Just a Common Trip

[Kay-Larr]

Kay just chuckled to herself as [member="Marina DeVoe"] took a few moments to figure out what she was doing with the stones. She figured that it was common practice, yet Marina's reaction suggested otherwise. "I've been to a bunch of remote places, yes. But I figured that this little trick was something that everybody knew. I suppose that it's quite useful if one is trying to elude hunters as well. Bounty hunters, I mean." Oh she had quite a few after her back in the day. It was a reason that her husband got her a personal cloacking device. But as far as she knew, she wasn't on any list. Commenor had no enemies to speak of.

She started along the trail again, taking note of their surroundings as they walked. "I like to come out to places like these from time to time. I'm around other people so much and with a lot of stress that it's nice to get away and listen to quiet. I suppose that it's why some choose to meditate. I am a fan of exploring and taking everything in." Kay noted a faint green glow on one of the canyon walls. It was about six inches off the ground and the width of a hand. "Beautiful. I wonder how many more of these there are. If we get lost and it gets dark, they could help lead the way and help us to see." Already she could imagine hundreds or thousands of the glowing rocks dotting the canyon all around them like funny shaped stars. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that though. That'll be for another trip. "Maybe we'll find a bit of chrysopaz for you to take home with you too."

 

[Marina DeVoe]

Marina wouldn't have figured Cessy to be an adventurer, much like she thought herself to be. marina loved to explore and hiking through uncharted terrain was just so eye opening, as everything new one came across seemed to add to the experience.

The light emitting rocks were indeed fascinating and Marina nodded to the fact that they could be used to illuminate paths and campsite, if an overnight stay were a possibility. After all, from what she recalled of the topographical rendition of Juniper canyon, it were pretty vast. Although the map, which she had been given as a download by the system's traffic authority only gave a vague rendition of the canyon and not in detail. Then again, Marina didn't search or look over the map menu, if indeed it had options like closer detail zooming. But as her passenger had requested; their landing would have been based on preferred on the spot visual and that's how the Mariner IV had been put down.

For a time, Marina quite enjoyed listening to Cessy talk about interests and spare time or lack of to pursue personal interests. And hearing Cessy talk like that was kinda nice. It were a way for the two of them to let loose and open up a little more. It were always a pleasure to meet new people and getting to know them.
And one means of breaking those unfamiliar barriers was to be light hearted...joke around a bit.

"Get out... " Marina cracked up at Cessy's jest.
" Now I know you're pulling my leg on this one..." It were funny that Cessy was joking with her like that, as it eased over their initial communication problems.
She gave Cessy a light nudge, letting her know she caught on that Cessy was just fooling with her.

Marina thought it was cute of her new acquaintance jesting around that they just might happen upon chrysopaz like it were a common river rock laying around for collection or something along the canyon's river bank. Although she couldn't deny those phosphorescence rocks Cessy pointed out were cool as anything.
Then again there were countless systems throughout the galaxy that had their own unique little surprise anomalies. Such natural system features would many times be overlooked, for there were so many unexpected natural phenomenons which every system seemed to posses. So it were not uncommon to expect the unexpected and take them as they were: normal natural phenomenons for that particular system, like the glowing rocks. Marina went to figure that Commoner was certainly not like any other system she had time to explore.
Marina didn't have the heart to mention that she had a light in her backpack. That would have spoiled the flow of harmony that she were beginning to feel on this hike.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay just smirked as [member="Marina DeVoe"] nudged her. Which part didn't she believe. She held onto the straps of her backpack as they continued on, the path narrowing considerably so that they had to walk single file. She took the lead as she was used to doing. "Well, I don't know how common they are on this side of the planet, but they can be found in the Twin Canyons outside of Chasin City." Some of the entrances to the mines were in the Twin Canyons, and they were connected to the tunnel network that ran throught the city and beneath some of the government buildings. Safety shelters were within them, all for the people to escape to during an attack.

Now Kay slowed down as the path got narrower still, her shoulders almost grazing each side. Hmm. She stopped and looked over to Marina. "Are you claustrophobic? Or should we take another route? I can't see if it widens up at all as it seems to go around a bend. For all we know, there could be a dead end. Or it could widen up into an even bigger path."

 

[Marina DeVoe]

"Seriously?..." Marina gave Cessy a comical look. "My ship isn't exactly what you'd call a Star Destroyer." She laughed.
No, Marina were not claustrophobic by no means...not with a small jump ship like the Mariner IV that she'd been living in when not back on her home estates.

Sure the captain's cabin (hers) and the main executive cabin across from hers were adequate and had their own refresher rooms. The rest of the ship's cabins were almost closet size. And everything was compact and made as efficient as space allowed. Hell, it were a hermetically sealed environment in there and no way no how suited for anyone that was claustrophobic.

"No... Not minding tight places at all." Marina figured on maybe elaborating a bit.
"I've had to squeeze through both rock and ice fissures back home during a few climbs..."

She then stopped when Cessy stopped and looked about as the woman weighed the decision of which direction they should choose to go now.

"I don't see the need to detour elsewhere... I mean, we could; but there's also a chance that we'll wind up in the same situation that could lie ahead through that bend ahead of us." She replied.

It really didn't matter too much as they would be taking a gamble on a different route too. But why not go ahead and take the chance on their current trek? It just may widen as Cessy said. And if it didn't, then they'd make a better educated guess next bend.
Marina shrugged her shoulders and eyed the stones around their feet, turning one over before looking to Cessy.
It were obvious if they were to go with the bend, that Marina wanted a try at marking their direction here, like Cessy had shown her before.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Alright then."

Kay turned to look ahead, chewing the inside of her cheek as she shifted her body to the side a bit so that her shoulders wouldn't graze the edges so much. She was glad that [member="Marina DeVoe"] couldn't see her face at this moment, for while the young pilot may not be claustraphobic, Kay certainly was. When she was captured and held for months by a Sith Lord, tortured endlessly, half of that time was spent in a coffin-like cell. She hoped to surpress those memories today.

"Just moving around the bend now." Kay seemed to almost narrate their movements in some bid to calm her nerves. She gripped the straps of her backpack, holding them all the tighter as she peered around the rockface. It was almost as though they were walking in a spiral, or at least a circle. Yet suddenly it shifted in the other direction, widening once more, which gave Kay a sense of relief. Her tense body relaxed somewhat.

That is until she came to an abrupt stop.

Right in front of her was an intricately carved stairwell, finely crafted, but old. Certainly not a natural formation at all. "Oh wow..." The stairs were broken in some parts, chipped through time and weather, but they looked sturdy enough. "I guess we go up."

 

[Marina DeVoe]

Marina had begun to wonder if indeed they had chosen the right path, as the fissure was getting narrower as they progressed. She were behind Cessy and really couldn't see too much at all ahead. Well, at least Cessy seemed to be very mindful of her steps and taking it literally one step at a time..or more like one side step at a time. Perhaps a bit slower than if Marina were leading, but she never pushed anyone ahead, especially if it were an untried path like this one. So it seemed natural for Cessy to be wary step by step and telling Marina who was following and not quite seeing the turns as she was the description of what she were doing.

"Oh cool...it's certainly seems to be opening up." Marina noticed as the fissure stated to widen and Cessy picking up the pace.
It took but to round a corner before they both stood there, with Marina's jaw slightly dropping. This is what she lived for in hikes, finding ancient trails and maybe old ruins of lost civilizations and such. She loved old history, especially that of humans. her interests lay in human archaeology..the dawn of man in this galaxy. To Marina, somehow mankind didn't belong or had really originated in this galaxy.
It were her own imagination and interpretations of many relics and ruins she had the opportunity of examining.

"Yea...like..wow, right." She followed suit in Cessy's assessment of the wonder they happened on.

She had already stepped around to Cessy's side. The only thing that stopped her taking that first step ahead was Cessy's assertion to continue on.
"I'm game." Marina replied, eyeing the old carved steps leading up beyond where the rock wall hid the remainder. It were hard to tell if it went someplace or maybe all the way to the plateau. Either way, it were not only going to be a climb, but quite one long climb.

" A lot of that stair don't have any steps left." Marina looked down to Cessy's footwear. No worries, as the woman did have quality hikers. The type that were also good for steep rock climbing where traction was questionable. She then gave her a 'let's go for it' smile. There was no question as to where else marina wanted to go. They had lucked out in taking this route and it had paid off.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked to [member="Marina DeVoe"] as they both seemed to hesitate on who should take the first step. The spark of adventure had hit them both. Was there going to be treasure? Probably not. But the area was flooded with mystery and that was what Kay loved. There was so many questions to this place.

"Yeah, we'll just take it easy. Shall we then?" She grinned and started up the steps, one at a time, testing the sturdiness of each one as she went. The progress was slow, but it was worth it if it was to keep them safe.

The higher they went, the quicker Kay's pace went as she grew more confident. As the stair winded around the bend, they came to a cave entrance. It looked dark inside, but large enough for the two of them to walk in. Kay just grinned at Marina before she led the way inside where the stairwell seemed to continue, only downwards. More of the glowing stones illuminated the way and the air was damp and humid, giving it the impression of a perfect harmony between nature and civilization. Vegitation was everywhere, almost blanketing the cave, giving it a natural softness that made it feel welcoming."This is beautiful..." There were just no other words.

The stairway continued, guiding them down a hallway that didn't run deepat all until it opened up. Again Kay stopped in her tracks, in awe at the sight before them. "What a perfect little hideaway..." With the water moving through, it was easy to see where all of the humidity and vegetation came from.

 

[Marina DeVoe]

Beautiful it certainly was, as they made deeper down into the cavern. Then again, it were just where the old steps were taking them both. So far, she wasn't getting any weird feelings at all, just a more welcoming feeling the deeper they followed the stairs.

Cessy had been right so far about those luminescent rocks; they certainly lighted the cave, At first they seemed a bit dull, but as Marina's eyes acclimated, it were like walking in an open forest under the light of a large full moon. She was careful to watch her steps even more cautiously now, as the steps were covered in moss and if one weren't paying attention, they could easily loose traction.

Both did little talking if any, as they ascended down what could only be described as a natural wall to wall living carpet of vegetation and soft warm shadows as the exposed rocks which illuminated the tunnel, seemed to be resistant to growing vegetation on it. Although it were strange, for it were the glow of the stones which must have given light for the plants and moss to prosper. It was difficult now to even guess at the age of this tunnel, for the steps assuming they were of the same stone as the one outside, was completely covered...and seemingly intact. The steps although soft to their feet which silenced their steps, were intact, as the elements had not wore them.

Marina had been behind Cessy by a few steps and for a moment had thought they finally reached an open and wide cavern.
"Oh..wow..." She echoed Cessy's very words when it opened up not to a cavern, but an ancient vaulted interior to a great hall. Or at least that was her first expression.

Marina took a moment to look down on the same moss and vegetation before them. There was no evidence of any disturbances underfoot. They seemed to have rediscovered something lost a long, long time ago and forgotten altogether ...maybe.

"Wait!" Marina suddenly broke their awe of silence.
"We can't assume that the floor could be solid like the steps...there could be a sub-floor under all this." She cautioned, touching Cessy's fore arm,before the woman stepped further in.
It were possible that the floor in this great chamber could be solid cave floor. But then again, it could also be laid out carved floor blocks on who knows-what-foundation.

And although there were no sink holes of collapse of any of the floor as far as they could see, it didn't mean that if there were a floor over some subterranean chamber below all this, that it wouldn't cave in under them if the floor had been weakened by time and vegetation.

Still, the urge to get on with exploring it was eating at her and maybe as well to Cessy. Marina had explored mountain caves on Alderaan, but they were formed when the planet had been terra formed and it were all granite..solid granite like. This was all carved by hand..all of it. There could be endless secret chambers and ez-ways...
And awe and caution aside...who or what civilization built this? It had this familiar aura that it could have been humans.

"Hehe...I hate to loose paying customers to sink holes..." She made light of why she cautioned Cessy.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was about to take another step, when [member="Marina DeVoe"] suddenly stopped her. She immediately looked down, half expecting to have some sort of trap or something in front of her, but there was nothing that appeared dangerous.

Another cavern beneath them? That was entirely possible. She glanced around, looking past the pillars for any sign of another flight of stairs, but from their angle it was near impossible to tell. "The tunnels under Chasin City and beyond have been there for centuries. Commenor had changed allegiances so many times due to occupation and war, that the people needed some kind of refuge. And then there's the mines. So your guess on there being more than just what we see here could very well be correct."

As before, Kay tested every step, moving past what looked to be benches carved from stone. The masonry here was incredible, and an art that she admired. She couldn't help but touch some of it, running her fingers across the smoothed stone. "Can you imagine what they could have used this for? Another Palace, maybe? A concert hall? I wonder what the acoustics are like? Can you sing?" Kay could and she had done so at one of Commenor's celebrations after creating the Systems Alliance. And given that she was still in disguise, she didn't want to risk giving herself away just yet.

 

[Marina DeVoe]

"Just saying... this hall, the craftsmanship..." Marina was still at awe with what they had stumbled on.
"...it's just that it's unlike the stairs that lead us here that were carved out of the rocks.
There's more character...more soul...lots of souls put their heart and labor into it...." She took to following Cessy's footwork, landing her feet where Cessy had.

Marina thought about drawing out her pack-light, but there was enough light emitted by the same glowing rocks all around and above that they could just as easily been walking through a fern forest. The glowing stones were like as if they were windows letting early morning light in from the sky.
Only that she knew they were either at the canyon floor level or lower.

Cessy's imagination were not so different from Marina's. many scenarios of who built this..when and for what function?
Music, her companion speculated. Sure..yes, music Marina took that in as it made good sense. The architecture seemed it were indeed meant, for great acoustics. And sure enough maybe Cessy had nailed it, for there seemed to be a raised stage of sort way up in the end.
"La la la...me me me.." Marina sounded off two notes. Sure enough it reverberated back amplifying it.
"Hehe..wow... you're right... could have been a concert hall." She chuckled, keeping on her companion's tail. The floor had been very sturdy, if one could really feel it, as it were covered with vegetation. But there was no indication of anything seemingly shifting underfoot. So Cessy lead and Marina kept following.

Marina even took to feeling about like Cessy was doing. The ferns and moss felt soft, cool to the touch and relatively clean..fresh smelling like they could have been in a deep forest.

"So..you've been exploring few cities here when not working?" Marina asked, as Cessy did seem to know quite a few things about this system. How long had her work held her here on this system, Marina wondered.

"Have you come across anything like this before?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay found herself moving over towards the edges be one of the walls. Like she did in certain sections of the Palace that were older than others, she traced her fingers along the carvings while [member="Marina DeVoe"] spoke. All the while her thoughts were on who built it, how long ago and why. "Maybe it's supposed to be this way. A hidden refuge, a sanctuary..."

She looked to Marina as she tested out the acoustics. All that it took was just a few notes and the sound echoed in a soothing way. The vegetation had a way of softening the sound, much like snow did.

Kay carried on, keeping mindful of her steps. "I used to explore a lot, when I had more time. Free time is a rare comodity for me, which is why I've only hired you for the day. I just needed to go some place close, but different." Yet the carvings were all in keeping with the old Commenori style, givong strength to the planet's motto: Commenor Survives. "The last time that I explored, it was on another planet that had a strange gravitational well that made ship traffic very difficult. I came upon a crash site where the survivours seemed to have lived for a while. One of them, I had discovered, was my birth mother. She recorded a message, I guess to apologize for her misdeeds, including giving me away when I was a toddler. I wonder what mysteries we could find here?" Old books maybe? Or holocrons? More than likely there was nothing. But it didn't hurt to look.

 

[Marina DeVoe]

"Well, they certainly hidden this well enough for everyone to have forgotten about it…..." Marina chuckled taking note of what Cessy were doing. And it appeared that she was searching for something along the edges.

Did she know somehow of a hidden lever or seam, which could expose another passage? It seemed that’s what Cessy were doing, as she spoke, focusing on the edges and crevices of the wall’s stonework.
Marina eyed her a moment, then stated to do a bit of same; running her hand, her fingers across the carved seams and stuff, as she listened to her companion talking and opening up.

Marina was one who had no problem conversing if it were to break an awkward silence, but that strange awkwardness had dissipated a while now...back when they discovered the steps that had eventually lead them here. Then it were one awesome little discovery after another, which seemed to keep drawing them further into exploring this ancient structure, and in a strange way drawing them closer. Maybe it were because of the isolation…the vastness of the carved interior that although wasn’t intimidating it did give Marina a sense of smallness.

And so while Cessy not only took the lead to explore for some hidden lever or something, she seemed to be leading to her previous discoveries...on other systems. Marina was listening, and taking it all in, it didn't occur to her to at first notice that Cessy were revealing something about her past. The gravitational well of a system got more of Marina's interest as she had experienced a projected gravitational well...one by which had literally jammed on her hyper-drives brakes, if ever there were said to have brakes; to immediately drop the Mariner IV out of hyperspace. Only to emerge smack into an Imperial blockade. So as Cessy continued on about the other planet she had explored with a natural deep grav-well, she touched upon discovering her parents remains and what had taken place as a child. Marina suddenly found herself freezing in her tracks and looked over to Cessy.
Had she heard right? Cessy's parents...abandoned her?

"Wait...." Marina had to be certain she heard right and interrupted Cessy.
"What are you meaning, given away?...like, abandoned...given away like a commodity?"
No way this could be possible, her sensibilities were now stretching beyond the borders of comprehension. At this moment it wouldn't have mattered if they were in a crowded mall or an abandoned concert hall...all that existed within sight were Cessy.
Marina had been brought up in a society where family was a unit undividable my any means. This was hard to imagine. How could a parent...this woman's parents...any family leave a child, much less give it away?
"No!" She stepped back denying it real. But Marina knew such things were real in the galaxy...just that they seemed so far removed from her own life experiences. She had never met a slave, nor someone like Cessy who's own parents..gave their own child away?
"No, not possible..." She wanted such thoughts or concepts to go away as if they didn't/couldn't exist for real.

It was difficult for Marina to go there, to even try to reason/comprehend how anyone could come to the conclusion of giving their child or any child away. It were things of dark literature that she read of. Gothic Horror stories. ...not something she had thought really possible.
Marina's shocked expression most certainly revealed that to Cessy. It were not one of pity...not yet at least.
It were of someone of first ever hearing of something so unimaginable...a parent abandoning their child.
Weren't parents supposed to love, protect, teach and shelter their child?...what about traditions...education...family tree...everything that made up one's existence...all to be just as abandoned as the child?

"I...I'm sorry.." She realized how she may be sounding, denying...such a thing. Marina shook her head vigorously trying to clear her natural thoughts that were blocking her to comprehend. "...I just don't know or understand Cessy. How could anyone-" Her sentence could not continue, for she knew she had hit a wall. This wasn't the time for Marina to continue on about something alien to her. She shut her trap and with labored breath looked at Cessy a moment, not knowing what to really do other than...
She wrapped her arms around the woman in a warm supporting hug. If anything, Cessy had a friend who's own heart labored at this time for what the woman had gone through. There were no words she could conjure up to tell the woman how bad she felt...not that she could have, for her throat felt like someone was force chocking her.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay stopped and turned to look at [member="Marina DeVoe"] the moment that the woman said to wait. The sound of disbelief in her voice made it sound as though she had seen something."What is it?" But then her futher words let her know what it was that Marina was going on about. It puzzled her so much that she'd have that type of reaction. "They put me in an orphanage. It wasn't as though I was dropped off in the middle of nowhwere..." Yet she couldn't tell her the reasons why. Such things were too close to her and she didn't know Marina well enough yet. Besides, Kay wasn't hurt by it. She had accepted it a long time ago. It was just something that seemed, well almost normal.

But Marina was taking it so hard. Why was that? She was acting as though it was some horrible thing. Kay was startled as the woman gave her a big hug. She hesitated at first before wrapping her arms around her. "It's alright....I'm not traumatized by it. I have my own family now and plenty of friends that I cherish like brothers and sisters. I'm not alone. I don't feel alone. Otherwise why would I want to come way out here to explore in some canyon in geographic isolation? I wanted a break, remember?" She pulled from the hug and looked into Marina's eyes. "You remind me a lot of myself before I was put in charge of...well, a lot of people. Never lose your compassion or kindness. We all know that the Galaxy needs more of it. Now come on. Let's keep going." She waited for Marina to give her the cue that she was willing to continue.

 

[Marina DeVoe]

"I've have to say that I admire your perseverance, Cessy.
I just want to just say that if you ever have an inkling notion that there's a vacancy for a new friend,
that I'd love a shot of consideration." A genuine smile accompanied her application.

The moment following couldn't transform to awkwardness, for they were standing in a place which had been lost to time and memory it seemed. Marina thought it best not to intrude further, of Cessy's personal life. The woman by all standards was no different than she. Cessy was proud and centered around her family children and friends. Whatever had been severed in her lineage, she had risen above it and built her own from ashes it seemed. No different than Marina's ancestors who had for the most part vanished in a single moment...leaving only one to have survived that fateful day when Alderaan was destroyed. Her great ancestor whom had been off world had lost his entire family, friends and home. But he persevered like Cessy, and now the DeVoe lineage continued on...for it had prospered through the centuries, and were back once again as one of the Great Houses to New Alderaan.

It were by this perseverance that Cessy possesed, that were no different than that one lone DeVoe, that rose above all that he lost, to once again make the DeVoe lineage prosper and regain the family titles and honor. This is why Marina didn't pity Cessy, but admired her, for Marina understood how one could rise above any tragedy and stand proud of whom they were.

The present moment certainly called them. There was much to explore and so little time. They had somehow lost track of real time for the entire trek from discovering the old steps to the present moment had been hours. But it only felt like maybe two. Such it happens when one's interest is peaked. But whether it were two, four or six, whether it were still daylight or twilight across Juniper canyon; they were in a sort of chamber where night and day didn't exist..for the glowing rocks which were part of the cavern walls, never wavered, never changed. It were like twilight all the time.

"Yes...lets.." Marina nodded to Cessy's insistence to keep exploring their find.
It were at this moment in the now that she realized-.......... no,felt.
Marina felt at this moment that there were no one at this moment that she would have preferred to share this experience with. It felt proper for her to explore this...this, great old hall of the ancients, she thought looking up and about again.

"Wonder if we'll find some reliefs..." She then were back in the now, speculating once more on their discovery.
"....you know...like figures..stories, set in stone."
If there were such reliefs, they would be easier to decipher, than carved ancient language, who had constructed such a site and for what purpose.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked over to [member="Marina DeVoe"] as she offered a spot in her friendship circle. Whether or not it was requested partly out of pity or was out of a need to fulfill, she wasn't certain. "Thank you. I'd like that." Of course there was a bit of a problem with that. Kay hadn't told her the truth about herself. How long could she hold the ruse for? It was so difficult to say. Perhaps not as long as this afternoon.

But how would Marina react to it? Would she be understanding? Or angry? When most discovered her secrets, most especially about her Force Sensitivity, they had gotten angry at her for it. She nearly was executed once, merely for serving in politics and being a Force sensitive, which was against the law in the Republic. Yet she had revealed her secret to a Jedi Master only because she needed help as Darth Ferus was blackmailing her. And in turn she was arrested by the Jedi, instead of getting the help that she needed.

Such an experience made her very wary in revealing anything to others. Even if she felt it was the right thing to do.

Kay focused on the present, thinking now of what discoveries they could find. Her knowledge of Commenori architecture gave her a bit of an advantage. Her eyes were drawn up to an archway that appeared normal, with pillars on either side that were overgrown with vegetation. One pillar however had a circle carved into it that wasn't entirely finished. One might think that it was incomplete, but Kay knew differently. "This way." She rounded the pillar and moved a curtain of ivy. Behind it was a hidden spiral stair. It was small, and once again illuminated by the glowing stones. Without a word, Kay started down the stairs, testing each step, which thankfully proved to be solid. The air also seemed dryer down there, with less humidity. Perhaps it was due to the lack of vegetation. But at least there was an air flow.

"Well this is different..." The near darkness of the stairwell soon opened up to a orange light at the end of a corridor. Where the light was coming from, she wasn't sure. That is until they got closer. What they came across wasn't natural at all. It was both terrifying and curious at the same time. Encased in a sort of tomb of amber were two men. One man was calm and just stood there. While the other man seemed to be either stopping or creating what had happened there.

Quite plainly what they were seeing was a room frozen in time.

 

[Marina DeVoe]

" Wait, where are you going-" But her voice faded away, as Cessy 's hand parted a growth of ivy that revealed another stairway. Most likely, her companion had been too focused on the new find to have heard her. But it didn't matter, as marina's question as to where Cessy wanted her to follow had just been answered.
Marina looked back and gave the great hall they were in a good once over. Nothing had stirred but the small signs that they had been the only one to tread through the vegetation. So it were safe to say that it would be there still after they checked out where the stair case within was leading down to.
Well, at least it did answer the question as to there being a possible lower level.

Again the steps were lit enough for them to carefully descend. The urge to pull out a light was eating on marina, but then again, if there were creatures or things that didn't wish to be disturbed, a flashlight beam lighting their path ahead would give whomever a good heads up that they were coming.
But more light would certainly be easier on the mind, as right at that moment, marina was fighting phantoms that were running through her mind.

The glowing stones weren't as abundant as they were in the Great Hall or the other stairs leading down to it, but enough to check one's footing and see enough ahead to tell them it were just them two.
And just as marina were about to grab that flashlight out of her pack...just to hold on for security reasons, they seemed to be heading toward a brighter part of the staircase below. But it weren't the glowing stones this time. This time it were more of a yellowish glow they were heading down to.
"Gasp..." Marina's took a deep breath suddenly freezing in her tracks. They had come upon something way to unnatural...even for the structure they just left upstairs.

Marina's intuition tugged her to go back and go back immediately.
"Different?....Cessy this is bizorro... way beyond bizarre..." She replied, holding her ground and reaching for Cessy.
Marina got a hold of Cessy's sleeve and tugged at it, like a child wanting to go back but were afraid to do so on her own.

"I'm like getting weirded out... oh God, you seeing these .... *gasp*...these guys!? ....
My god....what are they entombed in?...can't be carbonite... Not this stuff!"
Sure she were exclaiming it...shouting it out ...only it were her under the bed covers, inside voice loud...as loud as a quite church mouse.

"I....I have to go..." Lord, how was she going to say it? She was nearly peeing in her pants...well, just about to. And now that that feeling had come over her, she couldn't repress it.
"Really... I really have to go...." marina's low tone loud voice begged.
She tugged at Cessy again, to maybe get the hell out of there and back up to the great hall. She was certain there were plenty of pillars that she could stow away for a minute or two.
Seemed everything was egging her to get out of there.

 

[Kay-Larr]

While [member="Marina DeVoe"] seemed to be consumed with fear, perhaps rightly so, Kay stood there in wonder and awe. "It's almost like chryspoaz..." Well it was the same colour anyways, but not the same. It was like...a yellow goo that had solidified somehow.

Her eyes squinted as Marina first tugged on her sleeve, yet Kay held her ground, her eyes sort of transfixed on the twi victims inside. Were they alive in there? She didn't know. But it certainly demanded further study. There were far too many questions that needed answering, neither of which could be answered by them at this moment.

Marina tugged at her again and Kay looked at her, seeing the expression on her face that just made her heart sink. "Alright...alright. Just hold my hand." There was something here that had terrified her new friend, and she didn't know the exact reason for it. Kay took a hold of her hand and guided Marina back up the spiral staircase nice and easy. It took a little bit of time, but they made it, once more reaching the level of the enormous citadel of sorts and the damp air. Kay turned to Marina, giving her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "Are you okay? We can start heading back if you'd like. I can send in archeological teams here later to investigate. Once I talk to the right people, that is."

 

[Marina DeVoe]

Shoot...it were hard enough nature had called on the wrong moment, but even more difficult that she had to ascend those stairs. lord, she could have sworn they were much shorter than this. But nevertheless, she made it back up in the great hall.

"I...i think I dropped my....er, something..." her eyes searched for the nearest wide pillar.
" Ahem...over there...." Marina made for it, although it were one that neither of them had spotted to examine, as it had been out to their left a ways just before Cessy discovered the stairs.

She disappeared behind it, all along rambling on " ..yea, i think it like dropped...down back here...just gona take a moment to ...find it. damn thing...etc..etc... should find it soon...think I see it...no...maybe.... etc...etc..." So it went awhile before she popped back out from behind it...with not so much an anxious demeanor. it were one much calmer.
"Ok...found it... yea...Ok..." She discarded what looked like something of a hand wipe, as she approached Cessy again.

"Sorry about that...sigh...don't know why I loose it like that. " She meant the way she freaked out, despite her own natural curiosity of discovering oddities. But the shock of coming up on what looked like two men encased in she-could-only-guess, took her by surprise and her first instinct was to flee. But her instincts somehow or other as of late had been ignored...so her body kicked it up a notch, resulting in ..yea. What better way to get her person out of there than trigger a reaction that made her have to leave.

But her time supposedly searching for something never lost behind that piller had her reasoning return. She thought about the find; from start to the point of finding herself seeking privacy and her better intellectual self urged her to follow Cessy's lead. So here she were looking at her companion's eyes and they had no to little fear as far as she could tell. So after a few good deep breaths, Marina nodded.
"I'll go back down...actually, i do want to go back down again. I don't know why, as those two..or more...who the hell knows are like creepy bizzoro...
but if you are wanting to go back...sigh...I'll go."

Besides, if she and Cessy went back to report their find, most likely she herself wouldn't be involved in further exploration of the find...and not finding out more would play on her mind for quite some time. There was one thing she didn't care for and that were regrets.

"What the hell is that they are in?..did the chamber suddenly flood with ...something that hardened that quick?! like..they weren't struggling..or anything....just...frozen...you know?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow as [member="Marina DeVoe"] ran around one of the pillars with some excuse of looking for something. Was she trying to hide tears? Her voice didn't sound as though she was crying. Was she trying to compose herself after really needing to leave the petrified men in that lower level? Who knows?

Moments later, Marina came out with a wipe in hand that she casually discarded, fully composed and apologetic. And she seemed to want to explore further, giving Kay every reason to believe that whatever had caused her to panic earlier, was overwith now.

"We'll go back down in a little bit. For now let's just regroup. It is very odd and I certainly wouldn't want us to get stuck there too. But it lokked to me as though one was fighting the other. The younger one's hands were out as though he was using some Force power or something. While the other looked quite calm. It's almost as though he had wanted whatever it was to happen. Or maybe he just accepted it? I don't know." Kay chewed the inside of her cheek. "I don't want to touch the stuff, but maybe we could get a sample of it somehow. Have you got gloves in your pack? Maybe some sort of tool we could work with?"

 

[Marina DeVoe]

"The force?...wow....never heard of the force- ...doing anything like that..." Marina more spoke to herself than actually questioning Cessy on her theory as to what she assessed it to be. Then again, Marina's study of the religions surrounding the force were on a scholastic laymen level, and not of a disciple of the force. "Still...freakin force users.... sheesh! ....like we need more of those..."

She had removed her pack and knelt down on the green undergrowth, searching the pack for what could safely hold whatever that medium was in that lower level. For all she knew it could be jell like soft or as hard as amber, as she had not dared move another inch towards it to consider touching any portion of it...not after she made out the two figures embedded within.

Normally she would have pulled whatever she were seeking from inside her pack blindfolded. But her nerves were acting on her senses and Marina just couldn't rightly feel what she were looking for.

"Oh, damn it..." she pulled out a spare pullover and spread it out over the vegetation, ironing it out somewhat with her hands. Then she turned over her pack and spilled it's contents on it. a little fumble around and there it was. One of the MRE's.
"Nope, not this one... heavy meal....we'll save this for later." She put it aside and picked up the second one.
Instantly she tore it open and pulled out other sealed bags. She tore into the trail mix and took a handful to eat, offering the rest to Cessy. Marina was always for the most part always prepared and the MREs (Military rations in sealed Meals Ready to Eat)were always on hand.
Her intention were to eat the snacks and use the sealed pouches for putting whatever that stuff downstairs was, in the pouches. Naturally the MRE also came with eating utensils...although they were of polymer base and could not cut or chip anything but what meals came in the MRE.

"Hmm...you know..." She spoke while putting the contents back in her pack.
" ...since we're taking a little breather to regroup.. " Marina handed Cessy one of the main pouches that had been part of the MRE she opened.
"...banta strip steak and cheese sandwich?." There was a good size sandwich which had already been divided in half that Marina pulled out of the bigger pouch from the MRE. She offered to spit it between them both, taking one half of it and began to eat it. By this time, all the contents that she had upturned were back in her pack and all that remained was the open MRE with all of its remaining sealed contents that made up that one 'Banta Steak and Cheese Entree'.
Of course, there were still the sealed cookies, the PBJ and crackers, instant stimcaf (requiring of course water), instant fruit flavored drink mix, and other amenities that completed the MRE meal pack that she had opened. Of course there were a few mints and towelettes included. All this were laid out on her pullover like a picnic lunch.
The idea was to use the opened sealed bags after they consumed the contents for what Cessy had in mind...taking samples. And what better way to regroup than to find time to replenish all that they had spent?
"Oops.." Marina then reached back to her pack and removed the canteen.

Odd?
Not for Marina. She was a happy camper and obviously well prepared. And no doubt, getting in some carbs and protein after their hike through the canyon, then up and down these ancient steps, not to mention the calories burned when she freaked out...still, it had been a few hours since they had disembarked the Mariner IV and well; this was really the first time they had stopped to take a breather.