Log:Catch The Light: Part Six

Catch The Light: Part Six

OOC Date: February 2, 2022
Location: Ahch-To
Participants: Rey, Ax, Zandra naMuriel, Yuun, Ewan Eroh, Vega

It was time for another deep sea adventure! This time the Jedi were prepared...or semi prepared for the task at hand. The goal was to get whatever was stuck in the cavern out of there...so they could go about fixing it and seeing what was in said cavern. Dio's scans had been a big help in this, but now they had to do the hard part, which was luring the creature out.

The Charybdis had been left to hover about 100 feet above, and Vega had procured some medium sized meaty treats to help with getting the unknown occupant to the side of the cavern that they wanted them at.

Vega had relinquished her lightsaber to Round One and was suited up to go out into the illuminated surroundings. "If you're going off the ship remember that your lightsaber will not function in the water, if it does it will just be long enough to drain your crystal or destroy your saber entirely and building a new one will take time. If you stay on the ship just be ready to shoot warning shots at first should this thing want to eat us. Otherwise, listen to Master Skywalker's orders." the little white haired woman states.

Then she goes to prepare to get off the ship! ~

Ax has suited up in the underwater gear, not sure what to expect, he tucks his saber in a water-tight container strapped to his side. It may be useless underwater, but he didn't know if they'd find an air pocket somewhere.

"I'm fairly decent at talking to beasts, though not sure if it will work on such a creature or not. There's a lot we don't know after all." Next to him was his astromech, Buster, and an additional droid, Tw1-K1, or Twiki. An information analysis droid that he'd been uploading all the intel they'd gotten into for analysis.

~

Yuun has suited up as well, it took him some time to learn how to operate the suit but after some time he was able to get them on and off quickly. Having found a water tight tube that he could use for his lightsaber to keep it protected from the water. Still as he finally was suited and ready to go.

Looking to those would be taking the plunge, Yuun smiles and he looks excited to be going beneath the depths of Ahch-To. "I can help you with this Ax. I've been taking time to learn how to commune with creatures." he says.

Ewan had taken a few minutes to suit up in the underwater gear, but, he was there. By the time Vega was offering their warnings, he was double checking straps and the rebreather. "Comms live," Ewan says, speaking into the mask. Then, he was testing the movement restrictions of the suit, moving his arms in his small area of personal space. Time to take the plunge, he told himself. Near a small bag with Ewan's dry clothes, the cane he'd been carrying rests, sat across it, but he seems to be paying it no mind.

Zandra this time stays aboard the ship. "Alright, I'll try to keep an eye on things, monitoring sensors and so on. If we need to fire, well, one of us can do it." Maybe. She flashes a grin though, teasing just a little there. "Remember team work is our strength, and we don't always have to turn to fighting." A pause, and then she says, "Mental note - work on my pep talks." That said, she shrugs a bit. "You all are great, knock 'em dead."

Rey leans back in the chair that she occupies as she watches the final preparations. "If things get dicey, try to find a bit of rock to hide close to. The creature will, assumedly, swim fast and far, once free. I... would... anyway, after being locked up as long as it likely has been."

She moves to stand up then as she walks to the hatch and looks over the systems displayed there on the screen beside it. "We'll help from in here though, in case it has to be further ... prompted... to be on its way." She says with a light smirk sent over to the others.

Vega gives a dip of her head to Rey and others that are staying on the ship, "May the Force be with us." she tells them. The immediate cold at this depth is something that shocks the system, but they have suits for this. She also forgot that there were dead animal parts hanging from the ship, so it makes her startle for a moment, ~Oh I forgot about those. Hopefully it'll draw it out.~ she admits.

She pushes off the side of the ship and proceeds down, already a little worried by the darkness that sits just outside the lights from the ship.

The descent down seems to go fine, but all of the people in the water can sense that something stirs as there are bubbles that start to come up from the whole in the side of the cavern and the flash of shimmery scales shines for just a moment in the darkness.

~

Ax struggles at first, he was a pilot who grew up on a planet covered in desert, swimming wasn't something he spent a great deal doing. It takes him a moment to get moving in the right direction, the depth and pressure and cold were also a bit of a shock to the Echani smuggler.

~

A grin plays on Yuuns face, he looks to the others for a moment, "Alright we are counting on you two Zan and Rey." he says and he turns to look at his Padawan, "You ready my Padawan?" he asks Ewan. Oh yeah, Yuun is excited. He then moves into line and once it's his turn, he too goes into the water, ~We'll be alright. Turn on lights.~ he says into the comms. He then begins to swim down then he stops and floats there, closing his eyes and enjoying the water, waiting for Ewan.

Ewan was expecting cold -- He welcomed it, actually. But when he hit the water it felt warmer than he expected. Thanks Zan! The unexpected caused him to need to pause, drawing inward on himself to regain composure, and then, in a moment he was activating the small lightstick clipped to his chest. An icy blue glow radiated his frame, giving him a bit of sight. <"Secondary comms check,"> Ewan says. He blinks his eyes a few moments to force the adjustment of ambient light. After a moment of adjusting, Ewan swims after Yuun.

Zan takes a moment, and works to at least give the group a bit of warmer water to start with. It doesn't go far, and does mean she's right there by their exit to try to help just a bit. And once they're all in and moving, she turns back to Rey. "So, there's meat on the outside of the ship, right? If this critter tries to eat the ship, what do we do?" she asks, curiously. But not until the others are off on their sea creature rescue mission. "I mean - just in case?"

Rey watches the group exit the vessel, then uncrosses her arms from her stomach and walks back toward where Zan is at the controls. She hears the question and smirks very faintly. "It wouldn't be the first giant beast we've run across that wanted to devour us 'hole'." She retorts before her eyes glimmer over the fancy controls of the Mon Cal vessel. "We'll... try and convince it, as best we can, to swim away. If that means showing it that we're a bigger threat... then so be it. We certainly don't want to kill it, but... well, yes, lets hope it doesn't push us toward that."

Most of the Jedi can sense the incoming danger before it appears out of the darkness of the depths. Two ten foot long shadows slither out of the inky blackness that is yards in front of the ship, mouths agape and their black and yellows eyes locked not on the vessel, but the chunks of meat that have been dangled to draw out the other creature. Oops!

Those on the ship will have plenty of time to warn the others of the incoming dangers of the incoming creatures.

Those outside the ship catch the sight of the incoming as well...or mostly all of them do. They seem to be more interested in the food than on the divers.

At least for the moment.

~Did anyone else just see a shadow?~ Vega asks over the comms as she reaches the place they needed to be. It looked like there was a blockage of stones.

~

Ax sensed it before he saw them. A pair of sharks inbound. Holding a hand up in front of him, his other pulling a retractable spear-like weapon from his belt, just in case, the Echani attempts to push his will out with the force. Maybe he can convince the sharks that jedi are friends, not food.

~

Yuun sees Ewan as he exits and he begins to swim towards the others, it is dark but this was already known. He smiles as he swims enjoying this a lot. Though as he swims he does feel the danger before seeing the shadow, his breath catches. They are in the sea creatures habitat, so they are at a disadvantage. ~Yeah.~ he says to Vega, ~Keep calm.~ he says as they continue to swim. He glances around to make sure there isn't anything coming to intercept them.

Ewan's senses had apparently failed him, and he couldn't understand the danger that was approaching them. Although he could still sense them, he couldn't suss their motives. His eyes shifted to the shadowy figures as they swam, following the one closest to him. <"You seeing this?"> He asks, before looking to the others as he tries to tread in place. In case they ... chased swimming things.

Zandra grins at Rey, nodding at her response. The last bit has her sober too. "Hopefully we can apply gentle persuasion. After all, this is their home not ours." Zan manages to not shudder. Much. She reaches for the Force, keeping an eye on things as promised. "Rey, there's something - " she starts, with a bit of a smile, and then there's comm chatter. << We feel it too, >> she puts in, simply acknowledging the danger they're mostly all feeling. << working on sensors for visuals and - eesh, gentle persuasion for these big babies to go somewhere else."

Rey's eyes are on the controls when the coms start to speak of approaching life. She looks up then when Zandra speaks and just quietly observes for a few moments. Her eyes focus on the water outside, before she tries to reach her mind out to one of the creatures that shows itself as it streaks past the ship. Rey gently tries to coax it to swim back the way it came. "Hopefully they stay near the ship, and don't catch interest in our people." Rey says to Zandra then as she looks up toward the display over the viewport.

The sharks are able to be affected by the Force it would appear. The both of them seem to track the forms that swim beneath and then back to the meat as they begin to circle. They aren't big enough to drag the ship down as is proof by the lead shark chomping onto one of the baits and shaking it a bit. Chunks of meat and blood start to cloud the water. Free food was always welcome!

Back down in the depths, Vega spies a little purchase in the rocks that have fallen down and she has an idea! ~I'm going to squeeze through, if we can work from both sides then this might go faster and if we can get them to leave with some gentle nudging then maybe we can get back out of here faster.~ she offers before she's wriggling through to the other side.

Where her comm crackles for a second and then there is silence.

Those that were down the first time would recognize the vibrations that go through the water as something moves and there is a ram to the side of the cavern, not the side Vega just entered though, thank goodness!

Time to move rocks and that's what they can figure out from the other side as a rock starts to wiggle from the Force tugging on it.

~

Using the force to manipulate thoughts, emotions, or even senses has rarely been a problem for Ax. He could flow with the best when it came to many things, but the art of moving things with ones mind... Well, the smuggler has never had much luck with it. Sure, when he was toying around with it, sure, but when it mattered, he could never get his brain to focus the way it needed to, and even though he reaches out to assist the others, little more than a puff of silt is the result.

~ Yuun spins and looks back towards the ship to watch the sharks, his light goes out so not to catch their attention. Watching them how they move, and circle the ship. His breathing isn't fast as he's gotten to test out each of the suits prior, but he saw an elegance, and danger in the way the sharks move and attack. He turns around and continues his decent. ~Yeah I can see them, but they seem to like the bait that was left for them.~ he chuckles to Ewan.

Once at the shelf, Yuun watches Vega squeeze through an opening, ~Alright Vega, becareful.~ he says to the Padawan. He then begins to focus, he could feel the force through him and surrounding him here in the water. He holds out his hand and begins to focus on everything surrounding him. He feels one of the large rocks shift and he pulls at that one breaking it free. Feeling that ramming reverberate through the water, his attention shifts to make sure it's not broke out before they were ready.

<"Sounds like we found our friend,"> Ewan says, and his immediate attempt at trying to move some of the rocks away came with a failed result. Between those around them, the incidental danger, and the foreign environment, he couldn't manage it. Instead, he takes a moment to breath, and focus on the information he needed, drawing his mind away from everything else in a moment of moving meditation.

As the sharks are convinced to leave the Jedi alone, Zan looks out through the water, seeing what the group is doing. And listening to Vega's words. << Brave, but do be watchful for that creature in there,>> she calls out. Not telling her what to do, just calmly offering a leeetle reminder. <<And keep our line of sight clear, we can help too.>> She reaches for her own telekinetic connection with the Force, setting to work with the rock moving along with the others.

Rey continues to watch the shadows in the water, and the readouts in the ship around them as she listens to Zandra talking to those outside. She exhales softly when she sees them near the rocky surface outside. Her eyes slip closed as she focuses on the flow of the natural Force all around them. Her mind centers upon the rocky cavern that has enclosed itself around whatever lies within, and she does her best to call upon looser rocks to pull them free and send them tumbling down the side of the sea shelf, sending clouds of dust and dirt spiraling up around the rocks that she does manage to send free...

Vega's in the dark except for her light that she has, her lightsaber is on board with RND-1 and she's surprised he's not tried to wield it. Spunky little BB-units. She stops what she's doing long enough to look behind her, seeing the sheen of blue that swirls in the back of the cave. Thankfully her comms aren't working so the others can't hear the SCREECH she lets out. "MUST GO FASTER!" she aims another telekinetic salvo at the rocks. Hey, there was a way out finally. At least big enough for her. And rocks were still moving.

That mass that was swirling behind her though sees the light start to shine through and there is a burst of speed from the streamlined creature.

It wants OUT!

The Jedi outside might get the sense that something is about to happen, those on the ship can see the explosion of rock just above the rock pile they were working to uncover. The glint of artificial light and natural glinting off of a silvery horn that protrudes from the head of something serpentine looking that rushes out of the new opening. Knocking past the Echani that was trying to help it escape. Taking a chunk of her flesh with it. The body uncoils, shimmering blue and silver scales stretching as it's out of its prison.

The two sharks turn abruptly, sensing a bigger predator at the almost twenty foot long ocean serpent opens it mouth and swims with alarming alacrity towards them, snapping them both up, leaving the food dangling from the ship.

It swims towards the surface as it chomps down the two sharks. A 'I just got out of prison' buffet!

And below that there is the shimmer of something crystaline that is peeking out of the gloom of the caves now opened wall.

~

Ax just watches, he'd sensed the creature through the force, but he had no clue what it was other than big. Getting a visual on it though leaves him speechless. It was beautiful, and terrifying at the same time.

Taking a deep breath of bottled air, thanks to his suit. Ax again holds out a hand, attempting to push his will through the force upon the serpent. Better to live and let live with a beast such as this than try to fight it, especially under water. He even goes as far as clipping the spear back to his belt, it wasn't likely to do much against a creature of that size anyway.

~

Feeling something coming and when he sees what burst through the wall, his eyes widens. Yuun couldn't believe what he was seeing, this creature was beautiful, dangerous and terrifying but beautiful. He didn't have anything in his hands at all, though as he sees it streaks past, he too also uses the force to press towards the creature, just sending, 'Not enemies.' towards the creature but as he turns and watches it.

He coughs, then he suddenly have air going into his lungs again, Yuun literally stopped breathing as he watched the creature. He checks to see where Ewan was hoping he wasn't in the way, then it dawns on him, ~Vega! You alright?~ he calls into his comms, he hadn't heard her and he begins swimming towards the cave, ~Ewan, Ax, are you two ok? Come with me please.~ he says.

Rey watches the big beast get freed, leaving her looking toward the scanners as they record its departure from the cavern system. She widens her eyes, but doesn't speak outloud. Instead she does reach for the rebreather beside her that rests atop her satchel in the chair there. But, she stays her hand, and stays where she is. Instead, she puts her eyes on the scanners. "SEarching for where the rest of those predators went... but this... one, may have run them off.." She says quietly to Zan alone.

Ewan was quick to jump to Yuun's request to follow, turning suddenly in the water to begin a fast swim towards Doska Yuun. It only took a moment, but he was there. <"Vega, confirm comms?"> Ewan says quickly, before waiting to see what Yuun's idea was. While he does, Ewan begins to pull free the glowstick attached to his suit, before letting it fall. Maybe the thing didn't have great vision.

Vega's comms crackle as she smacks against the rocks. ~I'm here. Did anyone get the permit number on that speeder truck that hit me?~ she chuckles out. She understood the panicked and caged feeling and wanting out. ~I'm alright. Nothing that won't heal up over a few nights.~ she tells them. The blood from her side was minimal. She looks back over her shoulder and the shine of the crystals gets her attention. ~Uh...umm, crystals!~ she points excitedly.

Above them, the sea serpent is circling as there is a fin that flutters down in the water and drops on the view port of the Charybdis. Oh gross.

~I think we got our mission complete. Unless anyone wants to challenge that up there.~ she points up.

That would be a REALLY bad idea. ~

~

Yuun hears the comms and smiles upon hearing Vega's voice. ~Nah, I'm good.~ he says as he looks around. Seeing Ewan nearby, he looks up in time to see a fin float down. ~Yeah, let's, let it be.~ he says. ~Sure, Ax has a good idea. Is there one close enough by to you Vega?~ he asks.

Ewan's blue eyes shifted from Yuun, to the creature, before he looked downward to see Vega. Just as soon as Ewan had arrived beside Yuun, he was off again, diving towards Vega. His feet kick hard, propelling him into a descent fueled in part by the Force. He slipped past Vega's form briefly, before a hand pressed to her back, nudging her skyward, before he was again kicking to descend, into the prison of the creature. He paused a moment to look over the area, before reaching out and snatching something dislodged in the struggles. Then, he's kicking back upwards towards the group. He'd be the last one out of the water.

Zan relazes a bit once Vega is heard from the comms. Her comment is << I got as many sensor readings of it as possible, as it went up past us. It's very beautiful. Crystals? Good news there! Maybe get a sample and everyone back on board then? >> She gently urges the team to relocate back to the ship, after all, there is still a big predator up there and she might still be hungry. << No challenge from me, it's in its home. But just more reason to not go randomly into bodies of water - there are things living there!>> Zan chuckles, though she looks to Rey and adds, "I think that sea serpent ate them. so we don't have to worry about them any more. That's good, right?"

Rey witnesses the severed body part fall past the ship viewport and it makes her grimace. "It would seem so..." She mutters in response to Zandra before her eyes go back to the sensor readers. "Crystals...." She quietly says. "Well. This is a nice reward. Now... we settle in and see if they are the kind we're after, then... well, we'll know once and for all if this planet really can be our replacement for what we've lost." She glances to Zan and shows a quick smile before speaking to the team. "Good job out there, everyone."