Unremarkable.
That had been Jaikus’ first reaction to Telos IV as his dropped into the planet’s lower atmosphere, the starfighter soaring only a few kilometers above the surface. Above the northernmost continent of the planet, the landscape was dominated by an endless sea of frigid, snow-capped mountains – tall, stony talons rising up and twisting into the sky in an amalgamation of different shapes, with deep valleys cut between. There was admittedly a distinct beauty that one could attribute to the planet – a place of complete solitude and serenity, entirely devoid of endless buzz and bustle that was so common on the urban monstrosity Jaikus called his homeworld. To Jaikus, though, it was entirely unremarkable. He had not traveled half-way across the galaxy to admire the planet for its mountains, nor did he find any comfort in its isolated vistas. As per usual, it was the promise of artifacts that had brought Jaikus to the far-flung Outer-Rim planet.
“Are you sure about this, Master?” The silence was broken by the synthetic voice of 12-H7D, ‘Twelves’, Jaikus’ personal Protocol droid. The droid had been the sole source of company for Jaikus during the expedition, given that he preferred to work alone during these types of journeys, preferring less people with the potential to get in his way. And, if his search proved fruitful, less competition for the spoils.
“Quite sure. I don’t intend to have a repeat of that mess on Umbara.”
“Or Ziost, master.”
“Stop talking, Twelves.” Jaikus grumbled.
The information had come from a particularly seedy individual found on the lower levels of Axxila, to the Droids credit. The Duros in question had claimed to know the location of an abandoned Jedi temple, untouched since the days of the Empire. There were plenty of smugglers and fraudulent antiquities dealers in the Outer Rim who made such claims, of course, especially now with Sith and Jedi alike scouring the galaxy for anything relating to their long-lost heritage. None-the-less, Jaikus was unwilling to let mere promise of such a treasure-trove go uninvestigated, and the Duros’ information seemed creditable enough – referencing Imperial records of the location - to warrant what it cost him in unmarked credits.
Any doubts there might’ve been were summarily doused as Jaikus began to approach temple ruins – its sleek architecture and iconic temple spire rising up from the flattened pinnacle of one of Telos’ mountains. Most of the locations he had stumbled upon in the past were dilapidated and decayed, little more than piles of rubble. Instead, Jaikus was greeted by the sight of a complex that was, for the most part, entirely intact, with only the wearing of age from decades of neglect. It brought a faint smile to Jaikus’ lips to see that his gamble had paid off.
The ship finally touched down into the snow with a ‘thud’, followed by the hiss of the landing ramp extending out towards the ground. Jaikus quickly gathered his belongings and made for the exit, pulling up the dark hood of his cloak over his head.
“Keep the engine running and the ship prepped. I want to be prepared to leave at a moments notice.”
“Oh dear. Are you expecting hostilities?” The droid spoke with a tone of concern.
“Unlikely, but don’t want to take any chances.”
@lizziie