Dragon Survival Run On

Traan Reith

23-06-2009 03:48:14

Hall of the Dragon

The House had assembled for its usual morning briefing, and right on the dot at 0700 hours, the displays in the room lit up. Everyone straightened to attention when not one, but all three members of the House Summit appeared by Holo Net. It was unusual for more than one to be out of the Hall at the same time, but all three? It simply wasn't done. Now however, it appeared that the rules had changed.

"Greetings. The reason we are not with you today, and will not be with you for sometime is simple. We have been called away to attend to business relating to the recent and increasing insurgency among the Clan's populace. While we are gone, you are to travel, as a House, to the nearby city of Hoka Dachu. There, you are to purchase supplies and prepare for an ardous trek across the desert, on foot. In three days time, you will be notified of the next step of your journey. I suggest you prepare well, for poor preperation could leave one of you dead on the trek. Good Luck."

The figures vanished in the blue sparkles traditional with the Holo Net, the House logo appearing to float there until the communication system was used again.

OOC: Here is the beginning of a very unusual Run On. It's a chance for you to work together to come up with something amazing. I've given you enough detail to get started. Use your imaginations and the wiki to move forward. In three days time you will get another post progressing the plot and explaining the objectives. All following OOC's explaing objectives to be met will be through the use of another thread.

Current Objectives: Travel to Hoka Dachu. Prepare for an ardous trek through the desert by foot. Be ready in three days time. Involve yourself with other members of the House.

Aesir

24-06-2009 16:52:29

Aesir sat in the third row of the hall and watched with interest and wonder on what could’ve called all three summit leaders away. It was practically a first to Aesir’s knowledge. Aesir returned his attention the shimmering blue figures of the Summit members and listened with interest as to their orders.

“hmmm….What is the reason to sending us into the desert? There must be something worth gaining out there,” Aesir thought to himself. He concluded to himself that a solo journey across the desert would be almost a death wish.

“The people who group up and work together are naturally going to succeed,” he surmised. The figures of the Summit issued their dismissal and vanished. The various members of his house started to mingle and gossip about the meaning behind this.

Aesir walked up to a small group of people he didn’t know and said, “Hey, any idea what the reason behind this is? Is there really something valuable out there, or is this a contest to weed out the weak?” None of them knew anything beyond what was said in the announcement, just like Aesir, it seemed no one did.

“Oh well, I guess we’ll find out in three days huh?” Aesir concluded, “By the way I’m Aesir,” Aesir was naturally friendly, and was never awkward when meeting new people, “Who are you?”

Draco Maligo

24-06-2009 18:58:36

Hoka Dachu? On foot? The grumblings of the varied-species House members sounded like an orchestra from hell tuning their music makers, cacophonous and atonal. The older members groused about another arduous task, while the younger members, new to their training, failed to see the relevance of it. Surely some of them, tested beyond their own small personal limits, would fail. Whether by death or desertion, the Force only knew. But those that survived would be like iron ore run through a smelter. Hardened and useful. Weapon-grade, perhaps.

Draco quickly pushed his team into action, denying them the chance to let their words of defiance and despair turn into action. Delving into sorcery, the Priest knew the power of the spoken word, its resonance on the Force and effects on beings and creatures in the known universe. The knowledge had turned him taciturn, speaking only when necessary to achieve whatever end he desired. For now, it was goading the journeymen into the preparations necessary for survival. “You can all chit-chat later.

“Bring along plenty of canteens. Water holes will be few and far between. And be judicious about your choice of weapons. You will need them, but they will weigh you down. We move within the hour.”

* * * * * * * *

The trip to the frontier town was quick, much quicker than the arduous journey through the desert would be. The buildings were low, simple affairs, made with the ubiquitous sandstone bricks that were the most plentiful building material available to the hardy pioneers with limited funds. The dark Jedi of Acclivis Draco meandered through the provincial open-air market, ignoring the pointed looks directed at them by the inhabitants, accumulating the supplies that they had been tasked to buy, and liberally using mind control to lower the usurious prices that the locals tried to charge for their goods.

Several blaster bolts zinged out, scattering the merchants and dropping a couple of members whilst the others brought weapons quickly to hand. The dark Jedi scattered for cover, leaving the killing field of the plaza and charging toward the sniper’s nests that ringed the square. Someone knew they were coming. Set up the ambush, and set it up so well that no warnings were issued through the Force.

Maligo snatched the lightsaber off his belt and ignited it in time to swipe at a green energy bolt that zipped his way. He sent the charge speeding its way back from whence it came, a brown adobe-tiled roof north of the plaza. A burst of speed and the Priest was through the market, out-running the shots that would have taken down a being who wasn’t using the Force.

A leap and he grabbed the eave of the roof, a strong yank and he was leaping over the edge, his yellow-bladed saber singing through the air, slicing through the rusted carapace of the ancient assassin droid that vainly tried to track the dark Jedi. Kriffing droids. The two halves of the mechanical killer lie smoking at the Priest’s feet, a small dust devil whirling across the tiles. The Tetrarch heard the blaster fire from other nests and dashed back into action.

Aesir

25-06-2009 15:42:47

Aesir was just finishing up his business in the market, when the canteen of one of his comrades exploded as he was about to drink. Aesir’s head whipped around and immediately saw many more blaster bolts whizzing through the air. He took cover behind a building with a few others. He ignited his green saber and peered around to see what was happening. He located Draco as he leapt through the air and sliced a droid in half.

For a split second Aesir thought it was over, but then heard the sound of bolts searing flesh, and stealthily hurried to the ruckus. He climbed onto a small, flat building, and saw two more droids opening fire on a group of house members. He spotted Draco across the way. Draco noticed Aesir, and signaled him to go down there.

“Clearly I’m to be a diversion. Alright,” Aesir muttered to himself and quickly formulated a plan. He jumped down right in front of the two droids and kicked the weapon out of one’s hand. The other droid focused its attention on Aesir, while the other pulled out another blaster. Oh great! Aesir thought to himself. He ran mostly, but had to deflect two or three bolts that made a b-line to his head.

“Where’s Draco?” Aesir said under his breath, “He should have acted by now!” Aesir stopped on a dime, and turned around to kick a droid in the head. It wobbled back, but it didn’t do much, beside hurt Aesir’s foot. He had done this to get a good look at Draco’s location. He was gone! Aesir started running again, suddenly Draco appeared right in front of him and was in full charge with his saber. Aesir ducked and slid on the ground to avoid being hacked in half along with the droids. Aesir returned to his feet and went to retrieved his saber, which had fallen out of his hand.

Draco Maligo

25-06-2009 18:12:21

“Worried?” the Priest asked with a smirk on his face. The Protector, having just retrieved his saber, stood to face his Tetrarch as the battle ebbed.

“No. Of course not,” the young Obelisk replied.

“What do you think our next move should be?” Draco asked.

Aesir answered without pause. “Finish off the droids.”

Maligo shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. “We are not the only dark Jedi here. The rest can fend for themselves. Have any sentient beings attacked us?”

Aesir shook his head.

“And the droids wouldn’t attack without being programmed by someone, now would they? We need to find who sent them here. Stretch out with the Force, young one.”

The Protector closed his eyes for a moment, reaching out tenuously for the wispy strands of the Force. “What makes you think he’ll still be here? He should have run from us.”

“Look around. The droids are old. Very old. Anyone with enough credits to his name could have gotten brand-new models and smuggled them here. Whoever bought these bought what he could afford, which wasn’t much. He’d stick around a bit to see what became of his investment. He’ll be leaving soon, but he’d want to know what kind of damage he caused. Follow me.” Draco, having read the mystic auguries in the ether, found what he was looking for.

The pair dashed off across the battleground, batting aside an occasional bolt that careened their way, heading for the tallest building on the plaza. Tallest only by comparison, standing four stories, and made with permacrete sheets instead of stone. The structure had the simple and uncomplicated design that bespoke of its government status to even the dullest non-Force user.

Maligo gestured and the heavy wooden door crashed in. They walked into the reception hall, the entirety of the beings there crouched behind cover, cowering.

“What do your senses tell you?”

Aesir paused this time. “They are paralyzed by fear.”

“Reach out deeper. Try the upper levels.”

The Obelisk, being by nature more of a fighter, resented this tutoring but complied. After a few minutes of reading the misty auras his eyes popped open. “A being on one of the higher levels. He has more anger than fear, mixed with disappointment. He’s getting ready to run.”

Maligo smiled. “Very good. Lets go.”

Traan Reith

27-06-2009 03:41:44

Guys, thanks for your efforts. However, there's not enough participation to go any further. I would have liked to finish this out, but I needed more people to go any further with it.

Your shinies are in the works.

TR

Yeldarb Vohokou

27-06-2009 15:37:14

Sorry I did not get in on this run-on Tra'an. By the time I got on to read the storyline to try and write myself in the story, we had already arrived in the city completely skipping any writing about the long journey and what difficulties that would bring. Then we were in a battle for our lives which totally killed my brain. Great writing Draco, but this has been an issue with me in just about every run-on, where the story starts, and within the first 2-3 posts there is always some sort of flashy fight which just kills the story.