Log:Jedi Order: Waterpass Squall
Jedi Order: Waterpass Squall
OOC Date: January 21, 2021
Location: Wild Game Reserve - Chandrila
Participants: Qutha Buvu Pah, Jax Greystorm
A group of jedi were in the middle of morning meditation when Qutha felt a tug in the force in his heart. He knew that he had to go help somebody. So when he set out he didn't set out alone. Jax set out with him.
The pair found themselves deep in the wildlife preserve one of the areas where the plains gave away to forest and before long ancient forest. There were several locals gathered around the back of a Chandrila Park Rangers Speeder. A holographic map of the area appearing from a portable holographic projector. The park ranger stood next to the map a stout and rugged looking Codru-ji lifted one his left hands to the map, "Alright, a pair of human Wroonian younglings wandered off from their parents into these woods around 1500 yesterday. We've established a parameter. Where you folk come in, is we've corded off the area into sectors. If each of you will take a sector and walk it. Looking for any signs of the kids. They've been over a day without food or water. They've been exposed to elements. I won't sugar coat it, this may be a critical point where we become a recovery op but we have to trust in the force. We will have comlinks and a datapads. If the kids have a chance it's you guys." He looks over at the distance. "Unfortunately we have a storm blowing in and it's going to be dark in the forest."
Jax looks at Qutha, "You going to be alright doing this?"
"That they have gone through the Night alone - to assure they yet live or to confirm their fate I must be alright doing this, sir." Qutha's face a map of quiet concern. No indication of expectation in one direction or the other yet, "Curiously akin to growing up... The Dark takes those who cannot get home in time." eyes slowly surveying the treeline, "A brother and sister gone to it, before I was grown."
Adjusting his robes, gathering up the rations in his utility belt and a few extra bottles of water. "I would want what remained of me brought back into the sun. Alive or otherwise." swallowing hard, the Zelosian looks back to Jax at the last, repeating himself, "I must be alright doing this. Because I cannot allow myself to wallow in shadow when others are clutched there." swallowing and looking to the glow rods hanging from his belt. The wrist-blaster that Doctor Cole gave him.
"I shall carry the light when darkness comes." sure of it now, at least while the light still holds.
Jax picks up a pair of chits. Then hands one of the chits to Qutha. "I lost my little brother at Krait." He says with a solemn expression. Then hands a chit to Qutha, "I'll be the next sector over, if you need me. Trust in force. If you need me, I will come as quickly as I can."
The pair walks through the brush and thickets to their respective sectors.
Qutha had drawn sector full of thickets, old trees that block out the light, and rough terrain to guide through. A series of small creeks run through the sector that will have to be traversed to search the area at times. It will be rough going.
"Appreciated, my friend. I shall call if I need." Qutha's last words to Jax before he sets forth into the forestland. Watching for signs of grass overgrowing 'dog holes' that would threaten to twist ankles or possibly even snap bones on a bad step, those though are most thoroughly checked as the Zelosian utilizes a lifetime of experience in wood and plain to pick his way along.
No signs of children. No 'spoor' of dropped trash or track. But an eye for the weather is given, a worry for when the Darkness comes and sight is taken from him. Instinct is felt for, those sensations he has been instructed to follow, to feel. Reach out with feelings, as much as senses.
Qutha's eyes almost lid as he walks - trying to reach out for those sensations to guide his steps.
A distant thunder bolt grumbled off at the distance just at the very edge of Qutha's hearing as he finds himself in a small clearing of under brush. As he reaches out with the force to sense the children and the way to go nothing like the tug before happens though he is answered by the cry of a bird of prey. In one of the large tree branchs above him there sits a majestic Black Back. The bird of prey preening itself before giving a cry of annoyance at the jedi below. Then it turned on the branch about in the weird walk on a tree branch that birds of prey do. The bird is now facing to the west. Then launches itself off the branch and flaps into a darker more dense part of the woods. There's a pull in the force that perhaps he should follow the bird. Though that way leads a chill dark feeling.
The bird faced west and his attention was pulled there. Dark forests, darker memories of such thick underbrush that plagued a younger man of flora origin, rather than fauna.
Trust your feelings. Nothing can be easy, not for a life as such has been laid at the feet of the orchardist become jedi pupil. Face screwed up for just a moment before he adjusts the weapon on his wrist to engage the tactical light mounted there. A stabbing beam of silvery light to cut through the gloom. There's too much trust in old methods - chiding himself. But needed until he knows what he is doing.
Small steps, akin to those being taken now to pick his way through the thick underbrush.
"Sun and Light find my steps and let me be as a beacon against Shadow. Darkness must exist, but I must walk through it to find the Dawn again." old mantras of a people left behind. Spoken in rote, a bid for calm as he willingly moves to where his eyes will soon be worthless.
The Blackback leads Qutha deeper and deeper into the woods. The darkness pressing in around Qutha and his beacon in the darkness. Qutha finds himself in a place that seems no sentinet has treaded in years. The place where one can easily imagine a large predator around the corner. A thicket with thorns and shadows.
The Blackback swoops down, snatching up something and flies away leaving Qutha in this place alone. As the young jedi makes his way through the thicket there's a tug on his belt as one of the briars he brushes up steals one of his back up glow rods.
On the wind the sweet smell of rain pushing back the oppressive lack of wind in the forest and the smell of earthiness. There's a crackle and a pop as the sky lights up like a power converter exploding. There's a thundering boom and the sky opens up with a downpour. The forest now seems like it's in the middle of the night with only the occasional crackle of lighting.
Deep breaths to coincide with the runnel of sweat coming down his temple and the other that trails down the center of his nose to drop away into the gloom. More shaken to blaze their own trails when he feels the release on his belt and the source of light is cast to black where his eyesight grows so poor that he may as well be staring at a matte curtain sucking all light away and leaving his eyes bugged for the search of any illumination.
"Bother..." resisting the flinch when the heavens roar and the fork that precedes it casts things in momentary relief filled with nightmares conjured by the folklore of his people.
"I am one with the force..." that's what the Ughnaught likes to say, isn't it? "I am one with the force..." no that's not right. Not right at all. He's going to spiral himself. Think Qutha. Think.
A heavy bob of his throat, "I am one with The Force... and the Force is with me..." but his breaths are louder.
There's a rustle in the brush that's enough to send most people in this setting to want to go running for safety. It was cold, it was wet, dark, and worse something besides Qutha was here. Did a predator get the missing siblings, was it about to strike again and claim the young jedi?
As the sky flashes with another lighting bolt theres a crackle on the com, << Hey kid, you doing alright? It's getting pretty dark and nasty out there. I know you don' t like the dark. Just remember I'm about 2 clicks from you and there's others 2 clicks away from you. You are not alone out here. Remember the first line of the jedi oath. There is no emotion there is peace. >>
<<"I'm...">> did his voice just crack, graveled as it is? <<"I'm... I.">> A shaky breath as he loses his focus, <<"I can do this.">> swallowing again. Qutha stands still, in the face of his danger, where the light is fleeting and the darkness closes in. Must do this.
"When the world was crafted no thinking being walked it. The beasts hunted and fed and that which would press their footprints not yet forged and set loose." The Zelosian swallows hard and the light of his wrist mounted armament is turned off, plunging him into midnight black. "It was Darkness without reason, until we were called to bring Light." old folklore and a voice in the dark. A voice that others might find?
"They carried the sun in their hands, but could not pierce the Shadow with their eyes, for they were children of the Sun, and they were without Darkness to pierce the gloom." a careful step forward, reaching out again.
<< Alright man, the force is your ally. You have this. >> Jax says and his voice is gone in another thunderboom. Perhaps Jax had believed Qutha and returned to his own search.
With no conscious guidance through the force, Quitha begins the next part of his journey. As he knows can't stay here and turning back is not the answer. He press forward. The dark oppression is left behind and nothing tries to eat him. In time the cold dark pit is gone though the young jedi finds himself having problems settling his mind and moving past his emotions. Soon though he hears the sound of a roar ahead. The roar is not that of a beast but of moving water. Qutha discovers a stream too wide to jump by a half, and on a normal day it would be a trickle. Now it's a roaring monster just fast enough to wash a man down stream if he tried to cross. There is no bridge or easy way cross. Though on the other side is a bright wrapper of pinks, reds, and purples. A wrapper that once contained a processed sugar confectionery treat that children like to eat all the way out here. It taunts him from the other side.
Forced to use light again as his feelings fail, the wrist-blaster is lifted and the tactical light attached blazes to life, to survey the water and the colorful wrapper beyond it. Looking down at himself and the river - no shallows or rocks forming a breakwater he can make out - or at least not recognize. No sign of anything he can think to use.
So he must resort to his meagre and fledgling skills, reaching out towards a downed hunk of wood. Face reddening as he focuses on the weight and not the what. Another step and wet stone is all that is found, forcing him to dash his shoulder and knock his head as the air is pushed out of him. Rendering him laid out on the ground by the river bank, eyes closed trying to keep his head from swimming while daggers work at his temples.
As Qutha lays there on the bank of the rushing stream. He feels something warm and soft move up next to his side. Then there's a bit of light weight coming to rest on his chest. When and if he opens his eyes he will see the long ears of a young squall. It's nose wiggling at him expectedly. Huddling against him for warmth and comfort. The wild creatures were gentle and drawn to non predators. This one was small enough it should have been with it's mother still.
Across the bank of the stream is another Squall. A full sized adult, she has one ear bent towards Quatha and standing on her hind legs watching him to see what he does with her baby.
satchel at his side, "Just for a moment. No worries." hand resting on the back of the little things neck, thumb brushing through the fur as he looks again, to the water and then inside.
"We'll get you home." gentle pressure at the carrying scruff at the neck before Qutha takes three hard steps and leaps - trusting in the force to aid him, not carry him. He's lighter in his mind and his feelings. He can fly like the Blackback, to limited degree, the ground of the opposing shore is closer and he lands with a heavy flex of his knees and a near topple to all fours. Breathing hard. It worked.
He's glad only a couple of lagomorphs are around to hear the excited laugh from him.
As Qutha lands on all fours the satchel flap falls open and out rolls the young squall butt over tea kettle. It lays there for a moment stunned then is up and running towards it's mother and past her. The adult squall continues to stand there as if studying the large gangly awkward creature that just saved it's little one. Then with a twitch that could be confused for a shrug and certainly not a not to follow. The two squalls run off. There's a thunderbolt that lights up the sky in the flash. Is that a tiny blue girl waving her arm and calling something out? The roar of the thunder drowning her calls for help.. Perhaps it wasn't just the squalls that heard Qutha's mighty laugh of celebration.
<<"Jax, I see someone.">> Qutha's first instinct is to call it out. If accidents happen. The darkness sweeps up his vision again and wraps it in velvet - cut only by lightning and the beam of the wrist-light. He closes his eyes though - heading towards the blue skinned girl at a steady pace. Eyes can be deceived as much as thoughts. The Darkness is here, all around, enveloping, but the field of all that envelopes from tree to stone to Qutha, squalls and little girl.
"Stay there! I will come to you!" with eyes closed and mind open. Again words fall more quietly from him,
"No emotion. Peace. I am one with The Force and The Force is with me..." so many teachings, swirling together and Qutha lets them push him where he must go.
When Qutha re-opens his eyes there is indeed a little blue skinned girl. “Help! My brother is running a fever and not awake!” The pair had been hiding in the exposed roots of an old tree that had formed a small burrow like hiding place. With all the darkness around it seems that there was a bit of light.
Jax’s voice crackles on the com << I hear you. I’m triangulating on your signal and I’m coming your direction. Do you want me to call the Ranger? Is it the kids? >>
<<"It's the kids, med-evac needed, something with some speed and internal stabilizers to get the brother home.">> His cloak is off and exposing him to the torrential rain - but it is placed so that sister and brother can find their shelter underneath.
"You stay here, with me. Help is coming." ration bars, the unfortunately bland kind to avoid accidental inebriation, are handed over along with bottles of water. "Drink, if he wakes, give him water. Eat if you can." crouched and fighting the urge to shiver in the downpour. Long minutes, very long spent among the boles of trees and the leaves soaked in closed blossoms and rife with creeping vines that take the shapes of cruel things where eyes would seek hopefully for a sign of goodness. But in reality, isn't it within oneself that all Light is truly carried like a brand?
It's the roar of an airspeeder that blends with thunder, speeding in fashion similar to the more experienced jedi who was called. The Darkness was all around, with a golden pool from glow-rods engaged on his belt like a waterproof torch to cast it away. Terrors abounded in the dark, blind as he was within it.
"It will be alright. I promise you." eyes like polished emeralds on the children. "We will bring you home." the lights from the airspeeder washing out color from above. A hatch opening. Lift cables and a durasteel slat to place the boy upon. "Today the Dark is cast away and sent recoiling to its den, little one. Today the Light has found us both." corners of his eyes crinkling. Salvation for all at last. Self actualization for one.
