After sliding the saber back into its place on his belt, he moved to one of the port windows of the cargo hold. His gaze fell upon small bits of stardust that appeared to dance off the vessel's shielding.

With a sigh, he looked for something else to take notice of in the blackness of space.

He was much like a young boy who watched as his friends and peers continued to play on, after he was summoned in for dinner. He felt that same longing of asking for just five more minutes but knew the futility of it. He had made a commitment to the order and despite his longing for high adventure amongst the stars; he knew his place was here. Besides there would be plenty of that to come once his training was complete.

It was that moment in time, when he heard Dolash re-entering the hold, he swiveled his head to greet his arrival.

"Well, what’s the plan?" Zolar asked.

"Eager to get started?" he asked, with a smile "Good. We'll be landing soon. Come to the cockpit, we'll discuss the plan there with the others."

The crew of the small ship gathered, awaiting Dolash to explain what he had in mind. He was quick to share it with them.

"Felucia is indeed a dangerous world, and one easy to get lost in. Barris - as your last memories are of this place, I would like you to guide us to the scene of your last battles, and to where you think the remains of your colleague Aayla Secura may be found. Katria? You are the best amongst us with direction, maps, and history. As such, it would certainly be for the best if you worked with Barris to guide us safely."

Katria nodded, and glanced sideways to Barris. She was unusually quiet, even for a dead person. Perhaps the thought of seeing her own grave was weighing heavily on her mind.

"All of us must stay close together. The beasts and environment of this place prey on the lone. While we are out, one of us must stay behind to watch the ship. As there is likely to be little to interest your technical expertise, Ian, I reccomend that that person be you. You're also most capable to fly to our rescue, should it be required."

"Got it - if your sorry asses need saving, I'll be there."

"I know you will. Jubaz?"

The scarred Rodian lifted his head slightly in interest.

"You are a keen tracker and hunter - skills of great pride and worth. I ask that you stay near the rear, and use your keen senses to keep a lookout for dangers that might sneak up on us."

Jubaz gave a very faint nod, and lowered his head.

"Everyone else, simply stay together - your skills will be called upon if needed."

"Which is the polite way of saying we're useless!" said Shillia, good-naturedly. "No, no, I'm sure if you need twelve feet of stoic commentary, Fwar will leap to the front - or a sudden need to complain, you can call on Proq."

"Or if he needs a smartass, he can call on you." said Proq, moodily. "Well, our quest is off to a good start."

"We're coming in. I've found a clearing to put us down on." said Ian, adjusting the controls in front of him.

"I don't know how long this will take, or what other dangers might be lurking for us," said Dolash "But whatever is out there, we must overcome. Marek? Stay close at hand. The lesson for today is constant vigilance in a dangerous place - keep your senses and your connection to the Force open in this place, and see what clues they might give you."

The boarding ramp shuddered open, revealing foetid swamp outside. "Let's go."

Streaks of sunlight danced upon the dully lit plant life that surrounded them. Accents of green an orange gave the planet an extra surreal splash of imagery, that would have only seemed possible in the most wildest of dreams. Even the murky water engulfing their feet, had a certain texture about it that set it apart from anything else that most of them had ever seen. Marek being the most affected by this brand new environment let his eyes roam about the landscape that lay spread before him. As minutes faded in to an hour, they traveled onward in search of the remains of Aayla Secura.

"Hard to believe that such a place could be the sight of such a devastating event," Zolar announced to the semi-scattered group. Using the word alien, would undoubtedly offend most people that frequented this galaxy so he chose not to vocalize it in that fashion, but this place was a world of its own.

Sporting his usual double shoulder holsters, making damn sure not to leave the sisters out of this particular journey, he was hoping that it wouldn't be necessary to use them.

The scrappy looking expedition continued on, the force depending on their success.

"What an incredible smell you've discovered." said Shillia as they strugged through the rough vegitation and undergrowth. "Does everything squelch and slither in this place?"

"There are worse places in the galaxy." said Dolash firmly. He cut a strand of vines, giving him room to duck through a crowded section of jungle.

Barris guided the group forth, with Katria just behind, mapping their progress. It was as sunlight began to shine through that the group realized they had reached the edge of a clearing. Stumbling forth quickly, they found themselves in a vast field, overgrown with vines and bushes but still very clear when compared to the solid walls of life they had just left.

"Where are we...?" began Proq, before treading into the field. There was a cracking noise. He lifted his foot quickly, and saw he'd crushed an old, cracked helmet. "Eeeeew."

"This was... a battlefield." began Barris "I don't recall just why, or who won, or what we were fighting over." She frowned, and drifted around, getting her bearings "I don't think... no, this isn't where we should look. Aayla and I were both far from here."

"Well, at least it's not dangerous, right?" said Proq - and because the universe works in certain ways, a low hum could then be heard.

"Proq, I know you mean well, but seriously, in the future, please keep your mouth firmly shut." Fwar extended high, and squinted to the horizon. "There aren't any more armies here, are there?"

"The war is long over - no one's attacked Felucia for some time." Katria seemed sure, and crossed her arms. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, there appears to be a large, mettalic carpet coming in our direction." Fwar pointed off to the distance. "What do you think it is?"

Barris's ghost suddenly rushed back to the group, shouting "Battledroids! I know that march, it was one of the last sounds I ever heard! They're coming this way, quick, we have to - "

"Wait, wait, that can't be battledroid footfalls we're hearing." Dolash looked to the distance, and paled. "I stand corrected. The Seperatists must have abandoned their army at the end of the war! No time to ponder the difficulties involved. We better move, into the jungle before they pursue."

As the Jedi straggled towards the jungle, Katria stopped, turned, and said "Wait! The jungle's paths split up ahead! We have to - "

It was a lucky shot. A million million battledroids plugged away for years in the Clone Wars, and Jedi stayed safe like a man in a raincoat during a drizzle. Now, decades later, with all the rust and decay of the jungle, a long-range blaster shot whizzed through the air and hit Katria's map.

Instantly realizing how many rusted but still very deadly rifles were about to open fire, the Jedi scattered into the jungle. Before they knew it, they were lost, split up, and confused. So it began.

(OOC Note: Marek never came back, but for story purposes I'll try and complete this thread in a satisfactory manner).

Striding as fast as he could, leaping bushes and battering through low-hanging branches, Dolash tore his own path through the jungle with unstoppable momentum. Only after the Battledroids in the distance were inaudibly far, did he stop.

"Have we lost them?" he panted, looking about.

Barris drifted next to him and shook her head. "Yes - all of them."

Confused, Dolash looked around and realized he was alone. "Oh hell..." he murmured, as he looked for anything - any clue to their direction. "Did you see where they went?"

"I was dragged along by my crystal, which happens to be in your pocket," said Barris. "As such, I didn't see much of anything."

Dolash stopped pacing, and calmed down. "Katria lost her map in the shooting, meaning no one has a clear way back. If we want to find them again, we'll have to do something to catch their attention. Maybe if we found Ian and the ship, he could fly overhead and find them?"

"Don't you have a comm? Why not simply call him and ask for a pick-up?"

Dolash snapped his fingers, "Of course! It's just - hey!" A brief examination revealed that his comm had been lost in the run. It could have been anywhere in the track of jungle he'd crossed, some of which was still swarming with ancient battledroids.

"Well, then maybe one of the others will think to call Ian for help?"

"Unlikely," said Dolash, as he began moving through the jungle. "Considering I had the only commlink."

"What?" Barris looked confused, and hovered before the Azguardian Jedi. "What do you mean you had the only commlink?"

"Just that - the Jedi Order isn't made of money, Barris. We work with what we find."

"Indeed? That would explain the state of your ship," she muttered. Dolash decided to let the comment slide. "All right, so now what do you intend to do?"

"Finish the mission - you lead me to Aayla's resting place, and from there we can focus on finding everyone again."

"Oh all right," she grumbled, before pointing into the jungle. "That way."



Panting and heaving, Fwar came to a stop alongside a gnarled tree, where the droids no longer threatened. Besides him, Jubaz came to a controlled stop yet showed no signs of fatigue. "It looks like we're safe for now," said Fwar.

Jubaz tasted the air, and nodded his agreement. The towering Frozian Fwar marvelled at the Rodian's constitution, even in the poisonous air and swampy terrain.

"Jubaz..." he said. "You are a skilled hunter and tracker, correct? We must get back to the ship to find Ian, do you think you can find our way out of here?"

Jubaz nodded slightly, and began eyeing the nearby jungle. He took a few more tastes of air, before bounding off into the underbrush. Fwar, surprised by his swiftness, set off at full stride saying "Wait, wait! Not so fast!"



Shillia, Katria, and Proq all gasped for breath in a small clearing deep in the jungle. It was difficult to come by in the humid, stench-ridden air.

"What now?" said Katria, as she struggled to her feet again. "Without the map or Barris, we're lost!"

Shillia brushed bits of jungle debrise from her robe, and said "I think you're right... this place is too weird to contact the others through the Force. Oh man, there's actually nothing funny about this situation!"

"We're hosed!" exclaimed Proq, who began twitching his Lekku in fear. "Game over, man! Game over!"

"Snap out of it!" Shillia exclaimed, and slapped Proq on the back of the head. "We need to work together, think this through, and find our way out of here."

All of a sudden, a cracking and tearing noise cut through the silence - a huge spider tank had come to life and tore free of its' dirt and vegetation not twenty meters away.

"Okay..." said Shillia. "Now we're hosed."

((OOC: Sorry Dolash for pulling the Houdini, But, I'm ready to finish this out, if you are.))

The thin layer of grimy film created by the mixture of dirt and his own sweat that now caked his face was only a reminder of the chaos that had ensued previously. As a matter of fact, most of it was as smudged as his memory, considering the event. He could remember varying bits of conversation before the onslaught of droids abruptly "rained on their parade." But once the fighting, or in his case fleeing started, everything became instinctual, not operating on conscious thought, but rather a natural urge to want to survive. He had run for some bit, dodging the blaster bolts of his mechanical pursuers, occasionally tripping and fumbling over shrubbery and roots. That is, up until the point he came across his current residence, a rather deep crevice, he hadn't seen or taken noticed of as he continued his escape. To make a long story short, he took a wrong step and was prematurely reunited with his old friend, the sandman.

Marek wasn't sure just how much time had passed between his fall and his awakening, but everything seemed to be attached and in well working order.

"I've got to climb out of here," mumbling to himself. Marek had remained in the narrow crack for about an hour before deciding to try and get out. He didn't want to run the risk of poking his head out, just to end up on the receiving end of a droid firing squad. But, there had been no commotion above, as far as he could see from the streaks of light that shot into the crevice, nor could he hear the all too familiar hum of machinery. So inch by inch, he made his way out. Upon reaching the very top edge, he peered around barely allowing the bridge of his nose to shower in sunlight.

Surveying the area he found nothing. Empty Jungle.

Throughout his brief tenure in the hole and his ascent out of it, his thoughts only had focused on what had happened before the attack, and now that he was back on his feet, they began to focus on the where-abouts of his fellow companions. Ignoring the interjections of the "very worst scenario" images now attempting to play through his mind, he tried to reach out through the force, to contact them. To reach his master.

The attempt was futile, there was too much energy surrounding the planet that interfered with his spiritual transmission.

Plan B.

"The ship, I've got to get back to the ship."

Of course, the ship was the next best place to start. If he got back to the ship, then perhaps he'd be reunited with his colleges, or at least would have a better means of finding them. Not to mention, some weapons. The Sisters had been lost some-time during the chase and left him with nothing but his wits, oh, and paperweight for a hilt.

Cautiously, but quickly, Marek started off in the direction he hoped would lead him back to the ship and his friends.

The tree exploded into a thousand rotting fragments as the cannon fire burned straight through it. Dashing over roots and rocks, Shillia, Proq, and Katria ran aimlessly into the jungle. Behind them, battledroid guns rattled, and the heavy footsteps of a rusted spider tank tore a root through the thick undergrowth.

"Next time Dolash invites us on one of his little trips, I'm going to tell him to shove it right up his-" Proq yelped as a bolt singed his shoulder. A narrow miss.

"Just keep moving!" said Shillia, who briefly turned around to deflect a blaster bolt with her lightsaber. "They're rusted to hell, maybe we can outrun them!"

Katria was gasping for breath, and stumbled over yet another mass of brambles. Exhausted, she ducked under a low-hanging branch and into a crevice in the tree, trying not to think of the disgusting bugs sure to be inside. The droids ran blindly by, missing her little hiding place. She held her breath, waited, and then let out a gasp of relief.

As the sound of marching droids got further and further away, however, a new sound became audible. It was close at hand, and seemed deep and throaty. Confused, Katria turned slowly to look back into the jungle, and went pale.

A huge, six-legged green beast, with razor-sharp forearms and a long neck was sticking its' head full of jagged teeth towards her. She blindly rushed forwards, dodging under huge stomping legs to catch up to the killer droid army that she'd just escaped - you can't deflect a giant claw bigger than you.

Leaving the beast far behind, she stopped to catch her breath while leaning on a tree. "Hey!" Surprised at the sound, Katria leaned back, and saw that she had in fact leant on Shillia.

"What are you doing?"

Shillia frowned, and got out of the crack in the tree. "Hiding, like you were - it beats getting shot."

"You can say that again!" said Proq, who hung from a branch up above. "These droids are useless. If they lose sight of you then they've completely lost you. Hiding from them is a snap!"

Because the universe works in certain ways, just as Proq finished that sentance, the heavy laser cannon cut through the branch he was holding on to. He was sent screaming towards the ground, where Shillia caught him handily. "Uh... thanks?"

"No problem," she replied. Another cannon shot roared through the air, earthing itself in the tree they were standing next to. "Okay... problem."

All around, battledroids emerged from the greenery. Though all manner of moss, dirt, and rust covered them, their rifles hummed with malice. The stomps of the spider tank were getting closer.

"We're surrounded!" hissed Katria, as she held her lightsaber defensively. "What do we do now?"

"How should I know?!" exclaimed Shillia, who put her back to the tree.

As things began to seem grim, suddenly streaks of red laser fire burned down from above, blowing away droids and trees in huge explosions that tore up the earth that it struck. Puny laser-fire was sent back upwards by the droids, but it did little to discourage the cannonade that laid waste to their rusted forces. The mighty spider tank broke throug the treeline, only to have a leg blown off and roll away flailing. Katria looked up.

Above them, the ship gently hovered. Above the roar of the engines and the burning flames left by its' guns, she could just hear Ian shout "Need a lift?"



Fwar yanked his lightsaber free from the droid's chest, the hissing of molten metal ringing in his years as the scrapheap around them grew. He turned to see Jubaz leap at the last droid, kicking it square in the chest and knocking it on the ground. Jubaz drove his lightsaber through the droid's head and left it there for a moment, as the two of them observed the damage they'd inflicted.

"No challenge with these droids," said Jubaz. "No honour."

"No point, either." Fwar felt frustrated, as their fruitless search had lead to no real results yet. "I was certain that was where we left the ship, unless Ian has taken it to go find us."

Jubaz shrugged, and gave the air another sniff. Suddenly, his ears perked up and he pointed in the air. "Look!"

Fwar turned, and looked up. The ship slowly drifted overhead. It didn't notice them, but as Fwar watched, the ship kept a slow and steady pace. "Come on!" he shouted. "If we hurry we can catch them up."



Dolash looked down into the narrow crack in the ground that had nearly claimed him - it was easy to miss. "It looks like someone was stuck in here earlier. You don't think maybe..."

"Maybe one of the others is on the same path as us?" said Barris, who walked on the air over the crack. "Come on, we're not far now."

Dolash carefully stepped around the crack before proceeding deeper into the jungle. "I hope there aren't more droids where Aayla Secura is - I think we're still being followed." Dolash was getting sick of the jungle and the droids. The constant, distant clanking that dogged him forced him to continue forwards. "This mission is turning into quite the catastrophe."

"We just have to find her remains, then we can go back," said Barris. Dolash was surprised to note the resolve in her voice. "We've got to find her. I can almost sense her resting place up ahead."

Dolash's senses were far too befuddled by the dense life and swampy nature of the planet to notice anything particular, but for now decided to trust his guide as they went still further into the heart of the jungle.

With every insect bite, Mareks composure, even under these extreme circumstances was running thin. He had been traveling through the dense vegetation for some time now and it was quickly becoming obvious that he was lost. He swatted as one took a tiny piece of flesh from the back of his neck. The irritated bits of skin began to swell a bit as the minute traces of venom penetrated his outer layer.

He wondered if he'd ever make it to the ship, or if he'd find any empty landing space. Being marooned on a planet such as this didn't seem very inviting or adventurous for that matter. With an air of urgency, he trudged onward through the brush.

It was then; he was struck by the deafening roar. One that could be likened to that of twisting steel with a twinge of Rancor. The force was enough to push him back a step. It was there, to his immediate right, that he saw the cause of such a great noise. A tangle of vines and shrubbery emerging from, well a combination of shrubbery and vines. It was almost as though the planet itself was angered at his presence there. It was at least 20 meters high and swung one of its tree trunks of an arm at Marek.

The blow caught his midsection and sent him flailing into the air, and then shoulder first into the damp earth. Without waiting for any sign of life, the mighty beast swung again in an attempt to crush the mere mortal man. It struck only moist soil, as its prey rolled but inches from the spot. Zolar rose to his feet, only to dodge another near killing blow. He reached for his guns.

Shit.

The Sisters were gone. He had known that.

Frantically he surveyed the area. Looking for some kind of a weapon, all the while minding the advances of the behemoth that appeared to bloodlust after him. The creature continued its violent melee, seemingly becoming more and more strong the more it became agitated. It roared as if to signal that escape was futile.

Marek knew this creature wouldn't just give up, he had to stop it, or be stopped himself. Over the course of this deadly rendition of jump-rope, something caught the old pirates eyes. It was just a sparkle of light, could've been anything, but if it was what he hoped it was, then this cat and mouse game would soon be over.

He dove for the glistening hope of survival, only to be swatted violently into the air, and then almost immediately spiked back towards the ground. The soft mud, now surrounding their squared circle, offered little cushion when it came to his landing.

He laid almost motionless his face half sunken into the now warm earth, his dull gaze transfixed on the shiny object he had tried to reach. The Felucian Beast roared once more, this time in triumph. Its quarry had been cornered and now lay completely vulnerable at its feet. It lifted its mighty sledge like limbs high above its head and brought them down with quite a force.

A life was about to be extinguished.

What happened next was so fast that the surrounding world seemed to pause as the two finished their little game. The metallic cylinder, that was now fully exposed, darted from its resting place into Mareks open hand, the force had provided his means of survival. With a click, the saber ignited and Marek rolled to his back to meet his attackers advance. He sliced at the creature’s forearms, sending a rich spray of neon orange into the vegetation, and some on him. The breast shrieked in pain, which only grew louder, when its feet were surgically removed by a light saber.

The monster fell prostrate to the ground, followed by a light tremor that resonated from its fall. It swung it's now very bloody stumps even more violently then when it was whole.

Zolar covered in gooey orange fluid, jumped to the creature’s chest, the green glowing savior clutched tightly in his fist.
He twirled it, an almost ominous action of what was to come next.

The creature gave out one last shriek, as the Jedi plunged the saber deep into what should have been the monsters heart. He removed it, bringing with it a geyser of the beasts glowing blood. But he wasn't done.

"AHHHHHHHH," Marek roared at it.

In a downward motion, he decapitated the creature, watching as its head rolled from the now mangled corpse that it once controlled.

Victory. Life. At this point both were synonymous of each other, at least in this case. Marek Zolar stood, his new found weapon, disengaged at his side. Standing in the weakening rain of his adversary’s demise, its life blood coated him. A trophy of his success.

The sound of roars and battle had brough Dolash running, trampling undergrowth as he burst into the scene. Blood still spread along the ground as a triumphant Marek bellowed his heart out. The scent of death and rage was somewhat disturbing, even to the Jedi, but he decided to restrain comment for now.

"Marek!" he exclaimed, and walked cautiously over to his padawan. "Are you all right? That beast was far beyond a mere-" he cut himself short when he spotted the saber hanging from his belt. "Wait... where did you get that?"

"It looks familiar!" said Barris, who drifted over to examine it. "Yes... I think this was one of Aayla's..."

It didn't take long with Marek's direction, although there was little left beyond bones and scraps of cloth. The jungle had picked apart such earthly remains within days, let alone the decades that had passed. The three of them stood about the bones in silence, as if waiting for a sign.

"I see nothing... what about you?" said Dolash. Marek could see nothing especially noteworthy either, for there was nothing to see. Dolash turned to Barris and said "Do you think her ghost wandered away, as yours did?"

"I don't know, maybe," said Barris, who seemed troubled. "That beast you slew, Marek - I remember them from the war. They were fearsome but rarely dangerous or likely to attack. Maybe something drove it mad or violent?" The former Jedi Healer drifted over to the mutilated beast, and rested ghostly hands upon its' flesh. "Yes, I can sense a definite taint. Maybe if I-"

Before she could finish that sentance, the corpse shuddered and spurted, its' skin cracking as the diffused and screeching form of a humanoid tore out of the body. A haze of blue smoke that weakly resembled something female, or a Twi'lek, began shrieking at a level that living beings were not meant to hear.

Barris began screaming back. It was not the same unearthly scream, just one of pain, as she fell to her knees. Dolash grabbed either side of his head and tried to concentrate. "Marek! This is no foe that can be defeated with swords! Shield your mind, protect yourself from the wound in the Force!"



"Sorry I took so long," said Ian to Fwar. "I had to stop and pick up the ladies."

"Hey!" exclaimed Proq, but Ian just laughed.

"Have you found any trace of Dolash or Marek yet?" asked Fwar.

"Not a clue - but maybe Jubaz can point us in the right direction?"

As the Jedi crowded around the loading ramp of the shuttle, Jubaz the Rodian stepped forwards to taste the air, breathing in the living Force as one does a subtle aroma. After several seconds, he pointed one way into the jungle, and said "That way, over difficult ground."

"Right," said Ian. "Everyone back in the ship! We'll fly over and pick them up before -"

The scream reached them. It was faint, but against their unprepared minds they stumbled and yelped. Wasting no time the regrouped Jedi expedition rushed back aboard their ship.

"What is it?" shouted Shillia, as she knocked her head on a bulkhead.

"I don't know, but I can't fly like this!" said Ian. He covered both his ears in a futile attempt to block out the scream. "Not until it shuts up!"

Suddenly, over the scream came the sound of laser fire, and the ship rocked as one of the long-range shots found its' mark. Katria met Ian's gaze and said "I don't think you have a choice."

Marek was struck by the shockwave that tore through the force. With his eyes clinched and his hands firmly planted on either side of his face, be braced for the tremendous onslaught, fighting to keep himself from being enveloped in it. Dolash was right when he said that the current situation would not be solved with that of a physical weapon, but perhaps a spiritual one would change the tide.

"The first true step on the path of the Force - not just the path of the Jedi, but the very path of your personal destiny - is to feel it."

His master’s words played over and over again in his head.

"Calm yourself, and you will hear it. Embrace it, let it flow over you, and you will be amazed to find that it will do so - it will carry you in its current"

It gave him an idea.

Marek began to loosen his hold on the mental wall he had reinforced throughout the ordeal thus far, which only was a matter of minutes.

In almost a gesture of friendship, he extended his hand as to touch the spirit, reaching even closer with the force, directing his focus as much as he possibly could without becoming totally defenseless. He thought perhaps that by reaching out to it through the force, it would somehow lessen if not break its screeching attack on the fabric of the force.

Despite a noble attempt, his advance proved futile. He wasn't strong enough yet to be undertaking such a maneuver.

The spirit continued unflinchingly.

"Master it's relentless, what are we going to do?" he yelled to Dolash, his hand once again finding it's place, cradling his face.