[Kylo]

Spoob was beginning to seriously question whether this caving thing was a good idea or not. He had been given a map, on paper!?, and a...feather. How one was supposed to write with a feather was beyond him. Spoob grumbled as he dug an old stylus out of his pocket and a folded piece of flimsi before setting to work redrawing the map. Like hell he was going to use paper. Caves are generally moist and paper does not survive moisture. Everyone knew that, except, apparently, that strange beast that uses it's own body parts as writing utensils. And now he had to meet up with some woman he met earlier to get this thing started.

He tapped his foot angrily as he stood outside the cave entrance with a glowrod waiting for his partner to show up. He knew he was being impatient but he wanted to get started now.

(Darth Spoob-1)

[SpringsSong]

(Hope you don't mind that I'm bringing both Noriala and Doc along =3)

Noriala.  Cathar form.
Doc.  Human form.

Noriala had been on edge since she'd run into that man earlier, and Doc could feel it as they made their way to the cave that they'd been told to go to.

"Ease up, Gorgeous," Doc said.  "I'm sure it's nothing.  You're being paranoid, with everything that happened after--"

"I know what I felt, Doc," Noriala said, turning to face her companion.  "If he realizes what I am, it could mean trouble.  That's why I wanted you with me."

"Well, if something happens on this exploration, someone's gonna need to be there to patch you up," he said, winking mischievously.  "But, I think that's him, there."

Noriala looked up the path, and noticed the man redrawing the map with a stylus on... flimsi?  She drew in a breath and approached, removing one of her own glowsticks from her pack.

"Hello.  I'm Noriala, and this is Doc," she said, indicating herself first, and then Doc.  "We were told to meet you here."

(Noriala/Doc - 1)

[Kylo]

(I don't mind at all! Spoob however finds it a bit suspicious.)

Spoob looked up from his drawing and attempted a smile. It probably came out wrong and awkward, but at least it was an attempt.

"Hi, you can call me Orion. I'm glad you can make it. I wasn't expecting there to be two of you though."

He looked back down at his map and finished sketching it before stuffing it in his pocket.

"I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to see you out here. I was under the impression that this planet wasn't yet well known to the wider galaxy. Especially given their lack of modern technology. Can you believe I was given a feather to write with? And paper? I haven't seen paper in years."

He cracked his glowrod to get it started.

"Well since we're all here let's get going then."

He attempted another smile, this one slightly better than the last, though it pulled at his scars painfully.

(Spoob-2)

[SpringsSong]

Noriala had been about to introduce herself when Doc butted in.  "She was about to set off by herself, but when she told me what she was going to be doing, I decided to tag along with.  Just in case you have need of a medic, ya know?  And she was in a rather... bad crash not that long ago, and it would reflect poorly on me as a doctor to let her endanger her health."

"And I've told you, you worry over me too much," Noriala said in a low voice.  Before he could rebut, she added on, "Don't make me use your full name."

He coughed slightly, and turned his attention back to Orion.  "I'm Doc--just Doc.  Been from one end of the galaxy to the other, and it's clear I still have things to learn."

"And I'm Noriala--a Cathar who's very clearly out of place," Noriala said with a chuckle.  "Frankly, I'm surprised to see someone else from our side of the galaxy out here.  I've come across a few others, but... I've known them for years--almost all of them Cathar, like myself."

[Kylo]

"I'm used to far out planets, I come from the Unknown regions, but most at the very least have some kind of flight vehicles," Spoob added.

He began to walk into the cave and carefully looked over the walls as he went in. He wasn't too informed on geology, yet, so he wanted to record as much as he could. He pulled out a small datapad and take a picture of the walls with it so he could research it later.

"Are either of you big on science, well, besides medical science for you, Doc?"

He took a few more pictures by the light of his glowrod before turning to face the pair.

"I may take a while before moving from place to place in here as I want to record as much as possible. I haven't gotten to researching geology much yet so I want to be able to document as much as possible to go over later."

(Spoob-3)

[SpringsSong]

"The Unknown Regions, you say?  Can't say I've heard of many people from the Unknown Regions," Noriala said, realizing she would have to choose her next words very carefully.  Doc, however, seemed to sense her hesitation and spoke up.

"We're from Ralltiir, originally.  Noriala was part of a... very small Cathar settlement there.  She and her family were among the first Cathar to come to Ralltiir.  We both went to Coruscant for our advanced schooling--University of Coruscant to be specific," he said.  Noriala nodded after a few minutes.

"Yeah," she said.  "I studied all sorts of things, but my final area of study ended up being directed towards diplomacy... not that it helped with everything that happened," she said.  It was close enough to the truth; as a Jedi, one of her primary jobs was aiding in the diplomacy during the war.

(Doc/Noriala - 3)

[Kylo]

"Ah, good old Coruscant. Hate to say it but that planet is a nightmare to me. Too many people crowded into such small quarters. I'm used to quiet country farming life. Big city planets are just too hustle and bustle for me. Gimme some good old open fields and large pastures."

Spoob chuckled lightly. It wasn't too far from the truth, his planet was, now, a farming settlement. Didn't used to be that way, but Core planets had a way of forgetting about people without money.

"I haven't ever been to Ralltiir. It's a banking world, I believe?"

He knew they were lying. He could feel their hesitation and the way Doc's eyes moved slightly when he brought up Coruscant suggested he was only being partially honest at most. And when Noriala added the part about diplomacy sealed his suspicions that what he had been fed was a lie. Not to mention they way her aura seemed to be guarding herself. She was force sensitive at the very least to be able to wrap it so close and make it so vague.

"I never bothered with politics. My world is too far out for anyone to involve us in either the Republic, the War, and now the Empire. We're too small, and have too few resources to be worth the trouble of ruling."

He laughed again though it sounded a bit bitter and hollow.

(Spoob-4)

[SpringsSong]

"It's a financial hub world, yeah--or at least, it was before the war.  I'm not sure what's going to happen to it now," Doc said.  "I was glad to get off of Coruscant when I graduated the university.  Noriala stayed behind--"

"--as an attaché to another Cathar senator.  It was a rewarding experience, but he soon sent me on various missions to mid- and outer-rim territories, when the war broke out in full.  See how the war was affecting them, try to provide a wider view of the galaxy outside of the Core Worlds.  But, honestly... give me a homestead on Dantooine any day, I prefer that to Coruscant's never-ending bustle," Noriala said, shrugging.  "Although the senator I was serving with didn't survive the shift in power.  Before that happened, he sent me off--my ship got hit in a fight, though.  Crash-landed on a planet where I was fortunate enough to be reunited with two of my childhood friends."

Doc straightened his posture and made a sweeping motion to the entrance of the cave.  "Well, we can stand around and talk all day, or we can get to exploring this cave.  Shall we?"

(Doc/Noriala - 4)

[Kylo]

That was certainly a good cover... if he hadn't had all of the data on senators and aides from during the war back on an old r4 unit on his ship. He would have made a comment if the good doctor hadn't cut in. So Spoob merely nodded and started to travel further into the cave, stopping to record images and make notes along the way in silence.

On the inside he was anything but silent. He was trying not to scream as the data he had gathered on these two ran into the most likely possibilities in his head. Either they were criminals, war criminals, or they were associated with the Jedi in some fashion, the most likely being that the woman is a Jedi of some sort.

None of the possibilities pleased him and only made him more nervous the further he got into the cave.

If worst came to worst, then he would have to kill them. It's only a matter of time before the likely Jedi sniffed out his true nature. After that the only option would be to fight.

(Spoob-5)

[SpringsSong]

The last thing on Noriala's mind as they entered the cave, unsurprisingly, was actually exploring.  By now, she was thoroughly convinced that this man was a Sith, or allied with them in some fashion.  Although she had done the best she could to disguise her own Force-sensitivity, she was certain that something else would tip him off, and that would be the end of her--maybe he'd been sent to finish off what the clones had started when Order 66 was called.

When Doc placed a hand on her shoulder, it took all she had to keep from jumping and screaming.  It looked like there were four different paths they could take.

"So, ah... talk about a fork in the road.  Which way first?" he asked.

[Kylo]

"I'd say the largest tunnel to the left first," Spoob answered as he made note of the hole in the ceiling above.

The way the Cathar had nearly jumped out if her skin didn't escape his notice and he made a mental note of it. It was odd, he had been told that Jedi did not feel fear or anxiety and yet the longer they were all in this cave together the more nervous she got.

"You know it's odd, this whole new government we live in. The senate voted to make that...thing, to be emperor, and they say that's binding, but by law in order to enact a governmental change they have to get the votes of their constitutes first and I don't ever recall voting for this."

(Spoob-6)

[SpringsSong]

"I don't recall ever voting for that loon, either," Doc piped up.  "I mean, sure, a lot of us on Ralltiir voted for him when Queen Amidala called for that vote of no confidence in Valorum, but... none of us wanted him in power as long as he's been.  Just one more reason why that Gungan probably shouldn't have been in the Senate to begin with--the Emperor likely manipulated him into proposing that amendment."

"You don't suppose he could have manipulated the Queen's decoy into calling for that vote, do you?" Noriala asked absently.  "He was the senator from Naboo before her, and I honestly doubt he knew that he was not speaking to Queen Amidala herself."

"It's possible--" Doc began to say, but he stopped short as he saw a pair of eyes staring at them from the darkness.  They almost seemed to be glowing, and as it stepped forward, Noriala found herself wishing she had her weapon, even if it revealed her identity as a Jedi to Orion.

"Hey.  Hey, little--big--guy," Doc said, his own voice sounding a little nervous.  "You're... not gonna--"

As he started to say this, the beast turned its attention from Doc to Noriala, padding warily to her and sniffing the air curiously.  After a few minutes, it sat before her, tail swaying slowly.

[Kylo]

Spoob froze as they spotted a pair of eyes and carefully inched his hands towards his saber just in case, but didn't withdraw it from within his shirt. His head swiveled towards the darkness as he saw another pair of eyes and carefully drew his hand away from his weapon as he could feel it's intent. It was merely curious of them and didn't give off the vibe that a predator stalking its prey would.

"Easy there...we won't bite if you won't...," he said softly as the reddish beast stepped into view and approached him. It walked up to Spoob and sat down in front of him and sniffed at him.

"Good thing, that's right, we're not a threat," he cooed softly. He had a weak spot for animals, shoot him, he didn't care. Even Sith could enjoy some things in life. He just happened to enjoy animals as they typically were far more reasonable than sentients.

(Spoob-7)

[SpringsSong]

Seeing another one approach their group, but seeing it approach Orion specifically, Noriala stepped forward and placed her hand out for the creature to sniff.  It was a maneuver she'd seen Hannlya use with her varactyl.  The creature tilted its head, and approached, sniffing Noriala's hand hesitantly.

"I, ah... don't suppose you know what these guys are called," Noriala asked, turning to Orion.  "I cannot say I've ever seen one before, or anything remotely close to it in my travels around the galaxy.  My, ah... friend who gives me a lift from time to time has all sorts of animals on her ship, but I've never seen her have one quite like that."

"I can't say I've seen one like it either, gorgeous," Doc said to Noriala.  "But it's definitely native to these caves.  I think it wants us to follow it?" he said, indicating how the creature was indicating the tunnel in front of them.

[Kylo]

"I have no idea. This is the first time I've seen them as well."

The creature let out a soft chuffing noise then began to walk slowly back towards the are it came from, stopping to look back to see if the group was following it.

"I think I agree with you on that one. I see no reason to not take a chance on it. They seem friendly enough to me, so I doubt it's taking us anywhere unsafe."

Spoob began to walk after it, intending to follow it wherever it lead them. Hopefully he was right and it wasn't leading them into a trap.

(Spoob-8)