I......am..., the words shot through his mind, stunning him.

Finaly he returned his thoughts to Graysith, managing a smile to her, trying with all his might to banish her dispair. Deep down though, his thoughts yet pondered the meanings behind what was held on his wrist.

after a few minutes of quiet reasurrance, he believe he was finaly managing to break through the dispair that held her so tightly. he indeed hoped he was.

The vow repeated itself, more firmly now.
roan would pay...

[ 09-02-2002 05:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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"My Lord," Naad began, spreading his arms this one wishes to leave the confines of the city to ensure that the item which I have returned to him is intact. I present myself before you to see if you have anything to request of me. You are, after all, my Dark Lord."

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I tilt my head toward Freedon, letting him know I respect him as a peer, coming up to him with both hands outstretched.

"Ahh my old friend, it is indeed good to see you once again."

My eyes penetrate his, waiting to see if he will offer the information to me as to exactly how he has managed that this feat was able to have occurred; a smile then creases my lips. All in due time, shall we regale each other with light anecdotes and stories of our pasts.

But now is not the time.

I continue on, my voice taking on a serious note as I speak to him.

"Much is in the making, my old comrade, yet there is evil afoot in the galaxy which would bar the way to that end. Though much has been accomplished, I could use your strength and wisdom to aid us in finding the means of overcoming this final obstacle we now face. I was about to call a meeting of the allies..."

I let my voice trail off a bit, cocking my head and peering intently over his shoulder and into the eyes of the being called Narcolm, who now occupies the shell of one of the darkest of the dark jedi ever to exist. A tendril presses forward into his essence, seeking...

...and not finding total evil to have overcome his being. At least not yet.

In time, that too can be amended, but with the resurrection of my brethren. And more depends on that resurrection than merely the balancing of this one who stands so quietly behind Freedon Naad.

I bow my head again, remaining silent, waiting to hear his response to my words.

[ 09-02-2002 04:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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"I have long dwelt in this galaxy, in the pathetic shell of a stone. My many years of experience in addition to the knowledge I have gained from my studies of the Book of Ages," he withdrew the volume from his robes and offered it to his master. All the knowledge it could provide he was willing to barter for the chance to remain in this Sith's attendance and to perhaps learn the true nature of his great power. Yes... He would readiliy trade the life of a wanderer to serve this worthy Lord.

"I would gladly aide you in your endevors, whatever they may be." Naad quieted himself, fully aware he had just handed the Dark Lord a blank check that he would certianly have to honor.

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Just what had Roan done to her, in that space of time after he had removed the presence of the All from her but before he had flung her to Abaddonis? Something incredibly evil, of that she was certain... just as it was crystal clear to her that the action was not one undertaken out of mere sadistic glee, but for some darkly evil purpose. Roan may be turning more and more toward that darkness within him... but he never did anything of and for its own sake. Everything he did held hidden meaning and direction....

She swallowed, blinking up at the warrior, her heart now swelling to see the complete concern for her well-being now flooding his entire demeanor. Slowly her hands unclenched from where they were balling his robes within their grasp, and she sniffed, allowing a smile to slowly grace her features. Then she saw the suddenly quick dart of focus those wonderful green eyes before her followed, and couldn't help but glance quickly in the direction they so briefly travelled.

She turned her head a bit into his right hand, saw the tattoo emblazoned on that wrist. Her eyes widened in recognition of what it was, and what it meant. Hadn't she just been taught this knowledge by the wonderful technology of this Library of the Sith?

Now her own fears evaporated, and she pulled back even further, reaching to take his right hand between her own and bring the wrist directly into their line of vision. Both of their eyes dropped simultaneously, then raised to peer into each other's once again. Both sets filled with an admixture of awe and growing curiosity over unspoken questions yet to be answered. Both sets, however, shining with the inescapability of the fact the presence of this symbol presented to the world in so simple and unobtrusive a manner:

He was heir to the title of Dark Lord of the Warrior clan, of the lineage of Q'utaro. Yet if so, how did it come to pass that this entitlement was denied him... and what led up to the fact that Lord Ankrist Roan now held that seat?

She blinked, searching more deeply into Recinis's eyes as if to seek an answer there. Then she moved her body against his again, bringing her arms around him to hold him with a strength that would never willingly let go.

[ 09-02-2002 07:06 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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A Sith Warrior comes to planet. Kills off one guy then fights the other guy's brother who defeats him. So the lightsaber came from WHERE? Did Loban's Uncle use the saber to fight the Sith? Or did he somehow gain the lightsaber FROM the Sith? And if so, why had the Sith never returned to retrieve his lightsaber from a mere mortal.

Or was this supposed "Sith Warrior" a Sith at all?

Shawn voiced these thoughts to Loban, and waited to see if the boy could clarify his tale any further.

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[ 09-02-2002 08:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Recinis ]

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Then I couldn't help but shiver: it was a sensation I had certainly experienced before, but never had it been carried into my essence along such a cloud of light and love. I was more used to it being coated in nothing less then sheer desire for my life to come to an end...

I let the shiver finish it's course, then turned my attention back to Terrin's obviously questioning gaze.

"Looks like you're stuck, hon," I said lightly, retrieving the tie and wrapping it about him again. This time, though, I flattened it out and broadened it so that it had more of the dignified air of a cummerbund about it.

Finishing with my adjustment of his accourtrements, I pulled back.

"Jharmeen-- I mean, Graysith, just spoke to me. Lord Aelvedaar has called us all to meeting in the Dining Hall, asap."

I reached up on tiptoe to give him a long and lingering kiss. "We're called to battle, love," I said lightly, then moved quickly away to see what I could find to wear lurking within that wonderfully decorated wardrobe.

Worrts to rancors says it's gonna be another robe....

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Oh well. The good thing was that when everyone else ran out of clothing they'd be stuck in the exact same predicament he was.

Terrin smiled at the thought then headed to peek in the room where Darra was sleeping. Under the strangely-calming blue shield, she hadn't stirred a bit. He decided to leave her there til they were ready to go, and headed back to find out what Galen had found to wear.

Well, he thought to himself, I'll bet she'll make a Sith robe look damn good...

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Gods, but he hoped he wasn't the only one...

The thing was frankly surprisingly comfortable, more comfortable than the one he had worn the last time he'd worn a robe of any type.

That had been the robe of a Corellian Jedi Learner.

Erik frowned at this errant thought.

Don't even go back to that buddy. Don't even. Besides, your Teacher would have pulled his hair out to see you wearing black...

This thought was interrupted when Shayla stepped into the room, modeling her new attire. Erik's jaw simply dropped. She too was wearing a Sith robe, this one a deep violet. The neckline was scooped yet modest, and was embroidered with a broad silver band. The robe came with an additional thin silver overlay which fit atop the robe and flowed all the way down to the ankles. The sleeves of the robe itself fit close, but the overlay's sleeves were full and tapered out.

Shayla turned in a circle again, her arms out, causing the silver overlay to swirl about her.

Erik gapped further. "Oh, wow," he stuttered.

Shayla just grinned and came to him, reaching up and pulling him down to kiss him. Then she pulled back, "You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Kartan," she mused, looking him over approvingly. "Come on. We've been called to the Dining Hall for a meeting. We'd best not keep anyone waiting..."

[ 09-02-2002 09:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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"Your saber?" he growled in sudden righteous anger. "You have no rights to owning a saber. You aren't even a Jedi Padawan, let alone a Knight. You should not be wandering the Galaxy with a weapon which is meant to only be in the hands of one at least somewhat trained to use it.

And you, boy, are not ready for that challenge."

Shawn leaned back at that, considering the rest of Loban's words. "I do not fully believe that this is all you know concerning the lightsaber. I believe the others will be arriving here shortly for a meeting. Perhaps we will discuss this issue when they arrive. And if not, I'm certain Lord Aelvedaar will be interested to see just exactly what you do know..."

[ 09-02-2002 10:08 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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Now I step forth, nodding to all, and proceed to start this meeting.

"You all know the goal my Chosen One and myself are so adamantly adhering to is that of the resurrection of the entire Empire of the Sith," I began without preamble. "Most of you are aware of the fact that our wonderful and magickal race was destroyed by the coming of the Dark Jedi, who killed us overnight. Very few of us managed to escape their ire; three were sent to this time to oversee this resurrection."

Now a brow lifts to mirror that of Graysith, who is shooting a questioning look my way. I raise a hand to her; we shall have more than enough time to later clarify the myriad small details. Now we had other rontos to tame.

"Central to this resurrection is the presence of the two children born to two sisters--" I pause now to bow briefly to Galen Danner, and then more deeply to my Chosen One. "--to whom two children inherent to the All were born. It is only through their inherently primal instincts, channelled through our sorceries, that the All will be bolstered enough to respond to the command of bringing the Sith back into glorious life."

I pause for breath, speaking to all, but my gaze is only for Graysith. "We know Dark Lord Roan, of the final Council of Three, not only instrumented the death of the Weaponry Lord, but also kidnapped the child he bore with the Chosen Daughter. What little evidence which has been uncovered leads us to believe the child is in the possession of another dark jedi, with whom it appears he has formed an alliance of sorts."

Now I place my snifter down upon the nearest table before, clasping my hands together, I move out amidst the assembly. Even as I do so the missing two come quietly into the room; I nod my head to them, and then finish aloud:

"The problem at hand is twofold. We must find this child upon whom so much depends, and we must devise a way to bring her safely into our midst. I fear Lord Roan will prove a dark and terrible adversary indeed; we already know the several methods he has at hand to thwart our moves.

"Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas, or questions which need to be considered at this point?"

[ 09-02-2002 10:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aelvedaar ]

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Upon hearing Aelvedaar's request for ideas on this matter, Lo-Ban spoke up...

"With all do respect, I don't believe it comes down to what we can or cannot do... I believe, if he is as powerful as you say, why not hit him where he feels the safest?"

finaly seeming to come to his point Recinis focused his gaze upon Aelvedaar once more. "I believe we must somehow arrange a meeting of sorts with him, and find a way to outsmart him, or make him see the error of his way's. Both though i feel would be difficult, because as i see it, only with his cooperation will we truly stand a chance of retrieving Graysiths daughter."
he then sighed a bit, as another tidbit of understanding crossed him.
His next words he simple thought rather then speak, for he knew aelvedaar could hear is thoughts, and he knew that it was best not alert others of what had happened. "I believe roan has forseen that we will need to contact him, for he has somehow made graysith incapable of facing him."

[ 09-02-2002 11:09 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Recinis ]

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The little ones were the ones on which they would all depend. Defeating Roan, truly, might take the ressurection of an entire civilization FIRST.

But how to find the baby...?

An idea struck Shayla, so she turned and faced Aelvedaar. "I think we need to devise a way to reach the child before we face Roan," she said quite honestly. "What about using the power of the Eternal Flame on Korriban to ascertain the whereabouts of the baby?"

She paused at that, waiting.

[ 09-02-2002 11:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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Lo-Ban waited for responses...

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"Indeed, young Loban," I start out, addressing him first. "Striking against the Dark One in a place where he feels safest is strong strategy, for there will he let his guard be lowered. And where is this?"

I pause a moment, as if waiting for someone to cry out the answer. No one speaks, and I continue.

"It is in regard to that which he is so self-assured of, and that being his apparent hold over us. A true hold this would be, if we did not know the whereabouts of the Child.

"But we do. At least to some extent. Shayla--"

I now turn to the young adept, smiling at her proposal, for it has been one I have been considering all along. We only needed the Babe...

"Your proposal holds much merit, and formerly would undoubtedly have been the road we would have had to travel to find her. But I think that with what my brother, Freedon Naad, has brought to us, we will be able to find the child with ease."

Now I lift the Book of Ages from his hands, the tome which can divine the whereabouts of any Sith in the universe. And indeed is the child is half-Sith....

"This shall show us her precise whereabouts... but the dangerous part is yet to follow. We must travel to Korriban, seeking the strength within the Valley of the Dark Lords, and from there reach out and take the child from the one who holds her hostage.

"But there are other dark blights upon the fabric of the galaxy, my friends. We have been sheltered from them within this shielded city; although the ships at our disposal do possess shields, those with cunning may find them simply by how they silhouette themselves against the stars. Remember, we cannot stay beneath a shield forever... and neither can this city once the entire population is restored to it."

I pause now and stand quiet, holding the Book before me as yet another kind of shield, and wait to hear the response of the others.

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Narcolm didn't know about the others but he had seen Roan in action, he had witnessed the Sith's power. He had readily plunged into the bowels of he empire to rescue Galen because it meant that he had a chance of ending his vendetta against Actar. But this... NO NO NO NO NO, sirens roared inside his mind. He was no coward but he wasn't going to chance coming across the Sith warrior ever again. He wasn't going to throw his life away for them, he owed them nothing and if he did he had repaid his debt tenfold. Narcolm shook his head,
"If this is what it has come to I am afraid I must depart, this is not my matter and I do not wish to be further involved."

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Rathal

(I AM turning to the Darkside)

Well, at least mostly no one.

If this city couldn't be shielded once the Sith were reborn, then this meant that both Galen and Darra--and everyone else here for that matter--would again be open to whatever black blots still roamed the galaxy. And Terrin didn't dare believe, after all they'd been through, after all the evil they'd faced, that there wasn't more of that lurking about out there, just waiting to strike.

But you forget a few things, Mr. Danner, some little voice prompted him. You're allied with the Sith. Granted, the galaxy might not exactly like this when word of it does at last break forth, but then, you've at least got some rather solid backing to oppose those foes.

You aren't alone in this anymore.

Secondly, you have yourself some nice allies aside from the Sith, ones who will stick by you and your company. This is a nice thing to know. And thirdly, your daughter more power in her pinky finger to stand off foes than you can ever match.

Terrin grinned a bit at that, glancing over to the still-sleeping Darra. Then he turned back, his look turning serious once more.

Then Terrin frowned as the words Narcolm was now speaking came to his ears. He pinned him with a serious blue-eyed gaze. "It'll be your matter because it involves not only a nasty Sith Lord but the entire galaxy on a whole. So I guess it comes down to what you consider more important. Yourself...or everybody else."

Terrin stopped himself at that, hoping he hadn't stepped out of place. But he'd learned one thing over the course of his life, and most of it recently. He couldn't help but state it aloud. "If you run from an evil, you can run for a while. But eventually, you will have to face it."

At that he simply fell silent, waiting to see what else might be said.

[ 09-03-2002 12:28 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"Don't lecture me on the way of the galaxy Danner!" he bellowed, striding towards the man, "I have risked myself to save your wife while you stood idley by. Do not try to tell me about the nature of evil, for I can garantee I know far more about it than you can imagine. Above all Danner, do not try to bar my way." his ended icily and he reached down to touch the pommel of his sword, noticing instantly that he had threatend a man, most uncharacteristic of him. He had to riegn himself in or else who knew what might become of him. But that was for later, now he needed to leave.

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Rathal

(I AM turning to the Darkside)

Terrin tried to bite his lip, but the comment was quite frankly enough to cause him to explode.

"Look, buddy," he growled, slamming a hand against the table. "You're gonna tell ME I can't imagine what you know about the nature of evil?! I've had an arm ripped off, my wife snatched from under my nose, my daughter switched with another's before either of the children were ever born, and then the child she did give birth to was taken by his slimy familiar. To add to that, my wife was taken by him yet again so he could forge a Sith Empire of his own brand..."

Terrin's voice was starting to shake, ever so slightly. "And you are gonna tell me about the nature of evil?!"

He paused, waiting a moment to calm down a bit. "But this is what we're up against. I realize you risked alot to go after Galen, and I thank you for taking that risk. But you got off mighty easily, and there's a whole galaxy of people out there who will not get off so easily if we don't stop Roan in his tracks.

We need every ally we can get. And with the skills you possess, that includes you, buddy..."

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"Gentlemen!' her musical voice rang out, slicing through the rising arguments like a knife. "It does not matter who knows what evil, and which the most intimidating! You think you are the only two to have received the brunt of Lord Roan's sadistic ire?

"You have received but a drop of it! I think my sister and I can vouch personally for that!"

Her words arrowed into the growing altercation, exploding among the ones being stated in so heated and senseless a rage, until at length the two ceased to speak and stood about merely glowering their mutual disgust with each other.

Graysith eyed them both coldly. "Do you not see how even you are letting what you know about this quite serious foe taint your thoughts? How quickly you use your fears to strike out against each other, and how easily you thus make yourselves but mere pawns of him!

"Captain Danner was quite right: we must not recoil, but together stand firm against our fears, for only thus may we overcome this great evil." For a moment she shivered, then drew from the unspoken strength of her love as Recinis quietly replaced his hand upon her shoulder.

She cast another cold glance upon the group.

"Such bickering must cease, and it must cease now, else we shall fail before we have even begun."

With that she fell silent, slowly sitting down once more and leaning back against the warmth of the her warrior love. The only evidence to belie her apparent calm was the Glyph on her forehead, which was positively ravening.

[ 09-03-2002 12:54 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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Rathal

(I AM turning to the Darkside)