Chapter 28

Pantora – the Harshplains

The rocky crevice was simply a large split in the ground, about six metres across. All around them were fields of long brush that rose to knee height. This area of the Harshplains were a mixture of marshes and scrub. If records had been kept, it would show that the occasional siltstorm from the north swept through here and petrified any living thing standing over fifty centimetres. Three old tree stumps stood near the crevice, petrified to a solid grey. They could have been stone, if not for the similarly petrified lizards around them. A small trickle of water slid through the grassy swampland and disappeared over the edge of the crevice, making the stone wet… and slippey.

Bultar knelt next to the crevice, staring into the blackness below. "This is the spot. I can sense it."

Bee Bwoop.

She glanced down at the little droid who stood near her leg, his head cocked to one side. She rubbed his head affectionately, careful of the dual antenna on either side of the flat top. "I know. You were right."

"You had better not be getting attached to that droid, Bultar. He isn't yours.", Quinlan scoffed as he looped a coil of cable around one of the old grey tree stumps a fair way back from the cliff. Any closer, and they risked the roots not being properly. He came over and placed the coil at her feet. "Are you sure we should be going down there?"

"The droid found an encrypted signal going through the tower and notified me to the location it was sent from. This seems to be the only way down.", Bultar answered, looking up at the dreadlocked Jedi. "How are the men doing?"

"Only three aren't injured.", Quinlan answered, "Altinrose is still missing and we haven't even heard from his beacon. I've sent the rest back to the shuttle. Murray, Ressa and Donovin will keep watch up here while we go underground. "

"Sounds good.", she murmured noncommittedly.

"But have you seen this stone? It is both wet and sheer. It will be a difficult climb, maybe impossible."

"I understand that.", Bultar said, clicking the cable to the climbing band on her waist. "Are you coming?"

She placed her arm in front of the little BD-unit, gesturing for it to climb on. The droid enthusiastically did as he was told, clipping onto the thick robes around her shoulder. She gripped the cable tightly in her gloved hands and swung over the edge. The cable slid through the climbing band before going taught, and she swung into the wall, using her feet to brace against the impact. With the droid clamped onto her shoulder, she carefully began repelling down into the crevice.

Cable smacked the stone next to her as Vos threw his own over the 'wet and sheer' edge. He followed it not long after, landing with his boots against the stone. He didn't grip the cable as she did. Instead, he relied on an auto release sensor in his climbing belt. His fingers crawled against the stone, feeling the rock face for the tiniest indent to grab hold of. "Keep watch for the rock cobras. I hear they like to inhabit this area."

Bultar nodded, paying more attention to her footholds than to Quinlan's voice. BD-9T sat comfortably on her shoulder, his small head rotating as he scanned the environment around them with both his torch and the blue lights that indicated his advanced scanners. He beeped out facts every now and then, such as the composition of the stone, an abandoned cobra nest, even a line on the stone that had been left by a large carnivore down here probably a thousand years ago. The crevice seemed to drop for about 60 metres before it opened up into a larger cave system. The two Jedi slipped down the rope, bending their knees as they hit the cavern floor. Stalagmites and stalactites stood proudly along the system. A glowing stream slipped along the bottom of the crevice, and as Bultar lowered herself to stand on one of the larger spikes that had fallen and now lay sideways.

Quinlan joined her, studying the ground around them. She knew that he was one of the best trackers in the Jedi Order, his psychometric abilities assisting his keen senses. He pointed along the river. "Do you see that?"

He was pointing at a metallic object not far from where they stood. Bultar scrambled down the rocks to it. The metal was urru, a rare composite that some Wookiee's used to craft their bowcaster, the blackened metal gleaming in the unnatural light of the river's glowing algae. She picked it up, and found the bowcaster of her friend in her hand. The military modifications to the weapon made it unmistakable. Her hand slammed into the ground in frustration. Whoever had taken Altinrose had come this way. BD leant down, his scanning equipment sending pulses of blue across the weapon.

Bwoo Beep Bleep?

Bultar sighed; but nodded. "Why not?"

A hologram of the weapon appeared before them, with several small tabs pointing to the numerous modifications the Wookiee had added. Quinlan let out a low whistle of admiration as he studied it. She rolled her eyes at him, and pointed down towards the south end of the tunnel, gesturing for them to hurry. She slung the bowcaster around her shoulder, then put her arm against the floor for the droid to climb onto and set off; determination etched in her expression.

BD-9T tightened his feet around the robes on Bultar's shoulder, trying to avoid being hit by her long braid. The cave's air was getting warmer, and there was a light coming from further along. Quinlan sprinted beside them, leaping across the stalactites, his hilt clamped firmly in his hand. The small droid's head spun around as he watched the crystals as they flew by. They seemed to be the rare trionius crystinatus, or sunstones, as they were more commonly known. Smugglers would often run jobs to steal them from transports, as each stone was worth thirty thousand credits each. He bent down to whistle that fact in the Jedi's ear.

Bultar glanced at him and nodded as she stowed that away in her head. If there were some precious crystals around here, it might explain why the assassins were here. They could mine their payment while they worked. That, or they could sell the sunstones to other crime organisations for parts of their explosives. Now what Stass and Caloc had reported on Alderaan made sense. The droids their mysterious contact had shared could be emissaries to whoever was buying the crystals, or they could be sending food and mining supplies in exchange for the attacks. Things were falling into place.

Suddenly, Quinlan held out a hand, stopping Bultar in her tracks. He gestured for her to listen, and they knelt behind a larger than usual stalactite. Peering over the rock, they found a massive platform hovering above the rocks and the creek. Quickly, she unslung the bowcaster and levelled the scope to peer through at the structure.

B1-series battle droids marched around the perimeter, as well as the hulking droids that had attacked their team. Hooded Utai and Duros worked around the dock, sorting crystals and minerals onto conveyors. About four black robed men wandered around the platform. Kage warriors. Rows of crates were lined up along the portside of the platform, each with a large symbol on the side.

"Do you recognise that symbol?", Bultar asked.

"I've only seen it once before.", Quinlan nodded, peering through his personal unioculars. "It's the symbol of the Sons of Gonn. They are a smuggling ring that recently tried their hand at expanding around the galaxy. Little known and not very influential or skilled. They get paid in sunstones – nothing else."

"Are they becoming a powerhouse?", she asked. If they were, then the Republic would need to stomp down on the Sons of Gonn before they grew into a powerful cartel.

Quinlan laughed, "No! Both the Hutts and the Son Tuul Pride have seen to that."

Bultar rubbed her chin, "So, are they delivering those crates or taking them elsewhere, I wonder?"

A loud growl echoed around the cave walls. A Wookiee's growl. A Wookiee in pain. The two Jedi exchanged a look and Bultar hissed out, "Altinrose!"

The two emerald blades spat into existence, and the Jedi leapt over the crystal.