15: Goodbyes and Destiny's Greetings

After much ado about nothing that morning, the group finally makes their way to Auratera. While the decision to go there was originally for Ishvaar's funeral, Tnemit's decision to take over our AI and be all cryptic about the planet just made everyone all the more curious. Arriving we found that it was the life-filled planet reported in our maps and not the deserted wasteland Tnemit claimed from the Jedi knowledgebase.

We pick a spot and bury Ishvaar properly, and those among us who are more sensitive to the Force notice two beams of light hitting the same mountain peak. Obviously, this was a phenomenon that could not be ignored. We find a place to land up there and the would-be Jedi begin investigating the ruins after some vivid hallucinations overtook them.

Several accidents later, Talik finds herself addressing the distress call of a nearly destroyed droid at the bottom of a lift shaft. Only to soon be Forcibly lifted out herself by her friends on voodoo magic steroids. They take the droid back to the ship and Talik begins repairs while Boris and Hailey re-enter the ruins saying they were this close to finding something.

Loot:

"Well... I have good news and bad news Talik which do you want to hear first?"
Boris comments sadly look down right bedraggled.

As Hailey stores the strange gauntlet in her room, she feels slightly conflicted. After all, the thing had probably waited eons to be brought back out into the light and for what? To be stowed away in some secret place again? "It's for the best," she whispers to it, earnestly. "I promise to take you out again, soon! But I need to know what you are first. What I'm supposed to use you for. Until then... I'm sorry."

"You're wasting time, Little One."

Hailey freezes. I thought you should be dead by now.

"I know. I know everything about you."

Then you should also know that I want no part of you.

"That's a lie. If you won't admit it to yourself, at least admit it to me; you're curious."

Go away.

"Soon, my dear. And then I'll bequeath my power unto you."

I don't want it.

"You have little choice. It's who you are... Remember what you felt... when you shot me?"

I felt angry.

"No... You felt powerful... and you wanted to use that power... and so you did... and so... you shall... long after I'm gone..."

The voice fades. Hailey grumbles under her breath and seals the gauntlet under the hatch, then re-attaches the bunk to the wall. She finds Boris. "Are there any other ships in this region?"

"Oh," Hailey blushes to have interrupted them. "Sorry. It can wait."

"That was not one of the options."
Boris fur bristles.
"Ok inorder. Haley and I when back down the elevator shaft unlocked the door wondered around found stuff disabled guardians then returned to the ship. Now do you want to hear the good news or bad news first?"

"Fine..."
Grumbles Boris.
"I found artifacts worth multiple times of your ships value.

"Clever cookie! Now we move on to the Bad news. They are the types of artifacts that the Empire will torch the family tree of any who comes into contact with them...
Boris trails off with a pained grin.
"We also found some droids we may be able to sell but we would have to find a buyer."

Hailey's face pales. "NO! Are you crazy?! Those things nearly killed me!" She crosses her arms. "We'd all be far better off (and a world safer) if you sold the case of ancient scrolls we found."

"The scrolls are barely worth our next meal. and yes I would like to sell them to the Corellian institute but our captain would like some that offsets her expenses in landing here. The droids are deactivated and to the right buyer could make her a pretty penny."
Explains Boris

"I'm assuming he's talking about the tapestries; they're huge," Hailey holds wide her arms to demonstrate. "As tall as you are and twice as wide, every inch of them embroidered with thread so fine, I half expected the figures to start talking to us. Trouble is, those oh-so-very-life-like figures are clearly dressed as the Jedi and the Syth, and they weren't bitter enemies in every picture."

"Hailey... the less you tell her the less she can accidentally reveal to get her self killed. All she really needs to know is the Empire has torched planets for less."
Boris puts his hand over his face at Hailey's indiscretion.
"The droids are old guardian style droids intended to combat force uses unaware. They appear to be made out of stone and might fetch some money from some one into that sort of decor or wants some muscle droids."
Boris finishes with describing the droids.

Hailey blushes with embarrassment. "Sorry. Old habits die hard I guess." She listens as Boris describes the stone droids. "I wonder if they have any writing on them? Something like that could make it more traceable... What was that?" A sound as though someone'd just knocked over several stacks of cargo containers comes from the bay.


~~~Meanwhile~~~

Ami wakes up with a nauseating headache. Various images flash through her mind uncontrollably; each one she pushes back, but another one like it comes to mind and takes its place. She retches, as though suffering from certain drug side-effects. Desperate to clear her head, she rushes outside in a clatter and keeps on going. Don't really care where, just keep going.

Boris attempts to physically grab her as she simply slides out of his hands. He sighs then uses the force to grab her preventing her from running and getting lost.
"Where do you think you are going I really do not want to have to track you down again here."

The ground drops away just as feet hit dirt. Ami screams at the top of her lungs and makes as if to have thrown something at Boris, but her hand is empty. Just as the imaginary object would have hit him, his thoughts ring with blaster fire and brutal slave cries, these only the least of his secret fears which suddenly come to mind...

Hailey and Tali feel it too, like a mental wave of general terror.

Ami sees a red skinned humaniod with short tentacles coming from his chin, reminiscent of a beard...Peace is a lie. Control your emotions. Use them. Break your chainsYour companions are weak. Hailey is a fool. She knows nothing. So naive.

In her head, Ami replies. "I am no one's slave. I make my own destiny."

The figure chuckles in genuine amusement. "Do you really believe that will save you from what you have seen? You have much to learn.  And you are a slave. Or have you forgotten? You are already overdue. Your master will NOT be pleased."

Ami glances down at her arm, a panicked expression on her face.

Suddenly, Boris sees her collapse in exhaustion. Ami has passed out.

From his Med kit Boris pulls sedative and administers it to Ami.
"Ok the sooner we leave the planet the better off Ami will be. Please make a decision quickly I am not a medical expert. Lets not let her tell the coordinates of the planet because if she come back here unprepared she could die."

Jowmum starts pacing quietly.

Talik sees a flock of what appear to be large birds of prey approaching the ship. They have pale blue- gray wings, with white tipped feathers on the leading edges. A small head with four eyes, two on top and two underneath, sports a vicious curved beak. Powerful legs end in dagger- Sharp talons. There are about 15 such creatures in this flock.

"Well, I was hoping to see if we could find a book or something about..." Hailey makes an odd gesture with her wrist and hand. "Yeah, but..." She leans down and brushes a bit of hair out of Ami's mouth. "I think for her sake and ours," she points to Boris and herself, "we should be getting out of here. All the same, it's your call captain. We can always come back for the droids."

Edible people, load up! I think we've overstayed our welcome.
I lead by example and grab the nearest unpacked item, and hustle up the ramp.

*Snerk* "Decision made by the majority. Very well captain lets go. Thank you for obliging us. Sorry for getting your bike dinged up."
Boris laughs as he carries Ami to her bunk.
"Next stop any where but here!"