Thread 1.3.4: Unexpected Lifeform

Summary

While on Fresia, The Initiates hear about a new life form that has been discovered. Lem "Lemmy" Kolo thinks that it sounds like biotechnology used by an alien race called the Yuuzhan Vong that is yet unknown to most of the galaxy. Lem has been trying to convince the Jedi Order of the existence, and this discovery might be the proof he needs.

Yavin IV

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Carida Memorial Station

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Fresia

News Flash
While walking around Northwest Coromons, Lem "Lemmy" Kolo notices a local news holo talking about a mysterious new animal of some sort that was found on the beach at The Resort. The animal is being taken to the Incom Corporation research facility on Coromon Besh for further study. Lem tells his padawan colleagues about his experience with the Yuuzhan Vong and his fear about a Vong presence on Fresia due to the discovery of what he calls an "masquer". Later, he tells Master Dal Konur about this discovery and asks for his support to investigate further, but is told that he needs to stick to the mission.
Engineer in Trouble I
While walking around Incom Park in Northwest Coromons, Tomla Niron and Rin Tos helps a Sullustan named Beck Nhallip to find his lost Incom Corporation security badge. In return, he offers them a tour of his restricted lab on Coromon Besh to show them his research.
Sneaking into the Lab
While Tomla and Rin were at Incom Park, Lem "Lemmy" Kolo agreed to watch the ship. However, soon after they leave he snuck out to Coromon Besh to see if he can find the masquer that was discovered the day before. After talking his way past the local security, Lem made his way into a lab on Coromon Besh 1, cutting a hole in the side of the building with his lightsaber. While looking around, he was discovered by an Incom lab tech who was working late. Lem is able to talk his way out of the situation, but doesn't make any headway in where the masquer is being kept.
Engineer in Trouble II
The next day, Tomla Niron and Lemmy meet with Beck Nhallip and take the tour, of his lab discovering that not only does he know nothing about the new creature that was discovered, he is working on terrifying (and probably illegal) bio-weapons for Incom. He does offer to arrange a meeting with his boss after the Headhunter Hunt, who would know more about the animal that was discovered.
Yuuzhan Vong Encounter
While Tomla Niron is in the jungle of ViGureni protecting Lyshea, she spots three people moving toward them. When they get closer, she recognizes one of them as the Sullustan engineer that they met, Beck Nhallip. Her force powers don't seem to be able to affect him, and all three raise their weapons, long staffs with what look like living snake heads on one end, and attack. They also throw large, living bugs at her, and one of them screams in pain as their skin pulls away from their body, revealing an unknown alien underneath. While she is able to incapacitate one and give Lyshea time to escape, she succumbs to the blows of the other two who capture her and start dragging her through the jungle. She is able to get away and her fellow padawans fly over to pick her and Lyshea up. When she describes what happened, Rin recognizes them as Yuuzhan Vong, the aliens that he has been trying to warn everyone about.
Tracks in the Jungle
Determined to find definitive proof of the Yuuzhan Vong presence on Fresia, Lem heads into the jungles of ViGureni to track the aliens that Tomla encountered and bring back proof of their existence, one way or another. After several hours and a close encounter with a Coromon Headhunter, he arrives at a hidden structure guarded by two Yuuzhan Vong warriors. He is almost immediately spotted and a battle ensures in which Lem is victorious. He boldly enters the structure which he recognizes as a Vong temporary outpost. Sneaking his way through an empty hallway, he coaxes a bio-door open only to reveal a Vong fighting put with more than a half-dozen Vong warriors all staring directly at him. With little other choice, Lem flees the facility, calling his friends for assistance. While he is able to use his Jedi abilities to evade the battalion of alien attackers, a Yuuzhan Vong shaper is able to find him hiding in the jungle. Just as the The Mynock's Wing lowers itself down to help Lem escape, the Shaper knocks him out with an advanced thud bug. Tomla is able to lift his body into the ship with the Force while Rin uses the ship's laser cannons to dissuade the Shaper from trying anything else.
A Single Piece of Evidence
After recovering in a bacta tank for several hours, Lem is released from the hospital after his battle at the Vong outpost. When the medical staff return his belongings, including half of a thud bug that must have fallen into his robes after he sliced through it with his lightsaber. Looking at it closely, it appears that it might actually be regrowing.
Unsettling Validation
While at a dinner party with Incom Corporation CEO Kritia Haccor, Lem "Lemmy" Kolo quietly lets her know about the Yuuzhan Vong presence on Fresia. To his complete shock, she tells Lem that she already knows and has been working with Master Luke Skywalker and Chief of State Leia Organa Solo to prepare.

Selvaris

Confronting Master Konur
When Lem is reunited with Master Konur, after discovering that he has been working with Kyp Durron and Dorsk 82 secretly against the Jedi Order (Thread 1.1.1: The Search for Kyp), he confronts him about the Order knowing about the Yuuzhan Vong threat. Dal explains that he wasn't aware himself, but it doesn't surprise him that Luke and his sister would keep such a secret. It's just another example of why he split from the Order.
A Forgotten Bug
During a discussion with Kyp Durron, Dal Konur, and Dorsk 82 about how to use the Star Temple (Thread 1.5.1: The Star Temple), the Yuuzhan Vong thud bug that has been slowly regrowing in Lem's robe pocket since he put it there a week ago, flies out and attacks Kyp Durron, who quickly slices it in half with his lightsaber. Demanding to know what that was, the Lem testily reminds them of the Vong threat and of his encounter on ViGureni. Intrigued and concerned about this threat, Kyp suggests that since they are going to Fresia anyway, he should check out the Vong camp to learn more about them.
Fresia Revisiting the Camp
Kyp Durron and Lem decide to go investigate the Yuuzhan Vong camp on ViGureni. After making their way through the jungle and fighting off headhunters, they finally arrive back at the camp that Lem found the previous week. Lem opts for the direct approach and calmly walks up to the front entrance of the structure and knocks. The Shaper that Lem tangled with previously calls out to him, mocking him, calling him "Onirra's pet" and says that their flesh is forfeit. Kyp, tired of the taunting, strides into the structure to face the enemies.
As they enter, Lem sees that although the Vong are of courses waiting for them and that they are badly outnumbered, there are fewer Vong here than when he was here last week. As the warriors close in to attack, the Shaper offers Lem the Embrace of Pain if he surrenders. Kyp tries to use the Force against the Vong, but it is of course ineffective. He then ignites his lightsaber and begins to fight, but he is not used to being Force-blind against his enemies and loses control of his weapon, causing it to fly across the room. Lem takes control of the battle, defending Kyp as best he can against so many enemies. Eventually Kyp adapts and then the two of them easily defeat Vong after Vong. Seeing that the battle is turning against them, the Shaper throws some kind of plant-ball at Kyp, releasing spores into the air when it impacts him. As Kyp inhales the alien spores, he begins to cough. The Shaper runs into another room to use a villip to communicate something in Vong about "Jeedai", and then curses Lem and Kyp before using an implanted toxin to kill himself. Lem explains to Kyp that he has been infected by some Vong tech and insists that they get him medical help immediately.

Plot type

Thread