Into the Hives

[Chuck Owens]

Alderaan, Castle Lands
Midday
Winter​

Deen Jacmin coughed. These hives had been untouched for longer than history remembers and the dust was dense. The mild midday sun was now covered by the walls of the hive, lowering the amiable temperature to a brisk chill. The hives were of great archaeological importance to the history of Alderaan - they were created by the Killiks, an insectoid species native to the planet - and so their protection and conservation was vital. Even so, Deen couldn't see why a Jedi was needed to survey a dusty old nest, even if he was just a Padawan. Nevertheless, the opportunity was taken with reasonable enthusiasm - at the very least, he could use it to train in complete silence and isolation, a rare privilege in the temple. He had been instructed to take the up most precaution to maintain the safety of the heritage site and of himself, so Deen hung the silver hilt of his lightsaber from his belt. He had recently been focussing heavily on his grasp of the Force, which was a serious weakness for him, and yearned for the opportunity to put his practice to good use.

The hive halted his progress with a large obstruction of dirt. It formed a flat surface nearly twelve feet high, with a soft curve blending into the domed ceiling. However, Deen could just make out an opening a little way over his head. The opening couldn't have been more than a few feet wide and he could only assume led to the next hive, acting as a passageway between the two. So far Deen's journey had been less than eventful, sticking to the largest rooms with the most open space, but he would have to exert some level of effort her if he was to make further progress. Squatting low, he took a deep breath and, channeling the Force to his legs, sprung upwards, catapulting into the air. His reactions would have to be quick if he was to gain purchase on the dusty dirt wall. His arms outstretched, Deen's fingers found their destination, but his momentum was too great and he barreled into the ceiling, banging his head and falling to the ground. He let out a loud groan of pain, but it was muffled by the crack of his knees on the floor. While the hives were made of a relatively thick material, the force of Deen's large mass hitting the ground forced it to splinter and the Padawan fell, along with a flow of rubble, to the tunnels below. He scraped along a wall, bruised his shoulder and twisted his right elbow before coming to an eventual (and painful) stop on the solid tunnel floor. Feeling foolish, Deen stood up. A sharp pain shot through his knees and he winced from his multitude of scrapes and grazes, but his pride took the greatest hit. Cursing under his breath and thanking the stars no one was around to see, he ignited his cobalt blade, holding it out in front of him like a torch. Illuminated by the hazy blue light, the tunnel wound downwards in a single direction into the darkness and Deen set off, stooping under the low ceiling. He still had to finish the job and now, find a way out.

---
@RedneckLoves

 

[RedneckLoves]

Hidden deep within the ancient and forgotten hives on Alderaan, Ja'zz Kekker was having a bad day. He'd just been informed by his second in command that they'd lost another valuable shipment to the ever more vigilant Republic security forces. His entire operation was starting to lag behind because of the damn war. With the Sith getting more and more aggressive, so too were the Republic forces becoming less and less tolerant of crimes within their borders. They'd had a dozen shipments seized in the last half year by the scoundrels, not counting the one he'd just found out about.

He slammed a meaty fist down hard on the durasteel table he was sitting at, causing the two mugs upon it to rattle and slop a bit of ale. He had to do something about this mess, or pretty soon he wouldn't have a smuggling operation to worry about! A great billowing sigh escaped his lips and he rubbed his large hand across his eyes for a moment.

"We need allies," he said to Hessa, his second.

She looked at him with her reptilian eyes, tongue flicking out of her mouth with a silent question. They'd been together long enough for Ja'zz to perceive exactly what she meant with no words spoken.

"Well it's the damn Republic that keeps taking our loot, isn't it!?" his voice boomed with an irritable tone. Several of the workers within hearing distance hunched their backs and discreetly walked away. The leader of their small smuggling band was known for his violence towards anyone convenient when his anger exploded. "We need to get in touch with the Exchange or..." He glared at Hessa when he saw her dangerously protesting look. "YEAH, or even the damn SITH if we have to!!!"

His meaty hand once again hit the table, this time with enough force to knock over both of the mugs, spilling ale all over the table and running off in rivulets onto the floor. Hessa didn't speak a word, knowing it would be useless to sway her rash husband in his current state of mind. Instead she glanced distastefully at the mess he'd made, shook her head slightly, and walked away from him.

The laborers of the operation were still hard at work, packing away their most recent loot into large durasteel crates for shipping. There were dozens of them, each with their own unique set of skills and talents that aided the smuggling operation. Most of them were still loyal to Ja'zz and Hessa, though there were a few already who saw the decline in profits and the dangerous game that they were playing with the authorities.

 

[Chuck Owens]

Deen ventured further into the dingy tunnel, watching his feet carefully for cracks in the floor or marks in the ceiling. The passageway curled down and to the right, making its destination a mystery. As he walked, padding one foot after the other quietly, he looked at the walls around him. They seemed different to the haphazard structures he had fallen from, as if the Killiks had taken a strange care to this particular section of their hive. Deen ran his hand down the wall. They were smooth and hard, whereas the dirt that formed the hives was rough and crumbled at the touch. It was almost as if this tunneling had been done recently, by modern machinery. Perhaps there was more than meets the eye at the end.

It was then that Deen heard voices. Muffled at first, but quickly getting louder and louder.

"...damn Republic... ...loot... ...We need to... ...the Exchange... ...even the damn..."
​

According to the report this place should be empty, deserted millennia ago. He expected to find the odd scavenger, or perhaps archaeologist, but no archaeologist would be involved with the Exchange. A warm yellow glow filled the tunnel now and Deen looked up, squinting at the bright artificial lights. Sounds of discussion and the smell of ale filled his senses, and the tunnel was starting to level off. Deen sheathed his lightsaber, but kept the hilt gripped tightly. He hugged the wall as he approached a large opening, tall enough to stand up straight. There, in the middle of this bunker, sat a large human male, alone, while a Trandoshan female rolled his eyes and walked away, her back to Deen, who began edging round the corner. There was a storage cupboard to his left, which he could reach quickly. That should give him enough time to call for back up on his datapad. Of course, he could just leave now, but he needed to finish his mission to the best of his abilities. If he gave up now, he would have failed.

Spoiler: OOC

I made some assumptions about Ja'zz and Hessa, let me know if you want me to edit anything.