Jeanida grimaced. This was getting much more complicated all the time. "Yes. He has to be somewhere not with us. We need to leave, and we don't have any reason to take him with us. For crying out loud, he's a spice runner! He'd probably shoot us in the back once he's on his feet." Sighing, Jeanida looks over Sol's shoulder at the rather pathetic looking figure on the table. Sighing, she starts going through medical equipment, seeing if there's anything else that needs to be done. Turning back to Sol, she says, "Once he's not dying, let's just drop him off somewhere and leave. I don't think we should stay here longer than we have to."
On the off chance it matters, Jeanida would have probably used her Skilled Adviser to give Sol a +5 on his Treat Injury check.
Also, just to be sure, was part of the plan going back and picking up Chissk and things? Or do we have our things and we're just hightailing it?
After he's stabilized, Jeanida pats him down in a very cursory manner, and then gets Sol to stop at nearby landing pad they pass. After he stumbles out, Sol closes the ship's ramp and flies the ship away from the docking pad. Meanwhile, Jeanida decides to take a look around the ship and pokes through the cabins in the front half of the ship. Claiming the passenger cabin for herself, Jeanida leaves the small sack of her things (minus the Holocron, which she held in her hand) and then returns to to the cockpit. Seeing Sol enjoy the first flight he's had for weeks, she's hesitant to interrupt him, but plans do need to be made. Jeanida says, "So, Illum. I guess we should probably check with the Master's holocron on how to get there, huh?"
No objections to Jeanida's idea, so I'm going to assume we can keep rolling.
Klaggy gives the holocron a suspicious glance, struggling to get past the idea of an once organic mind contained within a box. "<There is no use in delay. We should go immediately, with all haste.>"
The three Jedi gathered around the holocron placed on the dejarik table. Jeanida reached out with the Force and summoned the holographic image of Master Nay'bek.
"Greetings seekers," it said. "I am the gatekeeper for this holocron wherein lies the sum knowledge and wisdom of Jedi Master Prisk Nay'bek."
"Master," Jeanida said, "we now have a ship at our disposal. How do we find Ilum?"
Nay'bek nodded and surveyed the ship's interior. "Well done! I'm glad to see the ship is of decent size as the journey to Ilum is long and trying. Ilum lies beyond the borders of known space and does not appear on any star chart. The Order intentionally removed all references to it. However, the planet resonates with tremendous Force energy and a talented Jedi may safely plot a hyperspace course. Proceed first to the Iridonia system. This is the last civilized outpost where you may resupply your ship and equip yourselves for the journey. You will only have what you bring with you. Ilum is an ice planet and you should be prepared for extreme cold.
"From Iridonia, jump to an empty region of space well away from life. There amidst the stillness, you should be able to hear Ilum's call."
Burning Sky HP 136/180 SR 30/30 TH 77 - Just a reminder that ship damage is restored only using the Repair portion of the Mechanic's skill: DC20 and 1 hour repairs 1d8 of damage. Or you can hire a repair worker for 100cr per HP at the local starport. One worker can repair 4HP per hour. Additional workers cost 50cr to speed up the process.
Jeanida's Eyes Only
Search of the workshop reveals that the smuggler was installing a pulse charger a blaster carbine upping its damage output to 3d8+3.
The ship's navigation log is set to store only the four most recent jump coordinates. You find the following in the log:
Today - Coruscant
2days ago - Kessel
6days ago - Resh 9376
10days ago - Nar Shadaa
Klaggy's Eyes Only
Klaggy Perception: 1d20+926
There is something strange about the ship's hyperdrive motivator. It's newer and shinier than anything else in the engine room.
Iridonia. Strong warriors, when they put their mind to it.. But Klaggy found his attention wandering. Drawn by something he couldn't quite explain, the gamorrean wandered the ship reaching out with the Force.
GM's Eyes Only.
Klaggy heads to the engine room, investigating the hyperdrive motivator and attempting to Use the Force to determine if it's a threat.
The motivator has been installed with what appears to be a sophisticated anti-tamper system. Removing it improperly would likely cause major damage to the hyperdrive. The motivator does not feel like an immediate threat in the Force, however, concentrating on it gives you the eerie feeling like you are being watched.
After Master gives them a better idea of where they're going, Jeanida watches Sol fly the ship for a bit. She can tell he's skilled, but she really doesn't have much of a clue as far as what he's doing. Feeling like she's starting to be rude, she decides that the trip will be long enough without causing more friction between herself and Sol. Mentally reviewing the events from the past few days, Jeanida chuckles at the fact that Klaggy has actually been the one who'd kept the peace between the two of them when they'd been ready to go for each other's throats.
Remembering the hour of training she'd assigned herself during the fight, Jeanida starts to return to her quarters to work on her forms, but a whisper in the back of her mind. She already knows about the giant containers of spice, and she's feeling a little uneasy with that on board. They'd already be in enough trouble if they were stopped by some sort of law enforcement, and if someone found that they were running around with that on board... Sighing, she figures she might as well see what else they were moving, so as to avoid a possibly unpleasant surprise down the road.
Jeanida forces open several of the crates on one of the pallets. Most were full of dozens of small airtight cylinders of spice. Two crates however contained slave collars, stun shackles, and their matching control remotes.
Sol checks the readouts of the ship's systems. He grimaces as he reads the damage report. "Going to have to take a look at some of the worst damage when we get into hyperspace."
He flips the ship's PA system on. "Folks, we need to make for Iridonia system. Can someone put in the coordinates into the hyperspace computer?"
Sol is not trained in Use Computer. So he's got a lousy +3 to that roll. If someone else is better at it, please roll for us.
Jeanida makes her way back to the bridge to find Sol fiddling with the nav computer. "Do you know how to use that thing?" she asked incredulously. He shrugged. "How hard could it be..by the way, is the Iridonia system in the outer rim or the inner core?"
Sighing, Jeanida points at the screen. "It's right there in the Mid-rim Sol!"
"Oh yeah, there it is" He pushes a few more buttons tentatively, and is rewarded with a positive chime from the computer. "See...no problem!"
Once Sol plots their course correctly, Jeanida leaves the others to their own devices and returns to the room she's claimed. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a remote, so she can't practice deflections like she wanted to originally. She eventually settles on working through her forms. Closing her eyes, she clears her mind of the day's events, until the only things her mind is aware of is the vibrations of the engines and the hum of her lightsaber.
A few hours later, a slight sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead, Jeanida decides that she's too tired to continue making any progress. Deactivating her lightsaber, she cleans herself up and goes to bed with the satisfaction of one who has done a tricky job rather well.
Her last thought before falling asleep is, "How am I going to spend the next few days locked in here with Sol and Klaggy?"
Upon receiving word of the duration of their trip, Klaggy retired to the engine room, to the bowels of the ship where he felt the most at home. There, he tended to his equipment - carefully checking and rechecking his axe, M'uhk'gfa, and lightsaber. Finally satisfied, he spent an hour planning his next course of action. It would have to be occur at exactly the right time; if he miscalculated, the side effects could be grave.
Klaggy waited. When the time came, he did not need to check the chronometer - he just knew.
"<SLUSHTIME!>" Klaggy shouted as he barged into Jeanida's room. "<Metaphorically speaking. It doesn't rain on ships. Get up, we're gonna go train. One hour of training for every seven hours, just like we do back home with the little ones. We're heading into Wartime, and it won't do to have my clanmates suffering Coldtime doldrums. The best way to fix that is to fight!>" The gamorrean left to repeat the same performance in Sol's room, fulling expecting Jeanida to follow him.
Jumping out of bed and tangling herself in the sheets, Jeanida yells, "AhhhhwhatsgoingondidSolcrashtheship?"
As awareness gradually floats back to her mind, she wonders if she's going to have to have to make a locked sign, since Klaggy didn't even appear to notice he'd smashed the door's feeble privacy lock. Jeanida sits up, groaning as she feels the stiffness in her muscles from her private workout. She starts to go back to bed as a form of protest, but as she's untangling herself from her bedsheet, she's forced to admit that Klaggy has a point. And didn't Master always say that one of the best ways to learn was to expose yourself to new experiences? And Klaggy's ideas of training were sure to be different than what she'd come up with herself. Jeanida cheered at the thought and redressed herself, wondering what exactly Klaggy had in mind.
Sol, who had just finished a long shift trying to repair some of the ship's damage, rolled over in his bunk, his back facing Klaggy, and pulled his blanket over his head. "Leave me alone Gamorrean. I already won my battle for the day against the hyperspace motivator. It was truly a valiant tale that will be stored within the Jedi Archives for centuries to come..."
The gammorrean crouched down next to Sol's bed. "<The galaxy is against us. Our enemy will not stop until we are destroyed, and there is a tracking device on the engine. They will find us. And the only thing between life and death is how prepared you are when they arrive.>" He stood, and walked to the door. "<The female is already preparing herself for training. If you want to impress her, I suggest you start by putting on some pants.>"
"Someone is tracking us? Who?" His thoughts whirled in his brain while he laid there. Sighing, Sol throws his sheets off his body and stands up in a huff. "Trust me Klaggy, she'd probably be more impressed if I remained pantless." The Gamorrean gave him a quizzical smile, but the jedi waved off his curiosity. "Nevermind." He grabbed some pants and hopped after his companion while trying to get dressed. "Does Jeanie know about the device?" he asked quietly.
"<No. Is it of relevance? It serves only to remind of us of the truth, and provides excellent motivation. They know where we are. They are coming. We should be ready.>"
"Jeanie should be provided the same motivation as us...besides, if it were me, I would be upset if my companions kept that from me." They walked in silence for a few moments before Sol spoke up again. "Thanks for doing this Klaggy..."
"<She didn't need motivation. When I told her it was time to train, she sprung into action and inquired if you had crashed the ship.>" The gamorrean shrugged. "<I am thankful for the opportunity to be myself. If you wish to show thanks, work hard. But fear not,>" Klaggy clapped Sol on the shoulder. "<If you show weakness or fail, I will save you.>"
A pattern developed over the next three days spent in hyperspace.
At precisely 0600, Sol and Jeanida would be woken by Klaggy pounding on the door to their bunks. It was in their best interest to be dressed and in the cargo by 0615 or Klaggy would force the doors to their quarters, lift their bunk without any strain, and dump his slumbering comrades onto the floor. Once in the cargo bay, Klaggy drilled them through grueling calisthenics. At 0800, they sat down to a breakfast of re-hydrated eggs, freeze dried toast, nerf sausages and caf in the crew lounge. Though his taste in food was lacking, the smuggler had stocked the pantry with the finest Correllian roast caf and even Jeanida admitted the dark brew was acceptable. After finishing his food, Sol typically grabbed a refill of caf and headed to the bridge to run a systems check.
From 0900 to 1100, Klaggy's training regimen moved to strength training and hand to hand combat. Working together, Sol and Jeanida could sometimes manage to throw the hulking Gammorean to the deck, but only once did Sol best Klaggy with a well timed blow to the thigh combined with a leg sweep. Klaggy later claimed hyperspace turbulence had caused him to lose his balance and that the fight was a draw.
Lunch was as unremarkable as breakfast but what was lacking in quality was made up for in quantity.
Lightsaber drills began at 1300. Master Prisk's holocron watched from atop a cargo crate and guided her students through the kata for Form I, or Shii-Cho, the most basic taught to all Jedi. She stopped them frequently for even the tiniest flaws: a foot slightly out of place, a loose grip or an elbow straightened inappropriately. Only by the second day was Prisk satisfied with Form I and began to instruct additional forms befitting their individual style and ability. For Jeanida, Prisk chose Form III, Soresu, which provides excellent defense against blaster bolts and projectiles. For Klaggy, she chose Form V, Shien, leveraging his already massive strength to deal powerful blows and devastating counter-attacks. Prisk's choice for Sol was not immediately obvious. She had him start and stop several forms before finally settling on Form IV, Ataru, a fast-paced style that carefully balanced attack, defense, and power.
By 1600, lightsaber drills were done and Prisk guided them through meditation for an hour. Afterwards they dined on nerf steaks and boiled potatoes. Then the three Jedi spent the evening according to their whims. Sol worked until late each night to repairing the damage to the Burning Sky employing Klaggy's help when strength was required and Jeanida's when a delicate touch was needed.
The pattern repeated for three days before the Burning Sky emerged from hyperspace above Iridonia. Keen to keep a low profile, the crew chose a minor trade settlement on the outskirts of the main continent and sat the ship down for refueling and resupply. Heeding Prisk's warnings, they sought out cold weather gear, fusion heaters and packed enough food on board to feed four people for a month, which Sol hoped would be enough food for two humans and one Gammorean. Jeanida found an old training remote at a local droid dealer to help her improve her Soresu form. The remote fired stinger bolts with adjustable power, though Jeanida would later swear that the droid mischievously upped the power when it grew bored.
Resupplied, the Jedi made a short jump away from Iridonia to an empty region of space. At Prisk's urging, Sol shutdown all systems onboard the Burning Sky except for life support. The three Jedi floated in the bridge in zero gravity and let the darkness of space seep into the bridge and touch their minds. They stretched their senses out to the stars casting their mind's eye between the flickering orbs. For hours they meditated in silence. Sol let his mind be pulled to the strongest Force echos. He wandered without plan or guide. At first his wandering seemed random but slowly a pattern began to emerge. The Force was tilted, or warped somehow towards one point of light. He let his mind slip toward the point and was blinded by a brilliant burst of Force energy.
Back in the bridge, his eyes snapped open and he exclaimed, "I've got it! I've got it!". Kicking off of the ceiling, he floated to the main console and began the power up sequence. Once the navicomputer spooled up, he began entering a dizzying array of calculations. He keyed in the final vector and the green light on the hyperspace initiate lever lit up.
Jeanida and Klaggy strapped themselves in. "<Are you certain about this?>" Klaggy asked.
Sol's hand hovered above the hyperspace lever. "Ummm, I think so. NO. WAIT!" Sol hurriedly corrected the calculation and before his confidence could falter, he yanked the lever and the Burning Sky entered hyperspace. When they did not immediately slam into a star or get yanked out by a gravity well, Sol sighed in relief. "Well, now all we can do is wait and see where we end up."
Two days passed before the navicomputer chimed their approach to the hyperspace exit point. Gathered again on the bridge, the Jedi held their breath as Sol pushed the lever and the ship shuttered as it reverted to normalspace.
A pale white orb lit by a faint near-blue star filled they viewport. The planet Force aura was immense and pressed on the Jedi's minds. For the remainder of her days, Jeanida would swear she felt the entire planet rejoice at their arrival.
"<Good flying.>" The gamorrean gave Sol a companionable slap on the back before heading towards their stashed equipment. "<Let's get suited up and see what awaits us.>"
Sol just stared out the viewport. The planet was...beautiful. He couldn't help but just gaze at it, his thoughts floating through the Force with much less effort than normal. Klaggy squealed loudly behind him, shaking him out of his trance. The street rat-turned Jedi flipped a few switches, enabling the autopilot and running a few diagnostics on the planet's atmosphere. He knew academically that it had a breathable atmosphere, but time in the Explorer's Corps had instilled certain habits.
He quickly got out of his seat when he was done and ran after Klaggy. "Hey we need to ask Master Prisk where to go too!"
After Sol had properly input the coordinates and they were on their way, Jeanida hadn't been able to sit still, only sleeping for a few hours at a time. The combination of nerves, the growing echos in the Force, and grief over the loss of her master kept restful sleep from her. However, she joined the others in looking down on Illum with awe once they arrived. She was unsure what the future held, but she trusted that her master would be able to guide them in what they needed to do.
Klaggy scrunched up his nose, still uncomfortable with the idea of an echo of a dead person encased in a talking box. "<OK, OK. Grab the box first, then let's get suited up.>"
The trio donned their cold weather gear as Master Prisk described their goal: an ancient temple carved into the side of a mountain. The temple was built by Jedi millenia ago atop caverns bristling with Force attuned crystals ideal for constructing lightsabers.
The cold winds of Ilum greeted them with a roar as Sol lowered the boarding ramp. The faint blue sun was high overhead but the ship computer had estimated they had six hours before night fall. Eager to proceed, Klaggy tromped off into toward the nearby mountainside, his bulk pushing aside the snow drifts and making an easier path for Sol and Jeanida. As they neared the cliff face, the pillars of the temple became visible. Delicate spires carved out of ice spiraled up the mountain some fifty meters with two massive doors of formed from three meter thick ice embedded at the spiral's base.
The doors were ajar wide enough for two humans to enter abreast. The fresh snowfall around the doors appeared to have been recently trampled.
Jeanida felt like she was smashed in the face by the cold as soon as the ramp opened. Staggering backwards as the wind blown snow covers the ramp and deck with a thin layer of powder, she blinks her eyes clear of the squall.
Once they arrive to the relative clearness of the arch of the doorway, Jeanida pauses in brief confusion as she sees the tramped snow and ajar doors. Sighing, she unclips her lightsaber, ready to ignite it at the first sign of trouble. While the people inside could be other Jedi who've survived the Purge, Jeanida thinks that it's just as likely as some troopers were brought here to secure the temple if Jedi would try and regroup here. Looking back to the others, she says, "Well, I guess we weren't the only people who thought coming here was a good idea. Let's hope their friendly, though."
"<'Hope not for an easy slushtime, lest you be soft come wartime.' Old gamorrean proverb.>" Klaggy put up his axe and cleared his lightsaber of snow and ice. "<Aren't you eager to test your skills? You've been progressing very well.>" The gamorrean poked about the immediate area, looking for signs of trouble.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer we don't just jump into battle Klaggy. Besides...I don't think that's very jedi-like of you." He smirked at his Gamorrean companion, but a sense of trepidation filled his senses.
Posts
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Also, just to be sure, was part of the plan going back and picking up Chissk and things? Or do we have our things and we're just hightailing it?
Twitch Stream
Perception to pat down. (1d20+8=11)
Perception for the cabins. (1d20+8=19)
Twitch Stream
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
"Greetings seekers," it said. "I am the gatekeeper for this holocron wherein lies the sum knowledge and wisdom of Jedi Master Prisk Nay'bek."
"Master," Jeanida said, "we now have a ship at our disposal. How do we find Ilum?"
Nay'bek nodded and surveyed the ship's interior. "Well done! I'm glad to see the ship is of decent size as the journey to Ilum is long and trying. Ilum lies beyond the borders of known space and does not appear on any star chart. The Order intentionally removed all references to it. However, the planet resonates with tremendous Force energy and a talented Jedi may safely plot a hyperspace course. Proceed first to the Iridonia system. This is the last civilized outpost where you may resupply your ship and equip yourselves for the journey. You will only have what you bring with you. Ilum is an ice planet and you should be prepared for extreme cold.
"From Iridonia, jump to an empty region of space well away from life. There amidst the stillness, you should be able to hear Ilum's call."
Jeanida's Eyes Only
Sol's Eyes Only
The ship's navigation log is set to store only the four most recent jump coordinates. You find the following in the log:
Today - Coruscant
2days ago - Kessel
6days ago - Resh 9376
10days ago - Nar Shadaa
Klaggy's Eyes Only
There is something strange about the ship's hyperdrive motivator. It's newer and shinier than anything else in the engine room.
Iridonia. Strong warriors, when they put their mind to it.. But Klaggy found his attention wandering. Drawn by something he couldn't quite explain, the gamorrean wandered the ship reaching out with the Force.
Perception: 1d20+9 29
Use the Force: 1d20+14 33
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Remembering the hour of training she'd assigned herself during the fight, Jeanida starts to return to her quarters to work on her forms, but a whisper in the back of her mind. She already knows about the giant containers of spice, and she's feeling a little uneasy with that on board. They'd already be in enough trouble if they were stopped by some sort of law enforcement, and if someone found that they were running around with that on board... Sighing, she figures she might as well see what else they were moving, so as to avoid a possibly unpleasant surprise down the road.
Has someone set us up the bomb?
Twitch Stream
He flips the ship's PA system on. "Folks, we need to make for Iridonia system. Can someone put in the coordinates into the hyperspace computer?"
Klaggy folds his arms and looks skeptically at the source of Sol's voice. "<Perhaps someone besides me should try.>"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Sighing, Jeanida points at the screen. "It's right there in the Mid-rim Sol!"
"Oh yeah, there it is" He pushes a few more buttons tentatively, and is rewarded with a positive chime from the computer. "See...no problem!"
Days in Hyperspace: 1d6 4 4 days travel if we're using the Core Book rules.
@Klivian, let me know how many mechanics checks I can make, I can just roll them in succession if you want.
A few hours later, a slight sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead, Jeanida decides that she's too tired to continue making any progress. Deactivating her lightsaber, she cleans herself up and goes to bed with the satisfaction of one who has done a tricky job rather well.
Her last thought before falling asleep is, "How am I going to spend the next few days locked in here with Sol and Klaggy?"
Twitch Stream
Upon receiving word of the duration of their trip, Klaggy retired to the engine room, to the bowels of the ship where he felt the most at home. There, he tended to his equipment - carefully checking and rechecking his axe, M'uhk'gfa, and lightsaber. Finally satisfied, he spent an hour planning his next course of action. It would have to be occur at exactly the right time; if he miscalculated, the side effects could be grave.
Klaggy waited. When the time came, he did not need to check the chronometer - he just knew.
"<SLUSHTIME!>" Klaggy shouted as he barged into Jeanida's room. "<Metaphorically speaking. It doesn't rain on ships. Get up, we're gonna go train. One hour of training for every seven hours, just like we do back home with the little ones. We're heading into Wartime, and it won't do to have my clanmates suffering Coldtime doldrums. The best way to fix that is to fight!>" The gamorrean left to repeat the same performance in Sol's room, fulling expecting Jeanida to follow him.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
As awareness gradually floats back to her mind, she wonders if she's going to have to have to make a locked sign, since Klaggy didn't even appear to notice he'd smashed the door's feeble privacy lock. Jeanida sits up, groaning as she feels the stiffness in her muscles from her private workout. She starts to go back to bed as a form of protest, but as she's untangling herself from her bedsheet, she's forced to admit that Klaggy has a point. And didn't Master always say that one of the best ways to learn was to expose yourself to new experiences? And Klaggy's ideas of training were sure to be different than what she'd come up with herself. Jeanida cheered at the thought and redressed herself, wondering what exactly Klaggy had in mind.
Twitch Stream
The gammorrean crouched down next to Sol's bed. "<The galaxy is against us. Our enemy will not stop until we are destroyed, and there is a tracking device on the engine. They will find us. And the only thing between life and death is how prepared you are when they arrive.>" He stood, and walked to the door. "<The female is already preparing herself for training. If you want to impress her, I suggest you start by putting on some pants.>"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
"<No. Is it of relevance? It serves only to remind of us of the truth, and provides excellent motivation. They know where we are. They are coming. We should be ready.>"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
"<She didn't need motivation. When I told her it was time to train, she sprung into action and inquired if you had crashed the ship.>" The gamorrean shrugged. "<I am thankful for the opportunity to be myself. If you wish to show thanks, work hard. But fear not,>" Klaggy clapped Sol on the shoulder. "<If you show weakness or fail, I will save you.>"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
At precisely 0600, Sol and Jeanida would be woken by Klaggy pounding on the door to their bunks. It was in their best interest to be dressed and in the cargo by 0615 or Klaggy would force the doors to their quarters, lift their bunk without any strain, and dump his slumbering comrades onto the floor. Once in the cargo bay, Klaggy drilled them through grueling calisthenics. At 0800, they sat down to a breakfast of re-hydrated eggs, freeze dried toast, nerf sausages and caf in the crew lounge. Though his taste in food was lacking, the smuggler had stocked the pantry with the finest Correllian roast caf and even Jeanida admitted the dark brew was acceptable. After finishing his food, Sol typically grabbed a refill of caf and headed to the bridge to run a systems check.
From 0900 to 1100, Klaggy's training regimen moved to strength training and hand to hand combat. Working together, Sol and Jeanida could sometimes manage to throw the hulking Gammorean to the deck, but only once did Sol best Klaggy with a well timed blow to the thigh combined with a leg sweep. Klaggy later claimed hyperspace turbulence had caused him to lose his balance and that the fight was a draw.
Lunch was as unremarkable as breakfast but what was lacking in quality was made up for in quantity.
Lightsaber drills began at 1300. Master Prisk's holocron watched from atop a cargo crate and guided her students through the kata for Form I, or Shii-Cho, the most basic taught to all Jedi. She stopped them frequently for even the tiniest flaws: a foot slightly out of place, a loose grip or an elbow straightened inappropriately. Only by the second day was Prisk satisfied with Form I and began to instruct additional forms befitting their individual style and ability. For Jeanida, Prisk chose Form III, Soresu, which provides excellent defense against blaster bolts and projectiles. For Klaggy, she chose Form V, Shien, leveraging his already massive strength to deal powerful blows and devastating counter-attacks. Prisk's choice for Sol was not immediately obvious. She had him start and stop several forms before finally settling on Form IV, Ataru, a fast-paced style that carefully balanced attack, defense, and power.
By 1600, lightsaber drills were done and Prisk guided them through meditation for an hour. Afterwards they dined on nerf steaks and boiled potatoes. Then the three Jedi spent the evening according to their whims. Sol worked until late each night to repairing the damage to the Burning Sky employing Klaggy's help when strength was required and Jeanida's when a delicate touch was needed.
The pattern repeated for three days before the Burning Sky emerged from hyperspace above Iridonia. Keen to keep a low profile, the crew chose a minor trade settlement on the outskirts of the main continent and sat the ship down for refueling and resupply. Heeding Prisk's warnings, they sought out cold weather gear, fusion heaters and packed enough food on board to feed four people for a month, which Sol hoped would be enough food for two humans and one Gammorean. Jeanida found an old training remote at a local droid dealer to help her improve her Soresu form. The remote fired stinger bolts with adjustable power, though Jeanida would later swear that the droid mischievously upped the power when it grew bored.
Resupplied, the Jedi made a short jump away from Iridonia to an empty region of space. At Prisk's urging, Sol shutdown all systems onboard the Burning Sky except for life support. The three Jedi floated in the bridge in zero gravity and let the darkness of space seep into the bridge and touch their minds. They stretched their senses out to the stars casting their mind's eye between the flickering orbs. For hours they meditated in silence. Sol let his mind be pulled to the strongest Force echos. He wandered without plan or guide. At first his wandering seemed random but slowly a pattern began to emerge. The Force was tilted, or warped somehow towards one point of light. He let his mind slip toward the point and was blinded by a brilliant burst of Force energy.
Back in the bridge, his eyes snapped open and he exclaimed, "I've got it! I've got it!". Kicking off of the ceiling, he floated to the main console and began the power up sequence. Once the navicomputer spooled up, he began entering a dizzying array of calculations. He keyed in the final vector and the green light on the hyperspace initiate lever lit up.
Jeanida and Klaggy strapped themselves in. "<Are you certain about this?>" Klaggy asked.
Sol's hand hovered above the hyperspace lever. "Ummm, I think so. NO. WAIT!" Sol hurriedly corrected the calculation and before his confidence could falter, he yanked the lever and the Burning Sky entered hyperspace. When they did not immediately slam into a star or get yanked out by a gravity well, Sol sighed in relief. "Well, now all we can do is wait and see where we end up."
Two days passed before the navicomputer chimed their approach to the hyperspace exit point. Gathered again on the bridge, the Jedi held their breath as Sol pushed the lever and the ship shuttered as it reverted to normalspace.
A pale white orb lit by a faint near-blue star filled they viewport. The planet Force aura was immense and pressed on the Jedi's minds. For the remainder of her days, Jeanida would swear she felt the entire planet rejoice at their arrival.
"Ilum," Sol whispered.
"<Good flying.>" The gamorrean gave Sol a companionable slap on the back before heading towards their stashed equipment. "<Let's get suited up and see what awaits us.>"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
He quickly got out of his seat when he was done and ran after Klaggy. "Hey we need to ask Master Prisk where to go too!"
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Klaggy scrunched up his nose, still uncomfortable with the idea of an echo of a dead person encased in a talking box. "<OK, OK. Grab the box first, then let's get suited up.>"
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
The cold winds of Ilum greeted them with a roar as Sol lowered the boarding ramp. The faint blue sun was high overhead but the ship computer had estimated they had six hours before night fall. Eager to proceed, Klaggy tromped off into toward the nearby mountainside, his bulk pushing aside the snow drifts and making an easier path for Sol and Jeanida. As they neared the cliff face, the pillars of the temple became visible. Delicate spires carved out of ice spiraled up the mountain some fifty meters with two massive doors of formed from three meter thick ice embedded at the spiral's base.
The doors were ajar wide enough for two humans to enter abreast. The fresh snowfall around the doors appeared to have been recently trampled.
Once they arrive to the relative clearness of the arch of the doorway, Jeanida pauses in brief confusion as she sees the tramped snow and ajar doors. Sighing, she unclips her lightsaber, ready to ignite it at the first sign of trouble. While the people inside could be other Jedi who've survived the Purge, Jeanida thinks that it's just as likely as some troopers were brought here to secure the temple if Jedi would try and regroup here. Looking back to the others, she says, "Well, I guess we weren't the only people who thought coming here was a good idea. Let's hope their friendly, though."
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"<'Hope not for an easy slushtime, lest you be soft come wartime.' Old gamorrean proverb.>" Klaggy put up his axe and cleared his lightsaber of snow and ice. "<Aren't you eager to test your skills? You've been progressing very well.>" The gamorrean poked about the immediate area, looking for signs of trouble.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
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