As the emerald skinned Shani listened to the hologram, she glanced at some of the others around her.

Full briefings and details of the missions she embarked upon were always a preference, but this one was different.

They were jumping to nine hells nowhere at the edge of the universe for all she knew with people she didn’t know save one.

The fear of the unknown began to tug at her mind a bit and she shifted her left foot, slightly tapping it near the side of the wall. A sign of her anxiety.

She kept a straight face, despite the fear and turned her eyes towards the shortest crew member,Miho. Seeing her present gave Salni a sense of surprising calm and made her foot tapping stop.

Maybe it was her aura?Or perhaps before taking the call, Tasha had spoken to her before about the Odanite.

“Miho is a solid leader. She knows how to deal with things when everything becomes chaotic and disruptive. You can trust her to do what she can to help her team.”

Knowing Tasha trusted her was good enough for the Mercenary.

“Any questions?” Her attention snapped back to the hologram and she grinned

“Yeah I got one, just how well does this job pay the Clan?

Handsomely doesn’t show a number. Like we are talking a lot of zeroes, right?

I want to know that we are getting paid well for sticking my neck on the line. We are headed to an unknown planet,that for all we know could blow up the moment we arrive.”

Evelyn listened but as usual, didn’t show any emotions about this mission. She could hear the engines slowly roaring up as it prepared for the hyperspace jump. It had been months since she last piloted a ship.

At least, things were okay now. Draca was home safe and sound. Anders alongside with him. She needed to catch up on her Envoy duties and this was a good opportunity. Her goal was to stay focus to make sure she returns home to them.

The Shani had mentioned about credits and seemingly a bit anxious to take up the mission when she brought up on the ‘ifs’. The anxious people always start going through what ifs and it was never good.

Soldiers on the battlefield had died with such mentality.

The credits to her clan was just a small bonus. She could care less. She had thoughts with the decisions that the Taldryan Republic made as of late.

Right now, her goal was to make sure they do their mission and get back home safely. Especially before the war with the Collective. The very ones who were responsible for her late wife’s death.

Evelyn moved her eyes away from the hologram and glanced to the other faces that were in the room with her. A few she had remembered from passing glances in different Brotherhood parties but no names.

She had work under Marick and even trained with him a few times. She trusted his decision in this crew.

Aurelis was quiet, she listened, but was silent throughout. She hovered near Miho, far enough away that the 19-year-old could stand independently but near enough to react. In black tactical gear she just melded into the background. Even if she should have stood out.

Out of the corner of her eye she kept an awareness on the white-haired Evelyn, she’d recognize the Jedi anywhere. The one across the club floor who had glared at the Hand as he’d lowered, and she’d stopped him with a grip and quiet words. She’d have to keep an eye on this woman.

Aurelis drew out a datapad from her bag, typing out a message before the ship’s engines slowly grew louder as it prepared to make the jump to hyperspace. She sent off the message, shoved the datapad back in her waist and returned to her unofficial position of Sentinel of the Consul of Odan-Urr.

Miho leaned on the black staff she always carried. Violet eyes took in the hologram of the Exarch, the companions for this mission. She absorbed the details being passed around and spoken of. If she was aware of anyone actually watching her, she gave no indication.

“We have no further intelligence then?” Her voice was soft, musical even. The odd accent she’d never really been able to shake showing through. “It will be tricky, but not impossible.”

Only now did she look around the bridge at the gathered team. Their strengths and weaknesses weren’t something she knew which made all of them potential liabilities. Couldn’t be helped though.

“Anyone got any fruit? The gods of luck are going to want more than flowers for this one.” She murmured to herself. “Nothing good comes of orders like these.”

Shaking her head, Miho grinned broadly and gestured towards the others. “Let’s get on with it then. Glory and honor don’t sit around waiting for questions.”

Salni grinned at Miho and the others as she stood up straight her anxiety now gone as excitement of the mission replaced it.

“A true lady of action, I like it. Sadly, I don’t have fruit. What I can do for you though is shoot, carry or stab something if you need me to assist.

And seeing as you are all a part of my team, I will do my best to have your back.” She gave a slight wave with her left hand.

“Salni, at your service. Scuse me a moment, while I check my gear.”

Salni then started her usual systematic checks and searched her backpack to make sure all her tools were still there. The Shani had checked beforehand, but always did a second time just to be sure nothing was out of place. After a few moments, the Mercenary was satisfied and set the backpack beside her as she casually leaned up against the wall to observe the others.

Karracca, the rotund silverback wookie quietly sat in the corner of the bridge of the Urbanae. He knew a few of the others assembled either by reputation, or through correspondence and exchanging reports and operational orders as in the case with Miho. His eyes had been closed for about 10 minutes at this point as the briefing was seemingly coming to an end.

Though it hadn’t been said in precise terms to him, the old wookie Strategist and freelance diplomat knew his role was likely two-fold. His skills might come in handy, and maybe more importantly, being on the staff of the Envoy Corps, and hold no loyalty to any one clan over another, he’d be expected to look after the best interests of the Brotherhood as a whole.

He heard someone ask, “Is the wookie sleeping?”

“No. Not yet. How long are these jumps gonna take though. I might go find a rack if its going to be a while.” He growled in Shryiwook as he opened His eyes. The c70 Corvette had a crew of about 70, and wasn’t the most spacious of ships, but he was confident enough in his abilities to find a vacant stateroom or a couch somewhere.

Tahiri had been gently scratching the top of her Vornskr’s head while listening to Marick’s debriefing. She was glad that the rescued Givin, Kyo, had recovered well and been able to give the coordinates to system. While he spoke, she glanced around the room again, watching everyone elses reactions to this mission. She had recognized a few familiar faces, one of which she had nodded to and received a nod in return from Karracca. The Consul of Odan-Urr, Mihoshi Keibatsu, and Evelyn Wyvern Anderson, she knew about and had only seen in passing. The rest of the group, she had only been able to skim over their dossiers as they had gathered, just before the briefing.

She only nodded to Marick, already knowing the importance of this mission, as well as how dangerous and the many unknown factors. She was curious about why Kyo had gone through such lengths to find aid for his system and as such she wanted to help.

“True. I agree with High Councillor Keibatsu” she nodded to Miho.

I believe that fact that we are answering the call for aid, will be worth far more than any sustenance or flora can provide,“ the Elder smiled warmly as she patted Hadzuska’s head, before shifting her weight slightly. "With how insistent he was that he bring said aid back to the Khor-Vala system as soon as he could before things got worse, and the fact that we are not the Empire they fear, will be relief enough. And this is what the Envoy Corp was made for, if not then the Iron Legion would have been sent instead of us. Aid, not Invasion.”

She emphasized the last point, knowing full well there always something veiled below the surface of any mission.

As the ship was starting it’s fall and Treen called out the situation, Aurelis slid into the frame of a doorway, using the sides of her feet and hands the wrap around the edge of the wall and securely brace herself. She’d hopped out of transports before into the trees, this was a bit…less organized.

She felt the air pressure shift as the ship sank down through the levels of atmosphere, then the roar as the ground neared. Aurelis barely felt the barrier Treen had formed, but having that level, gave her the opportunity to make some split second decisions. She looked across the severely damaged ship, the wind whipping around them violently, she reached for Miho, but a massive shudder as what was left of the hull grazed a treetop, caused her to get knocked back. She repeated the same curse in her head over and over, looking for an opening. There, the panels were quickly pulling, the framework exposed, by the tilt that would be the side upright. She grabbed a beam and held on for dear life.

Impact, she went deaf for a moment as the ship slammed into the ground, Treen’s barrier doing it’s best. The impact strained her arms, and jolted her out of the ship itself, sending her forward, she tumbled along the panaling that was left, and rolled off, miraculously landing on her feet, in 20 years if anyone asked how she’d pulled that off, she’d tell them that she had absolutely no idea.

In the distance behind her Treen called for a sound off, on wobbly legs Aurelis made her way towards the group,“ Unharmed!” she called back. She had been about to add onto it, but froze, out of the corner of her eye something moved in the distance. She turned scanning the treeline, something massive was moving, listening, it was two somethings but she couldn’t make out what only that they were absolutely gigantic,“ We got company of unknown species, but they are huge,” she paused scanning the horizon again,“ Two, but I can’t see them in detail.”

The rotund wookie Jedi strategist suffered more then the rest from the escape pods hard landing. Though he was usually extremely steady on his feet, even his mastery of the force and panicked last minute inverting of the pull of gravity wasn’t enough to save him from being slammed into the forward corner of the small pod. He had been knocked unconscious by the violent collision with the planets surface.

As he was slowly coming to he heard a random female voice exclaim, “Seriously? Is the wookie sleeping again?”

Indeed, the snores of a sleeping wookie sounded almost identical to the snores of a wookie who had been knocked unconscious.

Karracca slowly stirred and opened his eyes, as he tried to reach with the Force to sense the situation and his surroundings he was unable to perceive any distinct lifeforms or specifics of their surroundings.

“Not intentionally, no.” He lightly growled as he tried to get to his feet and thumled back down on his butt due to a severe bout of dizziness.

Salni dusted herself off as she looked at at the Wookie now sitting on his butt.

“I am fine.” She stated out loud enough for Treen to hear.

She then stretched her legs and arms outwards then back in. Little jostled about when in the escape pod, but not worse for wear. She then moved towards Karracca.

“You all right? You look a little out of it.” She then heard Aurelis.

“Company..great. Really hope they are friendly. ”

She reached to her left side and pulled her Reynold’s slugthrower pistol to her left hand just in case before adjusting her cloak and throwing the hood over her head.

“Oof.”

Tahiri’s vision blurred for a moment, before slowly sharpening, though she saw stars and dark spots for a few moments after. The point of impact on her sternum felt sore and was being compressed with Zuska sitting on her. Furrowing her brows, she groaned and pushed at her Vornskr to get off of her. He huffed before getting up and off of his Alpha. Growling slightly as she rolled to her side, where Zuska came up and crouched down, giving her a quick lick on the cheek. Sighing and then coughing for a moment, the petite Togruta slowly got to her knees, and then carefully stood up.

Hearing Treen’s call, she cleared her throat before answering.

“Here, and so’s Zuska.”

Tahiri perked at the mention of large creatures, the pain in her body momentarily forgotten as her mind wondered about these new beings.

“Interesting.”

Evelyn’s jaw was tight as she glanced up towards the skies for a moment. She was not pleased with how things were going already. The crew… how were they?

Logically, she knew that their chances was low. And now, how will they go home?

One by one, the sound off started slow as Evelyn was also listening. Company. She remained by the crash site, her green eyes looking at the ship and trying to determine if any of the fire was close to reactors that could cause an explosion.

They may need to get moving just in case it does and this crash would draw attention as well.

“Present,” was all the white haired female said. She had the ability to hide but she was not quite sure if this was a good time to do so.

“We may need to move.” Evelyn pointed out as her eyes glanced towards the burning ship.

“It may cause unneeded attention.”

Miho froze for a moment before something impacted her causing her to stumble forward and land, quite unceremoniously, on her backside.

“Karking ow!” She said as her eyes refocused and she took a look around. “Could have been worse, I suppose.”

Picking up Kurotsubaki from the dirt beside her, Miho checked her companions quickly. No one seemed to be hurt more than some bumps and scrapes. “A little banged up, but I’ll manage.”

Pips, unseen during the chaos, peeked up over Miho’s shoulder from his usual perch.

<<Do you always crash? Because this seems to be recurring.>>

“Shut up or I’ll sell you to a scrap dealer.” The small Odanite retorted with disgust.

A trill that could only be understood as laughter came from the droid as he ducked back behind her shoulder.

“Little prick,” Miho muttered darkly.

Karracca grunted and rubbed the back of his head with a massive furry paw.

“I’m almost 300 years old, ‘a little out of it’ is a common state of being for me these days. I’ll be fine, I appreciate the concern though youngling.” The old wookie groaned in Shryiwook as nodded at the green skinned reptilian.

All Karracca could think about was how much sithspit he was gonna likely take from the Exarch. As a Golden Envoy working on his staff, the loss of the Urbanae would undoubtedly be pinned on him.

Though he had a long and storied history as a strategist and freelance diplomat in earlier days, one of the problems with being nearly 300 and having spent the last 30 years in relative anonimity, most of his friends and allies were dead or long retired.

“Why don’t we do both? I’ll go start seeing whats left of the ship. Anyone here an expert in ‘gravitional anomalies’?” The old wookie growled as he looked up and saw the visible smoke trail sweep down towards the surface off in the distance, pinpointing the crashsite of corvette they had been passengers on less then an hour before.

Once the Elder got her bearings and saw that the rest of the group was relatively unharmed and alright, she looked out at the landscape towards where Treen had indicated.

“I agree with Karracca. We should do both,” Tahiri nodded as she surveyed the abundance of fauna. “Whatever this ‘gravitational anomaly’ is that pulled our ship out of hyperspace, whether it was aimed at us specifically or if it’s pulled many other ships to this planet, it stands to reason that if we are to call for another transport, that ship will meet the same fate if we don’t disable or destroy it.”

She paused to check where Hadzuska was, seeing the sleek Vornskr was sniffing and investigating around the perimeter of where the group had landed.

“Then we absolutely need to check if there are survivors and get the blackbox. I’d also like to see if there are any bodies of those creatures that attacked the ship. They didn’t seem like those other insectoids I met on the ship that the other’s and I had rescued the Givin from.”

She looked around at the others, seeing if there were any abjections to the reasoning put forth.

The wookie just crossed his arms and nodded in approval at the Ventressian Quaester.

“I agree,both make perfect sense to me.” Salni replied. “Better to have at least a plan of action before we just go diving into things.”

Evelyn stayed quiet. She hated the idea of them separating, but logically, it did make the most sense. Every second counts.

Evelyn had to consider for a moment to figure out which one may be the best fit for her. She was not good for tending wounds if there was survivors and Evelyn knew she wouldn’t be able to ‘read’ or understand creatures. So that left one choice-

“I will go towards the gravitational anomality.” Planning made sense but considering that none of them had any knowledge of the inhabitants on this planet, sometimes, diving into it was all you got.

“Planning may take up too much time,” the white haired woman pointed out but leaves it up to them if they wish to risk it by wasting time or learn as they go.

“I say that we all go together, as far as the tree,” Tahiri’s expression change, turning more into a mask of determination with a small smile still, while her eyes shifted from grey to yellow. “Those who wish to head straight to the crash site from there can head off, if there’s no prevelant danger, and then those who wish to take of the anomaly can do so.”

She knew Evelyn was correct, time was not on their side and they needed to move. Any sort of big noise in any sort of livable environment would call any carnivor and scavenge from kilometers away.

“Ms. Wyvern is right, we have no time for a detailed plan, and besides that,” the Togruta paused as she gave a low whisle, Zuska immediately appearing by her side. Looking around for any objections, she continued. “If there are those huge creatures, who knows if they are herbivores or carnivores. Even if they are the former, that means there’s a carnivore just as big or packs of smaller ones that hunt them. So we need to move now, our survival depends on it.”

The moment they left the ship was when Evelyn had cloaked. With the help of body glove underneath her Envoy outfit and the specific boots, no sounds can be heard from her. The grass does move underneath her feet.

She wasted no time and got closer. A burst of green flames with licks of light blue was hurled to one of the plant. She unsheathed her sword and went for the slash but the plant moved, causing her to miss.

With a focus determination and a small curse to herself from missing, she disappeared from sight.

Only to reappear to ‘dance’ forward and slashed at the same plant. She then backflipped and disappeared in mid-air.

Salni tried to bring her Kukri and cheekar, her Kyuzar to parry the nasty stinger flying at her, but wasn’t quite fast enough to stop it from brushing and stinging her side. She gritted her teeth from the stinging pain. “Karking little bastard, parry this!”

As the plant attacked again, she was ready, bringing up her blades she pushed against the oncoming stinger strike and repelled it.

“Yeah that’s right back off ugly!”

Salni swiftly moved forward and slashed at the beast, striking a fair hit, slicing into the plant’s skin causing a deep wound.

“Yesss, I am gonna turn you into a salad you hear!”

As she whirled around and stabbed at the plant with cheekar, the blade bounced off the outer covering of the plant and got embedded deep. Unfortunately she lost grip and couldn’t rip it out.

“Kark it all!”

Two of the plants had turned their attention to Miho, which the Odanite found intensely disturbing. The vibrations of intent that flowed across the Force giving her precious moments to react accordingly but she didn’t move quite fast enough as the first one lashed across her cheek with a vine whip leaving a raised welt across her left cheekbone.

The solid black haft of Kurotsubaki intercepted the second whip and batted it away harmless into the space beside the High Councillor. The welt on her cheek stung and she’d have to do something about that when she had a moment, but for know there were other things to attend too.

The black, slightly curved black of Kurotsubaki ignited as Miho changed her grip on the black haft. The weapon spinning deftly in her hands. Sensing danger to itself, the flytrap moved a bit, dodging the first swing.

Reversing the blade and holding the weapon more like someone would hold a broom, Miho swung up with a sweeping cut that removed several leaves from the plant causing it to shriek with pain.

Finishing the movement, Miho brought the blade back down with a small flourish and leveled the sizzling tip at the plants once more.

They weren’t going to get another hit on her if she had anything to say about it.

One of those plants was definitely not getting a strike on Mihoshi again. Aurelis seemed to step out of nowhere, really have just made her way around the battlefield quietly while the others had all the whip-wielding flora distracted. A knife sliced through the vine-whip at its base then in an upwards diagonal deeply cutting through its middle.

The petite Togruta didn’t like the feeling she was getting from this place, normally she’d feel at home in any forested place. However, this was very odd to her. Seeing the plants swarming the group, she cocked her head for a moment, observing them as they silently attacked.

She unclipped her Rune saber and shoto saber from her belt, as the plant skittered silently forward in a very strange manner and then lashed out at her with it’s stinger tipped tentacles. The Elder was caught off guard by just how fast those stingers were, one hitting the kinetic armor overlay on her upper right thigh and then another hit her left arm.

“Ouch, why you little karking fracker,” she flourished her sabers, growling under her breath.

Evelyn’s jaw tensed as her comrades got injured. This was not good. With a slow exhale, she let go of her embrace on the Force, appeared, and focused on her palm to shoot another flame.

A light blue-green wisp appeared and she felt the sudden cut off of her Magik for a moment.

Evelyn scoffed as vanished from view again, her body wrapped around in icy coldness. An embrace around her as she shuddered softly. She did not lose her focus. Her cut off will be analyzed later.

She lunged forward which had her appeared behind the plant and swung her sword, attacking it horizontally. The plant screeched and flailed before shriveling up. Evelyn let out a soft pant, wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm, looked to her team, and vanish from sight.

As Karracca noticed Salni momentarily lose her balance and leave her weapon imbedded in one of the creature the huge wookie charged, lept and ignited his lightsaber as he soared through the air. He thrust downward with his crackling blade, almost burying it to the hilt beforenwithdrawing it and jump off of the creature with the stone sword. The blow was jarring enough that Salni’s weapon was dislodged and landed with a clatter at his feet. He flipped the device back to Salni with a massive furry foot.

“You will still need this.” He cooed in Shryiwook.

Impressed at the old wookie, she clapped her hands and grinned. “Yes! told you I’d make a salad out of you naughty plants.” Then the wookie tossed the dagger back to her with his foot, making these deep gutteral loud growling noises. She wasn’t sure if he was thanking her or scolding her. Maybe both?

“Uh…heh sorry I don’t speak Shryri'wook. Yeah I will try to be better about not getting my blades caught. Thanks for saving it for me.”

She then looked up at the monoliths with swords coming. “Seriously! This planet has living walking boulders woth swords!” She sighed.

“Sword bros it is I guess.”

Zuska snarled at the plant that had attacked his Alpha. As the plant was going to lash out at her again, the Togruta sidestepped and swung first her shoto saber, missing altogether as the karking creature skittered to the side as well. She observed for a moment watching it’s darting movements and then sprung forward, taking an upward diagonal swing with her Rune saber, cleanly through several tendrils and the plants body.

Zuska growled again. She cocked her head slightly as the creature made a piercing scream as it died. Tahiri turned to see what her Vornskr was growling at and saw the big stone creatures.

“Oh fracking fun,” huffing under her as she steeled herself. Looking up at the approaching behemoths, she wondered under her breath. “I wonder if they are intelligent?”

Karracca was used to people not understanding him, so he simply nodded and growled in a fashion that seemed no more then a purring feline to express sympathy and friendship.

“Sword bros.” He said, knowing she didnt comprehend. Out of the corner of his eye the old Jedi saw a few of the smaller fly trap like creatures circling them to the left and point and growled a generic warning to Salni.

Evelyn crouched down, low to the grass. She watched them passed her as she tried to gauge what they are. The vines? Maybe they would be affective to the fire-

Her eyes widen when all she could see was part of a barrier going up and then the shatter. Right when the sword had landed, Evelyn tightened her grip on her sword’s hilt and ran up, jumping on to the stone’s shoulders. She decloaked and went down to one knee, one hand free as the green flames wrapped around the vine. Her eyes darted and saw the damage the beast’s sword had done.

And that they had lost a team member. Silently cursing, her grip had tightened and it was then, she realized the vine simply was not affected.

She then stood up to slash but the stone moved and she had lost her footing, her sword landed with a resounding ting.

Evelyn then jumped over to the other giant’s shoulder, slightly crouched enough and one hand on it’s body so she could ‘feel’ it’s movements while her green eyes kept an eye on the one across from her.

She was hoping that the beast was distracted, annoyed with her, and had the small ‘brains?’ to attempt to hit her even though she’s on top of it’s kind.

Tahiri spent a moment healing her arm where the stinger had hit her. Rolling her shoulder, the Togruta felt better, then turned her full attention towards the stone giants, just in time to see the events unfold in front of her. She quickly took stock of who was where, then acted.

It was only a split moment, but both master and beast mirrored each other as they both growled in unison. Feeling the fire deep in her chest blazed to life as she watched Treen get cut down, Tahiri’s sulfuric eyes blazed nearly red as in one swift move she extinguished and clipped her shoto saber back in its place. The Beastmaster told her Vornskr to run distraction on the second giant, before closing her eyes and dipping into the river of the Force swirling around her, funneling the power into her pulled back tensed left hand.

The finger tips of her hand began to crackle and spark as red and blue mixed light danced between them. A ball of crackling energy began to form within the cage of her fingers. The Elder opened her eyes, red edging the sulfuric yellow, stepped forward and with a roar that could’ve been compared to a Rancors, threw her left arm out in front of her, opening her fingers and sending a single stream towards the stone golem that had killed her team mate. Just before hitting the behemoth, the crackling red and blue lightning split in two and hit both of the golems legs in the knees.

As Salni watched Treen fall, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the stone beings. She began to notice as Evelyn and Tahiri attacked, these things are slow, normal weapons like my daggers and guns aren’t gonna punch it. They also amble which means..

“They can be tripped! Hey guys, normal blasters and knives arent gonna punch through them. But they can be knocked over.

Hey Miho! I am gonna go for the legs of one of these things to hinder it, think you can knock it over after I get it in place?” Without wiating she dashed down to one of the rock giants, trying to lasso her fibrecord whip around one of the legs, but due to the size and way ot was swaying she just couldn’t get a hold on it.

Frustrated, she curse as she prepared to dash, then she remembered that she did have her armor piercing slugs. Perhaps they might work. New plan, out of range and shoot them.

In the wake of Treens courageous, and rather gruesome death. Karracca suffered from what had been referred to as Wookie Rage.

The Rock Sword Bros were proving to be formidable opponents, and as the Kashyykian Jedi saw a few of teammates engaging one of the them, he make a concerted strike against the other. He focused and teleported himself roughly 48 metres to his front, placing him a few paces behind his target. With no hesistation and a zeal instilled by his fellow Envoys death, Karracca lunged at the stone sabre wielding creature and slashed and stabbed at its thigh.

As the trundling creature whirled to engage its attacker, Karracca somersaulted himself across the ground and through the beings legs and jumped upwards performing a backflip with a half twist that landed he on the shoulder of the Sword Bro. Hoping to finish his foe off, Karracca then tried to plunge his lightsaber into their neck, and though he was able to penetrate roughly a foot into the dense flesh, a panicked and voilent series of spins and shakes by the creature caused the wookie to be thrown off of its shoulder. He landed in a clamour that produced a dust cloud several metres away.

Evelyn cloaked as she hopped off of the falling stone golem that she was on earlier.

The rest of the team members were doing okay.

Treen…

She ran up towards one of the vines and missed. This did not deter her as she spun around and slash at the vine before cloaking again.

Salni did her best to try and distract the large stone sword boy.

“Hey ugly, wanna piece of this!” She yelled out as she stuck out her leg and then began to dance about waving her arms, however the stone sword boy didn’t seem to be paying much attention to her.

It didnt take long for the white haired female to decloak and sent out a blast towards the vine. Nothing.

Just like the pyro. The gears in her head was turning but she couldn’t make assumption yet.

For now, she went she knew to work and slashed with her sith sword before cloaking once again.

Karracca saw the first Golem fall, and tried to press their advantage and paid for it.

As he recovered and got back to his feet he bounded towards the second Golem and reached out with Force and lept up intent on landing on the its shoulder and goingnfor the throat as he had with the first, but a last minute shift in the Golem torso caused him fall a bit short, and he was only able to get off a few desultory slashes with his saber before the creature punched him off the edge of shoulder with its free hand.

“Not enough napping, you’re getting old Karracca.” He growled to himself as he landed several metres away, on his butt again.

Salni tries to fire her slugthrower, nothing happens.

“What in the nine hells? You jam on me at a time like this, absolutely karking useless…” She sheathes her gun and tries to dodge away from the sword boy.

Karraccas rage, both in himself and at the remaining Sword Bro, worked him into a fervor. An idea came to him in a flash, and without any sort of due diligence or other consideration, he sprinted around behind the rock Golem and lunged at the creatures right heel, though before he stabbed at it with his saber, he planted his feet, focused his mind and rooted himself to that specific spot on the ground. It was time to see what would happen when a Stone Sword Bro met an Iron Pillar in the form of a seemingly old and obese Wookie.

“Push him, now!” He roared emphatically just before he plunged his lightsabre into what would have been the upper Achilles tendon area of a standard humanoid.

Surprisingly, it seemed as though it wouldn’t take much more from his comrades to hopefully cause their foe to stumble and trip, as the creature unwittingly partially unbalanced itself. The wookies stab with his sabre had been well timed and the creature had been leaning much of its mass on that foot.

Evelyn winced at hearing such a loud shriek. She hated high pitch sounds and there was nothing more that she wanted to do but to shut it up.

The tree’s incessant shriek reverberated around in her head, causing her to feel like the place started to spin. Fighting back nausea, Salni dropped to her knees to try to stop herself from feeling extremely dizzy. “First salads, stone boys and now shrieking trees..” She thought. “Fine, kettle of fish I landed myself in.”

Karracca’s entire body shook. And his keen wookie was a detriment in that moment.

“This is a dream, I must be sleeping on the couch on the Hawk right now.” He thought to himself as the disorientation caused by the tree’s unhinged scream dropped him to one knee.

Aurelis looks around at the assembled group covering their ears or wincing at the sound. Really? It’s not -THAT- bad. Sure a little annoying, but meh. Maybe they just hadn’t been sitting in enough hangars while ships take off, or listen to a baby crying in their ears.

Miho staggered slightly, the sound disrupting the functions of her inner ear. The ringing that followed made her shake her head a bit.

Sticking a finger in an ear, she started making mawp sounds to try and lessen the ringing.

“What is this? Some kind of test of worth?” Karracca roared. He struggled back to his feet and made his way for the door, though taking a markedly sepentine line to his target due to the lingering effects of the scream.

While the Elder silently cursed the loss of her shoto saber, she heard the shrieking of the tree. Reminding her no less of the shrieks that her Varactyl made when she got extremely scared, especially the first few months she had the creature and was training the avian-reptile alongside her predator companions.

Sighing, and raising an eyebrow at the tree, looking up at its canopy with a sarcastic exasperated expression, and just waited for the tree to cease its temper tantrum.

Seeing a doorway appear in the side of the tree, she cocked her head and looked up again for a moment. Then she looked at Karracca as the large Wookie stumbled forward, and then to the rest of the group.

“Well, may as well see why the damn tree is screaming. Or crying?” The petite Togruta huffed and moved forward towards the door, waiting for just a moment before starting the descent down the stairs

Still a bit shaky and annoyed, Salni cautiously moved along behind Karracca following down the stairs.

“Whatever shuts this tree up is fine by me.”

Standing on stairs just above the large platform, Tahiri spread out her senses, aiming for whatever the organic being was that was covered in the same ethereal vines that seemed to be a staple here. The info she got through the Force was concerning, but it was familiar.

“It’s like Nightsister Magik,” she said quietly to the group. “Not exactly the same, it’s energy is very similar to Magik. Whatever that thing in the center of those vines are, is the source of our comms issues.”

Reaching further out, taking in as much information as she could from the rest of the place, her eyes darted around the dim and cool cavern. Muscles tensed as she slowly unsheathed her Nightsister Duskblade in a reverse grip, while her other hand poised ready with her Rune sabers hilt.

“There’s something else besides that,” she nods to the vine covered being. “Be ready, we’re not alone here.”

“From what I an see, what is in there appears humanoid, however all I can make out is what you’d expect of a shadow.” Aurelis added softly.

Salni shrugged as she readied her slugthrower. “I am just gonna trust you both on this one.”

As they made their way down, Evelyn focused and her Sith Dagger had appeared. She held the blade tenderly and had the handle pointed to Shani for her to grasp.

“It is imbued with same alchemy as my sword. I figured it may help.”

She heard the others and Tahiri mentioning about the Nightsister’s Magik. This had grabbed her attention.

“That can explain why the fire on the vines did not work when the base of the flames is Magik.” Evelyn whispered softly, more to herself but others may have heard her.

Begrudgingly, she took the dagger carefully into her hands.

“Just tell me where to stab it and I will do my best to stab it.” She whispered.

Evelyn looked to Salni, “do the best you can. Sometimes that is all we got.”

She looked around and let out a deep sigh, almost sounded like a very disappointed and tired teacher.

“I hate to say this but I believe the comms are important for our survival, saftey, and hopefully, communicate whoever may still be in the ship. And to be able to go home. Shall we position ourselves?” She glanced over to the team. Without waiting for a respond, she attempted to embrace herself with the Force to cloak herself while she went off to a position.

She couldn’t cloak herself.

Very disappointed and tired, indeed.

Evelyn winced as she wonders if it was something more.

“I cannot cloak myself, it seems.”

It may be nothing. It might be her fatigue. Or something more than they gathered.

Squinting into the darkness, the Beastmaster couldn’t tell where or what the shriek came from, but she had other things to worry at the moment. Knowing a bit about the Nightsisters Magik and culture, there was a chance that whatever vines was covering, that being could be some type of sentient creature.

Focusing on the being entangled in the vines, she reached out through the Force with her mind, searching for any thoughts, language, feelings, or intentions. Anything to help the group figure out what’s going on and how to stop the transmission problems. If she could latch onto any intelligence, she could communicate with them and maybe stop it without them having to kill this being. Maybe there was a command to stop it.

After her mind and senses were flooded, it only took her a moment to register what was going on. Then she watched as the creature, if it could even be called that, took up a guarding stance in front of the vine entangled being. Seeing as several of the annoying plant creatures also came onto the platform, the Elder gritted her teeth. Normally she’d ask everyone before sending a telepathic message, but there was no time for formalities.

Her own mind collected enough of the information she had gotten, toning it down, and then reached out and sent that info to all of the team members minds.

Colors, shadows, pain, and then strong sense within the Force and Magik, along with the voices words.

“The being in the vines is the source,” Tahiri growled determinedly. “No matter what, we need to end its suffering. If anyone gets past the monster in front of us, don’t hesitate on what needs to be done.”

Evelyn winced at the suffering.

It felt like a cold dagger was teasingly sliding down her spine as goosebumps appeared on her skin. Her muscles tensed as it took all she had not to shiver.

Her hand slowly reached behind her as she unpin the adhesive grenade, “adhesive!” Evelyn alerted the team as she threw it at the odd creature.

Sadly, it bounced off, however, it landed to the two weird flower plants.

Then she cloaked by accident.

Blink. Oh. She can cloak now? Evelyn winced as she felt the immediate pull from the Force to be able to cloak. A soft pant escaped between her lips but she cannot waste anytime.

They wanted their suffering to end, and she will try to grant that as she moved closer to the vined body.

Taking the blade given to her, Salni dashed into action. She went for the nearest salad flower, stabbing the blade deep into its fibrous body. “When I am done with you, plant. You will be nothing but ribbons and confetti!” She then pulled the blade out and stabbed it in again, harder, twisting it. As she pulled it out, Salni was rewarded with oozing plant blood from the wound. She smiled, hoping her team would succeed in taking down their enemies.

Salni weaved herself away from the gurgling plant. “NOT TODAY, SALAD!”

Miho sort of careened down the rock stair at the sound of combat, Kurotsubaki loose in her grip. Skidding to a halt, the black blade activated in a glorious arc and scored deep into the wormpersonthingmonster’s fleshy face.

Following through with the cut, the High Councillor’s blade rotated in her hands deftly for a rising cut across the same spot. The howl of the creature and it’s immediate reaction to the pain of her first strike shifted the body enough that the plasma only scored along the carapace.

Instantly recovering, the creatures tongue whipped out and towards Miho who made a face of disgust and easily dodged away, positioning herself for another strike. “Hey! We didn’t agree to tongue action yet!”

Despite her best efforts, she shuddered at the thought and stuck out her tongue trying to clear away the thought before it made her sick.

“I said not today, Salad head!”

As the second plant’s tentacles flew out, Salni immediately sidestepped the swing, and flipping away from its open maw.

Evelyn was getting closer to the body with the vines. Soon, she can help it ease it’s suffering. She threw daggers at the plant closest to her, revealing her for a moment before she cloaked into the shadows once again.

After dispatching a few of fly trap creatures, Karracca tuned in to Tahiri’s telepathic message, and concentrated on replying, “You mean kill the thing behind the big 8 legged monster?” He said in his mind.

Being near the rear of group now, the old wookie strategist tried to size up how he could find a way past the large, whatever it was.

Miho stared in open disgust at the protrusion that could only be called a tongue. The whip-like nature of it simply made it seem al the worse.

The organ flicked around as the eyes of the beast focused on the wobbly-kneed High Councillor. It reared back as though intent on striking again and the small woman’s voice came out colder than the Solyiat tundra.

“Know your place, filth.”

Sensing the danger, the creature backed up enough that the first strike aimed at the offending appendage missed. Reversing the strike, the blade sang through the air with brutal intent.

The creature screamed as the black blade of Kurotsubaki landed true severing the to gue close to its face. Contemptuously, even risking the fall on her ass, Miho kicked the tongue away from her as it still flopped on the ground.

“Looks like you’ll have to find a new way to make out with your equally hideous…whatever you are.”

One of the plant creatures whipped a lash towards Aurelis, and she snagged the creatures lash, wrapped it around her wrist and yanked towards herself, slashing at it as it got close to her.

Evelyn felt the coldness of the air as the Force removed it’s embrace, revealing her to others. She quickly straddled the body and rose her sith sword. The hybrid used her weight and pulled the sword towards her.

She had two goals.

No one else was going to die and they were going to go home.

Aurelis, in a lovely feat of acrobatic athletics, did a 3-point backflip out of the path of the creatures foot and into the path between the monster and Miho, blocking the injured Jedi from the monster, taking up a more defensive fighting stance, anger taking root in her expression that usually remained neutral.

“Tear and shred till there is nothing but ribbons left. No one and I mean NO ONE! Hurts Miho and gets away scott free, not even You, SALAD!”

Salni pivoted and used all her strength to throw the Alchemy infused dagger at the last salad boy. As it sailed swiftly, the blade buried itself deep into the fibrous tissue, ripping through everything as it carried momentum until finally burying itself straight up to the hilt, destroying the plant’s tendril heart, dropping it.

Tahiri and Zuska, master and creature, Alpha and Zeta, attacked in unison one of the last of the weird plant creatures. Hadzuska using his razor sharp teeth and whip like poisonous tipped tail, and Tahiri with her Rune Elder Lightsaber and Nightsister Duskblade.

Their first attacks missing as the thing skittered between them, the Togruta’s Duskblade barely giving the plant a trim, while the Vornskr’s tail skidded of the stone floor where the creature had just been. Then they both converged on it, instead of waiting for the other to attack, Zuska latching onto the midsection of the plant and sinking his jaws into the vegetative flesh. The Elder bringing her crimson saber in an upward arc to slice through the creature diagonally.

She nodded and gave a very small smile towards Salni, sharing in the sentiment. Tahiri was going to do her damnedest to bring the rest of the team home in one piece.

Without any fanfare or warning Karracca scooped up Evelyn onto his shoulder and began trudging back to the stairway they had entered via. He knew they should have gone straight to their crashsite, but then again, they still wouldn’t have if they hadn’t.

“There’s still people alive at the crashsite. Lets move!” Karracca roared as he dodged a boulder that fell from the roof of the cavern and used the force to shove a few other boulders that blocked their path back the steps.

Evelyn opened her eyes but frowned. She felt feverish and her blurry sight was not helping.

She heard the comms go off for all of them and yet could only catch a few words.

“….back….Urbane…. hold out… beacon…gone..”

Evelyn was going to try to get up but felt a pair of fuzzy strong arms grab her.

“No- I can- I can walk,” she weakly protested as she coughed again. She groaned softly, slightly embarrassed and angry that she’s too weak to actually rebel.

“Tahiri… thank you,” She mumbled, unaware of the danger of collapsing ceiling. If Tahiri had never told her about the body, she would’ve never known.

Karracca replied “I’ll make sure she gets treatment.”

Before stepping onto the shuttle with Evelen cradled in his arms, the massive wookie stopped and looked back over his shoulder at the madness around him. What was this place, and what had dropped them out of Hyperspace? With the lightsabers, blades and cannon fire from some of the Lancers whizzing about, he realized they were lucky to survive.

“Hey Boss,” Karracca roared, “Thanks.” Before stomping up the ramp onto the shuttle.

Evelyn winced with each step the wookie had made. It felt like someone had grabbed her and shook her violently. Her joints screamed in inflamed pain and her muscles being shredded. She started to have flashes of the long-tongued monster doing it’s kills.

And the Zabrak could do nothing.

The ripping sounds followed by blood-curling screams vibrated her skull. The angry and frustration screams of the Zabrak matched with her own pained cry. The stained colored of shredded envoy uniforms scattered in different locations on the floor. Only to be taken away by the critters or rapidly decomposed into the soil. This had the room look empty. Perfect for the next few that wondered into it’s trap.

Evelyn choked for a moment before coughing out more green tinted blood. She pressed her hand against the wookie’s lower back, “unhand me,” stopped when she took a moment to look at the now closed opening from the rocks. Despite the rock wall, she could still ‘see’ what had happened in that room. Different screams. Different cries. Different anger. Even some pleading and begging. She felt a heavy helplessness from the Zabrak may have as well shredded her heart.

And she felt everyone’s demise as she choked back a pained yell. The green veins pulsated again and her skull was on fire and her eyes burned too bad to keep them open. Her hand that was on the wookie’s back to try to push herself had lost it’s strength and she fell into another short slumber.

More screeching. Screaming. The roar of the engines. Evelyn opened her eyes again and was still carried. This time, she was cradled in the furry arms. She can barely see, but the brown furry outline showed her that it was still Karracca.

Her team. They needed her! She can’t stand the helplessness!

“Put me do-”

“Get her to medbay, even if she protests.” Despite her feverish and pained state, she snapped her head towards the direction of the voice.

Her green eyes vibrant with anger until it met with abnormally blue eyes. Despite her coldness and stoic expression, it was clear she was hurting.

She let out a shaky exhale and knew she had lost. She could not remember how she ended up in the medbay. She desperately tried to cling onto her training to take slow and steady breaths through the pain.

Her body was drench in sweat and the fluorescent lights above her was blinding, she can barely keep her eyes open. Each inhale felt like a pair of fire hands grasping around her lungs. It hurts. Evelyn turned to her side on the bed, swatting away any hands that tried to keep her on her back as she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball.

‘The colors, so many colors, so many colors, make it stop, make it stop…’

Stepping onto the Aethersong after the hasty exfiltration was like exiting one battlefield and entering another. Instead of fighting with blasters and sabers, this conflict was waged with painful memories and fresh trauma … with leaden thoughts that loomed in the scrubbed air aboard the ship like clouds of thick smog. Had he been just a few years younger, a few years less experienced with his abnormally acute Force sense, the emotional tumult swirling within the minds of the other Envoys would have been too much for him to bear. But he was not that inexperienced kid anymore.

Amongst those troubled minds, none spoke louder to him than Evelyn’s. Everyone’s emotional resonance had a unique rhythm in the Force, beating away like revelrous hands on hide drums during long nights in the Iridonian plains. Hers was different than what he remembered, its tune changed to a peculiar syncopation born from the interference of something all too familiar to the Zabrak scholar … something ancient and wild. His crystal blue eyes that widened when the gravity of the situation fully dawned on him.

A quick jaunt to the ship’s medical bay placed him in the same room as Evelyn and a wookiee whom he didn’t know, but recognized from the mission dossier he’d read on the way over. He offered the latter a silent nod of appreciation before stepping closer to where Evelyn sat. He lowered himself into a crouch before her so he could maintain eye level while he frantically looked her over, his senses flaring in the presence of magick that flared like the very flames he’d conjured earlier in their defense.

“Evelyn,” he called to her, “Evelyn – can you hear me?”

She didn’t respond. His gaze snapped to Karracca. “What happened to her?”

<@1178915035049902120> <@216702440140046336>

Karracca growled in a low rumble, “I didn’t see it, she lept onto the creature itself and stabbed it several times before being hurled off. I just grabbed her and made for the stairs when the ceiling came down…is she family?” Karracca asked.

Aurelis had, a decent view of Evelyn’s actions, admired the woman’s bravery for a moment, then steadied her feet as the rumble started, and their Comms seemed to catch up on hours of missed communications. She dashed for the stairs, hauling Miho up by the good shoulder, ignoring the woman’s protests with a look of ‘listen to your elders’ and with everyone else made their escape.

As they approached a…who’s ship was that…nevermind. She spotted Marick and felt relief, exhaust inducing relief, she let Miho go to walk on her own to the ship. She returned Marick’s clasp on her shoulders and stepped further into the brand new ship, finding a seat, chair, couch, empty space of floor, anything would do and practically collapsed. She was sweaty, and the adrenaline was wearing off leaving her with jelly limbs and exhaustion…and hunger. The latter she vehemently ignored. Now was not the time for food.

<@227653769842655233>

The wookie growled at Marick as the Exarch entered the medbay.

“Hey, boss, can we stop for take out on the way home? I’m a bit peckish.”

The Exarch just stared blankly at his Golden Envoy.

The wookie then turned to Miho, and gave her the ‘sad wookie eyes’.

“He’s asking if we can stop for food on the way home.” Miho translated.

Aure, having loosened her armor a bit to breathe easier, stood at the side of the table, looking at the Oodles of Noodles emblazoned on the side of the take-out containers. She looks at Marick and back down at the containers and covers her face with her hands, at first appearing exasperated, but by the shake of her shoulders, she was laughing quietly.

“Sounds good to me.” Salni replied as she sat back and closed her eyes, this mission had taken a toll on her. She then curled up in her seat, the Sith Dagger that she was given held tight to her. She would take good care of it till Evelyn felt better.

“I promise..” She whispered as she drifted to sleep.

Aurelis went ahead and sat, pulling a set of stir-fried noodles in sauce with various veggies and small pieces of poultry towards her,“ The ship started to get dragged into it’s gravity and was beset by bugs from high altitude, might be worth a study of how they survive up there. May be tech advance theories in their biology should one be caught whole.”

She picked up the disposable chopsticks and broke them apart. “ The block on the communication stemmed from a semi-sentient flora underground that was holding a humanoid prisoner. They were in major pain from what had been stuffed into our heads. Communication was accessable again once the humanoid was killed.”

As time passed, so too did the tension in the air gradually abate. As the Envoys gathered in the mess hall to make themselves a much needed (and deserved meal), Bril decided to partake as well. He would never pass up the opportunity for good noodles, after all, and this was a chance for him to better familiarize himself with those less familiar to him.

After making the rounds for a bit, he decided to make himself his own bowl of noodles once the grumble in his stomach could be ignored no longer. He made his spicy … very spicy. In fact, the first thing the Exarch noticed as the younger Arconan approached him was the wall of spice that surrounded him like a ray shield of capsaicin. Iridonians were known for their spice tolerance, but this bordered on masochistic, didn’t it? Bril’s lips pulled into a smile when the thought of how his beloved Minnie would react to chemistry experiment disguised as food.

“Sooo,” Bril began, lowering his voice so that only Marick could hear the nickname he’d given him during their first meeting, “M-Dawg. Did you get my latest post card? It has one of those cool scratch and sniff stickers on it. I want you to guess what scent it was.”

<@189568236201705472>

Aurelis observed this excess of spiciness, and dug through a pouch on her belt, sliding a little plastid card towards Bril, “ You should come try the challenge bowl,” she smirked a little.

The little plastid bore her name, the name of the restaurant with it’s address, and a tiny little line that simply read Partner at the bottom.

He blinked for a second while looking at the card. “Challenge bowl?” he said, repeating the words to ensure he’d heard her right, “That is definitely something I’m interested in. Do I get my name on a little holo-plaque if I win?”

“Its added on a plaque of the winners, and you get a coupon for 3 free bowls.” she answered.

“Oh yeah, I’m in,” he said, lifting his tattooed hand to give her a thumbs up, accompanied by a beaming smile.

“The Exarch already knows where it is, seeing this spread. Glad to see word is spreading pretty fast.”

<@189568236201705472>

Karracca grabbed a cushion from a nearby bench, 2 boxes of take out noodles and went and sat in the corner of the mess hall. 5 minutes later he was fast asleep, using the folded cushion as a pillow, with the detritus of his pre-nap snack laying beside him.

It was by far the most energy he’d expelled in decades, and the most he’d used his force powers in more than half a century. The old wookie had intended to nap for a half hour and then check-in with teammates and new friends, tour the new ship, and chat with his boss about what had just happened, but as it turned out he slept soundly in the corner of the mess hall for the entirety of the trip back to Arx.

After all the chaos of the battle, helping survivors get aboard the shuttles and then to the med bays, Tahiri still felt the adrenalin coursing through her veins, even as she healed herself and had begun to calm down. Although her mind was still reeling from everything, she made sure people were taken care of, especially Evelyn, though seeing that Bril was already there made her worry a little less.

She carefully sent a single message to warn him, not wanting him to worry about her and focus on helping Evelyn.

Take care, it’s Nightsister Magiks.

Later now

After leaving the rest of the team, she quickly wrote and recorded a report for Marick, while everything was still fresh in her mind. Upon getting the call to meet in the mess hall, she pulled herself from the edge of the alcove window she had found to put the report together, the Elders body protesting due to moving. Groaning and moving slower than she wanted, Tahiri got there as quickly as she could. Before going into the mess hall, she steeled herself and straightened, doing her best to show no signs of any stress, pain, or exhaustion.

Nodding along with the Exarch’s debrief, getting a delicious looking wrap and a bowl of slightly spicy noodles. She finished writing the last bit of her report and sent it to Marick, nodding to him before going back to eating and listening to everyone else. She threw the meat from another wrap to Zuska, while she used the pita bread to soak up some of the both. though that didn’t stop him from going around to everyone else to beg for scraps.

A smile spread across her face upon hearing the almost enthusiastic little trill the young Zabrak got in his voice, at the word ‘challenge’. She chuckled and then looked down at her datapad, seeing the confirmation message from Marick about her report. Suddenly, the same datapad signaled that she had several more messages and direct comms from both Plagueis and Arcona, and then even a few from the Dark Council. Those last ones coming directly from Arx made her heart skip a beat, the food now completely forgotten and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Tahiri had to will her hand to pick up the tablet and then to open those message. Reading it as slowly as she could to make sure she took in all the information it contained, the news of the acceptance of her own letter responding to Consul Nora’s request for assistance, and the official transfer notice from Plagueis to Arcona was a small relief. That tiny spike of cold dread adrenalin, and then the sudden relief left her whole body involuntarily shaking. All the exhaustion came flooding over all at once. Leaning forward onto the table with her elbows, she covered her mouth with her shaking free hand and let out a much needed sigh as quietly as possible.

<@1056685516441006091> <@189568236201705472>