Holovids have replayed the conclusion of the Grand Master’s Invitational Tournament where Turel Sorenn and Timeros Ceasus Entar Arconae battled within the remains of the Dark Hall, making it a recognizable location.

Echoes of the past haunt the now desolate graveyard of a planet. Wild winds whip through the hollow landscape with harrowing howls, a sense of death and finality hanging heavy in the air. This aura is neither dark nor light, but stands as living effigy to the destructive power unleashed on an entire system.

Once, Antei had served as the seat of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood's power. As a result of an ancient ritual of destruction invoked by Grand Master Muz Ashen, the entire planet is now no more than a barren wasteland. Charred buildings have been reduced to rubble, but ash flutters into the wind from the embers of fires that seem to burn in eternal requiem. A dark energy still lingers, and at its center, rests the once great temple known as the Dark Hall.

The Dark Hall itself is one of only a few structures to defy the full might of the ritual. The ruins and remains around it are littered with decay. Tall spires have been toppled and withered with corrosion from the planet's periodic dust storms. The Dark Hall’s interior is mired with collapsed pillars and door frames. The last remnants of life are scattered and covered in layers of ash: broken furniture, fractured machinery and combusted equipment littering the apocalyptic palette of grays and greens. The staircases leading down into the subterranean levels are missing whole sections, and some simply lead to dead ends. The crypts below have been ransacked and scavenged, sarcophagi upturned and left with a mixture of mummified corpses and empty caskets.

Beyond this, scouting reports still vary when the topic of Force apparitions and ghosts is broached.

Proceed at your own risk.

Antei was as chaotic and destructive as the day that Muz Ashen decided to destroy the planet. Blackened skies hosted lightning storms intense enough to make Appius envious. The planet's surface lay scorched and barren, a true testament to the power of those fortunate enough to hold the title of Grand Master. Howling was heard in the wind, like Loth wolves under the luminous aura of a full moon. The Dark Hall remained the only structure that still stood after all these years. To Appius, the Brotherhood's former seat of power looked more like a haunted fortress than the location where various dark dealings and schemes were concocted over the years.

Yet, right here, right now, he didn't care. What Appius had was an opportunity to discover the location of his father, if he was even still alive. Pendroh-I still plagued his thoughts, and he broke out into cold sweats at night because of it. Yet, somehow, someway he knew his father was alive. He was going to get his answers as to where he was, and nothing was going to stop him.

Appius marched across the darkened surface of Antei until he reached the entrance to the Dark Hall itself. Stood outside waiting for him was his contact for this endeavour. However, it was not the man Appius was expecting to see. He was unusually tall and slim, even compared to Appius. He had light brown hair that was cut short, and green eyes that seemed to glow even in Antei's grim atmosphere.

"Really? First Malisane, and now you? If I didn't know any better, I'd say Bentre was playing hard to get with me," Appius approached the man in question and extended his hand out towards him. "Still, it's good to see you again, Locke. I trust you've been well since the Unchained attacked?"

"Likewise," Locke graciously returned the gesture and shook Appius' hand. "Bentre offers his apology. You know how it is running a Clan, but I think you'll be happy to know that he's inside."

Appius could feel the thudding in his heart. His fists clenched at his sides, and he forced himself to take a deep breath.

"Are you OK?" Locke asked.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," Appius said, though judging by how Locke raised his brow, he wasn't entirely convinced. "How did you find him anyways?"

Locke then smirked confidentially. "You'd be amazed at the connections I have, Appius. It's why Bentre assigned me to this task along with you. All you need is to know the right people from the right places and you can have someone followed without them even knowing about it. What I'm curious about is how you knew there were Children of Mortis spies in Brotherhood territories?"

Appius opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it as he thought carefully over his answer. "It's a long story… all you need to know is we need to bring him in alive for questioning."

Locke shrugged. "Shouldn't be too hard. He's on his own and there's two of us. I'm looking forward to this."

"Don't underestimate him!" Appius suddenly snapped. "He's dangerous. More dangerous you think he is!"

"Duly noted," Locke said, dusting down his robe. "We better head in. I can't say for certain how much longer he'll be inside for."

Appius wasn't sure Locke was taking this seriously. Still, some help was better than no help, and he decided to keep his mouth shut as they both entered the Dark Hall.

The inside of the Dark Hall was as wrecked and ruined as the outside. Towers had collapsed and torn through the roof, leaving rubble and debris as obstacles. Furniture had been destroyed, and dust covered the floors from neglect. The inside of the main chamber was more of the same. What once stood as elegant columns were little more than collapsed stone. Windows were smashed, the shards of glass laying near the walls. However, at the far end of the hall, up a small flight of steps, sat on what used to be the throne of the Grand Masters was a man with bright, blonde hair, shining blue eyes, and a smile that could make most women weak at the knees. Though for Appius, it made his hands ball into fists at the mere sight of him.

"You…" Appius growled under his breath.

"It's about time you two stopped wasting my time. I was getting bored of waiting, so I decided to take a seat," the blond man said. He then grinned when he glanced at Appius. "I didn't recognise you with that armour on, but it's definitely you! How have you been, Appius?"

"Wait, you two know each other?" Locke suddenly asked.

"Regrettably, yes…" Appius said.

Locke looked the blond-haired man up and down, sizing him up for the incoming fight. He wore an intricately designed robe the limes of which Locke and Appius had never seen, as well as an elegantly designed lightsaber strapped to his waist.

"You've been a thorn in my side, do you know that?" the man asked as he rose from his seat. "The Father was less than pleased that you got away. So I've been aiming to make it up to him. I thought this place had nothing left of value to provide us, but it looks like I get to right a wrong and bring back not one, but two Brotherhood members!"

Appius' hands grazed over the Darksaber-inspired lightsabers at his waist. "We aren't going with you. You don't have a choice in the matter."

The man's grin grew wider. "Just like your father didn't?"

Locke's head snapped towards Appius when he felt the sudden surge of anger burn within the Taldryan Consul. "Appius, wait!"

Tendrils of blue lightning darted out of Appius' fingers and lanced towards the blond-haired man in front of them. Though he remained unfazed and raised one hand in front of him. The lightning crashed into an invisible barrier and kept him safe. What stunned both Appius and Locke was the fact he had caught the lightning, and held the malevolent energy in the palm of his hand before it dissipated entirely.

"Very good, but let me show you how it's done," the man said as he launched lightning back at Appius.

Snap-Hiss!

The golden-yellow blades of Dreadbane burst to life, and Locke used them to intercept the lightning. The attack crashed into the lightsaber, and dissipated into nothing.

"Oh, my. Did I hit a nerve?" the man asked, the grin never fading from his face. "Then again, we hit a lot of your nerves on Pendroh-I, didn't we, Appius? I bet you still feel the pain when you sleep at night. I know your father certainly does."

"Where is he!?" Appius roared, his every word laced with venom. "What have you done to him!?"

The man chuckled. "The same thing we did to you, only worse. Traitors get punished like that, you see. Don't worry, you'll be seeing him soon enough."

"Appius," Locke said, still holding his ignited weapon. "He's goading you. Don't listen to him. We can take him if we work toge—"

Appius' jetpack activated, kicking up a mound of dust as he rocketed into the air.

"APPIUS!" Locke exclaimed.

The man never lost his smile as Appius descended upon him, arm outstretched with the Force coiled into the palm of his hand. The blond-haired man then leapt away at the last second as Appius slammed his palm into the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that kicked up rubble and dust. The man quickly capitalised on the opening presented to him, and summoned his lightsaber to his hand. A bright blue blade shimmered out of the hilt, and Appius felt the sudden sense of danger quickly approach him.

"Too slow!" the man said. He brought his lightsaber up, intending to cleave Appius through a gap in his armour, but he stopped when he spotted a large piece of a fallen column flying towards him. He held out one hand, and the large chunk of stone stopped in mid-air.

"You'll have to do better than that!" the man taunted.

With the Force coursing through his veins, Locke then jumped on top of the floating debris. "If you insist!"

Locke seized his chance and leapt over his opponent, taking him by surprise. The blond-haired man had to release his hold over the broken column to react to the horizontal swing Locke attempted to hit him with. Blue clashed with one side of the yellow-bladed conversion lightsaber, yet the enemy did not lose his smile. That same expression remained on his face, like he was genuinely enjoying himself.

"Good! Finally, someone who poses a challenge!" he said.

Their brief exchange had given Appius the chance to take hold of his lightsabers. The emerald blades burst out of the hilt as he rushed to join Locke in the fight, though he was pushed back by a quick telekinetic blast from the blond-haired man.

Locke attempted to slice through his enemy whilst he was momentarily distracted, but the enemy was more aware of his surroundings than he realised. Locke attempted a haphazard swing with one end of his lightsaber, but feigned the attack and switched to a stab instead. However, he was parried, and Locke went wide-eyed as the blue lightsaber blade swung at him.

Appius pulled Locke out of the way with the Force, the latter rolling to a stop beside the former in the centre of the chamber. When Locke returned to his feet, Appius turned to him.

"You're welcome," he said.

Locke rolled his eyes. "Hey, remember that I saved you first! But you weren't kidding, he really is dangerous."

"Of course I am!" the blond-haired man suddenly said. He began to slowly descend the stairs towards them in the centre of the chamber. "Do you have any idea who you are up against? I am J'hon Whetu, the Harbinger of the Light, and the leader of the Lightbringers. Now…"

J'hon pointed his weapon out toward the pair of Brotherhood members.

"Prepare yourselves!"

A twinkle of recognition crossed Locke's mind and his eyes widened in surprise. If reports were to be believed then this man was…no, he steeled himself. "Fancy titles?" he asked, making his voice mocking. "Are they supposed to mean something?" He called on the Force as the last words left his lips. He didn't expect the words to phase the man, but he did hope they would distract him momentarily. Filled with the Force, Locke attacked much more quickly than he had before.

Locke spun his saberstaff and brought it down. The blade slid off J'hon's defense, but Locke was already pivoting. In one elegant, fluid motion he shut down one end and transitioned into a short probing strike. He poked at the other man's defenses, keeping up the offensive for several seconds, hoping to give Appius an opening. As his Force-boosted speed began to dissipate, he wanted to shout that he could not keep this up forever, but he did not want to give his opponent the knowledge or satisfaction. He had worked with Appius before, but the two were not that well coordinated.

Fortunately, Appius did not disappoint. With a wordless yell he descended from above, both emerald blades aimed straight at J'hon's head as lightning flashed in the sky above the Mandalorian. When Locke saw this, he pointed his lightsaber away from J'hon, briefly creating a risky opening before igniting the other end of his weapon, the second blade suddenly pointed toward J'hon's oncoming midsection. The Lightbringer dodged Appius' attack and made to strike Locke, but then quickly backpedaled as Locke ignited his lightsaber. He deflected a series of rapid strikes as Appius attempted to push their brief advantage.

J'hun didn't give them the satisfaction. As thunder boomed throughout the ruined Hall, the Harbinger struck back, powerful strikes batting away Appius' brief offensive, before shifting his attention back to Locke. "I don't think so," Locke sneered, shifting Dreadbane to one hand and stretching the fingers of his other, snarling as he unleashed his own lightning in a sustained current of pure dark side energy.

J'hon stopped it as he had Appius' lightning, but grunted and shifted to using his lightsaber for it, momentarily distracted by its intensity. That gave Appius another brief opening. This time, he launched himself at J'hon with the aid of his jetpack and threw his shoulder against the Lightbringer. The man grunted and stumbled a few steps, but quickly regained his composure before either Brotherhood member could capitalize on it.

"How dare you," J'hon called, taking a few steps back as if assessing his opponents. He flourished his lightsaber as he took in each of them, and Locke had the uncomfortable feeling his enemy was figuring out the best way to dispatch him. "It took all of your combined might just for that?" He looked at Locke. "At first I thought you might be a challenge, but now I see this will just be the same repeated tricks until you slip."

"We'll see about that," Locke spat back. "Your Djem So is like waving a hammer. You have no finesse," he said dismissively, glancing at Appius and back at J'hon.

The Mandalorian laughed right on cue. It sounded forced and a little hollow, but his words struck true. "Or a butcher's knife. You're more suited to chop meat than to fight us." As if to punctuate his words, he flicked his fingers and then his arm in a mocking chopping motion, hurling a large piece of indiscernible ruined stone into the air and bring it straight down at J'hon as he moved his arm.

The man cut it in half with a contemptuous air, a casual flick of his wrist sending the two fragments flying harmlessly away. "Is that so?" he said, no hint that their words were having an effect on him. He cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "Then perhaps I will butcher you two like meat. Or at least I would. It's a pity that I need you alive. But it will be more enjoyable that way, in the long run - for all of us." He chuckled.

J'hon paused momentarily to catch another large piece of stone with the Force - this one hurled by Locke - and toss it in a different direction, face showing an expression of boredom that made Locke's blood boil. "You see, Locke was it? After I am done with Appius here, you will get to experience the same fate-"

Locke cut him off with a whisper. "I am a disciple of Grand Master Muz Ashen, the Lord of the Krath," he said flatly. "Perhaps you have heard of him? Look around you. All of this was his work. And he'll do the same to your world if you stand against us. Your words don't scare me. You know nothing of the arcane power you are dealing with. You think what, some crystals give you power? Ours is five thousand years of power accumulated and handed down by our birthright. You had best consider your options, and perhaps retreat while you have the chance."

J'hon pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Right," he said sarcastically, before laughing loudly as if Locke had just told a grand joke. While he laughed, Appius muttered "I didn't know you were such a comedian…do you have an actual plan?"

"I thought you did," Locke responded. J'hon observed them both. "Really? This is all you've got?"

Need one soon, Locke sent telepathically.

"This is pitiful," J'hon said. "Maybe your Lord of the Krath will pose some actual challenge. As for you…" The Harbinger's eyes began to glow red. Alarm bells went off in Locke's mind, but by the time he figured out what was happening, he only had time to throw up a quick Force barrier as red beams that looked like plasma shot at him from the Lightbringer's eyes. He hoped his defense would hold and Appius could bail him out.

The red beams of light slammed into the invisible wall Locke created to defend himself, sparking intensely as he struggled to keep himself safe.

Appius threw a hand forward, and J'hon was blasted with telekinetic energy. It felt like he had been punched in his sternum as he was sent flying back to the other side of the chamber. He landed on his feet with the grace of a Correllian sand panther and dusted himself down, twirlung his cerulean-bladed lightsaber in his hand.

"Is that the best you have, Appius?" J'hon's voice echoed in the chamber as he walked toward them. "Sterion would be so disappointed in you."

Appius gripped his weapons tighter and launched himself forward, twin blades humming in each hand as he struck at J'hon's head. His attack was intercepted, and J'hon grinned to himself.

"Big mistake!" he bellowed. He used his natural strength to bat away Appius' weapons.

However, Appius used his to momentum spin around into a stiff kick, which hit J'hon in the sternum. He gasped and staggered back several paces, right into Locke's next attack. J'hon went wide-eyed as he brought his saber behind him. Blue clashed with yellow, sparking and hissing upon contact.

"Why you…" J'hon said through gritted teeth. He then had to contend with Appius, who connected his lightsabers to form a saberstaff.

J'hon released himself from Locke and blocked a vertical strike from Appius, using his superior strength to his advantage again. Then, to J'hon's surprise, Appius disconnected his weapon, and swung with great vigor at J'hon's head. He narrowly ducked underneath the emerald blade as it swooshed over his head.

Locke took advantage of his opening, and attempted to stab the Harbinger whilst his back was turned, though J'hon parried the strike and backed away, placing both Appius and Locke in front of him. He smirked, feeling confident about his chances now that they were both in front of him. That was short-lived when both Appius and Locke charged at him with a speed J'hon hadn't seen out of either man thus far.

"Something wrong, Harbinger?" asked Appius as he committed to a horizontal strike.

"Shut up!" J'hon shouted. "You can augment yourselves with the Force as much as you like, but it will not make up for your poor conditioning!"

Locke then attacked, then Appius, then Locke again. J'hon was surprised that he was actually being pushed back. Djem So was a style built for lightsaber combat and prided itself on using one's physical might to dominate over their opponent. However, it had a mobility weakness, a weakness that both Locke and Appius were exploiting as best they could. One on one, J'hon could beat either of them into submission, but against them both…

Unfortunately, Appius and Locke were not a well-coordinated team. There were gaps in their sequences that J'hon knew could be exploited. Locke was the slower of the two, and when he lunged forward, J'hon saw his chance. He grabbed hold of Locke and yanked him forward. He then spun and struck Appius with his elbow into his helmet, staggering him back. With his created opening, he reached out and wrapped the Force around Locke's throat, lifting him into the air. J'hon threw his arm to the side in a wild gesture, and Locke's body flew through the air. He crashed into one of the few remaining pillars holding the Dark Hall's roof in place.

"Locke!" Appius called out.

J'hon seized his opportunity and slammed his blade into one of Appius', swivelling one of his lightsabers out of his hand and across the floor.

"I'll give you credit where credit is due, you are putting up more of a fight than your old man did," J'hon said. "When I cut off his arm, I should have aimed for his head!"

Whilst J'hon and Appius continued their fight, Locke returned to a standing position. His back hurt, but he looked up at the column that he collided with, and a devious idea formed in his mind. He used Dreadbane and sliced through the bottom of the pillar, destroying its support. It began to tumble over, and Locke guided it with the Force towards J'hon and Appius.

"Appius, jump!" Locke yelled, and Appius did as instructed. The pillar crashed into the floor where J'hon had been standing as Appius joined Locke at his side. Both men were panting from the fatigue of battle.

"He's not dead, is he?" Locke asked the dreaded question.

Before Appius could answer, J'hon emerged from the dust and debris unharmed but covered in ash and soot.

"I can't believe a couple of weeks such as you are giving me this much trouble," J'hon said. "Very well. I shall grant you both the honour of a swift and painful death!"

J'hon's eyes glowed red once again, causing Appius and Locke to brace themselves for what was coming. However, instead of striking at them, J'hon's eye beams soared upwards at the ceiling, destroying what little remained of the roof above them as it came tumbling down.

Locke's eyes searched the ceiling, his opponent momentarily forgotten. He bit off a curse as large portions of it began to collapse, neatly laser-burned edges contrasting with the more jagged pre-existing fractures. For Locke, time slowed. He glanced at J'hon, who had to dodge a massive stonework column that tumbled in his direction. Locke was vaguely aware of Appius, somewhere to his side and moving, but his focus was on the ceiling above him.

It's no good, he thought. How can I survive this? He was afraid, but his fear was a distant thing. Locke focused on action, closing his eyes, trusting to the will of the Force to get him out of this. He waited. Seconds passed. Dust blasted his face, rocks tumbling onto his shoulders.

Now.

The Force pushed him to action and he dived to the ground and rolled to one side. Time returned to normal and everything crashed around him at once. He waited for his inevitable end, momentarily wondered what it would be like, but there was only darkness and silence. He breathed, and musty, dirty air flowed into his lungs. He coughed, and he heard no other sound, save for a muffled rumble in the distance. Fumbling with his hands, Locke gripped his lightsaber and carefully pointed it parallel to his body before thumbing the emitter switch.

When he had been a child, Locke had hid under the covers of his bed when he thought monsters lurked in his closet. He had imagined he was in a narrow cave, taking comfort that he was safe. This hollow was much the same size and shape, except instead of comfort he felt a strong urge to get out. Moreover, if Appius was out there, he was on his own against J'hon, and Locke feared the other man would not last long in that situation.

Alright Locke, he thought, no time to rest. He could try to cut his way out of here, but that would take too long. He would have to trust the Force again. He closed his eyes and laid on his back, holding his hands palm up at his chest, reaching out with the Force, feeling along the stone overhead, finding the edges of the piece over him. It was massive, but he had always been taught that size didn't matter. He had never had to test that theory until now. Breathing deeply to replenish his Force reserves as his arcane discipline had taught him, Locke gently pushed with the Force, easing the stone monolith upward. He heard the rumbling again, and a sound like stone scraping on stone, but it sounded oddly too distant to be the piece over his body.

He expected rocks to come tumbling in at any moment and end his life, but none came. The stone moved upward a few feet, then he slid it over to the side, already winded from the concentration. To his surprise, Locke found that now he could sit up, and he scrambled to his feet and up to the opening he had created. He felt his way along the rock until he saw light, brighter and brighter until he came to a section of another column blocking his way to freedom, gaps allowing light to spill in and provide him with vision.

Locke paused to catch his breath and when he did, he heard sounds and voices. Lightsabers clashed. There was a wordless yell. Appius Locke thought. Then a voice, from much closer to the column.

"Do you really think you can defeat me alone? Surrender, and I will try to be gentle with you," that was J'hon's voice, confident, so sure of himself, and right on the other side of the column.

Locke's hand went to his belt and he unclipped the grenade he kept there for emergencies. He stumbled a moment, thinking the floor had shifted under him. Shaking his head, Locke ignored it. Without thinking, he primed the grenade and pushed it through one of the lighted openings he saw, prodding it forward with the Force, grasping it in gentle telekinesis when it slipped from his hand, holding it on the other side of the wall. He stepped backward, holding one part of his lightsaber in his other hand.

Then the grenade exploded, throwing chunks of the column at him, and all thoughts of a heroic lunge out of the darkness left his head. Instead Locke dropped his lightsaber and threw up his hands, blocking what he could with the Force, grunting as the force of the impact pushed him down. The floor fell below him and everything seemed to drop much more than it should. He grunted and hit the floor, rock tumbling around him, but his body was protected by his Force barrier. As the dust settled and he blinked tears and dirt out of his eyes, he could see more light, and a shadowy figure obscuring most of it. "You should have stayed dead," the Harbinger growled coldly, red glowing where his eyes would be. "It's over for you."

"No!" Appius shouted. Locke heard lightning in the distance. Then J'hon growled and he stepped away from the opening to deal with the other man.

I have to get up there, Locke thought. He wiggled out from under the column, wincing as his back and ribs ached, but he was functional. He found his lightsaber and noted with dismay that it had been crushed in his fall. He tucked the useless implement behind his belt and drew out the other half, sighing with relief when it ignited.

Heedless of his own safety, Locke stumbled into the light unsteadily. Was the ground moving? No, it couldn't be. He ignored it, dismissed as his own imagination. He found J'hon bearing down on Appius, the other Arcanist barely holding him at bay with one lightsaber, lightning still crackling from the fingers of his other hand even as he seemed about to be overwhelmed.

Frantically, Locke hurled his lightsaber at the gap between the two men. It spun end over end until the blade finally crashed against J'hon's weapon. The Harbinger spun then, turning toward Locke for a moment, before backing away from both men. He observed them both, eyes darting frantically from one to the other. He seemed drained suddenly, slower, as if the man he had been moments ago and the one he was now were two different people. His armor was scuffed and dented, but he seemed uninjured otherwise.

Locke forced himself forward, one step after another, lightsaber held pointed at the Harbinger as he looked from him to Appius. The two Arcanists both nodded to one another, then turned toward J'hon. The ground rumbled under his feet and Locke was vaguely aware as a column in the distance behind the Harbinger fell straight down and disappeared from sight. It barely registered for Locke.

For once J'hon seemed at a loss for words. Then he smiled and made a bow, arms outstretched, lightsaber ignited. "I can do this all day," he said mockingly, "but you two appear to be on your last legs."

Locke sighed. After all that, it seemed like they were back at square one. J'hon seemed winded, as if he had expected to end the fight there and had put all of his energy into it. With Appius it was hard to tell. His armor hid a lot, but he seemed slightly hunched over. For Locke's part, his back felt stiff, his chest ached, and he had half a dozen superficial cuts. He would enjoy a nice bacta bath when this was done, if he had the opportunity.

Before he could think of a plan, the ground_lurched_. "Oh", Locke said, voice much more casual than he felt. "This whole place is coming down."

Appius nodded, never turning away from J'hon. "Aren't there catacombs under it?"

"I guess we will find out," Locke said, chuckling dryly. "We need to regroup. We can't take him like this. But we'll get him another day," he continued. "Understand?" Appius nodded. "Okay, you have your jetpack, get out of here when-"

It was too late. The ground started to shake under their feet. Even the Harbinger was surprised. He cursed and shouted "you are lucky today! Let this ruin have you, just as your Brotherhood will be a ruin soon! You are fortunate your paths end here!"

Whatever else he said was lost as the ground collapsed and everything shook around them. "Go!" Locke yelled, but he felt Appius put his arms around Locke's stomach. "What are you doing? Save yourself!"

The ground suddenly fell out under Locke's feet, but he only slowly fell downward. He wondered why he wasn't falling faster. "What is?" he began. Then he realized Appius' jetpack was still operational. Locke watched with wonder as they slowly descended.. Thanks to J'hon, there was no roof left to fall on their heads, but level upon level of catacomb collapsed under their feet, until at last it stopped and Appius slipped them through a gap between two pieces of rubble and they slipped into a dark alcove formed in the rubble.

They hit the ground with a thud and Locke stumbled to his feet. "I didn't think that thing was rated for two people," were the first words out of his mouth.

"It's not," Appius answered, looking up, lightsaber ready. His knuckles whitened as he gripped it. The man was probably hoping J'hon would follow. "But it was enough to make the descent less painful."

"Much less painful," Locke agreed. "Thanks, by the way."

"Don't mention it," Appius said, still looking at the opening. Locke watched it too, but for his part he was hoping no Harbinger would materialize.

For a long while they stood in silence, only the slowly-subsiding rumbling of distant collapses for company. There was a solitary ray of light filtering into the chamber, occasionally brightened by lightning. The Harbinger never arrived. They waited for several minutes more before Locke put a hand on Appius' shoulder. "We'll get him," he said honestly. "Not today, but we won't let him get away with what he did."

"Right," Appius sighed, lowering his gaze and looking around. "For now we need to get out of here. Do you think there really are ghosts in these ruins?" he asked suddenly.

"I hope not," Locke answered as he examined their surroundings.

They both let out a hollow laugh as they began their search for a way out.