Kessel; A Tour [From Mance]

[Taddio Tara'dek]

Skye:

The fierce burning on the back of Skye's shoulder had died down to a relatively minimal prickling while she breathed in foul air that stung her eyes and made her want to choke. Stuffed into a rank cell down a dark corridor, she waited, schooling herself to patience. Footsteps and metalic -Shuunk-sounds echoed down the hall, along with the occasional word or two- the implications of which she could only guess at.

She thought that there were others here, but none whom she was particularly familiar with. As she sat cross-legged on the grime-layered floor of the cell, chin rested on her upturned palms, she watched, over and over again, the scene that would continue to replay in her mind, vivid and lifelike, for the remainder of the night.

Korlen Lokar and the others swarmed through the small docking bay- a small task force sent with a specific mission, good for training, and vital to gathering information for other missions. They'd been blindsided though, all of them fooled; whether through some unknown corruption or poor information, she didn't know. Screams- both glee and pain, mingled bouncing off the walls in a cavernous echo. The fresh smell of torn and bleeding flesh. Eyes that stared, frozen and unblinking in eternal pain and surprise, shock- death. Metalic-sounding impacts. Bones cracking under tremendous force. Blasts of light, dull booming sounds, taunts and vehement replies. The sounds of battle, alive and well as the task force was dispatched -calculatingly. The mission had failed.

Master Korlen and several of the others fell to huge Togorians who lay in wait. She had called out to him, time seemingly frozen, and her senses nearly overwhelmed as she'd watched him fall. There were sounds of horrified pain. Her own? The others? Something vital had suddenly been torn from her, and at the same time her shoulder lit up with fiery pain, searing the flesh beneath her robes, and spreading a hot, fierce ache through her entire arm, radiating across her back. Before she'd had time to process the event, she'd been swept up along with several others, and herded forcefully into the small ship, and then assessed before being shoved into cells, with two Torgorians guarding the end of the corridor. Kessel hospitality left a lot to be desired.

Edging as near the cell door as she dared, she glanced down the end of the corridor toward the direction she could hear the guards talking. They didn't seem to be paying much attention at the moment, as a loud arguement was occuring over the price of a Twi'lek dancer to be wooed at the end of her shift. As loudly as she dared, and hopefully without drawing too much attention from the guards just yet, she attempted to find out who else might be in nearby cells. If anyone, that was. Hey. a near-hiss, hopeful as it could be. All in all, as she waited for anything to happen, she got the impression that her stay was likely to be rather unpleasant.

Star Wars Mod:



Kessel


The only reason Kessel is inhabited, the only reason it's even worth discussing, is the thick veins of glitterstim running through it's crust. Glitterstim is a popular spice used throughout the galaxy but found only on Kessel. Miners work long, dangerous hours in the planet's thin atmosphere to dig the spice out of the ground for quick export all over the galaxy for both legitimate medicinal purposes and illicit recreational ones.

Otherwise, Kessel is a cold, barrent planet of alkali flats with no native sentient life. Existance on the planet is isolated, depressing, and potentially lethal. Few creatures roam underground in its labryinth of tunnels and mines. The planet sports virtually no plant life and doesn't seeem to thrilled with the animal life that has taken up residence. The people who come here voluntarily do so because of the money in spice.

Nearby several black holes known as the Maw Cluster make astrogation to and from Kessel dangerously tricky. The Maw Cluster is visible fromt he planet's surface and it is said to increase the feeling of isloation felt by the residents.

A member of any species who breathes normally must wear oxygen masks when outdoors on Kessel because of the planet's thin atmosphere. Air-production factories keep the very edge of breathable atompshere on the planet. but the planet's small size doesn't allow it to maintain an atompshere for long. Air is easier to come by down in mines, since ventilation is priority several kilometers beneath the surface, and air is constantly refreshed.

Mining on Kessel is a relatively small operation, officially operated by medical teams mining the spice for theraputic purposes. Kessels official population right now fewer tham a million in truth it is somewhere around four to five million, a mix of miners and criminal factions. Goverment is nominally under Repubilc control, or was up until three months ago. Currently do to corporate, criminal and buy-outs of all kinds Kessel is in a periiod of small-scale war. The Republic's power over Kessel at this very moment being wrenched away...

Star Wars Mod:

" Shhhh... those things have ears like a sriluurian dark wolf. " Came a hushed reply from the cell to her left. A grime covered hand reaching out between bars to wave her over.

The large fur covered Togorian guards at the end of the corridor when silent. A growling noise coming from one to the other as they seemed to be listening. Several seconds was all it took before they began talking back and forth with eachother again, laughter even echoing down the stone and steel prison quarters.

Other prisoners would stir, those that were awake. While more would stay huddled into their assigned cells, hugged to walls and curled into corners. Many of them have been here for a while, miner slaves, used to manufacture the glitterstim that laced throughout the planet. Others were newcomers, soldiers and perhaps even a few Jedi who were sent as a task force to inspect the Kessel uprisings, mediate between the coporations, and send back information on who the real movers and shakers were behind it.

That all seemed to fall through however, several Jedi died, many more Republic soldiers died. The remaining had been stripped of their weapons, tossed into the cells and put under watch. Which is currently where they were at now...

Skye:

Relief rushed through her when the guards began talking amongst themselves again. She could hear others in their cells now, some of them moving, rustling of fabric in the oppressiveness of the corridor.
As she saw the hand to her left, pushed between the bars of the cell, she positioned herself against that side, where it'd be easiest to pass information back and forth, with the least amount of noise. Ever-mindful of the guards at the end of the passage, she whispered back. " So it seems"

The first order of business was to figure a way to get out of the cage and off Kessel. And quick. At the moment she was extremely interested in catching a red-eye off the rock. "Think I'll pass on sticking around for the evening meal."

Star Wars Mod:

" I seen your bunch get hauled in earlier. Why? " The man on the otherside asked. Hearing her close enough now he could speak freely, quiet yet still loud enough to be heard so he could learn some new information.

" Hah, get out of here, yeah right. That would be a miracle all by itself. The Hutt's own you now, I'd get used to it. It's the mines for you. " The man gave forth a humorless laugh, one that got the guards to go silent again, a growling. " Shut up slave. " was issued forth from their end of the corridor.

Skye:

Skye went silent, waiting for the guards to return to their conversation. Time had lost any sort of importance a while ago, as there wasn't a whole lot to do in an empty, locked cell. As soon as the noise resumed she leaned as close into the corner of the cell as she could.

"Well, I don't think they liked us having a look around. The Hutt's?" A non-commital murmur followed. "I don't really like mines, so like I said.."

She let the sentence trail off and went silent for a few moments, considering her predicament, before asking "How many of us are in here? And how many of them are there?" Maybe he'd know. Maybe not. At this point even a vague idea would be an improvement. Obviously they were herded out to work, and then returned at the end of the shift. Hmm.. If she were a gambling woman, the odds would be ..interesting..to say the least.

Star Wars Mod:

" Yeah the Hutts. " He said cooly, his laugh having ended. " I'd say there is around a hundred and twenty, maybe a hundred and thirty with you lot. How much of them... well they added more to their garrison just the other day, if you haven't noticed the smelly Togorians by now. " Pausing as he thought more on it. " But there was around forty eight of them to be exact. Who knows how many now. So... what happened... for the second time asking, you'll all be the talk of the town tonight in the mine. Which if you don't like now, you're going to like even less in a couple or hours. " He rambled on.

[Taddio Tara'dek]

Skye:

That many? The corridor must stretch on a ways. Mm. She didn't mind those odds at all. Figuring that the captives still had a good chance versus the guards, she nodded to herself. "Hmm. How do you feel about missing work? Got anywhere to be?"

While she waited for an answer from the voice, she shifted slightly, sitting once more cross-legged. A few deep breaths of the rank air filled her lungs, pushed out through her mouth, while she closed her eyes. Patience. Patience and clarity of thought was what she needed most right now. Skye didn't intend to tour the Kessel mines for any length of time, if she could avoid it. And she was sure he was right about her not liking it too well. She'd just take his word for it, though.

As an afterthought, she answered him "We went in to see if we could mediate the trouble that's going on here, and get both sides of the story, you know, but those guys' buddies " here, she gestured toward the guards at the end of the corridor- "I don't know, exactly. I guess they didn't want to talk. "

Her head lowered slightly as images of the ambush flitted through her mind, like watching a movie in fast forward. "There was a conflict..." A fresh pang of some complex emotion snaked its way across her throat, constricting and forcing her to swallow around it. "And we ended up here." she finished off quietly. After a second, she straightened up again, resuming her earlier position "So, you in?"

Star Wars Mod:

" Am I in... are you kidding. Of course not. You haven't seen what happens to those who try. Kessel isn't safe for air breathers like us... you fail to escape they stick you up there. Let you die. Even if we did get out of here, where do you think you'd get a ship? We'd have to fight our way through armed men. Hutts, Whipids, Togorians... no way we can take any of those on with or without weapons. Most of the miners are weak, alot of them are Arconans... they don't fight, they run and hide. "

The man continued on, naming off reasons why they shouldn't fight. Growing more pessimistic by the second.

Psst.

" I'm with you Skye. " came a familiar voice, another of the Jedi Padawan's who was sent with her, this one named Ash Tobarl. A half-human half-Theelin mixed youngster of about eighteen or nineteen, his hair an odd deep purple color with spots of the same color running down his cheek and across one shoulder. His three fingered hands (not including thumb) grasping the bars infront of him. His cell being the one directly across from hers. His Master had also fallen, that apparent by the youths strained look that was visible even in the darkness that shrouded the entire sector.

Skye:

Skye listened to the man ramble off all the reasons they should just lay back and take the mines. No air on the surface, the lack of any weapons, and the masses of armed, probably irritated people not the least. Still, she'd made up her mind. "Okay okay" she responded to the man on the other side of her cell.

When Ash spoke up finally, she gave him a grateful nod. He'd suffered too, she could see it in the lines on his face, tightness of his mouth, and in his eyes. "Thanks, Ash. I'm glad" she replied. At least she wasn't alone. If he was there, there were likely to be others too. She still didn't mind the odds.

The man on the other side of her cell had a point. She had no idea where their weapons were being held, how to get to a ship, or how to get to anywhere. Details she hoped would sort themselves out shortly. "Any idea where to go from here?" Mostly, she was asking the man to her left, but maybe Ash had a better eye for layout, and had noticed.

Star Wars Mod:

" If you're so insisitant on getting yourself killed then wait till we are pulled out of our kennels to go mine. You'll get a better view of the layout. " He heard the extra voice and drew himself quiet again.

" I think... our Masters are dead, I can't feel who else is alive still. I'm too weak, what about you Skye? Why would they spare just us? Someone knew what we are... " Said Ash, looking past her, still struggling to sense the lifeforces of the other Jedi. Padawan and Knight alike. " Nothing... I can't feel anyone but you, but there has to be others. "

" That explains alot... you're Jedi. Figures. " The man let out another chortle, one that cut off quickly. " Not even real Jedi but what are they called.... uhm, padawaks. By the Creator why... " the man almost burst forth laughing again but stifled himself. " How ironic. "

Skye:

Ash was right on all counts. There was just him. but why? "Nothing. There's nothing. I'm alright though. Are you?" She didn't know how injured he had been, or how he was holding up. As she listened to the man on her other side, she asked "Why's that ironic?" Other than the fact that they were young and inexperienced, caught like rats, and not particularly impressive as captives.

The man was right though. When they were herded out of the kennels and into the mines, she'd pay close attention to the layout, and figure a way out. Then there'd be the best chance. Maybe there were others here that wanted a ticket off Kessel. Hoping to be somewhat reassuring to Ash, she murmured "We'll figure it out. Rest for now." Things were bound to get more exciting before the day was out.

Star Wars Mod:

" It's padawan. " Said Ash correcting the unnamed man. Folding his arms across his chest tucking his hands into the sleeves of his robes he settled in against the wall. Waiting. Just as the rest were.

There was a rustling of clothes on the other side of the wall as the man seemed to be getting comfortable. " Yeah, whatever. " He mumbled off, before speaking somemore. " Might as well get comfortable and do whatever it is you Jedi do to pass the time. It's going to be a while. Chow was only a little while before you were all dropped off. You'll need the rest. " Silence would follow, then snores would soon tail shortly.

Ash stayed quiet staring through the bars at nothingness, dealing with his own recent loss and the feeling of dread that seemed to settle over this new place like a second layer of filfty skin.

Skye:

Skye too quieted allowing the relative silence of the corridor to envelope her, Occasionally the rustle of someone's movement mingled with steady snores and the muted sounds of breathing. Seeking clarity of thought, she leaned back against the wall of her cell, eyes closed and breaths steady, mulling over what had been learned during the short conversation.

[Taddio Tara'dek]

Star Wars Mod:

Hours passed before any form of life made any out of the ordinary movements beyond sleeping, idle whispers that went almost unheard and pacings of cells. The Togorians at the end of the corridor stepped from the door letting it slide open.

Pushing a cart came a droid. Followed by another identical cart, the Togorians were joined by a slug like Hutt holding a bowcaster and a two Whipids. A harsh commanding bark was shouted out by one Togorian, " Everyone up! Breather masks are here, get up! " He roared. Latches began to unlock, cell doors opening.

" Noone step beyond the painted line or you get shot. " The painted line was obvious, bright yellow exposed once the cell doors were opened up. Carts waiting in the center corridor, the droids standing sentinel like between them. Waiting for the contents to be emptied, poor condition, battered, even some were rusted. Tanks attached to rebreather masks.

" One by one exit your cell and place on your mask, we're going topside. That means work for the slaves! " The Hutt let out loud harsh laughter, finding some sort of inside joke attached to all of this. Squiggling his way down the lines. " Where are the Jeedai? "

" Cells six, ten and thirteen. " Replied one of the Togorians, the scar-faced one with a vibro-axe. A human shaped skull dangling from his belt.

" Jeedai... try anything funny you get killed and three die with you. " It moved a fat thumb across it's what could be called a chin but was instead only several rolls of bulbous sweaty fat beneath its overly large mouth. Heavy tongue lolling out with the motion.

Skye:

6, 10, 13- all relatively close to each other. Skye lingered near Ash as the doors all swung open to allow them to be crowded into the center aisle to line up for breathing masks before heading toward the mines. She watched as bodies milled in the aisle and then quickly headed to line up behind the bright line that they were told not to pass.

Her fingers stretched, brushing against Ash's hand as if to reconfirm their earlier conversation and she gave him a visual once-over, before she too, was handed a breathing mask. Through the crowd she searched for the other Jedi, distinguishable from the others by the lack of layers of mine-filth. Refusing to reply to the Hutt who was in charge, she silently stood in line, trying to pay attention to conversations around her, while she split her attention between that and her companions, while they all awaited further instructions, and to be led out topside to the mines.

Star Wars Mod:

Ash placed on his breather, looking across the way at Skye almost helplessly. Worry creasing his brow, knitting two purple eyebrows together. Feeling her brush against him he seemed to lighten up abit offering a weak smile. Not speaking, not wanting to draw anymore attention then he had.

The man whom was talking to them exited his cell as well, standing taller than Ash (who was around five six to five seven) and Skye, he was near six foot with a mineral dusted face, black hair and a heavy beard attached to a strong jaw. His blue eyes seeming dull and faroff as he mechanically placed the apparatus over his mouth.

The door opened up, lines of them beginning to filter out. Stepping from cell thirteen came the third Jedi, the newly Knighted Lysar Jemee. His green mottled skin covered head hung low a roundish bruise heavy above his eyebrow ridge, black sharlike eyes glossed over, tendrils instead of hair falling about his shoulders. The moods of those around him affecting his current mindframe, Jedi robes tattered and torn.

The Nautolan lifted his chin quick enough to take a glance at the two padawans. A small weak yet comfort ment smile passing across his leaf colored lips.

" Hurry up scum! Hurry up! " Yelled the Hutt. Ramming his blaster butt into the center of Ash's back, sending the slender small framed Theelin to his knees. A bad thing about Hutts was they were bullies... bullies that never seemed to stop growing as they got older, and this Hutt seemed to be rather large, his bulk filling up a space that three or four good sized men could have taken. " Get up weakling Jeedai, you work like the rest! Fear not your puny powers. You are no longer anything but a Hutt slave, get up! " He shouted again his tail swinging back and forth behind him as Ash pushed himself upright calling on Jedi training to calm his nerves and forget the pain. Jedi had no use for such feelings, he reminded himself. Though fear... the enemy, fear and despair were fast creeping up on the young Jedi's heart.

Skye:

Skye watched as the man in the next cell came out and then caught sight of the other Jedi. Some small measure of comfort when he smiled slightly, a weary smile she thought. Returning it with a quick one of her own, she dared not draw any more attention than necessary, but gave a nearly imperceptible nod of her head toward him in both recognition and relief

Her attention lingered on Ash as he straightened up after the assault by the Hutt. There was no opportunity for further conversation in the crowded corridor; she'd seek out both Ash and the other Jedi when she could. After a minimal of jostling in the line after the others grabbed breathing masks and lined up, she followed behind the man who she and Ash'd been talking with.

As the line started moving past the cells, she was busy mapping it out in her mind, counting steps silently in her head past each landmark, partly just in case, and partly as a self-soothing action. It kept her attention from drifting and lingering on the more unpleasant facts at the moment.

Oppression hung thick in the air over the shuffling line, so heavy she could feel it dragging her down. The slaves that had been here the longest barely showed life. They moved mechanically, any light having long ago left their eyes. Their shoulders slumped as though they were physically weighted down by the layers of mineral covering their bodies.

Skye was keeping a close eye on Lysar and Ash both as they walked. 28..29..30. Thirty steps down to the end of the corridor they were in.

Star Wars Mod:

Ushered through three similiar corridors they were brought out into a courtyard that had open gateways, being led in lines out of these gateways were more slave miners. Gun nests sat at the top of each on both sdes following the train of workers.

Guards roamed about patrolling, walking up and down the slave train. Sometimes stepping in to abuse a slow walker, or one who looked particularly deserving. All were through the courtyard to an open quary, pitted with holes for entry, mining carts lined up everywhere. Droid workers readying to push them about, machinary running on rails leading to and from each. The Hutt began seperating the chain the Jedi were in pointing them to seperate openings. " Get to work! You better show the new ones what to do, they go slow you don't eat!"

Skye:

Skye watched the whole time as they were led through the courtyards and past the other three lines. When the chain was broken up by the Hutt, she followed the body infront of her slowly, heading down into the mines. Eyes adjusting to the lighting and poor air quality inside the mines (which had better air, consequently, than the topside did..) she shuffled along, waiting to be shown what to do, and glancing about to see if either of the other two had went down the same tunnel she had.

Star Wars Mod:

Hours would be spent by the Jedi, slaves and captured soldiers working within the mines. The same way they were led out they would be led in. Once inside the courtyard they would be turned off from the central pathway to another large room, a cafeteria from the looks of it. Chains were removed, at blasterpoint they would all be handed a bowl and sent down another line to collect what could only be described as grule along with a container for water.

The outer most areas of the room were upraised, walking along this upraised section that looked like a giant step around the entire area were armed guards. Pacing back and forth.

Apparently the slaves were allowed to speak at this point the low hum of conversation rising up as one person huddled closer to another to talk in hushed tones. Each cell block group placed in the same tables. The man had not lied about most of them being Arconans they were everywhere eating their dactyl. Which for them was a specific food they had gathered in another line, as much important to them as water was to humans or sunlight to flowers.

Ash sat himself next to Skye, leaning in close as he lifted the bowl before him sniffing it. " So have you come up with a plan? " He inquired, shaking the bowl infront of him.

Further down from them was the Nautolan speaking to a bowed over young Bothan who seemed to be crying. Pouring half of his bowl into the youths. Glancing up once to look at the two padawans questionatively.

The dark haired man sat across from Skye and Ash lifting his eyes to listen to them speak only to drop them back to the bowl, slurping up his food.

Skye:

Once the chains were removed, Skye sat with the rest of the cell block at the table. Uninterested in the gelatinous mass oozing in the bowl, she only played with the bowl idly, the dull hum of conversation flowing around the cafeteria rising slightly once most of the cell blocks had been seated. Shaking her head slightly at Ash she replied "Well uh.." Trying to be reassuring she added quickly "There's lots of time yet."

She glanced up at the Nautolan and young Bothan who was being consoled, and shrugged her shoulders slightly. The dark haired man across from her and Ash offered nothing in the way of conversation. Partly leaning across the table she spoke quietly to the Nautolan in reply to his questioning look. "We're thinking about taking an extended leave of absence."

In the meantime, she was busy working out a plan- half-baked though it may have been. The obvious time to try to escape was during transport to the mines, unless they could figure out a way to get out of the mines unseen. It was a mine, after all. Rocks could be weapons in the right hands, though less effective than a blaster, admittedly.

It didn't have to be effective though. All they'd need was to even the playing field a little bit. Tools- surely they could find something to help- Even stray pieces of machinery. It ocurred to her if she could stash dirt from the mines-- well, eyes were vulnerable, weren't they?
Nodding to herself, she glanced up at Ash again, a small smile flitting across her face. "Sort of. I think so, anyway. " A distraction say-- as they were putting the breathing masks back. Or before that even, coming out of the courtyard.

There were definite possibilities. She began to throw out ideas at her two companions, talking in a hushed tone.

Star Wars Mod:

" Then let us hurry! " Blurted out Ash, eagerness in his voice. " Our training we can handle several of these gaurds. Padawans or not, and we still have Lysar. "

Who, down the table hearing Skye nodded to her. Telepathically projecting a worded. " I know, yet are you sure it is wise? " The bothan seeming to have calmed down visibly. The Nautolans black glassy eyes rolling from left to right, looking from the guards to her.

" I heard that... " he whispered hushed, frowning. Speaking only to Skye. " Does that mean he doesn't... I don't know... stars. " he belted out, looking as if he was feeling abit nervous. Inhaling a breath of stale air as he calmed himself, using techniques he'd been taught his whole life.

The man across the table snorted, " You Jedi... " was all he said, shaking his head back and forth.