STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Holocron

Miiipi VII

Galder and Azarl stand over a man, gasping on the ground.

"Pathetic," Galder says, spitting on the man. He turns off his lightsabers and puts them away. Azarl did not have his out, but pulls the discarded lightsaber of the defeated man to him. He snaps it on, emitting its crimson blade.

The Dark Jedi of Epireus have gathered on a small uninhabited moon to witness the initiation of Sael, a man who made contact with them in hopes of joining. In order to test him, Rand instructed him to duel Galder and contest Azarl in the Force, to see where his strengths lie.

So far, he has no strengths.

"Get up," Rand snarls, stepping forward. Sael does not respond, still whimpering on the ground.

"I said, GET UP." Rand raises his palms upward sharply and Sael is yanked from the ground. "You have no control over the Force and your skills with a lightsaber are embarassing. You have nothing to offer us."

Sael mumbles something weakly.

"What did you say?" Rand asks.

"... ho... holo..."

"Speak clearly or die now," Rand hisses. Azarl raises Sael's lightsaber to strike him down.

"Holocron!" Sael sputters. "I-I know where one is! I can get it for you! I can!"

Rand looks between Azarl and Galder before focusing on Sael.

"Tell us more."

-

Welcome to “Holocron,” an episode of the Retrospection games. As an episode of this series, “Holocron” will be a very personal plotline, exploring events involving the player’s character. Going off of Ushgarak’s ever-popular Star Wars roleplaying game, these mini-episodes occur in game-play’s past. In this case, the Psycho Brigade rides again into dangers they cannot comprehend...

The Dark Jedi have been approached by an aspiring Dark Sider named Sael- a petty criminal with minimal training and no real potential. However, he has made a deal with Nume Rand- if he can retrieve a Holocron that he has the whereabouts of, Rand will train him in the ways of the Dark Side.

The time period is set in 28 BBY- months before the adventure to Gondekorro, during Rand's big push to recruit new members to his cause, and only weeks since the Psycho Brigade dismantled the Shepherds. And Sael has gone missing...

Epireus

Sael left in his Starhopper about a week ago, and he said it would take him three days to leave, grab the Holocron, and return. Rand is not pleased... but he is not furious. Sael, in his pants-pissing terror, gave up the location of the Holocron.

The Psycho Brigade- Galder, Rianna, Xavier, and Dak- have been summoned to the social room to discuss the matter with Rand, who is levitating an empty bottle of wine around longingly.

Rianna's still pretty angry at Rand over the mess that was rescuing Galder (and she's still positive that he set up the entire thing to try and get rid of all of them). That, and she thinks that Sael was an absolute waste of time for everyone involved.

"What do you want, Rand?" she says.

"Do we need to go on another happy-fun-time adventure like the last time you tried to bump us off?"

"Yes," Rand says, simply, not looking away from the bottle spinning around in front of him.

"Where this time?" Galder asks, annoyed.

"I want you to track down Sael," Rand says. "And find out what's going on."

"Of course. Why even bother? Let whatever caught him destroy him, better for all of us."

"I still want that Holocron," Rand says. "And we need to be sure that he's dead. We never brought Sael to Epireus, but he knows that we are alive and could possibly piece together what area of space we operate in. If he's not dead, he needs to be."

"I think you greatly overestimate his intelligence..." Rianna says.

"The guy was an idiot. Coming to us at all, with his pathetic ability..."

"Possibly," Rand says. "Would you rather him be out there, though?"

"I'll kill him," Galder says. "I don't see what you need to send all of us..."

"Last time I sent just you, you were captured."

Galder mumbles under his breath.

"And then you sent the rest of us after him, hoping that none of us would return," Rianna snaps. "How do we know this isn't the same situation?"

"Ah, so that's it. You want Galder to murder someone who's not you, and you want the rest of us to chaperone." Dak grins, not particularly caring which one he annoys.

"Shut up," Galder says to Dak.

Rand sighs. "Paranoid. Anyway, this is a matter of security for our group. We can't have Sael running around with the knowledge he has."

"And with good reason to be..." Rianna hisses.

"Where are we chasing that useless excuse for humanity to, then?"

"I love you too," Dak responds to Galder's snapping. "Yes, where is Sael running with his knowledge to?"

"He was desperate to join us," Rand says. "He will have gone exactly where he said he was going. To Vorkuda. To retrieve this alleged Holocron. If not... I'm sure we can track him down. I already know of some of his history. The man leaves a trail of criminal activities and fails to cover it up."

"Sounds familiar..." Rianna says quietly, glancing over at Galder.

"And just what is on Vorkuda...and why us? Why not go yourself?"

"I AM going," Rand reveals.

Rand then talks of Vorkuda. A good Savoir-Faire check means that Dak already knows some of what he says. Rand just fills in the blanks.

Vorkuda actually refers to the gas giant that a jungle moon orbits, but most just refer to the lone moon as Vorkuda. It is known for three things- as a pit stop for smugglers (and therefore a 'hive of scum and villainy' spacer town), as the location of abandoned ruins in the jungles, and as the home of a very elusive tribal humanoids.

"I am going to do some research as to why a Holocron would be there," Rand says. "But I do not expect to uncover much. It may just be some wild rumor that Sael picked up in his travels. Many such rumors surround the ruins of Vorkuda."

"Ahh, great, another of those places..." Rianna comments.

"The Galaxy is full of 'em," Galder mutters.

"I thought you would be pleased to hear that I am going with you," Rand says. "At least now you can be sure that this is not some trap."