Cities of Gold

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu looked at the grandmaster and as she was moving towards the doors they started opening before they had touched down. To give a good aerial view of the old prison and the first chill of the winds came in to her attention. Oh that was an icy welcome but she was feeling warm in the bodysuit as they touched down. The sound of wind blowing across the snow covered ground making swirls all around them as she was walking in the snow and held her hand up. The force energies rippling along the skin as she shifted and shaped the ice and snow around them to make a pathway. Something reaching above her head to protect from the weather while they were going towards the large structure.

Matsu continued forward hearing the muted sounds of the wind passing above while below the sound of snow crunching from the weight of them brought her attention around. A hole in the wall of the prison that she was moving them towards. Releasing a probe droid from the small case and linking it to the palm holo as it started mapping more of the area on the map. "There we go." She gave it some time to connect to a part of the map they had and when it did they could orient it for themselves walking through with a glow rod. The inside was everything she was expecting from a prison and more with high stone walls leading to a roof and more going further in. Matsu was heading towards the different parts searching.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

There was a reason Corvus did not like cold planets. She didn’t like the cold. Sure, she could have wrapped up warm, but to do so would have limited her mobility. Maybe her older sister could make some standard robes with built in heaters? Now that would be a good appliance of science.

So she tied her hair back – given the wind would blow it around – and followed Matsu into the icy climate. Snow was whipped into her face and her skin was soon red – but she knew it was temporary and so endured the small amount of discomfort – preferring to expend her energies on the surroundings – allowing the Force to tell her if she needed to pay attention.

But she held her cloak close to her body regardless – to limit the wind biting into her torso. And then they were indoors. Matsu sent the probe droid to map out the area and Corvus closed her eyes and used Force Sight to check for any potential unwanted hosts – for false walls, anything like that.

But she saw nothing and so opened her eyes and used the light of the glow-rod to follow Matsu. They walked in silence – in part for stealth no doubt but also because – for Corvus at least – she was too busy taking in her surroundings. There was something about such places that was awe-inspiring to her.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu continued deeper into the rooms and searching now as the sonic mapping was being done. Slowly she made a face though coming to a cell that was old and broken with other packs and a chrono still running. "Someone was here." She couldn't see anyone or anything but it looked like they had made camp inside and disappeared. A small mystery they might be able to find inside as she looked at the map setting some of the things up with another probe getting set in a patrol mode to watch their exit. Her eyes were drifting around and searching with the force for anything that might be out of place as she produced a small blade picking up some of the clothing and looking at it.

Her attention was less on what was there and more on simply that it was there and not as frozen over as some of the things she had found or seen. More attention going until she was walking and leading the way through a smaller pathway that edged around a fallen section of floor. Matsu looked down and didn't know what she was seeing while her attention was on everything around them. One side of her vision seeking to flow walk into the past and observe what she could before in one side of her vision. The other was now while she walked seeing the room in a two sided view as it seemed to slowly pulse and brighten for a moment as she walked overlooking the section of the cells.

Matsu stood still and closed her eyes focusing on what was round her with her energies flowing outwards. Corvus was a good one to have around and without disturbing the area they were going to be able to search easier enough. It had her hands going towards a section of snow and ice cracking at it with the knife before she came up with a small section of a plate. Not completed but holding a crest as she looked it over and couldn't make out what it was while brushing it off. "I think it is a dog... or something." She was watching it and brushing more but yeah it only seemed to be needing more of the picture while she looked up towards the rest of the prison. "There might be more plates, some ancient lock someone made to be confusing and ways to open doors will be in rooms several rooms away."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

In one sense Corvus was a passenger right now. Her role – as she saw it – was to ensure nobody sneaked up on them. She entered Center of Being. If there were some attack they could not readily spot, the combination of the Force and her Teräs Käsi training would warn her soon enough.

For now she sensed no imminent attack but there was enough background rumbling through the Force to suggest they needed to keep on their toes. Sooner or later something was going to happen. She quite simply had that feeling – and she trusted the Force implicitly.

The old camp-site gave her no real clues and neither did the piece of the plate. And to echo Matsu’s words, access was bound to be an issue at some point. The walls were several metres thick and the area was supposed to be escape proof – which made breaking in similarly difficult if areas were still locked down.

At least the defence systems appeared to be off-line – so at least the turrets were not targeting them. But who knew what the Rakata had built here and if their ancient security systems could be cracked?

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu continued to move throughout the prison while looking at the cells. The different ones she could get into were sparse and not really filled with anything but she kept searching. They came across some more things that were scattered from the camp and discarded but Matsu was taking a larger look at what they had while going deeper. Her attention on the force while standing at the ready to defend themselves should they need it. Her hand slid to her lightsaber as she held it up. The snap hiss illuminating more tunnel while there seemed to be a new door... or something. Matsu was moving to investigate it and took the plate piece from her pack as it went into place on a console but it wasn't completed while the thick blast door didn't match the walls. "I don't know if we can cut through, look for the other pieces we might be able to get it opened."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus used Force Sight as opposed to the illumination of the glow-stick or Matsu’s saber to gain her bearings. The blast door was at odds with the walls and much thicker. Corvus could effectively see through the walls of the corridor but the door at the end was too thick.

And suddenly she realised the importance of the plate – or rather the piece of it. It must be some sort of key. So she backtracked and started to look for similar pieces in the hope of finding them.

Except it was not as if there were spotless floors to quickly scan. All manner of debris littered the floors and there were so many rooms to search in. So all she could do was take one room at a time. She had patience in abundance and used it now – painstakingly scouring each and every room for more of the plate.

Finally she found a second piece, but was unsure if it were enough. Regardless she took it to Matsu. “More of the puzzle,” she said, aware that her voice echoed along the empty corridors.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was searching as well using what she could while compressing her hand to pull at the light around them into a glow ball to at least illuminate the main area with the rooms able to be seen in shadows before she was moving. The piece corvus found good and another third of it while she went from room to room shifting the snow and ice around to clear the floor and show each piece thing hidden below. She was still looking through several of the rooms and if something looked important it was taken and brought with them going deeper when she came across the final piece retrieving it and a small journal with weather worn pages but also a slightly worn drawing of the door. It was worth it to search as she set the piece in place with the other and covuses finding the right placement until it seemed able to fit. A little resin to hold it as the plate was locked in place and the doors started to partially open. Slowly and showing where it had been overgrown with ice while Matsu was shining a light thrugh it towards corpses frozen and she walked over. Seeing the back of the door with streaks of frozen blood and torn old bits. "They were trying to claw their way out."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus admired Matsu’s steadfast approach and methodical application to the task in hand — finding more pieces of the puzzle and what appeared to be a description of how the ‘key’ could be used.

As the door opened slightly Corvus saw what the thick door had been hiding from her Force Sight. Corpse upon corpse clearly dead trying to escape. Which, given it was a prison was not entirely unsurprising - but the frozen blood and the state of the corpses made it abundantly clear they did not die a peaceful death.

She exhaled deeply and stared at Matsu. Any expectation that a locked door was going to be their greatest challenge was immediately ended.

“The question is, is the thing that killed them still alive?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu stopped where she was standing as she looked at the grandmaster of the jedi and brought her hand up tapping her a little. "Great now we're going to have something coming after us." She looked at her with a smile though while moving forward into the prison watching everything she could find in the light before she went back to the door and started working on it. Disabling it and jamming it enough so they couldn't get sealed infor now but could fix it themselves quickly. "Just a precaution in case someone uses this to loot. Trap adventurers inside, let the die then come and collect the valuables and reset the trap."

She had seen something like that before while moving forward with her hands at the ready for anything now, Corvus had them jinxed so there was likely to be some super uber obscure darkside cult down here with another leviathan that was going to swallow her... That had happened more times then she could count almost and it never got any easier to carve her way out of the beasts body. No if anything it only seemed easier before she stopped and there was a busted cell with the bars facing outwards. "Something wanted to get out." First though but she knew it could have bent the bars to get in after someone else.

The more she went in the more the feeling of something there watching them came to her, hands at the ready to grip a blade while crates and tents came into view. Matsu moved over to them and touched the tent while she opened it up. It was empty as she expected but more then that going deeper and working on the parts of it as she saw a sonic emitter to keep things away smashed on the ground. "Something didn't like that very much." A small smirk on her place as she had seen creatures get angry after they were down and take it out on them while she moved to one of the small crates.

"Looks like they found some things." She was going through it and pulled down several datadisc and journals. Matsu opened one and was looking through it as she spoke. "Looks like they were part of the Explorations corps. We used to have them beforte they were disbanded a few years before I was cast out of the order. It might have been reinstated but these notes are from a team I remember. We sent them to explore the old jedi station in the deep core then lost contact." She was trying to recall that and waited there for a moment as her pupils dilated, the black orbs getting a little larger as her memory was working.

"Jedi master Reku led the explorer's corp to Eclipse station and contact was lost, rescue team reported no sign of them but there was heavy Axis activity as they were pushing towards the deep core and Artisia." Her eyes went back to normal while she was thinking about it. "It was right before the Republic fleet at Valen broke the Axis by playing on their infighting. Is tey were taken or fled and crashed here we might be able to get some information on what they did or at least how they died." She didn't shrug but was thinking given the problem that this was likely before Corvuses time within the order while moving about.

"We'll just have to see what drove them down here, maybe there will even be one of the old CIS prisons built down here." She was grinning while thinking about that and how many a jedi had broken out of those in the day. The general was not the best when it came to his handling and containment. Josiah and the other templars had not been able to help much aside from Feena who sadly had passed away when she continued to dig through it. Slowly picking up a box as she opened it and looked into it. "Looks like they had gone to the station there is stills of the plaques and statues within it for the old jedi."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

In Corvus’ experience, nothing good ever came for free. But at least this wasn’t a routine mission. They were generally the worst.

The mood was now rather sombre – but Corvus didn’t know any jokes. She had one limerick – but she didn’t know Matsu well enough to share it.

So she walked carefully, keeping her guard up, a combination of Center of Being and her Teräs Käsi training keeping her alert. The tristed and tangled bars were of concern – but there was no telling yet what was a current threat or an historic one. But whatever it was, it was strong.

She kept her focus on the macro level and allowed Matsu to look at the detail. So whilst her companion pored over journals and discs, Corvus allowed her senses to stretch as far as they could. For something was definitely wrong, she just didn’t know what yet.

Eclipse station rang a few alarm bells – given Corvus’ recent explorations. But the names and the expedition didn’t register with her at all. And now she was only half-listening to Matsu. Whatever was wrong was big – and heading their way.

“I can’t see anything with the Force. Not yet. It’s not cloaked – I can tell you that much, but it must be so Dark that it’s setting off all my internal alarm bells already.”

“Keep looking – but be prepared to act quickly, that’s all.”

One of Corvus’ hands went to the hilt of her katana. It was instinctive and felt right. Which was the worrying thing – as she invariably drew her weapon at the last possible moment. What was she missing?

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was looking at it as Corvus spoke and her attention was on what she had around herself now. The force flickering in her head before she moved her hand to her hip as the force light gun came up. The solari crystal within it humming almost singing as it detected the force energy slowly charging into a white glow with shimmers of blue. THe lightside of the force pulsing into her hand as the sigil on her neck lit up with her hand drifting to the sword Corvus had. An impressive design akin to her own katana that was sitting with the forgemaster in the heart of the wellspring being forged and folded as the solari crystal dust was added to the metal and coating of it.

"Careful." She stopped at the desk and moved bringing her blaster up as the bottom of it held a crystal within a casing along the bottom as she was looking for anything. The force energy coming to her before she was moving her attention to the larger and more dangerous part, the large life sign in the force as she moved. "It wasn't here before, I know there are darkside creatures that can hibernate until they sense the lightside of the force, we've encountered them before and made great hunts. Some were evn on tython and coruscant." Her attention was on the senses she could feel as she expanded her mind out to watch the shadows.

Her attention going forward now while she walked from the site towards the different cells checking each one with the force going over her sight to pick up low light and life. She checked one as going through the others she left room for Corvus to follow until she came to another cell and it was busted just the same while she was moving inside of it and looked through the back. The broken stone leading down deeper and deeper into another section of the prison while she motioned with her hand peering inside and firing into the barrel chest of something. The sensation of the darkside was there and pulse of life but it was muted when she looked at the large creature scream and illuminate once the white shots impacted him.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus oddly had never faced a Terantatek. But she knew what one was – and that there were creatures like that – that fed off the Force and could lie dormant indefinitely, until awoken by tomb robbers – or law-abiding Jedi who just happened to be looking around an abandoned prison with no thought of stealing anything at all.

Well…not much. Unless it was lying around, or locked in a safe or something.

For once Corvus unsheathed her weapon. Calling on the Force, she channelled it through her body until white wisps coalesced around her hands. Then they appeared to be sucked into the blade that started to glow with Force Light.

The moment Matsu’s weapon fired, Corvus held the blade aloft and allowed the Force Light to permeate the air in front of them. If it were a creature of the Dark-side, the power would be almost unbearable – although she would not be able to keep up the flow of the Force indefinitely.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was looking at the creature now as the force light shots impacted it and she could feel Corvuses blade with the force while she was moving to the side and the large beast was roaring at them while she looked at those tusks. The poison on them and its teeth, there was a problem though with it as she was moving. Its hide was immune to a great deal of the force and there were little to no reports of force light being used on it. She didn't know if her shots or that blade could pierce the hide of the creature while she was moving towards the back spines to try and latch onto it. They could get out of range of its arms and stab it.

She fired again in a three round burst as the white shots impacted and rippled along the thick hide until it was in range of her and swiped a massive claw over her head when she crouched down. She moved trying to make sure the grandmaster didn't get hurt while she spoke. "Stay mobile and try to aim for the soft sections, the hide can resist force and there have not been enough tests of force light against their immunity." That was a dangerous thing to admit before she moved against a wall and kicked off it barreling towards the turning creature and grabbing the spine. The protrusion in her grip while she caught herself and remained steady.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus had no idea how effective the Force Light would be against the creature. There was always a chance it might feed off the energy.

So, seeing no immediate reaction, she chose to keep moving and sheathed her katana. She held out her right hand, palm facing down, and her saber slapped into the palm and the blade snap-hissed to life – casting a violet hue across the darkened room.

Using her Teräs Käsi training, she avoided a couple of swipes by first ducking and then jumping over the creature’s outstretched claws.
Aware they had one natural advantage – there were two of them – she utilised it by moving away from Matsu, to ensure it could not focus on them both simultaneously. So she headed to face it and keep its focus whilst Matsu did whatever it was she was hoping to do.

So Corvus simply kept it distracted, avoiding those poisonous protrusions and not looking to inflict any damage, rather she used Soresu to keep its claws at bay.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was watching corvus in the force more then anything as she gripped a litle harder the spine keeping herself steady and grounded. Latching onto the beast might not be the best move but she had a plan... one that actually didn't involve it eating her and cutting herself out the beasts stomach while she was moving a little with her saber activated. SHe was moving up the back a little at a time while trying to get it to buck and reel so the jedi grandmaster could get at the underbelly. Her blade slashing into one of the spines when she got to the neck and was looking at the eyes of it set deeper in the skull. Slowly as it moved around charging a wall she crouched low to avoid getting dislodged when it hit a wall with its thick arm smashing into it. Her saber striking and lodging into the neck where it didn't have the thick plate and hide. She could feel it give easier but wasn't getting the penetration needed for finishing it while she moved to let Corvus continue the assault.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus continued to distract the creature — one that seemed to have sufficient focus to fight them both simultaneously. So she decided that she needed to take a more active role in the fight.

She parried and deflected the claws but now stepped closer and closer with each set of blows. The creature was intent on throwing Matsu off its back but she remained steadfast in her resolve, so Corvus used that as a distraction for her own attacks.

Each flurry of blows taught Corvus what the creature was like. Such beasts rarely lost — so they tended to have a preferred form of attack, with little variety.

And this one was no different. It tended to favour its right arm and always ended its attacks with a wild swipe from this claw. Time and time again Corvus noticed the pattern. And she moved into a position where the next time the creature did its usual combination of swipes, she’d be ready to step in and drive a saber into its belly.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

The beast seemed to be getting angry and frustrated.... that at least meant something. It wasn't used to someone being prepared most likely. It no doubt just had fleeing prey it attacked or ones trying to dodge it until they tired. Well at least she knew better after fighting some of the larger creatures in the galaxy while she got lower and was driving the blade in deeper. The multi chambered energy cell designed to give the saber more cutting power and longer durations against things like beskar and phrik. It served well enough here while her hand dur deeper along the spine watching the jedi master move in to strike at its underside. That let her focus and almost climb on its head for a moment while driving a hand to grip the socket of its eye popping and feeling her hand covered in jelly as the beast roared. Falling over as its head was twitching and Matsu rolled on top of it. "Stab it now." It was a dangerous creature of the darkside, not something they could injure and teach a lesson to... these were jedi hunters before Matsu was slicing through the neck to cleave slowly the head from the body... just in case.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus had relatively little experience of fighting such creatures. She’d faced rancors and wampa and the more mundane killers but as a rule had fought Sith Lords as opposed to Dark-sided mutations.

But the same principles broadly applied. Don’t get eaten. Don’t get poisoned. Don’t die. And the not being eaten part applied to Sith Lords too!

So she waited her moment and with precision timing and the Force to guide her, she slipped past the creature’s wild swipe and stepped right in to its belly, her comrade providing ample annoyance to it, to allow her to get up close and personal without being scratched.

So she quite literally jabbed her saber with two hands deep into its stomach, just as Matsu cried out for her to do so. Talk about timing!
She moved with the creature as it suddenly realised its life was in danger and threshed about before toppling over, the Silver Jedi somehow riding the monster as it fell and no sooner had it crashed to the ground than she was decapitating it.

Corvus simply moved the saber around – the softer flesh allowing her to do so. The wound may be cauterising, but the internal damage was terminal – not that it would survive having its head cut off anyway.

“One dead guardian.” Corvus thought out loud. “The question is…the sole defender or one of many?”

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Matsu was standing there as she took her hand out and was looking for something to wipe it on. Get the jelly off of it while she looked at the creature thinking about what Corvus said... "We'll see, one of these taking out an entire team isn't unheard of but seems strange." She was looking at wasn't there though while seeing the creature. "We could research when we get out of here, there is a severe lack of notes on lightside force techniques being used against it." The immunity it had to the force was also something to research, duplication might be impossible but they might be able to make a stronger resin that could seal away force objects or line cells to prevent tampering.

"Might be able to do something with it." Matsu was moving now and looking at the beast while her hands touched the spine on its back moving it to the side. while she was looking around the room and there were more cells as well as pathways deeper into the prison with frozen remains as she was walking towards it now. They could bring the creature with them and moving in deeper coul provide some insight on the more interesting and dangerous sections of the prison while it looked like there was the remains of another camp in the distance with flickering lights and a power generator.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus watched as Matsu’s analytical eye surveyed the scene and thought of possibilities and potential. It was why Corvus was a scholar and not a scientist. She was looking for links to the past whereas her companion was looking to the future.

Entirely different but complimentary.

But she had to concur that one of these was unlikely to be the cause of so much destruction – so they had to continue to be on their guard. So Corvus’ attention switched to the hear and now, her Force Sight and Sense allowing her to sweep for potential problems before they manifested themselves.

But none were present, so she looked ahead at the remains of the next camp. It was clearly going to be their next stop, so Corvus put away her saber and prodded the creature with the toe of her boot. “Let’s leave it here, I can’t see it going anywhere fast,” she added and moved towards the next cluster of cells and who knew what…

[member="Matsu Ike"]