Beauty in The Eyes Beholder

CHAPTER FOUR

Capt. Verlund stands on the top of a hill. Through his binoculars, he scans the valley below. The feeling of disbelief has him slightly shake his head at what he sees. He looks over at 1st Sgt. Weglarz.

"Looks like she's right on the money. If we ever get off this rock, I owe Sgt. Olyone a bottle of single malt whisky."

Weglarz quickly looks down at the valley below where a mining facility sits. "So noted, sir," replies Weglarz.

Verlund orders a few scouts and a couple squads out to the facility. As they slowly move throughout the mining facility, all they see is a place that time forgot. Piles of dirt-covered junk are scattered all over the ground. The strong winds blowing against the buildings create an eerie creaking noise. Each building that is searched yields nothing, except more questions. The troops eventually make their way to the mine shaft. Verlund is still on top of the hill, walking back and forth; he already "feels" the Emperor breathing down his neck when his commlink begins to chime.

"Talk to me," says Verlund quickly. The stormtrooper gives the all- clear but informs the Captain that the search throughout the compound is fruitless. Verlund detects a pause from the stormtrooper. "Anything else?"

"W-Well, you have to see it for yourself, sir," says the stormtrooper. Verlund and the rest of the troops quickly descend down the hill and head toward the mine shaft. Soon as Verlund gets close enough, he quickly understands why that stormtrooper said what he said. The mouth of the shaft is boarded up...or it was. Verlund approaches the stormtrooper.

"My God. Soldier...what the hell happened here?"

The soldier looks back at the mouth of the shaft, then back at the Captain. "Whoever was working here placed a metal plug that, from what I can tell, is at least several inches thick. In addition, a heavy excavator was placed on top of it. But as you can see...it didn't hold."

Verlund looks at the flipped-over the excavator and the metal plug...what's left of it. 'Whatever the colonists tried to keep in got out...with ease,' thinks Verlund. As he gets a closer look at the metal plug, he wonders what could have had the strength to do this?

A call comes in: The Emperor wishes to speak to him...at once. "Great," Verlund says under his breath. He quickly makes it over to Palpatine, who's standing right outside of the shaft, and quickly informs Palpatine of the situation. He is surprised that the Emperor hasn't reacted to the underwhelming info in one way or the other.

"My lord, I think it best if you head back to the colony while we head down and search the mine." Verlund sees a smile quickly appear on the Emperor's face.

"Your concerns for my safety are commendable, but not needed. I am very interested to discover the treasures the colonists tried so hard to keep buried. Wouldn't you agree, Captain?" The Emperor smiles once again.

Verlund sees under the smile and gets the hint: Do as I say, or things will get quite unpleasant for you. Verlund does his best to not let disappointment appear on his face. He quickly shouts out three names.

"Dzukya, Olyone, Tapalo: get over here!" The three sergeants make it over to the Captain, quick. His orders are simple and straight to the point.

"Take your teams down that shaft and perform a sweep of the sub-levels. Tapalo will take sub-level one, Dzukya, you have level two, and since Sgt. Olyone's team was were the ones who found that marker at the colony...sub-level three.

'Gee, thanks,' Olyone thinks. She thinks of few expletives for Verlund as all three teams quickly head over to the mouth of the shaft. The elevator easily fits every person. They wait as a couple of stormtroopers tinker with the elevator control console just a few feet away. The power quickly comes on like it was just shut off yesterday.