It's Called Caving

[The Storyteller]

Gizer, a planet that makes Tatooine look like a resort by comparison due to it's lack of volcanic activity and it's ability to sustain life outside of a singular hub of activity. Gizer is a planet where only the strong and adaptable survive making the fauna deadlier than most worlds, and if one strays too far from the hub they can even visit with them which is what was the expeditionary group in the caves of Gizer might expect.

The mouth of the cave sat among a cluster of sand colored boulders a few paces from one of the naturally occurring geyser, whose liquid seemed to trickle down through the rocks. Following the gradual decline of the cave entrance for as far as the eye could see even with the blazing sun providing back light it would only get an adventurous soul so far before some other means of light would be needed. The caves entrance sported a number of smaller and worn rocks, it was unclear if animals or tools had created the grooves and indentations within the sandy colored rocks but it was an indication if nothing more that the cave could very well be inhabited.

@Gian Greydragon @Kayenta Moenkopi @Cazar ​

 

[Doz Noth]

The Zabrak strode through the area about the cavern looking at the travertine formations about the water flows. She turned to look at the area surrounding the nearby geyser then back to the cave in order to determine how active this particular area was with recent thermal activity. For the most part it seemed pretty inactive, but she didn’t discount that in the space of geologic time appearances were deceptive. It was not a matter of being fear over being caught in some 100 year cyclic cataclysmic event, but more along the lines of curiosity about the environment these cave dwelling creatures inhabited.

Having outfitted herself for a bit of caving, she joined the expedition not only to assist in finding a suitable location for a base, but because of what unusual life forms she might get to observe. While she waited for her fellow explorer’s to indicate their readiness to proceed, she moved toward the cavern entrance. Viewing but a small distance inside, as the sunlight could illuminate, she let her sensory ability expand while drawing upon the force. Aware that the tunnel systems upon this world were sometimes quite complex, it was likely that whatever dwelt within the cavern could be far from this entrance. Even so the area about the front seemed to indicate a fair amount of traffic over the threshold, so perhaps something might be close enough to the surface for her to detect.

Spoiler

Gear for this mission:
Armour
DH-7 Blaster Pistol - 2 power packs [ 10 rounds each ]
Lightsaber
Grappling Pistol
Flashlight

@Gian Greydragon
@Cazar
@Rimrald

 

[Boora Sun]

Boora had been to a lot of wastelands but this one about took the cake. The Ithorian Sith wanted to feel the force flow through nature, feel his corruption spreading and taking root. Here it was almost laughable. It angered him greatly but he bottled it up inside, saving that rage for the rough roads ahead. Boora wore only his usual, primary equipment and allowed to force to be his tool and weapon for every other need. He had not worked with these partners before, but it would be an interesting test at least.

"Why are we here again?" He asked, his tone annoyed from the lack of plant life.

Tendrils of the force reached out towards the cave and Boora tried to find plant life to use. It was sparse, it would seem. Easily noticeable was how dark it got inside as well. If there were plants he would simply manipulate one to become their light slave, but it was too desolate here so he'd have to use something primitive like pyromancy or a lightsaber once inside. This was just not his usual scene.

 

[Arnen Elgernoth]

Arnen kept his eyes forward, as they approached the cave in question, ready to take on the task at hand. His face was expressionless, except for his eyes, which burned with anger aim inward at himself, for his failures. This anger burned like a white-hot irons being pressed into his temples. He looked to his left, at the Sith that went by the name Doz Noth, a Zabrak he'd been able to recruit for his efforts, for her knowledge of natural sciences. This made her an asset, when cave-diving for a suitable base, as she would be able to discern the relative integrity of any cavern they may find below.

The Ithorian was unknown to Arnen, but his accompaniment was necessary, as numbers, where trained Force Sensitives were concerned, in a cave would even the odds of whatever non-sentient laying in wait for them. He carried, in addition to his usual gear, a flashlight, and canteen of water, as well as some small emergency provisions, like a glowstick, granola bars, and salted jerky, and other sources of protein that wouldn't expire in the event that they got stuck within the cave.

Turning to the Ithorian, Boora, Arnen spoke, with a lightly digitized human-sounding voice from the Voice box module in his cybernetic jaw, "We're here to find a suitable place for a small base, from which, our team will stage raids on Tanaab, and Imperial Republican Agricultural world, while we wait for Old Imperial forces to make the push to take the world, to cause disarray, and muck up their food import trade," he spoke, a light growl in his voice, annoyed slightly, as the Ithorian had clearly not listened to the briefing, though that was neither here nor there. So long as he was prepared to fight whatever they would come up against.

@Rimrald

 

[The Storyteller]

The cave smelled of habitation if one desired to extend their senses, some small amount of greenery clung to the rocks and appeared in various forms of moss and fungus all with a tinge of blue from the naturally occurring geyser water. Behind the group the geyser spewed again, throwing a stream of the water into the air before it would come down on them and the surrounding area, pelting the tops of the boulders and momentarily providing some shade from the suns intensity. The wind whipped as the eruption ended and sent a howling gust into the cave, and it took a few moments longer than expected to reverberate and come back to the trio at its entrance.

They would need to enter soon as the wind was picking up in a way that would resemble a coming storm to anyone of the group who was of a desert upbringing. They typically didn't like sand because it was coarse and rough and got everywhere, neither did whatever was living in these caves but a fair howl or groan could be heard coming from the cave followed by some scratching and then some violent tumbling that quickly faded as it seemed to retreat further away from the group.

The cave would continue straight for roughly 50m before turning right abruptly through a tight passage that would only allow for one person to move through at a time. This squeeze would be roughly 10m long and would then take them into the first chamber of the cave, potentially a good place for an outpost but they would not no until they began exploring as this cave held several chasms and chambers.

@Gian Greydragon @Cazar @Kayenta Moenkopi ​

 

[Doz Noth]

At the sound of his voice, Doz turned toward the man who was organizing the expedition. Although she would not be staying on at the base once it was established, it was not unusual for ‘consultant’ members to be involved. She would gather her data, examine the facts, and make her recommendation. But it was only one part of the process that Amen must consider. Even if this tunnel were determined to be ideal for habitation, it might not fulfill his military needs. These were details and considerations that she, thankfully, would not be called upon to make. Listening to his recap of the mission goals, for the benefit of Boora Sun, she nodded her head thoughtfully imagining that as such the perfect base would require every tactical advantage a location could provide.

Her meager examination of the cavern entrance with the force had not turned up more than an increase in the biota within. Certainly her sensory capabilities were not so refined as to identify plant life and fungi that might be within, but more a general sense of ‘living things’ that was absent about the area of the geyser. She could feel the ground beginning to tremble and a distinct smell of sulfur polluting the air. Her eyes went toward the geyser seeing the first spouts of water shooting up into the air. While she was aware that most geysers didn’t release their mineral rich waters at the boiling point, they were still hot enough to cause third degree burns on the skin of most life forms. Certainly everyone here.

Both her hands would rise into the air, her hold on the force drawing deep, in an attempt to shield the three of them from the rain of the geyser with a force push, for though she could duck inside the cavern easily enough, she was unsure if her two companions would make it in time.

”Get to cover!” she called out fully intending to duck into the cavern if her attempt failed. She wasn’t about to sacrifice herself to be poached by a geyser.

@Gian Greydragon
@Cazar
@Rimrald

 

[Arnen Elgernoth]

Arnen ran into the mouth of the cave, before turning around to use the Force to aid Doz in holding the geyser water in place. "Hurry, I can't hold a liquid in stasis for long!" he shouted. Water would seek to find any 'holes' in his hold, and seep through, to burn anyone caught under it. He'd hope they would all move fairly quickly so he could let it fall as it needed, after Doz dropped everything on her end, to move herself into the cave, with Boora closely behind.

@Cazar @Rimrald @Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Boora Sun]

Boora could feel the geyser erupting due to his connection with nature. The Ithorian moved inside quickly without offering aid to his companions. They'd be fine and it wasn't enough to really hurt them. It was just warm water. He was much more interested in what form of beast could be deep inside this cavern. An outpost would mean taming or killing it. The dark side naturalist always preferred to tame and modify an animal.

"If you're done playing with water, let's go." He bellowed to them as he began to walk further into the dark cave, drawing his lightsaber to provide them light.

He noticed the scratches and the noises. It would seem they were known so no use in stealth. A red glow marked the cave walls due to the lightsaber and the hum seemed to echo through the cave. Boora knew that whatever was inside would be no match for the dark side. They would shape it to their will or it would die in its attempt to resist.

@Rimrald

 

[The Storyteller]

The geyser would continue spewing the liquid into the air and speckling the rocks outside as it began pouring in a small stream through the grooves path it’d been carving over time. It flowed gently but quickly as it increased in flow and width slightly, moving beyond the cavers and below as the silence of the moment was broken by the quiet flow and the pressure eruption. But if any were listening close enough they would hear the splashing of feet or some sort of movement within the cave below, it would grow and be joined by the sounds of scraping on rock as something or some group of things got closer and closer.

Somethings wer closing the distance and the storm outside was beginning to grow as the sand kicked up violently with the wind, a howl mixed with the sudden burst of an animals howl would send none chilling tingles down the spine or even a hardened crusader. Sand would begin to push into the opening of the cave but nothing to seal them in, merely a deterrent to anyone might think to run, the sounds grew louder as the bit of light that was present was low and being choked by the sand.

Three monsterous beings produced themselves into the light as the first leapt onto a rock close to @Boora Sun seemingly attracted to the light and sound. It would lungs aiming to come down on top of the mildly prepared creature; the second would make itself known as it barreled up the small stream in a straight line towards @Arnen Elgernoth. He had his back turned and was focusing on the water, near the mouth of the cave beyond his ally with the ignited blade the creature would close the distance aiming to attack once close enough if given the chance. The water for the most part was being held in place and with the added push from @Doz Noth what would have seeped through was temporarily avoided as she and Boora made way in.

@Cazar @Gian Greydragon @Kayenta Moenkopi​

 

[Doz Noth]

Doz released her hold on the water and slipped into the mouth of the cave. Conditions were becoming quite intense and she had to wonder why this site was even under consideration in the first place. Perhaps with a little venting modification the geyser could be rerouted but such an operation would require extensive seismic readings, analysis by structural geologists… it was at this point she ceased her musings as it was more logical to just move the cave entrance if this location was crucial to Amen’s needs.

Any further speculation was cut short by the sudden arrival of three creatures. In the dim lighting provided by Boora’s lightsaber, all she saw was motion too quick to distinguish what sort of creature it was; the cloud of obscuring sand that was steadily filling the air. Instinctively she directed a force push, gathering power within both hands, and threw up her arms with palms outstretched before her. Her placement was with Boora to her front and Amen to her rear. She called out a bit needlessly, ”Look out!”, as she tried to hold the creature off.

@Cazar @Gian Greydragon @Rimrald

Spoiler

Gian asked me to go ahead and post first this round

 

[Arnen Elgernoth]

Arnen turned quickly, dropping the hold he had on the water, as his comrades sprinted into the cave, allowing the water to simply fall where it may, picking up the rear of the formation to find a hulking beast charging toward him. As focused as h was, he could still Instinctively, he flexed his forearm, and drew his lightsaber in his right hand, igniting it, while grabbing his pistol in the other, and stepping to the right of his two partners, and firing two bolts toward the sounds of the sloshing water, and the faint silhouette of the charging beast. Arnen stood ready, calling the Force to the pads of his feet, ready to react to the creatures now coming out of the cave.