Log:Jedha: Pursuit of Knowledge

Bizz Bliptettjupp hires mercenaries to help investigate a new, potential, trove of knowledge on Jedha

OOC Date: December 2, 2022 (Optional)
Location: Jedha
Participants: Sumi Kora, Bizz Bliptettjupp, Orin, Nerys Greystorm, Ruur, Fennec Shand, Terek Rosol, Galen Dawnstar, Kaiya and Hadrix Kora as GM

The northern reaches of Jedha change from cold desert to frozen desert, requiring hardier pack beasts, thicker clothing and equipment to beat back the dreadful cold that threatens to seep into the bones and leave the unwary chilled and at risk of hypothermia. The sparse moisture forming ice and the sporadic snowfall that coats the land outside of the landing fields.

Pilgrims are clustered on disused sections of the stone slab, survival tents and hide structures arranged with wagons and repulsor sleds meant to be drawn by beasts arranged in a circle with several of those present mounted atop the tallest, and sturdiest, of them. Small arms are held and magnoculars are being used to scan the horizon while one of those currently outside the makeshift barricade is waving for the figures disembarking from the collection of ships that have touched down.

Others join the motion, clumping together and looking towards the east with nervous eyes, "Ees Broother Beez come! Has Broother Beez brought the aid we wuur told he woould?!" a ponderously moving herglic calls out the Orcinus sentient hefting a staff up, quieting others.

For those sensitive to such sensations a wave of cold that bites far deeper than the wind runs across the landing field.

The wind captures the cape (with fur collar) attached to Sumi's frame, carrying it to one side of her body to snap quietly, licking at the air. She did not have the answers to the Herglic's question, and it's not likely she even heard it over the wind paired with her own tinnitus. She approached, nonetheless, a weapon held across her torso, its barrel casually oriented toward the ground in a modified 'alert' stance. She just worked here.

Brother Bizz's ship, the VISCACHA, is tilted half-sunken on its landing struts in the snowy landing field. He waddles out of the ship askew leading a two-humped shaggy spamel. The monk wears a ridiculously large rabbitfur Ushanka hat to ward off the cold, and has his usual walking stick. "By the FORCE, this landing field isn't STANDARD CLASS at all! Oh hello, are you with the pilgrims?" He politely greets the Herglic leader. His spamel roots through the snow looking for something to nibble.

Orin was with the group, dressed in Doomseeker Mandalorian armor, shoulder-cape with no symbol flowing with the wind. His face covered completely by a helmet, even as a weapon rests in his hand, the other covering it as if to be at rest. He has no answers to people's questions, instead doing his job and serving as security escort. He's alert, scanning his surroundings with a stern silence.

While the armor the explorer had selected for the day was useful in some ways, having the ability give her a wider range of movement, it was not environmentally sealed. So, there were occasional slashes of cold across her face as she adjusted the helmet, the thermal suit more than capable of denying the cold access. Nerys moved with the rest of the group, perhaps not entirely sure why she was here, but, well, the Adherent of the Whills was known to find treasures now and then. Perhaps that.

Jedha. An infamous planet to Valeska. Her first trek here was memorable. Her second trip was heartbreaking. Now on her third tour, she is well guarded both physically and mentally. She dislikes this planet with a passion and it's likely she still harbors some ill-will towards Brother Bizz. Towards the Jedi. Towards the Force. What else is new, eh?

The crimson-painted huntress remains just on the perimeter of the gathered group with her hand on her hip in idle, silent wait.

A wide and tall visage arrived along side Bizz after disembarking a nondescript T-6 shuttle. Perhaps an outlier to the heavily armed mercenaries hired for this particular venture. The Lupine was covered under thicker and insulated Robes. Voluminous and erring on the darker side of a natural color pallet, the swayed in the winds much like the capes of the Mandalorians gathering.

His outer robe, a large flowing cloak, blacked out his features outside a pair of glowing red eyes and the light brown and white hair furr of his snout. Sharp teeth stuck out between his lips and steam plumed from nostrils. HE looked warm, his fur coat and robes protecting him. Yet, there was a slight degree difference in the immediate area around him. Barely noticeable. The Force Provides... sometimes.

He looked off to the East, then silently to Bizz before that stoic gaze fell upon the Herglic.

For all but her height, Fennec may as well have been a Wookiee. Thick curls of bantha fur covered her frame into a thin, lumpy shape with ill-defined features. It was only truly her rifle that gave her away, and then only to a few of those gathered. Per usual, she neither spoke, nor made much of herself known. She simply kneeled, leaning on the rifle she held, waiting patiently.

Terek had arrived on his ship, landing in the field that had been set aside. He stepped off the ship and armor or not immediately felt the chill. And that's with fur under the armor.

He didn't know much about this world or what this pilgrimage meant to people. But that hardly mattered to him. They needed help (and were paying decently) so he came along.

His camoflage armor wasn't going to be too much help in this icy wilderness, however. He makes a note to maybe get a set of armor painted with more artic colors for the future. His visor falls upon the one speaking, remaining silent to listen to what's being said.

Galen comes walking along with the others he's got an F-11s slung against his chest and his shadow suit is making minimal noise although he is rubbing his arms here and there as he fights off the cold not dressed in a fancy thermal suit but it's not the coldest he's been. As he looks over at the others he grins a bit but he does walk over towards Bizz talking with the pilgrims, "This landing field is terrible but not the worst I've seen."

"We haave seen thu moountain carvings from afar..." the herglic turns to look east again, briefly, looking back to the growing assembly, pointing his staff at the ughnaut, "Broother Beez comes! He shall have our salvation!" another fell chill. Not the wind, not the weather, but something that can give the sensitive among the gathered the prickle at the back of the neck. Like being watched, hungered after.

Hadrix moves up among the pack, nodding to other Koras and racking the heavy bronzium and wrooshyr long gun in his hands, chambering a durasteel bolt into the chamber that begins filling with tibanna. Pressurizing starting with a growing, throaty, hum. <"Bizz, why do I think you're walking us into more beasts and ambushes?"> rasping growl coming through his helmet vocalizer.

"Beez, we think it is the Library." the Herglic continues, as though oblivious to the commentary of some or others, speaking excited to any who will listen. "Buut when we geet cloose..." a shout goes up from the circled wagons and repulsor sleds, spammels and a few pack banthas calling out. One of the massive, wooly, horned brutes rearing and wailing before its paws slam down, shaking the ground.

Then one of the people atop a sled, a wookiee, calls out and is gone too suddenly. Ripping and screaming following.

Sumi returned the nod from Commander Hadrix, then turned her attention to the security of their perimeter. She had to agree with Hadrix though, every outing with Brother Bizz ended in some sort of bloodshed, NOT THAT SHE WAS JUDGING, it was just how things transpired! Sure enough, no sooner had the notion been voiced, something goes awry. Instead of waiting for the conflict to come to them, Sumi stepped off and activated her jetpack, rocketing into the air to hover up high. She shoulders her carbine and fires down on the Jakobeast, using the optics to target its eyes. One bolt finds no purchase, pocking up the icy tundra, but her second shot finds its mark, burning its hide around the eye and ruining the vision on its one side. She uses her HUD to cast a custom mark upon the hostile she's injured, though she remains silent while attempting another shot.

Bizz adjusts his ridiculously poofy fur hat while shouting over the wind. "Your missive was alarming! But the lost library... What's this? Jakobeasts? They are peaceful creatures, and attuned with the FORCE!" He stabs his walking stick into the snow, then produces his bow which expands from a small metal stick to a stringed weapon. The squat monk nocks an energized arrow and it begins to charge. His shaggy spamel senses danger, turning to run into the tundra with a bawling spamel sound. "Someone grab my spamel!"

Orin has no danger sense, or a sixth sense that lets him detect when danger is near. He turns his eyes towards the sudden arrival of Jakobeasts! He lifts his weapon and takes a quick shot at one, only for it to miss completely! He keeps his sights on the Jakobeast, weapon raised as he takes an aggressive stance.

"I really should not be surprised by any of this." Nerys commented on her internal comms, reaching back to pat the edge of the droid maglocked to her backpack, and the scout droid clinging to that droid (it was droids all the way down over here), looking over the 'pilgrims'. Pilgrims were going to pilgrim, even if a skilled guide could have taught them better. Ah well. They would work with what they had. Nerys moved to try to engage one of the faithful, such as they were, but the sound of screaming distracted her, and she reached down to draw her weapon on the one hand, and pull one of the pilgrims out of harm's way with the other. And by harm's way, she meant, 'I don't want to have to shoot you to clear my line of sight.'

At least Hadrix said it before she did. Still, hardly seems to matter now when they are set upon before they can even leave the makeshift landing field. <"Already getting blood on the permafrost. Bizz, do you scout these places at /all/ before calling us in?"> No use in griping about it now though that's never stopped Valeska before. With a rush of burning fuel, she wastes no time taking to the air, as well. Only she's not quite as prepared as she had thought.

With a shift of her shoulders, she swings her carbine around by the strap over her shoulder; catching it with one hand while the other flicks it on. <"Nice big target, at least, yeah?">

Ruur looked down at his bare feet, his furry toes spreading through the coldness. There was an extra bite there that he could not ignore. He wondered why, his species made for colder climates. The claws of his feet then dug into that snow, making lines along the flakes an ice. He breathed out again, the steam swirling away from his snout and sharp maw.

Before the warning sounds of the disturbed banthas shake the ground or the wookie tumbles down and lets out a bloodcurdling cries, Ruur produces a silver cylinder hidden beneath his out cloak. It erupts, a brilliant white light in a tightly concentrated beam. However, it's almost silent. A hushed whisper. Quickly, the mysterious hooded Shistavenen turns his head towards Bizz. "Brother Bizz, something feral, starved, and hungry comes this way." His voice a deep rumbling growl.

Then the Bantha scream, and the Wookie falls. Then the prophesied Jakobeasts arrive. The predatory side of Ruur comes to the forefront and he lets out a growl, his feet instantly on the move. Creating space from the others. The moments spared for him to study the beasts in this moment allowed him to gleem upon something ethereal. "Do you feel that Galen? These beasts crackle with the energy of Darkness!" He comms securily across to his fellow Initiate.

"Should have known," Fennec says, as the rifle is skipped from the cold, hard ground and into her arms. As it rises, a soft orange glow paints the hidden features of her face. "Blood pools where Mando father," she offers smartly. The large rifle was given a moment, as Fennec took her time acquiring a target.

Galen's attention snaps towards where the beasts begin their attack nodding towards Ruur as he brings his rifle up from the slung position it was in and toggles his comms in reply, "I see it. And I'm gettin the same thing. Not wanting it but I see it." He glances over towards the others, "Careful they're more than they appear."

Terek's first reaction is to fire his jetpack, knowing he needs to get clear of those monsters as soon as they appear. Normally he'd look for a high branch to land on if he were back home, but no such luck. Instead he manages to land away from them and rolls to a stop, drawing his blaster as he does and coming back up to his feet.

Yowling and pawing violently at its face, the jakobeast's fur burns and it turns in a quick circle, tail lashing and ducking when a blazing green comet shrieks past where it and one of its fellows stands. Detonating in the snow some distance past them. The big man with the big rifle stepping back with the impact of recoil and launching into the air with the other Mandalorians, pressed faster by the blast of the gun in hand spewing up stone chips from the place impacts to the side of the tusked animal.

The wookiee slaying beast raises its head from its meal, ducking to the side of cycler rifle and blaster fire coming its way to raise its hackles and loose a hissing roar at the defenders, joined by another. Leaping blood soaked from the chaotic melee, weaving around desperate attacks and sizing up the arrivals.

Then one leaps with its face aflame, snarling with its claws out and jaws wide, aimed for the Mandalorian with her cat ear like antennae on her helmet. Attempting to gut her right off, a malign sort of intelligence in the actions and a wave of un-animal like fury to be felt by the sensitives in proximity.

Another is airborne, issuing a feline shriek that sounds more sentient than beast; swiping claws across one of Hadrix's cuisse, the metal squeal joining the animal cry.

Sumi is struck, to her surprise, by the beast proving its prowess to knock things from the air! She is hit hard against the stomach, taken out of the air to collide with the ground, emitting for the first time, the sound of her voice in the form of a grunt. The old Mando rolls upon the ground as the beast lands nearby, tumbling back to her feet in an equally spry moment of dexterity, she fires twice in backing up then ignites her jetpack once more, flying backwards to gain air once more. <"Kitty got claws!">

Bizz hops up on a wagon and pulls back his bow and energized arrow. The missile is aimed at one of the rampaging jakobeasts, then he fires, sending the arrow streaking with a THUUUUUUUUUM through the air! Somehow it misses and lands sizzling in a heap of snow. "Jakobeasts are peaceful pack animals! They only attack in self defense!" Obviously that is untrue in this case. He gestures at the pilgrims. "Get behind the wagons, the FORCE will protect us!"

Orin finds himself in a better position, his weapon lifting and with a shout, he pulls the trigger at /just/ the right moment. He hits the injured jakobeast across the cheek, injuring it in just the right way. <"Are they now?"> He calls back with a frown, but he keeps his weapon raised and starts moving back towards the wagon, taking a more defensive position.

Nerys had stepped away from the pilgrims. Not that that was difficult, given they were likely all cowering, settled herself as she brought up the pistol, which, did not look at all a formidable weapon. But, she fired nevertheless, a hand reaching back to unsnap the binder on the sheath on her back, adjusting the hilt of the weapon there. Just in case. Multi-tasking, useful, but distracting as only one of her shots hit one of the jakobeasts. It would all likely end in tears.

Evolving from a predatory species and gaining sentience meant the path of a Jedi was harder for some than others. Especially for someone like Ruur Cedid, former First Order Scout. Those animalistic instincs often could tempt and lead one to the darkness. But Ruur held them back.

His feet finally come to a stop, claws digging into the ground. He skid across the ice and snow. His hood falls away, the rest of his Lupine visage now visible to the others. The wind ruffled his fur coat.

Red eyes darted around, hawkish and vigilant. He watched Nerys wound one of the beasts. With a huff of steam from his nose, he pushed off and a dizzying speed. Powerful legs carrying him across the distance between him and the beast in a matter of slim moments. His silent white blade cut upwards, digging into the Jakobeast's hide. He attempted a back slash as he slid away from the beast. Claws dug into the ground and his free hand reached out to stop him, show being throw out ahead of him. He robes came to a rest in a heap around him as he turned in a crouch to face the beast once again.

Safety is relative in this situation as the beasts snap and snarl, but if there's one thing Terek is good at, it's hunting beasts. He carefully maneuvers over the ice, turning and skidding a bit as he fires his blaster at the injured jakobeast, firing three rapid shots and then stepping backwards to make sure he has enough room to evade if the creature comes his way. <"Try to get around the flanks, or if anyone can get a shot at the underbelly, should be weaker there!">

Fennec only needed a moment to line up her shot, and a gentle squeeze of the trigger sent a shot just wide of the beast. Rather than focus and re-aim, Fennec held her breathing for a second and followed her instincts, training the rifle without thought. The shot found home, piercing the animal's eye and ending it's time with them.

Galen's taken a knee as he sights down his sniper rifle lining up and squeezing the trigger to find the bolt going through an empty space where the Jakobeast used to be, "They're quick little buggers." He does glance towards Bizz, "These are corrupted not your usual beasts!"

Kaiya comes charging in, seeing the chaos before her, she immediately levels her wrist laser at one of the beasts and fires. In her rush, the shot completely misses and she curses herself. <"Sorry I am late!"> she says, she had intended to get here sooner but she ran into difficulties of her own. She takes a moment to get a good look at these beasts, trying to judge their threat level against her.

<"The Force protects eh?"> Hadrix scoffs, checking over feed data being sent by multiple sources, adjusting his flight path and dropping thrust when the angry one that is turning towards Ruur snarls and raises hefts its tail, bony claw like protrusions on the tip coming back in preparation to swing before its ribcage is blown open by a plasma sheathed durasteel bolt. Spraying blood and gore over the Shista and the mandalorian being bodily thrown backwards into the air.

The remaining pair - a one tusked specimen and another with a broad flash of white running up its nose - charge the defenders; One-Tusk leaping for Sumi like the one with both eyes shot out and on the ground, hissing and splaying its claw like hooves and mouth gaping on its rise to go for the blue armored Mandalorian.

Another explosion of durasteel bolt into the ground chases just behind the striped one that charges for the wrist-blaster wielding woman, teeth bared and her claws digging grooves into the stone before she leaps, intent on pouncing the Codru-Ji to the ground in an ironic turn in the war between feline and canines.

Sumi was able to avoid a second pounce and witnessed Fennec Shand expertly put the animal down with another shot. Were they not in the midst of a battle, she might afford the old assassin an approving Mando nod, an achievement in itself! Alas, Sumi's attention switches to the next target, where she sights in and fires into the eye of another Jakobeast. Yielding nearly the same results as her earlier successful shot, she sets the beast into a frenzy and attempts to tag its other eye. This shot results in a near miss, pocking up the ground and casting snow off to one side.

Bizz loses his giant rabbitfur hat in the commotion. He nocks another arrow. "Stay behind the barricades, pilgrims! It is just like the Battle of Bothawui in 3671 BBY! It will be our fortress, the FORCE will guide us, like Master Belth Allusis!" He remembers his historical tactics and fires another arrow. THUUUUUUUUUM it goes as it streaks through the snowy air, exploding into a wounded jakobeast's flank.

<"It's almost done!"> The team has taken hard licks, He takes measure of the Jakobeast, but he maintains his efforts against the Jakobeast, lifting his weapon and taking aim at the creature, shooting just into it's side. It's not enough to put it down, but its a good shot all the same. <"Focus your effort! It's bleeding good!">

Despite the blaster fire and ranged rifle attacks, the jakobeats seemed intent on making this a good old-fashioned melee, and Nerys kept a weather eye on the beasts, tracking how they moved, who they attacked, gauging the level of animal intelligence. Though she heard the calls from the Jedi, who was not her usual Jedi, but he'd do, Nerys acted no differently. She was not one with the Force, and would never be, so...she simply fought the beast like a civilian, keeping aim on the target, as it charged and bounded, ripping into the Codru-ji mandalorian and Nerys fired a quick trio of blaster bolts, hoping to distract it along enough to allow for extraction of the downed fighter. "Al'Verde Kora, we need an extraction!"

There is something very basic about the way Ruur moved his blade. He was treating the saber as if it were a single edge blade. It was esoteric, old fashioned. Not nuanced. The most direct approach. It seemingly worked.

He straightened up right slowly as the beast ahead turned towards him, bringing his saber mid-guard. Then ducked as it exploded into guts and blood. The Shista held up an arm to protect himself from the putrid spray. A look up towards Handrix, his expression flat and deadpan.

He then moved his attention to Nerys, watching the beast there strike on of the newer Mandalorians to arrive on the field. He hefted his way over, distracting the beast by swinging over it's head. It turned, giving him access to it's neck. HE sliced, the blade cutting hide but not enough to kill. He faced it down, crouching and backing away. Growling a he bared sharp teeth.

By the time Fennec had sent one of the beasts sprawling, Kaiya was in trouble. The targeting system followed the dustcloud of wrestling and squirming for what seemed like forever before an opening appeared. Click. Nothing. Internally, Fennec tried to grasp at what could cause some sort of malfunction--But Kaiya was still in trouble. Push through! Fennec exhaled a wordless prayer and squeezed the trigger again. This time, the weapon did as Fennec expected, firing towards the centerpoint of the beast's iris, taking another victory!

Terek spots one of the creatures going for Kaiya, not able to get a shot on it before he starts shooting. But he does shoot, firing several shots, one of the blaster bolts striking the jakobeast in thes ide of the head and finding a soft enough spot to penetrate all the way through.

Unfortunately that probably means its dead weight on top of Kaiya. Terek turns his attention back to the other one, dropping his stance a bit to defend if it comes after him, <"Someone draw its attention and we can bring it down."

Galen's aim shifts to the one that jumped on the latecomer pouncing and dropping the beast in rapid fashion so his aim shifts back to tusky himself squeezing the trigger to melt some snow before he comes back to a standing position getting ready to sling the rifle and draw a melee weapon.

Kaiya is blindsided and gets hit so hard in her chest by the beast that she shot at, it slams her into the ground with it's full weight dropping on her chest. THe impact knocks the air from her and she struggles to breath. She lays there for a moment thinking to herself that these things were definitely a extreme threat. Running a self assessment in her head she realizes there are definitely things broken. With the last of her strength she brings her arm with the wrist laser up and fires one last time. But before she can get her shot off the beast is felled under a barrage of attacks and lands on top of Kaiya. She takes aim at one of the remaining beasts but the force of the impact makes her shot go wide. At the limit of what she can do, she looses consciousness.

<"Copy.">

The answer from above comes seconds after the shriek of heat vaporizing moisture around the shot from the personal cannon that takes the remaining beast in the shoulder, blasting the limb clear of the jakobeast's body and sending it skidding across the stone landing area, spinning to a halt while the creature lets out a sound that seems almost relieved. Then it drops to the ground, groaning out its last and Hadrix falls like a meteor out of the sky, landing with a dull metallic clang next to Kaiya.

With the four beasts down the wild, manic, tension they'd brought with them in the Force begins to dissipate and the pilgrims let out a cheer. Saved for now. Several of their number rushing the field in the attempt to congratulate the defenders. Some even seek to embrace those who will let them - even some of the mandalorians.

Some kept at bay by Al'Verde Kora keeping a space clear around the fallen.

It's a start. Now to clear the way for whatever this new trove of relics is that Bizz is leading them to.

"Medbay on the Tai if you need it, Hadrix." Nerys, who did not put away her pistol, kept it up just enough, that with luck, the pilgrims would think better of trying to hug her. Instead, she called out to the people rushing forward, "Enough with the congratulations! You've already lost one of your number." Poor wookiee and all, "Check your children and those with you to make sure you haven't lost anyone else! Bring any injured forward so they can be treated!" This was no time to let down their guard.

Brother Bizz deactivates his energy bow, collapsing it down into a small baton and stowing it back inside his robes. "Gather the wounded! And... otherwise." He gestures at the Wookiee that was torn apart, and at Kaiya who was either gored to death or nearly so. The short monk waddles over to his walking stick, picks it up, and then approaches one of the fallen crazed jakobeasts. "Jakobeasts are sensitive to the flow of the FORCE. They should not be attacking innocent pilgrims." He pokes the jakobeast with his stick.

As the last beast is felled, Ruur returns to his full height. The lupine's ears twitch, his nose sniffs, and his tongue licks the sharp edges of his teeth. He takes a deep breath and looks around. Then shuts his blade down, the whispering light vanishing.

The Shishta Jedi Initiate listens to the the howling wind, his red eyes still moving about the horizon. He closes his brow and lets out a long slow breath. Reaching out with the force he follows the scented trail of whatever corrupted these animals until...

Ruur breathed in sharply. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath for so long. Lost time, if only a few moments. Weak, he staggered back and leaned against a boulder. "That wasn't the last of the Darkness..." He claimed to Bizz and Galen. "There are more trials ahead." He placed the Cylinder on his belt, let the cloak fall about him once more. Then replaced his hood. A drink of water and he was ready to carry on.

The last beast falls and Orin stands up tall, breathing heavy through his helmet. "What a kriffer." Orin looks at the beasts that lie dead there on the ground, turning his eyes towards the others. "Is everyone alive?" He asks, moving towards Kaiya to see what he can do to help.

Terek finds himself being hugged by two pilgrims, the cathar grunting a little bit in surprise, "You're welcome. Now please, tend to your injured." He eventually pries himself free and holsters his blaster, moving to one of the beasts and pulling out his vibro knife to try to carve something off of it. A trophy of the hunt. If they have enough time he'll dress it properly.

Galen settles back on his feet as he slings the F-11 behind his back now pulling out a cylinder similar to Ruur's but leaves it in the off position before he looks around some and then glances over at the injured newcomer, "Do we have a medic for the hurt one there?" He points off in Kaiya's direction, "Still alive over here shockingly."