Sun Crystals and Slugs

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene stood within complete blackness. Her dark robes and raven black hair blended perfectly within the pitch dark, her orange eyes gave off a slight glow within the darkness as she peered around the pitch black cavern. She was within the mines of Jazbina, a set of underground caves that extended for miles and miles.

The caves could easily have been illuminated by a few lights and lanterns, but the miners were adamantly against it. The reason that the mines existed in the first place was for a set of crystals called Sun Crystals. These unique gems took in light an enhanced it a thousand fold. A simple flashlight beam could become a blinding light equal to a star when shone at a Sun Crystal. The gems were so valuable that one could purchase an entire starship with a single fragment. They were dangerous as well of course.

Looking into the light of a Sun Crystal could form something called Light addiction, the powerful yearning to see light through one of the crystals, which of course would eventually cause blindness. Nemene peered through the darkness, her eyes glowing slightly as she searched through the abyss.

Surprisingly, the Sith Lady was here not for Sun Crystals, but instead the creatures that naturally guarded them.

Tikulini, massive blind slug like creatures. They were carnivorous and terrifyingly large, their skin able to withstand lightsaber strikes and their jaws powerful enough to bite through starship hulls. Nemene wanted that skin, no in fact she needed it and in order to find it she braved the disgusting dirty black mining tunnels of Jazbina.

Nemene let out a sigh as she peered deeper into the void, the force allowing her to see what others could not.

Slowly she continued her trek into the darkness, every step carefully plotted.

 

[Evelynn]

Nemene Talith was not the only one in search of such creatures.

A quiet girl lurked in the darkness, hollow eyes having long since adjusted to the darkness of the caves. Of course she had done her research, she would always be a girl who strived for knowledge, who would inquire first and then proceed later.

Sun crystals were indeed a fascinating point of interest, had her pursuits not been so creature-centric then she may have still found herself upon Jazbina seeking out the gems instead.

Evelynn took a moment to reminiscence. After the moderate horrors of Onderon she had taken off to complete her own personal task. A real life study of various fauna from planets all over the galaxy. Hoth had been her first destination. An innocent girl and her hound had disembarked that day, and with the aid of her guides and a good slice of trekking she had encountered her first creatures to be put into her own personal bestiary.

Stupid little creatures, adorable but with not a single shred of survival instincts. The type of creature that just strolled into the hungry jaws of predators. How apt that they were her first encounter.

With cautious feet she made her way through the darkness.

@[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene trekked through the dark halls without a care in the world. Her Energy bow rested on her back and her Sith Sword sat opposite, the two crossed perfectly and seemed to hug her tightly. Neither weapon was over 46inches long, incredibly short for both blade and bow. Nemene however preferred shorter and small weapons, they fit her short frame. She doubted that she would be using the bow much here within the darkness, but the Sword...the sword would be needed.

It was a simple blade, one that was designed to appear like a normal broadsword.

The Blade was simple and elegant, and truth be told it was nothing more than a regular Sith Sword. Moridin had made it for her years before he had disappeared...or died rather. She treasured the sword more than anything else and had called it Ritill, a meaningless word but one that brought her comfort.

She frowned slightly as her foot kicked against a rock. The small pebble flew down the empty mine shaft to her left, and loudly it began to clutter and clang as it fell into the pit.

Loud echoes erupted throughout the mines as the rock fell and Nemene opened her eyes wide in shock.

A slight rumble could be heard as the rock fell onto the ground after a solid minute of falling. The creatures stirred within the tunnels. A frown crossed her face, she had just alerted everything and everyone in the caverns she was here. Her scowl deepened inwardly, her face remaining placid. Slowly with a soft ringing Nemene drew Rittil.

The pitter patter of her feet echoed only slightly as Nemene rounded a corner, her blade drawn.
@[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Voroll]

He arrived at the cave entrance and stopped just as he was about to enter. He heard a noise and a rumble, maybe a growl coming from within. He paused to re-evaluate his reasons for being here at all: he wanted at least one shard of a Sun Crystal, maybe two. Sell one and keep the other. If he could buy a starship with it then he would be happy enough. Although he knew little about the presumably-extinct slugs which dwelt in the caves, the sound from within gave him doubts about it.

It was ominous at best; a pitch black cave inside which either dwelt, or didn't, creatures of immense size and destruction. So his goggles, which were designed for such operations in the pitch black, slide over his eyes and immediately the outside of the cave became obscure. But the internals were more clear than they had been before, if not entirely visible. He wandered in. Vibrosword drawn.

From his research he knew that the sword would do little against such a slug, but he had to be ready for anything. He could see, barely, due to the goggles, and perceive the emotions of anyone who may stray too close. But all he wanted was a crystal. Or two.

@[member="Nemene Talith"] @[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Garza]

SPLOSH!

"Goddamn it!" I cursed to myself. It was not fun being here in these caves. Even though I needed either of these Slugs. I just wished that they would just stand there and let me hit them, but like all other things in the Galaxy, it doesn't go how I want.

Being in here was not so bad, but not good either. Apparently I was on the wrong end of these endless tunnels that would house these slugs. And just stepping into a pile of who-knows-what was not fun. It clung to my boots and pants. Gripping onto me like a concubine to a king. With a flame in my right hand, and a sword in the other, I walked these endless halls of dirt, mud, and whatever else is supposed to be in a cave.

There were times when I thought that I was alone, but a series of foot steps would tell me that I was not. I knew they were not my own. They were to light for my six foot even stance. Being six foot was rather tall for normal humans. though I have seen some that were not so..... normal. I was here for the skin of the slugs. Well hide, or scales, or whatever you wanted to call it. Or here for the Sun crystals. From here I could use one of the fabled crystals to enhance my lightsabers power. ALready with a Lava Crystal inserted, with a Sun crystal it would increase the intensity of which my lightsaber "burned" as well as drop lava. Literally.

I only wished that I had brought my rubber boots to cover my own. 'cus now my feet and lower legs were all wet with the slimy liquid substance.

@[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"], @[member="Nemene Talith"], @[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Voroll]

He continued walking and soon the cave became completely dark and he started to step slower so that he did not trip, despite the new 'ability' to see where he was going. It was a dangerous game and he knew it. If he encountered one of those slugs, a Tikulini, then he would be in trouble. But hopefully, from the intelligence that had been previously stored and new research, their numbers were few. Hopefully even fewer if other people ventured into the caves to skin them, preferably dead rather than alive.

He had not travelled far before the sound of footsteps and splashes echoed through the caves. He stopped, ears straining to try and determine where they were coming from. Numerous passages lead numerous ways with numerous possibilities down each one. The noises became more distant, so he carried on down the nearest passage. He was colder down this particular one, possibly due to the air from the entrance flowing rather freely down it. He hoped it did not lead to a dead end, or a bloody one. It was rounded, as if something had burrowed its way through it. Perhaps it was the design of the miners whom once inhabited and used the caves, or perhaps not.

@[member="Morna Imura"] @[member="Nemene Talith"] @[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Evelynn]

Well, better somebody else than her.

Clattering echoes of the rock caused the girl to glance around feverishly, oh, so she wasn't alone. Evelynn had half expected that she would have been the one to give her position away. Well that was one social anxiety relieved at the very least. Her hand swiftly snaked down towards her belt, her own lightsaber but it halted. No need to be rash.

This was no beast.

The four remaining digits on her right hand lightly pattered over the rather organic looking hilt. No. No. That would be dangerous, not to mention far too aggressive and just in general very bloody stupid.

She clung to a wall, squinting slightly to try and perceive any figures in the darkness. No hope down that alley. Sometimes, you just have to take a stab in the dark. However given that Evelynn was a girl who lacked vocal chords she wasn't exactly going to be calling out for tea time. Instead a cautious telepathic broadcast, a greeting that felt chilly for the mind to behold.

Hello?

@[member="Nemene Talith"], @[member="Morna Imura"], @[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"]

 

[Voroll]

Stopping again, in the darkness, he felt a chill cross his body like a wave over a sandy beach; it was there and it was gone. What stayed was the lingering words that breathed out through... the Force? It was a greeting: hello. It was short and sweet but incredibly creepy in such a place. He felt like shouting back. Shouting into the black in which anything could lurk. He felt like singing to whatever awaited in the deep. Singing songs of joy and happiness to counter the feelings stirring deep within him. But he did nothing.

He hoped he did not stray too close to the wandering signal through the Force, despite his inability or indesire to do so. He could feel emotions through the Force - one of the only things he was capable of doing - so it would be hugely unfortunate if he began to feel not quite himself, or feelings that were not his own.

@[member="Evelynn"] @[member="Morna Imura"] @[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Garza]

Gripping my sword tighter, I walked around a corner. The converging tunnels formed an X shape intersection for me. I moved to stand in the center of it. With the light of my flames that lit up the area around me. I could feel the heat of my flames in the naturally cold caves under the surface of Jazbina. Here it was colder because there was no sunlight to warm anything down here. As a fire shaper I was naturally born with fire in my heart, warming me in the worst of places to be. I had walked on Hoth with a tank top. Snow and the cold did not bother me.

Only I had a slight shiver up my spine. The word that would be simple yet complex in many ways.

Hello?

I had to answer back. Using my own powers of Telepathy, I sent out my own thought back to the source.

"Hello. What is that you are here for?"

Sending it all at once, I wanted to know who they were. Beasts like these should not be fought alone. Hell, why was I even here in the first place if I came alone. Maybe by some luck did I think that somebody would be here. Part of me believe that it was real, and that it was a person. While the other side of me wanted to think that it was fake. There was no way, in these endless mazes of tunnels would I find someone. It was not logical. But The force is not really logical either.

@[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"], @[member="Evelynn"], @[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Telepathy was a silly overblown thing that did not usually exist within the force. It was something that was generally only useable by people who either had a strong powerful natural connection to one another, such as brother or sister or two people with very similar force auras who were naturally drawn to one another. Or it was for those who had trained and trained in its use more than anything else.

Thats why it came to such a surprise when Nemene heard a resounding word within her skull, a word that sent chills down her spine.

It was not oft that Nemene heard voices in her head, in fact 99% of the time she could not hear voices that others could. Telepathy could not breach Nemene's mind, never had been able to. Unspoken words given to her by other force users drifted into her mind as though it were an Abyss, never truly touching her thoughts. Moridin had tried many times throughout her training, having learned the trick from some strumpet he had met during his time in the plague.

Always however he had failed to reach her thoughts, even when he had plagued the minds of all of her servants.

Nemene had supposed she was unique that was.

So it came as a Shock to her when the resounding voice of Evelynn touched her mind. It was even more of a shock when she finally rounded the corner and came face to face with the source of the voice. She knew almost instantly, instinctively, and before the girl could say anything Nemene struck out like a viper.

The very edge of her sword shot towards the girls throat, the tip of the blade stopping only an inch from her neck. “Stay out of my head!”

Nemene yelled out coldly. Evelynn's voice was the first that had breached her mind, and she had not liked it.
@[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Voroll]

He forgot how many left or right turns he had taken as he continued on the walk through the cave system. Fortunately he had not heard any sounds that could be another being or one of the slugs he had read about.

“Stay out of my head!” He heard just as he reached another turning. At the other end of the hallway he made out two figures (easily spotted with help from the goggles he still wore). He didn't know what the pair were up to, or why there were there but he did not continue. He felt the need to, but could not. He watched the duo from the darkness for a few seconds, wanting to know more, but he turned to carry on and in the pitch black he saw it.
It grumbled and groaned. But did not move immediately. If it had eyes it would have surely been searching. But he had a feeling it knew he was there.

He did the only thing he could at that point. Leg it. He turned tail, down the corridor of rock where the two he had previously seen were... conversing. They probably couldn't see his approach, although they could probably hear it. His feet fell heavy against the rock floor with the hulking beast worming its way around the corner after him.
"RUUUUUUN!" He shouted at the very top of his lungs when rushing right past the pair into the darkness.

@[member="Nemene Talith"] @[member="Evelynn"] @[member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Evelynn]

[Apologies for my response time!]

There was no time for her to respond to the other voice of telepathy.

After all, a blade sitting at your throat tends to rank pretty highly on the list of things that you should deal with right the frick now.

The girl's eyes widened in the darkness, panic was abound. Who knew that telepathy was so offensive? Actually, Evelynn knew. The sensation of Soliael's mother had been one of severe unpleasantness, like being struck in the face with a cactus. In that moment she wondered what her voice felt like, what sensation that she would grant with her telepathy?

Chills abound, evidently.

Instinctively the girl opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, she hadn't quite passed that hurdle yet, one day the stage of standing and looking like a confused fish would pass but it is not this day.

Of course, this entire interaction was interrupted by another figure joining the fray. Although this one was running, and he was running past them. It was fairly obvious what had startled the boy. Heck, it was what she had come here for. Tikulini. Yet she did not move, not with this woman's blade at her throat, that would have been most unwise.

@[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"], @[member="Nemene Talith"], @[member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

For a few seconds it appeared that Nemene would not remove her blade. The girl had affronted her, and gone into her mind and...and spoken! She did not like it, she did not like it one bit. With a frown she looked from the girl to the giant slug that was heading towards them. Then finally after a full 30 seconds had passed she removed the tip of the blade from the girls throat, a slight twinge of a scowl showing on her face.

“We will speak of this later.” Regal as a Queen she gave a command to this stranger, expecting full well that it would be followed. She turned to the slug creature that was approaching them in the massively open cavern shrouded in darkness.

To her eyes it was only barely visible, enhanced by the force.

She would not run of course, nobility had no fear, especially a Queen. Instead she flicked her blade down in a defensive stance, turning her back to the girl she had almost just murdered and allowing the darkside to gather in her off hand. Red sparks of lightning flicked in between her fingers. The Tikulini approached and Nemene prepared to slaughter.

 

[Voroll]

He didn't hear footsteps behind him, but nor did he assume the two had ran another way, different from his own path, so he stopped, rather clumsily; he turned to check where the pair was and saw they had not moved an inch. He tripped over a small, out-stretching stone from the otherwise-smooth ground and fell face-first to the floor. He shock froze him for a few seconds and his hands took enough of the fall to stop the goggles, or any part of his face, being broken. He realised that he still could not hear them so slowly turned over to look down the hallway in which he had just ran.

There they were, dauntlessly standing before the oncoming beast. The flickering red lightning illuminated the cave, poorly - like a light that was running out of charge - for less than a second each time a stray spark left her hand. But even from the tiniest spark and smallest fraction of light the cave behind Voroll glowed bright red. Again he turned, mind focusing on the only thing in this cave capable of reflecting and amplifying any form of visible light: a Sun Crystal.

@[member="Nemene Talith"] @[member="Evelynn"] @[member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Garza]

It seemed for an eternity in which my message had been sent, and not returned. Nothing was heard. There was the sounds of mud that was near by, water dropping down from an underground spring leaking into the tunnels below. I walked for a while to my right. and as I came to a cross roads. I could hear rumbling.

Oh was it so easy to hear the sounds of a young man yelling. I turned to my right to see a young man run past my vision and then a worm follow him seconds later. Indistinctly I ran towards it rather than away. This would be one hell of a catch. My hands burned brighter and stronger. My own sword was at my side held out ready to cut down the beast from behind where it would be nigh impossible for the large beast to just turn around to face me, I just hoped that this thing was going to stop moving sometime soon.

@[member="Nemene Talith"], @[member="Evelynn"], @[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"]

 

[Evelynn]

Calamity.

She could hear the slug but she couldn't quite see it. Of course, that all changed.

Between the sparks of lightning and other sources of glorious powers the sun crystals that littered the ore began to react. Amazing how just the slightest hint of light could be the catalyst for such calamity. A blazing flash and the entire cave was illuminated...

...and several...rows...

...of...teeth.

That was all the glimpse that she got before throwing up her arm to shield her eyes from the sudden burst of intense light. She stumbled backwards, falling onto her bottom as the other two before her were ready to fight the creature.

This however was far from her intentions, she came her to attempt to control the beast, not to slaughter it. The Apprentice scrabbled backwards, to leave the warriors to their work. She would happily lurk in the back with the nosebleeds and attempt to manipulate the creature from afar.

@[member="Nemene Talith"], @[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"], @[member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene wanted to go to work. She wanted to slice the Slug and add some salt, but some idiot had decided that illuminating the entire cave was a far better idea. The meager sparks her hand had produced hadn't been enough to cause but a twinkle in the Sun Crystals, but the fool that had just arrived had created a flash as powerful as the sun.

The Queen let out a curse, directing it at whoever had done such a foolish thing.

Almost immediately as the light shone in the room Nemene had clamped her eyes shut and had dashed far to the side, knocking into @[member="Evelynn"] accidentally and falling over the girl onto the ground. Her sword clattered on the ground and her soft silken clothing was instantly stained with mud and dirt.

Annoyance twanged through her, though she scrambled to her feet almost instantly. “STOP WHATEVER IT IS YOURE DOING YOU FOOL!”

She shouted into the room, flows of the force wrapping around her vocal cords to amplify her voice. Her blade found its way into her hands again and she tried to use her meager skills in sensory to find the slug. The trembling roaring beast rushed past her, only a foot away from her face. Then it twirled and moved about, rushing back towards Nemene where she sliced its side to barely any effect. The Creature instead moved towards the source of the light hissing and snapping its massive jaw at @[member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Garza]

Now that was a stupid move. I knew that the Sun crystals were rare, and relatively hard to find, but when I had come around the corner the entire hall of dirt and mud that had been traveled over thousands of times lit up with immense light. I closed my eyes quickly and brought my fires down to a small flame the size as it would be from a lighter. Turning to see that the worm was after me now, not really a way to avoid it, I decided to do something different. I fabricated a force shield around me, and as the beast came to chew on me, I jumped into his maw.

I tried to jump over it's rows upon rows of teeth, and should he close his mouth on me, I wouldn't be completely shredded. I had balled myself up to allow as little of time for my body to be between the worm's teeth, and once inside, I hope to use my sword and cut it from the inside, out.

@[member="Nemene Talith"], @[member="Evelynn"], @[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"]

 

[Voroll]

While the other three squandered and argued and fought over a beast that looked as if it could give nightmares to Sith Lords, Voroll edged closer to the origin of the bright, amplified flash. There was no use in helping the three in acquiring the skin of the thing; he had no use for its skin, nor did he want to skin it. Plus the trio might just start to fight over who would keep the spoils anyway.

These goggles were a life-saver in situations like this: in the pitch black of a cave that he had no knowledge of and had no guide other than to avoid the sounds of fighting and shouting and monster noises. Except for, when these incredible things flashed. It blinded him even more, purely because of the goggles. They aided in sight in dark places by using normally-unseen light and cameras that could pick up such things, turning it into visible light. Truely marvellous technology. But because of this, when the cave flashed with the light from Force-created fire, and the crystals flashed even more-so, the entire spectrum vanished. All he could see was pure white. Blinding, almost.

@[member="Morna Imura"] @[member="Nemene Talith"] @[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Evelynn]

My goodness, this other woman was rather rude, no? Not to mention lacking in the spacial awareness department, even in the heat of the moment Evelynn turned to shoot the woman a look that could have only been described as: REALLY? Not that the brash creature noticed as she nearly bellowed down the cavern.

Wait.

Did he just?

The silent Sith wasn't entirely certain but if her eyes were not deceiving her then she had just witnessed a man climb into the maw of the extremely annoyed tikulini. Was he mad? Was everybody in this cave mad? Between the rude cow, death wish and blind mary over there Evelynn felt as if she were the only sane man in the room.

Gingerly she stood, completely unaware that she was about to join the crew of the stupidity squad. She couldn't control a beast of this nature, she was nowhere near powerful enough. She had practised on Ropos and Tooks, not gigantic raging slugs.

With both hands outstretched she attempted to sooth the beast...

...uh...and she may have had the opposite effect. Freshly enraged the monster began to thrash in the confines of the cavern, causing rubble and stalactites to fall from the ceiling, the poor fellow inside was probably now experiencing quite the bumpy ride.

@[member="Nemene Talith"], @[member="Morna Imura"], @[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"]