What would her Dark Heart think of her coming back with the padawan, and not the jedi whom he expressly denied exit from the Temple? Would he be angry with her... or would he take recompense in the form of this young woman, who Graysith secretly wondered if she could ever really trust again.

She shifted a bit in the seat, frowning to herself as that thought crossed her mind. Then continuing on with it... Why, if she didn't feel she could trust her, did she spare her life? Why not simply destroy her and be done with it? What was it about this one that had her so mesmerized, so willing to forego what logic and common sense demanded she should do with her? Why did she persist in clinging to the young woman?

Almost as if sensing her thoughts, Nikk reached out a clawed hand to lightly place it on her shoulder. "Your Darrrrrk Hearrrrrt thissss One can be now in command of, glory finding again with Him in thisss delivery," he hissed through his sharp fangs.

Graysith shrugged. "This shall be determined when we reach the Temple, my friend," she said in return. Then she sighed, nibbling on a tendril of her hair as her thoughts went back to Roan and the possible scenarios she might find on their return. With a sudden jerk, she turned round in the seat, shooting her gaze now to the aft of the little ship where Maladius gibbered and hunkered, guarding an absolutely motionless Shayla.

Graysith slitted her eyes, considering the young woman. Then heaving a great sigh, she spoke up in a soft but penetrating voice.

"Taste of her blood, Dark One, that you may know of it should the need occur for it to be... traced."

Closing her eyes to his disjointed slithering movements as the creature reached out a clawed hand toward Shayla, closing her ears to the awful piercing sucking noises that followed, closing them in particular to the quickly cut off gasping inhalation of breath which accompanied them, she turned back to the navboard.

Proximity sensors were lit up like Tatooine on Boonta Eve. She sighed again, played the mystic sigils and runes that warbled there, and in but moments popped the little ship out of hyperspace and into the real space of Khar Delba. It was short work to bring Chosen One back into a gracefully decaying orbit about the cat's-eye world which orbited the primary; even shorter work brought the greeny-golden little ship into a controlled fall to the Khar Delban surface.

Not bothering to hanger the ship, she popped the hatch and strode quickly out, heading toward the Temple. On her heels came M'wonBo'o and Nikk; behind her, Maladius took his sweet time....

Suddenly, Graysith turned about to look at her, an electric gaze pinning her. Sighing, the woman said, "Taste of her blood, Dark One, that you may know of it should the need occur for it to be... traced."

Shayla managed to only gasp as the thing pulled her arm to its lips, regarding it only a moment before sinking sharp fangs into her wrist. The sensation was horrid, but somehow Shayla knew she deserved that and more for what she had done.

WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! a Dark voice within her growled. You never could do anything right. What makes you think you would ever change? Acting on your emotions before thinking of the consequences...

...it was always your weakness...

Analyzing that bit of information over in her head as she clutched her bloodied arm with her other, almost...relishing the pain, as a reminder that it could be far worse, and might be yet still.

That was your unforgiveable error. In your emotions over having Erik back, you reacted, taking him and Cella before you REALLY thought of what you were doing. And Cella...well, you took her to please HIM.

PLEASE HIM???!!!

Shayla gritted her teeth, not so much as a result of the throbbing pain of the bite but from the disgust with herself as reality set in.

With the Jedi, you were successful. You remained loyal to Graysith because you knew that what Cella thought of you didn't matter. But when it came to Erik...

...What he thought still mattered to you. You knew deep down the whole thing was scaring him, which in turn triggered your reaction. The test was to see if in fact you had the Balance to have him accept YOU or else, and not the other way around.

You failed. Miserably...

For a brief moment that little voice in Shayla's head threatened to mumble repeatedly that she would always be a failure, that she would never change. But in that brief moment, Shayla's mind snapped, switching into a completely new and somehow wonderful line of thinking, its balance unmistakable.

Graysith scowled as she unconsciously linked with the primitive life of the planet, carrying that instinctive sense into her own conscious thoughts regarding the young woman who was finally beginning to stumble forth from the ship. Under normal circumstances the Chosen Daughter would have loved to have stopped, sharing with Shayla this unique part of the day where dark and light merge into something akin to twilight, joining together in a velvety gray which encompassed both the day and the night.

Not this particular morning, however.

Still scowling, she continued toward the Temple looming ahead, its walls a study of moss and ancient vines, its stone crumbly in appearance but yet deceptively strong. The ornate and age-blackened wooden doors beckoned to her as she approached them, with a quick hand movement they oiled silently open, allowing her and her party to gain entrance. Graysith stopped immediately upon entering, turning to silently watch as the others came into the dimness of the Grand Foyer, pausing momentarily afront her as though seeking direction.

"M'wonBo'o," the Chosen Daughter broke the silence with her soft command. "You have done well to companion me during this most difficult of travails I had to endure; please go find food in your usual place, my dear friend."

The tuk'ata turned his pupilless eyes up to his mistress. "Not-hunt, not Blood-seek this One am I?" he whined anxiously, a touch jealous of the dark and sinister Maladius.

Graysith smiled, and stroked his sleek head. "Not at this time, my Companion," she purred softly. "But you may be sure that should the occasion arise, you will have my full permission to do so."

The massive beast dipped his head in acquiescence, then turned and clattered away into the darkness. Behind him, Nikk now turned to the Chosen Daughter.

"I ssssseek not to Blood-hunt, glorrry-not in chasing prey so sorrrrrry," he stated abruptly, rapping his spear once upon the stone floor of the temple for emphasis. "That One worthy of thrrrrroat being rrrripped, glorrrry some in that," he finished, a dark and hopeful gleam coming into his eye.

Graysith smiled. "Not today, my dear Nikk, although the sentiment at the moment is... agreed with."

Now she tilted her head to one side, considering him, all the while keenly aware of the quiet approach of the very humble and still somewhat nervous Shayla. Maladius, accompanying her up to Graysith, gibbered delightedly as before parting he darted forward and sank his fangs into the side of her neck. "In this manner mean you, Noghri?" he cackled, Shayla's fresh blood running down his black chin.

Graysith shot out a restraining arm. "Enough," she commanded coolly, now directing her gaze upon Shayla's overly pale face. "You have partaken of enough sustenance through her. Begone!"

Maladius curled his lips in a snarl. "He isn't going to be liking your attitude, you know!" he hissed before turning abruptly on his clawed heel and disappearing into the shadows. His whipping tail lashed Shayla's ankle in parting, drawing further blood.

Graysith frowned briefly, carefully scrutinizing Shayla's wounds. Deciding none were life-threatening, she lifted her gaze. Shayla refused to meet that look, whereupon Graysith reached out a pale hand and, grasping the young woman's chin, jerked her face up to meet her's.

"You deserve to die, you know that," she whispered. Then she let her hand drop as though it had touched something odius. Turning now to the hovering Noghri, she clearly indicated the current status of her former adept by a brief backward toss of her head.

"Take this one to her quarters... and assure that she remains there," she commanded him. "I am certain my Dark Heart has some plans in store for her."

Refusing to cast one more look upon the shaking young woman, Graysith abruptly strode forward, seeking to distance herself from the pair. That her order to Nikk was being efficiently carried out there was no doubt; his hissing command and her startled grunt wafted into Graysith's ears before she exited the foyer for the Grand Hall and corridor beyond. Passing the door to the Dining Hall, passing that to her old quarters, she continued on, hurrying now into the bowels of the temple, following secretive and silent passageways that carried her sometimes up, sometimes down. At length she climbed a final set of stairs to face the graphically carved entrance to her quarters. His quarters.

Their quarters.

Opening the doors with a light touch she entered therein and tossed off her signature cloak. Then approaching the great viewing crystal within, she brought up the image of her former adept, watching as a cruelly smiling Nikk forced her disgracefully at spearpoint on toward her own quarters.

Now a small move of her hand directed the crystal to a new position in the fabric of spacetime. In instantaneous response to her thought, it obligingly showed her the image of a dead ship, sulkily floating amidst a starfield an unspecified distance from Khar Delban space, and in an unspecified direction.

Graysith did nothing to risk divulging its coordinates to whatever big eyes might have been watching, or big ears listening. She merely sent another thought ravening out through the All... and watched as the ship slowly began turning about as though it was a hunting beast sensing a nearby and hidden quarry. For a moment it hesitated, then its engines fired in a blaze of energy, propelling it into motion once more, sending it forward, following a course the Chosen Daughter had placed into its simple computer brain...

...directly toward the heart of the nearest star, a furiously blazing blue giant.

Graysith grinned to herself as she watched the ship begin its suicide run.

"Get out of this one, Jedi!" she snarled to herself, knowing the sentiment was reaching out directly into the ears of one Cella Poliani. "Indeed have I grown tired of you and your interference."

The Glyph flashed and wavered as she continued to watch, waiting to view the death of the ship and its passenger, waiting for the arrival of Lord Roan, wondering how he would deal not only with Shayla, but with her as well...

...and hoping his great heart was as forgiving as it ever had been.

Every tendril of her body aching for the beautiful darkness of Death, Shayla collapsed as Nikk shoved her by spearpoint into her quarters.

Her quarters? How is it that you deserve this? How is it that you deserve life, when you yet know that indeed you do not, as well as does she?

Why does she let you live? As if to toture you mentally for your great Failure, for your utter Stupidity, for your total Incompetance...

For a moment, as she lay in a ball on the floor, every facet of her being swimming in some sort of pain, Shayla entertained the notion that perhaps yet Graysith had a spark of Hope in her, a spark of Trust, a spark of Compassion.

These things you know are true, some little voice murmmered soothingly.

Shayla chose, for the moment, to ignore it. Though that might very well be true, that didn't cancel the Wrong she had done and the punishment she deserved.

Perhaps yet, when He finds out, you will experience Death in its bliss even yet?

Shayla frowned deeply, the expression sending a jolt of pain through her. She accepted it just as it was, as a continuing reminder of the penance she needed yet to pay.

No. No death. In death, there is peace, peace you do not deserve.

Suddenly firming, Shayla forced herself to stand upon weak and trembling legs, only momentarily noticing the great pool of Blood that she had been laying in.

Pool of Blood, Pool of Life yet Undeserved.

Every tendril of her being encapsulated in some Great Pain, from within or without, Shayla dragged herself to the mirror in her bedroom, beholding her scarred form, hair matted to her head with dried sweat and blood. Forced herself to gaze upon the gore.

You yet have a chance to redeem yourself. Do what that requires, at whatever cost it demands. You have potential. You can turn your back upon that no longer.

Her knees suddenly buckling, blood yet again pooling at her feet, oozing from hideous wounds, Shayla fell forward, hitting the glass of the mirror and causing it to fall back and break into pieces. Shards exploded everywhere, some hitting her, some falling elsewhere. Momentarily she looked down to avoid the further damage of her visage. Then, suddenly deciding that this should yet be more punishment, she forced her head up, her eyes locking upon something unseen. A strand of stray hair fell into her mouth, and she tasted the blood she was even yet shedding.

What great sorrow, what great despair...

5 years ago realizing that someday Shadow would be needed for more serious and strong missions, Luke Skywalker and Jeroc Mahoy sent him off to a secluded planet with another Jedi Master who was in his older age.(a Jedi Teacher) There he practiced in the Force and honed his abilities until called.

The day had come. For days he had camped out on Khar Delba unnoticed, it seems not even a powerful Sith like Graysith could even detect him. Shadow remembering not to get a full head of himself calmed himself as he snuck into the temple unnoticed. Many people had tried the same thing as him and been caught. Shadow was a different person, different from many people. In more ways than they knew.

He rounded the corner and silently listened in on the room where the mysterious Graysith was, he of course had never seen her with his own eyes but he had heard of her and had felt her through the Force many times. His tugs on her with the Force usually would go unnoticed on her and he wouldn't stay long enough to let her catch him anyways. It seemed while her heart seemed wretched and evil...something else lurked behind it...something even more mysterious. Maybe not anything good and maybe nothing like the good that was left once in Anakin Skywalker...but something was definitly there.

He quickly ignighted his ruby red lightsaber with a *snaphiss* it roared alive. He quickly glided into the room and used his Force powers to quickly send Graysith across the room and pinned to the wall. He could feel the flow of the force around him and he used it to keep her darkness pinned against the wall.

Such as totally demolishing this simple creature, whose self-centeredness was overwhelming enough to capture even her interest. One such as this ought not to be wasting his talents with the likes of the Jedi... but then, she already had an adept. One who waited in humble penitence.

One whom she had every intention of turning over to her own Sire for further education.

She cocked her head to one side, smiling sweetly in the face of the intense fool who thought he had her pinned. Indeed, she was backed to the wall... but only for a moment. The fact that she was able to be pinned thus was only due to the great emotional strain she had recently undergone; powerful though she was with the Force and that beyond it, that wonderful All which encompassed not just links between living matter and dead matter, but with the very fabric of spacetime itself; powerful though she was, even she had to take time to rest upon occasion and recoup her strength.

Which didn't take very long to refurbish.

Still smiling sweetly, she lifted the hand which yet bore upon it the Nar Khelba-bearing Claw of S'slan and simply pointed it in his face. Ultraviolet energy ravened out in response to her mere thought, twining about him, deigning him yet to live as it crawled away from his flesh, grasping the simple lightsaber he waved about in a manner similar to a Kowakian lizard-monkey waving about a choice bit of fruit. In less time than it took her to blink, the lightsaber just...

...wasn't there anymore. At least, not in its entirety. The young man turned his head to stare at the cold and empty hilt in his hand, his eyes widening in astonishment as the blade vanished as did the energizing crystal within it, which Graysith had tweaked to transform into a simple lump of coal.

Now her smile broadened as, feeling the simplicity of the mere Force waver with his surprise, she took immediate advantage of the distraction. Stepping forward from the wall, she cast a protective chronotic field about herself, one which would reduce any physical matter to its eqivalent energy state and then dissipate, one which likewise would take that dissipating energy or any other for that matter, Force included, and spread it out into the little place existing between one second and the next.

She paused for only a moment to pin her violet gaze on the strange man. Then moving with the quick grace of a sandcat, she rounded him, coming up behind him, and now reaching out one hand, index and little fingers extended like horns, the others curled loosely beneath the palm, sent out the All with a simultaneous flash of the now-blazing Glyph. In a manner similar to how she had first introduced herself to Darth Wicked, she sent forth both the light and the dark, each one too powerful in its own singular abilities to thwart the other, thus combining to create about him a twining and unbreakable bond. Wherever the dark flowed to gain the upper hand, the light seeped in to brighten it. Where the light moved, the dark crept in to deepen it.

Soon he was encumbered completely by a unifying shade of gray... which held him totally immobile in its unbreakable strands.

"You do not know to whom it is you speak, young one," she murmured, the tone of her voice still deceptively sweet. "Nor the powers of the All which I wield. Indeed you must be wary... of that, and of my Dark Heart, who shall be most... intrigued with your presence here in the bouduoir of his Lady. I would not wish to be in your boots when he returns here, as he most assuredly will."

Now she fell silent, cocking her head to study the imprisoned man before her.

"Such insolence, and cockiness!" she breathed, smiling as she reached out to caress one of his ears. "A shame I can not use another adept... as well as a shame that such...enthusiasm has gone entirely to waste."

Purring like a cat, she strolled about the young man, circling him, studying him from every angle. Coming to a halt in front of him, she stood quiet, her hands folded afront her, the Glyph powering down upon her forehead.

"Strange that you found ingress with such apparent ease, young one," she murmured softly. "Either Maladius left the Temple stupidly open behind him... or you embrace the Dark within you as well. I find this thought a rather pleasing one.

"But that matters not. What does is that you are under more of a semblance of civility. And now, my young fool, now that I have captured your...attention, perhaps we can further discuss why it is you are here. I wish you no harm; that which seeks you will be brought forth by your own hand."

With that she fell silent, raising her hands to show her sincerity, and with one small movement smoothly waved away the shackles of the All which entrapped the jedi. Smiling to see the shock rushing over his features in response to that act, still safely enshrouded within the completely impenetrable chronotic field, she then quietly waited to hear his response, biding her time until the return of her Dark Heart and Lord.

Sitting upon her knees, gazing stonily into the now-broken mirror, Shayla examined herself within and without, analyzing this newfound calm which she had acquired, accepting what was as it was; accepting that what would be was yet to be determined.

He would be coming. They would be coming. She would submit herself to whatever fate they deigned appropriate.

But of one thing she was certain. She wanted to remain here, as student, if that was at all possible after the horrible act she had committed. She would stay...

...and that which she had begun would be completed...

...If only she was given one final chance...

I honor her by reaching out to place one clawed hand lightly upon her head.

"There is one here who attempts to threaten your Teacher," I purr in my deep bass voice. "One who wastes valuable time and energy in his blind over-zealousness."

Now I place a fingertip beneath her chin, and raise her eyes to meet the volcanic ones of my own. For a long moment I peer into their depths, searching... and liking what I find there. I smile, exposing my fangs.

"This one not only wastes time and energy, he foolishly has not aligned his priorities in the correct manner. He wishes to save one who wishes it not... yet all the while lets one hurtle toward death who most certainly needs rescue.

"Perhaps you can begin to prove your worth by assisting your Teacher in this little matter. But realize this..."

I pause, staring more penetratingly into her eyes.

"This is not a final chance to redeem yourself. This is but one small step along the way."

I then wait no longer, but reaching out to take her by the hand, pull her toward the door I cause to appear amidst the mosses and vines of the stone wall of her quarters. I give her a little push... and direct her toward a pathway I have opened within the confines of the Temple. She casts one look my way, then steps forward unhesitatingly...

...directly into the quarters my Daughter now shares with Lord Roan, where she is still quietly standing, waiting to hear what the jedi will say.

I smile now as I close the pathway, eager myself to see his reaction as one he thinks MUST be rescued now approaches, heading straight to my Chosen One to stand beside her, there presenting a united front to this rash young fool.

"Darkness is something I refuse to embrace. I have seen its evil and what it does to one. You may use your sorceror's work on my lightsaber but it means nothing to me, it is just a tool. A tool that shows I am a Jedi. Trust me, you have never encountered a Jedi like me before...never!"

With the word still on his breath he vanished. He was one with the Force, much like the death of many Jedi Masters, except one small difference. His Essence still in the room alive and churning about. Anyone with the Force could feel him in the room but trying to grab him was like trying to pick up water in your hand. It just went through it. It was something unexplained......

The voice of the Shadow Jedi spoke,"Once again Your Darkness, I have you in a akward position. You not being able to attack me physically, but trust me, I CAN and WILL if neccesary use Force against you. All I want is my people...that is if they wish to come or it is too late to save them."

After saying that his form appeared back in the room and stood before Graysith.

"Right now I really wish you no harm, that will come at another time. I just want what is needed."

"This is not a final chance to redeem yourself. This is but one small step along the way."

She understood, and he knew that she did. Walking through the pathway in which she had been directed, only momentarily looking back to him, Shayla stepped right into the very chambers of Graysith. As the pathway closed behind her, Shayla quietly took her place at Graysith's side, still too humilited by her recent wrong to look the other in the face. But this guy...

He looked down, outward, an extension of the shadows, his being their being, observing for HIM, drooling and slitting his eyes in expectation of the inevitable. Watching as this idiotic pale thing who yammered beneath him spouted inanities, incorrectly believing he could actually penetrate the shielding the One Belonging To HIM had erected about herself.

That She was completely safe from any advance he might make was a given. But the fact remained that this ridiculous one continued to annoy Her, even though given every opportunity to depart in peace on more important missions.

HE was going to be sorely displeased with this one... SORELY displeased....

Uncrossing her arms, Shayla tossed them out in front of her and threw her head back.

"Here! Here am I, Shayla Petrolu!" Now looking him dead in the eye, arms still outstreched, she asked, "Does this look like one who wants to be saved?"

My, my! she thought to herself, slyly allowing her thoughts to enter into the simple mind of the self-righteous jedi before her. What contradictions this one spouts! So "light" is he, to come here before me, clearly seeking to fight, a fight I instigate not, and over a purpose which is nonexistent? So blind is he, not to recognize that NOTHING can penetrate the chronotic shielding I have placed about myself, for that is the warp and woof of the universe and the materials of which it is made. NOTHING is beyond that, not even the Force which he carries as such a banner before him; does he not realize that other than matter and energy, NOTHING exists? NOTHING.

Yet, somehow, with the use of this "nothing," he feels he has me quaking in my boots.

Quaking indeed. Now she smiled sweetly, and crossed her arms calmly. Quaking from laughter!

And such theatrics; the simple transformation into invisibility is nothing I cannot do myself.

For a brief moment she debated whether to follow suite and render herself nothing more than an extension of the All, as he had done to himself but in regards to but a portion of it, that being the Force... and then she thought better of it.

Why reduce myself to his level? she thought as a glint of amusement came into her eye. Such a waste of energy, and indeed too much has been wasted here already.

With that, she spoke up at last. "You are simply wasting your time if you desire battle with me. Such is foreordained to assure your loss... and would thus be a mere waste of energy and time."

Now she waved a hand toward the padawan... toward her adept... who stood beside her. "Here is the One who desires not to depart from my side. Distasteful though this might seem to you or others of your ilk, it is her decision to make. To force her from me against her will is to adhere to the Dark Side yet again, oh foolish one... and I am certain you do not wish to do that."

She paused meaningfully, allowing a wealth of suggestions to fall into that brief silence. Then she continued.

"I will repeat myself, jedi, that you do waste your time here. And there is the matter of your compatriot, the Jedi Poliani... who at this time is drawing close to the corona of a blue giant star.

"I suggest you devote yourself to rescuing her; there is yet time if you apply yourself. And now, I'm afraid my Adept and I must bid you adieu. It is time for us to dine...

"Unless, of course, you would care to join us? My Dark Heart should be arriving momentarily... and I am quite certain he is looking forward to meeting you with the...greatest expectation."

"Before you go, I must say something. Do not underestimate me, I have not underestimated you. If you don't watch you will be taught a vauluable lesson. Your dark ways are nothing. The Dark Side is easy to come by and its power is no stronger than that of the Light. The weak ones rely on the Dark Side. You are nothing but a weak person with a hard shell. Now I shall also be leaving now to save a fellow Jedi, but trust me I will be back..."

A silence held in the air as the two looked at each other. Graysith not intimidated at all by him just stared him down as he kept a devilish grin on his face.

"You don't know as much as you 'think' you know...lessons are still to be taught."

Perhaps he was correct at that, she mused to herself as, placing an arm about Shayla's shoulders, she turned toward the door. Perhaps I did underestimate this one... if only a bit. Strange that he seems to adhere to the light, strange that he claims kinship with the jedi...

...yet he enters the Temple and seeks battle of his own instigation. Perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye....

But--! If any "lessons" are to be learned, they will be by him. Clearly he is unaware that I do not encompass merely the Dark, or merely just the Force alone, for that matter...

...as does he. Lightness he wields... yet I can clearly sense the darkness in him.

For only a moment more she pondered this apparent discrepency... then dismissed it to the back of her mind to mull over at her leisure. Now was the time to break her fast; she was certain Shayla was as ravenous as she suddenly realized she was herself.

The use of the All has it's demands....

Turning to Shayla, she spoke up with a smile. "I see my Sire has finally found approval in you, although I am certain he awaits justification for that so magnanimously bestowed upon you. Let us go partake of breakfast this morning, and discuss just where you are to go from here in your studies."

Still smiling, she left her quarters with an arm still about Shayla's shoulders. But even as they moved through the temple's corridors, she could not prevent her thoughts from straying back to the mysterious and self-assured stranger who had burst in upon them so oddly...

...and who had departed in a manner equally as odd.

Something about him seemed familiar...

She frowned even more as she tried to place him. Shayla was twenty-two; she had been training at the Praxeum til she was the age of sixteen...

Was it possible she had encountered him before, in that Lifetime of hers that was now melding with what she sought to yet become?

"I see my Sire has finally found approval in you, although I am certain he awaits justification for that so magnanimously bestowed upon you," Graysith said, her arm about Shayla's shoulders. "Let us go partake of breakfast this morning, and discuss just where you are to go from here in your studies."

That brief acknowledgement of Shayla's learning, along with words spoken only a few moments before, "My Adept..."

Indeed Shayla's little declaration of her desire to remain here, in the Sith Temple, was the first of many steps to redeemption. Redeemption...and the self-actualization of what indeed she could be, of what indeed she would be a part of.

Knowledge NOT only for Knowledge's sake, but so that the Knowledge could serve the greater good; A greater good which would be determined by looking at the Big Picture, the service of which would be determined by that which would best accomadate the Need at hand.

Leaving her thoughts behind for only the moment, Shayla moved along the hallways of the Sith Temple with her Teacher, glad yet humbled to be allowed the Grace to yet again be at her side...

The Shadow Jedi, whose real name was Cear Eliam was not born of a normal birth. While on Courascant many years ago Jedi Master Luke Skywalker came across a part of the old Jedi Temple that held the Jedi during the prime of the New Republic. In the wing he was in the only thing that could be found was a small cube which resembled the Jedi Holocron Skywalker held so dear. This of course was no ordinary Holocron, it was something that held a large Force essence in it. It seems when the Sith War happened with Exar Kun many Jedi feared that the Jedi could be lost forever if not perserved in some other way. To prevent that from happening when the death of many Jedi happened on fourth moon of Yavin their essence was put into this Jedicron. It contained many different Masters, Knights, and some padawans in it. Something was not entirely right in it though. Apparently not only had the Jedis' essence been put in to the Jedicron but some of the Manassi and Dark Jedi had been stored in there somewhere. Without knowing this all Luke Skywalker opened Pandora's box and created from that was a young boy...a young boy who was terribly strong in the Force and could already weild it when created. He was the virgin birth of the Force. While there was some dark in him he was almost all light but the dark struggled against the light in many times in his life...his life would have to be one of control and sacrifice.

This was not the first time he had felt this, he had felt this one other time, he had felt it in the presence of a Dark Jedi by the name of Lamech. The dark tried to bring out the dark. Control was needed...

He casually shoved his pain away and focused his thoughts on where Cella maybe. He searched through the Force and felt her distant and weak crys. Something was not entirely right with her...Graysith must have done something to her. Jeroc was not going to be happy.

The voice was familiar, but unconciousness was still sweet, and the Jedi woman still needed replenishment. Cella barely stirred on the deck of the ship.

Cella Poliani, wake yourself! Now you are in danger! Stir yourself, awake, arise!

In a split second, Cella was on her feet. She was in a strange ship she didn't recognize...and she was nowhere near Khar Delba. Gods and ancestors, I have been too long asleep! The price of my laxity...

She dashed to the cockpit, and to her horror, saw a flaming blue star blossoming in the viewport. Sith bitch! She did this to me! Her Force grown more powerful with fury, she yanked at the fuel feeds running to the engines, and the thrusters began to lose momentum and eventually died, mere klicks from the gravity well of the blue star. Finally, she dared to exhale.

To make matters worse, she had no idea where she was. The navcomp was totally melted, and the computer was not responding to her. From the constellations, she guessed she was somewhere near the Senex Sector, albeit in a less-traveled spacelane.

Cella groaned and began tinkering with the distress beacon, trying to find a way to get it to transmit. She tried to contact Jeroc, but the sense of him was very faint. Jeroc, I'm not in the Temple anymore. That...that...SHE tried to fling me into a star. I managed to stop her...but I'm floating in space like a dead Hutt. She felt Jeroc's anger and worry, only slightly blunted by distance, and promised to keep in touch with him, telling him to remain focused on the Nar Khelba.

Oddly enough, there was another vaguely familiar awareness reaching out for her, a young male, but not Logan. And an ally. Was it...?

Cella, unbidden, thought back to the not-long-past days of her youth...a young man of dark handsomeness, sparring with her Jeroc. Even then, her heart had belonged to the Jedi Master alone, but the young man--Cear Eliam had been his name--and she had been friends. It felt like him...Tentatively, she reached out. Who are you?

As she sat there, she couldn't help but hear through her link with Thea, Good bye Shayla-you would have been a good Jedi.

With that, the little girl was quiet. The link was still there...her resignation over Shayla's decision would not hamper that, something great would have to happen to sever it.

Shayla couldn't help but let a little smile escape her, follwed by a mental Ok, whatever that went not through her link with Thea but to that of her Teacher, who would understand its meaning.

Then, proceeding to get another good helping of food, Shayla countinued to eat.

His fighter pulled up closer to the ship that hung dead in space. He could feel a strong presence of Polani inside the ship. Her presence was much more stronger than what he had felt on Khar Delba, and not just because he was closer. She had awakened herself from unconciousness. He felt her reach out to him. Who are you?

He reached back and talked back through the Force. I beleive you know who I am. For she had seen him many times at the temple sparring with Jeroc and many others. She didn't not know him like many of the other Jedi that were in the temple because Cear seemed to keep to himself and avoid the other Jedi.

Help is on the way Cella. I called in some Jedi friends

In the middle of his sentance a large New Republic fleet appeared out of Hyperspace. Cear could feel Cella's joy as she noticed whose fleet it was. It was none other than General Noric. The man had a history with Jeroc, not a bad one of course. Friends of the Jedi, Noric will probably always be. It was no wonder that it was him who showed up.

"Well Jedi," Noric said over the comm unit to Cear "It seems the coordinates you gave us were right. We're gonna pull both you and Cella back into my flagship. Oh and don't be alarmed by the troops when you get out. Their just precaution. I know you'll understand though. We do know who put Cella in that ship and we're not taking any chances."

Cear, there is another thing... She sent him a mental image of a pale Thea, snatched away from Logan by the Sith Lord she had met on Khar Delba. Obviously this was meant to be a double, or even a triple strike by the Sith. I am glad beyond words that you and Noric are here...but I will have to call in an old favor or two. In the meanwhile...can you tell Noric to get a move on? She added a tinge of good humor to those words, to blunt the urgency and fear filling her mind.

I say nothing, just tilt my horned head back to where the computer is weeping behind the wall.

"Determine the reason yourself, my One," I whisper in a deep voice.

A small and startled expression passes fleetingly over Her face, and she rises gracefully. Approaching the back wall, she lays a pale hand upon it, the dark within her touching the darkness there, and it opens. The yammering computer yammers louder.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHERE IS THE DARK LORD? I've been calling and calling--"

It stills its protests as the Daughter approaches, speaking calm words to it, taking in the data which rapidly begins to scroll across its primary monitor. At length she turns to me, her lips pursed, a frown now creasing her features.

"I know not of this latest deed, nor do I know where He has taken the child," She murmurs. "They will not listen, my Sire... what--"

I reach a clawed hand out to her. "Come, my Chosen Daughter, and assist me with the Strength you carry. I have enough in me to channel it... I will not be able to hold it indefinitely, but I will be able to do thus until He returns to the Temple."

She makes no protest, no responding remark, but merely bows her head in acquiescence. Coming forward to me, she places both her slim hands in my hot and clawed ones, closing her eyes to let her being move aside that mine may enter within her. As contact is made, the ultraviolet radiance of the Glyph is supplanted by a brilliant ruby red; fires raven from her forehead, up and out, passing through the walls of the Temple, passing through the very atmosphere, once there spreading out upon the wind to encompass the entire world in a chronotic shield through which no matter or energy can pass. Not even the true Sith... surely my Brother is somewhere in hiding on Khar Delba.... Not even the sun's rays can pass through the shielding; my vision begins to dim, even as I realize the heat from this Event shall keep this equatorial region warmed for a period of time... at least until my Brother returns...

Fading now... contact around me nothing but red, brilliant and beautiful red... I spread out with my magicks, trusting in Her to watch over the corporeal body I leave behind, not even feeling as she removes her hands from mine....

It is because I took this One that all is occurring, she thought to herself. My pride and vanity has caused this threat... although what my Dark Heart has up his sleeve yet remains to be seen.

But This One...

Drawing in a deep breath as though to brace herself against an impending act highly distasteful to her, she took one step toward Shayla... another...

...and stopped.

No, no! I cannot! How can I? She is Sister to me... she is all who ever heeded my words, who placed her trust in me even as did my Sire...

Suddenly she reached out, clasping the by now utterly startled Shayla to her. She buried her face against her adept's shoulder, squeezing her tightly.

"My sister..." she breathed in the barest murmur. Then she drew back, holding Shayla at arm's length.

"It will soon be too dangerous for you here, my friend," she stated, struggling to remain calm. "If anything should happen to you as a result of my arrogance, I couldn't bear it.

"Quickly!" Now drawing Shayla by one hand, she moved back, away from the dining table, into a part of the room where there was space to maneuver. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. Once more, the Glyph flared in wondrous Light. Once more, Something seemed to reach out from... Somewhere Else, and a roiling coil of blackness formed from the very molecules of the air in the Dining Hall.

Graysith pointed, giving Shayla an urgent little push. "Go, my Adept," she urged, indicating the looming Elseness which writhed like a live thing. "I have opened a pathway through the All which can depart from this place. I must remain behind with my Sire, and wait for my Dark Heart's return. But you..."

She paused, tossing her head angrily to fling away the sudden tears coming into her violet eyes. Supressing a gulp, she firmed and hurried on.

"At the end of this Portal you will find...him. The one you love. Go quickly; use your talents, and therein you shall also find transportation from the hidden place. Hurry, my sister; I know not how long my Sire can maintain the shielding about Khar Delba."

Firming and blinking away her own tears, Shayla said to Graysith. "I will do as you say. But I will not stray far. Those who try to cause you harm...I will have my eyes upon them. You shall not be disappointed with this One."

Giving Graysith a hug, Shayla turned to the opening of Elseness, only momentarily looking back. "When the time is right, I shall again return to complete my training," she said finally.

Stepping into the Elseness, tears still in her eyes, Shayla was only in the void of time for a fraction of a second. When she stepped out, she found herself in a prisoner's hold. She cocked her head, remembering Graysith's words.

"At the end of this Portal you will find...him"

Proceeding to one of the cells, unsure of how she knew where to go other than because of the strong link she had with him, Shayla opened the door to the cell, finding his hunkered form in the corner of the room. His head was down, and the despair radiating from him was almost painful for her to share with him.

But she did.

Looking up, suddenly shocked to feel her presence in this solitary place, Erik's deep brown eyes turned dark, as if he were unsure whether this was yet another cruel dream or reality. Walking to him and squatting, she reached out a hand and touched his face. Immediately, he raised his hand to touch hers, and she leaned in to give him a long and full kiss on the lips.

There was much he needed yet to understand. And the journey ahead would be a difficult one that he would most certainly be unsure of. But she had given her word, and she refused to let harm befall her Sister. He would understand, she hoped. But it would take time. And if he did NOT understand...well, then she would do what she must.

Their lips parting, Shayla looked into his eyes, "We must go, quickly. My teacher and her commrades are in danger."

He furrowed his brow at her, looking confused by her reference to the others.

"You cannot understand, not yet. Maybe in time. But you must take my word. I owe her much; this is but a small part of the debt which I desire to repay."

Nodding, he stood, and he followed her out...

Out to where she didn't know, but she did...

Out to a ship, awaiting her...

...a Sith ship with specialized powers that would aid her greatly in that which she wished to accomplish.

Finding that the hatch opened at her command, she took him inside with her. Sitting in the nav seat, Shayla gazed upon the controls, her destination already decided, her mind made up about what she had to do. Arching her eyes at the strange writing upon the board, Shayla knew this would be somewhat of a trial and error" sort of thing.

But, Shayla was a pilot, and she knew that if Graysith thought she could do it, that she could.

Goodness, Shayla Petrolu! Learn to have some faith in yourself!

Shayla gazed at the navboard of the dead little ship a bit longer, noticing the city lights in the viewport. Deciding to go by the design of the ship rather than the writing...that she'd get a little better at once she figured out the more essential things, Shayla went to work.

Some things jumped out at her immediately; the typical positioning of a hyperspace lever, the probable location of some other odds and ends.

As time stood still--she might have been there an hour or a day--Shayla found herself flying the ship in the atmosphere, to spacelines, to space itself. In only a few more moments, she'd retrieved her current coordinates and had programmed her intended coordinates into the little ship's unusual navcomputer. With an impressive ease, the sleek ship slipped off into hyperspace.

Onward they traveled, to a destination only known by her, and only to ever be found out by a few others until the time was right...

The impish and hedious form drops, oozing from the shadows of which it was a part, incorporeal dreamstuff manifested into brief and solid flesh to commit a hienous and joyful duty.

Snarling, claws extended, grasping dancing shadows and carrying them down with him, he dropped from overhead, directly onto the staretled Cear, knocking him completely off his feet. Before the jedi could so much as blink, great and eager claws rip off his shirt, exposing the breadth of his smooth and muscled chest.

Bloodied eyes slit in anticipation, drool slobbers down and drips into the jedi's eyes as one sharpened talon reached down, stabbing, drawing in Sith fires that no Light Force had the strength to remove, Sith flames that no Dark Force had the desire to erase... using the jedi's chest as a living canvas and tracing there deeply and wrenchingly in flames and blood while the shadowed man writhed in uncontrollable pain beneath the solid touch of utter and pure evil...

...enscribeing there words to never depart from his flesh.

Then, the black lips take on deepely purplish hues, the eyes penetrate deep into Cear's soul, flashing a brilliant torquois of a sudden, then revert to red...

...and the essence of pure evil explodes into shards of dancing flame on his chest and disappears, taking the shadows, leaving the Sithly tattoo on Cear's body for all eternity:

Rapping his spear on the floor as he entered the Dining Hall, he waited til Graysith turned to him from her pacing.

"Captured one of the intrrrrrruders have I," he said. "Of imporrrrtance to Herrrrr he is. In their camp, she is not," Leev explained, still bitter about losing her the first time. "In his sleep he mummmmbles we havvvvvvve her," he added.

Reaching out with the All, she sent her talents questing, seeking, searching...

Finding nothing. And yet-- there. No living sense, but a spot within the Temple, hidden far from the main entrance, near an outside vertex... the stones were sending out a strange pattern of harmonics, vibrating gently, almost as though someone were walking upon them...

For a moment the Glyph flared in heated rage as she realized that somehow, someone must have gained illegal entry into this hallowed place. Impulsively she raised an arm to direct the Noghri to go eliminate whoever it was creeping so stealthily within the corridors, trying to seek an unknown way....

Then a better idea came to mind, and she slowly began to grin.

So-o-oo... this unknown would creep in unannounced? Then so be it, this could be arranged....

Closing her eyes in concentration, she reached out with her senses, tweaking the very atoms in the stones that comprised the Temple walls through which the apparent intruders were sneaking along. In a strange and incorporeal manner, the corridors themselves seemed to come to some outrageous form of life, writhing and coiling insidiously until those that led to a definite destination... those containing the mysterious entrants, if indeed they were there...

...now joined end-to-end in a Mobius strip of moss and vines and rock. If indeed there were intruders, now no matter where they trod, they would end up back in their starting point... or so it would seem.

Drawing back with a slight giggle, the Chosen Daughter now assured herself that the Dining Hall, as well as other secret rooms in the Temple, would be absolutely secure from entry. Using the Dark to eliminate the doors not only leading in to this room in which she stood, but to her quarters and Shayla's as well, she then fortified them with the positioning of a chronotic shield of her own.

Then she directed Leev to join Nikk in watching over Aelvedaar.

She "looked" with her talents to where Terrin lay hidden with a sigh. No time now to keep him elsewhere; with intruders present it would be best if he remained in her direct line of sight. As annoying as it might be, she decided to send for him to "keep her company."

"M'wonBo'o!" she cried out, her hair flinging about as she whirled. In but moments she was rewarded with the clattering approach of the massive beast as he came from his feeding corner in the Dining Hall. He butted his head against her, a tendril twining affectionately about her ankle.

"Bring this one to me, and then see that he does not move, my pet," she smiled, pointing to the way in the tuk'ata's mind to where Terrin lay and opening a direct pathway to him by the use of the All. M'wonBo'o bowed his head, and disappeared from the Dining Hall, stalking through the opening to the place where Leev had secreted the unconscious man. Once there, he took his arm up in his lethal jaws, and raising his head, carefully returned to the side of his Mistress, bringing the trophy with him. There he took up a position, literally standing over the man, his eerie pupilless eyes glued rock-steady upon him.

He would not budge unless Terrin did.

Satisfied that all was a secure for the moment as she could make it, Graysith closed the pathway she had created and went once more to where Jinn was yet spouting data. There she stood quietly monitoring the unfolding of events, quietly awaiting the coming of her Dark Heart.

Erik sighed quietly to himself as he watched her maintain the little ship's systems as they floated through hyperspace to...

to...

...to where?

For a moment he thought to ask her, but something told him that he shouldn't. She'd been allowed to come for him.

She'd been allowed to come for him?

When only just a while before she ran from the Temple with him, certain that she would die for running...

...and then SHE had found them, and Shayla had gone back with her while he was transported to some other place as a prisoner...

...Shayla had returned of her own decision, and She had let her go...

There was some dynamic to this that Erik did not yet understand as did no one else. He still questioned what Shayla was doing, but certainly she wasn't doing it out of a direct intention to harm any others.

She wanted to protect her Teacher and her commrades.

...What was so wrong about that?

Shayla was right, there was still much he didn't understand, and more than just a little bit he was unsure about.

Considering the ship they had been given, Erik remembered what he'd learned about Sith ships in his time as a pilot. Not that he'd ever encountered one; as he understood it, few were even in existence. Still, he knew that they were KNOWN for "eating energy" meaning torpedos and protons just...became a part of the shielding, not affecting the ship one bit.

Whomever this Teacher of Shayla's was, she wanted her protected...

As the Universe swam back into focus for Terrin Danner, he found himself on one very cold floor, being pratically stared dead in the eye by a not-too-nice looking pupilless creature.

One who had a set of nice fangs really close to Terrin's face if he dared to budge. One who probably had equally nice claws to match.

What felt like a block of rock-hard ice settled itself in the bottom of Terrin's stomach.

This was going to be fun, he thought smugly, not daring to move a muscle. He just hoped that Galen was faring better than he was.

Oh Jeez, Galen, are you here too?

With that thought he shuddered a bit, and his guard moved in a bit on him. He froze in place. That's close enough, thank you!

Sighing a bit, knowing he was pinned in place til someone showed up, Terrin resigned himself to wait...

Tapping Matt on the shoulder, he asked quietly, as if suspicious if anyone was listening, "Is it me or are we going in circles?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "It's your imagination."

Jasyn just glowered back at him. "No it isn't. Doesn't it bother anyone else that we haven't been 'noticed' at all yet?

And I know we are going in circles. I marked a place a little while ago. We've passed it twice."

This time, Matt turned to face the other. "Really?"

Jasyn shot him a Well FINALLY you are listening to me! look.

"Sooo...what do we do?"

"I say we start making some 'marks' in the place, and when we find that we are going the same way we were before, we go back the other way."

BEWARE. THE DARK LORD COMETH it said.

It seemed someone had taken an interest in him. Someone with a lot of evil in them too. He could feel the dark crawl into the room around him when he was attacked, but one thing he didn't know as Why? Why had he been targeted?

He glanced down at the tattoo once more and shook his head. If a Sith tattoo was all this person had in him to scare him he must be greatly mistaken on who he was dealing with. Cear closed his eyes and concentrated hard. He inscribed himself with a new tattoo under the one he had recieved just minutes ago...

It read....

BEWARE. THE DARK LORD COMETH
TO KNEEL TO THE LIGHT

He sent his thoughts out into the Force hoping anyone with the Force could hear.

Darkness is for cowards. The light is for those with control and strength. Battles may be won by the dark but in the end the war is won by the Light! Whoever challenges the Light will come down, you have my word on that.

It was a message recieved by many, both Light and Dark...

A tiny representation glows steadily upon a troubled brow....

Matt looked over at his commrade. "Now I know how Terrin feels when you do that. Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?"

"I thought I should mention that our marks are moving," Jasyn explained, ignoring the other's comment.

Matt arched an eyebrow at him. "You really are losing your mind."

"Look," Jasyn responded, getting irritated. "I'm positive. I've been keeping an eye on the compass I brought along in my pack. We keep going back the same direction. And I swear we keep passing the same places...only no marks."

Matt looked even harder at Jasyn, as if trying to figure out if the guy really was losing it.

Jasyn had had enough of this. "Listen to me, damnit!" he growled. "We've already lost Galen, I let a creature from Hell knock me out cold and grab Terrin, and now we are wandering aimlessly in a mess of moss and stones. Someone's messing with us, I'm telling you."

As the two argued, Master Mahoy seemed to be quiet in thought, maybe trying to sort Jasyn's discovery himself or maybe just staying out of the way.

But one thing was for sure; Jasyn was just a little more shaken up about losing Terrin than he would ever admit. If the truth was known, he was edgy after the way Galen was snagged from the camp too. They'd known she'd probably be the one they'd have to recover, but he never counted on losing his leader as well.

"Okay," Matt said, giving the other man space to calm down. "We obviously have a problem. So what are we going to do about it?"

He shut his eyes and slowly drew apart the heavy curtains of deception. In his mind's eye he could see the hallways as they truly were...but only if he kept his eyes shut. Faintly, he felt the Sith Lady, self-satisfied and confident that her ruse would throw them off. Well, she's not the only one around here who knows how to use the Force. It would take considerable concentration to maintain the Force cloak and cut through the illusion, but Jeroc was sure he could manage it.

Very well. Measures of a more drastic nature were thus called for. It wasn't that she felt threatened by the presence of these people in the Temple; she was more than confident that the chronotic shielding would withstand whatever they might try to do to it. Whatever they might attempt would be to no avail; by its very nature neither matter or energy could impinge upon it in any way, shape or form. Energy would be dissipated along the spacetime continuum... some in the current timeline, some in the past, and yet some projected into the future. Any matter touching it would be converted into its energy equivalency, and dissipated in a like manner.

People were made of matter. The Force which these people used was energy. Nothing existed beyond that; the Chosen Daughter was safe from all harm the intruders intended, as was the planet itself from the shadowy fleet which hovered over the horizon.

But they dared to make sacrilege by trodding within the sacred halls.... This, more than anything else, angered Graysith. Had they struck up the courage to simply approach her, head to head, she might have considered speaking with them in a manner approaching that of civility. But instead they chose to sneak in like a pack of common thieves.

So be it. They shall be treated as thus. Against thieves do we send forth our hounds....

As the Chosen Daughter now closed her eyes in concentration, the Glyph sprang into brilliant life on her forehead, sending forth its energies as through this channel the All blazed forth to do battle. It shot conductively through the very atmosphere of the temple, zipping through stone and air and yet stone once more as it headed in a straight line to where the little group tiptoed along. Approaching them, it paused only for a moment; before the men could open their eyes in astonishment, it was gone, spreading its essence into the very molecules of the air and stone... and tweaking them.

With a deathlike shudder, walls of solid stone materialized from the very air both in front and behind the men, walls reaching entirely across the corridor and from floor to ceiling. In mere seconds, they were trapped within a claustrophobic chamber of rock, the mosses and vines immediately shrivelling in death as though in shock.

Now Graysith curled her lip, and allowed a tendril of her mind to enter into that of the Jedi.

"What I do, I do in defense of my home," she whispered into his thoughts. Then she concentrated harder, reaching out with the All, the Glyph ravening up the electromagnetic spectrum until it burst out in frequencies above gamma, reaching, toying, manipulating...

...and in the chamber she had fashioned around the men, the very atoms of oxygen began to collide together, faster and faster, dissociating as they impacted each other, the bi-atomic molecule of which breathable oxygen consists now breaking into its single atoms... which whipped off to join with others yet in the bi-atomic state. Little by little, the chamber began to fill with ozone... and to become more and more depleted in oxygen.

Graysith smiled, her eyes closed, but clearly seeing their predicament as bit by bit the men found it more and more difficult to breath...

Jasyn took it joyously and slipped it over his nose. The breathing kits from the first aid supplies!

Both men squatted to the floor as the Jedi motioned them down. With that he turned on the blade of the lightsaber which he had taken from his belt, and began to work. In a few minutes, with alot of work and concentration, a hole had been carved into the hard stone.

Before anyone could say anything, Jasyn grabbed the Jedi by the belt, along with Matt, and pulled them all out to somewhere, no one quite sure of where they were going. Even so, the Jedi seemed to understand.

In a few more minutes, no one uttering a word, no one arguing at all, the group found themselves climbing back through the hole which they themselves had carved, back out into the Khar Delban jungle. Only when they were a good bit away from the Temple did anyone stop or take the breathing apparatus off.

Looking around at a rather dark planet, Jasyn muttered, panting, "Isn't it 1400 hours?"

"Uh, yeah," Matt replied.

"So...who took out the sun?" the other said, looking around even more confused.

Matt thought a moment, then pulled out his comlink. "Maybe we should contact the Hornett, might be some sort of eclipse. Besides, we could use reinforcements"

Jasyn nodded, and Matt went to work. After a minute or so of trying to contact the ship above, Matt frowned. "I can't get through."

"What?"

"Something is blocking us out...a shield or something..."

"Great," Jasyn growled. "Now we're stuck here with no hope of reinforcements. This must be yet another Sith trick, cause there wasn't any shield when we came down."

Frowning, Jasyn squatted to the ground. Matt just looked at him increduously. "What were you doing back there anyway!? Now we have to start all over again!"

"Well," he said, finally catching his breath, "Something tells me we couldn't do much if we were all dead or unconscious except get captured, which won't help us or Terrin or Galen."

"But...wasn't that the idea?"

"No. The idea was to confront the Sith, not get killed by her," Jasyn corrected.

"Okay, so on to Plan B," Matt agreed, nodding. Then, frowning, "Jasyn, what was plan B?"

Jasyn frowned in return. "I have no idea."

"Shayla?" Erik asked from behind her.

Opening her eyes, she turned to look at him.

"Hmm?"

"You wanna take a break? I can watch the ship."

She gave him a half smile. "Naw, you know me. I'll be fine."

He sat down next to her, listening. Something of the old Shayla seemed to ring true in that last statement of hers.

"Besides," she continued, "I want our destination kept unkown...from prying Force users," she explained, her look turning dark.

Well, this wasn't old Shayla for sure. And it was true enough that Shayla had kept the matter of her destination...their destination...completely unbeknownst to even him. Erik wondered if she even knew where they were going.

"I wouldn't..." he started.

She cocked her head a bit in warning, frowning. "I know you wouldn't. At least I think you wouldn't. Not on purpose anyway."

He nodded, sighing and leaning back. "So what are we going to do to help this Teacher of yours?"

"We?" Shayla asked, looking at him incredulously.

"Yeah, we. I'm already involved in this, it's too late to back out."

"Yeah. But being involved and being involved are different. I don't want you doing anything on my account. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

He shot a look at her with those dark browns of his, clearly hurt.

"What you decide to do," Shayla explained, clarifying. "Is in your hands. But don't do it for me, do it because you think it is the right and best thing to do."

He nodded, understanding. "Allright Chief," he said, causing her to grin just a bit as he called her by what most of the employees of Stargazer Corp did. "As you wish."

Pausing, Jasyn chewed his lip in thought.

"Just follow me on this," he continued, looking up at Matt who just had his arms crossed, listening, "The Sith doesn't want us in there, and she's very aware when we are there. So, we have no option but to confront her straight out."

"I thought I was supposed to be the tactical one," Matt quipped. "But yeah, I see your logic. But there's just one little small minute detail. In order to confront the Sith, we still have to get to her. And if sneaking around in her Temple doesn't get the attention we want, what will? Open honesty? Wasn't that what you and Terrin were trying to do when you got attacked?"

Jasyn nodded. "Yes. But the Noghri wasn't all that interested in me. It's almost as if he specifically was after Terrin."

Matt frowned. "So you think that he took Terrin because of Galen? Maybe because he was a threat to whatever this Sith intends to...to do with her?"

"All the more reason for us to be more agressive, more direct."

Matt stood mulling, leaning against a tree as he thought. "Yeah, I think I'm beginning to agree with you. And really, what other option have we got?"

Seeming to meld from the darkness came not the servant but the master himself. His turquise eyes seeming to mock him, the deep hues of purple entwind with black in a state of perpetual motion dancing across his facial features. His blackened lips curled over dark fangs and sharpened black horns crowned his head. Gracefully he sat enjoying the pain that ran through Cear's body from being face to face with a Sith Lord. He watched him writh and beads of sweat explode on his forhead only to trickle down his face like a fresh wound.

"Were you looking for something Jedi," he said in a most demonic hiss. "I am intreaged by your abrubt visit to my dark heart, and they say that we are barbaric." His smile broadened as he continued to watch
the creature in front of him.

"Do you not yet understand the power of the All jedi? Do you not understand that it is a balance of both dark and the light? What your puny jedi masters could never under- stand, that was their limitation." He said the last through gritted teeth. "The dark wins the battles and the light wins the war?
How then would I FAIL JEDI? I embody both in a perfect balance, that is why my brother and I remain....eternally! How then do I bow to the light when I am the light? We made your jedi masters master's quiver in fear, how then are YOU a threat?" His black lips curled once more into a snear.

He debated on the Force whether or not he should fight this Sith. It didn't matter either way. It would happen he knew it would. This Sith wasn't going to leave him alone until he fought.

But he still was not going to approach him yet. If worse came to worse he would fight but only if needed.

The Sith would regret the day he messed with pure light....

For a moment all was silent. Then--

"What impossibility do you want me to attempt now?" Jinn asked her in a plaintive tone of voice.

The Chosen Daughter merely shook her head. "Nothing," came her soft reply.

"Look, Terrin is in there, and Galen probably is too," Jasyn said aloud, "We've gotta get in there before their morale wears out."

Matt nodded. "Hey...you've got one of those lifeform sensors like they have in ships, don't you?"

"Yeah, what are you thinking?" Jasyn replied.

"Well, couldn't we figure out where possible lifeforms are in the Temple that way?"

"Yeah, but how are we going to get in again? Our original plan obviously won't work."

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "Hmmm. Maybe we can go in from above?"

"You mean through the roof? This Temple probably has several stories. She'll know we are coming before we get there even then. I mean, no way to miss someone sawing through your roof or climbing through your window."

Another few minutes passed, and Matt bit his lip, deep in thought. "What if we request audience with her through the Force? After all, she already knows we are here, what have we got to lose? What do you think, Master Mahoy?"

Galen was taken by something or other in the jungle, by what you have assumed were some forces of Graysith. Now you’ve been captured too, which makes logical sense if Galen was taken by this ex-sister of hers. You are a threat, and therefore you must be removed.

Now there is this little situation. For some reason unbeknownst to you, you’ve suddenly become of enough importance that you have been moved here where you will not be able to go far without her or this beast of hers noticing and ending any attempt to move or escape.

But then...if your escape could prove that much of a problem, why, if Galen is here, is she not under direct surveliance as well? And where is Shayla? Surely SHE’S not somehow guarding Galen....why would the Teacher let the student guard her prize? Granted, there could be that Creature...or whatever it was...guarding her, but STILL...

...Why would HE be placed right under Graysith’s nose and not the one she really wanted? Granted, he might pose a hinderance but that would make it more important for Galen to be right under her nose, and not just him.

Which left two options. Galen has gotten away, or....

...someone else has her. Now THAT was a troubling thought...

But the whole “child for a child” bit fit right in with what the Sith wanted Galen for so...

Shifting his head a little to gaze at the Sith, only then noticing the other creature frozen in place and guarded by two Noghri.

Lovely to know if he moved he wouldn’t have a chance in Hell of making it out. He wondered if all guests were treated this hospitably, or if he was an exception.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he decided he’d get bold and find out just what she knew, without tipping her off. That is of course if she dared say anything in return to him at all. “So,” he started, pausing a moment to wet his dry lips as he thought of just what he was going to say, “Using me as live bait?”

"M'wonBo'o!" she ordered, and the animal stilled his disapproving grumbles.

She decided to grace Terrin's offhanded flippancy with a response. Gliding wraith-like to his side, she merely looked down upon him, a slim hand gesturing for her tuk'ata to stay his threatened attack.

"Live bait?" she queried softly. "I hadn't actually considered. But this scenario can be... altered if you find it not to your liking."

...or what?!

Granted, another bit of questioning just might get his head bit off, but while he had her attention, he'd might as well take the opportunity.

"M'wonBo'o, back!" she ordered as, turning from where Terrin lay on the floor she moved a few paces away. There she whirled to face him again, her hand shooting out this time in a lightning-fast pre-emptive order for the Noghri to maintain their position on either side of her Sire. All her dark minions remained frozen in their prospective places, each one undoubtedly muttering even darker thoughts to himself, none daring to voice his disapproval to the apparent madness of the Chosen Daughter.

Now Graysith tilted her head to one side, her long hair flaming down to frame her face, her violet eyes twinkling.

"I can see where my sis-- where Galen Jhin'Dar is attracted to you, Terrin Danner," she commented. "Few would be so bold to state their honest beliefs or opinions in your current situation.

"And now," she finished, the tone of her voice dropping just a bit in timbre, becoming deeper in intensity. "Just what is it that makes you believe you are indeed bait of any kind? Perhaps you merely assume too much."

Something to keep in mind. This Sith-ette just might have a few feelings buried deep within her somewhere.

But her amusement at his boldness and her comment about Galen’s attraction to him was just a wee bit...weird.

Well, she IS one SSD short of a fleet, Terrin noted to himself.

He forced a half-smile, if for no other reason than to appear as though he really were comfortable with the situation. “Perhaps I do assume to much,” he agreed. “Perhaps I’m under careful supervision because of my connection with Galen and nothing more than that. But that in itself makes me bait, does it not?” he questioned, sitting up on his elbows just a bit, keenly aware that this movement drew the attention of his guard.

Attention which he gave a simple mental raspberry. YOU try sitting still on a cold, hard floor for Sithspit knows how long!

Quietly, pinning the woman's violet gaze with an icy blue one of his own, he waited.

Still awaiting the Jedi's reply, Jasyn was suddenly interrupted from his own thoughts when his scanner started going crazy. He looked down at it and gasped, not believing what he saw.

"What is it?" Matt asked as the Jedi arched an eyebrow.

"A ship just landed a little Southwest of us."

Matt gulped. "Not another one of those funny looking ones?! How the Hell did anyone land anything here anyway?"

Finally entering a clearing, Aaron shoved his thoughts aside and prepared for whatever lay ahead. He was fairly certain that the camp was the group's, and Galen confirmed that since she’d been there before. But they couldn’t be sure what they’d find, so he kept his hand on his blaster and himself alert.

As he came into the clearing, he found three guys waiting hopefully, their own hands on blasters—excepting one who had his on what appeared to be a lightsaber hilt.

And no Terrin.

Aaron let out a sigh. “Don’t shoot,” he said, waving empty hands in the air. “It’s Aaron Barnes.”

“You’d better be damn glad it is,” Jasyn’s voice replied as they got closer to the camp.

“Thought you might need a little assistance. Where’s Terrin?”

Matt let out a big sigh. “He and Jasyn were attacked by a Noghri when we were trying to get in the Temple. The Noghri knocked Jasyn out and went trucking off with Terrin. We’ve been trying to get in the Temple since, we even managed, but we nearly got ourselves killed in the process, so we decided to back out and find another way. We were just suggesting that maybe we should request audience with this Graysith, since she doesn’t seem to like our sneaking around.” Then, realizing he’d yet to introduce the Jedi, “This, by the way,” he explained, motioning to the Jedi Master, “Is Jedi Master Jeroc Mahoy. He’s been helping us...”

Matt froze midsentence, staring stupidly at the last person that had arrived out of the group of reinforcements.

Jasyn was looking that way as well, his eyes wide. “We thought you were...” he started, pointing to the Temple. “How....???” There he paused, still looking pretty wide-eyed at Galen, trying to figure this little anamoly out. “Oh to Hell with the whys and hows,” he finally said. “Glad to have you back, and glad you brought reinforcements. Now we just might have a shot at getting to Terrin and getting the Hell off this rock.”

“That is,” Matt interjected, “If we can get into the Temple again.”

"As Matt said, we've already tried the stealth approach. But Graysith will always know we're trying to get in, so we might as well try to face off with her." The Jedi Master bit his lip.

"I don't think you can ever be as relieved as me that I'm standing here," I said earnestly, looking directly into his eyes and silently offering apology for my previous bad behavior toward him and Cella. "And thank you for joining with us in this endeavor."

I then let his hand drop from my grasp, and pursed my lips in thought, my mind churning. At length I looked up at the assembled men.

"Look," I began a little hesitantly. "I'm really not sure if it's going to be as simple as we think getting this Nar Kelba from her. I do think it is of dire importance to get this thing out of the hands of the Sith, though; Khaandon help any Jedi cut down with a lightsaber holding it."

I paused a minute at that, my thoughts now flashing back to my escapades with Sorben when he too was after that fantastic gem. We had come so close to victory... only to have it snatched from us and delivered into the greedy clutches of Darth Wicked. We in turn had fled as far as we could from this place, washing our hands of it, highly relieved to be alive.

And now, here I was again. Same song, second verse....

I sighed. "I've been tossing all sorts of ideas around in my head as to how we can actually get our hands on the thing, but to no success. I keep coming back to the, well... gut certainty that it's probably being held really close to either Wicked, or to this-- this Graysith. It's going to be extremely dangerous to get physically hold of it; I was really hoping that you would be able to come up with a solid idea, Master Mahoy."

I turned to the Jedi at that, blinking hopefully. For a moment longer I stood there, chewing on my lip. Then I finished with, "I do think I'll be able to get us into the Temple, though; however, I do agree with you. I know my sis-- that is, I know Graysith. She is, well... very self-assured of herself and her abilities, so much so that to her we're probably no more than little worrts."

I curled my lip as I finished that statement, though from disgust or despair I wasn't quite certain. Gulping a bit, I hurried on.

"Sneaking around is only going to annoy or anger her, I think. It's obvious she isn't going to reach out and just snatch us like... like that, that thing did me and the girl...." I let my voice trail off into a momentary blank-eyed stare, shuddering at the awful memory. Then I shook myself once again, and focused on the men.

"Maybe we need to feed her ego a little bit. Maybe if we formally request audience, she might deign to grant it. I mean, to her we couldn't possibly entertain any real threat. So maybe if we just go along with this, make her aware that we in turn are aware of her powers and mastery over us, she'll let us in. Once in, while she's busy gloating in our ego-stroking, maybe we can find the opportunity to grab the gem and get out of there.

"And if not actually able to get it, perhaps at least we might find a way to... to eliminate her."

I wound down my little soliloquy. It was full of so many ifs and maybes that I'm sure it wouldn't pass muster. But at the moment, I really didn't have anything solid to offer.

He paused, realizing the import of his words. "And then got flung halfway across the galaxy and nearly shot into a star for her pains." Jeroc shuddered.

"But you are right. Her pride is her flaw, and something we obviously need to use against her. She is strong in the Force...but she thinks us so unworthy that she won't loose her full arsenal on us. Just because I'm not a dark sider, doesn't mean I'm incompetent."

A risky plan, but just maybe...

He wondered exactly how Galen thought she could get them into the Temple without the stealth approach. Something told him he didn't have to know, that he should just shut his mouth and go along with it for once. Galen had more experience in this area than he ever hoped to have.

"Allright," Matt finally said, breaking the momentary silence, "I'm thinking a few of us should go in, along with the Jedi. And Jasyn is better at this stuff than I am, so the Jedi, Jasyn, and Galen should go. I'll stay behind with our reinforcements and be ready for a counter-strike, should one be needed."

"Yeah," Jasyn said, nodding. "That way we have back up if we need it. Only I hope we don't need it. We don't know where she has Terrin, but I'm betting she's got him well-guarded wherever he is. Something tells me, although I'm not a Force-user, that this very well may be a battle of logic rather than the Force. This lady has some powers I can't even begin to understand, although I admit I don't even understand the Force that well. What I have, and what we all have to rely on, is our mind. When all else fails, it's going to be the one thing you can count on, so long as you trust it"

Matt nodded, as well as some of the others.

The game had been set, the pawns in their places; it was only a matter of time. His clawed hands reached up to remove his hood from his horned head. He could feel his dark heart, she wasn't far from him. He looked to his brother as the familiar scampering of Maladius could be heard in the hallway.

"Yes, I felt his return," she uttered smoothly, repressing the shudder that sought release as her violet eyes bore directly into the uncanny being's bloody ones. Then she offerred no more comment, but dismissed Maladius entirely, turning again to Terrin.

"How lucky you are, Mr. Danner," she purred, her eyes slitting in self-satisfaction at the discomforting look which wafted across his face. "You're about to meet the Master of the Temple. Few have been so graced; let us see if he likewise graces you with the permission to depart from this place... once your purpose is served, of course... with your life."

With those foreboding words she turned and glided from him, not even waiting to determine who, if anyone, stepped in to continue watching over this man. She fully knew, as did he, that the presence of a physical gaoler was nothing but a mere redundancy. There was no way this man could bring harm to her or to any of her minions, let alone escape.

Her step wraithlike, she moved gracefully to where Roan stood contemplating Aelvedaar, who was still straining to hold the shield over the planet. Gliding to a halt beside him, she reached out one pale hand to place it on his shoulder. "I have heard your summons, my Dark Heart, and have come," she murmured quietly; then, tilting her head in Aelvedaar's direction, she continued in an even quieter voice.

"He struggles, my Dark One, as... to a lesser extent... do I with the smaller shielding of my own devising. There is a New Republic fleet inbound to our system; at the last report from Jinn it is still in hyperspace some distance from here. It is impossible for Jinn to keep track with the shielding that is currently in place; thus we are uncertain as to its exact whereabouts at this particular moment.

"But," she went on, "that selfsame shielding protects us, as well as keeping trapped the wolves who yammer at our very door. Not to mention the pitiful...wolf cub who my dear M'wonBo'o keeps under tooth and claw at my desire." Here she waved offhandedly in the direction of the tuk'ata, who once again was crouched practically nose to nose with Terrin.

"This sad representative is one in whom my dear sister..." here her nose wrinkled in repugnancy..."holds a high esteem. In fact, I believe she-- she loves him." She paused infinitesimally, as though that very idea was one completely alien to her. Then she drew in a deep breath, and squeezed Roans muscled shoulder.

"What would you have me do, my Dark Heart?" she queried, then fell silent, waiting. Behind her, M'wonBo'o drooled a little, as though expecting a rare delicacy of sorts....

He turned once more to his dark heart, his eyes gazing deep within hers searching.
"Contact your adept," he said with a slight sneer, "the time draws nye and on this she WILL not fail." The last words held such menacing consicuences that it sent a chill through Graysith. She knew what would happen should her pupil fail in these matters. His gazed lightened once more as his hand grazed the back of her neck.

"Maladius," he hissed as he looked to the figure hovering around Terrin, "attend to my dark heart. I think it is time for a family reunion." His lips curled into an evil smile as the all wrapped around their Lord in flames and he disappeared.

The cold flames of the all once more flared in front of a dumfounded Galen as the sith lord easily attand his prize once more. He grabbed her pulling her to his hard muscular frame before allowing the flames to disappate leaving them in the blackness for the darkest depths of the all. "Hello again welp," his words mocked her as she was held motionless in his grasp. The more she struggled the tighter the grip until she could barly breath. Her back was to him and his cloak bound tightly around him. His icy breath was on her neck and his death black lips were wispering in her ear.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
(Other Dream, incase you're lost.)

Actar's eyes opened. He was sweating from head to toe.

Beeeep!

It was the alarm he had set to wake him up when he reached Khar Delba. He rose to his feet, walked to controls, and turned the alarm off. In front of him was Khar Delba. For some reason it felt.....wrong. "A chronotic shield...this wasn't here before," he whispered to himself.

He scanned the planet with his eyes, feeling the energy up and down the planet. The levels weren't as strong towards the poles. He used the ship to scan the north. "A hole," he said to himself, looking at the screen, "there's a tiny hole." He guided the ship, carefully to the north of the planet. He could sense the hole, and he guided his ship through, slowly.

Once inside he headed south. He remembered from when he was here last that the forests, and the temple, were near the equator. When he saw the forests he kept flying until he found the temple. He did a flyby, looking for somewhere to land, when he saw the camp. Someone other than Galen was here.

He sensed Graysith when he flew over the Temple. Not just her either, others like her. The thought passed through his mind that maybe he shouldn't have come...but only for a milisecond. He landed about 100 feet from the camp that was set up...

No.. no... NO...NO...NO! NO! NO!!!

I froze completely at the unholy and completely unexpected touch of the Dark Lord of the Sith. Before I could so much as blink, let alone draw a breath to scream, I was once more engulfed in the hideous and hot embrace of this unmentionable being, his awful words hissing in my ear, surrounded by that terrible Nothing that was more of a something than even reality was. I remained like ice, too afraid to do anything, so terrorized that I would have stopped the beating of my own heart if I could, just to have that less of a commotion about my being to draw his attention.

Not that it would have helped... his attention was riveted on my person like a Toydarian's on his cashbox.

Then we were out of the worst of it... or so I thought. As the darkness receded around me, I found myself inside an extremely large and extremely dim room. So large that its perimeter was lost in the gloom. I had barely time to gather my bearings, when that demon from hell whispered gloatingly into my ear, something about my playing a part, and that my sister awaited...

My sister?!? WHAT sister! I HAVE NO SISTER....

But there she was, standing before me, looking for all the world like the Jharmeen I grew up with and loved so well. Her hair was still long and flaming red, she was still willowy... she did look a bit on the pale side.

But her eyes....

I sought now to struggle, to cringe away, to turn and flee from the horror holding me, from the even greater depths of horror I saw reflected in her eyes... and in the blood-red ones of an even more hideous creature who drooled and gibbered at her side. Tried with every straining muscle I owned, with every ounce of adrenalin in my body, to jerk out of the hot and clawed hands which held me so tightly...

...and found I couldn't move an inch. The only aspect of my being that worked was my own eyes, which were rapidly filling up with tears of comingled despair and grief and terror.

And then I saw him. Off in the background, laying flat upon the cold stones of the floor. That hellhound of hers hunkered over him like a rancor over a fresh kill; he lay there totally unmoving, his eyes closed.

Oh Khaandon, no no no NO NO NO NO NO!!! HE CANNOT BE DEAD!!!

Life would have no meaning if he were dead. At least not to me.

But I was yet not alone.

It was if that realization opened a door deep within me. Scarcely aware of it at all, a great and onrushing surge of anger and rage and hatred toward Jharmeen and this demon and that Beast and all the other dark users and dark beings who chattered and strove to keep happiness just dangling beyond my reach; a wave as unstoppable as the ocean's totally engulfed me from somewhere deep inside myself...

...and simply exploded into a dark and viscious life all its own.

NO!!! I cried out, flailing as I suddenly found my arms freed, suddenly found myself able to move...

...and suddenly found that Graysith and that imp beside her and the one who had held me...

YES! Who HAD held me!

...all exploded away from me as well, flying back and out as that unseen and unknown something reached out and casually flung them aside.

Deep, deep within my belly... Something moved briefly.

And I stood there, suddenly afraid no longer, suddenly aware that I had within me that which they did as well...

...as well as the knowledge that no harm would come to me or mine because of it.

I smiled sweetly, turning a complete circle to gain the attention of all, then striding over to stand protectively over Terrin. I felt his slight movements now, as though he was awakening from an unnatural sleep; I didn't dare take my eyes from those around me to tend to him.

Just standing there was enough.... judging by how that animal backed off from me, yowling.

A sick feeling gathered in the pit of Jeroc's stomach. "Yet another one taken into the Temple against her will..." Carefully, the Jedi Master touched the still-malleable mind of the babe. As far as he could tell it was unharmed...and it and its mother had better stay that way or the Sith would have hell to pay.

He turned to Matt and Jasyn. "Believe it or not, this might be the opener we need. If Graysith is preoccupied with Galen, we can get into the Temple and make a sort of mad dash for the Nar Khelba. I'll fit it into the lightsaber shell I've built, eliminate the Sith, and retrieve Danner and Galen. It's our best chance." Once more he moved into the forest, his lightsaber drawn.

Just when you think you have everything down...

But then...the Jedi's point about this being their opening...

"You're right," Jasyn said, nodding. Let's get moving, all of us."

"All of us?" Aaron muttered.

"I want to know if another one of us is snagged, so we go together. Besides," he added, glancing at his scanner, "Someone just landed not far from here. You really think you want to camp out and find out who it is?"

"Uh, no." Aaron replied.

That said, Jasyn turned, along with the rest of the group, to follow the Jedi Master.

She landed hard, her breath ripped from her breast, her eyes squeezing shut with tears of pain as she struggled to make sense of all that was happening so very unexpectedly, and with lightning-fast rapidity. The last thing she could do in her frame of mind was maintain the chronotic shielding she had about the Dining Hall...

...which disappeared back into the Elseness from which it was generated.

Sensing imminent disaster, her tuk'ata turned his betendriled head to the unfeeling ceiling above them and howled in animalistic rage. Then he leapt to where she lay, growling threateningly, standing guard over her should anyone or anything dare try to harm her when she was down.

She could only lay there, stunned, hunkered beneath M'wonBo'o's protective and loyal form, and watch with vision rapidly dimming as Galen strode with growing confidence to where Terrin lay.

Across the room from her, her Dark Heart lay equally stunned.

The only one who remained aloof was Aelvedaar, who yet maintained his precarious hold on the chronotic shield which yet blanketed the dark and terrible world of Khar Delba.

...by....

As he took in the room, trying to figure out this perplexity, trying to evaluate what had knocked him out for those few brief minutes, he saw her. And strangely, those two Sith were somehow cast away from her, not even touching her at the moment. And, upon further inspection, not even standing at the moment.

Suddenly feeling her certainty, knowing she possessed a strength they were not yet aware of...

...or maybe they were. Wasn't that why they wanted the child?

And that was why they could never have the child.

Such awesome power, in the hands of the Sith?

But then, was it possible that they saw only the power in the child, while they missed the power in the woman who carried him?

As these thoughts swam in his head, he only momentarily noticed the throbbing pain in his ribs as Galen came to him. He smiled grimly.

He sensed a Jedi also, and five others. He hurried to get to the temple before they did.

As they approached, Jasyn's scanner started going bezerk.

Oh great, he thought as he peered at it. There's someone lurking in the area.

"Someone's waiting for us outside," he noted to the others, pulling out his blaster. The Jedi kept his lightsaber at his side, ready as well.

Then as the Temple came into sight, Jasyn warned, "Everyone be on the alert."

No one answered the call. The hideous purple and black monstrosity which had grabbed me stirred slightly, but did not yet gain his footing. Neither did the one who was once my sister, who now lay huddled underneath that snarling Beast of hers.

I felt I had a couple nanoseconds to remove my eyes from the lot of them, and I cast them...

Thank Khaandon for the joy of being able to do so!!

...into Terrin's deep blue ones. I let a little smile play about my lips as I reached out slowly to take his hand in mine, almost afraid that it wasn't corporeal and that he would disappear into whatever mystery I had recently been dragged through.

It was solid and warm and so very, very RIGHT in mine. I gripped it as if to never let it go.

"She's down," I mouthed silently to him. "And armed. I saw something weird on her hand. Maybe we can disarm her, if you think you're up to it? Before this other guy--" My words trailed off and I made a barely perceptible nod of my head toward the ghastly horned and red-skinned Sith, who yet stood unmoving off to one side, flanked by a set of highly angered yet highly loyal Noghri. Obviously having been commanded to guard him, they remained steadfastly on either side of him, but their eyes told a clear story of what they would delight in doing if only the Word was given.

I hoped that while the ball was yet in our court, we could score a few more points. "What do you think?" My lips scarcely moved as I let my eyes carry the words into the eyes and heart of my love. After all, as I was so wont to say,

In for a credit....

Well, everyone always thought if anyone had the Nar Khelba it'd be right on one them. And heck knew with all the Sorcery going on what else they might have at their disposal. Might as well take the chance while the taking was still good.

But now, that snarling Beast of hers just MIGHT be a problem...and the only way he would be moving was if one of the two of them laid a finger on...

...on her.

Hmmmm.

Without a word, Terrin quirked a brow at the huge creature, tilting his head slightly in that direction.

Then, after biting his lower lip in a moment of thought he said, "I think we should circle, get him to follow, then try to get him down. Then we can go for the weapon."

She nodded, and they began their circle. At first the beast just laid atop his mistress, clearly not willing to budge. But then, as they continued to circle he seemed to become increasingly aware of the threat...particularly the one that could be caused by Galen, who had already knocked Graysith and the other senseless. The beast rose, growling, and charged. Seeing the opening, Terrin moved in and went for the item on the Sith's finger. As he began to examine the thing, realizing that it didn't look like it was going to come off to easily, he heard angry growling.

Maybe he could just cut it off...

Looking for something that was sharp enough to cut, Terrin noticed a Tooth-like object on the thrimm of her garment just below her waist band.

That should work.

Carefully appropriating the sharp object, Terrin went to work as he heard the whimper of a wounded animal somewhere off to the side.

Sithspawn! It was not coming off. Suddenly realizing there was only one way to get the thing off, Terrin shuddered a moment then set himself to the task.

It's either this or figure out what precisely the thing does when she uses it on one of you.

Closing one eye, he carefully started working just above the first knuckle. He cut through soft skin, to bone, and on, cringing as she began to scream like Hell, not that he blamed her.

After what seemed like an eternity, blood spouting everywhere, the finger came off, allowing Terrin to slid the weapon off her finger, noticing that something was inside it but not daring to take the chance to find out what it was.

Later. Now, you'd better run like Hell.

And that's precisely what he planned on doing. Not looking back at the ghaustly sight he'd created, Terrin stood, whirled, took Galen by the hand and went running out of the room, looking for a way out, any way out.

At last they found a hole in the bricks of the Temple, most likely the one that the guys and the Jedi had carved. After helping Galen through the hole, not letting the thing that he'd just appropriated off the finger of a Sith out of his sight, he slid through the hole, landing on the ground next to her. Shuddering just a bit again at what he'd just done, he handed the thing over to Galen, letting her look it over.

"I think we better find the guys and get out of here, quick. Something tells me a few somebodies are going to be really hot when they come around," he said, glancing at the weapon in her hand.

Shaking myself a little, I turned the odd weapon over in my hand, then upended it altogether.

Something small and round and crystalline and utterly transparent and the color of the blood Terrin had just spilled plopped softly into the palm of my hand.

I quit breathing altogether, merely taking it between a trembling finger and thumb and holding it up into the darkness which blanketed us. It fairly glowed with an unearthly light.

"Terrin, we have it," I breathed softly, scarcely daring to believe the sight. "This is it.

As he said that, he heard the shuffling of feet against jungle floor, and he stiffened. The dark wasn't helping his line of sight at all...

Why the hell was it dark in the middle of the day?

Something told Terrin Danner that he just didn't want to know.

Pulling her closer to him, wishing like Hell that he had a blaster or anything to protect them, he waited and hoped...

Out from the clearing came a pack of six guys, some he'd hoped for, and some he had no idea how the Hell they got on planet. Not that it was important at the moment.

The group thankfully must have recognized who they were coming up on, because no one drew a blaster...or a lightsaber. The Jedi was in the lead of the group. As he came up to them, Terrin leaned in and whispered. "We have...it. We've gotta get out of here NOW."

Without further word the group turned and headed back to camp and past camp to where the Eagle, the Falcon, and the Pride of Yavin sat. Aaron glanced over at the Pride.

"You aren't going to be able to fit that through the shield," he said. "And besides, I think we'll be needing you to fit the Nar Khelba into the lightsaber. We can come back for the ship later."

"Shield?" Terrin quizzed, puzzled.

"Don't ask," Jasyn replied. "You don't want to know."

"I can get the Falcon out if you, Galen, can take the Eagle. I'm a good pilot, and I've seen you do this once, so I know I can handle it."

She nodded, and Terrin decided he just might as well go with it, since he didn't know what was going on anyway. All busy warming the two ships, no one was quite aware if anyone could be following them, and they wouldn't have noticed at that moment if a small ship was trailing them to their destination. At that moment getting off Khar Delba was the only objective that must be accomplished, and that they did. Jumping into hyperspace once they exited from the north pole of the planet, they headed for the Eagle Enterprises fleet...

"Everyone in one piece?" he asked.

"Yeah," Terrin replied. "I think so. Is that all you called for? We'll be at the Hornett in just a very short while."

"Well, no. I think someone might be following us."

"Did you see someone?" came the reply.

"Not really, just a gut instinct of mine. Hopefully I'm just being overly cautious, but I just thought you'd want to know it's a possibility."

"Allright. We'll keep our eyes open and our sensors searching," Terrin responded. "Let me know if you see anything."

"Gotcha. Barnes out."

With that, Terrin turned to look at Jasyn and Matt, who had been fairly quiet.

If they were being followed...

"Jasyn, was there someone on Khar Delba before we left? Someone other than the Sith in the Temple and us?"

"Yeah," Jasyn replied, running a hand through oily hair. "Right before we headed towards the Temple and found you and Galen, someone landed near the camp."

"But you didn't see anyone?"

"No. But someone was near the Temple hiding out, I think. They could have overheard us. Then again maybe we are just all being really suspicious after everything that has been going on."

"Yeah," Terrin said, nodding. "I hope so. I really, really hope so."

Lick I.

And that's when she lost control.

Pain slammed into her from somewhere, pain so great that she had to raise her hands to her head to try to shun it away. A few moments passed, and she began to calm another blast of something horrible and hideous slammed into her, this time causing her body to go limp and her to fall to the floor.

Erik snapped fully awake as she began to scream. "Shayla, what's wrong," he asked, kneeling on the floor next to her, trying to calm her.

"Nooo!!!" she screamed, tears beginning to stream. "It cannot be! This cannot happen!"

"Shayla!" he tried again, adding firmness to his voice.

She turned to him finally, her blue green eyes looking surprisingly dark. "We must go back to the Temple. Graysith is injured, as is her Dark Heart."

With that, she stumbled back to her navseat, and keyed the controls which she had mastered. Erik didn't argue; she had to give him credit. He just sat back in his seat and strapped in.

Two small hyperspace jumps later, they were in Khar Delban space.

"It's shielded," Erik observed.

Shayla arched an eyebrow at him, knowing he couldn't see her controls. Nevermind how he knew that. Probably the disruption in the Force emitted by the energy.

Sensing her way in through the south pole, Shayla cruised the ship "upwards" to the equator, down to the surface of Khar Delba right in front of the Temple.

Leaving the Sith ship in its place, not bothering to check behind to see if Erik was following, she headed for the Temple doors. He was behind her, she didn't have to look to know that.

As she reached for the door it opened at her very whim, the anger was boiling so deeply within her.

How dare they cause harm!

Making her way to the Dining Hall where yet a frozen Aelvedaar stood guarded by the Noghri, Shayla assessed the situation. There, on the floor was Graysith's Darkheart, who seemed in shock but otherwise unharmed.

Graysith, on the otherhand...

M'wonBo'o sat next to her howling. A pool of blood was beside her right arm, and M'wonBo'o was licking the wound. Shayla squatted cautiously nearby the animal, sensing that he was very upset and not wanting to move too fast. As she realized what precisely the wound was, her stomach lurched, and she had to keep herself from getting sick.

As she squatted, her eyes dark and her mind elsewhere, she awaited as Graysith started to stir.

All the while Dark thoughts clouded her mind. Someone was going to pay. Dearly.

He walked around the side of the Temple, looking for the spot she came out of, he sensed she was still nearby. He came around a corner but stepped back immediately when he saw Terrin and Galen. He poked his head around and watched as the Jedi and 5 others he had sensed earlier came out of the forest and approached them. Terrin whispered something, but Actar missed it, and they all tok off into the forest.

Actar wasn't far behind. He followed them all the way to their camp. When he was able to figure out what they were doing, he ran to his ship and powered it up. If they had only looked, they would have saw him.

He waited about 30 seconds after he saw two ships fly over, heading north, before he followed. By then time he was out of the shield they had made the jump to hyperspace. He closed his eyes, he didn't have the capability to trace them while in hyperspace with this ship. He could sense Galen, and he followed the direction she had gone in. He made sure to cloack the ship. After flying in that direction for a few minutes, he knew where she was. They had dropepd out of hyperspace in the Xenoth sector. He made the jump to hyperspace immediately.

When he dropped out of hyperspace, he saw something didn't expect. An entire fleet. He had no clue which ship Galen was in. He flew aroound for a minute, trying to sense Galen. He found her, in a SSD. He didn't sense the Jedi in there though.

He flew into the hanger of the SSD, and uncloaked his ship as he landed. He saw Galen, Terrin, and two others looking at Actar's ship like they had no idea what was going on, and of course, they didn't. He opened the door and stepped out with his lightsaber in hand, but not turned on...

Reply to this in In The Balance

Floor. She was laying on the cold stones of the Great Dining Hall. All was utterly motionless, all was utterly silent, save for a soft and repetitive little rasping sound. Still held in the thrall of shock, Graysith perked her ears in curiosity, to determine the source of that wispy little noise. She followed it from an indefinite aura all about her to a small spot focused somewhere in the vicinity of her right hand....

HOT. FIRE. SLICING PAIN. OVERWHELMING PAIN.

Her mouth gaped open in shock as wave upon wave of pain slammed in to her body, coming from a molten and nova-bright focal point on her hand, radiating up her arm, into her shoulder and straight into her heart. By comparison, the stone beneath that hand felt positively glacial, so fiery was the impulse now shooting throughout her being.

She gasped, turning her head a bit to the side, and blearily brought into focus the sight of her tuk'ata licking away at... at...

...at what used to be a pale and slender and beautifully unmarred hand.

She gasped again, jerking her sight from the mutilated flesh before her in disgust and despair. Her thoughts rallied round that dark despair within her, taunting her with their insistent discoveries.

The Claw... gone.

The Nar Khelba... gone with it.

Failure. I have failed.

Again... that abominable woman has prevailed, has taken a part of the Chosen Daughter, almost as if for a trophy, and has fled with it, escaping yet again from what should have been an easy victory.

Again, the Chosen One lays injured and in shock, bleeding....

Again.

Now tears filled the violet eyes of the Chosen Daughter, as she turned her head away from the disaster of her hand, to stare stonily into the dimness above her head.

I have failed. I am not worthy of the Choice. I cannot keep a simple Sith crystal; how can I unite the even stronger Dark Lords to attain the goal placed into my hands by my Sire? How can I continue to deserve the attentions of my Dark Heart, when I cannot even protect him or myself from the attack of a mere...

Human?

For a long moment she remained locked in misery, lost in self-recriminations and gloom-bedecked anguish. Then she forced herself to gaze upon her hand once more.

M'wonBo'o raised his head to whine anxiously, his pupilless eyes filled with a private misery of his own. Then he resumed his medicinal administrations, certain specialized enzymes in his saliva continuing to stop the bleeding, and bringing on a modicum of healing.

Now she turned her head around to the other side, frowning past the pain, sensing the presence of another who crouched nearby. Blinking, she strained, bringing the images her eyes captured into clearer focus in her mind.

Shayla? Shayla was here.

But how?

She didn't ask, merely let her gaze flow into her greeny-blue eyes. Her left hand reached shakily up.

"My-my Adept," was all she could muster in the barest of whispers, as her fingers moved as if to lightly brush the cheek of the young woman. Then she fell silent, too pain-filled to speak any further, seeking to conserve whatever energy she had so she could heal...

...to then take revenge.

Though it would take some time for the wound to fully heal even in the trance, at least Graysith would be comfortable...and not in pain. Looking to Erik as soon as the tuk'ata finally ceased his licking, she said, "We need to get her somewhere that she can rest, as well as him. I need your strength."

He nodded, and picked the injured woman up as Shayla levitated the other shocked Sith. Quietly following her down the hallways, Erik followed til she stopped at a door and opened it. There she moved the Sith male in and gently lowered him onto the bed, and Erik placed the woman on it as well, making sure she was comfortable. Behind them M'wonBo'o skulked, laying protectively at the side of the bed. Erik followed Shayla back out, noticing that she turned a moment to gaze back at her Teacher. Only then did she close the door.

Suddenly he noticed how pale she was, possibly from the strain of the whole situation, possibly from the strength she had used to handle it--probably both.

"Shayla, get some rest."

She nodded, knowing that it would be a while before Graysith awoke. After leading Erik to a room, she returned to her quarters, finding the still-shattered pieces of her mirror all about the room. In one swift and angry movement, she slammed the fragments of the mirror into the wall. Even smaller particles of glass errupted, only this time rather than letting them fall back at her, Shayla concentrated on moving each individual piece, each one arrowing its way
into one small circle upon the wall.

Gazing at the small piercings this had made into the brick of her suite for only a moment, Shayla headed for her wardrobe, and dressed for bed.

Just trying to keep threads shorter guys, heh.