We've pulled crazier stunts than this

[happybeeps]

WHO: Poe Dameron, OPEN
WHERE: Bishop, Temba, Storm
WHAT: Event stuff
WHEN: Start through end of the Energy Storm Event
WARNINGS: TBD



Bishop
The pull to the ships is just as strong as before, and Poe finds himself back behind the controls as they take off. But this time they finally get their first real glimpse of the ones who've brought them here. Poe listens carefully, and when the message ends he finds he can fly the ship for real now, and there's a map that seems to have two destinations.

Poe knows which one he wants to speed towards, but he needs to consult with his crew first and find out who wants to be dropped back in Temba first.

Network, Video
[Poe's currently flying , so the angles not great on this one.]

I'm stopping back in Temba to left anyone who wants. If anyone else needs a ride for some reason, you're welcome on Bishop, but I'm not stopping for long.

The flight
The storm is huge. Not the sort of thing you want to fly into, but that's exactly where Poe guides the ship. The winds tear at it, but luckily, Poe's a damn good pilot, and he's able to keep control. But it's rough, takes almost everything he has to land the thing without tearing it apart, which doesn't bode especially well for actually stepping out into the storm does it?

The storm
The rain beats down, and it's hard to see as it is, but as Poe presses on he's sure he can see figures just ahead, faces that seem familiar but just out of reach, and when he tries to call after them they seem to disappear.

BB-8 keeps insisting there's nothing there, but Poe seems increasingly distracted, in very real danger of taking off after them.

Help
There's an urgent beeping of droidspeak you may be able to hear over the storm. If you follow it you'll find BB-8 by the edge of a deep crack in the ground, trying desperately to pull Poe up from it with his winch, but he's not nearly strong enough. The astromech looks pleadingly to you to assist.

Network, Video [The Return]
[Poe's standing outside of the Bishop, scanning the horizon line.]

Anyone else out there need a ride back? We're still here, if you can get to us. If you can't, hold tight. I'll fly my crew back, and come back for you, okay? You just need to tell me where you're at.

[OOC: Feel free to reply with any other starters, or in any other format/tense]

Comments

Help

[tiedonastring]

[Hux had been pushing himself through the storm trying to see the end of it. He was being extremely stubborn despite his body protesting to stop. Yet, he had a mistakable droid cry for help above the noise of the storm and turned his attention toward it. He hoped it wasn't some false vision to lead him astray. Yet, he recognize the droid's cry and kept pushing.

Which meant something was going on with Poe as well. Had the droid been separated? With this storm anything could have happened. Then would the droid be willing to let him help him. First Order had been on the search for that droid for a long time....]

BB-8? Dameron?

[He shouted out, hoping one of them would respond as he made his way closer toward the pleas.]

[happybeeps]

[The Droid trilled back, trying to be heard over the storm, still tethered to his Master and refusing to let go, tugging fruitlessly despite Poe's insistence that he stop. There was no way the droid could pull him up on his own.

Hux's call couldn't quite reach Poe, he could hardly hear BB-8, soaked and trying to climb his way back up the sheer wall of rock he'd fallen down.]

[tiedonastring]

[Once he got closer, Hux quickly put together what happened. He spoke loudly so both could hopefully hear him and tried not to sound threatening.]

BB-8 you're going to have to trust me on this one if you want to save your master. I'm going to help you pull him up.

[He wasn't sure how well this would go with the way the heavy rain was pouring down making everything slippery and hard to hold onto anything.]

[happybeeps]

[The droid gave an uncertain warble, head plate shifting to look down, and then back to Hux, half edging away, not trusting him. Another tug proved he lacked the strength to do it himself though, and with a wary string of beeps, he agreed, head bobbing faintly as though he were nodding.]

[tiedonastring]

I'm going to wrap my coat around you, so that way it's something I can grip and then I'm going to start pulling you so we can get your master back on the ground.

[Hux firmly stated and as he spoke he shrugged his drenched coat off and wrapped it around the droid. One he made it secure as he could he began to pull after the count of three.]

[happybeeps]

[BB-8 gave the droidspeak equivalent of muttering under his breath, but seemed ready to accept Hux's assistance, allowing him to wrap the coat in place, and once the coat was up he ressumed pulling, skidding determinedly against wet rock.

Below Poe pulled and caught at the rock face, and with some struggle, was able to hoist himself half out of the hole, weight that much more with how drenched he was.

His eyes skirted the area as though looking for someone else all together, a desperate sort of look on his face that was soon replaced with a frown.]

...Where'd she go?

[BB-8 gave a sad sort of sound, reminding him that there was no one else.]

Flight -> Storm

[out_of_order]

Flying into an unknown energy storm? Sure, why not? It wouldn't be the first storm Cal's braved, and he's just glad to know there's a more than capable person at the controls as they make their way right into the thick of things.

Maybe it's a little early to go throwing himself so haphazardly into the mess of things when he hasn't been here very long, but it seems pretty clear to him that if these storms are a main chunk of the problem for whoever these Agrii are, then there's no point in waiting. Not that he doesn't start to have a some second thoughts about it.

"Kinda like Zeffo," he says as his little droid clings to him, and with the growing turbulence the pawadan's strapped in and grabbing for whatever handhold he can as Poe brings them in for a landing.

[happybeeps]

Poe glances back with a knowing sort of smirk, though he only lets himself be distracted for a moment. This landing is going to take all his focus.

"Hold on tight," he advises, and BB-8 rolls about unsteadily with no socket to anchor himself into, chirping anxiously. "Yeah, I know, bud- I'm trying."

It's not a pretty landing, jerkier than he would have liked, but they're in one piece, and given how the storms batting at them that's a miracle in its own right.

[out_of_order]

Cal isn't about to do anything less as the ship rocks them about. Noting BB-8's plight, he relinquishes his grip with one hand, holding it out towards the rolly droid to help keep him steady, not physically, but by other means.

Maybe it's so brief it's barely even registered, but to the padawan, it's like grasping at threads for the Force, and then there's just nothing to grasp at all.

For a moment he forgets about where they are and the hard landing they're about to take, staring at his hand almost uncomprehendingly. And then they land, the jolt snapping him out of his revelation as he's jerked against the seat restraints. Shakily he unbuckles himself pushes onto unsteady feet. He would've congratulated Poe on the landing job were he not distracted.

"...something's not right.."

[happybeeps]

That much seems obvious to Poe, and at first he gives the kid a look before he seems to gather he means something more than just the storm, head tilting while BB-8 gives a worried chirp.

"How do you mean?" he presses, unclipping himself and moving back to check on him, "You all right?"

[out_of_order]

He hadn't reached out to connect with the Force for five years, but the sensation then and now is completely different. It's disturbing just feeling...nothing, and that absence to him is just as palpable.

Looking more than a little shaken, Cal lifts his head towards Poe as the pilot approaches. "Yeah...no... I don't..." He shakes his head. "I can't sense it." He's hesitant, but he figures he's already spoken to a self-proclaimed Sith, and being so far removed from their galaxy, it doesn't seem like it would matter.

"The Force. It probably doesn't mean anything to you, but it's this sort of energy present in everything, and usually I can sense things through it, but the moment we got into the deep of this storm, it's like it just vanished."

[happybeeps]

"No, I know it," Poe assures, brow creasing with concern, "I'm not sensitive, but I know about it." That doesn't sound good; that connection suddenly being severed. What does that say about this place if the Force can't even reach it?

He considers for a moment, looking back towards the controls. "...You sure you wanna be out here?"

In the storm

[myinspiration]

The further he ventured within the storm, the harsher the rain seemed to beat on down. Crystal Exarch kept his hood up to try to keep out some of the rain. Familiar faces flashed around making the guilt creep within. It had to be a trick they could not possibly be here. He looks up to the sky while saying out loud. "Forgive me my friends, as soon as my role here is over, I promise to finish what I have done."

Even if they were not here, perhaps the why from the storm could hear his pleas and stop tormenting him with his guilt. He moves backwards, turning around to see another figure within the beating rain. There's another flash with a different face behind the figure. He shakes his head while looking at the figure. He speaks loud and clearly as he can. "It's truthfully hard to see within all of this rain. If you happen to be real please take another step forward."

[happybeeps]

There's a trilling beep that answers, and BB-8 comes rolling forward, followed shortly after by Poe, who looks rather surprised to find Crystal Exarch and not whatever figure he was chasing through the storm.

Belatedly he seems to remember his words and offers a damp smile. "We're real."

The storm

[killikambassador]

Vector is just as lost in the storm, seeing faces he knew from his diplomacy days, as well as masses of killiks. He can't sense the hive anymore, and the enhanced senses he has as a Joiner seem to be muted. Colors are bland, and sounds are dull.

He hears a beeping sound and goes towards it. "Is anyone there?"

[happybeeps]

The beeping comes closer, and the droid comes rolling out of the rain, peering up at him and even giving him a little nudge before calling back to his master. It's a moment before Poe follows after, looking suspicious when faced with Vector, until BB-8 nudges him again to prove that he's real.

"You're real-" he concludes, looking relieved, "You all right?"

[killikambassador]

Vector looks at the droid, whose model is very unfamiliar to him, and normally he'd be asking all sorts of questions about him. But right now he's rather distressed.

"Yes, I'm real," His eyes have reverted back to human-looking, with grey irises. "And so are you," He sounds relieved to see another actual person.

[happybeeps]

"I am," Poe agrees, and it's a little easier to focus with a real flesh and blood person to keep him from wandering off into the storm. He looks relieved. He's chased after far too many faces all ready who disappeared into the rain like they'd never been there.

"Have you been seeing people too?"

[killikambassador]

"Yes. People I once knew, and my... the killiks," Vector rubs his face, then runs his hands through his hair, not doing much to get the rainwater off. Is this what it feels like to go back from being a Joiner? It feels so lonely.

"I've been seeing them, but can't feel them anymore."

[happybeeps]

"Killiks," Poe repeats, squinting as though trying to remember some long forgotten fact. He's heard of them before, but can't remember much.

"People we've lost," he confirms with a frown, "It's probably some kind of...trap," he reasons, as much as he wants them to be real.

The Storm

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky's also had a rough landing, and a rough time of things out in the storm. But he's a big proponent of not doing things on your own. Which is kind of a losing battle around most of the people here, but he knows better than to give up. He grew up with Steve Rogers, after all.

So he's out looking for stragglers when he spots Poe and BB-8, the former noticeably distracted and the latter decidedly agitated about it. He cups his hands around his mouth, trying to project his voice over the rain and wind: "Dameron! What are you doing?"

[happybeeps]

The shout breaks through the one minded hold the figures seemed to hold over him, and Poe blinks, frowning and looking for the source of the call like he's not quite sure how he got to be where he was.

He looks back briefly out the opposite way before half jogging back towards Bucky, BB-8 trailing gratefully after him. The droid chirps at Bucky in thanks, while Poe frowns. "I swore I saw someone out there, but...I can't see them now."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky just frowns at that, because, "I think I know what you mean. I've been... hearin' things." And normally he wouldn't admit that, but right now, it suddenly seems incredibly relevant. "People," he elaborates. "People that aren't here. People that are dead."

He knows it sounds crazy. He knows how it would sound to anyone back home. But he glances down at BB-8, and says, "He's not picking up anything, is he?"

He... actually doesn't know if the droid is a he or a she or whatever, but it's what he's picked until told otherwise.

[happybeeps]

While he doesn't say as much, Poe's expression strongly implies that he's been seeing much the same, and he swallows, looking back out into the storm again with a frown and a faint shake of his head.

"No. He says there's no life signs. No one there."

But this place...it's brought people from different worlds, different times. Poe can't help but cling to the hope that those faces might be real.

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky lets out a slow breath. "I'm kind of inclined to believe him. This storm isn't normal... and there's no fuckin' way some of the people I've heard can be here."

They're dead.

Then again... he'd thought Steve was dead. There is a tiny, tiny niggling voice in the back of his head, saying he's been wrong before. He could be wrong now.

But he can't think that way. He's got to stay focused. "Can we use him to navigate? Keep us on track? I mean - I think we should stick together. Probably safer than going alone."