Fellowship of Darkness: Ebony Skies

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Change was inescapable in the galaxy. Things were always evolving and altering beyond one's control. Sith Master Dara Shadowtide found her thoughts wandering to the changes in her own apprentices from the time she had first worked with them on the training grounds to what they had become this day. Each had evolved to their own skill level in their own time, some more rapidly than others yet the change in each of them remained ironically the constant factor.

Even after their ascension to a new level, her apprentices always wanted more.. more training, more skills, more knowledge.. inevitably they were also seeking more power, but then again, wasn't everyone. A small grin spread across her lips as she sat in the commander's chair of her personal ship, a Corellian Corvette named the Resilience, tapping her fingers lightly on the arm of the black leather seat. The Sith Master had just sent the last of the transmissions to her vast assemblage of apprentices, and anticipated their immediate arrival so that they could be on their way to the mission she had planned for them.

Working together as one and individually, each apprentice would face their own questions and discover the answer within themselves as Dara presented each task for them to complete. Not a required session, those who could attend would be travelling with her on the ship and any late arrivals would be afforded the opportunity to join as she would transmit coordinates to them upon request. Glancing over her shoulder, Dara saw her onboard droid crew making last minute checks of the ship and she turned her attention back to the control panel to make the final calculations for their destination. ::
::

[Daegal Murdoch]

Daegal had been wandering the halls of headquarters at The Sith Empire when the small comm unit attached to his belt beeped. Upon hearing the message and being made aware of his Master's summoning, Daegal made his way toward the hangar.

As he neared, two guards opened the large door leading to the area where ships were housed and nodded to Daegal. As he entered, the echoes of his footfalls resounded throughout the large hangar. Nearing his Master's ship, Daegal did a quick weapons check. After finding everything in order, he boarded the ship.

Daegal moved toward the command chair of the ship and kneeled before his Master, saying simply, "I have come."

[Lana Westbrooke]

From a distance, Lana came jogging across the docking bay towards her master's ship. It was at her request, and for that, she gladly accepted. Lana was looking for adventure, whatever the case.
Light footsteps could be heard as she walked inside the ship at last. Upon reaching the presence of her master, she bowed low before her and stood after a moment. She exchanged a nod to Daegal, then looked back at her master, her hands joined polietly at her front.

"Master, you called?"

[Raine Sarin]

*Somewhere in TSE's HQ a vent was opened and a wiry figure dropped to the floor within the quarters. It had been almost a month since Sith Lord Raine Sarin had left the safety of the HQ for a personal mission he needed to attend to and the objects within the room were covered in a light dust. With a wave of a hand several candles lit the room. Raine had returned to the HQ several times since he had left for Iridonia, mainly to obtain something he needed, a datapad or specific dagger that had been left behind. Each of the times however, he had kept his presence masked and had moved stealthily to his room and then left again. He didn’t want to have to answer questions as to why he was back and if he was leaving again, he just didn’t have the patience to deal with it. His brother had caught him once and it was hard enough explaining to him why he had left. The Sith Lord didn’t want to have to do it all over again with the disciples he had left.
Another thing he didn’t want to try to explain was the changes in his appearance, again. It wasn’t as drastic as the first time, but slowly he had changed. It was one of the reasons he had left. His limbs had become longer and spider-like, his body thinner and even more agile than before, and scars from previous battles had become more visible. Not that this wasn’t to his advantage, it made moving around easier and he found that he rather liked what he was becoming, especially the fact that it made him look less like the Zabrak he was born as.

Raine Sarin shoved a few things into a somewhat tattered black backpack and was just about to exit the way that he came when he heard a soft beeping coming from a console on the other side of the room. His eyes narrowed as he walked over to it. Why would someone be messaging him? Everyone knew he was gone. He muttered slightly as he saw who it was from. Of course, one of the two people he would never be able to hide his presence from. One was his brother. The other was the author of this note, his master, Dara Shadowtide.
Grabbing his pack and throwing it on he quickly jumped and pulled himself into the vent he had entered the room from and made his way towards the hangar. Raine was going to get there, but he didn’t want nor need to be seen by any more than was necessary.

Walking into the hangar, the slim figure of the Lord moved silent and ghost-like up the ramp of the Resilience, moving past the other apprentices gathered there, and bowed before Master Shadowtide-Rayial.*

"What is thy bidding, my Master?"

[Lyra Darkstar]

:: Lyra smiles upon receiving Dara's message. She has long waited to see her sister's ship. Curiosity and anticipation aroused, she quickly assembles her traveling gear, her cloak, her weapons and a few personal items. Leaving her home at the cove, she heads for the docking bay, following the call obediently.

Upon arriving, she observes the other apprentices already assembled and joins them, nodding quickly at her sister.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

After a short inventory check to assemble a fine, and potentially lethal, set of weaponry as well as some other items that might have been of use on the trip, Vega pulled on his trenchcoat. He tugged the coat around his body tightly and glanced about his room, smirking slightly. He spun Seraphim between his index, middle finger and thumb as he stepped out into the HQ's corridor, a dark feeling cascading over his body as he felt his fellow apprentices all converging at the one point on his Masters ship.

He made his way there as quickly as they all had done, and alighted the ramp into the ship, approaching the group from behind. He stood at Dara's flank and bowed, nodding in respect.

"Master, you summoned me."

[imported_Callista]

The soft clap of boot against durasteel metal could be heard as Callista slowly approached the ship that belonged to her Master, Dara Shadowtide Rayial. Upon hearing of the optional mission for the apprentices, she had readily jumped at the idea and quickly packed the necessities. She had longed to work outside training, side by side with her fellow Dark Followers and Master and it seemed that time had come. She would be able to prove herself worthy of the Sith Warrior title recently earned.

Stopping just short of the ship's entrance, she took a moment to inhale deeply and inwardly reflect. The darkness called her name, it wanted her to take those steps into iniquity and perform it's bidding. She knew she had fallen too deep to be pulled out, but also knew that the remaining sliver of light needed to be vanquished in order for her to completely submerge in the comfort of the Darkside. She relished in the fact that what tasks lay before her would help aid her in the struggle and perhaps thoroughly wash away the past bathed in light.

With those final thoughts, she stepped aboard.

[BI0HAZZARD]

*Bi0 bursted though his door and ran toward the hanger. He was resting in his chair when his holopad went off. Bi0 didn't even read the information written, he also say that his Master was calling him. Running down the hallway, Bi0, as if flying, flew past the two guards and came to a stop and his Masters ship to see all the other fellow apprentices.
Seeing as how he made it, Bi0 walked toward the ship and finally came in front of his Master*

"Forgive my lateness Master Shadowtide...how best to serve you?"

[Kekoa Alkarin]

:: Kekoa had embarked the ship with Sith Master Dara Shadowtide Rayial just days before. The Sith Master had summoned all her Apprentices to come for a special mission/training exercise. Kekoa was looking forward to see what new challenges would lay ahead for all of them and herself. ::

:: The young Sith Disciple walked around the main deck level of the “Resilience” with one of the ship’s high ranking Officers. She had requested a full ship's tour, so that she could become more familiar with the ship’s functions, layout, and capabilities. Glancing about in the different areas the Officer pointed out to her, Kekoa kept a mental note of where things were and what roles each tactical area played within the “Resilience”. ::

:: Once the tour concluded, Kekoa returned to the bridge/command area of the ship and stood nearby her Master. She dropped to one knee and rose to stand upon greeting her Master. Kekoa stepped aside to stand nearby Sith Warrior Daegal and Sith Warrior BiO Hazzard. ::

[Dyne Darkforce]

Dyne stood silently at the back of the bridge command center where a lot of people had gathered, not drawing too much attention to himself. His master's ship was ready to take off to its destination. The ship's crew was working diligently in and around the ship, making some last minute preparations. The knight had his usual dark attire on, with a hood shrouding his face in shadows. He had arrived there after getting the message from his master. She was planning something with all her students as he noticed that the majority of them were already here. For the time being, he patienly awaited what Dara had to say. There wasnt much else to do until he knew what exactly was his purpose in being there.

[Hadrian SP]

Inside the cargo bay of the “Resilience”, there was a newly constructed rectangular room built of dura plated steel walls with a large glass window frame in place facing the cargo bay hatch. There was no visible lighting within the holding room and the main entrance was controlled by energy fields, which could be dropped at any moment. The cargo bay’s security in this area was set to restrict access to all visitors and crew except for Sith Master Dara Shadowtide. The special room contained a free roaming, fearsome predator, which the Sith Master had recently acquired during an event.

~ The Corellian Black Sand Panther moved away from the main entrance of the holding room upon his powerful four legged stride. The creature proceeded to enter back into the darkness of his quarters and found some cover in behind a few natural bushes and logs. Sitting on his haunches, the dark creature stretched out his forelegs to lay down upon his underbelly and the scattered leaf-like flooring. ~

At a glance, all that one could see within the room was the peering glare from the Sand Panther’s deep golden eyes and the dark foliage. The exotic feline's jet black fur color concealed this elusive creature well within the surrounding darkness.

[Alisa Sha]

~Not really knowing if she was welcome since she had most recently studied with Master Shadowtide's own apprentice Sith Lord Raine Sarin, Alisa Sha hurried to Dara's ship. She only hoped she was not too late. Upon arriving, Alisa saw several of Master Shadowtide's apprentices already gathered and quickly kneeled to Sith Master Dara Shadowtide before greeting the rest of the apprentices assembled.~

"Thank you for including me, Master Shadowtide. I look forward to this challenge."

[Michin Troval]

Michin made his way to the ship that harbored his master, and her other apprentices. With each step he took, his cloak whisped against the wind and told it's tale-tell whispers to it. He peered up and looked back and forth to the others, keeping quiet. He moved towards the left, his black hair flowing with each movement of his head...

He had heard the chirp of the transmission not that long ago and he had quickly made his way to the ship. He wondered what was the reasoning of his masters calling to him, and the others. Whatever it was he was sure it was needed of them all, for she would not call them for nothing...

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: A wicked smile curled upon her lips as she saw them all assemble. It would be a trip to remember, that was for sure. Motioning to the seats along the guest section, Dara turned back to speak to her loyal apprentices ::

"It is good to see you all here in such a timely fashion, my apprentices. Shortly, you will be each receiving something from me which will better define the reason I have called you here. But for now, I must get the ship underway to our destination so if you will take your seats. Feel free to introduce yourselves to each other in case you have not had a chance to meet so far at the Empire."

:: Dara nodded and then returned to the command chair and finished the last of the preparations as the ramp slowly closed and the engines began to hum ::

[Daegal Murdoch]

Daegal moved to one of the chairs that Master Shadowtide had motioned for them all to sit in. He had only nodded in response to her saying that she needed to put the ship on course. After everyone was seated, he looked around at all of the other Apprentices to the powerful Sith Master and a dark smile crossed his face. Such power was contained in this small vessel. They were practically enough to take over an entire planet of Jedi!

"For those who do not know me, my name is Daegal Murdoch", he said, the smile still present on his face.

[Kaine Darklighter]

“And I am Kaine Darklighter.” He said, walking into the room everyone was in.

The Sith Warrior had only just made it onto the ship - while the ramp was going up, actually. It wasn't his fault that he was taking a small nap when his Master had sent the message. Well, atleast he made it, that's what mattered.

After announcing his name to all, he sat himself on the far side of the room, mostly away from everyone. It's not that he didn't like the others or anything, he just wanted a little space for himself. From the seat he was in, he spread his legs slightly, and placed his elbows ontop of his knees. Leaning his body forward, he cupped his hands together out infront of his knees, and stared at the ground.

[Lana Westbrooke]

She nodded and walked over to the seats within her masters elegant ship. Lana turned to face everyone, smiling shyly, and spoke:

"I'm Lana Westbrooke, a disciple at TSE."

She rose her hand slightly to wave before taking a seat beside Daegal.

[Lyra Darkstar]

Lyra looks around at the impressive assembly. She makes eye contact briefly with Hadrian, Lana and Michin, the only three she could not recall meeting in one place or another. "Greetings, I'm Lyra Darkstar." She also glances quickly at Dyne and Vega, her first acquaintances at TSE, though long unseen. Finally, her eyes rest on BiO, as she moves purposefully to take a seat next to him. "Hello, stranger," she murmers and leans her arm against his briefly in greeting.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega watched as some members took seats in the craft, but chose to instead simply rest against one wall. He leant back against it, folding his arms over his chest, crossing one ankle over the other.

"For those of you who've been hiding under a rock for the last year or so, I'm Sith Lord Van-Derveld," he said in a slightly snide tone,

"But you all can call me Vega."

[Raine Sarin]

*It was more than obvious that Raine was uncomfortable around so many others. He sat by himself, watching his dagger spin in his hands while the others introduced themselves. He was far more curious in the actual mission than the names of those who would be involved in it. He noticed the lack of a certain presence. His brother's. He muttered slightly to himself and made a note to ask him why he had not attended when they all had returned.*

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: The ship's engines began to roar as the loud whooshing sound indicated the ramp was now secure. Dara's apprentices felt the ship rise into the air as it propelled across the sky and toward the unknown. After a short while, the ship hovered in the air momentarily and then lurched forward as it flew into hyperspeed. With a grin on her face, Dara unstrapped from her command chair and walked back in to address her apprentices who had gathered this day ::

"I have a task for each of you to complete on this journey."

:: She paused and began to pace slowly ::

"This task will challenge you, frustrate you and perhaps even make you doubt your own skills at some point. However, in the end, my goal is for you to become more attuned to the Dark Side within you as you push yourself to new limits. If you successfully complete the task, you will return with not only additional knowledge, but an item as well."

:: Stopping and turning to look upon them all slowly, she spoke quietly ::

"However, if you are not successful.. you will return with the experience and shall face this task again someday in your future. We do have a bit of time before your task will be revealed, so feel free to get something to eat... since it may be your last meal for a while."

:: Dara grinned and chuckled a bit as she walked out of the room and back toward her private cabin ::

[Abydos Nighthawk]

*As his Master made her way to her room she stopped as a clutter of noise could be heard from an adjoining compartment, the persons gathered moved their attention to the disturbance. Stumbling into the cabin where all were present he stood straight up and looked around briefly, realizing those he was present with he quickly looked himself over and adjusted his belt and clothing, as not to look a disgrace in front of his comrades in arms.*

*The faces among them had varied looks on their faces, some seemed unimpressed, others had sly grins and some, including his masters, remained expressionless. As he was finally presentable, he smiled a brief grin and spoke as if nothing had occurred.*

"Greetings! I am Abydos."

*He waved his hand slightly and felt that there was no need to explain that he jumped into a conveniently open hatch, as if expecting him, into a smuggling compartment, as the ship was taking off. Being prompt was something he needed to work on, but he had a feeling everyone single person in the room could read his thoughts.*

*He looked to his Master and bowed for a moment and then made his way into the compartment. Eyes were still fixed on him, he didn't mind the attention, but this was not the way he wished to gain theirs. He sat in a vacant seat near the wall and waited quietly, hoping that all would be forgotten soon enough.*

[Lyra Darkstar]

:: Lyra gazes at the newcomer, making eye contact and nodding briefly. She knows he just wants to fade into the woodwork at the moment. She turns her attention to Bio. "I'm going to get some water--want some?" she remarks, getting up from her seat and heading toward the galley area.::

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega smirked somewhat as Dara spoke; whatever she threw at him he could handle, he had the ability and skills for it. A grin spread over his face as his Master said they had a little time before the task was to begin, and he pushed out through the crowd of apprentices towards where Lyra was heading. Side-stepping past her, he span on his heel and rose one eyebrow at her, grinning toothily.

"Getting away from the awkward silence too?" he said with a laugh before turning and striding towards where it appeared the food was kept.

He rifled through the cabinets before eventually finding something he liked, tugging it out. He slipped the box under his arm and swaggered off to the table in the kitchen area, thudding down into a seat at it. He put his feet up on the tabletop and reclined so that the chair was resting on two legs.

"Aaah..."

[Lyra Darkstar]

:: Lyra grins at Vega as he ferrets out his chosen item. She gets some water for herself and for Bio and heads back out through the kitchen, "accidently" bumping into Vega's precariously balanced chair, causing him to rock backward just a litle too far... "oops" ::

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The chair shakes suspiciously for a moment before Vega notices. He glances backwards onto to see the floor rushing towards him. He grimaces, catching the chair and himself with the Force before they topple any further - straightening back up again. A grin creeps over his face as he looks back to Lyra.

"Sneaky."

[Lyra Darkstar]

:: "mmm, hmmm" she replies, eyes twinkling mischieviously. She continues past him to give Bio his water and remains standing with her own. Too keyed up to sit and wait, she starts to pace, looking occasionally to the closed door leading to Dara's quarters. "What is she up to? " she mutters to herself. ::

[Lord Sabre]

Sabre arrived in the hanger just as the craft took off, the air blast sent his arms to his face to cover his eyes as dust was swirled around the room, when the mini tornado had disapated the Sith Warrior looked around and swore.

He had been too far away when Dara's summons had reached him, he had run as fast as he could, but it just hadn't been fast enough. He stood there and panted for a moment or two.

Composing himself he ran to his shuttle and set off after Dara, contacting her and informing her of the situation as he did.

[Nikka DarkStorm]

Nikka ran as fast as she could to the hangar where she was instructed to go, but as she arrived, she could see she was late, seeing the craft zoom into space. She saw a smaller one follow after it and raced over to the nearest control panel to hail whoever was at the controls. She opened a channel and began to speak...

`"This is Disciple Nikka Darkstorm hailing the shuttle leaving the hangar bay. Please respond, over."`

She waited rather impatiently for a response while catching her breath, tapping on the controls rapidly. A few seconds later, the man on board responds to Nikka's request to turn his shuttle around so that she may board.

As the shuttle landed in the hangar, Nikka stood there awaiting for the doors to open. She could feel that the Sith was a little agitated at her tardiness. The doors hissed open and Nikka hurried inside. She wasted no time with pleasantries and sat down next to him at the controls.

"Well, looks like you're not the only one that was late." She winked as she spoke to him. "Let's hurry."

----------

Nikka watched the shuttle approach the hangar of the larger spacecraft as Sabre was at the controls. As it landed, they both exited the doors when they hissed open.

Heading down the corridor, they approached the meeting room, where the others were present and stepped inside... Nikka wasn't officially an apprentice of Dara Shadowtide just yet, but she didn't feel any different than any of the others. She cleared her throat and nodded toward everyone present in the room before sitting down in one of the nearest chairs.

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Without warning and quite unexpected, the apprentices heard the voice of their master over the ship's speaker system ::

"The time has come, my apprentices. Gather round the inner chamber of the ship and be seated at your designated place on the floor."

:: One by one the apprentices filed in the room as instructed to find their master standing there, nodding solemnly to each as they entered. Dara was dressed in a deep crimson ceremonial garb and held the <a href=http://raine.clanpages.com/images/tidestaff.JPG>Staff of Tides</a> at her side. She motioned for them to sit on the floor in a circle as was prearranged that day.

As they all sat down, the lights dimmed in the room until it was almost pitch black. A fluttering sound accompanied by a chilling breeze travelled over the area as a cloaked figure appeared in the center of the circle. No eyes or features of the being could be seen at all, but his voice was grating and deep in pitch as it resounded in the small room ::

<font color=red><center>Welcome to.. the Fellowship of Darkness

Enshrouded in levels of evil
as the Dark Side took its hold,
Shadowtide's apprentices quickly came forth
some very unsure and some quite bold.

As they listened to their Master
their mysterious tasks began to form,
some would succeed in this bold plan of hers
some could certainly fail to perform.

As the ship began to arrive in orbit
and then descend upon the sandy earth,
one by one they received a holopad
and would soon prove their training's worth.

Alone they each would travel
in the darkest skies of night,
as they called upon the skills they learned
to save them from their plight.

As they rendezvous upon the ship
in a week's time from this moment,
only their destiny will reveal if they
can retrieve their missing component.

For when it is all said and done
her apprentices will most certainly derive,
a most unique experience in all the galaxy
providing they do indeed survive.</font></center>

:: The unknown being's laughter boomed and echoed in the room as the cloak suddenly fell to the floor to reveal a circular formation of holopads rotating ominously in mid air. The lights returned to normal strength as the rotation of the small objects increased in speed. A holopad at a time they all delivered themselves to their recipient as the Sith Master merely smiled an evil smile ::

"My apprentices, we have arrived on Tatooine. I have selected a completely remote area which is uninhabited, or so it has been documented as such. Depress your thumb upon the small oval pad to receive your task.. a task which you face alone. Then it is time for you to begin your journey. I will be waiting here for your swift return. Take with you only what you need and may the Dark Side guide your path in this endeavor."

:: As each apprentice placed their thumb on the holopad, a personal message appeared for only their eyes. Dara grinned as even the dark beast had received a task this dark day ::

<center><a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/DaegalTask.jpg> Daegal Murdoch</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/LanaTask.jpg>Lana Westbrooke</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/RaineTask.jpg>Raine Sarin</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/LyraTask.jpg>Lyra Darkstar</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/VegaTask.jpg>Vega Van Derveld</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/CallistaTask.jpg>Lady Callista</a>

Kekoa Alkarin (http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/Bi0Task.jpg>BI0HAZZARD</a>

<a)

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/DyneTask.jpg> Dyne Darkforce</a>

Alisa Sha (http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/HadrianTask.jpg>Hadrian</a>

<a)

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/MichinTask.jpg>Michin Troval</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/KaineTask.jpg>Kaine Darklighter</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/AbydosTask.jpg>Abydos Nighthawk</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/SabreTask.jpg>Lord Sabre</a>

<a href=http://falsefacesociety.clanpages.com/FTasks/NikkaTask.jpg>Nikka DarkStorm</a></center>

[Kekoa Alkarin]

:: Kekoa moves back against the wall, as the representation just starts in the center of the circle. Listening to the tale that unfold as to why they were all gather here, Kekoa grins upon thinking that she already assembled most of her gear in the cargo bay. Kekoa had prepared all her equipment after her ship on-board tasks were completed. As soon as the dim lights turned on in the room, one Apprentice had already disappeared from the room. Kekoa ran down the hall and entered the main bridge to access a security console. Bring up a geological map of Tatoonie that included a scan of all ruins, caves, and canyons in the outer limits, she grabbed the holopad she received at the presentation and downloads the information. As it finishes, Kekoa dashes out of the room, running towards the lift. There, she takes the lift to the lower level and exits it to walk into the non-restricted area of cargo bay, where Kekoa goes to her black Swoop Bike. ::

:: She grabs her medium sized backpack, which was lying on the floor beside the Swoop Bike and was filled with climbing gear and overnight supplies. She turns about, swinging the pack over her shoulder and releases the main hatch door’s switch, as the hydraulic sound of the doors opening rang into the air. Kekoa swings her right leg over the seat and mounts the Swoop Bike while her black cloak twists in behind her. Flicking a switch, Kekoa engages the bike’s rear turbothruster engine, leans to the side, turning the bike about as it hovers above the deck’s surface. Then, young Apprentice throttles the bike’s engine after shifting gears and soon sails out of the ship’s cargo bay in a burst of speed, leaving a short trail of sand particles behind her. ::

:: Following holomap image, Kekoa flies the Swoop Bike at high speeds out towards the western horizon, locating the few landmarks in her current area and soon passes by the perimeter markers belong to the City of Mos Eisley. ::

[Vega Van-Derveld]

A deeply amused and at the same time fascinated grin came over the Sith Lord's lips as he watched the display slowly unfolding. Listening to the rite which the voice recited, his excitement grew as he wondered what terrific task he would be given. Once the speech had finally been given and the small data capsules given out Vega loaded up the data file for what he had to do.

And found himself somewhat insulted.

He had expected something much more than the destruction of cattle, but he would not question his Master's judgement. He was overly qualified for this, and was sure it should have been assigned to one of the lesser skilled apprentices, but would complete the task none the less.

And he would be the first to finish.

Getting up quickly, taking with him only himself, his saber and a utility belt with a comm and a few small detonators, he departed the craft out onto the dunes of Tatooine. As he exits he see's Kekoa jetting off in a cloud of sand, and darts quickly to the back of the cargo hold to pick up his own swoop. Then, back out in the open, kicks the engine on and expands his mind to search out and bantha that might be near by. Picking up on a few Force signatures off in the distance he grins, and pushes down on the throttle, shooting away.

[Lyra Darkstar]

:: Lyra grins as she downloads her mission.

(I love riddles!) she thinks and looks around at her fellow apprentices as they make their solitary departures. She nods to a few. She catches Dara's eye and gives her a thumb's up sign. Giving Bio's arm a squeeze she murmers, "See you in a week?" ::

[Abydos Nighthawk]

*Viewing the information given to him on the holopad he looks up with glazed over eyes. He, thinks of what is ahead of him... the raiding of an abandoned palace. 'Couldnt be that hard... couldnt be that easy' he thought to himself.*

*He stood and turned to leave, as he made his way to the outside of the ship he saw a few making their way off, on swoop bikes. He hadnt one of those for his mode of transport. Only his feet. He enjoyed walking, it gave him time to focus and reflect, he just hoped that the trek wouldnt take too long.*

*He checked his weapons and utilities and then took a deep breath in*

"Lets do this!"

*He said to himself as he started making his way to the Hutts former-residence. He walked.*

[Lana Westbrooke]

Smiling at her mission, she looked up and noticed Vega, who didn't seemed so challenged, leaving. Lana stood from her seat and ran after him.

"VEGA! VE-GA!!!!!"

Before she knew it, he was long gone. She looked around and ran back to the cargo room to grab a speeder also.
It was depressing she missed him, but soon, Lana would think no more of it. Besides, she needed directions.
Hoping on it, she started up the speeder followed the trail of sand he had created.

"Let's just hope I can catch upto him now..."

[Nikka DarkStorm]

A womprat? Hmmm...

Nikka pondered deeply as she read her task on the holopad. She'd never been to this planet, or had ever seen what a womprat looked like. She watched the others as they left the ship and sighed, knowing she wasn't prepared for such a long journey in a hot desert.

The young disciple stood from her spot and gave Dara a nod before leaving the ship, also giving her a look of determination, the look saying 'I will not fail you.' Stepping off the boarding ramp, the blazing twin-suns stung her eyes. Gathering her thoughts for what lies ahead, Nikka drew her hood over her face to protect her eyes from the blowing sand and began her trek to find what was stated on her assignment. She felt something as she walked further away ... like a storm brewing in the distance...

[Vega Van-Derveld]

As he sped off into the distance he was sure he picked up a voice on the wind calling to him. Other force presences were jetting out of the landing area, and as Vega turned back to look over his shoulder towards them he saw the one who'd called out for him. Instantly, he jerked the brakes on and skidded with a screech to a halt, kicking a wave of sand up into the air. A quizically grin came over him as he squinted, looking towards Lana as she drew nearer.

[Lana Westbrooke]

Watching him stop, she lowered her speed until she finally caught upto him. Lana smiled and brushed her long hair back before tilting her head slightly.

"Do you think you could help me after you're done your mission? I don't know where to go..."

She flushed and blinked slowly, but kept her gentle smile pasted on her lips.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

There were two pptions here - help Lana and end up not being first back, or not help her and gloat. It was a tough call, but after a moment of silence he spoke.

"Sure. We can team up... you help me, I'll help you."

He offered a reassuring smile, showing that he wasn't deceiving her.

"Deal?"

[Lana Westbrooke]

"Yeah. Deal..."

She flicked her wrist and reved her speeder, grinning at the distance.

"Lead the way."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He shifted back so that he was facing forward, looking back to the Sith Disciple for a moment before kicking the bike back up into full throtle. They were headed to where Vega had sensed the persences before, and it was at least 20 minutes of driving before they arrived at the rocky out crop which Vega had spotted.

Pulling out to some 50 meters from the formation, the Lord dismounted his bike and gestured for Lana to do the same. He could feel the creature nearby, but there were others around too. People. Probably those damned sand people. At this, Vega cursed under his breath.

[Lana Westbrooke]

She climbed from the throne of her bike and looked around. A lot of sand, a lot of sun, and here she was, draped in darkness.
Lana stepped up beside Vega and traced her fingers along her saber hilt. What Vega had sensed, she did also.

"...I can't see anything though..."

[Lyra Darkstar]

:: As the realization of where they are sinks in, Lyra's smile fades.
Troubled, she thinks to herself-- "You bet I'll have to avoid confinement--this is where I was imprisoned most of my life as a slave--If I'm caught here...." her thoughts trail off. So, it's more of a challenge-- but at the same time, she has an advantage, being on her home turf. Finding a speeder and getting her bearings, she heads off in the direction of Beggar's Canyon.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

"It's not large enough to be the bantha," he murmured.

"Probably a settlement of locals, or a travelling party of somesort..."

The Sith Lord glanced back at Lana and a look of discomfort came over him.

"I'll probably end up having to do a little observation here before I move in ... It'd be best if you took off on your mission, I'll catch up with you back at the ship."

This said, he nodded and turned his attention back towards the rocks with an inward smile.

[Kekoa Alkarin]

:: Traveling by the perimeter markers, Kekoa turns the Swoop Bike sharply and changes her direction as indicated by the geological holomap image. Her Swoop Bike is a single-seater bike modified with a cutthroat chassis, hidden medium size twin laser cannons, and front chopper forks. It’s 579- CN Flare-S turbothruster engine whines loud, as she takes the bike into a higher gear and flies the craft 5 feet above the hot desert surface. ::

The terrain begins to transform from desert like to rock landscapes. The late afternoon heat, the unforgiving environment, and the flying sand was a clear reminder that this Planet’s nature is to be respected, as one would surely die out here upon a single miscalculated mistake.

:: Throttling the handle, Kekoa flies the Swoop Bike to the next landmark. A rock formation that time had forged from the elements of heat, winds, and rare down pour of rain to have created a once flowing river that might have existed in the region. The young Sith tracks down the certain rock creation upon quick glances at the holomap image. Soon, Kekoa stops the motion of the Swoop Bike, gearing down its engine, as it soon came to a hovering state by the outcrop of large rocks. She reaches into her pack and pulls out an Electrobinoculars to view objects within the surround area and beyond, looking for sand people or fleeing creatures or any of her comrades that might have wandered into in same quadrant. She finds nothing more in the computerized display of images, but rocks, desert sand, a few sand dunes, and a large mountain landscape. Kekoa places the binoculars back into the pack and takes out a flask of water. She drinks from it after opening the lid and then closes the lid while placing it back into the pack. Shifting in her seat, Kekoa sets the Swoop Bike into gear while hearing the sound of the turbothruster engine whine up once again. The Sith Apprentice decides to check out the land mass due south, towards the Outer Limits. This would take Kekoa passed Beggar’s Canyon and beyond. ::

:: During the trip, Kekoa thought about the task once again, as it went through her mind. At some point, she would need to rely on the Force, for these Obsidian Crystals would not just land into her hands. The geological map was the most logical choice to use in aiding her search, but she started to think about the properties of the crystals and the possibility that she might need to look for a lost temple or a similar type of ruin. Kekoa would decide that once she reached the Outer Limits on Tatoonie. ::

[Abydos Nighthawk]

*The heat was starting to take its toll on him, but in the distance he could see some type of civilisation. He had been walking for some time now and he would rest once he got to the establishment infront of him*

*As time passed he finally reached his destination of the civilisation. It was a place of industry, many species made their way around the streets, they went about their business. He stood on the edge of the City and decided he would now inquire about the Hutts Palace and its location. He scanned the streets infront of him and saw a vendor, selling some type of food. He made his way over to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was some type of Arconian. 'This will prove interesting' He thought. He spoke to the creature*

"I am of in need of some assistance. Could I possibly get some answers here?"

*The creature stared at him*

"Speak!"

*Taken aback at the insolence of the creature, he decided he did not want to bring attention to himself just yet. He let it slide.*

"I am looking for the Former residence of Jabba the Hutt. Would you know where it is?"

*The Arconian leaned forward*

"The Hutts residence?"

*He nodded in acknowledgment.*

*The creature brought his claw out in a swift movement, all three fingers of its claw grasping at his garments. The creature pulled him close to him and even managed to lift him off the ground*

"WHY DO YOU INQUIRE ABOUT THE HUTTS INFIDEL?!"

*Staring blankly back at the creature, he did not even flinch, instead he swiftly brought his hands to his sabre hilt and in one swift motion, he ignited the sabre and using the 'b' shaped hilt he spun the sabre so that it sliced off the arm of the Arconian, and just as fast as he ignited the sabre it had been disengaged and back on his belt. As he landed on the ground, without a sound, he looked at the Arconian with a Death Stare. The creature was in pain, as he was making quite a fuss at the loss of his arm.*

"The Palace, where is it?"

*The Arconian did not speak, he just looked at him and then pointed down the road. The creature began making some type of noise... a cry of pain, most likely. He bowed to the wounded creature.*

"Thank you for your time and help."

*He moved down in the direction of where the creature pointed. The scene had not really created much disturbance, he felt fine, he was not too worried at the moment. It was time to focus in on his goal*

[Raine Sarin]

*Raine watched the others leave after reading their messages. Some still sat around the table, contemplating how they would go about their mission, but they would soon be off as well.
The Sith Lord made a face at the holopad as he read it over again: "retrieve the tail of a dewback". Sounded easy enough.
As he glanced to his left he saw the glare of the planet's two suns on the ship's entry ramp. The light was blinding to say the least, and Raine could almost feel his pale skin begin to burn just at the thought of taking a step outside. He watched another apprentice run out into the heat and smirked...fool. The Sith Lord did not care when he finished his task, as there was no designated time that had been mentioned that everything would have to be finished. He would begin once those two cursed flaming balls of gas went below the horizon.
Turning his attention back to the holopad, he somewhat wondered if the others around him thought that he was still trying to solve the riddle and plan his attack. However, in reality, Raine was trying to find how many times he could create the words "death" and "murder" out of the sentences laid out in the message*

[Nikka DarkStorm]

Sweat dripped down Nikka's face freely, as if someone had dumped a bucket of water over her hooded head, but she kept going as fast as she can despite the blazing heat from the twin suns. Her stomach rumbled and her mouth was dry. She really kicked herself for not eating anything before coming here, but going without food or drink would probably be a part of the test. But she hoped she would atleast find something to drink soon. Going over the statistics about womprats on her holopad kept the time going by greatly as she was trying to fixate a location on where they may reside. Looking down at the holopad display, it showed a canyon not too far from where she was and turned in that direction.

But something.. a deep rumbling sound, caught her attention...

The Disciple turned and looked to her right, due west... and her mouth dropped almost in fear of what she saw racing toward her: A massive, swirling cloud of sand. Nikka scanned the area on her holopad for any possible shelter in the area, but found nothing but a wide open space. The wind began to howl around her, kicking some of the sand up in her face. Her eyes were stinging with tears as sand blew straight in her eyes. She cried out then as the wind grew more intense and wailed like a ravaging beast that refused to die, a swirling sensation felt around her that seemed to lift her from the ground, fine sand hitting every portion of her face. She tried to take a few more steps and somehow try to outrun the savage winds, but the storm had already overtaken her location and she could not move. The only thing she could think to do was crouch low to the ground and cover herself up completely with her robe as the winds continue to thrash all around her.

************

[Michin Troval]

Michin watched as many of the other apprentices piled out of the ship and headed towards there tasks. He narrowed his eyes as he looked to the holopad that contained his task. A riddle, how he hated them even though they were simple. He moved away from where the tasks were given and he took the holopad that had his information..

His thumb pressed a few buttons on the small machine and he watched as a readout of the planet of Tatooine was given, or a certain part of it that is. His task couldn't be that far away, 2 days or more travel. Or even more than that. Michin put the pad inside of his cloak and inside the vest of his uniform. People were still leaving quickly as if in a rush to decide who gets there first...

Why rush? The planet of Tatooine was sparsely populated, asking people directions wouldn't do much good, most of the people were hostile. Or they were smugglers, or The Hutts controlled them.

Michin looked to the people who were still there and he headed to the Cargo Bay. There were many swoop bikes in a line in the Bay, some were missing from different spots, but for the most part most were there. He found his Swoop Bike and went to it, he sat down on it and moved his cloak to each side. The Bay doors were opened and he looked out towards the bright sun. He recalled his riddle...

Gems Of Ruby
In The Number of three,
Are hidden in the shores
Of the deadly dune sea.

He was looking for a large place of sand, not that hard really, but the planet was filled with it. Michin looked up to the twin suns that were pounding the barren planet with it's blistering rays. Night would be welcome to him, but he needed to go off on his task..

He turned over the ignition button on the Swoop Bike and it roared to life. Michin made sure he had his lightsaber on his belt, and the rest of his usual gear. He brought each of his feet up and he pushed the button for ignition on the Bike and he sped off into the desert...