Kol nods.
"Hmm. Well call me paranoid, but I'm going to smudge the 'Grass' part of the ships name [Grasshopper], and drop the transponder two or three times."
He grins as he pushes himself away from the bulkhead.
"And I could use a good sparring match. I think the tension's getting to us. You see Vash and Zane lately? They look worse now than when we were in that fight on the prison barge."
He turns to go, then turns back.
"My Master..." he says mockingly as he bows his way out.
"My Master..." he says mockingly as he bows his way out.
"And now a sarcastic Jedi? I love it. I was worried you guys were gonna be all stuffy - meditation and chanting all the time."
Six takes a bead on a bulkhead to check his scope. "I think I'm gonna like it here."
Kol walks through the ship, doing a brief inspection that all is in order.
Knowledge (Technology): 1d20+9
Mechanics: 1d20+9Then a thought strikes him and he goes to consult with Kiddrick.
"Master Kidd! Oops, sorry to interrupt, but before we get to orbit do you think we need to change the ship's name and ID transponder? Or are we far enough out that we don't bother?"
He leans against the bulkhead.
During the hyperdrive trip, you are able to do routine maintenance and fix and damage suffered during the prison ship encounter but are not able to upgrade any systems. The ship just lacks the advanced parts to do any upgrades of systems.
Six set up his power pack chargers and makes sure everything is in the green. He then sets about checking all of his gear. Soon, the table is covered with his elaborate rifle, a jet pack, electrobinoculars, power packs, grenades, and other gear.
He hums a cheerful tune while he surveys these instruments of destruction.
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Kidd shakes his head as Kol heads out. I'm gonna have to do something about this 'Master' crap...
His thought is interrupted, however, by the ridiculous amount of gear that the Zabrak has laid out in a surprisingly little amount of time. "You carry all this crap with you?" Then he pauses, "Well, okay, the rocket pack is pretty cool."
The sparring goes well, with Zane - as usual - showing everyone how fighting is handled. Kidd is only able to get the advantage when bringing the Force to bear constantly. Kol and Vash (if she has chosen to join in) do surprisingly well also, showing vast improvement in implementing the Force into their combat styles.
"Good! Good, Kol! You'd think you had an instructor that actually knew what he was doing!"
Vash'elie paces her room for a bit after Zane levaes, frustrated for not finding her center she moves out to the exercice room and joins in the training. The flow of action does help conciderably to calm her down and she manages to meditate after the exercice.
Six watches the sparring with interest.
Sparring:
Kol struggles a bit, but manages to achieve something cohesive as the action goes back and forth.
I should really settle on one style... he thinks to himself.
Sparring with lightsabers has always been a favorite activity for Sevarkoh. He explains the benefits and limitations of Jar'kai, the two-weapon lightsaber combat style. "You see, you hold back one lightsaber as a defense while offensively using the other. It takes more focus and concentration with less strength in each blow. When fighting an opponent of superior strength, you must be more mindful of your footwork because he will eventually overpower you. " This instruction is punctuated by the hum and zapping noises of lightsaber combat.
Doc watches the sparring, then joins in, using his lightfoil to follow the forms. They're not as elegant as he recalls, but his muscles remember the moves.
You emerge from hyperspace with the stars returning from a blaze of lights to single stars.
Sensors come on line and immediately start to ping out readings.
Dakot 7 being a corporate world you expect to find maybe two to three medium class freight ships at most in the area.
Instead there are over a dozen freighters in orbit and many of them are the large super haulers. Any one of the super haulers could hold enough supplies to support an operation like Dakot 7 for a decade or more.
Additionally, you start to get challenged as you come out of hyperspace by a pair of ships.
The squawk coming from the pair of ships identifies them as The Black Knights. The Black Knights are a Para-Military Corporate Security force for hire. That is the generous designation.
The Black Knights are licensed Republic Mercs acting as Corporate goon squad in areas where profit is more important than Republic policy.
The pair of ships look like typical Merc ships that are a hybrid of troop transport, home, and heavily gunned frigate.
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Dakot 7 is a temperate world. The main research station is on continent 1 with administration HQ, main space port, and non-dangerous research laboratories.
Other research laboratories are generally located 100 to 200 km distance from the main research station to place any hazardous research far enough away to not endanger the main HQ.
You are headed to continent 3 which is almost a third of the planet away from the main research station and has a small, one ship, landing bay.
Six stands by at the weapons station, just in case.
Kol replies with the appropriate responses, indicating they were an innocent cargo vessel, down on their luck...
KNOWLEDGE (Tactics):
"Maybee we should just tell them that Red Valkyre is coming home?" Vash'elie mutters, brooding again.
His injuries long-faded, Sevarkoh stands in the corner with his hands on his belt, just itching to take his lightsabers out. He speaks up to the crew. "Do we have a plan here, or is it just 'jump in, see what happens'?"
"So far, we just jump in"
Kol cranes his head around and grins.
"We're delivery boys and girls; here to pick up a package at X coordinates. We just have to keep it simple. 'What are we picking up and who made the order? Sorry fellas, we weren't paid enough to ask those questions.'"
Doc grumbles, staring out the view screen. "When was the last time our plans worked, anyway?"
Kol replies with the appropriate responses, indicating they were an innocent cargo vessel, down on their luck...
KNOWLEDGE (Tactics): 1d20+9
Most standard ships like the Black Knights are using usually carry a pair of fighters for air superiority and interdiction missions. They also usually carry two to three assault shuttles and one to two utility shuttles.
Piloting:
Piloting: 1d20+15
'Grasshopper, you are cleared to land at your designated landing strip. Just make sure to give us warning when you lift off to check you for contraband before clearing quarantine.'
Shrugging in amazement Vash'elie punches up the co-ordinates for Kol to follow. On an insight she settles down in her chair and reaches out with the force, suspicious of traps she wonders whats out there that might be watching them.
Shrugging in amazement Vash'elie punches up the co-ordinates for Kol to follow. On an insight she settles down in her chair and reaches out with the force, suspicious of traps she wonders whats out there that might be watching them. 1d20+10
Your sense of the force seems to be weak here as if something is clouding or interrupting your connection to it.
Kidd, feeling the surge in the force from Vash, does the same, though he is mostly interested in seeking out any strong light or strong side presences.
You are perfectly in tune with the force at the moment. You may have a force point back for being so perfectly in tune.
You can sense that Vash is having difficulties connecting to the force but you are flowing strongly with it.
You can clearly sense the presence of force crystals in this location and more particularly in the area that you are headed.
You doubt that they are natural to this location and likely have been brought here.
You are further fairly sure that either these crystals are connected to the dark side of the force or someone has been manipulating their resonance to favour more violent forms of force mastery.
There is even a seething hungry presence below like the creature you faced previously but different.
Kol looks at Vash curiously, feeling some undercurrents in the Force, then turned to face Kidd when the same came from him. Feeling he should do likewise, he opened his senses to the Force.
Use the Force:
Kol looks at Vash curiously, feeling some undercurrents in the Force, then turned to face Kidd when the same came from him. Feeling he should do likewise, he opened his senses to the Force.
Use the Force: 1d20+9
You can sense that Kidd is currently in harmony with the force like only a master can achieve. It is a calming guidance to your soul.
Vash seems to be far more disturbed in her thoughts.
You do not know much of the source of it but there is a cloud here in this system scrambling your perception of the force.
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Kidd's eyes open and he thinks for a few moments, "Okay. This is strange. What do we know about this world other than it's some kind of corporate joint?"
He points on the display screen with the planet's surface showing, indicating their landing region, "I feel some force crystals around here. They don't give me the same impression as the land around it… they were brought onto this world. But more concerning is that they all seem to be dark-side attuned… whether they're naturally that way or have been attuned, I can't say, but they feel so dark as to be violent. i wouldnt' mind getting my hands on a couple of those, honestly."
His frown deepens as he regards the upcoming planet, "But most concerning of all is that I feel something like I've felt before. Like the creature we saw on the Spike, only somehow different. I don't like it, but I don't like the fact that they exist even more. i don't know if we can avoid it at all, but even if we could, I'm inclined to want to take such creatures out."
He looks over at the other Sensitives on deck, "What do you feel?"
Sevarkoh closes his eyes and reaches out with the Force. He probes the crystals and the dark presence, feeling their aura. He opens his eyes and turns to Kiddrik. "Yes, I feel them too. The reach of the dark side has been growing stronger these last few years. Exar Kun created many monsters, many of which still roam the galaxy. It could certainly be one of them, or any number of threats the Order never found in the Hunts."
"I just feel a fog. Like somthing or someone is blocking my sences."
1d20+8
Sevarkoh closes his eyes and reaches out with the Force. He probes the crystals and the dark presence, feeling their aura. He opens his eyes and turns to Kiddrik. "Yes, I feel them too. The reach of the dark side has been growing stronger these last few years. Exar Kun created many monsters, many of which still roam the galaxy. It could certainly be one of them, or any number of threats the Order never found in the Hunts."
You can sense that Kidd is currently in harmony with the force like only a master can achieve. It is a calming guidance to your soul.
Vash seems to be far more disturbed in her thoughts.
You do not know much of the source of it but there is a cloud here in this system scrambling your perception of the force.
Kol frowns and opens his eyes.
"Sorry man, there is something there; but it's... messing with my perception in the Force. Like a fog or something. Can't tell a thing."
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Kidd shakes his head, but you can tell he's still concerned by whatever it is he sensed on the planet, "No need to apologize to me, Kol. You're learning fast." He looks around, making intentional eye contact with the force adepts, "That thing down there is like what we faced in the hangar of the Spike. Only somehow different... which means we should be prepared for worse. No one travels alone if we can avoid it. Other than that, I'm game for whatever this planet has." He finishes with his usual smirk. "I mean, how bad can it be, right? We're Black Valkyrie!"
"That thing down there is like what we faced in the hangar of the Spike. Only somehow different..."
"For the benefit of those of us that weren't there and don't have your Force voodoo - what are we facing?"
"It was a Terentatek. Somthing bred from a rancor. Just meaner."
"Another one of those beasts?!? Have we started breeding them in advance of our arrival?" Doc seems grumpier than usual, as if something was nagging him.
Vash'elie barks a laugh at Doc's brooding. "Who knows Doc. Maybee we actually did breed those things ourselves and left them guarding places we didn't want ourselves coming back to." she says in a conspiritory tone.
There may be more truth then Vash realizes in her words. You are fairly sure that one or more of the 'projects' that you worked on is probably what Kidd is sensing.
You have a slight flash of working on another creature from Kashyyyk. A large serpent like creature that the crystals worked remarkably to advance in size and temper.
Sevarkoh gladly supplies any information he can think of. "The Council always said that the Great Hunt eradicated the Terentateks, but most of us believed that a few had to have escaped. Who knows how many others the Sith created."
Kol sets the Grasshopper down on the raised platform that serves as a landing pad for the research base.
Around you grows much of the 'forest' of the area.
The 'trees' here look like a purple mushroom crossed with a cactus. The surface of the plants looks like a tough spongy texture like a cactus might have but more rubbery. Large collections of needles stick out from the sides and look both large and sharp. The larger needles would make for excellent javelins while the smaller needles are longer then most fingers.
The overall colour is a purple and white with the purple being a 'cap' type growth at the top of the 'tree'. The 'caps' are more bullet shaped then the flat of toadstools.
Up and down the 'trees' can be seen a variety of wild life that is living among the needles or digging homes in the 'trees'.
The platform has an elevator that likely leads down in one corner of the platform and a staircase in another corner that leads to the forest floor.
An automatic lighting system activated as the Grasshopper landed.
A droid, humanoid in shape, appears to be exiting the elevator.
"Well boys and girls," Kol said as he hit the shutdown sequence in rapid succession. He pulled the ignition control and snatched up his saber, then turned and grinned.
"Showtime!"
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Kidd steps off the boarding ramp, immediately flaring out with his emotions, trying to detect any hidden observers. His black eyes sweep across the strange landscape, "Weird."
He shrugs into his short jacket, making sure his backup 'saber is tucked neatly underneath.
He taps Kol as he passes by him on the way off the Grasshopper, and mutters only loud enough for the crew to hear, "May I suggest you, Doc, and Zane take point? I can play rear-guard until we're a little more sure of what we're walking into. Six, keep your eyes open and that trigger ready. I'll try to keep an eye out for those crystals and that creature I sensed from orbit. Other than that… this could be fun. I mean, this place looks enough like a fun-house."
As the droid moves across the platform towards them, he smiles, "Sometimes I miss that old heap-a-junk HK. He'da thought this was a hoot."
Strapping on her utility belt and making sure both blasters are in their holsters Vash'elie shruggs on her jacket as she makes her way to the boarding ramp. Fingering her stun baton as she decends she casts her sences out to get a feel for her surroundings.
"Great. A droid. Let's hope it's not a murderous backstabber like tha last one whe met." she broods darkly to herself as she walks with the crew to meet it.
"Yep, that's right, put the old man out front. He can't run as fast, so he ought to slow down the attackers. Plus, you know, he's closer to death, already lived his life. Damn kids."
The droid has several sensors on its 'head' built in a circular fashion allowing it to monitor several things at the same time.
The arms appear to be adapted to carry several tools and a supply chest is built into the main body from which it can likely take out a variety of instruments.
It is clearly a 1st Degree Droid of the Medical or Scientific type.
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Vash's brooding and Doc's acerbic sarcasm both make Kidd laugh. "oh, HK wasn't so bad… racism and serial killer-ness aside." He points at Doc, "And hey, you're welcome to walk where you want, old man. I just thought you could put that kindly, grandfatherly face to good use here… seeing as how this is more likely to be some old contact of yours we're after here. If it makes you feel any better, I promise to bring up your walker should things get uncomfortable."
Six scans around the area, looking for other trouble before taking a bead on the approaching droid.
[b]"You'd prefer a tarantek?"[b]