Can of Slugs... in Cans.

[Captain Larraq]

[member="Popo"]

"The frell do you mean you found something?" Larraq asked as he boarded his private shuttle. "It's one of the deepest mines ever to be drilled on Mandalore... The hell is down there other than Beskar?"

"There... is some sort of tunnel system down here, sir." Explained the foreman. "We've had seven droids and four men go missing in the tunnels. But they're not getting lost. Sensors show something moving in the tunnels."


Sighing, Larraq paused at the shuttle's entrance door. "Fine. I'll bring some Hyperion Security equipment with me. We'll clear out those tunnels and get this project back on track." With the press of a button, Larraq began a new call. "I need two shuttles full of close-combat specialists, hunters, and anyone with experience around caves."

 

[Popo]

Deep beneath the surface of Mandalore a regular mining mission had gone wrong. Bound and trussed, droid and mandalorian alike sat upon a stone floor in darkness. Around them stood huge, massive shadows each easily towering over a Wookiee in height. Little could be discerned, however, of their captors and the captured crew's comm equipment sat in a pile nearby, confiscated during their capture.

"Eo ganar mar'eyir cuun yaim," said one voice, the deep tones seeming to vibrate the stones around.

"Val surya beskar'gam, a biai liser ibic cuyir? katla'r jija dayn yir." Another voice this time, still deep but seemingly higher pitched.

"Ret bathas cuyanir. Bic cuyir ret'yc, ba'hak omtu va." This voice seemed deeper than the others, but less gravely than the first.

"mhi malyasa'yr sur'ulur bal parer. Val malyasa'yr ta'na echoy traat'aliit par etie echoy'la jag bal beskar'ad. Mhi malyasa'yr ja'hailir par jii. Va'io cuyir at jurkad etid."

With that, the conversation ended and the first voice left. The two others were silent for a moment longer, giving the first deference, before they, too, disappeared. In their place two more shadows appeared, silent and watching. They guarded the trespassers in the quiet stillness while, above, many things ground into motion.

[member="Captain Larraq"]

Spoiler

Translations:

"Someone has found our home."

"They wear armor, but how can this be? The sickness wiped out everything."

"Perhaps some survived. It is possible, though unlikely."

"We will watch and wait. They will send search teams for their lost men and droids. We will observe for now. No one is to attack them."

 

[Captain Larraq]

[member="Popo"]


It was not long before a trio of shuttles touched down at the dig site. "Status update?" Larraq asked on comms as the rear hatch of his shuttle opened.

"Limited movement being detected in the tunnel." The Foreman reported. "We've had to halt all mining at or below the level of the tunnels... We can't ensure the safe transfer of ore back to the surface until the tunnels are secured."

"Well then," Larraq commented dryly as he motioned to the shuttle on his right. "Lets get them cleared."

At his command, 20 Hyperion Security Special Forces wearing Hyperion Beskar'gam disgorged themselves from the back of the other two shuttles in a loose formation. Carried between each pair was a crate of supplies, lagging behind the Mando'ade was an additional 24 Cyclops Battle Droids (from each of the three shuttles), and taking up the rear of the disgorging troops, four Trat'aab Walkers (piloted by Hyperion Security SF) lumbered down the two of the three ramps.

All in all, roughly two platoons total of Hyperion Security resources readied themselves by the lip of the massive hole leading to the depths of Manda'yaim. The shear depth they had to reach excluded repelling cables, and the intense up-draft of the still cooling hole made repulsor sleds unreliable. Instead, four Shantual Cargo Shuttles flew into position at the lip of the cavern. Ten Mando'ade lugged themselves and five crates onto each of the four shuttles. Behind them, 18 Battle Droids marched into position on each shuttle while two of the Trat'aab Walkers made their way onto each shuttle.

Larraq stepped foot onto the closest shuttle, a small gate close behind him, and darkness surrounded him as the four shuttles dropped rapidly into the depths of Mandalore.

 

[Popo]

"Gev! Narir gar susulur ibac? Crer. O'r chaaj."

"Ni susulur bic. Gota. Jarjap'u sto mrenetr."

"Val cuyir jarjap'u tarja etie burc'ya."

"Stas emuurir, elek. Ja'yesa dayn, dilida etid meh mhi liser. Gebi temyarbupr sulyu etid, pirimmur haaranovor surnr."

"Cuyir mhi at kyr'amur etid, Alor?"

"Nayc, narir va kyr'amur etid. Kebbur va at kadala etid ebin. Meh val mar'eyir mhi, sto malyasa'yr olaror. Ni copaanir at kar'taylir tion'jor val cuyir olar bal ganar mirci't malyasa'yr riye mhi o'r ret'yc vaduganr."

"Motir teg, Alor."

With that, the shadows moved away. The forms seemed massive in the tunnels, easily filling a substantial section of the tunnel. They moved silently, no scuff or scrape against the cave floors, no sounds at all as the shadows slid past. Only the quiet shift of air as the forms moved past and, as they left, the ever-so-slight smell of iron and oil.

The hunt had begun.

[member="Captain Larraq"]

Spoiler

«Stop! Do you hear that? Noise. In the distance.»

«I hear it. Machines. Probably more intruders.»

«They're probably looking for their friends.»

«Most likely, yes. Fan out, separate them if we can. Close tunnels behind them, use the hidden doors.»

«Are we to kill them, Alor?»

«No, don't kill them. Try not to hurt them either. If they found us, more will come. I want to know why they're here and having prisoners will benefit us in possible negotiations.»

«Understood, Alor.»