Jedi Expedition: Part 1 - The Hoth Adventure

"I agree!" Nykon Graves shouted over the din of battle.

Flipping over the wampa he was engaged with he sent a Force wave at the general direction of the wampa horde.

"I suggest we head that way!" Nykon said pointing to the small shaft that happened to be the same shaft that Will had disappeared into.
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-Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don't give a damn. None shall pass.
-
-To become a Jedi, it is not the Force one must learn to control but oneself.
-
-Podcasts: Star Wars Beyond the Films, The Star Wars Report, & EUCast

Jayda dodged the swipe of a Wampa's paw, more than aware of the fact that her helmet was somewhere on the ground behind her. She slashed at the attacking Wampa's limbs, managing to separate its right arm from its body.

Hearing Truger's suggestion of retreat, Jayda couldn't agree more. She was not in the mood for this, especially minus her helmet. Taking one more swing at the roaring Wampa, she backflipped away from the fray and back toward her helmet. Scooping it and her righthand gauntlet up off the ice, she continued her retreat toward the ice tunnel into which Truger and Nykon had disappeared. Leaping up into the shaft, she hurriedly scrambled behind Nykon and Truger as they tried to put distance between themselves and the cave full of Wampas. Hearing angry roars at the mouth of the shaft, Jayda took the time to turn around and, using the Force, cause a partial cave-in where the shaft connected with the cavern. Hopefully this would deter any of the Wampas that wished to follow. Nodding her head once in satisfaction, she paused to pull on her gauntlet and don her helmet. Feeling much more comfortable with the entirety of her armor in place, she turned back toward her departing allies and continued forward.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Will had just regained sight of the rear of the wampa horde when they blasted through the wall and was relieved to hear the sound of blaster fire and lightsabers. Fortunately for the rest of the group the opening wasn't large enough for the entire horde to come through at once, but it was certainly wide enough to let an overwhelming number through.

"I think we should pull back!" Will heard Truger yell.I agree! came Master Graves voice in response.

There were far too many wampas on his side to cut through so he moved into the shadows of the tunnel, moving forward as the wampa horde made their way through the opening. He heard a crash of ice followed by a howl of frustration. After a minute or so the wampas had finally filled through the opening leaving enough of an opening for Will to creep through. Mindful of the pressing need to remain undetected Will used Force Haze to cloud the minds of the wampas nearest him to ensure they would take no notice of him. Moving in a wide arc around the wampa horde he searched the dead wampas from the earlier battle until he found the one with his knife. Yanking the blade out of the wampas thigh he wiped the blood off on the wampa's fur, staining it a run brown. Sheathing the blade he moved to position himself so that he could observe the wampas at the head of the pack.

The largest wampas were smashing furiously at a small gap in the ice wall, made smaller from a minor cave in. Each swipe of their paws removed huge chunks of ice, slowly widening the tunnel. Next to them were smaller juvenile wampas, muscles tense, waiting to dash down the tunnel as soon as the opening in the tunnel allowed.

Master! Master! a voice suddenly called frantically to Will's left. Snapping his head around to locate the voice he saw the calls came from an armless Jedi, the padawan who had been getting tortured when they had first entered the chamber. Fierfek, why did he have to pick now to wake up? Scrambling over on all fours Will crouched next to the Padawan Quiet! Quiet! I'll get you out of here Will whispered hoarsely as he tried to silence the padawan. Going prone next to the padawan Will crawled forward and then grabbed the padawan by the jacket collar and began slowly dragging him towards a pile of bodies. If I can just reach those bodies I can hide him from the wampas and put him in a healing trance that'll keep him out until we can safely recover him But the padawan began thrashing with increasing violence, trying to shake out of Will's grip. No. No! Master don't let them eat me! Master! Master! Shrieked the padawan louder and louder. Looking up Will saw some of the wampas on the periphery of the horde had been attracted by the noise and were walking towards them to investigate.

Tugging harder on the jacket collar Will tried to drag the padawan towards the cover of the bodies but the padawan had also spotted the approaching wampas and was now thrashing violently in an effort to get up and run. The wampas howled at the sight of fresh blood and picked up their pace, calling more wampas to join them. I can't fight all of them without drawing the attention of the rest of them, and then we're both dead. Will turned back to the padawan. The padawan's eyes darted back and forth with a look of terror driven insanity. I'm sorry kid Grimacing Will pulled out his knife and drove it into the padawan's chest, straight into the heart. Letting out a final gasp the padawan went still. Pulling out his knife and wiping it clean Will sheathed it and went into Force Cloak, quickly retreating into the shadows and cover of bodies further away. Dropping out of Force Cloak to conserve his energy Will watched as the wampas approached the body. Seeing that the padawan was dead they searched the area briefly and then wandered back to the group in obvious disgust at the lack of living prey. The last wampa to leave probed the body with its paw one final time. Satisfied that the padawan was not faking death the wampa lifted a paw, and as a final show of disappointment used its huge claws to rip the belly of the padawan's body open. Snorting derisively at the steaming guts the wampa then lumbered back to the group.

As he watched the horde a few more moments from his new hiding place he finally recognized where the wampa horde was Blast it, why did they have to go down that tunnel? This just keeps getting better. Moving into a crouch Will retraced his steps, being careful to not disturb any of the wampas as he went back down the tunnel. Because he no longer had to worry about getting too close to a wampa he was able to travel down the path at a faster rate and what had seemed to take ages the first time took a mere few minutes before he was back at the entrance to the tunnel that led to the Dark Side infested chamber.

Taking a deep breath Will moved back into the blackness of the tunnel, determined to reach the rest of the group before anything more could happen. Not trusting the taint of the Dark Side coming from the chamber nor the reliably of communicating through the Force after the strain they had all been under Will removed his comlink from his belt and thumbed it on, keeping the volume at a barely audible level. This is Will, if you are in the tunnel I think you are in be careful, the Dark Side is strong in parts of the tunnel Clipping the comlink to his collar he left it on hopping that at least one of the group's comlink was still tuned to his frequency, he then ignited his sabers to once again provide illumination though he couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't be sufficient to drive all the darkness from the place.
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Twenty-four year old Jedi Knight, Hal Darrun lay still and dared not move. His fear held in the sphere of his mind; along with his entire self. He had withdrawn from the Force when it had become clear that the wampas were clearly torturing the surviving padawans and knights.

Hal's only choice was to play dead. And to do so he removed himself into the sphere inside his mind, drawing his life force into it so that his body to all intents and purposes was "dead." The unfortunate side effect was that he was aware still of everything around him through his regular senses. He was walking dead in appearance, and covered in his own blood, and that of the others who had fled to these dark ruins for safety-such a mistake- he looked as dead as the rest. He tried to get the wampas to think he was dead, and so far it had worked.

It had been hours or days even, Hal didn't know; since the last of his group had been slaughtered. Or so he had thought.

Suddenly a humanoid shade came in, hiding in the back, away from the horde. Hal could barley make out the shape as a human when one of his fellow corpses called out, "Master! MASTER!"

Instead of hope at knowing he had a fellow survivor with him, dread filled him.

"Quiet! Quiet! I'll get you out of here" The shadow lied. Hal knew it was lying, just like he knew it was a man. He'll kill you lay still an inner voice told Hal. He followed action and lay his head back down. His cover was four corpses of his friends. Well mostly corpses, the wampas hadn't left much behind in their feast.

Drop deeper into the stance, the voice spoke again. Hal Darrun immediately followed the command and dropped deeper into this sphere. He'd learned to trust his "inner voice" it had kept him alive so far.

No. No! Master don't let them eat me! Master! Master! the padawan cried out his shouts getting louder and drawing the wampas attention. Told you... the voice said satisfyingly.

The trauma of the mission to Hoth was too much for Hal, had he not "snapped" and thought up the voice he'd have gone mad. Well at least he hoped he'd gone mad, for he hadn't had voices in his head prior to Hoth.

The shape was dragging the padawan closer to Hal's hiding spot, and the padawan's shrieks of fear were going to get them all killed. "You don't all have to die" the voice said. It was right! Hal opened his sphere letting the Force and life flow back into him.

He regretting it instantly.

The wreak of death was overwhelming in the Force. He'd drowned in it. He could feel, no taste the taint in his spirit. And something else. Something on the fringe of his awareness. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with a sense of fear so overwhelming he dropped back immediately into his sphere.

"Good!" the voice in his mind said "The wampas smell the fear, and now know where it's from. Be still!"

Hal listened to his inner voice, he remained dead, as dead as he'd been when the shadow man arrived. The shadow man, and the padawan however were very much alive, and drawing the wampa's attention.

Suddenly the shadow man said "I'm sorry kid." then drove a knife into the padawan's chest ending his suffering as well as his terror.

"Interesting" the voice said. Hal didn't think so. He was even more concerned, he noticed that the shadow man had a lightsaber as well. He was a Jedi! It was Will! Oh to the Nine Hells it was Will one of the leaders of the team. "SILENCE!" the voice barked and Hal quieted his mind.

The shadow man, the dark Jedi, WILL!, suddenly disappeared, like he was cloaked or something. The wampas had came over and checked the padawan's body, decided that the carcass wasn't worth the effort and moved back to the larger group.

Hal wished his green lightsaber was in his hand an light, he suddenly had a desire to strike down Will for killing the padawan. Hal didn't even know the padawan on a first name basis. But he suddenly felt his blood boil with the need for revenge.

But he knew he was no match for Will. "Will could kill you with a flick of the wrist. You'd need to be much stronger and more powerful in the Force to take him down." the voice mocked.

It was right. Hal was dead. All he managed to do was prolong his death.

When his team discovered the Sith Holocron he should have listened to the science team member who'd said they should have left immediately to get back up. They'd unleashed a fury of wampas when Hal removed the Holocron from it's dais in the wall. He didn't know where the Sith Holocron had gone in the following slaughter. All he knew was he had it at one point.

His part of the mission had been a complete failure.

All he was was a failure.

"Indeed..." said the voice

Suddenly Hal heard "This is Will, if you are in the tunnel I think you are in be careful, the Dark Side is strong in parts of the tunnel"

What did that mean? Hal thought.

"Be still!" the voice shouted, and suddenly Will's sabers ignited deeper in the tunnel leading into the chamber, providing a soft light to fall across Hal.

He remained dead still.
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-Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don't give a damn. None shall pass.
-
-To become a Jedi, it is not the Force one must learn to control but oneself.
-
-Podcasts: Star Wars Beyond the Films, The Star Wars Report, & EUCast

Going through the tunnels, Truger had no idea where they where going. There were branches going left and right, holes in the floor and ceiling that could have led to more caverns, and sometimes even forked, or tri-forked tunnels leading into multiple directions. If will went into this mess, there was not telling where he was now.

Hearing an ominous moan from one dark lit tunnel's mouth, Truger opted to go the other way and quickly found himself in freezing cold blanket of darkness barely dented by the glow of his lightsaber.

Jayda was right behind him.

"Looks like a massive cavern. Maybe we're near the ruins?"

It was impossible to tell how big the chamber was. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, but even then, he couldn't spot the ceiling or the opposing walls. And the temperature in here was far colder than the tunnels.
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Nykon followed close behind. The darkness of the tunnels seemed to swallow all light from their blades if Trugger and Jayda moved too far ahead of him. He tried not to let that happen since the caverns were such a twisted confusing honeycomb of tunnels and cave-ins.

Coming around a corner he caught back up to Trugger and Jayda once more. The feeling of relief, that they were still there when he rounded the corner, was welcome. The darkness of the caves and the very real threat of the wampas seemed to sap all the positivity from Nykon.

Finding something to feel relief about was like a drink of water to a man dying of dehydration.

"Lets not get too spread out," He said, "Well I mean to say is I'll stick closer to you two and make sure we're all in line of sight from here on out. Something about being alone in the dark here doesn't feel right."

"What? You've got a bad feeling about this?" Jayda playfully mocked. "Take a number Graves, none of us feels good about this place."

"Agreed" Trugger stated "I was just telling Jayda that that massive chamber down their might be a part of the ruins."

"I'm beginning to think this whole place is part of the ruins, or at the least has been incorporated into them over time." Nykon mused. "So what's our plan of action? There the tunnel continues," Nykon gestured to the left and right.

Sure enough the tunnel split once more. Which lead to the surface? Which went deeper into the chamber below? They had no real way of knowing.
_________________

-Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don't give a damn. None shall pass.
-
-To become a Jedi, it is not the Force one must learn to control but oneself.
-
-Podcasts: Star Wars Beyond the Films, The Star Wars Report, & EUCast

Nothing but static came from his comlink, but in the foreboding darkness of the tunnel even static was a welcome sound. Will was becoming aware that the adrenaline that had been pumping through his veins when the wampas were so close was dissipating as the sense of immediate danger wore off. He couldn't exactly place what or why but something else felt different. It was odd, like a vague sense of enhanced power that in turn gave him a slightly improved feeling of being able to overcome the odds of survival that were facing him. But it was distant, just scraping his consciousness similar to the vague awareness that touches the mind before waking up. In any event Will wasn't overly concerned by the new feeling since anything that improved his outlook on the current situation seemed quite welcome.

Echoing in the distance he could suddenly hear voices, breaking the monotony of the hum of his lightsabers and the crackle of static from his comlink. Quickening his pace slightly the voices become more pronounced as he got closer. "So what's our plan of action? There the tunnel continues," It was Master Graves! And where Master Graves was Will was certain Truger and Jayda would be. Quickening his pace further into a slow run he homed in on the voices until he could see a myriad of color, the ice reflecting the color in some areas and in other areas breaking the light up into different spectrums. He could also clearly sense Jayda, Truger and Master Graves in the Force now. An incredible sense of relief that they had survived and happiness at the prospect of seeing them again rushed through Will as he hurried toward them.
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Jayda flicked her wrist, sending her purple saber out in an arc into the cavern before them. She and Truger watched its path, noting that nothing but a few stalagmites revealed themselves. Even the far side of the cave was lost to them. As the lightsaber returned to her hand, she suddenly felt a presence approaching. Whirling, focusing her senses on the entrance to the cavern, she saw that Nykon and Truger were turning toward the entrance also. Just as she was realizing who the Force signature belonged to, Truger called out, "Will!", and rushed back toward the tunnel. She and Master Graves followed close behind him, both grateful that the little group was finally about to be back together again. As she followed Truger, Jayda took the time to reflect on the dark shroud that seemed to be saturating this entire part of the cavern system. It was slimy feeling, and she was disgusted by it. Jayda wasn't sure what their priorities were at this point, and she was looking forward to conducting a meeting and figuring out where they should head next, and what they were looking for. This particular mission was turning out to be much more than any of them had expected.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Hal Darrun waited until the wampas moved on before moving away from his hiding place. He moved slowly at first so as to look dead still in case he was being watched.

Once convinced that no one or thing was watching he moved. Even closed off in his sphere he knew which way Will had gone. Something told him. It must be the Will of the Force," Hal thought. Yes. I am the Will. Now go!

Hal once more did as he was told. He followed the feeling, trusting foolishly that it was the Force leading him. Not once did it dawn on Hal that while in his sphere he was cut off from the Force and shouldn't be able to hear it's call. But that didn't matter to Hal. The voice was real, and it had kept him alive when his so called leader Will had butchered a literally unarmed padawan! So Hal knew the voice meant him no harm.

Didn't it?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and followed the feeling down the path that Will had taken.

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"Will!" Trugger called out rushing towards the tunnel they had just exited. Nykon Graves and Jayda both followed him over, Jayda having just re-clipped her saber hilt to her belt.

May the Force preserve us!" Master Graver declared patting Will on the shoulder twice. On the second pat, Nykon left his hand on Will's shoulder a moment and his chin twitched towards the Jedi very slightly. Jayda saw it though. Nykon removed his hand and crossed behind Trugger as he continued.
"So despite these wampas best efforts we've managed to make it even deeper into this place. I for one do not like the feel of these chambers. And by feel I mean just that, certainly you all must sense the dark slimy feel of this place in the Force? Nykon looked at the three Jedi and each nodded. Will looked Nykon in the eyes once and then avoided eye contact.

So far we've not seen any survivors, though we have perfect proof that there are far too many tunnels and forks to know for sure. The ferociousness of these dark beasts leaves me worried that any survivors have long since been found and killed."

"Not all of us....MASTER...." came a voice behind Will.

Will's face drained of blood and went as pale as a set of bones on the Dune Sea of Tatooine, his blade was out and ready as he spun on the voice.

Master Graves reached out and once more placed his hand on Will's shoulder, this time his eyes drifted shut. "Will, it's ok. We've found one" he said as he walked past Will and knelt down in front of the young Jedi. Will shut down his blade but didn't take his eyes off the newcomer. The Jedi looked familiar.

"Hal Darrun! Bless my stars boy! Are there any others with you?" Trugger exclaimed walking forward.

"N-n-no, sir." Hal said not looking at any of the Jedi.

"I didn't recognize you your so covered in blood. Are you injured?" Will asked.

Hal turned to Will and his expression was void of all emotion. He looked as though he was dead. He whispered "I'll live..." and looked Will in the eye once quickly. Just long enough to measure a man. What Hal saw though was anyone's guess.

This wasn't the same Hal Darrun who had landed with the team. Nykon could tell that by the expressions he was seeing on Will and Trugger. Nykon wasn't sure if Jayda knew the young Jedi. All Nykon knew was that when looking at Hal in the Force something wasn't right. Hal was there, but he wasn't there.

Was that right?

Nykon looked closer at Hal.

Yes, something was amiss. His aura was splintered. His trauma had been bad enough to damage the boy's Force presence. Who knew what kind of horrors the boy witnessed at the claws of the wampas? To Nykon Hal looked like three shades of blue with Red crack lines running throughout. When Hal turned and looked at Nykon, to Nykon's Force senses Hal's eyes seemed as red as the lines, and his chest seemed to glow a violet red beneath the blue shades. Very Bizarre. Nykon thought.

Hal explained how he'd survived his ordeal, how his group had first found the ruins and the chamber with the Holocron, and sent a runner back to tell Trugger. They didn't know if the runner had been attacked or not. The wampas had attacked them soon after and many of the group didn't stand a chance. He talked of hiding, and using his friends dead bodies to keep alive. How the wampas left the dead in search of live prey.

All through out Hal's tale Nykon couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He couldn't place it.

He kept looking back the way Will and Hal had came expecting the wampas to attack. Something dark and evil was back that way. And it was obvious to Nykon Graves that both Will and Hal had been effected in some way by what ever was causing his feeling. Was it the ruins itself? The strange attack Nykon had had earlier? Stang Nykon wished he could recall what had happened. All he knew for sure was that the Force was strong here. And unfortunately it wasn't the Force as the Jedi knew it. The Dark Side ruled Hoth. Or at least this part of the planet.

The question was weather or not they could destroy this evil place.

Nykon pondered that thought as Hal continued his story. When Hal would finish Nykon would address what to do next with Trugger and Will. They seemed to have a good handle on things so far. Well Trugger at any rate, I'm not so sure anymore about Will. he thought to himself.

The sooner we get off Hoth the better, Nykon considered Consider this mission a failure and move on Rep. REP! Double STANG! How could he have forgotten Rep Gordon! The one light Hal provided was that survivors could still be out there. He was just then talking about how the wampas gathered the bodies in small piles no more then five bodies to a pile. Perhaps more Jedi had tried Hal's trick to survive? Nykon continued to listen.
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-Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don't give a damn. None shall pass.
-
-To become a Jedi, it is not the Force one must learn to control but oneself.
-
-Podcasts: Star Wars Beyond the Films, The Star Wars Report, & EUCast

Last edited by Salaris Vorn on Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:11 pm; edited 4 times in total

"Not all of us....MASTER...." came a voice behind Will. He spun around, blades at the ready and saw before him a being covered in blood, his hair was matted together in clumps by dry blood and Will could swear there were dry bits of flesh on his clothing. But this was no corpse, at least Will hoped there were no talking corpses on Hoth. No this was a live Jedi alright but something about this Jedi filled Will with dread, draining the color from his face. I've seen blood hundreds of times, seen things that makers of horror holofilms never dream of. But there is something unnerving about his appearance...

Master Graves reached out and once more placed his hand on Will's shoulder, this time his eyes drifted shut. "Will, it's ok. We've found one" he said as he walked past Will and knelt down in front of the young Jedi. Well Master Graves sees no threat, and I've yet to see a reason to doubt his judgment Will shut down his sabers but for the time being kept them in his hands, keeping his eyes on this new comer for any suspicious movements just in case Master Graves turned out to be wrong. One twitch, one sign that something isn't right and this new guy is gone. We've made it too far, lived through too much to be cut down now. I won't allow it to happen Will closed his eyes What am I saying? That is not the Jedi way. Let go of the anger, trust Master Grave's judgment. He does not desire any of us to die either and would not expose us to risk without warning us Opening his eyes Will slowly returned his sabers to his belt, quietly letting out a breath he'd been unaware he'd been holding.

"Hal Darrun! Bless my stars boy! Are there any others with you?" Trugger exclaimed walking forward.

"N-n-no, sir." Hal said not looking at any of the Jedi.

"I didn't recognize you your so covered in blood. Are you injured?" Will asked.

Hal turned to Will and his expression was void of all emotion. He looked as though he was dead. He whispered "I'll live..." and looked Will in the eye once quickly. Just long enough to measure a man. Will looked back and wasn't thrilled with what he saw. Or rather what he didn't see. This was not the padawan who had left Saber's Hilt and the change didn't seem to have been for the better. We all deal with our first combat differently, perhaps this is just his way of coping? Afterall he was with the science team, not a combat team, so he probably isn't as well versed in combat as others...No there is something more, something in the what he said, as if he was speaking directly to me. But why? I've not tried to kill him, why would I? Will didn't like where these thoughts were headed, or at least some part of him didn't like that direction even though some part of him had a strong, almost imperative desire to continue the train of thought No now is not the time to second guess my actions. I've done the best I could facing all the trials of the mission thus far and we have yet to survive it. Second guessing only leads to doubt, and that invariably leads to death. Giving his head a slight, barely noticeable shake to clear his mind, his eyes focusing back on the group.

Looking at each in turn, his mind paid particular attention to every detail. It was almost as if some small part of him was searching for something to cling to, some symbol of the light side of the Force. It was as if a part of him was trying to bring him back to the light side. But I've not done anything wrong. I've loyally fought beside everyone, I've not abandoned anyone to torment and death. That's why I had to kill the padawan, I couldn't let him get captured by the wampas again. What the wampas would have done... Will's mind trailed off, some doubt still lingering. No what I did was right, I had no other choice but to kill him out of mercy. That doesn't make me a Dark Jedi...does it? Confused Will went into a crouch, not an ideal meditating position but the only one that afforded him the ability to quickly spring to action if a threat appeared. I must find out why some part of me feels it is so imperative to remember some symbol of the light side of the Force. Meanwhile Hal continued his story, though Will didn't hear much of it as he wandered in the slowly increasing darkness of the depths of his mind and the Force, searching for an answer.
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Hal was a pretty gruesome sight with all that blood, and he felt like a mess in the Force. Truger pulled out his canteen and searched for a rag. "Here Hal, let's clean you off some and make sure you don't have any wounds. The cold can make it hard to tell. Numb skin doesn't feel much."

Hal slowly took a seat and let Truger clean the blood from his face and hands. Truger checked over Hal's clothing, inspecting the tears to see there were any wounds, however they all looked superficial. Somehow the Jedi had managed to dodge the wampas without harm.

"There, that's better. A warm sanistream would do wonders, what say we get are way out of here and back to the ship?" Truger flashed a smile that Hal was unable to return.

Looking back at the others, Truger noticed that Will seem different. Caves must be getting to us all. "I don't think going back is a good idea. I think we should try pushing forward and and find a way up. If this is the ruins, then they should head to the surface. It's probably are best way out."
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"I don't think going back is a good idea. I think we should try pushing forward and and find a way up. If this is the ruins, then they should head to the surface. It's probably are best way out."

Nykon Graves shook his head. "I'm not so sure we should all head up to the surface, Rep Gordon is still unaccounted for, and I tell you all this- he and I trained together for a while in the weapons Master programs, and he is still alive here somewhere. I'd have felt his passing."

Jayda moved forward, "Master Graves is right, we can't all go back to the ship. If anything Hal proves that others could still be alive. As for Gordon, if Graves here says he's still alive, I believe him. I've seen Gordon spar, he's no slouch even unarmed."

Truger seemed to think it over for a second then nodded, "alright then, change of plan, we'll need to split up. As much as it goes against my instincts." He looked at Will, then Nykon. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, and since we don't know for sure how many of our original party are alive or dead we'll need to keep an active search going. I'll stay for that." He glanced at the others.

Nykon met Truger's eyes "I'm not leaving Hoth with out Rep, if need be you can send my ship down and I'll even continue alone-"

"Hold up Graves! Truger exclaimed, "we're not there yet, and hopefully won't be. Though it's good to know you're willing to go that far for Rep. We could have Jayda take Hal back to her shuttle for now, she's in full armor so would have an advanced warning if the wampas were coming back, and her comm might be able to act as a relay from us to her to the shuttle. The Saber's Hilt will need an update soon."
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-Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don't give a damn. None shall pass.
-
-To become a Jedi, it is not the Force one must learn to control but oneself.
-
-Podcasts: Star Wars Beyond the Films, The Star Wars Report, & EUCast

Jayda nodded her head at Truger's suggestion. "I'd be happy to take Hal back to the ship, and we should be fine on our own. Those areas of the caverns have already been cleared of Wampas, and if there are any more, we can handle ourselves." She casually tossed a thermal det into the air for emphasis.

Truger looked to Nykon and Will for confirmation on the plan. Will nodded in agreement, but Nykon hesitated. He placed his hand on Hal's shoulder and asked, "You think you're up for a trip back to the surface? You'll have to be able to take care of yourself. Jayda can't be expected to protect you both." Jayda cocked her head at this, but said nothing. Hal glanced up at Nykon and nodded readily. Perhaps too readily...but Nykon shrugged it off. He could certainly understand if the boy was anxious to leave the caverns. Satisfied, he turned to Truger and nodded his consent.

It was unanimous, then. "Alright, boys, looks like we'll be heading back to the surface. What would you like me to tell the Saber's Hilt?" Jayda pulled out a datapad and began inputting a message that could be sent to the Hilt once she cleared the surface of the planet. A lengthy discussion ensued of what should be included in her report.

Hal Darrun tried to listen to the ongoing discussion, but he couldn't focus. Something was clouding his mind, interfering with his ability to think straight. Get to the surface. Hal shook his head. This voice...it was his own, and yet...something was off about it. Get to the surface. The voice was more insistent this time. Hal tried to push the voice back. It had been guiding him for some time now, but being among friends had seemed to dull it somewhat. No longer, however. The voice spoke to him soothingly, "Get to the surface and board the Saber's Hilt at all costs. Your life depends upon it." Hal pondered this. Surely his life depended upon exiting these caverns, there was no doubt about that. And surely it would be even better to completely leave this Force forsaken planet altogether. But was that what the voice meant? There seemed to be more to this train of thought...an ulterior motive lingering beneath the surface. But what was it? There was something foreign about that voice. It seemed so right, and yet...it wasn't. He closed his eyes and desperately tried to clear the cobwebs crowding his mind. He swept at them with tendrils of the Force, trying to brush them away, but to no avail. The cobwebs reached out with their own Force tendrils, much stronger than his own, and batted his defenses aside. They crawled deeper into his mind and grabbed better hold of his overall being. Hal tried to push back, tried to discover what was wrong with the voice in his head. He knew it was his own voice, but at the same time he knew it was not. Surely there had to be some way...

...a gloved hand grabbed his shoulder, and Hal Darrun's head snapped up, eyes glancing around furtively. Jayda was staring at him, head cocked to the side, helmet under one arm. "Hal? Are you okay?" Hal stared at her, not understanding. It was so hard to think clearly. Get to the surface. Hal shook his head to clear it, then glanced down at himself. He was sweating, and a surprising amount, considering he was in the middle of an ice cavern. He licked his lips anxiously, "I'm sorry, I'm okay. I just don't feel so good, ya know?"

Jayda looked harder at him, locked eyes with him, trying to see into his inner being. There was something wrong with this boy, and not just physically. He had cuts and bruises, but there was something beneath the surface, troubling his very spirit. She wanted to leave him alone, chalk it up to the recent trauma he'd been through, and just let him heal. But she couldn't. Something was wrong here, and she was going to figure it out as soon as possible. But now was not the time.

Jayda squeezed his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile, "I know. Let's get you back to the Hilt." She tore her gaze away from his own and slipped her helmet back onto her head. Giving one last glance toward the troubled young Jedi, she turned to the others and bid them farewell. Making her way out of the cavern, Hal close behind her, she tossed a casual salute back toward Truger, Nykon, and Will. This would hopefully be a quick trip. She should be back with them soon enough.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Modero had been watching and waiting. He knew these caverns better than the back of his hand; it was not difficult to put himself out of sight. He had needed an opportunity to go after the Mandalorian, and a better chance than he could have hoped for had just presented it self. The woman was going back to the surface, accompanied by a Jedi. They would be easy enough to deal with. As for the rest of the Jedi - Modero could only hope that they continued searching for their friend he had taken hostage. The wampas would be able to handle it from there, and he would be off this planet.

He watched as the Mandalorian and the Jedi walked past him, waited until the other Jedi had set off and rounded a corner, and then began to follow. Should he attack in the caves, or on the surface? He had to distance himself from the other Jedi first. He would have to continue to be patient.

Will had been unable to find any answers, and the Force, or at least the Light Side of the Force was clouded. Not that it surprised Will, after all the caves reeked of the Dark Side and that usually resulted in the Light Side being clouded from view. I've been in places contaminated by the Dark Side before, but its never made it this hard to connect to the Light Side of the Force...the Dark Side must be unusually powerful here Hal's story had come to an end and since meditation could bring no answers Will stood back up and picked up in on the conversation.

take Hal back to the ship, and we should be fine on our own. Those areas of the caverns have already been cleared of Wampas, and if there are any more, we can handle ourselves." She casually tossed a thermal det into the air for emphasis. Will gave slight grin, a thermal det certainly would be capable of evening the odds and the idea of vaporizing more dark wampas was mildly amusing. Will nodded in agreement.

"You think you're up for a trip back to the surface? You'll have to be able to take care of yourself. Jayda can't be expected to protect you both." Jayda cocked her head at this, but said nothing. Hal glanced up at Nykon and nodded readily. I'll be glad to be rid of him, something just doesn't feel right. Jayda should be fine though, if the wampas couldn't kill her no moon-brained padawan will. Of course if Hal tries anything a simple frag grenade down the throat will solve the problem real fast. It doesn't really matter if he's on the Saber's Hilt or new decoration for a tunnel at least he'll be gone so we can focus on getting off this ice ball

"Alright, boys, looks like we'll be heading back to the surface. What would you like me to tell the Saber's Hilt?" Jayda pulled out a datapad and began inputting a message that could be sent to the Hilt once she cleared the surface of the planet. A lengthy discussion ensued of what should be included in her report.

"Tell them to hold any new shuttle deliveries, we've got enough work finding the survivors already here, we don't need any more strays. Make sure the med bay is also put at action stations and ready to receive casualties. We have no idea what condition any other survivors may be in so the med bay must be prepared for the worst" Will put in. The last thing we need are the medics asleep in their bunks when casualties start rolling in, especially if I'm one of them. Dying in the cold vacuum of space isn't going to be any more enjoyable than dying on this ice ball

After more discussion they finally reached an agreement on the report. The wait though didn't seem to have done Hal any good though, and he looked worse than before. Jayda placed a gloved hand on Hal's shoulder "Hal? Are you okay?" Hal stared at her, not understanding. Hal shook his head to clear it, then glanced down at himself. He was sweating, and a surprising amount, considering he was in the middle of an ice cavern. He licked his lips anxiously, "I'm sorry, I'm okay. I just don't feel so good, ya know?" Jayda squeezed his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile, "I know. Let's get you back to the Hilt."

Definitely moon-brained. The medics would probably have a better chance of putting Darth Sion back together than Hal if he continues deteriorating. Maybe Jayda should just space him once they leave atmo, save the medics some trouble of working on a lost cause. He closed his eyes briefly That's not the Jedi way, focus on the Light Side... Calming his mind Will grabbed hold of the Light Side he could still sense in the ever growing darkness.

"Alright the longer we wait the fewer survivors we're going to find". Will said to Master Graves and Truger. Making a final adjustment to the shoulder straps of his pack he pulled his mask back up over his mouth and he could feel the insulation of the mask bring some warmth back to his cheeks. "May the Force protect you and see you safely to the Saber's Hilt...and back" Will said looking at Jayda's helmeted head. He then looked carefully at Hal who gave him a nervous smile, though Will didn't return it, not that Hal could have seen a smile anyway now that Will's mouth was covered by his mask. Turning Will joined Truger and Master Graves to being search for Rep Gordon and any other survivors.
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