Ask [Morellia] Apathy is the Last Virtue of a Dying Society

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou had never been to Morellia. Not only had she never had a reason to come here until today, but it was completely out of the way of anyplace she would generally be on her way to. While it wasn’t too far from Sith space, the miralukan generally didn’t spend a ton of time in the eastern parts of the galaxy.

The planet itself had a diverse biosphere—with oceans, mountains, swamps, plains, jungles, tundras, etc.—but its people were far more interesting to the girl. Morellians lived to be many centuries old. She wondered what had prompted such a long lifespan, and what sort of history could be a result of it. Unfortunately, they seemed to be content to keep them and theirs to themselves, and Malou didn't know a lot about them outside of their connections to the Consiliul de Sapte.

Their destination was located somewhere in the southern jungles of the planet. While the acolyte wasn’t exactly pleased to find herself in a hot and humid place again, her research and her scouring of others’ research led her to believe that Darth Krol—also known as King Acedia to the Morellian peoples—was probably buried in a tomb hidden in the dense swathes of rainforest.

Malou had met Jaikus in the nearest city, which was hardly a city at all, and the two had rented speeder bikes to take them to their destination. As they grew closer and closer to the beginning of the jungle, Malou grew less and less confident they would be able to bring the bikes in with them.

They would have to walk.

Malou finally brought her speeder to a halt, her body turned parallel to the jungle line as she studied it's contents. There was a lot of life in the jungle; there was a lot of detail. She could see the smallest bugs creeping about the grooves of the tree bark, and the birds perched above them that began to chirp their warnings at their approach. The air was most definitely humid, but not quite as hot as she had expected it to be under the shade of the massive trees.

The acolyte swung her leg over the side and slid off the speeder, hitting the ground with a soundless thud as her landing was softened by the moist dirt. She, in true Malou fashion, continued to face whatever direction her body ended up in while she raised her voice to ask the champion a question.

“You remembered to bring the map, right?”

tag: @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

While Jaikus had never visited Morellia in the past, the Axxilan certainly had enough of a reason to do so now, arriving on the planet after what turned out to be a long, grueling journey into Wild Space. Naturally, Jaikus had spent an extensive amount of time researching their destination prior to now – scouring every known mention of Darth Krol that there was to find.

It was a subject which had consumed his worktable for weeks on end, and once his notes had been compared with those of Malou, there was finally enough to justify making the trip.

Of course, Jaikus wasn’t alone for this little expedition to Morellia. Instead, he met up with Malou in the nearest city before continuing the rest of the way together. While he didn’t know the Acolyte well, they had met several times over the past few months and their interactions thus far had been nothing but pleasant. Coupled with a shared interest in the tomb of an ancient Sith Lord, and the pair made for natural companions.

For the time being, Jaikus preferred not to draw much attention to himself - forgoing his usual Sith Armor for a far more simplistic ensemble of leather and armorweave. The outfit was complete with a hood, pulled up to cover the upper hemisphere of his face when necessary. His lightsaber tucked away on his person, easily accessible but otherwise hidden from sight.

For all intents and purposes, the man looked like any common mercenary. Which was precisely the intention.

Mounted on their rented speeder bikes, the pair made their way towards their destination, and thus closer to the jungle landscape. The air was hot and humid, and that fact along elicited a bit of irritation from the Axxilan.

Without another word, he pushed himself off the bike – landing gracefully on his feet. The Axxilan clearly noted that Malou was facing in the opposite direction, but for the time being didn’t actually comment on that fact.

Jaikus heard the question from Malou, causing him to pause for a moment. The Axxilan promptly reached into his pack, pulling out a large piece of parchment that was presumably their map – waving it around triumphantly for a moment. “Of course I did. You didn’t think I would come unprepared, did you?” The Axxilan quipped, flashing the Acolyte a characteristic smirk. Even still, Jaikus wasn’t sure he wanted to hear an honest answer to his question.

“Shall we?” With that, Jaikus began make his way into the jungle – narrowly dodging a low-hanging tree-branch as he blazed the way forward.

Luckily for them both, there quickly appeared to be a legitimately path for them to follow. The cobbled stones had long since split apart and the path was overgrown with vegetation, but enough of it was visible to make out the direction. They would continue on before reaching a fork in the road, the path continuing on in two different directions. There was what remained of a stone pillar in between the two paths, covering in runic script that neither of them actually understood.

It was at this point that Jaikus referred to the map. Of course, Malou likely didn't know the full extend of just how bad the Axxilan's navigation skills actually were. The man took a moment to squint at the man, then look back at the path, then squint at the map.

Abruptly, Jaikus glanced back at Malou, jutting his chin outward and to the left. "This way."

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Jaikus didn't answer her question immediately, so the acolyte prepared to snarkily ask if he'd forgotten it, but he pulled it out of his bag before she could.

Malou made her way into the jungle at Jaikus's prompting, pushing the large jungle leaves away around her face so that that wouldn't smack against her head when she walked through. The path was uneven and riddled with roots and vines, but thankfully she didn't need to peer at the ground to know where to step to avoid tripping. How Jaikus was making his way through, watching the ground, reading the map and looking ahead all the same, she did not know.

Again, at his prompting, Malou took the left fork of the path and continued on her way. She had taken to walking a bit ahead of Jaikus after she decided she wasn't a fan of his current pace. Because of this, Jaikus would notice when the acolyte suddenly came to a stop.

"Left, huh?"

The path had nearly disappeared, and before her was a sheer drop of about one hundred feet. The cliff led down to more jungle, and there was no way Malou was going to attempt to scale that with even the Force by her side.

"I don't recall cliff diving being one of the obstacles in our path." She turned around, but paused for a moment while her gaze swept through the forest. "Are you sure you know what you're doing? The other path clearly doesn't lead us off the side of a cliff."

With that the acolyte would march straight off into the thick of the woods, disregarding the path they had taken. Jaikus might not be able to see it, but she was essentially taking a direct path to the other side of the fork.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Despite his exceptionally clumsy nature, Jaikus had managed to avoid completely eating shit as he made his way through the jungle. This was largely because after deciding on a direction, the Axxilan spent more time staring down at his feet as opposed to looking at the map – carefully avoiding every root and vine and uneven rock. Jaikus wasn’t about nose-dive into the mud with an Acolyte nearby.

He continued down the path until Malou paused abruptly, peaking around the woman to gaze down at the sheer drop. Citrine eyes immediately narrowed a bit, and a profoundly grumpy expression worked its way onto his face. That wasn’t suppose to be there.

Of course, this wasn’t exactly a surprising turn of events. The Axxilan wasn’t known for being an expect navigator, and this wouldn’t be the first time he had been given the map and made an entirely wrong turn. That being said, Jaikus wasn’t about to admit any of this to Malou.

It would snow on Tattooine before Jaikus said a damn thing.

“I think it goes without saying why I am more qualified to determine the direction.” He quipped back, arching a brow while a grin tugged at his lips. The Axxilan had been nothing but polite during formal gatherings and trips to the beach. Interacting with Jaikus in the wild, as Malou would quickly learn, was a bit different, and it meant she would be subject to all of the snarky and sarcastic quips that he was known for.

“But by all means. Ladies first.” He swept a hand out in front of him, gesturing for Malou to take the lead and head off in the opposite direction. Despite the woman being blind, Jaikus didn’t actually argue with her – instead following as he carved a path towards the other side of the fork.

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"Does it?" Malou could see the grin on the man's features and could hear the lack of malice in his voice, so she chose to take his quip as such. If a blind joke existed, she had heard it. They were only offensive to her if they were made in such a way that implied she was less for it. She was less for nothing. In fact, though she did not vocalize her smug thoughts quite yet, she felt as if she was indeed the more qualified person in this situation.

After all, as she made her direct path to the other side of the fork, she was able to steer them slightly off course to avoid quite the massive snake. It sat curled up against a tree, but at the distance they passed it either did not spot them or was entirely disinterested. Jaikus might spot it through the foliage, marked by its brightly colored flesh and large size.

"So what sparked your interest in Krol?" Malou asked this of him as they finally set foot on the overgrown path again. She fell back to match his pace, no longer leading them. "Like, I know you're looking for this thing, but how'd you learn about it?" Anything involving the Council of Seven sparked her interest.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

After making his little quip about Malou’s eyesight, Jaikus began to follow as the Acolyte took the lead. Of course, the Axxilan wasn’t ever going to admit that he didn’t know what he was doing navigation-wise and that, in all honesty, she probably was more qualified to take the lead.

Instead, the Axxilan politely allowed her to carve the path ahead without another word.

Citrine eyes carefully scanned the path ahead of them – taking special care not to trip over any obstacles in their path. Despite clearly taking a wrong turn – which really wasn’t surprising – the Axxilan was still determined not to eat shit during their trek. Given that his eyes were largely focused downward, he didn’t notice the snake until the last second.

His eyes widened slightly when he caught sight of the large snake curled in a tree nearby. Something about the serpentine creature seemed to cause the Axxilan to tense a bit more than normal, straightening his posture and immediately beginning to walk a bit faster,even if the animal was well out of striking-distance.

Naturally, Jaikus said nothing about it out loud – citrine eyes flicking back to the path ahead.

Jaikus turned his attention to Malou when she finally spoke, inquiring as to his interest in Krol. The Axxilan couldn’t help but brighten up slightly – looking genuinely interested in the topic. “I came across some ancient texts regarding the Council of Seven some months back, and have been doing some research into them ever since. Progress has been.. Difficult,” He admitted. “But I had the most success with Krol. I still likely would’ve have had enough until we compared our material.”

He spoke as they continued to follow the new fork, progressing deeper and deeper into the humid jungle. Interestingly, the farther they went, the less overgrown the path became. The vegetation began to recede away from the cobbled path, and the stones somehow appeared less weathered with age. As if this section has been purposefully maintained. “And you? Where did you first gain an interest?”

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

'Ancient texts, difficult progress...sounds about right.' The Council of Seven was becoming infamous in Malou's mind for being generally difficult to find information about. Their empire only lasted 100 or so years too, which meant there weren't centuries of artifacts and writings to come across. They spread like a raging fire across the galaxy but they disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived.

"Cin- Darth Veles and I went looking for something on Taris a year or so ago. I don't remember what we went there to retrieve, but the ship was littered with things referencing the Council in Ur-Kittât," Malou answered. Noticeably, she almost slipped up and called the since-lorded Cinere by such and not his new name, but she corrected herself immediately and moved on as if it was nothing. "It was there that I found this lightsaber as well."

Malou kept walking for a few moments before she realized that simply gesturing to the lightsaber would not allow the Axxilan to see it, so she pulled it to her palm. As she had already moved to match pace with him, she simply lifted it up and away from her body as she walked so he could see it better. The lightsaber was old; there could be no doubt of it, because both the design and the wear-and-tear that she could not clean or buff away highlighted it. It was still in wonderful condition, in part to whoever had kept it clean on that ship, and in part to her own restorative efforts. Malou drug a thumb under an inscription in Ur-Kittât, which she translated as "Darth Senteur" just in case he wasn't familiar with the ancient Sith language.

"My interest was grabbed completely when I traced my lineage back to Darth Izicinat." Malou went quiet again just as the path was found again. It was much less overgrown than before and the rocks lining the path itself were not nearly as weathered as what they had seen before. Their footsteps, though deafened by the sounds of nature around them, even sounded different than before.

She saw it, and both of them surely heard it, before they came across it. Water crashed and tumbled before them, forming a fast-moving river much too far for them to jump across on their own. It continued on for half a mile before disappearing over the edge of that sheer cliff Malou and Jaikus had come across before. There was a bridge--emphasis on was--that had gone across it but between the splintered and broken planks and the way it swayed dangerously above the water it was probably safe to say it was not safe at all. The path continued on the other side of the river, so at least they knew they should risk crossing.

"Any ideas?" asked the acolyte dryly.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

There was an undeniable glint in those citrine eyes, and Jaikus couldn’t help the way he seemed to perk up when the topic gradually shifted back to their shared studies. The Axxilan was quiet as he listened to Malou speak, giving a few nods of his head throughout. He clearly noted the misstep with the name, though he said nothing.

The longer they walked, the more paved their path became – allowing them to move at a far more casual pace without trekking through the untamed vegetation. As such, the Axxilan gradually allowed himself to relax a bit, tucking his hands neatly against the small of his back as they walked.

The mention of the lightsaber was enough for Jaikus to turn his head towards her once again, his gaze followed Malou’s hand as she reached for the hilt on her hip, extending it out to view.While he didn’t reach out for it, the Axxilan took several seconds to study the ancient weapon – citrine eyes drinking in the sight of the ancient design, the general wear and tear, and the Ur-Kittat inscriptions carved into the metal.

After a few moments of inspection, Jaikus glanced back up at Malou. “What else did you find on Taris?”

“Your lineage?” He mused aloud, glancing up towards Malou. His knowledge upon Darth Izicinat was limited compared to the rest of the council, but he was aware of some fundamental details – not least of all the fact that the ancient Sith Lord was Miralukan. It was clear that the Axxilan was interested, though he didn’t press for more details unless Malou disclosed them.

Jaikus continued to walk for several minutes after that, keeping pace with Malou the entire way and traveling side-by-side with the acolyte. When the pair finally came across the river, the Axxilan’s eyes narrowed significantly at the sight. There was no possibility of them jumping across the width of the river, and trying to travel upstream where it might’ve narrowed could take hours or days.

Naturally, his gaze fell upon the only option that the pair really had – the bridge. There was no denying that the wooden path didn’t exactly look safe, but it was the only thing either of them really had to go off. Jaikus furrowed his brows, staring ahead at the bridge in silence – the cogs slowly turning behind his gaze.

After a moment or two of silence, Jaikus glanced back to Malou, jutting his chin towards the rope bridge. “The bridge is our only option,” He spoke smoothly, casually walking towards the first planks of the bridge. “Only one of us can cross at a time. The other will stability the bridge and prevent it from collapsing under the weight.”

With that, Jaikus rose both hands from his sides, extending them out towards the damaged bridge. The Darkness built and coalesced in the Axxilan’s body before extending outward, tendrils of invisible energy coiling around the splintered planks and joints of the bridge, attempting to stability the structure and give it some added strength.

“Go.”

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

"I'm not sure what we found. A book of sorts? He didn't show me," replied Malou. Veles wasn't exactly super chatty and their mission had been pretty much to the point. "Well, other than a fuck ton of zombies." She definitely had not forgotten the way the Force had turned Veles into a blur of motion. Malou was impressed then and still impressed looking back on it. One day she too would reach that level.

"Yeah, through my mother," was her response to his second question. She wouldn't expand further unless he specifically asked, because she didn't want to. Talking about her mother to strangers was something she had never done, not even with Artorgias. She had barely discussed her family with anyone, in fact, other than her master and a certain acolyte.

But, back to the bridge. The teen's sight laid upon the raggedy rope bridge and, if her eyes were uncovered, she might've narrowed them. Malou didn't exactly want to cross the bridge, but she'd be damned if she gave the man any fuel to throw quips at her.

Jaikus threw his hands out and Malou could feel the Force begin to stabilize the bridge, so when he said "go", she went.

"Going." Malou approached the bridge and placed a hand on either side of the rope railing. She could already see that it had steadied, so with a deep breath, she began to climb across. She couldn't say she completely trust Jaikus, so as she gingerly and quickly made her way across, Malou remained ready to spring her way across if need be. It didn't take her a long time to get across the bridge, and minus a plank or two which caused her to second-guess stepping there, she made it across just fine.

When her boots landed on the solid, not-swinging ground, she took a moment to catch her breath then turned around and extended her own hands. Her vision surveyed the jungle around her quickly, then her attention went to weaving the Force in and out of the various planks and ropes of the bridge. Jaikus would feel her presence in the Force slowly envelop his, a sign that she had the bridge in her control. The acolyte did not call out to him though; she had her entire focus on holding that bridge still.

tag: @Altaris

// 200th post !! LETS GO

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus didn’t immediately response to any of the new information – whether it was the fuck ton of zombies or Malou’s matrilineal heritage, instead focusing the entirely of his attention onto the damaged bridge. It was their only chance of getting across and continuing their journey, and whatever questions the Axxilan had could wait.

Invisible tendrils of the Force coiled around broken and splintered planks of wood, forcing them back together and holding them in place for Malou to tread upon. His energies weaved into the very cords and fibers of the ropes that connected the two sides of the river, patching together what was frayed and giving it the strength to withstand their additional weight.

He gave the Acolyte a simple nod as she began to quickly made her way across the rope bridge, exhaling lowly through his nostrils as he focused on keeping the pathway from collapsing beneath her feet. Even once Malou reached the other side, Jaikus didn’t immediately relax his grip on the bridge – waiting for Malou to step in to replace his efforts.

As soon as Malou reached out to take control of the bridge, Jaikus slowly began to withdraw his grasp on the planks and rope. She would immediately feel the additional weight of holding all on her own, but luckily Jaikus didn’t make her wait for very long before bounding across. There was no time to ponder whether she was going to drop the ball, and so the Axxilan broke into a full fledged sprint – long, graceful strides carrying him multiple planks at a time in order to reach the other side of the river.

Within moments, Jaikus leapt from the last two planks and landed solidly back onto the jungle ground. He glanced backwards, citrine eyes watching as the bridge laxed and began to sway hazardously the moment Malou relaxed her grip.

Only then did Jaikus turn back to the path ahead, squinting at the paved stones that lined the trail ahead. Through the jungle vegetation, the pair would be able to see what appeared to be a large archway jutting out from the cliffside – though it would still take quite a bit of hiking to actually reach it.

As Jaikus began to walk down the path once more, he finally turned back to glance at Malou. “What do you hope to gain at the end of it all?”

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

They had both made it across safely. Malou watched the bridge sway to and fro after she released it from her grip for a few moments before she turned along with Jaikus to continue their trek. Like him, Malou was also able to spot the archway out in the distance. She wasn't incredibly happy to note the distance though.

She followed as Jaikus began to resume the hike, though there was a pause in her step when he asked his question. It caught her off guard, to say the least.

'What do I hope to gain at the end of it all? End of all of what?' It was a very open-ended question. He could be referring to a plethora of things, or purposefully being general for whatever reason. That made it difficult for her because though she often pondered things on her own, she struggled to vocalize such things in a way that made sense.

"Ah-" Perhaps this was just a Sith-to-Sith question. It wouldn't be all that long before her training was over. Artorgias had already expressed that he wanted her to go through her trials to become a champion. She wouldn't be surprised if he was testing the waters to see if their goals were going to align. If there was anything Malou was familiar with, it was the subtle way nobility scouted each other out. The Sith were hardly different at times. 'Or maybe he's just trying to make small talk, and I'm reading way too much into this.'

"The end of it all?" There was an undercurrent of uncertainty in Malou's voice. She didn't even know if she knew the answer to that question. 'What do I hope to gain?' It wasn't fame. It wasn't wealth, either. Power was the first thing that sprung to her mind, but she didn't just want power like just saying "power" out loud would suggest. She wanted power in the way her grandfather had power. No matter anyone in the family's opinion of him, they respected him enough to leave him alone. There were always conspiracies, but she'd never heard talk of undermining his operations. The worst she'd witnessed was two cousins hoping he'd die soon so their fathers could gain his assets.

"I guess...respect. Power, of course, but...over myself. For myself." She was quiet for a moment after speaking as she wrestled with a further explanation in her mouth. "I just want to be everything it is possible for me to be. After... I don't know."

Malou had decided a few years ago that she wouldn't stop until she couldn't get any better. It was always possible to improve, she believed, so she wasn't sure if she would ever find an end to it.

"What about you?" Malou asked in turn, physically turning her head to tilt in his direction. She didn't know much about the man, so she had no ideas.

tag: @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Although he didn’t stop walking along the strangely well-kept pathway, Jaikus turned his head entirely to face Malou - staring back at the Acolyte with citrine eyes when she opted to answer his question. The Axxilan wasn’t entirely sure what she would make of it - and he gave the woman the entirety of his attention while he listened.

Power, respect.. They were words that Jaikus expected to hear from a fellow Sith. They were things that each and every one of his peers wanted for themselves - and yet he didn’t miss the addition of how she wanted all of those things for herself.

The Axxilan was silent for a few moments when Malou threw the question back at him - an almost far-away look in his eyes as he mulled it over. It was a question he had asked himself dozens of times over the years, through every journey and every chapter he had walked as a Sith.

He exhaled after a long moment. “Knowledge, power.. But for myself, like you. Not to be flaunted and flexed for my peers.” It was no secret that, despite his contributions to the Empire and experience, the Axxilan had yet to make that ascent to Lordship. He purposefully kept himself out of the spotlight, having no desire to stake out a territory of his own or flaunt his title and power, no desire to have others bowing and scraping as other members of their order did. “I wish to grow and become everything that I can, without sacrificing my freedom and autonomy. And without sacrificing who I am.”

There was no need to elaborate on that last point further. Both Malou and Jaikus knew the struggle that came with walking the path of the Sith, and the pieces of oneself that were torn away as one delved deeper into the Darkness. Since his time as an acolyte, Jaikus had committed to maintaining his humanity and the things that made him who he was - anchoring himself through the people he loved and cared about.

He was silent for a moment more, turning back towards the path before them. As they cut through the dense vegetation, the structure ahead of them was becoming much more visible - now able to the way that the jungle seemed unnaturally cleared around the entrance - as if refusing to grow in proximity to the tomb.

Perhaps less ominously, they would see that the entrance to said tomb was sealed behind a solid slab of stone.

Jaikus furrowed his brows, blinking a few times before looking back to Malou. “..Maybe we try knocking?”

@lizziie

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

He felt the same as her, and notably, said words she'd heard from her master before. How far could one go into the Dark Side without losing themself to it? Malou had no idea, and she wasn't sure anyone else did either. She'd struggled to gain freedom and autonomy. Would she one day be in a struggle not to lose it?

She would put that thought aside for now. The tomb had appeared before them, nothing but a carved-out entrance blocked by a mass of a smooth, unmoving piece of stone. Jaikus suggested that they should try knocking. She couldn't tell if it was meant to be in jest, but the Miralukan thought it was a bit funny anyway. And, depending on the thickness of the stone, maybe they could just break through it.

Air exhaled sharply out her nose as she strode forward and drummed twice on the slab with her knuckles. She sent the Force through each touch to get a read on the thickness of the slab. From what she could tell, it seemed to be no thicker than four inches. That was good, but were there any weak points in it? She placed her whole palm on the stone and began to slid it along until— There!

Quickly, Malou backed away from the slab and motioned for Jaikus to take a step back. Using the Force, Malou lifted a particularly pointed rock from the ground and, in the form one might see from a pitcher, sent that sucker right into the spot she'd spotted with as much force as she could muster. It hit true, shattered upon impact, but sent massive cracks across the solid stone slab. One more good hit and it should break away.

"Your turn!"

tag: @Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus was - in fact - joking about knocking on the entrance. It was betrayed by the faint exhale through his nostrils, and the playful smirk that tugged up at the corners of one side of his face. Of course, he didn’t question it when Malou promptly decided to walk right up and do just that - watching the Acolyte curiously as she drummed her fingers against the stone slab. Evidently, his suggestion had actually proved to be helpful.

He arched a brow inquisitively when Malou motioned for him to take a step back, once again doing so without argument. He watched as the Miralukan reached out with the Force, sending a rock to slam against the stone slab - cracks suddenly spider webbing across the surface.

Jaikus glanced towards Malou when she spoke, giving the Acolyte a firm nod of his head before reaching out with the Force himself. Invisible tendrils of energy poured from his fingertips and coiled around yet another sharp stone, lifting it into the air and angled the conical tip towards the door. With an abrupt yank of the Axxilan’s wrist, Jaikus sent the stone careening towards the door - smashing into the exact same spot that Malou had hit as the stone shattered into countless pieces. Just as before, their combined efforts sending deep cracks to split across the surface. One more strike, and the whole thing would come down.

Without a word, Jaikus took another step forward - both hands raising from his sides. The Force built and coalesced around her body and flowed through his limbs - building in strength and focused into a single point. After a few moments of concentration, Jaikus thrust both hands forward - unleashing the built up energy as a strong concussive blast sent towards the door.

The wave of Force energy struck the cracked stone slab at the velocity of a freighter - punching through the last remaining bit of resistance and shattering the door into countless stoney fragments sent in all directions - alongside a thick cloud of dust that filled the air.

Within a few moments the dust settled, and the pair were given their first look inside the forgotten tomb. The sunlight poured into the interior for the first time in generations, casting a dim light over the narrow hallway and stairwell that progressively dipped lower and lower into the earth before the darkness finally re-enveloped the stairwell - preventing them from seeing where it ended.

As soon as the pair stepped past the threshold of the entrance, they would be able to feel the presence that permeated the interior of the tomb. It would feel as if the air itself had grown thicker with each and every breath, and there was an unmistakable sense of dread that settled into the pits of their stomachs that wouldn’t leave. And yet, they would both be able to sense a distinct pulsating within the Force deeper within - a heartbeat that they could follow if they so chose.

For Jaikus, there was no choice to make.

Jaikus glanced back towards Malou, giving her a nod before he began to descend down the stairwell. As he walked, the Axxilan reached up and snagged an unlit torch from one of the walls - looking as if it hadn’t been utilized in centuries. The Force flowed through his fingertips after but a moment and sprang forth as bright orange flames, enveloping the head of the Torch and providing them a constant source of light as they delved deeper into the tomb.

Jaikus glanced back as he walked, looking towards Malou. “What made you wish to seek out Darth Krol and his tomb?”

@lizziie