Private Unexpected, but Welcome

[Vaemond]

NOW ARRIVING: BILBOUSA STATION. PLEASE GATHER ALL BELONGINGS AND TRAVEL TO NEAREST ENTRYWAY

It'd been years since Vaemond had traveled to Hutt Space. In his years as a professor he had spent time studying and mastering the Huttese language, specializing in Hutt business culture and language usage. Though he had found a new calling as a Jedi Knight, his reputation among some scholars remained from his publishing days. His commitment to the monastic lifestyle was not as devoted as many would prefer, and his mind was turned to the stars, not the present. In his inbox sat a message from an old colleague leading an expedition on the surface of Nal Hutta, where an ancient tomb had been uncovered. Or, well, a door had been found. They were unsure what exactly it was, but the depth and location caused them to assume it was a burial site of some sort. These surface areas were rare of Nal Hutta, as the pollution and raiders frequently picked clean anything left on the surface. This one, however, must have just recently surfaced from wear on the ground. Nonetheless, they needed a xenolinguist to read the inscriptions and a translator to replace the one that left camp unexpectedly. Huttese was a trade language, the chances of having no one in the party that spoke Huttese was almost comical to Vaemond, but he missed the days of discovery. His eyes wandered around the cabin as he made his way to the nearest doorway. It was small, the ship, having been built as a medical transport then a small civilian shuttle from Nar Shadda.

Outside, the air was as rancid as Vaemond remembered. The skies a bright yellow-green. The dark side tingled around the city as unknowing force sensitives cheated their ways through card games or pick pocketed a passerby. This planet hadn't felt the privilege of love and care for millennia, yet the force still thrived here. He made sure to dress in his civilian clothes, a dark brown jacket with dark pants and a white shirt, matching his self-portrait. His lightsaber was kept hidden on his person just in case. In his bag, he carried books and other equipment he anticipated. This wasn't his first dig, but he certainly wouldn't let it be his last. Outside, a short Twi'lek stood with a holosign, immediately recognizing and approaching Vaemond. Dr. Nor Oloba, the head of the dig and discoverer of the site. The two had worked together previously on Ryloth, though to Vaemond this seemed like a lifetime ago. In fact, he was unsure if Oloba even knew of his newfound path. He wouldn't bring it up.

"We think it may be related to an old legend, a story of a Jedi Hutt...."

Vaemond's mind wandered. Though he had long conquered his feelings and emotions, at times he allowed himself to wander through the force and detach from the present. An old habit he had picked up during long journeys. The two journeyed onto the shuttle and took their seats, with Oloba continuing his explanation.

"...his name has been lost, though we are unsure if it's actually on this inscription or inside. Additionally, we are unsure if there may be danger deeper within, seeing as the Hutt did betray...."

Vaemond pondered at the thought of a Hutt Jedi. Would they be domineering, awe inspiring and wise? Or would they be lazy, complicit, and dogmatic, like the Jedi of old? Clearly it would depend on the person, but the thought experiment amused Vaemond.

"...we've read local stories talking about this place as if it has negative connotations. Local hutts and traders make sure they steer their ships away."

Vaemond's attention perked. If what this man was saying was true, this may be bigger than a simple dig. As they arrived at the site on the far outskirts of the city, Vaemond felt a drag. A small nudge, slowly creeping. The dark side was here, though it grew fainter by the day. As they left the shuttle Vaemond saw the large, dome structure peaking out of the ground with a dug trench leading to the entrance. Above the door read ancient Hutt glyphs, glyphs that Vaemond had spent years researching and immediately set to work transcribing. One by one he pieced together the letters, spelling out a word, or perhaps a name, one that perhaps had significant meaning to the local people. They read loud and clear:

BELDORION

 

[Vaemond]

The name meant little to Vaemond, though clearly it had meant something to the local Hutt clan. Vaemond relayed the name to the team who double and triple checked his transliteration, searching databases for the name. Eventually, with the help of a few local Hutts, they were able to definitively conclude that this was indeed some sort of structure built for this Beldorion, who was a Jedi Knight in the centuries before the first Galactic Empire. He had gone missing while on a mission to Nam Chorios, where old records indicate he may have taken hold over a significant powerbase, though little can be verified due to the scarcity of documents surviving from the planet after numerous desolations. Whatever the case, the fact of the matter was that this building was indeed intended for a former Jedi Knight who may have fell to the dark side, or who may have perished when they vanished.

"Fascinating.... The history within this building may help us gather more legible information on force sensitivity in the Hutt...."

Vaemond once again lost himself in the swirling sea of thoughts within his head, though this time not on his own volition. Something felt off about this location, something told him that whatever lay inside was not made for scientific study. The eyes of this slightly patronizing, xenophobic archaeologist were not meant to gaze upon what lie inside. Before Vaemond could voice his concerns, the metal door was brought down and the team had begun moving inside. Moving inside, the central chamber was full of various glyphs and paintings depicting a set of powerful figures. Some were clearly fantastical, most likely references to old Huttese gods while some felt eerily realistic, most likely depicting Beldorion and other force-using Hutts.

"We need to be careful. This was most likely not constructed with the idea of researchers entering, more than likely it's full of traps meant to keep out grave-robbers, which we are scarily close to being."

Vaemond spoke with a mix of contempt and caution in his voice, looking at the overly-eager team lighting the chamber and looking at awe at what they saw. They either weren't listening or did not care about what he had to say. Soon, one of the members of the team managed to open a hidden door along the wall which menacingly stared at the team with a pitch black gaze.

"We'll set up base camp here. Some of you will accompany me into the depths of the structure, the others will manage communications and seismic readings. Vaemond, you'll be with me, are you ready?"

Of course Vaemond was ready, it was the others he was unsure about. The feeling of uncertainty he had felt earlier had only intensified, whatever was in here did not want them inside. Nonetheless, Vaemond was curious about what this entryway held. His previous reservations had gone on deaf ears, and he felt it would be more beneifical for him to be there to keep everyone safe than to abandon the mission. With Oloba, 3 researchers, and Vaemond geared up, they moved into the doorway. What had started as a simple entryway soon gave way to a long, descending staircase. The team lit glolights and continued their path down the stairs. Along the wall read glyphs eerily similar to those in the entry chamber as well as images that depicted the same images as well as various beasts and scenes of historical events. The staircase was immense and immaculate, the lights showing off the true extent of Hutt craftsmanship. Suddenly, however, Vaemond felt an overwhelming chill, his focus disrupted by a feeling of unease. He stopped, noticing that the sounds of the team had disappeared, his light the only one shining. He looked quickly, coming to a swift conclusion:

The team had vanished. He was alone.