Private A Scholar at the Edge of Ruin

[Meri Vale]

The heat struck her first, rising up from the stone the moment Meri stepped off the spaceport ramp, dry and oppressive, carrying dust and the faint metallic tang of a world that had never truly cooled, a world that seemed to exist in a permanent state of endurance rather than welcome.

She stopped without meaning to.

Foot traffic continued to flow around her in uneven currents, boots crunching against red grit while voices cut sharply through the air, hurried and impatient. Someone muttered a curse when they had to step around her, another brushed her shoulder with no apology at all, yet Meri barely registered it. Her attention had already been claimed entirely by what lay beyond the spaceport.

The ruins loomed in the distance like exposed bones, vast and unapologetic, jagged spires clawing at the sky while half-buried temples rose from the sand as though the planet itself had grown weary of keeping its secrets hidden. Stone scarred by centuries of wind, ritual, and intent caught the harsh light at severe angles, every surface etched with purpose and history that felt far too deliberate to be accidental.

Meri drew in a slow breath, her chest tightening with it.

She turned gradually, notebook already in her hands, without remembering when she had reached for it, eyes tracing every fracture, every line where architecture met erosion. These were not ruins designed to fade quietly into time. They had been built to dominate, to be seen from afar, to impress and intimidate in equal measure, even in decay.

"So old," she murmured, the words barely more than a breath, reverent and disbelieving all at once.

She took a step backward in an unconscious attempt to widen her view and nearly collided with two travelers passing behind her, earning a sharp reprimand that snapped through the air.

"Oh, sorry, I—" Meri began, color rising to her cheeks as she shuffled forward again, only to stop once more when her eyes caught on a massive stairway carved directly into the rock face beyond the port's perimeter fence. Her pen hovered uselessly above the page, overwhelmed by too many details demanding to be captured at once.

The way the steps narrowed as they climbed, forcing procession rather than comfort. The way shadows pooled at the temple entrances and refused to fully retreat even beneath the open sky. The subtle but persistent sense that this place had been shaped as much by belief as by stone and tools.

She became dimly aware that she was staring, that people were looking at her now with curiosity, suspicion, or mild amusement at the sight of a young woman standing transfixed in the middle of Korriban's busiest thoroughfare.

Meri did not care.

She had read about worlds like this, studied fragments and reconstructions, pieced together histories from broken inscriptions and secondhand accounts, but standing here with the weight of it pressing in from every direction was something entirely different.

This was not merely a site of ruin.

It was a statement.

At last, she edged toward the side of the walkway, partially out of the flow of traffic, still turning in slow, wonderstruck circles as if afraid that if she blinked for too long, the world before her might vanish.

Korriban bore scars, deep and deliberate ones.

And Meri Vale wanted to understand every single one of them.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

He had just stepped off his ship from visiting Malachor once again. After visiting a fond friend of his and wandering the planet's caverns. Ahead in the distance he could see his home, the temple he had claimed and had begun to turn. The temple had soon begun to recognize and understand Varin as he delved deeper into its guts to study it. Uncovering certain secrets of it. Secrets that died with the prior tenants.

He took a deep breath a sigh of relief to be home again as he stepped off the landing ramp and walked towards the exit of the shipyard.

A new face caught his eye. One that had held curiosity and wonder from the distant ruins on the sand dune hills. He slowly walked behind her, looking down to see she was sketching. His good eye squinted slightly as he was trying to make sense of what she was doing, but he knew a person who was driven by curiosity when he saw them.

“Why are you sketching my home?”

He spoke to her as he watched from behind over her shoulder unnoticed from how distracted she was with the architecture before her. He then realised she too was an epicanthix and his brow raised.

“And why are you so short? Usually people like us tower over most.”

He watched her as she worked and as she finally noticed him, her reaction drawing a confused look on his face.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri startled despite herself.

It was not dramatic, but it was immediate. Her shoulders jumped, the stylus slipping in her fingers as she drew in a sharp breath and took a half step back before she realized the voice was close, not hostile. The datapad tilted awkwardly as she clutched it to her chest, heart beating a little faster than it should have.

"I—sorry," she said instinctively, then shook her head once, steadying herself. Her gaze lifted to him, cautious but not defensive, eyes flicking briefly from his face to the direction he had indicated and then back again.

"I didn't know," Meri said, quickly but sincerely. "I didn't realize these ruins belonged to anyone. I wouldn't have… I mean, I wouldn't have assumed."

She glanced down at the sketch again, then held the pad out just enough to make her intent clear, not offering it so much as explaining it.

"I came to Korriban to study its past," she continued, her voice settling as the initial jolt faded. "The architecture, the way the stone has been shaped and reshaped over time. I draw what I see, so I don't miss things later. It helps me notice patterns."

Her eyes drifted back toward the temple, open and unguarded, making it clear the fascination was genuine. "I wasn't trying to claim anything. Just…understand it."

At his second question, there was the faintest pause. Then one corner of her mouth lifted, not quite a smile, more an acknowledgement.

"As for being short," Meri said, quietly practical, "scrounging for food doesn't usually make people grow very tall. And I'm probably not done yet. I might still have a growth spurt or two left, if I'm lucky."

She hesitated, then added, honest rather than embarrassed, "Either way, I work with what I have."

Her grip on the datapad relaxed slightly as she met his gaze again, curiosity returning now that the surprise had passed.

"This is your home?" she asked, carefully, not challenging. "Then…it must have quite a history."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

“Well, how else would you have known. I had no offense by it, just wanted to know why it caught your eye.”

He looked at her sketch, incredibly detailed, even given the short bit of time she had spent on the drawings. Varin’s gaze tightened a bit as he observed the screen.

“The temple holds many secrets.”

He spoke quietly.

“So you study the past? Travel a lot as well I assume?”

He dropped his bag at his feet and unzipped it pulling out a well used slightly cracked datapad.

“I had a knack for drawing ancient buildings as well. From my home planet.”

He powered the device on and flicked through some of the images before he stopped on a highly detailed stone tower. Surrounded by a grassy field atop a cliff. Deep in the foreground was a vibrant yellow moon and not far beside it was a vibrant blue moon.

“Ancient buildings always have secrets to tell if you listen close enough.”

He looked at her.

“When was the last time you had a decent meal?”

He placed his hand up to stop her from commenting.

“Come with me. We’ll get some food and discuss further on your curiosity. The temple is a dangerous place as you delve deeper. Frigid ground temperatures are rather cruel if you are not used to them.”

He picked his bag back up and walked ahead a bit before he looked back at her and nodded his head for her to follow.

"Have you ever had bantha steaks before?"

He was horrible at making small talk, but he knew what it was like to be a stranger on their own on a stranger planet. That and it was rare he met anyone else like him. He would at least make sure she had some food.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri blinked once at the sudden shift in conversation, her attention still half caught on the image he had shown her. The tower, the moons, the sense of place pressed into stone. It made her chest ache in a way she did not immediately name.

"Yes," she said after a moment, answering his earlier question first. "I study the past. Mostly places that were built to last longer than the people who made them." Her fingers hovered over her own sketch as if comparing the two. "I travel when I can. Sometimes to learn. Sometimes because staying still is… complicated."

Her gaze lifted to him again when he asked about food, and she frowned slightly, not offended so much as uncertain.

"That depends," Meri said carefully. "On what you mean by decent."

She glanced down at herself, then back up, a small, self-aware tilt to her head. "I've eaten today. It was enough to keep me going. But if you mean something hot, and filling, and not eaten in a hurry while watching exits…" She paused, then nodded once. "Then it's been a while."

At the mention of the temple being dangerous, she instinctively looked back toward the ruins, curiosity flaring again even as caution tempered it. "I know," she said softly. "That's part of why I wanted to see it before going inside. The outside tells you a lot, if you pay attention."

She hesitated only a second before taking a few steps to follow him, careful not to crowd but not hanging back either.

"I've never had bantha steak," Meri admitted. "I've read about it. Usually in the context of survival manuals or complaints."

A faint, tentative smile appeared. "But I'm willing to try it. And… thank you. For the food. And for not assuming curiosity means carelessness."

She fell into step behind him, sketchbook held close, eyes still flicking now and then toward the temple as if it might move when she was not looking.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

He passed her his datapad that was full of sketches of old buildings from his home world.

“Feel free to look through. It’s all from memory though. But it’s all accurate I assure you.”

He gave her a look as she described her last meal and shook his head.

“No that’s not at all what I mean. I mean something filling, something that tastes good. Something that is not purely for survival. If you like thick cuts of meat then you will love bantha steaks. That's what I plan on making tonight and you’re lucky. I have enough for you as well. I wasn’t expecting to have company, but if you are so curious of the temple then please come with me.”

He looked back at her and offered a soft smile.

“Every adventurer needs to have a moment to put their feet up. If need be you can sleep in my old dorm room. I don’t use it anymore. And I’m sure you could use a nice bed. Well, nice is putting it nicely. It’s a crappy bed but it beats sleeping on the cold ground.”

He slowed his gate a bit for her so she could keep up easier, and hear him better.

“How do you like your meats cooked? And if you say well done then you will be going back on that ship.”

His poor attempt at a joke to try to lighten the mood a bit.

“I will also warn you. I do have a hound who is…not the most sightly creature. No sudden movements when she meets you and you won’t have any issues.”

He guided her through the crowd, most of the people who live here at the academy knew of Varin and instinctively moved out of his way. The exploits he had committed in battle were told over and over in the halls, some stories embellished others not so much. But it was enough that no one knew what would be truth or not, so they played it safe.

It made it harder for him to have a social life though. But he didn’t complain, he didn’t talk much with anyone anyways.

"Curiosity is never careless. Only the person is careless. You can be curious and still explore after proper preparation, it's the preferred method. But then you have others who are...impulsive."

He looked at her again.

"You would not make it this far if you were impulsive or not careful. I give credit where it is due."

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri hesitated only a moment before taking the datapad, her fingers careful with it in the way of someone who treated objects like this as quietly sacred. As she scrolled, her attention narrowed, the noise of the spaceport dimming to a distant blur.

"These are…" She stopped, then tried again, softer. "They're very precise. You can tell you weren't just drawing what they looked like. You were remembering how they felt to stand near." She glanced up at him, earnest rather than flattering. "That matters."

At the mention of food, her shoulders relaxed despite herself. Not fully, but enough that the tension eased out of her posture.

"I think," she said slowly, choosing her words with care, "that my definition of 'a decent meal' has been…undersized for a while." A faint, self-aware smile flickered. "So yes. Something filling. And good. That sounds… really nice."

The offer of a place to sleep made her blink, clearly caught off guard. She shook her head once, then stopped, reconsidering.

"I don't want to impose," she said instinctively, then sighed quietly. "But I won't pretend a bed doesn't sound tempting. Even a terrible one." Her mouth curved, just slightly. "I promise I won't complain about it."

She hurried a half step to keep pace as he slowed, listening intently.

"As for the bantha steaks," Meri said, a little more color in her voice now, "medium. Definitely not well done. I'm cautious, not cruel." The hint of humor surprised even her.

The warning about the hound earned a thoughtful nod rather than fear. "I'm good with rules," she said. "No sudden movements. Respect the teeth. That seems fair."

When he spoke about curiosity, she absorbed the words quietly, eyes forward but attentive, as if turning them over in her mind.

"I try not to be careless," Meri said at last. "I know curiosity can look like that from the outside. But for me…It's about paying attention long enough to notice what's been missed." She glanced at him again, briefly. "Preparation feels like respect. For the place. For the past."

She lowered her gaze again, voice softer but steady. "Thank you. For the credit. And for the food."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

He watched her look through each image, watched as she carefully analyzed each line that was drawn with care and reverence. It was not just remembrance that fueled the genuine detail and feel of each picture, it was longing. He listened to her speak, catching a chuckle leave him at her jest.

“My home world was riddled in ancient ruins. Each telling their own stories, each revealing their own version of truths. None of them ever lied. People tend to confuse truth with lies based on perspective, not understanding that everything always has two sides.”

They walked through the main square of Kor'ethyr Academy. The familiar walkways, halls and walls, gave off their own stories as well by the very architecture. Everything here was built to endure wind and churning sands, some of it seemed to be made of the sands themselves.

Once they had left the academy square and through the gates they made the trek towards his temple. He stopped by an old speeder he had…borrowed…the first time he went to a Tuk'ata Tears concert. He just ended up keeping it after that. Using it to get to and from the temple. It definitely beat walking in the rough sands for an hour or so, quickening the journey by a lot more.

The journey to the temple was uneventful as the red sun hung high over the desert, bathing everything in a crimson hue. It left an ominous shadow of the temple in the background. Varin parked the speeder just outside the steps and hopped out, grabbing his bags and small cold box that held the food. CC came down the steps already speaking to him.

“Master Varin, Sinew keeps trying to tear up the mattress. This is the sixth time in three days that I've…”

CC paused when he noticed the new guest hopping out of the speeder.

“Oh, apologies madam. The temple is off limits to tourists.”

Varin looked over at him.

“She's fine CC. She's a guest. She was curious about the temple and has also has traveled a long way.”

He handed off the bags to CC who took them like it was second nature.

“...oh, of course. Apologies madam, welcome to our quaint little home. It is a bit drafty I hear.”

He walked up the steps, Varin not far behind him before he looked back to make sure she was following him.

He then slowly held his hand out to her.

“Varin, Varin Mortifer.”

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri had gone still the moment the temple came fully into view.

It was not fear that stopped her, nor awe exactly, but something quieter and heavier that settled behind her ribs as the structure rose out of the sands. She took it in the way she always did with old places, not all at once, but in pieces: the way the stone caught the light, the lines worn smooth by wind rather than hands, the sense that the ground itself remembered being walked on.

When CC addressed her, she startled just enough to betray how deep her focus had gone, then straightened instinctively, hands folding together in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, softly, already preparing to retreat if needed. "I didn't mean to intrude."

Varin's reassurance reached her a beat later, and she let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. At CC's welcome, tentative as it was, she inclined her head politely.

"Thank you," Meri replied. "I promise I'll be careful."

She followed them up the steps, her pace measured, gaze flicking briefly to the worn stone beneath her boots before lifting again. When Varin turned back and extended his hand, she hesitated for only a fraction of a second, then reached out and took it.

"Meri," she said, offering her name as she met his eyes. "Meri Vale."

Her grip was light but steady, and there was a sincerity in the way she spoke that carried through her next words.

"And…thank you. For trusting me with this. I know places like this aren't just buildings."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

He gently shook her hand and led her up the stairs.

“I know someone searching for knowledge when I see them.”

As they crested the steps he stopped her then looked over at her.

“Sinew is just up there. Remember, no sudden movements, no looking her in the eyes. That is reserved for who cares over her.”

He reached into his pack and pulled out a half frozen rodent.

“Offer her this and you will have a much easier time with her.”

He handed over the frozen rodent. Not long after the meal was handed off he could hear clawed steps approaching. Excited huffs of breath from a creature excited to see its master again. He slowly turned around just in time to catch the still growing Tuk’ata pup. Now clearly larger, on all fours it reaches Varin's stomach to its shoulders. Snarling and barking towards him it sounded as if it were ready to tear him limb from limb, but the actions proved that was far from the case.

“I heard you were tearing up my bed!”

His voice took a more commanding tone as Sinew instantly stopped and sat down, not noticing the new guest just yet. She sat right in front of him, her breathing going quiet, a quick change from her more excited self, not one of fear but a tone of conviction. She knew exactly what he was talking about and gave a soft whine as she laid on her side exposing her belly.

“This is the final warning.”

His eyes glared at her before they finally softened and he turned to Meri.

“Now, we have a guest. Behave.”

He moved out of the way as Sinew sniffed in her direction.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri went very still the moment the frozen rodent was placed in her hands.

Not rigid, not fearful, but deliberate. She listened carefully, committing every instruction to memory, then nodded once to show she understood. When Sinew appeared, all sound and motion and sharp life, Meri felt the instinctive jolt of surprise run through her anyway. She swallowed it down just as quickly.

She kept her gaze lowered, angled toward the stone near the creature's paws rather than on the creature itself, shoulders loose, posture open but nonthreatening. No sudden movements. No challenge. Just presence.

Slowly, carefully, she crouched enough to lower herself closer to Sinew's level without closing the distance too much. The rodent was offered with both hands, palms up, extended forward, and then held there, steady. She did not push it closer. She let the space remain Sinew's to cross.

"Hello," Meri said softly, voice calm and even. Not a command. Not a plea. Just acknowledgment. "I'm Meri."

Her eyes stayed down. She did not flinch when the sniffing came closer, even when the sound of it was sharp and close enough to feel. Her breathing remained slow and measured, the way it always was when she stood in old ruins that demanded respect.

"I won't take what isn't given," she added quietly, more for herself than anything else.

She waited, unmoving, trusting the creature to decide what came next. Meri stayed exactly where she was, hands steady, breath even, letting the moment stretch without trying to control it.

After a long, assessing pause, Sinew leaned forward. There was a sudden, unexpected swipe of warmth across Meri's cheek as the tuk'ata's tongue dragged along her skin in a quick, curious lick. Meri startled only a fraction, a soft breath catching, but she did not pull back or raise her gaze. If anything, the corners of her mouth twitched with a surprised, quiet smile.

"Ah," she murmured under her breath, more amused than afraid.

A heartbeat later, Sinew's jaws closed gently around the frozen rodent, tugging it free from Meri's hands with a satisfied huff. The creature turned away, prize secured, tail swaying with unmistakable approval.

Only then did Meri slowly straighten, lifting one hand to wipe her cheek, eyes still carefully averted.

"I'll take that as…acceptance," she said softly.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

Varin kept his eye on both Sinew and Meri, making sure the introduction went peacefully. To his surprise it worked out well, Meri even earned a lick on the face from the growing adolescent Tuk'ata. A rare sign of affection.

He waited until Sinew made her way back to her little bed.

“You seem to have a way with Sith Spawn. Not many are capable of obtaining such affection so soon.”

He motioned for her to follow him into the temple, stepping just inside was an older hall decorated with deteriorating statues of previous Jedi who resided there, and smeared upon their surface was now solidified red sands, crystallized from emanating heat from his training exercises.

“The time once belonged to the Ashlan Jedi after they stole Korriban from the Sith.”

His voice echoed off the walls, and the walls bent to his voice. As if they knew that their new master had returned.

“After the Sith took back the planet, almost all of the Ashlan presence was eradicated, either through collateral damage or sheer purpose. They were almost scrubbed clean from the planet.”

He looked back at the shorter epicanthix girl.

“This is one of the few that withstood bombardment. So I took it as a home and began to re-educate it. To bend to the ways of the Sith.”

He continued into the living space he had created. The bed at the far end, next to the home made hearth. The table that had various datapads, holodisks and various tomes sitting on its surface.

“Please, take a seat anywhere. Food will be done shortly.”

He walked over to the rudimentary stove, cutting it on to begin heating.

“Yes, for the record. I am a Sith. But even I would not deny those who seek knowledge.”

He slowly looked back at her then back at the stove as he began prepping.

“The tomes and datapads are open for you to browse as well. It’s mainly the temples history and purpose, back when the Ashlan had taken its charge.”

He pulled out spices as Sinew began to curl up getting comfortable in her bed.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri froze for half a second when Sinew's tongue brushed her cheek, eyes widening in pure surprise before she let out a quiet, startled laugh. She lifted a hand instinctively, wiping at her face with her sleeve, then glanced back toward the Tuk'ata as it retreated to its bed.

"I… didn't know that was a good sign," she admitted softly, a hint of awe slipping into her voice. "I'll take it."

She followed Varin inside without hesitation, though her steps slowed as the hall opened before her. Meri's gaze lifted, tracing the lines of the statues, the way the red sands had fused to their surfaces like scars that had become part of the stone itself. She did not recoil at the history he spoke of. If anything, she seemed to lean into it, absorbing each word as another layer of understanding.

"They endured," she murmured, more observation than comment. "Even when they were meant to be erased."

At his explanation of what the temple had been, and what it had become, Meri nodded once, accepting the truth of it without flinching. There was no fear in her expression, only careful consideration.

"Places remember what's done to them," she said quietly. "Re-educating it makes sense, in a way. You're not pretending the past didn't happen. You're… redirecting it."

When he gestured for her to sit, she chose a place near the table, setting her bag carefully at her feet. She did not touch anything right away, instead taking in the datapads and tomes with reverent restraint, like someone standing at the edge of deep water before stepping in.

"Thank you," Meri said sincerely. Then, after a brief pause, she added, just as honestly, "For telling me who you are."

Her eyes flicked up to him, then back to the materials laid out before her.

"I'm not here to judge," she continued. "I came to learn. About what was here. What it meant. What it was used for." A small, thoughtful breath. "If the Ashlan left anything behind, I'd like to understand it as they intended… not just as a footnote to what came after."

Only then did she reach out, gently lifting one of the datapads, careful and focused as she began to read while the food warmed and the temple settled around them once more.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

He listened to her speak of the statues, weathered by time and conflict.

“You’ll find that the statues, walls and foundation itself is far too stubborn to crumble. I would not waste such strong roots, especially if I can make it my own.”

He sprinkled some earthy and sweeter spices on the heating pan, then added some animal fat to melt away. Finally after a moment he added the meat. Sizzling the flesh already as it came in contact with the pan. The aroma of cooked spices and herbs intermingling with the scent of the steaks as they cooked.

“Try as hard as you may, you can never erase the past. You can alter it, but sooner or later the truth of what happened resurfaces. But you can redefine the nature of that truth.”

He reached for different additions to the meal from all around the small space he worked with, with a practiced ease like he could do it blind folded. Adding small stalks of greenery to the melted fat to soften its outer layer and absorb the juices. He then began to mix what was left of those juices with a crushed and mashed starch, plucked from the very garden he and Seren tended to from her home.

“I am a lot of things, Meri. But I am not a lier, nor a hider of truths. That would show shame, and I am not shameful of who or what I am.”

He looked at her from behind the stove, slowly dishing the food before setting her plate down in front of her and then setting his in front of himself as he sat on the opposite end of the table.

“The Ashlan used this temple for theology and learning. As to the nature of their theories and what it was they were learning, I am still trying to uncover. The files in front of you delve in detail what I and my…associate have discovered so far.”

He paused for a quick moment in his sentence as he tried to find a word to call his relationship with Seren.

“I will warn you. It is heavily layered.”

He grabbed a knife as he began to cut into his food.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri listened without interrupting, her attention drifting between his words and the space itself. The way the heat moved through the stone, the way the walls caught the light, the faint echo that lingered even after he stopped speaking. It was hard not to look everywhere at once.

"Thank you," she said softly, meaning more than just the meal as she looked down at the plate placed in front of her. She hesitated a moment, then added, just as sincerely, "For letting me be here. And for the food."

She picked up her utensils, but before taking a bite, she reached for her notebook instead, flipping it open with a familiar motion. Her eyes traced the room again, slower now, cataloging details with care. The thickness of the pillars. The way the statues bore the weight of heat and time without collapsing. The way the temple felt…repurposed, but not erased.

"I hope you don't mind," Meri said, already sketching as she spoke, graphite moving lightly across the page. "I want to get the structure down first. The layout, the way the space flows. I can read the files after. Buildings tell their own stories if you listen long enough."

Only then did she finally take a small bite, chewing slowly, deliberately, as if she didn't want to rush anything, not the food and not the moment. Her gaze kept lifting from the page to the walls, to the statues, to the hearth.

"I never thought I'd be allowed inside a place like this," she admitted quietly, not quite looking at him. There was wonder there, restrained but unmistakable. "So I'd like to remember it properly."

She continued to eat in small, careful bites, one hand resting protectively on the notebook, eyes still roaming the ancient interior as if afraid that if she blinked too long, it might vanish.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

He watched as she drew and as she spoke.

Her words spoke of a passion that wrapped around discovery, history and architect. Varin respected that.

He peaked at her drawing as he ate.

“Where did you learn to draw?”

He spoke quietly as faint memories of him drawing during his childhood spilled into his head.

The memories of crashing waves over the massive cliffs that housed towers in Carcosa. Its twin suns that kept the sky alight day and night. The night suns being further away giving a faint blue glow. While the daytime sun gave off its orange and yellow hues during the day.

He was homesick, and he knew it. But there was not much that could be done.

He slowly stood up, and walked around the table to get a better look.

“May I?”

He held out a hand so he could inspect her drawing better. The lines that tried so hard and nearly succeeded in reflecting accuracy, the angles and details of the carvings on the walls.

“You have a gift, Meri.”

He looked at her and gently sat the book back down as he walked to one of the walls, his hands crossed behind his back.

“You have seen much in your travels, your drawings show a level of experience that most archeologists who have done this for most of their lives only dream of.”

He looked back at her.

“You crave knowledge? Discovery? Correct?”

His words though quiet echoed towards her as if the temple itself spoke to her.

“Deeper inside is a library, filled with ancient knowledge from the Ashlan. I can take you there, but I have to warn you.”

He paused.

“It is cold deeper in the temple. And my body does not react well to it. When I say it is time to leave, that means it is time to leave.”

He stepped closer.

“I hope that is clear.”

He looked at her, offering his hand.

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri hesitated for half a heartbeat, then nodded once and let him take the sketchbook, her fingers loosening their grip without reluctance. She watched him look, not nervously, but with the quiet attentiveness of someone used to their work being examined rather than judged.

"I learned when I was little," she said softly. "It was… encouraged." A small pause, then a faint shrug. "I never really stopped. Drawing was easier than explaining what I noticed. It still is."

When he set the book back down and spoke again, her gaze followed him, thoughtful rather than shy now. At his questions, she gave a small, affirmative nod.

"Yes," Meri said simply. "Discovery. Understanding. Knowing why something was built the way it was, not just when."

The mention of a library made her straighten just a fraction, curiosity unmistakable, though she didn't rush to fill the silence. At his warning, her head tilted slightly to one side, brows knitting in quiet confusion.

"Cold?" she echoed gently. Her eyes flicked toward the stone walls, then back to him. "Why would it be colder deeper inside?" She gestured vaguely, indicating the world beyond the temple. "This planet is… hot. The stone should hold heat, not lose it."

She paused, then added, careful and respectful, "I understand your condition. If you say we leave, we leave." Another small nod, this one firmer. "I won't argue with that."

Meri looked at his offered hand for a moment before taking it, her grip light but steady.

"I just want to understand the place," she said. "Including the parts that don't make sense yet."

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

He noticed her hesitation and almost territorial nature of her sketches, Varin understood that well.

“The sketches are..sacred to you, correct?”

He listened to her speak of when she learned to draw.

“Drawing what you see is sometimes more preferable than pictures. There's more of yourself in it. You invested time and care into it, sacrificed for it. And it shows.”

He smiled softly at her admission for her journey for knowledge and discovery.

“The temples' lower levels are underground. So there isn’t a lot of heat in there.”

He brought her to a space where he had coats piled up and he picked up a couple, looking them over, dusting them off before he offered them to her.

“You will need these.”

He walked over to his gear, slipping on his coat and retrieving his lightsaber hilt.

“If you truly wish to understand the temple. You must investigate not only the outside or the surface.”

He looked at her.

“You have to get to its guts. Its innerworkings, whatever lays deep inside. You will find much more knowledge that way then just walls and surface carvings.”

He spoke from experience itself.

“There was a time I felt I needed to break this temple, bend it to my will. Well, I learned that could work but I would lose so much out of this space. I needed to understand it as well.”

He stepped up to her, shouldering his pack.

“Keep your wits about you down there. Some things, don’t wish to be seen before they are ready. And dangers always lurk in the darkness.”

He gently brushed his finger down the scars of his face and over the eye patch.

“I too..Learned that the hard way. The creature was vanquished, But I would rather be armed and not need it, than need it and not have it.”

He walked towards the hallway.

“Follow closely.”

Meri Vale​

 

[Meri Vale]

Meri hesitated for only a moment before nodding, slow and deliberate, acknowledging what he had seen without trying to hide it.

"They are," she said quietly. "Sacred, I mean." Her fingers brushed the edge of her sketchbook, not possessive so much as protective. "Not because they're perfect. Just because they're…mine. They're how I remember things properly. The way they felt when I saw them, not just how they looked."

She listened intently as he spoke about drawing, about investment and care, and her shoulders eased a fraction, as if some unspoken worry had been gently set aside. When he explained the cold below, her brow furrowed in brief surprise, then understanding followed quickly.

"Underground," she murmured. "That makes sense."

She accepted the coat with both hands, a small but sincere inclination of her head following. "Thank you," she added, clearly meaning more than just the warmth it would provide.

As he spoke about the temple's depths, about understanding rather than breaking, Meri's attention sharpened. There was no fear in her expression, only a thoughtful gravity, as if his words aligned too closely with her own instincts to ignore.

"I've always thought that places like this…" she began, then paused, choosing her words carefully. "That they don't give everything away at once. You have to earn what they're willing to show you."

Her gaze lingered briefly on the scars he traced, not out of curiosity, but respect, before she looked back toward the darkened hall ahead.

"I'll be careful," Meri said softly. "And I'll stay close."

She adjusted the coat around her shoulders, secured her sketchbook, and fell into step behind him, quiet but resolute, ready to follow the temple inward rather than merely observe it from a safe distance.

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

Varin gave her an understanding nod.

“Remembering things that were, and how you remembered them is crucial to maintaining that feeling of home and familiarity. At least, for me it is. When I look at my sketches I do not see art, I see…me.”

His head slowly looked down at her.

“Tell me of your life. Your upbringing, family? Perhaps.”

He guided her down the hall towards the steps that guided them downwards.

“No, the temple never gives anything for free. And sometimes, the price knowledge demands, is not equal to the reward. Most people tend to avoid that. They think it would never happen to them.”

They passed the absent living quarters, untouched since the day they were abandoned, beds still made, some still within the throes of activity, and some doors still closed. The temple almost seemed to call them deeper into its guts, The temperature already started to drop, bit by bit. Noticeable but not quite cold just yet.

The sconces lined the walls were lit aflame as Varin neared them, as if they waited for him with bated breath. The temperature dropped further and the light of the sconce reflected over the steps, a sign of old dried blood that trailed with them. His eye itched.

He looked at the floor in remembrance.

He slowly turned towards her.

“We are nearing the temperature drop. Hold yourself steady, and keep your breath calm.”

He looked at her and around her, making sure everything was still up to his code, then finally descended further.

Meri Vale​