Why go back?

[Adron Malvern]

​Aboard The Missing Breeze, a light freighter Adron had borrowed from an old friend, the young advisor sat in the cockpit alone, his eyes focused on the dancing lights of hyperspace outside of the viewport.

​Glancing down to the Navicomputer, he saw an indication light blip when they had passed their last marker for their journey. It had been years since Adron had even set eye on his homeworld of Serenno, Part of him was excited and eager to see his homeworld once again, to smell the air he had not breathed in so long. However, another part of him felt sorrow and disgrace. The exile from Serenno had impacted him hard, far harder than he had expected it to. Yet, in many ways he felt that burden of sorrow was not lightening by his return.

​Deep inside he knew this wasn't a return, not truly. It was a visit, he had been planning for some time. It was not without danger, in fact if Adron was caught it could mean his death. Yet, he was not the only one making a risky move. [member="Lady Kay"] had decided to join the young noble in his return to the world. It had come as a bit of a surprise with the man when she agreed to come with him. Most of her days were spent overseeing her own world of Commenor and the territories that had aligned with it. So, perhaps she could have used a vacation, even if a treasure hunting trip into the middle of sith space didn't quite qualify as such.

​The Navicomputer gave off a soft beep and Adron called back to Kay, wherever she was in the ship. "We're almost there. Ready to see my homeworld?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Take a vacation, they said.

You need some time off, they said.

You look tired, they said.

But what to do? Sit around at the Palace or her Estate and read? No. She'd probably go crazy with the quiet and the emptiness of those rooms. No, Kay needed something different. So when [member="Adron Malvern"] let her know that he was taking a trip back to his homeworld, even asking if she wanted an adventure, well she jumped at the chance. Not literally, but she didn't really hesitate before answering.

Kay couldn't dress to fit her station. This was Sith territory and even Adron wasn't safe. So they needed to be in disguise. As he called out to her, she wandered in from the kitchen, having made herself some tea. She hoped that her disguise was suitable. It had been a long time since she had worn it and fortunately her body hadn't changed much with age and motherhood.

"Well, what do you think? Think they'll recognize me?" She turned around in a full circle and then sipped her tea. Kay always had her tea.

 

[Adron Malvern]

“Them? I barely recognize you now.” Adron replied, standing up from the pilots chair. He took a small code cylinder into his hand and handed the device to Kay. “Here. Your name is Kristia Barellion, my name is Kristoff Barellion. You're my older sister and we're metal traders from Balmorra, hoping to find some business in Carannia.”

Offering the woman a quick smile, Adron turned back to his seat in the cockpit. “Most people on Serenno mind their business. Of course I don't expect the Sith to follow that rule, but so many people go in and out I doubt we’ll go noticed.” Only a moment after, Adron tapped the Hyperdrive, causing the starship to fall from the speeding warp of Hyperspeed.

The flashing lights of Hyperspace dissipated to reveal the beautiful orb that was Serenno. Standing up from his seat, Adron placed his hands on the terminal as he stared at the planet before him.

Home.

It was a surreal feeling. To see a planet you were born on, lived on, ripped from your fingers and so many years later lay eyes on it. The planet appeared the same, minus the Sith fleet that loomed above.

Adron was silent, focused on the planet in front of him. A soft beep occurred while the man was lost in his transe. The beep had been the Sith fleet signaling that they were in the process of checking the starships engine signature.

Finally pulling himself from his stupor, Adron glanced down to see they had been transmitted an all clear. “Well. The easy part is over.” With no hesitation he sat back into the pilot’s chair, aiming the ship for the planet’s surface.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Well at least she didn't have to get changed again. That was a relief. Kay took hold of the cylinder and smirked a little at the identies. "Kristia and Kristoff? Sounds like our parents had a sense of humour."

She stood behind him as [member="Adron Malvern"] minded the controls. And it was easy to notice how much he had missed his home world. Just what he had wanted from this place, she had no idea. But it was important.

Kay was a little concerned with them being in Sith territory, and she had made certain to have her red lightsaber with her, as well as a dagger in her boot. Still she kept her sensitivity a secret. But one didn't need to be a Force User to wield a lightsaber.

She breathed a small sigh of relief as they were allowed through the atmosphere and took a seat. "I'll follow your lead. Should be fun."

 

[Adron Malvern]

​While Kay took a seat beside Adron, he offered her a quiet nod. Turning his attention back to the controls in front of him, the High Moff took hold of the flight controls, working to keep the starship stable as they entered the planet's atmosphere. The rush of clouds and wind flew over the viewport as Adron kept his eyes locked in front of him. "I never thought I'd actually need all of those flight lessons. I guess my father gets to be right every once and a while." He said, his mediocre skills in piloting showing themselves as they made a rather bumpy entry.

​Finally the turbulence came to an end as their ship breached the planet's thick outer atmosphere. They ship had entered not far from Carannia, Serenno's capitol city, yet as they moved into the cities airspace Adron noticed something immediately. "There are no speeders." He said, gesturing to the cities upper flight paths that were scarce, save a few security vehicles.

​Once Carannia was a hub of business and life, now it appeared a ghost town, the damage from wars past still relevant in some parts of the city. Narrowing his eyes at the sight, he turned the starship away from the city, making his way for the open land abroad. "When I was growing up I used to steal my father's speeder and take trips to Carannia. Usually just so I could go to the museums or parks. Or, just to get warm for a while." He explained to the Queen beside him.

​Their starship continued to fly over the planet's surface. Forrest, grasslands, riverlands, all manner of biomes were passes as they made their way further North on the planet. "Blackgate Manor was my families home for generations. They called us the Keeper's of the Mountains." He said, as the plains and grasslands quickly turned into a range of hills, approaching snow covered mountains. "I'll put us down near the main passage, It's the only way to land up here, since the landing pads at my home were destroyed."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Well it seemed that [member="Adron Malvern"] wasn't as comfortable behind the controls as she had thought, so she buckled herself in. Kay hadn't had much training in flying, though she heard whispers that her daughter was. Though she had no intention of bringing her daughter to Sith space.

The turbulence was rough, but not as bad as it could have been. She had survived a few crashes, so she knew what to expect. Fortunately, it didn't last long. Her brows furrowed at the lack of...well...life in the area. Was that due to the Sith occupation?

She saw the tell-tale signs of war. It was no wonder that Adron left the planet. "What happened here? Is it war that caused you to leave?" Kay knew little of the man's history, only knowing that he came from a noble house. His upbringing was the opposite of hers, or perhaps it was closer to what she could have been if she wasn't a Force User. Her Father [member="Tobias Larr"] hated them with a passion and had her put up for adoption when it was discovered. Even now the man wanted nothing to do with her. His treatment of her was partly why she hid her sensitivity. She didn't want to be abandoned again.

 

[Adron Malvern]

[SIZE=11pt]As Kay spoke, adron glanced over to the lands passing beneath them. Some had been scorched from the orbital bombardment the planet endured years ago. “The Sith happened.” He said, his eyes falling on a landing sight at the base of a small mountain ridge. Pulling on the flight control, he slowly brought the ship in for a landing. Flipping a switch that caused the starships landing gear to protrude from their slots. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]“My people decided to back The Dominion. We were promised safety and military aid. When the Sith came we stood nearly alone. The other fleets were too preoccupied to aid us. So the planet fell to the Sith.” Adron explained. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“A Sith lord named Darth Banshee proclaimed herself Queen. The High Council of the Noble Houses sided with her to keep their wealth and title. I was stripped of my title and my family lost it's seat on the council. I was exiled because I stood against the Sith and wanted the occupation to end.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Adron exhaled as the ship shifted softly, showing it had landed on the mountainside. Powering down the controls and the engine, Adron looked to Kay with an almost amused expression. “Come on. It's not a long walk to the pass where my Manor is.”[/SIZE]

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked out at the lands surrounding them, the obvious signs of war. As she heard [member="Adron Malvern"] talk of the occupation and the lack of support, it made her wonder about Commenor. Would this be their fate too?

"Before I was elected leader, Commenor was under Sith rule as well. But it was left to it's own devices. I figure it was because the Sith didn't see value in it. But now that I've built it up, I fear that the same wouldn't happen again."

She placed a hand on his shoulders. "I hope that one of these days you'll be able to reclaim what you lost here. It's the fate of the large Galactic powers. They tend to come and go. It's as though they build themselves up too quickly with no proper plan in place to support it. So they fall." Kay removed her hand and placed it on her lap. "They'll fall again."

As the ship landed and Adron powered it down, she unbuckled herself and got to her feet. "Alright then. I fancy a good hike. It'll be interesting to see where my advisor grew up." And probably amusing too. Hopefully the place wasn't destroyed.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Kay’s words were kind, and paired with the hand on his shoulder they were perhaps just what the Count needed to hear. He returned the gesture with a warm smile, yet he remained silent as he finished powering down the ship. In truth Adron did not need reassurance that the Sith would fall, he had devoted every minute of his life to seeing such a dream become reality. After the last of the engine systems were powered down, he nodded to Kay, signaling they we're ready to leave.

Standing up from his seat, Adron gave off a soft stretch before making his way to the back of the ship. He was clad in a simple leather jacket and jeans, both out of style for the man as well as being rather ill-prepared for the cold winds outside. As Adron passed through the cargo hold, he clipped his lightsaber to his waist, hoping he would not need to use it this day.

His hand ran over the panel near the loading ramp, causing a soft beep to erupt. As the rear loading ramp slowly began to lower itself to the ground below, Adron could feel the cutting winds of the icy mountains surrounding him. For others it would be abrasive, perhaps even painful. However, born and raised in these mountains, Adron had never felt more comfortable.

Of course he did not maintain his comfort alone. The young man had long since learned to use The Force to sustain his internal body temperature, keeping him warm.

Once the ramp was lowered onto the ground, Adron glanced around, taking a moment to recall the site before him. They had landed on the edge of a thick forest, covered in a thin blanket of ice and frost. Before them was a single passage, that led deeper into the mountain range. Adron pointed towards the pass, showing Kay their destination. “Blackgate manor is at the peak of that pass. This is the Western Mountain. The largest one in this range, second largest on the planet.”

With no hesitation, Adron’s feet took to the frost covered grass, a soft crunch erupting from the frozen surface below.

Passing by the trees surrounding them, they would quickly find themselves to the mouth of the pass. Although it did not appear so, under their feet grew a bit softer, as there was a dirt road that led up the pass. It was not long after being on the road that a structure could be seen in the distance.

Adron paused, he would likely have noticed it before Kay. Once in the passage was a large wall, ebony and made of durasteel, it was the structure that gained Blackgate it’s title.

Now in it’s place was ruin. Once, each side of the gate was decorated with a giant metallic statue. The lord and lady of the house, Jedi clad in long flowing robes who wielded the weapon of their station.

Where the Lord and Lady of the House stood, there was only the lower parts of their busts, the torso’s having collapsed over, laying in the snowy ground under a blanket of frost. “My grandfather built that wall…” Adron said, staring at the rubble with a distant gaze. He said no more, making a point to close the distance to the shattered gate.

They would pass through the rest of the pass, finally finding themselves standing amongst the wreckage of The Black Gate. Adron stared at the pieces, particularly the fallen statues of his ancestors. The moment was brief, but it was taken.

Seeing the Black Gate in pieces was hard, yet there was not much to prepare Adron for what he was to see next.

Blackgate Manor was no more. The entire structure had been completely and entirely destroyed during the Sith occupation. There was the scattered residue of plasteel and metal. Yet one would be hard pressed to guess that there had once been a home here. The landing pads, the towers, and even the base structure were all simply gone, completely destroyed. Adron stared at the sight in silence, yet in The Force, his being let out a powerful cry of hatred and anger.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

The biting cold was not what she expected. Kay was layered up, but quite as prepared for it. Maybe it'll just take a bit of getting used to.

She walked down the ramp and heard the wonderful crunch of frost and snow under her booted feet. For some reason that she couldn't explain, she loved that sound. Snow had some weird way of muffling sound and quieting the world. Commenori winters were nice for that.

Kay followed [member="Adron Malvern"] through the pass, listening to his words. The remains of the gate were not a good omen. She paused as he did, frowning slightly. "It can be rebuilt...once they are gone, that is." And as they walked further in, she saw more rubble and some framework. But most was all tattered. However the manor had looked before, she had ni idea. But it was clear that the Sith punished his family for not bending to their rule.

Kay shuddered as Adron screamed within the Force. Although her signature and sensitivity to it were minimalized at the moment, their close proximity to eachother as well as the strength of the cry certainly had it's affecton her.

All of her thoughts dwelled on her own Palace, plus her estate. Hopefully what happened here would never happen there. But one can never know. "I'm sorry, Adron...." There wasn't much else that she could say at the moment.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Leaning down, Adron placed his hand over a small metallic plate. No doubt it had once been a part of the foundation for the Manor, yet now it was little more than scrap metal. His moment of emotion was fading, and he was coming back to clear thought. He would shroud himself in The Force, making his presence nearly undetectable to other Force Users. As Kay spoke, the High Moff took a fist of snow into his hands. Glancing back to her, he would toss the snow on the ground, offering a confident smile. "It's only stone and metal." His family had died long ago. He wanted to add the words, but decided against it, at the risk of sounding overly morbid.

​Standing from his place in the snow the High Moff began to look around with a confused expression, trying to ascertain something. "This was the meeting hall.....So the kitchen was...." His words were cut as he walked away from the metallic plate, as if he was moving down the still standing halls of his house. "Here." He said, stopping a few meters away from the meeting hall's location.

​His eyes glanced around again, mentaly rebuilding the interior of his manor. Taking a few more paced steps, he arrived at what he deduced was the absolute center of the main hall. "Here." Bending down into the snow, Adron began to dig through the white terrain, something obviously hidden below.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay gave [member="Adron Malvern"] a half smile as he tried to brush away his sorrow over what little remained of his home. Perhaps he'd of acted differently if she wasn't there. Not only was she a woman, but she was his boss as well. So of course he was not only on guard for the Sith out there, but he was on guard against himself too.

She followed in behind him as he moved through the rubble, keeping herself at a respective distance. At times she would glance around, looking to the shadows amongs the trees and wondering if maybe they were already being spied upon. It was hard to say whether or not the Sith had a plan layed out for Adron's return. They were conniving enough to rig some kind of trap if there was something for them to gain. But was there? The Sith already had the world under their control.

A brow was raised as Adron began digging. Kay folded her arms across her chest as she watched, both for warmth as well as to display her respect in regards to his personal space. "What is it that you're looking for? Some kind of memento?" Maybe it was an old boyhood toy of his.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Adron dug a small hole into the snow, his eyes locked on the ground as Kay spoke. It was not long until his hands had grown pale and stricken from the cold. Taking a minute to tuck his hands under his arms, he sat down on the snow, his eyes turning to Kay. Her words caused him a light chuckle, before he glanced back down to the hole. “A Momento? Yes, something like that.”

A few moments to warm his hands and he was back at it. However, not long after he continued digging, he felt his nails scratch against something rough and metallic. “About time.” Having dug a few feet into the snow, he began digging his hole wider, smiling back at his company.

Standing up from the hole, Adron jumped out and turned back at what he had uncovered. Buried under a few feet of snow and coated in ice, was a single metal plate. All around the edges were burnt pieces of metal, however that metal plate did not have so much as a scratch on it. “The floor of our mansion was made of a polished Durasteel. This was the center of the main hall, it was made out of a Phrik plate.”

Holding a hand out to the plate, Adron called on The Force. Slowly, the ice surrounding the plate would let out loud deliberate cracks. Like a firework going off, the ice would shatter and the metal plate slowly began to rotate. Obviously the rotation came from Adron, as he spun his wrist at a matched pace. A full rotation occurred and at its end a soft click could be heard coming from under the plate.

Several feet wide, the plate began to rise from the ground, revealing a hidden turbolift, barely wide enough to fit two people. The plate rose, and Adron watched with his arms crossed over his chest. As the snow settled around the lift, Adron stepped inside, holding a hand out for Kay. “My family has been on this mountain for years. For a reason. Want to see the reason?” He asked, a curious smile coming over his expression.
[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

With every moment that passed while Kay watched [member="Adron Malvern"] dig, she got all the more curious. Buried treasure, maybe? Again she kept an eye out for anyone watching. She'd of poked out with the Force, but she still maintained that secret. So she'd just have to resort to her eyes and instincts.

And then he was done. Kay peered inside the hole. It was like a coverstone, some special kind of marker. Of course she didn't know much about his family or their history to make any sort of judgement or assumption about them. But at least Adron seemed pleased with himself.

But as soon as he began lifting it, Kay stepped back, turning her upper body so that she could shield herself from the flying snow and ice. Once it was safe, her jaw dropped slightly, visible shock written clearly on her face. "A lift?" Adron soon stepped inside, holding out his hand to invite her into the small space with him. The last time that she was in a space so small, she was captured by a bounty hunter. And before that she was tortured. So small spaces didn't make her feel very comfortable. But it wasn't as though she was alone.

She stepped forward and took his hand. "Well, I didn't come all this way out here with you to stand out in the snow. Just promise me that we won't get stuck." That was a fear that creeped up in her mind, the two of them stuck in a tiny shaft in between the outside and whatever chamber was underneath their feet. Kay made her way inside of the lift, standing far closer to Adron than she was used to. "How far down are we going?"

 

[Adron Malvern]

Taking Kay’s hand, Adron ushered her into the lift, glancing over to her as she asked about their destination. “Far.” Was all the man said in return, as his hand wiggled around Kay to tap the control panel beside her. With a soft swish, the door to the lift closed in front of them, sealing them safely as it began to descend.

The initial release was a quick drop, several feet before a loud click occurred and the lift went into a much more steady, and far slower drop. The descent was a long, snail paced drop, made even slower by the fact that you could not see anything outside of the metallic chamber. At least a full ten minutes passed before the lift finally crawled to a halt. Exhaling audibly, Adron shook his head at the lift. “That is just unnecessary.” He muttered, before a green light on the panel made itself visible. Pressing the button, the door to the lift whirred open.

What the door revealed was…. Disappointing. A single white hall, terribly out of place so far beneath the planet’s surface. The walls and ceiling, which once had been pristine, were now coated in a fine layer of dust and cobwebs. Adron gestured for Kay to step out, into the rather narrow hall. Once she did, he too would move into the hall, a single bright light illuminating their short path.

At the other end of the hall was a blast door, with a peculiar looking camera sitting above the sealed door. “House Malvern were dubbed the Wardens of the Mountains. But it wasn't the mountains we stood watch over.” Approaching the door, Adron held a hand out to Kay, warning her to stay back. Just as he reached the door, a deep metallic voice called out to the door.
“Identify.” In unison with the voice, the camera above would adjust itself, aiming directly at Adron. A red light erupted from the camera, a scanner, that fell over Adron’s body.

“Count Adron Malvern, Lord of my House.” He said, yet his words were steady, almost as if he were telling a lie, there was no pride as he spoke.
The metallic voice went silent as the scanning was completed. “False.” The words stung as they erupted from the automated voice.

“The Lord of House Malvern is Avius Malvern, Adron Malvern has yet to succeed him.”

Staring at the camera, Adron exhaled softly, born from his quick frustration of droids. “My father is dead. By right, I am Lord of this House.” This time the silence from the metallic voice was accented with a loud series of clicking.

“Welcome to The Keep My Lord.” The automated voice said before the door gave off one last click as it retracted into its host in the ceiling. “Damned droids.” Adron said before turning to Kay, gesturing for her to follow him.

What lied before the duo now was something even Adron had never seen. The door gave way to a large chamber, easily large enough to host a hundred bodies. The chamber itself was empty, save for a single white case, protected by a cylindrical ray shield that erupted from the ceiling.

The walls were pristine, white and black, untouched by the years of solitude. “This is what we've guarded for hundreds of years. This room is a vault that holds the treasures of Serenno. Both good and bad.” He explained before looking to the ceiling. The walls caved in, to make a perfect dome. “After my Father’s death… It all became mine.” He said, perhaps hosting a smile on his face for the first time in quite a while.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Far. Oh great. Had she of known [member="Adron Malvern"] better, she'd of rested her head against him on the way down. But instead she just leaned her head against the side of the lift after the sudden drop and closed her eyes. There was nothing but silence between them, however Kay began humming a little tune to herself, a bit of an earworm for their journey down.

Finally it stopped. Kay opened her eyes and looked through the opening in the lift. It was quite obvious that no one had been around for quite some time. She stepped out, letting her booted feet leave impressions in the dust. The narrow hallway reminded her of the insane asylum that [member="Thraxis"] had built to house her. She shivered in spite of herself, almost expecting to see the Jackal in his Doctor personna to appear.

But he didn't.

They soon came upon the blast door and camera. As Adron instructed, she kept back and remained quiet. The interaction between himself and the droid seemed quite comical. It made her wonder if there was a droid out there that he could get along with.

And then access was gained. She walked inside and looked around the chamber. Their footfalls easily echoed and it wasn't difficult to feel small within the chamber. Her eyes fell upon the case displayed in the center. "Do you know what those treasures are? Or are you just finding out now?" Kay didn't want to pry too much. She wasn't a treasure hunter and already had everything that she needed or wanted.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Glancing around the room, Adron shrugged at the Queen’s words. “I know one thing. Nothing else matters right now.” He explained. Making his way over to a control panel on the other side of the room, the man tapped into it with a loud groan. “Not again….”

“Good Evening, Lord Mavern. How may I be of assistance?” The Metallic voice erupted from the console. Adron had seen a mimic of the small camera from outside. “You can burn your circuits…. I need to deactivate the Ray Shield in the middle of the room.”

“My lord. The holocron can only be uncovered by opening all of the Vaults. Is this acceptable?” Adron rolled his eyes before nodding at the terminal. “That's fine. Just get it open.”

“Yes, My Lord.” The white and black lines the dome contained began to spin, creating a series of loud deliberate clicks as they did. Eventually each of the rows had slid into a series if hosts, revealing a rather impressive sight. All of the rows had contained a shelf that spanned the entire dome. These shelves sat on belts that allowed the items on them to rotate to lifts in the center of the row, so they could be easily retrieved.

The items were considerably different. From a brief glance Adron saw jewels, Lightsabers, swords, artifacts, and more. However they did not mean anything to him. As the ray shield in the center of the room was lifted, Adron turned to it intently. “About time.” He said, making his way over. As he approached it, the case showed a shift at it’s base. Two thin lines appeared, parting to reveal what was inside.

A Holocron, made of an eerie white metal, sat in the case. “The Holocron of Count Dooku.” Adron said, taking the small pyramid into his hands. “My family has guarded it for a long time…” He said, eyeing the device closely. With this, he would be able to learn the weaknesses of the Sith he hated so much.

“Well. That was easy.” He said, before looking to Kay. He paused before gesturing to the room around him. “As a gift. You can take anything you like. See something you fancy?” He asked, looking to her with a meaningful expression.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow. This was getting stranger and stranger. Once again [member="Adron Malvern"] had to deal with a droid. And once again he had shown his disdain for it. She imagined him being raised with droids all around and getting annoyed with them. That alone amused her while she observed him.

That is until everything started moving. The opening of vaults all around her made her slowly spin around, taking it all in and looking for danger. There was none to be found, of course. Except perhaps for what Adron was holding in his hands.

Count Dooku's holocron. Such a powerful object could be very dangerous in the wrong hands. Her eyes drifted up to the ceiling. Perhaps that was why the Sith destroyed this home. They were looking for the holocron....

Kay turned to Adron as he offered her to take something for herself from the vault. "Me? Oh no, no, no, thank you. These belong to your family. And I haven't done anything but tag along." She couldn't possibly take anything. All of these items were being kept safe for a reason. Let them stay with his family.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Kay’s response caused a kind hearted chuckle to erupt from Adron. “You're sweet.” He said, yet his eyes took to the shelves regardless.

After a moment of scanning the wares, a soft humm erupted from the man. “There.” Adron was not patient enough to use the lifts to retrieve the item he had in mind. So instead, he merely called on to the Force, reaching far onto the top shelf. Something small, with a particular shine to it, floated down from the shelf and towards the Queen.

As it came closer, she would see it was a small broach, in the form of a star, with a clear crystal within it’s metals. “A gift, from House Malvern, to Queen Kay.” He said, using the Force to fasten the broach on the Queen’s garment. With an amused smile, Adron would make for the door once again, yet he would fall short. The door would seal itself just short of Adron’s departure.

“What the-”

“My lord. The Holocron of Dooku is forbidden to leave these chambers. As the Lord of the House you are it’s keeper, not it’s owner.” The metallic voice called out.

A vein grew on Adron’s temple as he eyed the camera once again. “Let me pass.” Adron said, clenching his hand into a fist.

“I am sorry, My Lord. I am programmed to keep the Holocron safe. Even from you. Deploying sentries.” The voice said, a soft click occurring as the camera fell limp, it’s light dying out.

Adron let out a soft groan as he heard the door lock. “Oh I hate these things…” He said, before the ceiling to the dome opened to reveal seven circles.

From these circles, seven IG-100 Droids dropped from the ceiling, each one clasping a vicious looking energy staff. The whirring the staves gave off we're undercut by the snap-hiss of Adron’s own lightsaber. Placing the Holocron in Kay’s hands he glanced around the room as he pulled her behind him. “I will not cry over breaking a few clanking relics.”
[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay let out a short sigh as [member="Adron Malvern"] insisted that she get a little something. Of course it was an appreciative sigh nonetheless. She watched as the object floated to her and almost stepped back as it fastened itself to her. Why not just give it to her hand? Perhaps it was so that she didn't sneak it back onto the shelf. "Thank you."

As they were about to leave to head home, the doors were sealed shut. Wonderful. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

The droids dropped from the ceiling. Was their goal to kill? It wasn't as though Adton was going to wait to find out. But still, something that the main droid said nagged at her. "Wait!!" She stepped to the side of Adron, tucking the holocron underneath her arm. "You said that Lord Malvern is the holocron's keeper, but not the owner. So who is the owner?" That information should be helpful. If there was a way for them to get out without destroying the place, then she was going to find it.