Name: Vic Horkin Species: Human Gender: Male Age: 29 Appearance: Vic is of average height with a slim, athletic body. He has no hair atop his head, but keeps a brown goatee on his chin. He prefers darker colors, wearing black Jedi robes. Lightsaber(s): The hilt of his two sabers are shiny, metallic black. One ignites a dark blue saber, the other a violet blade. Personality: Vic is of the quiet type, usually keeping to himself. Although he keeps to himself, he only thinks about others and would give his life for another being. He keeps his eye on the prize, wanting nothing more than to complete whatever he is assigned to. Bio: Vic was born into the Jedi Order. His parents were two Jedi Knights, Reos Horkin and Karen Ardsyn. His mother died when he was 17, leaving many to believe he was going to lead a life on the Dark Path. However, Vic remained strong, and continues his studies with the Jedi. His father remains a Jedi Master, serving the Order. Vic studied under his parents. They taught him the values of the Force, and the dangers of the dark side. They also taught him to remain loyal to their cause. Vic valued these teachings, taking them to heart, and never forgetting one of them. Ever since he was able to hold a training saber, Vic has been practicing. He began using dual sabers at the age of 19 and studied under the form of Jar'kai. He continues to learn that form until he masters it completely. At the age of 20, Vic fell in love with another Jedi, Kelia Logana. Two years later, they had a baby. When he turned 24, directly after he was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight, Kelia had taken their baby to her homeplanet of Dantooine. On the way, she was attacked by pirates. They kidnapped the baby and left Kelia to die. Vic, once again, walked the fine line between light and dark. However, he realized Kelia would not want him to fall, but to get their baby back. He did exactly that, but it took him several months. He tracked down the pirates to Nal Hutta. There, with his best friend Aron Smiit, he retrieved his baby after destroying the pirate compound. Now, 5 years later, with his son being trained at the Academy, he volunteered to go on this mission because he feels strongly about finding this boy, since he had done so with his own son. As always, Vic will not rest until he finds this boy.
“The body is but a vessel for the soul, a puppet which bends to the soul's tyranny. And lo, the body is not eternal, for it must feed on the flesh of others, lest it return to the dust from whence it came. Therefore must the soul deceive, despise and murder men." -A.J. Durai Prologue: The Graylands Incident The Graylands It was daybreak. The four Jedi investigators stood alone among the ashes of the Moff’s mansion, examining what was left. Only a day previously the magnificent residence had been stormed and torched by the Sith cult Mullenkamp. The Moff himself had survived the attack and had been hurried away by his servants. He was currently being kept safe on another part of the planet. The stench of death hung heavy, both in the air and in the Force. The darkside was strong; it seemed to emanate from the ground itself, even beneath the burnt ruins of the mansion. Far off, miles into the distance, stood the ancient city of Leá Monde. It was there that Sydney and his cultists had taken the child, and it was there that the Jedi would go. "Masters?" spoke a voice. A thin, dark-haired human woman approached the group, bowing her head in acknowledgement. "My name is Callo Merlose. I'm a Valendian Peacekeeper- we enforce the law in the region. I feel sorry that we could not deal with this matter on our own. With the arrival of the Empire's Knights and now yourselves, it seems that things have moved out of our hands. Nevertheless, I am happy to help you if you have any questions before you head to the city ruins." Tag: Xan, nemisis, Despised, Trimaj
Anengy found herself looking over the ruins of a mansion, within sight of the ruins of a once great city. It was strangely fitting that ruins beget ruins, destruction beget destruction... and death beget death. There was much death in this place, the very atmosphere was charged with it. The Balosars normally bright face was downcast this day, her consistenly smiling face turned into a pensive frown. Why did the council have to send me here... This is a place of death... Like my homeworld. The pollution of the Balosar homeworld had left them effectively immune to poison, but it had left it's scars in a physically weakened species. The race was generally not trusted since many of them became criminals. Anengy had sought to cleanse that perception just a bit. She glanced over the others in her group, there was Kara Dysar whom Anengy may have met once or twice in passing. She was a Zeltron, and like most of that race fairly beautiful. Kara had a proclivity for going after thrills, and that could all too easily result in getting into trouble. Anengy knew that all too well. The next to catch the Balosar's eye was Kimara Odon, one of the few Force sensitive Arkanians. Arrogant almost to a fault, but her loyalty was renowned throughout the order. It had caused her to sometimes not complete an objective, but there are those times when that's not a bad thing. And then there was Vic Horkin, the lone male and human of the group. The son of Jedi, Vic had proven he would go to any lengths to save someone. He'd done it for his own son, and as he'd volunteered for this one it pointed to that being the rule rather than the exception. All in all a reasonably effective group, but the dynamics could use a little working out. Looking out over the city in the distance, Leá Monde's walls immediately caught the eye. The color changing brilliance was truly astounding, and were there not so many other wonders in this galaxy would have been truly exceptional. Odds were that was where the boy was being held, and they had no easy way in or to find him once they gained entrance. This is going to be a very long mission. A voice spoke from behind her, "Masters?" Turning gracefully, Anengy saw a thin common looking human female approaching. She bowed her head in respect. "My name is Callo Merlose. I'm a Valendian Peacekeeper- we enforce the law in the region. I feel sorry that we could not deal with this matter on our own. With the arrival of the Empire's Knights and now yourselves, it seems that things have moved out of our hands. Nevertheless, I am happy to help you if you have any questions before you head to the city ruins." Taking the initiative, as she had on many occassions, the Balosar asked "Have you heard of any bounty hunters asking questions about Joshua? Particularly a Jan Rosencrantz? Our briefing said that he might be of some concern. Also, is there any additional information you can give us about the layout of Leá Monde? We know that's where this cult that kidnapped Joshua is based out of." It would be helpful if the local authorities ahd some more information, but what they had could be worked with... if necessary.
The Graylands "Have you heard of any bounty hunters asking questions about Joshua?" asked Anengy Facefoot. "Particularly a Jan Rosencrantz? Our briefing said that he might be of some concern. Also, is there any additional information you can give us about the layout of Leá Monde? We know that's where this cult that kidnapped Joshua is based out of." "Is there only one entrance to the city?" added the Zeltron Jedi Kara Dysar. "In answer to the first question," began Peacekeeper Merlose, "Rosencrantz is the only bounty hunter we know of involved in this case, and he has not been in contact with us. He simply announced that he would find the child. Our records indicate that his ship has visited Valendia on a number of previous occasions, though we do not know why. "As for the city layout...Leá Monde is a large city with a sprawling underground complex. The Snowfly Forest stands in the north, within the city walls. The Temple of Kiltia is the major monument in the south. And the Great Cathedral lies in the centre. "And yes, there is only one entrance we know of- via the mineshafts and catacombs. And even that route is not entirely safe. It is populated by wild creatures. The last time we sent someone to the city was ten years ago- they did not return." Tag: Xan, nemisis, Despised, Trimaj
Vic stood with three of his Jedi companions. He knew them all, but had barely spoken to them all, expect for Kimara Odon, a near-human from Arkania who he had known for several years now, since she was just a youngster. She was a great Jedi, but was often impatient, which is a major downfall for Jedi. He liked to consider himself a sort of mentor to her since he was older than her. He was also older than Kara Dysar, who was also another near-human species. He was not quite sure where exactly she was from, but she was a Zeltron from Zeltros. He took a liking to her because of her skin tone, which was pink. His liking could also be caused by her pheromones that she could release. He had yet to come across those, but he most certainly would. Vic was not, however, older than Anengy Facefoot. She, too, was not human. He felt out of place with these three near human females. But, that would not stop him from completing his mission. The Jedi Knight, who was walking around the still smoldering ashes of the house from which the Moff had lived. Vic could sense the death that had occurred hear through the Force, their echoes screaming out in pain. The Dark Side was mixed in with the anguish that flowed through the Force. It all brought a chill to his back. The feeling was so dark, and brought him such unhappiness, it was as if nothing in the entire galaxy could bring a smile to his face. In fact, he could not even remember how to smile. "Masters?" came a voice from behind Vic. It was a human female that came forward. Her name was Callo Merlose. She bowed with respect to the Jedi around her. "I'm a Valendian Peacekeeper- we enforce the law in the region. I feel sorry that we could not deal with this matter on our own. With the arrival of the Empire's Knights and now yourselves, it seems that things have moved out of our hands. Nevertheless, I am happy to help you if you have any questions before you head to the city ruins." Anegny responded first. She asked of the bounty hunter who the Jedi Council had briefed them on, Jan Rosencrantz. Then Kara asked if there was more than one entrance into Leá Monde. According to the Jedi Council's briefing, the only entrance was through the mine shafts. Vic nodded, realizing that Kara had come to the obvious conclusion that the mine shaft would be very, very difficult to pass through, just because it was a mine shaft, not to mention the fact that the group of Sith knew that someone was going to come for them. Since that was the only way in, they would most likely do something to the mine shaft. Perhaps they would set traps, put some Sith alchemy within it or even collapse the mine shaft all together. Callo responded that the only known bounty hunter on the case was, in fact, Rosencrantz. "He has not been in contact with us. He simply announced that he would find the child. Our records indicate that his ship has visited Valendia on a number of previous occasions, though we do not know why." So this Rosencrantz was serious about this. Vic did not mind it, another being with the same cause could be of some use in obtaining the boy, and that was really all that Vic cared about. Though, Rosencranrz was not the only other person trying to obtain the boy; the Imperial Knights were as well. This could become very, very confusing, and possibly deadly, if they all met up at once. There was always the possibility that one of these others would fail, and Joshua would be killed. That would not be acceptable. Callo also confirmed the Jedi Council's briefing that there was only one entrance...through the mines. "And even that route is not entirely safe. It is populated by wild creatures. The last time we sent someone to the city was ten years ago- they did not return." "That's not to mention," said Vic, "what kind of defenses, traps, magic or what not that the Sith most definitely put into place so as to not be bothered by saviors." Vic shook his head lightly. A thought came to mind. "This may seem like a strange request, seeing as the destruction of Leá Monde occurred a century ago, but are there any known survivors still around these parts?" He, of course, referred to any of those species that could live for many more years than humans could. These survivors, if there were any, could give them a detailed description of the city. Of course, such a description would be outdated but it could prove to be heplful.
The Graylands "That's not to mention," said Vic Horkin, "what kind of defenses, traps, magic or what not that the Sith most definitely put into place so as to not be bothered by saviors...This may seem like a strange request, seeing as the destruction of Leá Monde occurred a century ago, but are there any known survivors still around these parts?" "A good question," replied Merlose. "Unfortunately, there are none we know of. Any long-living species there might have been within the city have long since left this planet by now. I am sorry to disappoint you. Leá Monde is still a mystery even to us who live near its walls. You will have to see it for yourself." Tag: Xan, nemisis, Despised, Trimaj
Anengy sighed softly, there wasn't much additional information to be had at this point. No new leads about Jan, no other information about the city really. There were really only two more things that were needed til they could leave. Hopefully that wouldn't let the others seeking after Joshua get the jump on them. That would simply not do. The mention of traps and sith magic's didn't sit well with the Balsador. Those had a habit of being exceptionally nasty, and exceptionally fatal. It seemed an apt time to bring up the other two things, as their Arkanian compatriot seemed overly anxious to leave. "Two things, then I believe we will be done here. First, do you have any old maps of the city that could be put on a datapad? I realize they'll be inaccurate, but anything is better than the vague descriptions we have of things. And second, if you would then guide us to the entrance to this cave... We would do well to get away from this dark place as soon as possible." The general atmosphere was weighing heavily upon all of the Jedi. Anengy could sense that with very little effort. Maybe it'll be better away from this recent destruction.
The Graylands "Two things, then I believe we will be done here. First, do you have any old maps of the city that could be put on a datapad? I realize they'll be inaccurate, but anything is better than the vague descriptions we have of things. And second, if you would then guide us to the entrance to this cave... We would do well to get away from this dark place as soon as possible." "I'm afraid the few ancient maps we have would be of no use to you- they all are dated from hundreds of years ago, and the Great Quakes a century ago severely affected the layout of the city. It is completely unrecognisable from what it once was. Any older maps would mislead you more than anything else, I'm afraid." The Peacekeeper smiled sadly, and gestured to her landspeeder, which hovered quietly nearby. "If there is nothing else, then I will take you to the mineshaft entrance." Tag: Xan, nemisis, Despised, Trimaj
"A good question," replied Callo the the question that Vic had asked about any survivors of the earthquake. "Unfortunately, there are none we know of. Any long-living species there might have been within the city have long since left this planet by now. I am sorry to disappoint you. Leá Monde is still a mystery even to us who live near its walls. You will have to see it for yourself." Vic nodded. He could understand why they would leave after such an event, Vic most certainly would if he were a survivor. All their memories, all their loved ones, everything that they knew was destroyed that day. Getting away from this world would be the quickest way to forget such an event. In fact, Vic had almost decided to leave the Jedi Order after his mother died, and once again after his wife, Kelia, had been killed. But he had remained strong and decided to stay with the Order because that would have been what they had wanted. "Two things," Anengy said, "then I believe we will be done here. First, do you have any old maps of the city that could be put on a datapad? I realize they'll be inaccurate, but anything is better than the vague descriptions we have of things. And second, if you would then guide us to the entrance to this cave... We would do well to get away from this dark place as soon as possible." Vic nodded, realizing that he had another question to ask, so it was good that Callo was going to be leading them. Her response for the first of Anengy's question was reasonable: Leá Monde was horribly devastated during the quake, there was no way that the land would even be closely recognizable. Secondly, it had been a century since those events without any upkeeping of any sort, so there were bound to be wildlife of all sorts that would make the place even less recognizable. So, any maps were certainly useless. Though, Vic could not help but wonder why and how all the maps were dated from centuries ago, was their no updates on the maps? Over 20,000 people lived there, surely someone had to have made a map that was still around. Suddenly, Vic found himself curiously wondering what the place had looked like before the quake. "If there is nothing else, then I will take you to the mineshaft entrance," Callo said. Kara was quick to respond, offering for the Peacekeeper to lead the way. Vic walked over to Callo, standing beside her, feeling a bit of relief that they were finally going to leave this place. But, they were going to a place that would be hundreds of times worse, so the relief lasted only a second. "Out of curiosity," Vic said. "What are the chances of the defense system being shut off within Leá Monde? I understand the anti-air turrets are still online. Could, say, a bounty hunter disable them somehow?" This question arose as he thought of alternative entrances. The thought came to mind when he was wondering if they could go through the air and destroy the anti-air. That, however, could provoke the kidnappers into killing the boy. Or worse, he could be killed in the attempt to destroy the turrets. Then he realized that these turrets were automated and would be very old and with the increasing technology, perhaps there was a way to shut them down from afar, allowing entrance in from above. "Could these automated turrets be deactivated or something of that sorts?"
