jaigvision.

     Little by little, Rex found himself becoming more and more hesitant to venture forth inside the temple walls. It wasn’t just the feeling of being UNWELCOMED that forced his hand, but the thought of being in the presence of something supernatural. Though a bitter chill still raced over his shoulder, no clear openings were on view except for that of the door in which they entered. Curiosity chipped away at the Captain armour, but a sense of NORMALITY needed to remain, however much he wanted to discover the story of the temple, they had to be sensible about the situation. He needed to know when enough was enough, that their time had come to and end. The only problem in his plans was making the General follow suit.

      Twenty million doors on life’s endless corridor, yet none of them ever seemed to lead one down the right path. So much could happen, so much could change in such a short space of time. One slight act of HEROISM could change the tide of battle, whether either side was able to grasp the moment, that was something left to be told. Squandering such opportunities GIFTED from the sacrifice of brothers should never have gone in vain. They always did what they believed in, unfazed when they looked DEATH square in the eyes. It hit the Captain hard knowing such valour had gone for nought. Losing men should never have been an option, especially without following up on their fearless actions.

     ‘ Sir… ’ he replied swiftly before thinking better of his words. All the warning signs should have been the evidence they needed to know evil still LURKED the halls. Once a place of peace and solitude, now, a temple swarmed with DISPARITY left to slowly erode away. Maybe there was a reason no living soul had passed through the archways for so long. So much didn’t sit right with Rex, none of this made sense.

     Anakin had kept his thoughts reserved to himself ever since they laid eyes on the temple. It remained none of the clones business what his INTENTIONS were, but what did matter was that of the Commander’s mental status. Ever since they’d been split from the group, Rex had noticed a CHANGE in the General, not of the good type. With each passing moment, it felt he was losing touch with himself, to the point where he started to seem like a whole nother person. The Clone Captain had KNOWN Anakin far too long to not know when he was acting out of the ordinary, though, as of now, his options were extremely limited.

     ‘ Are you feeling okay, General? ’ The temple evidently playing with both of them, trying to FORCE them further inside. Sometimes Rex hated Anakin’s blind plans, though, he was never going to make his voice heard, not to Anakin at least, even if he knew what he was doing; he had too much RESPECT for the Jedi to question his orders.

     ‘ Yes, sir. ’ Hesitantly following at his side. Light was SCARCE in their position, so any added lumination was greatly appreciated. This room slightly bigger than the others they passed, hard to tell from sight alone, but a heavy echo spread all the way down the hall. Without question, Rex followed orders. Two rays of light shone up the curvaceous staircase. Though, his GLARE was meet with nothing to mention, only the plantation that littered in the cracks of the broken up staircase. ‘ Is something up there, General? ’

               ANAKIN FEELS A sparkle along the edges of his awareness, like a flicker of heat he can follow through the force. He poises himself aloof. Cautious. Sharpened with expectation, he reaches for the touch of the holocron. A shiver of anticipation racing down his spine, shattering tenuous limits of comprehension && control. Nothing. There’s a twinge in his chest, like a spring wound too tight. As if he might go off at any instant. Unfortunately, it’s a familiar feeling, one he can’t blame on the atmosphere of the temple. 

               The occasional flutter of insect wings strike the silence, the gentle clap of their footfalls the only accompanying sound. Dead leaves scrabble across the stone floor; the remains of decorative plants that hang above the lighting rigs, the flora disintegrated into nubs. The process of keeping those plants well-watered must have been a tedious one back when this temple was habitable. Unless of course the Jedi who’d resided here had used the force to keep the plants healthy. Obi-Wan would deem that a trivial use of their abilities.

               The splinter of ice that had wormed its way into his core during their descent melts a bit at the thought. He misses his former master, && wants desperately to use this the discovery of this holocron as proof of his competence to the older man. 

               Anakin’s not proud of his insecurity, his need of constant reassurance. In the thick of battle he is breathtakingly brutal && precise, as elegant an instrument as the lightsaber at his side. He stands in death’s looming shadow && smiles with all his teeth. But off the battlefield he stumbles, masking the furious beat of despair against his ribcage with manic displays of confidence that toe the line between charming && arrogant. Perhaps if Obi-Wan was more forthcoming in his support of Anakin’s uneven moods the boy would not rely so heavily on empty praise to soothe the ache in his soul. Maybe he’d be less prone to destructive behavior; that flare of self-immolation more an ember than a flame. 

     ❝ I’m fine, Rex. ❞ He snaps, a bit too bright && false in his response. The silence is more unnerving than the whispers. At least then he had something to follow. ❝ This place is pretty unsettling. ❞ Anakin keeps his attention on the staircase, but Rex wouldn’t need to see his face to know the shape of his smile: slantwise && sarcastic. Brave but unhinged, slightly crooked in some visceral way. ❝ Whatever I’m sensing in this temple is up there. Keep your weapon ready. ❞ His lightsaber grows out of the darkness, angled outwards in a defensive gesture as Anakin slinks forward && up the first couple steps.