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_ "To be whole and healthy is certainly good; but to be restored to it after a long illness, ensures we never take either for granted." _

~A Ho'Din saying

"Long ago, during the Galactic Republic's Dark Age, there was a war. Unsurprising, of course, but this was a centuries-long conflict known as the New Sith Wars, a conflict so destructive it reduced both the Jedi and the Sith into scattered fragments, ghosts of their former selves. In those days, where people revered heroes to the point of worship and fealty, many Jedi became rulers themselves, taking control of planets as Jedi Lords; benevolent leaders watching over the population under their care. In time, these rulers would be recognized by the Republic as chancellors, and their effectiveness in maintaining order in their sectors made them veritable islands of peace in the expansive sea of space; regions of light in an otherwise shadowy Republic. These Jedi Lords formed the Jedi Grand Council, as both politicians and heroes; but the Jedi High Council, the original ruling body of the Jedi Order, remained as direct competition."

"Competition?" Syrra cocked her head. "Between Jedi? Over what?"

"The only thing Jedi typically quarrel over," Kajex said with a wan smile. "Philosophy."

The crew of the Gold Rush had gathered in the lounge area to discuss the mission they'd been assigned- to survey the planet of Ruusan and the ruins of the Imperial base that had once encapsulated the ancient site known as the Valley of the Jedi. They had left Yavin 4 a day earlier, promising the Black Tomb pack that they would return and continue their training soon, and encouraging the Kanj'Isha to befriend the population of the Jedi Praxeum while they remained at the Praxeum. But since this mission was also doubling as a makeshift honeymoon for the Jedi of the crew, the atmosphere on the ship was considerably relaxed, and before long both Locke and Kajex had decided to engage in historic storytelling about the world, as everyone was keen on hearing more about it; including Revan, who had materialized from his holocron to listen on events that had happened millennia after his time. Even Taito, Kajex's pet ysalamir, had wandered into the lounge through the ship's overhead-mounted branch system, and was lazily peering at the group as if dimly interested in the story.

"The High Council desired the final destruction of the Sith," Kajex continued, "but it was the Grand Council that held evil at bay. Among the High Council's ranks was a young but talented Jedi named Skere Kaan, who had become a master of battle meditation, and whom the council hoped would restore the Republic's faith in the Jedi Order. Kaan, however, believed the High Council and the Republic were responsible for the galaxy being in constant turmoil; and when the High Council promoted him to Jedi Master to quiet his criticism, he took it as personal insult and perceived them to be overbearing. It was due to these pressures that he fell to the dark side, leading many loyal knights away from the Jedi Order and forming the Brotherhood of Darkness- a unique iteration of the Sith that was, in many ways, a dark mirror to the Jedi Order. Rather than rule through infighting and betrayal, he instead fed the vanity of his followers and deemed them all Dark Lords of the Sith, with no member among them assuming the mantle of Darth. 'All are equal in the Brotherhood of Darkness.'"

"That couldn't have lasted, yeah?" Rook said skeptically, leaning against her warglaive. "Ain't like darksiders to make nice and work together, I figured they were all about backstabbin' and murder."

"Surprisingly, Kaan achieved much during his time," Locke replied her, "though it's true that he did so because you are correct about the nature of the Sith, who at the time were not united and were weakened by centuries of in-fighting. Kaan's tactic was to bring the fragments of the Sith together, adding strength to his cause from those seeking power, while destroying those who refused to join. It was not long before Kaan had collected some of the most powerful remaining Sith Lords in the galaxy."

"What did the High Council do?" Syrra pressed.

"Nothing."

There was a confused pause as the Trianii stared at the Jedi Guardian. "They did nothing?"

It was Kajex who explained. "At the time they either didn't realize or acknowledge that their greatest Jedi Knight, their one hope for their tarnished reputation, had himself fallen to the dark side. They thanked him for his service in slaying the most dangerous of the Sith warlords, or redeeming them back into the light. But while the High Council remained blind, not all Jedi were duped as easily. Most of the Grand Council didn't believe Kaan was a hero at all; among them was a powerful Jedi, Lord Hoth, who knew Kaan was a dangerous conqueror. He rallied the Grand Council into action, convincing parts of the Republic and the majority of the Jedi Lords to pool their resources and population into forming the Army of Light, dedicated to fighting Kaan and the Brotherhood. But even though he won several major victories at first, he ran out of momentum in months. The Brotherhood retaliated, driving towards the Core worlds. In response, Hoth chose to divert away from fighting the Brotherhood's forces and spear his way towards the Dark Lords themselves, located on the planet of Ruusan. For a while, the Brotherhood possessed the upper hand; but reinforcements from Jedi Lord Farfalla tipped the balance, and the Brotherhood was soon beaten back."

"But it wasn't to end in a Jedi victory," Locke continued solemnly. "Among the ranks of the Brotherhood was a Dark Lord who would later become known to both Jedi and Sith as one of the most infamous and powerful Sith Lords in the galaxy- Bane. Lord Bane hated Kaan deeply, feeling that the man was a fool and a coward, and felt that his Brotherhood was a pathetic duplication of the Jedi Order; both of which needed to be removed. He obtained ancient Sith knowledge, a dangerous ritual that would prove the ruin of the Jedi- and the Brotherhood as well, though Kaan did not know it. Once the ritual was complete, Bane betrayed Kaan and ordered the Sith fleet to engage the Republic fleet, opening Ruusan up to Jedi deployment while Bane and his apprentice, Zannah, made his escape. With their backs to the wall, Kaan initiated Bane's plan and triggered their last resort- a construct of volatile Force energy known as the thought bomb."

"But Hoth sensed something was up," Kajex said. "He brought only a hundred Jedi, including himself, to assault the Brotherhood in the undergrounds catacombs, leaving the rest behind. Some say Kaan believed he and his followers believed they were powerful enough to survive the weapon- if they did, then they were wrong. In a matter of seconds, all of Ruusan was encapsulated by a wave of Force energy that instantly killed every Force-user within the canyon, and a little beyond. Their souls were trapped in the vortex, forming the largest Force nexus in the galaxy," he finished.

"How did Bane come to receive such knowledge?" Revan asked. "And from where?"

Locke looked directly at the projection. "From you."

"... Me?"

"Records are scarce among the Circle," Locke told him. "But it is known that Bane learned of Vitiate's ritual from your Sith holocron, and used the knowledge as a weapon rather than as a source of immortality. And he drew inspiration of the Rule of Two from you as well, citing you and Darth Malak as influence."

The holocron said nothing, although the silence was awkward enough that after a few moments Kajex cut into it. "Look, there's no point dwelling on it. You came back and tried to fix your past mistakes. History looks at you as a hero who sacrificed himself to hold evil at bay, and that's who you are."

"I appreciate you trying to soften the blow, kid," Revan said quietly. "But you can't hear your name being associated with a genocide and not think a little less of yourself. I wonder if my spirit ever really found rest in death, with everything I'd done- or if my purgatory in this device really is fitting."

"Don't talk like that," Syrra said firmly. "You're still an ally, and we'd be lesser without your help. I'm sure the heroes you fought alongside with felt the same way too."

"Heh... you remind me of Mission, kid," Revan replied with an undertone of gratefulness. "She could only see the good in me, and not the evil I used to be."

"Things have changed," Locke added. "Ever since Master Katarn defeated Jerec, the spirits there have been freed. The last surveillance reports show that the planet has finally started healing for the first time in over a thousand years- flora and fauna are expanding and flourishing. I've seen parts of it for myself, it was... rather beautiful, to be honest."

A beeping from the cockpit interrupted the discussion, prompting Kajex to get to his feet and move for the source of the noise, stopping only to collect Revan's holocron. "Then let's get a look at it properly. Talrik, you're on the belly turret; Miles, you've got port-side turret; Rook, give the blasters a final check."

"Got it, boss," the otter acknowledged, jogging towards the armory as their vulpine Ranger slid down the turret ladder.

Syrra, Locke and Keris followed the Sentinel to the cockpit, which was flooded by blue light emanating from the rippling expanse of hyperspace. With the pull of a lever the ship lurched gently, the cerulean tunnel fading away into a billion streaks of light, before they collapsed into countless, infinitesimal pinpricks of illumination. A few sharp keystrokes at Syrra's terminal and the ship pitched to the right; within moments, the massive shape of a planet of orange and light patches of green came into view. At almost the same moment the four of them shivered and straightened up, a cool and pleasant feeling flowing past their nerves.

"Whoa... anybody else feel that?" Keris asked, her ears flicking unconsciously.

"I sure did," Syrra responded, leaning back in her seat with a purr. "Was that... the Force nexus?"

"It was," Locke confirmed as he brought up a readout of the planet on his navigation panel. "I felt the same thing when I first came here years ago. We're on the right side of the planet, coordinates are 21.4 north, 39.8 east."

"Thirty kilos till atmospheric breach," Syrra told them. "Some storm clouds nearby, but turbulence looks light. Looks like we picked a nice day to come here."

Seconds later, the ship was buffeted by the planet's natural atmosphere, jostling the ship around gently as it descended towards the surface. Much of the planet looked gray or earthen, as if blasted by fire and reduced to desert land; yet a hopeful patch of lush green lay ahead, drawing the ship both by it's color and the pull of the Force that seemed to coax the Jedi to approach. As they neared the surface they could see that even the ashen parts of the land were not beyond hope, with hardy brush and fauna easily visible from overhead. The ship pitched to the right and they were following an ancient canyon carved out by a powerful river, guiding them closer to the patch of forest ahead. Soon, the tall plateaus that towered over the green could be seen, barely visible behind a curtain of rain as they were drenched by a seasonal storm.

"That... never happened while I was here," Locke said softly. "The forest, yes, but I never once saw rain during Desann's occupation."

"Over there," Keris said, leaning over Syrra's chair and pointing ahead.

Some few miles away, standing tall above the forests, was an enormous statue of a humanoid figure. The years had eroded what might have been an elaborately carved face, but had not been so corrosive that they could not identify its Jedi robes immediately. It stood in a resolute yet peaceful stance as it faced the east, a silent stone guardian overlooking what appeared to be the end of the canyon. Much farther away, other identical statues could be seen, all facing inward towards the same central point. Signs of ancient carved stonework littered the bottom and lip of the canyon itself, along with what appeared to be less-ancient scraps of metal and blackened divots that bespoke of a conflict in relatively recent years.

"Blast marks," Keris noted. "Kyle's handiwork?"

"He did need to infiltrate a Remnant outpost, yes," Locke acknowledged. "And by 'infiltrate' I mean 'thoroughly gutted the entire garrison,' or so I was told by the Circle. There won't be an active beacon to guide us, so we'll need to keep our eyes out for it- I recall that it was very well-hidden."

A ping on the console drew their attention. "Life signs ahead," Syrra said, tensing up. "No tech detected, but they're airborne."

"Easy, kitten," Kajex advised. "We're probably fine. Reduce speed, and lets see..."

But he trailed off, spotting the source of their sensors. Straight ahead, perhaps some 300 meters away, were no fewer than a dozen beings floating in midair; each were at most a meter in diameter, oblate in shape with green fluff on their bodies, with fins along the tops and sides that seemed to flicker in response to the wind, and multiple long tentacles trailing behind or beneath them. As one, they turned in place and faced the Gold Rush, their blue eyes peering intently at the ship as it slowed to a stop and hovered in place.

"Uh... Kaj?" Talrik said uncertainly. "Should I warm up the cannons, or...?"

"They haven't reacted aggressively, kit, you can relax," Kajex replied. "What are we looking at, Locke?"

The white wolf cocked his head, staring at the strange beings in interest. "I... don't know, actually. I saw them around when I was here years ago, but I didn't think anything of them at the time- just some of the local fauna making their homes in the valley. I don't sense them to be dangerous, whatever they are."

Kajex regarded them with concern, rubbing his chin. "Well... I don't want to hurt them, but they don't look like they're gonna move, so we'll just need to squeeze by them carefully. Hopefully if I back us up a bit, they won't get aggressive or skitti--"

It happened with such suddenness that even the Jedi Sentinel had only a fraction of a second of warning before it happened; one moment the wolf was speaking and reaching for the throttle to reverse direction, and in the next he was experiencing a sensation that could only be described as having his eyeballs yanked out of his skull while hot air filled the space between his ears to the point of swelling. Any desire to yelp or shout from the abrupt change was robbed from him as his vision seemed to fade seamlessly into an image that was not of his own mind. But while there was a moment of tension lingering in remained of the wolf's mind, it was calmed as he felt a gentle tug in his thoughts. The tug strengthened into a sensation of warmth and welcome, fear displaced with positive emotions. A rush of knowledge filled his mind as the projection blinded his natural eyesight and replaced it with a vision of an empty landing pad, with a black Imperial crest printed along the surface. Near it were hollowed-out divots in the walls of stone, where observation windows were visible; off to the side, the shattered and rusted remains of an AT-ST walker lay, its cockpit having shattered open like an egg.

All of this passed through his eyes without him hearing or saying a word, yet it could not have been more clear- they were close.

As abrupt as the vision was, it ceased- he felt himself being pushed back into his own body, which was currently being shaken vigorously by Syrra, the golden-furred Trianii having grabbed his upper arms as she shouted at him. "Wake up! Kajex, what's wro--"

"Whoa, easy there, kitten!" the Sentinel yelped, sitting upright as he breathed heavily, looking around at the cockpit. Locke was knelt next to his seat with a worried expression, while Keris had gotten to her feet and was staring at him with a similar look. His brief, unusual experience had not gone unnoticed. "I just-- what happened?"

"You went quiet for a few seconds, and then slumped back in your seat like you'd lost consciousness," Locke told him, breathing out a sigh of relief. "I felt your mind go blank, and the Force seemed to stir from those creatures at the same time- we thought for a moment they had attacked you."

The wolf shook his head to clear his mind, trying to parse through what he'd seen and felt. "I'm fine," he told them, taking Syrra's paws with a look of reassurance. "It wasn't an attack, it was a... greeting, of sort," he articulated, looking back at the beings and raising a paw in greeting, certain they could see him. In response, they raised their tentacles and matched the gesture in unison. "The Bouncers are saying hello."

"Bouncers?" Syrra repeated, confused.

"That's the name they gave me, it's what they call themselves," the wolf replied, rubbing the side of his head with a paw as he began to understand what had happened. "I kinda blanked out because they were channeling their thoughts to me through telepathy. Apparently they know where we need to land," he added, nodding in their direction. The crew looked out the cockpit again as the Bouncers had latched together, their furred tentacles swaying in one direction and pointing towards the west. Kajex nodded and waved in acknowledgment; at that, the floating creatures wiggled around, gliding slowly and placidly out of the way.

"And here I thought they were just weird gasbags," Locke admitted, scratching his head. "I suppose they never communicated with me because they recognized everyone as being Imperial- or maybe they simply sensed the dark side among us?"

"They might be Force-sensitive," Syrra agreed. "But anyway, they've given you directions, right Kajex?"

"Yeah, we need to follow this canyon to the end, and then over the valley proper north-west. It'll be embedded in the western cliffs, about three klicks away from here," the Sentinel told them with complete certainty, returning his attention to the console and pulling the throttle back, propelling the ship forward again. "There's an Imperial landing pad in that area, the remnants of the base Locke mentioned. They seemed to know we were coming, though I'm not sure how."

"Maybe if we come across them again, we can ask," Syrra suggested with a relieved sigh. "I'd like to tell them _not_to do that again, it scared me half to death."

"I don't think they meant it to be so abrupt," Kajex reasoned with a slight smile. "They probably don't get many visitors."

For several minutes more they followed the canyon, scanning the walls as the ship soared past more carved statues of venerated Jedi Knights, Masters, and Lords. None seemed to be made of any one kind of stone, with a pair looking as if they were carved from marble, while another seemed to be formed from obsidian; what had once clearly been the likeness of a Mon Calamari Jedi, seemed to have been made of cultivated coral that clearly was not native to Ruusan. It, like the rest of the figures, remained intact; though like the others they'd seen, over a thousand years of wind erosion had erased most of the finer details. Nevertheless, the closer they neared the end of the canyon, the more impressive and solemn the statues became, becoming taller and yet with heads bowed lower than the last. They rounded a bend, and suddenly they could see the end of the canyon, transitioning to a waterfall- and beyond it, a pillar of light that was visible against the curtain of gray and rain in the distance.

They soared over the waterfall- and at once, their eyes fell upon the Valley of the Jedi.

The statues they'd seen in the distance were nothing compared to the massive behemoths of stone that surrounded the valley itself. Tall and majestic, yet solemn and grave, they overlooked the valley itself; a series of arches and monuments encircling a massive dome in the center, from which a brilliant glow of orange emanated, not unlike that of a setting sun. A pillar of light pierced skyward, swirls of energy spiraling up and down the shaft of illumination; other flickering swirls roamed around the monuments, sometimes pausing in front of the statues, while others simply fluttered between them excitedly. Among them were a few more Bouncers, bounding along the dirt; roughly half of them latched on to the rocks and looked upwards at the ship, their gazes curious.

"Bran would have loved to have been here," Kajex said softly, staring out at the valley in amazement. "I can almost feel how ancient this place is just from that nexus alone."

"Who built all this?" Syrra asked breathlessly.

"A Jedi Knight named Johun Othone- Lord Hoth's Padawan," Kajex answered.

"I thought Jedi weren't supposed to venerate the dead."

"They weren't- but Othone appealed to other Jedi and the Republic to built this place to honor them," Kajex explained, pitching the ship to the side and circling around the Nexus carefully. "He hoped that the one hundred who marched into certain death would be remembered for their courage and heroism, to inspire the Republic after the Ruusan Reformations. Not that the Jedi Order cared much for the sentiment, mind you. They were content to let knowledge of this place be forgotten, though historians and some Jedi archaeologists like my dad knew it existed, even if they never knew where."

They circled a final time before Kajex broke off and headed west. "Over there," he pointed out at the cliffs- hidden near one of the aqueducts funneling water into the valley was an ancient observation tower, with an inactive and less-than-ancient Imperial beacon crowning the structure. Much of the facility seemed to have been carved into the cliff itself, inserted into a natural gouge in the rocks that was some thirty stories in depth. "That must be the resort."

"Is that what you're calling it?" Keris snickered. "I know this is where we're spending the honeymoon, but I don't think that place is five-star, sweetheart."

"I dunno, we could probably get Talrik and Rook to bellhop for us," Locke suggested with a grin.

"The hell I will, snow-dog!" Rook shouted through the comm.

"You can get your own damn ale," Talrik agreed. "We're not cooking for you."

But as it turned out, Kajex had not been joking by referring to the facility as a resort. The surrounding plateau had clearly been designed for commercial starship landing, with more than twenty completely serviceable landing pads surrounding multiple lifts that led into the facility proper. The central pad, located within a vertical shaft leading down into the facility, was more than large enough to handle the Gold Rush, and just as he had been shown by the Bouncers, it bore the faded insignia of the Imperial Remnant on its surface. To one side the shattered remains of an AT-ST walker lay, and as the ship landed, the heads of a few fluffy critters poked out curiously, only to scurry back inside as they touched down. Nevertheless, the entire way down they could see deteriorated signs that lined the rock walls that had clearly been advertisements for nearby services and amenities; and the moment they had landed, they all caught sight of what had once been a check-in booth, just large enough to fit a droid.

"So... this is the VIP landing pad?" Syrra guessed as she and Kajex set down a case of equipment. "For an _actual_resort?"

"The Republic had to make money somehow," the wolf reasoned. "And it worked, for a while. But after a few centuries of shifting nebulae erasing hyperspaces lanes leading here, and the Jedi Order wanting this place to be forgotten, this place would have naturally been shut down."

"Well, we're here for a couple of weeks- what exactly did you want to do?" Locke asked as he looked around, eyes scanning the walls. "I can't imagine this facility is operable in any way."

"Nothing a little bit of exploring and _mechu-deru_won't fix," Kajex replied confidently, thumping the equipment case. "Luke said the Remnant only deactivated the generator when he intervened years ago, and there were plenty of services droids around to keep it maintained; it won't take long to bring it back up to speed."

"And then what?" Talrik asked.

"We do whatever," the wolf answered simply. "This is one of the most ancient Jedi sites still standing after the Jedi Purge, you can't tell me this isn't a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do some discovery and meditation for us. And like I said, this place was built as a tourist attraction- there'll be some entertainment to be found if we look for it. If all else fails, we'll just ditch the robes and walk around like we own the place," he chuckled.

"You sure you want to do that?" Syrra asked, staring above them. "Because we're not the only ones here."

The pack followed her gaze upwards, just as several Bouncers floated gently down the shaft. Several of them skittered down the wall itself, using their tentacles to deftly snatch at suitable handholds and pulling themselves down gracefully. At the head of the group was an older-looking Bouncer, if its cloudy eyes and graying streaks along its pelt were any indication of its age; yet he moved far more efficiently than the rest, reaching the base of the shaft far ahead of the others. With its eyes set on the crew it floated forward a few feet, causing everyone but Kajex to back away a few steps warily. As soon as it sensed the tension it stopped, and slowly raised a tentacle in greeting.

Kajex raised his paw in response. "Hello. I'm Kajex, and this is my family. You can relax, guys; they aren't going to hurt us."

The Bouncer leaned forward twice, as if to simulate a nodding motion, then looked around for a few seconds as the rest of the Bouncers reached the floor. Its eyes fell upon a large pile of dirt near the wreckage of the walker, and it wafted to the debris as it beckoned them to come closer. After exchanging a curious look with Syrra, Kajex approached- though it took him gesturing the rest of the pack to follow him before they finally moved.

The Bouncer snatched up a rod and whipped it around through the dirt, its agile limbs guiding the apparatus through the sand while two of its other limbs aided in drawing out words in Aurabesh. In a matter of seconds, it had scrawled a short message. "We greet you, wolf knights. Welcome to the Valley of the Jedi. I am Ooa."

Syrra perked up as she read the greeting. "Thank you, Ooa," she said evenly, though she still looked a little hesitant at the Bouncer. The elder Bouncer blinked at her and then slid a tentacle through the sand, scrawling another message.

"Trepidation. Apologies. Younger flock was eager to meet. Minds touched. Perhaps too intense?"

"It's not a problem," Kajex assured it. "Though I wonder how they knew we were coming."

_"We dreamed it. We saw you,"_Ooa said simply.

"You... dreamed it?" Syrra asked. "Like a Force vision?"

Ooa shook its head, then seemed to pause and bobbed to the side as if reconsidering. "We dreamed it because it was to be. The Force, maybe. Maybe not. Saw you, just like the Knight Who Freed. Like father, the Knight Who Never Was."

"Kyle, most likely," Locke guessed. "He never mentioned his father being here- must have been personal."

"So you saw us coming here in a dream," Kajex repeated. "Did we catch your interest?"

"You mean no harm. We know. I come to help. Answers you seek? Path to the nexus?" it asked.

"Is anybody else here?" Rook asked, looking around. "Place don't look like it gets much traffic."

"Some humans scattered throughout planet. Fort Nowhere, a dozen souls lingering. Good people. Wary. But good. Some come to the valley, to scout. Must beware of the Sith. Cannot fight them. Flee."

"Whatever it takes to keep your people safe," Kajex said. "I know the feeling pretty well. I think we can find our way down to the valley with a bit of time, but are there any dangers we should know about? We kinda came here to relax, spend time together in peace."

"We know. You are bonded. Mates. May you all remain happy,"_it offered, blinking placidly. _"Some Sith spirits linger. Useless. Mere shadows against light."_It paused, then wiped the dust again. _"Kell dragons, maybe. No bother to Bouncers. Danger to those on foot. Non-native. Few. Lurk deep in ruins. Perhaps dead. Unseen in many years."

"Kell dragons?" Rook chirped, looking interested. "Might have to kit up and maybe do some hunting, then- maybe my old man won't beat my ass for losing his ship if I bring him back a skull as a gift."

"I suppose it's better to have that warning all the same," Syrra said. "Anything else we should know?"

"Keep lightsaber close. Go with another, or not at all. Best to have company, for protection and for comfort. Place of healing. Reflection. Honor. But also place of trials. Struggle. Sacrifice. Follow, if spirits guide."

Kajex nodded. "We'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Ooa- we appreciate your help. Will you be near?"

"Floaters go where they must, though death they may find,"_the Bouncer wrote cryptically. _"Brought here by wind. Here, we must be. Here also, we choose to be. Comfort, you may need."

Looking a little more relaxed, Syrra smiled at them. "Alright then. If we need help getting to the valley, we'll come to you."

The Bouncer stared at her for a few moments, then drifted forward and reached out with a tentacle slowly. After a few seconds of hesitation she matched the gestured, holding out her songsteel paw and allowing Ooa to wrap his limb gently around her wrist. Though it possessed no mouth they could discern, there was no mistaking the look of peace and comfort on its features as it blinked at her much like a relaxed Trianii cub. After a few seconds Ooa released its hold and returned to the dirt, scrawling one last message before nodding at the pack. Its limbs drew in close underneath it until it was nearly on the ground, before extending quickly and pushing off the permacrete, launching itself into the air and reaching out to grab the cliffs, scaling the shaft smoothly.

Her eyes followed the elder Bouncer for a few moments, now being tailed by its younger tribe members. But once they were halfway up the shaft she looked back to where Ooa had left his final message.

"You are good souls. May the Force be with you."

It didn't take long for everyone to lose track of Kajex, though only in the sense that he dove right into the facility without hesitation. Carrying only a toolkit, a torch, and his lightsaber, the wolf left claiming he'd have the place up and running in only a couple of hours, lingering just long enough to hand Revan's holocron to Locke and give Syrra a quick kiss before bolting deeper into the complex. A rush of pleasant nostalgia coursed through him as he plodded through the darkened halls and scaled down the shafts of inactive lifts; memories of his time with Bran were coming back to him, recollections of the times they'd climbed through ancient Jedi sites as Master and Padawan. The lessons his human father had imparted had never left him, guiding his actions as he traversed deeper into the facility.

Only a few obstacles truly impeded his progress, and not so much that he wasn't able to find a way around the parts of the facility that had become flooded by poorly-reinforced walls, through which rainwater and loose earth had caused minor collapses. Within an hour, he'd reached the facility generator, the equipment giving off a low, rumbling hum, indicating that it was still functional. After a few minutes of inspecting it he was pleased to find it had suffered no visible damage, finding its access panel and plugging his datapad in. A quick diagnostics test confirmed that the reactor was 90% functional- more than enough to power the facility completely.

"Just gotta get this big boy humming again, then I can spend the next two weeks exploring, meditating, and fucking my wife," he sighed to himself, fingers dancing across the pad. "Hopefully she doesn't mind me doing a _little_work to get this honeymoon rolling smoothly." He smiled, knowing she was fine with it, but still eager to finish up early. The smile disappeared the moment an error popped up on the datapad.

ERROR - IGNITION STARTUP CODED - V-SERIES INPUT REQUIRED

Kajex frowned at the readout. It was not uncommon for some abandoned Imperial outposts to code their generators, preventing them from being used by smugglers or rebel cells; yet he was baffled by this startup requiring a 'v-series input.' He thought for a few moments, then got to his feet and looked around, spotting a deactivated Imperial protocol unit. "A droid input, maybe?" he reasoned, eyeing it distrustfully. "But not you, for sure- I don't need you serving tea or doing boring admin work, or sabotaging my honeymoon by contacting Imperials." He gave it a shove and knocked it over with a loud clatter. With a glance back at his datapad, ensuring it was still there, he paced the generator room, shining his torch around the room slowly. Remembering that droid maintenance was usually located near generator nodes or around the generator itself for quick repairs, he circled the equipment and peered into the darkness, quickly spotting a half-sealed hatch towards the back of the room.

Deciding there was nobody around to admonish him for property damage, he drew his lightsaber and carved away the doors, lifting the heavy durasteel pieces out of the way with the Force and peering inside with his blade still held ready. His smile returned as he saw a row of deactivated astromechs and protocol droids, all plugged in and drawing a minute amount of power from the generator. Once he was sure none of them would come to life he stowed his weapon and walked in carefully. A few of them were models anyone would see in a typical Imperial facility; others were much older models that had clearly been kept around to keep the facility clean and functioning, perhaps hundreds of years old. The wolf nearly tripped over an upended MSE "mouse" droid, muttering an apology to the miniscule mech.

"Shame that all you fellas are stuck here with nothing to do," he sighed, running a paw over the dome of one of the ebony astromechs. "I wonder if it's like what I went through during my coma. You just need a spark to wake you guys up, I'll bet- but do we really want that?" He knelt next to a squat, odd-looking utility droid with a flat, discus-shaped head with a singular optical lens in the middle, and a trio of articulate rollers. "How loyal are you guys to the Empire, really? Just bought and ordered to pull off tasks; or programmed to have unwavering obedience to a bunch of tyrants? If I knew for sure... maybe it wouldn't be so hard to pick one of you to get this place running. But either way, it's pretty unfair you guys are stuck here."

He stared at the droid a few moments longer, frowning as he looked over the droid again. It was not a make he was familiar with, marked with trace amounts of rust and noticeable dents along its frame. Most of the astromechs in the room were R-series in design, ranging from older, reliable R3s to newer, versatile R6s. For a moment the wolf contemplated on feeding his curiosity; after a few seconds he took in a deep breath and concentrated, his eyes closing as the Force flowed through him.

It was not like using the Force for a natural purpose, but nor did it feel intrusive, as the Bouncers' greeting had been earlier. This time, when world around him seemed to fall away it did not do some from another perspective. Instead, it transitioned from a perception of tactile senses, color and sound, into one of data and information, pulses of energy that were in many way similar to life. He turned back to the R-series astromechs again, analyzing them through mechu-deru. Though artificial he could feel that these droids were alive, existing as much in the Force as they did in the physical universe; each one a different flavor, subtly different in experiences and programming. He perceived their light as rigid, fresh and obedient, though he suspected strongly it was due to factory-setting programming and memory wiping, likely to prevent them from being used as counter-intelligence. When he turned to the out-of-place droid, he took in a sharp breath.

Whatever the droid was, it was clearly not a new model. There was an aura of agency and length deeply embedded in the shorter droid, a contrast to the shorn memories and bare subservience residing in the rest. Something about the droid seemed to bespeak of curiosity unquenched, a long history without knowledge straining against inner tedium. But what Kajex sensed more than anything was a warmth within, a feeling of comfort and hope that the wolf lingered on for a few minutes before pulling himself away. The real world faded back in just as he breathed out, his fur tingling as he stared at the droid.

After a few moments he noticed the room was brighter than it had been when he had started concentrating- another torch was lit behind him. It was only the feeling of his mate near him that did not spark fear within as she approached.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the wolf replied, turning to her and smiling. "How about you? Worried about your tech-head of a husband?"

"You can handle yourself, I know that," she told him with a returning smile. "But I wanted to be with you."

"We came here to relax," he pointed out. "Wouldn't be much of a honeymoon if we had to work, right?"

"I don't mind getting dirty trying to bring this place back up," she purred, kneeling behind him and nuzzling into his neck. "I'd rather spend my life with you doing menial work, than spend a week in a nice hotel alone. I wouldn't have married you if you weren't the best company in my life."

"Thanks, Syrra," the wolf said, nuzzling back and feeling genuinely happy she was here- moreso as she planted a little kiss behind his ear, the spot burning pleasantly. "I probably should have asked you to come with, but I thought this would only take a few minutes at most. It'll take a little longer than I expected."

"It's alright," she assured him. "So, what kind of snag are you hitting?"

"Generator is code-locked, standard for military groups that don't want their assets reused by their enemies." He cocked his head, looking at the old droid again. "If it were locked via datapad, I'd be able to override it with a little bit of time, but I apparently need 'v-series' access to get through it, which means they probably got a droid to do it instead."

The Trianii looked around. "Any droid, or a specific one?" she asked. "Because I suppose you'd have activated one of these if it needed any droid input."

"All of these astromechs are R-series units," he said, gesturing dismissively at them. "Great droids, especially the R4s- I kinda wonder why those were left here. But I doubt any one of them has the access we need."

"And the others?" she asked, peering at a nearby humanoid droid.

"Protocol droids. Sentient service-oriented, made for etiquette, translation and cultural assistance; and more often than not, annoying chatterboxes," Kajex chuffed. "They aren't suited for slicer work or repair. But this little bot..." He trailed off, putting a paw on the droid's head. "I've never seen its design. I think this is what we're looking for." He looked back at her. "What do you think?"

She shrugged. "Won't know until you activate it."

The wolf considered the droid for a few seconds more, then nodded and reached behind it, grabbing the power conduit jacked into the droid and yanking it out firmly. With his torch in his teeth he leaned over the droid and searched for its activation switch. In moments he found its access plate, flicking it open and depressing the switch within. A barely audible hum coursed through the droid as it came to life, the diodes along its head illuminating.

What happened next was entirely unexpected.

Kajex had only a split-second of warning through the Force as the droid seemed to jolt upwards and let out a mechanical yowl, shaking side to side as access plates all over its frame popped open and started sparking. With a yelp of fright the wolf lunged back and pulled Syrra down to the floor, just as a fire-suppression device speared out from its chest and sprayed the area with a halon solution that quickly filled the room in a visually-impenetrable cloud of mist. The deafening hiss of its fire-extinguisher lingered for several seconds before it sputtered and ceased, leaving the room in a smokey, tense silence.

Both Kajex and Syrra stared into the mist still on the floor, pistols drawn and ready to fire. The seconds wore on with no movement ahead nor sound to alert them. But as Kajex felt the urge to grab Syrra and crawl back out of the room, a quiet, inquisitive boop broke the silence.

Kajex frowned. "We're armed, little guy. Put your toolkit away and roll forward slowly."

A beat of silence, then a worried series of timid beeps.

"I don't care," Kajex replied, keeping his blaster aimed ahead. "I'm not going to put my piece away just because you say you suffered a minor malfunction."

Syrra frowned at him. "Who are you talking to? The droid?"

"You can't be an expert at _mechu-deru_without learning droidspeak," the wolf told her as they got to their feet. "Eyes forward, here it comes."

A soft, mechanical whirring stirred from the mist as the droid rolled up slowly to the wolf. Before he could say a word the droid started beeping again, a staccato of negative-sounding pings as it wobbled side to side again. Kajex raised an eyebrow at it.

"Yeah? You did look like you were too old for that power source," he told it. "Somebody did a hard shutdown on you before they left you on the grid?"

The droid sputtered, sounding disgusted.

"Imperial Remnant, right," Kajex nodded. "So I guess that means you don't belong to them."

Another beep, this one higher pitched and frantic as it wobbled again; this time its head was rotating side to side.

"Easy there!" the wolf warned, holding up his free paw. "I was just asking, you don't have to use that kind of language in front of my wife!"

"I don't even understand what conversation you're having," Syrra interjected. "You can say what you want."

The droid turned its head to the Trianii, stared at her for a few moments, then started making an entirely different sound. "Gonk. Gonk. Gonk ko kyenga se."

Kajex's eyes widened. "Wow. You're a little bastard. Where'd you learn to speak like that?" he asked incredulously.

Syrra blinked. "What did he say?"

"I'm not legally allowed to translate what he just said," the wolf replied, sliding his pistol back into his holster. "I can tell you that if I'd said something just as bad in front of my dads, it'd probably be the one thing that would have earned me a well-deserved, disciplinary backside beating. Not that he was saying it to us, I think he's just being bold." He regarded the droid with a stern look. "Alright, I believe you, squirt- but mind your language from now on! I might swear up a storm, but even that was going too far. You should be ashamed of yourself."

The droid booped slowly, bending its head down.

"He says he's sorry," Kajex told Syrra with a sigh. "The Remnant hooked him up to a power grid he wasn't built for and then forced into a hard shutdown, so he had a rough reboot when I switched him back on. It's alright, we're good," he told the droid. "I'd probably piss myself too if somebody woke me up with an electric shock in my neck. What's your designation number?"

The droid chirped brightly, leaning its head back and forth.

"V4-PR, eh?" The wolf peered at it a few moments. "Nah, fuck that- we're calling you Vapor. It's what you get for your wakeup. What's your function here?"

The droid booped and wobbled again, though it sounded a little pleased.

The wolf folded his arms, looking impressed. "Says he's been here since this place was built, for maintenance and holographic tours."

"Nearly a thousand years?" Syrra asked. The droid chirped eagerly at her as if to affirm that was telling the truth, and she knelt down next to it. "So then you probably know how to turn the generator on to this place, right? The power's out, and we need a v-series input to get this place running again- can you do that?"

The droid beeped excitedly, wobbling excitedly enough that it nearly tipped over.

"Easy, little guy, before you blow your power cells," Kajex cautioned with a chuckle. "He says you're spot on, his last order before being shut down was to deactivate the generator. The system was designed specifically for his input to be recognized- that must be why the Remnant kept him around."

V4-PR booped an affirmation, peering up at the wolf. Then, hesitantly, chirped inquisitively.

"Yes, we're Jedi," the wolf replied. "And we'd like to explore this place, too. Could you be a pal and help us?"

The droid looked between the pair, and for a moment the wolf had a strange feeling, as if the astromech were looking at them both reverently. After several seconds, it rolled forward and past them, letting out a confident beep.

"He said he'd be honored to," the wolf explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Honored to?" Syrra repeated, arching an eyebrow as they watched the little droid roll away.

"Must be a fan of Jedi. I think we've found more than just a service droid."

In less than an hour, V4-PR had given the pack access to the facility- or at least the parts of the facility that hadn't been repurposed for Imperial Remnant activities. As it turned out, the astromech's presence became necessary to free up parts of the resort that had been put on lockdown; notably the comfortable top-level suites and transmitter arrays that allowed the facility to tap in to the holonet. The latter of these boons was soon put to use by Miles once he'd gotten the droid to restore the bar to full working order. By the end of the night, both he and Rook were thanking the little droid for ensuring they could watch the finals for the Core-worlds Boloball championship. If there were any objections left to V4-PR roaming around, it never came up as a topic of discussion.

It didn't take long for the crew to take a liking to the resort remnants, as in addition to covertly picking up the holonet (a feature the Imperial Remnant had introduced) there was more to do than anybody had expected. While the Imperial Remnant as a whole would have loved nothing more than to see the entirety of Jedi legacy be wiped from the history of the universe, the Dark Jedi Jerec had gone to great lengths to ensure their legacy was intact- which in terms of the resort, included an impressive library and museum detailing the lives and histories of the one hundred fallen Jedi of Ruusan. Jerec had done this, Locke explained, to make use of their power and knowledge, rather than out of any loyalty or love for the Jedi Order; yet it also meant that the facility had been left remarkably well-preserved, with rooms and beds about as clean as could be expected from vacuum-sealed facility. It soon became clear that his sole interest had been in the valley itself, paying little attention to the luxuries the resort could have provided him.

With free reign to do almost anything they wanted (as it didn't take long for Kajex to figure out the place was in great working order), the crew spent the next few days exploring the surrounding environment. Though the Jedi of the crew held off on visiting the Force nexus, deciding to make it the last item on their itinerary, Rook had grabbed Talrik and a tent and sped off directly into the valley, with promises that she and the Amaran would return soon with a Kell dragon's head. Miles, meanwhile, took it upon himself to raid the Imperial barracks and take their abandoned weaponry to add to the pack's armory, gladly taking a few pieces for himself to work on as he indulged in his hobby of firearm maintenance and testing- otherwise he'd be catching sports feeds either in the bar or in one of the rooms. When he wasn't particularly busy, he and Kajex worked on restoring access to the few parts of the facility that were still locked down (though this amounted to very little effort, as Kajex was keen on spending as much time as possible with Syrra).

In an effort to make contact with the scattered settlers of Ruusan, Kajex and Syrra had decided a week in to take the Gold Rush out to Fort Nowhere, using Ooa's help and V4-PR's time on the planet. As for Keris and Locke, what time they didn't spend training or exploring the forests and cliffs of the surrounding area was spent in the resort's bar; for even as a Jedi, Keris had not lost her love of dancing, and Locke still enjoyed watching her. This time, however, she had offered to give him a demonstration of a new _Makashi_saber cadence she had created, with him as her first audience.

"One, two... and lunge!"

She darted forward with her lightsaber piercing the air, her footwork and swordplay matching the spirited, percussive music that poured from the nearby jukebox. The hum of her weapon seemed to resonate in tune with the plucked, string instruments as she whipped the weapon around, jabbing and cutting through the air with a mix of grace and ferocity. What brief moments lingered between the cadences, she spent twisting her shoulders around playfully, flaunting her skill and precision with a beat in her step.

A pair of silver-blue eyes followed her movements closely, watching her progress from a table. The vixen had demanded her husband as an audience, and he was only too happy to oblige. When his eyes weren't following the swift movements of her blade, they were lingering on her butt and hips as they swayed with the music, following her tail as it whipped through the air with wide, attention-drawing swishes.

"Enjoying the view, love?" she purred during a pause, winking at him. Her orange fur seem to be alight with flame as the golden-hued dancing lights above followed her moves.

"A beautiful body in action is always fun to watch," he replied with a charming smile. As frequent as he saw her performances, he doubted he would ever tire of them. She moved with unerring grace, possessing the skill and experience to know what combination of flair, expressions, and movement to ensure her audience remained captivated, whether it was with a lightsaber cadence or a live stage performance.

She gave him a winning smile and a wink. "You've seen nothing yet."

The music ceased for the space of several moments, and at the same time the vixen deactivated her weapon and released it, yet it did not drop to the floor. With her eyes closed and her body in a regal dance pose and her lightsaber hovering in the air several feet in front of her, she waited. Before long, the music started again as a quiet, yet spirited series of staccatos, her feet tapping in place and matching the rhythm of each rapid pluck. Slowly, she raised her arms above her head in a flourish, feet still matching the increasing rhythm- the strings strummed loudly and she reacted, spinning several times towards the weapon until she flawlessly snatched it out of the air and ignited it in one smooth movement.

She spun twice more, slashing through the air before stopping short with her leg outstretched, angling the blade up in a block and then flicking her wrist down with a vertical cut. The movement followed through and she flipping forward, bringing her heel down to the floor; in a fraction of a moment she'd landed perfectly and resumed, slicing and jabbing in time with her vigorous movements. The music rose to a crescendo as she worked her feet in a circle around the edge of the dancing pit, spinning and slicing through the air or twisting to stab and lunge. With a flourish she whipped her emerald-green shawl upward, obscuring the scene as the thick fabric blotted out the overhead lighting. For a few seconds, the bar's central dance floor was hidden in darkness, the abrupt shift in lighting too quick for Locke's eyes to adjust.

The shawl fluttered back down into the vixen's waiting paw, and light was restored- revealing her completely nude body.

Locke stared as her in amazement. "Where did... how did you...?"

The vixen blushed heavily, but smiled, deactivating her weapon and approaching him as she wrapped the shawl around her neck and shoulders. "I've been studying with Master Moarn on Force illusion a lot just so I could do this. I haven't been wearing_anything_ except this shawl since I lead you here. I just generated the illusion over me, to make it look like I was wearing something. So... did you like it?"

The wolf smiled and took her paw, pulling her into his lap as he nuzzled her chin. "Keris... I'm so proud of you. You showed great skill in Makashi and in using the Force for illusions, more than I could have ever taught you myself. I loved every second of it, even and especially the surprise at the end."

The vixen sighed pleasantly, leaning into him and setting her weapon on the table. "I was... worried, to be honest."

"About what?" Locke asked.

"I worried that by learning about Force illusions, it would just be me deceiving people, being dishonest to them in order to become... better," she explained hesitantly. "To hide who I am and what I'm like in order to be powerful."

Locke shook his head, still smiling. "If you ask me, learning how to use the Force like that only reveals the truth about you." He paused. "Do you remember our first mission with Miles, when we were to pick up that tome from the Zeishon Sha outcast?"

She thought for a moment, then nodded. "I got too ahead of myself and tried to intervene, and nearly got killed for it."

"Back then, it was when you truly _were_trying to pretend you were something you weren't. You weren't a cold-blooded killer, a Sith, a thief, or a warrior- you didn't have the chance to spread your wings and apply yourself to your true talents."

"And what talents were those?" Keris asked with a purr, wiggling her hips and grinding her bare cleft against the tent in his coveralls. "Riding your cock from dusk till dawn?"

The wolf chuckled and smiled up at her. "It's said that the greatest artists use deception to reveal the truth. You used your abilities to save someone who is more than a friend, once a bitter a rival. That same power strips away the lies we tell of ourselves, like a broken-down wolf convinced he was a monster." He tilted his muzzle up and kissed her briefly, pulling her in a little closer. "That is who you are. And I'm glad you would show me your growth first, before anybody else."

"Well," the vixen blushed, "then I'll be a little more honest with you. The only reason Kajex and Syrra decided to go check out Fort Nowhere was to give you and I some time alone here."

"Here? In a public place where so many people can see us?" he teased, gesturing to the large audience that the empty nightclub's primary floor could have held. "Have you no shame, love?"

She giggled and kissed his nose. "None at all. I wouldn't care if anyone watched us. I've danced hundreds of times in front of horny men, flaunting my body to barflies; but this is the first time I've danced privately for you," she whispered. "I wanted to put you in the mood, whet your appetite for my body."

"You've succeeded," Locke growled playfully as his vixen wife rolled her hips down and ground against this swelling sheath. "I'm hungry."

Their muzzles met in a deep kiss, just as the music shifted into a soft, erotically-charged tune. One of the vixen's paws drew the zipper of his coveralls down, and with the shrug of his shoulders the clothing bared his upper torso. That same paw caressed down the middle of his chest, her fingers running through the soft fur and stopping over his heart. Moments passed with the two sharing in private, intimate closeness, until Locke suddenly slid his paws under the vixen's butt and hefted her up just as he got up from his seat.

The kiss held between, tongues swirling and dancing against each other, as the white wolf pulled away the rest of his clothing through the Force. One by one he peeled his clothing away and left them behind, carrying his mate to a nearby couch; by the time he reached it he was completely in the buff, his swollen sheath and heavy balls in plain sight of the vixen as he set her down. It was only then that they separated, allowing Locke to step back as she laid herself out, spreading her legs wide open for him. She grinned and gestured to her moist mound, the vixenslit slick with dew. Not a single word needed to be uttered for the wolf to nod and comply without hesitation, getting to his knees and lifting her legs up. He paused only to take in her intoxicating scent, shuddering powerfully as a nearly feral growl rumbled in his throat, before leaning in and kissing his mate's netherlips as deeply as he had kissed her muzzle moment's before.

Whimpers and whines filled the air, along with the sweet scent of the vixen's loins as she squirmed and fidgeted from the intense tongue-lashing the white wolf was giving her. It only took minimal amounts of his Force training to keep himself in check as he tasted her inner walls and swirled his tongue around her honeypot, pausing only when the vixen's velvet walls bore down around his tongue; although the idea to cut loose and give in to his base desires remained appealing to him even as he held back. He drew back and pursed his lips around her vulnerable clit, giving it several light suckles as she yipped and moaned, her claws digging in to the leather upholstery. Her legs curled down and around his back as she started to roll her hips up into his muzzle, panting with bare need for his skilled tongue, and he obliged gladly, lashing his thick tongue against her buzzer; alternating between flicking it up and down, side to side, or simply circling the nub rapidly.

The scent was overwhelming to him, a thick and potent aroma that gnawed at the wolf's arousal the deeper he delved into her cleft. Heat bloomed and radiated from her gash, which twitched every time his tongue slid across her clit. With every second that passed her slit leaked more of her essence, collecting in a small pool beneath her rump; minutes wore on and the pool lengthened, until it began to spill off the edge of her seat and onto the floor. And all the while, above him, Locke took in the song of his mate's satisfaction, moaning his name as she reached down and grabbed his hair and ears to pull him in. She spoke no words, but her panting and mewling was enough to understand; she needed him to delve deeper, to ravish her loins with his tongue and bring her to ecstasy. He was only too happy to oblige.

A violent shudder ripped through the vixen and she squealed, a brief but powerful flood of her nectar splattering against the wolf's neck as he pulled away with a growling chuckle. He held her legs apart and watched as she panted and purred, her legs and loins quivering from the intense stimulation. Satisfied that he had done his job well, he leaned in and set his head on her stomach, looking up at her with a smirk.

"Need a moment, love?"

"Nng... j-just a little, please," she mewled.

Intent on giving her some time to get her breath back, Locke nevertheless sought stimulation of his own. He carefully pulled Keris off the couch, gently setting her on her knees and then stood over her, making sure his throbbing prick was at eye level. Neither of them needed to say anything; the panting vixen smiled up at him and leaned back, pulling the wolf so he was standing over her with his cock aimed between her plush tits, the pulsating organ drooling its viscous lubricant into the fur of her cleavage. She took it in her paw and stroked it downwards once, getting a pleasant chuff from the white wolf; the firm upstroke coaxed an unexpected gout of his precum to spill from the tip, splattering more against her breasts.

It was more than enough to get started, as far as he was concerned. Without a word of request he speared his thick cock between her breasts and groaned as it slid between them, hissing as Keris pushed her tits together and applied more pressure around his length. He drew back and thrust again, shivering as he enjoyed the warmth wrapping around his flesh; another thrust, and he let out a sharp gasp- the vixen had darted her tongue out and flicked the underside. With his shaft grinding through her cleavage; his heavy balls dragging along her fur; and the tip of his cock being teased by her agile tongue; Locke could only demonstrate how much he was enjoying titfucking his mate with strained growls and heavy breaths. The sensation was soft and pleasant, with just enough pressure around his length to make him shudder each time his girth slid through the orifice. Within moments his balls had stirred to life, a dull ache growing in his loins that only heightened the stimulation around his cock, like tinder slowly applied to the flame.

"Be bolder, love," she whispered up to him, her voice loaded with lust and eyes glazed with affection for him. Before he could ask she grabbed his wrists and guided his paws to her tits, cooing as he gave them both a firm squeeze. Sharp gasps filled the air as he dug his fingers into her soft mounds, his thumbs caressing and flicking the rock hard pink teats at the end. With every thrust her tits jiggled ever so slightly in his paws, a sight that mesmerized the wolf even as he continued to pump his cock between them. Every stroke was rewarded with the vixen's soft tongue lashing at his shaft, teasing it and encouraging him to thrust harder. Before long, his knot was bumping the underside of her tits, the bulb spearing through her cleavage as he whined and panted. By now the ache in his balls had become a heated, boiling burn that sapped away his endurance. The vixen's tits were now so thoroughly soaked with Locke's precum that her fur had become matted and slick, making every thrust easier than the last.

"It's okay, puppy," she purred cutely as she shifted her paw to his knot. "You can cum whenever you want."

A growl erupted from his throat and his body tensed up all at once, a desperate yelp ringing through the air as the vixen cupped his knot and tugged it firmly. The abrupt yank sent a jolt of hard ecstasy through his body, his stamina shattered in that single act as his cock blasted torrents of hot cum from the tip. With another strained grunt passing through his teeth he painted his wife's face with seed, the alabaster mixture shooting into her open muzzle and against her tongue, splattering her snout and face, until the flood slowed and pooled into a liquid pearl that lingered between her tits- at least until she hefted her breasts up and slid her tongue between them, letting out a moaning purr as she cleaned his salty mess and swallowed it without a hint of shame.

Locke groaned, his legs shaking slightly as he got to his knees and leaned against the vixen, sliding his arms around her waist and kissing her deeply. For a few moments they shared the taste of his cum and her nectar, enveloped by their body warmth as they cuddled. When they broke apart, the vixen smiled up at him.

"I love you."

He smiled back. "And I love you, Keris. You're... amazing."

"I know I am," she smirked, licking his chin. "But I'm also not quite done."

The wolf chuckled and kissed her nose. "Neither am I."

It took only a moment of concentrating for the wolf to shake away his sexual fatigue, grabbing his mate around the waist and hoisting her back up to the couch. This time, however, he did not allow her to sit, pinning her against the seat and lifting her legs up until her slim, trained body was nearly folded in half until her knees were next to her to her tits, ankles near her head, and bare mound completely open to penetration. The vixen whimpered and squirmed half-heartedly, putting up a playful fight and pawing at the white wolf's chest for a few moments until his still-erect cock grazed against the pubic fluff above her clit. The moment his cocktip caressed against the sensitive nub she arched her back and let out a strained whine, her thighs quivering violently as the promise of being filled with hard wolf-cock reduced her to shallow, panting breaths, her eyes desperate and pleading. He knew she loved this position more than most; it forced her to remain completely at his mercy, allowing him to saw his throbbing prick back and forth along her swollen netherlips, teasing her petals until they were moist with nectar. By now, she was letting out vulpine-like whimpers and whines, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Please, Locke... please fuck me!" she mewled.

"What did you say, you little bitch?" he growled menacingly, causing the vixen to shiver and blush- for even as Jedi, she continued to enjoy moments when he was less romantic and more dominant.

"M-master!" she moaned. "I w-want your cock, master! I've been so good for yooouuu!"

He smirked and raised a paw, landing a firm swat on her backside and generating a thick smack followed by a shamelessly blissful chirp. "That was for forgetting your place, pet," he chuffed, rubbing the spot he'd spanked. "But now that you are reminded, perhaps I'll give it to you. Perhaps making your belly swell with pups will be a constant reminder of who you belong to."

"Please, master," she mewled again. "Breed me, use your vixen slut's womb!"

"As you wish, pet," he growled, leaning in and kissing the vixen deeply, just as he drove his hips forward.

He marveled how more than three years of constant intimacy with Keris had not caused her to loosen up any more than the first time they had slept together- her rippling inner walls chewed around the thick intruder as inch after throbbing inch slid deep into her cleft, still as deliciously tight as they'd been so long ago. His heavy balls squeezed against her rump as he buried the last bit of wolf-cock past her netherlips, his sheath kissing the swollen folds as he ground his hips against her upturned rump. A circular roll of his hips caused her to elicit a muffled moan, stirring his thick rod into her sweltering depths almost precisely like his tongue was doing to her muzzle. She reached up and cupped his face, purring loudly as she held him in the kiss, and whining as he drew his hips back. A hiccup jumped through her as he brought his hips back down, hammering his massive spike into her depths again, and following through with heavy a heavy grind that lasted only half a second; more than long enough to make her nerves tingle, but not nearly long enough that she mewled pitifully each time he drew away.

It took less than a dozen strokes for Locke to reach the perfect pace, flexing his hips and back as he worked his cock through his mate's gripping folds and battering her backside with his balls as he did, punctuating his thrusts with the lewd clapping of his nuts against her supple ass. There was little need to go any faster than it took for him to ensure she could feel and savor each shock that shook through them, the kinetic impact causing her butt to shake before the same jolt poured into her womb and through her nerves, churning her loins hard and drawing out a hot, milky-white slurry of precum and nectar; the same jolt flowed through his cock and into his groin, causing him to grunt and growl lustfully as the slurry made every following stroke slicker. The same roiling heat in his balls from his vigorous tit-fucking returned, the ache all the sweeter as his seed churned, building up tension as shocks of pleasure coursed through his loins. The greasy cocktail of nectar and precum only heightened the sensation as strands of the viscous matter splattered between them, the clapping of his heavy orbs striking her ass now made all the lewder as a distinct squelching could be heard. Keris' face burned red, and while one might have chalked it up to her pleasure, Locke knew full well her blush was from how scandalous the sound seemed.

Tension coiled through his body as the ache in his balls flared up, muscled clenching firmly as he held fast his stamina. Though by no means exhausted thoroughly drilling his mate's breeding hole, he exerted enough energy that his breathing had become almost feral-like growls, ragged grunts accompanying his aggressive visage, his tongue hanging out his muzzle as he reveled in the vixen's erotic singing, and the feel of her cleft clenching his pulsating wolf-cock. Keris, meanwhile, possessed a glazed look in her emerald eyes, her beautiful breasts heaving as she drew in deep breaths, letting them out in moans that increased in volume every time she exhaled. Before long, Locke could only measure the passage of time by the sounds their mating brought, matching each second with the clap on their hips meeting in unison, every minute marked with the vixen letting out a passionate chirp or saying his name- the only word she was coherent enough to say. In these moments, the haze of lust seemed to lift long enough for her to regard her mate with an expression of pure adoration, her paws running through his hair, under his jaw, behind his ears, and around his neck; all in lieu of proclaiming her love for him.

She didn't need to say a word. He knew. And the smile he gave her in return let her know his answer.

Now the volume of her cries was sharp and loud enough that Locke was certain at least one of his packmates was hearing it, as she had intended; for the only that spiked her arousal more than the idea of sex, was making sure others knew she was having it. The tone of longing mixed with her desperate moans was more than enough for him to know she was close. A thick, rolling growl poured out of his muzzle as he worked his hips harder into the vixen, hammering his cock into her folds and grunting as he struggled to draw it out each time; so intent on breeding his mate, his knot had started to swell, each powerful heartbeat pumping up the bulb gradually. It neared its fullest point and caused a distinct, slick popping sound each time it slipped out of her neatherlips, before becoming too thick for him to slide it in. With a strained groan he planted the balls of his feet into the floor, grabbing the backrest of the couch and pulling himself hard into the vixen, eager to seal her off; in the process his knot nestled firmly against her clit, and reduced her to a final, passionate moan as she climaxed hard. The splash of her nectar around his girth was not enough to help him slide into his rightful place; but the fluttering of her inner walls, the spasm of her velvet folds, loosened her up enough that he finally sank back in, just as his endurance wore out. The ache in his balls flared up into a swelling feeling of hot ecstasy, each heavy nut twitching and drawing up as gouts of hot cum forced its way through his throbbing cock; seconds later an immense deluge of his searing-hot seed erupted from the tip and splattered the vixen's inner walls, funneling into her unprotected womb and saturating it to the brim. The warm, marble excess of his spunk leaked out around the knot, pooling underneath the panting vixen's rump.

His head swimming with pleasure, Locke was still able to remain lucid enough to relinquish his hold on his mate's legs, letting her curl them around his waist as he lifted her up carefully. She clung to him, letting out cute, mewling pants as he took a seat on the couch and allowed her to rest on him, chuckling as her still-glazed tits smeared against his chestfur. For nearly ten minutes he merely cuddled her, running his paw along her back and nuzzling her neck and face as she slowly got her breath back.

"Fuuuuck," she finally whined. "By the Force that was so fucking gooood..."

"It was," he agreed, licking her cheek as she nuzzled him.

"I'd probably be pregnant by now if the two of us could interbreed," she shivered with a giggle. "Probably have enough in each load to put triplets into a poor vixen's belly. Sure as hell feels like it."

"I'm sure that would make you nothing but happy," Locke chuckled, before straightening up and cupping her face, giving her a serious look. "While we're on the topic... now that we're mated, did you consider Syrra's offer? About genetic augmentation, for having kids between us?"

The vixen stared at him and nodded, her smile broad. "I did. But I think you know me well enough by now that you know what my answer is."

"I do," the wolf acknowledged, smiling back. "And I feel the same way. I suppose the question, then, is_when_."

Keris purred and kissed her mate on the nose. "Whenever we want. Maybe someday when Skywalker gives us another break after the Circle is long gone, when we have time to research our options. If Syrra's uncle can hook us up with someone who can test us both, that would be ideal- maybe have all six of us go in to see for ourselves."

"Six?" Locke repeated with an arched eyebrow.

"Depending on what happens with Talrik and Rook," she suggested. "C'mon, love, you know the kind of family we've got going isn't typical- and I love our family, for that. You think I don't know you haven't had your own little fantasies about putting a pup into Syrra, while your brother puts one in me? Because I'll tell you right now, Syrra and I have had the same kind of discussion before, and it's been on the table for a while between us. And besides," she added with a grin, "somebody has to contribute to the survival of your species."

"Now that, love, is just an excuse to be knocked up repeatedly," the wolf accused her.

"It absolutely is," the vixen giggled.

"You're so insatiable, love," Locke chuckled, affectionately touching noses with her, then letting out a yip as the vixen climbed off his lap, his knot pulling free from her cleft. A deluge of his spunk poured out of her hole, splattering on the floor. "The prosecution rests," he stated, gesturing to the pool of his seed.

"It should be fine, Kaj said he got a couple of cleaning droids up and running- this'll be gone by tonight," she said dismissively. "We still got about three hours before he and Syrra come back from Fort Nowhere, we got the place to ourselves till then."

Locke nodded. "So... where should I fuck you next?" he asked, smiling up at her- he wasn't done.

"How about the museum?" she suggested playfully. "You can bang me in the recreation of Lord Hoth's quarters- we'll pretend that you're a Jedi Lord and I'm a willing, Amaran concubine there to be fucked until pregnant."

"So... the usual roleplay?" Locke teased with a grin as the vixen got to her feet.

"Exactly," Keris purred, her hips and tail swaying as she crossed the dance floor. "Bring the lightsabers, leave the clothes- we'll make this a proper roleplay."

"Least the view will be nice on the way there," Locke chuckled, watching her butt for a few moments, before getting to his feet and following her.