Excuses and self-justification…

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled wryly. It was...at the point the conversation had started...a Republic moon. So asking why she was here was slightly odd, but then, given its danger, it was a reasonable question.

"The tomb. I visit it from time to time. Someone I knew...their final resting place is...nearby. So as a mark of respect, I come by and think of her. It feels...appropriate. She is, or rather was, a Sith Lord. Which probably seems odd to you. But my heart is honourable. And she deserved and still deserves my respect. That much at the very least."

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

She could feel a change in rapax for a moment...almost as if what she was doing actually touched what little light was in the beasts dark heart...a jedi visiting the grave of a fallen sith lord....this wasn't something done every day....either because the body was un buried or recovered and put in a cemetary on some dark sith world to be forgotten or raided by acolyte's seeking for there power it was rare for anyone to visit without a reason.....none the less freedon nadds tomb had secrets to be raided and it the tomb in question wasn't far from the grave then more the better.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

They walked on, Corvus sensing her companion was unsure what to make of her. She considered herself a typical Jedi — but that possibly wasn't the case.

“I know the tomb is a pilgrimage for many Sith. Even since Bane’s days, they’ve flocked here. Either to see what was on offer or just to visit the site. If this feels Dark,” she indicated the jungle with a sweep of her arm, “Then that is magnified a hundred-fold.”

“Even the tomb itself twisted due to the Dark-side. I kid you not. And the doors that sealed it were broken open before Darth Bane even got here. He got the last of the loot - apparently. Nadd’s Holocron. And some unique armour.” Corvus shuddered at the very thought of it.

“I’ve been in it myself, once.” She shook her head. “It has a certain macabre draw, I’ll grant you.”

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

He chuckled a little when she mentioned how more powerful in the darkness the tomb was in comparison to the jungle...If only she knew how he was ...he had surveyed the terrors of the hyperspace war's and have been on dark side filled worlds as far as he could remember...however those days where no more but it wouldn't hurt for conversation sake to learn about each other....it eases the tension and is a great time saver....With some hesitance in his voice he started speaking again."Many have ventured into these tombs across the galaxy ....some refuse to even remember the experience...i have been in tombs darker then this one but that time was a long time ago ....when the battle for hyperspace lanes where still wild and raging across the galaxy....unfortunetly those days are gone for me...i still am readjusting to the new world I found my self in"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

His latest comments piqued her interest, given her situation with Braith. She hesitated for a moment. What should or shouldn't she be sharing? But she decided to follow her first instinct and talk.

“Tell me. How old are you? And have you lived that lifetime or have you been in stasis for part of it. I know someone that was effectively frozen for ten thousand years, so your experiences would help me understand her situation better I think.”

The Force certainly worked in mysterious ways.

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

The sound of another from the ancient times still breathing today rarely surprises him anymore...weather through cloneing...some obscure ritual of the force or stasis or just through natural life spans the old has a tendency of returning to the new world every now and then....he wondered for a moment how long can he live in todays world.....that all depended on his situation more then his natural long lifespan...something to think about later..For now he spoke again in a surprisingly calm voice even for him "How old i am now....that i no longer remember....i am still a young pup when i was introduced to the hyperspace wars....i have seen jedi and sith kill eachother again and again that i can safely say has not changed and never will change.....i have lived in a time where sabers where still in there Prototype phase and swords where the weapon of choice......However... i survived this long because i in my youth decided to try and open a new piece of technology i never understood....A rakatan Mind prison preserved me through the eons in a old temple at the center of a old city on Tython. I ran through so many to get to that prison ...thinking i would find something of power there...only for it to become my prison.....i was freed only a short time ago...i slept in a age of war to awaken to another version of war....ironic...isnt it.."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was used to the questions from Younglings and Padawans alike. Which is stronger, the Light or the Dark. And she never answered directly. Instead she pointed to history. How, since there have been Jedi and Sith, neither side has fully dominated the other. Both had periods of ascendancy — but neither could eradicate the other. So why did anyone expect it to be different now?

Or in the future?

So she nodded at her companion’s words and stored away whatever she heard for future reference. Tython. The Rakatan Mind Prison. All useful pieces of information for another time perhaps.

But he offered nothing of significance to help her understand Braith’s position or throw any light on what she might be facing by way of acclimatisation.

And war was older than the Jedi, so Corvus was less sure of the level of irony — but understood where the Sith was coming from. “My lifespan is at best a fraction of yours. And given my vocation, well, let’s say it’s not one where dying of old age is common.”

“We’re not far from the tomb now. Maybe another hour? Tread warily, this area is rife with wildlife.”

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax chuckled again when she said that...Danger was putting it lightly this was Dxun after all...however not nearly as bad as the Dromund Kaas's terrifying power back in its prime....its a shame its nothing but a iced wasteland now....so much history lost forever....oh well that is how life operates. "Danger is putting it lightly my young jedi friend....Dxun was dangerous even to the mandalorians....that is why i have a interest in this place....so much secrets still buried here....so much history left behind of the many wars this world has suffered." He spoke as if he lived through most of it ...although given his back story he probably was.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Night was drawing in. As day gave way to the darkness, so daytime predators handed over their vigil to those that operated best without light.

Corvus sensed them long before she saw them.

They walked on all fours, and there were seven of them. And like many pack animals, they were organised, as they circled them, all drawing closer at the same rate.

“We have company,” Corvus stated. “Long claws and big teeth. Maalraas most likely.”

They’d cloaked themselves in the Force and to the average Jedi or Sith they would have been invisible. But Corvus had been trained by the Disciples of Twilight — which gave her a slight edge. She didn’t so much sense them, as sense the space where the Force wasn’t. And once she was aware, she was able to use her specialist training to identify them.

“A Lightsaber will only do so much damage,” she offered. She was not patronising, but she’d been here often and not everyone was familiar with the fauna present.

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

He chuckled.....he knew the dangers of this place and the mere effective ness of a lightsaber against dxun's horror's..thats why he always came prepared.... he unsheathed two dauntless blades and readied him self for the impending Maalra attack....he kept an eye out for any new predators as well....whilst wondering what these maalras will do.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

The seven beast formed an approximate circle. But one held back - clearly the pack leader in Corvus' mind. So three approached each of them - one head on and the other two at an oblique angle.

Aware her saber was of limited value, Corvus considered drawing her sword but was unsure what effect this might have on her travelling companion. Or at least, if she used it to channel the Light-side of the Force.

So instead she entered White Current. It had zero offensive capabilities, but at the very least she would gain an element of surprise...which was evident as the beasts that were tracking her seemed perplexed by her disappearance. So she circled behind them. Her saber wasn't a perfect tool, but if she could get close enough and pick her spot, she could still do significant damage.

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax reached into the maalra's minds and easily dominated there simply minds....they would stop there aggressive nature and act to them as if he was one of their own..it was quite amusing however if they go out into the wild they will simply bring back more....he reached into there mind's once more and found the brains"off switch" one by one they would fall down as the life left there body...it was not something he preferred to do...however it was safer to put them down instead of having them come back in greater numbers he spoke to what would appear to be thin air however .....he simply assumed [member="Corvus Raaf"] was near by invisible...such is the ability of white current." You can come out now jedi....and before you berate me about what i had to do it was that or they comeback in far greater numbers..."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Jedi held all life sacred, sentients and creatures alike, but sometimes it was necessary to kill to remain alive. The speed with which the Sith killed the creatures was impressive, and she could not find it in her heart to admonish him.

She appeared from nowhere from behind the now fallen Maalraas. "You were efficient, I grant you that." Her hilt was clipped to her belt and she glanced around. "And to pick up on your point, we should move on, for others will certainly follow."

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

He sheathed his blades and looked around for a moment before returning his attention towards [member="Corvus Raaf"] again. She was right that they should keep moving....he made a motion meaning lead the way whilst he kept and eye on there back while they continued the journey to the tomb.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Reaching out with the Force, she took closer stock of her surroundings. She could sense the trees going on for hundreds of kilometres in every direction. And as she probed she came across what she was looking for. Still some kilometres away she sensed a concentration of power. One she recognised. She’d located the source of the Dark-side energy that permeated the forest around her, radiating power like a beacon emitting a homing signal.

It was Nadd's tomb. She pointed toward the source and continued to march in a perfectly straight line, taking the most direct route possible to their destination, using her lightsaber to hack and hew a path through the thick undergrowth that barred their way.

Keeping one corner of her mind focused on following the route to Nadd's tomb, she focused the rest of her awareness into a state of hypervigilance.

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax would feel the rush of power surge into his body when they finally got close enough to the tomb.....it was quite invigorating for him ...it was like feeding a starving beast for him....they finally found the shelter they where looking for...however now we must see this grave [member="Corvus Raaf"] spoke of...he was curios about who it was....however if there was secrets in this tomb to be uncovered while they where here...then all the better

 

[Corvus Raaf]

It took them nearly four hours of slogging through the jungle to reach their destination — a small clearing in the forest in which no vegetation grew. An irregular pyramid of flat, grey metal rose up to a height of twenty meters from the heart of the clearing.

She’d been here countless times before.

She stopped at the edge of the clearing. The ground ahead was nothing but dirt and mud; no living organism could nourish in the shadow of Nadd's crypt. Even the plants and trees bordering the clearing were stunted and deformed, corrupted by the Dark-side power that clung to the remains of the great Sith Master in death. The tomb itself was a disconcerting shape; the walls of the pyramid were set at odd and jarring angles, as if the stone of the crypt had been warped and twisted over the centuries.

There was a single entrance to the structure, a door that had once been sealed but looked as if it had been smashed open many centuries earlier by someone seeking the secrets of Nadd's final resting place.

“It’s not much to look at,” Corvus said, smiling…

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

Rapax was looking around the tomb...such an ancient place...perhaps there was something left of the ancient lord here....perhaps not either way it was shelter...he had been around enough places of darkness that he has had training around its darkness...no matter the door was open which means any creature that wanted to take refuge inside no doubt has made its way inside by now...even if that wasn't the case this was a sith tomb...they have defenses of there own."It may not look like much but its whats inside that makes it all the more interesting.."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. “This was empty when Darth Bane came here. Well…not entirely. But it was when he left. Since then every tomb-raider alive has had a look around. I’m not saying there is nothing of note in there. Just…cautioning. There is more likelihood of dying in there than finding something useful. But that should not stop you if you’re feeling compelled to enter.”

[member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Rapax]

It was tempting but for now it was time to head to where ever [member="Corvus Raaf"] was leading them hoping to find some sort of shelter until a rescue can arrive. " For now we iwll pay respects...then if shelter was needed we will head within the tomb it self unless other shelter can be found until one of our side sends rescue for us.