Star Wars: Duality

CHAPTER NINE: SHADOWS

    Drystan's chances of getting any rest dwindled as sleep eluded him; Aedan had estimated their journey to the tomb dig site would take between one and two hours, far longer than Drystan would have liked to spend alone with his thoughts in the back of the truck.

    Grief threatened to incapacitate him, like a vibroblade reopening the old wound of his memories of Order 66. Master Vohz, because of his disappearance, had remained separate from that pain in Drystan's mind; now, his wolf-like face joined the ghosts of every other friend and mentor that haunted Drystan's dreams. Drystan repeated the Jedi Code to himself, again and again, searching for peace; but the hopes that had carried him through the past few years were shattered, inoperable.

    He wondered if he would ever really trust Aedan now. So what if he was Drystan's blood? That didn't make him any less of a stranger, and a deceitful one at that. Even Drystan's brief infatuation with Maive was gone, simply thinking of the company she kept. Drystan knew that this anger was not befitting of a Jedi... but there was "no Jedi, not anymore", right?

    Time passed without Drystan taking much note, caught up in his boiling thoughts. Even when the truck stopped, it took a moment for him to snap out of it and step into the cold desert air. Aedan and Maive fell in behind him, looking down from his vantage point on the hill they had stopped on.

    The tomb's entrance was in the side of a shallow ravine, and it had an Imperial checkpoint barring entry (however sparsely guarded it was). Behind it, the opening was remarkably narrow, but Drystan recalled the map illustrating a winding tunnel system that served as a deterrent for anyone trying to get into the larger, main cavern.

    "Looks like a skeleton crew," Aedan remarked, drawing his pistol. "On a good day, I could nail those moof-milkers from here."

    Maive snorted, and Drystan doubled the sentiment, shaking his head. "From now until we're leaving this blasted system," he said drily, "do not push your luck." Aedan just shrugged, but he still looked a little stung. Drystan stood up.
    "Let's move. The real challenge will be in the tunnels."

-

    The tunnels were not, in fact, challenging. This worried Drystan immensely.

    "What do you mean, no danger? No curses or traps or anything?" Maive was skeptical in the extreme. But they had taken out the guards easily enough, and they'd been creeping along for the past several minutes without one interruption.

    Aedan checked the deciphered map. "I can't read some of these markings, but I still think a skull is a pretty universal indicator for 'stay out or die'."

    "When I say there's nothing in here, what I really mean to say is there's nothing in here," Drystan snapped. "That either means someone already cleared these passages, or there was never any danger to start with."

    The two treasure hunters fell silent, and looked at each other. Drystan didn't even need to turn around to pick up on their nonverbal remarks, which went something like:

    This feels off.

    This feels easy, it's Drystan that feels off. He's not usually this irritable.

    Well he's YOUR brother, maybe talk to him?
    About what?

    Drystan rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, now quit psychoanalyzing me and get ready. The main cavern is coming up." Drystan mostly took their stunned silence, both audible and internal, as a victory won; most of Drystan also ignored the small twinge of regret that came after his sharp words. There was no time to be soft.