Faction Rolling in the Deep | Treasure Hunting with Darkwire

Daiya · Oct 29, 2021

(Theme: "Afraid of the Dark" by Unions)

abyss [ uh-bis ] - noun

1. A bottomless depth, cavity, or chasm; a void space.
2. Anything unfathomable, infinite or profound.
3. The deepest city levels of the planet Denon, beneath habitable zones occupied by humanoid life; a region of the city-world full of toxic gases and inhabited only by alien flora, dangerous fauna, and the truly desperate, daring, or damned.

It didn't look all that impressive, Daiya decided.

The object looked more like something dredged up from a scrap heap. The spacer was holding it up as if it was the most valuable thing in the universe, beaming from ear to ear while boasting about his daring acquisition. Doubt etched onto the teen's face as she listened, only half-interested in the story itself. The key, if it really was that, drew more of her interest the longer she listened. Even rusted and worn, with markings she couldn't make out, it fit better to one of the stories she thought long since lost to her childhood.

"You got had, stupa. Three Horns never got anywhere near Denon!" Daiya declared to the spacer. It drew his attention, along with the ire of a few of the more interested beings in the Blue Flame tonight.

She was sitting in the front room of the rebuilt tavern, rather than using the connection to the speakeasy underneath. Even if it was still considered risky by the rest of Darkwire, the Blue Flame was like a second home to Daiya. She'd chance it just to hear the juiciest stories, and to give Meeno a friendly face in the crowd.

"Not during his reign of terror, no." The spacer chuckled, taking her challenge in stride. Rumors and stories were the bread and butter of spacer lore, and they weren't worth much if they couldn't survive one night in a tavern. "But when Three Horns Sarkhaa was facing his demise, it was here he fled."

Daiya didn't interject, her fingers tapping the edge of her glass while she listened. The mood settled again as others in the bar turned their attention back to the old spacer to listen.

"After the Sith-First Order alliance devastated the first Galactic Alliance, as you know, the Silver Jedi moved into the Slice and helped defend those planets. But the Trailing Sectors were largely lawless, only the Southern Systems had the protection of the Confederacy. That was when Three Horns Sarkhaa reigned supreme on the Gamor Run, his pirate empire stretched all the way from Deneba to Altier. It was only when the Confederates started to push into his territory, securing more and more of the Gamor Run until it looked like Wann Tsir itself was going to fall under their thumb, that the Pirate Captains invoked the Justice of Wann Tsir on one of their own."

The teen was losing interest. Politics and history were boring, she wanted to know more about that key. "And then Three Horns led a desperate raid on Denon, the old Hutt Lordas made a deal with him, now his lost pirate ships are buried in the abyss and creepy undead pirates wander up seeking fresh air and sunlight again. Everyone knows that story, younglings tell it during blackouts to scare each other."

"Ahh, you're a native." Daiya frowned at the spacer as he squared her away in a word, yet he pressed on without noticing. "You might be keen to know what your bedtime stories missed. After Three Horns Sarkhaa escaped the Justice of Wann Tsir, like you said, he came to Denon. Those were the days before the Corpos, when your world played fast and loose with the likes of smugglers, pirates, you name it. The Hutts were used to being held up for a bribe, but Sarkhaa named a price they weren't about to pay. No, he didn't just make a deal with the Lordas, Sarkhaa held them under siege until they paid him off!"

The spacer let out a big guffaw, and laughter followed him around the bar. The teen just folded her arms in response, this was nothing like how the story was supposed to go. She let him carry on, though.

"That was when Sarkhaa, triumphant in victory, came burning down through the atmosphere to pick up his prize. And you know what the Hutts did?" A big grin on the spacer's face was a spoiler enough, but he waited until someone said it. "Of course, the Hutts double-crossed him. Three Horn Sarkhaa and his flagship kept on burning straight down into the abyss. And this," he held up the object again, "is the only surviving way to get into the ship's vault."

"Yeah, right," Daiya muttered under her breath. Pirate treasure sounded like the typical spacer fancy. The kind of story they'd use to hawk the key to someone willing to go retrieve it, rather than risking their own skin to walk around in the murky depths of a planet.

"Well, you don't seem very impressed." The spacer chuckled again. "What did you think of my story, Daughter of Denon?"

"I've heard some tall tales in here, but yours is by far the tallest," Daiya mused, taking a sip of her drink. She glanced around the room, not really caring who was on her side but curious to see who was listening anyway. "Everyone knows the only treasure in the abyss is from the Hutts themselves. They're the only ones who'd be paranoid enough to use a physical key, anyway."

The spacer let out a deep, belly laugh, and Daiya tried to hide her irritation. "I'm sorry there, little one, you just say it with such conviction! That's good, I would have been convinced, if I didn't have assurances from the Pirates of Wann Tsir themselves that this little key was genuine. Who better to know?"

Daiya couldn't help but flush at the spacer's patronizing tone. She fumed silently in her booth, but bided her time that evening. The teen even offered to buy the spacer a drink after a while, to thank him for the story. It was only polite. And Meeno wasn't too put out by her request to make it doubly strong, she tipped him well enough for it.

So when the spacer was snoring loudly by the end of the night, none of the few other patrons were bothered enough —or sober enough— to stop Daiya from giving the spacer a friendly pat before heading out for the night.

"So you all know the story of Nas'roth the Hutt..."

Daiya held up the object she had swiped at the Blue Flame the other night. It was better this way, that old spacer didn't even know what he had. "This is what gets us into his stash. You know the one, hidden deep in the Abyss below the Midnight Zone."

Everyone on Denon knew the story of that treasure and how it got there. Of how Nas'roth was second only to Gangsta the Hutt in power and wealth, and always trying to accumulate more to challenge his superior lorda. Of how Gangsta's deal with the Corpos put a kink in Nas'roth's plans, forcing him to squirrel away his secrets into some dark corner of the Abyss. Of how he planned to return to it someday, but was killed by other Hutts first, leaving the treasure lost to all but local lore.

The young shadowrunner surveyed the motley crew she had assembled in front of one of the lifts that serviced the lower levels of the Midnight Zone. Treasure hunting attracted all sorts, and even if Daiya knew that, she hadn't really known what to expect when she put out the ad on the CryptNet. Everyone had heard the story, but those bold enough to go looking for it were...an interesting sort. For an adventure into the Abyss of Denon, the team itself was going to be an adventure. "And I know what you're thinking, 'no one's ever seen it and lived to tell the tale.' Well, that's because they didn't have a way to get in."

She flashed the syringe-like object again. Upon closer examination, it had proven to be fairly simple, a mechanical code cylinder attached to a handle to make a crude sort of key. "This is our ticket in, and our guarantee of a way out. Trust a Hutt to always have an escape hatch." The teen grinned at the rest of them, beaming confidence as far as she could. It was a risky bet, venturing into the Abyss, but the reward was more than worth it. Everyone there was sure to come back with their weight in treasure. "But first, we have to make a little trip through the Abyss."

Daiya tucked the key away in her suit, hefting the bag she carried on her back. It was full of equipment she would need down there, without much to spare. Everyone coming along would need be able to fend for themselves, first and foremost. "If anyone wants to back out now, I won't blame you."

Phalsi Drynchen · Oct 30, 2021

GOTTA FIND THE SHINY
Objective: Search

Equipment: Under-Armor, Clothes-The look, The Mask, Just in Case Cloak, Scope- on belt, Wrist Device, Slicing/Gaming Tool, The Encoil, Zerek Stowaway Node, ICE/iBorg Clarion Personal Translator
Weapons: Four Zenji Needles, Pair of Blue Lightsabers, Hard Light Weapon, Pair of Shock Whips, Heklerkok FP-01
Extra Pocket Stuff: Standard Magazines x4, Lodestone Devices x4, Journeyman Knife, Security Spike, Scramble Key, Anti-security blade, Field Security Overloader, Canteen/Waterskin, Energy/Food Capsules
Ship: Psf-01 Shadowfire
Tags:

Daiya

There was a drop on the cryptonet that made the blond haired shadow perk up with a bit of interest. She'd been running down leads on an old jedi master, doing some background things with the silvers, and hadn't been slinging with Darkwire much. Not at least until the datapad had cut through the dark of her room and caught her eye.

She'd been guilty of letting things slide to the wayside, and gave the alert some well deserved attention as she flopped on her bed before deciding to give herself some time off from the usual things. She packed her bags, switched keycards on the dresser and found the out of the way garage door on Emberlene that held the craft she had in mind for this one.

The gathering place had been relatively quiet as Phalsi entered with her face partially covered by The Mask. The rebreather was kept in a different pocket as she listened to Daiya speak on the matter at hand. There was a curious look the to strange key, shaped more like an ignition key for an ancient podracer or even something military rather than that latch pin to an underground stash.

But there had been stranger things about the galaxy no doubt.

"Hopefully, a way back out." Came the mumbling realism. Phalsi shrugged at the thought of being stuck somewhere though. Hadn't found much in the galaxy that didn't have a weakness of some sort. "Otherwise, we can just cut our way out. Or...however it works out."

She offered before watching the rest of those assembled answer in their own way. Hefting her own bag of goodies she didn't usually carry with her, she strapped the thing around her before checking that all her weapons were easy to get to. Readjusting her hair, she moved the needle sheaths into better positions for grabbing. With a quick glance to Daiya, she gave a tiny thumbs up,

"Stash isn't going to find itself." Amused words came from the jedi as she huffed.

Darkwire Shadow · Oct 30, 2021

Aylya had taken hundreds of odd jobs throughout her life on Denon. Desperation had driven her to the Abyss, and luck had brought her prosperity. Or as close to one could get within its depths.

She’d fostered a reputation as an expert, and as a result had the opportunity to pick and choose from the jobs she was offered. So why did she take this one?

It was by far the oddest job she had taken, and perhaps the most reckless. Leading an expedition of fellow Ghosts into the Abyss was one thing, but none of her employers had descended into its depths. It was risky and dangerous, maybe that was what attracted her. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter now.

A little ways away, two of her students checked over each other's kits. With so many members, the aged togruta had opted to take only a small team, made up of her most experienced students. Aylya watched for a moment as the two tightened each other's armor straps, makeshift plastic coated in Eki-al hide. The armor was sparse, protecting only their vitals. After all, Eki-al were ferocious beasts. The jackal-like creatures roamed the deeper parts of the Abyss in packs, hunting many of the native animals. It didn't matter to them if it was a human or twi'lek or any other sentient. They were prey all the same. Still, the cost meant little for a job such as this. She’d loaded the three of them up with everything they could need, from the standard list to vibro-swords, to pairs of jumping stilts. She’d been hesitant about the last, but all her students learned to work with the stilt like boots. She watched as the two sat to strap on the devices. The foot strapped down to the platform which connected to a pole halfway up their shins where more straps secured it directly below the knee. The real beauty of the device were the bows. Beginning a little below the knee, above the top of the pole but below the straps, the material curved back behind the feet of the foot pad to stop almost a foot and a half below. It was a beautiful little device that, when worn, allowed one to jump almost ten feet and increased the average running speed tremendously. It was also expensive. Her own prosthetic set, replacing the feet she had lost to the Abyss, had cost an arm and a leg. It was only the danger of the job that convinced her to bring them out.

Turning from them, Aylya began checking her own kit. The expedition would be here soon, and she needed to present a prepared front. Her experienced eye glanced over armor straps and her gloved fingers adjusted her gas mask. By the time she was done, every patch of skin was hidden. From the helmet covering her montrals to the Eki-al wraps covering her shins. Any Ghost knew that exposed skin meant chemical burns, and Aylya already had her fair share of those.

___________________________________

There was a young girl rambling about treasure and children's stories. She held aloft a key as if it proved her every word, claiming that it would bring them safely out of the Abyss. Aylya frowned, the motion hidden beneath her gas mask. Shows what she knows.

There were too many unknowns in the Abyss, to many reasons for be destroyed or technology to lock up.

The other woman, decked out in top of the line gear, had more sense. She wasn’t a Ghost, far from it judging by her well fed form and shiny gear, but she had the sense of one, even without the practical knowledge.

Brushing a hand against her throat, Aylya activated the vocal cybernetic embedded there. "You have the right of it, lady. There's no guarantee that old Hutt's exit will still work. It's been decades since this whole thing supposedly happened. Any secret paths will be just as dangerous as the ones we take to get down there." Her electronic voice was smooth and confident, but you could still hear the raspy tone of her natural one. It had been destroyed in the Abyss when she’d just begun ghosts. Without the proper protection, the gas clouds had reduced it to nothing but a whisper. Now it sounded as an echo beneath her artificial one.

"That's why we're here." She glanced at her students before flicking her eyes back to the gathered group. "-to keep you all alive down there." She stepped forward, pulling down her gas mask so they could hear her better. "The Abyss is dangerous. I can't guarantee your safety if you don't follow our instructions. Animals, plants, even the air you breath is out to kill you." To make matters worse, it was mating season for the Darak spiders. The females would be looking for a large mammal to plant it's eggs in, and nothing was more tempting than a humanoid.

"You'll need gas masks for this. For you shades the air can and will send you into violent coughing fits unless you're used to all the chemicals. Goggles too, unless you want your eyes watering so bad you can hardly see outta them. And trust me, you never want to be blind in the Abyss." Aylya nodded to her students. "For those of you who haven't brought the appropriate supplies, rented masks are provided." One of her students, a young miralukan boy, opened the hover crate that they had brought. The top layer was lined with masks and goggles.

"Aylya, what about the other supplies?" That was her other student. The twi'lek was nervous, a habit she had yet to train out of her. If she kept this up, she would never do well in the Abyss. Not on the customer front at least. "I'm getting to that." Indeed she was. It had been the next thing she was going to bring up before the yellow skinned girl had cut in.

"I assume you mentioned the supply list on your job ad, but I'm gonna go over it again just in case." She watched the human girl, but soon shifted her gaze to the rest of the crowd. "Again, gas masks and goggles are absolutely vital. After that, you need flash bangs, glow sticks, a small first aid kit, sturdy boots, and an emergency knife. If you don't have these items, they can be provided. However, each of these is for emergencies and should only be used as such." She slid a flash bang off it's place on her belt, holding it up for all to see. "This will scare off the majority of predators that we're likely to come across. However, our supply is limited. Making these emergency use only." The flash bang was replaced with a glow stick. "These are for emergency lighting. If your flashlight goes out and you can't see, crack one of these and it'll light up a room." Aylya leaned back, eyeing the crowd. "Feel free to ask me or my students anything if you have questions."

Brie Jaxx · Oct 31, 2021

"But first, we have to make a little trip through the Abyss." her best friend

Daiya said, as if to try to scare them all away and off from the mission ahead of them.

As she listened to Daiya and the others talking, Brie stood indifferent and stoic as always, clad in her own simple but effective space suit designed to protect her from most envorimental hazards that a salvager in the Outer Rim could encounter. She carried a black backpack with necessities, a KC-77 Hybrid Pistol in its right-handed holster and the orb shaped space helmet in her hands. Fishbowl, according to a certain rude boy she had encountered a few weeks ago. Better be an alive fishbowl rather than dead fashion model, she thought. It had turned out he also had a connection with Darkwire. Looking around once, she didn't spot him here though. Good enough, even if it was hard to get an overhead view of all the participants Daiya had managed to interest in the mission.

Both Daiya and Brie had been conducting missions to creepy places before, like the time they found that derelict spaceship in the Genon system. It had made everyones hearts jump more than once. Still, Brie were not to back down from a mission where Daiya needed her, and she weren't alone thinking that as quite a few other shadowrunners had turned up. Now that she thought about it, she wondered where Ruby - her sister - was, and if she also would turn up.

Lynch ,

Ruby Jaxx

Doc Painless · Oct 31, 2021

"For the record," Doc Painless said, leaning against the wall beside the lift, "I think this is a terrible idea." His cybernetic eyes flicked across each member of the little group, taking them all in. They were eager, confident, self-assured, already discussing how they'd make it in and out of one of the most dangerous places on Denon. His look was disapproving... but there was a warmth there, too. It was just good to see people again, to reunite with some of the many shadowrunners he'd used to know. Before Xopsaloff, or B.X., in the old days before everything had gone crazy and they'd all been forced to go to ground. It was good to see so many of them alive and free.

Which was why the Doc had to go along. He had to help keep them safe on this bone-headed treasure hunt.

"This is Denon, where money is god. If there's a famous treasure on this planet that hasn't been claimed, it's either because it doesn't really exist, or it's so incredibly dangerous that literally everyone who even gets close to it dies." He sighed. He knew he wasn't going to change anyone's mind; this crew was young, so young, brash and bold and fiery. They'd been fighting a literal shadow war against their planet's government for a good chunk of their short lives, and they'd survived all sorts of high-risk missions and criminal endeavors over its course. They'd beaten the odds so many times that they probably felt invincible. Enough so to chase legends.

The presence of the expedition guide and her students, clearly experienced in Abyss crossings, gave him some hope that they might actually survive their dangerous trek - though he still doubted they'd actually find anything down there, or at least anything of value that hadn't already been looted. The guide's scars and cybernetics proved she had seen some serious danger and come through it alive, if not intact. Still, he wondered how many people in the groups she'd guided hadn't made it through the various crossings. She'd been lucky, skilled, or more likely both, but that didn't mean she'd had a perfect success rate. The Abyss tended not to lend itself to that.

"So if you're going to do this," he finished, "I'm going to go with you, because someone is going to get hurt." Not because he expected to find anything, but because he expected to be needed. The Doc went through the survival pack he'd brought, checking off each item the guide had listed - plus a good selection of medical supplies. He'd been able to keep himself well-provisioned with the funds that

Xan Deesa had helped him acquire when he'd been building her new body, and they hadn't dried up yet. Checking the straps on his mask, he prepared to don it, along with his goggles. His eyes and lungs were cybernetically filtered, but why take chances?

Daiya |

Phalsi Drynchen |

Darkwire Shadow |

Brie Jaxx

Bryn Celli Ddu · Nov 1, 2021

Just how Bryn had found herself among this small crowd of people was a rather long and confusing story. So she wasn't even going to start trying to tell these almost strangers about it. Listening to the story a young woman said, she knew what her role in this was most likely going to be. The brawn.

If one took a look at the cyborg, you couldn't tell she was pretty much more machine than human. Luckily through all the changes done to her, she could still breathe on her own. And that was another benefit to the alterations done to her body. She filtered the air she breathed and probably would not require a rebreather. Of course, she brought one along...just in case.

There wasn't much gear Bryn needed and she kept her collection simple. A few knives were hidden in her clothes and that was about it. She also had the Force she could use and that was the greatest weapon she had. Turning her attention to another person when she started speaking. It was about how dangerous it was going to be. Letting out what might sound like a bored huff of air, Bryn was patient while instructions were given. This wasn't going to be her first time around the block, just her first time to this location.

In a way, she was similar to Brie and was quite stoic but she had let the air out and it was some sign of feeling. Until Doc spoke up behind her, it had seemed like there were only females involved on this excursion. Then again, he was slightly on her blind side and she hadn't been looking for a figure behind her. Choosing not to react to his sudden presence, she did turn just slightly to look at him with her cybernetic eye.

If she had to take a guess, she thought they were about the same age. This would work out well. Having two adults along for the ride of teenagers.

"Care to guess who it's going to be?"

Bryn asked this after his last comment about somebody getting hurt.

Cartri Keswoll · Nov 3, 2021

"You know what, I agree with the doc..." (

Doc Painless ) the young shadow runner said next to the wall, his arms folded and leaned up against the wall in a chilled fashion "The last time I searched for treasure I bumped into fishbowl girl over here (

Brie Jaxx ) and almost got killed by a few rag tag pirates who thought we were an easy catch. I don't see this one being any different, other than possibly suffering a worse death" Cartri said, his gaze shifting to the other familiar faces in the room. One of them, who already had a mask on (

Phalsi Drynchen ) moved like someone he'd seen before, but that was probably his mind running wild again.

Shifting his gaze from the mysterious figure he finally came to the girl who started this whole thing off (

Daiya ). Their relationship was still somewhat rocky from the scene that happened back at the apartments, something of which the ginger wanted to forget as soon as possible. Now that he was in training, his use of the force was now slowly coming into his control. But he still had long ways to go in terms of fully understanding the power he contained. Cartri appeared to open his mouth to say something to the girl, but after a few moments he turned his head to the side and looked to the ground instead.

To keep himself distracted from the thought, he checked over his gear once more. Over his head was a gas mask he rented for this mission alone, one of which would protect him from the dangerous environment they were up against. As always he didn’t wear any armour. Cartri hated it with a burning passion from the fact it always weighed him down and made him a more easier target for enemies way slower than he was. However, this time he did bring an antique look blaster and a knife for last ditch situations. If it was like any other mission he wouldn’t of took these precautions, but something like this was more than needed considering the uncertainty of what they were up against.

Lynch · Nov 3, 2021

Amateurs.

The bounty hunter looked around at the group. Children, redheads, and cybernetic freaks. While the man had not personally interacted with any of them before, he already knew that there would be little success for him trying assist them. As soon as the treasure was in sight, he would grab it and book it out of there.

His cold gaze studied the most recent person to speak (

Cartri Keswoll ). The boy talked as if he was confident and laid back. But from many years of experience the hunter could hear the hint of worry from their voice. Totally fine with him. Just one less target to worry about.

The ad that the child (

Daiya ) had put out was further discredited by the fact that there was a tour group here, as if this was some sort of fun little adventure. If any of them had been truly caught up with the stories and legends of the Hutt, they would know that this would be a dangerous trek.

There was no friendship, there wasn’t any holding hands at the end of this. One of these armatures would more than likely die, and that was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

Brie Jaxx |

Brie Jaxx · Nov 4, 2021

Despite what the togruta woman said, she said it with confidence and instilled trust to the group of explorers or warriors that she seemed to be some kind of leader of. Brie was uncertain if they were all shadowrunners or actually came from outside Darkwire, but she would not be surprised if the ad about this treasure attracted people from all over the system. Brie walked up to the twi'lek one and recieved some flashbangs and glowsticks along with some other stuff she put in her backpack before focusing on the meeting and talk between the people gathered.

The more people they were, the more secure they would be, but they also had to share the treasure. That in itself was not a problem for her, everyone deserved an equal share. It was only fair. What was silently gnawing the back of her mind was the risk that someone would be here with a completely different agenda. One of his or her own. Everyone present were not familiar with each other. Brie knew Daiya and the doc, but the rest was more or less unfamiliar to her. Still, if Daiya wanted her along on something she always had Brie's blaster.

Just about then, a young male voice spoke up from behind the group gathered in the room. The voice was familiar and as people moved and turned to see who was its owner, Brie recognised the redheaded boy that she had ran into some weeks ago. The boy intoduced himself by mentioning that last time he had ran into trouble in search for richness. To little surprise, he did it in the same rude way as that last time. Brie tilted her head and gave him the most unamused gaze. She should have stunned him when she had the chance! Boy, she did regret that now!

Daiya ,

Lynch ,

Phalsi Drynchen

Daiya · Nov 8, 2021

(Post Soundtrack: "Glory" by The Score)

Daiya was not at all upset by the uncertainty she heard from some of the would-be treasure hunters. Even her hired guide, who offered a warning in those same paternal tones she had once heard from a Wookiee's mouth. The teen nearly laughed at the imagery, but her levity was tempered by the more forceful protests from two of her assembled party.

From Doc Painless, she almost expected his voice of reason. To the other voice, the teen's eyes narrowed. What was he doing here? Cartri was the last person she had expected to show up today. She drew a sharp breath at the crude remark he made in Brie's direction, that was strike two already for her patience with the ginger boy. "You know, boys, it's okay if you're too scared to come along." Daiya's voice dripped with sarcasm, though even she could hear the bitter note underneath. Immature boys like Cartri just seemed to bring out the worst in her lately. "If instant wealth and glory doesn't suit you, us women will be okay without you. And the treasure splits better six ways than eight."

She counted Aylya's two helpers as part of their guide's share as well, according to the agreement the teen had already made with the Ghost. Daiya's expression took a sour turn as her eyes laid on the final boy of their group, a cyborg man she had never met before. "Oh, oops. Well, you can be an honorary woman for today, okay?"

The teen nearly stuck her tongue out at the two boys who held her attention, and she really had to stop herself this time. Doc would have probably just laughed, it was Cartri whose skin she wanted to get under. Feeling herself getting hot under the collar of her padded armor, Daiya let her eyes drift over to the group's women instead. They fell first on Brie, her heart surged to see her friend coming along and she flashed the older teen an eager grin with a knowing wink. When they had worked together in the past, it had almost always been for shadowrunner jobs. Treasure hunting, however, was exactly what the teen envisioned her scrapper friend would enjoy most of all.

Daiya didn't really know the other two women as well, but they seemed eager...if a bit ominous. The young shadowrunner didn't have any illusions about the danger they faced, that was clear enough by their guide unloading extra supplies for anyone who forgot a part. But for a chance at the legendary treasure in the Abyss? That was worth the danger!

Anyone who didn't think so just didn't belong.

"Okay, so anyoe who has actually decided to come along, and without any more complaining, can step right into the lift!" Daiya turned around and pressed the button on the controls. The doors opened, as slowly as these ancient doors did, without hesitation. Not many beings used these lifts, they were supposed to be here just for maintenance now. No one lived in the Abyss, and no one was supposed to be going in for recreation either. She waved her hand casually as an afterthought, "Ignore all the Corpo scare tactics on the walls, that's just a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo that they know isn't that serious."

It had been a serious thing the moment Daiya had first opened the lift doors and seen those warnings. The girl had almost turned sick to her stomach at the thought of it, she hadn't been prepared for the harsh wording of the signs. They were written on every wall of the lift in several of the most common languages in the galaxy. Some of the letters had worn away, even if others showed flakes of old paint layers underneath, but what wasn't still visible was etched into the duranium walls by generations before her. And what parts not filled with the official warnings had some of the most grave and dour testamonials she had ever seen, just one like them would put any popular restaurant out of business. Only someone incredibly stupid or illiterate would continue down from this point.

Or courageous!

Daiya absolutely fit that mold, as did anyone else who stepped into the lift with her. The teen waited until the last one stepped in before following after, trying her hardest to reassure herself that she wasn't going to be the newest warning added to the lift. Instead, the willful voice in her head shouted, this was just the beginning of her legend. Daiya, who braved the Abyss and rediscovered the lost treasure of Nas'roth the Hutt when she was just a teenager. She giggled under her breath at the fantasy, and let the adulatory feeling carry her into the lift itself.

She leaned against the wall, her eyes half-closed as she let out a sigh, her heart swelling with excitement. Then Daiya opened her eyes to gaze at the treasure hunters, still a motley assortment of beings to her. Pretty soon, though, she was going to have to trust them with her life. They all would, if they wanted to survive this little trip through the Abyss.

"Okay, so after Aylya talks her heart out with everything you wanted to know, but were too afraid to ask, about traveling in the Abyss..." Daiya smirked at the ghost leader among them, having already been subjected to some of Aylya's thoroughness during the process of hiring her services. Most of the time, overlong explanations like those went right in through one ear and out the other, but this time Daiya wouldn't be afraid to admit that she had paid close attention. The more she heard about the Abyss, confirming and correcting some of what she had learned from nightmarish stories as a child, the more she wanted to experience it for herself...and live to tell the tale. The teen wouldn't stand in the way of giving anyone else the same benefit today.

Daiya hit the button to slide the lift doors close, and start their long, slow decline to the border levels between the Midnight Zone and the Abyss.

"...I think we should get to know each other. At least our names." Her eyes sparkled in the direction of the black-haired cyborg women who had been morbidly eager to start predicting their individual fates already. "If we are going to be defying death to become living legends together, we might as well do it as friends. I'm Daiya, I was born here on Denon, I love to draw and shoot things, and the best part about me is that I get to lead this a-mazing group of beings to the treasure that I went my whole life hearing everyone say was lost forever."

Lynch

Doc Painless · Nov 8, 2021

Bryn Celli Ddu said:
"Care to guess who it's going to be?"

The Doc sighed. He'd run in the same circles as Daiya to know her reasonably well, and that meant he'd known from the moment she'd come up with this idea that there would be no talking her out of it. So here he was, him and another rare Darkwire grown person whom he only barely knew, about to go along with this expedition simply because he didn't want his last memory of his young friends to be watching them go down this turbolift. "I'd rather not speculate," he replied. He didn't like thinking about any of them getting hurt. He'd seen some of the worst possible injuries that a person could suffer, and he didn't want to picture them on his friends.

With another, even heavier sigh, he hefted his pack. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

He was surprised to find Cartri agreeing with him, though he knew it wouldn't matter. Actually, it might even hurt his case; there was clearly something going on between Cartri and Daiya, something that would make her even less likely to let him restrain her from doing something she wanted to do. In fact, she was probably more determined to do it now, a determination fueled by teen-drama-induced spite. The Doc did not miss being a teenager. His life had been simpler and easier back then, sure, but he only knew that with the benefit of hindsight. Everything had seemed like either the greatest thing ever or the end of the world. It'd been exhausting.

And these teens were dealing with all of that plus lives that were actually genuinely difficult. And dangerous.

What made the Doc doubly nervous was that Daiya had apparently made her little expedition an open enrollment affair, so to speak. The street medic eyed the other adult, another augmented human, and felt his worries increase. He didn't know this guy, but he knew of him. It had to be Lynch, a bounty hunter who'd made quite a name for himself in the Outer Rim. Rumor had it that nothing mattered to him but the payout at the end of the job, so he'd take any kind of work, no matter how dirty. There was no doubt that this guy wouldn't hesitate to leave them all to die if it meant he got his hands on the treasure. The Doc knew this merc's type all too well.

But if Daiya was concerned about the company she was keeping, she didn't show it. The street medic suppressed a laugh as she made it a gender thing, momentarily pulled out of the seriousness of what was about to happen, and held up his hands in mock defeat. He was going, though wealth and glory didn't have much meaning to him. Suppressing a third sigh, he stepped into the lift, deliberately averting his eyes from the ominous warnings plastered all over it. He did check his blaster's charge, a habit still relatively new to him. The metal on his hip was becoming a more comfortable weight over time, a thought that troubled him.

But he didn't have the luxury of do no harm any longer. He hadn't for a long while.

The Doc did chuckle as Daiya launched into scout leader mode, as if they were all off on a field trip to some nature preserve rather than descending into the most dangerous part of a dangerous planet. He supposed he'd play along, though. He was here to keep her and her friends as safe as he could manage, not to kill their vibe... though he rather doubted that the likes of Lynch would go along with the little meet and greet, based on his reputation. "Doc Painless," he said, keeping his introduction short and simple. Most of the folks here already knew him anyway. "Best thing about me is that I'll keep your insides on the inside."

He skipped the other bits. He never talked much about himself or where he came from.

The elevator lurched and slid downward, beginning its descent. The Doc was used to an overwhelming weight of durasteel and duracrete above his head - anyone who lived anywhere on Denon except a penthouse suite had to be - but this was something else. Already the air felt more oppressive somehow, heavier and more stale... and they were only starting off their downward journey. The street medic fiddled with the clasp on his holster, flicking it open and closed, open and closed. He tried to focus on what the people around him were saying, but his augmented heart was already starting to beat hard and fast. He didn't like this. Not one bit.

Daiya |

Brie Jaxx |

Lynch

Xan Deesa · Nov 8, 2021

Xan had no doubts that actually tagging along for this mission was a horrible idea. Not just because of the Abyss, though it was certainly a concern. The Abyss was notorious among the denizens of Denon. Everybody knew what it was, even the corpos living in their lavish penthouse suites far up in the heavens. It was the closest one could get to literally going to hell and back. Traipsing around there with a brand new body was utterly retarded.

But it was her actual reason for tagging along that made the idea even worse. After her run-in with Cartri, meeting Daiya again at the speakeasy, never reaching out to the rest, her chances of actually getting things to be like the good old days seemed slimmer with each passing day. But she knew that she had to do something irrational to make things right. Simply staying away wasn't going to fix anything. No, things had to get worse, but they would eventually get better then. She was going to have to suffer through the pain and hatred from others.

At least the Doc was coming along.

Xan had wordlessly stood aside and listened to the rest talk. Kitted out in all the things one would need, she ushered along with the rest into the elevator and simply kept observing. She knew her presence wouldn't be welcome among Cartri and Daiya, and Brie would likely not be a big fan either. This was the first time they saw each other again after the incident. The group started with introductions and she knew that she wasn't going to worm her way out of this one. "The name's Xan." She spoke up behind the group, a smirk adorning her features behind the mask to hide her worries over the mission.

Phalsi Drynchen · Nov 8, 2021

GOTTA FIND THE SHINY
Objective: Search

Equipment: Under-Armor, Clothes-The look, The Mask, Just in Case Cloak, Scope- on belt, Wrist Device, Slicing/Gaming Tool, The Encoil, Zerek Stowaway Node, ICE/iBorg Clarion Personal Translator
Weapons: Four Zenji Needles, Pair of Blue Lightsabers, Hard Light Weapon, Pair of Shock Whips, Heklerkok FP-01
Extra Pocket Stuff: Standard Magazines x4, Lodestone Devices x4, Journeyman Knife, Security Spike, Scramble Key, Anti-security blade, Field Security Overloader, Canteen/Waterskin, Energy/Food Capsules
Ship: Psf-01 Shadowfire
Tags:

The explanation from the more experienced crowd had Phalsi's attention, frowning behind the mask a few times as she glanced around to those present. A mix of people, two faces in particular drawing her attention with a smirk as she directed her attention to those speaking after the briefing.

Doom speaking and words of warning. All par for the course on dangerous jobs as she shoulder the bag and followed behind everyone into the lift.

"Oh, lah! You always were a spoil sport. Run off to the bathroom if you get scared." Phalsi spoke in her most obnoxious tone toward the ginger, hoping he remembered the impromptu mission to mess with someone's penthouse room.

Her gaze shifted to Doc after that and gave him a small wave before lofting a question his way.

"Organaize anymore jobs with pretty ladies, or just laying low these days? Last I saw you I was headed into a tower while you waited outside." She teased the Doc before collecting names as they spoke up.

"Phalsi Drynchen. I brought spicy glowsticks." A sing-song tone to her voice as she let the mask filter who was speaking while she adjusted the mask on her face a bit. It felt snug, but was worth the check.

Darkwire Shadow · Nov 11, 2021

There are names written across the elevator walls. Epithets for the deceased and lost. She knew them all by heart. It was her job as a Ghost. No one else would remember the poor souls lost to the depths of the Abyss, so they had to. A requiem for the dead, sung by living ghosts. It wouldn't be long before she'd join them.

In the meantime, she had a job to do. Gloved hands brushed over spray painted words, running down the side of the elevator door in neon pink paint. Those same fingers found the cloth wrapped around her wrist as she mumbled a prayer for protection. The same one that was written on the door. The same one that she wore on a dirty strip of cloth, tied securely around her wrist.

As the Duskers filed into the lift, she watched her students repeat her actions. Both scanned what names they could see. Both touched the prayer. Only one said the words. Her boy had never said the prayers, deciding instead to pray to Ar-amu. Personally, Aylya didn’t put much stock in the new gods. They hadn’t been here since the beginning, or if they had, they had never made themselves known. Still, she never went into the abyss without her carved glyph. The protective Amarattu glyph was meant to protect her from the dangers of the wild. A gift from her sister, the only remaining family she had left. They’d grown apart years ago, but she still wore the glyph. If only to remember her. There was nothing worse than being forgotten, and Aylya had no idea if her sister had anyone left
to remember her.

"Okay, so after Aylya talks her heart out with everything you wanted to know, but were too afraid to ask, about traveling in the Abyss..." Her employer’s words signaled it was time to step up. She wasn’t on a regular job where she could trust the others to be competent.

“Listen up! There are three things you’ve gotta know about the Abyss. Number one, don’t touch anything. Plant, animal, corpse, doesn’t matter. Just about everything down there can and will hurt you. Number two, keep your masks on at all times. If your lung starts burning and you start smelling anything other than filtered air, let me or my students know. We have experience dealing with busted masks in the field, and can fix it. Never, and I mean never, take your mask off. If you suspect it’s leaking, call one of us, we will fix it. Number three, stay as quiet as possible. Many of the predators here hunt by sound. If you’re loud, you die. If you fire a blaster without a suppressor, you die. You get four shots, and then they'll swarm you in minutes. These things can strip you down to your bones. If you have no choice and have to use a blaster, stun shots only.” Aylya nodded to her students.

“This isn’t a field trip.” Havn spoke up from the other side of the lift. His green skin and traditional tattoos hidden beneath the layers of protective gear. “The Abyss is wild, and deadly. Right now, the Darak spiders are in the middle of mating season. There’s nothing female Darak loves more than a nice warm corpse of a humanoid to lay her eggs in.” He lowered his goggles, looking each member in the eye. “You could die down here.” He cast his arm to the obituary of names behind him. “Hundreds already have, and each of them was more experienced than you ever will be. If we tell you to do something, do it. Down there, our word is law.” Havn fiddled with the prayer cloth around his wrist, brown eyes flicking towards Aylya.

He’d done good. A lot better than Sera would have. She gave him a short nod, a small smile hidden beneath her mask. Havn lit up, eyes bright and smiling. She could tell he was beaming beneath his gas mask. Still it was dangerous. They were getting to the level where the toxins started to hurt. Eying his goggles, she mouthed “put those on.”

Daiya Xan Cartri Keswoll Brie Jaxx

Bryn Celli Ddu · Nov 11, 2021

Another person chimed in and told a story about him and one of the girls. Bryn's stories would mostly be about wars, missions, and smacking teenage girls around. In the present company, she did not feel they would appreciate that bit of knowledge, so the cyborg kept quiet for now.

As the group gathered their stuff and finished their preparation for going below, she felt the brief attention of somebody that was silent and brooding. As his thought about cybernetic freaks crossed his mind, her eyes met his for a moment. She wasn't a cyborg by choice, it had been forced on her and she couldn't go back to her normal human self again. Of course, she had no way of knowing he considered her a freak.

If anybody asked Bryn why she was there, she probably would not be able to provide a good answer. When the call had been put out for this journey, the treasure at the end might be the goal but that wasn't what had drawn her here. The stoic woman wanted the adventure, challenge, and whatever else came from this was just a bonus.

Behind her mask, a small smirk was displayed at the comments made by Daiya. Thankfully, she had this on and nobody would be able to see her little show of emotion. It fell quickly and Bryn listened to the additional instructions. Almost like a dutiful child, she got into the line after picking up just a couple more of the supplies. One never knew if they were going to be needed or not. Better to be safe and have extra.

Quirking an eyebrow when she said they should all get to know each other, she just shook her head and waited for some of the others to speak first. Nodding at each of them slightly, she was actually pleased to have another person present that was familiar with being a field medic. Or at least, she assumed he was.

Once again turning her attention to their guide, she kept her mouth shut. Not bothering to introduce herself. There would most likely be ample opportunity to do that...if she ever did. Bryn was not the nicest person around and kept mostly to herself. These things about her personality weren't going to change any time soon if they ever did.

Brie Jaxx · Nov 12, 2021

"You know, boys, it's okay if you're too scared to come along."

The spot-on statement from Daiya aimed towards the two boys, well - one boy and one man, really - Cartri definitely not being the latter one, elicited a heartly giggle from Brie as she and Daiya then exchanged knowing glances in anticipation of the mission ahead of them. She tried to keep it in at first, but eventually gave in to it and took the risk of getting into atleast a verbal clash again with him.

The ginger boy had a hard shell, she would give him that, but sometimes Brie wondered if the heart underneath was equally strong. It was true that they had relied on eachother on Froswythe, but it was also just one time they had found themselves in danger together. Coming to think of it, they were dangerously close to making it a habit. The older blonde (

Phalsi Drynchen ) also took the moment to bite back at the ginger boy, which made the situation even more fun. If this response wouldn't make him see that this company wasn't the one to be all cocky and haughty in, Brie didn't knew what was.

Despite all the warning signs on the worn down walls and on the turbolift, Brie felt rather confident and unworried. It spread to her outside and might have surprised some of them. It was much thanks to the sharp replies from Daiya and Phalsi, but also that she was literally surrounded by people going down to this Abyss together. She was so used to work alone that she could keep her head cool and find a way out of most situations. Kriff, even if it was just her and Daiya she would feel perfectlty safe with the younger shadowrunner who had saved her life once. That time was pretty scary, she would admit that though.

After the lift doors closed in front of them, Daiya encouraged them into an introduction round. ''I'm Brie.'' she said short but friendly, before she ostentatiously put the ''fishbowl'' over her head, locking it to her suit while giving Cartri a swanky glance. It was about time the boy tuned down his cocky and rude behaviour. ''Close friend to Daiya...'' she added and laid an arm around her friends shoulder, squeezing her lightly. Her friends presence elicited a smile upon her lips. ''I'm a salvager, but Daiya made me a shadowrunner some time ago. We have been through some crazy stuff together.'' she finished an assuring nod to the rest of the group. Suddenly, Brie noticed that Xan was in the group too. She knew that Xan had been gone for a while, some had said dead, but she had faced a worse fate than any of them could imagine. She had been given a new body, but Brie didn't knew any details. She wondered though, but before she could approach her old friend, they were interrupted.

''Listen up!''

That was when the togruta wanted their attention for a last-minute briefing. A while into it, Brie's light mood faded noticeably as she let go of Daiya. One of the togrutas students took by where she left, describing a sort of spider and what it could do to any of them who dared travel down to the Abyss without being extremely cautious and extremely well equipped and trained. Brie blinked and looked blankly upon the guy telling them this frightening description.

Had he seen that happen? Had he been down here before? Was he just trying to scare them?

Brie felt her heart start beating slightly faster. It sounded... gross, to say the least. Horrible. Her mood grew more serious and slightly darker, the helmet helping to conceal most of it. She took a deep breath and checked the air filter hanging by her waist. It looked okay for a few hours of work down there, and she had spare ones in her backpack. For the first time on this mission, Brie's inner alarm clocks were going off.

Daiya ,

Lynch

Jerec Asyr · Nov 13, 2021

Brie Jaxx was wearing a fishbowl helmet, making her the smartest person around. A good fishbowl was worth its weight in aurodium. Jerec Asyr — newly out of prison, again — donned a similar helmet and smiled with both sides of his neck. "Fishbowl solidarity," he said, because new friends made abyss-diving so much better. He knew

Daiya and

Doc Painless , of course, and

Xan Deesa and

Cartri Keswoll looked kinda familiar. That was pretty much it.

The 'verse had moved on. Thanks, Xopsaloff.

"I'm Jerec," he added, fogging the fishbowl in places inconsistent with human breathing. Not long ago, his default intro would have included an invitation down to Quekko's Choice, his used ship lot. Today he didn't have the heart, prime networking opportunity though this was. Prison had a way of draining your prospects dry. Goodbye, rusty little fortune.

Zole · Nov 14, 2021

"Zole."

It was all they were going to get out of the green-skinned cyborg. She didn't care for sharing life stories. She also knew more about Daiya and Brie than she needed to, including the fact that the younger one hadn't learned to hold her drink.

Zole was apprehensive of the task, but not frightened. She knew that in every corner of the galaxy could be a home for monsters, but she had brought her largest blaster rifle. Evolution was a trait that meant that creatures advanced to the point they could have offspring. There were very rare cases where this meant adapting to a blaster rifle that could put a hole in a snubfighter.

She had a backup gas mask and in the worst case her cybernetic endocrine system. She could adapt if she was exposed and when you were mostly artificial there was no such thing as irrevocable damage.

Cartri Keswoll · Nov 14, 2021

Of course, it wasn't long until Daiya chimed in to express her thoughts, and with no surprise, it was as sarcastic as ever. Cartri folded his arms and rolled his eyes about the boys being scared, a statement which somewhat rang true deep inside him "I'm sorry

Daiya , but I don't think six girls would last very long without a bit of male help" the teen said with a wide smirk, obviously joking about the matter considering most of them could kill him within a heartbeat. At the same time, he saw

Brie Jaxx give him a less than impressed look on the sidelines. He glared at her for a few seconds before childishly sticking his tongue out to mock the fishbowl girl.

"Names Cartri for those who haven't met me..." Cartri explained as he took his attention from brie and offered a quick wave to the group as an introduction. He already knew most of them, but it was only fair to those who hadn't met the one and only ginger kid of Denon. It was also a wise choice considering he was about to step into ab elevator to hell with a couple of new faces.

Then, a familiar voice came from his left. His head snapped to the mysterious figure and almost instantly smiled "Well, I'll be damned. I wasn't expecting to meet you again after we trashed that guy's penthouse." Cartri giggled to himself and remembered what they did to the place. At one point

Phalsi Drynchen made the low life piss himself from all the crap and threats she was making. That was one mission he surely wasn't going to forget any time soon "We'll have to catch up when we get the chance and possibly discuss another mission somewhere down the line" smirked the lad, who was happy to see at least one friendly face.

On the other hand, a less friendly acquaintance made her presence known.

Xan Deesa , his former mentor showed up at the party. The sight of the neon colored woman made him frown and look at the floor, choosing to even look at her or have the heart to speak to the person he once treated as an older sister. While he did his best to look away, he decided to not listen to the announcement and be in his own mind to focus on driving the nasty thoughts away. For now, he'd stay usually silent and withdrawn, bringing himself away from the social circle as the others chatted amongst themselves.

Daiya · Nov 20, 2021

(Post Soundtrack: "Fallen Empires" by Snow Patrol)

The lower they plunged, the more real it became for her.

Daiya grinnned at each one in turn as they shared their names, sometimes more, and peered curiously at the dark-haired woman who had gone quiet after stepping into the lift car. It was just for a moment, before the teen was once again distracted by other introductions, including a couple newcomers who had snuck into their party. The more they had along, the better odds that someone would come out of it, but Aylya had warned Daiya about having too many people along for safety's sake. Daiya still thought the risk was worth it, though she was starting to see the guide's point.

Too late to turn back now.

"When we get down there, we still have a ways to go. So stick close," She warned them even though Aylya already had, her nerves starting to solidify into a lump. It lodged in her throat and wouldn't let go, but Daiya grinned through it all by sheer blonde bravado.

The lift rattled as it descended even lower. Its walls weren't fully solid, with small holes and mesh in some places to allow air to pass through on the long trips down, and when they passed by open panels in the lift shaft Daiya could feel a quick breeze on the skin of her face from time to time. She donned her facemask and a protective hood eventually, covering the whole top and back of her head, cinching it up against her facemask so that nothing left of her was exposed to the elements. More and more, when they passed the openings in the lift shaft, it was darkness and chills that whistled through the compartment now. It wouldn't be long until the party reached the bottom of the lift and the start of their journey.

As she finished checking her small blaster, ensuring that the tibanna gas cartridge was close to empty, Daiya looked up and winked at her crew. "And don't do anything stupid, okay? I'm lucky I know most of you, I've probably wanted to shoot you at some point. Be smart and it won't give me the chance to end our friendship."

A giggle tumbled out of her mouth before Daiya could flip off the microphone on her mask. Well, there went her attempt to look like a mature leader. Daiya's lump twisted, and she squeezed one of her hands in silent anguish. The teen had spent days talking with Aylya about the expedition, and she wanted everything to be perfect.

It turned out to be a lot harder than the teen ever expected.

Even just determining which lift to use was near-agonizing. The teen was absolutely certain that this was Nas'roth's treasure, and it wasn't much of a secret where his seat of power had been. The best place for a treasure vault was kilometers below it in the Abyss. That was where the trouble began, Nas'roth's old cloudcutter was deep in Corpo territory so getting in that way wasn't even survivable. The alternative was trekking across the Abyss from the best accessible lift.

Answering that question was a whole other profogg hole. For every lift Daiya discovered, it seemed that her ghost guide had a reason it wasn't a good idea. Weather patterns, creature habits, crossing locations, even the timing of speeder traffic came into play. Even if the teen didn't doubt Aylya's wisdom, it was still frustrating to try guessing at what she didn't know to get the answers she wanted. This lift was their best compromise for it, still too far away for Daiya's tastes, but it fit all the parameters the best.

"I think we're entering the Abyss now..." Daiya said again after a while, the words almost catching in her throat. The teen found herself in awe as the lift passed by plants growing along the side of the lift shaft, infesting the decaying city. "...we might not need those spicy glowsticks yet, Phalsi."

The plants were glowing!

The young shadowrunner stepped up next to her best friend, tapping Brie on the shoulder to point to the glimpses of flora as they passed by. "Have you ever seen anything like it, Brie? They're glowing! I've never wanted a garden more than I do right now."

She giggled and chatted with her friend for a minute more, until the lift slowed down and its rattling hum came to an end. Daiya stood up straight again, waiting as the lift raised and lowered itself for a moment until it decided it was aligned, and then the doors pulled slowly open to reveal the world beyond them, the lowest levels of Denon's city.

The Abyss.

Daiya let the guides off first and then exited with the rest of their party. She knew they would be taking a moment to re-orient themselves to the strange city levels down here. The teen certainly needed one as well, though this time she was uncharacteristically prepared. Her eyes were not just on the prize at the end of their treasure hunt, but on the first step in their journey as well. One she knew would eventually lead them to an old passage carved out by something Aylya called wyrms.

Something more was guiding her, something that had guided Daiya before Aylya, before she had even plucked the key from the old spacer's snoring body; a Vision.

Zole