After some deliberation, the party set out on a course towards the fallen cruiser, Yerbol silently hoping that whatever wreckage had made it to the planet's surface was going to be helpful in giving them some direction; after all, Revan and the Exile HAD to have known where to go. Those two more than likely left a strong imprint in the Force, so even if they hadn't gone anywhere near the fallen ship, there would at least be a slight indication of where the duo had gone to...or maybe it was just vain hope. Of course, Yerbol reminded himself with an internal chuckle, "vain hope" was mostly what he and Aria had relied on to get to where they stood now. Hopefully their apprentices would realize the power of hope in their own battles, which wou-

The Champion was shaken from his silent ruminations when Taral bumped his leg, the hound sniffing vigorously around yet another unsightly chasm emitting otherworldly light. While Yerbol would have normally dismissed the beast's perusing, he had been around both of them long enough to know when they believed something was off. 
"Smell anything? Well, other than the faint stench of old death." Taral continued to sniff for a few more moments before looking back at Chwuq, his stance lowering into an attack position, massive paws digging into the ground as he let out a menacing growl. 
"What the..." Yerbol allowed the now visible dragon to finish the sentence for him, said creature letting out a roar of challenge as it began to careen towards the party at an an alarming speed for something so large. Another flanked the party, seeking to join it's companion in tearing the intruders to pieces, one coming very close to succeeding if Kytra hadn't dodged so quickly. 
"Yerbol?! Orders?!!"
"KEEP IT OFF BALANCE!!! I'LL GET IT ON IT'S BACK!" As Kytra and Ethan attempted to keep the attention of the beast on them, Yerbol channeled whatever Force energy he could into his arms, then letting said energy out through his hands. The dragon toppled onto it's side for a few moments, giving the trio just enough time to jam their sabers into it's exposed underside, prompting a massive howl to echo through the maze, the beast's body undulating in a few final throes of agony before it ceased. 
"YEAH! WHAT NOW?!" 
"ETHAN, FOR FORCE'S SAKE, FOCUS!" The other attacker had been haranguing Aria, but now seemed content to have the entire party to try and slaughter. With a few deft movements and close calls along with hound reinforcement, the second creature fell to the ground, gargantuan body heaving a few last breaths before it's existence ended. Aria's description of the creatures made Yerbol think of some of the more fearsome creatures he had read about in the archives on Tython, making a mental note to ask his spouse about what exactly had almost ended their lives prematurely later. For now, they would continue to plod along in an eastward(relatively) direction, the cruiser's upended tail fin thankfully getting closer. There wasn't very much discussion among the group, although several minutes after the fight, Ethan came alongside Yerbol and muttered:
"Didn't mean to lose focus." The Champion let out a small laugh. 
"I don't blame you for losing it. This is your first field action with us and you just killed a dragon. I probably would have done the same if I were in your shoes a few years ago." Ethan mirrored his master's reaction, carefully avoiding the edge of a pit before responding:
"I mean, I've been out in the field before with Alliance troops and other Qyaari, but this...this is on a whole other level." Silence for a few moments.
"How did you and Aria do it?"
"Do what?"
"Stay focused? You guys were responsible for helping kill Bracknell, destroy the Xiis AND take down Manus Vo. That's a resume that calls for a ton of times where you could have lost your way." 
"I almost did and so did Aria. What we've figured out is that staying in tune with the Force and each other is the only way we can get through the things we seem to gravitate towards."
"So suicide missions?"
"That and the occasional dispute that arises when neither one of us can figure out whose turn it is to cook." The dialogue between the two was interrupted by the looming shadow of the wrecked ship, Yerbol briefly looking up before his eyes caught the makeshift opening ahead of them. 
"That looks unnaturally convenient." The circular shaped hole in the hull looked like it had been carved perfectly by a plasma torch of the highest power, leading straight into what appeared to be a hallway of the ship. Yerbol drew closer to the opening, peering at the seemingly never-ending darkness of the hall. His right hand rested on the outer edge of the opening for balance, which then-

[i]She was standing here. He was here too, General. General. She knew he was here.

The future, Meetra, the future. Not the past. 

She wanted to kill them. All of them. He wouldn't let her, thankful for his guidance. 

Wound was still open. He would help. She was more then family now. 

His saber ignited and-[/i]

"Yerbol?" The Champion's eyes opened. He was standing right where he remembered, although his right hand was bleeding from shards of metal that had pierced him thanks to the deathly tight grip he had on the ship. 
"They were here." He looked to Aria, nodding towards the interior of the ship.
"We need to get in there." He took a moment to regain his composure, then stepped inside the hallway. As his feet connected with the floor of the ship, he could feel a surge of...something flow through and against him, putting up a very light resistance, like walking from the shore into a frothing ocean. 
"What was that?" Ethan asked with a slight quake in his voice.
"Strong traces of who came here before us." 
"R...revan?" 
"Yes." Drawing on the Force to illuminate his hands was effortless, the normally dim blue light shining fiercely to reveal shattered machinery, unrecognizable debris and a way forward. They strode a few meters deeper into the wreckage when-

[i]Where was she? 

Further. The academy. Here?

No, not here. Further. Deeper into the heart. 

Why here?

To remember. To forget.[/i]

His upper body trembled, leaning against the left hand side of the hall. He spoke with full confidence:
"We'll get the direction we need, but...but we need to keep going. Meetra was here to do something else before moving on to the Academy." The words tumbling out of his mouth felt foreign, yet so very natural. 

[i]It's like they're speaking to me, passing their thoughts on...do you feel the same?[/i]