Pausing for some seconds, Nix weighed the alien's offer like a conscious buyer. Manpower...err...being-power has always been a problem for our cause...but what can one do in a long established base, away from the action, in two days? If he were here longer, I'm sure we could train him for something useful, like maintaining fighters or droids or something...but two days? Kitchen or janitor duties perhaps? Well, scratch the kitchen idea...I'm not sure if it would be worth the effort to janitorial stuff, especially with the droids...but we're going to have to keep him occupied for at least a little bit...

"We have not explored the temple that you took us too," said Nix, "but we probably should. A survey of that could be potentially useful if we need to expand the base or just to make sure nothing dangerous resides there that could be dangerous to us later on. Perhaps you would be willing to go with Rogers and some other soldiers of ours to explore it? If you're not up for it, I'll understand..."

Aleister paused, and thought this through. He had been given a purpose to gain those items from that particular temple, but Han did not alert him to any other dangers there... Would he? Still... He offered his services to these men, and they had thus far been friends. He had no reason not to help them.

He listened to Han however, as he had not yet left.

There are rooms within the temple that holds my tomb, that are not meant for these men, and it would be very dangerous for them to enter. If they can withstand the sith prescence in the Temple they are welcome to use any room that is not marked by a sigil of an boar's head. This is very important. Those rooms, are boobytrapped with such magick that none of their number would survive if they attempted to open it.


"I would be glad to lead that survey. However, I must ask that you trust me, and allow me to lead the way through any door. There aer some, which are not safe for your kind, or myself, and they are marked. If we do not try to force them open, we will remain unharmed."

He nodded, and looked at Nix.

"When would you like to go?"

"Tomorrow," replied Nix, "the day is getting late, and it will nearly be time for dinner in the mess hall..."


The next day...

Rogers stared over the survey mission expedition in the main hangar bay. Besides himself, there were the three other members of his scout lance, two Shistavanens, and a handful of droids (including a pair of rather snipity astromech droids). The scout glanced at his chrono. Well, the breakfast in a box was good...at least better than that crap we ate from the tubes two weeks ago...where is Mianar? He glanced out of the corner of his eye to realize that Mianar was already present; somehow overlooked in the amorphous mob of beings that were loading up a pair of light landspeeders that would take them to the base and drop off their surveying equipment(most of which were sensors and survival gear). Rogers casually strode over to the alien.

"I think we're about set to go," informed the man, "the landspeeders are nearly loaded...I figured it would be better for us to hover over any potential traps on our way to the temple, besides the hassle of having to carry all this stuff on our backs..."

"Tomorrow," replied Nix, "the day is getting late, and it will nearly be time for dinner in the mess hall..."


The next day...

Rogers stared over the survey mission expedition in the main hangar bay. Besides himself, there were the three other members of his scout lance, two Shistavanens, and a handful of droids (including a pair of rather snipity astromech droids). The scout glanced at his chrono. Well, the breakfast in a box was good...at least better than that crap we ate from the tubes two weeks ago...where is Mianar? He glanced out of the corner of his eye to realize that Mianar was already present; somehow overlooked in the amorphous mob of beings that were loading up a pair of light landspeeders that would take them to the base and drop off their surveying equipment(most of which were sensors and survival gear). Rogers casually strode over to the alien.

"I think we're about set to go," informed the man, "the landspeeders are nearly loaded...I figured it would be better for us to hover over any potential traps on our way to the temple, besides the hassle of having to carry all this stuff on our backs..."

Aleister nodded. He knew however, after a short discussion with Han, that there were no traps leading toward the temple, only surrounding it and inside, and he offered up that bit of information, even though taking the hovercraft was a good idea anyway as it kept them from having to walk.

"I'm ready when you are!" He spouted cheerfully, having rested well the night before, and partaken in the meal this morning, even before his Alliance counterpart had arrived to the mess hall.

The man nodded, and off they went. It was an uneventful trip to the Temple itself, making life for them so much simpler. Again, he took point, and lead the troops to the Temple.

"Remember as I have said, of the marking which protects certain doors. Do not attempt to open those doors, or you will forfeit your life. This is not negotiable."

He watched the men, and the two wolf like creatures he was told would be joining them, named shistevanan's. He was especially impressed with them. They nodded in the affirmative, and they took to opening the Temple Door, with the leader of the alliance right next to him.

"After you, good sir."

Rogers watched as the Shistavanens almost immediately left the main group to venture down a corridor; that was not surprising to Rogers; the Shistavanens tended to isolate themselves from everyone else whenever possible, for reasons Rogers did not understand, nor did he care to understand. The only thing he did understand about them was their lack of love to an Empire that had used and abused them. Their motivation was all he needed to know. A single R2 unit made a series of beeps and quickly followed them down the corridor. Rogers shrugged. R2 units...maybe we can send those into the booby-trapped rooms...nah...cost too much money...Hopefully Mianar's possession is actually right about this, and we're not walking into a bunch of traps...I hope. You never know with these Sith spirits...

Rogers strolled over to his usual scouting partner, Aaron, who was gazing at a single door. Rogers looked at it. Near the top was a highly stylized rendering that could be a boar, situated among many other glyphs which marked the door. Aaron glanced at him.

"Do you see it?"

"That is near the top, centre? Right by that thing that looks like the letter Aleph?"

Aaron nodded, "It looks like a boar."

"I'd rather not find out the hard way...let's skip it and check out the next one...if they all have that symbol, I think we're going to be out of luck for a while..."

Aleister spoke calmly, but firmly.

"Release Your tension my friends, but do step away from that door. It holds the pattern of the boars head that marks the doors that are boobytrapped and not safe for us. Do not trifle, my friend... It holds nothing of interest to you."

He watched as they moved on. The next room, he opened the door with a wave of his hand and some assistance from Han.

"Careful Gentlemen...careful. This room holds his storeroom. It holds no value to him anymore, and he would prefer in his newly generous nature, that his weaponry, however antiquated it is, be given to your cause."

Possessed or crazy? Now we're giving alms to the poor? Or that Sith became a saint? Rogers carefully tread into the room, carefully followed by Aaron and one of the R2 units. The droid beeped as it began to scan the room with its sensors. Surprisingly, no arrows flew out of the walls, nor floors collapsed into bottomless pits, and no Sith apprentice jumped down on top of him. Though some moth briefly landed on his hat before flying away. Exhaling a sigh of relief, the soldier headed over to a crate and lifted its dusty lid. That looks like a rifle of some sort. He hefted the weapon out of its crate, carefully blowing off a thin layer of dust as he did so. He briefly checked it over...a pulse rifle...a little old, but still pretty powerful. The R2 unit made a series of beeps; Roger spun about on his heel.

"What is it R2?" questioned Aaron, fingering what he though was a grenade.

The astromech droid made more toots and whistles.

Aaron frowned, "I think we should go check up on our Shistavanen friends..."

Aleister quirked an eyebrow.

"By all means, lead the way." His wings fluttered ever so slightly, but, Han Was telling him nothing as of yet. This said to him, that they were not in any specific danger...But what then, could have befallen their Shistavanen comrades?

He followed behind Rogers, waiting to see what the man meant.

Aaron brisquely walked down the corridor that the Shistavanens had disappeared into. Rogers had to occasionally jog to keep up with the taller man, while the droids wheeled right after him as fast as they could. Aaron abruptly turned into a room with his blaster drawn. Before Rogers could enter the room, he heard the distinctive whine of a blaster being fired. Frowning, he drew his own as he entered the room.

It was nearly identical to the one they were just in, save for the smoldering heap of electronics that lay in the middle of the floor. The two Shistavanens passed an irritated glance between the two of them before continuing to rummage through some crates. Aaron frowned as he approached the remains of the droid more closely.

"Y6, this isn't a battle droid..."

The droid angrily tootled back at him.

"Just because you saw that it had a buzz does not mean it's going to kill anyone. You have a buzz saw...it was another astromech just like you, but a whole lot older...wait, were you being jealous again? Really?"

One of the Shistavanens passed a glance back at Aaron, "The droid malfunctioned when we entered. It threatened us, perhaps, but it could not move. We decided to leave it alone for later study, if it was worth it."

Aaron blushed, "Sorry guys, Y6 just said that a battle droid was trying cut you guys up."