Sand and Sun

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

To his surprise, the chasm was a lot deeper than he had thought. The beam of his flashlight seemed to soar into the abyss for quite some time, passing through darkness and showing no sign of the bottom. He kept sliding down, measuring his speed and looking up every now and again to see Spark a few meters above him. He bit his lip a few times as he saw her wave around a bit, the rope jolting as she shifted. Munin wasn't scared for himself, more for her.

He frowned slightly as the flashlights beam caught on the wall for a moment. It sat there for a moment, revealing a large painted skull that had been slashed with ribbons of red and black. Munin stared at it for a moment, considering who might have placed it there, but eventually another hard wiggle of the rope made him remember what he was supposed to be doing. He shifted slightly and then began his descent once more, falling for a few more seconds until finally he caught sight of the ground. A sigh of relief passed from his lips.

"At the bottom!" The Information Broker shouted up to Spark.

His feet hit the ground rather suddenly, soft sand stopping him from hitting too hard.

His eyes remained fixed above himself as he untied the odd knot from the rope, watching Spark as she descended down towards him. His flashlight shone up as well, illuminating her path so that she wouldn't be caught off in the dark.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Muscles burned. #Ineedtoworkoutmore #Imisstheforce "Okay," she called and refused to look down. If she looked down now, she wouldn't move. She'd be frozen in place. Eyes blinked with the sudden light he provided. She paused at the same spot he did - unknowingly.

"What do you think this means?" She called down, referring to the skull. With a few more shifts and sliding, she too found the bottom. She landed lightly next to Sawyer. She shook out her trembling arms. "I hope we don't have to go that way back," she said quietly. Flashlight beam bounced around in the darkness as she looked around. It looked like there was a closed door at the end that required some kind of scan.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"I doubt it was painted after the ship crashed." Munin said quietly as he shone the flashlight back up towards the skull, thinking for a moment. "Probably something the pilots made to inspire themselves. They tend to do that so I hear."

It was really just conjecture, Munin had never spent any time in the military. "I think there will be another exit."

That still made sense to him. This break wasn't exactly a new one, and if that door was any indication then this base was built long before the Astral Bride split itself in half. That meant they had constructed their base with knowledge this chasm was here. Unless they usually used Repulsor plates or something similar Munin didn't think that members of the Star Cabal would actually bother rapelling down a massive black chasm each time they wanted to come to their base.

It was simply too much work.

"Probably leading to one of the other ships." Munin said as he began to walk towards the door. "Or maybe even out of the canyon."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

"Out of this canyon would be nice," she said quietly. The place had bad vibes. Well, out of the ship. The one thing they had going for them was the temperature. At least it wasn't blazing hot down here. The ship acted like an artificial cave. A glowing light peeked from behind the cracks in the door. It was already illuminated inside.

"Sawyer. What's going to happen after all this? If we get out of this alive?"

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He stopped just a few steps short of the door.

It was a question that he hadn't expected, one that he hadn't really thought about it. They had been together on Jakku for a few days now, and in truth for parts of those days he had nearly forgotten why they were here in the first place. It was a testament to how much he enjoyed spending time with her, especially considering that he had been chasing this league for months now. Munin couldn't have explained it if he tried...he had just simply followed his feelings. "What."

Munin felt his mouth go dry.

"What do..." Why was this so hard to say? "Do you want to happen?"

Did she want to end this after they found whatever the Star Cabal had left behind? Would she want to leave and never speak to him again? Would she want to...just be friends? Sending the occasional holo-message? Munin found all three options equally horrifying.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She blinked and looked at him. Maybe it was an odd question to ask in the moment. #sociallyawkward

"I...," voice trailed off in the expanse of the deep, dark, and partially man-made cavern. "Want to make this work but I don't know how or what it will look like."

There were a million and one questions and another hundred after that. How would they see each other? Would they ever live together? Would she meet his sister? Would he be welcome at the homestead?

Does he even want to make this work?

Bony-shoulders shrugged. Headlamp bobbed in the dark.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

For a moment, Munin found himself speechless.

He'd never thought that love was for him. He'd never even thought of anything close to him. There had been the occasional fling, his first kiss, that time on Zeltros...but that hadn't been anything close to how he felt about Spark, that wasn't anywhere near the amount of turmoil that she could cause him with even a single glance. As she spoke his heart skipped a beat, her confirmation that she wanted them to work...that she was at least willing to consider it, that was enough for him.

"I." He began, voice shaky at first before suddenly all doubt slipped away. "Just want you."

Munin stepped closer to her, his hands taking his, flashlight dropping to the floor, eye squinting as the head lamp blinded him temporarily. He gently squeezed her fingers, and then pulled her close to himself. For a fleeting second he felt her breath on his collarbone, then he looked down. "I don't care how we do it, I just want you in my life. I want to be with you. I want...you to be...mine and I want to be yours."

It was a simple truth, and perhaps a dangerous one considering who he was.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Cheeks blazed in the dark but he couldn't see. The button on the top of the headlamp clicked against his jaw, plunging the pair into a deeper darkness than before. Arms wrapped around his form in an embrace. She was relieved but also...scared. Anything beyond a friendship in her experience meant hurt and betrayal. She didn't trust Munin a few weeks ago when they met. But she did now.

That didn't make her fear any less. She didn't want to mess this up.

Arms tightened around his back, thin-form pressed against him. "I hope we're not making a big mistake," she smiled in the darkness even though it was a very real fear of hers. "Don't you want to open that door?" But her arms didn't loosen their hold.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"Not really." He said quietly.

It was true too.

He forgot all about why they where there, why they had jumped into this dark chasm, why they had even come to Jakku. The hotel that he had thought about earlier seemed more and more appealing now, a nice place on Cloud Nine to simply relax and sit around. Maybe when they were done here, maybe he would take a vacation for once in his life, maybe he could convince Spark to come. He frowned for a moment, his arms slipping around her, thumb gently stroking across her skin.

"I kind of just want to stand here." Munin said quietly. "With you."

What lay behind that door might have been life-changing for all they knew, a way to alter everything they knew, but right now Munin didn't care. He already had that.

Spark had changed him, it undeniable now. The way that she made him feel, the way that his heart pressed in his chest, the way that he just wanted to do nothing but hold her. It was more than clear that he was in love, though if anyone asked him, he still wouldn't quite be able to find the word. If only because it was so foreign to him. Slowly Munin leaned down and kissed her.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She smiled against him in the darkness and blushed. She stood there a little longer, enjoying his warmth in the coolness the artificial cave provided. For the first time, since having the force muted to her from stepping inside this ship, she relaxed fully and found that she did trust him and more. Arms finally eased off and began to slip away. "Come on," fingers squeezed against his side.

"We should get what you came here for." She leaned down and picked up the flashlight, offering it to him. "And get out of here." Head swiveled around. "As fast as possible." Glasses were adjusted and she switched her headlamp back on.

The sooner she felt the force, the better.

#duh

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin took the flashlight from Sparks hand, giving her a peck on the cheek. His bag slipped from his shoulder a second later, flashlight coming to rest in his mouth for a moment as he dug through his bag and pulled out the datapad that he had used earlier. "Alright."

He said as the flashlight dropped into his hand once more.

Without any further hesitation Munin headed over towards the door. The small red scanning device above flashed into life, immediately springing into action and giving the Information Broker a once over. It made a loud beeping noise, then a buzzer sounded.

"Yeah yeah." He said as he wandered towards the metal panel besides the door and ripped it open, inserting the card reader from his datapad and initializing the device to begin running the correct code sequence. "We'll see."

The system was of course, several thousand years old, and that meant it was much weaker than modern encryption programs. Munin briefly wondered if they would finally arrive at some of those traps that he had suspected were down here, but somehow...he doubted it. Why lay traps all the way down here? It was already nearly impossible to get to, and if anyone was wandering through the Astral Bride it would be extremely easy for motion detectors to pick them up. He frowned slightly, then heard a loud ding of success. He smiled slightly, turning back to Spark with a smile. "There we go."

The doors slid open before them, and a second later, lights began to flicker into life.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

"Nice. Reminds me of my underground time on Zeltros. But if you ever bring it up, I'll deny it." Reaching up, she switched off the headlamp. There was no need now. She followed Munin #Sawyer over the threshold of the once sealed and locked doorway. Nothing happened when Munin stepped inside. It wasn't the same with Spark.

The ground rumbled and there were three loud clicks. Followed by a groaning sound as if a giant doorway back in the darkness behind them was opening. She froze and turned around.

There were three roars that matched three big shapes looming toward them from the darkness. From where they had just climbed down.

Rathtars.

#EEEEeeeeeep

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin reacted instantly. The datapad in his hand flashed bright colors and he grabbed Spark with his other hand. Fingers wrapped around her wrist, and quickly he pulled her closer and into the hallway. As soon as she was clear of the doorway Munin entered the code. The doors slammed shut behind them, though the Rahtars hardly seemed to think it a problem. Half a second after the durasteel doors closed there was a loud slam as one of the creatures threw itself against the metal.

"Go." He said pointing down the hall. "Go go go!"

They couldn't fight those things. He couldn't fight those things, they had to run, and they had to find that other exit. The datapad was thrown back into his bag as he turned and broke into a sprint, his other hand still holding onto Spark as he dragged her with.

Behind them was a constant clang and clatter of metal as the Rahtars attempted to smash through the door over and over again.

"Have to find a chamber...it'll be in a vault or something." Then they had to find the exit, but that could come second. As they rushed through the hall Munin pulled the blaster from his backpack, checking the powerpack and running as fast as he could.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She gave one glance behind her bony-shoulder as the pack thumped against her back with each footstep. "Saw-yer," she heaved. Lungs burned. Legs burned. His grip on her arm hurt.

#ugghcardio!

"Sawyer!" She heaved again as the door creaked behind them, a tentacle finding a way through the crack and inside. The metal of the door bent. "Slow down. I can't," she stumbled as they rounded a corner and felt her balance tip violently as she went to fall against the information broker and would tangle up in his legs. She caught a glimpse of a secured door up ahead. Seemed like it could be the way out.

#Iwanttheforceback

#spaghettilegs

"Give me the blaster and you get the door!"

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He breathed heavily, looking at Spark, then to the door, then down the hall to where he heard the creatures. "Okay."

Munin said quietly.

"But stay close." The Infochant sounded like he was on the verge of collapse, but slowly he handed over the blaster to Spark before gently leading her over towards the secure door. The device was once again taken out of his backpack, the card slipped into the panel within a few moments. The creatures became louder and louder as they drew closer, their massive bodies bending and breaking durasteel as they tried to tear themselves towards Munin and Spark.

He bit his lip.

There was another pause, and he could have sworn he heard the blaster go off once or twice behind him as a tentacle croaked around the corner and attempted to snag them. A second later another loud beep erupted from the datapad. The doors began to slowly fold inward, lock after lock sliding open. "I think..."

Munin began as a loud screeching noise erupted behind him.

"I think we're in." The door fell open, revealing a large open chamber, a central bridge spanning through an empty hall that lead to a singular pillar. Upon the pillar sat a red cube, glowing softly with a pulsating red light. Munin stepped through the door without hesitation, urging Spark on. "Come on just a bit more, I promise."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Much to Munin's relief, Spark DID know how to use a blaster. And quite well. Tentacle after tentacle snaked down the hall. One got close to her ankle but each time she hit the mark. The smell of burning creature flesh filled the narrow corridor. She didn't need any extra urging to follow Munin inside.

#duh

She ran. Blaster continued to pepper off shots behind them. This time she yelled. "Go, go, go!!!" Craning her slender neck, she looked beyond the pedestal that held the cube. There was a hatch on the other side that looked like it lead to a ladder. Who knew how long the climb would be? Anything would be better than here. And hopefully the hatch would be too narrow for the rathtars.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin didn't even stop when they reached the Cube, he simply scooped it off the pedestal and kept running. There was no way that the cube wasn't what they were after, or so logic told him, and as soon as he lifted the device off the pedestal a reaction within the chamber added more of a clue. Lights began to flicker, change color, and then suddenly the entire place filled with a loud and clanging alarm Klaxon. Munin flinched, but his run didn't stop.

He reached the hatch opposite the pedestal only a few steps before Spark, crouching down and slamming his fist into the control panel to open up the hatch. There was a loud rush of air, and then the tunnel below revealed itself. The ladder went down several dozen feet then evened out to a single tunnel. "Go!"

Munin yelled to her as he pulled his pack off and dropped the cube into the open slot. From the side pocket of the cube he pulled a small grenade.

The Infochant fiddled with it for a moment, Spark moving past him to drop into the tunnel. He shifted himself, pulling the pin from the top of the Grenade and tossing it towards the Rathtar that by now had entered the massive open chamber. Munin turned and dropped down into the tunnel after Spark, punching the panel to close the hatch as a loud bang resounded above them.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She almost argued for him to go first. Because if anything happened to him....

She dropped into the chamber from missing a ladder rung. Hitting the ground in a crouching roll, she screamed as the air boomed above them. Sand rained down from above. Skinny arms curled over her head as her body scrunched into a tight ball against one wall. Memories. Flashbacks of Calamari went through her head. The war. The sith. The screams.

Munin's blaster had clattered across the floor from her tumbling fall. She knew she should get up and cover them even as she heard Munin drop in just before the explosion. She knew she had to get up and to pull it together. But all she could do was tighten her own arms around herself and whimper.

"Nononononono."

#breakdown

Why couldn't she sense the force?

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin dropped onto the floor of the tunnel with a heavy thud, landing just a few steps from Spark. His eyes darted around, searching for her, only to quickly find her on the ground.

He heard the echo of a whimper from her lips, saw the way her arms curled around her, and immediately his heart dropped.

The Infochant wasted no time, rushing towards Spark and dropping his bag on the way. Far above them he could hear the roar of the Rathtar, one like being torn about by the other two as it's injuries proved to make it the easier prey than the two slicers. Munin dropped to his knees besides spark, his backpack falling to the floor with a loud clatter of various gadgets. His arms wrapped around her, thumbs gently stroking across her skin as he pulled her close against himself.

"Hey." He leaned down and whispered to her. "You're okay."

A gentle squeeze of his arms. "You're alright. I'm here."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]
Eyes squeezed closed and she continued to whimper, barely noticing that she was curled against Munin's chest. Heart thudded against her chest. Smoke filled her nose. Her friend, Qun Vell, fell. The red lightsaber sparked viciously through his chest. She couldn't do anything. As her mouth opened to scream, the sith was already on her.

And just like that, the flash was over; the memory gone. She trembled against Munin. Pale, freckled face was full of anguish as her eyes finally opened. "We need to go," voice cracked but she didn't move. She couldn't. She still trembled like a leaf.

"We need to go." As if to rally herself.