Breakdancing Banthas and Other Illusions!

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Down the rabbit hole they went and the glow rods barely cast enough light for them to see two meters around them. Matsu brightened things up enough to see natural vents from the surface and it was something of a relief to know they wouldn't suffocate. Dune watched her quickly make runic shapes and observed in silence. Contortion, he wondered, and slippery? Perhaps it was best not to ask exactly how that would work so he just nodded.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu looked at him and trying to read the biths face while she motioned with her head continuing forward into the caves. The crystals were still growing and getting larger in sections that were exposed or protruding from the rocks. Going deeper into it there was the sensations as the tunnels gave way to a large open area of a cave letting the jedi master look down and she held out her hands focusing. A glowball in the tunnels only lasted in a few parts and would have been a waste f energy... A glowball here as she held her hands and pulled at the light making it and then sending it up to illuminate the rocks all around them and there were creatures. White milky eyes things that seemed to scurry nd run with the light as she crocuhed lower. "Oh some of those looked like akk dogs.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Yes, they did seem to look like akk dogs. It was an odd place to find these creatures and so he wondered if they were what they seemed to be.

"This is an odd place to find them," he observed "Not Ryloth, but here."

His mind scrambled to remember what he could of the dogs. From Haruun Kal, they were a hybrid of reptile and mammal. Their hides were known to be very tough and resistant to energy weapons and metal alike. That ruled out his lightsaber, but they were apparently Force sensitive. Maybe he could reason with them on a primal level.

"If they are akk dogs, I believe I have a solution where we all go home happy."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu looked at him as she was thinking the same thing when the idea of working with the creatures came up. "Fly over them without noise and use the pathway on the other side that looks like it is leading up." She said it while pointing across and looking at the creatures. Being down here, they likely didn't see but smelling them and the sounds they make would likely give the pair away as she was nodding in some approval of the jedi knights brilliant idea. "Or work with beast taming and try to converse with them, always fun and great way to meet potential pets."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

"I was thinking the latter, being as they're known to be Force-sensitive," he went on "They're pack animals, of course, so we should find the alpha dog."

The pair continued up the tunnel at a cautious pace as Dune probed out, feeling for them. His sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of movement, claws on rock. He looked at Matsu in the eye and nodded whilst motioning ahead. Yes, there was something indeed there. Whatever they were, the seemed to have that sensitivity an akk dog should.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Alright they had a plan. Matsu was watching him and yes going for the leader of the pack should be the best way to get the desired effect as she was looking over the akk dogs and spoke. "Yes they can be and their scales are not the most fun for a lightsaber but we have been working with them as well as fireworm scales. The real trick will be getting in close to work with them but we can both do it well enough I think." She offered a smile on her face while moving a little and holding her hand out to feel their minds.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Hopefully they wouldn't have to use their lightsabers. He reached out literally and metaphorically and opened himself to the dogs. They were more intelligent than most would assume and recognised what he was doing. In them, there was a guarded curiosity towards these interlopers in tunnels. Dune let them know his intentions were good and he wasn't here to harm them.

"They're surprisingly not tainted overly much by the Dark Side here," he commented quietly. He could hear them stirring in response to his probe. They came slowly and carefully, the large reptomammals. As expected, the alpha dog had come at the front. It was bigger and heavier than it's subordinates. The Bith simply stopped and waited; neither aggressive nor fearful, he sent a message through his actions.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Again with the darkside., she was looking at him and raising an eyebrow more because she wanted to say something. Instead focusing her attentions and energies onto the hounds around them as she hovered remaining silent and focused to calm them down with herself out of reach in the chamber. She might not be the best at some skills but she preferred to not learn limitations near the slobbering mouths... who knew what they had be gnawing on or anything.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

He ignored the sidelong glance. There were bigger fish to fry right now and that's what he focused upon. The pack leader came forward, wary but forced to because of his role. Dune stood firm and sought eye contact with the large beast. Their eyes met and the Bith projected a calm but firm air of authority into the dog's mind.

It took some time before the deadlock was broken. Neither Jedi nor alpha dog moved nor broke eye contact. Finally did the alpha sit down on his haunches and let his tounge loll out. The Bith smiled and gently stepped forward to allow his scent to be smelled. The aim dogs too came forward to smell him and he found himself covered in drool from their affection.

"Well," the Bith said with amusement "I suppose they like me."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu was watching him impressed and giving some approval while her attention went to some of the major things all around them. She could work with some of these albino akk dogs and maye they could find some of their scales to work on upgrading the scalemail her researchers had made for jedi robes and light armors. She already had a powerful bodysuit so why not something like this that would be able to work on all of the things. It provided her some attention and Matsu came down holding a hand out while the two were licking it and sniffiing her. "Just like the akk dogs on the Botany bay we got to play with the jako pups."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

"Ah, the Botany Bay."

He patted the nearest akk dog amiably and reminisced about the gardens there. It was a relaxing oasis in a desert of troubles.

"I see that look in your eyes, you have ideas."

With their new friends, they strolled further down.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

"I always have ideas." One needed to otherwise it could be boring and stagnation took place.... which this was somewhat the way to work on some of the things. Where other groups got bored and sought way, she got bored and sought to understand and try to do things with that boredom to understand new things. "Finding new things to do to discover all of the stuff is fun in the long run while we get to work on some of the things."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

"Have these tunnels been mapped at all?," Dune wondered aloud "I've seen and read of places that go on for dozens of kilometres in crisscrossing paths." Archaeological sites were more his area of experience than geological exploration. "There has to be another way in, hence our new friends." He smiled at the akk dogs walking along with them. "And no, I'm not worried about being stuck, I'm curious about this place's past," he added with that same grin.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu looked at him and if they had been it wasn't by her. "I am not certain, my cartographer droids will find a use here more then likely when we are done and we can get some maps. More then likely things are able to get down here but getting out might be harder. Worse comes to worse there are some skills the shapers taught me when I studied their techniques. We can make our own tunnel out of here." She had worked with them and ones like Lexa who was skilled plus them showing how best to shape and use the magic of the spirits. Just like the witches on dathomir.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Nodding, Dune absently patted the akk dog beside him. He was thinking about what he'd learned, collecting his thoughts into what he'd write. At the same time, he wasn't unaware of the happenings around him. The Force told him more than his senses alone could.

Through his friends, he too had extra perception. They were fairly calm though they remained alert always. He'd also include his experience with them, he decided. It was good to have them there, he thought, they helped lighten his mood in the oppressive silence.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu was looking at him while she moved around searching and collected some discarded scales, the akk dog scales were quite nice to have at times and she could see one or two of the things while walking with one of them and seeing the mother as its pup came to her hands. She picked it up and was gentle while focusing the force energies to reach out and sense. She was looking into the tunnels to which ones would lead them up to the surface of the world while she motioned with her hands for Dune to follow.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

While watching Matsu gather the scales, he folded his hands in his sleeves. He didn't help due to the simple fact that she was very particular in her selection. He couldn't say what it was exactly she saw in those she gathered. There seemed to be no particular quality that he could observe. So he watched whilst standing among the dogs.

The crafting of armours and weapons, amulets and rings. This was to her what old ruins and tomes were to him. Thoughts in a material form instead of in an esoteric one. That was why Matsu Ike, an enigma to many Jedi, made more sense to him. Alike at the core though different on the surface.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

She was watching them all as the jedi master was walking and letting the small pup in her arms give her an idea of what was there. These things didn't enjoy the light and it would know when they were closer to the surface as she was leading the way. It was at times a better guide then working to focus and sense through vibrations she could create how best to find their way out. She could think of some others ways to search their way out while she was listening to the animal and its heartbeat as well as its movements before she was looking into the pitch black and letting her eyes pick up the smallest bits of light.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

And now the Jedi and their friends were back towards presumably the exit. Dune couldn't wait to be out under the open sky again. Spending several hours under the ground made one appreciate small things like clouds and wind. He considered living on Sullust and like worlds and came to the conclusion that he'd prefer not to for any length of time.

There was also his report and subsequent writings. He felt certain he'd have a hard time finishing them in next to no light. Dune couldn't say why, it was just a hunch he had. He looked over at the dog beside him who seemed to grin at his unspoken jest.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu could feel Dune while they were continuing up the tunnels and the rock around her while it was getting a little brighter by incrimentts before she could feel the dog kicking and released him watching him scamper back down. The entryway out into the mountain was well mostly a hole in the ground covered with some rocks obscuring it while she jumped out. Taking in the sight of the desert before moving with most of her attention on a few of the bigger things setting a beacon near the entryway so they could have teams come here and have a way in to explore and chart with the droids. "There we go, that was rather fun."