The Frontier

[Hol Horse]

For two weeks he had been holed up here.

The order had been simple in theory, he was to explore and report back to the leadership at Sundari with what he had found. As a hunter, a survivor, and as of now a frontiersman, Armani Fett had been chosen as the most suitable for this expedition. The Rishi Maze was, indeed, perhaps the most wild and unknown place known to sentient life. The Rishi System, the smaller sister galaxy where Armani and virtually all others hailed from, was as mysterious as it was terrifying. This unknown planet he had been sent to explore, one of the closest ones to the exit of the Rishi Maze, best exemplified the beauty and savagery of nature that he had come to know all too well. Beasts roamed the forest floor, the forest planet was lit up fully by bioluminescent life, while signs of sentient life occasionally popped up here and there.

Truth be told, Armani felt pretty foolish walking around the jungle in his kahki colored armor. His sniper rifle was resting in his strong arms, pressed up against his shoulder as he stayed on high alert for any signs of trouble. Hell, for all he knew he could have very well been the first Mandalorian or even the first galactic citizen to explore this alien world. As he walked alone a felled log with glowing purple moss, the man thought for a moment about what else might be out there. How far would he get and what might he see if he just kicked in the hyperdrive and started off in one direction towards the heart of the unexplored galaxy? At least life was easier here, the only things he needed to worry about killing him weren't human.

As the Corellian walked along the bioluminescent forest floor, he looked at the corner of his HUD. He had received word from long distance telecomms that the jedi had agreed to support the joint-expedition. With the Empire dividing their home galaxy in half, the two entities needed to work together and explore all options available to survive. Naturally, Armani had his fair share of skepticism about the alliance, but it seemed to be more a practical decision than anything. It was better to have friends when you were trying to fight a two front war after all. To that end, the jedi had apparently sent one of their own to this far flung planet to investigate its connection to the force- or something like that, he never really understood what it was those people went on about.

As for him? Well, he was there for his own reasons per his orders. An untapped planet like this was rich in natural resources, he was simply there to find out which ones and how much they could get out of stripping the place bare. Imperial industry was a monster in itself, and not even a vastly superior army could change that, nor more agriculture. He had been flying around the planet to explore areas of interest, though the place largely looked the same in his eyes. That didn't mean it wasn't beautiful though. Either way, the sniper was hoping his partner would get here soon so they could finish her end of the expedition so they could both go home.

Now, who exactly was he supposed to meet and where?

@Padmé

 

[Padmé]

“Restore peace to the Galaxy again.” The order of her mentor and master- Grand Master Valen Pelora , as Agnes understood it, rang deep within her as her ship, the Order’s ship really, made the attempt to land on the lush plant buried within the Rishi system. Like so many within her constituency, a healthy suspicion of the Mandalorians rigned. Neither party could be blamed really- seeing as anyone would do what profited their personal lives if given the opportunity. That said, Agnes Cara Exley pushed aside her personal opinions (misconstrued at that) of the Mandalorians and bid her master’s will- explore the untapped resources of Rishi and report back to the order.


The very second Agnes’ ship touched down, she made a beeline to the docking bay. As beautiful a place as the planet seemed preparation for the unknown would would be the wise thing. “Don’t forget your gear, or rebreather. Meet you out there.” The female Jedi Knight reminded her Padawan who also happened to serve as the pilot for the journey. Within minutes of landing, Exley and her Padawan were off the ship roaming deep within the lush planet towards the general direction of her contact. Electronic communication on the shared wave link made the rendezvous point rather easy to locate. However, seconds upon meeting the contact, Agnes was rather surprised to encounter none other than Armani Fett.


“Give us a second would you?” Exley’s words to her Padawan were more so a command than instruction. One which the Padawan promptly obeyed. “Well if it’s not the devil himself.” The Jedi Knight uttered once she was certain there were no prying eyes.

 

[Hol Horse]

Armani looked into the corner of his visor at his nav system. He had been keeping a digital breadcrumb trail so far so as to not get lost and find his way back to his ship when the time came to get off this rock. Still, he felt somewhat at peace here in the bioluminescent jungle. There was something sort of thrilling to it all, exploring some uninhabited world, picking a direction and just continuing that way without looking back. For a moment, he wondered what life in the galaxy would be like if there were no more wars. Would they have begun to colonize other galaxies like Rishi by now? It was a fantastical thought, one that could never be, but ti still brought a small smile to his face underneath his helmet as he walked.

As the man walked though, his eyes were drawn to the nav in his HUD once again. A red blip had appeared on his scanners, a pair of lifeforms were approaching his location. Too big to be small game or scavengers like he had seen before, though the carnivores of this planet seemed more prone to either move in packs or remain solitary- never in a duo. Thus, it was quite easy to deduce that the pair now coming towards him were likely fellow sentients such as him. Turning to face the direction that the strangers were approaching from, the Corellian raised the scope of his sniper rifle up to his visor, zooming in with both the adjustable scope as well as via his HUD. Through the treeline, he could see two human shapes approaching him. The bioluminescent flora made them had to make out, but as they approached, one of them struck him with what could only be described as metaphorical lightning.

It couldn't be, he hadn't seen her in nearly a decade practically. Armani readjusted the settings of his scope and zoom again, but his eyes had not tricked him. Sure enough, as the two finally reached him, the man found himself face to face with Agnes Cara Exley. Her silver tongued pleasantries were as fiery as ever. "Hello Senga, it's been a while" Armani said, still coming to grips a tad with the jedi that had been sent to rendeveuz with him. The Corellian took off his helmet and holstered his sniper rifle on his back. His blonde hair fell back out over his shoulders, his green eyes matching her brown as the two had a mild stare down of sorts. "I always knew you to be a city slicker, but the jedi? Sheesh, talk about a 180" the Corellian said, he hadn't heard from the woman in ages. The last he had seen her had been the day they mutually decided to go their separate ways. It was for the best that way, at least thats what he had told himself back then. He was younger- though perhaps still as stupid even today.

Armani stepped in towards the woman, closing the distance between the two. "I'm surprised you didn't go on to be a silversmith to be honest. You always had a way with words that made men's minds addled with mercury, smart and refined yet fatal in large doses" he quipped recalling the oh so many times they had crossed words. He may have been a country hick for all intents and purposes, but he had never been outdone in his wit- until he met her that was, nothing had been the same since.

 

[Padmé]

“Hello Senga, it’s been a while.” Purposefully not responding, Agnes ran her hands through her long curls. Surely Armani recalls just how much she dreaded that pet name. Senga. The female Knight chrinched whilst simultaneously shocked that she could still recognize the Mandalorian after all these years even with his face armor intact!

“Personal feelings aside I'm here on a mission and that'll be and remain my primary objective.” Exley replied in the most stoic and matter-of-fact tone. Deep down, however, there was growing gnawing thought to Know what had transpired with Armani since their mutual separation years ago.

“We can use my speeder or split up into two (no pun intended), although I don't recommend splitting up seeing as there's more chance of fighting off any beast, should we encounter any.” The Empire might be the worst thing they might encounter, but hardly a bet given the nature of the land and lack of interest yet.

All personal thoughts shifted to the back burner as Agnes prepared for the scouting adventure. Irrespective of what Armani decides, Agnes’ Padawan will remain on the ship to keep an eye out. “Ready?” The Jedi inquired anxious to get the objective started.

 

[Hol Horse]

"Good, the sooner we finish this the sooner we can both go home" he stated with a seriousness to match her own. There honestly was still a sense of shock and surpris that was still rippling through Armani as he stared at the woman he hadn't thought to see again this side of the ground. She looked almost like the day he had first met her, though perhaps a bit more tired. Then again, so was he. With the way the war was ripping the galaxy apart, he was certain that sooner or later he was going to start sprouting gray hairs a decade early. At least there were the small surprises in life that kept him going, an immediate example being his current reunion with his long-since-left friend.

At least she was as practical as ever, that was a plus. Armani had been forging ahead through these jungles on foot for days now, his personal speeder had been too bulky and large to fit in the trails and brush that littered this bioluminescent planet. "Speeder it is" he agreed, putting his helmet back on as he spoke before holstering his sniper rifle on his back. The youngling that Senga had with her seemed to be staying behind, not that he minded. The man looked back to the woman with a nod as she asked if he was ready to depart, "Let's go get this over with" he stated through his helmet, walking over to the Landspeeder that was waiting expectantly for them. "I call dibs on driver" he quipped as he sauntered over and hopped into the driver's seat of the two person ship.

The man whistled to himself a bit as he buckled in and checked the systems to make sure they were running smoothly. With a flick of the wrist, Armani pulled out the chip in his helmet that contianed his HUD before injecting it into the nav system of the Landsppeder- now they'd have the albeit partially completed map of the area that he had scouted out. With some of the regional focal points in mind, and with the speeder ready, he would look back to his new temporary partner, "Alright Senshine, you tell me where you want us to go" he said, feeling oh so witty with his little portmanteau knowing that the woman loathed the pet name he had given her all those years ago.

As the two began to drive, and as the somewhat awkward and deafening silence sank in, Armani would let his mind wander as he steered the speeder along the jungle floor. Once and a while, out of the corner of his eye, he would glance towards Agnes before hurriedly looking back to the bioluminescent forest ahead of him. After some time, he would speak, "You've sure grown" he started with before quickly following up the conspicuous statement with, "-So what've you been up to lately?". It was the kind of hastily spoken and open-ended question that he hoped would give him some sort of vague insight into what the jedi's path had been after they had spoken their goodbyes.

 

[Padmé]

“Speeder it is…..I call dibs on driver.” Armani has a way of taking charge and simultaneously being annoying. “Don’t think so!” Said Agnes racing towards her speeder. “My speeder, but I suppose you can drive. Only if you promise to not pull any silly tricks on me.” She knew her words would most likely fall on deaf ears- if Armani is the same man she met years ago. The king of stupid jokes and childish stunts. A smile crossed Exley’s face at the thought of the Mandalorian’s stupid stunts he used to pull.

Judging by the way the Mandalorian drove the speeder through the uncharted land, Agnes knew this wasn’t his first drive through the natural territory. "You've sure grown"

“What? You prefer an unprepossessing teenager?” The female Jedi responded with an equally snide sass. “As for what I’ve been up to…” The woman told the tale of her two published works- both of which flopped; her equally useless University degrees, and her journey through Knighthood. She purposefully omitted the bit about her failed marriage, startup company that has now blossomed into a conglomerate, and her spice addiction. Unlike Armani, not once did she inquire about the man’s life; personal or professional lest she find out something that might resurrect the hurt she’d caused.

“There-” Exley pointed, turning the conversation turning back to the task at hand. “...What’s that building? I was under the impression this was an uncharted territory.” She concluded, whilst touching the hidden gear under her attire. Should the need arise, or at worst should they run into Empire trap, she could at least attempt to defend herself or make a beeline back to her ship!

 

[Hol Horse]

"Can't stand 'em to be honest, though I'd make an exception for you", he said, taking the woman's shade and lobbing it back at her. It always felt like whenever he was around with the woman he was playing a sort of verbal tennis, she would serve something his way, and he would riposte it in kind, and so on and so forth. It was a refreshing feeling really, it made him feel ten years younger. A decade away from that cult of personality had taken a toll on him, having Agnes sit next to him and so effortlessly pick up where they had left off those years ago was truly surreal. Armani kept quiet as he listened to the jedi spin her tale. She certainly had lived the unexpected path to knighthood. She had always been a smart cookie, far more so than he ever was, to hear of her ups and almost conintual downs disheartened him a tad. Still, she was her own woman, and he his own man. They had an entire galaxy seperating them fortunately enough, after this they could go their own ways.

The man's thoughts were only dissipated by noticing the strange building that Senga had pointed out. Armani frowned as he slowed the speeder a tad, his eyes looking up at the hole in the bioluminescent canopy at the roof of what must have been a very tall building. "No idea" he said before veering the speeder sideways, altering its path to make a B-line towards the strange structure. After maybe ten or so more minutes of driving along the forest floor, the speeder would break through the treeline and enter a clearing, dominated by a pyramid-like building with glowing grass all around it. The top of the structure had to have been perhaps hundreds of feet up in the air, though on the whole the thing was in poor shape, looking like it hadn't been used in centuries. Vines and creepers clung to the sides of the stone slabs, the once ornate and detailed inscriptions were now worn away by erosion and the passage of time, the only notable feature so far was a large gateway that led into the darkness of the building's inside.

Armani hopped out of the driver's seat of the two-person landspeeder and onto the ground. His HUD scanned the area, looking for any abnormalities or visual indicators of hostiles. At the moment, it seemed there wasn't anything around. The commando took a few paces through the glowing strands of knee-high grass towards the entrance to the pyramid, looking back then at his partner. "You feeling anything?" he asked, his visor reflecting the image of Agnes as he looked at her. So far as he had seen so far, there weren't any traces of intelligent life on this planet, it was uninhabited from what he knew. This little discovery of theirs just changed all that though, for the better or worse remained to be seen.

Then again, there was the dark entrance of the pyramid, a wall of pitch black almost calling them to enter.

 

[Padmé]

Although it felt akin to minutes with Armani, in actuality the pair had spent a few hours seeking out the land. As the pair drove closer to the obscure building the thought of an old legend Agnes has heard on several occasions about a maize/dwarf planet accessible only through the Rishi System. By the time the pair approached the pyramid looking faced, it was very clear that the passing of time has done severe damage to the structure. Agnes couldn’t help but wonder how the structure came to be for as far as she could tell, there were no visible beings anywhere close. None that they’d encounter.

"You feeling anything?" Amarni’s question broke the short silence.“If by anything you mean intelligent beings, then no.” The Jedi responded whilst promptly exiting the speeder and heading towards the structure. She silently summoned the Force around her as she followed beside her companion. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She added, her lightsaber now in her hand just in case they encounter a situation warranting a fight. Minutes later Exley was well past the entrance of the structure and was well inside the building; her footsteps echoing throughout the building as though she and Armani were the only Force inhabiting the place.

Unlike the unmistakably worn exterior of the pyramid, the interior was rather well preserved- minus the spider webs. Gold walls, ornate ceiling and marble floors as far as her eyes could see was what the Jedi encountered shortly upon opening the first door. Still, as far as she could sense, there were no other beings in the building nor nearby. “This is a trap, Armani.” Exley said as she backed away to open door number two.

 

[Hol Horse]

"Hell, you know what I mean" he snipped back, calibrating his sniper rifle, the Karma Chameleon. He hadn't packed his night-vision oculars with him, he didn't think he'd need them truth be told, everything here from the grass to the sky glowed with light. Still, as he looked into the dark entrance of the strange pyramid, he felt wary. The man held his gun lightly in his arms as he walked behind Senga into the temple. As they left the lights of the planet behind them, the two found themselves in what could only be described as another world of sorts. It was as if they had been sent back in time, the erosion of the murals and trimmings inside were nowhere near as bad as the exterior.

As the jedi spoke, Armani smirked a bit, "-that this is starting to remind you of that one time we slept in that barn to get out of the rain?" he said, the pitch black interior bringing the memory forwards. The mandolorian didn't expect to find anything in this place, truth be told. It had probably been abandoned for centuries at least. This planet they were on was virtually unknown, it certainly wasn't on any of the few maps available. The Rishi system had hardly been explored despite there being a hyperlane connecting it to their own galaxy, the two of them could have been the first humans here. Then again, it was a big galaxy, and there were plenty more horrible things out there than just humans for all they knew. That thought made him clutch his rifle a little tighter as the tow approached a second door.

The man looked at the walls of the first chamber they had entered a while back. He couldn't understand the writing of the golden walls, nor the story the heiroglyphics here were meant to tell, but some of the imagery was surreal to say the least. For a moment, he thought about asking Senga to translate, but decided against it. If there were any enemies loitering around here in this ancient pyramid like ner-do-els then she was the only virtual radar that he had to see them coming- and for a sniper like him, that was exactly what he wanted. The jedi's words made him chuckle though, "Nooo, it can't be. I was certain we'd open up this door and find the reception desk for a cheap run-down hotel" he said, the sarcasm dripping from his words like molten lead. Still, he was certainly on guard. He wasn't certain what was up ahead, but he had a gut feeling that it would be bad- and he trusted his gut, it was what let him eat plenty of unhealthy foods like burgers n' booze after all.

 

[Padmé]

The hissing sound of Agnes’ lightsaber echoed through the room. Judging by what was behind door number one, she could only imagine the contents behind the second door. “You do the honors.” Said she to her companion. Naturally she could feel Armani’s face contouring into a smile. “Don’t think I can’t see that sass behind your armor.” She quickly added. When talks about the pair’s infamous barn escapade arose, Agnes blushed! She was barely 18 and was the epitome of rebellious teen. One way or another she’d talked Armani into some shenanigans having to deal with farm animals, in lieu of studying for a very important University final exam. The two got caught up in an unexpected storm and only escaped the wrath of the farmers by hiding in a barn overnight.

“Of course I do. How can I forget our first sexual experience?” The Jedi said with the most straightforward tone and facial expression whilst opening the second door with the Force. Unlike the first door which lead to an elaborate space, the current entrance led to a very ancient room. None of the wall decor, fixtures and texts on the wall rang a bell with Agnes. It wasn’t until she was literally inches away from one of the ancient scripts that she realized what in front of her. She recalls studying texts similar to the ones in the room.

Everything outdoors practically glowed, thus the Jedi failed to bring along a flashlight. Hand tight on the lightsaber, Exley used the glow emanating from the weapon as a source of light. She read out loud the ancient texts on the wall with such ease that one would think she was reading basic.

 

[Hol Horse]

As the jedi spoke while opening up the second door with the force, Armani winced a bit. True, he had always known Senga to be more on the cold, calculated, and callous types, the methodical and robotic way that she reaffirmed their joint memory was a little too much of that. For a moment, he wondered what had happened to drain some of the playful energy from the woman he considered his equal in all things save combat. Perhaps, like him, the years had taken their toll, he knew that they certainly had done so to him- he could only wonder what Agnes had gone through. He certainly felt a little older right there and then. Though, his response was still somewhat chipper as befitting a man who referred to drown out the eternal shittiness of the galaxy with his own pocket of lighthearted humor. "I was glad you convinced me to come along with you, even if I had no idea what we were supposed to be doing" he said with a shrug before falling silent again.

The chamber they had entered now was less ostentacious than the first few, with more hieroglyphics and the like lining the sides. Unlike the previous doors, a large and strange red gate blocked them from going any further. A large triangle made out of pure gold was hanging in front of it, pointing directly upwards towards the ceiling where the mural of a gray figure with a hideous face stared down at them. The mandolorian raised an eyebrow as he looked up at the robed figure which seemed disgusted with their presence before it almost. Senga had begun looking at some of the scripts here, something he couldn't hope to do. Instead, the man looked around the room at the sides where he found two more murals on both sides to their left and right.

On the right was the picture of a young boy leaving his home. As Armani walked alongside the mural, the story continued be unfolded. The boy another child who he played with for a good long while, then an adult who he seemed content with, an old man who he utterly despised, and eventually a black hooded figure who caused the young lad to appear absolutely petrified with fear. On the opposite mural, the scene was somewhat different. The young boy treated all with a mixture of contempt and pity, appearing skeptical of all the strangers he met on his journey, yet he greeted the figure in black fondly enough as if meeting an old friend. The man frowned, looking the two murals over and back to the strange hideous face staring down at them from above, before returning his gaze back to the red gate with the upwards-pointing golden triangle. This was a puzzle of some sort, he just knew it. Sure enough, Agnes's translations of the scripts would bear fruit, with the words 'One of us always tells the truth, and one of us always lies' able to made out.

 

[Padmé]

“One of us always tells the truth, and one of us always lies.” The first sentence of the ancient text read. There were several more texts, all in an ancient language that is no longer used outside academia. “The Seven Evils…” Exley continued to read out loud:

“Raging storms, evil gods are they…
Ruthless demons, who in heaven's vault were created, are they,
Workers of evil are they,
They lift up the head to evil, every day to evil
Destruction to work.
Of these seven the first is the South wind...
The second is a dragon, whose mouth is opened...
That none can measure.
The third is a grim leopard, which carries off the young ...
The fourth is a terrible Shibbu ...
The fifth is a furious Wolf, who knoweth not to flee,
The sixth is a rampant ... which marches against god and king.
The seventh is a storm, an evil wind, which takes vengeance,
Seven are they, messengers to King..”

None of the words had any bearings on the task the pair were sent to accomplish. As such Agnes started to walk away. The ancient jewels, fixtures, art work all became a meaningless sight to her. None of it entice her, and interestingly enough none of it bore evil aura as far Jene could sense in the Force. Armani’s earlier words still hanging on at the back of her mind: "I was glad you convinced me to come along with you, even if I had no idea what we were supposed to be doing" Agnes turned to face the man, her brown eyes dead on his, whilst gathering the boldness to mention her true feelings. “As for that farm escapade, yeah you knew why you came along...” She paused allowing her words to sink in. “...and you got it just the same.” She concluded without adding the bit about passing her University finals with top marks.

“There’s nothing in here for us. Let’s get out of here.” The Jedi added. Their main objective of scouting out the planet was nearly done as far as she was concerned.

 

[Hol Horse]

Armani listened to the verse as he looked over the red and black gate. There was something strange about it, it gave him the chills but he couldn't put his finger on it. Perhaps it was the murals, the sins of this world, and the figure staring down at the two of them, but something about this antechambe just seemed off. As the man inspected the gate, peering into the dark tunnel that led deeper into the pyramid, he noticed something: a dim red light. Squinting underneath his helmet and attempting to zoom in on the object through his sniper rifle, the man managed to see a red glow further along past the present barricade. The man turned around to tell Agnes of his discovery, but found her instead walking away towards the exit all of a sudden. Confused at her sudden backpedalling, the mandolorian followed her only to hear the jedi verbally skewer him.

The first feeling the man experienced was shock and surprise. Of all the people he had met, of all the enemies, of all the cruel twists of fate he had been dealt, none of them seemed to sting quite as badly as what the jedi now implied. For a moment, he was taken back, perhaps more speechless than he should have been. True, their trip for her university research had resulted in an unexpected moment of passion, but that hadn't been his intentions at the start. There was no woman alive besides her that Armani Fett had ever met who he felt was his 'equal'- not in the the misogynistic sense, but more on a deeper plane of feeling. The two may have once been lovers, but before that they had been friends, perhaps best friends before they became something more. Now, suddenly, all of that felt called into question, a blindside that he did not see coming whatsoever.

As Agnes declared she wished to leave, the man took off his helmet slowly and stared at the back of her head, loosely holding onto the kahki visor with his left hand. "You really believe that... You really do..." he said, softly at first as he had heard the callous and cold tone in her voice, she had spoken with conviction. Armani sighed, suddenly feeling very much alone, "So, I didn't just say goodbye to you that day as a partner, I said goodbye as your friend" he said, his voice darkening to a less optimistic and lively tone into a more dark and contemptuous ring. The man frowned, keeping his visor off as he turned his back on the woman and looked back towards the gate, grabbing a thermal detonator as he did so. "Go home. I don't know what happened to you, or what changed you- but you're not Agnes anymore, you've been tempered by an unseen flame into a blade more cruel and twisted than I ever knew her to be. Then again, I suppose I have been as well..." the man called back over his shoulder to the woman as he threw the thermal in an arc to the opposite side of the chamber. The ensuing explosion blasted a large hole in the black and red gate, cleaving a pathway through brute force towards the red gleam he had seen earlier.

Without bothering to look over his shoulder, the commando walked across to the gate, stepped through the new openening, and disappeared into the darkness that lay beyond.

 

[Padmé]

The Mandalorian’s words cut more deeper than Agnes cared to admit. Her face remained cool, collected and essentially motionless for she didn’t want to give Armani the glory of being shamed. Fact was there was some merit to his accusations. She is no longer the mean spirited, angry buffoon he’d loved at one point. Exley is no angel either; just a Jedi with the singular goal of making the galaxy a better place for the downtrodden and helpless. The very goal that drove her to accept the mission at hand of scouting out the land in hopes of charting a new home for countless of beings wanting relief from the Empire’s grip.

As each accusation mixed with some truth about Agnes was made, Agnes ceased her steps; stopping to face Armani. What Agnes failed to inform Armani was the truth of what transpired two months after their sexual encounter. Young, alone, and importantly with no source of income, Agnes decided to keep the news a secret and terminated the pregnancy. Only her doctor, who was sworn to secrecy, knew of Agnes’ termination. Shortly thereafter the quilt, coupled with no goals in life lead her to spice addiction. Two years later, Agnes started and grew a small business into a conglomerate.

Intent upon keeping the terminated pregnancy a secret, the Jedi pushed all thoughts of her actions from 12 years ago behind the back of her mind. Her mission after all wasn’t nearly completed- no matter how pointless she found the current exercise at hand. Armani apparently wasn’t done, nor did he intend upon leaving the building anytime soon. Since Agne’s back was turned towards the man, literally and figuratively, she had no idea he held a hot thermal detonator in hand. It wasn’t until simultaneously feeling and hearing an audible bang, and the ground she walked upon started to shake, that the Jedi knew what Armani had done.

Naturally, Agnes took cover until the rain of debris subsided- which was within seconds. Turning, her peripheral vision caught the sight of the Mandalorian walking towards the very gate that Agnes had minutes prior avoided. “Don’t!” Agnes’ loud plea fell on deaf ears, as Armani stepped through the detonatored (yes, this is a word because I just used it) opening and literally became one with the darkness of the abyss.

 

[Hol Horse]

Armani could only hear himself breath as he walked through the pitch black tunnel. It was unnaturally dark here, as if he were at the bottom of the ocean practically. He couldn't hear Agnes behind him (not that he wished to at that point), nor any other sounds of life, just his own footsteps and the trance-like sound of his rhythmic breathing in and out. The mandolorian placed his helmet back over his head, he didn't have his night vision systems uploaded inti his HUD this time around, but he still had the where with all to activate his heat sensors. As the world around him changed from pitch black to dark blueish navy, signalling the absence of heat, he would look around. The red glow far ahead of him still pulsated as he grew closer, the object seemed to hum almost. Truthfully, he didn't know what was waiting for him, the riddle Agnes had spoken didn't make and sense nor did the murals he saw.

The man continued to walk, feeling a chill run down his spine as he noticed the temperature suddenly fluctuate wildly. The walls seemed to go from stone cold to piping hot, before becoming cold again. The sudden wave of heat took him by surprise, but he forged on regardless, his armor was thick, and he had experienced worse pain in training. After walking for some time, the commando finally came to what he could only assume was the central chamber of the pyramid. 4 large lavish stone pillars, each with at least a 20 foot diameter, towered above the round room gilded in gold and red paint to disappear into the darkness of the ceiling above. There was no treasure, only dead skeletons of an age long since passed.

Again, the temperature in the room fluctuated wildly, though this time going out in a pulsating fashion from the center of the room. Here, atop a stone altar with decrepit skeletons littered all around, floated a red triangular crystal. The object was entrancing in the aura of warmth and reassurance that it gave off. The mandolorian took off his visor again to see it iwth his own eyes, it was even more impressive without the layer of heat vision he had been observing through. Tentatively, the man grabbed onto the triangular device with his left hand, holding it in his open palm. A feeling of anger, frustration, and power surged through him as he felt his emotions spiral beyond control. Sturggling to keep a level head, the man dissipated such thoughts, returning to a balanced mind.

As he looked at the treasure hidden in this strange long lost temple, he failed to notice that the pulsating waves of heat had suddenly stopped, and an unnerving cold chill instead clung to the air. The man kept the machine in his hand as he looked around some more at the ancient skeletons. He was no forensic scientist, but even he could tell these people had been savagely killed. Bones were snapped in two, some were scattered across the room, and the skulls of some did not look anything remotely like any sentient he had seen before. It was perplexing though, what had killed these people? What did the red triangle have to do with it? Who the hell knew, all he could really think about was the strange warm feeling in his chest that he had when he held the object in his hand. His work was nearly done here.

 

[Padmé]

“Damn it, boy!” Agnes called screamed out when she realized her partner had no intentions upon listening to her or returning for that matter. She thus took matters into her own hands and walked past the red gate in search of the thickheaded Mandalorians. Every step she made was simultaneously followed by an echo. The hollowness of the halls left a queer feeling within the Jedi. Unlike the previous doors the one Agnes entered beyond the red gate had a field of bones lying about. Judging by the manner in which the bones laid, Agnes surmised they bodies were left there for some sort of ancient ritual.

With each step deeper into the darkness, the more the Jedi felt closer to a disturbing source. Her lightsaber remained the only source of light in the hollow building. “Armani, show yourself!” Exley called out. As expected her words were not answered which left her rather frosted not knowing what has happened to the Mandalorian. She called again, and again- repeating the same words as though that would motivate Armani from ceasing his silence, or guarantee that her words were being heard.

Several long minutes walking into and out of several doors and exits later, the Jedi found Armani completely overcome by an object in his hand. Immediately Agnes knew she’d walked into some sort of dark trap. The aura permeating the red crystal wasn’t a kind one. In fact, the Jedi immediately felt danger lurking about. Knowing Armani he probably wants to hold on to the red crystal thinking of it as a treasure. At minimum it would require hours of meditation in order to purify the crystal. Of course the Mandalorian wouldn’t know that! “We need to get out of here now.” She commanded. “Drop that crystal too.” Agnes added without much explanation. Before she could even utter another word a clawed, rather tall, brown beast emerged from the distance. Immediately Exley identified the non sentient being to be a rakghoul.

“Out.” Said the female Jedi blade raised above her head ready for warfare. “Now!” She screamed whilst using the Force to jump above Armani and slicing the head of the beast behind him. “Rakghouls!” Another emerged, then another. Far too many for the Jedi to handle, thus she made a beeline to the door. Lightsaber still in hand and ignited.

 

[Hol Horse]

Armani heard her voice as she entered the room, but choose not to look back her way. "I thought I told you to leave" he simply said, head still looking downwards as he inspected the skeletons of worshippers long since slain. The blonde placed the crystal in his pack, ignoring the jedi's words and zipping it tightly. So far as he could tell, there wasn't anything else of note in this centrla chamber. The crystal was his, he was unsure of its usage but knew it would be valuable for the Dominion to study it. As he contemplated these thoughts, the mandolorian heard a pained wheezing from beyond where he stood deeper in the darkness of the chamber.

The sound of bone scraping on stone was heard next as the silhouette of a humanoid creature lurched into the red light of the now stored crystal. Armani pulled out his rifle and pointed in the direction of the approaching creature, though Agnes was the first to identify it, leaping over his head in a swift motion and cleaving the creature in two. Armani swore as he heard a screeching chorus of primal rage echo throughout the chamber from above them. Sure enough red eyes began descending from the darkness towards the two adventurers. The man fired a point blank blast at the closest beast, imploding it with the stopping power of the rifle, but it was quickly clear that they couldn't take all of these things on at once.

It was time to leave. Armani lept forward, using his jetpack to artifically propel him laterally out of the center of the chamber. Upon touching down, the man sprinted in full armor forwards alongside Agnes, the two fleeing for their lives as the innumerable horde chased after them. His heart beat a mile a minute as he ran towards the large doors to the chamber. Slamming into it with his shoulder, the door fell off its hinges as the two powered through into another tunnel. The beasts continued to appear from all directions, seemingly sprouting from shadow itself as the both ran. The screams were everywhere. It was only upon seeing an outline of light against an upcoming door that the man's spirits soared. Daylight was within their grasp at last.

Armani slammed into the final door, but suddenly found himself, as well as Agnes, falling down, down, down. The sudden lack of any ground had taken the man by surprise, and thus couldn't activate his jetpack in time. In the blurring images that the man could make out as he tumbled and fell through the air, the two were outside again with no Rakghouls following them. A few moments later though, the feeling of water hitting him like concrete rattled his skull. Disoriented, and somewhat concussed, the man thrashed around in his armor as the rapids threw him around like a rag doll. In one swift motion, he pulled off his visor to breath better whenever he could. Still, where was Agnes, where was she?!?

 

[Padmé]

Gunshots, hum of the lightsaber cutting through flesh, and the sound of running feet gave the Jedi a surge of adrenaline rush. Seeing as she and her partner were literally outnumbered by the rakghouls, they both wisely made a dash for an exit. Unfortunately for the Jedi, she couldn’t recall which way was out- or at worst which way would lead to more rakghouls thus she literally began to wrap her entire being in the Force creating a Force bubble around her.

Seconds later, or at least what felt as such, the Jedi was leaping into the main hallway. With the cessation of the gunshots, Armani for a short second seemed lost to Agnes. Tapping into the Force again, Exley sensed the Mandalorian surrounded by a pool of water. It was then that Agnes lost all sense of physical control. About three hours later Exley found herself outside amidst the glowing bioluminescent life; her speeder a hands throw away, and Armani staring down at her. She didn’t recall jumping into the river to escape the rakghouls, or swimming to a safe place. None of it mattered now. She was safe and away from that bloody pyramid.

Not a word left Agnes’ mouth as she stay flat on her back. Robes still dripping wet from the escapade. A strong dark force, however, permeated the short parameter. It was then she realized Armani to be in possession of the bloody dark crystal. In Exley’s mind, no amount of Mandalorian studies (as she suspected would be Armani’s reason for keeping the crystal) would make it worthwhile to keep the crystal. She wanted to chastise the man, tell him explain to him how many hours of meditation would be required to cleanse the crystal, but she simply lacked the wherewithal.

 

[Hol Horse]

The Mandolorian sat himself up against a nearby tree as he caught his breath. He could still feel his heart beating rapidly, his senses numb from the physical exertion he had put his body through. He felt so tired, like he could fall asleep here and wake up three days later almost. He was drenched head to toe, he had taken his boots off and left them out to dry. They were safe here, so far as they knew the Rakghouls were long behind them. He hadn't known how far downstream they had drifted but it was certainly far enough. The Bioluminescent plants glowed around him as he sat there, eyeing the unconscious body of Agnes as well as the speeder which he had managed to auto-pilot to their present location.

After he had hit the rapids, Agnes had fallen soon after him. Unfortunately, she hadn't faired as well during her fall and had been struck unconscious while she was being tossed around like a rag doll. If it werent for his pressurized grappling hook snagging her belt she might have drowned for all he knew. The sniper closed his eyes for a moment and wished he could wake up from this bad dream. Go back to that barn, back when things were easier, things were less terrifying, back before the Northern Campaign. He hated to admit it, but his inhuman drive in saving and carrying the jedi to safety had convinced even himself, there was still some corner of his heart that still felt connected to the stern, professional, and calm jedi.

Maybe he was growing soft, he was 30 after all, people his age usually either dropped dead by now or lasted until they were old and shitting in their second diapers. As he waited for the woman to come round, and having made sure to do chest compressions to force out the water in her lungs, Armani pulled out the red crystal he had stolen from the pyramid, eyeing it over as his mind teetered on the brink of exhaustion. All of that fuss for one little gem, it almost seemed comical really. As he mulled over the object though, the sight of the woman stirring caught his eye. His heart leaping somewhat, the man put the crystal down next to him at the base of the tree and scrambled over to where the jedi lay, staring down at her as she woke up.

A sigh of relief escaped the man's lips as he saw Agnes's eyes flutter open slowly. The Corellian wrapped his arms around the woman and held her up slightly as he pulled her into a warm embrace, his head briefly burrowing into the side of her neck as he contemplated what might have happened should she have perished. For a while, he would not speak, only doing so as he pulled himself away from the woman and closed his eyes in thought, "I'm glad you're alright. I-..." the man said as he looked away briefly, thinking his words over carefully as the only sound around them were the crickets and birds of the jungle, "I'm sorry, I should've listened to you" he admitted before reaching behind to place the crystal in her lap for her to do with as she pleased. "Your the last person in this entire galaxy I'd want hurt, let alone because of me. If anything happened to you..." he said again before stopping short of spewing out anymore nonsense.

The man fell silent as he stared at the ground.

 

[Padmé]

Before Armani caught Agnes’ eyes, she’d been watching- no words leaving her mouth. The Jedi could tell the inches away from her was a different man. She knew not how she ended up in the luminescent jungle- the only measurable proof for her was her soaking wet clothes, boots and missing lightsaber. As much as Exley wanted to keep watching the Mandalorian, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. The natural consequence of the exertion her body had been through minutes prior. Although the Jedi couldn’t recall anything beyond the moment when she and Armani left the pyramid in flight for their lives. Her flight to safety, in the rushing currents, landing on dry ground, CPR, and placing her in a comfortable position all remained oblivious to the curly haired Jedi!

Minutes later the female Jedi felt arms around her- one which she could easily distinguish. “Armani” Said she in the most gentle tone, not because that was her intent, but because her lungs weren’t capable of making loud noises. Armani simultaneously spoke, offering words of comfort, and an apology at which point Exley knew he’d gone soft on her. “Goodness, I’m not dead-” An unstoppable coughing fit filled the jungle- dispelling the sounds of the crickets and frogs. “...Yet.” Exley added seconds later.

“You can keep that crystal.” She added whilst eying the red crystal. She knew why Armani took it and couldn’t blame him seeing as any non Force Sensitive would likely do the same. Arms up and trying to move, Agnes called for help.“Help me up.” Once up on her feet Agnes leaned on to the Mandalorian’s shoulder. It was then she felt a knot in her innermost being- a part of her was still in love with him. Warmth rushed to her cheeks turning into a dark shade of red. “My lightsaber is still in that building.” Exley confessed hoping to deter the man from sensing what’s clearly written over her cheeks!