What's Lurking? (Jedi Mission)

[Mr. Crunchy]

"Now," Kalza said with a point at Kalen. "I'm going to explain our main mission objectives," The trip from Coruscant to Naboo had been largely uneventful so far, and the Jedi Knight took this opportunity to explain the main objectives of the mission which her and her padawan Kalen had been assigned to. It was an essential part of his training to gain real experience within the galaxy, not just cooped up learning force powers in the Temple. It was a special belief of Kalza's that a Jedi was not a Jedi until he had been on a mission into the wider galaxy.

"We have received reports from various small towns on Naboo's surface of erratic animal behaviours within the swamps. It seems that the animals are contracting some form of disease. Well, I have investigated further and the disease seems to have spread to the inhabitants of the towns. Our mission is to find out whether the disease is airborne or waterborne, neutralise it and then find out what exactly is causing it.

I suppose I should warn you now, it seems that this is caused by the Dark Side in some shape or form. Be vigilant, and be ready to repel attacks by the forces of evil at any time. Other than that, it'll be plain sailing," She explained, trying to incorporate a rare joke at the end of her little speech to make her padawan seem less nervous. "And relax, everything will be fine," She said, as their freighter finally pulled into a dock.

The dock was situated in the middle of a vast swamp, and as Kalza departed from the vessel she took a quick look around. Indeed, a Dark Side taint was extremely evident... she'd have to be careful.

 

[Wit]

Kalen heard everything Kalza had said with his full attention. He was a little anxious about going on his first mission but was at the same time a little excited by the prospect. During the trip he went over anything he could remember about Naboo.Located in the Outer Rim territories, Naboo was a world with dense swamps, rolling grass plains, seas and verdant hills. That was all he remembered. As the freighter landed he followed her out onto the dock. Though he could not really make out if it was due to his excitement of being on his first mission or due to him just being able to get a vague sense of the Dark Side presence, but he felt a chill run down his spine.

 

[Dread]

An epitaph stood alone, encrusted in a evergreen blanket of takakia moss. All around it and for miles stretching from it's location a hovering fog took over the swampy ground below. It was harder to plod her way through the swamp with her sight being blocked exclusively from the ground. A ground which was damp and unstable, sometimes knee high in water with waterways going every which way into paths beyond Demoly's sight. Darkness was starting to take over the swamp, and tree's which slumped over most of the swampy land made it hard for whatever light was left to shine down. This added to the challenge to her investigation of the layout. Demoly was trying to find the prime locations of the swamps habitats. Her research demanded the creatures of the land to be used and twisted.

Demoly lifted her chin up, as if half nod, to acknowledge a ripple in force telling her there was something before her. Above her head she raised her right hand, waves of the force wrapped around her fingers and then the ground around her began to shift, the water moved away from her - pushed away by the dark forces they it could not handle. The water started to bubble as it turned into a purple mixing into green. A lone beast came from the bushes, staring into Demoly's amber eyes. It was wild, but it could not help but watch her. Without a seconds notice the creature began to howl in madness, snarling and baring it's teeth. Something inside it began to change - it's muscles started to twist inside of it. Then, as if she had sucked all it's life from it's body the creature fell - dead, lifeless. Once again Demoly had failed to manipulate it's genetics slowly. The quickness of which she used her skill inhabitable overstressed it's body to death. A few of these creatures she had worked on only got half way through the process before it went mad and ran off out of her reach. In fact, just a hour ago one had ran off towards the city.

 

[Mr. Crunchy]

Kalza stopped, the swamp now empty of any commerical sounds but alive with the buzz, chirps and squeals of assorted wildlife. In fact, most of it seemed normal enough, but she could still feel the evil presence, it silently throbbed in her head like an unscratched itch.

"So you feel it too?" She said, looking deep into the canopy of trees and marsh before her, down to where it ended in darkness. Things stirred in the trees, but Kalza knew they were merely unaffected animals. "The Dark Side is strong here, as I said on the ship - remain vigilant," She said, ready to draw her lightsaber at the slightest procovation.

She took a step forward, but then something lept out of the trees towards her, snarling and growling unnaturally. Kalza drew her lightsaber with a flash of amber, and the creature was lying dead on the mossy ground. Kneeling down, she examined it for a moment. The fur was a dirty green, and patchy in many places. Foam was slowly dripping from it's mouth. "What do you notice that is different from any normal creature?" She asked, gesturing for Kalen to kneel next to her.

 

[Dread]

Murky water settled down beneath her, back into its cradle of mud. Purple-green lines swirled around atop of the water, dancing, twisting in between each other creating a enchanting show that always caught the glance of her eyes. Beautiful. The colors eventually sunk deep down, disappearing into the depths of the water into the soil that cradled it. It was the reminisce of the dark side, leftovers from her research that infected the lands producing a illness that was exceedingly infamous. Weak creatures and people alike who came into contact with the water by ingestion would feel its effects for weeks, maybe mouths and those who where sick before hand could fall into a coma and die. Research of this kind was intense, it could take her whole life before she could even grasp the full foundations of its glorious power.

Strings of her brown hair flew back down, resting upon her inner shoulders between the nooks of her grey Jedi's hood. The force power of that skill dissipated around her, fading into nothingness. Simultaneously her right arm went to her side as she shifted her weight to one side and turned on her heals to face the west. Something was here, a beacon faint in the distance, wavering through the darkness she had ever so carefully weaved into the land around her. It was something of the light - a craft which clashed with hers. Unbenounced to her that a Jedi was here, she decided to follow the beacon towards it's general location. The location she sensed, unfortunately, was in the direction of her camp she had set up.

The camp sat in between two streams of water on a sturdy part of land. A pile of wood and charcoal freshly used simmered in the middle of the loosely planned set up. On the ground near the firewood lay a fold out bed, unmade, without a pillow. A table-like object sat at the upper most right side of the camp. It was a large stump that had been cut off on both ends, then across the top to make it flat - the burns leftover on the wood where that of a lightsabers. The wood table held swords intertwined with the dark side, twisted and unusable. Scattered beside and under the swords where metal parts of unrecognizable makes. Just off the left side of the table, a pile of herbs and other plant life lay on the ground. It was plain that these plants had been collected, some of them had dried out from being there for quite some time. On the right side of the table, on the ground, was a black bag. The bag was velvet, plain, laced at the top to keep it closed with a gold string - something on a women would enjoy. It filled with dried meats, native vegetables and a small cutting knife.

If the source of the light found her camp, it would know that someone was here. Fortunately, the source may go out if they could not defeat the creature that stalked the boundaries of the camp. Monstrously huge - two times Demoly's size - hairless, pure white and red eye'd. The monster stood off the ground on two feet of talons with short stubby arms and a face of a toad. It had been changed, tainted by the dark side into something dangerous. It had been so mutilated from its original state that only a few might be able to figure out what it was before. The problem, it was dieing every minute it breathed. However, it would live long enough to be a good guard for Demoly to use, and she had, by constraining it to a tree via a metal chain, wrapped three times around the trunk. It may not hold if the monster went mad in a rage but she only hoped that would happen if someone invaded her camp - although she rather avoid that needless end to her new pet. She had to move fast to be extra careful to try to prevent that.

A shoulder of hers moved up to meet with her ear, her neck cracked as the two touched. She straighten out her neck and stance, shoulders pushed back into a soldiers posture before bringing her two hands together. Her powers of stealth started to engulf her slender, pale body, she started to fade. Cloaking herself into the forces grasps to hide from plain sight but leaving a slight mark of power following behind her every move. With a leap onto a solid ground her bodies muscles tensed for a moments time, feeling the difference between solid and wet land. Again, with the swiftest of jumps, knees bent, heals pushing to her toes then lifting off, she jumped again - moving her way through the swamplands.

 

[Wit]

Kneeling down next to Kalza, Kalen examined the body. "Well, for starters its dead and boasts a cauterized lightsaber slash. That alone makes it stand out from normal creatures" said Kalen, attempting to lighten up the atmosphere; but he started to sober up as he examined the body further. "Its fur has been falling off in places and has resulted in the patchy nature. Also its mouth is foaming. Both telltale signs of sickness or poisoning, maybe both. Also," he put a hand on its side and felt its skin, at the same time reaching out with the force. "Its body is hot, too hot in my opinion, another sign that this animal was not in the best physical condition. And I think I can feel something very wrong with the animal in the force, I can't put a finger on it but I just get the feeling that something was not right with this creature." He looked to his master, hoping that with her much better trained Force senses she could maybe confirm and get a better sense of what he was feeling.

 

[Mr. Crunchy]

Kalza nodded, impressed with her padawan's abilities. "Correct. It seems someone or something has genetically modified this creature, which leads to the feeling of it being something odd within the Force. It could be anyone, or anything, perhaps even a corrupted water source. Let us move deeper into the forest, but keep your guard up," she added, her lightsaber still drawn. She began to move into the marsh, her legs beginning to sink into the sludge-like ground. Gesturing for her padawan to follow, she noted that the dark side presence she had felt earlier was becoming more powerful as they moved along.

 

[Dread]

It's short arms began to kneed and it's head twitched. The monster no doubt could feel the Jedi where getting closer. It's lips parted, mouth opened wide and as it's voice box moved all the sound that came out was a breathing noise. The noise was like a human whom was stuck, trying hard to escape, "Ah....AH!...Ahhh!" In it's groans it began to move it's leg that was confined to the tree. Clink, clink, clink. The noise of the chain's move echoed through the eerily quiet woods. The creatures around had fled away when they noticed the monsters activity had increased.

 

[Wit]

Kalen followed Kalza into the marsh. Only a few minutes into the marsh and he heard a distinct sound coming from somewhere ahead of them. Clink, there it was again. It grew clearer and louder the more they moved forward. At the same time Kalen could feel a steadily increasing uneasiness in his gut. it had been very vague and difficult to sense when they had landed but was now becoming much more obvious. As they moved ahead he noticed that something else felt wrong, but he couldn't make out what exactly was bothering him. And to top it all of the silence here was really annoying him. Having grown up in Coruscant he was used to the hustle and bustle of city life and the silence here was a little disconcerting for him. And then it hit him, The silence. It was too quiet here, even the noises of animals and birds which were present when they had just entered the marsh were now gone. That confirmed his doubts even more, turning to Kalza he said "Master, I have a really bad feeling about this. I think there's something up ahead."

 

[Mr. Crunchy]

Kalza stood in front of Kalen somewhat protectively. She peered around, and reached out with the Force, searching for any sort of abnormal life forms. With a shock, she found two. A Dark Jedi, the powerful evil presence she had felt when she first arrived on Naboo, creeping through the woods, and something much bigger - but not sentient. This was the source for the noise, and Kalza turned to Kalen. "There is more here than I imagined, keep on guard!" She murmured, not making too much noise and continuing to move through the marsh stealthily.

 

[Dread]

Demoly had made it back to her camp in time - before the source had made it there. By now, she knew that it was a Jedi causing this "disturbance" in her swamp. Not only that but she felt a fainter presence, someone less experienced then this Jedi. It must be a padawan. Perhaps she could use this to her advantage. Tipping her head to the side she let a grin creep up her face. Her right hand shot back towards the direction of the beasts incarceration. The chains on the tree began to crack, little bit little, one by one - until they all snapped and shattered into millions of specks of metal. The pieces shimmered as they fell to the ground. It was free and it smelled the Jedi. Demoly had still came to save her beast but she hoped he would be her 'partner' even if she thought she could easily take on these two invaders.

In a rage the beast trampled over the swampy ground, sinking deep into mud as it did. It plodded through the swamp until it met face to face with the Jedi. Demoly followed behind the beast at it's speedy pace, she had to use force enhanced speed to keep up with it as it's legs where wide apart so it's strides where far more powerful then hers. As she got closer she knew the Jedi would be able to pin point her exact location even if she was cloaked - but she kept it that way until she stood only a few feet behind the beast. Like a painting, Demoly reappeared one shade at a time, until her whole slender body appeared before the Jedi and Padawans eyes.

Her right and left hand held out side to side in kin with her two feet - a shoulder length a part. In levitation her custom built curve-hilt lightsaber moved from it's hidden place under her cloak into her palm. She grasped it tightly, flicking the switch on in a way which seemed abnormally natural. Deep red crimson cut through the air in a blurr as her lightsaber ignited. It was so dark now that the light of her saber made her robes almost color red like the ground around her. Her amber eyes complemented the red glow, making them stronger - more fearsome then they ever would be in other settings.

"I was going to postpone research on humanoid species till I got better - but now I think you will be the exception." Demoly did not know if this Jedi was here just because of her work she had been doing, but it was the most plausible explanation of why they would be here. It would also serve her convenience more then a inconvenience, at lest, she thought anyway. As her ego was far more exercised 'ability' then her skills in the force itself.

 

[Wit]

Kalen peered out from behind his master's back as the creature burst out through the trees. But while he was staring at the beast a woman came running after it and came to stop before them. As she ignited her lightsaber Kalen's eyes widened even more. He had known that a dark side user might be involved here, his master had warned him of that. But actually running into one was completely different. His brain went into overdrive, immediately slipping into old routines of his. His eyes lingered over the lightsaber in her hands, examining the deadly but beautifully built weapon. Immediately a part of his brain, one that still worked as a con and a thief began thinking about the fortune he could have made selling that on the streets. Another part acted like the teenager he was, appreciating her body while at the same time being a little terrified of the situation. But the greater part of his brain was thinking as a Jedi, relatively calm and composed. As she began talking he activated the lightsaber his master had given him and took a fighting stance. "Um..Master? Any plans?"

 

[Mr. Crunchy]

Kalza looked forwards, not even flinching as the abomination and the Dark Jedi came out from behind the trees. She locked eyes with the Dark Jedi, staring at her for a moment and then looked at her over-sized companion. Perhaps diplomacy would be the best route if she was alone, but she was with her padawan and his life was at risk now too. Her lightsaber flew into her hands, the orange blade humming into action. "Stop now, and we will not hurt you," She said, knowing that she might as well give the Dark Jedi a chance to stop the duel before it even began.

Looking to the side at Kalen, she hoped he WAS trained enough for this fight, this was not what either of them had expected to find on Naboo.

 

[Dread]

"...How," A finger from her left hand placed atop of her bottom lip, directly in the middle, as she decided the proper words for what she meant to say, "...abnormally delightful. A Jedi short of tongue." In a sweet chuckle under her breath she then allowed her expression to fall back to its typical composure: nothingness, emotionless and cold. "You're in over your head, Jedi, and if you where as clever as you are to hold your tongue as you where with your lightsaber you would make things easier on yourself and the kid." Demoly rethought her words after, to add in confusion about her standing she spoke once more, "Although, I am not one to pass up a fight."

Letting her finger push off her lip into the air, cold air bit the moist finger. The middle and her thumb finger came up together to meet each other as she snapped her fingers. At the sound of the snap the beast went nuts and charged head first at the Jedi. It's Jaw snapped violently at a height that met the same point as the Jedi's face. Using this as a point of distraction Demoly enhanced her speed to dash into the bushes near by. She would attempt to break up the padawan and Jedi by having one follow her, or, move around to their back if they both choose to stay and fight the beast together. Either way, the game was set, and now it was the Jedi's turn to roll.

 

[Wit]

Kalen saw the beast start charging them and as it came to snap at Kalza's head he jumped back. His master was more than capable of taking care of herself, he needed to make sure to stay out of trouble so that she did not get distracted trying to protect him. From the corner of his eyes he saw the woman disappear into the bushes, but he decided to ignore her for now and after landing he looped around his master and the beast and came up at its side. He saw a few large stones lying around the area and began picking then up telekinetically and one by one began throwing them at the beast, aiming for its head.

 

[Mr. Crunchy]

Kalza jumped right over the beast as it charged, slashing down at it's supposedly cumbersome head with her lightsaber in a deadly Trakata strike. The lightsaber would probably cut right into its' skull as it ran, killing it.

[Sorry for short post. I need Radzkie's confirmation that it's dead maybe?]

 

[Dread]

((OOC: Yeah, if I'm NPCing things just make a move against whatever it is and see my reaction like you would for fighting my character. Makes for more fun! But I'll make this easier and let it die. Poor litter' fella))

In a slice, the creatures head cut slightly open. It's head tipped and as it fell, its vocal cords peeked. In a cry of relief the monsters scream pitched a high note. A note that echoed through the swamp creating sound waves in the water around it. When it fell it's eyes faced the Jedi's and in the eyes it looked as if it teared in sweet deathly release. It had been in pain the whole time - and now it was no longer in pain, no longer did it face the world in a disfigurement of the darkest arts of the dark side.

By this time, Demoly had made it behind the Jedi's. The bushes barely moved when she leap out. Her left hand began to glow, around it the force gathered and soon so did it around her right. Her hilt started to spark. Bolts began to move wildly around her fingers and shoot out freely around her. With the free falling sparks Demoly made her first slash as she made it up to the Jedi opponent's side. Raising her hand above her head a blur of crimson sparks moved down vertically towards the Jedi's back. Demoly paid no attention to the padawan, whom she would go for a killing strike if he interfered with her fun. However, she was not here to kill them - no - just play with them at first till she could subdue them for research.

 

[Wit]

Kalen say the beast fall to the ground and felt it die as its force presence vanished. But instead of sadness he fell relief emanating from it as it died. In that moment he realizing the pain it must have been in that it thought of death as something pleasant. Just then the woman sprang out of the bushes and attacked Kalza. Acting instinctively he reached out with the force and pushed the woman away from Kalza with as much force as he could manage, not knowing how much effect his inexperienced abilities would have on her.

 

[Mr. Crunchy]

Kalza span around, her lightsaber flashing back into life. She slashed with a powerful strike against Demoly, force pushing Kalen away to safety. Circling the Dark Jedi, she kept her lightsaber at the ready to attack. Stay back Kalen, She 'spoke' telepathically, light wisps of the force slowly engulfing her turquoise hands. Ignoring the body of the great beast, she stared at Demoly, never breaking eye contact.

 

[Dread]

Disappointed, Demoly felt nothing for the dead creature as it's lifeless body lay just a short distance from her feet. She thought she would harbor some type of emotional grief, but it seems the depths of her apathy only went slightly below the surface. Perhaps she had misjudged the influence the dark side could have on someone like her. It fueled her - and made her wicked in ways that she had only dabbled in before. Her amber eyes stared into the Jedi's - she allowed the Jedi to see herself as she really was; a creature of the dark. A connection she would attempt to form between her and the Jedi in order to let that resonate within her soul forever - let her know the that evil could feel so cold.

Demoly's sparking hand with her lightsaber moved back with her elbow. She would enter into the starting position of Soresu. When her left palm faced forward, all the sparks began to form around that hand as they crawled around her body from her right hand. It faced the Jedi and with a rush a sudden lightening storm crackled towards the Jedi. It was in all show to goad the Jedi on.