Chapter Three: Descent

[Malok]

In a time long since past, the gaggle of charred stone was once a home. Modesty was not a feature of this domicile; for once it had appeared as a literal citadel. Towering walls of stone loomed over the surrounding forests, casting an immense shadow over all who entered. Lavish halls and decadent rooms awaited all who passed the iron gates. This was once Castle Ne'tra: home to a Sith Lord of some note. Known as Darth Metus, this man was blamed for the downfall of the Confederacy...and in response, his home was razed to the ground.

Gone were the towering walls. Lost was the decadence. All that remained was ash and rubble.

This was the disappointing sight that greeted Darth Metus. Of all the creations he had made, this one was his personal "favorite". Here, he once felt security. Here, he was able to temporarily let down his guard. Yet this, during the Fall, was all taken away. As the Sith Lord wandered about the remains of his former abode, his mind entertained certain possibilities. He pondered what he could have done differently in order to evade such destruction. He wondered how he could prevent such atrocities from occuring in his life again.

Yet after a few "what ifs" had passed, Darth Metus continued doing what had brought him to Krant in the first place. It was a simple hypothesis that had encouraged him to make the journey, one revolving around the very ruins he tread upon. Fire was powerful, for it destroyed his home with ease...but was it mighty enough to singe the Dark Below? Given the distance between the surface and the catacombs that laid beneath...well, Darth Metus seriously doubted it. His home may have been destroyed, but perhaps his Forge had evaded destruction.

As such, he began to search.

With the Force as his tool, the Sith Lord flung debris out of his path. Blasts of telekinetic might cleared the ground about him, scattered ash and dust into the air. One by one, pieces of his home were hurled out of the way; all in the hopes of discovering the date of his Forge. Time moved ever forward, and for quite some time his efforts proved fruitless. However, Darth Metus pressed forward...until some measure of success revealed itself. It was in the form of a flat, ashen door: one that laid underneath his feet. This was once an emergency escape from the Forge, by his recollection. Kneeling, the Sith pried the door from its charred hinges before squinting into the darkness below. He could see nothing...nor feel anything for that matter.

Well, that was a good sign. Rising, Darth Metus removed his cloak and began to descend into the catacombs.

[member="Vesphira So'Kil"]

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

And so her beloved was on Krant?

Interesting indeed. It pleases her that the tracking device she had slipped into his body was working so well. It seems her various test were a success. So when she landed near a charred castle her brow would arch slightly?Well this was interesting indeed, the tracker synced her to data pad showed her beloved inside the charred remains and thus a casually clad Vesphira would disembark from her beloved's ship she had burrowed. And it was apparent she was ticked. He had stated he wanted to pick up where they left off but hadn't contacted her in a month.. That was unacceptable and so Vesphira decided to hunt him down and get answers.


Making her way out of the ship, the fierce looking woman would follow the blips on her data bad straight to the door within the floor. Lowering herself down, she would let her sense flow, checking for anyone else besides her beloved. A grown would decorate her features, she sensed Dagora but there was a noticable darkness to him..


"Hello?"


She would call out, her voice echoing in the eerie darkness, followed by her fingers resting against the blaster attached to her hip.

[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Malok]

In the beginning, there was silence.

The descent of the Sith Lord was the sole contradiction to a trend of quiet. His footsteps led him deeper into the resting place of many dead...into familiar territory. Before him laid winding corridors of ancient stone; all obscured by the darkness. Yet the black before his eyes was irrelevant, for Darth Metus knew the way he was going. Deeper and deeper he trekked, focused solely on finding out what of his had survived the Fall. So set on the task at hand was he that the inquisitive voice of a woman was lost to his ears.

After some time navigating the darkness, the Sith Lord found another...positive...indicator. In fact, the mere sight of its outline against the darkness caused a literal jolt of excitement. It was a door. A door whose aesthetic clashed miserably with the final resting place all about it. As opposed to complementing the vaulted ceilings and marble floors, this entrance was wrought of simple oak. It was free of the dust, webbing, and mold that cluttered the Catacombs; so much so that it stuck out like a sore thumb. This was a door that Darth Metus knew well, for he had installed it himself.

Eagerly, he reached out and gave the door a solid push. It opened at his touch with ease, sliding open as if no damage had been inflicted upon it. Yet, what of the Forge that laid beyond? Was it as intact as its entrance? The Sith Lord stepped forward, steeling himself for the absolute worst...Yet found an "okay" situation. The Forge was not utterly destroyed, but the flames had obviously reached it from above. The entrance situated on the far side of the room was caved in, and rubble from the collapse was strewn all over.

Yet the centerpiece of the space endured. The Forge survived. This brought no end of satisfaction to the Sith Lord, who then placed his hands upon the stone before them. The Forge was silent...weak even...yet hummed in response to its master's touch. The cold stone soon grew warm underneath his hands, and emerald sparks began to shine. Brighter and brighter did these lights grow, manifesting in tandem to the room as a whole. All about, the lanterns and torches sprang to life: all brimming with fire of the deepest green.

Even the Catacombs were blessed by this sight, as ancient torches spontaneously awoke with emerald fire. They lit at once, as if showing the intruding woman the way to her significant other. She would be greeted by the light...and the unmistakable sensation of the Darkness.

[member="Vesphira So'Kil"]

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

It wasn't everyday that Vesphira was disgusted…. Today was one of the few..

So when she continued on into the darkness, she fought back the urge to vomit. The fact that her for intensive purposes; 'Significant other 'was playing around in this.. This mess irked her to no end. Making her way further in ,she resisted the urge to just turn around, hop back on her ship and then head home, only to send him word that she couldn't be with one so Intune with the darkness..

So when the torches burst into light and sensation of darkness came, she couldn't take it. Spinning on her heels , she began walking right back the way she came. She would not be around such filth. Let the male that fathered her child do what he wanted, she would have no part in it… That was what she was thinking as she stopped halfway towards the exit.

Sighing, she yanked a hand through her pale locks. She was a mercenary for goodness sakes, she had dealt with a lot worse. Steeling herself, Vesphira once more turned around and made her way towards where the tracker indicated he would be. Stopping in the doorway, she would keep her distance, any affection she made had felt towards him locked down tight as the disgust radiated off her.

" Oh look, A Sith Lord.." She'd murmur softy, making no move to get any closer. Infact, she would begin edging away from him and the room she had come upon.

[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Malok]

The beauty of the moment was unparalleled. It was...as if a master sculpter had been robbed of his finest chisel. For months, replacements of any sort just would not do; and any hope of inspiration would be lost. Yet, fate would smile down upon the unfortunate soul, reuniting him with the simple tool he treasured so dearly. Simply holding it within his hands ignited the fires of inspiration...and likewise, the Sith Lord felt creativity surge through his bones. Yes, he had made a few trinkets since being separated from his Forge...but now that he was home the real masterwork could commence.

But, just as Darth Metus began to entertain the thought of twisting nature to his whims, the voice of a woman broke the moment. It was...someone who had never set foot within this part of his world. Someone who was blissfully ignorant of what it meant to be an Alchemist. Standing tall, Darth Metus allowed his touch to abandon the stone underneath his hands; and in that moment he could feel the quiet protest hum through the Force. But the Forge knew that it would not be long...their reunion would see a continuation of their glorious efforts.

Turning, the Sith faced the woman and a gentle smile was offered. He folded his arms across his chest, motioning to the Forge itself before saying: "I prefer the term Alchemist, if you don't mind. Now...What are you doing here, my dear Vesphira?"

[member="Vesphira So'Kil"]

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

Listening to him speak , she couldn't help but to smile at his snarkiness. This was indeed the man she held dear to her otherwise normally guarded heart. Giving him an affectionate look it wasn't long before she began speaking in a sarcastic yet openly affectionate tone.

"Well, you see my darling. There is this thing, it's called concern.. It happens to weave its way In when people one holds dear go off galavanting for long periods of time without letting them know if they are okay… "

Crossing her arms over her chest, she would move to lean against the doorframe, her brow arching slightly before she drifted into silence for a few moments. Taking a deep breath, Vesphira would begin speaking softly. "Behold, I was concerned when I heard nothing from one so dear to me heart. And thus I set out looking for him after stealing one of his ships. Which by the way was entirely to easy, you should fix that.."

That being said, she would push off of the door frame and step into the room, moving to inspect it with open curiousity. Normally she would be disgusted… but, this was something the man she loved enjoyed and thus she would be open and accepting towards it. He was after all open and accepting of her.

"So, A forge in what appears to be a dark-side nexus? Can't say I'm too surprised.."

[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Malok]

When the Sith Lord gave his, admittedly snark-filled, response...he honestly expected something of the same caliber in return. For the numerous years he had known her, Vesphira had always been keen on going tit-for-tat with him. Whether it be in slinging snarky comments or spontaneous eating competitions...but today was different. Today, what the woman uttered was enough to momentarily jar the focus of a man whose mind was on his Forge.

She opened up. She...sounded genuinely...what was this, affection? To say the least, Darth Metus was thoroughly surprised; and as such blurted out a remark without thinking. "Who are you and what have you done with my Vesphira?" Welp. It was out in the air now...no taking that one back. Realizing just how terrible that sounded in response to general affection, the Sith Lord continued...in earnest. "What I mean is, I'm surprised. It's not too often that you sound sweet and concerned. It's touching..."

He paused, allowing common sense to rear its head some more.

"And I'm sorry for worrying you. I had a few last minute changes in my travel schedule and the trip took longer than anticipated."

With that said, Darth Metus lowered himself to the edge of the Forge and leaned upon it. He was careful not to get too close to the heat, lest he burn spectacularly. "Now then...what was this business about you stealing my ship? Are you trying to provoke me to steal something of yours? I'm Dark, I can do it better."

[member="Vesphira So'Kil"]

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

Normally his words wouldn't affect her as much… But this time? After she was openly concerned about him, well, it stung.. Would she ever allow him to know such a thing? Never. A slight tic in her lip and the narrowing of her eyes would be the only indicator. "Must be due to my being Ill"Vesphira would state softly, more to herself than him. Taking a breath, she would begin speaking once more." I'll remember to filter myself in the future.."

Her lips twitched at the mention of him being a better thief, her amusement visible. "I doubt that. Though we wouldn't be able to test it as I don't have anything worth stealing. You on the other hand…." That being said, she would drift into silence once more, her gaze sweeping around the room once more.

[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Malok]

Men were often oblivious to many things...And in this instance, the Sith Lord was no different. He missed out on the sting that his words had caused. He missed out on the narrowing of her eyes. He simply...sadly...was oblivious. Why? Because whilst the woman spoke, Darth Metus was enthralled. The hum of his Forge was intoxicating. His mind was running hundreds of miles an hour, contemplating what to create. As such, he only gave a response when she mentioned being ill.

"I have a bacta tank in my ship. If you're sick, that ought to do the trick."

Then came the snark.

"Oh, but you do have something of value. I'm sure your beloved cat would love a trip to Mustafar. Or perhaps your ferret would like a vacation to Hoth?"

Check and Mate.

[member="Vesphira So'Kil"]