Ask All According To Plan

[Jaikus Thorne]

.

Despite its prestigious reputation abroad, it wasn’t very often that Jaikus visited Corellia. It was a planet that was far-removed from his public career and routine, and there had been little justification to make the journey in the past. And while the Axxilan would’ve normally relished the opportunity to explore a new place, it wasn’t leisure that had drawn him to Corellia in the first place. Instead, the Axxilan had arrived only after confirming his meet-up with Tiamat - knowing full-well it was one place where he could track the woman down.

Much had changed in the past few weeks for the Axxilan. In the aftermath of Dantooine and his talk with Emryc, Jaikus had finally taken the steps to greatly distance himself from the Sith Order - reaching an agreement, albeit a tense one, to remove himself from active duty without being branded an outcast amongst Sith circles. With the ascension of the new Empress and ongoing change within the Imperial government, Jaikus had opted to shift his attention elsewhere for the time being - finally taking the initial steps to pursue his own personal project and one that he had spent quite a bit of time strategizing before-hand.

He made a point to send Tiamat a brief on the little Tech-hunt they were about to embark on - though he was fairly positive it was something that would spark her interest. After all, how often did anyone get the opportunity to travel to Kamino now-a-days?

Lingering near the spaceport, Jaikus had opted to make his way towards a local coffee-shop - taking advantage of the outdoor seating and nice weather while he waited for Tiamat to arrive. While he normally traveled with a security detail these days, the Axxilan had opted to forgo any bodyguards while he waited - dressed casually in a pair of tight-fitting jeans, white shirt and black jacket over the top. His hair was styled into place, while his outfit was accessorized with his usual chrono and beaded bracelets.

For the moment, the Axxilan idly scrolled through his NalPhone - taking a sip from the espresso in front of him while he waited for Tiamat.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat glanced at the time on her comm, noting she was probably going to be late to meet Jaikus, but this fresh, warm cinnamon roll was going to get dibs of her time. She licked the frosting off her fingers each bite and taking an occasional sip from her caf as she seemed to be in delight at the morning breakfast break. She heard her comm ping again, but she didn't bother to check it, she was certain it was Jai. She had not talked to him much since the fiasco on Dantooine and was shocked to hear that he was more or less peacefully (if that could be done in the sith) stepped away from the Empire to work more independently.

She watched as the table beside her emptied, the students rushing off to classes at the university that wasn't too far away. It was then she saw Jaikus, sipping away at his espresso, wearing his tight pants outfit that seemed a bit...stylish for roaming around Kamino. She herself was wearing some simple trousers, an old Corellian rock band shirt, and a overcoat to protect her from the late year chilled winds. However, she was down for the adventure, more so for the tech that he mentioned and the opportunity to mess with something that not too many people get to see.

Waiting for him to lift his gaze that was glued to his phone, she waved, while shoving the rest of the cinnamon roll into her mouth. She wasn't getting up, he would have to come sit at her table as she took a sip of her caf, trying to swallow the overwhelming bite of her pastry.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

A few minutes passed, and Jaikus continued to idly scroll through his NalPhone - enjoying the rest of his espresso as he did so. While he hadn’t really spoken with Tiamat since his decision to step away from the Sith, but the Axxilan doubted it would be the source of any kind of contention between them. They had quite a journey ahead of them, and the Axxilan wasn’t in any particular rush at this point - which meant that he had no qualms with relaxing while Tiamat took a century to get there.

In the meantime, Jaikus promptly decided to swipe out of the HoloNet and open up his camera - extending his arm and angling the camera to his face. The Axxilan smiled up at the camera, flashing one of those wide, ridiculous smiles that only ever seemed to surface for one person in the galaxy. He snapped a picture of himself, giving it the once-over before proceeding to open up the contact named 'Emy' and hit send. The Axxilan knew that his fiancee was scheduled to be participating in some diploamtic summit on Christophsis on that particular day, and it was one of the times when the pair were momentarily separated by their exceptionally busy schedules. And it was during those times especially that Jaikus didn't neglect to reach out to his fiancee whenever he had an opportunity. @Sreeya

'I love you, Emy. I'm rooting for you today.'
'See you soon. '

He set his NalPhone down after that, taking another look around the cafe. It wasn’t long until he caught sight of a woman waving from his peripheral - prompting Jaikus to look over and spot Tiamat a few tables down. He flashed the woman a smile, though he didn’t move immediately - deciding to watch for a moment as Tiamat proceeded to resemble a pelican as she shoved the entire cinnamon roll in her mouth and attempted to swallow it down without choking in the process. After a few more moments to confirm he wasn't about to have to perform the heimlich maneuver, Jaikus’ lips tugged a bit wider and he snagged the rest of his espresso - slipping out of his seat and moving over to the table where the redhead was sitting.

“I’m impressed,” Jaikus said, flashing Tiamat a wide grin, glancing down at the plate and then back to the Sith Master. “That looked like it was baked this week.” He quipped, never missing an opportunity after witnessing Tiamat go ham on some week-old zoodles. The Axxilan tilted his head a bit, his expression brightening a bit after that initial bit of teasing. “It’s good to see you, Tia.”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat swallowed the seemingly impossible large bite as Jaikus quipped about the freshness of the pastry. "This morning actually." she corrected, "No one would believe you if you told them that." she smirked, "Its good to see you too Jaikus." The red headed woman quickly ran her finger along the line of frosting on the plate before popping it into her mouth. Despite a decent baker, she always found others cooking a delight. She stood up, grabbing her to-go cup of caf, letting Jaikus lead the way.

She couldn't even recall the last she'd seen him, probably some time while being possessed by the Eternal, but she couldn't remember the details even from then. Just she knew at some point she felt the need to beat him up, but Emryc's frank conversation of his feelings for Jai, slightly changed things.

"So, were you able to find anymore details on this project of yours?" she asked, letting him lead her to his ship. Tia had reviewed what he had already knew and had already started her own research in the engineering of the computers and data used. It certainly took her to some darker corners of the holonet, it seemed to be a part of history that modern galactics wanted to forget.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus couldn’t help the way that his lips tugged ever-so-slightly wider in that moment - the smirk on his features lingering as he arched a brow in Tiamat’s direction. Suspicion played within his citrine-molted emeralds, flicking down to regard the plate that she had practically licked clean. “Well, you’re certainly right on that front,” He quipped playfully, teasingly agreeing with her assessment that no one would believe her.

The Axxilan promptly rose back to his feet when Tiamat did - throwing back the rest of his espresso before following the redhead away from the table. It had been ages since he’d seen her last - and even longer still since they’d gone on any kind of adventure. The words had been genuine when he stated it was good to see her - and the fact that there didn’t appear to be any lingering animosity regarding his decision with the Empire was a silent relief.

“As it just so happens,” The Axxilan smirked back at her, “I’ve done homework for the both of us.” As they walked, the pair would gradually make their way towards the Corellian spaceport - revealing Jaikus’ personal ship that was docked there. The Eclipse - a rather new Coronet-Class Courier with its red-and-gray paint job - was a new addition to Jaikus’ arsenal. It had been.. Far too long, since the destruction of his last ship, and the Axxilan had drug his feet when it came to splurging on a replacement.

“The Empire,” He began, glancing to his left to look at Tiamat, “Made their best attempt to eradicate any remnants of Kaminoan technology by the end of the Clone Wars. Fire-bombed the planet, destroyed facilities, killed millions.. Just to keep the secrets of their cloning processes hidden. They weren’t, however, thorough enough.”

“Sources indicate that there are some facilities that have survived. Underwater laboratories and data archives, hidden beneath the waves and kept secret even from the Republic of the era. Facilities stocked with exceptionally value information, pertaining to the Kaminoan cloning process.”

As they reached The Eclipse, the durasteel ramp extended down to meet them - allowing the pair to duck inside the

spacious interior. “They are.. One of, if not the only society to perfect accelerated cloning techniques void of the common Clone Madness. That is a process that is vital to my own plans.” After a long moment, he finally turned on a heel and faced her.

"So, how do you feel about some deep-sea diving?"

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He did homework for the both of them? Internally, Tiamat grimaced at such a thought, letting anyone else figure out her own portion of the work made her curious to the number of mistakes he may have created in the process. Her thoughts drifted as they approached his ship, noting the hints of Corellian engineering, she gave a subtle nod of approval to the new model. As she admired the curved angles of the vessel, she slowly returned her focus to what Jai was talking about, things about destroyed labs, cloning, possible remaining undersea labs that the Empire failed to address during their regime.

Despite her extensive scientific knowledge, cloning seemed to elude her, more on the trickiness of genetic codes. They were entirely so fragile and fickle, the natural order did not always see value in what could be artificially created. "Cloning, eh?" she raised an eyebrow in curiosity, suppressing the urge to hard turn right into the engine room to make sure everything is functional. "Looking to make your own clone army?" she asked teasingly, "Or wanna make more of you?" Tiamat grinned, thinking of the wishful thought many have of making multiple selves to accomplish all they wanted to get done.

"I can swim well, having done some deep sea diving, but I know how to dive, used to do it at my parent's summer home on the coast." she explained, sighing. She was missing the beach home only had been there days earlier.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Dropping his empty coffee-cup into a nearby bin, Jaikus began to walk shoulder to shoulder with Tiamat - casually tucking both hands against the small of his back as they approached The Eclipse. He didn’t miss the small nod of approval from the redhead, eliciting a small smirk from the Axxilan. It wasn’t the most spacious or luxurious vessel, and that suited Jaikus just fine - even if he could’ve afforded either.

“Perhaps both,” Jaikus said in response to Tiamat’s question, flashing her a cheeky smirk. The truth was that Tiamat wasn’t entire wrong with either assessment. With a Galaxy engulfed by war, there was a clear benefit in cloning infrastructure and the ability to produce private armies. Just as well, Jaikus had his own personal reasons for expanding his horizons into the cloning and genetics industry.

“I can swim well enough,” He said with a small shrug. Growing up on an ecumenopolis - thousands of meters above the surface in a penthouse - did little to impart much experience onto the Axxilan - but he was confident enough in his own abilities to get the job done. Not that he would ever admit it even if he wasn’t. “Good chance we’re gonna need to.”

“Do you visit home often?” He asked curiously, glancing back over his shoulder as the Axxilan stepped up the landing ramp, through the hallway and began to make his way past the mess-hall. There was an attached kitchenette and lounge - serving as the primary common area for the entire ship. “Haven’t seen much outside Coronet.” He’d been to Corellia several times on his own and with Emryc, and had largely stuck to the urban centers where he was most familiar during those instances.

Their path finally took them towards the cockpit of the Corellian vessel. The Axxilan promptly sank into the cockpit and jutted his chin towards the seat just beside him. He grasped the controls, flicking a few switches and levers to start up the engines and otherwise prepare to depart from the planet.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

"I used to go a lot when they were still around, now I try to go whenever things just seem like...too much." she explained, glancing at Jai and giving a small shrug. She felt quiet for a moment as she thought about where she called him, trying to just for a second recall the smells and the cool breeze that often rolled off the ocean. Jai spoke, indicating he had only been in the capital, which didn't surprise her, most, non-natives to Corellia often stuck with the cities.

"Its certainly less crowded, less dirty, quieter..." she explained, "I remember my mom saying that one time, Ly-" Tiamat paused, cheeks glowed red as she nearly spoke her birth name out loud, she shifted in her seat uncomfortable and cleared her throat to continue, "She would say I didn't always need the city life." Tia smiled to the memory, "It was the one and only time I had complained about going to the ocean, I think I was missing a recital or something." she hummed in satisfaction to her story, her mind keeping her occupied from watching Jai handle the controls of his ship, to which Tia would certainly say something judgey about how how he was handling it.

"Next time you visit Coronet, make sure you book some time in the country, it is worth it."

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

It didn’t take long for The Eclipse to rise above the atmosphere of Corellia - carving a path upwards and through the haze that was equal parts smog and cloud-cover over Coronet City. The Axxilan wasn’t the greatest pilot around - but he wasn’t terrible either, and it was a relatively smooth journey as they departed from the planet. All the while, he didn’t neglect to listen to what Tiamat was saying - glancing over every once-in-a-while to show that he was very much listening to what she was saying.

“Sounds like quite the retreat,” He smirked over towards her, his voice genuine in that moment. “Axxila is.. A place that never sleeps. Not unlike Coruscant or Denon or Taris,” He said. It was much like any other ecumenopolis world - except for the infectious organized crime, rivaling noble families and constant feuding that dominated its politics. “Growing up, my definition of escaping it all? Was to sneak off on a speeder, usually with one of my siblings, and go joyriding around one of the lower levels.” He shook his head a bit, grinning all the while. It was almost never Jaikus’ idea - one of his siblings like Hatice or Rayan were the masterminds of it all - but the Axxilan was almost always involved. Now more than ever, he cherished those memories of his family.

It didn’t take long for the ship to reach sufficient altitude - abruptly lurching forward and punching into hyperspace. Coordinates had been pre-entered into the nav-computer, and the route to Kamino, while lengthy, was smooth enough that the Axxilan didn’t need to interfere much now that they were sailing through hyperspace. Thus, his attention returned firmly back onto Tiamat - listening as the woman spoke - and he didn’t miss the slip of the tongue as the woman nearly revealed her birth name.

The faintest lift of the Axxilan’s brow was the only indication made that he heard what was said - citrine-tinted eyes immediately observing the blush on Tiamat’s cheeks and the uncomfortable way she shifted. It was all the signs he needed to decide he wasn’t going to press that topic any further - and for all intents and purposes, acted much like he didn’t hear anything at all. The Axxilan had little desire to know anything that the redhead didn’t wish to willingly divulge.

Instead, he merely nodded when Tiamat made her suggestion. “I will,” He smiled over towards her, leaning back in his seat. “And if you ever decide to visit Axxila, I’ll be sure to give you some good restaurant recommendations before you go. It’ll blow anything in Coronet out of the water,” He quipped playfully, entirely biased in his claim.

“How have your studies been?” He asked curiously, at this point barely watching the blur of hyperspace and almost entirely focused on their conversation.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The thought of authentic Axxila food sounded delightful for Tiamat and maybe would have to hit him up for recommendations after their mini-trip to Kamino. She relaxed in her seat, sliding down slightly as she watched the stars swirl about the ship, calculating how much faster if they would have taken a few smuggler's routes instead of letting the navi-computer handle it. Her thoughts turned to her own work when Jai asked, and she sat back up, never really passing up an opportunity to talk about her studies.

"Looking more into anomalies near nexuses, the numbers are always all over the place, but I've started to lay upon different numerical systems in case the standard is not efficient enough." she explained, certain he would just agree and move on, its what most people did. Though she was used to it, she still missed the opportunity to dive further into her work with others. It was certainly one thing she missed about being at the Corellian University.

"I also started adding the path engine to ships. We should see the first ones soon." she added, knowing it would be something easier to understand, "Its going to change how we engage in hyperspace flight forever. Faster, safer, less risk from pirates and the like, its going to be breath-taking." Tiamat explained, letting out a long, dreamful sigh as she imagined the finished product.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Safely within the blur of Hyperspace, Jaikus allowed himself to fully relax within the pilot’s chair - confident that he wouldn’t really need to intervene during the voyage. While Tiamat might’ve bemoaned the usage of common - y’know, safe - hyperspace routes, they were well-documented and easy to predict. Which ultimately reduced the likelihood of surprise bullshit along the way. The Axxilan was already anticipating enough of that at their destination, and it left him with little appetite for it while trying to get there.

His query about Tiamat’s studies was genuine - and the redhead would undoubtedly see the flash of curiosity behind the Axxilan’s gaze as she began to elaborate. While most people would’ve only nodded along at the answer, Jaikus had always been an academic at heart - specializing in most of all when it came to ancient histories and archaeological research. He had done his fair bit of research on Nexuses and their occurrences throughout the Galaxy. It was that research, after all, that had taken him to Telos and begun his story with Emryc in the first place.

The Axxilan tilted his head ever-so-slightly, arching a brow when Tiamat mentioned the usage of different numerical systems. “Believe it or not, you may find a great deal of success cross-referencing using ancient Ratakan numerals,” He said smoothly, drumming his fingers against the armrest. “Their civilization had a better understanding of the Force and its anomalies than we ever have - especially given what we know of their methods of travel,” The Axxilan shamelessly began to rattle on - going into unnecessary detail about his own knowledge on the old Infinite Empire.

“Even with the variable nature of nexuses, their numbers typically hold consistent. More than the standard, anyway.” He offered a small shrug. “Though.. Retrofitting any computer systems with the numerical system would be necessary.” Most modern vessels and technology weren’t equip with a numerical system that hadn’t been used for quite literally countless thousands of years. For obvious reasons.

His smile widened a bit when Tiamat began mentioning the Path engines - clearly a topic that she took pride in. As she should - given its impacts on the Galaxy as a whole. “It really is remarkable,” The Axxilan said with a nod. “Has mainstream production proved to be a challenge?” He asked with a raised brow. “I imagine the unique properties of the technology has proved at least somewhat jarring for manufacturers to get their head around."

As he asked his question, a few chirps signaled through the cockpit - promptly Jaikus to glance down at the console. They were well on their way at this point - and it would only be an hour or two before they dropped down into Kamino’s atmosphere.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She tried to not let her grin grow wider as Jai seemed to take genuine interest in her subject. It took a moment to process that he was speaking legitimately about connecting ancient research and current studies. To hear it from someone else she knew made it different from that of lecturing students or speaking with professors who dared not to believe she had made this advances in the past decade. She quietly thought about the Ratakan language and number system, something that didn't go unnoticed, but as he stated trying to get to translate into data so modern computers could understand...that was difficult task. It was at some points in her research did she feel she would just need to make an entirely new computer just to get an answer to a single equation.

"Production is slow because of push back from other major shipwrights, they want a cut if it works, and they want an even larger cut if it doesn't work." she sighed, trying to avoid becoming too annoyed when they weren't even there to bother her with numbers and fees. "Many are skeptical of my work; its because it is new and somewhat expensive, but the more we can get out into the galaxy, manufacturing will not be as costly. I have made it so it can be easily fitted into existing ships models and some of it is a matter of trust." she explained.

"Trust for them not to sell manufacturing secrets to other corporations." Tiamat frowned, "A part of me wonders if it would be just better to start my own shipwright." she laughed to herself at the thought of so much responsibility, "I feel I would do better to organize my days first before jumping to that."

Tia watched the swirl of stars in silence for a moment before turning the focus on Jaikus, "Are you still teaching at the university?" she asked him.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Expressive by his very nature, Jaikus made no attempt to hide his genuine interest and curiosity in the topic. As an academic, the Axxilan was just as likely to spend the rest of the evening theorizing and coming up with potential hypothesis’ with Tiamat regarding the Ratakan language and variable nature of Force Nexus - the likes of which were almost certain to bore a lecture-hall full of students half to death - while completely forgetting about the original job they were set out for. It wasn’t often that the Axxilan had an opportunity to indulge his inner nerd - and the redhead likely had no idea the can of worms she promptly opened.

He made a mental note to transmit some of his own research notes over to Tiamat when this was all said and done - though a part of his suspected she would spend more time critiquing them, more than anything else.

Jaikus’ face scrinkled a bit when Tiamat mentioned her difficulties working with various different shipwrights. “They are purely interested in their own profits. Many simply won’t take the risk - and the rest likely hope to take credit for the genius if it does.” The Axxilan said with a small hum, drumming his fingers against the armrest. “Do it,” He said without hesitation, even if Tiamat herself dismissed the idea of starting her own shipwright. “You certainly have the financial backing to do so. More importantly, you would have full control over the manufacturing secrets themselves. There is quite a bit of profit to be made in that monopoly.”

“Or…” He pondered for a moment, “Purchase a majority of interest in an existing, smaller firm.” Jaikus leaned forward a bit. “Existing clientele, an administrative body and directors capable of keeping the day-to-day running. But you will have full control over the manufacturing secrets, you’ll have the authority to implement the Engine onto existing ship models, and be able to grow from that point forward.”

The Axxilan offered her a very casual shrug. “Why pull your hair out trying to negotiate with executives, when you have the ability to call the shots yourself?”

When the topic turned to the university, Jaikus’ face lit up a bit. “I am - still teaching as an adjacent professor. Since Atlos has started to gain traction, I’ve reduced my courseload to only a few classes per semester.. But I expect I will be able to commit more, once things are off the ground.” The Axxilan huffed through his nostrils. “Of course, I am fairly positive my students will always be far more interested in questions about Emryc - versus whatever I am teaching that particular day.” His engagement to Emryc was public knowledge at this point - and the Axxilan received an almost constant barrage of questions and requests for pictures from his students as a result.

Before long, the sound of alarms began to chime from the cockpit once more - accompanied by the characteristic flash of red lights throughout the rest of the cabin. “Looks like that is our que..” He said, glancing back ahead. Their journey through hyperspace was coming to a rapid close, and it wouldn’t be long before they were descending through the clouds of Kamino.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat had to do a double take when he suggested for her to go through with the plan to begin her own shipwright. He stated what she already knew but she didn't scoff or pass it off knowing it impacted her more greatly when it came from another individual and not just from her own mind. He went on to even suggest collecting up smaller firms, which was also a possible idea, probably a faster one so she didn't need to start from scratch. The potential was there, Tiamat had to pick the path she wanted. Jaikus continued, speaking about his own work at the university.

She was glad to hear he was still there, consistent in his work which she couldn't really do herself personally. She enjoyed giving presentations, lectures, being a guest speaker, but to continually teach, it sounded horrid. Though when he mentioned the students inquiring about Emryc, Tiamat smirked, not finding it surprising that the student population would be fascinated with their professor's love life. Thinking about the last time she had really seen anyone brought her pause, her gaze returning to the window as she watched the stars continue to swirl around the ship. A yearning, not a sensation she felt too often, it has been a long time since she'd seen anyone really.

Her thoughts were pulled back to the present when Jai announced their arrival, the world of Kamino glowed a brilliant blue against the dark matte of space. Like in Kamino fashion, the ship would battle its way through the winds and rains of the water world. "I hope you checked to make sure this place was still standing." she told Jai, glancing over before her eyes rested back on the vast ocean.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus couldn’t help but flash Tiamat a smile as they spoke - genuine warmth bleeding right into his expression. It was leagues apart from the diplomatic and distant way he interacted with almost everyone else in the Galaxy - and it spoke the simple fact he enjoyed the redhead’s company. It wasn’t until alarms began to blare that Jaikus’ attention was drawn back out the viewport - cast out over the watery horizon of Kamino. The planet had been abandoned for years - a relic of a past age that no one was interested in anymore.

Well, no one but him, it would seem.

It didn’t take long for The Eclispe to begin its descend into the atmosphere - punching through the thick cloud-cover of the planet. Torrential downpours blanketed the oceans of Kamino, endless stretches of roiling, grey-blue waters that swelled and roared with power all their own. The largest structures of the planet had long-since been destroyed - and upon initial glance, it appeared there was nothing to be seen whatsoever.

Fortunately for Jaikus, the Axxilan had already pre-acquired coordinates to where he was going. Programmed into his navigation, Jaikus steered the transport just above the roaring oceans of Kamino to their destination. “Well,” He began, squinting a bit. “Define standing.” He glanced over at Tiamat, flashing the redhead a grin. Despite the humor in his tone, Tiamat would soon learn he wasn’t entirely joking.

As they closed in on their destination, Tiamat would see nothing but an empty, stand-alone landing-pad in the middle of the vast oceans. There was an elevator that jutted up out of the floor, clearly descending downward and into the underwater portions of the facility. He blinked a few times as the ship came to a land, squinting at their destination.

"Ladies first?" He grinned.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat scowled at Jai when he asked her define what she meant by "standing" and then looked at the isolated structure above the ocean. It barely looked as though it could hold a tick let alone a ship, and she was allowing Jai to land his ship there...this was not how she wanted to live her last minutes. Seemingly uneasy about where they were going to land, miraculously they were able to stablize the ship and not tumble to their water deaths, for now at least.

Ladies First

It seemed the scowl didn't fade as she looked at him again, "Charming..." she got up, grabbing her gear on her way out and yelling back, "Last one off the ship is paying for some decent food once we get off this world." she skipped down the ramp, nearly slipping on the wet surface. Throwing back her red locks as though she meant to do that, she headed to a part of the dock that once resembled a door way. An archway collapsed onto itself, and Tia gently begun to nudge the durasteel beams the Force to create a better opening for them to climb inside. She then took out her illuminator rod from her pack and clipped it to her hip, activating possibly their only source of light if they were unable to get power going through this place again.

"So how far down?" she asked Jai over the rain and the roar of the ocean.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

“What? I’m just being polite,” Jaikus quipped right back, the smile not seeming to fade from his lips despite the scowl that Tiamat wore. He was entirely used to his quips and commentary being the ire of his traveling companions and it never seemed to dissuade the Axxilan at any time whatsoever. Grabbing up his belongings, he quickly began to make his way down the ramp alongside Tiamat - trailing just behind her as they stepped out onto narrow, somewhat treacherous platform. It was a wonder the thing was still standing to begin with, but Jaikus didn’t give it much thought.

“Looks like I’m buying,” He said with a huff, “I’m picking what type of food, though.” Jaikus followed up with a grin. If he was paying, the Axxilan was going to define what ‘decent food’ was. Though he didn’t say anything, Jaikus stepped a bit closer and extended a hand in Tiamat’s direction - quite prepared to catch the Sith Master if started to fall. When it was clear she wasn’t going to, the Axxilan’s hands folded back against the small of his back - proceeding to give Tiamat a knowing, shit-eating grin, as if he wasn’t prepared to catch her only a moment ago.

“Cozy,” Jaikus remarked sarcastically as they began to step into the abandoned facility, his eyes narrowing and adjusting to the low light. While Tiamat’s torch provided some light, the hallway was dark - gradually beginning to slope down as the laboratory was clearly built under the waves. Frankly, it was likely the only reason the Kaminoan facility survived the Empire. “I guess we’re about to find out,” He said with a small shrug, revealing that he didn’t know much more than Tiamat did. His intelligence led him to the facility and hinted about what might still be inside, but that was about the extent of his knowledge. With that, Jaikus began to walk through the entrance - making his way into the creepy, sterile white hallways.

Aside from Tiamat’s torch, the only light was a few flickering, emergency lights that buzzed overhead. It was the only hint that the facility was still working on emergency power, and thus light-support systems were still functional. Which was a relief, as Jaikus only just then began to wonder if oxygen was still flowing through the structure.

“According to reports, the Kaminoan’s used this facility for experimental cloning. Less.. Conventional projects, than the Clone Troopers. But the technology is the same,” He reminded. He didn’t know what they would find within the facility, but he wasn’t really looking forward to the answer. The farther they walked, though, Jaikus and Tiamat would be unable to escape the smell that permeated the facility. It was absolutely disgusting to inhale - like rotting flesh and saltwater that had seeped inside. There was no hint of where it came from, but it only got stronger as they progressed.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Never did Tiamat think this venture into the old labs was going to dip into the side of creepy. As Jai joined her side and they looked down the halls, there was a moment of realization this place would be perfect for a ghost...or two... and she felt herself become a bit more tense. As Jaikus walked through the entrance, Tiamat followed closely behind her own thoughts buzzing on how she was here without suspecting the creepy factor to be over 9000. Regardless, the place was a stark contrast to the glory years of the kaminoan facility; she remembered the pictures of the sterile white halls and labs, though years of deterioration and only emergency power made this place look...hellish.

She'd always wondered though if the kaminoans actually saw white as most of the galaxy or were there colors in the ultraviolet range that they saw on their walls. Her thoughts were taken back to the present as Jaikus mentioned the less conventional projects. "Were you able to dig up anything on those projects? I've heard rumors and theories on trying to replicate force sensitives through cloning processes..." her voice trailed as the smell in the halls was becoming increasingly intolerable. For someone who used to sleep in trash, for her this was pretty bad.

"I really don't want to know what that smell is." she whispered, but it still carried through the empty halls. It was taking much of her willpower not to dry-heave.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus couldn’t help but squint at his surroundings. The sterile-white walls of the facility had been twinged ever-so-slightly with dust and muck, with only the emergency lights to illuminate their path. The Axxilan wondered how long it had been abandoned - as it had clearly survived the Imperial purge of Kamino. Had the survivors taken refuge in the facility, only to die some weeks or months later? Had there been survivors at all - or had the place truly gone untouched for years without counting?

Though he didn’t quite reach for anything yet, the Axxilan’s fingers twitched ever-so-slightly towards the pistol on his hip. The entire atmosphere was something straight out of a HoloNet Horror - the kind that he typically picked out for movie night with Emryc. Jaikus thought about it for a moment, blinked a few times, and proceeded to slowly turn his head towards Tiamat.

“Tiiiaaamaatttttt,” He said with a drawn-out, ghost-like voice. He could practically see the Sith Master was completely sketched out by the place, and was likely regretting her decision to come with Jaikus in the first place. All the same, that didn’t prevent him from poking a bit of fun at her - the smile clearly etched across his expression.

“Somehow, I imagine we’re going to find out what that smell is.” He muttered dryly. The Axxilan didn’t really want to go searching for the source of the funk, but the facility was only so large - and they actually had to search the majority of it.

Within a few minutes, though, the pair crossed a different room. The durasteel doors looked as if they’d been ripped off their hinges, leaving Tiamat and Jaikus to simply walk into the long hallway - each wall lined with countless cloning vats. The once-clean liquid inside had been turned black and murky, making it impossible to see what was inside - if anything at all. More importantly, however, they’d both notice the smell had grown exceptionally worse - and was accompanied by shuffling further down the hallway.

“Taaaauuunnn VeeeeeEEEE…”

The voice was followed by the.. Creature, that shambled from around the corner. The mass of gray flesh - hoisted off the ground by mechanical legs - stepped into view. It’s ‘face’ was covered with some sort of mask, leaving only its hideous maw exposed - drool falling from its torn lips and rows of multiple teeth. It’s smaller arms grasped at vials and soaked scientific notes, while its two larger arms - entirely two large for its body - slapped across the ground and idly grasped at the floor.

Despite being very much alive, Tiamat and Jaikus would both be able to smell the rot that radiated off its body. It was as if its entire body had begun to decay, but was simultaneously fighting to keep operating - even as organs and flesh decomposed internally and externally.

“TAAAAUUUNNNNN Veeeee…” It moaned out again.

The creature simply stood in the hallway, staring off at nothing at all. It was clear that it couldn’t see either of them.. But it still blocked the only path further into the facility.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

"Not funny..." she grumbled, hearing the mocking spooky cry of her name from Jaikus. She barely could stand the smell for much longer. Not even the worst sewers in the galaxy could compare to odor that seemed to seep into every corner of this abandoned facility. Jai mentioned his feeling on them finding out what the source of the smell would be quite soon and Tiamat was uncertain if she were ready for such revelation.

Following Jaikus through a pair of double doors that interestingly enough, looked as though they were forced open, she was immediately taken aback by the sight of the cloning vats that still remained. She knew at one point the liquid inside was clear and she felt her eyes and nose start to water and the woman nearly vomited. Hand clasped over her mouth, she managed to keep her stomach contents down, the smell in the room was not helping, in fact, it was just getting worse. With her palms on her knees, and herself hunched over, the woman couldn't help the dry heaves.

She would only stop when suddenly she heard a rumbling screech; she stumbled quickly over to Jaikus, hand on his shoulder for extra support as she set her gaze on the horrific creature that resided here.

Immediately, Tiamat vomited (trying her best to miss Jai entirely). There was no time to catch herself as the shock and horror of the creature came to her realization that this thing was certain real. "I'm not touching that! Kill it, Jaikus!" she screeched.

@Altaris