Ava slid on the last of her combat armor, tightening the straps to affix the molded plastoid to her chest. She secured a blaster pistol into a holster on each thigh. She grinned as she practiced taking the guns in and out of the holsters repeatedly, flourishing them and spinning them around by the trigger guards like the gunslingers she'd seen in the vids.

"Cut that out before you shoot someone," Obi-Wan said, watching her from the corner of his eye as he slid his own chest piece over his head.

She glared. Such a killjoy. "The safety's on."

She slid the blasters back into the holsters and watched as he reached back awkwardly to try and tighten the straps of his armor over his wide shoulders. She let him struggle for what she felt was the appropriate amount of time for a worthy punishment, then stepped forward to help him. She slapped his hands away, then turned him around to yank the strap tight.

"Uff. Little tight, there, A," he said through labored breath.

"Sorry." She loosened the strap some, then started on the other. Obi-Wan craned his neck to look back toward the cockpit where Lamrick had been moments ago, going over his landing checklist. Ava sighed. Yes, landing checklist.

"You can keep the ship warm," Obi-Wan said in Lamrick's direction. "Have your comms on incase we need an emergency pickup, but we shouldn't be gone long."

Lamrick marched up to stand next to them, a set of pristine, dark grey armor strapped to his chest and arms, blaster secured into its holster on his thigh. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry, sir," Lamrick said quickly. Ava suppressed a grin as she saw the muscles tighten in Obi-Wan's jaw. Lamrick, oblivious, continued on. "I was instructed to accompany you to the ruin. My credentials were leaked to the Fire Syndicate as an interested party in the auction happening in Prolla City later today. I'll have the clearance to get you past all relevant checkpoints."

"I didn't see that in my report," Obi-Wan said, though the pilot's reasoning made sense.

"Redacted," Ava found herself sighing, earning herself a flat look from Obi-Wan.

Lamrick produced a piece of paper labeled with the heading "Confidential, Level 6 Support Eyes Only". Level six already? They really liked this guy.

"Okay," Obi-Wan agreed as he reviewed it, "Apparently we are Tiro and Tudra Runalian, siblings from the Yost system. We are Mr. Lamrick's… bodyguards."

Ava raised an eyebrow. How did they go from being Jedi Master and Padawan to a newbie smuggler's guard detail?

Obi-Wan didn't seem phased, but scowled at the paper, holding it out as if it smelled. "Destroy this, please."

"Yes, sir." Lamrick took the paper then about-faced to march across the room and toss it in the incinerator.

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose and appeared to be digesting the new strategy. Lamrick returned and waited patiently, hovering just over his shoulder. Eventually, Obi-Wan sighed and gave a dismissive hand wave. "Ok, lead on then, Captain Lamrick."

"I won't let you down, sir," Lamrick said, "I've been studying the maps for days—"

Obi-Wan managed to cut him off mid-sentence with a simple, quiet sigh, accompanied by closing both eyes. Lamrick froze, looking down at Ava with wide eyes. She gave him a heartening grin and inclined her head toward the door.

"Sorry, sir," Lamrick said, then dialed in a code to open the airlock. The door whizzed open and Lamrick lifted his chin high and threw his shoulders back as he marched out ahead of them.

Ava gave Obi-Wan a playful shove on her way out, and opened his eyes slowly and let out a deep breath before following behind her.

The atmosphere of the jungle planet Kaymaha felt akin to wading through a wall of water. Sweat instantly beaded on Ava's forehead and under the straps of the plastoid armor. She definitely missed the light, airy attire of her everyday Jedi wardrobe.

In addition to the sweltering heat, the lack of agility the armor caused made her crazy - she could hardly lift her arm fully above her head. How normal people functioned with this degree of burden strapped to their appendages, she couldn't say. If it came down to a fight, shedding the restrictive plating would be her first priority.

Obi-Wan had taken point, leading Lamrick out of the spaceport, through customs, and toward the edge of town as Ava kept guard on his flank. The second their feet hit terra, Obi-Wan's face had tightened into a surly scowl. Seemingly without effort, he immediately looked every ounce the seasoned-bodyguard.

Ava attempted to imitate his menacing demeanor - shoulders back, chin high, eyes narrowed. But the more half-grins she got from the leering, scraggly gang members and greasy smugglers that lined the seedy streets, the more she realized her youthful features would undo any intimidation points she might have gained from being armored and armed head to toe. She grumbled to herself. If they knew she had a lightsaber strapped under her chest plate, it'd be a different story.

She gave up on the intimidation scheme, opting instead to carefully study the back of Lamrick's sleek armor as they marched from check point to check point. Lamrick flashed his credentials and offered his eyes up for retinal scan at each stop. They cleared through them with no issues, and soon found themselves outside the city walls and "on their way to Prolla City". They declined a droid's automated invitation to rent a personal transport to the city, and Lamrick politely informed it they would "enjoy the fresh air" the walk would provide.

They followed the muddy roads for half an hour until Obi-Wan's comm beeped, indicating it was time to veer off-course. They headed west into the thick jungle, pushing their way through tangles of thick vines and vibrant green fronds, all dripping with humidity. Birds and other unseen creatures cawed and tittered unseen in the canopy, above.

Ava found a high degree of amusement in Lamrick's obvious growing distain at the thick splashes of mud that now lined his black boots and grieves. He stopped frequently to try and wipe away the worst of it with a small, square cloth he pulled from his belt, but it only served to smear the filth around more evenly.

Ava was just beginning to think they should give up any pretenses, and brandish their lightsabers to slice their way through the dense foliage, they came upon a clearing. She was glad they had not resorted to taking out the rather distinctive weapons though, when they stepped out of the jungle and saw three armed men. They leaned against a land speeder, positioned directly on the dirt path that led down into a small valley. In the valley sat the ruin they were looking for - a black stone pyramid that stood almost sixty meters tall, overgrown with ages of untended jungle.

Ava exchanged quick glances with Obi-Wan and Lamrick, who appeared annoyed and anxious, respectively, then followed them as they marched toward the path. The gangsters turned incredulous looks onto them as they approached. They wore the layered black leathers of the Fire Syndicate, and each had a dark green swathe of fabric tied around their forehead, soaked through with sweat.

"You folks are lost," the stout one in the front said gruffly. He turned to the side and spat, then drummed his fingers along the hilt of his blaster. He flashed a toothy, rotten grin at Ava.

"Not lost," Obi-Wan said evenly. He stopped a few meters in front of the men and Lamrick and Ava fell in beside him. Obi-Wan inclined his head toward Lamrick. "My master wishes to see the sights of your planet."

"That's nice. Head to Prolla - more strip clubs per capita than any other Outer Rim planet." The men laughed heartily, showcasing rows of jagged, stained teeth.

To Ava's complete surprise, Lamrick spoke up. His anxiety seemed to have melted away, and he spoke with firm authority. "We came from Prolla - this site was recommended by the travel guides there."

The stout man raised an eyebrow. "Travel guides?"

"Yes. We paid a handsome sum for a self-guided tour of the ruins of this great, ancient planet. This location is recommended first on the list."

Lamrick spoke with steadfast assuredness, and his reasoning sounded quite valid. Ava was inclined to believe it herself.

"Well, it's not recommended by us. Try somewhere else."

Obi-Wan cursed under his breath, barely audible. Ava gave him a sidelong glance. Obi-Wan pushed past Lamrick and came face-to-face with the stout man. His friends adjusted their blasters and shuffled their feet nervously, but didn't move. Ava's fingers twitched, ready to have her saber in hand on a moment's notice. Though their orders had explicitly stated "Do not engage the locals".

Obi-Wan met the man's sneer with his own for a few long moments, then licked his lips and smiled lightly. Ava rolled her eyes. She knew what was coming. Lamrick seemed concerned and his eyes darted between Obi-Wan and the men.

"We need to gain access to the ruin," Obi-Wan began, his voice light.

"I know." The man's gaze drifted sideways, then he quickly refocused on Obi-Wan. "You need access to the ruin."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "You will allow us to pass, unhindered."

"Yeah, you can pass. That's fine."

"We will conduct our business undisturbed."

"Of course," the man said. He grinned and patted Obi-Wan on the shoulder roughly. "Undisturbed, like you say, boss. Go on, now."

The stout man stepped aside and swept his hand out toward the path.

"Thank you." Obi-Wan inclined his head, then strode past the men to follow the path. The stout man scratched the back of his neck, but said nothing further as Lamrick and Ava shuffled past as well. When they'd descended far enough into the valley to be out of earshot, Ava took a few quick steps to pass Lamrick and fall in next to Obi-Wan.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Sometimes, it's just easier," he said firmly, eyes locked on the temple ahead. Every time he did that it made her wonder how long it took before the people snapped out of it and realized what they'd done.

Ava could hit a fly with a thrown saber at seventy-five meters, but she'd always been just a little jealous of Obi-Wan's mental abilities, something she'd never excelled at. She'd attempted the trick once, but found it ludicrous and couldn't take herself seriously long enough to accomplish it. Obi-Wan had swept in and took over for her, telling her later she had to believe it herself, or the "subject" never would. Lying apparently came much easier to him than it did to her. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Guys - that was incredible!" Lamrick whispered, looking back toward the guards. She grabbed his arm, turning him away from gaping behind them.

"Pull yourself together, kid," she insisted.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, and for a second she couldn't tell if he was being serious or had said it simply to annoy her. He flashed his teeth in a sassy smile.

"Impertinent…" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Children," Obi-Wan scolded. They quickly descended a set of ancient, overgrown stone steps that led to the foot of the ruin. The black stone pyramid was carved with runes and symbols Ava couldn't begin to decipher - some ancient language lost to the ages. She had no idea how the Council knew a holocron was here.

"You haven't done that to me, right?" Lamrick asked Obi-Wan in a hushed whisper.

"It only works on the weak-minded," Ava explained, then added, "So, maybe."

"Hey!" he said with a scowl.

Ava grinned and continued to follow Obi-Wan as he cautiously approached the entrance to the dark tomb. They pulled the massive stone doorway open and Obi-Wan clicked on the flashlight on the end of his blaster. Ava and Lamrick did the same, and swept their light sacross the musty corridor slowly. Nothing but dust stirred, punctuated by dripping echoes of moisture from deep within.

They searched each room of the ancient crypt methodically, finding nothing but spiders, cobwebs, and splintered old bones. They came to the last room at the end of the hall, where, unlike the others, the door was slightly ajar.

Ava exchanged a cautious glance with Obi-Wan. He nodded once, and she holstered her blaster and stepped toward the door. Obi-Wan and Lamrick raised their weapons and took aim. Ava called upon the Force, and answered, quickly flowing through her and into her muscles, fueling her strength as she shoved the heavy stone door open.

It slid open easily, and Obi-Wan and Lamrick swept their blaster light through the doorway and into every dark corner. It was a long, narrow room lined with a half dozen pedestals along each wall, made of the same carved, dark stone as the walls and floor of the tomb. The pedestals held no objects, likely looted eons ago by grave robbers.

Ava pulled her blaster back out, and followed Obi-Wan and Lamrick inside as they carefully swept behind every pedestal and in every corner of the room. After a few minutes of quiet searching, Obi-Wan sighed heavily and holstered his blaster.

"I don't think it's here," he said. "We'll need to find a way to get to the upper levels, we must have missed an entrance somewhere along the main corridor.

Lamrick nodded and headed back toward the hallway, but as Ava turned to follow, her light glinted off something behind one of the pedestals.

"Wait," she said. She got on her knees and reached into the narrow crevice between the wall and pedestal, grimacing as the thick cobwebs - she hoped only cobwebs - tangled in her fingers. She grasped blindly until she finally felt cold, smooth metal. She pulled it out and Lamrick swung his light onto it.

"It's a holorecorder," Ava said. "Relatively modern."

"No, Ava—" Obi-Wan began, but it was too late, she'd already pressed play. A blue, holographic figure sprung to live above the recorder, distorted and flickering along with the garbled audio.

The audio began to clear before the image. The woman's hushed, nervous tones were apparent despite the heavy distortion of the corrupted message. "The trail seems to end at Hasillis Prime. I returned here in the hopes of finding something we may have miss—"

The audio garbled again and Obi-Wan stepped forward, brow creased uneasily. "Ava, this isn't part of the mission."

"We're here to retrieve a holocron - this could lead us to it."

The message's audio cleared again and the woman's holographic form slowly began to take shape. "—don't have enough information to continue the mission. I'd planned to return to the temple and inform the Council…"

"A Jedi?" Lamrick asked quietly. Ava gave him a small shrug and looked back down at the message.

"…but I'm afraid it may be too late. There's a mole among us, we've known for months. We could not determine who—" The voice became too garbled to understand for a few moments. "—makes sense—…—should have known—…—mission ends here—"

The audio cut out completely, and the blue image flickered, then finally formed a clear visual of the speaker as the end frame paused and prepared to loop the message.

Ava's heart wrenched in her chest. She'd recognize that face anywhere… it was like looking back at herself. It was her mother.