ELROOD SECTOR: Episode Three: Wheelin', Dealin' and Fishin'

[Starbeard]

When they land, Vale makes sure to keep Sense Life going to see if anything large is lurking in the water near their rock.

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

He looks out at the water planet and shivers. "Never a nice warm water planet, alwayss stormy and cold." Zuul shrugs and continues. "At least he will be on ground again, on thiss nice place for ambush."

[max_vale]

Aboard the Nova Kestrel, Planet Alluuvia in the Drift; Elrood Sector


The NRI Agents aboard the light freighter Nova Kestrel entered the atmosphere of the largely water world known as Alluuvia and continued to utilize both the ship's scanners and Vale's 'Force Feelings' to try and get a better handle on what this world was made of and who was on it....

Kael and Clark, utilizing the ship's scanners and sensors, were able to determine that the numerous volcanic islands and/or corral atolls were rich in various metal ores in sizable amounts.....commercially sizable amounts. Beyond that, there were many places were the ocean floor wasn't too deep and many ore deposits were lying on the seabed floor, relatively easily extractable....

Vale closed his eyes and reached out with his Life Detection ability and was quickly surprised by how much sentient life was on this world....it was clearly in the thousands at least; though he was unfamiliar with the species and he knew his senses only stretched out but SO far. He also got the faintest glimmer of perhaps another type of Sentient Life at the limits of his Power's reach....but it was just a very brief moment.....Watching him, Kato did his best to try and lock in all of the movements and facial expressions....

Finding a flat enough looking area on one of the warmer islands near the equator made Zuul feel better in the back and Kit and Kael proceeded to touch down on the island and soon everyone was picking out gear as the landing ramp lowered. As the party walked down the ramp, they were all immediately hit with the ocean smell and sea-breeze and the sounds of waves crashing against the rocky island's coast and everyone was lost in the peaceful bliss of it all for a moment....

Vale brought them all back to the here and now when he announced; "The Force is telling me approximately two dozen sentient beings are near us.....in all directions...", he said with his eyes closed and a moment later his words were proven correct as 20 some odd sentient beings that looked much like humanoid eels easily moved out of the water and onto the little rock and were quickly moving into a circle surrounding the NRI Agents. All of them were holding spears that looked to be made out of bones and sharpened rocks or shells and the Alluuvians were each about 2 meters tall...

One of them stepped forward and in a watery gurgle he said a few words in what some of the NRI Agents realized was Ithorian. After a few attempts to reply were said back, the Alluuvian switched to a strangely accented Basic. "Me Xactray.......me Anguilla....you....friends like Ithorians....or enemies like black-and-white no-tails?"

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[ateno]

Kael seeing an opportunity to help.

"Hello, Xactray, I am Kael. Though I am nit sure who the other tailess ones are, I assure you we come as friends to your Oceans."

Kael

[Rex]

Kit

Expecting communication issues just listens and watches for now.

[Starbeard]

Vale

"Hello, Xactray. I am Vale Starcloud. I call many Ithorians my friend. If the black-and-white ones are who I think, then no, we are not their friends. Who are they? Did they come in big sky ships, with fire beams and explosions? Looking for rocks to take, perhaps?"

[kipper]

Clark keeps quiet. He does try to listen in subtly if he hears the aliens talk to each other in their own language, to get the gist of what they are saying to each other.

((OOC: He is equipped for the worst: Heavy Blaster Pistol, Blaster Rifle, Vibroblade, Stun Grenade.))

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

He frowns at the creatures trying to disrupt his tropical vacation. Zuul defers to the proficient speakers to tell him when to fight and who.

[Zhym]

Kato stands quietly, hands folded, in what he thinks of as the "friendly Jedi" pose. He lets Kael and Vale do the talking for now, but stands by ready to put in a good word if needed.

[max_vale]

In the lair of the Anguilla on the Planet Alluuvia in the Drift; Elrood Sector


Xactray moves his head to regard both Vale and Kael for a long moment with unblinking eyes. One of the other Anguilla croak-hisses some words at him from the far side of the group and Xactray gives and answer and then he switches to his limited Common. "Come....me take to leader and piscatorus....they talk to you and decide...." and with his spear he points to a cave opening on a rocky, coral hill and the NRI Agents are directed towards it....

Moving into the Cave, they see it opens into a large grotto with a narrow sandy beach surrounding a deep pool of water and the entirety of the area is bathed in strange greenish-bluish light, courtesy of bio-luminescent algae coating the walls and ceiling of the grotto. In near silence, the cave is soon filled by Anguilla filing in behind and all around the NRI Agents who find themselves directed towards one end of the cave where a large, more dull in color Anguilla awaits, wearing a strange bit of rock handing from a sea-weed cord around his/her neck. Xactray just says, "Leader....Anyar" and steps back and Anyar moves over to stand in front of the New Republic Intel Agents.....

In MUCH better common, Anyar speaks up, revealing that she understands the language much better than Xactray does as she says, "Welcome to Alluvia Strange Ones......you are one of several groups of strangers that have come from the Ocean of Stars to visit us in recent times. First came the Ithorians.....they are a kind people....but they are not fighters.....they always declined to prove their Strength in the Rites of Conch-shar and therefore, I do not believe they will help in dealing with the black-and-white tail-less ones. Then came the others that looked like you.....they just looked at a few of the islands and left before we had a chance to talk to them. Finally, just a moon ago came the black-and-whites. They landed in their metal clam from the Star Ocean and when we attempted to greet them and bring them to the Rites of Conch-shar; they fired on us with their lightning sticks and killed many of us. We fought them and managed to defeat a few, but we were forced to swim to here.....our original home was an island several swim days from here. They are now using a giant metal clam to pick up many rocks from the ocean floor and fire lightning and small, fast moving spears at us if we get too close."

She slowly walks in front of each of the party and looks very carefully at each. "You three should stand over there......I believe the Piscatorus will be interested in you", she says as she points out Kit, Vale and Kato. The three are herded to one side and a strange creature or being rises up out of the center of the pool in the island....looking like a combination of a 2 meter long aquatic mammal and a 'head' with 4 eyes, a mouth surrounding by 6 tentacle/whiskers and having 2 arms that end in lobster-like claws. The Piscatorus' gaze takes in all 3 and the Albino Wookie and the two young human males all FEEL the Force flowing from the creature and all 3 suddenly collapse, though an Anguilla is there to catch them and move them carefully to lay comfortably on the beach......

Anyar tells the others "There is no cause to worry...the Piscatorus is testing them in their dreams as they are connected to the.....I do not know your
word for it....we call it, 'Mecallethay'......most have only the slightest awarness of it, but a special few can use it in amazing ways. The Piscatorus is one such being....it is finding out if their hearts are good or dark....as those with dark hearts utilize the Mecallethay to do terrible things." She looks over at all of them and then nods at Zuul, "You look strong.....you have the aura of a warrior. Would you help us fight the black-and-whites?"


Kit, Kato and Vale:

Kit'katarra suddenly find herself back on Kashyyyk....her home world. The massive trees are all around her and the air is filled with all the sounds and smells of her youth and her entire spirit is filled with joy and contentment for the moment. She spends a long time just taking in the sights and then begins to feel a strange tension seem to reach her from down below and she utilizes her climbing claws and makes the long trek down to the surface where the sounds of much victorious yells and shouting can be heard. When she reaches the surface she sees a large group of her fellow Wookies howling with glee, praising victory over the Imperials who are on their knees in a square, surrounded by screaming-with-joy-and-gloating fellow members of her people. One, an old friend named Waanakia calls out to her; "Kit'katarra, you're just in time! We're about to pick out which of these worms will serve who as slaves now that we've defeated them! Which do you want?"......


Kato finds himself in a town square, surrounded by towering statues of figures in hooded robes, all holding carved lightsabers and striking AWESOME JEDI POSES. The distinctive crackling hum of a lightsaber reaches his ears and he turns around and sees a powerful figure in dark robes holding a glowing red lightsaber and squaring off against a trio of figures, all of whom are warily circling him. Looking up from his heavy hood, his yellow eyes lock with Kato's and though his lips never move, his voice speaks into his mind. "Come Brother....let us defeat these heretics and I'll continue to teach you the ways of the FORCE. Here....take my lightsaber and cut them down", he says while suddenly turning the weapon of and throwing it towards Kato as his other hand comes up and what looks like blue white lightning starts to arc towards one of the figures as the weapon lands perfectly in Kato's outstretched hand and with a hiss, the humming weapon of awesome power is in Kato's hands.....bathing him in red light. Looking up, he sees that one of the figures is drawing a bead on the Black Robed Jedi and is about to fire on him....his back is open to Kato....


Vale finds himself in the ruins of a Temple......a Jedi Temple. A chest or storage box of some kind lies smashed open in one corner.....ancient texts lie spilling out of it.....texts he can TELL have much lost and ancient wisdom on various Jedi powers and techniques. A powerful voice reaches out to his mind.....'Use the texts....spread the knowledge....you will gain much power, quickly.....the ability to rise the Jedi back up to Power.....to LEAD them.....' For the briefest of moments he sees a translucent form of his old teacher, Master Ixivaan near the storage box....the Jedi Master just shakes his head once with a sad look in his eyes and then fades away as the Texts call out to him.....promising him all the knowledge and power he could ever want in a SHORT period of time......

[Rex]

Kit

"No slaves, it is best they stand trial for their crimes."

She reaches for the force, trying to center herself in it.

[ateno]

Kael will watch the preceding's and stay with his crew.

[kipper]

Clark absently studies the Anguilla and their language.

[Starbeard]

Though it is hard for him to do, Vale trusts the message of his master. He lifts his blaster pistol and fires at the chest, hoping to incinerate the texts before he or anyone can be duped into taking a fast track to power. In his heart he already knows where that would ultimately lead.

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

"You had him at fight. He would be glad to do so. How do we start?" Zuul looks over at Clark. "They mean the Imperialss, right?"

[kipper]

Zuul

"You had him at fight. He would be glad to do so. How do we start?" Zuul looks over at Clark. "They mean the Imperialss, right?"

"It's gotta be", Clark replies.

[Zhym]

Kato finds himself in a town square, surrounded by towering statues of figures in hooded robes, all holding carved lightsabers and striking AWESOME JEDI POSES. The distinctive crackling hum of a lightsaber reaches his ears and he turns around and sees a powerful figure in dark robes holding a glowing red lightsaber and squaring off against a trio of figures, all of whom are warily circling him. Looking up from his heavy hood, his yellow eyes lock with Kato's and though his lips never move, his voice speaks into his mind. "Come Brother....let us defeat these heretics and I'll continue to teach you the ways of the FORCE. Here....take my lightsaber and cut them down", he says while suddenly turning the weapon of and throwing it towards Kato as his other hand comes up and what looks like blue white lightning starts to arc towards one of the figures as the weapon lands perfectly in Kato's outstretched hand and with a hiss, the humming weapon of awesome power is in Kato's hands.....bathing him in red light. Looking up, he sees that one of the figures is drawing a bead on the Black Robed Jedi and is about to fire on him....his back is open to Kato....

Kato looks with amazement at the device in his hands. A lightsaber! The weapon of a Jedi! Truly he is on the path to being a REAL Jedi!

But then he remembers what he has heard. What he knows in his heart. "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." "Anger, fear, aggression—the dark side of the Force, are they." And while his experience with the Force is not extensive (and probably more imaginary than he would like to admit), he has never heard of a true Jedi using force lightning on anyone...except by those on the Dark Side.

Besides, the dark robes are a dead giveaway.

With a quiet sigh, he deactivates the lightsaber and tosses it aside. "No," he says. "I am—well, maybe I am not a Jedi yet. But this path I will not take."

[max_vale]

In the lair of the Anguilla on the Planet Alluuvia in the Drift; Elrood Sector


-Clark, Zuul and Kael


Anyar answers Zuul's question by nodding her eel-like head and saying; "Follow Laskatray there to the Challenge Grotto and there you will wrestle our champion, Benellatrix in the Rites of the Conch-shar....if you prove your worth, we will aid you in any way you deem wise in trying to defeat the horrible black-and-whites who killed many of our people and grant you sanctuary on this world."

Zuul (and the others if they so choose) follow a gesturing Anguilla, presumably Laskatray, through a cave mouth and into a smaller version of the grotto they were just in, though this one was a bit darker and the pool was much more shallow, perhaps only a meter deep. The largest Anguilla they've seen yet was waiting for them....rolling his head and giving a grin filled with as many large, sharp teeth as Zuul's. Laskatray helpfully pointed to the pool and said "Benellatrix" while Anyar followed behind them and spelled it out....

"The Rites have begun.....you must remove all of your gear and enter the pool to face the champion. You must stay in the pool at all times, unless thrown out by your opponent.....in which case you must move back to the pool as soon as possible if able. The first to slap the water three times in quick succession signals they are defeated....or if they are unable to do so, the winner will be obvious. There is no biting allowed.....there is no picking up of any objects to be used as a weapon to be allowed...doing so IMMEDIATELY invalidates one as being a participant in the Conch-shar. While it DOES happen on rare occasions, this is NOT a battle to the death, but to the yielding....or knocked out and unable to do so, but thereby yielding anyway. Is this understood?"


-Kit, Vale and Kato


All 3 students-of-the-Force found themselves suddenly waking up and lying on the grotto's beach and hearing something large nearby go back into and under the water. As they all blinked and returned to the moment, they could only see ripples where the large Piscatorus had been, but a strange voice/feeling seemed to emanate in their minds and hearts. It said/radiated 'Well Done.....you are all worthy'......

Then it was gone and the Anguilla they had first met, Xactray, was waiting for them. He pointed behind him and said in his broken Basic; "Friends in Conch-Shar.....big one with teeth Challenger.....come with..." and he started walking out of the grotto.....

[Rex]

Kit

Kit follows Xactray back.

[ateno]

Kael will also follow along.