Ask Sometimes Things Aren't What They Seem, Huh?

[Aska Ryun]

”Back to the ship?” Aska whispered harshly as she cautiously peered her head around a corner in the underground terrain, SE-45 in hand. True, safety came from within the metal shell of the Night Terror but between them and it she knew to be these walking undead. The speed in which they moved suggested to the clone that they had not followed them within or else they would have been contending with them in this moment. This aside, she couldn't help but feel as though they were on the right track to discovering the source of this curse. Was this not what he had desired from the beginning?

”Got something warm and wet running down your leg, huh?” she joked, finally looking back and seeing Nathan pressing himself tightly against the rocky wall. Chuckling, she slowly continued on. ”Feel free to turn around if you want but I should warn you,” she paused, her smirk growing. ”The droid's a damn coward. The ship is probably on lockdown until I come back and give the clearance code and you're smart enough to realize I'm not giving it to a couple of strangers,”

This caused the clone some pause. They were, in fact, still strangers. Under normal circumstances this would have been preferred but if they were going to risk their lives together down here... ”So, the Prince Politician and Sparkles. I bet those aren't even your real names, are they?” she called back to them, trying to lighten the mood and distract them from their current situation.

@Alhon​

 

[Nathan Braxon]

Nathan threw Aska a pained grimace at her joke. He was not quite wetting himself just yet, but he was desperately scrabbling to get control of the situation.

Granted, heading for the ship was perhaps not the answer. Their pursuers were in the way and it seemed the mercenary was not up for following. Without her, he and Stamper would indeed find it difficult to gain entry, even if her blasted droid complied. Nathan knew she should have wiped the thing years ago.

The Senator straightened and peeled himself away from the wall, closing with Aska as she appeared to contemplate heading deeper. “I am Senator Nathan Braxon“ he said through pursed lips “and this is my man Stamper”. Names hardly seemed important right now, but perhaps it would light a rocket under her arse to know she risked the life of a Senator. Nathan almost laughed. As if she would care.

”Not the ship then, but if we go down then you lead” he said to her, motioning to the tunnel “Stamper will bring up the rear. If we run into a dead end with these things following us, I will remind you I suggested the ship. That is, before Stamper puts a blaster bolt in me and himself. Best hope he still has one left for you if we get there”.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

”Nathan... Braxon?” Aska mirrored as she slowly made her way down the cavern, pistol held ahead of her. She racked her brain, the name sounding so familiar, until finally at had come to her. ”Bergamor, isn't it? You're the senator who's been suing for peace between the Hutts and the Empire?” she asked, glancing back. As far as Hutts went, she suspected he'd have better luck screaming into a vacuum. In her mind, the only 'peace' that could be achieved with the slugs would come with their extinction.

Of course, Nathan continued on. Not just physically but verbally. All Aska could do was smirk and roll her eyes, waving her SE-45 over her shoulder for him to see. ”Oh, don't worry about me. I've got it covered. But whatever happened to ladies first?” the clone teased. Of course she was never one for chivalry... but they didn't know that. "Such gentlemen,"

The further they descended into the cavern, the warmer it became. The chill of the wind was cut off by the twists and turns but Aska continued to make mental notes of the path they had taken, should turning around and retracing their steps become necessary. This would become increasingly difficult however, as the light began to grow dim.

With her free hand tracing along the wall, using it for both balance and guidance, Aska noticed a series of what felt like carved runes with the tips of her fingers, causing her pause. Quickly she retrieved her light and held the flame close to examine them more carefully.

”These are... fresh,” she stated, looking the markings over. She couldn't make out their meaning but her stomach sank. ”But I recognize the language. I saw similar writing once, long ago, on Malheion,” Grimacing, she turned to Nathan with a troubled expression. ”Ancient Sith. This... This isn't good,”

Maybe turning around wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all...

 

[Nathan Braxon]

"Begamor" he corrected as they hurried on. Nathan would have paid good money to have his world renamed Bergamor, if there were not thousand of years of history to overwrite. Who wanted 'beg' in the name of anything. "Yes, Braxon the Peacemaker the papers say". He was surprised she was so well read, but now he knew that he could use it. The dawning peace between Empire and Hutt had given his initial stance credance.

He almost laughed at the ladies first nonsense, even in their tense surroundings. "Well I was always a fan of chivalry my dear, but it was not going to survive long with women like you rolling around the galaxy doling out blaster fire". Aska was more deadly than him with a weapon in her hand. She and her sisters across the stars could hardly hope for preferential treatment these days. It was a rare soul that Nathan put ahead of himself.

When she stopped to look at some idle scratchings in the stone, he had half a mind to push her aside. Then she mentioned Sith. "Might it be some explanation at least?" he asked hurriedly, trying not to think of just what Sith could have been doing down here in connection with their undead friends. "The Sith have their, magic no?" In truth Nathan was more well acquainted with Force philosophies than any would expect, but he feigned ignorance for several reasons.

"Fresh you say" he repeated "good. The Sith are people. We can negotiate with people". If they were here, perhaps they could be reasoned with. Nathan was not without power and influence and if his life was on the table, he could offer quite a lot.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Aska couldn't refrain from a hearty laugh to Nathan's chivalry rebuttal. Her blaster had always been more kind to her than any man. It was the only true love she ever had. The only one she would ever need. Nathan was right. In her eyes, chivalry came in the form of flying bolts of energy finding purchase between the eyes of her targets. That was something she would never let go of.

”Magic isn't exactly what I'd call it but yea,” the clone continued as she moved her lighter across the cavern wall. Every few meters she would find yet another symbol carved in rock and moss, signifying that they were getting closer to the cause of Adumar's troubles. ”I've seen shit that would curl even Sparkles' toes, make no mistake,”

”Negotiate?” she blurted out, spinning around to face the Senator. She respected his bravery, his choosing to actually participate in the hunt, but there was no reasoning with Sith in her experience. Maybe they'd pour sweet words in their ears now but it always came at a cost. And if they decided the trio served them no purpose? The only way Aska would be paid was if Nathan didn't die here.

”You don't negotiate with Sith, dude! We're better off collapsing this whole fucking tunnel down around their ears over trying to sit down and have a nice casual fucking chat,” And she meant it. While she didn't know his experience with them, she had her own. She'd see this job through. She always did. But there would be no room for conversation.

@Alhon

 

[Nathan Braxon]

"That may be true" Nathan replied, as he hurried after Aska "but I prefer to think more positively. Particularly when I have the dead at my heels". They were increasingly certain of the cause of everything now, and that was progress. Nathan had a hope it would continue.

Of course Aska did put much faith in negotiation. She had made her life and fortune another way. But Nathan had built his own success by learning to understand most people wanted something, and most had something to give in return. It was about sniffing out those interests and crafting a deal that worked for both.

"Killing a Senator achieves little, even for a Sith" he suggested "and worse case scenario it puts a target on the killer for years. A smart Sith would know I can make things happen for them, a small price for our lives". He smiled at her "all our lives". If he had the opportunity, he would look out for all three of them. If not, well...

They finally emerged into a wide chamber, dimly lit with several altar-like stones arranged across it. Nathan half wondered if this was where the dead had lain, or been brought, before whatever twisted work had reanimated them.

"Do you see anything about who is behind this, or where they are?" he asked, conscious their pursuers would be close behind. He motioned to Stamper to guard the opening. "Whatever has been done, perhaps they can undo it".

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

”I wish I shared that optimism,” Aska grunted, uncertain things would play out as he hoped. They were two very different people from two very different walks of life. If he truly believed he could talk his way out of this, she'd let him try. But when things inevitably fell apart, she'd be ready.

As they entered the large chamber, the clone took cautious steps forward as she analyzed every inch she could see. It gave the vibes of some sort of ancient burial chamber but the way her skin crawled, she jumped to the conclusion that this was far more than a simple den of the dead.

Everything about it screamed ritualistic. Great.

Two massive stone slabs, darkened with stains of what she could only assume was once blood, stood at the far end of the chamber. With the dim light that surrounded them, it was much simpler to see the runes they had been following were carved all around the walls. To what purpose they served, she remained entirely clueless. Aska continued to look across the room, her attention landing on a thick stone door that sat between what she assumed were the sacrificial tables. And before them was...

”There,” Aska declared, levelling her SE-45 in the direction of the doorway. It was hard to see them at first, the pair clad head to toe in black. The larger figure of the pair, thick with muscles and well groomed jet black hair, stood and watched them silently. He had seen them the moment they walked in, it seemed. The other figure, far more slender and fully cloaked, remained knelt before the door and gave no indication of acknowledging the newcomers. ”You wanted to talk, right?” Aska spoke to Nathan, unblinking as she kept her weapon trained on her targets. ”Give it your best shot. When that turns to shit, I'll give it mine,” she finished, reaffirming her grasp on the grip of her pistol.

@Alhon