Private Trip back home

[Laphisto]

"Truth be told, I was fully devoted to the life of a Jedi," he said, offering a soft chuckle as he gave his armor a final brush. "Back then, my biggest dream was to bring peace to the galaxy... maybe even earn a seat on the High Council someday." He shook his head at the thought, a low rumble escaping his throat amusement touched by age. "Funny how distant those goals feel now." His gaze drifted toward the large structure ahead, eyes narrowing slightly behind the visor.

"As for the library... that'd be the hope. We recovered a few intact texts during the first expedition. Enough to build a translation codex that most of our droids can use. If anything survived in there, it might still be readable assuming time and frost didn't take it first." Laphisto took a few steps forward, his feet crunching softly against the cracked stone beneath them. His eyes scanned the silent streets and hollow buildings lining their path.

It wasn't just ruins to him. He could almost see it the way it once was. Crowded markets. Children weaving between merchants. Guards standing post beneath colorful banners. The scent of warm food. The hum of conversation. It clung to the edges of his memory - or more so the memory of the gods, and maybe even the kiev'arian he had consumed last time he was here - like smoke from a long-extinguished fire. There was something... alluring in the quiet. Not peaceful. But hauntingly familiar. "Hard not to picture it alive again," he murmured, more to himself than to her. And then, with a quiet exhale, he kept walking.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Once Iandre was on her feet, she attempted to hold onto his hand for a moment longer. Looking up at him through the visors of their helmets, she was searching for something.

"You would make me family and a part of your clan?"

She nodded when he spoke of what he wanted to do with the Jedi.

"It is a worthy desire to be on the High Council. I'm not sure what I wanted to do or be. Maybe a Temple Guardian or archivist. That would have been neat since I spent a lot of time in the archives. But look what happened to them."

Half shrugging her shoulders, neither of their dreams mattered now.

"What future do I have? Where am I going?"

Glancing up at the silent stars above, she returned her attention to where they were walking.

"Did you know the language of your people? If you do, you can make it live again."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto let her hold his hand a moment longer, not pulling away. He figured she needed the contact comfort, maybe support and didn't look too deeply into it beyond that. When she finally spoke, his ears gave a slight perk, and a soft chuckle rolled from him. "You've got the makings of a Mandalorian yet," he said with a half-smile. "Granted, I've more or less built my own clan at this point at least when it comes to the Order. I've seen people refer to us as a pseudo-Mandalorian faction more than once. Given our discipline, our armor, our codes... it's not far off but i would never claim the order to be an official clan." He gave a small nod as they walked, adjusting his pace to stay beside her. "Truth is, I patterned some of our early doctrines off the Resol'nare. The idea that a people can hold to honor and unity without becoming slaves to dogma... that stuck with me." There was a brief pause, then his voice lowered slightly.

"The Jedi... they've become too entangled with the powers they serve. First the Republic. Now the Alliance. They speak of peace and justice, but they answer to senates, not to the people."He cast a sidelong glance toward her, his tone firmer but never harsh. "I've met Jedi who want to be more. Who try to be more. But they're rare. And scattered." His expression softened as he looked forward again.

"Your future isn't written yet. But I can already see the shape of it and it's stronger than you think. You hold to your honor, your heart, your sense of right. That's the path. Where it leads… we'll see. But I'd wager it's somewhere important." As they continued walking through the ghostly cityscape, Laphisto lifted his arm and activated the holo-projector built into his vambrace. A flickering screen lit up with text not in Galactic Standard, but in a flowing, angular script.

"I can't read Galactic Common," he admitted, glancing toward her. "Most of my reports and internal files are translated for me. This-" He gestured to the display. "This is modern Kiev'arian. It's become one of the standard languages in the Order. But what we're seeing etched into the stones here?" He gestured to a crumbled wall as they passed, faint symbols barely visible in the etched stone.

"That's older. A different dialect. Some overlap, sure but a lot of it is lost to time. Still, I can make out fragments. Enough to know this place was once a seat of learning." His gaze lingered on the crumbling spires in the distance, voice low. "Maybe it's time we brought the language back properly. Let it speak again." He gave a small smile not nostalgic, but determined. "Like I said. We're not just walking through the past, Iandre. We're building what comes after it."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

His words comforted her and made her feel welcomed, even more than he already had. The man beside her had been nothing but good, and Iandre appreciated that, perhaps more than he expected.

"Could you get a blessing or whatever from a clan and make one official? I was raised to be honorable, kind, and stubborn."

Letting out a slight chuckle when she finished, she was glad to be in this time for one of the first times since awaking. The Force worked in mysterious ways and it brought her to make for herself a new future and her past be damned. Laphisto was helping her, and she wouldn't forget what he, the Lilaste Order, or Diarchy, had done for her.

"I don't think I can call myself Jedi anymore. Some pieces and parts remain, but I'm changing and going beyond what I could have been. What shape do you see? Do you also not serve a power?"

Blinking in surprise when he said he couldn't read Common, she lifted her eyebrows simultaneously. Looking at the glowing display, it was the same for her as Common was for him. She couldn't read it.

"Oh, I guess I'm going to have to learn. Is there an early learning version to get started on?"

Glancing at the ruins and noticing the difference, she understood what he was trying to convey.

"I will help this become a reality, Master."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto raised a brow at her question, offering a slight shrug as they continued walking. "I'm not entirely sure,if thats possible." he admitted. "Truth be told, I was only part of Clan Ordo for about a year barely enough time to settle before I ended up in unofficial exile. That was when the Neo-Crusaders took over. They were violently anti–Force user, waging war not just against Jedi and Sith, but the entire galaxy." There was no bitterness in his voice just quiet recollection.

"Not all Mandalorians followed their cause, but enough did to cause real damage. And like most regimes built on fire and fear, they fell. The collapse of the hyperlanes didn't help. It cut their supply lines, scattered their leadership. That was just before you Graduated from the accademy." He paused briefly, tone turning thoughtful. "I've heard whispers of a new Mandalorian Empire rising in the wake. What they'll become... I don't know. And I don't yet know my place among themif there is one."

He cast her a sideways glance, voice softening with quiet warmth. "No. I don't serve a power."He slowed his pace slightly, letting the weight of his next words settle. "I serve our people. As High Commander of the Order, my duty lies in protecting those who trust us with their lives. The difference between serving a government and serving a people is the line you're willing to cross." His gaze sharpened, but there was no aggression only conviction. "The Diarchy is on the right path. They try to protect the innocent, to give the galaxy something stable. But I've told them plainly: if they ever turn into tyrants, I will draw my blade against them." His voice didn't waver. "And in return, they've promised the same. If I lose my way if I become something dangerous to those I swore to protect they'll stop me."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"How were the first clans formed? There were also splinter sects in my time and the Mandalorian Civil War. Why were you exiled? Do you want to find out about these new Mandalorians? If I ran them, I would be more than happy to welcome you. I don't, so I can't. Maybe I can help you? If you were interested..."

After her tirade of questions, Iandre wrinkled her forehead in thought and wondered if she had asked too many questions all at once. Thankfully, Laphisto had appeared to have the patience to answer her in the past, and she didn't think this time would be any different.

She also realized she didn't know any Mandalorians and had no idea if she could help or where to begin. At the thought of hyperlanes collapsing, she winced slightly. That was not a good thing, and she almost felt sorry for the former Mandalorian Empire, even if it was an Empire. The civilians would also have paid a price for the collapse.

Their pace slowed, and Iandre silently wondered if he was starting to feel poorly being here again. Her thoughts were farther from the truth than she expected. Even with the spacesuit covering his body, she could read his conviction in his stance and tone. As they walked, she nodded, slight enough that he might not have seen it.

"Thank you for clarifying the difference. Someday, I will meet more than you, Zinayn, and the troops. I hope that when that day comes, I can face your friends without fear and accept them as they are. I sometimes find 9it hard to fully trust again. I have to remind myself that the troops here won't betray me. So the Diarchs are something like Dark Jedi?"

She could find that more acceptable and palatable than Sith.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto let her ramble without interruption, a soft chuckle rumbling from his lips as he waited patiently for her to finish.

"The first clans were formed long before even I was born, at least, that’s my understanding. Their origins are old, tied to battle, survival, and the need for unity during ancient conflicts. The stories say they were forged by shared struggle. Common blood, common cause."

He paused for a moment, his tone becoming a touch more reflective."As for me... I was never officially exiled, not by decree. It was quieter than that." His gaze shifted forward as they walked. "Before the Neo-Crusaders rose, I served under the Mandalorian Protectorate. That was the faction I aligned with, before I ever knew the Diarchy existed. I left on a mission to retrieve my ship, someone had reported it resurfacing after being lost for decades. By the time I returned to Mandalorian space, the Protectorate had collapsed."

His voice turned a bit colder, not bitter, but resolute. "The Crusaders had taken power. They were extreme in their stance, openly hostile to Force users, no matter their allegiance. Many of my clan had already joined them by the time I arrived. I wasn’t welcome anymore. So... I kept my distance."

A quiet pause settled between them. "I never heard from Alor Ordo again. He was my last real connection to the clan. I never made a name for myself among them. Not one that mattered, anyway."

Laphisto gave a slow shake of his head, a flicker of old regret passing through his eyes. But her next words drew him out of it, and he glanced back toward her at the mention of the Diarchs.

"That term, ‘Dark Jedi,’ might suit them better than Sith. Far better." His voice was firm now, steady and clear. "The Sith have given themselves over to corruption, domination, and madness. They worship power for its own sake, and they destroy everything they touch."

He looked forward again, tone calm but pointed. "The Diarchs... they’re different. Yes, they draw on the Dark Side, but not without control. Not without intention. They wield it like any tool. And more importantly, they’ve never shut themselves off from the rest of the Force."

A brief glance toward her."Much like myself. And maybe, someday, like you." He let that sit for a moment, his tone carrying no pressure, just truth.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

As Iandre expected, he allowed her to voice all of her questions and then took the time to answer them. In her mind, Laphisto was as ancient as the stone under their feet, and to think the Mandalorians as a whole were older than him was impressive. She kept that thought to herself, he didn't need to know how old she considered him.

"The Old Republic lasted so many years, now governments rise and fall quickly. Was it always that way, and I didn't notice?"

Iandre didn't like thinking she wasn't observant, but then she realized several had risen and fallen even in her first life.

"Never mind, you don't need to answer that, Master."

Even though the conversation had turned dismal, she sensed it wasn't entirely sad. This journey was giving the former Jedi the chance to learn about Laphisto, and in turn, he learned things about her too.

"Does making a name matter still? The other Initiates and some Padawans tried to stand out and impress our elders. I never understood that need and desire. I was there to learn and gain knowledge, not make a name."

Shrugging slightly, she took several steps to stand beside Laphisto as he said Dark Jedi better suited the Diarchs. Turning to look up at the silent stars again, she returned her gaze to her master.

"How do you all evade the addiction it causes?"

Wrapping her arms around herself proved a little difficult in the spacesuit, but the message might be clear. She was starting to feel the cold of the planet, and the talk of the Dark Side just highlighted this feeling.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto chuckled softly at her first comment, a low rumble beneath the hiss of the oxygen regulators in his helmet. His eyes stayed forward, scanning the ruins ahead, though his thoughts drifted far older than what lay before them.

"Unfortunately, it's just the nature of things. Governments rise, they fall. Sometimes with a roar more often with a whisper. And more often than not, it isn't some grand outside enemy that topples them. It's rot from within. Complacency. Corruption. A slow drift so deep that one day they look in the mirror and don't even recognize themselves. They might still wave the same flag, still chant the same ideals but if the core's changed, then so has the cause." He fell quiet for a few steps. There was no rush. The city wasn't going anywhere, and neither was the weight of the past. When she spoke about names about legacy he tilted his head slightly, considering her words with more weight than he let on.

"Sometimes,just surviving is enough to leave a mark. When I first awoke in this era, I wasn't searching for power. I didn't care about prestige or rank. I just wanted to understand the new galaxy I'd woken into. But people start looking to you, asking questions, following your lead. You make enough decisions win enough fights and suddenly there's a reputation clinging to you whether you wanted one or not." He glanced toward her with a faint smile beneath the mask.

"Trying to make a name? That's fragile. Fleeting. It crumbles the moment someone else shouts louder or falls harder. Legacy should never be louder than purpose." Another pause longer this time before his tone shifted, grounding in something more deliberate. "Some would say ambition leads to the Dark Side. That wanting more is the first step to falling. But that's Jedi dogma, not truth. Ambition doesn't make you evil. Just like anger doesn't make you cruel. Or fear doesn't make you weak." He gave a soft scoff.

"The Dark Side can be an addiction, yes but so can anything. The holonet. Praise. Winning. Even kindness, if it becomes performative. Addiction is just repetition without awareness. The moment you stop choosing, you start falling." He slowed his pace just enough for her to match him without strain, his voice dropping slightly, not in volume, but in tone more thoughtful. "The key is control. Not suppression, not denial control. You have to know yourself. Trust your values. Your center. And when the moment comes to act especially when it's dark you lean on that, not your instinct. That's what keeps you from slipping. Not fear of the Dark. Not blind faith in the Light. But the discipline to know what you stand for... and to act only when the action aligns with it."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

They walked at her pace deeper into the cold, dead ruins of his heritage, to a life he hadn't ever really known. This wasn't lost on Iandre, and even though he might have been here before, she felt he still had things to learn about his people. It was something they could learn together, and she was enjoying this trip into the past.

Listening to his words was a thing Iandre cherished. He was full of calm wisdom and made an excellent Master and friend. She was still quite pleased with her choice to follow him. She felt she could learn from him for the rest of her life and still not know everything he could teach her.

"That is exactly what happened to the Grand Republic and Jedi. They grew complacent and then corrupt. Though from what I've learned, there was a rebellion that ended up overthrowing the Empire, my Republic had become."

Her breath caught for a moment, and she had to pause her speech to allow some of the emotions she felt to pass. Iandre had stopped denying them, but she had not yet fully embraced them. Her pause allowed him to continue another part of the conversation, and she nodded once she felt she could and not totally lose control like she had earlier.

Thankful for his ability to know when she needed to move or not, she felt the pauses and stalls were done on purpose to highlight points of the lessons he was teaching her—bits of age-old wisdom and his private thoughts on what she wanted to know or what he felt about something.

"Anything that gives pleasure can be addictive. Is that why we weren't allowed to explore our emotions? I never questioned what I was taught or the rules I was required to follow. It's all different, and I'm learning how to feel. Learning to control everything I had been denied before. With your help, I am changing and becoming a better and stronger person. Maybe I did have blind faith, but I'm glad to be given a second chance.

"I don't think my values have changed. Just the person carrying them."

Holding a hand up over her heart, she made a fist for a moment and slowly continued the walk into the ruins of the past.

"I am learning to live again, and I'm happy to have you as my guide, teacher, and friend."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

"It's a cycle that's repeated throughout the Republic's history. Unfortunately, any government built purely on democratic ideals is prone to collapse into the same complacency and moral decay. That's why I believe the Diarchy and the Order by extension offer something more stable." His pace remained even, matching hers as they moved deeper into the ruins. His voice, though calm, carried quiet conviction.

"The Diarchy is, technically, a republic. They have their summit, their pseudo-senate, and they do allow for public discourse. But most of those discussions are formalities to let the people be heard. The real authority lies with the Diarchs themselves. And so long as they rule without bias, without envy or greed, I believe they have a real chance to succeed where so many others failed."He glanced to the side, his tone thoughtful.

"The real test will be in what they leave behind. They still need to establish a lasting system something future leaders can uphold when the Diarchs themselves are gone. With my longevity, I hope I can remain as a stabilizing hand. A form of oversight. Though... who knows? The next wave of leadership may decide the contract with the Order is no longer necessary. They could dissolve it entirely, and all this could change." Mid-thought, Laphisto slowed slightly. His ears twitched, head turning sharply toward an alleyway off to their left. His eyes scanned the cracked stone, pupils narrowing slightly.

For just a moment, he heard laughter faint, distant. The sound of children. And for a flicker of a second, he saw movement. Small shapes darting around a corner. He knew better than to trust it, especially after how long he'd remained on the surface. Still, the ghosts of a past long gone had a way of bleeding into the present. He gave a quiet exhale and shook his head once before clearing his throat and resuming the pace.

"It's good you haven't lost yourself," he said at last, voice steady again. "Not many Jedi manage to come to terms with their emotions. Most bury them. Let them fester until something breaks." Her mention of the Empire earned a faint, dry chuckle. "I had to study that era myself—not exactly the golden age of galactic decency. Ran into some boy once, claimed he was the long-lost grandson of Emperor Palpatine. Seemed more interested in chasing power than truth. Though, wouldn't be the first Palpatine I've crossed paths with recently." There was a pause neither bitter nor amused. Just measured. Tired, perhaps. "Funny how names survive longer than empires."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"What came first? The Lilaste Order or the Diarchy? Since you are the High Commander and have been around much longer, I think the Order. How long have you been awake, and how many more do you expect to live?"

Nodding as he explained the Diarchy was a republic, Iandre wasn't entirely sure that was the case. While it wasn't a dictatorial government, she wasn't sure how much power their people had. She had yet to encounter more than a few, so she didn't know for sure.

Looking in the direction Laphisto did, the vision he had was for him alone. Iandre wasn't one of the kin here, and all she could do was mourn the life she saw snuffed out. When they had landed, she had asked if he would be okay returning. He hadn't answered her then, so maybe she should ask again.

Giving half a smile, she didn't know if he saw it in the darkness. The smile faded before she spoke again.

"Are you doing okay? I did read about what happened here before. We could leave if needed and return when you've recovered more. The Force knows, I spent enough time recovering, so it isn't a weakness if you need to as well.

"Names carry meaning and power to some. The Darth a Sith gains. It's more than a title. There is power with it. Same as Master for the Jedi. They can also carry duty. I don't think I'm ready to take on a title or a name other than my own. Someday, maybe."

Falling into a familiar step with him, she waited for his answers.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

"The Lilaste Order came first long before the Diarchy, the Hierarchy of the order is different from the Diarchy. in thier ranks im a high admiral. i lead the naval forces and currently acting as chief military excecutive till they find a high general" Laphisto replied, offering a quiet chuckle that softened the weight of his words. "I've only been awake for about twenty years now, give or take. But my kind… we tend to live long lives. almost up to a thousand."

He glanced sidelong at her with a subtle smirk, the briefest flicker of humor passing over features carved more often by duty than amusement. He answered her questions steadily, one after another, like deflecting practice swings with a blade precise, unhurried, grounded. When she fell quiet and posed the more personal question, Laphisto slowed his steps, gaze drifting toward the crumbling ruins surrounding them. There was something reflective in his stance not hesitation, but a shift in weight, like a stone under pressure.

A faint rumble escaped his throat as he rubbed the corners of his eyes with the heel of his hand, fingertips lingering for just a moment before falling away. "It's nothing," he said at first, though his voice was low, almost distant. "Just... this planet's curse, reacting to me." He paused, letting the silence carry for a beat before continuing. His voice was steadier now, though still touched by an undercurrent of something harder to place fatigue, perhaps, or a memory pressing too close to the surface.

"The same way it cuts you off from the Force, it does something different to me. It… blends things. Past and present. Sometimes I see things that aren't there aren't real. Or maybe they are. Maybe they were. Children laughing in alleyways. Moments that never finished playing out, caught in the snow and silence of this place."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

The budding hero listened silently and intently to Laphisto and his answers. The first part was exactly what she expected. The Lilaste Order had been around longer than the Diarchy. It would probably continue after the latter fell. Hopefully, that wouldn't be soon, and both of them could remain where they were.

Shaking her head as he told her he had been awake for twenty years.

"That isn't what I meant. All your life, from when you were born, put to sleep, woken up again, and so on. I remember you told me twenty before. I do pay attention, Master."

Tilting her head within her spacesuit when Laphisto told her it was nothing, she didn't believe him, but she wasn't going to pressure him. Then he continued and admitted it was the planet affecting him. Nodding as he finished his statement, she felt justified in her offer.

"Ghosts of the past haunt you and leave me alone. If I could share your burden, I would. As it is, I can only listen and try to help you through the vision. Are they something you should follow? Maybe they will lead you to a new discovery or knowledge."

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto perked his lone ear, giving a soft chuckle as his eyes drifted forward toward the looming structure ahead. "Well, I was born a little over a hundred years before the Second Great Schism. As I mentioned when we met, I played some part in it. My vision of a unified Force was... different from Ajunta Pall's. Where he was fueled by anger, I was driven by curiosity by knowledge. I believed the Force should be studied and used freely, without arbitrary restrictions or consequence."

He gave a short sigh, the corners of his mouth tugging with a wry, nostalgic smirk. "The Council didn't like that idea much. After the Hundred-Year Darkness, they credited me blamed me for helping Ajunta Pall. And if you think about it in a technical sense, those exiles later became the sith. so in a since i helped create the sith we see today." he frowned at that a tinge of guilt strikign over his face He glanced at her with a raised brow, a spark of humor flickering in his tone. "Unless… that's not what you were asking about either?"


When she spoke of ghosts, his expression softened, and he shook his head gently, a low rumble escaping his throat. "It wouldn't help to follow them. My people were created here. In a way, I'm connected to this world, tied to it in ways even I don't fully understand." He gestured lightly to the air around them, where the silence of the ruins pressed in like a weight. "From the records we recovered, this planet was once... alive. The Force flowed through it like breath. It was so potent here that even those without natural sensitivity could learn to wield it. But now…" he trailed off, exhaling slowly. "Now it's like walking through the grave of the Force itself."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

If Iandre could snap her fingers inside her spacesuit, she would have.

"That is exactly what I was asking. So you're just over 120 years young, and you would outlive Master Yoda. If he were still alive... Did.. no, I don't think you would have."

Not finishing her question, she listened to what else Laphisto had to say.

"Do you feel bad for your part in history? I wonder if I will leave as much of a mark as you did. I don't think you're remembered by the Sith, though, and for that I am happy.

"I see. It makes sense that there is no Force here. As it flows through life, there isn't anything here except for us. The feeling is very interesting. I feel empty and hollow. Like a piece of me is missing."

Gazing into the same ruins her master was, she was silent for a moment.

"What do you feel here?"

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto looked up at the towering cathedral they had finally reached, his arms folding across his chest as he studied the architecture. A low rumble echoed from his throat. "Two hundred and ninety-six, to be exact."

He glanced at Iandre, sensing the unspoken question lingering on her tongue. But he didn't press her. She'd ask when she was ready she always did. So full of questions, and he always seemed to have answers. "I don't feel bad for what I did," he continued after a moment. "I stood up for myself for what I believed in. Even if that led to exile and a frozen prison, I wouldn't change the fact that I took that stand. And if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now? I would. Though I'd go about it differently."

His gaze drifted back toward the ruined structure as his eyes settled on the massive wooden doors. Instinctively, he reached out with the Force, attempting to open them but was met with nothing. No movement. No response. Just silence. A faint frown tugged at the corners of his mouth before he let out a small, dry chuckle. "Just... making sure."

With a shrug, he rolled his shoulders and stepped forward, placing his hands on the door. A strained grunt escaped him as he pushed against it. "No lightsaber usage on this planet, by the way," he added offhandedly. "The particles in the atmosphere will short your blade. Unless you want to deal with repairs later, I'd recommend brute force." When she asked her final question, he paused, standing still as his eyes lingered on the ruins. "What do I feel here?" he repeated softly. Another pause. "Cold," he answered simply, the word hanging in the still, empty air.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

How had she done her math so wrong? Lifting her eyebrows as high as they would go, she grunted slightly and looked a bit disappointed in herself.

"You'd still outlive Master Yoda..."

With her face back in its proper position, she turned up the corner of her mouth a little at his answer. It was an honest one, and she would have thought less of Laphisto if he had lied to her.

"What would you change?"

Grey eyes watched as he tried to embrace the Force and open the wooden doors. Even if they had been talking about her not being able to feel it, and leaving her feeling empty, she shook her head and pointed to the side of her spacesuit.

"I don't have it with me. It would be a little difficult to maintain the suit's integrity by adding a clip or even a blaster holster. Besides, you told me there was no life here. So, no need for weapons. They are on the shuttle."

Sighing, Iandre just nodded at his answer. Cold was a given on this dead world. Without the sun, there was no heat, and anything alive would die if it stayed too long.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto gave a small nod as he took a moment to consider her question. With a strained grunt, he pushed open the massive door, the old hinges groaning under the weight as a thick cloud of dust billowed into the air and slowly settled around them. "Well, for one, I would've tried harder to sway Ajunta Pall from his war. I would've done more to stop what followed." He paused as he stepped through the threshold, his taloned feet scraping softly across the stone floor.

"I wouldn't have been so obedient to the Jedi." His gaze shifted toward her when she mentioned not carrying any weapons. One brow lifted, and he gave a quiet chuckle. "There are creatures that can survive the void of space. That means there are likely things that can survive in this wasteland too." He gave her suit a quick once-over, then glanced at his own armor before nodding thoughtfully. "I'll see about commissioning a set of LO-58A for you when we get back to Bastion. You'll need something better suited for traveling with me."

Laphisto turned, his gaze sweeping across the interior of the structure and what a structure it was. Towering shelves of ancient wood stretched from the stone floor to the arched ceiling high above, some tilting precariously with the weight of time. Scrolls, codices, and bound volumes filled every crevice, stacked not only on shelves but on tables, benches, and even the floor in chaotic reverence to knowledge long forgotten. Thick strands of dust clung to the air like cobwebs, catching faint glimmers of ambient light filtering through cracked stained-glass windows above.


The scent of aged parchment and dry rot lingered, mingling with the subtle metallic tang of the cold air. Portions of the ceiling had collapsed in distant corners, spilling rubble and fractured columns into reading alcoves that once must have hosted scholars, philosophers, or perhaps even Force adepts in silent study.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

If her master had needed help, Iandre would have given it to him. As it was, he was able to push the doors open, and they revealed an expansive treasure trove of knowledge. Based on their conversation getting here, she didn't think she would be able to read any of it.

For several moments, she was silent and observant, her eyes shone with undisguised awe, and she wanted to know what lay under the dust. Instead of rushing in, she listened to what Laphisto said, and some concern filled her grey eyes. Gulping slightly, she took his lesson and would carry a weapon with her.

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

Tilting her head a little inside her helmet, she appeared thoughtful. Taking a resolute step into the epicenter of his people's theology and history, she was reverent and only looked.

"You suggested that if I took one of the Tears to make it from a warrior. I understand not taking one from a fearful child or family, but what about one from these scholars? Would it make a difference? Would it affect me differently?"

A gloved hand motioned to one of the beating lights that stood at one of the tables. The obscured figure held a bound volume in its hands and seemed on the cusp of moving again as it turned one of the pages.

Now that she had calmed down from her outpouring of emotion, she was going to approach this from a calm attitude. Not that kind of attitude that threatened to explode from her pure emotion.

Laphisto