STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- The Cursed Swarm

Started by REXXXX35 pages

You can!

You are greatest by an orange lightsaber jutting through the door at you.

Well at least it's not a red one... Is the door unlocked?

It unlocks now! A young man in civilian wear jumps through, proving to be the owner of that other lightsaber when he flourishes it at you. He stops short when he sees you.

"Wait, you're a Jedi!" he says in surprise. "You're responding to the signal, aren't you?"

'Yes I am," Iffa replies , "what's going on here?"

"You'd better come inside, quickly," says the young man. "I'll explain."

Another, much larger man comes to the hatch too, this one in standard Jedi robes! You are seriously confused what two Jedi Knights are doing all the way out here, Iffa. Boll-Gar was never part of the Republic and too primitive to be of any interest to... anyone, really. You are not even sure why the pirates are here.

Iffa follows them inside, confused. "so how come 2 Jedis are hiding in a landed space freighter?"

"We're stranded," says the larger man. "Kind of."

They lead you inside to the freighter's lounge, where you are met with the spitting image of an old sailor, complete with his bushy white beard, a wood-carved pipe jutting from the corner of his mouth, and a cybernetic eye.

"What's all this nonsense?" asks the old man.

"Another Jedi," explains the larger man. "Our signal worked, it seems."

"Has the Council sent you?" asks the young man.

'Yes,' says Iffa tentatively, 'what do you mean 'another' Jedi?'

The larger man gestures to himself and the younger man.

"I am Aurel Sing," the larger man introduces himself, "and this is Seth Ketra. We are both Jedi Knights, though Seth doesn't follow the Code like I do."

"I was assisting these smugglers with their job," Seth explains, "and hoping to settle the disputes here on Boll-Gar. Aurel is on leave and decided to help me."

'so what's happened?' asks Iffa.

Seth will give a brief outline of what is going on.

The Bollans- Pygmie-like farmers- have developed into warriors in response to the hunter-gatherer activities of the Garans, giant hulking lizards that are rather unintelligent. They are in constant conflict but the Bollans usually manage to win.

The Garans have been equipped with better weapons by the pirates, which is why the village nearby has been totally destroyed. The pirates also do not want this freighter to leave.

And there is another problem...

"We've encountered some sort of... insect plague," Seth says. "We were investigating the village when hundreds of these bugs came out of the earth and tried to us and the rest of the crew. We're trying to find out what it is."

'So are the bugs the priority? Or the Garans?'

Here is where things get complicated.

The old man, Captain Kart, and his crew are only concerned with getting supplies to the Bollans and getting paid. Therefore, their concerns are the insects and the Garans because both are stopping them from making the delivery. Not to mention they are not sure where the Bollans are.

Seth and Aurel wanted to settle the dispute between the Garans and Bollans, but things have obviously escalated with the Burning Fist present and supplying weapons to the Garans, and the strange appearance of the Swarm.

"Something is wrong here," Seth says.

Aurel is not sure there is anything that can be done in this situation. He tagged along to support Seth

'and how is any of that going to be resolved by ..... 'hiding' in here? It seems to me that if the swarm are a threat to all, then they should be the first priority. We need to contact both sides and see if they are aware of the swarm and know anything about it.'

"We weren't HIDING," Seth says indignantly. "We were preparing to go out again."

"There were thousands of those buggers," explains Kart. "Prep is needed."

Aurel explains that the bugs- small vicious beetle things- attack in swarms that are coordinated by bigger, nastier beetle things that emit a painfully screeching noise. They all appear to have an aversion to fire, discovered by one of the crew using a flamethrower on them.

'do we know if the Bollans or Garrans have encountered them?'

They know that some Garans have, since they were fighting off some Garans while investigating the burned village when the insects attacked. They have one Garan in their care- wounded from the fight- but the others were eaten, and this one isn't talking.

Perhaps Iffa can speak with him?

They invite to try. Neither Seth (being a Freelancer) nor Aurel (being a Swordsman) are much for social reasoning. Both tried threatening him, but the Garan is already injured and believes they will execute him anyway.

Ok then! Iffa begins by introducing himself with a wide smile. "I am Iffa N'Aworru, a Jedi Knight. How are your injuries?"