The crab they were following continued to dive. Raezyr was about to call it quits and head back to the surface when the crab suddenly disappeared behind a small outcrop of rocks. Immediately Trychon followed the creature. Doubtful that this course of action was going to have any desirable outcome, Raezyr followed anyway.
The outcrop concealed a tunnel that, while narrow, still allowed for easy passage for not only the two humans, but their crustacean guide as well. The brothers could feel a current of sorts sweeping them along through the passageway. It was strong enough, and the tunnel was long enough to worry them. Already their lungs were starting to ache as the oxygen in their chests was used up. They'd never be able to fight the current if they had to go back.
Just as Trychon began to look upward inside the tunnel for an air pocket to breath from, they went around a bend and shot out into another large pond-like area. Neither Sith waited for their guide before stroking hard for the surface. They splashed out into the air, gasping, trying to catch their breath as they tread water. As they began to catch their breath, they noticed the spidac crawling onto the sandy shore. It beckoned to them once more and the two struck out for the water's edge, reaching it in a few easy strokes.
The spidac skittered toward a rocky tunnel entrance and the brothers followed it's lead, doing their best to wring out their tattered clothes as they walked. A few hundred meters down the passageway their alien guide stopped, peering behind a large rock, and then stood back, almost reverently.
Behind the rock Trychon and Raezyr found the remains of what appeared to be a human, dead for many years. All that remained were bones, tattered clothes and bits of equipment. There was some score marks on the cave walls, remnants of some long forgotten battle, and the air was stale and rotten.
Raezyr looked to their creature guide, and noted only half jokingly. "What an incredible smell you've discovered!"
Trychon walked over to the remains, while the spidac clicked its feet against the rocks almost hesitantly. He bent over and examined what was there. There was very little left beyond bones and a few metal pieces from the clothing. "Hey, Raez... check this out." He pointed to some metal device that was still on the arm of the skeleton. "There's some markings on here, that seem to be Sith in origin. I don't recognize most of them... but I think this one here in the center means 'seeker'. Or... something along those lines."
Raezyr walked up next to him and took a look. "Maybe something like 'Treasure hunter?'"
"Yeah... definitely could be."
Raezyr nodded. "That would make sense, given what Rodas told us. Not a surprise, really." He bent over and carefully removed the object, while glancing at their native host, hoping it wouldn't object. It didn't, it simply continued to click its legs and claws as it watched them patiently.
"Hmmm." The younger Sith pondered as he looked it over. "It's a Sith lanvarok. I've never seen one, myself... but that's definitely what it is." After seeing the lack of recognition from his brother, he continued. "It's a rather brutal weapon favored by some Sith. It launches a series of razor discs. This one seems to have an internal Force-trigger, as I don't see an external one."
"Nifty. I want it." Trychon reached out for the weapon and placed it on his arm. "Hey, perfect fit!"
"Yeah, it'll be a great trinket to put on our walls or something. I doubt it works anymore. Just don't try it, to be safe." Raezyr pointed out a few bent discs on the ground. It looked as though they had been fired in this part of the cave, but had ricocheted more than once.
"Well... it's loaded." Trychon smiled as he peered into the gap at the end of the lanvarok.
"Then you'd better not point it at me." Raezyr grumbled. "Not even as a joke. Anything else worth looking at?"
"I don't think so..." The older Sith glanced around. "Hey... think about this though... this guy was almost definitely here 'seeking' these crystals, right?" He waited for his brother to nod in agreement before making his conclusion. "The craftsmanship on this must be pretty good to have lasted... however long... and it was engraved with this marking about their journey..."
"I see where you're going with this." Raezyr scoffed. "You may be right... maybe it was an important group or mission... but for all we know, this was the last time they even bothered looking for them at all. I don't know what Eiron's got planned for them, but everything I've ever seen or read about the Sith seems to say that they wouldn't be inclined to give much credence to mythos and lore like the locals have here."
"Nah. You're right." Trychon shrugged. "It's just fun to imagine."
"If nothing else, you've got a pretty souvenir for when we get home," Raezyr said. "If we get home," he added, the reality of the situation overcoming the excitement of their find. They were silent for a few minutes, looking over the scene of the ancient carnage.
Finally, satisfied there wasn't really anything else to see, Trychon spoke. "Why do you think the spidac brought us here?"
They both turned to look at the crustacean. Trychon sent the feeling of confused to the creature. The spidac began a rhythmic clicking of it's pincers which the brothers had now assumed must be part of some language or communication, but nothing else.
The two grew frustrated and were about to turn away when the creature sent them two visions, one was of themselves battling the Meisosians, and the other was of the remains of the ancient Sith explorer. The conclusion hit them at the same time.
"Combined with the reverence this thing shows those remains, and the deference it's shown us, I'd say it's fair to assume that they appreciate anyone who fights the natives here," Raezyr concluded.
"I can understand that," Trychon agreed. "We did see tons of tools and jewelry made from the spidac shells. They didn't get it all from shells they found laying around, and I'm pretty sure we were provided more than one meal for which spidac was the main course."
Raezyr felt sick thinking about it. He wondered to himself whether the Meisosians knew the spidacs were sentient. Not every alien race felt the same compunction about eating the flesh of other sentient species, and truly, there were many debates about just what constituted "sentience," but if they did know, it was another reason to hate these aliens.
"I think we're missing the main point here," Trychon said covering his face with his palm. "This dead guy didn't just "beam" himself into these caves with some magic teleportation device."
Raezyr and Trychon both took off down the cave. After several meters, Raezyr took a quick glance over his shoulder, one last look at the strange creature which had inexplicably helped them. He then turned to his brother as they walked. "Call me crazy, but I could have sworn that thing just waved goodbye to us."
Trychon glanced back for himself, then gave his brother a blank look. "Shut up, Raez."
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