"Certainly came in handy," Ker'Raos says, revealing that he too has confiscated quite a few grenades and a glowrod. "These tunnels are unnavigable in the dark, even with the Force."
Each tunnel you take leads you to another junction, then another, then another, each one the same and directing you towards the Main Pit. These tunnels, better used than the routes you took, are lighted by dimmed glowpanels that line the sides.
Of course. With Ker'Raos holding up the rear, right?
Eventually, you start to hear a trickle of voices in the distance. The closer you get to the Main Pit, the louder it becomes. Very soon, however, it cuts short. Down the current tunnel you can see a bright white chamber... and a portion of the Arnian troops in the room, just beyond the tunnel. They are silent and watching someone.
"Rebellious thugs!" a sharp, clear voice rings out, the sound carrying up the tunnel to you. "As a merciful being, I hereby request your surrender! Throw down your weapons and you may live. Fail to comply and you will receive no mercy from me or my men, who far outnumber you. The choice is yours."
There is murmuring amongst the ranks.
Ker'Raos opts to hang back, and I presume Wraith does not want to try anything, seeing as the last try got him shot at.
Tossing would be noticeable. They are fist-sized black spheres with spikes that embed themselves in their targets, like sticky bombs.
You creep forward with a 20 on the Intrusion roll, very easily moving unnoticed to a chunk of ice partially blocking the tunnel. It is at this point that you notice the scoring of blaster fire on the inside walls of the tunnel.
You have entered the Main Pit, a massive chamber of ice used for mining the odd mineral vein out of the frozen walls of the cavern and for drawing nutrient-rich water from below the surface of Arnia. It is roughly shaped like a funnel, with platforms circling down along the walls towards the open bottom of the pit. The sea water of Arnia sloshes about at the very bottom. In the center, hanging down from the ceiling, is the pumping installation that draws the water up to the surface to be stored and sold and shipped.
The Arnian soldiers (and there are quite a few... hundred...) have all eyes on a figure standing up on a piece of mining equipment located near the edge of the platform. He is an Arnian, wearing richly decorated chromium armor and a flowing navy blue cape. He glares downwards, towards the bottom of the pit, waiting for the reply.
He seems very familiar, Dak...
Okay...
We can't just blunder into this one. We're three Dark Jedi; deadly, but hardly an army.
I've got an idea about the grenades, if you're willing to hear me out, Dak.
Also, Wraith will sense for life at the base of the pit, to see if we've got anyone going with us on this...
This is all assuming that the plan is to kill off anyone who opposes this rebellion that we don't know much about but that Dak will presumably take charge of because the Force told him it would happen...
Oh boy.
That could be done with a bit of tinkering, Wraith, as the grenades don't have time delays. Risky roll, though...
It takes a moment, Dak, but...
His name is Gremon, eldest son of the Queen-Mother, making him an Arnian Prince. A member of the Royal family, Gremon is a natural-born fighter and gifted with the power of the Force. A lizard feared by his enemies and always eager to prove his worth in battle. No doubt he is spearheading the efforts in quelling this rebellion and has come to see to it personally that he squashes it here.
Wraith, you sense more beings in the pit, which is probably where the reply to Gremon's demands comes from.
"Is that all you've got?" comes a call from below. "You want us to surrender? Hah! It's more likely that the Heavenly Star will sit down in a conference meeting with you to discuss how you intend to wage this war. And it isn't going to be by asking for surrenders. You want my gun? Come and snatch it or piss off!"
Them be fightin' words, it looks like. Gremon snarls and steps down from the mining equipment, taking his place at the head of his soldiers. He utters commands to his officers, who then relay that all rebels are to be killed. No survivors.
Heavy stuff, Dak. Not since the Osokans tried invading has the Royal Army carried out such a grave task.
Strangely enough, other than what Gremon was using as a stage, there is no sight of the plasma drilling equipment that miners typically use in the water mines.
There is the massive pump hanging down through the ceiling, but you have a feeling it would more likely fall into the bottom of the pit than the soldiers.