Reclaimers of what was lost....

[Aethan Tannan]

Location: Ryoone
Ancient Tomb

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...Ryoone was a dismal planet characterized by the seemingly permanent suspension in its upper atmosphere, well that's what Aethan had read about the world before embarking onto it anyways but upon arriving he discovered that the accounts were quite accurate. The Volcanic World spewed a near continuous amount of ash into the atmosphere ensuring that the sun rarely, if ever, reached the ground and that the planet was in a perpetual state of gray conditions as the light attempted to penetrate the thick ash serving as cloud cover above. It was no wonder not many people were interested in Ryoone as a vacation destination even though it was home to several distinct kinds of life that had evolved in the environment, a landscape covered by volcanoes constantly spewing out a thick, billowing, bounty of ashes and noxious gas...

...Aethan had come to the Outer Rim planet following a rumor that involved a Jedi alive before the Gulag Plague had torn its way across the universe. Apparently the Jedi had come to Ryoone seeking refuge, hoping to escape the plague which hadn't touched the planet yet and assisted the natives in return for his asylum there. The Gulag Plague had come though according to the records Aethan had discovered and the Jedi died of the illness. This seemed to be fact however the Jedi's Lightsaber, now a minor artifact, was lost in translation somewhere until Aethan did some research and felt that it may still be in the tomb where the Jedi was buried on Ryoone...

...the tomb itself was built into the side of a volcano that billowed a small but steady stream of ash which rose up into the atmosphere or came raining down to litter across the mountainside making it seem like it might have been snowing. Aethan had approached the entrance of the tomb which was a simple set of large double doors cut into the side of the mountain and stretching as tall as two meters high. He'd discovered they were sealed shut but the application of a bit of muscle and a very small nudge from a force push had been enough to crack open the doors a small amount. Enough for someone to slip through. Inside the corridor that stretched beyond the door was similary covered in ash indicating there may have been a second entrance but also that there were likely small vents elsewhere in the structure. Aethan wiped the ash that had fallen across his hair back out and started down the corridor...

...there were several smaller chambers leading up to the main one which had several different platforms that different staircases lead to and was filled with various ornaments from the past but no entombment that may have indicated the Jedi himself was buried here. Narrowing his eyes Aethan would check the lightsaber still clipped to his belt and mutter..."Now where are you?"...before he went in search for the relic he'd come in search of, looking through some of the archaic pieces of pottery that filled the chamber and the like...​

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@Ralize Darkfeather​

 

[Ralize Darkfeather]

"Kad'ika...take a look at this...I think I found something..."

Famous last words, she mused, curled up in the pilot's seat of Shereshoy, hugging her knees to her chest. The petite, emerald-eyed mechanic watched as the stars poured by her view port in sleek lines, a soft smile curling her lips. [member="Kad Tor"] had been...less than enthusiastic about his fianceé haring off across the entire galaxy alone. But, like any proud Mando'ad, acknowledged that she was more than capable of handling herself.

She had, after all, grown up on Nar Shaddaa and been self-reliant for a very long time.

By the gods, she loved that man. One hand freed itself and held up the hand-crafted necklace she'd created upon their return from Bastion. A bit of copper that had been flattened against her energy shield and bits of polished wire and coil that had been part of the explosion that had almost taken Kad away from her. It was a reminder and a promise all in one. Something she'd created upon their return and never went anywhere without.

The navicomputer chimed, signaling the five minute mark to her arrival in system. Blinking, she nodded silently to herself and stretched before leaning down to pull her boots on and buckle them up. Yawning, her fingers slid onto the controls as Shereshoy came out of hyperspace a safe distance from her destination.

Ryoone.

It literally looked the the galaxy's biggest dust bunny dangling there in space. Her mouth twitched in amusement as she set course for the planet itself, eyeing the readouts carefully. Weeks of research had led to the discovery of a Jedi who had secluded himself on Ryoone but ultimately fell to the plague he was trying to avoid. It was the account of his lightsaber that had caught Ralize's attention, however. Impeccably constructed and containing rare crystals, it was rumored to have been interred with him in his tomb.

It was that remote, and unpopulated portion of Ryoone, well north of the capital and deep within one of the volcanic ranges, that was her destination.

By the time she landed and disembarked, securing her beloved ship behind her, night had fallen. Although that within itself was difficult to tell, given the seemingly permanent suspension of ash in the sky that cast everything in grey, no matter the time of day.

Ralize almost wanted to change into her beskar for this...and probably should have taken the time to do so. But something, and she couldn't have said what, prompted her not too. She was still getting accustomed to following her instincts and the little promptings that the Force pressed upon her. Of course, it would be easier if she'd found a Master to teach her, but she had not yet found one. She had begun to think that she might have to search outside of her vod, and that was a distressing thought. Trust was paramount in a Master/Apprentice relationship.

Fingers coursed over the slugthrower on her right thigh, before her other hand brushed the lightsaber hilt on her left.

The doors were open.

Fresh footsteps were still visible in the ash.

Ralize was not alone.

A slow smile spread across her lips as she quietly stepped inside, mindful of the placement of each foot. Something told her that she wasn't the only one who had dug up the story of the dead Jedi and his masterwork lightsaber.

She did love a challenge.


[member="Aethan Tannan"]

 

[Aethan Tannan]

...at the moment Aethan had no idea he was no longer completely alone at the tomb, the large chamber had taken up most of his attention, and presently he would have been standing on a platform one of the staircases had lead towards looking through the ornate pottery that seemed to line the room for any clue as to where the item he sought may have been. Digging into one of the pots his hands came up with ash, it clung to his fingers and dirtied his hands prompting a frown to cross his features..."Where are you?"...he asked, quietly, as though the artifact he was searching for would present itself to him but alas it did not and this treasure hunt would need to continue...

...it was the same when Aethan went searching through other pieces of potter. More ash and disappointment. On Ryoone ash was probably the most common thing considering that the volcanoes that covered the surface of the planet belched it forth, filling the planets atmosphere, with it in what was a never ending cycle that saw the ash falling back to the surface. Maybe there was some significance in the ash itself...

...Aethan walked away from the last pot he'd been digging into, a tad frustrated, before leaping off the platform he'd occupied and onto the main level of the chamber once again whereupon he'd have made a slow, sweeping, survey of the room. Turning his head to one side he'd raise his right hand and begin tapping his chin as though he were in deep thought attempting to discover the answer to this mystery that alluded and he may have had it by complete accident...

...slowly his eyes crept upwards towards the ceiling of the room where he'd have seen it, suspended above the room, a scaffold like structure suspended from the ceiling that clearly supported some sort of weight, the remains of a body and its possessions perhaps, and he'd have smiled, his lips curving at the edges, before he sensed something else...

...it was an odd feeling, like the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, and Aethan's eyes would have shot towards the entrance to the chamber and the long, ash filled, corridor beyond. He could sense it. Someone else like him. Now he only had to discover who they were and if they came here looking for the same artifact that he'd sought out. After all there was only one artifact and Aethan didn't always like to share...

...he'd shift on his feet and turn in the direction of the entrance to the chamber, maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him, if the feeling passed in a moment he could resume his search but until then he'd lay his right hand across the hilt of the lightsaber clipped to his belt...​

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[member="Ralize Darkfeather"]​

 

[Ralize Darkfeather]

| [member="Aethan Tannan"] |​

There were no antechambers, no winding corridors and myriad of rooms brimming with trinkets. There was a simply entryway, a long gently curving hallway with some few niches carved out along the way. They were meant to hold lamps, Ralize thought, given the reflective coating on the wall mostly obscured by ash.

There were a few small chambers off of the hallway, littered with centuries of falling ash and shattered pottery. It spoke of visitors long past, searching for the riches a tomb of this size would normally bear. But a Jedi would not have possessed the same riches and relics these tomb raiders would have sought. Whatever had been there was long since gone, she frowned, holding a fragment of intricately decorated pottery in her fingers. It would have been beautiful were it still whole, and she was tempted to pick up the pieces and make the attempt to repair it herself.

Once more, however, that inner prompting flickered in warning, leading her to set the fragment down and carefully move down the remaining length of hallway. Ralize breathed carefully, in an effort to not inhale so much of the ash that lingered suspended in the air. The presence she'd felt upon her arrival was still there, and felt...felt as if it was waiting for her.

As if he was waiting for her.

Emerald eyes blinked in the dim light as she rounded the final bend and stepped into the large central chamber of the tomb. The light was dim within the chamber, but her eyes had adjusted and left her able to see who it was waiting for her. She smiled softly, fingers briefly hovering near the hilt of her lightsaber and the grip of her slugthrower alike.

"I guess I'm not the only one who dug through the history of the plague and found this interesting little tidbit." Ralize said quietly, knowing her voice would carry perfectly well in the chamber. There was a lightsaber on his hip, and her senses went on full alert at the sight of it though she made no move toward her own obvious weapons. Arms crossing over her chest, she stepped further into the chamber and cast her emerald gaze around the ash-riddled space.

 

[Aethan Tannan]

...Aethan was still looking towards the entrance of the chamber when Ralize stepped inside, his own eyes had adjusted to the dim light some time ago during his exploration of the tomb, and he'd have instantly recognized the silhouette of the woman though he didn't know her personally. He'd have caught sight of how her hands hovered close to her lightsaber, seen on her hip, and something else, the slugthrower, after she had likewise seen him and his own hand didn't venture far from the lightsaber at his hip. Her voice carried to him shortly after he'd seen her entering the main chamber...

..."Looks like we both did our homework."...he'd have replied while taking the time to drink in more of Ralize form while she wandered further into the chamber with her arms crossing over her chest. She was pretty cute. Hot boots too. As for Aethan himself he'd have moved in a wide semi circle so that he remained at distance from Ralize. They hadn't exchanged threats, or hostilities yet, and he had no reason to consider her an enemy but he was still cautious knowing that she had come for the same thing as he had....

...whether or not she came to the same conclusion as he did, that the lightsaber may have been in the scaffolding overhead, he wasn't offering her any clues. In fact Aethan remained mostly quiet as he regarded her until..."It's a shame you got here late. I was just a tad quicker on my feet today."...the small smile playing at the corners of his mouth was unmistakeable when he said that, laying his claim to the site as it were, however he did remain mostly friendly towards her at this point. One hand would come up, reaching back to rub the back of his head, and the other seemed more relaxed than it had been when she'd initially entered the chamber...

...by now Aethan was also a tad curious which prompted him to ask..."What's your name?"...in this dim light and due to the sound of her voice, not to mention the shape of her body, he knew she was a woman but if her clothing distinguished her in some way it was somewhat difficult to tell. Names aside Aethan was watching, waiting for the subtle twitch of her body that might indicate her next move, wondering if she would go for the lightsaber he'd identified on her. Only one of them could actually leave with what they'd come here for after all and that made for a bit of tension...​

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[member="Ralize Darkfeather"]