"Padawan I'll make an Althaiophobic out of you."

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

"Yes." She looked at it and nodded to her padawan when she was searching to try and see if there was anythign there visible. "Can you make anything out?" She couldn't penetrate the darker shadows down there. THe jedi maste was enhancing her senses to try and pierce it but the lower she got and the closer she could hear the machinery the darker it got. THe force was rippling and she looked then for means to get down maybe, stairs or a lift that could work. She rose up following the edge itself as it stopped going into the wall and was a small fissure in the rocks that opened up later along the path. She would have recommended with the right equipment climbing it but they didn't have all of it to move around and be secured. "IF we had climbing gear we might be able to get through it look like it opens up further in."

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

"I don't think so, it's still to far down to make out any detail, I don't think I even see movement."

Vinnon did her best to see what she could, but she wasn't sure it was possible to see it yet. She did however toss her glowrod in, to give them an exact idea of just how deep it was, and a landmark to follow. She had one more left, and didn't need them like her master, so she didn't consider it a waste. A bit hasty maybe, but not a waste. Whatever was making the noise already knew someone was here, or so Vinnon thought, so she wasn't to concerned about it being alerted by the glowrod. An idea sparked in her head.

"If you think we have the time to wait for the edges to cool, we could cut hand and foot holds with our sabers. I don't really want to cut into the walls of a place this old, but it is an option to consider."

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

Hmm that was an idea if they could do it and she was looking at her saber with a nod of er head. It was an idea to consider... granted getting back up would take a little more possible but she wanted to try and be safe. "We can try for that but we'll try and make sure it is safer or at least possible to get back up." She was looking at parts of it though and pulled the grapple from the field kit. THankfully the line was liquid and strong and able to eject quite a lot as she worked to secure it into the rocks and secured it. She was lightweight so she should be able to do it while motioning to her padawan and wrapped one part of it to her belt so she could be secured from falling. "Alright." Wu moved and started heading down as she activated her saber with the jade blade going into the rock then letting her down slowly as it made small holds she could reach into.

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

Vinnon looked at the grapple line nervously. Her legs made her significantly heavier than she looked at a glance, though her height was also part of it. Vinnon followed suit, creating her own lone, though she tugged on her own line to try and make sure it and the rock she anchored it to weren't going to break because of her. Logically she knew the line shouldn't, but she'd rather check now than risk something worse. After a moment, she started following her master, making her own path down as she was....significantly taller than her master.

"Whatever it is, if it's hostile I hope it waits for us to get to the ground before it attacks us."

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

Wu looked at her padawan as she was going down and spoke. "Oh think positive padawan. Not everything is a glass half empty." She didn't doubt the chance that something could attack them but she was also trusting the force itself to really work down. She came to a stop and was looking up as she could barely see any of the light above them and walked on the ground. Anchoring the lin itself to the wall and leaving it there. Her saber had made handholds she could use and climb up freely but dangerously. She was looking around and crouched with a nod of her head. "We should be alright." She could feel it in the back of her mind and held the glow rod as she looked at the one her padawan had dropped down and she stood over it as the sound of machinery got louder. Now it was more of a mechanical sound that echoed around them.

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

"I do not share your confidence in that Master Wu, but I shall follow your lead."

Vinnon dropped to the ground, her legs making a loud metallic thunk as they hit the stone. She left her last glowrod where she dropped it, it served a useful marker for them both, even if she could see in the darkness, finding where they came down without it would not be easy. Vinnon did not return her saber to her belt, but she did turn it off, doing her best to not create hostilities where none may be. Vinnon likewise kept her blaster in it's hostler, but had it ready to draw at a moments notice. The sensations in the force were indeed getting stronger, but Vinnon still had no clue what was causing it, but her curiosity burned in her.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

She looked at her padawan and had a look on her face of surprise but they would be able to work with this as she started to move. Using the glow rod instead of her saber but thankfully the field kit had what was needed in it for this. Beacons to find the way back just in case and her chevron chirped to indicate they were active before she was moving around. The sounds and the feeling in the force was what she was wanting to find. The jedi master came into the room itself as it was large with rows of pumps moving the water through the tubes as they turned larger turbines. SHe could see the energy being produced as above it sparked feeding into more machines. "Well that is not something you see everyday."

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

"Hydroelectric power? Either this is really old, or really reliable, most places don't use them any more....What really concerns me, and has me curious, is what it's powering. We saw no signs of machinery till we heard this, so what is it's purpose?"

Vinnon was partially just thinking out loud as she spoke, but she felt her Master should know her thoughts. Vinnon looked around, trying to figure out what the machines did, and why they needed to much power. She had a knack for technology after all, she should be able to figure it out given a little time. She was glad she brought some of her tools with her to, now that she saw this.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

"It is safer I imagine to just have water powering it then something possibly unstable. COntainment shields can wear down and falter endangering everything. If you wanted something to last sometimes it can be more simple and..." She held her hands out as it seemed to stretch on and on it each direction. "If you have possibly an underground river that is massive and can be channeled why not take advantage. It is similar to geothermal caps as a back up system for some of the facilities and bases we have done. The energy might not be the strongest but it is there constantly." She said it and wasn't entirely sure what the power was going to but there was always a need to press on and realy test it out. Getting to see some power though she looked forward moving along the walkways for what felt like hours. Taking in the vast size of it and then it seemed to be getting higher up for them, going out of the mountains and into an open area as there were cables to follow weaving and overgrown with vines or tree canopy. It looked like it could be natural if you were following it from underground where they were able to follow it. No cities in the distance though it looked like a massive swamp with the trees massive and glowing.

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

"So....you want to follow the power lines, or keep exploring here?"

Vinnon put her lightsaber back on her belt entirely now. It didn't seem like there was anything here waiting to attack them. At least, not at the moment. She was curious about the specifics of the design though, for something like this to run continuously for so long would, it's builder had to be fairly advanced. The kind of forces from a river like that would wear through parts quickly under normal circumstances. Vinnon looked around, trying to find a control panel, or some other readout, it might give her an idea of at least how much power the thing is outputting.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

She looked at the cave and then at the lines. "We should see where they go but if this is powering something and has lasted. All records from survey teams are well never returned. No one has left this system but if they foudn something here it could be either dangerous or it is something that prevented them from escaping the planet. THe jedi have records of large scale disruptors. THere is not even reports of hyperwave coms that have been able to get through." Which she had come into it but she trusted the force and those teams lacked something they had. Two jedi who could reach out with the force to find others. Wu was looking at the exterior of the cave trying to find well anything that might tell them about it. THe mountains were massive still and she was looking to see anything that might identify it but there was none. "We may need to see where they are going, it doesn't look like they were keen to make signs announcing they were on the planet."

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

"Well, if this is powering whatever it is that's keeping people from leaving, and communications from going throw, we could destroy it, or find the controls and turn it off. I should be able to do it even if the controls are busted, I've had to rewire my legs more than once so I could get to where they could be properly repaired."

Vinnon maybe wasn't the best Padawan, would likely never be a shining example of a Jedi, but she was adaptable. They could follow the lines and see what they powered, or turn it off here and now, and see what happens from there. The way Vinnon saw it, there wasn't a lot of choices if no one was making it back out. Something was keeping people here, and jamming communications, this was their chance to stop it. First though, they had to figure out what it was. Vinnon opened her bag, and checked her tools. She might have to improvise a little, but she should be able to rewire something if she needed to. Bypassing security measures and fail safes wasn't a guarantee, but it was an idea.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

She gave a nod. "We could cut the line here and maybe it would shut it off. If it uses and has power from several caves like this it might still be functioning though." She said it but wasn't against the plan. She just wanted to work smarter about it. "Or if we cut it and something happens like an explosion. I'd say first try and shut it down and then if that doesn't work we move towards breaking it. Something like this if it exists and could be used or controlled would be dangerous in anyones hands. Darksiders for the power and even the jedi for the temptation. What might start as a noble intention to use it only for criminals could become locking others away." SHe shrugged while moving and finding the cable to follow it.

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

"I doubt the control panel is down the line. I'd be somewhere overlooking, or in the actual generator, for this one at least. While they're might be an emergency shut off somewhere on the generator itself, I don't want to go trying to get inside just yet."

Vinnon scratched her as she spoke, scanning the room for any sign of such a thing. The thing was, this place seemed to have been built to work unsupervised for long periods. It may not have a command center to monitor it, or if it did it was mostly automatic, and worked on readings straight from the thing. If this place had any half decent safety features, Vinnon should be able to shut down the turbines somehow but....she didn't know where to look.

"Thing is, with how this place is built, it might be automated to such a degree that the control box is just some small computer buried in a side panel somewhere. If we can find it I can use it, probably, but otherwise....we might be better off just seeing what this thing is powering."

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

Wu gave a nod of her head. "You are not wrong we could theorize a lot of things and something like this we know there are materials in the galaxy that can last for tens of thousands of years and work without fail. The Corellian system has repulsors under the surface to make it perfectly balanced." She had studied and the system being artificial and created with a place like centerpoint station. She was looking at some other parts of it though and leading the way... if this was something that continued to function without much need of people or a technician... they could have droids that come out and work on it for all they knew. Her best idea was to go and see if it powered something and could be turned off so she had a choice.

She was tapping her chin and it was a choice she had gotten them into this and the best way through it was to go forward. Wu was moving and following the cable as the terrain around it started to become overgrown jungle and swamp. The mud getting thicker and slicker. Insects around them and the jedi master could feel life finally... this might have been what she was sensing deep down within the machines. Traces of life or maybe the waters itself. She could feel more though and stopped crouching on a log as it was massive. Easily as tall as a wookiee and rotted while she looked down at a mud pit and something came out.

"There." She said it and a stalk came up with eyes, dozens it looked like as grey skin appeared and it opened its mouth wide.... wider... and wider still before letting out a croak and she could see stubby legs but flat teeth before she raised an eyebrow and there was the powerful stench of rotted plants between the teeth. "Well excuse us." She wasn't worried about it after that... the teeth were made for plants and leaves... it might not like meat unless it was desperate or well something fell in that massive mouth when it was opened. Wu moved along the log and worked to keep herself steady while walking and could see some stone protruding from deeper into the swamp.

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

Vinnon followed quietly behind her master, used to this terrain as it was very reminiscent of Umbara, though far less dark, and with far fewer glowing plants. She hopped up on the log with practiced ease, and eyed the large herbivore with more idle curiosity than anything else. One wouldn't be able to walk up on most predators like this, they were either already aware of them, or already stalking them, or completely asleep. Walking barely tired Vinnon at all, she had very few leg muscles to cramp, and her feet couldn't physically get sore. Helped her on longer treks, though she still wished she had normal legs most of the time.

"Master, with how windy the mountains were, do you think it's possible some of that was artificial, designed to keep outsiders away from the power generators, and from following them to whatever they power?"

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

Wu gave a nod of her head to that and it was a good theory... "It is possible padawan, something that not many might think about." She tapped her chin though and was walking as the jutting stones were more visible. It gave a landmark to at least try and reach before she was heading around. THe large arches were letting tunnels be seen. It wasn't as advanced but the cable itself went down into the ground as she spoke. "Maybe some people built on top of it?" SHe said it and the tunnel itself was not much but slabs of stone had fallen as she looked to some of the scrawled notes. More equipment abandoned in places but she pointed to some of the boots next to the slab with broken chunks of bone. "Something that advanced wouldn't make deadfalls.... perhaps they regressed in terms being isolated?" She was giving some theories to herself but moved around the thicker and heavy slabs trying to avoid and check for whatever traps might have been set.

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

"Or it was adapted by someone else. If people were stranded here they may have built or adapted pre-existing structures, or the set up on this end was not intended to be abandoned as things seem, and required people or droids to maintain it. Regardless, it is unstable from this point on, and we must move carefully. We could cut our way through any barriers, but that could make things worse, it'd be better to move the stones one at a time so that we can leave support ones in place to prevent another cave in."

Vinnon ignored the crushed remnants, there'd be time to mourn the dead later. She instead inspected the equipment, pulling out some tools to open them without forcing them.

"If you wish to do that, I could spend a few minutes and cobble together at least one working piece of this equipment. It wouldn't be hard, most modern devices are well enough sealed that it's more just getting working components out of them all into the most intact case."

Vinnon rose and moved over to the notes, scanning copies for further reference and archival. They may be useful in piecing together the nature of this place, and what exactly happened here.

 

[Wu Yeoh-Mei]

[member="Vinnon Varuut"]

She was looking at the padawan and walked a little further in with a glowrod so she could look around. Turning it over but motioned towards the equipment. "See if there is anything you can salvage." She was looking at her Chevron pad on her wrist as it began scanning the tunnel leading down. Looking over at it but she couldn't find much as it brightened while she crouched and walked through slowly. Checking the structures and for traps but there wasn't a lot. She used the mapping tech in the chevron to ping tunnels that would let her see it and create a holographic visual of the tunnels. She wanted to see some parts of it as she stood looking down one of the tunnels.

 

[Vinnon Varuut]

[member="Wu Yeoh-Mei"]

Vinnon got quickly to work, scanning and archiving each item and it's components along the way. Old as they were, someone somewhere may have an interest in these antique designs. Regardless, by cannibalizing parts from the various bits and pieces, and then combining it with a few spare power packs she carried for her blaster. Wasn't what these things were designed to operate on, they gave shorter bursts of higher power, so she had to use extra parts to adapt the power flow in order to compensate. After turning the pair on, she smiled, a true smile. Vinnon loved studying the force, but she also loved her machines. They were an intricate system all to their own.

Hoisting the equipment up, she followed after her master, using the dust and dirt to follow the same path. She stopped next to her master, and looked down over the far shorter woman to look at the map she was creating, at the same time she sat down one of the pieces next to her master.

"Alright, got two of them working, though watch their energy levels, I had to adapt a blaster power pack instead of the ones they're used to using. Nothing a little time plugged into a generator won't fix, as most of their power cells were fine, but this works for now. I also have scans of all the equipment and notes I could find out there, just in case."