This is going to be a long one J. So much happened on that damn planet. I'm fine- mostly. I mean, I'm gonna be taking it easy for a bit, but that's okay. Gives me time to really fill you in on what went on down there. Snagged a few pictures too- thankfully you're not squeamish.
We landed our craft a good few klicks away from where we wanted to begin our exploration. We had a bit of good fortune on this, as there was some recent seismic activity on the planet. That gave us a chance to potentially search in newly formed caves that might not already be under Imperial watch. There was a Probe Droid there, but we took it out before it had a chance to do too much. Then, the next thing you know, we're facing down this giant Bantha sized beasty. Thing came at us crazy fast, but we actually worked pretty well together this time around. I get to put another notch in my 'things I've punched' belt. Would you believe this thing hurt my hand more than that droid?
Once all the fighting was done, we got to looking at the nearby caves. One looked recently disturbed so we decided to only explore that one as a last resort. Another looked like that charger beast might have used it, and the one we opted to really search was filled with some distant glimmering and shimmering. And spiders. Of course we didn't learn that until we were neck deep in them, and these beasties were huge! Their webs were made of something way stronger than normal spider silk, and Davin ended up getting caught in it and the spiders really went after him. You know I've been telling you about how the others have some weird tricks up their sleeves? Cham, the Twi'lek? He touched him and the wound lessened. *poof* Just like that. Good thing too though, because he looked in real bad shape. We'd end up seeing these spiders again, but opted to NOT disturb their webs. I was able to grab a pic down one of the caverns.
Once all the fighting was done, we got to looking at the nearby caves. One looked recently disturbed so we decided to only explore that one as a last resort. Another looked like that charger beast might have used it, and the one we opted to really search was filled with some distant glimmering and shimmering. And spiders. Of course we didn't learn that until we were neck deep in them, and these beasties were huge! Their webs were made of something way stronger than normal spider silk, and Davin ended up getting caught in it and the spiders really went after him. You know I've been telling you about how the others have some weird tricks up their sleeves? Cham, the Twi'lek? He touched him and the wound lessened. *poof* Just like that. Good thing too though, because he looked in real bad shape. We'd end up seeing these spiders again, but opted to NOT disturb their webs. I was able to grab a pic down one of the caverns.
We kept pushing further into the cave system after that, careful to avoid disturbing any webs. We came to a low spot filled with some nasty gas. HK said it was harmful to us, but we'd had the sense to pack some re-breathers. A-ok there. But, that's when things started getting weird. Deem, he's usually pretty quiet, stops and spaces out for a minute. Then he tells us he's had a vision? A bad sense of the gas affecting all of us- even Gryllus, who shouldn't be affected. Only HK avoided this disaster in his vision...
Then it's a cave in! A serious one. Or so I thought. Bear with me here, J, this isn't going to make any sense, and I know it. So the dust settles and I'm stuck in this rubble. My leg is pinned under a whole load of fallen rocks and I can't get it out. Worse yet, I'm alone- I can hear their voices, but it's on the other side of the cave in. I try pulling my leg out- nothing. I try pushing the rocks out of the way- nothing. I pause and think about what to do, and get the idea to try and move the rocks with just my mind- like I saw in one of the holocron lessons Val Isa shared with us. I felt a little something, but it didn't seem reliable so... I went back to trying and tug my leg out- still nothing. I was starting to get flustered now, so I tried to move the rocks again, using the [redacted]. I felt a bunch of anger boil up in me, and in frustration I just sort of... mentally pushed my will at the rocks? There was shifting and crackling like something was about to move- but not in a good way. Like worsening the cave-in kind of way. So I stopped. I was trapped. Nothing was going to get me out. So I shouted for the others. And kept shouting. Man I was so pissed that I couldn't get myself out of this. I was just about to give up totally, when I thought of the creed that Val was trying to teach us. I calmed myself down again, and sort of ... I dunno, had a talk with myself? 'Maybe you can't solve everything on your own. Maybe sometimes you need help.' I'd been shouting for them to help me for minutes! 'I'd been shouting for them to "get me out."' It wasn't until I really humbled myself and said I needed help because I couldn't do it on my own ... but as soon as I said that, as if by some magic, my leg was free. And behind the spot where my foot had been stuck I saw something shimmering. A crystal J. The most beautiful thing I'd ever laid eyes upon to be honest. And it just ... called to me. Like I wanted it- but not in that sort of greedy, scam a Rodian kind of way. Like I needed to connect with it or something. There was just one little spot at the base of this crystal's growth that was broken... but it didn't matter. This was for me.
Then it's a cave in! A serious one. Or so I thought. Bear with me here, J, this isn't going to make any sense, and I know it. So the dust settles and I'm stuck in this rubble. My leg is pinned under a whole load of fallen rocks and I can't get it out. Worse yet, I'm alone- I can hear their voices, but it's on the other side of the cave in. I try pulling my leg out- nothing. I try pushing the rocks out of the way- nothing. I pause and think about what to do, and get the idea to try and move the rocks with just my mind- like I saw in one of the holocron lessons Val Isa shared with us. I felt a little something, but it didn't seem reliable so... I went back to trying and tug my leg out- still nothing. I was starting to get flustered now, so I tried to move the rocks again, using the [redacted]. I felt a bunch of anger boil up in me, and in frustration I just sort of... mentally pushed my will at the rocks? There was shifting and crackling like something was about to move- but not in a good way. Like worsening the cave-in kind of way. So I stopped. I was trapped. Nothing was going to get me out. So I shouted for the others. And kept shouting. Man I was so pissed that I couldn't get myself out of this. I was just about to give up totally, when I thought of the creed that Val was trying to teach us. I calmed myself down again, and sort of ... I dunno, had a talk with myself? 'Maybe you can't solve everything on your own. Maybe sometimes you need help.' I'd been shouting for them to help me for minutes! 'I'd been shouting for them to "get me out."' It wasn't until I really humbled myself and said I needed help because I couldn't do it on my own ... but as soon as I said that, as if by some magic, my leg was free. And behind the spot where my foot had been stuck I saw something shimmering. A crystal J. The most beautiful thing I'd ever laid eyes upon to be honest. And it just ... called to me. Like I wanted it- but not in that sort of greedy, scam a Rodian kind of way. Like I needed to connect with it or something. There was just one little spot at the base of this crystal's growth that was broken... but it didn't matter. This was for me.
After that moment, whatever was going on cleared from my head. I wasn't in a caved-in area at all. In fact, all of us were just in this room in the cavern, all spaced out- and HK? He was really damaged and there were two dead stormtroopers there. He said we all slowly floated down to this sort of lower area in the cave and proceeded to zone out. And yet, now as we looked around, all of us had been drawn to one of these crystals. After hearing what HK did to protect us while we were off in la-la land, we each worked to extract the small crystals. Then we made to hightail it out of there. If the stormtroopers had found our exact cave, that'd mean they knew exactly where we were. Maybe that probe droid got info out after all.
Gryllus took the communicators from the troopers and rewired one to work in our favor, and managed to get both of them to a point where they couldn't be tracked. But once we got back to the canyon, we found out it was too late after all. Our ship had been locked down by a small squad of stormtroopers and ... one that gave us all a kind of bad feeling. It just had this ... presence about it. We were in a bad way here J. Three were blocking the loading ramp, three were positioned in front and facing the canyon we'd be walking out of, and the more decorated trooper was with them. and of course, Ashur was inside...
So we made a plan. Split the group so we wouldn't be all walking into straight blaster fire, and try to take our ship back. Ok, back track. We tried to talk our way out of it first, using the communicator Gryllus patched. Davin tried to play off that we were the troopers and that they were taking heavy fire in another location- thinking we could draw them away. But nope. They had us figured out and pinned.
The fight was brutal. And that one that gave us the weird feeling? He mentioned something about confirming there were others, and that he'd make sure no one else got to these crystals. We took some casualties J. Our strategy was about as good as you could get but most of us aren't battle-tested. And even me? I'm pretty resilient, but I know the street-scene of Nar Shadaa, not blasters and shit! HK went down after that lead guy really laid into him, and then Cham got knocked out too. I was doing pretty well against these troopers, but man, knife to a gun fight? How about a fist to a blaster fight. I stopped one that was charging at me, but he stuck me real good at the same time. That thing about not being squeamish? I hope that still holds true for you J.
Gryllus took the communicators from the troopers and rewired one to work in our favor, and managed to get both of them to a point where they couldn't be tracked. But once we got back to the canyon, we found out it was too late after all. Our ship had been locked down by a small squad of stormtroopers and ... one that gave us all a kind of bad feeling. It just had this ... presence about it. We were in a bad way here J. Three were blocking the loading ramp, three were positioned in front and facing the canyon we'd be walking out of, and the more decorated trooper was with them. and of course, Ashur was inside...
So we made a plan. Split the group so we wouldn't be all walking into straight blaster fire, and try to take our ship back. Ok, back track. We tried to talk our way out of it first, using the communicator Gryllus patched. Davin tried to play off that we were the troopers and that they were taking heavy fire in another location- thinking we could draw them away. But nope. They had us figured out and pinned.
The fight was brutal. And that one that gave us the weird feeling? He mentioned something about confirming there were others, and that he'd make sure no one else got to these crystals. We took some casualties J. Our strategy was about as good as you could get but most of us aren't battle-tested. And even me? I'm pretty resilient, but I know the street-scene of Nar Shadaa, not blasters and shit! HK went down after that lead guy really laid into him, and then Cham got knocked out too. I was doing pretty well against these troopers, but man, knife to a gun fight? How about a fist to a blaster fight. I stopped one that was charging at me, but he stuck me real good at the same time. That thing about not being squeamish? I hope that still holds true for you J.
That's what a vibro-knife does to a bare belly. Man, not that I want big carapace armor or nothing, but maybe a little something to guard the gut is in order. That's where I put all my food! And my dianoga pie, dammit!
After a really hard fought battle, we managed to put the stormtroopers down and reclaim our ship. That sort of elite trooper? He was down but still alive. He didn't seem long for this world, and it was going to be a brutally slow and painful final passing. Davin and I exchanged looks. We sorta knew what had to happen, and he literally pulled the trigger on it. A quick blaster shot to end it. I wasn't the one pulling the trigger- and inside I agreed with what he did, but J, I /felt/ it. Not just the kind of "felt it" when you accidentally crash your speeder into a jawa, but like, felt it down to my very core. I can't explain it. But it didn't feel good.
After that we got our wounded in and got out of there as fast as we could. I took a couple of stim packs and found a quiet spot to hide from the others. And, well, been writing you since. Like I said... a long one. But I think I needed to get this out all as much for myself, as for keeping you in the loop.
There's no going back now J. I'm not sure how much info these guys got out, but there are now a handful of people and places, who know who we are, and what we're searching for, and ... potentially, what we can become...
After a really hard fought battle, we managed to put the stormtroopers down and reclaim our ship. That sort of elite trooper? He was down but still alive. He didn't seem long for this world, and it was going to be a brutally slow and painful final passing. Davin and I exchanged looks. We sorta knew what had to happen, and he literally pulled the trigger on it. A quick blaster shot to end it. I wasn't the one pulling the trigger- and inside I agreed with what he did, but J, I /felt/ it. Not just the kind of "felt it" when you accidentally crash your speeder into a jawa, but like, felt it down to my very core. I can't explain it. But it didn't feel good.
After that we got our wounded in and got out of there as fast as we could. I took a couple of stim packs and found a quiet spot to hide from the others. And, well, been writing you since. Like I said... a long one. But I think I needed to get this out all as much for myself, as for keeping you in the loop.
There's no going back now J. I'm not sure how much info these guys got out, but there are now a handful of people and places, who know who we are, and what we're searching for, and ... potentially, what we can become...