Not searching for the secret of eternal life...

[Darth Timoris]

Melori simply kept the pressure on. She had few Force Abilities other than those centred around her saber combat.

The one trick she rarely used - but figured now was a good time to go for - Force Rage would enhance her fighting abilities - but leave her weak thereafter. It was a fair exchange, given this was likely to be the main challenge they would face.

So she called the Force to her and felt the power building within her. Her saber blows would be more precise, more powerful and her pace enhanced even beyond her Teras Kasi training.

She was a blur to any non-Force Sensitive. Her saber strikes were frequent and strong and although none were critical, she was able to keep the creature firmly focused on her - despite Vengeance's attentions.

With her wearing it down, she was sure her lover would be able to administer the critical blow.

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance hung on for dear life as Melori kept pressing the attack. He stabbed repeatedly into the back of the head and neck of the beast with his saber. Each time hitting an inch or two from where his last strike hit. Once he had accomplished what he said out to do he looked at her

"MELORI MOVE."

As soon as he got it out of his mouth Vengeance grabbed his saber looping it around in front of the beasts neck and yanked forth severing head from body. As soon as his saber hit air again Vengeance deactivated his saber and held on his it began to fall to the ground. At the last minute he leaped clear tucking and rolling on the ground. He popped to his feet out of the roll and reactivated his saber looking at the beast slightly out of breath.

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

A dead creature was not necessarily a safe one. All that poison was live and if she was cut then she risked being infected.

So the moment Vengeance shouted, she made sure she moved out of the way. Fortunately Force Rage was still active, so she was able to leap a fair distance to keep out of the body as it fell to the ground.

But the final surge took its toll and she felt weak as she landed and surveyed the scene.

But at least they’d killed the beast. Team-work had prevailed.

“Good job,” she offered, her hands on her hips now, her body slightly doubled over. “Let’s see what he was protecting.”

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance walked over stepping behind Melori. Reaching out his lightly grabbed her around her ribs and gently guiding her into standing up.

"As much as I do enjoy seeing you in this position it is not going to help you catch your breath........actually it makes it harder."

He smiled his hands sliding to her arms pulling them up above her head.

"You need to conserve your energy my love." "This is probably only the first of many tests and you are already worn out."

He let go over her moving a foot or two to the side. He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes for a moment slipping into a short meditation to recover from taking down the creature. As he did he smiled to her.

"Thanks by the way." "Not bad yourself though I do wish the Bolt of Hatred had been more effective than it had been." "Oh well it is only the third time I have tried it and the first time against a target that can fight back."

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

There was every chance the creature was there just to be an annoyance. To protect the shrine, given the long dead Sith Lord's Holocron was long gone.

But there was always a chance of finding something. So Melori lowered her arms - as much as it was helpful, it was also making her look stupid. And she glanced around the room, looking for hiding places.

In the back wall was a recess and in the shadows she spied a box. She walked across slowly and removed it. It had a strong aura of the Dark-side - which boded well. There was no Sith magic protecting the box, only a simple clasp, that she flicked open.

Inside was a flimsi, hand-written. She scanned it twice. It was in the ancient Sith language.

"Tutaminis..." she said. "Specially the absorption and deflecting of Force Lightning. A particular favourite of Andeddu...or Wyyrlok, one of his apprentices. I suspect it's one of their hands that penned this. Of use to you? It is to me."

She smiled and beckoned him over.

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance chuckled still in the kneeling position.

"All knowledge has use............nothing wrong with learning something new." "Perhaps we could look over it when we get back to the ship."

He slowly stood walking over to her with a smile.

"You sure you are ready to push forward?"

He smiled turning back to the fallen creature. He looked it over before drawing his saber and removing one of it's claws from the still attached hand. Tucking it into his pocket Vengeance turned back to Melori moving back over to her.


[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori put a hand on the small of Vengeance's back. She wanted the physical contact. It helped centre her, although she still felt weak from the effects of Force Rage. But she was recovering faster than when she was a Knight.

She sucked in some air and smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be." Her training had been brutal - especially self-training. She'd set a random alarm time and push herself through gruelling sessions in the middle of the night. Or after two days without food or drink. Or for 72 hours straight. She was tired - but she was used to it.

"Let's press on."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

He smiled to [member="Darth Timoris"] as he returned to her side.

"Ok then shall we see what is behind door number two?"

He smiled softly to her gently placing a hand on the small of her back before letting it slide away as he stepped forward towards the door on the other side. It was a small gesture but one that spoke volumnes about how muhc she meant to him. It also explained why he seemed like he was takign the lead.

 

[Darth Timoris]

The second door was initially an anti-cimax. On the face of it, it was a study. A desk, flimsies and a variety of old datacrons. A cursory glance revealed mundane paperwork - even Cults need to pay bills.

But she was a past master at hiding things and once she'd dismissed the banal, she looked for places something interesting might be concealed. Ad finally she found it - behind a book-case was a recess in the wall. This time it was a plain chest with no visible openings, one bound by Sith magic of some kind. She'd found a few in her time with her sister. She smiled at Vengeance.

Ad then she pulled a dagger from her belt and cut her palm. As drops of blood fell on the small chest, she incanted some ancient Sith she'd learned by rote.

The innocuous box suddenly was alive with Sith runes and finally a seam revealed itself and the lid clicked open. Inside was an old parchment and some crystals. The latter could be considered properly later so she focused on the document. "Force Illusion, but specifically Masquerade. Most useful, eh?"

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance leaned against the wall watching [member="Darth Timoris"] with a smile. A little blood and a little reciting and what do we have here more scrolls.

"More trinkets of knowledge." "I have to admit this is starting to get a little boring." "I could toss a rock anywhere in one of the Academies and probably learn all this stuff." "That's assuming Sage doesn't already know it to begin with."

He smiled softly to her his tone genuine.

"Melori I love you and if you want to keep looking then we can push on................." "But why are we here?" "What is so special about this particular Fortress?"

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori faced him. She stood still and silent for what appeared an age. Finally she spoke.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Answers I guess."

"When I was little, all I ever wanted to be was a Jedi. Like my big sister. Then...well, long story...but I grew to hate her. For good reason. And my focus was to bring down the Jedi Order - including her. But that was a vanity. Not a real goal."

"I learned to become feared. I trained and trained and...and for what? To be feared? To be some cog in a faceless Order? I need purpose and I can't find it. So I look. Here, there, everywhere. For answers."

She looked Vengeance in the eyes, tears forming in her own. "But I don't know the questions. So how will I know if the answers are mine?"

Tears gave way to anger. Her eyes blazed yellow. "WHAT THE KARK AM I TO DO?"

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance slowly walked up to [member="Darth Timoris"] wrapping his arms around her with a shushing noise. He held her tight.

"Melori you have spent your entire life trying to prove yourself." "To the Dark Lord, to Venefica, to your sister." "You do all this for what.......to what end?"

He sighed still holding her tight.

"There is only one question." "What makes Melori happy?" "It is a question that only you can answer."

He paused.

"They are a selfish bunch the Sith." "You could conquer the whole Galaxy by yourself and still not prove your worth to them."

He pulled back just a hair to look into her eyes.

"Find that happy place Melori and nothing else in the Galaxy will matter." "I felt the same way you do at one time." "Then I met you and I knew the answer to the question." "Family is what makes me happy." "Being with you is what makes me happy." "If raiding every tomb in the Galaxy is what makes you happy then we will raid them all." "All you have to do is say so." "However I have a feeling that is not the case."

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori leaned back into Vengeance. She enjoyed the feeling of his body pressing against hers, protective, supportive and reassuring.

"You're right," she said. "Us. We're vitally important to me, but I need to find a cause. One that engages me and drives me. That challenges me. I am a Sith - that will never change. And I believe in furthering the One Sith cause. That much I know. The rest?"

She closed her eyes and nestled into Vengeance some more. "I'll have to think about that. With your help."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled holding on to [member="Darth Timoris"] a minute longer before letting go. He leaned back looking at her.

"What do you say we get out of here?" "Absorb what knowledge you have found and think about what we want out of the Galaxy?"


It was a serious question knowing that the Fortress was not the best place for self exploration. Sure they could always come back later if she really wanted to.

 

[Darth Timoris]

She nodded absent-mindedly. "Yes, I'm done here. Let's get back to a warm ship and make plans. And we can always find something to do whilst we're waiting." She gave him a knowing smile. "I'm in no rush to finalise any strategy, so I've pretty of time to kill."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled with a chuckle.

"Well then how could I say no to a smile like that."

He turned heading back the way they came whistling a cheerful tune just because. That and he longed for a breath of fresh air. Tombs always seemed to have a stale empty air about them. Like they had long been abandoned by even death itself. He would pause briefly at the door to make sure [member="Darth Timoris"] was following him before pushing back to the ship. To get his last bit of time with her before he needed to be seen again on the battlefield and in the Academy.