That is, before where the planet ought to be. Blanketed securely beneath the chronotic shield which Aelvedaar had erected in parting, there was nothing to indicate a planet was even beneath them. Or at least, not to a superficial scan.

Shayla merely turned to her Teacher with a grin. "Piece of cake," she commented lightly before she turned back to the helm, aiming toward the unseen gravitational source warping spacetime in this particular area of space, piloting the little craft in a direct line to it's northern pole where all it's magnetic field lines converged. There she found the tiniest of openings... but one just large enough that the little enigmatic Sith ship could slip through. Without ceremony it did just that, disappearing in turn from the Universe in general.

From the viewpoint of the two women, it was as if they had plunged into the darkest of night. The merest glint of light beamed toward the surface below, coming in through the hole where the maglines converged, but other than that all was absolutely dark. No light issuing from the planet's sun or moons or the stars without could penetrate that impenetrable shield, being sent along the twists and turns of time in two directions instead. Unfortunately, the same thing was occurring beneath the shield: while some of the infrared slowly being emitted from the planetary surface did manage to reflect back from low level clouds to keep a modicum of heat within the atmosphere, most of this radiation likewise hit the shield and disappeared into other timelines. As a result, the thin band of green about the planet's equator had gradually given way beneath encroaching snow and ice; Fates only knew how cold it was at the poles.

Shayla mentioned as much to Graysith.

"Yes, sister," the Chosen Daughter replied softly. "Our Temple remains secure but at the sacrifice of this planet's ability to sustain life. We can only hope that the new disturbance growing throughout the Galaxy will subside before this place is nothing more than a frozen waste.

"But then--" She shrugged her shoulders. "All the better to deter curious eyes and ears from coming to this place. We have the All at our disposal; we shall not freeze."

Now she leaned forward, looking eagerly out of the forward port, watching with bated breath as the Great Sith Temple hove slowly into view in their external lights. Shayla brought the ship to a graceful landing just without the ancient entrance to this sacred temple; they settled like a drift of snow, where the ship lent itself to the shusshes and whooshes of outgassing as it prepared to go to sleep until needed again.

Graysith rose smoothly to her feet, reaching out with her talents as with a brief wave she opened the hatch and lowered the gangway. An arctic blast rushed at them, clawing them and demanding sustenance from their vulnerable flesh; Graysith simply ignored the icy cold but continued down the exit ramp until she stood at its foot, her feet lost in snow, her hair whipped by ice-crystalled gusts of wind. Motioning for the others to follow her, she went up to the double doors, the tracks she left behind disappearing before the wind almost as soon as they were laid down.

The doors remembered the darkness in her, and oiled open with deceptive ease. They closed as easily behind them as, all members now safely out of the elements, they now proceeded through the dark entrance Hall and into the Great Room beyond.

There they paused while Graysith reached out even further.

"She is not yet here, my sister," she purred quietly. "But-- I believe she will arrive. It is a logical move on her part; my blood-sister was nothing her entire life if not a logical sort."

Turning to Shayla, she blinked her violet eyes, then smiled slowly.

"Let us go prepare a...welcome, my sister," she whispered. Then she continued on through the Great Room, through the smaller double doors at its back, and down the hallway there to the rooms she once occupied, and had then given to her Adept. Her own private rooms she would not seek out; that memory was yet too painful.

She stopped at a certain mouldery place, reaching out to gently stroke the mosses on the stone, resting her hand lightly there as a deep responding rumble sounded through the depths of the Temple and a doorway slowly yawned open before them.

Knowing her sister would understand, flanked by her tuk'ata and trailed by the others, she once more set foot into the quarters once given to her by Dark Wicked, so long ago and so very, very far away.

[ 06-05-2002 06:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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At last, they would have Galen Jhin'Dar and her friends at their very whim. At last justice would be served...

Suddenly Shayla's mind shifted to a yet colder thought, one sparked not only by the rememberance of recent atrocities one person had committed but also fueled by a righteous flood of hurt and anger resulting from events long past.

It wasn't just that he'd hurt her and left her. He'd chased her across the galaxy, threatened the business she'd worked so hard to establish, and threatened her very existence.

And though he'd paid for the crime he'd committed upon her Sister's person, he yet still owed for the removal of the Claw.

He would get his just desserts, Shayla would see to that, though she knew she wouldn't have to. And as for the woman Mr. Danner had by all appearances truly fallen in love with...

...her Fate rested entirely in the hands of Graysith, where Shayla knew it belonged...

[ 06-05-2002 09:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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But I will return, my Corellia...I shall return.

[ 06-06-2002 06:04 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by TheKnot ]

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At least, achieving orbit around what should have been Khar Delba.

Shawn gazed at this odd discrepancy with confusion. And even Terrin was a bit thrown. Matt and Jasyn, they didn't seem too surprised however.

"What the Hell now?" Terrin muttered, reaching over to tweak a sensor switch.

Truthfully he was trying to fill time before the next horrible revelation was made...whatever it would be.

The planet that wasn't below them was still managing to emit a gravational field...

...weird...

"Remember the last time we were on Khar Delba?" Matt asked into the quietness of the cabin.

Yeah buster I sure do, something loud and totally obnoxious suddenly blathered in Terrin's head. Remember, Galen ran from you then too! You shoulda read the signs!

Terrin closed his eyes in borderline defense for a moment, as if the voices in his head would simply go away.

No such luck.

You shoulda stayed a loner, pal. Shoulda kept to the ship industry...

Terrin couldn't help but wince, to Hell with what everyone else was thinking or waiting for him to say. Life without Galen meant nothing. He couldn't honestly return to just being a salesman, completely oblivious to reality, ever again. Life without the purpose he'd found with her was just...not worth anything at all.

Turning to face the curious looks of the others, Terrin replied. "I'm not sure I understand what you are getting at but yeah, I remember."

A flash of another memory and image surfaced about that time...one not too old and seemingly random. But it wasn't. I do so love you, Mr. Terrin Danner.

Matt's reply broke his thoughts. "Last time the planet had some sort of weird shield. Galen managed to fly through it, and Aaron too. This looks suspiciously like that same shield."

Terrin nodded, his mind still elsewhere.

Matt picked up on this. "Are you sure this is what you want to do, Terrin? Galen was on one of our escapepods, I'm sure we could find her..."

"But that's not what she wants," Terrin suddenly blurted, whirling to face the others. Then his gaze locked on Shawn's. "And you know that she's right in wanting us to find the baby now."

Shawn's look turned inward a moment, then he nodded. "Yeah, I do tend to agree. The baby has powers that are going to be developing from the moment she is born. Finding Galen is still important because of her genetic make-up, but right now the baby is the more immediate concern since her powers are more readily accessible. She needs to be in the right hands before it's too late. And I suspect Galen has a plan we aren't aware of yet anyway."

Terrin quirked a brow. "Oh? You do?"

The question was more retorical than anything, but Shawn answered regardless. "You said yourself she was up to something on K'eel Doba."

Terrin frowned in thought, leaning back. Then a spark of an idea began to niggle its way upward.

"You know..." he started, still fitting the pieces of a newly-developing idea together as he leaned back in the pilot's chair, his hand going to his chin, "Maybe we can use Galen's absence to our advantage here."

"How?" came Jasyn's rather blunt question. "I thought she was the one of us who had the most expertise. Seems like a disadvantage, to me."

"Yeah," Terrin replied. "In alot of ways, it is. But remember, we've been to Khar Delba too."

And the only reason they'd ever left was because one little girl had shot out something to protect her mother. Might she help those that she sensed were trying to help her as well? Could a young infant even sense this?

Suddenly a realization squirmed its way to the forefront of Terrin's mind, suddenly melting all the inner demons that had been hounding him since Galen had gone off on her own.

Galen's trusting you to find the baby. That means that she thinks you have enough of a connection with the infant to do that. Though you might not have the Force or have the link that Galen has with Darra, she has acted to protect even you, on more than one occasion...

After all, how was it that Galen, out of all your crew members, managed to wake herself up in time to save your life that day aboard the Devil-May-Care? Technically, she should have been out for hours after that imp hit...

Something...something had happened that day.

Terrin sat up, sudden determination and assurety filling him. "We're going down. I saw Galen pilot her way out of Khar Delba with that shield up..." He turned to Matt. "...and so did you."

Then he turned back to the navboard, flipping a few switches as Matt and Jasyn looked at him rather quizzically.

"...how are we getting down there, exactly...?" Jasyn finally muttered. "Before we were in the Eagle and the Falcon. Those ships are alot smaller than this baby."

"Simple. Escape pods," Terrin replied, standing and turning to look at Matt. "You think you are up for piloting?"

Matt's green eyes met Terrin's. "I think I can handle that, yeah."

"Ummm...what were our plans? Strategies?" Jasyn queried as they began to all head out of the cabin on Terrin's heels, Shawn closely behind.

Terrin stopped and turned a moment, his look a cross between borderline amusement and something else all together. "To get captured."

Then he turned and headed onward to the two closest escapepod bays. Behind him, Jasyn simply groaned.

Shawn, ever the alert Jedi that he was, spoke up as if to calm Jasyn's thoughts that Terrin had lost his mind all together. "I think I know what he has in mind."

In the lead, Terrin actually managed a bit of a lopsided grin, knowing exactly what Jasyn would have to say to that.

"You could share this with the rest of the class..." Jasyn grumbled.

Don't worry, pal, Terrin thought. You'll know soon enough...

[ 06-08-2002 11:41 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

--------------------

How silent was the Temple without his disarming laugh, she brooded as well. How I miss him...

...as well as do I miss Nikk. Never was there one so clever and loyal, save perhaps for his lieutenant, Leev.

She sighed into the echoing silence about her. Indeed, with only the four of them rattling about the Great Temple's cold interior, it was far too silent for her liking. Even the ever-present murmur of sith shades was gone; it was as if when Aelvedaar had pulled them all out and away to safety, he had taken them along as well.

She even missed Jinn's chatter.

Waiting is indeed the most difficult of tasks, she thought, not only to herself but to the soul of her true Dark Heart, wherever it had been laid to rest. Yet how well do I remember the painful lesson of it that you taught me.

She turned away from the throne with another little sigh, and began moving down the dias to where her Adept stood in a silence to match that of the shadows. Farther back, the dim light whispered the presence of the two lizard-cats, who hunkered there awaiting orders or instruction.

Graysith came up to Shayla, then stopped in her tracks. Her eyes seemed to suddenly brighten with the Glyph upon her forehead, which burst abruptly from its quiescent state into glorious and radiant life. She cocked her head a bit to one side, reaching out, sensing....

Then she nodded in satisfaction, blinking her brilliant violet eyes once before turning back to Shayla.

"We have company," she whispered.

Then, reaching out with her talents, she made a small gesture. Outside, the great ornately carved doors leading into to the Temple yawned open in welcome.

Smiling predatorily, Graysith moved up the dias to the Throne, and seated herself upon it. The two tuk'ata rumbled from the shadows, coming now to lay in twin guardianship on the floor before the dias; Graysith smiled to see Shayla moving into position as well. All about the richly paneled walls, great iron sconces burst into light, their flames sending shadows to flicker and dance upon the walls and the stone parquet floor of the impressive chamber.

Frozen in this tableau, one designed to present them to the intruders exactly for what they were, The Chosen Daughter of the Sith and her entourage, they waited.

[ 06-08-2002 02:52 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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"I'm still waiting to hear the plan," Jasyn grumbled.

Terrin turned to regard him, cocking a brow. "That presupposes that we actually have one."

"Look, buddy," Jasyn growled. "I didn't come here to go on a suicide mission. I came here to help you find Galen's baby."

"Good," Terrin said. "That's what I plan on doing." Then, his eyes darkened a little with his next statement. "But we really don't even know if she's here."

At that, Shawn stepped up next to Terrin. "Not that I've been around the baby long enough to track her...but I honestly don't sense her here."

Well, that's about as surprising as the fact that they'd made it to the surface of the planet unscathed. Which wasn't very much.

"The Sith though?" Terrin asked, a curious sort of look suddenly glinting in his eyes.

He could have sworn the Jedi looked a bit...shaken before the words ever left his mouth. Shawn closed his eyes. "They're here. They are most definitely here. At least, two of them are."

For a moment, the sounds of the Khar Delban jungle was all that could be heard. Then Terrin spoke at last, his voice evidencing a bit more compassion than even Shawn expected. "Shayla?"

Shawn nodded slowly, his eyes still closed. "Yeah." Then he opened them, casting a greeny-blue look Terrin's way. "I gave you my word that I wouldn't let her get in the way of what I've promised to do, Terrin. Trust me on that."

"Oh, I do," Terrin replied. "Besides, it's a little too late to debate the topic."

Shawn started to respond to this, then paused, frowning.

Terrin picked up on the change in mood. "What?" he asked.

"They are...waiting for us."

"Well then, I suggest that we do not keep them waiting."

With that he turned and began walking towards the Temple, Shawn and the crew not far behind him.

Whatever Fate laid ahead, he hoped the plan that was just beginning to form in his head would help him find little Darra while he still had the chance...

[ 06-08-2002 03:05 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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She frowned suddenly, turning to call down to Shayla.

"There is a Force user amongst them, sister," she purred quietly. Then, her lips curled into a slight sneer, she waved one pale hand and erected a blanketing All shield about herself, her Adept, and their guardian Beasts. She could still sense out through this blanket... but only those who used the All could penetrate it from the outside.

"Our thoughts are now our own, my Sister," she spoke up again. She shifted upon the thick apportionments of the throne, settling herself more comfortably, drawing her signature cloak about herself to hide her combat and practice doba from view. Then, in an almost offhanded manner--

"One whom I expected to be with them is not there as well."

Now she lowered her brows, piercing Shayla's greeny blues with her own violet gaze.

"What are your thoughts of this all, my Sister?"

--------------------

Galen was not with the others. Maybe this was some sort of diversion? Or worse...had Lord Roan already gotten to her?

This could mean real trouble.

But...if ANYONE knew where the Claw was, either Galen or Terrin Danner did. They should proceed carefully.

"Well, I'm concerned that Galen's absence could mean something very bad for us. If she's away from the group, she's open to others finding her. We'd best find out if Danner and his group have the Claw. And of course find out what they know of Galen's whereabouts," Shayla ascertained.

"And," she added in an almost offhanded manner, "The Force-user accompanying Terrin Danner and his friends is he who I once called my brother."

Having said this, Shayla quieted, her demeanor utter calm. Even so, a tinge of something not entirely pleasant crept up in the depths of her eyes.

[ 06-08-2002 03:38 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Two temple doors, standing wide open.

Terrin and Shawn were the only two of them who didn't look completely thrown.

Jasyn continued to ogle at the two wide-open doors of the Temple. "Is it too late for me to say I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Of course it is," Matt quipped. "But you said it anyway, didn't you?"

"Hush you two," Terrin said, biting his lip in thought.

He wondered if...

"Whomever is in there does not want a Force user sensing them, but somehow still wants us in there," Shawn interjected.

Terrin's frowned deepened. "What do you mean?"

"There's a block up. Has been for a while," Shawn responded.

Oh. Goodie.

Terrin simply shrugged. "Doesn't matter, we're still going in."

Turning, Terrin took one last deep breath, fortifying himself both physically and mentally for whatever might lie ahead.

It's not like you left a good last impression the last time you were here, buddy, a shoulder devil hissed.

Stepping into the open doors of the Temple, Terrin simply chose to ignore that particular demon all together.

[ 06-08-2002 03:51 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"They come like mice, my Sister." With those words she straightened, turning to Shayla with her teeth exposed in a laugh of pure amusement. "Perhaps they need reminding to move with a bit more...alacrity...

"M'wonBo'o! A'liya!"

Casting her hand in a silent imperative, she then sat back to wait while the two tuk'ata leapt forth as one, departing the Great Receiving Room altogether and heading toward the entrance to the Temple.

--------------------

Realization dawning, he gulped, his memory fully in tact.

"Wh...what's that?" Jasyn said worriedly.

"Something we don't want to tangle with any time soon," came Terrin's reply. "Get on the move. We aren't going to be of much use if that Beast of hers gets a hold of us."

Jasyn gulped then firmed, his hand going to his blaster.

As if that is going to help you, buddy...

They hurried onward, meeting entirely too soon with not one, but two of the rather massive and deadly beasts. Shawn's eyes widened as the group suddenly came to a horrified halt, only Terrin managing to press onward.

For a moment the others were merely surrounded by the pretators, and then they were flanked by them and pressed onward as well. Shawn thumbed his lightsaber as if to make sure it was still there.

At length Terrin at last entered the Throne Room of this altogether horrible place, the others behind him. Even so, he was at this point seemingly oblivious of their presence. He had his goal on his mind, and nothing else.

With a courage that he wasn't even completely aware he possessed, Terrin headed to the front of the Temple and centered himself with the Throne upon which she sat. For only a brief moment did he even cast his gaze over to Shayla, who was giving him a look that, if it could have, probably would kill.

But his blue eyes were only for the red-headed woman that had once been Galen's sister. He knew he didn't have to speak a word for her to know exactly what he wanted.

The others coming to a halt behind him, Terrin simply folded his arms, shot an icy blue glare the violet-eyed woman's way, and waited.

[ 06-08-2002 04:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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She rose gracefully to her feet, spreading her hands out to each side of her.

"Greetings, Terrin Danner," she said at length, her voice a whisper of ice. She held her right hand up in front of her, the fingers loosely curled downward save for the prosthetic, which was in turn held aloofly erect. She then turned it palm toward her and held it there a moment, considering it quietly before her eyes slid over her knuckles to fall into Terrin's own gaze once again. Then, after that entirely endless moment had finally passed, she turned from him toward Shawn. "And to you...Jedi."

She held her position a moment longer, her eyes shifting between the two, then finally settling directly into Terrin's cautious yet strangely confident blue gaze. Totally ignoring the others, she sank down onto the edge of the throne once again, arranging her cloak about her, her hands now lifting to fling back its hood and release her hair from its bonds. It cascaded down upon her shoulders like a fall of molten copper.

"We shall waste no words between us, Danner," she said abruptly. "Well do I know why it is you are here, as well as what it is you are seeking. Now tell me, why is it you think we should assist you, especially after the last... impression... you made while making your presence known between these walls."

Boring her penetrating stare more deeply into Terrin's very soul, she cocked her head a bit to one side, waiting with quiet assurance to hear what words he might have to present to them.

--------------------

She was totally trying to play mind games with him. He didn't much like that, either.

He only responded at first by glaring even harder.

At length, however, he spoke. "Assist?" he queried, looking at the violet-eyed woman curiously. "I'm surprised you put it this way," he said in apparent non-sequiter. "In fact, I wonder why it is you have decided to entertain my friends and I at all. Unless," he continued, his eyes boring into the other's, "you know that there are yet others out there who might successfully capture your ex-sister. Who possibly have already done just that. And who will, after that, seek out her child, fully aware of who must have her and where she is."

Here he paused, tilting his head to the side. Then he continued, managing to cover the shudder that accompanied his next statement. "I think you know very well what their...plans will be for Galen, as well. And of the damage the success of that plan might cause to your own. Even with the one child you have stolen, as well as possibly yet another whom that little demon of your entourage has taken, you will be hard-pressed to defeat them with the birth of yet other babies with Galen's genetic make-up." Here, Terrin didn't even bother to surpress the shudder.

"Sounds like a highly justifiable reason to blast us all right now," Terrin said. "But if these guys are after Galen you know just who they will be after next. But, if you...assist me in finding Galen's daughter...my daughter...

...perhaps you will find yourself down yet another enemy in the form of your own ex-sister's daughter, who will always know who her real mother is, as well as of where she truly belongs. Should you keep her here against her will, I suspect there will come a day you will find yourself regretting you took her from us."

Here he delibrately looked over at Shayla. "Taking a child from where she wishes to remain rarely results in anything positive..."

[ 06-08-2002 05:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"Strange you speak of a... possible capture of the very one who I expected most to be with you," she finally said in a quiet whisper. "'Ex-sister,' I believe you called her; strange indeed I find this use of words coming from your lips."

Now it was her turn to send a quick yet equally penetrating glance over to Shayla. Her Adept remained stonily silent, unmoving; yet Graysith could clearly feel the emotions raging just beneath the surface.

Graysith's eyes flicked back.

The tension mounted in degrees which were palpable to all.

Now the Chosen Daughter rose to her feet, quietly gliding down the dias to stand directly afront the silent Terrin Danner. He remained rock steady as she came to a stop before him, tilting her head up a bit to meet his steady gaze with her own.

Yet there was something she could read there in the depths of that look....

Graysith didn't even move when quite suddenly Terrin found himself bent abruptly over, his head coming down now to the level of the flame-headed Daughter of the Sith. For a breathless moment she held him there, the two tuk'ata now straining forward, their warning growls escalating just enough to keep the others in their own places.

"How easily you let information come from your lips," she said without an ounce of inflection in her tone. "You would do well to keep such bottled carefully away. One never knows where there are eyes watching, or ears listening over one's shoulders...."

Terrin's tall frame rebounded upright with a nearly audible snap as Graysith released him from her unseen grip. She turned around then, and carefully maintaining a stately aura slowly mounted the dias once again. There she whirled about before seating herself upon the throne again.

She cut her eyes over to her Adept, who was fairly glowering at this point.

"The child of whom you speak is bound to destiny now, as are... others," she finally said in a marginally less icy whisper. "I am afraid that I cannot concede to your... desires in this matter.

"But--!" Now she straightened upon the dias, firming herself regally upon it. "There is more truth than you would believe woven throughout your... speculations, Terrin Danner. There is far more at stake here than the life of a child... or the lives of two."

She paused again as an expression of utter grief passed like a flitting shadow across her face. Then it disappeared from view entirely, gone so fast the little group wasn't quite certain if they had seen it there or not. Once again she rose to her feet, only this time remained standing quietly in front of the massive and bejeweled throne.

"You have something I want... something I need, and which... certain others must not lay their hands upon. Something they are most certain to discover if it is not... placed into the most appropriate of safe-keeping.

"This is something that we need to speak of, Terrin Danner. But here and now is not the place. I am certain you are... fatigued from your journey to my home? Perhaps my Sister--" Now her eyes cut over to Shawn as the highly stressed words fell from her lips. "--would be so obliging as to provide you with quarters where you might rest and refresh yourselves."

Once again she descended from the throne, coming to a standstill directly in front of Terrin. This time she tilted her own face up so as to maintain the gaze they held between them.

"There is much you have to learn of us, Mr. Danner."

The words were spoken as lightly as the falling snow without the Temple. And into their wake there came a similarly muffled silence, one broken only by the raking clatter of claws as M'wonBo'o stepped out to follow his departing Mistress, who now swept past Terrin altogether and left the Receiving Room to her Adept and the little group who had come to them.

[ 06-08-2002 05:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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Then her greeny-blue gaze fell directly into Terrin's blue one.

"We must get you and your companions to some quarters, Mr. Danner, she growled, clearly not interested in playing the part of the hostess. Meanwhile she completely ignored the others, especially Shawn. Even so, she was very aware of them all.

Al'iya stepped in next to her before she began to move down the steps.

"Shayla..." Shawn started.

She froze, shooting him an icy glare. "I'd suggest you hold your tongue and appreciate the kindness afforded you."

Before Shawn could get another word out, Terrin spoke. "Kindness?" he growled. "We're wasting precious time...

...and you know what you are doing is wrong."

Shayla cocked her head, glaring even more darkly. "As did you, on more than one occassion, Terrin Danner. Funny how things change when the shoe is on the other foot. One person's evil is another's good."

"Funny how people change too, isn't it Shayla Stargazer?" came the responding question from Terrin.

"I have no time for your word games, Mr. Danner. Either you follow me to some quarters or I'll find somewhere better for the lot of you to stay. Take your pick."

With that Shayla folded her arms and simply waited for whatever stupidity would be thrown at her next.

--------------------

She didn't even bother to raise her hood, but merely stood there, her eyes raising upward to the heavens... and there to crash against the impossibly black wall of the chronotic shield arcing over her head.

She sighed, now closing her eyes, and for the first time since fleeing Phrinn'chatka let her thoughts drift back to those of the Dark Lord of the Sorceror clan. A single tear defied the elements for a short moment before freezing into a diamond upon her cheekbone.

My Sire, she let what was close to a silent plea waft out from her, wishing he could sense her, knowing he could not. How I need your guidance now.

Be with me now in all that I do... for the sake of my child, and for that of the Sith.

A cold tuk'ata nose nudged worriedly at her side, and she let a small smile break through her icy grief. Then, laying a cold hand upon the sleek head of her Beast, she turned and retraced her footsteps back into the Temple from which she had come.

--------------------

He folded his arms and glared at Shayla, wondering just exactly why Shawn had yet to do anything.

It's the perfect opportunity...

"I suspect you'll do what you want regardless."

The thing that was obviously hers growled deeply at this.

Maybe they could take her. There were four of them, and one of her. Well, one of her and something really mean with razor sharp teeth and claws up against four other people. Maaaaybe that waas a bad idea...

...but he and Galen had taken that other one...

...Galen...

Oh Jeez, Sweetheart, I'm trying to get the baby...

The Sith just HAD to have her. But was she here? They had to find out.

Shayla's look darkened further. "The whereabouts of the child is no longer your concern."

"The child is my daughter," he growled, suddenly really tired of hearing her being referred to as though she were some sort of object to be trifled with.

Shayla tilted her head. "Well then, you must know that biology matters not, in the end."

Her look then shifted from Terrin's blues to her brother's greeny-blues. "I tire of this conversation. It will profit none of us. Except perhaps gaining some of you less desirable sleeping quarters," she growled, her look shifting back to Terrin's blues.

Face it, buster. If you are EVER going to have a chance to find the baby at all, you might as well stay on Shayla and her Sithette friend's good side. That is, if either of them even had a good side.

"I suppose we should then proceed onward," he prompted, "I'm certain we will be seeing much more of each other than any of us would like anyway."

Shayla's lips crooked into an almost disturbing smile. "Indeed we probably shall, Mr. Danner."

With that she walked in front of him, cocking her head to gaze up at him, those greeny-blue eyes of hers looking like glaciers. "I trust this will be a most...enjoyable visit for you. After all, I'd hate for you to find yourself missing more than just an arm," she finished with, sliding past him.

As Terrin turned to follow Shayla with the others, he couldn't help but note the chill in the air...

--------------------

She grinned, seeing the visible shudder that raced through Terrin's frame, as well as the looks of disgust coursing through the expressions of the others in his party. Only Shayla, on her immediate right, remained coolly aloof, calmly reaching out to tear with equal vigor into a haunch of her own.

Graysith's smile deepened... then grew vague at the thought of where she was about to lead the group. She reached a slyly quiet hand into her cloak, lovingly fingering the object she had hidden therein, her thoughts now scrolling back to run through the events that had transpired within the last few hours....

Hours spent alone, away from the presence of the others, masking herself even from the powers of her Adept lest she try to follow and risk possible injury... there had, at the time, been no telling who might have been aboard the silently orbiting yacht...

...the little yacht that had brought Terrin Danner and his party to Khar Delba, the very same yacht which Graysith was keenly aware of being still in orbit, and which she had quietly departed for using the Sith ship she had taken off the world of the Sith... the same yacht which, though being under the auspices of an All-shield, surprisingly enough, still operated as did any ship made of matter, and thus was entered by the Chosen Daughter in a manner almost laughably easy...

...entered to seek The Claw of S'slan which she had to find... Fates be with them all if Galen had taken it along with her, but no... the moment she had stepped foot into the ship the Glyph on her forehead began ravening up the electromagnetic spectrum until it had bypassed the hard radiation levels of gamma, its powerful glory sending eerie radiance washing throughout ZZ'shzq as it sent itself out, like seeking like...

...and like the dianoga who becomes invisible just before it strikes, quested about in a manner which would have been unseen had anyone been aboard the yacht, questing and nosing and seeking and searching...

...searching and finally finding, secreted away in a small storage locker in a back-access alley to the hanger bay, nestled there inside the convoluted innards of a hydrospanner, of all things....

Graysith's smile grew broadly dark with the memory, and she raised the back of her hand to wipe her grease-dotted lips. Then she sent an awakening stare down the table, directly into Terrin Danner's eyes. He returned the look unflinchingly; for several long moments they remained in this ridiculous impasse until at length the others noticed the oddly darkening atmosphere about them and grew silent in turn.

The Chosen Daughter curled her lip, reaching into her cloak to now withdraw the Claw of S'slan from its folds. She let it dangle between her fingers like a moment in history.

"And now, Mr. Danner," she purred in a deadly velvet voice. "Pray tell how it is again that you may in turn assist us,... and exactly what it is that would now be preventing my Adept and I from killing you all on the spot."

Her eyes blinked once then blackened, and she smiled the sweet smile a rancor gives before the kill.

[ 06-08-2002 07:39 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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As it was, he managed to stay put, but ended up clutching the sides of his chair. He’d long before put down his fork, giving up eating whatever the Hell dinner was in exchange for not dying of some curious disease from uncooked meat.

Maybe he should have enjoyed it, seeing as it could very well have just become his last meal.

Oh HELL. So much for diplomacy.

Beside him, Shawn was sneakily fingering his lightsaber, clearly pondering if he should try using it or not.

Why didn’t you think about that a few HOURS ago, pal? was all Terrin could think, wanting more than anything to shrink away from the deathly look in the violet eyes that even across the table were boring into his soul.

He frowned blackly. Lady, I didn’t know where Galen had stashed it to begin with! Not that I would have just given it to you anyway...

What had Master Rean said that thing did exactly? Focus the...the All it was. So that it could be directed against another being.

Ahhhh...but this was gonna be fuuuuuun. For Graysith and her little Adept maybe.

Terrin really wondered why she hadn’t offed them all the moment she had found it.

Maybe he still had something to bargain with that she knew of...something he hadn’t thought of...

...or maybe she just wanted the sheer joy of seeing him squirm before she killed them all.

This just had to be stopped from happening. Kinda hard to save your wife and child if you’re Huttslime.

But once again...what did he have that a Sith would want? What could be his bargaining chip to save he and his friends? And maybe even Galen and the baby, if he played his cards just right...?

Let’s see:

A ship-building company.

Not of much importance to those who could pop in and out anywhere they wanted to. Not to mention to someone with those little Sith ships. Scratch that.

Some big ships...an Eclipse-class Star Destroyer to his name.

See reason why asset number one is worth nothing. Next.

One hot-commodity wife.

Not an option, sheesh. Especially considering Graysith would rather see Galen dead than alive.

Good grief. If you thought of that pal you really are out of options! Anything else?

Hmmm. Good connections with both Imperial and New Republic civilians and leaders. (what, am I filling out a resume here?)

Hmmm...

...maybe...

Terrin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, meeting the deadly violet stare with a gaze that at least equaled it. The room was silent enough for someone to hear the feather of a cloud-dancer hit the floor.

He hoped that if this worked Galen wouldn’t kill him herself when she found out what he might be setting them up for to save her and the baby both.

“Seems that even with that you have enemies coming from at least two sides of you. It will be difficult for your small group of companions to defeat both the evil that is seeing out my wife and daughter and the evil that is apparently taking over the galaxy while you wait for it to pass over. I might not have much in the way of Force-skills, but I do have some long-standing and secure connections in this galaxy. With enemies coming at you on both sides, it’d be a shame to have yet a third one to deal with when you could instead use the third to your benefit...”

His eyes never leaving Graysith’s, Terrin held his breath, praying that this could save all their necks.

Galen, I hope you’ll understand just why I’m doing this...

[ 06-08-2002 09:09 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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She remained totally immobile, one hand gracefully upraised from which the Claw yet dangled, the other resting lightly upon the tabletop as she kept her eyes riveted to Terrin.

Eternities passed between them.

Suddenly she placed the Claw upon her finger, wiggled it for fit, then steepled her hands together on the table.

"Why Mr. Danner," she smiled sweetly across the glistening expanse of wood, her words cutting into the thick silence floating about the room. "Are you suggesting an...alliance with the Sith?"

No one dared say a word, but it was as if the entire room drew in an audible gasp of dismay.

She continued to smile, toying a bit now with the point of the Claw. That deadly beauty remained as lethally sharp-- and potent --as ever.

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Your wife is going to kill you, a little shoulder devil popped up and blathered in his head.

In response to that, Terrin simply thought that he'd rather be killed by her than never see her ever again. Which, if something wasn't done right this moment, was exactly what would happen.

Through all the thought, he maintained an icy look directed right into that firey violet one still baring down on him. "In exchange for my daughter...and my wife...

...yes."

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"Do you truly realize what that entails, Mr. Danner?" That brief statement, though whispered, rang through the room with explosive force. "Do you truly... truly ...realize just who it is you will be getting yourself involved with... and for what duration?"

Another eternity passed between them; then Graysith cut her eyes to where Shayla sat glowering like a volcano about to erupt. The haunch the young adept had been nibbling away on was poised midway to her mouth; she looked like she wanted to throw it at Terrin.

Graysith reached out a hand and gave her Adept's arm a loving squeeze. "Your input is valuable to me, sister," she said softly yet meaningfully. "Can this one be trusted?"

She fell silent with that, waiting for a reply, her eyes never removing themselves from the man who sat across from her, doing his damnedest to remain seated and not just cut and make a dash for it.

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His...WIFE?

She turned the most glacial greeny-blue gaze at him she possibly could. "No," she said darkly. "We shouldn't. He's been known to cut and run on promises more than once. I can garantee you he thinks once he has Galen and his "daughter" he can cut and run yet again.

I wouldn't trust him further than I could throw a feather."

[ 06-08-2002 10:02 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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This had gone far enough.

"Will you THINK about what you are saying, Terrin?" he blurted.

Terrin shifted his blue eyes to Shawn. Even though Terrin was doing a fairly good job of covering it, Shawn knew he was scared as hell.

"You make a bargain with these people and the baby is theirs, pal."

Terrin looked as though he could throw up right then and there.

Hadn't thought about that, had you friend?

Terrin closed his eyes, and pursed his lips, an evident pain crossing his features.

Shawn knew he'd struck a cord of sensibility. He sat back down, ignoring Shayla's look altogether as she had ignored him earlier.

"I don't suppose I can trust you and your Sister either, Shayla Petrolu. And that being said," he said, quite obviously steeling himself for the blow that he knew would be coming, "I guess there will be no alliance after all. My daughter will never be safe as long as she is accessible to your hands."

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"Thank you, Sister," she said softly. Then she fell silent.

Minutes ticked inexorably by. Silence reigned. The tension in the room mounted even higher, grew even thicker.... then the Jedi rose to his feet with his rather loud protests, overcoming what sensibility Terrin had been approaching with the words that made the young man suddenly switch rontos in midstream.

"Oh dear," the Chosen Daughter of the Sith said mildly. "Once again I am not surprised by the inevitable yet somehow lackluster wisdom of the Jedi."

With that she suddenly rose to her feet, still pinning her eyes on Terrin, now reverting back to answer her own earlier question to him.

"Regarding your keen understanding of galactic affairs in general...no, Mr. Danner, you do not."

Now she pushed back the chair on which she had been seated, and came around to the side of the table.

"You haven't the slightest notion of the forces involved here, do you?" she said as she walked slowly toward him, fiddling a bit with the Claw. "You tremble before the name of the Sith, yet you have no real idea as to what-- as to who we in fact really are.

"You have no idea as to what you are up against, of the importance the child plays in the events about to unfold, of the fact that 'my foes,' as you call them, are not mine alone, but yours as well, indeed, and to the myriad worlds which make up this once-called Republic in which you live."

By now she had reached his side, stopped there, letting the Claw rest upon the table directly beneath his nose. It's sharp tip made a steady tic-tic as she lightly rapped it there.

"You have no idea... else you would have recognized the wisdom in the words you were brave enough to speak to me... and would not have backed down at the foolish behest of this useless Jedi."

For a long moment she just stood there staring deeply into Terrin's widening eyes, quietly assessing him. A strange sort of... sadness seemed to well up hauntingly in the depths of her own violet pair, darkening them to the hue the sky reaches directly before night falls. Then she straightened with a sigh.

"I said it once, and I will say it again. The child is bound over to destiny now... as apparently is your wife. I wash my hands of you and yours, foolish one.

"Shayla!"

Now she whirled about, the call ringing harshly upon the thick silence of the Dining Hall.

"They are yours to dispense of, my dear. I trust you can see to their...proper disposal."

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