Cities of Gold

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu looked at her and agreed it wasn't going anywhere as they moved forward towards the ruined remains of the area, tents and crates torn and smashed, emitters broken as well as a generator while Matsu looking over some of it. "Don't suppose you have hidden talents in psychometry?" She said it more as a question and wonder but had seen several jedi and sith use who whom she hadn't expected the skill from. Seemed they just knew while she was standing there with her hand going over it. Matsu listened with the force while her hand touched the small sigil touching the force connection within it.

She could feel the force and her body calmed, tension leaving her muscles while she was letting the force flow freely until she opened her eyes. Tongue touching the roof of her mouth while her breathing stabilized with the world becoming hazy, her pupils dilating as the world around her started seeping back through the stream of time with the techniques to watch like she had been shown. Slowly standing there and working to ensure her presence was concealed while watching the attack happen and where it came from deeper sections of the prison away from the doorway they had found. She could see the beast coming up as it ran through before pulling back ad panting heavily.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus shook her head as Matsu asked about psychometry. “Sorry, no. Even Farseeing evades me as a rule. Only ever saw anything twice and neither times was I looking for anything.”

But as she was speaking, she was aware that Matsu was clearly connecting with the sigil and gaining some insight from it – no doubt through the Force. Not being so gifted, Corvus instead relied on her Force Sight to put up a three hundred and sixty degree mental map that could quite literally see through walls.

Once something got close enough, she’d sense it. What she could do about it was another matter entirely.

"Do you see anything?"

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu slowly pulled out of the force energies as she was moving forward, panting a little as her eyes adjusted back to the light with her finger pointing. "What attacked them came from deeper." Her hands grasping her knees while she leaned a little longer and took a sharp intake of breath in standing tall for the moment as she thought about what Corvus said and farseeing was a complicated thing she wasn't certain on how to do as well. She was moving now with her senses expanding outwards into the prison as she searched down anything that seemed off organic. Her attention on the ice and snow as she walked taking in more of the prison. They had gotten past a guardian, they had gotten to discover more of it and now as she stood at the entrance to a cell some more of it made sense. "Looks like they broke through into something else, a tomb from long ago." That could be one way to see it but as she moved towards the entry way taking them down into it and the air felt warmer, almost scolding with the change as sections of it glowed with blue light. "Now this is a cave to explore."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened. She expected resistance and their first encounter had been a real challenge – but there was something nagging at the back of her mind that they hadn’t faced their greatest foe yet.

But such thoughts were distracting, so she focused on the here and now. “This was a place of many layers according to history,” she said. “Who knows how long it might take to explore the whole place – or how much of the truth made its way into the history books?”

“Often Jedi hid references to Sith locations or artefacts in some belief that purging a reference to their existence meant it didn’t exist. Which is why so many Sith holocrons remain to be discovered – because millennia ago we destroyed the knowledge of their locations.” She shook her head, clearly this was not a practice she agreed with.

“And tombs are always worth a visit. Caves that glow blue are also regularly interesting.” She was being flippant but her natural curiosity was clearly piqued. “Lead on…”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"Half of history is hiding the truth." Matsu said it more casually going through and into the glowing cave. They had ones like this on Dantooine and Rhen var where the crystal were more in veins but it interested her finding a natural staircase in the rock while she went down it. Letting her body find revitalization and more energy with force techniques. She had taken the time to study among the other groups and matukai revitalization was one of the most powerful skills she had seen for ones like Fabula who never seemed to tire. Slowly it felt like it was building in her while she got the force energy to return to her body finding her footing.

"This place though is different, reminds of the crystal caves and old tombs we discovered the Qel-Droma holocron in." That had been an interesting treat and well when you have a ghost tell you to go to a place usually a good idea to follow it. When his tomb on Rhen Var to a family tomb on an ancient jedi world... She had found several things while moving forward with her attention now. One hand touching the crystal on the wall bringing her hand away while going deeper and with the caves opening up more there was natural light on the inside illuminating alcoves and almost an entire city down below.

Matsu was crouching and pointing to the sides. "We found a city like this before, me and another jedi discovered it below an obsidian shell on Mustafar. Their defense shield had stopped working but there was several feet of obsidian and rock over where it had been preserving it." Explaining Anastasia and where she had gotten her map to the city was hard since she didn't know how the mandalorian had found the map or information. It had led them on a large adventure throughout the world and the city before ending their search in the deep core with themselves being confronted by worshipers of some of the old gods.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened. It was always fascinating to hear stories of explorations. For Corvus the artefacts and the experiences were often secondary. It was the link to the past she found most satisfying. Sometimes it meant she could place an historical event to a physical location and that was intensely rewarding. Other times it was just nice to have evidence that what she’d read about was real.

And sometimes you found out new facts or entirely useless artefacts – like the time on Ruusan where she was with her sister and found Githany’s moulded breast-plate – with breast being the opportune term. Now she thought of it, perhaps Braith might…she flushed and brought her mind back to the here and now.

“Rhen Var eh? Another cold planet,” she reminisced before focusing on the image below. It wasn’t far off being an underground city. And could take a team of Jedi a lifetime to fully explore.

“We’ll need to remain focused,” she said. “Or else we’ll die of old age down here before we’re finished.” She smiled at Matsu, her warning entirely good-natured.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"Cold planets are the best place to hide things, no one wants to go there and look." She was starring down at the city while motioning to the wall where it looked more natural for walking down with broken and partially carved before she was speaking. "We'll have plenty of time, I'm as young and spry as they come." She laughed and held her hip walking to the side while still looking down at the city. Sections of it made like wedges in a wheel where the large spokes led to the different side streets going through the sides. She started moving down the length of stone tossing a few glow rods thankful she didn't have to come in from the roof and almost free climb down the sides and on the roof of the cavern. "It also resembles the old academy on Faustin, the sith long ago built their academy on it but it was there from someone before hand." SHe knew though if her and corvus stayed here... they'd be there forever just looking around and exploring. The telchek cube she had could make it possible but they'd never want to leave with possibly new discoveries... A fun idea but not something practical in the galay while she illuminated one of the buildings roofs as she moved to search it. "It feels warm here."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. Matsu had a fair point. She visited cold planets only when she had to. And they seemed to have the coolest crystals too. Ilum, Rhen Var…

But she followed her fellow Jedi as they explored – each section offering new avenues to explore – but she kept her focus where Matsu was leading them. If the Force called from a particular directions, she’d take notice. But for now it was not calling with anything particularly interesting.

And she noticed that Matsu was correct. It was warmer here than anywhere else. Of course the fact was immaterial. The why was what was interesting.

“Any ideas?” she asked, having none herself.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was looking at her and standing there now while she spoke. "Maybe, the city doesn't seem to have anything within it and if we go by the layout it looked to be centering around that building." She pointed towards a central tower as her eyes roved over the city. Going from the buildings before she moved back onto the path leading the way down. The warmth here was nice compared to the cold but looking into the windows they were covered with dirt and grime as Matsu kept moving forward, kept her attention on much of it until slowly she was wiping at it to see what was inside. Dark shadowed tables with some chairs before she moved on walking through the city for some time not finding many if any signs of battle or life. All that seemed to remain was that furniture was in the places until she was at the large central tower looking over the carved stone on the outside as she worked to pull the door open with the thick stone scraping on the ground until it was lightly cracked open.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Given the lack of footfall, Corvus estimated this was not a place that had been looted beyond benefit. On that basis, whatever was worth finding was most likely at the most obvious place — and the smart money was in the central tower that dominated the landscape.

So Corvus kept one eye on that and the other on the surroundings, keen to avoid any ambush. But the place seemed bereft of life, and the Force was not warning her of any likely encounters. At least not yet.

The warmth was another positive sign — and the fact they were walking through what was literally a ghost town was of no worry to her. She’d walked through enough empty space-stations not to worry unduly.

So they made swift progress to the tower and Matsu opened the heavy stone doors with a noise that was surely to bring any guardians running. But none came and Corvus wondered if they would reach the end of their trek without any further opposition.

One hand rested on her saber hilt as she moved in unison with Matsu, entering a building that quite possibly had not seen human-kind for millennia. "Looks like this is the place."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu looked at her while moving with it, thoughts on what they might find were coming to her with the look she had while looking over the walls. She was looking at the stone that was carved showing nothing special. It looked like a kids mural as she was walking and pointed at the different parts of it, several surrounding a circle. "That looked like a hypergate, or possibly an infinity gate. We've found several of them and there seemed to be a vast network at one point of both on the worlds. Connecting them but then something changed and nothing for tens of thousands of years ago. If one would here it would have connected to either Dathomir and the prime gate or the Gree enclave and be in near their artifact world."

At least that was something she had heard and wondered about, the legendary gree artifact vaults filled with pre everything from the galaxy. With regards to some of it there was likely rakatan and celestial technology unmolested or things from some of the stranger and older civilizations of the galaxy. Matsu continued to go and wondered if Corvus had heard the stories of it. She'd heard it from Domino and as a girl but no one knew where it was or if it existed... well that was a lie those navicomputers over Mugg Fallow likely could but finding a clean and working computer over that world was like looking for a needle in a stack of needles while zombies were trying to attack you. Matsu looked at the room as she entered another bringing one of the combination Lock tables that they had found if the celestial tomb and on the dark world temple. "Now that is something I haven't seen in awhile but it is an old enough location to use them."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

To Corvus the Rakata were infinitely interesting – even if little was truly known about them. Not in her era of greatest interest, but as a scholar, she knew enough to show excitement when faced with what was probably their technology.

In another life she might well take a selfie with it.

The prospect of travel between worlds in this fashion was extraordinary – but the physics were beyond even the brightest scientific minds, let alone Corvus.

So she followed and listened to Matsu. She felt something of a spectator. Not that she minded – they needed a sentry, whilst Matsu got to work with her apparatus.

"If you need a hand, just ask."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu looked at the table and at Corvus as she had a grin with her eyes raising up. "Always, this is something we found in old tombs, gree resonance technology. You have to know how to create the music." She was moving and standing over it as she touched the stones raising up one with the sounds of the crystals inside the table humming. The pitch was changing while she moved over them and she tapped the side as the small side played the music and checked it to what she was working with to match. The sounds didn't match up but she was working on it as she touched one pushing it down with her eyes closed to listen and work as they were moving to match. "How good is your ear for music?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was a scholar. An historian to be more precise. Matsu was a scientist and clearly something of an archaeologist. So her references to millennia past were taken in Corvus’ stride – but gree resonance technology? She went with the flow. Matsu was clearly having fun and she didn’t want to interrupt her.

But Corvus didn’t have to ask as Matsu demonstrated instead. Sounds. Now if Taeli were here, she would be able to help out. Corvus had never even listened to music until she met her sister a handful of years ago. And now her simple tastes ranged from female-led rock bands to…well…love songs. She almost blushed.

“I know a tune I like – but that’s about it. I have no aptitude for playing or singing…sorry.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu gave her a nod while listening to it, her ear to the sounds while slowly her fingers glided over the stones. She was working on it and as the stones shifted on their own the door on the far end cracked opened. The rush of air and smells of old rot down there while the sounds changed. Matsu continued to work at the stones as she finally spoke. "One of the first skills the jedi taught when I was a padawan was how to mimic sounds, it allowed you to scare away predators when they thought a krayt dragon or something larger then them was coming."

She continued to work on it while checking the sounds with her hand until her tongue came out licking in small circles her lip. "It is a great way to get a feel for." The stones started shifting as the door opened and a putrid scent of death and decay came with hot air. "Ancient technology." Matsu covered her nose and mouth for a moment while looking. "SOme was sealed in there and might be near a thermal vent. Sulfur and decay... my least favorite things about exploring ruins."

Matsu continued towards the doors and the smell was more but she could also see bodies down below in the stairs. Slash and saber marks on the walls while Matsu looked at the jedi remains and what looked like bounty hunters as she touch the one. It was a jedi who was wearing some of the armor they had created for Metalorn as the impervium plates were almost meted on its chest. Slash marks deep in the rock as she recognized the lightsaber marking before heading down more and searching the bounty hunters and soldiers.

"Looks like they had found somethings." Matsu was looking at the bodies that had died of their wounds but also starvation as her hands wrapped around the twin curved hilts of two lightsabers. Activating them as the snap hisses revealed crimson red blades and Matsu stood up deactivating them. Her hands going to the ends as she locked them into place together to form a staff. "I know these blades, a sith assassin used them and then vanished, we had records of it in some of the holocrons."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened. She’d glanced at something Master Kenobi’s gatekeeper had mentioned about the skill of mimicry. She resolved to take another look the next chance she got.

The smell from the opened door was putrid, but Corvus did her best not to allow it to distract her. Yet it was difficult. As the door opened more fully, so the smell got worse.

You would have hoped somewhere this cold would have negated the stench of decay but clearly the area they were about to enter was warmer – which had significant drawbacks.

She saw the bodies at the same time as Matsu. Whatever was able to dispatch armoured Jedi and bounty hunters had to be quite something. Or some things.

On the plus side it was Sith that died – so perhaps Light-sided powers might have a chance against whatever it was they were inevitably going to have to face.

“After you…” she offered with a cheeky smile.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu looked at Corvus and then at the blade as she set the connected sabers in her pack. It might be a siths weapons but that didn't mean it didn't have some historical value. They could set it in a place with nullification resin to make sure it didn't leak darkside energies. For now though heading down Matsu was looking at the walls until they were over a room. More bounty hunters were dead but at least these ones seemed to have killed creatures. She was moving over and looking at them as the large bones showed sections of clothing but the thick horns on the beasts head and large stature had her moving around the creature. "We have found these types of creatures, nine feet tall with the ability to hibernate and hide themselves in the force while they sleep for hundreds of years at a time." Matsu kept looking it over while she covered her nose moving towards the rest of the caves they could explore. "They also live in pairs and I am only seeing one."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

If there was a job going for a tour guide for creepy and scary tombs – Matsu would get the job hands down.

She’d first of all brought her to a place littered with the dead. Then she described a giant and somewhat intimidating creature. And finally she virtually assured Corvus they’d meet one.

“Did these creatures have a name?” she asked, hoping something in her memory banks might provide some glimmer of a weakness in them.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"The one we found on Tython long ago called itself Excellia." She wasn't certain of the species name but they were massive powerful brutes who could tear into many things while she was walking. One hand taking a saber. "Good news is though they aren't beyond reason or wholly violent. THey often ignore beings who come around might even be willing to speak." She offered a grin though enjoying the idea of delving deeper and deeper into some grand scheme and ruins under a ruined prison. Who knew how deeply it went with Matsu walking towards the caves entrance and she she marked it with a sticky glow rod. She was going deeper letting some of it the air clean up a little as she was looking up with the force through the rock towards the prison. "If the prison or groups worked to tap into the thermal vents to get some power and heat. Could have helped keep some of the systems running for thousands of years."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Clearly those that died were not able to avoid or reason with the beast. And she racked her brain for what she remembered about Tython, but could think of nothing specific.

Certainly nothing that could help.

“We could hide in the White Current if it helps?” She glanced around, wondering if she’d sense the creature.

And listening to Matsu, she mused what else they might find. “If the power is on, who know what else might have survived? Ancient technology? Droids? Might be a chance to step into a real history lesson.”

[member="Matsu Ike"]