| abstract | - The Planet of Arboria circles a single star in the Arbor system, just on the edge of the Outer Rim, bordering on Wild Space. Preliminary scans revealed rich deposits of minerals and spice scattered through a vast network of tunnels and caves that spanned the planet's more temperate zones, as well as a series of sunken ruins for from ancient civilization. A few early scouting reports by a Jedi Master named Har'ku Long was the first piece of intelligence that warned of the hidden dangers on the planet. Entry Six-A: "Day four on the surface. The spice deposits reported to be on this planet have proven accurate. It is my firm position that the planet should be immediately taken into the care of the Jedi Order, to prevent these substances falling into the hands of sinister and criminal elements. - We have established a colony on the mountainside to avoid the threat of local wildlife, as two of our scouting parties did not return yesterday. Report submitted and sent via secure channels." Entry Seventeen-B: "Disaster! The creatures in my previous six reports have proven severely more cunning and difficult to combat than the Order seems to understand. They are immune to my Lightsaber. They seem to vibrate and emit a high pitched sound to cut through solid objects much like a Vibro-blade. With all respect I again humbly request the council send at least one full battalion of Clones and several bomber squadrons. This spice must not fall into the hands of those who would use it to harm the Galaxy for profit, and these creatures are only of a mind to destroy. Communications of all types of failed and I'm down to thirty-two troopers under my command. The miners and colonists have long since abandoned the mountain city. We now hold this planet from a ship hovering in the clouds! We need more men!" Entry Twenty-Four-A: "As per your wise council, I am taking the three remaining clones and returning to Coruscant for debriefing. I also humbly request to be granted substantial meditation leave whenever possible." ― Reports from Jedi Master Har'ku Long There are rumors that the Sith too have tried to conquer Aboria, but turned to other more important tasks once they too encountered the unknown enemy lurking beneath the planet's crust. However, such claims are unfounded, with most Sith secrets having been well protected over the years. But the promise of spice and rich ores brought others from time to time, each looking upon the fallen cities and overgrown outposts of their failed predecessors, reclaimed by the forests and swamps of the planet. Now, a single outpost holds. Arboria Colony... With the latest in anti-seismic technology, and a privately commanded and unknown number of security droids, Keldab Imports has refurbished and upgraded one of the mountain cities, building Arboria Colony at the base of the cliffs below. The mountain city itself is sealed to all but Keldab Import's higher ranking personnel and the army of robotic minions defending them. The Colony is open to the public, as Arboria is the last system with a Starport before you enter Wild Space. This brings traders, hunters, and miners who brave the systems beyond the star maps, to Arboria to peddle their wares, refuel, and relax some where with working power and running water for a while before they fly back into the void. The creatures still plague the mines, and droids are shipped back in pieces on a daily basis. A growing number of pilots, mercenaries, and veterans have been signing on with K.I. as independent contractors, hunting and killing the creatures only known as "Kriffers" for now. Nobody has been able to study them, and all attempts to establish forward research camps have failed. One K.I employee was overheard relating the horrors of the skirmishes out in the hostile forests and swamps: "You're as likely to get killed here by dumb luck as you are by any lack of skill. Just keep your footing and have a rocketpack handy. They like to tunnel, and some places around here the ground will give out and down you'll go.. I've seen entire recommissioned AT-ST's vanish into a pool of boiling sulfur, but they were the lucky ones.. another fell into a Kriffer den. They tore the thing open like a tin of meat and had at the crew. We shot, but it's like a nest.. they just keep coming once you piss them off. They're Subterranean Insect-Humanoid hybrids of some sort.. They have the ability to spasm their muscles in a way that vibrates their exoskeleton and appendages the same way a Vibro-blade functions. They seem to adjust the pitch to cut through things.. rocks.. gates.. structural supports.. body armor. Lightsabers don't do much unless you throw 'em with quite a lot of force. I've never seen somebody take one in melee combat. Blasters are effective, but slugthrowers seem best." — Unknown K.I employee So for now Arboria Colony holds, and builds itself up. New colonists and traders arrive every day, but few ever witness the true horror that occurs outside the walls in the hot, muggy days of patrols, and the damp, terrifying nights of sentry duty that ensure the colony's survival.
|
