Cerean Review

High Mage Serratus

Darth Serratus was in his office on Kuat, reading reports. He absentmindedly pushed the buzzer to his secretary.

"Let me know when Darth Ultiria arrives."
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

Ultiria walked unhurridly through the Mage offices. She felt proud to be a Mage, and the respect she was gievn assured her she had made the right choice. She came to the secretary to Serratus. "I'm here," she announced.

High Mage Serratus

Serratus's buzzer activated.

"Darth Ultiria is here."

Serratus put the report back in his drawer.

"Send her up."
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

Ultiria was wating patiently when the secretary nodded. She smiled thankfully and headed up to Serratus' office, and knocked.

"Come in"

She did so, cutseying in front of her superior. Bowing would mess up her hair, worn free around her shoulders today. "High Mage. Are we ready?"

High Mage Serratus

Serratus looked up at his subordinate.

"Just a moment."

He got up and walked over to an unremarkable wall. He entered an extremely long and elaborate code into a keyboard on the wall. The hologram of a shelf faded and the wall rotated 180 degrees to reveal one of Serratus's three personal armouries. He ran his hands over the assorted weaponry. the pair of gaderffii from Tatooine, the twin beskad hunting knives, his rancor-tooth lightsaber and his chain-shoto. He surveyed all the weapons carefully before choosing his father's violet lightscythe, one of the flame carbines that had deformed him, his Myneyrshi battlestaff and his Sith sword. Considering himself sufficiently armed for the surface of Cerea, he turned to Darth Ultiria.

"Lead the way."
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

Jerina's eyes were wide as she saw the massive array of weapons the High Mage held. All she bore was her lightsaber, clipped to her skirt. She nodded and left, heading to the hangar. When they got there, she turned to Serratus.

"Which ship should we take?" she asked.

High Mage Serratus

Serratus motioned to a Dragon-Class Heavy Cruiser.

"We'll be taking the Bane of Ignorance. And you'll drive."
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

She nodded. She had never been given much experience in flying, especially with cruisers, but she could do it well enough.

She took a seat and waited until everyone was seated, before taking off and leaving Kuat. After a few minutes they were in hyperspace, en route to Cerea.

*

When they arrived outside Cerea, Jerina looked outside of the viewport and was shocked at the state of the world. What had once been beautiful countryside and plains were now devestated war zones, blackened and charred. An Imperial Star Destroyer was laying into the planet with it's turbolasers, clearly providing air support.

Jerina headed down into the area around the main citadel. In the distance, rocket trails streaked in the sky and the dull thudding of explosions could be heard. Clouds of smoke from when a missile found it's target were faint on the horizon. Jerina turned back to Serratus, slightly scared about being in a warzone.

"What now?"

High Mage Serratus

((Could you edit your post to say we never landed, it would be better than me telling you to get back in.))
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

((Um, allright, done.))

High Mage Serratus

Serratus was completely unaffected by the chaos.

"We'll circumnavigate a couple of times to take note of places for investigation and then we'll land in said places, take soil samples, observe the flora and fauna etc."

He took out a datapad.

"And we'll hope we don't get shot down."
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

She directed the ship slowly over the fields, or what used to be the fields.

"The fields look like they would be good for farming, but at present it's not that good, due to the azure."

She looked back to Serratus. "Just tell me if you want to have a look on foot."

High Mage Serratus

Serratus nodded.

"Take us down, we need to take soil samples and review the animal and plant life."

He knew that these fields composed most of Cerea and would be an excellent insight into most of the planet's state.
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

"Sure."

Steadily their ship landed, the ramp descending. Jerina got up and followed Serratus out, before heading over to a cluster of plants to take a sample.

High Mage Serratus

Serratus on the other hand, found a quaint little tree stump and sat down on it, cross-legged. He reached out with the Force and began searching for animals. After noting the presence of an Aryx, several Oorg and a cloud of Crowns of Silk, Serratus rose from his position and started taking soil samples.

"Ultiria, how are things going with the plants?"
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

Jerina looked up with a smile. "They look good. At the moment they are slightly contaminated by the residue from the weapons, but without any combat in the area they should be back to normal in a few days."

High Mage Serratus

Serratus nodded and went over to the Bane of Ignorance. He took two of the specialised aquatic cages and captured two Crowns of Silk. After returning with a larger cage to catch an Oorg, he was about to call Ultiria when a whooshing sound pierced the air. He turned and raised his hands, using the Force, he stopped the massive boulder that had been about to hit him. Even as he stopped it, he felt it being pushed again. Someone on the other side was trying to throw it at him with the Force. But clearly they had never witnessed the proficiency with which Serratus wielded the Force. Diving into the pool of pain within him, Serratus pushed the boulder away mightily. But whoever was on the other side did just the same.

"Ultiria! A little help wouldn't go amiss!"

Serratus pushed again, only for the boulder to be pushed back again. If only the High Mage could have seen the true wielder of the boulder. A sad little Cerean boy, tears streaming down his face, who was trying to stop the bad people who were trampling on the graves of his parents.
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

In an instant Ultira dropped what she was doing and had thrown the Force at her target - all she saw was a threat to Serratus and therefore herself. She leaped across the field, her blade springing to life in her hand, and moments later it was at her target's throat. Only then did she see who it was. A scared, whimpering, tear streaked little face looked back at her.

"Serratus, it's only a boy." She whispered, her eyes wide.

High Mage Serratus

"What?"

Serratus used the Force to push the boulder upwards, sending it flying away from the scene. Standing there was indeed a young boy. But the amount of power the boy had wielded was equal to his own. If honed properly, this child could be a blade of the Empire. Or a thorn in its side. Serratus raised a hand and knocked the child out painlessly with the Force. He turned to Ultiria.

"Now what do we do?"
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

She stood up, hooking her saber back to her belt, the threat eliminated. "What can we do? He is clearly strong in the Force. He could make a good Sith, or he might just be a hinderance."

She regarded his limp form thoughtfully. "You're the High Mage."
_________________

High Mage Serratus

Serratus paced back and forth. The boy could indeed make a good Sith. Or a good Jedi. If taught properly, the boy would be the bane of the light side. Or the dark side. Serratus grumbled. This was a dilemma indeed. Stepping quickly, he regarded the lad's form. Fit and young, pale skin.

Almost like me up until a few months ago. Minus the domed head.

Whatever choice Serratus made, knowledge of it could not leave the planet. If he took the boy, it would be to Tatooine and Ultiria would have to be memory wiped. If he killed the boy, she would have to be memory wiped nonetheless. The High Mage ran his fingers through his hair.
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

Ultiria could feel some of what Serratus was thinking - it was not that hard. She knew he was deciding what to do with him, but his thoughts kept drifting to her, which confused her.

"With some work, we can train him to be valuable to our Order." She offered.
_________________

High Mage Serratus

"That we could."

Serratus looked at the sky. This boy had more Force potential than himself and Ultiria combined. The things that could be done with such power. He turned to Ultiria.

"Help me to get him on the Bane of Ignorance. We'll put him in one of the Force-resistant cages for now."
_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.

Darth Ultiria · Sith Acolyte Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 143

She nodded. "Sure."

The two of them used the Force to lift the limp boy and carry him onto the ship, where Serratus began to put him in a Force cage. Ultiria returned outside to gather more samples.
_________________

High Mage Serratus

Serratus stared at the young boy. His plan was both genious and foolish. If he was caught, accusations could be made. None of them true but this was still going to be a risky business. Serratus opened one of the three hidden compartments within the ship and concealed the young Cerean within. He injected him with one of the powerful animal sedatives he had on the ship and hooked him up to an oxygen tank before concealing him again. He went outside to Ultiria.

"Jerina."

When she turned, Serratus raised a hand and with an unsurprising amount of effort on his part, wiped her memory of the last few minutes.

"Did you get those samples?"

_________________

If you see dreadlocks and a staff coming towards you very rapidly, you're in trouble.