The Shadowzone

[Dusaro Dresari]

Alrakis. A planet of yellow tree's, standard tempatures and spawling mountain ranges rich in ore. Situated in the northern hemisphere at the base of one of those mountains at the edge of the ocean, the capital city of Al'Mira rested neatly amongst cleared out forests. While it was not a sprawling city, it housed the majority of the sparcely populated colony planets inhabitants. Near the outskirts there was work being done to expand the city, while fishermen would go out into the ocean and gather the cities primary food source. At the mountains, miners worked relentlessly in expanding and exploting the rich veins of ore present in the mountains. It was a hard place to live but there was work a plenty for any who wanted it.

It was to this simple, backwater planet that Dusaro Dresari and [member="Liuna Ondizi"] were called for a exploration mission. A request from the colony to help them in exploring the deep, complex and ore rich cave systems that seemed present everywhere in the planet. Several teams of explorers had gone in from multiple points, but those who went past a certain depth were never heard from again. Unsure if it was Tuskur's being territorial, dens of Shadow Cats or perhaps some other hidden danger they called more able professionals.

They had a meeting arranged just outside one of the space ports at a guardhouse that kept a watch on that sector of the city. Dusaro looked outside his window as he pulled the ship down for a landing, looking out over the peaceful ocean as the waves washed up onto the sore in a consistant, slow tide. "Not all that bad." Dusaro mused with a grin as he landed his YV-929 in the spaceport, processing quickly through the normal docking fee's and arriving at the guardhouse. It was a rather well built position, surrounded by low but strong walls and several patrolling guardsmen. Dusaro mused slightly at how well it was placed to protect the city from any attacks that could orignate from the spaceport.

Showing his ID Dusaro was allowed through the checkpoint with only a quick checkup, though he found it intresting that the guards were openly carrying disruptors. Putting that mental note aside he walked on in, heading to the planning room where there was a lage hologram table set up and several comm officers setting at their respective positions. The man they were here to see was not quite yet present, but he did look around for the Shadow who he was supposed to be working with, seeing if she had arrived a bit early like Dus had.

 

[Liuna]

Liuna's eyes shifted as a light-haired figure moved through the space port.

With interest, she gently pushed off the wall she was leaning against and began to trail behind the new arrival. He was a young man of towering height, nearly a foot closer to the sky than she. Judging by the ship and arrival time, this was very likely to be [member="Dusaro Dresari"]. It seemed that he had the initiative to arrive early. And like a good Shadow, Liuna had arrived even earlier. She'd passed through security without incident, using an identity that was not her own.

While here on Alrakis, the Mirialan concealed her true identity. A ring on her right hand happened to be a small holoprojector – it was quite a handy little thing. Today her skin was a less recognizable olive hue, and the markings so emblematic of her kind were nowhere to be seen. It was something of an ordinary appearance, but she seemed to blend in nicely here.

Liuna had spent a better part of her morning by the seaside, watching as the fishermen worked hard to bring home fresh catches. The people there had a rather hardy look to them; they knew what it meant to survive off the land. She supposed that it wasn’t all that bad a life. However, this sort of living just wasn’t for her. Liuna needed something a bit more fast-paced. That is why she was eager to get down to business. From what she understood, they were to explore a nearby cave system to locate those that had gone missing. Her fingers twitched at her side, ready to go.

Watching as the fair-haired man walked into the designated meeting spot, she waited a moment or two before following suit. Upon entering, she took a quick glance around the room before her gaze settled on her Silver Jedi companion.

“You Dusaro?” She asked, arching an inquisitive brow. “Liuna – nice to meet you.”

She stuck a gloved hand out towards him to accompany her greeting.

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusaro looked over to the fair skinned woman who had arrived in the building shortly after him, similarly a bit early herself. Though he hadn't known how early she had arrived, he figured given that she was a Shadow that she had been here possibly several days before Dus himself arrived today. Not that it would be much of a surprise.

"I am Dusaro, aye." He nodded shortly, accepting the handshake with his own gloved hand. Though his glove was a bit diffrent, a thick, long thing that extended up his arm and a few inches past his elbow. A cover for his prosthetic arm she would likely know if Liuna had ready into his background at all. "A pleasure to meet you as well Liuna. You ever done anything like this before? Cave diving i mean. I have done some jobs that took me underground for various reasons, but nothing quite as expansive as what i have heard of about the Shadowzone." Sure he had done some caving before in his life, but nothing quite to this scale, nor with some of the rather dangerous critters that this planet had.

As he started to speak, a comms officer walked over, momentarily interuppting. "Sir, Ma'am, Security Councilor Brennic will be here shortly. There was a delay on his way here, nothing major just a small Shadowcay incursion." After giving his quick report if neither of them had nothing to ask, the officer would return to his post. Seemed they would have a few minutes to talk and get to know each other at least a bit.

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

Liuna gripped Dusaro’s gloved hand briefly, as was customary when it came to such greetings. Her dark eyes had noted the difference between his glove and her own. While hers were made of thin leather, his was far more rugged and durable. Indeed she knew what was beneath it – a prosthetic arm. She had skimmed over his basic info and service record before leaving. It had been an interesting read, too. Her own time with the Silver Jedi had only just begun recently, but her Jedi counterpart had been with them for much longer. He had also been present to defend the Silver Jedi space against the Imperials. And most notably to Liuna, he had been there for the offensive on Mirial.

It was a fact that earned him some immediate respect. But it wasn’t something she would bring up for now. After all, it was still a bit of a sore spot for her. It hadn't been easy to leave her home world behind, especially given that it was likely the last time she'd ever set foot there. In the days that had followed their devastating loss, she'd struggled quite a lot to find a new purpose. But her time with the Silver Shadows offered a glimmer of hope. At least, she had new activities to fill the void.

“Cave diving?” She canted her head slightly, “Can’t say that I’ve done anything like it before. It sounds… dangerous.” If he had been watching closely, he may have caught the mischievous gleam in her eyes and the grin that marked her lips for but a brief moment.

“You’ll show me the ropes, right?” In terms of her own service to the Order, she was very much the beginner. She needed experience, something that this expedition would likely give her. “Most of my own jobs took me through dodgy back alleys and streets. Nothing like this.” Liuna’s past as a bit of a troublemaker was not forgotten. She still had a love of chasing, running, and riding on fast speeders.

She fell silent as an officer approached with a quick message of reassurance that their contact would be along shortly. A quick nod acknowledged his words, and she glanced up at Dusaro. It seemed that a bit more small talk would be in order.

“So, I’m rather new around here.” She said, leaning up against the wall. “Tell me about your time with the Order. How did you find your way into the fold?”

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

If Dusaro had known that Liuna was a Mirilan, he likely would have had a few flashbacks to the invasion they had lead. The defeat there was perhaps one of the most profound he had witnessed. Charros IV had been bad but nothing he had not experienced before. Ossus was the same, tragic loss as it was. Mirial had been different though. It should not have ended how it did. A single, freak accident changed everything. No one could do anything about that now. So he tried not to think about it too much. About those he had seen who came from it not the same. About the handful of Mirilan's who had evacuated with them. And the looks in their eyes.

"With how many people have dissappeared in there, aye quite dangerous. More then a few nasty critters roaming the face of the plant to be worried about too from what i hear." While he had not heard much about Tuskurs, he knew they a bit about them and likely Liuna had studied up some too. They were smaller then Krayt dragons, but you shouldn't let that fool you. They were just as strong, faster, and a hell of a lot tougher. Then the Shadowcats, which were more or less tougher Maalraass. He didn't know the specifics yet, but that was one of the key things they were going to be going over here.

"I can show you the ropes as best i know 'em. Caves are something i have studied mostly from a military standpoint, so i know a few things about how to handle them but not a whole lot. Not a former miner or anything like that. Just ah, don't use any sonic weapons or explosives and we should be good." The remark about going through dodgy alleys and streets made him smirk a bit, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, my former job saw me going to all sorts of places and doing all sorts of things. Happens when you are a Merc who lives out of a ship though." Dus had kind of made a point of never really staying in one place. It meant he had a fairly wide assortment of experience.

"How did i find my way into the order? That is a bit of a long story, but it seems we have the time." He leaned against the large holotable in the middle of the room, rubbing his chin. "Lets see. I was in a bar, on Tattooine. Mos Eisley if i recall correctly. I had a guy tailing me who was from a group who didn't like my current employer, or me, all that much. To get the advantage of surprise, i ducked into a bar and took a seat, using the reflection of the glass to watch for him coming in. One of the older tricks in the book but hey, it works. He crept up behind me, went to pull a weapon and i beat him to it. One short scuffle later and i was about to knock his lights out when a ball of fire explodes between us. Now i know it was pyrokenisis, but even so it was one heck of a shocker. In enters Joshua Dragonsflame, breaking up the scuffle." He made a amused look at this particularly memory, his teeth showing a bit.

"The guy went running like a mad man as soon as he got up. As thanks i bought Josh a drink and we talked for a bit. We both ended the conversation going 'hey, this guy is pretty cool' more or less and he had offered me a future job in helping him liberate slave camps. I had accepted and after a month or so, that is exactly what we did. Just a Merc man and a Jedi Master, busting into a slaver's camp and freeing slaves. In the end we got almost all of the slaves out, save for a few." His expression changed for a moment at that, like his gaze was somewhere else far away for a moment before focusing back on the present.

"After that, well, he saw how i handled myself. He was convinced that i was force sensitive, even tested me and it turned out i was. And he made the offer to train me. Had it come from any other kind of Jedi, or anyone else, i probably would have said no. But i agreed to it. Dropped the Merc Man extraordinaire life and became a Jedi. Or, well, dropped part of the merc man and picked up part of this Jedi thing i suppose. Old habits die hard, what can i say." Dus said with a wry smirk and shrug. "After a while, i ended up joining the Silver Jedi and that was that really. Nothing of really big note until the Galactic Empire came knocking on our door." Dus's teeth gritted at that for a moment, lips drawing back in a slight snarl that revealed rather highly developed canine teeth. The look faded after a moment, almost as fast as it had come.

"So how about you? How did you arrive and get to where you currently are?" Dus asked, not bringing up the Shadow part as this was not exactly the right place to just up and ask about that.

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

A small smirk found the young woman’s face at the mention of mercenary life. It wasn’t the most glamorous way to live, that was for sure, but it was pretty exciting. Liuna had done her share of traveling the galaxy this way. She caught rides without really caring where she went, and worked her way from place to place. There had been some good times, and she thought back on this span of her life fondly, even if there had been an equal share of rough times, too.

“Well, something tells me we’ll get on just fine.” She noted with a small nod.

As Dusaro followed up to her question about his in with the Order, Liuna listened. So, it had all started on a bar in Tatooine. The Mirialan knew of the desert world, she’d even been there a time or two. But it was definitely not the sort of place she wanted to linger for too long. Sure, the bustling city of Mos Eisley was quite a place – but all of the sand? No, thank you. Squinting slightly, she tried to match the name Joshua Dragonsflame with the faces she’d seen during her time in the Order. Liuna couldn’t quite place it. After all, there were still many that she had yet to meet.

Based on Dusaro’s story, she’d gained a bit more insight. Obviously, the blonde man could hold his own in a bar fight – that was good to know. His talents had even caught the eye of a Jedi master.

And when the conversation turned back her way, she perked a brow thoughtfully. Pushing off from the wall, she started to pace slowly. Her boots took her along the wall and then back again. How much to let on about her past? While Liuna didn’t consider herself to be a straight-up liar, she wasn’t opposed to bending the truth when it was called for. But as her gaze shifted back to Dusaro, she figured that it would probably be best to go light. She wouldn’t lie… she would just keep certain details tucked away.

“There’s not a whole lot to tell,” She said, forcing herself to come to a halt. “Left home when I was in my teens, traveled the galaxy with a crew of mercs for quite a long spell. I eventually fell in with a band of rebels – made some good friends.” A grin appeared as she remembered them. “Well, some of them had started connecting with the Silver Jedi. They wanted to work for the greater good and all that. So… I ending up coming along.”

Without all of the details, her story fell on the short side. Her fingers moved at her side, almost like they were restless. Liuna’s shoulders rose into a small shrug, but she offered a smile in order to try to keep the mood light between them.

“Jedi life…” She started, deciding it would be best to switch gears again. “Isn’t that all a bit… straight-laced for a merc man?” Liuna tilted her head to the side, genuinely curious.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Thinking back on everything that happened, Dusaro found it a bit amusing that the biggest change in his life started on a bar at Tattooine. There was a form of poetic irony to it that just kinda tickled him a bit that at there of all places, the events that lead to him joining the Jedi got set in motion. Not that he liked the planet, far from it, Dusaro despised Tattooine right down to his core and not just because of the sand, no he could live with that. He had been double crossed there more then enough by all kinds of people and even a few former friends to have any interest in the place.

He watched her pacing with a curiously arched brow. Thinking on how exactly to put it perhaps? Or maybe she was just not as open a person as he was. Dusaro had little he wouldn't talk about, though there was a thing or two he would need to be in the right situation to talk about. Perhaps the not exactly private setting was a issue? His curious train of thought stopped as her pacing did and she began to speak. "Aah, gotcha. Not so different from me, except i didn't need to leave home to find the Merc business, i got raised into it." He said with a light chuckle, noticing what seemed to be a bit of awkward unease coming from her body language. At least that is what his Echani training was seeing, not that it was an issue.

Where she took the conversation to next though surprised him a bit, Dus's body shifting a bit at that one as he thought on it. "A bit straight laced eh... Well, you arn't wrong. For most it probably would be." He paused for a moment, thinking about how he wanted to put this. "Suppose you could say i needed some order in my life at the time. And in a way, you could say i was challenging myself to change. Life is boring if you try and make it easy on yourself. Not only that, it isn't fulfilling. The hell would i get out of it like that, eh?" He asked with a wide, smirk like grin.

After he finished speaking, the same comms officer turned around in his chair before, looking over to them. "He just entered the perimeter, the Councilor will be here momentarily."

Dusaro nodded his thanks to the officer who turned around and went back to his work. Seemed like their 'break time' was about to be over, though it was good to be able to chat a bit with team members before heading out.

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

Liuna joined Dusaro at the table, but instead of leaning against it like he did, she took a seat. Legs crossed casually, hands folded in her lap. She interlaced her fingers, a sure way to keep them from fidgeting too much. Her behavior did come across as a bit nervous at times, but she simply had a difficult time keeping still for too long. She listened to the answer her Jedi companion formed, and she let a grin spread across her own face.

“I know what you mean,” She nodded, “If not for a little bit of order… I’d probably have kicked it a long time ago.” The corners of her mouth curled up into something more like a smirk. “I ran with a pretty rough crowd back home. Always seemed to get into trouble… but that was part of the fun.”

Her thoughts lingered a moment or two longer on his words.

“The last thing I want is a boring life.” She mused aloud.

This new work as a shadow would certainly be challenging, and she did hope very much that it would be fulfilling, too. Though it was strange to be working with an organization like the Silver Jedi, she understood that they did much good. With her own hatred of the Sith, it seemed like a sensible place to be. However, she recognized that she couldn’t just go ‘round killing. Even if she didn’t hold to the same code as the Jedi, she needed to be disciplined. It was easy to say, but sometimes a bit difficult to practice.

There were still times when her more impulsive side begged to be let out.

Drawn back to the present, she shifted her attention as the communications officer addressed them again. Liuna drew a deep breath and straightened up in preparation of their contact’s arrival. A moment later, a figure appeared in the door way. Turning slightly, she gave Dusaro a small smile. It seemed that things were about to get started.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

"I never really had a group i ran with. I knew a few guys and would work with them on occasion when they were 'in town' and we both needed a job. Happened more then you might think, this galaxy can prove to be... Amzaingly small some times." He mused, remembering some of those times with a remiscent look and a slight grin.

Dusaro nodded in agreement to her words, having prepared to say something more before the officer walked over and informed them of the Security Councilors emminent arrival. Dusaro still relaxed on the holotable, waiting expectantly as they heard the sound of metal boots striking metal flooring coming from the hallway. Inside enterd a middle aged man who had gone through quite a few scrapes in his life time. He had a pair of scars across his cheek and his right leg from the knee down was cybernetic. He was dressed in a officers outfit, but openly carried a disruptor rifle slung across his back. Even though a exceptionally bushy beard hid most of his expression, the man had a broad, amused look to him as he walked over and offerd his hand to each of them in turn for a hearty shake, getting himself introduced to both of their names as well.

"Security Councilor Gravik Brennick, at your service! Forgive my delay, we had some local wildlife making moves at the perimeter of the city that i had to check out. It has quieted down now so we can continue without being interuppted. If i may draw your attention to the holotable, lets go over our planets nice co-inhabitants." He said, walking over and turning it on, Dusaro pushing away from it and turning around. "Starting from the bottom, there are two critters you will need to worry about. Firstly, Shadow Cats."

A image appeared appread in the holotable of a impressively sized critter. Clocking in at a average weight of three hundred and fifty pounds and a average length of around two point three meters. "They hunt together in small packs of four to nine, their claws are known for cutting through medium weight armor and their hide is thick. Vibro-blades have a hard time biting into their hides and blasters or slugthrowers will need well placed shots or quite a few shots to take one down. Disruptors on the other hand will consistantly take them down fairly reliably in two to three shots, one if you place it well. Lightsabers will work as normal on them, but make sure to finish them off with the first hit. The one thing they don't do well is climb, but trust me they can jump up at you if you take to tree's if they get a running start so don't get feeling too safe. They also share one similiarity to Maalraas, in that they can blend into the enviroment unnaturally well. While we think this may be a manifestation of the force, we are not really sure. We haven't had anyone with the required skillset to make that investigation yet."

After filling them in on the basics, he leaned back a bit, looking between the two. "Any questions on 'em before we move on?"

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

Watchful eyes followed the man as he entered the room. His boots hit the floor hard, announcing his presence to everyone present. He was definitely battle-worn, but he still had an air of authority in his officer’s uniform. Liuna’s gaze lingered on the scarring that marked his face, curious to know the story behind them. However, she forced her eyes move away before too long. It was rude to stare, after all.

As they made their greetings, she had to guess whether or not there was a smile beneath that beard of his. But judging from the lightness present in his eyes, she guessed that it was quite likely. Liuna felt his strong palm close around her own as they briefly shook hands, and she gave the name “Alenya Tallos” in her introduction.

Indeed she had read that the wildlife here on Alrakis was troublesome and fearsome.

This point was quickly hit home as Councilor Brennick began to speak. The first topic of discussion was Shadow Cats. This name immediately drew an image of a tame tabby cat in Liuna’s mind. But of course, it was quickly replaced by the true image that was being displayed before them. It did look like a terrifying beast – a strong animal with toned muscles and sharpness aplenty in the form of teeth and claws. The Mirialan had never fancied herself much of a hunter, but she had a feeling that she might have some experience under her belt after today.

She turned to Dusaro and offered him an interested expression with wide eyes and arched brows.

“Between the two of us, we’ll be fine.” She whispered to him, offering a sly wink.

Sure, she might have been a bit overconfident… but she had a Jedi with her and that was quite something. Turning, she glanced back to Councilor Brennick as he addressed them.

“No questions on this end,” She started, “Unless my associate has something on his mind?”

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

"Eh, something like that isn't anything i have not tangled with before. A group might be tricky but i am confidant they will not be sneaking up on us." Dusaro responded quietly in return with a confidant smirk and a light shrug of his own.

"Will we need to worry about them sneaking up on us inside the caves proper?" He asked, as their environmental habits had not been stated. "No, you will not need to worry about them in the caves. Though you may find them in the mountains they tend to shy away from the caves. They seem to stick to the forest while venturing out to other areas." Dusaro nodded, signaling that was the only question he had in mind.

"The next one on the list are the real buggers. Tuskurs. And Tattooine thought they had it bad with Krayt Dragons." The concilor said with a groan, toggling the next image to come up. It was a large beast, twenty five meters in length and they did not even bother to weigh the freakishly large thing. It was noted that their vision was in the infrared spectrum. "Welcome to Alrakis's main attraction and the reason our mass driver anti-air turrets made to deal with frigates are geared to shoot at the ground as well as the air. So far their average size, from the five we have seen, is well under the average for a Krayt dragon at around twenty five meters for an adult. But it isn't their size, strength or speed that makes them exceptional. It is these." The councilor pulled out a large, saucer sized scale out of a pocket and letting each of them feel it. It was unnaturally heavy and it was layered like exceptionally fine damascus steel, with colors of red, gold, silver and even bronze in it along with a distinctive, natural green color from the scale's bone layer.

"As far as our biologists can tell from the corpses, they eat ore through out their life span. Iron is processed inside of their bodies, refined into their bones and scales. Things like gold, broze and things of that nature are processed into their hide first then to scales, to help keep them from loosing body heat. Young ones, from what we guess, would not have a particularly high resistance to say, a blaster. Sure it would be big, thick skinned and all that, but that would be it. But when they get older... The first and only time we had to kill a Tuskur that started coming at the city, it was an adult. Blaster cannons from a freighter only made it angry. It took missiles and focused fired forty millimeter Vespas to take it down. Now, you recall me saying we have seen five of them. The other four were encountered by small patrols. In short, those scouts were in small groups. It is basically a waste of energy for them to mess with small groups of humanoids. I mean, considering that we are a light snack to them and all. But in the caves, if you run into one that might not be the case. They might see you as something hostile that could potentially threaten their young. But they are not exactly subtle creatures. Carry vibration equipment and keep your ears open and you can steer clear of them easily enough. Though, if you do happen to get into some horrifically karked up situation and need to kill one, there is only one effective way for people on foot to manage it."

The image shifted as he toyed with the controls, it looking under the critter. "While it does have its underbelly and joints as weak spots, the thing is too damn big for anything a person could be packing to effectively damage it. But there is a spot that can destroy its throat and blood vessels that lead to it's brian, eventually killing it." He highlighted a spot at the back of its mouth, where the neck met the lower jaw. In the middle there was a opening, where the armor plates could slid open and closed, allowing the creature to open it's giant maw. The spot was also disturbingly close to its front two legs. "Stick a heavy detpack in there and it will cause some nasty damage. Though i ah, would not want to be the guy given the job of reaching that spot. That will destroy the main blood vessels that supply its blood to the brain. We don't know how long it will actually take for it to die from that, but our biologist guessed at around anywhere from thirty seconds to two minutes depending on the situation."

After the councilor finished his explanation, he thought for a moment or two, seeing if there was anything he forgot to mention. Satisfied he had covered it all, he looked to the pair once again. "Any questions about our neighbourhood cave horrors before moving on to your mission, proper?"

Dus leaned over, whispering a bit of a comment before letting Liuna make any questions that came to her mind. "Now that is something i have not tangled with the likes of before."

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

The smirk Liuna wore on her face only faded when Dusaro spoke up to ask a question. It seemed that they would be unlikely to meet a Shadow cat once they reached the caves, but getting there might prove difficult if they happened upon one. However, that really seemed like it was going to be the least of their worries. Liuna lifted her chin slightly as Brennick moved onto the next topic. Of course, she’d heard tales of the Krayt Dragons of the desert world, but she’d never seen one for herself. These Tuskurs sounded… interesting, to say the least.

She squinted as a rather curious-looking scale was passed around the table. And when it came to her, she felt the weight of the thing in her hands. Goodness. Turning it over, she noted the way it seemed to shimmer and the many different colors that were present. Her gloved fingertips glazed the surface, feeling the layers and ridges. Was it foolish to want one of these for a souvenir? Perhaps.

“Karnin’ hell,” She whispered, handing the scale over to Dusaro.

If she was being honest, she could admit that the thought of encountering one of these beats was quite intimidating and even a bit frightening. Even if she’d never openly say so. She imagined that there were likely many people that had seen these Tuskurs, and had simply not lived to ever tell the tale. Like with any beast, wandering into their home territory was dangerous. They would need to tread lightly and watch their backs. Still, she imagined that such a creature would be terribly hard to miss.

But just like most things, the Tuskurs did have a weakness.

Liuna paid close attention as Brennick revealed the Tuskur’s soft spot. Well, if it came down to that… they would probably be in for quite a fight. The thought alone was enough to get her blood pumping. Her fingers drummed along the top of the table for a moment, and glanced to the side as Dusaro made a comment. Drawing in a breath, she nodded.

“Yeah, same…” She said quietly, wondering if perhaps they were getting in over their heads. Nah, they would be fine!

Turning back towards Brennick, she did have one last question.

“Which way to the armory?” She asked, a sly grin on her face.

After a quick stop for some weapons and gear, she suspected that they’d be ready to set off.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusaro had tangled with quite a few nasty beasties. Hell, he had tangled one on one with a Sith Drexl before and that was bad enough. But this seemed to be a smaller, meaner and tougher Krayt dragon. Even though it was smaller though, something that size was going to be hard to miss and that was not counting scanners or use of the force. Given how caves echo, one of those things had to karking loud when they went a walking inside one. If anything, that was a amazing testimate to how sturdy the cave systems were, that critters like them stomping through them did not weaken them one bit.

As for questions.. "No, no questions from me." He said with a simple not, his expression eager to get to work. Dangerous working conditions were nothing new to him. When he had been a Merc he specialized in battlefield operations, bombs, mortars and artillery fire were the norms. Unlike them he could at least hear a Tuskur from quite a ways off. In short, nothing to worry about.

"Good to see you two and rearing and ready to go. The last group we had turned and left when we told them they would be going into caves with these! What we need you to do has already been coverd, no changes there and it is simple enough. Go in as deep as you can, place the sensors as you go down and don't die!" The man laughed with a grin behind his bushy beard and a good natured look in his eyes. "The armory is in the basement, one level down. Corporal Bash! Take them down to the armory, if they need it they get it!" Moment's later the Security Councilor was starting to be hailed by a communications officer. Turning back to the pair he fired off a salute before going back to his work. "Let's get at it then shall we?" Dusaro said, offering his partner a broad grin before heading down stairs with the corporal.

Inside the armory, there were quite a few weapons that elsewhere would be considered highly illegal. Disruptors, sonic weapons, all sorts of nasty things kicking about. Along with it was a wealth of sensor equipment and signal nodes that they would be placing on the roof of the caves as they explored deeper into the cave systems. Dusaro already had the gear he wanted, his lightsaber, pair of shatterguns and a few grenades. He did however pick up motion sensors and a broad spectrum scanner, just in case. "I gotta say, this collection almost puts what i have stached in my ship to shame. Only almost though, i have higher rating thermal dets." He remarked with a grin as he hoisted up a pack filled with the sensor nodes they would be using, doing some quick packing. Short few moments later and Dus's pack was ready to go. "Got everything i need, food, ammo and the sensor nodes. You ready to head out?" Dusaro asked as he settled the pack over his back. There was a speeder waiting to take them out part way, out of the city and into the forest at a halfway point near the base of the mountain.

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

The fact that the previous team hired to complete the very same mission had balked would likely have stricken fear into most. However, Liuna wasn’t most – and she had a feeling that Dusaro wasn’t either. It was time to get this show on the road. Clapping her hands together, she matched her partner’s grin. Turning on a heel, she followed the corporal down the stairs to the armory.

Inside the room, the Mirialan was like a child in a sweet shop. Her eyes lit up at the array of weaponry, especially the ones that were strictly off-limits. There was part of her that just wanted to nick one of the disruptors to have, but she resisted the urge. While she already had a heavy blaster and a shattergun on her belt, she didn’t have any explosives on her person. Glancing to the side, she saw Dusaro loading up some motion sensors and a scanner. It seemed that he was already satisfied with his weaponry.

“Really?” She asked, grinning. “Well, you must have quite the collection then.”

Liuna regretted that her own collection had not grown much yet. At the time, she didn’t have a place of her own to hoard items. Perhaps she would have a small ship to her name in the near future. Lifting a few detpacks, she placed them into a pouch on her belt. She also reached for a couple of larger weapons – a shotgun and a blaster rifle. Her hand grabbed a few lightrods as well to help them navigate the dark spaces. Stuffing a few extra ration packages into her pockets, she nodded to Dusaro.

“Alright, I’m ready.”

As they moved outside, there was a speeder ready and waiting. Liuna stowed her weapons and the hopped into the back of the speeder. Above them, the sky was still pleasant and funn of sun. She knew that she should bask in the daylight while she still could. It wouldn’t be long before she was traveling within the dank darkness of the cave system. With the pair of explorers on board, their guide started off towards their destination.

For a moment or two, she merely looked out at the landscape of Alrakis. A couple more minutes and the city-limits would be in the rear view mirror. Leaning back comfortably, she looked over at the Jedi sitting next to her. Reaching over and tapping his shoulder, she shifted slightly to face him.

“Hey.” She started, “What do you want to bet that we actually see one of those Tuskurs? And don’t worry, I always make good on my word.” She added a wide grin to punctuate her point.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

"Yeah, though only around a fourth of it have i gotten. Rest of it was from my parents. Disruptors, sonic weapons, a handful of charric's, paddle beamers. That isn't included the slug throwers, other more illicit weapons and heavy weapons i have. I don't have multiple types of each weapons, but i have just about one of anything you might want or need, illegal or not."

To Dusaro, 'illegality' was not something he was concerned about with weapons. They were hidden well enough and on the battlefield, no one cared. If it was killing the enemy and not hurting friendlies then all was well. Though as far as this planet went, it was on the looser end of weapon control thanks to the critters it had. Disruptors were in the end one of the most effective weapons to use against the critters here, so they were regulated and used in spite of the broader ban across most of the galaxy.

The ride out to the mountains was fairly uneventful, but a rather good sight seeing trip. The city was just as it had appeared at a glance, decidedly under construction and expansion, vendors dealing in the streets and peddling their wares which mostly included tools, weapons and ammo or food. Luxury commodities were rare and when they were found they were highly priced. When they got outside of the city was when things got more vibrant. The lush forest was filled with fairly short tree's with broad, thin yellow leaves that were almost see through in their transparency. A steady wind blew in from the coast to the west, knocking out a leaf or two here and there.

Dusaro turned to look over at her as she tapped his shoulder, raising a brow at the bet she proposed. He rubbed his stubbled chin in thought, tilting his head to the side.

"Hmmm... I give it a good chance personally. We will see one by tomorrow, is my guess. That isn't using any Jedi shenanigan's for that guess, promise! And i will put fifty credits behind that guess." He said with a broad smirk, seeing if his partner would take him up on the offer.

Eventually the 'road', if one could call a path where the tree's had been mostly cleared a road, started to turn to the left sharply. The driver stopped, looking back over. "This is the stop, the guide will be here momentarily. He was checking the area to try and lead you two through without having to deal with any native wild life. Be careful up there, force be with ya and all that." The driver said, taking back off once they had all unloaded their gear. They did not have to wait long for the guide to appear, a fairly young Mirilan in the attire of a scout.

"You two got here on time, feel's like a first. Follow me and do your best to stay silent. Critter's are moving so lets not waste time." He said, quickly motioning for them to follow him into the yellow under brush.

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

The mention of Jedi shenanigans made Liuna crack a grin, but she nodded. “Fifty credits? I’ll take that bet.”

Leaning forward slightly in her seat, she watched as their way ahead became quite rough. The trees had been cleared, but the road still quite in a raw state. It was obvious that this path had not been traveled all that frequently. As the driver spoke, Liuna sat back again and listened. With their guide on the way, she grabbed up her bag and weaponry. Setting straps on her shoulders, she adjusted the bag to let it hang comfortably on her back.

Blaster rifle still in hand, she watched as a Mirialan approached. Her eyes widened slightly. Indeed she was aware that some of her kind had been relocated here. Still, it was something of a shock to see one of her fellow Mirialans in person.

“<Another so far from home?>” She blurted out in her native tongue.

Their guide’s eyes narrowed, eyeing Liuna suspiciously. Blinking and looking down, Liuna realized that she’d just blown her cover. Silently chiding herself, she reached up and scratched the back of her head. Shifting a sidelong glance at Dusaro, Liuna pushed out a sigh. She had some explaining to do. Pulling off her right glove, she revealed a ring on her index finger. A moment later, the peachy skin tone began to flicker and then faded completely. Standing with her green-hued skin and Mirialan markings on display, she let this sink in.

“Well, guess I ought to work on keeping my cover.” She said, and then looked at her Jedi partner. “I was going to tell you later, but I guess now is as good a time as any...” She shrugged.

It seemed their guide was not quite in the mood to have a moment with Liuna though, for the young man in scout’s clothing merely motioned to the brush again and gave the signal to be quiet. She bit the inside of her cheek, what a foolish thing to do. Even if she tried, she couldn’t deny the fact that she was home sick. She missed her family, she missed her people. If but for a moment, she felt a small thread of familiarity between herself and the guide.

But perhaps the sight of her brought back bad memories.

With her eyes still focused on the ground, she began to move into the underbrush – avoiding eye contact with Dusaro. No doubt he had questions, but they would have to wait.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

"Then as they say, the bet is on." He said with a with a confidant smirk, making a mental note about the time after checking his chrono.

Dusaro got his pack tightly strapped on, making sure there was nothing that was going to move around to make noise and that everything was firmly sealed. No one wanted to be the guy who forgot to check his ration pack's strap and ended up having it get spilled out somewhere on the trip without noticing. That was especially true for Dusaro, who needed much more protein then the standard human.

His head cocked to the side as he heard Liuna speak fluently in a alien tongue. Considering her profession, knowing multiple languages was not all that odd, but it was rather fluent. It was revealed a few moments later when her removal of a leather glove showed a ring. Her skin changing color moments later along with markings appearing honestly surprised him and that was not a common occurrence. Dusaro was about to make a remark of his own on the revelation, but he was interrupted by the scout motioning for them to follow him and quietly.

'Not the best of times for a surprise reveal eh?' He thought to himself, Dusaro's mind still rolling through what he had just seen, and what he thought about it. It did not take him long.

What did make it a bit awkward was how Liuna was refusing to look in his direction. Sure it was a misunderstanding but it was not all -that- bad, though maybe it was more about how she had failed to properly keep her cover up? Dusaro knew he would feel pretty bad about doing something like that at the start of his first mission. Figuring that was the case, he nodded silently to himself and let the situation lay there as it was. As long as she kept a eye on the guide and was careful, it was all good.

Along the way, the brush was thick with low density vegetation. Everything seemed to share those leaves that were super thin, broad and nearly transparent yellow. There were not many flowering bushes this time of year, but they few they did see were a rich blue, with insects crowding around them.

As long as neither Dusaro nor Liuna slipped up, they would manage to avoid any direct encounters with the roaming Shadowcats. They did how ever get a nice, long distance veiw of a small pack that were roughly walking parallel to them. They only saw them for a short time before the brush once again obscured them. "You may or may not run into them later. This is where it starts sloping up, from here on you will be fine." They could see how the brush started to fairly rapidly clear out as the hill sloped up into the mountains. "The cave you are looking for is three quarters a mile up the mountain. Go straight up from here and you can't miss it, just around that bend." The guide pointed it out. The path started out grassy, but rapidly got rockier and fairly treacherous looking and not to mention steep. Passable, but the going was going to be slow.

Before leaving, the guide gave a complicated look to Liuna before turning his head back to the forest. "Be safe, force with you and all that." He said before heading back into the brush, silently blending in with the environment. "Off he goes." Dusaro mused, watching him for a moment before attempting to meet Liuna's eyes. "Reckon we should too, eh?"

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

To her relief, the trek through the thick brush was free of idle conversation. For her own part, she focused on keeping her steps silent and light upon the ground. Even the snapping of a twig could be the difference between a safe trip and a potentially dangerous encounter. They all knew that the Shadowcats were a threat here, and Liuna certainly did not let her thoughts linger on this fact for too long.

And sure enough, the prowling cats were seen nearby.

However, their attention was not upon the small traveling party of three. Though she did not turn to glance at her Jedi companion, she figured that it was a good thing she didn't bet on seeing Shadowcats... or else she'd already be fifty credits poorer. Her dark boots came to a halt at the side of the mountain, and her gaze traveled up the side of the steep slope that would take them to the cave.

Liuna only nodded to the guide as he made his exit. The Mirialan turned hesitantly as Dusaro addressed her. With a slight shrug, she finally let her eyes match his. “Yeah, we should keep moving.”

She readjusted her equipment on her back and then rolled her shoulders a couple of times to prepare. Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her coat, she started to walk up the hill. At the moment, it was a fairly easy trek – but she still kept careful watch of where to place her feet. After all, she didn’t really want to make an even bigger fool of herself today. There was a rumble of annoyance inside -- one that she acknowledged by biting the inside of her cheek.

Pushing out a breath rather loudly, she looked at Dusaro as she traveled along nearby.

“Sorry if I made things a bit…odd or awkward.” She offered, her sour expression giving way to a slightly softer look. Liuna shrugged before continuing. “I know you were on Mirial and I didn’t want to make you feel weird.”

As the terrain began to grow rocky and uneven, she continued along carefully. And now that they were on the topic, she finally let her curiosity become known.

“So…” She started, arching an eyebrow. “What happened to you there? If you don’t mind that I ask, that is.”

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusao far preferred this solid chucks of rocks that made up this terrain compared to Charros IV's sandstone. Sure large stones may end up rolling but they were more reliable then sandstone. The wind picked up to a strong, constant warm breeze, the air crisp with a oddly earthy smell to it, the sounds of animal life fading the further they got away from the forest. Dusaro was noticing all of these things more then usual as he used the force to enhance his senses, for no real reason other then to use the skill while working.

He looked back over at her when Liuna pushed out a large breath, about to say something for a moment before she started to speak.

"Ah. Well no, to be blunt you being a Mirilan doesn't make anything awkward for me. Though i can see how you think it would." Mirial was not exactly a happy memory after all. Given the record of losses their military attempts had been so far in a row, it was even something of a sore spot. But they were still here. That is what mattered.

Dusaro had kinda been wondering since she was a Mirian, if Mirial would get brought up. As it turned out, it did.

"To me? Well." He debated for a moment on if to talk about it or not, but decided silence would just make things more awkward. Besides, not like it was anything super personal anyways. "It started out with a nice and tidy ground assault for me. The plan actually survived first contact with the enemy, which is a bloody rare thing. Things continued going well until i got engaged by what i can only assume was a cloaked Sith Assassin. Then things turned for the not so good direction. I never saw my opponent. I got hit by some kind of sith alchemy poison, imagine your mind being hit by darksided drugs and you have the idea. Still, i managed to fight him off enough to make him leave the area. I had to be medeivacd thanks to wounds i had received and what ever was screwing with my head so after that, i am not really sure what happened. A rather anticlimactic end to my part in the battle, i know."

Dusaro said with a complicated, wry look, still regretting in a way he had lost his ability to contribute to anything after that fight. He couldn't help his inability at the time but it was still frustrating.

He kept silent after that as they climbed, the pair starting to approach the bend that would lead them into the cave. Poking his head around the bend, Dusaro didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He did how ever see the cave they were looking for and it was hard to miss. A good pilot could land a small shuttle or freighter in it if they were careful. "They were not kidding when they said these things are big.. Phew." Dusaro said with an impressed tone, walking carefully over the rocks to the entrance.

[member="Liuna Ondizi"]

 

[Liuna]

As Dusaro spoke, she felt a deep sense of relief upon hearing that her heritage didn’t make him feel strange or awkward. She’d felt the stares as she walked about Silver Rest, and she had always figured that her presence made others uncomfortable. But then again, maybe they were staring because of her green-hue and facial tattoos. Liuna scratched the back of her head, but flashed her Jedi companion an appreciative smile.

“Thanks,” She answered, “You’re cooler than I thought you’d be, Jedi.”

A small smirk marked her words. Then, she listened as the merc man outlined his experience on her home world. Her mouth pressed together into a thin line as he mentioned coming across a potential Sith Assassin. “Ah, gotcha.” She acknowledged his story. Her own had similar notes, and had ended in an equally anticlimactic manner.

“I didn’t see much fighting there, surprisingly. In fact, just as things were heating up… I think I passed out or something. I barely even remember getting back to Voss.” She admitted, eyes turning down to view the rocky terrain. It was a bit embarrassing. Liuna had set foot on her world hoping to do some good, but she hadn't had the chance to do much of anything. She’d heard about some kind of weird darksided attack that had originated from one of the powerful Sith present that day, from what she understood – it made people frightened and even a bit crazy. “Oh well… we made it outta there alright, that’s what counts, right?” A bit of a sour note colored her words, but she shrugged it off.

As they approached the entrance to the cave, she perked her brows. Navigating the last bit of the climb, she paused at the rather large mouth of the mountain. After igniting a light-rod, she gave a nod to Dusaro.

“Guess it’s time to see what’s waiting for us in there, hmm? Gentlemen First…” She said, gesturing with her hand and flashing a smirk his way.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]