Public Dirty Hands - Miners & Mandalorians

[Oren Renn]

Darkness surrounds you. Occasionally, the darkness is interrupted by a small blip of light washing over you and once it's past, you are returned to a complete blackness. The forty men standing with you, standing in similar stoic silence, are forty statues who are also awaiting their final destination. Every now and again, a small cough, or a slight chink as helmets hung from waistbands physically connect with one another will quietly break the silence. The small space is cramped, standing room only, and it's hot, with the heat slowly rising. The metal cage you are in rattles as it begins to decelerate. Finally, after much waiting, the doors swing open and you walk out into a hive of activity.

Holding his holopad, a Sullistan wearing a coal-stained, dark-grey outfit and a white hard-hat waves the group over. The furry Sullistan, addresses the group in Galactic Basic with both a heavy accent and the authority of his position. "I am Face-Boss Nienn B'in. On the surface, you received your work assignments so you know whether you are mining or working on auxiliary operations using the air intake or conveyor systems. We may adjust assignments as the day goes on, be prepared to be moved around by team leaders. Remember stick to the active workings, Westralis Minors' acid rain makes a mess of our air intake on our exploratory veins. so those are only for the very experienced. Caps protecting your heads are to stay on at all times, removal is immediate firing. Stay hydrated & welcome to the mine."

His speech over, B'in releases the group to their own devices. Oren, who had been working the mines of Westralis Minor for roughly a year now had been assigned to the main excavation team because of his prior experience. Moving towards the manway, careful to keep his head down and keep his light up, Oren made his way down the passage and into the main excavation area. Once in the large chasm, he lowered himself down on a ladder and signaled to the crews to his left and right, so they knew he was about to man the open continuous miner. Running through a pre-check on the machine, Oren lined up the machine and set to work using the machine to grind through the earth.


OOC : From the 'cage', the main vertical lift in the mine, you can see in front of you is the main series of carts used for moving the raw material as it has been mined. Off to your left, is a small workers area with water, and gauges to check & refill your air valves, and to your right is the manway leading to the main excavation areas. Thread is open to miners of all races and Mandalorians, as Westralis Major & Minor are Mandalorian planets under the control of Clan Australis. Here is a list of mining terms.

 

[Val Vijah]

It seems that Oren Renn would spot a odd sight among the Rest Area of the Miners. A Cathar. Dressed in the Eastern garbs of Cathar. She wore a cloak, likely to keep the sun out of her face. Dyed richly with blues, greens, and reds. She also wore a pair of billowing white trousers, tied tightly at the waist and kept in place with a silk string. She appeared to be sitting on a bench with legs crossed with a odd-looking device in her lap. From this distance, Oren could see her mouth moving as she plucked at this device. However, with his distance. He couldn't hear anything. She was no Miner, why was she here? What was her purpose?

In other notes, she appeared to be far more feline looking than other members of her Species. An odd-prospect, since most Cathar look either extremely human, or extremely feral with no inbetweens. She had a hand card sitting next to her, stocked full with what looked to be a large Hookah Smoker, likely packed to the brim with Spice or some other variant. Judging by how the Cathar paused every-now and then to take suck from the pipe.

She had a silver bowl infront of her, and a small ornately decorated chest filled to the brim with Credit chits. It seems that the workers were busy paying for entertainment instead of working. Likely to the ire of the Foremen on Site. However, sitting in the direct center of the large chest sat a single large black diamond. Likely put there as payment for something. Judging by the mining operations, this was probably a fence for stolen goods judging by how she closed the Chest and tucked it under the hand-card with her foot.

Maybe it would be a good idea to find out why this shady Cathar was here. Selling goods, buying goods. Who knew. Maybe it would make for a great benefit to kick her out and let the forest have at her. But it may not be the best idea in the long run. ​

 

[Oren Renn]

The machine deliberately ripped through the earth, chewing up the soil in front of it. Orenn would drive the machine forward, feel it chewing the stone in its path, and then back it off momentarily. Once the machine had cleared the soil, he would slowly adjust his aim, and drive the machine forward again. Even with a machine, mining is a physical and time-consuming process. After manning the machine for nearly an hour, Renn backed the machine off and shut it down. Turning and taking a seat on the platform, legs dangling under the safety-rails, he slowly rubbed his arms working out the tension from the machines' constant vibrations. As he sat, he waved at the techs nearby and signaled that the machine was in need of replacement cutting peaks. As the techs came over to do an on-the-spot exchange, Orenn took a long, slow look out at the operation in front of him.

He was about mid-way down on a multi-tiered, cavern steppe and along the steppe were six or seven continuous miners on each level, four or five levels in all. The machines were deafening without ear protection, but tolerable with. A flurry of activity filled the cavern, from technicians, to mining carts moving material to and fro, and workers constantly moving to reinforce the walls and ceilings with the excess earthen material. As he looked around, Renn took note from the technician on how long this was going to take, and decided to fill the time by making his way back to the water station for a long, deliberate, and much-needed hydration break.

Hopping off the machine and making his way back up the manway, Oren was conscious of the dirt which had overtaken his hands and his clothes. Dirty work indeed, he thought to himself. As he took a long drink at the water station, Oren took look around at his fellow miners. It seemed several had gathered around a traditionally-dressed Cathar sitting on a nearby bench. A bowl filled with credits sat out in front of her, and so was a small chest. Oren took his water and joined the group as he had time yet to kill. Besides, he was curious to learn more.