It remains obstinately silent; and so I continue to wait.

He's just a little too cocky for someone who technically should have never even built a lightsaber, let alone fought with one...

This was just so very, very wrong.

She gave a quick crescendo, rolling her dome about as she did so.

"I'll guess that response would go as a yes."

Izzy just merely whistled.

"Now all you need is a good place to swipe some data from, eh?" he asked, his eyes defocusing as he thought of something.

Izzy tootled in question.

"Yeah," Erik responded to the query as if understanding it completely. "I miss info smuggling too."

Again he turned thoughtful, and for a long few minutes didn't say a word. Then, "Maybe it's time for me too take charge of Stargazer Corporation again, now that I'm not AWOL. At least, not AWOL as far as Shawn is concerned."

Izzy whirled her dome just once in silence.

"Well, you know," Erik continued. "Last I checked Jedi don't make good smugglers."

Izzy's responding series of whistles to that could have been none other than a "Nu-uh!"

Erik just smiled a patted Izzy on top of the head. "We'll talk with Shawn and the others about this later when..." He paused. "...When we at least know something about Shayla."

He laid back on the bed with that, his eyes turning distant.

Lo-Ban started to stretch, and then pointed towards where Shawn was watching,"He shall moderate..." He then turned to Shawn,"If you don't mind, call it after the fourth blow..."

THIS KID WAS TOTALLY INSANE.

Again, he let none of his thoughts show, however. If Loban intended to duel a Sith Warrior, then that was his decision to make. But for a guy who was formerly so paranoid about the Sith, he certainly did seem to suddenly feel like he could knock even their warriors dead.

But as her awareness shallowed it oddly enough seemed to sharpen. Faintly at first, and then in tones which grew in strength, the sounds of distant voices interrupted her pleasantly floating state. Bit by bit she wafted back into reality with the sudden realization that she had left the doors to the balcony open, and that the voices were coming into her ears from outside.

For a moment or two she merely lay there in the soft light, staring at the sinuously twining shadows that danced upon the walls. Then she sat up, gracefully slid out from the covers, and went out onto the balcony once again.

"If I win, I wish to earn a little respect..."

Recinis was a blur... before Lo-Ban knew what had happened, he was on the ground, his left arm bleeding... Recinis was playing with him...

Lo-Ban got half way up off the ground, ignited his saber while bent over... turned his head to face Recinis...

Lo-Ban's eyes were fire red... blind with rage, his jumpsuit started to tear... his muscles bulging to twice there size... "YOU FOOL...." Lo-Ban said towards Recinis, in the most eerie-robotic voice imaginable...

In fact, Lo-Ban had no control... his saber controlled him now...

The saber was handed down in his family, turning all to the dark side, it gives its user the greatest of the dark side abilities... slowly draining the life force from the user, as well... it was what had killed his uncle...

Unknown to Lo-Ban... the thing he would rather die than let happen to him, was happening this very moment...

Her hands gripped the railing as she leaned out, swallowing to wet her dry throat.

The Sith Warrior would prevail. He knew it. For the moment all he could do was stand alert and ready. And hope to Hell that if it came down to it he'd know what to do...

"You stay here. Gaurd the fort."

The command clearly did NOT make the droid happy, but she stayed behind regardless as Erik exited the room altogether and headed for the streets of the Sith City.

After walking for a while, Erik was slammed with something so evil and demonic that he suddenly found his heart pounding in his chest, so loud it was quite nearly audible. Erik broke out in a run.

Where he was headed, he didn't know.

Blindingly fast, as though something other than himself was in control, Erik found himself suddenly in a Sith park, where Galen and Terrin and the baby were. Erik stopped a moment and caught his breath. "You need to get indoors, now. Trust me."

With that he waited a moment for the tone of his voice to register, then he motioned them to follow.

As he entered the temple, he examined the saber. What damage had been down was now gone. He felt the strange evil within the blade, and flincht. "i will end you now. and not later." walking back out side the temple, recinis drew forth the force once more, its wonderus capabilities filling his limbis, givign him strength that he did not posses. He jamed the saber into a pillar, so deaply inbeded did it become, that it would take the descrution of the pillar to free it, the button that ingited the blade hidden deep within the stone.
he then headed back to the temple

She had no thought for Sith history or the splendors of battles past. All she could focus on was the battle occurring outside this very Temple.

She ran across the foyer, passing great stone pillars, her feet slapping upon the cold stones of the floor...

...and came to a literally crashing halt as Recinis came into the Temple. The great warrior was bloodied and his eye carried a strange admixture of victory and disgust.

Graysith took a reflexive step backward at the look in Recinis's eye. Then she approached him, laying her hands lightly upon him and inspecting his wounds.

"Come, we must deal with these," she murmured, her concern growing, for they did not look to be the normal sort of burns one would expect to receive from a lightsaber.

Sometimes having force-skills came in really handy...

Laying Loban out on a comfortable couch, Shawn sat next to him and, after first making sure his lightsaber was again secure on his belt, he went to work. Reaching out to those talents which he had been blessed with, Shawn laid a hand on the boy's shoulder and closed his eyes, channeling healing energies that came as a part of himself into the young man.

In thus a manner he would remain until Loban returned to consciousness, or until he was instructed to do otherwise.

Wiped the blood from his mouth, held his head, and looked around at all the worried faces..."What?"

"Loban, where did you get that lightsaber?"

Lo-Ban stopped in mid-conversation, for he caught glimpse of the chosen daughter...

This kid had been playing dodgeball with him ever since they'd bumped into each other. Before, it hadn't been quite as serious, but now it certainly was. Granted, it was good that Loban was at least showing some concern for Graysith considering his distrust, but that didn't make the issue with the lightsaber any less pressing.

But at the moment all Shawn could do was turn to regard Graysith, and try to hide the scowl trying to emerge on his face...

Graysith smiled slightly, then turned back to Recinis. The smile faded when she saw the amount of blood dripping down the warrior's arm.

"I must do something about this," she repeated, pulling slightly upon his arm to move him along with her so that she might take him somewhere for treatment. Then she paused, frowning.

Where indeed? Using the All would heal this wound immediately, but she no longer had that luxury. And not being Sith, she really had no idea as to the layout of the Temple. She had relied upon the All too much; now she couldn't so much as find a place where there might be water to cleanse the wound, or soft wrappings to bind it with.

A little bit embarrassed, she bit her lip, considering. Then she reached down, took up the hem of her nightgown, and ripped a great strip from the bottom. Carefully then, she wrapped Recinis's arm, effectively binding the wound and stopping the flow of blood from it.

She then stood before him in silence, debating as to their next move. Lord Aelvedaar would need to be apprised of this situation, and immediately.

She raised her head, affixing his eyes with hers. "Come," she said softly. "Let us go into this room and see what Loban has to say about this entire affair. Indeed, there is much to discuss. Then we must take the information to Lord Aelvedaar. I expect he will be angered if we delay long in this."

She gave out a small gasp as she slammed into him, her grip never leaving him. "Recinis!" she cried out in alarm as the warrior seemed to put forth an immense effort to keep moving, but only tottered in place. He then stopped altogether and merely stood unsteadily, held upright between the pillar and her grasp on him, which now slipped down to affix itself about his waist. She leaned into him now, one hand daring to loosen its hold so that she could reach up and tilt his face down to hers.

His eyes were rolling back in his head, seeing images in a world which held a population of one.

"Recinis!" she cried out again, thoroughly alarmed, giving his face a little shake to try to bring him back into the present. "Recinis!"

No answer but that the warrior seemed to let out a heaving sigh, then slowly slid down the pillar as his knees finally gave way and sent him to the floor. Graysith went down with him, beyond merely concerned now, for no lightsaber wound would produce such a result in its victim that she knew of. She shifted a bit, kneeling beside him and grasping him by both shoulders. She shook them as hard as she could, so hard in fact that his head whipped back and forth with her efforts, his horns scraping against the cold stone behind them.

"Recinis!" she cried again, more loudly, a note of despair rising in her voice and moisture shining in her eyes. "I cannot carry you!"

Nothing. The Sith remained oblivious, his eyes staring into the unknown. Then he shuddered, and an all-body sweat sprang out on him. His breathing accelerated in the space of a second, along with his heartbeat, and his blood once more began seeping from the wound. He lay against the stone, not even appearing to try to fight.

Graysith drew in a great breath, and pulled herself back from her protector, crying out for Shawn's assistance as she did so. Then she did the only other thing she could do: pulling back her arm, she then let go and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. Once, twice... and again.

"What did you do to him?" she hissed in a fierce whisper, pinning Loban with an icy glare born from desperation for her protector. Clearly, if the warrior wasn't somehow stabilized, and soon, chances were great that he could die.

"That blade of yours, that lightsaber... it did... something to Recinis."

It was as though she heard the words for the very first time as she spoke them. Her breath caught in her throat, and she straightened up from the Sith, one hand flying to her mouth as she considered them further. Her eyes widened as sudden realization filled them, and she turned them now back and forward between Shawn and Loban.

"This is sorcery...." came the shocked whisper. She swallowed then turned back to the warrior, where she allowed herself the luxury of merely regarding his silent form for a moment longer. Then--

"Someone must inform Lord Aelvedaar, and immediately," she asserted, now turning to Shawn. "Unless you believe you can help in combating dark magicks, I think you might have the most luck in discovering my Sire's whereabouts. In the past I have let the All lead me to him...."

Her voice trailed to an abrupt closure with that, and she turned back to Recinis once more. There she continued her previous course of action, trying to awaken him with a series of slaps interspersed with her low outcries of concern.

Shawn paused, thinking of something. "Erik Kartan may perhaps be able to assist us here, since he has both Force ability and has dwelt here longer than any of us..."

Stretching out in the Force, Shawn found that Force signature that was Erik's and sent a thought into his mind. Then he waited a moment for understanding to dawn on the other man. In no time he was satisfied.

"Seems the immediate danger has passed. I'm needed in the Temple, but there is no cause for you to return with me at this point, should you not wish to. Seems we do have a bit of a situation, however. So it's up to you. I'd best be on my way, however."

With that, he turned and hurried on to the Temple, following the sense that was Shawn Petrolu and a few of the others as he did so. Upon entering, he found them in a lounge adjacent to the foyer. He stepped inside, and cast his eyes about the room, his gaze stopping as he spotted the unmoving form of Recinis. Then he looked up to Shawn in question.

But then, he had watched over Jhindarra with Aelvedaar, so he just might know where to start.

The cry choked out from between Graysith's lips as Recinis lay back against the cushions and began to black out. His head gradually lolled to one side, his half-lidded eyes staring inward toward a point that was getting farther and farther away from reality.

As the Sith warrior had battled against the rising blackness within himself, stumbling about blindly to finally fall upon the couch where he now lay, Graysith had kept with him, never letting her touch leave his person. Even now as he fell to lie silent she kept her hand upon him, instinctively knowing that he could somehow sense her being there with him, that she wouldn't let him fall into the darkness.

At least not alone.

So as he flopped limply upon the couch, she again went down beside him, ending up on the stone floor beside him, her feet curled up beneath herself. She reached out a cool hand to wipe his fevered brow, the other one now kneading his shoulder in the constant effort to let him know she was there, and every so often gave his head another shake or his face another slap to try and bring him around.

To no avail. The warrior remained silent, his eyes unseeing, his skin clammy. His wounded arm fell limply off the couch, brushing against her gown and staining it with its blood. She paid it no heed, but sat close by, keeping the all-so-important human contact with him unbroken.

And furthermore, Erik had been in the place where the Octrahedron was. He had spent quite a long time there watching over the unborn JhinDarra as the Sorceror Lord kept an eye on proceeding events.

However, knowing where a place was within a Sith Temple and actually getting in once you got there were two different things.

At length they reached the lowest floor of the Temple, and Erik lead Shawn to a pair of large and richly-carved doors.

Doors which most likely opened to only one presence.

Erik turned to Shawn. "Sense anything?" he asked. "Cause I sure don't."

Shawn started to say something, but Erik cut him off with a look. "Trust me, he's in there. You're gonna have to try to contact him. We might not be able to sense him, but I'm fairly certain he can us. Still, I don't have the abilities you do to mind-link..."

Erik trailed, his thoughts leading him along a related tangent. Only with one...

Then the presence of He whom they'd been looking for all along nailed him right between the eyes.

"He is in there," Shawn said quietly. He berated himself a bit for being so insensitive to the guidance of the Force, then moved on to the task.

He sent out a very brief and very urgent message. Lord Aelvedaar, I apologize deeply for the interruption, but there is a matter here that demands your immediate attention. The young boy that came with us from Khar Delba has brought a lightsaber that, during a duel, inflicted a strange and possibly fatal wound on Recinis...

Shawn sent no more thoughts than that, somehow knowing that this alone would be more than enough to gain the Sorceror Lord's attention.

These flames are my own...the wound was simply the gate...i let them in, no, they have burned within me for some time, constantly growing with every bashing thought he held towards himself. The wound could heal, but the thought of failing in battle...that was ever lasting... and this could not be.
with that the flames slowly subsided, becoming that of a normal fire, still strong, but his understanding had acted like water...cooling there heat, and alowing him to think more clearly.
graysith stood once more, her hand outstrethed to him, he stood slowly, and began walking to her, the flames licked at his being, with every step he was confronted with a memory of his failure, with every step he was forced to confront what he had failed in, and accept that which he had no control over.
he could not fully put away any one memory, but he felt as though soon he would be able to release his self doubt.
These fires can not be destroyed. they can only be accepted. I feel not that i have the strength yet to release them...but in time, i will. with that he reached graysith, a brief smile crossing his face before...

"Here, this should help... that 'thing' has held all the blood it can handle..."

Lo-Ban waited, to see if Graysith wished to do the honors of administering the bandage...

A great uprushing flood of warmth cascaded through Graysith's body as her brain finally kicked into gear, putting together the facts that Recinis's eyes were indeed open, that the bleeding of his arm had slowed, and that the awful look of haunting pain which had so recently creased his features had utterly disappeared. He stared up at her with amazing calmness, and even managed to smile at her, one brow crooking a bit as if to say, "Well--?"

Graysith released the breath she had been withholding, all unbeknownst to herself. Suddenly Recinis's eyes were entirely too large, too green, too filled with... something she couldn't quite place a finger upon, and in fact didn't truly know if she wanted to at this point. Her own eyes grew huge in turn, softening as an unspoken question filled their depths and reached out to find the answer in his.

He merely stayed calm, quietly smiling up at her.

Shaking her head as if to bring her own self back to reality, she let that short and strange moment pass entirely. Then she moved her hand from his shoulder to lay alongside the planes of his face, now smiling down at him in turn.

"I thought you were going to die, Recinis," she said quietly, her lips trembling at the very thought. "And what would I do then without your strength at my side?"

Falling silent, she remained seated on the floor next to the warrior, her one hand on his face, the other laying loosely against his shoulder, ignoring Loban's attempts to nursemaid as she simply basked in the pure relief that her protector had returned from whatever dark realms he had just journeyed within.

Lo-Ban placed the bandage on the corner of the couch,"Here, if you need it... I'll leave you two love birds alone..."

Matt shrugged. "Not a clue." Then, "How's that piggyback coming?"

Jasyn eyed the controls to the spaceport as though considering this. "I can't read these screwy heiroglyphs, but I don't think it'd be difficult to rig if we had someone here who could read this jibberish."

Matt nodded and began to say something, when a somewhat disgruntled-looking Loban entered the spaceport as though he were hurrying away for some reason. Jasyn turned to look at him and rose a hand to his face to cover the grin of amusement suddenly covering his face. With effort, he managed to sober and reached in his pocket, pulling out a flask of something. "Here Kid," he said, "You look like you need this more than I do."

Matt turned to Jasyn, first frowning about the implications of Jasyn carrying around a flask of liquor then suddenly grinning, laughing in bemusement himself.

Jasyn continued with, "No wait...you can't have any, you're too young!"

Matt now joined in the fray. "Come now, Jasyn, who will ever know? Not like the law is gonna come after us here..."

Her hand moved from atop his to lay lightly upon it, like a bird alighting on a sturdy limb. She let her fingers bring a modicum of cool relief to the wound, which was pouring forth heat like a miniaturized wildfire.

"Help is on the way, Recinis," she smiled into his eyes, her fingers brushing ever so lightly upon the wound. "This shall be taken care of, and soon you shall be well.

"I expect Lord Aelvedaar shall desire to... speak with young Loban...."

She let her voice trail off with that and fell into silence, a small shiver racing through her as the young man's very name brought with it the too-fresh memory of what he had so nearly caused to happen. She shivered again, not moving from Recinis's side, but merely sat curled by him, one hand on his arm, the other on his shoulder, her eyes still returning the deep look he gave her with one of her own.

"That's some powerful stuff... got anymore?"

Matt just shook his head. "And this is supposed to be a good thing? You've got him headed straight to the Universal Academy of Alcoholics."

Jasyn ignored him, now putting his arm around Loban's shoulders, his eyes growing intense as though the next words he was about to speak were gems of wisdom to be hoarded. "You gotta learn the fine art of drinking Whyrene's, my young friend. Sip, do not guzzle..."

"Yeah, sip like Jasyn does with Sith brandy," Matt interjected, laughing.

Jasyn looked over his back at Matt, cocking a brow. "Sith brandy has a bang that requires it to be gulped in large quantities to be fully appreciated," he said, almost completely serious.

"Sounds like a good excuse to me," was all that Matt replied.

Jasyn sent Matt a little scowl over his shoulder, then turned back to Loban, leading him to the Sith transport. "Come, my boy, there is much you need to learn."

Behind him, Matt shook his head once again. Then he grinned to himself. Jasyn with a 19-year old drinking buddy. What was the Universe coming to?

The last one to touch her such had betrayed her. She should be wary.... The only other prior to him had sent paroxysms of splendor flashing through her, like the eruption of a volcano or the stupendous burst of a supernova.

But this-- but this....

She blinked herself back to reality, and looked at Recinis as though she was seeing him for the first time. Suddenly very conscious of the wonderful depths of the warrior's green eyes, she realized with a start that they were moistened with the slight touch of... of what?

Of what. No volcanic heat nor fiery plasmas to evaporate that moisture. Nothing to back off from in wariness or fear. Nothing that even remotely suggested a total encapsulation of one's being, whether that referred to one's body or one's soul. This--

This was... different.

She leaned her face against Recinis palm, one hand now slipping up to lay upon it that it would remain there. Her own eyes grew huge and moist with something...

Different.

is this what he spoke of? i had thought he meant enemy's...but feelings?..Yes.

He had vowed never to leave her. And she suddenly didn't want him to ever do so.

Ever.

Another little frisson rippled up and down her spine as she let that thought gain entry, letting a part of herself examine it from every angle as though looking for blights or galls or anything which would mar it. Her smile grew crooked; it remained in pristine condition, merely beginning to shine a bit more brightly, and to grow even larger, even more strongly within her.

Deep inside her, the Beast let forth a questioning little growl, and shifted a bit. The entrapped kernel lay exposed as he moved his great paws from it. Her inner being smiled upon that kernel, then turned outward and smiled even more warmly down upon Recinis.

you care for her...Love her...dont you?
he considered the thought for a moment. turning it around, considering it. his mind was foggy though, and the answer seemed beyond him, though he believed it should be apparant

I...think..what? I cant think! i dont know...

he shifted acwardly, coming to as much a sitting possition as he could muster, his hand still gently pressed against Graysiths cheek, he then used that attachment as a sort of guide, bringing her from the strange possition ont he floor, to sit beside him.
reflexivly he began to move his left arm strangly, as if to set it on her leg gently, though he was once again reminded of the grim wound, and was chided for his forgetfullness with a dull ripple of pain, with some effort he managed to supress the throbbing of his arm, and disregard thoughts of moving it any time soon.

What happens now? what is this? WHY CANT YOU THINK STRAIGHT!
the thoughts continualy flowed through him, his confusion growing with each passing second...
Suddenly he looked at her, seeming to finaly grasp what it was that was happenign to him.
he then spoke, so quietly he was not sure if anyone besides himself could hear the words.

"yes...i do..."- his thoughts then continued on in silence...his lips moving btu no sound coming forth, though with the suddenly relization, he was not sure if graysith saw him or not, so shocked was he by his own thoughts, which now seemed as though they should have been apparant.

-Love her... he then relized that his hand was yet STILL pressed against her cheek, as though it had frozen there in complete comfert, a cool and relaxing, yet at the same time warm feeling tinglign at his finger tips.

She did not need the All to read what she did in those emerald depths. It flickered before her in crystal clarity, causing another rush of pure sweetness to flood her as her heart literally swelled within her breast. For a moment she just sat beside the warrior, keenly aware of his slight movements, of his rapidly acknowledged feelings which were all the sweeter for the fact that, bar none in battle though this warrior might be, with these he found himself treading entirely unfamiliar waters. That they were unfamiliar to her as well burst upon her like the rays of the sun, for indeed this something different seemed to hold a promise far grander than she ever could have expected, or indeed had ever discovered in her life before this moment.

His moving lips caught her eye; the words he spoke came lightly into her ears, the unspoken remainder arrowed with assured precision directly into her heart...

...where it met its mirror image.

No other analogy came to mind but simply that: a great and creviced wall, ancient and cold, covered with hoary mosses and dried vines... one so cold that the merest touch of warmth shattered it into dust and sent it wafting away. Those tiny motes seemed to transmute into something else as they left Recinis's being, becoming not so much the remnants of something born of holding in, but newly born themselves into a new kind of giving. They raced out of his eyes in a great flood, sweeping into her with a sensation she could feel as clearly as she had Recinis's lips against hers. Her immediate response was to once again raise a cool hand to his face, to lingeringly play upon it with the lightest of touches, even as she remained soaring along with those newly released motes. Her fingers tightened a bit, and once again she joined her lips to his. The kiss grew a bit deeper.

Then, with a little sigh of pure happiness, she pulled back from him and opened her eyes. His were centimeters from her own, offering her an invitation to stay for the remainder of her life should she choose. She smiled in acceptance, now tracing a small design on his cheek with the tip of one finger. Then a small movement from him caught her attention; she dragged her eyes from his, and turned them to his injured arm.

Her hand dropped to once more lay upon it. "We must tend to this," she repeated her earlier statement, making a movement to rise to her feet, but not getting very far. Her expression suddenly grew serious, and she settled down at his side again, the hand upon his cheek now wandering over to trace lightly upon his lips. She pinned his eyes with her own, knowing the words on the surface might appear unnecessary, but knowing as well his great need to hear them aloud.

"You said you will never leave me, Recinis," she said in a voice as soft as the sound of summer rain. "I do not ever want you to. I want you to stay by my side forever, for I think I love you."

Then, with a smile, she started to rise to her feet, and indicated he do the same. That wounded arm really needed medical attention....

He nodded to the sith in appreciation, guessing that the lessoning in his pain had been caused by some unknown action of the sorcerer, he then stood quietly like that, not sure of what to do next.

My frown deepens. "This too needs healing," I whisper, the frown lightening as I see understanding dawning on her face. She glances quickly over to Recinis, then faces me fully, standing quietly and closing her eyes so that she might more easily allow her mind to clear. It is a struggle, considering what currently fills her heart, but the remnants of this great epiphany within her do not hinder the further healing I must undertake. I gently reach out with the All, unerringly coming to that kernel deep within her psyche, one Roan has wrapped with his blackened chains of entrapment. It is nothing to snap those chains, which immediately dissipate, revealing...

...revealing the kernel within her soul, glowing like a tiny and fierce sun, taking up its rightful position as the center of her personal universe. I somehow know exactly what it is that kernel so strongly protects.

My personal feelings aside, I cannot help the smile which comes to my face as I sense her return to the beauty of the All. It rushes to fill her, buoying up this newest discovery within her, bolstering it to the point where she actually turns from me to grasp the warrior's arm, her very being positively radiant.

I smile a bit ruefully, pull back from her psyche, and give Recinis's arm another brief glance. At long last I speak.

"The weapon which has harmed you is awash with darkness, my young warrior," I begin in a steady voice. "Lucky you are that it has not enveloped your soul more heavily than it has, Recinis. Such a device usually would totally assimilate its victim."

I pause again, turning my gaze back and forth between the pair of them Although my ministrations are beginning to work upon his arm, I know fully well what medicine it was that allowed his healing to occur.

"Unless you have more information to reveal concerning this weapon, you may now take your leave. You both need rest, for you both have withstood much, and I am aware of its current location."

"thank you... I suggest you speak with loban..." nodding once more he turned his smile to graysith for a moment, his heart leaping as he looked upon her seemingly glowing form.
As he headed for the room he had placed graysith in befor, he stoped for a moment to pick up his discarded robes, and then continued on, Graysith at his side true happiness resting easily in his heart, the grasp on his right arm radiating with a warm feeling, and his left arm's pain becoming a mere memory.

I pause before it, frowning upon it, now cocking an ear to listen for the footfalls of the following jedi. In no time they are with me; I turn not to them, but continue frowning upon the dark lightsaber embedded in the pillar.

"Do either of you know anything of this weapon?" I ask at length.

Now indeed could she recognize Recinis fully, for her newly restored capabilities instinctively reached out and found identity with the Force abilities inherent in this warrior. It was one thing to verbally express one's feelings for another, and to hear the words spoken in return. It was quite a different matter to actually sense that deeply rooted unity on the essence-to-essence level provided them by the Force, and by the All.

She sighed, snuggling a bit against Recinis as they continued to walk, the grip she placed on his good arm tightening as she moved closer to him yet.

"I have never been happier, Recinis," she said at length then fell silent, her footsteps echoing in rhythmic cadence to her heart.

"I shall not leave you, Recinis," she breathed in the barest of whispers. "Never would I willingly walk away from a love such as this."

Then, her face still quietly lifted to his, her eyes pouring through the windows of his soul, she opened herself up through the All, bypassing the unity of their essences into an even deeper layer within, freely presenting all of herself to her love, inviting him to read her soul, that he would know beyond the shadow of a doubt the words she spoke to him were true.

He was trying to listen to what Jasyn was saying.. but he just couldn't...

It might have been the fact that he had never had any form of alcohol in his life...

He looked down at his severly-stretched out jumpsuit, and couldn't help but laugh...

He continued to laugh, almost falling over... he couldn't help himself...

Yet these actions relied upon the interpretation of the other. Three little spoken words, however, cement the knowledge away from any doubts which may exist in even the barest of shadowy hesitations.

Slowly she drew back just a bit, still maintaining their essential connection, knowing this was a part of them both which would never fail, and supported it even further by repeating the words Recinis had just spoken aloud to her.

"I love you...."

How very, very different, she mused as they walked along, now laying her head against Recinis's broad shoulder and letting herself go entirely in the warmth of his hold on her body. She turned her head sideways a bit, looking up into Recinis face which was this time focused on a point somewhere in the middle distance ahead of them. She basked in the knowledge of watching him thus, all the while letting that little bit of introspection continue.

So different. With my Dark Heart... Suddenly she cut herself off in mid-thought, smiling at how for the first time those two words sounded entirely inapropros. Blinking in something akin to amusement, she continued her free-flow of thoughts.

...with Lord Wicked, the love was not as this. His was something which needed constant rein, one which she had to actively reach out and hold, for it was a fierce form of love, the kind only a being without light within him had the capability to give. Always she needed to be strong, to prove herself to be worthy of him...

...while Recinis accepted her simply as she was, as well as the love she offerred in its simplest and purest of forms.

Another little sigh brought her out of her musings with the sudden intrusion that they had come to a halt. Next to them, the door to her room stood in silent invitation.

She blinked, looking up into the eyes of her new love, again nearly crying out in wonderment that this newness was actually recognizable as being the oldest feeling known to any sentient being in the Universe. And basking in that strength.

For once not knowing what to say, she remained silent, letting Recinis take the first step from there.

How can things be so perfect? he wondered to himself quietly, almost afraid that questioning things would cause him to awaken from an oh to wonderful dream.

slowly the entered the room, and sat down quietly on the ancient bed. Recinis again became lost in graysiths wonderus gaze, not sure as to what would happen next, he put thoughts of the future away, and simply remained content staring into eyes that seemed to mirror his feelings, his heart filled yet again with the strange feelings he was experiencing, and he simply sighed.
How can it be? that my intire life has changed so amazingly in this short amount of time... No longer the simple warrior...
as he said this the memory of graysiths return flashed through his mind, the conversation he had had in this very room becoming fresh in his thoughts again.I have found my place... I am no longer lost...
with this he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss upon graysiths lips.

Never heard of this lightsaber before. And, for the moment, neither could he feel any dark power radiating from it. The thing was dormant...as though its Evil Power could only be awaken when used by a living soul.

Shawn paused a moment at that, considering.
I've never seen anything like it," he said aloud. "From what I've observed, the weapon seems to feed off the person using it. Perhaps it even drains them, for when Recinis was able to deactivate the thing Loban was knocked to the ground unconscious."

Shawn quieted a moment, considering what else might be of significance here. "Also, when Loban used the weapon, he became visably stronger. So much that his clothes were literally stretched. Even his voice came out as one of a demon. It was as though..." He hesitated, trying to chose the best description, "It was as though he was being possessed."

He frowned at this tangental thought, not knowing exactly why it had arisen at this point in time. But then it dawned on him: the thought had been with him all along. He was feeling lonely; misplaced. And although he was beginning to see his role in the grand spectrum of things, he was missing his compass and his guide; One whom he had been able to spend little time with recently.

Shayla.

He closed his eyes for a wistful and worrisome moment, and he wondered if anyone else was as aware of Shayla's absence as he was.

Don't worry sweetheart, we haven't forgotten you, he thought, as though she could hear him through the link that even at this moment remained painfully silent. I haven't forgotten you...

As everyone came to a halt before a stone pillar, Erik took a position beside Shawn Petrolu, quietly listening to the words Aelveedar and he were speaking and considering them.

Something of this Evil in Prinn'chatka could be very dangerous. It could serve as a beacon for others, although with the shield this was all but impossible. But even so, who wanted the thing laying around here? Loban had used it at least once; probably more than that if the truth was known. Who was to say that it didn't have some sort of connection with someone once they first used it?

Better put that thing far, far away before it does anymore damage...

...and something even worse happens...

"Indeed, this device needs to be destroyed, that it not serve as... any further temptation, riven into the stone as it is."

I wave one clawed hand behind me, the movement carrying almost a note of laissez-faire about it. Then a frown creases my face, and I whirl about to glower at the lightsaber.

It remains stubbornl embedded in the pillar, laughing at the All.

Impossible.

"Indeed, there is strange sorcery to this device, my jedi friends," I say with not a little concern in my voice. "It does not respond to the All. Very well then--"

I interrupt myself and make a series of mystic shapes before the device, calling upon the ancient sorceries that have been passed down from Dark Lord to Dark Lord, and using the All now to supplement their natural powers. The device is not destroyed... but the very stone of the pillar begins to warp and twist, flowing and metamorphosing into a more plasticine state of matter. It oozes down and about the saber, covering its entirety before hardening back to it's former state, the evil device now completely covered in stone.

"It shall remain here embedded in stone until I may devise a means of destroying it," I announce as I turn back to the two jedi. "Meanwhile, as the two most pressing events surrounding this thing have been alleviated, I shall take my leave to attend to other priorities.

"In the meantime, I would enjoin you to find and interrogate the young Loban, and determine what you can of this lightsaber and its origins.

"I shall return when I have removed Shayla from her summary imprisonment."

With that I bow my head toward the two men, and depart, finding my way back to my sanctum sanctorum, where once again I pick up the link with the Adept, and begin the final steps leading to her retrieval.

Drinking for reasons of socialization and comradarie was one thing. Loban was drinking to forget.

At length he came to a darkened corner along the outskirts of the Temple where Matt, Jasyn, and Loban sat sharing some Whyrene's. Matt and Jasyn were drinking fairly responsibly; Shawn sensed that Jasyn knew not to push it too much for once.

Loban, on the other hand, was guzzling. Shawn crossed his arms and looked sternly at the boy for a moment, then took his drink.

"Drinking will only make your problems go away momentarily, Loban," Shawn instructed. "You have a responsibility to answer everything we have to ask to the best of your ability, or you endanger us all. Yourself included. Now, tell me everything you know about that lightsaber. How did your Uncle come across it?"

With that, Shawn quieted and waited to see what Loban would have to say.

Never had it been thus, never the feelings so overwhelming, so exquisite. For some reason she felt again as she did when the All had been removed from her command: suddenly and oh so very vulnerable.

The only difference was that in that case she strove with all her being to deny the reality holding her in its grasp, and followed that with an equally heartfelt desire to avoid where that reality would lead her altogether.

But not now. This reality reached out to take her up and transport her to a level entirely above it, a state of being beyond mere thought and reaction and into one of pure feeling and emotion. An inner part of her reached out yearning arms for that taking, wanting to go with all her heart, and wanting to take Recinis along with her.

Suddenly the atmosphere of the room altered; the lighting, powered by Sith technology to respond to the whims of the occupants of the room, dimmed into the atmosphere a tropical jungle takes on at twilight. A part of Graysith's nearly unconscious desire reached out with the all, and the gentle crackles and soft snapping noises of the fire was suddenly accompanied by the sounds of rushing water. No mere illusion; a point developed over their very heads, one of vine-entwined stone, from which a gushing waterfall cascaded down. The bubbling, roiling waters came down like a silken canopy, falling about them but not wetting them, surrounding them with a coolness, one to balance the steadily growing fires within it's curtain.

Lo-Ban bolted, he had never felt so much panic...

He ran forever, he came to a door, he quickly entered the room...

It was dark, he stayed by the door, he quickly looked over his shoulder to scoop out the room... everything was ok... just a waterfall in the middle of the room... he looked back at the door... and then he whipped around...

why me!?

"It's a hallucination..." He said, nodding his head... "I'll never drink again..."

Yet, from somewhere, there came into that ocean a cold current of... something. It niggled into her very being, poking at her subconscious, seeking her attention, trying to drag her focus away from Recinis...

...which it finally succeeded in doing. With the greatest effort she had ever made she pulled back from the warrior, and turned her senses outward from the mental and emotional links which were binding them together as one. Those senses probed outward, seeking the source of that cold undercurrent...

...and found it easily enough. Someone dared to enter the rooms of the Chosen Daughter of the Sith.

She sat up in the bed with a start, her eyes and the Glyph flashing and coloring the water surrounding them with an eerie violet radiance. Then her eyes narrowed as she realized just who was standing just inside the doorway. The Beast within her yowled his outrage.

This one is a nuisance yet again!

Her first reaction was to strike the young man dead on the spot. Then, perhaps mellowed a bit by her new love, she reconsidered that course of action. While she was certain her new allies would understand on the surface, no need to alarm them unnecessarily. Killing one of them might be seen as a touch too extreme.

She turned back to Recinis, who was now sitting beside her, a brow crooked questioningly. Smiling, she reached up and took his face in her hands, kissing him long and fully.

"Only for the sake of your love do I stay my hand, Recinis," she purred silkily.

Then she removed the Claw-bearing hand from his face, and made a mystic rune with it.

One the other side of the waterfall, the room suddenly emptied itself of its unwanted intruder, like a gourmand spitting out a bad seed. Young Loban suddenly found himself, once more sans clothing, on the entirely opposite end of the city of Phrinnchatka. It was, in fact, a rather large city....

"I guess we oughta go after the little twerp," he said.

Shawn shook his head no.

Jasyn arched an eyebrow. "You're gonna let him go off into possible mischief? I don't think the Kid has ever drank a drop in his life."

Shawn reached out to sense where the wayward young man was, and actually grinned when he realized what must have happened. "I think he's been...taken care of. He'll be allright."

Jasyn shrugged and sat back down. "Okay then. You're the Jedi."

With that he picked up his drink once again, merely holding it and leaning back to a comfortable position, perfectly content to remain this way until something else came down the spacelanes. Around him the other men, even the Jedi, helped themselves to the goods...

How wonderful that he would now be indeed forever by her side; her Protector, her Refuge, her Defender, her...

No. She cocked her head to one side, considering the litany of endearments that were scrolling through her head, wondering at first why she halted... and then smiled as realization struck her.

It was the term, "her." Lord Wicked had ever been referred to as "her" Dark Heart, both when she spoke of him to others, and deep within herself in times of inner contemplation. But that very term, while meant with all good intentions, truly portrayed a certain degree of... selfishness about it. Of possession.

There was nothing of the sort remotely present here.

The smile broadened on her face, and the Glyph soared into a greater degree of radiance.

I do not "possess" you, Recinis, she thought to his sleeping form. I do not even attempt to, as indeed I believe I did in the case of Lord Wicked. Quite the contrary, I give myself freely to you for as long as you desire to have me....

With that thought fresh on her mind, she slowly leaned forward and kissed his forehead. One slender finger reached out softly to trace about one of the mystical runes tattooed upon his broad chest.

I shall have to inquire about the meaning of these, she thought to herself, drawing quietly back from him. Then after directing another smile upon him, she turned and allowed herself to plunge into the yet gushing waterfall still surrounding them. No mere refresher for her this morning....

As she cleansed herself, releasing all inner guards to fully enjoy the feeling of the water beating against her skin, another sensation arrowed into her being. One not having anything to do with the physical part of her... but one striking an emotional cord as deeply held as the suddenly developing one between her and Recinis. She smiled in recognition.

Her Adept had returned to Phrinnchatka.

A flood of comfort and satisfaction washed over her, and she debated rushing to greet her newly returned sister. But then she thought of who was yet sleeping behind her, and hesitated. She smiled again, continuing to luxuriate in the coolness of the waterfall.

To everything there is a season, and my sister and I shall be reunited soon enough... and this she was certain her Sister would truly understand.

Shayla had returned.

He suddenly found himself on his feet, and headed towards her regardless of who or what got in his way. He could distinctly hear Shawn somewhere behind him advising that he wait, but Erik couldn't help but press forward.

With the way he and Shayla seemed to get seperated so very often, every second counted.

About mid-way down the hall, however, Erik froze in his tracks.

Just how exactly was he going to go parading in to where he knew Shayla was? Aelvedaar might take offense...

And then he thought about turning around and simply waiting. For about two seconds. He began forward again.

Indeed there was yet so much to discuss with each other, so much to yet explore, both of and with each other, she thought to herself as she lifted her face up into the cool rush of the waterfall. This is an entirely new territory into which I am treading, and I am so thankful that I do not travel it alone....

Her thoughts were smoothly interrupted as her awareness gravitated to the fact that Recinis had joined her in the water. Now her smile trembled the slightest, and she caught up her bottom lip between her teeth. She continued on with her ablutions, keenly aware of his each subtle movement beside her, every sense electrified by his very nearness to her....

Then she could stand it no longer, and turned to face him, her hands dropping to her sides, water cascading all about her, wetting her hair so that it hung down about her to nearly the small of her back. She looked deeply into his eyes, not saying anything, just letting her eyes speak the volumes expanding within her heart, her face lifted up to meet his.

Time, contrary beastie that it can be, paused yet again.

Somewhere in the very back of Shayla's mind, some insistent little niggling began to prod a little harder, trying to indicate that she should return to the Universe of the Living. She simply ignored it, basking in the warmth and assurety of this safe and quiet place. For in the back of Shayla Stargazer Petrolu's mind was also the awareness of what she would have to wake up to. And after all, she had only just fallen into true sleep a little while ago in her damp and dark quarters. Still, something niggled and prodded just a little bit more.

Fine then.

Shayla pushed herself towards wakefulness, however unwillingly, to assess whatever might be headed her way. As the veil of sleep ascended ever so slowly, she became aware of certain inconsistencies with her current surrounding.

Hmmmm...beings. Others. Surrounding.

But how could she sense others around her in this intergalactic space...?

With that realization Shayla's eyes snapped open and she sat up with a start, her senses on alert. Slowly, very slowly, her brain caught up with the signals her eyes were sending it, and the image of Aelveedar at last registered. Then, suddenly realizing something else, Shayla looked down at her appearance and reached outward with her talents to correct this. In moments, the ooglith masquer simply changed back into a purple cloak.

Shayla hesitated, not knowing exactly to put in words how she felt or what she wanted to say. She was now keenly aware of the revival of her link with Graysith, and sensed, much to her relief, that her Sister seemed in very good spirits. Shayla couldn't help but smile at this, not quite certain what had occurred but sensing the inner fuel of this sudden happiness.

...as if she was being encased within arms of spidersilk, yet arms whose very core contained a strength greater than that of durasteel...

--and pressing her self against his chest so her heart would come as close as possible to his.

For a long moment they remained thus, lost beneath the rushing waters, lost in each other. Then the very tiniest of niggles perturbed the quiet joy of the Chosen Daughter.

Something....

She allowed the barest speck of awareness to back off and take a look about, wondering just what it was she was seeking and not finding...

Ahh. The missing factor, and one quite easily resolved.

The little portion of herself made a connection with the All, then quietly joined the rest of her in the joy of Recinis's loving caress...

Now I return my attention from the direction in which it has drifted back to the young Adept, who is rising from the floor to thank me. Only a blind nerf would be unable to sense the inrush of feelings she is experiencing at this moment, as well as the responding outflow which comes from her soul. A little smile tickles the corners of my mouth as these transparent feelings are revealed before me, and I bow my head to her.

"Go to him," I say succinctly, indicating the door with a wave of my hand. Then my smile broadens; indeed I am not a blind nerf, but am nearly blinded by the intensity which suddenly comes into her shining eyes. I nod once more, then turn to the Octahedron, which has settled back into the quiet swirls indicative of every possibility which can come to exist in this universe, both in space and in time.

Now I cannot help but continue thinking of another couple, and amazingly enough my smile is not erased. But it darkens minutely as, following along with the picture within my head, my thoughts return to the original plan of action we had been laying before being interrupted by Roan.

My eyes grow vague, and I seek answers within the Octahedron. How are we to devine the whereabouts of the Child... and how are we to defeat Roan?

Suddenly my dark look wars with yet another smile, as I consider one who most definitely shall rise to that particular challenge. Ahh, if my love cannot be returned to me, at least it is directed into one who has great strength within him, both physical and otherwise. Indeed my brother may come to rue the day he meddled with the Greater Good....

Then, contrarily enough, I raise a hand to my lips. The smile is still there and broadening, as is the sudden side-thought which now has come to trigger it:

Does Recinis remember that his new love has a babe, and that once she is found he may be finding himself in even a yet greater position of responsibility than the one he is currently in...?

I shake my head at this mixture of musings and ponderings, and turn back to quietly gaze upon the beauty of the Octahedron once more....

She didn't have to run far. He came around the corner, scooping her into his arms; her small petite form was light weight for him to pick up and swirl in the air, her feet not touching the ground. Then he simply pulled her closely to him. She smiled, reached up and took his chin in her hand, pulling his lips down to hers for a long and wonderful kiss.

At length she drew back, looking into his eyes and simply searching them, reading the thoughts that lay therein. Then: "Miss me?" she whispered, her smile softening.

He simply gazed into her eyes then again leaned in to kiss her gently. When he at length pulled back he didn't say a word; he didn't have to.

Shayla wrapped her arms about his neck, leaning back so that she could again swim in the depths of his deep browns. "We ah...seem to have some free time my love..."

The smile on his face grew to a lopsided grin. She returned the look. Then, "Let's take advantage of it..."

He was too busy thinking about what was on his mind. What had been on his mind for some time now. He'd said once she got back that he wanted to make certain she knew just how much he loved her...

As if sensing his thoughts, she turned in his arms, cocking her head and a brow at him as if to ask what was wrong. He responded to this by leaning his forehead against hers. "You know that I love you, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she said, leaning back to gaze in his eyes a moment then kissing him softly on the cheek. "And I love you too."

Erik took the opportunity to swim in her greeny-blue eyes, simply drowning in them. Then he frowned a bit in spite of himself. No. That wasn't it. She knew that he loved her. There'd never really been any question of that. There was something else...

"Erik? You allright?" Shayla asked into the quietness of the moment.

He turned from his thoughts to again look into her eyes, trying for all the Universe to push aside that little questioning voice in his mind. It waved its arms for attention, holding a banner for him to read if only he'd acknowledge its presence.

Just a little more time to swim in the ocean of her eyes...

At that moment, memory of what had been so very important dawned.

"Erik?" Shayla called softly again, this time placing a hand on his cheek as if to direct his eyes into hers.

If he directed his eyes any further into hers he would drown. And he would enjoy every moment of it. But what good would it be to drown when...

...there was so much of life that yet lay ahead?

He reached up and took the hand she had placed on his cheek in his, letting her long slender fingers intertwine with his own. Then, he placed his other hand against her own cheek, gently running it along the line of her chin.

"Shayla Petrolu..." he started, pausing only a moment, his eyes looking with her own inquisitive pair, "Will you give me the honor of having you as my wife?"

mmmm, better than a protein bar...

He started to rise, and then his head was hit by a ton of bricks... he fell to his knees in pain...

"NEVER AGAIN!!" He shouted toward the heavens, after so wishing he hadn't...

He felt anger creep over his being... he realized what it was he tried to forget... and he was naked?!

In order to break from everything, Lo-Ban decided he needed to meditate, a lesson he learned from his once Master...

Why was he asking her this now? Yes, she loved him, but...

...but...

This was so sudden. Why indeed was he asking this now?

She paused at that, wondering why she was questioning at all. She knew that she loved him, and that he loved her.

But she was a Sith Adept, and the Greater Good came before even what she wanted. Was he asking her this in order to somehow keep her in place? If she said yes, that wouldn't change the fact that they might be seperated once again. And that this could and probably would happen frequently.

And yet...

Every time she'd been away, he'd always been there when she got back. Always. And he'd always, when necessary, let her go.

He wasn't asking her this to keep her tied down. He was asking her this to confirm to her that he'd ALWAYS be the one waiting for her return. And that he'd stand by her side as well.

Only Shayla wasn't quite sure he was aware of this sublty just yet. She turned from her thoughts, suddenly realizing that Erik's brown eyes were still locked to hers, seeking an answer. She smiled.

"You know you're tangling with a Sith Adept, don't you?"

Her words were light, but her meaning was not. She waited to see just how he would respond to this before giving him an answer.

She was asking him if he truly realized what he was getting into. If he understood that this wouldn't change the fact that she would be a Sith Adept first and foremost, and that her responsibilities in that capacity came first.

Well? Did he understand that?

Yes.

What he also understood, however, was that he and Shayla had been playing hush-hush with their feelings for each other for years. While lately this hadn't been so, it was as though he wanted something to confirm that they wouldn't slip back into their former pattern. That they wouldn't, while off on their seperate duties, drift apart.

He needed this. Not because he didn't trust her, because he certainly did. But because he wanted to be home base for her. Because he wanted their love affair to be more than simply a night here and there.

He wanted to stand by her in every single thing that she did.

He looked even more deeply into her eyes. "I know who I'm dealing with. I want to stand by her side no matter what, because she's the most loyal, loving, and dedicated person I've ever known." He paused, hoping she understood just what he was saying. He continued to clarify. "I know that you are dedicated to something greater than our wants and wishes. I know that we will be seperated at least occasionally. That's never stopped us from returning to each other before. And besides, I want you to know that I'm in this with you babe; that whether you are near or far I'm standing by your side."

With that he quieted, wrapping his arms about her.

He DID understand.

Then she reached up on tip-toe to brush her lips against his, a warm and wonderful feeling spreading throughout her being. She leaned back to look into his deep brown eyes as she spoke. "Does that answer your question?" she kidded quietly, her smile broadening. Then she leaned in and whispered in his ear: "Yes, Erik Kartan. I will marry you."

She blinked slowly, then let her eyes drop from Recinis's to take note of that fact that the hand she had laid upon his chest was now lightly tracing one finger about the tattooes which covered it. A smile broadened upon her features as she contemplated them, noting the strangely powerful and totally exotic appeal they gave the Sith warrior. She idly traced one upon his left pectoral muscle, shifting her head a bit upon the pillows so as to look at it more closely.

Graysith breathed the word like it was forged in gold. It had a certain ring to it, one denoting subtlety of strength yet overwhelming power. With a start, she realized that Lord Roan was the leader of the Warrior clan, yet during her entire -- and in retrospect, thankfully brief -- affair with him, he had never mentioned anything of this to her. It was as if he thought she didn't merit the knowledge.

...while Recinis was so splendidly open with her. As she would always be to him....

She shivered with pleasure at the touch of his finger-trace upon her back, then focused on his words again. "I-- I am afraid that even though I am the Chosen Daughter of the Sith, I do not know much of these clans. Tell me of the warriors; is it difficult to train to become one of them? How are you chosen?"

This one, however, is likewise no stranger to me.

"Freedon Naad..." I whisper in the silence of my chambers. How long it had been... but by what design did he now await entry into the dead city of Phrinnchatka?

I frowned at the apparent serendipity of it all, then decide to let him gain entry. If an ally he would choose to be, than a powerful one he would be indeed. But if a foe...

No better place to put one's foes than smack before one's very nose.

"I have docked your ship outside of the city, I am sorry that I had to apropriate it but it was nessesary at the time. Please understand," Naad stopped and looked at Narcolm. The man spun around and glared at Naad, repressing the urge to sieze him with the force and heave him across the corridor.

"YOU," he bellowed... then he realized what Naad had said and callmed down... slightly, "Never, steal from me again. As for my ship, it better be in perfect condtition or else there will be dire concequences." He half drew his sword menacingly. Naad just stared back at him and responded in an unphased monotone, "If you would like to inspect it you will have to find the Sorcerer Lord and ask him to allow you to leave. Otherwise I fear any attempts to vacate the premisis would be futile. If you would like I can use my knowledge and the Book of Ages to guide you to where he is, though disturbing him might not be the best of ideas."

"I am-- I was... " she faltered, grinding to a momentary halt. She blinked, then pressed on. "My name is Jharmeen Jhin'Dar; my sister, Galen Danner I believe you have met. Our father--"

Here she paused once again, blinking back sudden tears. Her eyes grew even more huge, even more unfocused as, reaching now back into time to the day which transformed not only her life but her very being, she struggled to fight the ghosts it carried hand-in-hand with it. So intent was she that she wasn't even aware that the tears finally won out over her attempt to suppress them, and were trailing silvery paths down her cheeks.

"My father was a xenoarcheologist, who's specialty was the ancient Sith. Not much was known about them, you see, and we travelled the galaxy from one end to another seeking bits and pieces of their -- of your civilization. Galen was our pilot and navigator, while I..."

She paused in self scrutiny, wondering briefly before continuing simply, "I just went along to help. And one day, we found a planet... this planet..."

Again she paused, another shuddering indrawn breath racking her small frame. With studied effort she refocused, and gathering her strength for the words she knew she had to speak, went on.

"We discovered a great site, what appeared to be a Sith hangar, full of half buried Sith ships. We excavated what we could... and in that excavation, broke through to a side passage which led to a room..."

Now her eyes were huge, moist and dark with grief, the Glyph flaring into hard ultraviolet and giving the enclosing greenery an eerily surreal look.

"We went into that room," she continued, "and there we found-- we found..." For some reason, memory failed her, what was it in that room, what had she done? She had reached out almost instinctively, as though drawn like a magnet to something, and had touched it...

"It was than that he... that my Sire, Lord Aelvedaar reached out and... and touched me," Now her eyes seemed to totally encompass her face, so dark and huge had they grown. "...and he placed this upon me to be ignited when... when... that it should come to life when the light of love met dark and joined it."

She blinked through her tears, now turning her eyes up into Recinis's green ones, seeking understanding there, praying for his understanding....

She continued. "From that point, I was no longer Jharmeen. I had become Graysith, the Chosen One, the Chosen Daughter of the Sith, Lord Aelvedaar. This rune he placed within me was indeed ignited into the wonder of the All, but only when the balancing union of dark and light joined together in me.

"And it did join, when I fell in love with a powerful dark jedi known as Darth Wicked. He-- he is dead," she finished simply, coming to a brief halt, not able to go on about the murder of her own father which she had committed, nor the fact that her sister had pursued her for over two years, each with the intent to kill the other. That would come later, should this warrior she loved deign to remain with her after hearing this much of her story.

Her hands tightened into fists against him, and she buried herself against his chest, waiting....

Lord Wicked... how summarily he had turned against her, and for no apparent reason, clone though he might have been. And now-- and now, one who would have true justification to be leery, to back off from her was instead clinging to her with the vow of remaining there forever.

She gripped him, still pinning his eyes with hers, not understanding this wonder in the light of any explanation other than:

He did love her.

Her hand reached to brush against his lips, and she whispered back, "I love you as well, Recinis. Know this." She let her lips replace her hand for a lingering and sweet kiss, and then drew back. "But there is more."

Pulling back slightly, she plunged ahead, and recited every major event which had happened to her since that day she had become the one known as Graysith. How she killed her very own father by beating him to death with a rock that day at the Sith site, then after not being able to find her hiding sister, how she had taken the family yacht and left her on K'eel Doba to die. How she had fled into the galaxy, seeking something, finding Wicked, falling in love... a meteoric love, one to flash in fiery brilliance but to fade from his memory, no matter what she did in the attempt to please him. How she had brought forth Lord Aelvedaar from the depths of the past, into this time to help her to understand. How he in turn had rescued her, bringing her to a secret training site when Wicked had finally turned against her altogether and placed her in the not so gentle hands of his "brother," Lord Atma.

How while at that training site her purpose had been revealed: that she was to be implemental in the resurrection of the Sith civilization. The ensuing encounter with Lady Gouyen Chee, and their encounter with Darth Desolist. How his lackey Graven Dark had revealed her pregnancy to her... a babe of great importance in events yet to come, but one accidentally killed by the inadvertent actions of her sister, Galen, ever on her trail like a hunting Nek.

How she sought to eliminate her own flesh and blood... and in the process found Shayla and took her to be her Adept --or so she thought, for indeed there was a great loneliness she was seeking to fill, an aching void needing to be made whole. How then she had taken her to Khar Delba to teach her, where Lord Roan appeared, deceiving her to believe he was her Dark Heart returned... that brief but volcanic reunion... her bearing another child by him, one which this time was born.

But not of her body. On and on she went, every story, every explanation of every item of importance or not; she truly now wanted to share it all with Recinis. And perhaps there was more... perhaps in a way it was a purging of self into understanding ears, and in that purging at long last truly finding who she really was.

She finally wound down. Around them was only silence, broken by the snaps and pops of the now dying fire, and the continual rustle of the leaves which held them in its magickal bower. She remained quiet as well, pondering exactly how to state the final words in her heart, and then opened her mouth to simply let them come as they would.

"Now you see who it is that you love, Recinis," she whispered, cupping his face in her hands and staring with the intensity of wildfire into his eyes. What she read there cooled that fiery look, provoking another smile to shadow her face. "As well as who it is who so strongly loves you in return."

After a nice long play in the park with Darra, Terrin and Galen had retreated back to their home within the city to get little Darra something to eat. While Galen was off in the kitchen working on just that, Terrin stayed out in the living area with Darra, rocking her and swinging her and basically doing whatever it was that would entertain her while they were waiting. At this particular point he was standing in front of a window with her, allowing her to see her reflection. She reached out for it, grinning and cooing and certain she had found herself a small companion in the panes of the window.

Terrin couldn't help but smile at this, stepping in closer to the window so that Darra could reach out and touch the reflection. And that's when he saw him.

Terrin frowned, drawing back from the window and suddenly pulling Darra closer to himself suspiciously.

What the kriffing hell was he doing out there...like that? Granted, Terrin recognized the guy, but he was...naked? Why the hell was he walking through Prinn'chatka with no clothes on?

Darra cooed and seemed to look at him with her big blue eyes quizzically. Terrin smiled to her again, reaching out to ruffle the little bit of red hair that she had on her head. Then he turned and stepped into the kitchen, giving her to Galen. "I'll be right back," he told her, unconsciously fiddling with the blaster at his side. "I think there is a crazy man outside- a kid they brought back with them from Khar Delba," Terrin said a touch darkly.

He always did think that Loban was a bit weird...

"I don't know why, but he appears to be walking about town naked. I'm gonna go out there and see what the Hell he's doing out here and why the hell he is like that. And if I don't like his explanation, I think I just might shoot him."

With that Terrin turned and headed for the door, stopping momentarily to retrieve a long cloak that had been hanging in the closet when they had taken the house for themselves.

After all, who wanted to talk with a naked guy?

Then he headed on out, stopping Loban in his tracks and handing him the cloak. Then he frowned. "How the Hell did you get out here like that, kid?" he asked, again reaching for his blaster suspiciously.

Better be a really good explanation...

"now you may truly see who it is you love, graysith. as well as who indeed, loves you with all his heart in return..."

But indeed did their two hearts beat as one, and as one held the same understanding and capability for forgiveness, even when that forgiveness wasn't at all necessary....

Very gently, as though this immensely powerful and highly trained warrior of the Sith had suddenly been transformed into something with the frailty of an eggshell, she reached out and laid a hand against his cheek. For a moment she simply stared into his eyes, seeking his soul so that he would truly understand the words she was now trying to say. Her mouth worked, trying to form the words, trying to take up the enormous amount of pain and guilt this man was pouring into her essence...

...and simply make it vanish from his being. She prayed she had the ability to do that, and all for the sake of this warrior. For quite suddenly his needs transcended whatever ones she herself might have, and indeed ever would have. A long moment passed between them, pregnant with nuance and feeling and subtle offering and pure acceptance... and finally Graysith managed to put it all into faltering words which stumbled from her mouth:

"By the measure of what we have done it is said that we know who we are," she began slowly, sniffing back the tears which were springing into her eyes. "Yet this measure is able to change, that we too may do so. Some of us have our destinies placed before us, and must follow where they lead. While others..."

She paused again, now moving her other hand to lay directly over his heart. "While others can create destinies of their own, ones awaiting to be followed by the fact of that measure. One may adhere to a pre-set course... or one may veer from it. And if one chooses to veer, by whatever reason or awakening, then one may learn from it.

"You are not the only one who has killed, Recinis," she interjected abruptly, her voice dropping so low she didn't know if he heard her or not. "As well as for no apparent reason. But remember this: nothing happens without a reason; and the wise will wait to see what the future holds."

She paused again for breath, blinking her violet eyes and not attempting in the slightest to prevent her tears from pouring down her face. It was then that realization struck; now she gripped both sides of his face with such intensity her nails made slight imprints in the flesh there. Holding him thus, she drew his face down to within millimeters of her own.

"You claim you had no heart, and oh my love how wrong you are. One has been beating within you all along, merely unable to be freed... and I am so very thankful to be one of the few here allowed the honor of freeing it. And so, my love, to help free it further, let me take your pain...."

With that she loosened one hand a bit, sliding it up until her fingers touched his temple and around the back of his head. One finger brushed against one of his pearl-smooth horns, and lay there upon it; her little finger stretched down to find the neurological "pressure point" on the cheekbone. Now closing her eyes, she let herself go, opening herself up with her talents, bidding the inner Beast welcome to this feast which she was about to send to it...

...and allowed his fears and guilt and pain to rush into her. They came with tornadic force; she stood strong, ready and accepting, taking that pain and channelling it to the Beast...

...until at length she knew it was dissipated, eradicated from his soul.

Slowly she opened her eyes, and smiled into his wonderful green ones. "I love you Recinis... I love YOU... It is not simply a bit of good here or there," she went on, repeating what he had just spoken to her word for word, "...It is you, what is good, and what bad... all is in the end, you, and with that, I find only splendor...."

Lo-Ban took the cloak Terrin handed out to him, and quickly covered himself...

"I think it best I get back to the temple as soon as possible... you are welcome to join me, I plan to explain everything... everything, I know..."

Explain everything? What "everything"?

Terrin was not amused. Here he was, away from the Temple spending time with his wife and daughter when this guy comes traipsing by, obviously coming from the wrong side of town from where he should have been, completely naked and obviously drunk.

And he was headed back to the Temple to "explain everything"?

Warning bells were going off in the back of Terrin's mind. He grabbed a fist-full of the cloak that he'd just handed Loban and glared at him. He didn't much like the fact that Loban had suddenly appeared out here near his family, and he was starting to feel really defensive and very suspicious. "And just how did you get out here, when I know for a fact they wouldn't have let you wander out this far?"

She merely continued to open herself up to him, letting him "see" that his torment was indeed gone, linking with his inner visions in further invitation to continue that inspection of her very being, now finally directing those somehow ethereal yet very tangible attentions to a particularly special point in the nucleus of her being.

There it lay, where it had all along: the tiny kernel held between the massive paws of her inner Beast. That Beast rose to all fours, its figurative head lowered, its flat pewter eyes glaring as Recinis's essence was urged gently toward it... and then with a little whimper backed entirely away.

There lay the kernel, glowing like a tiny sun. Abruptly, it burst open to reveal an image secretly revered, and now allowed its freedom to soar forth throughout her being:

The image of the two of them, Recinis and herself, standing in quiet unity against whatever Fate would present to them.

The jealously hoarded image of Darth Wicked was no more.

She didn't know if Recinis had in fact ever realized it was ever there. But now he knew for a fact that he was central to her very being, and a softly radiant glow crossed her features as she saw that recognition dawn upon his face.

The nerve of this kid...

What he would have really liked to have done, at that very moment, was to knock the kid to the other side of the city in one swing. And Terrin was about to do just that when he thought better of it.

Ok, so the kid is across town in a really peculiar situation, and he's also obviously drunk. But he's also unarmed and on his way back to the Temple. So what good is it gonna do you to beat up on him?

None.

At length Terrin drew back and let Loban go with a sigh. "Fine then," he said, a hint of irritation still underpinning his words, "I don't know what the kriffing Hell you are doing out here, but I'm sure I'll find out about your escapades away from the Temple later, if there's anything I need to know." Then he turned and pointed in a particular direction. "Temple's that way." Terrin turned back to Loban then, slitting his eyes, "I'd suggest you be on your way."

And with no further word to the young man, Terrin simply turned on his heel and headed back into the house. When he got back inside he found Galen sitting in the living area, rocking and feeding Darra from what must have been a Sith-approximation of a bottle. She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow.

"Everything's fine," he said quietly. Then he added, slightly amused with himself, "The home fort is locked down and secure."

With that he walked over and sat beside her, draping an arm about her shoulders and gazing at his daughter. She was drinking contendedly, her eyelids drooping. Occasionally they would fall completely closed for a moment then she would squeeze them back open, fighting the sleep her little body was demanding.

Terrin just smiled. "She's so beautiful..." he observed, reaching out to run a finger along the plane of her tiny face. As she continued to drain her bottle, her eyelids seemed to grow heavier and heavier. For a long moment, he simply watched her.

"I was so very frightened of not finding her for a while," h said in seeming nonsequeiter. "Was so frightened that we were going to lose you..." he continued, his eyes suddenly growing misty. "I couldn't bear the thought of her being here all alone. Of her never knowing her mother..."

He paused at that, unconsciously pulling Galen closer to him, their daughter between them, her bottle now completely empty and her eyes again falling closed. Terrin wasn't quite sure why it was he was telling Galen all this now, but then, they hadn't ever really talked about it at all. And for that matter, it hadn't been all that long ago since Galen had been brought back from what seemed to be the brink of death. They hadn't had time to talk about it since their family had been reunited.

But that was the crux of the matter. They'd been reunited as a family.

Terrin smiled at this thought, then leaned in and kissed Galen gently on the cheek. Then he whispered. "I don't know what Fate deemed me to be so blessed to be a part of this family, but I've been blessed way beyond what I deserve. Seeing you with our daughter; seeing the look in your eyes when you look into hers; seeing her smile and laugh and play with you makes me happier than I would have ever dreamed possible.

"I'll give everything I have to make sure the two of you are never, ever seperated from each other ever again," he promised quietly. Then, he leaned in for one more kiss while, in Galen's arms, Darra slept peacefully on.

He set off toward the Temple...

A few hours later...

Lo-Ban entered the Temple... He went straight toward where he had left Shawn and the other men...

"I shall answer any questions you have, to the best of my capabilities..."

"Allright then," Shawn said, standing. "But first, I seriously suggest that we get you the proper attire."

Shawn clapped Loban on the shoulder, "You'll find a few things out about the Sith Temple, my boy, and that is that once you find a room that becomes yours it comes fully loaded with whatever clothing you would like.

"Let's get indoors, get comfortable, and then meet in the dining hall and have a talk..."

The basic Jedi attire... also, a light cloak, with no hood... was his choice...

In fact, the clothing he had from Tattoine was no where near this nice... If looks could kill...

Lo-Ban exited the room, and found Shawn waiting in the dining hall...

He slowly approached him,"Do you know the whereabouts of my lightsaber?"

He looked to Loban sternly. "Do you even remember what happened here when you used that lightsaber last? You got hurt and so did Recinis.

"If my heart were given any more love it would burst forth from me entirely," she grinned at him, taking yet another step back. "It overwhelms me as it is, Recinis; I do not wish to overindulge and try to take it all in at once. Chosen Daughter of the Sith I might be, and keeper of the All, but even I have certain limits!"

Now she whirled about, her long red hair flaming about her like a nimbus, and fairly danced over to the double doorway leading out onto the balcony. For a moment she stood there, not stepping forth but remaining off to one side that while she could see out, no one below would see her standing there. She contemplated the alien beauty of Phrinnchatka, spread out before her view like a series of exotic jewels, then whirled lightly about and headed off to a large piece of furniture looming like a shadow in a corner of the room. It proved to be an ornately carved wardrobe; she threw the doors wide open and rummaged about in the interior before finally withdrawing with an item of clothing which she quickly slipped into.

It was the robe of a Sith... a Lady's robe, to be exact, and exotic in the extreme. Possessing a low cut which showed off the wearer's charms to their fullest, it had a long skirt, tucked into myriad narrow pleats, which hung to the floor in a wave of semi-transparent gold. Over-laying this was a shorter hip-skirt, which criss-crossed to tie at either hip, one made of the shimmeriest silk of gold-shot emerald green. Long flowing sleeves completed its simple yet elegant beauty, which cascaded down to completely cover her slender hands. Underneath the supple skirts, she kept her feet bare.

She glided over to Recinis, swaying a bit as though to music only she could hear, and held her hands out to him.

"Shall we go out and partake of some refreshment, Recinis?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye, the Glyph confirming her current playful mood by the intermittent sparkle of its violet glow.

And she thought she had known love before.

She sighed happily, taking Recinis's strong arm up in hers, both wanting to press herself up against him and pull away and dance out of sheer joy all at the same time.

Not becoming of the Chosen Daughter of the Sith, she mused to herself with a smile; then she paused inwardly, taking that thought a step further. But then... perhaps it truly is.

In this manner she continued through the Temple with her warrior love, passing side corridors and doors leading to opulent suites, until at long last they came to what she recognized as a dining hall. Stopping at the quiet voices she heard wafting from within, she turned to Recinis with a brief question in her eyes. Then tilting her head in invitation, she continued in, pulling him along with her.

She led the way to a sideboard of sorts, which stood off against a wall heaped with fingerfoods and dainties. She took up a plate, pausing a moment to inspect it's alien beauty. Carrying the high polish of stainless steel, it was more flexible than aluminum, stronger than steel, and lighter in weight than titanium, its surface swirled with the iridescent oil-slick colors characteristic of that latter metal. Moving away from Recinis, she began filling it with the exotic items she found on the sideboard, turning every so often to place an item directly into Recinis's mouth with her fingers.

At length she finished her selection, and moved to sit gracefully at an elegant table for two hidden in a little nook further along the wall holding the sideboard. The table was lit by what appeared to be a wall-sconce, but one wrought of the same material as the plate and exotically alien in design. It flicked on as she entered, lighting the table with a dim blue glow.

Her eyes sparkled over the rim of her goblet as she took a sip of brandy, thinking how something as ordinary as a mere stroll was suddenly heightened into an event of magickal proportions which she was greatly looking forward to. She set the goblet carefully on the table, reaching now for a tidbit when her attention was captured by the insistent sounds of those voices still coming from the other side of the dining hall. It was as if someone, or perhaps sometwo were engaging in certain... variances over something, for while the voices remained low their intensity suddenly began increasing until they might as well have been standing up shouting at each other.

Graysith's eyes flicked from Recinis, and she rose briefly from her seat. Taking a step around the edge of the alcove wall, she paused there to see what in Fates was going on, slightly irritated that this moment of simple joy would be so marred by something as mundane as an argument.

Then she saw for the first time who it was that was generating that debate, and she immediately froze in the spot. Her hands fisted at her sides, her brows lowered and she practically growled aloud along with the sudden and rising squalls her inner Beast was beginning to yowl.

Her eyes flashed as, suddenly all silk-enclosed steel, she actually took a step in that direction before managing to bring herself to a stiff-legged halt. There she stood in a cloud of resentment, glowering in the direction of Shawn and the young Lo-Ban Kenobi, knowing in her heart that while she may have been over-reacting a bit her rising ire was certainly warranted.

She just stood there, unwilling to go over to them, but unable to turn about to sit down. Within her breast, the Beast licked its lips...

So simple, this assurety, I mused happily to myself as I let a finger ruffle the sunset down atop our daughter's wee head. So wondrous, so pure... and so very, very much overdue.

I couldn't help the way in which my lips now moved into a somewhat more rueful smile at that last thought. Images suddenly popped from nowhere and began flashing across my brain, images beginning with that fatal one which had sent me out upon the impossible journey that it had over two years ago, and ending with this quiet scenario in an even more impossible buried city of the long-dead Sith civilization.

I shook my head as I continued to muse. Who would ever have dreamed all this could have happened in the space of a mere two years? Enemies met, enemies lost, battles won and loves betrayed... finally a love coming along so profound as to make all the unbelievable events which had occurred to me seem suddenly commonplace and ordinary...

Well, ok. Maybe not ordinary!

I couldn't help grin at that thought.

Sheesh Galen, since when is gadding about the galaxy in absolutely undefeatable Sith fighter ships, being chased this time and then by an assemblage consisting of not just one but FIVE big baddies, all of whom holding claim to the title of being "Sith," but in reality only one actually being a member of that elite race, anything even CLOSE to being considered "ordinary?"

My smile broadened in spite of myself.

Admit it, ol girl... you miss it. You miss the excitement, the danger, the thrill of living on the edge, of constantly pushing the envelope...

...but you wouldn't trade all of that glitz and flash for even a second of the time you are sharing here now, would you?

That thought prompted another... pressing my cheek just once against Terrin's chest I then rose quietly to my feet and tiptoed from the room to place the little one in the Sith equivalent of a crib we had discovered in this dwelling. It's alien beauty encompassed our tiny girl with a promise to keep her safe, and a quiet vow that her dreams would be well met as she lay within its magickal embrace. I lay her within it, then stepped back as a soft and dim blue glow crept up from hidden places in its mechanisms, creating a shield of warmth and comfort that the sleeping child would not be disturbed by any other than its parents.

Then I went back to the entryway of the room where Terrin was sitting, waiting for my return. I paused there, letting the quiet mood I was in slip into something a bit more... mischievous.

Indeed...this one was an annoyance, one that grows at every turn, And should Loban continue to agrivate Recinis love, his life would be ended.
Recinis considered the thought for a moment, a smile growing from the frown that had spread across his face, for indeed, the warrior yet lived within him, simply awaiting his call, ready to fight once more for all that Recinis believed in, especialy for his newly found love.
he sighed once more and wrapped an arm about graysiths slim form, as if to say. "come, its not worth it" and at the same time deliver another message that read.
"i am by your side, whatever your actions may be..."
for this was the best he could do for her, as much as he would like to simply remove the irritation from existance, as she had taken from him his pain. yet he knew all he could do is simply offer himself to her, offer his suport in whatever she wished to do.

Indeed, but that is part of the inescapable charm this warrior possesses, she thought to herself as she now allowed Recinis to draw her back into the alcove and reseat her at their table. She reached out a hand as steadily as if nothing untoward had happened, and took up her goblet once again. Taking a sip, she followed this with another glance, deep with meaning, which arrowed unerringly into the eyes of her love.

It is this wonderful natural balance that exists within him which has laid so quick a claim to my heart, her thoughts continued. For he goes so easily from being one whose very image breathes forth such insurmountable strength and power, one who can inspire fear of death in any mortal soul with but a glance of those eyes....

She paused a bit in mid-thought, allowing herself to go off on a tangent, once more seeing the warrior in action as he so swiftly dealt with the evil of Lo-Ban Kenobi's mysterious lightsaber. Shivering with a strange admixture of recoil and attraction, she then continued her former train of thought...

...to one whose very weapon-bearing hands and stern eyes can in turn transmit a love so pure and gentle it makes my very soul sing out with the desire to take it up and place it within me.

Which indeed I have.

A sigh heaves from me, and I jerk my link away from the images, sending it now out to follow that of my old acquaintence.

"Freedon Naad, it shall be good to speak with you again," I whisper into his ears, blocking from his mind the thoughts which instantly follow that greeting:

"The lightsaber belonged to my father, and his father before him, and so on... My uncle received it, as he witnessed my father's death, at the hands..."

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

"at the hands of a sith warrior... That is all I know of its origins..."

"For the best entertainment in the galaxy," Terrin said, wrapping his arms about her and cocking his head as he continued, "The Captain has found that nothing compares to a lil one on one with his wife." He leaned over at that, and kissed her long and full on the lips. Then he pulled back ever-so-slightly. "Of course, she always wins," he added, looking straight into her beautiful brown eyes. He moved a hand to cup her chin in it then leaned forward, placing his forehead against hers. "But then, so does he. And the best thing about this by far is that each time is garanteed to surpass even the time before."

At that Terrin leaned back and let his hand return to its place around her waist, again pulling her close to him. He smiled a somewhat different sort of smile and cocked his head, crooking a brow. "What do you say we give it a whirl, my love?"

I pulled back from him, cocking my head to the side a bit and studied him. "Each time guaranteed to surpass the one before, ey?" I said with a playful snort.

"Heh. Prove it, oh Mon Capitaine!"

it was not any woman who could wear a sith robe and have it look good on them, yet with graysith, it apeared as though the robe had been made for her, and for her alone, he smiled even brighter at this thought, for he was sure that the maker would have been truly pleased to see his or her creation being brought past all expected splender the outfit could have possibly been meant to achieve.

as his attention returned from his thoughts, he realized that She was looking up at him smiling, her gaze lightly questioning him as he realized to, that he had brought there pace to a stop while considering the beauty before him.
with this recinis' eyes shimmered softly and he leaned into her to press upon her lips yet another soft, playful kiss...

with this, the two strolled off a bit more, before finaly reaching the strange square he had stayed in during his earlier meditation, the memory of graysiths capture played itself in his head momentairly, but his heart simply drowned it away.
he quickly steped up upon the raised ground, and pull graysith up with him, into his arms embracing her in yet another playful kiss, spinning her slowly around in his arms before finaly setting her down on the groudn, starign deeply into her wonderfuly warm eyes.

an idea then came to him, a funny little grin spreading accross his face before finaly extending a hand to graysith while saying "shall we dance, My love?"

If this warrior is but a true representative of his race, then surely we shall succeed in bringing back his people. The All surely would not impede our way in this....

A bit giddy from being swung around, she bowed slightly, placing a hand in his extended one. Then she straightened and threw her arms about Recinis's neck, molding her body against his, her eyes sparkling up into his and her hands snaking up to toy a bit with the set of horns gracing the back of his head.

"Nothing would please me more," she murmured a bit breathlessly, standing up on tiptoe to whisper into his ear. Then one hand lifted from its toying to make a little sign in the air, and the atmosphere suddenly became filled with the strains of exotic and alien music.

Indeed... Their hearts beat as one.

Indeed, she did not so much dance with her love, as she let herself float upon the bright cloud of music she had created to carry them within its embrace. Stronger and stronger, those notes blended with the words Recinis was whispering into her ear as they moved about the stage together, their steps synchronized, their hearts as one, every cell in her body trembling with the deepest and most complete joy she had ever felt in her life.

The music took up that feeling on soaring notes, penetrated both her and Recinis with a beauty which was not merely heard but felt, and urged them into greater heights of delight. She now closed her eyes, laying her head against his broad chest, and let herself go, just making of herself a part of him which would never die, likewise taking his being unto herself for all eternity, the music rushing them along: now soft and subtle, now loud and vibrant.

At length a tiny niggle interrupted her complete focus on her love with the awareness that even though this moment they shared was beyond perfection, she could add to its magic a touch. One hand made a languid motion against his back, a finger lifting to make a small and swift movement.

At that he reached both hands up, placing a hand on each side of her face then letting them wander back to run through her soft red hair. Then he let them meet and rest atop her head, and he gently pulled her in, drawing her lips to his own. He kissed her passionately for a long moment, letting the kiss linger as his hands crept down her neck and back til they again met at her waist. Then he pulled back, his blue eyes now ablaze with warmth and utter contentment. He removed one hand from her waist and, in one smooth motion scooped her up into his arms, seinding a devilish-looking grin into her eyes. "Your turn, my dear..."

Striving to ignore the sudden tide of goosebumps which rippled up and down my back, I managed to pull back just a hair from Terrin's embrace... just long enough to look up and lock my gaze deeply in his eyes.

A heartbeat passed.

Then-- the deep and meaningful look in my eyes flashed into something else, and my body likewise flashed into motion. I took a step back, whirled, and all motions becoming one shot a foot out to take my husband's feet out from under him, my body spinning about once as the momentum of that movement took me in a tight circle, coming back to face him just as he began to crumple backwards to the floor.

I grasped a handful of shirt, and let myself follow him there.

We thudded with the impact, ending with Terrin on his back, his hands raised up slightly to the side, and me half-sitting, half laying atop him, the fabric of his shirt balling in my hands.

I stared down into his wonderful blue eyes, sensing the slow disappearance of the mischievous grin I had worn, fought just a bit to keep it there and let myself fail purposely.

My eyes grew huge and soft.

"You asked for this, Sir..." I whispered before falling silent, no more words able to come from me for the sudden constriction in my throat and the way my heart was suddenly beginning to pound so heavily in my chest....

But this time the kiss was fueled not only with a playful sort of passion, but with a love that would burn brightly no matter what tried to snuff it out.

Then he pulled back a bit and rolled onto his side, keeping her body still pressed against his own. He could literally feel her heart pounding and was keenly aware of his own following suit, beginning to beat in complete synchronization with her own.

"You win..." he whispered, still gazing into her eyes, an arm about her waist. Then he added, "I love you so very, very much..."

And, unable to say anything further, Terrin again pressed his lips to hers, content to lose himself in all that she was.

Indeed, at the moment, I didn't even want to break away from Terrin's embrace, not even to repeat the solidly cementing little phrase, "I love you."

He knows...

Leaning against her fiance, no less.

She smiled at that, reaching her hands to grasp the arms he had about her waist. She slid them to his own hands, taking them in hers. She squeezed them warmly, feeling so very in place in his warm embrace.

Letting go of one hand, she turned in his arms and reached up to wrap free arm around his neck, pulling him down to her to kiss him softly. When she pulled back she grinned, suddenly thinking of something.

"So, sweetheart," she said, looking at him in amusement. "Where's my ring, since I am the bride-to-be?"

Her hands both strayed down to gently open the front of his robe, there to expose the series of tattooes emblazoned upon his chest. She sent a penetrating glance into Recinis's green eyes just once before lowering her gaze to one in particular, one which she now pressed her lips against in a lingering kiss.

"This is the one, is it not, Recinis?" she breathed softly, her breath gentle yet containing all the fires of all the suns in existence. Her eyes lifted back to his, noting the last fleeting shadows to enter them as if they had lingered to say farewell.

She blinked once again, then turned her head and pressed her lips against the heart tattoo his father had bestowed upon him. And when she raised her head from it the second time, that sigil had taken on a gentle violet color, like the hue the sky takes on just before true night falls. That deep, violet hue reflected the one in her own eyes as she now lifted a finger once again and, gently letting gravity take the upper hand once more, lowered them gently to the ground.

the sorcer, yet still foged in his mind, stood before him, a finger placed forcfully against the mark on his chest. "this recinis, is the mark of your father, No simple tattoo, it is the very memory of your father, let it guide you, take comfert in its presence, as you knew not your great father, know that his was the warriors heart that inspired others, know too that he cared beyond anything understandable by even I." at that the sorcerer turned from him.
"You will find, that you will become everything he was, his spirit was a strong one, and i can sense that as his son you will bring his legacy to a knew glory, you will hold his title, not yet, but when your mind and heart meet, you will become the 'warrior of the heart' fighting as your father did, for all that he cherished"
"know this, he would not kill any, only hurt them enough to end there threat, only the heartless would he kill, those that stood no chance of finding there heart. For to your father there was no fiercer crime then to forsake a heart."

"you will take his place recinis, you will become a warrior that fights for what he loves, you will become..."

with that his mind returned to his own point of being.

become...become...become what?!

...but it is as if I am seeing him anew yet again....

Filled with an almost sacred awe that she would be the one to bring him into this, the sudden realization of his entire potential, she lifted her hands to cup his face.

"And I shall stand as your strong right arm, Recinis, never failing, your unending source for all the strength you shall ever need, that you may continue to find yourself in me, and I in you.

Then she reached up and wrapped her arms about his neck, pulling him to her and pressing her lips against his. After a long moment, she drew back and pulled him inside.

"I'm a bit hungry," she said. "How about you?"

Erik nodded. "Guess we should really go out..."

Shayla stopped him by placing a finger on his lips, shaking her head. Shayla reached out with the All. In the blink of an eye, a full course-meal appeared on the table beside them, ready to eat.

Encapsulated in an almost palpable cocoon of warmth, she just stood there, keenly aware of the beating of their hearts, slowly letting the music she had created for them lessen in its intensity until it was a mere whisper to overshadow the quiet union they were sharing. Then it faded away in entirety, leaving the atmosphere suddenly pregnant with myriad unspoken possibilities.

Graysith sighed a little, snuggling against Recinis's side, and took a look about them. They had come to ground in the middle of a small park which she had never seen before; the incongruity of its still living grasses standing out dimly in what was apparently meant to be evening hours, if not night. With a start she realized she didn't even know what time it was, that she had lost all track of it entirely, so wrapped up had she been in this wonderful new discovery she shared with the warrior.

She turned her face up to Recinis, not wanting to break the moment, not wanting it to ever end but knowing that it must. But there was no true sadness in that ending, for she also knew these special hours she had shared with Recinis, hours spent exploring and learning of each other, were but the mere tip of the iceberg. There would be many, many such moments to come again into their lives.... Indeed, she considered further, this moment is not ending, but is merely going forth into yet another one which follows, with another after that, and another, and another....

Her teeth flashed in the darkness as she smiled up at Recinis. Then, still unspeaking, she tightened her hold around him and took a step forward, not knowing where they were heading, but letting her feet be their guide, one step after another, one moment stepping forward into the next.

Each as precious as the first, and the next, so long as he was by her side.

They moved on through the quiet city of the Sith.

After spending quite a bit of time with his wife, Terrin took a quick shower only to discover that Sith technology made the experience of taking a shower a bit...bizarre. The thing didn't seem to have real running water, but something magickal seemed to do a very nice job of cleaning, so Terrin figured he wouldn't complain.

What he would be complaining about, however, was the attire he was about to find himself choosing from. He peered into the Sith wardrobe only to find a robe. And yet another robe. And another.

The whole damn closet was nothing but robes.

Allright, so maybe Lord Aelveedar and Recinis could pull off making robes look manly. But Terrin was not a robe-wearing sort of guy. Not in public, anyway.

Didn't the Sith believe in PANTS?!

Scowling in total disgust, Terrin finally yanked a blue robe from the wardrobe that looked like it would fit him and put it on, tying the belt around his waist. He looked down at himself, and scowled even more blackly.

He looked like a pansy...

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Terrin made his way down the hall and into the living area where he had left Galen, his arms crossed against his chest.

"We're gonna have to talk to someone about the choice in clothing here," Terrin called. Then, stepping into the living area he added, "Don't you dare laugh..."

Then he waited to see how Galen would react, his arms still crossed and the scowl still present, but lightening a bit.

What the hey....

Completely straight-faced, I looked directly into the face of my husband, my expression the very epitome of sincerity.

Terrin then moved one arm perpendicular to the other, fisting his hand and placing it under his chin. "Or maybe it's the belt that doesn't go..."

By all appearances, he was completely serious. For a long moment he let the silence hang. Then Terrin snapped his fingers, his look suddenly becoming very animated. "I know what! I think the wife needs to put on a robe so that her husband doesn't look so snazzy without her!"

Then he plopped down beside her, adding one final rejoineder in answer to her earlier question, suddenly laughing. "I think you've got all the horns this family needs, sweets..."

Laughing at this, he reached out both hands to tickle her, hoping to cause the laughter that he just knew she'd been holding back all along to erupt.

Then she turned to him once more. "I think I'll go catch a shower and...ahhh...freshen up a bit."

He looked a bit incredulously at Loban, not certain what to make of this information. "Why would a Sith warrior come after your father?"

Shawn paused at this, frowning as he thought. He had to wonder exactly why a Sith Lord would come to Tatooine, and exactly how the brother of a man killed by him would have come upon such a dangerous weapon.

She dragged her eyes away from a mysteriously shaped metallic object which they had come upon, a huge and shining thing somehow difficult to look upon which moved from a position about eight feet above their heads to cross the street in a direct perpendicular line. There it came to a brief halt, seeming to spin in place briefly, then returned as though rebounding on an unseen elastic cord. What this thing was was beyond comprehension, as was the sudden suspicion which now filled her that it had been about its unknown and automatic duties, buried silently in the rock, for over 4,000 years.

She shivered in awe, turning questioning eyes to Recinis to seek explanation... and shivered again. The look in his eye was somehow vacant, as if he were seeing beyond their immediate place in time. Then her shivering grew tinged with a light touch of self-reproachment, for when he turned his head to place his shining eyes in hers she could clearly read the questions of his own which filled them.

She ached to see that look; it was almost as if one who sought knowledge was seeking it of her, and she had no answers to give. She was not Sith, and would not know the history of this place to replace his growing wonder and curiosity with the answers he now seemed to be seeking.

Then she shook herself, and tried to shrug off the strange disappointment she felt of herself, hoping Recinis had not sensed this but somehow knowing that, through the bond they had forged together, he did. She drew in her breath in a little sigh and continued to move on; then rounded a corner and there before her, down the length of a broad and wonderful avenue, lay the Temple.

She paused there, bringing Recinis to a halt beside her. Let her eyes pour into his, a hand reaching up to assure her gaze fell directly into his.

"What is your desire, my love?" she whispered, her lithe body trembling a bit with the frisson rippling up and down her back. "Do you desire to return at this time, or--?"

Lo-Ban trailed off,"one can only hope..."

He waited to see what this news meant to Shawn...

...or just the simple fact that he loved her...

Every lingering bit of self-admonishment disappeared from Graysith as those simple words came into her ears, and she realized with a little start just how fatuous those earlier thoughts of hers had been. Indeed, she was not Sith by birth, and so knew not much of the civilization. And he, coming from a point in time before Aelvedaar's, would not know either.

An idea popped into her head then, and she turned sparkling eyes up into Recinis's, still a bit giddy from being whirled about.

"I-- I do not desire to return to the Temple as yet, Recinis," she said, laying a hand upon the strong muscles of his forearm. "But I do have a place in mind that I do know of in this city."

She paused and, turning away from him now, pointed off toward a street they had just passed. "Down that avenue lies a great repository of knowledge, the Library of Phrinnchatka. Let us go together and see what we may learn within its walls."

Now she returned her attention fully back upon him, her eyes bright, her teeth exposed in a smile, the Glyph on her forehead flaring a bit as though her soul were too full and its light needed release.

Indeed, my love, there is much we have yet to learn of each other, she let the words glide directly into his mind, like silk. ...so let us continue by going off and learning together.

Letting the words slide to a tickling halt in his mind, she left the tendril of herself in his essence as now grasping one of his strong hands in both of hers, she began moving backwards, tugging him along as she went.

It was just that the technology and sheer information within these walls was that mind-boggling. Chosen Daughter of the Sith she might be; she was still her father's daughter. It wasn't until Aelvedaar had come along that she had finally been able to drag herself away from this wonderful place.

The smile still on her face, she led Recinis over to an iridescent golden globe which was spinning quietly about its own axis, suspended eerily from a series of gradiated globes which extended from it in the three axial planes. It hung there like a jewel strung upon three knobbed strings which crossed somewhere inside of it, quietly waiting for...

A question.

Graysith now took up Recinis hand, and after bringing it up to her lips to quickly kiss, laid it against the strangely warm surface of that quietly spinning globe. She watched as Recinis's eyes immediately widened, easily recalling her own jolt of surprise at the fact that while the globe obviously was moving, it felt absolutely still beneath the touch. Within its transparent surface, the golden clouds seemed to sparkle as though coming to attention.

"Ask any question that you desire to learn of, Recinis, and this shall direct you," she informed him as, her hand still atop his, she waited to hear just what knowledge of the Sith he would want to learn about first.

With the final bit of information he sat stunned... He had never been told his father had been a dark lord.
Unconciously he ran through the other information given to him. All seemed the same as he understood it, a few minor changs had happened her or there...

"Specifications and origins of the Dark Lords," she said clearly. Her words echoed into the distance of this immense place where, unseen by her's and Recinis's eyes but somehow felt by them both, one of myriad great crystalline tranceivers flicked into electromagnetic life, then sent the information requested out along unseen circuits to finally focus within the globe.

The golden swirls solidified once again, as exotic glyphs presented themselves to be read. This particular book, however, had "pictures;" as Graysith and Recinis leaned forward to examine the written Sith word they were suddenly surrounded by holographic imagery.

It was as if they had stepped back literally into written history, actually joining with it that they might learn of it without error. A great and imposing chamber seemed to spring into being about them, fronted by three heavily engraved and bejeweled thrones. Three Sith of imposing mein sat upon them, their robes rich and covered with embroidered runes and heiroglyphs, each one holding a short and peculiar type of staff in his clawed hand. The three thrones slowly rotated 360 degrees, that the learner might behold every aspect of the Dark Lords of the Sith being shown to them.

Graysith could scarcely keep her eyes on the words long enough to sweep them into her head. Taught to read Sith by Lord Aelvedaar, she was able to take in sections at a time, so while her mind analyzed the written word her eyes could likewise analyze the images all about her. Time and again her violet gaze flicked to the globe to take up yet another parcel of information, only to cut back almost of their own accord to the sight of the three Sith upon their thrones.

These were the first three Dark Lords, the ones to bring order to a race in whom magick was inherent and a part of commonplace life. Indeed they would have to be strong, and work together to keep peace and prosperity among their brethren.

The globe went on, offerring information up on a platter of Knowledge: the Dark Lords, each the most inherently magickal, highly intelligent, and exquisitely trained of all the Sith in their specific fields, they were joined together into a Council of Three which ruled the Sith Empire. Three there were: the Dark Lord of the warrior clan, who was in charge of defense of their nation; Dark Lord of the Weaponry clan, who created not only magickal armaments but everyday devices as well, and Dark Lord of the Sorcerer clan, whose magicks were channelled into the group of them that the deeds they wrought would see success.

Equable in judgement, swift to dole both punishment and mercy, the positions they held, while once being chosen, altered throughout time to become a strictly inherited one. This was a natural state of affairs, for at length it was realized that the best Lord was one of intelligence, and likewise had it been realized over time that intelligence, as a tendency toward physical prowess, was an inherited ability. So the title passed down through the lineage, from father to son, and at times, from father to daughter.

Now the hologram began changing, as the three Dark Lords did as well. One at a time, the globe presented the entire line of Dark Lords of the Sith to them, not missing a beat, all the way from the First Three through the time when Recinis's father held title of Dark Lord of the Warrior clan--

Here Graysith couldn't help trembling as a touch of awe brushed into her soul, letting her eyes slide quietly to gaze at her love, who was absolutely entranced as history unfolded before their very eyes.

He was heir to the title....

--following through the annals of time up until the last imprinted image of Sith civilization. There they sat together, side by side, splendid in their majesty and justice. Justice ascertained, at least, in the case of two of them; Graysith shivered and took a step back as one of the three turned his head and seemed to send his charismatic turquoise gaze directly into hers.

Indifferent to it all, the globe quietly scrolled out their names: Dark Lord Suranas Rean, Lord of the Weaponry clan. Dark Lord Krevlan Aelvedaar, Lord of the Sorcerer's clan, and Dark Lord Ankrist Roan, the Dark Lord of the Warrior clan.

Then the images faded, and the words disappeared from the globe. Graysith slowly became aware of the silence of the waiting library and the equal quiet radiating out from her love...

The faintest of whispers brushed the far corners of her mind. An image grew: turquoise eyes, blazing with... something ...coming closer and closer, bearing down upon her in inexorable strength and power, not to be denied, pushing aside her inner defenses with almost offhand ease, reaching into her being, blocking her from the All, but then continuing on....