Kamino
Mustafar and Kamino were planets beyond the Outer Rim. But Kamino was only a four hour ride from Mustafar in hyperspace. Kamino was a planet with no natural land anywhere. The entire planet was one big ocean. However, when the Kaminoins first arrived on this planet they built a city large enough to house all of their people and it's growing population. The city was designed to hover above water and withstand against the strong winds and waves made by storms. The city's exterior walls and windows were built to be able to withstand erosion from the salt as well.
When the Strahl arrived a heavy storm had covered almost the entire planet. Many times a storm will last days or even weeks on Kamino. Balthier landed the Strahl with some difficulty but they were safely on the ground. The rain was thick and the black waves were large and rough.
Balthier and Marina put cloaks on and pulled their hoods up over their heads. Marina lowered the loading ramp and they ran as fast as they could to the automatic doors of the city. They lowered their hoods as all of the Kaminoins in the room turned to look at them curiously.They rarely ever had visitors. Many people did not even know this planet existed and the Kaminoins liked it that way.
Balthier had started to wring the water out of his sleeve cuffs when Marina elbowed him. Balthier looked up to see the tall prime minister looking down at him.
Like all Kaminoins, the prime minister had a long and thin body. Even their necks were exceptionally long. Their heads were slightly smaller than that of an average sized man and it was shaped something like Earth's traditional drawing of an alien head. They had large black eyes that somehow could look kind and they walked with a strange gait yet they still appeared graceful. Their skin was slightly rough and it was a light blue color.
"Balthier. Marina. What in the gods names are you doing here?" he asked kindly. "We just decided to go for a little swim" Balthier grinned. The prime minister understood and nodded. "This way." He led them down a few short hallways to his private chambers. "Please sit."
Marina sat but Balthier remained standing. The prime minister paid no mind. "So what are you two seeking this time?"
Marina answered. "We're looking for a clear stone that's in the shape of a ball. It probably radiates a faint blue color and we are certain that it is in your oceans."
The prime minister thought for a moment, then stood. He walked over to an organized shelf of scrolls and pulled down one. He laid it out flat on his desk. It was a map of Kamino's city and some of the ocean surrounding it. He placed his finger on a blue dot on the map. "This is the Blue Cave. It has a faint glow of blue light coming from inside. My people and I have never explored it before. We are too superstitious. What you are looking for may be inside. I will provide you with a ship and coordinates."
The two pirates thanked the prime minister as he led them out of his private chambers. He took them down to the very lowest level of the city where a ship awaited. Both of it's wings had what looked like a clear glass bubble on the end. These were made for divers. Since the Kaminoins were strong and fast swimmers that could hold their breath for hours at a time, there was no diving gear. However, the ship's design allowed the diver to ride on the back of the ship where breathing respirators were installed.
Marina walked over to one of the bubbles and retracted the opening. She climbed in as Balthier and the prime minister entered the main ship. The prime minister entered the coordinates and left. Once everything was ready Balthier dove the ship into the ocean's rough currents. Once they got deeper below the surface the current's strength lessened. He set the ship down onto the ocean floor. This area was on a shelf of land so it wasn't deep enough to crush Marina.
Balthier looked through the side of his window at Marina. The water that had been seeping into the bottom of the bubble had reached up to Marina's neck. Balthier would never admit it but he was worried about her. 'Maybe that's my problem. I can't admit it.'Marina nodded and Balthier retracted the lid to her bubble. She swam out of the top without a problem. Balthier wasn't sure how to express his feelings towards his partner. Should he finally confess to her or should he continue to ignore it?
Meanwhile, Marina could see the stone through a large crack in the wall. She reached her arm through and grabbed a hold of the stone. It was half buried in the sand so she had to pull hard to get it out. When the stone came loose, Marina floated up a few inches and hit her head on the roof of the cave. Marina ignored it and tied the stone securely in her coin purse. She was running out of air quickly. She could feel her chest tightening each time she kicked her legs. When she made it outside the mouth of the cave she felt light headed. Red and black dots clouded her vision. She stopped swimming to try to see better.
Balthier began to panic. He pressed the red emergency button to open all of the vents. It only took about thirty seconds and the small ship was full of water. He took in his last breath and opened the top hatch. Balthier swam quickly over to Marina and wrapped an arm around her waist. He hoped that the prime minister would forgive him for abandoning the ship. He swam as fast and as hard as he could even though the surface never seemed to get any closer. When he felt he couldn't kick on more time without taking in a breath, his head broke the surface of the water. His chest hurt as his lungs desperately filled with oxygen.
An emergency airship had been dispatched the moment Balthier had pushed that red button. Luckily they weren't far from the city so the airship was already searching the water for them. Once the airship found them among the violent waves, they lowered a rope ladder. Balthier grabbed the end of it and they started to reel it up as they flew back towards the city. The nurses inside the open airship did CPR on Marina but with no success. Balthier held her tightly against his chest praying that she could be saved once they got her to the city.
