Private The Depths Below

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "I wonder what we'll find down there," Kyell said as Miri pulled him along to the water. The experience in her dreams had changed the atmosphere a little, but he was certain the excitement to dive into these underwater ruins was still there. A long time ago, her father had brought her here while he conducted his own studies, and now she was able to continue his work and have some fun along the way.

Stopping at the waterline, Kyell briefly glanced in her direction. Normally, they would need diving gear to go that deep but he luckily learned to use the Force to sustain himself underwater. He hoped she knew something similar or had her own way of staying below the surface of the water, or this was going to get pretty interesting.

<T> Here goes..." he grinned and moved into the relatively cold ocean water, where he decided to go completely under in still shallow water. When he popped up, he drew in a deep breath and spread his arms, <T> "Alright, it's not too bad!" he called out before he backed up into the water, hoping she'd follow. There was going to be quite a swim ahead of them, but he looked forward to it.

This was definitely a lot better than some Sanctum with dark side artifacts.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

While Kyell opted to dive straight in, Miri waded slowly into the water, either unbothered by the cold or unwilling to show any reaction. She had put the experience of dreamwalking out of her mind for the time being in order to focus on the task ahead.

<I believe you are sufficiently dunked,> she remarked. <You don’t have any problems opening your eyes underwater, do you?> Some people couldn’t handle the saltiness.

Other than that, virtually all the typical issues that come with being underwater were taken care of. They could use telepathy to communicate and the Force to hold their breath.

She followed him out into deeper water. The submerged ruins were scattered across this area of the ocean, resting on the seafloor. Given how much time had passed, it would be difficult to even recognize the structures, buried under sand and sediment and sea life.

Miri took a deep breath, then plunged beneath the surface… and soon stumbled upon a literal sign set up among some rocks with an arrow pointing to her left. Huh. That wasn’t there when Dad brought me here…

She tagged Kyell and gestured to the sign. <It looks like they've uncovered more of the ruins recently. Less dirty work for us.>

With that, she swam in the direction the sign had indicated.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Nah I'll be fine underwater, come on in," he flashed a grin, and with her right behind, he submerged again to begin the dive down towards the ruins. He wasn't entirely sure where to go, but if they were supposedly scattered all around this area, he felt confident they'd run into something soon.

He just hoped it wasn't going to be too deep, or he'd have to somehow use the Force to prevent himself from being compressed to death by the increasing pressure.

A few minutes of swimming passed by when he felt her tag his shoulder. He stopped and looked at the sign she was pointing at, before following its direction with his eyes, <T> "That might be interesting, less likely to have been explored entirely already," he replied before he followed after her and closed in on the ruins.

​

<T> "Woah..." he finally muttered when they were getting closer. It shouldn't have been surprising that this city was so beautiful, even in a ruined state — they were on a vacation planet, after all. But to see it with his own eyes; it was something else entirely. With a wide grin, he turned to Miri and pulled something out of his pocket to show her.

It was a small camera. <T> "Brought this along to take pictures. I think a shot with you on that bridge down there would be amazing," he offered with a warm smile.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

The city they discovered beneath the waves was far larger and more grandiose than anything Miri remembered her father speaking of. The archaeological efforts that the professor had set in motion had yielded an astonishing metropolis, most of it relatively intact.

Kyell wanted to take pictures not only of the ruins, but of her in front of them. <How tourist-y of you,> she joked, swimming toward the bridge. She couldn’t stand there, per se, but she could float above it.

A glint in the sand nearby caught her eye. She dove down to get a closer look. Something metallic… With a gentle sweep of her hand, she cleared away the sand, the grains scattering in the water.

<Do you know how old these ruins are?> Miri asked, swimming back to him with something clutched in her hand. <Take a guess.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Hey, it's not everyday you can go to a place like this with someone special," he said with a smile. Was he being a little cheesy? Maybe. Did that bother him? Not at all — he was having a great time with her, and being a tad goofy was all part of that. <T> "Alright, smiiiile." he said with a big dumb grin before he took the photo and looked at his camera.

<T> "Beautiful," he commented as he looked at the picture for a moment or two. Noticing something in the corner of his eyes, he looked up to see her swimming off to the ground somewhere. With a tilt of his head, he watched her come back with something in her hand.

<T> "Water preserves things pretty well, right? So could be a long time..." he blinked and smiled sheepishly. <T> "A thousand years maybe?" It was a wild guess, but he had a feeling she was about to give him a far more accurate answer.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Not necessarily—it depends on what’s being preserved.> Organic matter tended to get eaten by fish and other aquatic life, for instance.

His guess made her smirk. <It’s estimated that this city was built over a million years ago.>

She opened her hand to reveal… some sort of silvery cylindrical device. It was engraved with strange markings that could have been some sort of language, though the meaning was lost to time.

<I have no idea what this is or what it’s for,> she said, raising an eyebrow. <Which means the rest of the scholarly world will probably conclude it was for ‘religious purposes’.> She proffered it to him. <Do you want it?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

What?

He just stared at her for a moment while she smirked and revealed the true age of the ruins — a million years? It was hard to even comprehend such a number. <T> "Did I really say a thousand?" he chuckled and turned his gaze to the cylindrical item she was showing him.

<T> "Well, wouldn't you want to bring something back yourself?" he asked as he took the item and studied it for a moment. Not that he'd have any idea what the engravings could mean, but maybe there was a way to learn more about it just by holding it and poking his fingers through.

<T> "But maybe there's something more interesting inside of the buildings. You want to take a closer look? Unless there are creepy underwater rats or masks here..."

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<That’s what my father told me.> She shrugged. <Of course, the estimates could be wrong. It would make this civilization older than the Celestials. Which is rather insane, if you think about it…>

He seemed reluctant to take the artifact. <Of course. But you have pockets, whereas I do not.>

While he took the cylinder from her, she leaned forward to kiss the corner of his mouth—and stole his camera while she was at it. <Smile.>

Click.

Got ‘em.

Handing back his camera, she nodded. <Oh, there shouldn’t be too much of that here. Although I have no idea what to expect.> The question was, where should they start?

Closing her eyes, she listened to the Force, seeking guidance. Energy flowed like currents in the water, concentrating in certain areas more than others. Turning toward one place where it seemed strongest, she opened her eyes again and saw a carved archway leading into darkness.

<How about there?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Yeah, it's crazy to think about, but amazing too," he admitted before the comment about him having pockets made him want to facepalm. He still wasn't sure if just taking an artifact from this place was okay, but she was the expert here, so it should all be fine, right?

He moved to put the cylinder into his pocket, only to spot her closing in. His eyes were drawn up right as she kissed the corner of his mouth and grabbed the camera. With his face burning bright, he tried his best to be cool and smile into the camera, <T> "Very clever..." he said with a smirk while he took the camera and inspected the picture.

Welp, it could be worse. It looked pretty cute too, so definitely something he'd keep around.

<T> "There? That creepy dark place...?" he slowly turned his head to her, <T> "Sounds good to me." This time he finally stored away the metallic cylinder and swam in the direction of the archway. It had a peculiar feeling in the Force, and the closer he got to it, the stronger it became.

<T> "Woah, look at this..." he had entered some kind of dark room, and while it was extremely difficult to see everything with just the naked eye, large statues were still somewhat visible, as well as a large door in the back of the room. It was closed, likely locked and had a big cylindrical hole in the center of it. <T> "What kind of place was this?" he asked while he studied the aquatic figure displayed as a statue.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Oh, it’s perfectly fine to take random million-year-old artifacts from an archaeological site. Everyone does it.

Or at least, Miri was used to it. Her father had amassed quite a collection of relics over the years, most of which he donated to museums and the like after having a chance to study them himself. Usually, anyway—he wound up giving quite a few of the more special ones to Miri’s stepmother, a fellow archaeologist. Miri thought it was sort of cute, and she supposed her stepmother wasn’t the worst person in the galaxy to have them, but the politics surrounding private collectors could be quite complex.

<Creepy dark places usually have the best treasures,> she said as they swam toward the building. Upon peering inside, she saw silhouettes of figures and nearly jumped out of her skin.

Statues. They were just statues. Miri cautiously entered the room, looking around.

<T> "What kind of place was this?"

<Statues… a memorial, perhaps?> Or it could’ve been an art gallery. Approaching the door, she saw the hole and her eyes widened. <Kyell, do you think you could fit that thing I gave you in this hole?>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "The best treasures, and the best scares, apparently," he teased when he noticed the statues startling her. Then with that same big grin he had before, he began to look around until her question drew his eyes to the door, and in particular, its lock. He totally had noticed that it was the exact same size as the item he was given.

Yup.

<T> "With the way this place feels in the Force, I really hope it's not a memorial," he muttered before he pulled out the cylinder and shifted it into the hole. Almost immediately, they could hear the sound of ancient mechanisms shifting, and the two sides of the door began to slide apart, until an even darker room was revealed.

So deep down and without any light, there was just no way to see anything, <T> "Hmm, I have an idea..." he pulled out his camera again and toggled the flash option so they had light, albeit not a whole lot.

<T> "Last chance to head back..." he smiled sheepishly, but he had a feeling she wanted to investigate this more, which meant another creepy dark place for them to head into.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Nothing wrong with a healthy sense of caution.> She glanced around one final time. <This place feels… powerful, but asleep. Like a dragon. And we’re either about to wake the dragon and steal its treasure, or…> Get killed trying. Miri didn’t want to freak him out, so she trailed off suggestively instead.

The cylinder turned out to be the key to the door, revealing… an even darker room beyond. <What are the odds,> she muttered, grinning.

The slow unsealing of the door brought with it a rush of bubbles. Was there air in there somewhere?

Kyell used his camera as a source of light, but the beam didn’t stretch very far. This was a very deep, very dark chamber.

<Head back?> She swam in front of him, his camera light casting a pale glow over her features. <You aren’t having second thoughts, are you?>

Cupping his cheek with one hand, she leaned forward and kissed him as if he could take courage from her mouth. The salt on his lips lingered on her tongue even after she pulled away.

<For luck,> she whispered, swimming deeper into the darkness. <Just remember that there’s more where that came from after all this...>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Or...?" he blinked and realized quickly where that was going, so he shut up quickly and focused on his surroundings instead. That was, at least, until Miri swam in front of him. <T> "Of course not, let's do this..." He still seemed a little hesitant about going further but he was given very little time to think about it more.

She swiftly closed the gap between them, and settled her hand against his cheek to guide herself into a kiss, and one with a little more passion in it than the gentle kisses from before too. When she pulled back, he could still taste the kiss, and was left stunned looking at her for a few seconds.

Man, she's beautiful...

Playful words were then telepathically whispered into his mind, and he felt his heart beat fast from excitement, forcing him to smirk and shake his head a little, <T> "I look forward to it," he replied playfully himself as he glanced around one final time before swimming after her. The statues they left behind were more visible in the light he shined around through the camera, which helped reveal the weapons of stone they held. With how they were positioned, it was almost as if they were guarding the door.

That was going to be fine, right?

<T> "Stay close, just so I don't lo-" he stopped as a sound rippled through the water from further up ahead. It was hard to figure out what it was, but it felt as if something large was moving, although slowly still. <T> "I don't think this is a memorial. Something was locked away here."

The little light that had been able to shine through the open doors behind them suddenly vanished, and as they looked over their shoulders, they'd be able to see the large doors closing again, seemingly trapping them inside. <T> "I think I need more luck..." he tried to joke as he held the flashlight between them so they could at least see each other.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<No doubt...>

But their flirtatious banter came to a swift and sudden end as the waters trembled, sound vibrations carrying. The doors abruptly sealed shut behind them, trapping them inside.

<Something locked away…> Perhaps her dragon analogy was more accurate than she would’ve liked.

Miri was armed, albeit nowhere near as heavily as she had been during their previous jaunt to the Sanctum. Her only weapon was her lightsaber, which was capable of functioning underwater. She activated it now, and immediately wondered why she hadn’t done so before—the blade was certainly brighter than Kyell’s camera.

More luck. <I wouldn’t worry about it too much. If this… thing is a million years old, I doubt it would be all that interested in us.> She didn’t sound all that convincing, but she at least managed to look ready and determined to face whatever it was, floating there in her sparkly purple bikini and holding a violet lightsaber.

If nothing else, it was clear that she really liked purple.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<T> "Wait, your lightsaber works underwater?" He stared at the light from it, then the weak flashlight of his camera, and offered her a brief deadpan glare. But he had little time to tease, as he felt something approaching them in the Force. <T> "If this thing is a million years old." he replied. The dating of these ruins could have been off, or maybe whatever was in here hadn't been there originally.

Either way, they were going to find out, and in their swimwear only, they were totally ready.

At least they looked good?

Then rather abruptly, Kyell began to look around as if he heard something, but there was nothing Miri could hear and they couldn't see anything yet. <T> "Did you hear that voice? It's... calling my name." he said, clearly surprised before he turned to his left and squinted to focus.

"New visitors?" a soothing, feminine voice called out, now to them both. Kyell blinked and after more movement in the water, three figures appeared, gracefully swimming around them. They reminded him of the Melodie he had read about - mermaids. All three were extraordinarily beautiful but there was a darker tension that lingered around them in the Force, albeit one Kyell didn't seem to pick up on at all, for some reason.

"What brings you here?" One of them asked, as she swam by Kyell and let her finger trail over his bare shoulder, then over his back as she circled around him and distanced herself again, "It has been a long time."

Kyell blinked and almost seemed entranced as his gaze followed the woman, but that tension was only rising with each passing second, and Miri would see their true appearance — the luring light from their foreheads, the eyes that hid their true intent, and the razor-sharp nails and teeth they had.

"Why don't you stay for a little while?" the third practically sang.

<T> "Yeah..."

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Calling your name?...> Miri echoed, searching the darkness for the source of the voice.

Miri didn’t see the first siren until she got close enough for her sickly yellowish-green luminescence to be visible out of the corner of the Jedi’s eye. Whirling around, she held her lightsaber at the ready, but didn’t attack just yet.

<Who are you? What do you want?>

Two more of the creatures drifted out of the void. Miri had actually met a Melodie once before. These were definitely not Melodies.

Her gaze fell upon Kyell, who seemed hypnotized by the sirens. When one of them ran her finger across his back, Miri’s expression darkened.

<Kyell? Kyell!>

Her violet lightsaber boiled the water as it swept toward the sirens, attempting to prod them away from him. Miri swam between him and them, her gaze hard as stone.

<Playtime’s over, ladies. Find some fish to snack on if you’re that hungry.>

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

<Kyell? Kyell!>

He blinked and seemed to snap out of it for a moment when she swept her lightsaber around and chased off the three sirens. His gaze turned to her, surprised, <T> "What did you do that for, Miri?" he asked, seemingly genuinely shocked that she seemed to be lashing out at them.

"Yeah, what did you do that for?" The siren's voice asked as it grew increasingly more threatening, but Kyell didn't seem bothered by it. The three continued to circle around the pair, their eyes locked on

"We already found our snacks," another replied to her comment.

Wait, what?

Kyell blinked and looked at Miri, who seemed very protective all of a sudden. Then, before he had another second to think about what was going on, one of the sirens dashed through the water and came straight for him, her claws ready to leave a more bloody trail along his skin this time.

"Why don't you stay with us a little longer... Kyell?"

 

[Miri Nimdok]

<Kyell, listen to me,> Miri insisted. <They are tricking you. Just like the mask did. They want to hurt you. They want to eat you, in fact—>

One of the sirens suddenly shot forward, headed straight for Kyell. Miri swung her lightsaber around, ready to take off a limb or perhaps slice cleanly through the monster’s body.

It was difficult to fight underwater. Your movements are slowed, and your options for momentum are limited. Miri recognized that this situation would swiftly deteriorate unless she could get Kyell to snap out of it in time to fight back.

<Kyell,> she began again, then gave up using words entirely.

Instead, she opened herself to him in the Force, letting him feel her emotions. Her care and affection, her fear for their lives, her knowledge of the sirens’ treachery. I need you, she said without speaking, a silent plea.

The other sirens were beginning to close in. Time was running out.

Kyell Laysel​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Jerrilek
Tag: Miri Nimdok

Her words seemed to register somewhat with him, but the pull these creatures had was too strong, and so he wasn't yet fully cooperating. But the moment he watched her swing her blade again and felt what she was trying to convey through the Force, he really did understand something was up.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused just on her, on how much she cared, but also on her fear. It was more real than anything his eyes were showing him, so when they opened, the Force and what Miri sent into his mind allowed him to see reality for what it truly was.

<T> "Miri... I think they want to eat you, too." He paused and blinked at his own comment and how stupid it sounded, but sprung back into action as another approached, this time to lash out at Miri, who had injured one of the other Sirens with her attack. Without a weapon, he bashed into the siren's side and whacked her against the face with his camera, which survived the impact but did very little damage.

<T> "I don't think we can outswim them," he continued as he turned around and swam with his back almost against hers to keep track of the creatures that circled around them. <T> "I can try to pin them so you can strike them down?" Without time to have the question answered, another went straight for him but Kyell turned to the Force to augment his own strength and grabbed her by the shoulders while her claws dug into the sides of his. A trail of blood dirtied the water around him, but he bit through the pain and kept her close.

<T>"M-miri...please..." he said with a strained voice from the energy he needed to keep the creature in his grip. He was almost surprising himself with his own strength when he really tried like this, but it was more so the fact that she needed him too, that really augmented him. He wasn't too shy to have that echo in the Force either.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Miri succeeded in wounding the siren who had come after Kyell, but she was still alive. Another siren lunged at Miri, only to be stopped by Kyell.

Her relief to see him back to normal was cut short as Miri began to fend off the sirens. Their ruse uncovered, they had abandoned all pretense of seduction and were attacking in full force, circling around their prey.

<Okay,> she agreed to his suggested plan, seeing few other options.

While Kyell was dealing with one of them, Miri moved toward another. The one she had injured was hanging back, though she radiated murderous hatred in the Force.

Sensing Kyell's distress, Miri reached into her opponent's mind and stunned her—then sliced cleanly through her neck. She whirled in the water, tasting blood—Kyell's blood?—and impaled the siren he was grappling with.

The wounded one came up behind her and grabbed her by the throat. Miri felt sharp teeth in the space between her neck and shoulder, followed by searing pain…

Kyell Laysel​