A massive cataclysm has struck the universe, and destroyed most everything in its wake. The survivors are now trying to pick up the pieces, and figure out exactly what has befallen them. Gather together, lightsiders!! The darkness has shattered the peace and calm of the galaxy...and they will do anything to stop anyone from finding out exactly what has been done! This is our first sitewide RP plotline. Lightsiders, you are looking for the source of this massive event. Clues must be found, lackeys tracked down, and bits of memory discovered. Darksiders, you guys don't want that to happen....because of the one behind the whole thing is furthering his ultimate goal. Mandalorians, and non-force users, you guys can decide where you stand on this line....do you side with the Jedi, and try to discover the reasons behind the ruined universe, or will you side with the darkness, and protect those secrets. Will the secret of the cataclysmic reaping be kept under wraps? Or will the Jedi and their allies find out the truth? Your RP and writing will decide the outcome!
BATTLE ARENA
Welcome to The Saga Continues. We have a section called the Battle Arena. Here you can use your characters to fight other characters. Hone your skills and see what you are made of. Don't worry, anything that happens here, does not effect your characters in posts, so if your character dies, you can still use them over and over. Have fun and check it out!
The Saga Continues is the product of the mind of ADMIN ADI; all contents are copyright their original owners. All characters belong to their original creators, and may not be used or replicated without permission. All images are copyright their original owners. This skin Operation Mindcrime was made by pharaoh leap of Pixel Perfect and put together by ADMIN KRYSTAL
‘Okay… this is going nowhere… time to get some tangible work done’
The discussion had gone monotonous if I was being honest in my depiction of it. True even though everyone was keen to follow down the rabbit hole that I had dug… something rang in the back of my head that if we wanted a viable sample, we would need a crystal that was infected as a primary carrier, and not the mutated strain that would jump from sentient host to crystal for an additional source. But… I didn’t feel comfortable vocalizing it. Instead I felt it time to get down to business, which meant I needed bit of a workspace.
I was fortunate enough that there was a computer workstation behind me. Pulling out the id card and letting the computer scan it brought exactly what I was aware would happen when Master Avery proclaimed this the “Emerald crescent”… the card was good and read… but because there wasn’t a concurrent user in this reality… I was asked to ‘confirm my identity’
Once that was done the computer happily let access the inner workings of the system. I slipped my data chip into the appropriate port for connection
I do have to admit, I prefer a larger screen to my comm for coding. Especially when there are security programs that are easier to create by copying the base and modifying to fit your needs. For instance, Taking the security control map and overlaying a simple user profile created and updatable map that could indicate where I was, which rooms could possibly be usable… and what was available at my security clearance. And similarly by using the key logs and focusing on particular individuals and security levels, I created an extension that could give me an approximate location of Master Matango (technically also the security force but lets be real at who I need to get away from at the moment) based on security key scans.
When the files were copied, and with my data chip safely removed, I looked across the room to my sabers. It was at this moment I regretted not grabbing them when I had the chance. If I went to got them I would have to cross by everyone to get to them and then get past Dr. Bismarck, the female trooper, and the zabrak to get out of the lab, whereas if I abandoned them here until I came back… I would only have to pass behind the zabrak.
I set Puck down on the table… and gently strokd his aura.<<I'm gunna gets some work done Puck... can you stay here with Uncle Adi?>> After that, i took one last look around the roon before I quietly slipped out of the lab, with intention of finding a Fablab.
Having nothing to add to things being said due to her limited scientific knowledge she sat back and watched people eating the food provided still and eyeing people in general trying to get a better read on them. She started to check local listings for freight missions as a way to pass the time, most of them were for things she didn't want on her ship or it would be pointless to carry so little. The guy that had been escorted into the room was starting to act a little strange but she just chalked it up to stress of the environment. Her mind was on other things like what she would have to go through should her saber crystals become infected, would she have to cast aside the whole saber or just the crystals. Being prepared had kept her alive so far and well she liked to make sure she had someway out of things when shit hit the fan. She also wasn't adverse to the addition of more soldiers, that meant people who could keep their cool under pressure and rapidly changing circumstances.
All Knowledge is valuable, you just need to know who to offer it to.
People in the room finally started calming down, then the strange boy left the room. Loki raised his hairless brow at Adi before returning to the microscopes and examining the virus again. Loki finally backed up and held his hands over the samples, all the while muttering in some strange tongue. His eye flashed briefly yellow then silver. "Strange." He murmured to himself then he began to pace back and forth hand on chin, he seemed lost deep in thought. "A unique creation, there is no record that can create like this." Loki said quietly. "A totally unique alchemic make up." Loki said looking at Adi. "I am an accomplished Sith Alchemist, but compared to the creator of this virus I am but a novice. I created from old texts and holocrons, but this? This is completely unique, and rotten to the core." Loki said at last still pacing glancing at the sample every now and again. "Explains why crystals are infected." He said at last.
Kirwin let the saber hilts revolve a few more times after Geir snatched one from the set with the Force. The Jedi named Adi looked on, seeming to Kirwin, with contemplation before he began speaking with one of the troopers. Five of the seven lightsabers were stowed under his cloak once more, which he had looked down at to adjust. When he looked back up Kirwin noticed the boy who had mentioned the crystal infection possibility had vanished from the room. He didn’t think much of it as he most likely had to use the lavatory or something like that. What really interested him, now that he had the time, was the lightsaber hilt that he held in his hand. A dull grey colored (black where its wielder would place their hands), Phrik-alloy casing, two-handed hilt to the naked eye. But Kirwin’s cybernetic eye revealed more than that. The inner workings of the lightsaber were constructed with an additional length of grip built in. This would allow the hilt to extend from the standard 27-centimeter hilt to possibly a 40-centimeter hilt. How it worked exactly he wasn’t quite sure, but he planned on figuring that out.
The lightsaber hilt had completely captured Kirwin’s thought process and he start turning it over and over in his hands, finding only the ignitor switch. Kirwin made sure the lightsaber was pointed in a safe direction before attempting to ignite the blade. As he did so he noticed the button clicked when half pressed, which caused the bottom seven centimeters to quickly corkscrew, extending the hilt. Then upon fully pressing the button, a golden blade lept from the emitter. After a quick inspection of the full lightsaber Kirwin depressed the button and extinguished the blade and returning the hilt to its original size. He again tested the button only half-pressing it. The hilt extended like before, until he depressed the button.
Kirwin approved of the blade and hilt, it felt good in his hands. The extra length of hilt could help with two handed strikes, or blocks giving him more leverage which could be the difference between life and death. He then replaced his lightsaber that he had hidden under his cloak apart from the other five, and attached his to his belt along the others, covered them with his cloak, looked around to see who had been noticed his examining of his new lightsaber. He then returned to the conversation of the infection of crystals and lightsabers to see if he could aid in the discovery of a cure any further.
"Well, it seems we'e got no choice but to stay he be. We've got nothing in this galaxy now anyways." Drez shrugged. It was true. They were strangers in the same, but vastly changed galaxy. Sticking with the Jedi seemed to be the best idea, for now at least.
The idea of getting paid for their services was foreign for them, although they weren't about to turn down the offer. They were also curious what weapons and technology would be provided for them. However, the weapons they had on the shuttle would suit them just fine and still get the job done. One of Adi's statements did catch the most attention though.
"So you're saying that this facility could be attacked at any time." Drez continued. "Do even you have sufficient qualified troops or at least a good defense strategy?" Drez asked as he crossed his arms. He had a feeling that he would need to unfreeze the frozen clones on the shuttle sooner than expected. They were stowed away in a hidden cargo hold on the shuttle.
Bismarck looked over at the Zabrak as he did his examination. The force was another entity altogether, and a foreign one at that to the Doctor....but Sith Alchemy? Now he could see why the impetuous Arkanian had enlisted the help of the darksider.
"So what's the play. then? I'm kinda out of my league when it comes to anything force-related." Dr Bismarck walked over to Loki as he spoke, adjusting the glasses on his face. Perhaps that was it...the force was the one aspect that the doctors here had little-to-no experience in. They had done the isolations, did the math, but they were still missing something....
Maybe, just maybe, they could finally complete this damned antivirus with the added knowledge being contributed now.
Adi nodded as Drez talked about not having anywhere else to go. It was the one thing that the troopers had in common with a lot of the universe now....fortunately, the facilities here on Honoghr would be able to help in that capacity.
"The plague hit us really hard, especially our military. We are down to less than fifteen percent strength, no navy, our orbital platforms were taken out, and we have virtually no vehicles. If someone were to get frisky, we are, in essence, defenseless. The most we could hope to muster against any sizeable foe is a delaying action at best. The troops we -do- have are already spread thin protecting what they can here in Nystao, and a few posted elsewhere on the planet. Whatever you guys can do to help would be much appreciated."
Adi's head bowed a bit. So many had been lost in the struggle against this virus...so many lives taken, and it was looking more and more like it was a bioweapon over natural. That made the plague even more dangerous.
If the RDMC was unable to come up with a weapon to fight it, Matango didn't think anyone else could.
Ok… so actually FINDING a lab with the necessary accouterment required for the work. If this were to serve as a research lab for not only diagnosing issues but also developing tech/other research, I would need a specific form of Holofield generator. (Previously introduced to me as an Echo chamber) but I would also need a room large enough to allow for a few other stations beside 2 echo chambers.
Currently I had made my way from the 4th floor where the meeting had been held to ground level… and checked over 20 possible suitable rooms… none with success.
But entering the room marked as a semi-decommissioned hangar netted me what I needed.
“Jackpot”
Setting myself up, I was surprised that of all the times plugging my com in rendered an AI assistant from all the loose thread I had coded but left behind
“How may I be of service?”
It took m a few moments, but just like the new comms ai system that was all the rage at the moment, the original module (my data comm) was required to run functions.
“Who are you?”
“I do not have a designation. I am KSEC AAI prototype 528. I unfortunately do not have the data scope to maintain this almost corporeal form since the processors on the comm unit are otherwise limited.”
“Well, if you are ready… I need to do some research on crystals but first, can you copy security program RD-1 on to the matrix? Run it in the background, but send an alert to my comm is any of the subroutined units begin moving with … the intent on destination here.”
“…Processing… request complete.”
“Good, now then… I need a galaxy wide plague infection density map… as well as a database detailing similarities and differences of Kyber crystals to other crystals steeped in lore as Lightsaber crystals.”
“As neither subject is readily accessible, time will be needed to resolve the queries.”
“Fair enough. Minimize both searches… keep them running, but open up design folder and load File 'Piercing flyer'”
The computer acknowledged and soon the echo chamber created a replication of the starfighter I used to cross here from many impossibilities away. Grabbing a sketchpad I began to try and redesign the fighter, something I could use as a proper fighter. (Cont..)
Loki sighed deeply. "No I cannot do anything with this, it is a miracle the virus did not turn on the maker upon creation. It is beyond my ability to break into its secrets." Loki said sadly, eyeing the sample then turning to the Doctor. "It is rare to see something so complexly made, entwined with both the force, and science, it reminds me of my own creation." Loki remarked, listening to Adi's speech to the Troopers, he didn't trust them as they devoured pizza slice after slice. Loki shook his head and headed for the exit of the lab.
Loki left the lab, lost in thought as he wondered the halls, until he ended up at the same hanger as the boy from the lab. Loki stood in the doorway and watched him work seemingly lost in thought.
Drez placed his hand on his chin, indicating that he was in deep thought. He knew the frozen clones troopers on the shuttle would definitely help the RDMC's cause, although they would need decent recovery time. He was reluctant to bring them out of stasis currently, but it seemed like this was the time to do so. If Nystao fell, they would probably suffer the same fate. He looked over at the squad, who were still stuffing themselves with the food, not really paying attention to the conversation going on.
Drez then stood up and looked Adi straight in the eye. "I think I might have something to help. I just need help getting them off the ship because they're a bit heavy." He then turned around to head towards the laboratory door before adding. "Oh, and I need someone to get the bacta tanks ready. I'll be waiting in the hangar."
With that, Drez grabbed his bucket helmet, put it on, and exited the laboratory and proceeded to walk towards the hangar where the shuttle was parked.
I honestly could not have told you how long I had worked for. Alternating between every project I could think of as information was passed to me. One minute I would be working on some adjustment to forward weapon banks, the next some comparisons of crystal lattices, and the next trying to work out population density modules compared to plague spread.
Needless to say, whether I was facing towards the door or away from it, I would not have immediately noticed the Zabrak that entered the chamber for some time
That was, at least until the AAI program came up with the latest research request that I had thought to make. As the figure of the AAI returned from deep within the data stream (a location I jokingly referred to as the grey). At this moment as the AAI spoke, my back was to the wall, and my visitor
“Master, I have compiled the relevant data to your request… oh hello there. How long have you been here?”
“What are you talking ab…. Lord Loki… what a pleasant surprise to see you here. Apologies if I kept you waiting… I know the individuals up top are convinced that infected crystals will work, but I sincerely believe we will want a crystal with a sample of the virus that had not mutated to consume the flesh… if that is possible.”
Loki stepped into the lab as the boy spoke to him. Loki nodded as he mentioned the crystals. "Sith Alchemy was a part of its design, and I prefer Loki." He said showing disdain for his title. "Lord Loki died a long time ago, as he should have." Loki said quietly looking at the different equipment and devices scattered around the repurposed hanger, he began to pace among the devices. "This virus is not something I could reverse. It is beyond my capability though I am an accomplished Alchemist." Loki looked back at the boy. "What are you hoping to create?" Loki said walking towards him to stand just off the side examining the A.I interface curiously.
“My family has an old saying regarding impossibilities...and scientific studies of magic.” I chuckled and stepped within the range of the echo chamber. It took a moment but as I could see I thin light emanate from my skin I knew I had interfaced properly. Making a huge clap brought all of the project files collapse into cubes within the space.
“Is it bad to say I am not creating at the moment? These are all projects I need to complete before I can build up some hope at an antivirus. This program,” I plucked the cube out of the air and tossed it at the man, knowing full well that the instant it hit the wall of the echo chamber it would bounce back. If Loki looked into the depths, he would see an attempt at a galaxy map “is mapping the virus’s effect on the galaxy by reporting of the plague. If I assume a general expansion model, each planet’s patient zero should be within the densest area of reports. Another one of these programs is a database compilation and testing ground documenting the different structures of lightsaber crystals. Whilst we call every lightsaber crystal Kyber, there is a distinct structure to a proper Kyber which is different from a Dahgee crystal or Antares sapphire.”
I paused opening another cube to reveal a simulation of a crystal being used to capture any viral entity
“Which feeds its information into this little program. There are not too many examples of an spread plague, but the information from the hospitals database has been twisted so I can narrow down what kind of crystal we need to search for in order to sequence this virus.”
I looked Loki dead in the eyes… for a moment forgetting the guise I was supposed to be portraying.
“I will not say that cracking this is beyond my abilities until I had tried every outlet to sequence this virus. I do not care if it means I need to inject unrefined Latnium into the viral cells. If it is within my power, the mystery of this virus will be solved.”
A pause as I realized 1) I was WAY out of character 2) I still had the security program for keeping an eye on the security force. I opened one app and let the model star fighter fly around the echo chamber while I nonchalantly pulled the security protocol behind my back.
“Other than that… I am working on a new star fighter… after a change in situation… I am in need to change my star fighter for one isn’t a paper hull.”
Loki watched the young man move in the chamber, watched him hide the security protocol feed away. Loki stepped into the chamber. "You are hiding things." Loki said simply, he did not mean the feed, but something deeper. "Why?" Loki said quietly pacing the echo chamber, eyeing the cubes. "You've been lying for quite some time. " He said waspishly. "However I sense no ill intention from you, not from your body language, or your scent. " Loki inhaled and stared at the young man. "I will let it go for now, you have nothing to fear." Loki stepped closer. "However, sabotage our efforts here, betray us, kill anyone who was brought here by Adi who doesn't deserve it." Loki paused and looked down at the young man. "I'll rip your insides out with my bare hands. Do we have an understanding?" Loki said holding out his hand. "I will guard your secret, I will not alert the others, you seem to working towards the greater good, before you ask why I'm not alerting the others, it would waste valuable time confirming your identity, or dealing with others arguing about you." He said nodding. "I also apologize for the promise of violence, it is my nature." He said quietly.
I weighed my options as to what to do next… I could let the man leave and possibly expose me.
Resigned, I removed the cube from behind my back and placed it in the Zebrak’s hand. I then expanded the cube to reveal the data program. The feed showed the route of the different security guards as well as highlighting that the most recent door Matango went through was the one to go into the Hangar
“It is easier to let down your guard when you are on your own. Having a security system to monitor this allows someone… Me, freedom to let their guard down with alerts should I need to build it back up.”
I clutched the amulet that caused this illusion. Immediately, the false image of Diamonte Tuhlute turned into that of a black-cloaked Kuroko. The image gained in size the further I pulled the crystal away from my body. However in the end I let it return to its resting place and the illusion restored.
“You are right. I am not who I seem. The Jedi that I portray myself as… in my native tongue his name is Ari Techi… that man is …was…is my father. I am A’me Tochi. The second-born of twins and Techi’s first born son. As for my intentions… Unless you had means to cross impossible spaces, I am only here to train” My own eyes glared back a no nonsense sentiment. “I must prove myself worthy, and then find bring the man that ended my father to justice, and reclaim the Rite that was stolen from my sister… the rightful Heir and inheritor. The first step is training with the Kateki."
I reached inside my cloak and pulled out a parcel. With the wax seal of the Tuhlute Royal crest unbroken, I presented it to the Zabrak.
“If you seek further proof I am who I say I am, take this and read what it inside within a holocron. They are Instramtan Data crystals. They all bear witness to my claim as well as offer instruction for me in many fields… they were a gift from my sister before I left.”
"Thank you for your honesty." Loki said not taking the letter, but taking the young man's word. His harsh features softened a bit, a look only a young or rather timeless blind girl had earn from him "Your secret is safe with me until you see fit to reveal it yourself, I take my threat back. But remember vengeance is a slippery slope." Loki said calmly, a slope he knew all to well. "Now on to more pleasant, or unpleasant things, what are you hoping to accomplish with the Crystals?" Loki asked pointedly, looking around the echo chamber, he knew when the time came he would have to help the young man reveal his identity, Loki understood a semblance of what the boy had said but now was not the time nor place for those musings the Virus must come first, Lok flashed briefly as he interfaced with the chamber. He looked around and then an image of a mousy haired little Jedi, and a pale girl with a white blindfold briefly martialized, before fading away, his hand was slightly outreached towards where the figures had stood. Loki turned and another image flashed, a Zabrak of equal height but long black hair with streaks of gray and violet eyes appeared, adorned in Jedi robes, brown skinned where Loki was reddish. Loki shook his head not liking this experience and exited the chamber and looked in on the young man deciding it best to wait outside and talk.