Star Wars: The calm before the storm Group A

[Azerian Kelimon]

Star Wars: The Calm Before the Storm

A Long time ago, In a galaxy far, far away...

It is a time of turmoil for the new galactic republic. Some time ago, an alien force entered the scene, causing tremendous upheaval and imprinting fear into the hearts of the Republic's citizens. That force was no other than the mighty Yuuzhan Vong, the Enemies of the force, the haters of technology. In a stunningly short amount of time, the Vong conquered planets in the Outer Rim, killing or enslaving every man, woman, and child in the planet. Stunned by the blitzkrieg, the Republic took time to respond. Now, as fierce battles rage across the Mid and Outer Rim, the Republic and the New Jedi Order find themselves overwhelmed by the ferocity of the Yuuzhan Vong. In this dark times, all enmities are forgotten, and because of this, the Imperial Remnant has joined the fight.

However, old hatreds die hard, and a portion of the Remnant has not allied with the republic. Desperately in need of allies, you have been sent by the leaders of the republic to negotiate with the recalcitrant leaders of the unallied faction. You are on a freighter ship, the Shaped Stone, which is unarmed as a sign of good faith for the dissidents.

Up to now, the voyage has been very calm, but as you approach Tattoine (Picked for the meeting due to being a fairly neutral ground, and one of the few Outer Rim planets which are still unconquered), that is about to change...

Spoiler

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And this way we kick off the campaign. Feel free to post an introduction, and to be as descriptive or succint as you want.

[trineon]

Tar Baantka

Spoiler

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{table]

Race: Durosian, Male
Class: Jedi 1
Current HP: 31/31
Initative: +5
Speed: 6
Fortitude Defense: +13 Reflex Defense: +17 Will Defense: +15
Weapons: Lightsaber, Blue (2d8)

Full Character Sheet

[/table]

In his quarters within the Shaped Stone, Tar Baantka is seated on his bed, focused in a trance. Having practiced his lightsaber techniques, now was the time to sit, focus and once again, try to influence the Force that flowed through him.

After several minutes of no motion and complete silence, Tar opens his eyes to gaze to an empty medium sized container across the bed. Before settling down for a trance, he had propped it up in preparation for what was to follow. Inhaling slowly, he feels the flow of the Force, and suddenly attempts to seize and mold it into a blast. Despite the considerable effort on his part, he feels no blast. Only a whisper, not even enough to budge the container.

Exhaling with an air of disappointment, he closes his eyes once more to return to his trance. The Force is there. It flows, but it has yet to listen.

[Rane126]

Rhys Da'car - Jedi

Rhys is a tall young man in his early twenties with tousled blond hair and green eyes. Since being selected from the praxeum as a padawan he has tended to wear the traditional style robes common amongst jedi of ages past. He continues to wear them aboard the freighter Shaped Stone as it streaks through hyperspace towards Tattooine.

His time on the journey has been spent between exercising, practising with his lightsaber, meditating in a force trance and spending time in the cockpit watching the freighter pilot fly. His true love is flying and although he never officially trained he's not a that bad of a pilot. He takes the opportunity to watch and learn while they travel.

He sits with his feet up in the passenger seat in the cockpit trying to suppress the excitement he feels to finally be doing something useful in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong invaders and contemplating the mission he and the others have been sent on.

[cintain]

Iung Lon

Distracted, Iung Lon continued to look out the blast windows of the Shaped Stone's cockpit, counting stars with his hands behind his back. His lightsaber, still warm to the touch from the practising with Tar Baankta and Rhys, gradually lost its pull on the Kel Dor's attention as it became supplanted by the void.

We are all stars, shining dimly in our own colorless universes, he muses, unconcerned of who hears him or not. The Republic is like a star, too, shining in the void, and these Yuuzhan Vong are like a cloud of celestial dust, obscuring the path of the galazy through the void of space.

Through the antiox breath mask, Iung Lon's voice was tinny and harsh, betraying little of the soft-spoken tone that so annoyed his parents back in Dorin. Tall and gaunt for a member of his species, wearing Jedi robes and the mismatched blue tabard, half-showing underneath, Iung Lon's salmon-colored skin glistened wetly, the Kel Dor version of sweating in a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere.

I wonder what the Yuuzhan Vong homeworld is like, and if their skin suffers the same kind of awful distortions as ours does in this environment, he says, turning around and bringing his hand to his chin in intense thought. Bacta and synthetic skin make Kel Dor skin turn green, you know? he says, looking at Rhys. I wonder what color Yuuzhan Vong skin is.

...what do you think that these leaders of the Remnant will say?

[Rane126]

Rhys Da'car - Jedi

"I've heard they mutilate themselves. Some don't have any skin at all, they say." He screws up his face, "That's disgusting. I say let them mutilate themselves, I'll even lend a hand. They are not space dust obscuring anything," he says a little harshly, "they are a plague of locusts, devouring everything in their path. If they are not stopped soon, there will be nothing left of the galaxy we know, love and serve. It is our duty as jedi, to defend the people, to defend the galaxy, to defend the Force." He stops as he is getting a little too carried away. I must not let my emotions take control of me. Breathe. Breathe. Let go my feelings.

After several calming breathes Rhys looks back at Iung Lon, "Forgive me Iung, sometimes I get a little ahead of myself. The remnant? They must by now see the threat of the Yuuzhan Vong, their answer can only be that they will aid the New Republic, else they will be conquered and subjugated as the rest of the outer rim worlds. They must see that. I just hope Kam and Tar can bring them in soon enough to make a difference."

[The_Snark]

Tallisa

"They agreed to a meeting," a youthful voice comes softly from the door to the cabin, preceded by footsteps audible only to a very keen ear.

The young girl appears softly in the doorway to the cabin, watching both the people there and the view from out the port. She appeared to be at that age when referring to her as a girl rather than a young woman started to sound rather patronising, but thinking of her as an adult was also rather difficult. Most people, confronted with teenagers, either avoided referring to age altogether, or tried to ignore the potential clumsiness of whatever they picked.

Tallisa wasn't exactly a teenager, of course; but there were a lot of similarities. She's still short—either not finished growing, or just short—and rather thin, wearing drab brown clothing that would go wholly unremarked on the streets of a thousand worlds. She looks youthful, too, although her eyes and face both betray a measured calm. That was the only thing they betrayed; this one was hard to read.

"That means they want to talk," she goes on. "Maybe they'll bluster, maybe they'll want to believe there's no threat or that they can fight it, or ally with it, but they did agree to meet, so they'll talk." She tilts her head slightly, looking at the two Jedi. "Or maybe they just want to kill us all, to send a message," she says matter-of-factly, not sounding overly worried.

It was still slightly strange to all parties for her to be on board. She'd decided she had to try and do something about the Vong, and had let herself drift, trying to hear—hear wasn't really the right word; maybe feel was better—trying to feel where she ought to be, where she could go. And she'd felt something, little... echoes. She'd followed them.

Contrary to what one of the others might have guessed, they hadn't led her to one of the other Jedi aboard the ship. They had led her to a woman named Kam Erelen, who'd been petitioning the New Republic for some way to aid them in the field. Maybe that hadn't been chance; Kam couldn't really refuse her, not when they were trying to do the same thing. The others, the Jedi, had been a little later. They were different; she could feel them easily if she tried, like little shining points or loud hums in the background. The way they'd reacted, that made her think perhaps it went the other way around, too.

[Rane126]

Rhys

Rhys rolled his head over his shoulder to look at the young woman walking softly up the access passage to the cockpit. She was surely a strange one. As young as she looked her eyes betrayed her experience, she must have seen a lot in her short years. She was hard for a jedi to miss, burning brightly in the Force as she did. She was nice enough, although they had only met recently.

"I doubt that killing all of us is really much of a statement. With the senators scattered for cover and the Jedi Masters all out at the front lines there's no-one of repute left to send on these missions to garner support. Killing a couple of young representatives and a few padawans is hardly anything to boast about. Although, I wager we might surprise some people if it came to a fight." he says with a smile.

[cintain]

Iung Lon

Iung Lon regarded Rhys for a long moment after his last statement, even when attention shifted to Tallisa when she entered the cockpit. He didn't need to look at her to see her, and in a certain way her presence comforted him --- the fact that there were non-Jedi people who were strong in the force was both perplexing and reassuring.

Self-mutilation is worn like a badge of courage, and it is hardly confined to the Vong... the way some of the people in the Jedi order itself carry themselves, I sometimes wonder if we're not doing something similar to ourselves in the collective...

...and don't worry too much about your emotions, Rhys. Remember they're not you, just part of the process... the weather, so to speak... and you'll find them much easier to let go of.

Iung Lon looks past Tallisa and leans onto the wall of the cockpit, yet it somehow feels like he's by the door, leaning slightly into Tallisa --- not invasively, but with a careful sense of respect and caring.

Every life is precious, dear Tallisa, like pinpoints of light in a dark night, or planets before they're ripped up by some apocalyptic force, he remarks, his face brightening up when he regards the girl-woman, but I, too, doubt that in this particular juncture we'd make much of a statement dead. They will talk, but what will they say? I wonder what they've heard about the Vong... what we can tell them to sway their cause to our needs is meaningless unless they also already believe it...

[SeraphKast]

Jace Tyrin - Jedi

Jace was sitting in the cargo hold of the Shaped Stone, trying to calm his breathing. He'd done a bit of sparring with the others a few moments ago, but after they had wrapped up he'd pushed himself through his daily exercises. Running was out of the question given the size of the ship, but stretches, pushups, and some of his more acrobatic moves could be practiced. He wandered back into his room and changed out of the workout garb into his usual jumpsuit outfit. Staring at himself in the mirror he almost didn't recognize his own face sometime. There wasn't a lot of time for that at the academy, and well...he just never really paid attention. His pale blue eyes stared back out of a face that looked too old to be him. Time flies when you're training, I guess.

Stepping out, now a bit more refreshed he quietly walked into the cockpit as Tallisa joined the conversation. Listening for a moment, Jace grinned to himself.

"Well, hopefully they'd want to send a bigger message that us being dead. The Remnant may be unfriendly, but they're not exactly hostile. Mostly, anyway," he said. "As for whether they'll help us or not...well...that I suppose probably depends on the Yuuzhan Vong themselves. If they've started being attacked by the Vong, maybe they're changing their tune? Would make sense why they wanted to talk now, after holding back so long."

Jace ran his hands through his short, dark hair. "At least, that's what I'm going to bank on, because anything else means we're probably wasting our time, or worse."

[Rane126]

Rhys

"I guess we'll find out when we reach the rendezvous on Tatooine. Speaking of Kam, has anyone seen her since breakfast?" He looks expectantly at Tallisa since she's closest to her.

[The_Snark]

Tallisa

Tallisa moves out from the entryway as Jace comes up behind her; maybe to let him come a little more into the conversation, maybe to get her out from between him and the others. A hint of a smile tugs at her face as he finishes. "You hope for the best, but don't plan for it," she told the Jedi. "You plan for the worst." An old Aldivian saying, and found on numerous other worlds across the galaxy, too, in one form or another.

She looks across at Rhys. "Yes. She's in her cabin. Or was."

[cintain]

Iung Lon

Iung resumes his pacing before the window, looking out into the void of space with his hands behind his back. He speaks in that slightly unnerving half-whisper that sounds like he is thinking out loud and not aware that there is anyone else in the room.

Leaders are neither born nor made, but rather shoved into the circumstance of their leadership, kicking and screaming and feeling wholly inadequate for the task. Perhaps Kam Erelen ponders this as we approach our destination... but then again, perhaps not.

Iung Lon crosses the cockpit and stands next to Jace.

Perhaps fear is a strong enough motivation for the Remnant, like you say, Jace... but only if it can be overturned into courage.

Incidentally, have you seen Tar Baantka? He was sparring with us earlier, was he not?

[Autumn Blooming]

Kam

Kam's blaster makes a quiet click as she finishes cleaning it for the third time that day. With a sigh, she leans back in her chair. I really don't mind helping out with the Republic's diplomatic missions, but they could at least have given us a faster ship. She flicks off the work light on her desk, and stands up, heading towards the cockpit. I might as well see what everyone else is up to. As she walks towards the bridge, she hears the end of a conversation about the potential dangers of the trip echo down the hallway.

Kam arrives at the cockpit just as Iung ponders on the motivations of the Remnant splinter group. She is on the taller end for humans, with dark brown hair in a ponytail sticking out of her black cap. She wears olive drab cargo pants with a black shirt on top, and a holster on her left hip, which is currently empty.

"You were discussing what motivates the Remnant, correct? From what I know of the Imperials, they wouldn't let fear dominate them. It seems more likely to me that they merely want to see their old foes receive some of the destruction that has visited their territories in the recent years."

Leaning against the bulkhead, Kam smirks slightly. "Although, now that these Vong have proved themselves this formidable, they might be changing their tune to a more cooperative one."

"Anyone interested in grabbing a bite to eat? It doesn't look like anything eventful is going to happen for the next couple of hours, seeing as how we're still in hyperspace."

[Rane126]

Rhys

"Even though we're unlikely to be a statement for the Remnant, one thing we should still be aware of is the Peace Brigade, the faction of galactic residents that are trying to appease the invaders. We know they try to capture Jedi to hand over and a group of young padawans like us might be a tasty target for them."

Rhys answers Kam's question, "you know, food sounds good right now. Let's head to the mess." He gets up and pauses to see if the others follow, heads towards the ship's mess area.

[cintain]

Iung Lon

Iung Lon regards Kam as she speaks through begoggled eyes. When she suggests food, the Kel Dor makes to follow Rhys and her out the cockpit and down the hallway without saying a word. He hums quietly with hands behind his back, letting his out-breaths make hissing sounds through his antiox mask.

[trineon]

Tar Baantka

Spoiler

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{table]

Race: Durosian, Male
Class: Jedi 1
Current HP: 31/31
Initative: +5
Speed: 6
Fortitude Defense: +13 Reflex Defense: +17 Will Defense: +15
Weapons: Lightsaber, Blue (2d8, +1 Reflex)

Full Character Sheet

[/table]

After an indefinite while, Tar phases out of his trance. Very little improvement, but it's enough for the time being. Standing up and out his bed, he picks up his robes he had neatly folded next to him. Now covered in his brown plain robes, the sharp contrast between his light blue skin and deep red eyes is somewhat dulled. Walking up to the container, he takes the time to move it back to its usual position beside the bed. Countless attempts on slamming it with the force, and the best he could muster was a slight shake.

Wonder what everyone else is up to? One can practice and meditate for only so long... Walking out of the quarters, Tar proceeds towards the mess hall, his face reflecting the stoic expression typical of his kin.

[Rane126]

Rhys

Rhys smiles a greeting to Tar as the group makes it's way to the mess area. He helps prepare food and takes a portion up to the pilot in the cockpit. "What's the ETA to reversion?" He says as he hands the plate over.

[The_Snark]

Tallisa

Tallisa shrugs, and slips back to eat rather quietly. She's never been picky about food; that was a luxury that wasn't practical in a lot of places. The ship's supplies were fairly well stocked in any case; the New Republic might be pressed on a lot of fronts, but agriculture apparently wasn't one of them yet.

[trineon]

Tar Baantka

Spoiler

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{table]

Race: Durosian, Male
Class: Jedi 1
Current HP: 31/31
Initative: +5
Speed: 6
Fortitude Defense: +13 Reflex Defense: +17 Will Defense: +15
Weapons: Lightsaber, Blue (2d8, +1 Reflex)

Full Character Sheet

[/table]

Greeting the others, Tar quietly sits for his share of the meal. "We've been travelling for quite a while now. Tatooine should be fairly close." Slowly eating his meal, he pauses between ever few bites. "Todays sparring went fairly productive I'd say, I'm always discovering different forms of offense to expect."

"Speaking of which, I hope everyone's prepared for whats to come. I don't know what the Remnant side is about to offer...or if they'll even offer anything. But I expect plenty of demands. An abundance of offense, if you will. Wartime negotiations have a penchant to be testy."

[cintain]

Iung Lon

At the mention of the training from Tar Baantka, Iung Lon looks up and smiles through his antiox mask.

Indeed, has the training given you any insights that you might want to share, friend?

He looks around at the others.

We have been discussing the potential... enormity of our task, and the Vong enemies. Perhaps there is something that the Remnant knows that we do not, and this prompts them to approach. I keep thinking of fear as their motivation...

Iung Lon looks down at his food, suddenly distracted from the methodical motions he goes through to feed himself through the breathing device. He looks at Tar Baantka patiently.