Private Secrets Buried In Ash

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

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Equipment
Armor	None.
Melee Weapons	Copad'kal, "Ambition", personal Mandalorian Kal.
	Tar'Nau, Bes'manda Beskad.
	The Royal Dragon, lightsaber.
Pistols	ENCL-21 Ra'ntisr Heavy Blaster Pistol.
	KSTR-20 Borealis Heavy Blaster Pistol.

Cyan colored text indicates an illusion.

Darth Malum of House Marr

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Ios was an unassuming planet, in a lonely spiral wisp of the galaxy. The fuming, molten planet reminded Elise Vizsla of Mustafar, from what she had read from the databooks. It was ironically likely that a family of Sith nobles had holed up here, several generations back. Ios was in the same general direction as that family's home world, but also isolated from the rest of the galaxy enough to isolate it. The temperature extremes worked well to fend off viruses as well... which had been what the Marr family sought, back when the Gulog Plague was in full swing.

The dark ages of the galaxy were shrouded in endless mystery and gaping loss of knowledge. The galaxy had forgotten its history prior and during that apocalyptic event, and the galaxy was still reeling from the chaos that plague unleashed. Seeking refuge from that chaos, House Marr holed up in an impenetrable fortress here. But when and how was the question, and even more... what caused the family to leave?

These were the questions Darth Malum of House Marr wanted to answer today, as he piloted his ship over the world. Elise was finishing getting ready in the quarters, zipping up her one-piece leather travel outfit. She hooked her weapons on her utility belt and finally left the quarters as se tied her hair back. She approached the bridge, but stopped at the entrance as the sight of Ios caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Wow..."

As Ios' volcanic landscape sprawled before her, Elise gaped in awe at the spiraling orbital complex surrounding the entire sphere. The labyrinth was insane to look at, nothing else she had ever seen in the entire galaxy. She nearly fell over, gasping with wide, red eyes as she exclaimed and pointed, "Look at that! If they had windows in their fortress, your ancestors had the most amazing view!"

She chuckled in excitement, finally walking into the room as she continued to make awed noises about the orbital complex, "This planet is ten times better than Mustafar, okay! There! I said it!"

She was now standing behind Malum's chair. She reached with her gloved hand and placed it on the corner of his seat. Still gazing out at Ios, she had forgotten why they were here for a moment. But she cleared her throat after a moment, speaking, "You said the fortress was well hidden in the mountains, right? The largest continent between the lava oceans you said?"

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[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Perhaps a marked show of how close they had become since that accidental meeting upon Archais, unknowingly to both of them, Elise Ahana-Gwyneira , had been able to summarise his own thoughts rather well. The Fortress of Ash and Flame, where almost four hundred years of Marr history had taken place, a fortress upon the isolated and secretive Ios, that decades hence, had almost been lost from the Marr histories.

Such was the consequences of all that they had lost in the Gulag Plague.

It had been the journal of his great-great-great-grandfather, Lord Vetus, of House Marr, among the first generations to journey out of Ios, as all signs of the Gulag Plague had seemingly burned away, returning to their homeland of Jutrand, after four hundred years.

And beginning Marr history anew, as they found the Sith which were their brothers and sisters of millennia before.

That and corroboration from Valstraus , who rarely had good things to say of his great-great-great-grandfather...

...Nor his son, Malum's great-great-grandfather, Lord Vincere, of House Marr.

For good reason, he knew all too well.

Regardless, though the journal had spoken of his ancestor's departure.

It never spoke of why they had never returned, ever, at all.

Why this Fortress, built surprisingly with the permission of the rather unfriendly Iosians was entirely abandoned, and forgotten.

And what exactly had been left behind?

So here they were.

A Marr, and a Vizsla of all people.

A Marr, and a Marr, one day too... perhaps.

He grimaced, as red eyes, flashed before his eyes, red eyes so similar to his, red eyes so similar to Elsie's...

...But red eyes that belonged to another, entirely...

That instinctual want, to check up on her, through their bond... Ansisa ... Kara...

He banished those thoughts, as the breathtaking view of the fortress finally came into view by his viewport.

And that was not the only breathtaking sight, as he shifted his rubies to gaze unto...

...Certainly one of, if not, the, most beautiful woman the galaxy had ever seen.

The leather... she must have done it on purpose, as his mouth and throat dried, as his eyes widened, as he felt a rather familiar stirring that was all too common when around her.

He blinked several times, realising she was speaking to him.

"Yes... great-great-great-grandfather wrote that though the Iosians accepted the Marr presence here, it was made clear they would have to remain out of sight, and out of mind, thus built far into the mountains, away from the subterrenean zones which the Iosians occupied... perhaps it was due to them, that my family never returned." Malum mused, considering how likely that theory was, after all, they had only made it this far aboard the Lochris through subterfuge, Malum having needed to extend his Cloak, to cover the entire ship. A rather large strain on his powers, but thankfully one that would only need to last minutes.

The Caedus-class Superiority Fighter landed upon the least flammable looking terrain, as Malum bit his lip, turning towards his Elsie.

Standing, towering over her, he positioned himself, cornering her upon the rear of the cockpit, with a smirk upon his face.

"You are most cruel wearing that of all things... we have all the time in the galaxy you know, we need not explore... immediately.~" Malum spoke, barely more than a whisper, yet entirely sultry, entirely huskily.