suitably_heroic | The Ebon Hawk, then Korriban, Two Days After Last

Atton	Two days out from Onderon now, one day since their visit to Nar Shaddaa to pick up supplies and give Meetra some more time to talk to Mira. Going by the lightsaber the latter now wore, that had gone well, for which Atton was somewhat grateful. But now they were done with that. Atton'd punched in the coordinates for Korriban and pretended he didn't know them by heart, even though he did. It'd been eight years since he last visited the Sith planet, and yet it still felt like yesterday. All of that made him antsy. Catching Meetra guiding Visas and Mical through Force meditation? Yeah. That was worse. Not that he was in any position to say about it, or had any right to speak up, or... y'know, it was just hard to get away from this door, that was the case. When Mical brightly perked up with an "Of course, it'd be my pleasure!" Atton was even kind enough not to run in and punch him in the face really hard.
Mira	Mira wasn't strictly speaking surprised to see him lurking in the doorway, but she was definitely rolling her eyes about it. "Meditation envy?" she asked dryly.
Atton	Wait, what? Atton jerked around, startled-- Oh, it was just her. "Why don't you go sit on a rocket?" he said, irritated.
Mira	"Calm down," Mira said, crossing her arms. She leaned against the bulkhead. "What is your problem?"
Atton	"I don't want to talk about it," Atton said flatly.
Mira	"All right." Mira pinched the bridge of her nose. Okay. For the sake of ship unity and blah blah blah she was going to try and wade into the mess that was Atton's head, because it was clear nobody else wanted to take that responsibility and it didn't look to be going anywhere good. "You know, Atton, sometimes it's no wonder you can't figure yourself out, the way you lie to yourself all the time." She took a deep breath. "I've hunted a lot of people in my line of work, but I've never met anyone who wants to get lost more than you do. I've got a pretty good idea of why, but not the whole picture. I will, though."
Atton	Atton looked her in the eye. Fine. "That guy," he said, "I don't trust him." And not just because of whatever stupidity kept roaming around his head.
Mira	Seriously? Was this going to be a running thing now that they all had to deal with? "I do," Mira said. "I mean, he's all right, I guess. He's like one of those guys who watches too many holovids. Or teaches them."
Atton	"You're right," Atton said. "He's boring."
Mira	"Yeah," Mira said, smirking, "And that puts him a few ranks up the ladder from you."
Atton	"What's that supposed to mean?" Atton demanded. "I'm not boring!"
Mira	"Noooo," Mira said, drawing the word out, "You're more like a shifty, lying idiot with a tendency to complain about every little thing and offer only small bits of helpful advice if pressured." Just you dare and argue with that, Atton.
Mical	Mical took just that moment to stand up and stretch, his arms above his head.
Mira	Mira tilted her head and eyed him. "...He'd get beaten to death on Nar Shaddaa almost as soon as he landed, though."
Atton	"Well, that's good to hear," Atton muttered. Eh. "Thought I had some competition here."
Mira	"Oh, well, it's not really a competition," Mira said casually. "I mean, you're kind of an idiot, Atton. And you don't shower enough. And you scratch your... equipment... when you think nobody else is looking." She shrugged. "Don't take it too hard, though. That still makes you better than most people I've met on Nar Shaddaa." Look, the guy was clearly a mess about something - probably the Exile - and if she could toss in a true kind word here and there to keep him from exploding over everybody, she would.
Atton	"Thanks," Atton said dryly. Though he kind of appreciated it, in a Nar Shaddaa buddies kind of way.
Mira	"Now stop watching her," Mira said, as she turned around and stalked away. "She's got enough problems."
Atton	Atton let out an irritated little noise, but she wasn't wrong. "Fine," he said. "We're going to be coming out of hyperspace soon anyway." He peeled himself away from the doorway.

Atton	Landing on Korriban was practically a case of muscle memory: he had been here many times before. He half-expected to see Sith vessels coming out and firing at them as he descended, or Sith warriors on the ground, but there was... nothing. He set the ship down just outside the Academy, every one of his instincts yelling at him that this was a very bad idea. As a result, his tone was a little off, a little too fast. "We've hit the ground. This is Korriban," he said. "Why would one of the Jedi you're looking for come here?" Even with as dead as it seemed-- yeah.
Visas	"It seems quiet," Visas said softly. Her senses, too, were alarmed. She looked to Atton, judging his impression in the Force, and wondered if any of the crew who had not been touched by the Sith as they had felt it. "Just the wind... but deep beneath the surface, you can feel the pain of what took place here." She looked to Meetra. "There is great power in this place - for those who can hear its call."
Atton	Atton did - always had, since the first day he set foot on this planet for his training. But that wasn't something he was comfortable talking about or addressing. He didn't want power, he wanted to leave. He thought. Maybe.
Kreia	"There is much that would draw a Jedi to this place," Kreia mused. "The resting grounds of the ancient..." She paused. Not so ancient, many of these bodies, now that Revan had come and gone a second time. "...and more recently departed Sith carry many teachings believed lost." She tilted her head. "The most likely place to find our lost Jedi is the ruins of the old Academy."
Meetra	All Meetra could pick up was death. It was disconcerting. She straightened. "Let's head out, then."
Kreia	Kreia looked to her. In a... manner of speaking. "If you walk Korriban's surface, you shall walk it without me," she said.
Meetra	Meetra blinked at her. "Why won't you come with me?" she asked.
Kreia	"I cannot," Kreia said simply. "This place is strong with the Dark Side. It is difficult to center myself here." She gestured towards the map. "And Korriban holds few secrets for me-- but much that you should learn."
Meetra	"Korriban doesn't look that bad," Meetra said. Mostly just... emptiness and death, and yes, a spark of the Dark Side. "I'm not afraid."
Kreia	"Perhaps not," Kreia said, though she sounded dubious. "But I would caution you to guard your feelings carefully here. Korriban attacks the spirit and the body, and there have been few who can fight its power."
Meetra	Meetra had known Kreia for too long now to let a warning such as this slide. She nodded quietly. "Very well," she said. "Stay here and keep the engines primed in case we need to leave quickly."
Kreia	"I will remain here and meditate," Kreia assured her. "Our link remains - I will contact you and provide guidance when needed. The Academy is on the other side of this valley. Be careful." She took a deep breath. "Dark energy fills these ruins... and even the fallen Sith live still."
Atton	They left the ship a few minutes later, once all checks had been done and all equipment had been gathered. Atton couldn't say he was wild about being on the team this time, and that feeling intensified as soon as they stepped onto the planet's surface. It wasn't just the weird energy so tangible in the air here - it was also the memory of this place. Last time he'd been here, it'd been alive. The skeletons on the ground had been apprentices, practicing their hand-to-hand or armed combat skills. Many of these pillars had been upright, and there had been constant traffic in the air. He looked to Meetra; she appeared to be lost in thought.
Meetra	Meetra did not move until Kreia ceased her telepathic communication. She strode through the large field, ignoring the corpses on the floor, even the ones still clutching usable items. There was something off about them; something that made her think twice about desecrating the dead.
Atton	Atton followed on behind, trying not to list the tombs off in his head and failing. Ajunta Pall, Naga Sadow... The resting places of ancient Sith Lords, now plundered by... by who, exactly? Atton couldn't see their fates being terribly great, either way. He was glad they didn't stop walking until they reached the Academy - or at least he was, until he actually saw it. "Looks like somebody left the doors of the Academy wide open," he said. Filled with corpses, at that. "I have a bad feeling about this..." Which was all he managed to get out before the beasts attacked. Ah, space.