Slugger whistles in amazment at the size of the object, " I wonder if Ten Thermal's is enough to take that down." Slugger looks to Driz " Are all our Brothers out of it, can't blow it sky high with Friendlies in the way."

"We can probably be more subtle than ten thermals. We need to hurry, this situation could go to haran any minute now." He says the last sentence louder, loud enough for the medic to hear.

Looking around Caieous was uncertain about the best course of action. Another Knight dead and a Padawan here in danger. Did the figure mention clones? So, they were not alone and that brought hope.

“Some light to help us along then” Caieous called out in the cavernous dark. Caieous pulled his lightsaber to his hand, leaving the others for later. Though the Padawan would need his soon too...

A blue plasma blade shone in the dark and the humming energy echoed through the cavern.

“Over here Vinteer!”

CT-4077 shifts his attention from the corridors and the general atmosphere of the area to more pressing matters. First, he tends to Akua's wounds. As they may have expected, the clone medic does his job quick and adequate. The CT-4077 turns to Vos.

" Sorry sir. There seems to be little I can do to help you right here, right now. I did my best to mend all those nicks, bruised and burns from your help on top of the walker back there. The medic recommends a medical center and some rest. "

Though he is a medic first nowadays, CT-4077 still is a soldier. As such, with his primary job done now. he falls back in line, ready for what comes.

Vos chuckles weakly at 4077's words as he holds a hand to his ribs. "I'll be sure to get right on that, just as soon as we deal with the undead monsters and dark powers here".

Meanwhile Slugger and Driz begin to work their way around the outside of the captive room, followed by the narrow walkways that made the upper levels. Most of the alcoves were empty, but here and there they found a clone or gungan, occasionally an ithorian scientist. In total there must be about two dozen. None are responsive to any efforts to communicate with them, they simply hang in their bindings limply, their eyes partially rolled back in their head. Other then this comatose state, they did not seem to be unwell, no real injuries to be seen, no malnutrition despite their time here, it was an odd and sinister thing. One thing did strike the clones as they worked their way around the circular room. The vines attached to the wrists of the wrists of the captives, they weren't pumping into them as the clones had thought, on closer inspection, the pulses were moving towards the orb in the centre of the room. Whatever it was taking from them, it was draining the captives.

Deep below, as the blue lightsaber is ignited, Vanteer sees the scene for the first time since he arrived. He sees Caieous stood with his blade aloft, the horrifying visage of the hag at the edge of the darkness, the fallen body of his master. Beyond that there is little else for him to see, but perhaps what else there is would not matter to him.

"Sorry Driz, I'm not the brother for that. But 'ell with shots like that, I'll trust your aim."

"Medic!"

"That thing's pulling stuff out of them..." Driz says. "We've got to get them unconnected quickly." He quickly walks over to the green glowy things and starts looking it over, searching for a way to turn it off or unplug the people in the alcoves. "And probably destroy whatever supply they have of this stuff."

As Slugger walks with Driz he gets mighty pissed at what the Separatists were doing to his Brothers and the Gungans. " This is... This is Evil." He says looking to those connected. " Yeah, let's not waste any time, and then we blow this thing into orbit." Slugger looks at the Green Glowing thing wondering how they would go about destroying it.

The scene before Vinteer was gruesome to say the least and if he had been faced with it even a year ago he likely would have flown into a fearful frenzy against the beast that now stood before C aieous. Through great effort Vinteer suppressed his emotions, focusing on the danger at hand before anything else. He made a dash for his lightsaber, of which he saw next to his fallen master's. Once sufficiently close, Vinteer used his control over the force to pull the weapon to his hand.

Driz goes around quickly, testing the bonds and pointing out the more vulnerable ones to Slugger, who follows behind him and tries to free the designated beings from the alcoves.

Slugger follows along with Driz working to get the men out as fast as he could being able to pull three Clones out of the machines. " I've got a bad feeling about these machines..." Slugger says as he looks around the room they were in.

"Huh, tell me about it."

Smashing the rock holds that trap the captives with the butts of their rifles or even their bare hands, the three clones set to work freeing the lower levels of the room. It is hard going but working together they are able to free about five of the captives. Each time they do the cables connected to their wrist flicker and lose their glow. Looking towards the centre of the room they see the orb begin to lose some of its lustre, the green smoke swirling inside slowly begins to thin a little.

Deep below the ground, the jedi hear a significant rumble up above them, dust and small chunks of rubble dropping out of the darkness. The heavy green vines flicker and fall dark for a short moment before relighting. The haggard figure before them looks up, a flicker of fear running over its face. "No, no! Too soon!" it gurgles as it shuffles back into the shadows. "It's not time, they're stealing from her! This must do, I will fix it, I will fix everything!"

From the dark a ferocious burst of green lightning leaps up, reaching far further than the jedi can see. As it does it highlights the hundreds of statue set into the walls that Vinteer had not yet seen. They can also see littering the floor what looked like dozens of desiccated corpses, ruined machinery from mining and general rubbish and waste. The lightning strikes at the statues, many of them crumbling under the impact. Looking at the source of the power they can see the figure, arms outstretched as they release this eldritch power. The hands and most of their arms are burnt black by the lightning and it looks to be in incredible pain as the display finally ends. Doubling over for a moment the leering face looks back up at the jedi before being swallowed by darkness. "It's not enough, too many stolen, but it will have to do. With jedi, I will replenish everything I have lost, you two will feed them well, just as they other did".

As it finishes speaking there is the sounds of cracking and crunching from above, almost like the sound of bones breaking, snapping in dry heat. From above a sickly green glow can be seen, coming from the remaining statues as they begin to splinter at their joints. From there light the same colour as the vines can be seen to glow through. As this happens these humanoid creations begin to move, one row after the other. The lower rows step forward and begin to fall through the air, landing on the ground with a loud crunch. Some crumble into little more than rubble, but not all. Those that don't break stand upright, holding swords, shield and spears. Some that are damaged move forwards with only their hands, even with missing limbs. Their motions are sharp and unnatural, almost like a poorly controlled mannequins. This was certainly unlike anything that the jedi had seen before.

Back in the main room, the clones see a troubling development. The orb in the centre of the room flairs brightly, almost blindingly so. The strange vines do the same, and they see the remaining captives twitch and flail in their bonds, their voices twisted in an unnatural scream that comes out as one voice. Despite their best efforts, beyond those they have already saved their is nothing that the unit can do other than watch in horror. When it is over, the vines have lost their colour and the orb is a glassy black, empty of whatever it held. Something was happening, somewhere in this pyramid.

" Driz, I think these things are draining the life force out of our captive brothers!" Slugger said with alarm as the Green Glowy thing glowed brighter, " Whatever that thing is attached to we need to save all of them! We leave no Trooper Behind!" Slugger said and starts heading to the next trooper to get out of the wall hoping that they hadn't just been sucked dry by the Glowy thing with it going all bright then emptying itself. He checks for a Pulse on the Next trooper over.

“Cyclones, forward! Slugger, you’ve done what you can, but it’s time to move! Onward, to the main objective. We have to stop this!! With me!”

Gunslinger leads the way forward, though as ever, his fellow clones are quick to overtake him.

Slugger turns a bit reluctantly but agrees with Gunslinger there was nothing more to be done he charges off to the sound of the noise at the lead of his Sergeant.

CT-4077 takes a quick glance over the ones the squad could still save. They would probably be fine here, for now, free from whatever was happening to them. With a direct order from Gunslinger, CT-4077 snaps to action, medical kit stowed away for now, and gun at the ready.

" Sir! Yes, sir! "

Though it would be easy for him to do so, CT-4077 does not overtake Gunslinger. Deep inside he is still worried that the squad sergeant is over excerting himself a little, what with the condition he is still in.

Driz starts to run out ahead, navigating through the temple as quickly as he can. He starts off down a hall that quickly turns into a dead end and slams on the brakes, "Back the other way!" He runs back down the hall, catching up to the others and continuing on.

Catching up, and putting himself in front of as many of his brothers as he can, but specifically Gunslinger.

"When we hit the ****, stay behind me. Brothers, I need a shield and pistol."

"I usually take Point with Martha" Slugger says looking to Gunslinger as Brick tries to get out in front of all the clones, " What's your call?" Slugger lifts his Z-6 Cannon up high.

Chuckling : " Martha huh. Lead on brother!"

“Here, take one of mine,” Gunslinger says, handing off one of his pistols to the unarmed clone.

"Thanks Sarg, this'll do nicely!" Performs a quick weapons check

"On your command, but let's do what we gots to do and get the frak outta this 'ell hole."

Caieous focused on the figure shrouded in the dark , waves of stone soldiers advancing, their steps landing on the hard floor, ringing through the hall.
The Force moved through Caieous toward the figure. He felt a malevolent mind push back against his will and would not be moved. But almost and Caieous took some hope from that.

“Soon, soon” Caieous mumbled to himself

“Vinteer, we’ll work together. Master Gux spoke highly of your saber technique...”

"Thank you. Though I don't think that skill will be very useful surrounded by living statues." the small padawan said as he felt the force flow through him. His force powers weren't anything to write home about, he had enough prowess to make due but giving a cautionary probe he figured he didn't have enough power to to launch something far enough to hit the monster at the other end of the pit. Due to this, Vinteer stepped farther into the belly of the beast and closer to the incoming horde. With a mostly effortless move, he flung one of the many discarded chunks of statue at the unknown figure. His aim was good enough as it connected with the figure though he was now in a bad spot with the incoming horde.

I'm really hoping I can live up to your praise Master Gux Vinteer thought bringing his lightsaber up once more, ready to defend himself from the statues.