Underneath the surface of Daleem is a complex and extensive planet-wide interconnected tunnel system. These tunnels connect to various ancient ruins from a multitude of long dead civilizations; some even run beneath the planet’s shallow oceans. While openings to the tunnels are a rare find, it is almost a guarantee that somewhere within each surface ruin site is a way to enter the tunnels, usually through an ancient, protected hatch or a prior cave-in.

The tunnels are decidedly sentient-made and look to be in relative repair with a few exceptions. Of note, water has found its way into some sections that are under the shallow oceans, droplets dripping onto the floor and trickling down the walls. Curiously, these small pools stay relatively small even though no obvious escape route exists, causing many to believe that animals have found their way into the underground passage as well. Some travellers have even heard the skittering insects from the darker recesses of the tunnels. In addition, acrid smoke wafts and weaves through the chambers. Though harmless, the overpowering stench irritates the noses of those forced to pass through without respiratory protection.

Several data screens hang from the walls, displaying cryptic information from some unknown system. Hexagonal in shape, the long corridors are broken up by smaller indentations that appear to be blast door housings. Various conduits hang down from broken panels, and occasionally crackle and spark with electricity. At the end of each section of tunnel, between each 'door', lies a circular portal covered with hardened duraplate. Whatever lies beyond them is a mystery that has yet to be solved.

The floor creaked as he pushed through the damaged blast door. He stepped into the tunnel, and was greeted by a shower of sparks from a half-dead light fixture overhead. He looked down the long corridor, and eased himself into a Force induced, shadowy figure, a shadowy figure flitting to the tunnel edge and moving down the hexagonal passage. He made his way along the corridor, until coming to a control panel.

It only required a six digit passcode. ONLY a six digit passcode. Tyraal paused for a moment; he entered two attempts. Both failed.

“Third time’s the charm?” He mused.

Nah. He ignited his lightsaber and jabbed the short end into the console. It erupted in a cascading, volcanic display of sparks. He blinked away the tears from the abrupt wave of heat and turned to the blast door. It whined and opened two meters, before grinding to a halt and starting to close again. And then starting to open again, once it was about three inches from closed. Tyraal waited for a moment, before squeezing through to the other side, leaving the door in its eternal loop of opening and closing.

He gently twirled his lightsaber, extinguishing it as he bounced down the hall. Aurara Ta’var had promised to meet him somewhere down here, but where was she? Something questionable was going on and she had asked him to provide backup. And here she was, missing during the moments when she shouldn’t have been. He paused for a moment, listening and feeling out with the Force. He felt a weak tremor, and heard water dripping from somewhere, echoing across the various hall ways.

He slipped along, turning down another hallway, fading back to a shadow against the wall. He felt outwards again, and froze as a massive quake in the Force struck him. He leapt backward, igniting his lightsaber as something sailed towards him. Something struck his weapon and shattered. Something dark. A lightsaber ignited and swung at him. Deep, sharp, azure blue.

He parried once, twice, and then struck back, kicking heavily at his assailant. He heard a muffled “Mmmmph!” as the figure tumbled backward. They hit the wall, tumbled to the floor, and rocketed back toward him. He leaned aside as the figure swiped upward. His lightsaber was knocked away, and he bounced away. He grabbed his second saber, and ignited it. As he backpedaled, he froze, dipping into the Force. The figure twirled and charged him, and Tyraal reached forward, feeling the sharp crackle of lightning trickle through him, swelling from his belly and spiralling up, up, up, and tumbling down his fingertips.

It snapped out from his hands, and swept out like a whip, and collided mightily with his assailant. He heard a sharp, feminine cry, and the figure stumbled back. She snarled, and Tyraal groaned.

“How about you say hello next time,” he grunted, “before you swing a lightsaber at me, Aura?”

“If you can dodge a blue-haired Zeltron with a lightsaber, you can dodge a… cave monster,” Aura replied after a short pause, making a show of pretending to be a vicious predator by roaring and making her fists into claws.

“You could have been hurt,” Tyraal shot back, his annoyance apparent.

“You don’t like my impressions? My daughter loves them,” she fake pouted.

“She’s 4 years old and I can tell you’re faking it. We’ve been over this before. I’m the sneaky one and you draw their attention,” chided Bitshiver.

“So serious today,” replied Aura.

“I learned from the best. You said you needed backup?” The Clawdite gestured towards her while he suspiciously gazed at the intersecting hallways that branched outward like one large spider web.

The Zeltron smirked mischievously. “Yes, actually. I needed someone to help me on this scavenger hunt to the next hub. The mission is to obtain whatever’s there and bring it back to the Shan scientists. Think of it as a challenge.”

Tyraal stared at her accusingly before he paced back and forth, assessing the situation. “Is this actually a mission?” he finally shot back.

“Totally. You’ll even earn credits for it. Apparently, there is a dearth of volunteers lately. You in?”

The Clawdite laughed sarcastically. “Can’t imagine why. I’d give this place 5 stars. The barely functioning doors really sell it for me.”

“For me, it’s the bright cheerful interior, lots of natural light.” Aura smiled and beckoned him deeper into tunnel network.

She ignored his sigh and focused on the technology around her, taking care to reach out to the Force each time she touched any console. The pair passed a particularly heavy set of doors and paused at a third terminal, the Zeltron halting to acquire vague memories from the past. Water droplets rang against the metal floor like the reliable tick of a space-chronometer. Tyraal examined the equipment next to her and shuffled to and fro, impatiently waiting to check it out himself. Aura stepped back and let him work his magic.

“There is something special about this one,” she promised.

The Clawdite quickly tapped away at the terminal, probing each of the menu items methodically. The strings of 0’s and 1’s translated into a variety of droid sounds that echoed around the empty chamber, the Zeltron merely watching. Tyraal whooped with joy as he passed the first menu and began the process all over again, his face lit with excitement.

“Quite the attitude you have. I just want to solve this puzzle. No need to get bent out of shape,” Bitshiver replied to the computer, slightly amused by this machine’s brain.

A higher-pitched series of whirs, beeps, and boops was all he got in reply but this time text, written in some ancient language, also appeared on the small viewscreen.

“Oh, you want to play games now? Repeat message,” asked the Clawdite.

He listened patiently to the reply once more and then turned to Aura. “It’s a riddle. It asks ‘What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?’”

As they started to pace back and forth and pondered it over, the heavy doors on either side closed shut and the sound of circulating water could be heard behind the walls. Immediately, water started to stream down the curved sides, already splashing against their boots. Both of them paused for a moment and then focused on the question with a renewed urgency, the cold water soaking through their clothing and rising up their legs.

“Got nothing. You know the answer?” Aura shouted over the sound of running water.

“Working on it!” Tyraal shouted, more on edge than usual.

“Breathers out, just in case,” she suggested, holding her own above the water.

Tyraal merely nodded, choosing to keep his focus on the console itself. She could hear him muttering a stream of conscious thoughts under his breath as he tried a variety of options. None had worked so far. Beads of sweat collected on his brow as the water rose up to his chest and inched towards his neck.

“Stream!” he yelled out, ducking his head under the water to input the answer.

A familiar negative beep made Bitshiver curse.

“Tyraal, breather now!” the Zeltron yelled before she put on her own.

“I got this, one more guess!” he replied, reaching for the terminal as the water crept near his chin.

Aura slapped his hand away and pointed vigorously at his makeshift belt. The Clawdite gave her his best look of frustration, his fear hidden beneath it, and reluctantly reached for his Aquata breather. He took a deep breath and went underwater, wrestling with the pouch fastened to his belt as the current inside the tunnel pulled him in odd directions. He grabbed the small device and put it in his mouth, helped by his master’s steadying hand keeping him more or less in place.

He gave her a thumbs up and she let go, the pair of them already floating aimlessly. The entire tunnel was flooded now with a slight tug from a current pulling them away from the console. Master and apprentice swam back to it, trying a few more possibilities. Aura could help but notice that her blue hair flowed behind her effortlessly and thought of a particularly vain Zeltron. It was almost as if she was caught in a wind tunnel or it was some green algae stubbornly holding onto a—

Meanwhile, Tyraal was losing patience, already reaching for his saber. She knew that look. Aura quickly poked his arm and gestured for him to move over, finally getting his attention. Her heart sank as the keyboard had no recognizable symbols, merely basic and whatever else was on there. She quickly traced the letters in the water with her hand, patiently going over each one. The Clawdite smacked his forehead halfway through and quickly keyed it in, the garbled affirmative beep a most welcoming sound. The door further downstream rushed open sweeping them along with the artificially-made river. Closed off doors ahead of them forced them towards a singular destination.

They turned several sharp bends, bumping into each other, and then saw a dark drop below them. Uncertain of what was in store for them, master and apprentice held onto each other and hoped for the best as the rushing water thrust them over the edge.