Private For Credits and Ulterior Motives

[Palm-Imer]

Credit​

Location: Ionus.
Objective: Get paid. Acquire Zodhash relics.
Outfit: Wearing, black facemask, dark brown eyeshadow.
Equipment: Staff, Blasters, Archeology tools.
Tagging: Isabeau

The sun's glare fell upon Ionus' lands with little mercy, drowning everything under its heated breath and turning the air into a heavy and unavoidable offender. Palm never really enjoyed hot climates, used to the crisp and cold winds of the mountains. For a moment, she considered drawing upon the Force to alleviate the discomfort that the temperature imposed, but if the people going about their daily activities in this force-forsaken outpost could shrug it off, so should she. She allowed her amber gaze to wander through her surroundings, taking everything in with practiced attention.​

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It was a small and not very well-supplied outpost, away from the main hubs of the arid planet. Makeshift walls welded from recycled pieces of metals surrounded the reduced premise in an attempt to keep the winds and the sand they carried from hitting the seemingly brittle and modest structures that housed the brave few who called this their refuge. A part of her enjoyed the austerity of it all, the other was preoccupied entertaining the thought of how long until a strong enough sandstorm brewed in the horizon and ravaged the place until it was no more than a buried memory beneath the sand. And buried memories were exactly what had brought her to this planet.​

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She had decided to visit Ionus with hopes of finding historical artifacts of interest, for it was often that ancient civilizations hid secrets that still held value in the current times. Sometimes that value was indescribable, even if it was not material. However, the idea of venturing on her own into these sandy deathlands did not have any particular appeal, she was only willing and ready to embark on such a journey because it was her obligation. It was a welcomed surprise, then, when she heard word of a questionable merchant hiring scholars and explorers to venture into the ruins hidden in the desert, sent to extract whatever relics and valuables they might find. The pay offered was very reasonable, if the potential dangers faced were 'mild', as the merchant had described them, but Palm was not here for the credits.​

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The fact that the agreed upon time was closing in and no other volunteers but herself had showed up was proof enough for the geminian to believe that her employer had indeed downplayed the risks of the mission. Well, she had hoped to get some backup but that which one never had cannot be counted as a loss. There were still a few minutes left. "You, scholar. Get ready, your partner will be arriving soon." The voice of the human man that had hired her services broke her concentration, she was already trying to mentally prepare for the struggles of the desert, but in the end it seemed she would not face them alone. Palm offered a nod, and a hint of a smile flowered beneath the dark mask that covered the lower half of her face. She was no scholar, but she would play the part for the day.​

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[Isabeau]

Sometimes, not having a ship of her own was truly quite a curse. Especially when taking on jobs in the middle of nowhere. Whereas she would usually be able to hitch a ride with a friend or take a commercial shuttle, the current destination wouldn't allow for either. Located far away in the outer rims with an abyssal population size it was practically impossible to find a cheap way there. Approaching a small settlement, Isabeau descended towards the planet in a rapid pace, pushing the rusty old freighter to its limits. After all, it was just a rental and a well insured one at that.

Landing the vessel with a daft hand, she quickly slipped out of the pilot's seat and made her way out. While the girl had never left her armour or weapons, she did grab a shovel and a pick axe, attaching both to her back where her rifle hung. Finally, she brought along a large plastic sheet before making her way down the ramp, keeping a rapid pace, knowing that she was on the verge of being late.

Once outside the ship, her demeanour quickly changed into a more nonchalant and cool one. The merchant who had hired her sent her a hesitant wave from the doorstep of a building, seemingly unsure of if she had seen him or not. It was hard to blame the man, considering how the typical Mandalorian T-visor her helmet carried left few clues as to what the person inside saw or expressed. Stopping in her tracks, Isabeau slowly turned to him and waved back before turning around to look at the ship. Holding onto one side of the plastic sheet, she sent herself up with a short burst of the jetpack and proceeded to walk her way to the other end of the ship, ensuring that it was covered, just as the owner had instructed.

It was in moments like these that she thanked the stars for having bought that amazing bodyglove. It was light, aided her in sneaking and more importantly in this case, protective which consequently allowed her to drop the armour plates which would otherwise have added to the warmth she would feel rather considerably, something which was not all too desirable in this environment. Still, maintaining a sense of modesty and something to keep sunlight and sand out, she was covered in a crimson cloak, only brushed to the side as she used the jetpack.

Walking over to the merchant, she eyed the man carefully. Unarmed, relatively thin and with a certain sharpness in his eyes - it was just the kind of person who had the capacity of annoying her the most - but then, at the moment, he probably lacked the motivation to do so and that was a state she was perfectly happy with. "Hey" she said upon getting closer to him "Isabeau?" he asked upon which she replied with a short "Yes" "You're late" he stated, with a curt voice and harsh eyes. In return, she rolled hers - naturally something which he couldn't see under the T-visor. Looking at the man for a few moments, waiting until he blinked at least once, she spoke "Only by a little" She was well aware of the fact that she was in the wrong and did not feel like pushing her luck too much for the moment. Apparently, he decided to drop the dispute too and pointed to guide her towards the scholar.

The extremely limited amount of people nearby made it relatively easy to guess who the scholar was. Seemingly well composed and wearing more than rags, the girl knew who to walk towards. Once they arrived, the merchant raised hand, pointing it to the Mandalorian at his side "This is Isabeau, your partner for this expedition" The young Mandalorian nodded at the woman. Shifting his hand to point at the scholar, the Merchant continued "And this is Naddej. If you two get along well enough and do your job, we'll all leave this wretched planet with a tidy profit." Quietly sighing for herself, Isabeau remained quiet, letting the scholar do the speaking.

Once done, the two were sent to an old landspeeder which seemed to have seen many years in the harsh climate of Ionus. Once they were out of earshot from the merchant, Isabeau opened her mouth to speak but ultimately decided to remain silent instead. She did not know her companion and the nicety of "I hope you don't mind me driving" seemed unnecessary for the moment. With that, she jogged a few metres, making sure that she could take the controls of the speeder. "Do you know where we're heading?" she asked, bluntly and without too much consideration of what her first words to the scholar was.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm watched the bygone freighter descend over the sands, proving the merchant's words right. She did not have any doubts that the pilot of the vessel was to be her partner, for not many had reason to come out this far into the desert and the timing was just right. Without haste, she stood up from the old crate she had claimed for a seat and took a moment to adjust her clothing. Normally she would carry her staff in her hand, using it as a sort of walking stick even if she didn't need it at all, but given the soft nature of the terrain that was not an option. Instead, she had wrapped some resilient cord around its ends and slung it over her left shoulder.​

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As she kept her eyes on the ship, her right hand grasped onto the backpack that contained her tools, proceeding to fling it into its rightful place and securing two straps over her abdomen and upper chest. The weight was no problem, but Palm made sure to slouch her posture a bit more than normal and reminded herself to keep a firmer step on the sand enough to slightly bury her feet and emulate effort. She was getting good at pretending to be human. It was then when she finally caught sight of the other woman and one word immediately overtook her mind: Mandalorian. How very interesting.​

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Palm considered her knowledge about the famous Mando'ade to be subpar at best, not many Ambassadors had had the chance to interact with them and thus, the information she could recall about them was very shallow. Devoted to their ways, masters of beskar ore. Although this one had chosen to forego her armor, with the exception of the helmet. Then again it was a vast universe and being such a widespread community, it would not come as a surprise to find less orthodox members, she supposed. She took care not to scrutinize the woman, after all it was impolite to stare and she'd have plenty of time for her observations later on.​

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The geminaie decided to save her words too, given that their employer had the...courtesy of introducing them. She only offered a small nod in acknowledgement and lost no time in following her towards the landspeeder. Palm wasn't picky, but she could issue a complaint or three about the vehicle. The thing was certainly out of shape, and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere was not her idea of a pleasant surprise. Giving no voice to her concerns at the moment, she got onto the passengers' seat. Eventually, the Mandalorian had the first word and only then did Palm allow her gaze to settle on the side of her helmet. "Straight line, east. We should be there in about an hour and a half, supposing our employer's indications are correct and this speeder doesn't die on us before that." ​

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Isabeau ​

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[Isabeau]

Making friends with strangers was not Isabeau's strongest departments. Naturally, she could find motivators to make an effort at times but she was only going to work with Naddej for a day or two and making friends seemed to be more of a hassle than it was worth. She had noticed how her companion seemed to struggle a bit with her bag and while half-tempted to offer a helping hand, the young Mandalorian wanted to see what kind of person she was working with first. Besides, if the woman had decided to pack a heavy bag, Isabeau felt that it would be fair for her to carry its weight anyways.

Remaining silent, she simply adjusted their course a little, ensuring that they headed straight eastwards. Under her helmet, Isabeau smiled - the thought of the speeder breaking down had crossed her mind too. The minutes seemed to grow longer as the couple swooshed across the dunes, sometimes increasing the elevation at which they hovered to avoid incurring any damage while they travelled across rockier areas. While she proved to be a horrendously poor conversational partner for the moment, she did, at the very least, ensure that they would arrive at their destination as soon as possible.

Unless Naddej broke the silence, it would be a mostly silent trip with little else to listen to than the disturbingly high-pitched hum of the engine and the occasional winds producing eerie howls when they passed by rock formations and smaller canyons. Turning on the radio was out of the question since there was definitely no service provider who had established themselves on Ionus - or at least so she thought. The Mandalorian did not send any signals of wishing for a conversation as she kept her gaze set on the path ahead, steadily adjusting course and height when needed. "I think that's it" she said, nodding towards a deeper canyon that laid in front of a rocky mountain in the distance.

With only a few minutes left, Isabeau looked to her temporary companion "Can you fight?" she asked, investigating the most relevant topic for the moment. Coincidentally, it also happened to be one of the topics which she had the greatest interest in. Throwing both one and two glances at the other woman, the Mandalorian was interested to hear her answer. Before long, they arrived with Isabeau gently guiding the vehicle down into the canyon where it would be offered better shelter from the sand. Hopping out, she started looking around, seeing if she could see any hints of a structure.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

This planet was very different from her homeworld, if not the complete opposite. Geminidae was brimming with fresh water, in many of its forms. Even the drier biomes, the savannas that dominated the northern tropic, gave way to several rivers and waterholes. Life was abundant, and the humidity in the air was never missed. This was the first time Palm saw a true desert, and even though it held some particular beauty as a landscape she couldn't claim to truly enjoy it. The sand, in particular, was bothersome. She could feel it trying to slip into any and every little crevice it could find, and she suddenly sympathized with the poor speeder that had already survived who knows how long against its onslaught. Judging by the high pitched noise, Palm wouldn't be surprised if the engine was receiving more sand than fuel from the tank.​

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Ending her musings about this new environment, she shifted in her seat to a more comfortable position and focused on the task at hand. Isabeau seemed to be comfortable with the silence so the geminian made no attempt to break it. Palm was designed to feel comfortable in the presence of anyone, either naturally or by adjusting her own behavior, but she knew not everyone shared this trait and sometimes it was better to allow strangers to get used to one's presence before attempting further interactions. Her curiosity was indeed piked, but she had a feeling her questions wouldn't be welcomed and she didn't allow herself to hope too much either, no one's trust could be gained in only a few hours.​

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She was glad that the Mandalorian decided to drive, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to reflect on her thoughts as much. Upon hearing Isabeau speak, Palm slightly leaned on the side of the speeder to inspect the canyon ahead. "Yes, it should be there." She confirmed, feeling that the place resembled the picture the merchant had showed her earlier on an outdated holopad. She went back to her previous position, feeling skittish about tempting the stability of the speeder any longer. Isabeau's next question caught her a bit off guard.​

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Palm had signed up for this job as a scholar, an archaeologist. She had indeed been trained to identify ancient objects and to preserve them until she could take them back to Geminidae, but it would be nothing short of pretentious for her to claim to have the knowledge or skill of a true professional. In regards to these matters she was a bit of a jack of all trades, capable of little with a lot of room for improvement. Now, fighting. That she felt she could allow herself the credit of being capable of. Yet this was not something she could share as openly, lest her cover as a simple academic be blown away. ​

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Maybe Isabeau was asking out of sheer curiosity, but Palm considered her options carefully. If a situation arose in which combat skills would be needed and the Mandalorian believed her to be defenseless it could endanger both of them. One did not fight the same way when with fellow soldiers than they did when weighted down by the presence of a civilian. "Not if I can avoid it." The statement was vague enough to express she did have some form of competence, without revealing too much. Her voice was slightly muffled by her mask. "I don't think I need to ask you the same question. I've heard stories about your people. Great warriors, they say. Hunters." She added, testing the waters with some idle chat, easy enough to ignore should Isabeau decide to revert back to silence. ​

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She followed suit once the speeder was safely landed, her hand kept near her staff and her eyes quickly gliding over the canyon walls, an old climber's habit. Once she was satisfied with her observation of the place Palm took the lead for the first time, walking towards the left canyon wall and starting to follow it. She knew enough about rocks to identify the way they started to get larger and less rugged the closer one was to a cave entrance. "Its a cave system we are after and I feel it won't be easy to find an entrance that's not buried beneath the sand."​

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[Isabeau]

Not if she could avoid it? It was words that could have come from a cowardly politician or a seasoned but cheeky warrior. In Isabeau's mind, it was clear which one she preferred - travelling with someone who could fight was way better than travelling with someone who could not. Still relatively young, she knew that she still had plenty to learn and often looked for any opportunities to do so. Still, she had signed up as protection and had no expectations of being paired up with a scholar who could fight. The Mandalorian glanced over at her companion when her people were brought up "If you are lucky, you won't see us in action today" she said but decided against bringing the sentence to completion with "If I am lucky, however, you will" It would remain a thought.

After having looked around for a bit, Isabeau realised that the entrance was probably not within her line of sight for the moment, and with that she walked around the speeder to bring out another plastic roll from the trunk. Naddej was looking around and seemed to investigate the path to the left at a walking pace, giving the Mandalorian plenty of time to set up the sand protection for the landspeeder. Working with a rough hand and prioritising efficiency over a neat result, it wouldn't be long before the speeder was sufficiently protected, covered in a plastic sheet just like her rental.

Being down in the canyon was significantly different from being up on the surface. The high walls provided protection from the stark sunlight and deprived it of any chance to heat up the ground like it could on the surface. In short, it was much cooler. The wind, however, seemed to live its own life as the constant breeze which could be felt up on the surface was no more. Instead, it seemed to go from zero to one-hundred in a heartbeat as gushes of strong wind occasionally flushed through the canyon from one end to the other. Still, Isabeau preferred the strong gushes, seeing as they brought way less sand than the breeze up top.

Entering a casual jog, she quickly caught up with the scholar. The Mandalorian frowned as she heard of the scholar's hope to find an entrance not buried in sand, indicating that several already were. It was one of those scenarios where it would be wise to refrain from using the vambrace rockets in combat, seeing as how they may come into play if they were desperate to get out instead. Realising that she was taking unreasonably long to respond, Isabeau spoke "Just make sure that the entrance we take is clear enough. I can fight Akk dogs but I can't fight sand" she said, making it clear enough that she wasn't fond of the prospect of being buried alive.

The path ahead was boringly quiet, only producing warm 'whistles' when a gush of wind blew into the system. Isabeau seemed relatively unaffected by the strong winds, seeing as her body glove's strength enhancing capabilities made the force easy to withstand and how her helmet protected her face from being assaulted by what little sand that was brought along. Not knowing how her companion was doing but remembering how she struggled with her bag earlier, Isabeau turned around, having pushed on ahead a few metres. Slowing down, she let Naddej catch up "You okay?" she asked. If the answer indicated that the scholar was struggling, the young Mandalorian would stretch out a hand "Let me help you with your bag"

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm chuckled, sending an amused look at the Mandalorian before she returned her attention to the rocks. She wasn't sure if she believed in luck, and something told her Isabeau would find an uneventful day spent among ancient rocks and past memories somewhat boring. "For the sake of entertainment, some form of action wouldn't be bad to have. Just hopefully not the life-threatening type, although this line of work does tend to be a bit extremist in that regard." Her tomb-raiding experience wasn't much to brag about, but caving had been one of her pastimes while in her home-world and it usually went one of two ways: uneventful and peaceful or as a series of chaotic events of varying danger. Rock slides, flash flooding, getting lost or trapped, the darkness and whatever it might hide... She had her fair share of scars to account for such occasions. Raiding did have a bigger purpose than mere recreation, still she could imagine the actual experiences holding many similarities.​

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The geminian caught up soon enough, and noticing a slight curve of the sand she crouched to allow her hand to touch the ground. It started to slip away under the added weight, moving like a golden stream towards some unseen place until a slit underneath the rock was cleared, small enough that not even her arm could slip through but granting a glance into a deep darkness. Yet another unusable entrance, and given the softness of the sand her guess was this one had been covered recently. Not a good sign. "I will find a clear entrance, eventually. But even then I'm not too keen on trusting the safety of it. Best we move fast once we are in." Yes, joining the Zodhash in their place of rest was not how she hoped to go.​

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Her clothing, and particularly her heavy cloak, were doing a decent job protecting her from the biting flight of the sand. The rest was just a matter of timing when to close her eyes or look the other way to keep them safe. Palm looked at Isabeau when spoken to, the outline of a smile that formed on her lips visible beneath the mask. "Thank you, there is no need. The bag can be a bother, but I'm used to the weight and I won't burden you with it." She added her last words suspecting that Isabeau's concern was inspired by the bulky aspect of the backpack and Palm's care to walk like any average human her size would while carrying it. Still her tone held genuine appreciation for the offer, she was not going to abuse the kindness of the Mandalorian.​

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Palm was about to stand up again when a gust of wind and a distant whistle stopped her. Her head turned carefully to one side, trying to hear the sound better as a slight frown settled over her features. That whistle wasn't like the ones they had heard before, it was a reverberation. An echo. Only once it passed did she rise up again to her full height, and lifted a finger pointing at the air around her. "Sounds like I just got my work done for me. This way." She resumed her walking, this time at a brisk pace. Soon enough, they reached a very large boulder that rested against the canyon. It wasn't much to look at and it certainly didn't seem like a way into the depths they were searching for, but Palm appeared to be very interested in it.​

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She rounded the massive rock, and a satisfied brightness filled her eyes once she reached the other side. Nestled between the canyon and the boulder, a long and thin crack gave way into the dark. It would be a tight fit, but she was sure they could both squeeze through, one at a time. However, if luck was not on their side, this could just be a small cave not connected to the system they were after. So Palm raised her hand towards her face to lower the mask, uncovering her features for a moment, and leaned against the crack. She took air in and produced a sharp whistle. Then she waited, hand wrapped firmly around her staff. The echo was clear but faint, indicating that the cave extended deep into the rocks. Also, if any creatures dwelled near the entrance, they would have stirred by now. "Looks safe and promising enough to give it a shot, don't you think?"​

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[Isabeau]

"Suit yourself" she said, not caring much about whether the other woman accepted her offer or not. As most other sentient being, Isabeau felt good when she could help someone, but seeing them carry their own weight was rewarding in its own right, especially when she had to work with the person.

Looking at her companion, Isabeau observed how she seemed to be onto something. With a sense of suppressed eagerness, she let out a simple "Lead the way" as the two took off "As long as it isn't another hole in the ground" she mumbled, clearly not too fond of the idea of getting caved in. But then, Naddej seemed to know what she was doing and had already dismissed a few paths which would have been viable before they got covered in sand.

Curiously following the scholar until she was the find, Isabeau let out a gladdened "Good spot" as she saw the relatively generous entrance and cover which the boulder provided. While it would be a tight fit, it did not seem to be on the verge of collapsing after they got in and it would take quite a lot of wind and bad luck before the opening could be clogged with sand. Standing back, the young Mandalorian allowed her colleague to examine the entrance, only keeping a relaxed hand on her blaster which was still holstered in case something jumped at her from within the blackness of the cave.

Once Naddej turned around, Isabeau removed her hand from the blaster and drew her vibroblade. Hoping to avoid giving the woman a fright, she responded to her question simultaneously "Sure, let's" With that, she walked closer to the entrance and brought her free hand up to her helmet, activating a small mounted flashlight which would provide her with some visibility as she delved into the darkness. Moving sideways, squeezing her way through the thin crack, Isabeau held the vibrosword in front of her as she got further and further in.

Eventually, the crack would widen into a large chamber with walls of rugged rock and hardened sand. One one end of the cave were what seemed like the foot of the rocky mountain outside - having been buried deeper and deeper under the sand after years of harsh winds and movements of the dunes. The natural enclave that had been formed inside was wondrous in many ways and it was all amplified by the few beautiful carvings that remained by the 'entrance' into the real tunnel system. "This looks well preserved" she said, hearing a faint echo of her voice as she spoke.

The opening from the crack seemed to put them at a larger ledge or platform, a couple meters above the rest of the system. Hopping down from it and landing on the hard and rocky ground, Isabeau kept walking forward, scanning the room for dangers whilst beelining towards the carved entrance at the opposite wall from where they came. Once she felt confident that the area was safe, her eyes fixed on the decorative carvings above the entrance whilst letting Naddej do the exploration she felt was warranted.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm unstrapped the fastenings across her torso and quickly shrugged off the backpack. There was no way she would be able to get through the gap with it still on her back. After Isabeau was out of sight she pushed the backpack in with some effort, its girth was a bit more than what the rock was willing to allow through. Luckily there were no delicate or too valuable objects within it yet, she'd certainly have to be more careful about it on their way out if their efforts proved successful. Without losing anymore time, it was her turn to squeeze her way into the cave.​

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She flashed a bright smile once inside, it had been a while since she had last been in a cave. The sudden urge to be rid of her gloves and get to climbing the walls so she could get a better look at the engravings that decorated the entrance of the cavernous hall came to life within her chest but was easily shaken away. It was time to focus on the task at hand, and there was no reasonable excuse for her to reveal her condition as a near-human. Once inside, she picked up the bag once more and produced a lantern from within. A simple tube of bright light with a base in one end and a handle in the other. ​

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Regulating the brightness of the lantern, she made sure it was enough to clearly reveal the ceiling and walls. "And we are lucky it is. I'm sure the erosion from the sand must have grinded the carvings away in most entrances." She did not immediately climb down the ledge after the Mandalorian. Instead, she grabbed hold of a sturdy looking camera from within her backpack and pointed the lens at the roof of the cave. She noticed some engravings seemed to be alphabetical characters, while others gave the impression of being more pictorial in nature. Palm would have made some comment about them but decided against it, she didn't know enough and feared attracting any questions she could not answer.​

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Dimming the lantern once more, she finally made her descent to the proper floor of the entrance and followed the Mandalorian towards the next passage. "So far, so good." Palm readjusted the mask so that it would cover her nose and mouth once more. The comment seemed a bit bleak, she wasn't truly expecting something to go wrong this early into their expedition but she was not one to take things for granted and would celebrate any win, little as they may be. The geminian walked alongside the Mando, paying attention both to their surroundings searching for any dangers and to the walls, in case she noticed any difference in the carvings worth of note and more pictures. ​

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The second entrance on the opposite wall led to a winding corridor. There was less sand there, and a floor made of smooth stone was made easily visible. This was great news, otherwise her calves would have began to feel the strain of walking on soft ground soon. "From what little is known of the Zodhash, this place was their last stand before they were all killed. I would expect this corridor to lead to some form of central hub, a fortification maybe, but there is no telling if its late inhabitants set traps on it for protection that might have survived the test of time." It was a fair and hopefully unnecessary warning. A war had been fought in this ruins, it would be unwise to assume all its remnants were gone.​

 

[Isabeau]

Speaking loudly as she walked away from the ledge where Naddej chose to stay, Isabeau heard the echoes of her own voice a few times over, although slightly distorted by the helmet. "Yeah, let's hope that time has been that merciful to the stuff we can bring with us too" she said, knowing that their pay might become considerably much higher if they managed to bring out plenty of high value relics. The girl was often driven by the will to do what was right - namely to protect her people, rid the world of Sith and battle with honour. But with none of those factors driving her here, this adventure was primarily conducted to make a few credits. It was not something which she was particularly shy about.

Her eyes lingered on the decorative carvings above the entrance - it looked like a beautiful mural which had most likely lost its colours over the years, still, she could see a few nuances of red and brown still marking the figures. Mumbling, she spoke - more to herself than her companion "If these Zodash of yours were as skilled with the blade as they were with their sculpting tools, they might still have been around today" It was a cynical comment, but far from radical for someone from a warrior culture.

Most of the the finer details which Naddej noticed were lost on Isabeau who lacked the interest necessary to even try to make something out of them. She trusted her ally to be able to identify what they needed to bring in order to make the greatest buck. Still, as they walked down, the young Mandalorian concluded that she may as well be on the safe side and ask "You do know what we're looking for, right? Otherwise, I'll have to start grabbing pieces at random" She spoke with a relatively serious voice, not even thinking about accidentally making a lighthearted joke to the stranger who she had only known for a couple hours.

Moving down the corridor and slowing her pace upon the reminder Naddej provided, the girl let out a soft "Right" and followed it up with an equally soft "Thanks" after a few moments. With that, her eyes carefully scanned the ground before them as she pushed forth "This corridor would probably be an excellent choke point, we should be careful when we reach the end of it." Just as she completed the sentence, a few old crates could be seen up ahead.

With one hand firmly holding the vibrosword pointed at the crates and the other resting on the grip of her blaster, Isabeau approached the obstructive element which took up about half of the corridor's width. Once she got around, she saw a skeleton leaning against the corner where the wall and the crates met "A skeleton" she said, remaining relatively unaffected. Pointing a casual finger at the Sword which laid next to it, she added a short "Hopefully they were allowed to die in combat"

Deciding that the area was safe, Isabeau relaxed a bit "I'll keep walking" she said, indirectly indicating that the scholar could stick around the area of she felt inclined to do so. Regardless of her choice, Isabeau would stop right in her tracks as she reached the end of the corridor. A mound, almost a meter high, went from one end of the corridor to the other at its exit. While it couldn't be seen from afar, once close, anyone who cared to look would see that the mound was mainly composed of old bones and equally old metallic weapons. Once Naddej arrived at her side, Isabeau turned to her "Well, there is no walking around this. What do you think?"

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm did not hail from a warrior culture, yet she was no stranger to the sentiment behind the Mandalorian's words. Fear of war was what led her people to keep to their world and close most of their borders, fear of war was the reason for the creation of her caste. Hell, if it wasn't for war she probably wouldn't even exist and be standing here today, the result of an ancient campaign to breed those who could keep the perils of it away from the doorstep of the Consors system. And indeed, maybe if the Zohdash had been more skilled or better prepared; they would have been able to oppose a better resistance. It was a pity to see a whole civilization reduced to bones in the sand, who know what they could have had to offer had they been able to endure and thrive.​

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She set her eyes and attention upon Isabeau when she heard her speak, a short laugh vibrating from within her chest. She had a feeling they could give a pretty looking but worthless rock to that merchant and he wouldn't question them, but in any case she did have an idea of what to look for. "Once we get to a main chamber chances are anything you get your hands on would fetch a hefty price. Not many have been down these corridors since the massacre, the relics and objects are supposed to be untouched." It was the truth, a scholar could probably go as far as even putting an approximate price on things, but if the value of the cavern's contents was to be considered only in a monetary regard, this could very well be an aurodium mine. "But to answer your question, yes. I do have an idea on what we need to get."​

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The geminaie cared little about the credits or the relics, what she was after was holograms, scripts, texts...and bones. The latter were mostly worthless to their employer while the former had a value he would probably ignore in contrast to more tangible valuables like vases, art and jewelry. She was confident there would be no problem in her keeping some of the items she was after as part of her pay. "Noted." The short answer came accompanied with a nod, committing the Mando's warning to memory. Palm made a point to stay a bit behind Isabeau , so if a threat surfaced and the Mandalorian needed to back up she wouldn't be in her way.​

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"It looks like they did," She said while looking at the sword. "So hopefully they managed to take an enemy with them." She added. The lack of a second skeleton didn't support her wish, but maybe a fatal wound had been inflicted. Palm's ideal death scenario wasn't on a battlefield, or anywhere chaotic for that matter, but if that were to be her destiny she would go all out and not stop until her body gave up on her. To her it wasn't a matter of courage or honor, but of effort. Everyone was entitled to be afraid at the time of their death, but fear was a petty excuse to not exploit one's last few moments. "Go ahead, I'll catch up." Isabeau's decision to press on was indeed well timed. After taking some pictures, Palm crouched next to the skeleton and carefully took its collar bones, for these were the ones with the most chances of having preserved DNA. A leg bone would have been even better but harder to carry, so she compromised.​

​

After storing the bones in preservation containers and burying them within her bag, Palm finally reached Isabeau. However, her attention was fully set on the pile of metal and remains that blocked their way. Once again, her first instinct was to simply climb the walls to get to the other side but that wasn't really an option nor would it help getting the Mando past this obstacle. Trying to clear it would take too long, without mentioning that the metallic weapons weren't something she wanted to tinker with. Poison was a thing, lacing blades with it a very popular choice among ancient communities. She looked up towards the ceiling, contemplating an idea and after a moment she produced an item from her backpack. "Do you think that roof is solid enough to use this?"​

​

The Geminaie didn't like climbing by using the talons on their hands when it could be avoided, so as would any avid climber they usually kept a wide array of tools with them. The hook gun was not her particular favorite, but it seemed the better choice for this scenario. They could fix the hook to the ceiling and take turns to walk around the walls of the corridor until they reached the other side, suspended by the hook gun's line. Should the Mando agree to try it, Palm would let her take the shot confident that Isabeau's aim would be better than her own.​

​

​

 

[Isabeau]

The scholar certainly seemed knowledgeable to say the least - both knowing the history of the place and claiming to know what to look for. But then, that was precisely what her job was - just as Isabeau's was to provide protection and give a helping hand when needed. Standing by the skeleton by the crates, Isabeau reflected on what Naddej had said. Turning her gaze to the other woman, the young Mandalorian found it surprising to hear that the scholar hoped for the person to have taken their enemy out with them too. It would not take long before a short and simple question would escape her "Why?" she asked. Turning her head back down to look at the skeleton and its sword again, Isabeau continued letting out her second thought "If people who got killed in battle always got to take their foe with them, I'd be long gone."

Once she had received an answer, Isabeau would move on further into the corridor whilst leaving Naddej to do whatever it was that a scholar wanted to do. Soon enough, the other woman caught up to her. Eyeing her companion, the girl saw the kind of focus she had as she tried to think of how to overcome the obstacle. She was no normal scholar but had a more practical side to her - daring to take initiative and act instead of merely theorising about their conundrum and 'hazarding a wild guess' from time to time. While she was unsure about whether Naddej could fight - a most important tool in judging a person's character - Isabeau did grow more fond of her.

Following the suggestion, the Mandalorian looked up at the ceiling "It could be" she noted before stretching out a hand for the scholar to hand her the hook gun. Sighing quietly for herself, Isabeau wondered if this would be the closest she would come to getting some action but soon brushed the thought aside. Taking a few moments to look at the ceiling, glad that her helmet mounted flashlight provided enough brightness to see clearly despite being a fair bit away, she eventually identified the point which seemed the strongest. Once the grapple was attached, she started to pull on it, applying some of the additional strength granted to her by her armour. "That should be strong enough"

Shifting her cloak to the side, Isabeau ensured that nothing would catch fire if she activated her jetpack. "Alright, let's see if it holds true" she said, speaking of her own call that the ceiling would be strong enough to hold the grapple. With that, she handed the tool back to her companion "You go on" she said before taking a step back to give the scholar some room.

The Mandalorian sheathed her vibrosword and prepared to take off at a moment's notice. Her job was to keep the scholar and their loot safe - and that included from falling onto pointy weapons. If Naddej fell, Isabeau would be quick to swoop in and try to catch her before she risked getting injured. If not, she would try to arrive at the other side around the same time as her companion, ensuring that she could continue keeping an eye out for potential threads before they got the chance to strike at the one person who could actually identify what objects to bring with them out to the merchant.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Isabeau's question wasn't unexpected, but Palm still took a moment to consider her reply. It was true that every warrior's life would be short, to say the least, did her words ring true but she still stood by her statement. "Death can be an honorable thing, dying meaningfully even more so; but having a meaningful life is more important to me. If that is my fate, though, I will not waste away without doing my best to deliver the same end to my enemies. Would be quite hypocritical of me to not wish the same for others." Her explanation was simple and didn't go into a lot of detail about the nature of her beliefs, but it was enough. "And well, this skeleton's enemies were genocides. The galaxy could have been better off with a few less of those." The more obvious reason was stated last. In the end, the rule of 'the strong beats the weak' would always prevail. Palm didn't truly feel for the fate of the Zodhash, it was simply a pity they could not outlast.​

​

Palm kept her gaze on the Mandalorian as she prepared to take the shot. She had always regretted lacking the same affinity for long-range weapons and tools that she had for close quarters instruments but nobody was perfect and right now, in the company of someone with the appropriate skills, it was irrelevant. Once the line was secure, the geminaie made sure that the fastenings of her backpack were secure and tight against her body and scrunched up her cloak carefully over one of the backpack's handles. Wouldn't want that getting caught on an any pointy ends. "Okay, here goes..." Once she felt ready, she began her ascent through the walls, feeling the muscles in her core and arms come to life as she held onto the gun's handle and secured her footing on the wall.​

​

Everything had been going smoothly so far, Isabeau 's aim had been precise and it looked like the rocky ceiling would hold. Yet Palm had made the mistake of celebrating an achievement too soon. She felt it before she heard the crack in the rock, the line suddenly becoming slightly loose. Appearances had deceived them, and although the piece of roof that the grapple was attached to seemed well enough, the area surrounding it started to give to the tension that Palm's weight created. Keeping a cold grip on her nerves, the geminian would attempt to finish her traverse across the walls before the situation escalated, but in any case the presence of the Mandalorian and her jetpack made her feel confident.​

​

But it was then that another ill-omen struck her, a deep feeling that she knew to be the influence of the Force. Palm turned her head quickly towards the other side of the corridor where they had come from, and what had been a bad feeling transformed into a deep and threatening growl. Three creatures began their advance on them, hackles raised and their skins apparently sturdy enough to not mind stepping onto the mound of ancient weapons and broken bones. Maybe the noise of the crack in the ceiling or that produced by jetpack had attracted them, or they had been waiting and preying on the pair for longer. They resembled massiff hounds, but truth was Palm could not be sure if they belonged to the same species nor did it matter. They were hungry, and at this moment in time, the two women were at a disadvantage.​

​

Palm stopped moving, stilling her body completely in hopes that her cease of motion would buy her some time. In her current position, the Geminian was defenseless and mostly useless. Isabeau would have to choose between guarding the so called scholar from the imminent fall once the grapple gave or attending to the other, more immediate threat. To Palm her options were clear, so she set her steeled gaze on the Mandalorian. "Take them." Her tone was serious and determined. Holding on for long enough was promise she didn't know if she could keep, but what good would that be if they'd be attacked by the creatures before they even reached safe ground? She though about removing one of her gloves, that way she could at least adhere onto the surface of the wall and lower their risks, but changing her grip on the handle of the grappling gun was not looking like a wise decision.​

​

​

 

[Isabeau]

It was interesting, listening to the scholar's ideas of a good death and in a sense, a good life. Isabeau raised an interested eyebrow as the other started speaking of wanting to give the same end to her enemies. Yes, she was speaking in hypotheticals but it was hard to not draw a few parallels "You are sounding more and more like a warrior" A playful smile grew under the helmet as she eyed Naddej, curious to see her reaction. Nodding slowly upon hearing the second comment, Isabeau agreed - her own people were guilty of terrible atrocities and war crimes in the past but it was not something she had fully subscribed to herself. "Sure could" she said, a bit more quietly than she usually would, before dropping the comment about walking on ahead before turning to continue down the corridor.

***​

She was prepared for something to go wrong and was quick to activate the jetpack upon seeing the scholar being on the verge of falling. Being a fair bit lighter than many of her kin and wearing a light armour as well as sacrificing some firepower, Isabeau was confident that she could stay airborne for as long as she needed to. But the massiff-esque hounds appeared just as she got to the peak of the mound, walking over the bones and weapons unperturbed. While a vibrosword had far greater cutting power than the dull, seemingly medieval, blades that they walked upon, it seemed far from ideal against the armour-like properties of the beasts' skin. With that, Isabeau reached for her rifle.

There was no point on trying to spare the lives of the hounds, seeing as they were far too primal to ever back off without pouncing at their targets again in a moment of weakness. It was a dire situation, seeing as Naddej was in danger of falling and risking getting injured or even dying whilst the beasts produced a deadly threat of their own. The two explorers seemed to reach the same conclusion, however - if nothing was done about the beasts, both of them would die, but it was not guaranteed that Naddej would die from falling. Letting out a quick "On it" Isabeau opened fire, hitting the hound closest to the scholar with four bolts, granting it a quick death. The blaster fire lit up the room in a red shade whilst the sound echoed throughout the corridor they were in, reaching out into the room beyond.

Continuing firing seemed like a worse and worse idea, but it didn't matter as the two remaining hounds were quick to pounce on her, making long leaps from their low ground. It was a foolish mistake, as attacking someone on the high ground often were. With a sudden burst, Isabeau turned her body so that she would make a rapid move to the left, making one of the attackers miss her completely. The other was still close enough for an attack - set to have a bite at her hand but before it got close enough to bite down, a hidden blade was extended from her vambrace. The animal who already had its mouth wide open was impaled before even getting the chance to close its jaws on her hand. Spinning around, Isabeau used her feet to remove it from her blade whilst preparing to face the last foe.

Instead of staying airborne, she dropped down onto the other side of the mound, eyes peeled on the peak where the beast soon emerged. Slowly backing up against the opening to the next room, Isabeau dropped her rifle close to where Naddej would arrive if she landed safely. With her now free hand, the Mandalorian pulled out the vibrosword and took a wide defensive stance, staying light on her feet to allow for maximum mobility. Already provoked, the hound was quick to continue attacking her but she was already prepared. Blocking the bites with her one blade, Isabeau would slash at the animal with the other. It was a brutal and vicious fight where she was constantly forced on the retreat, slowly making her way into the other room.

It was a large chamber - just like Naddej had guess, it was a central hub with a large well-polished desk facing the corridor with a few tables and toppled chairs in the background. Along the wall opposite from where they arrived, several doors could be seen, some open revealing more black corridors and some closed. What could have appeared as a beautiful lobby had, however, rather clearly been a warzone. Blaster marks could be seen on the walls and on the desks which had been used as cover, more swords and other melee weapons along with a few medieval bows laid around the ground along with the odd blaster. Furthermore, a few more skeletons could be found on the floor and a once beautiful crystal crown had crashed down onto the floor in the middle of the chamber.

Disregarding most obstacles, Isabeau's fight with the beast continued, but it was clear that it was tiring out after many cuts whilst the young Mandalorian continued with undepleted reserves. With its moves become more sluggish and filled with less power, Isabeau soon went in for the killer move, throwing a slash at its front followed by shoving the vibroblade into its eye. Letting go of the blade, she then quickly ran towards the corridor from which she came to check on her companion.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Being forced into the role of the spectator didn't sit well with the geminaie, but what choice did she have? She kept a watchful eye on Isabeau , trusting her skills to hold her own and come out the victor against the creatures. Impeded from doing anything but sending a good thought in favor of the Mandalorian, Palm shifted her feet on the wall with extreme care. Slowly she began crouching, feeling the muscles in her thighs, calves and feet grow tense in preparation for a jump. If Isabeau saw her there would be no doubt about her not being human, but avoiding her fall was worth the trouble of coming up with an explanation. ​

​

Holding that position, she awaited the imminent failure of the grapple and hoped to have enough time to brace for a jump powerful enough to cover the distance needed to land in safe ground. Growls and whimpers and the sound of death and weaponry let her know where Isabeau was and she for one was certainly grateful to have had the Mandalorian woman tag along. Having kept her concentration, Palm was ready when the fated moment finally came.​

​

The grapple gave under the softening of the crumbling ceiling just when Isabeau took her fight to the next chamber, and the geminaie used a good amount of her strength to propel herself away from the wall and towards the end of the hall. Her body adjusted on its own as she moved through the air and finally her feet landed quite forcefully on the ground. Clear ground. She had made it, albeit not completely unscathed. Palm felt a sharp sting on her shin and looking down she saw a tear in her bodysuit and a dark purple stain begin to spread slowly though the fabric. Kark.​

​

It was shallow enough to not be a worry, just a scratch inflicted by a stray piece of metal that she didn't quite manage to evade. Still, it was pity that she had avoided being seen by the Mandalorian as she jumped only to be ratted out later by the color of her blood. Luck indeed blessed you with a hand while cursing you with the other. She was about to rush to Isabeau's aid when she heard the dying cry of the last creature. So instead she caught her breath and retrieved a can of bacta spray from her bag. After applying some on the scratch she kept it in hand in case her partner could use it. Her own injury wasn't grave enough to require any form of more extreme care.​

​

Walking towards the next hall, she was met halfway by the Mandalorian who seemed to be returning to help her. "Are you alright?" She asked, allowing her eyes to go over the frame of the other woman in search for wounds. She didn't see anything alarming, so it was safe to assume that if there were injuries they weren't an immediate danger. She didn't mention anything about her own scratch and definitely uttered no words about the purple stain. Unless Isabeau brought it up, Palm was happy to let it go.​

​

Only after Isabeau gave her answer, the geminaie would look over the hall and if it hadn't been for the mask that covered half her face she would have whistled in appreciation. Palm had always found it amazing how things of old always managed to hold a power and beauty that modern structures could rarely convey. This was no exception, and although the jeweled crown on the floor would certainly be an obvious prize to take back for their employer it was the last thing on her mind. "This is beautiful" She murmured.​

 

[Isabeau]

Sounds carried well in their underground network - at least when no doors were there to block the sound. While battling with the hound, Isabeau could still hear the rocky ceiling crumbling back where Naddej was as well as the rather heavy thud she produced when landing. Naturally, her focus was on beating back the creature which was relentless in its attacks first. Still, it was something which she had in the back of her mind and which gave her hope that the scholar might have made it out alright. The young Mandalorian was not only a little surprised when Naddej came out to meet her and even going so far as to ask if she was alright. Isabeau couldn't help but to chuckle whilst putting a hand on her hip.

"Of course I'm alright" she replied, taking off her helmet mid-sentence, causing her voice to switch from the slightly distorted one filtered through the helmet to transform into her normal tone. Naturally, Isabeau did not remove her helmet without cause - clipping it to her belt, she moved closer to the scholar and leaned in to closely analyse the new dark purple stain on her clothes. Leaning back, she eyed the woman before commenting "What, did you spill your berry-energy juice with the fall?" with a sarcastic tone. Being quite capable of putting two and two together, Isabeau entertained the possibility of it being the results of a wound, seeing as the actions leading up to the new stain, its form and its location on her body all suggested it. If it was indeed a wound which had caused the new splash of colour, her scholar companion was a lot more interesting than what she had initially expected.

Giving Naddej time to respond, Isabeau, nonchalantly moved past her, making her way back into the corridor through which they had just come. While picking up her rifle, Isabeau could see that the ceiling had indeed not been able to hold for long enough. Her gaze shifted to the wall along which Naddej had climbed and while she was not sure, there seemed to be deeper marks - indicating that the scholar had been forced to make a jump from that spot - much earlier than expected. Finally, the Mandalorian spent both one and two moments looking over the mound until she found the weapon that had caused the wound. The blood on it - also dark purple in colour - all but confirmed that it belonged to Naddej. Still, Isabeau's first reaction was to take an extra look at the blade, making sure that it had not begun rusting.

Satisfied with the results and confident that there was no risk of poisoning, Isabeau returned back to the chamber. She gave the scholar an expectant look whilst holstering her rifle "You wanna tell me what's going on?" and added a snappy "I found some more berry juice on one of the swords in there" whilst holding out a gloved hand with some of the scholar's blood on her finger tips, showing that she had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Having further confirmation that her partner was uninjured, she returned the bacta spray to its place within the backpack. She hadn't truly hoped that Isabeau wouldn't mention her wound. It was right there, it was purple. Palm couldn't even think, at least not immediately, of any other near-human species that had violet blood. Some species of deep marine creatures? Sure, but no other sentients came to mind. Still, the comparison to berry juice was quite amusing and the geminaie couldn't help but chuckle and smile at the Mandalorian's allegory. "How likely are you to believe me if I tell you I did?" She asked, her tone indicating that she was simply joking. There was no way she would have attempted to deny it was blood, not willing to undermine Isabeau's intelligence like that.​

​

Instead, she watched her as she retraced her steps back to the previous hallway. Well, the cat would be out of the bag soon and accepting the unavoidable, she used those few minutes to keep on inspecting the new hall. She moved towards the table and crouched to inspect if there was anything interesting beneath that could not be seen while standing. What seemed to be a coffer rested under one end on the table, definitely worth checking out. Just as Palm was walking towards it with the intention of dragging it out, she heard Isabeau return. The Ambassador set her eyes on the other woman, with an expression that was similar to that of a child about to explain how they had messed up.​

​

"Now that I know claiming it's berry juice is off the table," She began, and at the same time reasumed what she had been doing while still looking at the Mando. The coffer made some noise as it dragged across the floor, it was relatively heavy which could be a good sign for them. "That's my blood. Got nicked by a blade, but I'm sure you saw that already." The coffer was out and in plain view for both of them, so she stood to her full height once more and with a sigh crossed her arms in front of her. "I try to pass off as a human when I can, my people aren't very fond of being known by others so we keep a low profile." There was no point in lying. Palm would have stopped there, but she felt one more thing needed to be said.​

​

"If I had told you earlier the previous situation wouldn't have been as bad, so I apologize for that." Had she climbed the walls to get across she would have been on a better position to help out, or at the very least, would have been less of a liability. "I could have climbed those walls on my own, among other things." And as she said that, she bent over until her hand was around the lock that kept the coffer closed. The old metal gave in and broke after only some effort on her part. Palm felt more questions might be coming her way, so there was no point in not making use of the benefits that her species had gifted her with if Isabeau was going to find out one way or the other. Palm decided to spare a few moments to hear her reply before opening the coffer.​

 

[Isabeau]

She found the joke amusing, and paused for a moment, to turn a little and smirk whilst looking at the scholar. Naturally, the scholar would only see her T-visor and most likely remain unaware of the stories her face told underneath. Before long, the young Mandalorian would be on her way again, to retrieve her rifle and have a look at the area in which they had just been.

***​

No response was given to the woman as she made another joke about the berry juice. Instead, Isabeau just maintained her gaze, expectantly waiting for an answer. Of course the prospect of the chest which Naddej had found excited her - but it was far less important than the matter of who she was. For her, it was important to know who she was travelling with and to what extent they could be trusted. Nodding somewhat courteously upon hearing that it was the woman's blood, Isabeau waited for her to go on - that particular piece of information was not hard to arrive at herself - she wanted more.

Furrowing her eyebrows and prepared to ask a question, she stopped herself as the woman continued. A nonchalant streak flashed by as Isabeau shrugged "It was only three dogs" she said, overconfident, verging on arrogant as she made the threat seem less imposing than it actually was. Crossing her arms and leaning back a little, the girl looked on as her companion broke the metallic lock with the sheer force of her hand. An impressed smirk started to spread on her lips as she let out an approving "Nice going" before bending down to pick the scraps up. Rubbing it with her thumb, Isabeau double checked to ensure that it was not just the many years in the cave that had weakened it.

"So, you have differently coloured blood, you climb well with a heavy bag on your back and you can break stuff with your hands." The young Mandalorian paused to consider what species the scholar might be but ultimately failed which warranted the question "So, what are you, exactly?" But she was not satisfied there. Taking a few steps, Isabeau picked up a chair and plonked it down onto the ground, patting off some dust and making sure that it was stable enough. After repeating the process with another one, she sat down on it, and leaned forth. Her eyes would seek out Naddej's eyes, regardless of whether she too had taken a seat on a chair or not. "Go on, what else are you hiding" she asked, keeping a confident and inquisitive tone. In truth, Isabeau had no idea if the scholar was still hiding something but knew from experience that people could sometimes break if pressed with enough confidence.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

There were no doubts that Isabeau had handled the threat almost effortlessly, but still, Geminaie tended to be team players. Ambassadors were an exception only because it was a measure taken to lower the stakes that the death or capture of one could represent, but it was still a prominent trait of their innate behavior. Being a disadvantage to their partners was something frowned upon, whether relevant or not, Palm had been a disadvantage. She now took a moment to observe Isabeau more closely. One of the few things she knew about Mandalorians was that it was rare to see them without their armors, so she was curious.​

​

It was somewhat amusing to hear the other woman listing her characteristics while trying to make a guess. Geminaie were a very rare sight, not only because few of them ever left their planet but because those who did, much like Palm had just done, tried to hide their true nature. She accepted the seat the Mandalorian had just pulled out, getting comfortable at the edge of the chair and allowing her elbows to rest over her thighs. She didn't trust the ancient seat enough to support all her weight. "I am a geminaie." Her eyes went over Isabeau's expression trying to determine if there was recognition or not in them. In any case, she continued.​

​

"About my species? Not much, at least nothing relevant to us right now," It was difficult to find the words with which she could explain the remaining aspects of her race in a simplified way. "We are always born twins and we can change our personalities at will, to an extent." She had always found it amusing to think of her own species as the behavioral version of a shi'ido. Of course, they couldn't commit to drastic personality changes without great risks, but choosing how one reacted to certain things was, in her opinion, one of their greatest gifts.​

​

Placing a hand on the coffer that was to her side, she lifted the heavy lid to reveal what lay hidden within. A smile lighted up her face as she saw the items inside. Golden carved statuettes roughly the size of her hand, some jewelry, some artifacts made from some black stone and a couple of scrolls to the side. Those were the ones that held her interest. "Jackpot." She said and then used her foot to push the coffer towards Isabeau so that she could take a look.​

​

Palm looked at the Mandalorian with a small smile and a contemplative look. A moment after, she spoke again. "Also, my name isn't Naddej. Its Palm-Imer, just Palm is fine." There, she had nothing more to say on the matter.​

 

[Isabeau]

Going from an interested forward lean, Isabeau slowly shifted about in her seat until he was leaning back with an arm resting over the backrest and her legs crossed casually at the front. While the geminaie was not overly sharing, she did not seem to intentionally withhold much about her species anymore and pushing did not appear to be a very efficient method to get her way. While Isabeau's face did not tell a story of complete and utter lack of knowledge of the species, it never really showed an expression of understanding or remembering either. She was not trying to hide her thoughts, however, and would freely admit to never having heard of them if asked.

"Sounds dangerous" she said after the alien spoke of being able to change personalities at will. "How can you trust someone if you can't be sure of who they are?" she asked whilst making a mental note to be more careful around the scholar. To her - who had never heard of the concept before - it sounded similar to what she expected of a psychopath, a person who could lie and fake emotions in accordance to what was the most convenient to them.

Just as quickly as she had managed to brighten Isabeau's mood with the opening of the chest, containing all kinds of valuables, Naddej managed to spoil it. "Palm-Imer" she said, repeating the words with a slight Mandalorian accent "Not Naddej?" she asked, displaying her disappointment in being deceived rather clearly.

Standing up and taking a few determined steps to the center of the room, Isabeau crossed her arms in front of her chest whilst letting out a heavy sigh. Deeply dissatisfied with the companion she now found herself with, the young Mandalorian eventually turned to face the scholar "That better be it. Or is there something more you'd like to get off of your chest?" With an upset voice, Isabeau took a couple of steps making her way in closer to Palm. She had been lied to, not only about what the woman could do, but also about her name - something which seemed completely unnecessary. And the fact that her personality could shift only lowered what little trust she still had for the woman.

Lacking the will and patience to stand around as the scholar answered, Isabeau quickly walked over to the last beast she killed and pulled her vibrosword out of it. Cleaning it roughly on the beast's armour-esque skin, she then walked back to Palm and raised her sword. In Isabeau's eyes, the woman was still a defenceless scholar and was not worth harming. Bringing the blade down, she sheathed it by the holster on her belt before looking at the alien, shaking her head disapprovingly. Isabeau had begun opening up for the woman and deeply regretted it, causing her to take on her helmet again.

Palm-Imer