The Future in Crystals [Faction]

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Enroute to Enigma Prime​

"Wait so explain again the bit where you're going to make a computer person so we need to go to spooky caves?"

"No reason to think they're spooky."

"All caves are spooky."

"You have quasi echo-location, I would think you'd be fine in caves! Besides, you're staying with the ship."

"The hell I am, I saw-"

"You shut up about what you saw. Not even here. Not a word."

Previously amused voice was suddenly filled with ice and warning.

"I-.. Yes Boss. You know you can count on me."

"I know."

There was awkward silence for a few moments before the Togruta spoke again.

"So! Computer-folk and spooky caves."

"Spooky caves full of crystals."

"Spooky crystals?"

"Could be so, I suppose."

"Couldn't we just like.. Buy one? Pay a smuggler? Somewhat like that? We are a giant criminal organization, can't see why we have to go do this ourselves."

"I don't want anyone else to have touched it, ever. No one else's aura or signature, no little bits of their soul and self."

"So it's a soul-stealing crystal. That is basically the definition of the concept of a spooky crystal."

The Twi'lek laughed.

"It doesn't steal it.. Mirrors? Attunes to? If everyone had their own chord, their own unique sounds, these crystals sing them back to you, and then they remember them."

"Still spooky. So you're making a computer person of yourself?"

"No, I'm not even using my own brain mapping. This might not make any difference at all, but it might also be a kind of basic.. Imprinting I suppose?"

"..like puppies?"

"I-.. Yes. Like puppies. Exactly like puppies. Let's go with that. Fly the ship."

The only reply was a snicker.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

In Orbit Around Enigma Prime​

"Weren't we mates with the guy who owns the only proper mining facilities on this planet?"

"Haven't seen him around in a while, but yes."

"Couldn't we just get him to leave a nice crystal sitting in a cave for you? Set up lights along the way guardrails.. a guide."

"If he was around maybe. As it is his lads are defending their facilities until he's back, and good for them, loyalty is a hell of a quality. They sent us some maps of natural caves though, they reckon the chances of crystals are high, but they weren't rich enough for them to have moved there yet."

"Huh, sending us to the reject caves.."

"Considering we only have hand tools, yes. They're looking to fill entire orders, tons of material. I just want a handful of good specimens."

"I suppose that was neighbourly of them then. Considering this world is under our jurisdiction."

"I guess. Other than the crystals there's not really anything here."

"Two-bit pretend town? One lonely grubby little watering hole?"

"No towns. There's the mining camps and that's it."

"Why've we got it then? I mean, we're not miners usually. We're honest criminals!"

"Frigged if I know. I suppose we could build on it some day."

"Like what? A tent town? Tents are not my thing."

"Retreat maybe? For bigwigs looking to get away from the Ecumenopoleis Worlds, breathe fresh air, all that idiotic business."

"Have they ever actually been in nature?"

"Of course not, if they had they wouldn't want to go, and they certainly wouldn't pay for it."

"Let alone the amount you'll make 'em pay."

"Exactly."

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Enigma Prime, Hovering Over a Promising Cave​

"Where's the landing pad?"

"I think you misunderstood the bit about there is literally nothing except the mining camps."

"Well I didn't think you meant nothing nothing!"

"Rocks and trees and caves and hopefully crystals."

"I don't like it."

"Of course you don't, you're half civilised. The only people who would like it here are mental."

"Do I.. do I just land on the trees?"

"I guess? I mean pick little ones, or scrub if you can. If you get us stuck we have to wait for the miners to come save us."

"Huh, and they'll probably be having a laugh."

"Wouldn't you?"

"Well yes, but that's not the point."

The Togruta peered at the reasings and out the veiwscreen, a ferocious scowl on his face at nature and all it's inconveniences.

"Okay, I think I've got this. I'm landing on a big one, but it looks like it's half rotted, and there's not much else around it."

"So it should just topple and we'll have a fairly level landing zone?"

"Well. That or we'll wind up flipped over sideways or upside down or something. One of the two!"

"Wonderful."

There were a few questionable moments, when it looked as if the tree was not as weak as projected, quite possible since it wasn't a species they had on file and it's precise tensile strength and the like were entirely unknown, but Henbeddestr knew his craft and kept Ship upright, landing neatly.

"Ha!"

"Good job."

"It was too! Damn I'm good."

"And terribly humble."

"Of course, of course, don't forget stunningly handsome."

"Now you're pushing it."

"It was worth a try."

"Fair enough."

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Enigma Prime, Landed, Gearing Up​

"I'm coming and I'm carrying the cutter and the gear."

A glance at the Togrutas face showed it was uncharacteristically serious.

"Fine, but if you start opening doors for me.."

"You'll punch me?"

"I'll light you on fire."

"Oo, we're feisty today."

"You say that as if it's new."

"I'm not putting on a great big suit of armour though."

"You don't need to, you know why I've got mine."

"I hope that bodyglove helps with the chafing is all I'm saying. Wouldn't catch me in armour."

"If enough people shot at you.."

"That's when you cut your losses and fly away."

"Sometimes you can't."

Though the Twi'lek wasn't looking as she made the final adjustments to her Shotcaller Armour, one of the last to be produced if she had she would have noticed an expression vaguely like he had been punched pass across the pilots face.

Headlamps were affixed, hardly the height of fashion but handy all the same, flashlights were affixed to belts as well for back-up or to light more than one area at a time. An empty crate stuffed with fabric was grabbed and Hen threw a laser cutter over his shoulder.

"Right, do we need anything else for the spooky cave?"

"This ought to do it."

"There's no.. y'know, proper monsters? Like not the spooky ghost kind, the big teeth and claws kind."

"Shouldn't be, the miners didn't say anything and I got the feeling they would have."

"Shouldn't be. That's comforting. I'm going to take a blaster just in case."

"Probably wise."

The Twi'lek was armed of course, she was almost always armed.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Enigma Prime, Entering Cave System​

"It's damned dark in here."

"That would be why you have the light on your head."

"I was just turning it on."

"Of course you were."

"Ow! This isn't much of a cave.."

The Togruta commented, rubbing one of his montrals and ducking a little lower.

"Your echolocation is rubbish Hen. It opens up in a bit, that's as much of a map as we've got though. After that it's unknown territory."

"Monsters."

"I'm quite certain there's not."

"There is. There is always either monsters or, or ghosts or.. You're a force users so there's probably some dead Sith or something down here. There are always dead Sith, everywhere."

"Don't be ridiculous, one of them would need to stay dead for there to be a dead Sith waiting to jump out at you. Besides, Enigma Primes a bit off the beaten path for that."

"They're everywhere. Like glitter."

The Twi'lek snorted.

"Like- what?"

"Look, I'm just saying, you ever get glitter on you, not saying how that might happen, but just that it does occasionally, and it'll keep showing up for the next ten years of your life in the most random places."

"So in this metaphor are the Sith the glitter or the strippers you get the glitter from."

"I don't know, I didn't go to a fancy school. I guess the Sith is the stripper and the Dead Sith and Sith Ghosts and stuff are the glitter. You know, the spooky bits."

"So now we have spooky caves, spooky crystals and spooky glitter."

"It's a spooky galaxy boss."

The Twi'lek laughed, and then tilting her head up, making sure the light caught the ceiling stood unbowed. It was now easy to walk, and likely three abreast could have managed it without feeling too claustrophobic, but there were no signs of crystals yet, only the path going deeper into the earth.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Enigma Prime, Mid-Cave​

​

"Look!"

The Togrutas voice was excited, something sparkled up ahead in his headlamps path.

"Good eye."

The two moved to investigate.

"Well! Found the crystals, you're welcome, let's go."

The Twi'lek knelt to examine them. Without touching the crystals she pried away some of the ground around them. They were small, but size didn't necessarily matter. She reached out and stopped just shy of touching them, focusing.

"Mm, no, sorry."

"What? Why not? What's wrong with them?"

"There's a flaw."

There wasn't. Or if there was she certainly didn't know about it, they just didn't feel right.

"How can you even tell!"

"Excessive amount of spook."

"Har har, very funny."

"Sorry Hen. It's a good sign though, where there's one there's likely more."

"Maybe we should have gone right at the last fork.."

"Left every time, I don't intend to get lost down here with the dead Sith and the monsters."

"You said there weren't any!"

"Could be, you never know, Galaxy's a spooky place, as you said."

"You're meant to be the voice of reason here."

"Ha! We're all doomed."

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Enigma Prime, First Cavern​

​

"Ksssst."

The Twi'lek hissed the air out, eyes widening.

"Yeah, that. Wow. So uh.. This was not enough crystals to be worth mining?"

"I'd either quite like to see their mining sites or their readings for here were way off.."

Between the lights on their heads and the lights on their hands, the immense cavern that had opened up before them was dazzling. Reflections being thrown by a myriad of crystals of different colours and sizes.

"There has to be the ones you need here right?"

"Probably. There are three kinds of crystals on this planet though. I'll have to scan them. Whatever kind it is, I can likely use it."

"They look a bit like different sorts to me. I mean not just the colours. See the way some of them throw the light and some of them don't?"

"You may be right. That would be convenient. And no monsters to speak of!"

"Don't say that! Whenever a person says that a monster shows up and murders them."

"You watch way too many holos."

"They're educational."

"From what you've left on my ship they're all either monsters or.. glitter."

"Oh, uh, sorry, I didn't mean to leave any, uh, I mean."

"Heh, leave it Hen, it doesn't matter."

"R-right."