A Soliloquy Across Time

[Ultimatum]

A world never visited by the droid, Byss had a very dark history to be told. Perhaps to claim that he had never been there was erroneous, he must have once been therefore the excursion into the Unknown Regions. How else would the message have been left here? A message from the past, perhaps unveiling some secret or experience from a time he could not recall. Why would he leave it on this planet though, a world which was so steeped in the Dark Side that Ultimatum could already guess as to what Upari had to say about it.

The small shuttle was somewhat cramped; the cockpit was filled with various machinations to make it easier for Ultimatum to pilot, given his diminutive stature. His armor stood in the rear near the loading ramp with crates of minerals intended to trade for his landing right. Credits were tight, and the codes to Ultimatum's old accounts remained elusive. A nuisance to the droid because it limited his ability to hunt down those databanks that his previous self had planned for him to discover. Perhaps it was a test of sorts? Then maybe again his predecessor had been somewhat insane. Based on some of the schematics and concepts that had been drawn up in his memory there was some credence to that idea.

His sanity was further brought into question by not giving Ultimatum a definite coordinates set for this databank. How was he, a lone droid, supposed to locate a databank that he did not know the size of on an entire planet? It irritated Ultimatum to no end. "Beginning final landing sequence." He announced to no one in particular. Nobody would have been able to hear him over the racket of machinery anyways.

The droid leaped off his seat and stumbled over to the armor with Upari nestled inside. The back opened and Ultimatum stepped in, encasing himself in a thick metal skin. Now connected with the mind of his Shard ally he immediately heard, or perhaps thought, "This place is too dark. It's oppressive. I don't like it."

Ultimatum would have smiled if he could, but instead replied, "At least we are in Alliance Space."

"They're the Republic guys."

"Similar, not quite."

A thump followed and the loading dock opened with a hiss. The light of a new world dazzled his sensors. It was bright.

 

[Sebastian Thel]

The world delivered a chill through Sebastian's spine the moment he stepped into the atmosphere. A brown boot strode from the landing ramp and lead him into balmy air, the scent of grass and the flow of water welcoming to his senses, paired with unease which was ever present. The Dark Side had touched this world and Sebastian wandered into it's midst.

"This is as far as I'll take you." The Twi'lek smuggler warned as she stood on the ramp of the ship. With a wave of his hand, Sebastian bid her farewell and thanked her for her service.

Another presence drew Sebastian's eyes towards the horizon. He looked back to the disconcerting gaze of the smuggler and turned away, into the unknown. He was armed with no weapons, only his wits and untrained Force abilities, in search of a databank to decipher. Wearing a military jacket over a T-shirt with britches and boots, he dressed to blend in and a soft, shoulder bag around his chest filled with tools, writing equipment and necessities.

While Sebastian had repressed his powers for long enough, he accepted that he needed some means of defending himself. He hoped that the trip would allow for an opportunity to strengthen his skills. He gripped the strap of the bag around his shoulder and walked across the grass, following the presence which lured his stride.

Sebastian noticed that the grass had turned to a soft moss, having corroded with the effects of the Dark Side. He looked over the trees and saw another craft taking off, deciding to move quickly and find out just who else had arrived. The oppressive tinge throughout the Force made the hair on his neck stand on end and an whispering breeze blew through the grass.

A figure descended from the ramp of the arriving ship, mechanical in nature and touched by the Force. Such a curiosity immediately interested Sebastian and he wondered now if they possessed any information surrounding the databank for which he searched. The description had been nothing other than a set of coordinates. No words, only numbers. When the coordinates lead him to Byss, Sebastian was left to his own wits to locate the databank and discover it's purpose.

His eyes locked with those of the mechanical being and he did not experience the fear he felt when meeting other people. They stood several meters apart as the droid stood before the ship. Sebastian raised a hand and summoned him with a single wave, accompanied by a soft, non-threatening smile.

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

As it turned out, there was no landing party. Interesting, reports Ultimatum had found suggested there should have been a landing bay here. The information Ultimatum had was several hundred years old though, that might explain the absence of any developed location nearby. The robot had assumed that the databank might have been in a library that was supposed to be near the spaceport. But, if there was no spaceport, then Ultimatum guessed that the library was equally delipidated, as in nonexistent now.

"Perhaps we should have used visible searching rather than an old file."

"No way to know if the file was outdated than to check. Now we know."

"And now we are nowhere nearer to finding that datapad."

"I doubt it would be something so small. It is a databank, probably the size of a node or terminal. It should be pretty obvious."

"Someone is near."

Ultimatum felt it as well. The mind of Upari was as open to Ultimatum as the droid's brain was to the Shard. Thoughts flowed freely between the two as if they shared one consciousness. The droid wondered who else could be in this world, perhaps an inhabitant? Or maybe it was another spacer searching for something on the ancient planet. Ultimatum did not doubt that there were secrets yet to be discovered here.

Noticing that the stranger took an amicable stance and was looking for the droid's attention, Ultimatum waved mechanically in return before taking slow and ponderous steps towards him. He analyzed the plant life as he moved over it, such a reversion of life was unnatural, unexpected though it may be. The very ground was steeped in the darkness; it was unnerving and deafening. They could not sense anything of the surrounding other than a veil of evil.

"Greetings sentient. Are you a native here?"

[member="Sebastian Thel"]

 

[Sebastian Thel]

A warm breeze traveled through the space separating Sebastian and the droid, a low, eerie wind sweeping through the moss and dragging the smell of ash. As the mechanical being returned his wave, Sebastian smiled and walked closer. A strange presence radiated from the droid, which Sebastian only recognized as the Force. He had never encountered a droid constructed in such a way and the prospect fascinated him.

"Hello there." The traveler said as the space dispersed between them. "No, I am not." Shaking his head, Sebastian gripped the strap around his chest and took one step backwards, just in case this being could possibly harm him.

"I'm looking for something, and I don't think anybody would be here unless they were doing the same thing." Sebastian fiddled with the goggles hanging around his neck. He analyzed the situation quickly. Anybody who traveled to such a desolate world as Byss must be seeking something very particular, which is the very thing he assumed about his new companion.

"My name is Sebastian, what's yours?" As he introduced himself, Sebastian extended a hand for the droid to shake while awaiting his name. "Don't worry, I can't fight you and even if I could, that's the last thing I would want to do." He said in a soft and reassuring manner.

"I can use the Force and I came here to practice my powers." Sebastian explained, wondering just how well-versed in the Force this droid was. Normally, he would not have been so hasty to reveal his sensitivity to the Force. He knew the droid would not haul him away to some temple and felt more at ease when admitting his powers.

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum listened intently. So there was more than one being searching this world. As he continued, Ultimatum and Upari convened in thought.

"Perhaps he is searching for our target."

"Why?"

"There lies the question."

As the sentient offered a hand, Ultimatum shook it replying, "Well met, Sebastion. I am Ultimatum."

As neither of the two, technically three, beings were here to fight, Ultimatum shifted focus away from that possibility.

This sentient was a Force user as well. Perhaps they had been brought together then. Ultimatum and Upari were uncertain what this person was capable of; the duo hoped that they might be able to work together perhaps to find what they each sought.

"Can he sense our connection?"

"Let us see."

The droid then replied, "I too sense the Force, though my control is young. You are correct I am searching for something as well. I am here to find a databank left by my predecessor. If I may be so bold, what is it you search for?"

[member="Sebastian Thel"]

 

[Chaca]

The voices and sounds seemed to draw in another presence. Slowly, the veil of dark forces that seemed to cover this world would be pierced as another strange being would find its way into the immediate area.

To most force users, his approach would feel like a tear in space.. Like a hole in the force. No light, no dark. Nothing. Such a feeling could be very unsettling. A response to this feeling often was enough to tell Chaca that he was dealing with force users. He often would watch to see if they could "sense" him for this very reason

Behind the fairly crumbled remains of an ancient tree, the small felinesque creature crouched and watched, his rounded ears having taken in their conversation before he had started moving closer

"I know what you seek... I can bring you to it..."

A boyish young voice spoke from behind the broken, rotted stump. Peering out from behind it to look at the two of them, Chaca's sapphire eyes seemed to sparkle in the light. His ears perked toward them, listening intently. He was ready to spring away and flee if they attacked, but otherwise seemed to wait, listening to what they might say in response to such an offer

 

[Chaca]

(( Just double checking that its okay for me to join? If not just let me know and I will delete my post..))
[member="Ultimatum"]
[member="Sebastian Thel"]

 

[Ultimatum]

The Shard and droid felt a strange disturbance, even if only slightly through the darkness. It was different than anything else that they had thus far experienced, Ultimatum's only guess was that the thing he sensed was a Force anomaly, perhaps a Wound in the Force. Such an oddity was incredibly rare, according to the datafiles Ultimatum had access to. The possibility of finding one in this world seemed incredibly unlikely.

"Surely such an oddity in space would have been discovered by other Force users and quarantined by the Alliance."

"Perhaps it is new?"

"How new would it have to be? I suspect the Alliance would keep tabs on their worlds. Perhaps a few days or even hours so that it was not detected."

"How would you explain it?"

"I cannot."

The short exchange did not boost Ultimatum's confidence. Then came a small voice, which Ultimatum guessed was in some way connected to the Force disturbance. Ultimatum glanced at [member="Sebastian Thel"] before turning towards the voice, just in time to catch a glimpse of a small feline creature. He queried the animal, "You know where it is? We are uncertain whether we are even searching for the same thing."

"Careful with this one," Upari cautioned.

[member="Chaca"]

Spoiler

Apologies for not responding sooner. I do not mind at all, as long as Thel is okay with it.

 

[Sebastian Thel]

Cold steel wrapped around Sebastian's extended hand as he greeted Ultimatum. As the droid mentioned the databank left behind by his predecessor, Sebastian's brown eyes widened in alert. Ultimatum sought the same databank which Sebastian had been sent to decode and may prove a useful ally when traversing the wilderness of Byss.

"This databank you describe, I am looking for one just like it." Sebastian said as he released Ultimatum's hand. "I don't know anything about it other than the coordinates sent by an anonymous contact." Another presence crept into the back of his mind and he experienced a fade in the Force, as though he reach had been retracted and coiled into nothing.

Looking over his shoulder with a peculiar gaze, Sebastian watched the features of a young Cathar approach him. A wave of dread washed over Sebastian as he felt the Force disappear from the surrounding area. He stood back abruptly, to turn around and face the Cathar directly, he poise alert and preparing to run at any given moment.

With a glance exchanged between Ultimatum and himself, Sebastian's soft brown eyes met the Cathar's own sapphire irises. He approached him cautiously, fiddling with the goggles around his neck and scanning the area from one side to the other.

"I'm Sebastian, this is Ultimatum." Sebastian stopped, leaving a small space between the stranger and himself. "We are looking for the same thing." He spoke softly and reassuringly, trying not to provoke any violence in the event that this anomaly intended to harm either Ultimatum or himself.

"What is your name?" Sebastian extended a hand, allowing the Cather to reach out and shake it if he wished. His offer to lead them to the databank left him intrigued. Sebastian needed to know if he could trust him first.

[member="Chaca"] (I have no problem with you joining at all!) [member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Chaca]

Slowly inching out from behind shelter, Chaca seemed to hold an heir of caution himself as he approached the two of them. His tail lashed nervously, and his nose twitched as he took in the new scents. The one had a very mechanical scent. He had to be a droid. The other... Human? They seemed cautious, but they didn't seem to hold ill intent toward Chaca.

His appearance spoke more than words, revealing a life outside of any hint of civilization. He appeared almost savage. He wore no uniform or garments; only a scrap of dilapidated cloth around his waist to cover modesty, almost tribal in appearance. It looked as if the scrap of cloth may be older than he, and though it was mostly a dingy faded soil color, hints of embellishment could still be made out. Perhaps it was once a flag of some sort. He didn't seem like he could be from any sort of civilized colony, and if he was, Chaca certainly did not look the part.

But then, he spoke, and carried himself with civility. This seemed to contradict his almost primitive appearance. Also, his brilliant fur was still surprisingly ivory and clean, hints that he was hygienic, despite life in such a terrain. He also carried something in his hand, something that had come from some sort of civilization....either current or past

Once he had stepped out, it could be seen that he too was armed. He wasn't heavily armed though, the boy clasped an old vibrosword in the hand that had been hidden from view until now. It looked old...warn out...like it had been plucked from ruins. One would wonder if it worked, or if it was nothing more than a glorified slashing weapon at this point.

With one smooth and somewhat slow motion, Chaca gently pushed the blade of the vibrosword into the soil, leaving it standing where it was. He was effectively showing a will of peace by disarming himself. Unarmed, the cathar boy approached the outstretched hand of the human, eyes glancing between Ultimatum and Sebastian, and the offered hand.

"I am called...Chaca..."

He spoke with a gentile timid voice, reaching out to clasp the human's hand very briefly. Chaca glanced up into Sebastian's eyes for that fleeting moment that physical contact was made. In that moment, making connection with Chaca physically, most force-sensitive beings would feel the force literally deaden away to nothing. It would feel as though the force was entirely gone. In this very moment it could no longer be denied - The disturbance in the force wasn't near Chaca, it didn't follow Chaca. The disturbance in the force -was- Chaca.

This lasted for only that moment of physical contact; as soon as Chaca would withdraw, force users typically would feel their powers return in full strength almost instantly.

Their reactions - their scents, emotions, expressions on their faces... These were all the things that told Chaca he was interacting with force users. Some could poker-face their way through such a sudden unexpected loss of the force, but most beings had a notable reaction, if even a slight one. Chaca seemed to watch for this reaction

Ultimatum posed a question that prompted a small head tilt out of the boy as he thought for a moment and then nodded.

"You seek information. The burried ruins near here have information. Perhaps it is what you are looking for? I can lead you there...help you find what you seek."

[member="Ultimatum"]
[member="Sebastian Thel"]

 

[Ultimatum]

The droid regretted the potential harshness of his question. Ultimatum had spent long enough in conflict not to wish it any more than his newly met compatriot. He could not remember these battles and wars, but he still had the statistics, the long lists of the dead, the schematics of his war machines. After the previous Ultimatum had been sent into the unknown, Ultimatum had decided never to take up the figurative sword again. Many would have called such a decision foolish, or perhaps called him a pacifist, but Ultimatum was rarely concerned with what others thought of him.

"Except those closest to you of course."

Ultimatum might have smiled if he had the capacity for facial expressions. Instead, he merely responded, "Indeed. But they are the exception, not the rule."

The robot was intrigued by the Cathar, the apparent simplicity of him was beguiling of a more sophisticated nature. This was, as all beings indeed are, a complex sentient. How did such a creature come to exist, this wound in the Force? Whether or not [member="Chaca"] was indeed a wound, Ultimatum did not know. However, without knowledge of the real nature of the creature, he just used what he did understand. Something he realized was that this creature was armed, perhaps better than a large percentage of the galactic population, and certainly better armed than Ultimatum.

Now, the mention of ruins struck Ultimatum as perfect. His previous cycle had loved relics and lore, to be honest, so did he. A ruin, no matter the state would have been the perfect place to find something left behind. "That sounds consistent with the methodology of the source. How buried are these ruins? Will we require equipment?"

[member="Sebastian Thel"]

 

[Sebastian Thel]

The Cathar gently gripped Sebastian's hand, only to release and slink away. He found his primitive appearance slightly unsettling, while paired with a soft manner and eloquent tone was intriguing and Sebastian decided to trust him. As somebody who could not use the Force, any disturbance emitted from Chaca did not affect Sebastian.

"Well I'm pleased to meet you, Chaca." The mathematician offered in a friendly tone. "I've been sent to decode this databank, I'm very interested in machines." With a smile, Sebastian ran a hand through his mahogany hair, making the strands appear even more disheveled. He spoke about his interests with enthusiasm and explained his desire to find the encrypted databank.

They stood together, Force-using droid, a refined savage and a traveling mathematician, truly a strange band of sentient to say the least. Ultimatum, however, interested Sebastian greatly. Turning to the droid, he piped up.

"Can you really use the Force?" His brown eyes widened as he glanced over every mechanical piece assembling the droid. "That's fascinating!" Sebastian only began to imagine the complexity of the algorithms making up Ultimatum's design. Technology enamored Sebastian while the mystical frightened him and fusing the two together seemed almost incomprehensible.

"Chaca, do lead us to this ruins!" Sebastian nodded to Chaca who explained a possible lead to the location of the databank. While Ultimatum inquired about any needed preparation, the less experienced Sebastian was keen to explore.

[member="Chaca"], [member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Chaca]

Chaca's tensions subsided slowly as it became more and more apparent to him that these two were explorers. They weren't here to conquer or enslave anyone, and they both genuinely seemed to have a sense of diplomacy. On top of that, Sebastian didn't seem to be put off by Chaca... Leading the boy to believe he wasn't likely to be a force user. He could tell the moment he shook the human's hand. As anyone would, Chaca already presumed Ultimatum to be a non-force-user.

His sapphire eyes turned to Ultimatum as he was asked about supplies. Chaca thought for a moment about the conditions in the ruins


"It gets dark in there. Can either of you see in the dark? Might want to bring something that makes light if you can't. The ruins are really burried but there is a crack in one of the walls that I found in a cave near here."

He said chipperly, a happy smile upon his face, as he looked back and pointed in the direction of the ruins. It seemed he was quite eager to explore with the two of them. Truthfully Chaca was quite limited on resources; if they could help him access areas of the ruins that he wasnt able to access himself, there could be supplies in this for Chaca.

The cathar boy nodded eagerly as Sebastian spoke of his interests in machines, and what he was seeking.


"There are a lot of old machines. I found my sword near there, but not inside."

The cub said, motioning to the vibrosword that was still stuck in the ground behind him a few paces.


"The machines inside the ruins look real old though. Wait....Did you make him?"

Chaca asked, pointing to Ultimatum. He seemed fairly forthcoming with his thoughts, asking many questions like children often do.

Chaca had already assumed that Ultimatum couldn't use the force, something he and most others would presume of artificial sentients. So his eyes noticeably widened when he learned the contrast from Sebastian's words - this droid was a force user? How? Such wonderment swirled around in Chaca's mind only moments before the questions on his lips found themselves openly blurted out


"You're a force user? Wow! B-but how? Are you alive under there?."

The boy queried with an intense interest, as though the ruins had been forgotten. Sometimes Chaca seemed to need a little help staying on track


[member="Sebastian Thel"] [member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

Darkness Ultimatum could deal with, even if he had not brought a light amongst the equipment. For the sake of his compatriots, the robot was glad that he had brought a form of light. It would also be a lot easier for them without the need to excavate the ruins. They would be able to remain more efficient in their work, discovering this terminal and perhaps finding some more items of value. Then they would be ready to leave this world, Upari would appreciate that. Although they had not decided what path in the Force to follow, they nonetheless disliked the darkness of this planet.

It seemed that both of these sentients were interested in his Force capacity. He tried to explain, if he could he might have smiled, "It's not truly myself, as much as the Shard within me that has access to the Force. If I were to deconstruct this body, there is a small chamber which holds the crystal form of Upari, the Shard. It and myself are linked mentally in such a way that we share consciousness and experiences. Through this mental connection, we effectively share control of the Force, but it is nonetheless Upari not me who is the source of our link to the Force. We have only recently begun studying the Force, and so our abilities are limited."

The droid decided to hold off on any demonstration until later. Perhaps their journey would lend itself to such an opportunity. "I can show what I have of this connection later; I would prefer if we focus on reaching the ruins for the moment. Maybe there will be a need for the Force before the end of this exploration."

[member="Sebastian Thel"] [member="Chaca"]

 

[Chaca]

Chaca nodded sheepishly and smiled as he was again prodded about leading them to the ruins. He blushed a little, realizing that he had gotten sidetracked. After all, He had never encountered a droid who could use the force!

"Sorry, hehe yah they are over here..."

He turned trustingly, and fetched his vibrosword from the ground nearby, holding it in both hands as he looked around. The sword seemed too large for a boy his size, and one would wonder if he really defended himself with it or used it for some other purpose

Carrying the vibrosword at his side, with the blade facing down and back he moved off, glancing back to see if they followed. He had spoken the truth, they weren't far at all from the destination.

Finding their way to a massive rock cliff, his sapphire orbs scanned over the cracked and shattered surface, eyeing a particular fissure in the rock wall. His tail lashed a little as he approached it, his large ears perking up to listen as he glanced into the dark crevice in the cliff. He could hear the flow of water, ever so slightly.

"This leads back into a cavern. There is flowing water in there... And some of this place might be flooded. I haven't been able to get into more than one of the rooms so far"

The boy offered, glancing to them before looking at the gap in the rock wall. He slowly crept forward until he disappeared into the darkness of the rock crevice. Peering back at them, Chaca's eyes held a very feline glow in the surrounding darkness.

"If ya need light you might wanna turn it on now"

His voice said gently from the shadows as he peered outward. After this little suggestion, he began making his way in, moving slow enough to allow them to follow if they should choose. The rock crevice seemed tight in places, but not too tight to fit through. An adult wookie might struggle to fit, but could even make the squeeze with time and care.

The rock fissure lead down and back, as Chaca promised, into a cavern. The cavern was rather expansive, and the walls were covered in symbolism that suggested that this cavern may have once been used as a temple of some sort. The symbols were in a language Chaca was not familiar with, but the boy assumed them to be fairly ancient. The center of the cavern held a large pool of water, being fed by various flows and drips within the cavern.

Within the cavernous expanse a single wall in the back looked as though it had began to crumble away in recent times. Old metallic paneling could be seen if light should pass over, peaking out of the gap in stone.

It was apparent that a more modern base had been build next to this cavern some time ago, and with its abandonment, the moisture and tectonic movements have caused the cavern and base to begin to merge together as each crumbled in various ways. The old ruins, and the new... becoming one in this location.

One of the metal panels had been damaged so severely by shifts in the rock, that one room of the old base was actually accessible through a break in cavern wall. Twisted metal lined a hole in the wall that lead into what looked to be some sort of logistical room inside of the base.

A table in the center of the room gave hints of meetings that took place long ago, about matters long forgotten. Now the table had a thick coat of dirt, soot, and gravel bits covering its once shiny and decorative surface. It could be assumed that the table once had functioning touch panels in it. Nothing in the room was lit up or seemed to be powered, a problem that a 'savage' cathar boy could do little to remedy. These two both spoke of interest in mechanical devices, perhaps they could accomplish something that chaca could not? There were two doors within the room, leading into the base presumably, though they were sealed too strongly for Chaca to pry open.

Chaca would slowly pass through the cavern, making a small comment as he pointed to some of the symbols on the walls, stopping near the crumbled wall that lead into the abandoned base

"I don't think these symbols were done by the people who made this base. These symbols seem older"

He said gently, looking for Ultimatum and Sebastian, curious of their insights


[member="Sebastian Thel"]

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Sebastian Thel]

As Chaca mentioned the old machines strewn across the planet, Sebastian's eyes widened in delight at the thought of tinkering with old parts along the way. When he motioned towards Ultimatum and asked if Sebastian had actually created him, the mathematician chuckled slightly with a wave of his hand.

"Oh no, that would be beyond me." He said as he turned to the droid, who began to explain his ability to use the Force. Sebastian listened intently, his brow creasing with intrigue as he tried to make sense of such a mechanical feat.

When the conversation began to trail away from the topic at hand, Chaca blushed and corrected himself, turning the focus back to the ruins. Sebastian only smiled in response, having not minded too much, although he was simply eager to begin delving through the old machine parts and preparing to decrypt the databank. The Cathar turned around and began to walk, with Sebastian and Ultimatum following surely behind.

The three of them walked across the plains of Byss until they reached a cliff face, marred with various caves and crevices. Water flowed inside and Sebastian could hear the trickle of a stream deep inside of the cave. As Chaca entered the cave first, Sebastian reached into his satchel and procured a small torch, which he turned on and flashed around the dark space. Chaca's eyes glowed amidst the shadows and flashed like glass when Sebastian hovered his torch over the Cathar.

As they pressed on further into the cave, Sebastian became wary of the dark and knew that he would struggle to write manual calculations when the time came, which caused him to become antsy. While the crevice they walked through was small, Sebastian was small enough to easily fit, although he did not know about Ultimatum and looked behind him for the droid. The dripping of water echoed throughout the frame of the cave, bouncing shrilly off each wall and leading the trio further into darkness.

Eventually, the crevice opened up into a spacious cavern, which was wide enough for the three of them to walk around. Metallic panels were exposed beneath the stone, which caught Sebastian's deep curiosity as he leaned over to inspect the structure. He was even more interested in the symbols etched all over the walls from eons ago and would have liked to decipher them in his notes, if the darkness was not permitting him from writing.

"Sith runes perhaps?" Sebastian said to Chaca as he poured over the symbols. "Or perhaps they are spells written in the form of equations?" Setting the torch between two rocks, he reached into his satchel for his hardcover notebook and pen. Peering deeply into the wall of the cave, he attempted to document the symbols and any possible value they held. "Some sorcerers compound their spells as formula, although such a form of mathematics is alien to me." Sebastian suggested as he wrote.

[member="Ultimatum"], [member="Chaca"]

 

[Ultimatum]

It was not without some degree of doubt that Ultimatum heard [member="Sebastian Thel"] suggest he was unable to produce a droid like Ultimatum. The robot knew that he had been a relatively simple machine at first, in fact, the only genuinely revolutionary part of him had been his programming. A self-evolving artificial intelligence with a mind built into the HoloNet, Ultimatum knew that it was a mathematical challenge and he wondered if this sentient were up to such a task. Perhaps Sebastian had been in the employ of Ultimatum's creator; maybe he had contributed to the coding that made him. His maker would have kept him secret. Obviously, Ultimatum's original purpose was far too sinister to let just anyone know of. There was no way to be entirely sure and Ultimatum had moved beyond questioning his origins.

As they moved over the landscape, Ultimatum was struck by just how incredibly bare it was. There were few plants larger than grass, and there were practically no hills in sight, aside from the slightly visible cliff ahead. Ultimatum theorized that a quake or similar tectonic phenomenon had created this outcropping, rather than a Force-related occurrence. Upari suggested that the Force could accomplish such a feat and Ultimatum agreed, but he did not believe that it was the case this time. The type of rock visible, as well as the floor before the cliff, suggested an almost natural formation of a pressure of the plates leading to the current situation.

As they neared the cliff and [member="Chaca"] and Thel entered, Ultimatum too was concerned about the size issue. He feared that he would need to leave Upari behind. However, the measurements suggested they would be able to pass through. There was no small amount of scraping and Ultimatum was confident he was almost an ounce lighter, but he had managed to push into the cavern. It was indeed quite dark, but Ultimatum switched to other light ranges. Even with these though, he had to move to a proper light source when they came to the true depths of the cavern. It appeared that the sentients would potentially get to see his Force capabilities in action sooner than Ultimatum had anticipated. "One moment. I'll get some light."

It was a small thing, to create a sustainable flame, but the science behind it was quite complicated. Most sentients were aware that fire required four factors to start and maintain itself. The first was oxygen, as the basis of the chemical reaction oxygen was the most essential component and fortunately the most readily available in a breathable atmosphere. The second was a fuel source, something that the fire can consume along with oxygen to complete a reaction. Ultimatum had potential fuels within him and had set aside a particular substance for such an occasion. The third is heat, once a fire is started, it can maintain itself, most of the time, through the reaction but it still requires an initial heat to set it off. Usually, the fourth factor would be enough, but in the case of the materials Ultimatum had available, he would have to use the Force to fix the heat. The fourth factor was a spark, that initial combustion that could then turn the various chemicals into an oxidizing reaction. Metal on metal was notorious, in some places, for its spark producing qualities.

Opening his hand, the Ultimatum sent the command through his body to release a small burst of gaseous fuel and a minor amount of tar onto his hand. Upari then focused on transferring the heat from his body, with Ultimatum throwing in the calculations of how much heat would be required and how much energy that would take. Perhaps the others would feel the source of heat beginning to emanate from the droid's hand as it reached the ideal temperature. Then with a snap of his fingers, sparks shot the air and ignited the gas, which in turn fueled the tar to begin its own flame. Tar was a long burning substance and would likely give them enough light for the rest of the expedition, or so Ultimatum hoped. Unfortunately, a side effect that Ultimatum could not be affected by, or completely aware of, was the noticeable odor from the tar. It was not a perfect flame, flickering and not the brightest that could have been achieved. Nonetheless, it lit the room and Ultimatum could begin to make out more of the writing and the strange table in the room. He held his hand aloft so that the light could fill more of the room and he tried to discern the table's purpose, as well as surmise what the writing on the walls was for.

"This seems interesting. Perhaps rituals were held here, and the ruins are symbolic. If these are incantations then it is possible they are of a dark nature, this world is a tainted planet after all. Maybe the table will provide answers." As far as Ultimatum was concerned though, knowledge was knowledge. If they could learn something here, even a dark ritual, Ultimatum would be up for it. It would just be a matter of deciphering the code if there was one of course.

 

[Chaca]

Chaca nodded as he listened, watching in wonderment as Ultimatum created fire using the force. A surprised and excited little smile came to the youth; he really DID encounter a droid who could use the force!

With the flicker of both torches, Chaca could start to see the symbols in the walls with clarity for the first time. Chaca's natural vision in the dark was useful for navigating, but was not fine enough for him to make out cryptic symbols in the dark easily. Until this point, he had never really been able to take a good close look at the symbols

As Sebastian commented on the symbology inscribed in the wall, Chaca moved to stand beside him, looking up at the man briefly and nodding with a smile before looking at the wall.

"I think you're right. These were done by someone with tools... Not just rocks scraping grooves. They look ...precise...right?"

He said gently, reaching up, his clawed fingertips moving over the cave wall. These symbols were strange to him, cryptic. They seemed so very foreign, yet... fascinating.

Listening to Ultimatum, Chaca nodded, finding his theories to be quite reasonable. Still looking over the symbology, Chaca inquired about one part that stood out to him.

"What makes this planet tainted?"

The boy asked innocently, contemplating what Ultimatum and Sebastian had theorized about this place. As his fingertips moved across the rock surface, his body jolted slightly as he stopped on a particular symbol.

Chaca froze, his eyes widening. His mouth fell open, a trembled little whimper escaping him as his ears flattened against his skull. This one particular symbol now captured him - pulled him in like none of the other symbols had. The symbol, a circular pattern with a few small offshoots from the sides and lines connecting throughout, had caught the young felinesque creature entirely off-guard. This small symbol loosely meant "feast". But, the meaning that struck Chaca was much more sinister.

His pupils shrunk in terror as images flashed through his mind like memories long forgotten. He could see them...even smell them as though they were still here in this moment. Those horrible creatures.. Beady protruding eyes and thick almost scaly skin. Rakata.

He watched them, at least three of them, one with his focus on Chaca, the other two chopping...cutting. What were they cutting? It took a moment for him to be able to tell... And at that moment he wished he hadn't known

They were dismembering bodies of slaves for the feast. Another chop removed a leg from a poor slave who had been chosen this evening. The last thing Chaca would see in this vision is a large blunt weapon being brought up, only to come down upon him and end the "memory"

"Rakata!"

Was all Chaca could manage to exclaim in a sudden panic as the fragmented "memory" ended abruptly. He stumbled back, as though he truly believed that the Rakata weapon was being brought down on him at that moment.

His feet only found rock surface for the first few steps as he stumbled back, before the splash of water would erupt as Chaca tumbled into the pool, centered in the cavern.

A few little gleams could be seen reflecting off his vibroblade as it sunk to the bottom in the darkness. The pool was quite a bit deeper than it looked, probably at least 15 feet in the center

Resurfacing suddenly, Chaca took in a sudden gasp of air, pulling himself up onto the cavern floor again. He knelt at the side of the pool, coughing and spitting as he tried to regain his breath. He trembled slightly, taking a quick moment to look around before shaking his head

"I..I'm Sorry... I could swear I saw something"



[member="Sebastian Thel"]

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Sebastian Thel]

When Ultimatum cast the flame above his hand, Sebastian watched in awe as he welcomed the illumination. Use of the Force still made him wary, let alone seeing a droid cast fire. The kind nature of the droid made Sebastian feel at ease in Ultimatum's company and he knew that he was a Force user he could trust. As the light filled the cave, Sebastian could read the runes more clearly and set about documenting them in his notes.

"The symbols appear to be rarefied numbers of an esoteric form, I can't identify them." Scribbling out rough measures on his notebook, Sebastian creased his brow in frustration as he tried to make sense of the markings. They pushed his determination and caused him to wrack his brain, regretting that he could not understand the formula used my sorcerers of the Dark Side.

"My guess is the table was used to enact the spells carved into the walls." Sebastian said to Ultimatum as he walked away from the wall. He joined Ultimatum at the table and walked around the edge a few times, smoothing his hand over the surface and inspecting every corner. Cupping his chin in thought, he held his notebook in one hand, before splaying the pages over the table. The mysterious centerpiece certainly told him that rituals had been preformed in the chamber, perhaps conducting the same spells written on the walls.

"I believe the Sith used to conduct rituals here." Sebastian said to Chaca when he asked about the corruption of the planet. "At least, that's what I was I warned about before I came here." While he was no historian, Sebastian had heard things from both his contact and the smuggler who escorted him about Byss, that complex ceremonies to cheat death had been carried out on the world eons ago. As Chaca released a small whimper, Sebastian turned suddenly to face him and wondered what had startled the Cathar.

"Chaca, are you alright?" Sebastian asked as he watched Chaca recoil from the wall of the cave. He appeared to convulse slightly, as though caught in a dazed trance. The mathematician reached over and offered to help him stand, while keeping on his guard for any curses haunting the depths of the cave. The arcane energy may still have been active, he thought to himself. "What did you see?" Sebastian asked Chaca as he recovered from the vision.

[member="Ultimatum"], [member="Chaca"]

 

[Ultimatum]

"According to what remained of official documents from before the Gulag plague outbreak, this world was affected by heavy Dark Side usage before humans had settled here. This suggests a pre-expansion civilization, which leaves with few potential causes." One of the advantages of having near-constant access to the compendium of knowledge that was the HoloNet, readily available historical documents could be reviewed at almost any time. Of course, Ultimatum could not access the HoloNet when outside of normal range of transmitters, like in this cave. In this case, Ultimatum, like [member="Sebastian Thel"] had spent some time learning about the world before visiting and therefore knew some information about its history.

When Thel revealed the scrawlings on the wall to be numbers of some form, Ultimatum attempted to discern a potential language counting system that was used. While languages tended to be variable to different planets, cultures, even species, numbers tended to become more widely accepted as communication occurred. As a result, though there were just about as many number systems as there were languages, the popular methods used would be far fewer. Even so, the total extent of Ultimatum's numerical knowledge did not cover this particular system. It was unknown to the droid and therefore conformed with the theory of prehistoric origins.

Ultimatum was about to call upon Upari's power to feel through the table, but [member="Chaca"] suddenly seemed to become disturbed after contacting the carvings. The reaction caught Ultimatum's attention, and the droid began to act. Upari searched out with the Force to try and figure what could have happened to the Cathar. However, the darkness of the world still blinded him to the world. The Shard could barely notice the transfer of dark energies into Chaca and Ultimatum realized only afterward what had occurred. When the feline called out, Ultimatum was surprised to hear the word.

"Rakata? Did you see Rakata?"

That was a mildly terrifying thought in and of itself. A species which had practically devoted itself to the Dark Side. If there were a vestige of their presence, then Ultimatum decided he would need to remain cautious.