Social Games The Rancor Pit (EUC Dueling thread)

*Poised upon the teetering edge of a defining moment for the future of the Rancor Pit, Ananta half-closes his eyes to accompany and support Paddy's efforts to reach into the Force to discover its will. Feeling the outer borders of her physical body beginning to melt away, Paddy merges more deeply with the all-pervading Force, until suddenly she begins to hear a voice, one that she has never heard in real life, yet one that she somehow knows. The voice, who calls her by name, begins to speak to her of her destiny and purpose, explaining to her all that Ananta had read earlier in the ancient book, and doing all of it somehow mystically through the Force, so that it took less than a few seconds. Accompanying the voice, an image begins to materialize of its source, and opening her eyes she beholds the luminous image of a Force Ghost to whom she immediately calls out to by name...*

Ahsoka!

 

*Frozen to her spot on the ground, staring open-mouthed at the luminous image that materialized in front of her*

Am I....are you...real?

*This...must be a vision. Yet another trick in the Force! This has happened so many times already...the translucent figure, an adult Togruta, seemed to sense the doubt in her mind, and smiled. The ghostly woman slowly rose a hand, the smile still on her face*

"Tell me, little one...does this feel real?"

*The translucent hand gently touches Alisha's face, and goes around to the back of her head, pulling her into a light hug*

"How about this?"

You...are real.

*The spirit Ahsoka lowered her head, and began to whisper. Telling of Alisha's apparent role in the Rancor Pit, and that not a Knight or Master, but a Padawan was destined to return balance to the place. Glancing in Ananta's direction, there's the distinct feeling that he knew of this all along*

 

*Taking a seat behind the controls of the Walker, he glances down at the swelling mass of Zombie Jar Jars approaching them. He moves quietly so as not to disturb his companion who appears to still be absorbed in some form of interior Force experience. Glancing at her, he notices a tranquil expression slowly spread across her face, and then she gradually opens her eyes. Waiting a moment, until her gaze seems grounded to their surroundings he speaks to her.*

Something interesting to share? If it was a vision, then please only tell me what I need to know, and keep the rest to safely to yourself, between you and...

*His voice trails off and he leaves his sentence intentionally unfinished. Simultaneously they hear the rumbling sound of the blast door behind them closing accompanied by the deafening shrieking roar of the Zombie Queen Mother.*

 

*flying holocam zips into the pit*
*bzzt* Zombies have *ztbtz* Queen Mothers now?! *zzbt*
Oh dear. *bzztcracklezing*
*holocam torn down from the sky by rampaging zombies, and crashes into oblivion*


OOC: greatly enjoying watching this, by the way.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

*still in an embrace with her shimmering ancestor, and they raise their heads in unison, noticing the ground beginning to rumble*

Master Tano...how can I defeat this thing? I don't think the AT-AT alone has enough firepower, and...

*Ahsoka begins to lightly laugh, releasing the hug*

"Young one, don't you know that not all conflicts have to end in violence? You simply have to use your mind."

But...what does that mean? This monster is going to destroy the Pit!

*Her ancestor gazes knowingly at her, and with a wistful smile, begins to fade*

W-wait! Don't go! Not yet...I have so many questions...!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

*exits the Force trance, to the anxious face of Ananta, seated in the back of the AT-AT*

...Right. She...she practically gave me a riddle! "Not all conflicts have to end in violence," and "You simply have to use your mind..."

((This post was getting a bit too long...))

 

Hmm, I think the Zombie horde knows were up here.

*Notices several zombies ascending the stationary legs of the AT-AT and a legion more behind surrounding their Mother. Decides to give her a moment to compose herself and piece together whatever occurred during her interior Force experience...as he waits for her idea to materialize, he simultaneously activates the weapons systems of the Walker and unclips his light saber from his belt .*

 

*the time Ananta gave her was well spent. After several seconds her eyes light up, but quickly dim with apprehension*

Ananta...I think I have an idea. It's insane, truly insane, but...it just might work.

*gestures to a ledge of rock above the raging Zombie Queen from inside the AT-AT*

Can you hit the edge of that ledge there? It might pin the monster down long enough for...for me to get to it. I'm going to try and communicate with it.

 

Smiling approvingly, he begins to swivel the Walker's head into position for a precision blast.

Would you be surprised... if I told you, I am not surprised?

Several successive concentrated bursts of AT-AT blaster bolts dislodge a significant section of the suspending edge, sending it tumbling gently down the pit's wall, and just as Paddy predicted, effectively pinning the Zombie JJ Queen... and apparently without harming her significantly.

Paddy, whatever you are going to do...do it quickly!

The Walker's view port is suddenly covered over with ascending zombies. Their Gungan faces and extended tongues pressed against the glass, gazing at them both within the cockpit. Suddenly they both remember the hole in the roof that Paddy cut out with her lightsaber to enter the AT-AT. Ananta ignites his saber and also recalls Bultar Swan's now unoccupied white Rancor mount across the cave and calls out to it through the Force. He then jumps through the top of the Walker's head and begins to carefully Force push as many Zombie JJ's away from the opening as he can, minimizing his lightsaber slashes, in order not to provoke an angry reaction from their Mother so as to hopefully increase the potential success of Paddy's plan.

Across the pit he sees the white Rancor galloping full speed towards them as he continues to dislodge the zombies and swing his lightsaber in a precise flurry of soresu moves to eliminate the remaining undead clinging to the Walker. Then suddenly he sees the Rancor standing below looking up at him with a steady and loyal gaze awaiting his command. Not sure if to wait for Paddy or if she has her own idea of how to reach the Mother, he hesitates before departing, anticipating making a big distraction to draw the Zombie JJ's away from Queen.

 

*watching the pinned Queen briefly, with a grin toward Ananta as he fired. At the sight of the zombies climbing onto the Walker, she quickly leaps out of the hole she made in the cockpit and lands on it's head for a few seconds. In those seconds, she was tempted to take out her canon, but remembered 'no violence,'...no violence*

*after reaching the nose of the AT-AT, she leaps down, landing heavily on the ground with a roll that makes her presence known to the zombies covering the ground. They immediately swarm around her, surrounding the peacefully unarmed Padawan on all sides. She can only repeat the mantra, 'no violence'... resisting the urge to take out her lightsaber and forge a path between her and the Zombie Queen, but if she did, then this plan would have no weight whatsoever.*

*Ananta can definitely see her, surrounded by zombies. Thinking quickly, she sends a com link message up to him*

I know this doesn't look great, but do not fire these zombies! I have an idea on getting past them....*mutters* This is the craziest thing I have ever done...

*jumps up over the crowd, spots her companion along with the White Rancor Bultar previously was riding, and after a moment, begins running toward the Queen on the zombie heads!*

 

Paddy pondering the predicament of the Prophecy.


*Placing two fingers in his mouth, he whistles and gently cracks the reins of his Rancor mount. Coming to attention, the massive pit creature plows through the zombies as they make their way to the side of pit furthest from Paddy, as she deftly dances unscathed upon and over countless Gungan undead heads and towards the Zombie Queen Mother. While partaking of her actions he whispers to himself…*

She is the One.

 

*continues running quickly along the zombie heads, careful not to lose her balance. Before long, the massive angry Queen is only ten feet away, and she takes a hard leap, landing directly in front of the Zombie Mother's head*

It...does kinda look like a Gungan...

*ZJJ's all around her try to protect their queen, but she jumps again, landing on the snout of the beast. Reaching out, barely with the Force, the mother's angry energy almost forming a complete wall. Trying vainly to break through this wall, the angry aura is pushing strongly against her own*

 

*Then suddenly the swarming ZJJ's begin to become tranquil and and unmoving. Halting his Rancor mount, he observes that Paddy has placed her outstretched hands on the massive monster's head and appears to be calling upon the Force with intesne concnetration. The Zombie Mother no longer struggles to free herself. The Pit becomes still and quiet enough to hear only the sound of water dripping somewhere deep within the upper caverns accompanied by the steady and now peaceful breathing of the Queen.

Looking down at the Rancor, he tucks the reins next to the saddle and then proceeds to gently pat the big beast above one of its enormous eyes. At first puzzled, finally the Rancor returns his gaze with a look of sort of canine-like affection and ease.

Thanks, old friend.

 

*After several tense seconds of unusual tranquility among the zombies, they begin to crowd around their mother again, breaking the connection between her and Alisha. The Padawan gets quickly swamped among them, and the mother roars, her anger seemingly restored. However, instead of attacking, the zombie JarJars hear the call, and begin to fall back. The Zombie Queen roars one more time, looking Alisha right in the face, and lowers back into the ground, her children slowly shambling after her*

Ananta Chetan: I'm really sorry I took so long! School kept me away...

 

*Watching in wonder as the Zombie JJ Queen Mother returns to her place of rest, deep below the pit along with most of her offspring, he dismounts the Rancor and walks over next to Paddy whose face is beaming with delight and a sense of completion. He silently nods his head approvingly and returns her smile.

Somewhere hidden within the walls of the pit, several speakers softly begin to play the final Victory Celebration song from ROTJ. Perhaps a subtle jab queued–up by the pit-master Bardan_Jusik to commemorate the pit saga coming to an end. The sweet lively flute music fills the now peaceful cavern. All of the few remaining Zombie Jar Jars begin to dance festively and embrace each other.


In the final moment, Paddy turns just behind her where a blazing victory fire has been made to see the faint and emerging Force Ghost of Ahsoka, smiling at her benignly over the celebration festivities.

 

Despite the jovial atmosphere, Alisha couldn't help but feel a twinge of wariness as she looked down the vast hole the Zombie Queen went in after their "Force conversation." Who knows how many "offspring" were there? Looking up into the sky, lit up with fireworks, she remembered something with a smile; the zombies lived here, made their home in the Pit. But this was her home too. They had to coexist, otherwise nothing would exist at all...

 

*Walks in from the cold and pulling out a sawed off blaster proceeds to shoot a Zombie Jar Jar repeatedly*

Don't die, I'm not finished yet.

 

OOC: One of the coolest pictures ever

*Cuts off a few Jar Jar zombie heads before leaving*

 

Pearlsaber

Personally, I'm rooting for the Rancor.

 

Are there any extra frying pans that I can borrow?

 

TFN News Reporter: Good Evening Pit Patrons.
Nearly insurmountable evidence has surfaced today in the ongoing investigation to reveal the true identity behind the notorious and now infamous Rancor Pit presence "Zombie Jar Jar". Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the EUC Moderators collaborating with tips from several members seeking well-deserved justice, all fingers are now pointing towards TFN Member Padawan4687 (pictured below).



Also known as Paddy and the RPG character name Alisha Tano, all visitors to the Pit are suggested to post in this thread at their own risk. Please also know that Paddy-Zombie Jar Jar may try to persuade members that she is not actually a Gungan nor undead. Supreme caution is advised.

Padawan4687

 

Oh dear....