The Cave of Two Lovers

[Krux Mullarus]

​

For the first time, Krux was at the helm of The Pirate's Foe, making the decision to ask Setzi to fly her personal starship out to Ilum instead of Patriot. Already, he wasn't liking it. It was much bigger than Patriot, yes, but it was also a lot slower and bulkier than his own starship, even if the Foe had a lot more room to move around, if they got ambushed by Sith Starfighters, he'd have to hope the shields would hold.

Krux had to keep pinching himself to make sure he wasn't in a really drawn-out dream. In the past two days, I actually convinced Setzi to turn away from the Dark Side and take it upon myself to teach her... he continuously reminded himself. She was still shaken, like a kitten moving in with a new family, but Krux had experience teaching students. It would take some getting used to, with the irony of how she used to be the one teaching him about the Dark Side when Pyrrhus could not, and now here he was, a Jedi Knight of the Silver Sanctum, with his beloved [member="Setzi Lunelle"] as his first formal apprentice of the Light Side. His greatest challenge.

With the Foe still in hyperspace en route to the outer rim mountainous tundra world of Ilum, Krux left the cockpit and approached the back of the Foe, getting lost already, and sighing. How the hell does she navigate this ship? It's like a damn small town in here! he thought, a very gross generalization, since the Foe really wasn't that big, it just felt much larger than what Krux was used to. He didn't even have to duck under the doorways here.

He ended up contacting her via the comlink on his wrist, which he wore like a watch for now with his white and beige robes, which he would soon wear a long fur cloak over to tread the Force-forsaken cold of Ilum's surface to help Setzi find a crystal for a new lightsaber. "Setzi...i'm lost again. Where did you say you were?" he said, slightly ashamed, but he found himself chuckling to himself after he cut off his comm to her.

You idiot, you can feel her from across the galaxy, you know exactly where she is.

Oh, right.

She'd probably answer anyway, but Krux would locate her wherever she was and, like always, feel his heart skip a beat as he turned the corner and smile.

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi had not quite experienced the come down yet from encountering Krux Mullarus on Voss, and subsequently, not returning to her home on Glee Anselm. She was now dwelling among lightsiders again. But the entire episode still felt temporary. The brunette Jedi felt quite oddly as though she were on vacation from her Sith life, but that at some point the Darkside would yank her back to reality, her respite from the rage and despair would be over, and it would be back to work serving the Dark Lord.

And furthermore she hadn’t pledged herself to any one community yet. Only Krux. In her mind, Setzi agreed to stay neutral. Until she could find a way to transition to the lightside that wouldn’t cause her the pain and agony she feared.

Was she in denial that there would be a rift eventually, one that would need to pull open like an open wound to separate her from the dark? Yes, she was. But Setzi was enjoying the calm and peacefulness of Krux’s company too much to do anything about her circumstances. The only thing she had done was agreed to have Krux take her on as an apprentice. The former Sith wasn’t the best Padawan to begin with. It was how she ended up as an AgriCorps champion in the first place, but since she would be turning away from the darkside of the Force, she would need to re-learn everything she was taught by Sith Lord, Darth Pyrrhus.

“If I wasn’t so fond of you,” she had told him, smiling. “I’d still have you teach me all that you know. After all we had the same Master on the Darkside. Perhaps with the intimate knowledge of how I’ve been trained, we can begin to systematically unravel the damage.”
At least they could hope.

It was difficult to get used to the light colored robes, so Setzi chose dark brown for her new Padawan journey, with black garments underneath. Both of them would need to bundle up for warmth as Ilum was nearly 90% ice. With temperatures constantly below zero the two needed to be careful to keep their body temperature warm enough to ward off hypothermia. She got the feeling that Krux found The Pirate’s Foe to be pure overkill as far as transport ship went. And furthermore, he was lost in the ship again.

She smiled and activated her own commlink. “I was doing some minor repairs,” she said, rising from where she’d been manipulating the transponder. Ever since she had ripped out the wires in this part of the ship in order to steal it when she fled the Silver Sanctum, the electronics had not been the same. It was a curse-like reminder of the damage she’d done to everything around her, including her trusty cargo vessel.

“I’m in the third node where the computer units are. Acting up as usual, but I fixed it. Meet you up front.” She wiped her hands on her robe and went to collect Krux in the first node where the cockpit was.

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Repairs? Krux smiled, finding it funny how long he had known Setzi, but was still learning more about her. After all they had been through together, he was not aware she was a gearhead, too. "Didn't know you were so good with a hydrospanner" he said over the comm, starting to pace around the corridor he found himself in until she came strolling around the corridor in brown and black robes. His dark blue gaze observed the robes once again as he lowered his comlink and stuck it back onto his wrist. "Has anyone ever told you that you look great in Jedi robes?" he smiled, then pointing his cybernetic right index finger to a spot on her brown cloak, "Looks like you got a stain, though, you gearhead"

After he was done teasing her, he pulled his holo out and pressed a button on it, pulling up a holographic map of Ilum. "Have you ever been to Ilum, Setzi? It's a beautiful world, albeit hellishly cold. I brought a few furry coats along, they're up in the cockpit sitting in the co-pilot seat." he pointed to a spot near the equator of Ilum, a red dot lighting up on the holo. "This is where we'll be landing, close to an old Jedi Crystal Cave. I did some research on it, out of curiosity," he said, the studying of holocrons and old books and tomes being his unexpected quirk that fixing things apparently was to Setzi, "and apparently, before some personal stuff happened at this very cave for me, hundreds upon thousands of Jedi across the stretch of time obtained Adegan crystals from this cave. They dot the walls and ceiling around the entire temple. All sorts of blues, greens, even some rarer violets. It's where I got the crystal for my first lightsaber, before it was destroyed during the battle of Balmorra along with my two fingers on my right hand." he mentioned, tapping the holoprojector in his right hand with his index and middle fingers, both made of metal and wire, much more slender than his other fingers, as well.

"Got any plans for what kind of lightsaber you're thinking of?" he asked her, shutting off the holo and tucking it back into his robe and taking a few steps toward her, breathing in and exhaling with relief.

Yes, Krux. I'm pretty sure we're not dreaming this time. She's actually here.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

“I’m not really,” Setzi said as Krux approached. “In fact, it’s probably why this part of the ship keeps shorting out,” she laughed. “But I’ve gotten used to the particulars of The Pirate’s Foe, both its strengths and weaknesses.” As if on cue, the ship made a suspicious knocking sound, but the padawan just ignored it.

“And thank you,” she said at the compliment. Coming up close to him she watched the holo-display over his shoulder. As usual the most inhospitable type of world produced the most wondrous sights and materials – the colorful crystals of Ilum. She could already feel the chill of the planet from the vessel as they grew closer. Knowing there were furs which Krux brought along, she was tempted to already wrap herself in onw, but sliding her arm around the Jedi Knight to feel his body heat, which she did as he grew nearer to her, would have to do for the time being.

“I don’t know at all. I will defer to your expertise on building a saber. I’ve never done that before.”

Setzi felt such a rush of happiness and contentment, that she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, drew back and asked, “What do you suggest?”

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux felt his face run hot, like he used to when he was with her. A smile crept across his lips as he turned and gazed at her, "Well...you're still a talented practitioner of Form II, right? Maybe a curved-hilt saber is in order. Though, i've never built one myself, so it may take some research." he shrugged, "I did build Bleeding Cross, i'm sure it won't be that bad. Still, it's entirely up to you."

He took a deep breath and started to lean in closer to plant the first kiss on her lips since they had been reunited, but suddenly, the intercom of Pirate's Foe went off.

Hyperspace lane near end. Destination approaching in one minute.

Krux couldn't help but chuckle. That was the second time something had interrupted an intimate moment between the two. "I'll...get back to the controls then. Come, pick out a coat while we're thinking about it" he said, starting to make his way back to the cockpit with his hand in hers.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi bit her lip as Krux came closer to her, presumably to kiss her more intimately, but as the ship’s intercom command halted his advance, a smile crept to her face. Even though they were back together, their moments of diversion were few and far between.

“I like the idea of a curved hilt,” she said as they walked back to the cockpit. Walking hand in hand with the Jedi Knight, she wondered what it would be like as soon as they were on Ilum. Sure, everything was idyllic now. but would she approach the planet like a Sith would, ready to plunder the resources and suppress the native inhabitants? Or could she begin to adjust her way of thinking to the more peaceful Jedi tenants?

She hadn’t used the Force much in Krux’s presence. What was going to happen when she did? Was she still dangerous to the public? Did she still crave the darkside as she feared?

Setzi took a look at the coats. “You don’t think we need envirosuits, do you?” Krux had been here before so he knew, but she was still worried about getting lost in the freezing temperatures. "I'm sorry," she said, suddenly looking at him with panicked eyes. "I don't know why I am feeling such doubt right now... about this trip... is this going to be normal for awhile? This uneasy feeling?"

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

The cockpit door swished open, the bright blueish-white hyperspace lane surrounding the cockpit windows as Krux took the captain's seat and started making preparations to exit the lane.

To his right on the co-pilot seat were three different fur coats. One was red with some streaks of black and a white trim around it, another was grey with some sky blue streaks, and the last, looking more like fleece instead of fur with furry cuffs on the wrists and a high collar on the neck was black with white fleece on the inside.

This one looked warmer than the other two, and Krux touched it when he pivoted his seat to look at her. "I got this one for you, I figured you'd like the color..." he told her, "But if you'd like one of the others, that's okay."

Just as he'd turn his attention back to the controls, he'd softly chuckle at her question. "No, it's cold, but not harmfully cold. A few layers and we'll be fine. Trust me. Last time I was here, I only had my grandfather's robes. I caught a cold after my business here was dealt with. That's all."

Then, for some reason, she sounded worried. The conflict within her reminded him of himself when he first defected. He stood to comfort her, resting his hands on her arms, "Yes...unfortunately. It's a test, like the Light Side is testing how willing you are to commit to it. I felt it too when I defected. Lasted for a couple of weeks...but don't worry, Setzi. Unlike with me, you'll have the help of a dedicated master. Me. Connor..." he said, wincing slightly as he remembered Connor's words back on Voss, hearing how disappointed he was in Krux for being so reckless. He had begun to feel anxious now, too. "Connor disappeared for weeks after promising to guide me as a Jedi. Frankly, he was only a slightly better master than Pyrrhus was, though he did come around in the end...

"My point is, Setzi, i'll be here at your side through all of it. I'm here to help you. The doubt will go away with time." he said, staring deeply into her eyes.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

As Setzi checked on the landing procedures, she inspected the thick, warm coats. “I guess Ilum is not that different than a Winter Ball on Hoth,” she said, recalling a rare night out for the couple when they were both part of One Sith. “Anyone of these coats will do then.” The brunette padawan chose the garment that Krux had selected and slipped into it, relishing its warmth already.

She enjoyed the comfort of his touch as much as she was calmed by the fact that Krux had also gone through what she was about to. I suppose in a way, turning your back on the darkside is a little like withdrawal from spice, Setzi mused. Feeling jittery and melancholy was par for the course.

She sat in the chair opposite him and rested her boots on the console in an unexpectedly casual way. “Most of all I’m just worried that I’m going to hurt someone unintentionally,” she admitted to him. “Not emotionally, but physically even.”

For example, in battle she was anxious that she would suddenly use a darkside power that she didn’t mean to use. “You know how ingrained some of our powers are.”

Bundled in her coat, she turned her head to gaze at him.

“Did that ever happen to you? You meant to use a Jedi power but you suddenly used a Sith spell?”

She was also slightly intrigued by the fact that Connor Harrison had disappeared in the middle of training Krux, but she would save that inquiry for another time.

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux immediately thought back to Korriban. Not the day when he was so close to being called 'Lord Mullarus' training dozens of Sith Acolytes, no, the day he and the Silver Sanctum decided to take the world for themselves and cleanse it of it's darkness. The Valley of the Dark Lords erupted in battle, and Krux recalled using numerous of his known Dark Side powers against Dark Sider users, like the intimidatingly large Yuuzan-Vong Sith Lord in black armor and the young blonde Acolyte who tried to seduce him. Connor was right about one thing that day. Looking at them now, the copious amounts of Force Lightning he'd used that day had given his knuckles on his left hand a faint blue texture, as if they were bruised. They didn't hurt, but they looked like they were stained with Dark Side corruption.

Force Lightning, an ability he still felt an old fear for after feeling it's whiplash so much as a teenager as the Acolyte of Lord Jekyll. Krux supposed that after the old Lord's death, he'd grown to fear to use Lightning less.

Finally, Pirate's Foe dropped out of hyperspace and Krux's main hand moved to the joystick that controlled Setzi's transport. He struggled to angle the starship to where the coordinates to the ancient Jedi Crystal Cave was, still not completely used to how bulky the Foe was compared to his assault freighter. "I understand what you mean." he said, regarding her fear of harming someone unintentionally. A certain Sephi Jedi Knight whom had constantly antagonized him about being ex-sith and how he didn't trust him and the like had fed Krux's anger, even as a Jedi. He tried so hard not to let it get to him, but it was hard, and he had wanted so badly to lash out at the man for it just to shut him up. But he wasn't Sith anymore. Such violent responses would only increase hostilities between the two. "And the danger will be there. I felt your conflict back on Voss when Connor took you away. Believe me...I wanted to stop him. The way he put his hands on you like you were his enemy..." he sighed, releasing some of his frustration, "Maybe i'm still just overprotective of you, more so now because you're my student instead of I being yours, and also just because...how deeply I missed you."

The comment about Dark Side abilities then returned to his mind. "Actually, I did some research on that, too." I'm such a book nerd, he thought, making him smirk as he piloted the transport, starting to get closer and closer to the blueish-white surface of the spherical planet before them. "Jedi have used Dark Side powers before. Granted, usually it was more experienced Jedi because they are more confident in their abilities and devotion to the Light Side, wheras a Padawan may feel the lure of the Dark Side become even harder to resist when giving in and using those kinds of abilities that usually take passion and hatred to perform. For you, Setzi, i'd recommend avoiding them for the time being. Not that I don't trust you, I just think you should focus more on learning about the Light Side and the Jedi before you start learning to use your old, Dark-driven powers again. I, personally, still use mine. I can, i've grown proficient enough to learn to drive out my old Dark Side instincts by using them and expelling hate and rage from my body with them, rather than feeding them with it."

He took a deep breath, taking notice of how long-winded his lectures are. He turned his head to her and smiled, "Now you know how Abelain felt. Aren't my lectures brutal? Hey," he asked, pointing his cyber finger to the other two coats, "Mind passing me one? I'm already starting to freeze." His mind thought to say something smooth referencing Setzi's "hotness" warming him up, but couldn't think of any humorous way to say it. Instead, he came up with:

"Hey, uh...Setzi? I...are you...how do you..." the concept sat on the end of his tongue, but he couldn't get it to jump out. "Are you...do you...feel anything for me, like...how we used to?" he asked in a very awkward manner, staring forward and piloting the ship as he did so, feeling his face turn warm again. "You know...as a lover? Or...?"

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Krux paused before he replied which was understandable. This was not an easy answer. And Setzi listened intently to his recollections and thoughts, especially when he said the word “research” which caused her face to light with interest. The former Sith was a careful AgriCorps researcher and a competent alchemist. If Krux was a book nerd, the Jedi Padawan was equally bowled over by science, math and empirical data to prove points. Both of them were cerebral versus whimsical. It was another thing they had in common.

Setzi bit the inside of her cheek as she listened to him. And if he thought it was a lecture, well it certainly wasn’t boring. In fact, she paid respectful attention to every word. Insight and knowledge was what she desperately sought right now! Furthermore, the brunette padawan opened her mouth to thank him for explaining all of it, until he began quietly hinting around at something else.

Instead, she stood quietly and retrieved one of the coats for him, bringing it to his side, where she then crouched close to his chair. Even though they were entering the Ilum atmosphere and the lumbering Pirate’s Foe began to knock around, she would not scurry back to her own seat. Not in a million light years. Seat belts be damned!

Her bright, green eyes – the yellow already fading for the most part, except a small trace which made her irises resemble a swirling tapestry – focused directly on him. She again took his hand.

“I have never stopped loving you, even when I left Ragoon,” she said. “And I love you now, Krux. I am more devoted than ever.” This was the honest truth, but there was a catch.

“I am so afraid I’m going to hurt you though. Like physically. I’m afraid that when we begin to get… passionate that it will awaken my darkside emotions… but not in a good way.” She leaned over and kissed him, soft at first, and then harder until she was nearly biting his bottom lip. Setzi pulled away abruptly, but Krux would also notice that during the embrace, her hand had gripped his tightly, almost a painful squeeze.

“I still feel dangerous,” she said, sure that he would take the chance to lie with her again in their quarters in the Pirate’s Foe, but so apprehensive about what malevolence would arise, eager to do her bidding.

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Spoiler

#KRUTZI LIVES

Her words were like honey to his ears. Sugar-coated goodness. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why she ever left him if that were the case. Just as he was about to ask, he felt her soft lips press against his, which made his heart leap out of his chest and his mind go completely silent for the first time since she left him alone that morning on Ragoon VI. Peace and quiet...it felt amazing. Krux finally felt like he was doing something right, for once.

When they parted, his face had turned a shade of red, in a good way. He stared at her for a second, taking in how her eyes were turning green. He'd never seen them that color before. His hand reached over and stroked her cheek, "That...will also be a learning experience. In the past, Jedi were never allowed to love. It was too dangerous. Connor told me the Sanctum does not hold such strict ties over their students, though, as that particular rule caused too many to fall to the Dark Side in the past. After all...the Grandmaster has a wife and kids. Of course it would be okay. We will just have to learn to control it.

"But who knows..." he whispered now, a devious smirk forming on his lips, "Maybe we can use those dark passions for good in privacy..."

Just as Krux had said one of the dirtiest things he'd said in such a long time, the Foe shook more violently. He instantly let go of Setzi and went back to the controls, regaining control of the transport and starting to take it through the rest of the atmosphere smoothly. Finally, they'd break through the clouds and the icy mountains of Ilum would reveal themselves to the couple. Krux's shoulders relaxed as he took it all in. "Wow...it looks different when there isn't a snowstorm." he said, recalling the last time he came to Ilum being a lot less scenic. He finally found a second as the Foe glided smoothly across the sky to slip on the silver fur coat and then his gloves over his hands, already feeling like the cold, outside wind was absorbing the moisture from his skin.

"Get yourself ready, Setzi." he said, "If you think Hoth is cold, Ilum's quite a wake-up call. Oh! By the way..." he said, turning to her once more, "Green is totally your color..."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

As Krux caressed her warm cheek, her own face flushing with desire, Setzi rested her hands in his lap. She searched his own dark, blue eyes for knowledge as though reading an ancient tome that would suddenly open all of the locked doors inside of her mind. She was so much younger as a Jedi, more naïve and had no idea that lightside practitioners could love so easily. But remembering back, it was why she had preferred the Silver Sanctum Coalition to the Jedi Order. The Padawan had always known that no matter how hard she tried, she could not be monastic. Her curiosity and thirst for education, beyond what she’d learned on her parent’s farm – which wasn’t much thinking about it – would always take her down the dangerous path of temptation. Or so it seemed.

"Maybe we can use those dark passions for good in privacy..."

That was certainly a thrilling proposition, and one that caused her to blush as well. As she began to formulate in her mind what that would entail, the shaking of the ship caused her to jolt out of the welcome fantasy. Krux tended to The Pirate's Foe controls, and Setzi returned to her seat, this time belting herself in.

The view of Ilum was majestic from the ship, and for a few moments, they were both lost in it as they approached the planet. The brunette Jedi smiled at his compliment and said with a playful grin: “Thank you. I don’t think you have to worry about me being cold on Ilum any longer. What you suggested we do together is enough to keep me warm for a few hours at least.” It felt good knowing that he would not judge her, if their mutual desires grew too unbridled.

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux snickered, blushing more intensely as he thought about it. It had been years since he had indulged his most animalistic desire, and that had been with Setzi on Ragoon VI. Krux was not much of a lover to anyone but Setzi, so after her sudden betrayal, he never thought to find anyone else. Not a day went by where he missed Setzi, and even the interesting ways the indulged with one another. He may find it a bit harder to focus on this trip to Ilum now thinking of what may happen when they return to the Foe...

"Ah...I missed you so much, Setzi..." he admitted as he started to guide the Foe closer to their destination.

Finally, struggling a bit as he still got used to the bulkiness of the Foe, he landed the transport a short hike's distance from the Jedi Crystal Cave, a bit of a hard landing, though, to which Krux gave an apologetic glance to Setzi with as if to say, 'Sorry if I wrecked your ship's landing gear'.

He stood up and pulled on his silver/blue fur cloak over himself, and finally asked the question that burned his mind as he offered to take his lover's hand and walk with her toward the Foe's loading ramp, "So...Setzi...you said you always loved me. If that's true, why did you ever leave? Why didn't you stay with me? Why'd you go back to Glee Anselm?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

“Oof,” she said aloud as Krux guided the Foe to a bumpy landing. Setzi wasn’t worried about the ship. It was bulky for a reason – it transported harvesters, recycling droids, crates of food and supplies. The Mobquet-made transport was a workhorse of a craft.

“Don’t worry. Agricorps will pay for any repairs. Assuming they take me back…”

She didn’t elaborate or theorize to whether the Jedi branch would accept her into its community again. It was likely they would shun her due to her actions against various planets and her theft of their property, but it wasn’t a prospect she wanted to dwell upon. In fact, it made her quite ashamed to think of it so she was glad that Krux changed the subject. Even if it was a difficult one to talk about.

After the wrapped themselves up and donned protective gloves, Setzi took Krux’s hand as they made their way to the ramp.
“I was frightened,” she answered. “And confused.” The padawan pulled out some goggles to protect her eyes from the harsh gusts. Until she needed them, she pushed them up to rest right under the hood of her jacket. “I felt that I needed to do the right thing for the girls. And Darth Pyrrhus was my first and only lover before you. I guess I panicked,” Setzi admitted, squeezing his elbow as she leaned over him and hit the panel which would open the ramp.

As the cold blasted into the ship, bringing with it a banshee’s howl of wind, she explained, “And then on Voss, you surprised me. With Amata and Astrid in a safe place, I felt like it was time to find Chastity again. But I found you, and our time together came flooding back.”

She stepped ahead, one foot on the ramp but also waiting for her companion to descend. Up until now she hadn't talked much about her children or her former relationship. But since they were bittersweet realities, Setzi found the words to explain her feelings, difficult to come by. Still, she would try and keep trying for the sake of honest communication.

"You and I are so much alike, Krux. That bond just could not be denied."

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Astrid and Amata. Unique names. Krux couldn't help but wonder how disturbingly alien they looked as hybrids of a disgustingly vile togruta and a human female. Maybe it was just Krux's newfound disgust for Darth Pyrrhus. He'd have to force himself not to look at Setzi's daughters the same way he looked at the Sith Lord. Which made him think of what was to come with them. He assumed they were not twins, as that was very rare, and instead assumed she had time to usher forth two children for the Dark Lord, which made his blood boil with jealousy so hot, she could probably feel it.

As the couple stepped off of the Foe's loading dock, Krux was hit by the soft-blowing Ilum wind that made goosebumps already begin to pop on his arms despite the heavy fur cloak. He walked close to Setzi, sharing what little body warmth he could give off, and decided it would be a good idea to keep the subject of their conversation off of the hellish wind. I wonder what her daughters are like...

"Amata and Astrid...your daughters. What will come of them? I'm sure you don't want them to grow up under Pyrrhus' iron fist...I could travel to Glee Anselm and infiltrate and retrieve them for you. I'm...not much of a stealthy guy, but for you, i'll become one." he admitted, also somewhat content with the idea in case Pyrrhus were there. Perhaps he could slip a shiv into the togruta's throat while he was there and make him slowly bleed out for hours until he finally died a painful death.

No, no. Krux wasn't that stupid. He'd just cleave the bastard's head off and be done with it.

Pulling the furry hood over his head, Krux gestured for Setzi to come with him, pointing to a mountain of ice nearby. "Our temple's just over that hill. Not too long of a hike."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The path ahead was draped in snow, but it wasn’t that far of a walk. The cold wind felt refreshing on her face – for now. She imagined after hours with any exposed skin buffering against it, and it would be raw and sore. She probably had some type of bacta treatment for wind burn, should either of them suffer from it, in The Pirate’s Foe, though a hot bath would not come until they were back on Voss, since the Foe only had a small shower in its refresher.

“Currently my daughters are being raised on a Space Station, located in the Chiloon Rift. Unfortunately they are being raised as Sith, but not by Darth Pyrrhus. Not yet at least. So there is time,” Setzi explained. But was she truly reassuring herself, or Krux? Of course she wanted to be with the twins, but right now the Padawan’s lightside path was her own, not theirs. One darksider at a time, that's all I can handle and yet, how selfish of a mother am I?

“And when the time is right we will bring them home,” she finished. "But this must be planned… carefully. I don’t want to risk losing you again. Perhaps we hire an expert team of soldiers to extract them?”

Setzi was thinking aloud and doing so, made her suddenly anxious about the fate of her daughters. They were strong and resilient, especially Amata who was born to be a Sith, she had to admit. But Astrid? Astrid was a kind, gentle and almost clumsy girl.

“Astrid will not survive the Sith training,” she said suddenly, exposing her thoughts for what they were. But in saying this, Setzi was worried that Krux would become even more determined to rescue the weaker sister. Changing the subject, a little awkwardly, the brunette padawan asked, “What else can we expect to find in the cave besides crystals?”

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Even out here in the snow where Krux's only true concern should have been to stay warm and not freeze, he looked at his beloved like she had just fallen and bruised her knees on pavement. His arm wrapped itself around her tighter, because he loved her and wanted to comfort her, but also because she was still warm. "I'll rescue her someday, then. Or - somebody will. I won't leave your daughter to become another victim of that monster."

She quickly changed the subject, probably for the best. He could start to see how distressed she was becoming over that subject. Best to leave that, then. He knew her daughters meant a lot to her, but if she went back for them now, she was prone to being tempted to the Dark Side again. She'd have to pass the Jedi Trials just as Kruc did before he would be confident she wouldn't abandon him a second time. "The cave will likely be uninhabited besides the crystals. If you close your eyes and look with Force Sight, you can probably see the intense aura from here. But other than that, there likely won't be much there. Might see the ghost of an old Jedi or two lingering around if we're lucky. Obviously, with my first trip here, I never did. I was a Sith still."

Suddenly, that thought frightened him. Sith had access to the temple. What if there were powerful Sith there? He'd have to protect her, no way she was ready to face the Dark Side's temptation so soon. She could fall again, and that would weather Krux's entire world again if she fell. On another hand, he could tell she was honest about how much she loved him. Today, with him here, perhaps she would resist. It would a biased decision, so it wouldn't completely qualify for her passing the Trial of Spirit, but it would be a step in the right direction.

Because of the sudden anxiety, he found himself leaning over and kissing the corner of her mouth through hers and his hoods over their heads, whispering softly to her, "Don't forget, Setzi...I love you more than anything..."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Krux’s arm around her was a gentle anchor, tethering her to the moment, so she didn’t drift away in her own thoughts. The subject of her daughters was complicated because while Setzi knew it was unavoidable for them to live without using the Force, especially after being trained for all of those years on The Retreat. Were they any safer, were their lives more fulfilled with the Jedi Order? The thought brought back all of those negative assumptions she’d formulated about the Order before her fall to the darkside. Why did the Jedi allow small children to fight on the battlefield, little ones like Zak Dymo, the Nautolan youngster who accompanied her on an Agricorps trip to Drongar? By the Force, all he wanted to do was to chase dragonflies and play in the mud! It turned Setzi’s stomach to think of his innocent soul on some hellish, blood-soaked battlefield.

You were a crusader, Setzi. Yes for the darksider but a crusader against this practice of forcing children to fight the Sith…

Stop this line of thinking right now! The end didn’t justify the means.

She shook her head just as she heard Krux’s words penetrating through her murky thoughts; she felt his lips connect with her cheek and lips. Gratefully, she patted his shoulder softly with her snowy glove and did as he’d instructed, peered into the cave with Force Sight. She didn’t notice the aura as he predicted she would, but Setzi did glimpse the majestic blue and green crystals which would power the energy in her new lightsaber. But something clouded her vision.

“Do you feel... that?” she asked. Her attunement to darksiders was still extremely powerful, almost like a magnet. There was a malignity embedded in the cave somewhere, and the padawan could sense it throbbing inside her like a faint pulse.

[member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

After Krux had finally stopped cooing over her, Krux faced the temple over the hill they are about to climb over and did the same as her: he looked at it with Force Sight. It was true, the Dark Side was present in the cave, and Setzi now saw it, which was the opposite of what he wanted. He needed her to not focus on anything of the Dark Side today and just focus on meditating to find a proper crystal.

"Yes...but you let me worry about that, okay? Let's go." he said, starting to trek toward the temple.

Once inside, the Cave stretched out before them.

​

All shades of blue, green, even some violet and pink-ish crystals grew all along the walls and the ceiling. A single spiral staircase was at the center, climbing up to the other levels. The Force's presence here was one of the most powerful in the entire galaxy, as every adegan crystal formation in the temple seemed to communicate with one another, as well as the two Jedi. Krux couldn't help but smile as he remembered his very first crystal he got here, and how it spoke to him through the Force from time to time. That wasn't normal, nor was it good looking back.

The presence of the Dark Side was here, as well, but as Krux looked into it, it appeared to be on the levels above the couple. He turned to Setzi, "We're safe. Setzi, look around at all of the crystals. You can feel them all individually, can't you? They're like children waiting to be adopted by a caring parent. But there is a catch to 'adopting' one that I never knew when I first came here. You can't force the crystal to come with you. They are alive, just like you and I are, only they live through the Force, not biologically. You can't do what I did as an ignorant young Sith Apprentice and strike a piece off and take it home. There would be consequences for that. You must persuade the crystal to leave Ilum with you.

"This part you have to do yourself, but I will be here to guide you, as always. Pick a crystal formation and meditate. Talk to it. Be kind to it, like you would be to a child. There is darkness in your soul still, but show the crystals that your heart is pure, and they will jump for joy at the chance to become a part of you." he lectured, resting a hand on her back as if gently ushering her forth.

Meanwhile, Krux kept his attention on the level above them, where he was starting to feel the faint, weak dark-side auras that roamed around. Hopefully, Setzi would not be too distracted, but he knew her attunement with the Dark Side. If anything happened, he'd be her Shield.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Krux felt it too. Darksiders were here on Ilum. And whether they were Sith, Dark Jedi or some other cultists, Setzi would find herself paying attention to the presence, even when warned by her companion to put it out of her mind.

Luckily the Crystal Caves provided enough of a visual distraction that she had something else to focus on. The colors, the glowing light, and the winding staircase illustrated a scene of wonder that almost took the padawan’s breath away. Honestly, the Sith had nothing which compared to this natural artistry, not even the Valley of the Dark Lords with its towering carved tombs could rival this spectacle. The Caves were a true testament to how the Force ran through every living being like a viscous life-sustaining liquid.

Setzi removed her glove and raised her hand towards the crystals. “I can feel them,” she said, looking back at Krux with an astonished expression, and then with another smile, she attempted to make contact with these living minerals. Her hand felt warmer and colder as she hovered it a few inches away from an array of the blue and green stones, so she focused her touch where the heat was the highest.

But to meditate? By the Eternal Core, I have never been able to meditate very well, the brunette padawan thought. Here goes nothing though!

Setzi closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, letting her stomach expand with oxygen. She then focused all of her concentration onto the crystals, attempting to make contact with one. But she could still feel the sinister darksiders creeping around the caves.

Push them out of your head. Direct your mind to the beauty of the crystals, and which one may be attuned to you. Shift your focus on Krux if you must - his gentle guidance and non-judgmental love for you.

But she couldn’t completely block them out.

[member="Krux Mullarus"]