Private Fortunate Ones

[Therax Milbon]

Well at least in the cavern of boringness, there was a sense of home to it with the camp. Then again it was like adding polka dots to drying white paint. Basil sat on one of the supply crates and began to examine his tech, the Galactic Alliance versions were too standard and can be easily eavesdropped. The young man was surprised that the Sith Empire doesn't spy on their battlenet often they probably did based on when Basil cracked the Alliance's code. He saw multiple anomalies within the battlenet but they disappeared when Basil was about to zero in, the Galactic Alliance's Holonet was definitely outdated yet the higher ups insisted that there was nothing wrong with it.

"Hey there," Basil said to the guys setting things up on his bed. "I'm Basil, a Corporal and.... yeah people often mistaken me for a girl when I was a kid. It drove my Dad crazy."

Basil had rather feminine features as a kid and his Dad made sure he looked like a man as possible. "You're a Corporal?" Skull said grinding his large knife against his shoulder armor. "You out rank all of his besides the Cap."

Basil never thought about the fact that he was second in command. Given his success in the battle, Basil was given a promotion as well. Going from a private to corporal wasn't that much of a big deal for Basil but for the first time he actually outranked a decent amount of people. "So sir," Benny said giving Basil a salute. "What do you think is going to happen? What's behind that door?"

"Who knows?" Basil shrugged. "But I suggest we need to be cautious with the Sith you never know what they're doing."

"My Pa once told me that the Sith kill and eat their victims as a way to gain power." Pauly said nervously chewing on some pink bubble gum while fiddling with her Blaster Rifle.

Spoiler: Pauly

"Well you'd be surprised," Basil said connecting his Laptop using his custom made Holonet router. "That many Sith did practice cannibalism because they thought they can transcend the Dark Side."

"A bunch of weirdoes these Sith are," Benny took a small, green beverage and took a long sip before handing a bottle to Pauly and Skull.

"You want some sir?" Benny asked tossing Basil a drink, the young man raised an eyebrow looking at the green goop. "What is it?" Basil asked. "It's called Starstone Brew," Skull said taking off his helmet to reveal a dark skinned, bald young man. "It's the hottest drink in the Galaxy right now. This chit is very good, very addictive."

Spoiler: Brew

"Try it out," Pauly said. "It may be alcohol but it tastes like cotton candy."

"Nah," Benny said. "Tastes like Soda."

Basil stared at the drink, shrugged and took a brief chug. "Mmmmm," he said having never drank alcohol before. "It's pretty tasty." The group spent the night, drinking and getting to know each other.

Ala Quin

 

[Ala Quin]

Since Sarka, Ala had found herself bouncing from curious company to curious bands of individuals. It was another such band of folks that she found herself on this endeavour. She had heard about an exploratory mission into these caverns, and that by tagging along she might be able to ascertain whether or not they would be suitable for spreading a new population of 'glowies'.

With the night having passed with her sleeping on the ship, Ala descended the ramp to see the contingent of soldiers lying on the ground getting their last moments of shut eye before the blazing sun of Jakku raised itself over the horizon. The slight warbling sound of her hoverchair was the only sound outside of the light breeze and tossling of bedding that was given off by the tossing and turning of slumbering soldiers.

Movely quietly past the soldiers, Ala made her way to the edge of the cavern's entrance and peered into it. It was impossible to see with her eyes, but she allowed self to look beyond the physical and see the life that was within the cave...there wasn't much to see.

She slumped back into her chair, immensely dissatisfied. Why she had thought a place like Jakku would have an environment capable of supporting her little glows, she would never know. Just best to start at the closest spot I guess?

| Therax Milbon |​

 

[Therax Milbon]

"What was that?"

Basil awoken from his brief drunken stupor wiping off the drool from his laptop. He'd been working on accessing the Sith door ahead but to no avail. Too bad the ancient Sith didn't use a UNIX system, the drink he had with the rest of his fellow squadmates was addicting. Basil thought he could drink one and get it over with but after seven he was left wanting more. It was as though his body would collapse if Basil didn't get one Starbrew drink. Benny though said that was the last one and Basil had to spend the night deep attempting to crack the code that would gain them access to the Sith door mostly to take his mind off the brewery.

Yet hours later when Basil just about fall asleep, a noise startled him causing the young man to fumble around and grab his REC-DC Particle Carbine. "Guys," he whispered to the sleeping soldiers. "We got some company," It was no use Skull, Benny, and Pauly were knocked out having drank twice the number of brew than Basil. He tried to kick Skull but wouldn't budge snoring silently which was pretty funny considering Skull bragged about being so alert that a pin drop would awaken him. Kicks to the face probably didn't count though.

"Great," Basil lamented raising his rifle and turning on the flashlight attachment on it. He carefully trekked the hill checking his corners while his hands were shaking furiously. "Maintain discipline," he muttered. "Just stay calm."

But his mind was screaming for him to run and hide as he approached the figure, Basil raised his rifle. "HALT!" the young man shouted. "Don't move or I..... will shoot you! It'll very bad and I'll weep about it for 30 minutes."

What a fine soldier he was becoming.

Ala Quin

 

[Ala Quin]

"HALT"

Ala froze, hands lifting from te sides of her hover chair. The irony of her fragile situation and being treated like a threat was not lost on the chair-ridden Jedi. Also, she found it awkward to move around to face her would be assailant without lowering her hands to the controls.

"Ah...I just...wanted to check out the cave...not meaning any harm...please don't shoot!"

Through the Force she could sense more fear than ferociousness, so she did not attempt any sudden move just yet.

| Therax Milbon |​

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil shone the flashlight onto the young woman, she was locked into what looked like an antigravity power chair. He remembered tinkering with those as a kid wondering how a device like that worked. Basil recalled his Grandfather spending the last of his years in a power chair due to the cartilage in his knees being eroded to the point where the Medical Droid declared them bone on bone condition. Basil's Grandfather would rant and rave about how the hover chair was a "piece of chit." But now a woman, a beautiful woman was sitting on the same hover chair she looked more surprised than fearful.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Basil whispered blushing furiously. "This is a restricted area ma'am only Galactic Alliance soldiers and Jedi who are part of the Jakku Enclave are allowed access here."

The young man gulped trying to remain calm but the young woman's beauty caused him to continue to blush. "Who are you?" he asked. "You're beautiful! Er I mean that you shouldn't be here!"

 

[Ala Quin]

"Aaaaaaaaah," Ala said as the words all spilled out nervously from the young soldier.

She was somewhat hoping he would let her speak. It was sweet, in a way, but seeing she had had a gun pointed at her, she was more keen on self-preservation than anything else.

"Easy there tiger. Don't go unloading you clip," she said pointing at the gun that was still trained on her, "Ala Quin. Jedi Knight and current resident of the Jakku Enclave....at your service."

She tipped her head in a bow, but still had not lowered her hands just in case he decided to shoot anyway.

| Therax Milbon |​

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil lowered his rifle embarrassed at the whole situation well at least he did not run this time.... but did she call him Tiger? "Well it's nice to meet you Ala," Basil said snapping to attention. "My name is Basil ummm Corporal Basil and I'm tasked to open this Sith Door in the cave. The Jedi are trying to excavate ancient Sith artifacts from this place."

The young man shook his head. "No such luck so far," he said. "The Ancient Sith probably used a different program I just need to know what it is."

Motioning Ala to follow him Basil looked at the rest of the squad still sleeping. "Well," he said. "I'm guessing you're the Jedi who'll leading us.... or me if they wake up? Do you mind telling me about yourself Ala?" Basil asked trying to force a smile.

 

[Ala Quin]

She wasn't much interesting in sitting around chatting to be honest. It was just not one of those mornings. She had come here for a purpose, and she wanted to see it through. But with the other soldiers sleeping, she thought it best to wait. To pass the time, Basil would have to be her company. Though, he seemed to be overtly flirting. It wasn't subtle at all. It was kind of cute, but not in a 'hey-you're-cute-wanna-snog?' kind of way.

"I don't think I was the Jedi that was supposed to lead you in there...this thing," she said gesturing towards the hoverchair, "would make getting in, and out a little awkward. I was just here to see if I could get someone to check on a suitable locale for my Onderonian Glowworms to start a new colony."

She slid her hoverchair alongside Basil, and offered a clenched smile. "Though if there is water down there, it is highly unlikely that it has been left alone...on Jakku of all places any water would be drained by the inhabitants pretty quickly."

| Therax Milbon |​

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil's smile faded a bit when Ala said that she probably wasn't the Jedi to lead the expedition. In fact she was just as surprised to see a Galactic Alliance presence here than Basil was seeing her. "Glowworms?" Basil said staring at Ala's pets who were on her hoverchair. "I used to have them as pets when I was a kid!"

If there was one thing that Basil liked was strange animals. He had a pack of Glowworms as a kid and was fascinated by their nature, he almost wanted to be a zookeeper but of course his Dad had other plans . "I'm doubtful that this place has a water source," Basil shrugged. "Then again it was inhabited by people so of course there was probably one but It's likely out of commission."

Ala Quin

 

[Ala Quin]

"Yeah...Jakku being a good site is highly unlikely as a spot, but while I am stuck here I figure I will do my due diligence," Ala said with a shrug.

She noted the attention that Basil was paying to her collection jar. Inside was a colony of moss that she hoped to transplant to a suitable location, and in were some bugs that helped the moss continue to grow. "Oh...these are not the glowwies," Ala said while patting the jar, "if they were they would likely already be dead because we have been far too loud. Their little exoskeleton's are extremely fragile and a single crack from a normal speaking volume would kill them instantly."

She spun about a little to be able to see Basil better.

"If you had glowwies as pets, they were likely those native to Coruscant. Hardy things they have evolved to be. But they do not have the unique Force properties of the glowwies I collected."

| Therax Milbon |​

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil looked at the Glowworms raising an eyebrow. "Oh wow they're not?" he sighed taking a closer look at them. "From a distance I was certain that they were the Glowworms I've had as pets. I mean considering my folks are well traveled, they managed to get their hands on a rare species like them." Well his mother was kind enough to give him a pet, Basil's Dad couldn't care less about the whole thing. However his Mom managed to convince his Dad that this was a good thing. That Basil will learn a thing or two about responsibility and he did, he was rather saddened when the Glowworms passed away.

"I'm pretty sure they weren't native to Coruscant," Basil said leading Ala to the camp. "According to my Mom they were located somewhere very far away."