[Tatooine] Dig It Up

[Bruce Guleya]

Planet: Tatooine
Local Time: 1400
Location: Mining Outpost
Theme
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Tatooine has always been a source of raw resources and thousands of secrets; Today is no different. Approximately 5 years ago, an expedition was ordered by a small company aiming to exploit the planet, unfortunately that company has been lost to time - absorbed or defunct it was often ambiguous. The company unleashed multiple expeditions some successful others complete failures, some kept secret.

Bruce had arrived three days ago, he landed in Bestine before gathering equipment waiting for him and booking passage to one such expedition. He arrived alone, but he knew he wouldn't have been alone for long. He had established a small team of volunteers from the Order and some of the settlements they operated out of, a small number who respected the Order. Some members of this expeditionary force had simply come for the chance of glory.

Bruce had discovered a short while ago that there was one expedition that was deleted from the records of the former surveying company. He had done some research, the expedition was privately funded on a promising location for resources to mine, however when the group of explorers arrived at the location and began to dig in and down into the proposed site, they discovered something but it was never identified in the records. Something had happened in the site that resulted in the workers dropping all of their tools and abandoning the job, never to speak of or return to the location. Whatever the problem was, Bruce wanted to find out.

Some reports had come back, they'd discovered various raw materials, various precious crystals, and the potential of artifacts was also noted, for at one point they did discover what appeared to be a subterranean village. Bruce suspected he wouldn't stumble upon anything of disaster, it was a possibility that they'd find ancient defensive, but more importantly - and what got Bruce's attention - there was knowledge that could be obtained. Secrets to be unlocked. An opportunity like this was a very exciting prospect to the Bardottan.

Bruce traveled with the team on a skiff. The Tatooine suns burning hot like always; but this particular skiff had a covering over it which helped cut back on the suns ran and the breeze form the travel made it that much more bearable. On the skiff was the team he specifically selected for this task as well as a few others who'd heard of this expedition. This was not an overly secretive operation and anyone within the archeology or treasure hunter's society would have heard about it and a meeting point of Bestine. As well as various supplies.

After about 30 - 45 minuets of travel the skiff came to a halt at an abandoned camp. The camp they'd arrived at had a few buildings already in construction, just slightly worn out. The camp was shielded by the natural formations of the land which resulted in the camp not being overly destroyed by the various sandstorms, that would serve the group well. The expedition began to unloaded the supplies and establish a camp that would serve them for the next few days.

"Set up the large tent over there, put the supplied in that building." Bruce directed the team. This was an independent undertaking, it was not funded by any faction, it was established in the name of curiosity. "Please set up a communications link, I want to be able to keep track of everyone - I really want you all to return home when we're done. Please don't take any unnecessary risks, please leave those to me."

Bruce walked to raised platform in order to look upon the dig site. The dig was sheltered by an outcropping and the hole ran deep. There was obvious paths set aside that descended into the site, at the bottom a cave mouth was visible. The hole went down about 25 feet.
Bruce smiled at the potentials just laying in wait. He was excited. But right now, he returned to the large tent which had a table laid out in front of the tent. He took a seat at one of the chairs and was reviewing some drawings and research papers.

Tag: @Nor'baal @Gian Greydragon

Spoiler: Open RP

Although two people are tagged, the thread is designed to be an open thread and anyone may join.

 

[Khyanna Sutro'ka]

Khyanna was not one for skiff travel. While her Zabrak genetics may protect her from the boiling sun, it didn't mean it was comfortable. No, she wasn't riding on one with a planet that had two suns. Instead she hired a local with a dropship to get her close to the site, she had the location and the ship didn't even need to land, she would jump out. She also had his number when it came time for a pick up. She checked her exploration bag that had a few devices used in archaeology.

The dropship got in close and she hopped out ten feet above the ground and landed with a flourish. She didn't train as hard as she did, to not figure out how to look needlessly stylish. She waved off the man as she turned and began to walk the rest of the way to the meeting point. The entire trip sparked her interest, she had never been on Tatooine before today so this was an exciting opportunity, and she was going to be working with a fellow Jedi Knight.

It took her only ten minutes of walking to reach the campsite for the expedition. She waved to a few workers scurrying around getting things ready. It only took her a few minutes of looking to spot the Jedi she was looking for. It did help that he had blue skin, it stuck out, not that she had room to talk with her red skin. She approached him and gave a wave in greeting. "Hello, my name is Khyanna Sutro'ka. I am here for the expedition."

 

[Bruce Guleya]

Bruce turned his head and smiled at the newcomer. He returned the wave the Zabrak had given him. Bruce gestured to an open spot across from him at the table, "Ah. Greetings Khyanna, welcome welcome. I'm Bruce, Bruce Guleya. Thank you, thank you for joining me." He looked the girl over from head to toe and back again, he took note of her attire and the visible gear she had on her being. He made note of how she walked, how she moved, how she talked - even in a short sentence. He smiled "Come come take a seat, have a look at these bits and pieces I have here."

It didn't take him long to pick up on essence and her being, he could sense the Force flowed through her with no resistance, it swayed in and out. She was a trained user, that he could confirm. But, the girl wasn't neither light or dark aligned it seemed to him. She was learning on the light side of the Force; a Jedi. This made him ease a little more, he wouldn't be the only one becoming a target if they ran into anything down below and it also meant he could have someone more than capable help progress his search. It also meant he had the joy of being able to share the delight of finding mysteries either in the Force or in general.

"Have you ever been to Tatooine before? Remarkable place, remarkable. Plenty of things to discover on this planet. So many things buried in these endless sands! I do enjoy finding something like this, but the heat and the sand - well I can do without. I'm not acclimatized to this... even though I've spent plenty of time on deserts."

With a gesture he waved her in close. "Tell me Khyanna, what do you know about this expedition, hmm? What do you hope to find?"

@LetsGetSpooky

 

[Xhexania]

Word of a mine shaft housing raw resources and materials reached the ears of the Exiles, and knowing that such a bounty could help with the ongoing conflict with the Jedi; they decided dispatching one of their own to investigate the mine and report back any and all findings could prove useful. With their choice of Xhexania confirmed and approved, the Lethan Twi'lek left her hidden alcove leaving behind several unfinished scientific projects; which annoyed her fiercely. She loved the science world, taking strides to learn everything she could, even making attempts to gather all the known equipment to decorate her hidden retreat. But it seemed this was going to be an ongoing adventure, since every month new equipment came out rendering the previous type obsolete; but that was the thrill she sought.

Not possessing a ship of her own, she hitched a ride with a merchant vessel under the guise of an excavator looking to strike it rich on Tattooine. The trip was boring and rather long winded. She spent most of her time locked away in her own temporary quarters, keeping the ship's crew as far away from her as possible. It wasn't that she lacked the proper social skills to interact with the crew, which she did, but more as that mentally she could not bear to be in their presence. Most of her life she was a loner and a hermit, and even now after rejoining the Exiles she employed the solitude that allowed her to pursue her passions.

Also, the crew themselves were not keen on her. Her lack of hygiene skills sought to that.

When the ship arrived to it's destination, she quickly exited the ship to begin to put an end to this minor detour in her work. When the hot sun hit her skin and a few flecks of blowing dust smacked across her face, she grunted saying, "What a wretched place!" She quickly found a hostel, rented a room, and changed clothes. She had her own sense of fashion, and was rather happy to dress as she pleased; discarding the clothes of some dirt digger. Now that she was here, she needed to find more information regarding the mine. So to the local watering hole she went.

After spending a reasonable amount of time making inquiries, she now had a location, just lacking proper transportation. The option to rent a speeder was available, but she knew next to nothing about this horrible planet where it seemed lacked any swamps. So again, she joined a scavenger team that was heading into the desert; but superstition prevented them from taking her directly to the site. The closest they would go was about five miles out, meaning she would have to walk the remaining distance.

She observed the sand and it's dunes, noting that life out here was not worth the effort. She wasn't keen to luxury having lived in a swamp majority of her life, but living in a city outweighed living here. After reaching the five mile marker, the man in charge bid her farewell as well as warning her about the Tuskens. When she asked what a Tusken was, the man only nodded saying they were bad news. When the vehicle disappeared out of sight once it went on the down side of a dune, she pulled back her robe to gather better access to her double-sided weapon. Whatever this Tusken was, she didn't have the time nor patience to deal with it politically. ​

 

[Khyanna Sutro'ka]

Khyanna took off her bag and set it on the floor beside her chair as not to get in the way of anything that may need placed up there for display. She then sat down across from the man and pulled two bottles of water out of her bag and sat them on the table. Using the force, she slid one of the bottles across to her new companion. She was used to using the force casually in her daily life. She often did it to entertain children when out and about.

"Here I thought you might need a drink as well. It is quite hot here" she said in a light Imperial accent. Her accent was picked up from her fathers fellow soldiers who taught her how to speak Galactic Basic. She was slightly regretting choosing to wear this armor right now. At least it would be cooler once they got into the caves. While she wasn't like she knew things would get violent, but she always expected for missions to go sideways, years of experience taught her that anything could happen in this crazy galaxy. She took a refreshing drink from the bottle and sighed.

"This is actually my first time on Tatooine and its just as hot as I feared a planet with two suns would be. Makes you really grateful that the temples are temperature controlled. I am hoping to find something new. With how old this planet is, and how often its been explored, to find a subterranean village that nobody knew about? That is a discovering worth digging for. Imagine if the inhabitants were force sensitive? How might that have affected the development of a subterranean society?" she rambled eagerly, the accent getting a bit thicker the more excited she got. She knew she was a with a fellow scholar so she was free to let her nerd flag fly.

 

[Bruce Guleya]

He looked at the bottle of water, it was sealed of course. He wasn't thirsty right now but it'd come in handy as they pursued the adventure before them. He scooped the bottle up and stashed it into his inclement weather cloak. Underneath the cloak was a light beige tunic similar to classic attire worn on Tatooine. Lighter colours was the route to take, it prevented attracting the sun's attention and that could make a huge difference. "I appreciate the water, I'll be sure to hold it close. The canopy certainly helps cut the heat. It's at least a dry heat." He chuckled, and listened to her muse about her answer to his questions. It didn't take him long to understand she was overly excited about the expedition, just as he was.

"There is certainly a chance for a Force sensitive connection. My studies have indicated that when the company came down here and were investigating, strange things occurred and something resulted in them just packing up their stuff and high-tailing it out of here never to look back. That possibilities are endless, Khyanna (@LetsGetSpooky)! I've no real idea what we're walking into, I haven't been down there myself - I've just heard that there was signs of civilization and suspect there's a chance that it may have just been buried under the natural landscapes of Tatooine but preserved by the caves. I suspect resources, I suspect artifacts, I suspect writings. But there is a chance we could almost find nothing of note. But to me, it matters not. I just can't wait to see."

He slide the map over and for Khyanna to see. "It digs a bit deep, they say once your in the caverns it's a slight hike deeper into the core and eventually you run into the stone path ways and a few pillars, but that's as far as I know."

Bruce was so engaged with Khyanna that he didn't notice anyone else around. The crew worked subtly and finished up, they had retired to their temporary quarters now to get out of the sun and the heat.

 

[Xhexania]

Standing atop one of the dunes with binoculars pressed against her face, her eyes roamed the area that was formed into a valley; engulfed by four massive dunes. This was the place she was sure, but the little activity down below was slow paced. Obviously with the extreme heat and the planet's twin suns berating them every moment, she wasn't surprised by the lack of motivated work. If these were slaves, however, the work would continue with or without the heat. Holding the eye piece with one hand, she slid the other down retrieving her cantina; opening the lid by way of the Force and finally took a small swig of the cool liquid.

Putting both objects away, she drew her robe around her body whilst placing it's hood over her head; leaving only to be revealed the lower portion of her face. Whilst she made her descent into the valley, she thought of using the Force to cool her body, but thought better of it. There where Jedi here, even though she couldn't sense them yet, but her gut told her otherwise. She was here to observe not to engage the enemy, but the few Jedi she crossed paths with seemed to always be in the fighting spirit, thus she would need all her Force energy to deal with them.

Once she entered the camp, she moved silently through it, using the tents and other equipment to hide her presence. It wasn't the objects, machinery, or the people on the surface that resulted in her being here; it was what was underneath all this sand that caused her work to be disrupted. She needed desperately to find this entrance, get in and get out. Whilst she moved through the camp, a lone worker halted her procession rifling off a series of questions why she was here and who was she. She didn't have the luxury to front this man any of her precious time.

Striking fast, she throat jabbed the man turning his next words into a mixture of gurgling sounds, following it up with a quick grab of his head and snapping his sunburned neck. Looking around, she was pleased to see her handiwork had gone unnoticed; though there was the problem of hiding the body. Luckily for her, the man was small in stature and she was able to heave his lifeless form over her shoulders; where she disposed of him in a nearby tent. She didn't concern herself of the body being discovered since the tent she chosen lacked any real traffic.

Now, she had to find this entrance.​

 

[Khyanna Sutro'ka]

Khyanna was listening intently to the research that Bruce had already had on the location and it was stoking her excitement. This excitement was extinguished when she sensed a disturbance in the force. She felt the presence of the dark side and the sense of danger had grown from out of nowhere. She quickly stood and looked outside of the tent, but the camp was bustling like it had been before. But she couldn't shake the unease she was feeling. "I sense the presence of the darkside, I'm going to check it out."

It was her job to protect people from the threats of the galaxy, and what she was sensing was definitely a threat. Stepping out of the tent she pulled pulled her lightsabers off her belt but did not ignite them yet. Carefully she walked around the camp, using the force to feel where the darkside grew stronger. As she got closer to the source she began to smell what she could only assume was what happened if you set a garbage heap on fire with the goal of blocking out an even worse smell. She began to gag a little when she came upon an oddity.

A red and black Twi'lek was standing there and oh god that horrendous stench was coming from her. How she didn't notice her own smell Khyanna had no idea. But her senses were going off like sirens that the person in front of her was dangerous. She activated her lightsabers and pointed one at the back off the woman who was still roughly ten feet away. "You there, turn around slowly and tell me what you're doing here"

 

[Bruce Guleya]

Bruce looked up from his work as he presented it to the Zabrak when she abruptly stopped him. Bruce nodded at her statement, as he did so he gathered up the materials and stowed them into his robes and cloak. That was one of the perks of using electronic copies, a datapad was so easily stored. Bruce could feel the single death resonate within himself, he knew it would not be good. He tapped his pocket to ensure the hilt would be easily accessible, should he need to wield it. He tried to warn the Zabrak that someone had been killed, but she took off before Bruce had a chance to. He had the information, he was the only one who knew the exact location and exactly how far to go.


He to could also feel the dark side around him, it was an easy thing for him to feel, he'd been operating for quite sometime and his senses all were honed in more so than ever before. He followed his newest companion, whatever was nearby - two was better than one. It wouldn't take them long to trust only in the Force to locate the source, the smell of swamps assaulted his nostrils. It was not uncommon to smell sweat and body odour out here, the suns we're burning brightly and bodies needed to work in overdrive to cool naturally. But these scents went beyond that and Bruce needed a moment to regain his composure. Wrapping his head and flooding his lungs with the Force as he would do if in a toxic environment allowed him the chance to function normally. It wouldn't take much to maintain this, not for the Bardottan at least. This was like second nature to him.


The duo approached with caution and it was Khyanna who'd take the lead on this intervention, Bruce would be the support. When Khyanna rose her hilt and demanded the red Twi'lek to identify herself and what she was doing here - Bruce allowed it. The Bardottan would typically offer alternatives but that would not be possible with this incident, he could sense she had already killed one innocent in this camp and that was something that warranted high alert.


The Jedi was not surprised to find an Exile here. The wasn't exactly a top secret expedition and all were welcome regardless of their goals - this was simply a case of curiosity, nothing more. Nothing indicated that there was any rare resource here or rare gems, only time would tell. The Exile would have been welcome, had they just strolled in and death would have been avoidable. Of course, Exiles and Jedi were both cautious sorts and she probably wouldn't have known that there was no immediate danger here. Unfortunately, murder constitute immediate danger, not something Bruce could forgive. Not when it was a person of inconsequence… poor guy, wrong place wrong time.


Bruce remained behind Khyanna, his hilt still hidden within his clothes. He waited patiently for a response.

 

[Xhexania]

Halting her steps, the presence of the Lightside offended her senses. Once, she believed the Jedi where no concern of hers, despite her growing up with the Exiles. But on the day she bore witness to the death of her mentor and Father at the hands of the Jedi on Dagobah, the Jedi had earned the right to be her sworn enemy. However much hatred she harboured for the Jedi, this was not the time to be drawn into a situation. She had her orders, clear cut as they were, and fighting Jedi was not among them; though the satisfaction that would come with not killing one, but two, would make this blotch in her plans worth it.

Turning around slowly, her eyes focused on the weapons drawn by one Jedi, she flashed a smile revealing wicked, dirty teeth. "Jedi," she snorted, "Have such a tenacious knack of putting their noses in other people's business. But today, Jedi, I am not your enemy."

Spinning around, she ignored the pair of good doers and began walking away. Her dealings with Jedi were limited but she knew these two would not leave her alone, because Jedi were pesky, annoying pests. Whilst she continued putting distance between herself and the Jedi, she began to fake tears as she yelled as loud as she could, "Murders! Help me! These two have killed a worker and now they want to kill me! I saw it. Witnessed it!"

The confusion she weaved was just enough. Several workers, both on and off duty, began making their way toward the all three; there own eyes shifting among the trio. Pointing her finger at the tent that acted like a coffin for the dead worker, she screamed, "It was so awful!"

With the workers now clogging everything up, some acting as human barricades between herself and the Jedi, she turned around and began running. Whilst she ran, she pulled back her own robes, retrieving her own hilt. She would fight them if they desired, but it would be on her terms and choosing.​