Treasure Hunting

[Qyren Leret]

Qyren's skin was sticky with sweat by the time they reached the cave. It was worse than summers on Aikhibba, if only for the humidity. She ran a hand over her neck to try to alleviate the feeling as they moved among the tall trees, easing around drooping vines and some large-leaved ground cover. She stopped as ordered and sent her gaze sweeping around the area while he investigated the ground before them.

His announcement of a trap drew her eyes back, and she accepted the blaster he offered her, taking her training saber in her other hand. Who knew what she would need? If it was turrets, her lightsaber should do. If it was something else, she might need both.

She nodded silently and eased her way around the side of the marked area, staying well back so as not to trigger the trap's ranged sensors before Nantaris did. It would have to be fast; Nantaris would be gifted in combat, he was a Master after all, but there were weapons that could be faster.

Surely nothing so old as what would be protecting ancient pirate treasure, though.

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Qyren Leret"]
Nantaris took a deep, calming breath. Though not one for Jedi serenity, he knew the benefits of it, and focus was what kept him prepared and ready.
Stepping forward, he walked into the zone of death, lightsabre ready. The green blade sprung into life.

Suddenly, from a concealed port in the ground, a turret popped up and opened fire with blaster bolts. Nantaris reflected them easily, but the turret was resistant to the reflected blasts, and the volume of fire kept him fixed on the target.

“Now, Qyren! Now!” he called through gritted teeth.

By design or poor maintenance the blaster bolts were not just in a straight line, but spat out in a semi random pattern, making blocking them more difficult than it might be. There was no doubt he could defeat it with the Force, but this was a good time for Qyren to show her skills in a critical situation.

 

[Qyren Leret]

At her Master's command, her lightsaber blade flared and she darted forward, staying to the side and back of the machine. Its focus seemed to be on Nantaris, so she found herself with a few spare seconds to get deep into its defensive zone. By the time it recognized the dual threat and began to turn, Qyren was there, lightsaber arcing up aggressively to cleave through the antique turret. Blaster bolts sliced through the air in her direction, but they gave her a wide berth.

A sudden push of Force knocked the now-severed section of tower from the turret. It fell with a clang to the ground as the remaining pillar sparked. Although the area seemed clear, Qyren kept her blade held defensively in the event of further traps, gaze darting around the area.

After a moment, she confirmed that the turret seemed to be the only trap for this area, though Qyren was sure that there would now be more to deal with once they entered the cave. Caught between her thoughts of the future and her inspection of the area, the sudden and unexpected explosion of the damaged gun caused Qyren to toss up her arms to shield herself from the blast. She felt the heat singe along her skin as she fell back, hitting the ground with an audible thump.

Qyren winced as she lowered her injured arms and peeked at the turret, which was now smoldering merrily away.

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Qyren Leret"]
Nantaris brushed his robes off and nursed a couple of grazes.
“Nicely done, Qyren. Come on, let’s go in and see what all the fuss is about.”

It was a relief to get into the shade of the cave and to descend down the stairs. A metal door proved no barrier to their lightsabres, and soon they were inside the final room. Metal chests and footlockers were stacked, but one particular chest was on prominent display.

“Hold up…I sense something is not right.”

Nantaris circled it, then gestured Qyren back as he knelt down and gently used the Force to open the lid.
Suddenly, a concealed blaster in the chest fired right were a normal person would have opened it. Standing, Nantaris yanked the hold-out blaster away and dropped it to the ground.

Inside the chests were ingots of silver and gold, bags of gems and carbonite frozen blocks of Najim, a native plant which could be rendered into a potent narcotic.

“See what’s in the others!” Nantaris said eagerly to Qyren.

 

[Qyren Leret]

Qyren eased herself off of the ground, being careful of the minor burns along her forearms. She winced as she bumped one, but obediently followed him down the staircase, one hand grazing along the wall as they went. Nantaris's instincts continued to prove their worth as he triggered the trap without killing either of them. Qyren stepped forward as he did, peering from around him at the contents of the chest. She looked at him in surprise when he ordered her to the others, but smiled and moved off with alacrity; his excitement was catching.

She, too, stood aside as she opened the first small crate-- just in case-- and peered inside. Bottles. She reached in and withdrew one, turning it this way and that. "Alcohol?" she asked, holding it up to the light, then out to show to him. She looked back into the crate for anything else, but could only see the bottles. She set the bottle aside and went to open the next; this was more akin to the trap chest in its contents. Stolen objects made of precious metal filled it: jewelry and small personal items like flasks and powder cases.

"How much do you think is here?" she asked quietly, awed by the sheer amount of containers. "And what do we do with it all?"

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Qyren Leret"]
Nantaris ran a practiced, professional eye over the haul. Then, with a bit of frivolous Force use he opened three cases at a time, closed them and moved them to a different pile. Some were empty, some had extremely rancid alcohol, but others were full of valuables.

“Well, we’ll need to get it valued and see if any of the items are valuable as art. But I’d say, hmm, fifteen, twenty million credits? If there’s some valuable art objects, maybe twenty-five to thirty million?”
He looked sidelong and grinned at Qyren.
“As for what we do with it? Well, most will go to maintaining and buying equipment, bonuses for the crew etc. But you’ve definitely done your part getting it, so would you like this?”
He offered her one of the cases filled with silver and gold. “I’ll get it valued and exchanged, and you can keep the proceeds if you want.”

 

[Qyren Leret]

Twenty million? Who had twenty million credits? Not her, not anyone she knew and certainly no Jedi she had heard of or met thus far. Knowing Nantaris as she did, she momentarily entertained the notion that he was trying to pull her leg, but he seemed earnest enough and amused at her open shock.

However, when he offered her the chest with no provocation, Qyren gaped at him, truly speechless rather than speechless by choice. A share? For her? She had never had many credits to her name, and what little she had made in her brief job on Aikhibba had gone to her parents to help with household expenses. When she had left Aikhibba, she had been taken in by Nantaris and co. and they had provided for her while she trained. It hadn't occurred to her that she needed more than that, though she occasionally had wondered how she could contribute to the Rangers' cause.

What Nantaris was offering her was beyond what she would ever have expected for herself. She understood his first explanation, as the credits to fund the Rangers had to come from somewhere and they were a fairly large organization. Jedi as a group didn't have a paying job; that meant they had to find causes that might pay them-- and treasure hunting, apparently.

"I--" she stared at the chest in his hands, then nodded, afraid her long pause might offend him. She closed the crate she had been looking in and reached out to take it. "Yes. Thank you." She could use it to temper any personal costs she might have put on the Rangers otherwise. New clothes came to mind, but a buffer to fall back on was important, too. She smiled and took the chest from him as she looked around. "Now that the defenses are down, should we call in some of the Rangers to help move everything for assessment?"

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Qyren Leret"]
Nantaris seemed entirely too amused with the reaction he got. Still, he genuinely wanted her to see she was appreciated and worthwhile, so giving her this gift was a way of showing that. And, of course, trolling the purple Twi’lek too.
“You’re welcome, Qyren. Good idea too. I’ll get the lads in and we can turn this place over.”

Buried treasure was pretty epic, and now they’d discovered the loot they could move to their next adventure very soon….