That's a bad cough you have there

The group decided to use the four swoop bikes and the knowledge of their scientist escort to take them north to the mine area to find Khirra.  Evading patrols, the group traveled for a time until the scientist told them to pull over since they were roughly 200-300 feet from the clearing that would overlook the main hanger area.

In order to guard their approach, Dekapota began a scan of the treeline to discern if there were detection devices and discovered two sensors and several mines which he could easily identify as magnetic anti-personnel mines.  Unable to fly high enough to go over them, Spandow used some strong piloting skills to take them through the mined/sensored zone.  Shortly after, they arrived at a clearing in the trees before the ground sloped downward about 70' to a huge hanger/landing zone.  Several large buildings filled the area with hundreds of miners milling about talking to one another.  Since none of them seemed alarmed, Dekapota and Spandow went opposite directions along the ridge to look for a better area for them to approach the zone and cross to the mine area beyond.

Dekapota was detected by guards but was able to bluff his way out of the discussion but Dekapota's bluff took him down into the landing zone where he spoke to several miners and learned that they had been brought in for their shift, but kept here and promised they would be paid.  This had been going on for weeks.  His travels allowed him to see a zone with several smaller transports meant to take people to the mines but they were guarded and no ships were in the air.  Spandow took an elevator up to the roof of one of the buildings and quietly killed two of the guards at a lookout station allowing the rest of the group to make their way down the slope to the landing area.  Disguised in uniforms, they began to discuss ways to distract the miners so they could jump the fence and head down into the mines on foot.   Zeph and Bib Commet acting like officials visited the mess hall and with a trick of the force implanted into the manager the suggestion to offer free beer to the miners, who cleared the courtyard hastily to get their beer!

With the Great Beer Diversion complete, the party hopped the fence and stealthily made their way down into the various mining indents in the Earth.  They traveled for several hours on foot until the monotony was broken up by a human miner limping out of the clearing ahead.  He asked if they were there to rescue his friends.  Bluffing, they asserted yes and learned that Olen had been wandering for weeks after a mining accident resulted in many deaths.  They directed him to head back towards the hanger but before he could get far, Olen collapsed.  Checking him over with the medkit, they noticed he had no clear wounds but his internals showed severe damage.  Realizing they may be exposed, the rested in a safe area nearby but when morning came, Spandow and Rwarr both felt ill.  Alarmed, they decided to tend to the two until they got better but the second morning in the elements, Rwarr was getting worse.  Deciding they may have limited time before everyone got sick, they pushed on towards the coordinates Khirra had left.

A strong sense of the Dark Side loomed over them from further north, but soon after the second morning they encountered a scene of gruesome death.  Perhaps 100 miners lay dead on the ground outside the entrance to a mining shaft.  Inspecting the nearby facility, Spandow located a soda sized can in the air intake machinery.  Although the electronics seemed fried in the whole station they discerned that Khirra had "punched in" here with 80 other miners three weeks ago and hadn't checked out.  Unable to decontaminate because of the machinery not working, Dekapota began exploring the mines below and eventually located and identified Khirra's dead body.  With some searching they were able to locate a small datachip on her body and climbed back out of the mine.

Not sure whether to head further north to the source of the darkside, or locate a decontamination chamber for Spandow but all too aware of Rwarr's deteriorating condition, the party decided to take a scan of the area nearby and something popped up on the sensors before the shorted out.