Conundrum

[Zef Halo]

​

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

Ember trod through the cavern's stream careful not to fall by stepping on a slippery stone. His backpack lighter by far since he started his journey through the lethal jungles of Dxun in search of this system of caves. Wrongly he had believed reaching the caverns would be the end of the worst part of his quest.

Alas, the caverns proved to be quite the maze. The lack of fauna within the system forced him to conserve his rations strictly.

He was unsure to what exactly he was seeking here but a vision followed by a week of research had led him here. Nothing bothered his senses. Calmness and solitude reigned supreme within these underground caverns.

While not a survivalist, Ember thought it would be logical to follow the current of the stream. It seemed as the only legit landmark in this maze.

The stream's end soon appeared in the form of a meager waterfall. The Jedi peaked from above to see the height of the fall and realized the Force could not save him from breaking a leg, at least. Taking a deep breath to shortly recuperate, Ember tied the end of his cord on a stable rock formation before he cautiously rappelled down to the unknown. Slowly, he took his time and often gave a glance to his lightsaber fearing it might unclip itself magically and fall.

Midway through the endeavor, the rock formation surrendered to the Jedi's weight and he found himself free falling with his back facing the ground. Shocked but instinctively calling on the Force, Ember landed with a heavy thud on an unnaturally flat floor. The Force and his backpack saving his life while he tried to catch his breath the fall had lashed out of his lungs.

[member="Alba Talatheen"]​

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

This was a lovely place to camp, really.

Alba poked at her small campfire with a long, dried root, letting the coals shift around. She hadn't been lost that long... Or had she?

Sometimes you really are an idiot.

She shushed the mockery in her head. But that's when she heard it, the sound of falling rocks and a meaty, unmistakable thud of a body. Staring out from her alcove like a startled animal in ship headlights, her body went rigid as she waited to see what had just decided to fall into her trouble.

Everyone had heard the rumours of the caverns on the Demon Moon. This could be a break big enough to get a new ship if she could find the delightful treasure hidden somewhere in these ruins. Instead, she was stuck after a cave-in at her entry point and had to use jungle roots as firewood. Her own ration levels were acceptable, but rationing would come soon.

Maybe someone else was down here, too. Someone with, hopefully, food. Maybe even a map. Or... Or not. Oh, great, it grumbled, two idiots instead of one. Well done.

Standing up, the treasure hunter unclipped her glowstick from her belt and held it up, the green light overpowering the fire. Of course, from anyone unable to see the source, it would appear to be an ominous glow from around a corner of the rock, getting brighter and brighter with every practised, silent footstep. Eventually, the raven-haired girl rounded the corner and lowered her light, looking surprised at the scene of the fallen climber before her.

"Kriff. You dead?"

---

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

Rubbing his temples, Ember could not notice the growing light falling upon him. The Jedi's complete concentration remained on mending the pain of the fall. Humming painfully under his breath he remained completely unaware of a presence nearing him.

He could've been killed.

Luckily, he was only startled to the point of frantically scrambling away from the source of the voice. Ember's vision blurred and twisted for a few moments before being able to get a good idea of what stood there with the awfully painful green light. He could only assume he had really hurt his head bad for a meager glowstick to be able to sharpen the pain in his head.

"Uh..." Ember stuttered. "Yes." The light throwing shade on the face of the woman but he could make out her features. Looked human and slightly younger than him. He didn't bother thinking about self-defense. If she wanted to kill him or otherwise harm him in some way, she had the perfect chance.

"I mean no." He shook his head to regain some composure realizing his earlier response made no sense. Silence followed for a few moments before Ember could think of a question. "So, what a great place for the holidays, right?"

Good one, Ember. That wins the award for the most stupid conversation starter of the decade.

​

[member="Alba Talatheen"]​

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

Lowering her light, she offered him a hand to help him up. A bit of a sardonic smile crossed her face at his comment, huffing, "Yeah, guess so. You down here on a fool's chase too?"


Not waiting for a reply on his part after helping the traveller to his feet, the hunter turned around and sighed, her arms crossed over her chest. The green light muted now in the crook of her arm, her posture indicated weariness. And a bit of defeat touched her tone as she spoke again, "Alba Talatheen. Nice to meet you. Welcome to being even more trapped. Any idea where to go so we can get out of here?"

She didn't sound very hopeful on that front, but was brisk and to the point concerning it. It was clear that more than anything she wanted to get out, probably even toppling the desire for riches that could be found deeper in the caves. He could be untrustworthy, the cautious voice inside reasoned, feeling it coil around her gut, keep your back facing him and he'll stab it.

Flinching briefly, Alba faced him once again slowly, nodding after a moment of quiet contemplation -- Probably not even hearing his response to her earlier question again, far too lost in her own mind to fully focus -- "I have a campsite up ahead, if you wanna rest up."

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

Taking her hand, Ember went back up to his feet dusting off his clothes listening intently to Alba Talatheen. The sharp pain in his head slowly seemed to fade away as he followed the woman before him. "Ember. Ember Farseer." He introduced himself and evading the first question while watching his steps carefully. "Nice to meet you too."

Great, even more trapped. This keeps getting better and better.

For what crazy reason had the Jedi thought this would be a walk in the garden after surviving the jungles of Dxun?

Ember wondered for how long had Alba been lost here? He couldn't help but notice her wish to leave this hellhole. Fool's chase, she had said, was she after whatever he was after? Cautiously, he softly touched Alba with the Force. While everyone had their own dark thoughts, she did not seem to possess the taint of the Dark Side. And if she had - she'd most likely had killed him already.

He caught her glancing at him for a moment as they walked, Ember locked questioning eyes with hers. "I'll gladly take the offer. Thank you."

Questions flooded his mind but answers were hard to find.

"This labyrinth of caves has to go deeper." He bluntly stated shifting his eyes from Alba's back and the darkness ahead. Ember's source of such knowledge were only his hardly trustworthy Force visions. "Have you gone further than here, Alba?" Before she could answer, Ember shot out a question politely but directly nonetheless.

"I can't help but ask - what is it you seek here?"

And who exactly is [member="Alba Talatheen"]?

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

"Wrong person to ask. I didn't get very deep beyond my campsite." Her voice was clipped as she kept moving, holding her glowstick up as he asked his second question, leading the pair back into the darkness, "And I'm just after treasure. Kind of my speciality. Now, though, I just want out in once piece without any broken bones."

"And what sort of name is Ember?"

She ducked to the left, where the mounting orange light had indicated that they'd arrived at Alba's makeshift campgrounds. It was small, certainly makeshift -- Mainly consisting of a small campfire and a backpack that served as a seat, a pillow, or anything she needed it to be. She moved to sit down on it, letting out a quiet groan afterwards.

"I haven't really figured this place out. But, hey, two minds are better than one... And air's getting in somewhere, so there's another exit."

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

"Treasure seeker? Never met one this young before, unless you're some kind of a make-up expert and undercover hag." Ember asserted sarcastically leaning his head to a side. "I wouldn't want to spend any more time here than needed either." Perhaps a treasure was what he was looking for. In some way it had to be connected to him or to the Force.

The Jedi opened his mouth and raised his finger to retort to her sarcastic question about his name. "Well, what kind of name is-...never mind." He shook his head realizing her name was pretty normal. "I was named after a Jedi Master." Ember admitted.

He sat down with a grumble, putting his backpack as a seat similar to what Alba had done to comfort her stay in this hole.

"There's definitely a current going somewhere." Ember agreed with a nod before adding. "Supposedly, there should be man made structures within this. Ruins, abandoned." The gloomy images of his Force vision resurfaced sharpening the pain in his head. "I will help you out." He locked his eyes with hers, confidence raising in his voice.

"But should we find the treasure - I will decide its fate."

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

"Har-har. A Jedi Master? Sounds important."

As he sat down and spoke those fateful words concerning her loot she raised an finger, giving him an annoyed face, "Woah, woah. I'm helping you, to start. And secondly-- I at least want a cut of whatever we turn up down here, got it?" Her voice brooked no argument on that front. Taking her own seat, she looked into her flickering campfire with a pondering face, "If there's man-made stuff down here, it'll be easy enough to find. I've been feeling things pulling me down deeper anyhow."

She didn't elaborate on what she meant. Glancing briefly to him over the flames, Alba finally let out a shuddering sigh, "We can move out when you're feeling better."

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

Alba's derisive comment on his name origins met a vacant look. Ember sighed at her sudden enthusiasm of finding whatever there was (if there was anything) at his mention of looting 'her' loot.

Definitely a treasure seeker.

"What happened with the 'I just want out', Ms. sarcastic pants.?" He rhetorically asked but eventually surrendered. "Fine. Fine. I guess we can figure something out."

He slowly raised himself evading any groans trying to escape his mouth and facial changes implying pain.

"I'm feeling great. Let's go." Ember blatantly lied. Finding whatever the vision had driven him to felt more important than his immediate health.

Besides, she was the one helping him out, according to her words.

The Jedi would lend her a hand with packing the makeshift camp before he'd move further in the depths of the cave. A flashlight from his belt lit a wide cone ahead of their way. The deeper they went, the more silent it grew and the colder it became.

To break the silence, Ember brought a question he cautiously waited to ask after her comment on feeling the pull of something deeper into the cavern system.

"You mentioned something about a feeling pulling you deeper." He said cautiously before asking. "Has the feeling been malicious or in any way threatening?"

[member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

"They usually are." She admitted, looking over to him as they walked. Packing up the camp had been fast, and she'd been hasty in kicking out the fire she had so meticulously prepared. Her attention was now singularly focused on their path ahead, moving down a snaking corridor side-by-side, "Not like that's anything different. Just feels like... A cold tether, between me--" She lifted a hand and tapped at her collarbone, then pointed the same finger into the encroaching darkness, "--And whatever it is I'm meant to find." For once it seemed austerity had replaced the bitter sarcasm she normally spoke with, and her tone was low and serious as a result.

Alba's pace quickened after she finished answering, soon getting a bit ahead. She did turn to look at him though, pausing in thought, "Do you even know where to go? Considering you fell off a waterfall. If you're concussed, I'll break your nose." There it was. It was back. The edge in her voice was back.

Before them, the tunnel had begun to snake off into little alcoves, reminiscent of the one Alba had camped in. It had yet to break off into crossroads or forks, however, so that at least counted for something. But the corridor continued to take them slowly down deeper into the heart of the Demon Moon. And who knew where it would lead them?

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

Ember observed her curiously as she explained her odd feelings to him. He carefully assimilated the information given trying to tie it to any knowledge of the Force he possessed. With her confirmation of the coldness of the feeling, the Jedi squinted. Calls from the Light were usually, if not always, warm and tender.

​The Dark Side's summons were certainly the opposite of that.

Before he could open his mouth, Alba was once more rolling her tongue out with her typical behavior from earlier. Ember gave her an exhausted glare and turned back to the path ahead of them.

"I said I'm fine." He replied blankly. It might've been a lie but a lie worth saving his nose.

"This tether..." Ember began reluctantly. Unsure whether to indulge her into what information he knew about what she had explained to him. "It does sound similar to a connection with the Force." How much should he share, how much should he keep? If she was Force sensitive, would it not be better if she ended up in the Light, rather than being snatched by the Dark? What was the right thing to do? Is there right or wrong in this situation at all?

Ember abruptly halted in one place, giving a moment to stare in the path ahead before turning his gaze at Alba.

"What do you know of the Force, Alba?" The Jedi's tone came out rather serious and decisive but with little undertones of fondness.


[member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

"Kriff if I know. I work with a Knight semi-regularly, I guess, and the Force comes up then. He's... Something. But if it makes you a dead-inside humourless monk I'm not sure I'm interested in finding anything out about it. Space magic anyways, right?"

Her voice didn't have a drop of disdain despite her strong choice of words concerning whoever she spoke of, and Alba had paused in walking as she noticed he had too; she'd gotten ahead without seeing him stop and now stood ahead of him. The green light in her grasp illuminated their path ahead, and it was clear the time for clear-cut paths was over; they had a choice to make as the tunnel splintered into two sections. The one on the right led down, deeper into the ruin, while the left one seemed to incline slightly, starting to curve up and away. Alba just turned back to the diverging paths, clearly puzzled now, "Well, damn it. Wanna flip a chit on it? Right, we go deeper and find this dumb treasure, left and we get out of here. Maybe. Assuming it's not a fake-out by nature."

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

"You can try and evade it your whole life." Ember replied impartially. "It will always find you in the end."

He started walking once more, his attitude slightly detached as he tried to make sense of it all. The confusion of his own path in the way of the Jedi and the twists within it mixed with the fact that Alba's already made her steps into the realms of the Force, whether she knew it or not. Ember could not only guess the Knight she mentioned would be someone not inherently dark-sided. The assumption coming from the fact the Jedi's life was spared when he fell down from the waterfall.

"What you make with it is what matters." The Jedi said frankly, his thoughts moving on to the dilemma ahead of them. A dilemma Alba had already solved leading Ember to the realization that she possibly had a natural knack for sensing with the Force. Something that he could admit was not his strongest suite.

"Right." Ember stated as his hands fell on his sides. The trek certainly had not helped the injuries he had sustained from falling down the waterfall like an idiot. "I will have to go right and something tells me you're going to do the same despite your endless bitching earlier." He smirked at her, brightening his own grim and thoughtful mood from a few moments earlier.

"Come on, Master Jedi Tala-something, lead the way."


[member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

"Oh-- Oh fine. Right it is." Her voice was one of an annoying impatience, most likely because of his snarky titling of her, "Come on, burning daylight and all that."

She started down the path leading downward. It wasn't the best-feeling route, but they could always retrace their steps if they wished to get out. Alba glanced back once in a while as if keeping a close eye on him, "Also if you drop down passed out on the cave floor there are no promises I'll stay with you... That's a guarantee." Though, of course, her artificial hostility didn't sound sincere one bit. Shaking her head and focusing on the trek before them, she spoke up once more.

"So... Where you from?"

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

Ember rolled his eyes and gave her a dull look. "How original. I've never heard that one before." He gave her a shake of his head before moving on behind, following the treasurer seeker into the depths of this labyrinth.

He only released a very brief chuckle at her warning. Truly, the fall earlier was by far worse than he'd thought but the Jedi had hope he'd live through this endeavor. More importantly, though, he hoped Alba's attuned senses in the Force were leading them the right way. As they went further down, the waterfall's faint noise completely disappeared replaced by the grave silence of the cave and the feeling of life around them.

Then she asked a question he asked himself almost every day. Silence reigned around them after her inquiry. A few moments later, the Jedi broke it.

"I do not know." He admitted distantly. "My origins are not entirely clear to me."

"How about you?" Ember asked and added quickly. "Wait. Let me guess... - Jakku."


[member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

"Very mysterious," She teased, the sarcastic edge in her voice back. But then as soon as he brought up Jakku she sneered, shaking her head, "No way. Never. Not the best place to hang out, trust me... Tatooine, actually. If you're so interested in knowing. I was born on Tatooine. Imps have it now, good riddance." Alba clipped her glowrod to her belt then, able to slide her hands into the pockets of her vest, exhaling almost wistfully. Whilst Ember might not recall his own childhood, it was evident Alba could, and quite vividly at that, "Can't hear that waterfall anymore. We probably should have collected some water or something." But her topic diverged from the discussion of origin, as if trying to change the course they'd set.

The tunnel kept creeping downwards, the sense of dreary hopelessness rising as they trekked on. This had better be worth it.

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

The mystery Alba sarcastically remarked was something that often came up in his mind. His parents. Who were they? Where were they from? What did they do? How did end up on the cursed the decks of Kaara's Lust? Had it not been for the treasure seeker's question, Ember doubted he'd wonder about it. Thus, he much rather preferred they talked about her than him.

"We'll manage." He replied with a soft smirk. "Pretty sure Tatooine isn't known for its water sources."

"So Tatooine - moisture farming family?" Ember asked and added. "You don't strike me as a farmer. Sure you aren't from Jakku?"

The Jedi would much rather hear about Alba's own story than his past. Over the years, he'd learn to acknowledge it but never seemed to accept it.

As they went further, with the Jedi trying to shove away his origins' thoughts, the duo's decline became steeper until it reached a man made stone staircase. The end of it unreachable by his belt's flashlight. A beckoning call through the Force would be mildly felt as a twitch in the back of Ember's head but it would certainly be sharper and clearer to the naturally-attuned treasure seeker's Force senses.

Ember halted before the staircase turning to Alba as he barely registered the call in the Force. He remained silent and patiently waiting for her reaction.


[member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

"Not a moisture farmer. Though I got damn close, you'd be surprised what people want slaves for." There was unsuspecting venom in her voice as she replied in a short, snappy sentence. And she seemed adamant about not elaborating beyond that. As soon as they reached the staircase Alba's demeanour changed once more, seeming more like a prey who had caught the scent of something carnivorous in the air.

"Kriff. I really don't wanna go down there." But still, she took hesitant steps downward, taking it slow as she made sure both feet were firmly on a stone wedge before continuing.

Their descent was slow from Alba's hesitation, and the feeling was only getting stronger. They were close, that was for certain. But that was starting to feel like a bad thing.

---

---

---

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]

 

[Zef Halo]

UNNAMED CAVERN SYSTEM
DXUN

---

Slaves. Both of them.

For a moment after uttering that word, Ember felt a brief connection between the two of them through the Force. The Jedi questioned whether meeting her was a coincidence. She had not occurred in his vision but that did not necessarily mean meeting the treasure seeker would be an act of chance. Her snappy tone urged him to not delve further into the topic.

"I don't think anyone would want to go down a staircase in the middle of a cave on Dxun that possibly leads to one's biggest nightmare." Ember replied sarcastically but then added with a serious tone. "But sometimes you have to do the things you do not want because they end up being the right things."

Ember took a decisive step forward and moved ahead of Alba. The chilling call from the depths grew louder for Ember and probably twice louder for the force sensitive treasure seeker. The Jedi's hand twitched at the lightsaber hilt within his jacket.

"Be very, very careful." Ember warned her. His attention would shift from the way down to Alba.

If this was the dark side's work, the Jedi had to keep a watchful eye over the untrained force sensitive woman that followed him.


[member="Alba Talatheen"]

 

[Madison M. Maxwell IV]

Dxun, Unknown Cave System, Unknown Time

---

She rolled her eyes as he stepped in front, putting a dramatic hand on her hip, "I don't need y--" But her voice died at the feeling. A low sense of hellfire building inside of her very soul and she shrunk back a bit, wincing softly.

"Okay. Maybe you take the lead."

Alba continued onwards but this time ensured Ember went before her, almost like a shield (Though, she insisted to herself; it was not like that). The stairs kept going down, and the feeling only grew stronger. Her posture indicated nervousness, but she kept the brave face, "Do you know anything about what we're looking for? What is it?"

---

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Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Ember Farseer"]