The Mighty Fellowship of Nirvana I: The Rise of Five(closed)

[Sir Lando Calrissian]

http://www.geocities.com/ptigers06/TheMightyFellowship/aa.txt

<h1><font color=silver>The Mighty Fellowship of Nirvana I</font></h1>


Background Info:
Lando Calrissian, ex-smuggler, card-shark, liar, entrepreneur, former General of the New Republic forces, and now acquisitor, was....... well......... bored. He had led a battalion of his finest hired troops (mostly inexperienced youths to his dismay) to the planet of Fassie in search of a mythic temple. It was rumored to hold some sort of legendary document produced by the extinct, ancient locals. They had begun their search immediately after they heard wind of the legend. That was 2 weeks ago.

Scene:
Calrissian, who had grown weary of the search almost immediately, had returned to his ship Lady Luck for entertainment on neighboring planets (he discovered there was none) while ordering his help to resume their navigation of the bitterly cold, ice planet. Currently, he was lying lazily on his red couch from Calamari, sipping a glass of Corellian wine.

IC:
"I'm telling you Lobot, there's just no more excitement in the universe anymore."

"Yes sir," a monotone voice replied from across the ship's lounge.

"I mean, look at me! I'm wasting a fortune funding this excavation! For what!? Some stupid legend of some sort of book of prophecies from a people that died thousands of years ago? If they were so good at seeing the future, wouldn't they have seen a way to survive themselves?"

"Yes sir."

"Then tell me Lobot, why did I come here?"

"You had nothing better to do, sir."

Lando frowned. "Oh yeah. Well, let's try to look at the bright side of all this, shall we?," he gave his wide, famous smile.

"If we must."

"That's the spirit Lobot! Now lets---"

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!

"What in the Force.....?"

"Sir, it seems we are recieving a transmission from the men."

"Well of course we are!" Lando quickly rose and made his way over to the cockpit of his luxury yacht. He opened the transmission. "Calrissian here."
A voice, along with some static, responded. "Hello sir. We're......... in some sorta trouble here."

Lando sighed. "So make your way out of it, Commaner! That's what I'm paying you for!"

"Yes sir. Um... but I think we found the Fassie temple, sir. We're inside right now"

Lando's eyes brightened. "Then what are you worrying about?!! That's fantastic!"

"Ahem. Yes sir. Um... but the problem is that there is a huge safe here. We can't seem to open it. Some sorta mechanism here that demands a password to enter."

"So open it!"

"Well... sir.... you forgot to hire a slicer."

Silence.

Lando pouted. "So blow the door open with a detonator!," he whined.

"I think that may be unwise, sir. The material the safe is made out of is unknown. We might damage whatever is inside if the substance turns out to be flammable. We would be much more comfortable if you came down here and supervised this phase."

He sighed deeply, looking up towards the roof of the Luck. "Fine," he said eventually. "I'll be down there in 200."


* * *


The ancient Fassie temple was massive, that was for sure, but it was hard to tell from the outside. The archway for the entrance was found hidden deep inside the snow, so it wasn't until Lando was inside that he saw how large it really was. A small town really, his troops must've spent hours searching for the right door. The only door that wouldn't open.

Lando stood before a gigantic safe, made out of a substance which seemed to be.... almost alive. Beside the door to the safe was a some sort of keyboard and outlet.

A soldier spoke. "Sir, what are we going to do?"

Lando chuckled. "Stand aside son, I've been doing this for years." He motioned for Lobot, who had reluctantly come along. "Think you can slice it with your database?"

"Negative. The outlet is too primitive for my functioning. It'll have to be done manually."

"I see," Lando massaged his temples. "Well, I'm just as good as anyone when cracking these things. Lobot, did I tell you I once cracked an Imperial supercode?"

"Yes sir, you have repeated that story to me many times."

"Of course. Well..... this shouldn't be much trouble," Lando inspected the board carefully, his face a mere inch away from the system. He lifted his hand...

"15 SECONDS TO DETONATION."

The troops began to panic. "Good work, sir," Lobot retorted. "You triggered the self-destruct."

Lando, surprised to say the least, straightened. "It's not my fault! I didn't even touch it, I swear!"

"Sir, I suggest we run."

Lando nodded dumbly. "It's not my fault!," he repeated.

"10 SECONDS TO DETONATION."


* * *


The group stood outside, in front of the now collapsed structure. And "structure" is used loosely in this case.

"I didn't even get to start!," Lando continued to complain. "It just set off all by itself!"

"Yes sir."

"I KNEW something was going to go wrong here. I felt it in my bones! We never should've come."

A soldier made his way across the snow to them and saluted. "Sir, we found something. It was the only thing recoverable from the wreckage. It's absolutely amazing it survived. And with hardly a scratch too. It's some sorta.... book, I guess."

Lando snapped wide-awake. "A book?"


* * *


He carefully opened it in the lounge of the Lady Luck. On the first page was a poem or some sorts. He turned the page. Empty. Lando examined the rest of the book for hours, checking, and rechecking his findings, but it turned out that the entire book was empty except for that one untitled poem.

Once translated by Lobot, it read:

<font color=red>Five will bring about the Enlightenment.
Skill, discipline, honor, and wisdom
All led by he who brought destruction to the second star of death.
Fail and there is darkness. Succeed and (indecipherable).
Together, they will search for it. Together, they will find it.
One will survive it. </font>

[Sarah Vixen]

Scene: a hidden backroom in Mos Eisley Cantina. The room was empty and bare, save a single sand table which stood in the middle. On one of the chairs that surrounded it, sat Sarah Vixen, a new generation freelancer who was quickly making a name for herself. She was examining the blueprints for her next heist.

IC:

"Willy! Willy!"

A small rodian rushed in, gasping for air. "Yes, Miss Vixen?"

"When's Utarnio gonna get back in here? He's been out there in the bar for over 15 minutes. I haven't got all day to hear his "next big plan." " Sarah rolled her eyes. "I'm counting til ten, and if he's not back, I'm gone. You hear me?"

"Y-y-yes Miss Vixen. It's... it's just that there is a little problem out there... Someone wants to see you... Utarnio is trying to get rid of him, but the man pulled out a weapon."

Suddenly, a large noise was heard from the other side of the wall. A blaster going off, Sarah knew. She heard enough of them for a lifetime.

Vixen drew her own gun from her pocket, weilding it in her right hand. Her left slowly reached for her black whip lying on the seat adjacent to her as Willy, panicked, raced into the room and hid behind her. "It sounds like he's gonna force his way in."

She waited. And waited. Finally, a shadow approached the doorway. She took aim.

And in fell the unconscious body of Utarnio. "I come in peace," a voice rang out from someone still out in the hall. A hand appeared, pointing down at the body. "Don't worry about that. I set it on stun. He'll be okay. He'll wake with a burning headache, but that's the least of his problems.......... He's a slow draw," he explained.

Sarah was not amused. "Drop your blaster and show yourself. Slowly."

"Promise not to shoot?"

"No."

"Fair enough." He threw his blaster in front of Vixen and kept his palm open to make the point that he was not armed. He entered and gave a big smile.

"UNCLE LANDO!!"

"Hey baby girl! Come give me a hug."

Sarah raced over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I haven't seen you for the longest time! But why are you here? I thought....," she inspected him suspiciously, "I heard you were respectable now."

He smiled. "Munchkin, I've got one helluva job offer for you."

[Hart Kenobi]

Scene: Inside a large castle on the Naboo. Abandoned by it's previous owners, Hart Kenobi, the young, yet retired Jedi, moved in. He was currently making his way towards the front door.

IC:

Maybe it was a dream. Maybe. Whether he liked it or not, they were coming for him and he must go along with them.

But must he? The Force said yes, and that is all that mattered. It was that logic that led the former Jedi Knight to packing a light bag for his trip. He slung it over his shoulder, gave one quick glance around to give himself another opportunity to change his mind. He didn't.

He stepped from his room and made his way towards the stairway down to the 1st level. It has been years since he was in battle, years since he has left the planet, and years since he's ever wished to. But now he must. Was it really the Force that pushed him? He wasn't really sure. The motivation was.... well... different. But if it wasn't the Force, then what was it?

Finally, he reached the bottom step and strode towards the massive front door of the castle. Sighing once, he opened the door.

In spilled Lando Calrissian and an attractive younger girl.

"Lando." Hart nodded in acknowledgement. "Sarah is it? Of course." He nodded again.

Lando was bewildered. "How did you know we were just about to knock?"

Hart smiled. "Shall we go?"

Sarah smiled back, amused at the event. "Follow me," she answered, motioning Hart towards the Lady Luck.

Lando remained where he was, since collecting himself from his fall. "Well.... that was easy, wasn't it?" He shook his head and chuckled, cursing the Force. "Jedi......"

[The Mighty Fellowship]

Planet: Corellia
Scene: In a famous Corellian nightclub. There hundreds of showgirls, all in feathery pink gowns, dancing on stage. The air smelled of liquor, the lights were dim, and each of the tables surrounding the stage was filled with drunk humans and aliens. Towards the far end of the nightclub was the bar, where the bartender, a Calamari, was serving drinks.
Lando, Hart, and Sarah walk into through the entrance.

IC:

"Hey," cried a large, low voice, "that.... thing.. will have to stay outside.

Hart Kenobi turned to meet the voice and saw what a large man--probably a bouncer by the looks of his uniform-- was pointing too. It was R4D4, Hart's astromech droid.

"BEEEooop Troooop! SWOOOP!"

"Hey Kenobi," Lando leaned over to him. "I think you better tell R4 to stay outside. We don't want to draw too much attention."

Hart nodded in agreement, walking back to where the guard was holding the small droid.

"Excuse me, it's okay. I'll take him back outside."

The large humanoid gave him a hard look, but stealing a glance downward at Hart's lightsaber, he quickly agreed. "Okay.... but no funny business." He wagged a finger.

Hart lead R4 outside. "I think it'll be a better idea if you stayed out here."

"Beeeeerp Twooot!"

"It's okay, I'll be fine. We're just looking around for someone. It'll only take a few minutes."

"Bwoooooop speeeet."

"Thanks R4." Hart straightened. "Just wait back in my X-Wing. Or the Luck until we get back, your choice." Seeing R4 turn and roll reluctantly back where they had come from, Hart, satisfied, turned back, nodding towards the bouncer. "Don't worry, he's going."


* * *


Back inside, Lando and Sarah were talking. They had made their way up to the front of the stage and began to examine each showgirl.

"Do you think that's the one, Uncle Lando?," Sarah pointed one out in the back of the stage.

"Hmmmm, it's hard to tell. Just look for the one that seems to be having an easier time performing some of the more complicated acrobatic moves. That should be the battle handmaiden the Republic computers hinted of."

Sarah stopped. "About this Royal Handmaiden business, I thought they were all wiped out during the Clone Wars."

"They were," Lando replied, still craning his kneck for a better look at the girls, "Well, all except one baby. The Royal Naboo Battlemaiden were bred since birth to be of physical perfection and masters in hand-to-hand battle."

"And....."

"Well, according to the New Republic computers that I still have access cards to, a single baby had survived. The computer tracked her here." Lando explained. "The only problem is.... she's not going by here real name. And we don't know what she looks like."

Hart appeared behind them, overhearing them talk. "So, how are we going to pick that one handmaiden out from all these girls. Any one could be her."

Lando's eyes sparkled. "I've got a plan..."

[Dove Naberrie]

Scene:
Dove Naberrie, a showgirl dancing in the middle of the pack of Corellian Showgirls in Tarv's Nightclub. Still dancing, she over hears a loud, female voice.

IC:

"Okay, everybody remain calm. This is a stick-up--"

Dove, still dancing, jerked in surprise. A robbery? Her ears led her to a tall, lean girl standing below the stage wearing a brown robe, which seemed WAY too large for her, concealing her face. She weilded a small blaster. Beside her stood two other men, one darker man holding a much larger blaster and the other.... the other was strangely not armed.

"... Just cooperate and nobody will get hurt. I'm a trained Royal Battlemaiden from the Naboo, so my threats are not empty! Everyonce just place their belongings into the bag that is circulating around. If you don't, you will get very hurt if you know what I mean," the girl shouted, waving her gun.

The black man beside her yelled, "I saw that, Pop," pointing at the Calamarian bartender who was slowly reaching for a rifle. "Believe me, you don't want to do that. I'm a better shot than you are. TRUST me."

A battlemaiden? Dove was puzzled. Wasn't she the last one of their kind? Finally, she had a glimpse of the girls face. That definitely was NOT a battlemaiden. Dove had examined all of the handmaiden pictures over her life and memorized all of their faces, in case another had survived. This one was an imposter.

Her blood began to boil, angered immensely by the turn of events. Unconsciously, she stopped dancing, sticking out like a sore thumb among the moving dancers around her. Who did this girl think she was?! Posing as an honorable battlemaiden and ruining their reputation by robbing a nightclub?! Unacceptable!

Dove started a run and did a perfect cartwheel off the stage on the floor, knocking the darker man onto the floor with a foot and pinning the girl's shoulders up against the wall with her hands.
"Get out of here or else I'm calling the cops. You're going to jail and--."

"Dove," a voice behind her called softly. It was not a question.

She turned, now facing the bearded man who was not holding a weapon. "Who? What are you--"

"It's okay. We know who you are. We've been looking for you." He offered a hand. "Hart Kenobi. Jedi."

The darker man stood and wiped an imaginary crumb from his sleeve. "Miss Naberrie. I think we need to talk."

[Hart Kenobi]

"So..... you want me..... to join you guys?," Dove started with a face was if she had a bitter taste in her mouth.

"What...," Sarah rose from her seat in the Lady Luck. " Do you think you're better than us or something?"

Hart calmed Vixen with the Force and motioned her to sit down. He knelt beside Dove's chair. "I understand that you are a little skeptical, Miss Naberrie. It's understandable. But what Lando here is saying is true, and we feel that our group will benefit with you being a part of it."

Dove became quiet. She looked into the Jedi's eyes. He was the first Jedi she had ever met and she was careful to be especially courteous to him. And he sounded geniune.
"And... what exactly am I supposed to help you guys do?"

Lando gave a short laugh and put a hand on her shoulder. "We don't know."

"You don't know!?"

"No."

"You mean," Dove started. "You took me off of Corellia for something that could be a waste of my time!? You're just lucky I convinced the bartender not to press charges. He owed me a favor."

"First of all," Lando replied with exaggerated patience, "I would not have been arrested. I'm Lando Calrissian, remember? Intergalatic celebrity. Ever heard of me?..... I thought so."

"That still doesn't answer my question! Why are you wasting my time with this?"

Hart's voice interjected quietly. "Is life as a Corellian showgirl too much to risk?" Hart rose from his kneeling position and offered her a hand to shake. "Please..... all I know is that the Force is saying we need you. Will you join us..?"

Dove sat still for what seemed like eternity. Then... she took his hand.

[Sarah Vixen]

Scene: The Lady Luck landing on Endor.

IC:

"Uncle Lando, are you sure we're in the right place? This looks like the middle of no where."

Lando turned his head towards her, although his concentration was still mainly on the landing coordinates. "We need our fifth warrior in order to start our quest, I told you that."

Sarah rose an eyebrow. "But why are we here? You think this.... Stormtrooper-in-hiding will still be alive?"

Hart's voice surprised them as he entered the cockpit with Dove. "I told Lando to come here. And he is still alive."

Sarah turned towards him with a look of interest. "Go on."

"After the Battle of Endor, most of the Imperial troops that were recorded as stationed here were accounted for. They were either arrested, killed in battle, their body recovered, or agreed to surrender. But one did not. He was never found."

"How do you know that he didn't die and his body is hidden somewhere?" She gave him a look.

Hart smiled.

"Oh," Sarah grinned sheepishly.

"Jedi..." Lando shook his head.

Hart looked thoughtful. "His name is Grayville Garnier. From the New Republic records, it seemed he was VERY competent in his survival skills. He was the one who was chosen to create the manual for blending into teh jungle for guerilla warfare. If anyone could've survived, it would be him."

The exiting platform of the Lady Luck extended to the ground.

"So c'mon...," Dove said impatiently, waving them to follow her out. "Are we going out there or not."

[Hart Kenobi]

Scene:
The four walk down the ramp onto Endor.

IC:
Lando stood and looked around. "I guess we should split up into twos. Use these," he handed out comlinks, " if you run into any trouble."

The three accepted the comlink and put them in their pockets.

"Now.... Dove and Hart, you guys go to that way. Sarah and I will go down this path." He pointed towards the left.

Hart interrupted suddenly. "I think I should be with Sarah," he said quietly.

"Huh?"

Hart gave him a look. "I think... ahem.... it would be a good idea if Sarah and I were together."

Lando, tilted his head to the side, but then shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. Dove, this way." He motioned the battlemaiden towards him.

As they left in separate ways, Sarah, curious to why Hart had chosen her, stepped in front of him. "What was that about? Why'd you want me instead of Dove?"

"Because I wish to start your training."

She gave a puzzled look. "In what? If you think I don't know how to fight--"

Hart stopped her with a hand. "Your training to become a Jedi."

"A Jedi?," Sarah repeated incredulously. "I can't be a Jedi!..... can I?"

Hart sized her up. "I have felt it. You have the potential to use the Force. I can teach you how."

"Are you joking?"

"I don't joke."

Sarah, still a bit skeptical, nodded slowly. "Sure....."

Hart smiled. "Good." He waved her onward.