's already too late."

Scaling the ceiling, and its adjacent walls, were five (moderately sized) killiks, tittering and chirping amongst themselves. Communicating? No. That wasn't right. They were...strategising. As if asking each other who would attack and who would call for reinforcements.

Sybella didn't give them another previous moment. She struck first, unsheathing one saber whilst using her other hand to pull one of the insects in. The creature seemed stunned; one minute it was traversing the wall, the next it was sailing through the air, compelled by the unseen Force. The kill was clean. In one single stroke, Sybella had removed the killik's head. The body, collapsed and prone, now twitched and withered before finally falling still.

"Defensive position! Look out!" Two of the monstrous insects charged at once, whilst another made a dash at Faen. Cursing vehemently, Sybella rushed to intercept. Using the Force once more, she grasped at the trio of Killiks, holding them still long enough for her team to act.

Yet one remained free and already it was scurrying away. Thinking quick, Sybella looked to @Lucifrey Sol. "I missed one! Get it! Get it now!"


Dice:
Killik scouts: 5
Sybella's response time 16/20
 
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Lucifrey Sol

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With the barrel of her carbine sweeping across the room to secure it while the group entered, Luci was prepared to engage the first targets that appeared. Trained instincts kicked in with adrenaline. She took a deep breath, held it, then pulled the trigger to fire a pair of bright purple bolts at the first Kilik in her sight.

"Got it, m'lady!" Luci couldn't tell how much damage was done to it before it dropped to the ground, but at the least it looked like she might've hit and crippled one of its legs. Either way she didn't give it a chance to get very far before she centered her aim back on the bug, and fired twice more to send another pair of bolts right towards the thing's head, missing one and just barely hitting it with the other.

Four shots all on 1 target:
rolled 18, 17, 13, 3

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Faen Akatosh

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Without hesitating, Faen's lightsaber cast off it's purple glow in the dark corridors with a snap-hiss, illuminating a good portion of the hallway so he could better see his enemies. One of the bugs decided to pick on Faen head on, which was it's first mistake. By the way it was holding it's spear, Faen could tell that it relied on it's arms to heavily. Just because you have more limbs, doesn't mean you're better equipped for fighting. It means I have more targets of choice...

The Killik lunged forward at Faen, but he simply pivoted out of the way on his left foot and cut off the arms of the bug that it used to wield the weapon. When the Seer went to attack again, the Killik retailiated with a quick spurt of it's acidic spit that caught the Jedi off guard. It tore through Faen's robes and gasmask before it reached his skin, so he was able to quickly get rid of the destroyed gear, but now he was at risk of becoming Joined.

"Mask! I need a spare! Quick!" He yelled for the others while he kept his eyes trained on the injured Killik. It tried reaching for it's weapon again, but Faen was quicker and drove his purple blade up through the bug's chest and out it's head, splitting it's head in two. Then, he covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his shirt.


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Sybella Demici

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Though Sybella meant to hold the Killiks still, @Faen Akatosh's yelling drew her focus. Fearing the worse, she changed direction, pivoting on her feet to try and catch sight of her companion in his fight. This unfortunate lapse in concentration allowed the three remaining killiks to scuttle free of her grip; @Lucifrey Sol had done well to injure them, but now it time to end the squirmish once and for all.

Drawing on the Force once more, the Serennian drank greedily into its depths; with a clenching of her fist, she summoned a current of energy so strong, it swept the bugs up and away from the party. Whether injured, or dying, it mattered not. Sybella sought to remove them as a threat. With a piercing shriek, she flung her fist aside and thus channelled the Force to do the same with their insectoid attackers; they went flying through the air, and with a shattering impact, they slammed into the adjacent wall.

Yet the kohl eyed knight didn't stop. She continued to apply pressure on the Killiks, watching intently at the bugs squirmed and thrashed. It was as if they were being crushed, pushed tightly against the unyielding stone but an invisible strength. It didn't take long for their exoskeletons to falter; with each passing moments, the killiks' bodies began to buckle and break. The screeches that came were horric, their echoing cries verbrating out into the openness of the temple's bowels. Sybella flinched, yet she did not stop.

There was a series of sickening cracks. With that, the Killiks finally fell silent.

Refusing to give them even a second glance, the veiled knight instead chose to centre herself; exhaling deeply, she quickly reviewed the damage. Luckily, it seemed their party remained unharmed, no confirmed losses and no series casualties. Faen's protective gear had been compromised but that's why spares were always packed; one of their detachment offered one to the Morellian hybrid, and just in time, as yet more clicking could be heard.

More Killiks were coming,

"Any suggestions?" They could stand their ground and fight but if numbers turned against them, they could be overwhelmed. They either needed to scorched the nest entirely, or delve into the safety of the Zeffo temple.


Dice:
Force Push - 17/20
No. of new killiks approaching - 3
 

Lucifrey Sol

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After dropping her target, Luci took in a sharp breath and whipped her rifle towards the remaining trio held aloft by Lady Demici just as she began to crush them. Their screeches nearly caused her to wince in pain, had it not been for the earbuds in her mask. Sensing their life fade, Luci then dropped the barrel of her blaster. She felt like she wanted to say something about the way the Lady used the Force to kill them, but held that back for now and returned her focus to the question instead.

"We could use the Zeffo traps against the Kiliks." She let the grip on her blaster's handle rest against the center of her chest, while her left hand slipped her smartpad dataphone out once more.

"Here. Lady Demici and I downloaded this information while we were doing research on the Zefs." Her thumb expertly tapped and swiped across the screen until a translation of the Zeffo alphabet was projected just above the device. "Just so everyone has reference, not that there's much time to memorize it." Luci turned her head back to the incoming noise of more hostiles.

"Faen," She watched was one of the Resistance troopers went to hand the Seer a spare mask. "Do you think the puzzle wants us to press each of the symbols for these upper case letters?" She tapped the symbols on her screen, causing only the relevant ones to remain holographically hovering over the device. "If we can stand on certain parts of this without getting burned when the wrong ones are pressed, then we might be able to get far enough across to Push and Pull them into the traps, right?" Upon hearing a closer set of shrieks the blue-horned half-Annfyn tucked her small smartpad away again and looked to the first symbol.

"Otherwise, if it's just flames then us Jedi can dash across and Pull the troopers to us from the other side. If it's more than just flames then us other two will get ready to catch any blades or anything like that while the other runs through." Her left hand reached back up under her carbine's barrel, lifting it towards wherever the sound of the incoming bugs was coming from.

"It's probably not the best plan." She said somewhat nervously. "But they all know we're here now either way, so standing in the middle of this and other puzzles to use their traps like barriers and thin out some of the bugs before reaching their nest at the temple's core might help our mission in the end. Though it could backfire if they get too close and press the wrong one right next to one of us."

Her cheek went to the stock of her blaster. Her thermal gaze lined up through her scope, and then she took in a steady breath just before she pulled the trigger at the first Kilik that came into the chamber. Without hesitating she then swiftly pulled the trigger a second time, sending two quick bolts toward the chest and head of the first enemy to appear.

The first shot hit well enough, dropping the Kilik from the wall it had been skittering across. Unfortunately it had been crossing over a loose stone in the support pillar there. As Luci's bolt ripped through the chunk of stone it blasted apart just enough of the chunk to shift the pillar. Debris fell from the ceiling, pelting the advancing Kiliks, though it wasn't enough to stop them. Luci hesitated from firing, thankful it hadn't been enough damage to collapse the ceiling there. She then chimed in over the comms to the Resistance troops laying down suppressing fire at the incoming bugs. "Careful not to hit the temple structure! Not sure how much more of that it'll be able to take.."

Shots fired at first approaching kilik
Chest: 17/20 (drops target from wall)
Head: 1/20 (misses and hits temple support pillar)

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Faen Akatosh

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Luci's idea with using the Zeffo's traps against the Killiks startled the Seer. He was about to recommend just that! The Padawan was clever and quick- which was exactly what they needed right now. The ancient Force sensitive species was a pet project of the Faen's, and he devoted his spare time to learning all he could about the lost Zeffo. That included their alphabet. Though the Seer had triggered the trap on accident the first time, he was sure he knew what he would be doing on his second attempt.

"Luci is right," Faen said, wasting no time to finding the tiles across the floor. "I'll drop pebbles on the right letters! Once you two get across, we can move the others across!" Faen made it about half way before hearing Luci's warning. What if the Killiks decided to use them to their advantage? Given that they had little to no regard for self-preservation, it seemed quite possible for the bugs to drop the entire temple on the group if it appeared that they were to be defeated.

In fact, as Faen finished thinking of their willingness to sacrifice themselves, a few bugs had already begun crawling across the tiles. Of course, they immediately began to burn because of their recklessness, but it didn't take long for one of them to decide to crawl on the ceiling.
Oh no you don't...

Faen used the Force to move a piece of debris over a few of the tiles that Killik was over, which set the bug ablaze. It hissed and squealed before crumpling onto the floor. Then, the Seer moved both the big rock and the charred Killik out of the way for the others behind him.


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Sybella understood the plan and quickly followed her companions' leads, all whilst dodging the falling debris. Ensuring the rest of their team was safe and ready to move, the Serennian regarded the tiles ahead. @Faen Akatosh had already secured his position across the puzzle, all they needed to do now was join him; easier said than done, given the mounting peril of the situation.

Using the Force, Sybella vaulted over the remaining killiks, even stepping on one of their heads in order to make the last jump. Landing beside Faen, she only narrowly avoided the flames herself. Watching the bugs burn was certainly an unpleasant sight, but any advantage was better than none.

With the insectoid threat momentarily stalled, the kohl-eyed knight began prepartions to move the rest of team. "Time to fly, gentlemen!"

Four of the assembled soldiers would soon find themselves floating upwards towards the air; the feeling for them was admittedly rather awkward but they tried to move too much. Sybella could have tried to lift more, but she didn't want to risk burdening herself too much, just incase there was yet another turn in circumstance. With a pulling of the hands, the soldiers would be brought over the puzzle, landing safe and sound on the opposite side of the trap. They readied themselves and their weapons, providing cover fire should @Lucifrey Sol need it.

Yet again, it was time for the young padawan to prove herself.


Dice: How many soldiers does Sybella bring across with her? 4/10
 

Lucifrey Sol

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Jedi Order
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Jedi Padawan

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AdventCore
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Without missing a beat, Luci slapped her Freyray blaster onto the magnetic spine of her suit as she turned to the puzzle in time to see the path taken by the others. Once Lady Demici had the first batch of men on the other side, Luci swiftly dashed across the correct set of tiles.

The half-Tiefling's feet slid to a stop, kicking up a small cloud of dirt and dust while she pivoted to her rear and glanced back at the six remaining Resistance soldiers. They seemed a little nervous, looking back and forth at each other like they weren't sure they could trust this petite Padawan to get them across safely.

"Right, I'll try to get the rest!" Then Luci closed her eyes, calmly lifted both hands towards the group of men, and took in a deep breath. A moment later five of the six soldiers tried their best to remain calm as they lifted into the air, held aloft by Luci's adept prowess in the Force.

Luci's Telekinetic grasp gradually pulled the group across, a bit slower than what Lady Demici had accomplished, but still enough to prove her abilities had improved far beyond her station. It was almost like something else was holding the girl back from knighthood.

Nonetheless, Luci maintained a calm mind as she completely focused her concentration on the men whose live's now hung by her will. She fully trusted Knight Akatosh, Lady Demici, and the rest of the Resistance troops with their feet on the ground to cover her while she remained vulnerable.

Little by little the lifted soldiers would get closer to crossing, nearly making it to the other side while Luci continued to channel the Force around them until they were finally safe on the other side.

Roll to see how many soldiers Luci gets across:
D6: 5/6

@Charles @HoneyMagpie
 

Faen Akatosh

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Independent
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Ex Jedi Knight

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Charles
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Faen was glad to see that both Luci and Sybella had managed to deliver a good portion of troops across the tiles. The Killik scouting troop had been disbanded (or dismembered, depending on how you went along about disbanding the group) and there would be no other threat. Sadly, Faen had a feeling that the entire Hive knew of their whereabouts, which meant they'd need to be fast.

After delivering the last troop across, the Seer wasted no time to continue down deeper into the temple. Through different catacombs and corridors, the group would find themselves just a few hallways away from the main Killik nest. Faen could sense their tension and anticipation for the arrival of their foes, but Faen could sense too many of them to take on, even with the Resistance backing them.

"We can't take them all on...Oh...oh, that could work...Yes...hrm..." And idea flew into the Seer's mind and he began examining the pillars for something. "The Zeffo made automatons that protected their burial sites and temples- there has to be one around here somewhere. All of you, spread out and look for a giant suit of metal, but be sure not to disturb it."


@HoneyMagpie @AdventCore
 

Sybella Demici

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Jedi Order
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Jedi Knight

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HoneyMagpie
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Travelling deeper into the temple's depths, Sybella couldn't help but shiver. Through the Force, she could sense the wriggling mess that was the ever-looming hive; the bugs were amassing their numbers, likely hoping to overrun them at some point. Typical tactics. She hated to admit it but, in terms of numbers, the insects had a sizable advantage. That was until @Faen Akatosh began to mutter something about automatons. As in... a robot or sentry of some sort? Truly impressive. The Zeffo really were geniuses at engineering.

Searching the nearby area, the Serennian assessed some of the nearby statues; many were cracked, revealing themselves to be nothing but ordinary stone. Abandoning them, she began to look elsewhere, around the chamber itself. Her eyes were drawn once more to the impressive carvings spanning across the entire wall.

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Stepping closer, Sybella noticed something. The largest of the pictographs was different to the others; it was much larger and had deeper grooves. Using the light fixture on her visor, the knight could see the shadows shift rather fluidly around this anomaly. It dawned on her then that this figure was actually three-dimensional and was encased right within the wall, disguising it from immediate view.

"Over here. Faen, is this it?"

Remembering his words from earlier, Sybella chose not to approach any further. She would let the seer confirm it first that indeed, embedded in the wall, was a robotic, sleeping sentry.



Did Sybella find the automaton?
Coin clip: Heads = Yes
 
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