Into the Gorge

Into the Gorge
Date of Scene:	05 July 2025
Location:	Aklyrr Bend - Tenoo - Outer Rim
Synopsis:	Malgabar has become a problem, and must be dealt with.
Cast of Characters:	Chad Bayne, Navi, 159, Pike Windu, Cayde Alexis

---

Chad Bayne has posed:
It's been an hour or two since Master Rykard went off to secure transportation to the green lightshow the group espied from this very spot. Chad Bayne is standing on the ridge with a pair of electrobinoculars, slowly scanning from left to right. He lets the binoculars fall to hang by their strap slung around his neck, only to take notes on a datapad and then scan with the electrobinoculars once again.

Navi has posed:
"Has anything changed?" Navi asks as she approaches the ridge. She had departed at the same time as Master Rykard, ostensibly to retrieve a backpack and a few other bits of gear. She's wearing the pack now, so that much was true.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Lowering the electrobinoculars, Chad turns and shakes his head, "Not that I've noticed. Everything is stable at the moment, so I've been taking the time to map out distances and vectors to various landmarks in case we don't have maps and the pilot needs some actionable data." He frowns for a moment, then adds, "Any word on what Master Rykard might be planning to get us inserted into the area?"

Navi has posed:
"Not sure yet. Probably one of the shuttles if he can't get an airspeeder big enough for everyone," Navi replies, shrugging slightly. "I'm hoping we can get the Ugnaught brothers to handle the actual flying. I can fly ships and airspeeders, but I'm nowhere near as good as them."

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne nods his head quickly, "Same. I can fly a ship if I have a droid tell me how to do it, or if I can tell the droid to fly the ship and then take credit for it." There is a long pause as Chad turns his head back to look across the vista and towards the beam of green light shooting into the sky. He then breaks the silence by observing, "I've never heard of the Jedi doing anything like this with the Force, nor others outside the Jedi who have an affinity with the Force." He looks back towards Navi and asks, "Master Rykard introduced you as someone from the Shining Brotherhood. Given you have a lightsaber, I imagine this is a tradition of its own with an affiliation to the Jedi? If so, have you seen anything like this from your people?"

Navi has posed:
Navi smirks and rolls her eyes at Chad's explanation of his piloting skills, or lack thereof, but sobers at the questions that follow. "The Shining Brotherhood has no real affiliation with the Jedi beyond occasionally working with them for charitable and sentient aid projects. Technically, we're one of dozens of Force cults headquartered on Jedha, dedicated to studying the mysteries of the Light Side of the Force," she explains, shaking her head.

"As for my lightsaber, that's a long story, but the short version is that I can do more with a lightsaber than with a retractable staff," she continues. "I've studied Brotherhood lore, but I don't remember ever seeing anything about something like this. I'm betting the Vergence is part of the problem. I just hope we can save Mal."

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne tilts his head, listening with curiousity to the explanation given of the Shining Brotherhood, then seems especially surprised at the mention of other Force cults located on Jedha, "That's... unexpected." He looks back out to the ridge for a moment, his blonde eyebrows drawing together in an expression of consternation.

Finally, he explains, "Where I come from, it's widely told that Jedi steal all Force sensitive children away from their parents and induct them into their Order. That belief doesn't leave much room for the existence of other Orders that aren't..." He trails off, searching for the word. He seems to find it after a moment and says, "Insular! That's a good word for it. Orders that are minding its own business."

He then hmms, lacking knowledge of other Force traditions but not stumbling over the existence of a Vergence here, "Is a vergence in the Force known to exist here on this planet?" He then nods, "That's likely then. This seems way outside the power of one trained individual, and I don't recall hearing of Mal being trained exactly."

Navi has posed:
"The Jedi Order has no authority to claim Force-sensitive children outside of Republic space, and what they do isn't really kidnapping. It's more like a tithe. Even then, they don't always find /every/ child with the Gift, and when they are finally discovered, they're considered too old to begin traditional Jedi training," Navi explains. "Since those people had nowhere else to go to learn how to use their gifts safely, Force cults like the Shining Brotherhood sprang up on Jedha, providing group support for Force orphans like myself."

"Force orphans... I'll have to remember that phrase," she murmurs. "Anyway, the Jedi have a presence on Jedha at the Temple of the Kyber, as do some of the larger Force traditions outside the Order, like the Sorcerers of Tund and the Guardians of the Whills. So it's not like the Jedi Order isn't aware of or keeping an eye on the Force cults. But as long as they stay peaceful and away from the Dark Side, for the most part, the Order leaves them alone."

"At least, that's the best I can figure out. As for the Vergence, there's definitely one on-world. It's a big reason why the Order is involved with this colony initiative, and I'm sure it's also why the Jedi built and abandoned a Jedi Temple here. I just wish I was more clear on why they abandoned it. Maybe an incident like this one?" she observes.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne nods his head as he listens, but offers no comment on what was said aside from, "Thank you for explaining. There's a lot of galaxy I'm still unaware of, and Antarian Ranger initial training is like having information burned into your brain via a blast port. Some of it actually makes it in there!"

With a hmm, Chad asks, "Are the Jedi who established the temple here being quiet, mysterious, and annoying or are they being quiet, cold, and largely lacking a pulse?"

Navi has posed:
"Portal Number Two. Given that this Temple is quite ancient, it's very likely that any of the Jedi who founded it, or even those who later studied there, have long since passed into the Force," Navi says. "There are some very long-lived sentients in the galaxy, but I don't know of any that can survive for many millennia."

Chad Bayne has posed:
With eyebrows inching up his forehead, Chad laughs and explains, "I was thinking something more recent and violent." He tilts his head, "That's a positive thing. Whatever it is is only mad because we're here." He then smirks, "I've learned to handle that reaction over the years." Can't imagine why.

He lifts the electrobinoculars once again, taking the range and bearing of a distant terrain feature, then lowers them once again, "What do you think of our chances?"

Athena (159) has posed:
Navi and Chad might not notice someone approaching while they converse. But eventually, the stunning human with startling green eyes and gleaming auburn hair pulled neatly back into a bun will make her presence known by approaching Navi and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Behind her, her attache glowers quietly, seen but not heard, as many attaches are whenever their supervisors are present.

"Navi," the Lady says, glancing briefly at Chad. "I've news for you you'll want to hear immediately."

And neither Chad or Navi will get the feeling that the news is good.

Navi has posed:
Navi looks back as her shoulder is touched. "Lady Xera," she says quietly, turning to face her. Chad may notice the Sephi's blue eyes soften, and may even catch a glimpse of sadness in their depths. "I'm sure it's bad news... we seem to have a lot of that today. Please, tell us."

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne turns as someone else arrives on the ridgeline. He glances back and forth between Navi and Xera, turning towards Xera and mirroing Navi, "Lady Xera." He returns his datapad to his pocket, his face grave as he asks, "What happened?"

Athena (159) has posed:
"Oh, you're here too," Lady Xera says to Chad with a smile, "a pleasure to meet you. I heard news of your arrival, thank you for coming." She offers him a hand to shake.

Then she turns back to Navi. "I'm sorry," she says, but her tone is rather unsympathetic, "but we can't be seen together anymore, unfortunately. It appears that your ... friend," she says rather disdainfully, "Rykard's padawan, has become wildly jealous and has threatened me with a fate worse than death, if I associate with you at all in a fashion that -he- does not approve of. He made a pronounced effort to show me a graphic example of a person he'd turned into a complete vegetable, who has been locked away in a psych ward on some light forsaken Outer Rim planet, forgotten and discarded like a piece of garbage. Vlaven, right? Emissarius. Former fiance of that damned brat, Gianka, and her spineless Senator father. Too bad, really. They could have been so rich together."

A pause. "Anyway," she says, "Rykard is going to have to do something about him, unless you'd like to, instead. He's a menace, a problem, and clearly no one really knows him or what he's capable of. I can't keep seeing you unless he's ... taken care of," she says with a shrug. She then glances over at Chad. "I hope this has proven useful for you, as well. Cayde is a child - selfish, unpredictable, emotionally stunted and unaware of himself or anyone, socially, really. He may react with aggression suddenly for what appears to be no reason at all. Keep your eyes peeled, and your mind fortified," she warns.

At that moment, Master Oona Yutelli comes up over the ridge, most likely followed by Master Windu as well, since they'd gone ahead earlier to go look for the missing Dathomirian girl, Mal. Unfortunately, their search had been quite unfruitful. ".... Navi!" Master Yutelli says in greeting, "do you know when Master Rykard will return?"

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne nods his head, "Yes. I'm sorry. I am here, too." He then shakes his head, "No need to thank me. Please forward any gratitude, complaints, causes for concern, and questions of parentage on the part of myself or my prospective offspring to the Jedi chapter house on Antar 4, the headquarters of the Antarian Rangers, where it will be filed accordingly alongside similar praise, complaints, causes for concern, and questions of parentage received during my service."

He smirk fades back into a rather serious face as he shakes his head, "My Lady, may I recommend you have this conversation with Master Rykard, who is responsible for the actions of his Padawan. I might add that, while I've known Cayde for only a very short time, I do know that this behavior is outside the typical character of one selected to be a Jedi Padawan."

Navi has posed:
Navi's eyes narrow briefly as Xera explains her side of the situation. "I see," she replies at last, barely acknowledging the accusations against Cayde. "I'm afraid any discussion of our relationship will have to wait; we have a /much bigger/ problem at the moment," she replies, indicating the massive pillar of green light rising from the lower valley and reaching straight up into the sky and out of sight.

"You should probably advise the colonists to evacuate to Kublop Springs, at least for the time being," she continues. "I don't know how dangerous this phenomenon is, but it's definitely the work of the Dark Side of the Force."

She looks back as Masters Windu and Yutelli approach. "Hopefully very soon. He went to secure transportation to investigate that creepy green light and its coterie of scary creatures. The birds we rode to the Temple won't answer our calls."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Master Pike Windu appears. The Jedi stands apart, silent, watching.

Athena (159) has posed:
"He already knows," she says, "or, he will," she says, "I send him a holorecording this morning, though he may have been too busy to look at it yet. Either way I haven't received a response from him yet, but I'm sure I will, eventually. I mostly came here to inform Navi," she says softly, "but I see that you all have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. Good luck," she says, and then turns to leave.

"Transportation?" Yutelli says, "are you sure any vessel will be able to fly through the canopy in the Gorge? And find a place to land? It's dangerous, and ill fit for any kind of vehicle to attempt landing..."

But then a few moments later Rykard appears, with Vons in tow. "Masters," he says, greeting Windu and Yutelli with a nod. "Thaarin has agreed to pilot us into the Gorge. The vessel we'll be taking is a modified Skywing. It's... going to be a tight squeeze, but we'll all fit." Overhead, they'll see a small, modifier fighter vessel descending into the clearing. It appears to have a bit more space than a traditional one - its modifications appear to have upgraded it into a mini troop transport. However -- Rykard is right. It -is- going to be a tight fit.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne nods his head, "That's good. I'm sure he'll get to the bottom of it quickly." He looks to Navi for a moment and then nods, "That's a great idea." He looks back to Lady Xera and asks, "I haven't been tasked by the Jedi to help with anything yet," glancing towards the two masters for a moment, then continuing, "but if I'm not later, contact me via a comlink and I'll help how I can until I'm needed elsewhere."

His attention turns to Master Rykard as he arrives, his head nodding as he listens to the plan. With a glance towards Xera, Chad comments, "I hope this Thaarin is as crazy as you say he needs to be." Turning towards the Skywing as it's descending, his eyes begin widening, "I volunteer to ride on top."

Navi has posed:
"May the Force be with you," Navi replies as Xera turns to leave. "If you can get an evacuation by tram started, you may be able to save most of the colonists, just in case this phenomenon is a threat to the colony."

She looks up at the approaching modified fightercraft. "I didn't know you could do that with a ship that small. I'll try to hold my breath as much as I can."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As Vons and Rykard arrive, Cayde is with them, following behind his Master. However, he keeps his eyes toward the ground, not looking at anyone.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu steps over beside Cayde. "Padawan, hold your head high. You are a Jedi."

Athena (159) has posed:
The gangplank lowers, revealing the tall blue alien Chad had met earlier. "Believe me," he says with a slight arch of his brow. "You won't want to do that," He says when Chad offers to ride on top. He makes no comment regarding Chad's remark about him needing to be crazy.

Rykard nods at Navi, "I've already contacted the mayor of Kublop. He knows," He says, "and will act as he sees fit. Thaarin will do his best to keep him appraised of the situation as it unfolds."

As they embark, the tight space begins to feel even smaller. "Well," Thaarin says to Navi with a faint smile, "if you're so concerned, you could share the pilot's seat with me. It's larger than the rest, and more comfortable..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde glances up at Pike as the elder Jedi encourages him, blinking a few times and wiping his face with the sleeve of his robe.

    [Yes Master] he signs. However, Pike will still be able to tell that there are tears in his eyes. Or at least that there had been very recently.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne shakes his head to Thaarin as he begins to lift his knees in turn, and then drop to stretch his logs so as to pull a hamstring fitting into this vessel. As he stretches, he shakes his head emphatically, "Nooooo, I won't want to do that twice. There's a considerable difference!"

He stands, pausing for a moment. He glances between Cayde and Pike then signs to Cayde, "[You could hear that? So you're mute. I thought you signed because you couldn't hear.]" Then with a questioning expression, he asks, "[Why didn't you say so?]" He then blinks, rolls his eyes, and mentions aloud, "Oh, right."

When the time comes to walk up the gangplank, Chad laughs, "If she won't, I will, big guy." As he disappears into the shuttle, one can hear him call back, "Since we're all going to be in fairly tight quarters, I think now is a good time to let you know that I'm a screamer, hugger, occassionally nauseous, and my safeword is actually in Binary..."

Much to the relief of all, Chad quiets down as he starts to secure himself into the ship.

Navi has posed:
"I'll take you up on that if Cayde doesn't," Navi replies to Thaarin, with a hint of a smile of her own. "We all have to sit /somewhere/, after all." She gives Master Rykard a grateful look. "Thank you, Master Rykard. Let's just hope Lady Graf handles her part of things as responsibly."

Seeing the Padawan's downcast attitude, she turns and hugs him tightly for a moment. "We'll get through this," she promises softly. "Now let's go to work. We've got a colony to save."

Athena (159) has posed:
Rykard sighs and places a hand on Cayde's shoulder, guiding him towards the back of the vessel. <Everything will be alright, I promise> he tells the boy.

Thaarin doesn't respond, as he's busy doing the preflight check, although he does move to one side, as if in case anyone does come to sit next to him. However, if that's because he's making more room for them or flicking up a lever on the other side of the control console, remains to be seen.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde doesn't reject Navi's hug, but also doesn't return it either.

    He nods at Chad. [Sorry] he signs. Then he proceeds to squeeze into the very back of the passenger compartment, as far as he can.

Navi has posed:
Navi watches Cayde withdraw into the back of the ship with Master Rykard. "Guess we're sharing a seat after all," she observes to Thaarin, moving to join him in the foremost part of the passenger compartment. "Just keep an ear open for Explorer Bayne's safeword, whatever that is. It probably means he's airsick."

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne does not, in fact, take Thaarin up on his offer, strapping in standing in the back of the vessel, securing himself for the flight ahead. Either unable or unwilling to add anything further by voice, he only takes a moment to make a sign to Cayde, "[Cheer up. We're going to go save the world.]"

The chatter up front does catch his ear, and a smirk crosses his face. He tilts his head to call foreward, "My safe word beep-be-doop-beep-beep. It's Binary for please insert five credits for 15 more minutes. Don't ask how I learned it."

Navi has posed:
"I suspect it involved a pay holocomm terminal," Navi calls back toward Chad. "If it didn't, /don't explain it to us/."

Athena (159) has posed:
Rykard sits down next to Cayde, and Chad, who has apparently self inserted. Everyone else crowds into the seating on the left wall. Its .. tight, that's for sure.

When Navi takes a seat on the pilot's seat, something rather unfortunate will happen - the support holding up the pilot's chair suddenly buckles! Thaarin is mildly surprised as the chair buckles forward slightly. Thaarin instinctively reaches out to grab Navi and prevent her from being dumped on the ground. His arms close around her waist, and he chuckles softly. "I was joking. I was..." he shakes his head, clearly amused.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Thank you] Cayde replies to Chad, nodding again. Although he doesn't really look encouraged. Instead, he turns away, a distant expression on his face.

    To tell the truth, he's rather terrified.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne seems momentarily surprised as he calls forward, "Of course it's from a pay holocomm terminal. We used to run scams on them from time to time on the Smuggler's Moon for extra drinking money. We'd slice into line, say beep-be-doop-beep-beep before they actually needed to beep-be-doop-beep-beep and then we'd go behind the and get their five credits from the return slot." He then blinks, calling forward again, "What else could it be, Navi?" He seems confused, innocently so. Right? Right.

He clears his throat, looking forward again and chuckling, "Hey, do we need to pipe in a cold shower up there? This is a small ship. If you two get a cold shower, we all get a cold shower, and I haven't been in space long enough this round to need a cold shower."

Navi has posed:
"Eep!" Navi squeaks as the pilot's seat suddenly tilts under her! She grabs for one of the armrests to keep from sliding off of the seat, but accidentally snags Thaarin's forearm instead...

A split second later she's sprawled on the cockpit floor, half on top of Thaarin. "I can /never tell/ when you're joking," she replies, managing a smile in spite of her blush. "Guess they don't make pilot seats like they used to."

She picks herself up and finds the bare minimum of a seat further back in the cabin, next to Master Yutelli.

Athena (159) has posed:
Rykard frowns disapprovingly at Chad's innuendo, but does not comment. He just glances briefly at Cayde, then stares ahead, after a moment closing his eyes in a meditative trance.

Thaarin smiles fondly at Navi, "I thought you were as intelligent as you were beautiful," he teases, "apparently not enough to know that pilot seats, a vast majority of the time aren't designed to support a second person."

Moments later, he's bent the chair back into place, and they're off -- descending into the Gorge.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Once the merriment of commencing with the mission has been commenced with, Chad Bayne falls into silence. His eyes close and he takes a deep breath, relaxing as best he can into the bulkhead he is standing against, exhaling slowly. His breathing becomes measured over the course of the trip, calmness exuding from him, his confidence thus far remains unshaken.

Navi has posed:
Navi slips into a meditation trance, albeit a shallow one, as the ship descends into the gorge. The sense of foreboding makes it difficult to achieve the proper focus and inner peace necessary for a full trance.

Athena (159) has posed:
Unfortunately none of them will be able to meditate for very long. After about fifteen minutes of flying, the vessel will start swerving unexpectedly, left and right. The canopy will he buffeted by tree branches thicker than the torso of a grown Wookie.

"Sorry," Thaarin apologizes, "Visibility is low -- there's a lot of fog and no charted route forward. Rest assured I'm doing my best."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stays in the same position the most part, his expression unreadable.

Chad Bayne has posed:
In his relaxed state, Chad still holds on for dear life, his eyes only opening to turn his head to call forward, "Just do the best you can to get us there in as few pieces as possible. We believe in you, Thaarin, and the Force is with us." There is something in his voice. Calm. Confidence inspiring.

Navi has posed:
Navi winces as Thaarin goes into maneuvers to avoid the trees, with somewhat mixed results. "You can do it, Thaarin. We believe in you," she calls forward, even as she grips the edges of her seat in a white-knuckled death grip.

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin arches a brow mildly, glancing over at Cayde, Rykard, Oona and even Navi.

"Well thank you," he says, "but my best might not be good enough, and it'd be a shame if we crashed simply because no one offered to help," he says.

There's a slight pause. "My apologies, is it customary here to not use the ... Force to navigate when physical visibility is low?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde doesn't seem to be aware that Thaarin is talking to everyone, as his gaze is fixated out one of the side windows.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne blinks as Thaarin calls him on it, "Oh." He then looks around, "If anyone has the Forciness to dodge oncoming trees in a fightercraft, the pilot has requested the pleasure of your company in the cockpit. Please don't sit in the seat."

Navi has posed:
"/Oh/... sorry. I didn't know you were asking for assistance," Navi replies, blushing a little as she stretches out through the Force and begins trying to guide Thaarin through the thick vegetation.

"Left a bit... now up and right... steady... we're running out of room. We'll have to land in a minute or two. Down a little... little more... yes, perfect. Bear a little to the right now...," she directs.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I think everyone knows that already," Thaarin says patiently to Chad, his scarlet gaze fixated on what appears to be black nothingness outside of the Skywing's viewport. "Please, I must focus."

He doesn't respond to Navi, instead, he locks in on the task at hand does exactly as she instructs, very precisely, and they manage to avoid crashing into any trees, rocks, or whatever else is down here. After a moment, he says, "Anywhere we could land?" he says, tone strained as he attempts to pilot through the dense vegetation.

Navi has posed:
"Someplace just ahead... I can't get a fix on it," Navi replies, grimacing a little as she tries to reach deeper into the Force. "The closer we get to the epicenter of the disturbance, the harder it is for me to feel anything..."

Chad Bayne has posed:
From his standing position against the bulkhead, Chad hears the conversation happening up front. His eyebrows draw together in concern, and his head tilts forward again. Unbeknownst to those gathered, a war is being fought deep within Chad as he sets aside the character and reaches deep to where he does not often go. His awareness extends out and ahead past the trees, and the leaves that feed them, past the animals that live in and beneath them, to the microorganisms that make up all aspects of this land. He tries to find the area that Navi described, struggling to bring an image of the area to the forefront of his mind. Like a rubberband, he stretches, but before he can find what he is looking for, he reaches the ends of his abilities.

He opens his eyes, breaths in deeply and sighs. His jaw clenches and he reaches down and tightens his safety belts further if that were at all possible. He then calls out to the others in the back, "Brace for a tough landing."

Athena (159) has posed:
"I see it," Thaarin says sharply, "just barely." Then, more softly, "It's alright," he says to Navi, "thank you."

Somehow, despite the viewport being completely black with just the faintest hint of green fog, Thaarin puts the vessel down on... something. The landing is shockingly smooth. How the tall blue alien managed to pull it off so easily and with hardly any bumps will remain a mystery.

Once the gangplank is down, Rykard and the others get up to disembark. The tall blue alien, however, reaches over to where Cayde is sitting and pulls him aside into the cockpit. His expression becomes mournful for the briefest moment. "Cayde," he says very softly, "You know you can tell me anything."

Chad Bayne has posed:
Once they've sat down, Chad is quick to unbuckle and head for the gangplank. He stops quickly, turning back to the cockpit and sticking his head in, "Sort of. Don't be insensitive." He then turns, hitting the gangplank and drawing one pistol, then another to cover them as they exit from the ill intentions of foe and fauna alike.

Navi has posed:
"Anytime," Navi replies to Thaarin, unstrapping and rising from her seat. Stretching tense limbs to get the stiffness out, she follows the others down the ramp. Though she does pause to give Cayde and Thaarin a sympathetic look.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <Master, I'm scared...>

    There is a flurry of emotion and imagery of the last encounter he'd had with Mal. He feels certain that he'll only make things worse for her...

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin chuckles softly at Chad's intrusion, apparently not at all surprised and or offended in any manner. "Charming, isn't he," he says, his gaze lingering on Chad as he disembarks.

"I'll catch up with you in a moment," he says to Navi, returning her sympathetic look.

Then he turns back to Cayde and pats his cheek to get his attention. "Cayde... look at me. Tell me what's wrong."

<Fear is the path to the dark side> Rykard tells Cayde. <Come. There's no time to waste>

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne narrows his eyes, continuing looking out into the distance offered by the clearing they are in. His pistols remain out and trained forward, and he calls out after a sweep, "Seems clear, at the moment."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Rykard's reprimand doesn't seem to do him any good. He blinks and turns to Thaarin, but simply shakes his head and follows his master out of the shuttle, his pulse racing and his hands shaking.

Navi has posed:
"Good. Let's just hope those flying critters aren't interested in us. The creepy green light is this way," Navi says to the party in general, indicating the direction in which she'd seen it via the Force. "Oh, and that bad feeling I had? It's getting worse."

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin hurries after Cayde, running ahead of him and grasping him by the shoulders. "Cayde," he says, "please...." he reaches into the boy's pocket and pulls out the tin of small tiles he'd given him not too long ago.

The path ahead seems clear. Theres a massive swath of trampled and burned undergrowth up ahead. It stinks like ash and death, but its pointed towards the green beacon.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne is all business now, something seeming to shift within the Explorer. Deeming the area safe enough for now, he takes up a position that gives him the most advantageous position to fire on anything hostile that might approach. There is the briefest glare spared for the Chiss and the Padawan, but only just, before he returns to his vigil.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [This is my fault] Cayde finally tells Thaarin. [Master can explain] he signs, nodding in Rykard's direction.

    He follows the group, but seems to be lagging as much as he can without becoming separated from them.

Navi has posed:
"This is the way forward, looks like," Navi observes, indicating the burned swath leading away from the landing site. "My nose isn't likely to forgive me anytime soon, but we should get where we're going if we follow this." She starts cautiously along the path, looking around at the surrounding vegetation and what she can see of the sky, which isn't much.

Athena (159) has posed:
"No," Thaarin says softly, tugging on Cayde's arm until the boy comes to a halt and pulling him aside, behind a tree. "I want you to explain. Please? I'm worried about you," he says, his expression both compassionate and concerned. He glances over at Rykard and holds up a hand, silently asking for the Master to halt. The Marshal pauses, then inclines his head.

He looks to Chad, motioning for him to rejoin them. "We will wait for Thaarin and my padawan," he says, suddenly looking a bit guilty. He glances over at Navi. "In the meantime, we should scout the area - perhaps we can learn more about what exactly we're up against."

Navi has posed:
Navi pauses as Master Rykard calls a halt, taking the time to study the landscape. Slowly the surroundings become more clear, and she has to force down a gasp as she realizes she's looking at not just dead plants, but unearthed bones and bodies! Lots of them!

"Masters... there's more dead things out here than I think I've /ever/ seen before," she calls softly back to the others.

A closer look reveals that the dead things aren't recent, however... "This stuff looks like it's been dead for a long time. It's just been unearthed very recently," she clarifies. "And it's a sure bet that our present situation is somehow responsible for that."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I hurt her] Cayde finally admits, as it seems all the pressure has been placed on him. He sighs when Chad tells him to just get it off of his chest. As if it were that easy. Not that he doesn't wish it were so.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Patience," Rykard says with signature Jedi calm. Then he turns to Navi, as she appears to have found several items of interest among their surroundings. "How strange," he comments, "but this is surely the work of a Dathomirian witch. But what would she have done all of this for?" he muses.

Thaarin's expression softens when Cayde admits to having hurt Mal. "Everyone will hurt someone, at some point in their life," he says gently, soothingly, "it's just the way of the galaxy. You are not especially terrible for that," he says. "Ask for forgiveness, perhaps she'll understand. Rykard will help you," he says, "I believe in you. You'll help fix all of this, and then return to the colony site in one piece. I'm sure of it," He embraces the young padawan.

However, after he releases Cayde he draws his weapon abruptly and aims it into what appears to be the dark nothingness of the foggy woods surrounding them. There's a loud screech, and then a puff of grey ash billows out from the undergrowth, settling on the ground. He frowns, and holsters his weapon. "Be careful, all of you," he says, "I'm going to stay here with Master Yutelli and Pike, to see if there's a way  for usto bring the vessel nearer to the beacon." He turns to gaze at Navi fondly, touching her shoulder briefly and gently. "Good luck," he says to her, "may the Force be with you."

Navi has posed:
Navi whirls at the sound of Thaarin's blaster, watching the cloud of ash billow out of the greenery and fall to the ground. "It /is/ pretty odd. And apparently hostile," she says softly. "Guess we'll have to be ready for anything."

She reluctantly draws her lightsaber from its position on her medical satchel, holding the weapon in her right hand, unignited. "I didn't want to walk up to Mal with a weapon in hand, but if there's hungry critters hiding in the brush... I'll just have to take the chance." She starts along the path once more, looking around like a tourist. A paranoid, frightened tourist...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods at Thaarin's words, although his face betrays nothing.

    [Okay thank you] he signs, and then returns to his Master, even as an unseen creature is shot and falls. Well, maybe he can stay back here, too? Monsters, he can deal with...

Athena (159) has posed:
"I'll see you soon," Thaarin says, "try not to get too injured," he says, heading back to the ship.

Rykard gives Cayde a mournful, compassionate look, then beckons him to his side. <We must go now> he says, <Come>

And then he motions for the group to follow him onto the path of burned, trampled foliage.

The Zeltron man accompanying them, Arsok Vons, as everyone called him, lingers, and brings up in the rear. He seems on edge as they traverse along the path. "Now why would someone dig up a bunch of bones..." he mutters to no one in particular.

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne begins walking the path as Master Rykard beacons them to continue, blasters once again drawn as his eyes turn to the area around them. While the others work to figure things out, Chad keeps his eye on the forest line in order to ensure they're no surprised by anything ugly.

Navi has posed:
"This makes me wish I knew more about Dathomiri culture... nothing about this feels familiar," Navi observes. "All it really says to me is that they tend to like dead things."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <Yes master> Cayde responds, and continues toward the beacon through all the piles of dead bodies. He isn't sure why she would do this, as he hasn't spent that much time studying Dathomirian Force traditions, but it can't be for anything good. That feeling of dread continues to grow...what if he has to kill her?

Athena (159) has posed:
Just as Chad is keeping his eye on the forest line, he'll suddenly find something hard, white, and elongated under his boot. It breaks with a loud CRUNCH! When he steps on it. He might be about to lean down to get a closer look at it when the Zeltron man runs up to examine it.

"Damn," he says after a moment, "this is some fossil. He reaches down to touch it, very gingerly, smoothing a finger along the bone, brows furrowed in fascination. "Clean. How long as this thing been --"

And then, suddenly, it starts glowing green. Ashy, grey flesh starts to form over whitened bone. The ground starts to quake a little. And then, the fossil starts to -move-.

"Holy shit...!" Vons yells. He doesn't run, though. He appears paralyzed in fear in shock.

Chad Bayne has posed:
As the fossil begins to rise, so too do Chad Bayne's eyebrows. He glances momentarily towards Von, and then realizes the slovenly Zeltron is not moving. His blaster pistols are up immediately, and Chad begins walking towards the undead creature. He first fires a warning shot, totally the reason why he missed. The second shot is glancing, however, impacting the flank of the creature and flying off into the trees. Still, he proceeds forward.

Navi has posed:
"Vons, /look out!/" cries Navi, igniting her lightsaber and rushing closer to the former fossil. Shouldering the frozen private eye off to her left, she raises her 'saber high and cleaves almost straight downward, to ensure she doesn't accidentally cut any bits off of Vons.

The bluish-white energy blade bites deeply into the dead bird, but fails to put it down. She raises her lightsaber in a guard stance, looking for another opening...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches as the bones begin to move. But only for a fraction of a second.

    He rushes toward the reanimated corpse, attempting to leap onto its back and drive his lightsaber into its neck. For what good that would do, anyway. How does one kill something that's already dead? He supposed they'll have to find out.

    Why yes, monsters he can deal with.

Athena (159) has posed:
The second shot glances, but it does actually cave one of the bird's ribs in. This isn't enough to cause significant damage, however, it is enough to make the creature very angry. It screeches and lunges for Chad, but Navi intervenes and cuts off a sizable portion of its wing. It's attention is diverted, and a claw comes out, swiping at the young Sephi girl savagely.

And then Cayde leaps upon undead bird and plunges his saber into its neck. However, the stab is ill placed, and only a few grey chunks of rotting flesh splatter to the ground. It screeches again, and bucks, but Rykard has joined the fray now, slicing with his own bright orange saber, severing half of its other uninjured wing off.

However, the fight has only just begun -- another, smaller bird of the same, undead species has descended upon them, and despite Vons best efforts to shoot it down, it swoops low and grabs the Zeltron man by the legs, dangling him like prey as it veers left, attempting to fly away with its hostage!

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne tilts his head forward as he searches for his next set of shots amongst the members of his group attacking with lightsabers, waiting for the perfect moment for his next shot. The sound of another creature draws Chad's interest, and then the creature grabbing the Zeltron and attempting to make off with him catches the Antarian Ranger Explorer's attention.

Breaking off his approach towards the first undead creature, Chad turns towards the one that is attempting to abscond with his roommate. The first two shots are dead on, to varying affect, while the last three seem to only serve to intimidate.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As the monster bucks, Cayde is thrown to the ground, his lightsaber flying out of his hand. But it doesn't get far before it zips back, re-igniting as he regains control of it.

    He rolls toward the thing and swings horizontally at its legs, attempting to send it off balance at the very least.

Navi has posed:
Navi ducks a beak swipe from the dead-looking but not dead-acting bird, then sweeps her lightsaber in a wide bluish-white arc, carving more bits off of the rotting creature. She looks up as another bird snatches up Vons, but by the time she sees it, it is already well beyond her reach.

Chad's blasters seem to have the problem in hand, thank the Force, so she renews her focus on killing, or perhaps re-killing, the undead bird...

Athena (159) has posed:
"Aaagggh!" Vons yells, as he's yanked around by the undead bird. Chad's shots chip off significantly large pieces of the bird's wings and talons, enough to cause it to drop the flailing Zeltron. However, the private investigator is now plummeting to the ground forty feet below!

Cayde's slash cuts off one of its talons, and it screeches again, its massive beak now sweeping downward in an attempt to squash the young padawan. Thankfully, with the help of Navi and Master Rykard, the dual action from the lightsabers is enough to finish off the first undead creature. It gives a final cry, before collapsing and dissolving into a pile of dark grey ash.

However, the fight isn't over yet. There's more. Three more, and even more seeming to appear on the horizon. They needed to take cover somewhere, perhaps even contact the ship. Hiking to the beacon now doesn't seem like such a good idea.

Another undead bird is swooping in, talons extended, this time, reaching for Cayde...

Chad Bayne has posed:
As Chad's shots chipping away at the bird cause the Zeltron to be dropped, Chad's blasters turn sideways, his fingers subtly extended as he face takes on a terrible expression of concentration. He watches the Zeltron fall from the sky, subtly influencing the direction of his travel to place enough branches in his path to slow his fall to mere brusiing rather than the near certain death a head-first fall from that height.

Once the Zeltron lands, Chad takes a deep breath and shouts, "Shower, damn it, or the next one keeps you!"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde manages to jump out of the way of the third monster's talons. He then attempts to follow up with a telekinetic shove, with the aim of causing it to fall out of the air. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be quite enough, only serving to increase its aggression toward him.

Navi has posed:
As the original undead bird finally drops, Navi pivots to slice another one coming in from above. Her lighsaber carves into the corpse of the onetime feathered friend, but doesn't bring it down. And then there's several more swooping in to boot!

"Just how many of these things do we have to kill?" she cries in frustration. "Re-kill? Whatever!"

Athena (159) has posed:
"I do!" The Zeltron man yells "I--Wait a minute, why the hell would that con--" And then he hits a few branches on his way down, due to Chad being an Explorer, not a trained Jedi. He lets out a string of unholy, unrepeatable curses, and then hits the ground with a very soft thud. There's a groan, and then, "Kriff you, you dumbass blond! You put me in a pile of shit!" Then the bird that was carved by Navi's saber swoops by, screeching and barely avoiding crashing into Chad. Its rotted eyeball pops out as it goes by, and weird, slimy, grey-green liquid will spurt out and coat Chad if he doesn't jump out of the way in time.

Meanwhile, the bird trying to grab Cayde renews its attack. It lets out a feral cry and reaches for him again, as more of its undead companions swarm the area. Rykard does what he can to fend them off, but now that one bird isn't the only one coming for Cayde...

Chad Bayne has posed:
Chad Bayne wasn't always an Explorer. Before that, he was a criminal by neccesity thanks to the challenging positions the galaxy placed him in. But before that? He was a Zeison Sha, a group of Force Sensitives absolutely dedicated to the protection of their planet. Telekinesis was their bread and butter. Oh, how out of practice Chad has become. Except for dropping Vons in the dung. That was on purpose and his Sha master would be proud of him. For multiple reasons.

With a smooth turn, Chad brings both blasters to bare on one of the birds crashing towards Cayde. With pulls of the trigger, Chad sends a hail of blaster bolts into its path to varrying effect.

Navi has posed:
One of the birds swooping after Cayde gets an unexpected surprise as Navi, finished with another of the undead birds, takes a few running steps and sweeps her lightsaber up over her head and back down toward the ground, nearly bisecting the rotting avian in one swing.

"Let's teach these rotten bastards not to mess with lightsabers!" she shouts, already looking for another target.

See what she did there? Rotten? 'Cause they're dead? Er... nevermind...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Yet again, Cayde dodges out of the way as the talon come down and attempt to grab him or just maul him or whatever the monsters planned to do. However, as throngs of them come down after him, he seems to freeze...rooted to the spot with his lightsaber still ignited in his hand, and his expression vacant. Almost as if he has turned into a statue or something.

Athena (159) has posed:
Chad's volley of blaster fire manages to chase off most of the first round of birds trying to grab Cayde. Vons, having finally recovered, fires several rounds into a tree covered with vines, and the thorny, blackened organic ropes tumble down onto the rest, sending them into a chaotic, tangled frenzy that eventually rends them into broken bones once again. Their feathers, bones, and slime rain down from the sky, coating all of them in grime, grey-green juice, and dust.

When Navi bisects yet another one, even more undead entrails go everywhere. But the swarm never seems to stop, as fast as they're cutting down the birds, more birds replace them...

When Cayde freezes, Rykard cries out. <Cayde! Look out!> As another bird swoops in to grab him. Cayde would have been snatched, but suddenly, the Skywing appears from out of the trees, and releases its defensive measures on the birds. Many are mowed down instantly, the rest seem to wise up and fly off. The vessel then lands rather haphazardly and precariously atop a massive rotted tree trunk, and a hatch on top opens. "I can't deploy the gangplank," Thaarin calls out to them. "You'll just have to find a way up here yourselves - and quickly. Before the creatures decide to return."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde doesn't respond to the warning. However, once the monsters have at least temporarily cleared out from the area, he puts away his lightsaber but doesn't move for some reason when Thaarin calls out to them...