Fandom Edge of the Empire and the Age of Rebellion

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

Ardana's hand snaked out to pull him back away from the gully, her eyes narrowed at him.


"Careful where you're walking." She snapped as she released him, moving past to look in to the gulley. She could see a way down but it wasn't in any way safe. "Arlak. Think you'll be able to make it down?" The Trandoshan gave her a look that said 'you're really asking' and he began to climb.


"Get some vines ready to help us back up." She said to the other two, implying that they stay here. Then she too began to climb. It was challenging and on a few occasions she almost slipped but managed to catch herself. When she joined Arlak at the bottom they moved together in the direction of the signature.


"Its a shuttle." She said over coms, informing the others of what she could see. It was covered in vines and insects, a pool of water surrounding the crashed shuttle. She gestured for Arlak to go and investigate further and using his claws he cut through the vines and entered the shuttle.

 

[Pash Odir]

"Sure thing" He said to Ardana, leaning over as she climbed down, making sure she didnt get into trouble. His breath caught as she slipped, her hand slowly finding another grip, allowing Pash to breathe.


"Vines Pash" Yusei said, moving with his sword to cut some down, his hands reaching for the trees.


It was then they both heard a horrible rustling, as hundreds of rodents swarmed them, trying to tear them to pieces, Pash deseperatly killing them in their droves more kept coming. Would they make it?

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

"What can you see Arlak?" She called out to him, moving as close as she dared. She was nervous of the insects and cautious about moving too much closer. Arlak responded, listing the things he could see. She began to talk him through the process of removing the memory banks from the shuttle but otherwise there was little of interest, apart from a skull that she also asked him to bring out. It was the skull of a Nexu, only a small one but still impressive. She turned it over in her hands, intrigued by the creatures.


"Come on, lets go back up." She said returning to the foot of the climb, only to find there were no vines dropped. "Pash, Yusei. Where are we on those vines." She asked waiting for a response.

 

[Pash Odir]

"Up here, one second" Pash shouted down, throwing one end of the vines down, he had just helped Yusei finish the last of those rodents and was very much looking forward to getting back to the ship. Covered in green gore he looked like he could blend in here a lot more easily but he hated the stench. He helped pull the others up and they began the short walk back to the ship, Arlak bringing along the memory banks to inspect later.


Back at the ship the banks proved almost fruitless, the only video Pash could save was of the last few minutes before the crash, of non humans and humans alike piling into a pod and jettisoning, the pod crashing in that lake.

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

She reached the top of the climb breathing heavily, both her and Arlak hunched over to catch their breath. When she looked up again she noticed both Pash and Yusei looking ruffled and streaked with dirt.


"What the heck happened to you two?" They filled them in on the events with the oversized rodents. They walked back to the ship, a largely uneventful trip, even if Yusei was still inept at traversing through the brush. She lent over Pash as he worked on the banks, hoping that they would find some clues. But there was nothing. They did manage to confirm that the shuttle was compatible with the make of ship that they were looking for.


"So now what?" She muttered, turning to sit on the desk.

 

[Pash Odir]

"Next place i guess?" Pash replied, and off they went, this place was beautiful but deadly, and as they drew closer to the signal they knew what it was.


A huge chunk of the engine had broken off the ship and was damning up a rifer, turning it into a small lake. If they had more time it would almost be picturesque. Pash however was more noticing the large whole in the top of the engine. That may have to be their way in if need be. They prepped to go in the side of the ship but unfortunatly they were unable to, the place was too thick and Pash's burn gel would not even have made a dent. Pash instead was lowered along with Yusei down into the whole, to await the darkness below.

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

The idea was stupid in her head, probably because she was the one who had to hold the ship perfectly over the hole. But she agreed to it none the less and got the ship in place. They used vines and lowered themselves down, Ardana's brow beaded with sweat as she fought to hold the ship in place. Once they were down she relaxed a little and continued to hover, not so worried about staying totally steady now. Now just to wait until they had explored.

 

[Pash Odir]

Darkness was the only thing that could be used to describe this ship, that and rust. Pash used his glow rods to see what was up ahead but it came to no avail. Suddenly the floor gave way and Yusei caught him just in tme to prevent him from a slow fall to his death a hundred metres below.


"Wow that was close, mind avoiding mentioning that to Ardana? She wouldnt be happy"


"No problem *sip* just keep going"


Searching each compartment there was ntohing to be gained, returning to the vines they heard the woosh of another ship, Correllian but unsure of model swoop past and land a good way off, looks like they had competition.


"Hey Arlak, loose a few bolts at that engine will you?" Pash said over com when him and Yusei were back on the ship.


"Ssssssssssssurrrrrrree thing" Arlak replied, his hands tightening


With a groan, a creak and finally a surge the engine part broke, water crashing onto the valley below.


"Well they wont get anything from that now will they?"

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

She watched the ship shoot past over head, noting that it was a Correlian freighter. She wasn't that knowledgeable on ships but anyone could tell it was a YT class. Holding steady once again she waited for the all clear and lifted away from the ship. She didn't expect to see the whole engine section give way and flood the ravine beyond.


"Now was that really needed." She said but humor in her tone told them she wasn't really annoyed. She set the ship down in the clearing as the dark was closing in, making the decision that enough was enough for one day. When the others joined her she questioned them as to their finds, but was once again disappointed by the lack of anything interesting at all.

 

[Pash Odir]

"Maybe this third signal will give us better luck?" Pash said, this mission was more boring by the second, nothing new to find, and only a few enemies to fight. Ardana joined him that night, the both of them holding each other as the jungle was a cacophony around them. Pash certainly didnt get a lot of sleep, but the next day they flew over and made the best discovery, near their landing area was the biggest piece of the ship as they could have found, full of holes and entrances to explore. They geared up, ready for the day ahead.

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

Pash had been restless all night, and she hadn't gotten much sleep because of that. She spent a lot of the night stroking his hair softly and holding him against her. She was up early, Pash had finally dozed off and she rose, dressing silently. The others joined her shortly after, Arlak also looking a little sleep deprived, though he claimed it wasn't the jungle that kept him awake but Yusei's snoring.


They began through the jungle once more, slightly slower than the day before due to tiredness. When they reached the ship they debated which way to go and settled for one of the many entrances, climbing inside the dank ship.

 

[Pash Odir]

The ship ws gloomy, eyrie on the glow of the rods they carried, more than once they thought they had heard other people inside, footsteps slowly coming towards them. The ship was a dead ship, a ghost ship, and very little remained. It was like it had been gutted, stripped of anything useful.


This was actually good news, it meant someone had been here before, eiter this was a useless venture, or someone was still alive around here.


It was then they heard the growls, the powerful paws, of 3 angry Nexu

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

Ardana was awestruck by the three large felines, with their broad toothy grins and four glowing red eyes. They were as beautiful and ferocious as she had imagined. But now was not the time to admire, these were very aggressive and lunged at them. She also noticed flashes of metal reflecting in the light of their glow rods, these were enhanced with cybernetics too. She drew her blaster and reluctantly opened fire.


Arlak seemed more fearful of the Nexu and fumbled for his gun, lacking the usual swiftness when it came to a gunfight.

 

[Pash Odir]

Pash was quick to attack, hurting one of the beasts, but it wasnt long before there was close combat, beating one off he shot another, hands shaking visibly as the rifle bucked in his arms. Arlak on the other hand was not in his element, his rifle hit away and claws raking across his chest. Yusei was holding his own, his sword slicing and parrying, but still some hits got through. The Nexu were cybernetically enchanced it seemed as Pash found as one caught him on the arm, opening a tear through the armour. His swords came out and he parryed the lightning claws, arm burning with pain. Slowly they beat them back, untill only 1 remained, fleeing into the ship.

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

She seemed to be the only one unhurt and she hurried to Pash. She took his arm and examined the wound. It was deep but clean and she could stitch it when they returned to the ship. For now she bound it gently administering a local anesthetic to stop any infection. She did the same for the others before looking around.


"Theres nothing of value here." She said looking around her.

 

[Pash Odir]

"No obviously not, i think we should go back and rest"


Everyone else agreeing they decided to move back to the ship, the going was somewhat slow but the night was slightly more peaceful, Pash sleeping softly with Ardana in his arms. Life was good, for now.

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

Ardana was woken once in the night by Arlak pacing around the ship. She got up to see what he was up to and he claimed he couldn't sleep. Whilst talking with him a blip came up on the sensors and the pair set to work setting one of the silliest traps they eve had. On que they blasted Pash's favorite CD and shone the foglights out the back of the ship and the creature that had been investigating their ship yowled and dashed off in to the jungle. The pair fell about laughing and knowing it would be suspicious if she went to engineering now she stayed in the cockpit with Arlak.


"You know for a creature raised on a jungle planet you really are a whimp." She teased. She wished she could go back and curl up with Pash but even Arlak wasn't that stupid.

 

[Pash Odir]

The next day started off as any other, slowly putting on armour and clothing before again setting off. In the night some wreckage had fallen, meaning the only entrance they could go in was off to one side. Balancing over a long drop they came to a large corridoor going up into a turbolift shaft. Searching the rooms either side proved fruitless but exploring the turbolift revealed the bridge, and some more work having been done on the ship, old work at that.


"I think their could be survivors here you know"

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

She Followed them in to the ship tentatively following over the drop, feeling her legs shaking a little beneath her. She squeezed through a door, the only thing she found was an old vibroknife without any charge. But again the search was pretty pointless. She returned to the group shaking her head. The bridge was even more desolate, everything had been stripped.


"You know Pash was just about to say the same thing." She replied. "Shall we get out of here and try another fly over, we should be able to see any settlements from the sky." She suggested.

 

[Pash Odir]

"Good idea, lets get back to the ship" Hurrying to exit Pash tripped walking across the beam, slipping and looking about to fall, a hand grabbed the back of his shirt and he glanced round to see Arlak with a grin on his face.


"Well Arlak now we may be close to even" He said, not liking that the debt would soon be paid off.


Walking back to the ship they relaxed maybe a little too much, a group of Rodians and Trandoshans were waiting for them at the ship


"So we see you found the ship? Very good, now leave this system or we will kill you"

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

Ardana had been walking ahead so luckily didn't see Pash almost fall. She was dusting herself off outside when everyone gathered to continue back to the ship. When they reached there she could see the gathering around the ship and wordlessly she told Arlak to remain in the treeline, hidden from sight. She stepped forward boldly, not a trace of fear in her elegant stride.


"I don't believe you are the authorities in this sector so alas I must decline your request and ask you to step away from my ship." Her tone was firm but laced with threat. "I would rather not have you killed but if you continue to antagonize me will be left with no choice." The Rodian laughed.


"And what if I don't believe you have the power to kill me." She smirked and raised a hand. A stunning shot from the trandoshan, skulling the three armed guards behind their spokesman. Their maimed bodies hit the floor with a thud.


"Now I suggest you leave and do not return. Or you will face the same." She smiled and the rodian turned tail and fled.

 

[Pash Odir]

"Ardana lets just go, make sure we can scare them out system" Jumping into the gunnery seat below the ship Pash was the first to see and give warning shots to the Rodians as they sprinted for their YT 2400. The ship lifted immediatly and began to fly away, Pas h was tempted to give chase when he spotted something new on the datapad linked to the sensors pinged back, there was a camp! He radioed Ardana and the ship moved to a new location as the 2400 flew out of atmo. Cholgana was hostile and the forest was dense, and so they had to set down a few hundred metres from the camp, slowly walking towards. 200m from the gate they were hailed.


"STOP, WEAPONS DOWN!"

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

She wasn't bothered about chasing them but the others wanted to so she obliged. But she instantly diverted course to bring them to ground when the settlement was spotted. They approached, the two guards positioned on the watch towers calling out to them, she drew her pistol and lay t on the floor, but kept her vibroknife concealed.


"We mean no harm." She called out. The gates opening to let more guards out who frisked them, before messaging the all clear and summoning the person in charge.


"What is your purpose here." The elderly man asked, his grey hair long and whispy.


"We are explorers, investigating medicinal flora." She lied, and she could see he wouldn't buy it.


"Take them to the cages." He said and they were grabbed and dragged in to the compound. They were thrown in to a makeshift cage, next to them were nexu, prowling angrily. She slumped down in the cage, head resting against the back wall.

 

[Pash Odir]

"Well this feels familiar" Pash remarked, slowly pacing the cage eyes looking for weaknesses. Had they their blasters they could have shot their way out but Pash wasnt sure he was ready for that. Certainly the lack of weapons prevented any chance of escape, and the approach of the greying man helped them get some answers, alongside him came a thin near-human female of medium height.


"So why are you really here?" The man asked, staring at them coldly, Pash had had enough of lying


"We are here because a Twi'lek named Rheom asked us to find your ship, bring him any parts and crew there and give him its position, sound good?"


"Okay well at least we are getting somewhere, and you? why lie?"

 

[TheMoonageDaydreamer]

She eyed the man warily, she didn't trust him. She suspected the stay here had begun to have an effect on him. Why lie?


"I didn't think it wise to speak on such matters in front of your guards. And I wanted to tell whether we could trust you." She said watching him. "But what my comrade here says is true, we even have a droid of yours that will prove we are who we say we are." He gestured for her to come forward, and she did so.


"You can come with me to retrieve this droid. If it confirms your story we will all speak again." She was led out of the cage, giving a backwards glance at Pash before vanishing, escorted by a group of armed guards. She led them to the ship and summoned the droid that they had been tasked with looking after. The two clearly recognized each other, and seemed happy to once more be in each others company.


They all returned to the compound, security now a little more lax.