M'wonBo'o's great claws made a light and steady ticking as he wended his way through the bowels of the Temple, winding through moss-enshrouded corridors and bypassing side passages, following his instincts further and further into the hidden recesses, up one set of stairs and down another until at length he came to a brief halt before a set of ornately carved doors, one inscribed with jewels and precious metals and runes blackened with age. In the corner, a simple "Darth Wicked" proclaimed the fact that that powerful Dark Lord had proclaimed this great pantheon as his home.

M'wonBo'o came to a halt before the door. Balancing carefully on three feet, he raised up a forepaw and struck the door. It swung open before his assault, though so precisely had he performed this simple task that Graysith didn't so much as shift upon his back.

Now he padded into the darkened interior which Dark Lord after Dark Lord had claimed as his own private quarters, ending with the joint tenure of the Chosen Daughter of the Sith and Dark Lord Roan. Coming to a quiet stop beside the great and luxurious bed that announced its mastery within this room, he leapt delicately upon it and very carefully hunched down.

Graysith slid off his back and onto the soft mattress of the gigantic bed. She didn't so much as move a finger, but lay absolutely still upon it.

M'wonBo'o whined, licked her face in concern, then maneuvered to the foot of the bed. There he curled his massive form into as small a ball as he possibly could, and proceeded to settle down to guard her and to patiently wait for her to awaken.

Graysith was down for the count. Unconscious and not responding to a thing. You're in charge for the moment Shayla, you are her Sister and the one person in the universe she trusts the most.

Show her that you truly own that position she has so generously bestowed upon you.

Removing any sort of evidence of her growing wariness from her features, Shayla quickly made a list of priorities. While she wouldn't dare to make plans in Graysith's absence, she could see to it that everyone was settled and...observe everyone's actions for the time.

And she did really need to update Shawn and the others on what was going on. They were supposed to be allies, and she had been treating them as quite less. And while she thought to momentarily block the signatures of the others from these now before her, she thought better of it. She'd be with Terrin and his group, and Al'iya could keep gaurd. M'wonBo'o would watch over Graysith. Blocking signatures at this point would only indicate suspicion, and they just might be needing each other's assistance.

That would only occur if everything was out in the open. Mostly everything anyway.

So she would keep a watchful eye, and turned her look outward to the two men. "Do you require sustenance of some kind, or would you prefer to withdraw to some quarters for some rest?"

"Yeah," he responded at length, "I could do with some food."

Then she moved forward, not looking back to see if she was being followed or not. In the meantime, she sent out a message to the last person she ever thought she would, making sure to at least keep the message veiled in the All by prying eyes and ears. Shawn, you and I will need to talk shortly.

Then, leading the others into the Dining Hall, she waved a hand expansively to the food laid about the table, and waited to see who would move first.

Or rather, stuffed themselves.

The meal was uneventful enough. As soon as everyone seemed to have more than their fair share of the bounty provided, Shayla led each man to some quarters for the evening.

Likewise she sensed that he didn't intend any harm.

And like he would get very far with M'wonBo'o gaurding.

M'wonBo'o, be wary, Shayla warned, hoping he could "hear" her. Then keeping her senses on full alert, she moved to the suites afforded Terrin and his little band.

Like it or not they needed to talk, now.

Sent to the darkest depths of the void by her own hand, by this one act she bound up her physical body but had freed her subconscious thought. It reached out, somehow side-slipping the elseness in which Khar Delba floated, a rare jewel amidst a setting more rare. Shrugging with the innate ability to travel simply wherever it desired, for such is the freedom of the mind, it quietly sped between the very interstices of time and space, arrowing outward, seeking like, finding it hidden beneath the muffling folds of a blanket so dark, so encompassing, so unyielding....

She had a dream. A dream of darkness, and pain, and eyes the color of blood. These segueing into the fires of the sun, which struggled to lift that endless shroud. Molten fires shot with rightous anger and despair and yearning. And as those eyes watched, a sapling sprang up from rich and nutritious soil... and from that sapling there fell a seed. The eyes brightened with interest to see the seed spring into rapid growth, growing tall and strong, shooting up alongside the tree, its roots reaching and digging and demanding the soil for its own. Watching as parasitic vines reached out from that smaller growth, seeking outward, touching the tree, causing its crown to tremble, causing leaves to fall which began to crawl upon the soil and try to climb up the bark of them both.

A strange dream. And the dream awakened her with its strange strength.

Slowly her eyes opened and stared into the dim light of the bedchamber. She blinked in momentary confusion; then memory descended in a rush of taunting laughter. For a moment she shied away... then stopped, something within her beginning to strengthen and stand firm against the memory.

For memory it truly was. And memory would only pain her if she let it.

She sat up smoothly, an alert M'wonBo'o rumbling ecstatically up to her to lick her face in welcome. She acknowledged his delight with a returning hug of her own, then ordered him to the floor. He promptly obeyed her, whereupon she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and just sat there, now calmly turning her brilliant gaze into the piercing eyes of the body of the man who was once her enemy.

Who now appeared, at least on the surface, to be trying to be her friend.

For a moment she sat in silence, studying him. Then--

"Why?" she asked simply, stilling M'wonBo'o's rising rumble with a small movement of one hand. "And why is not my Adept here with you? It is not... becoming ...to enter a lady's bedchambers when she is in so vulnerable a position."

"Because someone had to, you are her leader, she, and everyone else I sense here, need your guidance. Besides, I need to know why you kept me here."

Then he offered her his hand, she just looked at it.

Though her expression remained absolutely blank, inside she yet warred with herself. She eyed the hand offerred to her, recalling all too clearly what that hand had been doing the last time it had reached out to her in so similar a manner. A small frisson rippled through her; then she steadied herself.

The ravening Glyph betrayed her, however, even as she placed a cool hand into Narcolm's large one.

"Indeed," she repeated herself, sliding off the bed and getting to her feet. Releasing her hold, she then moved gracefully toward the door. There she paused and turned around to face him once more.

"Thank you for your... assistance," she offerred quietly, reaching inwardly with her talents and therein finding the brilliance of the healing strength he had given to her. Grasped it as if it were a jewel most rare.

Indeed perhaps it was.

Then, reaching out with the palm facing upward, she offerred her hand to Narcolm in return. "Shall we return to the others?" she asked.

The Chosen Daughter was keenly aware of the fidgeting movements of the powerful man beside her. She couldn't help but smile softly to herself as she sensed him adjusting his sword for the third time, as though wanting it to hang just right.

Such a paradox, she thought to herself as yet another quiet chink resounded from the stones of the corridor through which they were now passing. That this powerful being, who had once brought me such pain and disgrace...

...should now be concerned as to his appearance. And would speak with the voice of a lamb.

Suddenly she came to a halt, one so abrupt that Narcolm almost ran into her completely. He managed by a dint of effort not to barrel over her, but stood a bit awkwardly, now addressing his breastplate once again.

Graysith stifled her smile. "You wished to know why I kept you and the one with you here with us," she said of a sudden. Her eyes now pierced his own, darting deeply into their depths, almost as though she was seeking something hidden within them. Indeed, there was something she found there, something pleasing enough that she continued.

"There is one who has betrayed us," she said simply. "Of all the... visitors who have descended upon us so suddenly, I felt that you and the one with you had the most promise, the most strength. Indeed--"

Now she moved around to face him completely, reaching out and lightly placing one hand upon the breastplate which finally lay smoothly and properly aligned upon his chest.

"If all has been inherited in the transfer of your essence into this body, then great power have you gained. Lord Atma was a Dark Lord of some reknown; he has dark powers which almost rivaled those of Darth Wicked.

"Perhaps those powers may be used alongside us... at your discretion, of course. If this is not your desire..."

"It's for safety," Shyla explained. "It'll protect us all.

Terrin shot her a somewhat unreadable look. But somehow she knew what he was thinking regardless. "Everything will happen in due time," she assured him.

But that little disclosure seemed to only make things worse. At length he simply got up and headed for the balcony. Shayla looked to Shawn whose look was the most unreadable of all of them.

How completely and annoyingly typical.

He too left for the balcony. This left her there with Terrin's two very-much-sobered crewman.
Oh joy.

The red-headed man just seemed to be simply waiting, while the other crossed his arms, an altogether sullen expression on his face.

And that's when she sensed her. Rather, them.

Knowing they were headed this way to speak of important things, Shayla simply let the others continue in their current mood. No need to make them more anxious at the expectation of Graysith's arrival.

Along her mental length with Graysith she sent the message: It's good to have you back. I apologize for my absence; there seemed to be some "updating" that was necessary to keep the trust going. I am with Mr. Danner and his associates. We wait...some of us with more patience than others...

Of who? she wondered, struggling to maintain her composed look. What do I call this one who now walks with us? Is he aware of the Oath--?

She sent a brief greeting to Shayla, informing her of Narcolm/Atma's choice to join with them to bring back her daughter and defeat the darkness yet coiling like smoke in the distant regions of the galaxy. A smile came to her lips as she clearly sensed her annoyance with their somewhat reluctant allies.

And how shall they react when they see that a Darth has risen from the grave to join in our quest? The mere thought of possible reactions provoked a quiet chuckle to rise within her; immediately the imposing Darth Atma, who had come up to walk beside her, turned his head and gave her an inquiring look.

The smile faded a bit from her face... yet not in its entirety.

"My Lord," she began, respectfully acknowledging the title he had gained with the morphic transfer, now slowing her pace to a standstill and once more reaching a hand out to him. Now it was his turn to merely look at it.

She continued. "First, there is a matter of how you wish to be introduced to the others. As Lord Atma, or Lord Narcolm?"

She paused, her eyes darkening with amusement over the very incongruity of that question.

"And, my Lord," she then went on smoothly. 'There is a matter of the Blood Oath. I do assume you are willing to partake of it with me, as did Terrin Danner in the stead of his entire party and organization?"

To say he was a little bit worried would be the understatement of the century.

Graysith was about to tell them all something when the intruders had arrived and all hell had broken lose, and it was driving him crazy to be in the dark. And he knew it'd be something that he'd just hate. He didn't know how he knew, he just did.

"The worry will do no one any good," came a philosophical comment from behind him.

Terrin whirled to face Shawn. "You certainly are the spouter of thoughtful words," he growled.

Shawn just held up his hands in surrender. "I just hate to see you make yourself sick over what you cannot control yet. You're doing the best you can, you've gotta believe that."

Terrin leaned back and folded his arms across his broad chest. His eyes defocused as he spoke again. "But you don't know what he did to her before. You don't know how she struggled. I can't bear to think of her in that situation again. And to think that's how he took little Darra from us..." he trailed,shuddering.

"You can't dwell in the past," Shawn interjected.

Terrin arched an eyebrow at him. "No, I can't. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about them. I can't help it," he said, shrugging.

"Funny how things have changed, you know," Shawn said, momentarily averting his blue-green gaze to the room behind them. Then he looked back.

"Just goes to show you never know," Terrin agreed. "Not even in regards to yourself sometimes. I needed to grow up and learn to care about someone aside from myself; maybe Shayla needed to find a little darkness within herself."

Shawn's look blackened for the barest of moments. "There are other ways to learn self-confidence."

"I think you'd best leave it alone, Shawn," Terrin warned.

"I don't know, Terrin. We'll see."

"Your sister and Graysith are supposed to be our allies. I don't think arguing their view of life and the Force will display your trust in them. Untrusting as I am, I'll do what I have to help my daughter and my wife. Keep in mind what lives are at stake here before you go arguing personal views, buddy."

Shawn nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, maybe you're right." Then, in effort to lighten the mood a little, "So who is giving the advice here?"

Terrin rolled his baby blues. "Let's get inside. As valuable a crew member as Jasyn is he's known to shoot off at the mouth at the worst times. Better not give him the opportunity."

"Very well," she replied, straightening to look directly up at him. "The powers you have within you cannot be denied. A Darth Lord Atma was, and likewise a Darth you must now consider yourself. Lord Narcolm it shall be."

"this is not the time to get into ancient traditions... it does not matter that you are not dressed..." he quickly reached down and picked up his robes, dressing quickly. Now standing he looked about the room once again.

hmm...the door is gone... oh well..

he then reached down and picked up his sheathed sword. after examining it to make sure it was intact, he straped the black weapon to his waist. he then picked up the staff, examined it, and straped it to his back.

Looking around he found nothing, so instead he closed his eyes and let his other senses do the work...
Fresh air coming from.... "THERE!" he screamed, in that slight instantly his staff was in his hands, and fully covered in its brilent energy, he quickly slamed the staff against the wall, destroying it, and reuniting the lost room with the ancient catacomes.
instintivly following the path that he could tell had long sense been forgotten he wandered, using the force as his guide.

After some 10 minutes of wandering, he reached an area that seemed to be less forsaken, and had resently been passed by, he looked into a room, and another stone alter sat within, probably holding a sith that had died some time ago. continuing on he could now sense the life in the temple, and moved rapidly towards it, now not even the slightest bit of hesitation in his choices of what paths to take. he soon found himself in a room filled a woman, and a few other men.

he spoke quickly to the woman "are you the one called Graysith? if not where may i find her..."

But for the most part she kept all evidences of any shock completely to herself.

This guy...

"I am not Graysith. She will soon be entering this very room."

Then she afforded herself a brief moment to glance about the room.

Jasyn, was ogling.

No surprises there.

Matt was watching carefully; most assuredly he was keenly listening to every word as well. Terrin and Shawn had frozen in the corridor leading from the balcony.

Who was this being, but more importantly... not to mention disturbingly... where had he come from? It had to have been from somewhere on this planet; what brought the greatest consternation to her was the fact that she hadn't sensed him a bit until he had literally popped into existence mere moments ago.

Her eyes deepened with her frown. Seeming to disregard the quiet Narcolm altogether, she approached the moss-laden doors to the Receiving Room, held out her finger in a slight motion, and didn't so much as pause in her even stride but entered into the presence of the others carrying a combination of suspicion and readiness to do battle upon her plate.

Now she paused, letting the Glyph ignite in its glory, illuminating the room and its occupants with its ultraviolet radiance. Everyone there instinctively raised their hands to their faces save for her adept, who merely blinked.

She paused, assessing the situation, taking in the form and features of this new unknown...

SITH?!

Not a hint of surprise crossed her face.

"I am Recinis Q'utaro" he started then he stood slowly and continued, "It is my mission to protect and serve you, to assist in your achieving whatever goals you might, have..." suddenly realizing that he was not sure how to explain he paused, looking around to view the expectant faices of everone in the room, eyeing him carefully, he then sighed and said "it is a long story, perhaps we should all sit?"

Slowly she raised the Claw-bearing hand toward him, pinpointed its rapier tip upon his heart.

"of course..."
How do i explain this?

"Long ago, i am not sure how long it has been, A powerful sorcerer of the sith chose me, to undertake a special quest." a sigh escaped his lips as he paused to think of an approuch.

"This sorcerer told me only that i was to be put into a sleep for an eternity of ages. and then, i was to awaken, and provid assistance, and protection for you in your own quest, whatever it might be, i was simply told that the fate of the sith could very well reside in your hands..."

Where did this one come from? Clearly he was Sith... or at least appeared to be. But the question of primary importance was not who he was, but rather who had sent him.

How could another sorcerer know of her birth... more than 4,000 years in his own future? She knew Aelvedaar had finally succeeded in commanding the All only just as the Dark Jedi were finalizing their own brand of brutality upon his race; how could another sorcerer, one NOT able to command the flow of time as only the All allows, discover her importance to them and their destiny?

What sorcerer was able to see that far into the future? Aelvedaar had not mentioned any others concurrent with him; however this did not necessarily mean that the one who sent this Sith was of another age. Her Sire had already shown his ability to keep certain truths to himself; thus it was quite possible the mysterious sorcerer was ineed one of his contemporaries.

Or perhaps, had somehow followed after him in time....

Her eyes narrowed further as she pondered the paradox, knowing only One held the answer to this question. Then--

"From what world do you hail?" she asked in an abrupt non sequiteur, cocking her head now a bit to one side as she waited to hear his response. A low growl broke the thick silence and M'wonBo'o reached out a massive paw, stretching his ten-inch claws out toward Recinis as though he just couldn't stand the anticipation of waiting any longer.

"i have resided on Khar delba for my intire life...i must say mainly because, spacetravel in my time, was...rare to say the least..."

Why am i here? do i really know? apparantly the sorcerer didnt tell me enough, she wont believe me...

"Imposter!"

The word fell from Graysith's lips like an executioner's blade, cutting into the growing sense of trepidation she could clearly sense emanating from this stranger who had come from seeming nowhere. Without allowing him anytime to gather his startled wits or retaliate in any manner, she sent a bit of the All ravening out from the Claw. The very atmosphere seemed to somehow draw in upon itself as awesome power sung out, grasped the very molecules of the air about Recinis, and began to tighten them about him with the inexorable grip of a hungry rancor who has just captured a choice bit of prey.

Her lip curled into a sneer and her eyes blackened as Recinis tried to breathe, then fell abruptly on his side. He gasped, his head straining from side to side, his eyes beginning to widen and bug out as he strove to exhale fully so as to take in a great inhalation. Each time he did, however, the invisible bonds tightened about him until he could scarcely expand his ribcage at all.

"And now, my friend," Graysith spoke up just when it seemed Recinis was about to set foot on a short road to death. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to explain once more who you are, how you found us here... and who sent you to Khar Delba."

She waited, her hand still extended, ready to deliver the final blow.

What power does she command? i can not fight this... i must simply give in...

His mind finaly coming to a calm, his inner instincts taking over his disorentation of being awakened suddenly, his voice came out smooth, and clear, much to the surprise of those that watched.

"I know only what i have told you... If this is not the truth, then i have somehow been made to believe it is so. If you wish not to except what i have told you, then please, release me, and i shall leave... but i will never be gone, i have been givin orders, and i shall follow them, with, or without your blessing..." thinking for a moment "if you should chose to not believe me, take my weapons, they were created to be put to your survice, orriginaly by me, but im sure you can find some use for them..."

Her violet gaze cut to the silent Lord Narcolm, assessing his noninterference or lack of suggestion. They moved over the other humans to where Shayla stood. Her Adept, too, remained quiet but crooked a brow in what could be discerned as amusement.

Graysith returned her full attention to Recinis. Slowly now, she moved toward him, her hand turning over palm up as she came closer to him. He didn't move an inch as she knelt beside him, though the invisible bonds about him lessened just a fraction. Though the truth behind his apparent docility could not yet be truly revealed, it still spoke in his favor. He remained absolutely quiet as Graysith's hand came up to him and settled like a bird upon his brow.

As did Wicked so long ago, and as she in turn had once executed with Shayla, tendrils of Graysith's very mind now slipped like velvet into the chambers of Recinis' mind. The touch was gentle, exploratory... and quite overwhelming. She probed more deeply into the hidden recesses of Recinis' mind, ruthlessly examining and discarding one imprinted memory after another, until she came upon a stalwart little door in the very heart of his subconscious thought. It burst open at her touch.

Graysith's eyes flew open at what lay revealed within. In one smooth motion, she pulled out of Recinis' mind, rose to her feet and stepped back a pace or two. For a long moment she stared deeply into Recinis eyes. At length she spoke.

"He is with us," she said succinctly.

Then she looked about the imperious decor of the Great Receiving Room. A frown slowly creased her brow.

"This place is too officious for the parlay of allies, my friends," she said at length, a wave of her hand both indicating the room and encompassing all who yet stood therein. "Let us go to a more comfortable chamber to refresh ourselves and to discuss our next move."

Indicating that her Adept should now take her customary place beside her, Graysith turned and led the group away from the throne and back to the double doors. In moments all had departed, to find themselves invited into the Dining Hall, where a richly glowing set of greel-wood tables awaited them. One heavily laden with food and drink to satiate the heartiest and most jaded of appetites. The other clearly to serve as a place where they might all confer together.

She entered my mind, i could feel it, but how? hmm...i truly must discovere what this strange power is, it is certainly not the force, i thought at first that it was, but it can not me...i know this now...

Entering the room graysith had led them to he followed her example and sat down at the table, looking at the food in place he suddenly realized that he was extremly hungry, perhaps his body had not been as well preserved as he had though, he started to eat, but suddenly though better of it, deciding to ask a question first.

And besides, he was worried about Galen. He was worried about Dark Lord Roan getting a hold of her--or the baby for that matter. After all, he'd stolen Graysith's baby from under her nose. And he was worried about whatever it was that Graysith and Shayla seemed to know that he didn't.

What was Phrinn'chatka?

He could only hope that someone would get down to explaining this. And that they'd take some action soon. This sitting around and waiting was beginning to eat at him.

Taking a sip of his wine, Terrin arched an eyebrow as the newest stranger interjected his unusual question into the silence that loomed like a shadow over the Dining Hall. Then he sat the glass down and leaned back, simply waiting to see what would happen and hoping that they would soon get to the business that was, at least in his opinion, becoming more urgent as every second passed.

"It is nothing you should concern yourself with at the moment," she said smoothly, now taking a slice of meat up in her fork and beginning to nibble delicately upon it. She remained absolutely silent as she ate the meat, taking tiny bites and chewing thoroughly before swallowing and taking another.

Clearly it was to remind all those present of their places... at least those who might have need of this reminder.

At length she put down her fork, licking her lips before turning her attention to Recinis once more. She studied him at length, then turned her violet eyes to Lord Narcolm and perused him as well.

The silence became deafening. Then she spoke to the room at large.

"While all of you have agreed, in one manner or another, to be of assistance to us in our endeavors, there are those currently present who have yet to prove their worth to me."

Now her eyes roved from face to face, stopping on each to direct that look even more pointedly, making it somehow... personal. It seemed as though her gaze fixated the longest upon Terrin Danner, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Then she let it move onward , letting the intensity lessen until the look was merely inreadable, and she directed her attention to all who were present once again.

"Mr. Danner remains distrustful, in spite of the Oath we have exchanged," she said softly, picking up her fork and stabbing into another slice of meat. She raised the rare and juice-dripping slice before her eyes, pondered it thoughtfully. "And thus, in turn, perhaps I need prove our worth to him."

The fork hung menacingly in mid-air, and she turned back to Recinis and Narcolm.

"You shall in response to one directive both prove your worth to me, and prove our worth to Mr. Danner. "

With these words, she nodded smoothly toward Terrin, then continued. "I sense within him a great concern for his...wife.

"You shall go forth from this place and seek her, and when you find her shall return her unharmed to this Temple. But--"

She paused once more, her lip curling as though in some secret amusement. "There are those of great strength who also seek this female; this I have been aware of for some time. Take the greatest of precautions, use your Force but with extreme care, and fulfill this mandate I hand over to you. I will provide you with a ship, or with one apiece if you desire such, and will lead you safely back into the realtime of the universe from which we have slipped. When your charge has been completed, I shall return you here.

"Speak now, if there is anything you would request. Otherwise you shall depart immediately."

"If that is what you need, then so be it..." he said "it would probably be wisest if we traveled together" he said indicated the other, "i am not a pilot, as might be realized...Ah, what is this ones name?" he finaly gave intot he question that was nagging at his inner thoughts, and pointed to the man (Narcolm).

Then something else hit him. Coruscant? Now, WHO would want Galen on Coruscant?

Suddenly the connection fell right into place.

The transmission they'd stumbled upon on Sorben Tarnus's ship...the whole idea that he was possibly double-agenting...

...Aw HELL. Not Admiral Actar, AGAIN...

Terrin took another sip, then leaned back in his seat. Let some ideas sift through his mind. Then he sighed. "Allright, I'll admit this trusting thing is gonna take me some time. But then, I need to throw in a chip here as well, since we're all working on proving our worth to each other. If Galen has been taken to Coruscant, I can bet I know who she has been taken to. And I suspect you'll be needing some assistance because the planet is blockaded, according to my last sources. You might need some of my promised...connections to get in successfully," he surmised.

"I would suggest you take my assistant Matt Stanza," he said, waving in the short red-headed man's direction. "He can lead you to any possible connections we at Eagle Enterprises have, which just might be helpful in this venture. And, I know my wife. If she doesn't know you and you barrel in to get her, she's gonna just try to get away. So I'd like someone to be on the team that she'll trust. While I'd like to go myself, I made a promise to her, albeit an unspoken one, to keep watch over Darra, and I intend to keep that promise. Perhaps while you try to find her we can continue with plans here, so as to be ready for the next thing that might lie ahead?"

"Or...shall we all assess the possibility that Actar has Galen and then try to rid ourselves of him as a united front?" he asked, more to Graysith than to anyone else.

Pausing at that, Terrin ran his finger idly along the edge of his wineglass and waited, curious to see how everyone would respond.

"Strange I find it, that you refuse to go to the assistance of your mate, when you know the child is well and in more than capable hands," she whispered meaningfully before turning smoothly away from him to the Sith and the Dark Lord once again.

"That suggestion is denied." Though she faced Lord Atma and Recinis, the words were clearly meant for Terrin. Then she continued, now addressing the two she had originally directed.

"What Lord Atma has revealed makes sense," she said, "as I know the admiral has in the past targeted Galen Jhin'Dar. You have more than enough information to begin your quest; take the greatest precautions in your hunt, as Actar is uberjedi and powerful in both the light and the dark."

Which is as nothing compared to the wonders of the All... but we shall see what kind of allies we have taken up with....

Now she rose to her feet, placing her hands flat upon the table, and totally ignored the glares Terrin was shooting her way.

"I have modified TIEs available for your use, my friends," she said, finishing with, "and after we have refreshed ourselves I shall take you to them. In leaving Khar Delba, be certain your departure vector runs exactly perpendicular to a tangential line centered over the southern magnetic pole; I shall manipulate you back into realtime as you maneuver through the chronotic shield.

"Again I say, be certain to center your departure exactly over the midpoint of the magnetic pole. The opening there is small, and should any part of your ship touch the shield..."

She cut herself off, ending with a slight curling of her lips. Then she regained her seat to finish her meal, one hand reaching slyly down to hand off a choice bit of meat to M'wonBo'o, who was glued as usual to her side.

She'd try to get away. And he wouldn't want her to be frightened...or hurt...

But what about the baby, what about her? Could he just leave her here? Well, she wasn't here anyway...and he knew where she was, as well as he knew that even when they found Galen this wouldn't be over...there were yet others who wanted her, and the baby. Staying here would gain them nothing in terms of protecting Darra, except perhaps proving to Graysith that he still was struggling with his trust. But, if he went with the other two after Galen...

He closed his eyes in for a brief moment, trying to collect his thoughts, trying to discern just what exactly to do, or to say.

Galen, I miss you so much it hurts...

He opened his eyes and shot the most honest look he could at Graysith. "Can I interject something here, please?" he said, waiting a moment. Graysith merely shot him an unreadable look, but he had her attention, so he continued on, glancing over to Lord Narcolm..or was it Atma?...and this new ally of theirs. "You're gonna need a good pilot. Not that I'm quite as talented as my wife, but I'm still good, and I've piloted through the shield before." Then, he returned a pleading blue-eyed gaze back over to Graysith. "You know Galen will not trust these two. And I suspect you know very well why I have...refused...to go to her assistance. Someone does need to be there that she'll trust, or else matters might become even more complicated. I need to explain to her what is going on..."

And hope she doesn't think I've just gone entirely mad...

"...before someone even more powerful and Evil gets a hold of her. Perhaps in going with these two to assist in finding her I can prove a modicum of trust in you."

He hoped he was getting through here...

"And perhaps in letting me go you can verify your trust in me as well.."

Holding a hand out to stay any more comments by the others, she turned again to Terrin.

"I asked you this question once before, Mr. Danner, although in a different context," she began. "And I ask it of you now."

Indicating the imposing forms of the Sith warrior and the revived dark jedi with a wave of her hand she pressed on. "Do you fully realize the circumstances into which you will be placing yourself with this request?"

OK Buddy, THINK.. What circumstances would you be placing yourself in with these guys?

He bit his lip, now deep in thought and unaware of those around him. Start from the beginning. What would Galen want you to do?

The answer to that was easy enough. Watch over Darra and make sure she is safe. She had made it quite clear that's what she wanted him to do.

Ok, so why do you think she would want you to do that over going after her?

This answer came pretty quickly as well. Because she doesn't trust the Sith.

But then, this lead him back to his reasoning for believing he, or someone of his crew, should go with the others.

Allright. Think about the possible implications there. What is Galen gonna think if you show up to rescue her with these guys? Will she, as you have been thinking, trust them based on your presence with them, all things considered?

Maybe. But then again, maybe not. After all, she might find it more than a touch wee strange that you are paling around with a couple of questionable guys like these. It would almost look like...

...like...

Well, you know.

And you also have to consider how valuable your promised "resources" might be if you prematurely reveal that you are allied with the Sith, before you all get down to the real business that you know will be coming.

So maybe this isn't such a good idea.

He furrowed his brow, continuing to ponder.

Allright. So what happens if you don't go with these guys and they successfully find Galen?

OK, she might run.

But then, there's a possibility you HAVEN'T considered. She has been wanting to find Darra very badly. And she's not going to stray from that...Darra has been her primary concern for a long time.

So one of two things are going to happen. First off, she might run and try to get to Khar Delba to find Darra, which is where she believes the baby is. OR she might just give in and let these two fellows take her IF she knows that they are taking her to Khar Delba. The original plan had been, after all, to get captured so that they could get into the Temple to find the baby.

And Galen WOULD risk herself in any way necessary to get to her little girl...THEIR little girl.

Hmmm.

Somehow Terrin knew Galen would have to come to trusting these beings completely on her own. He couldn't do that for her. And quite frankly, the only way they'd ever be able to prove to her that she could trust them would be for them to bring her here, where she would find that her daughter was safe.

And they damned well better let her see Darra after all this too.

Terrin frowned as he realized what the best decision probably was, even though he didn't like it one bit. He sighed, leaning back as his look darkened almost imperceptibly.

Nothing like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Although he really didn't care as to his safety or about Eagle Enterprises at the moment, he DID care about the ultimate protection of his daughter and his wife. His daughter was "safe." His wife was not, and Graysith was offering to send someone else, aside from him or his crew, to go find her and bring her back here.

Why was she doing this?

To prove her trustworthiness to him, as well as to allow these others to prove their trustworthiness to her. And to possibly keep her new "assests" via the Oath protected by not sending either him or his crewmen. And perhaps she was somehow also trying to establish a modicum of trust with Galen, in the long run, by returning her safely to him.

Establishing any sort of trust between those two would be hard. But just maybe, if Graysith kept her word about little Darra, it might begin.

Terrin sighed again, hating to seem like some sort of wishy-washy school kid. He knew Graysith was aware of his thoughts though, which was still more than a bit eerie. He looked to her, his eyes revealing not a touch of his inward battle.

They didn't have to.

"Allright. I concede your obvious unspoken points. Maybe my presence with these two isn't such a good idea. I'm thinking Galen will come with them regardless based on her belief that the baby is here. So my presence might only complicate things, and might possibly squander some well-laid alliances of mine which might be of use later."

Then he turned and looked again to the other two, his men and Shawn positively gaping once again. "Go, and proceed with the greatest of caution." Then he added, a touch of desperation in his voice, "And hurry..."

he stuggles with his emotions, hmm, all will be well though, do not worry...

Suddenly he stood, and walked over to where Narcolm stood extending a hand to the man, he said "WHen do we leave?"

Then he looked to terrin, his voice taking the stony edge of the warrior, his inner feelings burried beneath his duty. "No harm will come to her, I pledge it..."

"Spoken like a true Sith, Recinis," she announced; then-- "Come. You shall depart immediately."

With that she bowed slightly toward Terrin, turned and with M'wonBo'o at her side led the way from the Dining Hall. Once more she glided through corridors hoary with age and moss, darkened with shadows which seemed to reach out to Recinis as they moved along, crying out from the dim recessess of the Temple in welcome, seeking restitution. Although Graysith could not see these eerie shades as clearly as could her new protector, she could sense them. As well as she could sense the growing concern welling up in Recinis' soul.

He does not know, she thought to herself, pleased to have this verification of Recinis identity. He must have come from a time in Sith history before Aelvedaar's, and thus is innocent of any knowledge of their terrible end.

She remained mute, merely pondering this and now sending out a brief tendril of consolation to ease Recinis' rising confusion. "All shall be revealed to you when you return," she spoke directly into his mind. Then she fell silent, and continued to move on.

Soon they had reached a slightly smaller set of doors set in a wing of the Great Temple, and exited to the outside through them. A blast of snow-laden wind met them, swirling hungrily toward them and striving to devour the warmth inside which it had yet to overcome. Graysith ignored the arctic conditions, just tightened her cloak and led the pair onward to Darth Wicked's old hangar. Once there she pointed to the row upon row of TIEs, which sat in brooding menace upon the cold stone decking.

"Take your pick, gentlemen," she announced. "Most of these fighters are built for only one pilot. But this one--" Here she pointed to the sole highly modified linked TIE defender. It sat quietly off to one side where Shayla had parked it upon her return from the visit to Sorben Tarnus ship with Terrin and his crew. "This ship can easily carry up to four. Indeed it is the only ship here which will hold both of you and Galen," Graysith continued, "as well as is the one best armed. As it is equipped with hyperdrive, you may go and return with all due haste. Darth Wicked armed it well: it bears twin ion cannon and four laser cannon, in the unlikely event someone should try to hinder your progress. It also bears proton torpedoes and concussion missles, but I doubt you will be needing to use those. I expect stealth shall be the greatest weapon you will use, as well as manipulating the minds of the weak."

She spoke no more, but stood quietly holding her cloak. The two warriors took one look at the craft, then at her, then nodded in mutual assent. Giving her a brief bow, they boarded the modified defender, and began powering up the systems.

"Remember my directive concerning the shield still about this planet," Graysith thought directly into their minds. "Depart as normal; I shall see that you find your way back to realspace."

"How exactly are we gonna get into the place to save her?" recinis asked...

Narcolm simply shruged to the question, and punched the ship into hyper drive, and off they went.

...and found the slightest cosmic thread waiting in the vicinity of that which ought to be Khar Delba...

...a thread maintained by the Chosen Daughter, to guide them back when the mission was accomplished, else they would not find the portal into the place between seconds...

...a place where a flame-haired woman stood in silent contemplation. Her head tilted to the side, to her companions for no apparent reason, as she listened to that far-off whisper.

She responded.

"Continue as you are. But if persuasion is necessary...

...to no avail. Suddenly, slowly she nodded but once. Then the Glyph ravened into magnificence, blazing forth, blinding those present to the extent that all immediately raised their hands to protect their eyes, their faces twisted in grimaces of startlement.

At length the glory of the All dimmed it's overpowering strength, and normal lighting returned to the Dining Hall in the Great Sith Temple on Khar Delba. It shown upon Shayla, Terrin Danner and his men, and a pair of suddenly panting tuk'ata.

The chamber echoed with the silence of abandonment. And in another place, a bit of spacetime was taken up as a portal between not mere places in the curvature of space, but between the panoply of "might-have-beens" opened up, and the Chosen Daughter of the Sith stepped gracefully through. She took a step forward, her violet eyes now glancing with imperial leisure, a sweeping look which was at once almost apathetic yet managed to flare out and encompass the entirety of the Super Star Destroyer into which she had just made herself known.

Her gaze halted briefly upon the one called Rathal; she pinned him with her eyes, as a hawk pins a mouse. Then she turned them upon Aaron Barnes.

"I am Graysith," she said simply. "It would appear you will have to come with me."

With that she sent out a tendril of the All, binding Barnes to her pathway that he would follow...

...and with quiet calm carried him with her back into another dimension.

She allowed him to view Terrin.

"Speak with him now... and here... then I shall return you to Hornett."

What the hell just happened? Was this a dream?

Terrin didn't seem so surprised. He merely crossed his arms and waited.

"You...you are working with the Sith?" was all Aaron could get out.

Terrin frowned a moment at the apparent disbelief, realizing it mirrored his own usual suspiciousness. "To protect my wife and daughter," was all he replied.

Aaron gulped, and eyed his partner even more suspiciously.

Terrin's blue eyes turned a shade darker. "Aaron, you know me better than that, I'd hope," he said a bit sadly. Then, "Why have you been brought here?"

"There are those who seek Galen even now and have come to me. They said they were working for you. I knew they were Sith...I just knew it. Of course I didn't believe them when they said they were there to help."

Terrin's look turned more understanding. "You can believe them. And you can believe I'm doing all of this for the best, although it may appear otherwise. Tell them what they need to know."

Aaron watched his partner quitely for a moment; then, fully believing him, nodded. "You have my word."

"Thank you," Terrin said. Then he tilted his head to the side a bit. "You...know where she is?" he questioned, his look betraying not only just a bit of sadness.

Aaron nodded once again. "Yes Terrin, I do."

"Enough," she said in a whisper, the tone of her voice soft, it's meaning a command. Now, the undercurrent lessening... "Enough."

She blinked, stared meaningfully at Terrin, swept the others with her gaze. Came to a halt on Aaron.

"None other must know," she said, her voice even softer now but with a rancor's edge to it.

Then she took a small step back, made a mystic rune in front of him...

...and sent him abruptly yet smoothly back into his own, and now much smaller, reality.

Something wasn't right here. There was something about the tone in Aaron's voice that just didn't sit right with him--Terrin had always been able to tell when his partner just didn't want to tell him something. Either Aaron had found out that Galen was stuck on Coruscant with Admiral Actar, or there was something else going on...

For some reason, Terrin settled on the later explanation for Aaron's strange behavior. And that didn't put his mind at ease in the least.

If Galen was with Admiral Actar Aaron would have simply just said that. Then again, maybe Aaron was trying to somehow protect Galen because he was suspicious about the whole thing with the Sith. While that might be entirely possible, Terrin had every confidence that Aaron knew him well enough to trust in his intentions. Terrin knew Aaron understood just how much Galen meant to him and that he'd would never want any hurt to come to her...

He's hiding something that he thinks will hurt you, some shoulder-devil piped up. Terrin winced unconsciously at the thought, not wanting to examine the possible truths in it.

You can't worry about what you can't do anything about, his shoulder-angel replied. One step at a time. Get her back with you first, then go from there. You don't know what's going on yet; leave it at that. Trust them. Trust yourself...

Terrin sighed and closed his eyes a moment, recalling just how only a few short months ago--had it only been months?--he would never had been able to care about one single person aside from himself quite so much, let alone about her and a child that wasn't his own. A child that he found himself viewing as his own on more than just merely a mental level--on a gut level.

Let alone learning to actually trust in himself. He hadn't even been aware that this was an issue til recently; he'd been so able to cover it with self-assurance that he hadn't realized it'd had been a ploy to cover the real issue.

Until he'd found someone who trusted in him despite himself. Until he'd been able to first place his trust in her. Until he'd realized just how much she NEEDED him as much as he needed her.

It's not just about you anymore, Mr. Danner. You've known that for quite some time, but now you've FINALLY figured that out on a gut level, some little mental voice commented.

He nodded to himself, trying to beat back the rising concern that was coming regardless, all the while knowing he'd simply have to do the one thing that came to him with so much difficulty.

He'd simply have to trust. And mostly, he'd have to trust himself...

It was one thing to open a portal through the All in the mere fabric of space. But to do so between the myriad possibilites of existence, and to transport a being in two directions, was quite another matter. Mr. Barnes was really quite lucky he hadn't been stranded in an interdimensional mobius loop, or sent back into another "when." The Chosen Daughter was not yet a Clan leader.

She sighed a little, reached a slightly shaking hand out for a drink. The hand firmed as she raised the goblet to her lips; she cast a violet gaze over the rim of that goblet, boring into Terrin's eyes. His concern and trepidation was as clear as a bell to her....

She smiled to see it washed away by an influx of sudden and soul-confirming trust.

Good, she thought to herself, now placing the goblet back on the table. Then--

"We shall soon have her with us, Mr. Danner," she said smoothly, the merest glimmer of amusement in her eye. "You may... trust in that."

The flames extinguished as the portal began to close....

"we must check in with graysith, and refual the ship..." suggested recinis. To which narcolm simply nodded.

In thus a manner she led the TIE fighter carrying Recinis and Narcolm enter into nowhere in realspace...

...but what was Khar Delba in another elseness.

Lo-Ban had just enough time to disconnect his MPI, to receive the message: "Troubling news, but... No worries... You are to set up camp on Kyrik, and await another ship to leave the surface of Khar Delba... May the force be with you..."

Recinis noticed at once that graysith seemed weakened and aprouched her quickly.

"are you not well?" he said, clearly displeased that things seemed to be going from bad, to worse, to horrible.

Narcolm then aprouched and said. "Galan was taken from us...By a sith warrior...he found us in hyperspace, grabed her, and vanished..."

She lay one hand upon the arm of her seat, raised the finger with the Claw.

"That would be Dark Lord Roan," she whispered, faltering briefly over the name, then firming. She straightened in her seat.

"It is this one who is our foe, who indeed is the foe the entire galaxy must beware. A Dark Lord of the Warrior Clan of the Sith, he is perhaps the most powerful enemy we have. It is he who has turned traitor to the destiny laid before me by my sire, Lord Aelvedaar; it is he who has stolen my child from me for dark designs of his own.

"And it is he against whom we must eventually do battle... whenever we discover where he has hidden himself. But not before he has disclosed exactly where it is he has taken my daughter. This information will be extremely difficult to retrieve from him. I have something of an idea, but--"

Now she shifted her gaze to the Claw of S'slan which gleamed upon her finger. For a long moment she remained silent. Then--

"It is because of him I have decided to ally myself with those present, and to further prove my truthfulness and trustworthiness to them by seeking out my blood sister and bringing her here, back to Khar Delba.

"But I have failed."

Failed?

Dark Lord Roan had her...

Oh dear gods, this had to be a horrible, terrible nightmare.

He opened his mouth and nothing came out so he closed it and stood, pacing a bit, trying to calm the rising fear...

...fear which was not for himself, but for his wife.

They had waited too long...they needed to get her now, before things became even more horrible...

He whirled to face Graysith. "There just has to be something...something we can do..."

He trailed, biting his lip and trying to beat back the still-rising fear. That awful, horrible image of Galen, being held and "petted" by those Sith popped in his head.

"Please if it's in your power...help her..."

Dark Lord Roan, again. He'd nearly killed her once...

...and she'd been saved by her Sister.

But then, that was when he still was showing a pretense of love for her.

This was going to be difficult. Beyond difficult.

What could they do to get him to reveal the whereabouts of the child?

Her face a total picture of calm, Shayla listened to the ongoing conversation in the room, waiting to see just what might happen next...

"It is not in our best interests to leap into overt conflict with Lord Roan before we are fully prepared," she at last said, not a little heaviness lacing her words. "It would be both futile and suicidal to confront him at this time, and to react with the heart and not with the mind.

"I know this sounds cold...."

Now she raised her head and pinned Terrin Danner with an icy violet gaze.

"If you so desire, I can bring you forth from this place that you may seek her out on your own. I greatly recommend you do not, however, even though restraint may result in... in a scenario involving your wife that I do not wish to contemplate."

He was failing her...

Galen, I wish you could hear me...I'm trying so hard...

...so hard...

...I hope that you know that...

There just had to be something. He wouldn't give up. He COULDN'T.

But out on his own...without even truly knowing where she was...

...somewhere on K'eel Doba, it seemed.

But that wouldn't be enough. And even if he found her...

...she'd been taken right from under his nose by Lord Roan before. Who was he to think he could do anything to stop Roan now?

But then, could he really just not even TRY? After all, he'd been able to find her daughter...

...their daughter...

Little JhinDarra.

Oh dear gods Darra, if only she had your strength right now, I just KNOW you could help her...

He opened his eyes, surprised to find they were moist, not quite certain what length of time he'd been sorting through possibilities. "You once told me that the plans were simply made, and not so simply accomplished," he said, his voice heavy with worry and fright. "I just can't leave her alone to face him..."

He shuddered.

"...just as much as I know I can't help her on my own..."

She would not.

Now her eyes cut to Shayla, roved around the table, taking in the concerned features of Terrin's men, coming to a rest at last on the Terrin Danner's icy blue eyes. They swam with emotion; she lauded him for the strength he was trying to uphold.

She stiffened, ramrod straight. The Glyph flared, as she spoke the words Terrin formerly would never have dreamed would fall from the lips of a Sith or associate of one.

"Shayla," she suddenly directed. "You shall take Mr. Danner and what men will fit into Retribution, and assist him in any way you can in finding his wife.

"I-- I shall seek the wisdom and assistance of my Sire.

"And that we may be able to meet back upon this world when we both have succeeded in our quests..."

Now she fell silent, closing her eyes, concentrating with all her being upon the wonders which displayed themselves in the beauty of a molecule, the intricacy of an atomic nucleus. All of the Great Temple suddenly seemed to blink, as with a mighty shuddering groan the entire planet slipped once more from its hiding place in the Elseness.

Graysith staggered, one hand holding off Recinis' rush to assist her. For a moment she remained bent over, shaking with the effort she had just expended, drawing deep trembling breaths which finally seemed to stabilize themselves. At length her tremors quieted, and she straightened.

"M'wonBo'o," she called to her tuk'ata, and turned to depart.

She paused at the doorway in the back of the Dining Hall.

"The Fate of the Sith go with you, my friends," she said quietly. "And Khaandon as well."

Then she departed for where she had docked Chosen One, that she might set into motion those very Fates to which she had just sent forth her whole-hearted entreaty.

((OOC: Follow Graysith to the "Winds of Change" thread in the "Complete SW Universe" forum, thank you.)

"We shall depart for K'eel Doba immediately," she said at length, her voice indicating that she was in total control.

She stood, glancing around the room. "I don't have much room aboard my ship," she said, thinking. She looked to Lord Atma aka Narcolm "Lord Narcolm, I think your talents will be most needed on this mission," she said.

"But where exactly are you going to start, since this Lord Roan obviously can hide himself so well?" Shawn interjected.

Shayla looked to Shawn, then to Terrin, as if she were almost afraid to state the answer to that aloud. Terrin seemed to be considering something himself.

Suddenly he looked dead at Shayla, clear understanding somewhere in the depths of his emotion-filled blue eyes.

Shayla nodded in silent agreement. "Let's go then."

Motioning for her tuk'ata to follow, Shayla lead the way to the Retribution, her mind on the task ahead.

In moments they had boarded and were slipping through the small hole in the chronotic shield. Then, fully clear of the planet's own chronotic shield, Shayla drew a chronotic shield about the Retribution and directed the little Sith ship to K'eel Doba...

...this was a Sith ship.

Terrin had been able to at least ogle a bit at the workings of the ship he now found himself a passenger in, but it didn't last long. For as soon as he started to marvel over it, he realized that this was exactly what Galen's Jester II was like...

...which brought him right back to the worry and concern he'd been treading in ever since he'd heard Galen had been taken by Roan...

...and was unconscious.

He didn't know what he'd do if he lost her...

He sighed heavily, leaning back and closing his eyes and allowing a mental image of Galen to flash across his mind's eye and stay there for a long moment.

Then he forced himself into a fitful sleep. He'd need all the rest he could get...

(((OCC: Follow Shayla and Terrin and the gang to "Evil Among Us" in the Complete Star Wars Universe. Thank you!)))

Lo-Ban's hip vibrated yet again...
Khar Delba... what? She's gone...

Lo-Ban raced to the cockpit... "Back to Khar Delba!!"

Trel could understand the urgency... He took the lightwing to a halt, then plotted course for Khar Delba...

Lo-Ban's equipment started to vibrate yet again. 'When would this end!!!???' he thought to himself...

"Patience is a necessary tool of the force... You are to patrol the space surrounding where Khar Delba should be... perhaps a more covert method is in order... You should not hear from me again... that is, until you finish your mission... May the force be with you..."

Dropping her shield, she instantly flew her little ship through the small hole in the chronotic shield.

Only when she had the little Sith ship safely landed in front of the Sith Temple did she turn to see the horrified look in Terrin's eyes.

He was cradling Galen as if he could somehow lend her his strength in the motion.

"Come on," Shayla said quietly, standing. "There may be more we can do yet. But first we must get inside."

And with that she lead the way into the Temple which they had not so long ago departed from with her tuk'ata at her side and a Dark Jedi and terribly worried man holding his wife in her wake.

Oh my love, what did he do to you..?

In short while Shayla lead them back into the suites he and his men had been given. Terrin sat on the couch with her, afraid to even let her go, feeling completely helpless. His eyes were quickly moistening again despite his besst efforts to hold everything together. He closed them.

He pulled Galen more closely to him, gently rocking, trying to calm himself and at the same time trying to somehow convey to her that he was there.

"Hang in there, sweetheart, hang in there..." he whispered quietly, oblivious to the presence of anyone else, his mind only on the well-being of his wife.

Someone placed a hand on his arm.

His blue eyes snapped open, full of worry and fright and love. He cut them over to Shayla, who was standing in front of him. He could have been mistaken because he was very shaken up, but there seemed to be a little bit of sympathy in those blue-green eyes of hers.

"We need to make sure she gains some sustenance," Shayla said softly. "But keep talking to her. It's a medically known fact that even the unconscious can sometimes hear that which is around them...while the mind might be displaced the senses still function, and sometimes even the smallest things can get through and make a difference."

Terrin blinked in surprise then nodded just once.

Pull it together, buddy. You gotta be the strong one here. Galen needs you to do that. Just as much as she somehow needs to know that you are here...

Loosening his strong yet soft grip on her just a bit, he lightly brushed his lips on her forehead and laid her down, still sitting with her. He gazed at the features of her face, hoping that she was not in distress but extremely worried that she was.

"Galen, I'm gonna get you out of this somehow...trust me," he said, his heart aching as he strived to maintain calm. "Just keep fighting..."

He let his voice trail and ran a hand across the soft planes of her cheek. "Fight for me and Darra. And fight for yourself. I love you..."

"We need to make sure her body is maintained til Graysith returns. From there we'll figure out just what to do."

Terrin nodded then stood and followed Shayla into the adjacent bedroom. She motioned him to lay Galen down, and he did so. With the wave of her hand, the room flashed with a strange blink as she used the All to transform molecules of air beneath Galen's body into energy that would keep her sustained.

Then she looked to Terrin with a brief nod and departed to find the others still in the Dining Hall, leaving him with his wife.

She knew he wouldn't leave Galen's side for the for anything in the Universe.

He frowned at that as he returned Galen to the “energy bed” Shayla had made for her, wondering how a few of those bumps and scratches had occurred. Wiping her face with a cool cloth, he held one of her hands with his free one, hoping his gentle touch would somehow reassure, praying to every god he knew that he could get her back soon.

If there was truly a Khaandon, now would be a good time...

He wanted Darra to know her mother--she needed to know her mother--he was just sure of that. They’d overcome far too many obstacles to reach her for everything to fall apart here. He absolutely refused to give up on Galen now.

Sure as there’s Treasure on Roon he wouldn't give up...

He smiled a bit sadly at that thought, then returned his full attention to Galen, beating back any trace of darker thoughts. He didn’t want any of his negative vibes to get through to her.

He just hoped she somehow knew he was with her. And that she was safe.

Certain that the others would let him know if and when Graysith returned, Terrin continued to sit with his wife, unwilling to move, unwilling to give up.

For now all he could do was continue to take care of her, wait, and most of all...

...pray.

He smiled a bit at that realization. Those two were closer than perhaps they even realized...

Then he couldn’t help but frown as the gravity of this newest situation replayed itself on his mind’s eye.

What an absolutely horrible, dreadful thing to happen. He hoped someone could do something about this. Anything.

“Terrin, it’s Shawn,” he called, stepping in closer to the bedroom door.

“Come on in,” came the reply.

At that, Shawn stepped inside the bedroom to find Galen resting quietly with Terrin at her side, her right hand loosely held in his left. He was sitting in a chair next to her, leaning his head against the wall, eyes closed. A wave of compassion struck Shawn.

“If you need to take a break and move around a bit Terrin, I can...”

“I’m not gonna leave her,” Terrin said quietly, finally opening his eyes to regard the other man.

Shawn nodded in understanding, not too surprised by Terrin’s decision to not move so much as a millimeter. Shawn was also met with the worry and concern that Terrin wasn’t voicing; the worry and concern that he was doing a fairly good job of keeping just under the surface, close enough to still be felt but far enough away to not hinder anything that might need to be done.

Buddy, if you'd had some Force-skills, you’d have made a good Jedi, Shawn thought to himself.

Still, he knew that Terrin wasn’t too likely to share any of his concerns without being pushed, and that was something Shawn wouldn’t do. Terrin had been a smuggler if not by profession then by heart all his life, and he was rather used to deciding who he would trust and when. Shawn knew Terrin was well aware of whom he could trust in this situation, and he was also somehow strangely certain that Terrin would act on that knowledge only when necessary, although the ex-smuggler had struggled with this in the past. This was a balance Shawn dared not disturb. A balance that seemed to be newly developing, and one that would mature only if left to grow on its own.

“Well, if you need anything,” Shawn said.

“I’ll let you know,” Terrin responded.

The Jedi nodded at that, and turned to head for the sitting room. Behind him, Terrin suddenly said, “Shawn?”

He turned back. “Yes?”

“If I haven’t mentioned it,” Terrin started, “Thanks for sticking around.”

Shawn heard the unspoken words too. Even at the risk of compromising a lot of things you’ve always believed in.

“Consider it a favor from the Jedi long overdue,” Shawn replied. “I’m not always sure that what the Jedi believe in mirrors what I do any longer. Perhaps if they’d done what they should have regarding Galen and the baby...”

Shawn’s voice trailed. He knew Terrin understood his meaning.

A long moment passed with not a word between the two men; instead each one calmly regarded the other in an unspoken sort of agreement. Then Terrin spoke up, some of his usual self peeking through the otherwise steadfast and determined aura he was maintaining. “Stay out of my mind, Petrolu,” came the quiet jest, accompanied by the barest of smiles.

Shawn didn’t say anything at first, but rather gave a quick and precise salute. Then, “You’re the boss. I’ll be just outside if you do need anything, ok?”

Terrin nodded, once again leaning his head on the wall and gazing down on Galen’s motionless form, a brief wave of anguish passing across his features. Then he pushed all traces of worry behind the shield he was maintaining and closed his eyes again, no doubt to regain his composure and rest his eyes at the same time.

In the meantime Shawn quietly turned on his heel and stepped back out into the sitting room, staying just close enough to keep an tabs on things as well as to be available if needed.

"They must be gone by now..."

They would never have made it down to the surface of Khar Delba if not for the lightwings' maneuverability, and Trel's knowledge.....

Lo-Ban left the cold surface of the lightwings floor,"You have dealt with them before... how should we proceed, master?"

"This mission is of the highest importance to the council..."

"I will accompany you this time, but my aid shall be limited, i can not help where the concil is involved, unless i am truly needed, we will see what happens."

What was with these complete idiots?! Didn't they get the hint the last time, when they were rather KINDLY removed from the planet and deposited elsewhere? Only to return yet again?!

This was unacceptable. And with those present who needed the utmost protection, Shayla couldn't allow this to continue.

Shayla didn't even have to give the order. Al'iya at once moved from her side, and prepared to move to the frozen jungle of Khar Delba. In that instant, a thought emblazoned itself across Shayla's mind: What exactly do THESE Jedi want? In that same instant, Al'iya halted, again not needing to hear a command to know her Mistress's wishes.

Shayla turned to Lord Narcolm, who had remained quietly in the Dining Hall with Terrin's still very much concerned men. "Lord Narcolm," she began, her greeny-blues meeting his, "Matters outside the temple that require a most careful approach have been brought to my attention. I believe they require my personal attention. It would please me to leave you to watch all that progresses within the Temple while I take a momentary--and hopefully very brief leave--of the Temple."

Narcolm nodded just once, accepting the role that had been bestowed upon him. Likewise the man probably also knew that Shayla's awareness would never be completely diverted from that which proceeded in the Temple; rather she desired that someone who possessed Force-abilities be left in charge.

"i assume it is you who ordered that creature to ah...retrieveme the last time i was here."

trel then looked at loban and said "your quest, you explain." trel then walked to shayla, ignoring the growly creature that stood next to her, believing the creature would not attack unless its mistress was in danger, or if its mistress comanded it.

Since when does the Master let the Learner make the rules?

Beside her, Al'iya grumbled even more, her face-tendrils twitching in anticipation.

Stay back and be mindful, my Companion, Shayla ordered. She looked to the "Master" of this pair for one more curious moment, then turned a rather glacial--and almost disturbing--greeny-blue glare upon his self-assured "apprentice."

"Explain, now," she growled.

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to say you were Luke Skywalker himself," she said in bemusement. Then she turned to his...Master. "I was unaware that part of a padawan's training now included romantic exploits."

Slipping away from those thoughts, Shayla's attention focused on the words the Jedi Master was speaking.

Ohhh, how very interesting...

"Your words reveal an intelligence you have yet to realize you possess," she observed coolly. Then, turning once again to the padawan. "You would do good to heed the words your Master speaks. And you would have done better not to have ever come here at all. Give me one good reason I shouldn't destroy you right this very moment," she commanded.

Al'iya meanwhile waited all-too-patiently...

Then, in just as swift a motion, the animal came to bear on the startled padawan. Shayla didn't send an order to stop the ensuing attack, but rather let the animal land full-force on the young man. The impact was certain to have broken a rib or two. Though the young one tried his best to fight back, the animal's viciousness at the perceived threat was ferocious. She would not back down. Claws tore flesh.

Al'iya backed off momentarily, allowing her prey to stand and back away and reach for what must have been his lightsaber. She wanted a little hunt, Shayla suspected. The poor Padawan--though it was his own fault--was starting to bleed in various places.

He never was able to ignite the lightsaber either--Al'iya didn't give him the opportunity. She again leapt, and knocked it from his hand, this time grasping the weapon in her 10-inch fangs. The pressure crushed the weapon, and it fell harmlessly to the ground in pieces. In the process of all this, she again shoved the padawan to ground and landed on him, her pupiless eyes trained on him, the claws on her feet again touching flesh.

"Enough!" Shayla said at last. Eyeing the undamaged weapon the padawan had begun to hand to his master, Shayla stepped in to eye the pinned Padawan with her glacial greeny-blues. She was still keenly aware of his Master, who hovered in the background...as well as she was of the weapon which still was in question.

"What is the meaning of this?" she hissed to her tuk'ata's prey, motioning at the thing in the snow. "And choose your words very carefully..." she added darkly.

Trel then ignighted his own metalic handle and charged at unbelievable speeds twoards al'iya one thought blazing in his mind

-Save loban-

The lightsaber fizzled into a lump of coal that sifted through the fingers of the startled Jedi Master.

Shayla then waited to see what else he would dare to do.

"It is a metaphasic pulse inhibitor... It led me to find you... The council told me you would know what to do with it... Why did your animal attack me as if it were a weapon?"

Lo-Ban awaited an explanation...

"Take your Jedi Master, return to your ship, and depart immediately. See that he gains the rest he will need from his injuries, and be certain that you never return here again."

Saying this, she stood and looked the Padawan over measuringly. "Depart at once, lest you revoke the gift which I have bestowed upon you and your Master both."

With that Shayla disappeared with her tuk'ata, back into the depths of the Sith Temple, taking the Padawan's curious device along with her.

"I will find my ship, if that is all..."

Lo-Ban added one last remark,"I shall search for another to teach me, I thank you for your guidence."

Lo-Ban stood and awaited Trel's response, while contemplating how he had been fooled, and gave thought towards the words that had been spoken by the angel called Shayla only moments ago...

He hit the sigil which Graysith had informed him controlled the comm. "Hang on to all you hold near and dear!" he said, "Reversion in...ten standards seconds, Khar Delban primary."

Keeping an eye on his controls, he pushed the reversion sigil when the counter hit zero, and the Sith ship's viewscreen was changed from the blur of hyperspace, to starlines, to stars. Making sure the cloak was about the ship, Erik commed once again as the Ship establish orbit. "We have arrived, my friends."

If only the remainder of our journey will be as quiet, she thought to herself as she got to her feet from where she had been sitting chatting with Recinis, the little JhinDarra still held in her arms. Recinis immediately followed suit, as did her ever-present tuk'ata, who had been hovering at her side the entire trip.

She smiled to them both.

"Be calm, my protectors," she said, motioning them both to sit once again. "I shall soon return."

Then she made her way to the command center, where she found Erik calmly waiting his next instruction. Her one arm tightened its grip about the little child as she came over to the seat he possessed, reaching past his shoulder to lightly tap a sigil on the arm of his chair. A viewscreen immediately coalesced from thin air before them; its holographic image revealing the form of Khar Delba floating in obscured mystery before them.

She pointed to a spot in its northern hemisphere.

"Take us there, and take care not to touch the shielding about the planet," she said. "Once there, maintain a geosynchronous position directly over the opening there. I shall channel myself through the All and enter the planet through that place, but I need you to hold the ship's position exactly so as to find you when I return with the mother of this babe. I cannot drop the shield my Sire has created here.

"Otherwise, I believe this vessel contains an escape pod small enough for two people, and which by skilled piloting may slip to the planet surface via the opening I have showed you. Using this, you may go and retrieve Galen Danner and bring her back here to the ship, that we may continue on to Korriban.

"In either case, this child does not leave my arms; there is too much at stake to risk her being taken.

"Which are you most comfortable with?" Drawing to a close she spoke no more, but gently began to stroke the baby's cheek with one finger.

He needed to do this himself, to find his own way...

Lo-Ban reached down into the pile of saber parts and extracted a blaster...

"I hope you find what you are looking for, may the force be with you..."

Lo-Ban placed his hands under his arms, and started his journey to find his ship...

"Might be risky to move about too much with the child," Erik thought aloud. "Although I'll also admit that I'm at a loss as to what exactly to tell Terrin since I it's logical he'll be a little less than thrilled to be seperated from Galen again. And it might be a bit...odd to him for me to suddenly pop up and take Galen..."

He trailed, biting his lip as he considered. Something then occurred to him. "I assume Shayla is on-planet?" he asked.

Shayla could explain things to Terrin. At least, she should be the one in charge down there. It'd probably serve as good strategy to let Graysith stay here with the baby. Made much more sense in terms keeping two able All-users on both sides.

She smiled at Erik, holding out a hand to him as he rose to his feet.

"Yes, my Adept is on the surface; I am certain you shall be more than... pleased ...to be reunited with her."

For a moment her face clouded as memories of a particular reunion of her own flashed through her mind. She clenched her jaw... then relaxed and smiled once again.

"The Sith go with you, my friend," she uttered in a soft voice. "We shall be here awaiting your swift return. Tell Mr. Danner he has my permission to take any of the fighters in Lord Wicked's-- in my hangar, if he wishes to follow you and return to this ship. My Adept may likewise assist us if she desires; indeed, this may be necessary if we are to attain the goal we seek.

And a feeling rushed to him that was like a breath of fresh air after being smothered for an all-too-long time.

No. Not just a new presence. A distinctly FAMILIAR presence.

She smiled. Feeling her connection with this newcomer, she kept careful tabs on him until his escapepod had landed in front of the Temple. Then, closing her eyes, she reached out and grabbed his essence with the All.

In a moment, he appeared before her, his black pilotsuit making him look extremely handsome, the grin on his face one that pulled her in.

"Missed me?" he asked jokingly.

She smiled and pulled him to her, pulling his lips down to hers in a long and soft kiss. He in turn wrapped his own arms about her small frame. After a long moment she pulled back. "Does that answer your question?"

He just grinned in response, and she returned that look. Then, his look turned serious, and he began to say something, but she put her finger to his lips. "You don't have to say a word, I already know."

He looked at her inquisitively, and she grinned for a moment more. "You think I kiss you that long just for the thrill of it?"

"Ouch, sweetie," he said with mirth.

"You know me," she replied.

She then turned to her gaping companions in the Dining Hall. "I'll be back. Lord Narcolm, I think I'll be needing your assistance again shortly."

Narcolm nodded, and Shayla released Erik from her grasp, taking his hand in one of hers instead. Then they departed the Dining Hall altogether, leaving everyone else to wonder exactly what was going on.

Suddenly, he was jarred from his thoughts when a familiar short figure opened the bedroom door, pulling along with her another very familiar figure.

One Terrin Danner didn't expect to see in the least.

He was sure he was probably gaping, but he couldn't help it.

Slowly, he managed to get enough control over his jaw muscles to say something. He knew that look in Shayla's eyes meant business. He knew something was about to take place. He hoped this was a good thing. "Hello, Erik...glad to see you in one piece," he said. "I take it this means we have a plan of action..."

As he waited to hear the reply to this, a stray thought managed to niggle its way upward into Terrin's psyche. If Erik was here...was Darra now alone with that one Sith now...?

"Yes, we have a plan of action. Graysith is waiting for Erik to bring Galen back to a ship above the planet," she explained, raising a premptory hand to ward of the words she knew Terrin would have in reply to this. "She also has given her permission for you to follow Erik to the ship in one of the fighters here--I'm certain she can fill you in on details once we are underway. I shall be taking the Retribution after everyone is safely on board Graysith's ship myself. But only after your wife is safely aboard Graysith's ship are any of us going to follow. You copy?"

Terrin nodded, resigning himself to Shayla's wishes. Not that it'd have done him a lick of good to argue with her.

I'll see you soon, my love, she said through the link she yet maintained with him.

He smiled back, situating Galen as comfortably as he could in the little escape pod.

I never can wait, he replied.

Wait for my reply while we all get ready, she said, then closing the link.

He nodded, then returned his attentions to getting the pod ready for departure, his senses keenly attuned to the preparations everyone else was making to leave the surface.

Then, in only a few minutes, his link with Shayla niggled again, Everyone's set, she said.

Stretching his sphere of influence out, Erik found Terrin's familiar Force-signature not too far away, in a TIE-interceptor, and Shayla's presence, along with two other Force-signatures in her own ship.

Here goes, sweetheart, he said at last along the link, then diverting all attention to getting himself and Galen safely back to Graysith's ship.

His fingers playing across the navboard of the pod, he deftly flew it back through the opening in the chronotic shield, to the Sith ship. Only when he was safely aboard did he stretch out to find the presence that was Terrin Danner right behind him. Further out, Shayla's presence--which had momentarily blinked out while he crossed the chronotic shield--resurfaced and then blinked out behind him.

Graysith frowned to see the fetal position in which the young woman was curled. She took another step forward, only to be brought to a sudden halt by a wave of power and outrage which flowed out of seeming nowhere to encompass the entirety of the bay. She quickly erected a shield about herself and Erik... only to find the power had now become even stronger, as do energy waves when they become coherent with each other. Her violet eyes blinked in surprise with the realization that the strength she was feeling was coming from the baby in her arms, and was bouncing back upon herself from the very shield she had erected in unconscious self-defense.

She turned her eyes to Erik.

"This one knows her mother," she stated calmly, then held JhinDarra out toward him. The baby responded by starting to kick and squirm with far more vigor than one would expect a tiny newborn to possess. The strength she blasted out with so blindly, yet with such eerie recognition, all but sent the Chosen Daughter to her knees. She kept a grim hold of the child, still holding it out toward Erik.

"We must place these two together," she said at length; then with greater effort than the movement showed she turned and headed toward the shipboard medical facility. There she found a medical table covered with shape-adjusting foam, where she directed that Erik lay her charge. As soon as the unconscious Galen was placed there, she laid the babe atop the still figure of its mother.

The waves of anger and power abruptly halted, replaced now with ones denoting questions and something akin to pity on the most primitive of scales. Graysith carefully backed away, leaving the child to its mother, lowering her protective shield bit by bit until it disappeared altogether. Then she turned once again to Erik.

"I shall bring the father here as well; perhaps the primitive emotions of this little one may be assuaged with both its parents present," she announced. "Then I must remain here, ever by the sides of these two, and try to determine just what it is that has such a great hold over this woman's... over my sister's mind."

A quick wave of her hand opened a portal through the All, through which a startled Terrin Danner came stumbling through. Closing the portal, she now sent out a tractor beam to the interceptor he had been piloting moments before, making certain it would follow well back in their wake, yet not too far back that their shielding would not encompass it.

This accomplished, she turned her attentions to the others, and waited to see what would follow.

Terrin's deep blue eyes locked on the small little form next to Galen, as if to determine if the image he was seeing was really real. There, beside his beloved, lay the most beautiful blue-eyed baby he'd ever seen in his life.

Little JhinDarra.

The image now blurred before him with the impact of what it stood for. Little Darra, reunited with her mother...

...he just hoped somehow, somehow Galen knew...

He couldn't stand it anymore. He felt drawn to her--drawn to console his daughter. Somehow, he knew that she knew Galen wasn't well...

Shayla didn't waste any time; she didn't want to be floating around here in Khar Delban space too long. Through her link with Graysith, she sent the message, I'm going to berth in your main hanger bay.

With that, she immediately set course for the bay of the larger greeny-gold ship. Suddenly, as if the smaller Sith ship and the larger one recognized each other through some strange unity, Shayla felt the lock of a tractor beam on her ship. At the same time, a sigil lit up on her navboard.

It was as though, when she had set course for the hanger bay of the larger ship, it had identified the Retribution as a companion and become one with her.

In moments, the Retribution was securely berthed in the larger ship. Taking only a moment to shut down her engines, Shayla stood and, motioning Lord Narcolm to follow, exited the little ship altogether to find her Sister, Al'iya right on her heels.

"All are safely aboard, Mr. Kartan," she announced smoothly. "Please see to our departure for Korriban, and with all due haste. The coordinates are in the logbooks; please contact me if you need any further assistance. I shall be in the medbay with our party."

With those words she flicked off the unit, then returned her attention to the touching scene of Terrin Danner's reunion with his family. For a long moment she merely stood by, a silent shade in rune-encrypted smoke. Then she approached him in silence and laid a quiet hand on his shoulder.

"Every effort shall be made to expedite the healing of your wife, Mr. Danner," she said softly, her eyes looking down upon the still form of Galen, but seeing only the image of tuk'ata claws and teeth looming into her personal space. The image came closer and closer...

...only to suddenly disappear in a cloud of black smoke which spread itself out against the panoply of fading memory and was gone.

Stars faded to starlines to the blur that was hyperspace. And although Erik Kartan would have loved nothing more than to head off and meet his love yet again, he decided to wait and keep an eye on controls for a while.

He was sure the wait would pay off later...

He had been walking for hours... searching for his ship... he had a locator, all he had to do was find it, and dig...
Will this journey ever end!

Lo-Ban was begining to become a little impatient, but that was the least on his mind at the moment... He hardly had any clothing to resemble winter-ware, only the basic padawan attire...
COLD, SO VERY VERY COLD...

Someone was out there in the blistering cold. And not doing a very good job of handling it...

He looked over to his companions with concern in his eyes. "There's someone out there," he said simply.

Matt looked back at him, confusion on his face. "Huh?"

"There's someone outside of the Temple...struggling." He quieted a moment, searching inward, seeking further. A Force user...? Then, "I have to go out there."

Jasyn looked at him in amusement. "Buddy, if you go out there, you know you are stuck." Here he waved his hand expansively, indicating the Sith Temple in which they were now residing. "Unless you'd like me to stand at the door and try to hold it open for you," he added.

Shawn made a face. "Jasyn, I just gotta do it. And I'll be fine out there," he said, standing up. "I am a Jedi after all."

Jasyn grimaced. Then he mouthed "I am a Jedi after all," in slight mockery.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "You guys go find yourself a ship to play around with. Or look for some wine cellars. This calls for my attention, cold or no. I'll see you later."

As he turned to leave, Jasyn hollered behind him, "Will that be here, or in Hell?"

**********

Shawn didn't have to travel too far to find the source of the Force disturbance he'd been feeling. Holding his blue Jedi robes close to his body to preserve a modicum of warmth, he quietly approached the struggling young man, who appeared to be looking for something.

What in the Universe was this guy doing on this planet?

Shawn got the feeling he didn't want to know. All he did know is that the young man, Force-ability or no, was really struggling to keep his mind on whatever task due to the extreme cold. He did, however, recognize the new Force-signature coming up behind him and whirled to face Shawn, a small blaster in his hand, ready to shoot if necessary.

Shawn raised a hand and telekentically pulled the blaster to it, grinning as he did so. Then he said, rather cooly, "Seems you could use some help here, my friend," he stated, his grin spreading, "Or do you like to get yourself into trouble like this?"

Lo-Ban continued,"I am not used to this cold... I have only been off my home planet of Tattooine for a couple months... is your shelter near by..."

But to no avail. I couldn't draw breath deep enough to whisper, let alone scream....

Suddenly, something hinted of its existence. I tried to crane my neck, but found I still could not move. Beads of sweat boiled up on my brow with the effort I continued to make. Somehow it was oh so very important that I was able to see this strange new entry into my personal brand of hell.

Or perhaps it wasn't so strange. Not at all; perhaps it was in fact something very familiar that was drawing my attention...

I gasped as a tiny form suddenly materialized alongside my curled body. Though I couldn't turn my head, I could feel the warm presence of the little being who insinuated herself closely against me, her body a tiny sun full of warmth and light.

JhinDarra...!

I didn't know how. I didn't care. I just knew she was here with me, in this impossibly cramped place, the furnace heat of her blasting forth and sending soothing warmth into my quivering body. And likewise sending sanity flooding back into my very being.

I sobbed with relief, aching to hold her in my arms. I could only with the very greatest of efforts wiggle my left elbow until it made physical contact with my little daughter.

The daughter who had come to the aid of her mother once before, and who was now repeating that act.

Resigning myself with the uncanny knowledge that all I had to do was hang on and wait, I managed to relax just a fraction, the movement bringing yet more warmth cascading over me from Darra's tiny essence. She seemed to let out an inaudible coo, and I could feel her nestling even more closely against me.

Darra's look was strangely...determined. She turned those big blues of hers on the unconscious form of her Momma, and if she could have, Terrin suspected she would have frowned.

He frowned for her. Talk about a rough entrance into the Unverse. Taken from her mother when she was only 3 months from conception, born away from her, reunited with her only to find her unconscious.

As he was thinking all this, Darra broke the quiet with a series of contented little coos. He wondered if she was trying to calm herself...

...or was she somehow trying to talk to her Momma...?

Terrin smiled at that.

Keep at it, Darra. Keep at it...

Wide-eyed, he glanced over to Graysith, then pushed the accept button.

Aaron's voice came through. "Terrin, if you are getting this comm, I've got some news I think you'll really be interested in."

He pushed the send button. "This is Terrin. You've got me curious. I'm listening."

"Well," Aaron started out hesitantly, "I've been assisting some well-paying allies of ours in acting against a certain Imperial takeover. Well, a certain Imperial Admiral contacted me and made me an offer--one that would refund us for the damage EE sustained due to his bounties...AND garantee me Galen's current condition would be reversed."

At that, Aaron paused, waiting for a return comment.

Terrin wasn't quite sure he was hearing what he thought he might be hearing. "You're speaking in riddle, my friend. Speak plain."

"Terrin, I made a deal with Admiral Actar to cease our attacks against him and tell him the names of our allies in exchange for our being paid for damages and for Galen being "cured" of her current condition."

Terrin's jaw dropped. "You made a deal with Admiral who? Aaron, have you lost your mind?"

"You heard me. He's asking alot, but sometimes the best choices we make don't come cheaply. And no, last time I checked my mind was fully in tact."

Terrin's jaw dropped even further. This just couldn't be true. There had to be a catch, somewhere. "What are his conditions for curing Galen?"

"He wants either you or me to bring her to a specified ship on the perimeter of Coruscant's blockade. From there the ship will go to the surface. He said there can only be one of the two of us with Galen. At that time we would provide him the names of our allies in exchange for her healing. I've already agreed, but ultimately this is your decision, since you've been at the head of our...public relations platform lately. So what do you think?"

Terrin was too shocked to say anything about this just yet. He didn't know if he could trust Actar; but he DID know that if he COULDN'T trust Actar the Sith would be backing him.

The Sith would be backing him?

Well, gosh darnit, they WOULD be!

Of course, if Actar DID prove to live up to his word, this would mean bringing another person in on their little Alliance, possibly. But then again, it all depended. And if Actar didn't live up to his word, such an action would most definitely not behoove him politically.

Turning to look at Graysith in question, knowing she knew his thoughts, he waited to see just what she might have to say in regards to this...

Now he restated his question from earlier. "Would you mind explaining to me just why you are here, Lo-ban Kenobi?"

She was surprised now that he hadn't attacked her for her seeming impertinence. Then again, perhaps that restraint on his part showed that he possessed a modicum of honor within him, and thus could now truly be trusted in his unexpected offer. While on one hand she would rather have strengthened the fragile bond of trust she was currently developing with Danner, to be honest she didn't know if she would have been able to release this powerful man's strange curse upon Galen's mind. The child showed great strength, strength which had nearly brought Graysith to her knees... and yet even she could not totally destroy that hold upon her mother's mind.

Whether or not the augmentation of the Valley of the Dark Lords would have been able to achieve that was another question. She was learning to trust Terrin Danner, yet even at the strong suggestion of her Sire she still was hesitant to divulge the secret of the Valley's position to one other than Sith....

All these thoughts flashed like wildfire through her head in the seconds following the transmission, seconds which she realized with a start were lengthening into minutes. Terrin's intense blue eyes were pinned upon her, bidding her to speak.

She pursed her lips.

"Very well, Mr. Danner," she said succinctly. "This would be the most assured means of reviving your wife. Well it is known in the field of sorcery that curses may be completely removed by their progenitors; we may have had a modicum of success, but I was given no guarantees.

"We shall take this Admiral up on his word. But! The child is now linked with her mother; there is no means I know of whereby I may remove her from her mind. The child must travel along as well...

"And to assure her utmost protection, so must I.

"Relay this message to the Admiral. Either I meet with him again... or we refuse his generous offer with our regrets."

No way would he split Darra from Galen. Force-sense or no, he just KNEW they were making some sort of connection. And Graysith's word's confirmed that.

The logical thing would be for Graysith to travel with them then, since Darra was involved.

He pushed the send button on his commlink once again. "Aaron, I want you to have Admiral Actar contact me via this comm. There are arrangements I wish to make directly with him. Can you do that for me?"

Aaron hesitated only a moment. "Consider it done."

"I have been thinking about that since I met your sister... I knew something wasn't right, I guess my eagerness to prove myself and become a Jedi were overwhelming... But I can not believe anyone could not be interested in her... you could get lost in those eyes for days... her aggressive attitude... I think I am in love..."

Lo-Ban tried to shrug off what he had just revealed to Shawn,"So... Can I see your saber by chance?"

With that, Shawn quieted again, leaning back and waiting to see if Loban would have any reply to this.

"There are some coordinates which ought to be scrolling before you now, Mr. Kartan," she said smoothly, keenly aware of the frowns of annoyance and outright suspicion which were bouncing off her back from Terrin. "Please incorporate them into our navigational computer, and alter our course.

"We must proceed to that location with all expediency, and there we must meet with Captain Aaron Barnes, who must come alone. As it is, we are too many; we are privileged that the Admiral will allow our entire ship's company to approach the meeting-place has designated."

She paused a moment, pondering a bit. Then she sent the Hornett's comm-frequency to his command board as well, knowing he would follow through with this final instruction. That finished, she closed the circuit, turning around to utterly by-pass the still frowning Terrin, her violet gaze affixing itself instead to the silent forms of Galen and her daughter.

And her niece.

Beside her, M'wonBo'o seemed to sense the discomfiture the scene provoked within her breast, as with a crescending whine he coiled a tendril about her waist in a gesture of companionship and affection.

He'd obviously been allowed to see his daughter, been allowed to travel to the place where they intended to assist his wife, so what was with the look? Shayla turned to Graysith and cocked a brow in question.

What's up with him?

"It comes to my mind that Mr. Danner is a man whose trust is hard to come by, Blood Oath nevertheless. One reason could be that he equates me somehow with this Admiral, as though I had sought an alliance with him at some earlier date and did not deign to inform him of the fact."

Now she turned back to Terrin, her lip curling just a hint.

Maybe he hadn't associated Graysith with Actar...

...at least not consciously...

...but he was suspicious, just as always.

Suddenly, a little shoulder angel popped up. Lighten up, Danner. You could give Graysith a break you know. She DID let you see your daughter, and she did let you come along.

He sighed. Damn shoulder angels.

But as if the angel wasn't enough, the devil popped up on the other side. Maybe she HAS made an Alliance with this Admiral before. He does have an ANNOYING tendency to pop up right after Graysith has...

Terrin frowned, now mostly to himself. What is with you, Danner? You should know as well as anyone that whatever happened in the past, if it in fact ever happened at all, is in fact just that.

In the past.

And gods know you've made an alliances before you aren't proud of. Or deigned to share with Graysith, for that matter.

Terrin closed his eyes and sighed, letting the annoyance and suspicion wash away with the motion. Then he opened them.

"Point taken, I think," he said, meeting Graysith's violet eyes with his blue ones. "Can't say that I like being left in the dark," he continued. "Espcially not in matters that concern those I hold so dear." At that, he looked over at his unconscious wife and sleeping daughter. He ran a finger along the side of Darra's cheek, then took one of Galen's hands in his. "But you've given your word, in blood nonetheless, and I've gotta learn to trust that. As hard as that is for me."

Quieting at that, he looked again to Graysith, waiting to see what she might reply.

"Indeed, my friend, it is well to remember that we are allied to each other in blood. Whether this alliance comes hand in hand with that trust we both seem so adept at tiptoeing about yet remains to be justified... let alone seen. Keep in mind all that I do I do for the Greater Good... and that is something you have yet to divine."

For a flashing moment her eyes blackened to inky pools which did not so much reflect Terrin's own pair as they sought to swallow them outright. Then her lids slid smoothly down, opening immediately to reveal her earlier and somewhat aloof violet gaze.

Nodding her head to Terrin, she turned and proceeded to depart from the medbay, hastening now toward the command center of the ship to be there on the bridge when they reached the coordinates sent to them by the esteemed Admiral Aijdin Actar.

You have alot to learn. Alot."

He didn't care, he had to speak his mind...

"I will do anything to learn the ways of the Jedi... I am not sure about the Council, but nothing can keep me from becoming a Jedi... I was born to make a difference in this galaxy, and somehow I will..."

"Are you sure you want to be a Jedi? Or do you just merely want the title for the glory of it?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Then, "If you wanna learn to become a Jedi, the first thing you've got to learn is think a little less of yourself and a lot more about everyone else. And that includes learning to give up what you have...and learning to endure," Shawn explained.

He waited a moment for this to sink in, then continued, grinning. "And you're gonna learn it starting now." With a quick push, Shawn knocked Loban back into the snow. Then, turning on his heel, he headed for the tent, "A lesson in survival should do you good--"

He stepped into the tent, then stuck his head out. "See you in the morning, if you figure out how to make it through the night."

After about an hour, Lo-Ban had found his ship... at least where it had been...

After a bit of digging, Lo-Ban lept into his cockpit, and fell fast asleep...

The warm up in the tent made a world of difference, he had owed his life to Shawn...

He pressed a button, hoping the power he had left would give him enough of a boost to reach the tent... his ship started up... He shot a lever forward, and he was out of the snow...Moments later...

The auxiliary drive was damaged...

His ship went out like a light... instruments, nav board, everything...

So very dark, that wasn't the problem, he knew which direction the tent was... but, he didn't know exactly how far...

That didn't matter, he was going down, and fast...

A blur... He was out cold...

The crash site was mere meters from the tent...

He tried to take off? Stupid kid...

And why do I have the suspicion he's not going to go away now that I've paid him the tiniest bit of attention?

Run away kid. As fast and as far as you can. Things here are too complicated for you to begin to understand, let alone take part in. And I am just a rogue Jedi, doing what Rogue Jedi do. I'm following my guts on this.

Rolling over and eventually standing, Shawn made is way from the tent to the crash site. He dug through the rubble til he found the unconscious Loban. Then he reached out a hand and channeled healing energies into him.

The kid's eyes snapped open.

"No sir, I did not wish to leave this planet... does not matter, she is unsalvageable, was a tough little ship though..."

Lo-Ban continued,"I finish what I start... I was out to find my ship... Lo-Ban reached into the damaged cockpit, and pulled out a metallic cylinder and attached it to his belt...

"That was what I was after, felt naked without it... I thought, while you slept, I would finish what I set out to do... I don't sleep much myself..."

"I would like to stay here for a while, I will do anything to learn the ways of the Jedi... Do you know how hard it is to find a noble Jedi in this crazy galaxy, I have a feeling about you... you seem trustworthy, and that would be the second time you saved my life... I would like an opportunity to return the favor..."

"I have already considered the way of the rogue Jedi, and that of the noble Jedi..."

Lo-Ban continued,"Although it was hard, I had forgotten your sister... that is until you brought her up... but I understand the oath of a Jedi..."

Lo-Ban gave careful consideration to the next words he would speak...

"I wish not to place you in danger... but I take full responsibility for my actions, if I am meant to die on this planet... so be it..."

"I need someone to teach me the ways of the Jedi, I don't care how, it is my destiny to become a Jedi... ever since I was a child, everything has led up this point in my life..."

"I'm glad you and Destiny have had a nice chat," he mused. "Maybe you should introduce Destiny to me sometime, so that I might get a clue as to what he is thinking as well."

"I wish to learn the ways of the force, and the faults of the Jedi, along with the good factors they posses... Can you teach me the way of the force? I learn quickly... I apologize if this isn't the best time to ask this... but, your sister, she was no Jedi, yet she yielded the force... or something like it... can you explain?"

This kid was awfully, awfully niave. And a little more self-centered than perhaps HE even realized. He certainly had alot to learn...

Then, on the heels of that: And who is gonna teach him the things he needs to learn, buddy? Seems the galaxy is a touch wee short of Jedi these days. And at that a touch wee short of Jedi who still hold so fastly to the old ways that have bound them to inaction.

Shawn turned to Loban, his greeny-blue eyes assessing and seeking something. "Guidance indeed you do need," he at last said. "I promise you not what I am indeed uncertain of myself; for the time you spend here could very well be limited. What I promise you, however, is that in the timespan which you remain, you indeed shall learn my friend; for in every learning endeavor there must be a starting point--but never truly is there ever an ending point.

This was all too true, he had been fooled by trust once and again, he might not live threw another mistaken trust...

He had no choice but to trust, or at least give Shawn the benefit of the doubt... but in the back of his mind, at least for the here and now, he would not let his guard down...

After giving this much thought, Lo-Ban responded...

"I dare not 'trust' so easily, nor should you trust me so quickly... if I am to be here for a short time, we shall use that to determine our trust in each other..."

"Let me begin with a question... why are you on this hellish planet..."

Lo-Ban fell silent, awaiting Shawn's response...

Should he really be discussing why he was here with someone who might not be on-planet much longer?

And, as were the words that came right out of Loban's own mouth, Should he really trust this kid so easily?

The answer to that was simple. Of course not. And with the lives that were at stake here, he really couldn't risk bringing another person into this...especially one so niave. While Loban might not intentionally hinder what might need to be done here, he might at the same time become the weakest link. This they could not have.

Shawn turned his eyes to Loban. They darkened to a hue that was extremely unusual as he responded. "I'm here on business that is too fragile for you to know of. On business that will change the very Destiny of the Universe."

Crossing his arms, he added in a whisper, "You should leave here at once." Then he clammed up tighter than a Toydarian's cashbox on payday.

Lo-Ban paused for a moment... and then continued...

"You can lock me up, for all I care... I will not give up... It has taken my so long to find one to teach me the ways of the force... I do not understand the power of this planet, or the beings there of, but as I said... I will take this risk, anything to become a user of the force..."

"Give me a chance... that is all I ask... give me one month to prove myself"

Lo-Ban gave thought to the words he had just spoken...prove myself... that is what has gotten me into this mess... I must change this flaw... but how...

With that he returned to his tent to sleep out the night, no longer concerning himself as to what Loban did concerning shelter or leaving the planet on this evening that Shawn was certain would be his last chance...

will not, or cannot... either way... what kind of a mess have I gotten into?.... perhaps rest will change his mind...