They neared their point of entry and both slipped inside deftly as a flashlight lit up the position they'd occupied only moments previously.

"I think I saw some activity over here," one of the stormtroopers said over their open com links.

Another one answered. "Probably some sort of marine organism that isn't too happy with us here."

"Do you think it could be a predator?"

"Naw, a predator? You should get your circuits readjusted."

"I'm not a droid."

"Then stop acting like one."

The arguing started to decrease in sound as the two clambored farther away. Maul had been holding in a breath that Qi'ra watched him release. She wanted to ask him how far off course they were, but also didn't want to do anything that would draw back the stromtroopers. His hand was drawn to the lightsaber at his waist, but he quickly straighened himself. He acted like she hadn't seen it.

But Qi'ra knew he wanted to keep her a little bit on edge.

They walked further until they reached a ladder. Qi'ra watched as he vaulted up it. She waited a moment for him to give her direction, but when he offered none she slowly ambled up after him making some noise so she wouldn't be impaled by 'accident.'

Maul knew she was behind him. She was quick and light and docile. Something he knew wouldn't last forever. He was watching from an air shaft the activity inside the plant.

Qi'ra asked him quietly what they were doing. Her voice was soft against his ear, almost velvet. The woman was different than others of her species who would have cringed at his Dathomirian tattooes or un-natural horns. She did not seem the least bit uncomfortable. Maybe she had a soft side . . . well Dryden Vos would have beaten that out of her. Unless of course, she was a good pretender. Either way . . . a dangerous idea.

A monster with a woman-safe harbours were an illusion.

"The factory is not as empty as we'd hoped. There's an secret operation here to refine coaxium." Maul pointed at a holo board with calculation, "-and to find hyperspace routes that can be used for nefarious purposes."

"Should we stop them?"

"No my dear, we are here for fuel. I was dreaming that you were one of the little rebellion scum. So hopeful. So loyal to their cause that they're willing to die to it. I admire their persistance and premediation when it comes to destruction. But the Emporer won't fall just with some simple stones."

"Is that our overall objective to cause the Empire to fall?"

"No, our objective is unrefined coaxium. So we can survive."

"But how do we get it, it's guarded. You could just slice everyone to bits and we'd be off."

Maul's eyes closed. Qi'ra realized she was imobilized as she tried to move. Maul's blood eyes opened quickly and Qi'ra realized she could move again. She massaged her biceps.

"What did you see?"

"There's a hatch if we follow these tunnels wherein, if we can catch the tanks, we can leave quietly."

"But how do we head back with twenty thirty bottles of unrefined coaxium? We need a specific temperature which we only have at our shuttle?"

Maul looked at her with a death glare. He threw a little modulator at her that contained coordinatates. "I calculated everything for you. Just follow directions, please. Stop talking so much. If you don't get yourself killed. I will end you if this doesn't go right."

Qi'ra felt cold as she saluted and ran back to the sewer. She waited a bit for patrols before climbing her way back out of the hatch from where they had come. Here she did run into some troopers who were playing with some marbles. It seemed to be something local.