Log:The Cat's in the Craddle and the Silver Spoon

The Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver Spoon

OOC Date: March 23rd, 2016 (Optional)
Location: Iridonia
Participants: Jax Greystorm, Ambrosia Greystorm, Sesti Gath

After the celebration, Jax had explained to Ambrosia the re-occuring dreams he'd been having. How the last few nights the dream had dreamed he was a jedi with a lightsaber protecting a group of Zabrak children from a group of mercs and raiders at a small spring and cave. Every night he was out numbered and would kill the gang but would die to his wounds. The last few night as he died in his dream he saw his reflection in the pool of water, it was of a woman in her mid 20s to early 30s. The woman Jax had dreamed he was had looked like Ambrosia.

Early the next morning Ambrosia, Sesti, and Jax had set out in the destination of a cave with a fresh water spring inside that reportedly had a carving of what may have been a woman in jedi robes, maybe the carving had mostly weathered away. It had also been in the direction Jax had felt pulled.

It was mid morning now, and turns out the cave was inside the side of a box canyon. A cargo speeder and a speeder with an E-web mounted on the back of it. A pair of guards, stood outside the speeders and the cave mouth. A couple of local toughs that fancied themselves guns for hire. An hour before a man who looked like Professor Garus Dragin, had entered into the cave with a trio of more mercs. Dragin had been 'archeologist' in service of the New Order. He'd used slave labor at many sites and stole the ancient artifacts of cultures for Palpatine and his associates. Then after the signing of the treat between the Empire and the Republic had promptly disappeared. If Amber remembers or knew of it is up to her.

Jax observes from the side of a canyon where the guards can't see him. "Yup... They're not going anywhere."

Hearing the relay of reoccuring dreams of one's child isn't something expected to endure when said child is an adult, but the fact that it IS happening was cause for concern. Especially since the apparent, self-sacrificing 'Jedi' in these dreams was reportedly...herself. Curious.

Regardless of how unnerved it'd made her feel, you wouldn't know it from looking at her. Squatting with her head tipped tiredly back against the rocky grit, the Major sighs quietly. "Five plus an intellectual, yeah?" She taps fingers against the other. "Not bad odds. It safe to assume that's no familial picnic going on, Doc?"

A little sore in the ribs, and couple more bruises that have yet to show, Sesti hadn't hesitated to strap on her Waywards scout armor and strap her knives back on, along with her sword and blaster. "It feels good to have these back," she says, half to herself, half to Jax as the blades return to their customary places. She leans her back to the canyon wall next to Jax as he looks at those already at the cave. "Why would they want anything with Nothama?" she mutters. Looking to Amber she shakes her head. "People do not picnic at Nothama. Nothama, Spirit of the Water Guardian. Some come for the waters of the spring, they claim there is healing in them... legend mostly. I do not think the water is any different here than anywhere else, except for being exceptionally fresh. Zabrak generally tend to feel uneasy in a place where they are cut off from retreat, and would not choose such a place to picnic."

There had been the sounds of working and digging from the cave. "Yeah I don't think it's a family picnic. Not even our family's picnic are like that." Jax says as he pulls out a ration bar and tears it open taking a bite. "What ever been pulling at me is down there and it feels like a good place though." He looks at the two women with him, "Yeah I just don't know how we're going to get in there without them seeing us and getting to that E-web. You two got any ideas on how to play this?" Ambrosia smirks, sarcasm lost and buried...maybe somewhere in that cavern. "Good," is all she grunts in reply to Sesti. "Well. I'd say the two out front are a good place to start. Nothin a little roll in the dirt and creep on the belly can't solve."

Sesti considers. "Well, you two stand out like... sore thumbs. You will have to explain that saying to me someday. But," she lifts a hand. "Locals come here fairly regularly. I am a local, I could get closer and distract them." She points to the cut over her eye. "I could use some healing waters."

The guards below yawn and about that time one of them wonders to go duck around the corner to relieve himself. The other one lets out a Zabrak curse and calls out, "Rak, what's up with you marking your terriorty? Every mission. It going to get us in trouble."

Jax looks at back at Sesti and Amber, "Don't care how we do it. But it looks like now's a good time to do it."

"Well, let's play. Sesti..." Ambrosia jerks a thumb in the general direction of the muscle. "We'll come along when you've got their attention."

Sesti nods and pauses for a moment, then she unbuckles and hands over her blade to Amber, leaving her with only the knives and blaster. "Do not want appear too armed. Zabrak always have something, but..." the sword is given to the woman, and then she shrugs out her shoulders. Wrapping an arm around her waist, and bending slightly, she backs up around the bend a little bit, and hits the center of the trail there to walk forward. She gives a little limp as she goes, the arm wrapped protectively as she wanders into full view of the two down with their speeders.

Rak calls out, "Screw you Grax, When you got to piss you got to piss. Besides they'll know I've been here." Grak calls back, "Yeah it cause the Poodoo you drink smells like speeder fuel cells." He looks up noticing Sesti letting out a whistle, "Zip it up, man. We got incoming." Rak looks up and zips up grabbing for his carbine. "Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going sweet cakes?" He calls out to Sesti.

Jax pulls his Dl-18 from his hip. "This really ain't going to end well. You got the 'smart one' and I got territory marker?" Jax says as he starts ready to take aim. "Feel bad about doing this."

"The hell am I supposed to do with this?" Ambrosia mutters with a look to her own moderately encumbered self - knife, stun baton, blaster. While Sesti sets off to work her lies, the Major starts to paw at the dirt and nudge aside a few rocks to make a suitable hiding place for the larger blade. "Sweet dreams," she tucks the weapon in for a nap, then reconfigures her baton's attachment to be less dangly-bumpy and more snugged up across her back.

While getting situated, she glances at what Jax is doing. "Not going for quiet and discreet then, eh?" She squat-hobbles alongside her son and pulls her own gun to bear. Takes aim..."Yeah mine ain't hittin shit from here." She puts it away and surveys her options for sneaky cover.

The limping zabrak draws up, blinking when she sees the carbines. Her hand goes to her knife but she winces in pain and draws it away, raising it slightly instead, and unwrapping the other one from her waist to hold out palm upwards. She shambles a little closer to peer at the cave, "hey... I thought Nothama was for everyone," she tells them. "Not that I completely believe in all that legend stuff, but sometimes you'll try anything, right?" She stops craning her neck, and gives them a look. "This is Nothama Springs, right?"

Jax shrugs, "When have I ever been able to pull off subtle?" He says as his Mother moves off. Then holding his blaster pistol out and holds his breath waiting for his mother to move into position. He takes aim at the guy talking to Sesti.

Rak shakes his head, "Nope, Not today. It's closed for renovations. So move along cause I Sai..." That's when Jax fires his blaster bolt ringing out striking the thug and he drops. The other two shots go wild and miss. One thug down but now the guys in the cave know somebody's here. The other guard Grax? He's dumbfuddled as he wasn't expecting his buddy to fall and raises his carbine, giving Amber a chance to strike.

Just another op. That's what Amber tells herself as she stalks towards a better firing position. Nubbins of nails scrape over the dirt, elbows and knees getting their time in the ring as she lays down and wriggles up close behind a pile of rubble and dying shrub. A sharp pain gives her pause, firing an accusatory glare to her thigh. It's a thorn. A stern look to the shrub. Had to be thorns. Drawing her lip into a sneer, the old rebel props herself up on a hip and stealthily draws her pistol for the second time.

50 meters - it's within range. Breathing the dust out of wisps of hair matting into her face, she squints on eye closed and waits for just...that...moment. When it comes, her finger twitches obediently, popping off two rounds at the gawking goon's gob.

When the first one drops, so does Sesti's act. It's not the leg that hurts, that was just fun. It's the ribs, and they do scream at her as she pulls herself up onto the speeder, but she grits her teeth and ignores it. Out of the corner of her eye she notes the other one going down, and gives a pained smirk. Scrambling into place, she swivels the e-web around, points it into the cave, and waits.

Grax never saw Amber or her blaster as he wilts over dead the carbine falling from his hand. Rak drops in a fetal position and whatever world he knows is a world of pain and passes out. Jax slides down the slope at a run hoping over a down branch and skidding with a grace as he goes that says I got this, No I'm not really out of control. He comes running up to hide behind the speeder, Sesti's using, "You alright?"

About that time three forms exit the cave and move to cover at the mouth. They way they moved there was a reason they weren't on guard duty. The leader calling out. "You don't know the galaxy of trouble you just brought down upon yourself." Then they open fire at Sesti and Jax. The blaster bolts rain down on the speeder Jax dodging as they fire at him.

Thirty-plus years' experience has taught Ambrosia a thing or two. One of those things? If there're unfriendlies 'out front', there're unfriendlies 'inside'. And if there are unfriendlies inside, they will come out to investigate what all the ruckuss is about. Which is why she doesn't dare set foot outside her cover. Not yet.

But the DY-255 does.

Major Greystorm provides some cover fire for Sesti and Jax, taking care to aim /around/ her charges, rather than through them to reach her targets.

"Fine," Sesti tells Jax over her shoulder. "I can kee-" she hears the voice, and turns her attention fully back to the cave. She opens her mouth, but then decides to leave the smart talk to the expert. She turns her shoulders, letting the blaster bolt fly past and then resets herself, taking hold of the E-web's controls. Knowing she doesn't have enough skill to bulls eye hiding people with the weapon, she decides instead to take out their cover. The lasers blast into the rocks where she saw one of them hiding, turning his cover into shards that impale and bury him.

Jax open fire with his pistol from around the side of the speeder as one of the thugs fires from around the hole Sesti created in his cover and where his buddy was. Jax shots find center mass and a quick dodge from the pilot saves his life but as he lets out a curse. He lets out a curse of pain. His shoulder grazed. "Sith spawn!" THe other was pinned down from the explosion of rock and the E-web till he notices Amber's position and fire at her.

As expected, her popped shots are returned enthusiastically and Ambrosia flinches back behind her little rubble throne. A puff of dust and grit richochets off her left temple, telling her /that/ was a close one. Listening for a break, she looks down at her belt, noticing that it's beginning to fray. While there, her eyes notice something else. Another pair of eyes, beady and black, staring at her reproachfully from beneath a tiny 'ledge' within the thorny, stony heap.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles, eyeing it mistrustfully. "Won't be much longer and you can return to your little nap there." A pause and a little, purple tongue flicks lazily at her. "Nice place ya got here." Then, she hears her cue - a distinct drop in enemy fire. "Wish me luck!" she whispers to the little beasty, then spins off her right heel, knee, and hops to her feet in a flourish of crackling, ancient leather duster and sleek, polished pistol.

The Major keeps herself a moving target, firing at the last man standing as her boots pound ground towards another bush.

The blasters fire around her, and Sesti's eyes narrow as she hears Jax curse. She barely notices through the dust and grit as another goes down, but, catching movement in the flare of Amber's shots, she aims at the rock in that direction, bringing a galaxy of rubble crashing down around him.

More of the rock cover is destroyed as Sesti fires with the e-web. The thug popping up to take another shot at her and a wounded Jax leans around killing the thug. He falls down dead. Jax calls out, "Clear. You guys alright?"

Moments later the man that could only be Professor Dragin comes stepping out of the cave. His hands held up, "I surrender. I seem to have hired the wrong people. Unless you too are for hire." Around his torso he carries a satchel and he has a blaster pistol. If not you couldn't shoot an unarmmed man could you?"

"Never better."

Ambrosia adjusts her aim to train her weapons on the emerging man's head, walking a cautious few steps towards him. "I could do a lot of things. /Have/ done. So here's what I suggest YOU do, sir. Ditch the bag." The warning growl in her tone is a bit strong for just a 'suggestion'. "Maybe you get to keep your 'piece' in exchange."

"Not for hire," Sesti confirms steadily, powering down the e-web but bringing out her blaster to bear on the Professor. "You heard the woman," she adds. "Put the bag down and back away nice and slow."

Jax moves forward to hold out his hand, "Give 'em here." The professor turns over the blaster, "Yes yes no problem, but Can't I keep?" Jax shakes his pistol at the professor, "Fine fine." He says handing the back over to the pilot. Jax tosses the blaster to the side and opens the bag. "Is that?" He reaches in grabbing something and pulling out an old tarnish metal cylinder. The professor stepping forward, "Now boy that isn't meant for the likes of you." Jax's eyes go wide and he mumbles, "I understand now."

Ambrosia's blaster finds its rest at her hip while her legs take her in swift, long strides forward to 'redirect' the professor's approach. "Touch him - go ahead," she whispers chillingly, "Gives me a reason to touch you." Jax's mother comes to stand at his side, shoulders squared towards the older man. Her right hand brushes against her thigh...There's a hunger there in her eyes, that isn't directed towards this artifact. A little monster, forever inside. Thirty-seven years is a long time...but not long enough for /this/ ghost to find peace.

As Amber strides into place, Sesti puts her blaster back in place and hops down from the speeder, gritting her teeth to hide the wince from the jarring to her ribs. Her strides are not as swift, and her eyes hold a menace for a man, but it doesn't carry the years of combat behind it that Amber's does. She comes up to stand beside Jax, placing a hand on his back, just at his shoulder blade. "Is this it?" she asks quietly, looking at the cylinder he holds. "Is that a..."

Jax looks pained at what his mother says. He takes few deep breaths and then walks up putting his hand on her shoulder. "It is Sesti. Don't Mom. Not here. Don't give into it." He looks at the lightsaber and holds it out to show her something on the side of it. He looks to the professor and says, "Start walking and never come back. " He walks over to the speeder and picks up a canteen tossing it to the other man. " Cause what your looking for won't be here. We'll make sure of that." The professor scoffs, "Your not better than me.." Jax looks at him, "Maybe but I don't think so. Now go." Between Amber and Sesti the professor turns to start hiking out.

Once the professor's out of earshot, he says, "Her name was Jera Aderanne. She was a jedi Knight. She died here protecting all the children of a nearby village that had been hidden here from some raiders." He points into the cave, "That was her tomb. They uncovered it." He pauses looking at Amber, "Do we leave her there or do we take her where they won't be able to find her?"

The older woman doesn't blink, doesn't relent in her unforgiving scrutiny of the man's face - every pore, every burst vessel. "Start walking," Ambrosia echoes softly, in tandem with her son. Maybe, it's as much a message to herself as it is the tomb raider. There's a new, disconcerting look in the Major's eye and without a word about it, she trudges into the cave. A flick to her belt and something at her waist illuminates as she plunges into darkness.

Sesti stands quietly as the two Greystorms make the command imminently clear to the man. She watches Jax more than the Professor as he puts a hand to her shoulder, calming her. After he explains, she looks around the canyon, eyes narrowing for a moment in thought. "The Morz family is nearby, that could be the children she protected," Sesti says quietly to Jax, watching Amber walk into the cavern. "They would give her an honored burial and it would be safe guarded as all Zabrak are in their final rest."

Inside the cave there's a spring that exits a wall and flows down into a grotto. Near the side of the grotto is carving of a female in robes long weathered. There's execavatign equipment and lights. There's open grave shinning on the skeletal remains wrapped in a burial shroud." Jax nods to Sesti, "That is an option. Though would they understand? I mean this is all very old and legend right? We could bury her on Corellia or D'Qar? Maybe the Gaths? Maybe Coruscant? Who knows?"

Heavy thuds turn to quiet split-splats and eventually silence all together as Ambrosia comes face to face with what could pass for a premonition of her own mortality - a most familiar likeness, etched in stone. The tilt of the hooded face appears offended by the glare of worklights. Or maybe that's just the shadow trickster at work. Operating outside of logic, the living Aderanne lifts a hand to kill this industrial lighting before approaching nearer so that inquisitive fingers may graze over the ancient stone.

It's uncanny. And what's more is the eerily illuminated white that her belt light glances over, from below. Ambrosia kneels, careful not to disturb further what's been pillaged. Exposed. "You call to my son," she whispers plaintively, a trembling hand reaching to hover over the remains. Something about the shroud and its patterning catches her eye. "But have been silent, all this time...how many answers lay entombed here, within you?" A lone, bitter tear seeps forth unbidden. "And how many questions, innumerously more." Tiny fragments of memory stir beneath the inky fingers of secrets in her brain and she retracts her hand against her own breast. "I wonder if it call to you, still? Home." Her lips twitch and she rears up on one knee, then heel, then stands. "Your wait is over, my friend."