Excavation of Tund [Open]

[Darth Nemis The Undying]

Nemis chuckled under his breath at the scoundrel's confusion. Seeing the young man look all around expecting a figure to come out of the shadows was awfully amusing, if mildly time-consuming. He put his amusement aside and got back to business.

"Unfortunately, there's quite a considerable distance between us, but I've sent this droid with the sole purpose of communicating with you, so it'd be nice if you could look down here." The droid crawled closer to the man, asserting itself to him with a series of buzzes and chirps.

"Now that I have your attention," Nemis said promptly, "I'd like to help you get to the other side of this wall. I think I know just what is necessary to open it." Nemis paused for a moment. "That is, unless you'd rather wait for ApeX to find you."

[member="Myles Vylumnar"] [member="Avedia Lacroix"] [member="Malok"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Malok"] | [member="Myles Vylumnar"] | [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"] |

Leaving Malok to brood on the decision on whether to kill the campsite or not, Avedia sought to use the various laborers to her advantage one final time, instructing them to begin loading the contents of the library into the cargo bay of the Ayrix. Meeting with the archeologists and scientists of the dig, Avedia had pitted her calculative and cunning mind to the job of misdirecting the fools that she had met with, expertly manipulating them into not raising further questions on why they could not even the library without her explicit permission. She promised them that they would have time to study the books that she had begun loading into the cargo bay of her ship once she had finished studying them herself. By the end of the meeting, Avedia had promised that they could begin their studies in one week, by which she would kill them herself, if Malok did not do it by then.

With the library safely secured, Avedia decided that she would investigate the incursion that had happened just hours ago by herself. She did not doubt that ApeX would have eventually gotten down to the bottom of it themselves, but Avedia was a proactive woman, who found that doing things herself worked far more quickly and more efficiently than in the care of others. Guided by her powers, Avedia begun to climb the slippery rocks that led up to the cave that Myles Vylumnar had entered, and discovered his ship being detained by Malok's men.

After a quick inquiry with ApeX, Avedia entered the cave under the pretense that there had been an explosion inside. Drawing her Lightsaber into her hand, she ignited the blue beam out of the hilt and held it above her head as a light source as she made her way deeper into the cave.

 

[Myles Vylumnar]

Myles thought for a moment, calculating in his mind. Eventually, he lowered his rifle slightly enough so that his face could just barely be seen. He was not going to let his guard down, not for a second. He still coudn't trust whoever he was talking to. His eyes fell down toward the small droid which buzzed and chirped at him.

"Okay... But why would you want to help me? What are you getting out of this...?" he asked. His voice slightly trailed off as he tried to come up with a witty nickname for the stranger, but he really had nothing to go off of except for the droid... 'Droid-boy' just sounded stupid.

ApeX... Myles recognized that name. They were some sort of military organization... Mercenaries. What were they doing here? Had they been pursuing the same job that he was? No... Couldn't be. They didn't seem like the type to go treasure hunting. Perhaps someone had hired them to be here... But the question was 'who' and 'why'.

Meanwhile, he was unaware of [member="Avedia Lacroix"] entering the caverns herself. She would be greeted by numerous twists and turns, some crumbled by the explosion, only to find that they all led to the same path. It would seem that the caves led toward the direction of the library... Eventually, she might come across the blockade surrounded by a few dead ApeX soldiers. By the looks of it, it was probably the one thing holding this place up. If anyone wanted to get through, they'd have to find a way to move the rubble without collapsing the entire cave system...

[member="Malok"] | [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"]

 

[Darth Metus]

Malok did not take innocent lives.

This was not a choice based on some inherent good, but rather a practical business decision. As a private military company, the slaughter of bystanders was seldom taken positively. Sure, in rare cases, one could declare them casualties of battle...but what the Dark One laid before him was a bloody choice. There was no deniability in bloodying his hammer with the blood of the workers and archaeologists. Unless... The Behemoth's nostrils flared as he mulled through the test before him. It was not a choice to be taken lightl-

KSSSSSHHHHHHHH!!!

Static ripped through the comm, causing Malok to blink as the woman stepped deeper into the library. "What the Hell was that?" he growled. The static continued for a few more moments, followed by utter radio silence. Then, the voice of a subordinate spoke. "We're getting some serious interference. It wasn't bad at first, but it's ramped up over the last few minutes." Malok huffed. "Is it the Library?" he inquired, as if to attribute the interference to an otherworldly source.

"Doubt it. This is sort of like having two comms right next to each other. Or pinching the line."

"...Is anyone standing on top of each other?" seethed the Commander. A resounding chorus of negative responses echoed in his ear. "Assuming no one's monkeying around, that leaves our line being pinched?"

"Can't be the archaeologists, they're all right in front of me. The workers too."

"Get a head count then. Can't be too careful." came another subordinate's voice, alluding to the current situation. Malok huffed in affirmation...and was met with a rather surprising result. The count was accurate, save for one. A worker - blonde - had disappeared. When pressed for how long he had been away from their site...Malok came to find out that he had last been seen only minutes before the explosion. Yet before they could thoroughly act on this information, their employer had an order. It was time to pack up, load the Library's findings, and head home.

The choice ate at him.

"Switch channels." Malok growled, and with the flick of his finger the blonde eavesdropper was robbed of his intel. "Load them all into one ship. Workers. Archaeologists. Make it look like an accident. And if you find that worker, you bring him to me, understood?"

"...Sir?"

"We're being paid for it." he lied. The Commander's order, coupled with knowledge of a paycheck, spurned ApeX into action. At once, the ape-men aided and supervised in the collection of the Library's wealth of information before a handful broke away from the pack. They searched about the ruined building, high and low...until [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"] found a power hammer pressed to his back. "Commander's looking for you. Move."

All the while, Malok said nothing more over the comm. However, his thoughts betrayed him, enough so that his employer might know what was coming.

[member="Avedia Lacroix"], @Miles Vylumnar, [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"]

 

[Darth Nemis The Undying]

The rogue's insistence on ironing out every detail was tugging at Nemis' nerves. If he had just agreed already, the man could be through the temple by now, but instead, he was stuck justifying his offer.

"Right now, I'm alone in this world. I haven't made too many allies, so I try to help whoever I can. That's what I get out of this: You, an ally."

Nemis felt this answer would be sufficient, so he went on: "The wall in front of you can be moved. It's almost like a sliding door, but just incredibly heavy. Only those with the force can move it. That's where I come in. I'm..." Nemis thought for a moment, deciding what the best answer might be. "...a Jedi," he finished, lying to the rogue. "Now, do you want my help, or-"

"Commander's looking for you. Move."

Nemis turned to find an ApeX trooper threatening him with his power hammer. He seemed brave for a weak soldier standing up against a practicioner of the Dark Side. Maybe he didn't realize. 'Good,' thought Nemis. 'Men who live with the most courage die with the most fear.'

Nemis stood up from his crouching position. He was still far shorter than the ape-man, but the fierceness of his gaze made the soldier a little uneasy. "If your Commander wants me, why doesn't he look himself?"

The soldier was confused by the question. His face seemed to say 'You realize, I'm holding this power hammer, right?' Regaining his composure, he said "Im gonna give you to the count of three to move. One-" Before the soldier could even finish saying the word, Nemis pinned him against the wall with the force. He pressed against the beast's windpipe so he couldn't scream for help, but not quite enough for him to choke to death.

"Listen here you filthy creature: I am Darth Nemis, the Undying! I have killed monsters far more powerful than you will ever be, so if you think I care about your silly little three-count, then you're sorely mistaken." Nemis drew his lightsaber and ignited it, the red blade popping out from the hilt. He then slit the soldier's throat. Nemis savored the sight of the blood pouring out of him. He hadn't killed far too long.

He dropped the soldier's lifeless body to the ground. It was clear now that he certainly wasn't a Jedi. Thank gods his comm had been muted. He pressed to reactivate it. "We don't have much time; make a decision."

[member="Malok"] [member="Myles Vylumnar"] [member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Myles Vylumnar]

"Alright... I'll bite, Jedi." he'd say with a small amount of spite. Although he never really hated the Jedi or Sith, he sort of disliked both of them for their rather linear teachings. From the tomes and articles he read, Myles would have thought that there was no real division between the Light and Dark.

"You've talked the talk but how the hell are you gonna help me?" he questioned. He was trapped in there, with no real way in or out, so how would [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"] get him out even if he knew how? He looked back at the wall behind him... Maybe he could- No. There was no way that was going to happen. Whether he liked it or not, this stranger was his only way out.

Unless, there was another...

[member="Malok"] | [member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"] | [member="Malok"] | [member="Myles Vylumnar"] |

Coming to a stop inside the cave tunnel, Avedia brought her Lightsaber down and shone it's blue light above the corpses that littered the floor and walls. There was a faint smell of smoke in the air, coupled with a distinct aroma that she recognized from her days as a Jedi Knight. Memories of fighting countless battles in the One Sith Wars came to the fore. She recalled her duel with Vaulkhar. I love you, Ella. Shaking her head, Avedia searched the bodies, learning that they had recently died and that most of their equipment had been either broken or destroyed. She took a combat knife off one of the bodies, tying the holster around her ankle in case she needed it for later.

Pushing on, Avedia felt the presence of an individual further up the hallway. Carried along the walls and echoing up towards her, Avedia swore that she could hear someone speak, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. By the time she had caught up to Myles, the hum of her Lightsaber might cause him to realize that someone was approaching. Rounding the corner of the tunnel, Avedia came to a stop and asked: "Hello?"

 

[Myles Vylumnar]

"Hello?"

Before [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"] could respond, Myles once again shot up to attention. He motioned for the littler droid to stay quiet as he stepped forward, aiming his gun at the only entrance. He nearly stepped on the poor thing.

In front of him was a huge ravine which was lit only by a glowing blue shine from the very depths below. The only bridge connecting to the entrance was shattered down the middle. One would have to find a different way to get over it. While the hum of a lightsaber and footsteps approached, [member="Avedia Lacroix"] may have been able to hear the inaudible chatter echoing through the caverns. As she drew closer, Myles took cover beside one of the statues. He crouched down, aiming his gun at the expected visitor. He stayed quiet, not saying a word and just hoping that Nemis would keep his mouth shut as well.

The place was ominously strong in the Force. Myles could feel it too, but it was almost as if he dismissed it, like he was... Rejecting it.

[member="Malok"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Myles Vylumnar"] | [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"] | [member="Malok"] |

Darth Vupua drank in the potent energies of the dark side as they swirled around the cavern. Raising her free hand to the cowl of her robe, the Sith Lord lowered the hood, so as to physically embrace the great power that was here. Caught in the light of the blue bladed Lightsaber, Vupua's hair seemed to be alight, as if it were caught on air. Her eyes shined a malevolent yellow, brimming with the power of the dark side. Her skin seemed to glow in the darkness. Taking a deep breath, Vupua diverted her attention to the canopy that was before her. Her dark eyes fell upon the broken bridge. In the darkness, she was not sure if the bridge had been broken recently or if it had been in this state of disrepair for quite sometime. Trusting her instincts, she decided that it must be linked to the dead ApeX soldiers she had found, as well the explosion she had heard Malok talking about on his radio.

Lifting her free hand back up into the cold air, Darth Vupua pulled on the power of the dark side. She felt her invisible hand coil itself around the chains that had served as the bridges supports. Exerting and flexing her powers, the Sith Lord begun to raise the bridge up into the freezing, dark air towards her. Her arm begun to feel heavy, as if it was physical exerting itself upon the strain of holding up the bridge. Drawing on her hate, Vupua maintained her grip upon the bridge with the Force and continued to raise it up towards her. As Myles looked on behind the statue, he watched as the short, dark robed, dark brown haired Human woman continued to raise the bridge back up under the exertion of her powers, in an attempt to repair the bridge and allow her passage across to the other side.

 

[Darth Nemis The Undying]

Nemis didn't stop to explain his plan to the rogue. If ApeX really was on his tail, he'd have no time to stop to lay out the details to this man. His darkness sash materialized over his eyes and he began to peer through the eyes of the Force. After a few moments, he found the rogue. Unfortunately, he also found another presence not far off. It was clearly much stronger in the Force than that of the rogue, so Nemis had no doubt it was his employer in the passage. Curiously, the presence of the rogue was stronger than Nemis expected, but he didn't pay much mind to it. Instead, he focused on the wall behind him. He could feel the hollowness of the walls near it. He could tell the wall wasn't meant to be moved from such a considerable distance, but there was no other option. He began focusing on the wall and it began to slide open...

[member="Avedia Lacroix"] [member="Myles Vylumnar"] [member="Malok"]

 

[Myles Vylumnar]

Dust began to crumble onto the top of Myles' head as the wall slowly and loudly began to slide behind him. Quickly he turned, getting a quick glance at the other side. It was a large, dome-shaped room filled to the brim with ancient tomes and possibly artifacts. Bookshelves were lined up, with the center of the room being visibly empty. Darkness crowded most of the place, but at the center stood a figure. A dark, shadowy figure or silhouette. Slowly, it reared its head, revealing a pair of glowing orange eyes before the apparition blew away. At the same time, the door slammed shut. The opening was too small and the door was too thick for Myles to get through just in time, and the structure would be too heavy and distant for [member="Darth Nemis The Undying"] to force open. It remained sealed...

At this point, it was useless to remain hidden. There was no way [member="Avedia Lacroix"] would fail to notice the giant entry sliding open and back shut, so Myles popped out of hiding. He kept his sights trained at the woman approaching him.

"Hold it, Jedi..."

[member="Malok"] <-- ((Maybe leave space for dis dude))

 

[Darth Metus]

In the moments that followed, ApeX went to work.

Per the command of their leader, the Ma'alkerrite horde set about rounding the workers and archaelogists into a single vessel. There was much in the way of protest, of course, but those that the Behemoth had set in charge had a brain between their ears. They reassured discoverer and laborer alike that cramming them into a single ship was necessary - for there was no way that a single vessel could carry the entirety of their precious findings. This was enough to quell the complaints of the men and women, and soon they were all aboard. Elbow room was a delusion. Comfort was an illusion. But soon, they would know either no longer.

Malok's right hand - Lieutenant Striok, was the individual who "lit the candle." Once the doors were closed and secured, he set about personally setting into the engines thermal detonators. His movements were discreet and his comrades provided more than enough cover that detection from those aboard was a thing of the past. The Ma'alkerrite group then gave a thumbs up to the pilot's seat, which was currently occupied by an archaeologist's aide, before stepping out of the way. At a glance, this action was nothing more than giving the shuttle room to fly...but in truth...

BOOM!!!

In the instant of the engine's coming alive, the detonators exploded. The shuttle became little more than a flaming mass of durasteel in a literal instant. It skidded forward, propeled by the force of the explosion, before coming to a complete and final stop.

"Commander, one of the ships just exploded..."

The voice echoed over the public channel, but so too did another. It was the source of the urgency that seeped into Malok's bones. Only a matter of moments following his order, the Behemoth had taken a dusty tome in hand. Curiosity had inspired him to thumb through it, attempting to discern the meaning of its foreign language. However, a rather sinister voice rang in his ears...a voice that spoke to the subordinate sent to deliver the worker. The tome snapped shut in Malok's hand before being stowed within his belt-born satchel. He then delved deeper into the confines of the Library, deviating from the path taken by his employer.

Rather, he looked for his comrade that had been felled by a Sith. He looked for the last loose end: the final worker. Frustration seeped into Malok - the sheer audacity of the so-called Nemis to slay his subordinates caused a fire to erupt within him. He could only assume that this was the one responsible for the earlier reports. He could only respond in one way - by Hammer. And so, in but a few moments' time, the Commander himself followed the path of his fallen subordinate. It led him through the darkness and ruin...until he happened upon a rather tasty confrontation.

Before him were two men...and before them was his employer.

And to make matters more interesting...the Darkness was in this place. It was fuel to the flame. It breathed life into his fury. A savage grunt tore from his lips as Grond hummed within his grasp. Crimson illuminated his face as a sentence thundered forth.

​

"Which of you dogs killed my men?"​